Past Events & Speakers

Title of UFCSH talk: ”Creating Sacred Space for Patient Healing”

Yosaif August

Creator of Bedscapes™, a healing environment for patients

Yosaif August

Title of UFCSH talk: “Rumi’s Poetry and Music”

Coleman Barks

Professor of English at the University of Georgia, author and musician

Coleman Barks

Title of UFCSH talk: “Last Rights/Last Rites: Meaning-making and decision-making at the end of life”

Sandra Bertman

Dr. Bertman, Director of Medical Humanities at the University of Massachusetts

Sandra Bertman

Title of UFCSH talks: “Open Heart Meditation: Practice and Conversation with Sylvia Boorstein” and “The Art and Science of Changing Your Self: Demystifying Spiritual Practice”

Sylvia Boorstein

Author, psychotherapist, co-founding teacher- Spirit Rock Meditation Center in CA, senior teacher at the Insight Meditation Society in MA

Sylvia Boorstein

Title of UFCSH talk: “The Wisdom of the Heart:  Social Connectedness and Healing”

Joan Borysenko

PhD who has been described as a respected scientist, gifted therapist, and unabashed mystic

Joan Borysenko

Title of UFCSH talk: “Encounter with Enlightenment:  What Can We Learn from Buddhist Ethics?”

Robert Carter

Professor Emeritus of Trent University in Canada and professor at Kansai Gadai University in Japan

Robert Carter

Title of UFCSH talk: “Anatomy and Humanity: Conversations between Donors and Dissectors”

Thomas R. Cole

Professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch

Thomas Cole

Title of UFCSH talk: “The Evolution of Spirit and Consciousness”

Allan Combs

University of North Carolina, Asheville and the Saybrook Institute in San Francisco. Author of over fifty articles, chapters and books on consciousness and the brain

Allan Combs

Title of UFCSH talk: “Psychosocial Issues and Cardiac Health”

Stephen Cook

Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology at Texas Tech University (Lubbock, TX)

Stephen Cook

TITLE OF UFCSH TALK: “STILL HERE”

Ram Dass

Beloved spiritual teacher and author, he has dedicated his life to reaching out & sharing teachings across the world. Offering a range of loving resources like podcasts, videos & blogs.

Ram Dass

Title of UFCSH talk: “Transpersonal Psychology and the Future of Religion:  A Participatory Vision for the 21st Century”

Jorge Ferrer

Author, Relationships Counselor, Educator, Public Speaker

Jorge Ferrer

Title of UFCSH talk: “Writing from Spirit”

John Fox

Certified Poetry Therapist, author of “Poetic Medicine: The Healing Art of Poem-making and Finding What You Didn’t Lose”. President of The Institute for Poetic Medicine

John Fox

Title of UFCSH talk: “Religion, Spirituality and Ecology: The 21st Century”

Matthew Fox

Described by cultural historian and ecotheologian Thomas Berry as “the most creative, the most comprehensive, surely the most challenging religious-spiritual teacher in America.” 

Matthew Fox

Title of UFCSH talk: “Analysis of the challenges inherent in research on the topic of spirituality and health”

Harris Friedman

Transpersonal psychologist and Professor Emeritus at the Saybrook Graduate School, and colleague Doug MacDonald

Harris Friedman

Title of UFCSH talk: “Sacred Song and Healing”

Shefa Gold

Rabbi, musician and a leader in Aleph: the Alliance for Jewish Renewal

Shefa Gold

Title of UFCSH talk: “Self-Care is the Heart of All Health Care”

Jim Gordon

Founder and Director of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine in Washington, DC. Clinical Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Family Medicine at the Georgetown University School of Medicine

Jim Gordon

Title of UFCSH talk: “What’s known, what’s real, what’s good: Reflections on 40 Years of Science and Art in Medicine”

John Graham-Pole

Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics, Oncology and Palliative Care, University of Florida ; Adjunct Professor, School of Education, St Francis Xavier University, Nova Scotia

John Graham-Pole

Title of UFCSH talk: “End of life”: before, during, after…

John Graham-Pole and Dorothy Lander

Five years of arts-based and narrative research, teaching and practice, during which John Graham-Pole and Dorothy Lander have explored experiences of loss and transition for “leavers and left”

John Graham-Pole and Dorothy Lander

Title of UFCSH talk: “Judaism in an Environmental Age: A Kabbalah for the Future”

Arthur Green

Recognized as one of the world’s preeminent authorities on Jewish spirituality and Jewish thought

Arthur Green

Titles of UFCSH talks: “Art as a Spiritual and Healing Path” and “Transfigurations: An Evening with Alex Grey”

Alex Grey

His groundbreaking artwork has reached millions through his six books, extensive reproduction of his artwork, and dozens of key-note addresses and exhibitions

Alex Grey

Title of UFCSH talk: “Net of Being- Talk and Booksigning”

Alex Grey and Allyson Grey

Committed to art that celebrates oneness, Alex and Allyson Grey co-founded the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors – where they are evolving a core curriculum of art classes based on the philosophy of “art as a spiritual practice”

Alex Grey & Allyson Grey

Title of UFCSH talk: “Approach to Health”

Robert Hall

Psychiatrist, poet, co-founder of the Lomi School for training in mind/body awareness, and teacher of vipassana meditation at the Spirit Rock Center in CA

Robert Hall

Title of UFCSH talk: “Art and the Spirit”

Gina Rose Halpern

Reverend and founding director of the Chaplaincy Institute for Arts and Interfaith ministries in El Cerrito, CA

Gina Rose Halpern

Title of UFCSH talk: “The Search for Common Ground: Applying Spiritual Principles to Transform Conflict”

Philip M. Hellmich

Co-Director of an international organization dedicated to transforming the way the world deals with conflict – away from adversarial approaches and towards collaborative problem solving

Philip M. Hellmich

TITLE OF UFCSH TALK: “CULTIVATING THE HEART:  A MUSLIM PERSPECTIVE”

Asna Husin

Master’s from Columbia and Harvard Universities in religion and Middle Eastern studies, as well as a Ph.D. in religion from Columbia. Professor at the Ar-Raniry State Institute for Islamic Studies in Darussalam, Banda Aceh, Indonesia

Asna Husin

TITLE OF UFCSH TALK: “FREEDOM, SPIRITUALITY, AND TERROR” IN RESPONSE TO 9/11

Shaya Isenberg

Member of the Center and Chair of the UF’s Department of Religion

Shaya Isenberg

Title of UFCSH talk: “In Recovery from the Election: Healing the Wounds, Win or Lose”

Shaya Isenberg and Larry Reimer

Isenburg- Member of the Center and Chair of the UF’s Department of Religion; Reimer- Yale Divinity school and minister to Gainesville United Church of Christ

Shaya Isenberg and Larry Reimer

Title of UFCSH talk: “Overview of Holistic Medicine”

Robert Ivker

Family physician at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, past president of the American Holistic Medical Association, and author

Robert Ivker

Title of UFCSH talk: “Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR): Implications for Spirituality and Health”

Robert Jahn and Brenda Dunne

Jahn- Director of the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR)  Laboratory; Dunne- Manager of the Princeton Engineering  Anomalies Research (PEAR) laboratory

Robert Jahn and Brenda Dunne

Title of UFCSH talk: “Coming to Our Senses: Living Life As If It Really Mattered”

Jon Kabat-Zinn

Internationally known scientist, writer, and meditation teacher, Professor of Medicine Emeritus and founding director of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Jon Kabat-Zinn

TITLE OF UFCSH TALK: “RELIGION, SPIRIT AND HEALING”

Harold Koenig

Stanford undergrad; medical school training at the UC at San Francisco; geriatric medicine, psychiatry, and biostatistics training at Duke University Medical Center. Professor of  Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Associate Professor of  Medicine at Duke, and registered nurse (RN)

Harold Koenig

Title of UFCSH talk: “Spirituality and Well-being: Hindu Perspectives”

Kiran Kumar

Professor of Psychology, University of Mysore, India; Ph.D. from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences, Bangalore, India; Fulbright Post-Doctoral Fellow, at Saybrook Institute Graduate School and Research Centre

Kiran Kumar

TITLE OF UFCSH TALK: “TRANSPERSONAL PSYCHOLOGY: TOWARDS A SCIENCE OF THE SACRED”

Les Lancaster

PhD, Chair of the British Psychological Society’s Transpersonal Psychology Section, and Co-Director of the Consciousness and Transpersonal Psychology Research Unit at Liverpool John Moores University

Les Lancaster

TITLE OF UFCSH TALK: “SEEKING THE DIVINE FEMININE THROUGH ART AND HEALING”

Mary Rockwood Lane

Ph.D., painter, nurse, author and mother. Faculty of the University of Florida College of Nursing. Co-founder of Shands ‘Arts in Medicine’

Mary Rockwood Lane

Title of UFCSH talk: “The New American Spirituality: A Seeker’s Guide”

Elizabeth Lesser

Author and co-founder of the Omega Institute, in Rhinebeck , NY

Elizabeth Lesser

Title of UFCSH talk: “Epidemiologic Reflections on Spirituality”

Jeff Levin

Epidemiologist and former medical school professor, pioneering scientist and author whose research helped create the field of religion, spirituality, and health

Jeff Levin

Title of UFCSH talk: “An evening with Bo Lozoff: It’s a meaningful life – It just takes practice”

Bo Lozoff

Founder and director of Human Kindness Foundation, author, singer/songwriter

Bo Lozoff

Title of UFCSH talk: “Spiritual Direction: Ancient Roots, Contemporary Resurgence”

Carol Ludwig

U.S. diplomatic service which took her to Japan, the Philippines, Mexico and Italy. Formed in spirituality at the Shalem Institute in Washington, D.C., the Washington Theological Union and Mercy Center in Burlingame, California

Carol Ludwig

Title of UFCSH talks: “Reclaiming Native Land Rights in Scotland: Reversing the Highland Clearances while Restoring the Land and Celtic Identity” and “Celtic Indigenous Insights on Cultural, Personal and Earth HealingYear”

Alastair McIntosh

Scottish writer, social activist, broadcaster and campaigning academic

Alastair McIntosh

Title of UFCSH talks: “How Quantum Physics Has Altered Our Perception of God”, “The Underground Church: Reclaiming the Subversive Way of Jesus”
, “Thinking Religiously: Are Human Beings Irrational or Trans-rational?”
, “UNDONE: Faith as Resistance to Orthodoxy”, “UNDONE: Faith as Resistance to Empire”

Robin Meyers

Author, syndicated columnist, award-winning commentator for National Public Radio and a fellow of the Jesus Seminar

Robin Meyers

Title of UFCSH talk: “Sacred Land: Healing Through Immersion in Nature”

John P. Milton

Teaches with his organization, Sacred Passage and The Way of Nature Fellowship. Developed unique practices for uniting inner and outer nature through training in Buddhist, Taoist, Vedantic, Tantric, and Native American traditions

John P. Milton

Title of UFCSH talk: “Healing Body, Soul and Spirit”

Thomas Moore

Psychotherapist, writer and lecturer. Publishes in the areas of archetypal and Jungian psychology, mythology, and the arts. Ph.D. in religious studies from Syracuse University as well as degrees in theology, musicology and music, and philosophy

Thomas Moore

Title of UFCSH talk: “Healing and the Eternal Questions of Life” and “Health Meaning and the Soul”

Jacob Needleman

Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at San Francisco State University

Jacob Needleman

Title of UFCSH talk: “The Experience of Centering Prayer”

Thomas Keating

Founder of Contemplative Outreach, a spiritual network that teaches the Centering Prayer. Author of several books including “Open Heart, Open Mind” and “Invitation to Love: A Way of Christian Contemplation”

Thomas Keating

Title of UFCSH talk: “The Heart of the Matter: Science AND Spirituality-A Compelling Conversation about New Understandings and Possibilities”

James O’Dea

President of the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), author of ‘The Conscious Activist, Cultivating Peace , Soul Awakening Practice” (June 2017) and other acclaimed works

James O'Dea

Title of UFCSH talk: “Spirituality and Spaceflight”

Michael O’Neal

Worked for NASA at the Kennedy Space Center for over 31 years. He was awarded the Agency’s Outstanding Leadership Medal and two Exceptional Service Medals for his contributions to the Agency

Michael O'Neal

Title of UFCSH talk: “Spirituality and End-of-Life Care: A Time for Listening and Caring”

Christina Puchalski

Physician at George Washington University College of Medicine and Director of Education for the National Institute of Healthcare Research

Christina Puchalski

TITLE OF UFCSH TALK: “SPIRITUALITY THROUGH ART”

Kristen Raizada

Kristen Raizada, a former resident of Gainesville and graduate of the University of Florida, art historian in Southern California. Writing on contemporary art and teaching courses at California State University, Long Beach and Art Institute

Kristen Raizada

TITLE OF UFCSH TALKS: “RHYTHMIC WISDOM, THE HEALING POWER OF SACRED SOUND, DRUMMING AND TRANCE” AND “INVOKING OUR MUSE”

Layne Redmond

Acclaimed drummer, composer, author, mythologist, and a lifelong student of yoga

Layne Redmond

Title of UFCSH talk: “Tools of Awareness for Dealing with Conflict”

Leonard L. Riskin

Chesterfield Smith Professor of Law at the Levin College of Law, UF Gainesville; B.S. UW-Madison; J.D. NYU School of Law and an LL.M. from Yale Law School. Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice

Leonard L. Riskin

Title of UFCSH talk: “Neurotheology: This is your Brain on Meditation!” and “Meditation and the Seven Common Features of Spiritual Traditions”

Louis Ritz

Associate Professor of Neuroscience, in the McKnight Brain Institute and the College of Medicine at the University of Florida

Louis Ritz

Title of UFCSH talk: “Demeter, Buddha and the Bears: The Ancient Roots of Contemporary Spiritual Healing”

Michael Samuels

Teaches Art and Healing at San Francisco State University, Institute of Holistic Studies and is co- director of the Wisdom University Masters Program in Art and Healing with Mary Rockwood Lane

Michael Samuels

Title of UFCSH talk: “Clinical Experience with Mindfulness as a Therapeutic Modality”

Saki Santorelli

Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and author

Saki Santorelli

Title of UFCSH talk: “The Contemplative World as a Source for Healing”

Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

Rabbi, author and founder of Aleph: Alliance for Jewish Renewal and of the Spiritual Eldering Institute

Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

Title of UFCSH talk: “Intentional Healing: Exploring the Extended Reaches of Consciousness”

Marilyn Schlitz

Vice President for Science and Education at the Institute of Noetic Sciences and Senior Scientist at the Complementary Medicine Research Institute at the California Pacific Medical Center

Marilyn Schlitz

Title of UFCSH talks: “Protecting the Rainforests: Case Studies from Papua, New Guinea and Ecuador” and “Wild Earth, Wild Mind, Wild Heart: Experiencing Deep Ecology”

John Seed

Australian and Deep Ecology Activist

John Seed

Title of UFCSH talk: “Medicine and Compassion”

David R. Shlim

Co-author of the book “Medicine and Compassion: A Tibetan Lama’s Guidance for Caregivers”.  Served as the Medical Director of the CIWEC Clinic Travel Medicine Center in Kathmandu, Nepal, the world’s first destination travel clinic

David R. Shlim

Title of UFCSH talk: “Befriending Fear and Pain: Mindfulness in the Treatment of 
Chronic Pain and Related Disorders”

Ronald D. Siegel

Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School, where he has taught for over 20 years

Ronald D. Siegel

Title of UFCSH talk: “Mindfulness as a Way of Life- UF Mindfulness Day Keynote Address”

Mickey Singer

Author of the New York Times bestsellers: “The Untethered Soul” and “The Surrender Experiment”

Mickey Singer

Title of UFCSH talk: “The Grace in Dying/The Grace in Living”

Kathleen Dowling Singh

Transpersonal psychologist and psychotherapist. Lectured widely throughout the United States on death and dying, spirituality at the end of life, and spiritual practices in the midst of life

Kathleen Dowling Singh

Title of UFCSH talk: “The Human Spirit in the Third Millennium: Light at the End of the Tunnel”

Huston Smith

World-renowned scholar of comparative religions and acclaimed author of “The World’s Religions”

Huston Smith

TITLE OF UFCSH TALK: “SPIRITUALITY IN MEDICINE AND PSYCHIATRY” AND “RESEARCH IN PRAYer AND DISTANT HEALING”

Elisabeth Targ

Psychiatrist at the California Pacific Medical Center

Elisabeth Targ

TITLE OF UFCSH TALK: “DARK GREEN RELIGION: NATURE SPIRITUALITY AND THE PLANETARY FUTURE”

Bron Taylor

Professor of Religion at The University of Florida and an Affiliated Scholar with the Center for Environment and Development at Oslo University

Bron Taylor

Title of UFCSH talk: “At Hell’s Gate: Ending War Living Peace”

Claude Anshin Thomas

Went to Vietnam at eighteen and received numerous awards and decorations, including twenty-seven Air Medals, A Distinguished Flying Cross and the Purple Heart

Claude Anshin Thomas

Title of UFCSH talk: “9/11: How Shall We Really Heal?”

Arthur Waskow

Founder and director of the Shalom Center in Philadelphia, professor, author and rabbi

Arthur Waskow

Title of UFCSH talk: “When Things of the Spirit Come First: Toward A Caring Science”

Jean Watson

Distinguished Professor and former Dean of Nursing at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center

Jean Watson

Title of UFCSH talk: “Healing Words and Music: An Evening with David Wilcox”
 and “Musical Medicine: An Experiential Workshop”

David Wilcox

Singer/songwriter and storyteller, released seventeen albums of metaphor-laden music aimed at awakening the listeners’ sense of aliveness and connection

David Wilcox

A session on Dances of Universal Peace and a workshop entitled “Illuminating the Path of the Heart”

Tui Wilschinsky

Leading the Dances of Universal Peace for 25 years

Tui Wilschinsky

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