Visionary Statements
These vision statements are categorized into 13 areas of life. They weave the words of over 100 women who gathered together in 13 Councils at Esalen Institute to collectively grieve our current reality and dream into a future world. These visions were spoken as though we already live in the reality that we are dreaming into.
Culture
We believe in creating a world of true Sovereignty for every living being. We are awakening to a deep remembrance of the interconnectedness and interdependence of life. We are in service to a world that believes life is sacred.
We honor the challenges of past generations by learning and healing from lost stories. We create sacred space to share wisdom and connect across different stages of life. Our society is grounded in kindness, compassion and empowerment. We practice empathy and gratitude.
We are whole and imperfect human beings and all parts are invited. We fortify people from the inside out. We develop the skills to work through challenges. Circles create containers of safety. People bring up tensions and address them in loving ways. We support each other in transformation and growth. We reinstall a sense of meaning, purpose and fulfillment.
Infrastructure & Community Design
Nature and the structures we build are blended. Our community centers are hubs for childcare, community organizing, food exchanges, and regular gatherings. Organic gardens are at the center. We engage our hands to build and create spaces that promote dialogue and interaction.
Ours is a place where children play, people gather, visitors are fed and visions are brought forth and tended to. It is a place where elders are loved, honored, and cared for with dignity. We live in a beautiful environment and hold vitality while aging. The structure of our community provides support across all ranges and stages of life.
Economics
We redefine real value. It is Gratitude. Community. Abundance. Equality. Transparency. Affirmation of Life. Love. Connection to each other. Connection to the land. Cooperation.
We have an abundance of resources on the planet. We can provide what people need. Everyone has access to basic resources - food, education, healthcare, and shelter. All people are cared for and equally valued. We map the abundance of what we have to give to the needs of others. We share and exchange resources, skills, possessions, and experiences.
There is more than enough to go around. There is a natural flow of giving and receiving. We fortify skillsets to nurture and receive. There is a deep understanding that love creates abundance. Where the community invests, the community harvests.
Art
We reframe what it means to be an artist. It looks its own unique way. In service to what wants to come through. We discover the untapped abyss of possibility. Art comes from darkness. Eros is at the root of creativity. Its energy opens us up. Exploding. Visioning.
Our community is colorful. Creative. Bountiful. Collaborative. We value the power of storytellers and artists to know ancestral history.
We believe play and leisure are productive. We are free to explore. Unlocking creativity. Re-awakening life force. Holding space. Holding paradox. Permeating across divides. Dancing. Expanding. Singing. Uplifting people. Unleashing movement. Communicating the subliminal.
Family, Love & Eros
We see a world where every child born is wanted, cherished and cared for. Every child has a chance to thrive and grow up knowing they are deserving of love and affection. This starts well before conception and continues through empowering births for women. We know that empowered women cultivate healthy children and communities.
We practice nurturance within the family system. People take care of each other and each other’s children. Relationships are intrinsic to our lives. By teaching our children to honor, care for and respect themselves and others, we create a world of harmony. We acknowledge all of the stages of Life: Birth, Coming of Age, Sacred Union, and Death. Families and communities come together to celebrate these Rites of Passage.
We have practices and rituals to care for and nourish the body. Awakened and liberated in our bodies, we access our highest creative potential. We honor and respect our relationships and sexuality. We communicate our needs and desires. Pleasure is healing, enlivening and awakening. We develop intimacy. We are fulfilled and nourished with touch and love.
Social Justice
There is an understanding of connectedness – a sense of shared destiny – with each other and with the planet. We are actively interested in equality and access. We know that we are part of the family of things. Nobody feels alone or othered. Everyone is beautiful in their own way.
When community members miss the mark, they have the opportunity to be held in loving energy. They can try again. Processes exist for us to heal. We create practices around shame resilience. We hold circles to share feelings.
There is a shared philosophy of connecting people to resources. Money allocation is managed responsibly and with love. Ideas become manifest because resources and networks are available to everyone. We honor, respect and support each other.
Education
We liberate and actualize souls, and raise human beings who are free. We engage, love, and inspire humans to discover their heart’s calling.
We all want to learn. The world has become our classroom—there is no separation between work and life. People of all ages feel awake and alive, as they glean meaning from everyday experiences. Education becomes the communal rearing of children by self-actualized adults.
Our classes are rooted in nature and learning her rhythms, needs and power before we begin to explore our own. Only in that way can we live sustainably.
Children learn the foundations of humanity—emotional intelligence, intuition, creativity and play. Youth work alongside one another in mentorship. An open flow allows plenty of room for self-interest. Structures arise out of the needs of the learners. Teachers from the community step in to guide. Circles create opportunities to reflect on inner experiences.
We ask the kids their ideas. We work in service to our world’s youngest citizens. We gift our communities with powerful beings ready to support forward. And like a ripple, we have more voices -- the more of us who become free.
Governance
Citizens and leaders sit in circle, asking, “What should we be doing for the greater good? How do we create together?”
We remember the cycles of nature, and let nature be our guide. Nature is Governance. Order. A map. We stay connected to the truth. We trust what needs to die.
We are our vision for the new world. We have global leaders. Elders council. They say, “We see you. Be who you are. Listen to your own voice.”
Our governance values balance, diversity, and ethics. It protects the peace and wellbeing of people and planet. It is simple and expansive. We feel safe and free. We are empowered. We trust. We listen. We respect each other. We have camaraderie. We are the ripple effect.
Health
We have everything we need for health and healing. We take time for regular retreat to rejuvenate, renew, and tend to our bodies. We experience vitality and health. We thrive.
We are not alone. A greater global network provides multi-cultural practices and wisdom for health and healing. There are layers of community and contact amongst generations. There is life after loss. When challenges arise, we recognize our opportunity to heal.
We create a place to show that life is worth living. We have a new normal. Meditation is the norm. Circles are the norm. Self-expression, connection and nurturance are the norm.
Media
We envision a world where media serves us. We see inspiring and affirming stories. Positive news. We are heard and listened to through media. It alleviates suffering, showcases beauty, celebrates everyday heroes, and stirs joy and laughter. Research and information is shared freely and to all. We gather and share messages of hope.
Technology
We envision technology that is in service to the human experience. It allows us more time, energy and space to create deeper connections with the natural world, and to explore enrichment in our lives. It provides us a global, borderless, multi-cultural exchange and archival of wisdom.
Our technology is a free and unobstructed flow of knowledge and information to support the growth and development of all species. It allows us to manifest our imagination and highest creative aspirations. It helps us to empathize with more aspects of the human condition. It supports us in overcoming our physical challenges and differences so everyone can participate effectively in society.
Organizations
Our work engages our unique gifts and purpose. We feel honored for the strength and creativity we contribute. We do what we love. We trust others to know what is theirs to do.
Organizations are compassionate entities with a greater purpose for existence. They honor transparency, accountability and integrity. Values, vision and mission are continually co-created to honor the emergence of what is new. Structures support the uniqueness of an organization’s purpose and needs.
Organizations are in harmony with how people and nature move. They give back and share their prosperity with the land and community. We invest in each other. The bottom line is to serve humanity and the greater web of life.
Ecology
Our beautiful blue and green planet remains as beautiful. Humanity rescues itself. We are a bridge between, coming back to balance. We come together with one consciousness for Mother Earth.
There is deep connection with land and community. Our basic needs of food, access to clean water and energy are available and abundant, supportive of the Earth and the health of all beings on this planet.
We see water canals and retention ponds with food plants. We see endless harvest tables with delicious food and celebration. We have ecological and efficient transportation and energy systems. We practice permaculture.
Children know the power of being close to Mother Earth. We have a playful interaction with our environment. We all discover our creative deep, green side.
