Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a guru to the Beatles who introduced transcendental meditation to the West, died at his Dutch home overnight. He was said to be 91.
After teaching the Beatles and other 1960s and 70s icons to meditate, the Indian mystic gained a worldwide following with six million people taking his courses.
The reclusive guru with a flowing white beard moved his headquarters to the small southern Dutch village of Vlodrop in 1990.
He periodically emerged to appeal for funds to promote world peace, building a business empire ranging from real estate dealing to a company selling ayurvedic medicine and cosmetics.
The Maharishi set up universities and schools all over the world and his Natural Law Party - which promotes yogic flying, a practice that involves sitting in the lotus position and bouncing into the air - has campaigned in dozens of countries.
Transcendental meditation, known as TM by its followers, involves reciting a mantra that practitioners say helps the mind stay calm even under pressure. It has gradually gained medical respect.
Last month the Maharishi stepped down as head of his organisation to concentrate on what an aide called "the field of silence".
Born in central India, the Maharishi rarely spoke about his early life, saying the past held little interest for him.
He first visited the United States in 1959 as part of a global tour to introduce transcendental meditation to the world, and from 1961 he began to train teachers.
The Beatles - John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr - visited him in India in 1968, making him a household name round the world.
According to the TM organisation, the Maharishi 's message remained constant: "Life is bliss. Man is born to enjoy. Within everyone is an unlimited reservoir of energy, intelligence, and happiness."