Matthew Fox
and Professor, Author & Director of the Third Story of the Universe
Brian Thomas Swimme
Embrace your place in the creative energy of the cosmos, bring meaning to the mundane, and activate the power you hold to consciously create your life through the timely wisdom of science and spiritual mysticism — and their combined vision for the evolution of human consciousness… and life on Earth.
Did you know that you were born in a mind that has been collectively developing for 200,000 years?
This concept of the unified mind, or noosphere — originally popularized by scientists, philosophers, and spiritual teachers alike in the early 1900s — carries forward the countless details of our Earth and human history. Some consider the noosphere to be a window into the divine mind of the Universe — and our infinite potential for good.
In many ways, we are like cells within this larger being.
The noosphere is also sacred space for the birth of a new human story, according to cosmologist Brian Thomas Swimme and spiritual theologian Matthew Fox.
Brian and Matthew believe that for all of the devastation that we have inflicted on each other and our beloved planet, the noosphere can be harnessed as a potent force that empowers us to consciously create a new story…
… one that unifies the best in us by inspiring self-actualization and the collective evolutionary advances that will forge a truly equitable, joyful, and sustainable world.
We are already unified, they say. The time has come for us to use it for good.
You’ll explore the power you hold to consciously be a part of creating the noosphere in this enlightening course from Matthew and Brian, and discover how science and spiritual mysticism converge in the evolution of human consciousness and our world to deepen the meaning of our lives — and inspire the harmony, fulfillment, and happiness we all seek.
Matthew and Brian believe that the noosphere provides us with a spiritual and scientific path for actively birthing a new story for humanity… and a new Earth by harnessing the primordial creation energy of the Universe that still exists today — a belief that has been foretold by great spiritual teachers and scientists alike for centuries.
Through powerful guided experiences from Matthew and Brian, you’ll discover the continuous creation of the Universe as the same divine forces that are within you…
… dissolving isolation, fear, and anxiety — and recovering the sacred through the visceral knowing that you are rooted in the fundamental powers of the Universe and are needed as a living light that holds the power of creation. And, as Brian says, as a vital part of the Earth’s nervous system, as well.
You’ll also explore the role that symbolic language — or the cosmic dimension of humanity — has played in establishing unity among modern humans, including the fascinating correlation of the Cosmic Christ archetype, the noosphere, and the “Kingdom of God.”
During this insightful & inspiring course, you’ll:
- Explore the evolving mind of the noosphere — and how conscious creation can birth a new story for humanity
- Discover the noosphere as the kingdom of God — and how divinity is always being born in the Universe
- Explore the interconnections of humans around the planet as the emergence of a planetary nervous system
- Discover the self-organizing dynamics of the Universe that govern all levels of our lives — and how relationships in their most primordial form activate the self-organizing dynamics of life and Universe
- Be guided in experiences to feel the peace of surrendering to the cosmic powers that are building you… enhance your creative project by exploring yourself as a physical and psychic membrane… witness the painting that took place in caves all over the planet… and more
- Explore how rituals can come alive and hasten the reunion of psyche and cosmos, wonder and gratitude, science and spirituality
- Learn how the noosphere offers each person the opportunity to become a person who never could have come forth in previous centuries
- Discover how the development of symbolic languages led to the inevitable takeover of the planet
- Consider where you and the collective go from here as we begin to consciously create the noosphere and the next step for humanity
- Learn why play and creativity are becoming primary values
While it’s evident that as human beings we are unified in our capacity for love, courage, selflessness, creativity, and ingenuity…
… history also attests that we have a knack for profound devastation as evident in our many divides, institutionalized power-over dynamics, and tattered environments that are on the verge of extinction.
The invitation of the noosphere is to amplify our shared capacity for good by going inward and reconnecting with the sacredness that has always fueled our existence — and the continuous creation of the Universe… in which all life plays a prolific part.
A professor of cosmology at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, Brian is known for his Cosmogenesis book and Northern California Emmy® Award-winning PBS documentary, Journey of the Universe. His concise perspective on the nature of the Universe supports the emergence of a flourishing Earth community.
Matthew, one of the foremost mystical scholars of our time and recipient of the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award, offers us divinely inspired guidance on how we can rise to meet the uncertainties of our time with compassion, conviction, creativity, and grace.
Together, these luminaries are uniquely positioned to guide us to the path that is most aligned with our shared desire for peace and prosperity… and the imperative for nurturance, protection, and advancement of all beings.
Througout this course, Brian and Matthew take turns leading the teachings, alternating each module (with module one beginning with Brian). Both teachers are present in each module and participate and respond to one another’s teachings in discussion. The last module is taught by both Brian and Matthew.
What You’ll Discover in These 7 Modules
In this 7-part transformational course, Matthew and Brian guide you through the fundamental skills and competencies you’ll need to embrace your place in the creative energy of the cosmos through the timely wisdom of science and spiritual mysticism — and their combined vision for the evolution of human consciousness.
The Beauty of On-Demand
This course features step-by-step teachings and experiential practices with Matthew and Brian. Each session builds harmoniously upon the previous ones, so you’ll develop a complete holistic understanding of the practices, tools, and principles you’ll need to bring meaning to the mundane and activate the power you hold to consciously create your life.
Module 1: Explore the “Mind” of the Universe to Expand Your Capacity to Consciously Create a New Form of Cosmological Intelligence
During the four centuries of modern science, the dominant image of the Universe has been that of a machine. Breakthroughs in quantum physics, mathematical cosmology, evolutionary biology, and complexity science enable us to see more deeply into the functioning of the Universe.
You’ll explore the “mind” of the Universe in its vast and evolving complexity… a self-organizing intelligence in which each being participates directly in cosmological intelligence.
Brian shares how as your understanding of this form of cosmic intelligence deepens, your ability to participate in it grows stronger.
You’ll also learn how from the emergence of self-reflection to the invention of symbolic languages, humans have been building their creative capacities for bringing forth a new form of cosmological intelligence — a noosphere, or planetary mind — and a unified humanity.
You’ll explore:
- The nature of the self-organizing dynamics of the Universe that govern all levels of our lives — and how relationships in their most primordial form activate the self-organizing dynamics of life and Universe
- How the invention of the membrane enabled life to emerge — and how this can assist us in our own creative work
- How the domestication of fire accelerated human evolution by a factor of 100,000
- Why the development of symbolic languages led to the inevitable takeover of the planet
- The dire need for a new self-image for every human being — moving from the context of the nation-state to that of the evolving Universe
- Guided experiences to feel the peace of surrendering to the cosmic powers that are building you — and to enhance your creative project by exploring yourself as a physical and psychic membrane
Module 2: How Human Creativity & Cosmological Intelligence Intersect to Birth Divinity & a Unified Humanity
Where does your creativity come from and how can you nurture it more fully?
Explore the human power of creativity and how it connects with cosmological intelligence through the ideas of “continuous creation” as presented by Evelynn Underhill and M. D. Chenu — and Teilhard de Chardin’s “Cosmic Christ” archetype.
Matthew shares how continuous creation and the Cosmic Christ are also connected in interesting ways.
You’ll also learn how the Cosmic Christ archetype is the oldest Christology in Christianity, 300 years older than the Nicene Creed… and consider why it’s also symbolically found in other religions, including Buddhism (the “Buddha nature”) and Judaism (Tselem or image of God).
In this module, you’ll:
- Learn how creation is always happening — and how humans are integral to it
- Explore the ongoing creativity of the Universe and of humanity
- Discover how divinity is always being born in the Universe
- Learn why cosmic intelligence is not divorced from cosmic love
- Experience how Meister Eckhart and other mystics speak to these realities
Module 3: Discover the Nervous System of the Earth & the Cosmic Dimension of Humanity That Exists in Symbolic Language
One of the most surprising discoveries in 20th century biology is how chimpanzees and humans are nearly identical at the level of the DNA. Our genetics are 99% the same.
Yet, the evolutionary differences are astounding. Chimpanzees over the last 10 million years haven’t changed or moved from their habitat in equatorial Africa…
… while humans over the past 100,000 years have invented symbolic language, learned the biology of their bodies, built 10,000 cities, flown to the moon, constructed libraries all around the planet — and created a network of communication that puts an individual human in potential contact with every other human around the planet.
You’ll explore what differentiates chimpanzees from humans, including the human capacity to create what has been called “a brain of brains” — the noosphere.
Brian also shares how as humans spread over the surface of Earth, humanity stayed anatomically the same by inventing tools that enabled it to acclimate to new biomes…
… and how this whole network spanning across planet Earth can be considered the emergence of Earth’s nervous system.
You’ll discover:
- The unique feature of Homo sapiens — an ability to navigate the challenges of life by inventing tools that enable its anatomy to remain the same
- Why the primary power of story is its ability to create community
- How each human is born in a mind that has been developing for 200,000 years
- Interconnections of humans around the planet as the emergence of a planetary nervous system
- How symbolic language determined the success of human trade
- Early examples of noospheres — the animals that built versions of a “brain of brains”
- Guided experiences to witness the painting that took place in caves all over the planet — and imagine the chaos that would ensue if 50,000 chimpanzees were put into a football stadium versus 50,000 humans
Module 4: Recover the Sacredness of Earth, Her Creatures & Humanity as an Antidote to Climate Change & Extinction
In this module, you’ll explore your place on the Earth and in the Universe through two humbling, mesmerizing, and elegantly described glimpses from space.
The first are the pictures astronauts took of Earth from space and their rediscovery that the Earth is not divided by countries… such divisions are man-made.
Second are the pictures beamed back to Earth more recently from Voyager 1, a satellite that has now left our solar system. The pictures show Earth as a tiny dot in a vast space.
Matthew shares how precious and valuable that dot on which all of us live and all of our ancestors lived is. And, how it’s in jeopardy because of our species — and the climate change and extinction events we are causing.
You’ll also explore Thomas Berry’s notion that what will save the Earth is humanity recovering a sense of the sacred… and gain valuable insights on how to do that.
In this class, you’ll:
- Explore Mary Oliver’s words on the astonishment and holiness of everyday experiences in nature and creation
- Discover holiness all around you through the recovery of the sacred
- Unpack Jesus’ and Thich Nhat Hanh’s teaching that the “kingdom of God” is among you and within you
- Discover the noosphere as the kingdom of God
- Learn why recovering the sacred is necessary for saving the planet as we know it
- Experience the photography of Courtney Milne, which depicts the sacred places around the Earth — and in his backyard
Module 5: Experience Unity Through Symbolic Language — a Spiritual & Scientific Tool That Catalyzes Noospheric Consciousness
Homo sapiens began as just another primate species. The invention of symbolic language altered the dynamics of life… and enabled us to accumulate knowledge beyond what’s already present in the DNA.
Brian shares how symbols enable us to enter into the lives of one another in a way that’s not possible for other animals.
You’ll discover how sharing our hopes and dreams… telling one another the story of our lives… and inventing tools that can be shared by other humans helps us become more deeply bonded and unified.
Brian also explains how this power to relate to one another with depth has united the hunter-gatherers — and built villages, then cities, then civilizations, and now a unified humanity that encircles the Earth.
In this module, you’ll:
- Explore the evolving mind of the noosphere by considering the entire history of information storage
- Discover the 100,000-year experiment that strongly suggests Homo sapiens have a natural pattern of ontogenetic development
- Learn the answer to the question of why humans dragged huge stones weighing many tons to assemble Stonehenge
- Explore the James Webb Space Telescope as the invention of the noosphere
- Discover how humans are constructing culture that enables us to see the emergence of the noosphere as a one-time event
- Explore the primary intellectual move of the noosphere in the invention of transportation from Asia to Australia
- Discover guided experiences to imagine yourself at the “bottom of the planet” — and to gain a visceral understanding of the movement of the Sun
Module 6: Take Part in the Birth of a New Renaissance & Civilization to Reclaim a Sense of Meaning in Your Life
Meaning returns when an inspired vision is shared. The noosphere, or Cosmic Christ/Buddha nature/image of God, is such a vision.
You’ll explore how recovering the archetype of the Cosmic Christ and noosphere can birth a renaissance and a new civilization.
You’ll explore historian M. D. Chenu’s definition of a renaissance — a rebirth of civilization based on a spiritual initiative.
You’ll also consider elements of culture and civilization and how they must change, including education (from knowledge-based to wisdom-based)... play and creativity as a primary value… deep ecumenism and spirituality as distinct from religious competition… and the importance of rituals to grieve and to celebrate our common aspirations.
In this module, you’ll:
- Explore what a 21st-century renaissance looks like through the return of wisdom and meaning, reimagining education, and applying healthy masculine and feminine energies to education — and 4 ways in which wisdom differs from Knowledge
- Learn why play and creativity are becoming primary values
- Discover how spiritual practices can calm the reptilian brain
- Learn how deep ecumenism can convert religion to spirituality — and to sharing, not competing
- Explore how rituals can come alive and hasten the reunion of psyche and cosmos, wonder and gratitude, science and spirituality
Module 7: The Noosphere, the Rebirth of Humanity & the Healing (Tikkun) of Mother Earth to Empower Your Neotenic Nature
Brian and Matthew teach side-by-side in the final module to summarize previous classes and pose the question: What follows when postmodern science meets up with premodern and postmodern wisdom and mystical teachings?
You’ll explore the shadow side of religion and of science and how you can prepare yourself to face them…
… and how a new kind of holiness is required if humanity is to survive and allow Mother Earth as we know her in all her diversity to flourish.
You’ll also discover the power that stories have — such as the gospels, the Vedas, and the United States Constitution — which can be considered a transgenetic form of information, to unite formerly fragmented communities.
Brian and Matthew share how a new comprehensive story is emerging in human consciousness by looking to the empirical details of how life and consciousness began…
… how the primordial plasma developed into stars and galaxies and how, on at least one planet, life and consciousness surfaced.
Lastly, you’ll look inward to source the answer on what is needed for a new story to help bring forth a unified humanity.
In this module:
- Consider where you and the collective go from here as we begin to consciously create the noosphere and the next step for humanity
- Discover holiness as a response to the reality of evil (Heschel)
- Explore the noosphere and a new understanding of holiness
- Learn how to convert the “dark night” into something positive
- Discover your neotenic nature and how it’s the root of all significant creativity
- Learn how the noosphere offers each person the opportunity to become a person who never could have come forth in previous centuries
The Science, Spirituality & the Noosphere Bonus Collection
In addition to Matthew and Brian’s transformative 7-module online course, you’ll receive this special bonus collection to complement the course and take your understanding and practice to an even deeper level.
Christian Mystics: 365 Readings & Meditations
Video Teaching From Matthew Fox
In this insightful 2-hour video teaching and Q&A, Matthew discusses his book Christian Mystics: 365 Readings and Meditations. The daily readings Matthew shares — quotations from Christianity’s greatest mystics and prophets from the past 2,000 years — speak to the sacredness of the earth, awe and gratitude, darkness and shadow, compassion and creativity, sacred sexuality, and peacemaking. A range of figures are quoted, including Julian of Norwich, Martin Luther King Jr., Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Nikolai Berdyaev, Mechtild of Magdeburg, and Nana Veary.
Cosmic Creativity in the Form of a Human Being
PDF Guide to the Exploration of the Universe From Brian Thomas Swimme
A necessary step for escaping ecological and political violence is to experience our common humanity. Such convergence will not come from a new doctrine or a new theory, as Brian’s thought-provoking 7-page PDF attests. Humanity will enter its integral form when it finds common experiences of the Universe. One pathway into this universal experience is to understand that scientific theory can be used as a pathway to experience the unfolding Universe. Brian illustrates this movement of consciousness from theory to experience with two examples.
What People Are Saying About Matthew Fox…
“[Matthew is] a major teacher and guide.”
I think of Matthew Fox as “God’s Talent Scout” for all the pivotal figures and ideas he has reclaimed for the reform of Christianity. He knows the sources and translates them into modern idioms for the rest of us! What he has done with Hildegard, Eckhart, and Aquinas makes him a major teacher and guide.
— Richard Rohr, OFM, Center for Action and Contemplation, Albuquerque, New Mexico
“Matthew Fox is the Obi-Wan Kenobi of spirituality.”
Matthew Fox is the Obi-Wan Kenobi of spirituality. He has redefined what healthy spirituality is, and what it is not. We should place him at the same level of cultural importance as Thomas Berry, Gandhi, and Dr. King.
— Steve Mortimer, Black Chapel Collective
“If one person deserves credit for the great Hildegard renaissance in our time, it is Matthew Fox.”
If one person deserves credit for the great Hildegard renaissance in our time, it is Matthew Fox. Here in the long-lost legacy of Hildegard of Bingen, Fox found blindingly beautiful paintings, radiant writings overflowing with fresh insights of the deepest kind, prophetic wisdom, and engaged political spirituality. Here was a mystical genius who could help to illuminate the human soul spirituality, ecologically, politically — in every dimension of life.
— Mary Ford-Grabowsky, author of Sacred Voices
“History will name Fox one of the great Christian spirits of our age.”
— John Shelby Spong, author of A New Christianity for a New World
What People Are Saying About Brian Thomas Swimme…
“I have long been a fan of the work of Brian Thomas Swimme…”
As a theoretical physicist interested in the wider cultural and spiritual implications of modern science, I have long been a fan of the work of Brian Thomas Swimme, who has a particularly inspiring take on the standard scientific paradigm—that the universe is not just something to be theoretically understood but something we can have an experiential relationship with. In his newest book, Cosmogenesis, he intermingles his description of the development of his ideas with his own very personal history. Poignant, epic, and fascinating, it is quite simply a joy to read.
— Professor Jonathan Halliwell, Imperial College London, physics department
“Swimme’s narration will carry you along in his poignant journey toward universe-as-teacher.”
Cosmogenesis is a remarkable story threaded into the dynamic unfolding of our emerging universe. The weave here of poetics, spirituality, and science is exquisite. Swimme’s narration will carry you along in his poignant journey toward universe-as-teacher. You will discover your personal entry into a cosmos speaking through you.
— John Grim, Yale University, co-author of Ecology and Religion
“Swimme’s riveting auto-cosmology offers a direct, repeatable experience of intimacy with the universe.”
An immediate antidote to shrunken consciousness, Cosmogenesis will enlarge your conception of what a human is for. Swimme’s riveting auto-cosmology offers a direct, repeatable experience of intimacy with the universe.
— Carolyn Cooke, author of Daughters of the Revolution and Amor and Psycho
“Brian Thomas Swimme impactfully reveals epic twists and turns of the Universe Story.”
This is a brave, paradigm-shifting, and page-turning book; vulnerable and intimate, vast, and lyrical. By sharing the challenges and breakthroughs of his own personal story in the style of an “auto-cosmology,” Brian Thomas Swimme impactfully reveals epic twists and turns of the Universe Story. Powerful storytelling throughout evokes a new and much needed cosmology that meaningfully brings together subjective lived experience and recent scientific discovery.
— Jane Riddiford, author of Learning to Lead Together: An Ecological and Community Approach and co-founder of Global Generation
Here’s What You’ll Receive
Seven 90-Minute Pre-Recorded Sessions With Matthew Fox and Brian Thomas Swimme
Experience a unique opportunity to learn from Matthew Fox, renowned spiritual pioneer and author of more than 35 books and Brian Thomas Swimm, professor, author, and director of the Third Story of the Universe — from the comfort of your own home. Each module includes a streaming video option and guides you to a deeper understanding of the noosphere and the power you hold to consciously create your life.
Seven Transcripts of Modules
You’ll also receive the entire module transcription after each session is completed. You can then review, print, and highlight the insights and practices you found most impactful.
Exercises and Questions for Each Lesson
Between modules, you’ll have the option of completing related exercises, practicing new tools, and answering questions to accelerate your learning and integrate each lesson.
The Science, Spirituality & the Noosphere Bonus Collection
- Christian Mystics: 365 Readings & Meditations
Video Teaching From Matthew Fox - Cosmic Creativity in the Form of a Human Being
PDF Guide Exploration of the Universe From Brian Thomas Swimme
An Unprecedented Opportunity to Join the Online Course, Science, Spirituality & the Noosphere: Hope for Humanity’s Future
We feel honored that Matthew Fox and Brian Thomas Swimme have chosen to partner with The Shift Network to offer this exclusive online course. This is a unique opportunity to learn from a renowned spiritual pioneer and the director of Center for the Story of the Universe, whose powerful insights and pioneering work are helping us heal and awaken ourselves and our world.
If you’re serious about activating the power you hold to consciously create your life through the coherent path of science and spiritual mysticism, then you owe it to yourself, your loved ones, and our world to take this one-of-a-kind course.
If you’re ready to take the next step in your own evolution, click the register button below to reserve your space now.
Your Satisfaction Is 100% Guaranteed!
Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed! If you don’t absolutely LOVE Science, Spirituality & the Noosphere: Hope for Humanity’s Future — or don’t feel that it meets your needs — please submit your refund request form 2 weeks from your date of purchase and we’ll happily issue qualifying customers a refund.
About Matthew Fox
Matthew Fox is a prolific author of books dedicated to renewing the ancient tradition of Creation Spirituality, including Original Blessing, A Spirituality Named Compassion, and Christian Mystics. This earth-based mystical tradition is feminist, and welcoming of the arts and artists, honors Indigenous wisdom, works with science, and is committed to interfaith approaches and eco, social, and gender justice.
Matthew’s effort to reawaken the West to its own mystical tradition has sparked awareness of Hildegard of Bingen, Meister Eckhart, Julian of Norwich, and the mysticism of Thomas Aquinas, as well as the wisdom tradition that nurtured Jesus. Matthew’s work helps reconnect science and spirituality by honoring the sacredness of the Cosmos and interacting with contemporary scientists who are also mystics. He believes that “by reinventing work, education, and worship, we can bring about a nonviolent revolution on our planet.”
Matthew received his doctorate summa cum laude in the History and Theology of Spiritualities from the Institut Catholique de Paris. A member of the Dominican Order for 34 years, he established an Institute in Culture and Creation Spirituality that operated for seven years at Mundelein College in Chicago, and for 12 years at Holy Names University in Oakland.
He founded the University of Creation Spirituality in Oakland in 1996 and was president and professor until 2005, when he left to create a pilot project to reinvent the educational experience for inner-city teenagers.
Matthew is a recipient of many awards, including the Gandhi King Ikeda Award from Morehouse College, which is awarded for dedication to peace, unity, nonviolence, and justice. He also received the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award; other recipients have included the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, and Rosa Parks. He is currently a visiting scholar at the Academy for the Love of Learning in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
About Brian Thomas Swimme
Brian Thomas Swimme is the Director of the Third Story of the Universe at Human Energy, a nonprofit public benefit organization, and professor of cosmology at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. He received his PhD from the Department of Mathematics at the University of Oregon in 1978 for work in gravitational dynamics.
Brian brings the context of story to our understanding of the 13.8 billion-year trajectory of the Universe. Such a story, he feels, will assist in the emergence of a flourishing Earth community. He is the author of Cosmogenesis: An Unveiling of the Expanding Universe… The Hidden Heart of the Cosmos… and The Universe is a Green Dragon. He is co-author of The Universe Story, which is the result of a 10-year collaboration with cultural historian Thomas Berry.
Brian also created, with Bruce Bochte, three educational video series: Canticle to the Cosmos… The Earth’s Imagination… and The Powers of the Universe. He co-wrote, with Mary Evelyn Tucker, and hosted the 60-minute film, Journey of the Universe, which was broadcast on PBS television stations nationwide and won the Northern California regional Emmy for Best Documentary in 2011.
His most recent media work, created with Monica DeRaspe-Bolles and Devin O’Dea, is the popular YouTube video series, “The Story of the Noosphere.” He lectures widely and has presented at conferences sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, The World Bank, UNESCO, The United Nations Millennium Peace Summit, and the American Museum of Natural History.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is your refund policy?
A: Your satisfaction with The Shift Network and this course is our highest priority! We offer a satisfaction guarantee for a full two weeks so that you can try out the course risk free. The deadline to receive a refund is two weeks from your date of purchase. To request a refund, please click here to submit your Refund Application Form. Your refund will be processed within five business days and we will send you an email confirmation when your refund has been completed. However, we’d love to have a chance to address and resolve your concerns first. If there’s something we can assist you with, please email us at support@theshiftnetwork.com, and we’ll be happy to help!
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