Deconstructing Yourself

Author and professor Jeffrey Kripal discusses his fascination with extreme religious states, the value of embracing the unknown, the misalignment of religion with modern values, Kerry Mullis' profound worldview shift after an alien abduction experience, the broader aspects of the UFO phenomenon, the power of optimism and hope, and ways to support the podcast and access free resources.

Author and journalist Erik Davis talks with host Michael Taft about the power of partaking in the forbidden, psychedelics becoming normalized, Tantric and Christian modes of transgression, power relationships and the guru, hedonism, rule-breaking, desire for safe spiritual practice environments, the role of risk in spiritual development, the medium of blotter paper and its connection to LSD, the concept of transgression in Hindu society, adapting meditation traditions to the modern West, complexities of contemporary spirituality, symbolic organizing of chaos and anomalies, the power of taboos in society, and exploring tantric spirituality.

Author, philosopher, and neuroscientist Sam Harris discusses aspects of meditation, the fusion of vipassana and nondual practice, insights into selflessness through mindfulness and concentration, personal experiences with MDMA and psilocybin, the role of psychedelics in spiritual introspection, concerns about misuse of psychedelics, and more.

Boss Jungian of Planet Earth, Stephen Aizenstat, talks about authentic creativity and purpose in the imaginal. He discusses the perils and promise of AI and the power of imagination in finding fulfillment. The podcast also explores the decline of curiosity and intimate relationships, the evolution of dream tending, and the role of imagination in business and education.

A.H. Almaas, founder of the Diamond Approach to Self-Realization, speaks about Nondual Love, the five dimensions of our fundamental nature, the differences between individual love and nondual love, the importance of being human, and knowing yourself as a 'boundless ocean of nectar'.

Tantra scholar and teacher Christopher Wallis discusses enlightenment and its translation from Sanskrit, the spectrum of awakening, the misconception of non-dual awakening hindering engagement in the real world, and the importance of mental purification and tantric practices for understanding reality.

Meditation teacher Andrew Holecek discusses reverse meditation, using difficult experiences as meditation focus, and how it leads to recognizing the perfection of the moment. He shares personal stories of working through physical pain and emotional distress. The chapter explores becoming one with pain, preparatory practices, and the importance of expanding meditation practice in today's world.

Host Michael Taft talks with neuroscientist and Executive Director of the Alembic, Kati Devaney about meditation, the neuroscience of meditation, predictive processing, the wonder of travel, psychedelics, and more.Kathryn Devaney, Ph.D. is a neuroscientist and meditation practitioner, with over 20 years of meditation experience. Kati earned her PhD in 2018, using fMRI to examine attention and default mode network function in experienced Vipassana meditators. After completing her postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School, Kati moved to Berkeley CA to start The Berkeley Alembic Foundation with Michael Taft and Erik Davis. Kati is currently the Executive Director of The Alembic, the Chief Science Officer of Jhourney.io, and a researcher at the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics. You can support the creation of future episodes of this podcast by contributing through Patreon.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Your host Michael Taft is interviewed by Jake Orthwein about the various kinds of nonduality, the difference between monoism and nondualism, fundamental confusions about nondual practice, the major contrast between the transcendence-orientation of dualistic religions and the world-engagement of nondual religions, as well as the crucial distinction between the two main types of nonduality.Jake Orthwein is a filmmaker based in Santa Monica, CA, and a dharma student of mine. You may have seen his Youtube video entitled, “How Politics Became Pro Wrestling,” and he is currently working on a series of films surrounding meditation, psychedelics, and predictive processing. Jake Orthwein on TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Join host Michael Taft as he talks with Tantrik scholar and practitioner Christopher Wallis about the tradition of Nondual Shaiva Tantra, the full void pregnant with possibilities, savoring the transcendent in every sensual experience, the differences between Nondual Shaiva Tantra and Advaita Vedanta, the origins of Tantra and Vajrayana, sublime beauty, aesthetic rapture, and much more.Christopher Wallis, also known as Hareesh, is a Sanskritist and scholar-practitioner of Classical Tantra with thirty years experience. He was initiated by a traditional Indian guru at the age of sixteen, and received education at yoga āshrams, both in India and the West. He holds several degrees including an M.Phil. in Classical Indian Religions from Oxford, and a Ph.D. in Sanskrit from U.C. Berkeley. Hareesh is the author of Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition, and of The Recognition Sutras, a translation and commentary on a 1000-year-old masterpiece on experiential recognition of oneself as a direct expression of universal divine Consciousness.Hareesh. orgYou can support the creation of future episodes of this podcast by contributing through Patreon.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.