Donovan, Lynch to open meditation university

updated 1:15 p.m. ET Oct. 29, 2007

EDINBURGH, Scotland - Donovan, famous for ’60s pop hits such as “Hurdy Gurdy Man” and “Mellow Yellow,” has announced plans to open the Invincible Donovan University, where students will adhere to the principles of transcendental meditation.

“I know it sounds like an airy-fairy hippie dream to go on about ’60s peace and love,” said the 61-year-old singer, who was born Donovan Leitch in the Maryhill area of Glasgow. “But the world is ready for this now, it is clear this is the time.”

He said the university will be located in either Glasgow or Edinburgh.

Donovan discovered transcendental meditation while visiting India and guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1968.

“The Maharishi told me during that 1968 visit that I should build a university in Edinburgh. I went to my room and drew a beautiful dome-shaped place of learning,” he said Friday.

“I didn’t know what to do because I couldn’t do this on my own. But then I met David Lynch, who told me about the positive effects of TM in education. Although it’s taken me 35 years, I will do what the Maharishi told me to do.”

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Donovan and Lynch, Oscar-nominated director of “Blue Velvet,” “Mullholland Dr.” and “The Elephant Man,” are part of a tour to promote transcendental meditation as a means of reducing violence, crime and stress in schools and colleges.

The David Lynch Foundation has introduced TM to schools in the U.S., where the 61-year-old filmmaker claims it has transformed results and behavior.

“We have gone into some of the most deprived areas and turned around kids with violent emotional and behavioral problems,” he said.

The duo said they will now contact Scottish authorities to have the institution accredited.

“For a country the size of Scotland it would take only 250 students meditating to protect Scotland from its enemies and to bring peace, to stop violence and drug abuse,” Lynch said. “That is just a byproduct of the students meditating together.”

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