Die Macht der süssen Worte - Vagn Folkerman

Michael Mildenberger / Albrecht Scholl: "Die Macht Der Süssen Worte. Die Bewegung Der Transzendentalen Meditation”, Aussaat Verlag, Wuppertal 1977 (150 pages, German).

Review

 

The “Power of the Sweet Words” is a critical book about the Movement of Transcendental Meditation.

 

It presents a solid all-round information on the TM-organization, its structures, its methods of recruiting new members, its meditation system, its Hindu background, and its claim to universality.

 

The book’s strength lies in its use of TM’s documents, official as well as unofficial.

 

It is made clear that the “TM—science” is never critically examined, and that its results are only interpreted by TM-connected people. Only methods of natural science are used even in fields that need examination by humanistic and social sciences, e.g. concerning nervousness, aggressivity, confidence. The “TM-science” is meant to be a persuasive means for the TM mission, and does not take seriously the critical comments of scientists who are outside TM.

 

TM’s meditation system with introduction, initiation, mantras and Checking is documented and commented on. Its Hindu background with tantric elements and a list of mamtras is revealed.

 

The falseness of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi is especially revealed by his statement of personal mantras in contrast to the real practice of mantra-giving.

 

The book gives some ideas of the TM organization, which alone in the USA makes 12.000.000 Dollars. Better than a normal multinational corporation the TM controls the activity and devotion of its members through different “world-plan-centres” and suborganizations.

 

The documentation and critical analysis are short and precise. Mildenberger’s and Schöll’s book gives a good all round introduction to Transcendental Meditation and will be a solid basis for further reading of the more specialized and detailed reports on TM.