Robert Cohen wrote:

>The Vedic religion, brought to India by the Aryans was a cult in which
>the priests performed ritual sacrifice.  Hallucinogenic substances were
>mixed with milk, primarily clarified butter, into a "mind altering"
>substance called "SOMA."

Unfortunately, Robert Cohen' understanding of ayurveda is very limited.
(Soma in it's true meaning is related to the field of consciousness.

Dr. Richard Averbach, M.D. writes to the medical community:

"The Vedic literature of India represents the most ancient tradition of
human knowledge. It consists of 37 areas (divisions) which together provide
a complete system of natural health care. Through the insights and guidance
of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, this profound body of knowledge has been revived
in its completeness and formulated into a comprehensive system of health
care, the Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health. The Maharishi Vedic Approach
to Health presents this ancient knowledge in a scientific framework which
is entirely compatible with modern medical training and practice.

"Over 500 scientific research studies have been conducted on various
components of the Maharish Vedic Approach to Health at 210 research
institutions and universities in 33 countries and have shown wide-ranging
benefits [18-21]. Its theory, diagnostic measures, and multiple therapeutic
modalities present medical students and physicians with new and practical
knowledge that can be used directly in patient care. In addition to being
fully complementary to contemporary medical practice, the Maharishi Vedic
Approach to Health has the advantage of being without serious side-effects.

"Veda" means knowledge--the classical Vedic Literature describes
fundamental knowledge of the structure and functioning of the universe,
including the human body. Recent research into the relationship of the
Vedic Literature and the human body has described an exact correlation
between each area of physiological structure and function and the 37
aspects of the Veda and Vedic literature [22]

Brief Summary of Scientific Research on the Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health

Over 500 scientific research studies have been conducted at 210 independent
research institutions and universities in 30 countries. These include the
medical schools of Harvard University, Yale University, University of
Chicago, University of Michigan, University of California at Los Angeles,
Ohio State University, Indiana University, University of Kansas, and
University of Colorado in the United States, as well as the Institute of
Industrial Health of the Japanese Ministry of Labor; York University,
Canada; University of Edinburgh, Scotland; University of Lund, Sweden;
University of Groningen, the Netherlands; University of New South Wales,
Australia; and the Institute La Rochefoucauld, France. Studies have been
published in many leading scientific journals, including: Science,
Hypertension, American Journal of Cardiology, The Lancet, Japanese Journal
of Industrial Health, Japanese Journal of Public Health, American Journal
of Physiology, Scientific American, Respiration, Journal of the Canadian
Medical Association, Psychosomatic Medicine, Journal of the Israel Medical
Association, Journal of the Association of Physicians of India, Indian
Journal of Clinical Practice, Journal of Research and Education in Indian
Medicine, Journal of Human Stress, New Zealand Family Physician, Journal of
Applied Physiology, Physiology and Behavior, Hormones and Behavior,
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior, Biochemical Archives, Homeostasis
in Health and Disease, International Journal of Neuroscience,
Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, Experimental
Neurology, Nutrition Research, European Journal of Pharmacology,
Neuropharmacology, Federation of American Societies of Experimental Biology
Journal, American Journal of Psychiatry, Journal of Clinical Psychiatry,
American Psychologist, Journal of Clinical Psychology, The Journal of
Psychology, British Journal of Psychology, British Journal of Educational
Psychology, Education, Journal of Mind and Behavior, The Journal of
Counseling Psychology, International Journal of the Addictions, Alcohol
Treatment Quarterly.

Findings of research on the Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health include:

*       Over 50 percent reduction in overall needs for health care;
*       Marked reductions in hospital admissions in all disease categories,
including 87 percent less for cardiovascular disorders, 55 less for tumors,
73 percent less for respiratory diseases; and 87 percent less for
neurological disorders;
*       Markedly reduced health care costs;
*       Reduction of major risk factors for cardiovascular disease;
*       Reduction of high blood pressure;
*       Decreased serum cholesterol;
*       Reduction and cessation of smoking, alcohol consumption, and drug
abuse (superior effectiveness compared to standard therapies); *
Exceptionally powerful protection against free radicals, which have
been implicated in a wide range of diseases, including heart disease,
cancer, diabetes; inflammatory diseases, and degenerative disorders; *
More successful weight reduction in obese individuals;
*       Elimination of stress, and increased resistance to stress;
*       Improvement in common chronic disorders, including angina pectoris,
hypertension, asthma, diabetes, chronic bronchitis, rheumatoid arthritis,
eczema, and chronic sinusitis;
*       Reduced side-effects in patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy;
*       Reversal of aging and increased longevity;
*       Improved functioning of the immune system;
*       Anti-carcinogenic effects;
*       Reduced insomnia and improved quality of sleep;
*       Comprehensive improvements in mental health, including reductions
in anxiety, depression and hostility, and growth of positive psychological
traits;
*       Improved occupational health: increased job satisfaction, improved
job performance, reduced occupational stress, improved health and
well-being of industrial employees;
*       Improved relationships: increased marital harmony and happiness;
improved psychological health and well-being of the family; improved
relationships at work;
*       Improved quality of city, provincial, national, and international
life, as measured by reductions in crime, violence, accidents, suicides,
social turbulence, civil and international conflict, and improvements in
economic prosperity, national integration, and international harmony.

A Brief Listing of Scientific References on the Maharishi Vedic Approach to
Health follows:

Alexander, C.N., et al. (1991). Journal of Social Behavior and Personality
6(5): 189-247.
Alexander, C.N., et al. (1993). Anxiety, Stress, and Coping 6: 245-262.
Alexander, C.N., et al. (1994). Alcohol Treatment Quarterly 11(1-2): 13-87.
Alexander, C.N., et al. (1994). Homeostasis in Health and Disease 35(4-5):
243-263.
Alexander, C.N., et al. (1996). Hypertension 28(2): 228-237. Banquet, J.P.
(1973). Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology 35: 143-151.
Brooks, J. and Scarano, T. (1985). Journal of Counseling and Development
64: 212-215.
Cooper, M. and Aygen, M. (1978). Journal of the Israel Medical Association
95: 1-2.
Dileepan, K.N., et al. (1990). Biochemical Archives 6, 267-274. Dileepan,
K.N., et al. (1993). Biochemical Archives 9: 365-374. Dillbeck, M.C.
(1990). Social Indicators Research 22: 399-418. Dillbeck, M.C. and
Orme-Johnson, D.W. (1987). American Psychologist 42: 879-881. Dillbeck,
M.C., et al. (1987). The Journal of Mind and Behavior 8: 67-104. Dillbeck,
M.C., et al. (1988). The Journal of Mind and Behavior 9(4): 457-486. Dogra,
J. and Grover, N. (1994). Journal of the Association of Physicians of India
42(6): 466-467.
Dwivedi, C., et al. (1991). Pharmacology Biochemistry & Behavior 39:
649-652. Engineer, F.N., et al. (1992). Biochemical Archives 8: 267-272.
Eppley, K., et al. (1989). Journal of Clinical Psychology 45 (1989):
957-974. Gallois, P. (1984). L' Encephale 10: 139-144. Gelderloos et al.
(1991). International Journal of the Addictions 26(3): 293-325.
Gelderloos, P., et al. (1990). International Journal of Psychosomatics 37:
25-29.
Glaser, J.L., et al. (1992). Journal of Behavioral Medicine 15: 327-341.
Hanna, A.N., et al. (1994). Federation of American Societies of
Experimental Biology Journal 8(5): A658. Hanna, A.N., et al. (1994).
Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior 48(2): 505-510.
Haratani, T. and Henmi, T. (1990). Japanese Journal of Industrial Health,
32: 656.
Haratani, T. and Henmi, T. (1990). Japanese Journal of Public Health 37:
729. Janssen, G.W.H.M. (1989). Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Integrale
Geneeskunde 5(35): 586-594.
Jevning, R., et al. (1978). Hormones and Behavior 10(1): 54-60. Jevning,
R., et al. (1983). American Journal of Physiology 245 (Cell Physiol. 14):
C457-C461.
Mills, P.J. et al. (1990). Journal of Psychosomatic Research 34(1): 29-33.
Misra, N.C., et al. (1994). Proceedings of the XVI International Cancer
Congress, New Delhi, India, 30 Oct-5 Nov 1994, pp. 589-592. Bologna
(Italy): Monduzzi Editore.
Monahan, R. (1977). International Journal of the Addictions 12: 729-754.
Nidich, S.I., et al. (1993). Personality and Individual Differences 15 (5):
599-602.
Niwa, Y. (1991). Indian Journal of Clinical Practice 1(8): 23-27.
Orme-Johnson D.W. (1987). Psychosomatic Medicine 49: 493-507. Orme-Johnson,
D.W. (1973). Psychosomatic Medicine 35: 341-349. Orme-Johnson, D.W., et al.
(1990). Journal of Conflict Resolution 34(4): 756-868.
Orme-Johnson, D.W., et al. (1988). Journal of Conflict Resolution 32(4):
776-812.
Overbeck, K.D. (1982). Psychotherapie-Psychosomatik Medizinische
Psychologie 32(6): 188-192.
Patel, V.K., et al. (1992). Nutritional Research 12: 51-61. Prasad, K.N, et
al. (1992). Neuropharmacology 31: 599-607. Schneider, R.H., et al. (1990).
Journal of Social Behavior and Personality 5(3): 1-27.
Schneider, R.H., et al. (1995). Hypertension 26(5): 820-827. Scientific
Research on Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Programme,
Collected Papers, Vol. 1-6 (5000 pages). Vlodrop, The Netherlands:
Maharishi Vedic University Press. Shafii, M., et al. (1974). American
Journal of Psychiatry 131: 60-63. Shafii, M., et al. (1975). American
Journal of Psychiatry 132: 942-945. Sharma, H.M., et al. (1989). Clinica &
Terapia Cardiovascolare 8(3): 227-230. Sharma, H.M., et al. (1990).
European Journal of Pharmacology 183(2): 193. Sharma, H.M., et al. (1990).
Pharmacology, Biochemistry & Behavior 35: 767-773. Sharma, H.M., et al.
(1991). Journal of Research and Education in Indian Medicine 10(3): 1-8.
Sharma, H.M., et al. (1992). Pharmacology, Biochemistry & Behavior 43:
1175-1182.
Sharma, H.M., et al. (1994). Proceedings of the XVI International Cancer
Congress, New Delhi, India, 30 Oct-5 Nov 1994, pp. 3099-3102. Bologna
(Italy): Monduzzi Editore.
Sharma, H.M., et al. Journal of Research and Education in Indian Medicine
12(4): 2-13.
Sircar, A.R., et al. Departments of Medicine and Pathology, K.G. Medical
College, Lucknow, India and Department of Anatomic Pathology, Ohio State
University, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A.
Sundaram, V., et al. (1995). Federation of American Societies of
Experimental Biology Journal 9(3): 141.
Wallace, R.K. (1970). Science 167: 1751-1754. Wallace, R.K., et al. (1971).
American Journal of Physiology 221: 795-799. Wallace, R.K., et al. (1982).
International Journal of Neuroscience 16: 53-58. Wallace, R.K., et al.
(1983). Experimental Neurology 79: 77-86. Wilson, A.F., et al. (1975).
Respiration 32: 74-80. Wilson, A.F., et al. (1987). Physiology and Behavior
41: 347-352. Wolkove, N., et al. (1984). Journal of Applied Physiology:
Respiratory, Environmental and Exercise Physiology, 56(3): 607-612.
Zamarra, J.W., et al. (1996). American Journal of Cardiology 77: 867-870.

See also Maharishi University of Management URL: http://www.mum.edu section
on "Research"

(SM) Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health is a service mark licensed to
Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and used under
sublicense."

My family has used this knowledge for years now with tremendous success for
bringing good health.  Also, I think you have to consider that milk for a
weak, dairy-sensitive person might be a detrimental, but that this is not
the case for the entire world's population who does not carry this weakness
in their nervous system, and that milk can and does have health promoting
and strengthening properties.  (Although not the kind of processed, hormone
infested milk we find the dairy industry giving us.)


Rachele Shaw
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