In this episode I am once again joined by Khandro Kunzang Dechen Chodron, teacher of Tibetan Buddhism and executive director of Saraswati Bhawan Publications.Khandro Kunzang reveals her experience as a spiritual consort to a Tibetan lama, and shares her understanding of this controversial practice.Khandro Kunzang recalls how she became a consort, d…

In this episode I once again host a dialogue between Daniel Ingram and Delson Armstrong.Daniel Ingram is an independent Buddhist writer, author of ‘Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha’, and co-founder of the Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium (EPRC).Delson Armstrong is a spiritual teacher, author of ’A Mind Without Craving’, and foun…

In this interview I am once again joined by Ron Serrano long time meditation practitioner, contemplative neuroscience subject, and co-founder of the online meditation group Dharmachanics.Ron gives a summary of the major studies in contemplative neuroscience in the last several years, in many of which he was a key subject. Ron explains several histo…

In this episode I am once again joined by Delson Armstrong, spiritual teacher, meditation virtuoso, and author of ‘A Mind Without Craving’.In this interview, Delson responds to criticism and answers questions about his recent renunciation of attainments and revision of the Buddhist 4 path enlightenment model. Delson reflects on the pros and cons of…

In this episode I am joined by Dr. William Rory Dickson an associate professor of Islamic Religion and Culture at The University of Winnipeg and author of “Dissolving into Being: The Wisdom of Sufi Philosophy”.Professor Dickson takes a deep dive into the life and works of Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī (1207-1273 AD), a 13th century Sufi poet whose wor…

In this episode I am once again joined by Naomi Levine, author, under her birth name Norma Levine, of several books including ‘The Miraculous 16th Karmapa’, ‘A Quest For The Hidden Lands’, and ‘Chronicles of Love and Death: My Years With The Last Spiritual King of Bhutan’.In this interview, Naomi discusses her latest writing about the apocalyptic p…

In this episode I am joined by Dr James Cooke, Oxford-trained neuroscientist, spiritual teacher, and author of “Dawn of Mind: How Matter Became Conscious and Alive”.James recounts how, at aged 13, an existential crisis driven by fear of hell saw him emerge into a profound mystical opening. James shares the radical changes he experienced and traces …

In this episode, filmed on location in Kathmandu, I am joined by Radha Krishna Upadhyaya, an astrologer, clairvoyant, Kriya Yogi, & disciple of Tibetan Buddhist master Sakya Trizin.Radha Krishna recalls his birth and childhood in Western Nepal, his traditional Brahmanical education & service to great saints, & initiation into his family’s Kuladevat…

During a recent trip to Nepal, I met with frequent podcast guest Lama Glenn Mullin, spiritual teacher, Tibetologist, and author of over 30 books on Buddhism. Glenn was in Kathmandu to lead a group of over fifty pilgrims into tantric retreat in the nearby mountains and graciously agreed to film with me at various sacred sites before and after their …

In this episode I am once again joined by Gilbert M Gutierrez, Chan Buddhism teacher and dharma heir of Master Sheng Yen.Gilbert recalls his discipleship under renowned Chan Master Sheng Yen, shares stories of gruelling retreat, private 1-1 exchanges, profound spiritual insights, mystical visions, and supernatural powers.Gilbert gives an overview o…

In this episode I am once again joined by Duncan Barford, occult practitioner, counsellor, and author of ‘Occult Experiments in the Home’.Duncan details the different categories of spirits and entities, ranging from ghosts to demons to angels to elementals and land spirits. Duncan reveals his own encounters with these entities, recalls paradigm shi…

In this episode I am joined by Shiv Mathur, Youtuber and spiritual explorer.Shiv recounts his life story including his upbringing in India, 16 years of military service, and international career in IT.Shiv describes how a growing spiritual calling saw him retire from the world of work to seek out spiritual masters in the Himalayas. Shiv shares stor…

In this episode I am once again joined by Mattias Daly, Taoist practitioner and translator of ‘Taoist Inner Alchemy’, published by Shambala.Mattias reflects on lessons learned from the series of exorcisms her underwent in his 20s, as described in episode 263 of this podcast, “My Demon Exorcism”, including the means by which entities may gain entry,…

Delson Armstrong is a spiritual teacher, meditation virtuoso, and author of ‘A Mind Without Craving’.In this interview, Delson renounces all of his previous claims to spiritual attainment. Delson details recent changes in his inner experiences that saw him question the nature of his awakening, including the arising of emotions and desires that he t…

In this episode I am joined by Miles Neale & Matthew Freidell to discuss their documentary film “Missing Peace”.The film’s description states: “Borobudur is a 1250-year old Buddhist monument located on the island of Java, Indonesia. It was designed as a kind of ancient technology to broadcast the frequency of peace across the world. The only proble…

In this episode I am joined by Ishtar, an independent mediation teacher, mystic, and spiritual guide.Ishtar shares his unusual childhood including near constant encounters with ghosts, early spiritual experiences, astral journeys, and precognitive dreams.Ishtar details his life of spiritual seeking, years of intensive meditation practice, encounter…

In this episode I am once again joined by Dr. William Rory Dickson an associate professor of Islamic Religion and Culture at The University of Winnipeg and author of “Dissolving into Being: The Wisdom of Sufi Philosophy”.Professor Dickson discusses Ibn ‘Arabi (1165–1240), an important Sufi poet and philosopher. Ibn ‘Arabi was described as the great…

In this episode I am joined by Tulku Sherab Dorje, Buddhist teacher, translator, and author of scholarly and popular books about Tibetan Buddhism.Tulku Sherdor recounts his unusual childhood and past-life proclivities, his graduation from Columbia Law School and subsequent elite level law practice, and years of spiritual retreat under masters of Ti…

In this episode I am once again joined by Khandro Kunzang Dechen Chodron, teacher of Tibetan Buddhism and executive director of Saraswati Bhawan Publications.Khandro Kunzang details her apprenticeship in Nepal under renowned ngakpa Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche, outlines the course of her training from yidam practice to tummo and beyond, and reflects on t…

In this episode I host a dialogue between Henry Shukman, British poet, Zen teacher, and author of ‘One Blade of Grass; a Zen memoir’; and John Brehm, American poet and author of ‘The Dharma of Poetry’.Henry and John share the story of their formations as poets, compare the similarities as well as the marked differences in their backgrounds, and rev…

In this interview I am once again joined by Dr Ben Joffe, anthropologist and scholar practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. Dr Joffe leads a deep dive into the Western magickal tradition of spirit conjuration, traces their diverse forms through the centuries, and considers the range of beings described, from the land sprites of localised traditions to t…

In this episode I am joined by Dr. William Rory Dickson an associate professor of Islamic Religion and Culture at The University of Winnipeg and author of “Dissolving into Being: The Wisdom of Sufi Philosophy”.Professor Dickson recalls his Christian upbringing, teenage atheism, and how powerful psychedelic experiences saw him embark on a religious …

In this episode, I host a dialogue between Brad Warner, Zen teacher, Youtuber, and best-selling author of “Hardcore Zen”; and Shozan Jack Haubner, ex-Zen Monk, Youtuber, and prize winning author of the memoir “Zen Confidential: Confessions of a Wayward Monk”. Brad and Jack explore their own journeys as writers, the humorous and confessional element…

In this episode, filmed on location in Kathmandu, Nepal, I am joined by Jina Kusala, originally from Norway and now a wandering Theravada monk. Jina tells the story of his traumatic childhood, the mental suffering and instability it caused, and how the Buddhist path provided a means to reckon with the pain.Jina shares encounters with religious lead…

In this episode I am once again joined by Damo Mitchell author, teacher, and student of the internal arts of Asia including Tai Chi and Daoist Inner Alchemy.Damo draws on his background in the qi arts, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Western psychology to reveal the causes and symptoms of various types of qi and meditation related problems, inclu…