Spiritual Matters

VISION

To explore the intersection of science and mystery in the pursuit of human wholeness and joy.

ASPIRATIONS

To bring wisdom, self-awareness, healing, gratitude, and peace to those who seek it.

To engender a shift in cultural consciousness, to help individuals become more oriented toward others and to be more compassionate, empathetic, and selfless.

To build a new sense of community in our midst, where fear is replaced by trust, violence by patience, and greed by generosity.

To envision a world of fundamental connectedness, where diversity leads not to division but to creative excellence, where human intelligence is fully expressed in the integration of body, mind, and spirit.

Neuroscience and Spirituality: How Are These Related?

As human beings we ask “big picture” questions about ourselves in search of meaning and purpose. We understand our lives to be precious and gifted, and on occasion appreciate as quiet miracles the thousands of experiences, images, and events that comprise each day; the golden light at sunset, a child's laughter, the aroma of wisteria. This is the essence of “spirituality”, a type of awareness. We understand “spirituality” is a word that both attracts and frightens, laden with different connotations around religion, philosophy, or mystical beliefs.

In fact, spirituality is as much a part of us as the fingers on our hands. Oftentimes we don’t integrate all our inclinations and natures into the single package of our person. Our spirituality is about the way we think about ourselves in the world, providing the framework for all our life contexts, and our connectedness as a community, a nation, a human race.

Our goal is to use recent advances in the neurosciences to give insight into the ways we think and act. Specifically, we seek to better understand how our brains make us sentient Beings and drives our hunger to understand the world and our place in it. This self-awareness also brings insights about how our minds work vis-a-vis emotional trauma,drug addiction, racism, political tribalism and other nagging problems.

But where does the rubber hit the road? Take a walk early in the morning amidst the sounds of awakening birds....

                                                    It will come to you.