$400 for one day? I would love to participate in some of your events, but your prices seem a bit on the outrageous side.

I can certainly appreciate that for many people (myself included) $400 can be pretty difficult to come up with. However, we also ask that you take another perspective, which is that events such as these typically cost us somewhere around $75,000 to put on, and we need to find ways to offset that cost, however we can. Also, considering the sheer magnitude of this particular event, the caliber of teachers we've assembled, as well as the truly timeless nature of these conferences, $400 really starts to sound like a bargain to my ears.

Again, this is not at all to diminish the fiscal impact $400 might have on you, i am just offering another perspective....

Can you maybe get some sponsors and lower your cost? With an event in such "beginning" stages, $400 is way too high of a price, especially for those of us who would like to see what this is all about...Keep in mind the WIIFM concept when pricing new events like this. (What's In It For Me?) Is basically what most will be asking, when plunking down a chunk of money like this.

I would like to be there, right now we are organizing an International Event:
Second World Congress Ser in Monterrrey Mexico www.encuentroser.org
and the cost for three days is $150 Dlls.
I hope you can offer grants for this great opportunity.

Thanks,

Cristina G.

Greetings. First, I just wanted to comment on the comments about the price being too high. I think it is very reasonable. My soul is worth it.

However, I must have missed it before, how do I get in for the first two days?

The one day may or may not be expensive, depending on what comes of it. It is an outstanding group of presenters, genuine leaders in the domain of spiritual learning and development. But I can't help wondering what I'd get in one short day with them that I wouldn't be able to get in a few evenings at home discussing these same kinds of questions with a group of intelligent, thoughtful, well read friends who also have long-time spiritual pracitces, and have been studying and applying integral theory themselves for several years.

I can appreciate everyone's financial concerns. If I had the money I probably wouldn't spend it. I can't see helping finance the first two days.

If the price is right...come on down!

Sorry folks, I think this one is priced fairly, and I think it's a bummer to have such limited thinking about the stellar event being promoted. There is obvious unfamiliarity and knee jerk reaction without finding out more about it...ie. determing the value. To participate in pioneering activities are limited access opportunities for the various and complicated reasons of this tetra-arising ride called life. Betcha most of the folks there will be white too....goddam kilogram...it just ain't fair. Imagine riding along on your bicycle with Albert...him whistling folk tunes from his homeland and tossing ideas back and forth about this idea he has...E=MC2. In my mind - and I'm a decent big picture puzzle piece seeing dude, so don't try and steal my sunshine - that about compares to what will be unfolding at ISC 3...albeit a different quadrant...heehee! It'll be just a few of the mothers and fathers of the future of spirituality and religion sitting around talking about the path ahead. What's in it for you...likely not much if you don't see already. A personal trainer will charge you around $40/hr to spot your squat; a massage therapist will charge somewhere from $40 to 100 per session; cripes...golf will cost you around $100 for 4 hrs; I'm thinking $400 to bask in the vibe of these fine souls is cheap...not cheap enough for me, but worth every penny being asked.

Sorry to be so glib...I just feel for the I-Life staff having to field these price point attacks...and they don't need me to back them up. But here's how I see it: they do everything they can to serve us the best of the leading edge, for the most workable price point possible. I take what they put on my plate - and remembering that they've got eat too - say, "thanks for serving!"

Peace, love, and big smiles everyone, big smiles. This is not a dress rehearsal....it's show time!

My heart is aching…does Integral consciousness truly need "The RELIGION of Tomorrow" as an expression or practice? What a wedge that thought drives into my integral sensibilities! Certainly it was only a matter of time before some well-meaning group attempted to press "Integral" into a religion or some sort of "ism". I'm wondering if the "stamps of approval" for its expression won't be far behind in coming, from what's beginning to feel like "the I-I club" for Integral.

That said, I'm truly pleased that the various leaders of the various spiritual lineages, paths, and whatnot represented in this 1-day event are seemingly transcending any boundaries that have perhaps heretofore kept them out of an integral-communication with each other as to what spirituality, God, etc., is or isn't, and such. I say "beautiful" to that! I can feel souls in delight everywhere.

Given some peculiarities about the marketing of this event, I am compelled to make a few more comments. For one, I'm growing weary of those who promote spiritual "transmission" experiences, heightened state experiences, by whatever names, and especially so when I'm being enticed to "pay for" them. I'm also getting rather weary of the mere IDEA of "buy-a-ticket opportunities" for such transformative experiences.

Do we really need another religion even if a supposedly integral one (2nd tier+ by definition) as this religion will probably be portrayed to be? What aspect of our being even wants a religion?! That this 1-dayer is being promoted as, and I quote, "...the wisdom of all the spiritual traditions...", seems out of integrity or integrality to what Integral is, in my understanding of that signifier. Granted, no one's perfectly or completely integral, but this "integral oversight" on the marketing is, to me, an "elephant in the middle of the room" needing attention. For example, where is the Islamic "perspective" in this so-called "program-as-integral-representation" of integral spirituality? Is Islam not important enough to be represented at this seemingly "I-I club meeting" being held for its out-of-pocket-ready fans, especially considering the current state of Islamic and Christian/Jewish tensions. In case it needs saying, I'm not Islamic.

Is there anyone else—in hearing that "our spiritually best and brightest", those supposedly leading the way of our spiritual evolution, are wanting to advocate, quote, "The RELIGION of Tomorrow"—not getting a nasty "taste" from this. Perhaps I'm merely reacting to what could be classified as an "integrally-non-informed marketing effort" for the Integral intention that I'm hoping is behind this public gathering of high-intentioned souls.

I can appreciate branding endeavors by marketers as well as the next guy, but what and/or who is the Integral Spiritual Institute truly intending to serve, promote, or honor with "The Religion of Tomorrow" idea? Perhaps next time ISI might use marketing "experts" who are a bit more Integrally-sourced for writing Integral-copy, and use Integrally-sourced promoters for assembling an integral/spiritual group of "representatives-for" an Integral expression. A group of people who won't just talk ABOUT Integral Spirituality, but ARE exemplary of a more exemplary of "Integral" consciousness.

I'm just offering some thoughts and feelings as one who is aspiring to be more "wholly integral" (yes, that's redundant, as integral goes, but hopefully the point is made) and wanting better exemplars of such, especially from "Integral" advocates, institutions that are self-proclaimed to be so or otherwise.

I'm also hoping this won't be perceived merely as "criticism", but as constructive input. I do know "we're all in this together", but I've learned the wisdom of pointing out when I see an "elephant in the room" (however it shows up), even if I'm mistaken in thinking it's there.

BTW, don't we also really need to un-cling from all the Green-shadow "decorum niceties" (e.g., like "reciprocal shadowing": you let me stay blind to my "integral-wanna-be insufficiencies" and I'll let you stay blind to yours)? Please, if I have "spinach in my teeth", or you think I'm passing off "pseudo-integral" as Integral, please inform me (thanks in advance). We can certainly learn from and inform each other in our endeavors to stabilize and "enculturate" our interpersonal (zone 3) experiences into interpersonal (zone 4) understandings of what "Integral" is and isn't. Yes? Otherwise, we can just keep our (zone 2) intra-personal beliefs about our integral experiences in the dark, non-interpersonal, un-enculturated, keeping any advances in our consciousness to ourselves, staying interpersonally autistic, integrally speaking. That said, I too am admittedly not perfect, just an aspirant. So we can't evolve our LL quad dynamics without engaging about it.

In any case, I hope the event will be an "integral success". If nothing else, I definitely appreciate the potential for a "higher/deeper" integral-spiritual expression among these "spiritual leaders". Maybe they'll synergistically collectively emerge at least at a 2nd tier interpersonal dynamic in their two-day gathering that they'll be able to bring to the follow-on public 1-dayer. This will assume that at least one of them will stay transcendent to any "Green nicety" social decorum powerfully enough and long enough as their locus of identity for others to take the cue and "join in". Wouldn't it be beautiful, if they collectively-integrally "settled into" at least a 2nd tier interpersonal dynamic-decorum, soundly integral, maybe something that would have a mystical 3rd tier vibe to "hold" it (THAT would be worth 400 bucks for me to experience even as a state occurrence; thank you, I'm not interested in "transmissions"). I can certainly feel the potential for it among these "presenters", but I also know the "social gravity" of prevalent "Greenism" when it comes to "spiritual gatherings", and how difficult it can be to transcend since interpersonal integral-functioning (LL quad 2nd tier) is still relatively uncharted territory, as far as I know.

My guess is, instead, everyone might do meditations together, at most (or do Big Mind, or some such "non-interpersonal" so-called "group" activities), everyone with their eyes closed, no interaction with each other (usually with just the "leader" of the process at most), maybe opening into and presencing themselves in 2nd, or even 3rd, tier states/stages, everyone together-separately, not interacting, NO INTERPERSONAL 2nd tier engaging, and then basically shift back to Green decorum once all eyes open back up and any interaction resumes; as such NOT a true 2nd -3rd tier Lower-Left-quad WE/cultural interpersonal dynamic, in my view. At worst, the audience will get lectured to about integrality in the 1-dayer. I hope I'll be wrong about my guess. I feel safe in saying that THIS is not an event that would be integrally-served by Green decorum, since it's supposed to BE an integral expression from integral beings, not just discussions ABOUT integral ideas and mappings of such. Yes?

Damn Larry, i was getting excited thinking you were going to cook up some integral marketing...I was hoping taste some and get a sniff of the difference between what you saw and what you see.

the price is fair. One hour sessions with talented people can cost $100. Reflexology can cost that much. The caliber present at the meeting is unparalleled. If the price of attendance feeds the first three days and allows those present to gather and expand their own understanding of themselves and the lineage they hold we should take it as an honor to be able to participate. For me if I lived in Colorado I'd gladly drop my week's paycheck to attend. I don't, so travel expenses are prohibitive. That's my issue, not I-I's. If I were really really into the integral thing like I used to be I would find my way there anyhow, although my path has taken me in directions where I'd rather spend my money elsewhere.
Really, though, this dialogue is a bit disheartening. True spiritual practice costs. It can cost giving up you name, you material possessions, your sexuality. For the lay practitioner we have cash, we earn it through work, and we decide how we invest that energy; we figure out how to offer it in wise ways so that it will return to us and to all beings appropriately.
If this is your path, if these teachers are your teachers, is this organization supports your spiritual growth, then support it. $400 isn't that much.

This is a remarkable opportunity to absorb and take in the interpersonal realities of these fine teachers. I have made the decision to attend and think that, relative to other experiences offered to us in life with a price tag attached, this is the biggest fucking bargain around. True practice does cost and this is money incredibly well spent.

I live in Boulder and attended Day 3 of the ISC sessions the previous two years, when there was no fee for the public to attend. I was shocked when I heard they are now charging $400; I thought the event was worth maybe $40 at most. It was fine, but not particularly life-changing.
Many of the teachers (especially the more A-list ones) don't stay for the third day, and those that do did not offer anything particularly note-worthy. The now-disgraced ex-rabbi Gafni did the main presentations and created the most juice both years; it'll probably be a lot quieter without his crazed charisma to heat things up.
Integral Institute likes to over-hype their presentations ("the most extraordinary collection of spiritual teachers ever to sit in one room together!", "the most incredible experience in the history of the cosmos!" etc. ), and this seems to be more of the same.
I feel bad for anyone who pays full-price to come, especially if they fly in from out-of-town, since it's unlikely they will feel like they got their money's worth. But that's just my opinion.

If a person can stand so firmly in a place of lack (ie- I CAN'T afford...), then that which one fears and focuses attention on will certainly be what one experiences, and thus "reality."

I doubt ISC 3 is supposed to transform one's life in 3 Days. There again is a cultural value or tendency for instant gratification. For those who are frustrated about the cost of attending ISC 3, I would love to know what spiritual or non-cognitive based practices you have incorporated into your daily lives? Why the need to criticize or judge? Watch where you place your faith. Even placing one's entire faith in the Integral Path, or Ken Wilber, etc. will lead to disappointment eventually.

I'd love to see these guests in action, and agree that "religion" is going to transcend traditional denominational structure and culture, especially for those who wish to embrace rather than exclude.

Start living the life you want to live, and look carefully at the "well-reasoned" thinking behind why/how/when you can or can't be the person you really want to be. Are there really external factors keeping us from being who we want to be, or doing what we want to do? It's just our shit, getting in our way...

Haven't read all the comments about price etc. Just want to say I live in England and would love to be able to have something like ISC3 here. So be glad those of you who can manage to be there and enjoy!

Hi everyone -

I suppose it's natural that any event with a price tag is going to be subject to some form of criticism - it is impossible to please everyone, and sometimes it seems like it's hard to really delight anyone. Nevertheless, from the comments on the thread we have some who say we should treat this merely as a business transaction and others who claim we're charging too much and believe we are indeed marketing this like a business transaction. The alternative, that we don't offer the event publicly at all, would certainly mute criticism about price but seem unfortunate for those who appreciate and value opportunities like this one. Let me assure everyone that this year's structure was certainly not meant to cause more friction and strife than what we find every day in the newspaper.

It's impossible for anyone to assess the value of a commercial transaction for another person, especially in something as subjective as spiritual development. I know people that spend almost $400 every few months on Starbuck's, so what do I know? I certainly can't claim to know whether an attendee will find the value of the ISC 3 experience worthy of the price. But I can offer this: If they are not, I will return their donation. Our relationship with our members is founded on trust, care and good will, and we intend to uphold that in everything we do. So if our members are dissatisfied with something we provide then we'll treat them with the respect, courtesy, and fairness with which we hope to be treated.

I should emphasize that the price for the event, at full-capacity, still doesn't cover the cost of the event. We were very fortunate to have several donors who stepped in and personally contributed $50,000 to make the event a reality. Thus, it is easy for us to be charitable in our views because we are blessed by the great generosity of really wonderful people who care enough to sponsor great events like this one. Also, the learning and growth that goes on at an event like this is hopefully part of what informs the evolving teaching from these spiritual teachers, and as they write books for all the people who cannot attend I'd like to think this contributes in some small way to moving humanity to a more loving embrace of itself. Happy thought, anyway.

Warm regards,

Robb Smith
CEO, Integral Institute
CEO, Integral Life