“This is a donut. It is very sweet and very good. But if you’ve never tasted a donut, you wouldn’t really know how sweet and how good a doughnut is, if you’ve never had that experience. Transcendental Meditation is like that. It gives the experience of the sweetest nectar of life, pure bliss consciousness.” – David Lynch
Time is a morphic, changing body that allows us to perceive reality in a linear and logical way. Over the course of a lifetime, time seems to shrink and compress as our current experiences make up a smaller and smaller percentage of our lifespan. In tandem with the natural deterioration of neural processing speed, a decrease in novelty accelerates the gnawing sensation that we are all running out of time.
These inherent biological and psychological aspects of being, paired with the pressures of modern life, create the perfect storm. Society is plagued by mental health concerns and physical health issues stemming from stress and a deep sense of existential dread. We have a dominant narrative rooted in unfulfillment. This driving factor is observable in the modern phenomenon of “hustle culture”. The constant pursuit of something more, something beyond ourselves, and the idea that we need external measures of progress in order to be happy leaves many with an inherent sense of unfulfillment. The Information Age has exponentially accelerated these trends towards a lack of life satisfaction and happiness.
We find ourselves trapped in a Sisyphean tale of a never-ending pursuit of happiness. However, there are tools that we can utilize to deconstruct and offset these ideas of discontent. As the famous filmmaker and Transcendental Meditation advocate David Lynch said, “Keep your eye on the doughnut, not on the hole.” Focus on what you can control: your inner state of being. When you regulate yourself and build a strong foundation at your core, you can surf the waves of life instead of being drowned by them.
So, what even is Transcendental Meditation? When most people hear the word “meditation”, a very specific image comes into their mind. You may picture a monk in a remote Himalayan village, who lives their entire life as a devotional practice in meditation. However, meditation is a multifaceted practice that is exercised by an incredibly diverse range of people. Transcendental meditation is designed to be accessible, achievable, and completely effortless.
The technique involves two 20-minute sessions a day in which you sit quietly, close your eyes, and repeat a meaningless mantra (a sound or word) which allows your mind to quiet as you transcend the constant noise of daily thought and enter a deeper state of awareness.
TM (Transcendental Meditation) is different from practices that center around intense focus, controlling your thoughts, or any effort or strain. It isn’t attached to any religion or belief system, and it will work for anyone who seeks it out. There is no such thing as being “bad” at TM. It is a deeply rewarding and attainable practice that can bring benefits to anyone.
There are three main “states of consciousness” that we experience daily. The waking state, filled with thoughts and interactions with the external world; the dreaming state, in which the mind operates independently of the material world, and the state of deep sleep without dreams or conscious awareness. These originated from the ayurvedic ideas of waking (jāgrat), dreaming (svapna), and deep sleep (suṣupti).
Transcendental Meditation bridges the gap between waking and dreaming thought. It allows the observer to maintain their conscious perception of reality while simultaneously settling the mind into a thoughtless, dreamlike state of being. This aligns with the fourth state of consciousness in Vedic tradition; the state of pure consciousness which is considered true reality (turiya).
Experiences during meditation are ineffable; words cannot contain the magnitude of sublimity during the act of transcendence. The word “transcend” means to go beyond the noise of thought to the core of your being. You access a deep well of unbounded existence that is exactly what your heart has been calling out for all your life. Although meditation can be extremely euphoric and incredibly rewarding, the real benefits of TM are observed in everyday life.
Meditation allows one to blossom. When you take that time to go within and connect with the core of life, you improve your resilience and relationship with the world around you. Your equanimity, or ability to stay balanced, is strengthened. “The more in tune with the depths of our own consciousness, the more stable we become. So whatever ‘s happening on the outside is not so disruptive because we are stable within ourselves.” says John McDermott, a TM instructor who has been engaged in the practice for over 50 years. He has spread the gift of TM to me and many others.
McDermott explains how TM has had an incredible impact on his life. “I’m clear, I’m stronger, I’m wiser, I’m kinder, I’m easier to be with myself and with others.” He uses the metaphor of a gardener watering the roots of a tree. Allowing your mind to access deep states of rest and relaxation allows the entire tree of your life to flourish.
Through meditation, one obtains a quality of inner fulfillment. This encourages a mindset of contentment and satisfaction that is not seen in those who are constantly seeking more out of life and never happy with what they have in the moment. This inner satisfaction allows one to pursue their goals in a healthier way, with happiness as a way of being instead of an end goal.
TM helps people improve in every area of their lives as they allow the mind to slip into natural tendencies towards greater happiness. It opens the doors to unbounded creativity and self-expression as people connect with themselves and the world around them.
There are countless examples of successful people in our modern society who publicly share how TM has influenced their lives. Famous musicians who are also TM practitioners include members of The Beatles, Katy Perry, Stevie Wonder, and Mick Jagger. Actors include Jim Carrey, Tom Hanks, Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Aniston, and Julia Fox. David Lynch is largely attributed for the bloom of TM practice in Hollywood. He established the David Lynch Foundation to encourage the use of TM in educational facilities.
The well-known music producer Rick Reuben has utilized the technique of Transcendental Meditation while working with his clients. He has collaborated with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Slipknot, Johnny Cash, Lana Del Rey, Weezer, The Strokes, Rage Against the Machine, and many other prominent artists. Reuben sees TM as a tool that fosters creativity and clarity.
“There’s an abundant reservoir of high-quality information in our subconscious, and finding ways to access it can spark new material to draw from. Art is our portal to the unseen world.” – Rick Reuben
Many people in the business world also meditate. Ray Dalio, the founder of Bridgewater Associates, has cited TM as the “single most important reason” for his success. Others include Oprah Winfrey, Arianna Huffington (co-founder of The Huffington Post), Jeff Weiner (former CEO of LinkedIn), Rick Goings (former CEO of Tupperware), and Bill Ford (executive chairman of Ford Motor Company).
Many influential thinkers across history have based their pursuit of knowledge on similar foundations of belief. Albert Einstein spoke on the value of trusting the subconscious and finding truth in stillness. “I think 99 times and find nothing. I stop thinking, swim in silence, and the truth comes to me.”
The benefits that people observe in their exterior life are observable in concrete scientific studies about the physiology of the body. According to the Cleveland Clinic, TM can help lower blood pressure, improve sleep, manage pain, strengthen problem-solving skills, and have a wide range of mental and emotional health issues. The National Institutes of Health has dedicated over 26 million dollars to researching the effectiveness of TM to reduce stress and risk of cardiovascular disease.
A study published in the National Library of Medicine investigated the role of TM in easing workplace stress and burnout. Mind-body techniques such as TM were hypothesized to reduce the “fight or flight” symptoms that arise from constant psychosocial stressors. The trial determined that out of a group of 40 participants, TM had a notable and statistically significant effect on traits of anxiety, depression, and burnout.
If TM intrigues you, visit the official website at https://tm.org/en-us to dive deeper into the scientific benefits and what TM is all about. To learn the technique, the website will connect you with the nearest TM teacher in your area when you press the button “Find your local teacher”. TM has brought so much into my life, and I hope to spread these experiences to others.
