Exactly what is convincing, and why "relatively?
The fact some schools want to integrate TM into their curriculum does not
mean anything, many schools in the US and private religious schools in the UK such as the Adventist still try and teach creationism. TM has millions of zealous members including educators, politicians, and those in a position to fund schools.
The Maharishi school in the US is confident enough to have this picture on their website.
http://www.maharishischooliowa.org/educ ... sidhi.html
Children at the school are taught thus (quoted from the website)
"When Yogic Flying is practiced in a group, this influence of coherent brain functioning creates a positive and harmonious influence in the environment, reducing negative tendencies and promoting positive, harmonious trends in all areas of society. Scientists have called this phenomenon the Maharishi Effect and it is the basis for the program to create world peace."
Scientists?
it continues
"Scientific research has established that the group practice of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi? programs, including Yogic Flying, on a sufficiently large scale (the square root of 1% of a population) is the most powerful peace-creating technology. Until now, the only alternatives have been discussion, negotiation, and peace treaties, none of which have created lasting world peace".
square root of 1%
And you want this stuff in schools?
I am not on any bandwagon, and do not necessarily equate Tm with automatic mind control,( although I do believe it helps artificially manufacture a state of "forced belonging to a group, and sows the seeds for more easy manipulation in the future), but happen to be someone who was made to practice TM meditation as a child in a school environment from the age of 5 to 11, and therefore well qualified to talk about it. I also have many years teaching experience, running workshops and classes in inner city london schools with children who often come from very difficult backgrounds. So I am also a part time educator who works in often tough environments who would resist any attempts at introducing TM into the curriculum.
My experience was negative. I never benefited from the 'meditation' in the slightest, and actually found it disturbing and damaging.
No one has ever convincingly explained why chanting the same sound over and over again leads to greater spiritual knowledge or creativity. I have a transcript of an old SES lecture that attempts do so that is simply ridiculous. Most people forget that TM is just one part of the Maharishi experience, there is the Yagya program, and the 'Vedic astrology'. I also recommend reading Maharishi's books, especially his "theory of absolute defense" and the "absolute theory of Government" for more of an idea of what he and the movement are about. If you think yogic flying and bouncing for peace are absurd...
There are plenty of 'holes' in the article, Maharishi did not found the TM technique,
just added a price tag.