January 2010
Tuesday, January 5: Firefly. We’ll watch an intriguing episode from this short-lived American space western television series created by writer/director Joss Whedon.
Tuesday, January 12: Writing Therapy. “A form of expressive therapy that uses the act of writing and processing the written word as therapy… Writing one's feelings gradually eases pain and strengthens the immune system.” We’ll do some exercises and face a journaling challenge.
Tuesday, January 19: Conversations on Spirituality, with Dr. Michael Hall, PhD. We’ll watch A DVD interview with a New York clinical psychologist and Zen Buddhism practitioner.
Tuesday, January 26: Consciousness & Awareness. Discussion. “Consciousness is the appearance—the contents of awareness. Awareness is pure with no attributes—the capacity for emptiness to be aware of itself.” —Bart Marshall, author
September 2009
Tuesday, September 1: Closer than Close; A Portrait of Seeking and Finding our True Self. DVD viewing.
Tuesday, September 8: Doorways to Change. Local TAT Foundation fall philosophic workshop review.
Tuesday, September 15: Charles Hartshorne (1897-2000). The American philosopher associated with the philosophy of religion and metaphysics, Hartshorne developed the neoclassical idea of God and produced a modal proof of the existence of God. Philosopher spotlight.
Tuesday, September 22: Life Changing War Experiences. We’ll invite local veterans of the recent Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts to share aspects of their life transforming tours of duty.
Tuesday, September 29: Drumming Circle. We’ll try our hand at creating spontaneous rhythmic noise together—and experience the resulting phenomena.
August 2009
Tuesday, August 4: Black in America. Discussing the recent CNN series and current events/conditions in society.
Tuesday, August 11: The Inner Reaches of Outer Space; Metaphor as Myth and as Religion, by Joseph Campbell. Book Review.
Tuesday, August 18: My life would be complete/have meaning if... Examining innermost hopes. Why do I have them? Can I reach them?
July 2009
Tuesday, July 7: Audio Lecture. (April 28, 1977) Richard Rose -- Zen and Common Sense -- Kent State. We’ll listen to this postponed address from last month’s schedule.
Tuesday, July 14: Convince Me. We’ll take turns presenting our best convictions on living and life. Can we walk long enough in another’s shoes to think with their thoughts?
Tuesday, July 21: Masks of Eternity. DVD viewing of Volume 6 from The Power of Myth, a 1988 PBS interview series of Joseph Campbell by Bill Moyers.
Tuesday, July 28: Problem-causing machines. The human mind in motion. Can equanimity exist for us?
June 2009
Tuesday, June 2: Talk to me. A series of exercises to focus attention and address other people in decidedly unusual ways.
Tuesday, June 9: Going Within. Ways and means and methods to employ in a search for one’s personal subjective truth.
Tuesday, June 16: Philosopher Spotlight. Meister Eckhart O.P. (c. 1260–c. 1328). A German theologian, philosopher and mystic, born near Gotha, in Thuringia.
Tuesday, June 23: Audio Lecture. (April 28, 1977) Richard Rose -- Zen and Common Sense -- Kent State.
Tuesday, June 30: Crying. What is its purpose? What is going on? Physiologically? Psychologically? Emotionally?
May 2009
Tuesday, May 5: Rorschach Ink Blot Test. We’ll take the test that psychologists use to examine the personality characteristics and emotional functioning of their patients.
Tuesday, May 12: DMT: The Spirit Molecule, by Rick Strassman, M.D. A Doctor’s Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-Death and Mystical Experiences. A book review.
Tuesday, May 19: Effortless Meditation. Guest practitioner Heidi Munn, of Pittsburgh, leads us in practicing this unique liberating form of meditation.
Tuesday, May 26: Living Luminaries. (2007). The Spiritual Cinema Circle. Volume 7. Recommended by M&M meeting attendee. DVD viewing.
April 2009
Tuesday, April 7: Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience. Veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan recount their war experiences in this Oscar-nominated documentary, which collects the writings of soldiers and their families to give a deeply personal view of American troops' involvement in these conflicts. DVD viewing.
Tuesday, April 14: Siddhartha. (1922). An allegorical novel by Hermann Hesse dealing with the spiritual journey of an Indian boy called Siddhartha during the time of the Buddha. This 9th novel of Hesse’s was published in 1922, after he had spent some time in India in the 1910s. It was published in the U.S. in 1951 and became influential during the 1960s. The word Siddhartha is made up of two words in the Sanskrit language, siddha (achieved) + artha (meaning or wealth). The two words together mean "one who has found meaning (of existence)" or "he who has attained his goals". Book review.
Tuesday, April 21: Backing into Wisdom. Report on the activities, talks, discussions and exercises from the April 18-19 weekend metaphysical conference of the TAT Foundation.
Tuesday, April 28: The Bucket List. (2007). Written by Justin Zackham, directed by Rob Reiner, starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. Two terminally ill men on a road trip with a wish list of things to do before they "kick the bucket." DVD viewing.
March 2009
Tuesday, March 3: Into the Wild. DVD film viewing. Sean Penn directs this film based on author Jon Krakauer's true story of a young man who gives up everything to lead a solitary life in the wild, trekking across harsh and beautiful Alaska.
Tuesday, March 10: Point-In-Time Survey. A questionnaire designed to take a snapshot of you in a 24-hour period, illuminating the tracks that you leave in your life.
Tuesday, March 17: What makes me unique? We’ll take part in some activities that help us pinpoint our strengths and weaknesses.
Tuesday, March 24: Dream Interpretation. We’ll discuss what various experts say our dreams mean and embark on a week-long study of our own sleeping mental messages.
Tuesday, March 31: Dreams, revisited / Message in a Bottle. Reporting on our week of dream observation, we’ll share our interpretation efforts. Also, we’ll put philosophic messages in bottles to ‘someone out there’ and release them into the Ohio River.
February 2009
Tuesday, Feb. 3: Chakra Balancing. Self hypnosis DVD. You won’t believe your eyes!
Tuesday, Feb. 10: Practice of Yoga—again! Long time practitioner will lead us in some breathing and centering yoga (last month, this scheduled yoga was cancelled due to a winter storm). Bring comfortable clothes
Tuesday, Feb. 17: One act plays. Local playwright, actor and Paradox Book Store proprietor will do a reading with fellow actors of his original works.
Tuesday, Feb. 24: The Devil’s in the Details: A look at the simple steps we do, don’t do, or half-way do to find clarity. Reporting on activities & discussions at a two-day winter retreat held at The Linsly Outdoor Center (LOC) in Raccoon Creek State Park, 45 minutes from Pittsburgh, PA.
January 2009
Tuesday, Jan. 6: The Flowering of Human Consciousness (Part 1). Eckhart Tolle lecture. DVD viewing.
Tuesday, Jan. 13: Sex, Drugs & Rock ‘n’ Roll. What do transcendentalists really want, and why? What are they trying to transcend? What do they want to transcend to?
Tuesday, Jan. 20: Writing our own obituaries. We’ll write what we hope to be remembered for and as having been. Discussion follows.
Tuesday, Jan. 27: Practice of Yoga. Long time practitioner will lead us in an evening of experiencing this ancient art. Bring comfortable clothes.