Daniel Alan Millstein

Hakkımda:

Dan Millstein, is a Teacher of Peace, a Psychosynthesist, the co-founder of the O.C. Attitudinal Healing Centers & the founder and director of Visions for Prisons, a non-profit volunteer group based in Costa Mesa, CA. Author of The One Minute Miracle Co-contributor to Chicken Soup for the Prisoners Soul & Serving Time-Serving Others Recipient of the Fetzer Institute Jampolsky Award & the Institute of Noetic Science Temple Award Interview Dan, how did prison rehabilitation become you life's work? There was a large oil rig fire in Texas. All the pros showed up to put it out but they couldn't get close enough. A small town fire department up the road a peice, saw the smoke, and rallied all the volunteers to go see what was happening. They approached the fire with their old, delapidated engine, went right past all the heavy equiptment and stopped right next to the hot fire, jumped off and put out the fire with everything they had on the truck. About a week later the oil company president came to the small town and gave the fire department a huge check as a reward for their bravery. As he handed the check over to the fire cheif he asked what they would do with all the money. The fire cheif's reply was, "First thing we're gonna do is get the damned brakes fixed on that old truck." That's how I got into prison work. But, actually, the idea manifested itself. I was seeking my own rehab. We just went along and walked through the doors as they were opened to us. We now have active programs in prisons around the country. What kind of things are you doing in prisons? There are 2,300,000 people incarcerated in the U.S. . That is the highest rate per capita of any country in the world today and almost all of those people are going to get out someday, un-changed from when they went in except in the most negative ways. No skills for rehabilitation will be given them, no hope for their future will be instilled, only their anger will be fed in prison. Visions for Prisons attempts to give inmates the tools necessary to cope with and even flourish in today's fast paced and crazy world. We teach inmates deep meditation as a tool to change their minds and release old encoded behavior patterns. We also facilitate Attitudinal Healing support groups. And why prisons, with so many people saying 'lock 'em up and throw away the key'? Because prisons are our nation's cancer. Dostoevski said that we can judge the degree of civilization in a society by entering it's prisons. Jesus was in prison; Nelson Mandela was in prison; Dr. King was in prison. Who do we throw away when we throw away the key? Our brother, our father, our sister, our savior? How does Attitudinal Healing work to keep inmates from repeating the behavior that got them in prison in the first place? The principles of Attitudinal Healing tell us that even if the circumstances in our life 'suck', we can change our minds and see things in another way. Maybe, a way that produces peace and harmony in place of hatred and chaos. Maybe, in a way that causes us to grow and heal instead of shrink away from society and die to our humanity. Love is simple, and love heals all wounds. So, we do what we can to bring that message into the dark corners of the world and, believe me, the prison system on this planet is pretty dark. So, love is the answer? Sure. Love is the glue that keeps the world together. Just imagine that tomorrow morning love ceases to exist in the world. What do you imagine would happen? What segment of the prison population is served by Visions for Prisons? We presently serve both men and women in federal, state and youth prisons in the western U.S.. Most of our programs are voluntary. Almost all of the prisoners we see have drug and alcohol dependencies. You deliver to, and are accepted by, everyone? Well, no. We only need about 10% of any population meditating daily and using the principles of our program to raise the consciousness of the whole facility. Prison staff, other inmates and families of inmates are profoundly effected by participant's new ways of seeing and being in the world. You emphasized "new ways" not 'a new way'. 'One way' has always gotten man into alot of trouble. We know that behavior is a spontaneous reflection of consciousness, so instead of trying to change behaviors such as drug use, we attempt to raise the inmate's consciousness until his spontaneous or automatic behavior reflects positive social and moral values even beyond those values of present day society. Higher moral values in prisoners than that in the general population? You bet your life, and we are. Ram Dass & Bo Lozoff's Prison Ashram Project has been advocating 'new use' of prisons for over 20 years. We're simply trying to gain acceptance of that same concept in a way that people can understand and get behind no matter what their religious beliefs, because it works and because it's the right thing to do. How does the word ashram fit with your program? One of the principle points of our program is that the prison provide a "quiet room" so inmates can meditate together. Dr. Deepak Chopra, in his book "Quantum Healing" talks about an internal 'free zone which is un-effected by the dominating surrounding influence of dis-ease. Our ability to meditate allows us to know that such a place exists within us. The principle delusion that we must continue our lives based on the past is shattered by this silence. We had an instance some years ago where one of our group participants failed to urinate in the 2-hour time given for a random drug test. He was given 38 days in solitary confinement as his punishment. He spent that time meditating and studying. When he returned to our group he looked 20 years younger and glowed with his new self awareness. Does Visions for Prisons intend to reform everyone within the justice system? The possibility exists. Gangs are a big problem in prisons yet we see every ethnic variety sitting together with eyes closed or in groups discussing higher principles which transcend color, intellect and emotion. We understand that a common theology is not possible but that a common experience is not only possible but necessary for us to see the light in each other rather than focusing on the lampshade. This program sounds like a panacea for all social problems. We know that the world is very complex these days so we are not deluding ourselves. What we do have is a solid foundation for change that we can deliver to an entire prison for what it costs to keep one prisoner incarcerated for one year. On that subject, how are you financed? By small contributions and out of the pockets of friends. We are constantly looking for grants and funding but the climate of 'lock them up and throw away the key' has made it tough to find support. All of our new programs have the potential for supporting themselves but we need some 'fertilizer' to get them started. Don't the prisons that you serve pay you? We are not paid, we are only supported by donations from individuals. We want no barricades between us and our students and becoming part of 'the system' rather than community volunteers could build walls for some prisoners. For the present we live by faith that by doing the right thing will be supported by God's laws. Prison has been described recently as a revolving door, any comment? The recidivism rate has been reported to be 45% to as high as 90%. This is really a failure rate so it is not talked about too much by prison officials, but it's not wholly their fault. It is just another symptom of deeper problems; budget, over-crowding and rising crime rates are also symptoms. We need to work on the root, ala Chauncey Gardener in the movie 'Being There'. There is no sense spraying medicine on the fruit of the tree, we must attact the problem at it's root. Our program fits that criteria. With inner-peace and self-love and awareness as our focus we can change our minds and therefore change our lives. How do you conclude that such a simple solution can solve such a complex problem as crime and punishment? Because God's love does not stop at walls. When we make which is unaffected by the dominating surrounding influence of disease. Our ability to meditate allows us to know that such a place exists within us. The principle delusion that we must continue our lives based on the past is shattered by this silence. We had an instance some years ago where one of our group participants failed to urinate in the 2-hour time given for a random drug test. He was given 38 days in solitary confinement as his punishment. He spent that time meditating and studying. When he returned to our group he looked 20 years younger and glowed with his new self awareness. http://teacherofpeace.gaia.com/ Dan Millstein is a retired prison minister with Visions for Prisons 501c.(3)
www.visionsforprisons.org More than 2.3 million people are in prison in the United States, the highest per capita rate in the world with a yearly expense of $70 BILLION. The vast majority of these men and women do not have access to rehabilitation programs. “They leave prison with few skills and a lot of anger,” says Dan Millstein, who has made it his job to be aware of how prisons are failing not only prisoners but also failing our communities.
Millstein has developed a nonprofit grassroots network called “Visions for Prisons” that helps prisoners change their way of thinking, and thus change the way they live their lives, reducing the likelihood they will return to crime upon release.
The concept for “Visions for Prisons” evolved from Millstein’s own personal spiritual quest. During the ’70s, after struggling with a twenty-five-year addiction to alcohol and drugs, he began to practice meditation and became a student of A Course in Miracles. “I wasn’t hurting for a job or money,” says Millstein, “but even after I started meditating, I still wasn’t satisfied with my life. I felt like I had an empty hole in the middle of my belly.”
He realized that part of his emotional emptiness came from an extremely unhappy childhood. “I was adopted and never connected with my adoptive parents. My dissatisfaction took me on a quest to expand my consciousness and open my heart.”
During this time he came across the work of Gerald Jampolsky, who teaches the healing power of love and forgiveness through The Centers for Attitudinal Healing. “One Saturday,” recalls Millstein, “I read Jerry’s book Teach Only Love, and I cried. I wasn’t the type to cry. I read it again on Sunday and cried once more. As soon as I could, I arranged a meeting with Jerry, and asked him if I could open an Attitudinal Healing Center in California where I lived.”
With Jampolsky’s encouragement, Millstein began to work with support groups. He reflects, “I discovered the extraordinary value of love and its capacity to heal.” Eventually, Millstein started an Attitudinal Healing support group in a federal prison. The vacant hole in his belly began to fill as he watched his classes gradually touch each prisoner. That was more than18 years ago. He has now taught Attitudinal Healing, meditation, and anger management techniques to thousands of prisoners.
Millstein also trains many volunteers, including former prisoners, to spread the “Visions for Prisons” model to other institutions in the United States and abroad. He doesn’t charge for his work in prisons and operates only with the help of private donations. His main reward, he says, comes from observing the changes he sees in the consciousness of prisoners who have been influenced by his programs.
“When you hear their stories, you begin to know why they are in prison. Many have never experienced love or encouragement. When prisoners leave our groups, we hug them. For some it is the first time in their lives they have ever been hugged.”


The One Minute Miracle
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/aware/2007/10/09/the-...

Interview with Dan/Thanksgiving

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How to Teach Peace

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Radiate Love Radio Interview with Dan Millstein, Teacher of Peace

Ex-con Becomes Saint For A Moment In Time on Intent.com
http://www.intent.com/blog/2008/11/29/ex-con-becom...

The One Minute Miracle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zEqpHX5Ib0

Try this yoga for a few weeks. Money back ;)

The One Minute Miracle Daily Yoga Ritual w/Rakey Master Dan
http://shar.es/0BCg

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Need to change your mind? Try doing this a few times a day for a while. Namaste (The Light in me honors the Light in you.)

The One Minute Miracle Daily Yoga Ritual w/Rakey Master Dan
http://shar.es/0BTB

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The One Minute Miracle 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsQxyQv9Vp4