focus on... TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION Iconic filmmaker David Lynch has a viable solution to a pressing problem 10 embody magazine AUTUMN 2010 | www.ctha.com o many people in the United modalities that tend to keep the mind on the knowledge about building in accord with Kingdom recall Hubert Humphrey, surface level of thought and so impede the Natural Law. The knowledge of Transcendental Lyndon Johnson’s Vice President in transcending process. Meditation was revived in our era by the the White House in the 1960s? Hubert Michael Pierce MA (Cantab) has taught TM in revered sage Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who Dwas bright and loquacious, so much so that London for 30 years and in his vast experience, received it from his own teacher, Swami one Washington wag said he offered “more notes that one of the main inspirations for Brahmananda Saraswati, and launched, solutions than there are problems.” people learning TM in the UK – along with in l957, a worldwide movement to make it Similarly, the Obama Era is spawning a flood the clinical evidence on hypertension and available on every continent. Maharishi first of proposed solutions to current problems, depression – is David Lynch. “He’s appealed to came to the United Kingdom in l959, and on many of which, while promising, have little or no a whole new generation here, who are inspired many occasions thereafter, to oversee the track record. Into this maelstrom of speculation by the creativity and vision that he says he owes progress of the local TM movement. I wish to draw attention not only to a very serious to TM. Newer British celebrities, like Russell Brand, David Lynch talks of the inspiration behind his situation but also to a solution, which, after less have also been inspired to learn TM by him, and personal involvement with TM: than five years, already has a stunning record Brand is currently fundraising for the David Lynch “My sister called, and she had started TM,” he of achievement. Foundation, via the charity website, Crowdrise. reminisces. “There was something in her voice - less Enter iconic American filmmaker David Lynch, It’s great in the year we are celebrating the 50th stress and more happiness, a certain upbeat lilt. ‘I director of TV’s groundbreaking “Twin Peaks,” anniversary of TM in the UK to have so many gotta have that,’ I said to myself. When I actually and feature films that include “Eraserhead,” younger people learning the technique, as well started, it was like boom, as if a cable had been “Blue Velvet,” “Elephant Man,” “A Straight as those motivated by the headlines in the British cut and the elevator plunged right down into pure Story,” “Mulholland Drive,” and, most recently, media in the last 12 months about TM halving consciousness. I have been ‘diving within’ through “Inland Empire.” The Guardian has dubbed heart attacks, strokes and depressive symptoms the Transcendental Meditation technique for over Lynch “the best film director of this era,” but an in heart disease patients”. 30 years now. It has changed my life, my world, illustrious career has not impeded his concern John Hagelin, Ph.D., world-renowned allowing me to release stress that was causing for the welfare of today’s at-risk school kids. quantum physicist (“What The Bleep Do We fear and anxiety, opening the door to heightened The modality of his choice to help them? Know!?” and “The Secret”) and recipient of the creativity and bliss.” Meditation, and specifically Transcendental coveted Kilby Award, describes Transcendental Describing his journey which led to the formation Meditation, or TM, which is neither a religion nor Meditation as “a systematic means to turn the of the David Lynch Foundation, David said: a philosophy and therefore requires no change attention powerfully within, to experience and “Not long ago, when I heard about the of lifestyle. explore deeper levels of mind, quieter levels of crippling levels of stress and violence in the human awareness, a state of rest for the body lives of children today, about the need for deeper than sleep, where deep-seated stress armed guards to patrol school corridors, “My sister called, and is dissolved, providing an effective prevention and about widespread use of prescription she had started TM... and treatment for stress-related illness.” drugs with deleterious side effects, I became Over 600 scientific studies have been concerned about what this was doing to the there was something in conducted on Transcendental Meditation at health of these children and their ability to 250 medical schools and universities in over learn. Discussing the matter with a friend, the her voice - less stress 30 countries to verify its wide range of benefits thought came that in today’s turbulent world for the individual and society. Most notably, all school kids should have a class period to and more happiness” the U.S. National Institutes of Health, or NIH, begin and end the school day where they can funded in recent decades $26 million in grants dive within and experience the field of silence, Transcendental Meditation is a simple, easily to study the effects of TM practice on high the transcendental level of life, which is an learned technique, practiced for 20 minutes blood pressure, atherosclerosis, obesity, and enormous reservoir of energy and intelligence twice daily while sitting comfortably in a chair heart disease. Subjects for research have been within all of us.” with eyes closed. This quiet time provides the readily available because the TM technique To help at-risk students, the David Lynch mind and body with a unique state of “restful has now been taught to six million people in Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education alertness” which allows stress and fatigue to over 120 countries. and World Peace was formed and David be released in a natural way, resulting in better The timeless knowledge of TM derives from promptly made hefty donations to give it a health, greater energy, more clarity of mind, the Vedic heritage of India, the world’s oldest jump-start. Since then the DLF has helped and overall enhancement of the joy of life. system of knowledge. Veda means truth, fund “Quiet Time” programs, which are always It utilizes the natural tendency of the mind to or knowledge, and this tradition provides voluntary, around the world, teaching TM to go to a field of greater happiness, hence is knowledge about many areas of life. For over 100,000 children in the United States and basically effortless, differing thereby from all example, Yoga comes from the Vedic tradition, Latin America, the Middle East, Europe, and other meditation techniques, which invariably as does Ayurveda, the world’s most ancient Africa. Progress was made in the financial involve either concentration or contemplation, system of health care, and Sthapatya Veda, area by a benefit concert given at New >> embody magazine AUTUMN 2010 | www.ctha.com 11 York’s Radio City Music Hall and featuring such For the past three years, researchers there and physiology at Maharishi of Management, renowned meditating artists as Beatles Sir Paul have conducted controlled studies on the has been working with at-risk adolescents in McCartney and Ringo Starr, legendary singer/ effects of Transcendental Meditation for U.S. schools and reports on a study recently songwriter Donovan, Mike Love of the Beach reducing acute stress and behavioral problems. conducted at the University of Connecticut Boys, flute virtuoso Paul Horn, Sheryl Crow, Moby, Also underway or under consideration to involving 106 secondary school students from Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper, Russell Simmons, upgrade reservation life are wind and energy three public schools, primarily from lower co-founder of the pioneering hip-hop label Def development, organic farming, and cultural income, minority populations. “Meditating Jam, and Jerry Seinfeld in a winning stand-up preservation. John Boncheff, the program’s students,” he relates, “showed significant comic skit. Since a huge number of schools co-director, says findings to date show that TM reductions in anxiety, emotional problems, around the world remain on a waiting list for in the Winnebago School promoted improved and hyperactivity, and improved overall “It was just beautiful. The academic achievement has gone up, and behavioral problems have gone down” Quiet Time programs, plans are underway for standardized state tests of mathematics and mental health after an average of four months future benefit concerts in different venues. reading in students below proficiency level, compared to controls.” “Something must While a wide range of public, private, and less absenteeism, and higher graduation rates. be done to help today’s youth deal with the charter schools have instituted Quiet Time Prosper Waukon, a Winnebago elder and tribal enormous amount of stress in their lives,” says programs, the David Lynch Foundation is council leader, states that diabetes strikes a Dr. Robert Colbert, professor at the University also sponsoring a project called the Model startling 80% of American Indians, and that of Connecticut and co-author of the study. American Indian Community Initiative on the since starting TM some have been able to “This study shows that something can help Winnebago Reservation in Nebraska, the Pine better their overall health outcomes and rely immediately and it is easy to implement in any Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, and the less on diabetes medications. school setting.” Passamaquoddy Reservation in Maine. Dr. Sanford Nidich, professor of education One recent study, published in the 2009 12 embody magazine AUTUMN 2010 | www.ctha.com issue of the peer-reviewed “Current Issues Time program. “It changed the whole climate beings. Meeting these students, for me, was the in Education,” followed a group of 10 of the school, says principal Dr.