The reason I’ve come to Italy is to film the religious perspective on intuition. And here in Italy of course, that means the Christian perspective.

My film will look at intuition from a religious, a spiritual, and a scientific viewpoint. And the film will most probably come to the conclusion that they’re all saying the same thing, but using language that is particular to their beliefs and understandings.

The scientific viewpoint on intuition will largely be shot in the US, as will the spiritual – although I’ve already got some wonderful spiritual material from India.

Yesterday I did a very moving interview with a monk from the Capuchin Order of St. Francis. (It’s interesting how St. Francis of Assisi keeps popping up…).

He was based in a small church attached to a large hospital on the outskirts of Florence. The hospital was established in the 13th century, but the church was built during Mussolini’s Fascist era, in the 1930s. It was wonderfully sparse and angular.

The monk wanted me to call him by his first name – Marcos. No respectful title was necessary. He was dressed in simple robes, with the traditional monk’s cord around his waist. He was quiet and humble and utterly self effacing and honest – yet when he spoke on camera he became very impassioned, just like the professor I interviewed yesterday.

For those of you unfamiliar with the basis of this film I’m doing, it’s essentially this:

Many years ago, while I was making a movie in New Orleans, a “voice” saved my life. I was driving to the airport very early one morning, I was running late, and this voice told me to slow down as I was approaching an intersection.

I did slow down, because the voice was insistent, and so damn weird. And as I entered the intersection a massive truck ran a red light on a cross street, and missed me by inches. If I hadn’t listened to that voice and slowed down, I would have been killed.

Ever since, I’ve been fascinated to know three things:

• What was that voice?
• Where did it come from?
• Why did it save my life?

That’s essentially what the film is about – but it’s more than that too; it will ultimately show how you can trust your intuition, and how you can access it readily. Here’s a link to explain the film, and my concept of PGS – intuition as your Personal Guidance System…

PGS sizzle reel – 

Marcos yesterday said the “voice” was my Guardian Angel, which in many ways is not dissimilar to those in India who spoke about it being my astral body, my karmic imprint, or my Higher Self. The monk then went on to explain how you can communicate with your Guardian Angel… and how your Guardian Angel tries to guide and protect you through life.

It was fascinating stuff, and it will make an important contribution to the film.

Today I’m filming in the oldest bookstore in Florence – a sequence of me researching ancient texts – then after that I have an interview with a highly regarded theologian, who is also an authority on quantum physics and Particle Theory. That should be interesting.

Next week, it’s down to Rome. It looks like we might have breached the impenetrable walls of the Vatican!

Padre Marcos – Franciscan Monk, Capuchin Order @bill bennett