Consciousness-Based Education - Maharishi University of ...

preventing disasters and distressnatural law and alter the course of course of physical events in favor ofhuman life and well being.ConclusionThere is clearly a need not only for additional ways to mitigate theconse quences of disasters and to speed mental and physiological recoveryof survivors but also for preventing human-made and natural catastrophesfrom occurring in the first place. The consciousness-basedapproach described here is radically different from other approaches,because it holds that by reducing stress and enhancing coherent functioningof individual and collective consciousness, human error andconsequent disasters can be averted. This technology is non-intrusive,highly cost -effective, complementary to other approaches, and does notnecessitate the formation of new administrative entities. For example,prior research indicates that, in a country the size of Italy, approximately1000 individuals regularly practicing the TM-Sidhi program togetherin one place should be sufficient to greatly reduce the risk of disastersand chronic social problems. Such a group could be created by forminga special “prevention wing” within existing entities such as the military,police, or civil defense organizations. Given the enormous monetaryand human loss resulting from disasters, policy makers must be alertto implement new civil defense strategies shown to be effective in preventingsuch unnecessary suffering and loss. We are prepared to offerour assistance to any governmental or nongovernmental organizationinterested in establishing such a coherence creating group, and wouldwelcome the opportunity to collaborate with local researchers in assessingits long-term effects on human made as well as natural disasters.521