Maharishi Vedic Psychology Brings Fulfillment

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Maharishi Vedic Psychology Brings Fulfillment

to the Aspirations of Twentieth-Century Psychology

Charles Alexander, Frederick Travis, B. Mawiyah Clayborne, and Dori Rector

Maharishi University of ManagementFairfield, Iowa, U.S.A.

Abstract

Twentieth-century psychology has studied specific active processes of knowing—such

as perceptions, thoughts, or feelings—but lacked an understanding of deeper levels of the

mind underlying and integrating all active mental processes. Therefore, it has spawned

isolated areas of investigation rather than successful grand theories. Maharishi Vedic

Psychology provides complete knowledge and experience of transcendentalconsciousness, the cosmic psyche, at the basis of the individual psyche. The cosmic

psyche is identified as an unrestricted field of intelligence and creativity at the foundation

of not only human nature but Nature’s functioning as a whole. The applied aspect of

Maharishi Vedic Psychology—which includes the Transcendental Meditation and TM-

Sidhi programs—provides the means by which the cosmic psyche can be fully enlivened

in daily life through the progressive unfoldment of four higher states of consciousness

beyond waking, sleeping, and dreaming. By providing complete knowledge and direct

experience of consciousness, Maharishi Vedic Psychology resolves the fundamental

questions plaguing twentieth-century psychology. (1) Who is the knower, or self?

Maharishi Vedic Psychology reveals that the ultimate status of the knower is the cosmic

psyche. (2) What is the full range of mental processes through which one can know theself and the world? It describes a hierarchy of levels of mind from the most fundamental

self-referral level of the cosmic psyche through progressively more expressed levels of

functioning comprising: The individual ego, feeling, discriminating intellect, thinking

mind, perception, physiological functioning, behavior, and ultimately the whole

environment. (3) Can ideal behavior and relation-ships be developed with others? By

fully attuning individual awareness with the cosmic psyche—the source of order and

progress in Nature—thought and action becomes spontaneously progressive and

nourishing to all levels of life. (4) Can we create a truly peaceful and harmonious world?

By enlivening the underlying unified field of consciousness, the cosmic psyche, in only a

small proportion of the population, an orderly and harmonious influence is created

throughout society as a whole, establishing the basis for a heavenly life on earth. Over 500 scientific studies have verified the unique effectiveness of the applied programs of

Maharishi Vedic Psychology in addressing these questions and solving the fundamental

problems facing the individual and society.



Maharishi Vedic Psychology Brings Fulfillment to the Aspirations

of Twentieth-Century Psychology

Psychology emerged at the turn of this century with the mission of applying the tools of

modern science to address the grand unanswered questions in philosophy: who is the self

(knower), what is the full range of mental processes through which one can know theworld (processes of knowing), and how we can develop ideal relationships with others

(the known). It considered consciousness as its constitutive issue in a like manner that

energy and matter were for physics, and envisioned purely psychological laws that could

explain mental events (James, 1890; Miller, 1981). The definition of conscious-nessembraced by the field has shaped the questions that were asked, the models that were

developed and tested, and the practical applications that were generated.

Despite its lofty goals, twentieth-century psychology has not solved the questions

which motivated its inception. Twentieth-century psychology has failed because it wasbased on a limited understanding of consciousness. It studied active processes of

knowing—perceptions, thoughts, or feelings—and lacked awareness of deeper levels of

the mind underlying active mental processes. Because its understanding of conscious-ness has been incomplete, psychology has remained a fragmented study of moresuperficial expressed aspects of the individual and has spawned only isolated areas of

investigation, rather than successful grand theories. Working from fragmented models,

the complex and multi-dimensional problems facing the individual and society have not

been adequately addressed. The basic argument of this paper is that throughunderstanding of a unified level of consciousness posited to underlie all aspects of

life—mental, physical, behavioral, and environmental—one can answer the fundamen-tal

questions of psychology and fulfill its practical promise to mankind. This fullunderstanding of consciousness is the contribution that Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has made

to bring fulfillment to the aspirations of twentieth-century psychology, as formally

structured in Maharishi Vedic Psychology

SM

.The contemporary view in neuroscience is that consciousness is produced by thefunctioning of the nervous system (e.g., Gazzaniga, 1997). In contrast, Maharishi Vedic

Psychology proposes that consciousness is a fundamental universal field that underlies

and gives rise to all individual nervous systems and psyches (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,

1963, p. 61–63). Maharishi Vedic Psychology gives complete knowledge and experienceof this transcendental field of consciousness, which it calls the cosmic psyche, at the basis

of individual thoughts and feelings. The cosmic psyche is identified as an unrestricted

field of intelligence and creativity at the basis of not only human nature but Nature’s

functioning as a whole.The full understanding of consciousness as inclusive of the cosmic psyche completely

transforms our understanding of (1) who the knower is; (2) what is the full range of processes through which we can know the self and the world; (3) how to develop ideal

behavior with others; and (4) how to create a peaceful and harmonious world. This paperexplores these four basic issues from the perspective of twentieth-century psychology and

then from the expanded perspective of Maharishi Vedic Psychology. The final section

provides an overview of research documenting the practical benefits of application of

Maharishi Vedic Psychology to the individual and to society.



Who Is the Knower?

The Existence of Pure Consciousness

In twentieth-century psychology, the concept of consciousness has been largely equated

with “reportable experiences,” or with what one is “conscious of.” What one is consciousof is held to be constructed by automatic, unconscious processing of sensory information

(Mandler, 1985). Marcel (1984) described this process:

Non-conscious perceptual processes automatically re-describe sensory data into every representational form

and to the highest level of description available to the organism . . . conscious perception requires a constructive

act whereby perceptual hypotheses are matched against information recovered from records, and serves to

structure and synthesize that information recovered from different domains. (p. 238)

Although equating consciousness with reportable contents of conscious experience maybe an accurate description of experiences in waking state, in which consciousness is

identified with the immediate processes and products of knowing, this is only part of the

picture. Maharishi Vedic Psychology explains that human awareness can include not onlythese restricted, more superficial aspects of thought and action, but also the vast range of

progressively subtler levels of mind, and ultimately an unbounded, unrestricted level of

pure transcendental consciousness, the cosmic psyche, at their source (Maharishi Mahesh

Yogi, 1969, p. 240). Maharishi further explains (1986a):

When consciousness is flowing out into the field of thoughts and activity it identifies itself with many things,

and this is how experience takes place. Consciousness coming back onto itself gains an integrated state. This is

pure consciousness, or transcendental consciousness. (p. 25–29)

Maharishi (1994) later elaborates on this point:When we say total reality of consciousness, we mean consciousness in its self-referral state, where

consciousness knows itself and nothing else. This state of consciousness is pure consciousness. Another state of

consciousness is when it knows other things, then it is known to be object-referral consciousness, because all

objects can only be perceived by virtue of the intelligence quality of consciousness. (p. 54)

Twentieth-century psychology has only studied that part of the individual psyche that

feels, thinks, perceives, and acts. Maharishi Vedic Psychology calls this the lower self.According to Maharishi (1969):

Self has two connotations: lower self and higher Self. The lower self is that aspect of the personality which

deals only with the relative aspect of existence. It comprises the mind that thinks, the intellect that decides, the

ego that experiences. This lower self functions only in the relative states of existence—waking, dreaming and

deep sleep. Remaining always within the field of relativity, it has no chance of experiencing the real freedom of

absolute Being. . . . The higher Self is that aspect of the personality which never changes, absolute Being,

which is the very basis of the entire field of relativity, including the lower self. (p. 249)

Twentieth-century psychology has lacked awareness of deeper levels of the mind, and

was completely unaware of the cosmic psyche, our higher Self. As a consequence, it has

not been able to accurately grasp the nature of consciousness.For example, the early experimental psychologists (e.g., Wundt, 1907) tried to identify

the elements that gave rise to conscious thoughts and experiences. They designed simple



tasks, and asked subjects to introspect about (report) their experiences, and to attempt to

identify the building blocks of their conscious thoughts and perceptions. However,introspection was unreliable and results could not be replicated even by the same trained

researcher performing the same task. Moreover, the ultimate source of these elements of

thoughts and experiences remained unexplored. Maharishi (1963, p. 103) has explained

that it is not possible to experience the silent source of thought while remaining in activethinking processes (such as introspection).

Maharishi emphasizes that only by completely transcending mental activity, can the

individual psyche experience the cosmic psyche at the source of all mental processes.

Maharishi Vedic Psychology includes a technology—the Transcendental Meditation®

technique—that effortlessly identifies the individual psyche with the cosmic psyche, the

field of pure consciousness at the source of thought. Maharishi (1976) describes the

Transcendental Meditation technique in this way:

The Transcendental Meditation technique is an effortless procedure for allowing the excitations of the mind to

gradually settle down until the least excited state of mind is reached. This is a state of inner wakefulness with

no object of thought or perception, just pure consciousness aware of its own unbounded nature. It is wholeness,

aware of itself, devoid of differences, beyond the division of subject and object‚ Transcendental Con-

sciousness. (p. 123)

The experience of the cosmic psyche in the most settled state of our own awareness

during practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique provides self validation of the

assertion that the cosmic psyche is the ultimate status of the knower. This concept is

explored next.

The Cosmic Psyche: The Knower of All We Experience

Twentieth-century psychology has not been able to answer the question: “Who is the

Knower?” In waking state the self, or knower, is experienced as localized in time and

space, and separated from the known by active processes of knowing—perceptions,thoughts, and feelings—which filter or qualify one’s experience of self and world. Afundamental limitation of the waking state is that the subject of experience is never able

to directly know itself; instead knowledge of the self, like knowledge of any other object,

is mediated by the active processes of knowing. All one actually knows are thoughts,

perceptions, and feelings about oneself as an object, but one lacks immediate, directexperience of one’s own inner Self. Although we may try to step back from this thinking

process, to discover who or what is doing the thinking, we end up thinking about our self

as an object of thought, but we never catch up with the Self that is doing the

thinking—the classic problem described in philosophy as an infinite regress (Gardner,1987).

Even the field of psychology that studies the self—personality psychology—hasfocused almost exclusively on understanding the self as an object to be known (the

“me”), as a “self-concept” or “self image.” This description has not focused on the self asthe subject (the “I”), who is the locus or source of human consciousness. The need to go

beyond this limited perspective is expressed in a literature review on the self by Marcus

and Wurf (1987, p. 328): “The work reviewed here has yet to confront the perennially

thorny issue of . . . who is this “I” that is asking what is the ‘me’?” The solution to thisproblem offered by Maharishi Vedic Psychology is to transcend the division between



subject and object, between knower and known, and experience an underlying unbroken

wholeness of awareness in which consciousness is fully awake to itself.In his commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita, which Maharishi holds to be the central text

of his Vedic Psychology, Maharishi (1969, p. 423) describes the cosmic psyche as the

fundamental, transcendental reality underlying the individual psyche, the knower or the

Self:In the process of transcending all experience, the mind retires from the experience of multiplicity and gains the

experience of Unity in its own individual nature. Then, transcending its individual status, its expands into

cosmic Being [cosmic psyche]. This state of Being, the state of Transcendental Consciousness, is referred to by

the words, ‘seeing the Self by the Self alone.’[see 6.20]

The word ‘alone’ is significant, for it emphasizes that the transcendental Self Itself forms the content of Its

Being.

This state of seeing the ‘Self by the Self alone’ is brought out in this experience duringpractice of the Transcendental Meditation technique (in Alexander et al., in preparation).

I was meditating one late afternoon when I began to settle down much more deeply than usual. As I became

more and more still, all thoughts and feelings settled and I was left in a deep quietness. All familiar boundaries

that defined where I was and what time it was, and even who I was, began to fade from awareness and dissolve

altogether. I was still awake and yet all that remained was my own wakefulness. The being of my wakefulnessand the wakefulness of my being was what filled my awareness. There was nothing else. No trace of thought or

memory entered into my awareness: even the sense of my body and its position in space had vanished. It’s not

that I missed these things. It simply did not enter my awareness to miss them or not to miss them.

This experience presents the cosmic psyche as the essential nature of the individualpsyche—“The being of my wakefulness and the wakefulness of my being.” It is the state

of wakefulness that underlies waking processes, but is usually hidden when the attention

is drawn to the changing contents in awareness.Maharishi (1963, p. 53–56) teaches that the cosmic psyche does not need to remain

hidden or overshadowed by mental processes. In higher states of consciousness, it can be

integrated along with the active mental processes of waking, the illusory activity of

dreaming, and the inertia of sleep.

Higher States of Consciousness: Integration of the Cosmic Psyche with Waking,

Dreaming, and Sleeping

Maharishi, in his Vedic Psychology, delineates a new highest state of development. The

conception of the highest state or endpoint of development is fundamental, for it guides

our understanding about the direction, dynamics, and limits of human growth (Alexanderet al.., 1990), as well as shapes the application of the knowledge to individual and

societal life (see papers in this volume on education and business). Moreover, all prior

stages of human development may be viewed as progressive approximations of this goal.

Modern psychology has been limited to the study of the three ordinary states of consciousness; the pervading viewpoint has been that fundamental intellectual

development stops at adolescence (e.g., Piaget, 1969).

Maharishi Vedic Psychology describes four higher states of consciousness beyond

waking, dreaming, and sleeping, based on experience of the cosmicpsyche—transcendental consciousness—produced during practice of the Transcendental

Meditation technique (Maharishi, 1972; cf. Alexander & Boyer, 1989). The experience

of transcendental consciousness is physiologically described as a state of restful



alertness, profound rest for the body and heightened alertness for the mind (Maharishi

Mahesh Yogi, 1963, p. 47; Travis and Wallace, 1997). The experience of restful alertnessis said to systematically remove stress from the nervous system (Maharishi Mahesh

Yogi, 1963, p. 118–119). When the nervous system is entirely stress-free then it naturally

maintains the silent settled state of transcendental consciousness. Stable identification of

individual awareness with the field of transcendental consciousness provides thefoundation for development of the first stable higher state of consciousness, which

Maharishi calls “cosmic consciousness” (Maharishi, 1986b). At this stage the knower

can finally know himself directly, rather than indirectly through thoughts and feelings

about himself. He becomes identified solely with pure consciousness, the essential natureof the Self, a self-referral field fully awake to itself. Being identified with complete

silence in cosmic consciousness, one appreciates all the changing bounded states of

waking, dreaming and sleeping as different from one’s own silent, non-changing status.

Maharishi (1969) describes life in cosmic consciousness in this way.

Ever established in the state of pure consciousness, or eternal Being, he is simply a silent and innocent witness

of what is happening through him; he is a means through which nature fulfills its purpose of evolution. His

actions are a response to the needs of the time. Quite naturally he performs actions which result in every kind of

good. (p. 291)

Maharishi Vedic Psychology refers to the next higher stage as refined cosmic

consciousness, or “God consciousness,” since it is said to involve further refinement of perception and feeling to the finest possible level, thereby permitting appreciation of the

finest values of the objective world. Maharishi (1972) describes the refinement of

perception that occurs from cosmic consciousness to God consciousness:

When only the surface value of perception is open to our awareness, then the boundaries of the object are rigid

and well-defined—the only qualities that are perceived are those which distinguish the object from the rest of

the environment. However, when the unbounded awareness becomes established on the level of the conscious

mind—then the perception naturally begins to appreciate deeper values of the object, until perception is so

refined that the finest relative is capable of being spontaneously perceived on the gross, surface level. (SCI

lesson 23, p. 6–7)

The highest state of development is described by Maharishi as unity consciousness, astate in which one experiences every object as an expression of the Self. The unified field

of consciousness, which was experienced only within oneself in cosmic conscious-ness,

comes to be experienced as underlying and permeating all of objective as well as

subjective existence. Maharishi (1972, SCI Lesson 23) describes this state in this way:

This seventh state of consciousness could very well be called the unified state of consciousness because in that

state, the ultimate value of the object, infinite and unmanifest, is made lively when the conscious mind, being

lively in the unbounded value of awareness, falls on the object. The object is cognized in terms of the pure

subjective value of unbounded, unmanifest awareness. . . . In this unified state of consciousness, the

experiencer and the object of experiences have both been brought to the same level of infinite value, and this

encompasses the entire phenomenon of perception and action as well. (p. 9)

These higher states of consciousness are not merely proposed philosophical constructs,but living experiences. Empirical research has delineated physiological correlates of

transcendental consciousness and of cosmic consciousness (Alexander et al., 1987;

Wallace, 1993). Farrow and Hebert (1982) first reported respiratory suspensions during

transcendental consciousness experiences in some of their subjects. Badawi, Wallace,Orme-Johnson, and Rouzere (1984) replicated the finding that respiratory suspensions are

a marker of transcendental consciousness, and in addition observed significant decreases



in EEG theta power, and increases in 0–50 Hz global coherence (all pairs measured),

during respiratory suspension periods. Travis and Wallace (1997) replicated these priorfindings, and in addition observed skin conductance responses and phasic heart rate

deceleration at the onset of either respiratory suspensions or abrupt 40% decreases in

breath volume in 16 subjects reporting transcendental consciousness experiences. These

autonomic changes at the onset of breath changes are similar to those seen duringorienting—attention switching to environmental stimuli that are novel (Sokolov, 1963) or

significant (Spinks, Blowers, & Shek, 1985), and could mark the transition of awareness

from active thinking processes to the mental quiescence of transcendental consciousness.

Physiological parameters of cosmic consciousness have also been researched. Thecritical test of cosmic consciousness is the maintenance of inner awareness even as the

body sleeps deeply, called “witnessing sleep” (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 1969, p.

342–343). Banquet and Sailhan (1974) recorded EEG during sleep in advanced TM ®

subjects, and reported that theta/alpha activity, seen during the TM practice, wassuperimposed over delta activity, seen during deep sleep. Mason et al. (1997) further

researched the physiological correlates of witnessing sleep in eleven TM practitioners,

nine TM practitioners not reporting this experience, and eleven non-meditating subjectsalso not reporting this experience. The witnessing group exhibited significantly greatertheta and alpha power during stages 3 and 4 sleep in their first three sleep cycles than the

other two groups. Compared to the two control groups, they also exhibited significantly

reduced muscle tone during deep sleep and increased eye movement density during

dreaming.Higher states of consciousness are not just interesting phenomenological experiences

but have very important implications for daily life. Over 500 studies report significant

improvements in daily life with growth of higher states of consciousness through practiceof the Transcendental Meditation technique. The final section in this article summarizes a

broad range of empirical findings that demonstrate the practical significance of

developing higher states of consciousness.

What is the Full Range of Processes through which We Can Know the World?

Maharishi Vedic Psychology unifies the fragmented domains of investigation of twentieth-century psychology by delineating a hierarchy of levels of subjectivity which

underlies and integrates all of these areas. This hierarchy, which Maharishi refers to as

the “levels of mind,” begins with the most fundamental self-referral level of the cosmic

psyche and extends to expressed levels of thought, physiological functioning, andbehavior. This model of mind and body will be explored next.

Model of the Architecture of the Mind: Use of One’s Full Potential

Twentieth-century psychology used the “computer-as-mind” metaphor to model

conscious functioning. Neisser (1976) described this metaphor as:the activities of the computer itself seemed in some ways akin to cognitive processes. Computers accept

information, manipulate symbols, store items in ‘memory’ and retrieve them again, classify inputs, recognize

patterns and so on. (p. 5)



However, experimental results from this approach have not been robust—a small

change in stimulus type would yield significantly different outcomes (Gardner, 1987).Questions arose about the generalizability of performance in a lab on computer gen-

erated tasks to real life situations. Predictive power of information processing models was

low. Also, cognitive psychology was not able to identify the “attention director” or

knower, who directs the flow of information and synthesizes conscious experience. Anyattempts to put the knower into a box in the flow of information just begged the

question—where is the knower within that box—leading to an infinite regress, as

discussed earlier. Glass, Holyoak, and Santa (1979, p. ix; also see Posner & Raichle,

1994) in a review of cognitive psychology concluded, “Cognitive psychology is notgetting anywhere. In spite of our sophisticated methodology, we have not succeeded in

making a substantial contribution toward the understanding of the human mind.”

Maharishi Vedic Psychology explains that the different areas of mental functioning

investigated by twentieth-century psychology are not separate and isolated, but arespecific values of the cosmic psyche expressed through specific patterns of functioning of

the human nervous system (Maharishi, 1972). According to Maharishi Vedic Psychology,

the variety of mental functioning comprises layers from gross to subtle, from dynamicexpressed activity to complete inner silence, from concrete to abstract, and fromdiversified to unified (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 1969, p. 151). This hierarchical sequence

of subtler aspects of subjectivity is described in the Bhagavad-Gita (3.42):

îiN{y;i, pr;,y)huir iN{ye>y" pr' mn" )mnsStu pr; buiıyo≥ buıe" prtStu s" –42–

The senses, they say, are subtle;

more subtle than the senses is mind;yet finer than mind is intellect;

that which is beyond even the intellect is he [the Self].

The levels of mind function in parallel as well as hierarchically, with more expressedlevels being contained and guided by more fundamental levels. According to Maharishi

(1969, p. 236), “Experience results when the senses come into contact with their objects.”

Desire, the next level, motivates the flow of attention and connects the mind through the

senses with the environment (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 1969, p. 11). The next subtlerlevel, the mind, is like an “open camera” that accepts all sensory impressions, considers

possibilities and relations among them, and engages in thinking (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,

1972, SCI lesson 19, p. 10). The intellect, the next subtler level, discriminates and

decides; it “filters the information which comes to it through the mind. Useful things are

accepted, useless things are rejected.” (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 1972, SCI lesson 19, p.10) The intellect guides the mind and directs the senses to those aspects of life that are

most useful and enjoyable. The final level is the ego, the active experiencer in individuallife that synthesizes information gained through the other levels of mind.

According to Maharishi, direct experience of the cosmic psyche—the most fundamental

level of life—nourishes simultaneously all of the more expressed levels of the mind

constituting the individual psyche. Maharishi explains (1972):



When that universal value of life which we experience at the source of thought during meditation is appreciated

on the basis of one’s own personal experience, we find that the ego, the emotions, the intellect, the mind, the

senses, all begin to breathe a richer life. (19:4–5)

Maharishi (1994) further elaborates this principle :

If the individual intellect is not lively on this transcendental level of Nature’s Intelligence, which is the one

ultimate, unifying, evolutionary power upholding all activity in Nature, the individual existence and

performance remains intellectually, emotionally, and practically segregated from its own holistic basis.

This segregation of the individual from the cosmos is very unnatural, and anything that is unnatural is non-

evolutionary, non-progressive, and damaging to life, because the very nature of life is to evolve. (p. 200)

Empirical research supports the prediction that contact with the cosmic psyche throughpractice of the Transcendental Meditation technique enhances all levels of the mind. For

example, on the sensory level, perceptual ability and field independence increase

(Dillbeck, 1982; Pelletier, 1974); on the level of the mind, academic performance

(Nidich, Nidich, & Rainforth, 1986; Nidich & Nidich, 1989) and college grades (Kember,1985) improve; on the level of the intellect and feeling, fluid intelligence (Cranson et al.,

1991; Dillbeck, Assimakis, Raimondi, Orme-Johnson, & Rowe, 1986), moral reasoning

(Nidich & Orme-Johnson, 1982; Nidich, Ryncarz, Abrams, Orme-Johnson, & Wallace,

1983), creativity (Travis, 1979) and well-being (Gelderloos, Hermans, Ahlström, &Jacoby 1990) develop; and on the level of the ego, self-esteem, self-actualization, ego

strength and ego development grow with practice of the Transcendental Meditation

technique (Alexander, Rainforth, & Gelderloos, 1991; Alexander et al., 1990; Chandler,

1991; Turnbull & Norris, 1982; van den Berg & Mulder, 1976).Maharishi Vedic Psychology explains that the same levels of subjectivity found

functioning in the individual psyche find their most universal expression at the level of

the cosmic psyche (see Dillbeck, 1988, p. 261). These universal levels may be understood

as broad principles functioning throughout Nature as a whole, and not restricted toindividual experience. The cosmic psyche may be understood as the universal ego awake

to its own nature; it is wide awake pure consciousness, called in Sanskrit, Saµhitå

(Maharishi, 1994). Its first expression is the universal principle of discrimination, or theintellect, which discriminates three concepts within the wholeness of the cosmic psyche.

Maharishi (1994) explains:

The intelligence quality of self-referral consciousness conceptually creates the sequential emergence of three

qualities—Âishi, Devatå, and Chhandas. By virtue of Âishi, quality [knower] within its nature, Saµhitå

cognizes itself. The dynamism inherent in the process of cognition is known as Devatå [process]. Chhandas

[known] is a quality that hides, and this quality is clearly apparent in that the nature of Saµhitå gets hidden

with the blossoming of Âishi,, and the silent quality of Âishi, gets hidden with the appearance of Devata. (p.

308)

The next expressed level within the wholeness of wide-awake pure consciousness is

the infinitely dynamic interplay between three—Âishi, Devatå, and Chhandas—and

Saµhitå. Maharishi explains (1994, p. 311–312):Âishi, Devatå, and Chhandas promote the mechanics of transformation that produce whirlpools in the one

unbounded ocean of consciousness; and eternally continuing, these mechanics of creation structure different

frequencies, which spontaneously promote the basic momentum of the mechanics of creation.

At this universal level of mind, there is still nothing material. These “different

frequencies” are the mechanics of transformation within wholeness, like the dynamic

currents within water before it boils. Maharishi (1994, p. 117) explains that these

different frequencies can be heard and, because sound has form, can be seen within self-



referral consciousness. The recording of what was seen and heard in self-referral

consciousness comprises the Veda and the Vedic Literature (Maharishi, in Nader, 1994)(see William F. Sand’s article in this volume).

The next expressed level within wide-awake cosmic psyche is the universal principle of

desire, which is responsible for the dynamism of the cosmic psyche—its innate desire to

know itself, propelling the sequential elaboration of one into three, and then into thediverse combinations of one and three. This dynamic process gives rise to next level, the

senses which are the intermediary between the mind and manifest existence. Maharishi

(1994) describes the emergence of creation through these universal unmanifest levels of

the cosmic psyche:

Consciousness continues to generate qualities one after the other. Saµhitå generates Âishi, Devatå, Chhandas,

and all the permutations and combinations of the three in sequential progression of the process of evolution of

pure intelligence giving rise to the five senses of perception, the five elements, and from these the whole

manifest creation within the nature of self-referral consciousness, promoted and sustained by the self-referral

dynamism of consciousness. (p. 318)

This model presents an entirely new understanding of the relationship between mind

and body.

Veda in Human Physiology: The Solution to the Mind-Body Problem

While science understands the generation of the smallest sub-atomic particles and

records the movement of distant galaxies, the relation of the mind to the body remains anunsolved mystery—called the mind-body problem (Nagel, 1993). The overriding view

held by most scientists, called the materialistic view, is that mental processes are brain

processes, and therefore the central question in consciousness research is, “How dophysical processes in the brain give rise to conscious experience?” (Chalmers, 1995).

From this materialistic perspective, little is really known about the relationship between

the mind and brain. Williams (in Searle, 1993), at a symposium on the theoretical andempirical basis of consciousness, admitted:

[the] claim that the states of the brain cause personal experience, that there is a necessary connection between

them is just bluff. We have no insight into what such a causal connection could be, at the level at which we

actually understand this piece of nature. When people talk about the mind-body problem, they mean the

difficulty of what it means to say that brain processes cause conscious states. (p. 76)

In addition, this materialistic view has no explanation for the simple experience that

mental processes in turn affect brain processes. For instance, remembering an event, amental process, can elicit a cascade of physiological events—one pattern if the event is

happy, another if it is threatening. There are many other research examples of

consciousness affecting brain functioning. For instance, the brain’s response to stimuli is

enhanced when the stimulus is rare or significant (Johnson, 1986), or the individual isattending to one ear or the other (Hilyard, 1972).

As we have discussed in earlier sections, Maharishi Vedic Psychology explains that the

self-referral functioning of the cosmic psyche gives rise to the active mental processes

investigated by twentieth-century psychology as well as the objective universe as awhole. This model asserts a very new answer for the mind-body problem, that a field of

pure consciousness is the basis and essential nature of the body as well as the mind.

Maharishi explains (in Nader, 1994):



Therefore, the most fundamental aspect of the human physiology resides in the self-referral dynamics of

consciousness knowing itself. That pure level of consciousness is the source of pure knowledge, which

structures all thought and action. It is the source of the infinite organizing power of all physiological processes,

anatomical structures, and all human behavior at the individual and social levels. (p. 13)

This model suggests that mind and body both emerge from the self-interacting

dynamics of the cosmic psyche. The fundamental answer to the mind-body problem is

that both mental processes and brain processes are expressions of the self-referralfunctioning of the cosmic psyche.

Nader (1994), working with Maharishi, has added a rich level of detail to this

understanding. Earlier we reviewed Maharishi’s explanation of how the sequential

unfoldment of the self-referral functioning of the cosmic psyche is elaborated in the Veda

and the Vedic Literature. Nader has discovered that the descriptions of the structures andfunctions of the various aspects of the human physiology correspond precisely to the

structures and functions of the 40 aspects of Veda and the Vedic Literature described by

Maharishi Vedic Science. This discovery opens up an entirely new vista for medicine,

called the Maharishi Vedic Approach to HealthSM program (see Schneider and colleagues’article in this volume). By enlivening the appropriate aspects of Veda and Vedic

Literature in human awareness, the corresponding aspects of the physiology can bebrought into full attunement with the inner intelligence of the body, thereby creatingperfect balance and health (Nader, 1994).

The Fulfillment of Applied Psychology through the Knowledge and

Experience of the Cosmic Psyche

As described earlier, psychology has examined the numerous parts of the mind without

investigating the underlying wholeness of consciousness. Consequently, there is noconsensus within the field about the nature of the mind, and how it can be developed.

Thus it is not surprising that the applied aspect of psychology—psychotherapy orcounseling—is also diverse and divided and has been described as “a bewildering world”

(Frank, 1982) or a “therapeutic jungle place” (Parloff, 1970).Over 500 psychotherapies have proliferated to treat acute and chronic mental health

problems (Corsini & Wedding, 1995). Presumably, they continue to proliferate, in part,

because none thus far has proven differentially effective. Despite the dramatic differences

in the theories and applied approaches of these therapies, comparative studies haveshown that they generally produce results similar in magnitude and kind (Bergin &

Lambert, 1978) (except in the treatment of very specific behavioral symptoms such as

phobias, see Duncan & Moynihan, 1994). Also, when psychotherapy methods are

compared to placebo treatments which control for time, attention, and expectancy of

positive outcomes, generally no significant differences are found between groups (Elkinet al., 1989). Moreover, a person may be as likely to be helped psychologically by an

empathetic friend or caring paraprofessional as by an academically qualified professional(Arkowitz, 1989).

On the basis of extensive data, Lambert (1992) estimates that improvement in

psychotherapy patients is due mostly to “extra therapeutic” change, including

homeostatic mechanisms in the client and experiences arising from the environment suchas fortuitous events and social support. He and others (especially Frank, 1982) have also



suggested that “common factors” operating across approaches (rather than treatment-

specific factors) make a substantial contribution to any observed therapeutic effects. Thethree most widely cited classes of common factors are beneficial therapist factors, client

factors, and factors associated with their positive interaction (Grencavage & Norcross,

1990; Weinberger, 1994). Regardless of therapeutic approach, the degree of personality

development of the therapist appears to be predictive of therapeutic success (Frank,1994). Unfortunately, only a very small proportion of the society sufficiently develops

the self-actualizing characteristics (such as genuineness, warmth, and empathy) requisite

for being a successful therapist (Cook-Greuter, 1994). Also, it has been shown that clients

who are more receptive, higher in ego strength, etc. benefit more from counseling(Lampert, 1992). Again, these qualities are relatively rare, and shown least by the clients

most in need of therapy. Of course, if therapists and clients remain undeveloped, then

factors associated with their positive interaction will also be lacking.

From the perspective of Maharishi Vedic Psychology, the fundamental explanation forthe limitations of 20th-century psychotherapies is that they were designed by and for

people in waking consciousness—the level of consciousness in which only a small

proportion of the human mind can be utilized (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 1963, p. 80). Inwaking state, the three fundamental aspects of therapy—the therapist, patient, and theirinteraction—are as if cut-off from their foundation in the fully unified, all-nourishing

value of transcendental consciousness (the cosmic psyche), and thus healing tends to be

relatively weak and ineffectual. Maharishi (1969, p. 126–127) explains that taking

awareness from the level of individual problems to the level of the cosmic psyche is likeremoving darkness by bringing in the light. Trying to consciously alter feelings, thought,

and behavior on the surface of life is treating symptoms rather than their underlying

cause. Maharishi (1969, p. 78–79) likens this to watering the withered leaves of a plantrather than watering its root. This approach is superficial and piecemeal. Only the

expressed level of different problems is being treated rather than their common

underlying cause: Weakness of mind and body due to lack of connection with the higherSelf. For positive change in thought and behavior to be profound, lasting, andcomprehensive, it should occur naturally as a byproduct of growth of consciousness, of

greater integration of the Self with mind and body.

Interestingly, while there are hundreds of psychotherapies, they cluster into only a few

basic approaches. Each basic approach tends to correspond to one or two of the levels of mind identified by Maharishi Vedic Psychology (see the prior section model of the

architecture of the mind). However, no approaches correspond to the cosmic psyche level

at the origin of all the other manifest levels of the mind, nor do any approaches

correspond to the most all-encompassing levels of the social environment—i.e., the city,state, national, or world levels. Due to the psychological theorists’ own level of

consciousness or past professional and intellectual experiences, they tend to focus on thedimensions of psychological life most meaningful or important to them: e.g., behavioral

therapists deal primarily with the behavioral level; cognitive therapists deal primarilywith the thinking and discriminating levels; and humanistic therapists deal primarily with

the feeling and ego levels. Because each level of mind is part of an interacting whole, in

order to produce a profound effect even at any one level, all other levels must also be

attended to (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 1963, p. 101).



Only the applied aspect of Maharishi Vedic Psychology enlivens the cosmic psyche,

which produces a profoundly nourishing and integrating effect across all the moremanifest levels of individual and collective life. As Maharishi explains (1986):

The Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program trains human brain physiology and human awareness to

function in accord with the total potential of natural law and spontaneously exhibit natural law in daily life.

Thereby all aspects of life come to be always in the direction of evolution. (p. 32)

Research supports this conclusion. For example, a statistical meta-analysis of all

available studies has shown that the Transcendental Meditation® technique, in

comparison with clinical relaxation techniques and placebos, was significantly more

effective in promoting positive mental health and improved relationships with others asoperationalized by measures of self-actualization (Alexander, Rainforth, & Gelderloos,

1991). Clinical populations have also been shown to benefit from TM® practice. A

randomized study of Vietnam veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder

showed that practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique reduced multipleindicators of psychopathology significantly more than weekly psychotherapy over a 3-

month period (Brooks & Scarano, 1985). As will be seen, group practice of the

Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi®

programs has also been shown to reducenegative trends in society as a whole.

The “case studies” of ordinary approaches to psychotherapy typically focus on

providing examples of a wide range of psychopathologies. In contrast, Maharishi

describes the Bhagavad-Gita—which contains the essence of all the branches of the Veda

and Vedic Literature—as a positive case study in his Vedic Psychology (Dillbeck 1991).The Bhagavad-Gita provides an example of how a highly developed indiv-idual—beset

with a seemingly unsolvable moral dilemma—rises to enlightenment after only a two-

hour “counseling session” in the principles and practices of Vedic Psychology (Dillbeck,

1991).Whereas all other aspects of psychology study the outer manifestations of consciousness, the Bhagavad-Gita studies the development of consciousness, the cosmic

psyche, itself. It serves as a basis for creating ideal behavior and resolving any problemfacing the individual and society. As Maharishi (1969, p. 13) explains in the introductionto his translation and commentary to the Bhagavad-Gita:

The Bhagavad-Gita presents the science of life and the art of living. It teaches how to be, how to think and how

to do. Its technique of glorifying every aspect of life through contact with inner Being is like watering the root

and making the whole tree green. It surpasses any practical wisdom of life ever cherished by human society.

Maharishi has indicated that by studying the Bhagavad-Gita , students of Vedic

Psychology gain a profound understanding of the mechanics of creation and of their own

lives (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 1969, p. 9–17). By applying the principles in the

Bhagavad-Gita, which bring about the coordination of the individual mind and theunbounded strength of cosmic intelligence, the problems of life can be effortlessly

solved. Careful attention to two key verses in the Bhagavad-Gita provides the basis forproblem-free life.

Maharishi has highlighted Chapter 2 verse 45 as presenting the technique fortranscending. A practical way is presented for bringing the mind from the ever-changing

aspects of life (referred to as the three gunas) to the state where all differences dissolve

and the individual is left in a state of inner fulfillment, or Being.

] w gu <y…vWy; ve d; inS] w gu <yo .v;jR un )



inR√N√o inTysÊvSqo inyoR g=em a;Tmv;n( ))

The Vedas’ concern is with the threegunas. Be without the three gunas,

O Arjuna, freed from duality, ever

firm in purity, independent of possessions,possessed of the Self.

The Transcendental Meditation technique, as developed by Maharishi, is the step-by-

step fulfillment of this verse. It provides a natural process of experiencing finer states of thought, until transcending the finest value of thought, one experiences transcendental

consciousness.

Commenting on Chapter 2 verse 48, Maharishi explains that when awareness is

established in Being, a completely unified and balanced state of awareness is attained(Yoga), which provides the basis for spontaneously performing right action.

yogSq" k⁄® km;R…, s©' TyKTv; /nÔy )isı‰isı‰o" smo .U Tv; smTv' yog ̈Cyte ))

Established in Yoga, O winner of

wealth, perform actions having

abandoned attachment and having

become balanced in success andfailure, for balance of mind is

called Yoga.

Throughout the Bhagavad-Gita the advice is given to experience Being, the cosmic

psyche, and thereby become balanced and successful in all situations. Maharishiemphasizes that this is the basis of his Vedic Psychology, the basis for resolving all

problems in life, and the basis for right action.

Right Action: The Fruit of Connecting the Individual Psyche with the Cosmic

Psyche

A deeper issue that modern psychotherapy cannot address is how to determine correct

behavior, when it is based on a limited range of experience that has been filtered and

distorted by underdeveloped processes of knowing and hampered by the build up of

stress. Some theorists even argue that “right action” does not exist; they argue that allaction is relative to the (immediate) time and place (Gilligan, 1992).

Maharishi Vedic Psychology agrees that the world is too complex, extended, and

changeable to determine right action based on moral codes intellectually conceived andimplemented from the highly restricted perspective of waking consciousness (Maharishi

Mahesh Yogi, 1963, p. 222). It does, however, offer a new answer to this intractable

problem: connect the individual psyche with the cosmic psyche and thereby act



increasingly in accord with the evolutionary value of Natural Law. This can be the only

firm foundation for right action. Maharishi (1963) explains this principle:

The question of right and wrong in the relative field of life is very complex. We have seen that right action can

be determined only on the level of the laws of nature, and that a man established in the state of Being naturally

moves in accordance with the laws of nature. Only on that level of heightened pure consciousness is it possible

for the mind to be righteous. (p. 172)

In Maharishi Vedic Psychology, Natural Laws are the organizing principles that

underlie and orchestrate orderly growth throughout the infinite diversity of the universe.

They are the laws that govern not only physics and biology, but also the functioning of the individual and society as a whole. Modern science attempts to observe and describe

the functioning of Natural Law; Maharishi Vedic Psychology gives direct experience of

the integrated state of all the Laws of Nature within the simplest form of one’s awareness,transcendental consciousness, the cosmic psyche. It therefore becomes possible for the

individual to act spontaneously in accord with Natural Law, and thereby, spontaneously

perform action which nourishes everything in creation.

This connection of the individual psyche with the cosmic psyche is the only basis for

right action in every situation. Maharishi (1963) elaborates on this concept:It does not seem possible to entertain thoughts which are always right by trying to think rightly. Any conscious

attempt on the part of the mind to entertain only right thoughts will only mean straining the mind on a plane

over which there can be no control. In order that the mind succeed in entertaining only right thoughts, it should

be cultured so that by nature it picks up only a right thought. If the mind is not established on the plane of

cosmic law, then the discontented mind, hindered by shortsightedness, will not succeed in having only right

thoughts. (p. 140)

The reality of simple right action is reflected in this experience from a teacher of the

Transcendental Meditation program who reported this experience during an extended

course:

I seem to say and do the right thing at the right time. The intellect does not seem to be relied upon as much, just

the intuitive feelings. I am just doing right action spontane-ously, without even thinking of what is right or

wrong. This, I think, may be the most refined level of intuition. (in Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 1977, p. 83)

Maharishi (1969, p. 221) defines right action as “that which produces good influence

everywhere.” Therefore the consideration of right and wrong should also take intoaccount our influence on the society as a whole.

How to Create a Peaceful and Harmonious World

Although psychotherapy recognizes the influence of the environment on individual

welfare, no psychotherapeutic approach has conceived of how to influence society as awhole. As we will see in this section, enlivenment of the cosmic psyche also produces a

profound effect on the larger social environment, which can reflect beneficially back to

the individual.

The United Nations charter states that wars begin in the minds of men. This places theresponsibility for world peace with psychology. Only when individuals achieve a state of

peace, can societies be at peace.

Maharishi Vedic Psychology recommends that to improve the quality of human life in

society, we must begin with consciousness. On the individual level, the quality of



consciousness is the primary determinant of the degree to which individual thought,

speech, and behavior contribute to the good of others (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 1963, p.102–137). On the level of society, the quality of collective consciousness, determines the

degree to which harmony predominates in the entire social system (Maharishi, 1978).

Maharishi describes each level of society as having its own characteristic collective

consciousness, such as family consciousness, community consciousness, or cityconsciousness (Maharishi, 1977). The collective consciousness is the wholeness of

consciousness of the entire group.

Each level of collective consciousness may be thought of as a field that permeates the

entire society. At the basis of all levels of collective consciousness is the field of pureconsciousness, the cosmic psyche (Maharishi, 1986a). Because pure consciousness is the

source of creation, when individuals contact and thereby enliven the cosmic psyche, a

life-supporting influence is generated in the field of collective consciousness. The

Transcendental Meditation technique allows the individual mind to contact the cosmicpsyche. The TM-Sidhi program, an advanced practice, develops the ability to think and

act from the level of transcendental consciousness, thereby creating greater enlivenment

of the cosmic psyche underlying all aspects of individual and collective behavior(Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 1986, p. 96). Thus, through practice of the TranscendentalMeditation and TM-Sidhi programs, individuals can generate an effect from the deepest

level of their own consciousness, the cosmic psyche, to nourish the whole environment.

This is called the Maharishi Effect, after Maharishi, who predicted its measurable

effects on society as early as 1960. This influence was also described in an ancient Vedictext, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras: “In the vicinity of yogic influence (coherence and union)

hostile tendencies do not arise” (Maharishi, 1996). This “yogic influence” of coherence is

reflected in heightened EEG (brain-wave) coherence the moment before the body lifts off the ground in Yogic Flying—a key aspect of Maharishi’s TM-Sidhi program (Travis &

Orme-Johnson, 1990). Heightened EEG coherence has been shown in other studies to

correlate with enhanced neurophysiological functioning (Wallace et al., 1983) andimprovements in fluid intelligence, concept learning, and creativity (Dillbeck, Orme-Johnson, & Wallace, 1991; Orme-Johnson & Haynes, 1981).

Furthermore, over 40 studies have reported positive changes in the social coherence or

integrated functioning of society as a whole through the Maharishi Effect. When as few

as one percent of a population practices the Transcendental Meditation program, or wheneven a smaller number, on the order of the square root of one percent of a population,

collectively practices the TM-Sidhi program, a measurable and holistic influence of

harmony in the entire population is created, as measured by decreased crime rates,

accident rates, and improved quality of life (e.g., Dillbeck, 1990; Orme-Johnson,Alexander, Davies, Chandler, & Larimore, 1988).

The ability of a small number of people to affect the larger society can be understood interms of an analogous phenomena in physical systems called “superradiance.” While the

power emitted from a system is the sum of the contributions from each individualelement, when the elements are emitting coherent waves, the effect is the square of the

number of elements. Maharishi (1986a) describes the process of Super Radiance during

the TM-Sidhi practice:

This transcendental level of nature’s functioning is the level of infinite correlation. When the group awareness

is brought in attunement with that level, then a very intensified influence of coherence radiates and a great



richness is created. Infinite correlation is a quality of the transcendental level of nature’s functioning from

where orderliness governs the universe. (p. 75)

We have seen that Maharishi Vedic Psychology gives profound knowledge to enrich

individual and societal life. The practical application of this knowledge is reviewed in thelast section.

Practical Outcomes of the Application of Maharishi Vedic Psychology to Daily Life

By providing complete knowledge and direct experience of the full range of human

consciousness, Maharishi Vedic Psychology has brought fulfillment to not only the

theoretical but also the practical aspirations of twentieth-century psychology. Thepractical application of Maharishi Vedic Psychology has been shown to dramatically

enhance all aspects of life. These benefits have been investigated by over 500 scientific

studies conducted in over 200 universities and research institutes worldwide (see

Scientific Research on Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Program:

Collected Papers, Volumes 1–6; Alexander, 1994; Wallace, 1993). This body of research

will be briefly reviewed in five different areas.

Physical and mental health

A five-year field study of health insurance statistics on over 2,000 Transcendental

Meditation participants showed a 50% reduction in both inpatient and outpatient medicaluse, and lower sickness rates in 17 disease categories, including 87% less hospitalizations

for heart disease, compared to matched controls (Orme-Johnson, 1987). In a more recent

observational study, conducted over an 11-year period, 693 individuals practicing the

Transcendental Meditation technique in combination with other aspects of the MaharishiVedic Approach to Health program reduced medical usage by an even larger amount and

showed a 63% reduction in medical costs compared to norms (Orme-Johnson andHerron, 1997). Also, a longitudinal study in Quebec, Canada, showed comparable

reductions in medical costs in Transcendental Meditation program subjects over the longterm (Herron et al., 1996). Even over just a 3-month period, a randomized clinical trial on

hypertension in 127 elderly African-Americans found that practice of the Transcendental

Meditation technique reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure from a hypertensive to

a normal level (Alexander et al., 1996; Schneider et al., 1995). This change wassignificantly more than that produced by the most widely used physical relaxation

technique or a health education control group. Compliance with the Transcendental

Meditation technique was very high (greater than 90%), and the technique produced side-benefits in quality of life rather than the negative side effects of anti-hypertensive

medication. A five-year follow up of this study showed significantly lower cardiovascularand all-cause mortality in the TM program group compared to the other conditions. Also,

a randomized study with 73 institutionalized Caucasian elderly (81 years of age)indicated that practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique reduced blood

pressure and cognitive decline (over 3 months) and mortality rate (over 3 years)

compared to mental relaxation, mindfulness training, or no-treatment (Alexander, Langer,

Newman, Chandler, & Davies, 1989; Alexander et al., 1996). A follow-up to this studyalso showed significantly reduced cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in the TM



program subjects compared to the other groups over a 15-year period (Alexander et al.,

1996). These outcomes are consistent with physiological indicators of reversal of aging inlong-term practitioners of the Transcendental Meditation technique (Wallace et al.,

1982).

In terms of mental health, an epidemiological study by the Swedish National Health

Board found that psychiatric hospital admissions for the 35,000 TM participants inSweden was 150–200 times lower than for national norms (Ottoson, 1977). Also, a

comprehensive meta-analysis (of 143 independent outcomes) that compared the

Transcendental Meditation technique with various forms of concentration and

contemplation, and clinically devised relaxation techniques, showed that the Transcen-dental Meditation technique was markedly more effective in reducing chronic anxiety

than these other approaches (Eppley et al., 1989). This is clinically important because

anxiety is implicated in many major mental and physical health problems.

Criminal and drug rehabilitation

A controlled field study showed that 259 inmates from California state prisons wholearned the Transcendental Meditation technique showed significantly better parole

outcomes for five years after release compared to controls closely matched on multiple

social history factors or compared to other standard treatments such as psychotherapy,

education, and vocational training (Bleick & Abrams, 1987; Dillbeck & Abrams, 1987).A follow-up study showed that the parolees practicing the TM technique maintained a

significantly lower reconviction rate over a 15-year period (Alexander, Rainforth, &

Bleick, in press). Moreover, in a nationwide experiment in the country of Senegal in East

Africa, almost the entire criminal prison system—over 11,000 inmates and 900staff—learned the Transcendental Meditation technique. As a result of this large scale

implementation, the national recidivism rate was reduced by more than 90% (Anklesaria,

Diop, & King, in press).A longitudinal study of 133 maximum security inmates in Massachusetts showed a

significant reduction in aggression, anxiety, and psychotic symptoms, and a significant

increase in self-development and experiences of higher states of consciousness (and

ultimately reduced recidivism) through the TM technique compared to other rehabil-itation programs. These changes along with reduction in neuroendocrine imbalances

associated with violence (Walton & Levitsky, 1994) through practice of the Transcen-

dental Meditation technique may contribute to the decrease in return rate to prisons

described above.Moreover, there is a well-established direct relationship between crime and substance

abuse, with more than half of the violent crimes in America being produced by

individuals under the influence of drugs or alcohol. A recent meta-analysis of 198 studiesshowed significantly greater reductions in illegal drugs, alcohol use, and cigarettes forsubjects practicing the TM technique compared to standard treatment and prevention

programs—with abstinence rates ranging from 51–87% up to two years after learning the

technique (Alexander, Robinson, & Rainforth, 1994; Gelderloos, Walton, Orme-Johnson,

& Alexander, 1991).

Business



A five-month longitudinal study of almost 800 workers conducted by the JapaneseNational Institute of Health found that employees practicing the TM technique in one of

Japan’s largest companies showed significant decreases in physical health complaints,

anxiety, insomnia, and smoking compared to controls from the same industrial site

(Haratani & Henmi, 1990 a,b) Similar results were found in a Fortune 100 company inthe U.S., along with enhanced job satisfaction, self-reported productivity, and improved

relationships at work and at home (Alexander et al., 1993; Schmidt-Wilk, Alexander, &

Swanson 1996).

Education

A 10-year longitudinal study indicated that alumni from Maharishi International

University (now Maharishi University of Management) practicing the TM techniquemarkedly improved on principled moral reasoning, capacity for warm relationships, and

on Loevinger’s self-development scale (a holistic measure of cognitive, affective, and

moral development) compared to no change in self-development for alumni (matched onage and gender) from three other universities over the same period (Chandler, 1991;Alexander, Heaton, & Chandler, 1994). Also, MIU students practicing the TM tech-nique

improved significantly more on Cattell’s Culture Fair Intelligence Test and on an IQ-

related measure of choice reaction time than other college students over a two-year

period statistically controlling for relevant demographics (Cranson et al., 1991). More-over, differential improvement on Iowa Tests of Basic Skills have been shown for

students practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique from grades 1–12 (Nidich,

Nidich, & Rainforth, 1986).

Quality of life in society

As explained above, when 1% of a population practices the TM technique—or wheneven the square root of that number practices the advanced TM-Sidhi program in a single

group—significant reductions in crime, auto accidents, suicide, political violence, and

improvements in the economy, political cooperation, and quality of life are seen in thewhole society—at the city, state, national, and even international level (Cavanaugh, 1987;

Cavanaugh & King, 1988; Cavanaugh, King, & Ertuna, 1989; Dillbeck et al., 1981, 1987,

1988, Dillbeck, 1990; Dillbeck & Rainforth, 1996; Dillbeck & Orme-Johnson, 1993). For

example, in a planned sociological experiment conducted in Washington, D.C., weeklytime series analysis showed a highly statistically significant reduction in violent crimes in

D.C. over a two-month period corresponding to a graduated increase in the size of the

group (from 1000 to 3,800) practicing the TM-Sidhi program (Hagelin et al., in press).With respect to political violence, during a two-month prospective study in Jerusalem,

daily time series analysis found that whenever the TM and TM-Sidhi group size

approximated the square root of 1% of Israel’s population, fatalities in Lebanon were

reduced by over 70% and significant improvements occurred on multiple social

indicators in Israel (Orme-Johnson et al., 1988). This finding of a 70% reduction infatalities in the Lebanon war corresponding to sufficiently large groups practicing the



TM-Sidhi program was then repeated seven times over a 2 1/4-year period, from even

thousands of miles away (Davies, 1990; Davies & Alexander, 1990).Similar striking findings were found on a global level during three major assemblies

attended by approximately 7,000 practitioners of the TM-Sidhi program, the square root

of 1% of the whole world’s population. During these assemblies, international conflicts

decreased throughout the whole world by more than 30%, and international terroristevents (according to a Rand Corporation data base) decreased by 72% compared to

control periods before and after the assemblies (Orme-Johnson, Dillbeck, Alexander,

Chandler, & Cranson, 1989).

Conclusion

In bringing to light complete knowledge and experience of the cosmic psyche,

Maharishi Vedic Psychology provides the missing basis for twentieth-century

psychology. It reconnects the mental processes of the individual psyche with theunrestricted field of intelligence and creativity at the basis of human nature and Nature’s

functioning as a whole. We have seen that this reconnection in principle and practice

enriches the knower (the Self), the processes of gaining knowledge (levels of mind andbody), and the known (our behavior and the environment). Ideal individual and social lifeis the practical gift of Maharishi Vedic Psychology to the world. More than 30 years ago,

Maharishi foresaw the limitations inherent in twentieth-century psychology. He stated

(1995) “what is the use of the study of mind which fails either to unfold the latent mental

faculties or to quench the thirst for happiness?” Describing a component of his appliedVedic Psychology, he added:

The system of Transcendental Meditation is a method of sharpening the mind to its ultimate point of

refinement. This is a process which positively makes active the latent levels of the subconscious mind,

develops latent faculties, and brings out in life the inner happiness of the soul, thereby improving the man in

aspects of thought, speech, and action, and for all good in life—both individual and social. (p. 217)

This is the vision of possibilities that Maharishi Vedic Psychology extends to this andall future generations.

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