Upcoming Events

April 2024: Integral Constitutional Interpretation

Sat, April 13, 4-6pm PDT
Presented by Mark Fischler

This month, we are delighted that Mark Fischler has agreed to present an exclusive preview for San Diego Integral of his featured presentation at the Future Human Conference (WeAreICON.org) that will be happening in May 2024.

Mark will talk about the current shortcomings of our approaches to Constitutional Interpretation. What will become apparent is the need for Integral insights to coalesce unity in what now are divergent constitutional interpretive pathways.

Mark Fischleris a Professor of Criminal justice at Plymouth State University. Prior to joining the faculty, he practiced law, representing indigent criminal defendants for the New Hampshire Public Defender’s Office.

Mark has worked extensively with alternative theoretical models in law, constitutional law, and higher education, and has published on integral applications to teaching, the practice of law, and has applied it to legal theory. His focus in the classroom is ethics and criminal procedure, and he is well respected for a teaching philosophy that emphasizes recognizing the humanity and dignity of each student.

Professor Fischler was awarded the outstanding teaching award at Plymouth State in 2014. He currently offers a weekly Spiritual Inquiry experience for students, faculty, and staff at the University. He is also the co-host of the Integral Justice Warrior show on the Integral Life website with Corey deVos.

Read more and RSVP here: Meetup Event: Integral Constitutional Interpretation

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March 2024: Spiritual Intelligence

Sat, March 9, 4-6pm PDT
Presented by Cindy Wigglesworth

Spiritual Intelligence: it's more than spiritual states.

Spiritual intelligence (SQ) is a set of skills. They can be described from beginner level to expert level. These behaviors collectively enable us to show up as Love in the world. Only one of the 21 skills is related to state experiences. The other 20 are especially important for integralists to discuss.

Cindy's opinion is that our tendency to value states so highly leads us to under-focusing on the development of skills which are critical to the development of the Future Human. Join this interactive session to learn more about the 21 skills of SQ.

Cindy Wigglesworth, MA, worked in the oil industry in human resources for 20 years before leaving to create the SQ21 self-assessment and to write her best-selling book SQ21: The Twenty-One Skills of Spiritual Intelligence. Cindy is the President of Deep Change, Inc. She has trained over 400 coaches to use the SQ21 assessment. She is a longtime Integralist and is active in the Conscious Capitalism movement.

Website: DeepChange.com
Book page: SQ21: The Twenty-One Skills of Spiritual Intelligence

Read more here: Meetup Event: Spiritual Intelligence

February 2024: LSD and the Mind of the Universe: Diamonds from Heaven

Sat, February 10, 4-6pm PDT
Presented by Chris Bache, PhD

Trained as a philosopher of religion, I became convinced early on that psychedelics represented a revolution in philosophy, giving us systematic access to dimensions of consciousness far beyond space-time.

Thus began my 20-year journey with LSD—73 high-dose LSD sessions using Stan Grof’s protocol between 1979-1999. This journey took me beyond linear time into Deep Time, beyond personal transformation to humanity’s collective transformation, beyond physical reality into archetypal reality, causal oneness, and Diamond Luminosity.

Chris Bache is professor emeritus in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Youngstown State University in Ohio, where he taught for 33 years. He is also an adjunct faculty at the California Institute of Integral Studies, an Emeritus Fellow at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, and on the Advisory Council of Grof Legacy Training.

An award-winning teacher, Chris has written four books: Lifecycles, a study of reincarnation in light of contemporary consciousness research; Dark Night, Early Dawn, a pioneering work in psychedelic philosophy and collective consciousness; The Living Classroom, an exploration of collective fields of consciousness in teaching; and LSD and the Mind of the Universe, the story of his 20-year journey with LSD.

Chris lives with his wife Christina Hardy, a professional astrologer and past-life therapist, in Weaverville, NC. His website is chrisbache.com .

January 2024: Purposeless Meaning at the Second Tier: Research on the Relationship Between Developmental Stage and Personal Meaning-in-Life

Sat, January 13, 4-6pm PDT
Presented by Jeff Schneider, PhD

Novel research explored how two essential aspects of human experience relate to each other: (a) one’s stage of psychosocial maturity (operationalized through integral ego development stages), and (b) one’s conception and experience of meaning in their life. The study suggests that adults at post-conventional stages of ego development experience and conceive of meaning in life in a qualitatively different way than those at earlier stages and, importantly, in a way that conflicts with the dominant psychological models and measures of meaning in life. Meaning for post-conventional adults contradicts or transcends the purpose, significance, and coherence requirements inherent in contemporary psychological scholarship on meaning-in-life.

These results not only suggest the need for adjustment to existing meaning-in-life models, but they also suggest that research and practice regarding all psychological phenomena (e.g. happiness, gender identity) should consider the effects of developmental diversity.

An additional byproduct of the research is insight into the meaning-making of individuals at later stages of the integral ego development spectrum.

Jeff Schneider, PhD
With graduate degrees from Stanford, Harvard, and Fielding, Dr. Schneider has devoted three decades to service in many capacities: as trusted advisor, developmental and transformational coach, C-level executive, facilitator, educator, attorney, judge, arbitrator, and leader of two nonprofit organizations.

A lifelong student of the mind, behavior, and human potential, Dr. Schneider has developed expertise in adult development and education, as well as team and organizational transformation. Clients span five continents, from city mayors and small entrepreneurial ventures to multinational conglomerates, public agencies, and academic institutions.

Dr. Schneider’s recent research explores the relationship between an adult’s stage of development and their experience and conception of meaning in their lives. He’s also focusing these days on transcending conception through perception and connection and facilitating genuine collaborative exploration of truth, beauty, and goodness in the face of social constraints on authentic dialog.

December 2023: Integral Entrepreneurship and the Meta-crisis

Sat, December 9, 2023, 4-6pm PDT
Presented by Dr Matt Kreinheder

The madness of the modern moment must be addressed in many dimensions. Among the most meaningful is creating businesses that are benevolence-generating engines focused on catalyzing cascading ripples of goodness, truth, and beauty as well as win-win-win outcomes.

But how does one do this in a capitalist materialist framework where perverse incentivization, “race-to-the-bottom" dynamics, and dark tetrad tendencies flourish?

Integral has some of the critical answers to rectify our collectives, embolden and awaken our we-spaces, and add to the inevitable avalanche of awakening that surely awaits in the near future.

This discussion will offer an examination of the situation at hand and offer suggestions for how entrepreneurs might successfully navigate this chaotic moment.

Dr Matt Kreinheder has worked as a healer, coach and mentor for entrepreneurs for the past decade. His work as a healer focusing on nervous system optimization and creating robust energy systems for business owners to maximize effectiveness and growth was the catalyst to studying success principles, business growth and evolutionary entrepreneurship.
Matt has degrees in Business, Music, a master's in Acupuncture, doctorate in Chiropractic and is working on his PhD in Integral Noetic Sciences.

November 2023: Meta-Ideological Politics: Beyond Polarization and Extremism

Sat, November 11, 2023, 4-6pm PDT
Presented by Ryan Nakade

In today's world, we are witnessing unparalleled levels of polarization and division, with rising waves of extremism and ideologically motivated violence. Meta-ideological politics seeks to chart a new way forward that goes "meta" or beyond ideologies as we commonly understand them, transcending the "cultural trench warfare" we now find ourselves in.

In this presentation, Ryan will lay out the meta-ideological framework and its philosophical underpinnings, and share stories from the field that include hanging out with members of extreme groups, infiltrating hate groups, and building alliances between unlikely ideological bedfellows. This will be an interactive gathering with dialogue and breakout groups.

Ryan Nakade is trained in mediation and conflict resolution. He is the project manager for CURE-PDX, a Department of Homeland Security-funded project focused on countering political and extremist violence in the Pacific Northwest. Ryan facilitates workshops on conflict resilience, transformative dialogue, depolarization, ideological awareness, complex systems, and mis/disinformation for communities, governments, businesses, faith groups, journalists, elected officials, and civic organizations.

In his spare time, Ryan focuses on building out the meta-ideological approach to depolarization and counter-extremism. He also enjoys spending time with his wife and seven goats in Toledo, WA.

October 2023: Is Gender Fluidity Evolution's Move to Non-Duality?

Sat, October 14, 2023, 4-6pm PDT
Presented by Shara Moscinska and Kids

Ernest Holmes wrote that evolution is forward, and gender expansiveness is becoming increasingly common among our youth. Could this cultural emergence be transcending the gender binaries that have role-locked humanity for millennia, demonstrating embodied non-duality? Or could it be a fad fueled by social contagion that will end in a generation of regret? Why is there so much controversy and what is an integrally-informed response? Can we listen to our doubts and still move ahead, adapting as new evidence emerges? And how do we respond to gender-expansive youth who are being targeted and need allyship and acceptance?

Don’t think for a moment we’ll have the answers, but we will have space to explore such cutting-edge questions with curiosity and love, enhanced by the perspectives of some gender-expansive youth themselves.

Shara Moscinska, MA, LPCC was seemingly dropped from the sky into a variety of integral spaces about three years ago. She serves as Minister and Chief Evolutionary Officer at Unity of Tustin, where she is team-implementing a 3-to-5-year Integral Ministry Practice program in collaboration with Drs. Gary and Jane Simmons. Shara also received funding from Unity Worldwide Ministries to introduce WeSpace Prayer developed by Integral Christian Network to the Unity movement.

Shara has been moving through the world for some 20 years as a spiritually-oriented, trauma-informed psychotherapist, teacher, consultant, and quiet evolutionary leader in private, educational, tribal, and community settings. Her approach affirms that, as we attune to our individual and collective interiority while meeting reality as it arises from the horizon, our lives become coherent expressions of meaning, punctuated by evolutionary breakthroughs that unfold us all into the intelligent unknown.

Shara is blessed to be raising two wise and creative children. Grace, 18, is gender-expansive, and Iven, 16, is a transgender male; both will be co-presenting this session and will share from the authority of their lived experience and wisdom.

September 2023: The Paradox and Ethics of Perspective-Taking

Sat, September 9, 2023, 4-6pm PDT
Presented by Geoff Fitch

How we see the world brings forth our self and the world, and which perspective we take on it ultimately deeply matters. Because the world is wild and complex, these choices are often accompanied by paradox.

In this month's presentation, we will explore the dance of perspective-taking and how at the heart of this conscious act is an ethical choice.

Geoff Fitch is a coach, trainer, facilitator of growth in individuals and organizations, and a creator of international transformative learning programs. He is a founder of Pacific Integral and developer of the Generating Transformative Change program, which has been delivered on three continents and is in its 30th cohort.

Geoff has been exploring, researching, and developing diverse approaches to cultivating higher human potentials for over 25 years, including somatic and transpersonal psychology, innovation and creativity, leadership, integral theory, social change, and collective intelligence. He holds degrees in Transpersonal Psychology and Computer Science and has additional studies in jazz music, philosophy, and business.

August 2023: Awakening the Spirit of Evolution: Animism Meets Integral Consciousness

Sat, August 12, 2023, 4-6pm PDT
Presented by Eloy Maes and Jerry Golech

Inspired by "The Emerald" podcast, San Diego Integral members Eloy Maes and Jerry Golech will lead an exploration of the idea and practice of Animism. In this worldview, consciousness, or spirit, is recognized in all things. While Animism is often associated with earlier developmental stages, it can be reintegrated at higher stages to experience a profound interconnectedness with all of creation.

Join us for this fascinating presentation and engage in the conversation!

July 2023: Integral Prayer: A Participatory Prayer for Transformation and Divine Becoming

Sat, July 8, 2023, 4-6pm PST
Presented by Luke Healy

This month's presentation will explore the concept of "integral prayer." Luke Healy will lead a conversation on how evolving participatory prayer can be a practice of transformation and divine becoming.

Luke Healy is the co-founder of Integral Christian Network, an endeavor to help further the loving evolution of Christian consciousness and embodied mystical practice. He is passionate about pioneering innovation in the form of spiritual community, gathering like-minded and like-hearted pilgrims on the spiritual journey, and making the mystical experience of God accessible in individual and collective practice.

June 2023: Zen, Integral, and Shadow: A Path to Freedom

Sat, June 10, 2023, 4-6pm PDT
Presented by Keith Martin-Smith

What happens when a spiritual teacher thinks he or she is beyond shadow work?

What is the relationship to awakening and shadow?

Does "awakening" mean fully awakening as a human being, shadows and all?

Keith Martin-Smith has come to understand that the position that enlightenment transforms psychological shadows is impossible, self-deceptive, and highly destructive to both teachers and their students.

To understand why, we need to understand two things better: shadow and awakening.

Join us for a lively dive into scandal, awakening, the kinds of shadows we have, and why even the most enlightened humans who ever lived still have psychological shadows.

Keith Martin-Smith is a renowned author, Zen teacher, and Integral coach. He has devoted his life to exploring the profound questions of existence, meaning, and spiritual growth. An in-depth understanding of both Eastern spiritual traditions and Western developmental psychology marks his work.

Martin-Smith is the author of numerous award-winning books, including the acclaimed biography of the controversial Zen master Jun Po Denis Kelly Roshi, titled A Heart Blown Open. His writing reveals a deep commitment to personal transformation, social justice, and cultural evolution.

In addition to his writing, Keith is an ordained Zen priest in the Hollow Bones Zen Order. His rich knowledge of Zen practice is integrated into his Integral coaching approach, which he has been sharing with individuals and organizations for many years. He has also been practicing and teaching Chinese Northern Kung Fu and Qi Gong for over 30 years and was awarded the title of SiFu by his teacher, Jong Hoon Jeon, in 2015.

May 2023: The Way Up Is the Way Down, or Fun with Eros and Agape

Sat, May 13, 2023, 4-6pm PDT
Presented by Dr Karen Voorhees

We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
T. S. Eliot, "Four Quartets"

You are invited to join Dr. Karen Voorhees in a playful yet deeply felt exploration of the Great Mystery: how did we get here and where is it all going?

The world’s wisdom traditions all seem to tell of an emanation from some creative Source into this universe of space-time in which we find ourselves. The same wisdom traditions also speak of a return to that Source. Efflux and Reflux. Eros and Agape. Involution and Evolution.

This core story has taken many different specific forms over the millennia varying from culture to culture, but they all seem to be saying the same thing: we return along the same route we emerged. In Ken Wilber’s words, "The way up is the way down." Today we tend to tell ourselves the story via rational constructs such as implicate order, evolution of form and consciousness, and theories of chaos and complexity.

Can we get a felt sense of whatever reality underlies all these stories? Dr. Voorhees will draw on several aspects of her personality—the disciplined scholar, the Ken Wilber student, the long-time meditator, and the creative visionary—to guide us through a group exploration. There will be several brief meditations and break-out discussion groups.

When Karen Shearer Voorhees was fifteen years old, at the height of the Cold War, three things deeply imprinted her life. With the first, the publication of Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings,” she fell deeply in love with Middle Earth, the western Middle Ages, and with the humanities in general. Second, the original “Star Trek” series appeared on TV. Its optimistic vision of a collective future counterbalanced our fears of nuclear annihilation. Third, the Summer of Love blasted out from San Francisco to change the world. Karen became a flower child who morphed during her college years into a humanities nerd. Just as she was completing her Ph.D. in Medieval cultural history she began meditating and discovered that there are levels of spiritual truth that far transcend the intellect.

Dr Voorhees left academia to earn her living as a home-maker, volunteering in the not-for-profit world and pursuing her spiritual path. Her life has had many unexpected turns along the way. Today she channels her passion for the Good, the True and the Beautiful into Integral communities such as San Diego Integral, and into creative writing. Based on her understanding of Big History, she has a vision of a glorious future for us—provided we don’t freak out over our apocalyptic current events and blow it too badly—and is hard at work packaging her vision into entertaining fiction.

April 2023: The Synthesis School of Integral Philosophy

Sat, April 8, 2023, 4-6pm PDT
Presented by Steve McIntosh

Over the last 10 years, the Institute for Cultural Evolution think tank has developed a new school of integral thought: the synthesis school of integral philosophy. In this talk, Steve will describe the tenets of this emerging school, as well as what has been learned through the application of integral philosophy to politics.

Steve McIntosh is a public speaker, non-dual theologian, and yoga and meditation teacher based in Victoria, British Columbia. His family has lived in the coastal islands for five generations. He is a writer on themes of cultural philosophy, shamanism and organic spiritual development and is a founder of the Beyond Interfaith project. Lately he has been active as a board member of the Foundation for Integral Religion and Spirituality.

March 2023: Integral Shamanism vs. the Metacrisis

Sat, March 11, 2023, 4-6pm PST
Presented by Layman Pascal

Layman Pascal is a public speaker, non-dual theologian, and yoga and meditation teacher based in Victoria, British Columbia. His family has lived in the coastal islands for five generations. He is a writer on themes of cultural philosophy, shamanism and organic spiritual development and is a founder of the Beyond Interfaith project. Lately he has been active as a board member of the Foundation for Integral Religion and Spirituality.

February 2023: Intergenerational Patterns of Consciousness

Sat, February 11, 2023, 4-6pm PST
Presented by Kim Barta

What patterns of consciousness arise when intergenerational levels of consciousness commune, collude, or even collide?

In this presentation, Kim Barta will discuss how developmental levels of consciousness affect individuals intergenerationally. Learn how the younger generation shapes their consciousness being raised in cultures of different developmental levels and how that plays out on the international collective socially, politically, and spiritually.

Kim Barta is an internationally recognized speaker, workshop creator, writer, and psychotherapist. He has conducted shadow work for over three decades, during which time he developed his unique, comprehensive, meta-model for shadow work, The Evolution of Shadow Resolution.

Kim co-founded Stages International with Dr. Terri O’Fallon, and he is often invited to speak on podcasts as diverse as The Daily Evolver, Mystics Rising, and Maureen Metcalf’s Business Leadership.

Kim has operated a mind-body healing center on the Flathead Indian Reservation with his wife for 30 years. He provides courses on Shadow, Shadow and States, Stages of Consciousness, Relationship, Grief, Healthy Power, Parenting and more. Kim's auto-scored Shadow Assessment Tool is available for free at kimbarta.org.

January 2023: Playing In The Transformational Gap: Embarking On Your Hero's Journey To Experience More Of Who You Are

Image of Rob McNamara and Cindy Lou Golin

Sat, January 14, 2023, 4-6pm PST
Presentation by Rob McNamara and Cindy Lou Golin

Come and join us as we clarify your intentions, gain unique understandings of the obstacles you’re facing and create powerful daily integral practices to move you forward with joy, freedom, and the delight of play.

Rob McNamara, senior faculty in the Real LIFE Programs, is known as a profoundly trustable guide and loyal mentor. He is a founder and consultant with Delta Developmental. He brings exceptional skills to help leaders realize their potential as he supports the development of enduring teams and relationships in organizations.

Rob was a Teaching Fellow at Harvard's Graduate School of Education, and he is passionate about ethical forms of organizational learning, leadership development, and catalyzing human flourishing. He is a devoted meditation practitioner.

Rob is also the author of The Elegant Self: A Radical Approach to Personal Evolution for Greater Influence In Life (Revised Edition) and Strength To Awaken: Make Strength Training Your Spiritual Practice and Find New Power and Purpose in Your Life.

Cindy Lou Golin is senior faculty in the Real LIFE Programs. She is a transformational coach, facilitator, and consultant with a passion for translating learning into practice and supporting people in experiencing sustainable change. She has a Ph.D. in Transpersonal Psychology, as well as degrees in clinical psychology and soul-centered leadership.

Cindy Lou values the role of visioning in coaching and has a special skill for helping people to realize their imagined futures. She can help you unwind the limiting egoic knots and support you in experiencing more of who you already are.

December 2022: Using Integral Polarity Practice To Thrive

Sat, December 10, 2022, 4-6pm PST
Using Integral Polarity Practice To Thrive
Presented by John Kesler

Integral Polarity Practice (IPP) is designed to support a person in “waking up” and “growing up,” as well as in developing a healthy integration of body, emotions, mind, and Spirit.

IPP also provides a framework for interrelating and integrating deeper internal awareness with more inspired, passionate, and creative action in the world: “showing up.” It provides strategies for working productively with polarities in relational and organizational settings.

In short, IPP is a practice that supports human thriving.

John Kesler is an attorney, integrally informed writer, lecturer, consultant, and teacher. He is the founder of integral polarity practice (IPP), a spiritual and life practice he shares globally.

John is also the co-founder and chair of YOUnify, a non-profit project grounded in IPP principles that specializes in integrally-informed mentoring of organizations and networks that are working on bridging democracy reform, transformative public policy, and multi-sectoral and multi-generational societal transformation. YOUnify also sponsors a leaders' network, solutions labs, grassroots chapters, and a periodic summit and festival. YOUnify is currently active in forty states and seven countries.

November 2022: Responding Effectively in Times of Crisis: Debugging the Source Code of Our Crises and Craziness

Sat, November 12, 2022, 4-6pm PST
Responding Effectively in Times of Crisis: Debugging the Source Code of Our Crises and Craziness
Presented by Dr Roger Walsh

Given our social turmoil and imperiled planet, the gnawing question for each of us has become, “What can I do?”

This is an invaluable question, but is best viewed as a starting point for a deeper quest. This quest begins by asking still deeper questions to find the responses that are most strategic and call us most deeply.

It recognizes our current crises as expressions of underlying patterns that reveal strategic leverage points. It simultaneously addresses both outer social change and inner healing and maturation, and thereby transforms contribution into the growth practice of sacred service or, as it’s traditionally known, karma yoga.

This enables us to go out into the world to go deeper into ourselves, and to go deeper into ourselves to go more effectively out into the world. The result is an integrally informed reflection and integrally inspired responses.

Dr Roger Walsh came to the United States as a Fulbright Scholar on his journey to earning multiple advanced degrees: MD, PhD, and DHL (Doctor of Humane Letters from Australia’s Queensland University). In the States, he became a professor of Psychiatry, Philosophy, and Anthropology at the University of California, Irvine.

Dr Walsh is the author of five books, including the well-known Essential Spirituality, and countless Integral and Transpersonal scholarly journal articles, which have received over 20 national and international awards. In his misspent youth, he held the world-high diving record and worked as a circus acrobat. Recently he graduated from the San Francisco Comedy College and then had an extremely brief and unsuccessful career as a standup comedian. Together with John Dupuy, he is cohost of the integral podcast, "Deep Transformation: Self-Society-Spirit," which is ranked among the top 5% of English language podcasts.

Dr Walsh in YouTube interview by Rebel Wisdom titled: “What Is Wisdom?”

Evolve Magazine Article: "What Does It Mean To Live a Good Life?"

Interviews with Roger Walsh and John Dupuy at deeptransformation.io

October 22, 2022: A Theory of Everything in Three Easy Steps

Sat, October 22, 2022, 10am-12pm PDT <— Note: Special Date and Time!
A Theory of Everything in Three Easy Steps
Presented by JP Jakonen

One of the most difficult things for people who are familiar with Integral theory is how to communicate it to others. JP will present his "3D-model" for sharing Integral theory with folks new to the concepts.

JP uses the analogy of a multi-story building with the floors representing the levels of development, each one offering a distinct view of reality. The four rooms on each floor are the four quadrants, and the other elements of Integral theory's AQAL model have their respective visual analogies, too.

You'll get to explore both the ideas and applications in this fun workshop-style presentation. It will be very beneficial for newcomers to Integral especially, but also for anyone who has experienced challenges communicating Integral theory to others.

JP Jakonen has been having life-changing conversations with leaders and coaches since 2009. He completed his PhD thesis on Ken Wilber in the philosophy department of the University of Turku, Finland. He's a commercially-published author of 6 books (with 4 translations), is an Integral coach through his consultancy, Integral Foresight Finland, and a podcast producer.

October 8 2022: Shadow Patterns: Hidden Dynamics of the Unconscious Mind

Sat, October 8, 2022, 4-6pm PDT
Shadow Patterns: Hidden Dynamics of the Unconscious Mind
Presented by Kim Barta

While each of us has a “cosmic address,” so, too, does our shadow.

In this presentation, Kim Barta will guide us in an exploration of the developmental dynamics of your shadow and how to bring this into your daily practice.

You will learn the 3 classes of shadow, the 3 directions of shadow work, and how to apply the correct shadow work to each class of shadow. You will also get practice identifying each class of shadow in yourself and others.

A final important piece: all shadow practices can be powerful, but if used on the wrong class of shadow, they can be powerfully harmful. Kim will also address how common shadow practices can cause serious harm to you or your clients and how to prevent this.

September 2022: Integral Pluralism and Multicultural Sense-making with Sushant Shrestha

Sat, September 10, 2022, 4-6pm PDT
Integral Pluralism and Multicultural Sensemaking
Presented by Sushant Shrestha

Integral Metatheory and Spiral Dynamics reveal unique insights about cultures and world civilizations.

But what might the cultural perspectives reveal about these theories?

We tend to look at the world and ourselves through lenses of various sorts: from the culture or family we were born into, to ideals we take on in our youth and political points of view that may change throughout a lifetime, to the lens of our education, and so on.

Integral Theory is a rich, complex and often liberating lens for viewing, understanding and relating with the world. In this lively session led by Sushant, we will have a rich opportunity to turn the tables and look at the theory itself from the perspectives of different cultures!

Sushant Shrestha is a Founding Partner at Conscious Full-Spectrum Finance Institute, bringing whole system transformation to social finance. He is a Founder and Managing Partner at Humanitas Smart Planet Systems, a venture capital firm investing in climate tech and social tech. He engages in different countries as a venture catalyst and an advisor to startups and growth companies.

Currently Sushant is an adjunct faculty at National University, California, and teaches leadership and sustainable change courses. Previously, he served as a Finance Director for startups in three countries and worked as a Research Consultant for the National Park Services. He has worked in Peru, Nepal, and India. His educational training and degrees are in Finance, Management, and Integral Psychology, with a professional background in management consulting, business systems analysis, sustainable finance, and organizational analysis.

August 2022: The Subversive and Healing Power of Humor with Comedian Alicia Dattner

Sat, August 13, 2022, 4-6pm PDT
The Subversive and Healing Power of Humor

In this presentation, comedian, author and teacher Alicia Dattner will discuss the subversive and healing power of humor, facilitate experiential exercises, and answer your most pressing questions on your personal humor matters.

Alicia Dattner has been rocking clubs like The Improv and Gotham Comedy Club, and has played in San Francisco, New York, London, Hollywood, Honolulu, Bali and Bombay. Over the years, she has been been mentored by talented and noteworthy comedians including W. Kamau Bell (CNN, FX), Eugene Mirman (Flight of the Conchords), and Bill Santiago (Comedy Central). Alicia has performed with Maria Bamford, Ali Wong, Moshe Kasher, Arj Barker, Ann Randolph, and many more. https://aliciadattner.com.

Alicia also leads comedy, solo performance and somatic writing workshops live and online, as well as directs self-revelatory solo shows. Find info about her workshops here: https://soloshowdown.com.

July 2022: The Universe As A We-Space with Professor Allan Combs

Sat, July 9, 2022, 4-6pm PDT
The Universe As A We-Space
Presented by Professor Allan Combs

"That the universe is a communion of subjects rather than a collection of objects is the central commitment of the Ecozoic."
- Thomas Berry (The Universe Story, Brian Swimme and Thomas Berry)

Professor Combs will examine the idea of the universe as a We-space, including the future of personal and collective consciousness from this perspective. His presentation will include exercises in exploring our own shared, as well as unconscious, We-space realities. We are excited to bring this award-winning teacher to SDI for what is sure to be a fascinating conversation.

Professor Allan Combs, PhD, is a consciousness researcher, neuropsychologist, and systems theorist at The California Institute of Integral Studies where he is the Director of the Center for Consciousness Studies. He is the author of over 200 articles, chapters, and books on consciousness and the brain, and is the founder and past president of the international Society for Consciousness Studies, as well as the recent recipient of their Lifetime Achievement Award for advances in consciousness studies.

June 2022: Integral European Conference 2022: Review and Highlights

Image of Integral European Conference 2022

Sat, June 14, 2022, 4-6pm PDT
Integral European Conference 2022: Review and Highlights

The Integral European Conference is an exciting annual gathering bringing together an international roster of presenters and a global audience. It presents cutting edge ideas in the integral space.

This Meetup will feature a collection of presentations on insights and takeaways by our members who attended. The conference review has become a popular and thought-provoking annual event, so please be sure to join us!

May 2022: We-Space and The Highly Sensitive Person with Dr Tom Habib

Sat, May 14, 2022, 4-6pm PDT
We-Space and The Highly Sensitive Person
Presented by Tom Habib, PhD

Dr Tom Habib’s "Unique Attributes Study" delving into the attributes of the highly sensitive person (HSP) was first presented at the 2020 Integral European Conference. His research has shown that Integralists tend to have higher HSP and well-being scores than the general population.

There is still much more understanding needed for highly sensitive people to fully integrate this gift. Tom will address this and more, as well as invite you to participate in engaging breakout sessions on this topic.

April 23, 2022: Collective Presencing with Ria Baeck: We-Space Practice

Sat, March 26, 2022, 11am PDT

RESCHEDULED to Sat April 23, 2022 at 10AM PDT/ 1PM EDT/ 7PM CEST

Collective Presencing with Ria Baeck: We-Space Practice
Presented by Ria Baeck

Coming out of a long history of deep circle practice and dialogue, Collective Presencing invites us to ask, “What becomes possible when we are truly present together?”

Gathering around a shared inquiry, sensing into what wants to be spoken to—and from—“the middle,” we practice relating as one organism, rather than speaking directly to each other as individuals. Learning to trust ourselves-in-process, we grow our capacity for different ways of knowing, as we think and feel our way together.

New ideas spring from the shared field in unexpected ways. From an experience of shared sense-making & meaning-making emerges a visceral sense of ourselves as being intimately connected, dissolving our stories of separateness and isolation. As Otto Scharmer in Theory U calls it, "sensing into the emergent future."

We are honored to have Ria Baeck presenting. She is one of the developers of Collective Presencing and the author of the book Collective Presencing. This special session of SDI will be presented at a time that is intended to work for both American and European members.

Ria Baeck likes to explore the terrain where her inner senses tell her there is potential to be uncovered. Always scanning what’s new in work, collaboration, and co-creation, the question “What is the next bit of potential that is ready to take form?” is always alive in her. In that way, she is a track-finder for many to follow.

Ria’s 30 or so years of professional experience and her capacity to create safe learning spaces have made her a master of support for real participatory and innovative approaches. She is known for her embodied presence and inner repose as well as her highly developed sensing skills, crucial in designing emergent processes. She has co-initiated many gatherings, learning groups, and action research projects.

Ria has a Masters in Clinical Psychology (Leuven, Belgium), and is professionally trained in Art of Hosting, Systemic Constellations, Emotional Bodywork, and more.

April 9, 2022: Who Are You? An Integral Understanding of Gender with Sally Adnams Jones, PhD

Sat, April 9, 2022, 4-6pm PDT
Who Are You? An Integral Understanding of Gender
Presented by Sally Adnams Jones, PhD

In this session, we will examine the topic of gender from reproduction/survival to political identity, life stages determined by hormones to an integral embodiment of archetypical Taoism. Ultimately gender is only a partial and temporary answer to the much bigger, perennial question of "Who am I?".

Sally Adnams Jones will outline the tetra-arising of gender and the stadial progression of gender performance over a lifetime.

Sally Adnams Jones, PhD is a therapist, author, and artist who is passionate about human transformation, particularly through creativity. "I counsel, research, write and teach transformation through creative acts. The arts can be used very successfully to wake up, grow up, clean up, and show up. They enrich our emotional and social intelligence. I work with others to facilitate their transformation and empowerment through finding their voice."

March 2022: Paradoxes, Polarities and Interdependence of Individual and Collective Development with Abigail Lyman

Sat, March 12, 2022, 4-6pm PST
Paradoxes, Polarities and Interdependence of Individual and Collective Development
Presented by Abigail Lyman, PhD

In this session, we will work with the polarity of I/We development, exploring and experiencing tensions, blind spots, interdependent development, and non-separation.

Abigail will draw on a framework that maps the principles and practices that Pacific Integral engages to support individual and collective development within the Generating Transformative Change (GTC) program.

The I/We model supports the development of capacities for “subtle community,” which is founded in contextual and systemic understanding, personal self-awareness, interpersonal differentiation and skills, and access to trans-personal states and stages of consciousness.

Abigail Lyman, PhD is faculty for Fielding Graduate University’s PhD in Human and Organizational Development. She is a coach with Pacific Integral and faculty for the Emergent Leadership and Generating Transformative Change programs in North America, Europe, South Pacific, and Ethiopia. Abigail is also a scorer and coach/developmental debriefer with Stages International and a qualified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory.

She has twenty years of experience in transformative learning, cross-cultural competence, adult development, coaching, and leadership development. Her scholarship and practice sit at the intersection of human development, interpersonal capacity development, and systems development and change.

February 2022: The Creative Power of the Culture Wars with Jeff Salzman

Sat, Feb 12, 2022, 4-6pm PST
The Creative Power of the Culture Wars
Presented by Jeff Salzman

Are you:
- Depressed by the news?
- Fearful about the state of the world?
- Furious with your political opponents?

Me too!

But what if this miserable condition is a stage on the path of human development? Evolution has created all the goodness, truth and beauty in the world, often by means of their badness, lies and ugliness. As a result, every species, including humanity, both fights and friends its way forward.

This process of emergence is accelerating, and a next human is being born in real time, one newly equipped to take on the unsolved problems left by the exhausted previous stages. Our opportunity—and call—is to consciously participate in this unfolding.

In this session, we will take a tour of current events as seen through the lens of cultural and consciousness evolution. The program will be interactive, and we will address the gnarliest issues of the day regarding war and peace, economics, culture and spirituality. I’m looking forward to a great time and hope you join us!
- Jeff

Jeff Salzman is the creator of the Daily Evolver podcast, now in its tenth year, where he applies Integral Theory and Spiral Dynamics to the news of the world. In the early 2000's, Jeff worked with Ken Wilber to create a series of seminars on Integral Theory applied to various disciplines including psychology, spirituality and business. In 2007 he co-founded Boulder Integral, a bricks-and-mortar center for integral study and practice. He has a master's degree in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism from Naropa University.

Read more and find a recording of this presentation (in the Comments section) here: Meetup Event: The Creative Power of the Culture Wars with Jeff Salzman

January 2022: Illness, Disability, and Aging as Path for Growth with Lynn Fuentes

Sat, Jan 8, 2022, 4-6pm PST
Illness, Disability, and Aging as Path for Growth
Presented by Lynn Fuentes, JD, PhD

When things go wrong with us, as when we get a chronic illness, become disabled, or simply deal with the aging process, the first thoughts we have about it are rarely positive ones. Most likely we fret about how we will handle the challenges emotionally, what we won’t be able to do physically, what it will mean for our relationships, and so on. However, as we have seen through the transparent lens that Terry Patten has so bravely provided us, chronic conditions can also provide us with a new opportunity for growing up and waking up.

In this workshop, we’ll look at how the integral models offer us ways to navigate these particularly disorienting human dilemmas and help us shift our perspective from tragedy to transcendence.

Lynn Fuentes, PhD, CEO of Transformation Teaching, has been a lawyer, a mediator, an educational course designer, and a university professor and administrator. An experienced classroom and online instructor with a BA, MA, JD, and PhD, she has designed and taught courses in transpersonal psychology, writing, planning, chronic illness, and conflict management at Prescott College and DePaul University, where she also founded and directed the Chronic Illness Initiative, a program to help students with chronic illness obtain a degree. She has been a long-term caregiver for severely ill family members and a volunteer in many capacities, including serving for many years as a board member of the Solve ME/CFS Initiative.

Lynn has been a student of integral philosophy since 1993 and regularly teaches on stage development and the application of integral theory to chronic illness. She is a certified scorer and debriefer for Stages International. Currently, her primary focus is "The Koan of Illness" program that she offers online.

Read more and find a recording of this presentation (in the Comments section) here: Meetup Event: Illness, Disability, and Aging as Path for Growth with Lynn Fuentes

December 2021: Uncover Clues to Your Purpose to Create Your Next Expression with Holly Woods, PhD

Sat, Dec 11, 2021, 4-6pm PDT
Uncover Clues to Your Purpose to Create Your Next Expression
Presented by Holly Woods, PhD

San Diego Integral is happy to have Holly Woods, PhD, Integralist and Purpose Coach join us for our December meeting!

In this workshop, you’ll get to explore how your purpose has shown up across the stages of human development so you can see how your Golden Thread has been pulling you along for a lifetime. This work is rooted in the science and practice of the "purpose activation and expression” work of Holly Woods' PhD, and it uses the Stages of Consciousness model of Terri O’Fallon of Stages International. Through these lenses, you’ll gain a means of uncovering clues to your purpose, identify any developmental tasks to be fulfilled and/or shadow to be explored, and gain insight about your next great expression.

Key takeaways will be:

A review of the developmental tasks by stage of human development, and how they live within each of us using the Stages of Consciousness model (a synthesis of 40+ years of scientific and practical research)
Developmental tasks to be fulfilled/ resolved for growth
Key expressions of your Golden Thread of Purpose across the Stages
How to further explore your own purpose and your next greatest expression and contribution

Holly Woods, PhD works as a catalytic purpose activator, coach, consultant and guide to visionaries and change makers who are compelled to take inspired, purpose-led action, and who want to get clear about their next steps so they can live meaningful and balanced lives while having major impact in the world.

Holly’s #1 best-selling book, The Golden Thread: Where to Find Purpose in the Stages of Your Life (2020) applies to anyone who is interested in finding their purpose and living a more meaningful and focused life. It demonstrates that we each have a unique, one-of-a-kind, nuanced expression and contribution to make that would help solve the world's VUCA challenges if we each came to know and live into it.

Holly brings 35 years of consulting and coaching in human and organizational development and two decades of experience building and scaling business and products, along with a PhD in Human and Organizational Development. She’s an Integral Master Coach®, Purpose Guide®, Professional Mediator and Facilitator, Master Energy Practitioner, and a Stages of Consciousness developmental practitioner.

Contact Holly: 415-858-4308 or Holly@EmergenceInstitute.net
Emergence Institute: https://www.emergenceinstitute.net/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollywoods/
Holly’s book, The Golden Thread: Where to Find Purpose in the Stages of Your LIfe (2020, New Degree Press), can be found here.
Download Holly's "Pivot on Purpose" Course: https://emergence-institute.mykajabi.com/free-audio-course

Read more and find a recording of this presentation (in the Comments section) here: Meetup Event: Uncover Clues to Your Purpose to Create Your Next Expression with Holly Woods

November 2021: Exploring Individual and Collective Well-Hoping Amid Crises, Loss and Limitation with Lisa Buckley

Sat, Nov 13, 2021, 4-6pm PDT
Exploring Individual and Collective Well-Hoping Amid Crises, Loss and Limitation
Presented by Lisa Buckley, MA, MSW, PhD (Can)

We live in a world of multi-systemic crises that that threaten existence across the globe. Many feel overwhelmed when facing the current and anticipated loss and limitations that appear beyond personal and collective solutions. Educators, activists, therapists, and healthcare professionals are focusing on the power and function of hope to support individuals and collectives during these unprecedented times.

Hope is a way of orienting to loss or limitation that separates one from something deeply valued. Hope is not only an internally experienced phenomenon; it is a relational phenomenon. Most hope scholars and practitioners have concluded that hope can be learned, and that people can be supported in learning how to hope well.

In this conversation, we will explore the interdependencies of individual and collective well-hoping. How can we support one another by understanding and applying the power of well-hoping in these times? As evolutionary unfolding, these conversations and deliberations are propitious.

In our we-space, we will consider:

What are your personal perceptions and relationship with loss, limitation, and hope?
How do you orient to global meta-crises as an individual?
How can we support collective well-hoping when dealing with crises, loss, and limitation?
How can we actively respect and work with distinctive worldviews in these times?
What might well-hoping look like from a collective-we space?

The first part will examine how individuals across developmental stages perceive and experience hope differently. The distinctions are viewed as hoping resources available to individuals and collectives. Lisa Buckley will briefly summarize results from her doctoral research that shows individuals have differing perceptions of agency and unique relationships to uncertainty when facing loss and limitation.

The second half will be devoted to examining collective well-hoping. Breakout groups will discuss the questions posed above. This session offers an informal participatory research event where individual voices gather to explore the intersectionality of individual (UL) and collective (LL) well-hoping in these chaotic times.

Lisa Buckley has worked in the organizational development field as a consultant to 400 businesses and as a director of organizational development for a national healthcare company. Her expertise includes leadership and team development, business and market development, operational startups, strategic planning, and operational redesigns. She guides individuals, groups, and organizations through significant transitions toward reaching their goals while discovering greater meaning, peace, and empowerment.

Lisa recently completed doctoral research on "Making Meaning of Loss and Limitation through Hope: A Developmental Stage Perspective." This research examined how adults across six developmental stages perceived and experienced hope when facing loss and limitation.

Read more and find a recording of this presentation (in the Comments section) here: Meetup Event: Exploring Individual and Collective Well-Hoping Amid Crises, Loss and Limitation

October 2021: An Exploration of We-Space Intentions and Practices with Jerry Golech

Sat, Oct 9, 2021, 4-6pm PDT
An Exploration of We-Space Intentions and Practices
Facilitated by Jerry Golech

The territory that we “integralists” can explore is endless, but one thing that we can specifically do when we are together is to explore our interactions with each other in real time, in the present moment. As we (our species) face multiple crises and existential challenges, these relationships may indeed be the key to discovering the collective intelligence that will allow us to overcome such obstacles. The kind of deeply conscious collective intelligence that can develop with practice is what we are calling “We-Space.”

In your own practice, do you have glimpses of this “collective intelligence” and your relationship to it? Or does this idea seem strange or unreal to you? Or perhaps mysterious? Perhaps it is cognitively acknowledged but never experienced? Do you sense the need for “something” beyond the individual mind to address our multiple existential crises?

This meeting will begin with a short presentation of several of the theoretical frameworks that map the territory of We-Space, and it will discuss practices that can lead us to this experience.

We will then move into an exploration of our relationships to We-Space, including the intentions we hold in relation to exploring this territory. These explorations will be undertaken by utilizing the We-Space practices that are described.

Some questions to ponder:

Do you have a sense (from your own experience) of We-Space?
Are you committed to exploring this territory? Or hesitant?
Do you feel that exploration of this territory is essential for the evolution of the species, or is it recreational?

If you are interested in Integral (and… well, this is a meeting of San Diego Integral), you should find this presentation interesting and engaging. If you’re new to the group, or to Integral Theory in general, be assured that you are welcome. This is complex territory, and no one can possibly understand and embrace all of it. But we recognize that your experience, your practice, your curiosity, and your participation will make us more complete. We welcome the pleasure of getting to know you.

Jerry Golech has been exploring the integral world for more than 25 years, studying Ken Wilber and many others; attending dozens of courses, seminars, and retreats; enjoying connection with the Integral Community; and studying under teachers such as Diane Musho Hamilton, Decker Cunov, Robert Kegan, Terri O’Fallon, Kim Barta, Terry Patton, Otto Scharmer and Geoff Fitch, to name a few. He was honored to complete Pacific Integral’s “Generating Transformative Change” (GTC) program in 2017-18 and will be participating in another round of GTC as a participant/mentor in October of 2021.

Jerry has been active in San Diego Integral for more than 15 years and is currently a member of the Leadership Team. Jerry recently retired as an Instructor in Jewelry Manufacturing Arts at the Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad, CA.

September 2021: An Integrally Personal Exploration of Conflict with Michael McElhenie and Larry Kiehl, Part 2

Sat, Sept 11, 2021, 4-6pm PDT
An Integrally Personal Exploration of Conflict: Part 2
Presented by Michael McElhenie and Larry Kiehl

As long as there is diversity and difference, there’s going to be conflict. The real question for us as Integralists who see “both sides" is: are we willing to get better at engaging in conflict for the benefit of all? Will Integralists model the way?

Get ready for a fully-participative, developmental experience. Michael & Larry will provide a facilitated conversation and exploration, a flow of sorts, into what conflict is for each of us personally and interpersonally.

Notions about the structures, processes, and contents of conflict are important, but even more so is engaging in our personal experience of conflict. Therefore this will not be a standard lecture-style presentation about conflict focusing on theory.

Instead this session will help us look at ourselves to better understand what we think of as conflict, how it shows up in our awareness, what we make of it, and how we derail ourselves in dealing with it.

This session will lean more into societal orientation about conflict (LL and LR). The conversation will be set up with warm-up processes including personal inquiry into our individual understandings, beliefs, assumptions, etc., regarding conflict, the mental and emotional stuff we bring to conflict that is often sub-optimal. We’ll then move into interactive segments for engaging with each other.

About the Presenters

Dr. Michael McElhenie has deep expertise in successfully guiding big changes around the globe. With a foundation in neuroscience, emotional intelligence (EQ), and crucial communication, Michael helps leaders navigate the dynamics of executive team and board relationships, and he is often called upon to help leaders scale, merge, integrate, and evolve their organizations.

Michael and his team led the United Nation Development Program’s most successful global intervention, called “Leadership for Results” (LfR), aimed at developing multi-sector, emotionally intelligent leadership while creating solutions to critical challenges such as HIV/AIDS. LfR is a powerful capacity-building intervention and is considered the first large-scale, direct application of integral theory. Independent research indicates that millions of lives were saved and millions more were vastly improved through thousands of LfR action-learning projects in Africa, Southeast Asia, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.

Currently, Michael advises global leaders in times of crisis, conflict, and change. He works with them to develop empowering, innovative cultures and the emotionally intelligent leadership required to remain agile and navigate our VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) world. Michael continues to evolve EQ concepts and practices, and his book Responsive Intelligence is on track to be published in May of 2022.

Larry Kiehl has been a developmentalist professionally since 1978. He spent the first five years of his career focusing on “communication development” with clients. Then, after nine months of multiple-hours-a-day meditations (no working or socializing), he opened into the capacity for what he calls "deep-take consulting" and spent a decade on this with business clients. He eventually evolved into Executive Coaching and "depth-mediations."

In the last 15 years, Larry's focus has been navigating in and from the Turquoise perspective, and most recently in what he's come to identify as “unitive-diversity,” what Wilber might call the Indigo stage. Part of this endeavor has been to identify the ways and means of “we-space” dynamics, being more authentically present and connected. As he describes it: "Getting beyond the 'collective I’s' dynamics—very pertinent to understanding and engaging the stuff known as conflict, whether interpersonal or intrapersonal." Read more about his work on his website: www.EvolutionalConsciousness.com

Join us for this unique exploration, especially valuable in this intense time when new and old conflicts are occurring around us daily on every scale.

August 2021: An Integrally Personal Exploration of Conflict with Michael McElhenie and Larry Kiehl, Part 1

Sat, Aug 14, 2021, 4-6pm PDT
An Integrally Personal Exploration of Conflict: Part 1
Presented by Michael McElhenie and Larry Kiehl

The first of the two sessions will involve looking at ourselves personally (UL and UR quadrants) and our relationship to conflict. The second session will lean more into societal orientation about conflict (LL and LR).

Each of these conversations will be set up with warm-up thought processes including personal inquiry into our individual understandings, beliefs, assumptions, etc., regarding conflict, the mental and emotional stuff we bring to conflict that is often sub-optimal. We’ll then move into interactive segments for engaging with each other.

July 24, 2021: The Evolution Of Response: A Developmental Approach Towards Greater Awareness, Connection, And Creativity In Conflict With Miles Kessler

Sat, July 24, 2021, 11am–1pm PDT
The Evolution Of Response: A Developmental Approach Towards Greater Awareness, Connection, And Creativity In Conflict
Presented by Miles Kessler

Miles Kessler's "Evolution of Response" is a system of vertical learning in the midst of one of the most common human experiences: conflict. The EOR method aligns the principles of the martial art of Aikido together with the Integral framework of vertical development. It is both a map, and the territory, for understanding your potential capacities and competencies in human interactions.

This session will be an experiential practice session working with the “fulcrum practices” for leveraging growth at each stage of development as laid out in the evolution of response.

Miles Kessler is an American teacher of Aikido (6th dan), meditation, and Integral Practice. He is a dual-lineage holder in both the Iwama tradition of Aikido and the Burmese Mahasi tradition of Meditation.

July 10, 2021: The Aftermath of Modernity: How Did We Get Here Anyway? With Karen Voorhees

Sat, July 10, 2021, 4-6pm PDT
The Aftermath of Modernity: How Did We Get Here Anyway?
Presented by Karen Voorhees

In only a few short centuries, a handful of small nation-states sailed forth across the oceans and colonized much of the rest of the world. Western Europe had gone very suddenly from barbarian backwater to global superpower and the “modern” era had begun. Some of the results face us today as our most intractable problems.

This presentation will be an Integral overview of Europe’s emergence into modernity. It’s more than just fascinating history—the better we understand how it happened, the better our odds of finding sustainable solutions to the problems of today.

Karen Voorhees is a regular contributor to San Diego Integral. She has long history of study in the fields of Integral theory, European and world history, and their intricate intersections.

June 2021: Highlights & Recap of IEC 2021 (Integral European Conference) with San Diego Integral Members

Sat, June 12, 2021, 4-6pm PDT
Highlights & Recap of IEC 2021 with SDI Members
Presented by Members of San Diego Integral

Several members of our group attend the IEC event whenever we can. Last year we had a wonderful recap of the 2020 online IEC. The conference is rich with content and experiential practices. It's interesting to see what landed and excited various members of our group.

May 2021: The Highly Sensitive Person & We Space with Tom Habib, PhD

Sat, May 8, 2021, 4-6pm PDT
The Highly Sensitive Person & We Space
Presented by Tom Habib, PhD

The research results of the Unique Attributes Study will be presented in the context of developing We-Space first presented at IEC 2020. Resonance and coherence will be deepened via breakout exercises that focus upon what was found in this research. The HSP subcategories, such as neuronal sensitivity and propensity to overwhelm, will be mapped out. This is a highly participatory workshop for folks with sufficient interior awareness and the ability to show up in moments of transparency.

A link will be provided for you to take the HSP questionnaire prior to the presentation if you did not participate in the study.

April 2021: The Monster's Journey: From Trauma to Connection with Mark Forman, PhD

Sat, April 10, 2021, 4-6pm PDT
The Monster's Journey: From Trauma to Connection
Presented by Dr. Mark Forman, Integral Psychologist

"The Monster’s Journey" describes a new way to think about and therapeutically approach childhood, developmental trauma. This conceptualization is grounded strongly in the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE's) research literature. With this grounding, the presentation will offer a psychological alternative to Joseph Campbell’s well-known "hero’s journey" called the "monster’s journey."

Drawing inspiration from modern story forms, the monster’s journey describes the unique developmental challenges faced by survivors of early life trauma, a journey where their innocence is lost prematurely and thus a new, trusting connection to the normal world must be generated and maintained.

This presentation is in support of the recently published and well-reviewed book, The Monster’s Journey: From Trauma to Connection (2020) by Mark Forman, PhD.

March 2021: Easter Through An Integral Lens

Sat, March 13, 2021, 4-6pm PST
Easter Through An Integral Lens
Presented by Sandy Brim, Larry Kiehl, and Christine Baser-Habib

Holy week is a culmination in the Christian calendar, when the teachings of Jesus and his lived experience open to the mystery of spirit and transformation.

In this presentation we will explore three aspects of Christianity and the Easter message through an integral lens: Jesus as the Divine in flesh, the teachings of Jesus and his death, and resurrection and the emergence of eternal spirit.

This gathering will include integrally-informed didactics, sharing of personal experience, and experiential practice. Whether you are of another faith, a non-practicing Christian, agnostic or atheist, this topic promises to be thought-provoking for all.

Bibliography

The presenters have provided the following bibliography for this event. Please enjoy these resources for further study and exploration.

Christophany by Raimon Panikkar
Essential Spirituality by Roger Walsh
Evolving Christianity by Rev. Samuel G. Alexander
The Eye of the Heart by Cynthia Bourgeault
The Gospel of Thomas Coptic Scripture
The Holy Bible, Today’s New International Version

Matthew 28:1-20
Mark 16:1-20
Luke 24:1-53
John 20:1-31, 21:1-25

The Holy Trinity and the Law of Three by Cynthia Bourgeault
Integral Spirituality by Ken Wilber
The Religion of Tomorrow by Ken Wilber
The Universal Christ by Fr. Richard Rohr
The Wisdom Jesus by Cynthia Bourgeault
The Wisdom Way of Knowing by Cynthia Bourgeault

Center for Action and Contemplation - CAC.org
“The 1-2-3 of Spirit” by Terry Patten - IntegraLife.com
Integral Christian Network - IntergralChristianNetwork.org

Click here to download presentation notes

January-February 2021: Special Guest: Terry Patten

Sat, February 13, 2021, 4-6pm PST
Experiential We-Space Practices with Terry Patten Based On His Social Experiment

Terry Patten will join us again to guide a second SDI session that will emphasize experiential We-Space practices informed by the recent social experiments he has initiated.

Do not miss this opportunity to participate in this event led by a pioneer in the Integral Movement.

Sat, January 16, 2021, 4-6pm PST
Terry Patten on "Making Integral More Integral"

(Note: this event occurs on the 3rd Saturday)

We are very excited to have one of the foremost leaders and contributors to the Integral movement joining us this month for our online Meetup!

As a philosopher-activist, he has long been a leading voice for facing, examining, and healing our global crisis through the marriage of higher consciousness and activism.

As creator and host of the webcast “Beyond Awakening,” he has explored the biggest questions of our time in over a hundred public conversations with some of the world’s most prominent and dynamic thought leaders.

This session will begin with a short but high-level review of Terry’s work to make integral more integral. This will flow into a more wide-ranging conversations about the implications of these ideas, both in breakout groups and in the main area.

Terry Patten is a philosopher, author, activist, social entrepreneur, consultant, coach, and the author of the groundbreaking book, A New Republic of the Heart: An Ethos for Revolutionaries. In addition, he co-wrote Integral Life Practice with Ken Wilber, et al. He has also authored three previous books and over two dozen book chapters, magazine articles and academic papers published in peer-reviewed journals.

As a philosopher-activist, he has long been a leading voice for healing our global crises through the marriage of higher consciousness and activism. As creator and host of the webcast “Beyond Awakening,” he has explored the biggest questions of our time in over a hundred public conversations with the world’s most prominent and dynamic thought leaders.

As a teacher and coach, he has introduced thousands of people to Integral practice in person and over the web. Online courses include Integral Spiritual Practice, Living the Integral Heart, An Integral Soul Journey, and Awakening Your Revolutionary Heart.

As a community organizer, he founded and leads Bay Area Integral, which gathers and supports an integral community in the San Francisco Bay area.

(Note: This Meetup will occur on the 3rd Saturday, not the usual 2nd Saturday.)