The following statements form an entirely personal manifesto:

• The Westernised world is an intensely secular one
  • This is partly an outcome of the intellectual history of the West, in particular the Enlightenment and the rise of science.
  • Another factor has been the experiences of the Inquisition and similar religious persecutions. These have left scars on the religious psyche of the West which have not yet healed.
• The secularisation of Western culture represents an immense loss, both to the individual, and to society
  • The inner life of the West, in situations where the spiritual is denied, is filled with substitutes. One of these is the sexual relationship, which is often expected to provide the profundity of the missing spiritual dimension.
  • The loss is also one of comprehension, making it hard for the West to understand, for example, Islamic cultures, or even its own recent and ancient history.
• A spiritual life is possible for the West without a return to outmoded practices or forms of thought
  • Modern communications and scholarship have made all the world's spiritual heritages available: amongst these are elements entirely suitable for Western democracies.
  • New forms of spirituality are continuously emerging.
• In engaging in debates on the spiritual the Westernised intellectual can contribute to a renaissance of the spiritual
  • The Westernised intellectual can bring an intellectual vigour and clarity of thought to ancient spiritual traditions.
  • Society is not necessarily led by its intellectuals, but, over time, is profoundly influenced by them.

As well as pursuing the general theme of art, science, and the spiritual, I am involved in three specific projects, with which you are invited to become involved:

• Spiritual Literacy in Art and Science
• Nature Mysticism
• A computer animated film dealing with aspects of the Bhagavad Gita