Alchemy of Mind, Alembic of the Heart: Sufi Mystics Meet Christian Monks

My place is the placeless.

My trace is the traceless.

One I seek, One I know, One I see, One I call.

~ Rumi

Mystical and monastic traditions over centuries have developed advanced spiritual technologies for alchemizing human potential. Early Christian monks referred to this as the path of gnostikē, while later Sufi mystics called it ma’rifa – direct, experiential knowledge of the Divine. Based on a shared understanding of spiritual perception centered in the heart, Sufi mystics and Christian monks developed complex psycho-spiritual frameworks for accessing spiritual insight and alchemizing shadowy resistances. These darker, denser, or even demonic aspects of the body-mind formed an integral part of their wider cosmology and demanded integration, taming, and inclusion on the spiritual journey.

This workshop introduces the spiritual psychology of Sufi mysticism and Christian monasticism, placing them in dialogue with one other. Participants are invited to explore their own “eight evil thoughts” (logismoi or “calculating reasons”) as found in the Greek monastic tradition alongside the “lower selves” (nafs) of the Sufis. In doing so, participants will learn how advanced practitioners across spiritual disciplines worked with the mind, developing a type of “monastic therapy.”

The workshop concludes by reframing Sufi and Christian monastic practices through two formative 20th century interpreters: Persian psychotherapist Reza Arasteh and celebrated Trappist monk Thomas Merton. Through their eyes, the goal of spiritual practice arcs towards the development of “universal consciousness” through “final integration” – a form of global citizenship with the capacity to transcend egoic, national, and even religious differences in order to become “universal persons.”

This event is both in-person and streamed online.
David M. Odorisio, PhD, is Associate Professor at Pacifica Graduate Institute, Santa Barbara, CA, where he serves as Chair of the Psychology, Religion, and Consciousness MA/PhD program. David is editor of four volumes, including: Thomas Merton in California: The Redwoods Conferences and Letters and Merton and Hinduism: The Yoga of the Heart. David teaches courses in depth psychology, comparative mysticism, and contemplative spirituality. He currently serves as Co-Chair of the Mysticism Unit for the American Academy of Religion. www.ahomeforsoul.com

Host or Publisher The Berkeley Alembic Foundation