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November 6th-8th 2026

Jim Gillespie

This year’s November TAT Retreat will be held during the weekend of November  6th, 7th, and 8th. Immediately following, for those interested and able to attend,  an extended intensive will be offered. Feel free to sign up for one or the other, or  both! The registration link will provide various options to match your interest and  availability and additional information about both events can be found below. In  addition, further information including directions, lodging, meals, schedules, and  more can be found on TAT’s website in the Events area. If registering for both the  retreat and intensive, please be sure to select both items when signing up, the  registration process will allow you to do this. 

In-Person TAT Retreat/Weekend 

November 6-8, 2026

Theme: The Uncertainty of Existence

Since its founding in 1973 by Richard Rose, TAT has sponsored numerous events that offer a remarkable gathering of seekers, finders, and friends. Please join us for TAT’s annual November event for a weekend of exploration, sharing, and questioning. Together, we will look at…

The Uncertainty of Existence

Are you convinced that you’re something that was born and is going to die?

Are you uncertain about whether you will continue to exist after death and/or about the nature of what that existence will be?

How are you going about, or how would you go about, or did you go about finding an answer that you can be certain of—i.e., the answer, the truth?

Three big uncertainties of existence: What am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going?

=> Do you feel that a relatively comfortable existence is the most that can be hoped for?

The weekend will include collegial mini-presentations, discussions and breakout sessions among seekers and finders to compare notes about all participants’ assumptions / beliefs / conclusions and doubts.

Round-robins (one Friday evening, one Sunday morning): What’s on your mind?

  • Divide the time by the number of participants.
  • If a participant doesn’t use all of their time, then the audience can ask questions.

Breakout sessions (five on Saturday)

  • We will have as many locations as needed set up for groups of 6 or 7.
  • There will be no session leaders. Finders and seekers will work as peers.*
  • Each participant will go to the location of their choice for each session.

First three sessions: focus on desires; focus on fears; and focus on confusion

  • A volunteer timer will allow proportional time to each participant.
  • Each participant can speak about the designated focus and then whatever occurs to them for their entire time allotment. If there is time left, other participants can ask the presenter questions.

Fourth session: focus on certainties; fifth session: focus on uncertainties.

  • Distinguish between relative certainties and absolute certainty if you have it. Relative certainties include assumptions, beliefs, conclusions, convictions, and so on.
  • For these sessions, your group can continue with time allotments or remove them. Don’t let any participants dominate the discussion.
  • Doubts may be another angle for discussing uncertainties.

* Collegiality: “Collegial describes a professional, cooperative work environment characterized by shared authority, mutual respect, and friendly interaction among peers. It implies working together as colleagues, often with minimal supervision, to foster a supportive and productive atmosphere.” ~ Google AI Overview

THE ART OF DISILLUSIONMENT 

~ A TAT Foundation Intensive ~ 

November 8th-11th

• “…uncertainty and despair are part of the formula, it seems, for finding the  final door or breakthrough.” -Richard Rose, The Psychology of the  Observer 

• “Disillusionment is the path.” -Art Ticknor, “Life is Like a Flame” • “In retrospect, I realize that I failed my way to Truth. I exhausted my  delusion that I was going to become something special or acquire  something grand through Enlightenment.” -Paul Constant, “Is there  progress in the spiritual search? Does it have an end?”

What does disillusionment mean to you? How do you experience the loss of  illusions and shattered expectations? Are you able to identify and release false  beliefs, also known as “retreating from untruth”? Do you find disillusionment on  the path to be of help or a hindrance? In your view, can “Ultimate Truth” be found  through disillusionment? 

Join us for a seeker-led event as we come together in a four-day intensive involving  small-group exercises, sitting in rapport, and participant-led sessions.  Participants will take a deep dive into “The Art of Disillusionment” by examining  their beliefs, convictions, and self-definitions, with a focus on exploring the loss of  illusions and the shedding of self-deception. Long-time retreat  facilitators Anima Pundeer and Paul Constant will facilitate most of the inquiry  and rapport sessions. 

Registration will be first come first serve for the intensive and capped at 25  people, for those registering for only the weekend retreat there is not the same  25 person cap. If you know you’re interested in the intensive, please register as  soon as you can!

Click HERE to register

The registration deadline for TAT’s November Spiritual Retreat Weekend is Wednesday, November 4th 2026.

Weekend Schedule

Friday, November 6, 2026

  • 5:00 to 7:00 PM — Setup & arrivals
  • 7:00 to 8:30 PM — Welcome & round-robin: What’s on your mind?
  • 8:30 PM to ? — Free Time

Saturday, November 7, 2026

  • 7:30 to 8:00 AM — Optional group meditation
  • 8:00 to 8:30 AM — Potluck breakfast setup
  • 8:30 to 9:00 AM — Breakfast
  • 9:00 to 9:30 AM — Cleanup
  • 9:30 to 9:45 AM — Welcome (Emcee)
  • 9:45 to 11:00 AM — Breakout #1: Desires
  • 11:00 to 11:15 AM — Break
  • 11:15 to 12:30 PM — Breakout #2: Fears
  • 12:30 to 1:00 PM — Potluck lunch setup
  • 1:00 to 1:30 PM — Lunch
  • 1:30 to 2:00 PM — Cleanup
  • 2:00 to 3:30 PM — Breakout #3: Confusions
  • 3:30 to 4:00 PM — Free time / group exercise options
  • 4:30 to 5:30 PM — Breakout #4: Certainties
  • 5:30 to 6:00 PM — Potluck dinner setup
  • 6:00 to 6:30 PM — Dinner
  • 6:30 to 7:00 PM — Cleanup
  • 7:00 to 8:30 PM — Breakout #5: Uncertainties
  • 8:30 PM to ? — Free Time

Sunday, November 8, 2026

  • 7:30 to 8:00 AM — Optional group meditation
  • 8:00 to 8:30 AM — Potluck breakfast setup
  • 8:30 to 9:00 AM — Breakfast
  • 9:00 to 9:30 AM — Cleanup
  • 9:30 to 11:00 AM — Round-robin: What’s on your mind?
  • 11:00 to 11:15 AM — Break
  • 11:15 to 11:30 AM — Meeting wrap-up & feedback
  • 11:30 to 12:00 noon — Potluck lunch setup
  • 12:00 to 12:30 PM — Lunch
  • 12:30 to 1:00 PM — Cleanup

Location, Facilities, and Lodging

The event is being held at the Claymont Mansion near Charles Town in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. The Mansion’s presence mixes perfectly with 350 private acres of forests and farmland. Sleeping accommodations include a mixture of single and double beds with dormitory style bathrooms. Claymont provides towels and bed linens for overnight guests (guests make and strip their own beds). During the registration process, we will do our best to accommodate room preferences, but all guests should expect to share sleeping quarters and bathrooms with other participants.

The Claymont Mansion is located at 577 Claymont Mansion Rd., Charles Town WV, 25414. Claymont is 50 miles/60 minutes from the Dulles International Airport near Washington D.C. Travel directions to Claymont Mansion.

Costs

The fees per person for TAT members are as follows:

$175 for members, which includes meeting registration and overnight lodging on Friday and Saturday in Claymont’s Mansion, or
$115 for members who arrange alternative lodging; this includes meeting registration and on-site camping if desired. Camping is informal—no hook-ups or restrooms.

The non-member fees per person are:

$235 for non-members, which includes meeting registration and overnight lodging on Friday and Saturday in Claymont’s Mansion, or
$165 for non-members who arrange alternative lodging; this includes meeting registration and on-site camping if desired. Camping is informal—no hook-ups or restrooms.

Full-time students should contact TAT Foundation events for information on discounted registration fees.

The fee for the November 8-11 TAT Intensive is:

$245, which includes registration for the intensive and overnight lodging on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday in Claymont’s Mansion

If cost is a serious issue that will make or break your attendance, please let us know. We do not want someone to refrain from attending for reasons of cost.

Event registration closes on the Wednesday before the event. To Register:

To register for the event, please click HERE ! This will take you to our membership platform where you can register for the event. If you have any trouble registering, please contact us directly so we can help!

If you would like to become a member prior to registering for the event, please visit our membership page where you can learn more and join as a member.

The deadline for registration is the Wednesday before the event. Upon receipt of your registration, you will receive a confirmation message with additional information. You may cancel your registration on or before this day and receive a refund minus processing fees. Cancellations less than two days before the event will not be refunded. Because ADA-compliant facilities are limited, persons with a disability should contact TAT Foundation events before registering.

Click HERE to register

Meals

Meals are potluck style for Saturday and Sunday continental breakfasts, Saturday and Sunday lunches, and Saturday dinner.  If you are already a TAT member, please help our meal planning team by visiting our potluck contributions page at PerfectPotluck. We ask that each TAT member bring 2 items, totaling about $20. A good rule of thumb is to bring enough food to serve 7 people with each item. 

All meals are included for non-members, but non-members are also welcome to bring potluck contributions by using PerfectPotluck. Sorry, we cannot reduce fees for those who prefer to bring their own food. TAT will provide coffee and tea.

If you signed up for the intensive, you will receive additional information regarding meal arrangements, guidelines on participant-led sessions, transportation from the airport, and a detailed agenda via email over the coming weeks.

Off-Site Lodging

For those who register using the alternative (off-site) lodging option, the following overnight accommodations are located near the Claymont Society:

  • Americas Best Value Inn, 807 Willow Spring Dr, Charles Town, WV (304) 725-2041
  • Carriage Inn Bed & Breakfast, 417 East Washington Street, Charles Town, WV (800) 867-9830
  • Hampton Inn and Suites, 157 Pimlico Drive, Charles Town, WV (304) 725-2200
  • Holiday Inn Express Hotel Ranson, 681 Flowing Springs Road, Ranson, WV (304) 725-1330
  • Northgate Inn, 106 Jefferson Terrace Rd, Charles Town, WV (304) 725-1402
  • The Inn at Charles, 750 Hollywood Drive, Charles Town, WV (304) 885-5800
  • Towne House Motor Lodge, 642 East Washington Street, Charles Town, WV (304) 725-8441
  • Turf Motel, 741 East Washington Street, Charles Town, WV (304) 725-2081

You may also try searching Airbnb or VRBO for accommodations in the Charles Town or Ranson areas.