Sacred Activism: The Power of Love and Wisdom in Action—Andrew Harvey

When a profound and grounded mystical vision is married to a practical and pragmatic drive to transform all existing economic and political institutions, a tremendous holy force— the power of wisdom and love in action—is born. It is a force that can unleash, even in the middle of growing catastrophe, an unstoppable steady energy of hope and compassion.

Andrew Harvey was the youngest person ever awarded a fellowship to All Soul’s College at Oxford University. He is the author of The Direct Path, Son of Man, The Return of the Mother, and Sun at Midnight. He was the subject of the 1993 BBC film documentary The Making of a Modern Mystic and is Professor of Sacred Activism at Wisdom University.

Witnessing Shift and Experiencing Transformation—James O’Dea

We live at a time when scientific, spiritual, and psychological insight help us to witness
evolutionary shifts that challenge the very foundation of prevailing worldviews. These shifts herald more than a change in views and beliefs; they offer us the possibility of profoundly transformative experiences with the power to reveal and activate the core of our humanness.

James O'Dea is president of the Institute of Noetic Sciences and a member of the World Wisdom Council founded by Ervin Laszlo. He was director of the Washington, DC, office of Amnesty International for ten years and spent six years as executive director of the Seva Foundation.

Friday Plenary Sessions

Entangled Minds: Connecting Psyche with Physics—Dean Radin

Do minds matter? Recent experiments are providing new insights about the role of intention in the physical world. They suggest that mind and reality may be more tightly coupled than previously known.

Dean Radin, PhD, is IONS Senior Scientist and author of The Conscious Universe and Entangled Minds. He has conducted research on exceptional human capacities at Princeton University, the University of Edinburgh, and SRI International. He has a PhD in psychology and an MS in electrical engineering.

Activating the Heart’s Intelligence: Understanding the  Heart/Mind/Emotion Connection—Howard Martin

Experience the Heart Lock-In, a scientifically validated technique based on more than a decade of research. This technique is designed to help you increase the power of your heart and rebalance your emotions.

Howard Martin is Executive Vice President for Strategic Development at HeartMath, LLC, and one of the original leaders who helped Doc Childre found HeartMath. He has been instrumental in developing and delivering HeartMath’s practical yet dynamic programs to thousands of participants in the U.S. and abroad. In 1999 he co-authored The HeartMath Solution.

David, Noah, and the Katrina Principle—Van Jones

As the green economy grows, new urban leaders are calling for inclusion based on green enterprise, and jobs for urban youth. What spiritual principles underlie the call to ensure that the “green wave” actually lifts all boats?

Van Jones champions alternatives to violence and incarceration in urban America. A Yale educated attorney, he is president of the Ella Baker Center in Oakland, California. Under the slogan “Green-Collar Jobs, Not Jails," he works to build a green economy that is strong enough to lift people out of poverty.

Noetic Sciences and the Fate of the Earth—Robert Thurman

How do we energize research and discovery in the realms of Western “noetic science” and Eastern “inner science” to meet the challenges of a 21st-century planet that out-of-control humans are clearly pushing toward destruction? Do we really think it's possible to save this world? Are we living as if it were possible?

Robert Thurman is a professor in the Religion Department of Columbia University. He holds graduate and undergraduate degrees from Harvard and has studied in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in India and the United States. He is an author of many books, including The Tibetan Book of the Dead and, most recently, Infinite Life: Seven Virtues for Living Well.

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Friday Evening: Music and Awards Gala, featuring Kali’s Angels and the Temple Awards

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Saturday Plenary Sessions

The Practical Side of “Enlightenment”—Charles Tart

The high spiritual attainment of “enlightenment” may be something you've already manifested, at least on occasion. Here it will be explored as evolving from specific psychological dimensions.

Charles Tart, PhD, is internationally known for research on transpersonal psychology and parapsychology. His 13 books include two classics, Altered States of Consciousness and Transpersonal Psychologies. A professor at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, he works to bridge science and spirituality.

The Intention Experiment: Use Your Thoughts to Change the World—Lynne McTaggart

Prepare yourself to hear the latest scientific evidence about the power of your thoughts, as well as mind-blowing new data about the nature of reality.

Lynne McTaggart is the award-winning author of five books, including the newly published The Intention Experiment and the bestselling The Field. She is co-executive director of Conatus, which publishes some of the world’s most respected health and spiritual newsletters and online information.

Civilization: Where To from Here?—Edgar Mitchell

Saving us from ourselves must become a high priority if civilization is to become sustainable in our lifetime. This talk will offer a road map of contending solutions.

Edgar Mitchell, PhD, is the founder of the Institute of Noetic Sciences and a former Apollo astronaut. His many credentials and degrees include four honorary doctorates and a PhD in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT. Dr. Mitchell is a renowned lecturer and author of several books, including Psychic Exploration: A Challenge for Science and The Way of the Explorer.

Saturday Evening: Community Celebration

The Gandhi/King Peace Concert—James Twyman

James will perform songs from his latest CD, God Has No Religion, based on quotes from both Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

James Twyman is an internationally renowned author and musician who has the reputation of drawing millions of people together to pray for world peace, especially during moments of world crisis.

The Upwising Continues—Swami Beyondananda

The Cosmic Comic will enlighten us about our next evolution and how an upwising can create a new world.

Swami Beyondananda, aka Steve Bhaerman, is a writer, comedian and “uncommontator.” On the “serious” side, his new book with Bruce Lipton is called Spontaneous Re-Mission: Our Positive Future and How to Get There From Here.

Strategies for Bringing Spirit into Matter—Hazel Henderson (by Webcast)

In the belief that it is necessary—but not sufficient—to evolve one's consciousness to embrace the wholeness of the human family and our journey on this precious planet teeming with symbiotic life-forms, it is also important to apply that consciousness to the economic and financial institutions of our time.

Hazel Henderson, author and evolutionary economist, advised the U.S. Office of Technology Assessment, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Science Foundation on the ethics of technological choices from 1974 to 1980. She created the Calvert-Henderson Quality of Life Indicators, as well as the book and ongoing PBS television series Ethical Markets.

Sunday Plenary Sessions

The Real Wealth of Nations: Transforming Economics and Our Lives—Riane Eisler

Building better lives and a better world requires a new economics that gives value to the most essential human work—caring for people and nature.

Riane Eisler is well known for her international bestseller The Chalice and the Blade and her awardwinning Sacred Pleasure, Tomorrow’s Children, as well as The Power of Partnership. Her newest book, The Real Wealth of Nations, is being hailed as a major contribution to human welfare. Dr. Eisler is president of the Center for Partnership Studies.

The Path to True Peace—His Holiness Swami Chidanand Saraswati

This plenary will explore how our ego and our desires are actually the only barriers to peace. When we go beyond our personal desire for peace, true peace is natural and inevitable.

His Holiness Swami Chidanand Saraswati is one of India’s most revered spiritual leaders. He spent his youth in silence and meditation in the Himalayan forests before becoming president and spiritual head of Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh. He is also the founder/chairman of India Heritage Research Foundation, an international nonprofit humanitarian organization.

Living a Committed Life—Hafsat Abiola and Lynne Twist

Discover a compelling template for individual change drawn from stories and insights of the presenters’ personal and professional experiences.

Hafsat Abiola was born in Africa, educated in America, and is currently living in Asia. She is an activist and writer. Through KIND, an organization she founded, and several other initiatives, she works to unleash women’s wisdom and leadership in the service of creating a better world.

Lynne Twist is a global activist, fundraiser, author, and founder of the Soul of Money Institute. Lynne has raised hundreds of millions of dollars and has trained thousands of fundraisers to be more effective in their work for organizations that serve the best interest of all—eradicating poverty, empowering women, nurturing children and youth, and preserving the natural heritage of our planet.

Looking Forward: Exploring Our Common Work—Marilyn Mandala Schlitz

As science and spirituality meet, we are poised for a new understanding of consciousness in action. Based on the learnings of our last three days, we will explore the question: What are our next steps forward?

Marilyn Mandala Schlitz, PhD, is Vice President for Research and Education at the Institute of Noetic Sciences in California and Senior Scientist at California Pacific Medical Center. She is co-editor of Consciousness and Healing: Integral Approaches to Mind-Body Medicine and co-author of the upcoming Living Deeply: The Art and Science of Transformation (Noetic Press/New Harbinger, Jan. 2008)