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DETAILS and REGISTRATION
Thursday Evening | FEB 16 |
7pm – 9pm

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

CIIS Public Programs
CIIS Main Building
1453 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
415 575 6175

$18 or $14

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
FOR THE LECTURE

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THE ENNEAGRAM OF NON-DUALITY
Thursday, February 16, 2012 | 7 – 9pm

It seems entirely natural to observe the patterns of our mind and hear the self-reports of people who see the world differently. Yet that simple turn of attention that self-reflection requires marks a giant step in the evolution of consciousness.

The first turn of attention lets us witness our conditioned personality structure. We can recognize our thoughts as they occur and describe them to others. We know the emotion we are having at the time that it takes place. Self-reflection is the cornerstone of understanding ourselves and our relationships. Self-reflection led you to your Enneagram type.

In the vocabulary of neuroscience -- self-refection joins two different levels of consciousness. The conditioned level of patterns rooted in the neuropathways of our brain -- and the pure consciousness of an Inner Observer.

The Observer's presence is deftly wired into self-reflection and is easily overlooked. We pay attention to recurring patterns passing through our minds: thought, emotion, sensation -- "objects of attention," that are structured according to type. But the pure consciousness that notes those patterns as they appear makes meditation possible. The Enneagram map of psychological obstacles to spiritual states was derived from direct reports of 4th Century monks who described nine patterns of cognitive/emotional resistance "that assail the mind during practice."

This lecture offers teaching, readings from the 4th Century Desert Tradition that codified the map, and three levels of practice about the Inner Observer's role on the path to Non-duality. What starts out as a simple inward turn of attention to relax psychological suffering can develop with practice, to become a spiritual faculty of intuition that knows by reflecting reality as it actually is.

- The Observing state is dispassionate – without opinion or bias.
-- It requires stability of consciousness in the present moment.
-- It is purely reflective and never gets wired into the type structure.
-- It is permanently present whenever cognitive/emotional barriers recede.

Please expect short didactics that are explicated by rounds of practice. There will be handouts on the nine type barriers to practice.

NINE WEEK PANEL SERIES AT CIIS
Helen's also teaching a nine-week panel series at CIIS on the topic of type resistance to spiritual states, which begins the following Thursday, Feb. 23, from 7pm – 9pm called, "THE IMPACT OF TYPE ON SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE," with Sharon Berbower. Also open to the public. Click here for more information or to register.

A panel series on the topic of type resistance to spiritual states begins the following Thursday, Feb. 23, at CIIS. For more information, visit CIIS online.

Helen Palmer, MA is a best-selling author whose teachings unite psychology and intuition. With books in 30 languages, she co-founded a worldwide teaching network with David Daniels M.D. of Stanford University. Their school for Narrative Tradition studies has reached many thousands in many countries during its 22-year history, with programs that focus on self-inquiry, contemplation, and compassion for others through the natural ease of direct conversation. Their work is documented in a PBS special, "Breaking Out of the Box: Discovering the Enneagram." For more information, about Helen's work and current projects, visit: www.enneagram.com, and www.enneagramworldwide.com