Entered Pacifica: 1997
Current Occupation: Forest Curator
Where You Live: Paradise, New Zealand (really) most of
the time San Anselmo, California the rest
What Brought You To Pacifica? I wanted to make better
films and tell better stories (I'm a filmmaker and a
writer in my day job - that's why I came to New Zealand
in the first place - working on Lord of the Rings
back in the day, and next, the Hobbit)
How Has Your Pacifica Degree Served You Professionally In Your Occupation/Vocation?
It led me out of the matrix and into the world.
How Has Your Degree Served You Personally?
It turned my perspective inside out and helped me to be a better therapist - yes, I consider my part time psychotherapy practice part of my "personal" life. So, how the latter? Because I came to realize that I really didn't know anything at all other than what I perceived, that this was real, but only a portion of the Real, and that through the deep empathetic connection to another's perspective and pain, we both could broaden our grasp of that greater Reality, and that moment of grasping alone, by itself, no more nor less, was worth it all.
What Was The Meaningful Or Memorable Part Of The Pacifica Experience For You?
The dissertation process was transformative (and excruciating) and, though it took me six (count 'em) years, I would never have found my forest without it. (Thanks Jennifer S., Helene L., Kenton H., and of course Heather)
Dissertation Title:
Exploring Subjectivity in the Work of Jung, Heidegger, and Corbin Through an Artistic Dialogue of Film
Other Publications:
A Fork in the Tale (interactive movie AKA full motion video game Back from the Edge: Ausengate's South Rib
Carbon Dreaming
Heart of Stone: Failure on the Ptarmigan Traverse
Life Prayer
Perilous Angel (forthcoming)
Tree Murmuring and Other Ways of Attuning to a Forest: Confessions of a Heideggarian Woodsman (forthcoming)
Heideggarian Woodsman (forthcoming) Areas of Interest:
Eco-forestation Adventure Running
Computer Graphics and Special Effects for Film and Video
Storytelling
Mystical Practice
Film and Photo Image Blogging
Semi-automatic Weapons
Musical composition for guitar and keyboards
Contact Information:
email: rob@lay.net
phone NZ: 011 64 3 4424284
phone US: 415 4567860
Rob Lay, Ph.D.
