By Arlene J. Schar & Dr. David Leffler
Despite ongoing efforts to mediate a meaningful resolution, the war between Russia and Ukraine continues. World leaders are concerned this war will escalate. World War III could possibly erupt from it. There are similar concerns regarding conflict in the Middle East. It is crucial to reduce the rising tensions and prevent further dangerous escalations; to end and prevent war and thereby put an end to the resultant suffering.
Here is an ideal strategy that any military could use to alleviate these tensions and end war. At its core, the root cause of social violence is the buildup of collective social stress. Addressing this human issue demands a human-centered solution. (See: “Peace through health: traditional medicine meditation in the prevention of collective stress, violence, and war” published in Frontiers in Public Health.)
The ideal means to eliminate social problems such as war, conflict, terrorism, and crime is to quickly and efficiently reduce societal stress.
Extensive scientific research suggests that the most effective way to reduce collective stress and eradicate war is through an ancient strategy. The non-religious approach known as Invincible Defense Technology (IDT), revived by the late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, has been successfully and quietly used by individuals from many faiths to resolve conflicts in the past. It is now time for the military to consider this brain-based technology to help create lasting peace.
Militaries can reduce societal stress and lower tensions by establishing a Prevention Wing of the Military. The large group would be trained in the Transcendental Meditation (TM®) program and its advanced techniques, including the TM-Sidhi® program. This IDT approach has been extensively field-tested, even in war-torn regions like the Middle East. Dozens of research studies have shown that when large groups practice these techniques twice a day, there is a measurable influence on harmony and peace in society: crime rates drop, quality-of-life indicators improve, and war and terrorism decrease. This large-group practice appears to create a “field-effect of consciousness” that extends to the surrounding population, producing a demonstrable influence of peace.
For instance, an IDT intervention was examined in Washington, D.C., in 1993. Predictions were submitted in advance to government leaders and newspapers. An independent Project Review Board approved the research protocol. When the group’s size peaked, crime dropped 24 percent below the forecasted level. Changes could not be explained by temperature, weekend effects, or previous data trends. The results were published in Social Indicators Research.
A study published in Studies in Asian Social Science reviewed previous empirical tests of IDT in Cambodia, India, the Philippines, and other countries. The findings align with earlier peer-reviewed research, showing significant reductions in crime and violence associated with group practice of the TM and TM-Sidhi programs.
The World Journal of Social Science published a study demonstrating that when the square root of one percent of a population practiced IDT together, multiple stress indicators in the U.S. decreased. Subsequently, when the size of the IDT group decreased, these stress indicators increased again. Other factors such as economic conditions, political leadership, and demographics were considered but could not account for these results. The consistent pattern of stress indicators decreasing and then increasing in sync with changes in the size of the IDT group strongly suggests that the group itself was responsible for this effect.
Twenty peer-reviewed studies, many of which are listed here, have validated the effectiveness of IDT. These studies indicate that a “national armor” is produced with IDT that cannot be penetrated by the collective negativity of other countries. This naturally happens in a process similar to the Meissner Effect, where a superconducting magnetic field repels the influence of an intrusive external magnetic field.
IDT offers the highest degree of autonomy, granting complete freedom from external influence or control, representing the pinnacle of independence. When applied correctly, IDT generates a potent field-effect of collective consciousness that can neutralize hostile intentions from adversaries by channeling stronger, positive influences. This naturally happens in a process similar to the Meissner Effect. Scientists call this the “Maharishi Effect” after Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who predicted it.
Although the exact mechanism for the Maharishi Effect is not understood, research has demonstrated that practicing TM enhances coherence in brain activity, as detected through electroencephalography (EEG), which records brain electrical activity through electrodes placed on the scalp. Research has found that TM practitioners exhibit greater EEG coherence, greater presence of alpha waves, and, in some advanced practitioners, highly efficient brain function. In other words, a coherent brain is a high-performing brain. (Refer to the International Journal of Psychological Studies and International Journal of Neuroscience). This biological effect, combined with the deep rest provided by the practice, reduces stress and tension, boosts alertness, and enhances well-being and resilience in individuals.
A study in the Journal of Social Behavior and Personality (JSBP) provides a possible biological explanation for the causality of IDT. Research on the neurotransmitter serotonin indicates that it is involved in feelings of happiness, contentment, and well-being, while low serotonin levels are associated with violence, aggression, and depressed emotional states. The JSBP study found that higher numbers of IDT practitioners in the meditation group correlated with increased serotonin production among community members who were not practicing meditation and knew nothing about the group numbers. The opposite relationship was found for levels of cortisol, a stress-related hormone. When group numbers decreased, cortisol levels increased. These statistically significant changes, which followed periods of higher attendance, suggest a plausible, stress-related, neurophysiologic mechanism for the reduction of aggression and hostility in society.
IDT’s global impact was documented in a study published in the Journal of Offender Rehabilitation using data from the Rand Corporation. Between 1983 and 1985, when the size of large IDT assemblies surpassed the threshold predicted to produce a measurable global effect, deaths from worldwide terrorism decreased by 72%, international conflict decreased by 32%, and violence in other countries was reduced without external government intervention.
The IDT approach also offers tangible personal benefits for military personnel and civilians affected by the aftermath of conflict and war. For instance, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is frequently observed among veterans and civilians alike. According to a study in The Lancet, a non-trauma-focused therapy, TM, could be a promising option for reducing PTSD symptoms into the normal range in veterans with PTSD and serve as an effective alternative for those veterans who choose not to receive or do not respond to, the common prolonged-exposure-based PTSD treatments.
Military forces are entrusted with the duty of safeguarding their nations. It is their responsibility to rigorously explore practical, scientifically proven methods to eliminate war and terrorism. Military personnel are compensated for their service and the protection of their countries. Given their funding for this purpose, we believe it is incumbent upon nations’ militaries to establish IDT Prevention Wings within their armed forces. If this is not immediately feasibly possible, then civilian groups could take on this possibility.
We strongly encourage any willing militaries, to promptly implement the IDT approach to stabilize the current volatile situation.
Once this shift occurs, the military that first initiates such a large deployment of IDT would gain international recognition not only for fostering enduring peace domestically but also for their pivotal role in averting escalating global conflicts and potentially safeguarding our endangered planet from extinction.
“Victory smiles upon those who anticipate the change in the character of war, not upon those who wait to adapt themselves after the changes occur.”
— General Giulio Douhet,
The Command of the Air “Ever since men first began to use weapons to fight each other, military men have been reproached for excessive conservatism, a polite term often intended to imply a dangerous class reluctance to accept new ideas.”
— Admiral William Sims, at US Naval War College 1921 Graduation, cited in CDR Benjamin F. Armstrong, USN, ed., 21st Century Sims: Innovation, Education, and Leadership for the Modern Era (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2015), 104.
Arlene J. Schar is the Director of Communications at the Center for Advanced Military Science (CAMS) & Dr. David Leffler is the Executive Director at CAMS
