Raphael Stein on BLISS

Curated by Raphaël Stein, Bliss is the second volume by the David Lynch Foundation Art. Printed in a limited edition by Ayvan, the text was written by Natalie Delfiner, PhD, whose scholarship focuses on the interdependent forces of art and consciousness within Maharishi Vedic Science. Bliss profiles three artists: David Lynch, Issy Wood, and Marina Abramović, all of whom understand their practice of meditation to be intrinsic to their creative work. 

© David Lynch and Issy Wood, Courtesy of the artists

When imagining the concept for the second book, Raphael Stein explains, “I was intrigued by the essence of this ocean that resides within each of us. There are numerous words that can describe it: silence, vibrant energy, boundless, pure, creative intelligence, consciousness...but if you experience it, the word ‘bliss’ will resonate most.” Guided by Delfiner’s psychological observations and analyses, this book places the reader at the moment of departure, welcoming each artist's interpretations of how meditation invokes bliss—paths existential, ecstatic, and expressive. 

David Lynch 

“Bliss, they say, is the sweetest nectar of life. Bliss is physical, emotional, mental, spiritual happiness. And you can vibrate with this Bliss. It's this happiness from within. They have a saying, ‘True happiness isn't out there; true happiness lies within.’ And I always wondered, where is this within? How to get to it? This is the beauty of this technique. There are a lot of forms of meditation, but with Transcendental Meditation, the keyword is ‘Transcend.”

© David Lynch, Courtesy of the artist

Issy Wood

“As somebody prescribed high doses of antidepressants at a young age, I have no business discussing bliss. These medications ask that you turn in your aptitude for extreme joy in exchange for ridding you of extreme anguish. You live, ostensibly, somewhere in the middle. To a depressed teenager whose world extends no further than the bedroom and its barely cracked window, this doesn't sound like such a bad trade. I took it. But as time passed, and I reached adulthood, of course feelings—pleasant and unpleasant—found their way in any way. I was almost indignant when they did. Until I began making art, I thought there were only two moods: rage and the numbness that puts a temporary hold on rage. I am not one for hyperbole, but when I say that everything changed when I painted for the first time I mean it. Getting sober seven years ago and practicing TM only felt worthwhile when I had something around which to build a life. And I have it. I am a little more patient with my own mind every day. Nothing is as I thought it would be.” 

© Issy Wood, Courtesy of the artist
© Issy Wood, Courtesy of the artist

Marina Abramović

“I looked into the exact definition of bliss: perfect happiness or great joy. Bliss, for me, is a very important state of mind which I have experienced several times in my life. The state of bliss, looking into my memory, was connected with my performance work and also in my interaction with nature. It is not easy to describe what bliss truly is. It is unpredictable when it is going to happen, you don't know how long it will stay or how quickly it can end. I think an accurate example of the state of bliss is described by Dostoesvsky in his novel The Idiot. One of the main characters has epileptic attacks. Before the attacks, he describes his state of mind as a moment of harmony, luminosity, and balance with everything in and around him. The experience is so profound that the mind cannot hold it and it goes into shock. I chose some of my work to illustrate my closest experiences of bliss through my life.” 

© Marina Abramović, Courtesy of the artist

Library is a recurring series featuring forthcoming books from the David Lynch Foundation Art along with other publishers' ventures into the intersection of meditation and creativity.