New Dimensions

Loch Kelly describes open-hearted awareness as a direct experience of our interconnectedness and the feeling of being held by the same essence that holds all life. It is a dynamic place that sparkles with life. Some describe it as “a child on the first day of summer vacation.” It is beyond head-knowing. It taps into a deeper source of intelligence and wisdom. Loch Kelly, M.Div, LCSW is founder of the nonprofit Open-Heart Awareness Institute. He is an educator, licensed psychotherapist, and recognized leader in the field of meditation, who was asked to teach Sutra Mahamudra by Mingyur Rinpoche and to teach nondual realization by Adyashanti. He collaborates with neuroscientists in the study of meditation to discover ways to improve compassion and well-being. He’s an emerging voice in modernizing meditation and social engagement. He is the author of Shift Into Freedom: The Science and Practices of Open-Hearted Awareness (Sounds True 2015) and a CD set of Meditations: Shift Into Freedom: A Training in the Science

With extended longevity comes a chance to become a true wisdom elder. To leap from adulthood to elderhood we're challenged to uncover our unconscious denials and resistances around repairing the past and reclaiming our creativity thus revealing ways to discover and share our talents and wisdom to become a force for change in ourselves and in the lives of others. Connie Zweig is a psychotherapist and has been initiated into Elderhood as a certified Sage-ing leader. She is known as an expert in Shadow Work and uncovering our inner shadow. Although she is retired from clinical practice, she leads online workshops listed on her website which is also populated with many activities, blogs, videos, and audio references. She is the author of several books including Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature (Tarcher/Perigee 1991 reprint iUniverse 2017), with (Steve Wolf, PhD.) Romancing the Shadow: A Guide to Soul Work for a Vital Authentic Life (Wellspring/Ballantine; Reprint edition 1999)

This deep dialogue uncovers many spiritual laws in everyday life. Millman gives us a taste of the four mentors who guided him on his spiritual quest. He calls these teachers The Professor, The Guru, The Warrior-Priest, and The Sage. They transmitted practical wisdom and spiritual laws for living wisely and well. These laws are immutable as gravity. Dan Millman is a lifelong student and longtime teacher of practical wisdom devoting his life to mastery, first in sports and then in everyday life. He is a former World trampoline champion, Stanford gymnastics coach, and Oberlin College professor. He teaches The Peaceful Warrior’s Way and is the author of 18 books published in 29 languages including Way Of the Peaceful Warrior (adapted to a 2006 feature film.) (HJ Kramer Revised Edition 2006), The Laws of Spirit: A Tale of Transformation (HJ Kramer book, published jointly, New World Library 1995), The Life You Were Born to Live: A Guide to Finding Your Purpose (HJ Kramer, Anniversary Edition 2018) and Peaceful Hear

Committed advocate of the preservation of wilderness and an explorer of both the outer and inner wilderness, Brooke Williams is constantly looking to understand and experience the value of wild places and what that means for modern humans. Here we explore wildness for ideas, possibilities, and inspiration across the great divide in which we find ourselves as Americans. Brooke Williams is an advocate for the preservation of wilderness. He writes about evolution, consciousness, and his own adventures exploring both the inner and outer wilderness. He lives in Utah with his wife and partner, the writer and former New Dimensions guest, Terry Tempest Williams. He is the author of several books including Half-Lives: Reconciling Work and Wildness (Johnson Books 1999), Escalante: The Best Kind of Nothing (photos by Chris Noble) (University of Arizona Press 2006), Open Midnight: Where Ancestors and Wilderness Meet (Trinity University Press 2017 and Mary Jane Wild: Two Walks & A Rant (Homebound Publications 2021)Int

Revisit the four agreements that are steeped in Toltec philosophy and wisdom, as brought to us by don Miguel Ruiz. Be inspired by the new insights he shares with us after suffering a near-fatal heart attack that left him in a coma for nine weeks, during which time he traveled in a dream state between life and death. Don Miguel Ruiz is a renowned and most beloved spiritual teacher dedicated to sharing wisdom and love through practical concepts in order to promote transformation and ultimately change lives for the better. He’s the youngest of 13 children, born in rural Mexico to parents who were healers and practitioners of ancient Toltec traditions. As a young adult, he graduated from medical school and practiced neurosurgery until a near-fatal car crash forever changed the direction of his life. Since then, he consistently delivers the deepest truths in the most relevant ways. He is the author of many books including The Four Agreements (Amber-Allen Publishing 1997), The Fifth Agreement (Amber-Allan 2011

Many spiritual practices guide us in what is known as “waking up.” Even though this process gives us a great sense of freedom and spaciousness, Prendergast suggests that the path to “waking up” is by “waking down.” Tuning into our body often brings forth a useful image, and will help us to live with more authenticity. John J. Prendergast, Ph.D. is a psychotherapist, retired professor of psychology, spiritual counselor, and founder and editor-in-chief of Undivided: The Online Journal of Nonduality and Psychology. He is the author of Listening From the Heart of Silence (co-author G. Kenneth Bradford) (Paragon House 2007) and In Touch: How to Tune In to the Inner Guidance of Your Body and Trust Yourself (Sounds True 2015)Interview Date: 12/5/2015    Tags: MP3, John J. Prendergast, interconnection, attention, emotion, sensation, original ignorance, fear of abandonment, waking up, waking down, circles, circle work, beliefs, fear, desire, relaxed groundedness, mindfulness, awareness of being, pr

A “mind share economy” is all about collaboration where the currency is ideas. The more ideas you share with each other the richer all of you are. A “market share economy” is based on the premise that the more of something you have and the less someone else has, what you have is more valuable. This sets up a culture of competition, and creativity suffers. Dawna Markova, Ph.D. is the CEO Emeritus of Professional Thinking Partners. She’s known Internationally for her research in the fields of learning and perception. She’s a former senior affiliate of the Society for Organizational Learning, originated at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. Angie McArthur is the CEO of Professional Thinking Partners and co-founder of SmartWired and the Smart Parenting Revolution. As an expert in communication and learning styles, she has developed strategies for authors, corporations, CEOs, and the ongoing Executive Champions’ Workshop.Interview Date: 10/1/2015    Tags: MP3, Dawna Markova, Angie McArthur, coop

The legacy of authentic indigenous healing practices and traditional shamanism is disappearing. Marie-Rose Phan-Lê is doing her part to preserve this precious human resource, which has gifts to give humankind in these challenging times. She has traveled the world seeking healers who have been trained in some of the most ancient healing traditions on the planet.  Marie-Rose Phan-Lê was born in Vietnam, emigrated to France, and later came to the United States. She is the founder and president of Healing Planet Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and presentation of healing and spiritual traditions through media. She is an award-winning writer, director, and producer of a documentary film and companion book. She is the author of Talking Story: One Woman’s Quest to Preserve Ancient Spiritual and Healing Traditions (North Atlantic Books 2014)Interview Date: 10/9/2015    Tags: MP3, Marie-Rose Phan-Lê, authentic self, indigenous healers, Papa K, Kahuna, Lomi Lomi, Aunt

Fox’s spiritual enthusiasm has taken him beyond the dogma of the Catholic Church, and for this he’s been censored by the Vatican and ultimately expelled from the order of the Dominicans. However, this has not stilled his voice for a mystical theology that speaks to the heart of seekers of a numinous sacred experience. Matthew Fox, Ph.D. is a priest and was a member of the Dominican Order of the Catholic Church for thirty-four years. He holds a doctorate in History and Theology of Spirituality and is a scholar in residence with the Academy for the Love of Learning in Santa Fe, New Mexico, as well as founder and president of Friends of Creation Spirituality. Matthew Fox is the author of more than thirty books including Original Blessing (Tarcher 2000), Hildegard of Bingen: A Saint for Our Times (Nameste Publishing 2012), A Way To God: Thomas Merton’s Creation Spirituality Journey (New World Library 2016) and Order of the Sacred Earth: An Intergenerational Vision of Love and Action (coauthors Skylar Wi

Ralph White’s life reads like some sort of Indiana Jones story with a spiritual flavor. He grew up on the coast of Wales and then moved to a grimy industrial city on Northern England. You’ll be enthralled by his amazing tales of travels to New York, Chicago, Vancouver, Peru, Ecuador, Tibet, Russia, and more. In between he established The Open Center in New York. His current activities include the Esoteric Quest series of conferences in Europe that focus on the lost spiritual history of the West. He also presents the Art of Dying conferences. He is the author of the memoir The Jeweled Highway: On the Quest for a Life of Meaning (Divine Arts 2015)Interview Date: 9/22/2015    Tags: MP3, Ralph White, Huddersfield England, the moors, music, University of Sussex, Vancouver Canada, Machu Picchu, The Open Center, Esoteric Quest, Tibet, Global network of holistic centers, China, Waldorf Schools, Rudolf Steiner, Robert McDermott, Russia, Travel, History, Global Culture, Social Change/Politics

Wetiko is known by many names in many different traditions. It’s a collective psychosis found within the psyche. This psychological force within the unconscious mind feeds off separation and polarization and predisposes us toward unwholesome impulses such as the thirst for power and control, greed, and jealousy. The good news is that the cure is also found within us. Paul Levy is a pioneer in the field of spiritual emergence and is also a certified art teacher teaching both painting and drawing for a handful of years to people of all ages. He considers himself a wounded healer and is in private practice, assisting others who are also awakening to the dreamlike nature of reality. He has been a Tibetan Buddhist practitioner for more than 35 years and is the founder of the “Awakening in the Dream” Community; in Portland, Oregon. Along with these activities he is deeply steeped in the work of C. G. Jung. He is the author of several books including Dispelling Wetiko: Breaking the Curse of Evil (North Atlantic Book

Wicca is the art of sensing energy and flowing with it: in reality everything changes, everything is moving, and interdependent. Here an avowed Wiccan Priestess talks about this much maligned form of spiritual practice and celebrations. It’s a form of spirituality that understands that everything is alive and is communicating with you when you develop ears and heart to hear. Cerridwen Fallingstar refers to herself as a Shamanic Witch and has taught classes in magic and ritual for over 40 years. She gives lectures tying together psychology, spirituality, history, contemporary issues, and politics. She is the author of three historical novels based on her past lives. Her books include White As Bone, Red As Blood: The Fox Sorceress (Cauldron Publications 2009), White As Bone, Red As Blood: The Storm God (Cauldron Publications 2011), The Heart of The Fire (Cauldron Publications 2021) and Broth from the Cauldron: A Wisdom Journey Through Everyday Magic (She Writes Press 2021)Interview Date: 12/7/2021  &n

We Are Not Who We Think We Are, with Peter Coyote, Explores the practice of meditation to catch a glimpse of who we truly are. His mask workshops provide for the possibility of “the disappearance of your everyday self [along with] self-criticism, self-consciousness, and a sense of shame…[allowing for] absolute freedom.” It allows us to experience Buddha's idea of no fixed self. Peter Coyote is an award-winning actor, author, director, screenwriter, and narrator who has worked with some of the world’s most distinguished filmmakers. He’s won several Emmys for his narrations and was ordained as a Zen Buddhist priest in 2011. In 2015 he received “transmission” from his teacher, making him an independent Zen teacher. He’s conceived mask training experiments and workshops as tools to give us a reprieve from the repetitive weight of our normal attachments and habits. His books include The Rainman’s Third Cure: An Irregular Education (Counterpoint 1998/2015), Sleeping Where I Fall: A Chronicle (Counterpoint 2015), To

A spiritual experience has been described by some as an encounter with the presence of the infinite within our finite universe of time and space. It takes on many forms and can be conceived of in a wide variety of ways. In his integral view, McIntosh challenges us to hold two seemingly paradoxical worldviews: an infinite, nondual universe and a personal God. Steve McIntosh, J.D. is a leader in the integral philosophy movement He’s President and Co-Founder of the nonprofit, social policy and think tank organization: The Institute for Cultural Evolution. He founded the consumer products company Now & Zen and practiced law and held an executive position with Celestial Seasonings Tea Company. He is an honors graduate of the University of Virginia Law School and the University of Southern California Business School. Besides these accomplishments, he enjoys Olympic-class bicycle racing. He is the author of Integral Consciousness: The Future of Evolution (Paragon House 2011), Evolution's Purpose: An Integra

The Greek myth of Sisyphus unveils our valiant and irrepressible desire to create something unique out of our lives despite our despair and our defeats. This deep conversation plunges the depths and fullness of this misunderstood myth. It is a parable for the modern world and our fight against the hell of the pandemic and the rise of authoritarianism in the world today. Phil Cousineau is a freelance writer, filmmaker, photographer, art and literary tour leader, teacher of creativity, mythographer, storyteller, and an all-around Renaissance man. He's published over 40 books and has over 25 documentary film writing credits. He is also host and co-writer of "Global Spirit," a nationally broadcast television series. His books include Wordcatcher (Viva Editions, Cleis Press 2010), Beyond Forgiveness: Reflections On Atonement (Jossey-Bass 2011), Stoking The Creative Fires (Red Wheel/Wiser 2008), Burning the Midnight Oil: Illuminating Words For the Long Night's Journey Into Day (Viva Editions 2014), The Book of Road

A good poem takes us on a treasure hunt for the ineffable emotions that toss us like flotsam and jetsam on the relentless pounding waves on the seas of life. It’s the sacred text of life and guides us in being ever curious and observant, helping us to notice even the smallest details of life as it awakens our own creative energies of Divine Imagination. Margaret Barkley is a teacher, poet, and curious observer of humans and nature. Her poetry has been published in the Redwood Writers poetry anthologies Beyond Distance, And Yet, and Crow, in which she was an Award of Merit poet. She holds an MA in Psychology with a focus on group facilitation and emotional intelligence and has taught for over twenty years, including at Sonoma State University and the University of San Francisco. Her latest love is leading women’s retreats in the Grand Teton National Park. She is the author of a book of poetry: Ribs (Finishing Line Press 2021)Interview Date: 11/4/2021      Tags: Margaret Barkley, poetry

The hurts and disappointments that we suffered in childhood often leave lasting scars to our inner sense of safety and security. They show up later in the form of trigger reactions. Campbell describes the ultimate goal of inner work as making effective decisions that come from the higher brain versus the knee jerk tendencies of our primitive, lizard brain. Susan Campbell, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and the author of close to a dozen books on relationships and conflict resolution. She leads seminars internationally, is a couples therapist, relationship coach and trainer of professional coaches. She also works with private clients through her relationship coaching practice. Her books include Getting Real: Ten Truth Skills You Need to Live an Authentic Life (H.J. Kramer 2001), Saying What’s Real : 7 Keys to Authentic Communication and Relationship Success (H.J. Kramer 2005), Five-Minute Relationship Repair: Quickly Heal Upsets, Deepen Intimacy, and Use Differences to Strengthen Love (John Gray) (H. J. Kram

Millions of spiritual seekers have, in their library, a dog-eared copy of the spiritual classic Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation. Here is an intimate and first-hand account of the way master teacher Shunryu Suzuki Roshi taught, as told by his student and now Zen teacher himself, Tim Burkett. These delightful stories are not to be missed. Tim Zentetsu Burkett, Ph.D. is Guiding Teacher of the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is also a licensed psychologist and a former director of People Incorporated, a large mental health agency in St. Paul, Minnesota. He has been a student of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi and later Katagiri Roshi, in whose linage he is a dharma heir. Suzuki Roshi’s book of talks, Zen Mind, Beginner Mind (Shambhala 2011), is a classic for all spiritual seekers. Tim Burkett is the author of Nothing Holy About It: The Zen of Being Just Who You Are (Shambhala 2015) and Zen in the Age of Anxiety: Wisdom for Navigating Our Modern Lives (Shambhala

Sluyter says not to worry about thoughts during our meditation; they are inevitable. Often we must deal with such sounds as voices or traffic rolling by. He instructs that, “It’s all a texture of the silence, which actually you are at your core. It’s just resting in what you are in your own essence.” He also suggests that we find the meditation style that suits us. Dean Sluyter has taught natural methods of meditation and awakening throughout the United States and beyond since 1970. He’s taught at colleges, yoga studios, corporate offices, and maximum-security prisons. He’s known for his funny, down-to-earth style, and for making life-transforming teachings accessible and easy. He is the author of many books including The Zen Commandments (Tarcher/Putnam 2001), Why the Chicken Crossed the Road and Other Hidden Enlightenment Teachings (Tarcher/Putnam 1998), Cinema Nirvana: Enlightenment Lessons from the Movies (Three Rivers Press 2005), Natural Meditation: A Guide to Effortless Meditative Practice (Tarcher/Pen

Miller has reviewed and conducted interviews with leading scientists in America who are investigating the effects on humans of psychedelic medicines such as LSD, MDMA, Psilocybin and Ayahuasca. This has revealed that certain psychedelic medicines administered by proper protocol, have shown that altered states of consciousness can facilitate creativity and psychophysical healing. Richard Miller, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and host of the syndicated talk radio show Mind, Body, Health & Politics. He’s founder of Cokenders Alcohol and Drug Program and has been a faculty member at the University of Michigan and Stanford University. He also served as advisor on the President’s Commission on Mental Health and a founding board member of the Gestalt Institute of San Francisco as well as a member of the national board of directors for the Marijuana Policy Project. He also restored and reopened the Wilbur Hot Springs Retreat facility in Northern California. He is the Editor and author of the book Psychedelic M