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Exploring psychedelics as sacramental medicine, Mindrolling comrades David Silver and Raghu Markus discuss William Richards' book, Sacred Knowledge.Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgThis week on Mindrolling, Raghu and David ponder through:The relationship between psychedelics and religious experiences The tale of Ram Dass, Neem Karoli Baba, and LSDResponsible use of psychedelics for reliability and potency David's experience with peyote shamans in South DakotaFinding out the ground of our own beings Viewing everything as God and everything as equally remarkable How spiritual awakenings are often initially nurtured through a psychedelic substance Considering set, setting, and our intentions before ingesting any entheogenComplete unity as Raghu's first memory of a psychedelic experienceCheck out the book referenced throughout this episode: Sacred Knowledge: Psychedelics and Religious Experiences About David Silver:David Silver is the former co-host of the Mindrolling podcast. He is a filmmaker and director, most recently coming out with Brilliant Disguise. Brilliant Disguise tells the unique story of a group of inspired Western spiritual seekers from the 60s, who in meeting the great American teacher, Ram Dass, followed him to India to meet his Guru, Neem Karoli Baba, familiarly known as Maharaj-ji. Two days before he left his body, Maharaj-ji instructed K.C. Tewari to take care of the Westerners, which he did resolutely until the day he died in 1997. Silver's #1 charting MGM/UA/Warners film, “The Compleat Beatles” is the critically acclaimed biopic movie about history's most famous band. The term ‘rockumentary' was first applied to this two-hour movie. Rolling Stone recently described the film as a “masterwork.” Silver's Warner Brothers' feature film, “No Nukes” also started the whole trend of music/activism feature documentaries.“When you take these substances, you must have the right atmosphere, the right people with you, the right reason for doing it. These things have to be thought very carefully about.” – David SilverSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Author and meditation teacher Kimberly Brown explains how we can transform our relationships through Buddhist practices and principles. Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgThis time on Mindrolling, Raghu and Kimberly discuss:How Kimberly was led to the dharma after experiencing panic attacksKimberly's journey leaving therapy practice and delving deeper into mindfulnessHow relationships can become stale and predictable when we solidify our partnerOpening up to who our partner is in the moment rather than our idea of themThe difference between love and a yearning to possess or clingLove as a deep intimacy with all things Accepting rupture and miscommunication as a normal part of relationships Being able to repair after a conflict arises within a relationship Approaching all things with grace and openness Loving-kindness and looking at the intention behind all of our actionsNot skipping over the relational to get to the ultimate Grab your copy of Kimberly's book, Happy Relationships, to learn more. "To solidify and harden another person and another person's reactions and voice, there's no more freshness and the relationship can get very stale and predictable. That's oftentimes when resentment comes up. Part of not knowing is being able to open to what's really there, who the person really is right in this moment." – Kimberly BrownAbout Kimberly Brown:Kimberly Brown is a popular Buddhist meditation teacher and Certified Mindfulness Instructor and since 2011 she has led thousands of classes, retreats, and workshops with individuals and groups merging self-compassion, emotional resilience, mindfulness, and Buddhism. As a leading voice in the contemporary meditation community, she teaches public classes regularly at the Rubin Museum, Mindful Astoria, Shantideva Meditation Center, and All Souls Church. She works in private practice both one-on-one and with companies and non-profit groups. She is a faculty member and Senior Instructor in The Interdependence Project's esteemed Mindfulness Teacher Training program. She is an accredited teacher and member of the Mindful Directory and the International Mindfulness Teachers Association. She balances her two decades of traditional Buddhist training and study with Western therapeutic modalities. Her background includes psychoanalytic training at Washington Square Institute, a master's degree from City College of New York, and undergraduate study at Hunter College. She has extensive formal meditation retreat experience at Insight Meditation Society, Palypung Thubten Choling, and the Garrison Institute, and has received in-depth teachings from meditation masters Ponlop Rinpoche, Lama Norlha Rinpoche, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Sharon Salzberg, and Venerable Pannavati. Keep up with Kimberly on her website.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Zach Leary returns to Mindrolling to discuss his upcoming book on navigating the psychedelic boom of the 21st century. Preorder your copy of Zach's book, Your Extraordinary Mind: Psychedelics in the 21st Century and How to Use Them, HERE.Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgThis week on Mindrolling, Raghu and Zach chat about:What propelled Zach to write his new book The explosion of psychedelic use in the 21st century Zach's personal history as the son of Timothy Leary and a close friend of Ram DassLaura Huxley's book on her father Aldous Huxley, This Timeless MomentThe film, Dying to Know, about Tim Leary and Ram DassThe origin story of LSD in the book Tripped by Norman OhlerMAPS work in redefining the modern age of psychedelics Pros and Cons of the medical movement in psychedelic research The benefits of practice coincided with psychedelics for inner expansionThe necessity of integration after a psychedelic experience Psychedelic research into neuroplasticity and transforming trauma Check out this MAPS page, where you can see a video of Ram Dass and Laura Huxley reading This Timeless Moment togetherAbout Zach Leary: Zach is a speaker, writer, Dharmic realizer, and psychedelic advocate. He is also a journey facilitator at Evolution Retreats and Heroic Path to Light. Zach hosts the MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) Podcast where he explores an incredible treasure trove of audio archives sourced from the amazing talks, presentations, and panels that have taken place at past Psychedelic Science conferences and other unique events.Keep up with Zach on Instagram “I see far more success in the psychedelic sphere with people that have something to augment the experience with. If you go back to your desk on a Monday morning and are just unaware of these transformations and not making any effort to tap in, it will fade. I think it's an essential ingredient that you need to make it successful.” – Zach LearySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Visionary Artist, Amanda Sage, joins Raghu to talk about using art as a tool for transformation and awakening.Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgThis time on Mindrolling, Raghu and Amanda discuss:How Amanda ended up in the midst of the psychedelic art world Visionary experiences from meditation and communityCombining visionary art with techniques from the old mastersArt as a tool for transformation rather than just a commodity The technology of sacred art and artists as small blooms of awakening How LSD helps Amanda see the finer layers of realityThe flow state of creation and being guided through the artistic medium The Telepathy Tapes, a documentary podcast about telepathic communicationMeditation as an active meditation and opportunity for transmission The value of togetherness and tuning into the same creative channel Large-scale longing for a connection to spiritAmanda's work, The Great Wave of TrainsformationCheck out Vision Train, Amanda's co-creative space.About Amanda Sage:Amanda Sage is an artist driven to contribute to the development of regenerative culture by using painting as a tool for transformation within the individual and collective. Her paintings represent multidimensional aspects of humanness in harmonious balance, inspiring a re-membering of an energetic inter-connectedness that is present and shared with all things. Learn more about Amanda on her website. “Painting, you transmit a story. There's a transmission that happens beyond words. It's an interesting technology and tool that has been used by humans through the ages. What is the broader opportunity, especially now in this world that we live in, for art to be a tool for transformation.” – Amanda SageSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Recognizing the beauty in being human, Raghu and John Tarrant discuss incorporating the qualities of both soul and spirit into our lives.Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgThis week on Mindrolling, Raghu and John discuss:John's work with protecting Aboriginal land rights How taking a Tibetan retreat changed the course of John's life and directed him to Zen Emptiness and love as the same principle How each piece of the universe contains the entire thing Reaching a crystalline view of reality through Buddhist practice The importance of spiritual clarity and the mistake of rejecting our inner life Qualities of soul/spirit and the beauty of being human The parts of life we may miss with an over-focus on spiritualityNot disapproving of what our hearts bring up in meditation Jungian psychology, shadow work, and dream work Stories that go into the psyche in a non-rational wayBringing the imagination into Buddhism The peace of the Buddha found inside our daily livesThe necessity of working with the inner lifeA short, guided practice from JohnAbout John Tarrant:John Tarrant is a Western Zen teacher and director of the Pacific Zen Institute, which has centers in California, Arizona, and Canada. He teaches and writes about the transformation of consciousness through the use of the Zen koan and trains koan meditation teachers. Tarrant is from Australia, he came from an old Tasmanian family and grew up in the City of Launceston on Bass Strait. His early influences included English literature, especially poetry, the Latin Mass, the Tasmanian bush, and Australian Aboriginal culture. Tarrant worked at many jobs, ranging from working as a laborer in an open-pit mine, to commercial fishing the Great Barrier Reef. Eventually, he also worked as a lobbyist for the Aboriginal land rights movement. Check out Tarrant's book, The Story of the Buddha, or learn more about his work and events on his website. “Being at peace is to be at peace with the whole of you, with your soul, your frustration, your anger. They can appear, but you're not fighting with it. In some way they fertilize your practice like rain on the earth.” – John TarrantSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Getting down to earth and into the heart, Rebecca Bradshaw joins Raghu to discuss balancing masculine and feminine energy in the dharma.Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgThis time on Mindrolling, Raghu and Rebecca chat about:Rebecca's journey of waking up and finding her pathEarth-based religions and getting down to earthRebecca's 5-month stint in silent meditationApproaching practice from the heart rather than the mindDiscovering the feminine archetype within the dharmaThe masculine energy often found within Buddhist communities and early scripturesGoing deep down within the receptive heart spaceCultivating intimacy with all things and focusing on relationshipDissolving the three roots of suffering (greed hatred and delusion)The practice of useless gazing and surrendering to the moment without an agendaAcclimating to the truth of impermanence and letting go of the need to controlThe acquired taste of being open and working at it over timeSnag a copy of Rebecca's book, Down to Earth Dharma: Insight Meditation to Awaken the Hear, HEREAbout Rebecca Bradshaw:Rebecca is Guiding Teacher Emeritus of the Insight Meditation Society and the Insight Meditation Center of Pioneer Valley in Easthampton, Massachusetts. She has been practicing Buddhist Vipassana meditation since 1983 in the United States and Myanmar (Burma) and teaching since 1993. She completed her dharma teacher training at Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, where she is part of the three-month retreat teacher team and leads retreats for young adults. Rebecca has a master's degree in Counseling Psychology and has worked as a bi-lingual (Spanish/English) psychotherapist. Her upcoming book, Down to Earth Dharma, was published by Shambhala Publications in November 2024. Check out Rebecca's website, HERE.“There's this emphasis on transcendence, energetic striving, independence, and all these things that are in the masculine archetype. They felt like some balance was missing, that's how it felt to me, and that a lot of it had to do with dropping into the heart, dropping into the body, feeling.” – Rebecca BradshawSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Raghu Markus and Norman Ohler explore the history of drugs in the Third Reich and how this ultimately lead to the psychedelic age in America.Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgIn this riveting and historical episode, Raghu and Norman talk about:Norman's research into the history of psychedelics in Germany‘Truth drugs' and using psychedelics for interrogation tacticsAlbert Hoffman, a Swiss chemist known for his work with LSDAmerica's early interest in psychedelics for military useMK-Ultra, mind control, and how the CIA took over the quest for truth drugs.Norman Ohler's meeting with Leonard Pickard, a major player in the LSD undergroundHow the CIA saw psychedelics as a potential weapon to manipulate peopleTruth that can be discovered on psychedelic journeysHow psychedelics can help heal relationships with ourselves and othersGet a copy of Norman's 2024 book, Tripped: Nazi Germany, the CIA, and the Dawn of the Psychedelic AgeAbout Norman Ohler:Norman Ohler is a German journalist and New York Times bestselling author, novelist and screenwriter, best known for his book Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi Germany, which has been published in over 30 languages. Most recently, Norman furthered his research into drug use in the Third Reich and it's connection to the CIA and the age of psychedelics in the United States. This produced his 2024 book, Tripped.Learn more about Tripped and Norman's other works on his website, HERE. “Basically what happened in the US was a continuation of the unethical human experiments that the Nazi's did, obviously not in a concentration camp, but at American universities, at American and Canadian clinics.” – Norman OhlerSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Raghu welcomes Tibetan Buddhist teacher Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche for a conversation on being diligent and consistent in our practice.Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgIn this episode of Mindrolling, Raghu and Dzigar have a discourse on:Dzigar's upbringing in a Tibetan refugee camp in IndiaThe magic of the great Buddhist mastersUsing discriminating wisdom and blending Bhakti & BuddhismPractical ways to have a balanced lifeBeing a non-judgmental witness to ourselves, others, and the worldMeeting our intention with action rather than getting lost in the mundaneRemedying the three forms of laziness through consistent effortThe fruits of being diligent in our practiceShantideva, an 8th-century Indian philosopher, monk, and scholarMotivation and understanding how our actions serve usKnowing when to take a break in order to reenergize ourselves for full engagementThe joy in seeing through our intentions to the endAbout Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche:Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche was born in the Northern Indian province of Himachal Pradesh to Tibetan refugee parents. Rinpoche grew up in a monastic environment. He was trained in the Longchen Nyingtik lineage of the Nyingma school as well as the Khyen-Kong Chok-Sum lineages. He moved to the United States in 1989 with his family and began a five-year tenure as a professor of Buddhist philosophy at Naropa University (then Institute) in 1990. Not long after arriving in the United States, Rinpoche founded Mangala Shri Bhuti, an organization established to further the practice of the Longchen Nyingtik and Khyen-Kong Chok-sum lineages. He established a mountain retreat center, Longchen Jigme Samten Ling, in southern Colorado, where he spends much of his time in retreat and guides students in long-term retreat practice. When not in retreat, Rinpoche travels widely throughout the world teaching and furthering his own education. Keep up with Rinpoche's happenings HERE.Pick up your own copy of Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche's book, Diligence: The Joyful Endeavor of the Buddhist Path.“We need to succeed in our field to be able to meet our intention with action, to have concrete outcomes. Whether that is in the spiritual path, sports, business, or creating a balanced life with health and well-being for oneself and one's family, in all of this, the effort is essential. Effort in a way that is not sporadic, but consistent effort.“ – Dzigar Kongtrul RinpocheSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Ramdev joins Raghu to talk about deepening our compassion through devotion and a willingness to meet suffering with an open heart.Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgThis time on Mindrolling, RamDev and Raghu discuss:Coping within the current climate of our countryConsidering if it must get worse before it gets betterConcerns with ICE and deportationSeeing suffering in the context of wholenessThe problem with over-identification with negative emotionsRequesting our needs and desires from Maharaj-jiA devotee's story from the book By His Grace Using our grief and longing as a spiritual pathThe loss that is going on worldwidePerspectives on depression and spirituality within the book The Awakened Brain Meeting suffering with a wide open heartThis episode is also brought to you by Dharma Moon. Join Buddhist teachers David Nichtern and Professor Robert Thurman for a free online event on Tuesday, March 4th at 6pm ET. Together, they'll explore the power of lineage, tradition, and the evolution of mindfulness practices. They'll also discuss Dharma Moon's renowned mindfulness meditation teacher training program. Visit dharmamoon.com/lineage for more info and to reserve your spot for the free online event with David Nichtern and Professor Robert Thurman!About RamDev:Dale Borglum is the founder and Executive Director of The Living/Dying Project. He is a pioneer in the conscious dying movement and has worked directly with thousands of people with life-threatening illness and their families for over 30 years. In 1981, Dale founded the first residential facility for people who wished to die consciously in the United States, The Dying Center. He has taught and lectured extensively on the topics of spiritual support for those with life-threatening illness, on caregiving as a spiritual practice, and on healing at the edge, the edge of illness, of death, of loss, of crisis. Learn more about The Living/Dying Project at livingdying.org.Be sure to also check out RamDev's podcast, Healing at the Edge, on the Be Here Now Network.“Compassion is the open heart meeting suffering. Tibetans say this remarkable thing, that compassion is the mixture of sadness and joy. You're sad because you're touching human suffering, but there's a joyfulness that transcends happiness and sadness because your heart is open.” – RamDevSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
John Lockley joins Raghu to discuss befriending our shadows and finding freedom and joy in a world of upheaval.Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgIn this episode, Raghu and John explore:Relinquishing hatred and growing our compassion bit by bitThe unifying force that connects all peopleWorking on self-kindness and not feeding into self-deprecationBeing respectful to our enemies rather than perpetuating evilAllowing our spirits to relax and engage in playDiscovering our dream gifts and harnessing them within realityFinding our purpose and listening to our ancestorsEther and spaciousness as food for our dreamsNot letting technology control and distract usThis episode is also brought to you by Dharma Moon. Join Buddhist teachers David Nichtern and Professor Robert Thurman for a free online event on Tuesday, March 4th at 6pm ET. Together, they'll explore the power of lineage, tradition, and the evolution of mindfulness practices. They'll also discuss Dharma Moon's renowned mindfulness meditation teacher training program. Visit dharmamoon.com/lineage for more info and to reserve your spot for the free online event with David Nichtern and Professor Robert Thurman!About John Lockley: John Lockley began his journey as a young medic drafted into the South African military. He then trained under Zen master Su Bong from South Korea, and returned to post-Apartheid South Africa to spend 10 years in apprenticeship with MaMngwevu, a medicine woman from the Xhosa tribe. John now splits his time teaching in South Africa, Ireland, Europe, and the US. Find out more about John's work and learn more about his numerous upcoming events, retreats, and other offerings at JohnLockley.com.“The political system at the moment is tough, but sometimes it's actually not as tough as you think it is. You need to find freedom where you are free. You're not in jail; feel the freedom of walking, of going into the sea, of going into the wilderness, and let your spirit feel free. That's very important.” – John LockleySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Bringing together mindfulness and science, Anu Gupta offers transformative tools for dealing with hatred and prejudice.Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgThis week on Mindrolling, Raghu and Anu explore:How Anu was brought up around meditation and yogaReceiving the gift of spiritualityAnu's early connection to the Gayatri MantraThe distinction between caste and class in IndiaAdjusting to Western life and dealing with bias in the U.S.Researching the nature of hatred and prejudiceHolding our egos with loving awareness and compassionTransforming ourselves through practiceMaking our unconscious biases consciousCheck out Anu Gupta's 2024 book, Breaking Bias, to learn more science-backed methods for unraveling stereotypes and prejudices.About Anu Gupta:Anu Gupta is a human rights lawyer, scientist, scholar of bias, meditation teacher, and the founder and CEO of BE MORE with Anu, a professional development company that trains corporate, nonprofit, and government leaders to advance inclusion and wellness by breaking bias. He is also the author of Breaking Bias: Where Stereotypes and Prejudices Come From and the Science-Backed Method to Unravel Them(2024), with a foreword from His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Check out Anu Gupta on Substack.“The tools that we need are the ones I've been teaching people; mindfulness, stereotype replacement, compassion. Not just talking about them, but actually practicing them and feeling them.” – Anu GuptaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Mindrolling alumnus David Silver re-joins Raghu to help us transform our relationship with thought and lead us to growth and inner peace.Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgThis journey on Mindrolling, Raghu and David weave through:Opposing the idea of ‘I think, therefore I am'The disease of overthinking and why we thinkLetting thoughts come through and letting it goHow our relationship to thought is what makes us sufferFocused, creative, compassionate thinking as the center of our growthThe necessity of compassion for oneself along with mindfulnessComing back into mantra when our mind wandersPassing through thoughts that are negative rather than getting hookedRight thinking and right actionAbout David Silver:David Silver is the former co-host of the Mindrolling podcast. He is a filmmaker and director, most recently coming out with Brilliant Disguise. Brilliant Disguise tells the unique story of a group of inspired Western spiritual seekers from the 60s, who in meeting the great American teacher, Ram Dass, followed him to India to meet his Guru, Neem Karoli Baba, familiarly known as Maharaj-ji. Two days before he left his body, Maharaj-ji instructed K.C. Tewari to take care of the Westerners, which he did resolutely until the day he died in 1997. Silver's #1 charting MGM/UA/Warners film, “The Compleat Beatles” is the critically acclaimed biopic movie about history's most famous band. The term ‘rockumentary' was first applied to this two-hour movie. Rolling Stone recently described the film as a “masterwork.” Silver's Warner Brothers' feature film, “No Nukes” also started the whole trend of music/activism feature documentaries.”This is workable conditions. We can absolutely transform so that we are not hooked and glued to these thoughts and the belief and story from which they come from.” – Raghu MarkusSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Cultivating both inner and outer harmony, the Be Here Now Network trifecta of Raghu, David, and Sharon offers lessons in metta and letting go.This episode was recorded live at the annual Ram Dass Legacy “Open Your Heart in Paradise” retreat in Maui. Learn more about these Maui retreats, our annual Mountain retreat in Boone, North Carolina, and our regular digital retreats at ramdass.org/event.This week on Mindrolling, Raghu, David, and Sharon discuss:Ram Dass' teaching of loving awareness and being at home in the universePutting practice and compassionate mindfulness into our daily livesThe power and strength of loveA guided metta practice from SharonBoth inner and outer harmonizing and turning metta towards ourselvesThe Bodhisattva tradition and taking on the suffering of othersLoving motivation and using wise discernmentThe continual process of letting goForgiveness and not allowing pain to overtake our livesAbout David Nichtern:David Nichtern, founder of Dharma Moon, is a senior Buddhist teacher who has been practicing and teaching meditation for over 40 years. He was one of the initial American students of renowned meditation master Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and studied closely with him soon after his arrival in the United States in 1970. He is also a business consultant with companies creating a variety of offerings integrating meditation in a larger health and well-being context. David is also a multiple Grammy-nominated and Emmy award-winning musician.About Sharon Salzberg:Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She is one of the first to bring mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation to mainstream American culture over 45 years ago, inspiring generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers. Sharon is co-founder of The Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, and the author of twelve books, including the New York Times bestseller, Real Happiness, now in its second edition, and her seminal work, Lovingkindness. Her podcast, The Metta Hour, has amassed five million downloads and features interviews with thought leaders from the mindfulness movement and beyond.Learn more about Sharon and pre-order her new book at www.sharonsalzberg.com“You can ask yourself the question, what do I really want to see? What do I care about most right now? Is it winning or is it being kind? It brings us to wisdom we already have, that we can then bring forth and have it inform our action as best we can.” – Sharon SalzbergSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sharing spiritual mementos from his world travels, Dakota Wint sits with Raghu to explore finding God everywhere and at any time.This time on Mindrolling, Raghu and Dakota converse about:Dakota's travels throughout EthiopiaRastafarian tradition and its origin in EthiopiaReminiscing about their time shared in IndiaConfronting the weirdness of our collective stateFinding spirit in all cultures across the worldHow travel and curiosity have affected Dakota's growthThe central Buddhist value of impermanenceTurning within and connecting to GodStories of the Aghori people in IndiaThe tribes of Papua New GuineaAbout Dakota Wint:Dakota Wint is a documentary filmmaker, vlogger, podcast host, and spiritual teacher from Detroit, Michigan. His films and podcasts revolve around current events, strange spirituality, and taboo traditions. You can subscribe to his podcast, A Place for Humans, HERE. Dakota grew to fame as an internet personality via his popular YouTube channel, Dakota of Earth. Dakota hosts retreats around the world and runs a non-profit focused on cultural and language preservation. Learn more about current happenings on his website.“The same spiritual lessons I'm finding all over the world. There's a similar feeling, a shared feeling, to what I find when I'm in India, or Japan, or in Mexico. I can find the spirit or God hidden in the symbols.” – Dakota WintSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Redefining sainthood as a deep care for ourselves and others, Lama Rod Owens and Raghu discuss reclaiming our sacredness and our identity.Check out Lama Rod's book, The New Saints, to learn more about becoming a spiritual warrior.Within this episode, Raghu and Lama Rod discuss:Healing through music and other mystical experiencesLama Rod Owens' college experience and getting into activismRe-framing our relationship to religionThe freedom to be our most authentic selvesOwning our own identity and sacrednessCommunity and collective as the hero we all needThe apocalypse as an unveiling of the truthCreating a culture of care and prioritizing well-beingDisrupting habitual reactivity and transforming our responsivenessLoneliness on the spiritual pathAbout Lama Rod Owens:Lama Rod Owens is a Black Buddhist Southern Queen. An international influencer with a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School with a focus on the intersection of social change, identity, and spiritual practice. Author of Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation through Anger and co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love and Liberation, his teachings center on freedom, self-expression, and radical self-care. Highly sought after for talks, retreats, and workshops, his mission is showing you how to heal and free yourself. A leading voice in a new generation of Buddhist teachers with over 11 years of experience, Lama Rod is highly respected among his peers and the communities that he serves. From these intersections, he creates a platform that's very natural, engaging, and inclusive. Check out Lama Rod's most recent publication, The New Saints and his podcast on the Be Here Now Network, The Spirit Underground.For current offerings and programs, click here. “I think that the most important spiritual practice is care, compassion love; I think that's the common expression across many paths. A saint is defined by the depth of their care for others.” – Lama Rod OwensSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Noah and Raghu Markus catch up with Joseph Goldstein to talk about poetry, imposter syndrome, trust, and more.Grab a copy of Joseph's poems and reflections HEREIn this episode, Raghu, Joseph, and Noah connect through these topics:How Joseph revitalized his poetic spirit while traveling in SpainRevision as the most important process of writingStruggling with imposter syndromeHow poetry overlaps the meditative spaceSilence as an integral precursor to creativityThe beauty within very ordinary experiencesHow aversion traps us just as much as desireCompassion as the activity of emptinessLoneliness and the myth of intimacyBuilding trust and self-confidenceArtistic versus scientific ways of understandingAnger as a messenger and using wise discernmentBe sure to check out this talk on quantum mechanics, as suggested by Joseph in today's episode.About Joseph Goldstein:Joseph Goldstein has been leading insight and loving-kindness meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. He is a co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, where he is one of the organization's guiding teachers. In 1989, together with several other teachers and students of insight meditation, he helped establish the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies.“A lot of creativity comes out of the silence because then it's more intuitive rather than thinking through something. It's that overlap that I really love. I can be in a quiet space and a very ordinary perception of something takes on more meaning because I'm not just rushing through it, I'm actually there in it.” – Joseph GoldsteinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Trauma-focused psychotherapist Ralph De La Rosa links with Raghu to explain how radical self-compassion can outshine our deepest wounds.Eager to learn more? Grab your own copy of Ralph's new book, Outshining Trauma.In this episode, Raghu and Ralph have a conversation about: Ralph's casual brush with death and the divine play of the universeHealing our afflictions and uncovering our awakened stateHow we all tend to dissociate and distract ourselvesInspiration from Buddhism in Ralph's own life and his therapy practiceBefriending all of the different parts of our psycheConnecting the heart of compassion to the difficulties we experienceUtilizing the tools of Internal Family SystemsWorking with the breath and other meditation techniquesGetting intimate with our afflictionsThe concept of taking refugeConsidering what a healthy love/relationship looks likeHow to respond to self-judgment and drop our armorAbout Ralph De La RosaRalph De La Rosa (he/they) is a teacher of human spirituality, an internationally published author and a trauma-focused psychotherapist. Ralph works in private practice and is a seasoned meditation teacher known for his radically open and humorous teaching style. He is personally mentored by Richard Schwartz, founder and developer of Internal Family Systems. Check out Ralph's new book, published in November 2024, focusing on trauma and radical self-compassion, Outshining Trauma. You can keep up with Ralph on his website.“Our hearts can really break open for our own struggle. That, for me, is the nature of what I would call radical self-compassion, when you start to behold your own struggle and are willing to get intimate with your afflictions rather than run from them.” – Ralph De La RosaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Aboriginal scholar Tyson Yunkaporta joins Raghu to discuss our shared evolution of consciousness and navigating a post-truth world.This week on Mindrolling, Tyson and Raghu have a conversation about: Living in a post-truth world where objective facts lose to emotional/personal appealHow coronavirus nudged us closer to fascismCultural feedback routes and how America affects AustraliaWorking with Indigenous medicine to connect to the spiritNavigating the grieving processRevolutions of consciousness through the erasOur universal connection and sharing of space with each otherDisinformation and the build-up to our recent electionRight story versus wrong story and how the truth gets blurredAll of our relations, human and non-humanAbout Tyson Yunkaporta:Tyson Yunkaporta is an Aboriginal scholar, founder of the Indigenous Knowledge Systems Lab at Deakin University in Melbourne, and author of Sand Talk and Right Story, Wrong Story: Adventures in Indigenous Thinking. His work focuses on applying Indigenous methods of inquiry to resolve complex issues and explore global crises.Preorder Tyson's book, Right Story, Wrong Story: How to Have Fearless Conversations in Hell“People are really suffering, and this feels true. This story reflects our feelings of terror and the need to preserve our cultures and communities and resources exclusively.” – Tyson YunkaportaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sharing stories from her world travels, yoga teacher Susan Maruffo explores healing and self-discovery through yoga, Tantra, and meditation.This time on Mindrolling, Susan and Raghu journey through: Unhappiness within Western cultural conditioningHow getting out of the United States transformed Susan's lifeBeing alone while doing yoga versus in a group settingHow suffocating our ‘roles' in life can beRecognizing our universal connection via a trip to IndiaComing back into the body through yoga practiceSusan's experience at a Tantric school in ThailandNeo-Tantra versus classical TantraHealing through yoga and sexual explorationDying to the old versions of ourselvesHow the heart reveals itself during meditationThe ways we run away from intimacyAbout Susan Marrufo:Susan left the United States and a job in advertising in 2008 to travel internationally and experience life beyond the confines of her cultural conditioning. She received her first 500-hr yoga certification in Thailand in 2009, where she began her studies of the classical yogic scriptures and delved deeply into esoteric tantric philosophy. After 2 years of teaching month-long tantric-based courses on the banks of the Ganges in India and the Pacific coastal towns of Mexico, Susan returned to the US to begin a residential internship with the Kripalu School of Yoga, where she taught in and project-managed several Kripalu yoga teacher trainings as well as received her 2nd 500-hr teacher training certification from the Kripalu School of Yoga. Susan facilitates group courses in the inquiry of yoga and meditation and dives increasingly deeper into her yogic studies. She is the founder of Samarasa Center.“It was the first time that I started practicing yoga alone. Not in groups of classes with other people. That was transformational for me. That was the game changer, just being alone, having time, not feeling stressed, not feeling the pressure to be anybody. To be a wife, to be a boss, to be a daughter.” – Susan MarrufoSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Justin Boreta, the first musician to collaborate with Ram Dass, talks with Raghu about Ram Dass' legacy and the power of music.Check out the track Awareness, an ambient track by Justin mixed with a guided meditation from Ram Dass.This week on Mindrolling, Justin and Raghu chat about: Ram Dass' legacy transported through musicThe chants that Ram Dass brought home from IndiaKali Yuga, the age of destructionChants for Ganesh and music as the delivery method for mantraRam Dass' humor and charmHow music is a tool for being in the present momentUsing the breath to enter into a space of loving-kindnessThe intersection of community, teachings, and musicTrusting the music and letting goRaghu suggests checking out the poetry of Kabir brought to life through music. About Justin Boreta:Justin Boreta is a member of The Glitch Mob, a beat-driven electronic group that has been touring for more than a decade performing around the world at festivals including: Coachella, Burning Man, Lollapolooza, Reading & Leeds and Bonnaroo. Boreta has collaborated with the spiritual teacher Ram Dass and Alan Watts on guided meditations and was recently nominated for a 2021 Grammy for Best New Age Album. Boreta is also a member of the Soul Land music series at Love Serve Remember.“There was this sense of unencumbered big-eyed view of love. I felt so accepted and seen and relaxed right away. It was psychedelic. It was one of the most psychedelic experiences I'd had…the first thing I thought was if he [Ram Dass] makes me feel like that, I want other people around me to feel like that too.” – Justin BoretaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Surfing dimensions of consciousness, dream yoga expert Andrew Holecek joins Raghu to discuss the benefits of lucidity in liminal spaces.This time on Mindrolling, Andrew and Raghu discuss: Andrew's early interest in the occult and the role of psychedelicsLucid dreaming and having insight before understandingTibetan Buddhism and dream yogaAndrew's experience with mantra and transcendental meditationLiminal dreaming and working with the space between sleep and wakingFlexibility and surfing dimensions of consciousnessWitnessing our mind transition from wakefulness to sleepSeeing how thoughts create realityHow dream yoga transcends lucid dreamingWorking with the tectonic states of our beingGrab a copy of Andrew's recently released book, I'm Mindful, Now What?About Andrew Holecek:Andrew Holecek is an author and spiritual teacher who offers talks, online courses, and workshops in the United States and abroad. As a long-time student of Buddhism, he frequently presents this tradition from a contemporary perspective – blending the ancient wisdom of the East with modern knowledge from the West. Drawing on years of intensive study and practice, he teaches on the opportunities that exist in obstacles, helping people with hardship and pain, death and dying, and problems in meditation. Known as an expert on lucid dreaming and the Tibetan yogas of sleep and dream, he is an experienced guide for students drawn to these powerful nocturnal practices. Check out Andrew's website to learn more.“Therefore, you can literally work with really short, micro, lucid dream lenses. Where you can bring lucidity/mindfulness into the transition and see how it is that thoughts create reality at the level of the dreamscape. This is a form of dream-incubation, you can actually watch a thought transform into a dream.” – Andrew HolecekSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Raghu interviews Leonard Pickard about his early involvement in psychedelics, zen practice, his 20-year incarceration, and building resilience via mindfulness.Leonard will be joining Raghu, Zach Leary, Trevor Hall and others at a Ram Dass Legacy Event in Denver on December 12th, 2024. For more info, click HERE.This week on Mindrolling, Leonard and Raghu chat about: Transformative experiences as not dependent on substancesDelving into the great leaders of the sixties and honoring Ram DassThe psychedelic revolution that is currently taking placeOur total dependence on one anotherThe way that music transformed throughout the 1960'sLeonard's time at the San Francisco Zen Center studying Buddhism, meditation, and yogaCarrying our practice out into the worldHow Buddhism prepared Leonard for years of incarcerationThe beauty of spiritual practice and growing ones heartCheck out Leonard's book, The Rose of Paracelsus, which he wrote while incarcerated, to explore more about psychedelics, spirituality, science, and human evolution.About Leonard Pickard:Once known as the Acid King, Leonard Pickard is a former research associate in neurobiology at Harvard Medical School, Harvard fellow in drug policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and Deputy Director of the Drug Policy Analysis Program at UCLA. His 1996 prediction of the fentanyl epidemic was published by RAND in The Future of Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Opioids. Leonard Pickard is one of two people convicted in the largest LSD manufacturing case in history. On July 27, 2020, Pickard was granted compassionate release from federal prison 20 years into his sentence.“Transformative experience, if it is to be valid, cannot be drug dependent. It would be a terrible offense to think that such beautiful insights were dependent upon a mere substance.” – Leonard PickardSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Amidst election results, environmental crises and more, Raghu and James Baraz consider how to awaken joy in times of disillusion.To learn more about James' work with the environment and to see how you can help, check out One EarthThis time on Mindrolling, James and Raghu have a talk on: Vulnerability and unconditional loveAwakening Joy in times of disillusionJames' definition of Joy as the sense of well-beingMaking space for all the feelings we feelTraining ourselves to look for the goodHow we have lost our connection to the landBeing courageous and coming from loveIndigenous and Buddhist teachings that point us to our place in the worldUnderstanding the consequences of our actionsSila and acting with integrity as a path to inner peaceWhy meditation is so essentialThe joy of connection and a closing gratitude practice About James BarazJames Baraz has taught mindfulness meditation since 1978 and is co-founder of the world-renowned Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California. He is co-author of two books Awakening Joy: 10 Steps to a Happier Life and Awakening Joy for Kids. James has taught the Awakening Joy course to over 24,000 people from 30 countries since 2003, as well as retreats and workshops in the U.S. and internationally. Learn more about James HERE.“Actions have consequences, that is what karma is. What we do now has an effect on what's to come in our children and future generations. Those are the dots that somehow the rich, supposedly brilliant minds, haven't seen.” – James BarazSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Dr. Dan Engle joins Raghu to discuss how to integrate the ineffable into our daily lives after profound psychedelic experiences.In this episode, Dr. Engle and Raghu have a conversation about: How Dr. Dan's life was profoundly changed after a serious accidentIntegrating psychiatry and neurology togetherDr. Dan's introduction to psychedelics in the jungleHow the psychedelic experience opens us up but can't be sustainedIntegration of the ineffable into our daily livesLooking at science and spirituality in a productive wayThe fundamental questions that arise out of the psychedelic experiencePsychedelics as a catalyst for personal change and authentic self-discoveryThe soul as a drop in the ocean of spiritRegressive hypnotherapy and unwinding past life eventsContinuing to evolve toward greater understandingPsychiatry's place in spiritual endeavorsLiving into the movie of we and building upon pillars of wisdomAbout Dr. Dan Engle:Dan Engle, MD, is a psychiatrist with a clinical practice that combines aspects of regenerative medicine, psychedelic research, integrative spirituality, and peak performance. Dr. Engle is an international consultant to several global healing centers facilitating the use of long-standing indigenous plant medicines for healing and awakening. He is the Founder of Full Spectrum Medicine, a psychedelic integration and educational platform; and Thank You Life, a non-profit funding stream supporting access to psychedelic therapies. Dr. Engle is the author of The Concussion Repair Manual: A Practical Guide to Recovering from Traumatic Brain Injuries, as well as his new book, A Dose of Hope: A Story of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy. To learn more about Dr. Dan's offerings check out his website HERE.“The ceremony space, the experience with the ineffable, that opens us up (ideally) to our more divine nature, our more true self. That's the catalyst. But, the real work happens in the integration. How do we make that real for the rest of our lives?” – Dr. Dan EngleSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Offering a beautiful ode to India, Raghu and Andrew Harvey discuss divine truths and the oxymoron of beauty and pain.This time on Mindrolling, Andrew and Raghu go over: Andrew's experience being born and growing up in IndiaIndia as a sacred world filled with divine beauty and painThe divine feminine and masculineRaghu's experience bringing his father to IndiaThe gift of Ram Dass and tying Hinduism to modern lifeRevelations of incarnationAndrew Harvey's return to India and encountering great beingsBeing mindful of our anger and transforming our emotionsAbout Andrew Harvey:Andrew Harvey is a British author, religious scholar and teacher of mystic traditions, known primarily for his popular nonfiction books on spiritual or mystical themes. Andrew Harvey is also the founder and director of The Institute for Sacred Activism, an international organization focused on inviting concerned people to take up the challenge of our contemporary global crises by becoming inspired, effective, and practical agents of institutional and systemic change, in order to create peace and sustainability. Check out Andrew Harvey's many book offerings HERE.“Being born in India is for me the absolutely central and original and primordial and evolutionary event for me. That's it. Because to be born in India is to be born into sacred world and a sacred culture that is alive with divine beauty, pain, passion, magic, veracity, truth. That's India. – Andrew HarveySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Influencer and cosmetic artist Chrisspy shares how Ram Dass inspired her to change her life after a traumatic accident.In this episode of Mindrolling, Chrisspy and Raghu discuss: - Chrisspy's near-death experience and how it transformed her life- Discovering Ram Dass, Eastern Philosophy, and connecting to spirituality- Elements of influencer culture that are toxic- Chrisspy's decision to delete social media for a year and go on a spiritual journey- Not taking ourselves so seriously or castigating ourselves- The pressure to share every part of ourselves online- Connecting through storytelling- Gratitude practice and paying attention to what we take for granted- Making a positive impact by showing up for others- The ways that we view love versus real loveAbout Chrisspy:Christina, aka Chrisspy, is the second-youngest of four children, raised on non-sugar cereals and 2% milk, in a home chock full of bluster and strong opinion. Displaying a penchant for the artistic from an early age, in order to make her voice heard, she learned to be concise, bold, and avant-garde. After working for MAC cosmetics in San Francisco, she moved to Los Angeles, earned a bachelor's degree from UCLA, and began posting pictures online to showcase her make-up techniques under the name, Chrisspy. She hopes to curry favor and influence friends, but more importantly, she hopes to empower women with the tools to look their best! Check out her website HERE and find her @Chrisspy on Youtube, Tik-Tok, and Instagram.“I didn't feel comfortable acting as a reality star in certain ways. It felt performative and it robbed me of so many experiences because I always was gauging is this shareable, how is the audience going to like this, instead of just living it.” – ChrisspySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Anita Sanchez and Raghu Markus confront the impacts of global warming, celebrate indigenous traditions, and explore the deep connection of nature and humanity.This week, Raghu and Anita Sanchez have a compelling conversation on:Anita's recent journey into the Amazon RainforestThe intense impact of global warming on Amazonian landscapesThe strength and leadership of indigenous amazonian womenClimate change as the biggest threat to national securityViewing plants and nature as our relativesAsking our ancestors for answers in our dreamsThe way that mother earth cares for usGetting rid of the illusion of separatenessAnita's epiphany at a Sundance ceremonyGetting involved with protecting our planetReconnecting to sacred, ritualistic ways of beingIndigenous plant medicine and the potency of AyahuascaAppropriation of indigenous practicesWhat the four sacred gifts areAbout Anita Sanchez, Ph.D:Anita was born into a Midwest family that was economically poor, yet rich in Mexican-American and Nahua (also known as Aztec) heritage. Fortified with the strength of her elders and connection to the earth, she became the first in her family of over one hundred first cousins to earn a doctorate degree. She has gone on to a career as an international transformational leader.Dr. Sanchez is committed to bridging indigenous wisdom and science with or contemporary work and life, to support our individual wholeness and collective conscious evolution in partnership with People, Spirit, and the Earth. With her loving spirit, presence and skill, Anita inspires people around the world to discover and trust their gifts, to become life-giving connections to all, in service and joy.Learn more about Anita's work at anita-sanchez.com and check out her own podcast on Be Here Now Network, The Four Sacred Gifts“80% of the most biodiverse places left on this earth are lands that indigenous people live on. Yet, we're only 5 or 6 % of the world's population. That's not a coincidence, that's because we have this relationship.”– Anita Sanchez, Ph.DSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Bridging science and spirit, Stephanie Karzon Abrams chats with Raghu about integrating psychedelics and soul into the medical community.This time on Mindrolling, Raghu and Stephanie delve into: Out-of-body experiences through musicAddressing identity changes after Traumatic Brain InjuriesUtilizing plants to promote better healthReconnecting to ourselves through psychedelic therapiesTrauma from displacement and immigrationBridging science and spirit by integrating holistic views into medicineThe mental health impact of physical health issuesGetting the medical world to want to heal the mind and soul as well as the physicalThe ways that psychedelic experiences can change usThe importance of having a guide through psychedelic experiencesSitting with discomfort and being open to the lessonsHow music expands our minds and creates a space for connectionAbout Stephanie Karzon Abrams:Stephanie Karzon Abrams, a neuropharmacologist with a Masters of Science in Clinical Pharmacology, is the founding advisor of Beyond The Bench consultancy. The firm provides science, research, operations, and strategy solutions to organizations and clinics in the natural product, plant medicine, and psychedelic sectors. A recognized leader in shaping the future of integrative and innovative healthcare, Stephanie Karzon Abrams champions the exploration of novel therapeutic approaches. Her interests extend beyond neurology, encompassing plant medicines, women's health, and the potential of music to enhance healing. Check out Stephanie's music label, Public Secret.“Anybody who has any kind of health challenge will have their mental health affected. There is an impact. Just treating that illness or symptom is not enough; you need to heal the mind. You need to heal the soul. They're all interconnected. There's no reason why medical science, especially when we talk about psychedelics, can't address all of that. For me, that's the ultimate goal, if I can use research as a tool to achieve this then I've succeeded.” – Stephanie Karzon AbramsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Written in the key of grief and the melody of praise, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer sits down with Raghu to discuss her newest poetry book, The Unfolding.Enjoy your own copy of The Unfolding to read Rosemerry's heart-opening poems! Purchase the book HEREThis week, tune into Rosemerry and Raghu's conversation on: The loss of Rosemerry's son and fatherLiving through seasons of extreme griefUnderstanding the gift of a poemOppositional feelings experienced at the same time (pain + joy, etc.)Recognizing how desperately we need eachotherThe Grand Quilt, The Medicine of Surrender, and more poems written and read by RosemerryBrave prayers and the things that open us / help us growInspiration from Gregory Orr and Leonard CohenHow grief strips us naked and makes us vulnerableRaghu sends us off with a beautiful Kabir poem from the book Painting from the Palette of LoveAbout Rossemerry Trommer:Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer is an American poet associated with Colorado. She was Poet Laureate of San Miguel County, Colorado from 2006–2010, and was named Poet Laureate of Colorado's Western Slope by the Telluride Institute from 2015–2017. Most recently, Rosemerry published The Unfolding, a book of poetry exploring grief. Rosemerry was featured on TEDxTalks to discuss the art of changing metaphors and created an album of poetry called Dark Praise with Steve Law. Check out Rosemerry's website, Wordwoman, and her daily poetry blog, A Hundred Falling Veils. You can also join Rosemerry in an immersive daily experience of poetry and reflection on the Ritual app.“So many people reached out to help me… they'd say, ‘What can we do?' And I'd just say, ‘Open me. Help me stay open. Please, help me stay open.'” – Rosemerry TrommerSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Daniele Bolelli contrasts the beauty of community and selfless leadership in Native culture with the epidemic of loneliness in America.In this episode, Daniele and Raghu roll through: Native American history and lessonsDaniele's first exposure to Native culture through his journalist motherHow the Sundance ceremony shifted Daniele's entire worldThe purpose of Sundance ceremony and praying for the welfare of all living beingsThe beauty and power of community we can see in Native American cultureLoneliness in America as an epidemicDiscussing a few of the great Native American chiefs, like Crazy Horse and Sitting BullThinking collectively for the well-being of an entire villageWhy a functioning community or tribe is essential for collective ideologies to workThe Native American myth of the Wendigo as a metaphor for insatiable cravingGrab the book Daniele suggests, Black Elk Speaks, for more Native American wisdom and stories.About Daniele Bolelli:Daniele Bolelli is an Italian writer, philosopher, and professor of comparative religion. Currently living in Los Angeles, Danielle Bolelli is also a martial artist and podcaster. Learn more about Danielle Bolelli and his published works as well as his suggested reading list on Daniellebolelli.com.Be sure to subscribe to Danielle's podcast, History on Fire.“Loneliness is one of those epidemics that is killing us on a mental health level. When you see functioning communities, it's a beautiful thing because that sense of relation that exists with this group of people that are not just your nuclear family but extend beyond that.” – Daniele BolelliSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sharing inspiration from the monk Thomas Merton, James Finley explains what he has learned about God, healing, and mystical paths.Grab James Finley's Memoir, The Healing Path, HEREThis week, James and Raghu have a deep conversation about: How James discovered a connection to God through Thomas MertonJames' time living in the Abbey of Gethsemani immediately after high schoolThe resonance that happens between awakened peopleThe secret, safe place that God can commune with usNever forgetting what we learn from dark timesHaving empathy for others through our own sufferingSeeing children as our mentorsBecoming an act of acceptance for the unexplainable mysteryThe healing stories in the gospelsAbout James Finley:James Finley is an author, clinical psychologist, and spiritual director. He is one of the core faculty members of the Center for Action and Contemplation (with Richard Rohr) and is host of the CAC podcast “Turning to the Mystics.” A former novice under Thomas Merton at the Abbey of Gethsemani, he is the author of the classic book Merton's Palace of Nowhere: A Search for God through Awareness of the True Self. A leading figure in the integration of psychology and spiritual direction, he has led workshops and retreats around the country.“Often, when the terror is overtaking us, it isn't until later that we reflect on it. We realize it isn't that it wasn't terrible, but it wasn't just terrible. That precisely because it got so dark I was able to see a light shining in the darkness that had come in looking for me, or it was there all along and I didn't know it.”– James FinleySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Turning to Celtic wisdom, author and teacher John Philip Newell chats with Raghu about reconnecting to our home, Mother Earth.Pick up your copy of John's new book, The Great Search: Turning to Earth and Soul in the Quest for Healing and Home, HERE.This week, John and Raghu get into: John's upbringing and being drawn to the natural worldThe Celtic lineage and having awareness for the sacredness of natureKnowing that wisdom resides deep within us, not outside of usSeeing the universe as an expression of the divineWhat we can learn from native traditionsA radical new beginning through humility and relation to earth and one anotherAddressing the divine in one another and in every life formBreaking cycles of war and repetitionThe contributions of Carl Jung on the collective and individual unconsciousMerging Eastern and Western traditionsCheck out The Marriage of East and West to learn more about the topics John and Raghu referenceAbout John Philip Newell:John Philip Newell is a Celtic teacher and author of spirituality who calls the modern world to reawaken to the sacredness of Earth and every human being. In 2016 he began the Earth & Soul initiative and teaches regularly in the United States and Canada as well as leading international pilgrimage weeks on Iona in the Western Isles of Scotland. His PhD is from the University of Edinburgh and he has authored over fifteen books, including his award-winning publication, Sacred Earth Sacred Soul, which was the 2022 Gold Winner of the Nautilus Book Award for Spirituality and Religious Thought of the West. His new book, also with HarperOne (and published in the UK by Wild Goose), is The Great Search (August 2024), in which he looks at the great spiritual yearnings of humanity today in the context of the decline of religion as we have known it.Join senior meditation teachers David Nichtern and Rebecca D'Onofrio for a free online discussion on the path of developing one's own meditation practice and supporting others who wish to explore this transformative path. Register for free today: The Journey of Becoming a Meditation Teacher | Sep. 19th @ 6:00pm ET“For me, it was the introduction to Celtic wisdom that awakened me to knowing that wisdom is deep within us and the divine is at the very heart of our beings. We don't have to somehow invoke or implore a distance presence.” – John Philip NewellSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Connecting the inner world and the outer world, physicist Federico Faggin reveals his work studying the physics of spirituality.Follow this link to order your copy of Federico's book: Irreducible: Consciousness, Life, Computers and Human NatureThis episode of Mindrolling with Federico and Raghu includes these topics: Federico's life growing up in ItalyNeuroscience and studying consciousnessHow physical feelings come from electrical processes in the brainConnecting spirituality and physicsConsidering if a computer could be programmed for consciousnessFaggin's experience recognizing the inner love that comes out of usHow quantum physics proves the interconnection within the universeFederico's perspective on freewill and determinism in our livesGoing beyond what science has doneThe limited freedom we have while incarnatedPredicting our behavior and how our consciousness is watching allGrace and the unpredictability of free willThe divine mystery and why it will never be resolvedAbout Federico Faggin:Federico Faggin is an Italian-American physicist, engineer, inventor and entrepreneur. He is best known for designing the first commercial microprocessor, the Intel 4004. He led the 4004 project and the design group during the first five years of Intel's microprocessor effort. Federico Faggin is one of the greatest luminaries of high technology alive today; his work underlies the modern world's entire information technology. His new book, Irreducible: Consciousness, Life, Computers and Human Nature, was just published in May of 2024.“I eventually ended up deciding that I was going to spend the rest of my life studying consciousness and trying to connect spirituality and physics. In other worlds, connect the other inner world of experience and meaning with the outer world of symbols and matter in space and time.” – Federico FagginJoin senior meditation teachers David Nichtern and Rebecca D'Onofrio for a free online discussion on the path of developing one's own meditation practice and supporting others who wish to explore this transformative path. Register for free today: The Journey of Becoming a Meditation Teacher | Sep. 19th @ 6:00pm ETSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The Vital Veda Podcast: Ayurveda | Holistic Health | Cosmic and Natural Law
In this riveting conversation, we sit down with Raghu Marcus to delve into the profound connection between psychedelics and spiritual traditions. Journey with us as Raghu shares his intimate experiences with the famous Indian guru, Neem Karoli Baba (a.k.a. Maharajji) and Ram Dass, exploring how these encounters shaped his understanding of universal love, non-duality, and the integration of psychedelics into spiritual practice.Uncover the powerful stories of Ram Dass's evolution from psychedelic seeker to spiritual teacher, and the remarkable teachings of Neem Karoli Baba. We'll discuss the concept of "siddhis," the legacy of these spiritual luminaries, and how their insights bridge Eastern and Western spiritualities.This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the synthesis of psychedelics and spirituality, offering rich insights, inspiration, and a deeper understanding of these transformative practices.IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
Focusing on curiosity, patience, and self-compassion, Cortland Dahl joins Raghu to go over his new book, A Meditator's Guide to Buddhism.This week, Cortland and Raghu discuss: The mystical practice of making aspirationsTuning into ourselves and trusting ourselvesLearning through our relationshipsRecognizing that the next Buddha is the sanghaNurturing sparks of inspiration through practiceHow meeting teachers helps us realize our own inner depthWhy curiosity can move us along the spiritual pathPatience, creating space, and being vs. doingSelf-compassion in a world of chaos and uncertaintyDiscomfort as a zone of growthExpanding our motivations for doing our practiceSeeing the awakened nature in everyone and everythingPick up a copy of A Meditator's Guide to Buddhism HEREAbout Cortland Dahl:Cortland Dahl is a Buddhist scholar and translator, author, meditation teacher, and a collaborator on various scientific studies. After receiving a Master's Degree in Buddhist Studies, he lived for eight years in India and Nepal, where he spent long periods in solitary retreat in the Himalayan foothills and taught courses on Buddhism, meditation, and Tibetan language at Kathmandu University's Center for Buddhist Studies and at the Tergar Institute, which he co-founded in 2007. He went on to study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was mentored by the renowned neuroscientist Dr. Richard Davidson and received a Ph.D. in Mind, Brain, and Contemplative Science, the first ever degree of its kind awarded by the university. Cortland's current work focuses on studying the psychological and neural mechanisms of different families of meditation practice. He is also the creator of the Healthy Minds program, a well-being training program that integrates insights from scientific research with a comprehensive path of contemplative training. Keep up with Cortland HERE or check out his books HERE.“We have no clue of this depth and richness that is inside of us. How we stumble through life completely oblivious to these amazing qualities of mind and somehow we just haven't learned to see it. Then, you meet a teacher and it gets cracked open a little bit and you start getting a glimpse just by being in their orbit.” – Cortland Dahl See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This week's Mindrolling is a collection of some of the best moments from Raghu's interviews with mindfulness and metta experts Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg.In this special episode:Our first clip comes from Mindrolling Ep. 65, where Raghu and Joseph discuss the foundations of mindfulness, the power of habits, and how everything rests on the tip of motivation. Next up is a clip from Mindrolling Ep. 44, where Raghu and Sharon talk about metta practice and some of the practical ways to connect to people using loving-kindness.The third clip comes from Mindrolling Ep. 224, where Raghu and Joseph dive into what it takes to get real with mindfulness and how the craving for becoming can co-opt our meditation practice.The next clip comes from Mindrolling Ep. 225, where Raghu and Sharon touch on the Eightfold Path, equanimity and effort, and the universal truth of starting over.The final clip comes from Mindrolling Ep. 457 and is a Joseph-led meditation on awareness that is punctuated with a beautiful haiku poem. “And we can suffuse the whole field of mindfulness with the feeling of loving-kindness. Friendliness towards our own experience and well-wishing for all others. May all beings be at peace.” – Joseph GoldsteinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
David Silver and Raghu sit down for a conversation about maintaining equanimity in the face of multiple humanitarian and ecological crises around the world.Join comedian Duncan Trussell and Buddhist teacher David Nichtern on September 3rd for a free online talk: Imposter Syndrom & Teaching MeditationThis week, David and Raghu discuss: The divided state of our countryDealing with negative emotions like depression and lonelinessAdjusting our internal behavior in order to help others and ourselvesLooking to spiritual practitioners for answers and guidanceThe current political landscape of our worldThe necessity of having both wisdom and compassionRemaining equanimous in the face of global crisesBeing aware of spiritual materialismWhy a sitting meditation practice is integral for self-understandingOvercoming the afflictions and distortions of the mindSending loving kindness to all corners of our heartsTransforming ourselves to make the world a better placeAbout David Silver:David Silver is the former co-host of the Mindrolling podcast. He is a filmmaker and director, most recently coming out with Brilliant Disguise. Brilliant Disguise tells the unique story of a group of inspired Western spiritual seekers from the 60s, who in meeting the great American teacher, Ram Dass, followed him to India to meet his Guru, Neem Karoli Baba, familiarly known as Maharaj-ji. Two days before he left his body, Maharaj-ji instructed K.C. Tewari to take care of the Westerners, which he did resolutely until the day he died in 1997. Silver's #1 charting MGM/UA/Warners film, “The Compleat Beatles” is the critically acclaimed biopic movie about history's most famous band. The term ‘rockumentary' was first applied to this two-hour movie. Rolling Stone recently described the film as a “masterwork.” Silver's Warner Brothers' feature film, “No Nukes” also started the whole trend of music/activism feature documentaries.“We are overwhelmed in so many different ways. This, everybody, is the first thing to do. Many people will say ‘I find it difficult. My mind wanders. I can't really meditate.' It's called practice. You start with 3 minutes, you go to 5, 10, 15, 20. You do it because this overwhelm is absolutely untenable for us without some practice.” – Raghu MarkusSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Using modern tools to support inner transformation, ServiceSpace founder Nipun Mehta offers innovative solutions for turning artificial intelligence into collective heart intelligence.Learn more about ServiceSpace's unique model of organizing small acts of service at servicespace.org.In this episode, Nipun and Raghu chat about: Nipun's upbringing and finding the infinity behind each momentLiving a life of serviceUsing artificial intelligence for inner transformation and the emergence of compassionFear of AI versus it's potential positive usesCollective heart Intelligence versus today's artificial intelligenceTaking care of others as others take care of youNipun and his wife's pilgrimage through IndiaLooking at what we can do to offer kindness to the worldBeing sustainable through being relatedThe physical and emotional rewards of being generousShifting from transaction into relationshipAbout Nipun Mehta:Nipun Mehta is the founder of ServiceSpace (formerly CharityFocus), an incubator of projects that works at the intersection of volunteerism, technology, and the gift economy. What started as an experiment with four friends in Silicon Valley has now grown to a global ecosystem of over 400,000 members that has delivered millions of dollars in service for free. Mehta has received many awards, including the Jefferson Award for Public Service, the President's Volunteer Service Award, and Wavy Gravy's Humanitarian award. He serves on the advisory boards of the Seva Foundation, the Dalai Lama Foundation, and the Greater Good Science Center. Check out some of Nipun's TedTalks HERE and HERE.“Can we bring in this vision, this intention, this possibility? Can our modern tools support our inner transformation, which then can out of a heart of service flow out into the world through a very different design pattern?” – Nipun MehtaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Discussing her new book, Ordinary Mysticism, Mirabai Starr breaks free from religious institutions and shares heart-opening mystical wisdom.Mirabai's upcoming book, Ordinary Mysticism: Your Life as Sacred Ground, will be released in September 2024. Preorder your copy HERE!This time on Mindrolling, Mirabai and Raghu converse about: How beginner's mind and humility help us cope with the worldOur capacity to feel the pain of the world as our superpowerThe dark night of the soul and Saint John of the CrossMirabai's loss of her daughter and the transformational power of sufferingThe broken, open heart and expanding our heart to contain grief and realityBeing with ‘what is' – as an act of devotion and loveReligious ‘polyamory' and intimate encounters with numerous spiritual traditionsMirabai's baptism and dedication to peace in the Middle EastWhy mystical experiences do not need to happen in the container of religionAbout Mirabai Starr:Mirabai Starr is an award-winning author of creative non-fiction and contemporary translations of sacred literature. She taught Philosophy and World Religions at the University of New Mexico-Taos for 20 years and now teaches and speaks internationally on contemplative practice and inter-spiritual dialogue. A certified bereavement counselor, Mirabai helps mourners harness the transformational power of loss. Check out her many books and learn more at MirabaiStarr.com.“Often, organized institutionalized religious spaces and belief systems (this is my belief) can be an obstacle, an impediment to an actual mystical experience, if by mystical experience we mean an experience of intimacy with the sacred as love.” – Mirabai StarrSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Author and artist Scott Snibbe visits Mindrolling to teach listeners how to train the mind for long-lasting happiness.Get your copy of Scott's book, How to Train a Happy Mind: A Skeptic's Path to Enlightenment, HERE.This week on Mindrolling, Scott and Raghu discuss: How being in tune with reality leads to happinessScott's childhood and sensing the feeling of infinitySelfishness/self-centeredness as an antagonist to joyHappiness through cherishing othersAnalytical meditation and filling your mindRemembering how precious every day isStabilizing the mind through meditation to be less reactiveConnecting with ourselves first thing in the morningHow cell phones externally define our world and lead to unhappinessLooking at who we are beneath our thoughts, feelings, and personalitySmall shifts in our daily lives such as smilingEmbodying human rights in our thoughts and behaviorAbout Scott Snibbe:Scott Snibbe is an interactive media artist, author, entrepreneur, and meditation instructor who hosts the Skeptic's Path to Enlightenment meditation podcast. His first book, How to Train a Happy Mind, was released in 2024. Keep up with Scott on his website.“The Buddhist view on happiness is really the reality view on happiness. The better word might be satisfaction, contentment, or well-being. It is not the temporary things like having an ice-cream cone, or a nice walk, or someone kiss-you, which are all lovely. That's a pleasure. It doesn't last. Happiness really can be long-lasting.” – Scott SnibbeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jamie Kilstein returns to the Mindrolling Podcast!In this episode, Jamie speaks with Raghu about finding an appreciation for all faiths and shares how exploring different religions led him to Jesus.Jamie and Raghu talk about: Oppression within organized religionJamie's experience with psychedelics and Ram DassZen as the atheism of religionMaharaj-ji and incorporating multiple religionsHow music connects us to religionBeing led to Jesus ChristThe importance of Sangha and connecting to the communitySeeing the beauty in all faiths rather than being restrictiveHow Jesus set us free for freedomRecommendation from this episode: Jazz Musician Bill EvansAbout Jamie Kilstein:Jamie Alexander Kilstein is an American writer, radio host, and stand-up comic. He hosts the podcast, Trauma Bonding, with his wife Alex. Keep up with Jamie on his Instagram or on his website.“I think you find the right spiritual group or people who can connect with you and can laugh so hard that you can feel God, people who can hold you accountable, that is really important with spirituality.” – Jamie KilsteinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Author and Medium Paul Selig shares transformational wisdom from divine messengers and chats with Raghu about what our world could be like.Paul's third book in The Manifestation Trilogy, A World Made New, will be out in September 2024. Preorder HERE!This week on Mindrolling, Paul and Raghu converse about: Paul's journey of becoming and the split between the perceived self and the real selfWorking with energy and understanding phenomenaDivine guides and how they present to PaulPaul's connection to Ram Dass and his vision of the Ram Dass house in HawaiiMediumship and sensing Ram Dass and Maharaj-ji in the spirit realmIdentity and the structure of realityKnowing the divine self and aligning with it as a demonstration of our true natureChanneling messages from the divineAbout Paul Selig:Paul Selig is an author and medium who is considered to be one of the foremost spiritual channels working today. In his breakthrough works of channeled literature, Selig has recorded an extraordinary program for personal and planetary evolution as humankind awakens to its own divine nature. Paul offers channeled workshops internationally and serves on the faculty of The Omega Institute, The Kripalu Center and the Esalen Institute. Also a noted educator, he served on the faculty of NYU for over 25 years and directed the MFA in Creative Writing Program at Goddard College. He lives in Maui where he maintains a private practice as an intuitive and conducts frequent live-stream seminars. Check out Paul's numerous books HERE and preorder your copy of the upcoming A World Made New, Paul's third book in The Manifestation Trilogy.“Who you put in darkness calls you to that darkness. It's all co-residence. So, if you can see the divine in someone or something you're actually lifting it. They say what you bless blesses you in return.” – Paul SeligSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Writer and meditation teacher, Henry Shukman, joins Raghu to discuss his forthcoming book, Original Love, and how love is the true foundation of our life.In this episode of Mindrolling, Henry and Raghu journey through: Henry's background, travels, and witnessing joy among those without materialistic richesRecognizing how we are a part of everything in the universeHow meditation helped Henry stop limping through lifeTranscendental meditation and being religious about our practiceAcknowledging our suppressed emotions and working through them with the help of therapyHenry's time as a trombonist in London calypso bandsTaking on an altruistic perspective to improve your lifeHow meditation does so much more than mitigate stressThe early Buddhist view of mindfulnessInterrupting our constant mental commentary by focusing on bodily sensationsThe experiential reality of unity, emptiness, and boundlessnessBreaking open our hearts through any religion or experienceTapping into unconditional love for ourselves and othersAbout Henry Shukman:Henry Shukman is an English meditation teacher, Zen master, poet and author. Shukman teaches mindfulness and awakening practices. To learn more about his offerings, check out his website HERE. Shukman's new book, Original Love, is coming out on July 9th and can be ordered HERE.Check out The Way app for guided meditations from Henry Shukman“Each of us is that very jewel that's a boundless, loving oneness. We don't need to be some sort of special person to find it.” – Henry ShukmanSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Activist and mountaineer, Wasfia Nazreen, has an expansive talk with Raghu about her trek up the K2 peak and finding inner strength.This time on Mindrolling, Wasfia and Raghu explore: Connecting to Mother EarthHow abandonment taught Wasfia that education was her pathway to freedomHow moving to Georgia gave Wasfia a deep connection to the culture of the American SouthThe Tonglen meditation technique and taking away the pain of othersHow Wasfia was magnetized to Tibetan BuddhismWasfia's journeys as a mountain climber and the healing power of climbingRevering mountains as the home of Gods and GoddessesDead Zones and trekking up dangerous summitsWasfia's connection to the Dalai Lama and Dilgo Khyentse RinpocheAbout Wasfia Nazreen:Wasfia Nazreen is best known for being the only Bangladeshi and first Bengali in the world to climb the Seven Summits, the highest mountains of every continent. She is also the only woman to hold the simultaneous titles of National Geographic Explorer & Adventurer. An outspoken activist since her late teens, her passion has always been driven by causes close to her heart. A human-rights activist, an environmentalist, a writer, educator, pilot, and producer – Wasfia wears many hats, all of which are grounded in strong foundations of meditation and self-realization practices. Learn more about her and follow her many adventures on her website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter“Ultimately, we are our own teachers, we are our own gurus, and we're all here on our own individual karmic path, and what are we doing with it?” – Wasfia NazreenSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
OG Mindroller David Silver reunites with Raghu to discuss the themes of consciousness and spirituality that lie at the heart of Hermann Hesse's literary work.This week on Mindrolling, David Silver connects with Raghu over: Inspiration from Hermann HesseThe book Siddhartha and embarking on a spiritual searchDescents into decadence and an attachment to the material worldEmbracing everything that is in front of usComparing lessons from Ram Dass and Hermann HesseThe inevitability of sufferingHow World War II likely influenced Hesse's understanding of suffering and isolationLiving on more than one plane of consciousnessThe book Steppenwolf and Carl Jung's conceptualization of the shadowFear and owning up to ourselvesRaghu's experience at the Garchen Buddhist InstituteThe problem with media and accessing constant informationAssuming an altruistic perspectiveLearn more about Herman Hesse HERE and check out The Marginalian HEREAbout David Silver:David Silver is the former co-host of the Mindrolling podcast. He is a filmmaker and director, most recently coming out with Brilliant Disguise. Brilliant Disguise tells the unique story of a group of inspired Western spiritual seekers from the 60s, who in meeting the great American teacher, Ram Dass, followed him to India to meet his Guru, Neem Karoli Baba, familiarly known as Maharaji. Two days before he left his body, Maharaji instructed K.C. Tewari to take care of the Westerners, which he did resolutely until the day he died in 1997. K.C. Tewari—in the guise of a headmaster of a boys school in the foothills of the Himalayas—was secretly a High Yogi, frequently able to go into altered states of trance, known as Samadhi, at any moment.“Hesse's novels created for me a world that I aspired to but didn't understand in any way at that time, in the sixties. It just fitted in with the flashes of wisdom that would come with an acid trip.” – David SilverSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Discussing her memoir, Lotus Girl, Helen Tworkov and Raghu talk about spiritual quests and experiencing a deeper reality.Get your copy of Lotus Girl HEREIn this episode, Helen and Raghu talk about: Growing up with tyrannical parentsHow the iconic photo of Thich Quang Duc changed Helen's lifeBeing orientated to Asia through Psychedelics, out-of-body meditation experiences, and equanimityRaghu's altered state through the music of John ColtraneHow trying to understand her family lead Helen on a quest for realityHelen's friendship with Charles MingusStories of the Dalai LamaHolding suffering without letting it define youOur capacity to feel many emotions at the same timeBeing accepting of whatever is in front of you in the moment“At the time, I had no understanding that that kind of break with reality could be an entry into a deeper reality that was very true.” – Helen TworkovSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Raghu Markus, he introduced Duncan to Ram Dass and is one of the coolest people Duncan knows, re-joins the DTFH! Duncan and Raghu collaborated on an audiobook! You can listen to The Movie of Me to the Movie of We on Audible right now! Raghu also hosts the podcasts Mindrolling and Ram Dass Here and Now, available everywhere you like to listen. Original music by Aaron Michael Goldberg and Duncan Trussell. This episode is brought to you by: This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/duncan and get on your way to being your best self. Squarespace - Use offer code: DUNCAN to save 10% on your first site.
Reflecting on Gandhi's principles, Raghu and Perry Garfinkel discuss sainthood, imperfection, and continued service to others.Get your copy of Perry's book, Becoming Gandhi, HEREThis time on Mindrolling, Perry and Raghu talk about: Bob Dylan, Jazz, and music as a portalPerry's journey to India looking for Neem Karoli BabaFollowing the footsteps of Mahatma GandhiHow sainthood does not mean you are enlightenedPolarized views of Gandhi and controversy based on gender, race, etc.Acting out empathy in compassionate waysThe six principles of truth, vegetarianism, non-violence, simplicity, faith, and celibacyRe-introducing Gandhi to the next generationSeparating the idea of faith from any rigid religious dogmaTrusting our own unique experiencesAbout Perry Garfinkel:Perry Garfinkel is an author and has been a contributor to the New York Times since 1986, specializing in travel and cultural trends. A veteran journalist who has covered the overlap of East and West for more than thirty years for many major publications, he has been falling on and off the meditation cushion for just as long. He lives on Martha's Vineyard. Visit him on his website and check out his book offerings HERE.“My message in my book is that you do not have to become Gandhi, ridiculously disciplined. But, if you just turn the dial down or up in certain areas, life is about trying to improve yourself.” – Perry GarfinkelSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Discussing his memoir, Down for the Cause, Bruce “Badri” Margolin talks with Raghu about his work in drug reform and meeting Ram Dass, Tim Leary, and Neem Karoli Baba.Grab your copy of Down for the Cause HEREThis week on Mindrolling, Bruce and Raghu talk about: What propelled Bruce on his journey as a lawyerBruce's first marijuana defense caseThe Campaign to Abolition Marijuana Prohibition (C.A.M.P.)When Bruce received Be Here Now from his therapistBruce's travels through Greece, Ethiopia, India and moreHow Bruce met Ram Dass and Neem Karoli Baba in IndiaReadjusting to the western worldBruce's work in defending Tim Leary's caseAbout Bruce Margolin:Bruce Margolin is an American criminal defense attorney who specializes in marijuana and drug laws. Bruce defended Timothy Leary and is renowned for his work in Marijuana decriminalization. Since 1973, Bruce has served as the executive director of the Los Angeles chapter of NORML (The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws). He is also the writer of the Margolin Guide to Marijuana Law and Down for the Cause. Follow Bruce on Instagram.“Bruce has had the blessing to take such a huge role in helping change one of the most draconian laws that has been in existence.” – Raghu MarkusSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Raghu Markus, co-founder of the Love Serve Remember Foundation, and lifelong friend of Ram Dass, re-joins the DTFH! Duncan and Raghu collaborated on an audiobook! You can listen to The Movie of Me to the Movie of We on Audible right now! Raghu also hosts the podcasts Mindrolling and Ram Dass Here and Now, available everywhere you like to listen. Original music by Aaron Michael Goldberg and Duncan Trussell. This episode is brought to you by: VIIA - Use code DUNCAN at checkout for 15% Off your first order and a FREE sample pack of Dreams THC + CBN! This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/duncan and get on your way to being your best self. AG1 - Visit DrinkAG1.com/Duncan for a FREE 1-year supply of vitamin D and 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase!