Bruce 'Zen' Benefiel - Possibilities Coagulator
Bruce had a near death experience as a teenager during a meditation after praying to know what truth is, willing to give up his life if necessary. He literally went into the 'Light' for several moments and then beyond for a few more. A lot happened there and he remembers it vividly over thirty years later. You can imagine the challenge articulating any understanding from that experience, let alone applying it in life on a day-to-day basis.
It took decades - time in a psyche ward and recovery from Thorazine, a marriage, children, divorce, grandchildren, facilitating discussion groups, intimate relationships, a self-discovery television show, degrees in Business, ministerial ordination and many accomplishments in a variety of industries - to realize he truly had something valuable to share in helping others transform into happier and fulfilling lifestyles. Everything we need to affect change in our lives is within us already, we just have to ask better questions and listen more deeply for the answers. If you are ready to listen to yourself, we've got a chance.
Zen Benefiel is a multi-master's degreed author, coach, consultant, educator, facilitator, minister and performer with a passion for education and facilitation, a true 'possibilities coagulator.' He engages collaborative alliances that lead to dynamic partnerships and successful projects in social architecture to benefit the community and world at large.
Born without the knowledge of his parent's names, Bruce Lee Benefiel was adopted at 6 weeks old by a wonderful couple - his mother an educator and father a master machinist. His metaphysical experiences began soon after he was told of his adoption around age 5, beginning with a simple and yet very loud, "Hey you!" He heeds the call still today, pioneering explorations into 'what is' at a very early age.
Bruce experienced an explorative childhood, taking full advantage of the countryside at his disposal, growing up in a small mid-Western town in rural Indiana. He was encouraged to grow and learn, empowered by the brilliant child's enthusiasm to explore. His parents never revealed to him that his testing scores were off the charts for fear it would have a detrimental affect on his scholastic behavior. He took care of that himself in some very mischievous ways starting in grade school.
He did excel in school and sports in high school, earning a 3.56 and 10th in his class (taken down by two "C" semester grades for classroom antics), playing varsity football from his freshman year as a free safety (4.3sec 40yd dash), providing a half-time trampoline act in front of 5,000 basketball fans (below) and was medalist on the golf team his senior year, opting for golf rather than track that year. The dashes and hurdles had lost their appeal.
Many trials and tribulations ensued after high school including a near-death experience during a meditation that offered both mission and vision for the future, a short stay in a mental ward after being accosted at a frat house in the wee hours. His parents were concerned about his sanity after buying drums with his room and board money; coupled with a move to the country and into a 'free' rent house (no heat or water) in the dead of the worst winter in years. He thinks they saved his life again.
Married a couple of years later, meat cutting and machining were his work. He played around northern Indiana in a band with one of the Gaither Trio's (Danny) son playing bass, along with the assistant chief of police's son on rhythm and vocals. During the last auto industry-driven economy decline (1981) the picture got bleak and all three 'jobs' fell through in just a few days.
He swears he literally heard "Phoenix" when he threw his arms up to the sky in frustration and asked, "Where do you want me to go?" He moved his family to Phoenix a few weeks later; employment on his mind and in hand with a spiritual quest in his heart deeper than most can experience or imagine.
Raising a family while continuing to develop machining skills, he garnered work and found some musicians to play. While researching the culture of the area and it's indigenous history and wisdom he found a deep connection to all his relations.
He founded Be The Dream in 1988, while coordinating a $7 million/month spare parts program for an aerospace company, as a vehicle to promote holistic understanding in business and personal achievement. During the same period he was involved with organizing events (first interview on KTAR radio) and promoting an organization, made up of over 30 member groups, whose focus was ethics and responsibilities in the 'New Age.'
He produced and hosted over 100 television shows in the early 90s that peered into the depths of how we transform our lives from anger, fear, ignorance and immobility to achieve a more fulfilling life in personal and professional achievement. His insight in developing deep and probing questions sparked equally deep answers, revealing intimate transformative processes in response.
His guests listened and learned to lean into their fears regarding executing the process of achieving their goals and objectives. Guests included the gamut of ascending from homelessness to election as a city councilperson. He help the City of Phoenix to get Dennis Weaver as a keynote speaker for a Futures Forum event, enabling Bruce to get a short interview as gratis.
In response to a subtitle 'Zendor' used from near the beginning of taping, the crew began calling Bruce, "Zen" and so the name usage now. It stuck and became a way as much as a name for him. Now if you want to know about "Zendor" you'll have to ask him personally.
The clip below is from a promo for Who? - a community activism show that was part of a 4-show package he produced in 1992-93.
The 1990s included the shows, coordinating huge arts and music festivals as well as producing conferences. After earning an MBA and Secondary teaching certification and then two-year emergency certification in Special Ed, he taught at 5 different high schools (full-charge of two charter high school curricula) while trying to find a 'business' position to complete his 'certification'. His journalism class (school newspaper) got accolades from the printer as being the best in 5 years. He also led a freshman special ed English class through researching and writing a term paper.
While earning his second master's degree in Organizational Management, he wrote a project plan for a model village specifically designed with peer-community leadership, organic holistic education models of instruction and green technology coupled with a data center that would provide self-sufficiency and sustainability within a few years. It is called Spectrum Academy.
During the next few years he traveled and trained further, working for an international concert and theater company. He had already developed several websites, but the time on the road gave him new incentives and a more complementary path toward his mission. He began to experience 'flow' in new and exciting ways.
His life has been full of adaptations to awareness from growth in self-awareness and evolving understanding of profound and often perplexing metaphysical experiences which, in his opinion, is a cornerstone of linking and living in the crucible of science and spirituality.
He is divorced with 4 children and 8 grand children and enjoys a near-decade relationship with an angel, or Engel as the case may be, residing in Gilbert, Arizona.
