Mike believed the Maharishi was going to teach him how to levitate

epub or mobi, with thanks to the original sharer

The Maharishi spoke of eternal happiness and peace - he seemed for all the world a mystical, Eastern sage. But he was far from an unsophisticated hick from the Himalayas. College-educated, with a degree in physics, he had studied Sanskrit and learned the scriptures. The title "Maharishi" was self-adopted. In the late fifties he began to preach his brand of mystic salvation to audiences in various Western countries. Of all the Beach Boys, Mike Love was the most influenced by the Maharishi. "When I heard about TM, I consciously took steps to expand my awareness ... I didn't want to live life at the same level ... And one of the greatest things that interested me was that he said, 'You don't have to give up your Rolls-Royce ... and forsake all your pursuits of material pleasures ... to develop inner spiritual qualities.' That sounded real good to me." He managed to convince the rest of the group that it would be a good move for the Beach Boys to tour with the Maharishi. Billed as "The Most Exciting Event of the Decade," the shows took place in huge concert halls and stadiums. On opening night, "more police showed up than audience." The fans were completely uninterested in hearing the Maharishi, no one cared, which is what everybody told Mike would happen. On a typical tour date, the Maharishi opened with a long, boring, unintelligible lecture while the audience booed and yelled for the Beach Boys. "The Maharishi laughed, he was laughing all the time. He got his money."