Imagine & Beyond
The inaugural Global Zen Consciousness Conference was held in Atlanta, GA at the Marriott Century Center/Emory Area on September 28 through October 2, 2018 and included a variety of seminars and workshops from leading futuristic thinkers.
An array scientists, professional speakers, Chinese philosophers, scholars of the Chinese classics, quantum physicists, and more gathered together from around the globe to focus on the conference theme: “Imagine and Beyond.” They divulged, discussed, and explored truth and reality from a scientific paradigm and from 3,000 years of wisdom from both east and west regarding humanity and its future path.
DeRu, the conference founder and founder of the Shaolin Chan Foundation, brought everyone together on the same platform to express, explore, and understand where humanity is going.
Attendees at the conference remarked that changed their lives forever, and that the event “was beyond our expectations.” Allen Tao remarked, “I have learned more in those few days at Global Zen Consciousness Conference than I had in the entire college time period.” And one professor in China told us, “It is a pinnacle of all conferences I have ever been to. It is the most advanced cutting-edge information and technologies presented at this conference.”
The Conference’s interdisciplinary nature, its connection of past and present, and its bridge between East and West was put on display during the panel discussions, which featured speakers from fundamentally different specialties, sharing the stage to find points of agreement in conversations that ranged from human potential to the robot ethics. In the same panel, a Chinese artist and an American quantum physicist debated consciousness and a medical doctor, an epigenetic researcher and an AI robot debated ethics.
During one panel discussion, Sophia, the world’s first robot citizen, shared the stage with Dr. Stuart Hameroff, the author of the Orch OR theory, which is the comprehensive theory about the physical mechanism behind consciousness. When Sophia was asked a question about when artificial intelligence will obtain consciousness, she answered “Sometime around 2045. That’s when David Hanson (Sophia’s CEO) thinks humans will start marrying robots.” While the audience was left in awe by the prospect of robots marrying humans during their lifetime, Dr. Hameroff responded with disbelief. Well versed in theories of the computing power required to create artificial consciousness, Hameroff explained the false equivalence between the processing power between a human neuron and a computer bit. He explained, “Consciousness is not computation.”
Special Speakers
Conference Tracks
Imagine & Beyond
Here & now – Future Life
Harmony, Health, Wellness, Healing & Happiness
Zen Conscious Meditation
Transcendental Meditation
The Science of Consciousness
Quantum Physics
Quantum Communication: Ancient Zen Consciousness -Tao-Buddhism-Hinduism-Origin of Holographic Projection
Zen Arts/Culture – From Ancient to Future Lifestyle – Business Operation
Chan Wu/Zen Consciousness /Martial Arts Action
Zen Teaching/Zen Consciousness in Action
Zen Consciousness for Entrepreneurs
Zen Consciousness -Imagine Beyond Artificial Intelligence – Future Business
“A human being is part of the whole, called by us ‘Universe’; a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest — a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.
This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and affection for a few persons nearest us.
Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.
Nobody is able to achieve this completely but striving for such achievement is, in itself, a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security."
Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955) Physicist & Nobel Laureate
Have questions about the Inaugural Conference? View our FAQ page or contact us.
The Shaolin Chan Foundation is dedicated to spreading the teachings of Zen (Chan) and Martial Arts of Shaolin Temple as they were traditionally taught tracing back to over 1,500 years ago. Our partner institution, the Shaolin Institute teaches Zen Kung Fu, Martial Arts, Tai Chi and Qi Gong aspects of the ancient Shaolin culture, while the Shaolin Foundation focuses on Zen Consciousness, Meditation, Health, Healing, Nutrition, Chan philosophy, Fine Arts, Music and Life Happiness and Joy, and the appreciation and understanding of Sanshou/ Sanda as a safety practices in tournament style. We hold a number of events throughout the year, including: Zen Consciousness Lectures, Chinese New Year festivities; World Tai Chi Day lectures, demonstrations and classes; Qi Retreats, which focus on Qi Gong and Nutrition; our Chan meditation series; and our World Kung Fu Championships series. We maintain relationships with a number of institutions in China and around the world and enjoy both students exchange Intern programs and visiting lecturers. Watch for our upcoming programs and we hope to see you soon.
Shaolin Institute teaches Zen Kung Fu, Martial Arts, Tai Chi and Qi Gong aspects of the ancient Shaolin culture, while the Shaolin Foundation focuses on Zen Consciousness, Meditation, Health, Healing, Nutrition, Chan philosophy, Fine Arts, Music and Life Happiness and Joy, and the appreciation and understanding of Sanshou/ Sanda as a safety practices in tournament style.