Buddha at the Gas Pump

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519. Cynthia Lane, 2nd Interview Oct 03, 2019

Show notes

From my earliest memories, God was always at the center of things. After exploring a number of teachers and modalities in the great spiritual garden of late-sixties San Francisco, things really geared up when I learned the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique in Berkeley in 1967. TM’s gifts were unmistakable and I began a thirty-year career of devoted service to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and the Vedic tradition. This encompassed many years of teaching TM in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, and lots of time simply meditating, including seven years in a convent style setting. All this yielded vast personal and spiritual growth which remains fully integrated into my life, a gift that keeps on giving. Towards the end of this period, I studied and shared several healing modalities, especially Cranio-sacral therapy. This deepened my experience of the body as energy and Light and helped me discover the body’s huge role in lasting and comprehensive healing. In 1996, my path led me to the indigenous traditions of the West, especially Lakota. I was blessed in countless ways by the great Lakota holy man, wisdom keeper, and Sundance leader Naca Wa-Anata. Through him, I received a personal pipe–a precious and powerful source of inspiration, healing, and transformation–and was able to participate in life-changing Lakota ceremonies, including Sundance, for many years. As a result, I opened to a profound and intimate relationship with the Earth and her healing and nourishing gifts and learned to embrace life on Earth with a grounded joy and openness that I had never known before. Most importantly, I learned to embody and live the boundless consciousness I had merged with through the Vedic teaching and find the same infinite Self everywhere and in everyone. Through this time, I gradually realized that I was here not only to help people merge with the Infinite in their awareness but also to help them include their bodies in the journey. In simplest terms, this means helping our cellular reality or belief systems shift from identifying as density to self-recognizing as divine Light, or FirstLight, as I call it. We truly are just a dream of Light. Finally, around 2012, what I now call the path of Grace simply showed up for me, initially while visiting sacred sites in France. In essence, I was made aware that our growth is no longer something we have to work at. God/Divine Love/divine Light is so powerfully present now that all we have to do is open and receive It, and It will take care of all that we need for spiritual and human fulfillment. Since then, many divine gifts have “downloaded” to share with others to support this effortless form of growth. While remaining endlessly Silent and utterly unlocalized, this magical-mystery-tour of a life is a sacred and joyous privilege. Website: firstlighttransformations.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Summary and transcript of this interview. First BatGap interview with Cynthia. Interview recorded September 21, 2019. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:04:10 - Shifting from Density to Divine Light 00:07:42 - Mary Magdalene's Message of Love and Support 00:11:44 - The Emergence of First Light 00:16:24 - The Emergence of Different Fields of Potentiality 00:19:21 - Individual Journeys of Spiritual Awakening 00:22:47 - The Shift in Collective Consciousness 00:26:38 - The Infinite Way Home 00:30:03 - The Transition and Turbulence 00:34:15 - Embracing Being and Doing 00:38:47 - Being Established in the Self 00:41:31 - Exploring the Depths of Existence 00:45:18 - Becoming Light: The Path of the Rainbow Body 00:48:31 - Physiological and Spiritual Transformation 00:52:27 - Living Without Belief Systems 00:56:25 - Perceiving the Divine with our Senses 01:00:01 - Expressing the Infiniteness within You 01:03:30 - Breaking Through Doubts and Resistance 01:07:28 - The Shift in Attitude and Opportunities for Evolution 01:10:23 - The Experience of Change and Transformation 01:13:49 - Transmuting Suffering into Bliss 01:17:36 - Seeking Help and Different Approaches to Healing From Mental Illness 01:21:04 - Lady Julian's Visions and God's Love 01:24:16 - Expansion and Cognition of Awareness 01:28:18 - Dissolving Duality and Defensiveness 01:30:44 - Dissolving into the Black Hole 01:34:31 - The Correlation between Consciousness and Quantum Mechanics 01:38:17 - The Limitations of Understanding Reality 01:42:10 - The Humility of Enlightenment 01:45:20 - The Omnipresence of Intelligence 01:47:46 - Lightning Bolts to the Head

503. Kylea Taylor May 23, 2019

Show notes

Kylea Taylor, M.S., LMFT, found two gaps in ethics education in the early 1990s while simultaneously studying to be a Marriage and Family Therapist and working as a senior trainer at the Grof Transpersonal Training where she assisted Stanislav Grof in training practitioners of Holotropic Breathwork®. Kylea observed that working with clients in non-ordinary states of consciousness requires different ethical awarenesses. She drew upon the tenets of several of the great religions to create InnerEthics™, a model for ethical self-reflection. The model clarifies the unique ethical territory of understanding and working skillfully with people who are experiencing profound and extra-ordinary states of consciousness and also provides a scaffolding for recognizing our semi-conscious, inner motivations as practitioners, teachers, and caregivers in order to avoid client and student harm and increase client and student benefit. Her book, The Ethics of Caring: Finding Right Relationship With Clients for Profound, Transformative Work in Our Professional Healing Relationships, illuminates transference, countertransference, power dynamics, dual relationship, and other topics important to relational ethics. The book won the 2017 Nautilus Book Award in the category, “Relationships & Communication.” Kylea teaches, writes, and consults about ethics. She is also currently President and co-founder of SoulCollage Inc., which since 2003 has been training facilitators worldwide to share an expressive arts method that promotes deep self-discovery, individually and in community. Kylea’s focus as a therapist has been on assisting clients in integrating the meaning and extra-ordinary gifts of spiritual emergence, awakening or transpersonal experiences, and what she calls “personal paradigm shift” phenomena. Website Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Summary and transcript of this interview Interview recorded May 18, 2019. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Kylea Taylor and InnerEthics 00:03:14 - The Importance of Inner Motivations in Ethics 00:07:14 - Changing the Culture: A Mission for Ethical Behavior 00:10:29 - Development and Impediments in Different Ways 00:13:36 - Right Relationship and Learning from Mistakes 00:16:56 - The Interconnectedness of All Beings 00:20:24 - An Ethical Crisis in the Spiritual Community 00:24:14 - The Importance of Discernment in Spiritual Teachers 00:27:26 - Peer Supervision and the Johari Window 00:31:22 - The Importance of Self-Reflection for Teachers 00:34:39 - Power dynamics in spiritual communities 00:38:27 - Ethical Fading and the Detriment to Clients 00:42:01 - The Rajneesh community and the ethics of the student 00:45:13 - The Importance of Protection, Permission, and Connection 00:49:28 - Healing from Spiritual Wounding and Trauma 00:53:27 - Non-traditional therapy for PTSD 00:57:47 - Trusting the Inner Healer in Psychedelic Therapy 01:01:29 - Holotropic Breathwork and Psychedelics Comparison 01:05:33 - The Mechanics of Holotropic Breathwork and Prana Awakening 01:09:12 - A Powerful Kundalini Opening 01:13:07 - Caution in Non-Ordinary States of Consciousness 01:16:25 - Moving towards positive change with #MeToo movement 01:20:01 - Types of Individuals Who Might Benefit from Self-Reflection 01:23:51 - Learning from Mistakes and Apologizing 01:27:08 - Redemption and Transformation 01:31:10 - The InnerEthics Model and Self-Reflection 01:35:15 - Switching Hats: Finding Balance in Therapy 01:38:46 - The Importance of Ethics in Spiritual Development 01:42:21 - Different Experiences in Spiritual Emergence 01:46:06 - Surrendering Control 01:49:45 - Justification through illusion

474. Bonnie Greenwell, 2nd Interview Oct 24, 2018

Show notes

Bonnie Greenwell Ph.D. is a transpersonal psychotherapist and non-dual teacher in the lineage of Adyashanti. After her kundalini awakening in graduate school, she wrote a dissertation and book on the kundalini process. In 2003 she met Adyashanti and experienced a deep shift in consciousness that led to editing his book "Emptiness Dancing" and an invitation to teach. She has worked as a mentor/guide for people in kundalini or awakening processes for over 30 years. Her 4th book is “When Spirit Leaps: Navigating the Process of Spiritual Awakening”. She was a founder and director of the Kundalini Research Network and has trained people internationally to work with spiritual emergence and understand kundalini phenomena. She believes the awakening of consciousness to Truth is a natural realization available to all who sincerely long for Self-Realization, and that kundalini is fundamentally a clearing and transformative energetic support for this process. She offers webinars and consultations on the web and can be contacted through her websites and her Awakened Living Blog. Websites: www.kundaliniguide.com www.awakeningguide.com Books: The Kundalini Guide: A Companion for the Inward Journey (Inward Journey Guides) (Volume 1) The Awakening Guide: A Companion for the Inward Journey (Companions for the Inward Journey) (Volume 2) Energies of Transformation: A Guide to the Kundalini Process When Spirit Leaps: Navigating the Process of Spiritual Awakening Being Awake Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded October 20, 2018 Bonnie's side of the audio in this video is choppy in places. The audio-only version is clear on both sides of the conversation. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:04:14 - The Journey of Spiritual Awakening 00:09:15 - The Longing for Awakening 00:13:23 - Moving Back and Forth between Freedom and Contraction 00:18:34 - The Struggle of Awakening 00:23:32 - The Importance of Understanding Energy Phenomena 00:28:19 - The Diversity of Awakening Experiences 00:33:12 - Developing Intuitive Knowing 00:37:36 - Following Inspiration and Discernment 00:42:03 - Surrendering to the Process 00:46:41 - Following Your True Passion 00:50:55 - Enlightenment and Perception 00:55:22 - A Clear and Crisp Mind 01:00:28 - The Importance of Being Ordinary 01:05:29 - The Role of Teachers in Kundalini Awakening 01:09:57 - Living in Samadhi amidst Dynamic Activity 01:13:14 - The Flow of Feelings 01:16:55 - The Longing for God 01:20:47 - The Evolution of Spiritual Practices 01:24:32 - Finding Stillness within a Chaotic World 01:28:02 - Kundalini Awakening and Coping with Difficulties 01:31:30 - The General Good Health of People in Spiritual Awakening Process 01:34:39 - The Importance of Getting Rid of Fear 01:38:12 - Exploring the Use of Psychedelics 01:41:44 - The Use of DMT and Its Effects 01:45:10 - The Effects of Drugs on Spiritual Awakening 01:48:04 - Exploring the Effects of Drugs on Brain Chemistry 01:51:10 - Cornerstones for Awakening and Inner Peace 01:54:40 - Harmonizing Chakras and Managing Energy 01:57:52 - Taking Care of the Body 02:01:05 - Music Intro

470. Sarah Taylor Sep 09, 2018

Show notes

Sarah Taylor is an awakening trail guide, intuitive energy healer, and creative mystic who began her search as an anxious insomniac simply hoping to sleep. But really, she was a truth seeker. Through a dedicated Buddhist meditation practice, a series of profound awakenings unfolded — including a powerful kundalini process, intuitive openings, and eventually an abiding realization of nonduality and the terrain beyond. Awakening, however, did not instantly make life perfect. There were years that brought their share of healing, integration, and “cleanup work” — the necessary settling that allows these shifts to take root for continual embodiment. While navigating these radical shifts, Sarah worked as an actor and stand-up comedian in Los Angeles, later blending those worlds in her touring show The Divine Mess Show. A late-realized AuDHD woman (autistic and ADHD), Sarah came to understand her neurodivergence long after awakening — and now recognizes how sensitive and neurodivergent people often experience both spiritual practice and integration in distinct ways. Her work emphasizes integration, healing, and embodiment, creating the safety needed to open more fully and awaken more deeply. She meets with individuals, holds groups and immersions, and invites people into a space where awakening becomes a lived expression of both our shared essence and our unique and beautiful humanity. For awakening and healing support: lightofyourbeing.com For Sarah’s work as a creative: SarahTaylor.org Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded September 8, 2018 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:04:32 - Childhood Escapes and Transcendence 00:08:38 - Healing from Trauma 00:12:44 - Stuffed Down Stuff 00:17:11 - The Search for Identity and Purpose 00:21:55 - Exploring Bipolar and Medication 00:26:19 - Discovering Meditation and Stand-Up Comedy 00:30:58 - Exploring the Jnana States 00:35:45 - Kundalini Awakening and Dark Material Resurfacing 00:39:54 - Dissolving Chaos and Finding Stability 00:44:06 - Teaching Meditation and Comedy Training 00:48:26 - Psychic Experiences and Mediumship 00:52:01 - Finding Peace after Awakening 00:55:20 - Surrender and Control 00:58:35 - Surrendering to the Present Moment 01:01:49 - Clearing the Nervous System through Spinal Analysis 01:04:56 - The Perceiver Dissolves 01:08:39 - Shift into Unity 01:12:17 - Conversations on the Falling Away of the Self 01:15:24 - Brahman Consciousness and the Experience of No Self 01:18:45 - The Development of Consciousness 01:22:12 - Dissolution and Rebirth of Consciousness 01:25:09 - Following Creative Impulses 01:28:20 - The Evolution of Consciousness 01:31:35 - The Healing Crisis and Awakening of Humanity 01:34:51 - Awakening into Unity and Clearing Primal Fear 01:38:11 - Clearing and Integration in Awakening 01:41:33 - The Continuous Process of Evolution and Growth 01:44:30 - Allowing Creativity to Flow 01:47:45 - Planning Future Interviews 01:50:46 - Subscription and Notification Options

449. Terry Patten Apr 09, 2018

Show notes

Terry Patten was a philosopher, teacher, activist, consultant, social entrepreneur, and author. Over the last fifteen years he has devoted his efforts to the evolution of consciousness by facing, examining, and healing our global crisis through the marriage of spirit and activism. He co-wrote the book "Integral Life Practice" with Ken Wilber and a core team at the Integral Institute. As a teacher and consultant, he has worked on four continents, led a team at the HeartMath Institute that developed their first heart rate variability monitor, and is the founder of the “Beyond Awakening” teleseminar series. As a community builder, he founded Bay Area Integral. As a social entrepreneur, he founded Tools For Exploration, a consciousness technologies company, and currently, he's involved in restorative redwood forestry and fossil-fuel alternatives. His new book "A New Republic of the Heart: An Ethos for Revolutionaries--A Guide to Inner Work for Holistic Change" was released by North Atlantic Books on March 6th, 2018. Terry is also co-author of Integral Life Practice: A 21st-Century Blueprint for Physical Health, Emotional Balance, Mental Clarity, and Spiritual Awakening. Website: terrypatten.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded April 7, 2018 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:03:47 - The Origins of the Cooperative Movement 00:08:39 - The Evolution of Inner and Outer Work 00:13:17 - Inner Work and Outer Application 00:17:42 - Experiences with Adi Da and Reflections on Cultic Tendencies 00:22:33 - Navigating Different States of Experience 00:28:11 - Adi Da: A Profound Spiritual Writing 00:32:58 - Multiple Threats to Humanity 00:38:32 - The Danger of Pessimism and Uncertainty in Climate Change Discussions 00:43:46 - Gut Intelligence and Precognitive Awareness 00:48:32 - Demanding Unity and Accountability 00:53:34 - Becoming a Superorganism for Social Change 00:58:26 - Living in Tune with Nature 01:02:56 - The Greatness of the Human Spirit and Miracles in Evolution 01:07:11 - The Awakening and the Influence of the Unseen World 01:11:19 - Awakening and Action in a Time of Fragmentation 01:16:10 - Living the Questions 01:20:59 - The Beauty of Culture and the Challenge of Racism 01:26:33 - Embracing Puzzling Challenges and Effective Change 01:30:57 - The Growth Arc Ahead of Us 01:35:14 - The Fierce Voice of the Heart 01:40:10 - The Paradox of Wisdom and Fellowship 01:45:18 - Uniting Activists for Rational Discourse 01:50:26 - The Juice of Religion and Spiritual Practice 01:55:01 - The Juicy Relationship to the Divine 01:59:42 - Non-dualists and their Devotion 02:04:21 - Traditional Values and the Evolution of Consciousness 02:08:55 - Whole Systems Change and Consciousness 02:13:40 - The Call to Greatness and Genuine Sense of Possibility 02:17:28 - Cashing the IOU of Consciousness 02:20:46 - An Interview with Anne Baring

448. Andrew Newberg Apr 01, 2018

Show notes

Andrew B. Newberg, M.D. is currently the Associate Director in Charge of Research at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health at Thomas Jefferson University and Hospital in Philadelphia. He is also a Professor in the Departments of Emergency Medicine and Radiology at Thomas Jefferson University and he is adjunct professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Newberg has been particularly involved in the study of mystical and religious experiences, a field referred to as “neurotheology”. He has also studied the more general mind/body relationship in both the clinical and research aspects of his career including understanding the physiological correlates of acupuncture therapy, meditation, and other types of alternative therapies. He has published over 200 peer reviewed articles and chapters on brain function, brain imaging, and the study of religious and mystical experiences. Books: He is the author of the new book entitled, "Neurotheology: How Science Can Enlighten Us About Spirituality" and is also the co-author of “How Enlightenment Changes Your Brain: The New Science of Transformation”. He is the co-author of the best selling books, “How God Changes Your Brain: Breakthrough Findings from a Leading Neuroscientist” (Ballantine) and, “Why God Won't Go Away: Brain Science and the Biology of Belief” (Ballantine). And he is the author of several academic books including, “The Metaphysical Mind: Probing the Biology of Philosophical Thought”; “Principles of Neurotheology (Routledge Science and Religion Series)” (Ashgate); and co-author of “The Metaphysical Mind: Probing the Biology of Philosophical Thought” (Fortress Press). The latter book received the 2000 award for Outstanding Books in Theology and the Natural Sciences presented by the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences. He has also produced a 24 lecture video program entitled, “The Spiritual Brain,” for The Teaching Company. He has presented his work at scientific and religious meetings throughout the world and has appeared on Dr. Oz, Good Morning America, Nightline, 20/20, CNN, ABC World News Tonight as well as in nationally distributed movies: “What the Bleep Do We Know!?”; Bill Maher’s “Religulous”; and “AWAKE: The Life of Yogananda”. His work has been featured in a number of media articles including in Newsweek, Time, National Geographic, Discover, O Magazine, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, London Observer, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Readers Digest. Additional information regarding books and research can be found at www.andrewnewberg.com. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded March 31, 2018 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Andrew B. Newberg's Background and Expertise 00:03:38 - The Nature of Reality and Questioning Beliefs 00:06:43 - The Path of Knowledge 00:09:49 - The Journey of Inquiry and Infinite Doubt 00:12:54 - The Practical Side of Science and Its Probabilities 00:15:55 - Exploring Intense Experiences with Neurotheology 00:18:54 - Escaping the Prison of the Brain 00:22:05 - The Mystery of Consciousness and the Universe 00:25:13 - Exploring the Relationship Between Consciousness and Matter 00:28:27 - Exploring Science and Spirituality 00:31:36 - Defining Consciousness 00:35:09 - Integrating Science and Spirituality 00:38:42 - The Power of Compassion and Understanding 00:42:19 - The Arrogance of Scientists and the Resistance to Change 00:45:19 - Evaluating Ideas and Beliefs 00:48:09 - The Human Nervous System as a Scientific Instrument 00:51:34 - The Importance of Subjective Measures in Brain Scans 00:55:00 - The Impossibility of Knowing Thought and Consciousness 00:57:58 - Exploring Higher States of Consciousness 01:01:12 - Exploring the Mystical Experience 01:04:05 - The Nature of Spiritual Experiences 01:07:32 - The Experience of Brazilian Mediums 01:10:29 - The Spiritual Experiment: Progress and Determination of Enlightenment 01:13:40 - Comparing Natural and Drug-Induced Enlightenment 01:17:17 - The Evolution of Understanding Spiritual Experience 01:20:22 - The Brain's Radical Change 01:23:22 - The Nature of Free Will 01:26:26 - Levels of Consciousness and Free Will 01:29:05 - The Relationship Between Brain Activity and Moral Decision Making 01:31:42 - Exploring the Questions of Reality and Understanding It 01:35:05 - Can the Founders of Religions be Held Accountable?

433. John Samsen Dec 24, 2017

Show notes

When John Samsen first contacted us several months ago, he said, "I'm 90 years old, I've had both my feet amputated, and I've never been happier". We soon learned that John designed the Ford Thunderbird, Plymouth Barracuda, and other "muscle cars", and later had a profound and abiding spiritual awakening. Over a course of many decades, John Samsen followed a quest to understand the “big questions” of Life; why are we here, what is Life all about, and who am I, really? Along with careers in Aerospace Engineering and car designing, John studied the sciences, mythologies, religions, philosophies, and psychologies, to expand his understandings. A pattern of paranormal experiences opened his mind to areas of experience beyond the paradigms of Science. In 1970, he embarked on a quest of Self Discovery, participating in hundreds of hours of intensive consciousness exploration with such noted researchers as Drs. Jean Houston and Robert Masters, Dr. Lawrence LeShan, Robert Monroe, and others involved in the “human potentials” movements of the 1970s. After a series of traumatic events in his life, John experienced a “metanoia”, what some call a transformation or “awakening”. John's quest ended, and in the years since, he has been enjoying Life, knowing peace of mind, “unconditional love” of self and world, and freedom from fear and anxiety. John has been working on a verbal description of his experiences that does not rely on traditional metaphysical or religious ideas but is consistent with modern scientific concepts of space, time, matter, and energy. He believes that a dramatic experience of “awakening”, which is rare and very difficult to achieve, is not necessary for enlightened living; that with proper guidance and consistent effort, most people can achieve that state of being. His Book: A Journey to Metanoia: My Life Transformed You may email John. More about John's automotive design career here and here. Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded December 9, 2017. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:03:07 - From Airplanes to Car Design 00:05:29 - Terrifying Experiences in the Realm of Geometric Principles 00:07:54 - Trance States and Otherworldly Experiences 00:10:22 - A Strange Flying Object 00:12:27 - Mysterious Events and Poltergeist Activity 00:14:59 - The Little Man in the Restroom 00:17:36 - The Encounter with the Weird Man 00:20:00 - The Breakdown and Regeneration of Belief Systems 00:23:08 - The Illusion of Reality 00:25:39 - A Blissful Awakening 00:28:15 - Happiness in the Face of Pain and Resistance 00:30:42 - A Shift in Perspective 00:33:19 - Trading Commodities and Design Work 00:35:30 - The Impact of Jean Houston's Workshops 00:38:09 - The Preciousness of Life and Growing Older 00:40:49 - The Decision of Euthanasia and Following a Deeper Mind 00:43:22 - A Vision of Love Energy 00:46:14 - The Evolutionary Trajectory of the Universe 00:48:45 - The Interaction of the Divine Intelligence 00:51:10 - The Nature of Opposites 00:53:17 - Embracing Diversity and the totality of existence 00:55:19 - Fear of Death and Valuing Life 00:57:30 - The Earth as a Host 00:59:56 - The Drive Behind Human Activities 01:02:13 - The Potential End of Human Life by the End of the Century 01:04:45 - The Possibility of Metanoia and an Enlightened World 01:07:07 - Motivation to Contribute 01:09:17 - Ordinary Spiritually Awakening People 01:11:26 - Journey to Metanoia 01:13:31 - Getting to Know the Guest Speaker

418. Dean Radin Sep 25, 2017

Show notes

Dean Radin, PhD, is Chief Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) and Associated Distinguished Professor of Integral and Transpersonal Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). He occasionally gives lectures in the Department of Psychology at Sonoma State University and has served on doctoral dissertation committees at Saybrook University and CIIS. His original career track as a concert violinist shifted into science after earning a BSEE degree in electrical engineering, magna cum laude with honors in physics, from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and then an MS in electrical engineering and a PhD in psychology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. For a decade he worked on advanced telecommunications R&D at AT&T Bell Laboratories and GTE Laboratories. For three decades he has been engaged in frontiers research on the nature of consciousness. Before joining the research staff at IONS in 2001, he held appointments at Princeton University, University of Edinburgh, University of Nevada, Interval Research Corporation, and SRI International. He is author or coauthor of hundreds of scientific, technical, and popular articles, three dozen book chapters, and three popular books including the award-winning and bestselling The Conscious Universe: The Scientific Truth of Psychic Phenomena (HarperOne, 1997), Entangled Minds: Extrasensory Experiences in a Quantum Reality (Simon & Schuster, 2006), a 2014 Silver Nautilus Book Award, Supernormal: Science, Yoga, and the Evidence for Extraordinary Psychic Abilities (Random House, 2013), and Real Magic: Ancient Wisdom, Modern Science, and a Guide to the Secret Power of the Universe (Penguin Random House). These books have been translated into 14 foreign languages, so far. His technical articles have appeared in journals including Foundations of Physics and Physics Essays to Psychological Bulletin and Journal of Consciousness Studies; he was featured in a New York Times Magazine article; and he has appeared on dozens of television shows ranging from the BBC’s Horizon to PBS's Closer to Truth. He has given over 400 interviews and talks, including presentations at Harvard, Stanford, Cambridge, Princeton, Virginia Tech, the Sorbonne, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Minnesota, for industries including Google, Johnson & Johnson, Rabobank, and for various government organizations including the US Navy, DARPA, and the National Academy of Sciences. In 2010, he spent a month lecturing in India as the National Visiting Professor of the Indian Council of Philosophical Research, a program sponsored by India's Ministry of Human Resource Development. In 2013 and 2014, he gave invited lectures in Kuala Lumpur at the International Center for Leadership and Governance, an organization supported by the Central Bank of Malaysia. In 2015 he spoke at the Australian Leadership Retreat, a confidential program of briefings and discussions for Australian government, business, education, and military leaders. Website: deanradin.com Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded Sept. 9, 2017 Second BatGap interview with Dean Radin. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction and Background of Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:04:27 - Writing Papers and the Men in Black 00:07:37 - The Interest in Special Powers and Abilities 00:11:43 - The Fundamental Disagreement about Consciousness 00:15:58 - Idealism and Panpsychism 00:19:26 - The Fundamental Nature of Consciousness 00:22:56 - The Taboo of Psychic Phenomena Discussion 00:27:00 - The Holistic Nature of Consciousness 00:31:01 - The Nature of Reality and Purpose 00:35:21 - Presentiment and Anticipating Danger 00:39:32 - The Unconscious Response to Future Events 00:43:01 - Expanding Conscious Capacity 00:46:33 - The Intelligence that Governs Nature 00:50:20 - Safeguarding Latent Abilities and the Ethics of Enlightenment 00:54:22 - Using Psychic Ability for Extraterrestrial Communication 00:58:09 - The Meaning of Entanglement and its Connection to Coherence in Living Systems 01:01:55 - Subjectivity and the Brain 01:05:39 - Questioning Prior Beliefs and Embracing Mystery 01:09:13 - Supernormal Abilities and Siddhis 01:12:43 - Yogic Flying and Levitation in Siddha Yoga 01:15:34 - Changes in Physical Reality due to Large-Scale Attention 01:19:20 - Statistical Analysis of Events 01:23:13 - The Influence of Consciousness on Random Number Generators 01:26:46 - The Möbius Strip Metaphor 01:30:08 - Brain Responses to Future Events 01:33:25 - Exploring Esoteric Traditions and the Idea of Magic 01:36:59 - The Three Categories of Magic 01:41:06 - The Future of Science and Spirituality 01:44:48 - The Interface between Consciousness and Machines 01:48:56 - The Challenge of Expressing Abstraction Save Save

417. Paul Muller-Ortega Sep 20, 2017

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Paul Muller-Ortega, Ph.D., the founder of Blue Throat Yoga, is an internationally recognized meditation teacher, and one of the world’s most highly respected academic scholars in the field of Indian Religion and Hindu Tantra. Paul is passionate and devoted to teaching students how to access their truest Self, and to offer the knowledge base to understand and support that experience. He has led hundreds of meditation retreats, offered a vast array of study courses, translated and provided commentary on many of the most inspired sacred texts of the Śaiva-Śākta tradition, and has personally trained over 40 Ācāryas as Authorized Teachers of Neelakantha Meditation. Paul is uniquely qualified to offer these potent teachings, drawing upon the synergy of his long career as an academic scholar, his particular capacity to translate complex ideas and concepts into easily accessible and comprehensible understanding, and a personal history of deep meditation and extensive practice in the Śaiva-Śākta Tantra tradition. Paul Muller-Ortega is the author of the highly acclaimed book, The Triadic Heart of Siva: Kaula Tantricism of Abhinavagupta in the Non-Dual Shaivism of Kashmir (Suny Series, Shaiva Traditions of Kashmir), in which he examines the “Heart” as the mystical core of Consciousness. He is also one of the co-authors of "Meditation Revolution", as well as numerous scholarly articles on aspects of Tantric Studies. Website: bluethroatyoga.com Another book: The Philosophy of Sadhana (SUNY Series in Contemporary Continental Philosophy) Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded September 16, 2017 2nd BatGap interview with Paul. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:04:45 - Symbolic forms of goddesses 00:08:59 - The Origins and Influences of Nilakanta Meditation 00:13:22 - The Meaning of Mantra 00:17:25 - The Chalice of the Mantra 00:21:53 - Vibratory Frequencies and Higher Consciousness 00:26:18 - The Power of Mantra in Meditation 00:36:03 - The Shaiva Tradition and the Malas 00:40:35 - The Appearance and Relative Reality in the Shaiva Shakta Tradition 00:44:53 - The Purpose of Creation and the Value of Evolution 00:49:59 - Different Mantras for Household and Renunciate 00:54:05 - Encounters with Ramana Maharshi 00:58:12 - The Wave of Freedom and Transformation 01:02:18 - The Awakening Process and Transformation Levels 01:06:33 - Liberation without Practice 01:10:38 - The Fourth State of Consciousness and Beyond 01:15:24 - Celestial Perception and Stages of Enlightenment 01:19:35 - The Role of Substandard Teachers in Spiritual Circles 01:23:31 - The Curious Cherishing and Denouncing of Knowledge 01:27:38 - Understanding the concept of "madhya" 01:31:39 - The Krama Tradition and Sequential Manifestation 01:36:24 - The Yoga Vasishta's Philosophical Outlook 01:41:58 - The Rush to Act from Knowingness 01:44:50 - Understanding the Planetary Phenomenon 01:49:15 - The Transformation of Spirituality 01:53:37 - The Ocean of Milk and the Poison 01:57:45 - Making the Maximum Use of Time 02:01:34 - The Mandukya Upanishad and Aum as a mantra 02:05:30 - The Subtle Level of Understanding 02:08:56 - Being an Instrument in the Transition to Higher Consciousness Save

387. “Emptiness is also Form” (SAND Conference Panel Discussion) Feb 16, 2017

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On 10/21/2016 at the Science and Nonduality Conference, Loch Kelly, Mukti, and Francis Bennett discuss the paradoxical understanding reflected in the famous Heart Sutra’s saying, "Form is emptiness and emptiness is form. Form is none other than emptiness and emptiness is none other than form.” They have noticed that many people get caught halfway after an initial awakening in a kind of spiritual bypass: stuck in stillness, spaced-out, blissed-in, or attached to the conceptual belief that “I am nobody." What are the pointers and supports to realize the already manifest life arising out of the unmanifest awareness? They give examples of the fullness of waking up from a limited sense of self to pure awareness, then also waking in to our bodies and waking out to relating and creating in the world. Loch, Mukti, and Francis discuss the importance of the dancing emptiness of embodiment and how to live from open-hearted awareness. Mukti, whose name means “liberation”, is a teacher in the lineage of Adyashanti, her husband. Together they founded Open Gate Sangha in 1996 to cultivate the awakening of consciousness in those who yearn for truth, peace, and freedom. In teaching, Mukti brings flavors of feminine quietude and nurturing as well as kinesthetic, visual, and precise pointers to Truth. Many speak of her being particularly gifted in her offering of guided meditations. Her keen interest as a teacher is in the revelation of consciousness touching and transforming human experience. She is licensed in acupuncture and certified in yoga instruction. For sample teachings, audio clips and downloads, and further information, visit muktisource.org. AudioBook: The Self in Full Bloom Previous BatGap interview with Mukti Francis Bennett entered the Trappist Abbey of Gethsemane in 1981 and in the ’90s subsequently lived at a “daughter house” of Gethsemane in Moncks Corner, South Carolina. Until recently, he was living in a small urban monastery in Montreal Quebec. He has been a “spiritual seeker” during all those years, practicing in the Christian mystical/contemplative Tradition and working deeply with teachers in both the Vipassana and Zen Traditions as well. In 2010 he experienced a profound perceptual “shift” in which he realized the ever-present presence of pure Awareness, which some would call, the Presence of God. Francis’ book: “I Am That I Am: Discovering the Love, Peace, Joy, and Stability of the True Self“. Previous BatGap interviews involving Francis: With John Mark Stroud With Adyashanti on “Resurrecting Jesus” In Panel Discussion on Refined Perception With Jac O’Keeffe and Igor Kufayev at the SAND conference In Panel at Sofia U. Part 1 | Part 2 With Adyashanti on "The Embrace of Jesus and Buddha" Loch Kelly, M.Div., LCSW is the author of, Shift into Freedom: The Science and Practice of Open-Hearted Awareness. He is an educator, licensed psychotherapist, and recognized leader in the field of nondual meditation who was asked to teach Sutra Mahamudra by Mingyur Rinpoche and nondual meditation by Adyashanti. Loch has worked in community mental health, established homeless shelters, and counseled family members of 9/11. He is the founder of the non-profit Open-Hearted Awareness Institute. Loch collaborates with neuroscientists at Yale, UPenn, and NYU to study how awareness training can enhance compassion and well-being. For more information, visit lochkelly.org. Previous BatGap interview with Loch. Transcript of this discussion YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:57 - Introduction to the Discussion 00:03:31 - The Mystery of Our Existence 00:05:34 - The Divine in this Manifest World 00:07:40 - Awakening to Emptiness and Embracing Form 00:09:29 - The Second Operating System of Awake Awareness 00:11:11 - Understanding the Context and Content 00:12:43 - The Interplay Between Form and Emptiness 00:14:07 - Finding the Middle Path and Comprehensive Awakening 00:15:47 - The Process of Integration 00:18:04 - Awakening to the Present Moment 00:20:22 - The Presence of Knowingness 00:22:11 - The Unchanging Presence 00:24:11 - The Fabric of Dancing and Pervasive Awareness 00:26:00 - Awakening to Who We Are 00:27:25 - The Dance of God: Yoga in Action 00:28:44 - Shining the Light of Awareness 00:30:44 - Human Consciousness and Capital C Consciousness 00:32:07 - Anticipation and Suffering in Human Experience 00:33:51 - Form and Emptiness: Identity and Non-Duality 00:35:52 - The Concept of Emptiness in Physics and Spirituality 00:37:21 - The Interconnectedness of All Things 00:39:11 - Different Paths of Awakening 00:41:14 - The Path of Spiritual Practice 00:42:52 - The Three Paths to Awakening 00:44:12 - Touching into our True Nature 00:45:30 - Unlocking our Potential 00:46:48 - Fullness in Divine Intelligence 00:48:30 - Opposites Collapsing 00:50:24 - The Tightrope of Self and No Self 00:51:38 - Locke's Presentation

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