Shadows of Paradise

I only know one person who has seen this film; he suggested I see it. What a shame this remarkable documentary is relatively unknown. It is about the efforts of a few people to bring happiness to every person on earth. That that may sound like "pie in the sky" to many in this troubled world is at the heart of the film. The filmmaker clearly had his doubts going into the project. At the center of the film, a perfect poster child for this idea of a troubled world possibly giving rise to a happy paradise of a world, is no other than that wizard of the weird, filmmaker David Lynch. The footage with Lynch is amazingly candid and personal. You really get to look inside and see what makes him tick as the somewhat reluctant spokesperson/advocate of creating heaven on earth. Great footage of behind the scenes of the David Lynch Foundation, and its director, the very personable Bob Roth. Featured are Sir Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and Jerry Seinfeld giving strong testimonials on Transcendental Meditation (a key element in the plan to raise the level of world consciousness) that lift Lynch's quest above tilting at windmills. And then there is the Himalayan wisdom, amply conveyed by Transcendental Meditation's founder, the Maharishi himself. But this is not some worship of Maharishi (who gives all credit to his enlightened Guru, and the long line of enlightened sages before him). It is about universal wisdom available to every person, facilitated by the practice of transcending. As a long-time TM practitioner I would have liked the film to include the vast amount of scientific research which convincingly shows the benefits individual as well as societal benefits of TM. But even without that I think even non-meditators would find great food for thought in this well-crafted film.