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2020 FMW Conference Postponed
June 17, 2020 / Leave a Comment / Trackback / Posted in News
We deeply regret to announce that the 2020 Franklin Merrell-Wolff Conference is postponed until next summer due to the ongoing hazard of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our keynote speaker, Thomas J. McFarlane, has graciously agreed to present at that time (TBA).
Over the years, the annual event—originally timed to celebrate Franklin’s Enlightenment (8/7/36)—has evolved into an optimal balance of substance, spirituality and personal intimacy. The measures required to hold gatherings under these conditions (as well as the risks of traveling) would have compromised this atmosphere—and a group photo of all attendees wearing masks would have emphasized it. Similarly, a virtual conference via Zoom is fine for business, but would fall far short here.
Doroethy and Ron will be commemorating Franklin’s Realizations in a small informal setting on Sunday morning of 8/2/2020 (10:00 a.m. EDT) in the Great Space. For those who wish to tune in non-locally, we shall feel the energy of your presence.
2020 Franklin Merrell-Wolff Conference
March 21, 2020 / Leave a Comment / Trackback / Posted in News
The 2020 Franklin Merrell-Wolff Conference will be held July 30–August 2 at the Great Space Center.
Our keynote speaker, Thomas McFarlane, MA; MS, presents The Aphorisms on Law. Beginning with Franklin’s Aphorisms on Consciousness without-an-Object concerning to the consciousness of objects, Tom will explore the nature of law as related to the laws of mathematics, physics and experience. The idea of the hierarchical structure of laws, from general to specific, may be extrapolated to the domains of laws of morality, society and regulated games.
Ron Leonard, PhD, will present Non-Duality. Franklin’s philosophy, based on his Mystical Realizations, is Non-Dualistic. Ron proposes to explore the meaning of Non-Duality, and how Mystical Realization reveals Ultimate Reality. Then he shall invite the group to move beyond intellect by direct pointing.
Doroethy Leonard, MA; M.Ed., will conduct a Synchronicity Workshop. Synchronicity is not what you think. Over the years this term, as well as ‘archetype’, have become popularized. Therefore, much of the Jungian meaning has been trivialized. Doroethy will be reiterating what Jung said in Ch. 7 of Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche. He spoke of this concept to Einstein before WWI, but didn’t lecture on it until about 1930.
A more complete account of our conference will be posted later under the Embrace tab on this website. For further information, or to register for this event, email doroethy@franklinmerrell-wolff.com.
2019 FMW Conference Report
February 17, 2020 / Leave a Comment / Trackback / Posted in News
Ron and Doroethy Leonard made their presentations on Friday. Ron–A Way of Realization: A Basic Guide to Franklin’s Philosophy (See The Philosopher’s Corner)–attempted to follow Einstein’s principle: Simplify as much as possible, but not moreso. Following a brief summary of Franklin’s philosophy, he led the group through guided meditations to approach the threshold of Realization.
Doroethy Leonard–Franklin’s Feeling Side–Franklin says that to apprehend Transcendental thought, one must “feel the thought.” As the person alive today who best knew Franklin, her insight into his feeling side was richly rewarding. (See her “On the Personal Side” column in the 2019 Fall Sangha.)
Ryan Harvey’s keynote presentationThe Two Sides of Reason–supported his thesis that there are two essential, complementary sources of Reason–Introceptive and Perceptive. He provided the following schema to illustrate this, including examples of central thinkers who represent each philosophical tradition.
HEGEL—Objective Idea (Father)—Function of Metaphysics
^
|
(Daughter of the Father)—Introceptive Source
Conception (Child of Reason)<
(Son of the Mother)—Perceptive Connection
|
v
SCHOPENHAUER—Subjective Idea (Mother)—(Cf. Platonic Form or Archetype = Primordial Image) Creative…
He proceeded to connect the discussion to Franklin’s philosophy of Introceptualism, and the significance of the Transcendent Function of Introception. (Franklin’s audio on Sunday morning reinforced the theme.) The group appreciated the easeful style—lucid and succinct.
Special Features—Our morning philosophical discussions were more open and accessible to those without much background in Franklin’s writings, which allowed more free-ranging exploration of ideas that arose in the moment. This year a spontaneous informal theme (both in session and at the Round Table) was the Paradox of Attainment—If we are truly already That which we seek, then what?
Before our usual Closing Ceremony—a Sufi dance conducted by Baiba Strads with heartfelt joy and sensitivity, we conducted a Healing Circle (There seem to be more of us, and those we love, who need positive energy to help meet health and other challenges.)
Special thanks to Doroethy’s daughters Dana Woosley and Sherie Palmer, who drove from Phoenix to cook our meals (apart from the potluck). The quality of the food and their service were exceptional.
2019 Franklin Merrell-Wolff Conference
April 22, 2019 / Leave a Comment / Trackback / Posted in News
The 2019 Franklin Merrell-Wolff Conference will be held August 8-11 at the Great Space Center. Our keynote speaker, Ryan Harvey, PhD, presents The Two Sides of Reason. He will discuss the generative and creative side of Reason–in the context of rationalism, vitalism and the transcendent–exemplified by such philosophers as Goethe, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, etc. His concern is to reconcile this view with the understanding of reason that defines traditional rationalism. Ron Leonard, PhD, will present A Basic Guide to Franklin’s Philosophy as a Way of Realization, clarifying Franklin’s use of language, and showing how it is grounded in his two Fundamental Realizations. He will then lead the group toward realizing these states through guided meditation. Doroethy Leonard, M.Ed., MC, drawing on her personal experience and psychological studies, will present Franklin’s Feeling Side and compare & contrast this to Sherifa’s orientation to feeling. A more complete account of our event is posted under the Embrace tab in our franklinmerrell-wolff.com website. Contact Doroethy@cox.net for further information.
2018 FMW Conference Report
September 02, 2018 / Leave a Comment / Trackback / Posted in News
The 2018 FMW Conference was uniquely satisfying in so many ways. Last year’s pre-conference guest, Professor Richard Doyle, from Penn State University, returned—this time in the company of his delightful lady friend, Costanza. With her help he reprised his home cooked meal for Doroethy and me. In his role as keynote speaker he expanded on Franklin’s 1st Aphorism, namely, Consciousness-Without-An-Object (Still) Is: A Collective Experiment in Direct Realization. He began with a few minutes of resonant chanting before showing the rhetorical effect of Franklin’s repetition of Consciousness-without-an-object in his Aphorisms, and then leading us into depth. Very dynamically inductive!
Ron & Doroethy Leonard gave preliminary talks on Friday. In Consciousness, Nonlocality and Quantum Physics, Ron made the case that nonlocality is part of nature and that the universe is conscious. No longer can we hold that we are living the universe of Classical physics conducting experiments in quantum physics; we are living in a quantum universe with varying degrees of decoherence—which may be intentionally reversed. Doroethy went beyond her title, Intuition for FMW, CG Jung & Sri Aurobindo—after the exceptionally difficult task of sorting through multiple definitions of intuition—to explore the boundary with introception.
On Saturday evening, Jennifer Young conducted a Special Program, leading a powerful version of Active Listening in the form of triads. Kurt Vander Horst enhanced the ensuing Starlight Walk during the Perseid meteor shower by setting up a telescope so that we could view several planets, including a view of the rings of Saturn.
During the weekend our group engaged in two profound discussions, (1) on Franklin’s meaning of SPACE—as his complementary symbol to Consciousness-without-an-object (and without-a-subject)—and (2) the sharing of each participant’s favorite inspirational spiritual quote. We had a third lively discussion concerning the sense in which Absolute Consciousness could also serve as an alternative symbol.
The conference concluded in love with Baiba Strads’ Closing Ceremony—a group Sufi dance.
Other positive signs were several new participants in their early 30s and volunteers preparing Friday & Saturday dinners.
Ron Leonard