http://www.berkeleybeacon.com/media/paper169/news/2005/09/29/ArtsAndEntertainment/David.Lynch.To.Speak.At.The.Majestic.Theatre-1005911.shtml
David Lynch to speak at the Majestic Theatre
Director of Blue Velvet, Lost Highway and Mulholland Drive will lecture on
creativity and mediation
By Bryan O'Toole
Published: Thursday, September 29, 2005
A severed human ear lying in a perfectly trimmed yard, encircled by ants. A
severely
deformed man resting his head, knowing that he will die. A red room inhabited
by a
midget who speaks backward.
Such images could only be the product of a deranged and disturbed mind.
But, director David Lynch is at peace. The renowned filmmaker will speak about
how
he achieved this state in a lecture called "Consciousness, Creativity and the
Brain"
on Saturday at Emerson College's Cutler Majestic Theatre.
Over the past 25 years, Lynch has indelibly left his mark on Hollywood, creating
complex, surrealist visions in films like Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart and most
recently, Mulholland Drive.
At Emerson, he will speak about a technique called "Transcendental Meditation,"
which involves taking 20 minutes twice a day to meditate and clear the mind.
Lynch, who has practiced Transcendental Meditation for 32 years, said he had
been
looking for a way to reduce stress, but did not know how.
Then, Lynch spoke to his sister and noticed "a change in her voice" when
speaking
about Transcendental Meditation, he told The Beacon during a recent phone
interview.
He tried it and has meditated daily ever since.
"It was so euphoric," he said.
Although many people have described his films as "unique," Lynch said that such
a
strong word should be reserved for the experiences during meditation. He
personally
finds himself adrift in "an ocean of bliss" while meditating, he said.
The outlook has not only helped him deal with the pressures of the film
business,
but also daily life. When one meditates, he said, "you don't see enemies, you
see
friends."
Lynch's talk at Emerson will focus on how Transcendental Meditation has helped
him
throughout his career, as well as the creative process in Hollywood.
He will be joined by quantum physicist John Hagelin and neuroscientist John
Travis,
who will provide scientific information about the effects of meditation on the
brain.
The director's speech at Emerson is part of his East Coast tour, which is also
making stops at American University, Brown University, Yale University and New
York
University. In November, Lynch will begin a West Coast leg, speaking at UCLA
among
others.
Tickets for Saturday's lecture were distributed for free at the Majestic
Theatre's
box office last Wednesday and all available seats were gone within two hours,
according to the theatre's assistant manager, Christina Harrington.
"We were really pleased with the response," she said.
Other local schools, including Boston University, Harvard University, MIT and
Northeastern University were all allotted tickets for distribution. Any tickets
left
over, however, will be handed out at the Majestic Box Office at 11 a.m.
tomorrow to
any area college student with a valid school ID.
Lynch's talk comes after the creation of the David Lynch Foundation for
Consciousness-based Education and World Peace this July.
The foundation aims to introduce Transcendental Meditation to classrooms around
the
country and it recently gave out a $200,000 grant to make this happen in seven
schools in various locations.
In the midst of his college tour and foundation work, Lynch has been working on
his
latest film, Inland Empire. Lynch cryptically said it is about "a woman in
trouble."
The film, which features Wild at Heart's Laura Dern and Mulholland Drive's
Justin
Theroux, is almost finished shooting. Lynch feels it is important, however, to
sideline the film temporarily for his lectures.
"Peace on earth is at stake," he said. "And that's worth taking time off."
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