Kathrin Gatys traveled all the way from Wolfsburg, Germany, to participate in this summer’s World Peace Assembly, held from July 20 to August 2 at MIU.

“I am so very happy that I could come back to the Golden Dome, after this long time since the pandemic,” Kathrin said. “Being in the Dome in Fairfield doing long meditations with all the others is my favorite place on earth. It gives me the experience of deep, lively silence, so enormously beautiful and huge.” 

More than 1,300 people participated in the gathering, both in person and remotely.

At the same time, MIU announced that it will hold four large meditation events each year into the future — two National TM Retreats, one in the spring and one in the fall, and two World Peace Assemblies, one in the summer and one in the winter.

National TM Retreats

TM Retreats, designed for those who practice the Transcendental Meditation technique, offer deep rest through the experience of additional daily meditation along with deeper knowledge of growth of consciousness. MIU held its first National TM Retreat this past spring, from May 25 to June 1. The next will be September 7–14.

World Peace Assemblies

World Peace Assemblies are for those who practice the TM technique along with the advanced TM-Sidhi program. MIU held a similar large World Peace Assembly this past winter, from December 29 to January 12, with approximately 2,000 online and in-person participants. The next will be December 29 to January 12, 2025.

Research over the past 40 years has found that when people practice the TM and TM-Sidhi programs in a sufficiently large group, they measurably improve the quality of life for the whole society, a phenomenon known as the Maharishi Effect. And research is beginning to show that meditation groups can enhance the brain functioning of others, which helps explain how the phenomenon works, creating more positive behavior change in others.

“My wife and I looked forward to MIU’s summer WPA because we knew it would be good for us, our country, and our world,” said Alan Steinberg, a medical doctor in Los Angeles. “We thoroughly enjoyed the winter course. Our experiences were wonderful, leaving us with a blissful glow that was replenished this summer.”  

“Some of my deepest meditation experiences have occurred in MIU’s Golden Domes.”

— Ellen Kirisitz

“Some of my deepest meditation experiences have occurred in MIU’s Golden Domes when they’re filled with people practicing these programs,” said Ellen Kirisitz, of Weaverville, California. “But these large group meditation programs also have a profound effect on the environment and collective consciousness. Participating in this World Peace Assembly is a win-win situation: helping to raise our own consciousness while creating coherence for the US and the world.”

“I just love coming back to MIU for WPAs, whenever they are held,” said Mindy Tiberi, from Evanston, Illinois. “The experience of meditation in the dome is so deeply nourishing and profoundly silent. The knowledge meetings are enriching and enjoyable and just being in the Sidha community makes me feel like I have come home to an enlightened family. I am so grateful for this opportunity to have this experience while creating coherence for the rest of the world!”

“We’re committed to offering these four large courses every year, year after year.”

— Tom Brooks

“We’re committed to offering these four large courses every year, year after year,” said Tom Brooks, long-time Vice President of Administration and currently Vice President of Sustainability and Environmental Strategy, who has served as chief administrator for these gatherings. “We know that if we do that, they will continue to gain momentum and grow.”