John Hagelin is a physicist who has been a candidate for U.S. President three times. He is a follower of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and he was chosen by the United States Natural Law Party, which was inspired by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, as a Presidential candidate. In the 2000 Presidential election, Hagelin was also nominated by a dissident faction of the United States Reform Party which was opposed to the nomination of Pat Buchanan. After a messy fight with the proponents of Buchanan, the United States Federal Election Commission ruled that Buchanan was the official candidate of the Reform Party and hence eligible for federal election funds.
Hagelin received a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College and a Masters of Arts and Ph.D. in physics from Harvard University, and was a researcher at CERN (the European Center for Particle Physics) and SLAC (the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center). He is currently Professor of Physics and Director of the Institute of Science, Technology and Public Policy at Maharishi University of Management, and Minister of Science and Technology of the Global Country of World Peace.
Hagelin has published a number of peer-reviewed papers in particle physics dealing with supersymmetry and grand unification theory. The motivation behind his research is to demonstrate that there are deep connections between particle physics and the Transcendental Meditation program and the teachings of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, which are not generally accepted by the physics community. However, it is generally acknowledged that the means by which he is attempting to demonstrate this connection are within the norms of the scientific method and that he has a competent background in particle physics, and as a result Hagelin's work within particle physics is well respected in the physics community.
Hagelin is responsible for a number of posters which illustrate his ideas on unifying physics and Transcendental Meditation. These beautifully illustrated posters are regarded as unique collector items by particle physicists and mathematicians in that they are full of mathematical equations which have correct "grammar" interposed with Transcendental Meditation.
