We live in dangerous times. Many nations, states, cities, terrorist groups, and even individuals have enough wealth to buy weapons of mass destruction. Lightweight, backback-size nuclear weapons are allegedly available on the black market. Biological and chemical weapons can be transported just as easily. Even high levels of security cannot guarantee total protection, nor can even the most well armed security force prevent terrorist attacks, but that doesn't stop the sales of massive amounts of weapons around the world.
Fear is a driving force in the current defense paradigm.
This fear-based model applies to opposing factions within countries as well as to conflict between countries. While the cycle of arms build-up enriches arms dealers, it drains resources that could be used to alleviate environmental, social, and economic problems. Using group meditation, the technique, known as consciousness-based defense, can actually prevent an enemy from arising by reducing collective stress in society. Orme-Johnson explains that collective stress is the sum total of individual stress. The individual is the basic unit of society, he says.