John Astin ~ Everything is the Doorway (In-Person)
Sunday, March 15, 2026 @ 3:00pm-5:00pm (Pacific Time)
Berkeley, CA United States
Event Navigation

The largely consensus human view is that our thoughts about reality are essentially the same as reality, what psychologists term, “cognitive fusion.” But is that really true? Do our experiences actually conform to the ideas and beliefs we hold about them?
Through a series of meditative inquiries and dialogue, psychologist and spiritual teacher John Astin invites us into a deep dive into this question, exploring the nature of what’s appearing experientially to discover how it is not just those special, “peak” experiences that lie beyond the reach of our concepts and descriptions, but every experience.
This discovery John invites us into reveals the most profound freedom, the realization that every moment—even the ones we conventionally think of as problems—is a doorway into the deepest mystery, a doorway into the inconceivable miracle of life itself, shining forth as every moment that appears.
John Astin is the author of five books exploring the nature of reality including This Extraordinary Moment (2018) and his most recent, In Every Wave, the Entirety of the Sea (2024). He is also a singer, songwriter and recording artist having produced seven CDs of original spiritual-contemplative music. In addition to his writing and music, John holds a PhD in health psychology, is an internationally acclaimed scholar in the field of mind-body medicine, and a professor of counseling psychology at Santa Clara University.
John’s website: www.johnastin.com
Substack: https://johnastin.substack.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEES8OppC_2bhgGThn68nZMqKV3rGmo9k
No pre-registration
** Just show up & pay at the door **
(in the Parlor room on 1st floor)
Suggested donation: $15 to $30 each evening
No one turned away for lack of funds.
PARKING: There is street parking in the neighborhood, free and without time limit.
For inquiries contact LocalEvents@opencirclecenter.org
If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, or have had a recent
Covid exposure or positive test, please stay home out of consideration for others.
