Gary Lachman
Geist oder Natur? Spirit and Nature on the Journey to the East
In the 1960s and 70s, the German/Swiss author Hermann Hesse enjoyed a remarkable posthumous bestsellerdom among English speaking readers. Hesse died in 1962, just as the seeds of the 'counter culture' were beginning to sprout in New York, San Francisco, and other cities. Soon novels such as Siddhartha, Demian, Steppenwolf and others fed the growing hunger for some spiritual guidance in an increasingly unspiritual world. One of Hesse's most popular works was The Journey to the East, a symbolic account of the archetypal spiritual journey.
Hesse's own 'journey' followed the route of German Idealism and Romanticism and their struggle to unify the two poles of human being, what we call the immanence of Nature and the transcendence of Spirit. My talk will look at this journey, and the way in which it inspired Hesse's readers to embark on journeys of their own, to the east, west, and points beyond, and how recent insights into the division of labour between the two sides of the brain may help us in our travels. For many years Hesse lived in Montagnola, near Ascona, in the hills above Lugano, enjoying solitude and devoting himself to painting, poetry, and maintaining an enormous correspondence. He was also a familiar face at Monte Verita, where he took the nature cure. It seems fitting that he should be represented at a colloquium being held in the place where "the counter culture began," and where a whole generation embarked on a variety of inner journeys, many of which continue today.
Gary Lachman is the author of numerous books exploring the evolution of consciousness, the history of the Western esoteric tradition, existential philosophy, and the cultural influence of the occult. His works include acclaimed biographies of figures such as Aleister Crowley, Rudolf Steiner, Carl Gustav Jung, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, Emanuel Swedenborg, P. D. Ouspensky, and Colin Wilson, as well as studies of Hermeticism, consciousness, and the intersections of esotericism, culture, and politics.
Lachman writes for journals and publications in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Europe, including Fortean Times, Quest, Strange Attractor, and Fenris Wolf, and his work has appeared in the Times Literary Supplement, Guardian, Sunday Times, and other major outlets. He lectures widely across Europe and North America, and his books have been translated into more than a dozen languages. He serves on the adjunct faculty in Transformative Studies at California Institute of Integral Studies.
Before becoming a full-time writer, Lachman studied philosophy, managed a New Age bookshop, taught English literature, and worked as a science writer for UCLA. Earlier still, under the name Gary Valentine, he was a founding member of the pop group Blondie, with whom he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Born in New Jersey, he has lived in London since 1996.