Art & Philosophy of the Spirit | Vision Art Workshops

The Centre for Continuing Education, Sydney University, 160 Missenden Road, Newtown NSW 2042

2021 DATES – 4 Tuesday evenings, 6.30-8.30 pm

TBA

“This unique course offers an in-depth analysis of contemporary concepts and practices – a fascinating marriage of ontology (theories of being) and aesthetics (theories of art).”

ART & PHILOSOPHY OF THE SPIRIT

“Our contemporary definition of ‘spirit’ is based on the convergence of three streams of knowledge: the impact of Eastern spiritual systems on the West in the 19th century and the parallel re-emergence of the Western stream of esoteric knowledge; followed by a 20th century global culture shaped by Internet technology. In separating ‘the spiritual’ from ‘the religious’, this groundbreaking course investigates a global, culturally inclusive interpretation of contemporary spirituality. The narrow focus of spiritual systems is defined, and the art of spiritual practices and spiritual philosophies is interpreted.”

Archive – 2020 LECTURE DATES – (4 lectures per session)
March – 4 Tuesday evenings 6.30-8.30 pm) CANCELLED/covid

Archive – 2019 LECTURE DATES – (4 lectures)
19, 26 March, 2, 9 April – 4 Tuesday evenings 6.30-8.30 pm

Archive – 2018 LECTURE DATES – (4 lectures)
3, 10, 17, 24 July – 4 Tuesday evenings 6.30-8.30 pm

Archive – 2017 LECTURE DATES – (4 lectures per session)
19, 26 September, 3,10 October – 4 Tuesday evenings 6.30-8.30 pm
14,21,18 March – 4 April – 4 Tuesday evenings 6.30-8.30 pm

Archive – 2016 LECTURE DATES – (4 lectures per session)
4,11,18,25 October – 4 Tuesday evenings 6.30-8.30 pm
1,8,15,22 March – 4 Tuesday evenings 6.30-8.30 pm

Archive – 2015 LECTURE DATES – (4 lectures per session)
17 Feb, 24 Feb, 3 March 10 March – 4 Tuesday evenings 6.30-8.30 pm
8, 15, 22, 29 September – 4 Tuesday evenings 6.30-8.30 pm

Archive – 2014 LECTURE DATES: (4 lectures per session)
4 , 11 , 18 , 25 February – 4 Tuesday evenings 6.30-8.30 pm
1 , 8 ,15 , 22 July – 4 Tuesday evenings 6.30-8.30 pm

Archive – 2013 LECTURE DATES: (4 lectures)
18, 25 June 2, 9 July – 4 Tuesday evenings 6.30-8.30 pm

COURSE CONTENT This art and philosophy course will cover the following topics:

Key Concepts in Spiritual Systems

Defining the difference between the ‘Spiritual’ and the ‘Religious’ – case studies of contemporary spiritual systems, including Kundalini Tantra (Eastern), Spiritual Science (Western), Pranic Healing™ (Eastern/Western)
Energy and consciousness; meditation techniques.
common themes in various systems of subtle bodies
The function of art in a spiritual system, examples include: the Nath Charit Folios, the Splendor Solis Manuscripts, Alchemy and The Hermetic Library

Spiritual Images and Spiritual Narratives in Contemporary Visual Culture

Spiritual narratives in cinema and television
The martial arts, Hatha yoga
Healing and art – the sand paintings of Native Americans; the sand mandalas of Buddhist monks; the healing diagrams of Emma Kunz; ‘Pranic Healing’ diagrams
The relationship between planetary forces and deep ecology in Spiritual Science

Being and Non-Being

God and Gods – the ‘psychic symbol’; formlessness meditation
spirituality and theoretical physics, quantum fields and sacred geometry.
Angelic hierarchies in Rudolf Steiner’s ‘Colour for Artists’; William Blake, Hildegard of Bingen.
Images of the Ineffable in Modernist art; mandalas and yantras in yoga; Neo-tantric art

Death, Dying and Higher Consciousness

Texts examined include: How to Know Higher Worlds, Rudolf Steiner; The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Sogyal Rinpoche; Sure Ways to Self-Realisation, Swami Satyananda; Meditations for Soul Realisation, Choa Kok Sui; The Bliss of Inner Fire, Lama Yeshe; The Upanishads
Concepts of transformation and transformational techniques in Western and Eastern systems