No, absolutely not.

Transcendental Meditation is a do-it-yourself technique, and requires absolutely no changes in lifestyle, religion or of any other nature.

This doesn’t mean that no change will occur. People who practice TM usually fully spontaneously cut down on smoking and drinking, sleep better, eat healthier, and develop better relationships with family and friends. But these changes occur fully naturally, from within.

We are aware that a number of rumours exist around the person Maharishi and his organisation, and that people fear that by learning TM they will secretly enter into an organisation that will require them to change their lifestyle.

These are rumours without any foundation. This is also why more and more governments or governmental organisations support the Transcendental Meditation technique, even in schools with young children, because it has been proven not only that the Transcendental Meditation technique (or the organisation that teaches it) is harmless, but to the contrary that it holds a lot of positive effects for those who practice it.