On 28th November I travelled up to Edinburgh to present our first EnlightenNext ‘Being & Becoming’ Seminar north of the border. I was kindly invited by the Edinburgh Integral Group (www.edinburghintegral.co.uk) and my hosts Ross & Laura gave me a whirlwind tour of the historic city on the eve of our seminar. We ended up at the top of the city with a spectacular view of the castle. As we made our approach in the chilly November night, the instantly recognisable fortress, which is perched on an extinct volcano, emerged as if by magic out of the swirling mists, lit up by an eerie blue light.

The next morning at the Salisbury Centre, which is set in beautiful organic gardens that create a peaceful haven in the middle of the city, almost twenty of us took a philosophical and experiential journey together into the stillness of Being, through guided meditations and discussion. This opened up into a fresh exploration of the timeless practice of meditation and contemplation from a 21st Century perspective.

In the afternoon, grounded by our morning’s work, we plunged into the nature of Becoming by firstly tracing the evolutionary story of the universe. Interiority, consciousness, matter and complexity unfolded over billions of years, bringing us to the present moment and the awareness of our deep-time nature while simultaneously pointing us to an, as yet, uncreated future. We ended the day with a discussion group that gave everyone a chance to participate in the most exciting aspect of Evolutionary Enlightenment—to awaken to the positivity and creativity of the evolutionary impulse, or Authentic Self, through collective engagement. The testimonials below from participants give a flavour of what transpired during the day.

Also, I’m pleased to say that, following on the success of the day, Andrew Cohen will be giving a talk in Edinburgh on 25th March. For more details see here: www.andrewcohen.org/events/

‘I walked through the door to my first workshop by EnlightenNext not sure what I would experience or find! By the time I walked out I was a lighter, happier and definitely a little more enlightened and I can’t wait to walk back! It was an exceptional day and I would recommend everyone to take the walk!’
Danielle M

‘The seminar was really beneficial, individually and for us as an evolving group and I look forward to future events.There was the experience of the mind loosing the security of ideas and concepts while being encouraged to step out into the unknown – exciting and scary at the same time making the day altogether exhilarating.’
Laura T