Esalen Institute

With the end of the semester in our midst, it is time to close the ninety tabs I have open on Google Chrome, and to stop thinking about the Esalen Institute multiple times per day. This being said, I would like to share my final thoughts and feelings about this project and what I have taken from it. By Brian Weaver Studying the Esalen Institute this semester was an interesting experience as it is so different from the other New Religious Movements we have examined this semester. From the very first week we began to examine all the movements that were considered “cults” during their prime. From the Shakers to the “sex cult” Family International, we saw examples of groups that people have written off throughout the years as “crazy”. Esalen on the other hand, is a bit of a different story. Not only is everyone welcome at the institute (if you can afford it), they do not associate themselves with any sort of religious movement. The Esalen Institute considers themselves a place of

By Brian Weaver With the Esalen Institute seeming to be much more of just a retreat center than an actual religious commune, it is hard to draw parallels between it and other famous communes such as Jonestown or even Mother Ann Lee’s Shakers. However, what is notable about the Esalen Institute is the way that it has been a leader in the New Age and Counterculture movements since its conception. One easy comparison to make is between Esalen and the practice of Transcendental Meditation. While both institutions claim that they are in no way a new type of religion, they have both attracted thousands of vocal followers. The popularity of these two practices stems from all over, be it celebrity involvement, social status, or the privilege of being wealthy enough to participate. Ultimately, the people that seek out these two institutions are looking to expand their minds in some way. Involvement in either the Esalen Institute or in Transcendental Meditation requires one to attend wo