WIKIPEDIA
An Enlightenment Intensive is a group retreat designed to enable a spiritual enlightenment experience within a relatively short time. Devised by Americans Charles Berner along with his wife Ava Berner in the 1960s, the format combines the self-enquiry meditation method popularised by Ramana Maharshi with interpersonal communication processes such as the dyad structure of co-counselling in a structure that resembles both a traditional Zen sesshin (meditation retreat) and group psychotherapy. Religious teachings and philosophical concepts are generally avoided.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlightenment_Intensive
ABOUT ENLIGHTENMENT INTENSIVE
It is a highly focused, structured environment where participants continually contemplate one of four questions: “Who am I?”, “What am I?”, “What is Life?”, or “What is Another?”
Atma-vichara (Self Inquiry) is generally considered to be the significant part of Jnana Yoga (Yoga of knowledge). We will also practise soft Hatha Yoga for keeping our bodies awake and aligned and fit for the process.
On an Enlightenment Intensive, participants practice a unique combination of contemplation and communication, which leads to dramatically increased consciousness, personal growth and not infrequently, the resolution of the question through direct experience.
Enlightenment Intensives are very pure. They are laboratories for the unrestricted inquiry into the Truth as each individual experiences it. No belief system or view of life is taught or implied. Participants examine their own experience, make their own inquiry and discover their own results.
Intensives are tremendously powerful. They bring participants into the actuality of the present moment and enable them to hold their attention on what is truly so for them as experience unfolds, hour after hour, day after day. Over the course of an Intensive concentration, energy, and awareness steadily increase enabling participants to go ever more deeply into the reality their questions point them toward.
Most importantly, Enlightenment Intensives are an environment where communication and contact between individuals gives rise to high levels of understanding, compassion and support. As time goes by an atmosphere of affinity nurtures a sense of trust and safety. Participants become willing to relax, to let familiar identities dissolve and to allow the experience of what lies outside their known perimeters.
Enlightenment Intensives are open to all people, regardless of age, creed, orientation or life experience because,
Truth is available to each and every one of us.
The old fables are not idle tales. There really is a Pearl Beyond Price!
It is available in this life, to you, as you yourself.
Enlightenment Intensives give you the opportunity to face what is so;
to be and relate yourself and be received by others as you truly are,
and to serve others by receiving them.
Finally, regardless of the results, Opening yourself to the Truth of what is so, is an intrinsically fulfilling activity.
It is its own refuge, its own reward.
Seven hundred years ago Rumi wrote a passionate invitation to the dance that is the spiritual path. Since no one has said it better I repeat it here.
"Come come
Whoever you are
Wanderer, worshiper, lover of living
It doesn’t matter
Ours is not a caravan of despair
Even if you have broken your vow a thousand times
Come, Come,
And yet again
Come!"
Kjell was totally changed in his first Enlightenment Intensive 2001 that was held by Hari Eriksson. After that he attended as manny as he could and had many different teachers like Jake Chapman, Murray Kennedy, Patsy Boyer, Anjali Hill, Emma Mc Guiness. He has attended eleven 2 week retreats and many shorter.
After his second two week Enlightenment Intensive 2012 Murray Kennedy told him to start giving retreats himself. He waited until some of his friends arranged the whole event 2017 and has since then given this retreats yearly.