• David Loy Helsingissä Elokuun lopulla saimme Helsinki Zenissä viettää erityistä viikonloppua, kun amerikkalainen zenopettaja, filosofi ja kirjailija David Loy vieraili Helsingissä. Tapahtuma kokosi yhteen ihmisiä niin zenharjoituksen, ekologisen kriisin kuin yhteiskunnallisen toiminnan teemojen äärelle. David Loyn ajattelu on tullut monille…

  • Helsinki Street Retreat 2026 We ended our Street Retreat yesterday on Saturday September 5. It is very difficult to verbalise anything coherent. My heart feels vast and open from all the amazing encounters we had. The most meaningful moments were…

  • The history of Auschwitz-Birkenau is not only a history of perpetrators and victims. It is also a history of memory, inherited trauma, moral ambiguity and the heavy burden carried by those who survived. The experiences of survivors, their children and…

  • What leads an ordinary person towards violence, and what allows them to recognise the consequences of their actions? This essay explores these questions through the lens of Zen practice, meditation, social engagement, and the story of Bosnian war criminal Esad…

  • This post explores the relationship between mystical experiences, altered states of consciousness, psychedelic experiences, and Zen Buddhism through anthropology, philosophy, psychology, and personal reflection. The post examines how extraordinary states of mind have accompanied humanity throughout history, shaping religions, rituals,…

  • This post explores mystical experience as a universal dimension of human consciousness that transcends culture, religion, and historical period. From the trance rituals of the Kalahari San peoples to Zen Buddhism, Sufism, Christianity, and Hinduism, mystical traditions have sought ways…

  • The post explores the nature of mystical experience from both philosophical and scientific perspectives, highlighting its significance in human life. Mystical experiences are described as profound states in which individuals feel a sense of unity with the universe, often accompanied…

  • This post examines the use of psychedelic substances from both historical and scientific perspectives. In many indigenous cultures, altered states of consciousness have been central to healing practices and religious rituals, often achieved through dancing, breathing techniques, or the use…

  • Altered States of Consciousness in Indigenous Cultures Altered states of consciousness have played an important role in many human cultures throughout history. While modern societies often associate such experiences with psychoactive substances, numerous Indigenous traditions achieve similar states through meditation,…

  • The Disrupted Way of Shamanic Life Imagine living in the desert with twenty-five to fifty of your closest relatives. The social pressures of such intimate, constant coexistence would, for most of us, be overwhelming. For the San people of the…

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