Katie Holmes Trades One Cult for Another in Ray Dalio-Backed Spike Lee Film
Has Katie Holmes traded one cult for another? A year away from Scientology and she’s making a movie — filming but officially unannounced– directed by and financed by people who are devoted donors to Transcendental Meditation. And not only that, there’s a connection to sometime Scientologist Jennifer Lopez.
Everyone’s going to yell at me for calling Transcendental Meditation a cult. But it’s masses of people chanting, backed by millions and millions of dollars. And now Katie Holmes is starring in a film financed by the most ardent financier of TM, Ray Dalio, of Bridgewater Associates. His son Paul is directing the film. I’ve written about “Mania Days” before–Spike Lee is executive producer, for unknown reasons. And now Katie is in the film although no announcement that I know of has ever been made. She’s playing a depressed poet who hooks up with a depressed rapper.
“Mania Days” is an indie film, I guess, if you don’t count the director’s father running a hedge fund that invests hundreds of billions of dollars. Ray Dalio is also a big supporter of Jennifer Lopez’s 501 c 3 formerly called the Maribel Foundation but now known as the Lopez Family Foundation. Dalio’s given them $775,000 in the last three years. He’s been her major donor. Lopez is connected to Scientology through her father and through Tom Cruise. Katie was married to Tom Cruise. Is there a connection? Hmmmm….
http://www.showbiz411.com/2012/03/20/spike-lee-producing-movie-by-hedge-fund-manager-ray-dalios-son
Tm is absolutely amazing and it proven by something called scientific facts. It’s comedy when people bash or talk about something they know nothing about or have ever tried. “Chanting”? There is no chanting in Tm I hope one day this author learns the simple life tool that would only mark his life better, brighter, less stressfu, possibly more creativel. The thousands of homeless people , soldiers coming back with PTSD, abused people that are taught TM for free and have had their lives transformed is absolutely incredible. Don’t believe me, I’m the biggest skeptic alive., check it out for yourself then write about it. I was fortunate and the easy 3 day 90 minutes a day lesson was given to me as a gift from a client that has been practicing for 39 years. 1 year less than Seinfeld. Ive since donated much art to TM events to help raise money to teach this technique for free to our soldiers, homeless, etc. For people complaining about a 1 time fee to learn Tm. It’s a life tool that is truly priceless. We pay for fitness instructors, counselirs, teachers, art instruction, journalism school, etc, etc. it’s not a cult. There’s nothing to believe, nothing to chant, no one telling you what to think. It’s been around for thousands of years, my grandma who lived to be 97 used to do it, but I never thought anything of it or believed it. I only learned it a year ago and my gf laughs because I’m literally never stressed anymore and I am definitely much much more present, productive , focused, and Happy. If I could teach the whole world to TM for free I would. It will help anyone and you’d be surprised how many great minds already practice it. I challenge Roger to learn TM then write an article about his experience. TM is one of the easiest things to do, one can do it almost anywhere, and it truly has profound positive life long benefits. Calling TM a cult is like calling people eating healthy food or people that use tooth brushes a cult. Scientology, yes that is a cult.
Will someone direct me to the direct quote from Katie Holmes, or her authorized representative stating that she, Katie Holmes is no longer a member of the Church of Scientology?
Roger, there is no “money element”. You make it sound so sinister. Everything involves money. Things of value cost money. Successful organizations make money, whether providing products, services, or education and those who want to benefit must pay to have them. From my life-long experiences practicing TM, it is priceless, but in our world everything has to be assigned a cost. Think of the things that people spend money on that are completely transient or decay or waste time or health. TM improves every aspect of your life.
I know of nothing else, for example, that reduces mental activity to the point of having almost no thoughts. Actually, you get to where you have no thoughts, transcendence, but still maintain complete awareness! Remarkable! You can’t just make yourself have that experience, yet it is completely natural and easy with the TM Technique.
I don’t think you intended to make this a forum on TM.
But try it. You’ll like it.
Yeah its a cult because like any good cult it tells its followers to believe in a silly and very non scientific version of reality. Its not just a quiet mantra practice…its all about a made up idea about “energy” and a completely made up view of physics.
TM promises you get to learn to fly.
To those of us who have real backrounds in meditation TM is just a money cult that uses a low level mantra routine. And to those of us who can actually do the math of modern physics TM is an anti intellectual cult as well.
Remember “sexy sadie”??
It is quiet you’re correct. And I have nothing against meditation. But I don’t like the money aspect of it.
He obviously knows nothing about transcendental meditation.
Like others who have posted, I also practice TM and have for a number of years, and it’s not a cult. Also, there is no chanting – doing TM is a quiet practice.
I don’t get it. What does Katie Holmes doing a movie have to do with Transcendental Meditation? Just because the producer does TM, doesn’t mean she is joining a cult. If anything, a dose of TM would make her more independent and able to think for herself, as its known to improve that part of the brain responsible for decision making. No wonder Dalio does it.
I’ve been practicing TM since 1970. One learns the exact same technique that has been taught since it was first introduced, you meditate twice daily, no one checks up on you, no one tells you what to think, no one monitors or influences your behavior, you don’t worship anyone or anything. You sit alone quietly and practice the completely pleasant and peaceful technique and go within yourself, then go about your daily activities and enjoy the benefits of stress release and deep rest. It all happens in the background, you don’t think about it, it’s perfectly natural, effortless and comfortable, with no concentration or focus on anything. Mental activity settles down and your physiology follows. You maintain complete awareness and are not in a trance of any kind. There is no belief, no faith, no religion. It does not interfere with your own beliefs. Everyone has the same experience, from the start, and the benefits accumulate. It’s like making deposits in a savings account, and the withdrawals are the positive experiences you’ll have.
I practice TM quietly at home and experience deep rest and inner peace in mind and body. Afterwards I enjoy increased energy and mental clarity throughout the day. The program has been used to help veterans with PTSD and at risk schools. It’s a valuable program.
Dude! TM is a wonderful, helpful stress reduction technique. I love my regular meditation practice. I’m excited to see this flick!!
I practice TM and we do not sit around and all chant together. TM creates deep rest and inner peace in mind and body. I meditate quietly at home (just me!) and apply the benefits in all areas of my life, with more energy and mental clarity. TM has helped veterans with PTSD and kids in at risk schools. Seems a shame to dismiss a very valuable program so out of hand.
Yep, I’m yelling at you for calling TM a cult. And quite an impressive one it is. The list of people who do TM includes heads of state (e.g., the president of Brazil), athletes, celebrities such as Oprah, doctors such as Mehmet Oz, musicians, news media pros such as Candy Crowley and George Stephanopolous, writers like Andrew Sullivan, movie directors and producers, and more. Top people from every walk of life. They don’t, of course, think of it as a cult but as a way to enhance their world-class creativity. See a list here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Transcendental_Meditation_practitioners
This is just a gossip column. you are connecting dots that aren’t related in many cases. let’s be careful, shall we, in not throwing out the baby with the bath water. there are 360 published peer reviewed studies showing that Transcendental Meditation has a broad range of benefits. kudos to anyone who is willing to stand up for that!