Guru Viking Podcast

Dr Francisco José Luis, a Sorbonne and SOAS-trained scholar of Indo-Iranian studies, explores links between Shiʿite mysticism and tantric Buddhism. He discusses lucid dreaming practices across traditions. He traces Silk Road exchanges, Iranian Buddhism's role in the Islamic Golden Age, and cross-cultural rituals like rosary, hesychasm, and sacred chivalry.

Rebekah Sturgill, a convert to Orthodox Christianity, mother, and schoolteacher, shares contemplative Orthodox practices and the Jesus Prayer. She discusses liturgical rhythms shaping daily life. Conversation covers focusing on a felt sense of Christ, avoiding imaginative visions, theosis as transformation, and Orthodox views on demons and the spiritual struggle for the human will.

Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya, a 35th-generation Newar tantric priest and Charya Nritya master, discusses dance, mudrā, and movement as embodied paths to Mahāmudrā. He outlines four levels of Mahāmudrā, shows a refuge mudrā sequence, and explores communal practices that cultivate compassion. He also shares Jātaka tales and the role of ritual magic in Newar Buddhism.

Alana Fairchild, spiritual teacher, psychic, and bestselling oracle author, shares candid stories from apprenticeship to creative success. She talks about balancing intuition with practical work. She explores myth, a return to matriarchy, and devotion to Kālī Mā and the Dark Feminine. She also reflects on dealing with pushback and the realities of spiritual entrepreneurship.

Victor Shiryaev, a teacher of Buddhist and modern meditation and somatic practices, offers a compact cultural history of contemplative life in Russia. He traces esoteric and Orientalist roots, Soviet-era suppression, the chaotic New Age 1990s, and modern Westernised spirituality. He maps Buddhist traditions across regions and reflects on how mindfulness and lineage practices coexist today.

Alex W, a long-term practitioner of Zen, pragmatic Dharma, and Western occultism. He maps magic’s global history, compares Western, tantric, and spirit practices, and recounts personal initiation stories. Topics include ritual techniques, mantra and yantra, spirit work and protection, and the tension between talent and disciplined practice.

Jensen Martin, a scholar-practitioner and PhD student studying Narasiṃha, longtime bhakti meditator with deep plant-medicine experience. He recounts vivid Narasiṃha visions and powerful darśanas in India. He traces a path from fantasy and gaming to devotional practice, lucid dreaming, intensive ayahuasca work, and a shift toward a Narasiṃha-centered research and practice.

Dr Caroline Van Damme, an adult psychiatrist and family psychotherapist bridging psychiatry with Tibetan models. Dr Nida Chenagtsang, a Tibetan doctor and Buddhist teacher integrating Sowa Rigpa with contemporary approaches. They explore Tibetans’ elemental metaphors, ritual and exorcism stories, contrasts between Western and Tibetan knowledge, placebo and psychotherapy tensions, and practical ways to nurture the mind.

Christopher Harish Wallace, a Sanskritist and scholar-practitioner of Classical Tantra, shares his early awakenings, meetings with well-known teachers, and love of tantric Shaivism. He discusses training in Sanskrit, navigating faith and skepticism, how transmission can pass through flawed teachers, and practical ways to sustain direct spiritual practice.

Duncan Barford, British occultist and Chaos magick practitioner and co-researcher on Crowley projects. Alan Chapman, British occultist and teacher of practical Western magic and awakening. They recount formative group magick, debate awakening vs practical magic, reassess Aleister Crowley as prophetic, and outline training for visionary skill and how magick might function.