Maharishi International University (MIU) student Johannes Schweigel earned a bachelor of science degree in central banking from the Deutsche Bundesbank University of Applied Sciences and worked for the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority in Germany for five years.

Although he was successful on the material plane, he lacked a deeper sense of fulfillment and purpose in life. He began exploring the nonmaterial side of life, which he remembered experiencing as a child.

In 2017 he stumbled upon the Transcendental Meditation technique in a book and, within a couple of weeks, he learned it. He enjoyed the experience of deep bliss and Transcendental Consciousness so much that he wanted to learn more. “My life took a 180-degree turn when I learned TM,” Johannes said.

Over the next two years Johannes took every opportunity to attend TM retreats and advanced lectures, including an international TM retreat for young people in Romania. He also learned the TM-Sidhi program and decided to enroll at MIU.

Johannes began the master’s in consciousness and human potential in the fall of 2019, graduated in the summer of 2020, and immediately joined the PhD program in Maharishi Vedic Science. “I had great experiences reading the Vedic literature and I want to get fully immersed in it,” he said.

Johannes is not only enjoying reading the Vedic literature in Sanskrit, but is intrigued by the use of sound and vibration for spiritual experiences in various traditions around the world. He wants to explore this topic in his PhD dissertation.

Living in the Fairfield, Iowa, community and attending MIU have brought him closer to his desire to lead a fully integrated life. “Living 200 percent of life is real for me,” said Johannes. He enjoys Maharishi’s technologies for the growth of higher states of consciousness and strives to use his talents to contribute to a more harmonious society. In his free time he likes spending time outdoors and practicing yoga and kung fu.