Maharishi’s Programs for World Peace

“Only a new seed can yield a new crop. Only new knowledge, new principles, and new programs can put an end to conflict, sickness, and suffering, and prevent such problems from arising in the future. Only new knowledge can create a healthy, prosperous, harmonious society and a peaceful world.”
—Maharishi

The Individual Is the Basic Unit of World Peace

When Maharishi first started teaching the Transcendental Meditation technique in 1958, he said that the technique was a way for the individual to grow in health and happiness, and for the world to rise in peace. “For the forest to be green, every tree must be green,” Maharishi said. “The individual is the basic unit of world peace. For the world to be at peace, every individual has to be at peace.” The Transcendental Meditation technique is the key to producing a peaceful individual, and therefore was the basis for creating world peace.

“As long as individuals continue to violate the laws of nature, they will continue to create stress in their own lives and create stress in the collective consciousness of the whole nation. As a result, governmental efforts to promote peace will prove ineffective, and the world will face violence and conflict everywhere. Peace will only remain an abstract, unattainable ideal.”
—Maharishi

Like smokestacks pouring pollution into the atmosphere, individuals suffering from stress pour stress into the environment, creating the ground for crime, violence, and conflict in society. The approaches that have been tried repeatedly — more police, longer prison terms, military force, peace agreements — have ultimately failed because they fail to solve the problem of high levels of stress in society.

One Percent of the Individuals for World Peace

In 1960 Maharishi made a prediction: If as little as 1% of the world’s population practiced the Transcendental Meditation technique, there would be no more wars. The peaceful influence created by 1% of the people practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique would radiate throughout the environment, like the light from a bulb radiates throughout a darkened room.

The first study to test Maharishi’s prediction occurred in 1974, when scientists measured quality-of-life indicators in 11 cities where 1% of the population had learned the Transcendental Meditation program. ÊWhen they examined standard and publicly accessible government crime indices in the 1% cities, and compared them with the same crime rates in 11 control cities matched for population, college population, and geographic region, a remarkable discovery was made: The annual crime rate decreased 16.5% in the 1% cities compared to the matched control cities (which showed an increase in crime — as did the U.S. as a whole.)

This was the first scientific validation of Maharishi’s prediction that the quality of life could be improved through a small percentage of a population practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique. This study was expanded to include 48 cities, with similar results and was published in the Journal of Crime and Justice (Vol. IV, 1981). This study showed that participation in the Transcendental Meditation program was the causal factor in crime rate reductions in cities and metropolitan areas throughout the nation. Scientists named this the “Maharishi Effect”.

The Transcendental Meditation-Sidhi Program^SM: A Technology of Consciousness to Create World Peace

In 1976 Maharishi introduced the Transcendental Meditation-Sidhi Program including Yogic Flying, which he described as advanced procedures or natural extensions of the Transcendental Meditation program “to train consciousness to function from the unified field of natural law, the self-referral state of pure consciousness.”

Scientific research showed that this advanced program significantly enhanced the benefits of the Transcendental Meditation program. Most dramatically, sociological research showed that the practice of the TM-Sidhi^® program by a small number of people together in one place had a very powerful effect on society as a whole — even more powerful than the 1% effect. Only the square root of 1% of a population practicing the TM-Sidhi program together in one place was required to create an influence of order and coherence in the entire population.

If the peace-creating group is large enough, stress and negativity can be dissolved all around the world. Rather than simply creating a shield that keeps enemies out, such a large group actually prevents the emergence of an enemy. This allows true defense for any nation—by defusing the acute political, religious and ethnic tensions that fuel terrorism and war.

A New Formula for Peace: Square Root of 1% of the Individuals for World Peace

Over the past 20 years, extensive research employing the most advanced statistical procedures has been conducted throughout the world to gauge the effects of the TM-Sidhi program on the quality of life in society. Over 50 demonstration projects and 23 published studies have shown that this radiating influence of peace has markedly decreased negative tendencies such as crime, sickness, and accident rates, as well as the turbulence of war and violence in society. The research has also shown significant increases in positive trends, including improvements in economic conditions.

You Can Participate in Creating World Peace

Maharishi offers a plan whereby every individual can contribute his or her share to create peace. “For there to be peace in society, there must be peace in the individuals in society,” Maharishi said. “Transcendental Meditation is a technique for gaining peace. If you have peace then you should engage in creating world peace by bringing your friends and family to start this practice. Unless you create peace in your family and friends, your own peace will be fragile and world peace will have no meaning for you. With peace in every home in our precious family of nations, Heaven will be created on earth.”

Call 1-800-LEARN TM (1-800-532-7686) to find out how you can participate in your area.

Research on Maharishi’s Program for World Peace

www.permanentpeace.org

Decreased Crime Rate

Decreased Terrorism

Reduced International Conflict

www.globalgoodnews.com/maharishi-effect/index.html

To read more about Maharishi’s Program for World Peace

http://tm.org/maharishi/initiatives.html

http://www.permanentpeace.org

http://www.mum.edu/worldpeace/welcome.html

Books on Maharishi’s Program for World Peace:

Maharishi’s Absolute Theory of Defence — Sovereignty in Invincibility

Victory Before War

Permanent Peace

Manual for a Perfect Government

Related Links:

www.globalcountry.org

www.uspeacegovernment.org

www.tm.org