With our President and the Congress paralyzed by scandal and partisan infighting, many American's are asking, "Don't we deserve more from our elected leaders?"

The unfortunate fact is we have no one to blame but ourselves. In a democratic society, we get the government we elect—and thus, to a large extent, the government we deserve. Few Americans were under any illusions about the President's personal life. Few were unacquainted with the highly partisan nature of the major parties. There were viable alternatives on the ballot, but our current elected officials are the representatives chosen by "we the people." Our government is merely a reflection of the collective consciousness of the people.

The only way to improve the quality of the government—and to raise the quality of life in society—is to raise the collective consciousness of the nation. In the long run, inevitably, people get what they deserve. They create their own health through the choices they make, and generate their own wealth through their industriousness and creativity. And, to a large extent, they bring suffering upon themselves through the mistakes that they make—by violating the Laws of Nature governing health, environment, and interpersonal relationships.

Self-Governing Society
One of the most remarkable feats of Nature's administration—Natural Law—is its ability to simultaneously nourish and attend to the needs of innumerable species. In a typical forest ecosystem, millions of diverse plant, animal, insect, and microbial species coexist in a perfectly organized, intricate web of mutual interdependence. Government leaders, on a smaller scale, are faced with a similar challenge of how to nourish and satisfy all their citizens—how to balance and reconcile the often conflicting tendencies and needs of a diverse population.

Fortunately, such a government is possible. As Maharishi explains in his Absolute Theory of Government, such a government is the spontaneous result of a population living in accord with Natural Law. Citizens whose thought and action are in accord with Natural Law are "self-governing." They do not cause problems for themselves or society. They achieve their aspirations easily through the skillful application of Natural Law. And, having gained the natural ability to fulfill their desires, such individuals are evolving—rapidly progressing in their own growth, and are therefore naturally happy.

Equally important, a society composed of such individuals is similarly self-governing. When citizens gain the ability to fulfill their interests in legal, life-supporting ways, while simultaneously promoting the interests of their community, society as a whole is able to progress rapidly, moving forward in the evolutionary flow of Natural Law.

The only practical, scientifically proven way to bring national life into harmony with Natural Law and to create a self-governing nation is through individual and group practice of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs, including Yogic Flying. These techniques provide direct experience of the Unified Field of all the Laws of Nature in the state of pure consciousness. With regular practice, the individual’s mind and physiology become profoundly attuned to Natural Law.

In addition, the group practice of the TM and TM-Sidhi programs creates a powerful field effect of consciousness that extends throughout the social environment. Extensive published research on the societal effects of such group practice shows improved positive trends throughout society, with marked reductions in crime, violence and social stress caused by the widespread violation of Natural Law.

The most powerful, positive, patriotic acts you can perform are to meditate regularly, to take advantage of all of Maharishi's programs to deepen your experiences—especially the TM-Sidhi program—and to introduce as many people as possible to the benefits of the TM technique.

As the collective consciousness of society improves, the quality of our national life—including the quality and integrity of governmental decisions concerning our food, our environment, genetic engineering, etc.—will also improve. Raising our national consciousness alone will revitalize the nation, bring true leadership to government, and restore dignity to America in the family of nations.

Dr. John Hagelin received his Ph.D. in physics from Harvard University, and is currently Director of the Institute of Science, Technology and Public Policy at Maharishi University of Management. He is the author of Manual for a Perfect Government: How to Harness the Laws of nature to Bring Maximum Success to Governmental Administration.