Session 8 Keynote Conversation on Transcendental Approaches to Oneness and Flourishing at the International Conference on Consciousness-Based Leadership and Management, May 21-23, 2021 Hosted by Maharishi International University - College of Business Administration and Cosponsored by the Academy of Management (AOM) / Management, Spirituality & Religion (MSR)
miu.edu/cba/consciousness-conference

Panelists:
Dr. David Orme-Johnson – Keynote speaker. Professor Emeritus, Maharishi International
University, USA.
Dr. Frederick Travis – Professor of Vedic Science, Director of the Center for Brain,
Consciousness and Cognition, Maharishi International University, USA.
Dr. Carla H. Brown –Professor, Loyola College, Stitch school of Medicine

Moderator: Dr. Anil Maheshwari, Professor of Management, Maharishi International University,
USA.

Dr. David W. Orme-Johnson:
Transcendental Approaches to Oneness and Flourishing: Maharishi International University (MIU) was founded on the concept of Transcendence as key to creating ideal citizens and a flourishing world. At MIU, the transcendent has a very specific meaning. It refers to the infinite ocean of consciousness at the silent depths of the mind, which is also the transcendental basis of everything. This is the Perennial Philosophy, which is being explored in many different ways by the participants of this conference. At MIU, the practical technology for actualizing Transcendence is the Transcendental Meditation technique (TM), a subtle technology for settling the active mind to experience the transcendent in the silent mind, transcendental consciousness, samadhi.
Starting in 1970, we have been intensively studying the physiology and benefits of transcendence through TM, there now being over 650 studies. The research explores the holistic growth of Oneness in the individual through regular TM practice, such as reduction in stress, lower sickness rates, and reduced prison recidivism and increases in creativity, intelligence, and self-actualization. Research shows that Oneness flourishes in cities, states, and the world when only a fraction of the population practices TM, as indicated by reductions in crime and problems and increased mutual respect and cooperation. Other Transcendental approaches to increasing oneness and creating a flourishing world will be discussed in reference to the MIU model.

Dr. Travis will speak about the neuroscience of various types of meditations. A field model of waking, sleeping, and dreaming, called the junction point model, portrays waking, nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, and REM dreaming as expressions of a single, undifferentiated state. EEG data from 7 right-handed men are presented that support this model. In the transitions between waking, NREM sleep, and REM dreaming, bursts of similar frequency EEG were seen that did not seem generated by known sleep mechanisms, suggesting a common experience available at these transitions. EEG spectra during Transcendental Meditation practice, designed to lead to the experience of the underlying field, an experience called transcendental consciousness (TC), were similar to those reported during the waking/sleeping transition. During the coexistence of TC and sleep, called witnessing sleep, the characteristic alpha activity of TC was seen along with the delta activity of deep sleep.

Dr. Brown will share students’ descriptions of their TM experience, illustrating that people are more alike than different when they adopt a systematic way to develop pure consciousness. Results are immediate and reliable. Understanding the research that explores mechanisms involved is an integral part the Loyola elective. Drs. Orme-Johnson and Travis lead modules within the elective. Just as the individual has the capacity to flourish, the society also has a similar hidden ability. Dr. Brown’s doctoral work at Harvard involved understanding how policy makers use promising new research. She examined how they evaluated a research study that found groups of people practicing advanced TM techniques correlated with significant reductions in crime, violence, and war and improvements in quality of life indicators. This was seen in over 55 studies. The research indicates that the inborn capacity of individuals to heal and rejuvenate can be multiplied to create an environment that disallows crime and war. This capacity can be harnessed in countries, states, cities, and within organizations.