Vedic Worldview

Frequently on the podcast you’ll hear Thom mention ‘charm.’ While we all have a good understanding of the word charm, in Vedic Meditation circles, charm has a special, more nuanced meaning. For a Vedic Meditator, charm is like an inner-guidance mechanism, a gentle tug that steers you in the direction of that which is most evolutionary, not just for yourself, but for all of Nature. It’s a subtle fo...

Hypnosis is often seen as having therapeutic value, a way of overcoming problems caused by an ‘incorrect psyche.’ Because of the layer of silence achieved inside a Vedic Meditation sitting, Vedic Meditation, we’re frequently asked if it is actually a form of hypnosis. The short answer is no. Vedic Meditation is not hypnosis, but to understand the answer fully requires a closer look at what hypnosi...

Travelling with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi meant there was never a time for a dull moment. In this episode, Thom shares some adventures of a particular trip to Brazil, with an unexpected detour to Germany.  With Maharishi, Thom soon learned that the unexpected was always to be expected. Maharishi wasn’t just a passionate teacher of following ‘charm,’ but he was also a 24/7 exponent of it, even at 3 am....

Can Vedic Meditation heal post-concussive symptoms?  How is the experience of misfortune framed within the Vedic worldview? Can Vedic Meditation help lower the risk of Alzheimer’s or dementia? In this, another Ask Thom Anything episode, Thom answers all of the above, including details of the broader healing effects of meditation in general.  He reminds us that stress is the greatest cause of disea...

All of us think but how often do we contemplate where our thoughts come from? And when we do, how accurate is our answer? Many of us think thoughts are the work of the brain, stimulated either by the environment or circumstances around us, or by memories of the past or fears of the future. For most of us, there is also a sense of identity associated with the thoughts we’re having. We define oursel...

A very frequent question Thom receives is "What is the difference between Vedic knowledge, learned through Vedic Meditation, and Hinduism?" Hinduism, as a religion, is supposed to honor thousands, if not millions, of Gods. This religion offers many offerings to people from all over the world and is practiced by around a billion people in India.  It surprised many to learn that Hinduism does not or...

Ayurveda, the ‘science of life’ has become very popular in developed nations in recent decades, thanks to the work of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in reviving this ancient body of wisdom. Dating back several thousand years, the practice of Ayurvedic techniques was forced ‘underground’ when the British colonized India and imposed their own ‘modern’ approaches to health. Fortunately, some families passed t...

We are always striving to attain more and more in our lives. But, every now and again, we get the impression that we haven't done enough with our time. No amount of accomplishment is capable of bringing us fulfilment. And, it's also not a bad thing to have a lot of achievements on your scoreboard. But, more importantly, are we truly enjoying the process or simply trying to finish the race? Unfortu...

When we think of feminine and masculine, typically we tend to think in terms of gender, i.e. female and male but the Vedic worldview has a much broader approach than the arrangement or expression of chromosomes. In Vedic circles the feminine and masculine are seen as aspects of creation, present everywhere and in everything.  Wherever there is masculine there is always feminine, and vice versa, wi...

Over the period of 25 years, Thom Knoles got to spend many extended periods of time with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi as a student and a ‘replicant,’ one of many charged with the task of sharing Vedic wisdom with the world. In this episode, another instalment of the My Maharishi series, Thom recounts some of the aspects of daily life and travels with Maharishi, including Maharishi’s tireless round-the-cl...

Humans have been using substances to have ‘extraordinary experiences’ for millenia.  Sometimes this is motivated by a simple sense of curiosity, and at other times it might be to ‘fill a void,’ while in other cases it might be motivated by a promise of an elusive ‘spiritual experience.’  In some cases it leads to addiction and dependence, while in others it might just be a bucket-list experience t...

Mantras are central to the practice of Vedic Meditation, but different understandings about what the word mantra means sometimes lead people to misunderstand how the mantra is used. For some, the word mantra means ‘a slogan’ or a tagline of sorts, used as a way of encapsulating a group point of view. For others, a mantra is a tool to aid concentration or to use as an affirmation. In Vedic Meditati...

After 50 plus years of instructing Vedic Meditation, and 50,000 plus students, Thom Knoles has accumulated thousands of shared memories with these students. In this episode Thom shares a delightful anecdote about Sophie, who learned Vedic Meditation with Thom when she was only eight years old, and how Sophie’s wisdom helped Thom teach the concept of Cosmic Consciousness to a roomful of adults. Epi...

While Maharishi Mahesh Yogi spent thousands of hours teaching his students formally, often it was the day-to-day life situations that provided the most profound teaching moments. In this, another instalment of the My Maharishi series, Thom shares a delightful anecdote of a picnic in Switzerland that gave rise to one of Maharishi’s most famous sayings, “You can't stop someone from behaving accordin...

Yet another interesting mix of questions in today’s Ask Me Anything episode with Thom. In discussing 5D, The Fifth Dimension, Thom explains how premature contentedness is the enemy of enlightenment and that, regardless of what we call it, the true measure of progress is to become an exemplar of Self realized consciousness. He describes the Vedic worldview on the incarnation of babies (including fe...

In this short bonus episode, Thom shares a couple of bite-sized nuggets of wisdom to address two problems of epidemic proportions, insomnia, and a lack of meaning or purpose. He starts with a delightful story of how Maharishi Mahesh Yogi learned that better sleep was one of the more popular ‘side effects’ of meditation when he first came to the United States. He also explains the cause of insomnia...

All of us want to be known for something heroic, but who decides who are the heroes and who are the villains? And do the villains perhaps think of themselves as heroic? Would the heroes even be heroes if there were no villains?  In this episode Thom, once again, shines a new light on a subject that has been with humankind since we first developed the ability to create and share experiences and sto...

This is a question that can be answered in three simple words, but listen in for a complete and satisfying explanation from Thom. Using an analogy that we can all relate to, Thom explains that the discomfort caused by not meditating should be enough to inspire us to keep practicing regularly, twice a day. It’s a short and concise episode that should strengthen your resolve to keep your meditation...

In this bonus episode, ahead of an upcoming visit to New York City, Thom runs through the process of learning Vedic Meditation. He explains the rationale of spreading the course over four days so you can embed the experience and commence a sustainable daily routine, and develop a deeper understanding of the mechanics and expected results of Vedic Meditation. He also explains why Vedic Meditation s...

Mindfulness has become a bit of a buzzword in recent years. There’s no shortage of teachers, books, apps or other tools to help us practice mindfulness.  But how does mindfulness compare with Vedic Meditation? Is there a comparison at all or do they have different functions altogether? Thom explains the difference between the two in a way that leaves no doubt as to which one has the most profound...

What are the Vedas? Or should that be what is the Veda?  Because you can’t put a finder on it, the Veda is hard to define as such, except to say it is the totality of the laws of Nature. So rather than trying to define what the Veda is, perhaps a more pertinent question might be, “How do I access the Veda and make use of it?” For that Thom has a solution. Listen in or read the transcript below to...

In this episode, another in our ongoing series of Ask Thom Anything, Thom explains the distinction between wellness and relaxation activities and why they don’t deliver the same impacts as Vedic Meditation. He also explores “The dark night of the soul” and describes how contrasting experiences of the mind and body lead to an unstabilized vision. He gives us some insights into how we can respond wh...

Does perfect order exist or is everything random? Pour yourself a cup of your favorite beverage and take a seat because you’ll want to lean into this episode.  Thom shares a fascinating exploration of entropy and order, ‘randomicity,’ the laws of thermodynamics, levitating trains, superfluids, superconductors, multitasking, learning to drive, and much more. You’ll learn how Vedic Meditation can he...

Continuing the occasional series of My Maharishi episodes, Thom gives us a few very brief highlights of a truly accomplished life. Thom shares how Maharishi was larger than life in spite of his small and gracious appearance.  He tells us how his title of “The Giggling Guru” contrasted with his ability to satisfy questions about the deepest and most serious aspects of life. Thom describes how Mahar...

Our first Ask Thom Anything episode was such a hit that we’re making it a regular feature.  In this episode, Thom talks about how to respond to the jealousy of others when we’re following our own evolutionary path, including a delightful background story to how Guru Dev stubbornly followed his own evolutionary path at a very young age. He also discusses the self-love trend and how to recognize the...