14-year-old Guru Maharaji arrives in Los Angeles in 1972. I designed the Guru’s magazine and newspaper, before realising that he really wasn’t god incarnate.

Photo: Bill Varie, Los Angeles Times, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).

About me

In June 1971, 13-year-old Prem Rawat arrived from India at Heathrow to be greeted by a small group of devoted followers who fell at his feet, believing he was the living embodiment of God.

A few days later he spoke at the very first Glastonbury Fayre, announcing the launch of The Divine Light Mission to save humanity before being booed from the Pyramid Stage for interrupting the music.

I was drawn into his web the following year, after picking up a leaflet inviting people to learn more about Guru Maharaji. I was just 20 and had severely scrambled my brains taking LSD. So someone offering spiritual enlightenment and peace of mind was very appealing.

Also, Indian gurus were very fashionable at the time, with The Beatles travelling to the foothills of the Himalayas to find spiritual enlightenment at the feet of another beaming guru – Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

Spreading the word

It wasn’t long before I had given away my few possessions and started attempting to spread the word on the streets of various northern cities. And from there to the group’s London HQ – an old cinema rebranded the Palace of Peace – where I worked on the guru’s magazine and newspaper.

The realisation that Maharaj Ji was a complete fraud eventually dawned on me, leaving a deep mistrust of anyone claiming to know the answers to the meaning life and the universe. But it also gave me the skills which led to a career in publishing.

I’ve been retired for a few years but have always been interested in finding a more spiritual way of life. Which is why I purchased the web domain calm.com as the Internet started to take off. But I had neither the skills nor the money to turn my ideas into reality.

I eventually sold the domain to a couple of techno whiz kids who went on to create one of the most successful mindful apps. But although it’s very impressive, it isn’t what I hoped it would become.

So this website is my own humble attempt to create my version – a free resource for all things calming. And no subscription required!

I have harnessed the power of AI in the shape of Claude as I couldn’t have done it without it (more info). And it is very early days, so there are still a lot of gaps in the content.

But at least I’ve finally made a start. Comments, as well as suggestions for more content are very welcome. Just leave a message on the contact page.

All the best

David