Screenhead

In the last month or so oddball director David Lynch has been travelling through Europe in order to promote transcendental meditation, a form of meditation he has been practising for quite some time, and which he considers to be the key to his creativity. And if there’s one thing you can’t doubt about Lynch, it’s his creativity, with such unique and distinct films like Mulholland Drive, Blue Velvet, and the Twin Peaks TV Series.

Lynch’s tour culminated in a press conference in Berlin, Germany, where he announced that he has purchased the Teufelsberg, the city’s highest hill, which was constructed after WWII out of rubble. Lynch and his associates plan to build a centre for transcendental meditation on top of the hill.

At the press conference in the Urania Theatre, however, things went awry. Lynch asked Berlin’s top TM-er, “Raja” Schiffgens, a rather strange man adorned in a sort of gold crown (see above), to speak on behalf of Lynch. What ensued was rather cringe-worthy. The Raja started making references to making German invincible, and even attempting to get the audience to chant after him. Soon the audience started laughing, especially when the Raja was unable to clarify what “invincibility” meant. One member of the public claimed that Hitler said something similar, only for the Raja to counter with “yes, but unfortunately he didn’t succeed”, spurring a tirade of insults and boos. David Lynch, who doesn’t speak German, attempt to rescue the situation, and despite his soothing efforts, the damage seemed to have been already done.

For anyone interested, there’s translated camera footage of the incident here.

I happened to catch Lynch’s lecture when he was in Dublin last month. Lynch is certainly convincing in his promotion of transcendental meditation, his words simple yet passionate, his belief unwaivering. It’s only his associated in meditation seem to hinder more
than help. In Dublin we were treated to a gig by dried-up folk singer Donovan, whose embarrassing performance could only please the very elderly. And now Lynch placed his trust in a ranting German who was unable to respond to the criticisms of the crowd, and only continue in his dangerously insulting speech. I feel Lynch’s endeavours to create world peace by spreading the word of TM is a genuinely honorable idea, but considering what happened here and in Berlin, I’m not sold.

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