Carlos Eire is a historian of late medieval and early modern Europe at Yale University who focuses on the Protestant and Catholic Reformations; the history of popular piety; the history of the supernatural, and the history of death.

We understand how the passage of time ‘expands’ or ‘contracts’ depending on how fast you are travelling compared to an observer. There is also conclusive evidence that time distorts in the presence of mass, leading to the effects we used to ascribe to a force of gravity. Some even believe that they understand how time morphs into existence, along with the universe, out of some quantum pre-stuff. This, however, is all ‘physical time’; the relationship between the physics and the experience of ‘psychological time’ is far from clear.

A Pari gathering/retreat for members of AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) and NA (Narcotics Anonymous) plus family and friends will be held in Pari, Tuscany from September 9-16, 2023 (Saturday to Saturday).

The format will be a combination of closed AA and NA meetings and meditation, and some open meetings which everyone can attend.

Ida Cuéllar is a filmmaker and musician living between Barcelona and Mexico City. He has worked all over the world as a director and screenwriter. His work in advertising has won numerous awards at Cannes, San Sebastián FIAP and the Ojo de Iberoamérica, among others. Ida has directed multiple short films, such as La muerte de Otilia Ruiz (2011) and the experimental fashion film Phasmata (2014), selected for numerous international festivals. Among other relevant commissions, he directed the pilot episode of the series Magnum Opus (2016), with James Cosmos, Arly Jover, Timothy Gibbs, Jamie Anderson and Sam Douglas. In his works, Ida explores the nature of imagination and consciousness. Hence one of his latest and greatly acclaimed works, on which he has been researching for a decade, is The Secret of Dr. Grinberg (2020).

Join us at the Pari Center with world-renowned leaders in consciousness studies as we deepen our insights into the many facets that such an intimate mystery entails. Through in-depth presentations and informal discussions in a convivial atmosphere you will learn about, and have opportunities to discuss, the insights and research findings of world-renowned experts on current consciousness research and its future. Such a multifaceted field is currently enjoying a huge renaissance in terms of general interest and academic momentum. Consciousness is more than a ‘hard problem’—and also less. It’s the intimate mystery of our very existence. Its study thus requires an integrative and conscious approach beyond short-sighted abstractions.

Join us for a week of living moment by moment, in Pari, Italy surrounded by the peaceful hills of the Tuscan landscape. With its beautiful palazzo, rustic bar, and numerous quiet places, the medieval village of Pari acts as an alchemical vessel for transformations to take place. Throughout the week you will have ample opportunities to connect with Nature, others, and—perhaps most importantly—yourself. Experience the power of dialogue and active listening in an atmosphere that cultivates intimacy in everyday interactions. Embracing the present and choosing to act more gently, allows insights and interconnections to emerge and bubble up in a natural and playful manner. Such moments are often accompanied by experiences of openness, trust, joy, and a childlike sense of wonder.

Patrick Harpur grew up in Surrey, attended Cranleigh School and travelled for a year in Africa before going to St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, to read English. Subsequently he did much of the reading and research which he would eventually use in his books, and wrote poetry, stories and plays by way of practice, while supporting himself with part-time jobs, such as teaching, market research, gardening, computer personnel etc.

How to Think Impossibly invites us to think about these fantastic (yet commonplace) experiences as an essential part of being human, expressive of a deeply shared reality that is neither mental nor material but gives rise to both.

Thinking with specific individuals and their extraordinary experiences in vulnerable, open, and often humorous ways, Kripal interweaves humanistic and scientific inquiry to develop an awareness that the fantastic is real, the supernatural is super natural, and the impossible is possible.