About us
New Future Society (NFS)
Mythopoetics for the Future
We are an organization devoted to Soulcentric contemplation, vision and action.
Our experiences are the fruit of six decades of exploration into the nature of the psyche and its creative and generative relationship with life.
We create initiatives that tend to the fires of human evolution and flow with the waters of cultural transformation.
We believe that to create for the future, we have to become deeply integrated and embodied with our wisdom in the present. We aspire to be bridge walkers between worlds. Integrating oriental philosophical systems and meditations with eco depth psychology.
We dream about creating and co creating with others the sacred song that wishes to be sung through us all together for the future ancestors.
Sarah Kennedy / Owl Heart / Lakshmi
Sarah is a poet who loves the Mystery and the Earth.
For thirty years she has been a teacher of oriental philosophies.
Born in England, her relationship with the East began in India in 1994 where she lived in the
Himalayas with the Tibetans in Dharamsala.
She is a guide and a mentor of a Soulcentric way of being that integrates her history with oriental philosophies and an eco depth psychological framework. In her work, she aspires to deepen the sacred conversations with the inner and outer ecosystems in the world. She is passionate about creating a wild sacred life with others, as a means to unite with other cultural artisans at this time of global meta crisis.
Sarah holds very deeply in her heart the grief related to the death of the Earth´s ecosystems because of climate change and is deeply saddened about how it effects the more than human world. Connecting with this grief has proven to be a profound inspiration for her life and work. Paradoxically she also believes that we are here to witness and experience the wonder and a deep enchantment of life, celebrating and honoring each moment and event, through a conscious awareness, also through ceremony, song and dance.
She has many Soul allies, one of them is an Owl who came to her in a dream. This Owl is also an alchemist and a priestess that listens and decrypts the secrets she receives from the different worlds.
Sarah is the director of the New Future Society.
Her TEDx talk in spanish is called: “Tecnologías para crear tiempo”.
If you would like to receive mentoring from Sarah for more information: link here.
Lakshmi Sarah Kennedy
Born in England in 1971. She studied Political Science and Sociology.
In 1994 she travelled to India. For months she made pilgrimages to sacred places, studied with Masters from different traditions and explored diverse meditation techniques.
In Dharamsala, the home to the Tibetan refugees in the Himalayas, she met Premananda Deva a philosopher from the West who had dedicated more than three decades to studying methods for self-discovery from the East at the side of his Master Ananda Devi.
For fifteen years Lakshmi studied with her Master. They founded the New Future Society (NFS). They held meetings with spiritual leaders, politicians and intellectuals in India and the United States and gave conferences and retreats in Asia, Europe and North America. They published three books and founded centers in Dharamsala and Bangalore (India), Washington D.C. (United States) and Santa Marta (Colombia).
In 2008, Premananda Deva passed away and Lakshmi assumed the leadership of the organization.
In 2010 she met her partner and student Ishwara.
In 2011 together they began giving conferences in South America and the United States.
In 2012 they created the Retreat Center Casa Ananda, in the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta, (Colombia) where they guided people, couples and groups in meditation retreats for emotional healing, inner growth and transformation.
In 2015, Lakshmi relocated in Argentina.
In 2018, Lakshmi began the initiative Deep Delight www.deleiteprofundo.com
In the last few years she has offered conferences, workshops and retreats in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, Colombia and Mexico.
Ishwara M. González
Conferencista, editor y escritor. Director de Proyectos de la New Future Society (NFS). Es Licenciado Comunicación Social, con una especialización en Edición, de la Universidad Javeriana de Bogotá. Ha realizado estudios complementarios de filosofía, corrección de textos, teología y docencia universitaria. Por diez años fue profesor universitario y consultor de compañías en las áreas de comunicación, diseño de proyectos, creatividad y educación.
In 2010, he decided to change his life and started a meditation and introspection retreat for a year with Lakshmi Sarah Kennedy. Since 2011, he has been part of the NFS organization and has served as: Director of the Retreat Center of Santa Marta, Director of Communications and Project Director.
He is the co-creator and Editor of the Deep Delight initiative (deleiteprofundo.com). He writes regularly for publications in Latin America and offers lectures in the areas of Meditation, creativity, happiness studies, compassion and effective altruism and communication strategies.
He has offered workshops, conferences and courses in Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Mexico and Peru.
He is in charge of the NFS link with governments, companies, universities and organization.
NFS Team
Lakshmi S. Kennedy
Directora Internacional
Pato Staneloni
Dirección Gráfica
Lucila Voloschin
Coordinadora #MEME Mejor Medita
Ishwara M. González
Director de Proyectos
Melisa Tassano
Editora Hojas de Inspiración
Coca Carbone
Coordinación Savias
Carlos Trincado
Administración de la Fundación
History
In 1995, in Dharamsala (India), Premananda Deva and his student Lakshmi Sarah Kennedy created the New Future Society (NFS). This initiative sought, among other purposes, to share the teachings of Ananda Devi, Premananda Deva’s Master for thirty-four years.
Las semillas de nuestra organización se encuentran en el trabajo de esta maestra y se remontan a la fundación del Indian Cultural Center (ICC) on January 25, 1958, in New York City.
Los más de 60 años de historia de nuestra organización comprenden tres periodos: the seeds, the creation and the flowering.
The seeds (1957-1994)
1957. After ten years of self-inquiry and study of the oriental philosophies in France
and India, Ananda Devi travelled to New York to offer conferences and establish a
cultural center.
1958. The opening of the Indian Cultural Center (ICC)inaugurated by the ex first lady of the USA, Eleanor Roosevelt.
1958-1961. Art expositions, visits from spiritual leaders from India and conversations with academics. Deva begins his path of self-knowledge at Ananda Devi’s side.
1962. Devi and Deva travel to París and found the Centre Culturel De L’ Inde.
1962-1994. For thirty-two years they offer conferences about the integration between the eastern philosophies and their relationship with psychology from the west. They established an exchange with the Institute Pasteur for the investigation into natural healing methods. Articles are published in magazines and Devi writes her book The Illumined Mind. They are pioneers in training of hatha-yoga, Tibetan yoga and meditation.
The creation (1995-2008)
1994. Lakshmi Sarah Kennedy initiates a year retreat with Premananda Deva.
1995. Premananda Deva and Lakshmi Sarah Kennedy found the New Future Society (NFS) and inaugurate a center for wellbeing in Dharamsala, India.
1995-1997. Deva y Lakshmi embark on a pilgrimage to sacred places in India. They
establish conversations with Yogis, monks, mystics and academics.
1998. The first conference tour in the USA. They receive an invitation to reside in this country.
1999. The opening of the NFS center in Virginia, USA.
2000. Recognition by the Yoga Alliance USA.
2002. Conference tour in India. Launching of the book Spiritual Revolution. Visits to spiritual, cultural and educative centers, in Mumbai, Pune, Nueva Delhi y Chennai.
2002-2004. Two personal interviews with the President de India Abdul Kalam.
2005. The opening of the NFS Center in Rockville, MD. EE.UU. with the director Savitri
Bach.
2005. Visit to Colombia and the opening of the retreat center in Santa Marta.
2005-2008. Retreats in Santa Marta directed by Deva y Lakshmi, with students from the USA, Europe and Asia.
2008. Premananda Deva’s passing.
The flowering (2009-present)
2009. Lakshmi Sarah Kennedy assumes the leadership of the NFS.
2010. Lakshmi initiates conference tours in Colombia.
2010. The opening of the Retreat Center in Santa Marta. Ishwara (Colombia) begins a
one-year retreat.
2010 - 2012. Lakshmi receives visitors of diverse nationalities. Forms students from Germany, USA and Colombia and offers talks in the USA, Europe and South-America.
2011. Ishwara assumes the role of Director of the Retreat Center and cultivates relationships for the NFS with institutions and media.
2012. Creation of Casa Ananda in the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta.
2013. Creation of the Deva Yoga Studio, directed by Agni Gessner (Germany), located in the city of Santa Marta.
2014. Conference tours in Colombia and the USA.
2015. Lakshmi and Ishwara reside in Argentina.
2015. Creation of the Deva Zentrum in Würzburg (Germany), directed by Agni and Uma Gessner.
2016. Creation of the ‘network of allies’ of the NFS, with centers for inner growth in Argentina, Colombia and México.
2017. Lakshmi and Ishwara make a pilgrimage to India. Conference tours in Argentina, Colombia, México and Chile. Creation of the initiative www.deleiteprofundo.com
2015-2018. Conferences and courses in businesses, universities and online. Creation
of MEME Medita Mendoza, uniting centers for wellbeing to offer free meditations in
the city and support for social initiatives.
2018-2019. Creation of the initiative #MEME The Marathon of Calm and the news portal for inspirational texts, Leaves of Inspiration (in Spanish). Lakshmi and Ishwara travel to Japan on a pilgrimage for two months.
Masters
Premananda Deva (1932-2008)
Born in San Francisco (USA). Lecturer, writer and yogi. The founder of the NFS. For fifty years he integrated oriental traditions and techniques with the psychological discoveries from the West.
Después de la secundaria, ingresó a los Comandos de los EE.UU. (U.S. Army), donde permaneció por dos años. Recibió un título en Ciencias Sociales de la Universidad de California. Posteriormente cursó una Maestría en Educación.En 1958 obtuvo una beca de teatro en la Tufts University de Boston. En 1959 viajó a Nueva York para estudiar en la American Shakespeare Academy. Participó en numerosas producciones de Broadway.
In February 1960, in Manhattan he met Ananda Devi, the director of the Indian Cultural Center (ICC). For two months he assisted daily teachings at the ICC where he received an introduction to Indian philosophy. At the end of 1960 Deva began his path of self-discovery.
In 1962 he travelled with his master to France, where they established the Centre Culturel de L’Inde. For thirty-four years he accompanied Ananda Devi. During this time he was a yoga instructor, a lecturer, and guided numerous people. Additionally he was an active cultural director and worked in different social, intellectual and spiritual areas.
In 1994, after the death of his guide, Deva travelled to India and began a retreat in the Himalayas. In Dharamsala he met his student Lakshmi Sarah Kennedy. He stayed in India for four years.
In 1998 he received an invitation to open a teaching center in Virginia, USA. That year he
met his students, Savitri Bach and Chandra Cherrnay, who continue on with his legacy in
this country.
In 2000 he received the recognition of his life experience with Yoga from the Yoga Alliance USA and that year he started certifying students as Yoga Teachers.
At the beginning of 2005 Deva offered a conference tour in Bogota, Colombia, and he was invited to open a teaching center in this country. In July of that year he founded a Retreat Center in Santa Marta (Colombia). In 2008, one week before his passing he published his last book, Light of the Future.
Ananda Devi (1922-1994)
Born in Paris in 1922. Lecturer, writer and a spiritual master. She was one of the first western women to experience the ancient yogic traditions. She received her inspiration from the spiritual masters Sri Aurobindo and Sri Ramana Maharishi. With the support of dignitaries from India she took to the USA and Europe a profound message from this nation. She was recognized by spiritual leaders, intellectuals, artists and politicians for her knowledge of the Indian traditions, her optimism in times of crisis and for her conviction in the potential of the human being.
At the age of sixteen, while attending a Catholic boarding school, she had profound realizations about the nature of her mind which she documented in her diary. Upon completing high school she entered the Catholic University of Lyons, where she studied philosophy and law.
With the start of the Second World War, Ananda Devi felt compelled to defend her country and joined the French Resistance. In 1947, she met the Indian dancer Ram Gopal, who introduced her to the culture of his country and the life of Ramana Maharishi. During six years began an intensive practice of meditation disciplines and yoga and she found inspiration in Sri Aurobindo’s philosophies. Besides this she learned Tibetan Yoga at the hand of Dr Thooris and had a constant intellectual exchange with the thinkers of the Indian community that resided in Paris. The teachings of these sages, combined with periods of four-year retreats in rural France, transformed Ananda Devi's consciousness and led her to change the course of her life.
In 1953, she travelled to India for the first time. She held meetings with spiritual leaders such as Mirra Alfassa "La Madre" (the spiritual companion of Sri Aurobindo).
Between 1954-1957 she visited India in two opportunities and began her work of a synthesis between the Indian philosophies and western thought. In 1956 in Mumbai, she founded “The Society for Psychical Research” a body that was dedicated to investigating the phenomena of consciousness. In 1957 she also created in Mumbai “The International Council for Research into the Nature of Man” an organization that was attended by prime ministers, senators, academics and spiritual leaders. In June of that year she assisted as a delegate and speaker in the Philosophical Congress of India in Kashmir. At this time she became a personal friend and confidant of Dr. Rhadakrishnan, the second President of India, and Sri Morarji Desai the Prime Minister of India, (1977 y 1979).
In August of 1957 she travelled to New York and became the Cultural Representative to the United Nations Organization for Panchshila, the Indian cultural publication in Bombay. In September she offered her first conference in the headquarters of the Theosophical Society. In 1958 Ananda Devi founded the Indian Cultural Center (ICC), inaugurated by the first lady of the USA, Eleanor Roosevelt.
In 1960, Ananda Devi met Premananda Deva and accepted him as her disciple. In 1962, they left for Paris where they founded the Centre Culturel De L’ IndeThey remained in Paris for thirty-two years. During this time she developed collaborations and friendships with personalities such as: Dr. Louis Le Thomas, of the Pasteur Institute; the writer André Maurois, and the businesswoman Elizabeth Arden, among others.
Ananda Devi wrote two books, one in English and one in French, entitled India and Experimental Metaphysicspublished after her death. She passed on the 25 of February in 1994.
