Online Zoom Forum: What does Spirituality mean to us? Trends in Spiritual Identification, Behaviour, and Resiliency.
Date: Wednesday 19 March 2025.
Time: 7pm-9pm (UK time).
Description:
Format: There will be five talks, each of 12 minutes, followed by 20 minutes of discussion among the speakers and the chair, followed by Q & A.
Chair:
Liza Horan:
Bio: Liza Horan covers the mind-body-spirit movement as editor of MindstreamConnect.com and host of The Mindstream Podcast.
She's a founding member of the Frontier Journalists' Network, which works to increase coverage of topics surrounding the mysteries of human experience, such as consciousness; and provides strategic communications consulting to organisations including the Scientific & Medical Network, Galileo Commission, Parapsychological Association, and Edinburgh's own Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Centre.
Speakers:
Dr MaryCatherine Burgess:
Title: Embodied Spirituality – An Evolving Story.
Description: In her contribution, MaryCatherine will share highlights and key experiences that formed evolutionary ‘turning points’ in her understanding of spirituality, its meaning and on-going expressions in her life, resultant implications for her both personally and professionally, and how she’s attempted to thrive through inevitable challenges.
Her intention is to prompt those listening to reflect on the unique life events that have been integral to their own spiritual journey.
Bio: Raised a Roman Catholic in the USA by parents in an interfaith marriage, MaryCatherine has been deeply influenced by the Vatican II Council; the mystical and prophetic spirituality of Thomas Merton, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Gandhi; decades of training and practice in cross-cultural shamanism and in psychodrama and sociometry; years of training in Mystery School with Jean Houston and of exposure to Divine Feminine/Feminist Spirituality in general, but especially through the life and writings of Joan Chittister; decades of learning about myth with Joseph Campbell and Creation Spirituality with Matthew Fox; and her ordination as a Spiritual Healer and Earth Steward in 1995.
MaryCatherine taught in secondary schools; worked in medical management, quality, and leadership at Union Pacific Railroad; founded her own business White Buffalo Associates; and served as Associate Chaplain for Spirituality and Multifaith at the University of Edinburgh (UofE), where she continues to serve as Honorary Fellow (since 2008).
She has postgraduate (masters) degrees in Religious Education, Human Relations, and Celtic & Scottish Studies, along with a PhD in Religious Studies.
MaryCatherine is licensed as a mental health practitioner in Nebraska, USA.
Fi Sutherland:
Tile: Embodying Spirituality after my Near Death Experience.
Description: In 1995 I had my first awakening experience. It showed me there was more to life than the unconscious way I had been living. This awakening led me to meditation and Buddhism, and for the first time things began to make sense. Then in 2007 I made the decision to follow my heart and fully commit to my spiritual path.
This again changed my life. And following my heart’s guidance I visited Machu Picchu. In Peru I became unwell through altitude sickness and had a near death experience. I was in a coma for four days, and awakened from the coma into an enlightened state – I was like a newborn child – in a state of innocence, bliss, peace, and love. I had no thoughts, sadness, or fears.
This state was not sustainable as I was living as a spirit, so with a healer’s help I slowly reintegrated back into my conditioned body, losing some of the connection to the enlightened state, so as to operate in our conditioned world. However enlightenment is never lost. The intention is to return to that state by diving ever deeper into my body, uprooting all the conditioning and karma that exists there, and embodying the Light of my spirit. Instead of going out I am going in to re-experience the enlightened state that exists within me, and within everyone.
Bio: Fi Sutherland, BEd (Hons.), BSc (Psychology), is a Director of the ISIS School of Holistic Health Ltd, a Scotland-based school of healing arts, spiritual development, and inner transformation. Fi was born in a small village outside Glasgow. She immigrated to New Zealand in 1982 and returned to Scotland in 2001.
Fi had her first awakening experience in 1995 which changed her life. This led her to meditation and Buddhism, and her life changed again when she made the commitment to follow her heart. Fi has spent years working with spiritual teachers, attending workshops, undertaking pilgrimages, and doing her own personal development work.
In 2009, in Peru, Fi had a near-death experience. She awoke from a coma in the enlightened state and it is Fi’s aim to return to that awakened state through her continued spiritual and personal work. Fi’s book, Coming Home, describes this experience and her journey of awakening.
Fi has been working alongside Fotoula Adrimi in the ISIS School of Holistic Health since 2015. She is a spiritual and personal development teacher, and supports and co-teaches with Fotoula the School’s varied programme of Courses. Her area of expertise is meditation and mantra chanting, the ancient Egyptian Mystery teachings, and working spiritually in nature.
Website – https://www.theisisschoolofholistichealth.com/
Croilán:
Title: The Spiritual Teachings of Emotions.
Bio: Croilán Initiate of Brigid has apprenticed Phyllida Anam-Áire (FiléDia) since 2019 and is the guardian and a teacher for 'Teachings of the Cauldron' (Celtic consciousness) in UK.
She worked as a psychotherapist for over 25 years, a contemporary dance performer, dance teacher and yoga teacher.
Devoted to healing, presence, wisdom and compassion, she engaged in decades of Shamanic experiencing, Dzogchen (Tibetan Buddhism), Atman teachings (Hinduism/Yoga Philosophy).
She has latterly found roots in the indigenous lands of the human heart.
Prana:
Title: Applying Eternal Principles in a World of Change.
Description: Drawing from the teachings of Bhagavad Gita, I’d like to explore the application of the Vedic principle of desha (place), Kala (time) and patra (circumstance).
Examining how to maintain consistent meaning regardless of changes in our lives and environment.
Bio: I joined the Hare Krishna movement in 1983 to pursue my spiritual journey where I trained as a monk in Worcestershire after which I served at the Watford temple until 1986.
Along with 2 other monks I then returned to Scotland to establish an ashram and temple.
Over the past few decades I’ve continued to practise and promote the message of Bhagavad Gita which directs one to perform devotional service (Bhakti Yoga) to the supreme being (Krishna).
Vinesh Chandra:
Title: Practical Spirituality and Spiritual Confidence.
Description: In his contribution, Vinesh will share very practical aspects of living an all encompassing spiritual life.
He will explore being constantly integrated and surrendered in universal divine awareness and having two way communications with the divine.
His intention is to allow all listening to develop unwavering faith and spiritual confidence through divine signs and occurrences.
Bio: Vinesh was born and raised as a Hindu and spent his first 24 years of his life in Malaysia before moving to Scotland to further his post graduate studies.
Being an active member of the Sri Sathya Sai Service Organising, he furthered his understanding from religion to practical spirituality and further explored Advaitic concepts which calls for oneness with the Divine.
Vinesh has taught Basic Hinduism and Advanced Spirituality to University Students all over Scotland over the years and guided them towards practical spirituality.
Having been trained as an engineer and worked in the field of IT, Vinesh takes and introduces a practical methodological approach to spirituality.
Vinesh is also a Licensed Life Success Consultant, Reiki Master, Rising Star Healing Modality Practitioner and a Hotelier.
An archive recording will be made for the EICSP archive.
NB: There will be no refund if you cancel your booking.
Cost: By Donation:
Contact: Neill Walker, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
If you are having a difficulty paying by Paypal, then you can pay by bank transfer instead.
NB: you must also email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. so we can send you the Zoom sign-in details.
Here are the bank transfer details:
Account Name: Edinburgh International Centre for Spirituality and Peace
Bank: Bank of Scotland
Bank Address: Edinburgh Royal Mile Branch
Account Number: 06131159
Sort Code: 802000
Some international transfers also ask for an IBAN number:
The IBAN number:
GB70 BOFS 8020 0006 1311 59
BIC:
BOFSGB21168