586. Cynthia Bourgeault, 2nd Interview

years she worked closely with Fr. Thomas Keating as a student, editor, and colleague and has taught and written extensively on Centering Prayer. She is a core faculty member at the Center for Action and Contemplation and founding director of an international network of Wisdom Schools. In addition to her work on Centering Prayer, she is the author of numerous other books on the Christian Mystical and Wisdom tradition, including The Wisdom Jesus: Transforming Heart and Mind--A New Perspective on Christ and His Message, The Meaning of Mary Magdalene: Discovering the Woman at the Heart of Christianity, and her most recent, Eye of the Heart: A Spiritual Journey into the Imaginal Realm.

Websites:

cynthiabourgeault.org
wisdomwayofknowing.org

Other Books:

The Heart of Centering Prayer: Nondual Christianity in Theory and Practice
Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening
The Holy Trinity and the Law of Three: Discovering the Radical Truth at the Heart of Christianity
Love is Stronger than Death: The Mystical Union of Two Souls

Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group.

Summary and transcript of this interview

Interview recorded February 6, 2021

First BatGap interview with Cynthia.
YouTube Video Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
00:04:41 - The Subtler Dimensions of Reality
00:08:41 - Heaven and Hell in the Christian Tradition
00:12:55 - Two Different Experiences of Theophane's Presence
00:16:51 - Being a Cosmic Servant
00:20:58 - Receiving and Transplanting Spiritual Virtues
00:25:24 - Seeing the Whole Picture
00:29:47 - Surrendering to the Field of Moral Coherence
00:33:50 - Spiritual Discernment and the Hazards of Misinterpretation
00:37:50 - The Importance of Risk-Taking in Spiritual Growth
00:42:28 - The Science of Love and the Divine Heart
00:46:44 - The Anti-Entropic Force
00:50:54 - The Turning and Kicking 
00:54:24 - The School of Hard Knocks and Spiritual Evolution
00:58:07 - The Mystery of Life's Unfolding
01:02:19 - Sensation and the Gurjief work
01:06:16 - The Energetic Signature of Psychosis
01:10:41 - The Shift in the Subtle Realms
01:15:27 - The Great Chain of Being and Collective Repentance
01:20:05 - Climate Change and Cataclysms
01:24:23 - Cultivating Goodness in Consciousness
01:33:06 - The Burden and Joy of Parenthood
01:36:53 - The Denying Force and Necessary Friction
01:40:57 - The Spiritual Womb Center
01:45:10 - Moving Sensation to the Chakras
01:49:54 - The Necessary Darkness for Transformation
01:54:15 - The Misinterpretation of "There's only God"
01:58:30 - Cynthia Bourgeault Library and Other Websites
02:02:21 - New Voices in the CAC
02:05:32 - Introductory Music