Mindrolling with Raghu Markus

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 505 – Amplifying Psychedelics with Paul Austin & Gagan (Jared) Levy Aug 25, 2023

Show notes

Paul Austin joins Gagan (Jared) Levy and Raghu Markus in a discussion about the origins of psychedelics in Western culture.

Together, they delve into the third wave of psychedelics and explore methods to enhance their effects through practices like microdosing and spirituality.

In this episode , Paul Austin, Gagan (Jared) Levy, and Raghu explore:

Paul Austin’s Calvinistic upbringing
Cannabis, rebellion, and having awe-inspiring experiences with psychedelics
Moving from atheism to spirituality
Psychedelic literacy and paradigm shifts
Heroic ingestion of hallucinogens versus microdosing
Having the right set and setting when using psychedelics
Propaganda and the western lineage with plant medicine
The Eleusinian Mysteries
LSD and the cultural context of the 1960’s
The internet and computers as a result of psychedelics
Indigenous roots and a remembrance of the primal self
Trip-sitting and being a guide through the psychedelic experience
Intention & presence as a critical part of microdosing
The necessary spiritual practices for psychedelic integration

About Paul Austin:

Paul Austin, the founder of Third Wave, is an entrepreneur, author, and coach, who sees psychedelic use as a skill, cultivated through clear intention, supportive mentorship, and courageous exploration. Mastering this skill is crucial in the story of humanity’s present-future evolution. Read more about the third wave of psychedelics on Thirdwave.co and keep up with Paul on Instagram.

“If there was one thing I could focus on, it would be psychedelic literacy. If we could pull one lever that would help us to address and adapt to our current context and situation, it would be amplifying the power of psychedelics to not only heal but transform our relationship with our environment. And in that help us to create a new paradigm then instead of being rooted in separation, instead it is rooted in interconnectedness.” – Paul Austin

About Gagan (Jared) Levy:

As former Co-chair of Social Venture Circle, one of the country’s most prestigious impact investor and social business communities, he leads the way to a next economy that is regenerative, just and prosperous for all. As a current board member to his prolific teacher Ram Dass’ Love Serve Remember Foundation, he has been instrumental in strategizing how to connect the greatest wisdom keepers of our time to a new generation.

“We live in that age where there is that performance enhancement side of microdosing and there’s kind of that cumulative effect of healing past trauma, but then there’s this other part of psychedelics - which is the divine.” – Gagan (Jared) Levy

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Ep. 504 – What Makes A Healthy Mind? with Cortland Dahl Aug 17, 2023

Show notes

This week on the Mindrolling Podcast, contemplative scientist Cortland Dahl and Raghu Markus discuss the Tibetan Buddhist perspective of a healthy mind and how to transition from rumination to exploration.

In this conversation, Cortland Dahl and Raghu chat about:

Cortland Dahl’s journey to mindfulness practice
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and loving the world
Being Human, meditation, and coping with anxiety
Embracing and Exploring the nature of our minds
Language Immersion and translating Tibetan texts
The story of Asanga and the Buddha Nature
Transformation through compassionate action
Wise-selfishness and looking at our motivations
Turning the narrative mind into a new direction
Gamma Oscillations and the ‘aha’ moment
The practice of non-referential compassion
Intersections between science and mindfulness

Links & Recommendations From this Episode:

Raghu and Cortland talk about the book: In Love with the World: A Monk’s Journey Through the Bardos of Living and Dyingby Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
Learn more about Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche on Tergar.org
Check out The Center for Healthy Minds and discover the fusion of science and mindfulness
Download the Healthy Minds app for a guide to well-being
Why We Meditate by Daniel Goleman and Tsoknyi Rinpoche

About Cortland Dahl:

Cortland is interested in exploring the interface between the body, mind and brain, and especially in the question of how various forms of meditation may help us cultivate positive qualities like mindfulness, compassion and resilience. His current work focuses on studying the psychological and neural mechanisms of different families of meditation practice. He is also the creator of the Healthy Minds program, a well-being training program that integrates insights from scientific research with a comprehensive path of contemplative training.

Cortland has an eclectic background and has spent years studying and practicing meditation in Asia, including eight years living in Tibetan refugee settlements in India and Nepal. He has published numerous collections of translations of classic works on meditation and Buddhist philosophy from the Tibetan tradition. In addition to his work with the Center, Cortland is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Tergar International, a global network of meditation groups and centers.

Learn more at hminnovations.org

“Instead of ruminating about our stressful day, we’re exploring the dynamics of our inner experience; and we just start to discover things the were always there, but we just hadn’t seen. The narrative and the conditioning just hadn’t been directed in that way.” – Cortland Dahl

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Ep. 503 – A Future We Can Love w/ Susan Bauer-Wu, PhD, RN Aug 11, 2023

Show notes

Raghu shares a conversation with Susan Bauer-Wu, PhD, RN about climate crisis and our interconnection with all things.

In this episode of the Mindrolling Podcast, Susan Bauer-Wu talks about her work as a teacher, clinician, and academic researcher and discusses the public meeting between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Greta Thunberg that inspired her new book – A Future We Can Love.

In this episode, Susan Bauer-Wu and Raghu speak about:

Our interconnection with the natural world and all things
The need for humanity to move into better balance with our environment
His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s public chat about climate crisis with Greta Thunberg – an inspiration for Susan’s new book, A Future We Can Love
Raising awareness about climate change within spiritual and faith-based communities

Links & Recommendations From this Episode:

“Just imagine that we are these, these gems, these jewels, and in it, we are reflecting all the other gems that we’re connected to that in the universe that every single one of us is part of this. I just imagine these beautiful, you know, sparkling web of all of us that we’re not we are all we are who we are because of each other and we can’t, we don’t, exist in isolation.” – Susan Bauer-Wu, PhD, RN

About Susan Bauer-Wu:

Susan Bauer-Wu is a warm and gifted teacher with a distinctive background as a meditation practitioner and teacher, clinician, and academic researcher, is the president of the Mind & Life Institute. Prior to her recent appointment at Mind and Life, she was the Kluge Professor of Contemplative End-of-Life Care and director of the Compassionate Care Initiative at the University of Virginia (UVa) School of Nursing and associate faculty in the UVa Department of Religious Studies and member of the UVa Contemplative Sciences Center. Besides many academic publications, Susan is the author of the book for the lay public, Leaves Falling Gently: Living Fully with Serious and Life-Limiting Illness through Mindfulness, Compassion, & Connectedness.

For Susan Bauer Wu’s dharma talks, click here.

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Ep. 502 – Conscious Living, Conscious Dying with Carol Sanford & Gagan (Jared) Levy Aug 04, 2023

Show notes

Bestselling author Carol Sanford and Gagan (Jared) Levy sit down with Raghu Markus for an insightful conversation about transforming our cultural perception of death and infusing consciousness into all aspects of life.

Carol Sanford has been an inspirational catalyst and guide, helping change agents and businesses around the world realize their aspirations to make a difference. Now she needs our help!

Last fall, Carol learned that the cause of a suite of mysterious symptoms she’d been dealing with was amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease)—an inexorably debilitating, ultimately fatal disease. Each month brings changing and expanding needs for multi-specialist medical attention, home retrofitting, access to 24-hour caregivers, special transportation for care, and increasingly sophisticated adaptive technologies and equipment to enable basic life functions – much of which is not covered by insurance.

Carol’s incredible capacity for caring and giving has been a hallmark of her life. On behalf of all of us who love her, thank you in advance for anything that you can contribute to support Carol and her family through this challenging time: gofundme.com/f/critical-help-for-carol-sanford

In this episode, Raghu and his guests discuss:

Opening up our worldview by recognizing the paradigms that are in place
The concepts of conscious living and conscious dying
Transforming the way we think and talk about the stages of dying
Bringing mindfulness into the workplace

Links & Recommendations From this Episode:

The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, translated by Sogyal Rinpoche
The Regenerative Business & No More Gold Stars from Carol Sanford

“I believe we need to change people’s worldview of death and dying and what its purpose is.” – Carol Sanford

About Carol Sanford:

Carol Sanford is a consistently recognized disruptor and contrarian working side by side with Fortune 500 and new economy executives in designing and leading systemic business change and design. Through her university and in-house educational offerings, global speaking platforms, best-selling multi-award-winning books, and human development work, Carol works with executive leaders who see the possibility to change the nature of work through developing people and work systems that ignite motivation everywhere.

Learn more at carolsanford.com

About Gagan (Jared) Levy:

Learn more at WEAREGURU

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Ep. 501 – Into the Mirror with Andy Karr Jul 27, 2023

Show notes

Author Andy Karr invites us to look into the mirror, speaking with Raghu about why it is so essential for each of us to develop the habits of self-reflection and mindfulness practice.

In this week’s episode, Raghu speaks with Andy about:

The themes of self-reflection, applied mindfulness and cultivating a personal practice that are explored in Andy’s newest book, Into The Mirror
Andy’s connection to Ram Dass, Buddhism and his study under Chögyam Trungpa
‘Crazy wisdom’ and the teachings of Chögyam Trungpa
The importance of holding a personal practice of some sort, and what that offers to our lives

“There is no substitute, in my mind, for just developing the habit of practicing. I think alongside of that is perspective, because you see yourself and then it goes back to mindfulness. You see your resistance, your fear, your boredom, whatever it might be.” – Andy Karr

Links & Recommendations From this Episode:

Zen in the Art of Archery by Eugen Herrigel
Crazy Wisdom by Chögyam Trungpa
Why We Meditate by Daniel Goleman and Tsoknyi Rinpoche

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Ep. 500 – A Light In The Darkest Hour with Danny Goldberg and David Silver Jul 20, 2023

Show notes

For the 500th episode of the podcast, Mindrolling co-founder David Silver and old friend Danny Goldberg return!

In this special episode, the group reflects on the question, “Are we living in the darkest hour of a dark age?” and explores different sources of light that can guide us through the darkness.

In this episode, the group talks about:

Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche’s belief that our era of human history is “the darkest hour of the Dark Ages”
Looking towards spirituality and religion for the answers to humanity’s biggest problems
Ram Dass and Alan Watts – and the theme of interconnectedness found at the heart of their teachings
Politics, polarization and the manifestations of darkness that each generation must face

"I think we have to look towards spirituality and religion for the answers to try to mediate unbridled materialism, which we know is a death trap." - Danny Goldberg

Links & Recommendations From this Episode:

“In Search of the Lost Chord: 1967 and the Hippie Idea” by Danny Goldberg
Kesha’s new album Gag Order, with a track featuring Ram Dass
The Beatles – All You Need Is Love (Broadcast live on BBC’s Our World)

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Ep. 499 – Indigenous Wisdom for the Modern World with John Lockley Jul 13, 2023

Show notes

South African Shaman John Lockley returns to the Mindrolling podcast to share his experiences as a Sangoma in the Xhosa tradition and speak with Raghu about bringing indigenous wisdom into the modern world and opening the doors of our perception.

In this episode, Raghu speaks with John Lockley about:

Different methods for opening the doors of one’s own perception
How plant medicine is used in the Xhosa tradition
Shamanism as a path for exploring the ineffable experiences had through inner work and psychedelics
Working with dreams and the spirit realm

“The next part of the circle is going into the wilderness and seeing what needs to be done to stretch consciousness and help bring more healing. To maintain some mindfulness is extraordinarily important, which includes meditation and walking.” – John Lockley

Links & Recommendations From this Episode:

Sharon Salzberg’s new book, Real Life
John Lockley’s Newsletter
Shift Network Courses (new course with John Lockley coming soon)

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Ep. 498 – Enlightenment Is an Accident with Tim Burkett Jul 06, 2023

Show notes

Tim Burkett joins Raghu to chat about his journey and the lessons along the way of writing his book, Enlightenment Is an Accident.

Tim joins Raghu to shine light on:

Stories of studying zen with Suzuki Roshi
The various perceptions of the term, “enlightenment”
“Idiot compassion,” spiritual bypassing, and authentic generosity
The amygdala’s role in our behavior
The Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, and manifesting non-dual feeling

Check out Enlightenment Is an Accident here

Explore Suzuki Roshi’s books here

About Tim Burkett:

Tim Burkett began practicing Zen Buddhism in San Francisco in 1964 with renowned teacher Shunryu Suzuki (author of Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind). After completing his BA at Stanford University, Tim and his family moved to Minnesota.

Tim’s first book, Nothing Holy About It, discusses how Zen’s core teachings unfold within the ordinary comedies and tragedies of everyday life. In his books, as in his life, Tim reveals how to live in the world with a deep joy that comes from embracing the work and play of this very moment.

Tim is the former CEO of the largest non-profit organization in Minnesota for individuals with mental illness. He is a psychologist, a Zen Buddhist priest, and the Guiding Teacher of Minnesota Zen Meditation Center. He and his wife, Linda, have two grown children and two grandchildren.

“Compassion begins with embracing the flaws of others. Healing begins with embracing our flaws.” - Tim Burkett

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Ep. 497 - Psychedelic Preparation and Integration with Sylver Quevedo, MD, MPH Jun 29, 2023

Show notes

Dr. Sylver Quevedo and Raghu jam on psychedelic preparation and integration, the MAPS MDMA studies, a Ram Dass ketamine story in India, and how 'love, serve, remember' connects to Indigenous wisdom.

“One of the cardinal features that's been learned in the second psychedelic renaissance in the clinical trials has been the importance of two things that were not really understood that well in the 1960s—that is, preparation and integration. By contrast, one of the things that really was discovered early on and articulated very well by Ram Dass and Timothy Leary, was the importance of 'set and setting.' That has survived. It was figured out early on, never went away, and has been rediscovered over and over again.” – Dr. Sylver Quevedo

Raghu and Sylver dive into:

Taos, New Mexico; the Pueblo people; and the Neem Karoli Baba Ashram in Taos which houses the radiant and emotive Hanuman murti who jumped the ocean from India with Ram Dass and friends back in the day
Working with MAPS (The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) on their monumental MDMA for PTSD trials
Psychedelics and love in the 1960s compared to psychedelics and science in the 2020s
Ram Dass giving the "yogi medicine" LSD to his Guru, Neem Karoli Baba (Maharaj-ji)
How Ram Dass and Maharaj-ji's lessons of "love, serve, remember" applies to Indigenous wisdom
The transformational neural-plasticity and heart-opening properties of tryptamines and phenethylamines
A fascinating Ram Dass on ketamine in India story, and Sylver's out-of-body revelation on ketamine

"In the 1960s, we were mostly young and naive kids. But on the other hand, the ideals that came through there were real, even if we were misguided and naive about a lot of things like psychedelics. Now that science is part of the reality, in terms of the truth: the love and unity that we were pursing in the 1960s was a worthy cause." – Raghu Markus

About Dr. Sylver Quevedo:

Dr. Sylver Quevedo is a psychedelic researcher who has practiced medicine for over 40 years and played major roles in world health projects. He is currently working with MAPS (The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) on their monumental MDMA for PTSD trials.

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Ep. 496 - A Toolbox for Courage w/ Mike Finoia Jun 22, 2023

Show notes

Comedian, Mike Finoia, joins Raghu to share his difficult patch with mental health and the tools that have helped him cultivate inner peace.

“I realized that there’s only two ways of operating: It’s either from a place of love or a place of fear. If you're operating from a place of fear, you really can’t be open to the love there is around us. But if you’re operating from a place of love, fear doesn’t stand a chance.” – Mike Finoia

Mike and Raghu go deep about:

Anxiety and finding the tools that work to manage it
Being vocal about the rough patches on Mike's public platform
Practices for changing our internal landscapes
Buddhist perspectives on anger, fear, good-enoughness, and emptiness
Having a sense of humor about our “self-cherishing”
"Mother recognition," or the essence of motherly compassion

“It takes way more courage to break through the constriction that we have in this society. And it takes courage to say, ‘I need some help.’” - Raghu Markus

Connect with Mike on his website or on social media @mikefinoia

Learn more about Vipassana meditation with Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg here

Check out The Zen of Therapy by Mark Epstein here

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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