The vast majority of people up to 95 percent, in fact believe they have a decent amount of self-awareness. And maybe youre one of the lucky 10 to 15 percent who really does have an accurate view of themselves but if were going by the numbers, well, the odds arent in your favor.

Those statistics are based on years of research from psychologist Tasha Eurich, author of the book Insight. On a good day, 80 percent of us are lying to ourselves about whether were lying to ourselves, Eurich says.Making things extra tricky is the fact that self-awareness has two components: Internal self-awareness is the ability to introspect and recognize your authentic self, whereas external self-awareness is the ability to recognize how you fit in with the rest of the world. Its almost like two different camera angles, Eurich says.

The two are independent, entirely different variables, meaning you can have one without the other. For example, maybe you know someone who is a complete navel-gazer with a high level of internal self-awareness. Yet you and everyone else think this person is a selfish jerk, but because he never receives external feedback, he has no idea. Conversely, someone could have a high level of external self-awareness, a clear understanding of how they fit in with the rest of the world, without knowing what they want and what makes them happy. To be truly, fully self-aware, though, you need both components a feat thats difficult to pull off for pretty much anyone. But, its worth noting, not impossible.

Accept that its going to be a challenge.

We villainize people for not being self-aware when all the decks are stacked against us, Eurich said. Pretty much all over the world, forces are conspiring to make us more self-absorbed, which is basically the opposite of being self-aware. Modern life makes it easy to become a part of what Eurich calls the cult of self: social media, for example, acts as a microphone-slash-spotlight we never have to turn off, while the concept of personal branding turns careful image curation into a professional skill. None of this is to suggest you should shut down your Facebook profile, Eurich says, but these elements can serve as environmental blocks to self-awareness: Whether or not you know it, the cult is trying to recruit us all.

Our environment isnt the only obstacle were all built with our own internal blocks as well. In a 2010 TED Talk titled The Riddle of Experience Versus Memory, psychologist Daniel Kahneman noted that our memories are often inaccurate, which makes introspection difficult. In his book, Thinking, Fast and Slow, he writes:

Except for some effects that I attribute mostly to age, my intuitive thinking is just as prone to overconfidence, extreme predictions, and the planning fallacy as it was before I made a study of these issues. I have improved only in my ability to recognize situations in which errors are likely And I have made much more progress in recognizing the errors of others than my own.

In that last sentence, Kahneman is alluding to the bias blind spot, our tendency to recognize cognitive biases in others without noticing them in ourselves.

In other words, your brain isnt built to easily spot your own lack of self-awareness. It may seem like a futile pursuit, but Kahneman offers an answer thats a little bit hopeful, even if its also a little bit frustrating. What can be done about our biases? he writes. The short answer is that little can be achieved without considerable investment of effort.

Moving past these blocks first requires acknowledging where youre starting from. Indeed, the most powerful thing you can do is to gently stop assuming youre already self-aware, Eurich suggests.

Know why youre doing it.

From stronger relationships to increased well-being, there are countless benefits to self-awareness. For example, in a study commissioned by consulting firm Green Peak Partners, researchers from Cornell University examined the traits that contribute to the effectiveness of successful leaders, concluding thata high level of self-awareness was the strongest predictor of success.

It wasnt a particularly surprising finding, the paper noted; when leaders are self-aware, they know how to hire subordinates who are strong in the areas where they themselves are weak. These leaders are also more able to entertain the idea that someone on their team may have an idea that is even better than their own, the authors wrote. Confidence and power are often prioritized in leadership roles, they added, and leadership searches give short shrift to self-awareness, which should actually be a top criterion.

Make peace with who you are.

Just because self-awareness is a desirable trait doesnt mean its one we enjoy having. In a series of studies published last year in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, researchers asked subjects to engage in conversations with strangers, acquaintances, close friends, and loved ones, comparing the impression participants made on their conversation partner to the one they thought they made. Overall, the subjects enjoyed the interactions less when they had an accurate view of how they were perceived when they had high levels of external self-awareness.People tend to like individuals who have accurate self-perceptions, yet individuals tend to enjoy their own relationships more with people they believe see them in desirable ways, the authors concluded. In other words, ignorance can be bliss when it comes to external self-awareness; like a heavily filtered Instagram, wed rather people see a better version of ourselves, even if that version isnt quite accurate.

Which is why self-acceptance is a necessary ingredient in self-awareness. Self-acceptance is a really important tool to not just increase our self-awareness, but also love the person we think we are,Eurich says. You can think of them as two twin pillars. Without self-acceptance, self-awareness becomes an unpleasant process, which in turn keeps us from embracing it. To put it another way, learning to accept yourself makes it easier to be honest about who you are.

Ask yourself the right questions.

Introspection is key to building internal self-awareness, but aimless wandering through your own psyche probably wont get you very far. You need a framework. To that end, Eurich has identified seven pillars of self-knowledge to help guide introspection: your personality, values, passions, aspirations, strengths, weaknesses, and something she calls fit, which is the environment most conducive to your well-being.Start by giving yourself the time and space to mull over each of these areas. (Eurich has even created a 14-question quiz to help you along.)

Your approach matters, too. When introspecting, its common for people to ask why. Why didnt I get that promotion? Why do I keep fighting with my spouse? Research has shown there are two problems with this, Eurich said. The question why sucks us into an unproductive, paralyzed state. It gets us into this victim mentality. Second, no matter how confident we are about the answer to why, were almost always wrong.

Eurich and her colleagues looked at their research over the years to see what it was self-aware people were doing differently. We went through all of our interview transcripts and we started to see a pattern. They were almost never asking why, but they were asking themselves what, she says. What skills do I need to build in the future? What dont I know? Why questions are emotionally charged, whereas what questions are rational and figure-focused, making it easier to approach a problem objectively.

Make it a group effort.

To build external self-awareness, on the other hand, you need to let someone else answer the questions. Eurich suggests asking someone close to you what they think about you, potentially even using the framework of those seven pillars. You need to go in the outside world and get feedback from people you trust, people who want you to be successful but are also going to tell you the truth, she says. (Eurichs quiz is a two-parter you also have to find a friend to answer questions about you).

You should also gather feedback from multiple loving critics, as Eurich calls them, to ensure you arent only getting one view.Another loved one might see you in a completely different light. While you dont want to outright dismiss any feedback or criticism, you do have to learn to think objectively. Getting a second, or third, opinion can help. In the end, though, its on you to synthesize all those opinions into a cohesive self-portrait and then get acquainted with the result.

Read more:
A Beginners Guide to Self-Awareness - thecut.com

Personal coaching - or 'life coaching' as it is commonly described and promoted - is a quite recent area of learning and development.

Life coaching can be effective in many situations, for example in helping a person's career direction and development, or for personal fulfillment or life change more generally.

Life coaching, or becoming a personal coach is also a career opportunity in itself that interests many people from a wide variety of backgrounds.

In recent years a big industry has grown under the heading of 'life coaching'. For this reason the term 'life coaching' appears widely in related marketing and publicity, which can create a perception that 'life coaching' is in some way quite different from other forms of personal coaching. In fact the term 'personal coaching' can be equally descriptive of what 'life coaching' entails: many personal coaches have capabilities which match those of 'life coaches', and many clients of personal coaches experience exactly the same coaching effects as in the 'life coaching' industry.

Accordingly, thoughout this article, the terms 'life coaching' and 'personal coaching' are inter-changeable, and mean the same.

Life coaching/personal coaching is interesting from the standpoint ofbeing coached, and alsobecoming a coach. This article aims to cover both angles.

Life coaching and personal coaching are interchangeable terms - they mean the same.

Life coaching aims todraws outa person's potential rather than puts in aims and knowledge from outside.

Itdevelopsrather than imposes.

Itreflectsrather than directs.

Effective life coaching or personal coaching is a form ofchange facilitation- itenablespeople, rather than trains them.

Life coaching isreactiveandflexible- it allows forpersonal transitionon anindividual basis.

Coaching of this sort makes no assumptions - it's not judgmental, nor is it prescriptive or instructional.

Empathyis central to the coaching process.

Good personal coaching seeks to help the other person's understanding of himself or herself.

Life coaching is rather like a brand or label of the life coaching industry, but it potentially covers virtually every aspect of personal development that an individual might aspire to - for career direction and development, management, executive and leadership, business start-up and entrepreneurialism, life skills, personal fulfilment, life-balance, and the aquisition of specific skills or knowledge.

Life coaching can be this adaptable because it is not concerned with delivery and specilaised training - it focuses on enablement and reflection, so that the individual decides and discovers their required progression themselves.

People use life coaches and personal coaches for various reasons, for example:

sounding board

career help

career direction

Coaching is about getting the very best out of someone and enabling them to make decisions that will improve their life. Coaches are hired for very many different and diverse reasons, for example: to climb the career ladder faster; to feel more fulfilled at work; to improve relationships with family and partners; to learn parenting skills that benefit both the child and parent; to gain a spiritual meaning to life, or a desire to 'get sorted'.

The profession is growing and coaching is becoming widely acknowledged also because people realise just how effective coaching is. Coaching is a relatively new and different profession - different to psychology, counselling or therapy. The big difference between coaching and these professions is that coaching doesn't claim to have the answers. A coach's job is not to go over old ground, be past-orientated or to force-feed information, but to work with clientsto help them find the answers themselves.

Also, when a person experiences being coached, their motivation comes from working with a coach who is him/herself an upbeat, positive role model. In this way coaching is a unique way of developing people. Coaches agree that helping clients to reach their full potential through this approach produces great satisfaction.

Many people enter the life coaching profession having been coached first, enjoying and benefiting from the experience, and feeling inspired to help others in a similar manner.

Life coaching offers a potentially rewarding additional or alternative career to people of all sorts.

Whatever the reasons for people deciding to work with coaches; whatever the type of coaching given, and whatever results clients seek from coaching, a common feature in all coaching relationship is thatcoaching is a two-way process.

The two-way partnership is a main attraction for people to coaching. Both coach and client benefit. Personal development for the coach is a huge aspect of learning coaching and all coaches find that they themselves grow yourself, before starting to help others to do the same.

An excellent coach finds out new things about themselves and is on a continuous learning journey. Indeed, becoming a coach means a lifelong quest for personal excellence. For many this quest is the motivation to become a coach in the first place.

Helping clients discover where they want to go and helping them to get there is now a proven methodology, which is fuelling the increasing popularity of professional coaching.

Significantly, good coaches are never motivated entirely by money. The very nature of coaching means that it's a profession that is centered around 'making a difference' and helping people. Focusing mainly on making money generally leads to a lack of concern for the client, with the result that the client exits the relationship, not surprisingly. Happily, coaches who enter the profession chiefly for financial gain leave coaching quickly - which helps to maintain the integrity of the coaching professional reputation.

Common factors and reasons for coaches entering the profession:

Coaching entails helping yourself grow and become more self aware, at the same time, helping others to overcome problems in their lives.

Interestingly, most life coaching and personal coaching is conducted on the telephone. Many coaches never actually meet their clients. For several reasons coaching is just as effective over the telephone as it is face-to-face. In fact, many clients prefer to speak over the telephone. This makes the process very convenient for both coach and client, and it offers greater flexibility for people with a busy lifestyle. Coaching using the telephone offers other obvious advantages:

A coaching session is typically thirty minutes and rarely longer than an hour.

Being self-employed has its advantages in any area of business. Having the luxury to choose the hours you work, where you work and how much to charge for your service is a huge motivation for anyone considering joining the profession.

Coaches can choose how many clients they want - one client, or twenty.

And there are no overheads involved - working from home is a big incentive for people who want to enter the coaching profession.

The flexibility of the coaching role, along with the rewarding aspects of the job, is likely to ensure that coaching and the number of practising coaches grows considerably in coming years.

Coaching, as well as being hugely satisfying, a means of personal development and very flexible, is also financially rewarding. Clients value and benefit from the support and are therefore happy to pay for it.

Coaches are attracted into the profession because it gives them:

Little can compare to really making a difference in another person's life.

The ability to help people make lasting, positive changes in their lives is very special. Good coaches have this very special ability, and it is therefore no wonder that people are attracted to the coaching role.

Typical motivations for becoming a coach are explained in this example:

"It's a wonderful experience when a client makes a breakthrough, has a 'light bulb moment' and takes action on something they have been putting off for a long time. It's a fantastic feeling for both me and them." (Pam Lidford, a UK-based qualified coach and trainer)

On a day-to-day basis, coaches face many challenges. Coaching is an ongoing process, a method of continuous development and a significant learning experience for coaches and clients, so it's important to learn from 'mistakes'

The key to this is realising that these aren't 'mistakes' or failings in the first place.

What many people regard as mistakes are lessons, experiences, and opportunities to learn and develop.

Cherie Carter-Scott in her book'If Life Is Game, These Are The Rules'has some helpful things to say about mistakes and learning. So does Don Miguel Ruiz in his book'The Four Agreements'. See also theinspirational quotes, many of which help to approach mistakes and learning experiences positively. Perhaps one of the most powerful examples is "What does not kill us makes us stronger." (attributed to Friedrich Nietzsche, based on his words: "Out of life's school of war: What does not destroy me, makes me stronger." from The Twilight of the Idols, 1899).

A coach must demonstrate resourcefulness and help people to see that if they think they have failed in the past, this bears no bearing to what they can do in the future.

John Cassidy-Rice is a qualified coach who has been working in personal development for many years. He explains typical challenges that coaches can face:

"Failure is only measured by time. If you look at the bigger picture, it's the 'failures' in our life that can actually turn out to be our greatest successes. What we learn from failure is invaluable. To give an example, when a football team loses an important match, they may regard themselves as failures; it's a natural thought process to go through. However, if they take it one match at a time, and look at where they went wrong in the game, and indeed, how they can improve for the next one, it means that these mistakes won't be made again - and they'll be successful in the future games they play. It can be a challenge to remove the 'failure' thought from clients. And showing them that it doesn't mean they can't achieve success in the future."

Listening skills, and resisting the urge to give advice are key attributes and methods of successful coaching, and central to truly helping people find their own direction and solutions.

Listening is the most important ability and behaviour of a coach. This takes patience, tolerance and practice, especially in order to develop real empathic listening techniques. See the section onempathy, which explains more about the different types of listening.

Communicating fully and expertly is a quality that most good coaches will possess. Many coaches draw on the techniques and principles of Neuro-Linguistic Programming to assimilate and master these important communicating capabilities.

Understanding the client's needs is also pivotal to the coach-client relationship, and a prerequisite for avoiding difficulties in the relationship and coaching support process.

It is essential that coachescoachand do not give advice. There's a huge difference between coaching and advising:

Coaching is centred around the client; whereas advising tends to be based on the beliefs, values and opinions of the advisor. In this respect a coach is most certainly not an advisor. The coach's role, and the coaching concept, is to help the other person find their own solutions, not to have them follow an advisor's recommendations or suggestions. This is a fundamental principle.

Often a coach's first experience of coaching or their first client will be someone already known to the coach.

Many other coaching relationships will result from recommendations or referrals by clients' or from past clients.

Integrity and trust are significant factors in successful coaching relationships, so it is logical that personal referrals and introductions are at the start of many coach-client relationships.

It is a fact that most coaches are recommended by existing or past clients.

Aside from this, coaches can and do market their services like any other professional provider, using a variety of appropriate methods, including internet websites, directories, brochures and leaflets. Many coaches offer free trial sessions.

Publicity from various media also helps to spread the word, and promote the reputations and availability of many coaches. Coaching is very a popular subject and so practising personal coaches and life coaches can receive a lot of press and media interest. Coaches are seen by the public as having special skills that not everyone has - so it's not unusual to see coaches being interviewed on local radio or asked for their advice in newspaper articles, etc.

The reputation of coaching is growing along with the use of the concept - and coaching is becoming increasingly associated with modern recognised requirements for success in life, work, business and organizations, notably the qualities of excellence, integrity, humanity and facilitative learning (as distinct from traditional 'training')

As previously stated, coaching is increasingly sub-dividing into specialist and new applications. There is already a considerable coaching presence and influence in the following areas:

In the future coaching is likely to incorporate and attract skills, resources and new coaches from many different areas, such as: teaching, human resources, training, healthcare and nursing, the armed forces, the police, counselling and therapy, etc.

Scientific research will improve cognisance throughout the profession, the processes performed and the reputation of coaches themselves. We will progressively understand more about why coaching works so well, and more about human behaviour and human response in the coaching context.

There will be a clearer definition, understanding and acceptance of life coaching and personal coaching, and its role in helping people to reach their goals.

Just as coaching is not the same as advising, so neither is coaching the same as consultancy. Coaching and consultancy are two very different disciplines, with different methods and aims.

Significantly, a consultant is a specialist in his or her field; whereasa coach is a specialist in coaching, and need not be a specialist in any other field.

That is not to say coaches do not benefit from having expertise in a particular field, in fact approaching coaching from a particular expertise or niche is becoming more prevalent among newly-trained coaches.

There will always be a demand for good coaches. And because coaching skills are so transferable, the coaching capability is hugely valuable for all sorts of other jobs and roles.

The very nature of coaching means that coaches will recommend it as a career. Coaches are passionate about what they do and want to 'spread the word' about the benefits of coaching from both the coach's and the client's perspective. Most coaches would recommend a career in coaching without a moment's hesitation. Helping people to be the very best they can be, touching people's lives, as well as guiding them to help them reach their goals provides immense job satisfaction. Coaching is a relatively young skill and service area and yet in recent years its growth is only exceeded by that of IT.

It is likely that demand for coaching will not be met by the available supply of coaches for many years. Compare this with management consultancy, which has been established as a service area for many decades, and is relatively well-supplied with management consultants.

Compared to established professional services, such as management consultancy, training, accountancy, legal services, etc., coaching is a much newer discipline. Coaching is fast growing and still relatively under-supplied, which is why many people are attracted to learn how to coach, either to become coaching professionals, or to add coaching skills to their existing role capabilities.

People seeking new career direction, or seeking to add new skills to an existing professional service capability are increasingly turning to coaching.

Coaching is unlike training, consultancy, advising, or providing a professional service in which work is completed on behalf of a client. The qualities required for good coaching are different to those found in these other other disciplines too:

In coaching, listening is more important than talking. By listening, people can be helped to overcome their fears, be offered complete objectivity and given undivided attention and unparalleled support. This leads to the intuitive questioning that allows the client to explore what is going on for themselves.

Coaching is a two-way process. While listening is crucial, so is being able to interpret and reflect back, in ways that remove barriers, pre-conceptions, bias, and negativity. Communicating well enables trust and meaningful understanding on both sides.

Coaches are able to communicate feeling and meaning, as well as content - there is a huge difference. Communicating with no personal agenda, and without judging or influencing, are essential aspects of the communicating process, especially when dealing with people's personal anxieties, hopes and dreams.

Good coaching uses communication not to give the client the answers, but to help the clients find their answers for themselves.

A coach's ability to build rapport with people is vital. Normally such an ability stems from a desire to help people, which all coaches tend to possess. Rapport-building is made far easier in coaching compared to other services because the coach's only focus is the client. When a coach supports a person in this way it quite naturally accelerates the rapport-building process.

Coaches motivate and inspire people. This ability to do this lies within us all. It is borne of a desire to help and support. People who feel ready to help others are normally able to motivate and inspire. When someone receives attention and personal investment from a coach towards their well-being and development, such as happens in the coaching relationship, this is in itself very motivational and inspirational.

Coaching patterns vary; people's needs are different, circumstances and timings are unpredictable, so coaching relationships do not follow a single set formula. Remembering that everyone is different and has different needs is an essential part of being a coach. Ultimately, everyone is human - so coaches take human emotions and feelings into account.

And coaching is client-led - which means that these emotions have to be tapped into from the very beginning of the coaching process. So, having the flexibility to react to people's differences, along with the curiosity and interest to understand fundamental issues in people's lives, are also crucial in coaching.

The coach's curiosity enables the client's journey to be full and far-reaching; both coach and client are often surprised at how expectations are exceeded, and how much people grow.

All this does take some courage - coaches generally have a strong belief in themselves, a strong determination to do the best they can for their clients, and a belief, or faith that inherently people are capable of reaching goals themselves.

Typically good coaches will use and follow these principles:

Life coaches and personal coaches come from all kinds of backgrounds and professions. Not surprisingly, coaches tend to like people, and many coaches come from 'people' and 'caring' professions.

Coaches come from backgrounds as varied as these, and the list is certainly not exhaustive:

And many people on business, institutions, management, and organisations of all sorts learn how to become coaches so as to enrich their existing roles with the very special skills, methodologies and philosophies that coaching entails.

Read the rest here:
Coaching - life coaching and personal coaching

The exhilaration I feel as the words unite with my sacred, illuminated essence are indescribable. I know the unfolding you describe intimately, as if my flesh is creating an electrified force field to hold all my particles together, lest they burst into a new universe.

The impulse is perhaps misguided because, in this instance, the I who anticipates annihilation in the process of this expansion is in fact the divine essence taking the stage for the encore of a lifetime.

You are such a deep blessing in my life! The transmission of your words activating me even more fully. - With loving appreciation, Dawn

The 52 codes is an amazing work that calls a person to their own highest aspects of self, guiding each through an ascending process of merging into oneness with the spiritual reality of the God Being that we are at the core of ourselves. I highly recommend this book and the process for any spiritual seeker that is on a journey to consciously knowing themselves in the heights of spiritual awareness. - Service In Love, Gary Goodhue

I am so grateful for the opportunity to study the 52 Codes and Conscious Evolution with Barbara. The whole body of work that she has brought together resonates so powerfully and profoundly for me. It has deepened all my other work and perspectives. - Henry Lepler

Working intimately with Barbara through the 52 Codes has brought a series of revelatory passages for both my mind and body. As a new human, my place in the world has expanded through an amplified attunement. The very scope of my being now encompasses the blossoming horizon of humanity. I am a human as evolution sees me, experiences me. Embodied realization is replacing old standards. Further, finer, clearer, an entirely new sense of truth is apparent. Through me, original life is being unleashed anew to discover its apex...I am evolution. - Sheila Cash

Barbara Marx Hubbard is one of the truly great visionaries of our time. Breathtaking in scope and stunning in insight, Barbara is providing a blueprint for the reconstruction of human reality so bold and yet so completely right, as to ignite the deepest sense within us that we can, and we must, join in this co-creation now. - Neale Donald Walsch

Barbara Marx Hubbard has become the voice for conscious evolution in our times. - Deepak Chopra

Barbara Marx Hubbard is one of Americas brightest lights. She makes this very complicated moment in history seem like a glorious opportunity. She gives guidance, and she gives hope. - Marianne Williamson

There is no doubt in my mind that Barbara Marx Hubbard who helped introduce the concept of futurism to society is the best informed human now alive regarding futurism and the foresights it has produced. Buckminster Fuller

Read more:
AWAKEN the New Species in You Presented by Humanity's Team

ConsciousnessA.H. Almaas A talk by A.H. Almaas - 'The Unfolding Now & The Now Of All Times'A.H. Almaas is the pen name of A. Hameed Ali, the originator of the Diamond Approach to Self-Realization. The Diamond Approach is a path of wisdom, an approach to the investigation of Reality and a method of working on oneself that leads to human maturity and liberation. It is a spiritual teaching, a method of connecting with our spiritual nature and bringing it into our life. The Diamond Approach represents a new paradigm in human/spiritual knowledge and understanding. It is not a synthesis of existing knowledge, but rather a new, more integrated understanding of the entire human psyche - ego, personality, soul - and the psyche's relationship with its fundamental nature. A.H. Almaas A. H. Almaas - Essence of Intelligence - Part 1A.H. Almaas A. H. Almaas - Essence of Intelligence - Part 2A.H. Almaas A. H. Almaas - Essence of Intelligence - Part 3A.H. Almaas A.H Almaas - 'Endless Enlightenment' - Interview by Iain McNayA.H. Almaas is the pen name of Hameed Ali, who is the creator of the Diamond Approach to Self Realization. The Diamond Approach is a contemporary teaching that developed within the context of awareness of both ancient spiritual teachings and modern depth psychological theories. He has authored several books about spiritual realization, including The Diamond Heart Series, The Pearl Beyond Price, The Void, The Unfolding Now and The Point of Existence. He founded the Ridhwan School, an inner work school devoted to the realization of True Nature. The goal (orientation) of the school is directed toward helping students to become aware of and embodying their 'essence' or essential nature. In this interview he talks about his life, his experiences, and how he feels 'Enlightenment' is never ending.A.H. Almaas A.H. Almaas and Karen Johnson - 'Two Hearts Beat As One' - Interview by Renate and Iain McNayA.H. Almaas is the pen name of Hameed Ali, who is the creator of the Diamond Approach to Self Realization. The Diamond Approach is a contemporary teaching that developed within the context of awareness of both ancient spiritual teachings and modern depth psychological theories. He has authored several books about spiritual realization, including The Diamond Heart Series, The Pearl Beyond Price, The Void, The Unfolding Now and The Point of Existence. He founded the Ridhwan School, an inner work school devoted to the realization of True Nature. Karen Johnson is a co-founder of the school and is involved with Almaas in its ongoing development. They talk about their relationship going back over 30 years and how it has matured and deepened over that time.A.H. Almaas 'Acknowledging Our Mortality' - A talk by AH AlmaasFounder of the Ridhwan School and author of many books incuding 'Facets of Unity: The Enneagram of Holy Ideas' 'Essence' 'Elixir of Enlightenment' and 'Pearl Beyond Price', here Almaas talks about death and acknowledging our mortality.A.H. Almaas Love and Emptiness - Part 1A.H. Almaas Love and Emptiness - Part 2A.H. Almaas Love and Emptiness - Part 3A.H. Almaas Love and Emptiness - Part 4A.H. Almaas Spacecruiser Enquiry - Part 1A.H. Almaas Spacecruiser Enquiry - Part 2A.H. Almaas Spacecruiser Enquiry - Part 3Books 'Important Books In My Life - Edition 1' - David Bingham interview by Eleonora GilbertThe first two programmes in a new series where guests talk about books that were important to them on their spiritual journey.Books 'Important Books In My Life - Edition 2' - Pathik Strand interview by Eleonora GilbertThe first two programmes in a new series where guests talk about books that were important to them on their spiritual journey.Books 'Important Books In My Life - Edition 3' - Guy Smith Interviewed by Eleonora GilbertAuthor of the highly regarded Non-Duality book, 'This Is The Unimaginable and Unavoidable - Irresponsible Writing On Non-Duality' Guy talks about books that have influenced him during his journey.Books 'Important Books In My Life - Edition 4' - Dr Manjir Samanta-Laughton Interviewed by Eleonora GilbertAuthor of 'Punk Science' and the recently published 'The Genius Groove - The New Science of Creativity', Dr Manjir Samanta-Laughton talks about the books that have influenced her life and thinking.Books 'Important Books In My Life - Edition 5' - Martine Batchelor interviewed by Eleonora Gilbert'Buddhist meditation teacher and author of eight books, Martine's choice of books which have been impactful in her life include: Chinese poetry; the exploration of the relationship between body and mind and the paradox of embodiment. Martine explains the myths and the reality of meditation in the management of chronic pain and her final book choice tells the true story of a schizophrenic man and his harrowing fight to manage this mental illness. Cold Mountain 100 Poems by the T'ang poet Han-shan, translated by Burton Watson Being Bodies edited by Lenore Friedman and Susan Moon Finding a Joyful Life in the Heart of Pain by Darlene Cohen The Day the Voices Stopped: a Memoir of Madness and Hope by Ken SteeleBooks 'Important Books In My Life - Edition 6' - Joan Tollifson interviewed by Eleonora Gilbert.Author of four books, Joan's teaching resonates with Advaita, Buddhism, Zen and other forms of Non-Duality. In this interview the books explored are: The Book, On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are by Alan Watts. The Light of Discovery by her much loved teacher Toni Packer. I Am That, talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj and lastly Buddhism Is Not What You Think by Steve Hagen.Books Marlies Cocheret - 'Important Books In My Life - Edition 7' - Interview by Eleonora GilbertIn this interview Marlies talks about the books that have touched her the most in her life. These 5 books were all written by women on women's spirituality and mysticism embracing the paths of Sufism, Tibetan and Tantric Buddhism, Christianity and Hinduism. Marlies explains: "All my teachers have been male, but all the books that deeply touched me are written by females." The following books are explored: The Chasm of Fire by Irina Tweedie, Cave in the Snow by Vicki MacKenzie, Passionate Enlightenment by Miranda Shaw, Totality in Essence by Vimala Thakar and What Is Self? by Bernadette RobertsBusiness Erika Uffindell and Nigel Linacre -The Art Of Stillness In Business - Moderated by Iain McNay(under Consciousness/Business) Nigel is author of several books including, Why You are Here - Briefly and An Introduction to 3-Dimensional Leadership. He is the co-founder of 'Extraordinary Leadership' and his clients include 'Wellboring' which provides water solutions for African communities. He says, "I practice self-awareness. I can be still. I practice gratitude and explore consciousness. I Pray. See and you shall find yourself, and you find everything." Erika worked as a brand manager for 25 years and is now transitioning out of this business to focus more on working with leaders to embrace the principles of conscious business. She works with Pinea3, the Global Institute for Conscious Leadership and Consciousness Capitalism UK. They both talk about the self enquiry they do, mindfulness, and that fact that organisations are energy and like people they too can get sick.Business Giles Hutchins - The Illusion Of Separation - Interview by Iain McNayGiles has written two books, The Illusion of Separation and The Nature of Business. He says, "Our patterns of thinking and learning are all based on a world of things which we are encouraged to think of as separate building. The dominant world view allows us to count and measure objects without their having any relational value for us.... It provides for neat definitions and a sense of control over life yet projects a logic that sets humans apart from each other and from Nature itself. Yet the deeper we look into nature the more we realise that nothing in life is separate; everything is a dynamic interplay. Life is essentially co-creative, fluid and connective. Separateness is an illusion we have created which has fast become a dangerous delusion infecting how we think and relate in business politics and beyond. It is becoming increasingly apparent that the critical problem facing our planet cannot be resolved with the same thinking that created the problems in the first place. In Devon, my daily meditations and yoga were supplemented with sitting against trees I got to know intimately. I learnt a Druidic tree meditation and healing practice which I practiced daily with the trees. I also started writing short articles while sitting next to trees, blogs for a personal website. Then the Guardian newspaper offered to pay for me to write blogs for them and soon after that a publisher approached me about writing a book on business inspired by nature. 'Leaving corporate life was all contrary to my conditioning of security, career, status, financial income, etc. and while my earnings have been pathetic in comparison since, it is with no regrets. I gave myself the vital space and time to deepen my inner psychic connection to Nature and also to recover from years of shell-shocking global travel, stress, burning the candle at both ends. I underwent something of a metamorphosis from 2012 to 2014, gradually healing while letting go of old mentalities, going through a 'dark night of the soul', embracing the unconscious depths of my imaginal realm and making friends once again with the stillness within."Business Oscar David - 'Consciousness in Government and Business' - Interview by Iain McNayOscar is author of the book, 'The Enneagram For Managers.' He works in Holland with Government officials, Army Generals, Police officials and Business leaders on how to integrate more understanding and harmony within their organisations.Business Richard Barrett - 'The New Leadership - When I Becomes We' - Interview by Iain McNayRichard is the author of four books including his latest: 'The New Leadership Paradigm - Leading Self - Leading Others - Leading An Organisation - Leading In Society.' He explains how personal development and understanding is so important when leading an organisation. The new leaders are the ones that recognise that values are changing fast on the planet, and the future of their organisations must include consciousness.Business Tim 'Mac' Macartney - The Invisible Path - Interview by Iain McNayAuthor of Finding Earth, Finding Soul: The Invisible Path To Authentic Leadership, Tim in 1983 was a gardener at a management training centre. By 1987 he was the head of consultancy at the same place, and two years later had his own London based people and organisation development consultancy working with leaders of multinationals. He has foot in two worlds. There has been times when they have been at war with each other: one part is shocked at the beauty of the earth, the other loves the business of business. He says, "Leaders are failing us and we fail them too - we get the leaders we deserve. We are at a time when we all need to find our own self-leader." "Real vision cannot embrace conformity, yet most organisations insist upon it. Conformity is the place of the slave. Leaders need to be dangerous to the status quo and restless truth seekers. They exist to articulate the dreams and aspirations of a community, they may get burnt but they don't give up; they must sit by the people side by side as equals and listen." "We are in a war with ourselves, with life, and the lines are drawn." "We are implicated whether we like it or not. We can pretend that the corporations are the enemy, but all of us are employed by, eat their food, derive our power, fuel our cars, furnish our houses, take out entertainment from the same organisations. We can deride our politicians but someone keeps voting them into power. We are the problem." "Around the world small and big initiatives are being born that are the response of dedicated and visionary people. There are millions of people just one step away from entering the garden and picking up the spade."Energy Bruce Frantzis 'Journey into Taoism' Interview by Iain McNayAuthor of 12 books including,' Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body', 'The Chi Revolution' and 'The Great Stillness', Bruce talks about his life; how he started enquiry at 6 years old, learnt Shiatsu and Zen when he was 14, and went to Japan when 18 to study with the founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba. He ended up living in China, Japan and India for 16 years where he studied Zen, Yoga, Kundalini and Taoist Fire traditions. Bruce speaks fluent Chinese and Japanese. Also he is the first Westerner to be certified in Beijing by the People's Republic of China to teach the complete system of Tai Chii Chuan. This is a really unique interview.Energy Burgs - 'Energy Fields and Modern Technology - Part 1' - Interview by Iain McNayAuthor of 'The Flavour Of Liberation' and 'Beyond The Veil' Burgs has been teaching meditation in Europe and Asia since 1998. He initially trained as the main assistant to the Balinese meditation teacher and healer Merta Ada and helped him set up his Meditation school in Indonesia. The Healing meditation practices he learnt during this period, heavily influence Burgs' current teaching practice, which have a strong emphasis on the application of meditation in the maintenance and cultivation of physical and mental health. While learning from Merta Ada, he also trained in Chi Kung with a number of well-known Taoist teachers in Asia, and today integrates many of these practices into his teaching system. Went on to learn meditation from the Venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw in Burma. Burgs has since been teaching both meditation and Chi Kung in the UK. He has a deep grounding and understanding in all aspects of meditation and energetic cultivation, and has a profound appreciation of how different spiritual practices and traditions fit together as a whole. He can directly perceive the mechanics of the mind and body, and can help elucidate the relationship between these aspects of ourselves.Energy Burgs - 'Energy Fields and Modern Technology - Part 2' - Interview by Iain McNayAuthor of 'The Flavour Of Liberation' and 'Beyond The Veil' Burgs has been teaching meditation in Europe and Asia since 1998. He initially trained as the main assistant to the Balinese meditation teacher and healer Merta Ada and helped him set up his Meditation school in Indonesia. The Healing meditation practices he learnt during this period, heavily influence Burgs' current teaching practice, which have a strong emphasis on the application of meditation in the maintenance and cultivation of physical and mental health. While learning from Merta Ada, he also trained in Chi Kung with a number of well-known Taoist teachers in Asia, and today integrates many of these practices into his teaching system. Went on to learn meditation from the Venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw in Burma. Burgs has since been teaching both meditation and Chi Kung in the UK. He has a deep grounding and understanding in all aspects of meditation and energetic cultivation, and has a profound appreciation of how different spiritual practices and traditions fit together as a whole. He can directly perceive the mechanics of the mind and body, and can help elucidate the relationship between these aspects of ourselves.Energy Mantak Chia 'The Universal Healing Tao' - Interview by Iain McNayAuthor of over 40 books including, 'Healing Energy of Shared Consciousness: A Taoist Approach To Entering the Universal Mind' and 'Taoist Shaman: Practices from the Wheel of Life.' In this interview Mantak Chia talks about his life and how he was taught to access CHI energy by his Chinese teacher. He explains how this CHI energy can clear emotions and strengthen the body and the mind, and how it is connected to Universal energy and life force. Mantak Chia also shows how to start accessing CHI energy.Energy Tez Sawicki - 'The Master Game' - Interview by Iain McNayFounder of the retreats 'Gathering Essence: The Master Game', Tez takes us through his life. After years of struggle and alienation he started to find his way through studying the Daoyin system, The I Ching, Meditation and Qi Gong. After a series of openings which 'permanently re-opened the Universal Field' of his consciousness, Tez spent time developing and understanding the meditative process and cultivating the potential of the life force and its field. He says: 'The communion of body-mind and spirit with the Universal Field brings us into the effortless awareness of Wu Wei and leaves us standing at the doorway to the Absolute, to boundless Wholeness.'Enneagram 'Enneagram Type 1 - The Perfectionist' - Discussion with James Barlow, Anne Martin, Carlos Silva and moderated by Iain McNayThe Eighth programme in our series on the Enneagram. Three type 1's talk about themselves and their lives.Enneagram 'Enneagram Type 2 - The Helper.' - Discussion with Paul Burrows, Gill Harris and Renate McNay. Moderated by Iain McNay.This is our final programme in our nine part series on the Enneagram.Enneagram 'Enneagram Type 3 - The Achiever' - Discussion with Maureen Gallagher, Eleonora Gilbert, Pat Knightley and moderated by Iain McNay.The First programme in a new series about the Enneagram where we will talk in detail about each type (there are 9). Maureen, Eleonora and Pat are all Type 3's. In this discussion they explain how their knowledge of the Enneagram has helped them understand themselves and others better and live more authentic and fulfilling lives.Enneagram 'Enneagram Type 4 - The Romantic' - Discussion with Janette Blakemore, Rosemarie Morgan-Watson, Phil Dickinson and moderated by Iain McNay.The fourth programme in a new series about the Enneagram and the 9 different personality types. Here type 4 is discussed in detail.Enneagram 'Enneagram Type 5 - The Observer' - Discussion Angelina Bennet, Heather Brown, Kilian Gilbert and moderated by Iain McNay.The sixth programme in a new series about the Enneagram and the 9 different personality types. Here type 5 is discussed in detail.Enneagram 'Enneagram Type 6 - Fear And Courage' - Discussion with Grahame Morgan-Watson, Judith Priest and Lynne Citroen-Barratt and moderated by Iain McNay.This is the second programme in a new series about the Enneagram where we will talk in detail about each type (there are 9). Grahame, Judith and Lynne are all Type 6's. In this discussion they explain how their knowledge of the Enneagram has helped them understand themselves and others better. They also talk about how they see the potential of their type in terms of the bigger picture of life.Enneagram 'Enneagram Type 7 - The Adventurer' - Discussion with Chris Walton, Nina Grunfeld, Daniel Conway and moderated by Iain McNay.This is the third programme in a new series about the Enneagram and the 9 different personality types. Here type 7 is discussed in detail.Enneagram 'Enneagram Type 8 - The Challenger' - Discussion with Phil Wallace, Lynne Sedgmore and Christine Adames. Moderated by Iain McNay.The seventh programme in our series on the Enneagram. Three 8's talk about themselves and their lives.Enneagram 'Enneagram Type 9 - The Mediator' - Discussion with Dottie Baynham, Cate Parker, Sam Settle and moderated by Iain McNay.The fifth programme in a new series about the Enneagram and the 9 different personality types. Here type 9 is discussed in detail.Enneagram Faisal Muqaddam - 'The Essential Enneagram as a Spiritual Path to Awakening' - Interview by Eleonora GilbertFaisal Muqaddam is the originator of the Diamond Logos teachings. He is a psycho-spiritual teacher and a trained Reichan and bioenergetics therapist. He has been teaching for the last 35 years in the USA, Middle East and Europe. In this interview we explore the concept of 'the family hole' and how the child develops his personality structure based on what's psychologically 'missing' in the family. Also we explore the essential states of each type and which organs in our body are related to its ennea-type.Enneagram Ginger Lapid-Bogda - 'The Enneagram In Business' - Interview by Iain McNayAuthor of several books on the Enneagram including "Bringing Out The Best in Yourself at Work", "Bringing Out The best in Everyone You Coach" and "What Type of Leader are You?", Ginger talks about her life, how she found and uses the Enneagram in her work and the potential of the Enneagram in Business. She also gives a brief overview of the 9 different styles.Enneagram Helen Palmer - 'Relationships Matter - The Enneagram Tells us How' - Interview by Eleonora GilbertHelen Palmer is the author of two best sellers, The Enneagram: Understanding Yourself and the Others in Your Life and The Enneagram in Love and Work: Understanding Your Intimate and Business Relationships - currently translated in 28 languages. In this interview Helen talks about the Enneagram and its importance in our personal and spiritual evolution. She describes how it could impact our relationships in the development of real understanding of our deep-rooted habitual patterns and that of others. She talks about our assumption that we are 'seeing consensus' in our views of the world. We believe that we can have differing opinions but fail to understand that we might actually have fundamentally different views of the world and different internal structures. For us to evolve out of automatic patterns takes reflection on our inward patterns, development of an attention practice. She says, "Take a pause, centre yourself, so you are not going into a premature conclusion or projection about what will happen. A temporary silence brings you to your senses and enables you to be receptive to reality as it is occurring between two people".Enneagram Helen Palmer - 'The Enneagram - Gateway To Spiritual Liberation' - Interview by Iain McNayAuthor of 'The Enneagram: Understanding Yourself and the Others in Your Life' and 'The Enneagram in Love and Work: Understanding Your Intimate and Business Relationship' as well as other books on the Enneagram. In this interview she talks about how she first heard of the Enneagram and met with Claudio Naranjo in the 70s. At the time there were very few teachings that included the mystical realms along with a psychological understanding. She explains how the Enneagram can provide important pointers to the barriers to spiritual liberation. Self-observation and self-reflection are key as is concentration and witnessing consciousness.Enneagram Sandra Maitri - 'Introduction To The Enneagram' - Interview by Iain McNaySandra is an author, an Enneagram teacher, and a principal teacher in the Ridhwan school, home of the Diamond Approach. She was among the first group of students to whom Claudio Naranjo presented the Enneagram system in the US in the 1970s. She has been teaching the Enneagram as part of the larger work of spiritual transformation for 25 years. In this interview she talks about her early adventures in personal development and then describes the principals behind the Enneagram and gives a brief overview of the Nine different types. Sandra has written two books on the Enneagram, "The Spiritual Dimensions Of The Enneagram - Nine Faces Of The Soul" and "The Enneagram of Passions and Virtues: Finding the Way Home".Enneagram Sandra Maitri - 'The Enneagram - The Virtues and The Passions' - Interview by Iain McNayIn this interview Sandra goes deeper into the Enneagram and talks about the material covered in her second book "The Enneagram of Passions and Virtues: Finding the Way Home".Enneagram Tom Condon - 'Living the Dynamic Enneagram' - Interview by Iain McNayAuthor of 'The Dynamic Enneagram - How To Work with your personality style to truly grow and change.' Tom explains how the Enneagram is an inner map of what we have learnt, but it is incomplete. It offers many clues to out truth strengths and can greatly help us improve our communications with others and our relationships. It is a springboard for change. We are in a deep trance, only perceiving a fraction of reality. We are living the story of our lives rather than our actual lives. The Enneagram can be an invaluable vehicle to help us wake up to who we really are.Enneagram Tom Condon - 'The Enneagram and Relationships' - Interview by Eleonora GilbertTom Condon, author of The Dynamic Enneagram and of How to See Enneagram Styles in the Movies, combines in his trainings his knowledge of the Enneagram, Ericksonian Hypnosis and NLP to bring about change. Tom has also produced over 50 DVD's and CD's. In this interview we go deeper into the exploration of what other factors, besides our Enneagram type, influence our patterns of behaviour in how we relate to people and to our world. We explore parental points, the Enneagram style of the family, the subtypes and much more. Tom says: "As you apply what you learn to your life, you might remind yourself that an Enneagram style is more than the sum of someone's visible behaviour. The Enneagram describes the inner strategies that drive behaviour. It's not what people do, it's why they do it".Evolution Alastair McIntosh - 'Community and the Divine Human Being' - Interview by Iain McNayAlastair is author of several books including, 'Hell and High Water', 'Rekindling Community' and 'Soil and Soul.' His work is very much built around Community whatever form that takes and how a real experience of that can take someone into the heart and experience the connectedness that we all share beneath the surface. Alastair says: "Community is about creating synergies out of diverse parts. Becoming grounded means having one foot in the physical realities of this world and the other in the dynamics of people".Evolution Andrew Cohen - 'Evolutionary Enlightenment' - Interview by Iain McNayAuthor of many books including: "Embracing Heaven and Earth", "Living Enlightenment: A Call for Evolution Beyond Ego", "Enlightenment Is a Secret: Teachings of Liberation", "My Master is Myself: Birth of a Spiritual Teacher". Andrew talks about his life and spiritual openings and how he sees "Evolutionary Enlightenment as an original non-sectarian spiritual path for the 21st century", uniting the transcendent freedom of enlightenment with the innate human desire to change and to evolve.Evolution Andrew Harvey - 'The Death And The Birth' - Interview by Iain McNayAuthor of 30 books including 'Hidden Journey', 'The Hope' and of his forthcoming book 'Radical Passion', Andrew talks about his life, his awakening and his dark nights. He travels worldwide encouraging people to explore and engage in Sacred Activism. Here he also talks about his time with Mother Meera, the importance of shadow work, and how as a human race we are right on the edge of death, but also of a new birth. Andrew explains: "Compassion in Action is the marriage of practical action and spiritual wisdom to create a holy force capable of transforming our world crisis and preserving our planet".Evolution 'Consciousness And Evolution - A Discussion with Chris Parish, Dave Pendle and Patrick Bryson' - Moderated by Iain McNayThree long term seekers discuss Consciousness And Evolution from their own experiences.Evolution Dr Robin Wood - 'The Great Shift' - Interview by Iain McNayAuthor of 'The Great Shift: Catalyzing The Second Renaissance' and founder of 'Renaissance 2', Robin talks about the challenge that awaits us as we stand on the brink of our greatest crisis or opportunity. In his view we are faced with either evolution or extinction. Robin explains that we have to shift our consciousness, our behaviour and our systems, and talks about how this is possible.Evolution Hardin Tibbs - 'The Eco-Spiritual Futurist' - Interview by Iain McNayHardin is a UK-based futurist and business strategist with extensive experience of scenario-based strategic thinking. He is a futures researcher, strategic analyst, process facilitator and presenter, with a background in product development and visual communications. In addition to his strategy work, Hardin has made significant contributions on issues involving technology and environment. He brings together the world of Sustainability, the Future and Consciousness.Evolution Jason Liosatos, Peter Hughes and Kinga Monica - 'The Birth Of A New Society' - Interview by Iain McNayJason is author of 'The Emergency Transformation Of Human Beings'. Peter and Kinga's book is called, 'A Big Strategy.' They all share a concern for the way our society is going and understand that any real change on the outside has to come from within. In this lively and at times quite inspiring discussion they talk about their lives and the content of their books.Evolution Peter Russell - 'The Great Awakening' - Interview by Iain McNayAuthor of many books including 'The Brain Book,' 'The Global Brain,' 'From Science To God' and 'Waking Up In Time', Peter talks about his life and work. He explains what he calls Spirituality 101. He also talks about Singularity, 'A White Hole In Time,' and the bringing together of Consciousness and Science.Evolution Sophy Banks - 'The Transition Movement - Inner and Outer' - Interview by Iain McNaySophy talks about the different ways The Transition Movement works, both on the outside and on the inside. She founded the 'Heart And Soul' groups which later became known as 'Inner Transition.'Healing C Anita Moorjani - 'Dying To Be Me' - Interview by Renate McNayAnita worked in the corporate field before being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Four years after being diagnosed her body began shutting down. As her organs failed she entered into an extraordinary near-death experience where she realised the cause of her disease as well as waking up to who she truly is. On regaining consciousness she found her condition had improved so rapidly that she was released from hospital within weeks.Healing C Arielle Essex 'The Matrix Of Healing' - Interview by Renate McNayAuthor of 'The Eight Factors Of Healing' and 'Compassionate Coaching - How To Heal Your Life and Make Miracles Happen', Arielle talks about her own healing process after she was diagnosed with a brain tumour and explains very clearly the role of the mind in creating our reality on different levels.Healing C Brandon Bays - 'My Journey To The Journey' Interview by Iain McNayBrandon has written several books including 'The Journey,' 'The Journey For Kids' and 'Consciousness The New Currency.' In this interview she talks about her early spiritual search; how she healed herself from a large growth in her stomach, and the events that led to her creating 'The Journey' seminar which she has been leading now for many years.Healing C Daan Van Kampenhout 'Shamanic Rituals' - Interview by Renate McNayAuthor of 10 books including 'Images of the Soul: The Workings in Shamanic Rituals and Family Constellations' and 'The Tears of the Ancestors: Victims and Perpetrators in the Tribal Soul.' Daan talks about his life and his experiences with Shamanic Rituals and Family Constellations.Healing C Dr Eric Pearl - 'Reconnective Healing' - Interview by Renate McNayHealer and Author of 'The Reconnection - Heal Others, Heal Yourself'. Eric walked away from one of the most successful chiropractic practices in Los Angeles when he and others started witnessing miraculous healings. He talks about his mission in bringing the 'new' bandwidth of frequency never before present on Earth which awakens and upgrades our minds and human system. Dr Pearl brings his mission worldwide to a fast growing audience, to Governments, to the Healthcare System and to Prisons.Healing C Dr Guy Meadows - 'How To Sleep Well' - Interview by Renate McNayDr. Guy Meadows (PhD) is a successful Sleep Physiologist and the Director of the London Insomniac Clinic. Insomnia feeds on our fear of not sleeping and the anxiety and distress that we choose to place on ourselves when we cannot sleep. He works with "Mindful Sleep Therapy" which goes against our modern desire to try and solve the problem of why we can`t sleep. It recognises that your body knows how to sleep and that the only thing preventing you from sleeping is you. Only when you stop "trying" to sleep, then and only then, will you sleep. He states: "Be the change you want to see in your sleep!"Healing C Emilie Conrad - 'Continuum: My Story' - Interview by Renate McNayEmilie Conrad is the founder of "Continuum" and the author of 'Life on Land - The Story of Continuum.' In this interview she talk about her traumatizing Brooklyn childhood and discovery of Dance with the psychic and physical collapse that led to the development of Continuum and to her ground-breaking movement and self-realization technique.Healing C Matthew Manning - 'My Healing Journey' - Interview by Iain McNayMatthew's early life was quite dramatic. When he was a teenager he started to be a catalyst for poltergeist activity which was at times very persistent and dramatic. He then started 'automatic writing' and found that he was becoming a magnet for people from many different cultures and languages that had been dead for years. His first book, 'The Link' which told the story of this activity was published when he was 20 years old and went on to sell over 1 million copies. He then had an experience in the Himalayas which changed his life and he then started to work as a healer. He is now one of Britain's best known healers and still works from his healing centre in Suffolk. Other books he has written include 'One Foot In The Stars', 'In The Mind Of Millions; The Healing Journey' and 'Strangers.'Healing C Meir Schneider - 'My Life And Vision' - Interview by Iain McNayAuthor of 'Movement for Self Healing', Meir tells his inspiring story of how he was born blind to deaf parents. Through hard work and determination he is now able to see (has a driving license). Meir also talks about his healing Centre in San Francisco, CA and why he believes that virtually anyone who is ill can improve their health.Healing C Philip Jacobs - 'Chronic Illness and The Spiritual Path' - Interview by Iain McNayPhilip is the Sheik for the 'Turning' group at Colet House in West London. He studied with Dr Francis Roles for many years. In this interview he talks about the challenges he faced when he became seriously ill with Lyme disease. 'I had always previously thought that it was possible to change my attitude to any situation. With the illness, I realised that there was a stage where you couldn't. You could have a good attitude either side of the experience, but not while you were in it. This was when the illness was deep in the brain, there was no way out until it passed and you just had to allow the experience to be what it was and if it was darkness then it was just darkness.' ' I was having to assimilate the idea of illness and suffering as a gift - what looked like suffering on the physical and psychological levels could often have a transforming effect on the deeper spiritual levels, that may not be apparent to the casual observer.'Healing C Vidyamala Burch - 'Living Well With Pain And Illness' Interview by Iain McNayAuthor of the book 'Living Well With Pain And Illness - The Mindful Way To Free Yourself From Suffering', Vidyamala talks about her life. She describes how she seriously damaged her back 25 years ago and needs to use a wheelchair. At the same time she has found a way to live with constant pain so that it doesn't completely dominate her life. This is an inspiring and also a very practical interview.Other Adam Martanda - 'Homeopathy and Transformation' - Interview by Iain McNayAdam, now 70 years old, was a successful homeopath and ran his own school in the UK for many years. He talks about his early life in a Gurdjieff group and living in different communities. His first experience with homeopathy was quite dramatic and led to a healing process that changed his life. He talks about homeopathy and how it can transform people's lives.Other Adrian Rides and John Flaherty - 'Addiction and Awakening' - Interview by Iain McNayJohn is author of the book, 'Addiction Unplugged - How To Be Free and has worked in the field of addiction for 25 years. He was previously a Catholic Priest but left when he was 35 having felt he had handed his life over to the Church. At this point he felt physically, mentally and emotionally drained and he knew it was time to move on. Adrian started drinking heavily at an early age to avoid feelings of intense anxiety and reached the point where his marriage had broken down and he was in a deep depression. He discovered meditation and his life started to change. Shortly afterwards he had an experience, 'I realised that now is all that there is and that the past and future were simply torments of my mind. I realised that I was alive, that my aliveness was not separate from the aliveness in everything, I realised that I was life itself and that I had found myself.' He also works in the field of addiction and teaches mindfulness in London. Adrian's website is:www.lovelifelivenow.com and John's is http://www.beawarebealive.comOther Anne Geraghty - 'Death. The Last God' - Interview by Iain McNayAuthor of 'In The Dark And Still Moving', Anne talks about the sudden death of her son Tim Guest and how that started her journey to find out what death means for her.Other Brandon Bays - 'The Journey For Children' - Interview by Renate McNayBrandon is author of 'The Journey' ' and 'The Journey for Kids.' In this interview she talks about how 'The Journey' work can be used with children to help them overcome trauma and lead them back to their true self.Other Camilla Carr and Jon James -'The Sky Is Always There' - Interview by Iain McNayIn 1997 Camilla and Jon drove to Chechnya to help set up a rehabilitation Centre for war-traumatized children in war-torn Grozny. Two months later they were kidnapped at gunpoint. For the next 14 months they were kept in basements with no natural light or fresh air. She was also raped. They tell their story, and how they survived by using meditation, Tai chi, Qigong and prayer circles. They wrote the book 'The Sky Is Always There' as a kind of cathartic healing for themselves. Camilla says, 'the captors could never touch my essence - my body is only a part of who I am. My spirit will always be free'.Other Camille Carr, Jon James and Christine Jensen - 'Consciousness and Trauma' - Moderated by Iain McNayIn 1997 Camilla and Jon drove to Chechnya to help set up a rehabilitation Centre for war-traumatized children in war-torn Grozny. Two months later they were kidnapped at gunpoint. For the next 14 months they were kept in basements with no natural light or fresh air. They talk about how they dealt with the trauma that came up for them after they were released and how they dealt with it. Christine Jensen works as a trauma therapist and is based in Bath, in Somerset. The three guests discuss the importance of recognizing and healing the many different types of trauma that we all face in life. How we are unaware of the layers of trauma hidden in our psyches, bodies and nervous systems and how this trauma is one of the barriers to discovering who we really are.Other Carla Verberk - 'It Started With A Kiss' - Interview by Iain McNayCarla tells her story of how her first kiss brought her dramatically in touch with her body and was the first clue that she would eventually become one of the leading teachers of Tantra in Europe. Her Journey included the Humaniversity, Sannyas with Bhagwan/Osho; The Ridhwan school and many years studying and teaching Tantra.Other Charlie Morley - 'Dream of Awakening' - Interview by Renate McNayCharlie Morley is a Lucid Dreamer and the author of Dreams of Awakening. He teaches lucid dreaming within the context of Tibetan Buddhism and is the co-creator of Mindfulness of Dream & Sleep and gives workshops and lectures around the globe. He says: " We sleep for about 30 years in our life, we are for 30 years in a 'black out' why would we not be interested in where we are?" In this interview Charlie talks about the benefits of lucid dreaming which is also a preparation for Death and Dying and for going through the BARDOS realms. Lucid dreaming offers the opportunity for the full Realization of our True Nature. Lucidity is not only about dream dimension, it's about all dimensions and being awake in everything we do.Other Christine Jensen - 'Trauma and Awakening' - Interview by Renate McNayChristine specializes in 'Trauma Resolution Work' which was originally pioneered by American psychologist, Peter Levine. She was brought up in the outbacks of Australia very connected to nature, the stars and the earth and sees today the importance of it for regulation and harmony of our nervous system. She talks about trauma in spirituality and why trauma is in the way to fully Awaken. "Everything we experience is registered in the body and it has to be felt there so that the nervous system can release the blocked energy of the trauma, shock and stress, and heal. Our whole human system from psyche to cell wants to heal and move towards greater wholeness."Other Claudio Naranjo - 'Healing Civilization' - Interview by Eleonora GilbertAuthor of over 20 books including 'Healing Civilization' and 'Enneagram of Society: Healing the Soul to Heal the World', Claudio talks about his latest book 'Healing Civilization' and his vision for a better society.Other David Bingham -'Art and Self Realisation' - Interview by Renate McNayDavid is an Artist and had his first experience of the timeless realm when looking at a painting by David Hockney when studying art in Art School. The highest purpose of art is to reveal the Self. He demonstrates how art can lead to Self-Realisation without the need for spiritual beliefs or practices and shows examples of paintings which can activate the experience of silence and stillness in the viewer. He also talks about the acceleration of the Evolution of Consciousness and that Self-Realisation is happening now on a much larger scale. The idea of a dramatic shift is receding and that clear seeing and acceptance of one's ever present Realisation is all that is required.Other Derek Thorne - 'Atman Vichara Yoga and Meditation' - Interview by Iain McNayDerek is a yoga teacher, writer, poet and lecturer who is the Spiritual director of the YogaLiving community based near Bath in England. He has practiced Yoga for 40 years and has also trained many yoga teachers. Since 1997 has committed to Atma Vichara and the Jnana Yoga approach as given by Sri Ramana Maharshi. Alongside an ongoing professional life in the health service he now devotes his time to making that teaching accessible to all who seek it and to the development of the YogaLiving Community. In this interview he talks about his life and his work.Other Dr Peter Fenwick - 'Consciousness and Dying' - Interview by Iain McNayAuthor of several books including 'The Art Of Dying', 'The Truth In The Light' and 'The Hidden Door', neuro-psychiatrist Peter Fenwick talks about his research into End of Life Experiences and deathbed phenomena. In this interview Dr Fenwick explains what these occurrences mean in the greater picture of who we really are.Other Florian Schlosser - 'Consciousness And Relationships' - Interview by Eleonora GilbertPeople have always loved sitting and sharing in the presence of an awakened human being and experiencing that tender beingness. For about 7 years Florian has travelled around the world inviting seekers to recognize in their own experience who they really are and to live as an embodiment of truth in everyday life. In his unmistakable manner he embraces the daily and simple life that he is sharing with a constantly increasing number of 'friends of truth', as he calls all those being interested. Again and again visitors of meetings tell of spontaneous awakening, of an all penetrating silence, of simple clarity and presence and of overflowing love and gratitude which they experience in Florian presence. With both legs firmly rooted in normal everyday life and at the same time in the heart deeply connected with Ramana Maharshi, Papaji, Jiddu Krishnamurti and his teacher and friend Isaac Shapiro, Florian speaks and is silent, laughs and cries, is present with everyone who would love to savour the truth of awareness. In this interviews Florian talks about relationships and how this has impacted his life.Other Georgi Y Johnson and Bart Ten Berge - 'Anxiety And Awakening' - Moderated by Renate and Iain McNayIn this interview Georgi Y Johnson, Author of "I AM HERE" and her Partner Bart Ten Berge, Author of "THE GIFT" 7 STEPS to a Happy and Fulfilled Life", discuss the meaning of anxiety and depression in the process of Awakening. Fear is a natural part of physical life but we need to unhook our fears as the authority on our thoughts, feelings and choices. The way to do this is not to repress fear but give it space. Liberated fear is alive and appropriate to the moment. For many, severe Anxiety or Panic attacks can be the turning point in finding themselves. Georgi is telling us her own story of a period of Deep Depression, Panic Attacks and Anxiety; looking for help she met Bart who is a Healer and the co-founder of the International School of Spiritual Psychology (ISSP) based in Holland.Other James David Parker - 'The Magic Of Philosophical Illusion'James Parker is a master of the mysterious magic arts who has created the phenomenal 'Philosophical Illusion'. He is a former teen prodigy and has now developed into an internationally respected virtuoso of his craft. Here he performs a unique show for conscious.tv.Other Jeff Foster - 'Conscious Relating: the Power of Honesty' - Interview by Eleonora GilbertJeff is author of 5 books including, 'The Deepest Acceptance: Radical Awakening In Ordinary Life,' 'An Extraordinary Absence: Liberation in the Midst Of A Very Ordinary Life,' and 'The Wonder of Being.' In this interview relationships are explored from the perspective of consciousness. Can we really find the 'One' in the form of another human being? Everybody is just seeking for unconditional love. Fearless, clear and honest communication brings the end of seeking. Jeff says: "Life is about meeting ourselves, meeting our own pain, our own fears, our own bliss, our own joy - meeting all those waves in ourselves and meeting the one in front of us in the same way actually. In the end it is the same meeting - we are really just meeting ourselves."Other Jeff Foster - 'The Crucifix is the Present Moment" - Interview by Renate McNayJeff is author of 5 books including, 'The Deepest Acceptance: Radical Awakening In Ordinary Life,' 'An Extraordinary Absence: Liberation in the Midst Of A Very Ordinary Life,' and 'The Wonder of Being.' In this interview Jeff uses the crucifixion of Jesus to explain Life lived in the Present Moment. He also shares his own despair and talks about how we have the tendency to spiritually BYPASSING our human stuff and how we all long for the unconditional rest of the 'Ocean'.Other Jenny Boyd - 'Staring Into The Face Of God' - Interview by Iain McNayJenny Boyd is the author of 'It's Not only Rock 'n' Roll' a book where she presents interviews with 75 musicians about how their creativity functions. Jenny works as a psychologist and addictions consultant in London. She wanted to understand how the minds and souls of these artist could create such great music. Her own spiritual awakening first started when she was 18. 'A tingling sensation rippled through my body, everything appearing crystal clear. I felt like a channel for the deeper parts of myself, as if I was watching myself from above. There was also a feeling of unity. My search for enlightenment had begun, I was now on a path from which I would often swerve but never leave.' In 1967 she travelled with the Beatles to India to spend time with Maharishi Maheshi Yogi (her sister Pattie was going out with - and later married - George Harrison at the time)

Here she learnt to meditate. She became a successful model in London, and later married Mick Fleetwood the drummer in Fleetwood Mac. 'After many years of being involved with everything that went along with rock 'n' roll I decided to go to college and study psychology.' She talks about her own journey as well as the fascinating process she discovered about musicians creativity. 'Peak experience can happen when the artist is totally in the here and now. A time of complete concentration that overtakes the mundane - the experience of eternity right here and now - by completely concentrating on the music they are able to open themselves up - the result can be songs that come from nowhere.'

Kathy Monaco was introduced to Buddhism to get answers to some of the questions that were always in the back of her mind. She lived as a nun both in South Africa and Taiwan before disrobing and constructing a simple life for herself using Buddhist tools.

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'I had achieved outer freedom but was far, far away from inner, real freedom.'

The market crashed and he lost almost everything. Lived in a forest for a time, 'I wanted to say NO to civilisation.' Moved to Mexico and then started to experience, real, deep, suicidal depression. Moved in with an Indian tribe in Ecuador, 'it was there I found that I could not just sit and BE like the Indians.'

'This suicidal depression became my greatest teacher.'

He discovered the secret to finding real freedom was going inside his body, 'Whenever I was able to do it I became calm and my mind would stop. I spent much time sitting by the water and experimenting with grounding my body to the beach. There were moments when all of a sudden the sound of the waves became different and the mind was so still that there were hardly any remnants of the depression. I would get up and start walking and the sand and the water on my feet felt unlike it had ever felt before. This marked the beginning of the end of depression'

After a time he was able to surrender to his ultimate love - presence - the silence of nothing where the mind takes a back seat and becomes the servant and the original being is once again on the throne..

He now helps people free themselves from thought addiction.

In this interview we hear about John's fascinating history and explore the Centaur, Subtle, Causal and Non-Dual states and demonstrate the differences between these stages.

'In my daily work as a psychotherapist I attune myself to the client's way of being, in order to get on to the same wavelength, so to speak. I am what has been called 'an authentic trickster' in the sense that I can genuinely match the client's level of consciousness at all times. In other words I do not claim to be a dedicated mystic who is always at, say, the Non-Dual level of consciousness. I would rather claim to be able to enter that state at will or as appropriate.'

'Libya accelerated my drastic purgation and remaking of myself. I was on the universal mystic way without realising it - I didn't know that my dark night of the senses would help me back onto the right path of detachments, illumination and transformations - I would have to traverse hell before I could reach inner serenity - I now felt more intensely than ever that I had lost my way in a dark wood and was I still searching for my right path.' 'This was my first glimpse of the celebrated golden flower, the centre and the source of my being. White light flowing upwards... a spring opened up inside me... visions wobbled inside me... I saw a fountain of light .Finally I said to myself , 'I surrender' and I was drunk with flowing light.'

Has been teaching meditation in Europe and Asia since 1998. He initially trained as the main assistant to the Balinese meditation teacher and healer Merta Ada and helped him set up his Meditation school in Indonesia. The Healing meditation practices he learnt during this period, heavily influence Burgs' current teaching practice, which have a strong emphasis on the application of meditation in the maintenance and cultivation of physical and mental health. While learning from Merta Ada, he also trained in Chi Kung with a number of well-known Taoist teachers in Asia, and today integrates many of these practices into his teaching system. Went on to learn meditation from the Venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw in Burma. He was personally tutored by the Sayadaw, and became the first Westerner to complete the entire series of 40 Samatha meditation practices as described by the Buddha.

After disrobing as a monk in Burma, he was asked to visit the Tibetan Light Master, His Holiness Dodrupchen Rinpoche, who gave him the direct Dzogchen Mind Transmissions and subsequently recognised his attainment of some of the highest levels of Dzogchen practice. Since then, Burgs has been teaching both meditation and Chi Kung in the UK. He has a deep grounding and understanding in all aspects of meditation and energetic cultivation, and has a profound appreciation of how different spiritual practices and traditions fit together as a whole. He can directly perceive the mechanics of the mind and body, and can help elucidate the relationship between these aspects of ourselves.

Has been teaching meditation in Europe and Asia since 1998. He initially trained as the main assistant to the Balinese meditation teacher and healer Merta Ada and helped him set up his Meditation school in Indonesia. The Healing meditation practices he learnt during this period, heavily influence Burgs' current teaching practice, which have a strong emphasis on the application of meditation in the maintenance and cultivation of physical and mental health. While learning from Merta Ada, he also trained in Chi Kung with a number of well-known Taoist teachers in Asia, and today integrates many of these practices into his teaching system. Went on to learn meditation from the Venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw in Burma. He was personally tutored by the Sayadaw, and became the first Westerner to complete the entire series of 40 Samatha meditation practices as described by the Buddha.

After disrobing as a monk in Burma, he was asked to visit the Tibetan Light Master, His Holiness Dodrupchen Rinpoche, who gave him the direct Dzogchen Mind Transmissions and subsequently recognised his attainment of some of the highest levels of Dzogchen practice. Since then, Burgs has been teaching both meditation and Chi Kung in the UK. He has a deep grounding and understanding in all aspects of meditation and energetic cultivation, and has a profound appreciation of how different spiritual practices and traditions fit together as a whole. He can directly perceive the mechanics of the mind and body, and can help elucidate the relationship between these aspects of ourselves.

Has been teaching meditation in Europe and Asia since 1998. He initially trained as the main assistant to the Balinese meditation teacher and healer Merta Ada and helped him set up his Meditation school in Indonesia. The Healing meditation practices he learnt during this period, heavily influence Burgs' current teaching practice, which have a strong emphasis on the application of meditation in the maintenance and cultivation of physical and mental health. While learning from Merta Ada, he also trained in Chi Kung with a number of well-known Taoist teachers in Asia, and today integrates many of these practices into his teaching system. Went on to learn meditation from the Venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw in Burma. He was personally tutored by the Sayadaw, and became the first Westerner to complete the entire series of 40 Samatha meditation practices as described by the Buddha.

After disrobing as a monk in Burma, he was asked to visit the Tibetan Light Master, His Holiness Dodrupchen Rinpoche, who gave him the direct Dzogchen Mind Transmissions and subsequently recognised his attainment of some of the highest levels of Dzogchen practice. Since then, Burgs has been teaching both meditation and Chi Kung in the UK. He has a deep grounding and understanding in all aspects of meditation and energetic cultivation, and has a profound appreciation of how different spiritual practices and traditions fit together as a whole. He can directly perceive the mechanics of the mind and body, and can help elucidate the relationship between these aspects of ourselves.

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A seminal spiritual figure, introduced to the West an ancient yet unknown esoteric teaching of development and awakening, one that teaches how to creatively use the diverse impressions of ordinary life to come to real life.

Humanity, Gurdjieff realized, had entered a precarious new period in its evolution. The world would be destroyed, Gurdjieff warned, unless the 'wisdom' of the East and the 'energy' of the West were harnessed and used harmoniously. To effect this Harnelmiatznel, Gurdjieff gave the necessary shockhe introduced to the West a unique and powerful esoteric teaching of self-transformation. Gurdjieff called it The Fourth Way.

An original teaching, Fourth Way is neither a mixture of spiritual lines nor a modern eclectic concoction. It is, as Gurdjieff declared, "completely self-supporting and independent of other lines and it has been completely unknown up to the present time."

The teaching of The Fourth Way is the last esoteric message of the present cycle.

Link:
The Gurdjieff Legacy Foundation: George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff ...

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955) was a French Jesuit priest and scientist. He studied and practiced paleontology, theology, and philosophy.

Teilhard was also a supporter of a one-world government. Some call him TheFather of the New Age.i

According to one biographer, Teilhard spent the bulk of his life trying to integrate religious experience with natural science, most specifically Christian theology with theories of evolution. In this endeavor he became absolutely enthralled with the possibilities for humankind, which he saw as heading for an exciting convergence of systems, an 'Omega point' where the coalescence of consciousness will lead us to a new state of peace and planetary unity.ii

This meshing of evolution and religion inevitably resulted in the New Age thinking that Teilhard promoted throughout his life.

Here are some of the key phrases Teilhard developed:

One of Teilhards most widespread ideas is the Omega Point. According to Teilhard, the Omega Point is a level of consciousness and unity that the whole universe is evolving towards. To him the Omega is a personal, transcendent being that is not constrained by time or space. Teilhard writes this in his book On Love and Happiness:

The world would not function if there did not exist, somewhere ahead in time and space, a cosmic point Omega of total synthesis.iii

Along the same lines as the Omega Point is Teilhard de Chardins theory of Christ consciousness:

Christ Consciousness is the growing human recognition and blending of the human evolutionary (or ego) mind with the Divine Mind and the Divine Personality that is the source of human happiness and fulfillment.iv

According to Teilhard, humanity is evolving towards complete unity into a single organism, a completely unanimous super-humanity:

The outcome of the world, the gates of the future, the entry into the super-humanThey will open only to an advance of all together, in a direction in which all together can join and find completion in a spiritual renovation of the earth.v

In On Love and Happiness, Teilhard writes this:

we human beings are already forming but one single bodyour thoughts are tending more and more to function like the cells of one and the same brain. This must inevitably mean that as the transformation follows its natural line of progress we can foresee the time when men will understand what it is, animated by one single heart, to be united together in wanting, hoping for, and loving the same things at the same time.

The mankind of tomorrow is emerging from the mists of the future, and we can actually see it taking shape: a "super-mankind," much more conscious, much more powerful, and much more unanimous than our own...what life ultimately calls upon us to do in order that we may be, is to incorporate ourselves into, and to subordinate ourselves to, an organic totality of which, cosmically speaking, we are no more than conscious particles.vi

Teilhard used the term noosphere to refer to his idea of the place where all this mental harmony and spiritual unity will occur. Tom Butler-Bowden describes the noosphere as the mental counterpart to the biosphere, or the invisible layer of thought around the earth that is the sum total of humankind's mental and spiritual states, all culture, love and knowledge.vii

Learn more about Teilhard's religious and political attitudes:

Teilhard de Chardin's scientific and theological work led to the promotion of several New Age doctrines.

Former UN official Robert Muller is a supporter of Teilhard's philosophies, and shows how the one-world government is not far off.

This article is adapted from Professor Veith's Total Onslaught DVD The U.N. & the Occult Agenda.

i. News Alert, The Berean Call (October 1992): 4.

ii. Anodea Judith, Teihard de Chardin (December, 1996).

iii. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, On Love and Happiness (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1817): 24.

iv. "What is Christ Consciousness?" Center for Christ Consciousness.

v. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, The Phenomenon of Man (HarperPerennial, 1955): 244-245.

vi. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, On Love and Happiness (San Francisco: Harper& Row, 1817): 69-70.

vii. Tom Butler-Bowdon, 50 Self-Help Classics: 50 Inspirational Books To Transform Your Life (London & Boston: Nicholas Brealey, 2003): 279.

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Pierre Teilhard de Chardin | French Jesuit priest and ...

To reach the Higher Self it is best to concentrate on the source of the "inner sound", leading to the "inner light" - a nucleus of the Higher Self, which initially seems infinitely far "at the other side of a long dark tunnel". When we get sufficiently close to our Higher Self, the inner light becomes much brighter than the Sun, and when we are allowed to join it, the bliss cannot be described in any human language. To get that far, we have to achieve a complete purity of the mind during meditation, have pure intentions, and then intensively concentrate for some time on the "inner sound" and "inner light".

The most important role of a spiritual teacher is to show everyone his/her individual way to the Higher Self. Then, it is up to the individual to practice and reach the Higher Self.

From the above, meditation seems to be an essential skill to attain the ultimate enlightenment. There are quite a few techniques for meditation. Most of them use so-called "mantra" composed from a few words or sounds. Mantra is repeated mentally to help us achieve and maintain a "blank" state of mind.

Contrary to popular belief, promoted by people who attract followers and/or charge money to teach meditation, mantra has no sacred "meaning" and no mantra is essentially better than any other. However, regardless of its content, mantra has two important functions, which may greatly assist us in achieving and maintaining a meditative state of a blank mind.

1. mantra is a very simple thought. It becomes very familiar to us when we repeat it in our mind. This thought is used to replace any thought that may come to our mind. Every time a thought comes during meditation, we use mantra to replace it.

2. When we practice meditation regularly using the same mantra (whatever it is), soon we train our mind to associate the mantra with a calm meditative state. This association is called an "anchor" by Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioners. After such self-training, even if we are agitated, a thought of mantra usually brings an immediate calm of the mind. This makes our mantra a very powerful tool to deal with stressful situations in our life, a tool which we can develop ourselves as a result of a regular meditation practice.

When we understand the above two functions of the mantra, it becomes clear that changing mantras may be not a very good idea. Changing mantras may be considered useful only in special situations, for example when we want to eliminate an undesirable meditation habit, preventing us from achieving a deep meditative state, and the existing mantra is identified as related to that habit.

Also it becomes logical that whatever mantra we use, we should keep it private and not tell it to other people. Otherwise we give others a way to control our subconscious mind by telepathically transmitting to us our own mantra. The best teachers will take time to give people individual mantras rather than teach everyone the same mantra.

Mantras are usually composed from alternative vowel and nasal sounds and may contain several words. The most widely known mantra is "ooohmmm" or "aaaaummm", but any other similar word will do when we extend vowel and nasal sounds (home, room, zoom, moon, zen, boom etc..). It is best if mantra is an exotic word or a series of words (syllables) not encountered in everyday conversation.

The posture during meditation is also important. The easiest posture is a comfortable sitting position, with your spine straight and erect. If you lay down you will most likely fall asleep. Joining your hands and crossing your legs is desirable, because you make the bio-energy field around you more compact and therefore more intensive. Sitting cross legged is another good position, but requires some fitness and training. Yet another good position, although rarely used today is a squatting position with your arms crossed over you knees, resembling position of a foetus in a womb.

If you have never tried any meditation, try to find a quiet place and try the following technique:1. take a comfortable meditation posture, one of the postures described above 2. close your eyes and relax all muscles in your body, including the face. A few alternate nostril yoga breaths is very helpful at the beginning of this stage - breathing in through one nostril and breathing out through another, closing nostrils with fingers and altering closed nostril with each breath. 3. disregard any thought as it comes - do not continue a kaleidoscope of thoughts - continue this for 20 minutes or so, maintaining your mind blank. You can use a mental sound "ooooohhmmm" (a mantra) every time you have a thought. Alternatively you may keep counting thoughts, discarding each one as it comes, without analysing it. When you go down to 2 or 3 thoughts in 5 minutes, you meditate successfully.

With practice you should be able to attain a blank mind anytime and anywhere, even in a crowd of people or a stressful situation with the help of your mantra. But do not use the mantra when stressed, until you are positive that you practice meditation long enough and the thought of mantra is firmly associated with your state of a calm mind.

One of many benefits of meditation is that it opens your mind to new ideas. When the bowl is full, trying to pour more water into it just causes an overflow. The same happens with our mind. When it is full of thoughts, there is no room for new ideas.

Meditation is a very effective technique for improving your creativity and problem solving capacity. "Talented" people do it naturally. Artists and poets call it "inspiration". Many famous people such as Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison were known to have practised various forms of meditation.

Meditation is sometimes described as "listening to the silence between thoughts". Our effort in meditation is directed towards consciously increasing the periods of such silence.

The ability to meditate is also a necessary condition to receive telepathic transmissions, including those from Higher Self and other people who may try to assist us. Without a true silence in your own thoughts, you cannot listen to thoughts of others.

Before meditation you may wish to define clearly what do you want to learn, what do you want to ask your Higher Self. During the meditation, do not expect an answer (although it is likely that it will come when your mind will be pure) - this is also a thought!

People who practice meditation on the regular basis look and feel typically 10 or even 15 years younger than other people at their age. Giving the mind a regular "break" and allowing our Nature to perform self-repairs everyday makes all the difference. Self-healing and rejuvenation seems to be within reach of everyone who is prepared to learn meditation and meditate regularly everyday.

Dr Tom J. Chalko 1997

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MEDITATION - Thiaoouba

Meditation, private devotion or mental exercise encompassing various techniques of concentration, contemplation, and abstraction, regarded as conducive to heightened spiritual awareness or somatic calm.

Meditation has been practiced throughout history by adherents of all the worlds religions. In Roman Catholicism, for example, meditation consists of active, voluntary, and systematic thinking about a biblical or theological topic. Mental images are cultivated and efforts are made to empathize with God or with figures from the Bible. Eastern religious practices that involve thinking in a controlled manner have been described as meditation in the West since the 19th century. The Hindu philosophical school of Yoga, for example, prescribes a highly elaborate process for the purification of body, mind, and soul. One aspect of Yoga practice, dhyana (Sanskrit: concentrated meditation), became the focus of the Buddhist school known as Chan in China and later as Zen in Japan. In the late 1960s the British rock group the Beatles sparked a vogue in the West for Hindu forms of meditation, and in the following decade Transcendental Meditation (TM) became the first of a variety of commercially successful South and East Asian meditative techniques imported by the West. Academic psychological studies of TM and other forms of meditation followed rapidly.

In numerous religions, spiritual purification may be sought through the verbal or mental repetition of a prescribed efficacious syllable, word, or text (e.g., the Hindu and Buddhist mantra, the Islamic dhikr, and the Eastern Christian Jesus Prayer). The focusing of attention upon a visual image (e.g., a flower or a distant mountain) is a common technique in informal contemplative practice and has been formalized in several traditions. Tibetan Buddhists, for example, regard the mandala (Sanskrit: circle) diagram as a collection point of universal forces, accessible to humans by meditation. Tactile and mechanical devices, such as the rosary and the prayer wheel, along with music, play a highly ritualized role in many contemplative traditions.

Most meditative practices concentrate attention in order to induce mystical experiences. Others are mindful of the mental character of all contents of consciousness and utilize this insight to detach the practitioner either from all thoughts or from a selected group of thoughtse.g., the ego (Buddhism) or the attractiveness of sin (Christianity). Meditation may also serve as a special, potent preparation for a physically demanding or otherwise strenuous activity, as in the case of the warrior before battle or the musician before performance.

Although the primary purpose of meditation is the realization of truth, the doctrinal and experiential truths claimed by different practices of meditation are often inconsistent with each other. Hinduism, for example, asserts that the self is divine, while other traditions claim that God alone exists (Sufism), that God is immediately present to the soul (Christianity and Judaism), and that all things are empty (Mahayana Buddhism).

In the West, scientific research on meditation from the 1970s focused on psychological and psychosomatic illnesses. Meditative techniques used by skilled practitioners proved to be effective in controlling pulse and respiratory rates and in alleviating symptoms of migraine headache, hypertension, and hemophilia, among other conditions.

Disenchantment with materialistic values led to an awakening of interest in Indian, Chinese, and Japanese philosophy and practice among primarily young people in many Western countries in the 1960s and 70s. The teaching and practice of numerous techniques of meditation, most based on Asian religious traditions, became a widespread phenomenon. For example, the practice of mindfulness meditation, an adaptation of Buddhist techniques, was popularized in the United States beginning in the 1980s. Its medical use as an adjunct to psychotherapy was widely embraced in the late 1990s, leading to its adoption in many psychiatric facilities.

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What Is MBSR?

The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program was originally developed at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in the late 1970s by Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD. It is an eight-week, evidence-based, highly experiential course that is currently offered at more than 250 hospitals, universities, and clinical settings in the United States and around the world and has been featured recently in Newsweek, Time Magazine, and 60 Minutes.

MBSR's primary aim is to develop skills that can be flexibly applied in everyday life to stress, pain, and illness. Through experiential learning and discussion during class, as well as through daily mindfulness practice at home, participants learn and refine a range of self-regulatory skills that involve finely tuned attention to thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations.

The MBSR Program Involves:

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, up to two-thirds of all office visits to family doctors are for stress-related symptoms. Depression and anxiety disorders are associated with chronic illness and chronic pain and should be addressed as part of the overall management of health problems. MBSR may help reduce medical symptoms and psychological distress as well as the need for clinical services.

Mindfulness meditation has been researched in conjunction with:

MBSR courses are typically offered in the winter / early spring, summer, and fall. To receive updates about newly scheduled courses, please email mindfulness@upmc.edu.

The winter MBSR course is currently being scheduled. Please check back for winter course information.

Please email grecocm@upmc.edu to receive updates.

You may register at an Orientation Session.

Attendance at an Orientation Session is required for MBSR course registration.

Orientations are free of charge and held from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Center for Integrative Medicine. Orientation attendance can be applied to registration in any future MBSR course at the Center for Integrative Medicine.

Continuing education (CEU) credits will be offered for nurses, psychologists, social workers, and licensed counselors through Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC.

Orientation Sessions and MBSR Courses are led by Carol M. Greco, PhD. Dr. Greco has practiced meditation for 23 years and is certified as an MBSR teacher by the UMass Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society. She has taught MBSR courses at the Center for Integrative Medicine at UPMC Shadyside since 2005.

Read more here:

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction/MBSR Clasees | UPMC