Tuesdays, June 25th- July 16th, 2024
7 - 9 pm ET
$155 Paid Patreon Members / $175 General Admission *

* PDF of text of Why Transforming Fear of Death is Politically Vital provided to all students; short video book trailer here).

Please note: All classes will be recorded for those unable to attend

“Radical Mindfulness addresses the need to simultaneously come to terms with death at the personal level while dismantling/reconstructing death-denying structures (religious, political, economic). A magnificent book — timely, important, and compelling" — Sheldon Solomon

Join award winning teacher Dr. James Rowe for an exploration of his recent book Radical Mindfulness: Why Transforming Fear of Death is Politically Vital, which examines the root causes of injustice, asking why inequalities along the lines of race, class, gender, and species continue to exist. Specifically, the book examines fear of death as a cause of systemic inequalities and proposes a more embodied approach to social change as a solution. Collecting insights from powerful thinkers across multiple traditions — including Black radicals, Indigenous resurgence theorists, terror management theorists and Buddhist feminists — the book argues for the political importance of seemingly apolitical practices such as meditation and ritual.

Throughout, participants will receive meditation instruction and support in establishing/strengthening a regular practice. They will also be introduced to rituals used by different cultures to transform existential anxiety and the destructive behavior it can cause. The continuities and differences between inner/personal transformation and outer/structural change will be a recurring theme.

Participants will leave this course with a clearer understanding of how existential anxiety shapes individual behavior and collective outcomes, and gain hands on experience with how mind-body practices can metabolize existential fear, thereby enhancing personal well-being and political outcomes.

It isn’t necessary to read the book to benefit from the course, but a PDF of the text will be provided.

James Rowe is an Associate Professor of environmental studies and cultural, social, and political thought at the University of Victoria. His interdisciplinary research program is motivated by a desire to understand and strengthen social movements working toward social and ecological justice. He is the author of Radical Mindfulness: Why Transforming Fear of Death is Politically Vital (Routledge, 2023). His research has been reported on by The BBC, the CBC, HuffPost, and Jacobin.