Next conference: SAND 2010

BEYOND THE “I”… the end of the seeker

Many of us have been “seeking” for most of our adult life. We have gone through many practices, spiritual paths and teachers only to discover that our pain and suffering did not disappear or even diminish.

It seems agreed upon by spiritual masters of all traditions that the main reason for our suffering is the identification with the “I” and the way to dissipate this pain is to merge with what is beyond the “I”, to merge the looker with what is looked at. Science, on the other hand, can help us to understand how we construct and experience the “I”, as well as the states beyond it.

At the next conference we will explore what moves us towards nondual awareness through science, music, movement, talks, and more.

Some of the topics we will explore are:

- Observing and experiencing how the “I” arises (Neuroscience, Psychology)
- Looking at the Macro (Cosmology) and the Micro (Biology, Quantum Theory) to reframe the “I” and give a different perspective and bring it “beyond”
- The collapse of concepts, identifications and models (Experiential)
- Glimpses of nondual awareness, no-state states beyond words and ideas (Satsang, Poetry, Art, Music and more...)

The general format:
Fri/Sat and Sunday morning and early afternoon we'll have 2 semi-plenary sessions (250 seats each) and then about 2 hrs a day of Plenary sessions from 4;30 to 6:30 pm. At this stage we foresee many of these semi-plenary sessions being hosted by specific organizations like: NDWP, MAPS, IONS, Nonduality.com etc etc and the dialogue in each session will evolve on a topic we'll define in concert with them.
In the mornings, from 9 to 12:30, 3 smaller concurrent room will be running at the same time as the morning semi plenaries allowing more speakers to present their ideas and work.
Our objective is to design the program in a way that will allow you to choose a "specific path", a road, to follow from the morning to the evening. Our goal is to allow you to choose a more "scientifically" path or a more "experiential" path, a more "introductory" path or a more "advanced" one...
Movement modalities will be more integrated in the main program, poster sessions will be better featured and managed, evenings will be devoted to more participatory events. And yes... better coffee will be served!

Will we be able to accomplish these goals??? You'll tell us on October 26th... :-)

Count on our most sincere effort in providing you with the best possible SAND box and keep sending us your comments, suggestions, proposed speakers and opinions... we crave to hear your voices...

love, m