|
Dr. Travis Publishes
Research on Cosmic Consciousness
Research by professor Fred Travis on
individuals experiencing Cosmic Consciousness
was published last month in the journal
Biological Psychology (November 2002, Vol. 61,
No. 3, pp. 293-319).
The study identifies the specific EEG
patterns of 17 subjects who reportedly
experience transcendence--a silent unbounded
continuum of awareness--along with the changing
values of daily life, and compares this group to
two control groups. Unlike an earlier study,
which looked at the EEG of subjects during
sleep, this research monitored brain waves as
individuals were engaged in mental tasks.
"The human brain has an innate capacity to
function at much higher levels, where mental
processes become very calm, precise, and
efficient--without common anxieties,
frustrations or unhappiness," Dr. Travis said.
"These results are important because they
validate via Western science the experiences of
higher consciousness--deep inner peace, bliss,
unbounded awareness, and oneness--which have
been esteemed throughout the ages."
Collaborating with Dr. Travis on the research
were faculty members Alarik Arenander, director
of the Brain Research Institute, and Keith
Wallace, professor of physiology, as well as Joe
Tecce, professor of psychology at Boston
College.
For more information on this study, see the
press release on the University website at
http://www.mum.edu/news.
Headlines
Dr. Hagelin Addresses
Students, Announces $20 Million Pledge
Dr. John Hagelin, director of the Institute
of Science, Technology and Public Policy,
addressed the student body last month,
explaining how education can end terrorism and
announcing that the leaders of a prominent
philanthropic organization have pledged to raise
$20 million for the World Peace Fund.
"Education should develop the full potential
of the brain so that the scientific truth of the
unity of existence is lived," Dr. Hagelin said.
He said that the incorporation of systematic,
holistic experience in education would lead to
more effective learning and more balanced and
productive behavior among students, including
reductions in school violence. Counsequently, he
said, funding for such an education should take
precedence over funding of punitive approaches,
such as the construction of new prisons.
"The implications for the individual and
society are profound: global citizenship,
spontaneously life-supporting behavior, and an
end to terrorism and social conflict," Dr.
Hagelin said.
Dr. Hagelin's talk, "The Cosmos Within,"
earned a standing ovation. His inspiring
presentation focused on how Nature is more
subtle, supple, and transcendental at deeper
levels and is ultimately unified at the deepest
level. He said that this unity is the same unity
that governs human life.
"Human awareness has the ability to
experience these deeper levels of Nature," said
Dr. Hagelin, who is Minister of Science and
Technology for the Global Country of World
Peace. "Throughout time this has been called the
meditative experience. Now we can understand
this experience as the basis of all human
experience. Life is essentially unity. When we
practice the Transcendental Meditation and
TM-Sidhi programs, we turn our attention
powerfully within. We are the unified field. The
one aspect of ourselves that never changes is
our pure subjectivity."
"It is a scientific fact that you and I are
one," Dr. Hagelin said, as he explained that the
ultimate unity of life and humanity is
experiencing everything in terms of one's own
Self.
Dr. Hagelin discussed research that studies
the brain and said that the brain activity of
someone who doesn't meditate resembles an
orchestra with no conductor whereas the brain
activity of a person who practices the
Transcendental Meditation® technique shows
profound synchrony.
He further commented on education and said
that today education prides itself on
specialization but is not holistic.
Consequently, students learn more and more about
less and less and finally become "an expert in
nothing." Specialization is not evil, he added,
but the experience of pure consciousness is
needed.
Dr. Hagelin said he enjoys teaching and
stayed after his lecture to take questions from
the students.
Headlines
Rotating U. Course to Greece
to Have Record 90 Students
As of late last month a record number of 90
applicants had signed up to enjoy the
University's first course to Greece, led by
Jamie Grant, dean of the College of Arts and
Sciences, and his wife, Ann.
The full course is slated for block 9, May
3-26, with a two-week option May 3-May 16.
What accounts for the high number of
applications? According to Dr. Grant, a
combination of factors makes the course
appealing.
"Greece is a very beautiful place to go," Dr.
Grant said. "It is the cradle of western
civilization and the values we hold dear such as
individualism and democracy."
In addition, Dr. Grant cited the cruise, the
beaches, and the wonders of antiquity as more
reasons why the course numbers are so high.
Although the course is nearly full,
applications are still being accepted. Contact
Continuing Education at (641) 472-1135 or visit
the University's website for more information at
http://www.mum.edu/programs/international/greece/welcome.shtml.
Headlines
India Rotating U. Course
Extended to Six Weeks
The upcoming Rotating University course to
India has been extended to six weeks, February
3-March 14, for full-time students, plus there
will be a five-week travel-only option for those
joining the course from Fairfield and around the
world.
The course will visit locations that let
participants experience firsthand University
Founder Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's revival of Vedic
India and his current initiative to create
permanent world peace. There will be
opportunities to see thousands of children
enjoying his supreme system of Vedic education,
hear large groups of Yogic Flying Vedic Pandits
recite the Vedas, and experience the richness of
India's traditional Vedic culture. The course
will complement travel with the study of
Maharishi Vedic ScienceSM.
According to organizer Joel Wysong, the
traveling schedule will be comfortable, even
restful, and the group will be accompanied by an
Indian tour guide.
The deadline for registration is December 14.
(Participants may still apply after that, but
the course fee will be $100 more.) A $150
non-refundable deposit is required with the
application. Full payment is due January 6.
For more details, see the web page at
http://www.mum.edu/programs/international/india.
To register, e-mail the Office of Continuing
Education at cont_ed@mum.edu
or call (641) 472-1135 for forms and
information.
For specific questions, contact course
leaders Joel and Laura Wysong at jwysong@mum.edu.
Headlines
Dr. Heaton Authors Book
Chapter on Business Ethics
Management faculty member Dennis Heaton has
coauthored a chapter in a recently published
book on business ethics titled Corruption and
Government in Asia.
Dr. Heaton's chapter explains that there are
three sets of factors that influence ethical
behavior in organizations--individual
characteristics, organizational factors, and
opportunity. He emphasizes individual
characteristics, in particular development of
the consciousness of the individual, including
the individual's level of moral development.
Titled "A Human Resource Development
Programme to Foster Individual Moral Development
in Indian Corporations," the chapter was
coauthored with Tom Carlisle and Ian Brown.
The authors review the stages of moral
development as identified by psychological
research and then describe a highest state of
moral development--a Natural Law orientation--in
which individuals spontaneously act to promote
the general good.
They present Natural Law-based management as
an approach that employs techniques to cultivate
individual development in the direction of a
Natural Law orientation and show how these
techniques have been applied in corporate
settings by the Maharishi Corporate Development
Program(SM). The result has been overall
effectiveness, well-being, and right action of
managers and employees.
The book was published last month by Palgrave
Macmillan press.
The Department of Management and Public
Affairs teaches business ethics, and faculty
member Jane Schmidt-Wilk presented a paper at an
annual conference on business ethics about the
pedagogies they use, including the research on
the effects of the Transcendental Meditation and
TM-Sidhi programs on moral development.
Headlines
More Condos, Houses Being
Built in North Campus Village
A triplex and five houses are currently under
construction or are nearly complete as part of
the newest development in the University's
master plan: a full-fledged neighborhood that
incorporates Maharishi Sthåpatya Veda(SM)
design along with the warmth of a bygone
era.
"We've taken the elements of the old
neighborhood and made Maharishi Sthåpatya
Veda design homes to feel cozy and familiar,"
said Martin Brett, Vastu Homes developer.
Mr. Brett is co-developer of North Campus
Village along with the University. "The goal of
the village is to create affordable Maharishi
Sthåpatya Veda design housing on campus,"
he said.
The entrance to Fairfield's newest
subdivision, which was approved by the City
Council in October, will be Park Avenue, so
named because the tree-lined avenue will lead up
to a central park.
The design includes pedestrian walkways that
connect with the Jefferson County trail system.
In addition, the road system will be directly
connected to campus for ideal access.
North Campus Village, located north of campus
on B Street, has already sold a number of homes
and condominiums and plans to build as many as
150 units on the 20-acre parcel.
One new homeowner likes how she didn't have
to do all the thinking and planning entailed in
a custom-designed home. "The developers have
done such a fabulous job," said Nancy Watkins,
international student advisor. "The designs are
marvelous. I'm excited about my own home as it
goes up. I'm also thrilled to be a pioneer in
this new subdivision."
"I have a nine-year-old daughter, and I think
we're creating something where she could jump on
her bike and ride to Maharishi School or go the
park--which is really inviting," Mr. Brett said.
"It's a place where people will get to know
their neighbors and enjoy going for a walk in a
pedestrian-friendly atmosphere."
While affordability is key, the developers
and architects have included many amenities to
ensure a dream home.
For further information on North Campus
Village, call (641) 472-6382.
Headlines
Alum Helps Found Peace
Congress
A new organization, "The U.S. Peace
Congress," has recently been founded by alum
Paul Stokstad and other Fairfield residents for
the purpose of creating a group of 8,000 Yogic
Flyers in Fairfield and Maharishi Vedic
City.
The U.S. Peace Congress will consist of three
branches, The U.S. Peace Assembly of Pandits,
the House of U.S. Peace Representatives, and the
U.S. Peace Senate.
The Pandit assembly will consist of 8,000
trained Vedic Pandits who will reside in
Maharishi Vedic City.
The House of U.S. Peace Representatives will
be delegates from all 52 states who will live in
Fairfield in order to have a permanent group of
8,000 people participating in these group peace
technologies in the Golden Domes on campus. The
number of representatives required from each
state is based on the percentage of the U.S.
population residing in each state.
The organization plans to raise money to pay
these representatives for the time they spend
doing their group practice in the campus Domes.
The average time spent per participant is three
to four hours a day, and, based on a median U.S.
hourly income of $18.67, these representatives
would earn between $17,447 and $24,000 annually
for their peace-generating activities.
An initial campaign is underway to register
local participants as well as people who are in
other locations who will agree to move to
Fairfield to join the House of U.S. Peace
Representatives when the salaries become
available. Monies are also being sought to train
people in Transcendental Meditation and the
TM-Sidhi® programs, including Yogic Flying,
so that anyone can participate. Candidates can
register at http://www.peacecongress.us.
A nationwide fundraising project is to follow
to secure funding for the peace-making
project.
"We see this as the only real way to totally
stop war and terrorism," said Mr. Stokstad,
Peace Congress spokesman and adjunct faculty
member. "Everything else is just the same old
incompetence masquerading as 'defense.' We need
8,000 people, and providing financial assistance
will make it easier for them to come."
The U.S. Peace Congress offices can be
reached at (641) 472-6293 or via e-mail at
inquiry@peacecongress.us.
The website can be found at http://www.peacecongress.us.
Headlines
January Residence Course
Features Maharishi's Latest Messages
Another Residence Course for those who
practice the Transcendental Meditation technique
will be offered next month.
The course will run January 10-17 and will
feature Maharishi's latest messages from his
weekly press conferences that have been held in
recent months.
"The theme of this course will be what it
means to be a citizen of the Global Country of
World Peace," said Cary Davis, director of
Continuing Education.
"Our practice of the Transcendental
Meditation technique is not only doing something
for ourselves, but doing something twice a day
to create world peace," Mr. Davis said.
The January course has been widely advertised
in Enlightenment magazine and in letters to the
local centers and should attract a large number
of applicants from around the country.
The course also includes three- and four-day
options. The three-day option runs from January
10-12, and the four-day option goes from January
10-13.
The cost of the course, including tuition,
meals, and accommodations, is $230 for three
days, $295 for four days, and $470 for one
week.
For more details, contact Continuing
Education at (641) 472-1135 or e-mail cont_ed@mum.edu.
Headlines
Chamber Singers Present
"Tidings of Joy" Concert
The M.U.M. Chamber Singers will present their
annual holiday concert, "Tidings of Joy," on
December 14 and 15 at St. Mary's Church in
Fairfield. Everyone is warmly invited to attend
and to celebrate the holiday season in song.
This year the Chamber Singers continue their
holiday tradition of offering choral music from
different nations, as well as American Christmas
music. They will present songs from Denmark,
Norway, and Sweden, along with favorites from
France, Germany, and Spain. The program ranges
across history to tell the Christmas story,
drawing from Renaissance works to contemporary
songs and covering a wide variety of musical
styles.
Complementing the Chamber Singers' choral
selections will be instrumental music of the
season, featuring the trio of Ann Bosold,
violin; Mosie Lasagna, piano; and Robin Pfoutz,
cello. Popular soprano soloist Margaret Clair
will also perform.
"We enjoy building choral programs that have
something for everyone--an appeal for many
different musical tastes," says Elaine Reding,
director of the Chamber Singers. "Although our
holiday programs may vary in time setting,
musical style, and language, their unifying
thread is the celebration of the divine on Earth
and all that that represents. The holiday season
rekindles our connection to the divine and
reminds us of the most important inner qualities
of life: loving, giving, and sharing."
Come join the Chamber Singers and experience
the joyful renewal that the holiday season
offers. The group members affiliated with the
University and Maharishi School--Laurie Baumann,
Gerry Geer, Emily Karsjens, Phyllis Khare, Linda
Mainquist, Kevin McMahan, Penny Minkler, Mario
Orsatti, and Kathy Siemsen--all extend a special
invitation to their friends and colleagues to
attend.
The Chamber Singers' two holiday concerts
will be held at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday and
Sunday, December 14 and 15, at St. Mary's
Church, 404 N. 3rd St., just a few short blocks
from campus. Tickets are $5 ($4 students) and
may be purchased at Somebody Cares, the
Bookstore, and at the door.
Headlines
®Transcendental Meditation, TM-Sidhi,
Maharishi Jyotish, Maharishi Vedic Science,
Maharishi Sthåpatya Veda, Maharishi Consciousness-Based Health Care, Maharishi Corporate Development
Program, Global Country of World Peace,
Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment,
and Maharishi University of Management are
registered or common law trademarks licensed to
Maharishi Vedic Education Development
Corporation and are used under sublicense or
with permission.
|