Meher Baba’s New Life, from the Great Seclusion to Manonash: An In-depth Review Part Three
In part three of his ongoing series on the New Life, Ward Parks focuses on the period of the New Life from from August 1949 to October of 1949. In this time, Meher Baba definitively announced the New Life, making it clear that everything was about to change forever, and that those who stayed behind would never see Him again.
To find the series schedule, syllabus, bibliography and to catch the next session, please visit our Virtual Programs page.
Video, 1:35:12
Streamed October 5th, 2025
Meher Center Archives
Uploaded October 17, 2025
Meher Baba’s New Life, from the Great Seclusion to Manonash: An In-depth Review Part Two
In part two of his ongoing series on the New Life, Ward Parks focuses on the Adumbrations of the New Life, The Great Seclusion of June-July 1949 and the beginning of 1949 through the work at Mount Abu.
To find the series schedule, syllabus, bibliography and to catch the next session, please visit our Virtual Programs page.
Video, 1:13:28
Streamed September 21st, 2025
Meher Center Archives
Uploaded October 3, 2025
Meher Baba’s New Life, from the Great Seclusion to Manonash: An In-depth Review Part One
We are delighted to share the first session of Ward Parks’ virtual series on Meher Baba’s New Life from this past Sunday!
In this introductory session, Ward covers the significance of the New Life in Meher Baba’s greater Avataric career. He performs a brief historical survey of the New Life from 1949 to 1952. Finally, he explores, the New Life phases and the major New Life themes.
To find the series schedule, syllabus, bibliography and to catch the next session, please visit our Virtual Programs page.
Video, 1:19:19
Streamed September 7th, 2025
Meher Center Archives
How Meher Baba’s Messages on the Dangers of Drugs Laid the Foundation for a Whole New Generation of Meher Baba Lovers: A Presentation by Rich Blum
Starting in the mid-1960s Baba expressed grave concern about the use of hallucinogenic drugs by the youth in the West, and He issued a series of messages explaining the dangers of these drugs. He stated that not only was the experience induced by hallucinogens an illusion into illusion, and a far cry from real spiritual experience, but also that their continual use could cause physical, mental, and spiritual damage. This presentation focuses on how His messages led to millions hearing His name, which in turn fostered the formation of a new generation of Baba lovers.
Baba gave great importance to the spreading of his drug messages, and he specifically instructed his three young “Baba boys”, Allan Cohen, Rick Chapman, and Robert Dreyfuss to do that work. He referred to the boys as his apostles and often expressed how proud He was of them. This presentation chronicles their work through their own firsthand accounts, and illustrates how their efforts led to Baba’s statements penetrating the very core of the growing counter-culture in the U.S.
Video, 1:19:30
Meeting Place at Meher Center; May 16, 2025
Meher Center Archives
Uploaded August 15, 2025
Poems of St. John of the Cross as Scripts for Manonash A Presentation by Christopher Wilson
In this beautiful presentation, Christopher Wilson shines the spotlight on St. John of the Cross who worked with St. Teresa of Avila. We see the life, work and times of St. John and examine his great works such as “The Dark Night of the Soul,” read here in English and native Spanish. Drawing parallels between these writings and the teachings of Baba, Christopher brings us to the heart of the eternal condition of longing where the lover not only seeks union but complete annihilation of self to finally achieve that union.
Video, 56:48
Meeting Place at Meher Center; April 11, 2025
Meher Center Archives
“After Baba dropped the body, the book went totally missing…”
Using Meher Baba’s lost book as a vehicle, in its centenary year, Rich Blum explores whether there is a connection between Meher Baba’s silence and His written revelations. This clear and concise presentation is packed with interesting stories about the history of the lost book and the search for it. It also includes a short video of Don Stevens interviewing Meherwan Jessawala about the book’s mysterious fate.
Video, 1:06:54
Meeting Place at Meher Spiritual Center, July 12, 2025
Meher Center Archives
Uploaded August 1, 2025
Meher Baba’s Silence: A Talk by Peter Nordeen
For the occasion of the centenary year of Baba’s silence, Meher Baba scholar Peter Nordeen gives an in-depth talk about the Avatar of the Age’s great undertaking during this advent: His silence. Peter describes the start of the silence and the evolving modes of communication as Baba went deeper into His silence. He shares many of Baba’s messages about His silence, the breaking of the silence and all the promises around it, Meher Baba’s work vis-à-vis His need to “not teach but awaken” and other related messages.
Video, 1:10:24
Meeting Place at Meher Center; June 7, 2025
Meher Center Archives
Uploaded July 11, 2025
Meher Baba’s Blue Bus Tours, A Presentation by Susan McKendree: Part 2
In part two of this presentation, Susan McKendree talks about the latter years of Meher Baba’s Blue Bus tours. Stories of His travels with His mandali throughout India and Ceylon are interwoven with fascinating details about Baba’s work with masts (God-intoxicated souls).
Video, 1:27:14
Meeting Place at Meher Center, March 29th, 2025
Meher Spiritual Center Archives
Uploaded 4/18/2025
The Blue Bus Tours: Part 1 A Presentation by Susan McKendree
Susan McKendree, the author of Meher Baba’s Blue Bus Tours, makes a presentation about this enigmatic period with Baba. On December 8th, 1938, Baba started His extensive tours of India on a Blue Bus along with Eastern and Western women disciples, with Elizabeth Patterson as the driver. The Tours ended in November, 1941. Susan explores the women’s experiences, the search for the universal center, places that they stayed in and Baba’s mast work during that period.
Video, 1:23:15
Meeting Place at Meher Center, March 28th, 2025
Meher Spiritual Center Archives
Uploaded 4/11/2025
The Role of Suffering in Meher Baba’s Universal Spiritual Work; A Presentation by Jamie Newell
In this presentation, Jamie Newell discusses the immense suffering that Meher Baba’s physical form endured during His advent, particularly in His later years following the two automobile accidents. Newell proposes that this suffering was integral to Baba’s Universal spiritual work for humanity, which in itself “was nothing but love in action.”
Video, 47:40
Meeting Place at Meher Center, February 21st, 2025
Meher Spiritual Center Archives
Uploaded 4/4/2025