"Who looks outside dreams; who looks inside awakes," said Carl Jung in a letter to Fanny Bowditch in 1916. By inverting the most common logic in our society, the phrase challenges the boundaries between what we call internal and external, dream and reality, objective and subjective. 

This last distinction is central, especially in science which, by valuing the objective and the measurable, has brought humanity a revolution in thought, philosophy and technology. 

On the other hand, countless cultures, both ancient and contemporary, emphasise the origins of what is considered to be subjective knowledge. Whether in dreams, trances, meditation or through plants of power, traditional knowledge originates mostly in the private universe of consciousness, which cannot be quantified or shown to other people directly.

These two origins of knowledge, the so-called objective and subjective, are often seen as irreconcilable, contradictory and doomed to perpetual conflict; but other paths and dialogues seem possible.

ABOUT THE CYCLE

In this cycle of studies, we'll go through the reflections presented by Jeremy Narby in his book A serpente cósmica, o DNA e a origem do saber. Living with the Ashaninka in the Peruvian Amazon, Narby comes into contact with their immense botanical knowledge and their teacher plants, ayahuasca among them. His contact with ayahuasca leads the young researcher to embark on an indepth investigation into the origins of indigenous knowledge, while also navigating questions and limits that are little explored by Western scientific knowledge.

The Cosmic Serpent online cycle includes 4 recordings of online meetings.

We also recommend the book A serpente cósmica, o DNA e a origem do saber, by Jeremy Narby, as it was the starting point for the creation of this cycle. The book Plantas Mestras – Tabaco e Ayahuasca, also by Narby, can be a good complement to your studies.

BOOK

PROGRAMME