Side story - When I was about 21, at my first job, I read multiple newspapers a day for my boss; and I saw and clipped a tiny tiny article about an elderly man riding his lawn mower across state lines to visit his ailing brother. I thought, "I'm going to make this a movie someday." When my favorite director then made THAT movie a few years later ("Straight Story") I felt quite affirmed in my creative instincts.
Imagine Hollywood without Lynch. What a dreary fucking place. He was an all timer. Speaking of transcendence, the man transcended generations and leaves a seismic impact for anyone willing to approach his work with childlike enthusiasm. Great interview, Mitch.
Lynch was a brilliant and talented manβ¦.this interview is very inspiring. Thank you for sharing it with us. Lynchβs wisdom will always be appreciated and he is missed.
Practicing mantra-based meditation for 20 minutes twice daily, whether it's official TM or not, has significantly enhanced my quality of life and creativity. Just sayin' :)
This issue comes up a lot. Here is my perspective.
First off, I eschew the term βgrift,β which is a conversation-stopper. I am accused of βgrifting,β for example, by those critical of my advocacy of parapsychology.
The Maharishi believed that we have a strained relationship between money and the search. We believe the search should be free. We believe art should be free. We spend where our values are.
My friend Bob Roth, head of the David Lynch Foundation, hears from people who say that they would like to learn to meditate but cannot afford it. He asks that they write him a letter explaining why they wish to learn and he will teach them free. Not one in ten people write that letter. (The DLF does teach students, first responders, vets, among others, free.)
We have a different relationship to things we receive free than for things we pay for. I believe that most people, most of the time, wish neither to meditate, free or paid; they wish to complain and would not meditate if granted every opportunity.
The process of learning TM is a four-day session of about sixty minutes each. Hence, even a high-end cost is less than therapy.
I spend the cost of meditating, routinely, on a dinner out, treating friends to something, buying my kids tickets / snacks at a sporting event. And so on.
A recording artist I once knew--who had kids to support (as I do)--told me that the people who come up to her and say, "Your music saved my life!" almost invariably buy nothing--not a CD, not a tee shirt. All for "saving their life."
I think artists and teachers deserve to get paid. I cannot speak to the wisdom of the cost of TM at every turn. There are times where it spiraled too high and has, though the efforts of DLF, more recently come down. I like that.
I expect no leavening of position but thatβs my POV.
Wow, love this guy so much. Huge influence on me from a young age too.
Side story - When I was about 21, at my first job, I read multiple newspapers a day for my boss; and I saw and clipped a tiny tiny article about an elderly man riding his lawn mower across state lines to visit his ailing brother. I thought, "I'm going to make this a movie someday." When my favorite director then made THAT movie a few years later ("Straight Story") I felt quite affirmed in my creative instincts.
Imagine Hollywood without Lynch. What a dreary fucking place. He was an all timer. Speaking of transcendence, the man transcended generations and leaves a seismic impact for anyone willing to approach his work with childlike enthusiasm. Great interview, Mitch.
Lynch was a brilliant and talented manβ¦.this interview is very inspiring. Thank you for sharing it with us. Lynchβs wisdom will always be appreciated and he is missed.
I read "Catching the Big Fish" years ago, and it still resonates with me today!
Practicing mantra-based meditation for 20 minutes twice daily, whether it's official TM or not, has significantly enhanced my quality of life and creativity. Just sayin' :)
My main issue with TM is the grift. Why does one have to learn this so-called universal ability from an expensive βlegitimate teacherβ?
This issue comes up a lot. Here is my perspective.
First off, I eschew the term βgrift,β which is a conversation-stopper. I am accused of βgrifting,β for example, by those critical of my advocacy of parapsychology.
The Maharishi believed that we have a strained relationship between money and the search. We believe the search should be free. We believe art should be free. We spend where our values are.
My friend Bob Roth, head of the David Lynch Foundation, hears from people who say that they would like to learn to meditate but cannot afford it. He asks that they write him a letter explaining why they wish to learn and he will teach them free. Not one in ten people write that letter. (The DLF does teach students, first responders, vets, among others, free.)
We have a different relationship to things we receive free than for things we pay for. I believe that most people, most of the time, wish neither to meditate, free or paid; they wish to complain and would not meditate if granted every opportunity.
The process of learning TM is a four-day session of about sixty minutes each. Hence, even a high-end cost is less than therapy.
I spend the cost of meditating, routinely, on a dinner out, treating friends to something, buying my kids tickets / snacks at a sporting event. And so on.
A recording artist I once knew--who had kids to support (as I do)--told me that the people who come up to her and say, "Your music saved my life!" almost invariably buy nothing--not a CD, not a tee shirt. All for "saving their life."
I think artists and teachers deserve to get paid. I cannot speak to the wisdom of the cost of TM at every turn. There are times where it spiraled too high and has, though the efforts of DLF, more recently come down. I like that.
I expect no leavening of position but thatβs my POV.
I appreciate your response (as always)!