Meditation: To Blow the Mind

Two friends set out to delve into the madness and inner conflict of the psychological action in thought.

This book was constructed from several question-and-answer sessions between two friends who set out to question why man is in inner conflict. The Questioner is a high-spirited, fiercely intelligent female who by nature is inclined to challenge what is commonly accepted as true. The Responder is her male friend who relentlessly responds with his circuitous insights. Together, as kindred spirits, they decide to meet weekly to discuss why man seems to be trapped in inner conflict. We are privy to their persistent and unremitting probes into the nature of reality, the mind and why it is so difficult for human beings to disengage from the attachment to violence.

Michael Beckett began his study of acting at the age of 17. He trained with several fine acting teachers, each with a diversity of styles. He finally came upon two who opened doors of perception that otherwise might have remained closed. One was the talented and extremely gifted William Hickey; the other was the eminent and renowned Herbert Berghof. Fortune smiled on him when Mr. Berghof invited him to start teaching classes at the legendary HB Studio that was founded by Mr. Berghof in 1945. So in 1966, while acting in and directing various projects, Michael also started teaching. Invitations were extended by the prestigious Singers Forum to direct actor/singers in the craft of acting. NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Kanbar Institute of Film & TV were excited to have him direct students in “The Actor’s Craft” and “Directing the Actor”. As years went by, more and more students found his teaching approach to be unique with its emphasis on the psychological. They kept pushing for him to write a book. He finally agreed to have his Advanced Acting class audio taped, from which a book was compiled. In 2012 the e-book, “Acting: Walking the Tightrope of an Illusion. Zen Lessons for Actors in Life and Onstage” was released on Amazon and other online retailers. Michael’s teaching approach is to focus not just on technique, but on moving into the deeper and more mysterious realm that lies at the core of art itself. His concern has prompted him to create a second book called “Meditation: To Blow the Mind”: a penetrating probe into the darkness of psychological thought.