COVID-19: A Time of Moral Testing
By Arlene J. Schar and Dr. David Leffler
Against the backdrop of economic collapse and a deadly, relentless pandemic, the USA is also in the midst of societal discord.
American cities are under siege after a peaceful protest gone horribly wrong—a protest against the murder of a black man by police.
Protesters heavily armed with assault weapons stormed the Michigan State Capitol to demand the reopening of our country despite the raging pandemic, while authorities “stood down.”
When a member of Pennsylvania's state government tested positive for COVID-19, that information was deliberately withheld from members of the opposite political party despite the frequency and close proximity of their working conditions.
As the pandemic rages, our leaders are putting policies into effect with a callous disregard for life, as workers are put in the position of having to choose between likely exposure to the virus or economic destitution.
We are collectively experiencing a severe time of moral testing. So many of us are being put in the position of either not knowing the most correct course of action or not having the inner fortitude to carry out that correct course of action.
All these individuals—those who knew better but did not want to betray their political party; those who put others at risk for their own economic survival; those who turned away from heavily armed protesters and by doing so gave their tacit approval; those who witnessed the death of a man but were fearful of being harmed if they were to intervene—have one thing in common: inaction out of fear of consequences. So — what are we to do in these troubling times of social discord?
When answers elude the mind, those answers can be found within. Each one of us possesses the means to elevate not only our own consciousness but the collective consciousness of our entire country. With greater clarity of mind and a broader perspective, we will then see clearly the most positive courses of action to take in any given situation. Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a proven, effective way to do that.
TM is a non-religious, powerful brain-based technology. Extensive peer-reviewed research shows that is an effective means not only to reduce individual stress but also to effectively and efficiently reduce the high levels of collective stress causing insurmountable societal problems, thereby creating lasting peace. In particular, published scientific research has shown that when even 1% of a given population practices the TM technique, crime rates and other negative social trends drop sharply. And extensive research on the advanced TM-Sidhi program has repeatedly demonstrated that its group practice creates the same measurable transformation in social trends: positive solutions to ongoing problems occur naturally and society shifts from division to unity.
Consider: IDT was utilized in Washington D.C. over a two-month period in the summer of 1993, where 4000 meditators gathered for an experiment to lower crime. The result, as documented by an independent board of criminologists, was a 24 percent reduction in criminal violence. This profound reduction in social stress also influenced the public approval of the US president, which suddenly changed from a negative trend to a positive trend, as predicted.
While it seems too simple to be true, sometimes the simplest approach is the most effective. We recommend the following book: An Antidote to Violence: Evaluating the Evidence, by Barry Spivack and Patricia Anne Saunders, which details in depth the extensive supporting scientific research.
COVID19 may be an opportunity for us to re-evaluate our approach to societal issues. Governments have no time to lose. As the Coronavirus impacts us, we all need to come up with effective solutions to this virus and its resulting societal discord before is too late.
About the Authors:
Arlene J. Schar has served as Dr. Leffler's Executive Assistant at the Center for Advanced Military Science (CAMS) StrongMilitary.org since 2015. She has co-authored and edited many of Dr. Leffler's articles.
Dr. David Leffler served as an Associate of the Proteus Management Group at the Center for Strategic Leadership, US Army War College. Currently, he serves as the Executive Director at CAMS.
