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Carl McColman


 Carl McColman

Carl McColman writes and teaches at the intersection of contemplation and wonder. A spiritual director and retreat leader, he is the author of over twenty books exploring contemplative practice, Celtic spirituality, mystical living, and earth-honoring paths. His writing reflects an interspiritual vision grounded in silence, compassion, and the possibility of divine intimacy in everyday life. A perennial seeker formed by the silence and cadences of the monastery yet immersed in the joys and challenges of life in the world, Carl loves prayer, meditation, interfaith dialogue, and the gentle art of living with an awakened heart. He is a commissioned presenter of Centering Prayer introductory workshops; co-host of the Encountering Silence podcast, and a blogger-turned-Substack author. Part nonbinary hippie and part zen druid, Carl pairs thoughtful scholarship with a playful spirit — inviting you to discover a spirituality that is spacious, compassionate, and quietly luminous.  


Carl McColman
Substack: Fullness of Joy
Substack: Mystical Journey
Patreon
Encountering Silence (Podcast)
My "Link Bio" Page

EXPERIENCES
    Activity Time Information
    Show Date
    Thu 3 Sep 2026 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
    Title ShortWisdom Camp 2026: Radical Mysticism
    Venue Relating Arts
    Experience DescriptionWhat happens when contemplation refuses to stay quiet and compassion refuses to sit still? Since the story of Mary and Martha, seekers have wrestled with the tension between stillness and service, between listening deeply and acting boldly. Yet across spiritual history, some of the most transformative voices have woven these threads together: mystics who reshaped the world, and activists whose work flowed from profound interior depth. Drawing inspiration from legendary mystics, psychologists and activists such as Howard Thurman, Simone Weil, the Buddha, Carl Jung, Esther Perel, and Gabor Maté, this day-long gathering invites participants into a spacious exploration of inner life as a compass for courageous, meaningful engagement with the world. Guiding the experience are Debonee Morgan and Carl McColman, two Atlanta-based contemplative co-conspirators committed to curiosity, connection, and holy imagination. Carl is the author of The New Big Book of Christian Mysticism, Read the Bible Like a Mystic, and other works that explore contemplative wisdom for everyday life. Debonee is a queer-centric therapist, death doula, community convener, and executive director of Zeitgeist, a center without walls for spiritually independent seekers and their allies. Together they draw from a wide constellation of contemplative communities, including the Living School, Shalem, Contemplative Outreach, Holy Rascals, Ligare, and the California Institute for Integral Studies. Expect rich conversation, shared discernment, playful spirituality, and an openhearted trust that deep listening can spark creative, love-rooted action in our time. Our day will include short presentations from Deb and Carl, conversations with them (and all participants), exercises for discernment and possibility-play, somatic practices like meditation and embodied prayer, and an appreciation for rest, silence, wonder, and not-knowing. WISDOM CAMP EXPERIENCES Experience 1 Radical Mysticism: Playful Possibilities for the Contemporary Crisis with Debonee Morgan and Carl McColman Experience 2 Dissolving Binaries, Dissolving Dualities: The Polarity and Paradox of the Contemplative Life with Carl McColman Morning Practice: Befriending Silence and Stillness Experience 3 Trauma and Broken Attachment: From Woundedness to Wholeness with Debonee Morgan Experience 4 Contemplation as Resistance: The Subversive Side of Mary and Martha with Carl Experience 5 Love and Re-ligion: Authenticity and Beauty (Beyond the Institution) with Debonee Afternoon Practice: Embodied Prayer/Meditation Experience 6 Living Presence: Conversation and Connection in the Service of Personal and Planetary Healing with Carl and Debonee
    Show Date
    Fri 4 Sep 2026 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
    Title ShortLigare Psychedelic Confessional
    Venue Ligare Psychedelic Confessional
    Experience DescriptionThis year, the Christian psychedelic society, Ligare, is offering a Psychedelic Confessional in the Grove.This venue provides a sacred and confidential space for spiritual guidance, integration, and discernment. Many people have had profound psychedelic experiences—whether recently or decades ago—but often lack a safe place to wonder about their deeper meaning, to explore their spiritual dimensions, or to integrate what they encountered into their lived experience. This venue exists to hold that space.With trained spiritual directors, participants are invited to gently unpack the spiritual aspects of their experiences, ask honest and holy questions, and discern how moments of expanded consciousness might continue to bear fruit in their lives. Even experiences from long ago may still carry wisdom waiting to be received.This is also a welcoming space for those who have never had a psychedelic experience but are curious about the spiritual, theological, or contemplative questions that often surround them. Come for guidance, education, and grounded spiritual conversation.Please note: This space is for spiritual guidance and education only. No psychedelic substances will be provided.Participants may sign up for a free 50-minute session with a psychedelic-informed spiritual director at the Ligare sponsor’s table or directly at the venue in the Grove.
    Show Date
    Fri 4 Sep 2026 10:00 AM to 10:50 AM
    Title ShortWhat’s In a Name? Renaming as a Path of Spiritual Transformation
    Venue Convo Table 01
    Experience DescriptionAt least eight significant figures in the Biblical tradition undergo a name change. Some are subtle (like Abram becoming Abraham), some dramatic (Jacob becoming Israel) and others perhaps even a bit playful (Simon becoming Peter). Meanwhile, changing one’s name is part of many religious and spiritual traditions around the world, from taking on a “saint’s name” during a Catholic confirmation to receiving an entirely new identity as the result of a shamanic initiation. What can we learn from the spirituality of new names? We’ll begin our journey by reflecting on the wisdom of fantasy writer George MacDonald, whose sermon “The New Name” explores the mystical implications of taking or receiving a new appellation. We’ll consider nicknames, pet names, legal name changes, and new names related to transgender transitions. We’ll talk about how to find a new name, the joys and challenges of sharing it with others, and the issues involved in releasing a former of “dead” name.

Our time together will include a guided meditation to celebrate the power of naming, whether we are called by a name we’ve had for 50 days or 50 years.
    Show Date
    Fri 4 Sep 2026 4:00 PM to 4:50 PM
    Title ShortSelf-Care as Spiritual Resistance
    Venue Relating Arts
    Experience DescriptionAudre Lorde’s powerful words remind us: “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence. It is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” For contemplatives and contemplative activists, this truth is essential. Contemplation is often dismissed as self-indulgent or escapist, yet those who practice it know better: it is rigorous spiritual work that strengthens us to resist empire, distinguish living faith from rigid institutions, and sustain resilient opposition to greed, power, and oppression. If contemplative practice itself is a form of deep work, then how do we tend to the necessary work of self-care? This Wild Goose experience begins with that vital question. Together we’ll explore contemplative self-care through: • A reflection from facilitator Carl McColman • Open conversation and practical tip-sharing • A guided meditation designed to honor and celebrate the deep capacity for renewal and rejuvenation we all carry within. Come discover how caring for ourselves can become both sacred practice and quiet revolution.
    Show Date
    Sat 5 Sep 2026 3:00 PM to 3:50 PM
    Title ShortA brief interactive panel on spiritual direction
    Venue Oasis
    Experience DescriptionGather with a group of spiritual directors to find out 1) What the heck is it and 2) Should you become one We will also have a mini triads of group spiritual direction as an experiential session