The New Age Movement

Other Main Names:

• Astrology, crystal healing, reincarnation, Transcendental Meditation, yoga

• Sri Chinmoy, Shirley MacLaine, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

History

Because the New Age movement is so ephemeral yet pervasive a history of the entire movement is impossible to give. Individual groups within the New Age movement, however, can be tracked.

Transcendental Meditation

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was born in 1911. He studied physics at Allahabad University, graduating in 1940 or 1942. In the early 40s he came into contact with a man known as Guru Dev, from whose teachings Maharishi distilled Transcendental Meditation (TM). In 1959 he introduced TM to the United States.

In 1967 Maharishi spoke in the ballroom of the Hilton Hotel in London, where he was heard by three of the Beetles, the association with whom played a major part in popularising New Age thinking.

Popularity waned, and Maharishi withdrew around 1970, stating "I know that I have failed. My mission is over." However, showing great marketing ingenuity, he started "selling" TM as "The Science of Creative Intelligence" and started pushing positive physical and physiological benefits. This has continued to today.

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