Gary Greenfield and his wife Naomi are teachers of Transcendental Meditation in the USA. Recently they gave TM presentations at a centre for US war veterans.

They noticed that on one of the application forms there was no address filled in on the personal interview form.

The veteran had not overlooked this box on the form, as it turned out he had no address. He said he could not handle pressure, he kept having “meltdowns”, kept getting into arguments and even violence. He was constantly arguing with his wife when he wasn’t hiding from the world, shut up in his room. So they separated and he was now living in a tent … In the forest. Can you believe it!

Gary says he looked at this man and his heart just broke.

His face was a mask of sorrow and despair. His chest barely moved when he breathed. When he asked Gary if he thought TM would really help him Gary said confidently that it would.

When the man arrived for his personal instruction he looked very tense but he had a good relaxing experience and didn’t want to open his eyes at the end of meditation.

The next day as Gary was preparing the lecture hall for the arrival of the students for their first check, the door opened and in walked this man… And he was smiling, really beaming.

Gary asked him about it and he said that last night he had slept through the night for the first time in 21 years. This got Gary’s attention as a TM teacher.

When meditation experiences were discussed, the man said he was already back in his home and, with a big smile, that his wife had said it was different when he kissed her.

He explained that for months he had been seeing two psychiatrists, two social workers and a psychologist, had just completed an anger management course and had been taking huge amount of medications.

“And in one day of doing TM I have gotten more relief than all of those other things combined.”

At the second meditation check this man mentions that he had called six friends. This is after not having called anyone for many months. He now wanted to reconnect with people. This is a very significant change for a man—he is now reaching out to re-establish relationships. Earlier that day his wife had gone with him to see one of the social workers, crying in gratitude for the change in her husband. (This led to the social worker deciding that she must also learn TM!)

The third meditation check he walks in smiling again and tells everybody that since learning ™ he’s been sleeping through the night, without nightmares. Many people have commented on the change in him including his wife, a social worker and even his pastor. He was hugging people at church.

He says “I have my Mojo, my life back again. Every veteran with PTSD should be able to learn this. My wife and I want to invite you over dinner, and I want to become a teacher of this meditation.”

I am so moved by this transformation I can barely speak. But I managed to say that we’re very happy for him because as teachers this is why we teach.

Two-and-a-half weeks later he comes to have his meditation checked and his experience is easy, effortless and good. He also understands the practice. This is gratifying. He mentions that sometimes in meditation he will have flashbacks of some of the horrors of war he witnessed in Iraq, but he says they are fleeting, and that they lack intensity. He just follows instructions and it’s not a problem. He is still sleeping through the night and has not had a nightmare since he was instructed. And he’s talking about working again as a chef.

Apparently this is a very accomplished man, a decorated military veteran with special Force experience and an executive chef in a five-star restaurant kitchen. He has opened multiple restaurants and been executive chef at major sports facilities. As he speaks we can see the intelligence, command and confidence expressed through his words and posture. This is an amazing transformation in 18 days.

Gary says this is easily the most gratifying experience he has ever had as a teacher of the Transcendental Meditation technique.