The Esalen Institute is one of America's most high-profile retreat centers, located in Big Sur. The institute, which was originally founded in 1962 by Dick Price and Michael Murphy, has been at the forefront of the New Age movement in the United States throughout its existence, focusing on exploration of Aldous Huxley's "human potentialities" and alternative means of exploring human consciousness. Guests speakers at the institute throughout the years have included international luminaries such as Buckminster Fuller, Alan Watts, Joseph Campbell, and Linus Pauling.

Today, the institute continues to offer a variety of workshops related to psychological, physical, and spiritual wellness, including workshops related to permaculture, ecological sustainability, philosophy, religious studies, martial arts and yoga, meditation, and the arts.

55000 CA-1, Big Sur, CA 93920, Phone: 888-837-2536, Map

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