WORKSHOP TOPICS
Either workshop topic can be presented in a range of formats, from half-day, full day, or a weekend.
From Duality to Oneness: A Contemplative Journey Through the Evolution of Consciousness
Consciousness is a potentiality that expands as we seek to understand reality. Coming from a realm of oneness but born into a realm of dualities, we instinctively seek the experience of union. This quest for truth, to live a spiritual life, and to achieve a sense of wholeness in our lives, facilitates both personal and collective fulfillment, moving us toward the oneness that is intended to bring us together as one human family. Drawing from the mystic heart of the world’s spiritual traditions, and starting with the nondual understanding that one universal law governs all of creation, we will take a big-picture approach to explore the nature of consciousness, the nature of transformation, and the nature of reality.
Through contemplative meditation, reflective thinking, meaningful conversation, and guided exercises, we process how seven unifying principles are guiding a profound process of global transformation, leading us toward an awareness of the inherent interconnectedness of all things. Focusing on how the many and the One can become united in our lives, including how our multiple identities can be merged into a unified whole, we will experience a shift in consciousness from a prevailing perspective of duality to an inclusive perspective of oneness by deeply considering the most challenging issues of our time:
-
How consciousness changes and expands with experience
-
Why love is the underlying force of evolution
-
How justice maintains the inherent balance of life
-
How opposition is a catalyst to transformation
-
Why reality is a continuum that leads to wholeness
-
When evolutionary leaps of consciousness can be deciphered
-
Why building a culture of oneness is the global movement of our time
Personal Mythmaking & the Story of Our Time: Finding Your Center, Living in Oneness
In his autobiography – what he called his personal myth – Carl Jung asked himself a question he couldn’t answer: “In what myth [i.e., sacred story] do we live today?” He understood that a vital relationship existed between knowing our own personal myth and the collective myth, or sacred story, of our time. Living our lives consciously allows us to access universal motifs, archetypes, and timeless patterns that illumine not only who we are but also why we are connected to all others.
Utilizing reflective thinking, meaningful conversation, and guided exercises, we will delve into the deeper story of our lives, identifying its timeless elements, which in turn will connect us to a greater story of our time. We will first apply the tools of personal mythmaking to tell our own universal story, and then we will search for the signs, markers, and principles that are guiding the unfolding story of our time – and leading us toward wholeness. The first part will look into remembrance as a spiritual practice, preparing us to enter the sacred realm of our lives and tell the story we all have in common, of how we have overcome formidable obstacles in our lives to move closer to reaching our potential. We follow the blueprint of the mythological journey of hero/ine, filling in its archetypal details from our own life experience:
-
Departure ~ The Signal for a New Life
-
Initiation ~ Struggles to Tempt and Temper us
-
Return ~ Finding the Balance and Living Consciously
The second part builds upon and expands our personal myth, guides us further along the journey to oneness, and shows us how we bring together the deeper versions of who we are with a consciousness that embraces the wholeness beyond all dualities. Here, with the emphasis on how we maintain a consciousness of oneness, we explore the unifying principles that are guiding the story of our time, by examining the most challenging questions of our time:
-
Is love the underlying force of evolution?
-
Is unity the purpose of justice?
-
Are reason and faith ultimately in harmony?
-
Is world peace not only a promise but also inevitable?
-
Does religion evolve?
-
How do we build a culture of oneness?
SPEAKING TOPICS
The Story of Our Time: From Duality to Interconnectedness to Oneness
We live in a time of rapid change and recurring crises. Yet, there is still great hope. All around us spiritual forces and social movements are guiding a process of profound transformation, shifting us away from multiple communities with a consciousness of duality toward an awareness of the inherent connectedness of all things. In turn, a global community with a consciousness of oneness is emerging. This talk explores seven unifying principles, supported by the mystical traditions of the world’s religions that guide an evolutionary process leading us toward a collective rebirth. A whole new perspective will be gained on:
-
Humanity’s common spiritual heritage
-
Why consciousness is a purposeful inner potentiality
-
How love is the underlying force of evolution
-
What the evolutionary purpose of justice is
-
Why opposition is the catalyst for transformation
-
Why world peace is not only a promise but also inevitable
The Quest for Consciousness: How Our Inherent Urge to Understand Reality Fulfills Our Potential
A unified, holistic consciousness is a potentially we carry within us. However, born into a world of dualities, we confront opposing forces, causing us to develop multiple identities, multiple priorities, and multiple paths to pursue in our undertakings. Eventually, our lives become a conscious quest to merge all these parts into a unified whole. This inspiring and empowering talk clarifies the process of how and why consciousness changes with experience, and guides us into a deeper appreciation of:
-
What the qualities and capacities of consciousness are
-
What the purpose of the classic archetypal call to adventure is
-
How the search for truth expands our consciousness
-
Why this quest is needed for both personal and collective fulfillment
The Evolution of Altruism: Love as the Spiritual Activism of Our Time
We are made for transcending the illusion of separation; we are also hardwired to connect, cooperate, and be empathic. This has enabled an evolutionary trajectory in which circles of compassion have expanded as society became more complex. Love is the supreme force directing this progression. This hopeful talk explains how the true overriding rule of evolution is ‘reciprocal altruism.’ Though there are always exceptions to this general pattern, it is even more important to recognize altruistic love as the underlying force of evolution. This creates a deeper appreciation of:
-
How the force of attraction has altered the course of civilizations
-
How the love ethic is timeless, universal, and evolving
-
How love can still flourish in a wounded world
-
What a spiritual civilization, built upon love, might look like
The Evolution of Justice: Equitable and Just Relationships as the Cause of Unity
Justice, the embodiment of divine order on earth, is a force for maintaining the inherent balance of life. As societies evolved and became more complex, the means to build more equitable social contracts has also evolved; we now have an urgent need for a global system of justice. This insightful and enlightening talk illustrates how culture, as the medium for social growth, has been the driving force in shaping the needed systems of justice across time, and how justice is the cornerstone of an ever-advancing civilization. It offers a new perspective on:
-
Why true justice requires balancing material and spiritual resources
-
How the Golden Rule is a universal expression of justice
-
The real difference between punitive and unitive systems of justice
-
Why a system of global justice is a prerequisite to peace
The Dark Night of the Collective Soul: The Role and Purpose of Transformation in Society
Change is happening at a perilous pace. The world is being reformed and transformed before our very eyes. Each new change, each step taken, makes the entire progression seem more and more at risk. Yet, what is happening in the world today has a long-standing parallel in the ritual process and the developmental process. We are in the adolescent phase of our collective development, struggling to overcome childhood tendencies while moving toward a more mature outlook and actions. We, collectively, are experiencing a symbolic death leading to a rebirth, or a necessary muddle leading to a deeper resolution. This practical and timely talk sheds light on the processes unfolding around us at this time, and helps us recognize:
-
How opposition and adversity are catalysts to transformation
-
How we, individually and collectively, are built to overcome difficulty
-
How to identify a pattern of transformation when it is happening
-
What to expect in this time of crisis
-
How we are all the needed midwives to bring about this global rebirth
The Global Movement of Our Time: Building a Culture of Oneness
The dualities of this world have caused separation and found expression as bias, prejudice, racism and much more. Moving beyond these dualities and toward a system of justice that embraces all is the most challenging issue of our time. A movement encircling the globe, engaging the hearts of people everywhere, and renewing our hopes and dreams is emerging to establish just this – a culture of oneness. After many millennia of living in difficulty and discord, humanity is now rediscovering a deep-seated desire to live in this world as one. This inspiring talk provides a new perspective on:
-
Why we are in an Interspiritual Age of deepening interconnectedness
-
How universal principles are being put into action
-
How a global network of activists are working toward a common goal
-
What a culture of oneness really means
-
What kind of action is most needed today