My Syndicated Column on Transcendental Meditation: Life Lessons
A Syndicated Column on the Transcendental Meditation Program: This became my national TM Precedent #2. Unexpectedly it also turned out to be a very human story. Yielding life lessons, and definitely not unalloyed bliss.
Yes, I’ve already blogged about my TM Precedent #1. Seeing that it involved the first accredited course teaching TM in public schools, yes, that would have been worth mentioning. Despite setting a precedent that, years later, was reversed in a major court case.
Likewise today’s tale can inspire you. Yet teach you to think realistically about pursuing your dreams.
Once again I invite you readers who are spiritual seekers, whatever your path involves. Also, I think you’ll find something meaningful if you’re an entrepreneur. Or, like me, you simply love learning Life Lessons wherever you can.
And, of course, some of you readers may benefit from my current jam. Which isn’t teaching TM at all. Rather, I’ve become the founder of Energy Spirituality™.
Now, before you hop into your Time Machine, setting it for February 1974…
First of All, Try Searching the Net for “Syndicated Column + Transcendental Meditation”
Alternatively, don’t bother. Because you’ll find nothing.
- Only I happen to know that out of the millions of TM meditators
- And the thousands of TM initiators trained by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. (Trained directly or indirectly. My good fortune was studying with him directly — “at his feet,” as we used to say.)
- Definitely yours truly once syndicated a newspaper column on TM.
Namely, this was a weekly column: “Meditation Information.” Altogether, I syndicated it in seven Massachusetts newspapers, from 1974-1975.
All this happened pre-internet. Nonetheless, it really happened. Which is why I’ve got today’s teaching tale for you.
Where Was Rose Rosetree in 1974, Anyway?
Teaching TM full time on the North Shore of Boston, that’s where. For years I’d known Ellen Snyder, a fellow “initiator” who’d attended the same TM Teacher Training as me: First Poland Springs in 1969. Followed by 3 1/2 months in Mallorca, Spain.
For details on both courses, see “Bigger than All the Night Sky.” This memoir of spiritual awakening describes all that and more. (Most notably, the time when bashfully reading one of my poems to Maharishi, apparently I caused him to weep.)
By 1973, Ellen had started a modest TM center in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Looking to expand, she invited me to work with her there. And soon we increased activity enough to rent a fabulous mansion in tony Beverly Farms.
Admittedly, I put Ellen on a pedestal. Not only was she a brainy Radcliffe grad, with a degree in architecture. Equally impressive, she sewed her own designer dresses. A talented dancer, she was also a gourmet cook. And she could organize anything.
For instance, when Maharishi asked all his teacher to obtain mayoral proclamations for “World Plan Week,” no sweat. Ellen landed five of them, from North Short cities like Salem and Swampscott.
Most notably, Ellen was — and remains — the best storyteller I’ve ever known. Sometimes, listening to her regale our initiates with anecdotes, golly! It made me want to learn TM. (Although that had already happened in 1969.)
Without Ellen, I’d never be able to offer up my own teaching tales, such as I’m writing right now. At least, never write them in a way that would interest others in listening.
Thus, Ellen’s talents were obvious. How about mine?
How Did I Contribute to our TM Business on the North Shore?
Working hard. That was the main thing. In addition, I wrote all our press releases for Introductory Lectures.
Definitely, writing and teaching became my favorite aspects of being a TM teacher. By the time our staff had expanded to seven, under Ellen’s leadership, Aha! The idea of a Syndicated Column came to me. Soon I was writing it weekly, scoring bylines as “Laura Davis” in the Salem Evening News and other papers.
Letting Maharishi know about this new national TM precedent
Twice a year, for years, somewhere in Europe I’d attend an Advanced Training course with Maharishi. I couldn’t wait to tell Maharishi, since nobody had done this before. Word came to me through Jerry Jarvis, the “Movement’s” National Director:
“You have Maharishi’s blessing to syndicate this column. Only you must have two other initiators read each one before publication. Just to make sure that you represent the teaching correctly.”
No problem, I thought.
Well Maybe a Bit of a Problem
Reminds me of a joke my uncles used to make whenever my family got together. Both of these uncles were college professors, heads of their department: Herb Rosenbaum taught at Hofstra, where he was instrumental in organizing America’s Presidential Debates. While Murray Hausknecht taught at Lehman College. (Although he was better known nationally, in certain circles, for prolific writing of articles for Dissent Magazine.)
Whenever my family would visit, these uncles would be sure to humble-brag about their faculty meetings:
“The infighting is so bitter… because the stakes are so small.”
True for us lesser mortals as well! That saying can give you a clue about how much fun it was, needing approval from my fellow initiators. Notably, Meg Fling was a delight. Others? Not so much.
Mostly I had to survive stinging criticism at these little editorial conferences. Still, it was worth it.
Although, in retrospect, how controversial were my newspaper columns? Not. Luckily we didn’t need to bring in the Pope to make sure that I never made a serious doctrinal mistake.
Altogether, How Many People Did I Help with My Syndicated Column?
As if I had any way of knowing! Yet I believed then, as now, in the power of writing to help people think. Ever hopeful, I even wondered if other initiators would follow my lead. In fact, I began shopping around for another TM writer to take over my column.
- On one hand, all those weekly flagellation sessions — I mean, editorial meetings — were getting to me.
- On the other hand, I decided to move on from teaching at Ellen’s center. Sadly, we hadn’t been getting along terribly well.
At the TM course in Europe, I approached Denise Denniston, one of the kids I knew who’d written a bestseller. Cleverly it was titled, “The Transcendental Meditation TM Book: How to Enjoy the Rest of Your Life.”
“Too hard,” she said. And she had a point. Technically it was a bit challenging, finding ever-fresh topics to cram into very few words.
In the back of my mind I thought of asking Jack Forem, whom I knew better. However, he’d become such a big shot with his bestselling books , I didn’t dare to approach him.
Instead I’d send a letter of resignation to all my editors, so that they would continue to think well of me. Like any TM teacher, I was aware of “representing the Movement” at all times.
Preparing to Say Goodbye? Surprise!
After my course, I went back to the mansion in Beverly Farms. Granted, I expected it to be tough, handing in my resignation to Ellen. Only I never expected it to be quite as tough as….
In my upstairs bedroom, what did I find? To my astonishment, there was the cardboard box into which I’d neatly filed six weeks’ of columns, 42 envelopes, stamped; as neat and professional-looking as I could make them.
You see, before leaving, I’d written it all and organized everything. Each manuscript was neatly typed, then placed in an envelope addressed to my editor at that particular newspaper. I’d left Ellen with clear instructions about when to mail what. Therefore, it should have been easy to mail each envelope at the appointed time.
“What happened?” I asked Ellen. “Why are all my columns still here?”
Ellen gave me a dismissive look. “You might know, I never approved of your column. I decided not to bother sending them out.”
Ouch! Yet My Success Story Works Great as a Teaching Tale
I hope you agree. Here’s the progression that makes sense to me:
After I had a creative idea that might work, I pursued it. Giving it my all.
And that’s what I do, to this day.
My small innovation DID count as a precedent for a huge organization.
Setting that precedent prepared me to develop the 10 Trademarks of Energy Spirituality™. Plus innovations since then.
Surviving weekly in-fighting, in the form of sharp criticism, strengthened me.
Granted, I survived because I had to. Still, any leadership is going to draw criticism. Why not learn how to handle it? Just today, a stranger to my blog lambasted me for “insensitivity.”
(See Comment #259, here.)
Ellen’s betrayal was one factor in my finding the strength to leave a cult.
To be sure, I didn’t figure out until 1991 that TM was a cult. Meanwhile plenty of people I’ve cared about are still heavily involved. (Including both of my two ex-husbands. Plus Denise Denniston and Jack Forem.)
Most important, creatives and entrepreneurs can always begin new projects
Only now would I call myself a “creative” or an “entrepreneur.” Yet these descriptions do fit. Indeed, guess what?
Never could I have thought of myself in these ways unless I’d been tested. Picked myself up. Then started all over again. And again. And again.
I never learned TM or become a teacher, but if I had, I’d be feeling ashamed of myself right now. Such horrible treatment of you.
For many reasons, thank you for sharing this story!
My goodness, Rose, this sounds like such a painful experience. I’m very glad you survived it and kept on writing.
Long ago I went to one of the introductory lectures on TM. All the promises they made didn’t pass the sniff test for me. Basically didn’t they say you’d be smarter and nicer, and that you’d get along better with other people?
Am I ever glad that you got out of that cult, Rose.
Big thanks to each of you, KAYLA and KAREN and DIANA.
Awe!
Go, Rose! Leading with true grit in this particular story.
Reading this reminds me of the saying about what doesn’t kill you can only make you stronger.
I guess it’s largely up to us which way it goes. Thank you, Rose, for choosing to grow stronger.
Thank you so much, HOLLY and ETHAN.
At the end of this work day, I’m kind of reduced to a big ball of mush.
And maybe that will give me the courage to ask for something here — and copy the same request at my Precedent #1 blog post. You see, Blog-Buddies, these stories remind me how much I would love to edit and publish my memoir Part 2. It begins shortly after the end of my memoir Part 1, “Bigger than All the Night Sky.”
But I’ve made myself a promise about publishing that Memoir Part 2. Even though I feel certain that it’s even more powerful than the Memoir Part 1 already published.
Published more than 2 years ago, it’s up to 11 reviews. All five-star, and I’m grateful for that. Specifically, I’m so grateful to all you reviewers. However, here’s the deal.
Back in 2010, when I taught in Japan (and had loads of spare time, by my standards), I first-drafted both parts of that memoir. Later, maybe in 2016? I began editing and preparing “Bigger than All the Night Sky” for publication.
Publishing any book is personal, but nothing more so than a memoir.
And that’s why I resolved that before I go through all that again — a mixture of joy and gratitude and reliving terrible old pain — that I would insist on 100 5-star reviews for that book at Amazon. Require that before I do all that’s required to give you (and others) Part 2.
Please help make that happen by reviewing “Bigger.”
Perseverance.
Thanks Rose.
Thank you for this teaching tale Rose. I really love these.
I am not surprised you decided to move on from doing the column after those weekly editorial ‘flagellation’ sessions. AHH!!
It was really cruel for Ellen to do that to you Rose! You had even attempted to leave things in good standing with the various editors and she undermined that totally.
For someone who was supposed to be a leader in ‘the movement’, that lack of integrity and plain old meanness is striking.
Thank you for this post Rose. Surviving certain weekly meetings this year has strengthened me too.
And it has really been the Energy Spirituality sessions I’ve had with you that have made the difference between just barely coping and actually being able to continue on and do my best week after week.
I love reading about your teaching tales, Rose.
I either can relate to what you write. Or have Ahas! of my own.
Considering everything you went through makes it even more meaningful and inspiring to read this part:
“Never could I have thought of myself in these ways unless I’d been tested. Picked myself up. Then started all over again. And again. And again.”
What a wealth of comments for starting my day! Thank you so much, NANCY, EMILY TURNER, SIMON, and LIVING ON EARTH.
(Call me Vicky please)
I just read the part of your memoir about the “Planning Meeting of Your Life Contract” again, and again. I’m in complete awe and tears Rose!!
What you have overcome and was able to accomplish is nothing short of extraordinary!! Like you say “planting the seed of truth” for everyone to build upon as they so choose.
Energy Spirituality, your books and all body of work is so beyond vital in the Age of Awakening! To plant the seed within us. To nourish and support it as it grows. And to continue guiding those of us with more awareness in the new territory! So that we can all be humbly human, doing our reasonable best. All the while exponentially moving forward with our spiritual and emotional growth.
Taking the long history of humans into consideration, and their spiritual progress over the centuries. How is this not a task of a miracle in the making.
It may or may not happen while on Earth. Afterwards, though, I’ve no doubt your insistence of co-creating with the Divine and bringing the Truth, will be greeted with standing ovation! As I am doing now.
I am almost certain…. I could have not done any of it without You!
I just read the part of your memoir about the “Planning Meeting of Your Life Contract.” I read it again and again. I’m in complete awe and tears, Rose!!
And now, reading this blog post, I’m moved even more.
What you have overcome and was able to accomplish is nothing short of extraordinary!! Like you say “planting seeds of truth” for everyone to build upon, as they so choose.
Energy Spirituality, your books and all body of work is so beyond vital in the Age of Awakening!
Thank you for planting these seeds within us. Now it’s ours to nourish and support it as this Age of Awakening Moves forward.
It’s so helpful to combine our self-authority, or sense of what’s true for each of us, as we make use of what you’ve been teaching. Being a pioneer of the Age of Awakening sounds too big, as a task. Yet, as you say, we can all be humbly human, doing our reasonable best.
I think that’s enough for me.
Sweet, VICKY! Yes some readers have reported that the Planning Meeting chapters were their faves; others have different favorite parts of “Bigger than All the Night Sky.”
It’s certainly not your typical memoir. More a tale of spiritual awakening, for those of us who care about that.
Thanks for telling this story, Rose! What stands out to me most is this detail: “…there was the cardboard box into which I’d neatly filed six weeks’ of columns, 42 envelopes, stamped; as neat and professional-looking as I could make them.”
Handling practical details has not been my strong suit, to say the least. Though I have been getting much better at it lately.
That you were good at it, even then, is interesting.
How perceptive, ISABELLA! Especially since, knowing me really well, you’re aware that handling tiny little details still isn’t my favorite kind of thing to do.
Never my strong suit. (Any more than learning how to play bridge, which my parents really wanted me to learn. Bridge, where you do math in your head, and one suit matters every round.)
However, all of us can make herculean efforts at doing something when it’s super-important. Which is what I did, not only keeping up with my weekly columns; packing for the advanced TM course; writing for six weeks in advance; and then placing each set oh-so-carefully in that cardboard box.
As I recall, I even made little dividers that stood up extra-high, giving precisely the mail date for each week’s column.
Actually, ISABELLA, Ellen was much better than me with details. She was outstanding at following through with details… with it suited her.
In retrospect, when I first met her she was a nicer person than she became over the years. Cults have a way of causing that, even when they preach that they do the opposite.
Thank you for this Precedent, ROSE! I feel such kindredness.
You dug out of a hole you did not even know the size and dimensions of ~ talk about pioneering!
I Heartily agree with the progression that makes sense, in quotes:
“After I had a creative idea that might work, I pursued it. Giving it my all.
“And that’s what I do, to this day.
My small innovation DID count as a precedent for a huge organization.Setting that precedent prepared me to develop the 10 Trademarks of Energy Spirituality™. Plus innovations since then.
“Surviving weekly in-fighting, in the form of sharp criticism, strengthened me.”
Thank you for that template as I go about strengthening myself.
Appreciation, Applause, and my hats off for all of my new Awakenings, Rose, Divine Beings and God.
Proud to be part of this blog movement, was well as learning to co-create.
Sweet of you, CHARLENE GRANT!
Guess you figured out that when I offer these personal histories at this blog, they’re meant to serve as Teaching Tales: Teaching Tales for the Age of Awakening.