My mind holds only what I think with God.
(135) If I defend myself I am attacked.
(136) Sickness is a defense against the truth.
Miracles I'm noticing:
I have just returned from the David Lynch Weekend at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa. The theme for the weekend's activities was "Exploring the frontiers of consciousness, creativity, and the brain." I learned a lot and took tons of notes which I'll share as I can.
One of the most fascinating things to me was finding out about this university in the middle of Iowa. It was founded in 1973 and today has a K-12 school as well as the university where students are taught transcendental meditation (TM) as part of the curriculum.
We heard from John Hagelin, a quantum physicist and featured speaker in What the Bleep and The Secret, who is also a faculty member at the university. He wasn't able to be with us in person because he is working with the U.N. on a project to bring world peace through TM in New York, but he was with us live via satellite. He presented all kinds of medical statistics of the benefits of TM on not only the person doing the meditating, but the energy of the world.
He showed that when the square root of one percent of the population in any country is practicing TM, they can actually cause the collective consciousness of that country to move to peace. That means 2,000 people in the U.S. can meditate for the rest of the country. John Hagelin is working on a project right now with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of this university and the father of TM, as well as with the U.N., to get 35 countries to have the proper number of meditators in their country trained in TM by September of this year. That means that the square root of one percent of the population of 35 countries will be using TM to raise the consciousness of those 35 countries.
It was very fascinating information, especially when it came to teaching kids these techniques. Statistics show that test scores are raised, stress is decreased, creativity, memory, moral reasoning, emotional maturity, reaction time can all be stimulated by TM. In fact, it has even been proven that IQ can be increased by practicing TM.
David Lynch, who has produced such films as Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive and the TV series Twin Peaks, spoke about his use of TM and the effects on his own creativity. He is on the board of trustees at the university and created a foundation two years ago to offer Consciousness-Based education in colleges and schools to help students become “wide-awake, energetic, blissful, creative, powerfully intelligent and peaceful human beings.”
Through David’s work, thousands of students are learning the creativity-enhancing, stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation technique in the US and around the world.
David is now launching a new program “Teaching One Million Students to Meditate.”
Donovan is a legendary singer, songwriter, and musician whose string of major hits starting in the mid-1960s included Mellow Yellow, Sunshine Superman, Hurdy Gurdy Man, and Catch the Wind.
Donovan is actively involved with the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace where he is fulfilling his 40-year desire to bring the Transcendental Meditation technique to students.
He actually studied under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi with the Beatles in India, and we had a chance to meet him this weekend.
Just meeting Donovan was a miracle!
Conversations With God
The Four Agreements
A Course in Miracles
The Disappearance of the Universe
A Return to Love
7 comments:
That's so cool that you enjoyed the weekend! I've been practicing TM for over 30 years - I live in Fairfield - and I saw part of the weekend via webcast.
TM has made an enormous impact on my life, changing me from a shy, scared, nervous girl into a confident and successful woman. One of the biggest things I experienced within the first couple years of meditating was to realize one day that I was actually continually experiencing the state of "happy." It was more than the momentary experience, but a continuous state of being quietly happy - and it had just crept up on me. That "a ha" moment was pretty transformational for me.
So you got to meet Donovan! He gave a great concert last night in one of the Domes - were you there? There were probably about 1000 people there - and the MUM students gave David Lynch an award, too. Very charged night.
Hope you get to come back and visit Fairfield again!
Jasamana:
I loved my Fairfield experience! How did you first learn TM? I'm very interested in all of it now that I've been to the TM capital of the world! I was not at the Dome for the concert - it would have been so great to be there with everyone, but we had a 9-hour drive back to North Dakota.
I'd love to come back to Fairfield - and it's great to know I've got a friend there now in you! Thank you so much for writing! All my best to you!
Hello Jodee,
It was a pleasure to read your blog and feel your enthusiasm. As a teacher of the Transcendental Meditation program it was very satisfying for me to look around the auditorium during the final presentations and see the rapt expressions of the participants, as they listened to Maharishi expressing his desire for action to relieve the suffering of entire nations.
We feel the resurgence of deeper human values in global awareness can only have a permanent foundation when they are being fully lived 24/7. That's what makes Fairfield a very special place on our planet. Wisdom, well-being, health and wealth, art, expression and enjoyment of life blossoming in a supportive environment where everyone wishes the best for everyone else.
It's a rare experience these days - but it is quite real.
Your gentle words show how in tune you are as the world shifts from fear to fearlessness.
Please come visit again soon.
Warmest wishes,
Joseph
Jodee,
What a wonderful and articulate description of the weekend. I'm glad you got to come and even more I am so happy that you enjoyed yourself and that it inspired you as you said to move from fear to love. That is so beautiful. My name is Stephen Cardinal, I spoke on Sunday. I'm the current student body President and the director of the Documentary about the students of M.U.M.
I don't know if we got the chance to speak or not. I met so many new people it's hard to keep track who was who. I'm sure you had the same experience.
Thank you again for coming, wishing you all the best.
Stephen
Joseph & Stephen:
Thank you for being part of a fabulous weekend! I didn't get the chance to speak to either of you in person, but I was one of the people in the audience who was listening and taking copious notes during each of the presentations, including Maharishi's talk on Sunday. One of my friends who came with me from Fargo is already studying TM with a teacher from Minneapolis, and all of us who came (you can see us in the photo with Donovan) are seeing the effects of her study on her and her family. It's beautiful!
Best wishes to each of you in your journeys. Your talk was very inspiring, Stephen!
I'm definitely telling my friends and readers about MUM! Thank you for visiting my blog!
Thank you Jodee for your comments about Fairfield and TM. TM, as you know, has had a profound effect on me in my life. I felt so grateful that so many of my friends wanted to make the trek to Fairfield to check it out with me.
It was wonderful to hear about Lynch's quest to bring Consciousness-based education to so many kids around the world. It inspired me to bring it here to the FM area...we'll see!!!
Gina
Gina:
Thank you for your inspiration regarding TM - and lots of other things. I really had a great time with you, Sharon, Cary, Carolyn and her family. I'll look forward to seeing what transpires because of your continued intention and inspiration here in Fargo-Moorhead!
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