TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION: COUNTER CULTURE SPIRITUALITY TO POSTMODERN COMMODITY

Throughout the twentieth century and into the present day, numerous Indian and Eastern spiritual practices have been introduced to and popularised within cultures of the 'West'. At present, it is acknowledged that forms of meditation, yoga and other health practices that have originated in the 'East' are experiencing a large degree of acceptance and popularity within 'mainstream' Western culture. As this article shall discuss however, the position of such practices within mainstream discourse is still a relatively recent phenomenon. The following paper shall begin by examining the cultural conditions of the West during the mid-twentieth century and how key historical phenomena notably the 1960s counterculture - created a demand for alternative philosophies, spiritualities and ways of 'being'. Using Transcendental Meditation (TM) as a case study, this article will explore the ideological platform upon which TM and other Indian-based spiritual practices were made popular in Western culture. Over time however, this ideological challenge has been subverted. This article will consider what the example of TM says about Western consumer-capitalism and how this illuminates the very important issue of the continuing demand for Eastern spirituality within the Western world today.