Vol. 7, No. 10, 1990

Articles on the New Age

John Whaley

When people think of Orlando, Florida, theme parks like Disney World, Sea World, and Universal Studios immediately come to mind.

However, in the near future, construction is going to begin on another theme park which will be known as Vedaland.

The park, which will cost approximately $1 billion to build and will be located on 450 acres near Walt Disney World, is the brainchild of the popular magician Doug Henning and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of Transcendental Meditation (TM).

In an interview with the Orlando Sentinel, Henning stated that "the themes of the attraction will be knowledge, enlightenment and entertainment," (23 October 1990, p. A-4).

According to Henning the initial idea for the park came from the Maharishi himself.

In the November, 1990 issue of Life magazine, Henning recalls a conversation with the Maharishi in which the Maharishi told him, "All theme parks are superficial. Create one that stimulates the intellect, stirs the emotions - and enlightens people," (p. 88).

Thus, Vedaland was born; veda being an eastern term meaning knowledge.

Presently, they are planning to have 38 major attractions in the park.

Park features are to include: "a building apparently suspended above water without supports, a `magic flying chariot' that takes riders inside the molecular structure of a rose, robots flying through the air performing magic tricks, and a ride over a rainbow seemingly constructed only of mist and colors," (Sentinel, p. A-1).

The park will also introduce people to TM with one exhibit labeled "the seven steps to enlightenment," (Ibid, p. A-4).

The Orlando park is designed to be the flagship of similar parks planned for Brazil, Canada, Holland, Japan, and the Netherlands.

As Henning sees it, in Vedaland, "audiences will not just be entertained, `they will transcend,'" (Life, p. 90).

At the present time, projections call for up to 3 million visitors the first year attending the theme park with that number growing up to 6 million annually (Sentinel, p. A-4).

Thus, each year millions of people, drawn by the exciting world of stage magic and illusion will enter the gates of Vedaland.

However, not only will they be entertained, but they will also be introduced to the New Age Movement as they are exposed directly and indirectly to the deceptive teachings of Transcendental Meditation.