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A report halfway into the New Paradigm Tour: Veda, Consciousness, the Ramayana and the Self

April 28, 2012

We are about halfway through the New Paradigm Tour now, and here is a summary report from a recent Maharishi Global Family Chat sent out with beautiful photos and descriptions: New Paradigm tour continues in waves of success and appreciation.

In the San Francisco Bay area, the New Paradigm Tour held its first public event for Indo-Americans, featuring keynote speaker Dr Tony Nader as well as John Hagelin, Ramani Ayer, and host Dr. Howard Chancellor. Well over 300 people filled the hall, mostly Indo-Americans hearing of Maharishi Vedic Science for the first time.

Dr Hagelin explained how Veda (Knowledge) or consciousness is the unified field of quantum physics, and how the Vedic technologies of Maharishi Yog and Maharishi Yagya benefit individuals and society (especially Transcendental Meditation and its advanced programs).

Dr. Nader then gave a captivating keynote address about the new paradigm that recognizes science and spirituality as two flavors of one Reality. Several times he was interrupted by spontaneous waves of applause!

A special moment then came when Shiv Sagar — whose grandfather Ramanand Sagar created the original Ramayan television series beloved throughout India — connected from India to express his family’s appreciation of Dr. Nader’s book Ramayan in Human Physiology. Shiv played a short video clip from the family’s more recent serialized production of the Ramayan that was watched by 600 million Indians. When a member of the audience requested if Dr. Nader would translate the characters and plot of that same Ramayan clip into the workings of the human physiology, he did so and won a round of applause.

Members of the audience were filled with wonder at the profundity of Maharishi Vedic Science and by the scientific insights brought to light by Dr Nader and Dr Hagelin. They were completely amazed when Ramani Ayer showed videos of 1,000 Maharishi Vedic Pandits in Iowa, USA and 2,500 in the Brahmasthan of India, and explained that these Peace Professionals are the main power-generators of a scientifically-documented Global Peace Initiative. Listen: http://bit.ly/vedicpandits.

Time and again remarks were heard like: “We feel so proud of our Vedic tradition!”; “Thank you so much for taking time to speak to us — we never knew!”; and “Now we must help create peace with you!”

While in the San Francisco area, Dr. Nader also presented to a group of about 100 enthusiastic Indian physicians, bringing the total to over 350 physicians in California. He also conducted a 3-hour Ramayan in Human Physiology Seminar to 130 meditators and Sidhas. In Vancouver he then spoke to over 500 Indo-American at two more lectures, and also gave a Ramayan seminar to about 120 people. In every case, he is being deeply acclaimed and respected for his wisdom and radiance.

Details of the tour can be found at: www.NewParadigmTour.org
See videos of Dr Nader at: http://www.youtube.com/drtonynader
A Facebook page is at: http://www.facebook.com/VedaConsciousness

Dr Chancellor reported that Dr. Nader’s New Paradigm tour has been extremely successful in California and Vancouver. The first leg of the tour ended last night with a presentation at the Meadows Club in Chicago.

An overflow crowd of about 800 people flocked to the Meadows Club. Almost all were Indo-Americans with little or no previous familiarity with Maharishi Vedic Science and its practical applied technologies for individual enlightenment, national invincibility, and world peace.

The presentations by Dr. Hagelin, Ramani Ayer and Dr. Nader stretched well over two hours with everyone completely focused on the speakers throughout.

The talks were punctuated by considerable applause, and the audience gave a standing ovation to Dr Nader at the end of his presentation.

There was also a huge round of warm applause when the crowd heard — in fact, they seemed to already be well aware of it — that Maharishi had appointed Dr Nader as his successor in the line of the Vedic Tradition and honored him with the title of the first Maharaja Adhiraj Rajaraam of the Global Country of World Peace, the umbrella entity for all of Maharishi’s global legacy.

TV ASIA prepared a Brief Highlights report on the the event, which took place at the Meadows Club in Chicago: Maharishi Foundation & GPI Hosts “A New paradigm: Veda, Consciousness, the Ramayana and the Self.” The TV Asia Community Roundup program aired on April 26th at 10:30pm (ET) and was rebroadcast on April 27th at 7:30pm (ET).

See the general press release with links to some of the news coverage added at the bottom of Veda, Consciousness, the Ramayana, and the Self — A New Paradigm Tour Will Visit Ten Cities.

See a video clip taken from one of the presentations: Dr. Tony Nader speaks about the Ramayana in Human Physiology.

Posted in Articles, Education, Health, Peace | 3 Comments »

Australian TV: Cool School: Melbourne school teaches meditation to students

April 22, 2012

One with learning in peace

One Melbourne school is helping parents take some of the stress out of school children by teaching them meditation.

Nick, the Australian Sunrise TV reporter, asks a Maharishi School student how he feels after meditation. “Really peaceful and relaxed…ya,” the boy answers. “Peaceful and relaxed…how old are you?” Nick asks him. “Ten,” he replies. “I don’t hear many ten-year-olds thinking about being peaceful and relaxed,” Nick tells him. The boy looks him straight in the eye and says confidently, “I do.” Click on URL to see this lovely report! http://bit.ly/Ji8zys

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Posted in Education, Health, Peace, Videos | 1 Comment »

Finding peace in Fairfield by Diane Vance

April 13, 2012

Finding peace in Fairfield

By DIANE VANCE, Ledger staff writer | Apr 12, 2012

At the Transcendental Meditation Blog, www.tm.org/blog, Mario Orsatti wrote on April 4, the TM.org website was flooded with visitors the week following Oprah Winfrey’s televised take on TM, Fairfield and her October visit here.

The hour show, one in her series of “Next Chapter” programs first aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network TV channel April 1. It was repeated on Easter Sunday and will air again at 6 p.m. this Sunday. Video segments also are available online.

It’s resulted in “thousands of Americans learning the TM technique,” Orsatti wrote.

While Oprah’s endorsements have propelled other products, some may doubt her embrace of TM will make much difference in Fairfield.

However, the planners and shakers in the TM community are preparing.

A summer session will be newly offered at the Maharishi University of Management, moving its annual graduation ceremony to May 26, rather than its typical mid-summer date.

“Experience the Self” course, offered as a one- or two-week course in July, promises to address consciousness, one’s body and mind, allow participants to discover sustainable living projects, relax in nature and celebrate the cultural opportunities of Fairfield.

As I mentioned in my introduction column the fourth day of Ledger employment in October, I was a student at M.U.M. in the Spring 2010 semester. It was not my first time on campus.

I moved to southeast Iowa in the summer of 1997 with my former husband and two children. We had moved after five years in a small town north of Davenport, after my spouse left 13 years of active duty Army in 1992. (Yes, this San Diego native has now lived in the Midwest 20 years!)

At my job at Keokuk’s newspaper the Daily Gate City, I heard remarks about those weird “flyers” up in Fairfield.

As the education reporter, many press releases from schools around the state and region passed through my desk. I began learning more about M.U.M.

When Vedic City, became incorporated, we drove up here to look around. Dirt lanes took us past cute little white houses with golden topknots and white picket fences.

In October 2007, my spouse and I traveled to Fort Hood, Texas, (where we lived in 1981) to hug our youngest good-bye. His Cavalry Scout unit was deploying to Iraq for 15 months. He was on the older side of 23 years of age.

Having a child at war makes it hard to breathe.

He was at a remote place in the Diyala Province. His care packages needed to include the basics, such as razor blades, toothpaste, etc. He asked for canned soup because it could be heated on the Bradley’s radiator when they spent days at a time away from base camp.

Sending a small Christmas tree and chocolates (chocolates and other meltables can only be mailed October-March) comforted me probably more than my son.

Still, the weeks dragged on. And on. I had a large wall map of Iraq on the wall of my cubicle. I read daily Associated Press stories about Iraq and the U.S. military. I always volunteered to do the stories on local veterans and active military.

When a press release about an April 2008 David Lynch weekend landed in my in-box, I investigated.

The TM promise of stress relief kept calling. I signed up, received a scholarship for the four-day weekend, came to Fairfield and fell in love with this place.

I was delighted to see, and hear, John Hagelin, because I had watched “What the Bleep Do We Know” video a few years earlier. I was astounded to see Donovan, a musician from my youth! And though I didn’t know who David Lynch was, I enjoyed his interaction with all of us visitors that weekend.

I traipsed around in the light rain and mud to view the on-campus green house and one of the golden domes. I ate organic, vegetarian meals (new experience).

And yes, I learned TM that weekend, in a comfortable, non-threatening space from a sweet woman, Linda Mainquist, who happens to be married to Mario Orsatti, where I started this column.

I have to admit to being sort of a slacker; I don’t always make time in my day for 20 minutes each morning and evening. But TM has helped with my stress levels — a good thing!

My son returned from Iraq in January 2009 having survived through two I.E.D.s blowing up the Bradleys he rode in.

And I have survived — and hopefully thrived; through my son-in-law’s year deployment to Guantanamo in 2008; both Army “sons” in Iraq in 2009 and 2010; and my divorce in 2010.

Calming peace is good to have in any form it comes.

Diane Vance is a Ledger staff writer. See other Columns by Diane Vance.

Reprinted with permission from The Fairfield Ledger.

See NPR: Fairfield, Iowa: Where ‘Art Belongs To Everyone’

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

The former Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr reunion for David Lynch’s benefit concert airs on New York’s THIRTEEN, Sunday, April 29

April 12, 2012

MEDIA ADVISORY

Former Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr
reunite for David Lynch Foundation benefit concert—

To be broadcast on New York’s THIRTEEN
on Sunday, April 29

There will be a special “Change Begins Within” Concert Screening at the Stephen Sondheim Center for Performing Arts this Sunday, April 22, 2012, 7:30 pm in the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center. Two free screenings have been added Friday, April 27, and Sunday, April 29, 7:30 pm.

Former Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr reunited on an American stage for the only time in the past 20 years during this historic 2009 Radio City Music Hall benefit concert, which will be broadcast on New York City’s channel THIRTEEN on Sunday, April 29, at 10:30 pm (check local listings for broadcast times and dates in your area).

The Beatle reunion highlights the 90-minute “Change Begins Within” concert to benefit the David Lynch Foundation, a charity set up in 2005 by the iconic filmmaker David Lynch to fund Transcendental Meditation programs for at-risk youth, veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, and women who suffer from domestic abuse and violence.

McCartney performs a set of Beatles, Wings and solo classics; Starr sings his own set of Beatle and solo hits; and McCartney and Starr join together on stage for a finale of “With A Little Help from My Friends,” Paul’s rarely performed “Cosmically Conscious,” and Beatle fan favorite “I Saw Her Standing There.”

Also appearing on the broadcast are comedian Jerry Seinfeld as well as musicians Sheryl Crow (“My Sweet Lord”), Eddie Vedder and Ben Harper (“Under Pressure”), Moby and Betty LaVette (“Natural Blues”), Paul Horn, newly-elected Rock-and-Roll-Hall of Famer Donovan  and Jim James (“Hurdy Gurdy Man”).

The concert was co-produced by Hoosick Falls Productions and David Lynch Foundation Television with executive producer George Verschoor.

VIEW EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

Press contact: Elizabeth Freund, Elizabeth@BeautifulDayMedia.com, 718-522-5858, for more information or to arrange an interview with David Lynch.

FACTS

The David Lynch Foundation has provided scholarships for more than 200,000 students and veterans to learn to meditate.

Transcendental Meditation is a simple, easily learned technique, practiced for 15 to 20 minutes twice daily, sitting comfortably with the eyes closed. According to research funded by the National Institutes of Health and published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, the technique reduces stress and stress-related disorders, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, cardiovascular disease, and substance abuse.

Prominent meditators include Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Russell Brand, Ellen DeGeneres, Clint Eastwood, Mehmet Oz, Martin Scorsese, Jerry Seinfeld, Russell Simmons, and Oprah Winfrey.

DAVID LYNCH FOUNDATION

654 Madison Avenue, Suite 805, New York, NY 10065 • 212-644-9880 • www.DavidLynchFoundation.org • info@DavidLynchFoundation.org

– ENDS –

PERSONAL NOTE

To find out more about that event visit David Lynch Foundation Television (DLF.TV) to see a brief overview of the pre-concert Change Begins Within Press Conference Highlights that took place at Radio City Music Hall on April 3, 2009. Then watch the Paul McCartney & Ringo Starr Concert Highlights from Radio City Music Hall on April 4, 2009. Also see David Lynch interviews Paul McCartney about meeting Maharishi and his first meditation, which was recorded for DLF before the concert.

As far as I know there won’t be any DVDs of this PBS special available for purchase.* It will play in different markets across the country during May, June and July. So you may want to set your DVR to save a copy when it broadcasts in your area. You’ll want to see it, and share it with your friends, over and over again. It was the most intensely joyful and fun-filled concert I had ever attended. All of the musicians and the audience were deliriously happy! And it was for a very worthy cause. There was an avalanche of news coverage! Here is an article in April 13, 2009 Issue of The New Yorker by Nancy Franklin: All Together Now. (PDF)

*A DVD of the concert was eventually released September 1, 2017: Change Begins Within A Benefit Concert for The David Lynch Foundation. The concert was later made available for streaming on Amazon Prime.

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Posted in Articles, David Lynch Foundation, Education, Health, Music, Peace, Videos | 13 Comments »

Veda, Consciousness, the Ramayana, and the Self — A New Paradigm Tour Will Visit Ten Cities

April 12, 2012

NEW PARADIGM TOUR VISITS 10 NORTH AMERICAN CITIES

“Veda, Consciousness, the Ramayana, and the Self”

Science and spirituality merge as leading scientists, artists and business leaders present cutting-edge knowledge to Indian Communities Throughout North America

A team of leading scientists, artists and business leaders will tour 10 North American cities this spring, delivering a series of cutting-edge presentations entitled “A New Paradigm: Veda, Consciousness, the Ramayana, and the Self.” The tour includes visits to San Diego; San Francisco; Vancouver; Fairfield, Iowa; Chicago; Toronto; Montreal; Boston; New York; and Washington, DC. www.newparadigmtour.org

The event will explore the meeting point of science and spirituality by presenting pioneering research that reveals the Veda and the Ramayana as blueprints of our body and the entire universe. Extensive research on these breakthrough discoveries has also documented collective benefits for society, including the potential for creating world peace. The event will feature a video presentation of 1,000 Vedic Pandits in Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa, chanting the Veda. Listen: http://bit.ly/vedicpandits.

SPEAKERS

The speakers at this event come from diverse backgrounds. Tony Nader, M.D., Ph.D., neuroscientist and researcher, will headline the event as the keynote speaker with his presentation, “Embodying Totality”.  Dr. Nader received his Ph.D. in the area of Brain and Cognitive Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and completed post-doctoral work at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Nader’s desire to gain a deeper understanding of the human mind and body—of consciousness and physiology—led him to the study of Vedic Science under the guidance of the Vedic sage Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, founder of the worldwide Transcendental Meditation movement (TM) http://www.tm.org. Dr. Nader’s discoveries have inspired medical doctors and scientists throughout the world by demonstrating the effectiveness of Vedic sound to heal mind, body and society (for example: Enlivening the Healing Ability of the Body through Maharishi Vedic Sound).

John Hagelin, Ph.D., is a world-renowned Harvard-trained quantum physicist, educator, public policy expert, and leading proponent of peace. Winner of the prestigious Kilby Award, Dr. Hagelin was recognized for his achievements as a scientist in the tradition of Einstein, Jeans, Bohr and Eddington. He is Chairman of the Physics Department at Maharishi University of Management (www.MUM.edu) and will speak on “Consciousness and the Unified Field.”

Ramani Ayer was the first Indo-American CEO of a Fortune 100 company. He was Chairman of the Board and CEO of Hartford Financial Services Group for 13 years, retiring in 2009.  Mr. Ayer will speak on “Enlightened Leadership and World Peace.”

For more information on the speaker profiles see: http://www.newparadigmtour.org/speakers.html

SPECIAL HOLLYWOOD AND BOLLYWOOD GUESTS

Joining these speakers via videoconference will be special guests, Hollywood director, David Lynch, and the Sagar family, of Ramayana fame, from Mumbai. David Lynch is acclaimed as one of the most creative minds in film, art, and music today.  He is also the founder of the David Lynch Foundation www.davidlynchfoundation.org. Ramanand Sagar created the original epic Ramayana series in 1987, inspiring all of India while preserving Vedic values in the culture.  The next generation of Sagars—Prem, Anand, Shiv and Shakti of Sagar Arts—created the 2008 remake of this timeless saga.

THEMES

The speakers will explore three primary themes in the presentation. The first theme explores the cosmic nature of the individual. The sounds of the Veda have been found to be blueprints that structure the physiology on every level.  The brain, the heart and the whole physiology are seen from this perspective as a replica of Veda and the Vedic literature. The practical application of this has been documented by original research conducted by medical doctors and scientists that demonstrates the effectiveness of these Vedic sounds for creating brain coherence and for the treatment of chronic disorders.

The second theme explores the applications of this discovery on the collective level of society.  The presentation will review evidence that large groups of thousands of peace-creating Vedic pandits are capable of changing the destiny of mankind by applying Vedic technologies of consciousness from the deepest level of consciousness—the common unified source of both science and religion. Demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach, the Global Peace Initiative has already established 1000 Maharishi Vedic Pandits in Maharishi Vedic City in Iowa, and 2500 at the center of India in Madhya Pradesh. www.vedicpandits.org

The third theme covers Dr. Nader’s latest book, “Ramayan in Human Physiology,” which will be released on this tour. It describes the profound correlation between the characters, details and happenings of the Ramayana with every part of the human physiology. “It will serve as a revelation to those who desire a greater understanding of the unity underlying all that makes us human,” says Gary P. Kaplan, M.D., Ph.D., Clinical Associate Professor of Neurology at Hofstra University School of Medicine. http://www.newparadigmtour.org/ramayan

RAMAYAN in HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY SEMINARS

In addition to the ‘New Paradigm’ presentations, Dr. Nader will also offer an “Introductory Seminar on the Ramayan in Human Physiology” at each of the locations for those who desire a more in-depth treatment of the correlations between the eternal story of the Ramayana and the structure and function of the human physiology. http://www.newparadigmtour.org/seminars.html

OPRAH, TM, FAIRFIELD, AND VEDIC PANDITS

Oprah Winfrey and her staff all practice Transcendental Meditation. For Oprah’s Next Chapter, she visited Fairfield, Iowa, America’s Most Unusual Town. She also went to Maharishi Vedic City to see the Maharishi Vedic Pandits.  Oprah and her crew were the first ones allowed in to film the Vedic Pandits chanting.

Oprah completed her visit by meditating with the ladies in their Bagambhrini Golden Dome of Pure Knowledge. “It was a powerfully energizing yet calming experience. I didn’t want it to end.” You can see a photo of Oprah meditating in the dome with over 400 ladies and read what she had to say about her experience in the February issue of O Magazine in her column “What I Know For Sure.”

This press release was published in Pravasitoday under Events: http://www.pravasitoday.com/new-paradigm-tour-visits-10-north-american-cities | INDIAWEST: New Paradigm Tour: ‘Veda, Consciousness, The Ramayana, and the Self’| India Tribune (page 4): Meet on ‘Veda, Consciousness, Ramayana and Self’ in 10 North American cities | India Post (page 9): Science & spirituality tour in 10 cities | LoKvani: In Conversation With Ramani Ayer | Chicago Tribune: New paradigm North American tour visits Chicago with pictures from Asian Media USA | India Post: IOWA scholars give scientific exposition of Ramayana (page 13) | hi INDiA: Special Report: Ramayan; A New Vision in Vedas (cover story on pages 20+24) | NewsIndiaTimes: Hundreds Attend Program to Promote Vedic Learning

See website for more details: http://www.newparadigmtour.org, Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/VedaConsciousness, and videos of Dr Nader at: http://www.youtube.com/drtonynader. Also see A report halfway into the New Paradigm Tour: Veda, Consciousness, the Ramayana and the Self. See this New Video: Dr. Tony Nader speaks about the Ramayana in Human Physiology.

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Posted in Articles, Education, Health, Peace | 2 Comments »

Video segments of Oprah’s Next Chapter on OWN: Oprah Visits Fairfield, Iowa—”TM Town”—America’s Most Unusual Town

March 30, 2012

Preview: Oprah Visits America’s Most Unusual Town Oprah spends the day in Fairfield, Iowa—one of the safest, greenest and most unusual communities in America. It’s the last place you’d expect to find two huge golden domes built for the thousands of residents who rush there to meditate twice a day. The full episode of Oprah’s Next Chapter aired on Sunday, March 25, at 9/8c.

Welcome to TM Town Fairfield is a quiet community nestled among the cornfields of Iowa. It’s also the center of the transcendental movement in the United States. Many of the 9,000 residents who live here meditate every day, including the Winer family. Watch as the Winers reveal why they left an affluent suburb outside of Atlanta to move to Fairfield. Plus, find out how the architecture of homes in Fairfield can improve a homeowner’s happiness.

The Architecture of TM Town Many homes in Fairfield, Iowa, are built in a style of architecture inspired by nature. Take a tour of one family’s home and learn about the theory behind its layout.

Fairfield’s One-of-a-Kind School The Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment uses “consciousness-based education” to teach children from kindergarten to 12th grade everything from college prep to spiritual awakening. Watch as Oprah tours the school and shares a meditation session with some of the older students.

16 Principles of the Science of Creative Intelligence The children at the Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment in Fairfield, Iowa, are learning life lessons it took Oprah decades to learn. Learn the 16 principles of the Science of Creative Intelligence for yourself.

Rush Hour in Fairfield, Iowa Rush hour in Fairfield, Iowa, is unlike any other town in America. Twice a day, residents stop what they’re doing and head to two giant golden domes to meditate. Watch as Oprah meets with the town’s mayor and a founder of a nearby community to learn more about the practice of Transcendental Meditation and then tours the Bagambhrini Golden Dome of Pure Knowledge for women.

Oprah Meets Iowa’s Pandits Pandits are professional meditators who practice Transcendental Meditation for hours a day in the name of world peace. For two to three years, many of these men from India devote their lives to this practice in the cornfields of Iowa. On the day Oprah visits, nearly 800 are in residence. They’ve never allowed television cameras to film them—until now. Watch as Oprah gets an unprecedented look into the life of a pandit.

Three excerpts from the show are posted on The Transcendental Meditation Program website — www.tm.org/oprah — Excerpt one: Oprah’s take on TM, Excerpt Two: Why our family meditates, and Excerpt Three: From Guns to TM.

The show, America’s Most Unusual Town, on Oprah’s Next Chapter, will rebroadcast Sundays, April 8 at 7:00 pm ET/6 CT and April 15, at 6 pm ET/5 pm CT. Last minute schedule changes do happen and so this info is updated.

Oprah’s Next Chapter America’s Most Unusual Town
Oprah spends the day in Fairfield, Iowa – one of the safest, greenest, and most unusual communities in America. It’s the last place you’d expect to find two huge, golden domes built for the thousands of residents who rush there to meditate twice a day. Read more: http://www.oprah.com/own-oprahs-next-chapter/Oprahs-Next-Chapter-Americas-Most-Unusual-Town

For more on Oprah’s Next Chapter visit http://www.oprah.com/OprahsNextChapter. Find OWN on TV at http://www.oprah.com/FindOWN.

Here’s an article posted on the TM Blog about the preliminary results of the show: TM’s Popularity Surges After Oprah’s TV Show.

To find out more about Fairfield and neighboring Maharishi Vedic City, visit http://discoverfairfield.org.

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Posted in Architecture, Education, Health, Peace, Videos | 12 Comments »

OWN: Oprah Visits America’s Most Unusual Town, Sunday, March 25, 8 p.m. CT, 9-10 p.m. ET/PT

March 20, 2012

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network presents a new episode of “Oprah’s Next Chapter” featuring America’s Most Unusual Town this Sunday, March 25, 8:00 p.m. CT (9-10 p.m. ET/PT).

On “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” Oprah Winfrey travels to Fairfield, Iowa—one of the safest, greenest and most unusual communities in America—to visit a school where daily Transcendental Meditation® (TM) practice is mandatory. Winfrey then visits the neighboring community of Maharishi Vedic City, where non-organic food is banned and all houses face East — adhering to an ancient Indian style that brings peace and harmony. Also, for the first time, cameras are allowed inside a top-secret, 80-acre compound where 800 Indian men live spending eight hours a day meditating and chanting. Later, Winfrey joins the community at their domes for evening meditation.

The episode will only be available in its entirety on the OWN TV network. However, clips and footage may be featured on www.Oprah.com. Once there, find out what channel the Oprah Winfrey Network is on in your area by entering your zip code on the right. Canadian viewers, click here. Watch a Sneak Preview here: Oprah Visits America’s Most Unusual Town.

Oprah spends the day in Fairfield, Iowa—one of the safest, greenest and most unusual communities in America. It’s the last place you’d expect to find two huge golden domes built for the thousands of residents who rush there to meditate twice a day.  Watch a sneak preview; then tune in for the full episode of Oprah’s Next Chapter on Sunday, March 25, at 9/8c. Please note: There will only be one episode, on March 25. http://www.oprah.com/own-oprahs-next-chapter/Sneak-Preview-Oprah-Visits-Americas-Most-Unusual-Town-Video

Addendum: Members of  the Fairfield community are invited to a live viewing of Oprah’s New Chapter, Sunday, March 25, at 8 p.m. CT (doors open at 7 p.m.) at the Sondheim Theater, Fairfield Arts & Convention Center. Free Admission – First come first seated. Also, being broadcast live for students in Dalby Hall, Argiro Student Center, on the Maharishi University campus. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. CT. Free admission

Related: Fairfield Ledger: Fairfield readies for Sunday debut on Oprah network | KTVO: Fairfield to be featured on Oprah Winfrey Network | Oprah writes in O Mag about her visit to TM Town and meditating with ladies in their Golden Dome | Some Reports on Dr. Oz’s Interview with Oprah about TM and her Next Chapter | Oprah meditates with ladies in MUM Golden Dome | Reports of Oprah’s visit to Fairfield, Iowa | Oprah says she and her staff meditate, enjoy a Quiet Time twice a day—Facebook Live interview.

Also see The Iowan: Sizing Up Small Towns: Rethinking Success in Rural Iowa: Fairfield Thinks Inclusively.

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Posted in Architecture, Education, Health, Peace, Sustainable Living, Videos | 3 Comments »

Transcendental Meditation Drastically Turns Life Around For Veteran With PTSD

March 15, 2012

Transcendental Meditation Drastically Turns Life Around For Veteran With PTSD

Posted on March 15, 2012 by admin

David George Uses the Power Within for PTSD Stress Relief

By Christine Leccese

At first glance, David George’s story sounds similar to many service members returning from Iraq or Afghanistan. While deployed in Iraq, he witnessed and was part of a traumatic event. His compound was car bombed and about 50 people were injured. And he saw it all. About a year after returning home, he was anxious, depressed, drank a lot, and prone to recklessness. His life was spinning out of control. The rest of David’s story, however, is different than that of many returning veterans with PTSD, and one that Operation Warrior Wellness made possible for him.

After returning from Iraq, the barracks’ normal sounds would make David’s heart pound. A slamming door or artillery practice in the distance could cause him to panic. The smell of burning rubber could take him right back to the war. Stopping at a red light at night? Forget it. That made him feel like a sitting target. He describes the keyed up feeling he had day and night: “You know that feeling you have just before a race? That jittery feeling? I had that all the time.”

David sought help from a bottle  — Jack Daniels and whiskey could bring him a little relief, but that, of course, brought its own problems. He had several car crashes, and didn’t care whether he lived or died. His mother was frantic and said she woke up every morning not knowing whether her son would be dead or alive. Relationships and lost jobs were casualties of David’s PTSD. He wanted it to stop so he sought help. The VA was treating him with medication, but it wasn’t making a difference for David.

Here’s where David’s story takes a twist. One day, while listening to the radio in between classes, he heard an ad for a research study that was looking at the effects of transcendental meditation on PTSD. Someone had told him about TM a year or so earlier, but he could not afford to take the classes to learn how to do it. He jumped at the chance to be part of the research study, and signed up.

The first time he practiced TM, he noticed that for that 20 minutes he was free of anxiety. He started looking forward to the next day’s practice knowing that he would have another 20 minutes without anxiety. Then, the calm that he felt during his TM practice started seeping into other parts of his day. Eventually, David’s symptoms subsided.  He credits it all to TM.

“The first time I meditated, I experienced this relief from the constant anxiety attack my life had become,” David said. “You have to give yourself a chance to make yourself feel better, because no one else is going to do it for you.”

David says that he will never stop meditating. “I’m so happy and I’ll never stop. It has this compounding effect and gets better every day.”  Today, David meditates for about 20 minutes twice a day. If he is stressed about something, he’ll do a little 10-minute meditation. When he sits up in bed in the morning, he meditates, and also if he has any other opportunities, such as sitting in the waiting room of a doctor’s office. Transcendental meditation turned David’s life around, and could be a great option for other people with PTSD. If you are wondering whether your own symptoms are likely a result of PTSD, depression, anxiety, or alcohol use, you can take a free, anonymous screening. Service members who want to learn more about TM can check out Operation Warrior Wellness.

Christine Leccese is the marketing and communications manager for Military Pathways.

Related articles: Medication or Meditation for Veterans with PTSD? | David Lynch Foundation launches Veteran’s Day national meditation initiative | A Transcendental Cure for Post-Traumatic Stress by David Lynch and Norman E. Rosenthal | ABC News: Study finds meditation helps soldiers overcome trauma, PTSD | Meditation Promoted For Troops With PTSD | How meditation saved the life of a veteran with PTSD.

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Vermont Public Radio: Transcendental Meditation Studied For Military Use

March 12, 2012

VPR News: VPR’s Steve Zind reports on research underway at Norwich University that uses Transcendental Meditation as a tool to make better soldiers and inoculate them from the psychological trauma of combat.

Transcendental Meditation Studied For Military Use
Monday, 03/12/12 12:44pm

A Norwich University Cadet Wearing A Cap Designed to Monitor Brain Activity.

The military devotes a lot of money and resources to training for combat and to treating post-combat stress. Now there’s research underway at Norwich University in Northfield that uses a tool more associated with peace than warfare to prepare military men and women.

The study is looking at whether Transcendental Meditation will not only make better soldiers, but inoculate them from the psychological trauma of combat.

VPR’s Steve Zind has this story on a group of cadets that some are calling ‘Oom Platoon’.

From Vermont Edition: Dairy’s Value-Added Future

Related: The Norwich Guidon: Rooks experiment with meditation

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John Hagelin — “Only Higher Consciousness Can Transform Our World” — Beyond Awakening Blog

February 13, 2012

“Only Higher Consciousness Can Transform Our World”
John Hagelin is interviewed by Terry Patten for Beyond Awakening Blog

Terry Patten conducted a conversation at the leading edge with John Hagelin, PhD for their Beyond Awakening Series. You can listen to a replay of this enlightening 90-minute interview recorded Sunday, February 12th, 2012 on the Beyond Awakening Blog, on SoundCloud: BeyondAwakening.Hagelin.02.12.2012, or Download the MP3.

Beyond AwakeningHost Terry Patten is a passionate Integral coach, teacher, trainer, consultant, and writer. He is committed to serving the emergence of Integral consciousness—by writing and educating, and by helping conscious individuals and organizations negotiate extraordinary transitions.

Terry describes John Hagelin as a physicist, educator, author, and large-scale activist — a truly remarkable “Renaissance man.”

His work has demonstrated that since our perception and behavior is a direct reflection of our consciousness, any attempt to improve human behavior or transform society can only succeed if it addresses the fundamental issue of consciousness.

And cutting-edge neuroscientific research reveals clear-cut evidence for “higher states of consciousness” with vastly expanded mental capabilities and enhanced powers. Physiologically well-documented higher states include the temporary experience of Samadhi—Pure Consciousness—the unbounded, universal, transcendental Self. They also include the permanently stabilized experience of Samadhi—together with waking, sleeping and dreaming experience—known as Nirvikalpa Samadhi, Liberation, or Nirvana.

He describes how our new understanding of higher states of consciousness—and their ready accessibility—radically changes our understanding of the limits of human potential. It has far-reaching implications for the transformation of society—for solving intractable problems in the field of education; reducing crime, terrorism and war; and promoting social harmony and world peace.

Dr. Hagelin is a leading researcher and educator who has brought the practice of meditation to half a million at-risk children and has helped conduct a body of research that demonstrates the powerful effects of group meditation practice on reducing social violence, crime, war, and terrorism and promoting societal peace.

In our conversation he will bring together cutting-edge discoveries in quantum physics and neuroscience to forge a new understanding of consciousness and the physical universe—mind and matter—revealing a startling connection between our inner and outer realities.

About John Hagelin:

Official photo of John HagelinJohn Hagelin, Ph.D., is a world-renowned quantum physicist, educator, author, and President of the Global Union of Scientists for Peace. He 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 has spent much of the past quarter century leading a scientific investigation into the foundations of human consciousness. He is one of the world’s pre-eminent researchers on the effects of meditation on brain development, and the use of collective meditation to defuse societal stress and to reduce crime and social violence.

In recognition of his outstanding achievements, Dr. Hagelin was named winner 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 many times on ABC’s Nightline, NBC’s Meet the Press, CNN’s Larry King Live! and many others. He has been regularly featured in the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and most other major metropolitan newspapers.

See IONS interview: The Power of The Collective, by John Hagelin.

TV interviews: Conscious TV: John Hagelin – The Core of Nature | John Hagelin, Ph.D., Speaks on the Nature of Consciousness and the Universe | Dr. John Hagelin: Look Within to Understand the Universe.

Special webcast by Dr. John Hagelin: The Origin of the Universe and the Nature of Consciousness. This video serves as an introduction to Dr. Hagelin’s online course, “Foundations of Physics and Consciousness.” For more information about the course and to register, please click here: http://www.mum.edu/de/physics.html

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