Dear friends,
I'm happy to announce the latest episode of BEYOND MEANING, where author, psychotherapist, and former priest Mark Vernon joins me to explore the life and work of William Blake.
Other than being a mesmerising artist and poet, Blake had a radical vision of the imagination as the fundamental nature of reality. Mark explores this vision in depth in his newly published book, "Awake! William Blake and the Power of the Imagination".
Drawing from Blake’s poetry, art, and mystical visions, Mark and I explore the imagination as the most spiritual human faculty. We discuss the imagination as that which allows us to participate in the creative heart of existence and that which allows us to access subtler dimensions of experience. Most importantly, Mark highlights how these insights may be just what our modern crisis of meaning is looking for.
I tried something new with the editing of this episode, too, inserting some of Blake's beautiful artworks in key sections... I hope you enjoy this :) As always, I am deeply grateful for your support, and I hope these conversations bring you some new and useful insights!
With love and gratitude,
Simeon
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🌐For more by Mark Vernon, visit:
https://www.markvernon.com/
📖You can order Mark's book on Blake here:
https://amzn.to/4pFsKh6
(I earn a small commission from your purchase through this affiliate link - at no extra cost to you.)
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⌛ Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
07:07 Science & the Imagination
17:19 The Imagination as Divine Reality
29:49 The Imagination vs Meditation
35:00 The Imagination as a Spiritual Practice
39:35 Desire as a Guide to the Divine
43:56 Blake’s Map of Growth: Innocence & Experience
50:03 William Blake as a Spiritual Teacher
53:43 Blake’s Mystical Visions
57:51 Practical Advice for Working with the Imagination
01:01:16 Finding the World Within Yourself
1:03:03 Closing Remarks
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🎵 Original music by Ray Mickey
