Lucas Johnson on the Power of Nonviolence and Spiritual Activism
The podcast of the Sacred Inclusion Network
Host Angelo John Lewis and guest Lucas Johnson engage in a powerful conversation about spirituality and social justice. Lucas Johnson, an ordained minister and Executive Vice President for Social Healing for the On Being Project, shares his deep global experience in conflict resolution and community organizing. Drawing from his global experience, Johnson shares examples of nonviolent activism from around the world. From South Africa's truth and reconciliation process to the American civil rights movement, he highlights how nonviolence can effectively bring about positive social change. Key...
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Spirituality and Social Justice Symposium
The podcast of the Sacred Inclusion Network
This Spirituality and Social Justice Symposium explores the intersection of spirituality and activism. Host Angelo John Lewis engages in a dynamic discussion with guests Shariff Abdullah, Lucas Johnson, and Cat Zavis about their experiences in social activism and successful projects. The panelists highlighted the significance of inner work and personal transformation in effective activism. They emphasized the need for individuals to engage in self-reflection, challenging systems of oppression while practicing empathy and kindness. They agreed that the collective exploration of solutions and...
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The Intersection of Faith and Activism: Cat Zavis on Spirituality and Social Justice
The podcast of the Sacred Inclusion Network
Cat Zavis discusses her personal journey and insights on integrating spiritualism and activism. Zavis is Executive Director of the Network of Spiritual Progressives Cat and her colleague, Rabbi Michael Lerner, have worked tirelessly to build a Religious left movement in Israel, countering the religious right movement. They recognize the trauma and PTSD experienced by both Israelis and Palestinians and understand that Israel, as the dominant power, has the responsibility to address the unjust and inhumane situation created through the occupation. Having personally witnessed the devastating...
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"Art as a Sacred Calling": An Interview with Tasleem Jamila Firdausee
The podcast of the Sacred Inclusion Network
Tasleem Jamila Firdausee, the executive director of Art as a Sacred Intiative, here talks about her Baptist upbringing, her immersion into mystical Islam, and her academic scholarship into the role of women in Sufism. She shares of her spiritual journey and the teachers she's encountered along the way, and illustrates them with readings from her two books, Black Baptist Muslim Mystic: from the Cosmos and From Mississippi Clay to African Skies in Search of Sacred Presence. By chance, this interview was conducted during the birthday week of the Prophet Mohammed. "There are traditions all...
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Talismans and Lucid Dreaming
The podcast of the Sacred Inclusion Network
Dream Researcher Ryan Hurd talks about lucid dreaming and the secret history of using talismans to elicit lucid dreams. He defines lucid dreaming and its benefits, explores liminality and dreaming, and how to use talismans to facilitate lucid dreaming. Ryan Hurd is a dream researcher and life-long lucid dreamer. He edits the website DreamStudies.org, lectures internationally about dreams and consciousness, and is a member of the International Association for the Study of Dreams. Ryan has a MA in Consciousness Studies and Certificate in Dream Studies from John F. Kennedy University. This...
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"What it means to be human": an interview with Bob Dunham
The podcast of the Sacred Inclusion Network
For leadership authority Robert "Bob" Dunham, there's a fundmantal difference between machines -- even complex computers that mimic logical thinking -- and humans. Before we even begin to talk about effective leadership, Dunham says, we need to get clear on this difference. The capacity of “caring,” Dunham says, is the fundamental aspect of what it means to be human. "What's fundamental to being human is we are creatures that care. And so it's not only for leaders, it's for all of us as human beings. Our care is fundamental to our life experience. It's fundamental to our action. It's...
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Sleep Medicine: the Practice of Yoga Nidra
The podcast of the Sacred Inclusion Network
Restorative yoga practioner Jennifer Piercy explains the philosophy of yoga nidra, leads participants through a yoga nidra session, and answers questions about dreams, sleep and rest. This is a recording of the 11/19/22 Sacred Inclusion Network Managing Dark Spaces exploration. The yoga nidra practice starts about 16:14, goes for approximately a half-hour, and is followed by questions and answers. Piercy’s sleep meditation tracks on the Insight Time app have been played more than 21 million times. An experienced Restorative Yoga Practitioner, she’s studied with Dr. Rubin Naiman, a...
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Restoration, Dreams and Navigating Dark Spaces
The podcast of the Sacred Inclusion Network
Integrative restoration and dream educator, and yoga facilitator Jennifer Piercy here talks about yoga nidra, the importance of sleep and restoration practice, and the "wake-centric" bias of contemporary culture. Rather than view sleep as a necessary evil, Piercy suggests approaching it as a kind of spiritual practice and an invitation to explore the unknown. "Part of being at home in the unknown is that we literally need to practice being at home in the dark. And sleep and rest are both literally and metaphorically inviting you into that. I think of it as a superpower that people...
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Activating Egyptian Spirituality (Excerpt)
The podcast of the Sacred Inclusion Network
Marques Redd on African spirituality, the lure of Egypt, and what to expect during the 10/15 Sacred Inclusion Network exploration. Watch the full video here:
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Activating Egyptian Spirituality
The podcast of the Sacred Inclusion Network
African cosmologist, independent scholar and multimedia artist Marques Redd discusses African spirituality, the legacy of Egypt, and the tradition of the gatekeepers. Redd here explains he first became interested in African spiritualty, his academic studies on the influence of ancient Egypt on Plato's philosphy and 19th century literature, and how these studies became the basis for his intellectual, artistic, and spiritual work. "The reason why I'm attracted to African spiritual systems is that within them you can still see the remnants of these early understandings of what it means to be...
info_outlineContemporary neuroscience is an essential ingredient in our understanding of human development, including our capacity for greater happiness and wisdom. The past three decades have seen the study of the brain and its relationship to human experience move forward with more vigor and enthusiasm than any other scientific field.
In this podcast, author and educator Jim Hickman, explains how our evolving understanding of neuroscience gives credence to the value of certain forms of spiritual practice. The relatively recent scientific consensus that the neural networks in the brain can change through growth and reorganization means that cognition is malleable: not only for children (as was previously believed), but for adults as well.
Certain meditative practices have been shown to alter the way the brain functions, and thus affect practitioners' ability to better adapt to stress and reduce anxiety. "It's is not just mindfulness, Hickman said. "Kundalini Yoga, for example, has been shown to decrease arousal when dealing with unpleasant situations: in other words, it affects the limbic system."
In this podcast, Hickman explains how his early research into parapsychology and concurrent personal immersion into meditation practice led him "to understand that our choice of attitudes and beliefs are the determinants in our experience of success and happiness." This foundational belief led him to the study of neuroscience and its practical applications.
Hickman teaches a regular course in Applied Neuroscience at Ubiquity University, which explores "the history of neuroscience ... and how a neuroscience informed personal practice can assist in dealing with the unpredictable challenges that accompany increasing hypercomplexity in the 21st century."
"There's the social side," Hickman said, "where dramatic changes are occurring within our own culture and other cultures around the world. And at the same time, our brain is opening parts of itself to opportunities for change that we didn't know were there."
Hickman is Board Chair and Professor of Neuroscience at Ubiquity University. After his first trip to Moscow in 1972, Jim was active for the next 35 years developing economic and professional relations between the US and the USSR/Russia. For the past 15 years, Jim has been a student of contemplative practice and neuroscience. He has written numerous articles for such publications as the Wall Street Journal Europe, the Moscow Times, and Inc. Magazine. He is currently writing a book on how the latest discoveries in quantum physics, epigenetics, and neuroscience, when combined with the teachings of the wisdom traditions, inform us about successful Living in turbulent times.
- Ubiquity University -- (https://www.ubiquityuniversity.org/courses/applied-neuroscience)
- Jim's course in Applied Mindfulness (https://www.ubiquityuniversity.org/courses/applied-neuroscience)
- Sacred Inclusion Network -- https://sacredinclusion.com
- Sacred Inclusion Network's Facebook Group
- Sacred Inclusion Network's YouTube Channel
- Want a copy of the slides Jim uses in this podcast? Write him directly at [email protected]
- Like the podcast? Support us on Patreon!