This week and every week, the
Psychic Horizons Church of Natural Grace in the Mission offers their free introduction to transcendental meditation. Yes, the same "TM" popularized in the 60's by guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, which sucked in Donovan, who probably did it just because
the Beatles did. The practice encompasses a whole convoluted rigmarole and weltanschauung pimped as the "
Vedic sciences." In a nutshell TM'ers believe you can get anything you want just by asking for it, and will stay out of trouble simply by walking the sunny side of the street. They're of a special New Age variety, recently Oprah-authorized, and given a rose-colored gloss by author Daniel Pinchbeck in last month's
Common Ground, exemplified by the cultish marketing binge surrounding Rhonda Byrne's "
The Secret," anything
Deepak Chopra, and a little
Marlee Matlin art flick.
