Imaginal Activism

Cynthia Bourgeault’s talk, delivered on Pentecost, is a rousing call to spiritual engagement in a time of global crisis. She contrasts passive spirituality with a new model of “Imaginal Activism,” a framework that links deep contemplative practice with strategic, spiritually grounded action. Drawing inspiration from figures like Thomas Keating and G. I. Gurdjieff, she reclaims prayer not as private comfort but as a potent, transpersonal energy exchange that catalyzes real change through the Imaginal Realm (World 24).

Bourgeault outlines six core spiritual skills necessary for this kind of activism:

1. Meditative Prayer – Foundational for detaching from emotional reactivity.
2. Three-Centered Awareness – Cultivating harmony between thinking, feeling, and moving centers (from Gurdjieff).
3. Metis – The Greek concept of skillful timing and strategic, intuitive action.
4. Conscience – Acting beyond ego and judgment, aligned with a higher order.
5. Courage – Heart-rooted fortitude to persist even when afraid.
6. Compassion – A radical empathy that recognizes the deep interconnectedness of all beings.

These tools, she argues, enable us to engage global challenges not with reactive outrage, but with aligned, skillful presence that draws on higher laws and unseen spiritual support.