American spiritual teacher and author of the 1971 book Be Here Now
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Recorded live at the 2025 Summer Mountain Retreat, this homestyle chat with Raghu Markus, Nina Rao, and Robert Thurman explores the Bhakti-Buddhist lineage of Ram Dass and Maharaj-ji.Join us this December for the 2025 Ram Dass Legacy Open Your Heart in Paradise retreat in Maui!This time on Mindrolling, Raghu, Nina, and Robert discuss:The story of finding Neem Karoli Baba and filling up on poori and potatoesHow Maharaj-ji miraculously healed Krishna Das's injured kneeThe wonderful interplay between Ram Dass and Buddhist teachersNina's relationship with Sri Siddhi Ma, an intimate devotee of Maharaj-ji (considered by many to be a saint in her own right)Seeing everyone as the guru and living the best way that we canNina's journey to the foothills of the Himalayas and meeting Siddhi Ma for the first timeThe Buddhist perspective on the soul (ātman) and whether we truly have oneWhy ‘Be Here Now' is actually a mantra of care and femininity The Bhagavad Gita and the meaning of karma yoga Letting go of fear around birth and death by focusing on liberation from sufferingBeing here now in the best way we can by loving those around us rather than running away from the pain in the world “My own take on it in terms of what we represent and what goes on here is really, truly, a combination of Bhakti and discriminating wisdom represented by Buddhist perspective.” – Raghu MarkusAbout Nina Rao:Nina Rao is a devotional singer. She tours with Krishna Das, playing cymbals, singing, and acting as his business manager. Nina has two of her own albums, “Antarayaami – Knower of All Hearts” and “Anubhav”. Nina regularly leads kirtan, workshops, and retreats in her hometown of Brooklyn, New York and beyond. Together with Chandra and Genevieve Walker, Nina operates the 21 Taras Collective. You can keep up with Nina on her website or find her on Instagram @nina_rao and on Facebook @NinaRaoChant. “I didn't realize that I was looking for a guru until Krishna Das started talking about Neem Karoli Baba. When I heard about him and I felt that presence that came alive when Krishna Das was talking about Maharaj-ji, I wanted to meet him.” – Nina RaoAbout Robert Thurman:Robert Thurman is the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religion at Columbia University and President of the Tibet House U.S., and is the President of the American Institute of Buddhist Studies. His new book, Wisdom Is Bliss: Four Friendly Fun Facts That Can Change Your Life, is now available. “What is the best way to 'be here now'? It's to love Raghu, to love Nina, to love Maharaj-ji, it's to love everything here and now and make it beautiful and the best. Be as beautiful and as best as you can be because that's absolute. That's the way to 'be Nirvana now'.” – Robert ThurmanSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Join Premium! Ready for an ad-free meditation experience? Join Premium now and get every episode from ALL of our podcasts completely ad-free now! Just a few clicks makes it easy for you to listen on your favorite podcast player. Become a PREMIUM member today by going to --> https://WomensMeditationNetwork.com/premium “The shadow is the greatest teacher for how to come to the light.” Ram Dass. PAUSE… Life can be complicated, Overwhelming, And scary At times. PAUSE… To feel this inside your body, Is unnerving. PAUSE… Take a breath. Breathe into all the areas of your body... Starting from your head, Through your chest, Down to your belly, Into your legs, All the way to your toes. See if you can feel the fear that lives within. Join our Premium Sleep for Women Channel on Apple Podcasts and get ALL 5 of our Sleep podcasts completely ad-free! Join Premium now on Apple here --> https://bit.ly/sleepforwomen Join our Premium Meditation for Kids Channel on Apple Podcasts and get ALL 5 of our Kids podcasts completely ad-free! Join Premium now on Apple here → https://bit.ly/meditationforkidsapple Hey, I'm so glad you're taking the time to be with us today. My team and I are dedicated to making sure you have all the meditations you need throughout all the seasons of your life. If there's a meditation you desire, but can't find, email us at Katie Krimitsos to make a request. We'd love to create what you want! Namaste, Beautiful,
Kelly shares a book that's recently touched her heart: Be Love Now by Ram Dass. Part memoir, part spiritual transmission, this book tells the extraordinary story of how Harvard psychologist Richard Alpert became the beloved spiritual teacher Ram Dass - and how his journey of surrender, devotion, and service to love continues to inspire generations. Kelly opens up about her own relationship with reading, why this book felt like the perfect return to something more soul-nourishing after a period of reading only fiction, and how deeply it spoke to her heart. This episode includes heartfelt excerpts from the book, including the teaching on how to love our mothers, and the importance of finding your satsang - a community of truth seekers who uplift and inspire. ✨ Download Kelly's free PDF guide: 17 Books to Light Your Path ✨ Learn more or join the Soul Explorers community: kellypietrangeli.com/soulexplorers
In this new, technological age, Alan Watts explains how seeing reality via only one perspective can lead to a fragmented view of the world; instead, he encourages listeners to adopt both the analytical and the organic. This series is brought to you by the Alan Watts Organization and Ram Dass' Love Serve Remember Foundation. Visit Alanwatts.org for full talks from Alan Watts.Today's episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/alan and get on your way to being your best self.In this episode, Alan Watts dives into:Living in an age of technology in a culture obsessed with rational control How someone can easily be obstructed by their own cautiousnessThe problem of human ecology and how one should best relate to their environmentConsidering what our idea of heaven is and what desires we truly want The western model of the universe (intellectual, architectural, mechanical) Reductive thinking: seeing the world through a net and making everything into a comprehensible, geometrical unitThe fundamental difference between a mechanism and an organism How understanding the world through only conscious attention can lead to seeing everything as parts rather than the whole pictureCombining the academic, analytical mind with the organic, ‘gooey' mind “Go to the science of medicine. You get a specialist who really understands the function of the gall bladder. He studied gall bladders ad infinitum, and he really thinks he knows all about it. But, whenever he looks at a human being, he sees them in terms of the gall bladder.” – Alan WattsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
16 months ago, yoga/meditation/sound teacher Reggie Hubbard had a near-death experience, a major stroke. He visits the podcast to describe the experience of his "neurological storm" and the path of collapse and healing that he's been on ever since, and how it has profoundly affected his views as a practitioner, teacher, and his views of the neurological storm that the United States and the world is currently experiencing. If there's such a thing as a "must-listen" episode of this podcast, this it it. Reggie Hubbard is a senior political strategist, certified yoga and meditation teacher, and founder of Active Peace Yoga. He bridges the worlds of activism and wellness, helping changemakers cultivate inner peace as a foundation for meaningful civic engagement. His mission is to support activists in finding balance while encouraging the wellness community to become more socially conscious. With a background in global marketing, government relations, and activism, Reggie holds a B.A. in philosophy from Yale and an M.B.A. in international strategy from Vlerick Business School. He turned to yoga in 2014 during a period of deepprofessional adversity, and has since studied with renowned teachers including Faith Hunter, Rod Stryker, Dharma Mittra, and Jack Kornfield. Through Active Peace Yoga, Reggie offers accessible yoga rooted in inclusion and healing, drawing inspiration fromartists like Prince and Jimi Hendrix. His teaching blends movement, meditation, and breathwork with honest conversation and compassion. Following a major stroke, his recovery journey further deepened his commitment to contemplative practice. A passionate advocate for equity in wellness, Reggie advises studios and organizations on diversity and inclusion. He has been featured by Yoga Journal, Kripalu, the Omega Institute, Be Here Now Network, and more. He also supports community programs including Black Boys Om and The Food Group. Reggie currently resides in Maryland. Please support the podcast via Substack and subscribe for free or with small monthly contributions. Additional links and show notes are available there. Paid subscribers will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and a special guided meditation on Open Awareness in Everyday Life was released this week. Another bonus podcast discussed a mindful take on the Revolutionary Astrology of Summer 2025 with Juliana McCarthy and Ethan Nichtern. These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Spotify,Ethan's Website, etc). Ethan's most recent book, Confidence: Holding Your Seat Through Life's Eight Worldly Winds was just awarded a gold medal in the 2025 Nautilus Book Awards. You can visit Ethan's website to order a signed copy. Please allow two weeks from the time of your order for your copy to arrive. Don't forget to sign up for thee upcoming 5 day retreat at the lovely Garrison Institute Sep 29 - Oct 4, 2025 at this link ! Check out all the cool offerings at our podcast sponsor Dharma Moon, including a free webinar with David Nichtern on why become a meditation teacheron Sep 2th, 2025. Free video courses co-taught by Ethan and others, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download at Dharma Moon.
Send us a textLesson 16: The Birth of Egoic ConsciousnessSection 6: Fear Has Taken Its Final FormParagraphs: 12-14We dive into Lesson 16 of The Way of Mastery, exploring the paradox that we use the very power of pure consciousness to create the illusion of separation. Jeshua teaches that awakening from egoic consciousness happens when our true Self decides it's time, not when our ego demands it.• The power to think we're separate comes from the One consciousness we truly are• We are not our brain or thoughts but the awareness that generates them• Like wearing VR goggles, we're having an experience but remain what we truly are• Our souls intentionally choose physical form for learning and growth• If we want to learn courage, our soul may create experiences of fear• Ram Dass suggests dying is "the most important moment in any incarnation"• Conscious dying is like "taking off a tight shoe" - a release from limitationJoin our Facebook group to connect with fellow students on this journey of awakening. I'll do my best to respond to everyone as soon as possible.If you're interested in the Living The Way of Mastery Year-Long Program where we will dive deep into Lesson 1-12 (The Way of Heart) over 12 months, starting Feb. 9th, click here.Join the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/livingthewayofmasteryIf you'd like to support the podcast, you can donate here:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thewayofmasteryIf you would like to experience Revelation Breathwork, you can get our FREE 3-part Breathwork for Beginners series here.Purchase The Way of Mastery here. (This is a link to the Shanti Christo website, not Amazon. I want to support the organization. I don't receive any commission from this.)You can purchase access to the Lesson 5 Guided Meditation Prayer that Jason recorded here for $4.44
If the unexamined life is not worth living, the unexamined mind is not worth having.Who are we? At the deepest sense of ourselves? What is this consciousness peering out at the world? And is it possible to turn our awareness back on itself?If we fail to look at ourselves, to understand who we truly are, to understand our unconscious thought patterns and habits, we are doomed to repeat our past, to live an unintentional life, and to keep making the same mistakes.But if we start to look within, we start to break those patterns. Our thoughts become conscious. Our actions becomes intentional. And soon, our life starts to resemble the one we've always dreamed. It all starts by looking within. In this podcast, I share how to do exactly that.Please enjoy other episodes where I share meditation techniques, tips and spiritual lessons from around the world for peaceful and stress-free living. Remember to subscribe to stay up-to-date.*****If you ever feel like my words brought a change in your life, and want to show your SUPPORT for what I am doing, click here. Find all of my BOOKS for wherever you are on your spiritual journey: https://www.eastwesticism.org/spiritual-meditation-books/Want to gift a book to a prisoner? Go here.
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Continuing their earlier conversation, Dr. Bruce Damer and Raghu Markus have a socially charged discussion on facing our collective karma with equanimity and grace. Start with the first part of this conversation HERE.In this episode, Raghu and Dr. Damer explore:Ram Dass's teachings on social justice and keeping our hearts open in hellUnderstanding collective karma and how it shapes the world we live in todayWhy this moment in history may be the most powerful time for spiritual awakening and intellectual growthBalancing awareness of global challenges with one's own personal and spiritual developmentCultivating equanimity and positivity instead of falling into fear, stress, or panicThe importance of satsang and sangha—gathering in community for deeper spiritual connectionHow spiritual wisdom from gurus and teachers can be misinterpreted or become misunderstood over timeDr. Damer's connection to philosopher Dr. Kaushik, wisdom from Krishnamurti, and psychedelics from Terence MckennaAltered states of consciousness and connecting into the mind at large“These beings don't just come out of nowhere. There's a karma that we collectively have, actions that we have taken that have created what we are now looking in horror at.” – Raghu MarkusLinks & Recommendations from this episode:Read more of Ram Dass on Finding Space for Equanimity in Social JusticePreorder the upcoming book Strange Attractor, to learn more about the hallucinatory life of Terence Mckenna Listen to Dr. Kaushik's insightful audios HERECheck out Dr. Bruce Damer's Podcast, Levity Zone, featuring episodes with Dr. Kaushik About Dr. Bruce Damer:Dr. Bruce Damer is a scientist, psychonaut, and humanitarian. Dr. Damer is Chief Scientist at BIOTA Institute, UC Santa Cruz. He is an astrobiologist working on the science of life's origins, spacecraft design, psychedelics and genius. Dr. Bruce has spent his life pursuing two great questions: how did life on Earth begin, and how can we give that life (and ourselves) a sustainable pathway into the cosmos? A decade of scientific research with his collaborator Prof. David Deamer at the UC Santa Cruz Department of Biomolecular Engineering resulted in the Hot Spring Hypothesis for an Origin of Life published in the journal Astrobiology in 2019. Dr. Damer also has a long career working with NASA on mission simulation and design and recently co-developed a spacecraft to utilize resources from asteroids. Advancing research into altered-state innovation, Dr. Damer recently cofounded the Center for MINDS. You can keep up with Dr. Bruce Damer on Twitter or read his scientific writings HERE.“Perhaps what we're doing now is we're getting ready to go through another one of these compression points and shed off those things and then emerge back out. It's possibly the time for the greatest spiritual growth as well as intellectual, we have the tools of A.I. It really challenges us to decide what's essential.” – Dr. Bruce DamerSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Framed by the Sufi wisdom of Rumi, a 13th century mystical poet, Omid Safi brings our awareness to the profound ways that we are interconnected with the divine.This week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Omid Safi discusses :Living as a reflection of the Divine—carrying ourselves as mirrors of God's light on earthThe gift of alchemy: the science that recognizes the whole of the universe as one essence Transforming that which is lowly into that which is sublimeSurrounding ourselves with communities and companions who bring us closer to GodPolishing the mirror of the heart until we can shine divine qualities outwardly Realizing that the beloved always was and always will be with usExperiencing the body as a vessel and conduit for graceThe mystical whirling dervishes and their harmony with the universeRumi's best known work, The Spiritual Couplets, and its enduring inspirationAllowing our spiritual path to be supple, nourishing, and radiant with beautyBecoming what we already are (intertwined with the whole matrix of creation)Training our bodies to listen, to be gentle, to speak with loveA brief history of the 13th century and the world Rumi was living inHow the world can be healed through expansive loveDeath, dying, and embracing the infinite rather than being stuck in fearBefriending the heart and asking ourselves what feeds our souls“When Rumi speaks about love, it is not just something sentimental and romantic. Love is nothing short of the unleashing of God onto this earth. Love is the very being of Allah. It is love that created you, it is love that brought you here, it is love that sustains you here, and if you can just get over this notion that you are a finite limited creaturely self, you can merge into this current of love and be carried back home.” – Omid SafiAbout Omid Safi:Dr. Omid Safi is the director of Duke University's Islamic Studies Center. He specializes in the study of Islamic mysticism and contemporary Islam and frequently writes on liberationist traditions of Dr. King and Malcolm X, and is committed to traditions that link together love and justice. He leads spiritual tours every year to Turkey, Morocco, or other countries, to study the rich multiple religious traditions there. The trips are open to everyone from every country. More information is available at Illuminated Courses & Tours. “The sages in Rumi's tradition, one of them from India says, ‘the One beloved is closer to you than the ocean is to the fish'. It's a matter of reorienting, realizing that here and now where you are, you're standing knee deep in the water of life, that the One has never abandoned you, the One is with you now as has been forever.” – Omid SafiAbout The Host, Jackie Dobrinska:Jackie Dobrinska is the Director of Education, Community & Inclusion for Ram Dass' Love, Serve, Remember Foundation and the current host of Ram Dass' Here & Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an inter-spiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages – the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In this recording from 1979, Ram Dass gives a talk at a benefit for a food bank, emphasizing that every human being has a right to be fed. You can support this podcast, listen to episodes AD-FREE, and receive regular guided meditations from Ram Dass & Friends on our Patreon. Sign up for a free 7-day trial: patreon.com/RamDassPodcastRam Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self.This episode of Here and Now is from a talk Ram Dass gave at a benefit event for a food bank in Santa Cruz, California, in February 1979. Ram Dass begins by repeating some of the words his guru passed on to him about the importance of food and making sure people are fed. He talks about how we need to rethink the way we approach the issue of food in our culture.Ram Das explores the paradox of suffering: On one level, it stinks, and on another level, it's all perfect. But it's very hard not to close our hearts to the tremendous suffering around us. Sharing stories about his friends and his guru, Ram Dass talks about awakening to a place beyond “us” and “them,” a place where we're all One. Ram Dass emphasizes the importance of quieting our minds and opening our hearts. “I kinda wonder about how the game really works,” he says. “Don't you? The game of hunger and starvation and feeding and faith and manna from heaven and connectedness. I keep feeling that the game is different than my mind can yet comprehend, but that I'm on the right track when I keep quieting my mind and opening my heart and just serving and feeding and doing what I can.” The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.About Ram Dass:Ram Dass's spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him.“And all I remember was my guru saying every human being has a right to be fed. A right. A right to food. He said even if it's the worst thief in the world, he has a right to food. That food is not a bargaining tool of power; food is a basic, shared manifestation of God. And somehow, the haves and have-nots lose sight of that very easily. We can bargain about television sets. We can bargain about automobiles. But we can bargain about food.” – Ram DassSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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让 KEY CHANGE 成为你梦里的远行之声。Felbm 的《Soil》带来土地的清新气息,在 Ben Watt 的《North Marine Drive》旁,聆听海风的轻拂,随着 Juana Molina 和 Nico Georis 的音乐潜入更深处,与 Ingrid Chavez, Alice Coltrane 和 Jon Hopkins 在篝火边围坐、对话。无论你是在清晨醒来,还是在深夜独处,愿这些声音能陪伴你精神逃亡。 曲目单: (00:00) Felbm - Soil (02:10) Ben Watt - North Marine Drive (04:24) Juana Molina - Astro de la luz segunda (10:04) Nico Georis - Geological Observations (14:00) Mother Gong - Wassilissa: Flying (18:18) Daniel Inzani - The Wind Bids Me Leave You (22:47) Junee - Die Sonne (26:05) Yukimi feat. Lianne La Havas - Stream of Consciousness (28:42) Alice Coltrane - Turiya (32:55) Ingrid Chavez - Whispering Dandelions (34:52) Boards of Canada - Open The Light (38:47) Douglas Wood - Attunement (Reading by Sigurd F. Olson) (39:06) Glen Cronkhite - Flight of the Egret (45:48) The Electric Prunes - Holy Are You (49:36) Jon Hopkins feat. Ram Dass and East Forest - Sit Around The Fire (55:53) Smerz - A thousand lies 《周末变奏》开通豆瓣页面,欢迎标记、点评。 → 选曲/撰稿/配音/制作/包装:方舟 → 题图版式:六花 → 私信/合作联络: 微博/网易云/小宇宙 @线性方舟 → 《周末变奏》WX听友群敲门群主:aharddaysnight
Discussing the spiritual experiences that shaped his life, Dr. Michael Shandler describes the lessons he learned from taking psychedelics, meeting Baba Hari Dass, and more.Grab your copy of Dr. Michael's award-winning memoir, Karma and Kismet, HERE.In this episode, Raghu and Michael have an elaborate discussion on:Dr. Michael's early encounters with antisemitism and racism in boarding school and the South African militaryThe impact of Zionist upbringing on Dr. Michael's worldview and his transformative time living in an Israeli kibbutzHealing strained parental relationships: how Dr. Michael overcame challenges with his fatherDr. Michael's time with Baba Hari Dass, Ram Dass's teacherWhy chasing multiple psychedelic trips may be less valuable than simply integrating lessons from the firstRestoring balance to the nervous system with yogic practices and AyurvedaA heart-centered teaching from Neem Karoli Baba: Poori and PotatoesCheck out Ram Dass's Here We All Are lecture, mentioned in this episode. About Dr. Michael Shandler:Dr. Michael Shandler is an award-winning author, speaker, and life coach with over forty years of experience guiding individuals and teams on their journeys toward psycho-spiritual well-being. and optimal performance As the founder of Vision Action Associates and former director of leadership and organization development at Arthur D. Little in London, U.K., Shandler has spent decades helping leaders, teams, and individuals tap into their potential, combining psychological insight with cutting edge collaborative techniques and the perennial wisdom of the ages.In 2024, Shandler's multiple award-winning memoir, Karma and Kismet, A Spiritual Quest Across Continents, Cultures, and Consciousness, was published by Koehler Books. This award-winning narrative chronicles his personal journey through adversity and triumph, exploring the powerful forces of fate and karma that have shaped his life across continents and cultures. His work resonates with anyone seeking transformation, self-discovery, and a deeper understanding of life's interconnectedness.“During the meeting, he said to me, ‘How many times have you taken LSD?' Who knew? I didn't really remember. I said, ‘I can't really remember Baba Ji.' He said, ‘The first trip you took was the important one, everything else was a waste of time after that.'”– Dr. Michael ShandlerThis episode is brought to you by Dharma Moon.Join Senior Buddhist Teacher David Nichtern for a provocative and playful online discussion exploring the profound practices of mindfulness and the journey of becoming a meditation teacher.Learn more and sign up for a free online talk about becoming a meditation teacher with David at dharmamoon.com/deepening.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
https://dangerouswisdom.org/Does a psychedelic microdose offer dangerous wisdom?Jim Fadiman, one of the most venerable leaders in the psychedelic renaissance of the dominant culture, together with Buddhist yogini and holistic health practitioner Rachael Henrichsen, join us to discuss Jim's new book, Microdosing for Health, Healing, and Enhanced Performance---the first comprehensive book on microdosing. Microdosing potentially offers some wonderful dangerous wisdom. You can find the book, and also report your experiences with microdosing, here: https://www.microdosingbook.com/Find Rachael here: https://redgateintegrativemedicine.comIn the introduction to his book, Jim writes:I've been investigating psychedelics, professionally and personally, since the early 1960's. Until 15 years ago I knew nothing about very small doses, nor did anyone else I knew. However, I've focused on little else since then, discovering, reviewing, and sharing the extraordinary results that people have reported after taking a 10th or less of a full-on psychedelic trip dose. During all those other decades I was fixated on transcendent doses (not concert, not recreational, not therapeutic, not even problem solving). As I reflect on what I know now, I am filled with wonder and chagrin as well as gratitude and humility. I was introduced to psychedelics one night at a sidewalk cafe in Paris in 1961, when my favorite professor, Richard Alpert (later Ram Dass), put a pill into my hand and said, “The greatest thing in the world has happened to me, and I want to share it with you.” A few months later, no longer in Paris, I was a draft-dodging psychology graduate student at Stanford University. Apart from my academics, I worked off-campus with a private clinic that was pioneering psychedelic psychotherapy. There, I took a high dose of LSD in a safe, guided environment and had an incredible awakening, becoming aware of the interconnectedness of all things. That realization and its aftermath has shaped the rest of my life. These days, there is an ever-expanding number of books by people recounting how all of those astounding, amazing, fantastic trips changed their lives. This is not one of those. It is, instead, about how thousands and thousands of people all over the world have improved their health and their capacities without the razzle dazzle, heaven-opening, reality-expanding experiences that made the 60's such an optimistic culture-changing decade.
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Justin Boreta is a founding member of The Glitch Mob, the pioneering electronic group whose music has amassed hundreds of millions of streams and sold out tours worldwide. Beyond the stage, Boreta has collaborated with spiritual leaders like Ram Dass and innovative projects like Wavepaths, merging music with mindfulness, healing, and psychedelic therapy. As an advisor and creator at the frontier of music and technology, he's shaping immersive audio, AI-driven art, and the future of creative expression.In this episode, Justin Boreta reveals how music, mindfulness, and technology are converging to heal, inspire, and transform.Key Takeaways:Discover how music can be a powerful tool for healing, self-exploration, and even psychedelic therapy.Learn how AI and immersive audio are shaping the future of music while keeping the human touch alive.Hear Justin's advice for artists on taking action, nurturing creativity, and connecting deeply through their work. ---→ Learn more about Justin Boreta's work at https://boreta.net.Book an Artist Breakthrough Session with the Modern Musician team: https://apply.modernmusician.me/podcast
Krishna Das shares time-tested practices and spiritual wisdom for easing suffering, letting go, and treating others with the same compassion we wish for ourselves.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This week on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das provides wisdom on:Navigating the challenges of family relationships and untangling the knots of triggered emotions.Channeling our energy into chanting, meditation, and treating others with compassion and respect.Working skillfully with the mind rather than trying to control it completelyTraining ourselves, transforming ourselves, and opening ourselves to real grace and loveInvestigating deeply into the roots of our thoughts and emotions to understand their true sourceTurning inwards and knowing that we can find answers to all of our questions within ourselves Krishna Das' go-to practice when he is having a difficult time: chanting 108 Hanuman Chalisas Making daily space for spiritual practice to strengthen the heart and mindRelieving suffering through deidentification with the stories that we tell ourselves The difference between letting go and pushing away This episode is brought to you by Dharma Moon.Join Senior Buddhist Teacher David Nichtern for a provocative and playful online discussion exploring the profound practices of mindfulness and the journey of becoming a meditation teacher.Learn more and sign up for a free online talk about becoming a meditation teacher with David at dharmamoon.com/deepening.About Krishna Das:Layering traditional Hindu kirtan with instantly accessible melodies and modern instrumentation, Grammy nominee Krishna Das has been called yoga's “rock star.” With a remarkably soulful voice that touches the deepest chord in even the most casual listener, Krishna Das – known to friends, family, and fans as simply KD – has taken the call-and-response chanting out of yoga centers and into concert halls, becoming a worldwide icon and the best-selling chant artist of all time. His album ‘Live Ananda' (released January 2012) was nominated for a Grammy in the Best New Age album category.KD spent the late '60s traveling across the country as a student of Ram Dass, and in August 1970, he finally made the journey to India, which led him to Ram Dass' own beloved guru, Neem Karoli Baba, known to most as Maharaj-ji. Krishna Das now travels the world sharing his kirtan practice and wonderful stories of his life, of Maharaji-ji, of his life on the Path and discusses bringing chanting into our lives through retreats and workshops. To date, KD has released 15 well-received albums, most recently Trust in the Heart released in October 2017.MORE INFORMATION and OFFERINGS VISIT: https://krishnadas.com/ KRISHNA DAS ON SOCIAL: FACEBOOK: facebook.com/KrishnaDasMusic INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/krishnadasmusic YOUTUBE: / krishnadasmusic X: @krishnadas #KrishnaDas “We can't push people around, abuse people, hurt people, and think we're gonna get everything we want. That's creating terrible negative karma for ourselves. We have to learn to treat others the way we ourselves want to be treated. If you think that's easy, you've got another thing coming.” – Krishna DasSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Eric (Rick) Leskowitz MD is a psychiatrist who was with the Pain Management Program at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital (SRH) in Boston for over 25 years, where he founded the hospital's Integrative Medicine Project and was the Principal Investigator of a grant from the Langeloth Foundation to develop a comprehensive integrative medicine program. He has an appointment to the Harvard Medical School (HMS) Osher Research Institute, where he organized conferences on “Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Rehabilitation”. He also was a guest lecturer along with with spiritual teacher Ram Dass, and Trisha Meili (the Central Park Jogger). Book : www.TheMysteryOfLifeEnergy.com Contact: - info@themysteryoflifeenergy.com
Next Level Soul with Alex Ferrari: A Spirituality & Personal Growth Podcast
Acharya Shunya is a trailblazing spiritual teacher who is breaking new ground in the world of feminist spirituality. She is a truth-teller, mystic teacher, bestselling author, and the first female head of her 2000-year-old Vedic lineage from India. Acharya Shunya is on a mission to empower women everywhere to step into their divine immensity and lead powerful, abundant, and wise lives through her revolutionary revisioning of ancient India's primary goddess archetypes.Acharya Shunya's openhearted, inclusive, and nondual teachings reinterpret and re-contextualize ancient Hindu teachings and goddess legends for modern times, always honoring her progressive Vedic roots while breaking the shackles of tradition to bring modern-day women an inclusive, feminist spirituality. Her teachings are rooted in the principles of alchemical Ayurveda, yoga, universal Advaita, and the awakening of the inner goddess. Through her work with The Awakened Self Foundation and the Nonprofit Vedika Global, Inc., Acharya Shunya is empowering, educating, and inspiring a worldwide community of students through online courses, workshops, and retreats. She is committed to creating a safe and supportive space where people from all backgrounds and with varied life experiences can come together to learn, grow, and awaken.Acharya Shunya's latest book, Roar Like a Goddess: Every Woman's Guide to Becoming Unapologetically Powerful, Prosperous, and Peaceful, is a must-read for anyone looking to tap into their inner power and potential. The book is a revolutionary revision of the feminine divine and carries the potential to change the face of modern feminist spirituality. Acharya Shunya's teachings are not just for women; they are for anyone who wants to live a more authentic, empowered, and fulfilling life. Acharya Shunya is a dynamic and engaging speaker who teaches regularly at her foundation in California and at Kripalu, Ram Dass's Be Here Now Foundation, Omega Institute, and more. She regularly addresses the confines of patriarchy, misogyny, and racism and holds space for people from all backgrounds and with varied life experiences.In conclusion, Acharya Shunya is a trailblazing spiritual teacher who is empowering women everywhere to step into their divine immensity and lead powerful, abundant, and wise lives. Her teachings are rooted in the principles of alchemical Ayurveda, yoga, universal Advaita, and the awakening of the inner goddess. If you are looking to tap into your inner power and potential, I encourage you to check out Acharya Shunya's work and join her worldwide community of students. And if you're feeling inspired by her teachings, don't forget to hit the subscribe button on her YouTube channel to stay updated with her latest offerings.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/next-level-soul-podcast-with-alex-ferrari--4858435/support.
Spirituality and success are not mutually exclusive endeavors. You don't have to give up all your possessions and move to a cave in India to meditate in solitude in order to find happiness. Steve Jobs showed us that you can be spiritual and successful. He showed us how spirituality can actually lead to greater success. And he shared how spirituality actually led to him being able to enjoy instead of losing himself in the insatiable desire for more.In this podcast, I share the 3 most important lessons Steve Jobs taught us about spiritual success. I discuss how we can all implement the lessons he learned for manifesting our dreams. And I talk about how to use spirituality for greater clarity, to handle stress better, and for tapping into our highest wisdom and creativity.Please enjoy other episodes where I share meditation techniques, tips and spiritual lessons from around the world for peaceful and stress-free living. Remember to subscribe to stay up-to-date.*****If you ever feel like my words brought a change in your life, and want to show your SUPPORT for what I am doing, click here. Find all of my BOOKS for wherever you are on your spiritual journey: https://www.eastwesticism.org/spiritual-meditation-books/Want to gift a book to a prisoner? Go here.
From time to time over the nearly 50 years since the establishment of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center, a significant number of its members and its affiliates in the Silent Thunder Order have complained of burning out in terms of their participation in the Zen community. Some have faded into obscurity and were never heard from again. Others have come back after years. The record for the longest hiatus is about three decades. This cohort would amount to a small percentage of the total attendance, or course, but it has been noted that more people come and go than stay. Matsuoka-roshi used to say, of some disciple that was no longer showing up, "Come-and-go type" or, "Wishy-washy type." I assume that these lost souls continue to practice in some form or other, hopefully maintaining their practice of meditation at least. And they probably retain an interest in reading about Zen and Buddhism. And I think it fair to say that if they had stayed, instead of moving on, we would have no place for most of them to sit. This is why I refer to the Zen sangha — and it is probably true of all communities — that it is like a cloud, constantly evaporating and recondensing, with new molecules of water, over time. People have real lives, other demands on their time and energy, and they always have. Master Dogen pointed out that the famous places in China were not typically comprised of large groups, but a small core of a half-dozen monks or so, with others coming and going from time to time. A cursory reading of the history of the formal transmission in Soto Zen makes this clear. Many of these encounters were short-term. So I don't worry too much about the many former members who are no longer in attendance. I do reach out from time to time if someone has suddenly disappeared who was diligently engaging on a frequent basis for some time, out of curiosity if nothing else. But I have enough to worry about, dealing with those who are presently practicing, as well as the constant flow of newcomers knocking at our doors. Most newcomers report that their first exposure to Zen is through reading — or, nowadays, listening — to a well-known teacher online, such as Thich Nhat Hahn, or Ram Dass. I had the pleasure of meeting Ram Dass in person in the 1960s, when I was teaching at the School of the Art Institute and the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle campus. Some friends of mine who knew him told me he was travelling through the area, so I asked them to connect us, and invited him to speak to one of my classes at the U of I. I still have the 1/4-inch reel-to-reel audiotape somewhere of his talk, which was his classic trip to India, giving LSD to the guru tale. I plan to have it digitized so that those who are interested can listen to it. Not to be too much of a name-dropper — near to greatness, and all that — but he came to our apartment for dinner that evening and cooked chipatis and beans for us. My friends told me later that he had told them he thought I was one of the most spiritual people he had ever met. That may have been because my apartment was full of student work, models of geometric structure studies they had done in one of my design classes.Another factoid of interest, and one of those coincidences that we say are not in Zen — he was driving a Chrysler Airstream at that time, and several years earlier, before I had graduated from the Institute of Design, my best friend at that time and I attended a talk by Claes Oldenburg, the famous Swedish-American sculptor, at the University of Chicago, at which presentation, amongst other things, we saw his life-size soft sculpture of — you guessed it — a Chrysler Airstream. But I digress. I have never heard of anyone burning out from too much study of the dharma, or too much sitting in meditation, although some naturally grow tired of too much group discussion, especially when it slides down the slippery slope of intellectualism and erudition, as has been seen many times in the history of Zen. Ch'an Master Huineng famously made a public show of burning scrolls of sutras to make this point. Dogen held that both things can be true at the same time — that the written record also contains the dharma, even though subject to the limitations of language. No, usually, problems with burnout arise in the context of serving the Zen community. Community, or sangha, is the third leg of the stool of Buddhism, joining that of dharma, the study of the teachings of Buddhism and Zen; and most centrally, buddha, the practice of zazen, or the meditation of Buddha. This is what Zen claims to transmit. Where the rubber hits the road in terms of burnout is usually in an individual's efforts to serve the sangha in ways that demand what seems to them to be a lot of time, effort, and energy, with all the opportunity costs associated with any form of contributions of one's precious time to any cause. The third rail for most or all not-for-profit enterprises such as ASZC seems to consist in serving on the board of directors. What I refer to as the "substitution effect" begins to set in — one finds oneself sitting less and less over time, the limited bandwidth available for Zen being consumed more and more by the ever-evolving demands of raising money and paying the bills; upkeep, repair and maintenance of the facility; producing and publishing online communications, newsletters, bulletins and podcasts; and, finally, the sheer pressure of administrating a robust schedule of programs of dharma study and meditation, serving a shape-shifting and ever-growing community of practitioners. As one who has been immersed in this process for going on 50 years -— ASZC was incorporated in 1977 — I am very familiar with this syndrome of overcommitting, on a personal level. But I think it may be that we are getting it backward if and when we do burn out in service to the sangha. It is easy to lose track of the central focus of Zen. The three legs of the stool are not equal in importance or effectiveness in supporting our personal practice. Buddha practice, Zen meditation, or zazen, is definitely first and foremost. Dharma, or study of the teachings, comes second and is subordinate to zazen. Without zazen there is little hope of ever comprehending buddha-dharma. Sangha, community participation and service, is a distant third, and is not really necessary, or conducive to personal practice, absent meditation and study. When we get this backward is when we tend to burn out. If I had not been continuing my meditation practice over the 60 years I have been engaged in all three dimensions, from the mid-1960s at the Zen Buddhist Temple of Chicago, through the years of establishing ASZC in Atlanta, I would have burnt out long ago. Attending most of the public sessions of meditation and witnessing the evolution of the Zen lives of hundreds of individuals have reinvigorated my zeal for Zen again and again, especially during the difficult times we have endured. The evidence of my senses has convinced me ever more undoubtedly of the value and effectiveness of Zen as the Upaya, or skillful means, for our times, as Matsuoka-roshi believed. If you have found yourself experiencing burnout, please consider whether or not you see yourself in this picture. If you do your best to attend a reasonable number of our scheduled meditation programs including daily, weekly, monthly and annual opportunities, such as day sits (zazenkai), longer retreats (sesshin), classes and workshops, you will rediscover the renewable resource that is genuine Zen practice. If you have gotten entangled in the ASZC or STO administration or other demanding roles of service to the sangha, please understand that your efforts are very much appreciated, but that you may be inadvertently developing the substitution effect syndrome, which ultimately does not bode well either for your practice, or the wellbeing of the community. If you relinquish your position and function, no worries, someone else will step up. I have witnessed this again and again. There is no way to plan for, or to design around, human nature, so please do not blame the corporate entity that is the Zen community for your unhappiness. If instead you renew and reinvigorate your practice of meditation, both at home and at the Zen center, you may begin to see that the burden you are or were carrying on behalf of your fellow travelers on the Zen raft was not so onerous, after all. And that somehow, willy-nilly, what you may have seen as your vital function within the Zen community will be taken up by others. If you do not claim your place on the cushion, you may miss the point of practice altogether. Which would be a "cry and shame" as Albert the Alligator would say. And I know that dates me. Look up "Pogo the Possum" by Walt Kelly. Let me propose in closing that you apply a tried-and-true time management approach to your Zen practice. There are only 24 hours in a day, as we say, so unless we chuck it all and go join a monastery, or become a hermit, only a small fraction of those hours can be devoted specifically to our practice, as we conceive it. So let's say you create the visual of a classic clock face representing your 24-hour day. After filling in all the many other things you do to get you through the night, such as sleeping, and through the demands of your day, such as paying the rent, take a look at how much time is left over. For the sake of argument, let's say you can free up an hour a day, or maybe two. In that time, maybe an hour in the morning, and an hour in the evening, maybe more of a weekend, you commit 50% to Buddha Practice: time on the cushion; 30% to Dharma Study: reading up on the literature and joining online dialogs; that leaves 20% for Sangha Service: helping out at the center, or attending admin meetings. The very exercise of visualizing — and tracking — your time may reveal that you are not actually spending as much as you think you are, or at least allow you to cut it down to a bearable amount. The main thing it may help you do is to put the emphasis where is should be: on meditation. If you are attending zazen regularly you are already doing the most you can do to support your community. Your presence encourages them in their practice more directly and to a greater degree than financial and in-kind contributions. Although those are very important. If you join the dharma dialogs online or in person on Sunday mornings and occasionally make a contribution to the conversation, that is also a service to the sangha. It indicates your sincere interest in clarifying the Great Matter, which is the main and central purpose of the pursuit of Zen. If you do both the above and still have time to devote to supporting the programs and physical plant of the Zen center, more power to you. But please be careful not to let the tail wag the Zen dog. There is a story from the history in China, if memory serves, that illustrates this principle clearly. A monk complained that during meditation, the rain was leaking in on him through the thatched roof. The Master's response? "Move down." Why spend a great deal of time and effort patching a roof, maintaining a building, if it prevents you from sitting in zazen? The building, the corporate entity, and all other dimensions of the Zen community and its physical manifestation in the world are subject to the three marks of dukkha. They are impermanent in the long run, imperfect in their current variation, and inherently insubstantial in comparison to the effects of zazen on your consciousness. To quote the venerable Ch'an Master Sekito Kisen, from the closing line of his short but dense poem, Sandokai—Harmony of Difference and Equality: I respectfully urge you who study the mysterydo not pass your days and nights in vain
In this recording from a 1992 retreat, Ram Dass talks about dealing with change, using the stuff of your daily life to get free, and how your karma defines your dharma. You can support this podcast, listen to episodes AD-FREE, and receive regular guided meditations from Ram Dass & Friends on our Patreon. Sign up for a free 7-day trial: patreon.com/RamDassPodcastRam Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self.This episode of Here and Now is from a talk Ram Dass gave during a retreat at the Omega Foundation in 1992. Beginning with quotes from the great poets Kabir and Rumi, Ram Dass talks about how you start to work with each thing in your life as a method, as a practice. What you've got in life becomes what you work with, so your karma defines your dharma.Ram Dass brings up the constant changes we're dealing with in terms of ecology, politics, and how living in “interesting times” can be seen as a blessing instead of a curse. “In dealing with these changes that are going down,” he says, “part of the real art is to look at what is changing and see how your identification with that which changes is creating so much fear in you that you're pushing against change.”Continuing with his exploration of change, Ram Dass brings aging and death into the mix. He digs into dealing with changes to the body as we age, and how his work with people who are dying is really work on himself. “For me,” he says, “each act becomes part of the awakening.” The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.“And what you do is you just start flipping and taking what you're given and start to work with it. In other words, your karma defines your dharma. That means what you got is what you work with. I mean, like, my baldness is my karma. I mean, it's my genetics, it's everything. Now, it becomes my dharma. Now, I can use it in order to become free of being bald, or being not bald, or whatever.” – Ram DassSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The Psychedelic Entrepreneur - Medicine for These Times with Beth Weinstein
Alex Grey is an American visual artist, author, teacher, and Vajrayana practitioner known for creating spiritual and psychedelic artwork such as his 21-painting Sacred Mirrors series. He works in multiple forms including performance art, process art, installation art, sculpture, visionary art, and painting. He is also on the board of advisors for the Center for Cognitive Liberty and Ethics, and is the Chair of Wisdom University's Sacred Art Department. He and his wife Allyson Grey are the co-founders of The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors (CoSM), a non-profit organization in Wappingers Falls, New York.Allyson Grey, a conceptual abstract painter and co-founder of CoSM, Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, has long been a mentor and influencer of the contemporary Visionary Art movement. In 1971, in a psychedelic awakening through the guidance of Ram Dass' book Be Here Now, Allyson heard a voice calling her to express in her art an essentialized world view. Chaos, Order & Secret Writing came to artistically symbolize the three essential characteristics of human perception, a minimal yet all-encompassing artistic statement worthy of immersion for a lifetime. Allyson's art is a personal and shared meditation on the structure of thought, life and enlightenment.Episode Highlights▶ The origin story of the Sacred Mirrors and the creation of CoSM▶ How LSD catalyzed Alex and Allyson's personal and spiritual awakening▶ Why creativity is a spiritual practice and a gateway to soul's purpose▶ The transformative power of psychedelics on healing and self-awareness▶ Why staying creative every day is key to manifesting your soul's work▶ Art as evidence of your inner vision and a path to service▶ The role of intention, commitment, and patience in creative fulfillment▶ Creativity as essential medicine for a disconnected society▶ Psychedelics and relationships: how shared experiences deepen intimacy▶ The future of CoSM and the long-awaited opening of EntheonAllyson & Alex Grey's Links & Resources▶ Allyson and Alex Grey / CoSM: https://www.cosm.org/▶ Alex Grey's website: https://www.alexgrey.com/▶ Allyson Grey's website: https://www.allysongrey.com▶ CoSM YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZVxulrA3TWY1_WSeFD3eGg Download Beth's free trainings here: Clarity to Clients: Start & Grow a Transformational Coaching, Healing, Spiritual, or Psychedelic Business: https://bethaweinstein.com/grow-your-spiritual-businessIntegrating Psychedelics & Sacred Medicines Into Business: https://bethaweinstein.com/psychedelics-in-business▶ Beth's Coaching & Guidance: https://bethaweinstein.com/coaching ▶ Beth's Offerings & Courses: https://bethaweinstein.com/services▶ Instagram: @bethaweinstein ▶ FB: / bethw.nyc + bethweinsteinbiz ▶ Join the free Psychedelics & Purpose Community: / psychedelicsandsacredmedicines
Ramdev Dale Borglum has been a pioneering figure in the conscious dying movement for decades, beginning when he founded and directed the Hanuman Foundation Dying Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in collaboration with Ram Dass, Philip Levine, Elizabeth Kubler Ross, and others. Since 1986, he's served as Executive Director of the Living/Dying Project, which is now based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The program guides individuals through the sacred journey of death, combining Eastern spirituality and Western psychology. He is also a meditation teacher, a workshop leader, the host of the podcast Healing at the Edge. He is the co-author of Journey of Awakening: A Meditator's Guidebook, and his forthcoming book, How to Live So You Can Die Without Fear, will be released in 2026. He also offers one-on-one support to select individuals. This conversation focuses mainly on what he's learned in his decades of work with the dying, and also his fascinating spiritual journey, which brought him into the company of extraordinary individuals such as Ram Dass, Ananda Mayi Ma, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and his guru, Neem Karoli Baba. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Words hurt. The unkind words and actions of others can hurt far worse than physical pain. Physical pain is fleeting, but disappointment, betrayal, disrespect and cruelty can last a lifetime and change us forever.So what can we do? Is there a way for other people's words and actions not to effect us? Is it truly possible to stay at peace, even when you're home for Thanksgiving with all the people who know exactly how to push your buttons?In this podcast, I share the real reason we get upset. I talk about how to keep our peace despite terrible circumstances. And I discuss what to do when we find ourselves in those unbearable situations.Once we understand why we lose our cool, keeping it becomes easy.Please enjoy other episodes where I share meditation techniques, tips and spiritual lessons from around the world for peaceful and stress-free living. Remember to subscribe to stay up-to-date.*****If you ever feel like my words brought a change in your life, and want to show your SUPPORT for what I am doing, click here. Find all of my BOOKS for wherever you are on your spiritual journey: https://www.eastwesticism.org/spiritual-meditation-books/Want to gift a book to a prisoner? Go here.
Blending psychedelic wisdom with the sacred power of sound, Raghu Markus and East Forest explore music as a gateway to nonduality, healing, and everyday spirituality.Check out Music for Mushrooms, a narrative documentary highlighting the personal journey of East Forest.In this episode of Mindrolling, Raghu and East Forest explore:East Forest's creative process and setting Ram Dass' teachings to musicPutting trust into the process and the vast audience that East has reachedMusic as a vehicle for nonduality, emotion, and direct spiritual experienceThe infinite potential of music—why we'll never run out of songsRaghu's substanceless psychedelic experience listening to John Coltrane Accessing altered states and higher consciousness through multiple pathsThe role of song in indigenous plant medicine and sacred ceremonyBringing spirituality into daily life rather than chasing peak experiencesLiving fully and embracing even the uncomfortable parts of healingLeaning into suffering with tenderness and recognizing that it can bring us closer to God How psychedelics can help us remember that we are all interconnectedThe healing power of motherly and divine love—and how it's always available to usCosmic peek-a-boo: Remembering that we are loving awareness and not being discouraged when we forgetFrom this episode: Grab a copy of the book Walking Each Other HomeLearn more about Saint Mira Bai and her devotion to KrishnaAbout East Forest:East Forest is a multidisciplinary artist, producer, and ceremony guide. Since 2008, East Forest's “lush” (Rolling Stone) and “blissful” (NPR) music has blended ambient, neoclassical, electronic, and avant-pop to explore sound as a tool for inner journeys and consciousness expansion. Known for being the first musician to collaborate with Ram Dass, his latest endeavor is the feature-length film Music for Mushrooms, a narrative documentary showcasing the transformative power of psychedelics, music, and community. “There's something about the combination of how music can unlock–it makes the medicine so smooth and the emotion is so amplified that it's just right there. It's a core human experience that they're reflecting back, and it's for all of us.” – East ForestSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In today's episode of the Second in Command podcast, Cameron shifts gears to discuss the meaning behind human connection and what truly matters beyond daily tasks and business pressures. You'll hear the story behind a meaningful tattoo inspired by a quote about "walking each other home," emphasizing that despite life's inevitable end, the real significance lies in caring for one another's dreams, fears, and passions. This philosophical reflection invites you to reconsider your perspective on life and the importance of empathy over material success.The discussion then shifts to the inspiring story of a remarkable individual who faced unimaginable adversity but cultivated resilience and wisdom in the face of hardship. Through anecdotes of pain, loss, and perseverance, you'll find out why life's challenges often aren't as bleak as they seem, and that maintaining a lighthearted, hopeful attitude can make all the difference. The concept that things are rarely as good or as bad as they appear encourages a more balanced, enduring outlook.Ready to step back from the hustle and reconnect with what really matters? This heartfelt solo episode will shift your perspective—from success and setbacks to purpose and connection. Don't miss this powerful reflection on resilience, empathy, and what it means to “walk each other home.”If you've enjoyed this episode of the Second in Command podcast, be sure to leave a review and subscribe today!Enjoy!In This Episode You'll Learn:The significance of the tattoo "Walking Each Other Home" from Ram Dass, which serves as a reminder that material success is insignificant compared to human connection. (2:03)The story of Dave Kekitch, who experienced severe back pain during a workout, leading to a slow bleed in his spinal cord and paralysis from the chest down. (2:46)Dave's travels around the world in search of a cure, and ultimately became an advocate for life extension. (4:19)The importance of human connection and caring about others. (6:21)And much more...Resources:Connect with Cameron: Website | LinkedInGet Cameron's latest book – "Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO"Get Cameron's online course – Invest In Your LeadersDisclaimer:The views, information, or opinions expressed during this podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of The Second in Command podcast or its affiliates. The content provided is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice. We make no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this podcast and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. Listeners should consult with a professional for specific advice tailored to their situation. By accessing this podcast, you acknowledge that any reliance on the content is at your own risk.
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Founder/Executive Director of Living/Dying Project RamDev Dale Borglum returns for a conversation with Jaymee on utilizing the imagination in spiritual practice, working somatically with mantra, taking refuge in the full picture when agitation occurs, the power of pure motivation, conscious drinking with Chogyam Trungpa in the 1970's and the fallout and forgiveness he experienced with Ram Dass. RamDev is a pioneer in the conscious dying movement and has worked directly with thousands of people with life-threatening illnesses and their families for over 45 years. He has a BS from UC Berkeley and a PhD from Stanford University, and co-authored the spiritual classic Journey of Awakening: A Meditator's Guidebook with Ram Dass.LIVING/DYING PROJECT UPCOMING EVENTS: www.livingdying.orgLITA PODCAST: hosted, produced and edited by Jaymee Carpenter. INTRO/OUTRO MUSIC: Jaymee & Benjamin Carpenter Interested in Mentorship with Jaymee?email: lacee@loveistheauthor.com to set up a free consultation,or visit: www.loveistheauthor.com/mentorship SPONSORS: TOTALLY BLOWN (www.totallyblown.us)RAUM GOODS (www.raumgoods.com)INDIAN LODGE ROAD (www.indianlodgeroad.com) YERBA MADRE (www.guayaki.com)VALLEY OF THE MOON (www.shorturl.at/dCVh2)THiS SHOW is a LABOR of LOVE. PLEASE SUPPORT IT: www.patreon.com/loveistheauthorpodcastFAN CONTACT: jaymee@loveistheauthor.comON INSTAGRAM: @loveistheauthor / @livingdyingproject / @unconventionalgardener
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Why isn't peaceful oneness our natural way of being? Why does it seem so hard to break free from our fears and pain? Why do we fall for the illusion of separateness? Why is there even this illusion that makes us suffer and feel alone?In this podcast, I get to the heart of why our thinking causes us so much misery. I talk about why we fall for illusions. I discuss the root cause of internal and external conflict in this world. And I share simple ways to root out those causes so we can live a life of peace and joy. We don't need to have a perfect life. We simply need to realize it's already perfect.Please enjoy other episodes where I share meditation techniques, tips and spiritual lessons from around the world for peaceful and stress-free living. Remember to subscribe to stay up-to-date.*****If you ever feel like my words brought a change in your life, and want to show your SUPPORT for what I am doing, click here. Find all of my BOOKS for wherever you are on your spiritual journey: https://www.eastwesticism.org/spiritual-meditation-books/Want to gift a book to a prisoner? Go here.
In this heartfelt episode of Message in the Middle, Marianne sits down with mindfulness teacher, caregiver, and dementia advocate Jessica Smith for a conversation that lives at the intersection of presence, purpose, and deep compassion.For over two decades, Jessica has studied and practiced awareness-based meditation under the guidance of renowned spiritual teachers like Ram Dass, Sharon Salzberg, and Michael Singer. But it's her personal journey as a long-distance caregiver for her mother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's more than ten years ago, that has shaped her work in the most profound way.Together, Marianne and Jessica explore:The emotional layers of long-distance caregivingNavigating family dynamics in the face of a loved one's diagnosisHow mindfulness helps caregivers stay grounded, even on the hardest daysThe evolving relationship between parent and child through the lens of Alzheimer'sWhat it means to connect when memory fadesFinding peace in “enoughness”How training as a death doula deepened Jessica's perspective on legacy and letting goPractical ways caregivers can show up for themselves when time is scarceThis episode is a beautiful reminder that even in the midst of grief, there can be grace and that mindful awareness offers a path not just to endure, but to connect more deeply.Resources & Links Connect with Jessica and learn more about her work:https://www.instagram.com/alzheimers_awakening/ https://linktr.ee/alzheimers_awakening Connect with Marianne: Website: Message In The Middle with Marianne Message In the Middle Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/422430469323847/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MessageInTheMiddle/playlists LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianne-demello-smith-678b9966 Email: Contact | Message In The Middle with Marianne Subscribe to Message In the Middle: Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Leave Us a Review: If you enjoyed today's episode, please leave a review and share your favorite takeaway. Your feedback helps us reach more listeners and bring you even more valuable content.Keep the conversation going - Join us for more insightful conversations in the Message in the Middle Private Facebook Community & subscribe to Message in th...
Reminding us that there's no need to escape our daily life in search of spirituality, Krishna Das explains that our relationships, struggles, joys, and routines are the spiritual path.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This time on Pilgrim Heart, Krishna Das opens our hearts to:The divine play (Leela) and mysterious grace behind Maharaj-ji Neem Karoli Baba's actionsKrishna Das' experiences with the Dalai Lama Embracing aging with grace, staying rooted in present-moment awareness, and living in truthThe story of Neem Karoli Baba and the haunted treeOffering the positive karma and merit from chanting practices for the healing of all beingsHolding space for global peace, collective happiness, and the end of suffering and warWorking skillfully with sexual energy as a natural part of the human experienceLearning through our relationships with others and all thingsUsing daily life, with all its challenges, as our spiritual practice instead of seeking escapeAbout Krishna Das:Layering traditional Hindu kirtan with instantly accessible melodies and modern instrumentation, Grammy nominee Krishna Das has been called yoga's “rock star.” With a remarkably soulful voice that touches the deepest chord in even the most casual listener, Krishna Das – known to friends, family, and fans as simply KD – has taken the call-and-response chanting out of yoga centers and into concert halls, becoming a worldwide icon and the best-selling chant artist of all time. His album ‘Live Ananda' (released January 2012) was nominated for a Grammy in the Best New Age album category.KD spent the late '60s traveling across the country as a student of Ram Dass, and in August 1970, he finally made the journey to India, which led him to Ram Dass' own beloved guru, Neem Karoli Baba, known to most as Maharaj-ji. Krishna Das now travels the world sharing his kirtan practice and wonderful stories of his life, of Maharaji-ji, of his life on the Path and discusses bringing chanting into our lives through retreats and workshops. To date, KD has released 15 well-received albums, most recently Trust in the Heart released in October 2017.MORE INFORMATION and OFFERINGS VISIT: https://krishnadas.com/ KRISHNA DAS ON SOCIAL: FACEBOOK: facebook.com/KrishnaDasMusic INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/krishnadasmusic YOUTUBE: / krishnadasmusic X: @krishnadas #KrishnaDas“When we're not here, when we're lost in dreamland, busyness, distraction, we don't experience time going by, and then boom, a breath does not come in and we're gone out of this body. To age gracefully is with awareness, to be aware of what's going on in your life every minute.” – Krishna DasSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Support the show:https://www.paypal.me/Truelifepodcast?locale.x=en_US
Support the show:https://www.paypal.me/Truelifepodcast?locale.x=en_US
In this recording from 1978, Ram Dass reads stories about his guru, Maharaj-ji, and his many miracles. We invite you to set aside your analytical mind and simply enjoy these miracles of love. This episode of Here and Now is from a recording of Ram Dass at the Lama Foundation in June of 1978. Here, he reads stories from the manuscript of Miracle of Love, which would be published about a year later. Ram Dass begins by reading one of his own stories about Maharaj-ji, which involves a dead bird coming back to life. This was one of many experiences that overwhelmed Ram Dass' analytical mind.Next, Ram Dass reads a series of stories from some of Maharaj-ji's oldest devotees. He dealt with each person in a unique fashion and would often touch places of the deepest love within people. Ram Dass slips in a story about another great Indian saint, Ramana Maharshi. He then turns back to Maharaj-ji stories, focusing on miracles around food. Maharaj-ji said, “We have an inner thirst for food. We don't know of it. Even if you don't feel you could eat, your soul has a thirst for food.”The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.Sponsors of this Episode:Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self.This show is also sponsored by Magic Mind, a matcha-based energy shot infused with nootropics and adaptogens designed to crush procrastination, brain fog, & fatigue. Get 60% off your first subscription to Magic Mind with our link: magicmind.com/ramdassmf“You see why it's peculiar to live in a culture like India, where all of these events are sort of like everyday occurrences. In the villages we live in, in the mountains, every family has dozens of these stories, and they just sit by the fire of the evening telling them. To come back to the West, where these stories are thought to be ‘miracles,' is very confusing sometimes, difficult to integrate.” – Ram DassSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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In a season of Stillness, but I'm still here. ❤️
In a season of Stillness, but I'm still here. ❤️
Joined by his son, Noah, Raghu invites Sharon Salzberg onto Mindrolling for an expansive conversation on embracing change, understanding the roots of our fear, and aging mindfully. 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, Sharon, and Noah explore:The illusion of invulnerability in youth and how our relationship to mortality evolves with ageThe dreamlike and fleeting nature of time and memoryThe societal messages that falsely promise permanence and controlSharon's concept of ‘misplaced faith' and the belief that clinging tightly can stop changeOffering compassion to ourselves when we notice resistance to impermanenceKeeping our sense of adventure and curiosity alive, even as it shifts with ageLetting go of rigid expectations and finding new paths to meaning and fulfillmentHolding space for the hard work of aging while recognizing what truly sustains usPost-stroke wisdom from Ram Dass and the important distinction between pain and sufferingGiving yourself a break: the value of not layering blame, shame, or permanence on top of already difficult life experiencesThe three jewels of Buddhism and how practice can help us navigate change and aging Asking ourselves what we can count on and what is still true as we grow older Maintaining the Sangha and social connection as one of our life forcesUnderstanding a bhikkhu, or monk, as someone who "fears wisely" or "sees danger"Being able to look at the roots of our fear Ram Dass' phrase ‘Walking Each Other Home” and what it means to SharonCheck out the book Still Here by Ram Dass to look deeper into changing, aging, and dyingAbout 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 her books at www.sharonsalzberg.com and check out Insight Meditation Society.Dive into Vipassana practice with Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein on Sounds True. “Most of us have a habit of adding on to that original pain. A sense of isolation, a sense of permanence, a sense of the future, a sense of blame. We pile on and consolidate and what was originally a painful experience becomes this mass of condensed suffering and it hurts so much more. That's why the impetus to let go of those add-ons really comes from a sense of compassion for ourselves. Give yourself a break, it already hurts.” – Sharon SalzbergSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Duncan Trussell, comedian and Host of the Duncan Trussell Family Hour, joins Rushkoff to explore how we can best metabolize rising geopolitical tensions, the ways billionaires view the power of the AIs they've developed, the relationship between comedy and fascism, and the importance of human connection and community. Names citedAllah, Albert Camus, Buddha, Benito Mussolini, Benjamin Netanyahu, Drew Minsky, George Carlin, Jesus, Jack Kornfield, Jeff Bezos, Jean-Paul Sartre, Joe Rogan, Jimmy Hendrix, Mark Zuckerberg, Nostradamus, Pete Hegseth, Ram Dass, Sam Harris, Sharon Salzburg, Terrence McKenna, Tony Stark, Tulsi GabbardTeam Human is proudly sponsored by Everyone's Earth.Learn more about Everyone's Earth: https://everyonesearth.com/Change Diapers: https://changediapers.com/Cobi Dryer Sheets: https://cobidryersheets.com/Use the code “rush10” to receive 10% off of Cobi Dryer sheets: https://cobidryersheets.com/Support Team Human on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/teamhumanFollow Team Human with Douglas Rushkoff:Instagram: https:/www.instagram.com/douglasrushkoffBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/rushkoff.comGet bonus content on Patreon: patreon.com/teamhuman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Raghu Markus, beloved host of the Ram Dass Here & Now podcast, co-founder of Love Serve Remember Foundation and the Be Here Now Network returns to the podcast for his most vulnerable conversation with Jaymee, sharing super rare stories of Ram Dass, Krishna Das, and Neem Karoli Baba, and also to discuss the new documentary Bridge Of Grace: The Gift Of KK Sah being released through ramdass.org on Monday July 21st. LITA PODCAST: hosted, produced and edited by Jaymee Carpenter. Interested in Spiritual Mentorship with Jaymeeemail: lacee@loveistheauthor.com to set up a free consultation,or visit: www.loveistheauthor.com/mentorship SPONSORS: TOTALLY BLOWN (www.totallyblown.us)RAUM GOODS (www.raumgoods.com)INDIAN LODGE ROAD (www.indianlodgeroad.com) YERBA MADRE (www.guayaki.com)VALLEY OF THE MOON (www.shorturl.at/dCVh2)INTRO/OUTRO MUSIC: Jaymee & Benjamin Carpenter THiS SHOW is a LABOR of LOVE. PLEASE SUPPORT IT: www.patreon.com/loveistheauthorpodcastFAN CONTACT: jaymee@loveistheauthor.comON INSTAGRAM: @loveistheauthor / @raghujoel / @unconventionalgardener
Delving into the profound teachings of J. Krishnamurti, David Silver and Raghu Markus explore timeless questions of existence, social ethics, and the deeper truths that shape 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 time on Mindrolling, Raghu and David have a discussion about:The intellectual essence of Krishnamurti initially alienated David and Raghu, and what drew them back inKrishnamurti's unique childhood and emergence as a "chosen one" by the Theosophical SocietyThe profound lifelong friendship of Aldous Huxley and Krishnamurti Krishnamurti's teachings on avoiding spiritual bypassing and false ego-driven enlightenmentThe danger of over-identification with any religion, group, or ideology, and how this creates separationUnderstanding that we all have the ultimate truth within us and are all one with everything Krishnamurti's message that comparison to others, the past, or ideals is a major root of sufferingKrishnamurti's critique of “social morality,” which often upholds greed, violence, and systemic divisionSeeing through the division that society has nurtured and amplified over centuries Embracing our personal journeys and seeing this life as one chapter in a larger, sacred storyPracticing mindfulness as a path to seeing the truth and being with all of our experiences fullyDavid recommends reading Joseph Goldstein's book, Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to AwakeningAbout J. Krishnamurti:For nearly six decades until his passing in 1986 at the age of ninety, Jiddu Krishnamurti traversed the globe, delivering spontaneous and captivating discourses to large audiences. Krishnamurti assumed the role of an investigator rather than an authority figure, encouraging individuals to question assumptions and explore the depths of their consciousness. His extensive body of work, estimated at over 100 million words, spans more than six decades of relentless inquiry and dialogue. His teachings, compiled in numerous books and translated into multiple languages, continue to inspire seekers worldwide, inviting them to embark on a profound journey of self-discovery and understanding. J. Krishnamurti's legacy endures as a guiding light, offering timeless wisdom for those who dare to challenge conventional thinking and explore the complexities of existence.Listen to Krishnamurti's lectures on the Be Here Now Network's Freedom From The Known podcast.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. "He was an advocate, always, of looking at yourself. He felt that the deeper truths about the meaning of living do not come from anyone else, even if the greatest guru is in front of you, it still comes from what you yourself are truly embedded in properly. In other words, that's what you believe when you're alone, silent, not having to impress, not having to compare."– David SilverSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Speaking across the decades from the 1960s to the 2010s, Ram Dass shares his thoughts on the feeling of love and the path of the heart.Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self.This episode of Here and Now is a compilation of Ram Dass speaking about love and the path of the heart across the decades:We begin in 1969, with Ram Dass talking about Maher Baba, whom he calls the personification of pure love. He describes a particularly powerful LSD trip where he gained insight into the true nature of love. He says, “I now conceive of the fact that falling in love means like falling into a bathtub of love.”We move on to 1979, with Ram Dass addressing the Christian Community of San Francisco. He describes the different stages of falling in love and talks about the devotional nature of the path of the heart. “And that's one of your predicaments,” he says, “that when you really fall in love, it just opens and opens and opens, and you just don't know where to hold on anymore.” The next stop is 1986, with Ram Dass touching on conditional love and the deprivation model we've been working with all our lives. He digs deeper into the different stages of love and talks about the need to give up the deprivation model. He says, “You change from the deprivation model to the model where there's an abundance of [love].” We fast forward to the 1990s, with Ram Dass reading from the I Ching about the path of love and the path of the heart. He talks about how we are hungry ghosts who get addicted to the method of love, but all methods are traps. “And yet,” he says, “the bizarre thing about methods is they don't work unless you get trapped.”Finally, we end in 2017, with Ram Dass telling a delicious story about loving everything, including a rug with spots on it. He talks about how judgment is in the mind, but love is in the heart. “I don't judge,” he says. “But if I do judge, I love it.”The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.“Now, if you look at in the sense that, in the usual way of, ‘I fell in love with this person, there's another way of seeing that, which is this person is a stimulus, is something in the world that was just right in a key sense to release us into the place in ourselves where we are love. And we say, as a result, ‘I am in love with you.' Another way of saying it is, ‘You turn me on to the place in myself where I am love, where I can't get to without you.' Now we're talking about you being my connection to that place in myself where I am love, where I can't get without you. And then I want to hold on to my connection, just as any good junkie would like to do.” – Ram DassSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 07 - Ben Malcom: The Spirit Pharmacist This all new episode of the Psychedelics Then and Now Podcast features an all new interview with the ever wise and important Ben Malcom, The Spirit Pharmacist. Ben's knowledge of psychedelic compounds, drug interactions, safe use and pharmacological histories holds a unique place in today's psychedelic culture. His welcoming approach to very complicated topics really sets him apart from other scientific luminaries. Our conversation illuminated so many nooks and crannies within this ever expanding knowledge base. Also, the intro brings classic 1977 Ram Dass's take on cognitive liberty and consciousness exploration. (Thank you to the Love Serve Remember Foundation) About Ben Malcom I envision a society in which access to psychedelic drugs in a variety of safe settings is available for purposes of psychospiritual well-being, personal development, ceremonial sacraments, and treatment of mental illness. I strive to let my loves and passions guide my activity and provide the canvas my life is painted on. I hope this site can be of service to my vision as well as you. Professionally, I was trained as a clinical psychiatric pharmacist and worked in academia for almost five years before dedicating myself to Spirit Pharmacist. Today I provide psychopharmacology consulting, courses in psychedelic pharmacy, and a Member Resource and Support Program. On a more personal note, I'm a lover of nature, exercise, music, and consciousness as well as being a father. I'm passionate about cognitive liberty, self-realization, and psychedelic drugs.
Speaking at a MAPS conference in the early 1990s, Ram Dass looks back at some of the benefits and mistakes of the work he and Timothy Leary did with psychedelics in the 1960s. Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self.This episode of Here and Now comes from a talk Ram Dass gave at a MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) conference in the early 1990s. It immediately followed a talk given by Timothy Leary. Ram Dass reflects on the funny position he's in between his desire for this gathering of MAPS to put on a good face and be responsible researchers, and his feeling that what has happened is far more profound than that. “What we are doing now,” he says, “is trying to find a way to bring more people along through trying to legitimize our game in society. But the underground process in which psychedelics have continued to be used in the society and have come into mainstream consciousness, that goes on independent of whether we lose or win on the front we're talking about in research.”Ram Dass speaks to some of the benefits that came out of the pioneering research into psychedelics he conducted with Timothy Leary at Harvard University in the 1960s. This includes therapeutic possibilities, opening people up to wisdom from the East, and shifting our perception of reality.Ram Dass finishes by talking about some of the mistakes they made along the way, including how they got too involved with the revolutionary aspects of psychedelics rather than the evolutionary elements. But ultimately, the genie is already out of the bottle when it comes to psychedelics. “Truth cannot be repressed,” says Ram Dass. “It cannot be legislated out of existence. Psychedelics are a healthy pseudopod of society, and they have to be honored. And they will be honored.” This episode closes with a live performance of "Sit Around The Fire" performed by East Forest at the 2023 LSRF Ram Dass Legacy Retreat. This soundscape interweaves wisdom from Ram Dass around identity, inner work and interconnection. "Sit Around The Fire" was composed by East Forest and Jon Hopkins for the album Music For Psychedelic Therapy.The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.“I think we got a little confused about evolution and revolution. I think we played with the revolutionary aspects of psychedelics, when to me, the far more interesting issue is the evolutionary aspects. I think that had we been more evolved in our wisdom, and not feeling we were inventing the wheel all over again, we would have had an appreciation of what the fears were of the society and how to work with those fears rather than just pitting ourselves against them. I don't think the way we did it was the only way it could've been done.” – Ram DassSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Speaking through the decades, from the 1960s to the 2010s, Ram Dass shares his thoughts on Satsang, the community of seekers who come together in the pursuit of truth. This episode of Here and Now is a compilation of Ram Dass discussing community and Satsang across the decades. We begin in 1969, with Ram Dass exploring the power of the spiritual community, Satsang, as a protective and nurturing presence for those on the path. He shares how Satsang serves as a reference group without a physical form. “The universe that is Satsang,” he says, “is an inner universe, not an outer universe.”We move on to 1975, with Ram Dass reflecting on how the cultural despair of the 60s led people to band together out of a sense of spiritual need or purpose. He reflects on how these “spiritual reference groups” exist over time and space in all directions. “One begins to recognize members of one's group quite independent of geography and quite independent of time.” The next stop is 1986, with Ram Dass noting a growing maturity in the spiritual seekers he gathers with on his lecture tours. He discusses the various paths that bring people together in community and how we reassure each other through our presence for one another. “By reflecting back and forth between our hearts,” he says, “we strengthen our connection.”We fast forward to 1994, with Ram Dass discussing how the spiritual community is a mutual space for growth. He cautions that unless we meet in the deeper place of our beings together, the acts we do with one another will involve violence and exacerbate suffering. “Our art form is to cultivate this space and recognize that we are meeting in it, and share the essence of space behind the form.” Finally, we end in 2017, with a conversation between Ram Dass, Raghu Markus, and Rameshwar Das about how the deeply familial nature of Satsang is rooted in love and truth. They share stories about Ram Dass' guru brother, KK Sah, and the early days of Satsang in the West.The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.Sponsors of this Episode:Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self.This show is also sponsored by Magic Mind, a matcha-based energy shot infused with nootropics and adaptogens designed to crush procrastination, brain fog, & fatigue. Get 60% off the Magic Mind your first subscription with our link: magicmind.com/ramdassmfReunion 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.org“It's just us humans together in the shelter of each other. This is what Satsang, or Sangha, is. This is it. This is the community of beings who are acknowledging that dual intention: You work on yourself as an offering to others, you work on others as a way of working on yourself. Circle's complete. And everything is part of that circle. All of it.” – Ram DassSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.