January 2025

Catalyst Spotlight: Eric Chou on revealing the authentic version of myself.

Name: Eric Chou

What led you to meditation? My path to meditation was born out of a desperate need for change and healing in my life. Before my journey to consciousness and spirituality started, I was battling addiction, childhood traumas and extreme levels of depression and anxiety to the point where I was suicidal at times.

Despite being a top producer at one of the biggest commercial real estate firms in the world, I found myself in a destructive cycle of substance abuse, isolation, blame, and a painful sense of emptiness.

I realized I needed to make a massive change when I hit a tipping point of almost overdosing. The traditional methods of healing, such as talk therapy, had offered some insights to help with addiction but didn’t seem to address the deeper, underlying issues I was facing. I was taking amphetamines in the morning to perform at work and benzodiazepines at night to sleep and it was tearing me apart.

After 2 years of trying to be the wolf of wall street, I began to miss work meetings from drug hangovers and fortunately my work colleagues loved me enough to not judge me and pushed me to check into rehab. After I checked out of rehab I left the US and stayed on a secluded and very spiritual island in Thailand and learned about meditation, yoga, and monkhood.

This is when meditation entered my life. I attended retreats, got into several types of yoga, participated in plant medicine ceremonies, soundhealings, and lots of other less known esoteric forms of healing . Over time, I noticed subtle yet significant shifts in my perception, emotional state, and overall sense of well-being. It was as if layers of pain were being peeled away revealing the authentic version of myself. Meditation became managing my fear and unworthiness and led me to gradual but powerful transformations.

How has meditation impacted your life? Meditation opened a gateway to consciousness, healing, and profound personal growth. Through meditation, I cultivated a heightened sense of loving awareness and a stronger connection to who I was and what my purpose in this life is. It enabled me to process and release the emotional baggage of the past, creating space for new, positive experiences and manifestations. This journey wasn’t just about personal healing; it became a quest to understand the mind’s incredible potential and how to harness it effectively.

Why do you support InnerScience Research Fund? My experience at the Dr Joe Dispenza Retreat was incredibly powerful. From experiencing deep healing and release within myself, to seeing it happen in others really changed my understanding of the power of the mind and brain heart coherence.

Prior to creating Manifest Movies, I personally donated $20,000 to the InnerScience Research Fund because I wanted to contribute to their research in bridging the gap between science and spirituality. I think this is something the world needs now more than ever now.

As someone who grew up in environments with others who suffered deep trauma as children, many of whom became hardened criminals, hearing about the work Dr Joe and his team were doing in prisons deeply touched my soul and brought tears to my eyes. Aside from just attending the retreats, I plan next year to join NCS and learn howto teach and spread the word of Dr Joe.

Our support for InnerScience Research Fund stems from a deep alignment of values and objectives. At Manifest Movies, we are committed to bring forth the untapped potential within each individual. The mission of the InnerScience Research Fund, which focuses on advancing scientific understanding of meditation’s biological and physiological impacts, resonates strongly with our core philosophy.

Plus,  we love the Dispenza community so much. Hillari, Angela, and the rest of the InnerScience team have been nothing but wonderful!

How do you think your business aligns with InnerScience’s Mission and Vision? InnerScience Research Fund’s dedication to researching the effects of meditation aligns with our own experiences and observations. In our journey with Manifest Movies, we have seen firsthand how frequencies, vibrations, and visualization can significantly improve mental and physical well-being. By supporting InnerScience Research Fund, we contribute to a deeper, scientifically-grounded understanding of these benefits. This research is crucial for bringing meditation into more widespread acceptance and use, particularly in the realms of health and wellness.

The vision of InnerScience Research Fund to integrate meditation into standard care for treating illness and disease is a goal we passionately share. We believe that Manifest Movies can and should be a key component tool in holistic health care. By supporting their research, we aim to help bring this vision to fruition. The potential for meditation and visualization to complement traditional medical treatments is immense, and we see this partnership as an opportunity to pioneer change in healthcare paradigms.

If you could change one thing about our world, what would it be? If I could change one aspect of our world, it would be to enhance the collective understanding and acceptance of mental health as an integral part of overall well-being. In our current global landscape, mental health often takes a backseat to physical health, leading to a lack of awareness, resources, and support for those struggling with psychological challenges. By elevating the importance of mental health to the same level as physical health, we could foster a more compassionate, inclusive, and healthy society.

This change would involve a widespread cultural shift, where mental health care is not only readily available but also free of stigma. Education systems, workplaces, and communities would integrate mental health awareness into their core values, promoting open dialogues, preventive care, and holistic approaches to health. This shift would not only benefit individuals who are directly struggling with mental health issues but also create a more empathetic and understanding society, enhancing the quality of life for all.

How do you help spread the word about InnerScience? To spread the word about InnerScience and its groundbreaking work in meditation research, we at Manifest Movies leverage a multifaceted approach that combines the power of social media, marketing partnerships with leaders in the space, SEO optimization, and the latest advancements in AI technology to continuously relearn web traffic algorithms. Currently in our website we already have a section dedicated to educating our clients on InnerScience and why we are donating 5% of all revenue generated to this research fund ( https://manifestmovies.com/our-values/ ).

Our work with AI algorithms help us analyze social media patterns and web traffic data, enabling us to better understand the preferences and behaviors of our audience. This data-driven approach allows us to tailor our content and messaging to resonate more effectively with our audience. AI also assists in automating and optimizing our advertising campaigns, ensuring that we reach the most relevant audience with the right message at the right time.
By combining these approaches, we effectively raise awareness about InnerScience’s vital work. Our goal is to create a ripple effect where every share, like, and comment helps to bring more attention to the importance of meditation research and its potential impact on healthcare and personal well-being.

The Last Word
To Dr Joe:
Thank you for all your work, being the catalyst that changed our lives, and inspiring us to start this company.

“When we dream alone it is only a dream, but when many dream together it is the beginning of a new reality.” – Evelyn Waugh

Our groundbreaking research is showing ordinary people doing the extraordinary — changing their physiology, changing their biological markers, and changing their lives, with the power of meditation.

We think the implications can change the world, and we invite you to become a catalyst for change by joining our community of recurring donors.