Cultures are rooted in practices. The roots of those practices go so deep that they become our individual and collective reality. So, for instance, we practice being separate individuals, with a unique consciousness that is separate from our bodies. While more and more realize the problems with these practices of separation, no new practices of being and living that come from connection and wholeness have taken their place.
To cultivate new ways of being, we need an “Ecology of Practices”, says cognitive scientist John Vervaeke. Cognitive science is a new interdisciplinary field that combines neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, AI, linguistics, anthropology, and consciousness studies. It’s as close as you can get to a marriage of science and spirituality—without any woowoo. Vervaeke is both a great synthesizer and intrepid explorer within the field of cognitive science. He rose to fame six years ago with his 50 session YouTube series, “Awakening from the Meaning Crisis,” which has been followed by another series, “After Socrates,” where he explores the potentials of practices to ground us in meaningfulness.
In this evolve LIVE event, John Vervaeke will join us to explore how an ecology of practices can transform us and our culture. In such an ecology, different practice forms aim to work in synergy to help us grow as a human being towards wisdom and wholeness. For Vervaeke the four main areas of practice are mindfulness practices, practices of the Imaginal, dialogical practices and embodiment practices. When we cultivate our selves and our relationships in an integrated way, we are better equipped to maneuver through our challenging times and contribute to a sane world. In fact, we participate in creating the ways of being human that can ground a new culture.
As Vervaeke says in an interview with evolve:
“Wisdom requires a counteractive, complex dynamical system of practices. Because cognition is a very complex system, the only thing that can intervene on it comprehensively for the cultivation of wisdom is this dynamic, multi-level, self-organizing ecology of practices. All of the great wisdom traditions and legacy religions have this aspect to them. They build up these complex ecologies of practices to give people something that can intervene with self-deception.
If I try a one-shot intervention in my self-deception, my complex cognition will just do what it does great: It'll adapt itself and reconfigure itself to maintain the self-deception. Then people get into horrible spirals, they get locked in, fixated, obsessed, addicted.
You can't choose these practices the way you choose ice cream. You have to choose them with great advice from tradition and people that you respect, and to the degree to which you can honestly say they're challenging you.”
On 21. March, you can engage in dialogue with John Vervaeke about an ecology of practices. Which practices seem necessary for developing wisdom? Why does he see ecologies of practice as key to an “advent of the sacred”, in which we ground ourselves in deep meaning again? As we will engage in dialogue, we will also do the practice of moving this investigation together to uncover new perspectives and insights.
