LECTURES FROM THE GNOSTIC SOCIETY
The Gnostic Society in Los Angeles for over fifty years has sponsored activites dedicated to furthering an understanding of Gnosis and Gnosticism. The Society's "Friday Evening Lecture Series", directed for the last two decades by Dr. Stephan Hoeller, provides a distinguished and uniquely focused forum for individuals interested in Gnosticism, Jungian psychology, Kabbalah, mythology, and other subjects related to Gnosticism. It is with great pleasure that The Gnostic Society now opens these lectures to the world, here on the Web. Welcome to The Gnostic Society Friday Evening Lecture Series! (Click here for an explanation of how to hear the lectures live on your computer.)
This Week's Web Lecture:
The Psychology of C. G. Jung.
Lecture 1 -- Ego: The Island of Consciousness.
C. G. Jung has been described as a modern Gnostic. Certainly the psychology of Jung is of great value to those interested in Gnosticism, both ancient and modern. This lecture is the first of seven in a complete introductory discussion of Jung's psychological insights. In this lecture, Dr. Hoeller discusses the Ego, our island of personal consciousness, and explains its relationship to the psyche. The concept of the mask, or persona, and of the shadow are also introduced. Please note: you will need to use the RealAudio Player version 3.0 to hear the lectures --- version 2.0 will not work with the transmission format we are using. (This lecture is approx. 85 minutes long; it is presented in three segments of about 30 minutes each.)
Other Lectures Available:
Highlights from the Acts of John: The Nature and End of Suffering.
The Acts of John, available long before the Nag Hammadi find, tells an amazing tale of wisdom and liberation, as taught by John, the Beloved disciple of Jesus. In this lecture, the first in a series of four delivered at The Gnostic Society in April of 1996, Dr. Hoeller discusses the nature of human suffering, and meaning of the words of the Living Christ to his disciple John: "Hast thou only known how to suffer, thou would learn not to suffer." Please note: you will need to use the RealAudio Player version 3.0 to hear the lectures --- version 2.0 will not work with the transmission format we are using. (This lecture is approximately 80 minutes long.)
As new lectures are posted above, we will maintain a library of recent past "Web Lecture" in this location.
Configuring your computer to hear the lectures...
If your computer has a 28.8 bps modem, sound card and speakers, the only additional thing you will need to hear the lectures is a copy of the RealAudio player version 3.0. If you do not yet have RealAudio installed on your Web browser, or if you are using the older version 2.0, click here to download a free copy of the RealAudio Player version 3.0 (it will take only about ten minutes to download and install the player software). Please note again, that the RealAudio player version 2.0 will not work with these files, you will need download the new version 3.0!
After you have installed the RealAudio player version 3.0, simply click on the lecture title. The lecture will begin playing in a about 30 seconds. Sound quality will usually be equivalent to an average radio signal. The RealAudio player allows you to listen to the lectures exactly as you would with a cassette or CD player -- you may rewind, fast forward, pause or stop at any time. The lectures are stored in two or three segments or "clips" of about 25 to 40 minutes each; the player will automatically play the clips in order. Please note that you will need a 28.8 bps modem to listen to the lecture on the Web. If you have a 14.4 modem, you may download the lecture for later listening off-line. (We will have full 14.4 modem support available soon, too.)
The lectures will usually play without any problem over a 28.8 bps modem connection. If the lecture seems to frequently pause, this is due to a slow network connection. If this occurs, try reconnecting at a later time. If you continue having problems, let us know!
And if you are in Los Angeles...
...Come and join us in person! Lectures are held at The Gnostic Society center (located at 4516 Hollywood Blvd, near the intersection of Hollywood and Sunset) every Friday evening at 8:00 PM -- See our schedule of upcoming lectures this month. Unless otherwise noted, all lectures are presented by Dr. Stephan Hoeller. Lectures are free and open to the public (donations are appreciated and accepted at the door). Refreshments are offered following the lecture. Further information is available by calling 213-467-2685.