The Beatles meet Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Kensington

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On August 24, 1967, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and George Harrison attended a lecture by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at London’s Hilton Hotel. The Maharishi invited them to a five-day retreat in Bangor, Wales, starting the next day. On August 25, accompanied by their partners and other celebrities, the four Beatles travelled to Bangor by train. On August 26, The Beatles attended an initiation course in Transcendental Meditation by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, after which they held a press conference announcing they had given up taking drugs. On August 27, The Beatles abruptly returned to London after being announced their manager, Brian Epstein, had died.

On the evening of August 31, a meditation session took place at a Kensington residence belonging to one of the followers of Maharishi. The Beatles, along with Jane Asher, Pattie Harrison, Maureen Starkey, and Mike McCartney, attended the session. The purpose of this gathering was to receive solace from Maharishi and further their training in meditation, following Brian’s death. It is worth noting that only one photographer, Philip Townsend, was granted access to document this particular occasion.

While in Bangor, the Maharishi extended an invitation to The Beatles, proposing them to join him at his ashram in India. The following day, during a meeting, Paul McCartney advocated for postponing this journey until October, emphasizing the importance of working together on the creation of the “Magical Mystery Tour” TV special. On September 4, NEMS announced that The Beatles would travel to India in early October. But in October, as the editing process for the production took longer than expected, the trip was subsequently delayed. Eventually, in February 1968, The Beatles embarked on their visit to the Maharishi in India.

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Last updated on April 1, 2024