Francis Lu

Francis G. Lu, MD, is the Luke & Grace Kim Professor in Cultural Psychiatry, Emeritus, at UC Davis. Since 1987 he has led 35 seminars at Esalen exploring film and the transpersonal, 28 of them with Brother David Steindl-Rast.

www.francislumd.com

Upcoming Programs by Francis Lu

Engaging with Beauty as a Pathway to Resilience Through the Mindful Viewing of Film

July 20 - 24, 2026

Through mindful viewing of eight memorable feature films, participants will engage with cinematic beauty to open their hearts for a pathway to resilience. Recent studies from neuroaesthetics have shown that experiencing beauty can activate the brain’s emotional processing centers, which are critical for resilience; research in positive psychology has identified “appreciation of beauty and excellence” […]

Discovering the Beauty of Color/Music/Dance Through the Mindful Viewing of Film

July 24 - 26, 2026

Through mindful viewing of four classic motion pictures filled with color/music/dance, participants will open their hearts to profound cinematic beauty. This seminar offers an enhanced mindfulness experience through films directed by Jacques Demy, Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, and Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger filled with cinematic beauty involving color/music/dance. These films are presented for […]