Esalen Video Shorts

Musician Shahzad Ismaily continues to be deeply passionate about his three-decade musical journey, sharing joy and playfulness with every collaborator along the way. From projects with Sam Smith and Feist to Lou Reed, each connection enriches his artistry and spirit. This mutual exchange of inspiration makes every encounter a two-way journey, as one where both musician and collaborator grow, learn, and discover together. Whether through sound or silence, the essence of companionship and shared experience lies at the heart of his music.

Laugh, play, and awaken your inner child with Laraaji and Arji! This dynamic duo has created an experiential journey that helps people tune into what they truly want to allow in their lives — through movement, chanting, laughter, and sound. Join Laraaji and Arji this December for Laughter, Sound, and Consciousness.

All of us who descend down the hill to experience Esalen come here for a variety of personal reasons. We spoke with a few Esalen faculty and Esalen board members about how their journey and time here have impacted their lives and led toward greater collective experiences.

This multimedia lecture explores the earlier history of the Esalen Institute, specifically 1970's through the 1980s, as American culture underwent tumultuous social and political changes.

During the pivotal period of the 1960's, Esalen emerged as a hub for the pursuit of human potential and the exploration of the self. Against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, the rise of hippie counterculture, and the subsequent shifts into the 1970s and the Reagan-era 80's, Esalen remained proudly unique and wide-ranging in its focus. From parapsychology to Rolfing to Gestalt Therapy for Dentists, no topic was left unexamined. Marathon encounter groups, The Zen of Tennis, and Creative Divorce all had their place alongside more traditional inquiries into psychology, spiritual practice, and self-development. Central to this exploration was Esalen's "No One Captures the Flag" ethos, ensuring that no single ideology or belief system would dominate the discourse, allowing a diversity of thought to flourish.

Through Esalen’s storied archival photos and video, we’ll examine how Esalen navigated a changing social landscape, fostering a vibrant community that embraced the strange and the unconventional while still reflecting the institute's commitment to exploring the frontiers of human experience. We will analyze how Esalen's pursuit of the "Future of the Body" and its exploration of feminism, California culture, and geopolitical conflict resolution contributed to its enduring legacy.

Sam Stern is a Senior Content Creator at Esalen Institute and the host of the "Voices of Esalen" podcast, a deep-dive interview program focused on Human Potential with over 1 million downloads to date. The unofficial historian of all things Esalen, Sam is fascinated by the future, and teaches weekly about AI and Creativity at Esalen. He is a cum laude graduate of Brown University, '99, and received his MFA in Critical Studies and Integrated Media from CalArts, '05.

Where does Esalen fit in, and how can we serve a world that welcomes all? When we share our aspirations for connection and growth, our differences become less daunting. Watch this trailer on Esalen’s significance and potential in the world. We are hard at work toward a feature on the Big Story of Esalen — its history, present, and hopes for the future.

Meet four women integral to Esalen’s six-decade-strong legacy as they share some memories and aspirations for Esalen in the coming years.

Photos: Calvin Gaskin, Scott Jones, Q Stern, Paul Herbert, Esalen archival collection, Pam Walatka, Joyce Rogers, Kathy Carr, Sam Stern, Shira Levine, Eddy Vicken, Track II collection, Dulce Murphy collection, Nancy Lunney-Wheeler collection, Mary Ellen Klee collection, Anisa Medhi collection, Tristan Kolkhorst. All AI images produced by Sam Stern using Midjourney and Ideogram.