Vol. 9, No. 7, 1992

Articles on Other Religious Topics

Rick Branch

What presidential candidate is touting "low taxes for all with a free market economy, and simplified tax and insurance systems?"

No, its not President George Bush, Governor Bill Clinton or undeclared candidate H. Ross Perot - it's John Hegelin. Who is John Hegelin?

He is the presidential nominee of the newly organized Natural Law Party. He is also the former president of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Maharishi International University.

MIU is best known for teaching Transcendental Meditation and holding the annual "International Yogic Flying Competition" (Washington Post, 18 August 1989). To date, the competitors have not gotten off the ground. Unless, one considers hopping to be synonymous with flying!

Hegelin's candidacy was announced on April 24th at the Fairfield, Iowa Best Western (The Fairfield Ledger, 24 April 1992, p. 1).

The "announcement of the party was made to coincide with a special TM conference now in progress at MIU with 750 visiting mediators registered" (Ibid).

It was explained that after the conference, the mediators will "return to their states and hometowns to form their own organizations and put together their respective slates of candidates" (Ibid).

At the time of the announcement, the Natural Law Party had not yet developed its political platform or agenda. About the only plank they had agreed upon was the need to promote the "principles and practical benefits of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's vedic science and technology" (Ibid, p. 11).

Why is this plank so vital to their political platform?

"By providing the whole population with knowledge about Natural Law and training in TM and the Sidhi program, it is believed that people will maintain a quality of life which will eliminate crime and anti-social behavior" (Ibid).

Hence, the choice for President of the United States is no longer simply between a Republican, a Democrat and an Independent - now there is a Guru, too.