The Friends and Transcendental Meditation Connection by Peter Reum

• In the autumn of 1967, Dennis Wilson was able to hear a lecture by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, founder of the spiritual discipline of Transcendental Meditation(TM). Dennis, although impressed by The Maharishi, oddly enough was the only Beach Boy who did not take up TM after meeting the Maharishi in Paris in January 0f 1968. Michael Love joined the Beatles and Donovan, among others, in an intense two week introduction to the principles of how to use TM in February  of 1968 to clarify the mind, refresh from a busy day, and how to use TM to enhance artistic creativity. 

  
  

  While speaking with the Maharishi, Linda Eastman, later Linda McCartney, snapped a photo of Brian Wilson yawning, probably due to jet lag. In time, all of the Beach Boys except Dennis and Bruce Johnston learned the fundamental principles of TM and benefitted from it. TM is derived from a long tradition of meditation to improve mental clarity and health, as well as physical health. The TM candidate is given a word or sound which is designed to be a tool to focus the mind. The two sessions per day meditation exercise is usually in the morning after rising and in the evening before retiring.

  
  

  The exercises of TM derive from Hindu sacred scriptures, as well as the advanced courses. The advanced courses are designed to enhance benefits from the basic TM course as well as train future instructors in the basic TM training. Meditation, as practiced in various instruction by gurus and spiritual teachers is designed to also clear the chakras, which are the spiritual focus areas for various body functions, such as thought, spinal health, and many others. In TM, the layperson entering the TM instruction is to learn to focus energy and slow  down the mind, which in occidental countries is constantly self-analyzing.  The dedicated initiate is usually able to at least partially master the discipline of focusing on the breathing function of the body and on the use of the word given for repetition while meditating, called a mantra, to divert the undisciplined mind from the everyday thoughts that generate anxiety and sometimes lead people into anxiety and depression.

  
  

  In his 1963 book, entitled The Science of Being and Art of Living, the Maharishi proposed that words spoken in everyday discourse have vibrations and that the mantra should be given in a manner that is personalized for the TM beginner. These mantras help the TM initiate to learn to develop an open mental condition that is primed to receive new insights based on the meditation routine. An advanced course, called TM-Sidhi Program is available for the experienced TM practitioner. 

  
  

  There has been some confusion upon the use of mantras. The simplest way to differentiate between them is that the religious practice of formal Hindu worship is from the Vedic Scriptures. The Tantric Scriptures are used for initiates and practitioners who are not Hindu believers. TM is probably the most researched form of Meditation practice worldwide. The literature concerning studies on TM indicates over 350 studies have been completed.

  
  

  For the Beach Boys, the internal conflict that sometimes surfaced in corporate decisions was at times difficult. With the Wild Honey lp, the group rewound their studio method to more of a home centered and homemade approach. The Beach Boys created a studio in Brian and Marilyn's living room. With the new cooperation at the home studio, the group simplified their music to help the touring group to stop hearing "that sure doesn't sound like the record" impression that fans sometimes observed. For  Friends, the group adopted the same recording style, with the Friends album serving as a symbol of goodwill, not only between the Beach Boys themselves, but also with Murry Wilson, who came in and sang bass on Be Here In the Morning. The release of the Friends single signaled the group's creative direction, followed by the Friends album, which was harmonically complex, yet sounded less "busy" than any Beach Boys album up to that time. The TM discipline was mentioned as the theme and title of the closing song on Friends. I have always wondered if it's rather strong and loud track was designed to highlight the peace and quiet of the Friends lp's runout groove. Guess I'll never know....