An Enlightenment Intensive is a group
retreat designed to enable a
spiritual enlightenment experience within a relatively short time. Devised by Americans Charles Berner along with his wife Ava Berner in the 1960s, the format combines the
self-enquiry
Self-enquiry, also spelled self-inquiry (Sanskrit '' vichara'', also called '' jnana-vichara'' or '), is the constant attention to the inner awareness of "I" or "I am" recommended by Ramana Maharshi as the most efficient and direct way of disc ...
meditation method popularised by
Ramana Maharshi
Ramana Maharshi (; 30 December 1879 – 14 April 1950) was an Indian Hindu sage and ''jivanmukta'' (liberated being). He was born Venkataraman Iyer, but is mostly known by the name Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi.
He was born in Tiruchuli, Ta ...
with
interpersonal communication
Interpersonal communication is an exchange of information between two or more people. It is also an area of research that seeks to understand how humans use verbal and nonverbal cues to accomplish a number of personal and relational goals.
Inter ...
processes such as the
dyad
Dyad or dyade may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Dyad (music), a set of two notes or pitches
* ''Dyad'' (novel), by Michael Brodsky, 1989
* ''Dyad'' (video game), 2012
* ''Dyad 1909'' and ''Dyad 1929'', ballets by Wayne McGregor
Other uses ...
structure of
co-counselling
Co-counselling (spelled co-counseling in American English) is a grassroots method of personal change based on reciprocal peer counselling. It uses simple methods. Time is shared equally and the essential requirement of the person taking their turn ...
in a structure that resembles both a traditional
Zen
Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...
''
sesshin
A ''sesshin'' (接心, or also 摂心/攝心 literally "touching the heart-mind") is a period of intensive meditation (zazen) in a Zen monastery.
While the daily routine in the monastery requires the monks to meditate several hours a day, d ...
'' (meditation retreat) and
group psychotherapy
Group psychotherapy or group therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which one or more therapists treat a small group of clients together as a group. The term can legitimately refer to any form of psychotherapy when delivered in a group format, ...
. Religious teachings and philosophical concepts are generally avoided.
Origins
Charles Berner (1927 – 2007), who was later known as Yogeshwar Muni, created the Enlightenment Intensive. In the 1960s he formed the Institute of Ability where he and his wife Ava promoted “holistic health techniques such as fasting and massage, communication exercises like those used in encounter groups, emotional release therapies, past life regression, and a host of other modalities popular among the 1960s counterculture.”
Berner was known for his skills in helping people improve their life. He taught that honest communication and understanding between one’s self and others was the path to improved relationships, enlightenment and fulfilling the purpose of Life.
Charles Berner had observed that those who were most identified with their self-image, ego or personality tended not to make much progress in personal therapy, which may require flexibility.
Mystics who practise insight or
jnana yoga
Jnana yoga (), also known as the jnana ''marga'' (), is one of the three classical paths ('' margas'') for moksha (liberation) in Hinduism, which emphasizes the "path of knowledge", also known as the "path of self-realization". The other two ...
report a momentary change of
consciousness
Consciousness, at its simplest, is sentience and awareness of internal and external existence. However, the lack of definitions has led to millennia of analyses, explanations and debates by philosophers, theologians, linguisticians, and scien ...
bringing a direct experience of the
reality
Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, r ...
or truth of
self
The self is an individual as the object of that individual’s own reflective consciousness. Since the ''self'' is a reference by a subject to the same subject, this reference is necessarily subjective. The sense of having a self—or ''selfhood ...
or of others, or of existence, such as is known in various traditions as
kensho,
satori
is a Japanese Buddhist term for awakening, "comprehension; understanding". It is derived from the Japanese verb satoru.
In the Zen Buddhist tradition, ''satori'' refers to a deep experience of ''kenshō'', "seeing into one's true nature". ' ...
or
samadhi
''Samadhi'' (Pali and sa, समाधि), in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools, is a state of meditative consciousness. In Buddhism, it is the last of the eight elements of the Noble Eightfold Path. In the Ashtanga Yoga ...
. But traditional techniques for this realisation depend upon a monastic or
eremitic
A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions.
Description
In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Chr ...
life difficult to attain for the average Westerner.
In spring 1968 it "just suddenly occurred" to Charles Berner - "what source it came from I know not but it wasn't a process of sitting down and figuring it out" - to combine meditation methods with the structure of an interpersonal workshop.
The first experimental Enlightenment Intensive was held soon afterwards in the Californian desert with Charles and Ava Berner. Bill Savoie, in an unpublished book, The Bridge to One, writes that “in May 1968 Charles announced we would have a 5 day Enlightenment Intensive. We would just go for it and see what would happen. Charles had a community of about 150 people who would stay connected with his teachings. At that first Enlightenment Intensive there were 26 people. Both Peggy and I were there."
“The Enlightenment Intensive retreat that Berner created in 1968 grew out of his interest and research with using interpersonal communication to facilitate the enlightened state and personal growth. Berner wondered if there were more effective ways to accelerate spiritual development and personal growth for his students and clients.”
Berner combined “the 10,000 year old self inquiry meditation, ‘Who Am I,’ with a 20th Century western communication technique developed by Ava Berner called the relating dyad. The result that Berner and his students discovered was that this combination increased consciousness and quickened the process of enlightenment.
“Presentation is the technique used by us,” writes Berner in a booklet titled, Enlightenment. “By continual interaction with another, by presenting continually to another the results of contemplation of the nature of one’s self, the process of enlightenment is accelerated. One maintains his state of increased consciousness because it is achieved while in contact with another, and so one is in Life and the enlightenment is useful.”(5) This was a major discovery in the history enlightenment techniques.
[Berner,C.;(2015)Relating and Spiritual Consciousness;]
Berner ran dozens over the next few years, gradually refining the format and method, optimising the retreat for the "weekend truth-seeker". He also trained others to lead groups. His 99th Enlightenment Intensive was held in Berkeley in 1975 and he held several more in the late 1970s at his ashram in
St. Helena, CA known as Kayavarohana West.
Structure
The typical intensive is three days long: there are also longer Enlightenment Intensives (e.g., seven days, two weeks, six weeks) using essentially the same format as a three-day. It is led by a "master" or "facilitator" whose role is to set up the retreat, ensure it runs smoothly and provide participants with information, support and encouragement, both as a whole and individually. It has a set of rules designed to ensure a single-minded focus on the purpose of the retreat.
A typical day starts early in the morning and lasts until late in the evening and usually consists of a single structure interspersed with eating, washing, exercise, work and meditation. Each day there are ten to twelve 40-minute periods where participants work in dyads, rotating partners, giving an instruction, chosen by the participant or the master/facilitator, often called a ''
koan
A (; , ; ko, 화두, ; vi, công án) is a story, dialogue, question, or statement which is used in Zen practice to provoke the "great doubt" and to practice or test a student's progress in Zen.
Etymology
The Japanese term is the Sino-Jap ...
''. The most usual instructions are "tell me who you are", "tell me what you are", "tell me what life is" or "tell me what another is".
One partner gives the instruction to the other and listens intently without any response. The "talking" partner looks for a direct experiential answer and reports it to their partner. This continues for 5 minutes when, in response to a bell or chime, the "talking" partner becomes the "listening" partner for 5 minutes. After 40 minutes there is a break before resuming with another partner.
When participants have a direct experience of great clarity they may present an answer to the master/facilitator. The participant then continues, either with another instruction or the same instruction.
There may be a period on the last day to support integration of the experience into daily life. There may also be a follow-up meeting after some days.
Influence
Enlightenment Intensives are now held in many countries around the world. They may be offered as a "stand-alone" process outside any tradition, movement or organization. There are also numerous derivative processes going by different names, perhaps involving some alteration of the format.
References
Further reading
*Love, J. (1979) ''The 72 hour mirror, the Enlightenment Intensive Process.'' by Jeff Love. Guerneville, California: Inner Ed. Reprinted April 1986 by Origin, Star Route, Sattley, California. 59 pgs. (ASIN B000N6B0GY)
*Noyes, L. (1998), The Enlightenment Intensive: Dyad Communication as a Tool for Self-Realization. North Atlantic Books. ()
*Berner, C.; (2014), Enlightenment and the Enlightenment Intensive:Volume 1;Amazon Books; ()
*Berner, C.; (2014), Enlightenment and the Enlightenment Intensive:Volume 2;Amazon Books; ()
*Berner,C.;(2015)Relating and Spiritual Consciousness;Amazon Books; ()
*Wexler,Y.;(2014) Knowing Your Self: 100 Dyad Exercises for Awakening; Amazon Books; ({{ISBN, 1490339434)
External links
Enlightenment Intensive Retreats around the world
Meditation
Spiritual retreats
Large-group awareness training