Once again, some of America’s best-loved entertainers are lending a hand to the David Lynch Foundation (DLF) to help those in need. This fall’s “Change Begins Within” event raises funds to aid 1,000 veterans whose selfless service to the country has triggered a debilitating condition called post-traumatic stress (PTS).

The benefit dinner on Wednesday, October 18, 2017 at The Plaza in New York City features actor, producer, and director Tom Hanks, and actress and author Mary-Louise Parker.

Celebrated Artists on Acting, TM, Creativity, Life

Tom Hanks is one of America’s most beloved and celebrated actors and one of only two people who have ever won the Best Actor Academy Award two years in a row. Hanks started practicing the TM technique when comedian Jerry Seinfeld encouraged him to try it as an alternative to taking a year off, as Hanks had originally planned.

Mary-Louise Parker is an actress and author who has enjoyed great success and popularity for her roles in countless films and TV shows. She has also received numerous awards for her work, including a Golden Globe for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress and an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress. In 2013, Parker was also honored for her work in a completely different field—namely, her dedication to the organization Hope North, which focuses on educating and healing young victims of Uganda’s civil war.

At the benefit, Hanks and Parker will join the guests for dinner and conversation about the benefits of Transcendental Meditation for their health, creativity, acting, and life.

Hanks and Parker will talk about the benefits of Transcendental Meditation for their health, creativity, acting, and life.

Healing the Hidden Wounds of War

The funds raised will be used by the David Lynch Foundation to teach 1,000 veterans the Transcendental Meditation® (TM®) technique, which has been proven to effectively relieve not only stress in general but also post-traumatic stress in particular.

PTS develops when a person witnesses or experiences a traumatic event. It can lead to disturbing thoughts, feelings, or dreams, mental and/or physical distress, and a feeling of constant threat, even in the safest of environments.

If left untreated, post-traumatic stress impacts veterans and their families in devastating ways. It negatively affects their relationships, health, and ability to work, and often leads to alcohol and drug addiction and even suicide. The grim facts are that more American soldiers take their own lives due to PTS than die in actual war operations.

Research has shown that when veterans diagnosed with PTS practice the Transcendental Meditation technique, the severity of their trauma symptoms, the degree of their psychological stress, and their use of psychotropic medications all decrease.

The funds raised will be used by the David Lynch Foundation to teach veterans the TM technique, which has been proven to effectively relieve not only stress in general but also post-traumatic stress in particular.

Resilient Warrior Awards for Those on Frontlines of PTS Support

The benefit will also honor retired Major General Stephen T. Rippe and U.S. Navy combat veteran Ken Falke.

Rippe serves as a member of the Board of Military Advisers of the David Lynch Foundation’s Center for Veterans Health.

Falke is the founder of the Boulder Crest Retreat for Wounded Warriors, a rural wellness center dedicated to helping veterans and their families through the TM technique and other modalities.

How You Can Help

Learn more. Watch veterans describe how the TM technique has helped in the their recovery from post-traumatic stress (PTS)

We’re grateful to our friends at TMhome for permission to reprint this article. Read their original post at TMhome.com ►