At a time when Hong Kong's growing ranks of the nouveau poor have reason to contemplate the meaning of life beyond material loss, an international festival of consciousness is coming to town.
Described as the first of its kind in the world, the Asia Consciousness Festival will run the full gamut from hardcore science to what some call 'California woo-woo'. Speakers will range from neuroscientists, quantum physicists and psychologists, to spiritual teachers, healers, quasi-scientific gurus and meditation masters.
Gino Yu, an associate professor at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, said he began planning the festival, which runs June 5-21, well before the financial meltdown. He believes the personal soul-searching triggered by the crisis will heighten its appeal and relevance.
To have the financial equivalent of a near-death experience, he said, was a 'wake-up call' for those who defined themselves in terms of ego or work identity.
'If you look at people who have near-death experiences, you'd think, 'I almost died', is a bad thing,' Dr Yu said. 'If you look at how it motivates them to re-examine what they're doing and why, I think that's a really good thing.'
Dr Yu said the festival would combine some 20 related events with around 2,000 participants, from scientists and anthropologists to artists and seekers. The programme includes specialised conferences on artificial intelligence and cognitive science as well as art exhibitions, film screenings, music performances and workshops on personal transformation.