Why did Transcendental Meditation attract famous followers in the 1960s?

Transcendental Meditation (TM) gained significant popularity among celebrities and the public in the late 1960s largely due to its promotion as a "scientific" and secular method for achieving personal well-being, mental clarity, and stress reduction. By framing the practice as independent of any specific religion, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi made the technique accessible to a Western audience seeking alternatives to traditional religious structures.12

The movement’s visibility surged when high-profile figures, most notably the Beatles, began practicing and publicly associating with the Maharishi. Their endorsement helped spark a broader cultural vogue for Eastern-oriented meditation practices. Other notable followers included the actress Mia Farrow and the architect R. Buckminster Fuller.3142

This interest coincided with the rise of the hippie counterculture, which frequently looked toward Eastern philosophies and spiritual disciplines as a means of expanding consciousness and rejecting the materialism of mainstream society. Consequently, TM was adopted by many as a path toward inner peace, vitality, and creativity during a period of significant cultural change.251