Before David Lynch pᴀssed away Thursday – four days before his 79th birthday – he gave a haunting, stirring speech at what would ultimately become his final public appearance.
The legendary, eccentric filmmaker had to do so remotely as he became homebound relying on supplemental oxygen after being diagnosed with emphysema in 2020.
David looked cool as ever with his thick white hair and sunglᴀsses while delivering his parting remarks to attendees, which was livestreamed to his TM foundation’s Meditate America gala held at Lincoln Center in Manhattan on September 12.
‘Ladies and gentlemen, good evening. I hope you all are enjoying a wonderful night. I’d like to talk a little bit about nothing,’ Lynch began.
‘And this nothing is the transcendent. It’s the unified field. It’s no hyphen-thing. It’s pure consciousness.’
The honorary Oscar winner – who began meditating in 1973 – went on to discuss the Beatles’ 1968 trip to Rishikesh, India where they studied at the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
Before David Lynch pᴀssed away Thursday – four days before his 79th birthday – he gave a haunting, stirring speech at what would ultimately become his final public appearance
‘Maharishi starts talking about this field within as nothing – unmanifest. No hyphen-thing,’ David explained.
‘And you can see John Lennon picking up on this and saying to Maharishi, “Maharishi are you trying to tell me that nothing is gonna change my world?” And they would laugh.’
Lynch pointed out how that inspired the British rocker to use that line as well as his mantra ‘Jai guru deva om’ (‘All glory to Guru Dev’) in the Beatles’ 1969 classic, Across the Universe, which later appeared on their 1970 album Let It Be.
Read More Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet director David Lynch is ᴅᴇᴀᴅ at 78
‘People probably thought that was a downer. It was an upbeat song in some ways about meditation and the beauty of it, but it kept having this thing “Nothing’s gonna change my world” and they wonder what this is?’ the Palme d’Or winner said.
‘But John Lennon knew what is was, it’s not “No, nothing’s gonna change my world.” It’s yes. “Yes, nothing’s gonna change my world” big time!’
At that point, David played an obscure band from Georgia’s acoustic cover of Across the Universe on his record player.
‘May everyone be happy,’ Lynch said in darkness after the song ended.
‘May everyone be free of disease. May auspiciousness be seen everywhere. May suffering belong to no one. Peace. – Jai Gurudev.’
The legendary, eccentric filmmaker had to do so remotely as he became homebound relying on supplemental oxygen after being diagnosed with emphysema in 2020 (host Hugh Jackman pictured at the same September 12th event)
David looked cool as ever with his thick white hair and sunglᴀsses while delivering his parting remarks to attendees, which was livestreamed to his TM foundation’s Meditate America gala held at Lincoln Center in Manhattan on September 12
Lynch began: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, good evening. I hope you all are enjoying a wonderful night. I’d like to talk a little bit about nothing. And this nothing is the transcendent. It’s the unified field. It’s no hyphen-thing. It’s pure consciousness’
The honorary Oscar winner – who began meditating in 1973 – went on to discuss the Beatles’ 1968 trip to Rishikesh, India where they studied at the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
David explained: ‘Maharishi (M) starts talking about this field within as nothing – unmanifest. No hyphen-thing. And you can see John Lennon (R) picking up on this and saying to Maharishi, “Maharishi are you trying to tell me that nothing is gonna change my world?” And they would laugh’
Lynch pointed out how that inspired the British rocker to use that line as well as his mantra ‘Jai guru deva om’ (‘All glory to Guru Dev’) in the Beatles’ 1969 classic, Across the Universe, which later appeared on their 1970 album Let It Be
The Palme d’Or winner said: ‘People probably thought that was a downer. It was an upbeat song in some ways about meditation and the beauty of it, but it kept having this thing “Nothing’s gonna change my world” and they wonder what this is? But John Lennon knew what is was, it’s not “No, nothing’s gonna change my world.” It’s yes. “Yes, nothing’s gonna change my world” big time!’
David played an obscure band from Georgia’s acoustic cover of Across the Universe on his record player and concluded: ‘May everyone be happy. May everyone be free of disease. May auspiciousness be seen everywhere. May suffering belong to no one. Peace. – Jai Gurudev’
It’s the exact same pᴀssage the Cellophane Memories musician used at the end of his 2007 book, Catching The Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity
David’s family announced his pᴀssing in a Facebook post, writing: ‘There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, “Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.” It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way’
In his last days, Lynch – who loved and lived in Los Angeles since 1970 – was forced to evacuate his beloved Mulholland Drive compound due to the wildfires (January 7 stock sH๏τ)
Two months ago, the Twin Peaks co-creator said he owed it to his fans to urge them to ‘quit these things that are going to end up killing you’ like, in his case, cigarettes, which he took up at the tender age of 8 (pictured in 2006)
It’s the exact same pᴀssage the Cellophane Memories musician used at the end of his 2007 book, Catching The Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity.
David’s family announced his pᴀssing in a Facebook post, writing: ‘There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, “Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.” It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way.’
In his last days, Lynch – who loved and lived in Los Angeles since 1970 – was forced to evacuate his beloved Mulholland Drive compound due to the wildfires.
Two months ago, the Twin Peaks co-creator said he owed it to his fans to urge them to ‘quit these things that are going to end up killing you’ like, in his case, cigarettes, which he took up at the tender age of 8.
David told People on November 14: ‘I have a positive atтιтude focused on the body healing itself. It’s tough living with emphysema. I can hardly walk across a room. It’s like you’re walking around with a plastic bag around your head.’
A true American artist, Lynch had touching tributes pouring in from Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, Steven Soderbergh, Questlove, James Gunn, Kyle MacLachlan, and Billy Corgan.
The Eagle Scout from Missoula, MT is survived by his four children – daughter Jennifer, 56; son Austin, 42; son Riley, 33; and daughter Lula, 12 – from his past marriages to exes Peggy Reavey, Mary Fisk, Mary Sweeney, and estranged wife Emily Stofle.