If you want a better world, a better year and, importantly, a better life for yourself, you don’t necessarily have to take to the streets brandishing banners and posting on social media. Though sometimes demonstrating is the only answer. The truth is, you may be more effective sitting at home in silence.

Studies show that people meditating together bring harmony to their communities and measurably decrease crime rates. It’s called the “Maharishi Effect,” named after Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, founder of the Transcendental Meditation movement. Between 1967 and 1972 American psychologists, Candace Borland and Garland Landrith, measured many variables across eleven cities where at least one percent of the population meditated regularly and compared it to eleven cities where no known meditators lived.

They found that levels of crime decreased by 8,2 percent a year in meditative cities compared to an increase of 8,3 percent in non-meditative cities.

These results inspired other researchers to investigate. Sixteen universities and research institutes conducted similar studies and found similar conclusions. Shared meditation leads to the following,

• Less crime
• Fewer accidents
• Fewer lawsuits
• Fewer divorces
• Fewer suicides
• Fewer flu epidemics
• Increasing harmony

Should we believe these results and can we trust them?

We can’t not trust them. Our world needs help and this is fantastic news for humanity and can have a positive impact on our world and our future. We are not powerless. In fact we have more power than we ever thought.

Dutch meditation teacher, Tjin Touber, who has been teaching meditation for more than thirty years to children, judges, addicts, officers and prisoners, has found that the following four regular practices allow the system to become quiet, serene, almost transparent and will increase harmony in communities,

1. Meditate regularly
   If you look inside daily, you’ll find a lot of turmoil going on that you might not be aware of. The average Western human adult generates 120 000 thoughts a day, 95 percent of which are Beta waves. Only five percent of all Beta thoughts are positive and uplifting. That in itself is a stressful thought. When you look at the brain waves of monks and meditators you see a different pattern. There are more slow wave thought patterns — Alpha and Theta — that create more peace, calm and relaxation. At the other end of the spectrum meditators also create Gamma thought patterns. These waves have been dubbed the good frequency because they connect us to higher wisdom, instant knowing inspiration and “eureka moments”.
2. Breathe consciously
   Become aware of your breath. Deepen your breath with every out breath and imagine sinking deeper into your body and relaxing your muscles.
3. Smile at your thoughts
   Don’t take them too seriously. You are, after all, not your thoughts. Try looking at them from a distance as an observer. And don’t try and change anything as this only increases the chaos. Just watch and they will become quieter.
4. Create emotional stability
   We are always trying to get rid of unwanted emotions, but this desire, unfortunately, has the opposite effect, and intensifies the unwanted emotions. The secret to integrating past traumas is allowing the emotions to exist. Once you allow your emotions to flow, they will let you go.

I’ve been doing a lot of my own self-study as I work on The Great Way series of spiritual adventure fiction. The stories are epic, but at their heart they are quiet and inward looking. I’m learning so much from the writing process. Found and Lost, Book 1 of the Great Way series, will be on shelves soon, and I can’t wait for you to read it.

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