Library
Special Announcement: Sacred Stream Fundraiser
At the Sacred Stream, we are inspired by the many kind and dedicated people doing good work in the world and we try to do our part. Our intention is to provide a place for people to explore ideas, join together in community, and provide a platform for thought-leaders to share their insights. To this end, we have worked hard to bring programs to the larger community; some at low or no cost, as well as provide scholarships to those who need them. We have provided space clearings, free events, low cost clinics and Depth Hypnosis services. This year and the past several years, the Sacred Stream has operated at a deficit. This means that what we bring in through classes and other events does not cover our operating costs. In order to continue the work we are doing, we need your help.
Blog: Healing the Divide: How to Find Our Way Back From Negative Intention
By Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.
For the last year, our psyches have been under attack. Every waking moment of public life has been a bombardment of political partisanship and bellicose assertions. Even those of us who unplug from television and other forms of media have not been immune to it. There has been a general sense of unease and fear in the air and no matter which side of the political aisle you take your seat, you are bound to be feeling some sadness, confusion, or anger as a result of the accumulation of negativity experienced this past year.
Special Announcement: Pilot Study Presentation on the Efficacy Studies of Depth Hypnosis
On Friday, November 11, Dr. Joanna Adler will present the results of a pilot study – “Can Depth Hypnosis Heal Mood Disorders?” – that examines the efficacy of Depth Hypnosis in the treatment of the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as show an increase in experience of well-being. The hypothesis of the study was that symptoms from the three mood disorders would go down, and experience of well-being would rise. The results support this hypothesis.
Blog: Ask Isa: Setting Boundaries to Negativity
By Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.
Question: I would like to know what you think about the idea of people being a mirror to us. For example, if you find yourself irritated by someone who is always crabby with you, are they a mirror to you? Or are you just meeting someone crabby or irritating?
I really appreciate this question. Because so many of us, once we have dedicated ourselves to the goal of becoming more conscious human beings, can find it challenging to discern how to use everyday difficulties as the means for moving toward this goal.
Blog: Exploring the Unknown: Plants as Guides
By Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.
In my previous post, I mentioned giving a lecture on shamanic healing to Integrative Medicine students at the University of California, in Berkeley. Many students had questions about the traditional shamanic use of plants that alter the state of consciousness and offer insights beyond an individual’s normal perceptual capacity. These students had ingested such psychotropic plants “recreationally,” and as they tried to integrate their experience into their everyday life, questions had arisen for which the students did not know how to get answers.
On the Air: A Meeting of the Ways with Diane Solomon and Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.: SAND 2016
Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D., speaks with Diane Solomon, host of A Meeting of the Ways on KKUP , about the upcoming SAND conference in San Jose, and about her collaboration with Dr. Robert Thurman at the pre-conference workshop, Embracing the Sacred Feminine, on October 20.
Video: Sacred Feminine with Robert Thurman & Isa Gucciardi (Part 3)
Robert Thurman and Isa Gucciardi come together at the Sacred Stream Center in Berkeley, CA, to discuss their workshop, Embracing the Sacred Feminine. Bob talks about the experiential aspect of this workshop and how Isa helps make the material accessible. Isa and Bob talk about how the Sacred Feminine helps connect students to the healing part of themselves. This workshop regularly takes place at Menla Mountain Retreat Center in Phoenicia, NY.
Blog: Exploring the Unknown: Dreams
By Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.
I have been a guest lecturer in the Integral Medicine class at the University of California at Berkeley every year for the last ten years or so. Sometimes I lecture on alternative therapies like Depth Hypnosis, and sometimes on methods of healing that are found in shamanic cultures. During the past few years’ lectures, the students have really perked up when I have talked about the way in which dreams are viewed in shamanic cultures. The students are always surprised to hear someone actually talk about their dreams as being an important aspect of their experience.
Video: Sacred Feminine with Robert Thurman & Isa Gucciardi (Part 2)
Robert Thurman and Isa Gucciardi come together at the Sacred Stream Center in Berkeley, CA, to discuss their workshop, Embracing the Sacred Feminine. Bob talks about having the grandmother shamans at Menla and his revelatory dream. Isa and Bob share their experience of Menla as a magical place. This workshop regularly takes place at Menla Mountain Retreat Center in Phoenicia, NY.
Video: Sacred Feminine with Robert Thurman & Isa Gucciardi (Part 1)
Robert Thurman and Isa Gucciardi come together at the Sacred Stream Center in Berkeley, CA, to discuss their workshop, Embracing the Sacred Feminine. Bob points to the relationship between ancient India and the feminine principle. Isa explains the importance of men feeling comfortable with the Sacred Feminine and how Bob’s presence as a co-teacher helps men step into it. This workshop regularly takes place at Menla Mountain Retreat Center in Phoenicia, NY.
Video: Sacred Feminine with Robert Thurman & Isa Gucciardi (Part 1)
Robert Thurman and Isa Gucciardi come together at the Sacred Stream Center in Berkeley, CA, to discuss their workshop, Embracing the Sacred Feminine. Bob points to the relationship between ancient India and the feminine principle. Isa explains the importance of men feeling comfortable with the Sacred Feminine and how Bob’s presence as a co-teacher helps men step into it. This workshop regularly takes place at Menla Mountain Retreat Center in Phoenicia, NY.
Blog: Ask Isa: Aging and Radical Self-Acceptance
By Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.
Question: When it comes to maintaining one’s aging body, where is the line between self-love and self-loathing?
I don’t consider maintaining your body an act of self-loathing unless you are doing it in response to some kind of negative view or thinking. You have to look at the motivation behind what you are calling maintenance.
Video: Shamans and Siddhas with Robert Thurman & Isa Gucciardi (Part 3)
Robert Thurman and Isa Gucciardi come together at the Sacred Stream Center in Berkeley, CA, to discuss their workshop, Shamans and Siddhas: Meeting at the Crossroads of Shamanism and Tantrism. In this segment, Bob and Isa discuss the special presence at Menla and its relationship to H.H. Dalai Lama. Bob tells the story of Vimalakirti and describes a student’s experience of spontaneous healing at Menla. This workshop regularly takes place at Menla Mountain Retreat Center in Phoenicia, NY.
Blog: The Two Truths: Finding Meaning in Difficult Situations
By Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.
In a recent dinner conversation with friends, the Buddhist concept of the Two Truths came up. In Buddhist philosophy, the Two Truths offers an explanation of the nature of reality. The discussion wound around to how I introduced adapted elements of the Two Truths to students in the Depth Hypnosis Foundation Course. This adaptation is a bit like an overview, making the concept a little easier to grasp and apply in a Western context.
Video: Shamans and Siddhas with Robert Thurman & Isa Gucciardi (Part 2)
Robert Thurman and Isa Gucciardi come together at the Sacred Stream Center in Berkeley, CA, to discuss their workshop, Shamans and Siddhas: Meeting at the Crossroads of Shamanism and Tantrism. In this segment, Bob and Isa share their experience of teaching together and explore the way that both shamans and Siddhas use a similar kind of transmission process for healing and teaching. This workshop regularly takes place at Menla Mountain Retreat Center in Phoenicia, NY.