The David Lynch Foundation, in partnership with the Global Union of Scientists for Peace, has announced the launch of an estimated $500 million world peace initiative.

Through the initiative, the foundation, which promotes the use of transcendental meditation to eradicate trauma and stress, is inviting donors and philanthropists to support the training of 30,000 university students to become advanced peace-creating meditation experts. Partners include Maharishi International University in Fairfield, Iowa, its sister school in India, and 10 partner universities around the world. According to the foundation, more than 400 published, peer-reviewed studies have documented the benefits of Transcendental Meditation for reducing stress in the individual, including healing trauma, lowering levels of anxiety and depression, and improving overall health and resilience.

“The problem of violence, at its source, is stress—the escalating buildup of political and societal stress in collective consciousness that fuels conflict and warfare,” said Lynch.

“The research has been carefully scrutinized by independent scholars and accepted for publication in leading, peer-reviewed academic journals,” said John Hagelin, international president of the Global Union of Scientists for Peace and president of Maharishi International University. “In every case, this approach produced marked reductions in crime, social violence, terrorism and war, and increased peace and positivity in society.”

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