Unfortunately, over the centuries, man has failed again and again in this endeavour. Classical methods of peace creation, such as negotiations and treaties, have almost never been successful in creating enduring peace.
The reason for this is quoted in the beginning of the constitution of UNESCO: “Wars begin in the minds of men”. Stress in the minds of individuals leads to stress in the collective consciousness of society, which then overshadows the leaders of society in their decisions.
Therefore the solution to create world peace lies in reducing stress in collective consciousness.
Many attempts have been made over the centuries to educate people to behave more lovingly towards their neighbours, etc. Behavioural education, even on a large scale, has generally been of only very limited success in this regard because it cannot modify the underlying mental stress. Therefore it cannot reduce the stress in collective consciousness, which explains why it never could reduce warfare in society. It is well known historically that even groups or nations saturated by religions propagating universal love frequently engaged in extremely ferocious wars against each other.
A solution was proposed in the last decades by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and his disciples. They demonstrated the effectiveness of group meditation in reducing collective stress. It was possible to show, in 23 published scientific studies and over 50 demonstration projects, that violent crime, warfare and terrorism can be reduced by groups of people practicing Transcendental Meditation and its advanced techniques (see www.permanentpeace.org).
Most unfortunately, governments have until now not availed themselves of this technology.
The reason for this could be a lack of understanding and acceptance of the theory proposed to explain the effectiveness of group meditation. It is explained that consciousness is a non-material field pervading large distances, and that an effect is thereby transmitted to their environment from the individuals or groups meditating (see www.permanentpeace.org/theory/consciousness.html).
This explanation contrasts with the conception that most people in Western society and also mainstream science have about the nature of consciousness. The view most accepted in the current mainstream of Western civilisation is that consciousness is exclusively a product of brain physiology, thereby naturally limited to the individual. Field effects of consciousness cannot exist, according to this view, and are firmly considered to belong to the area of mysticism or mythology.
So which view is correct? What is consciousness? A local product of brain physiology or a universal all-pervasive field?
A vast amount of empiric scientific research has been conducted on this question over many decades. A large portion of this research is summarized in the books of Sheldrake (eg. “Seven Experiments that Could Change the World”, “The Sense of Being Stared At, and Other Aspects of the Extended Mind”), see also www.sheldrake.org. Without going over the masses of details of the many carefully performed studies quoted (e.g. persons able to statistically significantly guess numbers viewed by others in other buildings, etc), the conclusion is clear: The results are incompatible with the theory that consciousness is a local product of brain physiology.
This conclusion, which goes against the grain of many and which is bitterly resisted by dogmaticists of all colours claiming to be scientists, sceptics, traditionalists etc, should be made widely known in society and especially among its leaders.
With the clearly proven understanding that empirical scientific research leaves no other possibility open than that consciousness is a universal field, the research on the harmonizing effects of group meditation on society and nations will be seen in a different light.
It is to be hoped that then the leaders of society will begin to utilise this technology for the benefit of their peoples and their nations.
Humanity will thank them for this.
