"Awakening to that mystical dimension where the very essence of self is suddenly perceived to be one with the ultimate forces of nature, is at once the secret and the transforming journey of human life." - Joseph Campbell In my last post, I introduced the story of how I began the journey of discovery which … Continue reading Entering the Inner Fortress
The Fall of Icarus by Peter Paul Rubens, 1636 Musée Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Belgium A form seen in the distance Becomes clearer the closer we get to it. If a mirage were water, Why would it vanish when we draw near? The farther we are from the world, The more real it appears to … Continue reading Awakening and the Fall
"The transcendental law, Emerson believed, was the 'moral law,' through which man discovers the nature of God, a living spirit...The true nature of life was energetic and fluid; its transcendental unity resulted from the convergence of all forces upon the energetic truth, the heart of the moral law." -- excerpt from The American Tradition in … Continue reading Transcendent Awareness
The sun had barely awakened the new day; its first efforts to bring light back from beyond the night had only just begun, but I had been unable to settle down to sleep since just before dawn the day before. My heart and mind were heavy with an inner turmoil, suffering from an enduring doubt, … Continue reading Friendship and Pain
In the light of day, I traveled to a remote forest area several miles from the base in Massachusetts. I had driven-by the turnoff several times before while navigating through the surrounding areas, and the entrance always caught my eye. Curiosity got the better of me one day while I was still in what they … Continue reading Deep Forest Vision
Excerpts from "A Lament..." written by Japanese Poet, Yamanoue no Okura (660-733 A.D.)" What we must accept as we journey through the world is that time will pass like the waters of a stream; in countless numbers, in relentless succession, it will besiege us with assaults we must endure... Precious though life is, it is … Continue reading The Evanescence of Life: Finding Our Way
http://bncdance.com/company/performances/a-journey-of-the-human-spirit/ "Once we find the transcendent experience and open up to a greater flow of spiritual energy and security within, something profound begins to occur. We begin to see ourselves and our behavior from a higher perspective, from a viewpoint of our more energized higher self. Our sense of identity moves past the insecure reactions … Continue reading Journey of the Human Spirit
"Memory performs the impossible for man; holds together past and present, gives continuity and dignity to human life." -- Mark Van Doren, Liberal Education, 1943 "In a large sense, learning and memory are central to our very identity. They make us who we are." -- Eric Kandel, In Search of Memory, 2006 "Has it ever … Continue reading Ancient Mountain of Memory
Sitting on that hill in California overlooking Monterey Bay was an extraordinary moment--one for which I was also totally unprepared. Life is like that sometimes. We work to find a place for ourselves, searching occasionally in places where we never thought we would find ourselves, and expending efforts that may go on for months at … Continue reading Working To Find A Place To Begin Again
"Every human being, and every human mind, has roots that extend indefinitely far back through time…the consciousness of the individual is inextricably tied to the consciousness of the whole…Everything in nature is actually connected or implicated with everything else…" - David Darling, philosopher, from his book, "Equations of Eternity "David Darling has pressed the matter … Continue reading Consciousness and the World We Create: Part Two
John's Consciousness 