March 2, 2023
One of the buzzwords sprinkled throughout curriculum guides and course descriptions for children of all ages is mindfulness.
Mindfulness is a foundational component of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and has not attracted the public scrutiny it deserves. Therefore, parents are largely in the dark as to what it is.
Mindfulness is one of many SEL competencies which have replaced academic mastery in public education, shifting curriculum away from academic content, facts, and information to a psychosocial focus on the whole child– body, mind, and spirit.
And the clearing house for all things SEL is Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). CASEL is the primary resource for SEL strategies, content, and methodologies. According to their website, mindfulness means:
“ maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens.” (Greater Good Science Center). “By helping students become aware of and then embody the connection between their emotions, thoughts, and bodily sensations, students are better able to regulate their emotions, which then impacts things such as their behavior, stress levels, relationships, and ability to focus.” (Lantieri & Zakrzewski, 2015).
It’s marketed to the public as ‘skills’ that help children effectively manage their emotions to facilitate more productive learning environments.
Most parents would be shocked to learn mindfulness is rooted in the occult.
In 1994, a meeting of the minds occurred at the Fetzer Institute to discuss strategies to promote the mental health of students preK-12. John Fetzer, a self-proclaimed “spiritualist,” believed a ‘complete’ education must be a fusion of education, emotions, and spirituality.
John Fetzer was a 33rd level Free Mason who channeled and talked to the dead. He championed telekinesis, manifesting, and many other psychic and occult practices. This meeting also concentrated on the work of Dan Goleman; work on what has now become known as emotional intelligence. Goman writes on his website:
“With McClelland’s help and a Harvard pre-doctoral traveling fellowship, I was able to study in India, where my focus was on the ancient systems of psychology and accompanying meditation practices of Asian religions. I had been a meditator since my junior year in Berkeley and was intrigued by finding theories of the mind and its development that were still in active use after two thousand years or more (and which had never been mentioned in any psychology course I had taken). When I returned to Harvard, my doctoral research was on meditation as an intervention in stress arousal.”
“Foremost among these was the idea that schools should teach emotional literacy along with regular academic subjects. While I was writing Emotional Intelligence, I pursued this idea with a group including Eileen Growald and Tim Shriver. In 1993 we co-founded the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, headed by Roger Weissberg, which began at the Yale Child Studies Center, and then moved to the University of Illinois at Chicago with Roger. The Collaborative has catalyzed the SEL movement, so that programs in these life skills are now commonplace in thousands of schools around the world.” [Emphasis added.]
Fetzer was also obsessed with the writings of Alice Bailey; an occultist and author of many books on the occult including Education in the New Age.
Bailey’s core belief was that personal inner transformation would ultimately transform the world. She was an unapologetic ‘mystical, occultist, esoteric’ who claimed that the Tibetan she referred to as her ‘Master of Wisdom,’ Djwahl Khul, telepathically dictated his teachings to her.
It should be noted that her globalist dreams of worldwide transformation have been fully embraced by the UN.
Thus, CASEL was born and is now the go-to purveyor and marketer of occultic, ancient, eastern, meditation practices cleverly disguised as behavior management and coping skills.
What does mindfulness training look like?
Child Protection League routinely audits presentations by the Minnesota Department of Education. In 2020, the MN Safe and Supportive Schools Conference featured a breakout session called Adult SEL & Mindfulness in Practice. The goal of the class was to ‘train the trainers’ how to teach “mindfulness” to their students.
It was led by Ann Viveros, who held a staff position as the Minneapolis District SEL Mindfulness specialist at that time. According to her website, Vivero’s describes herself as an “Educator, Facilitator, Mindfulness Coach, Ritualist, Intuitive Artist, Death Doula & Sacred Passage Guide with Conscious Dying Institute, and Certified Morning Altars Teacher.” She also lists many resources under her “mindfulness” tab.
The following is a description of that auditing experience for this session.
First, Viveros asked everyone to line up along the wall in the back of the room. She said the center person was the “fulcrum” and people were supposed to differentiate themselves according to their experience with mindfulness and to line up; accordingly, experienced on one side; inexperienced on the other.
Then they were to pair off and discuss mindfulness with one of the experienced persons.
Next, Viveros passed out a ‘feelings wheel’ which listed feelings, emotions, and sensations to each class member so we could go through a ‘community cleanse’. By this time, one of the class participants near me was visibly agitated and wondering why I wasn’t participating like the rest of the class to which I replied, “I’m just auditing this class and taking notes.
Viveros then led the group through a ‘meditation’ exercise, asking those present to put their feet on the floor, relax their gaze and focus on their breathing, the air temp and ‘hearing’ their bodies, etc. I did not do this, but was already feeling very creeped out.
The rest of the class had their eyes closed. I did not and was looking around. Viveros was making direct eye contact with me and it looked like her pupils were fully dilated…almost all black.
Finally, Viveros softly announced that she would ring a “vibrant tone” to bring everyone “back” and rang the tone.
It was at the sound of this tone that I experienced an incredibly disturbing sensation. I felt like my body was ‘shoved’ by something…like something ‘bounced’ off me. My heart was pounding and every hair on my neck was standing on end. I was texting furiously with my husband who said it was time to FLEE.
I did not remain in the room much longer, as it was abundantly clear what was going on in this room was paranormal and not safe.
I remained just a few minutes longer to hear a few self-reports from people in the room, because Viveros asked them to explain how they felt after the exercise. Several reported feeling relaxed, sleepy or calm. But the woman sitting right next to me said she felt just an incredible “heaviness.”
Call it what you will, but I am convinced a demon or spirit bounced off me and landed on the poor woman next to me. By following Viveros’ instructions, that teacher had opened the door to the occult.
Mindfulness training is not safe, and it is not harmless!
No child should ever be exposed to meditative practices which open their spirits to the occult. Through mindfulness training, SEL has crossed the line into teaching children occult, religious practices masquerading as behavior management skills.
Do not be fooled and do not be misled. The foundations of SEL are demonic.
CPL will continue decoding SEL in the months and weeks to come.
CPL is hosting Dr. James Lindsay; author, commentator, and founder of New Discourses. Through his copious research, he has become an expert at exposing SEL and its true roots and inherent dangers for years. Be sure to save the date: October 11, 2023. Further details will be provided closer to the event.