December 8, 2010 at 10:32pm

Welcome!

by boston · Comments Off

Boston Center of EnlightenNextThe Boston network of EnlightenNext is a committed group of individuals who are dedicated to redefining the purpose and significance of spiritual enlightenment in our time.

At the heart of EnlightenNext Boston is the teaching of Evolutionary Enlightenment. Developed by Andrew Cohen, an internationally respected spiritual teacher and cultural visionary, it is a spiritual philosophy that brings the timeless depth of enlightened wisdom into the twenty-first century and redirects its purpose and promise—calling not for transcendence of worldly attachment, or even for compassionate care and service, but for a deep and heroic responsibility for the evolution of human consciousness and culture.

Boston GroupThrough our public events, our partnerships with like-minded organizations, and our personal relationships, we strive to awaken, connect, and cultivate a global movement of “evolutionaries”—individuals who feel personally responsible for creating the future.

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May 16, 2012 at 10:00pm

Spiritual Growth: Catalyzing Emergence

by Steve Haase · → 1 Comment

Spiritual Growth: Jeff CarreiraI’ve known Jeff Carreira for almost ten years. I met him shortly after discovering Andrew Cohen’s teachings of Evolutionary Enlightenment. Over those years, Jeff has become a close mentor and friend, and I’m consistently amazed and inspired by his spiritual growth over time. He truly practices what he preaches.

For example, last night.

Close to 40 people gathered together for an evening talk with Jeff as part of the EnlightenNext monthly meetup, at Samadhi Integral in Newton Center. The topic of the evening was Catalyzing the Emergence of a Higher We. Not only did we learn about the topic, but to a small yet significant degree, the emergence of a higher we is exactly what Jeff helped facilitate.

I won’t go into the actual philosophical and spiritual exploration that led to this emergence. I’ll focus instead on the experience and significance of the evening itself, and particularly on Jeff’s role in its success. (As an aside, if you want to get a weekly blast of Jeff’s fearless philosophical mystery tour, subscribe to his blog at EvolutionaryPhilosophy.com).

Three things struck me most about the evening. The first was Jeff’s transparency. He spoke about simple things that we all experience with such disarming honesty and freshness, e.g. the slight awkwardness of Facebook friends that you only know through Facebook. His transparency about big things was remarkable too, such as his descriptions of life as a close student of Andrew Cohen’s in earlier days, and the quantity, variety, and seriousness of the spiritual practice the community did at that time.

But his transparency served a greater function, which was his transmission. Jeff grabbed our minds with their limited, conditioned views of reality and stretched them like a room full of taffy. He conveyed with precision and humor profound subjects such as the nature of the self, the role of choice in transformation, and the development of consciousness over time. And what gave it such powerful transmission was that it came from his own engagement with the subjects. Even though his philosophical and spiritual influences were clear, there was no doubt that he was a man who thought his own thoughts, and that what he was sharing was a result of his own internal effort and will.

On a Moving Train

What I found most moving about the evening, though, was that everyone in attendance went somewhere together as a result of engaging with Jeff and with each other. It was clear that we were all in a deeper state and with a bigger perspective by the end of the evening than at the beginning. Through the exercises and experiences Jeff led us through, I felt the boundaries of my self dissolving, and I was being met by others in that same place/no-place.

Spiritual LectureIn other words, Jeff catalyzed the emergence of a higher interior space for all of us. And this is significant because this emergence is one of the primary goals of Evolutionary Enlightenment. One of my clearest memories of a teaching event with Andrew Cohen was him pointing out that ones ability to catalyze emergence is a hallmark of spiritual growth on this path.

It’s powerful to reflect on my experience of Jeff Carreira over the last decade, from when I first met him in his role as Andrew Cohen’s executive assistant to his current position as EnlightenNext’s director of education, leading and innovating new ways to express the teachings of Evolutionary Enlightenment. It’s yet another indicator of the power of these teachings, and gives an example of what real transformation and evolutionary development can look like in a person. To paraphrase Andrew Cohen on the topic of transformation: it should look good.

And last night it certainly did.

Categories:Events • Philosophy · Tags:···

May 9, 2012 at 2:48am

The Thrill of Exploration—New Interior Horizons

by Steve Haase · → No Comments

This past Saturday, Andrew Cohen led an Evolutionary Enlightenment seminar in Cambridge for 95+ participants. The setting was a conference room overlooking the Charles River with a beautiful view of the Boston skyline. But the biggest thrill was the interior terrain that participants covered with Cohen.

Andrew Cohen, spiritual teacher

Andrew started the day by diving deeply into two main topics:

1. That things are better now than they ever have been, and

Evolutionary Enlightenment seminar

2. We’re all part of a process that is going somewhere.

Spiritual dialogue

Cohen engaged with attendees and further developed the spiritually inspiring points that were emerging during the day.

Evolutionary Enlightenment book signing

And met with people at a book signing and reception following the seminar.

Author Mick Quinn and Andrew Cohen

Andrew sharing a moment with Mick Quinn, humanitarian, integral philosopher, and all-around inspiring person.

Happy spiritual women

The joy on Holly, Diane, Tamara, and Laura’s faces pretty much sums up the experience of the day.

Were you at the seminar in Boston? What stood out for you most from it? Let us know in the comments below.

(All photos courtesy of Tara Jones Photography. To see all 32 photos from the day, visit our Facebook page here).

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April 20, 2012 at 2:40am

“Owning Your Shadow” = Spiritual Development?

by Steve Haase · → 2 Comments

Shadow Work - Spiritual Development A popular idea in spiritual circles is that of “owning it.” We’re told that our spiritual development depends on us owning the dark corners of ourselves, owning our weaknesses and fears, our lust, anger, paranoia, and jealousy… pretty much anything that traditional culture told us is taboo.

And it’s understandable why that idea would have come about. Many people repress the more intense aspects of themselves, preferring to pretend those feelings don’t exist than actually dealing with the complexity of who we all are and the challenge of trying to navigate the inner landscape.

I’ve noticed the repression is especially true for people interested in spirituality (I’m not speaking about you or me, of course). But you have to admit, many of us “spiritual” folks tend to have a lot of ideas about what spirituality is supposed to look like, and as such, we can live our lives trying to fit into a self-made box that inherently lacks freedom and authenticity.

And so many find that embracing the aspects of ourselves that we had previously disowned can be cathartic and even, dare I say, downright enlightening.

But I would like to take a different position on this and ask the question, “Are you owning it, or is it owning you?” (thanks to Kenzo for that lovely turn of phrase)

BEING REAL

I’d like to share a conversation I had with a musician whose work I greatly admire, Stuart Davis, who I recently had the pleasure to meet. I asked him, “How come your music is sometimes so transcendent and beautiful, and other times so raunchy?” And he said, more or less, “I have to own everything that I am, otherwise it will haunt me; it will hunt me down. I can’t repress it.”

This is just one example of many that says that expressing these lower impulses and urges—albeit in socially acceptable ways such as art, music, creativity, poetry, writing, and perhaps the occasional party or two—is not just healthy, but is actually spiritually evolved.

Because obviously, when you’re able to drop the f-bomb on stage and flaunt sexual taboos, then you (and everyone in the audience) know that you’re being real.

WHITHER HAPPINESS?

My own experience with the shadow, however, points to something else. I’ve found that, actually, by making effort not to express it, I’m able to tap into a source of unusual freedom, spiritual strength, and real happiness. Even more importantly, I’ve found that by sharing that dignified and respectful space with others, a deeper trust and ease can emerge between us that is almost impossible if we’re not keeping our lower impulses in check.

So the question becomes: By not acting on all of our wants and desires, are we harming ourselves in some way? Are we dissociating from critical aspects of who we are, and maybe even causing a split in our personalities?

No!

Why not? How could it be a good thing to not own all of who you are?

Well, I’ve found that it’s only in disowning—that is, not acting on—our lower impulses that one is able to gain the profound clarity that can only be won through a posture of stillness and disengagement (which is one of the fruits of meditation, but we’ll explore that in another post).

That’s not to say we’re avoiding anything about ourselves. In fact, this is one of the biggest challenges of what I’m speaking about: remaining awake to the sometimes tumultuous and disturbing roller coaster of feelings and thoughts that arise within us on a daily basis—regardless of how much they may frighten us, or conflict with our spiritual self-image, or defy our dearly held cultural norms.

But if we allow ourselves to experience it all, and yet see through it all, and not assume that it means something about us but just allow ourselves to experience it all and not move, that’s when we will in fact be owning it.

Because that’s when we’re free, and our mind and emotions will no longer be owning us, ostensibly compelling us to create things, express things, and live in such a way that is anything other than spiritually inspired. This freedom through stillness, then, is what allows us to be a source of inspiration and confidence for those with whom we live and work and act in the world. And that’s the kind of world I want to be living in!

What do you think about this question? Let us know in the comments below.

Categories:Philosophy • Spiritual Life · Tags:···

April 9, 2012 at 11:24am

The Top Ten Ways My Life Has Transformed From Hearing Andrew Cohen Teach

by Steve Haase · → 1 Comment

Spiritual TransformationNote: Some of the below happened immediately after hearing Andrew teach for the very first time ten years ago, others have occurred over the ensuing years of practice. Your results may vary.


  1. He made sense of my deepest spiritual longing and aspiration, without requiring me to make any leaps of faith or believe in outdated ideas.
  2. My understanding of who I am and the purpose of life developed and strengthened, giving me a spiritual confidence and clarity that I never had before.
  3. Andrew helped me to understand how the self evolves, how culture evolves, and how to do both. This, more than anything else, has helped to dispel my prior feelings of helplessness and cynicism about my own potential to positively affect the world… some of which I didn’t even know that I held.
  4. The space between my thoughts and my actions has grown, and consequently my experience of freedom has grown immensely.
  5. I discovered the joy of being with others, united in our interest in higher matters, and responding from the deepest part of myself so that something new can emerge in our shared “we space.”
  6. I have ten times as many close friends—soul-enhancing, life-enriching friends—than before I heard Andrew teach.
  7. He helped me to love the experience of depth, both within and between myself and others. I learned how to meditate and truly love the practice.
  8. He helped me understand and evolve in relation to some of the most challenging and fundamental aspects of being a man: sexuality, strength and humility, increasing my physical vitality, and developing integrity.
  9. My musical creativity has exploded.
  10. The experience of overwhelming joy, gratitude, and love that so many of us crave is a near-daily experience. Weekly at least.

If you want to see how hearing Andrew Cohen might change your life, you can do so in Boston on May 5th. Andrew is coming to town to give a half-day seminar that day. Find out more and register here.

Categories:Events • Spiritual Life · Tags:···

April 5, 2012 at 5:17am

Living the Spiritual Life, Working 9 to 5

by Steve Haase · → 12 Comments

Spiritual Life, Patrick BrysonIn March of this year, I moved to Boston from the EnlightenNext world center in Lenox, MA. I moved in order to work for HubSpot, a vibrant company in Cambridge that is shaping the future of marketing.

Like many people interested in spirituality, I was concerned that living in a city and working a “day job” would hinder my spiritual development—which is understandable: our dominant culture generally does not encourage subtler pursuits. Plus, on a purely practical level, when one is wrestling from morning until evening with the problems of the world, one’s interest in higher matters can easily become drowned out by those challenges.

However, I believe that not only is it possible to live a truly spiritual life while being engaged in the world, but it is necessary to do so for a new and higher culture to emerge.

I spent four years living at the EnlightenNext center, and ran a business that I co-founded—working full hours but being more or less in charge of what I worked on and who I worked with. Outside of work, I was surrounded by like-minded individuals, including my mentor and spiritual teacher, Andrew Cohen. I experienced development as a result of living in our intentional community that was unparalleled in my life. And if you ever have the opportunity to give yourself to such a focused and inspiring situation, I would recommend it unreservedly.

However, returning to city life, I find that this is actually the perfect place to be. Not that living in Boston is better than living in the Berkshires, but I’m just seeing more clearly that this is it. Why? Because the situation that I’m in—and that each of us is in right now—is bursting with potential. There is no greener grass to be found, and nothing to wait for before getting on with the business of spiritual development.

On a practical level, I’ve discovered (with all thanks to my teacher) four points that help me tremendously to continue progressing on the path:

  • Practice. The morning meditations here are very powerful, with three to four of us sitting completely still, at ease, and awake for a full hour every morning. Nothing sets the tone of a limitless and liberated day like consistent, deep meditation.
  • Relationships. Nearly every day I’m on a call or otherwise speaking with close friends about these ideas that are so fundamental to living the spiritual life. Andrew Cohen often quotes the Buddha who was once asked, “Is associating with like minded people an important part of the Holy Life?” The Buddha replied, “No. Associating with like minded people is the whole of the Holy Life.” So spend time with others who will support your interest in higher development.
  • Study. To truly have an impact on the world around us, we must allow our spiritual path to transform us. This means being serious about the basics of the path, and spending focused time exploring them. That’s why attending workshops and retreats is so crucial. If you’re engaged in a world whose center of gravity is deeply materialistic, you need to have repeated experiences that raise your own center of gravity to something higher, more subtle, and ultimately more real. This is why I try to attend a long retreat every year with my teacher.
  • Service. This could also be called, to use a phrase coined by Steve Jobs, “making a dent in the universe.” Great entrepreneurs, artists, and others who are awake to the creative impulse find themselves compelled to create something new, something that will change the world and uplift humanity as only they are uniquely able to do. In reading Jobs’s biography, I’m touched by the fact that his motivation was not profit driven, but was possibility driven, which is what made Apple create such amazing products. Working at HubSpot has a similar feel, in that we’re actually in something together that is going to make a big difference in the world. And that spirit of wanting to make a difference is actually a spiritual motivation. Which is beyond inspiring.

And it brings us back to where we started: that engaging completely with the world doesn’t have to in any way detract from our spiritual pursuits. Indeed, the world needs people who are awake to and grounded in higher truths in order to guide it towards a brighter future for us all.

What have you discovered about living the spiritual life and working “9 to 5?” Let me know in the comments below.

Categories:Philosophy • Spiritual Life · Tags:····

March 29, 2012 at 11:40am

Revealing God Among Us, Musically

by Steve Haase · → No Comments

Jazz AudienceWhat do you notice when you listen to live music—especially when you’re at a show that transmits something special?

How about the way the music reverberates in your body…
The way the musicians move…
The feeling of connection you have with others in the audience…

How about the way it affects your consciousness? Have you ever noticed how a great performance of transcendent music can leave you in a state of bliss for hours, if not days, afterwards?

As a performing musician, having that “consciousness raising” effect on an audience is one of the greatest thrills I know. But of even greater interest is what happens to an audience that is aware that it is together in something higher.

Live music, more than just providing a satisfying experience for those who are listening, has the power to create a SCENE. And that’s what’s most exciting. When you share an experience with people of something inspiring, creative, edgy, you forge connections that are the very fabric of culture.

And creating those are what has even more enduring value than a simple experience of individual transcendence.

In the case of Unfulfilled Desires, our goal is to create a musical experience that is so unapologetically positive and explosively energetic that as an audience member, your consciousness will be expanded, your horizons will grow, and your experience of the goodness of life itself will be enhanced.

And in our upcoming show in Boston, on Friday, April 6, we want to create a scene where people can experience the evolutionary impulse in action, together, through the transcendent medium of music.

And that’s pretty radical, because although musicians often know that this is exactly what they’re up to, being explicitly spiritual is often taboo in our culture. Few can speak about it openly, and in fact, jazz musicians are often the most up front about their interests in higher matters. Take, for example, Pharoah Sanders, John Coltrane, and more recently Dave Douglas and Ambrose Akinmusere—you’ll see that their reference to the sacred, to the infinite, to the divine, is quite explicit. And their music is anything but “new agey.”

This used to be more common in days past. Think of the music of J.S. Bach, whose music was often created to provide an experience of the transcendent for churchgoers. He wrote music that would transport listeners into higher states, into worshipful states, into states of deep meditation and contemplation. For more contemporary examples, look at Arvo Part’s later work, or Messaien. These are practices that have been accepted and deeply revered as one of the purposes of music—to transmit a higher state and a deeper truth about reality and about life.

And so, that is exactly what UD will be creating, albeit with a bit more funk and groove than Messaien. :) But in order to do that, we need people. We need people who will share that culture out at the edge together. We need willing hearts, interested ears, and an engaged audience. So please join us on Friday, April 6! Details are here.

And I’m also very excited to share with you that one of my favorite Integral musicians, Stuart Davis, will be performing in Cambridge the very next day (Saturday, April 7). Click here for tickets to his show. And enjoy the video of Davis below—he really creates a transcendent experience for the audience!

Categories:Events • Philosophy · Tags:···

March 22, 2012 at 3:10am

Creating New Worlds

by Steve Haase · → 3 Comments

The Boston Evolutionary Enlightenment and Integral Meetup group on Tuesday revealed new worlds. No really, it did. Boston Evolutionary Enlightenment Integral Meetup

Let me explain.

We started by watching a brilliant film about the philosophy of Martin Heidegger entitled Being in the World and discussed the film afterwards. As you can see from the trailer, it featured people who were masters at what they did… musicians, cooks, carpenters, athletes, and yes, philosophers.

But what struck me most was not the film’s focus on mastery, as spine-tingling as it was to listen to authentic Flamenco music or watch a perfectly turned wood shaving. What I found most moving about the film was Heidegger’s idea about world disclosure. And what that means about all of us.

The philosophers in the film reveal the simple fact that there was no world of jazz in the middle ages. There was no world of New Orleans creole cooking during the Roman empire. But now, there are people who are masters of those worlds… people who literally disclose new facets of those worlds as they interact with them.
The one essential ingredient for the new worlds to be disclosed? A community.

Why We Need Each Other

When people come together with a shared enthusiasm for the “world” at hand, and a level of experience and mastery born out of commitment and diligent practice, something new can emerge. It works that way in music, in sports, in business, in academics… really in any domain of human endeavor.

And what I was struck by in the Meetup last night was how that very thing was happening… in the world of culture itself.

In the group were people who have devoted much of their adult lives—anywhere from 5, 10, to 25 years—to diligent study and practice of enlightenment teachings and perspectives. Through the effort, sacrifice, and just plain hard work of people in that group, a higher space was made available to all. It enabled new understandings to emerge, and new experiences of being to arise within participants, and between them (us).

(Another incredibly compelling point from the film was the exploration of the evolution of being over time. But that is for another post!)

For now, I’ll leave it with the fact that, because the members of the EnlightenNext and Integral Meetups came together, guided by the enthusiasm, care, and mastery of its more senior members, something new opened up for us all. It’s subtle territory, but no less real than the more familiar areas of mastery explored by the film.

Categories:Events • Philosophy · Tags:··