Inner Life, Talks and Thoughts

Dive into the world of William Blake, a prophetic figure whose insights resonate today. Discover how his call to awaken encourages deep self-connection and divine exploration. The discussion unfolds in the historic St James’s Piccadilly, a fitting backdrop that enhances Blake's enduring message. The transformative power of imagination takes center stage, inviting listeners to reflect on their own journey of awakening.

Dive into the wisdom of William Blake as his top ten quotes are unveiled. Each selection explores profound themes such as perception and joy. Discover how joy and sorrow coexist, woven intricately into the fabric of life. Blake's insights encourage us to see beauty in everyday moments and find the extraordinary within the ordinary. The discussion highlights the transformative power of imagination and love, inviting listeners to embrace the magic and complexity of existence.

Explore the fascinating duality of perception as shaped by William Blake's philosophy. Delve into the journey from narrow views of reality to expansive experiences filled with love and beauty. Discover the transformative power of kindness and how embracing eternity deepens our connections. Uncover insights that intertwine joy with the creative flow of life, revealing a deeper understanding that transcends materialism. Blake's poetry serves as a guide to recognizing the divine in our everyday experiences.

A live conversation with Mark Vernon, Katy Carr and Dexter Bentley from the Hello Goodbye Show.Who was William Blake? What might his music have sounded like? What did he say about the imagination? Why might he understand our predicament today?Mark Vernon and Katy Carr joined Dexter Bentley on Resonance FM to talk William Blake on Saturday 31st May 2025. Katy played six songs - her settings of the Introductions from the Songs of Innocence and also from the Songs of Experience, as well as The Lamb and TheTyger, and finally London and The Blossom.For more on Mark see - https://www.markvernon.com/For more on Katy see - https://katycarr.com/For more on the Hello Goodbye Show see https://hellogoodbyeshow.com/For more on the Idler -  https://www.idler.co.uk/Mark’s book is Awake! William Blake and the Power of the Imagination (out June 2025 in the UK, September 2025 in the US).

Explore the dramatic life of St. Francis amid societal chaos, as feudalism crumbles and mercantilism rises. Delve into the religious upheaval of his time, marked by crusading zeal and the clash with beliefs like those of the Cathars. Discover how Francis's radical shift from wealth to asceticism influenced Christianity and inspired a legacy of love and humility. The conversation also touches on a woman's transformative journey inspired by Franciscan teachings, emphasizing the quest for spiritual renewal in today's disconnected world.

Rupert Sheldrake, a biologist and author renowned for his ideas on morphic resonance, dives into the intriguing evolution of natural laws. He questions the long-standing assumption that nature follows strict laws, tracing its roots to Francis Bacon. The discussion tackles whether laws of nature might be more akin to habits influenced by evolution rather than rigid commands. They explore the universe as a living organism versus a machine, and how creativity and purpose shape life. Sheldrake even considers how miracles could coexist with the flexibility of natural laws.

Dive into William Blake's provocative critique of natural morality, as he declares that those who preach it are enemies of humanity. Explore the tension between scientific reductionism and a divine presence within us, which Blake champions. Discover why naturalism might lead to a mechanically hollow society and the rise of nihilism. With modern applications like AI and daily moments of awakening, Blake's insights on love, forgiveness, and divine intimacy remain deeply relevant, inviting us to reclaim our imaginative vision.

In this engaging conversation, Elizabeth Oldfield, author of 'Fully Alive' and host of The Sacred Podcast, discusses the rising interest in Christianity amidst a secular backdrop. She explores the evolving spiritual dialogues among younger generations and the complexities of modern Christian identity. The discussion touches on the diverse experiences of Eastern Orthodoxy, the paradoxes of biblical interpretation, and the need for humility in navigating faith. They highlight how vulnerability can enhance our understanding of faith and community in today's world.

Ibn ‘Arabi is arguably the greatest philosopher in the Islamic world, though controversial; Seal of the Mohammedan Saints, as he is known, alongside Shaykh al-Akbar, he is becoming more important again, especially against a backdrop of fundamentalism.Born into a noble family in Anadalusian, Moorish Spain, he adopted the Sufi way of life after a revelation. He was to leave Iberia and travel east across the Islamic empire. But what was his core teaching and understanding? What can he teach others drawn to a mystical participation in life?

The extraordinary spread of Islam after 632 - from Central Asia to North Africa in a century - reached Europe from the eighth century, generating issues still energising to this day. Not ones of religion, though, but of technology.Within a few generations, the devices of the new civilisation hit the Iberian peninsula: vertical axis windmills, the clocks of Ibn Khalaf al-Muradi, astrolabes.Anxiety about machines, remaining to the present say, was born. Were we becoming uncoupled from the cosmos? How might our existence relate to our essence? Can the human mind still fit the divine mind?But with the technology came ideas, those discussed and disputed by Al-Ghazali, Avicenna, Averroes, Thomas Aquinas - all drawing on “the first teacher”: Aristotle.Their questions about occasionalism, the eternity of the cosmos, and unified intelligence can help us now. These reflections reveal how existence flows from divine being, the momentary nature of time reflects eternity, many minds echo the one intelligence.Their work offers us imaginative, spiritual space to refind participation with spirit and God as the millennia-long story of the machine continues.