On Saturday 7 March we gathered for the launch of a new initiative: the Fintry Trust Annual Lecture. For those who were unable to attend, this report offers a retrospective invitation into the occasion; for those who joined us in person or via the recording, we hope it will serve as a helpful aide-mémoire. The lecture series has been established to mark the 60th anniversary of the Fintry Trust. The Trust’s Objects define its purpose: to advance education in ideal philosophy, science, art and religion. Ideal Philosophy is understood as philosophy from a universal standpoint—embracing the wisdom of the philosophers of all times and considering its application in the modern world. It was in this spirit that Murray Morison, a trustee of some thirty years’ standing, delivered the inaugural lecture, Sacred Stories, Living Truths – Exploring the Evolution of Human Awareness.
Setting the Scene
As Murray suggests, myths have delighted and entertained humanity for millennia. Yet today they are often regarded merely as charming stories for children, or interpreted narrowly through the lens of psychology. Murray showed, with great skill, that myths are in fact repositories of profound wisdom—encoding a multilayered vision of reality that remains deeply relevant for our time. Before the lecture began, however, the atmosphere itself set the tone for the afternoon. As the photographs show, the room radiated warmth as people arrived and settled into the lounge. A quiet sense of anticipation filled the space as Elizabeth Medler opened the event and introduced Dr Sally Jeanrenaud, who was invited to set the scene.
A Framing Reflection: The Mythic Imagination
Sally offered an insightful preface. As she observed, the frameworks of modernism and materialism appear increasingly inadequate for the challenges of our time. Many traditional beliefs and stories have fractured, leaving people feeling disconnected—from their deeper selves, from one another, and from the natural world. Some commentators even speak of a “mythic vacuum”, in which dangerous or distorted narratives can rush in to fill the gap. Yet Sally suggested that this moment might be understood not simply as a decline but as a sign of transformation—a period of transition and possible rebirth. Her central contention was that the time may be ripe to rediscover and restore the deep healing power of the mythic imagination.
The Meaning and Purpose of Myth
Murray then began by exploring the nature of the mythic and its historical development. He referred to thinkers such as Rudolf Steiner, who regarded myths as pictorial expressions of profound truths concerning both the human being and the spiritual world. From there, Murray turned to what might be described as a modern loss of the imaginal—the faculty through which these deeper truths and visions of reality are received and understood. At this point he issued an important invitation: that we reconsider the significance of this faculty. He suggested that by doing so we not only deepen our understanding of the great sacred stories of humanity but also gain insight into the evolution of human consciousness itself.
A Question at the Heart of the Lecture
The lecture raised searching questions, such as, Is consciousness constant over time? Or does it evolve alongside culture and history? As Murray noted, consciousness is notoriously difficult to define, largely because it is known only from within. It is an inner experience that cannot be directly shared. Yet despite this, there is sufficient overlap in human perception and understanding for us to assume that we inhabit broadly the same world as others.
Modes of Awareness
One of the highlights of the lecture was Murray’s presentation of the Modes of Awareness and the striking framework he called the Colour Compass of Consciousness. This orienting structure offers a way of understanding how experience is received, shaped, retained, examined and ultimately illumined within the human being. Murray suggested that the creators of the world’s great mythologies not only recognised that consciousness can change but may even have anticipated the nature of those changes. He described three principal modes of awareness:
- Participatory-Imaginative Consciousness
- Reflective-Egoic Consciousness
- Noetic-Heart Consciousness
Through a thoughtful exploration of Greek and Indian myth, Murray demonstrated how these phases of awareness are symbolically encoded within the great epics, such as the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. These were unfolded and we were able to glimpse how different levels of awareness are reflected in these myths. The Colour Compass provided a visual framework in which these levels could be understood, organised along both horizontal and vertical axes representing different dimensions of consciousness.
A Trip to Frankfurt – and the Colour Compass of Consciousness
Murray also shared a personal story that proved unexpectedly significant in the development of his thinking. While reflecting on the nature of consciousness, he was invited to Frankfurt, where he visited the home of one of the great minds of European culture: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. There he encountered a small museum dedicated to Goethe’s work on colour. This encounter became something of a catalyst. Murray also drew inspiration from the work of the French-Egyptian metaphysician René Guénon, who wrote extensively on the symbolic significance of colour. Bringing together these influences, Murray developed the Colour Compass of Consciousness, aligning particular colours with different faculties of human nature.
Axes of Truth and Reality
The Compass suggests that what we ordinarily call “truth” and “reality” are not fixed absolutes but emerge through two powerful processes unfolding in time. Murray described these as the Axis of Apparent Truth and the Axis of Apparent Reality. Together they generate the strong—and often persuasive—sense that we are perceiving the world exactly as it is, when in fact we are interpreting it through the historically conditioned structures of human consciousness. Within the scope of this brief summary it is not possible to present the full detail of the Colour Compass, but readers are warmly invited to explore these ideas further in Murray’s paper. See link below.
Closing Reflections
Elizabeth concluded the afternoon by thanking Murray for a rich and stimulating lecture, and for the clarity and beauty of the visual material he shared. His carefully crafted slides brought the myths vividly to life and gave the presentation an immediate and compelling visual dimension. After the event, we enjoyed a delicious cream tea in the dining room, courtesy of the Fintry Kitchen – we are including some photos for you to enjoy. For your interest, here is a link to a flip book of Murray Morison’s lecture: https://integralwisdom.org/sacred-stories-living-truths/
Some uplifting feedback received after the event
"Just a short note to say thank you for inviting me to the wonderful talk and gathering yesterday." "Please could you advise me if there is a subscription or membership to join for this wonderful organisation." "Many thanks for this. What a wonderful lecture - full of insight, interest and illumination." "Thank you. Excellent and thought-provoking lecture.”
Would you like to deepen your own understanding of these subjects?
You may find the following of interest:
- Empire of the Mind – this course compiled and presented by Murray Morison explores the Iliad as a symbolic map of humanity’s evolving consciousness. Click on link here: The Iliad – Empire of the Mind
- A Journey Through Consciousness: Exploring our Humanity presented by Dr Edi Bilimoria. Do we need a brain to be intelligent? Is man a biological machine? What drives modern neuroscience? These are just some of the searching questions posed in this ground-breaking online course. Check out the link here: A Journey Through Consciousness: Exploring our Humanity - Integral Wisdom
- Myth – An Integral Perspective by Dr Sally Jeanrenaud. This blog explores Integral Mythology—showing how myth, far from outdated stories, reveals symbolic truths about human experience and may help restore meaning today. Check out link here: Myth - An Integral Perspective - Integral Wisdom
- Four Foundational Epics: A Narrative Overview Check out link here: Sacred Stories, Living Truths (online flipbook/PDF download)
Drs Edi Bilimoria & Sally Jeanrenaud take a moment to reflect. 
A moment shared. 
A delicious cream tea!
Photography by Amanda Reid
