Group touts meditation as cure for ills of Israeli society

By TALYA HALKIN
For members of the International Meditation Society of Israel, peace in the Middle East is tantalizingly close - if only the rest of the country would wake up and listen to what they have to say. At a Tel Aviv press conference on Monday, members of the Meditation Society launched a new non-governmental organization, called "A Rule of Order, Strength and Peace: The Actualization of the Universe's Constitution in Israel's National Life." In anticipation of the March 28 elections, organization members plan to appeal to the leaders of the country's political parties to adopt their vision for a successful government, which they believe can cure the ills of Israeli society. Headed by Dr. Alex Kutai, the organization calls upon political party leaders to adopt the knowledge, technologies, and meditation techniques developed by Maharishi Mahesh, the Indian yogi whose followers practice transcendental meditation and the principles of Ayurvedic medicine and philosophy. According to Kutai, these principles can serve as a solution for problems ranging from terror, crime and corruption to education, healthcare, poverty and unemployment. "Our solution is based on improving the functioning of the mind, strengthening thought processes, and preventing mistakes. When committed by leaders, mistakes are what lead to national problems, and create suffering for an entire population," Kutai said. Citing a series of scientific experiments reported in internationally recognized scientific reviews, organization members - which include a former high-ranking intelligence officer and specialists in healthcare, law, and education - argued for the benefits that their practice offers for brain function, efficiency in work and study, and a collective state of well-being that can stem impulses to engage in terror and war.