Societal Violence and Collective Consciousness

A large group practicing the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs is associated with reduced rates of homicide and violent crime in the United States. Monthly homicide rates and violent crime rates from 206 cities were analyzed using interrupted time series analysis. A statistically and practically significant downward shift in both crime measures began when the largest U.S. TM-Sidhi group reached a sufficient size. Statistical assumptions were satisfied, and alternative explanations were considered. The results suggest a macro-level social behavioral change without direct micro-level interaction.

Study at a glance

Abstract

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 rate as well as violent crime rate from a sample of 206 cities. The binary intervention variable is based on the size of the largest U.S. TM-Sidhi group. Intervention effects were analyzed by time series regression using a broken-trend intervention model. As hypothesized, there was a statistically and practically significant shift in trend in the direction of reduced rates for each of the variables beginning with the onset of the intervention period. Diagnostic tests indicate that key statistical assumptions of the analysis are satisfied. Alternative hypotheses are considered for the apparent effect of macro-level social behavioral change without micro-level behavioral interaction.