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The Awakening Curriculum, created by Todd and Pernille Lent Damore, offers a therapeutic, non-dual pathway for awakening. Rather than chasing transcendental experiences, their method focuses on practical inquiry and direct engagement with everyday life to see through layers of identification—what they term as the “Wheel of Identification,” a reframing of the Buddhist concept of the 10 Fetters.
Their work builds on decades of Buddhist practice and integrates modern tools, including psychology, embodied trauma release, and non-dualist inquiry. The aim: to free individuals from the suffering born of identification, while still honoring the physical, emotional, psychological, and energetic dimensions of being.
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The Wheel of Identification & Fetter-Based Curriculum
At the heart of the awakening curriculum is the Wheel of Identification, mapping the 10 Fetters—common ways in which the mind creates a sense of separate selfhood. These are presented not as dogmatic steps, but as flexible, cyclical lenses through which identification is revealed and softened. The ten Fetters are presented as distinct themes, each explored through the following awakening curriculum modules:
Identifying Curriculum – Uncover and release the habitual sense of “I” tied to thought, body, and narrative.
Doubt Curriculum – Question ingrained beliefs and uncertainties.
Habits Curriculum – Observe and weaken unconscious behavioral cycles.
Wants Curriculum – Examine desires and cravings.
Aversion Curriculum – Address resistance and avoidance patterns.
Boundary Curriculum – Explore divisions created by mental and emotional boundaries.
Formless Curriculum – Recognize the mind’s propensity to fabricate “something out of nothing.” Practice dissolving the witness and questioning time and synchronicity.
Conceit Curriculum – Explore subtle forms of comparison and self-elevation.
Flow Curriculum – Open to natural presence beyond rigid structure.
Wisdom Curriculum – Integrate understanding and embodied clarity.
The awakening curriculum invites non-linear progression—tools are used as needed, and fetters are discarded once their purpose is fulfilled—not hoarded as spiritual badges.
1. First Fetter — Identifying Curriculum
The foundational delusion of a separate self—identifying with thoughts, body, and narrative—is explored here. The practice shows how this sense of "I" is perpetuated by stories and mental loops, ultimately revealing that both the stories and the storyteller are just thoughts.
2. Second Fetter — Doubt Curriculum
This section explores how doubt arises from deeply held beliefs that masquerade as unquestionable truths. The true work involves calming the body and connecting to a clear, intuitive sense (“Body Yes!” / “Body No!”) to dissolve the paralyzing layers of doubt.
3. Third Fetter — Habits Curriculum
The Habits Fetter invites inquiry into patterns—asking what is present before thoughts or emotions arise. It challenges whether there is any moment of experience unbound from identification.
4. Fourth Fetter — Wants Curriculum
This explores the energy of craving—what we think we want—and asks whether these desires stem from true needs or simply blind habit or diversion from deeper discomfort.
5. Fifth Fetter — Aversion Curriculum
The counterpart to craving, this fetter examines resistance and reactivity—anger, irritation, resentment—that arises when reality doesn't align with expectations. It highlights that this resistance is often about our internal response, not external causes.
6. Sixth Fetter — Boundary Curriculum
This deep dive dissolves the subject/object boundary, questioning the very notion of separation between self and other. Exercises include meditations on dissolving perception, collapsing distance, and unraveling the delusion of seeing.
7. Seventh Fetter — Formless Curriculum
This fetter engages with the formless nature of experience beyond conceptual structure. It emphasizes letting go of all forms—even subtle conceptual anchors—and allowing unfolding of experience without expectations or frameworks.
8. Eighth Fetter — Conceit Curriculum
Here, the challenge is recognizing a subtle sense of "I am" or even "I am God" that persists after earlier identifications have dropped away. This spiritual conceit is a refined form of self—still an egoic hold, inviting further inquiry to truly dissolve the experiencer.
9. Ninth Fetter — Flow Curriculum
This fetter introduces the experience of present awareness without striving or self-improvement. It invites openness to whatever arises in the moment, free from internal or external expectations—a natural unfolding of being.
10. Tenth Fetter — Wisdom Curriculum
Paired with the Doubt Curriculum, this fetter brings acceptance of not knowing. It releases attachment to beliefs and embraces ambiguity—recognizing that no one can truly hold all truth, and that freedom lies in the humility of uncertainty.
Retreats and Workshops
Current Retreats: The Awakening Curriculum offers retreat events.
Past Retreats Available as Courses: Recorded retreats are purchasable and include multiple hours of inquiry, talks, Q&As, written material, and exercises—allowing participants to engage deeply at their own pace, even collaboratively through Discord.
Example: A Mind-Body Integration Workshop supported developmental trauma release through movement, self-care, and physical-emotional integration.
These retreat formats offer immersive, topic-focused exploration of particular fetters or themes, ideal for deepening insight beyond the normal course structure.
Private (“Sofa”) Sessions
One-on-one or small-group sessions with Todd and Pernille offer deeper exploration:
Packages of 5 or 10 sessions are available. Pernille conducts a comprehensive pre-session analysis, using materials such as videos, photos, movement, and personal documents to craft individualized guidance.
The approach draws from psychomotor therapy to understand the physical, emotional, and psychological layers that may impede awakening.
These personalized sessions support those seeking profound integration and stabilization of their practice.
Awakening Curriculum Sofa Sits
Final Thoughts on The Awakening Curriculum
The Awakening Curriculum is a rich, multifaceted offering for those seeking to awaken through self-inquiry and integration, beyond spiritual posturing. With a balance of accessible resources and deep, transformative support, Todd and Pernille guide seekers through the practical unraveling of identification and toward the profound freedom that lies beneath.
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