How The Beatles Went On A Failed Spiritual Quest And 'Saved' The Fab Four
CULTURE | May 5, 2023
Written by Sarah Norman
There’s a handful of people who were able to shape the sound of The Beatles and one of them was the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi - the founder of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) movement. The Maharishi, like The Beatles, came from humble beginnings. He was born Mahesh Prasad Varma in the Central Provinces of India and went on to study physics before throwing himself into a life of meditation as Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The Beatles, Mia Farrow, Donovan, Mike Love of the Beach Boys, Mick Jagger, and other celebrities searching for meaning or answers were drawn to TM.
The Yogi traveled for over a decade before The Beatles came to him looking for a spiritual leader after they fell into the doldrums of success. So how did a spiritual guru play such a large part in the musical process of the most influential rock band in history? The songs that ended up as the "White Album," their self-titled follow-up to Sgt. Pepper, were conceived in India, while they were studying the teachings of the Maharishi and some Beatles, more than others, were talking about staying there permanently.
