Inner Life, Talks and Thoughts

For the 100th episode of The Sheldrake-Vernon Dialogues, Rupert Sheldrake and Mark Vernon considered the role of harmony, wholeness and hope in the modern world. The event was held in-person as well as streamed online.

The evening took as its inspiration the work of King Charles, who can be called a philosopher king. It follows the February 6 release on Amazon Prime of the documentary “Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision”. But what is this philosophy?

Rupert and Mark explore new ways that are old of looking at the world, aided by science, poetry, and perennial wisdom traditions. How is diversity transformed by awareness of unity? How might the unfolding of life aid transformation? Spirit, imagination and intelligence much matter.

The conversation was held in the Parish Church of St John-at-Hampstead.

For more of Mark and Rupert's conversations see - https://www.markvernon.com/talks

Christianity doesn’t do well with erotic love. The unease stems, in part, from the fact that the word “eros” doesn’t appear in the New Testament. The lacuna means that points of reference for discussions about sex are typically inadequate and thin. Command stands in for clear thinking.

Then, there is Saint Paul’s remark: “marry if you must” (1 Cor 7:8-9). His ambivalence has resulted in sexual relationships being hidden in marriage, hoping that there, they do less harm than good. Lady Hillingdon’s remark comes to mind, to lie back and think of England - the wit glossing oceans of suffering.

That said, there are remarkable exceptions to the handwashing, of which, in the Christian West, the shining example is The Divine Comedy. Dante’s understanding of the way romantic love can initiate a path to God is fearless, instructive and, because intrepid, transformative. We need it now for, as William Blake observed, “Our wars are wars of life & wounds of love.”

For more on Mark and his book about Dante's Divine Comedy - www.markvernon.com

Saints, bodhisattvas and genii locorum, or spirits of place, are the names in various wisdom traditions given to guardian beings who protect, assist and inspire. So what does it mean to call on these sacred beings? 
In this episode of the Sheldrake-Vernon Dialogues, Rupert Sheldrake and Mark Vernon discuss the role of patron saints who are associated with churches and shrines, days and names. 
What powers might figures from Saint Mary to Saint Nicolas bring to us? How do we call upon them and how is their presence understood? Rupert and Mark explore the ways in which saints connect heaven and earth in individual lives, particular places and at various times of the year.
ANNOUNCEMENT
The next episode of The Sheldrake-Vernon Dialogues will be the 100th!
In celebration, Rupert and Mark will talk with an in-person audience that people will also be available to join via live streaming.
We will meet in the Parish Church of St John, Hampstead, on Sunday 15th February. The dialogue itself will start at 6.15pm and you are warmly invited to attend Choral Evensong at 5pm before. 
DETAILS OF TICKETS - https://buytickets.at/thesheldrakevernondialogues/2010539
Rupert and Mark will consider the role of harmony, wholeness and hope in the modern world. Themselves inspired by the book, Harmony, co-authored by King Charles, they will inquire into new ways that are old of participating with the living cosmos, aided by science, poetry, and perennial wisdom traditions. 
How is diversity transformed by awareness of unity? How might the unfolding of life aid transformation? Spirit, imagination and intelligence much matter.

In this conversation, psychotherapist and writer Dr Mark Vernon is joined by philosopher Dr Robert Rowland Smith to explore the imaginative world of J.R.R. Tolkien and the often-overlooked influence of Owen Barfield - friend of C.S. Lewis and another Inkling.

What is the meaning of religious experience? What do spiritual questers from the West find in India? Just what happened to Ramana Maharshi and others who are said to have awakened? And how does this fit with Christian teaching and belief?

I talk with Clare Carlisle who has recently published a book the mixes the personal and the philosophical. Transcendence for Beginners raises many questions that press for those draw to explore the nature of reality and the presence of the divine. 

We talk about why Carl Jung didn’t visit Ramana Maharshi when he visited India. We ask whether the doctrine of the unique incarnation of Jesus can be reconciled with the Indian intuition that there are many incarnations of God. We explore how these things can be written about and taught, if at all. We ask about the significance of miracles and signs - and the risks of pursuing certain types of spiritual, ecstatic experience.

For more information about Transcendence for Beginners - https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=clare+carlisle+trasnedence+for+beginnings&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

For more information about Clare Carlisle - https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/clare-carlisle

For more on Mark's work - https://www.markvernon.com