The Unitarian Universalist Psi Symposium sponsored three program events at last June's UUA General Assembly in Spokane, Washington. Two of the three events were very well attended, one not so well, but all were particularly interesting and worth sharing
with our readers.

Over 300 people came to hear the Rev. Webster Kitchell do another presentation in his popular series on Conversations With Coyote. After serving UU Societies in New York, Missouri, and Texas, Web Kitchell has been the minister of the Unitarian Church in Santa Fe, New Mexico since 1981. At some point Coyote, his "power animal," and "the trickster" figure from the stories of Native Peoples of America, came into his life, materializing in his office or car, eating donuts, hanging out, and discussing New Age philosophy with him. Last year we published their discussion on The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield. This year we are pleased to publish Coyote's views about The Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan. Web Kitchell gives his lectures with straight face and wry humor. He teaches us not to take our new age or old age philosophy too seriously.

Over 100 people crowded into a small room to hear Edgar Peara, minister of the UU Community Church in Park Forest, Illinois, talk about "Spiritual Healing for Everyone." Edgar is a former Christian Science practitioner who still seeks to apply the laws of mental healing to the work of the ministry. It is his belief that "healing mental work is based on the conviction that all of life in its many forms is the creation and expression of an invisible Power." By attuning our thoughts with that Power we can become channels for healing of self and others. In his lecture he explores the question of "What kind of thoughts heal?" and then leads his audience and readers in a guided healing meditation.

There were only about 15 to 20 people who came to hear a panel discussion on the controversial views of Dr. Peter Duesberg, Professor of Molecular Biology at Berkeley, about AIDS. Dr. Duesberg was unable to be present in person, but a copy of his lecture was read by the Rev. Lesley Phillips. Linda Pinti from the Covenant of UU Pagans (CUUPS), which co-sponsored the program, was the panel moderator. We don't have the space to publish the lengthy and somewhat technical lecture by Dr. Duesberg, but Linda Pinti does an excellent summary in a sermon "Rethinking AIDS," which she preached at the Unitarian Society in Gardner, Massachusetts last March. Dr. Duesberg's views about HIV/AIDS (he does not believe that the HIV virus is the cause of AIDS related illness) are quite controversial as noted in the December 1995 issue of The New Age Journal magazine. Since the Psi Symposium has an interest in the question of healing, I thought it worth giving those views a hearing and to let our readers pursue the matter further if they so wish.

Robert E. Valett, a Unitarian Universalist layperson, has been exploring the effects of "positive affirmations" on the human mind and consciousness. In addition to this brief article on "The Power of Positive Affirmations" he has written and edited a collection of affirmations for daily use, some of which have been and will be published in the Psi Symposium Newsletter.

What's the latest in the Jesus quest? A great deal has been published in recent years about who Jesus of Nazareth really was and what he taught. A new "Quest of the Historical Jesus" is taking place among Biblical and historical scholars, Catholic, Protestant and Jewish. What do Unitarian Universalists think of all this? The Greenfield Group, a UU ministers study group, devoted an entire three day gathering to the latest in the Jesus studies. Susan Suchocki, minister of the First Congregational Society (Unitarian) in Leominster, gave the major paper, "Consider Jesus, Who Is Jesus And What Did He Teach?," followed by a response by me, Richard Fewkes, minister of the First Parish in Norwell, Massachusetts.

What was particularly interesting about the two papers was the role that dreams had played in the writing of the papers and the views of Jesus that those dreams expressed. Not only will you learn about the latest Jesus scholarship, you'll be invited to delve into your dreams about God and Jesus, if you've had any, or perhaps this will provoke your unconscious to give you one. In any event, happy reading and pleasant dreams!