Gaia Community: Evolutionary Enlightenment Webcast's Blog

What is the Nature of Inquiry?

http://eewebcast.gaia.com — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 12:43:11 GMT

Dear Jeff and Katherine,

Do you both not see that there is no inquiry in your dialog? You simply put forth your point of view and then look for agreement with it. That leaves no room for uncertainty or the fire and friction of creativity. The energy to learn disappears along with any real genuine interest. I have brought this to your attention before and either you are totally not interested in what is going on out here? Or you have no real facility in the dynamic of dialoging and inquiry. You just keep going back to your familiar comfortable format of authoritatively explaining, taking everyone’s offering and rearranging it to fit your point of view or premise. Its always healthier to be questioning rather than dogmatic.

Sincerely David,

..................................................

Dear David,

Thank you for your candor and care for the quality of the conversation that we have all embarked upon. It is true that you have pointed to the need to look at the nature of our inquiry in the past and it is indeed an important point of investigation for any of us who endeavor to evolve at the level of consciousness.

I do however disagree with your main premise – that “there is no inquiry in our dialog.” Before we could possibly agree upon such a sweeping comment we would have to be sure that we both meant the same thing by the word “inquiry.” And this, I feel, gets us to the heart of the matter. What is the nature of the inquiry that we are attempting to generate on our calls. Prompted by some of your early probing in this direction I have done some research into this whole question of inquiry.

The term inquiry is not as easy to nail down as it may appear. There are several definitions for the word and when we enter into the realm of philosophical or spiritual inquiry there seems to be an unlimited number of interpretations of those meanings. So even a preliminary investigation leads me to believe that getting clear about what the nature of this inquiry is will be very helpful to all of our development.

I wanted to start by presenting the broadest and most general definition of the word that I could find.

Inquiry – any process that has the aim of augmenting knowledge, resolving doubt, or solving a problem.

Using this definition we certainly have inquiry in our dialog, because many people have told me that as a result of our discussions they understand more about their experience of being a human being, they have less doubt about the meaning of their own life and some have even expressed the resolution of fundamental problems that have plagued them for years.

At other times you have stated that Katherine and I have an agenda, as you say above, “our own point of view,’ The implication being that having an agenda – a vested interest in the outcome of the dialog – negates the possibility of inquiry.

Katherine and I do have an agenda. We are trying to facilitate a more comprehensive and deep understanding of the perspective of Evolutionary Enlightenment in all of the listeners that join us for these calls. To achieve this end we assume a position of authority in relationship to this perspective based on the fifteen years that we have each devoted to it.

It is my opinion that if the outcome of an inquiry is meant to be evolutionary there would have to be directionality to the discussion. That means that something were being held up as the truth and then examined.

We have spent a great deal of time on our calls talking about the nature of the post-modern self. Our post-modern condition – yours and mine – doesn’t like to think that anyone knows any more about anything than we do. That tendency is most pronounced when the topic of inquiry is human life. We all feel that we are experts on human life and that no perspective is any higher than ours.

So we are all (me too) hyper-sensitive to any positions of authority taken in relationship to matters of this type. One of the things that Andrew Cohen has long tried to make clear in his work is that authority in these matters is crucial for development. If we do not have examples to aspire towards we invite what Ken Wilber has termed pluralistic flatland where every opinion is consider equally valid regardless of context. In my opinion, this is what leads to the negation of inquiry.

Another thing that I have been thinking about is the fact that it is commonly believed that inquiry is best fueled and informed by disagreement. In other words, when people inquire together it is the points of disagreement in their thinking that present the greatest possibility for growth, development and creativity. I certainly agree that points of disagreement can be powerful points of investication. I also believe that points of agreement are loaded with creative possibility.

In our discussions I can find examples of both – moments where disagreement has been the catalyst for higher understanding and also times when points of agreement moved us all to a deeper place. I don’t feel that looking for agreement in different points of view is inherently any less valid as a vehicle for true inquiry.

All these are outstanding departure points for further discussion and I for one would be interested in starting a separate dialogue devoted to a deeper understanding of them.

And yes, Katherine and I will continue to work to provide the best possible facilitation that we can every Thursday. We both realize that we have a lot of room for development and improvement – but then again, that is the whole point.

Thank you again for your sincerity,

Jeff

Tags: andrew cohen, creativity, authenticity, retreat, meditation, choice, spirituality, jeff carreira, evolutionary enlightenment, enlightenment, awakening

Jeff Carreira and Gail Margulis

http://eewebcast.gaia.com — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 00:21:03 GMT

READ a blog post related to last week’s call by Jeff here.

Dear Jeff and Gail,
Thanks for the incredible call, it definitely stretched my awareness. Sam and Patricia were also here listening, it was sweet being together. We talked for a while, then had dinner, then were on the webcast with you. You're both taking on so much, and it's so big. I feel stretched to even try to meet you in that. You've been my mentors from the beginning of this path with Andrew, and I want to thank you for being so consistent and bold.

Steve

Dear Jeff,
I just wanted to say what an amazing call that was tonight! It's incredible to hear about the development that's occurring as you travel the world, regardless of where you are geographically. In DC, there's just a natural impetus to expand the conversation further, to engage in as many conversations as possible. I can't believe that a new culture is ACTUALLY beginning to emerge--just the thought makes every cell in my body light on fire with overwhelming positivity and excitement. Here's to creating a global Revolution!!
Love,
Sam

Dear Jeff andf Gail,

Tonight’s call was very different. It felt like there's an increase in awareness of a growing alignment everywhere with the real energy of the Evolutionary Impulse. When the process that is the Authentic Self is more apparent, more common, the strength of it is palpable. And the fear just fades because there is simply no room for it.

Love,

Peggy

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Carter Phipps and Ellen Daly

http://eewebcast.gaia.com — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 07:39:02 GMT

Dear Carter & Ellen

Last night conference call "Creating Culture" -intersubjective gave me the answer "what does higher consciousness have to do with the reality of our day -to -day problems?

It is so simple, clear and obvious that the development of intersubjective consciousness and create the structure is my project, is the most important thing, is the only solution of the problems in the world in this time right now ,is the most worthy thing to give myself 100% even take high risk and is the purpose of life.

Now I get a glimpse of "Accountability and the military metaphor of not loosing formation"

I feel lucky to have people like you guys because I feel myself like a toddler with this development.

Thank you,

S...

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The Universe Project with Andrew Cohen

http://eewebcast.gaia.com — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 21:42:10 GMT

Dear Andrew and Jeff,
What a wonderful phone call it was this evening! Thank you so much. Somehow on the phone call your voice sounded vulnerable and penetrating at the same time, in a way that was really quite sublime. I am hoping that this program gets turned into a podcast that I can direct my friends to via links or whatever. I think it was perhaps the most succinct, impassioned and simply compelling description of the context, the purpose, and the passion for Evolutionary Enlightenment that I have heard yet.
Thank you so much!
Carl

Dear Jeff

I have just heard Andrew Cohen’s talk via the web. I like his conclusion that basically we are all one in primordial consciousness. But now - in manifestation - we are many and the universe is our project.

My question is: why does 'our' Universe Project contain so much pain??!! Isn't evolutionary spirituality, like every other theology, crumbling under the tremendous amount of pain present in this world? Is it all just involution and evolution - a godly game - lila and existence, consciousness, bliss -satchitananda (Sri Aurobindo)?

Looking forward to your reply, yours

Michael (Zurich)

Dear Michael,

Thank you for your question. I have to agree that there is tremendous pain in the Universe. I am not as certain that the existence of pain is the source of our problems. The goal of Evolutionary Enlightenment is not is not to end pain, but to discover universal purpose and meaning. I don’t believe that pain is what causes so much suffering in the world (particularly not for highly developed cultures in the west) rather it is the lack of meaning and significance that holds far too many of us in a state of meandering despair. My own experience of Evolutionary Enlightenment has been that the more I have found the drive of my own deepest heart to be non-separate from the creative drive that initiated the process of evolution in the first place, my concern with the experience of pain has been replaced by the explosive inspiration for what the future could be.

Thank you again for writing,

Jeff

Tags:

Nothing is Personal

http://eewebcast.gaia.com — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 13:21:22 GMT

Hi Jeff and Katherine,

I enjoyed the call on the 4th tenet. I especially find that this is an enlightening tenet. I recall my first retreat with Andrew where he had us contemplate the difference between the personal and impersonal dimensions. I was clear about the freedom and space of the impersonal. Your call had that quality in the initial dialogue between the two of you and with all of us. I think that we can really awaken to something that is cosmic in our consciousness as we realize we are a process and not an individual entity. I have found that many aspects of my individual life have pointed to the evidence that I am/we are a process. It is also an existential realization. But to realize we are one entity or process or being together is really far out and reaches the psyche beyond itself. I like it. It is freeing. And it is not the way I usually feel which is more this idea of being imprisoned in a self or body or idea of me. Yet to give over oneself completely to this large process as onesself is a leap... that seems daunting especially in the secular world. I see here the need for a community with others who are interested in this and see the possibility of it as well.

I think most people including myself don't really know how to let go of self as object completely and then to go beyond even self as process to self as no self and only big process as existing.

Thanks again.

Gail

Jeff & Katherine

What an unbelievable thought. The Evolutionary process awakening to itself, realizing that the human form is its vehicle, to use and discard. At first it is a little scary to think that, as a human being, I am disposable to the process. Humans are conditioned to believe they are essential. I almost want to think I am the BEST vehicle to convey the process (but there is that ego talking). There must be many other forms that are equally as necessary to it. When the Evolutionary process wakes-up to itself, through me as a human being, what is the next use for this vehicle? The only thing is to consciously let go of this vehicle, and for the universe to take it back. I feel like I will have reached the edge of this boundary (a cliff of sorts), and I am looking out into this vast area of pale color where nothing is above, below, or on either side of me. At this spot, I must make what I think for a split second is a choice, but in reality what is the inevitable step. Looking out at this vastness in front of me, I will know the feeling that I can take the step over the edge of this barrier, and I will not drop down, like a person falling from a cliff. So I am ready to take my one step, that static energy pulling me. That brief glimmer of fear from knowing I will cease to exist in this form once I take the step, suddenly dissipates. I put my foot out and lean in, becoming one with the process of evolution. The universe which I was born to takes me back in, because on a completely consciously level, I am no longer separate from it. Don't ask me where all these thoughts came from. It just surfaced near the end as I was listening. (a listener)

Just had to say.....GREAT call last night! Your Passion was palpable!! As I awoke this morning...my world...or The World was/felt different!! Can't really explain it.....it's like Harry Palmer, author of the "Avatar" teaching says...."It's a "World" experience, not a "word" experience". Thank you and Katherine for all your effort in this Universe Project!! From across this continent on Vancouver Island, Canada...I send my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation!

Bless you....Monique

Tags: andrew cohen, creativity, authenticity, retreat, meditation, choice, spirituality, jeff carreira, evolutionary enlightenment, enlightenment, awakening

The Soul, Reincarnation, and Life After Death

http://eewebcast.gaia.com — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:38:30 GMT

Hi Jeff

Loved the conversation on soul development -2. Talking about urgency. I am just experimenting with few ideas…..If I look upon the soul as beyond this life time (which means even after my death, the soul take on a different life time)... Which means what ever my actions are develops or not develops 'my' soul. At the time of my death, what ever is the level of development of 'my' soul at the time of my death is the level to which the soul appears again through another life form (this life form is not me as ego). So for example 'my' soul is now having a life form called Arul Dev. 200 years from now 'my?' soul may have another life form called Mary (who is not me as ego). When I allow this to hit me, it dawns on me a huge moral responsibility. If I don't develop my soul Mary is going to have to do lot more work. Its like in Shuttle relay that we play in school. If out of the team one person slows down the whole team loses. This really compels me with high urgency that every moment I contribute to development of my soul and that of others.

Now another question arises what happens to the soul after death. When I asked this to someone she said, it joins God or consciousness. Well this hits further. If what I do today, this moment, is going to develop my soul, which impacts other life forms and which ultimately impacts God or Consciousness, there is no choice. I am implicated to develop soul of all in this life time to the very best and more of what I can. In spite of all odds.

The danger of this implication is that one is overwhelmed. And sometimes then one says this is too large; and can just go on the opposite direction. So I guess the action path is to push and allow this implication to hit you and at the same time take action and succeed in being integral again and again and again.

However the way I am looking at this seems a bit too 'personalising'. The key I guess to action in terms of integrity in day to day life is to look at this impersonally, as a human condition. And fully participate in the development of soul as if my life and others depended on it

Thanks for the call. I listened to it in podcast

Arul Dev

Tags: andrew cohen, creativity, authenticity, retreat, soul, reincarnation, life after death, meditation, choice, spirituality, jeff carreira

The Need for Urgency

http://eewebcast.gaia.com — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 16:45:44 GMT

Jeff & Katherine,
I appreciate the integrity in your listening. It seems if we support each other in staying present to the urgency – for it is the urgency that makes it real – we will step up to the plate and be rigorous in the use of the five tenets as a forum of inquiry into integrity and its impact on the human condition and evolution. In the face of integrity we see the deepest cowardice of human condition as well as the noblest courage.
David

Dear David,
I very much appreciated your contribution to last night’s call. I have been thinking about the idea of urgency and what it is that makes our calls crackly with reality. It occurred to me that the “urgency” that you were calling for last night comes when what we are talking about is personally implicating. Last night for instance the real urgency of this matter of integrity doesn’t come from ideas about the need for integrity in the world as much as the need for integrity within ourselves. I think it was this aspect of personal implication that you felt was missing from the first part of our discussion last night. And as you said I should re-examine my own conclusions that people are not ready to handle urgency and find out if they are.
It takes, as you say, a very courageous soul to even begin to face our own lack of integrity. To look square in the face of the fact that most of us have recognized much more about what is true than we are willing to live up to. We all use excuses like “I don’t know what to do,” but in the end they are in fact just excuses. I know from my own experience that anytime you decide to act on what you really know, beyond all of your fears and hesitations, you discover that you were always completely surrounded by opportunities to act with integrity. I think next week’s call will be along these lines as we discuss the third tenet, Face Everything and Avoid Nothing. I intend for there to be plenty of urgency to fill the airspace.
Jeff

I agree with Jeff’s take on the call and also appreciate the question of urgency that came up. I have found there is really no urgency out there somewhere for me to find or to be moved by. Even understanding the world’s problems more doesn’t make me more urgent, unless that understanding is in the context of that deep recognition that I am the world and the only way the world changes is through my change. That recognition that we are the world is already there in us, not far away or hidden at all, it’s the willingness to see clearly and unflinchingly whether or not our lives are a reflection of that recognition that puts the fire under our buts and that develops our integrity at the same time.

Katherine

Tags: andrew cohen, creativity, language, culture, dna, authenticity, retreat, meditation, choice, spirituality, jeff carreira

The role of autonomy in the spiritual path

http://eewebcast.gaia.com — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 02:20:38 GMT

Dear Jeff and Katherine,

I have really appreciated your calls and the opportunity to hear the teachings of Evolutionary Enlightenment in your own voices. I think that because it is in your own words and based on your own experience that the inquiry is so powerful.

A few weeks ago you asked us to suggest a topic, and I asked you to talk about the role of autonomy in the spiritual path. The sense of poetic justice wasn't lost on me when you emailed me back and suggested I write about it myself. :) So I have been thinking about it. What is autonomy anyway? This morning it all crystallized as I was speaking to my sister.

For a long time, I have been under the impression that autonomy is synonymous with interest. Interest is similar to intention. It is like the gasoline of the evolutionary impulse: you can't go forward if you don't have any interest in doing so. Autonomous interest. But lately I am realizing that interest isn't the whole picture. It doesn't have any weight itself. It's like how gasoline can get you places in your car, but it doesn't have in it the knowledge of the landscape you just passed.

When it comes to standing solidly in the truth revealed in my own experience, especially in the face of opposition, I have not lived an autonomous life. I've run from conflict, and kept far too private the beauty of truth. It's shockingly immoral, in this context, to cave in on what you know to be true. But I didn't even realize that until just now.

I'm starting to change. I am suddenly finding the ability to be strong in what I believe without having to hold on to it, because it isn't separate from me. It is easy to be strong in the company of others who share similar interests but to be strong, to be truthful on your own is autonomy.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

Thanks again for the weekly cosmo-cast!

Love,

Christiana

Tags: andrew cohen, evolutionary enlightenment. wie, what is enlightenment?, Jeff Carreira, Katherine Miller

I listen again and again and again

http://eewebcast.gaia.com — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 01:25:56 GMT

Jeff and Katherine,

I've never written to you but feel that I owe you. When you began the Universe Project I was very interested but thought that I had to attend the N.Y. seminars to participate. When I finally realized I could still participate from Idaho I began downloading the calls as podcasts. Astonishing! I don't just listen once or twice to each call. I listen again and again and again. It is amazing how much I continue absorbing even though I have heard it before. And, even on downloaded calls I experience that thrilling 'oneness', ecstatic motivation and deep caring.

KP

Dear KP,

Thank you so much for such an enthusiastic response. It is important to all of us to share not just our questions, but also our insights, passions and joys. We help each other by providing inspiration and also unabashed and unapologetic passion for living.
Jeff

Tags: andrew cohen, creativity, authenticity, retreat, meditation, choice, spirituality, jeff carreira, evolutionary enlightenment, enlightenment, awakening

What is the most important thing about being alive?

http://eewebcast.gaia.com — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 12:35:41 GMT

I asked a woman who spoke on our last call to write something about the expereince that she was describing on the call. This poetic description is what she wrote back. Jeff

...I've been thinking about the fact that even though we're in the middle of an information explosion and in the middle of our lives, a question like, "what is most important about being alive?" presents us with a "blank slate". As if we're at the starting point.

We've been breathing since birth, but between every single in-breath and out-breath, there is a very brief, but physical sensation of neither. There's a gap there. Questioning the value of life itself belongs to that liminal, in-between place where life and death are defined. It is that close to our human experience and that profound in its implications. With every single breath we take, we start again, we choose to stay alive. The question is, "why?"...

Tags: andrew cohen, retreat, meditation, choice, spirituality, katherine miller, jeff carreira, evolutionary enlightenment, enlightenment, awakening, dialog

Solving a problem from a place of no problem (Jeff)

http://eewebcast.gaia.com — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 11:47:46 GMT

Hello Jeff,

I just had to write to you and express my gratitude to you for sharing the story about the sentence Andrew Cohen posted from your letter for other students to read. Something like, "I realized I had stopped trying to figure out a solution to a problem as soon as it arose."

It is so simple, and exemplifies a foundational aspect of Evolutionary Enlightenment, but I honestly did not see it so clearly before the call tonight. It had an immediate impact on me and continues to, as I realize the implications of letting the need to solve the problem, from the place of being convinced that there is a problem, go. The ego has no hold. Wow.

Thanks again,
M

Dear M,

How we generally operate is that we unconsciously assume that we are fine the way we are and then when circumstances make it obvious that we do need to change we tend to adopt one of two positions. The first is that we start solving the problem and so we go from “not needing to change” to “changing” with out having to experience “needing to change”. The other position is to go from “not needing to change” to “I can’t do this” (ie. despair) again without ever having to experience the discomfort of “needing to change”.

Bottom line - we never want to see ourselves as needing to change – needing to evolve. Our general state of consciousness tends to be that we don’t need to change, that we are fine the way we are. Our post-modern society has convinced of it, ala “Free to be You and Me” and that is OK as far as it goes, but if you begin to want to evolve – to care about the creation of something new – you have to be willing to experience the need to evolve, you have to be willing to experience the tension and confusion of not being perfect. It is a simple point, but if you think about it you will see that it is outrageously profound.

Stay in Touch,
Jeff

Tags: andrew cohen, creativity, language, culture, dna, authenticity, retreat, meditation, choice, spirituality, jeff carreira

Is this really a revolution? (Jeff)

http://eewebcast.gaia.com — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 02:01:52 GMT

Dear Jeff/Katherine,
There was certainly a lot more “on your feet” engagement in this past week’s call, however, Jeff, in his invitation months ago, asked us to join him in creating a revolution and at this point the Mission is not clear.
What is the revolution?
Is it a transformation from ego to authentic self?
Is it achieving an ecstatic experience through meditation?
Is it a retreat week in Italy with a great spiritual teacher who speaks about enlightenment?
Is it a restful weekend in the Berkshires?
Is the invitation to be with a spiritual leader to learn his practices?
Is it enlightenment for everyone?
Is it a religious practice based on a God who fell from the sky based on the five tenets and the six principles?
Is it that we are to be authentic and have oneness with the world?
Is it to be rid of the ego that says I have a problem?
If this were a revolution you would need to make out a clear business proposal with your purpose and objectives.
I would like to suggest that maybe this is not a revolution. Maybe it was just a good idea well intended, but not a revolution. Maybe we just need to face that and move on with it.
Sincerely,
DD

Dear DD,
Your call for defining the goal of this work is very much appreciated. As your list of questions point out there are many facets and aspects to everything that I have been talking about over the past few months and we would do well to begin to create a more cohesive picture out of it all. In a vision statement for EnlightenNext that Andrew Cohen wrote he speaks about the goal of this work in terms of the authentic self, the creative impulse behind the evolving universe, becoming the conscious driving force that enlightens the leading edge of consciousness and culture.
As I would say it, we are trying to get people to discover the authentic self within themselves and then train them with tools (The Five Fundamental Tenets of Enlightenment) that will allow them to align the actions of their own life with that creative impulse. And since this is about changing culture we then need to bring together people who are aligning with the authentic self to find a way to live and be that is going to meet the challenges of the present and future.
Maybe this isn’t going to work. Maybe my call for an evolutionary/revolutionary movement in New York City was a good idea that just isn’t going to make it, but something’s got to do it. I don’t believe the human race can survive without a real shift in our level of consciousness and I don’t believe that shift is ever going to happen unless some of us decide that we are going to make it happen.
We seem to be caught in the “catch 22” of consciousness. We don’t tend to believe a shift is possible unless we see it and we won’t see the shift unless we make the shift happen first. That’s why I believe so strongly that inspiring each other to go beyond what we already know and take a big risk to care about a completely different possibility is the most important part of this work right now.
Thank you for your sincerity and interest,
Jeff

Tags: andrew cohen, creativity, authenticity, retreat, meditation, choice, spirituality, jeff carreira, evolutionary enlightenment, enlightenment, awakening

Why now? Does evolution really need us? (Jeff)

http://eewebcast.gaia.com — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 02:00:58 GMT

Dear Jeff,

I’m taking you up on your invitation for listener feedback… Have been thinking lately about the notion of evolutionary enlightenment as a spiritual “movement.”

To anyone who has grasped and felt the power of this teaching at the deepest level, I imagine the call to a movement will seem perfectly appropriate, because consciousness itself seems to compel it.

But I imagine that many of us have a ways to go before we get the teaching to that extent. And even when we do get the teaching to that extent, we'll probably still recoil from time to time at the idea of participating in a spiritual movement. You might be losing a lot of people before they've had their “ah hah” moment.

Even though I think I understand this teaching and have experienced it at a deep level, I have also found myself asking “why now?… what is so urgent about this that we need to make it a movement?… won't consciousness go on evolving even if we don't consciously engage in the process?… it has evolved for millions of years all by itself, why does volitionality enter into it now?”

These questions have been answered (for me at least) by the substance and experience of the teaching, but as I mentioned above, I would bet that many people aren't getting that far with it and might respond more positively to answers framed in more practical terms, whether historical, environmental, economic, scientific etc. There certainly seems to be a widespread feeling out there that humanity is off course. This is implied by Andrew all the time. But I'm wondering, if you're calling people to a movement, shouldn't the argument that a movement is necessary be made explicitly and specifically?

This is difficult to do without wading into politics, I know… and I know that the core of evolutionary enlightenment is fundamentally positive; it isn't about griping. But if what you want is a movement, it seems that would be best served and best justified by detailed “real world” arguments about how humanity is off course. Not so much political arguments. – for example, arguments concerning our failure to walk our talk when it comes to certain universal values like genocide, the environment, basic human needs, clean drinking water or disease. These are all possible illustrations of the need for a greater consciousness. Presenting this movement as one intended to bring more consciousness to bear on such issues might be more attractive to the spiritually skeptical than a more nebulous (to newcomers) and potentially off-putting “spiritual movement” or “revolution in consciousness.”

True, this doesn't capture the highest potential of the teaching. But maybe presenting it this way could help to engage more people where they are.

Thanks again for all that you and EnlightenNext are doing. I'll definitely stay in the fold and am excited about where this can go.

Response from Jeff:

Dear AM,

Thank you for writing. Your letter is right on.

Your question, why now? Won't consciousness evolve without us?, is a great one. I would like to respond to both aspects of this that you bring out.

First, as far as volitionality comes into, the reason it has come in now is because choice at the level of consciousness has only just appeared in evolutionary terms. Reptiles don't have the ability to choose at the level of consciousness. They can't choose to have higher states, or even recognize if they are having higher states or not. But with human beings you have this completely new ability to be aware of the fact that you are aware. And that allows awareness or consciousness to become the object of your attention and there for it is something you can make choices about.

This brings up an interesting point. Because part of your question asks: why does Volitionality enter into the evolutionary process now. And the fact is that Volitionality has been a part of evolution for a long time - as in the example of the choice to sexually reproduce above. It is just that now choice at the level of consciousness is possible and that hasn't been the case before. And even more to the point choice of the level of consciousness exists along with the understanding that we are part of an evolving universe - and that is even more recent.

The answer to the question, “Why now?” is because this is the first time choice at the level of consciousness has entered into the picture. And once a new feature of the organism enters into the picture it has to start to play a role in the future evolution of that species. For instance once some organisms adapted sexual reproduction as apposed to asexual they had to have sex in order to continue on. You couldn't decide not to have sex and still survive.

Now of course evolution will go on with or without us, but do we really want to have the race destroyed and leave the universe to find a suitable replacement? That brings in your second point.

I believe that you are right on when you talk about the fact that our human world is swerving dramatically off course. In “What is Enlightenment?” magazine we have devoted a great deal of time to articulating how we are off course in many ways and no matter how many we find there are always more. The only problem with this approach to justifying urgency is that I think people are numb to it. All of us have heard over and over again that the “sky is falling” (ala Y2K) and it hasn't happened yet. And also people often get overwhelmed into inaction by the shear magnitude of the problems we face.

I think that engage people in discussion is the best way to help us all get clear about how important it is to evolve. Even a dialog the one we are having here will bring both you and me more in touch with the realities of our evolutionary predicament. That being said, I do think you are right that these arguments are more easily graspable and more concrete to many people

Thank you for writing and please stay connected and engaged,

Jeff

Tags: andrew cohen, creativity, authenticity, retreat, meditation, choice, spirituality, jeff carreira, evolutionary enlightenment, enlightenment, awakening

Language: the DNA of Culture (Jeff)

http://eewebcast.gaia.com — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 01:58:55 GMT

If you have been listening to our webcast recently you will remember one delightful caller who spoke with us during the webcast called ”Who's thinking anyway?” in the exchange that I had with her we spoke together about how we don't as yet have a language that is sufficient to describe the new state of being that we are trying to evolve into. As we continued to explore the fundamental relationship between language and our perception of what is real it became obvious that language was something akin to the DNA of culture. In other words Language guides the growth of culture in a similar way that DNA guides the growth of the body – it shapes it and places limits on its potential. New DNA means a new organism…new language means a new culture.

The woman who called recently sent an email that I thought I would share with the reader’s of this blog. She has lots of fun with inventive language…

Jeff

Dear Jeff,

From being on the call last night, I chose to express to you and Katherine my renewed grEatitude for the beautiful offering of this weekly call, share an insight I heard from your impressions of The New World movie, (which I had thoroughly enjoyed), and open for the possibility to schedule a phone meeting where to explore how the offering I bring interacts powerfully with WIE’s QKosmic mission of creating an enLIGHTened civilization.

As I had shared a couple of weeks ago on the call, a new language is appearing to formulate the DNA of awareness and assist humanity to communicate from the peace of QKonnected L.O.V.E. As I was listening yesterday, one of the newest words I had heard came bubbling-bibling up. I would like to introduce the word emBODHIment to name the present time consciousness that you described as what the pioneers entering a new world may have felt.

Indeed there can be no fear, when all masks, all the eyeDENTities of mind have disappeared, what is left is a RAW presence, as Ready Able and Willing. EmBODHIment fits in and completes that inner space cozily and perfectly. Why? Because it represents the perfect balance between intuition, or that which voices the wisdom of heART and instinct, or that which voices the power of the body.

Just like grEatitude (the synergy of pure humility, pure gratitude and pure greatness) could only manifest as an extension of the experience of the consciousness it invokes, emBODHIment could only be heard when eYe had opened to enough light (and it is a Q-quantum quota!) that eYe could perceive a significant increase in my sensory range. As the mind is now silent, SYNChing rather than thinking, there is no questioning or questioner of the calls issued by the body; just trUSt, response-ability and exponential pleaSUre. That emBODHIment, which makes me closer to my cat I had ever dreamed to be, defines the incarnation of awesome-awake-awareness as the SEXy OOO sound it is!

Eagle English (EE), a fun and funnEE language that is spontaneously and prayerFOOLly “landing,” comes from the marriage of the most ancient symbolic languages of HUManity to the most direct and ultimately child-like multimodal English. It makes me happy to feAL that EE is the emBODHIment of HUManity’s wHOLY word (The Sanskrit root BODH, should you wonder, means “to awaken”.)

Since words create worlds, it will be fascinating to watch The New World the new words in blue ABove will motion-picture, script and spell-cast beLOW.

In JoyLOVE,

Tags: andrew cohen, creativity, authenticity, retreat, meditation, choice, spirituality, jeff carreira, evolutionary enlightenment, enlightenment, awakening

Live Recording of Jeff Carreira and Katherine Miller

http://eewebcast.gaia.com — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 01:56:05 GMT

Evolutionary Enlightenment Webcast

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Letters from Listeners

http://eewebcast.gaia.com — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 01:04:28 GMT

Authentic Questionsing

Dear Jeff & Katerine,
I get the invitations for your week's conference calls. Unfotunatly it is impossible to participate, because it's 3am in Berlin. Usually get up 5:00 - 5:30 to go to university & work. Still need 7-8 hours sleep!
All sounds so exiting!
Just startet to participate in the german calls on fridays & the member calls on sundays. Start to need them. Trying out everything what could possibly help to develop, grow up, get mature, go forward & push the edge. Your weekly calls seem to be a great opportunity.
Hopefully soon there is no need for so much sleep anymore. (Even I'm sure that in the dreams some work gets done as well...)
Thanks for your work
Wish you the best

Dear Jeff and Katherine,
Thanks so much for this call tonight. It is very exciting and so valuable, learning about how to inquire and learning how to differentiate where the question is coming from. I really want to listen again on MP3.

Evolutionary Nonduality

Dear Jeff and Katherine,
Great conference call – very thought provoking. I had a split second of sensing the reality of being the consciousness of the universe in this unique, nonpersonal, non-possessive way. It was a bit alarming. I can tell i'm not ready for that. I'm still individuating. Reading great book by Joseph Chilton Pearce, THE DEATH OF RELIGION AND THE REBIRTH OF SPIRIT, A REturn to the Intelligence of the Heart. And he said what I was thinking a while back....that we have to remove all the obstacles to truly being ourselves...as Harvey Jackins would say, being our full selves. Consciously. But, it was interesting. On my own I would not have thought of thinking of myself as the consciousness of the universe, but frankly, as I write that, I can see, intellectually that it is true. What a horrifying thought and dreadful responsibility. I do shudder at the thought. Mmmmmm. On reflection I don't want to think about it. I think this is my mind telling me that I still have more work to do before I'm ready to truly consider that. I can "sense" the enormity of the concept. I don't want to experience it, yet, but I can see that I have the capacity to do that when I'm ready.

Dear Jeff and Katherine,
It was another fantastic call last night – very engaging. We had 12 people listening together here at the EnlightenNext Center in New York. While we were all gathered after the call we couldn't stop speaking and that fact alone seemed to prove that the Authentic Self never stops it just wants to keep going and going.

Hi Jeff and Katherine
Bull’s-eye...this is the conversation that invites us directly to take responsibility for the inquiry ...the work lives and dies there.....the languageing of the context prior to the call every time would make a difference in establishing the container in which the inquiry can happen .....powerfully lanaguaged...need to hear it 3,000 times ........

Tags: andrew cohen, creativity, authenticity, retreat, meditation, choice, spirituality, jeff carreira, evolutionary enlightenment, enlightenment, awakening