Seminar Spotlight: A Closer Look

In our efforts to expand our programming in new directions, we continue to present leaders whose names may not be as familiar to you as others in our catalog. In this section we highlight a few of these offerings by providing a bit more information than you’ll find in the Workshops section.

Doug Fine

Like millions of other modern Digital Age citizens, I wanted to make sure that my lifestyle not only didn’t pollute the earth, but also helped heal it. That, of course, meant getting fossil fuels out of my life. But I simply didn’t want to believe the conventional wisdom that a sustainable life meant living primitively, eating steamed dirt outside a shack somewhere. Still, as a lover of modern comforts and the planet, I knew the only way I could see if petroleum-free living was possible today in the course of a modern, Digital Age life, was to leap in and see if I could do it myself. And let me tell you, I screwed up COMPLETELY at first.

Keep in mind, I grew up in the Long Island suburbs, subsisting on Dominoes pizza and sugar water. When I moved to New Mexico to "go carbon- neutral," coyotes ate my chickens, I nearly electrocuted myself when wiring my solar panels, and my new vegetable-oil powered truck’s exhaust gave me the munchies (it smelled like Kung Pao Chicken). But within a couple of months I noticed it was all starting to work. And now, two years later, I have removed 90% of petroleum from my life. I’m coming to Esalen to show you that if I can do it, you can do it too, no matter how little you think you know about living green. And you don’t have to give up any- thing. I still have my vehicle, my Internet, my booming stereo subwoofers, my fridge, my washing machine – all powered by the sun or alternative fuels. Join me as we have fun while helping save the planet.

P.S. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been since getting largely sustainable, and I think there’s a connection!

Upcoming Workshop: November 13-15, 2009
Petroleum Free in One Year

Ralph Abraham, Mary Catherine Bateson & Jean Houston

What happens when you put a chaos theorist, a cultural anthropologist, and a visionary human potentials leader in a room together and get the three of them talking about the known and unknown universe? If it happens at Esalen this conversation is called a trialogue, and it’s bound to soar along the frontiers of many disciplines. This November, Ralph Abraham, Mary Catherine Bateson, and Jean Houston will gather at Esalen for just such an event.

Ralph Abraham, professor of mathematics at UC Santa Cruz, recalls the first trialogues, which took place at Esalen with Rupert Sheldrake, Terence McKenna, and himself in 1989. "In the course of many trialogues we made the connection between chaos theory (a new branch of mathematics, also known as dynamical systems theory, which has many applications in the sciences) and everyday life that has been my fascination in the decade since. So the trialogue format is very important for me, and I am delighted to have a date with Jean and Mary Catherine to carry on this tradition. I have high expectations for the unexpected to emerge."

Mary Catherine Bateson is a cultural anthropologist whose incisive insight into human lives is illuminated through her body of work. Her books, including Willing to Learn: Passages of Personal Discovery and Composing a Life, among others, capture the intricacies and opportunities inherent in our changing times. She also published a memoir of her parents, With a Daughter’s Eye: A Memoir of Margaret Meade and Gregory Bateson. Her work is colored by the proposal that lives should be looked at as compositions, each one an artistic creation expressing individual responses to the unexpected. Until recently, Mary Catherine taught at George Mason University and was a visiting professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is president of the non-profit Institute for Intercultural Studies, founded by Margaret Meade in 1944.

Jean Houston is a visionary thinker and doer, a scholar, philosopher, and researcher in human capacities. Jean is the founder of the Mystery School, a human development program of crosscultural mythic and spiritual studies now in its twenty-sixth year. She also leads an intensive program in Social Artistry for international leaders to learn innovative leadership strategies. In addition to authoring twenty-six books, on the world stage Jean has been an advisor to UNICEF, the UN Development Program, and UN Habitat in human and cultural development. She has worked in over a hundred countries and over forty cultures to integrate unique cultural gifts into leadership, health, and educational systems. She has worked closely with world leaders including His Holiness the Dalai Lama and President and Mrs. Clinton.

Upcoming Workshop: November 20-22, 2009
Trialogues on Global Human Potential

Laura Simms, Ishamel Beach & Richard Reoch

Laura Simms writes: "I met Ishmael Beah in 1996 when I was a facilitator who helped children tell their stories at a UNICEF conference. On this particular day, fifty-three children circled diplomats and journalists with a song. These were children who had been soldiers, prostitutes, slaves, and street thieves; their chant engaged everyone. Then Ishmael spoke: 'The problem in my country is war and poverty. I was forced to be a soldier when I was thirteen years old. Please do not be afraid of me. I am no longer a soldier. Now, I am only a child. I was told that I could revenge the death of my parents. So killing or be killed became my existence. I learned that revenge only causes revenge. We must simply stop.' Like the great poetic orators of his African ancestors, he threw open the doors of change that have not shut. He changed my life.

"Ishmael became my son and settled into life as a high school student. I rededicated myself to the practice of mindfulness awareness and social action that explores the role of storytelling for healing, transformation, and peacemaking, working with people affected by poverty, conflict, and trauma. I took Ishmael to hear Richard Reoch speak. Richard told the story of Ashoka, an Indian king, who after a battle saw the futile carnage of war. He became a Buddhist ruler perpetuating peace by unlocking the abiding courage of the heart. Richard’s involvement in conflicts worldwide, advocating for human rights, moved both of us. The three of us began a conversation that has not ended. We are a storyteller become activist, a child soldier become writer and advocate, and a humanitarian working with Amnesty International become president of a Tibetan Buddhist organization devoted to compassionate action in the world.

"How does enduring change happen? How do presence and an unbiased heart access an innate power to instigate wisdom and compassion? Why is a practice of mindful awareness not a self-serving endeavor? How do we overcome our own blind addiction patterns of ignorance in order to help others and not become subject to overwhelming stress and burnout? We designed a weekend workshop that brings together our experiences to explore these questions and share our findings in the context of the peacemaker's art."

Upcoming Workshop: December 4-6, 2009
The Peacemaker's Art: An Unbiased Heart

Ghada Osman

Ghada Osman writes: "In the year 2000, I became certified as a yoga instructor and finished my Ph.D. in Middle Eastern Studies; both events occurred within a few months of each other at the dawn of a new millennium. As I started my position as a college professor during the first week of September, 2001, little did I know that in just a few days a monumental event would transpire that would thoroughly change the dynamics between the Muslim world and the United States. From that moment, 'Islam' and 'the West' came to be viewed as mutually exclusive categories, as part of an us versus them relationship. As I taught, I was disturbed by how some had come to view all Muslims as a violent 'other' who could not possibly share anything in common with us. This was an anathema to my deeply-held yoga-derived beliefs that regardless of differences in religion, ethnicity, or other elements, humanity is deeply interconnected.

"Divisive generalizations also run contrary to Sufism, the mystical path of Islam, with its focus on oneness and love. Over the years, Americans have adopted and adapted Sufi beliefs and practices, especially the thirteenth-century Sufi figure Rumi. By learning about Sufism, a natural companion to the yogic path, we can come to understand in our minds the diversity of the adherents of Islam (and by analogy other faiths) and embrace in our hearts its essence: humanity is ultimately all one."

Upcoming Workshop: February 5-7, 2010
Come, Come Whoever You Are: Exploring Islam, Sufism, and Yoga

Christine Ranck & David Grand

Christine Ranck and David Grand met in 1999 when David taught a workshop for actors, to enhance character development and creativity. He was demonstrating his recently developed BioLateral soundtracks, designed to activate the deep brain, a technique that would later become part of his therapy process called Brainspotting. Christine, a trauma therapist and also a professional singer and actress, was astounded by the results she witnessed, and a ten-year collaborative partnership in creativity was born. After the events of September 11, 2001, David and Christine joined forces to treat groups of corporate workers who survived the World Trade Center collapse, and to prepare firefighters at Fort Totten Training Facility in Bayside, New York, to take over for their fallen comrades. It was a tragic and inspiring time, and it sealed their friendship.

David says, "Christine has brought so much to my work with creativity, performance, and healing. She is an artist, healer, and most of all a visionary. Christine's work has integrated with mine and has taken it a quantum leap forward with her master stroke, Ignite the Genius Within. My approach, Brainspotting, is based on the idea that where you look affects how you feel. Christine’s approach shows you how you can change things simply by how you look at them."

Christine says, "Collaborating with David helped me finally integrate my long-standing fascination with the intersection of science and mysticism that had begun when I was a youngster mesmerized by magic and nature. Using his techniques, I observed my clients gain access to parts of themselves that had been hidden away—usually because of trauma—and that had been secretly blocking them from getting what they wanted in life. They were literally making quantum leaps. My burning questions about how and why led me to the study of quantum physics, which tells us that the way we look at things literally changes what we see. That is, transformation only requires that you change the lens through which you see yourself, your situation, your life, your universe. You already have everything you need inside of you. You’re already there. This is the single greatest message of hope I can offer. When we all look at this quagmire of the beautiful but tragic, traumatized world we’ve created, we feel helpless and hopeless. I wrote Ignite the Genius Within to satisfy my desire to bring a uniquely healing creative process to the general public, and to build a case for taking another, deeper look at possibility."

Upcoming Workshop: February 19-21, 2010
Ignite the Genius Within: Bringing Expanded Consciousness to Everyday Life

Upcoming Workshop: February 21-26, 2010
Brainspotting Training

Erik Davis & Mitch Horowitz

In a sense, Erik Davis and Mitch Horowitz met over the Ouija Board. Both writers, who are known for their explorations of underground spiritual movements, collaborated for the first time at the Esalen Center for Theory and Research's May 2009 conference, The Paranormal in History, Science, and Popular Culture. Davis's presentation on magic and pop culture—spanning cinema, rock music, and enigmas like Ouija—provided the perfect complement to Horowitz’s talk on occult influences and personalities from early American history, from colonial-era mediums to displaced African medicine men. "I approached Erik afterwards," Horowitz says, "and told him that his analysis of Led Zeppelin’s 'Stairway to Heaven' and of the adolescent uses of Ouija basically captured the religion of my early teenage years—he saw the spiritual depth in things that are too often dismissed as novelties." Soon, the two decided to collaborate on an Esalen workshop, which became The Occult in America: An Adventure in Arcane History.

Davis wrote his cult bestseller TechGnosis: Myth, Magic, and Mysticism in the Age of Information in order to peel back the surface of contemporary technology and show how much the modern world owes to ancient myths and occult dreams. His most recent book, The Visionary State: A Journey through California’s Spiritual Landscape, presents a richly illustrated overview of alternative religious currents in the Golden State, including Yogananda, the Virgin of Guadalupe, the Grateful Dead, and, of course, the Esalen Institute.

The editor-in-chief of metaphysical publisher Tarcher/Penguin, Horowitz wrote his recent book Occult America: The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation to give arcane religious movements, from hoodoo to Spiritualism, and mysterious figures, from Madame Blavatsky to Manly P. Hall, their proper due in American history. Occult America shows how esoteric influences suffused America’s religious and political culture from its earliest days – and helped make the nation into a launching pad for today's revolutions in alternative spirituality. Together, during their Esalen workshop, Davis and Horowitz will reacquaint participants with American spiritual ancestors and uncover the surprising sources and hidden histories behind the spiritual tools and abiding dreams we are using to shape our lives today.

Upcoming Workshop: February 19-21, 2010
The Occult in America: An Adventure in Arcane History

George Kohlrieser & Peter James Meyers

"If ever we needed to understand the importance of authentic leadership," says George Kohlrieser, "the time is now."

A veteran hostage negotiator and author of Hostage at the Table, Kohlrieser recognizes a crisis when he sees one, and in the recent global economic turmoil he identifies a troublesome pattern: Not only have so many leaders lost self-awareness, becoming unmoored from their core beliefs, but the misguided actions of these leaders can now affect the livelihood and morale of others on an unprecedented, global scale.

As a psychologist and professor of leadership at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland, Kohlrieser has been working for thirty years to help leaders reconnect with the basic values they must draw upon to inspire excellence in themselves and others. In 2000, he teamed up with veteran stage director and global leadership consultant Peter James Meyers to develop an advanced leadership workshop at IMD for high-level executives. The program, which was initially offered once a year, is now held four times annually. Together, Kohlrieser and Meyers have coached more than 750 leaders from dozens of countries around the world.

"Self-awareness is at the heart of what George and I are doing," says Meyers. "Too often, business managers focus on competence in numbers at the expense of emotional intelligence and human relationships." Meyers says Esalen is the ideal setting for the work he and Kohlrieser are undertaking. "This place is perched on the edge of the world," Meyers says. "It’s a safe, secure base where we can takes risks and expand our idea of what's possible—while grounding ourselves in the values that matter."

Their workshop, Inspiring Leadership, offers an intimate and intensive setting for senior executives to return to their guiding principles, overcoming internal blocks in order to face external challenges with bolder vision and renewed confidence.

Admission to this workshop is by application only. Please contact program coordinator Georgi Chase at georgi@ standanddelivergroup.com to apply.

Upcoming Workshop: March 7-12, 2010
Inspiring Leadership

Upcoming Workshop: March 12-14, 2010
Hostage at the Table: How to Live Your Dreams with Full Joy

Tamar Miller

Tamar Miller brings breadth, depth, and wide-ranging expertise to making the world a better place. As a social entrepreneur for social justice, parent of three young adults, consultant to international conflict mitigation organizations, philanthropies, academic centers of research and action, and governmental organizations, she has a unique and powerful set of tools that she uses to help people and organizations turn dreams for social change into reality.

Miller points out that this process can be surprising. "Many people truly want to make a difference by growing local projects or making grand interventions for urgent social problems. But not everybody has to be their own social justice organization or government agency. I help people figure out ways to realize their activist dreams and step into their power. Whether you are creating curricula or have come up with a plan for a socially conscious business, or if you are in a managerial sticky web of relationships or want to figure out your next move in running your organization, this workshop is a perfect place to explore, receive guidance, and move forward." Miller adds, "Of course, for those working on an idea for thirty years and it hasn’t come to fruition, sometimes the best thing to do is shift energy in a new direction and to simply let go. This workshop is about that kind of clarity, too."

Miller works with the Abrahamic Family Reunion, a Track II Citizen Diplomacy project out of Esalen’s Center for Theory and Research and with the Interfaith Engagement and Spirituality unit at the Fetzer Institute in Three Rivers, Michigan. She is on the Board of Bereaved Families for Israeli-Palestinian Peace and the Alliance for Middle East Peace. She was director of Leadership Development and Executive Director of the Institute for Social and Economic Policy in the Middle East at Harvard University. She has directed social service programs for parenting and pregnant addicts and other community organizations in the voluntary sector and was co-founder of two international businesses, Middle East Holdings and American Higher Education, Inc. She recently created a new media initiative called The PeaceBeat. "Its motto, some good news, some of the time!" says Miller, "reflects commitment to bringing nuance, humor, and complexity into both private and public spaces. Through radio shows, community organizing, and consulting to social justice organizations, PeaceBeat aims to enhance our collective spirit and our power to act."

Upcoming Workshop: March 19-21, 2010
You Can Make a Difference: Strategies for Social Change