Dear ,
Apologies for the tardiness of this newsletter – it should arrive with you on the very last day of September. This is partly
because I’ve been so busy over the last few weeks. I’ve done several talks and workshops, involving a lot of travelling and preparation, at the same time as working on my new book, Spiritual Science. Hopefully the busy period is coming to an end soon though – I have a trip to Portugal next week, where I’m doing a workshop and a lecture, and after that the only event I have booked is a talk in London in November (see below). After that, I’ll be focusing pretty much exclusively on my new
book, to try to finish it by the end of January next year.
My busyness is also part of the reason why there was no on-line meditation on the last Sunday of this month. The other reason was that I got the dates wrong – I thought the last Sunday of the month was the 31st September – and then I remembered that there only 30 days in the month!
But I will definitely return on the last Sunday of October.
Eckhart Tolle
As you may know, Eckhart Tolle was in London at the beginning of the month,
for a talk at the Royal Festival Hall. It was a great occasion – amazing to see how just one person sitting completely stationary in the middle of an empty stage could have such a powerful effect on such a large audience (2,500 people). My wife Pam and I met with Eckhart (and his partner Kim) earlier that day. I’ve occasionally been slightly disappointed by spiritual authors or teachers I’ve met (mentioning no names!) but that’s not the case with Eckhart at all. He’s exactly as gracious and
gentle and good-humoured (and as wholly present) in person as you would hope from reading his books. The Isle of Man Towards the end of August, I travelled to the Isle of Man, which is in the middle of the Irish Sea, between England and Ireland. I gave a talk there, and was amazed at the level of interest in spiritual issues. My talk sold out quickly – it’s the only one I’ve ever done where people had to be turned away at the door. On the other hand, this wasn’t so surprising because there was a very special atmosphere in the island – a mystical Celtic air, with a feeling that the material world is a
thin veneer with esoteric forces bubbling powerfully underneath. I loved the place and hope to go back next year, and spend some more time exploring it. I was with my 14 year old son Hugh, and we had a great time cycling and walking for a couple of days, seeing some fantastic sea scenes and jagged coastal landscapes. My New Book - Spiritual Science
I’ve written over half of my new book (about 40,000 words) and am pleased with it. I always find it amazing how books have a life of their own – once I start writing, they develop in unforeseen ways, but always according to some kind of rationale, as if I’m somehow being guided and helped. Certainly this book has “fallen into place” in a way that I didn’t expect. It’s not the book I originally conceived – but it’s also turning out a lot better
than the book I originally conceived. The only thing I haven’t decided yet is the title. I have two potential candidates: Spiritual Science – Beyond Materialism, Towards a New Vision of Reality and The Spiritual Universe – Reconciling Science and Spirituality.
Let me know which one you think is the best – or if you can think
of a better one!
Talk in London in November As mentioned above, I have one event left in the UK before I enter a period of hibernation. So if you want to see me in public, this talk on 14th November could be your last chance!
It’s an evening event at the London College of Psychic Studies, called Making The Leap, and including some poetic reflections and meditative exercises.Transpersonal Conference in Scarborough
We had a wonderful conference at the Transpersonal Section of the British Psychological Society last weekend. I was delighted to see my friend and mentor, the great Stanley Krippner again. He’s a force of nature – 85 years old in a few weeks and still travelling the world and writing and researching with amazing productivity. I
told the story of how, back in 2004, he dictated his foreword to my book The Fall to me in a noisy room in about 10 minutes, with me writing it all down at a furious speed. I couldn’t believe that anyone could be so mentally sharp – and at the same time, so generous!
At the conference, I did a presentation about my recent research, entitled
‘Exploring Awakening Experiences.’ If you would like to receive the slides, send me an e-mail.
Here’s a photo of Stan and I at the conference: New Poem Another reason why I enjoyed the conference was because of its beautiful setting, on the coast near Scarborough in the UK. On Sunday morning I went for a run down to the sea, and swam in the sea for a while. I had an ecstatic experience of gratitude and awe at the beauty and vividness of the
world. When I got home, I wrote a poem to try to describe the experience. So I’ll end this newsletter with the poem:
How Can I Express my Gratitude?
How could I ever express my gratitude
for this blissful beautiful
morning
as I run down a muddy track towards the sea
with the blue sky expanding endlessly above me
and pure white sunshine pouring through space?
How could I ever express my gratitude
for my animal limbs that bend so lithely through the cool air
for the senses that open my awareness to this miraculous new day
as I find a tiny path, between the rocks, and climb down to the
beach?
How could I ever express my gratitude
as I look up, and the sea opens wide
swelling and murmuring, like a lover who was always waiting
with a glorious trail of sunlight thrown down across the waves
and a thousand sparks flashing and flickering.
How could I ever express my gratitude
for these
perfect, eternal moments
as I undress and stumble over seaweed-covered stones towards the tide
and then an electric shock of cold jolts through me
as the sea immerses me, and absorbs me.
There’s no way to express my gratitude
except by living ecstatically, and resolving
never to let my soul be obscured by pettiness
and never to let myself become a solid centre
and expect
the world to turn around me
but always to keep myself fluid and open and innocent
so that I can be as radiant as the world
and be worthy of the gift of being here and now.
All best wishes and blessings, Steve
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