It was nice to be again at Knowledge 2.0 once more, which returned to San Francisco. An annual occasion we attended for years, this yr’s occasion ran from April 27-29, 2023 on the Yerba Buena Middle. A few of this yr’s highlighted audio system embrace Yung Pueblo, Gabor Maté, Byron Katie, Jack Kornfield, Dr. Lyla June Johnston, Rhonda Magee, Alex Senegal, Mohammed Mohammed, Chip Conley, OpenAI/ChatGPT’s Sam Altman, MAPS founder Rick Doblin and lots of extra.
It’s all the time nice to be within the presence of Spirit Rock’s Jack Kornfield who’s a part of the Knowledge 2.0 crew. An American author and trainer within the Vipassana motion in American Theravada Buddhism, he skilled as a Buddhist monk in Thailand, Burma and India, and has taught mindfulness meditation worldwide since 1974. He moderated and was half of some panel discussions on the primary stage with lead producer and host of the occasion, Soren Gordhamer. (under)
Soren Gordhamer and Jack Kornfield on the primary stage
Soren additionally interviewed Jennifer Siebel Newsom, who largely spoke of gender equality. She made a number of legitimate and compelling factors as a mom, as a mentor and as an entrepreneur. On the opposite aspect of Covid, many individuals had extra time to spend with their households and Jennifer confirmed what they’ve realized by means of analysis, together with the truth that when males spend time with their kids, there may be much less despair. Different questions introduced included: What about unworthiness? How can we take care of it? What affect is expertise having on our kids?
Soren Gordhamer and Jennifer Siebel Newsom
She says that we have to have a look at age acceptable design for expertise and in addition set boundaries on the place and when. Throughout recess in school, youngsters aren’t socializing as a lot after they spend your entire break trying down at their telephones. When youngsters are extra remoted and fewer social, it will probably have an effect on their psychological well being, together with however not restricted to consuming issues, nervousness and despair. “Comparability results in all unhappiness,” says after which she provides, “Our children are lovely mirrors for us.”
Jennifer Siebel Newsom
Whereas most individuals know her because the spouse of Governor Gavin Newsom, she’s additionally an American documentary filmmaker, director, producer and actress. Jennifer was behind Miss Illustration, which premiered within the documentary competitors on the 2011 Sundance Movie Pageant. “We nonetheless devalue female energy in our society,” she says.
Sounds True founder Tami Simon interviewed Dr. Jeremy Hunter on Managing Your Nervous System, a subject that may very well be helpful for all of us. In spite of everything, doesn’t it really feel like we’re getting extra calls for? Within the dialogue, they requested, “Can we use enterprise to impress our evolution?”
Sounds True founder Tami Simon at Knowledge 2.0
Utilizing your life as a coaching floor, he mentioned how we will make a life regardless of all of the stuff hitting us regularly. In different phrases, how can we handle all of it whereas preserving our nervous system in verify? Jeremy says, “There’s little or no systematically that focuses on the inward journey, what’s happening inside. What we’ve left off the desk is sensing, feeling and connecting. We have to evolve to see a way more expanded view of ourselves and step into it.” He provides, “We now have radically settled for what it means to be human.” I couldn’t agree extra.
Jeremy asserts that we have to evolve our personal private working system. He spoke of his personal experiences in life and the way beginning early on in our lives, we attempt to normalize what we’ve got skilled as kids. In different phrases, we normalize our trauma as a result of we don’t see it as trauma. He says that we should “heal our trauma and take it severely.” Put one other manner, individuals all too typically wish to take a look at too quickly. We might embark upon the therapeutic, however we will’t quit or let go too quickly. “It’s not simply remodeling the wound, however it’s additionally eradicating the worry,” he provides.
Dr. Jeremy Hunter on stage with Tami Simon
Talking of trauma, world famend trauma knowledgeable Dr. Gabor Maté kicked issues off on the opening night time. The bestselling writer of 4 books revealed in over thirty languages, Gabor is an internationally famend speaker extremely wanted for his experience on dependancy, trauma, childhood improvement, and the connection of stress and sickness. He’s additionally co-developer of a therapeutic strategy, Compassionate Inquiry, now studied by lots of of therapists, physicians, counselors, and others internationally.
Soren Gordhamer and Dr. Gabor Maté
Somewhat than providing quick-fix options to those advanced points, he weaves collectively scientific analysis, case histories, and his personal insights and expertise to current a broad perspective that empowers individuals to advertise their very own therapeutic and others. After his Friday night hearth chat, he returned on Saturday to reply questions casually with others on-site, which is the place I had a possibility to attach with him.
I’ve been a fan of Byron Katie’s work for years. Satirically, she calls her work The Work. One of many distinctive issues about her appearances at Knowledge 2.0 (and infrequently different locations), is that she’ll work straight with individuals within the viewers, which she did once more. One of many issues we introduced up as a collective, was unworthiness – it comes up in all places doesn’t it?
Byron Katie
She requested the viewers, “Discover what comes into your physique whenever you consider moments in your life as unworthy.” It’s once we are in our small ego self that we don’t notice our energy. She provides, “I expertise ego as a terrified, frightened little one. Relaxation is the absence of ego, for ego doesn’t sleep.” No surprise meditation and silent moments together with your Greater Self kick ego to the door. That is how Byron Katie explains it:
“Whenever you enable time and area earlier than ego comes into the area, there may be mild and freedom. The ego is available in to call it. The ego doesn’t sleep as a result of it’s frightened of being nothing. We’re all the time searching for the reply to ‘Who am I?’ In different phrases, the ego is searching for a house. Whenever you sit in self-inquiry, the ego is noisy. However its respectful to hearken to a terrified little one, so compassion and empathy are wanted. Observe: what’s making an attempt to emerge? Ask the wounded, terrified little one a couple of perception system she holds. Is it actually true?” -Byron Katie
Then she requested, “Witness the way you react whenever you imagine a thought or perception. Discover the way you react and be witness to it. Get in contact with the scenario.” If anger emerges, its helpful to keep in mind that you can’t be offended except you’re previously or the long run. Attempt to get offended within the current second – it’s not potential is it? Whenever you’re actually within the current second. Later, she says “Nobody would ever hurt one other human being in the event that they weren’t asleep to themselves.”
Byron Katie
One of many issues I really like about her teachings, is that it requires you to be current. Whenever you’re previously or future, it’s as if there’s an egoic play going backwards and forwards, like being caught within the dream of a previous/future play. However whenever you sit in silence and authentically inquire from that place, you miss nothing. Anticipating is really the struggling.
Diego Perez additionally joined us (under on the best). He’s the poet and thinker behind the pen title Yung Pueblo, which implies ‘younger individuals’ and it reminds him of his Ecuadorian roots and activism. He says, “each time we soak up new stuff, we’re all the time conditioning the thoughts; it occurs constantly after age seven. Every of us are wired so in a different way that we have to discover no matter works to unwire that conditioning.” He asks the viewers, “What meets my conditioning the place it’s at?”
Left, David Simas and proper, Diego Perez
He asserts that slowing down is vital to that unwiring. Somewhat than continuously plugging into our expertise and social media, he suggests:
“Be current and simply take up issues. We’re not critically enthusiastic about the topics we flick through. Be okay to say ‘no,’ and don’t all the time have an opinion. Whenever you decelerate, you enable your self area and time to completely perceive the subject, get the solutions from inside and simply observe.” -Diego Perez (Yung Pueblo)
He continued to share his classes, …the elemental issues we attempt to train kids however collectively fail at, resembling being sort to one another, choosing up after your self, not hitting each other, saying constructive issues (not detrimental issues) to others and treating the planet effectively. Hear hear. These are certainly primary and elementary greatest practices. He says, “Your first response is your previous, your intentional response is your current.”
Dr. Lyla June Johnston (aka Lyla June) additionally graced the Knowledge 2.0 stage this yr. She is an Indigenous musician, scholar, and group organizer of Diné (Navajo), Tsétsêhéstâhese (Cheyenne) and European lineages and I’ve heard her communicate (and sing) in a number of others locations, together with the IONS Convention (Institute of Noetic Sciences). We captured a few of her efficiency on video, so you should definitely take a look at the abstract video on the backside of the article.
Lyla June Johnston
Her messages give attention to Indigenous rights, supporting youth, conventional land stewardship practices and therapeutic inter-generational and inter-cultural trauma. Proper after Lyla, Dr. Yuria Celidwen spoke on the primary stage. She is from Indigenous Nahua and Maya descent, born right into a household of mystics, healers, poets, and explorers from the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. I really like the way in which she speaks as a result of it’s poetic and synergistic, largely influenced by her elders’ songs and tales which enthralled her childhood. She says, “They enhanced my mythic creativeness and emotional instinct, which grew to become the fertile soil the place the seeds of kindness, play, and surprise dig their roots.”
Dr. Yuria Celidwen
In her discuss, she spoke about how her grandparents obtained their information of therapeutic from the earth. Yuria says, “they listened to the chants of the wind and the gossip of the birds. Within the forest and starlight night time, she realized about transcendence and contemplative life. She has realized through the years find out how to transcend her slim identification and broaden into one thing far more, the place she has realized find out how to look after all life on our planet. It’s integral to her ancestors’ teachings.
“Discovering dwelling has been a lifelong journey, so it has been a relentless inquiry,” she says. “Dreaming is…time with out time, the place we set ourselves free. Within the face of impossibility, we be taught that we will fly.” Her slides present how the good thing about indigenous sciences is all the time for the well-being of the planet, not for particular person acquire. It’s all the time concerning the collective acquire.
Dr. Yuria Celidwen’s slide
She additionally spoke concerning the ethics of belonging. Kin relationality is about embracing all of existence. Mom Earth is a nurturer. “Ecological belonging,” she says, “takes Mom Earth into consideration and her capability to thrive. There’s no such factor as a human being flourishing except Mom Earth prospers first.
Dr. Yuria Celidwen on the primary stage
“We wish transcendence, not transactions. We have to bridge and create a way of belonging for every little thing on our shared existence. Being members means having an ethics of belonging for all dwelling issues. It’s weaving thriller and inquiry and depart a way of sacredness.” -Dr. Yuria Celidwen
Dr. Rick Doblin, who’s most generally known as the founder and govt director of the Multidisciplinary Affiliation for Psychedelic Research (MAPS), additionally took heart stage to speak about psychedelics. Fostering the psychedelic Renaissance, he joked about his bar mitzvah. He says he was hungry for the subsequent stage expertise at age 13. Ahead wind the clock to current day, his son mentioned to him after his first expertise, “Now I perceive why you wish to make this a drugs.”
Dr. Rick Doblin
Rick says, “We’d like an evolution of the spirit. Past PTSD, individuals lengthy for a deeper non secular expertise, to quiet the thoughts and calm the soul.” That longing is actually displaying up world wide proper now. We have to personal our personal stuff – our traumas, our shadows, our triggers – all of it.
When somebody goes by means of PTSD, their mind isn’t sorting info usually. When individuals have a MDMA expertise, he says, the worry alerts from these reminiscences are diminished. It will increase a connection throughout the hippocampus and releases helpful issues like oxytocin. Once they’ve completed research on mice, they’ve been capable of see that the MDMA will increase neuroplasticity which in people, could make psychotherapy simpler. Rick says, “The MDMA brings reminiscences to the floor however in a manner that makes them safer and never so traumatic.”
This isn’t an extraordinary remedy expertise and the periods are lengthy. Contemplate 42 hours or longer of remedy with two therapists – in his case, they do the periods with one feminine and one male therapist. They name it The Archeology of Trauma. Of their Section 2 research, individuals obtained higher over time on their very own with out the drug as a result of “they‘ve realized find out how to launch the trauma of their our bodies and the results are sturdy.” The progress has been staggering when you think about how briskly it’s being carried out and more and more accepted.
The subject of youngsters got here up and their overuse of video video games and social media in addition to find out how to increase medication with them. Rick asserts that the key is “educating accountable use and accountability. Educate them that there’s a accountable solution to work together and have a relationship with regardless of the ‘factor‘ is, whether or not its video video games or a drug. Youngsters want sincere drug schooling.” They want to be taught issues in a manner that makes them really feel secure and in addition how they will navigate it with out getting kicked out of their social peer group. Rick reminded us that there’s one factor that individuals worry greater than loss of life and that’s getting kicked out of a tribe.
We’re forging forward although and acceptance is occurring. Adoption is occurring. And therapeutic is occurring. It doesn’t imply that each one trauma disappears in a single day, however it does imply that we will work to scale back it one step at a time.
“We wish a world of web zero trauma. It doesn’t imply no trauma. It means we’re not including to it.” -Dr. Rick Doblin
Dr. Rick Doblin
Though I didn’t see each session, a favourite was john powell, who purposely spells his title with a small j and a small p. He does this as a result of he shares the idea that we ought to be “a part of the universe, not over it, as capitals signify”. He’s an internationally acknowledged knowledgeable within the areas of civil rights, civil liberties, structural racism, housing, poverty, and democracy in addition to the Director of the Othering & Belonging Institute on the College of California, Berkeley, a analysis institute that brings collectively students, group advocates, communicators, and policymakers to determine and get rid of the limitations to an inclusive, simply, and sustainable society and to create transformative change towards a extra equitable world.
john powell on the Knowledge 2.0 stage in April
We additionally have been graced by the presence of Rhonda Magee who I am keen on. As a Professor of Legislation on the College of San Francisco, she has studied mindfulness, its underlying origins in Buddhism, and its potential advantages and purposes on this planet for greater than twenty years. A prolific writer, she attracts on legislation and authorized historical past to weave storytelling, poetry, evaluation and practices into inspiration for altering how we predict, act and dwell higher collectively in a quickly altering world. A daring transfer, she obtained up on stage and led us in music. (see the video under to get a peak of it). It was soul inspiring, genuine and I’d add, enjoyable.
Rhonda Magee leads the viewers in music
The closing discuss was extra of a fireplace chat between Soren Gordhamer, Jack Kornfield and the founding father of OpenAI Sam Altman. Jack and Soren had questions however the motive that the room was packed was as a result of everybody had so many questions on how AI goes to affect our lives and the place ChatGBT is headed. What’s going to it imply for society? How will it disrupt different industries? How will it have an effect on humanity and our trajectory as a species?
Soren Gordhamer and Jack Kornfield on the final panel of the day with Sam Altman of OpenAI
Excited concerning the collective knowledge from the plenty for AI, Sam says, “That is going to be an enormous change to society, so we want as many individuals concerned as potential. We’d like developer cooperation and a framework from humanity concerning the values individuals respect and want.” How a lot will it develop into a part of our lives, you surprise? Sam says, “I feel AI will simply be a part of society.”
Soren requested Sam, “How do you see the position of identification in your individual life? And what’s the position of tech and AI?” Sam says, “Something that will get you to query is nice. It’s attention-grabbing to observe individuals attempt to perceive if AI can have an actual identification. I feel it’s vital to launch this and permit individuals to adapt. I’m considerably fearful however we’ll uncover find out how to combine this into our lives.”
Sam Altman, Founding father of OpenAI
As for the magnitude of this sociological and technological shift, Sam says that he thinks it will likely be “greater than a technological revolution. It is going to be nearer to a societal revolution. It’s going to occur on a societal stage actually quick however I feel we also needs to take pleasure that society has come collectively to do unimaginable issues in such a brief time frame.”
They finally moved onto ChatGBT for apparent causes. It has exploded and shortly. You may say that ChatGBT has had a quicker adoption than the rest within the expertise trade. Examine it to Instagram and different apps or instruments that took off in a short time. Within the dialogue, they addressed the why, which led to issues rising as a result of it’s helpful, however I’d argue that’s not all the time the case. ChatGBT can be surreal, has an awe element and it’s outerworldly in numerous methods.
However what about ChatCBT’s capability to be taught by itself and determine issues out? Sam responded with a query, “Will this be one big mind within the sky? I feel it will likely be extra just like the all that contributes to the knowledge within the sky.” He added, “We might want to transfer past capitalism to deal with humanity and the place it’s going. As we evolve, we might want to transfer past it.”
All of us appear to agree that humanity must develop a connection to a better consciousness and embody it. Consciousness is already there. The million greenback query is: will AI assist with this in a constructive manner?
Jack piped in and mentioned, “I solely recognize collective knowledge. Let’s be taught collectively on how we shepherd and steward this.” Jack additionally added his personal perspective into staying grounded and tending to your inside life as an entrepreneur. He says, “We have to get quiet sufficient to hear deeply to our personal knowledge and insights, so we will have a spaciousness and a graciousness to make higher choices.” Hear hear Jack.
Jack Kornfield
Except for talks, panels and hearth chats, there’s experiential time. Most of the audio system additionally went into deeper dive discussions with individuals in smaller break-out rooms. And naturally, there’s networking with fascinating individuals from world wide, all of whom are keen on consciousness, expertise, science, enterprise and spirituality.
The primary stage
Dr. Gabor Mate chats with individuals outdoors
Lyla June Johnston
Rhonda Magee
Soren Gordhamer
Soren Gordhamer with Rick Doblin
The Knowledge 2.0 crew
The Knowledge 2.0 crew
The lounge the place individuals might sit, community and watch the primary stage walks on display.
A l’il connection time
Different sitting areas to talk and join
A breakout dialogue on AI and the place it’s headed.
Jenee Johnson of Sankofa Remedy
The primary stage
At our Birds of a Feather dinner, we had a dialogue about consciousness, weaving in the very best from science and spirituality.
Watch a Highlight Video here to get a taste for the occasion for those who’ve by no means been, in addition to our temporary abstract video under from this yr’s occasion. We hope to see you subsequent yr.
Founder
She can be the CEO and founding father of Magic Sauce Media, a brand new media companies consultancy targeted on viral advertising, social media, branding, occasions and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped firms from 12 nations get traction available in the market. Identified for her international and natural strategy to product and company launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an lively consumer of social media, she helps purchasers navigate digital waters from world wide. Renee has been running a blog for over 16 years and repeatedly writes on her private weblog Down the Avenue, Huffington Submit, BlogHer, We Weblog the World and different websites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Journal and is listed as a brand new media influencer and sport changer on varied websites and books on the brand new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed because the sixth most influential lady in social media by Forbes Journal on a Prime 20 Checklist.
Her ardour for artwork, storytelling and images led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visible extension of her writing, the results of which has led to producing six picture books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee can be the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to different nations to share and be taught from friends, governments, firms, and most of the people with a view to educate, share, consider, and promote modern applied sciences.
