It is possible to create a peaceful and cooperative global environment using an approach that has been extensively field tested and backed by rigorous scientific research—Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Programme.

Peace on earth, goodwill to all
by Global Good News staff writer
24 December 2009

‘There is far more evidence that group meditation can turn off war like a light switch than there is evidence that aspirin reduces headache pain. It is a scientific fact,’ Dr John Hagelin, Professor of Physics at Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield, Iowa, USA, exclaimed. He was referring to extensive research on the effect of the group practice of Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation and Transcendental Meditation Sidhi Programme, including Yogic Flying. 

'It was as if rocks were melting' 

An early study was performed in Jerusalem in the early 1980’s at the peak of the war in Lebanon. Before considering the results of that research, as well as a study published this year, a look at the setting of the experiment provides a fascinating lesson of its own. 

In the Complete Book of Yogic Flying, author Craig Pearson explains that because the study was to take place at the time of the Jewish New Year, no hotels in the Jewish parts of Jerusalem were available for the Yogic Flyers. The 200 Sidhas (practitioners of the Transcendental Meditation and Transcendental Meditation Sidhi Programme, including Yogic Flying) found themselves housed in a hotel in the Arab quarter amidst anti-Israeli demonstrations by Palestinians. Researcher Dr Charles Alexander spoke of the time saying:
 
     ‘The situation was potentially very tense. No Jews had ever stayed in this hotel before. But the owners of the hotel, who were Christian Arabs, became very interested in what we were doing—so much so that they learned the Transcendental Meditation technique themselves. Then they started bringing their friends to us to learn to meditate—Arabs and Armenians. 

     ‘The hotel owners’ attitude toward the Jews changed completely while we were there. Stereotypes dissolved on both sides. It was as if rocks were melting.’ 

Inner peace dissolves outer violence 

The official study verified the validity of the anecdote, clearly demonstrating ‘progress towards peace’ when a group of sufficient size practised Maharishi’s programmes together. A significant move in the direction of peace was indicated by reduced war deaths, reduced war injuries, and fewer bombs in Lebanon, as well as positive factors showing improved quality of life during the experimental period. 
 
Dr Hagelin points out that the research results, when graphed, strikingly show that ‘progress towards peace in the war in neighbouring Lebanon . . . goes up and down almost in lock step with the number of people’ practising the Transcendental Meditation Sidhi Programme in the group in Israel. He explains that sidhas are radiating an influence of inner peace which is reflected in society as outer peace.

Dr Hagelin comments that it is as if, under the influence of peace and coherence produced by sidhas, terrorists would wake up in the morning and find themselves saying, ‘Hey, I don’t think I’m going to kill anyone today.'

As Maharishi explains, the Transcendental Meditation and Transcendental Meditation Sidhi Programme, including Yogic Flying, eliminate the enmity in the enemy instead of killing the enemy. Terrorism and other desperate anti-social acts simply do not have a fertile field to fall on in the atmosphere of the group practice of these programmes.  

Instead, good things happen. As the number of participants practising the Transcendental Meditation and Transcendental Meditation Sidhi Programme rose during the course of the study, auto accidents and crime in Israel dropped while the stock market went up 7% and the national mood showed a 27% improvement. When the group reached its peak size, the effect crossed the border into Lebanon to such an extent that war deaths went down 76%. The possibility that the results of the experiment were a chance happening was less than 1 in 10,000. 

More evidence for this cost-effective ‘technology of world peace’ 

The prevention of war by group meditation was such a remarkable finding based on assumptions not within the normal paradigm, that when the research was published in the Yale Journal of Conflict Resolution, the editor included a note acknowledging the scientific rigour of the study but also urging that more research be done. 

In the following 2+ years, the experiment was repeated 7 times and showed an 80% decrease in war deaths and war-related injuries. When put together, these studies show beyond the shadow of a doubt the effect of the Yogic Flying groups. The likelihood that the reduction in war was not due to the meditating groups is less than 1 in 10 million million million. 

The TM Bulletin of Beirut, Lebanon has reported on a new scientific paper, published inthe Journal of Scientific Exploration on 29 June 2009, which analyzes the data even more thoroughly than done previously. It presents new statistical evidence that all credible conventional explanations—such as military and political events, public holidays, and the weather—could not explain the observed statistically significant changes found in the earlier studies on the influence of groups practising the Transcendental Meditation and Transcendental Meditation Sidhi Programme. 

Although conventional factors did have measurable influence on the level of violence and other sociological variables, the effect of the meditating group was, according to researchers, both independent of these other factors and approximately two to five times stronger than these other factors.  

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