25 Aug: The Beatles’ Giggling Guru
Rerun. John, Paul, George and Ringo travelled to a transcendental meditation workshop in Bangor, Wales on 25th August, 1967 – at the invitation of ‘giggling guru’, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
The event changed everything for The Fab Four – influencing their music, their philosophy, and ultimately contributing to the end of the band.
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly question whether the retreat lead them to give up LSD; reveal how Ringo, frankly, never really seemed to be in to it; and uncover the Maharishi’s later plans for a Yogic amusement park…
Further Reading:
• ‘Lennon was right. The Giggling Guru was a shameless old fraud’ (Daily Mail, 2008): https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-512747/Lennon-right-The-Giggling-Guru-shameless-old-fraud.html#:~:text=The%20Giggling%20Guru%20was%20a%20shameless%20old%20fraud,teach%20them%20to%20defy%20gravity%20by%20%22yogic%20flying%22.
• Doug Henning’s theme park plans: https://doughenningproject.com/tag/theme-park/
• The Beatles in Bangor – silent news footage (1967):
‘Why am I hearing a rerun?’ We’re planning exciting new things for the autumn, and we’re banking that most of you haven’t heard it yet. So stick with us.