Does the quality of our consciousness affect our lives? Absolutely! Think how differently you feel before and after a vigorous workout, a good laugh, a massage, an uplifting movie, a walk in nature, a symphony or concert, or a good meditation. Or, consider the difference in vibrational energy between being at a punk rock concert or at a Tibetan meditation ashram. Since we are all energetically connected, if our own state of mind and lives are changed, wouldnāt that influence the course of society and history? The positive affect of meditation on both personal and planetary transformation is not a matter of speculation, but a proven scientific certainty.

All types of meditation are pathways to the great source of love and light at the center of our being. Like the ephithet, "one light, many paths," there are lots of doorways to the divine, and many effective meditation methods. Though it would be difficult to determine which is the best form of meditation, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Transcendetal Meditation technique (TM) certainly has the most scientific documentation for its efficacy. While this vast body of research was specifically done for Maharishiās method, many people feel these benefits would apply to all forms of meditation.

David Orme-Johnson, Ph.D., Dean of Research of the Maharishi University of Management has compiled and edited a vast and powerful archive of scientific research on the benefits of the TM technique -- the most significant body of evidence in the world on any program for developing human potential. Over 500 scientific studies from 200 independent universities and institutions in 33 countries have been published in over 100 leading scientific journals. Their conclusions all scientifically verify that this meditation technique benefits virtually every area of life.

This global research documents the meditationās effectiveness for all cultural and ethnic groups, all socioeconomic levels, and all intellectual ranges. Furthermore, every age group benefits -- from increased alertness in infants of meditating parents -- to increased health, happiness, and longevity in the meditating elderly.

Scores of studies have also found that the reduction of stress in meditators creates a powerful influence of harmony in the energy of the environment at large. Scientists have named this phenomenon the Maharishi Effect -- the finding that when just 1% of the population is meditating, the overall quality of life improves, demonstrated and measured by a reduction in the symptoms of social stress such as delinquency, traffic accidents, and illness as well as a reduction in political conflicts and an improvemnent in international relations. Mass synchronized meditation has been proven to be the most powerful technology for the implementation of World Peace.

Maharishi asserts that the single and most potent ecological influence is a pervasive unified field of collective consciousness -- the collective influence of the consciousness of individuals that embody a society. Stressed individuals create an atmosphere of distress in the collective consciousness -- influencing the thinking and actions of everyone. Maharishi maintains that criminal behavior, drug abuse, armed conflict, and other features of social stress are more than just the problem of individuals. Rather, the root cause is distress in the field of collective consciousness.

Maharishi concludes that the only practical way to heal large-scale problems is to approach them holistically -- through creating coherence in the collective consciousness. Citing the general principle of science that the coherent elements of a system exert an influence proportional to their number squared, Maharishi has estimated that 1% of the population practicing meditation (and as few as the square root of 1% collectively practicing TM and theTM-Sidhi program) would be enough to create an influence of coherence in collective consciousness capable of neutralizing the stresses which are the root cause of social problems.

Since 1979, published researched has concluded that when a group of meditators located anywhere in the world is sufficiently large, that is, approaching the square root of 1% of the world population (7,000), international relations improve and regional conflicts decrease world-wide! There are fewer violent deaths due to homicides, suicides, and traffic fatalities, a reduction in unemployment and inflation; and a general improvement in the overall quality of life.

This vast body of research concludes that the only viable means of reducing and eventually eliminating the age-old problems of society and creating world peace is the systemic approach of creating coherence and enlivening the unified field of collective consciousness. This is precisely the purpose of LightShift 2000; to create a quantum size World Peace technology from within around which we can all take part.

The Maharishi research also document tremendous physical and mental benefits.

Physical Benefits

Large health insurance studies have found that people in all age groups who practice TM display a 50% reduction in both inpatient and outpatient medical care. Hospitalization is 87% lower for heart disease and 55% lower for cancer! Even more remarkable, meditators over 40 years old have approximately 70% fewer medical problems than others in their age group, and individuals in their mid-50s have a biological age twelve years younger than their chronological age!

Mental Benefits

Numerous studies have found that the practice of TM increases comprehension and improves the ability to focus, and is the best means of reducing anxiety, depression, and anger. Transcendental consciousness, the experience of one's higher Self, becomes a stable internal frame of reference, providing an unshakable sense of self. Meditators tend to perceive the world more positively and holistically. Creativity increases, as measured by tests of both verbal and pictorial fluency, flexibility, and originality. Perception becomes more accurate and less driven by preconceptions and misconceptions. Basic memory processes improve. School children who practice TM significantly improve in mathematics, reading, language and study skills within a semester. Studies of elementary school students, high school students, college students, and adults have found markedly increased IQ scores compared to non-meditators. Meditation is unparalleled in its ability to develop the unique and full potential of the individual, making a person more self-sufficient, spontaneous, productive, more capable of meeting challenges, and developing warm interpersonal relationships.

Taking daily dips into the sacred silent space within accesses a treasure chest of internal dimensions, and an eternal fountain of regeneration from the source of creation.