Viewpoint: A degree in regenerative organic agriculture at a ‘transcendental meditation’ university? What are students actually learning?

Credit: Brahma Kumaris Spiritual University
Credit: Brahma Kumaris Spiritual University

Maharishi International University offered to make me one of its referral partners for a new degree program: Regenerative Organic Agriculture. I’d receive $550 for each referral who graduates with a degree from the program.

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First, let’s talk about MIU itself. The school in Iowa was established in 1972 based on the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, an Indian seer who promoted something called transcendental meditation. According to a New York Times article written in 1992, Yogi’s teachings “are woven into the mathematics, physics, and every subject taught there, much the way Christian or Jewish ideas become a part of a teaching at colleges with strong religious affiliations.”

Students can take classes dubbed “consciousness in agriculture” and “exploring consciousness.” The electives include a history of organic agriculture and medicinal herbs cultivation, processing, and quality control. Of course, students also take classes in Transcendental Meditations and learn within a Conscious-Based education system.

I mean, how can you even be a farmer unless you learn how to meditate with your crops, create your own homeopathic drugs, and become one with the soil? Nope, nothing to see here…

By the way, MIU, please consider this my declination of your invitation to be a compensated referral source.

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