Now that I’ve returned from my Evolutionary Leaders’ retreat, I thought I’d share with you some of my observations about what happened there.
The Evolutionary Leaders’ is a collection of leaders in the consciousness movement, set up in 2008 by Deepak Chopra and the Association of Global New Thought. It was Barbara Fields, the director of AGNT, and Diane Williams, of Source of Synergy Foundation whose long-term dreams — to create a ‘super group’ of thought leaders who would work together to catalyze ‘conscious evolution’ — inspired our first meeting in July 2008.
Thirty-five of us met for a day at the Chopra Center and created the ‘call to conscious evolution’: http://evolutionaryleaders.net/acalltoconsciousevolution/our-moment-of-choice
All of us recognized that the seemingly continuous crises besetting us in modern times are symptoms of our I-win-you-lose dualistic and increasingly polarized way of thinking (us vs them, Muslim vs Christian, Democrat vs Republican, man vs nature): http://evolutionaryleaders.net/acalltoconsciousevolution/context-for-conscious-evolution
Einstein’s catchphrase
Our catchphrase has become Einstein’s famous quote, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
The idea is to help to shepherd a positive evolution, largely by inspiring inner and outer transformation. Here’s a brief history of our own evolution as a group http://www.evolutionaryleaders.net/our-story
The EL website (www.evolutionaryleaders.net) also quotes Willis Harman’s book Global Mind Change: The Promise of the 21st Century: “Throughout history, the really fundamental changes in societies have come about not from dictates of governments and the results of battles but through vast numbers of people changing their minds. By deliberately changing the internal image of reality, people can change the world.”
Since that time, we’ve met twice more in successive summers, each time for four-day retreats, to discuss what we mean by conscious evolution and what we might do collectively to help shepherd in its arrival.
We’ve grown to 57 members, and we’ve divided into a variety of committees. There are a number of ambitious plans afoot: an EL online ‘university’, a huge event on November 1, 2011 (11-1-11) in Washington, D. C. and many more.
Los Angeles event
This year’s retreat started on Monday, August 30. We decided to make this group officially public on Tuesday August 31, by staging a evening event at Royce Hall at UCLA. Luckily, one of the ELs happens to be spiritual director/writer Emily Squires, now involved with making spiritual documentaries but former director (for thirty years) of Sesame Street.
As to be expected of someone able to hold small children continually captivated, Emily had created a fast-paced, multi-media event. Only 10 of us had speaking parts and others were on stage supporting others, who read one of the eight aspects of the Call to Conscious Evolution. Of the 10, each of us was given only 10 minutes to do our bit.
Those of us with a small speaking part recognized that we had to represent the group, rather than ourselves. This meant putting the call before our own usual agendas or speaking styles.
For a group of seasoned speakers used to commanding the stage on their own with a highly dedicated fan base, this in itself was nothing less than a revolutionary act. Many of us went into the evening highly uncertain that this approach was going to work.
Setting the intention
I was one of the 10 asked to speak, and I’d been given the task of engaging the audience in a collective intention. I’d headed off to the retreat with a firm, specific intention of what I thought we ought to do: heal Pakistan from the aftershock of the flood.
But as I thought about it, I realized the subject of the intention shouldn’t just come from me. I was representing the ELs at the event, not myself, and we needed to speak with a unified voice.
We also needed to create a ripple effect – a contagion of evolutionary change.
On our first evening, I took some ideas from the floor, then solicited extra guidance over lunchtime from two EL sages: James O’Dea and Jean Houston.
The group decided on a call to action, to activate the audience to themselves become evolutionary leaders, so that they may inspire and catalyze change, in order to create a peaceful, just and sustainable world.
Until we were called on the stage to do our bit, we sat on the floor in the green room, cheering on all of the speakers coming before us. Under the direction of the highly skilled veteran Emily, the staging and direction of the event were flawless.
Bruce Lipton, Gregg Braden, Jean Houston and Barbara Marx Hubbard spoke of the fact that the earth and its inhabitants spontaneously and regularly evolve and that we can make conscious choices to make that change positive or negative.
Each of us played our well-choreographed part, conscious of our need to support all the others. During my intention, when I asked the audience to stand up and join hands, our speakers backstage and even the stage crew did likewise. Uncharacteristically I did not make use of music (Jonathan Goldman’s Choku Rei is my usual choice for our big collective intentions). Nevertheless, the room descended into a few minutes of perfect, sacred silence.
Feeling of unity
By the end, when all 50 of us were on stage holding hands, it wasn’t an act. We’d experienced a palpable moment of unity, when we were all selflessly speaking with one voice and one heart.
After the reception, in our bus bound back to the retreat, toasting each other with paper cups of red wine, we were as moved and inspired as the audience had obviously been.
By the following afternoon, it was back to business as usual. We wrestled with a better understanding of exactly what we meant by ‘conscious evolution’ and which variety of new initiatives we were going to support – and how. We debated and disagreed – and even sometimes even stepped on each others’ toes during that 13-hour day. The superorganism we’d been the day before had divided back into our individual and separated selves.
For four exhausting days, we searched to find our purpose and goal, when the answer may have already been found. What we experienced that Tuesday night afforded us all a little glimpse of what happens when human beings look to the larger, overarching goal and really take on board the fact that we’re all in this together.
By keeping mindful of those two simple facts, we effortlessly came together.
Facebook Comments
Wow! what a coincidence - this is all similar to what I've been thinking and what I recorded in my blog last year:
http://textbookgods.blogspot.com
Towards a meaningful evolution and effective use of our mental and spiritual abilities is a great way forward!
Best Wishes!
Good, good, good!
That was what I felt at your Intention workshop as well Lynne. It was really difficult to leave and give up that sense of unity.
Thanx
HURRAH! We're waking up! My body has been screaming for years - IT'S TIME! IT'S TIME! I expect to witness a palatable shift before I depart, which has often seemed imminent. I have been hanging around with evolutionaries like Barbara Marx Hubbard for a long time. Thank God, the time has come that we have envisioned for decades.
I was there in LA for the event it was all inspiring and beautifully done, and very entertaining as well!
I flew just for the event from SF as I had a strong desire from my heart to be present for it, not knowing what it really was, just knowing I wanted to be there and be part of it. As usual when I follow my heart it is right! Thank you and keep up the good work! Blessings.
I respect and appreciate what you're on about - and am doing my own small bit to give shape to "the emerging worldview" in a blog by that name.
I would welcome the input of any of your readers at http://emergingworldview.blogspot.com
With thanks and best wishes.
Looking for more GOOD in the WHOLE World.. Keep up the Great work. It is needed Now. Thank You
My heart is open and filled with possibilities for an evolved world change. So many of us are ready for this and at just the right moment in our evolutionary history. My novel Karma: Dancing With Destiny is about just these concepts! As we think and act, so shall we become!
Blessings to all!
For those who wish, check out
karmanovels.wordpress.com
This wonderful, positive, good. We need to continue. But I can not help but feel there is something of a coming together of spiritual elitists here that leads to commradery among key players and, as well, refects, a kind of methodical increntalism in the movement. What is needed, I believe, is something starteling, revolutionary, dynamic, off the mark and out of the park. We need the stuff of art not
organization...I salute all actvities that connect us to the invisible world but encourage outrageousness, leaps and bounds beyond the podium and speakers and the gap that separates them..... Ideas anyone?
Hi Lynne,
Glad you have come out of hibernation and look forward to your latest book and maybe some more uk conferences...can I book now!
I was at the conference you organised with Bruce Lipton when at least a third of the audience were in tears ( incl me!) zapped by the power of the truth being so passionatley explained . My first degree was in biophysics( one of the chaps who shared the Nobel prize for discovering DNA was my tutor) and I had been breast fed on the one gene one protein dogma devoid of the importance of consciousness...so it hit home hard. Bless you for your work and all good wishes for your book.
Anona
Wow, sounds like a great workshop. Thanks for sharing.
Your blogs are always so inspiring to keep on walking the path, working on a spiritual awakening. This one, however, is exceptionally powerful hearing about the amazing unity fostered through your work. I love reading your posts and writings and hope you'll never stop! I've been inspired so many times and expressed it in my artwork by the one-ness that human beings can evoke and am very blessed by it!
hello,
I am glad that you create group intentions for a peaceful, just and sustainable world; I join my intention to a better world and for success for your spiritual actions
I have a suggestion for a country which have many voilence problems: COLUMBIA: could you do an internet group intention for liberating hostages ,and bring peace in this country
blessings
thierry
I agree with Robert Belinoff. The coming together and unity of the group is beautiful but I believe that the structure of "leaders" coming together to shephard a "movement of consciousness" is part of the old structure that leeds to elitism, unnatural hierarchy, guru projection and more. Why use the word "leader"? How about Witnesses or Participants, of Beings? Why call youselves anything at all or draw special attention to it?
I think we have to ask" what form or pattern would emerge if a group of people were operating from a love-based, non-egoic, high frequency intention and way of being?"
Blessings,
Kelley
Firstly I admire you for your work. To create such a group is an outstanding achievement. Seriously, I feel you are grasping at straws Lynne. Should people not stand up for their beliefs without being part of a group? I mean seriously, I respect your work, I do not agree with some of the corporate companies you recommend,,,it's a bigger picture I see. Lynne, what do you need?
As we get closer to 2012 this type of gathering becomes more and more important as it is essential that we move out of our duality thinking into oneness. We truly must be the change we want to see. Thank you for helping to light the way for all of us who are on the Path.
When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change!
Lynne, always love reading your blogs. Very uplifting. Created the following facebook page, then read your blog on others becoming their own evoloutionary leaders...hmmmm.
Please come and check it out, its called Building Utopia
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=100603540001685
Love and Blessings
Thank you for sharing, Lynn. A group of us came to similar conclusions, spurred by some comments from Barbara Marx Hubbard. We cannot move to the next stage of evolution as individuals ... we can only do it through the conscious co-creation of a positive future that grows out of the collective mind, and the intention also has to come from the collective mind. The choices you made per your blog post indicate that the collective mind is indeed alive and well.
On the 9th anniversary of 9/11 it would seem to some that the world is in complete chaos - the whirlwind of change is sweeping us all into its path. Amazingly within it is the " still spot " and holding onto that energy is the key to the future!!
Thank you, Lynne, for your facebook posting of a daily intention regarding the home destroying(169 at current count) mountain fire above Boulder. Thank, also, all of you who responded to our need. This fire has brought people into a closer and deeper communication and shifted thinking patterns in our community. The loss of one's home can be personally devastating. The loss of a habitable planet even more so. I don't wish the loss of a home on anyone let alone the loss of an ocean to pollution, the loss of a continent to health destroying misbehaviors and so on. We are, through the internet, mass media, multiple means of travel to points and communities around the planet, more connected than ever in official history, and are perhaps now in the midst of a "dark night of the Soul" as a bickering global family. It has often been mentioned in alternative and complementary healing circles that the human body is naturally capable of healing itself, with, and often without intervention. I wonder if the same is true of the emotion and thought bodies. Some people resent leadership, but perhaps what really troubles such people is poor or misguided leadership. Without a symphony conductor, the musicians would be a bit puzzled as to why they assembled. So I applaud your efforts to lead us sheep and goats to a more awakened state. We can continue to critique blog positions so long as someone like you is willing to create the forum and guide discussion.
Leaders?
To shepherd?
Just another group who knows better?
I recognize that your intentions are well-meaning, however you use "old" terms - "old" definitions - which are dangerously near the language that someone uses who "knows better", i.e. politicians.
If you take your catchphrase for serious the definitions cannot be on the level of problems...
You are mistaken. Blunt. Have patients. The thinking is the result of the consciousness. By taking command consciously of the mind, the "flip side" is that the conscious will overcomes the material awareness. Naked words are not enough to convey this message. The truth lies in the silence underlying the noise of the mind.
“I think. Therefore I am” was a step towards understanding (with the mind) but the truth is “I am conscious of my thoughts. Therefore I am.” (I can control my thoughts therefore I am more than my thoughts).
You are champions, driving the way forward and setting the example. But champions require a leader. One who shares the vision of their champion and who is respected by the group as one who can make that champions influence greater. There are times when a leader can become more powerful as a champion.
A leader is chosen by their followers and never in reverse (on this plane). One may influence that choice, the manipulation of fear is the simplest way One might impose a sort of leadership but that will only last until they choose a leader of their own. To prevent this, of course, One must keep the followers divided.
Strength comes in unity. The collective consciousness. That collective needs a mediator. One who has yet to establish an identity as a "spiritual... whatever...". Strength comes in unity with each other, thoes of the past and thoes of the future.
A leader should have a vision for the future. A way to communicate the will of the collective to the people of the future and to represent and utilise the efforts of thoes past. Foresight is the particular characteristic of one who may be some level of leader which will define their leadership. a greater leader may have greater foresight (as an analagy).
A leader should have a strong sence of empathy. To represent their followers effectively, see things from their perspective, so to speak. A leader with a strong following is one who understands the desires and the collective will of thoes whom they lead.
You will find an apropriate leader if you summon them. Then this problem arises: recognition of the introduction(?) of possibilities that may be. It is up to the foresight of the individual to determine the relationship with a potential leader.
In this case, you are a group of "enlightened" individuals who have already succeeded in creating a harmony of will and communication. “Cause and effect” then come into play. After a relatively sudden and intense "union" or "harmonization", a "bouncing" effect immediately followed, if you like. Think of it more like ripples, or... waves... grand waves. We can ride thoes waves, you will feel it.
You will be drawn together again (intuitively, not just organized meeting although it may correspond and if not already) where you can will that wave to become stronger, like sliding back and forth in the bath tub when you were a child. (if you had a bath tub). of course you know what the counter side of that will be but eventually you can overflow the bath tub. Theres also the snow ball effect: as your consciousness effects others who can also join you on your waves so that the tub never depletes, despite all the splashing. They will follow their champions and be present when you request them to be, they will want to be like you. Who will lead you?
btw. That email is a dummy.
Please forgive my condescending perspective. It is only one aspect of my understanding of the magnificent work you are doing for the elevation of Humanity. I am young and yet; I am. Are you?
"Don't walk in front of me
I may not follow.
Don't walk behind
I may not lead.
Just walk beside me
And be my friend."
Albert Camus.
"A leader is chosen by their followers and never in reverse..."
You know what Nietzsche said: "If you are looking for followers, look for zeros."
"Strength comes in unity."
But only AFTER individual strength. If not it is just an assembly of weak where the blind lead the blind.
"Who will lead you?"
My self - and nobody else!
"Please forgive my condescending perspective"
Condescension is a normal state of being for "leaders"...
> You know what Nietzsche said:
> “If you are looking for followers, look for zeros.”
But the event is set for 11/1/11!
Perhaps this demonstrates quite poignantly
that we live in a binary world!!
Alan Rayner
EX39 2BA
When is anybody going to start talking about Jesus, and the fact that it's Christ-consciousness that he taught?
The first will become last...
Alpha and Omega,
It is finished!
Hi, interesting times to be alive and well! Two years ago I wrote a (long) short story about this! A peer group coming together... raising consciousness... peace... harmony.... for all... I imagined the story on the Big Screen actually raising consciousness as viewers watched for entertainment! My story needed to be translated for screen.. but I have a strong belief that once written, it will come about. The very fact I, others commenting here, and your group are conscious now of this subject, I believe, reflects the whole. I am so happy humanity IS changing. There IS hope. There is, ALWAYS - LOVE. Keep going, love and Light to you all.
I am doing my part in Puerto Rico and traveling teaching the Ishaya Techniques and how to become consiouss beings. Five years ago, while meditating, I saw ripples forming in beautiful still waters while I heard: "watch the ripples".
And it is wonderfull to see it happening! Our consciousness in love and unity creating the new paradigm.. wow! Thank you.
It is interesting that almost at the same time an initiativecalled Lead South Africa has been started asking for each South African to lead by example, by doing something better, by being accountable and taking responsibility for improving the present and the future - http://www.leadsa.co.za
Fascinating! I've witnessed 11:11 in my life so frequently and in so many ways and now you describe an event scheduled for 11.1.11
I truly feel that this must be a great sign of much change by this event.
How about the theme of
" EACH ONE EMPOWER ONE."?
As we all continue to grow into our passion and do the work we love, I imagine a world of gratitude will befall us. 🙂
With Love and Gratitude,
The Intentional Sage
As a brief addendum, for anyone concerned about my comments above, please Google the words "remote viewing sheep and goats" and if the word intervention raises any hackles, I suggest you consider what happens when you pick at a scab growing over a wound versus simply allowing it to heal on it's own. If the wound becomes infected, some sort of intervention/assistance might be needed. Once again thank you all for your positive intentioning for Boulder. Thank you for your Intentional intervention as well as that of the fire fighters in the old fashioned sense of the term.
The 6.22 p.m. post from Clara is not me; I am the Camus quote Clara.
Whoever is using my comment name, kindly stop and use your imagination and find another.
Thank you.
Right!
The Kingdom of Heaven is within. Once that's what the entire race mind begins projecting then... ZION, New Heaven & New Earth. Each is the responsible ONE.
What are you projecting today?
Jesus, the Christ...knew/knows this!
Hi Lynne and everyone, I've always been a great fan of Sesame Street. Interesting process you've got going. Sounds like a blast... from my perspective conciousness is evolving with or without us. We don't need leaders or groups or anything except a willingness to participate. The talk is just sematics.
Have a good one.
Hello all... especially School Dropout.
“I think. Therefore I am” was a step towards understanding (with the mind) but the truth is “I am conscious of my thoughts. Therefore I am.” (I can control my thoughts therefore I am more than my thoughts).
Actually all that is false and invalid as well.
The problem lies in the very act of perceiving what one believes to be himself... then, extrapolating that assumption into a hypothesis and treating it as a fact of Nature. Does, in fact, consciousness, if indeed it exists, indulge in self examination?
Descarte is not the end all of self realizing self. In fact, the quote you chose is more valid a statement if written thus: "I think; therefore, I think I am."
Existence is a relative term based solely on the most error prone and fragile of all measuring devices... the human mind; which operates (supposedly) within a being that has no universal consensus as to the nature and origin of itself. This thing that we call Human has no idea of what it truly is... let alone does it possess the ability to define the nature of cosmic reality.
Everything known to itself, as itself, is strictly conjecture and has it's base in the supernatural.
Everything the human race knows, including the work of Lynne, is an assumption. IE: a guess based on self taught rationalizations and dogmas of thought that are designed to justify the belief of the existence of the race itself as a conglomerate of individuals; thus, the individual ego identity is born.
In order to survive in this morass of mental confusion and perplexity and to give itself a sense of self(worth), mankind invented the idea of the Supernatural and assigned to it the direction and rule of the Universe. However, in doing so, mankind abandoned all earnest attempts to understand itself... if, indeed, itself exists at all.
And to Ivan: You are correct in saying that we don't need leaders or groups or anything... Your "except a willingness to participate" is where I have a problem. Does a river have a willingness to return to the sea? Does the Earth have a willingness to rotate? In other words, mankind participates in it's evolution whether it wants to or not... it (we) have no choice in the matter any more than the rain has a choice to fall or not.
The idea of an individual self is erroneous and cause of all ills and joys experienced (or not) by what is so hubristically referred to as us.
The cold, hard fact is that the Universe, which includes humanity, is one, impersonal whole... thing... no part is separated from any other. To muddy the water a bit more... I err in using the terms "we", "us" and "other"; for, when I study the work of Lynne's "The Field" it becomes quite apparent that everything mankind thinks (or believes it thinks) is illusion vastly removed from and unrelated to the reality of all that is.
So, let's put an end to all this duality thinking shall we?
It (whatever "it" is) is; and whatever "is" is. You see? President Clinton did have a point after all.
Until the guilt is cleared from the unconscious collective race mind, this global shift will not happen.
Individuals trying to manipulate the field through the power of intention for selfish, self-centered reasons is what's holding us back.
Intellectual and spiritual pride are the major blocks.
Humility is the answer.
Composers of music and lyricists sometimes are able to communicate valid universal insights that are often missed, and may not be truly recognized, even by them...e.g.,
"I am he, as you are he, as you are me, and we are all together" - The Beatles.
"Love is All" - many artists, including Cat Stevens(Yusuf Islam), Roxette, etc.
This morning by accident I stumbled on a Conscious Evolution website started by Linda Goodman astrology devotees. Thought the synchronicity was amazing. It is such an exciting time to be alive and witness/participate in this.
I think that both Robert and Kelley have identified the challenge.
How about entertaining the thought that the universe is unfolding perfectly, and that human thinking, which is centered around the individual, is slowing things down.
In the big scheme of things we are all one and instead of trying to think our way out of the dilemma, we should be very quiet and listen to the guidance of our heart.
It is not a question of leadership, I suggest that even the most inspired human mind is incapable of contemplating the unfolding of infinite probabilities. Yet, the innocent child among us may inspire us just with their presence, to the potential which is our inheritance.
A slightly belated(15 minutes late) Happy Birthday to Ingo Swann, who together with Hal Putoff and Russell Targ created Remote Viewing. By showing that one could personally experience non-local connection with person, place and thing anywhere in time or space and that the barriers to awareness are ficticious and dissolvable, Ingo and company have shown that we are all connected, consciously or unconsciously, and that unity in diversity is no mere myth or trick of conceptual wizardry.
The Solution
Duality/split-mind is insanity. Consciousness is incapable of the restoration of this type of sanity. You see, consciousness is (with)in-sanity. The word tells the story quite clearly. We must transcend consciousness to break free and get into the root of where all this misperception/projection lies...the subconscious.
Admit that your(s)elf is powerless and believe that there is a greater power that will reveal your(S)elf and restore your sanity. Then, surrender yourself to this Power...call it God, Universe, Cosmos, Life, Love...just make sure you are chosing to believe that this Power loves you, and created you from its own image and likeness to love and to be loved, that you deserve to be here, and have a purpose to fulfill.
Inventory your life, address your guilt, harms perceived/projected/received, and fears. Ask you greater Power for Its assistance and make ammends, reconcile your(s)elf to your(S)elf and to other(S).
Forgive, pray, meditate... love, unconditionally!
You will begin to settle into eternity with poise and grace and receive a heart and mind that desires to be of help and service to all sentient beings, I promise!
http://www.symphonyofscience.com
"We Are All Connected"
Dah duh duhduh duh duhduh duh duhduh duh...Aaaaaah duh dahdah duhdah duhduht duh duhduh and if we don't all agree, at least we can have the satisfaction of...duh duh duhduht duh... and so on till "I "win this non-dual game. The game is the thing and we are but the pontifs, so rage on in this humble peaceful non-dual duel in which we so lovingly trash each others views(well that's by no means everyone, I err in failing to clarify what I mean by "we") .