Events

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.

David Lorimer, MA, PGCE, FRSA is a visionary polymath, spiritual activist and poet, who is Founder of Character Education Scotland, Global Ambassador of the Scientific and Medical Network (www.scientificandmedical.net) and former President of Wrekin Trust and the

Swedenborg Society. He has also been editor of Paradigm Explorer since 1986. He was the instigator of the Beyond the Brain conference series in 1995
(www.beyondthebrain.org) and has co-ordinated the Mystics and Scientists conferences (www.mysticsandscientists.org) every year since the late 1980s.

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 […]

Synergies between Jungian psychology, systems dynamics, Gaia theory, dual-aspect monism and deep ecology can prepare and guide us to counter the existential threat of the Anthropocene. Moreover, Jung’s Stages of Life “cradle-to-grave” developmental theory can be scaled up to show that our entire civilisation is in mid-life crisis, and responding to it with a toxic mix of inertia, nostalgia and hubris… Read more

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

Human caused climate change has placed life on the planet in a precarious state. It is imperative we address this situation as soon as possible for the longer we wait, the more we commit future generations to catastrophic disruption. Jungian psychology provides a unique means to understand the problem of climate change for it recognizes the importance of the unconscious in our lives… Read more

In Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “A Descent into the Maelström” (1841), three fishermen are trapped in a gigantic ocean whirlpool threatening to destroy them. This strikes me as an image of the abyss humankind is facing today, threatened by a multi-dimensional ecological crisis in a world dominated by a one-sidedly materialistic collective consciousness that has lost its spiritual foundation, as Carl Gustav Jung characterized it. Symbolically, Poe’s story tells us that psychic transformation of the collective can be achieved by letting go of the old and embracing the new and unknown… Read more

The phenomena of climate change and the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence reveal a defining feature of humanity: the aspiration to control, reshape, and surpass the natural world. At the heart of both lies a mode of creativity and god-like ambition that seeks mastery over nature and the power to create new, autonomous entities. Originating as a human-made being shaped from earth and animated through sacred knowledge, the image of the Golem serves as a powerful metaphor for this impulse. It is interpreted here as a symbolic expression of the desire not only to dominate the natural world, but also to transcend it through technological means… Read more