Danish documentary "free the mind"

[Helle]

"Free the mind" a film by Phie Ambo.

A film about an experiment with war veterans with PTSD, and a boy with ADHD, and how they get better through daily meditation and breathing exercises.

I haven't watched it yet, but plan to, today!
I hope the film will get a lot of exposure, it's an important topic IMO.


Quote taken from this site : http://danishdocumentary.com/movies/Free%20The%20Mind?PHPSESSID=2e235f6cbfbd9992d029a91f81a1b554

FREE THE MIND
Dr. Richard Davidson, the world's leading brain scientist, is on a mission: He wants to make the world a better place. And the change must come from within the brain itself! Davidson conducts an unusual experiment: He is going to teach American war veterans Mindfulness meditation.

Until recently, we thought our personalities were determined by our genes and to some extent influenced by our upbringing, and that we all have a more or less established character at the age of 7. Brain scientist Prof. Davidson's research shows something completely different: That the brain is plastic. This means that we can actively contribute to the shaping of our own personalities and thereby change our life journey to the better. By studying Buddhist monks, brain scientist Richard Davidson has found that it is possible to re-wire the brain through meditation. Some of the effects are increased levels of altruism, compassion and calm. He himself has meditated his entire life and is positive that it has an effect on our brains.

 

[Marina9]

Recently I saw this documentary and I really enjoyed it. As it has been shared in SOTT we know the benefits of practicing meditation, and it was interesting to watch this documentary portraying the life of veterans and a little child that has ADHD. It made me cry a little bit, I was feeling angry as how the army really mess up the heads of the soldiers :( and also the little child, as you can see he really struggles in day to day life with ADHD, but thankfully his parents didn't want to medicate him.

The poem in the documentary is really beautiful:

The time will come
when, with elation
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other's welcome,
and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you
all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.
Derek Walcott

Here is the trailer:

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