According to a study, traditional medical techniques such as transcendental meditation and the advanced Transcedental-Sidhi program can improve social health and build peace, hence lowering collective stress and violence. Amidst global armed conflicts such as the Israel-Hamas and Ukraine-Russia wars, there is an urgent need for creative public health tactics in peacebuilding, according to a recent study published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health (1).

Can Ayurveda and Yoga Help in Reducing Stress?

War has a terrible impact, including mortality, injury, disease, and the diversion of healthcare resources, necessitating effective and long-term interventions. This perspective is consistent with WHO recommendations and investigates the role of evidence-based meditation from Ayurveda and yoga in public health to reduce collective stress and avert collective violence and conflict, according to the study.

Group Meditation Reduces Societal Stress and Violence

Robert H Schneider, Dean of the College of Integrative Medicine at Maharishi International University in the United States and one of the authors, stated, “Our review indicates that when a relatively small group participates in these meditation programs, there’s a correlated drop in societal stress and violence indicators.”

This demonstrates a scientifically measureable collective consciousness impact. Schneider described the recognition of meditation’s tremendous effects on public health and peace as a paradigm shift.

Increase in Collective Consciousness Can Help Avoid Wars

According to Tony Nader, another author and neuroscientist at Maharishi International University’s Institute for Consciousness and its Applied Technologies, “Population neuroscience provides a powerful framework. And this framework enables us to comprehend how the practice of collective meditation can not only stabilize societal stress on a large scale, but also potentially influence what we might call collective consciousness.” This approach has the potential to function as a significant prophylactic tool, averting outbreaks of communal violence and wars,” she stated.

Transcendental Meditation Positively Impacts Public Health

The study, headed by Maharishi International University, examines data to demonstrate a significant decrease in violence rates when a specified percentage of the population practices Transcedental Meditation (TM) and TM-Sidhi together. The study emphasized the critical role meditation can play in public health programs, particularly in conflict areas.

Dr. Gunvant Yeola, Principal of D.Y. Patil College of Ayurveda in Pune, Maharashtra, and another study author, emphasized group meditation’s substantial impact on brain synchronization and societal coherence.
The article, examined through the lens of population neuroscience, proposes that group meditation can reduce stress-related behaviors by synchronizing brain activity across individuals.

Yeola stated, “Ayurveda and Yoga have long recognized the link between individual wellbeing and society health. These findings provide current scientific validity for old knowledge, emphasizing meditation’s critical role in public health and peacebuilding.”

“The introduction of group meditation was associated with a noticeable decrease in violent incidents and improved quality of life metrics in conflict zones,” the researchers wrote.

References:

1. Peace through health: traditional medicine meditation in the prevention of collective stress, violence, and war
   
   Schneider RH, Dillbeck MC, Yeola G, Nader T. Peace through health: traditional medicine meditation in the prevention of collective stress, violence, and war. Front Public Health. 2024 Apr 3;12:1380626. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1380626. PMID: 38633233; PMCID: PMC11021781.

Source-Medindia