Evidence that meditation reduces violence

Michael Johnson

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John Hagelin Ph.D. claims that we can immediately reduce violence, war deaths and terrorism in the surrounding region by more than 70% by meditating in groups.

Although this sounds far fetched enough to dismiss with ease, he also claims that he has conducted several scientific studies that confirm this hypothesis. Plus, he claims that these studies have been independently replicated and published in mainstream scientific journals. See for yourself by visiting: permanentpeace.org.

I kind of want to believe it, yet, I wonder if anyone has any evidence to the contrary or sees any deadly flaws in these experiments.

Thank you, Michael
 
:)

I am astounded by the reports that a small group of people meditating can immediately reduce violent crime in the entire city of Washington D.C by more than 70%.
 
The TM people have been making such silly claims for years. To my knowledge, they have all babe debunked.
 
Well, i reckon their logic is that if EVERYBODY was meditating you would reduce violence. But , know that eventually some guy would get irritated with how the guy two rows over is "Ahhhming" and after 3 times of asking him politely would eventually punch him in the face.
 
Mediation can reduce violence. I would think that Meditation would have to also have some levity for that to happen ?
 
Michael Johnson said:
John Hagelin Ph.D. claims that we can immediately reduce violence, war deaths and terrorism in the surrounding region by more than 70% by meditating in groups.
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I thought that was obvious. It's hard to pull a trigger while you have your forefingers touching your thumbs.
 
Michael Johnson said:
John Hagelin Ph.D. claims that we can immediately reduce violence, war deaths and terrorism in the surrounding region by more than 70% by meditating in groups.

Although this sounds far fetched enough to dismiss with ease, he also claims that he has conducted several scientific studies that confirm this hypothesis. Plus, he claims that these studies have been independently replicated and published in mainstream scientific journals. See for yourself by visiting: permanentpeace.org.

I kind of want to believe it, yet, I wonder if anyone has any evidence to the contrary or sees any deadly flaws in these experiments.

Thank you, Michael
Click to expand...

This is the standard TM claim, but it's long been debunked.

However, work in prisons is showing that meditation can make individuals less violent... but they have to do the meditating themselves, no proxies.
 
I can only speak from personal experience only, but meditation and related mindfulness regimes like Autogenic Training reduced my anxiety and helped me relax. But you really have to do it and do it regularly for it to have an effect.
 
Moss said:
I can only speak from personal experience only, but meditation and related mindfulness regimes like Autogenic Training reduced my anxiety and helped me relax. But you really have to do it and do it regularly for it to have an effect.
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I have guided meditation CDs and they are excellent for helping me to slow down and relax, so I agree with you on an individual level totally as being calm and knowing how you can become calm when you need to are good ways of stopping anger/frustration building up, but there's nothing woo about it. I'm not a medic but I've always assumed it's biological as you are removing the 'fight or flight' that comes from being stressed or anxious.

The OP, though, talks about someone claiming that a group of people meditating can affect 'the surrounding region by more than 70%' if some people are 'meditating in groups. I am totally sceptical of that claim. Even if 1000 people were meditating every week in a building in Lothian Road in my city, I have no doubt whatsoever that the weekend drunken yobs would still pick fights with each other along that street, one that most people avoid on Fri/Sat nights.

I'd need to see hard evidence of any claim to the contrary, and I doubt any will be forthcoming.
 
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Michael Johnson said:
we can immediately reduce violence, war deaths and terrorism in the surrounding region by more than 70% by meditating in groups.
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I don´t buy this claim. Instead, if thugs get advance knowledge that people will be sitting with their eyes closed, they would learn to take advantage of the situation.
 
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joolz said:
I have guided meditation CDs and they are excellent for helping me to slow down and relax, so I agree with you on an individual level totally as being calm and knowing how you can become calm when you need to are good ways of stopping anger/frustration building up, but there's nothing woo about it. I'm not a medic but I've always assumed it's biological as you are removing the 'fight or flight' that comes from being stressed or anxious.

The OP, though, talks about someone claiming that a group of people meditating can affect 'the surrounding region by more than 70%' if some people are 'meditating in groups. I am totally sceptical of that claim. Even if 1000 people were meditating every week in a building in Lothian Road in my city, I have no doubt whatsoever that the weekend drunken yobs would still pick fights with each other along that street, one that most people avoid on Fri/Sat nights.

I'd need to see hard evidence of any claim to the contrary, and I doubt any will be forthcoming.
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Yes, I was aware of that amusing claim by TM. The point I was trying to bring across is exactly the same you had, namely that it works for the individual if she or he keeps doing it, not that it mystically calms your surrounding. Apologies if that didn't come through.
 
Piggy said:
This is the standard TM claim, but it's long been debunked.

However, work in prisons is showing that meditation can make individuals less violent... but they have to do the meditating themselves, no proxies.
Click to expand...

But this means that you can only research the kind of prisoners who would lend themselves to meditating, right? Or does it reduce violence in general, even among those who did not participate in the meditation?
 
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