Spiritual Healing through Art: To Reflect, Replenish and Restore

Rituparna Das completed a PhD program in English with specialization in South Asian Film and Literature and Postcolonial Studies under the University of Calcutta and has 13+ years of experience in teaching English language, literature and communication skill to students of Management and technical background. She has delivered invited lectures and paper in various universities in India and abroad, such as university of Graz, Austria, Cambridge University, Montreal University, Timisoara University. After a spiritual awakening in 2022, she has shifted to mission-oriented writing and teaching programs aiming at imparting hope, love and the message of peace to the world. 

Muhammad Rhaka Katresna is a dedicated student at the Center for Religious and Cross-Cultural Studies at Gadjah Mada University, where he focuses on culturally informed policy advocacy through the arts. As an autistic individual of Sundanese descent, he offers a unique perspective in his pursuit of justice, peace, and equity. Additionally, Rhaka serves on the Regional Executive Body of the ASEAN Youth Forum, where he actively monitors and advises on inclusivity within the organization and its programs. His commitment to promoting sustainable and creative youth advocacy efforts across the ASEAN region underscores his analytical approach to addressing societal issues, ensuring that diverse voices are represented in the dialogue for a more equitable future.

Prapti Alpandi is a multidisciplinary artist, founder of Daundala Awicarita. Prapti graduated from bachelor’s degree in biology education which introduced her to leaf veins/skeletons. In 2016, she started Daundala Awicarita workshops, and she joined Sekolah Salah Didik (School of Improper Education), which was initiated by KUNCI Study Forum & Collective (formerly known as KUNCI Cultural Studies Center) in Yogyakarta. Her interest in personal transformation brought her to get involved in various researches and works with themes of identity, diversity, environment, and collectivity. Introduction: This presentation explores the intersection of art, activism, and healing to address the question: "How can we drive home the necessity of healing the planet and individuals?" Drawing from an ongoing art project, we demonstrate how creative expression can transform personal and collective frustration into actionable insights.

Johannes Zinzendorf cofounded the Hermitage, a Harmonist spiritual center, in central Pennsylvania in 1988 with Zephram de Colebi. A core belief that we are one in the spirit and the earth is our family has developed into a mission to nurture and sustain the ever-creating earth spirit. The men have created a hymnal of more than 100 hymns to express aspects of their spirituality. The men have written about the Hermitage and Harmonist beliefs for several publications, including Communities magazine. They have given presentations individually or together at conferences of the Communal Studies Association and the International Communal Studies Association, as well as a conference on evolutionary spirituality sponsored by Harvard Divinity School. Zinzendorf is the author of three published works of fiction: Zazee, le Chat de Paris [about a 2,000 year-old cat]; Pictures from an Exhibition [short stories based on paintings by de Colebi], and The Boy Who Healed Death [a phantasmagorical odyssey into the heart of darkness, and illustrated by de Colebi]. An interest in home crafts led to an emphasis in eighteenth-century flax-to-linen production as demonstrated at hundreds of schools, historic sites and folk festivals through the American Mid-Atlantic states, and that culminated in the publication of The Big Book of Flax (Schiffer, 2011).

Sarnath Ramnath is interested in bringing greater social awareness to the urgent need for humans to develop a wholistic view of creation. He believes that ignoring the need for inner balance in negotiating the ordinary situations has led us into this, and a rediscovery of the yogic perspective will move us in the right direction. He holds a PhD in Computer Science and has specialized in bringing wholistic innovations into Computer Science pedagogy and curriculum. He has authored several research papers and a test book in Computer Science. He is also interested in the models and theories about the universe, theoretical issues in computer science, exploring the human condition, Indian classical music, communing with nature and cryptic crosswords.

Imani Joye Samuels is a spiritual thought leader rooted in a Christian birthfaith nurtured in the Black Presbyterian church. Today, she deepens her practice at Howard University’s Andrew Rankin Chapel as a “Friend of the Chapel.” As founder of HURU, Imani envisions a world where rest is accessible to all, championing stillness as a path to peace. Her creation of The Serenity Act calls on leaders to mandate paid mental health leave. Drawing on global experience, graduate studies at Howard and Teachers College, Columbia University, and time in Stellenbosch, South Africa, Imani guides individuals and organizations to embrace rest as a transformative force for well-being and collective flourishing.