Lately it feels like the news is full of what I call the “smite” stories — the “vanquishing our enemies” or “God is on our side” kind of headlines and quotes. Doesn’t it seem as if our world is becoming more violent, more divisive, more distrustful of the other? The constant stream of graphic images and minute-by-minute updates can make it feel as if the storm is raging everywhere.
Yet the evidence tells a somewhat different story. The most violent time in human history, based on the examination of 3,500 human skeletons, appears to have been between 1200 and 400 BCE. While violence certainly still exists today, research shows that it tends to wax and wane depending on two major factors:
- socioeconomic upheaval
- shifting climate
Our present moment checks both boxes. Socioeconomic upheaval is global, and political instability contributes to it. Climate change is making an impact not only in coastal regions and desert areas where water sources are drying up, but in disruptive weather patterns everywhere.
But here’s the paradox: in the United States at least, homicide rates and violent crime have been declining.
Here’s one theory: if enough people meditate, pray, and envision a world of peace, it may have a measurable effect on the surrounding environment.
In 1993, researchers associated with the transcendental meditation movement proposed that if a small percentage of the population (about 1%) meditates together, it could reduce crime, conflict, and stress in the surrounding community. That summer, thousands of meditators gathered with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Washington, D.C. The number of participants grew from about 800 on July 7 to more than 4,000 by the end of the month.
Researchers compared the number of people meditating with Washington DC., police reports and reported that violent crime decreased as the number of meditators increased. During peak participation, the reduction in crime was reported to be as much as 23% compared with predicted levels for that period.
Whether one sees this as coincidence, correlation, or something more, the idea is compelling: inner peace may not be as private as we think.
I believe that as world events spiral into chaos, more of us are paying attention to our own inner peace through meditation, prayer and practices that move the needle toward serenity. And I see us having an effect.
Don’t give up. Now, more than ever, the world needs your inner peace. Find the practices that relax your jaw, your shoulders, your belly and press the repeat button as often as you need to sustain that peace within.
Here is a small source of inspiration that moved me from Rev. Dr. Jonathan Zenz, the senior minister of Unity in Tucson,. He reinterpreted the Prayer of St. Francis for this moment — and every moment.
More ways that I encourage and sustain peace in my life:
With mantra (sound), bhavana (imagery), and hasta mudra (hand gesture)
Click these links to join me for two simple practices from my card deck:
Steady Peace and Calm Strength
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Some ways I share peace in the world:
LifeForce Yoga and Internal Family Systems at Kripalu
Laura Schmidt, LMFT and I will offer this IFS-LFY program for our third year, this summer, August 9-14, 2026.
>>> Register HERE <<< Sign up soon! Kripalu programs and accommodations sell out in the summer!
Also, for future planners, I’ve added a Yoga for Depression and Anxiety program at Sivananda Ashram on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, April 14-17, 2027.
>>> Register Here
My on-demand classes and YouTube channel are linked below.
