Medivate Forum

Meditation neither could nor should ever take over the world like nuclear war or other extremely affecting and quick changes one can imagine.
That being said, I think it has the power to change the world in some significant (if small) ways. But I think there's also a sort of inherent aggregation in this conversations that's worth addressing: meditation travels with many religions, but is not the same thing as any of those religions. It's conceivable that Jainism or Hinduism or Buddhism takes over the world and brings meditation along with it, but that doesn't seem like it speaks specifically to meditation's role.
Those provisos in place I think meditation has the potential to change the world on a small scale. I've found that meditation really heightens sensitivity: I'm much more aware of a how things feel. It's kind of what Louis CK is saying about kids saying "You're fat" and experiencing the return of that, but much more so. I'm more sensitive to the impact on me of my thoughts, the impact of other things I'd never previously noticed on my thoughts, and the implications of my actions in a way I never was before.
So I think to the extent I'd expect meditation to change the world, it's through a process of individuals experiencing that kind of change in their own life and sharing that with the small world over which they have influence. To the extent meditation is important to living in a sensitive and caring way, individuals sharing and spreading that energy with people will, in small but tangible ways, change the world.
And there's a real potential for a positive domino-effect to come from that process: a caring person sensitive to the value of meditation may well create a cascade of people looking to be more caring and interested in a practicing meditation. I think slowly but surely, the story of mindfulness/Buddhism/meditation coming to the Western world is that story, and it's early days.

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