Conference Papers
The following papers have been presented at conferences organized by the Program for the Evolution of Spirituality since its inaugural conference in 2022.
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202 results 1 filter applied
2025
How do musical arts and performances ways express the sacred or become sacred in themselves in a postcolonial African Pentecostal context? What might it mean to explore the gospel adaption of popular music genres like highlife music and African folksongs...
This paper will explore connections between how scientists write about the current state of the climate crisis and environment-themed esotericism. Both climate researchers and esoteric practitioners run up against the limits of “reading” or “knowing” a...
Modern Earth-based spiritual paths encourage direct encounters with the natural world. However, many people live in significantly altered and damaged landscapes. Can a sense of the Divine still be found in such places? In this paper I explore a case study...
Performance: "A Soul's Journey" is a hybrid esoteric performance that blends classical, theatrical, and experimental music with poetic storytelling to explore the colonization of the soul and the emergence of a New World. Filmed in sacred spaces, this...
Aboriginal Australian Dreaming sagas that describe the pathways of ancestral beings who moved through and created the Australian landscape. Aboriginals recreate these ancestral wanderings when they performatively commemorate their ancestors. Since the...
The Beatles 1968 retreat in an ashram on the banks of the Ganges was a watershed moment in the transmission of Eastern spirituality to the West. With the help of images and selected songs, this presentation will describe the circumstances that brought the...
Workshop: In this presentation and interactive workshop, will explore the intersections of sound, resonance, spirituality and embodiment in a participative sound bath using Deep Listening (Pauline Oliveros) and individual and communal voice activation. We...
Workshop: This workshop applies training methods of laboratory theatres to create forms, gestures, and questions for practices of worship. Focused on the value(s) of “not knowing”, this process uses a research-creation methodology to experiment with non...
Artist Talk: When depictions of the sacred seldom mirror our own image, how do we come to recognize ourselves in the divine? This poetic, participatory workshop explores the impact of colonized religious imagery on Black spiritual identity—and offers...
In her book The Touch of Transcendence: A Postcolonial Theology of God, Mayra Rivera critiques traditional notions of transcendence that position it as separate from the material world, often perpetuating patriarchal and imperialistic ideas of the Divine...
Performance: Ancestral Heartbeat is an immersive, multisensory installation that breathes life into Mexican oral traditions through the voices of esteemed elders, inspiring new generations to cherish ancestral wisdom. This spiritual journey merges culture...
Discover the transformative power of Playback Theatre in making sense of spiritual experiences. This interactive workshop offers a safe, creative space to share and reflect on moments of transcendence, connection, or insight. Guided by a director, your...