Posts Tagged ‘David Lynch Foundation’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

New study shows Transcendental Meditation significantly reduces PTS in African refugees

April 11, 2013

African war refugees practicing Transcendental Meditation®, a simple and effective stress-reducing meditation technique, experienced immediate and dramatic reductions in severe posttraumatic stress symptoms to a non-symptomatic level in just 30 days, according to a new study published this week in the April 2013 issue of the Journal of Traumatic Stress (Volume 26, Issue 2, pp. 295-298.)

A significant percentage of veterans are returning home from wars exhibiting symptoms of posttraumatic stress (PTS). It is now recognized as a serious health problem that can trigger suicidal tendencies. But what about the victims of such violence? Homeless refugees live with the constant reminder of what war has done to their lives and those of their families.

While studies have shown the Transcendental Meditation (TM®) technique to effectively lower posttraumatic stress in veterans of Vietnam and Iraq/Afghanistan wars, this is the first (randomized/matched) study to look at PTS in African war refugees. It measured the severity of posttraumatic stress symptoms before and after learning the TM technique, and the reductions were immediate and dramatic.

PTS Scores Graph

The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist scores in the TM group went from high PTS symptoms at baseline to a non-symptomatic level after 30-days TM practice, and remained low at 135-days, while scores in the control group trended upward from baseline to the two posttests.

For more study details and comments by the surprised researchers, click the EurekAlert! press release, graph and video with descriptions, and a PDF of the published JTS TM-PTS Study.

The study was funded by the David Lynch Foundation.

In the past 20 years, 18 African nations have been ravaged by war. Tens of millions of Africans have been victims of violence or witnessed horrific acts of terror—and now suffer from post-traumatic stress. The DLF Africa PTSD Relief Project was set up to raise funds to teach the TM program to many more African refugees. Here is a short documentary with actor, director Bill Duke, Ambassador for African PTSD Relief. Please visit http://www.davidlynchfoundation.org/africa to learn more.

The news was reported on MedicalXpress.com: Transcendental Meditation significantly reduces posttraumatic stress in African refugees, and linked to it from many other websites. Also by News-Medical.net: Study: Transcendental meditation reduces posttraumatic stress in African refugees. And Medical News Today: Posttraumatic Stress Significantly Reduced By Transcendental Meditation. Psychiatric Annals/Helio: Meditation reduced posttraumatic stress symptoms in African refugees.

Here is an excellent comprehensive report with quotes from Russell Simmons, and David Lynch about the study posted on People of Shambala: Transcendental Meditation significantly reduces post-traumatic stress for Congolese refugees: study. Google posted this excellent article by AFP: Filmmaker David Lynch touts meditation for PTSD.

More on Global Good News: Transcendental Meditation significantly reduces posttraumatic stress in African refugees, and  Johannesburg Transcendental Meditation Center: Post Traumatic Stress help for African Refugees.

See the Second study to show Transcendental Meditation reduces PTSD in African Refugees—in just 10 days.

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Articles, David Lynch Foundation, Health, Maharishi University, Peace, Videos | 1 Comment »

Russell Brand and David Lynch at LA Premiere of ‘Meditation, Creativity, Peace’ Documentary

April 5, 2013
Comedian Russell Brand and Founder/Director David Lynch speak during the 'Meditation In Education' Global Outreach Campaign at The Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum on April 2, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Comedian Russell Brand and Founder/Director David Lynch speak during the ‘Meditation In Education’ Global Outreach Campaign at The Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum on April 2, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

David Lynch and Russell Brand joined forces to help bring Transcendental Meditation to 1,000,000 at-risk youth at the U.S. premiere of ‘Meditation, Creativity, Peace’ at the Hammer Museum’s Billy Wilder Theater in Los Angeles on Tuesday, April 2. The premiere marked the launch of the “Meditation in Education” global outreach campaign.

“Proceeds from the global distribution of the documentary will be used to help students in the United States and across the world overcome traumatic stress, improve learning ability and raise performance through Transcendental Meditation,” said Lynch.

The response to the film was overwhelming with only 300 seats and over 1,000 people showing up. An overflow hall and outdoor screens were set up so hundreds more could see the film, and the dynamic 41-minute interview that followed with David Lynch, Russell Brand, and DLF executive director, Bob Roth. Hopefully that interview will be posted soon.* Roth said the overwhelming response was indicative of a change in collective consciousness since the film was first shown in New York a year and a half ago.**

Russell Brand and David Lynch talk Transcendental Meditation with Bob Roth. Credit/Copyright: Amy Graves via The TASC Group

Russell Brand and David Lynch talk Transcendental Meditation with Bob Roth. Credit/Copyright: Amy Graves via The TASC Group

Following last night’s debut in L.A., the documentary will go on to screen in 12 major international cities, including London, Paris, Berlin, Tel Aviv, Johannesburg, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Toronto, in May and June. The film will also be screened at the Palm Beach International Film Festival in West Palm Beach, FL on Saturday, April 6. Visit the new website, Meditation Creativity Peace, for a list of upcoming and previous screenings: http://meditationcreativitypeace.com.

Read more of what happened that night in these reports: Look to the Stars: Russell Brand And David Lynch Bring Meditation To At-Risk Youth and LAist: David Lynch & Russell Brand Changing Lives With ‘Meditation Creativity Peace’, which include photos and videos. Sean Macaulay covered the event, including an interview, for The Daily Beast: David Lynch Discusses Transcendental Meditation in Los Angeles. Google posted this excellent article by AFP: Filmmaker David Lynch touts meditation for PTSD.

Here are some videos by World Monitor TV covering the event. In this first one, Russell Brand and David Lynch arrive at ‘Meditation Creativity Peace’ US premier, after posing for photographers, David and Russell walk over to Puki Freeberg for an interview, which starts around 1:38. It’s difficult to make out what they’re saying with the many people talking in the room and photographers shouting at the celebrities to turn their way. At first David complains about the bright lights, saying they need to be covered with gels. But then David introduces the “fantastic” Puki to Russell who lights up and exclaims, “Oh you’re Puki! I hear a lot about you, and I met you once after a show in a different context, in a different dress, in a different light.

Puki asks Russell why he supports the David Lynch Foundation and he answers, “Because of the wonderful work it does in schools, with veterans, and because meditation is something everyone can use in their life, and because David asked me.”

David smiles and tells Puki that “Russell Brand is going to start a revolution…for peace and enlightenment…for all the people…and that’s why Russell’s here. And also Russell has a gift, somewhat of a gift for humor, and it’s really good to have him here.”

Puki asks David how he feels about premiering his documentary (Meditation, Creativity, Peace) in LA tonight, and he says, “I feel very good about it, because, hopefully, the documentary holds good news for the people…and we’ll see how it goes tonight…we’ll see if they think it’s good news.” There’s more discussion about the interview, which Russell says was very successful, but it’s hard to discern the rest of what they’re saying as they bring it to an end. Here is a more recent updated clearer version:

 Other meditating celebrities arrive and are seen in these videos: Maya Stojan, Russell Brand arrive at ‘Meditation Creativity Peace’ US premier | ‘Meditation Creativity Peace’ US premiere – Matt Bomer, Russell Brand, Nick Zano | Matt Bomer, Nick Zano all smiles at ‘Meditation Creativity Peace’ US premiere.

*The Hammer Museum did post the 41-minute interview the following month: David Lynch, Russell Brand, Bob Roth Q&A after screening Meditation, Creativity, Peace documentary at Hammer Museum. Richard Broome also posted it on his website highlighting key quotes from the interview.

**Here is an earlier post on the film when it was shown in NYC: Watch the trailer for a new documentary film on David Lynch titled “Meditation Creativity Peace”.

Enlightenment, The TM Magazine, also reported on the event: Meditation Creativity Peace: How the David Lynch Foundation Brings Change from Within.

David Lynch speaks with Alan Colmes about his 16-country tour film Meditation Creativity Peace.

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Articles, David Lynch Foundation, Education, Health, Peace | 9 Comments »

Retired Principal James Dierke writes about “a Quiet Revolution” that took place in his school

March 25, 2013

Leadership Cover Sept:Oct 2012Established in 1971, the Association of California School Administrators is the largest umbrella organization for school leaders in the nation, serving more than 16,000 members. In the ACSA Leadership magazine, President David A. Gomez reviews highlights of the September/October 2012 issue in a letter to readers: 21st century school: Learning and teaching in the classroom and beyond.

Here is what he says about Jim Dierke’s article: Classroom learning can’t happen if students aren’t in school, or if behavior problems and stress levels inhibit success. A San Francisco program called Quiet Time, which engages students in classroom meditation, has tackled these problems successfully. “No matter how much effort we put into teaching, if we don’t effectively address the pervasive underlying tension and trauma experienced by our youth, we can’t make real progress,” writes Jim Dierke, who initiated the program in his middle school (page 14).

A Quiet Transformation by Jim Dierke (pages 14-17) tells the story of what took place in Visitacion Valley Middle School when he was principal. Stress not only contributes to violence and behavior issues, it impacts focus and memory, fundamentally impairing a child’s ability to learn and make good decisions. Dierke’s decision to implement the Quiet Time program transformed the lives of hundreds of students, teachers, staff, and the school as a whole. As a result of the dramatic turnaround, James S. Dierke was selected as the NASSP National Middle School Principal of the Year in 2008. The program was so successful, the Superintendent implemented the Quiet Time Program in a few other schools in their district. See this video and others mentioned at the end of the post: The David Lynch Foundation Quiet Time Program in San Francisco Schools.

When you open the PDF of the article use the Open With Different Viewer option in the upper right. Save the pdf and open it with Adobe and it should have the missing part of the last sentence I added. The last sentence should read: I retire with the lowest blood pressure I have had in 10 years and a great optimism about our ability to realize this vision for education. If you download the digital version of the issue, you’ll be able to read it as it appears in the magazine.

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Articles, Education | 3 Comments »

Celebrating Paul Horn and his Contribution to Jazz, World Music, Meditation and Spirituality

March 20, 2013

Paul Horn, Sir Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and David Lynch attend the press conference for the David Lynch Foundation “Change Begins Within” Benefit Concert at Radio City Music Hall on April 3, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)

It was St. Patrick’s Day on Sunday, March 17, 2013. It was also Paul Horn’s 83rd birthday, and I had sent around an email about it with links to Paul’s participation (:55–1:22) in the Change Begins Within Press Conference Highlights from Radio City Music Hall in NYC, April 3, 2009, and the concert the following night. Here’s an overview of the Change Begins Within Press Conference and musical Paul McCartney & Ringo Starr Concert Highlights. This is a great collection of concert clips and interviews, and DLF school clips: Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr Collaborate for Meditation in Schools. PBS later aired an edited version.

A Symphony of SilenceI also read an interview with Paul Horn in the first chapter of A Symphony of Silence: An Enlightened Vision by George A. Ellis. Paul spoke about his philosophy of music and improvisation, how he communicated musically with a killer whale at an aquarium in Victoria, BC, and in Hawaii. He also spoke about his own spiritual quest, how he started Transcendental Meditation and met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. He discussed how he was invited to join a course in India with Maharishi and his experiences there. George Ellis also asked Paul questions about his becoming a TM teacher in those early days, and also playing his flute in the Taj Mahal. It’s a great interview, and a wonderful way to start the book! It got me hooked.

Rolf Erickson, editor-in-chief of Enlightenment, The Transcendental Meditation Magazine, emailed to say there’s an excerpt of the interview with Paul Horn in the latest issue, number 11, called The Music of Meditation. In it, George cites a beautiful quote from Paul’s own book, Inside Paul Horn: The Spiritual Odyssey of a Universal Traveler, highlighted at the top of the article: “We are traveling in historical time, from the present to the distant past. We are traveling inwardly as well, through the music of meditation.” Rolf also contributed an article about George Ellis, Sharing the Symphony of Silence, describing what he had accomplished as a TM teacher and entrepreneur, and his heartfelt tribute to Maharishi with this book. Visit http://asymphonyofsilence.com.

Here is an excerpt from the book A Symphony of Silence by George Ellis on Paul Horn and the Music of Meditation published in Enjoy TM News.

Here’s an earlier post from a few years ago: Iconic Jazz Musician Paul Horn Performs Inside MUM’s Golden Dome in Historic Concert May 15. The concert was in the context of a Symposium on Music and Consciousness during which Paul Horn was honored for his lifelong contribution to music, as a jazz musician and Father of New Age Music; and consciousness, as a longtime teacher of Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation technique. Paul taught thousands of people to meditate in the 70’s. Here is Paul’s great talk at that Symposium: Improvisation: The Ultimate Art of Self-Expression — Paul Horn at MUM. Click here to see all of the Lecture and Performance Videos including Q & A.

During his visit to MUM and Fairfield, Jo Ann Gesner interviewed Paul for an article, Paul Horn: Improvisation from the Inside Out, published in Enlightenment Magazine’s 6th issue as Inside with Musician Paul Horn, with a beautiful photo that Jo Ann took of Paul and his wife, Ann Mortifee, in front of the mural painted by Lynne Teeple in Café Paradiso.

This video, Inside Paul Horn, is an overview of Paul Horn’s career. Originally titled, Inside Paul Horn Special Edition, it includes clips from Story of a Jazz Musician – David Wolper Presents, and was uploaded on Jan 14, 2011 by annmortifee. It seems to have been taken down now but you can see the full 3-part film here.

For more on the music of Paul Horn and Ann Mortifee, visit http://paulhornmusic.com and http://annmortifee.com.

Listen to Monica Hadley interview George A. Ellis on KRUU’s Writer’s Voices – 20130712 and how his book Symphony of Silence came about. Also posted on Writer’s Voices website.

See my Haiku With My Muse, Sali, inspired by Paul Horn.

See Snapshots: Paul Horn in Conversation: History & Influences.

Paul Horn died June 29, 2014. There were many memorial articles about the jazz flutist, composer and creator of new age music who also became a teacher of  Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation at his ashram in Rishikesh, India. He taught thousands to meditate in the United States and returned to make a film about Maharishi when the Beatles happened to be there to learn more about TM at his ashram. The Guardian announced his passing: Paul Horn, father of new age music, dies aged 84, then published a more detailed obituary.

Update July 4, 2020: A Symphony of Silence: An Enlightened Vision: 3rd Edition Abridged Paperback – June 28, 2020 and Kindle Edition. Also available in Spanish as Sinfonia del Silencio.

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in David Lynch Foundation, Music, Peace, Videos | 3 Comments »

War veterans say Transcendental Meditation could help with PTSD

February 11, 2013

War veterans say meditation could help with PTSD

By Agence France-Presse
Tuesday, February 5, 2013 6:27 EST

Meditation might sound an unlikely activity for men trained in killing people and blowing things up in Afghanistan and Iraq. But US war veterans say meditation could help heal the post-war mental disturbances that afflict a growing number of American soldiers, including possibly the ex-Marine who gunned down the country’s most famous sniper over the weekend.

Luke Jensen, a former undercover police officer who fell apart mentally on arrival in Afghanistan, said that after trying to commit suicide in front of his family, he agreed to try Transcendental Meditation — and was saved.

“There’s a lot of coping methods out there that are offered to our veterans. This needs to be one of them,” the heftily built man said in a shaking voice at a meeting of the David Lynch Foundation, which promotes meditation for treating post-traumatic stress disorder.

Jensen said he has since taken a job in the government’s Department of Veterans Affairs, helping other stressed out vets. Just two weeks ago, one of those he worked with committed suicide.

Transcendental Meditation “needs to be implemented. It needs to be an option,” Jensen told the panel in New York.

After years of being a little-talked about subject, PTSD is increasingly acknowledged as a mental health epidemic in the United States and one of the less easily quantifiable costs of America’s wars on the other side of the world.

The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that PTSD occurs in between 11 and 20 percent of veterans from the Afghan and Iraq wars, and in 31 percent of Vietnam war veterans.

Although combat is commonly assumed to be the main cause of PTSD, simply witnessing the effects of bombings, for example, or the stress of being in a hostile country, are also blamed.

Another major source of PTSD, though less often discussed, is what the government calls military sexual trauma. Veterans Affairs figures show that 23 percent of women report sexual assault in the ranks, while more than half have experienced sexual harassment.

The most frightening result associated with PTSD is the rising number of suicides, which now run at 22 a day among military veterans, according to a government study released last week.

And the problem is no less alarming among active duty soldiers, with a record 349 killing themselves in 2012 — more than were killed by the Taliban or other enemy in the field.

In the latest incident to highlight the violence engulfing former soldiers, an ex-Marine in Texas was accused Saturday of shooting dead another veteran who had devoted himself to helping comrades adjust to peaceful life.

Adding to the shock value, the victim, Chris Kyle, was an author of a best-selling book about his former exploits as a sniper with 150 confirmed kills.

In the effort to address the problem of PTSD, meditation is an outlier.

However, early studies show remarkable success, and demand is growing, advocates at filmmaker Lynch’s foundation said.

Transcendental Meditation involves entering “a state of rest in many cases deeper than sleep,” said Bob Roth, executive director of the David Lynch Foundation. “This allows deeply rooted stresses to be dissolved.”

Retired rear admiral Richard Schneider, president of the private military institute Norwich University, said tests showed that cadets using the techniques increased focus in class and were better “emotionally prepared.”

The meditation instructor, a chisel-faced air force veteran called David Zobeck, said a stigma long attached to meditation was evaporating among students, who are preparing for careers as officers.

“They’re not getting the weird stares anymore,” he said.

Jerry Yellin, a fighter pilot in World War II who spoke of losing comrades and making dangerous missions in the bloody Pacific theater, said he began suffering nightmares, then behavioral problems on return home at a time when PTSD was rarely discussed.

“The hard stuff began in my life, because I didn’t sleep,” he said. “I had an addiction that ruled my life.”

Meditating, he said, “got my life back 100 percent.”

The Raw Story published this report from Agence France-Presse.

See more articles on PTSD and TM posted on The Uncarved Blog.

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

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.

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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.

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Audios, David Lynch Foundation, Education, Health | Leave a Comment »

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

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in David Lynch Foundation, Education, Health, Videos | 1 Comment »

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…)

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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.


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

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »