the idiotplayers podcast: Anthony Blake, episode 01

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The idiotplayers podcast is a caravanserai of conversations with important thinkers, be-ers and doers.

The idiotplayers podcast aims to explore art, creativity and expression that speaks to rich technique, sensitivity, attentiveness and spiritual unveiling. If there is an elephant standing in the dark, as the Sufi story goes, we want to do more than grope and theorize. We invite conversations with people who aim from the heart to make practical, the far-reaching.

We are very pleased that Anthony Blake agreed to be our first guest at the idiotplayers podcast caravanserai. Blake worked for many years with John Bennett, in particular working with Bennett on The Dramatic Universe. The conversation is wide-ranging as Blake actively sought and developed wide-ranging ideas and practices beyond any given dogma.

This conversation was recorded on Saturday, March 12, 2011. We present to you part 1 of the conversation in this episode. Part 2 will be published in a future post.

Biography

Anthony Blake (born 1939) studied Physics at Bristol University with David Bohm (see Bohm-Bennett Correspondence 1962-4) and the History and Philosophy of Science at Cambridge with Gerd Buchdahl. He collaborated with engineer Edward Matchett on Creative Design (numerous papers) and worked with John Allen and the original team that built Biosphere 2 (see Biosphere 2 – the Human Experiment, edited by Blake). With the philosopher-technologist John Bennett, a leading student of the ‘fourth way’ teacher Gurdjieff, and his team he worked on the development of methods of structural thinking called systematics that led to ‘Structural Communication’ (see Kieran Egan, Structural Communication) and ‘LogoVisual Technology’ (LVT for short , see entry in Wikipedia). In 1998 he co-founded the non-profit organisation DuVersity (in the USA) centred on dialogue for which he is Director of Studies (see www.duversity.org). He has authored several books, including the most recent, A Gymnasium of Beliefs in Higher Intelligence. He has worked with leading practitioners of Group Analysis, specifically Patrick de Mare inventor of the ‘Median Group’ and Gordon Lawrence discoverer of the Social Dreaming Matrix, conducting and filming video-conversations with them and others in the field. He has conducted transpersonal psychological seminars in the USA, Europe, Mexico and China as well as conducting training in LVT in the UK, USA, Italy and China. He extended from physics into publishing and from philosophy into psychology but his core interests are dramatic process and dialogue, following the idea of the ‘dramatic universe’ he was introduced to by his main teacher, John Bennett; seeking spirituality in life’s uncertainties.

Topics and Links

Anthony Blake
http://www.anthonyblake.co.uk/, http://www.toutley.demon.co.uk/, www.duversity.org
A Gymnasium of Beliefs in Higher Intelligence

David Bohm, John G. Bennett, Colin Wilson, Pak Subud, Miguel de Unamuno, Systematics, The Alexander Technique

Notes

Music by the idiotplayers urgent carnival and advice to the drunk at heart.