Author: findcenter

The term “religious experience,” or sometimes “mystical experience,” is used to describe a transcendent event that transforms the person who has the experience, often in a way that leads to a strong sense of connection and/or oneness with the universe and/or God. The capacity for undergoing a religious experience is not limited by one’s spiritual… Continue reading An Introduction to Religious Experience

The term “neoshamanism,” or “new shamanism,” refers to just that—newer forms of shamanism that have been adapted from traditional indigenous practices in order to meet the needs of the modern world. The studies of famous twentieth-century anthropologists including Mircea Eliade, Carlos Castaneda, and Michael Harner popularized the idea of seeking spiritual wisdom from indigenous sources,… Continue reading An Introduction to Neoshamanism

“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” —Eleanor Roosevelt Many… Continue reading 7 Ways of Unpacking Fears of Leaving a Job and Striking Out on Your Own

Most of us have heard that meditation is a good practice to start, with many different benefits to both physical and mental health. Nowadays, there are so many different kinds of meditation out there that it can seem overwhelming to consider which one to choose. In this article, we’ll break down one of the most… Continue reading An Introduction to Lovingkindness Meditation

How did we get here? Where are we going? How will we get there? As individuals and on the societal level, these questions are at the heart of the human condition. The answers can provide a road map for how we live our lives.  What is the origin of consciousness?  Consciousness is the awareness of… Continue reading An Introduction to Conscious Evolution

Reflecting on the concept of wholeness is a helpful practice for assessing where we are in our lives, as well as where we have been, where we want to be, and what steps we need to take to get there.  Before we can do this, however, it helps to know what wholeness means. In the… Continue reading An Introduction to Wholeness

What is the Diamond Approach? The Diamond Approach is a spiritual path oriented to realizing and actualizing our true nature; its teachings were developed in California starting in the 1970s. Though not intended as a psychotherapy, the Diamond Approach uses psychological tools and meditation practices to further this spiritual work. Drawing from sources such as… Continue reading An Introduction to the Diamond Approach

In any adventure there are obstacles of all kinds. Each one needs to be confronted. Here are the eight I observe most frequently in teaching meditation.  1. Sitting in the Wrong Posture  The cross-legged pose has nothing to do with meditation. It’s just the way people in Asia sit. It is possible that it’s a… Continue reading 8 Common Obstacles to Meditation

The idea of speaking your truth can be terrifying, but why? At least part of the answer to that penetrating question lies in the fact that authenticity and vulnerability are inexorably intertwined. “The most important things are the hardest to say,” the prolific American author Stephen King wrote in his 1982 book Different Seasons, a… Continue reading An Introduction to Speaking Your Truth

The first time I laid eyes on my second husband, Craig, I knew I was in for a wild ride. He stood over six feet tall, and was blonde and athletic. When I got past his good looks, he was the most charming yet genuine person I’d encountered in years—traits that are too rare in… Continue reading Is Love Really Sweeter the Second Time Around?