Conversations on the Edge

This week, Rami and his guest Suzanne Stabile explore the ancient wisdom of the Enneagram and how it can be used to understand ourselves and the people around us better. Suzanne gives the listener an overview of the Enneagram and then gives us some amazing insight into the approach she's developed in the decades she's spent practicing this ancient wisdom.

This week, Rami chats with the founder of the legendary Sounds True Publishing company, Tami Simon. Tami is a renowned figure in the world of spiritual teachings and Sounds True has helped disseminate wisdom and healing to millions of people since it's founding in 1985.  Tami shares the amazing story of how she decided to risk all she had on a revolutionary new type of audio publishing and what types of changes she sees coming in the way people choose to experience their spiritual teachings. 

On this bonus episode, our listeners can try a special bonus meditation practice with recent guest Justin Michael Williams.

Meditation and mindfulness practices are almost ubiquitous in American culture, but there are still many communities who are underrepresented in traditional spaces. Justin Michael Williams is an author and recording artist who brings a fresh perspective and context to traditional spaces with his books, workshops, and music. On this episode, he and Rami unpack his journey and discuss how to avoid spiritual bypassing through processing the darker aspects of your existence. 

This episode is the fourth and final part of a series about spiritual and psychological self-care during the Coronavirus pandemic. On this episode, Rami talks gives the listener a simple yet effective technique for turning something anxiety inducing into an opportunity for mindful practice.

This episode is the third part of a four part series about spiritual and psychological self-care during the Coronavirus pandemic. On this episode, Rami talks to former public health official Frank Levy, to discuss ways communities can support themselves during times of need and intentional isolation.

This episode is the second part of a four part series about spiritual and psychological self-care during the Coronavirus pandemic. On this episode, Rami tackles the element of "being for yourself" from the teachings of the sage Hillel. Guest Rev. Dr. Gordon Peerman offers advice on self-care and the difference between listening and re-assurance.

On this special Coronavirus response episode, Rami introduces this new four part mini-series to help listeners cope with the social and spiritual challenges facing us all as we deal with the Coronavirus pandemic. On this episode, Rami shares his perspective and gives us some productive suggestions for what to do while social-distancing. 

On this episode, we re-examine the importance of mindfulness practice in the context of neuroplasticity. Rami and Guest Shauna Shapiro discuss how what we do has the power to shape our habits and dispel the myth that you can't teach an old dog new tricks!

The concept of non-dualism is one that has become very appealing to many people. As our world becomes fractured socially and ecologically, many people are exploring non-duality as a unifying perspective. But it can be confusing! On this episode Rami and his guest David Loy attempt to demystify non-fuality, by exploring how many traditions express the concept.

This week, Rami and his guest Lori Erickson talk about something most of us try to AVOID talking about at all costs: dying! They discuss problems with how people approach the subject and techniques to deal with the death of loved ones, and when your own time approaches.

On this episode, we explore the ancient and subversive lost-gospels of the christian Bible! Specifically we focus on the significance of the gospel of Mary Magdalene, and the neglected form of Christianity revealed within. We're guided by scholar Meggan Watterson. She and Rami discuss her journey past the patriarchal depictions of God she saw as a child, toward the various aspects of the Divine Feminine celebrated throughout history. 

Rami and Guests Clark Strand & Perdita Finn explore the ancient and unknown bead practices that would form one of the most iconic aspects of Catholicism: the Rosary. Clark and Perdita also share how they've incorporated these ancient practices into new ones which they hope will eliminate the structures of power that characterize most religions.

In this week's episode, we explore death, with a guide who claims to have been there before! Sharon Prentice is an author and psychotherapist who has extensively researched the phenomena of Shared Death Experience in addition to experiencing it herself. She and Rami discuss her experiences and talk about what her research might mean for the future of spirituality. 

Today’s show is the second of our two part series on the divine feminine. In this episode, we investigate a mystery: The disappearance of the divine feminine from the Jewish and Christian bibles. We're helped by Lynne Picknett and Clive Prince, whose research on Mary Magdalene was an inspiration for Dan Brown’s best selling novel, The Davinci Code.  

As the world becomes more divided and our traditional religious institutions no longer serve as the unifying forces they once were, many people are turning to an ancient concept as the remedy: The Divine Mother. On this first installment of our two-part series on the Divine Mother, we speak with Mirabai Starr about a new generation of spiritual leaders and how the Divine Mother differs from the hierarchical styles of spirituality we've grown accustomed to.

The oldest conundrum faced by humankind is the question of Evil. If God is all knowing, all powerful, and all good, how can bad things happen to good people? Rami and our guest today tackle this question by taking a unique look at one of the oldest books in the Hebrew Bible, the book of Job.

We live in a time of where politics has become so divisive it can be hard to find common ground with even our neighbors and family. But understanding someone's pain can help us speak in a way that lets them hear us more clearly. In this episode, Rami speaks with Angela Denker, author of Red State Christians: Meet the voters who elected Donald Trump. They talk about the voters who helped Donald Trump win the 2016 and look forward the upcoming election in November.

Death is coming for you! If you find that fact unsettling or scary, this episode will introduce you to a new perspective. Rami and author Joan Tolifson chat about dying and how to view death as a gift rather than something to be feared.

Conversations on the Edge brings you a special holiday episode!

There is a heated debate right now between Atheists and Theists: people who don't believe in the existence of a divine power and those who do, in one form or another. Today's episode takes a fresh look at this debate, sidestepping the issue of which side might be ultimately correct to look at what these perspectives are providing us sociologically.

In this episode, Rami speaks with historian Darren Docuk about a rarely discussed aspect of American history: the link between oil and religion. Darren tells us about the rise of two distinct forms of Christianity and he and Rami discuss how the politics of oil have affected religions in different ways around the globe. 

Most religions have an embedded idea that the Truth has already been discovered and you just need to read the right old book or talk to the correct old sage to grasp it. But where does this leave the person who is eternally questioning? Is it possible to be a Seeker and still feel a sense of deep-rooted happiness and comfort? Rami and guest Jay Michaelson discuss this idea and other aspects of emerging American spirituality, including the dual (or not) aspects of non-duality! 

Rami talks with Jim Wallis about how fundamentalism across the globe affects political agendas and how Christianity here in America should address issues like white privilege and gender equality.    

The world has become interconnected in ways that would have been inconceivable even a few decades ago. As people are exposed to new ideas and new ways of life, more and more are abandoning the notion that you can or should only practice one faith.  On today's show, Rami talks with Duane Bidwell to clear up some of the confusion that surrounds the issue of multi-faith practice on both an individual and cultural level.

On paper, the United States constitution guarantees a separation of Church and State.On this episode, Rami and Guest Jay Wexler talk about the reality of that separation (or lack thereof) and how a few marginalized religions are fighting back!

As climate change continues to wreak more and more damage to our way of life, what part will spirituality play in finding solutions? Rami speaks with climate activist and former Dean of the Chaplaincy Institute Lauren Van Ham about activism and the cutting edge of post-religion spirituality.

In part two of Mindfulness & Mediation, Rami and guest Cory Allen take a look at how technology has created societal changes that are hard for our human brains to keep up with. They discuss how meditation can help break the feedback loops created by online algorithms and explore Cory's new meditation techniques that fuse neurology and sound to help people achieve restful states.

This episode is the first part of a two-part series exploring fresh takes on two ancient concepts: mindfulness and meditation. Rami talks with Loch Kelly about our American society's newfound fascination with mindfulness. Loch Kelly describes a new approach to mindfulness that he has developed which combines wisdom found in many different traditions and is immediately accessible to anyone. Rather than simply pacifying one's restlessness, his techniques provide motivation to engage in compassionate action in the world.

Former White House speech writer Sarah Hurwitz joins us this week to discuss an issue facing more and more people: as the world changes, how should you think about a religion that was given to you by your parents? Sarah shares the wisdom she's found in Judaism after walking away from the faith as a young woman. She and Rami have a compelling discussion as they challenge and celebrate the ideas they've found buried in these ancient texts and analyze them in a modern context.

Get ready to explore the edge of our Galaxy and beyond as Professor Diana Pasulka joins the show to talk about aliens, technology, and new forms of religiosity! Professor Pasulka discusses some surprising sources of information about extraterrestrials and she and Rami explore how people have unknowingly altered the very fabric of their realities through exposure to digital technologies.

For our first show, Rami talks with Dr. Andrew Newberg and Dr. David Halpern about how they've been able to merge Science and Religion to develop our understanding of both. They explore the new field of Neurotheology and how it might help us answer age old questions like whether or not humans have free will. They also explore the possibilities of completely new ways to engage with spirituality, including the possibility of enlightenment in a pill!

Does the world need to find better ways for people to understand one another? To approach problems effecting global communities in a more inclusive way? We think so! And that's why we made this podcast! Host Rami Shapiro helps the listener get a deeper understanding of different points of view through a mix of humor, insight, and great conversations. The show features an eclectic gathering of individuals exploring new approaches to spirituality, community, and how to solve today's most daunting problems.