Rebecca Dreyfus's On Meditation is an episodic documentary featuring notable figures who talk about their experiences with meditation. Late author Peter Matthiessen recalls that he was such an angry kid his father kicked him out of the house. Years later, they made up, in part because meditation helped to the writer to calm down. Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad) meditates to slow down his thought process, saying that it also helps with his work as an actor. Motivational speaker Gabrielle Bernstein turned to meditation after spending her youth with drugs, alcohol, and codependent relationships. She believes that the discipline involved in regular meditation practice keeps her on the straight and narrow. U.S. Representative Tim Ryan meditates to deal with stress, and as a member of the Armed Forces Committee has also encouraged military members to give it a try. Def Jam founder Russell Simmons uses meditation to clear his head, devoting two and a half hours each day to the practice (which sounds impractical for most). Director David Lynch, a well known proponent of transcendental meditation, describes it as soft electricity, although he initially rejected meditation, dismissing it as "a fad, a waste of time, and not for me." Other speakers include meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg, yoga teacher Elena Brower, and psychologist Mark Epstein and sculptor Arlene Shechet, a couple who have been together for 30 years. On Meditation offers plenty of encouragement, but little in the way of historical or cultural background. Still, this should be considered a strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)
On Meditation
(2016) 69 min. DVD: $29.95 (avail. from most distributors), $349 w/PPR (avail. from www.kinolorberedu.com). DRA. Kino Lorber. Closed captioned. Volume 32, Issue 2
On Meditation
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