I attended the Omega Institute’s “Being Fearless” conference in NYC this weekend. The event brochure fell into my hands just after I posted 2012: Two Paths. Since I was doing a lot of thinking about LOVE vs. FEAR at that time, I took it as a synchronistic nudge and decided to go.

It was an interesting experience and the speakers were amazing. But the conference was targeting a different audience from me, and I knew that would be the case going in. For example, there was a lot of “God” there (though in an inclusive, open-minded way that allowed for someone like me). On the other hand, I didn’t hear anyone talking about 2012, the precession of the equinoxes, wage slavery or homo luminous.

Mainly I doubt many of the attendees are pounding the walls of their lives with a strange version of “All Along the Watchtower” playing in their heads. They weren’t people of the fringe. Like me.

But the overall theme was one that I can wholeheartedly relate to: We live in an extraordinary time and the urgent call of the hour is to integrate our shadows, transmute our fear and help give birth to a new world.

Andrew Harvey gave one of the weekend’s most memorable speeches. It was a passionate expression of the same vision he describes on his website, where he writes:

Everyone whose eyes are open knows the world is in a terrifying crisis. As many of us as possible need to undergo a massive transformation of consciousness and to find the sacred passion to act from this consciousness in every arena and on every level of reality. It is my deepest belief that only Sacred Activism – the fusion of the deepest mystical knowledge, peace, strength, and stamina with calm focused and radical action – can possibly be of use now. A mysticism that is only private and self-absorbed leaves the evils of the world intact and does little to halt the suicidal juggernaut of history; an activism that is not purified by profound spiritual and psychological self-awareness and rooted in divine truth, wisdom, and compassion will only perpetuate the problem it is trying to solve, whatever it’s righteous intentions. When, however, the deepest and most grounded mystical vision is married to a practical and pragmatic drive to transform all existing political, economic, and social institutions, a holy force and power of wisdom in action is born, a force and power that can re-fashion all things in and under God, and bring humanity, even at this late desperate hour, into harmony with its self and original nature. This force of Sacred Activism I believe will be the source of the birthing power that humanity will need to create a new world from the smoking ashes of the one that is now passing away.

On the other hand, The New York Times recently ran a story by Alex Williams about how doomsday survivalism is going mainstream and middle class.

LOVE vs. FEAR.

These are interesting times indeed. I’d say “fasten your seatbelt” if that didn’t run flatly counter to my philosophy.