A Record of Excellence: The Remarkable Success of Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

For over two decades, a comparatively small (400 - 600 students) K-12 school in Iowa has, year after year, with almost monotonous regularity, won state competition after state competition in almost every conceivable field of student endeavor--including several sports--inspiring literally hundreds of headlines in state newspapers. And in recent years, Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment has become no stranger to national and international coverage as its students have several times brought home trophies at these levels. Yet all this remarkable achievement comes with a refreshing lightness of spirit. Dr. Ashley Deans, in this well-paced and eminently readable little volume, citing extensive published research, explains how his students learn to find and actualize a deeper level of intelligence within. He tells the story of how Transcendental Meditation and its advanced techniques, as revived by the great Vedic sage Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, along with Maharishi's profound educational insights, have enabled class after class to joyfully perform far beyond the norm, without stress or strain. This is a must-read for anyone seeking an effective way to put the joy of learning back into our schools.

This book is for all parents interested in an ideal educational system for their child. Dr. Deans tells the story of Consciousness Based Education and his remarkable school in an easy and frank manner that rings true in every way. Schools have spent far too long trying to cram facts, causing stress and mental shutdown in students already overwhelmed by the bloated information age. Dr. Deans explains how the students at his school actually expand their ability to learn while excelling in academics and sports. The book is inspiring and practical. You will want to study physics once you read his explanations of Field and Meisner Effects.

Dr. Deans also lays out a practical way to institute Consciousness Based Education in your own area.

The Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment in Iowa is directed by Ashley Deans, Ph.D. and was founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a native of India who has endeavored to teach a specific form of Vedic meditation around the globe for fifty years. In his 2005 release A Record of Excellence: The Remarkable Success of the Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment, Deans explains the extraordinary success of the school and why Maharishi students excel in virtually all areas of academic study. The answer, predictably, is meditation, but the simplicity of the regiment makes it a practice that could be implemented worldwide to benefit all of humanity.

The entire student body and staff members spend 20 minutes twice daily practicing Maharishi Transcendental Meditation. This form of "Consciousness-Based" education provides the students with a sense of clarity in a world of overstimulation. "This experience brings unprecendented benefits for students--total brain development, increased alertness, full blossoming of creative intelligence, extraordinary academic achievements, more energy and better health, growth of inner peace and happiness, harmony with fellow students and teachers, and enlightened social behavior" writes Deans.

The tremendous amount of awards and honors earned by Maharishi students denotes an usual degree of focus and discipline that students of highly criticized American public schools typically lack. These children excel in every area of competition, from science to photography to golf. Visitors to the school are amazed to see children alert and attentive, eager to learn and completely respectful of those around them.

Deans repeats several times that Maharishi Transcendental Meditation is incredibly easy to implement in any school and requires no additional resources. He touts the benefits of the practice in school performance, health, conflict resolution and stress management. He encourages the reader to visualize a peaceful world, where the entire population has mastered Transcendental Meditation and societal problems are a thing of the past. Disappointingly, this is where he leaves off, providing no instruction in this specific type of meditation. He states that Maharishi Transcendental Meditation should be taught by someone fully trained in the process, as in the seven-step course offered by the Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation, and provides a list of websites and books for reference.

The text flows nicely and an added feature is a section of full color photographs of Maharishi students in action. These young adults are glowing with a confidence and serenity that people twice their age have yet to find. Deans uses a chapter to compare the values of the standing public school system with priciples of Maharishi education. The book serves as a teaser into the possibilities of a "Consciousness-Based" education, especially to a public weary of the deterioration of the American public school system. The reader will definitely want to explore further.