THE NEW YORK THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY

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SUNDAY LECTURES

These lectures are open to all.  There is a suggested donation of $10-$15 per lecture.  
Please feel free to donate whatever amount you feel comfortable with. 

with Thomas Daniel Nehrer

Beliefs and definitions, absorbed during childhood, never clarify how Reality works, but rather mask its interrelated Oneness with Consciousness. Tom’s long inner journey engendered ongoing perception of that Oneness – a clarity glimpsed earlier during a mystic experience. From his unique, perspective, Tom illustrates inner causality of real events, health and relationships, clarifying life’s integrated flow. His intimate, entertaining talks regard vital steps on one’s inner journey towards perceiving that flow and gaining determinative dominion over its quality – as well as pointing out hazards on that path. Most penetrating, he will regard common cultural notions, various healing techniques and spiritual disciplines, including the messages of past teachers – showing how they illustrated the Oneness, and where they fell short or had their messages distorted by time and translation.

TOM NEHRER questioned the tenets of religious and cultural assumptions of mid-century Middle America at a very early age.  He had a mystic experience on the island of Corfu that prompted an inner journey through self-hypnosis, meditation and other techniques, along with an outward examination of the superficiality of beliefs and fallacious, archaic cultural notions.  His web site, The Essence of Reality is at www.nehrer.net.

Come join our Spiritual Cinema Circle, at 3 PM in our 3rd floor classroom.  Today we will view Curtain Call, an amusing film abut ghosts of two famous stage actors that involve themselves in a young executive's life.  94 minutes.

June 29                        3:00 PM

With Stewart Bitkoff

This lecture is based upon Mr. Bitkoff’s newly released book, A Commuter’s Guide to Enlightenment. In part, this writing explores how to transcend tiresome and mundane activities, through shifting consciousness and using meditation/concentration activity-- techniques that can be applied while driving the Major Deegan Expressway to work every day. According to Sufi tradition, life is the great classroom and enlightenment can be attained in ordinary life while doing just about anything, even commuting. For the traveler, what is required is an awakening of certain capacities and connecting with that deeply hidden part of ourselves that is always in tune with Light. Some topics to be covered will include: what is spiritual experience?; varieties of consciousness (you are what you think); states and stations; making life the prayer; thought monitoring; shifting away from troubling thoughts; and Sufi views on enlightenment.

Stewart Bitkoff, a doctoral graduate in education, spent most of his professional career in the NYC area. An expert in therapeutic recreation, psychiatric rehabilitation and treatment, Dr.Bitkoff has been on the faculty or served as field instructor for NYU , Lehman College, Iona College, the College of New Rochelle, East Stroudsburg University and Northampton Community College.

with Edwidge Gilbert

The Fresh Start program is a series of techniques and strategies for individuals and groups to work in a specific sequence over a “28 day detoxification period.” The end result is to eliminate harmful practices and habits and allow clients to regain their birthright of joie de vivre (carefree joyfulness). The program encompasses Gilbert’s 3 C's Technique, a meditation to become calm, centered and connected. Once in that state, which can be reproduced thereafter at will, the client mentally enters “The Screening Room,” where she or he is led to see her or himself as they ideally want to be – as a non- smoker, a svelte, more careful eater, etc. Gilbert also teaches a series of “anchoring” techniques, such as “The Finger Grab” that allow the client to return to the state of calm mindfulness and control over their feelings and actions.

 Edwige Gilbert is founder of New Life Directions (www.newlifedirections.com) and author of The Fresh Start Promise: 28 Days to Total Mind, Body, Spirit Transformation.  She has worked with numerous individuals as well as groups, and specializes in combating addictions. Her corporate clients have included Smith Barney, Citibank, Verizon, Lehman Brothers and Corcoran.