I am not Enlightened... We Are!!

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Notes on slide 1

Hacienda is a legendary dance club in Manchester. The movie 24-hour party people was made about this club,

Like many of us I witnessed the world trade centers collapse on 9/11. My career was also in turmoil. Being an Enterprise Architect trained in Java and WebSphere was not going to enable me to build the epic software that I dreamed of. On top of this, it was my wedding anniversary and I knew my marriage was falling apart – I was married 9/11 two year earlier.

As if often the case when your world falls apart, I turned to spirituality. To be wise, to free of suffering . I became fascinated with the question “What is Enlightenment?” and that is why I want to talk about it tonight. I am however, not going to talk about spirituality tonight…

Descartes 1596 – 11 February 1650 In his Discourse on the Method, he attempts to arrive at a fundamental set of principles that one can know as true without any doubt Newton’s Principia Mathematica 1687, 1713, 1726 These principles were available for all people to discover, allowed people to pursue their own aims fruitfully in this life, not the next, and to perfect themselves with their own rational powers. Immanuel Kant 1782 essay What Is Enlightenment? Critique of pure reason freedom to use one's own intelligence Kant’s motto for enlightenment is Sapere aude! or "Dare to know.”

Classical Physics Only by knowing the parts could you know the whole New Physics Paints a picture of the unified whole Quantum physics erases the distinction between subject and observer No isolated observers of a mechanical universe, everything participates. If a basket ball represents the nucleus of a hydrogen atom The electron circling it would be about 20 miles away And in between … empty space

Descarte separated the subject and the object, Quantum physics erases the distinction– ask Schrödinger's cat! We now know that we are not isolated observers of a mechanical universe, everything participates. There is only reasonable rationale response to this … What the *&%^! “ Those who are not shocked when they first come across quantum theory cannot possibly have understood it” Niels Bohr – 1922 Nobel Prize winner on the structure of the atom. Classical Physics Only by knowing the parts could you know the whole New Physics Paints a picture of the unified whole Quantum physics erases the distinction between subject and observer No isolated observers of a mechanical universe, everything participates. If a basket ball represents the nucleus of a hydrogen atom The electron circling it would be about 20 miles away And in between … empty space

Buddha’s back – these guys were on to something. We have just seen form is mostly emptiness, As for emptiness is form – that is another mind &*%$ and another talk! Ask me at the break.

Hold up your hand to provide a simple model of the brain. Wrist – Spinal Column Palm – Brain Stem Controls basic processes, bodily functions, like heart-beat and breathing Developed by birth Aka Reptilian brain Thumb – Limbic areas Attachments to caregivers, emotions, hormones Developed when reptiles evolved into mammals Fingers – Cortex Shaped by experience. Neuro plasticity, it can change. Back of the Cortex - Perception of the outside world Front of the Cortex – Social Brain, developed, as we became more social animals

The intention of a monkey eating a peanut triggered the same intentional circuits in another monkey. Mirror Neurons discovered in the pre-motor cortex. This led to a radical shift in our understanding and demonstrated the profoundly social nature of our brains

Earlier this month I saw a lecture by Dan, Harvard MD and neuro biologist, speaking with Jack, PHD in clinical psychology and a trained Buddhist Monk. Now, let’s look at the mid pre-frontal cortex. Notice that the middle two fingers touches everything in the brain. This is the hub of the social brain and where mind connects with body and mind connects other minds. Now Jack’s here because it turns out that mindful awareness practice, e.g. breath awareness meditation promotes these connections and these are the key to well-being.

I know I’m not enlightened. I’ve been meditating for 7 years and although I have become aware of awareness, I’ve never experienced nirvana on the cushion, But that’s okay I’m happy to report that Enlightenment is not about me. It is happening as I hope I have shown. Although not on the cushion, I have experienced it directly…

Feeling connected to the DJs and the Dancers at the hub of a legendary creative happening!

Filled with hope and a feeling one with the crowd, the city and the world at this epic historical moment.

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I am not Enlightened... We Are!! - Presentation Transcript

I am not Enlightened …but We are!
- Paul Caswell
- WeaveThePeople.com
- @paulcaswell
I am Paul Caswell
- Born 43 years ago in England
- Started writing code 30 years ago
- Danced at the Haçienda 20 years ago
- Moved to Chicago 14 years ago
- Founded WeaveThePeople 5 years ago
- Wants to talk about Enlightenment tonight
- And I am Not Enlightened
- Why am I talking about about this then ?
What is Enlightenment?
- Enlightenment
- Wisdom of Emptiness
Satori The End of Suffering aka Nirvana
What is Enlightenment?
- Philosophy
- Quantum Physics
- Neurobiology
The Age of Enlightenment
- René Descartes
- What can one know as true without any doubt
1600s 1700s
- Isaac Newton
- Use our own rational powers to achieve perfection (in this life!)
- Immanuel Kant
- 1782 - “What is Enlightenment”
- Freedom to use one’s own intelligence
1800s Dare To Know
The Age of Quantum Physics 1800s 1900s Now Subject & Object Deterministic & Mechanical
1800s 1900s Now
Form is Emptiness Emptiness is Form
The Mindful Brain
- Dan
- Siegel
- Harvard MD
Mirror Neurons
Mindfullness
- Dan
- Siegel
Jack Kornfield
So What Do I Really Know?
Thank You Paul Caswell WeaveThePeople.com @paulcaswell Dare To Know Know We Cannot Know Experience Directly … We are Enlightened!