The Uncarved Blog

Here is an article I helped facilitate for David Lynch when we first started working with him, a year before the idea for the David Lynch Foundation was created under the dynamic leadership of Bob Roth, executive director for the Foundation. Up to this point David had kept his Transcendental Meditation practice private. When he made the decision to go public and help the TM movement he turned out to be a most unique and brilliant spokesman.

One event was a project to create world peace. We sent out our press release to the media and set up a NY press conference David would attend. Jauretsi Saizarbitoria, the entertainment editor for Jane magazine at the time, emailed back saying she was interested in David’s meditating and suggested he write an article for their special celeb issue on the topic: One significant day in my life. We mentioned it to him and he sent us an article of the day he learned that our human physiology, our body, was made of consciousness, which we forwarded to them. Knowing he was a painter, they also wanted to know what consciousness looked like to David. He sent a jpeg of an image he had created and they included it, giving him a whole page and titling it a Celeb Spiritual Report. It was published in their May, 2004 celeb issue. Jane was a popular woman’s magazine, published from 1997-2007. David posted the report on his website with other earlier David Lynch articles and interviews.

Here is David’s love of Maharishi’s Vedic knowledge explained in such a simple conversational tone that’s truly David Lynch. He’s actually a brilliant writer and speaker! They put the text on the bottom right of this photo. Here it is with the text underneath.

Jane – May, 2004
One significant day in my life
By David Lynch

This is a picture that director David Lynch (above) painted to show what consciousness looks like.

A significant event occurred in my life the day I learned that our human physiology, our body, is made of consciousness.

Consciousness???

“What???” I asked out loud in wonder.

I learned that our human physiology is so magnificent and complex, and so exquisite in its design and makeup, as to be wondrous beyond imagination. We are spun out of unbounded, infinite, eternal consciousness.

I learned that underlying all matter is a vast, unbounded, infinite and eternal field of consciousness called the Unified Field. I found out that modern science started taking this field seriously about 25 years ago and that all matter is unified at this level in a state of perfect symmetry, or balance. The entire universe emerges from this field in a process called “spontaneous sequential symmetry breaking.”

Are you still with me?

I also learned that there is another science called Vedic Science. This Vedic Science is ancient, and it has always talked of the Unified Field.

Interesting!

Veda, I learned, means “total knowledge.” The home of total knowledge is the Unified Field. It is also the home of all the laws of nature. The branches of Veda, 40 in total, make up the language of the Unified Field, the impulses of this eternal field.

I realized this Unified Field is quite an interesting place. It is not manifest and is full, meaning it is no thing, yet all things in potential. It manifests and permeates all things: the whole universe, everything, while still remaining full and not manifest.

Amazing!

Is this mind-boggling or what?

Now comes the hippest part. I have learned that any human being can “experience” the Unified Field.

Really?

Or: So what?

Why in the world would we care to experience the Unified Field?

First, another question.

Have you ever heard that most of us human beings use only 5 percent of our brain, our mind? Have you ever wondered what in the heck the other 95 percent is all about?

This is the beautiful part coming up.

The “experience” of the Unified Field actually unfolds “enlightenment”—higher states of consciousness culminating in Unity Consciousness, the highest state of consciousness. These higher states use that 95 percent of the brain. That is what the 95 percent is there for—to give us permanent, all-time enlightenment.

Now, what is enlightenment? If you were a lightbulb, let’s say, your “glow” might light up your whole house and surrounding yard. In enlightenment, your “glow” would be unbounded, infinite and eternal. That would be some glow!

Enlightenment is fulfillment. Supreme fulfillment. Unbounded, infinite, eternal bliss, consciousness, intelligence, creativity, harmony, dynamic peace.

Enlightenment, I have learned, is our “full potential.” It is the birthright of every human being to enjoy enlightenment.

Is this good news? I think it is such good news.

In Vedic Science, the Unified Field is called “Atma.” Translated, that is “Self”—the Self of us all.

The Unified Field is not something foreign, or even something far away. It is right within each of us at the base of our mind, the source of thought. A great sage from the Himalayas, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, brought a beautiful gift to our world in the form of Transcendental Meditation. Transcendental Meditation is an easy and effortless, yet supremely profound, technique that allows any human to dive within and experience that unbounded ocean of pure bliss, pure consciousness. the Unified Field, our Self.

It may be interesting for you to know that millions of people are practicing Transcendental Meditation all around the world. People from all religions, and all walks of life. Over 600 studies have been done in universities and research institutes validating the profound benefits of Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation Program.

Having this kind of knowledge and technologies of consciousness available to us in this age is, in my mind, a significant event. Yet the “experience” of that Unified Field is the most significant event, because it unfolds what we truly are—totality.

David’s movies include Eraserhead, Dune, Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive. He is looking forward to Creating World Peace Day, to be held mid-September at the Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa (www.mum.edu).

Copyright 2004 Fairchild Publications, Inc.

A few years later, when David agreed to do his first tour of American college campuses with John Hagelin and Fred Travis, we were amazed to see the hundreds of students showing up at his talks. David’s reputation preceded him. Here was a man who was true to his own vision and voice as a creative artist, without compromise, and this obviously appealed to them, along with his films.

But to clarify, David never gave any lectures as such; he dreaded the idea of speaking in public. But he said he would only answer questions, which was more direct and spontaneous. And this is what he did with great clarity, wit and wisdom, honesty and humility. Many of those answers were later compiled into a book called Catching the Big Fish. Read Inspiring excerpts – David Lynch: Catching the Big Fish – Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity.

David later went on a 16-Country Tour where he spoke at film schools, to media and heads of state about the value of meditation for creativity and peace. The footage, taken by local students and his DLF film crew, was later edited by David and his editor, and made into a documentary film: Watch the trailer for a new documentary film on David Lynch titled “Meditation Creativity Peace” | Russell Brand and David Lynch at LA Premiere of ‘Meditation, Creativity, Peace’ Documentary and David Lynch, Russell Brand, Bob Roth Q&A after screening Meditation, Creativity, Peace documentary at Hammer Museum.

I later asked for and received permission to post the whole film. Now you can see “Meditation Creativity Peace”—A documentary of David Lynch’s 16-country tour during 2007–2009.

There are many clips from that earlier campus tour and subsequent  David Lynch Weekends at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa http://www.lynchweekend.org. Here are some examples: Keeping True to the Idea | “First put your mask on, then help others.” | “It’s really good” | Darkness and Light | David Lynch Speaks at the Majestic Theater | David Lynch: Dive within | David Lynch: Consciousness and Creativity | David Lynch: Consciousness, Creativity and the Brain at UCBerkeley | David Lynch: Consciousness, Creativity and the Brain at UOregon | David Lynch – Consciousness 1, 2, 3, 4, and others posted on David Lynch Weekend at Maharishi University and WEBCAST REPLAY FROM THE DAVID LYNCH WEEKEND posted on DLF.TV..

To see the work of David’s Foundation visit David Lynch Foundation and David Lynch Foundation Television.

And since David believes so strongly of the benefit of meditation (TM) for the filmmaker, he has agreed to lend his name to a new graduate program in film at Maharishi University of Management. Visit MUM’s David Lynch MA in Film website for details:  http://filmschool.mum.edu.

Tags: Atma, Bob Roth, celebs, Consciousness, creativity, David Lynch, David Lynch Foundation, DLF.TV, filmmaking, human physiology, Jane, Jane Magazine, magazine, Maharishi University of Management, meditation practice, MUM, spiritual, stress, the Self, TM, Transcendental Meditation, Unified Field, Veda, Vedic knowledge

This entry was posted on August 3, 2013 at 4:38 pm and is filed under Art, Articles, David Lynch Foundation, Peace, Writing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.