Why Do Celebrities Love Transcendental Meditation?

Search inside your mind and choose any of the typical celebrities — it will not take long to pick one that has claimed their life was changed by ‘TM'. Put so concisely, TM introduces itself as a punchy and mysterious two-letter saviour to the chaotic lives of the world’s most watched. No matter your level of wealth or fame, stress is present in life. But, why is Transcendental Meditation consistently the only type of stress relief these people champion with such superlative pomp? There are plenty of ways to meditate, yet only the transcendental kind gets sold to the onlooker with such a ‘now here’s my little secret…’ treatment. 

Perhaps this is just the nature of celebrities. There are endless interviews in which they pour their hearts out in admiration of the practice, to such an extent that you’d be forgiven for thinking they were sales pitches. According to singer Katy Perry, she gains two days in one with the practice of this simple tool. All you must do is meditate for twenty minutes twice a day, repeating a personal mantra in your head. In doing so, the mind settles inwards towards a pure form of consciousness and rest, leaving the practitioner energised as they step out from their meditative retreat. That sounds pretty useful to everybody. The only catch is that you must be taught how to do this by a trained professional: a four-day course that will set you back anywhere between £395 and £725 depending on your income. 

The association of celebrities with TM dates back to the late 1960s with the Beatles’ highly public connection to the technique's initial teacher, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. In search of the next thing to move on to after drugs, they found energy in TM. This began a wider acceptance of Eastern influence on Western culture and perhaps laid the foundations for the TM organisation’s public ties to celebrities as unofficial ambassadors. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s successor, the neuroscientist Tony Nader, has personally taught many of today’s celebrities since taking over leadership of the organisation. A brief browsing of the TM website brings celebrity after celebrity onto the screen, almost suggesting that you too can be just like them. This is not a unique tactic of advertising. After all, TM is trying to reach as many people as possible and so, just like advertisements for the latest eau de toilette from Dior, a celebrity face representing their supposedly desirable life is helpful. Timothée Chalamet gets all his roles because he wears Bleu de Chanel and Katy Perry could sing ‘Roar’ because she practised TM on the morning of the recording. 

However, when it comes to spirituality and meditation, the combination of money and celebrity raises alarm bells. There is an almost cult-like essence to the obsessiveness of the ambassadors and the mystery of the practice they advocate for you to pay to uncover. This is not the only criticism that has been levelled against TM since its surge in popularity in the West: many have stated that it is simply a watered-down version of Hinduism tailored to the Western palate, an unnecessarily expensive way to meditate, and a dangerous proponent of pseudoscientific nonsense. The latter critique relates to claims such as the Maharishi Effect, which states that the growth of TM would decrease crime statistics, and, more strangely, yogic levitation. 

Although it might appear similar, TM is certainly not another Scientology. Minus the jargon-filled ramblings of public figures beaming with intensity about how much they need it, the practice itself naturally has positive effects — but to the extent of being worth £725? That depends on how much you believe their enthusiasm. It would be wrong to paint an entirely sceptical picture of TM, though. The David Lynch Foundation, set up by the late filmmaker, raises funds to teach TM for free to vulnerable groups, such as veterans, the homeless, and survivors of abuse, aiming to reduce the effects of trauma. 

It is a genuine means to improve people’s lifestyles with a business model that raises suspicion. The end goals that the organisation claims to desire — TM being trained to government officials and medical practitioners so that nations can learn the technique for free — are admirable. But until that is possible, the high paywall that is obstructing the majority from seeing this invaluable truth seems shady. Especially if, as others claim, this wall turns out to be one that you can walk around to uncover the same truth. 

Illustration by Alice O'Sullivan