Science and Nonduality Conference Weekend

Science and Nonduality Conference

San Jose, California

October 20 – 22, 2017

It has been a consistent part of our program at the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada for the past three years to host a live streaming of the annual conference held in the San Francisco area in October. The conference is a forum for prominent scientists and spiritual teachers to come together and share their perspectives on the nature of reality with an audience apparently comprised of people interested in the scientific and/or spiritual dimensions. Twelve participants were present at the Centre for the weekend. As is often the case, there were some problems with the technology and the live streaming was not always available, but fortunately the presentations were recorded and could be viewed later on our own schedule if not live. The weekend was packed with presentations by a mixture of male and female presenters with sometimes very different ways of communicating their viewpoints and questions about the study of life and consciousness. They covered a wide spectrum from very complex and rational science to wild and chaotic expressions of the “Kali” energy, a more right brain and less linear mode. A prominent focus was the need to integrate the “heart” with the head. Participants were familiar with some of the presenters, particularly such as Adyashanti, Rupert Spira, Francis Lucille, Cynthia Bourgeault, and Deepak Chopra. There was some comedy and entertainment mixed in with the more serious presentations.

The sessions were mostly twenty minutes in duration, which in many cases allowed for only a taste of the presenter’s full vision. More in-depth exploration would have been available at the conference itself with longer sessions supplementing the program taking place in the main auditorium. Nevertheless, the material did invite a looking into ourselves and a questioning of unconsciously held beliefs and concepts. Some of the talks inspired a sense of wonder at the vastness and majesty of the universe and the capacities of the consciousness that can contemplate it. A video of a David Suzuki interview with David Bohm, who was closely associated with J. Krishnamurti for many years, was included in the program. Delicious meals were provided by Pearson College. As always with the events at the Centre, the weekend was an opportunity to be with ourselves in a way that invited insight and deeper understanding. It seemed to be much enjoyed by all present.