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This description by David Lynch centers on Transcendental Meditation but the heart of it come from Buddhism (see blue text below). For Abrahamic religions and sects, understanding this explanation shows how and why Buddhism is not Godless; it simply avoids a human attempt to define God. The Abrahamics rely on texts from thousands of years ago which purport to be the Word of God. Based on that, all they do today is fight with each other almost without ceasing. Is it not hubris to claim to know God, to know His Words, to divine His will and what he wants for you? It’s not a bad thing if that is done wisely and gently; and in that way a good Abrahamic is much the same as a good Buddhist.
I am posting this because David Lynch is saying it and because the downfall of the West is coming greatly from the narrowness of the Abrahamics and their category hold on virtually all Western thought. I love Western civilization but the stranglehold of Abrahamic rigidity, ignorance and bellicosity is destroying us. Westerners need to open up their metacognitive minds to undo that stranglehold.
Much of modern philosophy and physics is seeing consciousness and/or conscious experience as a primary, fundamental of the cosmos. This is closer to Buddhist Ultimate Reality than the word God, but see the thing being pointed to rather than what we name it. ABN
Philosophically, Hindu schools like Advaita Vedānta were shaped by engagement with Buddhist ideas—especially Madhyamaka notions of emptiness (śūnyatā)—prompting thinkers like Śaṅkara to refine their doctrines on Brahman and ātman. The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali adopted Buddhist terms like samādhi and nirvāṇa, though redefining them within a Hindu framework of self-knowledge (ātma-jñāna). Additionally, Hinduism absorbed Buddhist practices, including meditation, mantra recitation, and puja rituals, especially in Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna-influenced traditions.
The integration was so profound that Buddha was eventually incorporated into Hinduism as an avatar of Viṣṇu, first appearing in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (c. 5th century CE) as a divine figure sent to mislead demons—highlighting Buddhism’s cultural and theological impact. Over time, Hinduism evolved to include renunciation and meditation as valid paths to liberation, a shift partly driven by the success of the Buddhist monastic ideal. This dynamic exchange enriched Indian spirituality, creating a shared philosophical continuum that continues to influence modern thought.
American Buddhist Net 