All I know is I couldn't get to sleep after this class. It felt like we ended with the Big Bang coming through us. There was so much "wanting to know", it was great. We could all see why this teaching is so transformative. The absolute context doesn't allow any "wiggle" room for the ego, our usual conditioned responses to surface. In wanting to be Free more than anything else, we no longer want to act out of conditioned impulses, we'll take absolute responsiblity for ourselves, and be willing to face everything and avoid nothing because we want to know the truth. These first three tenets form a powerful position from which to live and make our choices. I called it "Soul Power". It is how we can build spiritual strength. We did grapple with Andrew's concept of the Soul but I think by the end of the class, we came to some common understanding.

The class as a whole shifted in so many ways, it was beautiful. I know it created a big shift in me and again, it says so much how real transformation is possible. We only have to want it more than anything else.

This class felt like playing a tenous game of ping pong which I suppose is a metaphor for the Ego and Authentic Self when you are first inquiring into these two aspects of the Self. We were looking into what these two diametrically opposed players look like in our own experience and articulate what the feeling qualities are. We generally don't want to think we have an ego so this probably made this discussion a bit challenging. I could only keep pointing out if people could notice if they were feeling "pulled up" (which would be the authentic self) or "pulled down" (the Ego) during our discussion. We did go into this through discussing a short video dialogue between Andrew Cohen and Ken Wilber called "A Closed Loop"  (see below)

We also went into how conscious choice, which is the fulcrum of this teaching, is our path out of the quagmire. Once we can distinguish between these two parts of our self, I can only say that it is truly a gift to know that this is how we can begin to sort ourselves out. Hallelujah!

It's interesting how compelling meditation is. By the end of our meditation together, I found it difficult to speak. To break the silence that becomes sacred when we are willing to explore this formlessness together. I just wanted to go deeper in this sea of no thing. It is so important to recognize that this is a necessary step in understanding who I am and that I am free in this place. It is in this place that there is refuge, that will allow us to re-emerge new. It is also where we strengthen our conviction to be free so we can act in the world as a steady force. A force of love that cannot be reckoned with. Wow, meditation is powerful.

Context is everything!  It really is.  And the minute I think I've "got it", it slips through the cracks.  This is what I felt our class was grappling with during the very lively discussion that occured last night.  We explored what living in an evolutionary developmental time process starts to mean for our lives.  But to really hold this perspective within the layers of context that we live in, challenges us in ways that we're simply not use to.   It is the evolutionary context that smashes the narcissistic, small ego into bits.  At the same time, we had to recognize where our center of gravity really is.  It takes humility to recognize where we are at in our own development.   We spoke about how development "transcends and includes" previous levels but at this point in time, we are needed to create these new grooves in consciousness.  They simply do not pre-exist.  So to take the next step of looking at our own development from a world centric perspective to a cosmo-centric perspective was huge.

I have just spent a couple of hours going over the course materials for class number two with my fellow instructor, Michael Wombacher. This after six to eight hours of preparation prior. We definitely had an explosive meeting, with the material becoming ever fresher and more alive as we went into it together. Again and again Andrew’s vision and the direction of Evolutionary Enlightenment blows my mind. You can’t ever just “get this” and wrap it up in a tidy little box of accumulated knowledge. It’s mind blowing every time just like the first time.

We finished our evening by reading a quote from this week’s homework which we both plan to include in the next class:

“Our self-reflective awareness is undoubtedly the highest and most profound expression of the Big Bang, and when we begin to truly appreciate this, inevitably it radically reorients our understanding of the goal of the spiritual life. Indeed, the very concept of enlightenment needs to be updated so that it is in alignment with this emerging cosmic perspective. In light of what it has taken for life to reach this threshold, it simply doesn’t make sense to conclude that the highest spiritual attainment would be escape or transcendence or freedom from incarnate existence. Nor does it even make sense that enlightenment, as more recent and more inclusive definitions tell us, means becoming one with the world and one with that formless dimension that lies beyond it. Because the universe is evolving in time, to become one with it we have to become one with the process of evolution itself at the level of our own consciousness. In this, we human beings find ourselves in the drivers seat as never before, and the implications are dramatic. In fact, a new definition of enlightenment must express the dawning revelation that from now on, our conscious participation in the evolutionary process has literally become essential to the creative unfolding of the cosmos.”

Too Cool!!!

It was quite a privilege and honor to give my first class in Evolutionary Enlightenment.  I never imagined myself being in this position as I have been a shy person a lot of my life.  So it was an amazing and humbling experience.  It also gave me more confidence in the process of transformation itself.  I felt like I was a living example of transformation in action as I stood there in front of everyone.  I can only hope that others will recognize this to be a living possibility for all of us. 

In this class, we delved into the inner dimension of who we are at the deepest level.  I felt a noticeble shift when we went into the discovery of the subject.  There was a tangible quality of awareness that was occuring between us. Then Andrew pointed out (in the audio) that the evolution of consciousness is simply this awareness becoming more in intensity.  It seemed so simple and at the same time, I recognize that this is probably why we overlook it. 

Please check out Jeff Carreira's (the course creator) blog www.jeff-wie.zaadz.com/blog One of the results of the course being taught is a one-day seminar for businesses. Jeff will be teaching a course to Deutsche Bank, with the “practice” course being given at Hartford Insurance Company. Starting early next year we will be offering weekend courses, due to the demand for this format. This means that it will be easier for teachers to commit to locations outside their city of residence. Have laptop, will travel.