The Legendary Esalen Institute

The Legendary Esalen Institute

This article relates to Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss

In Rajeev Balasubramanyam's novel, Professor Chandra Follows his Bliss, about a man's golden years' journey to finding himself, Oxford Professor P. R. Chandrasekhar takes a course in self-awareness at California's legendary Esalen Institute. Tucked between the mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Esalen is gifted with the relaxing sounds of sea lions as they frolic in the tide, truly dark night skies resplendent with millions of twinkling stars, and hot mineral springs to relax the body and mind.

If there is any place that can be called the seat of America's counterculture and humanism movements it might be Esalen. The nonprofit organization owes its 20th century origins to Stanford graduates Michael Murphy and Dick Price, who created it in 1962 as a retreat dedicated to the exploration of what Aldous Huxley called human potentialities. Because its origins coincided with the era of the Baby Boomers' experimentation in thought, mind/body connections, Eastern philosophy, and consciousness-enhancing drugs, it was regarded early on as place that catered to self-indulgent hippies and so-called navel gazers.

Over the ensuing decades, Esalen attracted some of the foremost thinkers and experts in humanism to conduct courses focusing on everything from healing, relaxation, self-exploration, and therapy to transcendental meditation, paranormal activity, economic inequality, psychology, yoga, and death. The roster of teachers boasts such diverse names as Timothy Leary, Ansel Adams, Deepak Chopra, Susan Sontag, Aldous Huxley, Joan Baez, Ida Rolf, Ray Bradbury, and scores more. There is hardly an avenue of human potential that has not been touched by or had its roots in Esalen's 120 acre estate.

As with any institution, the passing years have seen changes and adaptations in management, philosophy, and mission. The most recent changes have evolved from a desire to appeal to a younger clientele. Storms and mudslides forced the retreat to close in early 2017, and it eventually reopened with more limited access under a corporate management structure. But Esalen Healing Arts Institute still welcomes guests interested in mindfulness, massage, humanism, relaxation techniques and much more.

View of Esalen on the bluff housing the hot springs
Mediation room
Art barn

Filed under Places, Cultures & Identities

This "beyond the book article" relates to Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss. It originally ran in April 2019 and has been updated for the March 2020 paperback edition. Go to magazine.