A tribute to the TM Guru

  Mahesh Yogi was a genius, who formulated the Seven States of Consciousness. He founded the rationale and methodology for generating higher states of Consciousness.   Dr Keith Wallace, ex President of MIU, defined Enlightenment as the full development of Consciousness, depending on the harmonious functions of every part of the human body. He said that India is the home of the most profound knowledge and procedures for the development of Physiology.   “What the ancients meant by Supreme Knowledge, Jnana, was that state of perfect order, zero entropy”, he says in his article ” The Neurophysiology of Enlightenment”. In his PhD Thesis ” The Physiological Effects of Transcendental Meditation”, he conclusively proved the existence of a Fourth Major State of Consciousness.   Here is an abstract of a study posted in the sessions at the Lucidity Association’s Conference on Higher States of Consciousness in Chicago in 1990.   Vedic psychology, as presented by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, delineates seven major states of consciousness (Maharishi, 1972). The daily cycle of waking, dreaming, and sleeping constitute the three ordinary changing states of consciousness. In addition, Maharishi’s Vedic psychology describes an invariant sequence of higher stages of consciousness. The fourth state of consciousness, termed transcendental consciousness (TC), is characterized as a content-free state of “restful alertness”, the ultimate ground state of the mind, pure consciousness (Maharishi, 1969). In this state “… awareness becomes completely ’self-referral’ — consciousness has nothing other than itself in its structure” (Maharishi, 1986, p. 27). Maharishi describes TC as follows:   This is a state of inner wakefulness with no object of thought or perception, just pure consciousness [TC], aware of its own unbounded nature. It is wholeness, aware of itself, [Self-awareness] devoid of differences, beyond the division of subject and object — transcendental consciousness (Maharishi, 1977, p. 123).   TC is held to be as distinct from the ordinary waking state as waking is from dreaming or sleeping. Recent research reviews have identified over twenty physiological correlates distinguishing TC from simple relaxation, sleeping, dreaming and waking (See Alexander and Boyer, 1989; Alexander, Cranson, Boyer and Orme-Johnson, 1986; Wallace, 1986; for a complete review).   He had given millions the experience of Transcendental Consciousness and his contribution to humanity was immense.   He took Indian Philosophy far and wide and made Geetha one of the most popular books ever ! May his soul rest in Peace !   He defined the Geetha as the Lamp lit by the Lord at the altar of humanity, redeeming Man from Ignorance ! He travelled far and wide with the message of Vedic Wisdom and was adored by Nobel Laureates and intellectuals. He was one of the greatest sons of India !