‘Truth is always discovered within one self.’

Artist and filmmaker David Lynch passed away on January 15, 2025, due to complications from emphysema after being evacuated from his home during the 2025 Southern California wildfires.

Lynch was one of the great explorers of human consciousness. His films offered profound insights into the workings of dreams, filled with surreal and mesmerizing imagery. He often credited Transcendental Meditation (TM) as his greatest source of creativity – a practice he adopted in 1973 and maintained throughout his life. TM is a vehicle to get your ego-mind to Domain 1: the domain of pure consciousness. That’s where Lynch went and it gave him great energy and lots of new ideas for movies and other works of art.

Beyond filmmaking, Lynch was the founder of the David Lynch Foundation, an organization dedicated to bringing Transcendental Meditation to millions worldwide. He believed in consciousness-based education – not just the transfer of knowledge but the holistic development of the individual. His vision extended to world peace, rooted in the idea that inner transformation leads to a more harmonious world.

Recently, Tony Nader, the leader of the Transcendental Meditation movement, hosted a livestream titled ‘Celebration of the Cosmic Life of David Lynch’ on his YouTube channel. Co-hosted by Bob Roth, the head of the David Lynch Foundation, the event focused primarily on Lynch’s deep connection to TM rather than on his art or movies.

Still, it is an inspiring watch. We need bright lights and more positive messages in these troubling times, and a unique specimen like Lynch spread his light whereever he went. He wanted good for everybody, and that is why his foundation makes TM available for groups who have it especially difficult. At the moment, for example, they give free courses to all first responders of the L.A. fires, like firefighters and healthcare professionals. Also displaced families can learn TM for free.

“There is an ocean of bliss – unbounded and infinite – inside all of us”, Lynch often said. In our society, success is frequently measured by external achievements, and Lynch certainly attained great success in the outer world. Yet, he understood that true fulfillment comes from within by watering the root. He believed that by expanding our consciousness, we not only improve ourselves but also uplift the world around us. Instead of being pushed around by life’s circumstances, he urged us to become a steady, powerful presence – true to ourselves and an inspiration to others.

We have a mental crisis in our society, and TM is a cure, Lynch believed, because it shows you the unity in nature. He believed in world peace because when you experience this bliss, you would never even consider to ever hurt another human being. The more people who experience this, the closer we would get to world peace. It may sound like a crazy idea in this troubled age, but when David Lynch says it, I believe it too. It is possible.

Perhaps no words capture his philosophy better than the closing passage of his 2006 book ‘Catching the Big Fish’:

‘I’d like to say: I deeply love film; I love catching ideas; and I love to meditate. I love enlivening unity. And I think the enlivening of unity brings a better and better life. Maybe enlightenment is far away, but it’s said that when you walk toward the light, with every step, things get brighter. Every day, for me, gets better and better. And I believe that enlivening unity in the world will bring peace on earth. So I say: Peace to all of you. May everyone be happy. May everyone be free of disease. May auspiciousness be seen everywhere. May suffering belong to no one. Peace.’

R.I.P. David Lynch (1946–2025)