Program Abstracts T eir work is very relevant to the question of whether language can do justice to Non-Dual awareness, while


off ering a beautiful bridge between Science and Non-Duality from the subjective perspective. We propose a simple and systemic model of higher states of consciousness, as a way of understanding the range of such experience, not only in the fi eld of literature, but wherever such experiences arise. During the presentation, we will explore some of the raw experience of creative writers from their correspondence and theoretical writings, link it to their creative writings and consider how their work infl uences the consciousness of the reader.


What Exists?, Dr. Stanley Sobottka (Emeritus Professor of Physics) George Berkeley wrote, “To be is to be perceived”. However, science requires confi rmation of an observation for


an object to exist objectively. If I observe it, communicate my observation to you, and you verify it, the object exists for us. If you cannot confi rm it, the existence of the object is undefi ned for us. T is defi nition of existence requires observation, communication, and verifi cation. Examples of things that are said to exist if we are observing them are a table, the moon, and the universe. If we are not observing them, their existence is undefi ned, except by agreement. Some things are thought to exist even if they cannot be observed directly. Strings are unobservable quantum ob-


jects that are studied instead of point particles by theorists in order to avoid the infi nities that are present in particle theory. Some theories of the early universe hypothesize the existence of unobservable universes that are discon- nected from this universe. According to the above defi nition of objective existence, neither strings nor these other universes exist. Physicists are well aware of this diffi culty so why are they being studied? In order for them to exist objectively, the defi nition of objective existence is expanded to include forms of evidence that are more subtle than direct observation. T ese include economy of concepts (Occam’s razor), theoretical elegance, and our intuitive sense. Strings and other universes are thought to exist because theories of them are more economical and elegant than theories that do not. T e same is true for a table, the moon, and this universe when they are unobserved. Beliefs are a form of evidence for existence. T ey aff ect how we feel and behave as much as our health does. Some knowledge does not depend on observation or belief. My knowledge that I exist is independent of both.


Learning Integrity, Kenneth D. Johnson (Founder, T isSacredSpace.org) My entire life demanded that my left hand never knew what my right hand was doing. T ere was a split in my allegiance to myself. Success could never come from such a sorry state of mental aff airs. Where was the Oneness that the enlightened speak of? T en not too long ago, I had a realization after another defeat in trying to get something for nothing. “Where is your integrity and allegiance to your spiritual experience? T is question haunted me and gave me


no room for escape. T e meaning was clear for me to fi rst and foremost start being honest with myself. Let the right hand know what the left hand is doing and vice versa. Upon having this insight things, started to shift in my consciousness. “I could let this thought go.” I can give up these old negative habits. My mind relaxed, my entire body let go of its tension. T e energy pulsed through. Happiness fl owed like a river. T is is living in integrity to me. And in this practice I can see movement to the center, my real true self, calling


me back to what I call Oneness. It is increasingly clear, that we can start where we are in any an all situations and fi nd our way home to Spaciousness.


Nietzsche and Nonduality: T e Seeker’s Path, Keith Turausky <bickbyro@gmail.com> Perhaps because he objected to Buddhism nearly as much as to Christianity, Friedrich Nietzsche’s name isn’t often invoked in contexts of nonduality and spiritual enlightenment. Yet one of Nietzsche’s more notable attacks on Buddhism comes in a clearly nondual form, as he declares himself to be “beyond good and evil and no longer, like the Buddha… under the spell and delusion of morality.” What’s more, Nietzsche’s account of the universe as literally made of the (frequently misunderstood) “will to power” describes a “world of the eternally self-creating, the eternally self-destroying… without goal, unless the joy of the circle itself is a goal; without will, unless a ring feels good will toward itself.” Much about this cyclic, paradoxical imagery should resonate with students of nonduality, regard- less of whether Nietzsche’s critique of Buddhism is ultimately fair or accurate. I present herein a reconsideration of Nietzsche’s moral and metaphysical thought as a vital contribution to the nondualist dialog and tradition. In light of SAND 2010’s “end of the seeker” theme, I will further explore Nietzsche’s (equally misunderstood) Übermensch: “the ideal of the most high-spirited, alive, and world-affi rming human being who has not only come to terms and learned to get along with whatever was and is, but who wants to have what was and is repeated into all eternity.” As conceived by Nietzsche, the Übermensch stands in contrast to the bodhisattva, suggesting that rather than “seeking to silence the seeker” (e.g., via “enlightenment”), a better answer would be to embrace the seeker—to welcome the fl eetingness and fl ux in the world and in ourselves.


50 SCIENCE AND NONDUALITY CONFERENCE 2010 | OCTOBER 20–24, 2010


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