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Craig Pearson interview and articles on awakened consciousness, transcendence and enlightenment

February 22, 2013

Since the theme of The Uncarved Blog deals with Transcendental Meditation, consciousness & enlightenment, and poetry, I’d like to introduce someone to you who has been studying these ideas in great people’s lives for some time now and has complied them all in a book.

Craig Pearson-EECraig Pearson, Ph.D., is the author of the forthcoming book, The Supreme Awakening, Experiences of Enlightenment Throughout Time — And How We Can Cultivate Them. He has spent many years researching the expression of higher states of consciousness in the writings of great philosophers, saints, scientists, artists, and writers. 

Dr. Pearson is the Executive Vice-President of Maharishi International University in Fairfield, Iowa. He has served the University in a variety of roles over the past 33 years, (42 years, updated 2022) including Dean of Faculty, Dean of Students, Director of Maharishi University of Management Press, Director of Freshman Composition, and Professor of Professional Writing.

In this interview for Issue 5 of Enlightenment Magazine, Linda Egenes asks Craig Pearson about humanity’s age-old quest for enlightenment. Dr. Pearson highlights his answers with examples of exceptional people throughout history who had described experiences of higher states of consciousness. It was originally titled, The Quest for Enlightenment: Transcendence in the Lives of Great Seers and Thinkers. Linda also posted the text of the article on her blog. It was later republished in the newer Enjoy TM News, The Transcendental Meditation magazine: Exploring Higher States of Consciousness, the Ultimate Goal of Meditation. How to cultivate the state of enlightenment. 

Some of the people mentioned in the article are available in a list of quotes complied on the TM Blog in an Author Archive. Click on each quote and it will take you to an article about each one, and many more.

Enlightenment: What is the relationship of enlightenment and human potential?

Dr. Pearson: Enlightenment is a term that has been used for thousands of years, in traditions east and west, to refer to the most fully developed expression of human potential, far beyond the ordinary.

Enlightenment: How common is it?

Dr. Pearson: Although this extraordinary experience has been described by individuals in different cultures over the millennia and is celebrated in the world’s spiritual traditions, it seems to be exceedingly rare. But obviously it lies within the realm of human potential.

Enlightenment: What has Maharishi contributed to the understanding of enlightenment?

Dr. Pearson: Maharishi Mahesh Yogi is often credited with reintroducing the concept of enlightenment in a systematic manner in our modern age. He has put forward a comprehensive understanding of enlightenment that embraces the great traditions and thinkers who have described this experience across time. Maharishi was also the first to promote scientific investigation into enlightenment, bringing the phenomenon of spiritual development into the arena of modern science.

Enlightenment: How does Maharishi describe enlightenment?

Dr. Pearson: For Maharishi, enlightenment is the ultimate development of one’s inner potential as a human being. It means being established in the highest state of human consciousness.

Enlightenment begins with experiencing the reality of your innermost Self as unbounded and eternal and being established at that level. This means the consciousness of an enlightened person is no longer subject to the ups and downs of emotions, mind, and body but steadfast, anchored in inner silence.

Enlightenment brings the ultimate unfoldment of one’s creativity and intelligence. It means living in harmony with all the laws of nature and easily fulfilling your desires. It means being of maximum use to yourself and others and creating a powerfully nourishing effect in one’s environment.

At the highest stage, enlightenment means experiencing the universe as the expression of your unbounded Self. It is a state of perpetual freedom and bliss, supreme fulfillment.

Enlightenment: Can we relate this in any way to our day-to-day experience?

Dr. Pearson: Although this vision of human development may seem idealistic, we have all had experiences in this direction. Some days we just feel happier inside, more appreciative of others—life is easier, fuller, richer, and more rewarding. We may have moments of enhanced mental clarity or heightened levels of creativity, when we surprise ourselves with how quickly the solution to a problem may come. Athletes sometimes experience the zone—periods of peak performance that are effortless and euphoric.

At these times we are using a bit more of our potential. But enlightenment is far, far more than this. It goes far beyond just having a good day. People who have had experiences of enlightenment report that words simply cannot capture the sublimity of the experience.

Enlightenment: You have researched how individuals from different historical epochs and different parts of the world have shared this same experience. Can you talk about that?

Dr. Pearson: In traditions throughout time we find remarkably similar descriptions of this extraordinary experience of human life lived to its fullest—in the writings of great philosophers, religious figures, artists, scientists, and writers, as well as in the great religious traditions of the world. The terminology may vary from tradition to tradition and age to age. But when you have the clear and precise description of enlightenment provided by Maharishi, it becomes easy to appreciate what these people are talking about.

Enlightenment: So the experience is universal?

Dr. Pearson: Yes. And the recognition that many have shared this experience throughout history is not new either. Some scholars have called it the perennial philosophy or the primordial tradition. The perennial philosophy holds that although various spiritual and philosophical traditions appear different on the surface, at their core all traditions share common, universal principles.

Enlightenment: What are these universal principles?

Dr. Pearson: The perennial philosophy has three basic tenets: (1) Underlying the diversity of the world is a field of unity. (2) We can subjectively experience this field of unity deep within us. (3) The purpose of life is ultimately to experience and live this inner, divine reality of life.

This inner field goes by different names. Laozi called it the Tao. Plato called it the Good, the One, and the Beautiful. Aristotle called it Being. The Greek-Roman philosopher Plotinus called it the Infinite. In Judaism it is called Ein Sof, in Christianity the kingdom of heaven within. In more modern times, Ralph Waldo Emerson called it the Oversoul.

These different names are not referring to mere philosophical or spiritual ideals. They point to the inner reality of life—a reality that can be experienced directly and, when experienced, brings fulfillment beyond words.

Enlightenment: How does Maharishi talk about this inner field?

Dr. Pearson: Maharishi characterizes it as an unbounded field of pure consciousness, an all-pervading ocean of creativity, intelligence, and bliss, beyond space and time. Maharishi asserts, moreover, that this field of pure consciousness is identical with the unified field of natural law that modern physics describes mathematically. Thus the inner field that gives rise to all our thoughts and feelings is the same field that gives rise to the entire universe.

Enlightenment: And we can experience this inner field of pure consciousness?

Dr. Pearson: Every human being has the natural ability to experience this field. It simply requires “diving within,” allowing the mind to settle inward, beyond the thinking process. This is called transcending.

People throughout history have described and celebrated this experience. It is a simple and natural experience—but by most accounts seems to be rare and fleeting. People have lacked a technique for experiencing it systematically. This is the gift Maharishi has given us—the Transcendental Meditation technique, a simple, natural, effortless procedure by which anyone can dive within at will.

Until Maharishi started teaching in the West, the understanding of how to transcend had for the most part been lost. The Transcendental Meditation technique, which has its origin in the ancient Vedic tradition, provides direct experience of pure consciousness. It is easy to learn and practice, validated by hundreds of scientific research studies, and practiced by millions of people throughout the world.

Read the rest of this fascinating article, which includes experiences from Rabindranath Tagore; Alfred, Lord Tennyson; Hakuin Ekaku; and a woman known as Peace Pilgrim.

Many other experiences have also been written up by Dr. Pearson and posted on the TM Blog. Here they are, from recent to earlier posts:

‘Freedom and Self-Realization’: Excerpts from Jack Forem’s book on TM
Howard Thurman: Experiencing “the Great Silence” within us
Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook: Connecting with the “deep soul”
The Buddha: Rapturous Joy Transcending Any Other
Meister Eckhart: It is in the purest thing that the soul is capable of
D.H. Lawrence: Sitting in a Timeless Stillness
St. John of the Cross: Transcending all knowledge
William Wordsworth: We are laid asleep in body, and become a living soul
Emily Dickinson: The Soul’s Superior instants
Albert Einstein: There is Neither Evolution nor Destiny; Only Being
Zhuangzi: Why don’t you try wandering with me to the Palace of Not-Even-Anything
St. Teresa: A state of great quiet and deep satisfaction
Johannes Brahms: In tune with the Infinite
Rumi: I have passed beyond all thoughts
Plato: And this state of the soul is called wisdom
Jesus: The kingdom of God is within you
Henry David Thoreau: We become like a still lake of purest crystal
Ralph Waldo Emerson: Within man is the soul of the whole; the wise silence; the universal beauty
Walt Whitman: The luminousness of real vision
Alfred, Lord Tennyson: A state of transcendent wonder
Helen Keller: I feel the flame of eternity in my soul
Laozi: His mind becomes as vast and immeasurable as the night sky
 

Update: Craig Pearson’s book, The Supreme Awakening, is now available. Executive Vice President Dr. Craig Pearson was interviewed on KHOE’s “A Chat With The Dean” by Dr. Cathy Gorini on his new book, “The Supreme Awakening – Experiences of Enlightenment Throughout Time, and How You Can Cultivate them.”

Listen to a presentation Dr. Pearson gave in Dalby Hall on the book, which was recorded for broadcast by KHOE.

Listen to Dr. Pearson on KRUU FM, Writers’ Voices recorded Feb 21, 2014.

Listen to Craig Pearson on KRUU FM show, Writers’ Voices, discussing his new book, The Supreme Awakening.

Here is a video of Dr. Pearson’s recent presentation on his book, The Supreme Awakening, in Dalby Hall on the MUM campus seen on the MaharishiUniversity channel.

Craig Pearson has since updated his book with new entries. Here is an informative interview by Jeanne Ball, April 20, 2016, in the Huffington Post: The Supreme Awakening: What Did Buddha, Emerson, Einstein and Saint Teresa Have in Common?

Guest blogger and author William T. Hathaway reviews Craig Pearson’s book, The Supreme Awakening.

Other talks on this topic by Craig Pearson are available in this MIU Webinar at Dalby Hall published in Enjoy TM News and this interview on TM Talks.

Mar 4, 2024: Simplest State‘s Ron Decter interviewed Craig Pearson, Author: “The Supreme Awakening: Experiences of Enlightenment Throughout Time”.

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Posted in Art, Articles, Education, Maharishi University, Music, Peace, Poetry, Writing | 5 Comments »

8,000 Mayan and indigenous tribal students meditate for peace to mark the end of an era

December 22, 2012

8,000 Mayan, Zapotec, and Mixtec Students Meditate for World Peace and Restructure the Apocalypse to Create the End of the [War-torn] World

By David Leffler | December 23, 2012  | The Liberian Dialogue

Mexico students meditate for peace

Nine countries in Latin America are implementing Transcendental Meditation and Yogic Flying in military and/or educational settings.

With much media fanfare worldwide, the Mayan calendar came to an end on 21 December 2012, with far-flung predictions of global apocalypse. But most of us are still here, so perhaps the “end of the world” was in fact a new beginning – the end of the world as we know it, and the dawn of a new and more enlightened age.

On that apocalyptic day, 8,000 young children – descendants of the Mayans, Mixtec, Zapotec, and other indigenous tribes – gathered at Monte Alban, a sacred mountain of the Zapotec people in southern Mexico, to meditate together for world peace. Around the world, people of all ages, cultures, and religions participated with them in simultaneous group practice of the non-religious Transcendental Meditation® (TM) program and its advanced TM-Sidhi program, both founded by the late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

In Latin American military circles, this collective TM practice by large groups of peace-creating experts is known as the Invincible Defense Technology (IDT) due to its scientifically confirmed ability to neutralize the destabilizing influence of collective stress, held to be the root cause of terrorism, war, and violent crime.

These young Mexican children, along with many students in other Latin America countries, had been trained in these peace-creating technologies for approximately eight months. Their gathering at Monte Alban was a demonstration to the world of the effectiveness of these technologies in defusing social violence and “averting the danger that has not yet come” – a principle of collective coherence drawn from the ancient Yoga Sutras.

Is this gathering something out of a “New Age” science fiction thriller? No. This unusual defense strategy really works. It is advocated by the Global Union of Scientists for Peace (GUSP, http://www.gusp.org), a coalition of Nobel laureates and leading scientists who see it as the best way to avert the growing threats of nuclear proliferation, terrorism, and weapons of mass destruction; to create national security in every country; and to establish lasting world peace.

John Hagelin, Ph.D., a renowned Harvard-trained quantum physicist who heads this group, says, “In recent years, [this] powerful, innovative approach to peace has been extensively field-tested – in the Middle East and throughout the world. The consistent result has been dramatic reductions in terrorism, war, and social violence. These findings have been replicated, published in leading academic journals, and endorsed by hundreds of independent scientists and scholars. The efficacy of this approach is beyond question.” [An Op-Ed piece: “Reducing Tension in the Middle East” was recently published worldwide advocating this approach.]

According to Luis Intof Alvarez, the organizer of the Monte Alban gathering, the advanced TM-Sidhi practice has been taught to 8,000 students in 54 schools in southern Mexico and Guatemala during just the past weeks. With over 250 Latin American schools now participating in this program, at least 20,000 students will be collectively practicing these peace-creating technologies by this time next year. Alvarez says that our world leaders now have a choice. Which direction do we want to take: continued violence or creating peace?

His point is made more vivid by the tragic recent events at the Sandy Hook elementary school in Newton, Connecticut, USA. Throughout the U.S., students in schools and colleges continue to be the victims of senseless violence. By contrast, the Mayan and other tribal students throughout Latin America are creating peace, not only within themselves but also on a much grander scale – for their schools, cities, and nation as a whole.

Latin American students in both civilian and military  schools are learning and applying this strategy. Currently, at least nine Latin American countries are soon due to have fully operational peace-creating groups in military and/or educational settings. Military leaders worldwide will soon be surprised to learn that students can actually do a much better, safer, and more effective job of protecting their nations with an advanced TM meditation practice than with expensive hi-tech military weaponry. Informed Latin American leaders, especially those now in charge of military schools, have already deployed this approach. Lieutenant General José Martí Villamil, a pioneering former Vice-Minister of Defense for Ecuador, first conducted a military field-test during their war with Peru in the early 1990s, with promising results.

In the past, in non-Latin American countries, field tests of these coherence-creating groups achieved measurable positive results that were also apparent from news reports. In trouble spots, violence and war deaths subsided, peace negotiations improved, and/or treaties were signed. The first head of state to ever implement such a program was President Joachim Chissano of Mozambique. Read the amazing story of what happened when members of his government and military learned to meditate. (See: Psychology Today, “Can Meditation Change the World?“)

Over fifty studies have scientifically documented the profound and measurable benefits of this approach to peace. In one such study, conducted during the first Lebanon war, the predicted effects and publicly available measures to be used were specified in advance for scientific review boards in North America and Israel. The outcomes of this and other such experiments have been published in respected peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Conflict Resolution, 1988, 32: 776–812; Social Indicators Research, 1999, 47: 153-201; Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 2003, 36 (1-4): 283-302; Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 2005, 17(1): 339-373; Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 2005, 17(1): 285-338; and Journal of Scientific Exploration, 2009, 23(2): 139-166.

It could be argued that the positive social effects of these deployments are already beginning to be documented. In a 2011 poll, Gallup measured positive emotions in 148 countries and found that Latin Americans are the most positive people in the world. Their region is home to eight of the top 10 countries for positive emotions worldwide.

Certainly Evo Morales Ayma, the President of Bolivia, believes that “the end of the world” is only the end of the world as we know it. At the 67th General Assembly of the United Nations, he said:

“And I would like to say that according to the Mayan calendar on the 21 of December is the end of the non-time and the beginning of time. It is the end of the Macha and the beginning of the Pacha, the end of selfishness and the beginning of brotherhood, it is the end of individualism and the beginning of collectivism – 21 of December this year. The scientists know very well that this marks the end of an anthropocentric life and the beginning of a bio-centric life.

It is the end of hatred and the beginning of love, the end of lies and beginning of truth. It is the end of sadness and the beginning of happiness, it is the end of division and the beginning of unity, and this is a theme to be developed. That is why we invite all of you, those of you who bet on mankind, we invite those who want to share their experiences for the benefit of mankind.”

Dr. David Leffler received his Ph.D. in Consciousness-Based Military Defense (Invincible Defense Technology – IDT) from The Union Institute & University in Cincinnati. He served as an Associate of the Proteus Management Group at the Center for Strategic Leadership, US Army War College. He has published articles in over 400 locations worldwide about IDT and now serves as the Executive Director at the Center for Advanced Military Science (CAMS). Dr. Leffler teaches IDT and is available at http://www.StrongMilitary.org. 

More photos of the meditating students are available at the end of David Leffler’s article posted here. These are the countries where the article has been featured so far: INDIA – Mangalorean; LIBERIA – The Liberian Dialogue; NIGERIA – Nigeria Sun; AUSTRALIA – The International News Magazine U.S. Edition; UK – The News Tribe, a bilingual news website covering Pakistan, South Asia, Middle East and UK; Global Edition – One News Page. Global Good News reported the news as well as an earlier backgrounder of how the parents and students prepared for this special event: Mexico: Thousands of indigenous students to meditate together at traditional celebration.

For a scientific explanation behind the power of large groups collectively practicing the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program including Yogic Flying, read The Power of The Collective, by John Hagelin. Also see Op-Ed peace piece spreading around the world: Reducing Tension in the Middle East and Ken Wilber said meditation can change the world. Jaochim Chissano showed it could – Steve Taylor.

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George Stephanopoulos interviews Jerry Seinfeld & Bob Roth on the importance of Transcendental Meditation for PTSD

December 13, 2012

Jerry Seinfeld on GMAThis morning on Good Morning America, George Stephanopoulos interviewed comedian Jerry Seinfeld and Bob Roth, executive director of the David Lynch Foundation, on the importance of Transcendental Meditation for PTSD. Jerry said he’s been practicing TM for 40 years now. Both Seinfeld and Roth gave clear explanations of what TM can do for you. Jerry added his trademark humor describing how stressed George’s work was having spent the morning with him on the set. George said he’s been practicing TM for two years and it’s made a big difference. While on the set Jerry helped chef Emeril bake Christmas cookies.

Bob Roth discussed the successful application of TM for veterans and inner-city school students with PTSD. He mentioned a recent TM study published by the American Heart Association showing an almost 50% reduction in heart attacks, stroke and death in patients who regularly practiced Transcendental Meditation over a 5-year period.

Roth also mentioned Admiral Schneider, President of Norwich University, the oldest military college in the country, using Transcendental Meditation to develop resiliency in their cadets, inoculating tomorrow’s warriors against stress. See President Schneider discuss the impact of the technique at a recent Iowa Veterans Summit on PTSD and Transcendental Meditation.

Uploaded on Dec 13, 2012 by meditationchannel. Click to read a Transcript for Jerry Seinfeld on Importance of Meditation for PTSD.

Tonight at the Lincoln Center an historic jazz concert was held as a Benefit Gala to fund such projects sponsored by the David Lynch Foundation. Visit www.changebeginswithin.org to see the line up of top jazz musicians. Mail Online gave a report from the Red Carpet with photos of celebrity guests and musicians: All jazzed up: Liv Tyler steals looks on the red carpet at star-studded music gala for the David Lynch Foundation. Recapo also gave a good synopsis GMA: Jerry Seinfeld, George Stephanopoulos Transcendental Meditation. You can see photos on the m&c website: 4th Annual David Lynch Foundation Gala Pictures. Read this excellent report in BULLETT by Stella Girkins: Celebrating Transcendental Meditation at the 2012 David Lynch Foundation Benefit Gala, which also includes a video from the David Lynch Foundation: Changing Lives With Meditation. See the DLF Gala Benefit Report.

Related news: Soledad O’Brien interviews Russell Simmons and Bob Roth of the David Lynch Foundation on TM for Vets with PTS on CNN’s Starting Point and Study suggests meditation may help prevent PTSD—Boston Globe article by Bryan Bender. Elevated Existence: Jerry Seinfeld Talks About His 40 Years of Transcendental Meditation.

See the video Highlights from Jazz at Lincoln Center Benefit for David Lynch Foundation.

See the latest news on TM at Norwich University, May 10, 2016.

Watch this Feb 6, 2018 show: @GMA’s @RobinRoberts & @GStephanopoulos interview @meditationbob on his new book #StrengthInStillness: The Power of #TranscendentalMeditation.

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Posted in David Lynch Foundation, Education, Health, Videos | 8 Comments »

Free Your Mind Projects host Wendy Almasy interviews meditating stars on the red carpet at David Lynch Foundation event

December 7, 2012

FYMP

Listen to the first half of this FREE YOUR MIND PROJECT show with hosts Brian Canning and Wendy Almasy. They attended last year’s Third Annual David Lynch Foundation Benefit Gala. Wendy is joined on the red carpet at the DLF event by David Lynch, Hip Hop mogul Russell Simmons, actress Dee Wallace who shares her own personal story, and actors Cheech Marin and Robert Davie – all talking about the impact that Meditation…specifically Transcendental Meditation can make on living a healthful life. It’s proven, it works and it is something worthy to explore!

Also, a special note of thanks to the David Lynch Foundation who have taken their TM practices and teaching “to the streets” with research projects and has made incredible impact both with returning vets and young people in school through their pilot projects. Find out more at  www.davidlynchfoundation.org.

Click this short link to hear the show: http://bit.ly/TKl37Q.

Previous Free Your Mind shows on DLF and TM: Free Your Mind Project Show Discusses the David Lynch Foundation’s Commitment to 10,000 Vets and Bob Roth, Executive Director, David Lynch Foundation, Discusses Transcendental Meditation On Free Your Mind Projects Radio Show.

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John Hagelin speaks on meditation as a powerful tool for health, education & post-traumatic stress at TEDxWomen 2012

December 6, 2012

Enjoy this powerful, clear and concise talk by John Hagelin at TEDxWomen 2012 in The Paley Center for Media, Washington, DC. The theme of the 2-day conference was The Space Between. Dr. Hagelin’s PowerPoint presentation highlighted meditation as a powerful tool for health, education and post-traumatic stress. He concluded his presentation with a short video of how people’s stressed lives were transformed by the Transcendental Meditation technique. These at-risk groups were able to learn TM through scholarships from the David Lynch Foundation. Dr. Hagelin’s concluding remarks beautifully summed up the saliant point of his talk delivered in Session Two, Saturday morning, Dec 1, 2012, published Dec 4, 2012 by : “The Space Between” –TED Conference Explores the Value of Meditation.

“Medically, scientifically, the most powerful antidote to stress, and the key to optimal brain functioning, is to transcend.” — John Hagelin.

John Hagelin, Ph.D., is a world-renowned quantum physicist, science and public policy expert, educator, author, and leading proponent of peace.

Dr. Hagelin has conducted pioneering research at CERN (the European Center for Particle Physics) and SLAC (the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center). He is responsible for the development of a highly successful Grand Unified Field Theory based on the superstring—a theory that was featured in a cover story of Discover magazine.

In addition, Dr. Hagelin is one of the world’s preeminent researchers on the effects of meditation on brain development, and the use of meditation to address critical problems in the field of education, rehabilitation, and post-traumatic stress.

Dr. Hagelin is a recipient of the prestigious Kilby Award, which recognizes scientists who have made “major contributions to society through their applied research in the fields of science and technology.” The award recognized Dr. Hagelin as “a scientist in the tradition of Einstein, Jeans, Bohr and Eddington.”

Dr. Hagelin has appeared often on ABC’s Nightline and Politically Incorrect, NBC’s Meet the Press, CNN’s Larry King Live!, and other programs. He has been regularly featured in the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and other major metropolitan newspapers.

TEDxWomen was curated and produced by The Paley Center for Media. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

Also see The Power of The Collective, by John Hagelin | John Hagelin — “Only Higher Consciousness Can Transform Our World” — Beyond Awakening Blog | Conscious TV: John Hagelin – The Core of Nature | John Hagelin, Ph.D., Speaks on the Nature of Consciousness and the Universe

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Study suggests meditation may help prevent PTSD—Boston Globe article by Bryan Bender

December 3, 2012

Study suggests meditation may help prevent PTSD

By Bryan Bender | Globe Staff | December 02, 2012

Norwich Rooks Meditate after classes

Lance Ostby, Rob Wetmore, Matt Miller, Aaron McDuffie, and Jeremy Ward practiced meditation following afternoon classes. Kayana Szymczak for the Boston Globe

NORTHFIELD, Vt. — It is part of a highly regimented daily routine at Norwich University, the nation’s oldest private military academy and a cultivator of battlefield leaders for nearly two centuries.

Dressed in combat fatigues and boots, a platoon of first-year cadets — “Rooks” — are up early in their barracks. On the orders of their instructor, the young men and women take their places. At 0800 sharp, they sit on wooden chairs in a circle and begin — to meditate.

The first-of-its-kind training is part of a long-term study to determine whether regular brief periods of silent, peaceful consciousness can improve troops’ performance. Ultimately, researchers hope the transcendental meditation training might be made available across all branches of the military to help inoculate troops against acute post-traumatic stress disorder, which has reached epidemic proportions and is blamed for a record number of suicides in the ranks.

For an institution that demands that incoming cadets exhibit physical and mental toughness, meditation training is a radical approach. The broader military culture had long associated meditation with a leftist, antiwar philosophy. Known by its shorthand, TM was widely introduced to the West by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the Hindu leader who once served as the spiritual guru to the Beatles.

“I was very skeptical at first,” said Norwich president Richard W. Schneider, a retired Coast Guard admiral who is among several university officials who have also been trained in the technique. “I’m not a touchy-feely guy.”

But the preliminary results of the study, now in its second year, surprised even its lead researchers. They have been methodically tracking the dozens of participants and several control groups of non-meditating cadets through detailed questionnaires as well as brain wave and eye scans to measure levels of stress, anxiety, and depression.

“All those things decreased significantly,” said Dr. Carole Bandy, a Norwich psychology professor overseeing the project. “In fact, they decreased very significantly.”

Positive traits such as critical thinking and mental resilience improved, according to preliminary findings shared with the Globe that Bandy and her team plan to publish next year.

The project has garnered high-level attention from the Army.

“Becoming more psychologically fit is just like becoming physically fit. It is better to do it before you are injured,” said retired Brigadier General Rhonda Cornum, a surgeon who until recently ran the Army’s Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program and visited Norwich three times to be briefed on the work. “There seems to be no question that meditation is, frankly, good for you. I am very encouraged by the Norwich University study.”

(more…)

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Posted in Articles, David Lynch Foundation, Education, Health, Peace | 1 Comment »

Why CEOs, actors, and pop stars love Transcendental Meditation | Well+Good NYC

November 30, 2012

Here is an excerpt from a Well + Good NYC article, Why CEOs, actors, and pop stars love Transcendental Meditation, posted under their Good Advice column on Tuesday, November 27, 2012. The top photo shows Russell Brand meditating with students at a San Francisco Middle School.

Russell Brand meditates with students in a San Francisco School

The Beatles famously credited Transcendental Meditation with helping them write their best music. Oprah swears by her daily practice. So does billionaire hedge fund founder Ray Dalio, British comedian Russell Brand, and music mogul Russell Simmons.

In fact, the list of celebrities and Fortune 500 CEOs who say Transcendental Meditation has helped them in their personal and professional lives is so long that we may need to start a new list: “Successful People Who Don’t Practice Transcendental Meditation.”

Just what is this popular style of meditation and how does it differ from others? We’ll tell you!

“TM,” the acronym used by insiders, is the practice of sitting for 20 minutes, twice a day, repeating a personal mantra given to you by a TM teacher. The technique is based on a Vedic tradition, an ancient Indian process of enlightenment. Fifty years ago, spiritual leader Maharishi Mahesh Yogi introduced the practice to the rest of the world, founding the Transcendental Meditation Program.

“A Creative Edge”

According to the program, TM allows your mind to settle into a state of pure awareness, known as transcendental consciousness. In this state, the body is at its most relaxed, and the brain supposedly has the greatest access to its creative energy. Devotees claim that TM gives them a creative edge, allowing them to be more focused throughout the day and access innovative ideas.

Shel Pink, founder of the cutting-edge SpaRitual line of nail polishes and cosmetics, credits TM for helping her run her successful business. David Lynch, the movie director who is arguably TM’s biggest (and most recognizably creative) spokesperson at the moment, told an auditorium of film students how indispensable TM is to the craft: “it boosts awareness of pure vibrant consciousness” and “experiencing the act of enlivening your consciousness makes creativity flow.” (Check it out here at minute 7.)

But Lynch would also say TM is not just for film students (or celebrities and CEOs). It’s also a potent healing practice. That’s why The David Lynch Foundation raises money to offer TM programs for high-stress, at-risk populations, such as inner-city students and the homeless.

Peter Trivelas, a Navy veteran who now teaches TM to other veterans, agrees that this simple practice has powerful benefits for post-traumatic stress. “TM teaches you to put your brain in a state of profound rest, so your body can begin to repair itself on a profound level.”

See the rest of this great article with photos of David Lynch and Shel Pink here: t.co/p0UJwQ6W.

Also see 14 Executives Who Swear By Meditation–10 do TM.


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Posted in Articles, David Lynch Foundation, Education, Health, Peace | 1 Comment »

CNN Hero Robin Lim visiting Fairfield

November 14, 2012

CNN Hero Robin Lim visiting Fairfield

By DONNA SCHILL CLEVELAND, Ledger staff writer | Nov 13, 2012

PHOTO SUBMITTED Midwife Ibu “mother” Robin Lim holds one of the countless babies she has helped deliver since she opened her first free birthing clinic in Bali more than a decade ago. Lim won the CNN Hero of the Year award by popular vote in 2011 for her service as a midwife through her nonprofit, the Bumi Sehat Foundation. “It was a special victory for all midwives,” she said.

Renowned midwife and CNN Hero of the Year Robin Lim has returned home with a message for midwives practicing in Iowa: “Don’t give up.”

Lim has taken leave of her free clinics and birthing centers in Bali, Indonesia, the Bumi Sehat Foundation, for a speaking tour in the United States. During a stop in Washington, D.C., the ambassador of Indonesia invited her for tea, and insisted she stay with his family next time she visited. Before arriving in Fairfield Monday, Lim addressed an auditorium full of college students, doctors, midwives and nurses at Des Moines University. The city of Fairfield will be recognizing Lim’s service at 8 p.m. today at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center, where she will speak about her work and Mayor Ed Malloy will proclaim Nov. 13 “Robin Lim Day.” Admission is free.

Lim’s newfound celebrity status has not caused her to overlook the place she still calls home. She’s booked extra events in Fairfield, not only to see old friends, but because Iowa is one of more than a dozen states where it is illegal for midwives to assist with home births.

“I find it ironic, CNN called me a hero for my work as a midwife, when in my home state, delivering a baby at home is considered a felony,” she said.

Lim won CNN Hero of the Year last December by popular vote for assisting thousands of low-income women through her clinics, offering free prenatal care, birthing services and medical aid in Indonesia, where many families cannot afford care.

Under Lim’s direction, Bumi Sehat has been a first responder in disaster relief efforts in Indonesia including Aceh in 2004, Yogyakarta in 2006 and Padang in 2008. She also helped set up a clinic in Haiti in 2010. Lim said reproductive care falls by the wayside in tsunami zones, leading to an urgent need for midwives who can deliver reproductive healthcare, even in the most dire circumstances, without access to running water or electricity.

“Every baby’s first breath on Earth could be one of peace and love. Every mother should be healthy and strong. Every birth could be safe and loving. But our world is not there yet,” Lim said during the CNN award ceremony in Los Angeles, with a reported 16 million viewers watching.

“It was a special victory for all midwives,” she said Monday. “I received hundred of emails from people who said they were crying tears of joy.”

Lim hopes her recognition by CNN will help states like Iowa see the merits of midwifery beyond disaster-relief settings.

Her goal? “For the state of Iowa to embrace midwifery care as an important option.”

While Lim faces many challenges in Bali, such as high rates of hemorrhaging during labor due to malnutrition, she said midwives in Iowa face challenges of their own.

In the United States, Lim has seen fellow certified professional midwives prosecuted for assisting with home births. She said the controversy surrounding midwifery discourages young women from pursuing training in midwifery, and causes women to have hospital births who would prefer to do it at home.

“There are people all over the world who would rather have their baby safely at home,” she said. “The sad thing in Iowa, is many, many families are not getting that opportunity.”

Lim said home births could help decongest hospitals and lower welfare expenses.

In Bali, she said it creates an environment where she can work harmoniously with hospitals and doctors when pregnancy complications arise.

“Midwives are well respected in their profession in Indonesia,” she said.

Lim believes midwives and hospitals should not be at odds, but providing complimentary services.

“Hospitals are amazing life-saving places,” she said.

Lim said The Bumi Sehat Foundation “stands on three feet:” excellent medical science, respect for nature and holistic medicine.

The clinic carries antibiotics, oxygen, intravenous fluids, anti-hemorrhagic treatments and also has an ambulance at the ready for when complications arise. Lim said less than 2 percent of the women she sees need to be transferred to the hospital.

Last year, she expanded services to include community healthcare, elderly yoga, birth attendant training, disaster preparedness support, acupuncture and homeopathic medicine, youth education, village-based recycling and organic gardening.

Lim’s dedication to providing the highest quality care to poor, marginalized women emerged after a crushing personal loss. Lim’s younger sister died 22 years ago due to complications with a pregnancy.

“She felt unwell during her pregnancy,” said Lim. “She called her doctor, and he said “I’ll see you in three weeks.’”

Before she got that chance, Lim’s sister suffered a stroke in her sleep and died. Lim said they determined she had high blood pressure and hypertension.

“Simple medications could have saved her life,” said Lim.

Shortly thereafter, Lim decided to take the plunge into midwifery. She moved to Indonesia where she began offering services informally out of her living room and returned 12 years ago after completing training as a certified professional midwife.

In her work, she said she treats each woman with the love and respect she wished her sister had received.

“When a woman calls me, I’m not going to say let’s talk about it in three weeks, I say ‘I’ll see you right now,’” she said. “I decided to be a very good midwife.”

“Licensed certified midwives are the guardians of normal birth,” she said. “They are trained to notice when a mother needs special care.”

Lim said she’s had very positive childbirth experiences herself, which gave her the vision for her clinic.

“What inspired me was the birth of my own children,” she said. “It is the biggest life passage you can have.”

She said her goal has been to try and help other women have safe, positive birthing experiences.

Lim’s Iowa roots took hold when she moved to Fairfield as a teenage mother in 1976. She had all of her children at home, and researched natural approaches to childbirth, postpartum diet and exercise.

“I wanted to be a happy, good mom,” she said.

Looking into her past, Lim said it was inevitable she would one day become a midwife. At 14, for instance, she was fascinated by a school course on reproductive health.

Lim will be speaking to students about their interests 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at Maharishi School, and 9 a.m. Friday at Fairfield High School.

“I will tell them, ‘Pay attention to your dreams when you are young, they are there for a reason,’” she said. “For me, it turned into a lifetime of service, which has brought me more joy than most people ever experience.”

Related: KTVO’s Tess Hedrick posted her news piece on Robin’s return visit to Fairfield: CNN Hero of the Year and native Iowan shares her passion in life, midwifery. Mark Newman of the Ottumwa Courier wrote: Health care for poor moms and babies was CNN Hero’s dream. The Des Moines Register put up two articles: CNN’s 2011 Hero of the Year to speak in Des Moines and Midwife returns to Iowa as a hero. Here are two articles posted in The Iowa Source, one of them was a cover story: Robin Lim Day — CNN Hero Returns to Fairfield, Iowa for a Hometown Hero’s Welcome. And this is my first post: Robin Lim is the 2011 CNN Hero Of The Year.

Posted in Articles, Education, Health, Sustainable Living | 6 Comments »

Training from the Inside: Treating PTSD with TM

November 11, 2012

Training from the Inside: Treating PTSD with Transcendental Meditation

“I deal with pain every day. I have nerve problems in my leg and the PTSD that the doctors diagnosed me with…functioning becomes impossible, lack of sleep, your work ethic sucks, you can’t focus at work, you can’t do anything, everybody pisses you off…it’s different for everybody. Memories saturate your mind…for me every day is a constant reminder — you relive the same crap over and over and over.” – Sgt James Thrasher, USMC

“I myself have been deployed eight times and been to combat four times. I was diagnosed with PTSD, depression, insomnia. We fight through whatever problems we have, we suck it up, and I did that for many many years. The trauma that I’ve seen the situations that I’ve been through…you take all of that stuff and you put it in a bag and we keep filling up our bag with all these problems rather than dealing with them. – GySgt Richard Wilson, USMC

“What peaked my interest in TM was all the research that’s been done and how incredibly effective it is for trauma, stress…the evidence now is that in combat stress the trauma actually changes the brain so that the ability to self-regulate isn’t there. Meditation helps with information processing, helps with self-regulation. Here we have another tool that is fabulous and they can do for themselves.” – Anna Benson, PhD, Clinical Psychologist

“I was interested in the TM program but I was skeptical at the same time. The power of the TM meditation…it really came out fast and it was surprising to me. Having that inner peace after meditation really really emboldened me to deal with things that I’d been just kind of stuffing away. So to be able to have relief from agitation, have relief from anger, frustration, sleeplessness, alcoholism, drug addiction…that’s huge.” – Sgt James Thrasher, USMC

Uploaded by on Aug 28, 2012

See updated article with photos by Mario Orsatti posted on the TM Blog December 13, 2012: U.S. Marines Talk About the Effect of TM on PTSD.

For more information on the David Lynch Foundation’s Operation Warrior Wellness program please visit http://operationwarriorwellness.org.

For more information on the Transcendental Meditation technique please visit http://tm.org.

Since 2005 the David Lynch Foundation has shared Transcendental Meditation with our most stressed populations. The David Lynch Foundation runs entirely on donations and there is a long list of veterans and sufferers of post-traumatic stress eager to participate.

If you were inspired by this video and would like to make a donation please visit: http://www.operationwarriorwellness.org/how-to-help. Your donations will be used in 3 ways—to help active duty military and veterans suffering from PTS, cadets in training and activated soldiers, and family members of retired and active service personnel. Thank you!

Related news: Soledad O’Brien interviews Russell Simmons and Bob Roth of the David Lynch Foundation on TM for Vets with PTS on CNN’s Starting Point | Military Leaders to Promote Meditation at Iowa Summit to Help Reduce Veteran Suicide Epidemic | Matt Kelley of Radio Iowa interviews Jerry Yellin about an Iowa Veterans Summit solution to PTSD | See video highlights of the Iowa Veterans Summit – PTSD and Transcendental Meditation | KTVO News: How one soldier regained his life with help from WWII veteran and TM for PTSD | Fairfield and Ames war veterans team up to bring meditation (TM) to fellow Iowa vets with PTSD | Mark Newman: Courier: Iowa soldier seeks peace of mind through meditation and medication | Military veterans speak on need to increase resiliency: by Diane Vance, Fairfield Ledger | Story County Veteran Once Suicidal Finds Relief from PTSD with Transcendental Meditation: AmesPatch article by Jessica Miller | Veterans speak out on post-traumatic stress, offer a proven way to heal PTSD | Healing the Hidden Wounds of War: open forum for Iowa veterans and their families affected by PTSD, sponsored by Operation Warrior Wellness | Post Traumatic Stress and How Transcendental Meditation Can Help [Infographic] | Meditation Improves Performance at Military University | Meditation Saves A Veteran From PTSD and Suicide | Dr. Oz on the Benefits of the TM Technique

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Posted in David Lynch Foundation, Education, Health, Peace, Videos | 2 Comments »

Cheryl Fusco Johnson interviews Philip Goldberg, author of American Veda: How Indian Spirituality Changed the West

November 8, 2012

Writers’ Voices host Cheryl Fusco Johnson interviewed author Philip Goldberg on American Veda: How Indian Spirituality Changed the West, at KRUU FM studios, October 12, 2012. The show is now available online: http://www.kruufm.com/node/14325.

Philip Goldberg, American Veda: How Indian Spirituality Changed the West by Cheryl Fusco Johnson

Philip Goldberg with Cheryl Fusco Johnson in KRUU FM studio  Photo: Ken Chawkin

Los Angeles-based author Philip Goldberg is a screenwriter, Huffington Post religious-issues blogger, novelist, and nonfiction writer. His book American Veda: From Emerson and the Beatles to Yoga and Meditation, How Indian Spirituality Changed the West was named one of the top ten books on religion in 2010 by the Huffington Post.

The American Library Association’s Booklist Online awarded it the same honor in 2011. Philip has authored or co-authored nineteen books and has much to say about spirituality, publishing, and how both have changed during his lifetime.

From Cheryl’s Blog: Philip Goldberg: How He Became a HuffPost Blogger

Many people ask Philip Goldberg, author of American Veda: How Indian Spirituality Changed the West, how he became a religious-issues blogger for The Huffington Post. During our Writers Voices radio interview today, Philip explained what happened. Waiting at a bookstore to begin giving a book talk, he was thinking about how few people were there to hear him speak. A woman came into the store looking for something she thought she’d left behind. She noticed Philip standing by a sign advertising the topic of his talk and said, “You should be a blogger for The Huffington Post. My daughter’s an editor there.” Was this a lucky break? Or was it a just reward for the many years Philip spent researching spirituality and honing his writing and speaking skills through repeated practice?

Listen to an earlier show on KRUU FM where Dennis Raimondi interviews Philip Goldberg on Speaking Freely about his latest book American Veda, Nov 22, 2010.

Here is an article about Philip Goldberg and his book American Veda: ‘Vedanta and yoga perfect match for certain American values’.

And here are two related articles by Philip Goldberg: George Harrison: The not-so-quiet Beatle, article by Philip Goldberg in LA YOGA Magazine and Huffington Post: Transcendental Meditation: Topping The Bestseller List Since 1975

Red Dirt Report reviews both “American Veda” by Philip Goldberg and “Transcendence” by Norman Rosenthal.

Dana Sawyer, professor of religion and philosophy at the Maine College of Art, reviewed American Veda for tricyle: How Hinduism Seeped into American Soil.

My Empowered World also posted the tricyle book review adding photos: From Emerson to the Beatles. Watch a video of MEW’s Luzzette McDonald’s Interview with Author – Philip Goldberg about his books American Veda and The Intuitive Edge. Answering Luzzette’s final question about the one empowering tool he would recommend Phil mentions meditation. He says all the other practices are improved by having a good deep meditation practice. Phil mentions his TM practice, which he has been doing since 1968, and concludes saying he thinks of it as the empowering tool for all the other empowering tools.

See this related article by Phil on THEWORLDPOST: Beatles in India: The Retreat That Reverberates Across the Universe.

 

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Posted in Audios, Education, Writing | 2 Comments »

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