James O'Dea
James O'Dea is the President of the Institute of Noetic Sciences which conducts and sponsors research into the potentials and powers of consciousness, including perceptions, beliefs, attention, intention, and intuition, and is committed to educating the general public about this research. The Institute is dedicated to scientific rigor, open-minded approaches, diversity of perspectives and multiple ways of knowing. It is not a spiritual sect and does not promote political causes.
Previously, he spent ten years as the director of the Washington DC office of Amnesty International, where he testified before Congress, met with two U.S. presidents and numerous foreign heads of state and government leaders, and represented Amnesty International to the State Department, the White House, and the World Conference on Human Rights. Subsequently, he spent five years as executive director of Seva, a non-profit organization dedicated to international health & development issues. Seva is a Sanskrit word meaning service.
During the past five years, James created and currently co-leads a series of dialogues called "Compassionate and Social Healing." The dialogues bring together leaders and activists in a variety of fields related to human rights, peace, and social reconciliation initiatives.
Jamesis a native of Ireland and has lived and worked in Turkey and Lebanon, and witnessed civil conflict and massacres, which influenced him deeply. He brings a sense of urgency about the issues the world currently faces, as well as an Irish sense of humor and love of language.
Wednesday, April 26
Necrophilia and Biophilia: Turning Away From or Turning Towards Our Essence
- James O'Dea -
New Mexico Room 10:45am to 12:00 noon
We live at a time when memes are possibly more determinative than genes. We need to appreciate what meaning systems enhance life, transformation and the emergence of a new planetary civilization. Equally, we must clearly evaluate worldviews that threaten our survival as species. These are epochal times when a new configuration of meaning linked to an expansion of being can catalyse a new evolutionary phase shift.
Goal: Appreciate the intensity of the current evolutiuonary shift at individual and macro levels which annihilates life or takes it to the next level of consciousness.
Learning Objectives:
* Learn some of the essential concepts in individual and social healing while
integrating science, spiritual insight and political reality,
* Analyse contemporary memes in relation to their life enhancing or destroying
capacity, and
* Explore the concept of essence in relation to individual and collective emergence.
This
conference is approved for CEUs through the National Board
of Certified Counselors.
