Consciousness, Mindfulness and Cinema: An Interview with Tom Cronin
Studies prove cinema can have a positive effect on psychology and mental wellbeing.
“Cinema therapy can be a powerful catalyst for healing and growth for anybody who is open to learning how movies affect us and to watching certain films with conscious awareness. Cinema therapy allows us to use the effect of imagery, plot, music, etc. in films on our psyche for insight, inspiration, emotional release or relief and natural change.” - Birgit Wolz, PhD., MFT via Psych Central
Combining this with our recent review of mindfulness digital tools, we reconised The Portal film, book and accompanying app to be a relevant example of the positive effects Mindfulness can have on our mental health and wellbeing.
About The Portal:
The Portal is an inspiring Australian documentary following six everyday people and their personal experience with Mindfulness, how it transformed their lives and helped them to navigate some of life’s biggest challenges. Produced by Meditation expert Tom Cronin and directed and produced by award winning producer Jacqui Fifer, The Portal is described as being “richly visual and sonically powerful to appeal to audiences of all ages.”
We caught up with The Portal Producer Tom Cronin to find out more on his personal experience with Mindfulness Meditation.
You’re one of the leading meditation experts in the world, Tom - how long have you been practicing meditation personally?
I’ve been meditating pretty much every day for the last 24 years since 1996. It has become very much a part of my day for my overall health and well-being.
Many friends of our company have been taught by you personally, how long have you been teaching meditation?
I've been teaching meditation for around 10 years now. I've taught people in the corporate sector, in primary schools, secondary schools and all over the world. I feel it is most likely something that I will do for the rest of my life, partly because I love teaching, and also because I can see how much it changes someone's life when they learn.
What benefits do you feel you receive personally by practicing meditation?
The benefits of learning meditation can be diverse and varied for each person and also depending on how long they been meditating for. Initially when someone learns to meditate they notice they are sleeping better, they are less reactive to situations in life, they feel calmer, they have more energy, and overall their life just improves. For the longer term meditators that have a regular practice, they start accessing deeper states of awareness and experience profound connection to a subtle reality that some might call God or the Divine. This results in a very blissful, unconditionally loving experience that pervades all reality.
What benefits do you feel you receive by teaching meditation?
As a teacher some of the benefits that I receive are feelings of joy from helping people live better lives. Also when you are discussing things like meditation and spirituality, there's a particular resonance or vibration in the quality of that content. The more we discuss these things and share these things the more elevated we feel. So not only does the student feel a profound shift as a result of learning meditation, the teacher can also experience that elevation as well.
Why did you decide to make the film?
I decided to make the film The Portal after watching the movie The Secret. This was one of the first films to bring esoteric subject matter to the households of the world. This gave me an idea that I could do the same about meditation. That started my journey into creating a movie that would show, through personal stories, the transformational power of meditation. And now we have The Portal film which will soon be released on digital platforms around the world.
What outcomes did you hope to achieve by releasing the film?
My ultimate goal was to inspire 1 billion people all over the world to embrace meditation on a daily basis. I could see, not just in my life, but in my students lives as well, how so much improved in their life and the lives around them once they started meditating. I was intending that once I made the film and it was watched by people all over the world and that it would be a catalyst for them to start meditating each day.
What is the most profound piece of feedback from the film?
We've had some phenomenal feedback, but I feel the main thing is how moving and meditative it is for those that resonate with it. It is a very unique film that doesn't follow the particular filmmaking style of most documentaries. We wanted to make something that was fresh and different, that pushed the boundaries in the way documentaries were traditionally made. Some of the feedback has been how much they were blown away by this experience.
What are three simple tips to make meditation easier?
Tip 1: Learn a technique that you resonate with from a qualified teacher.
Tip 2: Make it a regular daily practice
Tip 3: Let go of the outcomes of your practice. Dont expect it to be all still and Zen every time.
How can people learn more about you, The Stillness Project and The Portal film?
www.tomcronin.com or Instagram @tomcronin
About Tom:
Tom spent 26 years in finance markets as one of Sydney’s leading bond and swap brokers. He discovered meditation in the early stages of his career, when the anxiety and chaos he was experiencing had hit a crisis point, and it completely transformed his world, both personally and professionally.
Founder of The Stillness Project, a global movement to inspire one billion people to sit in stillness daily, Tom is passionate about reducing stress and chaos in people’s lives.
His ongoing work in transformational leadership and cultivating inner peace through meditation takes him around the world hosting retreats, mentoring, presenting keynote talks, teaching and creating The Portal film-book experience, all part of his commitment to the current planetary shift.
Tom is the author of six previous books for adults:, Insights, The Path To Peace: A Guide To Living With Ease In a Rapidly Changing World, Spirit & Soul: Exploring The Seven States Of Consciousness, Faster Deeper Sleep: The Ultimate Guide To A Daily Recharge, Faster Deeper Calm: How To Live Without Anxiety and Panic. He is also the author of the children’s book Missy Moo Meditates.
Words and review by Amanda Orchard, interview by Amanda Johnstone