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The DLF Center for Resilience is dedicated to Transcendental Meditation to at-risk populations, including veterans who suffer from PTSD. The following offers a behind-the-scenes update on our work with vets.
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Pictured: Dusty Baxley with his wife, Charlyn
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Dusty Baxley, a US Army Airborne Ranger Military Policeman Combat Veteran, has a collection of bullets handed to him by fellow servicemen and women. They were placed in his hand through the guise of a familiar, routine handshake — bullets he’ll never forget, because they were handed to him by combat veterans who had planned to use them to end their lives. After many years of teaching Transcendental Meditation, he now has a bag of these bullets. Dusty fought bravely on the battlefield, but now he’s saving lives again by teaching the gift that is the TM® technique to veterans with PTSD.
TM® technique to veterans with PTSD.
Dusty joined the US Army in 1973 and served until 1994. He was first deployed to combat in the Airborne Assault in the invasion of Panama, having served in every position from team member, team leader, squad leader, platoon sergeant, and at times interim first sergeant. He was then assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division in support of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, where he was deployed regularly and often.
Diagnosed with PTSD
Bravery in the midst of war’s inevitable brutality can lead to noble but transient recognition — medals and ceremonies and praise — but it can also trigger the worst inner turmoil. And that is what happened to Dusty. At the VA hospital, he was diagnosed with PTSD. He remained in a state of adrenaline-infused agitation, but suffered in silence. On top of that, he was divorced not once, but twice. He was depressed. He had no family, and no real job. He battled alcoholism. And he was missing the one thing that’s necessary to battle on: a reason to live. He nearly became a statistic, destined to be among the 21 veterans who end their lives each day. But there was hope.
In Perry, GA, he met the woman who’d eventually become his wife. She had a quality that’s almost indescribable, one that can be best explained as confident, radiant and uber intelligent. Dusty and Charlyn exchanged numbers and went on dates. He confided in her about his past. He explained that his father was an abusive alcoholic, and told her of his time in the military. He described their relationship as somewhat normal — but one day she said something that not only surprised him — but changed his life.
No One Can Do It for You
“I am going to give you a gift… and it is totally your choice if you want to accept it. But from my side, if you don’t, then I can’t continue to see you. You see, Dusty, you’ve got some serious issues you need to address. You need to do something to take care of yourself — and I can’t do it for you. No one can do it for you,” Charlyn said.
Her gift was Transcendental Meditation. At first, Dusty was hesitant. Alcohol was his medicine-of-choice. But he learned to meditate out of love for her, and it paid off. He slept better. He started exercising. He connected with old friends. He envisioned his future. Dusty practiced TM for himself and his wife, but then found the inspiration to give this gift to others at an 82nd Airborne Division reunion in May of 2010 — after learning of many irreversible, almost inevitable tragedies that were brought on by PTSD. And so, he vowed to become a TM teacher, through a graduate-level course that he completed in May 2012.
Post-Traumatic Growth
After teaching veterans for several years and helping to lead the David Lynch Foundation’s “Operation Warrior Wellness” program, Dusty was hired to serve as the Executive Director at the Boulder Crest Foundation, an organization with training centers nationwide that specializes in an innovative evidence-based treatment regime called “Post-Traumatic Growth.” At the core of the treatment is Transcendental Meditation.
While there, Dusty led a team that brought TM to almost 1600 veterans. He helped to raise Boulder Crest to the level of a premier treatment institution that has the recognition and respect of the VA and other government leaders, veterans service organizations, and corporate backers.We honor you, Dusty, for your incredible service to this country, and to the many other teachers of Transcendental Meditation who are veterans and who continue to serve their country with the highest distinction in their essential role of bringing true healing and peace to your fellow vets across the country.
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NYPD Luncheon (Pictured Right: Retired NYPD Officer Wilem Wong and David Lynch Foundation’s Joshua Pittman)
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The David Lynch Foundation has received a grant of $30,000 from the New York City Police Foundation to teach the Transcendental Meditation program to 36 NYPD officers. The purpose of the program is to increase resilience, equanimity and compassion among the meditating officers—both on and off duty.
The grant comes in response to the doubling of NYPD officer suicides in 2019. Preliminary data on the first 10 officers to participate in an analysis have found a 40% reduction in perceived stress, a 25% drop in anxiety levels, and a 32% improvement in sleep quality (see below).
The grant was made possible through a partnership between DLF, Operation Warrior Shield, and the NYPD Wellness Section.
According to Wilem Wong, a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Reserve (SA) and retired NYPD Sergeant (who is not a spokesperson for the NYPD), the escalating stress levels and risk of suicides among the officers are the result of external agitators, including marital conflicts, financial distress, substance abuse, and heightened tensions in the community. The Covid-19 pandemic has added even more fuel to the fire.
Such stress levels can dangerously undermine performance in the field and turn a tense stand-off into tragedy. However, according to Mr. Wong, TM is an effective antidote.
“With TM, you’re able to reduce the toxic stress and bring the agitation of your system down to a level that is much more manageable. Then you’re not going to overreact in certain situations,” Mr. Wong said, emphasizing, “TM is great in so many roles, not just as a police officer or police supervisor, but as a parent, spouse, and a member of the community.”
The NYC Department of Veterans Services presented the grant during a special luncheon on September 29 and announced the partnership between DLF, Operation Warrior Shield and the NYPD Wellness Section. (The Wellness Section is a division of the NYPD that is responsible for the overall wellness of all 55,000 uniform and civilian members of the service.)
One of the biggest complaints from the public is: “How come the police aren’t able to deescalate a volatile situation?” Mr. Wong said. Now, with TM, NYPD officers are “going to be calmer and clearer and communicate better—as opposed to being riled up. As a result, they’ll be able to do their job in a way that’s consistent with the values of the police department and the city,” Mr. Wong said.
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RESULTS FROM A TM PILOT PROGRAM
WITH THE NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT
Reductions in anxiety, anger, depression, fatigue and sleep quality among meditating police officers were measured using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System. These are validated psychometric instruments developed by the National Institutes of Health. Stress was measured with the Perceived Stress Scale, the most widely used instrument to measure perception of stress. Note that all 10 officers who completed a pre survey also completed the post survey.
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Thomas R. Rutledge, Ph.D. is a Staff Psychologist with the VA San Diego Healthcare System and Principal Investigator for the large-scale clinical trial on the effects of Transcendental Meditation on PTSD and suicidality, which is currently being conducted at six VA hospitals and three other research universities: Columbia University, USC, and Mildred and Frank Feinberg Division of the Unified Behavioral Health Center for Military Veterans and their Families at Northwell Health.
Dr. Rutledge sat down with us to discuss what’s lacking in current treatments for PTSD and how Transcendental Meditation can fill that void.
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Q: You are the principal investigator for a Phase 3 clinical trial on TM and PTSD. What are you looking for?
A: The purpose of a Phase 3 trial is to test a promising treatment on a larger scale, with a broader population and over a longer timeframe. This is what we’re planning with our Phase 3 PTSD study. Phase 3 studies like this—because of their larger samples and improved design—also have a greater influence on treatment policy decisions. We are looking for evidence that can help scientists, clinicians, and policy makers evaluate the merits of TM as a primary treatment option for veterans with PTSD.
Q: If you find significant benefits from your research, do you think TM should be included in veterans ’health insurance policies?
A: If TM proves to be superior to the psychotherapy treatment in our trial, I expect that the results will affect future VA PTSD treatment guidelines and initiate discussions among VA leadership about how to potentially improve veterans’ access to TM. This is not a simple process. However, VA leadership recognizes that our current PTSD treatment options do not fully meet the needs of veterans, and studies like our Phase 3 trial can provide quality scientific data necessary to guide future improvements.
You can find out more about our PTSD clinical trials here
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Washington, DC
120 3rd St. NE, Washington, DC 20002
202-547-0425
New York City
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212-644-9880
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323-852-3004
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