TAT's November 2022 Spiritual Retreat
Going Home
Friday through Sunday
November 11 – 13, 2022
TAT Center, North Carolina, USA
Image: Debby Hudson unsplash.com
"Home is where the heart is." ~ origin sometimes attributed to Pliny the Elder;
the first known reference using the exact modern wording appeared in the
American novel Scandal by J. T. Bickford (1857).
Home: the place where one lives permanently; the place from which something originates. ~ Oxford Languages
"I stood in the middle of the world and I appeared to them in the flesh. I found
them all drunk. I found none that were thirsty. And my soul was troubled for the
children of men, for they are blind in their hearts, and they do not see that they
came empty into the world." ~ The Gospel of Thomas; see Douglas Harding’s
" A Jesus for Our Time "
Prodigal: a person who leaves home and behaves recklessly but later makes a repentant return. ~ Oxford Languages
I maintain that the nostalgic mood becomes the language of the soul. It is the
inner man trying to get through the earth-man's paradigm, to communicate with
him." ~ Richard Rose, The Direct-Mind Experience, "Lecture on Moods"
Nostalgia: from Greek nostos ‘return home’ + algos ‘pain’. ~ Oxford Languages
Join us for a weekend of insightful talks and small group and panel discussions as we seek true self-knowledge through the theme of "Going Home."
Finders & Seekers
TAT was founded in 1973 by Richard Rose, who remained its only teacher. Then, in 1999, two of Rose’s students had breakthroughs, followed over the years by several others. TAT is a bit unusual in that it currently sports a dozen or so self-proclaimed finder-teachers, some of whom were not Rose students, among a larger group of seekers.
Each of the finder-teachers had a unique path and has a unique way of trying to help seekers. An objective of this retreat is to optimize seekers’ questioning of the finders in order to challenge or refine their own views of what to do or not do.
To foster that, we will have five sessions where nine finders will present diverse opinions on these topics:
- nothing to be done vs. something to be done
- knowing what you’re not vs. knowing what you are
- there’s an end to the search vs. there’s no end to the search
- there’s no progress in the search vs. there’s progress in the search, and
- discovering awareness is a stage in the search vs. discovering awareness is the end of the search,
followed by questions from the audience, who will then break into smaller discussion groups.
Comparing Notes
Shared Contemplation
Photos by Bob Cergol.
Richard Rose Video Discussion
Short RR video clip with discussion.
50th Anniversary
This fall is the 50th anniversary of the first public talk made by Richard Rose, which inspired the forming of self-inquiry groups at colleges and universities and the eventual calendar of four gatherings each year at the Rose farm. Speaking of nostalgia, we’ll have some of the old-timers who are still active, or became reactivated after many years, or are inactive friends of TAT, reminisce about the early years.
Meet our featured presenters:
ANIMA PUNDEER
Anima began meditating in her late teen years and soon realized that underneath all the suffering in the world, the real pain was the feeling of a separate self. In June of 2004, she had an experience where she realized her All-ness and One-ness and finally knew Freedom. She tells her story in the documentary Meetings With Remarkable Women. Anima is co-author with Art Ticknor of Always Right Behind You. She lives with her family in Houston, Texas.
AUGUST TURAK
Augie is a highly successful entrepreneur, award-winning author, speaker, and consultant. He has published many popular leadership articles for Forbes and is a former contributor for the BBC. He is the founder of the educational nonprofit the Self Knowledge Symposium Foundation (SKSF). Augie was one of the two university students who started setting up self-inquiry groups after hearing Richard Rose’s first public talk 50 years ago. See his website augustturak.com for more background.
BOB CERGOL
Bob was 19 when he met Richard Rose in 1972. He lived with Rose at his house in Benwood, WV, and on Rose's farm. Twenty years later, he moved away to pursue his life. He married and started a family, but soon gravitated back to the path. TAT group work led to a series of events that triggered a spiritual realization that brought Bob an absolute, final answer. Over the past decade, Bob has delivered a number of presentations during TAT events and has authored numerous TAT Forum essays that were ultimately published in Beyond Mind, Beyond Death, a TAT Foundation Press book. Listen to his story in a podcast interview on SpiritualTeachers.org.
BOB HARWOOD
Bob had an active role in developing the TAT retreat center, and has given many presentations during past TAT retreats. In his spiritual autobiography, Pouring Concrete: A Zen Path to the Kingdom of God, Bob recounts his path to the resolution of dozens of existential questions. His search for truth came to an end on August 17, 1999 when his past sense of personal selfhood vanished after hiking in the mountains and pursuing a meditative activity that he calls "ATA-T" (attending the actual minus thought). He realized on that day that he was NOT who had always imagined he was, and that no separate volitional entity had ever existed. He also realized that duality is solely a product of imagination, and that any sense of separateness is an illusion.
JENNY CLARKE
In May of 2012, after decades of spiritual study and self-inquiry, Jenny's identification as a separate, individual self fell away. A spaciousness, love, and peace were left in its place. Now, her singular vision is to appreciate and share the simplicity, beauty, love, and perfection of life no matter what direction it may unfold in any given moment. Currently, Jenny is retired and resides in Raleigh, NC, where her 3 young granddaughters constantly reflect the innocence, play, aliveness, and truth of who we really are. She assists in facilitating Satsangs in the Raleigh area.
MIKE GEGENHEIMER
Mike met Richard Rose in Pittsburgh in the fall of 1972. A freshman science and engineering student, Mike was interested in "the unknown" and the nature of existence. He worked with Rose and other students in Pittsburgh during college and moved to the Rose farm following graduation. Rose's teachings, insights from several rapport sessions, and a few TAT members were a lifeline during a 15 year hiatus from serious group work during which he married and had a family. Returning to TAT with renewed commitment in 2000, his search ended with an intense realization during a rapport session at the April 2019 TAT meeting. A brief description can be found at www.searchwithin.org/. Mike remains active in the TAT Foundation and recently co-authored with Shawn Nevins, Passages: An Introduction and Commentary on Richard Rose’s Albigen System.
PAUL CONSTANT
A true friend on the path to Truth, for almost 40 years Paul has expressed his love for Truth by facilitating retreats, leading rapport sittings, serving in leadership positions with the TAT Foundation, and studying with Richard Rose during 1985-1995. Listen to Paul's interview on SpiritualTeachers.org or visit his website at searchwithin.org.
SHAWN NEVINS
Shawn Nevins "fell onto the spiritual path in 1990," had an enlightenment experience in 1999, and since then has enjoyed making films, writing, and working with the TAT Foundation. His creative endeavors include the book The Celibate Seeker and the film Closer Than Close — an acclaimed documentary on Self-realization. Shawn is also the author of Images of Essence with photos by Bob Fergeson, Subtraction: The Simple Math of Enlightenment, Hydroglyphics: Reflections on the Sacred with photos by Phaedra Greenwood, and Passages: An Introduction and Commentary on Richard Rose’s Albigen System co-authored by Mike Gegenheimer. See his work at spiritualteachers.org. Shawn and his wife live in the San Francisco Bay area.
SHAWN PETHEL
Shawn Pethel is a physicist and lifelong questioner of reality. In his twenties he learned of something called 'enlightenment' and thus began a spiritual adventure of self-discovery. Along the way he met many helpful teachers and friends and investigated myriads of spiritual practices. In 2014 he had what he calls his 'enlightenment experience', because it left him completely satisfied and question-free about the nature of existence. These days he rarely thinks or speaks about enlightenment—except when he's asked to, whereupon he surprises himself with how much he has to say about a realization that cannot be spoken of.
TYLER MATTHEW
After a lot of seeking, self-inquiry, and heartache, Tyler realized his True Identity, the realization of which has proven in normal human experience to be ever more freeing, loving, and joyful. Tyler is happy to compare notes with those interested in this subject.
The registration deadline for TAT's November Spiritual Retreat Weekend is Wednesday, November 9.
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Weekend Schedule 
Friday, November 11, 2022
Saturday, November 12, 2022
Sunday, November 13, 2022
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7:30 to 9:00 PM - Dialectic #1 & breakout
Location, Facilities, and Lodging
The event is being held at the new TAT Center near Hurdle Mills, North Carolina, USA. The 5,500 square foot Center is situated on a beautiful 15-acre site. It is only 50 minutes from Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU).
TAT Center, North Carolina
If you think you've got something contagious, whether that be a cold, flu, or whatever, please use your common sense, think of others, and stay home. Refunds will be issued upon request. This event abides by current North Carolina mask guidance. There will be a mixture of participants wearing and not wearing masks. Masks will be available at the TAT Center at no charge.
There are a few (less than 18) on-site beds available. Sleeping accommodations include new, comfortable twin-size beds, linens, pillows, and blankets in bedrooms shared with 1 or 2 people (women and men separate). All bathrooms are shared and towels are provided. For those who like to camp, there is space for camping and space (but not water or sewer hook-ups) for those traveling in modest-sized van/RVs, please contact
The capacity of the water system is suitable for the meeting and as there are three showers available during the weekend, we will schedule time slots for those at the TAT Center as you arrive.
If you are interested in on-site lodging, camping, or staying in your van/RV please email us at
Lodging is an additional $50 for the weekend for TAT members and $60 for non-members. Note that we will do our best to accommodate room preferences, but all guests should expect to share sleeping quarters and bathrooms with at least one other participant.
Costs
The November Spiritual Retreat fees per person for TAT members are as follows:
- $90 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:
- $130 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 for information on discounted registration fees.
Use PayPal to pay
with these credit cards (PayPal account not necessary).
PayPal is "fast, free and secure" and allows payment by credit card or electronic withdrawal from a bank account. Checks (in U.S. dollars, drawn on a U.S. bank) or money orders (domestic only) made payable to the TAT Foundation are also accepted if received by the registration deadline.
Support TAT by becoming a Regular, Sustaining, or Lifetime Member.
Visit our membership page for information about TAT memberships.
Note: 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.
TAT Membership
C. The TAT Foundation currently has three categories of membership:
- Annual (calendar year): $40.
- Sustaining: $10 per month.
- Lifetime: $500.
You can become a TAT member for $40 by visiting our membership page.
Renew membership AND pay for this event
D. To renew your membership and register for the event in one transaction (saving PayPal fees to TAT), please select the appropriate item(s) from the drop-down list below:
We're an all-volunteer group, so please be patient. If you haven't received an email by Wednesday, November 9, call (336) 933-0295 or contact .
You may cancel your registration on or before November 9 and receive a refund, minus the PayPal transaction fee. Cancellations after November 9 will not be refunded.
* The TAT Foundation hosts four public events each year. Because we are an all-volunteer organization, please allow up to 5 business days before receiving confirmation of your payment. See our membership overview or email if you have questions about registration fees.
Space is limited, so registration is required. The deadline for registration is Wednesday, November 9th. Upon receipt of your registration, you will receive a confirmation email with information on the venue's address, facilities, and meals. You may cancel your registration on or before November 9th and receive a refund, minus the PayPal transaction fee. Cancellations after November 9th will not be refunded. Because ADA-compliant facilities are limited, persons with a disability should contact before registering.
Meals
Meals are potluck style for Saturday and Sunday continental breakfasts, Saturday and Sunday lunches, and Saturday dinner. All meals are included for non-members. 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. Sorry, we cannot reduce fees for those who prefer to bring their own food. TAT will provide coffee and tea.
Off-Site Lodging
For those who register using the alternative (off-site) lodging option, the following overnight accommodations are a 20-to-30 minute drive from the TAT Center:
- Americas Best Value Inn Roxboro, 1006 N Madison Blvd, Roxboro, NC 27573 (336) 599-9276
- Budget Inn Roxboro, 1033 N Madison Blvd, Roxboro, NC 27573 (336) 599-3151
- Hampton Inn Roxboro, 920 Durham Road Roxboro, NC 27573 (336) 599-8800
- Holiday Inn Express Hillsborough, 202 Cardinal Drive , Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 (919) 644-7997
- Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Hillsborough, 120 Old Dogwood Street Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 (919) 245-3102
- Quality Inn Roxboro, 906 Durham Rd, Roxboro, NC 27573 (336) 599-3800
You may also try searching Airbnb or VRBO for accommodations in the Roxboro, Hillsborough, or Hurdle Mills areas.
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For more information... email:
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What is the TAT Foundation?
A group encouraging people to think rather than believe. A group determined to help people find ways and means to answer their deepest philosophical questions. A gathering of friends who are not afraid to be honest with one another. An island of hope and sanity (or at least the hope for sanity!). Last, but not least, TAT is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization chartered in 1973.