Zara Houshmand is an Iranian-American writer. Her work has ranged from modern Iranian theater to traditional Balinese puppetry, from virtual reality as an art form to literary translation. She has worked with the Mind and Life Institute for almost twenty years as an editor for books representing its dialogues between scientists and the Dalai Lama. In this exclusive interview she discusses her work as a poet, writer and editor.
“From my own point of view, the most important thing about modern spirituality, as opposed to traditional faith communities or what you might call ‘old spirituality’, is that it’s ‘person centred’. By that I mean looking to see what works for every individual.” William Bloom is one of Britain’s leading authors and educators in modern spirituality and a holistic approach to individual and community wellbeing. In this exclusive interview he discusses his ideas and work, and it means to be ‘person centred’.
Arjun Rathi is the principal of the self-named multidisciplinary design practice operating from Mumbai, India. Established in 2011, the work has gained national recognition for its exploratory approach towards design processes. Through the disciplines of Architecture, Landscape, Interior Design, and evolved concepts of ‘Psyche-tectural’ theory, the practice aims to create innovative spatial forms that actively engage, enhance and influence the body, constantly challenging its relationship to the built environment. ‘We are Beings of Light’ is a fine example.
“Anything I do should be able to facilitate real progress of the human kind…That is why I consider following science and communicating it as the top most priorities in my life”. Artist, poet, scientist and writer, Krishna Kumari Challa, communicates science through art and literature. In this exclusive interview she discusses her art and work.
Links to the Interalia Magazine blog, ‘Talking about Consciousness’, featuring – His Holiness The Dalai Lama: The Relation between Matter & Consciousness ; Alva Noë : Why is Consciousness so baffling? ; Marvin Minsky on Consciousness ; J Krishnamurti: On the relationship between thought and consciousness ; Peter Russell: The Reality of Consciousness
His Holiness The Dalai Lama: The Relation between Matter & Consciousness ; Alva Noë : Why is Consciousness so baffling? ; Marvin Minsky on Consciousness ; J Krishnamurti: On the relationship between thought and consciousness ; Peter Russell: The Reality of Consciousness
By establishing a dialogue in which the meditative practices of Buddhism and Christianity speak to the theories of modern philosophy and science, B. Alan Wallace reveals the theoretical similarities underlying these disparate disciplines and their unified approach to making sense of the objective world. In this article, he explores the relationship between Christian and Buddhist meditative practices, showing that, though Buddhism and Christianity differ in their belief systems, their methods of cognitive inquiry provide similar insight into the nature and origins of consciousness.
Garry Kennard is a painter, writer and founding director of Art and Mind (www.artandmind.org). A fascination with how the brain reacts to works of art has lead Kennard to research, write and lecture on these topics. With Rita Carter and Annabel Huxley he devised and directed the unique Art and Mind Festivals which attracted leading artists and scientists to explore what light the brain sciences can throw on contemporary culture. He has an interest in mountaineering and has climbed in the Alps and Africa, as well as leading his own expeditions to the Nepalese Himalayas.
Marilyn Schlitz, Ph.D. is a social anthropologist, researcher, writer, and charismatic public speaker. For more than three decades, she has been a leader in the field of consciousness studies. Her research and extensive publications focus on personal and social transformation, cultural pluralism, extended human capacities, and mind body medicine. She recently wrote and produced a feature film (called Death Makes Life Possible) with Deepak Chopra on the topic of death and dying, and how engaging that topic in a deep and meaningful way informs the way we live our lives.
Daniel Dennett: The Hard Question of Consciousness ; David Chalmers: How do you explain consciousness? ; Christof Koch: The Search for Consciousness ; Antonio Damasio: The quest to understand consciousness ; Sir Roger Penrose — The quantum nature of consciousness ; Max Tegmark: Consciousness is a mathematical pattern ; Nicholas Humphrey: The Magic of Consciousness