The focus is on the self, not a technique and certainly conscious of the divine aspect. Self means, it is not only me, but also in my counterpart.
And when I heart the sound rising from the core of beings, it is not me, but everywhere. I know it is the self and the mantra has brought it up. And when I feel harmony, it is the mantra in the self and not just thin air.
The TM time was an intense experience of silence and lots of hours meditation, sometimes for weeks and months all together. Those inner harmony created by focus on the self, is still present, as much as the peace coming out of the heart of all hearts.
That is my mantra, and this mantra has become universal, I see it in my conterpart.
I remember during that time in meditation, it was already very disturbed by the TM-leader, but while I thought the mantra, the birds were outside chanting it.
It became such a problem due to the stupid behaviour of the leader, who could not handle it and had no spiritual realization.
The worst was, the yogi, even being present, could nothing do about it and not harmonize it. The leader had the power, not the yogi, and that made things go completly upside down.
As Baba said, all mantras are okay, TM has not made them, but just used them.