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Kenneth L. Cavanaugh

10 papers in the library · 18 citations · publishing 1996-2025

Papers

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Consciousness and the Environment: Maharishi Technologies of Consciousness and the Incidence of U.S. Landfalling Hurricanes, 1851–2021

Journal of Scientific Exploration December 18, 2025 Kenneth L. Cavanaugh, Lee Fergusson

The purpose of this preliminary study is to explore whether application of consciousness-based procedures whose stated purpose is to influence the natural and social environment, referred to as Maharishi Technologies of Consciousness (MTC), can positively affect weather phenomena. The theoretical framework underlying these procedures is based on a field-theoretic view of consciousness derived...

Empirical Evaluation of the Possible Contribution of Group Practice of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Program to Reduction in Drug-Related Mortality.

Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) January 18, 2023 Michael C. Dillbeck, Kenneth L. Cavanaugh

Background and Objectives: CDC data indicate that the U.S. is experiencing a sustained epidemic of drug-related mortality, with such deaths exceeding a record 100,000 in 2021, up 47% from 2019. Opioids, especially the synthetic opioid fentanyl, account for approximately 75% of this mortality. This study evaluates a proposed Consciousness-Based® approach that may possibly help reduce trends in...

Field-Effects of Consciousness: A Seventeen-Year Study of the Effects of Group Practice of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Programs on Reducing National Stress in the United States

World Journal of Social Science December 20, 2022 David W. Orme-Johnson, Kenneth L. Cavanaugh, Michael C. Dillbeck et al.

Many conceptions of field-effects of consciousness have been proposed. The most well-developed of these is Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s, which holds that every individual in society, whether stressed or coherent, contributes to collective consciousness. Collective consciousness in turn impacts the life of every individual, guiding the trends of life in the nation. Over 600 studies have documented...

Evaluating a Field Theory of Consciousness and Social Change: Group Practice of Transcendental Meditation and Homicide Trends

Studies in Asian Social Science July 29, 2022 Kenneth L. Cavanaugh, Michael C. Dillbeck, David W. Orme-Johnson

This study outlines and empirically tests a field-theoretic view of consciousness and positive social change based on the ancient Vedic tradition of knowledge from India (Veda means “knowledge” in Sanskrit) as brought to light by the Vedic scholar and scientist of consciousness, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. In contrast to most contemporary theories of mind and consciousness originating in the West,...

Warming U.S.-Soviet Relations During the Cold War as Measured by U.S. Presidential Statements: Impact of the Group Practice of the Transcendental Meditation-Sidhi Program

Journal of Maharishi Vedic Research Institute January 12, 2019 Paul Gelderloos, Kenneth L. Cavanaugh, Martin J. Frid et al.

Currently, 25 empirical articles published in independent peer-reviewed journals or in scholarly conference proceedings have reported that the collective, or group, practice of the Transcendental Meditation and TM- Sidhi program enhances the societal quality of life and reduces violence, conflict, and war. The present study retrospectively investigated the impact of this program on U.S.-Soviet...

Group Practice of the Transcendental Meditation-Sidhi Program and Improved U.S.-Soviet Relations

Journal of Maharishi Vedic Research Institute August 1, 2018 Kenneth L. Cavanaugh, Paul Gelderloos, Michael C. Dillbeck

This study empirically tests the hypothesis that during the years from 1979 to 1986, the Cold War climate of superpower relations was significantly improved through the reduction of global stress and tension produced by four large groups of experts practicing the Transcendental Meditation-Sidhi program, an advanced aspect of the Transcendental Meditation technique. The number of group...

Researching U.S. Urban Murder Rates and Group Practice of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Program: Evaluation of a Prospective Quasi-Experiment

Journal of Maharishi Vedic Research Institute September 1, 2017 Kenneth L. Cavanaugh, Michael C. Dillbeck

Creation of a sustainable society ideally should include promotion of an enhanced overall quality of life, including freedom from crime, violence, and other key indicators of social stress. This study is part of a comprehensive empirical evaluation of the results of a prospective four-year quasi-experiment that sought to reduce rates of homicide and violent crime as well as to improve other...

Group Practice of the Transcendental Meditation® and TM-Sidhi® Program and Reductions in Infant Mortality and Drug-Related Death

Sage Open 2017 Michael C. Dillbeck, Kenneth L. Cavanaugh

These two studies tested the prediction that the group practice of a procedure for the development of consciousness, the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program, by a sufficiently large group of individuals would be sufficient to reduce collective stress in the larger population, reflected in two stress-related health indicators, infant mortality rate and drug-related fatality rate....

Societal Violence and Collective Consciousness

Sage Open September 28, 2016 Michael C. Dillbeck, Kenneth L. Cavanaugh

This research tests the hypothesis that group practice of the Transcendental Meditation® (TM) and TM-Sidhi® program by a group of sufficient size is associated with reduced rates of homicide and violent crime. Data from a prospective quasi-experiment were analyzed using intervention analysis or interrupted time series analysis. Dependent variables are time series of the U.S. monthly homicide...

The maharishi effect: A model for social improvement. Time series analysis of a phase transition to reduced crime in merseyside metropolitan area

Psychology Crime and Law July 1, 1996 Guy D. Hatchard, Ashley J. Deans, Kenneth L. Cavanaugh et al. 18 citations

Time series analysis was used to test the hypothesis that Merseyside crime rate was reduced by a group practising Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programme. Previous research suggests that a phase transition to increased orderliness u evidenced by reduced crime rate should occur when the group size approaches the square root of 1% of the total population. Analysis...