Today In History with The Retrospectors

The Beatles’ Giggling Guru


Listen Later

Rerun. John, Paul, George and Ringo travelled to a transcendental meditation workshop in Bangor, Wales on 25th August, 1967 - at the invitation of ‘giggling guru’, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.


The event changed everything for The Fab Four - influencing their music, their philosophy, and ultimately contributing to the end of the band.


In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly question whether the retreat lead them to give up LSD; reveal how Ringo, frankly, never really seemed to be in to it; and uncover the Maharishi’s later plans for a Yogic amusement park...


Further Reading:

• ‘Lennon was right. The Giggling Guru was a shameless old fraud’ (Daily Mail, 2008): https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-512747/Lennon-right-The-Giggling-Guru-shameless-old-fraud.html#:~:text=The%20Giggling%20Guru%20was%20a%20shameless%20old%20fraud,teach%20them%20to%20defy%20gravity%20by%20%22yogic%20flying%22.

• Doug Henning’s theme park plans: https://doughenningproject.com/tag/theme-park/

• The Beatles in Bangor – silent news footage (1967): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuyE3bSnfVo&t=6s


‘Why am I hearing a rerun?’ We’re planning exciting new things for the autumn, and we’re banking that most of you haven’t heard it yet. So stick with us.


For bonus material and to support the show, visit Patreon.com/Retrospectors

We'll be back tomorrow with a new episode! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts: podfollow.com/Retrospectors


The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.

Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Sophie King.

Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2022.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Today In History with The RetrospectorsBy The Retrospectors

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

103 ratings


More shows like Today In History with The Retrospectors

View all
The Allusionist by Helen Zaltzman

The Allusionist

3,017 Listeners

More or Less by BBC Radio 4

More or Less

882 Listeners

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 by BBC Radio 4

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4

242 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,930 Listeners

Answer Me This! by Helen and Olly

Answer Me This!

824 Listeners

No Such Thing As A Fish by No Such Thing As A Fish

No Such Thing As A Fish

4,871 Listeners

Comedy of the Week by BBC Radio 4

Comedy of the Week

485 Listeners

Curious Cases by BBC Radio 4

Curious Cases

835 Listeners

The Week Unwrapped - with Olly Mann by The Week Unwrapped

The Week Unwrapped - with Olly Mann

76 Listeners

Evil Genius with Russell Kane by BBC Sounds

Evil Genius with Russell Kane

369 Listeners

The Modern Mann by Olly Mann

The Modern Mann

149 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,184 Listeners

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford by Pushkin Industries

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

5,176 Listeners

We Can Be Weirdos by Global

We Can Be Weirdos

192 Listeners

Lunchbox Envy by Lunchbox Envy

Lunchbox Envy

52 Listeners