- Deep knowledge and experience of your developing consciousness
- Study 12 areas of national life, including the deepest principles that unite them all
- Consciousness-Based Programs to achieve the goals and solve problems in these 12 areas
- The foundation of this curriculum is the traditional knowledge and practical applications of the full development of human consciousness, as brought to light in a scientific framework by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and verified by 70 years of experience and more than 700 scientific studies.
Why this program?
We face major challenges today — in the areas of global health, climate change, social justice, food insecurity, divisions within and between countries, and more.
Increasing numbers of young people are becoming involved and committed to meaningful change to solve problems in these areas.
Even so, more is needed to address the challenges – new approaches to problem-solving, with new and effective leadership to implement them.
The MA in Enlightenment and Leadership meets this need, providing new approaches:
- Developing uniquely effective leadership through the Technology of Consciousness, to develop their own fullest potential from within – their limitless creative intelligence. Students become increasingly inspired and motivated. Repeated scientific research indicates that students steadily grow in vitality, creativity, broad perspective, and compassion.
- Training leaders to recognize the source of societal problems and applying effective and proven Consciousness-Based programs for addressing these problems in the most all-encompassing way
- Developing higher consciousness naturally results in an increasingly positive, progressive influence on your surroundings, irrespective of your position or activity. This is the deepest meaning of leading others through growing enlightenment.
Structure of the program
SEMESTER 1
You’ll dive into 12 fundamental areas of society, studying (a) their distinctive principles, (b) the deeper principles they all have in common, and (c) the deepest reality of all areas — the field of pure consciousness, pure intelligence, which is your own Self.
These 12 areas are—
- Law
- Education
- Health
- Agriculture
- Economics
- Administration
- Architecture
- Defense
- Communication
- Music and Arts
- Religion and Culture
- Political Science
More about the 1st semester
For example, one deeper principle found in all areas of study is that every discipline is structured in layers, with the deepest layers having the broadest application and explanatory power for that discipline.
Example of this principle from the field of education:
- A surface understanding of education, for example, consists of the teacher presenting information, concepts, and assignments to the student.
- A deeper understanding aims for education to expand the students’ creativity and intelligence so that they can learn any subject with greater mastery, and apply it with greater originality and success.
- The deepest level of education is achieved when the student’s awareness is established in pure consciousness, from where anything can be known and applied for the good of everyone.
Example of this principle from the field of health:
- A surface understanding is that good health consists of no symptoms of disease, and the most effective way of treating disease is through using of medicine.
- A deeper understanding is that health involves preventing disease through strengthening of the body and taking responsibility for one’s own health.
- The deepest level of health consists of enlivening the body’s total intelligence through the regular experience of pure consciousness, resulting in preventing disease and enjoying maximum physical and mental well-being.
Through the deep experience and understanding of pure consciousness, the 12 areas of study become most complete, with scientifically verifiable solutions to their challenges.
SEMESTER 2
You’ll study the Consciousness-Based programs that have proven effective in addressing the issues and achieving the goals in each of the 12 areas.
DURING BOTH SEMESTERS
You’ll participate twice a day in group practice of the Transcendental Meditation® technique and its advanced program. This gives you the foundation for steady growth toward enlightenment, increasingly effective leadership, and the transformation of your nation.
This growth of consciousness produces wide-ranging positive results. More than 700 scientific studies, conducted at over 200 universities and research institutes in 30 countries, document the benefits of these programs. These benefits include:
Three randomized controlled studies among Chinese students found that, in contrast to controls, those who learned the Transcendental Meditation Technique showed significant improvement in five measures of intellectual functioning; they also showed decreased anxiety. Reference: Intelligence 29: 419–440, 2001
- increased creativity and increased intelligence
- increased happiness and confidence
- increased success in achieving one’s goals
- improved health
- broader comprehension with sharper focus
- more satisfying personal and work relationships
- more coherent and integrated brain functioning
These qualities are all valuable for most effective and fulfilling leadership.
High levels of EEG coherence measured during Transcendental Meditation are significantly correlated with higher creativity, greater efficiency in learning new concepts, more principled moral reasoning, higher verbal intelligence (IQ), less neuroticism, higher academic achievement, clearer experiences of Transcendental Consciousness, and greater neurological efficiency (faster spinal reflex recovery). References: International Journal of Neuroscience 13: 211–217, 1981; 15: 151–157, 1981; Scientific Research on Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Programme: Collected Papers, Volume 1: 208–212, 1977; Volume 4: 2245–2266, 1989.
Many research studies also show that when a large number of people practice these programs as a group, together in one place, they create a powerful effect on the whole society. Positive trends increase and negative trends diminish. The larger the group, the more widespread the effect. If the group is large enough, it can transform the quality of life in society.
Thus, as part of a large group practicing these Technologies of Consciousness at the university, you’ll be quietly achieving something that even top government leaders have often been unable to achieve.
Other special features
Teaching methods include students presenting what they are learning with their own insights, both individually and in groups.
The weekly professional skills seminars include communication and leadership. Developing speaking skills includes students taking short videos of each other making presentations, and then evaluating them.
- The dynamic and interactive classes create a joyful learning environment and expand your creativity.
- The weekly professional skills seminars are in scientific research methods and design, computer applications, academic writing, and communication and leadership.
- One of the unique opportunities of this program is to prepare you for leadership positions in Consciousness-Based programs in your country or internationally.
What is enlightenment?
One’s level of consciousness directly relates to the level of development of the brain. In the state of enlightenment, all parts of the brain are highly integrated, resulting in highly effective, mistake-free thought and action.
In the tradition of Yoga and meditation, enlightenment refers to the highest level of human development, the highest level of consciousness. This means, in daily life—
- deep, unshakeable inner happiness and peace
- exceptional creativity and intelligence, applied in a way that always benefits others and the community as well as one’s self
- complete clarity in setting goals, which are always appropriate for every age and stage of life; and natural effectiveness in achieving them
- an all-positive, nourishing, and helpful influence on others and on society
- the inner experience of being connected with everyone and everything in the universe
These are some of the wide-ranging qualities that develop with regular practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique and its advanced program, as verified by the hundreds of scientific studies over the past 50 years.
As these qualities grow, one naturally leads others with increasing creativity, wisdom, and compassion. Such leaders create a powerful influence for a harmonious, progressive, and peaceful society.
Growing enlightenment promotes ideal leadership
Based on these positive, more enlightened characteristics of mind and body, one naturally leads others with increasing creativity, wisdom, and compassion.
This level of leadership, based on growing enlightenment, creates a steady influence for a problem-free, harmonious, progressive, and peaceful society
Whether we are in a position of authority or not, we lead others through this influence.
Next entry: Aug 2025Apply Now >Next entry: Aug 2025Apply Now >
Jess Nohle is this program’s admissions counselor for US students. Jess will provide you with all the details of becoming a student, including connecting you with the program director or faculty.
