THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION PROGRAM FOR BUILDING FAMILY STRENGTHS: BLUEPRINT FOR INVINCIBILITY

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1 SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON MAHARISHI'S TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION AND TM-SIDHI PROGRAMME, VOL. 4 PAPER 354 THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION PROGRAM FOR BUILDING FAMILY STRENGTHS: BLUEPRINT FOR INVINCIBILITY ARTHUR ARON and ELAINE N. ARON Department of Psychology, Maharishi International University, Fairfield, Iowa, U.S.A. This paper presents the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programme as a means to strengthen family life by developing higher states of consciousness for the individual and creating an influence of coherence and harmony in the social environment.-editors The following is the text of the original paper which was presented at the National Symposium on Building Family Strengths, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.A., 4 May This paper describes the research on the Transcendental Meditation (TM) program and a plan by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the program's originator, for developing "invincible" families, based on a model of coherent systems. The first section suggests that adequate functioning and the resistance to stress of the individual members of the family system are prerequisites to adequate functioning and stress resistance by the family as a whole, and in this context briefly reviews the research on the effects of the TM program on individual physiological and psychological functioning. The next section considers more than adequate functioningfulfillment, invincibility, enlightenment. First the impact on the family of the search for individual fulfillment is discussed, and then research is presented which suggests this quest may be fulfilled by the TM and TM-Sidhi program. The third section, in considering the importance of the larger social environment for family strength, reviews some recent findings on the effects of the improved functioning of individual TM participants on the quality of life in their communities. Section jour focuses on the family system itself it outlines Maharishi's theoretical model of invincibility in social systems, and summarizes results of preliminary studies conducted by the authors and others on the effects of the TM program on family life, marital adjustment, and child development. The last section offers a practical blueprint for building invincible families. Invincibility would seem to be the highest level of family strength, and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, founder of the Transcendental Meditation and TM Sidhi program, in declaring 1978 the Year of Invincibility, has suggested a model of how invincible social units-families, cities, nations, and the world-are developed through increasing the coherence of these systems. Therefore, it seems highly appropriate to consider his model of invincible family life, and the research supporting it, at a symposium on building family strength. The key to invincibility, according to Maharishi, is the TM technique-a simple, easily learned mental procedure, not involving any change in belief or lifestyle, which allows the mind to settle to its least excited state, gain maximum coherence, and function optimally when returning to activity. Over the twenty years that it has become available throughout the world, the TM program has gained substantial public acceptance as a means to relieve stress and increase fulfillment in life. Interest by the scientific community has lead to more than a hundred pub- 2936

2 ARON AND ARON REVIEW PAPERS-QUALITY OF LIFE: BUILDING FAMILY STRENGTHS -PAPER354 lished physiological and psychological experiments confirming subjective reports that the technique produces a unique state of "transcendental consciousness" characterized by very low metabolism yet heightened mental alertness during the 20 minutes practice, and a wide range of beneficial effects in daily life. Indeed, studies conducted in the last two years suggest that continued practice may lead to substantial increases in the expression of human potential, described by Maharishi as the growth of higher states of consciousness or enlightenment. And now, research on the recently introduced TM-Sidhi program suggests that it dramatically accelerates these effects. This paper reviews the research on these programs, focusing on their known and potential effect on family life, and from these results suggests a blueprint for building invincible families. It is organized into five sections. The first suggests that adequate functioning and the resistance to stress of the individual members of the family system are prerequisites to adequate functioning and stress resistance by the family as a whole, and in this context briefly reviews the research on the effects of the TM program on individual physiological and psychological functioning. The next section considers more than adequate functioning-fulfillment, invincibility, enlightenment. First the impact on the family of the search for individual fulfillment is discussed, and then research is presented which suggests this quest may be fulfilled by the TM and TM-Sidhi program. The third section, in considering the importance of the larger social environment for family strength, reviews some recent findings on the effects of the improved functioning of individual TM participants on the quality of life in their communities. Section four focuses on the family system itself: it outlines Maharishi's theoretical model of invincibility in social systems, and summarizes results of preliminary studies conducted by the authors and others on the effects of the TM program on family life, marital adjustment, and child development. The last section offers a practical blueprint for building invincible families. DEVELOPING FAMILY MEMBERS: ADEQUATE FUNCTIONING AND RESISTANCE TO STRESS First we will consider the rationale for hypothesizing that improved physiological and psychological functioning of individual family members should strengthen the quality of overall family functioning, and then briefly review the large body of research which suggests that TM participants show increased resistance to stress and improved physical, intellectual, and emotional health. Social scientists generally acknowledge the importance of the influence of the individual personality on the quality of group functioning, and the effect of the individual personality on the family system has also been cited by many researchers in the area. For example, much of the large body of research on the families of schizophrenic children is based on the idea that the parents' personal maladjustment creates the child's maladjustment. However, in general, relatively little research has been done in this area. The few studies that have been conducted report strong associations between the personal adjustment of parents and their children (Hoffman, 1970) and between the adjustment of individual marriage partners and their marital satisfaction (Barry, 1970; Hicks and Platt, 1970). For example, a recent large survey (Renne, 1970) found marital satisfaction to be strongly associated with the presence of happiness and the absence of loneliness, depression, and isolation. Of course, except for a small number of studies in which the same people are studied before and after marriage, it is not always clear whether personal adjustment causes family adjustment, or vice versa. Nevertheless, from common sense, theory, and some data, there can be little doubt that if a technique could improve the quality of individual functioning, and therefore the quality of adjustment, growth, and satisfaction, it would have important, beneficial effects on the quality of family life. Indeed, the comparative lack of scientific interest in the influence of personality on family life may have been partly due to the belief that a technique to measurably and reliably improve personal functioning either did not exist or would not be practical for large numbers of the population. We think it will become apparent that the TM program is uniquely able to fill this lack. The stress model seems to be the most popular and comprehensive explanation of how inadequate human functioning leads to social problems such as family disruption. Individuals and social groups are seen to vary in their ability to cope with stresses, especially those arising from rapid social change. All persons and families are exposed to some of these stresses-some overreact, are weakened, and thus exposed to still more stresses, while others seem to 2937

3 SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON MAHARISHI'S TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION AND TM-SIDHI PROGRAMME, VOL. 4 thrive and progress. (The reason is unclear, and thus perhaps the timely interest in family strength.) Can systems be made to cope with stress more successfully? The TM program is frequently cited as an antidote or immunizer against stress (e.g., Bloomfield, Cain, and Jaffe, 1975) and Hans Selye has stated that the physiological effects of the TM program are "exactly opposite to those identified by medicine as being characteristic of the effort to meet the demands of stress" (1975, pp. ix-x). Thus, a review of these effects seems in order. Measures of oxygen consumption, skin resistance, and biochemical changes taken during the TM practice show a substantial reduction in metabolic activity simultaneous with EEG recordings that show mental alertness (e.g., Wallace et al., 1971). The resulting state, which is subjectively experienced as restful alertness, has been described by physiologists as a unique "wakeful hypometabolic state," different from ordinary waking activity, dreaming, or sleeping. Indeed, during the deepest phases of subjective experience during the practice, when individuals report that thinking "settles down" to a state of "pure awareness" of "unbounded bliss," the physiological changes generally associated with TM are found to be substantially accentuated, and accompanied by periods of natural respiratory suspension (Farrow, 1977; Hebert, 1977). The kind of deep rest these data suggest is precisely what would be expected of an antidote to stress. Recent studies using additional physiological measures of changes during the practice lend further support to the technique's hypothesized role as a uniquely effective means to eradicate the effects of stress. In one study (Jevning, Wilson, VanderLaan, and Levine, 1975) experienced TM participants were found to show a significant decline in cortisol level-the major physiological index of stress. And in another series of studies (e.g., Levine, 1976) TM meditators exhibited a unique pattern of EEG coherence (coordinated electrical activity) between the two sides of the brain during, and to a lesser extent, following the practice. This result seems to suggest that the technique has an integrating, ordering effect on the nervous system, perhaps directly opposite to the disordering effects of stress. The significance of coherence is discussed in the next section on optimal functioning. Several studies have directly examined the increased immunity to stress predicted as a result of the TM practice. Orme-Johnson (1973) found that the sympathetic nervous system of TM participants is more stable (in terms of spontaneous changes in skin resistance) and that they adjust much more quickly to experimental stressful stimuli, with fewer aftereffects, than nonmeditating comparison subjects. Also important are the numerous studies' of the positive effect of the TM program on those health problems particularly associated with stress-for example, hypertension, asthma, insomnia, and obesity. Its use in the treatment of mental and behavioral "diseases of stress" has also shown promising results. Finally, with reduced inappropriate stress responses and increased order in the nervous system, one would expect generally improved behavior, as repeated, controlled studies in numerous areas indicate. Sensorimotor changes include reduced reaction time, less susceptibility to perceptual illusions, and improved performance on a variety of general athletic skills. Possible effects on cognitive functioning are indicated by improved performance on tests of capacity to attend, creativity, and intelligence, as well as improved grades in school. Some examples of changes in specific personality variables which appear to be associated with the practice are decreased anxiety, decreased neuroticism, decreased depression, and increased self-esteem. Significant findings on more global personality-type variables include increased internal locus of control, field independence, and satisfaction in life, as well as improved scores on tests of self-actualization. In conclusion, there are grounds for believing that the TM program can relieve the effects of stress and measurably improve the functioning of the individual. It is reasonable to expect that these individuals should also function better in a family context, thereby permitting better functioning of the family as a whole. Individuals with less stress and symptoms of disorderly functioning, with improved cognitive, emotional, and social competence, and with growing personal satisfaction in life, should certainly have a positive influence on whatever social group they contact. 1. The results cited in this and the next paragraph are from studies published in many different sources, but most are reprinted in Orme-Johnson and Farrow (1977). More complete reviews of the literature and some consideration of the methodological adequacy of the studies are available in Kanellakos and Lukas (1974), Orme-Johnson (1977a), and Bloomfield et al. (1975). 2938

4 ARON AND ARON REVIEW PAPERS-QUALITY OF LIFE: BUILDING FAMILY STRENGTHS -PAPER354 FULFILLMENT OF FAMILY MEMBERS In the last section we suggested that resistance to stress and the adequate general functioning of individual family members was a prerequisite to adequate levels of functioning of the family system. However, we stated at the outset that Maharishi has a much bolder goal for individual and family life. This section extends the discussion of the first section to hypothesize that individual family members having complete immunity to stress and functioning at full potential-the state of enlightenmentwould create families with real strength-with invincibility. Obviously the crucial issue is the evidence supporting this possibility, and in this section we will consider recent research into the growth of higher levels of human functioning. But first we should briefly consider the assumption that individuals who are fully functioning in general also function optimally in their intimate personal relationships. Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, Eric Fromm, Rollo May, and numerous others who have studied the lives of healthy individuals have recognized this relationship. Similarly, studies of individuals who were selected for high intelligence (e.g., Terman and Oden, 1947) or for high creativity (e.g., MacKinnon, 1962) have also reported that richer interpersonal relationships are experienced by more fully developed individuals. And, finally, those who have studied optimally healthy families have noted the strong mental health of their family members (e.g., Lewis et al., 1976). In general, these various observations merely reconfirm the main point of the previous section, that the quality of family functioning cannot be better than that of its members. Paradoxically, while fulfillment seems to improve family life, the search for it apparently does not. Many social scientists have noted that the modern emphasis on personal fulfillment may actually be placing additional strain on the family, since individuals not able to find fulfillment in their family life tend to leave the family to search for it elsewhere. We are all aware of marriages ended and families divided not because of major disfunctioning in one or both partners, not because of grave differences in interest, but because one or both wanted something more-to develop themselves further, to feel more loved and loving, to discover their real self. Sometimes the parting spouse does not know at all what he or she seeks. There is just a vague feeling that there must be more to life, and that the boundaries of the family stand in the way of finding that something more. No doubt the desire to develop oneself has always arisen, but it appears that in the past personal fulfillment was valued less socially, and seemed less tantalizingly available. Life was accepted as a struggle, and the family helped one survive that struggle. But today it is open season for hunting personal fulfillment, and all the fences found in the way seem only meant to be surmounted. The problem has reached such serious proportions that the suggested solutions have been quite extreme: either try to turn back the clock by convincing people that personal satisfaction is not so important, or give up on the family altogether! Of course, neither solution is satisfactory. Legislating against the desire to grow would appear to be impossible. Nor does abandoning the family seem to be a viable suggestion: when it is happy and strong, it seems to be the ideal place to raise children. Not surprisingly, so far our culture has not created a workable alternative to a system that has existed since prehistoric times. Fortunately, there seems to be a simple and satisfying solution. Psychological research and our own experience suggest that fulfillment does not come from what we do so much as how we feel. Or in other terms, fulfillment seems to be a state of the nervous system. We tend to feel fulfilled when we are rested and thinking clearly, or when, according to the classic discoveries of Olds and Milner (1954), the reward system of the brain is stimulated. One may immediately ask why a fulfilled person would act at all? It seems to be our nature. Paradoxically, Olds and Milner found that stimulation of the reward system leads not to satiation but increased activity. And Maslow found that more self-actualized, more fulfilled people, were actually more active in their pursuit of excellence and social justice (1962). On deeper consideration we see that this is necessarily the case. Less and less fulfillment leads to depression and lethargy. Failure is stressful. While at first the response is hyperactivity, the end result is exhaustion. Success, besides being exhilarating, removes obstacles and leads to more activity. As for families, how much more active sharing and joy there has to be when family members come together to celebrate their success than when they come together hoping to gain fulfillment from each other 2939

5 SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON MAHARISHI'S TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION AND TM-SIDHI PROGRAMME, VOL. 4 or the strength to pursue it elsewhere. No single person or success can continue to provide the upliftment we seek. We always need more, so naturally a marriage based only on the self-esteem gained from the spouse's affection will tend to come to an end. Clearly we need not fear the social consequences of inner fulfillment, but only its lack. Now we must see whether it can be achieved. Throughout the twenty years that the TM program has been taught, Maharishi and the teachers he has trained have continually maintained that the technique would develop full human potential, the state of enlightenment: Transcendental consciousness contains the full potential of life, the wholeness of life, in its unmanifest state, and enlightenment is the state in which this full potential has become fully enlivened and fully useful in one's life. (Maharishi European Research University, 1977, p. 4) We have said that transcendental consciousness is experienced during the TM technique when the mind "settles down" to its simplest state of awareness-pure consciousness, awake in itself, without any thoughts, feelings, or perceptions. Enlightenment is said to develop by the alternation of the state of transcendental consciousness (during the TM technique) and regular daily activity. This process stabilizes the experience of pure awareness so that it is maintained and integrated with activity-in all phases of waking, dreaming, and sleeping-a criterion of the state of enlightenment according to ancient sources. Does this state-the integration of pure awareness with all activity-exist? Is it really the fulfillment of human potential (and is it so experienced)? Does the TM and TM-Sidhi program develop it? As the number of long-term participants in the TM program has grown, a large number of these individuals have been reporting experiences that correspond to the description of enlightenment we have been discussing. The following description by one of these individuals is typical: Boundless infinitude, beautiful bliss, total silence. In activity a powerful silent wholeness rests on the surface of everything. A beautiful softness connects and interfuses all I see. (Ministry of Information and Inspiration, World Government of the Age of Enlightenment, 1977, p. 5) EEG coherence-the degree to which any two parts of the brain are exhibiting the same EEG pattern-seems to be a clear physiological concomi- tant of these subjective reports of the growth of enlightenment, providing an objective confirmation that these experiences have a basis in a major change in the style of functioning of the central nervous system. (Indeed, for reasons we will describe at the end of this section, EEG coherence is precisely the kind of physiological change one would expect of enlightenment.) We have already cited research on the TM technique finding that EEG coherence is magnified during experiences of pure awareness. In addition, it has been found that the clearer the reported experience of pure awareness, the greater the number of regions of the brain exhibiting coherence (Orme Johnson, 1977b). As for the criterion of maintaining pure awareness throughout the day and night, the experience of pure awareness in sleep is strongly associated (r=.64) with EEG coherence, and with awareness in waking activity (r=.77). Thus, both subjective reports and corresponding psychophysiological data, indicate that a state which may be described as enlightenment seems to be growing in these TM participants. Now to the next issue-is this a profound change? Does it satisfy our quest for personal fulfillment? We have already reviewed research showing that practice of the technique is associated with a wide range of beneficial effects, including such global measures as tests of self-actualization and field independence. This research is particularly significant in this context, since many of the effects are cumulative over time so that projecting trends over a few years of the practice suggest that an extremely high level of functioning, that might be appropriately described as a completely different state of life, would be achieved. There is now also some direct evidence that physiological and subjective indications of growing enlightenment are highly related to the realization of abilities. First, a striking correlation ( r =. 71, N = 23) has been found in TM participants between creativity (on the Torrance tests) and EEG coherence, and between creativity and subjective reports of clear experiences of transcendental consciousness (r=.50; Haynes et al., 1977). In another study the experience of pure awareness was found to increase markedly from before to after a six month advanced TM course, simultaneous with significant increases in field independence, intelligence, and decreases in behavioral rigidity (Orme-Johnson and Granieri, 1977). (On all three 2940

6 ARON AND ARON REVIEW PAPERS-QUALITY OF LIFE: BUILDING FAMILY STRENGTHS -PAPER354 measures, the fact that subjects had reached the highest possible score on the posttests appeared to limit an even stronger effect.) The overall picture is one of a major change in the style of functioning of the nervous system, with predictably holistic effects. Does inner satisfaction correlate with this outer display? Reports of subjective experiences on these courses abound with references to feelings of personal fulfillment: I feel incredibly fulfilled in activity, but I also realize more than ever that fulfillment doesn't come from activity in any sense-it always comes from silence. I wish everyone in the world could be as happy as I am, and I look forward to becoming even happier! (Ministry of Information and Inspiration, World Government of the Age of Enlightenment, 1977, p. 35) I feel a very solid stability and invincible strength growing in my life. I do not ever remember feeling so uncompromisingly complete and confident about myself and the direction my life is taking. My favourite companion is the bliss and silence of my Self which is growing by leaps and bounds... (p. 31) Pure consciousness, unboundedness, continued 24 hours a day. I perceived beauty and goodness in every situation. My heart constantly expanded in appreciation... Perception continued to become refined, while at the same time my awareness was unified. Everything was my Self, wholeness of oneness. I felt like bliss in motion, saturated, concentrated, absolute happiness. All creation waved in different degrees of my bliss. (p. 32) I don't feel time going on. I feel so quiet inside and at the same time enjoy all the outside activity (like the songs of birds). I feel this freshness of deep wellbeing in my whole body.(p. 35) I experience sensations of well-being and a very strong sensation of love. There is so much of it that I feel too small to take it all in. More and more my well-being and lightness during meditation last all day and my body stays very light, like cotton wool. (p. 35) Our third question-does the TM and TM-Sidhi program develop enlightenment-seems thus far to be affirmative. What remains is an exploration of the role of the TM-Sidhi program and the research that has been conducted on it to date. The TM-Sidhi program was introduced in 1976 to further hasten (and demonstrate) the growth of enlightenment, and specifically to develop the ability to accomplish "whatever one desires," adding even more fulfillment in activity to the more basic feeling of inner fulfillment already present or growing in participants. As we have said, Maharishi emphasized from the outset that the TM program was designed to develop a state in which "full potential has become fully enlivened and fully useful in one's life." In 1976 what he meant became clearer. By 'full potential' we mean absolutely full potential... [developing] not only those areas of the mind, body, and mind-body co-ordination with which we are already familiar, but also those deepest potentials which express themselves through the experience of the source of thought, expansion of consciousness, deep inner bliss, and the whole spectrum of powerful, although usually untapped, mental and physical abilities, collectively known as... super-normal abilities. These abilities include, for example, the ability to experience anything at will on the level of inner senseawareness, the ability to perceive things which are beyond the reach of one's senses, the development of profound intimacy with and support from one's physical environment, and even such abilities as disappearing and rising up or levitating at will. (Maharishi European Research University, 1977, p. 3) Ability to perform these supernormal abilities (described by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras) is said to be on the basis of stabilized pure awareness (or samadhi, to use Patanjali's term). As we would expect, success correlates significantly with EEG coherence. In turn, these performances also dramatically increase EEG coherence. For example, preliminary recordings of the EEG during the TM Sidhi technique for "flying" show coherence in all frequency bands, not just alpha, theta, or beta. Coherence from all areas of the brain has also been observed during the practice of other TM-Sidhi techniques (Orme-Johnson, 1977b). We have made much of the data on EEG coherence. Is coherence a theoretically likely physiological expression of enlightenment? Levine (1976) has pointed out a continuum of coherence, from least in deep sleep, more in dreaming, more still in waking activity, and most in transcendental consciousness. Physicists have likened transcendental consciousness, its benefits, and the coherence it seems to produce in the nervous system to the properties of coherent physical systems (Domash, 1977). For example, coherent light (a laser beam) is more 2941

7 SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON MAHARISHI'S TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION AND TM-SIDHI PROGRAMME, VOL. 4 powerful than incoherent light. Supercooling (resulting in low entropy and high coherence) creates remarkable properties in materials, such as perpetual motion of an electrical current in superconducting metals and resistance-free flow in superfluid helium. These effects are the result of a highly ordered state in the system, and experiences of transcendental consciousness as "unbounded awareness" and "perfect order," as well as it being the basis for "supernormal abilities," all point to striking parallels between coherent physical systems and the coherent nervous system stabilized in pure awareness. In addition, coherence between the two sides of the human brain would seem to have special significance. Perhaps it integrates their specialized functions, as the holistic effects seen in the research would suggest. Finally, the main research group that has been studying these phenomena gives coherence to this interpretation: There is experimental evidence that this high degree of linear coupling [coherence] of the EEG is strongly related to the transfer of information between cerebral systems. (MERU, 1977, p. 11)... High coherence reflects the functional integration of the brain and suggests that attentional processes have an integrating effect on neuronal populations. High total EEG coherence would mean attention everywhere-unbounded awareness; total coherence at the physiological level corresponds with unbounded awareness at the level of consciousness... The dynamical changes seen in the EEG during the TM-Sidhi program, show that the TM-Sidhi techniques 'exercise' the physiology to work in total coherence, the state of least excitation and perfect orderliness of the nervous system, thus developing perfect mind-body co-ordination in the state of enlightenment. (p. 14) To return to the three questions with which we began, it seems from the studies cited that enlightenment (pure awareness integrated with activity) is growing in those subjects that have been studied. It does seem to increase the expression of individual potential, and to give rise to a sense of personal fulfillment. And, given the research to date, these developments seem to be clearly associated with the practice of the TM technique, and accelerated by the TM-Sidhi program. About one and a half million now practice the TM program; thousands of these are now using the TM-Sidhi techniques. Today enlightenment seems to be a real possibility for large r umbers of people. What will it mean for the families to which they belong? Maharishi describes enlightenment in terms very relevant to social life: Enlightenment implies the ability to act without making mistakes, to be successful in our undertakings without making problems for ourselves, our community, or our environment. This means that one has the ability to function without violating the laws of nature, to act in such a way that one is always supported by nature... Of special importance is the profound development of universal values and good human virtues such as friendliness and compassion. They are the normal adjuncts of enlightenment... (MERU, 1977, p. 1) The practical value of a family of fulfilled, enlightened individuals now becomes apparent. While they themselves experience inner contentment, they "act without making mistakes," and are "successful... always supported by nature," having "universal values" and "good human virtues." United into a family, we begin to see the possibility of family invincibility, which we will discuss in the fourth section. But now we will turn to an entirely different approach to family strength. In the next section we will explore a rather amazing phenomenon: the growth of enlightenment in even a few seems to have powerful effects on the entire society. IMPROVING THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE FAMILY In this section we will discuss how the TM program can contribute to improving the social environment in which the family must function, reducing the stressful influences it places on the family and increasing its support for fulfilled family functioning. Although the TM program has been taught in the past mainly as a means of individual development, Maharishi has recently emphasized its potential for improving social conditions. He suggests that as even small percentages of the population of a community practice the TM program and begin to function more coherently, they produce a measurable effect on the quality of life in the community as a whole. This possibility has been called the "Maharishi Effect" and is generally explained through a generalization to sociology of the model of "phase transitions" and "threshold phenomena" found in the natural sciences (Borland and Landrith, 1977). Briefly, sharp changes from relatively disordered to much more ordered states can be seen when a small 2942

8 ARON AND ARON REVIEW PAPERS-QUALITY OF LIFE: BUILDING FAMILY STRENGTHS --PAPER354 percentage, approximately 1%, of a population (of molecules, cells, ants, etc.) begins to function coherently. Among many other phenomena, this model has been used to account for changes in states of consciousness in the human nervous system. A number of studies of cities having 1 "lo of their population practicing the TM technique have now been conducted. Borland and Landrith (1977) found that the 11 small U.S. cities that reached 1% in 1972 showed a substantial drop in crime rate (from FBI data) the following year, which significantly differed from their own previous trends and from trends and current crime rates of matched control cities. Other studies have reported results consistent with the basic hypothesis, using a variety of approaches. 2 For example, comparing groups of matched suburbs in the same metropolitan area, but with different TM percentages; examining the correlation between TM percentage and crime rate change in all major U.S. cities; and an interesting study that constructed a mathematical model for predicting crime rate that successfully included TM percentage as a major variable, while systematically ruling out several possible alternative explanations such as police force size, population density, and income level. Finally, a recent restudy of the original 11 Borland and Landrith cities found that the communities also had significantly greater reduction in suicides and auto accidents than the matched comparison cities. Maharishi cited the original results when he pronounced in 1975 the "Dawn of the Age of Enlightenment," and in 1978 pointed to their replication and extension as evidence for growing "invincibility" in "one-percent societies" (approximately 800 cities around the world). His explanation is that a change in the "collective consciousness" of these societies has occurred. He defines consciousness as the product of the functioning of all the parts of a system. In the individual, the activity of the parts of the nervous system, when taken as a whole, is the basis for different states of consciousness, which are determined by the degree of integration or coherence among the parts. (We have previously cited Levine's 1976 synthesizing model of EEG coherence-that less integration is associated with sleep, more with alertness, while still more with the experience of "pure consciousness." Also, we have seen that the maximal level of consciousness, enlightenment, is said to be achieved when this highly integrated, coherent style of functioning is maintained along with activity.) Maharishi then generalizes these considerations to society; that collective consciousness is the product of the functioning of the parts of a social system, and its "enlightenment" is determined by the integration of its members-and this requires only a small percentage functioning coherently (experiencing pure consciousness) by means of the TM program. The Maharishi Effect has so many ramifications for both theoretical and practical social science, they can hardly be adequately discussed here. Continued research is obviously needed, but the declining U.S. crime rate and improving world events are certainly suggestive. 3 THE INVINCIBLE FAMILY In the previous sections we have examined the potential contribution of the TM program to improving family strength by improving the quality of functioning of individual family members and by improving the quality of their social environment. This section considers how these contributions actually affect the family system itself. First we will present a model of optimal family functioning and then we will summarize some preliminary data which suggest that the TM program actually produces this style of functioning. MAHARISHI'S DESCRIPTION OF INVINCIBLE FAMILY STRENGTH-Maharishi (1972) has described the mechanics of optimal functioning of social systems from the point of view of the functioning of individual and collective consciousness. His analyses are generally consistent with the various descriptions of healthy families that have appeared in the recent 2. Most of the studies cited in this section will be reprinted in Scientific research on the Transcendental Meditation and TM Sidhi program: Collected papers, vols. 2, 3, and 4, ed. R. A. Chalmers, G. Oements, H. Schenkluhn, and M. Weinless. Rheinweiler, W. Germany: MERU Press. In press. 3. Time magazine, January 2, 1978, stated: "For the first time in more than a dozen years abroad and at home the nation is at peace and clearly enjoying it... "Though serious problems persist in the U.S., a sense of wellbeing and restored community pervades. "As the new year begins, most Americans find that the struggle of their times has eased and life is softer, somehow simpler. "One of the most important things that happened in may have been the extraordinary web of civilized human relationships spun among the men and women of Washington and world power almost in spite of themselves." 2943

9 SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON MAHARISHI'S TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION AND TM-SIDHI PROGRAMME, VOL. 4 literature in the field, but seem to offer additional insights worth considering. There are three main areas: (a) the purpose of social system; (b) the relation of the parts to the whole; and (c) the integrity of a social system. We will discuss each briefly. Purpose of the Family. Maharishi suggests that the purpose of a social system is to "live together, grow together, and enjoy fulfillment together." A strong family necessarily meets all three of these goals-it is intact, it is an open, growing system, and it consists of fulfilled individuals who enjoy sharing their joy and love with one another. Relation of the Parts to the Whole. Maharishi makes two main points in this context. First, an ideal social system is characterized by unity in diversity. This means that there is a quality of harmony of interest among the parts, such that strengthening the differences between individuals spontaneously strengthens the integrity of the whole. This is analogous to a flower, in which strengthening the differences between the red petal and the green leaf creates a more beautiful whole. This kind of harmony is possible only when each of the parts is functioning from a common basis which naturally harmonizes them. In the flower, this common basis is the DNA. In the individual it is pure consciousness. Whatever the diverse roles and interests of family members, those who practice the TM program have one common experience-pure consciousness. But this is more than a "shared interest." It is a common style of functioning of the nervous system-a style that harmonizes yet strengthens individual differences. The second point is that there is a relation of reciprocity between individual and collective life, such that improving one improves the other. Thus, as family members grow in the quality of their functioning, they create a better family environment, which in turn supports their further growth. In general systems theory terms this is called positive feedback and is characteristic of growing, living, "open" systems. Integrity of the Family. Maharishi's basic construct for characterizing a well-functioning system is coherence, as we have seen in our earlier discussions of EEG coherence and of coherence in the collective consciousness of society. Maharishi has recently emphasized that "invincibility" is the result of coherence in any system-the ability to maintain integrity and growth even in the face of stress or negative influences, the ability to succeed at any undertaking. An analogy to coherence in quantum mechanical systems is especially salient here. One of the phenomena of certain materials at extremely low temperatures (near absolute zero) is called the Meissner Effect. The coherent collective state of the substance (having a highly ordered electron flow) spontaneously rejects external magnetic influence (which would otherwise be a disorderly influence). The same material at higher temperatures, with incoherent or disordered electron flow is readily penetrated by an external magnetic field. This example is not unique, but found throughout the physical and biological sciences. Increased inner order leads to increased resistance to outer disorder. In living systems, order is of course a dynamic quality. The research of Ilya Prigogine, a recent Nobel Prize winner in chemistry, shows that successful living systems are inevitably growing in order and coherence through interaction with the environment, yet maintain an inner integrity. Living systems are at once stable and adaptable, maintaining integrity while highly involved with their environment. The picture of the invincible family which emerges from this model is one of a group of people absorbing from the environment that which is useful-that which adds to the coherence of the parts and the whole-while completely unperturbed by anything that would disturb that coherence. For example, the family could adapt to any activity on the part of any family member as long as it did not disturb the family system. The coherent family system will always tend to maintain itself. The family members, each fulfilled inwardly and enjoying their interaction, will perceive that the family structure supports them optimally. At one point in time it may seem to support one member, perhaps an infant, far more than others, perhaps the parents. But over time the strength of all the members will be optimized when the integrity of the whole is maintained. RESEARCH ON THE TM PROGRAM AND FAMILY LIFE-What is the evidence that the TM program improves family life? To begin with some examples of general social variables, the practice of the TM program is associated with increased tolerance, decreased aggression, higher scores on Kohlberg's Moral Judgments test, and more trust in others, with less sensitivity to criticism and social inadequacy. Also, two independent studies have found greater satisfaction with work, increased productivity, 2944

10 ARON AND ARON REVIEW PAPERS-QUALITY OF LIFE: BUILDING FAMILY STRENGTHS --PAPER354 and better relations with coworkers and supervisors among TM participants in an industrial setting, as reported both by themselves, and by their coworkers. (Again, results cited in this paragraph are mainly from studies reprinted in Orme-Johnson and Farrow, 1977.) However, until recently there has been very little study of the direct effects of the TM program on family life. Some relevant evidence was suggested by Baumrind' s (1971 a) studies identifying those child-rearing practices which lead to competence in nursery school-age children. She found a fourth category of parenting styles (besides authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive)-what she calls the harmonious family. In these families, while parents "almost never exercised control," they "seemed to have control, in the sense that the child generally took pains to intuit what the parent wanted and to do it." The family members tended to "operate from the same vantage point," living "parallel to the mainstream rather than in opposition to it" (1971 b, p. 99). These families would seem to fit our description of coherence, and it is interesting that Dr. Baumrind has reported that a significant portion of these parents practiced the TM technique (1). One other study of some interest examined the effect of the TM program on children attending a Berkeley, California, elementary school. Abrams (1976) randomly assigned fifth and sixth grade students to receive instruction in either the TM program or one of three meditation or pseudomeditation comparison procedures. Over a fivemonth period he found greater increases for the TM group on internal locus of control (the sense of feeling in control of one's life), and less dramatic, but also apparently greater increases in field independence and decreases in anxiety. Recently, the authors and our colleagues have conducted some preliminary studies of the TM program and family life. The first study examined marital adjustment of women living in a small midwestern university city who had received instruction in the TM program. They were contacted in their homes and given a standard marital adjustment interview. Nonmeditating women living in the same neighborhoods, selected for their similarity to the TM women in terms of age, social class, and length of marriage, were also contacted and tested. In order to insure objectivity, the women were given no indication of why they were selected or that the study was in any way related to the TM program. Seventeen pairs of TM and nonmeditating women were interviewed in this way. Statistical analysis of the interview data showed that the TM women reported significantly greater marital satisfaction than the matched comparison group. And those TM group women who practiced the technique very regularly showed a significantly greater difference between their satisfaction and that of their matched nonmeditating control than did the less regular TM women. Given the apparent effects on marriage, the program's effect on children was the next obvious area of inquiry. We have already mentioned the results of the study by Abrams with Berkeley elementary school children. Our own efforts have focused more on the development of TM meditating children whose parents also practice the technique because this is the usual condition under which the program is begun by children, and because of its relevance to family strength. We began by testing all of the children enrolled in an elementary school where the TM program is a part of the curriculum. We found that the children were similar to the general population of their age groups on overall personality structure, but were substantially less anxious. Then, in a somewhat more thorough study (Kukulan, Aron, and Abrams, (2)) we tested 49 TM meditating children, aged 5 to 15 (whose parents also practiced the technique) and an equal number of nonmeditating friends of these children, selected to match each of them for age, sex, and social class. The children were individually tested in their own homes, and, as in the marital adjustment study, they were not aware that the testing was in any way related to the TM program. (In fact, as a further guarantee of objectivity, in both this and the marital adjustment study, the attempt was made to see that the interviewers were not aware of whether the person they were testing was or was not a TM participant.) Analysis of the results showed that the TM children scored substantially higher than nonmeditating friends on internal locus of control, and somewhat lower on anxiety. The results on internallocus of control and anxiety are especially convincing since the possibility of their being du~ to "faking'' good responses is largely ruled out by statistical (covariance) analysis of scores on a "lie scale" of one of the tests. Overall, these various preliminary data were con- 2945

11 SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON MAHARISHI'S TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION AND TM-SIDHI PROGRAMME, VOL. 4 sidered to be promising indications that the TM program may produce scientifically measurable, positive effects on family life. The authors are currently planning a series of studies which should more directly, rigorously, and extensively document the growth of family invincibility through the TM program. A BLUEPRINT FOR BUILDING INVINCIBLE FAMILIES In this paper we have discussed the TM program's apparent ability to improve individual functioning to the point of not just adequacy but enlightenment, the effect on the social environment of only a few individuals practicing the technique, and the obvious potential of this phenomenon for strengthening families to, according to Maharishi, the level of invincibility. Given the foregoing, our "blueprint for building family strength" seems obvious. 1. As many family members as possible should learn the TM and TM-Sidhi program. Indeed, its low cost and potential to prevent the need for costly medical and social services, as well as the profound beneficial effects it would seem to offer, argue for including the program in government social welfare, health, and educational activities. 2. Social scientists should conduct further research on the program's effects on family life. Some additional, highly practical advantages of the TM program as a means of building family strength for an entire society should be emphasized at this point. 1. It is very inexpensive. For any size family, the charge for the seven lesson TM course is $265. Thus for a family of four, the cost is about $65 per person. All follow-up, for the rest of one's life, is free of charge. 2. It is readily available in nearly every city and town in North America, and in major cities throughout the world. Its instruction is completely standardized, so that wherever the family may move, consistent follow-up is available. 3. It is widely accepted by the public, not as a means of treatment for those with problems, but as an effective self-improvement practice endorsed by both popular figures and respected intellectuals. 4. It is uncomplicated and easy to learn. All members of the family over ten 4 receive the same instructions and follow the same routine. Educational level, health, or other interests do not interfere. There are no skills or concepts to master. It can be practiced at home, together, or away from home, separately. 5. Above all, we would repeat a point made previously: far from acting as a force to draw family members away from one another, this path to personal fulfillment develops a feeling of inner satisfaction as well as outer competence, so that the individual and the family add to one another's growth, rather than detracting. According to Maharishi, the result of this reciprocity will be invincibility:... perfect health and very powerful thought... a very clear mind, unbounded awareness... support of all the laws of nature. There will be no enemies. All will be friends and there will be love and waves of happiness day after day, morning after morning, afternoon after afternoon, and evening after evening. (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 1977, p. 11) REFERENCE NOTES 1. Baumrind, D Personal communication. 2. Kukulan, J.; Aron, A.; and Abrams, A. I. The Transcendental Meditation program and children's personality. Manuscript submitted for publication REFERENCES ABRAMS, A. I The effects of meditation on elementary school students. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of California (Berkeley). BARRY, W. A Marriage research and conflict: An integrative review. Psychological Bulletin 73: BAUMRIND, D. 1971a. Current patterns of parental authority. Developmental Psychology Monograph 4: BAUMRIND, D. 197lb. Harmonious parents and their preschool children. Developmental Psychology Monograph 4: BLOOMFIELD H. H.; CAIN, M. P.; and JAFFE, D. T TM: Discovering inner energy and overcoming stress. New York: Delacorte Press. 4. Children under ten are taught a modified version of the technique which does not require sitting still or closing the eyes. 2946