A
Positive, Life-Affirming Vision of Human Potential and
Path to the Future Viewed Through Cosmological Forces
that Shaped the Universe
San Francisco, CA, September 26, 2004
Today,
the Center for the Story of the Universe announced the
release of The Powers of the Universe, an 11-part DVD
series by cosmologist and PhD Brian Swimme, which aims
towards a synthesis of scientific and spiritual worldviews,
empowering people to rediscover and remember who they
truly are in the greater story of life.
Swimme’s series uses science to touch deeper chords,
re-awakening viewers to the sacred dimension of life to
evoke hidden sensitivities and latent capacities. The
journey he narrates involves the intellect, but more importantly
the heart, giving people a life-affirming vision and hope
for the future. Longings, questioning, lamentations, and
dreams are all explored as ways to engage the central
evolutionary challenge of our time: the transformation
from an era of industrial control and domination to an
era of connected, loving embrace of the entire Earth community.
To accomplish this shift, Swimme begins with charting
the 13 billion years of the history of our Universe, identifying
the deeper forces and patterns that have shaped it. He
then demonstrates how these larger cosmological powers
have also shaped human beings, illuminating how the microcosm
mirrors the macrocosm, from DNA to star systems and from
lungs to galaxies. Through this exploration of interconnectedness,
viewers learn:
j How the powers of
the Universe move within each of us.
j
How to align with
these Universal powers.
j
How to recognize the
powers of the Universe in the world and in each other.
j
How to resolve the
tensions that are tearing apart our planet.
j
How to develop a deeper
intimacy with the Earth.
By grounding scientific theory in a human context, Swimme
helps to situate the larger challenges of our day as part
of the journey of the Universe. This view leads to a positive,
life-affirming vision of human potential, one that calls
for a new level of ecological responsibility, wisdom,
and relatedness. In the process, Swimme demonstrates how
science and spiritual traditions can find common ground
in a worldview that is evolutionary, scientific, and filled
with reverence and wonder.
“The cosmological powers of the Universe are
coursing through us moment by moment. To become aware
of these powers is to touch the source of life,”
~Brian Swimme
The Powers of the Universe DVD with
Brian Swimme
11 Programs 9 Hours (programs average 45 minutes) Cost:
$180 (includes shipping)
Order online
or call 800-273-3720
Program Titles:
0 Seamlessness – the source of
all powers, the ground of being, pure generativity.
1 Centration – the power of concentration
and exhilaration, how the Universe centers on itself.
2 Allurement – the power of attraction,
how things hold together.
3 Emergence – the power of creativity,
how the Universe transcends itself.
4 Homeostasis – the power of maintaining
achievement, what the Universe values.
5 Cataclysm – the power of destruction,
living in a Universe where things break down.
6 Synergy – the power of working
together, mutually enhancing relationships.
7 Transmutation – the power to
change the self, disciplines and constraints.
8 Transformation – the power to
change the whole, communion and intimacy.
9 Interralatedness – the power
of care, how the Universe responds to the other.
10 Radiance – the power of magnificence,
how the Universe communicates.
Biography
Dr. Brian Swimme is a mathematical cosmologist on the
graduate faculty of the California Institute of Integral
Studies in San Francisco. He received his Ph.D. (1978)
from the University of Oregon specializing in gravitational
dynamics, mathematical cosmology and singularity theory.
Brian Swimme’s primary field of research is the
nature of the evolutionary dynamics of the Universe. Swimme
brings us a meaningful interpretation of the human as
an emergent being within the Universe and Earth. His central
concern is the role of the human within the Earth community.
Toward this goal, in 1989, Swimme founded the Center for
the Story of the Universe, a production and distribution
affiliate of the California Institute of Integral Studies.
His published work includes The Universe is a Green Dragon
(Bear and Company, 1984), The Universe Story (Harper San
Francisco, 1992) written with Thomas Berry, and The Hidden
Heart of the Cosmos (Orbis Books, 1996). Swimme’s
books have been translated into eight different languages.
Swimme was featured in a three part television series
Soul of the Universe (The BBC, 1991). He is the producer
of a twelve-part video series Canticle to the Cosmos (Tides
Center, 1990) which has been distributed worldwide. Other
video programs featuring Swimme’s ideas include
The Hidden Heart of the Cosmos (Center for the Story of
the Universe, 1996) and The Earth’s Imagination
(Center for the Story of the Universe, 1998).
Dr. Swimme lectures worldwide and has presented at conferences
sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement
of Science, The World Bank, UNESCO, The United Nations
Millennium Peace Summit, and the American Natural History
Museum.
http://www.brianswimme.org
