Paul McCartney and George Harrison visit the Maharishi in Sweden

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On August 24, 1967, The Beatles, with the exception of Ringo Starr, attended a lecture by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in London. After the lecture, they were invited to attend a ten-day training retreat with the Maharishi in Bangor, north-west Wales. Intrigued by the experience and impressed by the spiritual leader, the band cancelled a recording session to accompany him to Bangor. However, their stay was abruptly cut short on August 27 by the death of Brian Epstein, their manager, in London. The band had plans to visit the Maharishi’s training center in India, but on September 1, Paul McCartney convinced them to focus on the “Magical Mystery Tour” TV special and postponed the trip.

On October 14 and 15, Paul McCartney and George Harrison, joined by Peter Brown, embarked on a journey to Sweden to visit the Maharishi at a hotel in Falsterbo, a picturesque seaside resort near Malmö. The purpose of their trip was to convince the spiritual leader to stop using The Beatles’ name for self-promotion. While The Beatles had a deep respect for the Maharishi and were inspired by his teachings, they were uncomfortable with the way he was using their fame to advance his own agenda. The meeting was an opportunity for Paul and George to express their concerns and try to set boundaries with the Maharishi.

The Beatles finally journeyed to India to spend time with the Maharishi in February of 1968.

I had my doubts about the efficacy of the Beatles going off to India with the Maharishi in the middle of the formation of Apple, particularly because of certain incidents that led me to believe the Maharishi was using the Beatles’ name for his personal gain. One day I received a call from the lawyers for ABC Television in America. They said that the Maharishi had been negotiating with them for a TV special that he said would include an appearance by the Beatles. ABC’s lawyers were calling me to confirm the Beatles’ cooperation. I told them that the Beatles had no intention of appearing on the Maharishi’s show. But only a week later the lawyers were back on the phone; the Maharishi was insisting he could deliver them.

I called the Maharishi in Malmö, Sweden, where he was lecturing at the moment, and explained the problem to him, but his answers were obscure and indefinite. I decided to fly to Malmö to insist he not represent the Beatles as being part of his projects. In Malmö the Maharishi greeted me warmly but only giggled and nodded and chattered on like a mouse on speed as I laid down the law. The following week in London I was again contacted by ABC’s lawyers, who said the Maharishi was still insisting the Beatles would appear on his TV show and was soliciting sponsors with this understanding. I went to Malmö again, this time with Paul and George in tow. We met with the Maharishi and tried to explain to him that he must not use their names to exploit his business affairs, and that they definitely would not appear on his TV special, but the Maharishi just nodded and giggled again. “He’s not a modern man,” George said forgivingly on the plane home. “He just doesn’t understand these things.”

Peter Brown – From “The Love You Make: An Insider’s Story of the Beatles“, 2002

Last updated on May 18, 2023