Podcast appearances and mentions of Daniel Ingram

What kind of man gets studied at Yale, Brown, and Harvard, builds a 300 person international research consortium, and still has powerful people working to erase his name? Dr. Daniel Ingram is not a guru. He is a retired level one trauma emergency physician. A published neuroscience researcher. The author of a book that has shaped contemplative practice for tens of thousands of readers. The acting organizer of a global research effort spanning Harvard, Yale, Brown, Cambridge, and Oxford. By every credential medicine respects, he is one of their own.So why did a senior figure allegedly commission an academic article engineered to surface at the top of every search of his name, with one stated goal? That nobody would ever believe him again. Because Dr. Ingram crossed a line his profession does not permit. He claimed that awakening is real. That it is measurable. That it is observable in the brain.  We go into what he has seen at the edges of human perception. What he documented in the lab. What he believes medicine is doing to patients every single day by refusing to look.The Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium

In Focusing on the Fire Kasina Vince Fakhoury Horn introduces the Fire Kasina meditation practice, emphasizing the primacy of concentration and the recursive process of learning through focused attention on a candle flame.Interested in the topic?Sign-up for free the KASINA web application or join us for a live training in the Pragmatic Dharma Sangha

Stephen Torrence joins Vince Fakhoury Horn to share his experience teaching generative AI in Bhutan and explore the audacious vision behind the Gelephu Mindfulness City — a million-person city being built by Bhutan's King to prove that mindfulness, technology, and economic development can coexist.

In this episode I am joined by British occultists, authors, and creative collaborators Alan Chapman and Duncan Barford. Alan and Duncan reflect on their decades of shared magickal practice and creative collaboration. They recall their first meeting at the secret society the “Illuminates of Thanateros” and muse on the gatekeeping and status games of the Chaos magick scene. They explain why they feel their emphasis on awakening and association with Buddhist writer and self-proclaimed arhat Daniel Ingram has contributed to their being shunned by leading figures in British occultism. Alan and Duncan take a deep dive into their controversial new understanding of Aleister Crowley, address criticism levelled at them, and reveal the idealogical mistake that drove Alan to withdraw one of his biggest public projects. Alan and Duncan also share their current practices, detail how to develop visionary capability, give their best understanding about how magick really works, and offer their advice for those who wish to enter the path of Western occultism. … Video: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep345-magick-awakening-crowley-alan-chapman-duncan-barford Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:13 - Meeting at an occult secret society 06:29 - Formative experiences of group magick 07:36 - Should you join the IoT? 07:53 - The importance of group magick 08:19 - Timidity in magickal practice 10:20 - What does magick have to do with enlightenment? 12:03 - Jealousy in spiritual circles 14:38 - Peter Carroll vs Neoplatonism 17:11 - Alan and Duncan's contribution to Chaos Magick 19:07 - Feuds between religionists 20:33 - What kind of person is drawn to Chaos Magick? 22:25 - Gatekeeping and status games 23:10 - The best thing about Chaos Magicians 25:45 - Bad uses of Chaos Magick 28:38 - Being ignored by the magickal community 29:24 - Why were Alan and Duncan ignored? 30:!4 - Controversial association with Daniel Ingram 31:54 - Why did Peter Carroll dislike Alan and Duncan? 33:01 - How to understand magickal results and synchronicities 36:46 - How Duncan's practice has changed over time 40:13- Awakening and the structure of things 43:16 - Alan's current practice 43:57 - The everyday as a basis 45:07 - How to get started in magick 52:35 - Permission and confidence 53:41 - Developing visionary capability 54:55 - Alan's understanding of the path 01:00:32 - Pinnacle of practical magick 01:01:46 - Duncan's Goddess vision 01:03:14 - The basis of the path 01:07:50 - How magick works 01:09:00 - Criticism of Alan abandoning projects 01:16:14 - Sigmund Freud 01:16:57 - Why do people criticise Alan? 01:18:56 - One thing that really annoys Alan 01:20:53 - Resentment and psychological shadow 01:22:43 - Malevolence and denying enlightenment 01:29:26 - A dark occult conference experience 01:31:20 - Envy and counter-initiation 01:33:51 - Creative journey 01:35:49 - The toxic belief in cultural progress 01:39:38 - Ken Wilber's Integral Theory 01:41:10 - Daniel Ingram's pivot to science 01:42:19 - The spirit of the times 01:44:08 - Realising cultural chauvinism 01:49:53 - Desire to do something else 01:51:30 - Source of many problems 01:53:23 - The Crowley project 02:01:15 - Alan's academic approach 02:03:53 - Legal challenges 02:06:34 - Crowley on Chinese wisdom 02:09:05 - Dao De Jing 02:17:24 - Misunderstandings about the Dao De Jing 02:19:03 - Jung's (mis?)undersanding of Asian classics 02:21:06 - Western alchemy and spirit writing 02:23:19 - Two kinds of researchers 02:290:02 - Life of Aleister Crowley 02:31:28 - The Inner Church 02:33:28 - The Bornless Rite 02:35:18 - The Book of the Law 02:45:24 - Crossing the abyss 02:47:39 - Mad or enlightened? 02:52:20 - Liber 31 02:53:53 - Crowley's failures 02:55:57 - Jung and Philip K Dick 02:56:41 - Controversial take on Crowley 03:00:48 - Why follow Crowley's path? Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James

In this episode I am once again joined by Duncan Barford, occult practitioner, counsellor, and author of “Occult Experiments in the Home”. Duncan begins with an analysis of the 2016 film, “A Dark Song”, which he believes is the most accurate depiction of occult practice in cinema. Duncan details the plot, breaks down its depictions of ritual, and shares his own emotional reaction to the film's climax. Duncan then shifts gear and gives a detailed explanation of the infamous Abramelin ritual, a multi-month ritual considered by many to be the most ambitious working a magician can attempt. Duncan gives a survey of the major written accounts of those who have attempted it including Aleister Crowley, Lionel Snell, and William Bloom; reveals why the ritual has such a high failure rate; and shares what he believes is the key to success. Duncan also analyses the esoteric structure of Coleridge's poem “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” and interprets it as a description of the spiritual path, proposes an equivalency between success in the Abramelin and Buddhist stream entry, and reveals why he believes the study of history is an obstacle to magickal success. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep336-the-magick-of-abramelin-duncan-barford-3 Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:28 - The Magick of A Dark Song 02:45 - The film 04:41 - The Abramelin Ritual 07:23 - Cinematic depictions of magick 08:04 - Spoiler warnings and the plot 08:24 - Hiring the magician 10:03 - Sophia's motive for the ritual 11:36 - A deep understanding of how ritual works 14:40 - Describing the magickal working 17:04 - Meeting the Holy Guardian Angel 21:01 - The practitioner's journey 25:58 - Characer arcs 30:03 - The key of devotion 33:02 - The esoteric structure of Coleridge's “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” 33:34 - The cycle of insight 38:37 - Crisis, breakthrough, ordeal, union 43:38 - Unsettling themes 44:12 - Interventus Caninus 44:57 - What next after absolution? 45:33 - What is the point of the Abramelin Ritual? 46:46 - Reflecting on the ending of the film 49:39 - Crowley, Snell, Bloom, and Katz - those who attempted the Abramelin 49:54 - Mysterious history of the Abramelin Ritual 52:39 - Recensions of the Abramelin 53:56 - Duncan describes the Abramelin text and ritual 01:00:20 - Why does the Abramelin ritual have such a high failure rate? 01:02:12 - Meeting Lionel Snell 01:04:51 - A tarot reading and why history is an obstacle to real magick 01:06:53 - Daniel Ingram's revision of traditional fire kasina meditation 01:11:00 - Crowley's attempts at the Abramelin ritual 01:14:37 - Other accounts 01:16:40 - William Bloom's attempt 01:20:45 - Secret to success with the Abramelin Ritual 01:24:13 - How to increase the success rate of rituals 01:29:18 - Are you ready to attempt the Abramelin? 01:31:52 - Stream entry and Abramelin 01:34:35 - Duncan reflects on his past claims to attainment 01:37:16 - Questioning pragmatic dharma assumptions and the vogue of stream entry 01:41:00 - Insider vs outsider views 01:42:13 - Does magick really work? 01:43:31 - A story of powerful magickal effects 
… Watch previous episodes with Duncan Barford: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=barford To find our more about Duncan Barford, visit: - https://www.duncanbarford.uk/ … For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James

Vince Fakhoury Horn reflects on his experiences within the Insight meditation tradition, as an authorized teacher in the lineage, arguing that its senior leaders have remained complicit, through their silence, on the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.

Vince Fakhoury Horn: The Flavors of Jhāna—I can't remember where I first heard this term. I think it was from you or from Kenneth [Folk].Brian Newman: Maybe we should start there. You came to me and said, “What should we call the retreat?” And I said, “Hey, you're the one who wanted to do it in Portugal—what should we call it?” You threw it back at me, and I said, “Can we call it the name of my half-written book?”So folks, this all comes from a story that's part of a lineage. This is a Kenneth Folk story, and it's his way of demonstrating Jhāna on the spectrum.Kenneth says: imagine you've got a bunch of strawberries. You crush them into a strawberry smoothie, and you drink it. What does it taste like? A hundred percent strawberries.Now imagine a glass of clear water. You take a strong strawberry extract in concentrated form, drop in a single drop. What does it taste like? Strawberry—but just one tiny drop.And Kenneth's punchline is, “It all tastes like strawberry, motherfucker.” His point is that it doesn't matter where you are on the spectrum of Jhāna. On one end, you've got the Pa'auk tradition—completely absorbed, so much so that a gun could go off next to your head and you wouldn't notice. On the lighter end, you've got Leigh Brasington, teaching Jhānic factors in a very Sutta-based way, or even lighter approaches. But Kenneth's point is: it all tastes like Jhāna. Different flavor, same essence.Even the tiniest drop in the ocean still tastes like strawberry. That's how I understood the story when Kenneth told it.Much of this dialogue centers around an upcoming 10-day meditation retreat on the same topic, The Flavors of Jhāna, that will be co-taught by Brian Newman & Vince Horn.Vince: The Flavors of Jhāna—I can't remember where I first heard this term. I think it was from you, or from Kenneth [Folk].Brian: Maybe we should start with that, yeah. So, Vince, you came to me and you said—no, I said to you, “What should we call the retreat?” And you were like, “Hey man, you're the one that wanted to do it in Portugal, what should we call it?” And you put it back to me. And I said, “Can we call it the name of the book—my half-written book?”And so this is, folks, this is all coming from a story that's part of a lineage. And I promised we'd tell some of those today. So this is a Kenneth Folk story, and it's his way of demonstrating Jhāna on the spectrum.So Kenneth says this: imagine that you had—glass—imagine a few different scenarios. You've got a bunch of strawberries, and you crush 'em into a strawberry smoothie. And you just have a pure strawberry smoothie, and you drink that smoothie. What would that taste like? And the answer is, that would a hundred percent taste like strawberries, because that's all that's gone into the making of the strawberry.Now, what if you just had a glass of clear water and a pretty strong strawberry extract in a really concentrated form, and you dropped one drop of that into a glass of water? What would that taste like? And then the answer is, that would taste like strawberry—with just one tiny concentrated drop.And Kenneth's punchline on this is: “It all tastes like strawberry, motherfucker.” I believe that's the punchline. And his point is, it doesn't really matter where you are on the spectrum of Jhāna. And we could say, when we say the Jhānic spectrum, we're talking about on one end we have the Pa'auk tradition, which would have you completely absorbed, so much so that a gun could go off by your head.On the lighter end, we would have Leigh Brasington, who teaches Jhānic factors, a very Sutta-based approach—or maybe some even less rigorous, less absorbed type of Jhāna. And Kenneth's point is: it all tastes like Jhāna. What are you talking about? It's just a different flavor. And how much of that actual flavor do you need to be able to recognize it?His point is, the tiniest little millionth part in a glass in the ocean would still taste like strawberries, so to speak. Let me know if you have a different interpretation of that story. That's how I interacted with it when Kenneth told me.Vince: Yeah, no, I have a similar interpretation of what he was teaching there. He was kind of pointing to this depth dimension of Jhāna, and using the strawberry analogy to point out that, yeah, these states are patterns of mind. And even if you experience them at a great depth of absorption or focus, it's still the same pattern. You can still recognize that pattern. And that's what we're calling Jhāna, essentially.Brian: Yeah. So that's the “flavors” part. And then maybe we could ask—let me raise a question to you then, Vince. So, what is Jhāna? We've got this interesting word with this weird hyphen over the A, and even how I think about it over the years has changed. How do you view what Jhāna is these days, Vince?Vince: Yeah, for me too, it's changed. And I guess maybe that change is interesting. 'Cause I imagine this is the case for you as well, Brian. Maybe for everyone who takes up a Jhāna practice. At first you experience Jhāna in the very specific way that you're practicing with it—so you've got whatever tradition you're working in, you've got the meditation object that you've been working with, you've got the instructions, and you've got a bunch of ideas about what is supposed to be happening, and what constitutes Jhāna. And you're using all of that to try to get into the states that are being described in that practice system.So for me, like when I first started doing Jhāna practice, it was with Leigh Brasington. He was the first Jhāna teacher I worked with 20 years ago. I went on retreat. Sadly, I left my sick wife at home in the apartment—because I didn't want to. This is how self-absorbed I was at the time—I didn't want to get sick, at the beginning of a Jhāna retreat. So I just left her there suffering by herself, to go off and get—Brian: So you could go get concentrated.Vince: Yeah. So that should explain the emphasis on wishing all beings to be concentrated. That's what I needed a little more of. But yeah, for me it was working within Leigh's system. And like you said, the emphasis there is on—well, it's on the breath, but also on the Jhānic factors. And I started to notice when they get strong enough, you can turn toward those factors and just get absorbed in them, which is like getting absorbed in the strawberry.So, long story short though, as I expanded to other practices, and I was doing more vipassanā noting style—which I now call Vipassanā Jhāna—and I was doing other techniques in more depth, I started to notice there's a deep pattern or structure, which is the same regardless of the practice I'm doing, which object I'm working with, or even what definitions about the states that should be arising.There's still something that's the same that happens. And for me now, I consider Jhāna to be just meditation—the most—which is the literal translation of the term Jhāna. It comes from dhyāna in Sanskrit, which is also translated as Zen.Brian: So it goes dhyāna to Chan to Zen in China, then over to Chan. Yeah. Jhāna, Chan, Zen. And the Zen guys diss Jhāna all day long—but the name of Zen actually means Jhāna, which is hilarious.Vince: They just don't talk about it because they're being it, I think. So yeah, that's how I understand Jhāna now. It's just—yeah, this is what we're doing. It's meditation. And whatever you meditate on does change the contours of the state and the experience. And whatever ideals you have certainly change your relationship to what's arising.Sometimes a state could seem totally inadequate, or like a warmup to something deeper. Whereas for other people, that could be the thing that you're aiming for. Just, “Oh, I'm in it now, I'm just going to rest or abide.” So I think for me, the world of Jhāna has opened up and expanded a lot over time.Brian: You said there's some similar quality. Could you say anything more about what that similar quality is?Vince: Yeah. Okay, so, let's explore that together. Seems it consistent? It gets a little tricky. Yeah, it gets a little tricky because I learned it first through the noting maps, and so I'll tend to notice—I'll go there to describe things, even though that doesn't describe the universal quality. But the stuff you did with the eye posture, like pointing to that, there's something there where it seems like regardless of which state I'm in, the eyes are moving through this sort of progression.Brian: Yeah.Vince: That seems to be universal.Brian: Yeah. Yeah.Vince: The aperture of attention and how broad or open attention is, and how much it includes the field of experience—that also seems to be a chief characteristic, regardless of the state, or the object I'm working with. What else?Brian: Totally concur with you. Yeah. The aperture. I often call it maybe the—Ingram also says the width of the Jhāna, which is a really weird thing, like what width, how am I going to measure the width? But it's the width of the visual field essentially, is what's being pointed to—what's happening in that space when the eyes are closed. Yeah.Vince: Yeah.Brian: What else is similar there?Vince: I was going to say something about the body, but the body's something that seems like it changes. Like, the experience of the body changes a lot depending on where one is and the depth dimension. Maybe you could talk a little bit about that, having experienced those sort of really deep exclusive states, where the body is described as having dropped off or dissolved.Brian: Yeah, so similar to—so, let's say I've been doing Jhāna for 15 years, probably Vince a little bit less than you, and we've come to a similar conclusion, I think. Which is: I think we're just talking about meditation here, and Jhāna's maybe a placeholder for what sounds like a certain technique, but really it's more than that.And like you, Vince, I've come to really feel that Jhāna just means meditation. And from that perspective, when we call a retreat The Flavors of Jhāna, it's The Flavors of Meditation. And our meditation community is called The Meditation Community. It's not—Jhāna just meaning meditation. I think that's totally appropriate.And so the more that I teach, the more what I come to see is we have eight discrete Jhānic states that are sort of pitched in an order of progression. It's linear. So you start with one and you go to eighth. It makes sense.The practitioner might find something really different though, which is on any given day, in any given emotional state, a different state might be more accessible to me. For those of us that wake up in the middle of a lot of suffering and dukkha ñāṇa, we might find that a blissful third Jhāna is really accessible—maybe for some reasons we can talk about later. So as we start to explore that, then it's like, you don't actually have to start at the first to get to the third, do you? You can drop in there some days.There's many practitioners that will tell you how they can just do a cold start right into the fifth Jhāna. And so if you start following that to its logical conclusion, I think what we start to say is: is it possible that whole meditation traditions have been built out around a single Jhānic state? And my answer to that is absolutely yes.So, Vince, and I think you and I were speaking the other day about what would happen if we said that the best Jhānic state was the sixth Jhāna, and that if we reified that to be the maximum, only, best thing. Many meditation teachers are only teaching the best thing, so let's be one of those teachers who's only teaching the best thing. What would that look like? And I think you and I agreed—that would look a lot like Ramana Maharshi, wouldn't it? That would look a lot like Advaita.“I am the world creator. I'm the world destroyer. I am just pure, infinite, boundless consciousness.”And so my current thinking around this is: Jhānic states could all be reified, so much so that an entire tradition could be built around the fifth Jhāna, or the seventh, or the eighth. And in fact, I think they have been built around that. And if you really love the sixth Jhāna—yeah, go do Advaita. It's probably your perfect cup of tea. I think we'd say a very similar thing around the fifth or the seventh or the eighth as well.Vince: Yeah. That's really interesting. So you're describing how perhaps entire practice traditions might be centered around specific states as the starting point, and then exploring those states or the domain around those states.Brian: Yeah.Brian: And then, so we're going to—we'll teach eye postures, folks. And I think some of—but to talk about that real briefly, it's about the aperture. So, a really tight aperture is a first Jhānic eye posture. Then it gets a little bit bigger with second, a little bit bigger with third, and then real big with this more expansive fourth Jhānic eye posture.So the really interesting question for the formless realm practitioner—ooh, in general I think this makes you become interested in eyes. And then you start to look at other practice. Maybe some of you have a Six Yogas practice, or Dzogchen, you've done Mahāmudrā. And if you start to think about that a little bit: where do my eyes go? Or where do one's eyes go when they do Dzogchen? You start to play with that a little bit and you realize there's a very distinct eye posture for Dzogchen.If you look at monks, they'll often practice Dzogchen with their eyes open. Their eyes are flittering all around. They're doing the eye thing. What would that correlate to, a state in our Jhānic arc? Maybe there's not really a Dzogchen-like Jhānic arc, I'm not quite sure around that. But each practice seems to have a discrete eye posture—most of which, I think, can be correlated to one of the Jhānic states.That's a lot of how I think about non-Jhānic practice these days: what is the closest thing that makes me feel like this in the Jhānic practice, and I'm using the eye postures to triangulate around that.As I said all that, it sounded esoteric. Did that sound really esoteric?Vince: Yeah, but for me I was thinking of something very practical—like in the Dzogchen tradition, when I worked with Lama Lena. Her basic instructions are to take a, like, a pebble or rock first.Brian: Yeah.Vince: Yeah. And as you practice what's called shiné, which is like calm abiding, you focus on the rock, or the pebble. And then there's another phase of practice in which you just remove the pebble, and then you continue to focus. And so that to me gets at the eye posture of Dzogchen, where previously you had something you were focused on, and then now you're asked to continue focus without that thing.So that's like a very practical instantiation of that, where the eye posture is clearly one that's meant to be open and spacious, but somehow stable and focused as well.Brian: And I love that. So what would that be called? That's samādhi without object.Vince: Yeah, shamatha without a sign.Brian: And we don't really talk about that in the Theravāda lineage—which you and I have done probably most of our practice in, Vince. There's no samādhi without a sign. It's always a sign. So that's just so fascinating. That's really deeply aligned with the yogic tradition, where they have objectless samādhi. And it's a totally different feeling to do that.And yes—look at something, then take the thing away, and keep looking at it. What is that, other than an eye posture?My story on eye posture is from a lineage—like a very deep practitioner. I'd love to share it with you. I've shared it before, but it's worthwhile to share again.So one of my main teachers, Sayalay Susīlā, who was the chief attendant for Pa Auk Sayadaw for a couple decades while he was traveling around Asia—she would spend time with him in Sri Lanka, several years there cooking his food and being his chief attendant. So very close to Pa Auk Sayadaw, really deeply absorbing his teachings.And one day—I learned eye postures from Kenneth Folk, and I didn't really need to talk about that with my Pa Auk teacher because she was very traditional. I didn't want to bring too much stuff in that might make her feel uncomfortable. But one day I accidentally said—I mentioned that I was using eye postures, and I said something about looking toward something.And she said to me in great shock, she goes, “You're looking with your eyes?” Eyes closed, but still looking. I said, “Yeah.” She goes, “You're looking with your eyes, like your actual eyes? Not some internal drifty—?” And I said, “Yeah, I'm looking with my actual eyes. I'm like taking a gaze.”And she goes, “If you're doing it already, just keep doing it.” I thought she was going to chastise me and say, “Never do that again.” But she essentially blessed the practice. So there was something there that was quite profound, I thought. Even from the Pa Auk tradition, they seemed to—I got a little wink, nod, nod on that one.Vince: Nice. I had a similar experience, although it turned out a little differently, with Daniel Ingram. I think I've shared this with you, Brian, where I was wanting to explore the kasina object, using the circular orb as a visual focus point. And Daniel Ingram had written the Fire Kasina book, and had been talking a lot about fire kasina in the years leading up to that.But I wasn't really that into the flame. I was wanting to do it, like, on my computer or whatever. And his instructions were very much to take the kasina object, close your eyes, and then see the afterimage, the eidetic image, and focus on that. And that by using that subtle— which I guess in your tradition would be like the nimitta—by focusing on that sort of internal nimitta, you eventually get absorbed. Well, you go through a process with that, but eventually it's a kind of a complete absorption in the nimitta.And I understood that, but for some reason I wanted to keep my eyes open doing the practice. It was just like a sort of intuition or an instinct. And maybe it was like a rebellious thing—“I'm going to rebel against what one of my teachers is telling me to do and see if he's right.”And I found, actually—this was so interesting—that moving through the third Jhāna, which he calls the murk, which for me I experienced as the kasina breaking apart and moving around and dissolving and being difficult to focus on—eventually my eyes actually settled so much that they were just barely open. It was almost like just a tiny slit of my eyes were open.And at some point it shifted into the fourth Jhāna, where all I saw was the color. It was like where I was looking and how my eyes were—and it wasn't like I was trying to engineer this, I was actually just moving through the state—and I found suddenly that my eyes were closed at just the right amount and looking at just the right place, that all I saw was the color from the kasina and I was completely absorbed.Brian: This is what was supposed to happen.Vince: Yeah, exactly.Brian: That's a full absorption. How beautiful. With eyes open. So amazing.Vince: And I was like, “Oh, my teacher's wrong. You can't just do this—or you don't only have to do this—with your eyes closed, taking the internal image. You can work with the external image the entire time, through the whole process.”Brian: Yes. Yeah, absolutely. Maybe that's a great transition.Vince: Sorry, Daniel.Brian: No, and we all love Daniel, and great respect for everything he's done. It's nice to have people trying different things out and telling us what actually works.Vince: Yeah.Brian: Maybe we could talk a little about the fact that there are a lot of concentration objects and what we will be offering in the retreat as far as what people might like to do around that.Vince: Yeah, that's cool.Brian: So folks, actually I don't have my list on me and I wouldn't be able to remember this because it's just too many, but there are traditionally 40 concentration objects. And the breath is one of those. The brahmavihāras, like loving-kindness, would be included. Things like contemplating the foulness of the body—contemplating pus, or contemplating urine or feces—would be considered part of that as well. And then you have all the kasinas, which are really traditional, and also contemplating the dharmas would be a concentration object as well.And so there's this premise that there are only 40, but every single sutta, or everything in Buddhism, there's always a sutta that says the opposite. And so what it turns out, there's a beautiful story where the Buddha meets a person, and the Buddha had the ability to see into people's past lives.And when he met this person, he could see this person had been a jeweler in a previous life. And so when the person came to him to request his object of concentration—which is how it was done in the old days, you go to your teacher and they give you the most suitable object, which is how it happened for me too in Malaysia, she will tell me what to do, I don't get to pick, she's going to pick based on her supreme knowledge, right?—and the Buddha to the jeweler, he says, “Clearly you were a jeweler in a previous life. I'm going to have you concentrate on this big, beautiful red ruby,” because he knew this guy was just going to be fully, really love the jewel, the ruby.So that—so apparently we could say the ruby is the 41st concentration object. But what I think we can actually take away from that story is: you can choose anything as a concentration object. Vince, maybe you want to talk later about your story—about Vince taking the number 1 as a concentration object on a full retreat, which is, whoa. How—where would that go? What's the sign of the number one, the nimitta? That's really fascinating.So there are all these different concentration objects. The breath is a wonderful object. I really promote the breath simply because I always have it with me. I don't need to take a bench with me. I don't have to have a cushion. I don't have to have a fancy colored thing. I don't have to have my computer. I can do it anywhere I am. It's always with me—the breath.And the breath produces this nimitta, this visual sign that allows us to get fully absorbed as well. Some of the other concentration objects wouldn't take one to that level of nimitta.And so for our retreat that's going to be happening on January 2nd, Vince and I's idea is we would like—we're very non-dogmatic teachers and we really like a spirit of openness and exploration—and we're going to invite all the participants to choose their object of concentration.I think probably, Vince, both of us will be teaching from one object. I'll be teaching from the breath for sure, because that's my preferred object. But you're welcome to choose a kasina. You could choose flame if you want. I think we could find a way to have you do a fire kasina somewhere if you wanted, et cetera, et cetera. Water, whatever you might like to work with. Vince, anything you want to add to that? Just how we're hoping to really keep it open for people on the retreat?Vince: Yeah, this is—it's an interesting experiment, because most concentration retreats, and I think in both of our experience, the whole group is being taught one object and is usually, though not always, doing one object focus together.And here, the idea is—what, yeah, we're all going to be focusing on one thing, but that one thing could be different depending on who you are and what you're resonating with, and where you want to go deep during that retreat. So it's a kind of interesting balance of the diversity of possible objects that one could be working with, and the universal experience of deepening with your meditation object.So we're going to be focusing on the universal patterns here, and the universal challenges that arise when trying to focus on anything—whether it be a jewel or a number, or the breath. And so yeah, I'm hopeful that we can weave those two worlds together. And my hope is that the deepening that happens often on retreat, that can be felt, that extra support—that we don't lose that just because there's a diversity of objects being worked with. But rather, that it creates something like a more complex field of concentration.Like the complexity of a wine when you drink—Brian: Yeah, complex harmonics.Vince: Yeah, exactly. There's a complexity there because of the way differences come together. And I guess I felt that in the Jhāna community, with your Śamatha Jhāna and the Vipassanā Jhāna and the Metta Jhāna. There's something I've seen with people that are going to multiple of these groups, where they're getting more of the flavor of the practice and what it could be like, by dipping into these different subjects.Brian: That's fascinating. And that metaphor of complex wine is really lovely. And complex harmonics tend to make interesting music. So that's great. Anything—should we talk about the breadth and the depth? So something that you and I often—so for those who are listening to this, Vince and I will often come across—so Vince and I are fairly non-dogmatic in the sense that we're really open to all doorways. And certain teachers that have been brought up in strong traditions, they have a really strong idea about what Jhāna is and what it isn't. Which I completely respect. And I really want to honor those classical traditions as well. I love that stuff and I'm completely drawn toward that as well. But Vince and I think we have a—we know we have a bit of a different approach. What should we say about the breadth and the depth that we're hoping to cover there?Vince: Yeah. Personally I can say I've struggled with this a lot over the years of practice.Brian: Totally.Vince: Having come up as a layperson, I decided not to go the monastic route because of my girlfriend—now wife. I didn't want to lose that relationship. It felt important. So I was always doing the thing—and I think you had the same experience for a while—going in and out of retreat.Brian: Totally.Vince: And going in and out of daily practice, doing an hour or two a day formal practice, going in and out of a month or so on retreat, coming back. And I experienced the oscillation between daily life and retreat life to be very fruitful on the one hand—where it felt like I kept plunging the depths and then coming back—but then also very challenging and confusing on the other end. Like, how do I bridge these two realities together? It almost could feel schizophrenic at times, coming in and out of that space.And part of what I learned really working with Kenneth—social noting exercises initially and teaching—was, oh, I need to be able to connect these states across my relationships now. That I need to be able to be present in relationship, not just by myself in silence on retreat. I need to find a way to bring this to bear on everything.And also be more okay not being in really concentrated states, since there are times where it's just going to be hard to do that. I know we've talked about your experience—I've laughed a number of times thinking about your experience going from super hardcore Pa Auk-style retreat practice to being in Tokyo with your wife, trying to maintain some of that depth while in an environment that just doesn't seem designed to do that.Maybe you could talk a little bit about your experience trying to maintain the depth.Brian: Just a general comment. This is less about Vince and I being meditation teachers and just trying to be skillful human beings in the world. If your partner's getting mad at you because of how you meditate, you're probably not doing it right. There's something going on that's probably out of sync.And so what that looked like for me was—I'm going to be the—clearly I needed to be the best Jhāna master ever to live who was a Westerner, I think. Second only or something like that. And what did that mean practically? Trying to live a life where I'm meditating four to five hours a day, while maintaining a full-time job and a marriage. And you know, that's sustainable for a certain amount of time.But what it actually means you need to do is you need to be dropping into the ānāpāna spot when your wife goes to the bathroom at dinner. And if you're thinking about that, you're probably actually thinking about it while you're eating dinner. And you might even take a moment to touch it while you're eating dinner. And then the wife will actually notice, and she'll say, “Stop meditating,” because she's sensitive to all your moods. Because she's been living with you. She knows when you're meditating, even if you think you're hiding it.And so this is actually failure mode. I don't think this is a good move. And so it's exactly what Vince is saying. There's something super beautiful about learning to get fully absorbed in a Jhānic experience, which tends to take some time for most people. There's a time-on-the-cushion element to that just because of the relative time it takes to build up the concentrated facility.But we also have lives to live. And there are certain things going on that make it impractical some of the time. So what's the happy medium? I think what's actually practical for us as laypeople.Now, one of my dear teachers is Tina Rasmussen. She's my first Jhāna teacher. And therefore I feel a really strong connection to Tina, who was one of my first Pa Auk teachers. But Tina won't think that what Vince and I are teaching is Jhāna. Because it—and some of the things that we're being taught in the Jhānic community—she wouldn't call Jhāna, because it's a little bit too far out of the rails of the Pa Auk tradition. And I totally understand that, and I respect that.And maybe Leigh would have his own opinions on that. And all these teachers have all these opinions. I think what Vince and I would like to offer you all is: we're going to hold all of that. We're big enough to hold all of that, accept all of that, agree with all of that, and be open to disagreeing with all of that. But we're going to say, that's all going to fit somewhere on the spectrum.We're happy. And in fact, I think within the community we hope we have teachers who could orient you to any part of the spectrum. Because at certain times of your life, some parts will be more interesting than others. If you're on a month-long at the Forest Refuge, go for full absorption with the nimitta. Why not? What a beautiful thing to have done in your life.If you're living a layperson's life and you meditate for about 20 minutes in the morning, maybe just get a little bit of nice pīti going, per Leigh Brasington's instructions. Because that's totally accessible in 15 minutes.What's going to make you feel good? Jhāna ultimately is really being offered as an episodic intervention to suffering. That's how the Buddha taught it. It's how he practiced it. And you can read that in the suttas. He entered Jhāna at the end of his life because he was sick. This is exactly how it was taught, and how he still can do it today.Vince: Brian, you mentioned the spectrum, and I know we've talked explicitly about the depth dimension as a spectrum. And here I'm like visually imagining this as like a vertical spectrum, where as you go down you get deeper. But I also have been thinking in the Jhāna community about another axis, which is the breadth axis.So if I were to map these together—like depth going vertically and breadth going horizontally—that would give like a bit more like a grid. And I think the breadth dimension—we were talking about this here, and it's good to make it explicit—which is, you can, and the way I understand the Pa Auk tradition really, is that it's focused on a very exclusive kind of breadth. Very hyper-focused on the object, and super deep. So it'd be like in the lower-left quadrant of this: super exclusive and super deep.Brian: Yeah.Vince: And what I've been realizing I've been trying to do in the last decade or so is live on the other side of the spectrum. Which is the more inclusive dimension of Jhāna, which I find you can actually take very deep. And maybe the Zen tradition is the best place where that's emphasized, where it's like your practice and your life are all integrated in one. And there's really an emphasis not on preferencing being in a particular posture or doing a particular thing—it's just like, your whole life is the meditation.And if that to me is—okay, that's a more inclusive kind of meditation experience, or Jhānic experience, where everything that arises is part of the practice. And like, thinking of The Karate Kid, it's like, at the beginning of The Karate Kid, what are they learning? Wax on, wax off. You're learning every basic movement can be kung fu. And so if you turn everything you do into the meditation, then you can have a kind of inclusive attention or awareness that doesn't get knocked off by the changingness of the content of experience.Brian: Say more about inclusive, exclusive. And I think you were doing one or the other when you did our guided sit today—you were talking a lot about “may concentration arise for all.” Were you even doing a little bit of a visualization? Visualization—what would the world look like, should we all be so concentrated? Can you point to what you were doing there—whether that was inclusive or exclusive, and how you see those two?Vince: Yeah, that's a good example, Brian. That was the move toward more inclusiveness. Including the imaginal capacity, which you'd already brought online really with the rails, feeling in the breath. So just working off of that. But also including in awareness more of a sense of others.And I think what I learned from Ken Wilber, of the Integral philosophers, is like we really can include these core perspectives. We can include our first-person experience—which to me, that's already included, even in the most exclusive, deep Jhāna states. You're including your own experience, you have to, because that's where it's happening.But then you can also include others' experience. You can open to and include in your awareness other people. And the early Buddhist tradition has good examples of that, like in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta. As they're describing the kind of mindfulness you want to establish, they said establish this mindfulness internally and externally.And so there's already there some clear instructions for how you can have a more inclusive kind of focus that includes not just your own experience, but also others. And then the third thing you could include, from an Integral perspective, is the third-person perspective, which is like the external world. Nature, the world of nature.And I—lately I've been sitting for 24 minutes a day outside on my back porch. That's been my practice—just sitting. And it's a very inclusive practice, because the eyes are open, ears are open, body open, and you're just sitting and being with whatever is. In my case, it's with Emily, and with the sounds of what's happening in the neighborhood.Brian: What a beautiful practice.Vince: That to me is like more inclusive. If you open from your first person to include others and then include the world—if you include all those things—you're sitting in a very inclusive way. Or walking, or standing, or whatever posture you might be in.Brian: And folks, you know that—what's the proximate cause for concentration? That's concentration. We've all heard that before. It's a kind of a funny joke. I think we talk about like Shakti and passing our concentration to others, which I hear a lot—people say when they're with me they feel more concentrated. I think that's because I'm including them. I'm trying to include them in that space. I want them to be part of that. And I'm inviting them into mine, and they're giving me some back, and we're all kind of building it together.The—a little bit more on the spectrum. So my natural resting place on the spectrum and Vince's natural resting place on the spectrum are actually at totally opposite ends of the spectrum. I want you guys to know that because I think that's really great—that you have a teacher who sits on each side, and therefore we can cover all the middle.So I'm a hundred percent exclusive. That's how I was taught to practice. And so one of the primary things I do when I'm correcting students who come to me to learn Pa Auk Jhāna is: people have been highly influenced by events, or they've been highly influenced by The Mind Illuminated—Culadasa. And they'll come in and then I'll learn, like on session four, like I hadn't realized it because they haven't told me yet, “Oh yeah, I'm always leaving 10% of my awareness in the room to note things before they arise.”And I'm like, “No. You don't leave any awareness in the room. You put a hundred percent here. We're never doing anything but that.” And that turns out to be revelatory. People are like, “Oh, I don't leave any in the room?” And I'm like, “No, this is an exclusive practice. A hundred percent.”And some of us will really be drawn to that. It's a very—you guys can feel the renunciate vibe of that Theravāda. It tends to be a renunciate practice. That churning is renunciate practice. And those of us who are incredibly drawn to absorption tend to have a little bit of that renunciate vibe. I absolutely have that in myself.Vince, on the other side, has taken—all great teachers will have students who will take something they've taught and run with it and reify and make it great. And Vince took social meditation from Kenneth. And I took eye postures. Kenneth talked about eye postures a little bit, but I went and made it the whole thing. Kenneth is even surprised by how big it's got at this point. And I think he'd say the same about Vince in social meditation.So just a little bit there about how we—our natural resting places I think make us really great teaching partners, in the sense that we love to cover the whole end of the spectrum, from our respective ends, which are the exact opposite ends. I think, Vince, that we sit at the opposite ends on that, naturally.Vince: Yeah. But we can meet in the middle, which I think is important. We both have that experience of being on the other side.So yeah—to your point, we'll do some social meditation on this retreat as well, regularly. And the intention there is to play with extending attention to include more.I was thinking about, what is the core difference between the sort of exclusive and inclusive ends of that spectrum? And it more or less reduces down to whether you're saying “no” to experience outside of the object you're working with, or whether you're saying “yes.” Or whether the object you're working with includes everything else.And in that sense, I would say all practice is working with that spectrum. Because there are times—even probably in the Pa Auk tradition, I imagine—where something could be arising that actually keeps you from being able to a hundred percent focus on here. And you actually at some point have to maybe turn toward it and deal with it, or address it, so that you can come back to a hundred percent focus here. Is that accurate?Brian: Yeah, so the most radical Pa Auk teacher will say you don't even do that. And they're not going to even acknowledge that there's a hindrance taking you away, because that would almost be like an admission of defeat.Vince: Like you're feeding it or something?Brian: Yeah, like feeding there something. So it's just: focus here. That being said, in the more modern Pa Auk teachers, they talk a lot about transformation versus transcendence. And the frame on this is—with Jhāna, we're aiming for transcendence. We are going to intensely ecstatic states that one would never experience without doing the practice. And these are supernormal human states, way beyond the pale of normal human experience.But sometimes that doesn't work, because we're super hungry or we hate our boss, and we're being pulled away by hindrances, we could say. And then when that happens, we simply can't concentrate. Focus here is not an option. And the more modern teachers are a little bit more flexible around that, and they say that's when we shift from transcendence into transformation. And what I mean by that is personality transformation.And they will propose that you do some work around working with the hindrances, so that you can free up that energy to go back to the ānāpāna spot. Any hindrance is just taking something away from energy that could be put always right here. Focus here always and forever, even when you don't feel like it, is the message of that tradition.Vince: So this is cool. I think that—I'm thinking the way this will probably play out on this retreat is we'll be offering different perspectives from either side of that. And the exploration is going to be around figuring out how to work with that more inclusive versus more exclusive focus, and finding the sweet spot for you in that spectrum.Brian: I think that's what we're offering. I've never, folks—I've never done a Jhāna retreat that wasn't full noble silence. So it's actually quite novel for me to go into a very strong concentration practice, but also have the space to be more inclusive. And that's what I want to do this time. I think that's a great approach. I think it'll bear great fruit for us.Join us in The Jhāna Community–an online community of practice focused on all the flavors of meditation. Get full access to Buddhist Geeks at www.buddhistgeeks.org/subscribe

Vince Fakhoury Horn: I was thinking about where to start with the 9th Jhāna, and I think the first thing to say is that the 9th Jhāna is not a state. So why in the world are we within a community of practice called The Jhāna Community, which is explicitly aimed at developing and cultivating certain states of mind, or states of consciousness, why would we be focusing on something which is not a state?Let me let me share a little bit where this term came from. So I'm borrowing this term from a researcher who I spoke to some months ago. This is a researcher working on a project studying advanced meditation. They were asking me about my experience with jhāna's and then asked, “Do you have any experience with anything that would be considered like a 9th Jhāna, or anything beyond the eight traditional jhānas.” And I had to think about that because I'd never heard the term, “the 9th jhāna.” I'd heard other things, weird things, but I hadn't heard that one before, so I thought about it and I was like, “Well, I guess the only thing I would describe as the 9th jhāna is just sort of resting in awareness, or just being open and not doing anything, just being”, what I would normally in my own models call Awareness Meditation, and that is the spirit of this exploration today.Want to explore the 9th jhāna with Vince Horn? Join him for another round of The 9th Jhāna in The Jhāna Community beginning September 30th, 2025. The 9th Jhāna is an exploration of how to explore these states of consciousness that arise in meditation naturally and organically when the mind and body are settled, through the doorway of a very different kind of meditation object, which is not an object at all. We take awareness as our “object.”Of course, awareness can't take itself as an object, right? If you could take awareness as an object, that wouldn't be awareness. It'd be some experience. With the 9th jhāna we're learning how to rest in awareness, to be aware of awareness. And there are lots of ways to do that, and there's lots of ways to think about that. So today I wanted to kind of just share a few different frames with you, uh, as an attempt to frame the unframeable. Awareness isn't something which we can frame properly because it's not an experience, or it's not a thing, or state. But we still have to talk about it. Because it's like the whole point of the Buddhist meditative tradition in a certain way. So how can we talk about something that doesn't fit into the normal categories of how we think about reality? One way I think we have to talk about this, and this is a longstanding conversation in the Buddhist contemplative tradition, is we have to talk about how we enter into this awareness of awareness. And there's a longstanding debate here between what in the Buddhist tradition they call the Sudden and Gradual schools. They're not actual real schools, okay. In fact, they're probably not really actual people who really believe either one of these extreme positions anymore.But, over thousands of years, you could say a dialogue has been happening across these different lines of looking at how the path unfolds. And one of the so-called schools says that the path is a gradual process, it's something that you develop through time. In a book called One Dharma by a Teacher named Joseph Goldstein, he does his best to try to make sense of these different approaches and he describes this kind of approach where you're gradually developing stage by stage or step by step. He calls this the Building From Below orientation. But there's also, as he describes it, a way to Swoop From Above with Awareness. You don't necessarily have to spend 20 years and you know, five Goenka retreats, or whatever the amount of stuff that you did, before you realized the basic truth about awareness, which is: good luck trying to not be aware. Ken Wilber, one of my early mentors, he used to always point to awareness, he'd say, “Try to stop being aware of my voice.” And Ken talks a lot [laughs] and he'd just keep talking, talking, talking about how you can't not be aware. And it's true, it's hard to shut awareness off.So here, how do we actually, suddenly realize that we're already aware? This is the Sudden School, which Joseph Goldstein described as Sweeping from Above. You could just realize it's already done. You're already aware, you're already awake. Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, in a book called I Am That he said, “To be aware is to be awake. Unaware means asleep. You are aware anyhow, you need not try to be. What you need is to be aware of being aware. Be aware deliberately and consciously, broaden and deepen the field of awareness. You are always conscious of the mind, but you are not aware of yourself as being conscious.”I like this way of describing awareness practice, because in a way, he's integrating these two, the sudden and gradual approaches. He's not prioritizing one over the other. He's saying both are true. You're always conscious, right? So consciousness is always present, but you're not always aware that you're aware. You're not always conscious of your consciousness. And so there, that's the practice is being aware of being aware. That's it. That's what we're doing here. B. Alan Wallace in The Attention Revolution, another awesome Dharma book, that touches on awareness as a doorway into jhāna, he says, “In awareness of awareness, there is no intentional directing of attention. You simply rest in that flow of knowing, and from time to time gently recognize that you are aware.”I wish it were more complicated than that, sometimes I wish I could just lay it out like kind of like Daniel Ingram did in his book, Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha, and just give you the full, 400 page diagram detail of how to get into awareness. And I'm sure that book exists, and that might be a useful exercise. But for me, the practice is quite simple. And unfortunately, the thinking mind will tend to make this more complex than it is, and that tends to be one of the biggest obstacles that I've noticed in using awareness as a tool for entering into jhāna. So this is one way to look at what we're doing here with the 9th Jhāna. How is it that we're coming into this awareness? Gradually or all of a sudden. Another way of looking at awareness practice, I think that's very important is that if you are taking a gradual approach, if you feel like there's some kind of movement or development or progression through time, what I've noticed is that that progression often takes one of two forms, and this seems to largely depend on the person and the tradition that they're practicing in.One of the ways, in the Christian contemplative tradition, they call this Via Negativa. In the Hindu tradition, they call this Advaita, which is you take all of the experiences that are rising and you recognize that you are not any of those, because they're objects, because they're arising, because you can know them. That means they arise in time that they're changing, and they will vanish. This is the basic truth of vipassana, right? Mindfulness. Yeah, so we can recognize that and we recognize anything that we can be aware of is not ultimately who we are. This is the process of, Neti Neti, as it's said in Sanskrit, “Not this, Not this.”With this approach you're backing away from the untruth. You're backing away from everything that is not you. You're letting go of all those objects and just resting in awareness that's devoid of any characteristics. Devoid. That's important. This is the path of the void. Not this. Via Negativa. Then on the other side though, you have the opposite path, Via Positiva. “This too, This too.” Nothing is excluded. Anything that arises that appears to be apart from you, you include it in awareness. You fold it back into awareness and see that thing that I thought was out there, over here, this too! Shunryū Suzuki Roshi in Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, he says, “That everything is included within your mind is the essence of mind.” So, here we're recognizing that everything that arises in the mind is the essence of mind.Another quote from Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, in I Am That:“The mind produces thoughts ceaselessly, even when you do not look at them. When you know what is going on in your mind, you call it consciousness. That is your waking state–your consciousness shifts from sensation to sensation, from perception to perception, from idea to idea, in endless succession. Then comes awareness, the direct insight into the whole of consciousness, the totality of the mind. The mind is like a river, flowing ceaselessly in the bed of the body; you identify yourself for a moment with some particular ripple and call it: ‘my thought'. All you are conscious of is your mind; awareness is the cognizance of consciousness as a whole.”Awareness is the cognizance of consciousness as a whole. Again, we'll use this as our kind of broad definition for what it is that we're meditating on. And of course we don't meditate on awareness. We meditate as awareness. There's no way to take awareness as an object. You can only be that awareness.So how do you be aware? Well, you're already aware. How do you not be aware? That might be a more interesting question. How do we not be aware? How do we avoid this moment?So these are two approaches, “Not this, Not this” (via negativa) and “This too, This too.” (via positiva), are both are valid ways to realize Awareness. I remember the first time I really heard this spoken by someone I respected, it was a teacher at Naropa University. I was in this class called Contemplative Hinduism and learning about the different contemplative approaches in the Hindu tradition. My teacher was a woman named Sreedevi Bringi, and she grew up in India and her family, and her family was close friends with Jiddu Krishnamurti, so she grew up, hanging out with Krishnamurti in her family house. Okay, that should give you a little sense of her background.She said in India there are two basic approaches, and she described it in pretty much the same way I just described them to you, except she said with the Neti, Neti approach, she said in India we call this Advaita Vedanta, radical non-duality. And the other approach “This too, This too”, we call that Tantra. Vedanta and Tantra. And she said both of these are valid approaches. At the time that I heard that, it was really useful, because I'd taken the Via Negativa approach and I thought, “Well, this must be the only way.” I noticed in the beginning when everyone was sharing about your background, I should have probably asked when your first Goenka retreat was, because almost everyone here seems to have experienced that. And that very much is the Via Negativa approach, where you're just breaking down, deconstructing your experience, disidentifying, you could say dissociating from whatever arises. So this is also, I think, an important frame for understanding the 9th Jhāna, that there are different ways in, that are either about backing away from identification with anything, or moving toward identification with everything. Ultimately, I would suggest these lead to the same realizations. And then finally, I want to throw this last frame out to you, which is the Several Ways to Meditate framework. This is a framework that my wife, Emily Horn and I developed over many years now to kind of describe the various approaches to meditation that we have practiced, and we teach, to provide a schema for understanding all the different possible ways there are to do this, and how they connect and relate to each other.If you think for a moment of a hexagram, starting off with a very simple six-sided object. If you look at that hexagram, you can see that there's six points in the hexagram, and each of those points is a style of meditation or a way to meditate. You have Concentration Meditation, bringing attention to a single point. Mindfulness, where we're noticing sensations as they change. Heartfulness, inclining the mind toward opening the heart. Inquiry Meditation where we're using a question as a prompt for discovery, like "What is awareness?" or "Who is aware?" Then you have Imaginal Meditation where you're using internal imagery or other internal senses to kind of put yourself in a position, that you can only imagine, where you're more whole and integrated. And then finally we have Embodiment Meditation where you're working on inhabiting the body. Now obviously there's a lot of overlaps between these styles. It's not that they're completely separate. In fact, they do connect. And if you imagine this hexagram, every point connecting up to a single point, like a pyramid, except this is a hexagramic pyramid. That single point at the top, the apex, is Awareness. Awareness is the only way of meditating that doesn't have a focus. It's the only style of meditation where there's nothing to do, and thus awareness doesn't contradict any of these other styles of practice. You might be missing that you're aware while you're furiously meditating on your breath or something, you might actually miss that, really it's true. But you can be aware and breathe at the same time. Awareness is compatible with everything, and it's the common denominator of all these styles. It's the point that transcends and includes all these different ways to meditate. So in that sense, it's a kind of special approach. And because of that you can use any of those other styles of meditation, in combination with the intention to be aware of awareness, and you can practice that as a doorway into the 9th jhāna. So you can practice Mindful Awareness, you can use techniques that intentionally bring in mindfulness, and also point toward awareness. Or you could do a kind of inquiry into awareness. You could use inquiry meditation to, to hone in on the nature of awareness through asking questions. “What is aware of this experience right now?” Can you find that? You can just sit and be in your body. Embodied awareness. You can take awareness as your concentration object. Shamatha without a sign, which was mentioned earlier. You could move through the jhānas naturally and organically as you just rest in awareness, concentrated awareness. So I mention this model because I'm going to be pulling from a lot of these different techniques over the course of the next 12 weeks. And my hope is that by exploring this from different angles, you can find the approaches to awareness that work for you, to let you in, that are access points for you that are reliable and which you can deepen through. And my experience is sometimes people will find that access point in one place, and it might not be a Goenka retreat, it might be somewhere else. So, here I want to provide as many access points as possible while also continuing to keep the focus centered on the 9th Jhāna.Practice the 9th Jhāna in The Jhāna Community with Vince Fakhoury Horn. Next group starts on September 30th, 2025. Get full access to Buddhist Geeks at www.buddhistgeeks.org/subscribe

In this episode I am joined by Alex W, long term practitioner of Zen, Pragmatic Dharma, and Western Occultism. Alex describes his journey from elite upbringing in Geneva; through NeoPlatonism, Zen practice, and magick; to advanced states of spiritual attainment and insight. Alex tells stories of his discipleships under pragmatic dharma teacher Kenneth Folk and renowned occultist Alan Chapman and details the lead up to, and attainment and after effects of his own experience of enlightenment. Alex recounts his successful operation of the Abramelin Ritual, a powerful kundalini awakening, and his ongoing encounters with spiritual beings such as Kālī Mā and Hecate. … https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep316-dharma-the-goddess-alex-w Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:55 - Elite upbringing in Geneva 03:50 - Religious experiences in America 05:39 - Major surgery and turn towards spirituality 08:05 - Immersion in a Hindu religious group 10:25 - First spiritual experiences and power places 12:07 - Interest in philosophy and the Kyoto School 13:05 - Law school and studying mediaeval philosophy 15:52 - Entering Zen Buddhist practice with Deshimaru Taisen 18:14 - Finding a real Zen master & understanding Zen in Japan 21:55 - Observations about Japanese religiosity 24:09 - 1996 financial crisis and internship in law firm 24:58 - Connecting with advanced practitioners online 26:53 - Interest in Chan Buddhism 30:08 - Japan vs Chinese and Korean monasticism 32:15 - Plateau after 15 years of Zen 33:01 - Daniel Ingram & Kenneth Folk 39:09 - No-self experience 39:54 - Become a student of occultist Alan Chapman 45:25 - Scrying the Enochian Æthyrs 48:02 - Visions and esoteric Christianity 50:09 - Abramelin Ritual w/ Alan Chapman 53:50 - Meeting the Holy Guardian Angel 56:32 - Approaching enlightenment 01:02:38 - Achieving enlightenment 01:10:59 - Consequences of enlightenment 01:14:45 - Confirmation by Stuart Lachs 01:18:54 - Massive kundalini experience 01:22:21 - Loss of interest in spirituality 01:23:21 - Spirit encounters in Santeria 01:27:23 - Strategic presentations of Tibetan Buddhism 01:28:13 - Difficulties after awakening 01:29:52 - Post kundalini energetic development 01:31:56 - Loss of fear of death 01:33:15 - Breathwork 01:34:54 - Opening of psychic senses 01:37:40 - Powerful encounters with Kālī Mā 01:45:03 - Meeting other Dark Goddesses 01:48:27 - Synchronicities and initiations 01:49:20 - Alan Chapman's Magia 01:53:26 - Adventures in Bali 02:03:14 - Chinese Internal Alchemy & Mattias Daly 02:05:25 - Nan Huai-Chin 02:07:31 - Energy rewires for 12 years after awakening 02:09:11 - Neoplatonist theurgy 02:12:31 - Reviving the Western spiritual tradition 02:12:53 - Instructed by Hecate to be interviewed 02:14:31 - Specialties of the Western tradition 02:17:00 - Sacred geography and local deities 02:20:27 - #1 problem in the West 02:23:11 - Karmic connections 02:24:34 - Fall from grace after awakening 02:26:16 - Divine beings care about authenticity 02:28:15 - Sequel plans 02:29:57 - Praise for the Guru Viking Podcast … For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James

This week on the podcast I'm speaking again with Daniel Ingram. Daniel is a physician and meditator and is the author of the influential book Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha. He is the co-founder of the Dharma Overground and of The Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium. Today we discuss awakening and the role of interpretations in the mind, as well as the dark night of the soul and other related topics. If you're interested in any of these topics, you can go to innerspaceinstitute.org to explore my guided practices there.

Overview: In this episode, Vince Horn and Daniel Thorson explore the evolving landscape of Western Buddhism, unpacking the tensions between Consensus Buddhism and Pragmatic Dharma, while reflecting on ethics, teacherly authority, and the possibilities for a more integrated future.Vince Horn: I'm here with Daniel Thorson, hanging out in your office-slash-bedroom. You've been in the Asheville area for what—a year now?Daniel Thorson: Almost two years, actually.Vince: Whoa, really? That's wild! And this is our first time recording together since you moved here. Doing it in person feels weird—so hyper-intimate.Daniel: Yeah. It's a whole 3D—or maybe even 4D—experience.Vince: More D than that if you include yourself.Daniel: Totally.Vince: So, I suggested we record because, well, we were going to hang out anyway, and you've been writing a really interesting series on your Substack, The Intimate Mirror.Daniel: Yeah, that's the one. Initially, I was exploring AI as a kind of mirror—how to use and work with it. But I've taken a side journey into critiquing Western Buddhism. I'm planning to do some reconstructive work too, eventually.Vince: Especially the American convert Buddhist scenes we've been part of, right? Like, the Buddhist Geeks orbit, Insight Meditation world, maybe even broader—Consensus Buddhism, as David Chapman calls it.Daniel: Exactly. My focus is mostly on modern Western Buddhist culture. That includes Insight Meditation, but also Westernized Zen, and even American Vajrayana. It's like a meta-sangha of Buddhist Modernism.Vince: Right. Like the teachers who went to hang out with the Dalai Lama in the 90s and asked, "How can we make Buddhism more friendly to the West?" And now there's this whole ecosystem.Daniel: Definitely. And I want to be clear: I'm not critiquing individual teachers. It's more about the communities and cultures that have grown around them—looking at their gifts and their shadows.Vince: So you've got Consensus Buddhism on one hand and Pragmatic Dharma—what you call the Tech Bro Buddhist scene—on the other. I loved your piece on the "Upper Middle Path and the Tech Bros." You brought in critiques I've seen mostly in academic circles—people like David McMahan and Ann Gleig—but you made it much more accessible and relevant.Daniel: Thanks. That was the goal: take these ideas out of esoteric academic circles and bring them into contemporary discourse. Especially around communities like ours that are immersed in Buddhist Geeks-type spaces.Vince: It felt like a kind of moral responsibility to name the limitations and mistakes we've seen—or made—over the years. Like, I see a lot of younger folks in the liminal web, teapot Twitter, etc., getting into Buddhist modernism the way we were 15 years ago.Daniel: Exactly. And I think it's important we help them avoid some of the pitfalls. Not because we're better or more advanced, but just because we've had more time to metabolize these dynamics.Vince: Right. I mean, early Buddhist Geeks was full-on modernist—tech, enlightenment, Daniel Ingram's stage models. But it evolved. Ann Gleig even said she saw postmodern elements starting to emerge in that community. I think she was right.Daniel: Totally. And part of my own evolution, especially through training at the Monastic Academy, has been this inquiry into ethics—specifically, how ethical responsiveness is missing in a lot of Buddhist spaces. That's especially problematic in a time of planetary crisis.Vince: It's not just about meditating in caves or on retreat anymore. There's a demand for something deeper and more responsive. A lot of Buddhism as it's been practiced here feels avoidant—especially to folks with avoidant attachment styles. It's like a refuge from complexity, not a way of meeting it.Daniel: Exactly. And even in the engaged Buddhist scenes, it can feel like there's a polarity—like the rest of Buddhism is disengaged by default.Vince: There's been some shifts, especially post-George Floyd. Consensus Buddhism became more pluralistic, more explicitly social justice-oriented. But even then, it can become polarized—like progressive vs. liberal politics.Daniel: Right. And on the Pragmatic Dharma side, you see a resistance to that pluralism. It's still very focused on individual attainment, hyper-rational, and map-model heavy. It's like a cultural left/right divide.Vince: I've started avoiding the masculine/feminine language because it triggers so many people. I use "self-focused" and "other-focused" instead. Pragmatic Dharma = self-focused; Consensus Buddhism = other-focused. There's a polarity there.Daniel: That feels accurate. And yet, both scenes are struggling with ethics. The Tech Bro Dharma scene risks erasing the generative function of suffering. There's this idea that suffering is just a bug to be fixed.Vince: Right. And people like Shinzen Young and Daniel Ingram do qualify that—it's perceptual suffering, not all suffering. But the popularizers, like Nick Cammarata on X.com, often simplify it down to "eliminate suffering, be happy."Daniel: Which is dangerous. Suffering is supposed to be understood, not eliminated. It teaches us about being in right relationship with reality. Removing it through tech could erase the ethical feedback loops we need.Vince: And that's not just theoretical. We've seen examples—teachers like Culadasa, who bypassed relational feedback in ways that created real harm.Daniel: Or on the other side, in Consensus Buddhism, where the focus becomes eliminating social suffering through systems change—but sometimes it loses the locus of individual responsibility. It becomes ideologically confused.Vince: Yeah. It's like both sides are overcorrecting, and what we really need is a new synthesis. Something that honors both individual and collective transformation.Daniel: The best example I've seen of that is John Churchill's Planetary Dharma. I'm in his Level 1 training, and it weaves individual and relational ethics beautifully.Vince: I've heard good things. Also, Tom Huston's Kosmic Dharma project seems to be trying something similar, from a more Advaita direction.Daniel: And Robert Burbea's Soulmaking Dharma, which really helps people deconstruct secular materialism and reopen to a sacred worldview.Vince: Yeah, I've seen that too. Even in the Pragmatic Dharma scene, many of the original rationalists are now post-rational, magical thinkers. Daniel Ingram literally has wands.Daniel: That's the resilience of the Dharma. Practice sincerely, and it eventually breaks out of those constraints.Vince: That said, I think we're in a phase of necessary deconstruction before meaningful reconstruction can happen.Daniel: Totally. And we need to talk about ethics now, not wait for the practice to eventually bring people around.Vince: Which raises a tricky question: How do you do this work—invite a new synthesis—without just creating a new brand of Buddhism that becomes subject to the same market dynamics?Daniel: It's hard. But maybe it's less about building one big thing and more about encouraging mutations. Experiments. Some may become new institutions. Others might just be small, temporary communities. I've been part of a project called the Church of the Intimate Web that's experimenting with that.Vince: I love that. To me, anything that includes the three trainings—ethics, meditation, wisdom—is Buddhist, whether or not it uses the label.Daniel: Same. And while I'm deeply grateful to the institutions that formed me, I'm not optimistic about their ability to adapt. This series is, in some ways, a goodbye letter to Buddhism for me.Vince: That might be a key difference between us. I'm still invested in evolving Buddhism from within, even while exploring the edges. Buddhist Geeks is still about that.Daniel: And thank God for that. Because you're right: we also need bridges. Between elders and newcomers. Between experimental scenes and rooted lineages. Otherwise, we risk losing our moorings.Vince: There's so much anti-authoritarian energy in these new spaces, and yet the real problem isn't gatekeepers—it's often a lack of inner trust.Daniel: Exactly. And until people find legitimate external authority they can trust, it's hard to develop real inner authority.Vince: We need both elders and experimentalists. And we need to keep honoring the lineage that made any of this even possible.Daniel: Amen.The Jhāna CommunityDaniel Thorson will be joining Vince and the Jhāna Community next month for a 4-week teaching series exploring how secure attachment to reality can serve as the basis for jhāna practice. Yes, we plan on recording it!Live teaching series w/ Daniel Thorson online: Thursday May 8, 15, 22, & 29 @ 4pm Eastern TimeIMPORTANT NOTE: The Jhāna Community will be open for new applicants in the month of May. Get full access to Buddhist Geeks at www.buddhistgeeks.org/subscribe

This week's show is with Dr. Daniel M. Ingram, MD MSPH, a retired emergency medicine physician who works to improve the global relationship of science, clinical practice, mental health and the public to the phenomena that might be referred to as spiritual, meditative, energetic, mystical, psychedelic, magical, and related phenomena. To those ends, he is currently the founder, philanthropic supporter, and volunteer CEO and Board Chair of the Emergence Benefactors registered charity, and chief organizer and co-founder of the global Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium. He is currently involved in neurophenomenological research of advanced meditative states with colleagues at Harvard and has been a participant in numerous fMRI and EEG studies of advanced meditators, including at Harvard, Yale, U Mass, and Vanderbilt. He has published scientific articles in Pediatrics, Child Abuse and Neglect, and the Journal of Medical Toxicology. He is the author of Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha, co-author of The Fire Kasina, and co-founder of the Dharma Overground. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Esquire, Vice, Wired, BBC Radio 4, Evolving Dharma, American Dharma: Buddhism Beyond Modernity, Dan Harris' 10% Happier Podcast, Slate Star Codex Blog, Buddha at the Gas Pump, Meaning of Life TV, Deconstructing Yourself, Spiritual Explained website, Guru Viking, Buddhist Geeks, Cosmic Tortoise, Startup Geometry, Imperfect Buddha Podcast, and many others. In this conversation, Lian and Daniel explore what awakening really means, weaving between the modern non-duality and Neo-Vedanta ideas such as "you're already awake" and the more structured progressive paths, filled with stages, techniques, and deepening insights. They gently reveal the hidden challenges and the powerful gifts each path offers, opening up a conversation that's both timeless and deeply relevant. Lian shares how awakening can happen spontaneously, profoundly reshaping lives, while Daniel draws from his extensive experience in various spiritual communities and traditions. Together, they explore the subtle nuances of spiritual growth, shadow integration, and the vital practice of staying present to this very moment. Their personal experiences effortlessly blend with mythic and traditional wisdom, highlighting the beautiful paradox of human growth. They also discuss practical tools like the five Buddha families, attachment styles, and why working with our shadows is essential. Daniel stresses how important personalised practice and honest community feedback are on this journey. Their conversation gently challenges the seductive myth of spiritual perfectionism, offering instead a grounded, compassionate invitation towards continual transformation and deeper self-awareness. We'd love to know what YOU think about this week's show. Let's carry on the conversation… please leave a comment wherever you are listening or in any of our other spaces to engage. What You'll Learn From This Episode: How clearly seeing the strengths and limits of modern non-dual teachings and progressive spiritual approaches helps you create a spiritual practice that's deeply meaningful, nourishing, and aligned with who you really are. Why recognising and embracing your shadows—those hidden emotional patterns and parts of yourself—is essential for reclaiming your wholeness, bringing more emotional freedom and a deeper sense of authenticity. How using personality frameworks like the five Buddha families and attachment styles can help you personalise your spiritual journey in a way that genuinely honours your unique nature. Resources and stuff spoken about: If you want to focus on Daniel's scientific work related to spirituality and the organisation he helps support: Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium The EPRC YouTube Channel Emergence Benefactors If you want to focus on Daniel's work related to meditation practice and its effects: Daniel M. Ingram YouTube Channel Mastering The Core Teachings of Buddha For Books: Fire Kasina: The Fire Kasina Meditation Site for books and more on meditation Daniels Personal Website: Integrated Daniel Daniels Online Community: The Dharma Overground Emerge Wiki: emergewiki.org Join UNIO, the Academy of Sacred Union. This is for the old souls in this new world… Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth. Be Mythical Join our mailing list for soul stirring goodness: https://www.bemythical.com/moonly Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth: https://www.bemythical.com/unio Go Deeper: https://www.bemythical.com/godeeper Follow us: Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube Thank you for listening! There's a fresh episode released each week here and on most podcast platforms - and video too on YouTube. If you subscribe then you'll get each new episode delivered to your device every week automagically. (that way you'll never miss a show).

Daniel Ingram returns to the show following our first conversation, Awakening and the Search for Meaning. Daniel is best known for his cult classic Mastering The Core Teachings of the Buddha, within which he maps the stages of insight. He is also an emergency medicine physician and part of The Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium (EPRC) which aims to integrate spiritual, mystical or energetic experiences into healthcare systems.Continuing the dream series, our conversation explores how Daniel integrates dreams into the stages of insight. He shares his definition of standard, symbolic, lucid, and hyper-lucid dreams. We look at a host of intriguing spiritual experiences within dreams, including: vivid sense perception, out of body experiences, guru transmission, kundalini awakenings, meditating in dreams, ego-transcendence, no-self dreams, and the continuum between dreams, imagination, and the dreamlike nature of “waking” reality.

In this episode I once again host a dialogue between Daniel Ingram and Delson Armstrong. Daniel Ingram is an independent Buddhist writer, author of ‘Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha', and co-founder of the Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium (EPRC). Delson Armstrong is a spiritual teacher, author of 'A Mind Without Craving', and founder of the Freedom of Mind foundation. Daniel offers his response to Delson's recent renunciations, warns about the power of self hypnosis, and explains why it is so common for people to revise their enlightenment claims. Delson considers how it was that he mistook the nature of his spiritual achievements, considers the impact of his renunciation on his practice community and students, and looks ahead to his own future as a teacher and guide. Daniel and Delson address criticisms they have both received for their revisions of important Buddhist doctrines such as the 4 path model of awakening, comment on gatekeeping and fundamentalism in Buddhism, and consider whether advances in contemplative neuroscience may pose a serious threat to traditional religions and their institutions. … Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify. … 01:51 - The situation 04:36 - Daniel's response to Delson's renunciation 07:14 - Early schism in Buddhism 08:20 - Does Daniel feel vindicated? 09:42 - Delson reflects on what he has learned from Daniel 12:34 - The snake has shed its skin 13:29 - Profound not simple 14:26 - Neurodiversity and the spiritual path 16:54 - Hypnotising yourself into believing you're enlightened 19:17 - How did Delson get his enlightenment wrong? 22:22 - Social factors 24:13 - A gradual process 25:06 - Gatekeepin in Buddhism 27:35 - Jack Kornfield and Christopher Titmuss 30:51 - Social influence on perceptions of spiritual progress 33:35 - Relationships 35:21 - The World Without Sin 38:43 - Can you ever go back? Spoiling the party 40:38 - Delson on negative reactions from his community 43:57 - Attached to models, experiences, and perfection? 46:17 - Stages of development 47:17 - Leading with vulnerability 48:45 - A different type of practitioner 49:55 - The appeal of Vajrayāna 52:21 - Specific criticisms of Daniel and Delson 54:19 - Why do Daniel & Delson revise Buddhism? 56:43 - Delson's critics 59:51 - Transference and counter-transference 01:01:18 - Tantric guru yoga 01:01:47 - When your guru disappoints 01:02:05 - Bhikkhu Anālayo and Daniel's other critics 01:02:27 - Neuroscience and religious orthodoxy 01:06:34 - Will neuroscience destroy Buddhism? 01:10:24 - Praise for the Theravāda 01:11:45 - Theravādan exceptionalism 01:12:37 - Validating or defeating religion? 01:15:43 - Finders' Course and retrenchment to orthodoxy 01:17:57 - Delson on contemplative neuroscience 01:20:39 - What does Daniel think will next happen to Delson? 01:23:23 - Maturing as a spiritual explorer 01:26:33 - Attachment styles & kalyāṇa-mittatā 01:28:40 - Loss of enthusiasm for practice in advanced practitioners 01:31:18 - Micro-renunciations and disgust for the quest 01:33:42 - When spiritual teachers lose their faith 0135:28 - How Delson keeps his interest in teaching 01:38:20 - Why Daniel decided not to become a teacher 01:40:32 - Delson's closing remarks 01:40:45 - Daniel's closing remarks 01:41:04 - Praise for the religious orthodoxy 01:42:21 - Acknowledging critics 01:43:17 - Disagreeing with grace and respect … Previous dialogue between Daniel and Delson: - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znX6w6shQ7c Previous episodes with Daniel: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=daniel Previous episodes with Delson: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=delson To find out more about Daniel, visit: - https://theeprc.org/ - integrateddaniel.info To find out more about Delson, visit: - https://www.delsonarmstrong.com/ - https://www.youtube.com/@delson999 - https://www.freedom-of-mind.org/ www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James

In this episode I am once again joined by Delson Armstrong, spiritual teacher, meditation virtuoso, and author of ‘A Mind Without Craving'. In this interview, Delson responds to criticism and answers questions about his recent renunciation of attainments and revision of the Buddhist 4 path enlightenment model. Delson reflects on the pros and cons of questioning established religious doctrines and on the role of direct experience in challenging fixed views. Delson comments on a recently leaked interview, shares his current position on Bhante Vimalaramsi and his TWIM meditation method, and compares Buddhism to traditional yoga. Delson also recalls his own training in Kriya yoga, details the features of the particular lineage which he has begun to teach, and reveals methods of working with karma, chakras, and forgiveness. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep290-answering-critics-kriya-yoga-delson-armstrong Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:00 - Responses to Delson renouncing his spiritual attainments 02:56 - Criticism of Delson 04:08 - Has Delson abandoned the 10 fetter model and the 4 attainments? 05:18 - Delson's leaked interview 07:58 - Breach of trust and betrayal of friendship 09:32 - Why redefine the Buddhist doctrines rather than reassess oneself? 12:46 - Delson's experience vs cultural consensus 13:50 - Is Buddhist doctrine beyond cultural? 16:25 - Going beyond maps and Integral Theory 17:35 - Challenging fundamentalism and fixed views 18:43 - The jīvanmukta and other mystical traditions 20:22 - Transcending doctrinal chains of imprisonment 21:37 - Daniel Ingram's revisions 23:07 - Delsonism vs Buddhism 24:44 - Should Delson leave the traditions alone? 26:09 - The role of tradition and Delson's contribution 27:31 - Comments on TWIM 28:32 - Drawing on different traditions 30:03 - Current view 32:05 - Delson's current opinion on TWIM and Bhante Vimalaramsi 36:26 - Delson's training in Kriya yoga 40:16 - Which Kriya yoga lineage does Delson teach? 42:17 - Anyone can do Kriya yoga 44:09 - Short learning curve to samadhi 45:03 - Relaxing into awakening 46:39 - What is the point of the jhanas? 48:13 - Chakras and siddhi powers 51:37 - Deities and chakras 53:26 - The Yoga Sutras on siddhi power 55:07 - Karmic acceleration and misconceptions about chakra work 58:00 - How to release karma 01:00:03 - Kriya yoga approach to work with chakras 01:00:34 - The power of forgiveness 01:01:51 - TWIM vs Kriya, Yoga vs Buddhism 01:07:37 - Delson's recent experience teaching Kriya yoga 01:11:35 - Initiation in Kriya yoga and tantra 01:15:51 - Secrecy as a marketing tool 01:17:17 - Delson reflects on his teaching career 01:19:23 - Scientific tests on Delson, can he still meditate? `
… Watch previous episodes with Delson Armstrong: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=delson Find out more about Delson Armstrong: - Personal Site: https://www.delsonarmstrong.com/ - YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@delson999 - Delson's Foundation: https://www.freedom-of-mind.org/ … For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James

In this episode I am once again joined by Duncan Barford, occult practitioner, counsellor, and author of ‘Occult Experiments in the Home'. Duncan details the different categories of spirits and entities, ranging from ghosts to demons to angels to elementals and land spirits. Duncan reveals his own encounters with these entities, recalls paradigm shifting fire kasina retreats with Daniel Ingram, and shares his own ideas about the importance and inevitability of working with the dead while on the spiritual path. Duncan also explains the Goetia, a controversial system of summoning demons for personal gain; recalls his own and others' experiences of the system; and reflects on what drives practitioners to seek tangible contact with the realms beyond. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep283-seance-summoning-goetic-demons-duncan-barford-2 Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:57 - Ontology of spirit entities 04:18 - How to categorise spirits 07:07 - Different spirit relationships 08:18 - Demonic entities and their demands 09:44 - What is the Goetic magickal system? 11:08 - Dangers of working with Goetic entities 13:48 - When Duncan used a Goetic demon for money 15:24 - Addictive quality of working with demons 16:55 - Goetia as magick of last resort 18:33 - Why do people work with Goetic demons? 21:41 - Duncan reflects on his Goetic rituals 24:43 - Barrier to entry for success in magick 29:37 - Duncan comments on the Enochian system 32:16 - Fey and fairies 33:28 - A challenging fire kasina retreat 35:18 - A powerful encounter with elementals and nature spirits 40:47 - Duncan reflects on his fire kasina retreats 43:59 - Encounter with Duncan's guardian angel 45:27 - Why seek supernatural experiences after enlightenment? 47:49 - Shared magickal experiences with Daniel Ingram 49:52 - Duncan's breakthrough and a compelling encounter with Spider Buddha 58:44 - Dreams as a portal 01:00:09 - Contacting the dead 01:01:31 - The hatred of the dead 01:02:27 - Death of Duncan's father and dream visitations 01:08:25 - What the dead leave behind 01:10:18 - Helping the dead to let go vs judging them 01:14:15 - The fear of death 01:14:45 - Denying the dead 01:17:02 - We are accountable to the dead 01:18:53 - Carl Jung on relating to the dead 01:20:15 - Duncan's affinity with the poet John Clare 01:21:18 - Duncan's encounter with Badger 01:22:05 - The perfected dead 01:23:18 - Working with ancestors 01:24:55 - We live in a world of the dead 01:26:00 - Duncan's advice for working with the dead 01:27:29 - Encountering the dead in the Odyssey and Aeneid 01:33:41 - The dead as bundles of karma 01:34:52 - National myths and history as propaganda 01:39:32 - Black Easter and occult means of obtaining power and influence 01:47:15 - Magick and politics 01:49:24 - Glory and honour 01:50:27 - Are magicians political? 
… Watch previous episode with Duncan Barford: - https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep265-occult-experiments-duncan-barford To find our more about Duncan Barford, visit: - https://www.duncanbarford.uk/ … For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James

What you need to know about awakening… it's not all love and light! This week's show is with Dr. Daniel M. Ingram, MD MSPH, a retired emergency medicine physician who works to improve the global relationship of science, clinical practice, mental health and the public to the phenomena that might be referred to as spiritual, meditative, energetic, mystical, psychedelic, magical, and related phenomena. To those ends, he is currently the founder, philanthropic supporter, and volunteer CEO and Board Chair of the Emergence Benefactors registered charity, and chief organiser and co-founder of the global Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium. He is currently involved in neurophenomenological research of advanced meditative states with colleagues at Harvard and has been a participant in numerous fMRI and EEG studies of advanced meditators, including at Harvard, Yale, U Mass, and Vanderbilt. He has published scientific articles in Pediatrics, Child Abuse and Neglect, and the Journal of Medical Toxicology. He is the author of Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha, co-author of The Fire Kasina, and co-founder of the Dharma Overground. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Esquire, Vice, Wired, BBC Radio 4, Evolving Dharma, American Dharma: Buddhism Beyond Modernity, Dan Harris' 10% Happier Podcast, Slate Star Codex Blog, Buddha at the Gas Pump, Meaning of Life TV, Deconstructing Yourself, Spiritual Explained website, Guru Viking, Buddhist Geeks, Cosmic Tortoise, Startup Geometry, Imperfect Buddha Podcast, and many others. In this conversation, Lian and Daniel explored the challenges and pitfalls associated with spiritual awakening, particularly the dark nights of the soul that many seekers face on their path.  This is ancient wisdom that in some modern western spheres has been forgotten and is now being remembered - which you'll hear can be surprisingly controversial. We'd love to know what YOU think about this week's show. Let's carry on the conversation… please leave a comment wherever you are listening or in any of our other spaces to engage. What you'll learn from this episode: Spiritual awakening can lead to significant challenges and disruptions in life - historical texts have long acknowledged the challenges of spiritual practices. Recognising this means we can seek traditions that include guidance and remedies for difficult experiences. Community support and normalisation of experiences can help individuals feel less isolated in their difficult spiritual experiences, and provide help in navigating them. Resources and stuff spoken about: If you want to focus on Daniel's scientific work related to spirituality and the organisation he helps support: Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium The EPRC YouTube Channel Emergence Benefactors If you want to focus on Daniel's work related to meditation practice and its effects: Daniel M. Ingram YouTube Channel Mastering The Core Teachings of Buddha For Books: Fire Kasina: The Fire Kasina Meditation Site for books and more on meditation Daniels Personal Website: Integrated Daniel Daniels Online Community: The Dharma Overground Emerge Wiki: emergewiki.org Join UNIO, the Academy of Sacred Union. This is for the old souls in this new world… Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth. Be Mythical Join our mailing list for soul stirring goodness: https://www.bemythical.com/moonly UNIO: The Academy of Sacred Union: https://www.bemythical.com/unio Go Deeper: https://www.bemythical.com/godeeper Follow us: Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube Thank you for listening! There's a fresh episode released each week here and on most podcast platforms - and video too on YouTube - if you subscribe then you'll get each new episode delivered to your device every week automagically (that way you'll never miss an episode).  

In this episode, Tyler interviews Daniel Ingram, a minister who has also worked in the insurance industry and played college baseball. They discuss what it was like to be a Christian in the college athletic environment and how Daniel maintained his faith. They also talk about Daniel's experience working in the insurance world and how he was able to shine his light in that career. The key takeaways from this conversation are: 1) Be a Christian first and let your faith define your life, 2) Surround yourself with Christians who will support and encourage you, 3) Make church and being with other Christians a priority, and 4) Glorify God in everything you do, including your work.

The Buddha taught that the 5 clinging agrregates lead to suffering. In a sense, identity itself leads to suffering. Trying to be "somebody." Join Dr. Daniel Ingram, Gary Sanders, and myself as we discuss how to navigate this topic and teach the Dharma effectively in world that is, at a glance, obsessed with identity.  It's a tough topic to navigate and one that is NEVER discussed. There's risk involved in even talking about this topic, but fortunatey for all of you I don't care about being cancelled or any of that.  This topic in particular lead to my being ostracized from Wildheart Meditation Center, due to motives that are all their own and I still don't understand.  I teach the Dharma (Dhamma) to help people END their suffering, not create more of it. There's too much enabling in American Dharma and not enough truth and honesty. The kindest thing you can do for someone is be honest with them. This is how we help, not by telling people what they WANT to hear, but telling them what the NEED to hear. Sometimes the truth isn't going to feel good, however.  That being said, I love you all and I hope you enjoy this conversation. ~Justin   gulfcoastdharma.org boundlessheartdharma.com/ .integrateddaniel.info/

Dr. Daniel M. Ingram and Brent Spirit discuss the efforts of the EPRC, how to bridge the gap between the acknowledgment of emergent phenomena and non-experiencers, what an ideal training and education program might entail, how astronauts and politicians could be best prepared for potential emergent phenomena experiences, and more."The Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium, (EPRC) is a large, multidisciplinary, multinational alliance of researchers, clinicians, academics, private individuals, and patrons who share a vision of bringing scientific methods and clinical sensibilities to the rigorous, ethical, ontologically agnostic study of Emergent Phenomena.For the moment, and perhaps until we have something better, we use the neutral term 'emergent phenomena' to describe a range of effects and experiences, both potentially beneficial and challenging, that would often be referred to as 'spiritual', 'mystical', 'energetic', 'magical', 'psychedelic', etc. in less scientific and less clinical contexts.Emergent practices (prayer, meditation, psychedelics, yoga, virtual reality (VR), and many others), therapies (such as Mindfulness-based and psychedelic-enhanced therapies), and other circumstances likely to yield emergent phenomena are scaling rapidly in many societies, yet clinical medicine and mental health have failed to keep pace with these increasingly popular activities and their increasingly prevalent results."https://www.theeprc.orghttps://ebenefactors.org/Brent's Offers:

In this episode I am joined by Duncan Barford, occult practitioner, counsellor, and author of ‘Occult Experiments in the Home'. Duncan discusses his own journey into the occult including reality-bending experiments with Chaos Magick, invocation of his holy guardian angel, identifying and relating to entities, and meeting his long-time collaborator, the magician and spiritual teacher Alan Chapman. Duncan recalls his first encounter with Daniel Ingram's “Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha”. He explains how he combined Daniel's approach with Western occult methods and rituals to attain arhatship for himself. Duncan declared his enlightenment on the internet and began teaching awakening in a short-lived venture called “Open Enlightenment”. Duncan reflects on the strongly negative reactions that both his declaration and teaching project received. Duncan also comments on demonic affliction, both his own experiences as well as those of recent podcast guest Mattias Daly, the influence of social class and geographic location, navigating kundalini crisis, the intersection of mysticism and magick. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep265-occult-experiments-duncan-barford Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:19 - Occult experiments in the home 02:38 - Duncan comments on Mattias Daly's demonic affliction 04:34 - Demonic or kundalini awakening? 06:27 - - Duncan's own kundalini crisis 08:44 - Seeking guidance from Tara Springett 11:39 - Identifying entities 14:19 - Duncan's specialism in counselling those having unusual occult experiences 17:05 - Finding the best paradigm 19:38 - Does Duncan prescribe magickal practice? 21:50 - Spirituality vs everyday life 24:42 - Meeting Alan Chapman and sustained interest in the occult 26:59 - Invocation of the Holy Guardian Angel 27:57 - Encountering Daniel Ingram and bringing awakening back to magick 30:31 - Duncan's childhood interest in the supernatural and strange 33:13 - Gothic horror and psychoanalysis 33:52 - Beginning to explore magickal practice 35:03 - Moving from intellect to feeling and emotion 36:32 - Abandoning a PhD, meditation frustration, and life crisis 44:12 - Encountering Chaos Magick and leaning to bend reality 46:26 - Envy of Daniel Ingram and reception in the Chaos Magick community 49:40 - Are mysticism and spirituality compatible with magick? 51:09 - Using magick to induce mystical experiences 52:44 - Declaring arhatship and attaining the four paths 57:45 - Powerful experience with Andrew Cohen 01:01:43 - Advice from Christopher Titmuss 01:03:50 - Dreaming of Gary Numan 01:05:25 - Is arhatship the end of enlightenment? 01:07:09 - Duncan asks Steve's opinion 01:09:07 - Did Duncan and Alan keep pace in their awakening path? 01:10:03 - The 3 doors and awakening with visions 01:13:39 - Fire kasina retreat with Daniel Ingram 01:16:26 - Why did Duncan declare arhatship? 01:17:59 - Ego inflation through magickal practice 01:19:08 - Negative responses to declaration of enlightenment 01:19:54 - Failure of Open Enlightenment and the compulsion to share one's awakening 01:24:49 - Is UK conducive to spiritual and magickal work? 01:27:27 - Reflections on being working class 01:28:33 - Travellers vs locals 01:29:15 - Comments on the spectrum of entities 01:31:09 - Discount code for the Baptist Head Compendium 
… To find our more about Duncan Barford, visit: - https://www.duncanbarford.uk/ … For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James

Hardcore Dharma with Daniel Ingram Daniel Ingram, MD, MSPH, is the CEO and Board Chair of Emergence Benefactors that supports the Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium. He was an emergency medicine physician for 12 years, primarily at major trauma centers. Daniel is author of Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha: An Unusually Hardcore Dharma Book … Continue reading "Hardcore Dharma with Daniel Ingram"

Daniel Ingram, MD is a meditation master (and self-described Arahant, meaning one who has fully awakened) with decades of experience training and teaching worldwide. On this episode we discussed the mission of the EPRC, why it's important, and I ask Elon Musk to pony up some cash for the cause.     The Mission of the EPRC What many might call “spiritual”, “mystical”, “energetic”, etc. experiences and effects, we refer to as emergent phenomena. We refer to practices designed to lead to emergent phenomena, such as meditation, psychedelics, yoga, prayer, etc., as emergent practices. As emergent practices continue to scale up in society, our aim is to give healthcare systems, mental health providers, and those who are helping to teach and promote various practices the information they need to make better decisions about how to both promote the benefits of these practices and manage the different effects that they can produce. The Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium's mission is to use ontologically agnostic, multidisciplinary, first-person, psychometric, neurophenomenological, biochemical, and clinical scientific methods to conduct studies on emergent practices and phenomena to generate clinically relevant information that can add value to practitioners, patients, clinicians, and healthcare systems. By finding the skillful overlap of science, spirituality, religion, clinical medicine, and mental health perspectives, we can generate outcomes that are as beneficial as possible for all concerned.   the EPRC Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha

Why would we use words like magic in the same sentence as healing and change-work? We're joined by guest Ryan Simbai Jenkins, a hypnotherapist and coach with an unusual upbringing. Born in Papua New Guinea*, his first experiences with non-traditional ways of healing came early on in life when his mother (a medical anthropologist) discovered a “lost” indigenous tribe called the Hagahai people. Ryan witnessed first hand how the tribal healers and shamans used forms of Trance to heal people from diseases of the body and mind. This profoundly influenced the course of his life. In this show, Ryan and Lian explored the topic of magic and its relationship to change work. They first define what they even mean by ‘magic, discussing different definitions of magic, including Alastair Crowley's and past guest Daniel Ingram. Then they delve into the practicality and efficacy of magic, drawing on personal experiences and indigenous and traditional perspectives, and also making the distinction between working spiritually and working magically, and the power of consciously aligning ourselves with the flow of healing.  We'd love to know what YOU think about this week's show. Let's carry on the conversation… please leave a comment wherever you are listening or in any of our other spaces to engage. What you'll learn from this episode: There is a distinction between ordinary magic and extraordinary magic, with the latter involving causal effects beyond what is considered ordinary cause and effect. Magic has practical applications and has played a role in human survival and shaped our existence for most of human history, which is why indigenous perspectives offer valuable insights into the understanding and practice of magic. You can consciously align yourself with the flow of healing and explore magic both for yourself and in change work with others, beginning with creating simple rituals and seeing what changes you notice compared to how things usually go, and creating a relationship with nature, such as connecting with a certain tree. Resources and stuff spoken about: Ryan's website: https://hypnotherapyinbarcelona.com/ Connect with Ryan on Facebook and Instagram Daniel Ingram episode on Magic & Spirituality: https://www.bemythical.com/podcast/403 Join UNIO, the Academy of Sacred Union. This is for the old souls in this new world… Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth. * At the time of this podcast show being shared Papau New Guinea has experienced an unimaginable disaster - a catastrophic landslide in Enga Province occurred on Friday 24 May 2024, with an estimated 2000 people killed and thousands more displaced. If you are in a position to help by donating, this is the link Ryan gave us to share: https://www.care.org.au/appeals/enga-emergency/ Be Mythical Join our mailing list for soul stirring goodness: https://www.bemythical.com/moonly UNIO: The Academy of Sacred Union: Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth Go Deeper: https://www.bemythical.com/godeeper Follow us: Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube Thank you for listening! There's a fresh episode released each week here and on most podcast platforms - and video too on YouTube - if you subscribe then you'll get each new episode delivered to your device every week automagically (that way you'll never miss an episode).  

Today, on Engaging The Phenomenon, we are joined by Daniel Ingram, MD. Author of Mastering The Core Teachings of the Buddha and co-founder of the Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium. Daniel's Links: The EPRC Website: https://theeprc.org/ Daniel Ingram Twitter(X): https://twitter.com/danielmingram?t=iGAYudg8tD18JCi3M_AFSg&s=09 Daniel Ingram's book - Mastering The Hardcore Teachings of the Buddha: https://www.mctb.org/ Engaging The Phenomenon Links - Clip from interview w/ Marc Gagnon on CAMP Gagnon - https://youtu.be/w0lUTSF8pfw?si=pZ6lNFYfY0PwOZqx Full CAMP Gagnon Interview w/ ETP: https://youtu.be/PZ6Nxtt4b0k?si=xP0GhQ03QxGfLx8t Matthew Cox True Crime Interviews ETP: https://youtu.be/0lODUE4Zmhs?si=qTqQ9jFQz17CmRrF Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EngagingThe?t=iEVw2QagEoCgZey4H_zT9Q&s=09 Engaging The Phenomenon Podcast: https://anchor.fm/engagingthephenomenon Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Engagingthephenomenon Support us w/ Paypal: https://paypal.me/engagingthephenomeno?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US Read Our Articles on Medium: https://medium.com/@EngagingThePhenomenon Greatly appreciate all the support!! Another way to support the channel is to share the work on social media networks! Thanks for joining us! Support The Podcast: https://anchor.fm/engagingthephenomenon/support Engaging The Phenomenon LinkTree(https://linktr.ee/EngagingThePhenomenon) We've created a Twitter account for our initiative! Follow us here to stay tuned! Inquire Anomalous YouTube: https://youtube.com/@inquireanomalous Follow Here: https://twitter.com/InquireAnomalus?t=PWi80yvgFpRVdflA_S242g&s=09 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/engagingthephenomenon/support

Get your tickets for the Plant Cunning Conference here: Plant Cunning Conference – July 26-28, 2024 In this episode we speak with the legendary Daniel Ingram, author of Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha. We talk about his realizations, his path, teachers, worldviews, dreamwork, and useful and dangerous fire kasina practice. MCTB: MCTB.org – The home of the evolving Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha Fire Kasina: Fire Kasina – The Fire Kasina Meditation Site #awakening #selfrealization #buddhistmeditation #enlightenment #realization #spiritualpath #meditation #firekasina #buddhist #pragmaticbuddhism #buddhistpractice #spiritualpractice #worldviews --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/plantcunning/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/plantcunning/support

This session will focus on strategies that can help when dealing with spiritual crises, emergencies and difficulties in ourselves and others. More information about Daniel Ingram's work  - https://www.integrateddaniel.info/   Want to become a certified embodiment coach? More details about CEC - https://embodimentunlimited.com/cec/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=cec Join Mark for in-person workshops - https://embodimentunlimited.com/events-calendar/?utm_source=TEP&utm_medium=Description&utm_campaign=Events Join free coaching demos sessions with Mark - https://embodimentunlimited.com/free-coaching-with-mark/?utm_source=TEP&utm_medium=Description&utm_campaign=Demo Find Mark Walsh on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/warkmalsh/

Navigating the broad landscape of climate-related investment risks and opportunities has never been more critical. For a discussion on decarbonization, responsible investing and tactics for greater resilience, host and Aon's Partner, Non-Profit Solutions Leader, Chair of U.S. Investment Committee, Heather Myers, welcomes Daniel Ingram, partner, head of Responsible Investment, North America, and Tim Manuel, partner, head of Responsible Investment, UK.  [1:44] Key questions that define the meaning of decarbonizing for investors[5:40] Identifying the motivation behind the steps needed in decarbonizing efforts[10:54] Various investor approaches to decarbonizing[15:37] Action and integration flow from the motivational belief that change is possible[19:22] First steps to building a climate-resilient investment portfolioAdditional Resources:Aon's websiteHow is Climate Change Affecting the Investment Landscape?Aon's Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) Manager Ratings: 3 Questions with Daniel IngramImpact Investing is Hard: Here's How to do it WellResponsible InvestingAon's Impact ReportTweetables:“As a globally diversified investor, your portfolio will look like, to some degree, the global economy.” — Tim Manuel“For investors that want to maintain diversification, their own decarbonization goals and whether they will meet those goals, are inextricably linked to the decarbonization process in the wider economy.” — Tim Manuel“Investors can't decarbonize in a vacuum.” — Tim Manuel“Investors really need some help determining what, if anything, decarbonizing means for them, what actions they might want to take, if any, and why.” — Daniel Ingram“Trying to understand what's motivating your investors is really part of determining what decarbonizing means for you.” — Daniel Ingram“No one person is going to solve climate change.  It requires everyone to do their part globally.” — Daniel Ingram© 2024 Aon plc. All rights reserved.The opinions referenced are as of the date of publication and are subject to change due to changes in the market or economic conditions and may not necessarily come to pass. Information contained herein is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. Investment advice and consulting services provided by Aon Investments USA Inc. (Aon Investments). The information contained herein is given as of the date hereof and does not purport to give information as of any other date. The delivery at any time shall not, under any circumstances, create any implication that there has been a change in the information set forth herein since the date hereof or any obligation to update or provide amendments hereto.This document is not intended to provide, and shall not be relied upon for, accounting, legal or tax advice or investment recommendations. Any accounting, legal, or taxation position described in this presentation is a general statement and shall only be used as a guide. It does not constitute accounting, legal, and tax advice and is based on Aon Investments' understanding of current laws and interpretation.Diversification does not ensure a profit nor does it protect against loss of principal. Diversification among investment options and asset classes may help to reduce overall volatility.This document is intended for general information purposes only and should not be construed as advice or opinions on any specific facts or circumstances. The comments in this summary are based upon Aon Investments' preliminary analysis of publicly available information. The content of this document is made available on an “as is” basis, without warranty of any kind. Aon Investments disclaims any legal liability to any person or organization for loss or damage caused by or resulting from any reliance placed on that content. Aon Investments reserves all rights to the content of this document. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means without the express written consent of Aon Investments.Aon Investments USA Inc. is a federally registered investment advisor with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Aon Investments USA Inc. is also registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission as a commodity pool operator and a commodity trading advisor and is a member of the National Futures Association. The Aon Investments USA Inc. ADV Form Part 2A disclosure statement is available upon written request to:Aon Investments USA Inc.  200 E. Randolph Street Suite 700 Chicago, IL 60601 ATTN: Aon Investments Compliance

VYS0033 | Battle-Owl vs Sci-fi Centipede - Vayse to Face with Loren Fetterman - Show Notes In this episode artist, illustrator, esoteric free-thinker and Hine's tattoo-artist of choice, Loren Fetterman, completely blows Hine and Buckley's minds in a mushroom cloud of psychedelics, synchro-mysticism and inner astrology. Loren gives Hine and Buckley a whirlwind tour of his unique, self-styled brand of magick, detailing how he brings back and integrates life-changing ideas from this trips, how he invented a mirror point calendar system and bone watch to track his own personal symmetry, how he uses insight meditation to understand the recurring fractal cycles and patterns which form his life and wider reality and how he summoned a Battle-Owl to defeat an attacking Sci-fi Centipede formed entirely from his baby photos... (recorded 13 December 2023) Thanks to Loren for being so generous with his time and insights and thanks, as always to Keith for impressive work on the show notes - give Keith a follow on bluesky: @peakflow.bsky.social Loren Fetterman online Loren's website (https://www.lorenfetterman.com/) Loren on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/lorenfettermantattoos/) Article Based in Loren's Disertation (https://rerc-journal.tsd.ac.uk/index.php/religiousexp/article/view/43) Hine's Intro Goth subculture - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goth_subculture) Blind Date (British game show) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_Date_(British_game_show)) Graham Skidmore ('Our Graham') - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Skidmore) Tattoo artist - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tattoo_artist) Synchromysticism - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synchromysticism) Mixed martial arts - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixed_martial_arts) Caged Fighters 2: Johnathan Proctor vs Loren Fetterman - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq1eRT3wK_k) The Paradox of Confiding in (Near) Strangers - PsychologyToday.com (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-waves/201709/the-paradox-confiding-in-near-strangers) UFO conspiracy theories - Disclosure - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFO_conspiracy_theories#Disclosure) Ceremonial (Ritual) magic - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceremonial_magic) Meditation - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditation) Shadow work - Insider.com (https://www.insider.com/guides/health/mental-health/shadow-work) Psychedelic drug - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychedelic_drug) Todmorden - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todmorden) Where is Loren from, and what was the point at which he realised that there was more to life, and reality, and consciousness, than is described in consensus reality? Berlin - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin) Fall of the Berlin Wall - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_the_Berlin_Wall) Sky News report (1989): The Fall Of The Berlin Wall - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpubkTiD6c4) Virginia - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia) Game design - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_design) Dungeons and Dragons - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_%26_Dragons) Martial arts - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_arts) Psychedelic drug - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychedelic_drug) Ninja - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninja) The Matrix (1999 film) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix) The Matrix (1999) Official Trailer - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKQi3bBA1y8) The Last Samurai (2003 film) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Samurai) The Last Samurai (2003) Official Trailer - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UzIBKT217o) Psychedelic experience - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychedelic_experience) Entity encounters and the therapeutic effect of the psychedelic mystical experience - AKJournals.com (https://akjournals.com/view/journals/2054/4/3/article-p171.xml) Kundalini - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kundalini) Qigong (chi gung) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qigong) Shaolin Monastery - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaolin_Monastery) How to make a Qi (Chi) ball - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYuw9opgU1c) Jiddu Krishnamurti - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiddu_Krishnamurti) Charles Webster Leadbeater - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Webster_Leadbeater) Theosophical Society - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theosophical_Society) The Luminous Life Of The"Anti-Guru": Jiddu Krishnamurti - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZRxYyS8alU) Truth is a Pathless Land by J. Krishnamurti - Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1175786.Truth_Is_a_Pathless_Land) Meditation - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditation) The Shamanic Journey - ShamanLinks.net (https://www.shamanlinks.net/shaman-info/about-shamanism/the-shamanic-journey/) Animal Spirit Guides - PsychicLibrary.com (https://psychiclibrary.com/animal-spirit-guides/) Astral projection - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astral_projection) Lucid Dreaming - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_dream) Kenshō - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kensh%C5%8D) Time - Stanford.edu (https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/time/) Cyclic view of time in the philosophy of history - Britannica.com (https://www.britannica.com/science/time/Cyclic-view-of-time-in-the-philosophy-of-history) Religious Studies - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_studies) Rudolf Steiner - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Steiner) Qi (Chi) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qi) Imagination - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imagination) Shaolin monk bends spears with neck - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKDCzjie7QU) Tai Chi - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_chi) Bad trip - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_trip) Pure Guava (1992 album) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pure_Guava) Ween (band) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ween) Mind–body dualism - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind%E2%80%93body_dualism) What is the link between imagination, creativity, and reality, and can imagination and creativity be used to manipulate reality? Western esotericism - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_esotericism) Eastern esotericism - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_esotericism) Materialism (philosophy) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Materialism) Theory of forms (Platonic idealism) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_forms) Qi (Chi) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qi) Ayahuasca - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayahuasca) Ayahuasca entities - Soul-Herbs.com (https://www.soul-herbs.com/ayahuasca-entities/) Telepathy - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telepathy) VYS0032 | O Buddha, Where Art Thou? - Vayse to Face with Roger Jayamanne (https://www.vayse.co.uk/vys0032) Tibetan Buddhism - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_Buddhism) Is Life a Dream? - PsychologyToday.com (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mysteries-consciousness/201907/is-life-dream) Dreams Are More Real Than Anyone Thought - PsychologyToday.com (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/biocentrism/202108/dreams-are-more-real-anyone-thought) How have Loren's first-hand experiences influenced the way in which his personal practice has developed? First principle - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_principle) Bob Ross - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Ross) How Magic Works: A guide in theory and practice - MagicalExperiments.com (https://www.magicalexperiments.com/blog/how-magic-works-a-guide-in-theory-and-practice) Enlightenment (spiritual) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlightenment_(spiritual)) Initiation: Religious and spiritual - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initiation#Religious_and_spiritual) Astral plane - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astral_plane) Angel - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel) Invocation - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invocation) Evocation - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evocation) Mother Ayahuasca: Mysterious Meeting With Divine Mother - BeholdRetreats.com (https://www.behold-retreats.com/post/mother-ayahuasca) How to develop a practice in Loren's self-guided style How to Keep a Dream Journal – Benefits, Apps and Examples - Find-a-Therapist.com (https://www.find-a-therapist.com/dream-journal/) Archetype - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archetype) Synchronicity - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synchronicity) Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg - Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44905.Writing_Down_the_Bones) Zen - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen) What are the patterns of life and time, and where do they come from? Golden ratio - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio) Fractal - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractal) Space-time May Have Fractal Properties on a Quantum Scale - Phys.org (https://phys.org/news/2009-03-spacetime-fractal-properties-quantum-scale.html) Introduction to the fractality principle of consciousness and the sentyon postulate, National Library of Medicine (https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3741678/) Cosmology - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmology) Eternalism (philosophy of time) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternalism_(philosophy_of_time)) Exploring the Block Universe Theory: How Life Resembles a Movie - Medium.com (https://medium.com/ponderthisio/exploring-the-block-universe-theory-how-life-resembles-a-movie-an-in-depth-guide-5c9412b4974a) Free will - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_will) Harmonic - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonic) Interval (music) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_(music)) Musica universalis (Music of the spheres) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musica_universalis) Paul Weston's website (https://www.paulwestonglastonbury.com/) Gregorian calendar - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar) Talking Magical Timing and Personal Synchronicity | Paul Weston - Rune Soup podcast (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XdHjmmjU0A) Loren's devices: The Timepiece and the Calendar Planetary Archetypes, PandoraAstrology.com (https://pandoraastrology.com/planet/) I Ching - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Ching) Bagua (trigrams) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagua) Terence McKenna - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terence_McKenna) The Invisible Landscape by Terence McKenna - Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/191375.The_Invisible_Landscape) Steampunk - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk) Live action role-playing game (LARP) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_action_role-playing_game) Aura (paranormal) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aura_(paranormal)) Garuda - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garuda) Muay Thai (Thai boxing) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muay_Thai) Newcastle upon Tyne - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newcastle_upon_Tyne) What is cage fighting? - Speak-MMA.com (https://speak-mma.com/blog/what-is-cage-fighting/) Waveform - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waveform) Goethe quote: “Music is liquid architecture…” - AZQuotes.com (https://www.azquotes.com/quote/825473) Neidan (Chinese internal alchemy) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neidan) Chakra - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakra) Taoism (Daoism) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoism) Dark Night of the Soul: Contemporary understanding - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Night_of_the_Soul#Contemporary_understanding) Tantra - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tantra) Astrology - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrology) Perennial philosophy - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perennial_philosophy) Time travel, timeloops, and Loren's day-to-day relationship with time Time travel - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_travel) Timeloops: Precognition, Retrocausation, and the Unconscious by Eric Wargo - Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41132463-time-loops) Temporal paradox - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temporal_paradox) Śūnyatā (philosophical concept, “emptiness”) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9A%C5%ABnyat%C4%81) First Cause - Britannica.com (https://www.britannica.com/topic/first-cause) Pratītyasamutpāda (Buddhist doctrine, dependent origination) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prat%C4%ABtyasamutp%C4%81da) Origami - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origami) Multi-verse - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiverse) Loren's initiatory mega-trip Psilocybe cubensis - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psilocybe_cubensis) Big Bang - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bang) Photon - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photon) Star system - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_system) Tattoo - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tattoo) Tesseract - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesseract) Non-dual awareness - MindOwl.org (https://mindowl.org/non-dual-awareness/) Kundalini - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kundalini) Carl Jung - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Jung) Active imagination - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_imagination) Who is Philemon? - PhilemonFoundation.org (https://philemonfoundation.org/about-philemon/who-is-philemon/) The Red Book (Jung) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Red_Book_(Jung)) Arcturus - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcturus) The Starseed Signals: A Scientific-Occult Mystery (magazine article by RAW) - RAWilsonFans.de (http://rawilsonfans.de/en/the-starseed-signals/) Seven rays (concept): In Theosophy - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_rays#In_Theosophy) Pleiades in folklore and literature: Modern beliefs - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleiades_in_folklore_and_literature#Modern_beliefs) Out-of-body experience - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out-of-body_experience) Subtle body - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subtle_body) Frank Fools Crow - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Fools_Crow) The Dismemberment Journey - ShamanLinks.net (https://www.shamanlinks.net/blog/dismemberment-shamanic-journey/) Soul flight - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_flight) How to Know Higher Worlds By Rudolf Steiner - Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6265729-how-to-know-higher-worlds) Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha by Daniel Ingram - Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4129848-mastering-the-core-teachings-of-the-buddha) Etheric body - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etheric_body) Waldorf education - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldorf_education) Sakshi (witness) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakshi_(witness)) Imaginative Cognition and Inspired Cognition (Steiner lecture) - RSArchive.org (https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA209/English/UNK1960/ImaCog_index.html) W. B. Yeats - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._B._Yeats) A Vision - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Vision) A Vision by W.B. Yeats - Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/947771.A_Vision) Allen Ginsberg - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Ginsberg) Howl (poem) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howl_(poem)) Howl (poem): 1957 obscenity trial - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howl_(poem)#1957_obscenity_trial) Georgie Hyde-Lees (wife of W. B. Yeats) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgie_Hyde-Lees) The Phases of the Moon - YeatsVision.com (https://www.yeatsvision.com/Phases.html) Daniel Ingram's website (https://www.integrateddaniel.info/) What is insight meditation, and how can someone start their own practice? Clarification: Insight Meditation vs. Concentration, Reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/Meditation/comments/2i7dm2/clarification_insight_meditation_vs_concentration/) Insight Meditation: Where The Attention Goes, InsightTimer.com (https://insighttimer.com/blog/what-is-insight-meditation/) Śūnyatā (philosophical concept, “emptiness”) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9A%C5%ABnyat%C4%81) Anattā (“non-self” ) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatt%C4%81) Concentration Meditation: Peaceful Resistance Against Invasive Tech - MindfulStoic.net (https://mindfulstoic.net/concentration-meditation/) Mantra - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantra) Body Scan Meditation - PositivePsychology.com (https://positivepsychology.com/body-scan-meditation/) S.N. Goenka - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._N._Goenka) Goenka Meditation Retreats and Information - AnmolMehta.com (https://anmolmehta.com/goenka-meditation-retreats-and-information/) Samatha-vipassana (“insight meditation”) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samatha-vipassana) Mahasiddha - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahasiddha) Loren's recommendations Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha by Daniel Ingram - Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4129848-mastering-the-core-teachings-of-the-buddha) A Path with Heart by Jack Kornfield - Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/143675.A_Path_with_Heart) How to Know Higher Worlds by Rudolf Steiner - Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6265729-how-to-know-higher-worlds) Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey into Christian Hermeticism by Valentin Tomberg - Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/408555.Meditations_on_the_Tarot) The Life Divine by Sri Aurobindo - Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/581256.The_Life_Divine) The Tindalos Asset by Caitlín R. Kiernan - Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49247277-the-tindalos-asset) The Fountain (2006 film) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fountain) Beer Biceps podcast (https://beerbiceps.com/podcast/) The Power of Tantra - My Deep Dive with Rajarshi Nandy - Beer Biceps podcast (https://beerbiceps.com/2023/09/30/the-power-of-tantra-my-deep-dive-with-rajarshi-nandy/) Buckley's closing question Rudolf Steiner - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Steiner) Anthroposophical Society - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthroposophical_Society) Goetheanum - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goetheanum) Rivendell - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivendell) Eurhythmy - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurythmy) Foucault's Pendulum (novel) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foucault%27s_Pendulum) Siddhartha (novel) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhartha_(novel)) Hermann Hesse - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Hesse) Artificial intelligence - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence) Dark City (1998 film) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_City_(1998_film)) Dark City (1998) Official Trailer - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt9HkO-cGGo) Ad Astra (2019 film) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_Astra_(film)) Ad Astra Official Trailer - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6AaSMfXHbA) The Lighthouse (2019 film) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lighthouse_(2019_film)) The Lighthouse Official Trailer - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hyag7lR8CPA) Vayse online Vayse website (https://www.vayse.co.uk/) Vayse on Twitter (https://twitter.com/vayseesyav) Vayse on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/vayseesyav/) Music From Vayse - Volume 1 by Polypores (https://vayse.bandcamp.com/album/music-from-vayse-volume-1) Vayse on Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/vayse) Vayse email: vayseinfo@gmail.com Special Guest: Loren Fetterman.

I'm joined by Dr. Daniel Ingram. Daniel's book, Mastering The Core Teachings of the Buddha, is well-known in spiritual circles due, in part, to a mixture of practical instruction, lucid insight, useful maps, and common sense. His teachings are controversial to some, compelling for many, mostly due his bold declaration that “enlightenment is an attainable goal, once our fanciful notions of it are stripped away.” My interest in Daniel's work is that he's clearly one of the most advanced meditation experts alive today, with profound insight matched by a down-to-Earth approach that has consideration for common misconceptions, false promises, ego traps, and the “dark side” of awakening. Our illuminating conversation is inspired by the relationship between awakening and meaning. We cover mental health, the value of Western psychology and blind spots of Eastern traditions, perfectionist models, why not all meditative skills are transferable, synchronicity and the nature of the Now, the World of Experience vs. the World of Meaning, the dark side of wizardry, and the usefulness of philosophy and concepts, plus much more. Resources and References: Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha: https://www.mctb.org The Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium: https://theeprc.org

Daniel Ingram is a meditation teacher and author of the acclaimed book Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha. We dive into all things impermanence, no self, insight practices, how everything we have ever experienced is a sensation. Thoughts as sensations, emotions as sensations, and learning how to more rapidly be aware of the impermanence of sensations. All in an effort to deepen insights into the nature of self and reality such that we decrease our suffering and get closer to the Truth. Books MentiondRight Concentration by Leigh BrasingtonShifts into Freedom by Loch KellyPath of Serenity and InsightMindfulness in Plain EnglishThe Path With Heart by Jack KornfieldFind Daniel On the Web AtMastering the Core Teachings of the Buddhafirekasina.orgIntegrateddaniel.infotheeprc.orgebenefactors.orgDharmaoverground.org Get full access to Becoming Conscious at becomeconscious.substack.com/subscribe

Today we are joined by Daniel Ingram of Huron County and we talk about his path of independence and his work helping others in the community gain that same independence. More Friends for Life Here: https://bit.ly/3m0Pec7 

Daniel Ingram is a physician, meditator and the author of the book Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddhaas well as the bookThe Fire Kasina, co-authored with Shannon Stein. He is the co-founder of the Dharma Overground, an online community of meditation practitioners.  He also founded The Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium, an organisation involved in promoting research into non-ordinary states of consciousness. He is well known in meditation circles for claiming to have achieved full enlightenment as a result of his meditation practice.  Today we discuss meditation, enlightenment, visionary states, reality and how all this relates to science.    

Dr. Daniel Ingram is a retired emergency medicine doctor who is the author of two versions of the book Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha.   His current projects are the Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium and a charity called the Emergence Benefactors.  Daniel discusses the way in which he became a dharma teacher, where he actually began by working with the most advanced practitioners, and he discusses a number of areas in which he has "stepped on minefields" and created controversy.  Support the show

In this discussion Daniel Ingram and I discuss UFO experiences, Emergent Phenomena, and The Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium. The EPRC Website: https://theeprc.org/ Daniel Ingram Twitter: https://twitter.com/danielmingram?t=iGAYudg8tD18JCi3M_AFSg&s=09 Daniel Ingram's book - Mastering The Hardcore Teachings of the Buddha: https://www.mctb.org/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EngagingThe?t=iEVw2QagEoCgZey4H_zT9Q&s=09 Engaging The Phenomenon Podcast: https://anchor.fm/engagingthephenomenon Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Engagingthephenomenon Support us w/ Paypal: https://paypal.me/engagingthephenomeno?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US Read Our Articles on Medium: https://medium.com/@EngagingThePhenomenon Greatly appreciate all the support!! Another way to support the channel is to share the work on social media networks! Thanks for joining us! Support The Podcast: https://anchor.fm/engagingthephenomenon/support Engaging The Phenomenon LinkTree(https://linktr.ee/EngagingThePhenomenon) We've created a Twitter account for our initiative! Follow us here to stay tuned! Inquire Anomalous Follow Here: https://twitter.com/InquireAnomalus?t=PWi80yvgFpRVdflA_S242g&s=09 ..................... --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/engagingthephenomenon/support

Daniel Ingram, MD, MSPH, is the CEO and Board Chair of Emergence Benefactors that supports the Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium. He was an emergency medicine physician for 12 years, primarily at major trauma centers. Daniel is author of Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha: An Unusually Hardcore Dharma Book and coauthor of The Fire … Continue reading "Emergent Phenomena with Daniel Ingram"

Amanda is joined by dad, song writer, and musician, Daniel Ingram to talk about music and how it plays into parenting.Included in this episode:How does one get a job in writing childrens music?Is music truly important for our childs development?The Treebees - who are they and why does Amanda like them?Check out the Treebees music on Youtube and Spotify and follow them on IG @thetreebees

Daniel is an advanced meditator and controversially, a self-described Arahant, or one who has become fully "enlightened" in Buddhist terms. Daniel wrote Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha: An Unusually Hardcore Dharma Book, widely regarded as one of the most complete meditation books ever written. In this book, Daniel lays out in very rational and practical terms the exact steps that can lead to the profound transformations he has attained. In this episode of Dharma Junkie, Daniel breaks down the Theravada stages of insight and gives his take on stream entry, Nibbana, and more.

Michael Taft is a meditation teacher, author, and host of the ‘Deconstructing Yourself' podcast.
 In this episode, Michael reveals why he dislikes maps of meditation, and why he believes the Progress of Insight, a widely taught meditation map in Theravada Buddhism, causes more problems than it solves. Michael also discusses his points of agreement and disagreement with the Buddhist four path model, how he defines and teaches stream entry, the common traps on the way to enlightenment, how to cut through spiritual ego, and why Michael questions if becoming an arhat is actually good for anybody. Michael goes on to explain his own meditation map, based on the teachings of Shinzen Young, and shares his takes on emptiness, jhana, fire kasina, and how life changes after awakening. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep167-maps-to-enlightenment-michael-taft-2 Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'.
 … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:57 - Cons of meditation maps 06:06 - Why the Progress of Insight map causes more problems than it solves 09:50 - Disagreement with Daniel Ingram 10:37 - Controversy of claiming Arhatship 14:15 - Teaching towards stream entry 15:06 - Defining stream entry 18:16 - Do meditators really want stream entry? 20:17 - Where Michael diverges from the 4-path model 22:42 - different approaches to spiritual practice 23:24 - What changes after enlightenment? 29:01 - Stress tolerance of enlightenment 30:09 - Michael's perceptive 31:16 - Dangers on the way to stream entry 36:29 - Post-stream entry pitfalls 37:54 - Spiritual ego trips 38:35 - How Michael slices through spiritual ego 39:39 - Michael's own map of vipassana 45:35 - The failure mode of high concentration 48:05 - Differences between low concentration and insight into emptiness 51:05 - The problem with cessation 52:47 - Emptiness of self and other 54:37 - Pointing to the self 56:02 - When Michael's students achieve stream entry 57:02 - Welcome to the club 57:41 - Sutra vs Mahamudra 58:53 - Running the map backwards 01:01:21 - Emptiness and form 01:05:07 - The big temptation of emptiness and bliss 01:08:35 - Why leave emptiness? 01:13:10 - Vipassana vs vipasyana 01:15:41 - Quick fire round 01:16:13 - Wet of dry vipassana? 01:16:39 - Hard or soft jhana? 01:17:22 - Breath or fire kasina? 01:18:21 - BIT or SHF? 01:19:09 - Shinzen Young's evolution … Previous episode with Michael Taft: - https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep149-deconstructing-yourself-michael-taft To find out more about Michael Taft, visit: - https://deconstructingyourself.com/ For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James

In this episode I am once again joined by Daniel Ingram, independent Buddhist writer, author of ‘Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha', and co-founder of the Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium (EPRC). Daniel recounts his history with the obscure but powerful fire kasina technique, which uses a candle flame to enter into advanced states of meditative concentration. Daniel shares his successes and failures, encounters with occultists and meditation masters, and investigations into ancient texts. Daniel reveals the many uses of the powerful concentration that can be developed using fire meditation, discusses his own experiences of psychic powers and out of body experiences, and considers the risks of mental illness when dabbling in esoteric realms. At the time of recording, Daniel had just returned from a three week intensive private fire kasina meditation retreat, and he also gives a detailed practice report from his meditative seclusion, as well as practical advice for those who wish to explore this technique for themselves. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep166-fire-kasina-mystic-daniel-ingram Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'. … Topics Include: 00:00 - Intro 01:10 - Daniel's history with the fire kasina technique 06:23 - Bhante Gunaratana 07:03 - Honeybunny the ceremonial magician 09:08 - Retreats at Gaia house and first out of body experience 12:15 - Breakthrough retreat 17:36 - Correlating fire kasina experiences with Daniel's insight levels 19:43 - What age is best for peak meditation attainment? 25:50 - Ceremonial magic path to high concentration 27:25 - Crowley's Book Four 28:00 - Concentration vs liberation 29:44 - A powerful experience on retreat 32:22 - Various applications of fire kasina 34:42 - Safety warning 36:55 - Experiences of OBE's and the powers 43:09 - Divine eye and divine ear experiences 46:54 - Psychic powers or a daydream? 50:30 - Dangers of the powers 52:15 - Daniel's guide for group retreats 01:02:14 - Practice dose advice and ideal retreat duration 01:09:10 - Aftershock and afterglow 01:19:15 - Intention, summoning entities, and retreat goals 01:29:32 - Mania, psychosis, and the clinical view 01:35:07 - Daniel's report from his recent intensive fire kasina retreat 01:51:19 - Kripal's flip and coping mechanisms … Daniel Ingram Episode Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlkzlKFgdkny_MJSecHyvKHPpvxTskBAC To find out more about Daniel, visit: - https://theeprc.org/ - integrateddaniel.info - https://firekasina.org … 
For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - www.guruviking.com … Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James x

In this episode I am once again joined by Daniel Ingram, independent Buddhist writer, author of ‘Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha', and co-founder of the Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium (EPRC). Daniel recounts his history with the obscure but powerful fire kasina technique, which uses a candle flame to enter into advanced states of meditative concentration. Daniel shares his successes and failures, encounters with occultists and meditation masters, and investigations into ancient texts. Daniel reveals the many uses of the powerful concentration that can be developed using fire meditation, discusses his own experiences of psychic powers and out of body experiences, and considers the risks of mental illness when dabbling in esoteric realms. At the time of recording, Daniel had just returned from a three week intensive private fire kasina meditation retreat, and he also gives a detailed practice report from his meditative seclusion, as well as practical advice for those who wish to explore this technique for themselves. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep166-fire-kasina-mystic-daniel-ingram Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'. … Topics Include: 00:00 - Intro 01:10 - Daniel's history with the fire kasina technique 06:23 - Bhante Gunaratana 07:03 - Honeybunny the ceremonial magician 09:08 - Retreats at Gaia house and first out of body experience 12:15 - Breakthrough retreat 17:36 - Correlating fire kasina experiences with Daniel's insight levels 19:43 - What age is best for peak meditation attainment? 25:50 - Ceremonial magic path to high concentration 27:25 - Crowley's Book Four 28:00 - Concentration vs liberation 29:44 - A powerful experience on retreat 32:22 - Various applications of fire kasina 34:42 - Safety warning 36:55 - Experiences of OBE's and the powers 43:09 - Divine eye and divine ear experiences 46:54 - Psychic powers or a daydream? 50:30 - Dangers of the powers 52:15 - Daniel's guide for group retreats 01:02:14 - Practice dose advice and ideal retreat duration 01:09:10 - Aftershock and afterglow 01:19:15 - Intention, summoning entities, and retreat goals 01:29:32 - Mania, psychosis, and the clinical view 01:35:07 - Daniel's report from his recent intensive fire kasina retreat 01:51:19 - Kripal's flip and coping mechanisms … Daniel Ingram Episode Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlkzlKFgdkny_MJSecHyvKHPpvxTskBAC To find out more about Daniel, visit: - https://theeprc.org/ - integrateddaniel.info - https://firekasina.org … 
For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - www.guruviking.com … Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James

For several episodes now, Phil and JF have been circling what St. John of the Cross called the Dark Night of the Soul, that moment in the spiritual journey where all falls a way and an abyss seems to crack open beneath our feet. When it came time to go there in earnest, they could think of no better guide than Duncan Barford, host of the excellent Occult Experiments in the Home podcast. As a master magician, long-time meditator, psychotherapeutic counsellor and writer on spirituality and the occult, Barford is uniquely endowed with the tools, experience, and language to discuss even the most difficult spiritual topics with wisdom and warmth. A Virgil for any Inferno. Buy the Weird Studies soundtrack (https://pierre-yvesmartel.bandcamp.com/album/weird-studies-music-from-the-podcast-vol-1) Support us on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/weirdstudies) Find us on Discord (https://discord.com/invite/Jw22CHfGwp) Get the new T-shirt design from Cotton Bureau (https://cottonbureau.com/products/can-o-content#/13435958/tee-men-standard-tee-vintage-black-tri-blend-s)! Get your Weird Studies merchandise (https://www.redbubble.com/people/Weird-Studies/shop?asc=u) (t-shirts, coffee mugs, etc.) Visit the Weird Studies Bookshop (https://bookshop.org/shop/weirdstudies) SHOW NOTES Occult Experiments in the Home (https://oeith.co.uk), Duncan Barford's excellent solo podcast Duncan's other website (https://www.duncanbarford.uk), focusing on his work as a psychotherapeutic counselor Duncan's books (https://www.amazon.com/Duncan-Barford/e/B004XO87P4?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1653404096&sr=8-1) on Amazon US Weird Studies, Episode 67 on Hellier (https://www.weirdstudies.com/67) Immanuel Kant, Critique of Pure Judgement (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9781420926941) Keats, “Ode on a Grecian Urn” (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44477/ode-on-a-grecian-urn) Dogen's Bendowa (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9784805316924) Tibetan Book of the Dead (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9780143104940) Daniel Ingram, Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9781911597100) St. John of the Cross, Ascent of Mount Carmel (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9780486468372) Spinoza, Ethics (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9781735268996) Lionel Snell, My Years of Magical Thinking (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9780904311242) Special Guest: Duncan Barford.

Lian Brook-Tyler recently interviewed me about magic and the esoteric for her ‘Primal Happiness' podcast. Topics include: 00:00 - Steve is a muggle 03:07 - Who is Daniel Ingram? 08:29 - Musing on magic 18:04 - Cheat code or apotheosis? 19:46 - Magic as listening 22:22 - Dream yoga 25:00 - Lian on magic 26:55 - Siddhi and special powers 28:48 - Magic in modern culture 35:02 - Lian's journey with magic 42:18 - Lian's magical evolution 47:21 - Magical dark night 49:30 - Advice for those interested in magic 51:59 - Seeing beyond yourself 56:11 - Lian and the rose Lian's ‘Primal Happiness' Show - https://www.youtube.com/c/WakingTheWild Other times I have been interviewed: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/category/Steve+Interviewed

Blowing the dust off some old diaries, we reflect on how kasina meditation generates magical powers, exploring: kasina practice and its rejuvenation by Daniel Ingram; the corruption of the original texts; the need for fresh terminology; different types of kasina; how a kasina is used; the importance and use of the retinal after-image; the cultivation of siddhis or “psychic powers”, and what these include; the circumstances of my first fire kasina retreat; the daily schedule; stages of the practice: after-image, red dot, black dot, and the murk; scrying into the murk as a means of realising a magical intention; a vision of a deity and “parallax imagery”; the experience of images that act like perceptions; the differences between perceptions and images; a thought experiment from Jean-Paul Sartre; perceptions as that which is given; images as a manifestation of an intention or will; different types of images and their commonalities; perceptions as offering endless perspectives on reality, and images as offering endless possibilities for departing from it; the characteristics of external images or media; perceptions as analogue and images as digital; magick and the erosion of the difference between imagery and perception; fire kasina as a hacking of the physiology of eye and brain to disrupt this difference; “seeing” with the mind, not the eyes; timescales for building the degree of concentration required; experiences of “travels” to different places; an experience of “the low-resolution vision space”; “the high-resolution vision space” and encounters with discarnate, sentient beings; meeting the Thai Spider Buddha; the strange experience of entering the high-resolution vision space; reflections on the nature of kasina practice; concentration as a limited means of manifestation; a warning about the shadow sides of kasina practice. Support the podcast and access additional content at: https://patreon.com/oeith. Buy me a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/oeith or https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dbarfordG. Or you could send me a lovely book from https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/1IQ3BVWY3L5L5?ref_=wl_share. Bhadantácariya Buddhaghosa (2011). Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga), translated by Bhikkhu Nanamoli, https://tinyurl.com/2p9aup6j(accesstoinsight.org). Accessed May, 2022. Daniel Ingram (2018). “Fire Kasina Practice” In: Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha, second edition, https://tinyurl.com/2usvrcu5 (mctb.org). Accessed May, 2022. Jean-Paul Sartre (1972). The Psychology of Imagination. Secaucus, NJ: Citadel. Shannon Stein & Daniel Ingram (2017). The Fire Kasina: Questions and Answers on Retreat with Practice Notes and Commentary, https://tinyurl.com/3m8y58bv (firekasina.org). Accessed May, 2022. Arahant Upatissa (1961). The Path of Freedom (Vimuttimagga), translated by Rev. N.R.M. Ehara, Soma Thera, & Kheminda Thera, https://tinyurl.com/4crx5m55 (urbandharma.org). Accessed May, 2022.

In this episode, returning guest Daniel Ingram comes on to discuss a range of fascinating questions concerning practice. We explore coming through the pandemic, the impact of long-term relationships on practice, first Buddhist books, hardcore Dharma practice, how life might have been different without practice, suffering and karma and Daniel's new project, The Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium. Matthew O'Connell is a life coach and the host of the The Imperfect Buddha podcast. You can find The Imperfect Buddha on Facebook and Twitter (@imperfectbuddha). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In this episode, returning guest Daniel Ingram comes on to discuss a range of fascinating questions concerning practice. We explore coming through the pandemic, the impact of long-term relationships on practice, first Buddhist books, hardcore Dharma practice, how life might have been different without practice, suffering and karma and Daniel's new project, The Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium. Matthew O'Connell is a life coach and the host of the The Imperfect Buddha podcast. You can find The Imperfect Buddha on Facebook and Twitter (@imperfectbuddha). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/buddhist-studies

Diane and Sean discuss the musical adventure friendship sandwich that is the My Little Pony - Friendship is Magic cinematic universe, Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks. Episode music is "Shine Like Rainbows", by Daniel Ingram, Caleb Chan, and Trevor Hoffman; performed by Ashleigh Ball, Shannon Chan-Kent, Andrea Libman, Kazumi Evans, Rebecca Shoichet-  Our theme song is by Brushy One String-  Artwork by Marlaine LePage-  Why Do We Own This DVD?  Merch available at Teepublic-  Follow the show on social media:-  IG: @whydoweownthisdvd-  Twitter: @whydoweownthis1-  Follow Sean's Plants on IG: @lookitmahplantsSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dvdpod)

Revisiting my experiences of awakening and reflecting on how things seem now, we ponder along the way: the culture of silence on awakening within Buddhism; the notion that enlightened people never claim enlightenment; my first ever experience of meditation; my failure at regular practice and a farewell to Buddhism; development of an interest in magick; returning to meditation as part of magical training; meeting Alan Chapman; effects of Alan's influence; embarking on the Knowledge and Communication of the Holy Guardian Angel; the 2012 prophecies and the Viking Youth Power Hour; encountering the teachings of Daniel Ingram; how to identify an authentic teacher; the advantages of “spiritual shopping”; using magick in order to experience awakening; replica hand grenades and black monoliths; my lack of faith in magick and my own experience; practical magick for mystical results; the danger of expectations; ego inflation versus lack of confidence; chaos magick as the tradition of not having a tradition; parallels between Crowley's Liber Samekh and Ingram's stages of insight; the realisation that the Dark Night of the Soul is progress; the basic and seemingly universal structure of awakening; discovering this structure all over the place; how the tradition and the practice do not seem to matter; intention and any suitable practice is all that is needed; my brash claims of attainment, and the reasons for this; how I used Ingram's teachings on the Buddhist four path model as my roadmap; descriptions and possible definitions of the four paths; a preliminary shift concerning distraction; my experience of first path: meeting Ultimate Truth; second path as the repetition of this; the major shift of a third path: a permanent awareness of something impossible and divine; God and death; the advice of Christopher Titmuss on dealing with a persistent duality; my experience of a seeming fourth path: nowhere from which to look; why I no longer regard myself as fully awakened; how the awareness has changed over time; a shift of interest towards trauma and karma; wondering about Christina Feldman's definition of enlightenment a “the implosion of all sankharas”. Support the podcast and access additional material at https://patreon.com/oeith Duncan Barford (2021). The Magick of A Dark Song: The Abramelin Ritual in Fiction and Reality. Hurstpierpoint: Heptarchia. Alan Chapman & Duncan Barford (2009). The Blood of the Saints. Brighton: Heptarchia. Alan Chapman & Duncan Barford (2009). The Urn. Brighton: Heptarchia. Alan Chapman & Duncan Barford (2010). A Desert of Roses. Brighton: Heptarchia. Aleister Crowley (1930). Liber Samekh, https://tinyurl.com/2p8a2ned (sacred-texts.com). Accessed January 2022. Daniel M. Ingram (2018). Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha, revised and expanded edition. London: Aeon.

Why should we meditate? What are the typical developmental stages as one progresses along the contemplative path? What does it mean to "hold an ontology loosely"? Are some meditative techniques inappropriate for some practitioners? Are there risks associated with meditation?Further reading:Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha by Daniel IngramA Path with Heart by Jack KornfieldThe Dharma Overground

Why should we meditate? What are the typical developmental stages as one progresses along the contemplative path? What does it mean to "hold an ontology loosely"? Are some meditative techniques inappropriate for some practitioners? Are there risks associated with meditation?Further reading:Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha by Daniel IngramA Path with Heart by Jack KornfieldThe Dharma Overground[Read more]