A week-long celebration dedicated to examining the legacy of the two Davids with a gathering of former colleagues and friends who will not only illuminate the wide-ranging work and interests of the two physicists but will also share their personal stories and anecdotes.
The current revolts and revolutions unfolding in consciousness studies may be akin to those of modern physics a century ago, except that we can now experience the mystery. However, we often remain confined to our preferred theory and confused about the data. It is time for a reckoning. We will seek to integrate diverse approaches to consciousness and elevate the field towards a proper science of experience for the 21st century.
A weeklong interaction through dialogue at the Pari Center based on F. David Peat’s concept of Gentle Action.
Embracing the present and choosing to act more gently, allows insights and interconnections to emerge and bubble up in a natural manner. Such moments are often accompanied by experiences of openness, trust, joy, and a childlike sense of wonder. In the beautiful and peaceful setting of a medieval village, participants in our Gentle Action gathering will have ample opportunities to connect with nature, their fellow dialoguers, and—perhaps most importantly—themselves. Experience the power of dialogue, creative suspension, and active listening in an open and supportive atmosphere
In Beyond Bohm 2025, we will extend feelers to the world of nature, and into certain aspects of human creativity. We will be looking to see if we can have a concrete, rather than conceptual sense of wholeness. In the first instance – the natural world – we will explore in some detail the phenomenological engagement with nature taken by Scot author Nan Shepherd. In the second instance – the domain of human creativity – we will take up the manner in which architect- philosopher Christopher Alexander approached wholeness, as a concrete living process.
We will not be attempting to come to finished conclusions or final answers. Rather, we will be aiming for a “flavor,” a “taste” of both wholeness and of fragmentation. To this end, our format will be notably different from in the past. In our first and third weekends, the entire second day will be given over to audience participation, in order to get the fullest possible feeling for the pulse of the Pari community. The second weekend will offer specific activities that can be done between the first day and the second day.
Following an illuminating introduction to Bohm’s revolutionary physics, we embark on an exploration of potentiality and its intricate relationship with actuality, drawing upon the insights of both Bohm and Charles Burton Martin; we will delve deeply into the terrain of panpsychism, examining consciousness not as a mere biological phenomenon confined to humans and animals, but as a fundamental architectural principle woven into the very fabric of physical reality; we investigate whether Bohmian quantum theory might inspire new forms of psycho-physical laws; we will examine the conception of ‘strict monism’ and its relation to Bohm’s ideas of undivided wholeness; we will illuminate Bohm’s distinctive philosophy of science as manifested in his causal interpretation of quantum theory; we will consider the implications of quantum materials on humanity’s evolutionary trajectory, examining how these emerging technologies may fundamentally reshape our civilizational future; and we provide an introduction to a new worldview: the Dynamic Universe—a proposal that provides a new way of understanding relativistic phenomena.
There is a long tradition in thought and mysticism which holds that the world is, somehow, ONE. Here I survey the large variety of monisms to try to understand what the monistic claim really is. Following tradition and thinkers up to and including David Bohm, one supreme form of monism keeps reappearing, which I call ‘strict monism’. Strict monism makes the highly paradoxical claim that all differentiation, diversity, categorization and conceptualization is fundamentally misrepresenting
reality. Despite the intuitive implausibility of this position, a number of arguments point in its direction, although – as befits the nature of strict monism – arguments themselves are part of the misrepresentation.
Science has largely displaced religious accounts of our existence. But it can make both life and death seem virtually meaningless. Religion does not, suggesting there is a necessary opposition between them. We will move beyond that to look at how spiritual traditions, the sciences and the arts provide complementary ways of celebrating life and accepting death as parts of living authentically.
Mind, Matter and Meaning: A Jubileum October 2-6, 2025Pari, Italy Event Schedule Thursday, October 2 16:00-16:30 Welcome/Introductions 16:30-19:00 Symposium 1 Friday, October 3 09:30-13:00 Symposium 2 15:00-18:00 Symposium 3 Saturday, October 4 09:30-13:00 Symposium 4 Sunday, October 5 09:30-13:00 Symposium 5 15:00-18:00 Symposium 6 Monday, October 6 09:30-13:00 Symposium 7 […]
An Armchair Guide to Quantum Mechanics Presented by Jonathan Allday A semi-serious approach to one of the most important fundamental theories in physics 10 sessions from October 28 – November 18 7 one-hour lectures and 3 sessions of group conversation and Q&A 9am PST / 12pm EST / 5pm GMT / 6pm CET All sessions are live and all participants will […]
As those working in outdoor settings will testify, profound experiences can emerge from the dynamic interaction between an individual and the phenomena of the natural environment. These moments of meaning, where psyche experiences itself reflected in the other-than-human world, can hold profound personal significance, might lead to important therapeutic insight and may even inspire a sense of interconnectedness with the containing ecosystem… Read more