Consciousness-Based Education - Maharishi University of ...

consciousness-based education and governmentDuration of TrendResults of the analysis indicated that the trend of positivity for theseven variables analyzed with time series structural break analysis continuedpast the experimental period. In the case of the approval ratingsand media, for which 1994 data was available, visual inspectionof charts indicated that the last high point in the data for approval ratingswas data-point 50 (week of Dec. 25–31, 1993), and, for the media,point 52 (week of January 8–15, 1994). Thus it appeared that the effectlasted until approximately the end of the year (1993). This is consistentwith the study of effects of the Demonstration Project on violent crime(Hagelin et al., 1999). In that analysis, it was found that there was asignificant decay parameter that carried the effect until about the endof the year.Seasonal effects were considered as a possible alternative explanationfor the trend change, but although the results of the experimental analysisindicated that the trend change beyond the experimental periodwas consistent across the variables, analysis of the control periods inother years did not show a consistent significant pattern of positivechange at the same time of year, as was illustrated in Figures 4 and 5.A sustained change in trend is a major component of the theory ofthe Maharishi Effect. Maharishi has predicted that a “phase transition”toward greater positivity will be seen in society when sufficient coherenceis generated in society (1977). Maharishi explains that “The values whichare dominating today will be superseded by more complete values of life.Fear will be nonexistent. Suffering will be completely extinct” (1986a, p.39). Although the National Demonstration Project was not a permanentgroup, it was nonetheless the largest short-term group of its type in theNation’s Capital in terms of meditation hours (number of TranscendentalMeditation and TM-Sidhi practitioners times the number of days ofthe Demonstration Project). Thus it may have had a more lasting impacton collective consciousness than previous Super Radiance groups in theD.C. area.Another consideration is that the Demonstration Project did notexist in isolation as a coherence-generating group. Over two millionpeople in the United States and more than five million people worldwidehave been taught the Transcendental Meditation technique in thelast 40 years. As well, over 75,000 individuals have been taught the252