Meditation was meant to be a spiritual experience, bringing you closer to oneness with the all pervading consciousness which is God. Any real meditative goal is really this process. During the course of doing this, there are many benefits, including those discussed by TM. A truly spiritual lesson should not be an opportunity for gouging people. $1,000 is absurd and I have to question the motivations of the organization. Something is not right about that. Ultimately, spiritually-related matters should be free, but understandably, it is not feasible. However, charging excess sums of money is a sin and goes against the spiritual laws.
So, if you want to benefit from this meditation, you should sit quietly with back erect and mentally chant your mantra (no specific method is required, just let it come naturally) (e.g., "OM") over and over again. You allow your mind to quiet gently without stress or pressure. Concentrate on the "OM" but don't strain. If you find your mind wandering during the meditation, just gently realize and return to the mantra. Do this for 20 minutes, twice a day. Preferably, in the morning upon awakening and in the afternoon before dinner. Do this, you have saved yourself $1,000 and you are contributing to the spiritual evolution of this planet.
If you are truly seeking a spiritual avenue, I suggest you check out the Self Realization Fellowship, reading the Autobiography of a Yogi first. If this doesn't awaken a spiritual desire, then nothing will.
Denniston's book is a great introduction to the benefits of the TM technique. It is straight forward and easy to follow. A great companion to this book is TM Transcendental Meditation by Robert Roth. Both of these are the premier titles of the Transcendental Meditation Organization (www.tm.org).
The results of TM are immediate. $1,000 is a lot of money to pay to learn this technique, but once you start practicing TM you will feel that every penny was worth it. After just practicing TM once I had so much energy. I went home and cleaned my entire apartment in just a few hours--a chore that used to be an all-day event. Tasks that used to seem demanding became effortless.
Practicing TM also increases your entire well-being. You will feel blissful and happier. Big problems become manageable. Personal stores of the results of TM are also presented.
This book discusses the many benefits of TM including scientific studies that discuss the physiological benefits of the technique. I highly recommend the book.
TM may be wonderful, but the book actually made me feel wary. I was originally drawn to TM by news reports of lowered blood pressure and stress reduction in practicers The book's emphasis on all the wonderful things you get, with very little effort, and very little detail on how, smacked, just a bit, of secret societies and too-good-to-be-true, $1000, instant-fixs.
And, to be honest, I wasn't looking for a sales tool, I was looking for a how-to, so I feel a little silly and a little duped.