Jim Frederick

Transcendental Meditation & Healing

Jul 10, 2014

Bob Roth
Stage· 102 messages
Jul 10, 2014

Former Editor of TIME magazine and author Jim Frederick, tawks with Bob Roth, Executive Director of the David Lynch Foundation, about the healing power of Transcendental Meditation. They will especially discuss how veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can be helped.

Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:00 PM

Bob, hello
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:00 PM

Hi, Jim! Great to be here with you...
Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:00 PM

Yes, very exited about this and really eager to get started. We have a big audience, so let's jump into it.
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:00 PM

I am ready!
Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:02 PM

You and I are both very interested in the well-being of our nation's vets. Can you tell us a little bit about how widespread the use of TM is among vets, how that started and what kind of tracking or monitoring you are able to provide?
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:03 PM

For sure… As you well know, the problem of post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury is a crisis beyond imagination… An estimated 300,00 to 500,00 veterans suffer from the nightmare of these hidden wounds of war
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:03 PM

The problem is that conventional approaches to addressing these issues--medication, talk therapy, etc are not only not proving effective or cost-effective, they can actually have damaging effects
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:04 PM

About three years ago the David Lynch Foundation launched Operation Warrior Wellness to bring the stress-reducing, health promoting benefits of a simple meditation technique to veterans and their families
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:05 PM

The response was immediate and huge… Thousands of veterans have come forward to learn to meditate and now the Department of Defense has just given 2.4 million dollars to study its benefits for these vets...
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:05 PM

done. long answer--sorry!
Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:05 PM

★ Spotlighted from Dave Benson

“Ex-military guys strike me as a tough demographic to convince of the benefits of meditation. Is that a significant challenge?”

Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:05 PM

No problem, thanks.
Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:06 PM

I just spotlit a question from the crowd
Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:06 PM

Are military guys a "tougher sell" than other people on the benefits of TM?
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:06 PM

Hey Dave you would think that might be the case, but particularly among the younger vets, the idea of meditation is not at all foreign… In fact, they are eager to learn… Particularly once they know that TM is not a religion or a philosophy or a chang
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:07 PM

e in lifestyle but rather a simple, easily learned technique that gives the body deep rest and heals the brain--according to published research
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:07 PM

actually the origins of Transcendental Meditation are among warriors in ancient times… this was never a hippie thing!
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:08 PM

who needs clear thinking and faster reactions and resilience more than the warrior on the battlefield? that is where meditation comes in...
Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:08 PM

We have lots of excellent questions from the crowd
Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:08 PM

★ Spotlighted from Charlotte Greensit

“Is TM something you hope that military members would embrace BEFORE they become Vets, to help them deal with tIs TM something you hope that military members would embrace BEFORE they become Vets, to help them deal with the stresses of life in combat?”

Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:09 PM

Do you try to get military personnel to meditate before they even experience battle?
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:09 PM

Charlotte great question! We are working with the cadets at Norwich University--the oldest private military college in America… the president of the university is a strong TM practitioner and he feels that TM should be part of basic training--to supp
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:10 PM

oft resilience BEFORE the trauma of combat
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:10 PM

So Jim we are working with cadets, with active duty military, with vets and with families who suffer PTS from living with a loved one who is traumatized...
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:11 PM

They all deserve it… You can find out more at www.OperationWarriorWellness.org
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:11 PM

Norwich univ is in Vermont. Hey , I am from Vermont :-)
Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:11 PM

Looking at lot of comments from the crowd, there seems to be a lot of disagreement about whether TM is a religion or has a religious component. Could you address this directly? Doe the perception come up often? Is it a hinderance to wider acceptance?
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:12 PM

Yes it is Balu! The president is Richard Schneider, a Vietnam vet, a fundamentalist Christian and a very long time practitioner of TM… evidence that this is not a religion and is for everyone/./
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:13 PM

There are always comments but here are the facts: the National Institutes of Health has granted nearly $30 million to study the beneficial effects of TM on stress and heart health… The American Medical Association and the American Heart Association b
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:14 PM

both have published many studies on the health benefits of the technique… TM is offered in public schools all over the nation… All of this is after very rigorous review by lawyers and educators and military leaders who have concluded that TM is not n
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:15 PM

to a religion… people are free to say what they think but we live in a scientific age where facts (hopefully) trump fear...
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:15 PM

TM is not a religion… it is practiced and enjoyed by millions of people of all religions for the past 50 plus years….
Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:16 PM

can you talk a little about what the physiological benefits meditation can provide to those suffering from PTSD. How does it work, exactly?
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:17 PM

TM is practiced for 20 minutes twice a day, sitting comfortably with the eyes closed… During the practice the body automatically gains a state of rest and relaxation shown by science to be deeper than sleep… At the same time, EEG research shows the
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:18 PM

activity of the brain becomes more coherent, more integrated--helping to heal brain from traumatic injury… There are several studies going on right now at Walter Reed Medical Center and the VA hospitals in San Diego, Minneapolis and Saginaw which who
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:19 PM

show a 50% reduction in the symptoms of PTSD among meditating vets from Iraq and Afghanistan compared to non meditating vets/// This confirms research on Vietnam vets who practice TM from a study in 1985...
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:20 PM

★ Spotlighted from Jackie Blum

“When I try to meditate I have trouble keeping my eyes shut, I just want to open them! Can learning TM help me with that?”

Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:20 PM

★ Spotlighted from Frank Sabatella

“I practice meditation daily, but I have yet to try TM. What are the differences between TM and other forms of meditation?”

Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:20 PM

Here is a question that comes up quite frequently
Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:20 PM

Two similar questions
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:21 PM

Hi Jackie… Good question… There are three basic types of meditation, according to research… 1. Focused attention which involves concentration and control of the mind, like you might be doing… 2. Mindfulness meditation which is more observational and
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:22 PM

been proven effective for pain management 3. Transcendental Meditation, which is completely effortless to practice and easy to learn and gives the body deep healing rest… Anyone can learn TM, from a 10 year with ADHD to an elderly person… it is for
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:22 PM

everyone...
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:22 PM

Jim you got a question for me?
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:23 PM

★ Spotlighted from Christopher Ochoa

“How do companies approach TM into there overall employee wellness programs? Have you come across any that actively support it during the work day?”

Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:23 PM

Tons, but let's go with Christopher's question first
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:24 PM

Hi Christopher… I am in New York City and we are offering TM as a wellness program to companies all over the city and in fact all over the country… Again it is research driven… Studies show reduced health care costs, improved productivity and less s
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:24 PM

stress-related disorders… Very satisfying to see… and the good thing is, when a company pays for an employee to meditate a veteran learns for free...
Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:25 PM

We talked about Norwich U, but are you aware of any active-duty military units where TM is actively practiced?
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:25 PM

There's a Hedge Fund Co in Conn where all employees are introduce to TM. The name escapes me :-)
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:26 PM

Balu.. .Bridgewater Associates… the largest Hedge Fund in the world… 400 of their employees meditate and they even have meditation rooms on campus..
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:26 PM

Jim… Camp Pendleton and Fort Gordon are two that come to mind… lots of interest...
Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:27 PM

Another crowd Q about HOW to learn
Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:27 PM

★ Spotlighted from Robby Reider

“For someone who has never meditated, is TM too advanced of a practice for starters?”

Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:28 PM

Hey Robby… TM is simple and natural and accessible to everyone… In fact, I have been teaching the technique for over 40 years (yipes that ages me!) to thousands of people and everyone (including those who are 100 percent skeptical and think it is all
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:29 PM

bogus) have learned the technique and enjoy its benefits… And that is the same situation with the thousands of other specially trained and professionally certified TM teachers in America…
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:30 PM

Charlotte the best way is to find out about a TM center in your area (TM is a nonprofit organization) and go to lecture and find out if this is something you would like to learn… go to www.TM.org for that info
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:30 PM

★ Spotlighted from Rachael Workman

“a friend and I recently convinced my brother, who’s a professional athlete, to start meditating. Athletes can spend their whole careers trying to get control over their nerves, and TM can have such a steadying effect.”

Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:30 PM

★ Spotlighted from Charlotte Greensit

“What is the best way to get a total non-believer (in non-religious sense) to try it?”

Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:31 PM

Rachel… yes, athletes are turning to meditation in general, and TM in particular, in larger numbers because it naturally and effortless gives the experience of the zone….
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:31 PM

★ Spotlighted from Blake Ian

“The thing that worked best for me about TM was the sustainability, I had a habit of stopping a healthy practice once I felt better... With TM I just want to keep feeling better and better! ?”

Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:31 PM

Great Ian! That is the experience of many…
Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:31 PM

If one simply walks in to a TM center, there is a cost to learn. And depending on your standpoint, that cost can seem high. Are there special programs for vets that cuts the cost?
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:32 PM

Jim yes there is a tuition that is asked for from those who can afford it… And for those who cannot, just like any other educational institution, there are grants, loans, and scholarships… Any veteran who wants to learn TM can learn to meditate for f
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:33 PM

for free through a grant from the David Lynch Foundation… email me at bob@davidlynchfoundation and i will help to arrange it of you… we want ALL of our nation's veterans to be able to learn to meditate if they want to… it is the LEAST we can do for t
Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:33 PM

★ Spotlighted from Charlotte Greensit

“There are plenty of people who say they cannot find 20 mins x2/day. Is there any benefit to doing once a day or 2x 10 mins?”

Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:33 PM

those who have given so much to so many and who now suffer in a terrible silence...
Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:34 PM

★ Spotlighted from Blake Ian

“@Charlotte - The 20 mins I spend meditating, saves me hours in efficiency!”

Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:34 PM

Charlotte, the research is on people who meditate for 20 minutes twice a day… of course there are benefits from once a day--but most people find this particular technique to be so relaxing, so enjoyable and so rejuvenating that they look forward to
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:35 PM

their next meditation… you can do TM on a bus, plane, car (if someone else is driving!) just about anywhere...
Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:36 PM

Is there something special about PTSD? Meaning, are the benefits of meditation to PTSD sufferers the same or different from those you see dealing with other types of trauma?
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:37 PM

Excellent question, Jim. Most of there research to date has been on PTSD but any condition that is either caused by stress or exacerbated by stress will have marked beneficial effects…. We are now working with many retired professional football playe
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:38 PM

players who suffer from what is called "post-concussive disorder" and a study is about to start at Cornell Weill Medical School in NYC about the effects of TM on concussion…. We expect very favorable results but only time will tell… In the meantime,
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:38 PM

the football players are learning on their own
Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:39 PM

Well, actually, I am glad you brought up football players, because I was wondering about Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) versus PTSD. My (admittedly limited) understanding of the two is that with PTSD, there are no specific physical symptoms. . .
Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:39 PM

But with TBI there are definite, seeable, brain injuries
Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:40 PM

Have you drawn any distinctions in studies between vets with PTSD and TBI?
Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:40 PM

Since the two manifest similar psychological symptoms
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:40 PM

Yes researchers are still trying to determine the biochemical or neurophysiolocal correlates of PTSD .. .that makes it very trick to diagnose… but what they do know
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:42 PM

is the symptoms of PTSD (among vets who were not even in a combat zone, or inner city school kids for that matter who grow up in violence-ridden neighborhoods) exhibit similar characteristics: insomnia, high levels of anxiety, subtance abuse, and
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:42 PM

worst of all uncontrollable impulsive violent behavior...
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:43 PM

TM can help them all but cooling down the amygdala (fear center) in the brain and strengthening the connects with the prefrontal cortex--which it does
Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:43 PM

Yes, in my experience with vets, the biggest issue they deal with is a temper they cannot control and that comes out at socially unacceptable times back in civilian life
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:43 PM

★ Spotlighted from Mary Anna Howell

“wow, this could be huge in the sports world.”

Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:45 PM

I should of course temper with *some* vets. But enough that it is a significant public health issue
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:45 PM

Mary the brain is the next frontier and not by experimenting with mind altering drugs (both legal and illegal) but by accessing the silent levels of mind through safe, time-tested, evidence-based evidence-based meditation techniques like TM
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:46 PM

yes you are right… i just want to make it available jim to anyone who wants it… some vets will and some vets won't and that is fine by me… it should just be available../
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:46 PM

also this is not the one solution to all problems but it is a very valuable tool to add to one's tool box of ways to regain control of one's life
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:47 PM

★ Spotlighted from Blake Ian

“Bob what is the best way for someone to find out where to learn TM near them?”

Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:47 PM

Despite ongoing turbulence in the middle east, it is hard to imagine the US recommitting the level of troops we recently did to conflicts there, so what is next for your veteran efforts over the next few years?
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:48 PM

Blake you can visit www.TM.org to find out more about how to learn… and you can visit www.DavidLynchFoundation to find out more about the pro bono work we are doing to help not only vets but at-risk youth and women who are survivors of domestic viola
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:49 PM

Good question, Jim… That fact is, there are now upwards of 500,000 vets with PTS symptoms who need treatment and -- this is the worst stat -- 22 vets are committing suicide every day… We have our work cut out for us for a long time… and i am happy
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:49 PM

to do what we can to help
Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:51 PM

This has been a fascinating session for me, and I wish we could continue, but I am going to have to start wrapping up. Is there a documentary or plans to highlight the vets issue specifically? Could be a fascinating take on meditation and healing.
Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:51 PM

★ Spotlighted from Mary Anna Howell

“a very valuable tool. I'm sold!”

Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:52 PM

Yes, actually there are many videos on our David Lynch Foundation websites with meditating veterans but a documentary must be made… We are holding a big fundraiser in NYC in November to raise the funds to teach 10,000 vets TM… Louis CK, Jerry Seinfe
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:52 PM

Seinfeld and others are joining together for a Night of Comedy for our vets…
Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:53 PM

That sounds outstanding. Bob, thanks very much for making the time to be here today. Final thoughts?
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:53 PM

Thank you, Mary Anna… So much needs to done to help not only our vets but the general population deal with the hazards of trauma and stress… We offer this as one useful tool…
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:54 PM

Final thoughts are people should go to YOUR website and see all the amazing adventures and books you have written… what a life well lived, Jim! Thank you for having me on...
Jim Frederick

Jim Frederick · 5:54 PM

And thank you and I hope we can do this again. Thanks all!
Bob Roth

Bob Roth · 5:54 PM

Thank you, all!