Ellen DeGeneres and Russell Brand raise awareness about TM for overcoming traumatic stress

January 26, 2012

Meditating celebrities, leaders of veteran service organizations, and top scientists and educators gathered at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on December 3rd for the David Lynch Foundation‘s third annual “Change Begins Within” benefit gala.

The event celebrated the success of the David Lynch Foundation’s national and global initiatives aimed at helping children and adults overcome the crippling influence of traumatic stress and transform their lives from within.

The David Lynch Foundation was established in 2005 to provide financial support and program implementation so that inner-city students, veterans with PTSD and their families, and incarcerated juveniles and adults can begin the Transcendental Meditation technique. To date, the Foundation has helped more than 200,000 people learn to meditate.

Television talk show host, comedian, and bestselling author Ellen DeGeneres opened the evening:

“I’ve been doing TM for about a year now. I tried to meditate before—the breathing and all the other stuff—and I was always opening my eyes about a minute later thinking, ‘How am I gonna do this!? This is just impossible.’

“So when I heard about TM, I was very impressed by the people who were doing it. And I thought there must be something to it and I’ll try it even though I am not good at meditating.

“There’s something about TM. It’s the only time I have that stillness. It’s the only way I’ve ever been able to sit long enough. I open my eyes and I’m sad that it’s 20 minutes later. It gives me this peaceful feeling—I just love it so much and I talk about it as much as I can on my show without sounding like I’m preaching about it. I can’t say enough good things about it.

“You achieve all the benefits from just sitting still and going within. It really is a beautiful experience. I’m happy to be a part of this community and I hope to continue doing this.”

In the following video, British comedian and actor Russell Brand and Dr. John Hagelin, renowned quantum physicist and president of the David Lynch Foundation, have a lively and witty discussion about the science behind the Transcendental Meditation technique.