Beware of Mind Up

Goldie Hawn of the Hawn foundation.org (http://www.thehawnfoundation.org/ ) has unleashed a new curriculum called Mind Up. The curriculum has a long list of teachers, Ph.D.s, and a neuroscientist who have been working with her to promote a practice in the classroom that will calm the students. On Nightline (viewed 9/27/2011) Goldie Hawn said that “many children are depressed and do not have the skills to calm themselves down therefore this increases bullying and aggressive behavior.” She also claimed one out of three children are on medication. So they designed a curriculum from K-12 that teaches metaphysics and mind altering techniques as a solution to the problem.



  In fact, one child experienced bullying, and when he tried to explain the other child’s behavior to his mother, the reason given was that “…the boy did not use his pre-frontal cortex to make good decisions and he often acted that way because of his amygdala. His mom was amazed.”

  Hawn claims that there has been a 30-50% improvement in children’s behavior since they have instituted this Mind Up program in the schools. On their website they claim 82% become more optimistic. The website also claims 100% of teachers thought Mind Up positively influenced the students. Hawn claims that “this is science” and says that she has been involved in the research of the brain for over ten years. However, in fact, it is not science but religion which is packaged in eastern metaphysics— from guided imagery, visualization, meditation, and connecting with the earth, and using the chime (a bell) as a way to get them re-focused.       

  There are two front scientific advisory council members. One is Amishi Jha PhD who is one of the featured teachers at the Upaya Institute Zen center. Then there is the second member of the board, Kimberly Schonert Reichl, and she is a featured speaker with the Dalai Lama Center.

  What makes this so dangerous is the fact they are teaching the kids “neuroscience” as a reason to the why they need Buddhism in their life. This removes the “religious” aspect and places religion in the scientific mold. The Mind Up program has already been launched throughout many schools, the Boy’s and Girls Clubs, and the YMCA (such as Akron Ohio) according to the Foundation’s website. According to the Mindbody green website http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-410/Goldie-Hawn-to-Set-Up-Meditation-School-in-UK.html the curriculum Mind Up

…is already used in over 1,000 schools in the U.S. and Canada and aims to improve concentration and incorporates eastern meditation. The curriculum is designed for children from K to 7 and includes fifteen lessons across four units which include titles such as "Quieting the Mind: Sharpening the Focus" and "Mindful of Ourselves in the World."

  Scholastic is one of the main distributors of the curriculum. This program will only spread like wildfire. I suggest that as a parent you attend school boards and suggest to them that religion has been re-packaged under the name of “science,” and “Buddhism” is what is being taught. Let them know as a parent and a Christian you will not just stand by but will remove your child from its influence.





Lanette Roessler
Article was featured in the Discernment Newsletter (NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011) sent out by Discernment-Ministries