I've seen David talk a couple of times. Both have been so so intriguing. I used to work for the British Film Institute so was very lucky to be given the opportunity.

 The first time I saw him interviewed after sitting 3 hours through Inland Empire (v.numb bum by the end I can tell you!) The interview is actually on the UK release of the DVD.

 The second time was very curious, it was when he was talking about transcendental meditation and he was with Donovan, the singer. People got to come up to the stage and ask random questions, whatever they wanted. I wish I had the guts now to of asked him something but as I was working it wouldn't of looked v.professional! 

 I remember one guy goes 'How did you get your hair like that' oh dear...

 The highlight of the night was (after Donovan had sung Mellow Yellow) David came on and spoke a poem, whilst Donovan played guitar. It was brilliant!

 I understand this was a travelling show so I'm just wondering if anybody else got to check out this strange event!?

12rainbow, you can't speak on behalf of everyone though surely?

I have nothing against TM and wondered what you're getting haughty about? Why the bee in your bonnet?

Pardon? No, I was speaking of the general climate here. There was no irony in my tone at all. We DO try, as a group. Some of us do better than others.

"Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it, don't wait for it, just let it happen. Could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot, black coffee. Like this."  -Dale Cooper

I've been très supportive of DL's penchant for TM. I watched the DVDs, listened to the podcasts, bought Catching The Big Fish (book and CD), decided paying a large sum of money for a mantra wasn't for me and now I'm all TM-d out. 

Not only did the UK INLAND EMPIRE DVD include none of the wondrous special features from the R1 disc, but the Mark Kermode interview I'd been looking forward to was hijacked by a sermon about transcendental meditation, which I knew by heart from the lectures, podcasts and book.   

I don't think it's haughty or unfair to say people who take an interest in DL's work have reached saturation point. It's not because it's TM, it's because we've heard it already. Many times. David Lynch is one of my all time heroes and I'd defend his work (and honour) to the grave but I won't pay for any more information about TM, regardless of whether it's in the form of a book, documentary or lecture.  

DL has found something he obviously believes has great benefits. He has practiced TM for decades before he began active public support of it.

It is just a case of what is that saying?... ' different strokes for different folks', ' if the shoe fits... nah, 'Thanks, but no thanks ' ? anyway,

Namasti.

No one ever, that I've seen, challenges the research and theories behind TM at these talks.  Now that's something I'd watch.  David  commands so much respect from the crowd he draws to his conferences, and at the same time his disposition is so gentle, why would anyone want to piss in his Fruit Loops? 

If TM came clean about it's ties to religion, it might not get picked on as much.  (It reminds me a little of Christian Science with a Far Eastern flavor.)  Alas, the research behind it is too problematic for me.

http://skepdic.com/tm.html

I had many friends from the school and generally they are just normal folks. 

Some weird things that I have personally witnessed

1. Sequestering people

2. Can get angry when individuals want to leave the ranks

3. Have created their own town where it is illegal to sell food that is not organic

4. Entrances to their homes must face north? (I can't remember the direction). The home listings in Fairfield are funny. Vedic house blahblahblah

But I think meditation is probably a good way to relax.  I'll use other methods to open the doors in my mind.

It definitely is. My 8th grade Home Ec. teacher taught us a relaxation/visualization technique that I still use (like Nefud's black smoke on the Stress thread.) How great for young kids to have that kind of tool to take with them for the rest of their lives.

I also do yoga, from gentle to "hot", to get into that altered state of consciousness. (In the past, I've used fasting and LSD, as a means to that end, too.)

Meditation simply means relaxed concentration as everything else slips away. Everyone should do it. It doesn't cost anything.

I saw that Paul McCartney (and Moby, and Donovan and Eddie Vedder) benefit at Radio City Music Hall news story on the 'Zette front page.  Here's the odd part, it says it's to teach children "yogic flying" - which I've never heard mentioned in conjunction with David Lynch.  This was a selling point of TM that was laughed into obscurity when a video of practicioners bouncing around on their bottoms while meditating was released. 

Was the journalist mistaken?  Or is flying still part of the deal?

Here's Dr. John Hagelin on a National Geographic segment on levitating:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHwhGUo90jw&feature=related

*boingyboingyboingy!*

It's been a controversial subject- I wouldn't say closeted- but if you're looking to be taken seriously, you don't come right out to novices talking about flying. 

In the 60's, this was a major selling point, along with becoming invisible. Now, the selling point is quantum physics and EEG scans.

A man successfully sued MMY for fraud because he couldn't fly:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/cult/trans_med/tm2.htm

All that's ever been accomplished is butt-bouncing, according to this article, which also says that if you doubt butt-bouncing is the first stage of flying, you aren't allowed to take any more courses: 

http://www.cultnews.com/?p=2323

Well they say in the video no one's got beyond the first stage yet and whether they like it or not the first stage consists of bouncing around on your arse and grinning inanely.  

As wondrous as I think DL is, I trusted him to negotiate a deal to release the FWWM deleted scenes and look how that turned out! There's no way he's getting his hands on my soul.

17+ finished deleted scenes and then we'll talk. Until then I'm staying grounded and negative.    

Did you see the youtube video where the guy "levitates" onto a full juice box and explodes it? Bliss!111

(I sense a new Twin Peaks Festival event for the picnic! Rocks and bottles, then lotus frog hop races)

 I didn't look at the levitation videos. I just assumed they were on wires! Ah, so cynical. I'll have a gander later.     

MayRay confirmed my worst suspicions about this arse bouncing business. If you ask me there's nothing enlightened about floating in mid air covered in your own faeces.

Since it's unlikely I'm going to see those deleted scenes in this lifetime, I might as well come back and give it another go. Expect to see me wandering the streets with a cow and a banner that reads 'David Lynch and MK2 are responsible for me being shackled to the wheel of samsara' at some point during the next five hundred years.       

And American Spirits when Lynch visits.   (How can a man that relaxed still need to smoke?)

Uh, I loved Catch the Wind.  It was really a good song on LSD.  Or on mescaline.  It was groovy.  I also loved Donovan in the Dylan docu of days gone by.  I've seen most of 'em over the years but never caught a live Donovan show though I did once double date with a Donovan -ex for a Cat Stevens concert.  Loved the Cat-man but he sat on a stool for the entire perf.  I don't like to watch seated singers. 

Which brings us back to stools.

Susan

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

 Yes. stool. Can we get back to ass o-nautics?  coldsprings, how is that ass proplelled exercise working out for you?

Making it to work?