Among the plethora of enormous headlines in The Beatles‘ career. One of the stories that shocked fans and critics was the band’s decision to study meditation and become disciples of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The decision left people’s jaws on the floor not only due to its bohemian nature, but also because The Beatles made such a polarizing life change in the thick of their decorated careers.
Before their move to India in 1968, Paul McCartney, the band, and the Maharishi sat down for a press conference in Wales to announce the news. McCartney announced at the conference that the band had quit drugs and committed to learning meditation by becoming disciples of the Maharishi. Even though this seemingly was an abrupt announcement, it had been a long time coming for the group.
The Beatles Interest in Meditation
The initial interest in mediation can be attributed to George Harrison’s growing interest in the practice. After The Beatles’ 1966 U.S. tour, Harrison had become fascinated with Transcendental Meditation and had also befriended the Indian musician, Ravi Shankar. Proposing it as an outlet for a healthier life, the band quickly grew a liking to the opportunity due to the many drugs they had been taking at the time.
Given their new-found engrossment, George, Paul, and John Lennon attended one of the Maharishi’s lectures. Following the lecture, Harrison stated, “I thought he made a lot of sense; I think we all did,” per Meditation Lifestyle. The lecture was reportedly quite persuasive, as just three days later the band made their big announcement.
Following Their 1968 Trip to India
The most iconic moment to come from this decision is when The Beatles lived in India. In addition to the band’s spiritual journey, it was also during this time that the band wrote the majority of the songs for the White Album. Songs such as “Dear Prudence,” “Blackbird,” and “Back in the U.S.S.R” were just a few of the hits written during the spiritual retreat.
Despite the influence, the trip and practice had on the band. The Beatles left early and cut ties with the Maharishi due to allegations of sexual misconduct. Lennon told Rolling Stone, “We believe in meditation, but not the Maharishi and his scene” and “we thought he was something other than he was.”
Regardless of the poor outcome of their relationship with the Maharishi, the decision to become his disciples marked one of the most memorable eras of The Beatles. Furthermore, it also gifted them one of their most successful albums of all time, the White Album.
