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In August 1967 the Beatles’ quest for higher meaning led them to Bangor, Wales, where they met Indian guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Disillusioned with LSD and the chaos of the counterculture, George Harrison guided the band toward Transcendental Meditation as a new path to peace. Mick Jagger, Marianne Faithfull, and Cilla Black joined the group aboard the now-famous “Mystical Special” train from London, turning the trip into a media frenzy. What began as curiosity soon became a turning point that redefined not only the Beatles’ philosophy but also the spirit of an entire generation.
At the Bangor retreat, the Beatles and their celebrity companions learned meditation techniques and publicly vowed to abandon drugs. Their embrace of the Maharishi’s teachings spread rapidly, introducing the words mantra and guru into Western culture. Jagger and Faithfull’s presence only amplified the attention, linking rock’s biggest names to a growing spiritual revolution.
Shock and Renewal
Tragedy struck when the group learned of manager Brian Epstein’s death, cutting their stay short. The Maharishi’s calm guidance helped them process the loss and strengthened their desire to pursue enlightenment. That decision would lead them to India — and into a creative rebirth that shaped their next era.
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