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From article <549@amethyst.ma.arizona.edu>, by hdunne@amethyst.ma.arizona.edu (|-|ugh):
> I once saw a TM honcho being interviewed on a late-night talk show.  He 
> was talking about mantras, and said that when you start doing TM they 
> put a lot of time and effort into finding a unique mantra specially for 
> you.  If you chant the wrong mantra you will supposedly screw yourself 
> up.  The guy told a story about someone who chanted "Coca-cola" as a 
> mantra with dire consequences.  

> Some years later I heard that in fact the TM organization only has 9 
> stock mantras that they assign based on what age group you're in.  I'm 
> sure you could chant anything you wanted and it wouldn't make any 
> difference one way or the other.  

Mantras all depend on purring "m" or "n" sounds (prefixed by vowels) to 
achieve their soothing effects.  Classical examples include "aum", 
"hum", and "om", which are revered in the religions of India and Tibet, 
as well as "Mom" and "OM-my-God" (as when you stub your toe).  The 
latter sounds, BTW, are unintentioned mantras that deliver surefire but 
fleeting results for the "uninitiated".  For sceptics, the mantric 
effect is well documented, in anthropological, scientific, and medical, 
as well as religious, literature.  (Bibliographies available on 
request).  

Do you think dishonest, self-centered, Madison Avenue marketing types 
with a knowledge of ancient "witchcraft" would ever stoop to capitalize 
on the wholesome response of humans to mantric sounds for the purpose of 
creating a tradename with a subliminally powerful appeal?  Gee, a 
"mantric" name would lull prospective customers with a false sense of 
maternal security and rack up lots of undeserved sales among the 
unsuspecting.  

After perusing some of the possible sound combinations (ibm, for 
starters!) I have to conclude that Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the foremost 
proponent of TM, must have been right!  The wrong choice of a mantra 
COULD have dire consequences for those under the spell.  

PS -- The original poster of the TM query should look through old 
Beetles albums for a song with the title and words "Jai Guru Dev, 
nothing's going to change my life".  Those lyrics were a play on words 
derived from the Beetles' own experience with TM under the direct 
tutelage of Maharishi in the late 60's.  The "nothing" referred to in 
the song is the "bliss" state of consciousness ("samadhi" in Sanscrit 
texts) which is achieved as a result of silent mantric "chanting".  In 
the "samadhi" state, one is aware without being aware of objects in the 
surroundings, ie, one is aware of no-thing.  Get it?  (grin) "Jai Guru 
Dev" means "Hail Guru Dev", Dev being the Hindu Yogi who had taught TM 
to Maharishi many years before.  

Hope this helps.
-- 
Russell Lawrence, WP Group, POB 306, Metairie, LA 70004
AT&T:   +1 504 456 0001       
UUCP:   {philabs,hpda,nbires,amdahl,...}!uunet!wpg!russ