Mission:
The Gaiafield Project develops “subtle activism” practices, theories, and programs and works with like-minded groups to co-create local, national, and global networks of subtle activists to support a shift to a planetary culture of peace. Subtle activism involves harnessing the power of consciousness-based practices like meditation and prayer to support collective transformation, as in a globally synchronized meditation for peace. We believe that in our turbulent times there is a deep need for fostering greater coherence in the energetic fields that underlie communities at every scale.
Subtle activism practices evoke profound experiences of coherence and communion at local, national, and global levels. These practices soften the various kinds of boundaries (cultural, political, religious, etc.) that keep us feeling separated and allow greater access to the collective intelligence from which creative solutions to present challenges can emerge. Peer-reviewed scientific research suggests that the impact of these practices extends beyond actual participants to nearby communities through non-local field effects.
With the rise of the Internet and the increasing sophistication of electronic communication tools such as mapping, video streaming, and social networking, the capacity exists as never before to utilize the power of collective meditation and prayer to support positive change in the world. In the last decade, many groups and initiatives have emerged that share the vision of bringing people together around the world for global meditation events. Since 2006, the Gaiafield Project has been at the forefront of these efforts, working to create the intellectual, spiritual, social, technological, and organizational foundations necessary to best support the long-term growth of this emerging field and thus to best harness the power of collective spiritual practice to support a planetary shift to a culture of peace.
History
The Gaiafield Project has helped to define and advance the field of subtle activism through:
A.) Convening numerous collaborative public subtle activism events and programs, including:
- WiseUSA ’08 and WiseUSA 2012 intended to support the highest and best outcome of the 2008 and 2012 US elections;
- WiseClimate 2009, an 8 week teleseries to support the Copenhagen climate change conference;
- Spirituality and Peace series — part of the Summer of Peace program, this annual teleseries features mystics and elders from a wide variety of traditions guiding practices to support peace in ourselves and our world;
- BeThePeace, one of the world’s largest annual global meditation events that takes place on September 21
- Online Subtle Activism Summit – a 3 day telesummit from September 8-10, 2015, featuring leading mystics, scientists, and activists talking about the role of spiritual awareness in supporting social and planetary transformation
B.) Establishing healthy working relationships with leaders in the field
Through our many collaborative programs we have developed strong working relationships with representatives from leading organizations in the field, including Pathways to Peace/Culture of Peace Initiative, the Institute of HeartMath/Global Coherence Initiative, World Peace Prayer Society, the Shift Network, the Earth Treasure Vase Project, Association for Global New Thought, MedMob, Unify, Do As One, 1GiantMind, Winter Feast for the Soul, Sarvodaya, and others.
C.) Developing the intellectual foundations of subtle activism
The Center for Subtle Activism (CSA) represents the intellectual wing of the Gaiafield Project. Gaiafield and CSA Director David Nicol’s doctoral dissertation and forthcoming book (SUNY Press), both entitled Subtle Activism: The Inner Dimension of Social and Planetary Transformation, establishes much of the intellectual foundations of the field. Dr. Nicol and Professor Sean Kelly (core faculty in the Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness program at California Institute of Integral Studies) teach a CIIS graduate-level class entitled “Subtle Activism: Theory and Practice.” Dr. Nicol’s articles on subtle activism have been published on the Reality Sandwich and Tikkun blog sites and he has presented on subtle activism at local and international conferences.
Gaiafield Council
The Gaiafield Project is governed by the Gaiafield Council, a group of 8-10 leaders in the field who each bring substantial independent experience in facilitating spirit-based approaches to social change. The Council meets weekly via teleconference to practice Gaiafield Attunement, our core subtle activism practice to bring healing and guidance for personal and collective evolution. Our work is guided by the Gaiafield Principles which are in alignment with the broad principles of the Earth Charter, namely:
- respect and care for the community of life;
- ecological integrity;
- social and economic justice; and
- democracy, non-violence and peace
Who is the Gaiafield Project?
The Project begins within you as a subtle activist and grows from the shared wisdom and participation of subtle activists all around the world. It is our collective story of who we are and how we interact as we practice together as secret agents of compassion. It is a place to tell our personal stories of our reflections and experiences from our meditations, prayers, dances, and other subtle activism practices.
Anyone who participates in the Gaiafield Project by subscribing to the free monthly Gaiafield Times enewsletter or attending a Gaiafield event becomes a treasured member of the Gaiafield Network. The Gaiafield Network is a thriving part of the global subtle activism movement that we call Gaiafield Planet.
Fiscal sponsor
The Project is fiscally sponsored by New Stories.