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Ep. 235 | In the 18th dialogue of the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series, Hameed Ali delves into the fascinating subject of how the physical world is related to the absolute. From a nondual perspective, reality includes the physical world, he explains; the world cannot be reduced to an illusion. Material reality is every bit as compelling as the spiritual perspective, he continues. How we perceive it depends on where we find our stance, what we are immersed in—in the formless or the world of form. Hameed recognizes and honors physical reality, while describing material objects as expressions, or glimmerings, of the ground of being—the physical and the ground of being inseparable, whether pure presence or pure emptiness.And how does the relationship between creator and creation relate to the individual? Hameed presents his mystical theology: a triadic reality formed by God, the individual, and the physical world, where each maintains its own truth. Because the absolute is inherently not self-aware, it needs an individual to become aware of itself, he explains. We are its “knowing instruments.” Hameed's mystical theology, establishing the relationship between the human being, the world, and God, or true nature, is both elevating and grounding, enlightening and somehow comforting. The essential puzzle pieces of reality fitted together, creating unity. From atoms and quarks to what happens after death and how all dimensions can possibly exist in exquisite harmony when there is so much disharmony in the world, this conversation is far ranging, stimulating, and punctuated with laughter, as Hameed, Roger, and John continue to explore The Inner Journey Home. Recorded May 14, 2026.“When we experience the absolute, we see it as the truth of everything, the nature of everything—all are glimmerings of the absolute.”Topics & Time StampsIntroducing dialogue #18 in the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series, an exploration of the chapter titled “Reality” in Hameed's magnum opus, The Inner Journey Home (00:49)Hameed explains how the Path of Love Series relates to the The Inner Journey Home/Wisdom Series (04:51)Seeing the physical world from the perspective of the absolute (06:10)Why do we experience the world as so very solid? (09:28)From the absolute perspective, material objects are glimmerings of the ground of being (11:49)From the scientific perspective, the physical world is “rock-level real” (14:45)The physical world should not be reduced to an illusion; it has properties that cannot be denied (18:13)In the physical world, death means no longer alive; spiritually, death is a transformation (21:50)Does the individual soul continue after death? (25:04)Why isn't everyone awakened if we're all part of the absolute? (26:40)Standing in the absolute, all dimensions are inseparable, existing in exquisite harmony, but this does not negate people's experience of disharmony (30:38)The absolute is inherently not self-aware, that's why it needs an individual to become aware of itself (32:56)The divine coma is the entry to the absolute (35:38)The relationship between the human being, the world, and God (38:59)Is there a personal God? (41:47)You can be an individual without being separate (47:33)God fulfillment & soul fulfillment are one and the same (50:36)The concept of service has many stages (52:57)Hameed's mystical theology: a triadic reality, each with its own truth (57:06)The dimension of energy (01:04:26)Reality appears differently from different perspectives; this teaching is from the nondual perspective (01:06:10)Dzogchen & Hameed both give an inherent meaning to life; traditions espousing illusion do not (01:09:19)Individual creativity gives voice to the creativity of the universe (01:12:24)Resources & ReferencesA. H. Almaas (Hameed Ali), founder of The Ridhwan School, home of The Diamond ApproachA. H. Almaas, The Inner Journey Home: Soul's Realization of the Unity of RealityAdvaita VedantaSri Nisargadatta Maharaj, I Am That Beginning of a famous Hadith Qudsi: “I was a hidden treasure and wanted to be known…”Sufi master Ibn Arabi, “God needs a soul just as much as a soul needs God.”A. H. Almaas, The Pearl Beyond Price: Integration of Personality into Being: An Object Relations ApproachThe Path of Love Series with A. H. Almaas, Deep Transformation podcast seriesMeister Eckhart, German Catholic priest, theologian, philosopher & mysticRamana Maharshi, Hindu sage and liberated beingLongchenpa, Dzogchen poet---The A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series generally follows the sequence of Hameed's magnum opus, The Inner Journey Home (which John describes as psychoactive and spiritually, psychologically, and intellectually transformative), so listeners may want to get a copy of this book, to study and follow along on this exhilarating path of awakening.---Special Diamond Approach Course Discount for Deep Transformation ListenersIf you are interested in taking a course offered by Diamond Approach Online, Hameed's team at the Ridhwan School have offered a special 20% discount for Deep Transformation listeners. You can access the Course Catalog here: https://online.diamondapproach.org/catalog/. And enter the code DTP20 to receive your discount when you sign up.---Hameed Ali (A. H. Almaas) was born in Kuwait in 1944. At the age of eighteen, he moved to the U.S. to study at the University of California in Berkeley. Hameed was working on his Ph.D. in physics when he reached a turning point in his life and destiny that led him to inquire into the psychological and spiritual aspects of human nature rather than the physical nature of the universe. He left the academic world to pursue an in-depth journey of inner discovery, applying his scientific precision and discipline to personal, experiential research. This included study with different teachers in different modalities, extensive reading, and continuous study of his own consciousness in an effort to understand the essential nature of human experience and reality in general.Hameed's process of exploration led to the creation of the Ridhwan School and, with his colleague Karen Johnson, resulted in the founding and unfoldment of the Diamond Approach. He is the author of 20 books, including Nondual Love: Awakening to the Loving Nature of Reality, Love Unveiled: Discovering the Essence of the Awakened Heart, Keys to the Enneagram: How to Unlock the Highest Potential of Every Personality Type, The Unfolding...
On today's episode Aly sits down with Banafsheh Sayyad. She is a master sacred dancer, spiritual teacher and founder of "Dance of Oneness." Born in Iran, Banafsheh comes from a lineage of pioneering performing artists. She boldly forged a career in dance despite resistance from her family and a patriarchal culture that considered dance shameful. Her spiritual quest began at a young age leading her around the world where she received her MFA in dance and choreography from UCLA. She is internationally known for her groundbreaking choreography, where she invokes the ancient roots of dance as devotion, prayer, and adoration. An innovator of Sufi dance previously only performed by men, she represents the timeless Divine Feminine inside a contemporary gypsy darvish, beckoning us to live with passion, wildness, and reverence. Today, she and Aly discuss her work and how dance can be an act of liberation and celebration. If you'd like to experience Banafsheh's work she has an upcoming 7 week online course via the Shift Network. You can find out more information via www.danceofoneness.org. Banafsheh is hosting a Free Intro Event called Dancing the Sacred Geometry of the Rose during which I introduce the course. This airs Saturday, June 13th at 10am PT, and the replay is on Tuesday, June 16th at 12pm PT. https://shiftnetwork.isrefer.com/go/dsgrBS/banafsheh1/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Text Analysis - Forgiveness and Illusions: Jevon Perra and Soo Kim review a section of "The Song of Prayer," focusing on the nature of forgiveness and how it relates to illusions. They discuss the text's assertion that one should not dictate the form forgiveness takes, noting that the form of illusions does not actually matter, although they acknowledge that humans often struggle because they are attached to specific outcomes and the forms their lives take.Spiritual Pursuits and Morality: Jevon Perra contrasts their previous religious experiences, which were based on moral codes and the avoidance of punishment, with their current understanding. They define the new perspective as a shift away from "deserving" punishment toward pursuing contentment, noting that if current methods for finding happiness are not working, they can be abandoned.Suffering and Attachment: Jevon Perra notes that suffering often stems from an attachment to specific forms, whether the suffering arises from desiring things one does not have or fearing the loss of things one currently possesses. They conclude that being committed to the "form" of life leads to a cycle of suffering, regardless of whether the person has the desired outcome or not.Navigating Projection and Judgments: Soo Kim shares an experience from a medical office where a classmate expressed a desire to live in isolation to avoid people and specific regional groups. Soo Kim reflects on how they previously would have tried to "fix" or lecture the classmate about projections, but instead, they were able to observe the classmate's perspective as a puzzle, choosing to release the need to change the other person.Life Challenges as Polishing: Jevon Perra references the Sufi poet Rumi, discussing how life challenges act as a "rub" that polishes the individual, removing rough spots. They note that resistance to these difficulties—such as complaining about family members or people in conversations—is a failure to embrace the process of personal development.Acceptance of Family and Friends: The participants discuss the difficulty of interacting with family or friends who hold different beliefs or act in ways they perceive as "wrong". Jevon Perra suggests that rather than trying to change these individuals or fix their problems, one can choose to simply be present with them and let go of the need for the other person to be different.Identity, Image, and Projection: Jevon Perra identifies a personal tendency to worry about how they appear to others, which they define as an ego-driven desire for status or respect. They observe that viewing others as "buffoons" or embarrassing is a projection of their own concern about their own image, which causes them significant discomfort.The Trap of Saving Others: Soo Kim and Jevon Perra discuss the "savior" complex, where they feel the need to fix or save others. Jevon Perra acknowledges that for years they were caught in the mind, believing they were freeing others while actually attempting to validate their own righteousness and prove they were worthy of love.Defining Forgiveness as a Function: Continuing their reading, the participants identify that their only true function is to forgive. They discuss how they frequently confuse this function with other actions, such as trying to save, fix, or overpower others, which are all methods of maintaining separation and control.Personality Dynamics and Conflict: Jevon Perra discusses Enneagram type 8 behaviors, noting that these individuals may use their power and anger to "defend the defenseless" or suppress others they view as weak. They observe that this often manifests as a constant need to fight and poke at others to test their worthiness to be heard.Scarcity and the Illusion of Time: The participants analyze how business environments, specifically sales, are structured around self-imposed scarcity. Soo Kim mentions a previous discussion regarding time as an illusion and observes that while their classmate used this concept to dismiss professional concerns, they recognize that time—along with other limits—is essential to the current existence and the "game" of the personality.Energy and the Personality: Jevon Perra suggests that individuals spend an immense amount of energy maintaining the "personality," which they describe as a tiny peephole through which the larger self views reality. They note that this intense focus intentionally blinds people to the broader "happening" of life, as if they are orchestrating a complex, precise operation through a narrow aperture.Somatic Experiences and Sound Bath: Soo Kim recounts a recent experience playing a new gong, describing how they were able to enter a state where time seemed to disappear. They note that after this intense meditative state, they felt disconnected from social norms and had difficulty engaging in typical linear conversations.Flow States and Social Engagement: Jevon Perra compares spiritual "out of body" flow states to stage fright, noting that stage fright involves being hyper-aware of the body, while flow involves being hyper-detached. They observe that when one identifies with the "bigger self" and lets go of the personality, it becomes difficult to maintain the distinct boundaries of right and wrong, good and bad, which makes social interactions more challenging.Final Text Review and Forgiveness: The participants complete their reading of the section, emphasizing that forgiveness is the key to opening the door to the "shining face of Christ" and seeing one's brother as they were created. Jevon Perra reiterates that the people who cause the most internal resistance are the very ones triggering the projection of separation, and the goal is to stop projecting these judgments.Reframing Life Circumstances: Jevon Perra concludes that life situations, such as dealing with a spouse or community, are not meant to make one "happy" in the conventional sense, but rather serve as opportunities to surface internal judgments. They argue that the focus should be on recognizing these judgments and the subsequent discomfort to release them, rather than trying to fix the world.Conclusion of Study and Reflection: The participants determine they have been studying this material for 11 months, noting that they began the process around last July. Soo Kim expresses appreciation for Jevon Perra's patience and the journey they have shared, and Jevon Perra confirms the value of the partnership in their own process of forgiveness and seeing beauty
Anila Ali, founder of the American Muslim Multi-Faith Women's Empowerment Council, joins Shai to share her journey as a Pakistani-American Muslim woman fighting extremism from within. From growing up in Pakistan's Sufi-influenced culture, to witnessing radical ideology infiltrate American mosques after 9/11, to speaking at the March for Israel in front of 300,000 people post-October 7th, Anila has faced death threats, lost family, and received an Iranian fatwa against her. She discusses why 80% of the world's Muslims are non-Arab, how the Muslim Brotherhood hijacked mainstream Islam, and why building authentic interfaith Abrahamic partnerships is the path forward.Guest: Pakistani Muslim Activist Anila AliConsider DONATING to help us continue and expand our media efforts. If you cannot at this time, please share this video with someone who might benefit from it. We thank you for your support!https://gofund.me/30c00151c BUY MERCH!https://hereiam.threadless.com/SUPPORT SHAI ON PATREON!https://www.patreon.com/shaidavidai/about?utm_source=campaign-search-results
Why did a South American legume become the foundation of French imperial power in West Africa — and what did it cost the people who grew it? Who was Cheikh Amadou Bamba, the Sufi mystic the French exiled twice but could never destroy, whose followers built a religious empire on peanut fields? And how did a single crop simultaneously build the city of Dakar, finance two world wars, and trap an independent nation in a cycle of poverty it is still escaping today?Join John and Patrick as they tell the story of Senegal and the groundnut — the colonial railways, the Mouride brotherhood, and the tyranny of the peanut...----------In Sponsorship with J&K Fresh.The customs broker who is your fruit and veggies' personal bodyguard. Learn more here!-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: historyoffreshproduce@gmail.com
What if you could paint your deepest emotions — without anyone judging whether the painting is beautiful, and without needing to analyze what it means? In this episode, I talk with Bahar Amanzadeh, an intuitive painting guide whose trauma-informed workshops create a safe, somatic space for emotional healing through art.Bahar explains how intuitive painting differs from art therapy, why healing happens in the body before it happens in the mind, and how community and creativity can help us find rootedness even in the most turbulent times. As a member of the Iranian diaspora, she also shares how this practice helps her and her community process grief, displacement, and the ongoing trauma of war.Whether you're an artist or have never picked up a paintbrush, I think this episode will change the way you think about creativity, emotional expression, and healing.In this episode:What an intuitive painting guide does — and how it differs from art therapyHow somatic, body-based art practices support trauma healingWhy the inner critic shows up in creative work — and how to work with itThe role of community in emotional healingHow Persian poetry, music, and culture help Bahar stay rooted during crisisFinding belonging and identity as part of the Iranian diasporaTimestamped Highlights0:12 — I introduce the show and share a personal story about anger, shame, and the need for nonjudgmental emotional expression2:21 — Bahar's background: from dentist to intuitive painting guide, and her training with Kris Sydell3:55 — What is an intuitive painting guide? Bahar explains the role and the process5:28 — How intuitive painting differs from art therapy 8:32 — How Bahar found her way to intuitive painting as a single mom, immigrant, and sensitive soul13:05 — The inner critic: why it always shows up and how facilitators help participants work with it16:22 — A recent workshop in the Oakland Hills redwoods: painting, poetry, movement, and the theme of rootedness21:30 — The elephant in the room: being part of the Iranian diaspora during a time of war and violence24:12 — Finding rootedness through Persian and Sufi poetry, music, and ancestry28:52 — How transformation happens incrementally — and why healing is never all or nothing33:38 — Why Bahar named her practice "Painting the River" — and what that metaphor means for healing38:43 — How to find Bahar: paintingtheriver.com and Instagram @artforhealing7Resources & LinksBahar Amanzadeh's website: paintingtheriver.comInstagram: @artforhealing7Learn more about the show: arthealsallwoundspodcast.comFollow me on Substack for updatesMusic by Ketsa, Lobo Loco, and Barbara Higbie.Support the show
Laura is joined by co-host Rina Malin and their guest, Dream Boat regular, Dr. Nigel Hamilton, founder of the DRI and a Sufi leader. He discusses the significance of dreams within the Sufi tradition, exploring their mystical nature and the journey of self-discovery that dreams can facilitate. He delves into the historical context of Sufism, the powerful role of visions in Sufism, and the connection with the dead through dreams. He emphasises the transformative power of these experiences as a path that transcends psychological interpretations of dreams. This conversation delves into the intricate relationship between Sufi dreaming, personal experiences, and the spiritual journey, with the Sufi tradition holding that dreams provide guidance and wisdom. The speakers explore the significance of dreams in various cultures and that unity exists among different spiritual traditions with dreams seen as a gateway to the divine. Your dreams are worth inquiring about too! Share a dream or a question via our website driccpe.org.uk or the social links below! Let us know what you think and submit a dream for us to explore on the podcast! Instagram @thedreamboatpodcast FaceBook @dreamboatpodcast Twitter @dreamboatpod DRI website: driccpe.org.uk/contact This podcast is a project of the DRI, the centre for dream studies at CCPE, the psychotherapy college overlooking the canals at London's scenic Little Venice. Remember you can join the DRI for just £30 a year currently to access discounted events, courses, newsletters and join in the conversation about dreams. Go to driccpe.org.uk/sign-up to join! Keep dreaming and keep sharing your dreams! Credits Recorded on Riverside.fm by Dave and Laura Edited by James Ede at Be Heard https://beheard.org.uk Podcast Artwork Design by Kat Seager Design Music: Adventures by A Himitsu https://soundcloud.com/a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/2Pj0MtT Music released by Argofox https://youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 #dream #dreams #recurringdream #nightmares #psychology #research #psychotherapy #trauma #treatment #sleep #transpersonal #science #alchemy #spirituality #jung #lucid #luciddreaming #podcast #dreamwork #technology #AI #artificialintelligence #gpt #individuation #art #surrealism #consciousness Tags: Insta: @onefulness @dreamresearchinstitute @iasddream FB: @associationforstudyofdreams @dreamresearchinstitute
CURRENT SERIES - The Torch and the Pail What if we removed every transaction from our faith, every promise of reward, every threat of consequence? An ancient Sufi story tells of an angel carrying a torch to burn down the mansions of heaven and a pail to put out the fires of hell so that we might finally see who truly loves God. Not out of fear. Not to earn mercy. Just love, for love's sake. This series is an invitation to come home to a faith with no strings attached, where perfect love casts out fear, and God desires mercy, not sacrifice. What does it look like to simply love God for the sake of love itself? Come and let's explore this journey of faith together.
A Qawwali Night organized by the Pakistani community in Canberra brought together music lovers from diverse backgrounds. Indian-origin qawwal Kuldeep Bains delivered a captivating performance and expressed his commitment to promoting Sufi music in Australia. He named legendary qawwal Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan as his favorite and a major source of inspiration. - کینبرا میں پاکستانی کمیونٹی کے زیرِ اہتمام قوالی نائٹ منعقد ہوئی, جس میں بھارتی نژاد قوال کلدیپ بینس نے پرفارم کیا۔ انہوں نے آسٹریلیا میں صوفی فن کو فروغ دینے کے عزم کا اظہار کیا اور نصرت فتح علی خان کو اپنا پسندیدہ قوال قرار دیا۔ تقریب میں پاکستانی کمیونٹی نے بھرپور شرکت کی اور محفل کو سراہا-جانئے کس طرح ایس بی ایس اردو کے مرکزی صفحے کو بُک مارک کریں ہر بدھ اور جمعہ کا پورا پروگرام اس لنک پرسنئے, اردو پرگرام سننے کے دیگر طریقے, “SBS Audio”کےنام سےموجود ہماری موبائیل ایپ ایپیل (آئی فون) یااینڈرائیڈ , ڈیوائیسزپرانسٹال کیجئے۔ ہمیں فیس بُک اور انسٹا گرام پر فالو کیجئے۔
Who was Rabi'a al-Adawiyya? Explore the life, teachings, and spiritual legacy of one of history's most influential mystics. From divine love to radical devotion, this video examines how Rabi'a transformed Islamic spirituality and continues to inspire people centuries later.Sources/Recommended Reading:Cornell, Rkia Elaroui (translated by) (1999). "Early Sufi Women: Dhikr an-niswa al-muta 'abbidat as sufiyyat". Fons Vitae.Cornell, Rkia Elaroui (2019). "Rabi'a From Narrative to Myth: The Many Faces of Islam's Most Famous Woman Saint, Rabi'a al-'Adawiyya". Oneworld Academic.Helminski, Camille Adams (2003). "Women of Sufism: A Hidden Treasure". Shambhala. Knysh, Alexander (2000). "Islamic Mysticism: A Short History". Brill.Safi, Omid (2019). "Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition". Yale University Press. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
He was born in Thessalonica and, though baptised a Christian, he accepted Islam as a young man, eventually becoming a Sufi (one of a mystical sect among the Muslims). But in time he began to repent, and concluded that martyrdom was the only way for him to cleanse himself from the stain of his denial of Christ. Having repented, he presented himself to the Turks dressed as a Christian. He was thrown into prison and tortured, but in response to every enticement, threat or torment, he would only say 'I was born a Christian, and as a Christian I shall die.' Finally he was sentenced to death, which Alexander joyfully accepted as a sign of God's forgiveness. He was slain by the sword in Smyrna in 1794.
CURRENT SERIES - The Torch and the Pail What if we removed every transaction from our faith, every promise of reward, every threat of consequence? An ancient Sufi story tells of an angel carrying a torch to burn down the mansions of heaven and a pail to put out the fires of hell so that we might finally see who truly loves God. Not out of fear. Not to earn mercy. Just love, for love's sake. This series is an invitation to come home to a faith with no strings attached, where perfect love casts out fear, and God desires mercy, not sacrifice. What does it look like to simply love God for the sake of love itself? Come and let's explore this journey of faith together.
If you feel like there is something missing, like you are drifting rather than truly living, this episode is for you. I remember at a low point in my life, feeling lost, Googling "how to find your purpose." I did not find the answer there. A mentor of mine used to open talks on purpose by telling a room of two hundred people: you cannot find your purpose by coming to talks like this. Purpose is not something outside you that you need to find. It is something you realise from the inside. There is a story I love of Nasruddin, the wise fool of Sufi tales, racing frantically through the streets of Baghdad on his donkey, looking for his donkey. When we search outside ourselves for purpose, for a feeling of meaning, for the life we are meant to live, we are doing exactly that. Looking in the wrong place. The work is not to search harder. Your purpose is innate. The more you live from your true self, the more it gets revealed, one small breadcrumb at a time. I trained as a therapist purely for fun, with no intention of making it my career. Halfway through the course, I realised: I think this is what I am meant to be doing. You do not need to burn your life down to find your purpose. You just need to come back home to yourself.
Have you ever thought of someone and had them appear moments later? Or found something beautiful growing exactly where something painful once was? In today's episode I explore synchronicity through an Islamic and spiritual lens, the idea that nothing happens by accident, that our souls are part of an invisible network of connection, and that the moments we tend to brush off as coincidence might actually be something far more intentional. Drawing on a beautiful Sufi teaching about the soul as the real internet and the Qur'anic understanding that all of humanity is deeply, spiritually interconnected, I look at what these everyday signs are really pointing to. From a spontaneous visit that solved a car-washing problem, to a rose blooming from a place of grief, today's episode is an invitation to slow down, pay attention and trust in divine arrangement. Whether you're Muslim, spiritual, or simply someone who has experienced one too many coincidences to keep dismissing them, this one is for you. With peace and love always, Amber xoxo
CURRENT SERIES - The Torch and the Pail What if we removed every transaction from our faith, every promise of reward, every threat of consequence? An ancient Sufi story tells of an angel carrying a torch to burn down the mansions of heaven and a pail to put out the fires of hell so that we might finally see who truly loves God. Not out of fear. Not to earn mercy. Just love, for love's sake. This series is an invitation to come home to a faith with no strings attached, where perfect love casts out fear, and God desires mercy, not sacrifice. What does it look like to simply love God for the sake of love itself? Come and let's explore this journey of faith together.
CURRENT SERIES - The Torch and the Pail What if we removed every transaction from our faith, every promise of reward, every threat of consequence? An ancient Sufi story tells of an angel carrying a torch to burn down the mansions of heaven and a pail to put out the fires of hell so that we might finally see who truly loves God. Not out of fear. Not to earn mercy. Just love, for love's sake. This series is an invitation to come home to a faith with no strings attached, where perfect love casts out fear, and God desires mercy, not sacrifice. What does it look like to simply love God for the sake of love itself? Come and let's explore this journey of faith together.
We are resharing this episode in memory of Michael Harrison, who passed away on April 17, 2026. He was 67. In this episode, we discuss the life and work of musician and Sufi teacher Hazrat Inayat Khan with composer/pianist and Inayat Khan scholar Michael Harrison. Hazrat Inayat Khan ( July 1882 – 5 February 1927) was an Indian professor of musicology, singer, exponent of the saraswati vina, poet, philosopher, and pioneer of the transmission of Sufism to the West. At the urging of his students, and on the basis of his ancestral Sufi tradition and four-fold training and authorization at the hands of Sayyid Abu Hashim Madani (d. 1907) of Hyderabad, he established an order of Sufism (the Sufi Order) in London in 1914. By the time of his death in 1927, centers had been established throughout Europe and North America, and multiple volumes of his teachings had been published. Michael Harrison (October 24, 1958 - April 17, 2026) forged a new approach to composition through just intonation (the system of tuning based on pure harmonic proportions). His works blend classical music traditions of Europe and North India. He is a Guggenheim Fellowship and NYFA Artist Fellowship recipient. Michael created dedicated tuning systems for many of his works. He pioneered a structural approach to composition in which the proportions of harmonic relationships organically determine other musical elements such as pitch, duration, and dynamics. He also invented the “harmonic piano,” a grand piano that plays 24 notes per octave, documented in the Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments. Harrison seeks expressions of universality via the physics of sound – music that brings one into a state of concentrated listening as a meditative and even mind-altering experience. At the time of his death he was working on “The Raga Cycle”, a series of albums charting the hours of the day through Hindustani raga. The first installment, Evening Light, was released in March 2026 on Cantaloupe Records. More albums in the series were recorded before he became too ill to continue. They will be released in the years ahead. Donations in his memory can be made to the Michael Harrison Foundation for Just Music at JustMusic.org. Topics 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:22 Encore Tribute 02:28 Mysticism Book Intro 02:49 Spiritual Music Path 04:32 Conservatory And Tonality 06:37 Daily Raga Practice 12:55 Voice Breath And Wazifa 16:48 Creation As Vibration 20:14 Harmony East And West 24:07 Math Of Consonance 25:32 Temperament Versus Just 28:24 Tuning The Soul Quote 32:03 Piano Retuning Journey 35:54 432 Versus 440 39:56 Music As Universal Religion 46:02 Cage Oliveros Deep Listening 51:16 Commentary And Curriculum 53:08 Teaching Programs 55:26 Closing Thanks And Outro Links Michael Harrison — His Own Work Evening Light: Raga Cycle I — Cantaloupe Music (2026) Seven Sacred Names — Bandcamp (2021) Revelation: Music in Pure Intonation — Cantaloupe Music (2007) From Ancient Worlds — michaelharrison.com Time Loops with Maya Beiser — Cantaloupe Music (2012) Michael Harrison website Episode Music Michael Harrison — "Mureed" from Seven Sacred Names (2021, Cantaloupe Music) Michael Harrison — "Alim: Polyphonic Raga Malkauns" from Seven Sacred Names (2021, Cantaloupe Music) Michael Harrison — "Qadr: Etude in Raga Bhimpalasi" from Seven Sacred Names (2021, Cantaloupe Music) Hazrat Inayat Khan — "Purvi Khal: Kamli Wale Tope Sabkuchhvare" (2022, Primitiv) Michael Harrison – “Sami: The Acoustic Constellation” from Seven Sacred Names (2021, Cantaloupe Music) Hazrat Inayat Khan The Mysticism of Sound and Music — Goodreads Inayat Khan 1909 78rpm Recordings — YouTube Hazrat Inayat Khan — Wikipedia The Inayat Order — Pir Zia Inayat Khan Turning Toward the Heart — SAND Podcast with Pir Zia Inayat Khan Teachers & Lineage Pandit Pran Nath — Wikipedia La Monte Young — Wikipedia Terry Riley — Wikipedia Pir Vilayat Khan — Wikipedia Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan — Wikipedia Other Composers & Artists Referenced Pauline Oliveros — Center for Deep Listening® — Michael Reiley's teacher; creator of Deep Listening practice Pauline Oliveros — paulineoliveros.us John Cage — Wikipedia — composer, Zen Buddhist, creator of 4'33" Arvo Pärt — Wikipedia Hildegard of Bingen — Wikipedia Ravi Shankar — Wikipedia George Harrison Concert for Bangladesh — YouTube Roomful of Teeth — website John Eliot Gardiner — Wikipedia Josquin des Prez — Wikipedia Claudio Monteverdi — Wikipedia J.S. Bach — Wikipedia Programs & Institutions Arts, Letters and Numbers — Creative Music Intensive Michael Harrison Foundation for Just Music — donations in his memory Manhattan School of Music — where the harmonic piano is now archived Contact SAND podcast@scienceandnonduality.com Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member
Sufi flute player, playing live in Istanbul Airport during Ramadan.Recorded by Helen Copnall.
"The recording of the Sufi flute at Istanbul Airport immediately brought back vivid memories of the city, which I deeply love. The Sufi melody carries that magical and mystical aura that seems to permeate Istanbul in every corner and atmosphere, an air filled with scents and spices, suspended in time between an indelible past and contemporary urban modernity. Yet over the fascination of this contrast hangs a shadow: a search for peace and for a future identity often threatened by political and religious tensions that risk driving regression rather than evolution."In my reinterpretation through modular synthesis, the flute becomes a fragile presence surrounded by unstable noise patterns generated through the rhythmic modulation of a filter, while the flute sound itself is fragmented and processed with bit crushing and delay."Sufi flute music in Istanbul reimagined by Demiurgo.
(0:00) Intro(0:02) Khutba, Qurani aayaat, hadith aur dua(1:44) Islam mein mukammal dakhil hone wali Qurani aayat yaad karne ki talqeen(2:02) Aaj ka insan surrender nahi karna chahta(3:41) Khwahishat ki takmeel shariat ki hudood mein rehte hue(4:09) Nazariya (mizaj) vs amal(4:26) 99 insanon ke qatil ko rahib ne apne mizaj se masla bataya aur 100 qatal karwa diye(5:52) Aaj ke sufiyon ka mizaj vs shariat(6:24) Khawateen ko Masjid Al-Falah mein Taraweeh ki ijazat kyun?(7:12) 99.9% be-parda khawateen ka masajid se taalluq tootne par iman ka masla ban sakta hai(8:07) Zarurat vs faida, nuqsan vs mizaj(9:07) Jamia Tur Rasheed Al-Ghazali University par aitraaz(9:36) Universities mein co-education(10:08) Bahir mulkon ki universities aur atheism(10:56) Islamic universities banane ki zarurat(11:44) Molviyon par aitraaz karne wale scholars ko jawab(14:02) New generation ka iman bachane ka tariqa(15:20) Masjid/Madrasa ki zarurat ya banane walon ki?(16:31) Bahir mulkon mein mortgage par bani masajid par Mufti sahab ka tajziya(17:57) Aamilon ko Mufti sahab ka challenge(19:39) 78 saal ki umr mein Mufti Rasheed Ahmed sahab (RA) ka gala band hona(20:54) Aamilon ko baddua dene ki wajah se khandani sehat(23:29) Door ki nazar(23:46) Qareeb ki nazar(23:55) Sehat banane ka nuskha(24:23) Bahir mulkon ki taraqqi ki wajah(25:19) Mufti sahab ke paas jab jinnat ka case aaya(26:09) Jadu, jinnat aur aamilon ka asar kin logon par hota hai?(27:13) Mazhab ke naam par aamilon ki manjan faroshi(28:35) Aamilon ka profession ikhtiyar karne wale tulaba(29:56) Uloom vs ilm(31:37) Humzad aur moakkil(32:35) Aamilon ke virus par Mufti sahab ka shadeed ghussa(33:16) Faleeton-paleeton ke virus ke bare mein Mufti sahab ki peshgoi(33:55) Islam ko badnaam karne wale(34:01) Nabi ﷺ par jadu ke asar mein hikmat(35:04) Hazrat Musa (AS) ka jadugaron ke saanpon ko dekh kar darna – hikmat(36:15) Gharailu jhagrhon ko asraat par dalne wali khawateen(36:52) Aamilon ke bare mein Mufti sahab ki naseehat(40:20) 30 saal pehle ek gaon mein Tauheed par bayan(41:10) Mushrik ki aqal(41:35) Aqeedat mein i'tidal(41:58) Waliullah kaun?(42:28) Canada mein Imran Khan ke liye dua ki darkhwast(43:16) Logon ke mukhtalif mizaj par Mufti sahab ka tajziya(43:44) 4 shadiyon ka mizaj(44:16) Walidain ki khidmat ka mizaj(45:05) Shohar ki khidmat ka mizaj(45:50) Shariat vs mizaj(46:03) Rehamdili aur narmi – Musalman ka mizaj(47:11) Janwar zibah karne mein mizaj ki mukhalfat(47:45) Mufti sahab ki apne pale hue dumbay se muhabbat(48:19) Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) ki training mizaj ke khilaf(49:04) Canada mein Mufti sahab ka tajziya: garmiyon mein sardiyan(49:43) Karobar ki ne'mat(50:38) Sakhawat kitni karni chahiye?(51:32) Sahaba (RA) aur Nabi ﷺ ki sakhawat(52:00) Hamare liye naseehat(53:53) Aik saal ki saving ko sone ki shakal mein rakhna?(55:14) Sufi mizaj ko shadi ka topic bura kyun lagta hai?(56:05) Hazrat Umar (RA) ne Nabi ﷺ ki ghurbat dekhi(56:29) Nikah aur aulad mein mizaj vs shariat(57:35) Hazrat Umar (RA) ka qoul(57:58) Bazurgon ke liye aise mizaj ki soch vs shariat(59:02) Turkey mein Mufti sahab ki mulaqat ek unaffordable bazurg se(1:01:06) Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (RA) ka qoul(1:01:36) Bazurgi ki aisi chadar(1:02:02) 17 saal ki umr mein khilafat paane wale naujawan ko naseehat(1:02:56) Mizaj vs shariat(1:03:13) Islam discipline ka mazhab hai, lekin Hajj mein mizaj ke khilaf ahkaam ki hikmat(1:05:35) Islam mein mukammal dakhil hona(1:05:46) Bewa aurat ka nikah, boorhe baap ka nikah, aur virasat ki taqseem mein mizaj(1:06:58) Mayyat ki tadfeen mein dair karne ka mizaj(1:08:04) Bahir mulkon mein mayyat ka ibratnaak haal(1:09:18) Islam mein tadfeen(1:09:40) Khulasa bayan + dua Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It's normal to feel lost after leaving a cult, transitioning out of fundamentalist religion, or abandoning conspiracy theories. Whether you've left behind, you may be asking, "What now?" Britt Hartley joins Julian to talk about her new book, No Nonsense Spirituality: All The Tools No Belief Required, and her recent run-in with the hardcore atheist community, which calls her work “nonsense.” The ex-Mormon practices Sufi mysticism, holds an MA in theology, and is writing her doctoral dissertation. A spiritual atheist, she advocates passionately for reclaiming awe, rituals, pilgrimages, and spiritual experiences from the monopoly of organized religion. Show Notes No Nonsense Spirituality: All The Tools No Belief Required Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode, I'm joined by Banafsheh Sayyad, visionary creator of Dance of Oneness®, a powerful path of spiritual embodiment that weaves together movement, healing, and the sacred intelligence of the elements.We explore her new book, Dance of Oneness: Embody Love and Luminosity to Transform Your Life – this is truly a remarkable book, going far beyond choreography.Banafsheh shares how the elements come alive through different dance traditions, from the fire of Flamenco to the expansiveness of water in Tai Chi. Together, we explore how dance becomes a doorway back to ourselves, and a way of listening, feeling, and ultimately remembering that we are all divinely connected.If you enjoyed this episode, I'd love for you to follow the podcast, leave a review or if you prefer to watch, you can find me on YouTube and Instagram at The Conscious Diva.Thank you so much for listening. About Banafsheh:Banafsheh is a master sacred dancer and living legend. She has dedicated her life to empowering people around the world to embody love.Her students regard her as a highly accessible and profound spiritual teacher. An inspiring example of radiant embodiment, her teaching is considered life-changing.Audiences experience her as a Sufi priestess, bringing the presence and power of ancient priestesses to life through her dynamic performances.Connect with Banafsheh:https://danceofoneness.orghttps://www.instagram.com/banafshehdance/The Conscious Diva Podcast wouldn't be possible without your support! A massive THANK YOU for listening. If you'd like to further support my podcast, you can: SUBSCRIBE in your favorite podcast player or YouTube. FOLLOW me @The_Conscious_Diva on Instagram. BOOK a session with Tatyanna. SIGN-UP to receive emails at www.tatyannawright.com
In this episode of In My Kitchen with Paula, I sit down with Palestinian chef, storyteller, and founder of Sacred Cuisine, Izzeldin Abdul Aziz Bukhari.Speaking from the Old City of Jerusalem, Izzeldin shares the story of his family's migration from Bukhara, Uzbekistan to Jerusalem in 1616, his Sufi roots, and how food became both a form of meditation and a powerful vehicle for preserving Palestinian culture and identity.You'll Hear AboutHow food carries history, grief, connection, and hope across generationsMemories of grandmother's kitchens in Gaza and the role food plays in family connectionThe history and symbolism behind the Palestinian dish RummaniyehWhat it means to build and operate a culinary business as a Palestinian living under occupationFood as an act of cultural preservation and resistanceThis is an unforgettable conversation about heritage, hospitality, identity, and the sacred role food plays in bringing people together.HELPFUL LINKSSacred Cuisine: www.sacred-cuisine.comIzzeldin's email: thesacredcuisine@gmail.comSacred Cuisine on Instagram: instagram.com/SacredCuisineIzzeldin's Rummaniyeh Recipe: Find it at exploreinmykitchen.comSUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEWIf you love this podcast and want to give me your support, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. This goes a long way in helping me get in front of other culinary adventurers like you. Just open up the Apple Podcasts app and go to “In My Kitchen with Paula”. Or, in this episode, click on the 3 dots in the right corner and click on “Go To Show”. At the bottom of the show page, you can rate and review.SAY HELLOIn My Kitchen creates connections one dish, one story, one journey at a time, by exploring culture through food. We do this through unique culinary workshops, speaking engagements, and of course, this podcast.I'd love to hear from you! Connect with me in one of three ways:Visit www.exploreinmykitchen.com to join our IMK Community of culinary adventurers. More recipes, stories and fabulous podcast episodes.DM me on Instagram at @inmykitchenpaula Email me at paula@inmykitchen.ca
A deep reflection on consciousness, healing, projection, and spiritual awakening through the lens of Sufi wisdom. In this episode of All About Soul, we explore why everything we perceive in the outer world mirrors something within us — from rejection and emotional wounds to divine guidance, intuition, and inner transformation. We also explore energy healing, soul contracts, channeling and self-awareness.
A deep reflection on consciousness, healing, projection, and spiritual awakening through the lens of Sufi wisdom. In this episode of All About Soul, we explore why everything we perceive in the outer world mirrors something within us — from rejection and emotional wounds to divine guidance, intuition, and inner transformation. We also explore energy healing, soul contracts, channeling and self-awareness.
Diana Badger is a counseling astrologer, writer/editor, gardener, Sufi practitioner, dream work facilitator, and photographer. In this conversation, she explores astrology as a living relationship between ecology, myth, and archetype—where heavenly wisdom is brought down to earth. She works within an ancient system that views astrology not as prediction but participation. Drawing on archetypal wisdom and depth psychology, Badger reveals how the patterns of the cosmos mirror the deep structures of our psyches, offering a map for transformation in times of upheaval. Interwoven with ecological consciousness, her work reminds us that inner renewal and the healing of the Earth are inseparable. She is the author of Dance of the Archetypes: How Astrology Informs Our Lives and Connects Us to the Earth (Elemental Books 2026)Interview Date: 3/27/2026 Tags: Diana Badger, No Kings March, Aquarius, Grail legend, Celtic calendar of Earth seasons, Sherri Mitchell, Pam Grout, Quantum field of infinite possibilities, law of attraction, Astrology, Dreams, Personal Transformation, Psychology
Diana Badger is a counseling astrologer, writer/editor, gardener, Sufi practitioner, dream work facilitator, and photographer. She is the author of Dance of the Archetypes: How Astrology Informs Our Lives and Connects Us to the Earth (Elemental Books 2026) To learn more about the work of Diana Badger go to www.dianabadger.comInterview Date: 3/27/2026 Tags: Diana Badger, interconnectedness, astrology, gardening, Saturn return, connection of cosmos and earth, Aries, Pisces, element of earth, air, fire, water, archetypes, Neptune, Pisces, Scorpio, Virgo, grounding, Pluto, north and south nodes . Astrology, Personal Transformation, Psychology
If you enjoy this episode, we're sure you will enjoy more content like this on The Occult Rejects. In fact, we have curated playlists on occult topics like grimoires, esoteric concepts and phenomena, occult history, analyzing true crime and cults with an occult lens, Para politics, and occultism in music. Whether you enjoy consuming your content visually or via audio, we've got you covered - and it will always be provided free of charge. So, if you enjoy what we do and want to support our work of providing accessible, free content on various platforms, please consider making a donation to the links provided below. Thank you and enjoy the episode!Links For The Occult Rejectshttps://linktr.ee/theoccultrejectsOccult Research Institutehttps://www.occultresearchinstitute.org/Cash Apphttps://cash.app/$theoccultrejectsVenmo@TheOccultRejectsBuy Me A Coffeebuymeacoffee.com/TheOccultRejectsPatreonhttps://www.patreon.com/TheOccultRejectsPrimary / traditional texts and core religious sourcesĀnāpānasati Sutta (MN 118), translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu, Access to Insight. Best primary source for Buddhist mindfulness of breathing.“Ḏekr / Dhikr,” Encyclopaedia Iranica. Strong source for Sufi remembrance, rhythmic repetition, posture, and breathing-linked practice.“Hesychasm,” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Good general source for the Christian contemplative tradition of stillness, uninterrupted prayer, and the Jesus Prayer.“Saint Gregory Palamas,” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Useful for the role of bodily posture and controlled breathing in Hesychast prayer.Crowley, Aleister. Liber E vel Exercitiorum. Primary text for Crowley's explicit inclusion of “Pranayama – Regularisation of the Breathing” in occult training.Crowley, Aleister. Book Four, Part 1. Useful for Crowley's statement that pranayama is useful in “quieting the emotions and appetites.”Historical / religious context“Prana,” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Best short source for the deep Indian background: prāṇa, the five prāṇas, and breath as vital force.“Pranayama,” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Best short source for classical Yoga: pranayama as the fourth limb aimed toward samādhi.“Hatha Yoga,” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Useful for the force-oriented turn: bodily mastery, purification, and regulation of breathing.“Qi,” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Good for Daoist and Chinese background: qi as psychophysical energy and breath-linked vital force.“Qigong,” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Useful for qigong as a discipline combining movement, breathing, and mental concentration.“Are Kabbalistic Meditations all about Ecstasy?” in Hermes Explains (Cambridge). Strong academic source for Abraham Abulafia and ecstatic Kabbalah.“Classical Kabbalah, Its History and Symbolic Universe.” Useful academic source noting ecstatic Kabbalah's breathing exercises, postures, and developed techniques.Neuroscience / physiology / altered statesAshhad, Kam, Del Negro, and Feldman. “Breathing Rhythm and Pattern and Their Influence on Emotion.” Annual Review of Neuroscience (2022). One of the best overview papers for the whole episode.Yackle et al. “Breathing control center neurons that promote arousal in mice.” Science (2017). Key source for the preBötzinger complex / calm-vs-arousal section.Schottelkotte and Dutschmann. “Forebrain control of breathing: Anatomy and potential functions.” Frontiers in Neurology (2022). Best source for cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and thalamus in breathing control.Krohn et al. “The integrated brain network that controls respiration.” eLife (2023). Strong review for respiration as part of a larger integrated brain network.Heck et al. “Breathing as a fundamental rhythm of brain function.” Human MEG work on respiration-modulated brain oscillations across frequency bands and brain regions.(Note: the specific MEG paper surfaced in earlier research as the respiration-modulated oscillations study; the review sources above are the strongest anchors for that section.)Zelano et al. “Nasal Respiration Entrains Human Limbic Oscillations and Modulates Cognitive Function.” Journal of Neuroscience (2016). One of the most important human papers in the whole script.Schreiner et al. “Respiration modulates sleep oscillations and memory reactivation in humans.” Nature Communications (2023). Best source for the sleep-spindle / memory-reactivation section.Zaccaro et al. “How Breath-Control Can Change Your Life: A Systematic Review on Psychophysiological Correlates of Slow Breathing.” Frontiers in Human Neuroscience / PMC version (2018). Best broad source for slow breathing under 10 breaths per minute.Shao, Man, and Lee. “The Effect of Slow-Paced Breathing on Cardiovascular and Emotion Functions: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.” Mindfulness (2024). Useful for the stabilizing-road section.Kozhevnikov et al. “Neurocognitive and Somatic Components of Temperature Increases during g-Tummo Meditation.” PLoS ONE (2013). Best source for vase breathing and inner-heat claims.Zhang et al. “Hyperventilation in neurological patients: from physiology to outcome evidence.” Useful source for hypocapnia, cerebral vasoconstriction, and reduced cerebral blood flow.Havenith et al. “Decreased CO2 saturation during circular breathwork supports emergence of altered states of consciousness.” Communications Psychology (2025). The key modern paper for circular breathwork and altered-state onset. Also want to remind people about the website, if you're into reading we have tons of information by multiple contributors, and we got t-shirts up on the site if you're interested. Fun fact, the art is all based on the eyeball. Now let me introduce the rest of the panel and guests.
Samiha Rahman's Black Muslim Freedom Dreams: Islamic Education, Pan-Africanism, and Collective Care (New York University Press, 2026) follows three generations of Black American Muslims as they pursue education through the Tijani Sufi order in Medina Baye, Senegal, outside the anti-Black and anti-Muslim racism of the United States. This deeply rich ethnographic book captures the transatlantic flows of Black American religious life through the prism of Black mothers and othermothers (as conceptualized by Patricia Hill Collins “motherwork”) and the young people whose lives are transformed through the process. By focusing on the Islamic education offered by the Tijani Order, such as Qur'an education, we learn about the intricate networks of kin that step in to support the young Black Muslims who have migrated for schooling, highlighting the tangible realities of collective care and service that circulates within the Tijani Order. These registers of care and service are informed by Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse, the Senegalese Islamic scholar, Sufi Shaykh, and pan-Africanist, whose teachings define these networks of education, organizing, and care work. The book then offers critical insights into the flow of one particular Sufi community between the United States and Senegal, and how dreams of better futures for Black Muslim youth and the liberatory goals of Pan-Africanism intersect to co-constitute a significant economy of collective care, Sufi service, and Islamic piety. This book will be of interest to anyone who works on education, Sufism, Black and African Islam and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies
Samiha Rahman's Black Muslim Freedom Dreams: Islamic Education, Pan-Africanism, and Collective Care (New York University Press, 2026) follows three generations of Black American Muslims as they pursue education through the Tijani Sufi order in Medina Baye, Senegal, outside the anti-Black and anti-Muslim racism of the United States. This deeply rich ethnographic book captures the transatlantic flows of Black American religious life through the prism of Black mothers and othermothers (as conceptualized by Patricia Hill Collins “motherwork”) and the young people whose lives are transformed through the process. By focusing on the Islamic education offered by the Tijani Order, such as Qur'an education, we learn about the intricate networks of kin that step in to support the young Black Muslims who have migrated for schooling, highlighting the tangible realities of collective care and service that circulates within the Tijani Order. These registers of care and service are informed by Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse, the Senegalese Islamic scholar, Sufi Shaykh, and pan-Africanist, whose teachings define these networks of education, organizing, and care work. The book then offers critical insights into the flow of one particular Sufi community between the United States and Senegal, and how dreams of better futures for Black Muslim youth and the liberatory goals of Pan-Africanism intersect to co-constitute a significant economy of collective care, Sufi service, and Islamic piety. This book will be of interest to anyone who works on education, Sufism, Black and African Islam and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Samiha Rahman's Black Muslim Freedom Dreams: Islamic Education, Pan-Africanism, and Collective Care (New York University Press, 2026) follows three generations of Black American Muslims as they pursue education through the Tijani Sufi order in Medina Baye, Senegal, outside the anti-Black and anti-Muslim racism of the United States. This deeply rich ethnographic book captures the transatlantic flows of Black American religious life through the prism of Black mothers and othermothers (as conceptualized by Patricia Hill Collins “motherwork”) and the young people whose lives are transformed through the process. By focusing on the Islamic education offered by the Tijani Order, such as Qur'an education, we learn about the intricate networks of kin that step in to support the young Black Muslims who have migrated for schooling, highlighting the tangible realities of collective care and service that circulates within the Tijani Order. These registers of care and service are informed by Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse, the Senegalese Islamic scholar, Sufi Shaykh, and pan-Africanist, whose teachings define these networks of education, organizing, and care work. The book then offers critical insights into the flow of one particular Sufi community between the United States and Senegal, and how dreams of better futures for Black Muslim youth and the liberatory goals of Pan-Africanism intersect to co-constitute a significant economy of collective care, Sufi service, and Islamic piety. This book will be of interest to anyone who works on education, Sufism, Black and African Islam and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/islamic-studies
Samiha Rahman's Black Muslim Freedom Dreams: Islamic Education, Pan-Africanism, and Collective Care (New York University Press, 2026) follows three generations of Black American Muslims as they pursue education through the Tijani Sufi order in Medina Baye, Senegal, outside the anti-Black and anti-Muslim racism of the United States. This deeply rich ethnographic book captures the transatlantic flows of Black American religious life through the prism of Black mothers and othermothers (as conceptualized by Patricia Hill Collins “motherwork”) and the young people whose lives are transformed through the process. By focusing on the Islamic education offered by the Tijani Order, such as Qur'an education, we learn about the intricate networks of kin that step in to support the young Black Muslims who have migrated for schooling, highlighting the tangible realities of collective care and service that circulates within the Tijani Order. These registers of care and service are informed by Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse, the Senegalese Islamic scholar, Sufi Shaykh, and pan-Africanist, whose teachings define these networks of education, organizing, and care work. The book then offers critical insights into the flow of one particular Sufi community between the United States and Senegal, and how dreams of better futures for Black Muslim youth and the liberatory goals of Pan-Africanism intersect to co-constitute a significant economy of collective care, Sufi service, and Islamic piety. This book will be of interest to anyone who works on education, Sufism, Black and African Islam and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-studies
Samiha Rahman's Black Muslim Freedom Dreams: Islamic Education, Pan-Africanism, and Collective Care (New York University Press, 2026) follows three generations of Black American Muslims as they pursue education through the Tijani Sufi order in Medina Baye, Senegal, outside the anti-Black and anti-Muslim racism of the United States. This deeply rich ethnographic book captures the transatlantic flows of Black American religious life through the prism of Black mothers and othermothers (as conceptualized by Patricia Hill Collins “motherwork”) and the young people whose lives are transformed through the process. By focusing on the Islamic education offered by the Tijani Order, such as Qur'an education, we learn about the intricate networks of kin that step in to support the young Black Muslims who have migrated for schooling, highlighting the tangible realities of collective care and service that circulates within the Tijani Order. These registers of care and service are informed by Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse, the Senegalese Islamic scholar, Sufi Shaykh, and pan-Africanist, whose teachings define these networks of education, organizing, and care work. The book then offers critical insights into the flow of one particular Sufi community between the United States and Senegal, and how dreams of better futures for Black Muslim youth and the liberatory goals of Pan-Africanism intersect to co-constitute a significant economy of collective care, Sufi service, and Islamic piety. This book will be of interest to anyone who works on education, Sufism, Black and African Islam and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/religion
Ibn Arabi's Hizb Al-Wiqayah (The Prayer of Protection), also known as al-Dawr al-A‘la, is a powerful 33-verse Sufi invocation for spiritual safeguarding, divine protection, and elevation.The text can be found in 'A Prayer for Spiritual Elevation and Protection: Al-Dawr al-a'la (Hizb al-Wiqaya)' by Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi (Author), Suha Taji-Farouki (Translator).Ibn Arabi's Prayer of Protection isn't really about “protection” in the ordinary sense of warding off external harm. Its essence is much deeper and more radical. For Ibn Arabi, "protection" is primarily about maintaining one's spiritual station and protecting the soul from the greatest harm of all: heedlessness (ghafala), or forgetting the Divine.
You've already met the version of yourself you're trying to become. The conversation where you stopped managing yourself and just told the truth. The decision that cost you something but felt clean all the way down. The morning where nobody needed anything from you and for an hour you were completely, unmistakably yourself. That wasn't a fluke. That was the signal. In this episode, Jason digs into one of the most misunderstood concepts in personal development — the higher self — and strips away the woo-woo to get to what it actually means and how to practically use it. What you'll hear: What ten thousand years of spiritual tradition — from Sufi mystics to Egyptian priests to medieval Christian mystics — actually agree on about the higher self (and why it changes everything about how you approach growth) The real reason the best version of you feels buried — and why it has nothing to do with effort or information A four-domain self-assessment that forces honesty without the spiral (and why there are no 7s allowed) Four questions that cut through the performance and point you back toward yourself The one ten-minute practice that every tradition and every piece of behavioral research points toward — and why most people never actually do it The line from this episode: "The higher self is not a destination. It's a direction. You orient toward it one honest moment at a time." Timestamps: 0:00 — The signal you've already had 1:30 — What ten thousand years of tradition agree on 3:45 — Meister Eckhart, the Gospel of Thomas, and the Sufi mirror 6:00 — Meet Sarah — and the armor we all built 8:00 — The four-domain assessment (no 7s) 12:30 — Four questions that cut through 15:30 — The ten-minute practice 17:30 — The close Resources mentioned: The quiz: selfawarepodcast.com/quiz — "What's Running You?" Full essay version of this episode: jasonrigby.substack.com Paid subscription (go deeper every week): jasonrigby.substack.com The Self Aware Leader with Jason Rigby — the inner game of leadership for people tired of surface-level advice.
Some lives follow a straight line. Others move through worlds—searching, questioning, breaking, and rebuilding. Dyan Liora's journey is one of those rare paths. Born in the Philippines and raised Catholic, she began asking difficult questions early—questions that led her away from organized religion and into a deep, often turbulent search for truth. From yoga practiced with urgency, to Kundalini spirituality, to a period of immersion in Islam, her path took her across spiritual traditions and into radically different ways of living—from the Amazon jungle to a hippie commune. But this wasn't just a search for meaning. It was a journey inward. As Dyan herself reflects through a Native teaching often attributed to the Sioux tradition: “The longest journey you will ever take is from your head to your heart.” Along the way, surrounded by voices that were deeply critical of Israel, she absorbed those views almost by default—never imagining they would one day be challenged. Until a moment she couldn't ignore. A man she deeply respected broke down in tears while speaking about Israel. That moment cracked something open. It triggered a wave of cognitive dissonance—and a relentless pursuit of truth. Dyan began researching. Studying history. Listening—deeply—to voices on all sides. And slowly, the narrative she once accepted began to unravel. What emerged was a radically different understanding: a small nation of Jews, living under constant threat in a complex and often hostile region. A reality far more layered—and far more human—than she had been led to believe. Then came October 7th. From Mexico, she watched in shock as people in her own circles didn't just criticize—but, at times, justified or even celebrated violence. In that moment, everything converged: her spiritual search, her commitment to truth, and her willingness to stand apart from the crowd. She began to speak. Today, Dyan Liora is a quantum healer, a former Sufi, and a guide for those seeking what she calls soul sovereignty—helping people break free from limiting beliefs and inherited narratives. Her work challenges not only spiritual assumptions, but also political ones—especially where history is blurred, simplified, or reshaped through ideology. Her voice has brought backlash. Suspensions. And controversy. But it has also drawn something else: People searching for clarity. For nuance. For truth. Having traveled to Israel herself, she describes a society far more complex and open than many imagine—a place where diversity, tension, freedom, and contradiction all exist side by side. Through it all, Dyan continues to ask the question that defines her journey: What happens when you are willing to question everything you thought you knew? Ladies and gentlemen— Dyan Liora. ——
The Religion Department is an online learning platform dedicated to the academic, nonsectarian study of religion, created by the team behind Religion for Breakfast — the YouTube channel with over a million subscribers. Co-founded by Dr. Andrew Mark Henry and Dr. Andrew Ali Aghapour, The Religion Department offers guest lectures, multi-week seminars, and guided reading courses taught by scholars of religion, all designed to make university-level religious studies accessible to anyone, anywhere. Inspired by creator-driven platforms like Dropout TV and Nebula, The Religion Department is built on a user-funded model that compensates scholars fairly for their teaching and expertise. Current offerings include a guided reading of Attar's twelfth-century Sufi masterpiece The Conference of the Birds with Dr. Patrick D'Silva, a 52-week course on key concepts in religious studies led by Dr. Henry, and many more upcoming programs. In this episode, we talk with the co-founders about how Religion for Breakfast grew into something bigger, what The Religion Department offers, and why they believe the academic study of religion deserves a home beyond the traditional university. Learn more and become a member at religiondepartment.com Dr. Andrew Mark Henry is a scholar of late Roman religion who holds a PhD from Boston University. He is the creator and host of Religion for Breakfast, and the 2026 recipient of the American Academy of Religion's Martin E. Marty Award for the Public Understanding of Religion. Dr. Andrew Ali Aghapour is a scholar of religion and science who holds a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is an award-winning comedian and storyteller, and has served as the Consulting Scholar of Religion and Science for the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. This episode's host, Jacob Barrett, is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Religion and Culture track. For more information, visit his website thereluctantamericanist.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
CURRENT SERIES - The Torch and the Pail What if we removed every transaction from our faith, every promise of reward, every threat of consequence? An ancient Sufi story tells of an angel carrying a torch to burn down the mansions of heaven and a pail to put out the fires of hell so that we might finally see who truly loves God. Not out of fear. Not to earn mercy. Just love, for love's sake. This series is an invitation to come home to a faith with no strings attached, where perfect love casts out fear, and God desires mercy, not sacrifice. What does it look like to simply love God for the sake of love itself? Come and let's explore this journey of faith together.
CURRENT SERIES - The Torch and the Pail What if we removed every transaction from our faith, every promise of reward, every threat of consequence? An ancient Sufi story tells of an angel carrying a torch to burn down the mansions of heaven and a pail to put out the fires of hell so that we might finally see who truly loves God. Not out of fear. Not to earn mercy. Just love, for love's sake. This series is an invitation to come home to a faith with no strings attached, where perfect love casts out fear, and God desires mercy, not sacrifice. What does it look like to simply love God for the sake of love itself? Come and let's explore this journey of faith together.
The Religion Department is an online learning platform dedicated to the academic, nonsectarian study of religion, created by the team behind Religion for Breakfast — the YouTube channel with over a million subscribers. Co-founded by Dr. Andrew Mark Henry and Dr. Andrew Ali Aghapour, The Religion Department offers guest lectures, multi-week seminars, and guided reading courses taught by scholars of religion, all designed to make university-level religious studies accessible to anyone, anywhere. Inspired by creator-driven platforms like Dropout TV and Nebula, The Religion Department is built on a user-funded model that compensates scholars fairly for their teaching and expertise. Current offerings include a guided reading of Attar's twelfth-century Sufi masterpiece The Conference of the Birds with Dr. Patrick D'Silva, a 52-week course on key concepts in religious studies led by Dr. Henry, and many more upcoming programs. In this episode, we talk with the co-founders about how Religion for Breakfast grew into something bigger, what The Religion Department offers, and why they believe the academic study of religion deserves a home beyond the traditional university. Learn more and become a member at religiondepartment.com Dr. Andrew Mark Henry is a scholar of late Roman religion who holds a PhD from Boston University. He is the creator and host of Religion for Breakfast, and the 2026 recipient of the American Academy of Religion's Martin E. Marty Award for the Public Understanding of Religion. Dr. Andrew Ali Aghapour is a scholar of religion and science who holds a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is an award-winning comedian and storyteller, and has served as the Consulting Scholar of Religion and Science for the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. This episode's host, Jacob Barrett, is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Religion and Culture track. For more information, visit his website thereluctantamericanist.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/education
The Religion Department is an online learning platform dedicated to the academic, nonsectarian study of religion, created by the team behind Religion for Breakfast — the YouTube channel with over a million subscribers. Co-founded by Dr. Andrew Mark Henry and Dr. Andrew Ali Aghapour, The Religion Department offers guest lectures, multi-week seminars, and guided reading courses taught by scholars of religion, all designed to make university-level religious studies accessible to anyone, anywhere. Inspired by creator-driven platforms like Dropout TV and Nebula, The Religion Department is built on a user-funded model that compensates scholars fairly for their teaching and expertise. Current offerings include a guided reading of Attar's twelfth-century Sufi masterpiece The Conference of the Birds with Dr. Patrick D'Silva, a 52-week course on key concepts in religious studies led by Dr. Henry, and many more upcoming programs. In this episode, we talk with the co-founders about how Religion for Breakfast grew into something bigger, what The Religion Department offers, and why they believe the academic study of religion deserves a home beyond the traditional university. Learn more and become a member at religiondepartment.com Dr. Andrew Mark Henry is a scholar of late Roman religion who holds a PhD from Boston University. He is the creator and host of Religion for Breakfast, and the 2026 recipient of the American Academy of Religion's Martin E. Marty Award for the Public Understanding of Religion. Dr. Andrew Ali Aghapour is a scholar of religion and science who holds a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is an award-winning comedian and storyteller, and has served as the Consulting Scholar of Religion and Science for the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. This episode's host, Jacob Barrett, is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Religion and Culture track. For more information, visit his website thereluctantamericanist.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/religion
The Religion Department is an online learning platform dedicated to the academic, nonsectarian study of religion, created by the team behind Religion for Breakfast — the YouTube channel with over a million subscribers. Co-founded by Dr. Andrew Mark Henry and Dr. Andrew Ali Aghapour, The Religion Department offers guest lectures, multi-week seminars, and guided reading courses taught by scholars of religion, all designed to make university-level religious studies accessible to anyone, anywhere. Inspired by creator-driven platforms like Dropout TV and Nebula, The Religion Department is built on a user-funded model that compensates scholars fairly for their teaching and expertise. Current offerings include a guided reading of Attar's twelfth-century Sufi masterpiece The Conference of the Birds with Dr. Patrick D'Silva, a 52-week course on key concepts in religious studies led by Dr. Henry, and many more upcoming programs. In this episode, we talk with the co-founders about how Religion for Breakfast grew into something bigger, what The Religion Department offers, and why they believe the academic study of religion deserves a home beyond the traditional university. Learn more and become a member at religiondepartment.com Dr. Andrew Mark Henry is a scholar of late Roman religion who holds a PhD from Boston University. He is the creator and host of Religion for Breakfast, and the 2026 recipient of the American Academy of Religion's Martin E. Marty Award for the Public Understanding of Religion. Dr. Andrew Ali Aghapour is a scholar of religion and science who holds a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is an award-winning comedian and storyteller, and has served as the Consulting Scholar of Religion and Science for the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. This episode's host, Jacob Barrett, is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Religion and Culture track. For more information, visit his website thereluctantamericanist.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/communications
The Religion Department is an online learning platform dedicated to the academic, nonsectarian study of religion, created by the team behind Religion for Breakfast — the YouTube channel with over a million subscribers. Co-founded by Dr. Andrew Mark Henry and Dr. Andrew Ali Aghapour, The Religion Department offers guest lectures, multi-week seminars, and guided reading courses taught by scholars of religion, all designed to make university-level religious studies accessible to anyone, anywhere. Inspired by creator-driven platforms like Dropout TV and Nebula, The Religion Department is built on a user-funded model that compensates scholars fairly for their teaching and expertise. Current offerings include a guided reading of Attar's twelfth-century Sufi masterpiece The Conference of the Birds with Dr. Patrick D'Silva, a 52-week course on key concepts in religious studies led by Dr. Henry, and many more upcoming programs. In this episode, we talk with the co-founders about how Religion for Breakfast grew into something bigger, what The Religion Department offers, and why they believe the academic study of religion deserves a home beyond the traditional university. Learn more and become a member at religiondepartment.com Dr. Andrew Mark Henry is a scholar of late Roman religion who holds a PhD from Boston University. He is the creator and host of Religion for Breakfast, and the 2026 recipient of the American Academy of Religion's Martin E. Marty Award for the Public Understanding of Religion. Dr. Andrew Ali Aghapour is a scholar of religion and science who holds a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is an award-winning comedian and storyteller, and has served as the Consulting Scholar of Religion and Science for the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. This episode's host, Jacob Barrett, is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Religion and Culture track. For more information, visit his website thereluctantamericanist.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
According to a widespread Islamic tradition, when Adam was expelled from the garden of Eden he fell to earth on Sarandib (now Sri Lanka). In this episode, we hear how this tradition was interpreted in India through the monumental Arabic work, Subhat al-Marjan (The Coral Rosary). Since Arabic isn't often associated with India, we begin by sketching the history of the language in the region. Next, we turn to the biography of Ghulam Ali Azad Bilgrami (1704-86), the author of Subhat al-Marjan who lived during an age of massive political disruption as the Mughal Empire fell apart. Withdrawing to the library of a Sufi monastery in Aurangabad, Azad Bilgrami spent years studying the evidence that linked India to Adam, the Prophet Muhammad, and other key figures of Islamic sacred history. We learn how in his masterpiece Bilgrami brought all this evidence together with the artistry that earned him the moniker Hassan al-Hind (the Hassan of India) for his skills in Arabic. Nile Green talks to Andrea Maria Negri, author of A Mirror of Arabic Language and Literature in India: Gulām ʿAlī Āzād Bilgrāmī's Subhat al-margān fī ātār Hindūstān (De Gruyter, 2026).
Persian Poetry, Radical Love, and the Soul of Iran“The path to God goes through that most difficult of beings, the human being.” – Omid SafiRecorded live at a SAND Community Gathering (April 2026). Watch the full conversation on the SAND Website. We are watching, once again, what empire does: not only to bodies, but to the long memory of a people; to the libraries and sacred sites; to art, language, and the ruins that hold the oldest threads of human spiritual inquiry. We are thinking of the civilization that gave us Rumi, Hafez, Omar Khayyam, Forough Farrokhzad — mystics and rebels and lovers of paradox who understood something about the human soul that we are still, centuries later, trying to catch up to. This gathering invited us to come together: to read poetry aloud, to hear from Iranian voices, to sit with grief and beauty together rather than alone. We work with political and moral vocabulary shaped by Iranian thinkers such as Ali Shariati, who wrote against domination, spiritual emptiness, and the violence of imposed power. We make space for what doesn't fit into headlines or talking points—the complexity of empire, the difference between a government and its people, the authoritarian forces at work not only abroad but here at home. We also gather with the political inheritance of those who taught generations to resist domination and spiritual emptiness, including Ali Shariati. Guests Omid Safi is a scholar of the Islamic mystical tradition and professor of Islamic Studies at Duke University. He is the author of Memories of Muhammad and Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition, and teaches online courses on Muslim mysticism. He leads contemplative journeys to Turkey, Morocco, and Mecca/Medina through Illuminated Courses. Fatemeh Keshavarz is the Roshan Institute Chair in Persian Language and Literature and Director of the Roshan Institute Center for Persian Studies at the University of Maryland. A poet in Persian and English, she is the author of Reading Mystical Lyric, Recite in the Name of the Red Rose, Jasmine and Stars: Reading More Than Lolita in Tehran, and Lyrics of Life: Sa'di on Love, Cosmopolitanism and Care of the Self. She has spoken at the UN General Assembly and received the Peabody Award for her NPR program on Rumi. Mays Imad, PhD (facilitator) is a neuroscientist, educator, and associate professor at Connecticut College whose work bridges neuroscience, philosophy, and education. An Iraqi immigrant who lived through wars and displacement, she brings both personal and scholarly depth to the themes of trauma, remembrance, and repair through the embodied nervous system. Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome & framing 00:02 — Mays Imad opens: grief, urgency, and love 00:06 — Introducing Omid Safi & Fatemeh Keshavarz 00:07 — Saadi, Rumi, and the Persian tradition 00:12 — The war on Iran: what is being destroyed 00:21 — Don't bypass grief — the Persian mystics knew this 00:27 — Saadi on truth, power, and interconnection 00:32 — Fatemeh: togetherness, invisibilization, and Iranian resilience 00:38 — Poetry as the Silk Road of imagination 00:52 — War's corruption of language — and poetry as antidote 01:04 — Remembrance as ethical act 01:10 — Intergenerational love & closing Resources & Links Omid Safi Illuminated Courses — books, podcast, courses, tours Duke University faculty page Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition — Yale University Press Memories of Muhammad: Why the Prophet Matters — HarperOne Podcast: Sufi Heart — Be Here Now Network The Heart of Rumi's Poetry — online course Upcoming events: Evening workshop in London, May 5th — "Islamic Spirituality in an Age of Conflict" Contemplative journey to Turkey, June 1–12 Rumi Retreat in Marrakech, November 22–28 Fatemeh Keshavarz Website Jasmine and Stars: Reading More Than Lolita in Tehran Lyrics of Life: Sa'di on Love, Cosmopolitanism and Care of the Self Cowboys and Iranians — poem by Fatemeh Keshavarz (video) Birds Without a Name — poem by Fatemeh Keshavarz, read at ARHU event on Hope & Home (video) Mays Imad Personal website Connecticut College faculty page Music featured Watan (وَطَن — "Homeland") performed by Shaghayegh Amiri, playing the Daf — the ancient Persian frame drum central to Sufi musical tradition Ali Ghamsari — solo on the Kamancheh (Persian bowed string instrument), taught by Hamidreza Afarideh, music teacher in Tehran Poets and texts referenced in depth Rumi (Jalal al-Din Rumi, 1207–1273) — Persian Sufi mystic and poet; his Masnavi opens with pain and grief; central throughout Sa'di Shirazi (1210–1291) — Iranian Sufi poet; his Golestan (Garden of Roses) is where Iranians learn to read and write; complete English translation by Thackston available; Fatemeh's Lyrics of Life goes deeper on Sa'di Hafez (14th century) — Persian lyric poet; Fatemeh discusses his use of the word hush as an example of how poetic language restores meaning Farid ud-Din Attar (born 1150) — author of Mantiq ut-Tayr (The Conference of the Birds / The Parliament of the Fowls) — referenced by Mays in her opening Abu Sa'id (Abu Sa'id Abi'l-Khayr, 967–1049) — Persian Sufi mystic referenced by Omid: "Don't just write down stories — become someone others want to write down what you say" Shams of Tabriz — Rumi's spiritual companion; Fatemeh discusses how Shams urged Rumi to live his knowledge Jamiluddin Aali — Urdu poet whose work was recited in the live chat Historical & contextual references Sharif University of Technology, Tehran — described as "the MIT of the Middle East," bombed during the war Leston Palace, Tehran — UNESCO World Heritage Site, bombed and referenced as a war crime The Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988) — Fatemeh's personal reference point for civilian life under bombardment George Orwell's Animal Farm and 1984 — referenced by Omid in discussion of the corruption of language Next SAND Community Gathering Voices of the Land: Resistance & Solidarity with Lebanon — April 28th Contact SAND podcast@scienceandnonduality.com Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member
This episode of Alchemical Dialogues features host Henry Cretella in conversation with Micha-El (Alan Berkowitz) on the life and teachings of Paul Brunton, and the intersections of Sufism, Vedanta, and other contemplative traditions. The discussion begins with Henry describing how he first encountered Brunton's book The Short Path to Enlightenment, which he initially bought simply because of the title but left unread for years. Later, through engagement with Sufi practice and references to figures such as Ramana Maharshi and conversations within his spiritual circle, he returned to the book and found it deeply meaningful. Micha-El shares his background growing up in suburban New York in a non-religious Jewish family, where institutional religion felt empty and unengaging. During his time at Cornell University in 1969, amid political and social upheaval, he experienced an existential crisis. Feeling disillusioned with both activism and academic structures, he was directed to the American Brahmin Bookstore in Ithaca, associated with Anthony Damiani. There he encountered a comparative study of spiritual traditions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Sufism, and Western mystical thought, all presented in a unified way. Through Damiani, Micha-El eventually encountered Paul Brunton and later met him personally several times in Switzerland and the United States. Brunton is described as someone who studied and synthesized many traditions and teachers, producing a body of work that includes A Search in Secret India and later The Notebooks of Paul Brunton, a large compilation of teachings organized into thematic categories. Micha-El emphasizes Brunton's approach as both experiential and investigative. Brunton did not present himself as a guru but as a researcher of consciousness. His work draws from direct encounters with teachers, texts, and his own inner experience. He was also interested in integrating scientific inquiry with mystical insight, emphasizing a “scientific attitude” toward spiritual experience. A central teaching discussed is Brunton's idea of “the quest,” which includes four aims: knowing the self, knowing the higher self (or Overself), knowing the universe, and understanding one's relation to the universe. This framework combines inner realization with understanding of the external world, including modern science, rather than rejecting it. The conversation also covers Brunton's distinctions between different levels of realization, including temporary “glimpses,” personal illumination, and what he called cosmic illumination. Micha-El explains that glimpses are often the initial experiences that draw people into spiritual seeking, but they are not the final stage. Meditation is described as a movement beyond thought into a deeper inner emptiness where thoughts cease. In this state, Brunton suggests, communication can occur at a subtler level than language or intellect. Henry connects this to contemplative practices in Sufism and Christianity, while Mikael relates it to similar ideas in Buddhism and Vedanta. A significant theme is the role of teachers. Brunton acknowledged that qualified teachers are rare but valuable, yet he did not require students to depend on one. Instead, he emphasized what he called an independent path, where individuals rely on inner guidance and serious study. Books, in this sense, can function as direct transmissions when deeply engaged. The discussion also addresses Brunton's skepticism toward spiritual organizations. He observed that many become entangled in ego, power, and institutional issues. While organizations may preserve teachings, he did not see them as essential for spiritual realization. Both Henry and Micha-El reflect on the difficulty of discerning authentic teachers, noting that seekers must rely on experience, patience, and discernment rather than idealized expectations. They also discuss Brunton's broader view of human development, moving from materialism to religion, then mysticism, and finally philosophy as a synthesis of intuition and intellect. The episode closes with reflections on Brunton's vision of a decentralized spiritual transmission: individuals working inwardly, often in isolation, yet forming a subtle collective of understanding through shared inquiry and practice.
In 1970, Ian was staying on Lismore Island near Oban in the Western Highlands of Scotland with two friends, when orbs passed through a window and entered the room. Humanoid beings inside the orbs seemed to begin engaging with them and his life was changed ever after. Ian describes his life as a Sufi and his recent find of a fairy ring near his home in County Cork, Ireland. The full length exclusive bonus episode includes further experiences and is available on Patreon
replay of our 3.26.26 show ~ “No to monarchy, no to having a supreme leader, Yes to Democracy-Equality!” Chant from students/citizens in Iran… Caroline plays a short clip of Maryam Ishani, And long proffering from Omid Safi's recent teaching: “What we all need to know about Iran” We be Global Coalition: Re-imagining the world beyond false polarity… Like Scheherazade, who liberates the land, women, even the tyrant, from the sociopathic murderous king, Let's all Cultivate our Craft for Complex story-telling…. Omid Safi @brotheromid Most recent book: Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition (published by Yale). Teacher in the Sufi tradition of Radical Love & Founder of Illuminated Courses & Tours “Omid's passion for teaching has been recognized through the ten times that he has been nominated for professor of the year awards. He is currently a professor at Duke University specializing in Islamic spirituality and contemporary thought. A leading Muslim public intellectual, Omid is committed to the intersection of spirituality and social justice.” https://www.illuminatedcourses.com/ The post Replay: Cultivate our Craft for Complex Storytelling appeared first on KPFA.
An ancient teaching story from the Sufi tradition is a good illustration of the fact that sometimes, it's a good idea to examine a situation closely—and sometimes it's a good idea to look away. Resources & links related to this episode: Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.
In his debut work, Companionship and Virtue in Classical Sufism: The Contribution of al-Sulami (I.B. Tauris, 2024), Jason Welle sheds a new light on al-Sulami, an influential Sufi master during Sufism's formative era, by examine his work on suhba (companionship). Welle provides a historical reconstruction of Sufi companionship in Khurasan in the period, arguing that al-Sulami's concept of suhba, specifically among and between young disciples, envisioned the transformation of society as whole, not just the master-disciple relationship. Bringing debates in contemporary virtue ethics to bear on al-Sulami's spiritual method, the book offers an original analysis of the latter's thought that will be of interest to scholars of early Islam and classical Sufism as well as moral theologians interested in virtue ethics, character and friendship. Jason Welle is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Boston College, where he teach courses on Christian-Muslim Relations and Islamic Mysticism. Saman Nasser holds an MA in history from James Madison University, where he works as an educational staff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
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