045 Cynthia Bourgeault – Spiritual Mettle and the Good Company of the Holy
Release Date: 09/26/2020
074 Jeremy Lent – Welcome Each Moment as a Sacred Treasure
State of Emergence
Philosopher, pro-activist and author Jeremy Lent explores the underlying nature of our civilizational crises and how a greater understanding of the physical, biological, noetic & cultural interconnectedness of reality can inspire us into a new level of devotion to life itself. Jeremy’s book The Patterning Instinct traced patterns of thought that led human civilization to its sustainability crisis and his new book, The Web of Meaning offers an integrative worldview for a sustainable, flourishing future.
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073 Fred LaMotte – From the Temple to the Wilderness of Now
State of Emergence
Poet, teacher and interfaith chaplain Fred LaMotte shares the inner processes and revelations from which his luminous poetry arises and explores a place beyond words and beliefs where there is simply presence and dwelling in the tender receptivity of the miracle of each moment. Fred is an author, a graduate of Yale and Princeton Theological Seminary, a director of Religious Studies and Community Service, a college instructor in World Religions, an interfaith chaplain and a meditation teacher.
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072 Peter Russell – Letting Go of Nothing
State of Emergence
Futurist, teacher, and author Peter Russell explores how the exponential acceleration of complexity in our civilization may exceed our capacities as a species, and how a radical letting-go of our efforts to counteract that destiny can dissolve whatever gets in the way of us showing up fully, sanely, and gratefully. Peter is a leading thinker and writer on consciousness and spirituality, he is on the faculty of the Institute of Noetic Sciences, and his beautiful new book is Letting Go of Nothing.
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071 Indra Adnan – The Politics of Waking Up
State of Emergence
Social psychotherapist and political entrepreneur Indra Adnan explores the politics and power dynamics of “waking up” to our meta-crisis and to one another. She shares her pioneering work as Founder of The Alternative UK creating “community agency networks” and considers how we can shift from narratives of trauma, disconnection and collapse into a radical certainty of our solutions. Indra has consulted to the World Economic Forum, Indian and Danish governments and NATO, amongst others. Her new book
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070 David Sloan Wilson – Evolution's Key Practices and Design Principles
State of Emergence
In a new and unedited conversation with evolutionary biologist and social theorist David Sloan Wilson, Terry and David continue to explore evolution’s design principles and practices that can enable social experiments and cooperative communities to succeed and grow. They consider the virtues and exploitations of competition, multiple layers of competition, genetic vs. cultural steams of evolution, the role of symbols in evolving our cultural narratives, and the political economist Elinor Ostrom’s eight
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069 David Sloan Wilson – A Human Superorganism: The Higher Potentials of Cooperation
State of Emergence
Evolutionary biologist & social theorist David Sloan Wilson clarifies the science of “multi-level selection” and how interpersonal cooperation and altruism are central to evolution. He shares the specific conditions that are required to nurture prosocial behavior in groups, as well as those that would qualify humans as a “superorganism” that prioritizes the wellbeing of the whole. David is the author of several books including a new novel, Atlas Hugged. He teaches at Binghamton University and is Pre
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068 Stephen Jenkinson – Overwhelming Beauty — and Being OK, Dying
State of Emergence
Spontaneous poet, culture activist & shamanic bard Stephen Jenkinson explores the disarming ordeal of bearing witness to death up close, including Terry’s uncertain situation — probable lung cancer with no diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment plan. They wonder together about the overwhelming nature of beauty and the vividness that dying well can bring to living. Stephen co-founded Orphan Wisdom, has authored four books and is now recording with musician Gregory Hoskins, most recently DARK ROADS and ROUGH
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Francis Weller (Rebroadcast) – Letting Grief Open Us to Grace
State of Emergence
A rebroadcast of a tender and deeply grounding conversation with psychotherapist and soul-activist Francis Weller, whose presence, wisdom and “soul obligation to register the rips and tears of the world” remains powerful medicine. He and Terry share their griefs and rediscover fierceness to protect all they love. Francis' work as a soul-centered psychotherapist synthesizes insights from psychology, anthropology, mythology, alchemy, and indigenous cultures in healing rituals for those working with grief.
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067 Jonathan Rowson – Tasting the Pickle: A Personal Relationship with the Meta-Crisis
State of Emergence
Chess Grandmaster & philosopher Jonathan Rowson explores our global meta-crisis from new angles — as a crisis of civilizational purpose, a lack of a meaningful global ‘We’, and its various socio-emotional, epistemic, and spiritual features. Jonathan is a sensemaking entrepreneur and the Director of Perspectiva. He is an applied philosopher with degrees from Oxford, Harvard, and Bristol Universities, and the author of The Moves that Matter, Spiritualise, and the brilliant essay "Tasting the Pickle.”
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067 Jonathan Rowson – Tasting the Pickle: A Personal Relationship with the Meta-Crisis
State of Emergence
Chess Grandmaster & philosopher Jonathan Rowson explores our global meta-crisis from new angles — as a crisis of civilizational purpose, a lack of a meaningful global ‘We’, and its various socio-emotional, epistemic, and spiritual features. Jonathan is a sensemaking entrepreneur and the Director of Perspectiva. He is an applied philosopher with degrees from Oxford, Harvard, and Bristol Universities, and the author of The Moves that Matter, Spiritualise, and the brilliant essay "Tasting the Pickle.”
info_outlineModern-day mystic, Episcopal priest, and scholar Cynthia Bourgeault joins Terry to explore what it is to live and imagine from the “eye of the heart” in a seemingly apocalyptic world. They reflect on how each of them is relating to death and also discovering new strength and guidance by keeping the company of saints, sages, and our courageous ancestors — one of the most important spiritual fruits of awakening into the “imaginal realm.” Cynthia suggests we aspire to “live the laws of the next world”, like those who began building great cathedrals they knew they wouldn’t live to see completed.
Cynthia Bourgeault has been a way-shower for many thousands of people around the world, sharing the riches of Christian, Sufi, and Gurdjieffian contemplative practices, as well as serving as a fierce constructive critic. She is a long-time teacher of the meditative practice of Centering Prayer, having worked closely with Thomas Keating, Bruno Barnhart, and Richard Rohr, and many other contemplative teachers and leaders, as well as a core faculty member of the Center for Action & Contemplation. She is also a member of the Global Peace Initiative for Women Contemplative Council and a founding Director of both The Contemplative Society and the Aspen Wisdom School. Cynthia is the author of many books including The Heart of Centering Prayer, The Wisdom Jesus, The Wisdom Way of Knowing, and Love is Stronger than Death. Her newest book, Eye of the Heart, is a spiritual journey into the “Imaginal Realm” — an energetic realm well known to the mystical traditions and associated with the world of dreams, prophecy, and a higher vision of our human purpose that is both evolutionary and collective.
Here are some additional questions they explore:
- Can we become so intimate with our inevitable death, that we become impartial, courageous, and more profoundly alive?
- How can we “keep the good company” of the great contemplatives and our now-deceased mentors during times of darkness?
- How can we “live the laws of the next world” and become the “strange attractors” of wisdom to which others can gravitate?
- What is the imaginal realm according to Christian mysticism? How might we learn to see with “the eye of the heart”?
For more information on Cynthia Bourgeault and Terry Patten, check out the following resources:
- Cynthia’s New Book – Eye of the Heart: A Spiritual Journey Into the Imaginal Realm
- Cynthia Bourgeault’s Website
- Center for Action and Contemplation
- The Contemplative Society
- Wisdom Way of Knowing
- Northeast Wisdom
- Terry Patten's website
- A New Republic of the Heart website
I hope you appreciate this week’s episode with Cynthia Bourgeault on State of Emergence. If you believe these conversations are important and want to support them, please join us as a monthly contributor and become part of our community of listeners. Thank you so much!