New Dimensions

We Are Not Who We Think We Are, with Peter Coyote, Explores the practice of meditation to catch a glimpse of who we truly are. His mask workshops provide for the possibility of “the disappearance of your everyday self [along with] self-criticism, self-consciousness, and a sense of shame…[allowing for] absolute freedom.” It allows us to experience Buddha's idea of no fixed self. Peter Coyote is an...

A spiritual experience has been described by some as an encounter with the presence of the infinite within our finite universe of time and space. It takes on many forms and can be conceived of in a wide variety of ways. In his integral view, McIntosh challenges us to hold two seemingly paradoxical worldviews: an infinite, nondual universe and a personal God. Steve McIntosh , J.D. is a leader in th...

The Greek myth of Sisyphus unveils our valiant and irrepressible desire to create something unique out of our lives despite our despair and our defeats. This deep conversation plunges the depths and fullness of this misunderstood myth. It is a parable for the modern world and our fight against the hell of the pandemic and the rise of authoritarianism in the world today. Phil Cousineau is a freelan...

A good poem takes us on a treasure hunt for the ineffable emotions that toss us like flotsam and jetsam on the relentless pounding waves on the seas of life. It’s the sacred text of life and guides us in being ever curious and observant, helping us to notice even the smallest details of life as it awakens our own creative energies of Divine Imagination. Margaret Barkley is a teacher, poet, and cur...

The hurts and disappointments that we suffered in childhood often leave lasting scars to our inner sense of safety and security. They show up later in the form of trigger reactions. Campbell describes the ultimate goal of inner work as making effective decisions that come from the higher brain versus the knee jerk tendencies of our primitive, lizard brain. Susan Campbell, Ph. D. is a clinical psyc...

Millions of spiritual seekers have, in their library, a dog-eared copy of the spiritual classic Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation. Here is an intimate and first-hand account of the way master teacher Shunryu Suzuki Roshi taught, as told by his student and now Zen teacher himself, Tim Burkett. These delightful stories are not to be missed. Tim Zentetsu Burkett, Ph. D. is G...

Sluyter says not to worry about thoughts during our meditation; they are inevitable. Often we must deal with such sounds as voices or traffic rolling by. He instructs that, “It’s all a texture of the silence, which actually you are at your core. It’s just resting in what you are in your own essence.” He also suggests that we find the meditation style that suits us. Dean Sluyter has taught natural...

Miller has reviewed and conducted interviews with leading scientists in America who are investigating the effects on humans of psychedelic medicines such as LSD, MDMA, Psilocybin and Ayahuasca. This has revealed that certain psychedelic medicines administered by proper protocol , have shown that altered states of consciousness can facilitate creativity and psychophysical healing. Richard Miller, P...

Salh is the last person in her direct lineage to have lived as a nomad and keeper of her family stories. Her beloved country of Somalia was changed forever by a civil war. Her grandmother imbued her with resilience, courage, love of poetry, and storytelling. Salh shares her journey from the deserts of East Africa to the green pastures of Northern California. Shugri Said Salh was born in Somalia in...

Buddhism is not a religion but is an engagement with “real” reality. The entire Buddhist tradition is built on a philosophical scientific foundation. The Buddha was more a scientist than a religious teacher. Here we explore how we can tap into “real” reality by removing the veils of ignorance and make our life count with evolutionary skill. Robert Thurman, Ph. D. is the retired professor of I...

Glenn Parry believes that the way to cure our planetary challenges begins with a return to original thought. The way we think and interact with nature and each other, he says, affects everything. He believes that the shift to linear thinking is not our natural way, and explains that our rational thought is different from the kind of thought that connects us to the universe. Glenn Aparicio Parry, P...

Brant Cortright brings brain research into a new dimension by putting it into a holistic health context. Cortright’s lessons about brain health incorporate body, heart, mind, and spirit. He clarifies some common misconceptions, and shares how we can help our brains thrive and grow, including what we might be doing to unknowingly cause harm. Brant Cortright, Ph. D. is a clinical psychologist a...

Brenner says we are not limited, damaged or inadequate. She critiques the self-help movement as perpetuating the idea that we are in need of fixing, and holds the provocative view that nothing needs to be changed or fixed to be happy. She posits that we have the capacity to spontaneously find inner peace by shedding the stories and negative emotions that cause us pain.  Gail Brenner, Ph. D. i...

“Awake-ism,” in Nichtern’s view, means to be aware, open, and compassionate. He looks at Buddhist thought as a useful psychological, philosophical, and ethical system that anyone can make use of. His advice for living in these times is to maintain our awareness as we move between very personal spaces and collective spaces. Ethan Nichtern is a senior teacher in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition and...

Poetry can play a transformative role in our lives. It gives us an opportunity to ask questions and open up to the unknown. Hirshfield shares her love of poetry, her take on beauty, and she treats us to some of her poems. She takes us into the mind of the poet and reminds us that a reader can benefit from a poem without knowing what the poet is thinking. Jane Hirshfield is the author of nine books...

How often have you exclaimed, “There isn’t enough time.” Albert Einstein once wrote: “People like us who believe in physics know that the distinction between past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.” Lisa Broderick says “Once you understand the science of time, you understand that our experience of time is one part physical and one part perception.” She goes on to give us...

Patten has a deep comprehension of the sacred global rite of passage that we, and all humankind, are going through in these liminal times and shares how we can be of help in an insane world. He gives us a context for spiritual friendship, for turning outward in service, and for doing what we can to brighten everyone we come into contact with. He is the founder of A New Republic of the Heart, a co-...

This moment in our social history compels us to invite ourselves into a path of discovery, learning, and practices to transform our collective racist karma. As a Black man residing in America, Larry Ward says to those who say, “I am not racist” … We are invited to dismantle the systems that perpetuate that profound misperception of what it means to be human. The assassination of Martin Luther King...

Contracts are used to lay out expectations and responsibilities of the parties involved. We take them very seriously in business and law. Joel Fotinos says that we should take our own goals just as seriously and create personal contracts to hold ourselves accountable in our pursuit of excellence. He shares methods and ideas for committing to a Personal Life Contract. Joel Fotinos is a vice preside...

From 1342 to 1415, Julian lived through the bubonic plague that killed one out of three humans in Europe. She did not deny suffering but found goodness in all things and was a feminist 700 years before the current movement. She held God as Mother and deconstructed patriarchy pulling the rug out from under dualism of body as separate from soul. Michael Meade is a renowned storyteller, author, schol...

The pandemic of 2020-21 has given humans a worldwide, collective initiation of separation, ordeal, and return. This deep dialogue explores a critical moment of renewing, not only of ourselves but of the culture in which we are embedded. Michael Meade is a renowned storyteller, author, scholar of mythology, and student of ritual in traditional cultures. He has scoured the world to bring to us meani...

Hear Montgomery’s fascinating encounters with gorillas, snakes, and spiders. She takes us from the largest bird in the world, the Emu, to the smallest, the hummingbird. With their jewel-like foliage hummingbirds are capable of the most unique and astonishing feats such as flying backward and even upside down. Sy Montgomery is a naturalist, documentary scriptwriter and author of many books, which o...

As a young Black woman, Regina Louise was born poor, supposedly unwanted, neglected, marginalized, stigmatized, disenfranchised, and labeled crazy. What led her to not accept these factors in her life and reject that they were going to define all her life? Be uplifted by her story as she moves with fierce determination from shame to dignity. Regina Louise is a teacher and coach on advocacy work. H...

Hubbard inspires us with a vision of possibility as we move into a new era of conscious evolution. She says we are at a choice point, and describes a tipping point of people who are collectively becoming excited by the changes. By joining together in small groups we are connecting up our creativity and our genius, which can ultimately lead us to a life-sustaining planet. She says, “Small fluctuati...

We have all experienced getting caught up in a thought and identifying ourselves by it. Dr. Laura Basha talks about the ability to bring choice into the thought process. She explains the importance of listening for what’s possible rather than trying to figure it out. We also learn about Transformational Humor, the power of silence, and the two modes of thought. Laura Basha, Ph. D. holds a combined...