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"It is truth that liberates, not your effort to be free." - Krishnamurti
"Wisdom tells me I am nothing. Love tells me I am everything.
Between the two, my life flows." - Nisargadatta Maharaj
Essentially the aim of this process is to experience, however briefly,
that state of consciousness clumsily referred to as ‘enlightenment’.
Enlightenment Intensive is a three day full-on process involving communication and contemplation over long hours. It is challenging, tough, hugely rewarding and unlike anything else.
Everything about the process has been carefully designed over many years (since the 60’s) to create the best possible opportunity for breaking through to an enlightenment experience.
If you have read about, but not actually got for yourself what the mystics and sages of all ages experienced, and you are willing to face your self to get it, then these three days could change it all. The realisations and breakthroughs people regularly have on these events are beyond description.
I spoke but my words lost their meaning. I saw people coming towards me but all were myself. I had never known this world. I was never created. I was the cosmos.
No individual Mr Sasaki existed.” - Sokei-an-Sasaki
An Enlightenment Intensive is a powerful, highly structured three days of contemplation, aimed at bringing about a change of consciousness generally known as enlightenment, or more usefully referred to as, a direct experience of things as they ultimately are, a state of no separation, beyond conflict. The change of state in these moments is the same referred to by all mystics, and though often very brief, this awakening can be the basis for whole new directions in life and self-understanding. It is a demanding and rewarding technique for anyone willing to devote themselves for three very full days to exploring the truth of self, life and others.
Enlightenment Intensives have been taken by thousands of people since they were developed by Charles Berner in the sixties. The process can be described as combining age old aspects of Zen Buddhist meditation retreats, with contemporary western techniques of frank, open face to face communication. Participants contemplate a single question, such as “Who am I?” continuously throughout the whole three days. A simple technique is taught to help do that. Other questions are “What an I?”, “What is life?” and “What is another?”. Pondering your question and communicating what that brings up is the basic practice. A large part of the time is spent working in pairs, sitting facing each other; one partner contemplating, and communicating whatever is arising in their contemplation, the other listening without comment or judgment of any kind. The result is profound. Contemplation continues whilst eating, walking, working, resting or sitting silently.
There is a schedule and rules. The schedule starts at 6am and continues to 11pm. The rules exclude toxins and distractions such as sex, jewellery, tobacco, caffeine, alcohol and gossip about other people in the group. Food is light, wholesome and vegetarian. Everything about an intensive has been tried and tested with one aim: to provide the best opportunity to directly experience Truth. You are not given any set beliefs or ideas; the aim is to find out for yourself.
Anyone in reasonable mental and physical health can use this technique, regardless of beliefs, outlook, problems or hang-ups, there are no qualifications and there is no way of knowing who is graced with Truth.
Many traditions deal thoroughly with these experiences; Intensives provide and opportunity to totally enter this quest for 3 days and get something firsthand. This form of contemplation carries you sometimes rapidly through highs and lows, through changing mental, emotional and physical states, until at some point there is real resistance to going further. What you come up against is what’s between you and Truth. Obstacles like preconceived ideas (however accurate), feelings of unworthiness, fear of failure and trying to keep one’s image intact. You are encouraged and guided through this process, but not evaluated or advised and so left free to go through whatever is between you and Truth. Trust and openness develop through real contact and through seeing others go through their barriers.
Truth does not change, it just is, but each individual comes upon it in their own way and has their own personal expression of it, rolling about laughing, floods of tears, exuberance or quiet amazement, feelings of love, oneness, eternity, gratitude, recognition of something they’ve always known, of coming home and acceptance. Not everyone gets it, and it can be a rough ride and requires tenacity, but everyone who does says it was worth whatever it took to get there.
A direct experience doesn’t solve problems, it just shows you the way things actually are, but knowing this can be the decisive factor in your life, and allow you to act and live from yourself, free of other peoples ideas, opinions and judgments.
Everyone goes through their own individual three day “journey”, however most experience at some time or other something of, fear, guilt, anger, frustration, restful calm, hilarious giggling and deep intimacy, insights into attitudes, emotions, and ideas that have perhaps not been questioned so deeply before, drowsiness and fatigue, wanting it to be all over, soaring energy, gratitude, incredible honesty and open heartedness, and at some point, if you’ve really been going for the Truth, something about yourself you just don’t want to face.
This technique has been carefully polished and you are wholeheartedly supported, so that you can go through whatever you have to go through to glimpse the ultimate. Moments of direct experience are incomparable. You may or may not breakthrough to that other realm but you’ll certainly discover a lot in the attempt.
“We went through all different stages. It is indeed not a shortcut method. Really listening, looking into each others eyes, being honest, no judgments no fears, staying with your own experience while next to you somebody is screaming, crying or having the giggles. It all builds up slowly.
It wasn’t easy, you get fed-up, exhausted, annoyed, you want to go home, you think you are crazy doing this, more exhaustion. But once you pass this, it gets very interesting, the energy became very powerful. Different parts of my body started to feel opening, my heart, my third eye, other places in my head. Many sensations, a strong heart pulse, extreme cold, then hot, feeling engulfed by love, loosing boundaries.
I don’t consider myself Enlightened after this, but it surely has been an incredible time with very special experiences. The technique itself doesn’t have any religious input, at the same it could fit any; the energy certainly became sacred towards the end.
Searching ‘Who am I?’ has given me, in a very short time, an incredible insight into many aspects of my life. In that emptying mind all sorts of clear connections were made. So much understanding of patterns in my life. And behind all that, I re-connected very deeply with this strong part of me, that desires to merge with what many people call God, and which I cannot name. Maybe it’s light. At one stage I wanted to live like this every day, like a monk or so. Doing everything contemplating, with full attention and grace, and with gratefulness. But I realized that in our age we have no time to meditate full-time for years. The planet needs people to live and work in the community too; transformation and healing are so necessary. And that’s why this technique is so wonderful; retreating for a few days and reconnect with our deepest self and our spiritually, cleansing ourselves and hopefully experiencing the Truth, whatever it may be. It is an experience that will always stay with you.” E.V.H
“Three days of ‘Who am I?’ On that last walk in the cool night air I could hear crisp and clear the sound of leaves turning, blown by the wind on the path. With every slow step: ‘Who am I?’ I put everything into my contemplation. Then: trees, night sky, path and I became suddenly familiar. The bell rang for the last session I went back into the room, awkward and happy, but hardly daring to say to my partner: I was always here, I am the world.” S.A
“There is only love, and all you do is trying to hide the Truth” P.C
"I understood the river and the rocks. Barefoot I entered the cold river but this time it was neither cold nor warm, it was just water. Water was just water. I understood the stream." S.T.
"All aspects of the goddess unfolded before my eyes..." I.K.
I have been involved with all aspects of intensives since 1987. I have taken a two week and a six week as well as many 3 day intensives. I have trained in many of the other communication techniques taught by Charles Berner, the originator of the Enlightenment Intensive. I completed an Enlightenment Intensive Masters Training Course with Jake and Eva Chapman in 1988. Since then I’ve been leading Intensives following almost exactly Charles Berner’s original format. I’m unconvinced any variations yield better results. I may run a radically altered E.I in the future but this will be clearly announced and not called E.I.
I have broad experience in psychotherapy, meditation, contemporary growth techniques and ancient ceremonial ways. I’m a long time student of Tibetan Buddhism. This website describes my other work. It also gives you some idea of the wonderful, wild place we have for staging our intensives.
Since 1996 my intensives have been assisted by Anthony Johnston. He is also very experienced in large areas of Charles Berner’s work as well as having much experience with E.Is and he has himself completed an E.I masters training course.
Although I have gone on to many other things, I remain grateful to the E.I for giving me my first strong foothold in the vast terrain of this exploration. Of the many workshops available to people nowadays, I still think E.I shines out like a jewel. For people with busy lives, it provides an opportunity to go deeply to the very heart of things in a short time. The insights are of the most profound order.
May everyone find their path and may situations for great benefit and happiness arise.
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