Meditation Flash Mobs Promote Peace

I have heard of flash mobs before, and seen the videos that flood the internet overnight, but I have yet to hear of a meditation flash mob. These artful gatherings of meditators are organized by an organization known as MedMob, or the Global Flash Mob Meditation Movement, which was founded in 2011. The group got its start "in a seemingly auspicious way." In the year 2012, Patrick Kronfli had a vision during his meditation practice: "hundreds of people gathered in silent, leaderless meditation outside the state capitol" of Texas, Kronfli's home state. After he arrived home from a trip to India, Kronfli shared his experience with two friends who, inexplicably, told him they had both experienced the same vision during meditation. Kronfli recalls, "it was so powerful to think of connecting in the public as a group, to pause for a moment and just allow a new stream of conciousness to go through." From that point forward, the friend's vision was to become a reality. They publicized the idea through a facebook page and held their first meditation flash mob with a total of 60 particpants shortly afterward. With each successive flash mob the number of meditators grew, and eventually the movement spread to other cities. On September 21st of this year, the organization joined several ofthers for Be the Peace, which is a larger scale meditation movement "to celebrate the International Day of Peace" with 248 cities participating total. Kronfli's words about the event were that is was "a chance to invite the masses to join in a prayer and meditation for world peace."
This article struck me when I read it for several reasons. The idea of a flash mob, translated into a meditation movement, seems amazing to me. In essence, its purpose is the same as the purpose of a traditional flash mob: to gather together strangers in an event which celebrates life. And yet, the meditation mob is different and unique in its own way, for it promotes a much deeper and more profound sense of a connection between every individual. Sitting in silence in class, with both friends and strangers around me, I experience only a small part of this larger purpose. The next event is on November 11th, and I plan to join in on the meditation.