Q
How can 150 people possibly affect 1.8 million?
It is a matter of interference patterns in a field. Think of a large, noisy stadium where everyone is shouting in a disorganized way (social stress). If a small group of just 150 people begins to chant or clap in perfect unison, that coherent signal can be heard across the entire stadium.
In physics, this is known as the “square root of 1%” effect. In any system, when a small, coherent sub-unit reaches the square root of 1% of the total population, the entire system begins to move in a more orderly fashion. For South Australia’s 1.8 million people, that “coherent sub-unit” is 150.
Q
Is this just a “psychological” effect?
No. The research indicates this is a field effect. While the 150 practitioners experience deep internal rest, the “output” of their activity is a measurable increase in coherence in the collective consciousness of the state.
Think of it like a Broadcasting Tower: The tower doesn’t need to visit every house to deliver a signal; it radiates a field that every radio in the area can pick up. When the social “field” is coherent, individuals naturally feel less stressed and more capable of making pro-social decisions.
Q
Why hasn’t this been used by governments before?
Government policy is historically reactive—it waits for a crime to happen and then pays for a police officer and a jail cell. The SA Peace Project is proactive.
Because the “technology” used is often associated with personal wellness rather than “infrastructure,” it has taken time for the economic data to catch up. However, with over 50 peer-reviewed studies now published, the evidence is too significant to ignore.
Q
How do we know if it’s working?
We don’t ask you to take it on faith. We propose Time-Series Analysis. By tracking daily data from SAPOL and SA Health, we can look for “statistical breaks” that correlate exactly with the times the group is active.
If the crime rate drops exactly when the group hits the 150-person threshold, the correlation is scientifically established. This is a rigorous, empirical approach to social improvement.
Q
SAPeaceProject uses the results of the Rhode Island study to predict a 10-15% drop in expenditure by SA Health dept. I doubt that a drop in injuries, traumas and disease will lead to a reduction in expenditure because the main expense of SA Dept of Health is salaries. The medicos working there currently will experience lower workload for sure, and they should be less busy, they will still all be working x hours per week, same as now. So how can we confidently predict a lower expenditure?
Here is how a coherence-generating group leads to actual budget reductions without necessarily sacking a single doctor.
1. Reduction in “Variable Costs” (The Consumables)
While salaries are fixed, the treatment of acute trauma and cardiac events is incredibly expensive in terms of “inputs.”
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The Logic: Every person who doesn’t have a heart attack or a car accident saves the state the cost of:
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High-cost pharmaceuticals (stents, thrombolytics, specialized meds).
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Surgical consumables and pathology testing.
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Outsourced services: Private contractors often used for imaging or overflow.
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The Pitch: You aren’t cutting the doctor’s salary; you are cutting the $10,000 to $50,000 invoice that follows every major trauma or cardiac surgery.
2. Elimination of “Agency Staff” and Overtime (The Budget Killers)
SA Health’s biggest “hidden” expense isn’t the base salary of staff—it’s the premium pay required to cover gaps.
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The Logic: When the “social temperature” is high, ERs are slammed. This forces the department to call in “Locums” or “Agency Nurses” who charge 2x to 3x the standard rate.
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The Impact: A 10-15% drop in presentations means the existing staff can handle the load during their regular hours. This allows the department to virtually eliminate the multi-million dollar “overtime and agency” budget line.
3. Reduced “Bed Block” and Hospital Flow
In SA Health, “Bed Block” (when patients are stuck in ER because no wards are free) is a massive financial drain.
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The Logic: A reduction in acute admissions (the “Maharishi Effect” target) frees up beds. When flow improves, the “cost per patient” drops because the hospital isn’t paying for “surge capacity” or “outlier” stays.
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The Result: You can close “surge wards”—temporary sections of the hospital that are extremely expensive to staff and run.
4. Reduced Staff Burnout and Retraining
The “Fixed Cost” of a doctor becomes a “Variable Cost” when they quit due to stress.
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The Logic: High collective stress in society (violence, drug-related ER visits) causes staff burnout. Replacing a single specialized surgeon or senior nurse costs the state hundreds of thousands of dollars in recruitment and training.
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The Coherence Link: If the “workload” is lower and the “atmosphere” is calmer (less violence in the waiting rooms), staff retention increases.