George & Maharishi's Yogic Flying

[metatron1970]

Does anyone know whether or not George ever learned Maharishi's advanced TM-Siddhi program that includes the notorious "yogic flying" (with its amusing involuntary hops). Both Paul and George discuss the siddhi program in the Anthology, but I've never actually heard if any of them had ever learned the technique, and although George continued to defend Maharishi and apparently continued to perform meditation in the manner that Maharishi had taught him, I've never heard of any relationship with Maharishi or the TM movement after Rishikesh.

I found a copy of The Concert For Bangladesh on DVD this past weekend and was completely riveted by it. I had never seen it before, but you come away from it with an incredible amount of respect---love, in fact--for everyone involved. When Billy Preston gets up spontaneously and begins to dance with wild joyous abandon on the stage ("I just had to rejoice," he says looking back on it recently.) you can certainly understand why. The spiritualized mood of the event is set at the outset by Shankar and company, and the whole event seems to be blessed with a heightened spiritual significance for which the songs (primarily from All Things Must Pass) provide the perfect vehicle of expression. Some extras on the DVD put the concert in historical context, given that this sort of charity concert is hardly revolutionary nowadays. If there are any George devotees out there who've never seen it as I hadn't I would highly recommend it.

[DarkSweetLady]

I'm not sure whether or not George actually mastered 'yogic flying'. However I do recall a televised interview with him from the Natural Law Party gig rehearsals in 1992 and in that interview George states that he thought the footage showing the devotees attempting 'yogic flying' that he had seen on the news looked "silly".

[LauraHarrison]

We don't know everything there is to know about George's spiritual life in spite of well meant intentions over the year's. With everything that he studied and those that he took the study from, we know that he did master God consciousness as he left his body.

As for the "yogic flying", unless it's actually in print and cited by a credible source I'd say that's only a question for Olivia or Dhani.

[Little Crishna]

I once heard something about it from Sazanova Natalia (also known as Rusi Radha in India) she was a professor of Hindi and Indian literature in Moscow State University (She passed away this spring:(((

So she was lucky to teach George hindi for 4 months in India(1974) and she was a good friend of Maharishi and Ravi Shankar, and she knew a lot about siddhi just because of her profession.

Now I remember some detailes from our conversation, she said that only yogas are able to master siddhi, yogas who are very strong with their spirit and body, and it's just impossible for any krishna devotee.

You know, there are several ways to know God in Indian religion, and the way George chose was bhakti - a way to God through love and creativity.
Yogins must give up with love, creativity and concentrate on meditation in general. So, I don't think George was ready to learn siddhi, and there is no need for bhaktas to do it at all, it's philosophy of yoga, not bhakti....besides, it's very, very hard program...

In short, this is what I once heard from that woman. I can't get it more clear because of my English, sorry:))

[LauraHarrison]

I don't know why I have a feeling that I need to clarify this one small point but I do-- there is a big difference between a 'guru' and a 'yogi'. There have been many guru's, but very, very few yogi's.

[watercarrier]

the only song credited to all 4 beatles
until 'free as a bird' (excluding 'digit' of course)

is from magical mystery tour

"flying"

which , when packaged with the songs george was
releasing with the beatles at the time

i.e.

love you to
within you without you
inner light
blue jay way

has always suggested to me
that the title is no coinsidence

[Gibbonfunky]

Yes he difinitely DID perfect yogic flying. Check out the Yellow Submarine film!