Programme

Introduction to Transpersonal Psychology: Past, Present & Future with Dr Oliver Robinson, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Greenwich.

Transpersonal psychology is celebrating its jubilee this year—50 years since pioneers including Abraham Maslow, Anthony Sutich, and Stan Grof inaugurated this sub-discipline of psychology. Much has changed over this half century, and the challenges we face in moving transpersonal psychology forward now are significantly different to those in what may be termed the first phase of the movement. In particular, the anathema with which psychology viewed research into consciousness, spirituality or mysticism has largely evaporated. In many ways, the goal of the pioneers—that academic psychology would open its eyes to the “further reaches of human experience”—has been achieved. The future of transpersonal psychology depends on recognising and responding to new challenges that emerge within the multifaceted, global contexts of the 21st century, as we increasingly recognise not only our need to evolve as individuals but as an interconnected whole, encompassing the wider world beyond the human sphere. Transpersonal psychology can contribute to the continued... Read More

Heartfulness meditation is a modern form of Raja Yoga which also has roots within Sufi traditions. It offers a very simple universal practice based on the idea of divine presence within the heart. The unique feature of this dynamic system is the connection with a profound source, a divine essence – pranahuti or yogic transmission which is infused within the meditation. This often enables the meditator to experience depths of consciousness. There is also a purifying aspect which helps dissolve impressions (samskaras) and patterns. During the session, participants will be invited to explore a preliminary guided relaxation and then the heart based meditation with transmission and to observe any discoveries or experiences.

A live radiolink interview with Prof Stanislav Grof, pioneer of LSD Psychotherapy and Professor of Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies.

Introduction to Consciousness and the Brain with Dr Peter Fenwick, Emeritus Consultant Neuropsychiatrist, Maudsley Hospital, and President of the Scientific & Medical Network.

While in coma with his brain shut down, Dr. Eben Alexander experienced a spectacular odyssey to realms beyond our known physical universe—an ultra-real journey that ran counter to all conventional neuroscientific views about brain, mind and consciousness. He recounted his extraordinary spiritual experience in the #1 NYT bestseller Proof of Heaven. In his third book, Living in a Mindful Universe, the true sequel to Proof of Heaven, he develops a scientific framework to better comprehend his inexplicable experience. Remarkably, his ongoing personal journey reflects a revolutionary shift now underway within our modern scientific understanding of the nature of reality. Eminent thinkers of the late 19th Century (e.g. William James, Frederic W. H. Myers, Henri Bergson) had strong evidence for the eternity of our souls, but the century of reductive materialist science (ushered in by Albert Einstein with his annus mirabilis papers of 1905) led us down a detour leading to the worship of pure materialism.... Read More

‘To study the abnormal is the best way of understanding the normal.’  William James According to our current medical concepts, it is not possible to experience consciousness during a cardiac arrest, when circulation and breathing have ceased. But during the period of unconsciousness due to a life-threatening crisis like cardiac arrest involving a transient loss of all functions of the cortex and of the brainstem, patients may report the paradoxical occurrence of enhanced consciousness experienced in a dimension without our conventional concept of time and space, with cognitive functions, with emotions, with self-identity, with memories from early childhood and sometimes with (non-sensory) perception out and above their lifeless body. Scientific study of the NDE pushes us to the limits of our medical and neurophysiological ideas about the range of human consciousness and mind-brain relation, because we have to admit that it is not possible to reduce consciousness to neural processes... Read More

Join Dr. Eben Alexander and Karen Newell, co-authors of Living in a Mindful Universe, for a multi-sensory experience at the edges of consciousness. There is much more to our so-called reality than what we can see, hear, smell, touch and taste. Conventional science argues that we must perceive something with our senses in order for it to be real. Profound experiences reported throughout the world teach us that the spiritual realm is right here and available to us and is a fundamental part of our collective truth that can no longer be simply dismissed. Consciousness is primary to all of existence and fortunately, we can all access this fountain of information and gain firsthand knowledge of it by going within. Cultivate firsthand experience using the support of Sacred Acoustics audio technology. We live in a mindful universe, we are each an intimate part of the whole and together we contribute... Read More

Introduction to Lucid Dreaming and Out-of-Body Experiences with Dr David Luke, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Greenwich.

We sleep for a third of our lives.  For millennia the Tibetan Buddhists, Toltec-Mexhicas and Sufi mystics have used that lost third for waking up to their highest potential. In this talk, lucid dreaming teacher Charlie Morley will explore how this ancient art is now being studied by modern day neuroscience and how these studies have been as insightful for the mystics as they have been for the scientists.The talk will include an overview of the history, science and practice of lucid dreaming from both the Western science and the mystic traditions as well as explorations on how to engage the wider holistic benefits of lucid dreaming and conscious sleeping which these practices offer.

Since the early 1970s, The Monroe Institute has been creating and using non-invasive audio-guidance technology within their world-renowned consciousness exploration programs. Luigi is a trainer of such programs and will be discussing his evolving experiences and understanding of deep meditative states, lucid dreams, out of body experiences, and spiritual awakening. He will discuss how the realisations within those states and experiences beyond our physical senses can better inform our physical life experience through the dissolution of limiting fears, belief and ego states, and the cultivation of free will.

Join Eben Alexander MD, New York Times best-selling author of Proof of Heaven, and Karen Newell, co-founder of Sacred Acoustics – both coauthors of Living in a Mindful Universe – for an illuminating workshop with insights, discussions, and experiential explorations through sound meditation and heart activation – to deepen the connection to your soul’s journey and how it interrelates with all of evolving consciousness. Using advanced tools developed by Sacred Acoustics, we will experience group sound journeys to experience our own connection to inner knowing and the deeper realities of our existence. We explore the heart’s crucial role in moving us away from the linguistic brain to access profound insight from personal experience. Any true vision of health must include not only the physical, mental, and emotional realms, but, most importantly, the spiritual. Becoming aware of the reality of consciousness and the binding force of love will lead to unprecedented... Read More