Commissioned by Life Itself during the Respond Network retreat at the Life Itself Bergerac France Hub, John was invited to a contemplative interview process of silent witnessing with John Oliver. John processes his latest reflections during a deep dive retreat with multiple scholars and practitioners in consciousness and wisdom studies. What is really at the heart of an individual's pivot points - involving the whole self, but not being self-involved? Filming, witnessing and editing by John Oliver www.interiortruth.com

Commissioned by Life Itself during the Respond Network retreat at the Life Itself Bergerac France Hub, John was invited to a contemplative interview process of silent witnessing with John Oliver. John speaks to have we can weave together the Good, True and Beautiful, through Plato's notion of "plausibility". How do we reach out for not what is probable, but where our imagination, our sense of beauty can take us, with regards a plausible world of truth and justice. Filming, witnessing and editing by John Oliver www.interiortruth.com

Thomas talks to the practice of emergent dialogue and emergent interbeing, emphasizing the importance of cultivating freedom from oneself and recognizing the shared wholeness that exists between us. Thomas believes that by relating to the "between us" space, we can gain insights that are not accessible when we solely focus on our own perspectives. Thomas connects this practice to the history of consciousness and the birth of individualism during the Axial Ages. These ages marked a change in human consciousness, where our relationship to the sacred and spirituality shifted. Thomas sees the current cultural trend of "We" space practices as a way to move beyond hyper-individualization and find a new embeddedness in the sense of wholeness. He mentions that when we enter a shared interbeing space, there is a different intelligence that emerges, which is not solely our own. This shared intelligence can be liberating but requires a balance between experiencing the wholeness and maintaining our individuality and responsibility. Thomas also discusses the dialectic between individual autonomy and responsive realization of wholeness. He acknowledges the challenge of holding both qualities and avoiding the pitfalls of either extreme. See Thomas' work at: https://oneworldindialogue.com/ Commissioned by Life Itself and filmed at the Life Itself Bergerac Hub, Aug 2023 during the Respond Network retreat. Witnessing, filming and editing by John Oliver, www.interiortruth.com

Thomas Steininger explores the concept of mutual understanding and the creation of culture. He emphasizes the beauty of sharing one's thoughts and life work while being aware of the wholeness and interbeing of existence. Thomas believes that true mutual understanding arises when we allow differences to coexist and stay interested in each other. He highlights the importance of transcending self-reference and embracing a sense of collective responsibility. Steininger refers to this capacity as "trans-individuation" and sees it as essential for creative understanding and shared wisdom to emerge. He also acknowledges the need for a different relationship with individuality and the significance of a shared reverence for the good, true, and beautiful. Lastly, Thomas discusses the power of collective meaning-making and the potential for synergy when diversity is embraced. He sees this as a cultural achievement and a way to counteract fracturing in society. See Thomas' work at: https://oneworldindialogue.com/ Commissioned by Life Itself and filmed at the Life Itself Bergerac Hub, Aug 2023 during the Respond Network retreat. Witnessing, filming and editing by John Oliver, www.interiortruth.com

Nicholas is uniquely placed to describe the power of the arts in our everyday practical, organisational and collective lives. Balancing craft, precision and emergence, we can learn to offer our gift of presence in whole new ways. Heartfelt thanks to Nicholas for the testimonial below: “John Oliver's work is truly exceptional. First he created a unique ‘contemplative’ space which allowed me to speak from a great depth inside. But nothing prepared me for the quality of how he subsequently worked with the content and visual edit. This is simply remarkable work, of the very highest order.” Nicholas Janni Co-founder Matrix Development, author of Leader as Healer, Business Book of the Year 2023 www.thematrixdevelopment.com Filmed at the Respond Network Bergerac Aug 2023 gathering Commissioned by Life Itself Witnessing, filming and editing by John Oliver

Nicholas Janni discusses the emergence of a new consciousness, his work in the theater and with corporate executives, and the importance of somatic work and working with emotions in the corporate world. He reflects on the connection between trauma work and spiritual practices, and the value of purpose and making a contribution to the greater good. Heartfelt thanks to Nicholas for the testimonial below: “John Oliver's work is truly exceptional. First he created a unique ‘contemplative’ space which allowed me to speak from a great depth inside. But nothing prepared me for the quality of how he subsequently worked with the content and visual edit. This is simply remarkable work, of the very highest order.” Nicholas Janni Co-founder Matrix Development, author of Leader as Healer, Business Book of the Year 2023 www.thematrixdevelopment.com Filmed at the Respond Network Bergerac Aug 2023 gathering Commissioned by Life Itself Witnessing, filming and editing by John Oliver

Rainer v. Leoprechting, founder of the intentional community www.obenauscommunity.org and facilitation services and narratives platform https://fraendi.org, speaks to his reflections on his life's journey, catalysed by the retreat experience. Celebrating mentors, being seen as an elder and taking courage in the powerful journey as an intentional community leader come to the fore. Rainer offers strategic leadership facilitation services www.fraendi.org and a digital meaning-finder service www.storymatcher.com Commissioned by LifeItself Witnessing, filming and editing by John Oliver

Gregg Henriques is a professor of psychology who shares his journey of exploring the field of psychology from a scientific and postmodern perspective. He highlights the crisis and lack of coherence in the discipline, emphasizing the need to make sense of psychological concepts. Through his narrative, Gregg discusses bridging the gap between mind and matter and proposes a unified theory of knowledge that includes energy, matter, life, mind, and culture. http://www.gregghenriques.com/ Filmed at the Respond Network Bergerac Aug 2023 gathering Commissioned by Life Itself wwww.lifeitself.org Witnessing, filming and editing by John Oliver www.interiortruth.com

Gregg Henriques discusses how the institutions and regulatory mechanisms are now struggling to adapt to the digital age and environmental crisis. Gregg evokes the loss of meaning and the decline of religious worldviews in the Western society and proposes a revival of religious values, not in a supernatural sense, but in a scientific and spiritual way. He believes that by redefining our values and focusing on being seen, known, and valued as important individuals, we can find more meaning in life. Gregg expresses concern about the polarization and ideological capture in politics, advocating for a constructive approach to address the issues we are facing and build a better future. Filmed at the Respond Network Bergerac Aug 2023 gathering Commissioned by Life Itself Witnessing, filming and editing by John Oliver www.interiortruth.com

Ria speaks to the potential of the ways in which we come together, which includes the space for silence. She has been experimenting with collective presencing groups for many years, and has come to realise that it's more about a stepping out of the way of a natural "collective being" to arise, that holds profound wisdom. Ria has written a book on "Collective Presencing" available at: https://www.collectivepresencing.org/ Filmed at the Respond Network retreat, Bergerac Aug 2023 Witnessing, filming and editing by John Oliver www.interiortruth.com

Ria speaks to the immediate experience of participating in a retreat focusing on Wisdom. The powerful energetic dynamics reveal how we forget to allow our whole selves to show up, and be recognised. Ria has written a book on "Collective Presencing" available at: https://www.collectivepresencing.org/ Filmed at the Respond Network retreat, Bergerac Aug 2023 Witnessing, filming and editing by John Oliver www.interiortruth.com

Metsa, or Metsa Nihue as he is known to many, is internationally renowned in the field of Amazonian plant spirit medicine. He calls himself a vegetalista (vegetalist) due to his direct relationship with plants in South America. The Shipibo people of Peru call him an Onaya (medicine man). Many call him a “shaman,” but it’s a term he doesn’t promote. Through ritual, prayer, ceremony, and song, he acts as an inter-dimensional traveler, a walker between worlds, helping people connect to themselves, to the invisible power of nature, and to the ineffable. https://www.metsaseries.com/ https://www.sacredwaysfoundation.org/ Filmed at the Respond Network retreat, Bergerac Aug 2023 Witnessing, filming and editing by John Oliver www.interiortruth.com

Metsa, or Metsa Nihue as he is known to many, is internationally renowned in the field of Amazonian plant spirit medicine. He calls himself a vegetalista (vegetalist) due to his direct relationship with plants in South America. The Shipibo people of Peru call him an Onaya (medicine man). Many call him a “shaman,” but it’s a term he doesn’t promote. Through ritual, prayer, ceremony, and song, he acts as an inter-dimensional traveler, a walker between worlds, helping people connect to themselves, to the invisible power of nature, and to the ineffable. Metsa speaks to the delicate balance between respecting and preserving the knowledge and wisdom of the indigenous peoples and lineages, whilst avoid spiritual egoism and appropriation of the label of 'shaman'. https://www.metsaseries.com/ https://www.sacredwaysfoundation.org/ Filmed at the Respond Network retreat, Bergerac Aug 2023 Witnessing, filming and editing by John Oliver www.interiortruth.com