The Transcendental
Meditation-Sidhi Program
Concurrent with all of this, a new development was taking place that
was to have a profound impact on the direction of Transcendental Meditation
research.
In 1976 Maharishi introduced the Transcendental Meditation-Sidhi program,
which he described as advanced procedures or natural extensions of Transcendental
Meditation "to train consciousness to function from the unified field
of natural law, the self-referral state of pure consciousness."
Maharishi explained that the Transcendental Meditation-Sidhi program
trained the awareness to function in the same self-interacting style as
the intelligence of nature. In this way, Maharishi said, individuals would
gain the support of the total potential of nature's creativity and intelligence
for the fulfillment of their desires in daily life.
Scientific research showed that Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation-Sidhi
program significantly enhanced the benefits of Transcendental Meditation.
It increased EEG coherence, increased creativity and intelligence, and
promoted longevity.
Most dramatically, sociological research showed that the practice of
the Transcendental Meditation-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% Transcendental Meditation effect.
Research showed that only the square root of 1% of a population practicing
the Transcendental Meditation-Sidhi program together in one place was required
to create an influence of order and coherence in the entire population.
How is all of this possible? How can people meditating alone in their
homes or offices, or together in a group, influence other people across
town -- or across the country -- who aren't even meditating?
The Super Radiance
Effect: Action at a Distance
- Two corks are floating in a sink of water 8 inches apart. Push down
one cork, release it, and the other cork bobs up and down.
- Turn on the radio as you drive to the supermarket. A disc jockey is
playing a song 50 miles away. The music fills your car.
These are two examples where one object can influence another object
at a distance. In physics this phenomenon is called "action at a distance."
How does it happen? Through the influence of waves traveling through
an underlying field. Water links the two corks, and the electromagnetic
field links the radio station and the car radio.
Connecting all matter in the universe are unseen, fundamental fields
-- the electromagnetic field, the gravitational field, and the fields of
the weak and strong forces binding the center of the atom.
At their basis, according to supersymmetric unified quantum field theories,
is the unified field, which creates and connects everything together in
the universe -- all fields, all matter, everything, everybody.
The Behavior of Fields
One interesting characteristic about the behavior of fields is the manner
in which waves travel through them.
For example, consider the ordinary light radiating from your reading
lamp. It is the product of innumerable light waves that are random and
incoherent in their pattern. Take any 100 of these incoherent light waves
and they produce the light of 100 separate waves. Because of this the light
from your lamp is bright enough for you to read the book in your lap, but
not nearly bright enough, say, to reach the moon.
On the other hand, if those random light waves are made coherent so
that the peaks and valleys of each wave are in step with each other, then
the intensity of the light waves becomes far greater than when they function
separately. Their intensity is proportional to the square of the actual
number of waves. Take those 100 light waves again, make them function coherently
together, and they will produce a light as bright as 10,000 incoherent
light waves.
Coherent light is called laser light. It can be bounced off the moon,
applied to conduct surgery, or used to play a laser disc recording. This
phenomenon has been called the "superradiance effect."
The Field Effects
of Consciousness
How, then, can the coherence created by a small number of people practicing
Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program together in one place affect
a large population?
Scientists said it could happen only if consciousness, experienced in
its self-referral state during Transcendental Meditation, is a field and
only if it is the same unified field that underlies all of nature.
They said that only a field can produce the influence of "action-at-a-distance,"
and only the unified field would be able to account for the wide-ranging
effects on society observed with the collective practice of Maharishi's
Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program. This is because on the
level of the unified field, everything in nature is connected.
Researchers predicted that if a group of experts in the Transcendental
Meditation and TM-Sidhi program could, in fact, produce an influence of
coherence on the level of the unified field, then according to the behavior
of fields, that coherence would spread throughout the environment.
That's the hypothesis. Now does it actually happen? What is the evidence?
And how can it be measured?
Measuring the Trends of Time
In the past two decades, social scientists have developed sophisticated
statistical procedures to analyze changing trends in society. These methods
are helpful to researchers attempting to determine why these changes occur.
For example, sickness rates might be found to be suddenly decreasing
in a particular city. Why? Is it due to a public health program recently
introduced into the school system, or is it simply a seasonal change?
Through these advanced statistical procedures, scientists are better
able to identify the reason, or reasons, for the decrease in sickness rates
in the city, eliminate alternative explanations, and hopefully use the
technology or program to produce the same effect again, perhaps on a wider
scale.
Studying the Effects of Transcendental Meditation
on Quality of Life
Extensive research, employing many of these statistical procedures,
have been conducted throughout the world to gauge the effects of the Transcendental
Meditation and TM-Sidhi program on the quality of life in society.
The research has demonstrated repeatedly that when the square root of
1% of a population practices the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi
program together in one place there are marked decreases in negative tendencies
such as crime, sickness, and accident rates, as well as instances of turbulence
and violence in society. The research has also shown significant increases
in positive trends, such as improvements in economic conditions.
7,000 Assembly at Maharishi International University
The largest experiment studying the impact of group practice of the
Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program occurred from December 17,
1983, to January 6, 1984, at Maharishi International University in Fairfield,
Iowa.
Seven thousand experts in the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi
program from over 50 nations gathered at the university to create "an
upsurge of coherence" for the whole world. Seven thousand is approximately
the square root of 1% of the world's population.
The findings confirmed predictions made by scientists in advance. Research
showed an immediate increase in positivity in situations of international
conflict. Available data from major countries on several continents also
showed that traffic fatalities per miles driven and the incidence of infectious
diseases dropped during the assembly, while patent applications and other
signs of creativity and positivity rose.
And after the assembly? All the positive trends returned to the usual
patterns that had characterized them prior to the assembly.
A New Formula for
Peace
Based on these findings, as well as on similar results from several
other large assemblies throughout the world, Maharishi declared 1987 to
the Year of World Peace. He presented a program to reduce crime and violence
in society and create peace in the world. Maharishi's plan called for the
establishment in every country of a permanent group of 7,000 experts practicing
the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program together in one place.
Maharishi said that this group would immediately reduce the dangerous
build-up of stress in collective consciousness and create "an indomitable
influence of coherence and positivity in national and world consciousness
to ensure that all political, social, and economic trends will always remain
positive and enriching."
For There to Be Peace in Society
Maharishi also laid out a plan whereby every individual can contribute
his or her share to promote 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."
Scientific Research Expands
Research on group practice of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi
program continued to expand. By 1990 there were over 40 sociological studies,
including research showing positive effects on reducing urban crime, decreasing
conflict in the Middle East, and reducing violent death. The studies were
published in some of America's leading peer-reviewed scientific journals,
including Journal of Conflict Resolution, Social Indicators Research,
and Journal of Mind and Behavior.
[ Top of Page |
Chapter 7 cont. ]
7 (cont)