The Nine Dimensions of Consciousness: A Practical Map for Insight Practitioners

The Nine Dimensions of Consciousness is a daylong meditation workshop for Insight practitioners, led by Phillip Moffitt, MA, and offered by Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California. Taught in the Theravada and Insight Meditation tradition, it gives meditators a practical map of the different aspects of consciousness that tend to surface in practice, so they can work with them on purpose.

What to Expect

Many meditators meet different states of consciousness without knowing what they are. Because these seem to arise at random, it is hard to use them to deepen concentration and insight. This day offers a way to recognize them.

The teaching begins with the consciousness that arises in the physical body. From there, a series of guided meditations moves through increasingly subtle levels, taking in all nine dimensions, from gross to refined. Each is approached through direct investigation rather than theory alone.

A central theme is the difference between a capacity and its content. In practice we often get caught up in whatever arises in the mind and forget that we can rest attention on the capacity of awareness itself. Learning to see that distinction is meant to bring more clarity and confidence to your Insight practice.

The program runs from 10:00am to 4:00pm Pacific Time, with teachings and guided meditations making up the full day.

About Phillip Moffitt, MA

Phillip Moffitt is a Buddhist meditation teacher and writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He served as Co-Guiding Teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, and he is the creator of the Naturally Arising practice method. He is also the honorary co-founder of the online retreat center Dharma Ground.

The Setting

Spirit Rock Meditation Center is in Woodacre, California, and hosts this program. The workshop is presented online through Zoom, so you can take part from wherever you practice. The program is also listed with an on-land option, and registration is for one format or the other, not both. Meals and accommodation are not included.

Before You Go

This workshop is suited to people with some meditation experience. Familiarity with basic sitting practice is recommended, since the meditations move into subtler territory. It is taught in English.

Registration includes full-day instruction and guided meditations, plus unlimited access to the program recording. The recording becomes available about ten days after the program, which is useful for revisiting the practices at your own pace. You need to register by the deadline to receive it.

Spirit Rock offers a sliding scale for this program, with the higher rates supporting the teachers, the center and fellow practitioners who need to pay less. For the online program, all are welcome, and no one is turned away for lack of funds as space allows. Anyone who needs to arrange this can write to Spirit Rock Registration before the day prior to the program. If the program fills early, a waiting list is created.