FAQs

WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?

Mindfulness is one of many different kinds of meditation that we engage at Lower Lights. It has the advantage of being accessible to beginners as well as having a strong evidence base pointing to its many health benefits. A simple way to understand mindfulness? Paying attention to how you pay attention. Paying attention in different ways over time unleashes profound creative possibilities in life.

WHAT IS ADULT DEVELOPMENT?

Adult development is a new branch of psychology that has grown significantly over the last 50 years or so. Current research suggests that there are at least as many stages of adulthood as there are stages of childhood! For most of human history it was supposed that once humans grow to physical maturity, their minds also stopped developing and maturing. Adult development turns this received wisdom on its head. Different adults at different stages of development see the world in very different ways. And not just because of cultural upbringing, personality type, and so forth. In adult development, we study patterns of meaning making at the deepest levels of human consciousness that influence our relationships, our work in the world, and our experience of the Transcendent. At Lower Lights, our intention is to provide supportive and growthful learning environments where the whole spectrum of adulthood can grow and flourish.

I'M VERY DEDICATED TO MY RELIGION. WOULD LOWER LIGHTS COMPETE WITH THAT IN ANY WAY?

At Lower Lights, we work with meditative states of awareness and the full spectrum of adult stages of development. Whatever your particular cultural background or belief set, states and stages are a universal feature of human life. In that spirit, we honor the oneness of our humanity while preserving and honoring the important differences amongst the many faith traditions and worldviews in our community. It is our experience that our meditative-developmental approach not only doesn’t compete with other faith traditions, but is deeply complementary to them. Participants often comment how the community of practice at Lower Lights energizes and deepens their most meaningful values. Whatever personal orientation you bring with you to Lower Lights, we welcome your offering.

Is this group just for meditators?

At Lower Lights, we don’t think of meditation as some special activity that an elect few engage in and the rest of society doesn’t. Rather, meditation is our natural state: open, clear, creative, compassionate. Because we all tend to get caught up in the busyness of the modern world, it’s helpful to come together as a community and touch back into our essence. Absolutely anyone can do this in any moment.