The Madeline Effect

Last week, I received yet another emergency call. Since November 8th, it feels like “911” is a new state of normalcy we are being forced to navigate. From “shots fired, shelter in place” texts from my daughter’s college campus to news of someone being shot in Chicago every other hour (http://interactive.wbez.org/everyotherhour/), I find myself amping up my meditation practice as an antidote to all these crises.

As I sit and breathe and try to slow my racing heart, I ponder what’s emerging through us throughout these emergencies. I sense increasing capacities including a massive heart expansion — especially among the collective. This is what I see every time an emergency occurs: people come together to cry, comfort, chant, call, collaborate, and create solutions. Coming together in community is the very best response to all this chaos: it’s the upside of the downside.

In 1960, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi predicted that 1% of a population practicing Transcendental Meditation would produce measurable improvements in the quality of life for the whole population. This phenomenon was first noticed in 1974 when 1% of a community practiced Transcendental Meditation and the crime rate fell by 16% on average. The phenomenon named “the Maharishi Effect” describes the influence of positivity in an environment generated by a coherence of consciousness. Last week, I experienced firsthand what I am now calling “the Madeleine Effect.”

Madeline Connelly, 23, was lost with her rescue dog Mogi in Glacier Park for 6 nights and 7 days — and rescued by an amazing team of people on the ground and in the collective consciousness. (http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/ct-missing-hiker-found-montana-20170510-story.html) Over the course of that frightening week for her family, dozens and then hundreds and eventually thousands of people all over the planet prayed for her safe return. In addition to incredible rescue teams in Montana, many meditated and focused positive energy to uplift Madeline so she could be found. Without food, water or shelter, she miraculously survived a week in the wild.

Her story remains to be told. But I was part of a massive mission unknown to her as we gathered hundreds of psychics, healers, intuitives, meditators, remote locators and mothers around the globe. Everyone I contacted willingly focused hours and hours of attention on reviving her, illuminating her presence so she could be found. Famous finders, unknown mystics, friends of friends of friends, created a chain weaved text to text, state to state and eventually continent to continent, creating an energetic web of support uplifting Madeline and Mogi. Magically, on May 10, the spotlight revealed our dynamic duo, still alive, without a scratch of harm. This is what community looks like. People were eager to support one wondering in the woods — LOST — so she could be found. What could have been the worst Mother’s Day became the best.

Madeline will certainly feel “lost” again in the future — in the wilderness or most likely in “civilization” — but she, and WE, have found an amazing power in each other that cannot soon be forgotten. Even though she didn’t know that our focus of attention was on her, she and her family felt the light of the loving community that surrounded her at their darkest hour. No matter how lost, I hope they all remember forever how loved they are.  No matter how stressed, I hope we all remember how powerful our capacity to love can be.

All eyes were on Glacier’s Bear Country as we held our breath and connected our hearts to hold one of our children so she would come home after her long walk in the woods. We all know that there’s nothing like the ferocity of a mother bear, especially one whose cub is in trouble. The media tried to freak us out. But this time, faith-filled Mama Bears responded in the face of unfathomable fear by holding hearts and hope in our virtual home, our collective consciousness. Our massively courageous and compassionate response to this 911 brought one of our cubs home and awakened us all to the power of community coming together. What a wonderful realization that WE possess such positive power in the WE space between us. One girl was lost and a whole web of US found her, together.

This is my story, that of the spiritual search team, but I’d also like to recognize the boots on the ground, the prayers in the pews, her fantabulous family who never lost the faith, and Two Bear Air, all who played a part in the miraculous result brought about by the Madeline Effect. I wonder what miracle the next 911 will make possible.

P.S. If you were one of the many Mama Bears I called upon, thank you from the bottom of my grateful heart. Happiest of Mothers Days to you!

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