Vedic City?

[Guest guest]

Town sees mass meditation as way to world peace - Vedic City seeks enough adherents to end terrorism

 

By Julie Deardorff, Tribune staff reporter, Published November 28, 2001

 

VEDIC CITY, Iowa -- Even before terrorist attacks stunned the nation, the people in this town were diligently working for world peace. Here, every new home sprouting from former corn and soybean fields faces east for enlightenment and harmony. Every resident practices transcendental meditation for inner serenity and "unbounded awareness."

 

 

Vedic City is the nation's first incorporated city built entirely on Sthapatya Veda...

 

 

Ultimately, the small city's goal is to draw enough people to the area to practice an advanced form of group meditation, known as "yogic flying." If that happens, village leaders say, peace will begin to wash over the planet, preventing further acts of hate and destruction.

 

"We have the technology [means] to generate a powerful enough influence of peace to stop the violence," said John Revolinski, who has practiced transcendental meditation since the 1970s. "We only need a sufficiently large group to do it."

 

Revolinski and other supporters of Vedic City, tucked away in southeastern Iowa 60 miles south of Iowa City, know their methodology may sound absurd to outsiders. But in light of recent events, they believe their efforts are needed more than ever to help end the conflict in Afghanistan and to avoid future violence.

 

"Vedic City was built around a thirst for enlightenment," said Fred Gratzon, a resident and local businessman. "We know how to prevent problems, wars and suffering."