Concurrent Sessions Saturday, October 23, 2010
C5. On The Edge Of Science
Neuroscientific comparison of attentional resource allocation in different meditation practices. Arnaud Delorme1,2,3 amo@cerco.ups-tlse.fr, Claire Braboszcz1,3, Emmanuel Fernandez3, Rael Calm3,4
1CERCO, Centre de RecKetche Cerveau « Cognition, Faculte de Medecine de Rangeuil, 31062, Toulouse Cedex 9, France
2Swattz Center for Computational Neuroscience, Institute of Neutal Computation, University of San Diego California, Lajolla CA 92093-0559
3Medication Research Institute, Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, Vipor Khurd, Virbhadra Road, PO Pahulok, Rishikesh, Uttrakhand, INDIA 249 203
3UC Irvine Department of Psychiatry, 101 Tile Ciry Drive, Orange, CA 92868
One of the exciting developments in the cross-cultural study of human consciousness consists of studying non-classical conscious states such as self-induced transcendental states as produced by intensive meditation practice. However, despite decades of interest in this field and renewed interest over the past 10 years, a major current challenge in meditation research continues to be the delineation of the distinct neural correlates to meditative experience across the varied meditative practice types. Different methods have been used with different groups of meditators producing inconclusive results. A prime goal of our research is to assess how attentionally-demanding and emotional stimuli are processed in a range of practices. Here, for the first time, the same protocol will be used to compare different meditation practices. One control group is compared to expert expert Vipassana practitioners, expert transcendental meditation practitioners, and expert practitioners in the Himalayan tradition. To characterize brain dynamics associated with meditation modulation of external stimuli, we are using 64-channel electro-encephalogra-phy recordings as well as peripheral autonomic nervous system recordings. The tasks we are using involve auditory, visual, somato-sensory (tactile) and emotional tasks. Each subject performs 7 different experiments over a 4-hour period. All recording are performed in Rishikesh, India and have been granted ethical approval both by Indian ethical committees and the University of San Diego California (IRB 090731). Here we present preliminary results on 30 subjects from the Hymmalayan tradition with 30 aged-matched controls. We compared meditators and controls when they were performing a control thinking task and when they were meditating. Preliminary results indicate that both mediators and controls tend to respond more strongly to external stimuli when they meditate compared to when they are performing a control thinking task. This effect is more important for meditators than for control subjects. Based on these results, we suggest that meditation correspond to a state of higher alertness.
Physical Science as a Way of Realization, Thomas McFariane. thomasmc@stanfordalumni.org" (Author, Stanford University/Univ. of Washington/CHS Alumni)
Physics, as conventionally understood, is the study of the objective world of matter, while nondual Realization is a radical transformation of consciousness. Thus, it would seem on the race of it that there is little if any relationship between the scientific laws of the physical world and nondual Awakening to ultimate Reality. However, the 20th century American mystical philosopher Franklin Merrell-Wolff makes the bold assertion that physics can be a path to nondual Realization: Once it is realized that he [the physicist] is unfolding the laws governing the obverse of the Real, his knowledge can be employed as a Way to the Recognition of that Reality. I can see how our present physical science is unfolding a peculiarly beautiful Path to Yoga. In this talk we will explore this provocative claim which has profound implications not only as a means to facilitate nondual Realization but also as a foundation for a radical reformulation of how science itself is understood. Wolff suggests we view the laws of physics from a completely different perspective. Rather than viewing the laws as describing the relationships between objectively real material substances, they are more realistically seen as describing the relationships between relative voids in true substance. This metaphysical shift in the base of reference is not merely an intellectual exercise or theoretical hypothesis to be entertained, but involves a transformation in our very experience of the world, a Copernican shift in individual consciousness. In this transformation, we are liberated from the error of attributing reality to the plurality of objects in the universe of experience. This inversion not only provides a completely new interpretation of the meaning of physical laws, but it also allows the whole universe of experience to become a surprising and beautiful Way to Recognition.
Mechanisms of action–How does mindfulness/meditation work? Shauna Shapiro Ph.D. (Santa Clara University)
Based on Dr. Shapirois recent book, The Art and Science of Mindfulness, the presentation draws on scientific research and meditative practices for those interested in awakening the mind and opening the heart. Drawing on current psychological theory and research investigate the nature of mindfulness meditation and explore the mechanisms of action through which mindfulness meditation has its transformation effects.
Intelligent Design of the Universe. Jim Kowatt, Ph.D., M.D.
The 'first principles' are: 1. The equivalence principle of relativity theory, 2. The uncertainty principle of quantum theory, 3. The action principle, 4. The second law of thermodynamics. If these four principles are put together in a consistent way they result in the holographic principle of quantum gravity, which explains how computational information is encoded in quantum states. Every possible state of information for the universe is defined on a surface of quantized space-time, with one bit of information encoded per Planck area. Each surface is an event horizon that acts like a holographic viewing screen, and projects images to a point of view, where the images are perceived by an observer. The quantum state of the universe is a sum over all possible states of information for the universe. Consciousness is the potentiality of the observer to perceive and give meaning to the forms of information defined on those surfaces.
There are two things we conclude from the holographic principle: 1. If the observer is in free fall, the event horizon disappears, which is the disappearance of the universe, since that is where all the information is defined. An observer in free fall is only aware of empty space, which is the nature of the vacuum state, or state of no information. 2. The entire universe behaves like a quantum computer, and obeys consistent computational rules, which specify how forms of information are organized on viewing screens. The incompleteness theorems prove that a computer can never prove the consistency of the rules by which it operates. Only the observer of the computer knows about the consistency of those rules, and that observer is always outside the computer. The observer of the universe is proven to be outside the viewing screen, present at a point of view in empty space.
The Experiential Discovery of Awareness and Its Impact: A Qualitative Study. John Astin, Ph.D. jobn@integrativearts.com (Scholer, researcher)
This study explored the first-person accounts of individuals involved in several contemporary awareness teachings regarding the nature and qualities of awareness, the relationship of awareness and its recognition to the alleviation of human suffering, and its impact across multiple life domains. Methods: Individuals were selected who were either senior students of or teachers within several contemporary awareness traditions (n = 28). Interviews, which took approximately 90 minutes to complete, were transcribed and thematic analyses carried out by two independent reviewers. Results: Despite some diversity across respondents, a number of dear themes emerged. In general, awareness was defined as that which knows or cognizes phenomena and its recognition as the fundamental ground of all perception was seen as crucial to the resolution of human suffering for several reasons: 1) awareness is undisturbed by phenomena; 2) its recognition appears to resolve the search for well-being; 3) one realizes that negative states do not require management as they naturally resolve themselves; 4) the recognition that awareness is inseparable from experience leads one to view all phenomena as essentially insubstantial (i.e., empty of independent existence) and therefore non-threatening in nature. Participants reported that the realization of awareness had resulted in: greater ease and openness in relationships; diminishment or loss of self-identification/self-focus; enhanced capacity for skillful and innovative responses to life; a movement to be of benefit and service to others; and an arising of natural compassion for self and others. Conclusions: Taken together, these findings merit additional follow-up by psychologists, neuroscientists, and other researchers interested in better understanding the factors that contribute to optimal human functioning and well-being.
C6. Seeing the World From Nondual Perspectives
The Emergence of Buddhist/Nondual Thought and Understanding in the Letters of Jack Kerouac and Alien Ginsberg. Jerry Katz, Author Nonduality.com
The newly published and highly regarded book, Jack Kerouac and Alien Ginsberg: The Letters, features letters dated from 1944 -1963. A major theme is their interests, writings, readings, and beliefs in Buddhism, along with their views on reality, truth, knowing, mind, God, existence. What are the implications for nonduality? Kerouac and Ginsberg were the writers of the Beat Generation perhaps most influential in introducing Buddhism to the West. They contributed toward laying a spiritual ground from which a diverse, celebratory nonduality would take shape. I will share the highlights of Kerouac's and Ginsberg's excursion into Buddhism and nonduality through their letters to each other. We'll see how their understanding matures, how it never quite goes far enough (in light of today's refinements in inquiry), and how it was delivered to the literary consumer. We'll see how readers of that time layered the Buddhist teachings of Kerouac and Ginsberg with the other accessible nondual or Buddhist teachings, and perhaps along with drug experiences, to gain understanding of reality, of who they are.
The listener will enjoying comparing Kerouac's and Ginsberg's adventure in understanding one's fundamental nature to their own adventure. Insights may be gained on how we layer the wondrous variety of nonduality teachings and experiences to create our own lives of nondual practice and appreciation. That layering may include the Beats. Amazon.com shows that Beat literature continues to rank high in sales. Come listen to this talk on the emergence of Buddhist and nondual thought as exposed in the private letters between Jack Kerouac and Alien Ginsberg during the years 1944 - 1963, with most letters from the 50s.
Enlightenment: You Can't Get There from Here. Chuck Hillig, (Author)
This presentation will explore some of the mind-bending implications of seeing the world from a non-dualistic perspective. Non-dualism suggests that perceived separation is really only illusory, and that, instead, there is an all-pervasive unicity that underlies absolutely everything. Widely known as the "perennial truth," all of the world's great religions and spiritual philosophies have some sort of non-dual component in their core beliefs. However, if everything really IS, quintessentially, only ONE, then how can you live out your everyday life in the light of who you truly are.. .pure Consciousness?
Literature and Non-Duality: The Poetics of Awakening. Peter Wrycza, Ph.D. (Intl Academy for Transformational Coaching and Leadership)
Many of our Western poets and novelists – from the UK, France, Italy, for instance – have written convincingly about their experience and insight into the nature of subtle inner awareness beyond the T, Such experience typically had a powerful effect on their poetics, their finished work, and how they understood their work might influence the awareness of the reader. Their creative work becomes both an expression of awakened consciousness and a stimulus to such awakening in the reader. Many writers wrote very clearly about inner awareness to reflect discernibly different qualities of awakening - with a corresponding difference in influence on the reader. Their work is very relevant to the question of whether language can do justice to Non-Dual awareness, while offering a beautiful bridge between Science and Non-Duality from the subjective perspective. We propose a simple and systemic model of higher states of consciousness, as a way of understanding the range of such experience, not only in the field of literature, but wherever such experiences arise. During the presentation, we will explore some of the raw experience of creative writers from their correspondence and theoretical writings, link it to their creative writings and consider how their work influences the consciousness of the reader.
What Exists? Dr. Stanley Sobottka (Emeritus Professor of Physics)
George Berkeley wrote, "To be is to be perceived". However, science requires confirmation of an observation for an object to exist objectively. If I observe it, communicate my observation to you, and you verify it, the object exists for us. If you cannot confirm it, the existence of the object is undefined for us. This definition of existence requires observation, communication, and verification. Examples of things that are said to exist if we are observing them are a table, the moon, and the universe. If we are not observing them, their existence is undefined, except by agreement.
Some things are thought to exist even if they cannot be observed directly. Strings are unobservable quantum objects that are studied instead of point particles by theorists in order to avoid the infinities that are present in particle theory. Some theories of the early universe hypothesize the existence of unobservable universes that are disconnected from this universe. According to the above definition of objective existence, neither strings nor these other universes exist. Physicists are well aware of this difficulty so why are they being studied? In order for them to exist objectively, the definition of objective existence is expanded to include forms of evidence that are more subde than direct observation. These include economy of concepts (Occam's razor), theoretical elegance, and our intuitive sense. Strings and other universes are thought to exist because theories of them are more economical and elegant than theories that do not. The same is true for a table, the moon, and this universe when they are unobserved. Beliefs are a form of evidence for existence. They affect how we feel and behave as much as our health does. Some knowledge does not depend on observation or belief. My knowledge that I exist is independent of both.
Learning Integrity Kenneth D. Johnson.
My entire life demanded that my left hand never knew what my right hand was doing. There was a split in my allegiance to myself. Success could never come from such a sorry state of mental affairs.
Where was the Oneness that the enlightened speak of?
Then not too long ago, I had a realization after another defeat in trying to get something for nothing. "Where is your integrity and allegiance to your spiritual experience? This question haunted me and gave me no room for escape. The meaning was clear for me to first and foremost start being honest with myself. Let the right hand know what the left hand is doing and vice versa. Upon having this insight things, started to shift in my consciousness. "/ could let this thought go. " I can give up these old negative habits.
My mind relaxed, my entire body let go of its tension. The energy pulsed through. Happiness flowed like a tiver. This is living in integrity to me. And in this practice I can see movement to the center, my real true self, calling me back to what I call Oneness. It is increasingly clear, that we can start where we are in any an all situations and find our way home to Spaciousness.
Nietzsche and Nonduality: The Seeker's Path. Keith Turausky. bickbyro@gmail.com
Perhaps because he objected to Buddhism nearly as much as to Christianity, Friedrich Nietzsche's name isn't often invoked in contexts of nonduality and spiritual enlightenment. Yet one of Nietzsche's more notable attacks on Buddhism comes in a clearly nondual form, as he declares himself to be "beyond good and evil and no longer, like the Buddha... under the spell and delusion of morality." What's more, Nietzsche's account of the universe as literally made of the (frequently misunderstood) "will to power" describes a "world of the eternally self-creating, the eternally self-destroying... without goal, unless the joy of the circle itself is a goal; without will, unless a ring feels good will toward itself." Much about this cyclic, paradoxical imagery should resonate with students of nonduality, regardless of whether Nietzsches critique of Buddhism is ultimately fair or accurate. I present herein a reconsideration of Nietzsches moral and metaphysical thought as a vital contribution to the nondualist dialog and tradition. In light of SAND 2010's "end of the seeker" theme, I will further explore Nietzsches (equally misunderstood) Ubermensch: "the ideal of the most high-spirited, alive, and world-affirming human being who has not only come to terms and learned to get along with whatever was and is, but who wants to have what was and is repeated into all eternity." As conceived by Nietzsche, the Ubermensch stands in contrast to the bodhisattva, suggesting that rather than "seeking to silence the seeker" (e.g., via "enlightenment"), a better answer would be to embrace the seeker–to welcome the fleetingness and flux in the world and in ourselves.
The Physics of "I am a Strange Loop". Dr. Wolfgang Baer. baer@nps.edu
The physics required to implement Douglas Hofsteader suggestion that "I am a Strange Loop" is can be derived by assuming a self-measurement-explanation cycle exists as a physical event in which mental sensations are processed into explanations that are then measured to produce expectations of those sensations. The physics needed to realize such transformation cycles were investigated in the April 2010 issue of the Journal of Consciousness Studies. An explicit implementation of the consciousness process will be presented at the Non-Duality Conference. This implementation consists of an integrated mind-body activity that explains mental experiences with a model of the activity itself. Such a self-referential loop is shown to be both a fundamental physical process and a container of primitive self-awareness from which complex experiences can be built.
Explaining consciousness requires an expansion of current physical theories. To develop this expansion I will first associate the components of the consciousness process with individual operations occurring in the architecture of quantum theory. This will provide explicit mathematical equations required to describe conscious phenomena and show their limits. Because quantum equations apply to the content of space, but not to the sensation of space itself, they can only represent an approximate description of the consciousness process and are hence incomplete. I will, therefore, go on to discuss the approximations which limit quantum theory from providing a complete explanation of consciousness and suggest the metaphysical underpinnings required to expand quantum physics into a more complete description of reality.
Lastly, I will discuss the implications of a reality model in which all parts of the universe, including the reader, are fundamentally self-measurement processes and the sensation of space is not that of an a priori container, but rather a "what it feels like" to be a time-stable event.
C7. Connecting the Dots
Multiplicity as A Theory Of Mind. Dr. Stephen Trichter. stephentrichter@gmail.com (Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California)
As we explore non-dual space, it is imperative that we consider not only multiple ways of knowing, but the possibility of multiplicity as a theory of mind. As contemporary psychoanalysis theorizes the spectrum of experiences as a result of the tension between associative and dissociative states, we can consider how the mind may need to create not only duality, but multiple dissociative states of consciousness in order to survive in health. This presentation will explore this theory of mind and suggest ways to utilize psychoanalysis and mystical states of consciousness to bridge our multiple minds.
Nonduality And Neuropsychiatric Illness. Dr. Nathan Munn. munnn@umhelena.edu (University of Montana - Helena)
Neuropsychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar mood disorder, anxiety, and borderline personality disorder are fraught with dualism, conceptualized as either a biochemical brain imbalances or psychological disorders. Yet a vast body of evidence indicates the reality of neuropsychiatric illness is nonduality. Re-conceptualizing such illnesses within nondualistic scientific paradigms not only sheds new light on the balance between pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy treatments in neuropsychiatric illness, but has deep implications extending into information processing vs. meaning making, the nature of Self and suicide, parameters of free-will, and the stigma-reducing realization of the inter-connectedness between us all and the fundamental unity between consciousness and matter/energy.
Is "Pre-Reflective Self Consciousness" a Solution for the Problem of The Self? Jorge De Almeida Gonfalves. jorgalvesenator@gmail.com (Faculdade de Ciencias Sociais e Humanas/ UNL)
In this paper I will present an objection to the solution to the problem of the self proposed by Zahavi. This objection is based on developmental psychology of the human individual. I phenomenally appear to myself as an entity that remains in time and differentiates itself from other selves. The existence of such an entity has been questioned by several philosophers. Recently Metzinger denies the existence of the selfi "the conscious self is the illusion which is no one's illusion", "no such things as selves exist in the world" Zahavi proposes a solution for the problem of the self. He distinguishes the notion of narrative self from the notion of core or minimal self. His idea is that phenomenal consciousness and the "what is it like" character of experience always presupposes a prereflective selfconsciousness. If this is true then any creature that has phenomenal consciousness will have to have that prereflective selfconsciousness. The same will be true for the human being in his early stages of life. Now, I believe that the scenery according to which babies begin their lives without any sensation of being subjects but still having psychological experiences is perfectly plausible. Some authors from several theoretical backgrounds such as Gopnik in the area of analytical philosophy or some psychoanalysts hold, that in the initial stages of life there is not trace of a feeling of a separate I. If we admit that initially in life there is no prereflective selfconsciousness, we have to admit that the feeling of self is a process formed by maturation and interaction with other people. The self, even the core or minimal self, is therefore a mental construction that forms itself from pre-existent materials, that is, from phenomenal presubjective states.
Body/Minding The Gap. Bruce Carruthers. bcarruth@telus.net
A nondual, nonHumean solution involving proprioceptive senses applied to the Copernican problem of how a self-moving sentient body active in a causally structured world provides multiple coordinate systems to stabilize its viewpoints while organizing its own movements within an interactive outer world. The proprioceptive senses provide a stable "here and now" that allows a moving sentient body to orient its actions and movements among other bodies in its world. How do these viewpoints arise? The crucial importance of proprioceptive function is confirmed by the devastasting effects of its loss. However its concept remains confused in ontological "diplopia" as processes within the body/mind generate a dualistic body image, where subject and object are irreversibly separated. A nondual process where "object" and "subject" are not fixed in separation, but can reversibly occupy the same allo/ egocentric coordinate centre, thus establishing a dynamical identity that crosses this gap, thus allowing reversible, flexible and corrigible deictic relations to develop. The body interior, when sensed directly using proprioception, is empty of objects but full of nonbounded, informed, articulated (inter) actions or force dynamics. Can this "misper-ception" provide us with a clear, accurate and continuous sense of "here and now" within a world of endlessly changing bodily and world interactions, moving in all directions, where stable "objects" are actually regions of homeostatic stability within this ceaseless change that provides informed and accurate steering in the world for our mobile sentient bodies and thus provide a third Copernican solution?
The proprioceptive sense which gives us a continually updated "here and now" also gives us entry into the nondual world of sunyata, the field of "pratitya samutpada", or dependent coorigination, as first described by Sakya-muni. What is it that grounds and centers our proprioceptions? -why another level of sunyata, etc. ad infinitum, and nondual all the way up/down. Our project in life is to keep our proprioceptive "here and now" centered to align us bodily in our material world while also connecting and grounding fields of nondual sentient existence that we may choose/be chosen to explore.
Human Life as a Nondual Creative Procsss. Dr. RichardB. Miles. rmileshfpn@aol.com
Conventional medicine, and much conventional thought, poses "disease" as some agent that invades the body and "causes" disease. Disease is pictured as an adversary that must be "conquered." At a conference I was participating in about child development and disease at Children's Hospital at Stanford, I asked the medical staff: "When children present with cancer, are there recognizable age periods when different problems are presented?' The Director of Nurses was surprised that no one had asked that question before in that way and responded that infants/toddlers presented bone marrow cancer, elementary school age children presented leukemia, older children presented various tumor based cancers. This challenges the entire paradigm of "disease by invasion" and suggests a non-dualistic "within an integrated system" approach that factors within the child and his/her interaction with the world and physical development are involved in this changing pattern of disease.
I will present a comparison of these patterns widi the description of the phases of brain development described in Joseph Chilton Pearce's "The Biology of Transcendence" to illustrate that the human life system is a non-dualist creative process intimately connected to nature and the world around it.
'Gender' as the Conceptual Skin of Being: An Invitation to Awareness, Linda Van Leuven, Ph.D. lindavanleuven@mac.com
'Gender' is considered a primary aspect of'identity' through which we experience and locate our 'self,' body, and relative place in the world. It is such a deep orienting principal that we literally cannot 'know' someone without it, and it is so taken-for-granted as a 'given' that we rarely question what lies behind it. But 'Gender' is not a thing, nor a quality essential to any form ('body') or practice (behavior). For many sociologists, 'Gender' exists as a 'doing' that takes interactional 'work' to achieve. For my money, 'Gender' is simply the henchman of Duality Consciousness: it functions as a specific lens through which we filter the 'this or that'– where 'right or wrong' gets overlaid onto bodily comportment, emotional display, etc... and even woven into experiences of the sexual. Conceptually, it is a closed system - a 'relationship' of seemingly incomplete parts. Thus, 'Gender' becomes a vehicle for contraction and separation, with its own aspects of 'seeking' for wholeness. And herein lies the beauty of 'Gender'- it is a readily available conceptual scheme for working with the sensation of duality. In this framing there is a slight shift of position. A gentleness. An opening. An 'orientation to 'Gender" as practicum to move toward non-dual awareness - not by erasing 'Gender,' but by relaxing one's habituated identification with it, and then moving into the ways that one is contracted to it. Yes, edges and separation are welcome and necessary parts of expansion, It is from this counter-intuitive space that the 'play' pf 'Gender' is revealed to be in service to the larger project of Self - a type of 'Gender' liberation. A simple invitation: what is the body's expresion when not contracted to 'Gender"?, "Who am 'I' through 'Gender'? Who am 'I' Behind 'Gender'?
To the "I" and Beyond: Western Philosophy, Eastern Meditation and Modern Research , Jonathan Shear, Ph.D. jcs@infionline,net (AffiliatedAssociate Professor a/Philosophy at VCU)
Western philosophers have wrestled with the nature of self for centuries. Descartes argued commonsensically that each of us has a single, simple self continuing throughout all of our experiences. Hume responded that introspection displayed nothing corresponding to this idea. For whenever he looked within he encountered only thoughts, images and other "impressions." Kant then strengthened both Descartes and Hume, arguing that we paradoxically have to think of self as both (i) single, simple and continuing and (ii) unexperienceable and utterly inconceivable. No account of self in Western philosophy since then has been able to command general consensus. Eastern philosophers have also wrestled with problems of self. Like their Western counterparts, they generally regard our commonsensi-cal ideas of self, constructed in terms of such things as self-images, as highly misleading. But their analyses contain an element generally absent from Western ones: knowledge of experiences of deep levels of inner awareness gained through systematic meditation techniques. These include in particular experience of "pure consciousness" or "emptiness" devoid of all phenomenal qualities, including even the subject-object duality characteristic of all ordinary experience.
Knowledge of this experience provides a new perspective for re-evaluating Western theories. For it is uniquely capable of (i) giving experiential significance to Kant's otherwise empty account of self (or "I") as "pure consciousness," with no empirical qualities or "special designation" of its own, and (ii) allowing otherwise directly opposing aspects of Descartes, Hume's and Kant's analyses to be reconciled. These analyses then serve in turn to identify the experience as being of self.
This result is compatible with the conclusions of major non-Dual traditions such as Advaita Vedanta and Zen/ Ch'an Buddhism that our ordinary empirical notion of self is ultimately "illusory," recognizable both theoretically (cp. the Buddhist doctrine of "non-self") and on the basis of the above experience.
C8. Words, Music and Motion Pictures as Nondual Gates
Music as Non-Duality. Dr. Tom Zelle. tzelle@northpark.edu (Conductor, North Park University)
The connections between classical western music and non-duality have been especially strong in the distant past, particularly until the Renaissance era. This is clear in various sources of evidence. However, from Renaissance until the present, this connection has largely been lost. Also lost is the awareness that classical music (as well as other musical genres, including jazz and folk music) carries a direct possibility for non-dual experiences to emerge.
Today, music is seen as an external object, mostly for the function to express, entertain or stimulate. Western classical music is practiced, performed, and experienced in a most mechanical way. The manner with which music is being taught (especially to young professional musicians) virtually guarantees the complete elimination of the possibility of transcendental, non-dual experiences through music. The contemporary context of music reveals itself as a prison. In reaction to this, the people whose lives are involved in musical experiences seek a spiritual, transcendental experience through music, but cannot find it despite their striving. Awareness of this disconnection appears to be missing; classical music promotes itself with the conviction that it brings us closer to the authenticity of its roots.
In my presentation, I will describe some of the reasons that have caused classical music to disconnect itself from its spiritual roots and possibilities. First, I will outline some of the historical facts that point to the now-lost non-dual dimensions of classical music. Second, I will describe the most basic pitfalls that are responsible for this loss. And finally, I will present some simple, yet unknown ways to create a context that allows for non-dual experiences to emerge. When non-dual concepts are applied to music, the significance of transcendence and pure consciousness as direct qualities of the musical experience itself is revealed.
Cinemorphics. Charles Wehb. charleswebbmedia@gmail.com (Film/Mediaproducer, M.S. Psychobiology, University of Pittsburgh)
Your self, persona, ego..."who you are"...however named, is a construct that is (ostensibly) formed by the interaction of genetics, imprinting, conditioning and learning. "You" have little input into this process until after "you" have been thoroughly shaped by your parents, peers, culture, etc. Now consider that this "you" that "you" now "are" is similar to a fictitious character that may appear in a novel, play or movie and may be re-written, re-produced and re-performed as is the case In those media, using the techniques of those media. Your framework for doing this may be aesthetic (make yourself into a work of art), as play (the "infinite game"), as "therapy", or... "awakening".
Cinemorphics transforms and adapts the motion picture and theatrical techniques of character development, scripting, method acting, criticism, wardrobe, make-up, special effects, editing, promotion, etc. into a model, symbol and skill set, and mythology - a complete system - that is very powerful and effective when applied to personal reality shifting.
Additionally, after realizing that who you think you really are is simply a construct that you have identified with, a fictitious character that can be altered and performed, a tool that you use as you live your life, you may begin to dig deeper and ask more basic questions. Who am I really...who or what identifies with this fictitious character I have taken to be myself. Who is the observer..-the witness to all this...who is making the changes in the character I am playing now? These are extremely significant questions and looking at them may result in a "waking up", a dropping away of the husk of persona altogether. In this respect Cinemorphics allows a sort of sideways approach - to Zen, Advaita, Taoism and other nondual traditions.
"Beyond the "I" ~ the end of the seeker & the Context Reframing of Duality into Nonduality. Ben Young. byoung7665@aol.com (Relationship Management Development Institute)
For me obtaining a Balance (integral wholeness Oneness) Nonduality between and amongst the following Dualities: East and West Enculturations; Relativity and Quantum Physics; Cellular and Molecular Biology; Noetic Nonduality Consciousness and Sciences Duality Consciousness, are the Mega Nonduality Perceptual Awareness Consciousness Reality Context Reframing Challenges to create opportunities within which individuals and the collective can begin New Experimenting, Experiencing Exploring Expressing's that can be catalyzed and embodied.
This is my Story: Since my Epiphany in 1975 of shifting my Context Reframing from that of "Something to know say, and be able to do" to "A place to come from and a Person to Be, first; And I have been Living my Life Experiencing's ""Beyond the "I" of seeking "Something to know, say and be able to do" in the duality decision making of "Either-Or" to "A place to come from and a Person to Be in the Nonduality of "Both-And" decision making from the intention of–the end of the seeker.
This write up will be the introduction to this presentation, which will start with participants questions... And will continue with me acting as a catalyst to enable the questions and responses within the Context Reframing of New Experimenting, Experiencing Exploring Expressing's modeling the catalyzed and embodied individual and collective results.
Bridging the Space Between. Dr. CindyAtha- Weldon. shiratha@burlesonbroadband.com (Faculty UTArlington, Athaontu)
"...understanding the words will bring knowledge; yet, comprehension of the space between them will bring wisdom..."
Although the seemingly empty space between any two entities is ordinarily considered to be inconsequential, there is increasing evidence which signifies that the "space between" may yield even more amazing potential. Aggregate insights from a wide range of easily recognizable examples will be introduced from art, biology, linguistics, and cognitive archaeology with emphasis on underlying connections between research in quantum physics and human consciousness; these examples will illumine the recurring common denominators for the Space Between. The Overarching Theory of the Space Between (Atha-Weldon, 2009) has been developed to account for the powerful quantum potential to bridge the span that exists in the space between two designated framing agents. The Basic Principles of the Theory of the Space Between acknowledge the Awareness of the existence of the Space Between which is heightened by framing agents (literal structures or symbolic frameworks). These framing agents act as parameters to designate the Space Between and initially appear to be of greater significance. Recognition of the Space Between creates an expectancy, allows an awareness of a Matrix for development to occur, and initiates an in-forming process. Feminine metaphors are being used to describe this potential image-forming process that leads to a more viable conception (expectancy, conception, imagination). The overarching theory culminates in the revelation of a particular set of evocative framing agents that link ancient symbolic representations to modern neuroscience through universal numinous emblems. The recognition and application of the theory in conjunction with the explosion of research in human consciousness may lead to global transformations in how humans perceive themselves and to an expansion of the concept of synaptic interface.
Deconstructing the "I"; Practical Analysis, Proven Approaches and Practices, Gary Weber, Ph.D. happinessbeyondthought@gmail.com (Author)
Proven ancient and contemporary approaches to the investigation, practical analysis of the construction of, and deconstruction of the "I", are presented. Practices drawn from Zen, advaita/non-duality, various yogas, and eastern and contemporary philosophy will be discussed and demonstrated. Understandings from current neuroscience, physics and complex systems mathematics which support these approaches will also be incorporated. Typical approaches, barriers, resistances and challenges faced in constructing and maintaining a personal practice will be discussed for different levels of interest. The presenter has over 27,000 hrs of personal practice in yoga and meditation with various teachers over 38 years, as well as many years of teaching. These practices are derived from the author's book "Happiness Beyond Thought: A Practical Guide to Awakening" (www.happiness-beyond-thought.com).
Bumming a Smoke from Nisargadatta-Attention, Non-Duality and the Healing of Smoking Addiction. Bear Gebhardt. bear@Jrii.com (Smokers Freedom School)
Research sponsored by The American Lung Association reveals that smokers trying to quit on their own have a 3-5% success rate. The Centers for Disease Control found an average of 8- 18% success rate for stop smoking programs across the country, regardless of whether the programs were using nicotine replacement or other pharmaceutical aids. Somewhat biased research sponsored by the pharmaceutical companies shows a 25-35-% success rate. So at best, six or seven smokers out often fail when trying to quit. At times, nine out often fail. It's a field that needs new insights. Can we share the principles, insights and observations of non-duality to help smokers bring much needed light and fire power to their urge to quit?
Over the last fifteen years the presenter, author of The Enlightened Smoker's Guide to Quitting {1998, Element Books, 2008 BenBella Publishing) and Help Your Smoker Quit (1998, Fairview Press, 2009, Pathbinder Publishing) and a smoking cessation counselor for his county's Health District, has been successfully incorporating non-duality insights into his professional work with smokers, particularly the insight that smoking is an addiction of attention. He has experienced an above average success rate with his clients, even though a large percentage are drawn from lower income and lower educational levels, traditionally the "hard core" smoking population. This approach to quitting smoking is neatly summarized by Jean Klein, (The Ease of Being, p.78) although smoking was not Klein's context at the time: "Cease to be an accomplice to the mechanisms of comparison, evaluation and judgment and they will diminish from a lack of fuel.. .The memory process comes to a halt. You find yourself in silence, in freedom, in peace." A lit cigarette burns at over 1000 degree Farenheit. Might objectless awareness cool it (and its holder) to ashes? Nisargadatta grins.
Emergence of Modern Abstract Art and the Concept of Nonduality. CarmelByrne. carmel@ carmelbyrne.com (Painter, Scratch Art Space)
Wassily Kandinsky and Piet Mondrian are widely accepted as early pioneers of modern abstract art. Both explored nonduality through The Theosophical Society. Mondrian in particular was searching for the 'pure' and used as little of'reality' as possible for he believed material opposed the spiritual realm. Australian Aboriginal desert artists accept fully the material realm and engage in a threedimensional acceptance of the material in relation to the spiritual, allied with a complex mix of cultural and personal narratives. Underpinning Australian Aboriginal creative expression are concepts of unity and connectedness and it is no coincidence that European modernists developed an abstract nonrepresentational language similar to that of Australian desert painters. It is the emerging contemporary practice of working with and in material, the here and now, that reflects the end of the seeker. I further investigate contemporary painters, such as Scan Scully and Brice Marden, who connect with 'material intelligence' in their creative work. This is a visual presentation that includes some of my own journey as a painter.
White Robed Monks of St. Benedict