Philosophy, Spirituality & Consciousness

The 20th century’s discovery of LSD and subsequent use of various psychedelics in both therapeutic practice and popular culture has been a deeply transformational event in modern civilization. It has carried the power of a collective initiatory rite of passage, yet often without an adequately containing ritual structure, indigenous wisdom tradition, or clinical knowledge to mediate that transformation.  

In this episode CIIS Professor Emeritus and cultural historian Richard Tarnas examines the larger historical and evolutionary context that brought forth the psychedelic awakening of the 1950s and 1960s. He explores the work of therapists and researchers Stanislav Grof and C.G. Jung, and discusses the larger impact that psychedelics have had and continue to have on our civilization in crisis. 

This episode was recorded during a live online event on February 5th 2026. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Dr. Elizabeth Allison on training leaders for ecological change.

Ginny Whitelaw brings decades of experience to the Blue Sky Leaders Certificate, helping leaders move beyond ego and into deep connection and purpose.

A graduate’s journey integrating Eastern contemplative wisdom with Western depth psychological frameworks.

A look inside a Blue Sky Leaders program weekend workshop, led by Greg Thomas of the Jazz Leadership Project.

Talking about death is often deemed morbid or taboo, but to fully embrace life, scientists, psychologists, and spiritual leaders all agree—contemplating death is the key to living a life with meaning. In this episode, Joanna Ebenstein, author and founder of Morbid Anatomy—an organization exploring the spaces between art and medicine, death and culture—is joined in conversation with CIIS faculty and Chicane philosopher Saraliza Anzaldúa exploring how to befriend death.

Sharing insights from her latest book, Memento Mori: The Art of Contemplating Death to Live a Better Life, Joanna discusses what it means to be mortal and shares how to both come to terms with what death means and live alongside it without fear. In doing so, you can see your own life in a new light and discover what makes life worth living.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on October 17th, 2024. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Michelle Tea is best known for her book, Modern Tarot, which is now a cult classic. Her latest book, Modern Magic, explores her magical roots. Sharing how she crafted her own magical practice, Michelle offers a framework to tap into the distinctive magic that lies within each of us, a framework that incorporates queer, feminist, anti-racist, and intersectional values.

In this episode, self-described DIY witch, professional tarot reader, author, and feminist icon Michelle Tea is joined by arts-based, psychedelic-assisted ancestral psychotherapist Camara Meri Rajaberi for an illuminating conversation that explores modern magic.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on November 6th, 2024. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

In this episode, 86th generation Zen master and Indigenous Hawaiian leader Rōshi Norma Wong is joined by CIIS Associate Professor Sonya Shah for an illuminating conversation exploring spiritual activism and how to envision co-creating new worlds from one in crisis.

They discuss Norma’s latest book, When No Thing Works, in which she inquiries into the ways we can live well and maintain our wholeness in an era of collective acceleration and explores ways we can step out of urgency to tend to our crises with wisdom, intention, and care.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on January 22nd, 2025. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

The Ten Oxherding Pictures is an image series that visualizes the Buddhist training path to enlightenment. The image series has served as a spiritual teaching tool for centuries, guiding seekers through the steps of awakening. But how are these images relevant today?

In this episode, CIIS professors Dr. Debashish Banerji and Dr. Sara Granovetter have a conversation about posthumanism, the Oxherding series, the Jungian individuation process, and the disowned wild self. Together, they explore how the ox may represent a part of the psyche that is habitually pushed to the margins of consciousness. They also help us discover what the Oxherding Pictures teach us about relating to the wild other within ourselves and the work of befriending it for spiritual awakening.

This episode was recorded during an in-person and live streamed event at California Institute of Integral Studies on January 30th, 2025. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

This special episode features CIIS Professor Emeritus and cultural historian Richard Tarnas sharing illuminating insights into the nature of human consciousness and the cosmos.

In this talk, Richard explores one of C. G. Jung’s most crucial contributions to psychology–the recognition that the unfolding of a human life is at a deep level a spiritual journey. He also explores the powerful archetypal principles and forces that deeply influence human experience and behavior.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on February 6th, 2025. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

In her work, author, organizer, and designer Aida Mariam Davis explores the historical and ongoing impacts of settler colonialism, making explicit the ways that extraction, oppression, and enslavement serve the goals of empire—not least by severing ancestral connections and disrupting profound and ancient relationships to self, nature, and community. Her recent book, Kindred Creation, is a call and response to dream and design better worlds rooted in African lifeways: a path to Black freedom, a love letter to Black futures, and a blueprint to intergenerational Black joy and dignity—all (and always) on Black terms.

In this episode, Aida is joined by CIIS Director of the Center for Black & Indigenous Praxis Preston Vargas for a powerful conversation exploring African epistemologies and recalling the dignity and distinction of the African way of life. Aida shares her philosophical framework: remember, refuse, and reclaim as a vital guide for birthing new worlds and reclaiming land, language, lifestyle, and labor.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on February 19th, 2025. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

CIIS Professor Emeritus and founding director of Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness Richard Tarnas returned for his beloved annual lecture exploring the deeper currents of our time.

Archetypal astrology is an approach influenced by Jungian and transpersonal psychology that studies the connection between the changing positions of the planets in the solar system and archetypal patterns in human experience and history. The evidence of consistent correlations between planetary alignments and world events, as seen through the lens of archetypal astrology, can provide us with an invaluable larger context for our time.

In this episode, CIIS Professor Emeritus and cultural historian Richard Tarnas provides an in-depth overview of what's happening with the planets now, helping us become more conscious of the deep unconscious, less like puppets and more like co-creative participants in relation to the archetypal powers within and around us to better understand the profound drama currently facing the Earth community.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on February 8th, 2024. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Dr. Gerry Ebalaroza-Tunnell, a graduate of the Department of Transformative Inquiry, won an International Impact Book Award for her recent children’s book, Let’s Live A.L.O.H.A.

A new essay, Heart-Knowing, Somatic Dreaming, and Trans-subjectivity: A Scholarly Personal Narrative, written by Daniel Deslauriers, Ph.D., explores the power of somatic dreams. 

Sasha Bainer, an East-West Psychology student, provides us with insights into their firsthand experience of Auroville.

CIIS’ East-West Psychology and Transformative Inquiry departments put together a week-long period of celebration of conferences, music, theater, film and food.

A personal reflection from Ecology, Spirituality, and Religion graduate, Charlie Forbes, in honor of the program's 10-year anniversary

One of the 10 most radical discoveries in human history is that of cosmogenesis, the narrative of how the expanding universe is evolving into stars, galaxies, life, and human consciousness. The challenge to this discovery is the thorny question of how human subjectivity relates to the evolution of the universe. Is there cosmic meaning in our ongoing efforts—like using memory and art—to record our experiences?

Cosmologist and CIIS professor emeritus Brian Thomas Swimme’s latest book, Cosmogenesis, tells the story of how the new cosmology demolished his modern industrial mind, then slowly assembled a new mind, one rooted in the creative energies of our developing universe.

In this episode, Brian is joined in a unique conversation with novelist and CIIS professor in Interdisciplinary Arts and Writing Carolyn Cooke as they explore the impact of time-developmental cosmology and its potential to impact—and possibly transform—human consciousness.

This episode was recorded during an in-person and live streamed event at California Institute of Integral Studies on November 17th, 2022. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

An interview with CIIS Professor Monica Mody about her new book of poetry Bright Parallel, detailing her inspirations as well as her writing and teaching process

An abstract of Dr. William’s essay and part of a series of essays in the new book, Spiritual Healing from Sexual Violence: An Intersectional Guide.

We all recognize we are living in the midst of a major threshold of transformation, a profound drama facing the Earth community with tremendous consequences at stake. What are the deeper stirrings in the collective psyche today? What is the current planetary situation, and which gods are now in dynamic motion?

In this episode, CIIS professor and cultural historian Richard Tarnas provides a state of the world report on the archetypal context of our national and global moment.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on February 5, 2021. Access the transcript below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

The evidence of consistent correlations between planetary alignments and world events as seen through the lens of archetypal astrology can provide us with a much-needed context for our time. Understanding both the cyclical patterns and the historical trends that preceded our current moment can help us engage with greater consciousness and skillful intelligence the powerful forces now active in the world.

This episode features cultural historian Richard Tarnas as he presents his latest state of the world report on the archetypal context of our national and global moment. It was recorded during a live online event on February 18, 2022 in a continuation of our recent annual tradition of offering such an archetypal overview, and this year included a special advance screening of the opening episode of the new documentary series The Changing of the Gods.

Inspired by Richard’s work and featuring leading figures in the fields of history, psychology, spirituality, political activism, technological innovation, and consciousness research, The Changing of the Gods vividly depicts the trajectory of our time and our future prospects. Visit changingofthegods.com for more information about the series.

A transcript is available below. You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Professor Arora focused her talk on the interconnected suffering of all genders under patriarchy and the power of witnessing others’ gender stories

The stress, conflict, and crises of the outer world are a signal: the time has come to awaken your inner shaman. However, you don’t need to be initiated into concealed mysteries to answer the call from Spirit. Internationally renowned shamanic teacher Marcela Lobos teaches us how to use the maps offered by the shamanic Medicine Wheel and the hero’s journey to activate our inner wisdom and live a self-realized existence of discovery, healing, and wholeness.

In this episode, CIIS faculty and psychologist Susana Bustos has a conversation with Marcela about her life, her work, and her latest book: Awakening Your Inner Shaman: A Woman's Journey of Self-Discovery through the Medicine Wheel.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on May 14, 2021. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

For over 50 years CIIS has been a leader in transformative integral education. Integral studies, in the founding of CIIS, encapsulated a contemporary academic approach to a spiritual mission.

In this episode, Haridas Chaudhuri Professor and Chair/Professor of East-West Psychology Debashish Banerji and President Emeritus and Professor Emeritus in Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness Robert McDermott have an illuminating discussion on the multitude of meanings of integral, as seen and applied to the spiritual mission in the history and future of CIIS.

This episode was recorded during an in-person and live streamed event at California Institute of Integral Studies on September 28th, 2022. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Seeing the suffering of the planet and that of humans as inseparably linked—the ecological crisis as psychological crisis, and vice versa—opens the door to a mutuality of healing between people and nature. At the heart of both chronic and acute forms of narcissism is a socially constructed false self—an isolated, damaged ego in a delusional cycle of selfishness.

In her work, CIIS Professor Jeanine Canty uses the lens of ecopsychology to show that the pervasive and extreme forms of narcissism we find in many modern societies are the result of alienation from the natural world. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In her forthcoming book, Returning the Self to Nature, Jeanine shares how we can move beyond a world that revolves around selfish and disconnected identity models, and step into healthy relationships with ourselves, our communities, and our planet.

In this episode, Jeanine is joined by CIIS Lead for the Climate Psychology Certificate Leslie Davenport for an inspiring conversation on visualizing and embodying the wild naturalness of being human, and how to gain skills to begin experiencing a courageous, pluralistic, and ecological self.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on June 8th, 2022. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Author, cultural ecologist, and geo philosopher David Abram has been an inspirational leading voice at the intersection of ecology and philosophy for over 25 years. A close student of the traditional ecological knowledge of a diverse array of Indigenous peoples, his work articulates the interconnection of humans both with the varied sensitivities of the plants and animals upon whom we depend, as well as with the agency of the places that surround and sustain our communities.

In this episode, David is joined by CIIS philosophy faculty Matt Segall for an inspiring conversation on the wild intelligence of our bodies, the ecological depths of our imagination, and the ways in which sensory perception and wonder inform the relation between the human animal and the animate Earth.

This episode was recorded during an in-person and live streamed event at First Unitarian Universalist Church & Center in San Francisco on May 19th, 2022. Access the transcript below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Do you fear that growing old means being trapped in a body filled with aches, pains, and losses? Many of us do—especially women. Though our youth-obsessed society is partly to blame, psychologist Susan Sands explains there is a deeper and unrecognized factor—we have never really gotten to know our bodies, to sense and feel our bodies from the inside out.

In her latest book, The Inside Story, she offers a much-needed guide for helping us understand, befriend, and support our bodies as we grow older. In this episode, Dr. Sands is joined by Integrative Health Studies Professor Meg Jordan for a conversation exploring how the powerful tools of embodiment can help you experience aging as a vital, optimistic, and transformative journey.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on April 27th, 2022. Access the transcript below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Author and Professor of Education, Wahinkpe Topa (Four Arrows), and author and Professor Emerita of Psychology Darcia Narvaez have both written and lectured extensively on the need to integrate Indigenous worldviews into every aspect of society—from education to sustainability, wellness, and justice.

In this episode, Four Arrows and Darcia offer a conversational exploration of their most recent collaboration as editors of the anthology, Restoring the Kinship Worldview, which presents the wisdom of Indigenous worldviews and how embracing these precepts can nourish our individual and collective lives in these challenging times through 28 powerful excerpted passages from Indigenous leaders including Mourning Dove, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Winona LaDuke, and Xiuhtezcatl Martinez.

You are also encouraged to consider the Worldview Chart, created by Four Arrows.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on April 20th, 2022. Access the transcript below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

A statement from the Women's Spirituality department on the occasion of International Women's Day 2022

The powerful new volume was edited by East-West Psychology Professor, Debashish Banerji and Professor Emeritus, Robert McDermott.

In this episode, modern mystic Thomas Hübl and cosmologist Brian Swimme explore the cosmos and discuss ways to move from being a society informed by trauma to a society that heals trauma.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on May 9th, 2020. You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Celebrate International Women’s Day with Us!

Banerji and Craig Chalquist discuss his new book, Meditations on the Isa Upanishads: Tracing the Philosophical Vision of Sri Aurobindo

East-West Psychology student, Katherine Hrudka, shares her experience studying abroad in Auroville.

The Wounded Healer

A groundbreaking hub for ideas and collaboration

The Women's Spirituality Program honors 100 of the best books in Women's Spirituality and donates them to the CIIS Library

The Women's Spirituality program celebrates its 25th year with a dynamic gathering

In this episode, author and professor Brian Swimme asks why we study the universe. His talk explores how we build our civilizations upon our understanding of the cosmos, and how that understanding is constantly changing.

This episode was recorded during an event on April 20, 2016 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California.

After a prolific and productive summer, CIIS faculty are back in the classroom and ready to share new work and experiences

Author and anthropologist David Graeber is joined by debt researcher Jason Wozniak for a conversation about the phenomena of meaningless jobs.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on February 21, 2018.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Learning about suppressed histories and Women's Spirituality is imperative for people of all ages

A Celebration of all Goddesses of the World at the 2017 Glastonbury Goddess Conference

Why I teach Transformative Leadership at CIIS

CIIS Professor Brian Swimme shaped John Richard's view on spirituality, life, and death. Read more from this fascinating New York Times article on physician-assisted suicide in Canada.

Stage Ai's Summer Blossom festival brought CIIS values to life in China through arts, healing, and cross-cultural connection.

A lifetime of meticulous research, photography, and organization of a staggering quantity of mother-line evidence

Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness alum creates feature-length documentary

Documenting the generally untold spiritual history of women in Northern Africa, Eastern Asia, and Southern Europe in the period from 6 million BCE to 1 CE

The histories and convergence of the Religion & Ecology Summit

Students, alums, and faculty represent at Utah conference

Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness at the 2015 International Whitehead Conference

A Mestiza Experience of the Feminist Intersectionality of Wounding, Healing, Spirituality and Activism

Joan Cichon, Ph.D. (2013) and Viviane Dzyak (2007) graciously offered to share their experience in the program

Take Only What You Need and Give Away

What happens when women put their own spirituality at the center?

The scholar who "walks the mystical path with practical feet"

A story of synergies in being Ana Castillo's TA

Women's Spirituality alumna Regina Wallace presented a workshop titled, "The Motherline: An Exploration Into Healing Female Lineage Trauma"

The transgender frontier icon spoke at CIIS

The yogic teachings on Shakti are particularly relevant to this contemporary moment in human history

A medicine melody travels through consciousness and can transform everyday occurrences into a visionary dimension