Meditation is a subtle process that cannot reliably be learned from a book or CD. One can of course be inspired by the written or spoken word, and one can learn about meditation from books or CDs, but to actually learn the practice it is very important to receive instruction from a properly trained and qualified teacher. These days, there are of course countless “gurus” who teach all sorts of meditation techniques—but it is very hard to say whether what they teach is especially effective. I started the Transcendental Meditation technique over 40 years ago and am deeply grateful for what it has given me.
One of the things that Maharishi said early on that impressed me was that, in order to determine the validity of a teaching, one should examine it from three perspectives: (1) personal experience, (2) scientific research, and (3) consistency with tradition. On all three of these dimensions, the Transcendental Meditation technique is truly impressive.
(1) I can testify to its effectiveness not only based on my own personal experience, but also based on the experience of many hundreds of other meditators that I have known over the years. They are an extremely diverse group of people, each expressing a unique combination of human qualities (including of course many shortcomings), but most of them are vibrantly healthy, joyful, creative, flexible, and strong.
(2) The TM technique has been subjected to more scientific research than any other meditation technique in the world. Several “meta-analyses” of data from these and other studies demonstrate its remarkable effectiveness, especially in comparison to other techniques. (See this overview of research.)
(3) Maharishi demonstrated an unparalleled understanding of the Vedic tradition of India and represented an ancient line of enlightened teachers. One of his most endearing qualities was his unfailing deference to his own teacher and the teachers who came before him. As a student of philosophy and practical psychology, I was especially impressed with his first two major books, The Science of Being and Art of Living and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Bhagavad-Gita : A New Translation and Commentary, Chapters 1–6.