Vedic Worldview

Latest Episodes:

My Maharishi - Following Charm to Brazil and Germany Nov 14, 2021

Show notes

Travelling with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi meant there was never a time for a dull moment.

In this episode, Thom shares some adventures of a particular trip to Brazil, with an unexpected detour to Germany.

With Maharishi, Thom soon learned that the unexpected was always to be expected. Maharishi wasn’t just a passionate teacher of following ‘charm,’ but he was also a 24/7 exponent of it, even at 3 am...

Episode Highlights:

[00:05] An Invitation From Rio for Maharishi

[02:03] Drawing Restfulness Into the Working State

[03:31] His Asana

[04:16] Maharishi's Visit to the Roman Catholic Cathedral

[06:10] "I'm Always Enjoying Myself"

[07:42] "We're Going to Germany"

[09:29] Neem Stick: Maharishi's Toothbrush

[10:53] A Financier of Maharishi's Needs

[12:11] "She Will Run All of That"

[14:07] His Magnetic Charisma

[15:30] Maharishi's Unplanned Lecture At The Airport

[17:02] One of the Best-Documented Lives Imaginable

[19:39] Maharishi Isn't a Person, He's a Phenomenon

[21:35] Maharishi's Great Skill

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Post-Concussive Symptoms, Misfortune, and Dementia Nov 07, 2021

Show notes

Can Vedic Meditation heal post-concussive symptoms?

How is the experience of misfortune framed within the Vedic worldview?

Can Vedic Meditation help lower the risk of Alzheimer’s or dementia?

In this, another Ask Thom Anything episode, Thom answers all of the above, including details of the broader healing effects of meditation in general.

He reminds us that stress is the greatest cause of disease and that Vedic Meditation is the most powerful means of removing psychological and/or physiological stress, helping us to heal current health difficulties, and to prevent or reduce the effects of future health difficulties.

He also shares a perspective on misfortune and difficulty that we can all make use of, even if we haven’t attained the highest consciousness states yet.

No matter what your perspectives on health or misfortune are, you’ll find great value in hearing Thom speak on the subjects.

Episode Highlights:

[00:48] Q- Can Meditation Heal Post-Concussive Symptoms?

[01:05] If They Can Think a Thought…

[02:02] Meditation Also Helps in Dementia.

[04:05] How Vedic Meditation Accelerates the Healing Process from an Injury

[05:28] The Chemistry of Healing

[07:11] The Relationship Between Happiness and Healing

[09:11] Q- How the Experience of Misfortune is Framed Within the Vedic Worldview

[09:41] Misfortune is a Consciousness State

[10:20] Inaccurate Expectations

[11:41] What is a Misfortune?

[12:57] Laws of Nature that Have a Cascade Effect

[14:26] What Causes Misfortune

[15:32] Suffering from the Vedic Perspective

[16:36] The Period of Global Glaciation

[18:09] Ice Age Made Humans a Capable Robust Organism

[19:51] Unity Consciousness

[21:23] Q- Can Vedic Meditation Help Lower the Risk of Alzheimer's or Dementia?

[21:49] Refreshing the Physiology

[23:04] Stress Speeds Up the Decline of the Human Body

[24:34] Slowing Down the Aging Characteristics of the Human Body

[25:47] Accumulation of Stress is the Number One Cause of All Disease

[26:56] A Life of Complete Gracefulness, Knowledge and Wisdom

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Where Do Our Thoughts Come From? Oct 31, 2021

Show notes

All of us think but how often do we contemplate where our thoughts come from? And when we do, how accurate is our answer?

Many of us think thoughts are the work of the brain, stimulated either by the environment or circumstances around us, or by memories of the past or fears of the future.

For most of us, there is also a sense of identity associated with the thoughts we’re having. We define ourselves based on our thoughts, especially those that we repeat on a regular basis.

Given that we have 60,000 plus ‘cognitive processes’ per day, that makes a perfect set up for a never-ending ‘identity crisis.’

It’s only when we give ourselves a chance to bypass the thinking process, to reach a state of pure Being, awareness minus thought, that we get a chance to experience our true identity, the state from which thoughts originate. The more time we spend in this state, the more accurate our thinking becomes, the more aligned we become with Nature.

We invite you to listen to Thom’s explanation then do your own research to verify it for yourself. Enjoy.

Episode Highlights:

[00:50] Are You Your Thoughts?

[02:24] What Are You?

[03:56] The Prime Directive of Our Body

[05:50] Formulation of Your Identity

[07:41] You Are That Field of Pure Creative Intelligence

[09:33] I Am Being

[11:14] I Am The Underlying Field

[12:54] Responding to the Need of the Time

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The Difference Between Vedic Knowledge and Hinduism Oct 24, 2021

Show notes

A very frequent question Thom receives is "What is the difference between Vedic knowledge, learned through Vedic Meditation, and Hinduism?"

Hinduism, as a religion, is supposed to honor thousands, if not millions, of Gods. This religion offers many offerings to people from all over the world and is practiced by around a billion people in India.

It surprised many to learn that Hinduism does not originate in the Vedic or Sanskrit languages, which makes it quite an intriguing conundrum.

Hinduism in reality is a linguistic construction that came about as a result of British rule in India. Hinduism is a combination of religious beliefs, some of which are based on Vedic understandings, while others may derive from the practices they adopted to show dignity and self-respect while they were dominated by the British.

In this fascinating episode, Thom shares the history of Hinduism and what sets the Vedic worldview apart from Hinduism.

Episode Highlights:

[00:52] - What Distinguishes the Vedic Worldview From Hinduism?

[01:47] - The Origin of Hinduism

[03:51] - The Multi-Pronged Approach of Britain

[05:39] - The Indus River Became Hindus

[07:24] - Hinduism Turned Into a Fabricated Religion

[08:58] - Statuary in India

[10:06] - Hinduism is a Construct

[11:53] - The True Meaning of Yoga

[13:51] - Sanatana Dharma

[15:51] - The Meaning of Veda and Apaurusheya

[18:08] - What Is the Veda

[19:17] - An Exponent of Reality

[21:09] - The Cosmic Law of the Evolutionary Process

[22:51] - The Destruction Operator at Work

[24:38] - The Cycle of Evolution

[25:36] - We Design Suffering for Ourselves

[27:43] - Does God Want You to Suffer?

[28:42] - Suffering and Happiness From the Vedic Perspective

[30:33] - The Purpose of Life is the Expansion of Happiness

[32:31] - Our Brain Personalises the Laws of Nature

[33:40] - The Expression of Your Inner Nature

[35:16] - Why the Vedic Worldview Doesn't Qualify to be a Religion

[37:02] - There is No Concept of God in the Vedic Worldview

[39:12] - Practicing Your Technique Helps You to Grow Your Conscious State

[41:25] - The Vedic Experience of Growth

[42:48] - Medicinal Properties of the Willow Bark

[44:02] - The Problems With Aspirin

[45:21] - The Relationship Between Hinduism and Vedic Knowledge

[46:18] - The Problem Of Active Ingredient Mentality in the West

[47:56] - The Western Approach to Spirituality and Active Ingredient Mentality

[48:56] - Heaven on Earth is the Vedic Worldview

[50:26] - The Difference Between Vedic and Hinduism

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The Revival of Ayurveda Oct 17, 2021

Show notes

Ayurveda, the ‘science of life’ has become very popular in developed nations in recent decades, thanks to the work of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in reviving this ancient body of wisdom.

Dating back several thousand years, the practice of Ayurvedic techniques was forced ‘underground’ when the British colonized India and imposed their own ‘modern’ approaches to health.

Fortunately, some families passed the wisdom down through the generations, allowing Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to bring three of the greatest minds on the subject together for a long-overdue revival of this timeless body of knowledge.

In this episode, Thom explains some of the details of that revival, and explores some of the key differences between the Ayurvedic and ‘allopathic’ approaches to health. Importantly, he explains how the two approaches are complementary rather than ‘alternative’ to each other.

Episode Highlights:

[00:00] - The Meaning of Ayurveda

[01:41] - The history and extinction of Ayurveda

[02:59] - Ayurveda was made illegal in India

[04:01] - The revival of Ayurveda by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

[04:56] - The three great masters

[06:15] - The rise of Ayurveda

[07:10] - Panchkarma

[07:50] - Not an alternative to western medicine

[09:06] - The next generation of Ayurvedic practitioners

[10:31] - The difference between Ayurveda and allopathy

[12:14] - Treating the person

[13:38] - The magic bullet

[14:22] - The entire spectrum of human experience

[15:57] - The Vaidya’s

[17:10] - Practicing Vedic Meditation to reduce stress

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Emotional Healing, Comparison Thinking, Feeling Emotions Oct 10, 2021

Show notes

We are always striving to attain more and more in our lives. But, every now and again, we get the impression that we haven't done enough with our time. No amount of accomplishment is capable of bringing us fulfilment. And, it's also not a bad thing to have a lot of achievements on your scoreboard.

But, more importantly, are we truly enjoying the process or simply trying to finish the race? Unfortunately, even after winning, we often postpone our celebrations until we reach the pinnacle of achievement.

In this Ask Me Anything session, Thom Knoles explains why it is critical to enjoy the process of achieving something and how we cannot fail when we are enjoying the process. Thom also tells how we can experience the natural expression of our emotions.

Episode Highlights:

[00:00] - Q - What is the Vedic Worldview of Emotional Healing?

[01:12] - De-Exciting the Consciousness

[01:54] - Making the Healing Process Rapid

[03:08] - Vedic Meditation is Good for Emotional Healing

[04:19] - Vedic Meditation Awakens Your Brain's Power

[05:53] - The Removal of Stress

[07:28] - Q - How Should We Evaluate Our Accomplishments?

[07:44] - The Process is the Outcome

[08:59] - Baseline Happiness

[10:03] - The Problem of Collective Consciousness

[10:55] - The Best Way to Feel Emotions Without Stuffing Them

[11:22] - We Avoid Mood Making

[12:13] - Establishing Inner Awareness

[13:26] - Becoming Fearless

[14:34] - Paying Attention to the Body Sensations

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Navratri Sharad - Celebration of the Divine Feminine Oct 06, 2021

Show notes

When we think of feminine and masculine, typically we tend to think in terms of gender, i.e. female and male but the Vedic worldview has a much broader approach than the arrangement or expression of chromosomes. In Vedic circles the feminine and masculine are seen as aspects of creation, present everywhere and in everything.

Wherever there is masculine there is always feminine, and vice versa, with the feminine often referred to as Mother Divine and celebrated through a vast range of personifications* and a range of festivals or holy days.

One of those festivals is Navratri Sharad, a celebration of triumph over ignorance, held over nine nights and 10 days in the fall of each year (Northern Hemisphere fall, Southern Hemisphere spring).

Though each night of Navratri Sharad honors specific representations of Mother Divine, Thom invites us in this episode to use the festival as a springboard to making the celebration of the feminine an everyday occurrence and an opportunity to continuously explore just what the feminine is and how She is represented in everyday life.

*For more on the personification of aspects of creation, listen to our three-part series on God, Gods and Goddesses.

Sharad Navratri Dates 2021: October 7 (Thursday) to October 15 (Friday)

See here for dates in other years - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navaratri

Episode highlights:

[00:40] Navratri Sharad - Nine Nights of the Divine Mother

[02:22] A Range of Appreciation

[03:14] Connecting the Dots

[04:35] Removing Limitations

[05:43] Vijayadashami - The Tenth Night

[07:00] An Expansive View of Divine Mother

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My Maharishi - Daily Life and Travels with My Master Oct 04, 2021

Show notes

Over the period of 25 years, Thom Knoles got to spend many extended periods of time with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi as a student and a ‘replicant,’ one of many charged with the task of sharing Vedic wisdom with the world.

In this episode, another instalment of the My Maharishi series, Thom recounts some of the aspects of daily life and travels with Maharishi, including Maharishi’s tireless round-the-clock efforts to fit as much teaching into his lifetime as he possibly could.

Warning - This episode may require you to reassess your current standard for ‘busy’ :-).

Episode Highlights:

[00:40] An Unusual Man in Every Respect

[02:00] The Light of the World

[03:35] Ask, Ask

[04:59] Who’s Awake?

[06:11] Conscious Rest

[07:40] My Waking is More Restful than Your Sleep

[08:38] I’m in a Hurry

[09:25] More Multiplication

[07:40] My Waking is More Restful than Your Sleep

[08:38] I’m in a Hurry

[09:25] More Multiplication

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Drugs and Spirit Medicine Sep 26, 2021

Show notes

Humans have been using substances to have ‘extraordinary experiences’ for millenia.

Sometimes this is motivated by a simple sense of curiosity, and at other times it might be to ‘fill a void,’ while in other cases it might be motivated by a promise of an elusive ‘spiritual experience.’

In some cases it leads to addiction and dependence, while in others it might just be a bucket-list experience that someone moves on from.

In this episode, Thom takes a non-judgemental look at the motivation and impact of such experiences, and outlines an alternative approach, one that’s more sustainable and that leads to a ‘permanent high’ that most people couldn’t even conceive of.

Episode Highlights:

[00:40] The Desire to Belong

[02:29] Tribal Life

[04:27] A Sense of Identity

[06:00] Join the Club

[07:14] Human Beings Crave Variety

[08:33] The Nature of the Knower

[09:51] Badge of Rank

[11:29] The Difference Between a Cult and a Religion

[12:39] Shibboleth

[13:25] Drugs

[14:35] Why Drugs Work

[15:59] Endogenous Chemicals

[18:03] The Prime Directive of the Body

[19:32] Ayahuasca, LSD, THC

[21:13] Mimicking Molecules

[22:44] Lizards on LSD and Psychotic Dogs

[24:31] The Confused Body

[26:23] Sublimation and Addiction

[27:47] An Overload of Experience

[29:35] Premature Cognitive Commitments

[31:10] Psychedelic Experiences

[33:11] Where Are the Icons of Drug Use?

[35:19] A Sustainable Systematic Approach

[37:32] What About Soma?

[38:30] Vedic Meditation - A Better Methodology

[39:44] An Overload of Experience

[41:21] Supreme, Inner Contentedness

[43:01] An Experience of Self

[44:57] Our Body is a Drug-Producing Machine

[46:19] Unsustainable Ways to Extraordinary Experiences

[47:26] The 4/20 Club and Counterfeit Substances

[49:13] Consciousness-Led Experiences

[50:35] A Perpetual Psychedelic State

[51:59] Learning the Sustainable Way

[53:28] Being in the Tribe

[54:29] A Regular Daily Practice

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Vedic Meditation and Mantras Sep 20, 2021

Show notes

Mantras are central to the practice of Vedic Meditation, but different understandings about what the word mantra means sometimes lead people to misunderstand how the mantra is used.

For some, the word mantra means ‘a slogan’ or a tagline of sorts, used as a way of encapsulating a group point of view. For others, a mantra is a tool to aid concentration or to use as an affirmation.

In Vedic Meditation the use of the mantra is very different. To understand this difference, you need to understand the distinction between ‘charm’ and suggestibility, which Thom explains simply and beautifully in this podcast episode

Episode Highlights:

[00:40] Mantra - A Mind Vehicle

[01:47] Bija Mantra

[03:26] Attraction and Distraction

[04:52] Beyond Meaning

[05:47] Hypnosis and Suggestibility

[07:05] Suggestibility is a Social Problem

[07:59] Becoming Less Suggestible

[08:42] Using the Intellect in the Proper Way

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