Accredited Bliss By CHARLES WILSON If you think financing a motion picture is difficult, consider for a moment the fund-raising bench mark that the filmmaker David Lynch set this year for his new David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace: $7 billion. The director of "Mulholland Drive" hopes to finance seven "universities of peace," with endowments of $1 billion each, where students would practice Transcendental Meditation. Photomontage by Zachary Scott Developed by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the late 1950's, T.M. is a technique whereby individuals repeat a mantra to themselves during two 20-minute sessions per day. Lynch began practicing it 32 years ago as a student. T.M. rid him of his deep anger, he says, and enlivened his creative process. "When you dive within," Lynch says, "you experience an unbounded ocean of bliss consciousness." Lynch says he believes that undergraduates today - 3 of 10 of whom say they suffer from depression or an anxiety disorder - need to find that unbounded ocean even more than he did in 1973. To that end, he has recently offered to help underwrite for-credit "peace studies" classes, which would include T.M. instruction, at a number of universities. Pending approval, American University will offer one of these classes next year. Researchers there will also begin studying the technique's effects on student grades, I.Q.'s and mental health. Drawing on the work of John Hagelin, a quantum physicist and T.M. practitioner, Lynch harbors broader hopes that the seven universities of peace could enable the square root of 1 percent of the world's population - about 8,000 people - to simultaneously do an advanced version of the T.M. technique called "yogic flying." Lynch and Hagelin say that a mass meditation of this size could have a palliative effect upon the "unified field" of consciousness that connects all human beings and thereby bring about the conditions for world peace. This fall, Lynch toured 13 schools across the United States to promote his plans. Skeptics might wonder how a filmmaker renowned for his dark visions could devote so much energy to the cultivation of happiness. Lynch, however, sees no contradiction. "You don't have to suffer yourself to portray suffering," he says. * Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, Fire Walk with Me, Mulholland Dr.: genius. Giving daily weather reports on his website: transcendent genius. If he wants to throw a "meditation" in there, who are we to complain?
I forgot Elephant Man and Wild at Heart. Those were quite good, bordering on great. Kinda iffy on Lost Highway, though. But possessing a mind which has the idea to webcast a completely superfluous weather report, based solely on a haggard-looking Lynch glancing out the window each morning? And sticking with that day after day, long after the joke's premise has seemingly worn thin? That, my friend, is indeed greatness: the kind of greatness that merits investors throwing away 7 billion on misguided nonsense. Lynch kicks L. Ron any day of the week.
So if this guy wanted to give 7 billion for the study of Christianity, Islam, Hinduism or Buddhism, it would seem ok. Would this guy be called a savior of religions? Just because you dont know what transcendental meditation is about, doesnt make you an authority on it. It also doesn't give you the right to call someone who has benefited it and wants other to benefit from it "wackos."
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi is the guy the Beatles hung out with. He is a Indian guru based the Hindu tradition (I think). His version of meditation is different than traditional Buddhist meditation. I would call his organization another Scientology.
Oohhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....What?
I think the humor lies in him trying to create these huge foundations. He's not giving 7 billion dollars - he's trying to raise it. Tom Cruise would get mocked the same way if he tried to establish a bunch of thetan-free universities.
universities for peace? hmmm. I say we all take a big group nap. Sleeping (or otherwise being lazy) is a very peaceful activity, it doesn't hurt anybody, and it lowers stress. Take some Nyquil if it helps. (and there are others who wish to reach states of altered consciousness by other chemical methods... but that's not my area of expertise) Anyway, what about "Nap 101" for course credit... seems more comfortable than twisting yourself up into a pretzel or whatever you're supposed to do to meditate.
Lynch is completely out of his mind... that money should be going towards massive coke parties and small islands in the Phillipines.
