Victory Before War
Robert Keith Wallace & Jay B. Marcus
(Guest Reviewer - Kristian S.)
2005 Maharishi University of Management Press
ISBN: 0923569383

Preventing Terrorism through the Vedic Peace Technologies of His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Victory Before War describes the world's most complete homeland defense, which derives from the Vedic tradition of India, the source of Yoga. The Vedic peace technologies are ancient strategies of consciousness, including Yogic Flying & Yagya performances that use Vedic sounds traditionally understood to prevent violence in the vicinity of those performing the peace technologies. Small-scale research studies published in top scientific journals suggest this approach can work.

Guest Reviewer Kristian S. writes:

The best part of Victory Before War is that it is a look at the causes & prevention of terrorism in a whole new way. The world today seems a bit stuck at times & is struggling to solve the problem of terrorism. A fitting quote is included in the second chapter, spoken by none other than Donald Rumsfeld. “(We) have no way of telling whether we are winning or losing the war on terror.”

The inclusion of the many studies & applications of the Vedic ideas is quite successful. Throughout the book there are many references & studies, each helping to develop & validate the techniques. The fact that it was implemented in Washington DC with the result of a lower crime rate is certainly a critical point. However, I do not know how important the inclusion of the health rates of Vedic meditators is.

Victory Before War strays from the main topic of the book several times when it describes various other Vedic beliefs & ideas. Instead of a broad overview of these ideas, I believe it could examine terrorism more thoroughly. Several chapters have little if anything to do with supporting the thesis of the book. Granted, some description of the Vedic ideas is certainly necessary in order to understand the other ideas it presents, but much of it could have been trimmed, if only to include more pertinent information.

I am concerned as to whether or not the ideas described in Victory Before War are accessible to those outside of the beliefs inherent in them. Since the Vedic ideas are in some ways religious, people whose beliefs are different may not be as enthusiastic as the Yogi. I do not think that the technologies, however successful in trials, will ever be implemented, given the nature of people's beliefs. If it was ever considered by a governmental organization as a way to prevent terrorism, I fear that it would be met only with ridicule.

Victory Before War may not provide the solution to terrorism in the modern world. However, it is a necessary beginning for the nation & the world to look at terrorism in new & perhaps unorthodox ways. If anything, we need to look for creative solutions to prevent terrorism now & in the future. In this respect, Victory Before War certainly succeeds.

While Victory Before War is a worthy read because it is enlightening, I was a bit turned off by all the “evangelizing”. If I was going to teach the process, I think a much shorter text would do. Part of me feels like it was written with the intent to spread the Yogi's beliefs & used terrorism as a way to get people excited &/or buy the book, & that's why it gets only 2 teapots.

More from Robert Keith Wallace: The Physiology of Consciousness.
(08/28/05)

Guest Reviewer - Kristian S.
2005©Kristian S.