Edge of Mind Podcast (Edge of Mind)

Join Bernardo Kastrup for Part II of the discussion about the nature of reality. The conversation begins with a discussion about evil. Where does contraction fit into this topic, and why do we have such an infantile relationship to evil? The discussion then moves to explore: if reality is of the nature of mind, what exactly is this mind? What are the dangers of reifying the mind, and the hazards of reification altogether. If mind is not a thing, what is it? Emptiness comes into the picture, and its relationship to quantum field theory. What about authentic philosophy, and how do philosophers go astray? Bernardo talks about Nietzsche, and the importance of embodied philosophy, before turning to the topic of transformation, and how to effect it. How does one transform? How far can intellect take you? What are its strengths and weaknesses? Is there a place for psychedelics on this journey? 

The gifts and gaffes of relational quantum mechanics is discussed, and its relationship to the philosophy of Nagarjuna – the King of Emptiness. What is the “vertigo of eternity,” and can one avoid this vertigo? Bernardo closes with personal stories of the role of praxis, or the process of applying and practicing ideas. He shares his fundamental practice of “recognizing the movements of the impersonal within, and don’t resist it” (ie., nurture your contact with the child within). He summarizes his practice in two words: pay attention. Be in the service of “the diamond,” and find ultimate freedom in that “slavery.”

Join Andrew and filmmakers Laurie Polisky and Courtney Sheehan in a futuristic exploration of the dream world. In their research and interviews for an upcoming docu-series, Anybody’s Dream, these intrepid oneironauts have gathered a remarkable group of scientists, shamans, artists, anthropologists, psychologists and startup founders to dive deep into the nocturnal mind and unearth its potentials. They summarize Anybody’s Dream as “the first series about the emergency of dream tech: devices and applications that directly interface with the dreaming mind.” From dream advertising, neuromarketing, consciousness hacking, branded dreams, dream engineering, and the ethics behind “invasive technologies,” this lively conversation goes to the very edge of what is currently possible, and what the future may hold in the world of sleep and dream. This mind-expanding dynamic duo bring a lifelong passion, conjoined with rigorous scholarship and artistic talent, to their unique project that will surely stretch your mind and challenge your boundaries. How far can technology take us when it comes to lucid dreaming? Where do we draw the line – where, in fact, is the line? Courtney and Laurie fearlessly go where no filmmakers have gone before – are we able to keep up?

Join the popular lucid dreaming author Charlie Morley for our second interview with him, and discover why he is in such demand. Andrew and Charlie discuss his latest book, “Wake Up to Sleep: 5 Powerful Practices to Transform Stress & Trauma for Peaceful Sleep & Mindful Dreams.” The conversation begins with an extensive exploration of the importance of breath, and how it profoundly affects our lives – and our sleep. Charlie shares some practices for how to engage Coherent Breathing for optimal mental and physical health. He also shows us how to use breathing to work with insomnia, and to prepare for sleep. Charlie offers data from a number of studies on the importance of proper breathing, and the benefits in terms of sleep and dreams. The discussion then ties this topic into the inner yogas, and how the inner winds (lung, chi, prana) relate to outer respiration. Trauma is then explored, and how East meets West in working with the undigested experiences buried deep in our body-mind. Where do the samskaras fit in, and how about PTSD as “post-truth stress disorder” – a trauma that has its origins in the bardo. The conversation peppers in riffs on yoga nidra, nightmares, liminal dreaming, pranayama, vase breathing, and a host of very practical tips for enhanced sleep and dream. Charlie is a treasure trove of inspiration and information, and his passion is contagious.

Join Andrew and celebrated philosopher Evan Thompson in a remarkable conversation that covers a vast terrain of topics. The discussion begins with a look at enactivism, the revolutionary concept explored with neuroscientist Francesco Varela in the landmark book The Embodied Mind, co-authored with Evan. The enactive view provides a platform for “I-making” as explored in Dr. Thompson’s most recent book, Waking Dreaming Being – that the self is an ongoing process of construction, a process that can be explored as the sense of self trans-forms when we fall into sleep and dream. The conversation then turns to “quantum phenomenology,” Evan’s term for the highly discerning mind developed by meditators. In this context they explore the difference between access consciousness and phenomenal consciousness, a distinction that is critical for lucid dreamers. The discussion then makes the important distinction between consciousness (which is dualistic) and awareness (which is non-dualistic), and then transitions to examine the place of psychedelics in exploring the nature of mind, and a provocative look at out-of-body (OBE) experiences, which are usually altered-embodied experiences. Most OBE’s are probably lucid dreams, and you can test this in your own dreams. Evan concludes with a look at his next book, Why I am NOT a Buddhist, and the many shadow elements of Buddhist modernism, and the promise and peril of East-West cross-pollination -- which can easily slip into cross-pollution. The discussion ends with a look at Buddhist exceptionalism, and the novel idea of cosmopolitanism. See why Dr. Thompson is one of the most sought after thinkers in the world today.

--

About Evan Thompson

Evan Thompson is a writer and professor of philosophy at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. He works on the nature of the mind, the self, and human experience. His work combines cognitive science, philosophy of mind, phenomenology, and cross-cultural philosophy, especially Asian philosophical traditions. He is the author of Waking, Dreaming, Being: Self and Consciousness in Neuroscience, Meditation, and Philosophy (Columbia University Press, 2015); Mind in Life: Biology, Phenomenology, and the Sciences of Mind (Harvard University Press, 2007); and Colour Vision: A Study in Cognitive Science and the Philosophy of Perception (Routledge Press, 1995). He is the co-author, with Francisco J. Varela and Eleanor Rosch, of The Embodied Mind: Cognitive Science and Human Experience (MIT Press, 1991, revised edition 2016). Evan is an Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Join the renowned Kirtan musician Krishna Das (KD) on a heartfelt journey into the world of devotion, and the role of sound on the path. What is Kirtan, and how does one listen to it? Can you bring music onto the path, and what are the near enemies in doing so? The discussion turns to sound as the nature of reality, and the role of mantra to reveal reality. Even scientists talk about the Big Bang, and “string theory.” Is the world made of sound and light? (“In the beginning was the word, and the word was made flesh.”) How does one “listen to the mind,” instead of the classic instruction of looking at the mind? KD talks about creativity, the role of improvisation, and what happens when he performs. The conversation turns to how devotion, guru yoga, bhakti yoga, and openness are central to the journey. This interview is uniquely personal, with Andrew and KD sharing intimate stories of their respective paths. At Andrew’s request, KD offers two selected Kirtan chants, with commentary; and Andrew offers his performance of a Rachmaninoff prelude. Join us for this disarming and sound-soaked interview, with one of the most endearing artists on the planet.

About Krishna Das
Layering traditional kirtan with instantly accessible melodies and modern instrumentation, Krishna Das has been called yoga’s “rock star.” With a remarkably soulful voice that touches the deepest chord in even the most casual listener, Krishna Das ” known to friends, family, and fans as simply KD ” has taken the call-and-response chanting out of yoga centers and into concert halls, becoming a worldwide icon and the best-selling western chant artist of all time. His album ‘Live Ananda’ (released January 2012) was nominated for a Grammy in the Best New Age album category.

KD spent the late ’60’s traveling across the country as a student of Ram Dass, and in August 1970, he finally made the journey to India, which led him to Ram Dass’ own beloved guru, Neem Karoli Baba, known to most as Maharaj-ji.

Given the name Krishna Das, KD began to chant as part of following the path of Bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion.

After two and a half years with Maharaj-ji, returned to USA – alas, six months after his return, word came that Maharaj-ji had died.

He took solace in music, finding peace and strength in both his Bhakti yoga practice as well as in such heroes as Ray Charles, Van Morrison, Steely Dan, and Bruce Springsteen (whom he laughingly calls “the Bodhisattva of New Jersey”). KD also co-founded Triloka Records, a California-based label specializing in world music, releasing such artists as Jai Uttal, sarod virtuoso Ali Akbar Khan, and legendary jazz musician/composer Jackie McLean.

In 1994, KD started leading chant at Jivamukti Yoga Center, NYC, with an ever-growing audience of yoga students that has led him to chant with people all around the world. In February 2013, Krishna Das performed at the Grammy awards in Los Angeles, CA streamed online to millions of viewers. The award-winning film ‘One Track Heart: The Story of Krishna Das’ has been in over 100 US cities, over 10 countries worldwide and is available on DVD everywhere.

Join the esteemed author and scholar Mark Unno in a wide-ranging discussion of the Pure Lands, and how much they have to offer for our modern age. Professor Unno begins with a thorough look at the history and philosophy of the Pure Land schools, before turning to the main principles of this noble tradition. The core tenets of self-power and other-power are explored, the role of nembutsu (reciting the name of Amida Buddha), true entrusting, deep listening, the power of mantra, and how the Pure Land of Sukhavati is different from Heaven, and Amida is different from God.

Dr. Unno shares personal stories of his experience with Pure Land tenets, and how the practice of bowing and surrender has transformed him. How real are the Pure Lands? Do we take them literally or symbolically? Is there a danger in psychologizing the Pure Lands? Why should we go there after we die? Mark talks about the difference between nirvana and parinirvana, the nondual light of oneness that Amida represents, and the principle of purity and purification altogether. The discussion turns to the notion of “spiritual photosynthesis,” the power of light and the mantra of light, before moving to the idea of “reverse karmic bond” and its relationship to the Reverse Meditations. Professor Unno clearly manifests a lifetime of study and practice in the Pure Land tradition and represents the depth and profundity of a tradition that is sometimes dismissed as “Buddhism Lite.” Mark has a unique gift of taking these teachings and bringing them immediately into life, translating Pure Land principles into practical terms. See for yourself why Dr. Unno is such a treasured representative of this often-misunderstood tradition.

Join Andrew in a fascinating conversation with Dr. Anthony Bossis, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine, who is at the forefront of groundbreaking research exploring the therapeutic potential of psilocybin. Through FDA-approved clinical trials, he investigates the compound's efficacy in alleviating end-of-life distress and its implications for our understanding of consciousness, meaning, and spirituality. 

Bossis shares a personal journey that led him to this pioneering work, tracing his fascination with existential and spiritual questions from his early years to his involvement in psychedelic research. He delves into the remarkable outcomes of his studies, showcasing how psilocybin-assisted therapy can dramatically reduce depression, anxiety, and hopelessness in terminally ill patients, fostering profound feelings of acceptance and gratitude. Moreover, Bossis discusses the broader philosophical and scientific implications of his findings, challenging our conventional perspectives on consciousness and the human experience.

Join neurologist Kulreet Chaudhary for a rich tour of the role of sound on the path of healing and spiritual practice. As a Western physician and Ayurvedic practitioner, Dr. Chaudhary is uniquely situated to bridge the best of the ancient East with the modern West. This conversation focuses on the magic and power of mantra to wake us up spiritually, and to heal us physically. What exactly is mantra, and how do they work? Can anybody engage a mantra, and what’s the difference between “over-the-counter” mantras and “prescription strength” mantras? How do you prescribe a mantra, and then use it? The discussion explores the origins of sacred sound, and how vibration works with the subtle and gross body. Kulreet addresses the trans-cultural aspects of mantra, and how they work as audible acupuncture needles, to “penetrate the vital points” of the chakras and channels of the subtle body. Because the outer gross body is an expression of the subtle inner body, what we do with the subtle body profoundly affects the gross body. Authentic integral healing is the result, healing so foundational it can transform karma itself. How important is devotion, or the principle of surrender, to increase the efficacy of a mantra? Are there any dangers to mantra recitation? Dr. Chaudhary is a ground breaking cultural translator, uniting healing systems that go back nearly 8000 years with modern scientific discoveries. This conversation will change the way you relate to mantra, and inspire you to engage in this ancient practice.

MORE ABOUT DR. KULREET CHAUDHARY:
Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary’s combined expertise in both modern neurology and the ancient science of health known as Ayurveda has uniquely positioned her as an expert able to pull from the broadest possible base to treat her clients. She is passionate about raising awareness for the need of a paradigm shift in contemporary medicine that focuses on patient empowerment and a health-based (rather than disease-based) medical system. Dr. Chaudhary is a regular guest on the Dr. Oz show, where her teachings about Ayurvedic medicine have been applauded by a national audience.

Dr. Chaudhary was the Director of Wellspring Health in Scripps Memorial Hospital for ten years, and remains a pioneer in the field of Integrative Medicine. Dr. Chaudhary has successfully developed a powerful system to manage chronic neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and migraine headaches, by incorporating fundamental changes in diet, behavior, and stress, in addition to the standard allopathic approach to these issues. This program has been so successful that many patients now use it not just for neurological issues but also for a wider range of health concerns, including weight issues and chronic disease.

Dr. Chaudhary is the author of The Prime and Sound Medicine and has appeared as a medical expert on numerous programs including The Dr. Oz Show and Home & Family.  She is also a neuroscientist and has participated in over twenty clinical research studies in the areas of multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Her research includes groundbreaking work in stem cell therapies for diabetic peripheral neuropathy and drug development for the treatment of ALS.

Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary spends her time doing research in Siddha Medicine in Tamil Nadu, India and seeing patients for Integrative Medicine consultations from San Diego, CA.  To schedule your virtual consultation with Dr. Chaudhary, please visit www.drkulreetchaudhary.com. 

Joining us for his second interview, the scholar and practitioner Yusuf al-Hurr for an exhilarating exploration of Islamic dream work, where “dreams are realms in which God communicates to us.” Dreams are 1/40th prophecy in the Muslim tradition, and the deeper you go the more real the dream becomes. Instead of the purely solipsistic (my mind only) nature of our superficial dreams, deep dreams are as ontologically real as the waking world. Yusuf talks about precognitive dreams, and how these dreams rupture our conventional understanding of space and time. Can we use dreams to enter the “internet of consciousness,” and communicate with other beings and other realms on the “net”? How do dreams relate to the “imaginal world” of the archetypes, where pure spirit first takes on form, and matter becomes spiritualized. The conversation then looks at the promise and peril of tradition, and how noble traditions turn into ignoble “dead seas” when they’re no longer fed by tributaries from other streams of wisdom. What is the importance of trans-religion, and the inner sangha? Yusuf then challenges infantile spirituality, and the Golden Cage that is created when we get lost in “feel-good” practice. What does it mean to grow from infancy to spiritual adulthood? How can psychology act as “tributary” to keep our spirituality authentic, and what role does “transhumanism” have to play? Yusuf shows us yet again how his wit, warmth, wisdom, and incisive intellect makes him one of the leading voices in spirituality today.

Join Andrew and author Jennifer Dumpert in a lively discussion about Liminal Dreaming, that twilight zone of consciousness between waking and dreaming. Also known as the hypnogogic-hypnopompic state, liminal dreaming is a fascinating state where the boundaries of ego dissolve, and the mind enters a playground of transformation. Watching how the ego falls apart in this unglued state helps us understand how it comes together as we get back online in the waking state – and glue the narrative of our lives back together.

The conversation begins with an overview of liminal (“threshold”) states altogether – both psychological and physical — and the revelations that unfold if one can remain lucid to these states. Jennifer discusses how Thomas Edison and Salvador Dali both used these states for creativity, and how anyone can practice liminal dreaming, which is much easier than lucid dreaming. Armed with a few tips, anybody can do it.

The conversation turns to the stages of liminal dreaming, emphasizing the autosymbolic (or thought-image amalgamation) stage. Jennifer touts the benefits of developing a “crepuscular culture,” and how much we can learn from non-narrative (non-egoic) states of mind.

The discussion turns to how liminal dreaming is connected to bardo tenets, and how dying itself – when one is not fully in this world nor the next – is an extended liminal space. By “surfing the edges of consciousness,” and “playing in the changing froth of perception” now, we can acquaint ourselves with similar states of mind that we will experience when we die. As the poet Kabir said of death, “What is found now is found then.” Liminality, like the bardo principle altogether, has vast applicability.

Join author Daniel Love for a thorough look at lucid dreaming from a materialistic – but open – perspective. Daniel brings his lifelong passion for lucidity into a discussion of the Three Pillars of Lucidity, the Tetris Effect, and a look at some of the most successful induction methods, including the CAT, IMP, FATE and “Catching the Butterfly” techniques. Love shares his view on lucid dreaming supplements, electronic gadgetry, and the importance of the “mind of the detective” in lucidity. Why is the journey of lucidity more important than the goal? How can one work with discouragement, lag time, and many of the other common obstacles to lucid dreaming? Learn about Daniel’s fascinating lucid dreaming practice, and why he remains so excited about the possibilities – and future – of this nocturnal art. Here is a clear-thinking practitioner, with decades of experience, sharing some of his best tips and tricks. You’ll see why Love is one of the premier voices in this field, a sought-after teacher, and a no-nonsense practical guide.

Join the neuroscientist, contemplative, and poet Ruben Laukkonen on a breathtaking tour of the nature of mind and reality. Why is it so important to know the mind, and how does one do that? What is the role of deconstruction on the meditative path, and how do dreams fit into all this? Exploring Ruben’s seminal work on meditation and the plasticity of the predictive mind, this is a wide-ranging exploration into the science of meditation – both diurnal and nocturnal. Why does crises spark evolution? Why is “chaos extremely good news”? The conversation covers topics like predictive processing, how resting in the present moment is annihilation, the illusion of time and space, naïve realism and noncontextual realism, representationalism, and how the meditative path is death in slow motion. Is it even accurate to take about “mind,” or is “minds” more appropriate? Is the brain a reducing valve, and how does mind relate to brain? How do dreams help us discover the power of “top down” (vs “bottom up”) processing, and why is it so important to discover all the “forces of the dark side” as embedded (almost literally) in the unconscious mind? Is reality radically relativistic, or does it bottom out somewhere? The conversation turns to what’s left after all the cutting, negating, and deconstructing. Are there wholesome constructs, and how can lucid dreaming help us work with “generation stage” meditation? Ruben shares a remarkable lucid dream, and the implications behind what he has discovered in the dream world. You will quickly see why Dr. Laukkonen is a shining start in the new and exciting field of contemplative science. This is one of the deepest and most comprehensive interviews to date, with a rare liminal being.

More about Ruben Laukkonen
Ruben is a scientist, contemplative, writer, speaker, kickboxer, and poet. He has authored the first unifying scientific theory of both meditation and insight. Ruben’s mission is to know the mind in order to uncover simple and effective empirical paths towards peace. Visit his website https://rubenlaukkonen.com/

Join the esteemed teacher Sharon Salzberg in a pointed discussion about the place of meditation and spirituality in politics and world affairs. Coming right after the mob attack on the Capital, and right before the inauguration of Joe Biden, this interview doesn’t hold any punches. Where does Real Change (the title of Sharon’s latest book) take place, and how can we avoid the epidemic of spiritual bypassing? An authentic path is not about feeling good; it’s about getting real. And that reality includes hardship and pain. What is the role of anger in activism, and how about the fourth karma (enlightened action) of destruction? Is it possible to reconnect conspiracy theorists to reality, and to effectively communicate with those who hold wildly different beliefs? The conversation turns to an honest look at the opportunities that lie within all the current obstacles, and how crises can ignite evolution. What can I do to help the world in these difficult times, and what am I not seeing? How can we work with our blind spots, our own fear and vulnerabilities, to effect real change? In the current climate of fake news, what’s still true, and does truth stand a chance? The discussion then turns to a “State of the Union” assessment of meditation in the West. What is the promise and peril of the mindfulness revolution? Is McMindfulness, and the commodification of meditation, a real threat? You will quickly see why Sharon is one of the most popular and sought-after teachers in the world.

More About Sharon:
Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer and industry leader, a world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. As one of the first to bring meditation and mindfulness into mainstream American culture over 45 years ago, her relatable, demystifying approach has inspired generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers. Sharon is co-founder of The Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, and the author of eleven books, including the New York Times bestseller, Real Happiness, now in its second edition, her seminal work, Lovingkindness, and her newest book, Real Change: Mindfulness To Heal Ourselves and the World, released in September of 2020 from Flatiron Books. Sharon’s secular, modern approach to Buddhist teachings is sought after at schools, conferences, and retreat centers worldwide. Her podcast, The Metta Hour, has amassed over 3 million downloads and features interviews with the top leaders and thinkers of the mindfulness movement and beyond. Sharon’s writing can be found on Medium, On Being, the Maria Shriver blog, and Huffington Post. Learn more at www.sharonsalzberg.com

Join Father Francis Tiso for a mind-bending conversation on the wonders of the human body, and how it can participate in enlightenment. Central to this discussion is the role of light, so key to enlightenment and the genesis of reality itself. We are made of stardust, fed by starlight, and participate in a spiritual level of “photosynthesis” that can literally have the body dissolving into rainbow light at the time of death. Did Christ attain the rainbow body? Did going up in a flash of light create the image we know as the Shroud of Turin? What is the role of Light Mysticism in Christianity, Taoism, Sufism, and Buddhism? How do biophotons come into play, and is the world literally made of frozen light? Solar religions abound throughout the world, and now we can start to see why. The conversation turns to some of the most advanced teachings and practices of any contemplative tradition, including dark retreat, trekchö (“cutting through”), and thögal (“crossing over”). As the Hevajra Tantra proclaims, “Wisdom abides in the body.” And so does light. What is the relationship of external light to the light of the mind? Can we be blinded by this light? And is this the same light that brings about lucidity in our nocturnal practices? Fr. Francis brings a level of scholarship that is breathtaking in its scope, and shattering in its profundity. Join us in one of the deepest interviews to date, across a cascade of topics and disciplines that stretch the mind.

More about Fr. Francis Tiso:

A New York native, Father Francis Tiso holds the A.B. in Medieval
Studies from Cornell University. He earned a Master of Divinity degree
(cum laude) at Harvard University and holds a doctorate from Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary where his specialization was Buddhist studies. He translated several early biographies of the Tibetan yogi and poet, Milarepa, for his dissertation on sanctity in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. He has led research expeditions in South Asia, Tibet and the Far East, and his teaching interests include Christian theology, history of religions, spirituality, ecumenism and interreligious dialogue.

Father Tiso was Associate Director of the Secretariat for Ecumenical
and Interreligious Affairs of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops from
2004 to 2009, where he served as liaison to Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, the Sikhs, and the Reformed (Calvinist) Churches. Since 1988, Father Tiso is a priest of the Diocese of Isernia-Venafro, Italy, where he now serves as chaplain to the migrant communities in the
Province of Isernia. He is President and Founder of the Association
“Archbishop Ettore Di Filippo”, which serves migrant and vulnerable
populations in the Province of Isernia. He was Diocesan Delegate for
Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs from 1990 to 1998 (re-appointed in 2016) and rector of the Istituto Diocesano delle Scienze Religiose (1990-93).

Father Tiso is the author of Liberation in One Lifetime (2014) and
Rainbow Body and Resurrection (2016), two books on Tibetan and inter-cultural studies. He is the recipient of grants from the American Academy of Religion, the American Philosophical Society, the Palmers Fund in Switzerland, and the Institute of Noetic Sciences in Petaluma, CA. He has served on the faculty of two MLE summer seminars in Germany.

In this delightful interview you’ll get a taste for why Robert Waggoner is one of the leading voices of lucid dreaming in the West. For over forty years Robert has logged over 1000 lucid dreams, and the stories he shares are just amazing. This interview reveals the spirit of proper sharing, and why our discussion forum is integral to Night Club.

Robert fearlessly and generously talks about dream events that “cracked open my world,” and led him to deep psycho-spiritual growth. So much of what he shares is resonant with Buddhist dream and sleep yoga – which is noteworthy because he was not a Buddhist when he had these powerful experiences. Robert aspires to use lucid dreaming “to go beyond lucid dreaming, to discover the nature of reality.” The cast of characters he runs into in his dreams, and then in real life, will send a chill up your spine.  We talk about fear, sleep yoga, zones of learning, dreams of premonition, going to the energy in your dreams, and even a dose of bardo yoga when Robert shares that in order to go deeper, “I had to agree to cease to be.”

My conversation with Robert Waggoner continues as we discuss his “go-to” methods for inducing lucidity, which in addition to the wake-and-back-to-bed method is largely about creating a lucid mindset. Robert shares his advice for how to work with discouragement, and suggests being “playfully persistent,” relating to the entire lucidity project as a game. In other words, lighten up, relax and have fun — “Loosen up dude.” Take a break. We talk about the importance of honoring and valuing our non-lucid dreams and their symbolism, the relationship of lucid dreaming to hypnosis, and then how to work with fear – which can subliminally derail our lucid dreams. The conversation then turns to how lucid dreaming can be used for healing, with some remarkable stories that support this claim. 

Robert is that rare being who has dedicated his life to lucid dreaming, and his passion for this topic is contagious.

Join Andrew and the distinguished scholar-practitioner B. Alan Wallace for a truly remarkable conversation. Dr. Wallace is renowned for his incisive clarity and rigorous intellect, and this is fully evident as he cascades over a tremendous amount of material. The discussion begins with a deep dive into the central meditations of shamatha and vipashyana, and how both of these practices are integral to lucid dreaming. Alan goes so far as to say that dream yoga is the practice of vipashyana, and further situates dream yoga within the Madhyamaka (Middle Way School) and Dzogchen. The discussion then addresses the key question: what does it mean to say reality is a dream? In answering this, Dr. Wallace levels a strong attack against materialism, and the perverted science that supports this wrong view. Insights from psychology, philosophy of mind, physics, cosmology, and many schools of Buddhism are delivered with high-velocity and humor (offering neologisms like cognoscopy – “to scope the mind”), illuminating vast swaths of terrain. Alan speaks of the importance of “authentic Buddhism,” the need to honor tradition, and criticizes the popular but misguided new school of “Secular Buddhism.” Because of Alan’s encyclopedic knowledge, this interview lets him loose, with Andrew allowing him the space to run free. The result is an absolute feast of wisdom, supported by a lifetime of extensive scholarship and deep spiritual practice.

--

Alan Wallace is a prominent voice in the emerging discussion between contemporary Buddhist thinkers and scientists who question the materialist presumptions of their 20th-century paradigms. He left his college studies in 1971 and moved to Dharamsala, India to study Tibetan Buddhism, medicine and language. He was ordained by H.H. the Dalai Lama, and over fourteen years as a monk he studied with and translated for several of the generation’s greatest lamas. In 1984 he resumed his Western education at Amherst College where he studied physics and the philosophy of science. He then applied that background to his PhD research at Stanford on the interface between Buddhism and Western science and philosophy. Since 1987 he has been a frequent translator and contributor to meetings between the Dalai Lama and prominent scientists, and he has written and translated more than 40 books. Along with his scholarly work, Alan is regarded as one of the West’s preeminent meditation teachers and retreat guides. He is the founder and director of the Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies and is the motivating force behind the develop of the Center for Contemplative Research in Tuscany, Italy.

Join author and meditation adept Delson Armstrong in an extra-ordinary tour of the marvels of the mind, and “high altitude” states of meditative absorption (jhana). The conversation begins with Delson’s background in Hindu based practices, his journeys into the Himalayas, and his candid experiences with the jhanas, especially the summit of nirodhasamapatti, or “equipoise of cessation,” a form of suspended animation that can last for seven days. Delson then offers stories of his unusual memory, and his ability to recall past lives, before sharing his experience of tacit awareness throughout the night, or a form of constant consciousness that results in lucidity 24/7. One consequence of this attainment is the cessation (nirodha) of all dreams, and the actualization of luminosity, or sleep yoga. What is the role of “determination” in these attainments, or the internal alarm clock that dictates duration of absorption? Are these qualities attained or dis-covered? Do they inspire or intimidate? Or are they, as Delson asserts, “No big deal.” How can this meditative proficiency prepare one for death? And what is the difference between voluntary and involuntary rebirth? The conversation turns to the role of science, and Delson’s participation in eye-popping studies that could shift paradigms about the nature and capacity of the mind. The explanatory power of “dependent origination,” or the causal nexus that generates samsara, is explored, and how a refined mind can detect all twelve links in this chain, and break it by replacing reactivity with response-ability. Is there any risk involved in sharing so much of one’s experience, and why do so? Andrew invites Delson to point out any blind spots that tantrikas (those who practice Vajrayana Buddhism) may fall into, and to share why he practices Theravada instead of Tantra. See why this gentle scholar-practitioner is causing a stir, and bringing real benefit to the world. 

Join Andrew and Lama Surya Das for a truly delightful romp through a torrent of topics. This is a tour of mind and reality from a Tibetan Buddhist point of view, delivered by a senior figure of this noble tradition in the West. Surya Das starts with the role that dreams have played in his life, and the place of Dream Yoga in his two three-year retreats. The discussion then turns to blind spots (non-lucidity spots), and how we’re all extremists and fundamentalists in our views of eternalism (reified reality). He then talks about the importance of the “Middle Way” between eternalism and nihilism, and not skidding into these ditches on either side of the road to awakening. Surya Das peppers in topics like the dangers of scientism and post-modernism, the joy of “playing jazz with the dharma,” and the place of preservation vs. adaptation in the transplantation of dharma in the West. The conversation turns to “substance abuse” at the level of thought addiction, and a look at the important difference between experience (nyam) vs. realization (tokpa) on the path. After a brief look at psychedelics, and revealing that LSD are his very initials, Lama Surya Das offers a “State of the Union” address about the status of Buddhism in the West: “Buddhism has been reduced to mindfulness, while Hinduism has been reduced to yoga.” A central narrative of the entire discussion is the absolute level teachings of non-duality, and the many “near enemies” that await one on the path. Lama-la talks about the importance of “Swooping down from above [absolute truth] while climbing up from below [relative truth],” and “Being now while getting there.” Sharing the neologisms that he is famous for, Surya Das openly radiates his passion and playfulness for the truth – no matter where it comes from. Don’t let the levity of this conversation hide the profundity. Surya Das shares a lifetime of deep practice and study, delivered with wit and wisdom.

--

Lama Surya Das is one of the foremost Western Buddhist meditation teachers and scholars, one of the main interpreters of Tibetan Buddhism in the West, and a leading spokesperson for the emerging American Buddhism. The Dalai Lama affectionately calls him “The Western Lama.”

Surya has spent over forty five years studying Zen, vipassana, yoga, and Tibetan Buddhism with the great masters of Asia, including the Dalai Lama’s own teachers, and has twice completed the traditional three year meditation cloistered retreat at his teacher’s Tibetan monastery. He is an authorized lama and lineage holder in the Nyingmapa School of Tibetan Buddhism, and a close personal disciple of the leading grand lamas of that tradition.

Lama Surya Das is a sought after speaker and lecturer, teaching and conducting meditation retreats and workshops around the world. He is a published author, translator, chant master (see Chants to Awaken the Buddhist Heart CD, with Stephen Halpern), and a regular blog contributor at The Huffington Post, as well as his own AskTheLama.com blog site where he shares his thoughts and answers questions from the public each week.

Join author Dustin DiPerna for a penetrating look at the power of Integral Theory and the path of Waking Up and Growing Up. Dustin unpacks the difference between states and structures of consciousness, as well the importance of understanding vantage points. So many spiritual practitioners limit themselves if they’re not aware of these principles. The conversation then shifts to a look at the “conveyor belt,” and some of the main factors that catalyze transformation. How does traveling, virtual reality, lucid dreaming, and psychedelics fit in? Learn how meditation lubricates movement through structures of consciousness, and the importance of relationship on the path. Dustin then discusses the idea of “ladder-climber-view” and how this model works with skillful means and our ability to relate to others. Where does contraction fit into growth, and how important is openness? The discussion then turns to examine “trans-lineage” and “trans-spirituality” before shifting to a look at the role of fear on the path. To complete the picture, the importance of Cleaning Up and Showing Up is discussed. Dustin reveals why he’s one of the leading voices in human development, and a razor-sharp integral thinker. Join this remarkable individual for a tour into the center of yourself, and everything that is required to travel the path of growth safely and completely. 

Join Clare Johnson for a deep dive into the world of nightmares, as we explore her remarkable new book, “The Art of Transforming Nightmares.” Clare proclaims that nightmares are gifts in ugly wrapping paper, and learning how to relate to them as gifts is the first part of transforming them. Her approach is resonant with the tantric or alchemical traditions, where obstacles are opportunities in disguise. The worse the nightmare, the greater the transformative potential. We talk about what causes nightmares, and how to work with them at relative and absolute levels. What is the essence of “nightmare principle,” and how can nightmares “wake us up” spiritually? Dr. Johnson has dozens of practical exercises in this book, and she shares her favorite ones. The book is essentially about fear, and how we can follow our fear to authentic growth. Nightmares allow us to effect a peaceful (but not always pleasant) transfer of power back to its rightful source, empowering us as the authors of our lives. Not only can we re-script a nightmare, we can re-script the very egoic processes that give rise to all nightmares – including samsara itself. “Right View” is everything when it comes to these unwanted dreams, and this conversation will deliver that proper view. Joining the proper view with practical exercises, this conversation will leave you with tips and tricks you can use right away to bring unwanted dreams onto the path. You will readily see why Clare is the Queen of Lucidity.

In this profound conversation, Andrew Holecek interviews Patrick Harpur about "demonic reality," exploring a rich, alternative understanding of existence beyond conventional rational thinking. Harpur describes demons (or "diamonds") as liminal, shape-shifting entities that exist between physical and immaterial realms, present in cultures worldwide. These beings are characterized by their elusiveness, ambiguity, and ability to mediate between conscious and unconscious worlds, challenging the modern scientific worldview that has systematically banished such mythological understanding.

The discussion delves into the differences between the path of soul and spirit, with Harpur arguing that soul embraces complexity and multiplicity, while spirit seeks ascension and unity. They explore how the unconscious mind was formed by repressed mythological entities, and how these beings continue to manifest in modern life through various phenomena like dreams, paranormal experiences, and collective movements. Harpur suggests that re-enchanting the world requires a more imaginative perception, one that sees beyond literal interpretations and recognizes the deeper mythological currents underlying human experience.

Throughout the conversation, both Holecek and Harpur emphasize the importance of openness, peripheral awareness, and understanding the mythological principles that shape individual and collective consciousness. They discuss practices for cultivating relationship with these liminal entities, such as poetry, deep attention, and alternative modes of perception. The podcast ultimately presents a compelling argument for a more nuanced, imaginative approach to understanding reality, one that acknowledges the rich, mysterious dimensions of human experience beyond rational, materialistic frameworks.

Join Andrew and David Jay Brown for a delightful romp through a host of topics that surround lucid dreaming and altered states of consciousness. David writes a great deal about non-ordinary states, so the conversation begins with a look at whether waking consciousness is the altered state, and the unconventional idea that traditional altered states actually point out aspects of the natural state. David then shares his “go-to” induction methods, and a battery of practical tips about having lucid dreams. The conversation transitions into his area of expertise, which is supplemental agents for initiating lucidity (like Mexican and African dream herbs, velvet bean, mugwort, vitamin B-6, galantamine), and tips for how to use these available substances. The dialogue shifts into a discussion of psychedelics, and their extraordinary potential. Emphasis is placed on how to bring these mind-altering experiences onto the path. What’s the best thing to do before and after a trip? What is the promise and peril of these agents? What’s the safest way to use them? David then shares some of his most transformative lucid dream experiences, and closes with how to use lucid dreams for healing (including surrogate healing). David’s work around lucid dreaming is among the most radical, innovative, controversial, provocative, researched, and mind-expanding approaches I’ve seen. No stone is left unturned.

Because David was unable to do this recording with our usual platform, the audio is a bit compromised. We apologize for this, but had no other options. After a technical hiccup about seven minutes in, the conversation proceeds without interruption.

--

ABOUT DAVID JAY BROWN

David Jay Brown is the author of Dreaming Wide Awake: Lucid Dreaming, Shamanic Healing and Psychedelics, and The New Science of Psychedelics: At the Nexus of Culture, Consciousness, and Spirituality. He is also the coauthor of five other bestselling volumes of interviews with leading-edge thinkers, Mavericks of the Mind, Voices from the Edge, Conversations on the Edge of the Apocalypse, Mavericks of Medicine, Frontiers of Psychedelic Consciousness, and of Women of Visionary Art. Additionally, Brown is the author of two science fiction novels, Brainchild and Virus, and he is the coauthor of the health science book Detox with Oral Chelation. Brown holds a master’s degree in psychobiology from New York University, and was responsible for the California-based research in two of British biologist Rupert Sheldrake’s books on unexplained phenomena in science: Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home and The Sense of Being Stared At. His work has appeared in numerous magazines, including Wired, Discover, and Scientific American, and he was the Senior Editor of the special edition, themed MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) Bulletins from 2007 to 2012. In 2011, 2012, and 2013 Brown was voted “Best Writer” in the annual Good Times and Santa Cruz Weekly’s “Best of Santa Cruz” polls, and his news stories have been picked up by The Huffington Post and CBS News. To find out more about his work see: www.davidjaybrown.com

Join best-selling author and neurosurgeon Dr. Eben Alexander as he shares his remarkable near-death experience (NDE), and the revelatory journey he has taken into the science and spirituality that supports NDE’s. This life-changing event has removed all fear of death for Eben, and understanding what he has discovered can do the same for us. The discussion turns to the importance of overthrowing the tyranny of appearance, and the dominance of materialism. By realizing that reality is of the nature of mind (metaphysical idealism), not matter, and that the universe is loving, we discover the ultimate holding environment that allows us to relax at the moment of death -- knowing that we are held. Relaxation is the irreducible instruction for a good death. There is no place to go when we die that is not conscious. Death is only the end of the body, not the mind. Eben shares the hyper-reality of what he experienced, and how memory is not localized in the brain. The brain is a reducing-valve that does not give rise to consciousness, but actually limits it. Dr. Alexander also shares the role that sound and music had in his experience, and how sound is at the heart of reality itself (as in “string theory” of physics). Sacred Acoustics, or using the binaural beats of sound meditation, is discussed as a form of spiritual practice. The conversation turns to the power of the mind, as manifested in the placebo effect, as well as the opposite nocebo effect that occurs when we believe in materialism. The narrative of openness, and how fear arises when we’re too open (for the ego) is explored; how a type of NDE occurs in deep meditation; and how heaven is equally a state of mind – right here and now. We don’t have to wait till we die to enter heaven. The conversation closes with a look at “translational spirituality,” and how critically important it is to bring spiritual insights into the current ecological, political, and social crises. See for yourself why Eben’s books have been on the New York Time’s best-seller list for years.  

Join Dr. Nida, a dream yoga master and Tibetan physician, for a unique tour into the power of dreaming, and the place of traditional Tibetan medicine in the modern world. Dr. Nida offers a rare look into the world of Tibetan dream interpretation, and how one can interpret dreams for purposes of healing. Can your dreams tell you that your body is in trouble long before a traditional diagnosis is made? In Western psychology, an uninterpreted dream is like an unopened letter. Dr. Nida discusses the difference between universal dream symbols, and personal ones. The conversation turns to the spectrum of dreams, including prophetic dreams, and the porosity of the mind in the dream world. When it comes to dream yoga proper: is there a unique mantra, or special deity, for dream yoga? Do astrological confluences play a role in our dreams? Dr. Nida talks about the critical place of diet, and meditation, in dream yoga, and why the preliminaries are so important. This wide-ranging conversation covers ways to work with depression, why Tibetan medicine can be beneficial in this day and age, the importance of knowing who you are, and how to live “organically.” Does the East have its own form of reductionism when it condenses everything into karma? Is there a universal consciousness in the Buddhist view, and can you engage it to your advantage? Dr. Nida is an exemplar of scholar-practitioner, a special bridge between the ancient East and the modern West, and a cultural translator of superlative capacity. Listen to an authentic master of the nocturnal meditations. 

Ken Wilber covers a vast array of topics in this remarkable interview.

It was so enthralling and all encompassing that before we knew it over three hours had flown by!

Ken shares his personal story and then offers an overview of Integral Theory that is not to be missed. Integral Theory is completely in harmony with the spirit of Night Club (and the six tracks of Night School), and has unparalleled explanatory power that covers both the nocturnal and diurnal aspects of what Night Club aspires to offer. This is one reason we invited Ken to be our first interview guest, because the map he describes completely covers the territory we will be exploring.

Topics covered include the importance of both Waking Up and Growing Up, and the difference between states and structures of consciousness. This is followed by a discussion of Cleaning Up (the importance of shadow work) and finally Showing Up (using all four “quadrants” to step back into the world). We then return to his personal journey, emphasizing the place of the nocturnal meditations on his path. We then discuss the irreducible instruction on the spiritual path (and the little known secret to attaining lucidity), and the affective or emotional aspect of what it is like to “wake up.” What does that actually feel like, how can we identify it? We then talk about what being fully realized has to include, and the limitations of “partial enlightenment” that trap so many unsuspecting practitioners. In order for your awakening to be complete, you have to return fully and freely into the world of form. We close with a look at the plasticity or dream-like nature of the phenomenal world, and the role of projection in the creation (or co-enactment) of the world. This interview reveals how one can use the medium of sleep and dream to wake up to the nature of mind and reality altogether.

In this interview you will see why Ken is called a national treasure.

Join the physicist, and inventor of the microprocessor and touchpad, Federico Faggin, in a wide-ranging exploration of the relationship between science and spirituality. Federico starts with a colorful rendering of the four phases of his life, and his transition from a hard-core materialist into a deep student of consciousness. He shares how a single experience, lasting less than a minute, changed his life forever. Federico then relates a number of eye-popping experiences, all of which proclaimed that consciousness, not matter, is the foundation of reality – and that that foundation is expressed as love. What triggered this opening, and what did he do to cultivate his experiences? How did the nondual traditions, and other forms of transpersonal work, help him understand his experiences?

Dr. Faggin then turns to his quantum information-based view of panpsychism, whether this theory can be tested or not, and its remarkable implications for both science and spirituality. What does “quantum” mean in this context? “Science and spirituality are both right, and both wrong,” he says, but what does that mean? Is mathematics the supreme language of communication these days, or just the best way to talk to the “high priests” of science? What is the relationship between artificial intelligence and artificial sentience, or consciousness? Can a computer ever be conscious? His theory completely overthrows materialism, and offers an entirely new direction for science. Can this theory, based on his experiences, lead others to those experiences – is it psychoactive and prescriptive? What does it mean to say that matter is merely a symbol? What role does light have to play in all this?

Federico talks about “consciousness units,” the place of free will, what happens after death, and why spiritual practitioners might be interested in his work. He then discusses his path of practice, and why he doesn’t adhere to any single tradition or teacher. What does he see as blinds spots in the wisdom traditions? Behind his amazing life is the deep quest to know; to understand the nature of reality and consciousness – and to help the world.

Join Andrew Holecek and Roger Walsh MD, PH.D as they discuss a wide range of provocative topics that circumambulate the lucidity principle. They begin with a deep dive into some of the shadow elements that accompany lucid dreaming, and spiritual practice altogether, including spiritual bypassing, nihilism, cosmological dualism, and the “fundamental flaw fallacy.” 

Roger shares his experience as a psychiatrist and meditation instructor, and the traps that he fell into – and how he got out. Lucid dreaming, the practice of illusory form, and spirituality in general can easily slip into devaluing form, instead of transcending but including form.

Dr. Walsh then turns to addiction, stating that we’re “addicts by nature,” which dovetails into our unconscious addiction to non-lucidity. The conversation then turns to the extraordinary power of diurnal and nocturnal meditation, and the “trim tab” phenomenon of working with subtle levels of mind. The discussion addresses the tenets of “non-foundationalism,” wake-centricity, and other forms of absolutistic thinking that limit our view of mind and reality. Powerful spiritual techniques lead to wisdom, and applied wisdom expresses itself as compassion – or it is not genuine wisdom. 

Roger shares how his lifelong study and practice helps him respond to social and global challenges, and how he walks the talk. This remarkable interview ends with a discussion about the inherent goodness in the world, the utter immediacy of liberation, and how we merely need to open the aperture of awareness to reveal the light (lucidity) that is in everything – including our dreams.

—

Roger Walsh MD., Ph.D. DHL graduated from Queensland University with degrees in psychology, physiology, neuroscience and medicine, before coming to the United States as a Fulbright scholar. He is currently a professor of psychiatry, philosophy, anthropology, and religious studies at the University of California. His research interests include psychological wellbeing, wisdom, and love, practices such as meditation that foster them, and how we can best respond to the social and global challenges of our time. He is a student, teacher and researcher of several contemplative practices. 

Roger’s research and writings have received over twenty national and international awards while his teaching has received eight awards, and he is a University of California Distinguished Writer as well as its Outstanding Physician. His books include Essential Spirituality: The Seven Central Practices, Paths Beyond Ego, as well as The World of Shamanism and the modestly titled book, The World’s Great Wisdom. He was formerly a world record holder in high diving and a circus acrobat, and recently graduated from the San Francisco Comedy College and had an extremely brief and unsuccessful career as a standup comedian. For more information, see www.drrogerwalsh.com

Join the neuroscientist Christopher Timmermann in a wide-ranging discussion about psychedelics and their role on the spiritual path, as well as in preparing for the end of life. How can these agents be used to remove the fear of death, and how do they relate to near-death experiences? Is it true to say that death is a psychedelic journey? Chris shows us how we can find death in life’s experiences, and how the psychedelic trip and death are both processes of radical deconstruction. If someone is afraid of death, what’s the best way to use these agents? Is duality and the sense of self a construct, and is this what falls apart in reports of ego dissolution with psychedelics? Do these drugs also construct experiences, and are the experiences merely comforting delusions? How do we know the experiences are true? Dr. Timmermann talks about the “entropic brain,” and the heightened connectivity that takes place with psychedelics. Are psychedelic experiences due to a reduction in brain activity (the “reducing valve”), or an enhancement of brain activity? 

Chris talks about the importance of “set and setting,” how these substances can be used to explore the nature of mind and reality, and the promise and peril of the psychedelic renaissance. What are the contra-indications for using these medicines, and where do “false memories” fit in? The conversation turns to the importance of preparation and integration, and how to avoid becoming a “state junkie.” How does one transform states into traits? What is “psychedelic-assisted meditation practice,” and how valuable is psychedelic apprenticeship? Chris discusses the clinical and therapeutic implications of his research, and why he is so excited about the future of this field. See why Dr. Timmermann is one of the brightest voices in this cutting-edge field of scientific research.

This interview with noted researcher, author, and veteran lucid dreamer Ryan Hurd covers a wide range of fascinating material. We discuss the “archeology of consciousness,” and what Ryan refers to as the Paleolithic Mind. We talk about polyphasic cultures that honor dreams, and the limitations of our monophasic view that colonizes and dismisses states of consciousness it can’t fully experience. The conversation then turns to some of the shadow sides of lucid dreaming, Ryan’s expertise with lucid nightmares, and how to work with fear – seeing it as a good sign. “We have to go to the underworld to enter the upper-world.” We talk about sexuality and dreams, using the “safe sex” of lucid dreams to transform the heat of passion into the warmth of compassion, and how to work with this connecting energy in what Buddhists call “the realm of desire.” Ryan’s intelligence, scholarship, and passion for lucid dreaming is clearly evident in this rich romp.

We then turn to his book on sleep paralysis, and explore the nocebo effect, “ghost rape,” REM Behavioral Sleep Disorder, and how this paralysis is connected to visitations – both nefarious and angelic – as well as alien abduction. We talk about the promising future of lucid dreaming, as well as the concerns. Ryan then shares his view on all the electronic gadgets, apps, and drug supplements (including the results from his recent study on galantamine) that are designed to enhance lucid dreaming. Are there any “magic bullets” on the horizon? We close with a discussion about his go-to methods for inducing lucidity, and how to work with discouragement. Ryan’s rigorous but open-minded approach to lucid dreaming, fueled by deep personal experience, makes him uniquely qualified to address the wide scope of nocturnal practice.

Join the artist/scientist and elite lucid dreamer Fariba Bogzaran in a rigorous and heartwarming exploration of the wonders of the nocturnal mind. Dr. Bogzaran shares her unique clinical work with dreaming, and the importance of “unfolding” instead of interpreting our dreams. “Dreaming is the art of the mind,” she asserts, and working properly with a single dream as a dream artist can take up to a year as we examine it from multiple angles. How do we identify the “big dreams,” and which dreams can we ignore? Why is dream journaling so important? Fariba describes Integral Dreaming and the power of Integral Dream Practice. Where do synchronicities and flow states fit in, and what is the difference between reflexive and reflective approaches to dreams? Where does bodywork, and “felt sense” come into play? Can we let our body interpret/unfold our dreams? Fariba discusses why motivation is so important in lucid dreaming, and how we are each “projects in the making.” What is epistemic uncertainty, and how can we enter the “zone” of life with a deeper understanding of will and Will. Fariba shares a number of personal reflections about life, death, dreams, and everything in between. Discover why she is one of the treasured voices in the dream world, and a major contributor to the art and science of lucid dreaming.

Fariba Bogzaran, Ph.D., scientist/artist, founded the first graduate dream studies certificate program at JFK University in Berkeley (1996), where she taught for over twenty years. She has taught lucid dreaming since 1984 and was part of the team at the Stanford Sleep Laboratory in late 1980’s exploring the science of lucid dreaming. She conducted the first quantitative research on the transpersonal experiences in lucid dreaming; Experiencing the Divine in Lucid Dream State (1989). Among many of her publications are two major co-authored academic books on dreams: Extraordinary Dreams and How to Work with Them (2002) and Integral Dreaming: A Holistic Approach to Dreams (2012), both published by the State University of New York Press. Among her recent art publications she addresses arts and exploration of consciousness in a book called: Gordon Onslow Ford: A Man on the Green Island (2019 ).

Join Andrew and Professor Robert Thurman in a wide-ranging discussion starting with a “state of the union” address about the status of Buddhism in the West, and the place of Tibetan or Tantric Buddhism.

Are we ready for these subtle spiritual technologies – which include dream yoga and bardo yoga? Are the recent scandals an indication that we are not? The conversation turns to the “neuromania” sweeping over Buddhism and science, and the danger of reductionism in both disciplines. Dr. Thurman then talks about the importance of ethics, morality, and discipline on the path, and the role of Right View.

The discussion transitions into viewing dream yoga as a form of psychotherapy, the importance of making unconscious processes conscious, and how dream yoga could be the next step after the mindfulness revolution. Robert then talks about Menla Sleep Yoga and its restorative power, and finally about bardo yoga, with a look at the perennial question: “What is it that reincarnates?” Because of Professor Thurman’s unique stature and longevity, this discussion flows freely between politics, sex, power, science, death, meditation, Tibet, lucid dreaming and a host of other provocative topics.

This is a rare opportunity to tap into the wisdom of a gifted scholar and practitioner, someone who has devoted his life to the translation and transmission of Tibetan Buddhism to the West.

--

Robert Thurman holds a Phd from Harvard University and is the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religion at Columbia University. Dr. Thurman is also President of the American Institute of Buddhist Studies, a non-profit affiliated with the Center for Buddhist Studies at Columbia University and dedicated to the publication of translations of important artistic and scientific treatises. Time Magazine chose Professor Thurman as one of its 25 most influential Americans in 1997, and The New York Times said Thurman “is considered the leading American expert on Tibetan Buddhism.” After learning Tibetan and studying Buddhism he became a Tibetan Buddhist monk and was the first Westerner to be ordained by the Dalai Lama. He is the author of many books on Tibet, Buddhism, art, politics and culture.

As part of his long-term commitment to the Tibetan cause, at the request of H.H. the Dalai Lama, Thurman co-founded Tibet House US in 1987 with Richard Gere and Philip Glass, which is a non profit organization  dedicated to the preservation and renaissance of Tibetan civilization. Tibet House recently founded the Menla Retreat + Dewa Spa in the Catskill Mountains to advance the healing arts and wisdom of Tibetan and Asian medicine.

Join Andrew and esteemed researcher Stephen LaBerge in a rare live interview conducted at the Sedona lucid dreaming retreat, October 2019. This is an unusual interview because Stephen seldom does interviews; it was conducted in front of 50 wonderful participants; and the conversation has a warm-up, or preview. Andrew had prepared a set of questions for Stephen (submitted to Stephen the evening before) that dealt mostly with the science of lucid dreaming. But all those questions fell away as Dr. LaBerge gave his last brief talk at the event, part of which is now included as the prelude to the interview. In other words, Stephen’s concluding comments at the retreat changed the tenor of the originally designed interview, which now became entirely spontaneous and more personal. Andrew realized the direction was being changed as he sat on stage with Stephen, and started recording Stephen’s talk before the interview formally began. The recording was done on a smart phone, so pardon the quality.

The recording begins with Stephen addressing (as part of his talk) the question: Who am I? And who are the “others” in your dreams? This leads to a look at dream ethics, and the question: How do identity and lucidity fit together? The interview formally begins with a Big Question about mind and the universe, and Stephen harnesses the principle of complimentarity from physics to address it. “There is room for several views or maps.” Even the way a question is posed sends the mind in a particular direction. In a disarming statement from a scientist, Dr. LaBerge says that “All knowledge doesn’t just come from experiments,” and acknowledges the power of an open question. The conversation then turns to the subtle body -- “Is it just the subjective experience of the autonomic nervous system?” -- and a look at the classic “mind-body” problem. Stephen then shares personal accounts of how his science has changed him (can science be a spiritual path?). The conversation closes with a look at lucid dreaming and its place in evolution, and the promise and peril of the internet: Does the web disseminate knowledge or “noise,” the growth of knowledge or ignorance? In this interview you will see why LaBerge is the father of lucid dreaming in the West, and a unique scientist willing to embrace the wisdom of the East.

--

Stephen LaBerge received his PhD in psychophysiology in 1980 from Stanford University where he studied consciousness, dreaming and waking for 25 years. He has taught classes on sleep and dreaming, psychobiology, and altered states of consciousness at Stanford, and San Francisco State University. In addition to numerous scientific articles on lucid dreaming, he has published many books on the topic, including the classics “Lucid Dreaming” and “Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming,” which have been published into eighteen languages. Widely regarded as the father of lucid dreaming in the West, LaBerge continues his research as an independent scholar and scientist. 

Gregory Shaw joins Edge of Mind with a rare and insightful glimpse into the profound wisdom traditions of Western esotericism. Too often, spiritual seekers in the West feel they must look to the East to find depth and authenticity in their practices. However, this dialogue between Andrew and Gregory powerfully demonstrates the richness and relevance of the Neoplatonist and theurgic lineages that are foundational to the Western philosophical and mystical canon.

Listeners will be captivated by the scholar's ability to draw parallels between these ancient Greek teachings and the transformative practices of Eastern tantra. Concepts like alignment, embodiment, and the role of the "daimon" or divine presence within the soul are explored with nuance and clarity. This cross-pollination of ideas not only expands one's understanding of both traditions, but also points the way towards an integrative spirituality that can help address the fragmentation and disconnection so pervasive in the modern world.

Whether one is already steeped in Neoplatonism or new to this rich vein of Western esotericism, this podcast offers a rare opportunity to learn from two brilliant thinkers who are deeply immersed in these lineages. The discussion is sure to inspire listeners to delve deeper into the wisdom that has been present in their own cultural heritage all along, waiting to be rediscovered and brought to life.

In this highly provocative podcast, Christopher Bache discusses his 40-year journey exploring LSD as a practice, and entheogens as an actual path. Twenty years taking 73 high-dose journeys into the nature of mind and reality, and twenty years digesting what he discovered. Chris talks about the difference between spiritual awakening and cosmological exploration during his adventure in consciousness, the promise, the peril, and the pain.  What is the risk of “high-altitude sickness,” and are psychedelics a short-cut to enlightenment? How valid is “chemical mysticism,” and how do you know what you experience is true? What about replicability – would someone else experience the same things over twenty years? Andrew introduces the notion of entheogens as a form of tantra, where body (in this case chemistry) is as important as mind. When the body/mind opens to this degree, what does one do with all the energy that is released, and can that much energy be dangerous? Trungpa Rinpoche said that “LSD is super-samsara.” But can the heightening of samsara be used in an “al-chemical” way to accelerate the transformation into nirvana, bringing unconscious processes into the light of consciousness? Chris bravely shares intimate stories of his 73 sessions, the intense and often painful purification, the revelation, the vision, and the vast potential. Is this modern-day shamanism? Can anybody do this? What is the role of meditation in preparing and stabilizing this kind of journey? Can LSD show you the “species mind,” and even the “mind of the universe”? Is there a universal intelligence guiding things, and a final purpose (teleology) to creation? As a professor of religion, Chris discusses how his sessions showed him a new form of education, where one becomes the object of study. How about the risk of sharing this intimate journey, and the bigger risk of alluring others into it? This conversation with a rare individual, possessed with a penetrating intellect, a generous heart, and disarming humility is one of the richest interviews ever offered on this podcast. Be prepared to have your mind blown open, and your heart expanded to the limits of the inner and outer cosmos.  

David Germano and Michael Sheehy join Andrew Holecek to discuss the history, diversity, and modern relevance of dark retreats in Tibetan Buddhism. The speakers discuss the two main streams of dark retreat practices - the Kalachakra tradition and the Dzogchen tradition - and how they differ in their approaches and interpretations. 

The conversation also explores the traditional secrecy surrounding these practices, the reasons for it, and the challenges of appropriately translating and adapting them for a modern, Western audience. The speakers emphasize the importance of understanding the cultural and environmental factors that shape these practices, as well as the need for caution and humility when engaging with them as outsiders. 

Finally, the speakers provide advice for those interested in exploring dark retreats, emphasizing the importance of sincerity, self-awareness, and gradually building up experience with darkness and contemplative practices. They also discuss the potential of dark retreats as a powerful tool for personal transformation and healing, particularly in addressing the challenges of the modern "dark age."

Join Andrew as he talks with noted science writer James Kingsland. James is a medical and science journalist with over twenty-five years' experience working for publications including New Scientist, Nature and the Guardian, a British daily newspaper, where he was a commissioning editor and contributor for its Notes & Theories blog. On his own blog the Plastic Brain, he writes about neuroscience and Buddhist psychology.

In this interview, Andrew talks with James about his forthcoming book, “Am I Dreaming? The New Science of Consciousness and How Altered States Reboot the Brain.”

When asked to endorse the book, Andrew wrote, “If you’re not shocked by this book, you don’t understand it.” This is a tour-de-force look at neurophenomenology (where science meets spirit), and a deep exploration of the nature of perception – how it is that we “dream” our world into existence.

Additional topics discussed by Andrew and James include; hypnosis, virtual reality, psychedelics, hallucination, lucid dreaming, and how altered states can help us discover the natural state.

Learn about the neural substrates of ego, the default mode network and the salience network, and how meditation rudely interrupts the narratives created by these networks.

Find out why you sometimes have to “lose your mind to find reality.” Discover how it is truly possible that lucid dreamers are on the cutting edge of evolution. . . and so much more.

Join Delson Armstrong and Andrew in this in-depth exploration of dependent origination, arguably the intellectual content of enlightenment, and the core of Buddhism. Dependent origination is the Theravada rendering of emptiness, and classically depicted in the “Wheel of Life” drawing you will find at the entrance to every monastery in India, Nepal, and Tibet. The twelve links (nidanas) of dependent origination, when unfolded in the forward direction, generate samsara; in the reverse direction they lead to nirvana. The conversation focuses on the first two links, and how the 12th link (death) conditions the 1st (ignorance). In one sense, all of samsara is a type of PTSD, or post-truth stress disorder, when the shocking truth of the empty nature of our being is pointed out at death, and we’re unable to relate to that truth. Delson emphasizes the second link, samskara, which are karmic triggers leading to action, and Andrew then offers the Hindu interpretation of samskara. The role of metta, the Four Brahmaviharas, bhava-samskara, intentionality, cessation vs. transformation, the speed of mind, the Six R’s, conceit, mutual causality, and a host of related topics are unpacked. How can we purify the samskaras by staying with unwanted states of mind without acting upon them? How do we assume responsibility for our suffering and our liberation? What are the “taints” that precede the first link? This podcast is the inauguration of the Edge of Mind Lecture Series, where the emphasis is on education. These lecture-style podcasts take a single topic, in this case dependent origination, and explore it in depth. See for yourself why dependent origination is such a central teaching in Buddhism, expounded by an expert who has direct meditative experience with these teachings.   

In this captivating conversation, renowned astrologer Debra Silverman and host Andrew Holecek explore the profound insights of astrology and its transformative potential. Deborah shares her personal journey into the world of astrology, beginning from a young age, and how it has shaped her understanding of the human condition. The discussion delves into the relationship between astrology and synchronicity, as well as the concept of non-duality and how it relates to aligning one's inner and outer worlds. 

Debra and Andrew also examine the differences between various astrological systems, such as Vedic and Western astrology, and how they can provide unique perspectives on personal growth and purpose. This thought-provoking dialogue offers listeners a deeper appreciation for the wisdom and complexity inherent in the study of the stars.

Join neuroscientist Benjamin Baird for a “state of the union” look at lucid dreaming in the scientific community. Is this a good time for a young scientist to pursue the study of lucid dreaming?  If so, what’s the best way to go about that? After sharing his personal story about studying consciousness via lucid dreaming, the conversation turns to a brief but deep dive into the nature of reality, and the explanatory power of idealism (it’s all mind) vs. materialism (it’s all matter). Naïve realism and the mistake of representationalism take center stage, followed by a look at Ben’s study on meditators having more lucid dreams. What is the role of meditation in cultivating lucidity? How feasible is it to find a magic bullet for inducing lucidity, by either targeting sweet spots in the brain through pharmacological means (galantamine), or transcranial electrical stimulation? Based on another study he conducted with Stephen LaBerge, Ben shares his tips for the use of galantamine. Is it scientifically accurate to profess that lucid dreamers are leading the edge of human evolution? The conversation then turns to the radical study Dr. Baird is currently undertaking: trying to substantiate the claim of lucidity in deep dreamless sleep. If proven, this study would revolutionize the mind sciences. You will quickly see why Ben is one of the leading voices in the scientific community currently studying the nocturnal practices.

Dr. Benjamin Baird is a research scientist at the Center for Sleep and Consciousness at the University of Wisconsin - Madison specializing in the study of human cognition and consciousness. His work uses a range of behavioral and cognitive neuroscience methods, including electrophysiology and neuroimaging techniques. His areas of research include internally generated thought and perception, such as mind-wandering and dreaming, self-awareness and metacognition, and the neurobiology of consciousness. He also has a particular long-standing interest in the phenomenon of lucid dreaming, which he has focused on in his recent research.

Join Swami Sarvapriyananda for a deep and vast dive into the world of Advaita Vedanta, and its relationship to Vedanta, Tibetan Buddhism, and Kashmir Shaivism. Swami-ji shares what he has learned from Buddhism, and how emptiness relates to pure consciousness.  Is the no-self of Buddhism the same as the irreducible Self of Hinduism? Is reality on a sliding-scale, or does it eventually bottom out? Why is the dream analogy so central to Advaita Vedanta, and what role do dreams play in this tradition? Swami talks about nonduality – what it is and is not – and how dreams can help us discover nonduality. Why are the three wisdom tools of hearing, contemplating, and meditating so important? What are the strengths and weaknesses of Advaita Vedanta and Kashmir Shaivism? What are the paths that lead to the discovery of nonduality? The conversation moves to the promise and peril of science, and the place of psychology on the spiritual path. Why is materialism and scientific reductionism such a problem, and how can an integral approach help? The centrality of light, or luminosity, and its relationship to emptiness and pure consciousness is explored, along with the principle of contraction, and the pulsation of awareness. Discover why Swami-ji is one of the most sought-after teachers in the world, and why his infectious enthusiasm is so contagious.

Join the esteemed philosopher and computer scientist Bernardo Kastrup in a wide-ranging exploration of the nature of mind and reality. The conversation begins with a look at the implications of idealism, the view that reality is essentially mental. If reality is like a dream, how do we accurately derive meaning from this collective dream and avoid the trap of projecting meaning onto it? Can we interpret disease in a meaningful way, and how do we read this form of sign language? Is there a connection to this world view with the Buddhist teaching on Mahamudra, or the tradition of the “Great Symbol”? Bernardo shares his innovative view of cancer and speaks about the compassion we should direct to our diseases. If disease is a form of dissociation, can we look at the meta-crises facing the world today as a meta-disease, and reduce the meta-crises to irreducibly simple principles? Does karmic theory have a place in the origin of phenomena?

Dr. Kastrup shares his liberating view of death as the end of dissociation, not the end of consciousness. How do the contents of our mind contribute to “mind at large” when we die? What kind of “contribution” does someone like Hitler make? Intertwined with this discussion is the role of development, and the place of identity. What is our irreducible identity that is untouched even by death? The conversation turns to viewing the unconscious mind as the obfuscated or obscured mind. What is the main source of obfuscation, and where does dark retreat fit in? Is the light of meta-cognition a form of obfuscation? What about the relationship of light to mind, and to reality, altogether? Bernardo proclaims that philosophy must be lived if it is to be genuine. He shares two major ways his view of reality has positively affected his life, and two ways he has been challenged by his own views. What does Dr. Kastrup most want to know? See for yourself why Bernardo is a major figure in the world of philosophy, and a leading voice in the arena of nondual spirituality.

Join Andrew as he talks to the psychologist and lucid dream therapist Kristen LaMarca as they explore a host of fascinating topics that include:

Lucid dream nightmare therapy, sleep state misperception, imagery rehearsal therapy, PTSD, alternative world syndrome, the importance of proper “holding environments,” and the type of person who is amenable to these unique forms of dream therapy.

What is lucid dream therapy and how does it work? Are there any contraindications? What are its applications and limitations?

Dr. LaMarca shares stories from her extensive experience as an elite lucid dreamer, as well as case histories from her clients. She talks about her recent scientific publications, and her long-time research with the Lucidity Institute, under the guidance of Dr. Stephen LaBerge.

MILD, WILD, and DILD induction methods are discussed, along with Kristen’s go-to techniques, how to handle discouragement, and how to work with insomnia.

You will quickly see why she is one of the exciting new voices in the therapeutic applications of lucid dreaming, and a premiere guide for showing people how to have lucid dreams.

Join the esteemed author Bruce Tift in a cross-pollinating discussion about the interface between psychology and spirituality, the developmental and fruitional paths, or the paths of Growing Up and Waking Up respectively. Bruce discusses the importance of holding opposing, and even contradictory, views simultaneously, without any hope or desire for closure and resolution. We’re all a collection of limitations, so how can we best work with these limits? What constitutes a real obstacle in this view, and how can we work with obstacles? What about the difference between “recovery practices” and “achievement practices”? The conversation turns to the distraction value of our problems, and how ego, as an arrested form of development, is invested in maintaining struggle as a way to maintain itself. Bruce then talks about anxiety and fear, and the importance of an integral approach in relating to both. Not all fear and anxiety is problematic. 

On the spiritual path, anxiety can lead to real growth, and fear can be a sign that you’re doing something right. How about the place of shadow work, and why doesn’t Bruce favor that term? How do we best work with blind spots? The practice of relationship is explored, and how we unwittingly “hire” partners, over and over, to play out unconscious processes and avoidant tendencies. How does he sustain his enthusiasm for providing therapy after decades of clinical practice? Does Buddhism need therapy – in both senses of that phrase? Is his view exhilarating or intimidating? Bruce’s wide-ranging approach gives you permission to be human, and to delight in this wonderful and terrible thing we call life. See for yourself why he is one of the most sought-after therapists in the spiritual community.  

Join anthropologist and intrepid explorer Ian Baker for an exploration of the mysterious world of the “hidden lands,” or beyul. These extraordinary places are geographical power points where mindscape and landscape merge, and where spiritual practice is accelerated. “Here you can accomplish in one day what would otherwise take a year.” Dreamlike in nature, and absolutely mind-bending in essence, these terrestrial pure lands are an ineffable interworld between mind and nature. Here facets of the landscape act as fulcrums where perception turns into revelation, and gates open to a previously inaccessible space that defies categories of inside or outside. Ian explores the outer, inner, secret, and ultimately secret dimensions of these places, and how if we open our mind and heart we can discover these hidden lands tucked within the present moment (as the timeless “fourth moment”). The conversation turns to how these magical places relate to terma, symbolic guru, and liminality, and how the language of metaphor is necessary to describe the indescribable. The esoteric becomes exoteric when the teachings that surround beyul are connected to the current ecological crises, and our divorce from nature. Ian and Andrew share their experiences around nature coming alive in these power spots, and how surrendering to the mystery opens us to their blessings. This is one of the most mind-stretching interviews Andrew has conducted, sure to challenge and expand your vision of reality. In the end, the way to find these hidden lands is to stop looking, and to realize that the path is perceptual not actual – it’s a path to nowhere, or now-here. As Proust said, “The real journey of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”

Join noted author and lucid dreaming expert Charlie Morley and I as we take a wide-ranging romp into the world of dream yoga and lucid dreaming. From the top induction methods, to shadow work, to healing, to working with discouragement, to the placebo effect – this is one rich and fun interview. Charlie’s passion is infectious, and his deep knowledge and even deeper experience quite impressive. This man walks the talk, and I now see why he’s the leading teacher on these nocturnal practices in Europe. We really hit it off, and bounced off each other in a very fruitful way. I left the interview with renewed enthusiasm and inspiration for lucid dreaming and dream yoga – and the boundless potential they contain.

Join Bernardo Kastrup for Part I of a rich exploration of idealism, the radical proclamation that reality is of the nature of mind. As a scientist and academic, Bernardo shares how he found his way into this view, and relates some of its tremendous explanatory power. If idealism is the right view, why is there so much resistance by the intellectual elite? Is it a psychological and developmental issue? And why is the standard view of materialism so wrong? The conversation turns to the nature of the transpersonal mind – is it benevolent in nature, or is it naïve to see the world this way? Bernardo talks about dissociative identity disorder (formerly multiple personality disorder) as a potent analogy for “dissociative alters,” or the generation of the self and the personal mind. He then elaborates on the image of a whirlpool, and its relationship to the stream (or “mind at large”). Is death the dissolution of the whirlpool back into the stream? Bernardo says that we really have nothing to fear at death, because the end of the alter is not the end of the world. Death is not the reduction of consciousness, but its expansion. Where does contraction and fear fit into this, and how about spiritual practice? What is healthy vs. unhealthy contraction? The discussion then turns to the relationship between the conscious and unconscious mind, and how metacognition fits in. What is enlightenment in terms of the conscious and unconscious mind? See why Dr. Kastrup is causing such a stir in the academic, scientific, and spiritual community with his razor-sharp insights into the nature of mind and reality. 

Join the author Frank White in a rich exploration of the Overview Effect, and all its implications for inner and outer evolution. The conversation begins with Frank’s entry into his study of this transformative effect, before turning to why it is that not everybody who has the Overview is affected by it. What is the common denominator behind the effect, and can you have it on earth? We discuss the role of the “space principle,” both inner and outer, as a transformational tool, and how evolution is largely about increasing perspectives, which are brought about with more openness, and hence more space to perceive. 

What about the “underview effect,” and the change in perspective brought out from within? How does all this relate to Right View in Buddhism, and why did Frank turn to Zen Buddhism? Where does meditation, as “habituation to openness,” fit in? The conversation turns to how expansion and openness is central to evolution, as embodied, for one example, in human development from homocentric to ethnocentric to cosmocentric world views. What about the “Cosma Hypthosis,” and “space philosophy”? Where do vantage points come into play, and how about the place of virtual reality in opening the aperture of our awareness? When brought to earth, the real issue is not what we see, but how we see it. Terranauts, psychonauts, and oneirnauts can see just as much as astronauts – you just need to introduce more space into your mind and heart to see. The Overview Effect is needed more than ever to help people here on earth, and the earth itself.

Sean Esbjörn-Hargens joins Andrew in a truly out-of-this world journey into the field of Exo Studies. Central to this field is the study of what is real, and the importance of expanding our minds to encompass the “high strangeness” of reality. “Exo” implies something outside the confines of contractive egoic domains, and the importance of leaving this limited view behind. The conversation begins with the “problematic,” or the mainstream world view that dramatically limits our perception and cognition. While reductionism has a certain power, it needs to be balanced with “mandatory complexification,” or a recognition of the messiness of reality. Sean ties this into his notion of “doubleness,” or a more integral approach to the study of phenomena. Inherent to the discussion is a critique of the constraints of materialism; its unconscious indoctrination in the virtual hypnosis that takes place up to age seven; and the invitation to open into the more expansive view of idealism. The idea of “ontological flooding” is discussed, or putting everything on the table before you clear the table. The conversation turns to Sean’s key contribution of the “ontology matrix,” or the criteria we should employ to expand our  understanding of what is real. Where does evidence fit into the picture, and what is the difference between legal and scientific evidence? What about too much ontological fluidity, and the place of mental illness? Is anything off limits in such an open world view, and is it possible to open too much and too fast? What is the role of bodywork in opening safely? Do psychedelics have a place? Quantum mechanics comes into the discussion, and the participatory nature of reality, which Sean explores with his “mutual enactment hypothesis:” how phenomena, including things like non-human intelligences and extra-terrestrials, bring us into existence as much as we bring them into existence. Along the way Sean talks about possible blind spots in Buddhism; thought responsive domains; out-of-body and near-death experiences; meta-objects; the path of freedom and the path of fullness; and a vast array of mind-bending topics. See for yourself why Dr. Esbjörn-Hargens is the leading voice in the world of Exo Studies, and why you may want to blast off of this planet with him. 

About Sean Esbjörn-Hargens PhD
(from metaintegral.com) Sean is a global leader in the application of integrative thinking to leader development, organizational design, and mixed-methods design. In 2011 he founded MetaIntegral a social impact network that supports change leaders around the world in applying integrative principles. Sean’s passion lies at the intersection of design, integral theory, and embodiment. He has published and edited numerous articles, chapters, and books. His most recent book is Metatheory for the Twenty-first Century.

The MA/PhD Program Sean runs which includes a concentration in Anomalous Studies for interested students - The School of Integral Noetic Sciences:
https://www.cihs.edu/school-of-integral-noetic-sciences

The "Our Wild Kosmos" article referred to in the conversation:
https://whatsupwithufos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Exo_Studies.pdf

Sean's websites:
www.metaintegral.com
www.exostudies.org
www.whatsupwithufos.com   

Join Andrew and Ben Williams for a dazzling overview of the main schools of Hinduism, emphasizing Advaita Vedanta, Saiva Tantra and Kashmir Saivism. Discover where the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali fit in, and classic Sankhya Philosophy. Learn about deity principle, and an inner look at the power of mantra. The discussion then turns to what these wisdom traditions can do for us today, especially in terms of helping us with COVID 19. What are the everyday application of these ancient traditions? Professor Williams is a unique blend of scholar-practitioner, who walks the talk and shares the immediate and practical applications of these wisdom traditions. Anything is workable, and can be brought to the path – even accelerating the path – if it is related to properly. How does understanding the levels of identity help us with difficult situations? And what are the skillful means offered by these traditions that help us work with others? Dr. Williams then turns to a deep look at beauty, and the cosmic play (lila) of reality – even when that play turns into a tragedy. The discussion closes with a look at some of the powerful lessons that are being pointed out with the Corona virus; how deeply interconnected human animals are to the animal kingdom and the biosphere; the decentering of all our contracting centrisms; and the clarion call – the harsh wake-up call -- being presented with the virus. See why Professor Williams is a brilliant light in the yogic and intellectual traditions, and be ready for a warm surprise with his concluding comments about the open heart.

--
More about Ben Williams

Dr. Ben Williams is an intellectual historian focused on Indian religions and the history of Śaiva tantra. He has received extensive training in Indian philosophy, literature, and aesthetics in Sanskrit sources. Ben received a BA in Religious Studies from the University of Vermont, a Masters in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School, and completed his PhD in the Department of South Asian Studies at Harvard University. He currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Hinduism at Naropa University, where he has recently co-created a low-residency MA program in Yoga Studies that will launch in fall 2020. Ben also serves on the academic advisory council of the Muktabodha Indological Research Institute, which is dedicated to the preservation of scriptural and philosophical texts of classical India.

Learn more: www.yogicstudies.com/ys-107

Join the scholar-practitioner Yusuf al-Hurr for a discussion about the foundations of Islamic mysticism, and the role of Sufism in Islam. Yusuf points out a number of common misunderstandings about the Muslim tradition, and some of the challenges in modern academic research into Islam. Who are some of the best authors in this field, and what are some of the finest books? Islam has transmission lineages very similar to the tulku tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, and meditations (like deity yoga) analogous to tantric practice. What is the role of art in Islam, and why is it more indicative of authentic spirituality than the words of some Muslim teachers? Yusuf transitions from the esoteric to the exoteric, and poignantly discusses the human side of this tradition as well as his own personal practice. This wide-ranging conversation lays the necessary groundwork and contextual framework that will allow a deep dive into how lucid dreaming fits into Islam, and even an Islamic form of bardo yoga (a follow-up interview scheduled for next week). Join this sensitive and rigorous scholar for an eye-opening look at the heart of this elegant tradition, and its relationship to Eastern thought. The internet connection to Baghdad was spotty at times, but this fascinating presentation is worth a close listening.

More about Yusuf:

Dr. Francisco José Luis (Yūsuf al-Hurr al- Andalusī) was born in Luxembourg in a Portuguese working class immigrant family. He developed a deep interest for comparative religions and mysticism since his teenage years when he started practicing meditation. He completed two separate MA degrees in Indo-Iranian Studies and in French and Comparative Literature at the Sorbonne University in Paris before doing his PhD in Religious Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) on Sikhism. He taught at various universities (London, Toronto, Karachi) and his main research interests are Islamic mysticism and philosophy, Islamic art, the relations between Islamic, Christian and Indic forms of mysticism. While working on his publications he is also presently training in Arabic calligraphy and Middle Eastern music. He hates instant coffee.

Intro Links:

• “Dreams of Light” Book Study Group
• Graceful Entry: Preparing for a Good Birth [Menla] - Online Retreat with Andrew + Bob Thurman

Join neuroscientist Maria Kozhevnikov as she shares cutting-edge research on the nature of consciousness, and expands the scientific inquiry into post-mindfulness studies. Mindfulness studies, which dominate the field, are great, but there is so much more. Dr. Kozhevnikov is a rare blend of scientist-practitioner, who has spent years studying advanced meditators in Bhutan and Nepal. Her ground-breaking work in deity yoga (generation stage meditation) and tummo (the inner heat practices) is revealing the untapped wonders of the mind from a scientific lens, and stretching research into uncharted territories. What is the promise and peril of conducting studies on practices that were previously kept secret? What is the “cash value” of this work, and how can it benefit the general public, or a meditator? Is the mind spread out across the body, or limited to the brain? Does mentation even expand beyond the body? Maria shares her work and experience with lucid dreaming (along with tips for increasing lucidity), and discusses the importance of “flow states” (the Zone) and their relationship to states of meditative absorption (samadhi). What happens to the default mode network, and the salience network, which are both central to the ego, in these deep states? Why does the Vajrayana (Tantra) engage flow states, while the Hinayana (Theravada) does not? Maria shares how her professional work has informed and impacted her practice of Vajrayana Buddhism, and then concludes with what lies ahead in her exciting arena of scientific inquiry. Dr. Kozhevnikov is a pioneering voice truly on the edge of mind. 

Cortland Dahl, a leading expert in mindfulness meditation and contemplative science, joins Andrew to discuss his work bridging science and spirituality. He emphasizes the importance of cultural translation and the integration of scientific insights into meditation practices. Dahl highlights the Healthy Minds app, which uses data from 200+ practices to show that even short, active meditations can significantly improve well-being, with improvements of 20-30% in just a month and up to 50-60% with long-term use. He also discusses the need for modern adaptations of traditional practices, balancing comfort and discomfort, and the role of compassion and curiosity in navigating contemporary challenges. 

Cortland and Andrew delve into the role and significance of shamatha (stability) in Mahamudra and Dzogchen traditions, noting that while it is foundational, it is not the end goal. The conversation highlights the debate within these traditions about the necessity and extent of shamatha practice, with some arguing it is unnecessary. They emphasize the importance of nature of mind and bodhicitta, suggesting that these practices provide stability and should be prioritized over shamatha. 

They also discuss the potential pitfalls of meditative experiences (nyam) and the distinction between nirodha (cessation) and nirvana, concluding that the view one holds during practice is crucial.

Join nutritionist, yoga instructor, and breathing specialist Amanda Morley for a deep look at the power of respiration, and how to exercise coherent / resonant breathing. Breath is so central on the path that even the word “spirit” derives from a root that means “breath.” Breath is our most critical form of nutrition (you can go weeks without food, days without water, but just a few minutes without breath). Its role in preparing us for good meditation and healthy sleep is often overlooked. Ninety percent of us do not breath properly, and the consequences are far reaching. We’re breathing 70% faster than we were a hundred years ago, and rapid shallow breathing is taking a toll. Amanda brings her expertise to illuminate the many benefits breathing brings to body, mind, and spirit. How does mantra tie into breath, what is “email apnea,” and how can we practice optimal breathing? “Lucid breathing” leads to lucid living. By making this previously unconscious process more conscious, we can bring heightened lucidity and awareness to all aspects of life. This nuts-and-bolts discussion will invigorate your relationship to one of the most aspects of life.

From amandamorley.co.uk: "I’m so grateful to have studied the inner workings of the body – to understand the fine tuning of how they function to keep us alive and well. When we understand this we learn to look after ourselves a little better and, most importantly, trust that our body will always try to work in the best way that it can.

I am also grateful to have learnt about the brain to understand why we are the way we are, how much we can get caught up in unhelpful loops due to the messages we are constantly sending to our brain. And how much these messages are influenced by our words, reactions, body and breath…<a href="https://amandamorley.co.uk/about/">More&gt;&gt;&gt;</a>

Join Andrew and lucid dream author and researcher Clare Johnson in this deep dive into the world of lucidity. This wide-ranging conversation begins with a close look at the promise and peril of fear, how to work with it, and how to use it for growth. The discussion then moves into a look at dream sex, dream violence, and a “code of ethics” in terms of how to relate to dream characters – which are essentially aspects of your own mind. Dreams are the “children” of your mind, treat them with love. Clare then shares her remarkable experiences with lucidity in deep dreamless sleep, and the luminosity that shines below all dreams. She advises us to look for the beauty and luminosity in our dreams and in our life, and to move towards that light. The conversation then turns to a discussion of how lucid dreaming not only leads to lucid living, but to lucid dying. The nocturnal practices have removed all fear of death for Clare, and she shares why. The discussion closes with a look at how to work with discouragement, and Clare’s “go-to” methods for inducing lucidity. Dr. Johnson is a shining star in the world of lucid dreaming, and this conversation will show you why.

Join the author, and spiritual director of the Sukhasiddhi Foundation, Lama Palden Drolma, in a rich conversation about the transplantation of Buddhism to the West. 

What is the “state of the union” concerning Buddhism in America, and the core challenges in cultural translation? How does one find an authentic teacher, and what are the warning signs to look for to avoid corrupt teachers? The conversation turns to the role of psychotherapy on the path, the danger of blind spots, the lingering problem of patriarchy, power abuse, and other common traps that frequently snare teachers. What is “spiritual counseling,” and how does it differ from therapy? What constitutes outer and inner obstacles on the path, and how can we avoid spiritual bypassing? 

Lama Palden is an expert in yidam practice, or deity yoga, especially the female Buddha Tara. Is Tara inside of us, outside of us, or both? What role does Tara play in the modern world? Is the West even ready for the advanced spiritual technologies of tantra? The conversation turns to the role of the imaginal, and the importance of visualization and “feelingization.” Do modern meditative technologies, like brain entrainment, have an authentic place on the path? What about psychedelics? 

Lama Palden talks about “idiot devotion,” and the promise and peril of surrendering on the path. She offers valuable advice specifically for female practitioners, and things to look out for when working with a teacher. Where do you go to engage in genuine, and safe, spiritual practice? See for yourself why Lama Palden is such a respected teacher, and a real protector of the dharma in this challenging age.

Join Andrew and Jeff Warren for a warm-hearted, playful, and personal tour of meditation, lucid dreaming, and consciousness. The discussion begins with a look at Jeff’s book The Head Trip, and his personal experiences related to research for the book. Jeff talks about “the silo brain,” and how beliefs prematurely foreclose our contact with reality.

The conversation then turns to hypnosis, the power of narratives, and the story lines we constantly tell ourselves to create the illusion of certainty – and ego itself. The “awakened ones,” in this regard, are also the “de-hypnotized ones.” We succumb to trances of our own making, and suffer the consequences of buying into our storylines.

Jeff then talks about “good art vs bad art,” and how good art brings you into a type of trance to wake you up from trance altogether. The discussion peppers in a host of obstacles on the path – like ADD, bi-polar disorder, and wind (prana) disorders – and how obstacles are the path if we relate to them properly. The need to pace ourselves, to titrate challenging experiences, and to practice maitri  (loving kindness towards ourselves) is a key to progress on the path.

The relationship of absolute and relative aspects of the path is discussed, and the importance of finding “the middle way.” Jeff then shares how hyper-lucid dreams were the most transformative experiences of his life, and also his experience with liminal dreaming (hypnogogic and hypnopompic states of consciousness). The conversation closes with a look at synchronicities, meaning, and how we can replace karma with auspicious coincidence. Jeff concludes with his “desert island” tip, or his irreducible instruction.

With his rapid-fire intellect, relentless humor, and good heart, you will see why Jeff is such a beloved force in the world of meditation, and its application in the modern world. 

--

Jeff Warren is a meditation instructor and journalist, celebrated for his dynamic and accessible style of teaching. He is co-author of The New York Times bestselling Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics, author of The Head Trip – a travel guide to sleeping, dreaming and waking – and founder of The Consciousness Explorers Club, a nonprofit meditation adventure group based in Toronto. His mission is to empower people to take responsibility for their own mental health, through the realistic, intelligent and sometimes irreverent exploration of meditation and personal growth practices.

Jeff has taught meditation to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, US Army cadets, Arizona cops, Google executives, distractible teens, suspicious journalists, burned-out caregivers, formerly- incarcerated youth, and every other conceivable demographic of freethinker, including squirmy six- year old kids. He tries to do this in a way that’s rigorous and clear and adventurous. He is passionate about democratizing and de-stigmatizing meditation and other mental health practices, and is honest and very funny about being a meditation teacher – a a supposed paragon of mental health – who struggles with both ADD and bipolar disorder. Jeff talks refreshingly about what is realistic in a practice – what traits and behaviors we can change, and also what traits and behaviors we can’t change. His core subject is what it actually looks looks like for each of us to become our own teachers and mental heath authorities.

Dubbed the “Meditation MacGyver”, Jeff’s charismatic meditations in the Ten Percent Happier app were listened to by over 150,000 individuals in 2018. He has appeared on Good Morning America, ABC’s Nightline, The Joe Rogan Experience and other popular media outlets. He is a regular presenter at many corporations, universities, speaking venues, meditation centers, hospitals and health clinics.

Learn more at https://jeffwarren.org/

Join Andrew and philosopher David Loy on an exhilarating ride through the nuances of nonduality, and how to apply it to daily life. What exactly is nonduality? If nonduality is the natural state, how did we get so dualistic, and how do we continue to practice duality? The conversation explores the power of language and evolution in generating a dualistic view, then turns to a close look at the role of vision and our sight-centric ways. Why did the senses even evolve if the world is nondualistic? And what is the relationship between light, mind and appearance itself? The discussion then explores the role of meditation in realizing nonduality, and the blind spots that afflict meditators. How can we use “spiritual reductionism” as a way to simplify the world’s problems into basic spiritual tenets? How does our inarticulate sense of lack drive virtually everything we do? How do the three poisons of passion, aggression, and ignorance get institutionalized? Dr. Loy’s gift is to bolt the philosophical with the practical, so the conversation shifts to current social and political unrest, and the role of the ecosattva in today’s ecological crises. What is the place of hope and fear in relating to current problems, and how can we continue to help the world in the face of so many obstacles? Does Buddhism have something to offer in terms of social activism, or is it irrelevant in this modern age? David is a rare blend of scholar-practitioner, and one of the most refined thinkers of our age. His insights have the potential to revolutionize “applied spirituality.”

Join author Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel and Andrew on a tour of “the power of an open question” and the importance of openness and inquiry altogether. The Buddha (sometimes translated as “the Opened One”) in the East, and Socrates in the West, were more interested in questioning answers than in answering questions. What are the rules for proper engagement in the process of inquiry? What are the right questions? How do we properly hold the answers, and when do we look to others or to the world altogether (symbolic guru) for confirmation? Elizabeth is an authority on the “middle way” teachings, and elegantly shows us how “everything leans,” or arises in dependence on everything else. The conversation explores how seemingly esoteric teachings have tremendous application in daily life. What are the near enemies of openness, and how does openness relate to emptiness? Where does fear fit into all this, and can we bring fear onto the path? The discussion also explores how to work with and digest unwanted experiences (like political and social unrest or COVID 19), and the principle of “authentic consumerism.” Her passion and enthusiasm are on display in this lively conversation, and reveal why Elizabeth is one of the most beloved and sought-after teachers of Buddhism in the West.

-
LINKS:

- "Dreams of Light" Book Study Group: www.andrewholecek.com/dreams-of-ligh…k-study-group/

-The Power of An Open Question by Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel: www.elizabethmattisnamgyel.com/the-power…-question

Join Andrew and philosopher Zachary Stein in an eye-opening and heartfelt look at COVID 19 and how it is changing the world. The virus has stopped economic growth dead in its tracks, and the liminal space we are now in provides an unprecedented opportunity to start afresh. Growth is good, but growth without direction is cancer. As chaos theory (and dissipative structures) has shown, things have to fall apart before they can reorganize at a higher level. How can civilizational collapse be transformed into opportunities for genuine growth? Is home-schooling better than industrial learning? How does understanding the spectrum of our identity help prevent burnout? After these opening topics, the conversation turns to deeply personal ways for how to manage the virus crises: how do we keep our hearts open, what coping mechanisms do we have, how can we use this situation to increase love? Zak shares some moving stories about his path of transforming “tears into nectar,” and “burning in the fire of tragedy.” He then talks about “crying practice” (which was used by the Spartans), how to actually do it, and why it is so helpful. This is immediately conjoined with “laughing practice,” and a look at how reality is touched through tears and laughter. Whether it’s “cracking up” or “breaking down” it’s the cracking and breaking that’s important – a gut-splitting and heart-breaking way to open, to love, and to then share it. How can we “bear the unbearable image” and use that to connect more fully to others? Crying practice is “permission practice;” the permission to be human, to feel deeply, to break down. But the human heart is unique. The more it breaks, the bigger it gets. Join this deep and sensitive thinker in an exploration of coping mechanisms in times of stress, and how to authentically transform obstacle into opportunity. This conversation was seeded by Zak’s recent article, which has caused a stir in the intellectual and alternative community: www.whatisemerging.com/opinions/covi…out-in-heaven

--

Zak Stein is philosopher of education working at the interface of psychology, metaphysics, and politics. He has published two books, including Education in Time Between Worlds, along with dozens of articles. This writing was done as he worked co-founding a non-profit and think tank, as well as teaching graduate students at Harvard, and consulting with technology start-ups. Zak is a long time meditator, musician and caregiver, which has shaped him more than any professional engagements.

Learn more at www.zakstein.org

Join the author and Integral scholar John Dupuy in a wide-ranging exploration of the principles of intoxication, addiction, and sobriety. The conversation begins with the origins of his landmark book, Integral Recovery, and John’s experience with the traditional 12 step program. How does alcohol, and other substances, work to alter our relationship to the contents of our mind? Are there healthier ways to alter this relationship, like meditation? He then offers a rich rendering of the integral approach, including a thorough look at quadrants, levels, lines, stages, states (we are all state junkies), and shadow work. Why are all these factors important, and how does one engage them all? What is the difference between distress and eustress, and their relationship to translation and transformation?

John elaborates on the use of spiral dynamics as a developmental schema, and the difference between dominator and actualization hierarchies, before talking about alcohol and other substances as devolutionary drivers. How can we use all this information to enhance skillful means for helping others? The discussion then explores the benefits of the Enneagram, as a method to better understand ourselves and others. These are all maps of the prison, and therefore very helpful if we want to make a prison break. The power of projection, enveloped in shadow work, is discussed in depth, including the 3-2-1 process of reintegration that allows us to take ownership of our shadows. Without this inner work, the “beasts in the basement” of our mind will constantly take us down, and back to the bottle.

John shares his rich experience with brain wave entrainment, how it works, how to use it, and why it’s not cheating. The conversation closes with a deep dive into how addiction is a matter of degree, and how we are all addicts, whether we know it or not. Andrew shares his experience of “detox” in extended retreat, and the discovery of his addiction to thought and movement. Can one legitimately reduce conventional addiction, intoxication, and sobriety, to fundamental principles? What does “being sober” really mean? Is enlightenment the ultimate sobriety? John’s ability to join heaven and earth, book smarts with street smarts, makes him uniquely qualified to talk about these complex issues, and then bolt them into practical life. This podcast connects to material discussed in conversations with Ken Wilber, Dustin DiPerna, Roger Walsh, and Judson Brewer.

Join an insightful discussion between Andrew Holecek and Ken Wilber on integrating spirituality, science, and human development. They discussed Wilber's new book "Finding Radical Wholeness" and how it provides a comprehensive overview of waking up, growing up, opening up, cleaning up, and showing up as vectors of transformation. A major topic was distinguishing between waking up experiences and growing up stages, as well as clarifying the pre-trans fallacy around interpreting early fusion states as enlightenment. They also dialogued around expanding notions of matter and consciousness, with Wilber arguing that interiority exists at all scales from quarks to humans. Overall, the discussion provided valuable insights into integral theory, stages of human development, and how to apply these concepts through integral life practice to facilitate personal and social evolution.

In this podcast, Andrew changes roles and is interviewed by Michael Taft, host of the popular “Deconstructing Yourself” podcast. Michael is a sensitive thinker, and the discussion leads to some interesting places. Join Andrew and Michael for this provocative conversation.

—

Michael W. Taft is a maverick meditation teacher, bestselling author, and podcaster. As a mindfulness coach, he specializes in secular, science-based mindfulness training in retreats, groups, corporate settings, and one-on-one sessions. Michael is the author of several books, including the bestselling The Mindful Geek, Nondualism: A Brief History of a Timeless Concept, and Ego (which he co-authored), as well as the editor of such books as Hardwiring Happiness by Rick Hanson and The Science of Enlightenment by Shinzen Young.

He has often taught meditation at Google, worked on curriculum development for SIYLI, and is currently core faculty at Wisdom Labs, in San Francisco. Michael is also a featured teacher on the Simple Habit app, and an official advisor to the Therapeutic Neuroscience Lab. He was previously editor-in-chief of Being Human, and was the long-time editorial director of Sounds True. From Zen temples in Japan to yogi caves in India, Michael has been meditating for over thirty five years and has extensive experience in both Buddhist Vipassana and Hindu Tantric practice.

Join Tsoknyi Rinpoche and Daniel Goleman as they discuss their new book, Why We Meditate. This conversation follows the structure of the book, with Rinpoche responding to questions from Andrew, and Daniel offering the science behind what Rinpoche covers. The podcast begins with the aspirations behind this book, what they both want readers to walk away with. Rinpoche then talks about his notion of “beautiful monsters,” and gives the example of how to work with anger in a new way, distinguishing between useful and useless anger. 

Rinpoche connects this to “essence love,” and his wonderful “handshake” practice. Daniel and Rinpoche then talk about balancing the two views behind meditation: are we training to achieve certain qualities, or dis-covering them? What about the sense of hollowness that so many feel today? Where does that sense of lack come from, and what can we do about it? Rinpoche and Daniel then go into depth about the “Four I’s” – the mere I, reified I, needy I, and the social I – and how this relates to the issue of egolessness. This acts as platform into the topic of reification, and its central role in creating suffering. Both guests talk about the contribution of Western psychology, and therapy as an indispensable tool for benefiting meditators.

More about the book "Why We Meditate"

Join sleep expert and meditation teacher Tucker Peck Phd as we cascade through a host of very practical tips around sleep disorders and how to manage them. Much of the interview is centered around insomnia, and treatments like CBTi, but we also talk about the importance of sleep hygiene, how to work with jet lag, the place of sleep supplements like melatonin, the danger of prescription sleep drugs, the problem with artificial light, and how meditation does – or doesn’t – fit into sleep disorders. Tucker had some surprising suggestions, and the breadth of his scientific knowledge and clinical experience in treating sleep issues is evident. When conjoined with his delightful humor, the impact of the information he shares really comes home.

Join Andrew in this far-reaching conversation with Richard Miller, as they talk about iRest, Yoga Nidra, lucid dreaming, sleep yoga, and the deep connection between lucid body and lucid mind.

Richard is known for his “translational research,” which is all about bringing science and spiritual teachings into daily life. Dr. Miller shares his remarkable experience introducing meditation to the military, and helping veterans manage the damaging effects of combat. They also discuss a host of near enemies that surround spiritual practice, and the importance of the “market test” – how to sustain lucidity in all states, day or night.

Richard then turns to the koshas, or “sheaths” of identity, and how problems arise because we have a wild case of mistaken identity. The conversation shifts to the role of effort on the path, and the magic of grace and love on the journey to awakening.

The entire conversation circles around the real meaning of “nonduality,” and how this esoteric doctrine has vast exoteric applications. Joining psychology, neuroscience, and spirituality, this conversation covers vast terrain, all in the service of helping others and this world.

—

Richard C. Miller, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, author, researcher, yogic scholar and spiritual teacher who, for the past 47 years has devoted his life to integrating western psychology and neuroscience with the ancient wisdom teachings of Yoga, Tantra, Advaita, Taoism, and Buddhism. Developer of the research-based program, Integrative Restoration – iRest Yoga Nidra Meditation, Richard is founding president of the iRest Institute, cofounder of the International Association of Yoga Therapists, past founding president of the Institute for Spirituality and Psychology. He is author of iRest Meditation, The iRest Program for Healing PTSD and Yoga Nidra: The Meditative Heart of Yoga. Richard leads retreats and trainings internationally emphasizing enlightened living in daily life. www.irest.org.

Join philosopher Christopher Bache for Part II of his remarkable twenty-year journey into the world of psychedelics – and the mind of the universe. Using the narrative of the path as a journey into progressive opening, Chris shares the challenges of integrating so much openness – in both body and mind. How did he manage all the energy that was released, and avoid the “metabolic disorders” of consuming so much experience? Is the process one of returning to the remarkable states revealed with LSD, or recognizing those states here and now? Why is “dying” so integral to this journey, and how does it actually remove one’s fear of death? What does Chris expect to encounter at the moment of death, when he returns to the embrace of the Beloved? Dr. Bache says that to become one with the universe requires that we become one with ourselves. He then returns to the difference between cosmological exploration vs. individual liberation. Is there a cosmological dualism inherent in this distinction? The conversation gradually opens to the summit of his journey: a profound exploration of the Diamond Luminosity. What is the light that is revealed with such openness; where does it go when the absorption (samadhi) fades; why does it fade; how does that light relate to worldly appearances, and how does it actually restructure the body? The discussion then turns to evolution, the future human, and the reconciliation of that which does not evolve (emptiness/the changeless nature) with that which does (form). Does the path ever end, is there an Omega point? What is the difference between voluntary and involuntary rebirth? Is humanity heading towards a non-linear tipping point where global and rapid growth is about to occur – or is that wishful thinking? How apocalyptic is it going to get before it gets better? Chris leaves us with his prescription for a better future, and specific ways we can help ourselves and the planet. This is another mind-bending session with an intrepid explorer of consciousness, and a message that we all need to take to heart.  

Join the esteemed master of dream yoga, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, in a rich exploration of the nocturnal meditations. The conversation begins with why Rinpoche has elected to teach so extensively on this topic, which is rarely emphasized by Tibetan lamas. Why should busy Westerner’s bother with dream yoga, what does it have to offer us, and what does it mean to accomplish this practice? Rinpoche talks about how his teaching of dream yoga has changed over the years, before elaborating on all the new content in the 2nd edition of his classic book, The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep. The discussion turns to how dream yoga develops flexibility in identity, and why this is so important, before transitioning into the difference between adapting a teaching vs. editing it to suit egoic needs.

If teachings aren’t culturally translated and adapted, they go extinct. But if you adapt them too much, the teachings are diluted. How does one establish dream guardians, and create a protection circle for dreaming?  Do we need to believe in spirits, and what are the consequences if we don’t? How can you tell if a dream figure is just a projection of your mind, or a real entity? Rinpoche then discusses the role of the subtle body, and the importance of the central channel, before turning to how the subtle body shapes our dreams. How can we work with the subtle body during the day to facilitate lucidity at night? What’s the best thing to do just before falling asleep? Can we use the subtle body to incubate dreams?

Dream yoga, and the subtle body, “break all the rules,” and help us live outside the box of the gross body, and our exclusive identification with it. Rinpoche exhorts us not to limit ourselves to the outer body, which grows old, gets sick, and then dies. Transition your identity to a deeper aspect of your being that does not age, get ill, or die. See for yourself why Rinpoche is the premier voice in the world of dream yoga today.

Join the astronaut, author, and humanitarian Ron Garan for an out of this world discussion about the power of perspective. We show clips of Ron’s remarkable life as a fighter pilot and International Space Station inhabitant, and then turn to the power of the “overview effect,” and its implementation as orbital perspective. Andrew ties this into the lucidity principle, and how evolution itself is defined by increased perspectives. From ego-centric to tribe-centric to world-centric to cosmo-centric – from ego to eco -- we evolve as we continue to open to new views on reality (a notion deeply connected to meditation as “habituation to openness”). Ron shares how Plato’s Allegory of the Cave is central to his life, and how his many months in space have inspired him to now spend his life helping others, and the planet. The discussion turns to fear, and how to work with it; how darkness is often the source of growth; the relationship of outer space to the inner space of the mind; the role of witness awareness; and how the film technique of dolly zooming is a powerful metaphor for holding multiple perspectives. We are at an inflection point in human history, and seeing what’s really going -- what Buddhism calls Right View -- is central to our survival. Ron’s view is inspirational, and completely resonant with the wisdom traditions: we have more power than we think, and with every thought, word, and deed, we can help this world. Ron is uniquely situated to talk about the power of right view, and how we are all crewmates on the spacecraft called Earth. 

Watch this clip of Ron reading excerpts from his latest book, “Floating in Darkness.”

https://vimeo.com/504892442  

Join Andrew and Zvi Ish-Shalom for a look at the role of dreams in Judaism. Zvi shares his personal story of how dreams continue to affect his practice and study, and explains their place in the Talumd, Kabbalah, and Kedumah traditions. The conversation then transitions to a deeper look at the “prophetic” mind, and how sleep is 1/60th of death. Zvi then elaborates on how the path is more perceptual than actual, and how this narrative ties into the lucidity principle. Using the archetype of contraction and relaxation, they take an inside look at the “exile principle,” and how the exodus from slavery into the promised land is a potent metaphor for the exile of lucidity, and its eventual return. When we contract we reify, and evict ourselves into bondage by mis-taking mere appearances to be real – exactly what happens in a non-lucid dream. Zvi then shares a mystical Christmas story, and how the Star of Bethlehem shines within each of us. When we open to the natural light within, we are all Messiahs. Join us for this deep dive into the heart of Jewish mysticism, and discover how this tradition connects to Christianity and Buddhism. Zvi’s exploration of ancient Hebrew texts is exhilarating, profound, and beautifully heretical.

--

Zvi Ish-Shalom, Ph.D., is an ordained rabbi, a professor of wisdom traditions at Naropa University, and is the founder of Kedumah, a universal path of ancient Hebrew wisdom that teaches a step-by-step approach to spiritual awakening and personal development.

Zvi is the author of the book The Kedumah Experience: The Primordial Torah and the forthcoming Sleep, Death, and Rebirth: Mystical Practices of the Kabbalah.

Join Scott Berman, founder of the dark retreat center Sky Cave, for a look at this ancient practice that is finding its way into the modern world. How did Scott get into this unusual business, and what is dark retreat all about? Scott explores the many reasons why people are clamoring to get into dark retreat, the things you do when you’re in the dark, and what constitutes a successful retreat. We explore the indications and contraindications of dark practice, and the profiles of those who tend to thrive in the dark, and the profiles of those who struggle. “Spiritual types,” or those with long meditation histories, often have a harder time than those who enter with the “beginner’s mind.” Dark retreat is feminine in nature, and women tend to do better than mind. Why is that? And what actually constitutes a dark retreat? How long do you go in? Do you have emotional or spiritual support if you need it? How do you get your food? 

We discuss how to work with the challenges that tend to arise in the dark, especially anxiety and fear. Scott talks about dissociation, the importance of embodiment, and the role of body work before, during, and after retreat. How does one best prepare for the dark, and how does one integrate the experience into daily life? How important is proper motivation when going into dark retreat, and why is honesty towards your experience more important than positivity? What are some of Scott’s biggest surprises in guiding over 350 people through dark retreat? We talk about the new field of darkness therapy, and the overall therapeutic potential of dark retreat. With dark retreat, you may not always get what you want, but you tend to get what you need. How do you handle those “needs,” and the revelations that unfold in darkness? See for yourself why dark retreat is being touted by celebrities, ranging from famous authors, to athletes, to business executives, and if this unusual practice is right for you. 

In this interview Andrew talks to the cognitive neuroscientist Jordan Quaglia about their joint study on the relationship of virtual reality to lucid dreaming.

They discuss the exciting future of VR, as well as the many concerns. VR is like a stem cell, which can grow into healthy tissue (all the psychological and spiritual benefits) or a tumor (pornography and raw entertainment). VR, like lucid dreaming, can be used to develop empathy via virtual embodiment and also help us prepare for death via virtual disembodiment.

Andrew and Jordan talk about the phenomenology of non-lucidity, and how we love to be “captured” and swept away by outer displays like movies and VR, as well as the inner display of the mind itself.

They introduce the concept of “virtual lucidity” and its relationship to dream lucidity, and discuss exciting future directions for research. Plus, discover why Deepak Chopra said after his first VR experience, “This is going to change the world.” It’s all here and more!

To view the study Andrew and Jordan completed click here.

Join neuroscientist Antoine Lutz, who belongs to the rare breed of “contemplative scientist,” in a wide-ranging tour of mind and reality. The conversation begins with a look at neurophenomenology, a term coined by the groundbreaking scientist Francisco Varela, that underlies much of the scientific exploration of meditation. How can we honor first-person (phenomenology) and third-person (neuroscience) perspectives without reducing one to the other. Antoine discusses his extensive research around pain, and the importance of functional de-coupling and deautomatization. We’re essentially automatons, running on automatic ignorance, where everything we experience is automatically referenced to self, a contraction/referencing that creates all our suffering. This unconscious process also generates the sense of duality altogether, which could be studied in the lab. Are there neurological signatures for the experience of nonduality – and why does that matter? What is the promise and peril of scientifically studying meditators? Why should a meditator care about any of this? Using science, philosophy, psychology and the wisdom traditions, this conversation ranges from the theoretical to the personal, from the abstract (intersubjective realism) to the practical (how to work with pain). Discover why Dr. Lutz is one of the pioneering researchers exploring the meditative mind, and how this work can benefit the world.

More about Antoine:

Dr. Antoine Lutz is currently a director of research at the French Medical Research Institute (INSERM) in the Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CNRL) where he co-leads the Experiential Neuroscience and Mental Training Team (EDUWELL). After a Master degree in engineering and a BA in philosophy at the Sorbonne under the direction of Natalie Depraz, he did his PhD in cognitive neurosciences in Paris, France, with Francisco Varela where he applied for the first time his neurophenomenology program to study the neural correlates of attention and perception. Since 1998, he has studied meditation with various teachers including Mingyur Rinpoche, Tsoknyi Rinpoche, Matthieu Ricard and Joseph Goldstein.

During his postdoctoral work with Richard Davidson, at the University of Madison-Wisconsin, he studied using neuroimaging techniques meditation practices such as mindfulness or compassion meditations in expert meditators and in novices who learnt to meditate using the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program (MBSR). In 2008, Richard Davidson and him were awarded a NIH-NCCAM grant to fund in Madison the first American Center of Excellence on Research dedicated to neurophysiological study of meditation practices. After working for ten years in the US as a research scientist, he joined the Lyon Neuroscience Research Center in France in January 2013. His current research group focuses on the neurophenomenology of mindfulness and compassion meditations and on the impact of these practices on consciousness, attention and emotion regulations, and pain perception as measured by cognitive, affective and social neuroimaging paradigms using EEG, MEG, intra-cortical EEG, and fMRI. This research is currently funded by a European ERC consolidator grant (Brain&Mindfulness, 2014-2021).

He is also currently collaborating to a European research consortium investigating the impacts of meditation practices on ageing and well-being as measured by brain imaging (PET, IRMf, DTI, EEG), biomarkers of ageing, and psycho-affective and cognitive behavioural measures (Meditageing, H2020, 2016-2021, study coordinated by Gaël Chételat, INSERM Caen, https://silversantestudy.fr). He recently started a collaboration investigating the neurocomputational principles of meditation (ANR MindMadeClear, coordinated by Hugues Mounier, CNRS).

Join the author, and end-of-life caregiver, Sierra Campbell in a rich conversation exploring the many aspects of spiritual and practical preparation for aging and death. She shares her own experience as a cancer survivor, and how she got involved in this work. Sierra talks about the importance of active listening, “saging” instead of aging, and the wisdom of “waking down” at the end of life. What is the profile of those who tend to transition gracefully vs those who do not? How does one work with the death of a child, and what are the best things to say, and not to say, to someone who is dying and to family members? How honest and open should you be? Sierra talks about the importance of using small deaths during life to help with the big death, and that most people aren’t afraid of death as much as they are of suffering. 

The conversation turns to medical aid in dying (MAID), how to understand the anger and fear that often arises around death, and the place of plant medicine (psychedelics) for helping people die, and for processing grief.  Sierra talks about how the bardo teachings of Tibetan Buddhism have informed and transformed her own relationship to death, and her ability to help others. She shares her most effective meditations, like metta, the practice of Tara, the generation of merit, and breathwork in preparing for the end of life. It’s important not to try to fix things at the end of life, but to support the journey. See for yourself why Sierra is such a coveted speaker on some of the most challenging situations, and difficult decisions, anyone ever has to face.  

Good sleep is vital for Lucid Dreaming. Join Andrew and sleep specialist Nevin Arora, MD for a thorough look at the critical importance of sleep – and how to get it.

The jury is in: the shorter you sleep, the shorter you live. You don’t snooze, you lose. Dr. Arora shares a host of tips from his clinical practice, including gems about optimal sleep hygiene, how to work with insomnia, as well as the importance of daylight and the damaging effects of artificial light.

Falling asleep requires becoming “undone,” and as “human doings” (versus human beings) in these busy times, most of us are never done – and so we struggle with sleep. Sleep is so simple it’s ironically difficult: you only have to do nothing, but you have to do it well. Which is precisely where meditation fits in, because “doing nothing well” defines meditation.

The discussion turns to the neural correlates of the dreaming brain, and the future of non-pharmacological aids that entrain sleep states. Nevin offers an honest assessment of the role of sleep aids, including the place of melatonin and prescription drugs, saying that, “Band-aids only cover the problem, and hurt to rip off.”

The narrative of “reversing the problem by reversing the relationship to the problem” runs throughout this discussion, and therefore empowers individuals to take control by nurturing an appropriate relationship to sleep problems.

This is an informative conversation with a sleep doctor very familiar with lucid dreaming, and offers solid advice on how to get the good sleep that supports it.

--

Nevin Arora MD is a board-certified sleep medicine specialist and co-founder of Lucidity Sleep and Psychiatry.

He received his medical degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and completed his residency training in psychiatry at Georgetown University Hospital. His fellowship training in sleep medicine was completed at Stanford University Hospital.

Dr. Arora’s background in mental health offers a unique perspective on sleep and the treatment of sleep disorders. In addition to his work at Lucidity Sleep & Psychiatry, he works closely with the Dream in Del Mar sleep laboratory, and frequently travels to Stockton, CA to treat patients at Pacific Sleep Disorders Center.

Join Andrew and Sanskrit scholar Christopher (Hareesh) Wallis on a deep dive into the heart of nondual Shaiva Tantra, the nature of mind and reality, and the role of the wisdom traditions in the modern world. Hareesh is a rare blend of scholar-practitioner, which means he practices what he preaches. Drawing on his magisterial book The Recognition Sutras, this conversation emphasizes the simplicity and immediacy of the awakened state, how to access it, and how to stabilize it. Beginning with the story of how Dr. Wallis came to his tradition, the discussion turns to Kashmir Shaivism, and the many similarities to “trans-religious” traditions like Dzogchen. The challenge of working with spiritual experiences  -- not turning them into traps – is discussed, along with a look at the massive role of contraction and relaxation on the spiritual path. The extra-ordinary nature of awakening is explored, along with the issue of “path” altogether: do we really need a path? How does striving along the path actually get in the way? Why do some people have awakening experiences that are blissful, while others experience fear upon opening? What is the importance of cultural translation, and how does language trap us? What is the nature of consciousness? This is a wide-ranging conversation with a leading voice in the world of nonduality, certain to stretch your mind and open your heart.

Note: This is the second of two conversations Andrew had with Sean Esbjörn-Hargens on Exo Studies. Join the polymath Sean Esbjörn-Hargens in a rich exploration of how Exo Studies – the study of what is outside our normal sense of reality ­­– leads to Endo (inner) discoveries. What is the relationship between inside and outside, and just how psychoactive is the Exo view? Sean talks about being constantly defeated by larger views of reality, and the importance of Right View in opening ourselves to seeing so much more of the world. We are highly contracted beings, afflicted by all manner of centricities, held under the rubric of ego-centricity. Exo studies is integral to the path of Opening Up, and expanding our horizons and potentials into dazzling new dimensions. What is the role of the subtle body, and how many subtle bodies do we have? Are these subtle bodies inside the gross body, outside of it, or both? The relationship of the subtle body to the unconscious mind is explored, and how things like mantra and visualization work to transform the subtle body. How about shadow work in relationship to these subtle bodies? Where does Bardo Yoga fit into Exo studies, and how about the central role of emptiness? Is it dangerous to explore these inner dimensions and states of consciousness; where does protection come into play?

Sean talks about the trikaya (“three-body”) principle of Buddhism, and the “interstate commerce” that we can open between all three bodies: gross, subtle, and causal. All this study and practice is about establishing intimacy with reality, and creating a “united states” of consciousness. The conversation turns to the psychedelic renaissance taking place, and how we can use these agents for healing and wholing. Growth occurs through differentiation and integration, and opening the aperture of our awareness to encompass this Wild Kosmos. We live in a multidimensional multiverse, full of magic and wonder. Exo studies shows us how can we become a meta-person, or super-experiencer, and open to these wonders. This is real Edge of Mind material, sure to leave stretch marks on your mind.

About Sean Esbjörn-Hargens PhD (from metaintegral.com) 
Sean is a global leader in the application of integrative thinking to leader development, organizational design, and mixed-methods design. In 2011 he founded MetaIntegral a social impact network that supports change leaders around the world in applying integrative principles. Sean’s passion lies at the intersection of design, integral theory, and embodiment. He has published and edited numerous articles, chapters, and books. His most recent book is Metatheory for the Twenty-first Century. 

The MA/PhD Program Sean runs which includes a concentration in Anomalous Studies for interested students - The School of Integral Noetic Sciences: https://www.cihs.edu/school-of-integral-noetic-sciences 
Sean's websites: www.metaintegral.com www.exostudies.org www.whatsupwithufos.com

Join Andrew and the esteemed dream scholar and prolific author Robert Moss in a vast journey into the underworld of dreams. The conversation begins with a State of the Union address concerning the world of dreams, and a look at how Robert’s relationship to dreams has changed over decades of work. “Dreaming is traveling,” he says, and we can bridge inner and outer realities with our journeys, bringing gifts from the dream world back to waking life. 

What is “Kairomancy,” and how we can we learn to read the sign language of reality by paying attention to synchronicities? Can you navigate through life with this form of divination, and when does the derivation of meaning cross the line into the imputation of meaning, as typified in paranoia? Where do lucid dreams fit in for Robert, and why is “conscious dreaming” a better term? Is it dangerous to try to control our dreams, and what are some of the shadow sides of lucid dreaming? Robert discusses the importance of daimons in our lives, the place of meditation in the world of dreaming, and why shamans are essentially dreamers. What about the place of imagination, the power of the unconscious mind, and the phenomenon of anamnesis? How can we use dreams to awaken to the dreamlike nature of reality? 

Robert and I share a number of personal reflections about our dream lives, and how our views have evolved over the years. See for yourself why Robert is one of the leading statesmen for dreams in the world today. 

About Robert Moss: Robert has been a dream traveler since doctors pronounced him clinically dead in a hospital in Hobart, Tasmania, when he was three years old. From his experiences in many worlds, he created his School of Active Dreaming, his original synthesis of modern dreamwork and ancient shamanic and mystical practices for journeying to realms beyond the physical and growing creative imagination. He has led popular workshops all over the world, including a three-year training for teachers of Active Dreaming and online courses for the Shift Network. A former lecturer in ancient history at the Australian National University, he is a New York Times bestselling novelist, poet, journalist, and independent scholar. His many books on dreaming, shamanism, and imagination include Conscious Dreaming, The Secret History of Dreaming, Dreaming the Soul Back Home, The Boy Who Died and Came Back, Sidewalk Oracles, and Mysterious Realities. His latest book, Growing Big Dreams: Manifesting Your Heart's Desires through 12 Secrets of the Imagination is a passionate and practical call to step through the gates of dreams and imagination to survive hard times, travel without leaving home, and grow the vision of a more abundant life so rich and strong that it wants to take root in the world. He has lived in upstate New York since he received a message from a red-tailed hawk under an old white oak. His website is mossdreams.com

Join Andrew and Dr. Judson Brewer as they take a close look at the nuts-and-bolts of addiction, and how it relates to non-lucidity. Judson shares the recent work of his lab, and the neuroscience that helps us understand how we get hooked into virtually anything, including our dreams. We’re addicted to thinking, to distraction, to ourselves, to technology, even to love. The conversation moves to a look at the swept up continuum, a scientific description of how we get sucked into things (including non-lucid dreams), and how to pull ourselves out. In addition to the famous default mode network, Dr. Brewer discusses other parts of the brain that play an active part in our craving, and how meditation plays a leading role in transforming craving and addiction. Awareness practices hit the “pause button” in the machinery of addiction, and can radically transform previously intractable cravings. Using tenets talked about by the Buddha, the discussion turns to how ancient teachings (like the 12 links of dependent origination) have modern applications. Learn how ignorance in the past expresses itself as craving in the present – how craving is “applied ignorance.” Judson says that “Willpower is more myth than muscle,” and that one of the best ways to work with any form of addiction is to first relate to it, and to discover that the best way out of craving is to go into it.  Dr. Brewer is a rare scientist who joins the best of the West with the best of the East, augmenting the discoveries of the wisdom traditions with contemporary science.

—

Jud Brewer MD PhD is a thought leader in the field of habit change and the “science of self-mastery”, having combined over 20 years of experience with mindfulness training with his scientific research therein. He is the Director of Research and Innovation at the Mindfulness Center and associate professor in psychiatry at the School of Medicine at Brown University. He also is a research affiliate at MIT. Dr. Brewer has developed and tested novel mindfulness programs for habit change, including both in-person and app-based treatments for smoking, emotional eating, and anxiety. He has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, trained US Olympic coaches, and his work has been featured on 60 Minutes, TED (4th most viewed talk of 2016, with 10+ Million views), and others. Dr. Brewer founded MindSciences to move his discoveries of clinical evidence behind mindfulness for anxiety, eating, smoking and other behavior change into the hands of consumers (see www.drjud.com for more information). He is the author of The Craving Mind: from cigarettes to smartphones to love, why we get hooked and how we can break bad habits (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2017). Follow him on twitter @judbrewer.