Though the Open Center closed its iconic doors in January 2023, White’s vision for a more conscious and connected world was far from dimmed. Fueled by his enduring passion for holistic education, he set his sights on a new endeavor. Enter the New Center for Holistic Learning—a vibrant reimagining of White’s life and mission, poised to inspire a fresh wave of transformation. This initiative, which began in 2024, builds on his extensive experience inpromoting personal, cultural and spiritual transformation. The New Center offers both in- person and online programs, aiming for a global reach through Zoom and utilizing locations in Manhattan’s East and West Villages. It continues White’s vision of fostering consciousness, creativity and sustainability in modern society.

Natural Awakenings recently caught up with White who describes the ongoing need for a holistic hub in New York City, emphasizing its importance as a center for inner development, authentic spirituality, and ecological transformation.

How does the New Center for Holistic Learning build upon the legacy of the New York Open Center?

The team we have assembled for the New Center NY has many years of experience in holistic learning and doesn’t have to learn the ropes from scratch. We have experienced programmers, writers and registrars, etc. Also, we have developed pretty good judgement over the years about which offerings have real substance and value. The Open Center’s programs were always guided by the values of substance, depth and integrity and the New Center will maintain those. Certain long-term programs, such as the Esoteric Quest international conference series on the Western Tradition, and the Art of Dying programs have continued now for almost 30 years and are an integral part of the New Center NY.

When the NY Open Center began in 1984, it was a true landmark in holistic learning. Now, 40 years later, how do you feel that the holistic movement has evolved and how does the New Center represent that in its offerings?  

One of the less reported stories of our time is how holistic practices—like meditation, yoga, eating natural foods, producing wind and solar power—just to mention a few—have become an integral part of our culture. It has happened so gradually that the mainstream media usually doesn’t notice the significance of the story. 

When the Open Center began, meditation was often considered a fancy word for sleep, and most forms of complementary medicine were thought of as snake oil of some sort.

We’ve come a long way. Now the challenge is to deepen the programs in existent fields and extend the audience to a global level through the internet. We are always keeping our eyes open for new developments—like the appropriate use of psychedelics with the dying who are dealing with intense existential distress or fear of death. The science around this is very impressive and we will be offering a unique program on this topic in the spring.

There is ample free information online that aims to elevate our consciousness and well-being. What does the Center offer that would encourage people to pay for something they can get for free?

Essentially, people want human interaction—especially after the pandemic. The sold-out programs we have offered so far have all been in-person and deeply experiential. People are more than ready to interact with others in an open and heart-centered way. Also, when it comes to online programs, there are certainly gifted presenters whose talks can be found online. But the art of programming is to create topics and themes that are not widely available online and that the speaker is eager to offer. We are grateful for the programs we can offer on Zoom as we can reach a wide international audience and bring in teachers from Europe, the West Coast or beyond without travel and accommodation costs. Many participants find it impossible to travel to New York and we love having a global as well as local audience.

Part two of this interview will be featured in the February issue. For more information visit NewCenterNY.org.