The most widely-circulated news magazine in India, The Week, published a six-page feature story entitled “A Better Brain in 20 Minutes,” about research on the Transcendental Meditation technique conducted at MIU.

The story, which appeared in a special issue about yoga, was “one of the most read articles in our yoga issue,” said V.S. Jayaschandran, the editor in chief. “The issue turned out to be popular.”

The story was written by Craig Pearson, past executive vice president and current special assistant to the president at MIU.

The story reviews a half century of research, from one remarkable finding to another. For example, TM practice elicits a new style of brainwave functioning — integrated, coherent functioning — that had not been seen before. Long-term practice leads to “improved health, increased intelligence (IQ) and creativity, increased self-esteem and self-actualization, and improved interpersonal relationships” — in short, a more integrated and balanced mode of being. Pearson points out that many of these findings had never been seen before in modern science.

Originally, David and Arlene Leffler, representing MIU’s Institute of Science, Technology, and Public Policy, had pitched a story about Maharishi’s Invincible Defense Technology (the Maharishi Effect). They’ve had immense success with this topic, publishing stories in scores of media all over the world, including military journals.

But Mr. Jayaschandran declined — and asked instead for a story about TM research at MIU.

“That’s how it fell into my lap,” Pearson said. “Then, in my email exchanges with him, he told me he’s been practicing TM for 45 years and had taken the TM Teacher Training course in Rishikesh in the 1970s before going into journalism.”

The story has been translated into Ukrainian and is being distributed at TM lectures in Ukraine.

Thank you to Craig Pearson for his contribution to this story.