Living Deeply: The Art & Science of Transformation in Everyday LifeQuick Links: OverviewResearch shows that private spiritual practices contribute to health and healing. The book Living Deeply: The Art and Science of Transformation in Everyday Life, along with the DVD, Living Deeply: Transformational Practices from the Worlds Wisdom Traditions, are the fruits of a decade-long research program at the Institute of Noetic Sciences on the transformation of human consciousness. During the course of their investigation, IONS researches did in-depth interviews with nearly sixty world-renowned scholars, teachers, and practitioners of transformative practices ranging from priests, monks roshis, Sufis, and rabbis to dancers, artists and consciousness researchers. Patterns were sought—and found—that spanned diverse practices, traditions, cultures, and worldviews. This section explores some of the patterns that enhance our efforts to transform and highlights the practices and techniques of some of the spiritual practitioners examined during this research. The Book Living Deeply: The Art & Science of Transformation in Everyday Life By Tina Amorok, PsyD, Marilyn Mandala Schlitz, PhD, & Cassandra Vieten, PhD (New Harbinger Publications, 2007) Living Deeply transcends any one approach by focusing on common elements of transformation across a variety of traditions, while affirming and supporting the diversity of approaches across religious, spiritual, scientific, academic, and cultural backgrounds. Each chapter in the book ends with "Experiences of Transformation, " exercises drawn from wisdom traditions or scientific investigations meant to enhance your direct experience of the material. Opportunities to actively engage in your own transformation and that of our world are woven into the fabric of your everyday life. Learning more about the terrain of consciousness transformation can not only give you a map, but can help you become the cartographer of your own transformative journey. Research over the last decade at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) has systematically surveyed hundreds of people's stories of their own transformations, as well as conducting over 50 in-depth interviews with teachers and masters of the world's spiritual, religious, and transformative traditions. No matter who you are, where you come from, or what your current path is - whether you seek to transform your life completely or simply make adjustments that will add a layer of richness and depth to your life - exploring the many ways that transformation is stimulated and sustained can hold great power. Weaving together cutting-edge science with wisdom from teachers of the world's transformative traditions this book explores how people experience deep shifts in their consciousness, and how those shifts can lead to healing and wholeness. The DVD Living Deeply: Transformational Practices from the Worlds Wisdom Traditions by Tina Amorok, PsyD, Marilyn Mandala Schlitz, PhD, & Cassandra Vieten, PhD (Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc., 2008)
Living Deeply - DVD introduction
Living Deeply: Practices from the World's Transformative Traditions is a digital video disc, co-produced with the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), containing nine experiential practices guided by master teachers of transformative traditions including Catholicism, Religious Science, Buddhism, Himalayan Yoga, Cross-Cultural Shamanism, Sufism, Expressive Arts, Kabbalism, and African Yoruban Spirituality. This unique and compelling video, appropriate for both individual and group use, offers a unique glimpse into diverse spiritual practices that you might not otherwise encounter. Useful as a tool for your own personal transformation, as well as an educational tool to introduce you and others to spiritual practices different from your own, this DVD provides a powerful opportunity to bring these practices down from the mountaintop, out of the temple, and into your hands. A companion to the book Living Deeply: The Art and Science of Transformation in Everyday Life, this DVD allows for a deeply personal exploration of the transformative realms of experience. The DVD includes:
The Research ResultsDownload a helpful Useful Definitions PDF Transformative experience refers to an experience that results in a lasting change in worldview, as opposed to an extreme, extraordinary, peak, or spiritual experience that doesn’t necessarily translate into long-term changes in your way of being. (page 20) Most practitioners interviewed during the Living Deeply study viewed transformation as an ongoing process. For example, integral philosopher Michael Murphy stated that transformation an be “incremental and practically invisible, or completely invisible.” Anthropologist Angeles Arrien warned that transformation can often be a subtle process. (page 61). Here are some of the other research results from the Living Deeply project: Consciousness itself does not change: Most experts interviewed during the Living Deeply study stated that consciousness itself doesn’t change during a transformative experience. Instead it is your perception of consciousness that changes. Who you are ‘authentically” doesn’t change—rather, as false selves are shed and buried elements of yourself are retrieved and integrated, your expression of your self aligns with who you truly are. Many types of transformation: There are many, many types of consciousness transformation. Some are sudden, seeming to occur in an instant, and some are gradual—like water wearing away wearing away stone over many years. Some occur in very ordinary circumstances, while others are sparked by extraordinary moments. Some occur in ordinary states, some in non-ordinary states of consciousness. Many transformations: Consciousness transformations appear in every religious and spiritual tradition, and in the lives of many who do not identify themselves as spiritual or religious at all. Many transformations triggered by suffering: One of the most robust findings of the Living Deeply research is that profound transformations are frequently triggered by intense suffering or crisis. Difficult or painful life events often create new levels of openness or vulnerability, thus setting the stage for a shift in worldview. A brush with death, the loss of a loved one, a mental or emotional breakdown, an injury, loss of a job—such painful challenges can shatter defenses that have taken us a lifetime to build. Whether it’s the difficulty of realizing that something isn’t working in your life, or the suffering you experience when painful challenges cross your path, the Living Deeply research participants identified pain as far and away the most common catalyst for change. (page 34) The ScienceLiving Deeply contains evidence from a diverse array of fields—from cognitive neuroscience to physics to psychoneuroimmunology to social psychology. Here are some of the scientific references from the book
Words of WisdomHere are some words of wisdom from some of the wisdom teachers interviews during the Living Deeply project:
Experiential Practices For Living DeeplyLiving Deeply draws from the direct wisdom from a broad cross-section of religious, spiritual, and transformative practices, as shared by some of the leading voices in the transformative movement. The Labyrinth Practice
During the medieval period, labyrinths were placed on the floors of many of the great European cathedrals. The most famous medieval labyrinth in existence today is at Chartres Cathedral in France. The pattern, pictured here, of this labyrinth is the inspiration for many modern labyrinths made in a contemporary medieval design. MORE ON THE LABYRINTH PRACTICE Practices for Grateful LivingOne of the transformation leaders interviewed during the Living Deeply project was Brother David Steindl-Rast, Ph.D., a Benedictine monk, author, and teacher. He currently serves on the board of directors for the worldwide Network for Grateful Living, a web community that features several Practices for Grateful Living The First Step—Surprise Brother David Steindl-Rast stresses the importance of gratitude in your life. He recognizes, however, that at first being grateful can be a difficult emotion to cultivate. The first step is cultivating a sense of gratefulness, according to Brother Steindl-Rast is to cultivate your sense of surprise. He states: Have you ever been surprised at anything? It’s nice to be surprised. Allow yourself to be surprised at whatever. When you open your eyes in the morning, allow yourself to be surprised that there is anything rather than nothing. How come there is anything? Finding meaning starts with surprise. When you start being surprised you begin to be grateful for the things you had taken for granted. So surprise would be the first baby step. The Practices for Grateful Living section begins with these words: Everyone knows what it means to be grateful...or do we? There's a certain kind of knowing that comes only from doing. Through these practice sessions you will deepen your understanding of gratefulness and, better yet, send it out in ripples, transforming our world. Here is one of the practices from this website: MORE ON GRATEFUL LIVING PRACTICE Audio Clips From Wisdom Tradition Leaders Living Deeply Practices are short experiential audios guided by leaders from a range of wisdom traditions. These audio presentations and many more can be found at the IONS website.  Rabbi Jonathan Omer-Man
 Shaykh Yassir Chadly
Exercises from the Living Deeply BookHere are two of exercises from the book Living Deeply. Exercises like these appear at the end of each chapter of Living Deeply. Experiencing Transformation: Integration The following is an in-depth journaling exercises. You’ll need a quiet place, some uninterrupted time, a notebook, pen, and something to sketch with. The questions were drawn from a study done by psychologists Dacher Keltner and Adam Cohen in their lab at UC Berkeley as part of their research on experiences of awe and wonder (2003). Inquiring deeply into your own transformative experience can not only allow you to honor these experiences, but also to see patterns, retrieve elements that have been lost in translation, and integrate realizations from these experiences more fully. Like dreams, these experiences often have layers that are only revealed when revisited. Think about a transformative experience I your life, one that has had a profound impact on you. It may be of the spiritual or religious variety. It may have been response to something in nature. Or it may have resulted from relationships with other people, art, music, or many other things. The very first experience that comes to your mind is probably one that is asking to be explored in greater depth. Answer the following questions:
MORE ON THE INTEGRATION EXERCISE Experiencing Transformation: The Inner Workings of Practice Review the practices you’ve engaged in that you’ve found to be personally transformative. Whether it’s a formal spiritual practice of prayer or meditation, a body-oriented practice such as yoga, tai chi, qi gong, or martial arts, or a les formal practice like running, dance, singing, gardening, sailing or surfing, how does your practice work for you? Get some paper and a writing utensil. Write the name of your practice on one side of the page, maybe 15 or 20 times. (If you don’t have a regular practice, choose something that you enjoy doing that gives you peace.) Then, starting at the top, for each line complete a sentence about what this practice brings into your life. For example: Walking the labyrinth makes me feel peaceful. Walking the labyrinth is something boring. MORE ON INNER WORKINGS EXERCISE Take-Home MessagesThese are from page 211 of the Living Deeply book:
An Invitation to Share Your KnowledgeWe at the Institute for Spirituality & Wellness want our web pages to reflect the best practices used by communities of faith. We invite you to share practices and techniques that you are successfully using for dealing with transformation. We also invite you to send us your suggestions for improving and expanding these web pages. Please contact Mary Montgomery at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . ResourcesLiving Deeply: The Art and Science of Transformation in Everyday Life by Tina Amorok, PsyD, Marilyn Mandala Schlitz, PhD, and Cassandra Vieten, PhD (Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc., 2007). Living Deeply: Transformational Practices from the Worlds Wisdom Traditions, DVD, by Tina Amorok, PsyD, Marilyn Mandala Schlitz, PhD, and Cassandra Vieten, PhD (Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc., 2008). Institute for Noetic Science (IONS): The Institute of Noetic Sciences, founded in 1973 by Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research, education, and membership organization whose mission is supporting individual and collective transformation through consciousness research, educational outreach, and engaging a global learning community in the realization of our human potential. Yassir Chadly website Lauren Artress website: Much of the future of the West depends on whether Christianity can rediscover its mystical core. In this rediscovery, Lauren Artress’s pioneering work using the labyrinth as a tool for self-alignment will be crucial. Artress brings to her work a marvelous no-nonsense vigor and real exultation. Lessons 4 Living: Directions for walking the labyrinth. The site also contains a wealth of other information on labyrinths. Find a Labyrinth in Illinois or Iowa: The website for the Relax4Life Center in Barrington, IL, contains a list of public labyrinths in Illinois and Iowa. Veriditas! Experience the Wisdom of the Labyrinth: The vision of Veriditas is to activate and facilitate the transformation of the human spirit. The work of Veriditas centers around the Labyrinth Experience as a personal practice for healing and growth, a tool for community building, an agent for global peace and a metaphor for life. The World-Wide Labyrinth Locator: The World-Wide Labyrinth Locator has been designed to be an easy-to-use database of labyrinths around the world. Information about labyrinths you can visit, including their locations, pictures, and contact details, are accessible here, along with information about the many types of labyrinths found worldwide. First Congregational United Church of Christ, Santa Rosa, CA: David Parks-Ramage, United Church of Christ Minister and Zen Practitioner, is the pastor of this church. Network for Grateful Living: Wisdom teacher Brother David Steindl-Rast is on the board of directors of this organization. Their website features several Practices for Grateful Living. |
Lauren Artress, an Episcopal priest and psychotherapist who serves as the canon at San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral states that two levels of sudden transformation an be experienced by walking the labyrinth.