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Draft:Charles Berner

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Charles Berner (December 9, 1929 – 2007),[1][2] also known as Yogeshwar Muni, was an American spiritual teacher who developed the Enlightenment Intensive, a group retreat format based on paired self-inquiry exercises.[3][4]

Career

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In the 1960s Berner and his wife, Ava, ran a healing and growth center in Costa Mesa, California, offering classes in health, mind studies and communication training. In 1965 Ava introduced the dyad, a format in which two people sit facing each other and take turns speaking and listening.[3] In early 1968 Berner conceived the Enlightenment Intensive, which combines the dyad with self-inquiry questions such as "Tell me who you are" over retreats lasting several days.[3][4] Overall describes the method as a synthesis of Zen Buddhist practice and Western psychological techniques.[4]

In 1973 Berner began practising meditation under the Indian yoga teacher Kripalvananda (Swami Kripalu) and became known as Yogeshwar Muni. He is regarded as a lineage holder in the Kripalu Yoga tradition.[2]

Legacy

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Mind Clearing, a practice described by Whieldon as an extension of this method, draws on Berner's work.[5] A 2025 peer-reviewed study in Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice examined kenshō awakening experiences among participants in retreats using Berner's self-inquiry protocol.[4]

References

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  1. ↑ "Natural Meditation". Retrieved 2026-09-23.
  2. 1 2 Faulds, Richard (2009). The Enlightenment Teachings of Yogeshwar Muni. Peaceable Kingdom Books. ISBN 9780974410678.
  3. 1 2 3 Noyes, Lawrence (2018). The Enlightenment Intensive: The Power of Dyad Communication for Self-Realization. Zenways Press. p. 31. ISBN 9780993198120.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Overall, Jeffrey (2025). "The antecedents of kensho spiritual awakenings: A mixed-methods study". Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice. American Psychological Association: 4. doi:10.1037/cns0000423.
  5. ↑ Whieldon, Alice (2013). Mind Clearing: The Key to Mindfulness Mastery. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. ISBN 9781849053075.