Origins, A Cosmo-Local Gathering: The 50th Annual Jean Gebser Society Conference

Jean Gebser (1905-1973), Swiss philosopher and phenomenologist of consciousness, proposed a series of dramatic ontological restructurings—mutations—punctuating human history. In 2020, the global pandemic was followed by a quickening succession of historical social movements, economic crises, and climate disaster, making it clear as never before that our civilization finds itself in just such a mutational period. 

As we enter the third decade of the 21st century, which coincides with our society’s 50th annual conference, we take this opportunity to reflect on the theme of “Origins.” Ursprung und Gegenwart, or The Ever-Present Origin (1949), Jean Gebser’s magisterial opus, draws centrally upon an understanding of origin to elucidate a spiritual phenomenology of the present and the unfolding of the structures of consciousness.  

In the context of our Janus-faced moment of historical breakdown and breakthrough, intensification and mutational urgency, how can a contemplation of origin, and origins, yield valuable insights for the present as well as the future?

Origins

During the course of three weekends in October of 2021, the Gebser Society will convene its conference via hybridized form: online panels in the mornings, followed by afternoon sessions convened through locally organized chapters.

To celebrate the origins and history of our society on this occasion of our 50th conference, Algis Mickunas, translator of The Ever-Present Origin and co-founder of the Gebser Society, will present his new work. Algis will also participate in a series of morning panels: on time and integral consciousness, the founding of the American Gebser society, and taking Gebser scholarship into the future.

On the third and concluding weekend, we will be joined by Rudolf Hämmerli, editor of the eight-volume Novalis Verlag edition of Gebser’s collected works and president of the European Gebser Society. Hämmerli will participate on a panel with Dr. Aaron Cheak and Jeremy Johnson, discussing The Jean Gebser Project and Gebser’s import for our mutational present.

Cosmo-Local Gathering

In these times of liminality, when we do not know whether it will be safe to travel or safe to gather at the time of this conference, we are reconceiving the way we come together to discuss the ideas of Jean Gebser. Gebser gave us glimmers of inspiration by suggesting that we are not limited to space-time arrangements. We have pondered themes of aperspectivity and atemporality in the past. Now we get to try aspatiality and spatiality together. We can be in morning, afternoon, and evening simultaneously! 

We propose to do this by gathering locally either through Zoom or in small, in-person gatherings, and then coming together globally via Zoom (in the morning in the US and in the afternoon/evening in Europe) to share ideas, practices, have conversations, and inspire each other to take our work and Gebser’s work further. 

This local-global hybrid approach is an experiment in cosmo-locality, as we are citizens of both the cosmos and our home cities, towns, and bioregions. Please bring your local flavor to the event!

As there is currently another COVID surge in the United States, we strongly recommend that organizers gauge the risks of meeting locally and organize accordingly. Smaller gatherings are encouraged over large ones. Please stay safe and take precautions. If your chapter is concerned about in-person gatherings, consider meeting locally via Zoom.

Schedule

October 9, 2021 – Day/Weekend 1:

Theme: New mutations of consciousness

9:00 am PT Context and grounding.  Lisa Maroski presents on how this format of coming together locally and nonlocally (spatially and a-spatially) is an application of Gebser’s work. 

9:30 am PT Curated presentation 1 + Q/A 

10:30 am PT Curated presentation 2 + Q/A

11:30 am PT Sharing from local groups in Europe (Please note: sign up required, so we know

how much time to alot for each group)

Break 

Cosmo-Local gatherings: Local/rhizomatic groups convene for as long as they want, on or off Zoom. Gebser Society Zoom room opens for discussion/breakout groups.

October 16, 2021 – Day/Weekend 2:

Theme: Hearing and Responding to Algis Mickunas

9 am PT Algis presents new work.

9:45 am PT Algis and Mike Purdy discuss Time 

10:15 am PT Curated Response 1 to Algis/Alfonso on the founding of Gebser Society

11:00 am PT Curated Response 2 to Algis

12 noon PT Integrating Past and Future—moderated open discussion on taking Gebser into

our future endeavors, experiments in “applied Gebser.”

Break

Local groups convene in-person or on Zoom. Gebser Society Zoom room opens for

discussion/breakout groups.

October 23, 2021 – Day/Weekend 3

Theme: The Jean Gebser Project – Conversations with Rudolf Hammerli

9 am PT Opening keynote panel with Rudolf Hammerli, Dr. Aaron Cheak

and Jeremy Johnson. They discuss the Jean Gebser Project and the import of integral consciousness for our mutational moment. 

9:30 am PT Dave Zuckerman, The Prison Project

10:30 am PT Curated Presentation 3 + Q&A

11:30 am PT Local groups share their reflections. (see suggestion from Day 1/Weekend 1)

12 noon Performance-together (and encourage local groups to have their own performances and concluding events)

Cost

International Jean Gebser Society Members: $10

Become a member + conference: $45

Nonmembers: $50

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