Neil Douglas-Klotz, PhD
Explore the “I am” statements of Jesus (contained in the Gospel of John) in their original Aramaic, as you learn how to connect your everyday breath and body with the infinite, universal energy that flows through all of life, bringing a sense of deep peace and wholeness.
Introducing a 6-day in-person retreat on sacred land with your teacher Neil Douglas-Klotz and your community of like-minded seekers, where you’ll receive a roadmap for a life of greater purpose and interconnection — through transmissions, chanting, meditation, embodied movement, and more.
Do you struggle to make decisions about the challenges you face in life around love, purpose, and finding a sense of fulfillment?
Our modern world has become more and more focused on individualism, where many of us have become mesmerized by the seduction of the outer material world — to the exclusion of the collective good and the spiritual and unseen realms.
As your teacher Neil Douglas-Klotz affirms, this has negatively impacted the natural world, resulting in overwhelming challenges between individuals and among our cultures and countries, because we’ve lost the sense of connection and oneness.
You now have an opportunity to explore the beauty of the Aramaic translations of Jesus’ “I am” statements from the Gospel of John — which, as you’ll see, can teach you how to enter a state of oneness — connecting your temporary, individual embodied self and breath (which he called naphsha), with your infinite, universal breath (ruha).
As you’ll likely recall from The Way of Aramaic Jesus, your first course with Neil, Jesus embodied a philosophy in which there was no separation between inner and outer worlds.
There was little boundary between the self and other... the past, present, and future coexisted simultaneously... and the body, mind, and spirit were completely interconnected with nature and the unseen worlds.
It was a philosophy typical of ancient Middle Eastern culture, very much alive and integrated into the daily lives of those who lived in Jesus’ time.
The actual Aramaic words Jesus spoke, Neil says, were reflective of a oneness mentality. It was a time when people existed at one with the land and approached themselves, their community, and life itself from a compassionate, humane outlook.
Jesus’ teachings point not to exclusion, but to an expansive understanding of our interconnectedness with each other and the Divine — enabling us to infuse ourselves with a new sense of self and act in our lives with renewed courage, compassion, and deep heart awareness.
You may be familiar with these “I am” statements, whose meanings, according to Neil, have been obscured by centuries of mistranslation.
We’re excited to invite you to join Neil for a new illuminating and experiential event, in which you’ll have a unique opportunity to explore these seven statements and their true meaning in Armaic. They are:
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“I am the bread of life.”
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“I am the light of the world”
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“I am the door.”
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“I am the good shepherd.”
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“I am the resurrection and the life.”
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“I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
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“I am the vine and you are the branches.”
You’ll also look at other related sayings in Aramaic in the Gospel of John.
According to Neil, the original Aramaic shows that Jesus did not, in fact, say “I am.” He was connecting the small self to the larger reality that gives you that sense of self — that gives you prana (life energy).
In other words, he was asserting that your individuality is part of the Source that created your sense of individuality — which allows you the gift of uniqueness, freedom of choice, and independence, while remembering that you’re part of a whole .
During this profound event, Neil will guide you to experience the power of embodied breath and sound by engaging you in a simple yet profound chant and meditation centered around one of Yeshua’s “I am” sayings — which will be explored and experienced in depth in Neil’s 6-day in-person retreat in 2025.
This practice is designed to help you awaken a sense of clarity and peace... and begin to grasp how these ancient words resonate deeply within your own being.
As you engage with these teachings, you’ll:
- Unravel emotional, physical, and personal life challenges by tapping into the deeper “I” within you — centered and guided by the same wisdom Jesus shared with his closest students
- Learn how the commonly misunderstood phrases like “I am the way, the truth, and the life” carry profound insights when understood in their original Aramaic context
- Participate in a guided chant and meditation to feel the connection between your individual breath and the divine breath — your individuality and your connection to All That Is — and experience how this practice can bring clarity and healing
- Discover how Yeshua’s “I am” teachings reveal the journey of human consciousness from its origins to a new, more expansive self-understanding and way of living, rooted in unity with the Divine
- Get a glimpse into an upcoming in-person retreat with Neil that’s focused on a deep immersion into the experience of the “I am” teachings — and why they’re best shared within an in-person community
By uncovering the original intent and context of these teachings, you can unlock a pathway to a more meaningful existence.
You’ll reflect on the emotional, physical, and personal challenges you encounter daily and how, by tapping into the deeper, more expansive “I” within you, you can access a centered place from which to navigate your difficulties with greater ease and grace.
You’ll also discover that Yeshua’s direct transmissions lie at the heart of the many mystical, prophetic traditions — and reveal where human consciousness has been and where it can go today if we choose to live purposeful lives, individually and collectively.
Neil will share that Yeshua’s message emphasizes that the journey toward renewal and self-discovery is not merely a theoretical exercise — it’s an experiential path that requires active participation in community and connection.
When you attend this event, you’ll also hear about Neil’s upcoming 6-day in-person retreat — an immersive dive into the “I am” teachings at a uniquely energetic sacred sanctuary — and learn why they’re best explored and experienced in person, as Yeshua himself shared his wisdom in small groups.
This retreat will be full of embodied practices, sound mysticism, and movement. The shared energy of a community will enhance the transformational process, allowing you to deepen your understanding and embodiment of the way of Aramaic Jesus.
Join us and continue your journey into the profound significance of Yeshua’s Aramaic words, and how they can guide you toward a life filled with purpose, compassion, and heart-centered awareness.
Sign Up Now
Join this FREE video event with Neil Douglas-Klotz and explore the meanings behind the “I am” statements of Jesus in his original Aramaic, learn how they can guide you in understanding your relationship with All That Is, and set you on a journey toward purposeful living rooted in ancient wisdom and interconnected community.
Free Video Event
What People Are Saying About Neil Douglas-Klotz, PhD...
Neil Douglas-Klotz is a rare jewel; a brilliant scholar with heart whose words have the power to reconnect us with our sacred source. Original Meditation is truly a book for our times. The perfume of divine belonging rises from every page as this modern mystic skillfully guides us into the essence of the sacred mystery.
Author of Seven Paths to God
In Revelations of the Aramaic Jesus, a luminous offering, we discover the wisdom teacher this burning world is yearning for: a native Jesus deeply connected to the Earth and her wisdom, a Jesus long-ago silenced by the religion founded in his name, a Jesus who speaks directly to the heart of people of all faiths, and maybe especially to those of us who cannot fit ourselves into the confines of a single tradition. Neil Douglas-Klotz has distilled his decades of rigorous scholarship, deep practice, and revolutionary insight into a potent elixir for our times.
Translator of Julian of Norwich and author of Wild Mercy
Religion easily dies when it succumbs to rote. The Aramaic translations of Neil Douglas-Klotz cut through the rote and bring us to the deeper meanings of Jesus’ teachings that can still touch our hearts, move our souls, and ignite our action. It can open our hearts anew. My original foreword to Neil's first book, Prayers of the Cosmos, began with these words: “Reader beware; though this book is brief, it contains the seeds of a revolution.” More than 40 years later, I do not think history has proven me mistaken.
Author of Original Blessing, from the foreword to Revelations of the Aramaic Jesus
For more than 40 years, Neil Douglas-Klotz has been exploring the mysteries of the Syriac and Aramaic languages to better understand what Yeshua wanted, and still wants, to tell us. This patient work is not in vain, it is necessary to bring us closer to this presence and this teaching, which enlightens us, awakens us, heals us, and saves us. Neil Douglas-Klotz is not only a scholar but also a man of the desert, where the breath and energy of the words join the prayer of the sands to trace a path in the heart of what remains without path.
Author of The Gospel of Thomas: The Gnostic Wisdom of Jesus and The Gospel of Mary Magdalene
Neil’s work returns us to the original Aramaic of Jesus’ words, where the breath, the body, and the soul are part of a living wholeness in which nature and the Divine are not separate. Here, language is a part of the creative flow of the seasons and our inner being, awakening us to the holy wisdom that is within. Neil Douglas-Klotz’s depth of study gives new life to these great teachings, helping us to be in harmony with our original nature, our own connection to sacred unity.
Author of Prayer of the Heart in Christian and Sufi Mysticism
About Neil Douglas-Klotz, PhD
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Neil Douglas-Klotz, PhD, is a renowned writer, researcher, meditation teacher, and musician in the fields of Middle Eastern spirituality and the translation and interpretation of the ancient Semitic languages of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic.
Living in Scotland, he was for many years the co-chair of the Mysticism Group of the American Academy of Religion. He also co-founded the International Network of the Dances of Universal Peace in 1982.
A frequent speaker and workshop leader, he is the author of several well-known books. His books on the Aramaic spirituality of Jesus include Prayers of the Cosmos…, The Hidden Gospel…, Original Meditation… Blessings of the Cosmos…, Revelations of the Aramaic Jesus…, and his latest work, The Aramaic Jesus Book of Days.
Neil’s books on a comparative view of native Middle Eastern spirituality include Desert Wisdom: A Nomad’s Guide to Life’s Big Questions and The Tent of Abraham, with Rabbi Arthur Waskow and Sr. Joan Chittister.
His books on Sufi spirituality include The Sufi Book of Life: 99 Pathways of the Heart for the Modern Dervish and A Little Book of Sufi Stories. He has also edited four collections of the work of Middle Eastern mystic Kahlil Gibran and written a mystery novel set in the first century C.E. Holy Land entitled A Murder at Armageddon.
His biographical collections of the works of his Sufi teachers include Gardens of Vision and Initiation: The Life Journey of Samuel L. Lewis and Illuminating the Shadow: The Life, Love and Laughter of a 20th century Sufi.