Online Learning Webinars

Watch the following video to explore Open Center Online Learning webinars, then read more about our upcoming programs below.

Experience outstanding holistic programs from anywhere in the world with Open Center Online Learning webinars. This season, the Open Center is launching a compelling new initiative: a series of live webinars with distinguished faculty, accessible from the comfort of your own home. It’s time to take the Open Center’s work worldwide via the Internet! To participate in any of these events, only a computer and broadband connection to the Internet is needed. Each webinar is an interactive, two-hour experience with an intimate feel. We encourage you to let friends and family outside the greater New York area know that these new programs are now available.

By registering, for each webinar event you will receive the following:

• 90 minutes of live, interactive webinar content.
• 30 minutes of question-and-answer time with the teacher.
• Access to download a recording of the complete webinar, after the event. (Free software provided to view.)

Computer System Requirements
No matter where you are on the planet, as long as you have a computer with a broadband connection, web browser, and sound capabilities (microphone and speakers or headset), you will be able to participate and engage in the question-and-answer period. If you can watch YouTube videos, you can attend this webinar online. Recommended System Requirements: Windows XP (PC) or Mac OSX 10.5 or higher, and browsers version Internet Explorer 6, Firefox 3, Safari 4, and Chrome 11 or higher. ACCESS INFORMATION WILL BE EMAILED TO REGISTERED STUDENT A FEW DAY PRIOR TO THE EVENT.

Awake Beyond Your Dreams: Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming
Stephen LaBerge, PhD
Lucid dreaming, in which we realize we are dreaming while fully engaged in the dream world, is an extraordinary and exhilarating altered state of consciousness available to us while we sleep. Scientific research has established the reality of lucid dreams, and by developing new methods of induction and stabilization has made lucid dreaming into a learnable skill, a powerful tool for self exploration. In this three-part interactive webinar, you will learn how we  construct our experience of reality, how to become lucid in your dreams and guide them wisely, and how to use lucid dreaming to awaken more fully to the miracle of being, bliss, and awareness.
A WEBINAR SERIES
(3 sessions) Saturdays, June 2–16, 1–3pm EDT
12OLWPS102 • $80 (No Member Discount)
$70 Early Bird rate by May 19

Music of the Spheres of Being
David Hykes
Contemplative teacher-composer-singer David Hykes shares the Harmonic Presence work, integrating mind, music, meditation and healing harmonization, including his “music of the spheres,” Harmonic Chant, and deep awareness practices with breath, sensation, sound and listening. A spiritual practitioner for over 35 years, Hykes founded Harmonic Chant and the related contemplative and healing work in New York in 1975 and has collaborated with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Mind and Life Institute. His groundbreaking albums include “Hearing Solar Winds.” His music is heard in many films, including “Travelers and Magicians,” “Meetings with Remarkable Men,” and “Journey Into Buddhism.” Hykes runs a contemplative retreat near Paris, France. www.harmonicpresence.org
A WEBINAR SERIES
(2 sessions) Saturday, June 30, & Sunday, July 8, 1–3pm EDT
12OLWHH103 • $59 (No Member Discount)
$50 Early Bird rate by June 9

The Promise of Psychical Research
Lawrence LeShan, PhD
“History will judge Lawrence LeShan as one of the great visionaries of consciousness.”
—Larry Dossey, MD

When world-renowned psychologist Lawrence LeShan first explored clairvoyance and precognition it shook his belief in everyday reality. As a result, it led him to postulate other states of consciousness, which he calls “Clairvoyant Reality” and “Transpsychic Reality.” Although LeShan was trained in the traditional scientific method, he discovered that these altered realities—including the knowledge of future events, the ability to heal from great distances, and other paranormal phenomena— operated according to their own laws. In this webinar, Leshan will distill his decades of research and contemplation on the frontier of consciousness, offering a new and transformative vision of reality. Ample time will be given for questions.
AN ONLINE WEBINAR
(1 session) Sunday, June 17, 1–3pm EDT
12OLWP103 • $29 (No Member Discount)
$25 Early Bird rate by June 3

Rumi, the Person and the Poet: I Wonder which Me is Me?”*
Fatemeh Keshavarz, PhD
Born in Afghanistan in 1207 into a family of mystics and scholars, Rumi settled in Konya, Anatolia. He became a professor at the age of 25, but his life changed when he met a wandering dervish. A distinguished Iranian scholar and writer describes Rumi the person, the kind of poetry he wrote and why, and discusses the meaning of whirling.
AN ONLINE WEBINAR
(1 session) Sunday, June 24, 1–3pm EDT
12OLWSS101 • $29 (No Member Discount)
$25 Early Bird rate by June 10

*Combined price for both this class and Rumi the Teacher & Ecstatic Lover with Fatemeh Keshavarz
12OLWSS103
$45 Early Bird combined rate by June 10.
$52 if registering for both at the same time after June 10.
No member discount for combine rates.

Rumi the Teacher & Ecstatic Lover**
Fatemeh Keshavarz, PhD
Born in Afghanistan in 1207 into a family of mystics and scholars, Rumi settled in Konya, Anatolia. He became a professor at the age of 25, but his life changed when he met a wandering dervish. A distinguished Iranian scholar and writer describes Rumi the person, the kind of poetry he wrote and why, and discusses the meaning of whirling.
AN ONLINE WEBINAR
(1 session) Sunday, July 1, 1–3pm EDT
12OLWSS103 • $29 (No Member Discount)
$25 Early Bird rate by June 18

**Combined price for this webinar and Rumi, the Person and the Past with
Fatemeh Keshavarz
12OLWSS103
$45 Early Bird combined rate by June 10.
$52 if registering for both at the same time after June 10.
No member discount for combine rates.

Psychedelic Therapy Research: The State of the Art
A Webinar series hosted by
Neal M. Goldsmith, Ph.D.
Faculty Includes: Neal M. Goldsmith, Ph.D., Rick Doblin, Ph.D., Michael Mithoefer, M.D., and Bill A. Richards, Ph.D.
We are in the midst of a “psychedelic renaissance” of extraordinary research at Johns Hopkins, Harvard, and other top medical schools.  This webinar series will share the powerful findings of this leading-edge research with four leaders in this exciting new work. We will use interactive discussions and audience participation.

Psychedelic Therapy Research: An Introduction
Neal M. Goldsmith, Ph.D.
This webinar will describe the latest results of new research on psychedelic therapy – key effects, new conclusions, and open questions – and will outline the intriguing modern history of psychedelic research that has brought us to this exciting point.
Saturday, July 7, 1-3pm EDT
12OLWP102A * $29

Psychedelics by Prescription: A Strategy
Rick Doblin, Ph.D., Executive Director, Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies
Neal M. Goldsmith, Ph.D., Moderator

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS, www.maps.org) is a non-profit pharmaceutical company focusing on developing the therapeutic uses of psychedelics and marijuana into FDA-approved prescription medicines.  Rick will discuss MAPS' overall strategy and report on studies of MDMA, LSD, ibogaine, ayahuasca and marijuana.
Saturday, July 21, 1-3pm EDT
12OLWP102B * $29

MDMA-assisted Psychotherapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Rationale, History and Ongoing Clinical Research
Michael Mithoefer, M.D., Principal Investigator, MAPS MDMA PTSD study
Neal M. Goldsmith, Ph.D., Moderator

PTSD is a serious public health problem for which existing treatments are often inadequate.  MDMA has shown promise as a catalyst to psychotherapy for PTSD in early clinical trials, and is currently being tested in veterans with treatment-resistant PTSD.  We will discuss the results of this research, the nature of the therapeutic effects of MDMA and developing research worldwide.
Saturday, July 28, 1-3pm EDT
12OLWP102C * $29

Psychedelic Therapy with Cancer Patients: Living as One Approaches Death
William (Bill) A. Richards, Ph.D., Lead Therapist, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Psilocybin and Cancer Study
Neal M. Goldsmith, Ph.D., Moderator

The core of this webinar will focus on the variety of alternative states of consciousness accessed with entheogens, the factors that influence what is experienced, and the “fruits for life” that may result from the wise and responsible use of “psychedelic sacraments,” especially in reference to research with cancer patients.
Sunday, July 29, 1-3pm EDT
12OLWP102D * $29
A WEBINAR SERIES
(4 sessions) Saturdays, July 7–28,
and Sunday, July 29, 1-3pm EDT
No class on July 14.
12OLWP102Z
$110 (No Member Discount) for series
$29 for individual webinars
$99 Early Bird rate when registering for
entire webinar series by June 30

Early Church Spirituality of the Heart
Robin Amis

Author Robin Amis draws from his recent book Kardia: A Christian Psychology, the fruit of nearly 60 visits to the monasteries of Mount Athos, Greece, where monks put into daily practice the centuries-old teachings of the early Church Fathers. This webinar series, first, delves into St. Paul’s two kinds of knowledge, which allow one to observe interior elements of the psyche; secondly, the Prayer of the Heart, the awakening of kardia (the spiritual heart), the struggle of distraction, and the role of nous; and, in the final webinar, psychological methods of the early Church, including the two forms (linear and circular) of gaining control of attention.
A WEBINAR SERIES
(3 sessions) Sundays, July 15, August 5 & 26,
1–3pm EDT
12OLWSC101 • $80 (No Member Discount)
$70 Early Bird rate by July 1

Smart Phones, Social Media, E-mail and You: Manage Your Time, Your Communication and Your Life
Andrew J. Mellen
Poor time management isn’t cured by technology—in fact, it’s aggravated by it. From specific tools like creating rules and filters to manage the flow of email to establishing policies that support rather than hinder your work, professional organizer and best-selling author of Unstuff Your Life!, Andrew Mellen, will walk you through 25 things you can do immediately to take back your life from the machines that surround you.
AN ONLINE WEBINAR
(1 session) Sunday, July 22, 1–3pm EDT
12OLWPS101 • $29 (No Member Discount)
$25 Early Bird rate by July 6

With Eyes Open: Being Real at the Bedside of the Dying**
Frank Ostaseski
The eyes of a dying patient are clear mirrors. In their gaze, there is no place to hide. Being face to face with dying requires a fierce compassion and self-awareness that is best supported through mindfulness, inquiry and fearless receptivity. We will explore the capacities that best serve at the time of dying such as applied compassion, calm presence and non-attachment to outcome. Frank will weave together moving stories, Buddhist practices, and good common sense.
AN ONLINE WEBINAR
(1 session) Sunday, August 19, 1–2:30pm EDT
12OLWSI105   For CEUs click here
$29 (No Member Discount)
$25 Early Bird rate by August 5

**Combined price for both this webinar and The Heart of the Great Matter of Life and Death with Frank Ostaseski (call 212-219-2527 x 2):
12OLWSI106
$45 Early Bird combined rate by July 29.
$52 if registering for both at the same time, after July 29.
No member discount for combine rates.

The Transformative Power of Mindfulness
Christopher Titmuss
A senior Dharma teacher offers wisdom from the Insight Meditation tradition for contemporary life.

Risk, Change and Wisdom: A Buddhist View
There are many forms of risk-taking that garner attention in our culture. In fact, the courage to take risks is a valuable quality, and in dharma life we learn to take risks to grow as human beings. How do we do this productively in a way that enables us to make substantive changes in our lives and reach our potential?
Saturday, August 18, 1-3pm EDT
12OLWSB101A * $29

Desire and Love
Who do we love? What do we love? Love and desire are two distinctly different movements—it requires mindfulness and vigilance to know the difference. Using mindfulness practice we can enable the movement of love to take place without the problematic features of desire.
Saturday, August 25, 1-3pm EDT
12OLWSB101B * $29

The Worldly and the Spiritual
There is an important discourse to develop between the spiritual and political owing to the spiritual vacuum in political and corporate leadership. What gives rise to consumerism, competition and war? We will explore how skilful ways might bring the Four Noble Truths into the heart of public life.
Sunday, September 9, 1-3pm EDT
12OLWSB101C * $29
A WEBINAR SERIES
(3 sessions) Saturdays, August 18 & 25,
and Sunday, September 9, 1-3pm EDT
12OLWSB101Z
$80 (No Member Discount) for series
$29 for individual webinars
$70 Early Bird rate when registering for
entire webinar series by August 4

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