Interviews
Felicidad “Meña” Gutierrez
Meña is principle of the elementary school in Macaracas Panamá, where she not only cares for the children of her school, but is an activist for community in her town, helping any and all in need around her. She is an example of faith through Catholicism which drives her to serve others through giving her time and assistance.
Ismail Fenter
Ismailbey or dervish Ismail M.A., M.DIV.,M.TH.,MM. (as he is called in Türkiye), raised in Southern California, was educated at major universities in the Midwest. His academic research challenged his belief system so that when he was still in his late 20s, he left the Church in order to explore other spiritual paths. Eventually returning to Southern California in his 30s, he worked as an award-winning professional musician in Los Angeles.
His love for the spiritual as embodied in music guided him to the music of the Middle East which, eventually, led him to Konya, Türkiye, where his met the Makam Çelebi of the Mevlevi Order, Faruk Hemdem Çelebi, and his shaikh, Nadir Karnıbüykler efendi.
Now, living in Konya, Türkiye, ismailbey offers service to the International Mevlana Foundation, welcoming guests from other countries, and teaching classes for the Foundation. He also offers a free weekly online class in English: “A Journey Through the Masnavi” which is an in-depth exploration of the major spiritual work of Jalaluddin Rumi.
Esin Çelebi
Esin Çelebi Bayru is known for being the 22nd generation descendant of the famous 13th-century Sufi mystic poet and Islamic jurist, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, also known as Mevlana or Rumi. She holds a significant role as the vice president in the International Mevlana Foundation, which aims to promote Rumi's teachings and the rich cultural heritage of the Mevlevi Order, also known as the Whirling Dervishes.
Esin Çelebi Bayru actively participates in events and conferences centered around Rumi's teachings, interfaith dialogue, and cultural exchange. She is dedicated to spreading Rumi's message of love, tolerance, and unity among people of diverse faiths and backgrounds. Through her involvement in the International Mevlana Foundation, she helps preserve and share the spiritual legacy of Rumi and the Mevlevi Order.
Shaykh Nadir Karnıbüyükler
Shaykh Nadir Karnıbüyükler grew up in Konya, Türkiye, his father being a Shaykh in the order of Qadiri dervishe. When Nadir was 11 years old, he decided to become a member of the Mevlevi Order of Dervishes. Years later, he received permission from the current Makam Çelebi, Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi’s twenty-second generation grandson, Faruk Hemdem Çelebi Efendi in 2004, to serve as shaykh and postnishin. He now also serves also the Head of the Konya Branch of the International Mevlana Foundation.
Nadir Karnıbüyükler has travelled around the world leading the traditional Sema Ceremony of the world-famous Mevlevi Whirling Dervishes in front of audiences from Türkiye to North and South America, Europe, Australia, Africa and Asia. He also teaches the classical way of training the Mevlevi Dervish which has been forgotten over the years. Both in his travels and in Konya, he teaches about the life and works of Jalaluddin Rumi, Sufism, and the Mevlevi Way.
Daniel Horowitz
Daniel Horowitz PhD is a historian and Mary Huggins Gamble Foundation Chair and Professor Emeritus of American History at Smith College. Daniel’s book Happier? presents the first history of positive psychology and happiness research and the ways these fields have influenced the lives of millions of people around the world.
His work focuses on the history of consumer culture and social criticism in the U.S. Among the honors he has received are two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, one from the National Humanities Center, and one from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
Jennifer Hadley
Reverend Jennifer Hadley is a Spiritual Counseler and holds a Ministerial degree from the Agape International Spiritual Center’s Ministerial Program in 2006, originally founded by Michael Beckwith.
She has been in private practice as an Agape Practitioner and Spiritual Counselor since 2000. As an Intuitive Spiritual Therapist, Jennifer employs her considerable intuitive skills and knowledge of spiritual principle, Science of Mind & A Course In Miracles to assist in therapy and spiritual well being.
Ron and Mary Hulnick
Ron and Mary Hulnick PhD are pioneers and worldwide leaders in the field of Spiritual Psychology. As Founding Faculty of the University of Santa Monica’s Programs in Spiritual Psychology, they have designed the University’s experiential curriculum and serve as the lead faculty.
Dr. Mary Hulnick is a pioneer and innovator in the field of Spiritual Psychology, and in her role at the University, she is responsible for all academic matters including curriculum development, academic standards and policy, faculty/student relationships, and faculty development.
Dr. H. Ronald Hulnick is a pioneer and innovator in the field of Spiritual Psychology, and together with the University’s Chief Creative Officer, Dr. Mary R. Hulnick, he has played a seminal role in the development of the study and practice of Spiritual Psychology at the University of Santa Monica.
Piero Ferrucci
Piero Ferrucci PhD is a psychotherapist and a philosopher. He graduated from the University of Torino in 1970. He was trained by Roberto Assagioli, the founder of psychosynthesis, and has written several books including The Power of Kindness and What We May Be: The Vision and Techniques of Psychosynthesis
Piero Ferrucci has a had psychotherapy practice for the past thirty-five years and teaches in several European countries.
Ralph Pearce
Ralph Pearce MD is a physician and spiritual psychologist. He holds a medical degree from Louisiana State University in 1978 Fellowship in Gastroenterology in 1983 and a Masters in Spiritual Psychology from University of Santa Monica in 2008.
He is in private practice medicine in The Woodlands, Texas and works with various spiritual groups in Texas and California including the Mankind Project, University of Santa Monica and The Freedom to Choose Foundation which teaches spiritual psychology communication skill sets to people in prison.
Sara Lazar
Sara W. Lazar, PhD is an Associate Researcher in the Psychiatry Department at Massachusetts General Hospital and an Assistant Professor in Psychology at Harvard Medical School. The focus of her research is to elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of yoga and meditation, both in clinical settings and in healthy individuals.
She is a contributing author to Meditation and Psychotherapy (Guilford Press). She has been practicing yoga and mindfulness meditation since 1994. Her research has been covered by numerous news outlets including The New York Times, USA Today, CNN, and WebMD, and her work has been featured in a display at the Boston Museum of Science.
Gerd Kempermann
Gerd Kempermann, MD, is Professor for “Genomics of Regeneration”, Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), DFG Research Center and Excellence Cluster. He studied medicine in Cologne and Freiburg, Germany. After two years of residency in Neuropathology he became postdoctoral fellow in Fred H. Gage's group at the Salk Institute in La Jolla. Since then he has been working on the biology of endogenous neural stem cells in the healthy and diseased brain and on the functional relevance of adult neurogenesis.