An (even more seriously revised) Pivot Into Depth

Okay, okay!  I’m sorry that I keep doing this to you, but this is the last time – I swear it!  But the longer I keep fooling around with the outline for our upcoming series, the more it changes.  I realize – after the fact, of course – that I should add this, and I forgot to include that and on and on and on.  What can I say?  This new ‘new series’ has now expanded from 22 to 27 issues and includes a lot of really great new stuff.  Some comes from Zilvinas, my Lithuanian friend and a bunch comes from me.  But, no matter what, (assuming, of course, that the creek don’t rise) we will start the new series next week.  To mark the new content, it even has a new name, 

Who Am I?  

An Exploration of Identity, Consciousness, and Being.

The central question of the series deals with the central question in our lives:  Who are we — really? Beneath the roles we play, the opinions we hold, the identity we have constructed and defended our entire lives — what is actually there? This series takes that question seriously, not as a philosophical puzzle, but as the most practical inquiry a human being can undertake. The answer — which 27 issues will approach from every possible direction — is that the self we take ourselves to be is not the deepest thing we are. And discovering what lies beneath it changes everything.

The Arc We Will Explore

Part I (Issues 1–6):  The Ego — What It Is and How It Got Here

We begin where readers actually are: inside the ego. We examine how the self was constructed, what needs it serves, and why — despite its genuine usefulness in social life — it ultimately becomes the primary obstacle to deeper, more spiritual development.

Part II (Issues 7–12):  The Two Selves — Individual and Collective

Drawing on the notion of a collective WE, we examine the dual nature of human identity: the individual ego self and the group self. While we are very familiar with our individual selves, we forget that we need each other to survive.  We show how both selves operate, how they conflict, and how understanding the group self opens a door the ego alone cannot find.

Part III (Issues 13–20):  Consciousness — The Nature of Awareness

Here we move from our constructed self to the awareness that observes it. Drawing on Christian mysticism, pre-Nicene sources, and parallel insights from Hindu and Buddhist traditions, we will examine what consciousness is, what it reveals, and how it becomes the vehicle for paradigm shift.

Part IV (Issues 21–27):  Being — The Shift from Ego to Divine Consciousness

The series arrives at its destination: the paradigm shift from egoic consciousness to Being. Here we will explore some of the deepest understandings of Christianity – that we participate in the Divine.  We document what this shift looks like, how it is entered, and what it means to live from a different center — practically, relationally, and spiritually.

How the Newsletter Relates to the Web-based Intensive Program

This newsletter series is a structured but accessible exploration of the terrain that will be covered in the intensive program at www.insidetheinvisible.com. Newsletter readers will receive the ideas, the historical and spiritual context, and gentle introductory practices. The intensive program is where those same ideas are worked at depth — with daily practice requirements, behavioral tracking, teacher review, and a sequenced curriculum that takes the reader through the same territory with full rigor. Each newsletter issue will contain an invitation to the intensive for readers who want to go deeper. The newsletter will give the map. The intensive will show you the steps you need to take to make the journey.

Recurring Elements in Every Issue

The Core Essay:  each issue will have a central thought-piece exploring the issue's central question with theological depth, accessible language, and concrete illustration. Written for the spiritually curious reader with no assumed theological training.

A Practical Exercise:  One simple, doable practice drawn from the contemplative traditions — breath awareness, a brief meditation, a journaling prompt, a behavioral experiment. Low threshold so that the exercises are easy to start and do. High leverage for the effort you will put into them.

Video Gathering Invitation:  Each issue will invite readers to a live video gathering for Q&A and group meditation on that issue's theme. When we launch this, our video gatherings will start monthly and progress from there.  This will give us time to practice together and to ask questions about your individual spiritual work.  

As it has been in the past, these issues are designed to be read in sequence, and we will create an archive link for past issues.

To figure out the best day and time for our monthly video sessions, I have added a response form at the bottom of this newsletter so you can tell me when would be the best day/time for our video chats.  If you would like to be part of our video discussions, please take a minute to respond to our questionnaire.  We will use Google Meet to gather, and we will be including a link with the newsletter so that we can join together.

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In addition to this new newsletter course, we will soon begin beta testing our new website, www.insidetheinvisible.com.  As I said last week, this website is a monster – just stunning in its depth and breadth.  It will provide step-by-step instruction on the specific behavioral changes necessary to achieve mystical union with God.  This website will offer something that has never been available before – an instructional system for deepening our spiritual life based on empirical research – research that includes all of the major spiritual traditions.   

This website will require a paid subscription, but we are deliberately keeping the price as low as possible. The folks who beta test this site for us will receive two benefits. First, they will get to preview the first group of stages. That will help them decide if they want to take the course, and it will also help us fix the glitches before we release it to the public. Second, they will each receive a free six-month subscription to the site.

The last change coming is a new book I have written titled, The Invisible Life Within. This book is a very personal record of the arc of the spiritual journey as seen through the lens of my life experiences. It is an attempt to put a human face on the spiritual journey, showing what it looks like from the inside.  I just sent off query letters and proposals to three publishing houses that handle books like this, and I hope to hear from them in the next couple of months.

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Well, that’s all for this week. Please take a moment and fill in the questionnaire below and return it to [email protected].  Do it now before you forget.

I hope you have a splendid week and I look forward to continuing our time together in our next newsletter series.

May God make his face to shine upon you, this day, and always!

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