As the New Year dawns, a fascinating exploration of various cultural celebrations unfolds. Discover how the Vedic New Year connects deeply with the rhythms of nature, especially the vernal equinox. Unlike the exuberant January 1st festivities in the West, this celebration reflects a more introspective approach, marking significant natural events. Learn about the contrasts between the Gregorian calendar and Vedic traditions, highlighting the importance of syncing our lives with the cycles of the Earth.

This Ask Thom Anything episode explores ancient cultures, the process of evolution and the possibility of devolution.Thom shares an anecdote about a journey to outback Australia as an envoy for Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to seek the blessing of Aboriginal Elders, where he discovered an unexpected, though not surprising, connection between the ancient people of Australia and those of India.And in answers to two totally separate questions, he explains the evolutionary leap that made us the ‘smartest’ species on the planet, though potentially too smart for our own good. It’s a salient reminder that we all need to be vigilant with our Vedic Meditation practice and to share the benefits widely if we want the human species to continue to be part of Nature’s evolutionary process.Episode Highlights:[00:45] Q - What's the Connection Between Australian Aboriginal and Vedic Culture[01:29] Indigenous People who Possessed Knowledge of Transcending[02:38] "You Want to Talk to the Old Fellas?"[04:28] Making Arrangements to See the Old Fellas[06:17] Clean Sheets and Some Good Tucker[07:32] Remarkable State of Contentedness[09:41] We'd Like to Teach All the Fellas[11:20] It'll Be Alright[13:22] Q - What is the Truth About the Brain's Evolution?[13:44] A - Darwinistic Evolution[16:23] Science Likes One Original Miracle[18:05] Bio-Friendly Universe[20:32] Timing was Perfect for a Consciousness Revolution[21:45] Evolutionary Pressures Caused Pivotal Evolutionary Change[24:30] Q - Can We Evolve Regressively?[25:23] A - Dumbing Down of Consciousness[26:18] Intelligent Enough. Not Intelligent Enough[28:08] A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing[29:27] Critical Mass of People Meditating[30:55] The Few Lead the Many[33:01] Not Smart Enough to Prevent Our Own Self-extinction?Useful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com  https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/ 

How much trust did you have that the sun would rise this morning? And even if it was hidden by clouds, did you still trust that it was there?Unless you live near one of the polar caps, where you can go for months without seeing the sun, no doubt you had enough certainty that you didn’t need to apply any trust at all. You were certain it was going to rise and can be certain it will rise again tomorrow.Much of the stress in our lives is caused by uncertainty, which we smooth over by applying trust or faith to a situation or to a person, but that’s an approach that leaves us exposed to outside influences.In this episode, Thom shares a sure-fire approach to dial up the certainty in our lives and to make us resilient to the uncertainty that we need to keep life interesting.We are certain you’ll enjoy this episode :-). Episode Highlights[01:02] Object-referral Way of Looking at the World[03:31] Problem Means Problem Consciousness[05:10] No More Problem[06:01] Self-referral Consciousness Commences with Vedic Meditation[07:53] Consciousness Field is the Knower, Knowing and Known[09:55] We Start Taking More Responsibility for What we Are Experiencing[11:40] Percentage of Self-referral Awareness[13:47] Internal Locus of Control[15:18] External Locus of Control[17:16] Faith and Trust - Suspension of Disbelief[19:41] Certainty is Better than Trust[21:18] Absolute Supreme Knowledge[23:02] Vedic Rishis Don't Operate on the Level of Trust[25:06] Knowledge Has Organizing Power[27:21] Knowledge of the Knower has Infinite Organising Power[29:26] Capture the Fort - Then the Entire Territory Belongs to You[31:24] Water the Roots of the Tree - the Underlying Transcendental Field of the Tree[33:44] Someone Who Meditates Becomes an Agent of the Evolutionary ProcessUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com  https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Evolution is the only thing that’s ever happening, but what’s the mechanism behind evolution? The Vedic perspective tells us that everything that happens in ‘the relative’ is governed by the three ‘gunas.’In this episode Thom describes the three gunas as balancing agents, engaged in a constant interplay of intention, action and inaction, ensuring that everything is created in perfect harmony, and remains relevant for just as long as it needs to be, and no more. He also explains how Vedic Meditation, the art of transcending the three gunas, can be our most powerful weapon, even in the toughest of life’s battles.Episode Highlights[00:56] Bhagavad Gita - Song of the Supreme Consciousness Field[03:20] Cousins Go to War[05:30] Arjuna Deeply Conflicted[07:57] "You Could Have Avoided All of This"[09:45] "Your Cousins will Destroy the Entire Culture of India"[11:53] Nistraigunyo Bhavarjuna[13:51] Yogastha Kuru Karmani[15:56] Evolutionary Force is Causing Ever More Elegant and Sophisticated Forms[18:13] Humans - Relatively Inept Athletes[20:03] But a Highly Sophisticated Human Brain[22:01] Capacity to See Cascades of Cause[23:42] Upright Neurocentric Arthropods[24:45] Sattva, Rajas and Tamas - Three Balancing Agents[26:09] Inertia of Stillness[27:46] Inertia - A Way to Stop the Vehicle[29:46] Change is Inevitable[32:01] Meditation - Be Without the Three Gunas[34:24] The Yoga Consciousness State gives the Expanded Perspective[36:41] Turiya - the Fourth Consciousness StateUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com  https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Explore the profound Vedic wisdom behind the roles of Mata, Pita, and Guru in our lives, shifting perspective from events happening to us to happening for us. Delve into the source of thoughts, the truth behind fear, and the illuminating guidance of a Guru for a happy life.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, one in three seniors in the USA dies with some form of dementia*. And with the rapidly-aging population, numbers are expected to double within the next thirty years.These are sobering statistics but in this episode, Thom puts forward the Vedic perspective on the subject and a simple solution, which, ironically, lies in reviving our lost ability to forget.With so many cognitive demands placed on us each day, and our obsessive need to remember, Thom reminds us that our twice-daily dose of Vedic Meditation gives our brain the much-needed respite from the demands of the day, and the chance to avoid the forced shut-down that dementia often provides in later life. It’s a hopeful message that could help many better understand the condition they fear more than any other.*Alzheimer’s Association.Episode Highlights[00:45] The Value of Memory[03:19] Fight/Flight Response[05:30] Structural and Material Changes that Pertain to Fighting or Fleeing[07:07] The Stress of Stress[08:31] Our Immune System - Reducing Neoplsams[10:21] Stress And Cancer[12:28] We Get Stressed by Everything[14:20] Our Memory and Memory in the Cells[16:11] Power of Consciousness[17:53] Hundreds of Thousands of Mantras[20:05] Prime Property of the Mantra[24:01] Forgetting and Remembrance Phenomenon[25:43] Letting Go of Irrelevancy[27:59] Letting Go of Attachment[29:44] Forget and Remember[31:49] The Major Problem[34:11] Purpose of Memory[36:45] Your Contribution to Evolution[38:35] What is it You're Remembering and Forgetting? [40:03] What Form of Dying Frightens You the Most?[42:01] Everything is Forgotten[43:55] This Happened, and That Will Happen.[45:59] Enjoy Forgetfulness[48:17] Remembering the Right Things Useful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com  https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

With a father as a high-ranking officer in the US Air Force, Thom Knoles has been traveling internationally from a very young age. Under the wing of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Thom traveled even more, visiting countries with him on almost every continent.But the country Thom has spent the most time in, outside of the USA, is his home away from home, Australia. As a fresh-faced teenager, his keen interest in surfing led him to choose Australia as his destination of choice to set himself up as his meditation teaching career got under way.Thom reminisces on his time spent there and the legacy of tens of thousands of meditators still active in Australia, and growing each day.Episode Highlights[00:45] Early Contact with Australians[02:51] The Art and Sport of Surfing[05:13] One-Way Airfare[07:08] 10 Jobs for Every One Person[08:56] An Immigrant in Australia[10:47] "What Do You Do for a Crust Mate?"[12:30] Rhyming Slang of Outback Australians[14:30] Yoga and Meditation Studio in Sylvania[16:09] Maharishi Domicile in Switzerland[18:08] Relatively Close to India[19:39] A Tremendous Amount of Hospitality[21:24] 10,000 Students[23:29] Prisoners and Politicians[26:01] Drawing People from Across Sydney[27:38] Australia - the Crucible that Formed and Forged Thom Knoles[29:30] Australia's Great Naturalness[31:14] Robustness and Willingness to Take on a Challenge[32:59] 20,000 Vedic Meditators in Sydney RegionUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com  https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

We’re turning over the content of the podcast to our listeners once again, with another Ask Thom Anything episode, this time with a recurring theme of ‘effectiveness.’Protest has become fashionable in recent years but Mary from Australia wonders how effective it is, especially in the absence of ‘worthy inquiry.’Saskia, also from Australia, asks about the effectiveness of Nadi Shodana and the correct use of ‘Rounding’ to support our Vedic Meditation practice.And Sophia in the USA wants to know if Japa Meditation has the same effect as, or could be considered to be a type of, Vedic Meditation.Episode Highlights[00:45] Is Protest Effective?[01:44] A - Less Outrage[03:13] Change Naturally and Spontaneously Occurs[05:07] Thought Police[06:59] Large-Scale Social Backlash[08:46] Raise our Own Consciousness[09:45] Q - What Are the Benefits of Nadi Shodana and How Many Rounds Are Ideal Before Meditation?[10:03] A - Pranayama[11:59] Rounding[13:24] At-Home Program[14:53] Industrial-Strength Meditation[16:08] Q -  Is Japa Vedic Meditation?[16:24] A - Some Resemblance[17:07] Bija Mantra[19:11] Japa Ajapa[20:59] Bija Mantra Moves in the Direction of Being[23:35] Effortlessness, Not Concentration and Control Useful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com  https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

“No problem.” We’ve all said it on many occasions, and most of us say it, or a variation on it, on a pretty regular basis.But do we really mean it? And do we know for sure if ‘no problem’ fits the occasion?In this My Maharishi episode, Thom recounts an interaction where Maharishi Mahesh Yogi held Thom to his word after setting him what seemed to be a relatively simple task. Thom sums the lesson up nicely at the end and, if nothing else, will get you thinking twice before saying “No problem” again.Episode Highlights[00:45] A Force-Five Hurricane of Happiness[01:48] Night of the Waxing Full Moon in Switzerland[03:27] Flotillas on the Lake[05:12] Morning of the Full Moon[06:32] Roads Blocked Off[08:02] "Maharishi, There's a Problem."[09:43] "Thom, Stop Talking."[12:51] Head of State[11:02] Find the Highest Principle[14:20] Problem is a Consciousness StateUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com  https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Exploring the limitations of the intellect and the role of consciousness in preserving ancient wisdom. Discussing the importance of Gurus in adapting teachings over generations. Delving into the underutilized potential of the human brain and the power of Vedic worldview. Exploring quantum mechanics and its implications on traditional theories. Emphasizing the significance of personal experience in embodying Vedic teachings and the journey of evolution from dishwasher to teacher.