Transcendental Meditation Course: Anyone here done this?

[azstonie]

Hi Hangout!

The Transcendental Meditation course is right around $1000. Not an insignificant amount of money for me (I could set one of my loose colored stones with this money). Before I cough it up, I wanted to know if anyone here had taken the course and if you felt the $1000 cost was fair considering results.

I've been on their website and watched their videos. There is a vague-ness there when it comes to results or effect.

Thank you

(I bought Russell Simmons' book on meditation and gave it a go, FWIW.)

 

[House Cat]

So interesting....

I was on their website yesterday and today....

I plan on taking the leap in the next few weeks as they say that they have helped many trauma survivors. They also say that veterans find great peace when doing this type of meditation.

They also give their services away to veterans and will give scholarships to those in need. In other words, their non-profit status seems to be legit.

Personally, I feel that I have hit a brick wall with my therapy and meds. My therapist recommended TM. I figured it's worth a try...


I hope someone who has done this meditation will chime in.

 

[momhappy]

I have not taken an actual course. I have tried meditation before though and it hasn't worked out for me. I find that my mind wanders and focuses on all of the other things that I should be doing at that moment (rather than relaxing and meditating). I assume that's pretty normal and I think that you're supposed to give it some time, but I gave up on it fairly quickly. I know people who do TM regularly and love it.

 

[azstonie]

Housie, glad to have your thoughts on this. I got Pete Walker's book on Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and it was incredibly helpful and enlightening (Amazon, paperback and Kindle editions). I highly recommend the book and his techniques. Therapy for me has been mostly a waste of thousands $ and time. OTOH, the help of the 1 great counselor I did find has stayed with me.

I want to be much less reactive than I am now. That is why I'm looking into TM.

 

[azstonie]

Hi MomHappy, thank you for relating the experience of your friends who benefitted from TM. I also had trouble letting go of my thoughts and I looked into TM as assistance for that. Maybe if you try again, you'll at least have 15 minutes in a day that are exclusively yours? That's something!

 

[momhappy]

^I think you're right. I know that I should give it another try. I really do see the benefits of meditation and I know that I could use it....

 

[lyra]

I haven't tried TM as such, but I have done private meditation exercises with an instructor. It was extremely helpful during a time of great stress when I just could not seem to get my thoughts in order or under control. It gives you a resource that is available at any time, day or night, once you learn the "ropes". I will do some more research about TM specifically, but I would very likely try it myself if I hit another blip in the road.

PS After a bit of research, I see that there are some people charging exorbitant fees for something that could be learned for free somewhere. So I guess it's buyer beware in this endeavor.

 

[sunseeker101]

Hi Aztonie, here's a book that enabled me to wrap my Western brain around this apparently mysterious Eastern skill. The author is a neurologist and American and comes at it from sciency bases (psychology) to unlock it in a very straightforward manner for the reader. If you were to read it and be no further along the pathway then I'd recommend looking for guidance in the form of a retreat or guided meditation to start. I wish you the best of luck with it, it has helped me gain much clearer and calmer perspectives on myself and others in conscious thinking that are usually buried so deeply that they're not integrate-able with your normal thinking. It is a great idea for high emotional sensitivity/brooding type issues.

https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Illuminated-Complete-Meditation-Integrating/dp/0990847705/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471490759&sr=8-1&keywords=meditation+science

 

[azstonie]

I haven't tried TM as such, but I have done private meditation exercises with an instructor. It was extremely helpful during a time of great stress when I just could not seem to get my thoughts in order or under control. It gives you a resource that is available at any time, day or night, once you learn the "ropes". I will do some more research about TM specifically, but I would very likely try it myself if I hit another blip in the road.

PS After a bit of research, I see that there are some people charging exorbitant fees for something that could be learned for free somewhere. So I guess it's buyer beware in this endeavor.

Great idea, the meditation lessons/exercises under private instruction. I wish I'd had that when I went through a crisis 4 years ago. I'm still trying to get closure on the wreckage from that crisis and I find that I'm reactive to people/events that normally I would be able to shrug off. I very much want to get back to what used to be my chill personality, I don't want that to be gone forever. Thank you for your understanding and experiences.

Regarding exorbitant fees: I would gladly pay $1000 for TM instruction *if* it helps me attain a calm-er, less reactive mind. That's 3 therapy sessions in my area. So getting results would be a STEAL at that price.

 

[azstonie]

Hi Aztonie, here's a book that enabled me to wrap my Western brain around this apparently mysterious Eastern skill. The author is a neurologist and American and comes at it from sciency bases (psychology) to unlock it in a very straightforward manner for the reader. If you were to read it and be no further along the pathway then I'd recommend looking for guidance in the form of a retreat or guided meditation to start. I wish you the best of luck with it, it has helped me gain much clearer and calmer perspectives on myself and others in conscious thinking that are usually buried so deeply that they're not integrate-able with your normal thinking. It is a great idea for high emotional sensitivity/brooding type issues.

https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Illuminated-Complete-Meditation-Integrating/dp/0990847705/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471490759&sr=8-1&keywords=meditation+science

Thank you for the good wishes and your experiences. The book is on its way to me, I appreciate the link and the recommend.

BTW, I always note when you post because your PS name reminds of me Theory 101 when I was a music major Gotta get those modes learned before the next test!

 

[PintoBean]

I just got my fall community college continuing ed course catalog and it has a meditation course that's 10x cheaper. Before you jump into a $1,000 course, I'd suggest test driving a meditation course in a continuing ed setting, whether it's your local library, high school or college. This is what we plan on doing with Tai Chi - test drive the community college offering

 

[azstonie]

Oooh, Pinto Bean, good idea. I'll check the city's continuing ed extension website and my local community college.

Have fun with Tai Chi. I took that course with my 80-something mom. It kicked my BUTT. Covered in sweat by the time the class was done (that's a good thing, I need to break a sweat from exercise not Arizona heat).

 

[susief]

I did it. Learned many years ago when it was MUCH cheaper. Tried it for a long time but found it boring and got no discernible benefit or results, so I don't bother now. Maybe it just didn't suit me.

Be aware that they strongly recommend annual "TM checks" with a TM teacher- not sure how much these cost now - so it's not just the upfront cost.

 

[azstonie]

I did it. Learned many years ago when it was MUCH cheaper. Tried it for a long time but found it boring and got no discernible benefit or results, so I don't bother now. Maybe it just didn't suit me.

Be aware that they strongly recommend annual "TM checks" with a TM teacher- not sure how much these cost now - so it's not just the upfront cost.

Thank you, susief, for giving your experience and the heads up on the potential costs for annual "TM checks." That would most likely render the course too costly for me. I would want annual checks to be included in that upfront cost and if that is still the case I will continue to pursue looking for a private meditation instructor as detailed above.

 

[susief]

No problem azstonie. I can tell you much more about it if you're interested though don't like to share too much in public - if you are on LT or something I'm happy to contact you.

 

[House Cat]

Be aware that they strongly recommend annual "TM checks" with a TM teacher- not sure how much these cost now - so it's not just the upfront cost.

I can't take it.






I've been poking around on the internet and there are people out there who took the course and say it is no different than mantra meditation. My therapist seemed to think it was different. I will ask her on Tuesday why she thought it was so different.

 

[susief]

HouseCat, I've done both. IMO there is very little, if any, difference. It's just meditation.

There is a lot of up-selling in my experience. Look up the TM-Sidhi course, for example. There's always a next step, and it always costs more.

I do know at least one person who swears by it though. Different strokes.