Prudence Farrow
Encyclopedia
Prudence Anne Villiers Farrow Bruns (born January 20, 1948, Los Angeles
, California, United States) is an American author, meditation teacher, and film producer. She is the daughter of film director John Farrow
and actress Maureen O'Sullivan
, and the younger sister of actress Mia Farrow
. She is the subject of the Beatles
song "Dear Prudence
".
in 1966 at UCLA, In 1967, after contemplating joining a convent and then trying LSD
, 19-year old Farrow became interested in yoga
. She opened a yoga institute at a former church in Boston.
by plane from New York to India, and then to the Maharishi's ashram in Rishikesh, India for a Transcendental Meditation teacher training course.
The Beatles arrived shortly thereafter, on the February 16 and 20. Farrow became so serious about her meditation while in India, that she "turned into a near recluse" and "rarely came out" of the cottage she was living in. Her sister reports she meditated 23 hours a day. John Lennon was asked to "contact her and make sure she came out more often to socialize". As a result Lennon wrote the song "Dear Prudence
". Lennon said later that "She'd been locked in for three weeks and was trying to reach God quicker than anyone else".
Farrow was dedicated to mastering the TM technique well enough so that she could become a TM teacher. According to Farrow: "I would always rush straight back to my room after lectures and meals so I could meditate. John, George and Paul would all want to sit around jamming and having a good time and I'd be flying into my room. They were all serious about what they were doing, but they just weren't as fanatical as me".
. She returned to India for further instruction from the Maharishi in 1986. She has taught Transcendental Meditation in NW Florida since 1970.
Farrow earned a BA, an MA, and a PhD from the University of California at Berkeley after majoring in South and Southeast Asian studies. Her doctoral dissertation was on pulse diagnosis
, titled Nadivijnana, the Crest-Jewel of Ayurveda: A Translation of Six Central Texts and an Examination of the Sources, Influences and Development of Indian Pulse-Diagnosis. After obtaining her doctorate, she became an elementary school teacher.
Farrow has worked in the theater and film industry. Farrow worked as a production assistant on The Muppets Take Manhattan
in 1984, and was the art department coordinator for The Purple Rose of Cairo
in 1985. She worked on The Jesuit and The Tony Clifton Story, which were never produced. She also "conceived and co-produced" the 1994 film Widows' Peak
, which featured her sister, Mia Farrow, in a part originally written for their mother, Maureen O'Sullivan. In 1999, she was one of four producers involved in staging Up From the Ground at the WestBeth Theatre in New York City.
Farrow became a magazine writer in the 2000s. Using her married name, Prudence Bruns, she has authored articles on Asian studies, world religions, ayurveda, and healthy living.
She has presented at conferences and held teaching positions at the University of California at Berkeley, Rutgers University and University of Wisconsin.
at the time his wife disappeared.
Farrow (Bruns) has three children and four grandchildren.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California, United States) is an American author, meditation teacher, and film producer. She is the daughter of film director John Farrow
John Farrow
John Villiers Farrow, CBE was an Australian, later American, film director, producer and screenwriter. In 1957 he won the Academy Award for Best Writing / Best Screenplay for Around the World in Eighty Days and in 1942 he was nominated as Best Director for Wake Island.-Life and career:Farrow was...
and actress Maureen O'Sullivan
Maureen O'Sullivan
Maureen Paula O’Sullivan was an Irish actress.-Early life:O'Sullivan was born in Boyle, County Roscommon, Ireland, the daughter of Roman Catholic parents Mary Lovatt and Charles Joseph O'Sullivan, an officer in The Connaught Rangers who served in The Great War...
, and the younger sister of actress Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow is an American actress, singer, humanitarian, and fashion model.Farrow first gained wide acclaim for her role as Allison Mackenzie in the soap opera Peyton Place, and for her subsequent short-lived marriage to Frank Sinatra...
. She is the subject of the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
song "Dear Prudence
Dear Prudence
"Dear Prudence" is a song written by John Lennon, and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released by The Beatles as the second track on their 1968 double-disc album entitled The Beatles, commonly known as The White Album.-Composition:...
".
Early life
Farrow was raised in the Catholic faith and attended convent schools. Farrow first learned the Transcendental Meditation techniqueTranscendental Meditation technique
The Transcendental Meditation technique is a specific form of mantra meditation often referred to as Transcendental Meditation. It was introduced in India in 1955 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi...
in 1966 at UCLA, In 1967, after contemplating joining a convent and then trying LSD
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
, 19-year old Farrow became interested in yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
. She opened a yoga institute at a former church in Boston.
Rishikesh
On January 23, 1968, Farrow, along with her sister Mia and brother John, traveled with Maharishi Mahesh YogiMaharishi Mahesh Yogi
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi , born Mahesh Prasad Varma , developed the Transcendental Meditation technique and was the leader and guru of the TM movement, characterised as a new religious movement and also as non-religious...
by plane from New York to India, and then to the Maharishi's ashram in Rishikesh, India for a Transcendental Meditation teacher training course.
The Beatles arrived shortly thereafter, on the February 16 and 20. Farrow became so serious about her meditation while in India, that she "turned into a near recluse" and "rarely came out" of the cottage she was living in. Her sister reports she meditated 23 hours a day. John Lennon was asked to "contact her and make sure she came out more often to socialize". As a result Lennon wrote the song "Dear Prudence
Dear Prudence
"Dear Prudence" is a song written by John Lennon, and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released by The Beatles as the second track on their 1968 double-disc album entitled The Beatles, commonly known as The White Album.-Composition:...
". Lennon said later that "She'd been locked in for three weeks and was trying to reach God quicker than anyone else".
Farrow was dedicated to mastering the TM technique well enough so that she could become a TM teacher. According to Farrow: "I would always rush straight back to my room after lectures and meals so I could meditate. John, George and Paul would all want to sit around jamming and having a good time and I'd be flying into my room. They were all serious about what they were doing, but they just weren't as fanatical as me".
Education and career
Farrow taught TM for several decades after her TM teacher training course in India. Among those she mentored was comedian Andy KaufmanAndy Kaufman
Andrew Geoffrey "Andy" Kaufman was an American entertainer, actor and performance artist. While often referred to as a comedian, Kaufman did not consider himself one...
. She returned to India for further instruction from the Maharishi in 1986. She has taught Transcendental Meditation in NW Florida since 1970.
Farrow earned a BA, an MA, and a PhD from the University of California at Berkeley after majoring in South and Southeast Asian studies. Her doctoral dissertation was on pulse diagnosis
Pulse diagnosis
Pulse diagnosis is a technique used in traditional medicines such as in Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, or early Greek medicine.In Ayurveda, advocates claim that by taking a pulse examination, humoral imbalances such as the three Doshas - Vata, Pitta, and Kaphha - can be diagnosed.In Traditional...
, titled Nadivijnana, the Crest-Jewel of Ayurveda: A Translation of Six Central Texts and an Examination of the Sources, Influences and Development of Indian Pulse-Diagnosis. After obtaining her doctorate, she became an elementary school teacher.
Farrow has worked in the theater and film industry. Farrow worked as a production assistant on The Muppets Take Manhattan
The Muppets Take Manhattan
The Muppets Take Manhattan is the third of a series of live-action musical feature films starring Jim Henson's Muppets, and also the final film before Henson's death. This film was produced by Henson Associates and TriStar Pictures, and was filmed on location in New York City during the summer of...
in 1984, and was the art department coordinator for The Purple Rose of Cairo
The Purple Rose of Cairo
The Purple Rose of Cairo is a 1985 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. Inspired by Sherlock, Jr., Hellzapoppin, and Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author, it is the tale of a film character who leaves a fictional film of the same name and enters the real...
in 1985. She worked on The Jesuit and The Tony Clifton Story, which were never produced. She also "conceived and co-produced" the 1994 film Widows' Peak
Widows' Peak
Widows' Peak is a 1994 British-Irish film. It stars Mia Farrow, Dame Joan Plowright, Natasha Richardson, Adrian Dunbar and Jim Broadbent. It is directed by John Irvin...
, which featured her sister, Mia Farrow, in a part originally written for their mother, Maureen O'Sullivan. In 1999, she was one of four producers involved in staging Up From the Ground at the WestBeth Theatre in New York City.
Farrow became a magazine writer in the 2000s. Using her married name, Prudence Bruns, she has authored articles on Asian studies, world religions, ayurveda, and healthy living.
She has presented at conferences and held teaching positions at the University of California at Berkeley, Rutgers University and University of Wisconsin.
Personal life
In the early 1980s, Farrow was dating New York real estate heir Robert DurstRobert Durst
Robert Alan "Bobby" Durst is a son of the late New York real estate mogul Seymour Durst, and brother of commercial developer Douglas Durst.-Early life:...
at the time his wife disappeared.
Farrow (Bruns) has three children and four grandchildren.
External links
- Prudence F. Bruns Home page