Maharishi Mahesh Yogi emphasized that the key to educational success is the quality of the student’s and teacher’s consciousness.
Therefore the foundation of Consciousness-Based education is the technology for developing consciousness, the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs with their practical applications for the benefit of individual life and society.
Organizations and Programs
Founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Maharishi founded Transcendental Meditation and the worldwide Spiritual Regeneration Movement (1957); brought to light seven states of consciousness, each with its own distinct physiological and experiential characteristics (1957-1971); inspired the first scientific research studies on the Transcendental Meditation technique (1970).
Then Maharishi founded Maharishi International University (1971) which became Maharishi University of Management, accredited in 1980, offering Consciousness-Based Education at B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. levels; provided the foundation of knowledge for over 150 educational institutions; and whose Technology of Consciousness has been incorporated into the curriculum of more than 450 schools in 60 countries, with over 250,000 students (1972-2015).
Maharishi established a science of consciousness—comprising theory, applications, and research—from the Vedic knowledge of the full development of human consciousness (1971-2007); trained 40,000 teachers of Transcendental Meditation; gave the principles at the basis for the scientific discovery of the Maharishi Effect, the phenomenon of a small group of people practicing this technology of consciousness positively influencing society, measurably reducing negative trends and increasing positive social and economic trends (1975).
Maharishi introduced the TM-Sidhi program with Yogic Flying to enhance mind-body coordination in the individual, and positive trends (coherence) in world consciousness (1976); formulated “absolute“ theories of cultural integrity, progress, government, health, education, communication, and defense, bringing to light universal principles that transcend time, culture, and circumstance, for bringing fulfillment to the different areas of national life (1977). Maharishi brought to light the theory and practical applications of the Vedic knowledge of health, building design and construction, music, and the science of prediction to enrich modern life with the knowledge of living in harmony with natural law (1985-2007).
Maharishi brought to light natural law based political science and administration, inspiring the formation of a new political party, the Natural Law Party, in many countries (1992); and founded Maharishi Vedic University in India (1993). Maharishi founded the Maharishi Channel, the first worldwide educational direct-to-home satellite network, covering the major continents (1998); founded Maharishi Open University, which offered courses to 15,000 participants through the Maharishi Channel; inspired the discovery of the fundamental structures of Natural Law in human physiology by Dr. Tony Nader (M.D., Ph.D.); guided the founding of a global reconstruction program to make use of building designs and construction in harmony with natural law to create centers for teaching the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs and offering other courses worldwide (2005).
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on
Consciousness-Based Education
Introducing the knowledge of the knower:
“We want to introduce into education knowledge of the knower—consciousness. Education for higher consciousness will take the attention inwards to the absolute value of consciousness. When pure consciousness is maintained even while the attention flows outwards in the study of all the disciplines, then the conscious mind is very powerful because it is imbued with unlimited creative intelligence, which is the nature of pure consciousness.” —Maharishi
Developing the full creative potential of consciousness:
“Developing the full creative potential of consciousness makes the students masters of their life; they spontaneously command situations and circumstances. Their behavior is always nourishing to themselves and everyone around them. They have the natural ability to fulfill their own interests without jeopardizing the interests of others. Such ideal, enlightened individuals are the result of ideal education—Consciousness-Based Education.” —Maharishi
Creating responsible individuals through education:
‘By creating responsible individuals through education, a responsible administration of the whole society is achieved, in which everything in society is well coordinated and a help to every other aspect of society, and the nation is coherent, integrated, and self-sufficient. A coherent, integrated, and self-sufficient nation will always have a very fulfilling relationship with other nations. On this basis every nation will enjoy real freedom without the shadows of doubt and fear. This is invincibility of a nation.’ —Maharishi
A strong foundation is needed:
‘If the foundation is strong, any height can be achieved. The fundamental of life must be unshakeable and immovable. The fundamental of the ever-changing phase of relative life is the never-changing, eternal Absolute. When the awareness is always on the move towards something more and more, if the awareness could be opened to that which is the fundamental of more and more, then, with the goal in hand, we enjoy the path. This is the life worth living.
‘We want every man to be most productive and most efficient in all fields. For that, every individual must know that his individuality stands on the basis of universality—immovable, eternal, non-changing Absolute—and he has only to open his awareness to that area and start enjoying all benefits from that. This is the education we want to give by teaching the Transcendental Meditation Programme to all the people.’ —Maharishi