with Gary Lachman
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Wednesday, October 16th
8:00-10:00pm
There will be no entry past 8:15pm
When we hear the word “imagination,” what do we think?
Mostly we tend to see the imagination as a substitute for reality, as a form of wishful thinking, a pleasant alternative to the hard facts of life. Or we see it as a means of developing novel ideas, of being on the “cutting edge” of technology, a way of making things “bigger and better.” But this is not the only way to understand the imagination. For poets and scholars like Kathleen Raine, Henry Corbin, Owen Barfield, and others, the imagination is not a substitute for reality, but a way of grasping its essence. For them, imagination isn’t a form of “make believe,” but a faculty of cognition, a way of knowing things that would otherwise remain unknown. This knowledge was accessible at an earlier time, but in recent centuries it has been marginalized, if not vigorously rejected, by our emphasis on “hard,” scientific thinking.
My talk will look at the imagination as a faculty for grasping the invisible realities that surround us and at the tradition of knowledge rooted in it – a knowledge that, if lost, can still be recovered.
$30 advance
$35 at the door
Ticket will include 10% off at the cafe and 15% off Kollectiv Spa services (not including NutriDrip and HigherDOSE)
tickets are non-refundable
Gary Lachman is the author of twenty-two books on the links between consciousness, culture and the western esoteric tradition, including The Secret Teachers of the Western World, Beyond the Robot: The Life and Work of Colin Wilson, and Dark Star Rising: Magick and Power in the Age of Trump. He writes for several journals in the US, UK and Europe, lectures around the world, and his work has been translated into more than a dozen languages.
In a former life he was a founding member of the pop group Blondie and in 2006 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The Alchemist's Kitchen is a unique destination in the Bowery. More than a botanical dispensary and a whole plant tonic bar serving elixirs and healthy treats, we are a gateway into a conscious lifestyle and community, through our plant-based products, wellness events and transformational workshops.
Kollectiv is an urban retreat center in Manhattan’s East Village designed to restore your mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. It’s upper level is home to a plant-based cafe and a Herbal dispensary/herbal pharmacy (The Alchemist’s Kitchen), while its lower level hosts the most advanced healing modalities in the wellness arena. Our spa partners offer kryo therapy (KryoLounge), infrared saunas (HigherDOSE), vitamin IV therapy (NutriDrip), as well as electromagnetic healing, massage and reiki appointments at Kollectiv Spa.
