Why were you drawn to African PTSD Relief?

​Paul:  ​
As a survivor of childhood abuse, I know firsthand how powerful Transcendental Meditation (TM) is to heal PTSD wounds. It was this facet - healing - that drew me to the practice in the first place. (I learned TM in Alaska in 1973.) The people being taught in Africa suffered abuse far worse than mine and the possibility of bringing them relief - and direct knowledge of the power of TM to do this - inspired me.
​
Is that the only reason?

​Paul:  ​
In the 70's, when I was in my late 20's, I was part of a team that taught TM to convicts in California prisons, including Folsom Prison, San Quentin and Duel Vocational Institution. Prisons are environments of extreme stress, violence and  depression. We saw immediate and lasting effects from inmates and staff learning TM. Less violence, less depression and less recidivism. A landmark study out of UC Berkeley showed a significant reduction in returns to prison by prisoners who meditated.  I saw first hand how powerful the experience of transcendence was on a life. Its power to heal a life is impressive.

You were a reporter and anchorman for 2 decades, with 2 Emmy Awards and an Edward R Murrow Award for journalism to your name. Did TM help you as a reporter?

​Paul: ​
In every way. Television news is a high stress, demanding, exacting profession. Without TM, my ability to compete would have been reduced significantly. In TV news, management expects high-performance and competence every day. It is not for the faint of heart. Additionally, you are competing with other smart creative aggressive reporters in your market. More than a few of  my colleagues turned to alcohol and drugs to cope with that stress. TM was my secret weapon for competition that always gave me an edge, without side-effects. As a reporter, you are called on to 'get it first, get it fast and get it right' every day, and deliver it live the majority of the time. TM gave me consistent creativity, intuition, stamina and an ability to de​​al with the enormous performance pressures of ​'​live​'​ television. It looks easy when you're sitting at home watching. It is not.
 
TM, and the advanced program, the TM Sidhis, and Maharishi Ayurveda were my most valued resource for the 20 years I spent in television. Ayurveda was key in staying and looking healthy​ naturally​
.​
You were recently interviewed by Discovery Investigations for your work - your reporting on the capture of a serial killer in the late 90's​ for which you received the Edward R Murrow award​. Did your meditation practice play a role in that story?

​Paul: ​
Absolutely yes. TM develops intuition. It is something beyond a hunch. It is a clear vision deep into things because there is so much quiet in the mind. With that, it is easier to pick up subtle clues and ​critical ​​threads of ​cause and effect. Along with good investigative skills, it is an absolutely priceless skill to have as a reporter. I had an insight into where this individual was likely going to go as he fled across the country, killing women along the way. I acted on that insight and was able to be in the right place at the right time on the day of his capture in Richmond Kentucky, by Kentucky State Police. The man, Glen Rogers, was tried and convicted and is presently on death row in Florida.
 ​
What can we do to help African PTSD Relief?

​Paul:  ​
Support the instruction of PTSD victims in African by donating or volunteering. There are currently 10,000 people on a waiting list to learn TM. These people are waiting for instruction. These are people who have suffered horrific acts of violence and trauma so great, their lives are crippled by PTSD. TM is bringing them deep relief in a very short period of time. Donations go directly to instruction.
Every penny helps. We need to raise $500,000 to meet the need for instruction.​​

Paul has two Emmy Awards for reporting and years of experience in marketing and social media. Paul join​ed the African PTSD Relief team in September.

This article was originally published in Use Your Difference Magazine. 

In a small village in Uganda, Esperance, a 33 year old mother of three opens her eyes after 20 minutes of Transcendental Meditation, and  smiles. “I’ve been doing this for 3 years - meditating every day. After one week I felt relief. I have healed so much. And, I am happy. I can now actually be a mother to my children.”

Esperance is one of thousands of people in Africa finding relief from the crippling symptoms of PTSD - post traumatic stress disorder - through the practice of TM. The practice produces a deep state of healing rest in mind and body. It’s done for 20 minutes twice a day.

Esperance’s story is terrifying, and tragically common in many parts of Africa where an estimated 100 million people suffer from PTSD. “This is why I was inspired to form an organization that supports  teaching this stress reducing meditation to PTSD victims. It’s called PTSD Relief Now,” says  David Shapiro, President of PTSD Relief Now.

PTSD - A Global Pandemic

But post traumatic stress disorder, (PTSD), isn’t just an African problem. Shapiro describes the hellish world of PTSD and its worldwide extent: ”It’s a global mental health pandemic. Symptoms include hyper-vigilance, repeated painful memories of the events, insomnia,and depression. The effects of PTSD are crushing on any life, soldier, parent, child, refugee. It is an extraordinary level of suffering for which we have a solution, now.”

PTSD affects soldiers and civilians. It is caused by trauma, including war, violence, sexual abuse, terrorism and natural disasters - events so stressful that the condition develops. In Africa where large parts of the population have been through and witnessed horrendous violence, torture and rape, PTSD is common.” explains Shapiro. 

It is estimated that 10% of all Africans suffer from PTSD.This means that up to 100 million Africans lives are shattered.

Africa is underserved by mental health programs. The US-based organization “PTSD Relief Now” is an Iowa-based non-profit corporation (www.PTSDReliefNow.org)  collaborating with the David Lynch Foundation  (www.davidlynchfoundation.org/africal) . African PTSD Relief is the set of African projects of PTSD Relief Now.

Research Shows Meditation Brings PTSD Relief

A study in 2013 published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress showed that over 90% of a group of Congolese refugees with high level of PTSD symptoms became "non-symptomatic” within 30 days of regular practice of TM. The non-meditating control group’s symptoms, remained the same.