Hello Paul,
Thank you for the prose and the rich imageries. The paragraph is beautiful in both its timeless truth and timely poignancy. We are indeed coming to a turning point of cycles. Here’s to hoping the new year will bring (re)new perspectives and, yes, clarity.
Pardon me for forgetting to provide the password. It’s simply the original planned date for the party: 20200202 Here is a direct link to the video: https://vimeo.com/660945400/e11206f23a The video is meant for a dance-off at the finale of the afterparty (as well as the companion video for letter 108). Bryan Ferry’s voice melts hearts and has been true to the same tune since day one; I choose his songs for obvious reasons. However, the way the tango routine seems specially choreographed for the song makes for a perfect testament to the magic we are all really living in. Even the flight of her dress as she is being swept off her feet is in on this invisible orchestra of song and dance. Somewhere in there must be a metaphor to life! Hope you and Bernadette enjoy them. Do wear headphones!
Regarding ON DIALOGUE I am very much looking forward to hearing Leroy Little Bear. He speaks with such simplicity and sincerity that the message cuts straight through to the core. It’s comforting to learn all of this cutting-edge science is nothing new and has been with us all along. We have only been asleep to it.
May I point to the work of Lynne McTaggart of The Intention Experiment? (her very interesting talk at the Conference for Consciousness & Human Evolution on the About page) Whilst not of the Bohmian vein per se, her experience in working with small (and large) groups offers practical and achievable application of the general principles discussed by Bohm. And like what Bohm and K tried to do in the latter years, the methodology aims to engage people to build, nurture and spread resonance - taking these concepts from out of the realm of the intellect to the physical world where people are able to engage mentally, emotionally and relationally.
On the news of the 2nd film, we are absolutely thrilled! Thank you for introducing Neil Feldman whose work I have not hitherto encountered. I am immediately taken by the man after hearing him speak on his life, the book and Vedanta spirituality. I must say I share his lament… What do we do with the time we have here before things get “erased”?
Reincarnation is a topic dear to our heart. Isabella and I have memories of the past; our life experiences - prior to meeting one another - mirror each other’s trajectories. Like many in the East, we have no doubt about the Wheel of Life; yet the question remains: what are we to do now to prepare ourselves for that time to cross the bridge? I do share Neil’s unease about the prospect of losing everything that makes us “us”. Only the strongest of beliefs will survive the Great Crossing - something that is etched deep into our being through and through, as the Oracle in Matrix puts it: balls to bones. From the mind to the heart and into every fibre of one’s makeup. It is in alignment of this belief that we live life so in death we may hold the reins of destiny and be in a position to consciously choose from the infinite possibilities within the quantum potential where to “locate” ourselves. (Forgive me for butchering Bohm’s science but in layman terms I am trying my best) When one person takes the journey, it’s an adventure. When two do; it is a date:-) A final promise to the love of my life.
I appreciate your taking the time to go through the materials - some of which she is yet to see. It is a thin veil to see past that the letters, the videos, the party and all this fanfare is an attempt at this. With some extra help from synchronicities and a bit of magic I hope to leave a memory that will resonate on and be that beacon to me and her next time around. She asked: How will you find me again? I had to give it my best shot.
Oppenheimer might have been on the wrong side of history but he is absolutely right in pointing out how lucky the present generations are. In time, history shall look back kindly on those who help bring light to these precious truths. We are grateful for your good self and others involved in these important projects. Do let us know if we can be of assistance on this noble cause. We have some experience translating Alan Watts’ words in KENSHO for a friend; if subtitling in Chinese is in your plans we are happy to volunteer.
Warmest of wishes in the holiday seasons from us to you and yours.
John
PS. Sam says hi. The boy is uncomfortable communicating in English; do forgive his curtness. When speaking in Chinese, he is usually much more verbose.
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Hello John,
Mainly I write to wish you and Isabella a very happy and deeply peaceful Christmas. And I must include Sam in this communication as he has written to me on your behalf.
Once again, we have reached that time of year when nature becomes still and a kind of eerie silence echoes across the night sky. The days are short, the nights are long. Stars shine brightly within an apparent vast sea of emptiness. Planet Earth is sleepy, the autumn leaves have fallen to winter’s nagging; bird song is slow, even absent; the winter landscape shows decay all around.
But we can all be assured that deep within the earth, far beneath the winter snows, lies the seed of untapped potential that with the sun's love will light our days once more.
Regarding the dialogue film, the film I am making as a companion film to Infinite Potential, is a film on Bohm's dialogic route to consciousness. It is simply titled "On Dialogue".
I want the film to look into the real heart and spirit of Bohm's unique approach and point up where the Bohmian approach differs from other offshoots or adaptations that were influenced by Bohm and still use his name.
I wanted to include DIALOGUE in Infinite Potential BUT abandoned the idea as it would have made that film very long and I could not find a visual motif for the film. Watching people in dialogue can be like watching paint dry - hard for bystanders or a general TV audience to know what is really going on....
Now that I have worked through the visuals I am excited and want to get back to dialogue. And I have a great line up of interviewees...
The interviewees include: Lee Nicol, Sally Jeffery, Peter Garrett, Anna Factor, Georg Wikman, Tayria Ward, Leroy Little Bear, Elisabeth Martini, Beth Macy and maybe some others.
The gender balance is perfect!
The film I expect will include sequences of indigenous peoples and ancient tribal cultures who were a huge influence on Bohm’s thinking in formulating his approach. Indigenous ancient dialogue circles, spiral galaxies and the structural similarities between the neuronal network in the human brain and the cosmic network of galaxies in the Universe, which represent two of the most complex systems in nature. This will provide much of the visual tapestry for this film. Also archive of Bohm himself.
In addition to the above, we are now in advanced pre-production on a new film of similar scale and breath to Infinite Potential titled To My Next Incarnation based on the book by Neil B. Feldman. This will start filming in early 2022 and will take an in-depth look at what the ancient mystical traditions of the east have known for millennia and how, in many respects, western science is just catching up. Many household names in Quantum Physics such as Erwin Schrödinger, Robert Oppenheimer, Werner Heisenberg, Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein looked to The Bhagavad Gita and more especially Vedanta for inspiration. For us in the west, quantum physics shook the very foundations of epistemology. But in spite of these new revelations, Vedanta was in a position to absorb the tremendous impact of this new [western] science. The film will point up how the ancient sciences and wisdom of the east absorbed the shock of quantum mechanics and relativity with the greatest of ease. We have some great interviewees including Swami Sarvapriyananda who follows in the footsteps of Vivekananda and who is an amazingly erudite and articulate teacher of Advaita Vedanta.
Erwin Schrödinger said: "The unity and continuity of Vedanta are reflected in the unity and continuity of wave mechanics. Quantum Mechanics is entirely consistent with the Vedanta concept that All is One". And Robert Oppenheimer stated: Access to the Vedas is the greatest privilege this century may claim over all the previous centuries. What we shall find [in modern physics] is an exemplification and a refinement of old wisdom"...
This new film will show how science and spirituality can and should “shake hands”.
Finally, I have digested all you related in your previous mail with interest.
The only point is that I could not open the link to the video you sent. It required a password. So unfortunately I can't comment nor indeed can my good wife Bernadette.
But your description regarding the movement, the flow and the connection between the dancers sounded very Bohmian
So John, Isabella {and Sam}, Happy Christmas to all and wishing you the very best that 2022 can bring to you.
May clarity shine on you [and me too!]
Best seasonal wishes,
Paul
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