Cultivating Authentic Intelligence (the Other AI) with Dave Smith – G26110507
In an age of algorithmic certainty and digital noise, we have entered a “crisis of meaning” where purpose feels like a relic of a forgotten world. While Artificial Intelligence processes information, Authentic Intelligence cultivates meaning.
This multi-day program is designed to help you get “untrapped.” It is a move away from the artificial and toward an “ecology of practices” that actually works. We aren’t looking for a single, simple fix; instead, we are conducting an honest inquiry into what it truly means to be human.
Dave will lead this exploration by blending three core perspectives:
Early Buddhist Texts: Investigating mindfulness in the Pali Canon for pragmatic tools to understand the mind’s function and purpose.
Affective Science: Shifting the view of emotions from things to be “managed” to the very grounds for transformation. Emotions are not obstacles; they are guides toward a life of deep contentment.
Existential Philosophy: Confronting the radical responsibility of our condition. By grappling with modern cultural critiques, we find a secular path toward freedom, moving beyond the urge to conform to social norms.
Through interactive teaching, shared dialogue, and extended practice, we will bridge contemplative discipline with our emotional lives.
Who Should Attend
This program is designed for both new and experienced practitioners seeking a rigorous, “no-nonsense” approach to living well. Participants from all backgrounds are welcome to join this journey from the digital to the analog.
Instructor
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Dave SmithFor nearly 30 years, Dave Smith has held a practice rooted in the Insight Meditation (Vipassana) tradition. He was empowered to teach through the Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society, is a certified teacher for Cultivating Emotional Balance (CEB) which combines contemporary emotion based scientific research with contemplative practices and psychology drawn from Buddhism and has studied Buddhist psychology at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies (BCBS).
Dave teaches residential meditation retreats, weekly live dharma classes, online courses, and workshops. He has developed educational tools and resources, including mindfulness and emotional skills trainings, in both secular and Buddhist contexts.
In 2016 he founded the Secular Dharma Foundation to foster the advancement of emotional and psychological well-being through the education and integration of mindfulness, psychology, and various therapeutic modalities. Dave has brought dharma and meditative interventions into a variety of settings including jails, prisons, youth detention centers and addiction treatment facilities. Dave lives in rural Colorado with his wife and two sons.