BY KAVITA CHHIBBER

Mythic Imagination Institute, the Alliance for a New Humanity and Emory University joined hands and brought together three interesting personalities in a discussion on war and peace and the role of the imagination.

Dr Deepak Chopra, the world renowned spiritual leader and Harvard trained physician, who has achieved tremendous recognition for his pioneering work in the field of mind body medicine, Dr James Hillman, a well known psychologist and academician who studied with Carl Jung and is the founder of ‘ archetypal psychology’ a school of thought aimed at "revisioning" or "reimagining" psychology and Jean Huston, a scholar and pioneer in human development were the participants with Dr Huston as the moderator.

The evening began with an opening Didjeridu performance-an invocation for a prayer for peace by Shine Edgar and Zachary Sukuweh. The didjeridu is one of the oldest known instruments in the world dating back at least 40,000 years to the aboriginal people of Northern Australia. 

Then began an interesting hour where several things were touched upon-from Dr Huston’s observation that so many years ago during the civil war the soldiers would battle each other, then at night the same men would read letters and sang across the creek to each other only to pick up arms again the next day, making one wonder whether what was good for the soul could also be good for the republic. Dr Hillman’s assertion that war is in our DNA, locked in the human psyche, that we lack imagination and that is why we have the Iraq war and the aftermath of Katrina. “ We plan but we don’t imagine,’ said Hillman, and added that even when it came to the Columbine massacre no one chose to look into the hearts of the boys to see what was going on. “ He who begins with facts will never arrive at the essence.” Hillman’s key message was that our natural state is one of war and he feels that without war there would be no peace that we should not hope for peace, because ‘Wars will go on: They will not cease and they will not change. The dead will fall as ever."

Deepak Chopra, on the other hand said that in eastern philosophy begins with thoughts of peace and not war, that nature abhors a deep imbalance. The human species has become the most dangerous predator on our planet. Nature, said Dr Chopra, might be saying to herself, "Human beings were an interesting experiment that didn't work, so let's move on." Or, perhaps, our self awareness has reached a turning point. As inside ourselves we've always carried the seeds of creativity. The next creative leap isn't a mystery. Millions of people are ready to join in harmonious interaction with Nature--and with our own complex inner nature--to create a world of peace, harmony, laughter and love. Let us strengthen our intention to create that critical mass of peace consciousness. Every tear can be a drop of nourishment for the new world that wants to be born and is making itself known little by little, every day. Each one of us can help create this critical mass by becoming the embodiment of peace.’

Dr Chopra disagreed with Dr Hillman that we lack imagination, and said that he felt we have tremendous imagination... “I was reading that we will have the technology to create neutron bombs for the complete vaporization of humanity. We have the imagination to create amazing high tech gadgets, neutron bombs that will completely vaporize human beings, so in 10 years we wont need biological weapons. If that isn’t imagination what is?

Dr Chopra said that human beings had the capability to become the cancer that would destroy itself. “If insects disappear all life will end in 5 years-if human beings disappeared in 5 years all life would really flourish! So the way of peace asks for a conscious evolution, that if all of us demonstrate that peace is more satisfying than war the consciousness will shift. Peace has its own power and doesn’t have to be achieved by working with violence.” 

Dr Chopra also said if we put ourselves in the shoes of others, things would be very different. ‘Imagine how these American soldiers would look to you if you were the Iraqi.” To kill you have to pretend the other person is worth killing –if you walked in his shoes you will not be able to kill. Dr Chopra also said that peace in the eastern tradition is not the absence of war-its being in a state of peace.

The entire presentation was lively, full of humor and insight and ended with an interesting Q&A session, and a message that all of us must work together to create a better world.