Dear friends,
Current life events may suggest to us that the pathway toward collective human awakening is being facilitated by the experience of mass human and planetary crisis. As we suffer from the violence caused to each other and to the Earth through systems that have been hijacked to perpetuate ignorance and greed, we also open to the possibilities of another way of being – a way that is aligned with the true knowledge of who we are, how we can unite as a global family, and how we can best serve each other and the Earth in current times of trauma and crisis. As I had the honor of hosting luminary presenters for the Reuniting Science and Spirituality Summit, I realized how powerful this reunification is to help us both individually and collectively awaken to our personal and societal power to create the world we wish to see.
For me, the experience of hosting and spending time with the presenters for the Reuniting Science and Spirituality Summit was beyond a gift. It was not simply a place of refuge, to “hide away” from the devastating news of the day by listening to fascinating cutting edge discoveries – but rather to place what is currently happening in the world in a wider perspective – a perspective that we often don’t get the opportunities to learn about through mainstream media.
Some may question the relevance of reuniting science with spirituality given current mass shootings, species extinctions, and climate change devastations. Yet what we are learning from these presenters is how modern science is helping us break free of the silos of separatism that have bonded us in reductionist, materialist models of reality, prolonging the needless suffering we see today. In fact, current evolutions in science are helping us to recognize the immense power we have to heal ourselves, individually and collectively. For example, therapist Mark Wolynn shares how the ancient practice of healing our ancestors appears to affect us down to epigenetic levels, giving us a window into understanding how spiritual practices may interrupt trauma cycles for future generations. We also learn from scientist Dr. Paul Mills, Professor of Family and Public Health at UC San Diego, how spiritual experiences from gratitude, grace, all the way to the experience of nonduality impact our health, and how integrating these spiritual experiences in day-to-day living is crucial for humanity at this time. Drs. Jude Currivan and Menas Kafatos help clarify how current breakthrough understandings in physics and cosmology echo ancient understandings of the nature of our world. They highlight how physics principles including complementarity and recursiveness are actually nature’s nudges to help us re-awaken to the reality of our interconnection and interdependence.
But the discussions do not stop with the exploration of our universe or even our own individual healing, particularly when we explore the wisdom that vibrates through indigenous wisdom holders such as Nonty Charity Sabic, Dr. Alberto Villodo, Pat McCabe (WomanStandsShining), Dr. Nicole Redvers, and Dr. Joe Tafur. Here we begin to more deeply understand how this intersection of science and spirituality can truly foster real-world impact. Pat notes the promise of science but how science and so many systems have been co-opted by driving impulses of greed and “power-over”, versus being driven from the spiritual understandings of Right Relationship and Thriving Life. When we place our systems in those fundamental spiritual values, miraculous community healings can result. We learn from luminary Lynne McTaggart how a simple gathering with collective intention, such as she is doing with her Power of Eight work, can result in remarkable healing for communities worldwide. We also learn about the global power of positive networks from Dr. Cleopatra Abdou Kamperveen at University of Southern California– who shares how a science-backed program called Girl Power is uplifting thousands of young women in Uganda and elsewhere – preventing rape and unwanted pregnancy, enhancing self-esteem and ability to continue education – and is poised to uplift healing for a million young women in the next five years.
The Reuniting Science and Spirituality Summit shows us how science, when placed in the spiritual foundations of Right Relationship and Thriving Life, can empower not only our own healing, but also the healing of communities worldwide. The reunification of science and spirituality indeed has the power to heal the suffering that deeply ails us as a human family, and these luminary presenters are leading the way. I am deeply grateful to all the wonderful souls that contributed to this summit. Thank you to The Shift Network for inviting me and our nonprofit, the Consciousness and Healing Initiative, to collectively highlight the minds, hearts and work of so many inspiring scientists, healers and spiritual teachers who are working to lead humanity to heal ourselves.
I know you will be inspired by and enjoy these presenters as much as I have. Let us continue to uplift each other in our collective healing journey.
With love,
Dr. Shamini Jain
Founder and Collaborative Execution Orchestrator
Consciousness and Healing Initiative (CHI)
Assistant Professor, UC San Diego