It's been an exciting time for the Emergence Project as we've moved ahead with a series of regular events and teleseminars covering themes such as the Divine Feminine, Sound Healing with Zacciah Blackburn, EFT as a healing modality with Dominic Mogavero, monthly Peace Teleseminars and a host of other topics. The central theme of this work is the integration of mindful practice with the realities of the Shift. We've also been speaking on "Ten Things You Should Know About the Shift" at various events in the New England area including one for Daniel Pinchbeck's Boston Evolver Group.
On another front, we've developed a separate initiative in the health care area working with some great partners. The first partnership is with Dr. Aihan Kuhn, physician, founder of New England Tai Chi, and author of several books on Tai Chi and Qi Gong. This work involves bringing these energy arts into greater visibility within the allopathic medical community. The second is a partnership with the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center in Lancaster, MA, working with its president Lothar Pirc. This is a similar effort involving educating both traditional and alternative health care providers about the value of Ayurvedic approaches and treatments.
We've also had some interesting successes in increasing awareness for these projects. We were recently interviewed by French TV journalist Olivier Ponthus along with Daniel Pinchbeck for the Canal Plus program "The Butterfly Effect". Other media activities include an article in the December issue of Wisdom magazine by the Emergence Project, titled "Understanding the 2012 Phenomenon". Internet radio host Jeff Ferrannini wrote an article on our June conference that appeared in the Sept/Oct issue of 11:11 magazine. In addition, the editing work for a conference video was recently completed and the video is now available.
In September, we had a fundraising event with former Institute of Noetic Sciences President James O'Dea at the First Parish in Bedford Unitarian Church which greatly helped our efforts along with a generous donation from one of our major sponsors. We're planning another major conference in 2011 as well as smaller workshops and conferences throughout 2010. The Shift is taking place and awareness is rising but the need for practical and balanced information on this complex topic is greater than ever.
Annette and I are very grateful to all of those who have supported our work this year including attendees, sponsors, volunteers, and partners. Thank you for your support and Happy New Year.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Emergence Project Activities: Update
It's been an exciting time for the Emergence Project as we've moved ahead with a series of regular events and teleseminars covering themes such as the Divine Feminine, Sound Healing with Zacciah Blackburn, EFT as a healing modality with Dominic Mogavero, monthly Peace Teleseminars and a host of other topics. The central theme of this work is the integration of mindful practice with the realities of the Shift. We've also been speaking on "Ten Things You Should Know About the Shift" at various events in the New England area including one for Daniel Pinchbeck's Boston Evolver Group.
On another front, we've developed a separate initiative in the health care area working with some great partners. The first partnership is with Dr. Aihan Kuhn, physician, founder of New England Tai Chi, and author of several books on Tai Chi and Qi Gong. This work involves bringing these energy arts into greater visibility within the allopathic medical community. The second is a partnership with the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center in Lancaster, MA, working with its president Lothar Pirc. This is a similar effort involving educating both traditional and alternative health care providers about the value of Ayurvedic approaches and treatments.
We've also had some interesting successes in increasing awareness for these projects. We were recently interviewed by French TV journalist Olivier Ponthus along with Daniel Pinchbeck for the Canal Plus program "The Butterfly Effect". Other media activities include an article in the December issue of Wisdom magazine by the Emergence Project, titled "Understanding the 2012 Phenomenon". Internet radio host Jeff Ferrannini wrote an article on our June conference that appeared in the Sept/Oct issue of 11:11 magazine. In addition, the editing work for a conference video was recently completed and the video is now available.
On another front, we've developed a separate initiative in the health care area working with some great partners. The first partnership is with Dr. Aihan Kuhn, physician, founder of New England Tai Chi, and author of several books on Tai Chi and Qi Gong. This work involves bringing these energy arts into greater visibility within the allopathic medical community. The second is a partnership with the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center in Lancaster, MA, working with its president Lothar Pirc. This is a similar effort involving educating both traditional and alternative health care providers about the value of Ayurvedic approaches and treatments.
We've also had some interesting successes in increasing awareness for these projects. We were recently interviewed by French TV journalist Olivier Ponthus along with Daniel Pinchbeck for the Canal Plus program "The Butterfly Effect". Other media activities include an article in the December issue of Wisdom magazine by the Emergence Project, titled "Understanding the 2012 Phenomenon". Internet radio host Jeff Ferrannini wrote an article on our June conference that appeared in the Sept/Oct issue of 11:11 magazine. In addition, the editing work for a conference video was recently completed and the video is now available.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
The Shift: Staying Out of Fear
Here’s an excerpt from an article by the Emergence Project that was recently published in the December issue of Wisdom magazine:
The many misconceptions about 2012 and the Shift serve to create confusion and foster skepticism. One of the most common is the idea that 2012 is all about “the end of the world” or various apocalyptic scenarios. While it’s true that the choices that humanity collectively makes over the next few years will determine the extent to which these energies are tapped for positive transformation, we believe that excessively focusing on the negative can deflect attention from the important notion that this time in human destiny is a window of enormous opportunity.
One of the most important messages that we like to stress is the need to stay out of fear. Fear-based thinking is easy to slip into during this time of great social and economic turmoil, but easily becomes a millstone that weighs down the awakening process.
However the Shift is indeed surfacing darker aspects and energies that are being presented for what spiritual teachers and lightworkers call transmutation i.e. working through the dark matter of accumulated karma. Carl Jung calls this embracing or confronting the shadow self in order to heal the whole. We are doing this now on a collective scale. And it’s part of the process of the Shift. Although theses confrontations and shadows may be difficult to deal with, these “instant replays” of past events and stuck emotional energy are gifts and opportunities for spiritual growth.
The full article is entitled “Understanding the 2012 Phenomenon” and is available online at http://wisdom-magazine.com/Article.aspx/1404/
The many misconceptions about 2012 and the Shift serve to create confusion and foster skepticism. One of the most common is the idea that 2012 is all about “the end of the world” or various apocalyptic scenarios. While it’s true that the choices that humanity collectively makes over the next few years will determine the extent to which these energies are tapped for positive transformation, we believe that excessively focusing on the negative can deflect attention from the important notion that this time in human destiny is a window of enormous opportunity.
One of the most important messages that we like to stress is the need to stay out of fear. Fear-based thinking is easy to slip into during this time of great social and economic turmoil, but easily becomes a millstone that weighs down the awakening process.
However the Shift is indeed surfacing darker aspects and energies that are being presented for what spiritual teachers and lightworkers call transmutation i.e. working through the dark matter of accumulated karma. Carl Jung calls this embracing or confronting the shadow self in order to heal the whole. We are doing this now on a collective scale. And it’s part of the process of the Shift. Although theses confrontations and shadows may be difficult to deal with, these “instant replays” of past events and stuck emotional energy are gifts and opportunities for spiritual growth.
The full article is entitled “Understanding the 2012 Phenomenon” and is available online at http://wisdom-magazine.com/Article.aspx/1404/
Perspective on the Movie "2012"
This is an editorial that recently appeared in the Boston Globe on the subject of the movie “2012”:
"The disaster flick “2012’’ swamped all competitors when it opened last weekend with ticket sales of $65 million domestically and $225 million worldwide, proving once again what soothsayers, prophets, and various other con men have always known - that doomsday does boffo at the box office. The premise of director Roland Emmerich’s computer-graphic action picture is that the end of a long cycle in the Mayan calendar, on Dec. 21, 2012, will usher in volcanoes, tidal waves, and a general freak-out by Mother Nature. So many folks take seriously this sort of apocalyptic paranoia that NASA felt compelled to post assurances on its website that the world will last awhile longer. Even so, some dire trends demand attention right away: Glaciers and the Greenland ice cap are melting, the permafrost in Siberia is thawing, and rainforests are vanishing from the map. Yet the leaders of nations go on dawdling about climate change. Perhaps they should spend more time at the multiplex. They are not paranoid enough about the fragility of life on earth.”
Here’s a letter that we sent to the Boston Globe in response:
To the Editor:
Your recent editorial (11/20) is rightly critical of the 2012 movie which purports to represent the notion of what the 2012 phenomenon is all about. We agree with your assessment that an apocalyptic view is not a useful or accurate framing. However, we feel it’s important to distinguish between a Hollywood oversimplification of complex material and the deeper research and explorations that underlie the popular idea. Mayan historical information represents an interpretative challenge that needs to be approached with balanced thinking and an open mind.
The 2012 phenomenon, which our nonprofit is working to provide greater clarity and balance about, is now getting increased mainstream attention including a recent television program from National Geographic and an article in Archaeology magazine, published by the Archaeological Institute of America. But because 2012 research is complex and highly nuanced, it will invariably lend itself to misinterpretations, the most common of which is the notion that the 2012 end-date is about the end of the world or an apocalyptic reckoning of some sort. There are, of course, some interpreters who offer this view but many others -- including contemporary Mayan elders, well-regarded scholars like John Major Jenkins, and our own organization the Emergence Project -- view this time as a major window of opportunity for an extraordinary and positive transformation in human culture.
"The disaster flick “2012’’ swamped all competitors when it opened last weekend with ticket sales of $65 million domestically and $225 million worldwide, proving once again what soothsayers, prophets, and various other con men have always known - that doomsday does boffo at the box office. The premise of director Roland Emmerich’s computer-graphic action picture is that the end of a long cycle in the Mayan calendar, on Dec. 21, 2012, will usher in volcanoes, tidal waves, and a general freak-out by Mother Nature. So many folks take seriously this sort of apocalyptic paranoia that NASA felt compelled to post assurances on its website that the world will last awhile longer. Even so, some dire trends demand attention right away: Glaciers and the Greenland ice cap are melting, the permafrost in Siberia is thawing, and rainforests are vanishing from the map. Yet the leaders of nations go on dawdling about climate change. Perhaps they should spend more time at the multiplex. They are not paranoid enough about the fragility of life on earth.”
Here’s a letter that we sent to the Boston Globe in response:
To the Editor:
Your recent editorial (11/20) is rightly critical of the 2012 movie which purports to represent the notion of what the 2012 phenomenon is all about. We agree with your assessment that an apocalyptic view is not a useful or accurate framing. However, we feel it’s important to distinguish between a Hollywood oversimplification of complex material and the deeper research and explorations that underlie the popular idea. Mayan historical information represents an interpretative challenge that needs to be approached with balanced thinking and an open mind.
The 2012 phenomenon, which our nonprofit is working to provide greater clarity and balance about, is now getting increased mainstream attention including a recent television program from National Geographic and an article in Archaeology magazine, published by the Archaeological Institute of America. But because 2012 research is complex and highly nuanced, it will invariably lend itself to misinterpretations, the most common of which is the notion that the 2012 end-date is about the end of the world or an apocalyptic reckoning of some sort. There are, of course, some interpreters who offer this view but many others -- including contemporary Mayan elders, well-regarded scholars like John Major Jenkins, and our own organization the Emergence Project -- view this time as a major window of opportunity for an extraordinary and positive transformation in human culture.
Friday, November 13, 2009
2012: Does The Date Matter?
Much has been made of the exact date at which the Shift will have reached its greatest point of intensity or will have completed, depending on the interpretation. But placing too much emphasis on the date itself can be a distraction. The Shift is already taking place and the parameters of the cycle -- when it started and when it will end in the scheme of things -- needs to be placed into perspective.
What’s most important is aligning with the new energies in ways that each of us feels is right for ourselves in the here and now. There’s no formula, no magic calculator . Worrying about this or that date in some ways almost amounts to a kind of New Age theology (which is as good an oxymoron as any....remember medieval theologians debating about how many angels could fit on the head of a pin?)
None of this is to take away from the work of many very worthy interpreters of the Mayan information such as John Major Jenkins and Carl Johan Calleman. This deep and mindful scholarship is a necesssary part of the process of trying to understand and explicate interpretations of this sacred wisdom and the living mystery of 2012. But Annette and I have noticed that for many who are newly familiar to the background behind the Shift or are skeptical about it in general, the notion of a specific end date is often a kind of stumbling block to further exploration. Focusing too much on the date and "Shift as event" can also be a distraction from mindful preparation for a deep transformation that's already well underway.
What’s most important is aligning with the new energies in ways that each of us feels is right for ourselves in the here and now. There’s no formula, no magic calculator . Worrying about this or that date in some ways almost amounts to a kind of New Age theology (which is as good an oxymoron as any....remember medieval theologians debating about how many angels could fit on the head of a pin?)
None of this is to take away from the work of many very worthy interpreters of the Mayan information such as John Major Jenkins and Carl Johan Calleman. This deep and mindful scholarship is a necesssary part of the process of trying to understand and explicate interpretations of this sacred wisdom and the living mystery of 2012. But Annette and I have noticed that for many who are newly familiar to the background behind the Shift or are skeptical about it in general, the notion of a specific end date is often a kind of stumbling block to further exploration. Focusing too much on the date and "Shift as event" can also be a distraction from mindful preparation for a deep transformation that's already well underway.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
2012, the Movie: Exploring Alternative Perspectives
Daniel Pinchbeck was one of the keynote speakers at our June 6th conference in Boston. He’s a keen observer about the social and cultural nuances of the Shift and the expressive meme dance that gets played out in the mediasphere as the process of emergence continues. Daniel founded an organization called Evolver which is working on a number of fronts for positive social change in the larger context of the Shift.
There are Evolver groups in many major US cities including Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Boston. But it’s a worldwide reach with groups in Athens, Stockholm, Vancouver and other cities internationally. I’ve attended a number of Evolver Boston meetings ably guided by Joe Moore. Monthly topics are synced up nationally. To date the discussions have been intriguing and wide ranging and have included health care, permaculture, innovative approaches to currency and finance, relocalization, sustainable agriculture, and others.
On November 21 in Boston, The Emergence Project will be partnering with both the Disinformation Company and Evolver to host an event in Boston on 2012 and the Shift. The timing and theme is keyed to the release of Sony Pictures movie “2012”. As Daniel explains it:
“Considering that nobody knows what’s going to happen in 2012, the end of the Mayan Calendar functions as a tremendously intriguing meme upon which we can project our hopes and fears, dreams and desires. Hollywood has now offered up a massive collective shadow projection in the form of a $250 million disaster epic that takes the aesthetics of annihilation to a new pitch of perfection. Paradoxically, this doom-riddled blockbuster could create a great opening to offer an alternative vision of what 2012 could be for our planet. Potentially, 2012 could represent the coming-to-consciousness of the human species, in which we take responsibility for our role as agents of conscious evolution. “
Annette Farrington, our Executive Director, and I will be speaking at this event on "Ten Things You Should Know about 2012”. We hope to see you there.
There are Evolver groups in many major US cities including Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Boston. But it’s a worldwide reach with groups in Athens, Stockholm, Vancouver and other cities internationally. I’ve attended a number of Evolver Boston meetings ably guided by Joe Moore. Monthly topics are synced up nationally. To date the discussions have been intriguing and wide ranging and have included health care, permaculture, innovative approaches to currency and finance, relocalization, sustainable agriculture, and others.
On November 21 in Boston, The Emergence Project will be partnering with both the Disinformation Company and Evolver to host an event in Boston on 2012 and the Shift. The timing and theme is keyed to the release of Sony Pictures movie “2012”. As Daniel explains it:
“Considering that nobody knows what’s going to happen in 2012, the end of the Mayan Calendar functions as a tremendously intriguing meme upon which we can project our hopes and fears, dreams and desires. Hollywood has now offered up a massive collective shadow projection in the form of a $250 million disaster epic that takes the aesthetics of annihilation to a new pitch of perfection. Paradoxically, this doom-riddled blockbuster could create a great opening to offer an alternative vision of what 2012 could be for our planet. Potentially, 2012 could represent the coming-to-consciousness of the human species, in which we take responsibility for our role as agents of conscious evolution. “
Annette Farrington, our Executive Director, and I will be speaking at this event on "Ten Things You Should Know about 2012”. We hope to see you there.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
"Evolutionary Triggers" for a New Consciousness
One of the most amazing books I’ve read on the subject of human spiritual evolution is “Unknown Man: Birth of a New Species” by Yatri. It’s an improbable book that I bought back in the early 90’s offered by mainstream publisher Simon and Shuster. The book has almost a coffee table presentation feel and format to it and is full of razor-sharp insights. I’ve held onto it for years though a number of house moves and other zigs and zags.
According to Amazon, the book is still available although if you want a new copy you’ll have to pony up $83.00. I pulled out my well-preserved copy the other day and I’ve been dipping into it here and there for the last few days. One particularly interesting passage caught my eye under the heading “Waking up the Evolutionary Sleepers.” The context is an “evolutionary trigger which could cause an quantum leap in consciousness.”
Yatri points out a number of possibilities and says “The most likely triggering mechanism for the species as a whole seem to be “an environmental or cultural crisis on a truly apocalyptic scale; a powerful shock to man’s view of himself and the universe in which he lives; or critical mass or sheer numbers of evolutionary pioneers who have already entered the natural state. This whole endeavor creates a vibrational resonating field or Buddha field which can trigger a chain reaction in the whole population.”
In general, this idea of resonance pops up in many different contexts. Transcendental Meditation is one of them. The TM community talked years ago about trying to achieve the goal of having some small but effective percentage of meditators established in a targeted city effect a change in the crime rate. Given the Maharishi’s scientific bent, there were fairly precise numbers available. In other contexts, group meditations create resonance within the group and the effects benefit others as well. Many commentators on the Shift point to the process of how a wave of harmonization could help trigger a larger state change such as what Yatri is describing.
Equally intriguing is the notion of a “a powerful shock to man’s view of himself and the universe in which he lives.” What might such a shock consist of? Back in the day Galileo’s discovery would qualify. But now, what might that be? Discovery and confirmation of alien intelliegences and civilization? Verification of the crop circle phenomenon as certifiably unexplainable? With respect to crop circles, perhaps, but as along as there’s room for interpretation, there seems to be little chance of a “shock” occurring. Or some sort of mind-bending scientific discovery? To speculate on what such a shock might be is in itself a worthy thought experiment. Stay tuned.
According to Amazon, the book is still available although if you want a new copy you’ll have to pony up $83.00. I pulled out my well-preserved copy the other day and I’ve been dipping into it here and there for the last few days. One particularly interesting passage caught my eye under the heading “Waking up the Evolutionary Sleepers.” The context is an “evolutionary trigger which could cause an quantum leap in consciousness.”
Yatri points out a number of possibilities and says “The most likely triggering mechanism for the species as a whole seem to be “an environmental or cultural crisis on a truly apocalyptic scale; a powerful shock to man’s view of himself and the universe in which he lives; or critical mass or sheer numbers of evolutionary pioneers who have already entered the natural state. This whole endeavor creates a vibrational resonating field or Buddha field which can trigger a chain reaction in the whole population.”
In general, this idea of resonance pops up in many different contexts. Transcendental Meditation is one of them. The TM community talked years ago about trying to achieve the goal of having some small but effective percentage of meditators established in a targeted city effect a change in the crime rate. Given the Maharishi’s scientific bent, there were fairly precise numbers available. In other contexts, group meditations create resonance within the group and the effects benefit others as well. Many commentators on the Shift point to the process of how a wave of harmonization could help trigger a larger state change such as what Yatri is describing.
Equally intriguing is the notion of a “a powerful shock to man’s view of himself and the universe in which he lives.” What might such a shock consist of? Back in the day Galileo’s discovery would qualify. But now, what might that be? Discovery and confirmation of alien intelliegences and civilization? Verification of the crop circle phenomenon as certifiably unexplainable? With respect to crop circles, perhaps, but as along as there’s room for interpretation, there seems to be little chance of a “shock” occurring. Or some sort of mind-bending scientific discovery? To speculate on what such a shock might be is in itself a worthy thought experiment. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
The Emergence Project's Future Direction
Here are Annette’s prepared remarks from the James O’Dea event:
"Tom and I met back in 2008 and forged a common goal to bring attention to and awareness of the consciousness shift that has been and is taking place in this pivotal time in human history. As an organization we seek to hold a mindful space and be a platform for the new understanding of what the shifting reality is and how it is unfolding within our awareness. As an organization we offer conferences , workshops, talks, and events on the shift and practical tools we can use to gain a deeper understanding of what is happening in our world thereby helping us to gracefully get through these rapidly changing times. It is our intent to creatively use our collective energies to bring about the highest possible outcome for ourselves and those who are open and ready for this awareness.
Some of our past events and initiatives this year include: a conference on the shift and 2012 in June at the Marriott Courtyard Boston which was very well attended and received.We have been hosting events and workshops such as the Sound Healing and Consciousness teleconference with the Center of Light's Zacciah Blackburn, a Shambhala Light Intensive with Ravindra Walsh, and a Reclaiming the Divine Feminine workshop. Tom and I have also been traveling around New England with a short presentation on “10 things You Should Know about the Shift” Our future events include guided peace meditations, holistic health workshops, and other events intended to foster mindful preparation for the shift. Long term we are looking to find a physical space to hold these events so we can continue our work of empowering and building community locally and nationally. We believe that radical responsibility and creativity are essential for sustainable, constructive and profound change."
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Notes on Our First Fundraising Event
First Parish in Bedford is a Unitarian Universalist church that looks as quintessentially new England as you can get. This was the site of the Emergence Project’s first benefit event involving a storytelling event with global visionary leader James O’Dea. When Annette and I first pulled up to the church and noticed a quote posted outside the church from Leslie Marmon Silko that said “You haven’t got anything if you haven’t got the stories”, it seemed to be a nicely served up validation that we were at the right place in the right time.
That evening James took attendees through an evening of myth-weaving and soul journeying following the theme of the “collective story of our time”. His approach was to keep expanding the narrative frame of reference in both space and time and then to find one’s own place in the meta-framework that evolved, in essence, to reconnect archetypal identity as a culture with that of the individual in the larger context of upheaval and evolution now underway.
The high point of the evening was James taking the group through an amazing process of engagement by exploring one of the deep mythologies of the Kalahari, an indigenous tribe from South Africa, whose territory includes, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The Kalahari were also featured in the movie “The Gods Must Be Crazy”. The process was one of participatory mythic recreation involving the story of a prescient mantis who mission was to warn other living intelligences of the coming of the “all devourer”. All in all, a great night of experential storytelling. We also had a silent auction including a copy of Mysteries of 2012 which James contributed to; my own book Digital Mythologies; and two of Annette’s excellent paintings.
Some old friends and supporters showed up for the event including Kathleen Byrnes, who was an very instrumental in making our June conference a success, a student of Mayan wisdomkeeper Barbara Hand Clow. There were some interesting new faces as well. Jeff Ferrannini, producer and host for Planetary Spirit radio also showed up. After the event, a number of folks hung out during the rest of the evening to discuss anything and everything and have a few glasses of wine. All in all, a great night.
That evening James took attendees through an evening of myth-weaving and soul journeying following the theme of the “collective story of our time”. His approach was to keep expanding the narrative frame of reference in both space and time and then to find one’s own place in the meta-framework that evolved, in essence, to reconnect archetypal identity as a culture with that of the individual in the larger context of upheaval and evolution now underway.
The high point of the evening was James taking the group through an amazing process of engagement by exploring one of the deep mythologies of the Kalahari, an indigenous tribe from South Africa, whose territory includes, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The Kalahari were also featured in the movie “The Gods Must Be Crazy”. The process was one of participatory mythic recreation involving the story of a prescient mantis who mission was to warn other living intelligences of the coming of the “all devourer”. All in all, a great night of experential storytelling. We also had a silent auction including a copy of Mysteries of 2012 which James contributed to; my own book Digital Mythologies; and two of Annette’s excellent paintings.
Some old friends and supporters showed up for the event including Kathleen Byrnes, who was an very instrumental in making our June conference a success, a student of Mayan wisdomkeeper Barbara Hand Clow. There were some interesting new faces as well. Jeff Ferrannini, producer and host for Planetary Spirit radio also showed up. After the event, a number of folks hung out during the rest of the evening to discuss anything and everything and have a few glasses of wine. All in all, a great night.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Thanks to Our Sponsors and Friends
Riding a tailwind of indeterminate origin, The Emergence Project conceived, planned, developed, promoted, and orchestrated the Boston event “Understanding the 2012 Phenomenon” in record time (about 6 months). Annette and I only managed to do this because of the stellar efforts of a large number of supporters including sponsors, volunteers, and partners. We are extremely grateful to all those who helped make the conference possible through their invaluable assistance
As we step into the next phase, we’ve been fortunate to recently receive several gifts which have really helped to boost our efforts. James O’Dea, one of our conference speakers, has offered to do a fund raising event for us on Sept 17 and we’re extremely jazzed about it. The event is Living in the Fire of Change: An Evening with James O’Dea and the venue is First Parish in Bedford, Unitarian Universalist church from 7-9 pm. Many thanks to both James and John Gibbons, senior minister at the church, for making this event possible.
Here’s the description from our flyer. If you happen to live in the Boston area, we’d love to have you attend:
Please join us for an exciting and magical evening of myth-weaving and storytelling with global visionary leader James O’Dea. Following the theme of the “collective story of our time” in an age of changing consciousness, James will explore the frontiers of our contemporary awareness using the power of myth and techniques well known to indigenous wisdom keepers. In this experiential journey, James will weave together the elements from contemporary science, psychology and spirituality that can reconnect us with our archetypal identity as a culture and as individuals in a unique time in history. He will explore how this journey can lead us to the paths and possibilities of a new visionary activism to reenchant the world and renew our culture. Don’t miss this extraordinary event which includes a reception and silent auction.
James O’Dea is a Fellow of the Institute of Noetic Sciences and was until recently its President. The Institute of Noetic Sciences is a non-profit membership organization founded in 1973 by astronaut Edgar Mitchell which explores the frontiers of consciousness and global paradigm change. He is also currently working with a group of 40 evolutionary leaders convened by Deepak Chopra to unify efforts in support of evolutionary changes in political, economic, ecological and health and healing arenas. He spent ten years as the Director of the Washington Office of Amnesty International, where he testified before Congress, met with two U.S. presidents and numerous foreign heads of state and government leaders, and represented Amnesty International to the State Department, the White House, and the World Conference on Human Rights.
More info on our web site http://www.theemergenceproject.net/ where you can see other upcoming events as well.
As we step into the next phase, we’ve been fortunate to recently receive several gifts which have really helped to boost our efforts. James O’Dea, one of our conference speakers, has offered to do a fund raising event for us on Sept 17 and we’re extremely jazzed about it. The event is Living in the Fire of Change: An Evening with James O’Dea and the venue is First Parish in Bedford, Unitarian Universalist church from 7-9 pm. Many thanks to both James and John Gibbons, senior minister at the church, for making this event possible.
Here’s the description from our flyer. If you happen to live in the Boston area, we’d love to have you attend:
Please join us for an exciting and magical evening of myth-weaving and storytelling with global visionary leader James O’Dea. Following the theme of the “collective story of our time” in an age of changing consciousness, James will explore the frontiers of our contemporary awareness using the power of myth and techniques well known to indigenous wisdom keepers. In this experiential journey, James will weave together the elements from contemporary science, psychology and spirituality that can reconnect us with our archetypal identity as a culture and as individuals in a unique time in history. He will explore how this journey can lead us to the paths and possibilities of a new visionary activism to reenchant the world and renew our culture. Don’t miss this extraordinary event which includes a reception and silent auction.
James O’Dea is a Fellow of the Institute of Noetic Sciences and was until recently its President. The Institute of Noetic Sciences is a non-profit membership organization founded in 1973 by astronaut Edgar Mitchell which explores the frontiers of consciousness and global paradigm change. He is also currently working with a group of 40 evolutionary leaders convened by Deepak Chopra to unify efforts in support of evolutionary changes in political, economic, ecological and health and healing arenas. He spent ten years as the Director of the Washington Office of Amnesty International, where he testified before Congress, met with two U.S. presidents and numerous foreign heads of state and government leaders, and represented Amnesty International to the State Department, the White House, and the World Conference on Human Rights.
More info on our web site http://www.theemergenceproject.net/ where you can see other upcoming events as well.
Friday, September 4, 2009
The Internet and the Evolution of Mind
Here's more from my book Digital Mythologies. I know this is tough sledding so apologies in advance:
"Merely by reflecting the chaos of postmodern reality the mediasphere resequences expectations and keeps us off balance by moving the goalposts and changing the rules of the game. Media theorist Avital Ronell refers to this process as "scrambling the master codes."
I interpret this phrase to mean a kind of resequencing of information that forces us to recontextalize old theories and assumptions about the nature of reality. These media feedback loops shape consensus reality and define the borders of alternative realities. In the last analysis they also play a strong but underappreciated role in the evolution of mind…
French philosopher Michael Foucault may be right that human nature is as malleable as clay and that we build our own ontologies in the progression of culture through history. If he is, then the mediasphere presents a massive inventory of human experience upon which the process of selection and aggregation is based. The media and the Net may then act in the fashion of a linear particle accelerator, propelling us ever faster through a range of choices that will eventually cluster around a new definition of what is human -- in short, a quantum leap in the evolution of mind. "
"Merely by reflecting the chaos of postmodern reality the mediasphere resequences expectations and keeps us off balance by moving the goalposts and changing the rules of the game. Media theorist Avital Ronell refers to this process as "scrambling the master codes."
I interpret this phrase to mean a kind of resequencing of information that forces us to recontextalize old theories and assumptions about the nature of reality. These media feedback loops shape consensus reality and define the borders of alternative realities. In the last analysis they also play a strong but underappreciated role in the evolution of mind…
French philosopher Michael Foucault may be right that human nature is as malleable as clay and that we build our own ontologies in the progression of culture through history. If he is, then the mediasphere presents a massive inventory of human experience upon which the process of selection and aggregation is based. The media and the Net may then act in the fashion of a linear particle accelerator, propelling us ever faster through a range of choices that will eventually cluster around a new definition of what is human -- in short, a quantum leap in the evolution of mind. "
Monday, August 24, 2009
2012: A Positive Message?
We haven’t done anything close to a “scientific” poll (not that I think polls these days are really scientific) but it’s pretty surprising how many people associate 2012 with doomsday scenarios. I’m starting to feel like a skipping CD telling folks that our message along with many other explicators of the Shift is largely a positive one of personal empowerment and co-creation in this unique time in history.
That said, shepherding our own internal resources and state of mind in a positive and mindful direction is one thing. Trying to assess the overall direction of where things are headed as one surreal news item after another jumps across our computer and/or TV screens is another and is a huge challenge to deconstruct, at least from my perspective as a former research analyst. Perhaps that’s why there are so few books available these days attempting to sum up our wandering and attention deficit laden zeitgeist from either a sociological or anthropological perspective. It’s a work in progress -- a moving target -- so who can capture it?
In this context, there seems to be a ying/yang effect going on where things – i.e. all the tangibles and intangibles that make up quality of life -- are simultaneously getting better and worse reminiscent of the classic phrase “the best of times and the worst of times”. Brought down to the personal level, the glass is either half empty or half full of course depending on how someone chooses to add things up: a net positive or net negative.
This theme surfaced at one of the Emergence Project’s recent events in Cambridge during a discussion after the showing of the film 2012 Science or Superstition? In that discussion we looked at some of the positive things that are happening globally right now that resonate with Annette’s wonderful phrase “radical creativity”. But for present purposes I came across a great example recently that I wanted to share with you: nothing less than the reinventing of the state of California.
The New Yorker’s Hendrik Hertzberg wrote about this recently (link below). In the article he says that that state’s political process has become so hopelessly gridlocked that there is a movement afoot to scrap the whole state constitution and, in essence, start over. So California may be at that unique tipping point at which things get so bad that radical creativity is indeed brought to bear and totally new paradigms start to be considered.
Here’s Hertzberg: “California, it turns out, is ungovernable. Its public schools, once the nation’s best, are now among the worst. Its transportation and water systems are deteriorating. Its prisons are so overcrowded that it has to turn tens of thousands of felons loose. And its legislature has spent most of the year in a farcical effort to pass the annual budget, leaving little or no time for other matters, such as—well, schools, transportation, water, and prisons.” Not so good right? But he goes on to say that “Something remarkable is beginning to happen”.
Apparently this all began with an op-ed piece by Jim Wunderman in the San Francisco Chronicle asking (because of the aforementioned mess) “…are we not obligated to nullify our government and institute a new one?” Wunderman called for a “citizens’ constitutional convention” to do just that. This movement is now called Repair California. Herztberg concludes by saying “If California has the courage and imagination to become a true laboratory of democracy, the experiment will be something to see.” Indeed. And this is a great example of what a unique time we’re all living in and what positive developments can arise, Phoenix-like, out of the ashes.
Here's the link to this article:
http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2009/08/24/090824taco_talk_hertzberg
We haven’t done anything close to a “scientific” poll (not that I think polls these days are really scientific) but it’s pretty surprising how many people associate 2012 with doomsday scenarios. I’m starting to feel like a skipping CD telling folks that our message along with many other explicators of the Shift is largely a positive one of personal empowerment and co-creation in this unique time in history.
That said, shepherding our own internal resources and state of mind in a positive and mindful direction is one thing. Trying to assess the overall direction of where things are headed as one surreal news item after another jumps across our computer and/or TV screens is another and is a huge challenge to deconstruct, at least from my perspective as a former research analyst. Perhaps that’s why there are so few books available these days attempting to sum up our wandering and attention deficit laden zeitgeist from either a sociological or anthropological perspective. It’s a work in progress -- a moving target -- so who can capture it?
In this context, there seems to be a ying/yang effect going on where things – i.e. all the tangibles and intangibles that make up quality of life -- are simultaneously getting better and worse reminiscent of the classic phrase “the best of times and the worst of times”. Brought down to the personal level, the glass is either half empty or half full of course depending on how someone chooses to add things up: a net positive or net negative.
This theme surfaced at one of the Emergence Project’s recent events in Cambridge during a discussion after the showing of the film 2012 Science or Superstition? In that discussion we looked at some of the positive things that are happening globally right now that resonate with Annette’s wonderful phrase “radical creativity”. But for present purposes I came across a great example recently that I wanted to share with you: nothing less than the reinventing of the state of California.
The New Yorker’s Hendrik Hertzberg wrote about this recently (link below). In the article he says that that state’s political process has become so hopelessly gridlocked that there is a movement afoot to scrap the whole state constitution and, in essence, start over. So California may be at that unique tipping point at which things get so bad that radical creativity is indeed brought to bear and totally new paradigms start to be considered.
Here’s Hertzberg: “California, it turns out, is ungovernable. Its public schools, once the nation’s best, are now among the worst. Its transportation and water systems are deteriorating. Its prisons are so overcrowded that it has to turn tens of thousands of felons loose. And its legislature has spent most of the year in a farcical effort to pass the annual budget, leaving little or no time for other matters, such as—well, schools, transportation, water, and prisons.” Not so good right? But he goes on to say that “Something remarkable is beginning to happen”.
Apparently this all began with an op-ed piece by Jim Wunderman in the San Francisco Chronicle asking (because of the aforementioned mess) “…are we not obligated to nullify our government and institute a new one?” Wunderman called for a “citizens’ constitutional convention” to do just that. This movement is now called Repair California. Herztberg concludes by saying “If California has the courage and imagination to become a true laboratory of democracy, the experiment will be something to see.” Indeed. And this is a great example of what a unique time we’re all living in and what positive developments can arise, Phoenix-like, out of the ashes.
Here's the link to this article:
http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2009/08/24/090824taco_talk_hertzberg
Monday, August 17, 2009
The Web and the Evolution of Mind
I’ll be starting another blog that discusses themes from my book Digital Mythologies. Some of these explore the role of the Web in the evolution of mind. Here’s a passage from the book that I wanted to share here:
In the best case scenario, the Internet could foster a deeper understanding of cross-cultural values which has so far been an elusive goal. With this might come a more nuanced understanding of the more arbitrary qualities of the human condition. In addition, it might reinforce the notion that we create our own individual realities (while society mass produces them) and the notion that separate realities of equal value ands validity can and do coexist. The Net may have at least the potential to become vehicle for reconciling the postmodern Pandora’s box of jarringly subjective truths in so far as they can be reconciled. Or, alternatively, perhaps such an option is a pleasant chimera that lead us towards an impossible to manage cultural entropy.
In the best case scenario, the Internet could foster a deeper understanding of cross-cultural values which has so far been an elusive goal. With this might come a more nuanced understanding of the more arbitrary qualities of the human condition. In addition, it might reinforce the notion that we create our own individual realities (while society mass produces them) and the notion that separate realities of equal value ands validity can and do coexist. The Net may have at least the potential to become vehicle for reconciling the postmodern Pandora’s box of jarringly subjective truths in so far as they can be reconciled. Or, alternatively, perhaps such an option is a pleasant chimera that lead us towards an impossible to manage cultural entropy.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Demystifying The Shift
The Emergence Project has a number of events planned over the next few months. One of our hopes is to try to demystify 2012 and the Shift and correct some of the many misinterpretations that seem to be out there (although we fully expect that when the mainstream media gets its hooks into this topic, further distortions will inevitably creep in.)
In some of these talks, we’ve been speaking a bit about the concept of world ages, a good starting point for understanding the 2012 phenomenon. World ages and the Zeitgeist are the province of cultural historians and anthropologists who work to discern and preserve human perspective and the complicated advance of cultural change.
In what in my opinion is a stellar work,Transformations of Man, one of our greatest cultural historians Lewis Mumford mapped and correlated the world ages. He also evoked the notion of the Hindu Yugas in reference to some of the strikingly surreal anomalies of the current age and wrote eloquently about the evolution of human thought and consciousness in the progression of world ages.
Getting more comfortable with the Shift and 2012's own complexities does require another leap in thinking beyond the academically sanctioned notion of a world age (if not a leap of faith) since the notion of prophecy and a priori knowledge of the unfolding of the shape of human affairs is introduced. World ages “work” for many people since they are viewed (and developed) in the rear review mirror of historical analysis.
But world ages as recurring cyclical phenomena with spans of time exponentially greater than several centuries are a different animal since to accept this notion tends to bolster the critique of Western knowledge as the pinnacle of human thought and its presumed scientifically sanctioned linear progression towards accuracy and suggests the suppression of indigenous wisdom has been counterproductive to the quest for authentic values, possibly even a wrong turn in history.
In some of these talks, we’ve been speaking a bit about the concept of world ages, a good starting point for understanding the 2012 phenomenon. World ages and the Zeitgeist are the province of cultural historians and anthropologists who work to discern and preserve human perspective and the complicated advance of cultural change.
In what in my opinion is a stellar work,Transformations of Man, one of our greatest cultural historians Lewis Mumford mapped and correlated the world ages. He also evoked the notion of the Hindu Yugas in reference to some of the strikingly surreal anomalies of the current age and wrote eloquently about the evolution of human thought and consciousness in the progression of world ages.
Getting more comfortable with the Shift and 2012's own complexities does require another leap in thinking beyond the academically sanctioned notion of a world age (if not a leap of faith) since the notion of prophecy and a priori knowledge of the unfolding of the shape of human affairs is introduced. World ages “work” for many people since they are viewed (and developed) in the rear review mirror of historical analysis.
But world ages as recurring cyclical phenomena with spans of time exponentially greater than several centuries are a different animal since to accept this notion tends to bolster the critique of Western knowledge as the pinnacle of human thought and its presumed scientifically sanctioned linear progression towards accuracy and suggests the suppression of indigenous wisdom has been counterproductive to the quest for authentic values, possibly even a wrong turn in history.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Hollywood's Take on 2012
Disaster movies are a hallowed and longstanding Hollywood tradition. No surprise then that the 2012-related movies that have been released to date are heavily disaster-oriented. In this sense, 2012 apocalyptic thinking and Hollywood have the perfect symbiosis.
The first 2012-themed movie from a major studio I watched was "The Day the Earth Stood Still”, at the recommendation of James O’Dea, one the speakers at our recent conference “Understanding the 2012 Phenomenon”. The movie was a remake of the 1958 original. There was the mandatory disaster theming, of course, for our apocalyptic viewing pleasure but in terms of what I’ll call “enlightened content” at least the movie wasn’t objectionable and had its fair share of thought-provoking moments.
More recently, “Knowing” with Nichloas Cage, was recommended to me by Alan Dougall, my Tai Chi teacher and an avid moviegoer. It’s rife with 2012 themes and in my opinion very well crafted from the standpoint of reasonably structured narrative drama (not always the case these days as the notion of plot becomes more and more malleable.) The story line revolves around a professor of astrophysics at MIT who journeys into the (for him) strange new territory of prophecy and prediction i.e. the realm of purely intuitive knowledge. The disaster vehicle in this case is a massive solar flare that wreaks considerable earthly havoc. (Curiously, despite the role of intervening aliens, the film is being widely discussed on a number of Christian web sites.)
One important and worthy documentary that’s been done on the Shift is “2012: Science or Superstition”, a carefully crafted and well-balanced inquiry that features interviews with Daniel Pinchbeck, John Major Jenkins, and other well-regarded 2012 explicators. Annette has been in touch with one of the co-producers Ralph Bernardo and because we both think highly of the work, on Thursday August 20, The Emergence Project will host a screening of "2012 Science or Superstition" at the Lily Pad in Cambridge, MA. We hope you can attend. (http://www.theemergenceproject.net/events.htm#20090820)
The first 2012-themed movie from a major studio I watched was "The Day the Earth Stood Still”, at the recommendation of James O’Dea, one the speakers at our recent conference “Understanding the 2012 Phenomenon”. The movie was a remake of the 1958 original. There was the mandatory disaster theming, of course, for our apocalyptic viewing pleasure but in terms of what I’ll call “enlightened content” at least the movie wasn’t objectionable and had its fair share of thought-provoking moments.
More recently, “Knowing” with Nichloas Cage, was recommended to me by Alan Dougall, my Tai Chi teacher and an avid moviegoer. It’s rife with 2012 themes and in my opinion very well crafted from the standpoint of reasonably structured narrative drama (not always the case these days as the notion of plot becomes more and more malleable.) The story line revolves around a professor of astrophysics at MIT who journeys into the (for him) strange new territory of prophecy and prediction i.e. the realm of purely intuitive knowledge. The disaster vehicle in this case is a massive solar flare that wreaks considerable earthly havoc. (Curiously, despite the role of intervening aliens, the film is being widely discussed on a number of Christian web sites.)
One important and worthy documentary that’s been done on the Shift is “2012: Science or Superstition”, a carefully crafted and well-balanced inquiry that features interviews with Daniel Pinchbeck, John Major Jenkins, and other well-regarded 2012 explicators. Annette has been in touch with one of the co-producers Ralph Bernardo and because we both think highly of the work, on Thursday August 20, The Emergence Project will host a screening of "2012 Science or Superstition" at the Lily Pad in Cambridge, MA. We hope you can attend. (http://www.theemergenceproject.net/events.htm#20090820)
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Re-enchantment and the Kali Yuga
Morris Berman and William Irwin Thompson are both cultural historians of amazing but also somewhat forgotten import. Much of my own background in exploring 2012 themes comes from reading both over the years, especially Thompson’s work (and, by the way, his books are not easy to find these days…which tells us...what?)
Berman wrote several groundbreaking works including the “Re-enchantment of the World” and “Coming to Our Senses” (and thanks to Howard Rheingold for pointing me towards his work). "Coming to Our Senses" is, among other things, a brilliant deconstruction of the suppression of the Divine Feminine over the course of history.
Re-enchanting the world and moving “back to the future” are both phrases that resonate for me with respect to the 2012 themes that Annette Farrington and I are exploring in our work at The Emergence Project. Life in the downwards spiral of the Kali Yuga, the last in a succession of Hindu world ages, has become decidedly grim although there are beautiful creative flashes to be found everywhere in the green shoots of the new paradigm poking through.
So at least part of the work ahead is indeed to find ways to re-enchant and restore vibrancy and creativity to our cultural life as well as a sense of magic and mystery to our appreciation of the universe vs the grey overlay of technocratic reductionalism that we’ve come to experience (and unfortunately in many cases accept) as the status quo. The current predicament reminds me of this poem from Whitman:
When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer
When I heard the learn'd astronomer,
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me,
When I was shown the charts, the diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them,
When I sitting heard the learned astronomer where he lectured with much applause in the lecture room,
How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick,
Till rising and gliding out I wander'd off by myself,
In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,
Look'd up in perfect silence at the stars.
-- Walt Whitman
Berman wrote several groundbreaking works including the “Re-enchantment of the World” and “Coming to Our Senses” (and thanks to Howard Rheingold for pointing me towards his work). "Coming to Our Senses" is, among other things, a brilliant deconstruction of the suppression of the Divine Feminine over the course of history.
Re-enchanting the world and moving “back to the future” are both phrases that resonate for me with respect to the 2012 themes that Annette Farrington and I are exploring in our work at The Emergence Project. Life in the downwards spiral of the Kali Yuga, the last in a succession of Hindu world ages, has become decidedly grim although there are beautiful creative flashes to be found everywhere in the green shoots of the new paradigm poking through.
So at least part of the work ahead is indeed to find ways to re-enchant and restore vibrancy and creativity to our cultural life as well as a sense of magic and mystery to our appreciation of the universe vs the grey overlay of technocratic reductionalism that we’ve come to experience (and unfortunately in many cases accept) as the status quo. The current predicament reminds me of this poem from Whitman:
When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer
When I heard the learn'd astronomer,
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me,
When I was shown the charts, the diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them,
When I sitting heard the learned astronomer where he lectured with much applause in the lecture room,
How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick,
Till rising and gliding out I wander'd off by myself,
In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,
Look'd up in perfect silence at the stars.
-- Walt Whitman
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Are 2012 Themes Becoming Too Broad and Losing Focus?
I had an interesting conversation with Mayan scholar John Major Jenkins about the notion that the meaning of 2012, as it starts to slowly feed into the mainstream, might become such a large tent that its core messaging and deeper spiritual meanings might become essentially vaporized by a double whammy of media minsinterpretation and a tendency to inadvertently lump together any number of spiritual practices and methods under its umbrella. I agree wholeheartedly with John that this is not only possible but likely.
There are already early indications. For example, self-empowerment guru Wayne Dyer now is offering his first feature film. It’s called “The Shift” but curiously appears to have little to do with 2012 and according to his web site, it was renamed from its earlier moniker "Ambition to Meaning". Also in the mix is the fact that Dyer’s publisher is Hay House who is sponsoring a number of 2012 events around the country. This is a difficult and complex issue since the trend is likely to continue and the only solution appears to be the constant application of mindfulness and discernment.
There are already early indications. For example, self-empowerment guru Wayne Dyer now is offering his first feature film. It’s called “The Shift” but curiously appears to have little to do with 2012 and according to his web site, it was renamed from its earlier moniker "Ambition to Meaning". Also in the mix is the fact that Dyer’s publisher is Hay House who is sponsoring a number of 2012 events around the country. This is a difficult and complex issue since the trend is likely to continue and the only solution appears to be the constant application of mindfulness and discernment.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
2012: "Raids on the Unspeakable"
Recently The Emergence Project co-sponsored an event in Cambridge, MA with the Boston Evolver folks, a group started by Daniel Pinchbeck. The first part of the meeting was a screening of a video by mycologist Paul Stamets called "Six Ways Mushrooms Can Save the World". Fascinating stuff: Stamets talks about how they can be used to clean up oil spills and fight diseases including pox and flu viruses. Brian George, a local writer and poet, was on hand and read some of his poetry. His work harkens back a bit to the style of poets like Blake and Ginsberg, a fiery trail of Emersonian assertions delivered in rapid fire cadences.
Poetry may be what we need. There is a distinct challenge to describing what’s happening with 2012 emergence as we move through this amazing time in history. The limitations of language become evident and Thomas Merton’s great phrase about the challenges describing spiritual experience springs to mind, “Raids on the Unspeakable”. Moving away from the narrowness of much of the quasi-academic poetry commonplace these days, a latter day Blake or Milton might be up to the task or perhaps someone like Brian along with some of his contemporaries can take this on. Given the larger than life itself nature of the new energies, the scope and passion of literature has to grow and enlarge every bit as much as the frames of our everyday lives.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Understanding The 2012 Phenomenon
The Boston conference was a great event. Thanks to everyone to attended and helped out. We'll be posting videos of the event soon on the web site: www.theemergenceproject.net. Our next event is on June 17, cosponsored with the Boston Evolver group. Location: Lily Pad, Cambridge MA. Hope to see you there.
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