that was zen, this is dao

The more fortunate reader will be scanning the above title slug from the comfort of a barf-bag equipped 747. It's from an article in the January 2005 issue of CommonGround -- "A Conscious Enlightenment Publication" -- titled Esalen at the Edge. Esalen’s furthest edge may be its Center for Theory & Research (CTR), a think-tank that probes "frontier inquiries" and serves as an incubator for future workshop programming. CTR has conducted programs in alternative and holistic health and has compiled a bibliography of scientific research on meditation. It has archived 10,000 cases studies of supernormal human functioning, including acts of telepathy and extraordinary strength. Recently, CTR has explored more sustainable methods of capitalism with leading CEOs, sustainability experts, and activists. Ah yes, sustainability -- the nominalization that made global economic rape and pillage a cozy concept for millions of idle First World poseurs. Consider the following eco-porn... After smarmily informing us that "[e]ven Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson once worked here as a caretaker/security guard" -- oh wow, man -- the CommonGround article goes on to relate that... In its early history, two stars of the Human Potential Movement battled for dominance over the soul of Esalen. Psychologist Abraham Maslow, promoting intellectual development, faced off with Fritz Perls, pioneer of Gestalt therapy, who advocated for the primacy of the body and feelings. Yeah? Well here's another "human potentiality"...

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