We have the United Nations, UNESCO, the Global Peace Foundation, the International Peace Institute, and many more organizations that strive to bring peace to a constantly chaotic world. Despite innumerable organizations existing that tackle catastrophes and injustices, the world seems as troubled as ever. Why is that? I believe it is because we are not removing the root of the problem, which is inner turmoil among the masses, and specifically in people of power. With the practice of meditation, this inner turmoil could be settled in the general population and ultimately among people of influence. We have been essentially cutting off the sharp thorns of a plant, instead of uprooting it. Trimming a problem down to size allows it to grow back and to haunt us again. I see meditation, as a vehicle of inner transformation, to be the primary instrument to obtain world peace.
But first, we should define what meditation is. Meditation, at its most fundamental level, is the absence of thought, and complete awareness. Why is this state important to achieve in our present world? If we believe in negative thoughts, we not only set ourselves on a dangerous path of self-destruction but also the destruction of others (Firestone, Lisa).
So, integrating meditation into each society as a primary way of balance and anti-destruction will keep world calamities at bay. How exactly? All the decisions relating to the taking of people’s lives due to hatred, all the ideas of corruption, all the campaigns to take advantage of poor people, and all local crimes stem from negative thinking. With the daily practice of meditation, these negative thoughts either dissipate or are not heeded (Beyond The Mind).
There have been controlled studies on the effects of meditation, particularly of meditation centered on the state of awareness without the engagement of thoughts, that show that people can easily and profoundly be affected by meditation. According to the website Beyond The Mind, the largest and most professional study on the positive effects of meditation was done by Dr. Ramesh Manocha: “Dr. Ramesh Manocha is an Australian GP and researcher based at the Discipline of Psychiatry, Sydney Medical School, Sydney University, where he coordinates the Meditation Research Programme. For the past 15 years, he has conducted clinical trials and scientific investigations into the practical applications of meditation. As a result, he is now recognized as a leading authority in this field” (Beyond The Mind). The studies concluded that people’s stress levels dropped significantly, and that negative thinking was largely reduced during and after meditation sessions. In addition, ailments such as asthma and ADD were profoundly curbed and even eliminated. If these effects were replicated throughout the world, the world would know a newfound peace.
From the disappearance of negative thoughts and garnered balance, to healing physical and psychological ailments, meditation, if practiced on a global scale, could be the solution to world calamities. Though it seems to be an innocuous practice, the transformation of the general public, and most essentially, of people in power, could bring about a new era of peace. Science backs this claim up, and so do countless people’s experiences with overcoming their negativities. Why not make this a global initiative, especially in light of global organizations having ultimately no solution to the ensuing chaos of the world.
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