TM Talks
Creativity & the Arts
January 11, 2026
An Artist’s Journey: From Dignitaries to Storybooks | 52:34
Portrait painter and illustrator Edmund Stuart “Ned” Bittinger reflects on a career devoted to depicting public figures who have shaped American history and culture. From official commissions for the US Capitol and US State Department to acclaimed children’s book illustrations, Mr. Bittinger discusses his artistic process, early training, and the responsibility of capturing both likeness and character.
Creativity & the Arts
January 4, 2026
On Acting, Art, and Humanitarian Work | 55:18
Edward Akrout, actor and artist, reflects on the emotional demands of acting and how the TM technique supports him in managing stress, cultivating emotional clarity, and moving fluidly between inner experience and creative expression. He also discusses his visual art practice and his humanitarian efforts, including founding ArtShield in 2022 to support artists in Ukraine and other crisis regions.
Education
December 21, 2025
Building a Peaceful Planet Through Agriculture and Education | 50:51
Jim Schaefer, PhD, highlights his current project, the creation of Maharishi Agriculture University College in Zambia, which integrates Consciousness-Based Education® with regenerative agriculture. He explains core principles of regenerative farming and emphasizes the role of elevated consciousness in addressing climate change and promoting environmental sustainability.
Better Health
December 14, 2025
Inside the World of Ayurvedic Cooking | 50:02
Miriam Kasin discusses her life as an author, Ayurvedic cook, and artist, as well as her time studying with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. She reflects on how his guidance helped shape her cookbooks, which were designed to nourish people with the wisdom of Ayurvedic cooking in its recognition of the balancing effects of foods for different body types. Ms. Kasin also studied Tibetan thangka painting with Pema Wangyal of Dolpo, a third-generation artist and priest.
Education
December 7, 2025
TM, AI, and the Future of Cybersecurity | 54:05
Shristi Sharma, a cybersecurity specialist, discusses how her remarkable life has been shaped by her family of TM practitioners, her practice of the TM technique, and her education at Maharishi School in Fairfield, Iowa. Ms. Sharma works for a global company that specializes in cybersecurity. As an AI strategist in the Emerging Leaders Program, she helps design and implement AI initiatives across multiple cybersecurity product teams.
Creativity & the Arts
November 30, 2025
Meditation and the Creative Flow | 50:00
Diane Frank is the author of eight books of poetry, three novels, and a photo memoir documenting her 400-mile trek through the Nepalese Himalayas. Ms. Frank leads poetry, fiction, and memoir workshops at two universities and is the chief editor at Blue Light Press in San Rafael, California. She also plays cello with the College of Marin Symphony Orchestra, and, for 18 years, played with the Golden Gate Symphony. Her new novel, Mermaids and Musicians, has been on the best-seller list.
Personal Growth
November 23, 2025
Teaching, Coffee Farming, and TM | 54:07
Simone Cabizuca shares her inspiring journey from teaching English to corporate executives as a single mother to seeking deeper meaning in life. In 2020, Ms. Cabizuca returned to her homeland, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and began helping her father manage the family’s coffee plantations, eventually starting her own small project to gain experience planting coffee seedlings.
Education
November 16, 2025
Learning through Games and the Development of Consciousness | 53:57
Layman “Buzz” Allen discusses his family’s educational legacy through the Accelerated Learning Program, founded in 1998 by his father, Layman E. Allen. Mr. Allen recounts his father’s pioneering work in developing educational games, such as WFF ‘N PROOF and ON-SETS, which were implemented in inner-city schools, improving math achievement and reducing absenteeism.
Business Success
November 9, 2025
Medicine, Innovation, and Meditation | 52:15
Dr. William Mallon, eye surgeon, innovator, and entrepreneur, discusses how he pioneered adjustable ocular lenses, developed a head-positioning device for the operating room, and created a mobile and kiosk-based eye-screening technology that provides comprehensive, no-dilation exams in minutes. As a golf enthusiast, he invented Precision Putting, a performance system designed to apply precision to the mental and physical aspects of the game.
Education
November 2, 2025
From Inner Peace to Ocean Protection | 48:18
Kathy Matara, PhD, is an advocate for environmental safety and sustainable technology. She has worked to promote safe technologies, leading initiatives to protect public health and preserve zero-radiation analog utility meters. Her current focus is safeguarding marine ecosystems from the emerging underwater acoustic internet through the promotion of fiber-optic and other non-invasive alternatives.
Education
October 26, 2025
A Life Devoted to Consciousness-Based Education | 57:22
Richard Beall, PhD, served as a teacher, coach, and middle and high school principal of Maharishi School in Fairfield, Iowa. He helped establish the school in its early years, launching interscholastic sports and supporting the development of extracurricular programs. He talks about how he became head of the school and explains how Consciousness-Based Education® is implemented and the impact that the TM technique has had on his life and the lives of the school’s students, faculty, and staff.
Creativity & the Arts
October 19, 2025
The Creative Life of Cats, Cartoons, and Meditation | 51:07
Karl Stevens is a graphic novelist and visual artist whose work blends fine art aesthetics with sardonic wit and introspective storytelling. He is best known for Penny: A Graphic Memoir, a poignant and humorous exploration of life through the eyes of a deeply philosophical house cat. Known for his meticulously detailed, realist illustrations, Mr. Stevens has contributed to publications such as The New Yorker, The Village Voice, and The Boston Globe.
Maharishi
June 7, 2026
What I Learned from Working Directly with Maharishi | 53:20
Jocelyne Comtois is a TM teacher and management trainer. She worked directly with TM Founder Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, helping develop pioneering courses that integrated consciousness with business and management, and conducting early government-sponsored research on TM. Ms. Comtois offers insights on integrating his teachings into work and daily life, and addresses the two questions she is most often asked: How did she come to work closely with Maharishi, and what was that experience like?
Maharishi
December 31, 2023
Maharishi on the Art of Right Decision-Making (Part 1) | 48:46
TM Founder Maharishi Mahesh Yogi explains how expansion of awareness during TM practice produces broader comprehension, resulting in spontaneously right decisions. Bob Roth, CEO of the David Lynch Foundation, and host Mario Orsatti discuss highlights from this classic 1972 talk, from an MIT symposium on the Science of Creative Intelligence. This encore episode originally aired on February 28, 2021.
The Arts
June 26, 2022
Poetry and Philanthropy—Expanding Life’s Possibilities | 46:50
Lucas Hunt discusses the impact of six years of TM practice on his work as a fundraiser, auctioneer, and award-winning poet. He is the president of HUNT Philanthropy in New York City, which has helped raise millions of dollars for nonprofit organizations. His books of poetry include Lives (2006), Light on the Concrete (2011), IOWA (2016), and NEW YORK (2022).
Creativity & the Arts
March 16, 2025
Conquering Stress and Increasing Creativity | 50:28
Author Robert Brighton talks about how TM helped him turn a high-stress job into a fulfilling writing career—and how diving deep within fuels his creativity and empathy for his characters. He shares his love for historical fiction, specifically early 20th-century history and literature. Robert also discusses his writing process and upcoming multi-media course.
The Arts
October 4, 2020
The Calming Power of Music During Uncalm Times | 52:06
Jane Roman Pitt, award-winning singer-songwriter with six albums with some of the best folk, jazz, and country artists in the U.S., discusses music’s ability not only to stimulate but also to soothe us in times of stress. She talks about writing and recording music with a positive, calming influence, such as songs about meditation and consciousness.
Maharishi
August 27, 2023
Maharishi on the Characteristic Values of Higher States of Consciousness | 47:51
TM Founder Maharishi Mahesh Yogi answers questions from students about the evolution of higher states of consciousness and the characteristics of each state. Bob Roth, CEO of the David Lynch Foundation, and host Mario Orsatti discuss highlights from this seminal 1971 talk. This encore episode first aired as part of “Taste of Utopia 2.0: Globally Transcending Together,” on May 15, 2021.
Maharishi
June 11, 2023
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Complete Knowledge of Consciousness | 48:40
TM Founder Maharishi Mahesh Yogi discusses the importance of both the experience of TM and the complete knowledge of consciousness. He talks about the founding of Maharishi International University, and its ability to inspire universities to integrate the study and experience of TM in their curriculum. Host Mario Orsatti comments on the interview, which took place in Arcata, California, in July 1972.
Education
December 7, 2025
TM, AI, and the Future of Cybersecurity | 54:05
Shristi Sharma, a cybersecurity specialist, discusses how her remarkable life has been shaped by her family of TM practitioners, her practice of the TM technique, and her education at Maharishi School in Fairfield, Iowa. Ms. Sharma works for a global company that specializes in cybersecurity. As an AI strategist in the Emerging Leaders Program, she helps design and implement AI initiatives across multiple cybersecurity product teams.
The Arts
June 27, 2021
Consciousness, Creativity, and the Artist | 53:04
David Lynch, Academy Award-winning filmmaker known for The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, and Twin Peaks, discusses the role of the artist’s state of consciousness in the creative process and how his TM practice has influenced his work as a director, artist, and philanthropist. This encore episode originally aired May 3, 2020.
Education
December 20, 2020
Introducing the TM Experience to Youth in High-Risk Communities in South Africa | 52:34
Melanie Brown, Ph.D., and Marcia Abrahams, co-founders of The Communiversity of South Africa, talk about the intense challenges facing underserved youth and the importance of the TM technique at this low-cost, pre-college, community-based program.
Enlightenment
November 7, 2021
We Are All Connected | 51:45
Tony Nader, M.D., Ph.D., M.A.R.R., a medical doctor and neuroscientist trained at Harvard and MIT, discusses how the underlying unity present in life’s diversity is the true nature of life. A renowned expert in the science of consciousness and human development, Dr. Nader is the successor to TM Founder Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and the global leader of the teaching of the TM technique in 120 countries.
The Arts
July 21, 2024
Bringing Spirituality to Filmmaking | 52:28
Colin Denhart is an award-winning independent filmmaker, TV producer, and songwriter from the Midwest who shares the story of his rise in the film and music industry and how his TM and TM-Sidhi® practice has catapulted his creative success. He also discusses how he has incorporated his interest in spirituality into horror films.