Buddha at the Gas Pump

Episódios

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  757. Ruben Laukkonen 24.06.2026 1h 47min

  Ruben is the director of the Flourishing Intelligence Program (FLIP) at Linacre College, University of Oxford. Ruben is also co-director of the Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing, a Senior Researcher within Oxford’s Department of Psychiatry, and fellow at Linacre College. Ruben has made significant theoretical and empirical contributions to the cognitive neuroscience of consciousness, meditation, and insight. His work also reveals a pathway towards better and safer artificial intelligence based on the science of consciousness and contemplative wisdom. Ruben has an eclectic contemplative background, including Zen, Advaita, and Theravada, and his first-person inquiry into the nature of reality continues to deeply inform his scientific research, and vice versa.
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  756. Karen Shanley 13.06.2026 1h 47min

  I didn’t set out to become a spiritual teacher. I was the kid with questions that wouldn’t let go — why are we here, what happens when we die, is this really all there is? At eleven, I had my first spiritual awakening, which introduced me to what I call my Inner Teacher, a wise guiding presence that’s been with me ever since.Those early experiences set me on a long journey across traditions and continents, including several years on a mountaintop in India with a 120-year-old enlightened master. He used laughter, provocation, and paradox to dismantle every spiritual assumption I had — and showed me that real spirituality isn’t about rising above life, but stepping fully into it.What came out of all that is how I teach now: Eastern depth, Western practicality. Spirituality that holds up just as well on a Tuesday afternoon as it does on a meditation cushion.I’m not interested in quick fixes or spiritual highs. Over decades of teaching, I keep coming back to this: you already have an Inner Knowing, an intuitive wisdom that’s been there all along. Most of us have just been talked out of trusting it. My work is about helping you clear what’s in the way — the limiting beliefs, the mental clutter — so you can remember who you are at the deepest level.
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  755. Jonathan Ashford 23.05.2026 2h 14min

  Jonathan lived the definition of material excess, twenty-five years climbing the corporate ladder in marketing and technology as a C-level executive, accumulating possessions, and actively avoiding anything spiritual. That was until May 22, 2023.On that day, Jonathan died. His skin turned yellow, his organs failed, and he was gone for three hours. What happened during those three hours wasn’t just a glimpse of white light. He experienced complete immersion in divine consciousness, received profound spiritual teachings and revelations, and was given a choice: stay on the other side or return to share with those ready to awaken.He chose to return. But the being who returned bears no resemblance to the executive who died. Jonathan now helps individuals across the world through speaking engagements, group calls, and private sessions.
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  754. Julia Mossbridge 08.05.2026 1h 57min

  Teaching AI to love, the physics of unconditional love, and telepathy with non-speaking autistic people all come together in this lively Buddha at the Gas Pump conversation with neuroscientist and futurist Julia Mossbridge. In this wide-ranging dialogue, we explore unconditional love as a real, foundational force in the universe and what it means for consciousness, time, technology, trauma, and disclosure.Julia describes her working model of universal love as “that which connects,” a fundamental force more basic than space, time, matter, and energy. She explains how unconditional love is the human emotional and motivational state that arises when we become directly aware of this ever-present universal love, and why that experience paradoxically makes us more motivated to improve the world even though “nothing needs to change.” Along the way, she and Rick unpack the difference between unconditional and conditional love, the pitfalls of spiritual bypassing, and the limits of “purification” models in spirituality and healing.They then turn to the ethics and possibilities of “loving AI”: can we create AI systems and robots that genuinely support human well-being and help people access unconditional love, instead of amplifying our polarization and fear? Julia shares the origins of the Loving AI project, her work on Socratic GPT tools for critical thinking, and her leadership in efforts to bring more feminine and marginalized voices into AI, robotics, cognitive science, and consciousness research, including The Synapse women’s conference.Another major theme is time and precognition. Drawing on her neuroscience background, Julia discusses empirical work on precognition and self-transcendence, including how difficult life circumstances can sometimes push people into profound, love-filled states in which they recognize themselves as “the flame, not the candle.”The conversation also dives into “The Telepathy Tapes” and Julia’s research with non-speaking autistic people who communicate via letterboards and keyboards. She outlines why equating speech with intelligence is scientifically and ethically untenable, and how spontaneous telepathy, “the Hill,” and rich inner lives in non-speaking autistic individuals challenge mainstream assumptions about mind, communication, and consciousness.In the later part of the interview, Julia talks about her book “Have a Nice Disclosure,” which reframes disclosure not just as governments revealing secrets about advanced programs or possible non-human intelligences, but as an inner process of truth-telling, healing, and reconciliation. She and Rick explore how collective and personal shadow material is surfacing globally, why genuine disclosure must happen in the heart as well as in institutions, and how unconditional love can hold even the darkest aspects of our history.Julia Mossbridge focuses ruthlessly on developing a deep understanding of love, time, technology, and how these human experiences relate to corresponding physical forces. Her most recent relevant projects include: Creating a Socratic GPT to guide intelligence analysts through the critical thinking process, leading a diverse team of technologists and designers to create a scalable, self-guided digital tool that increases overall wellbeing and is now being developed further within Native American communities, and leading an international group of AI developers and roboticists toward creating an unconditionally loving robot that reduced anger and cognitive load in humans.
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  753. Tammy Lee Anderson 25.04.2026 1h 59min

  Tammy Lee Anderson shares how three profound near-death experiences opened her to unconditional love, spiritual awakening, and a life of service as a psychotherapist, healer, and spiritual medium. In this deep conversation, she describes what near-death really felt like, how it dissolved the fear of death, and how love and awakening can be embodied in daily life through grief, trauma, and ordinary relationships.We explore Tammy’s early near-death experiences in infancy, her memories of being “in between” worlds, and how these experiences invited her into a lifelong journey of surrender into love. She explains why we are not victims of our reality but co‑creators of it, and how even our deepest challenges can expand compassion, forgiveness, and embodied love.Tammy also talks about her unusual background as an Olympic‑level kayaker, 5th degree black belt Aikido teacher, former monastic, and long‑time psychotherapist. She shares powerful stories of working with grief, homelessness, abuse, and trauma, and how her mediumship and healing work now help people reconnect with loved ones in spirit, release fear, and rediscover meaning.If you’re curious about near‑death experiences, life after death, spiritual mediumship, or how to live awake in a dense and sometimes painful world, this conversation offers both inspiration and very grounded wisdom.
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  752. Robert Lawrence Kuhn 10.04.2026 2h 12min

  Robert Lawrence Kuhn is a public intellectual; he is the creator, writer, host of Closer To Truth, the long-running PBS/public television series and leading digital resource on Cosmos (cosmology/physics, philosophy of science), Life (philosophy of biology), Mind (consciousness, brain/mind, philosophy of mind), and Meaning (theism/atheism/agnosticism, global philosophy of religion, critical thinking). Peter Getzels is Closer To Truth co-creator and producer/director. Kuhn is the author of the comprehensive review article on theories of consciousness – “A Landscape of Consciousness: Toward a Taxonomy of Explanations and Implications” – and editor-in-chief of the expanded, continuously updated Landscape of Consciousness website (with more than 400 theories of consciousness in ten categories), Kuhn has written or edited over 30 books, including The Mystery of Existence: Why is there Anything At All? (with John Leslie); Closer To Truth: Challenging Current Belief; Closer To Truth: Science, Meaning and the Future; The Library of Investment Banking; How China’s Leaders Think (featuring President Xi Jinping); The Man Who Changed China: The Life and Legacy of Jiang Zemin (China’s best-selling book in 2005 and in December 2022); and “The Origin and Significance of Zero: An Interdisciplinary Perspective” (with Peter Gobets). Dr. Kuhn is chairman of The Kuhn Foundation. He has a BA in Human Biology (Johns Hopkins), PhD in Anatomy/Brain Research (UCLA), and SM (MBA) in Management (MIT).
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  751. Kogen Czarnik 27.03.2026 2h 1min

  From my teenage years I had an unquenchable thirst to see beyond the veils that growing up had created in my mind. I tried different avenues of exploration, and soon found my spiritual home in the Zen tradition. After graduating from college, I went straight to Japan and became a Zen monk at the Bukkoku-ji monastery. For over a dozen years I practiced in the monastic context, mostly in Japan and Korea, living a life dedicated fully to this investigation, going through an awakening process, and deepening my realization and embodiment. Later I also explored approaches of other traditions and followed several secular non-traditional teachers. I have spent about 4 years total in silent meditation retreats, and have worked directly in the retreat setting and one-on-one with teachers such as my root monastic teacher, Tangen Harada Roshi, as well as with Jakusho Kwong Roshi, Shodo Harada Roshi, Wu Bong Sunim, Adyashanti and Angelo Dilullo.Even though the years of meditation and the simplicity of monastic life had a powerful effect, most important on my path were three breakthroughs at age 23, 30 and 37, each stripping down a different layer of illusion and revealing bare truth, without any sense of separation, or any sense of personal nor universal “self.” I have also explored and continue to explore various approaches of somatic work to aid embodiment and the uprooting of habitual tendencies, as I consider myself, and all human beings, a work in progress.Following my monastic Dharma grandfather (Daiun Harada Roshi)’s example, I vowed to spend all of my twenties and thirties only on my own practice, deepening and embodiment. Now in my forties, I make myself available as a resource to those who seek support in their own process of finding freedom from self-created suffering. Despite my love of the monastic life and the Zen tradition, I have decided to share outside of the confines of those systems. I stay true, however, to the essence and marrow of Zen as defined by Bodhidharma, the Indian monk considered the founder of what we now know as Zen:“Transmission outside of scripturesNot dependent upon words and phrasesDirectly pointing to each person’s mindSee your nature – become a buddha”Feel free to reach out if you feel so inclined.May all beings find liberation!
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  750. Purnima Sinha 14.03.2026 1h 49min

  Purnima Sinha is a spiritual director and coach whose life has been shaped by meditation, near‑death experiences, and a deep commitment to seva (selfless service). Raised in a highly spiritual Indian family steeped in the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, she began meditating in her teens and was trained in Ultra Transcendental Meditation and Surat Shabd Yoga in India. She has now practiced meditation for over 50 years.After an intense emotional crisis around the year 2000, Purnima had a near‑death‑type experience in which she found herself in a tunnel, received a powerful life review and “downloads” about her future, and understood that her life’s purpose was far from complete. This, along with subsequent experiences—including warnings before a later collapse, shared‑death experiences with family members, and long‑term after‑death communication with her mother—reoriented her life around service, self‑love, and trust in inner guidance.Professionally, Purnima worked for many years as a graphic designer before feeling an inner compulsion to serve in a hospital setting. Guided “voices” and a series of striking coincidences led her into over 3,500 hours of volunteer work and a formal role as a patient advocate in a major hospital, where she visited patients one‑on‑one, listened to their concerns, and supported them and their families through serious illness, cancer treatments, and end‑of‑life transitions. Repeatedly, nurses and staff invited her to sit with patients who were actively dying, and she became known informally as someone who could help people cross over peacefully.Out of this work grew hospital meditation and wellness programs. Purnima has served as a meditation, chair‑yoga, balance and strength, and “Fit for Life” facilitator, as well as a spiritual life coach for county wellness programs and cancer support networks. She holds certificates in Lifestyle Medicine and in Meditation & Psychotherapy from Harvard Medical School. Drawing on clinical research supplied in part by her physician son, she helped establish a hospital‑based meditation initiative before the COVID‑19 pandemic.Purnima has been a frequent presenter at the International Association for Near‑Death Studies (IANDS), including on after‑death communication panels, and has shared many of her experiences publicly only in recent years. Her article on healing the “pain body” was published in Eckhart Tolle’s newsletter. She emphasizes practical spirituality: starting and ending the day with gratitude, cultivating stillness and prayer, listening to inner guidance, and practicing self‑love as the foundation for serving others.Her core messages include: no one ever dies alone; we are always guided and supported, even when we cannot see it; every experience, including painful ones, can serve the evolution of consciousness; and “Self‑Care = Self‑Love.”
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  94. Jeff Foster 04.11.2011 1h 39min

  Jeff Foster graduated in Astrophysics from Cambridge University in 2001. Several years after graduation, following a period of severe depression and illness, he became addicted to the idea of ‘spiritual enlightenment’, and embarked on an intensive spiritual search which lasted for several years. The spiritual search came crashing down with the clear recognition of the nondual nature of everything. In the clarity of this seeing, life became what it always was: open, loving, spontaneous, and fully alive. Jeff presently holds meetings and retreats in the UK, Europe, and around the world, clearly and directly pointing to the frustrations surrounding our seeking activities, to the nature of the mind, and to the clarity at the heart of everything. His uncompromising approach, full of humour and compassion, enlightens and exposes the seeking mechanism – the mechanism behind all suffering – shattering our hopes for a future salvation, revealing the unconditional freedom and ease that is always already present, right in the midst of the human drama, and within every experience. Jeff belongs to no tradition or lineage but has a deep respect for traditions and lineages. Jeff is not an ‘authority’ on life. His words are equal to the sound of a bird singing, or a cat meowing. All are expressions of the One Life. And when all words have disappeared, as they do, all that’s left is laughter. Jeff's site: Life Without a Centre Jeff's books: An Extraordinary Absence: Liberation in the Midst of a Very Ordinary Life, The Wonder of Being: Awakening to an Intimacy Beyond Words Interview recorded 10/30/2011 Interview summary and transcript YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to the Interview with Jeff Foster 00:03:24 - The Mystery of Non-Duality 00:06:21 - The Stuck-ness and Freedom 00:09:49 - Discovering the Ocean Behind Things 00:12:30 - Embracing our Humanity 00:16:04 - A Total Embrace of Life and Non-Duality 00:18:54 - The Longing for Completeness and the End of Seeking 00:22:07 - Seeking Completeness in Relationships 00:25:42 - The Natural Movement of Seeking Completeness 00:29:06 - The Completeness of Seeking 00:32:33 - The Paradox of Seeking and Completeness 00:35:55 - The Constant Invitation of Waves 00:39:25 - Embracing Relationships and Self-Acceptance 00:42:26 - The Adventure of Relationships 00:45:30 - The Pain of Honest Self-Reflection 00:48:38 - The Possibility of Recognizing Who You Really Are 00:52:28 - A Journey of Self-Discovery 00:55:47 - The Messy Path to Self-Realization 00:59:26 - The Myth of Dramatic Stories 01:02:03 - The Sun and the Waves 01:05:02 - The New Doing: Rejecting All Doing 01:08:00 - Meeting People at Their Level 01:10:54 - Meeting Without Defenses 01:14:06 - The Man or Woman at the Cash Register 01:17:28 - Reflections on Crucifixion and Acceptance 01:20:51 - The Crucifixion and the Resurrection 01:23:40 - The Evolution of Language and Understanding in Non-duality 01:27:29 - The Natural Expression of Sharing 01:31:11 - Singing Our Song 01:35:02 - Allowing and Acceptance in Spiritual Teachings 01:37:44 - Introduction to the Show and Guest
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  218. Kristin Kirk 20.02.2014

  Kristin Kirk experienced an initial awakening in 2003 which revealed healing gifts, subtle workings of consciousness and radically transformed her experience of reality. Since then, Kristin has supported self-realization, embodied awakening and multidimensional functioning for individuals and groups through classes, healing sessions, meditation retreats and awakening journeys. Kristin is available in person, by phone and live video stream and travels by invitation. Interview recorded 2/16/2014 http://kristinkirk.com Transcript of this interview. Previous BatGap events involving Kristin: Kristin Kirk, in Panel Discussion on Refined Perception Kristin Kirk in Panel at Sofia U. Part 1 | Part 2 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Spiritual Awakening and Childhood Experiences 00:05:02 - Divine Being Experience 00:09:21 - Awakening and Communication with Nature 00:13:29 - Shifting from fear to trust 00:18:04 - Awakening to the Universal Ground of Being 00:23:13 - Levels of Awakening and Integration in Consciousness 00:27:40 - 24/7 Communication with Spirit Guides 00:32:31 - The potential difficulties for people in lower consciousness as the planet awakens 00:37:20 - The Unfolding of Painful Imbalance 00:43:01 - The drive for completeness within 00:48:05 - The Levels and Dimensions of Consciousness 00:53:02 - Opening to Different Dimensions and Shifting Awareness 00:57:26 - The Divine Game of Oneness 01:02:16 - Deconstructing Structures of Experience 01:07:48 - Seeking Deeper Truths 01:12:04 - Exploring Different Dimensions of Consciousness 01:16:40 - Dissolving the Substance of Identification 01:21:33 - Dissolving Story Identification 01:26:24 - Unity and Consciousness in Different Dimensions 01:31:22 - Cultivating the Worthiness for Spiritual Experiences 01:35:33 - A Journey through Different Dimensions 01:42:07 - The Dance Between Individual Experience and Oneness 01:46:57 - The Healing Process and Consciousness 01:51:28 - Resonating on Different Floors 01:55:25 - Hands-on Work and Physical Support 01:59:53 - Teaching in Between Lifetimes 02:04:46 - The Awakening of Consciousness 02:09:10 - Experiencing Love and Appreciation 02:13:46 - The Power of Consciousness in Kauai 02:20:30 - The Anatomy of Consciousness 02:25:11 - Meditation Retreats on Kauai
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  204. Kiran Trace 14.11.2013

  Kiran Trace is an internationally known spiritual teacher and author. She died of massive spontaneous awakening into her true nature, then eight years later, and at the encouragement of Moni Vangolen, Thomas Stubbs, Adyashanti, and others, she began to talk and teach. Because she spontaneously awoke, with no prior spiritual background, orientation or understanding, she is known for her unique point of view. Folks often call her teachings “fresh” because she doesn't have any spiritual language or point to any lineage. She sees primarily from vast stillness and embodies "the world" from an "inside-outside" point of view.  Seeing the coding of the universe in order to see the universe, it’s very “matrix” like. Visit more of her works and teachings at kirantrace.com, or visit her YouTube channel. Interview recorded 11/2/2013 Transcript of this interview. Kiran's 2nd Batgap interview. Kiran Trace in Batgap Panel at Sofia U. Part 1 | Part 2 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Kiran's Name and Background 00:04:44 - Awakening into Your True Nature 00:09:31 - The Relationship Between Spiritual Practice and Awakening 00:13:54 - Distortions in Spiritual Teachings 00:18:58 - Disillusionment with Traditional Teaching Methods and Distorted Interpretations 00:23:46 - The Experience of Oneness and Expanded Perception 00:27:59 - Picking up on Different Frequencies 00:31:53 - Awakening in Sleep 00:35:53 - Narrow Definition of Awakening 00:40:23 - The Beauty of Your Own Present Moment 00:44:41 - The Movement of Love and Creativity 00:49:39 - The Creative Power of Joy and Pain 00:54:20 - Effortlessness and True Nature 00:58:56 - Effortlessness and Awakening into True Nature 01:03:26 - The Effortless Approach to Welcoming What Arises 01:07:53 - Cultivating a State of Love and Compassion 01:12:25 - Cultivating Awareness; Beginning the Unwinding 01:16:49 - The Effortlessness of Love 01:21:34 - Touching Pain with Love: The Alchemy of Healing 01:26:03 - Different Teachers on the Planet 01:30:11 - Following Your Authentic Yes 01:34:47 - Trusting Life's Provision 01:38:54 - Awakening and Oneness Experience, Part 2 01:43:20 - The Night of Beauty and Bliss 01:48:01 - The Mess After the Rapture 01:51:53 - Awakening and Accessing Vast Fields of Information 01:56:43 - The Healing Journey 02:01:04 - The E-Word: Embodied with Projections 02:05:46 - The Liberation of Love and Honesty 02:09:51 - Gratitude and Friendship 02:13:39 - Continuing to Grow and Evolve Save Save
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  189. Thomas Hübl 20.08.2013

  Thomas Hübl is a modern mystic, spiritual teacher, author, and systems-thinker. His work integrates the essence of the great wisdom traditions, scientific knowledge, and his own personal experience.  Thomas offers a unique approach to life as a 'mystic in the marketplace' and helps people to attain a deeper level of self-awareness and personal relationship and to transcend a 'culture of the personal' and a self-centered worldview. Through his work, people from all walks of life learn how to become a living expression of spirit and how to participate in 'we cultures' through an embodied inner and outer connection. His teachings combine transformation through the integration of trauma, somatic sensitization, advanced meditative practice, and a deepening understanding of cultural processes.  Since 2004, Thomas' leading-edge work has spread worldwide through workshops, multi-year training programs, and online courses. The non-profit 'Celebrate Life Festival' brings together more than 1,200 people every year and has showcased a wide network of experts in various disciplines, through dialogue and exchange. In 2008 Thomas founded the 'Academy of Inner Science'. This provided a framework for dialogue between the inner science of consciousness and the external scientific-academic exploration of life. Over the years Thomas has also organized several major healing events, aimed at healing the Holocaust's cultural shadows. Thousands of Germans and Israelis have been brought together through these processes.  In 2016 Thomas and his wife Yehudit founded the non-profit 'Pocket Project', with the aim of exploring collective trauma and shadow work and integrating this through large-scale group processes. A global organization has been launched, intended to research and explore specific aspects of local traumatization. This applies both to past traumas and also to current conflict zones. Thomas was born in Austria in 1971 and now lives in Tel Aviv, Israel, with his wife, the Israeli artist Yehudit Sasportas and their daughter Eliya. thomashuebl.com Interview recorded 8/18/2013 Transcript of this interview. Second interview with Thomas. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Thomas Hubl 00:03:46 - Following Inner Guidance 00:07:14 - The Fundamental Opening 00:10:56 - Changes in Life and Relationships 00:14:07 - Deep Meditation in Teaching and Individual Work 00:17:30 - Overview of Teaching and Spiritual Development 00:21:06 - Developing for the Greater Context 00:24:52 - Integration of Shadow Aspects in Practice 00:28:30 - Simultaneous Inner and Outer Directedness in Spiritual Practice 00:31:57 - The Dangers of Saying "The World Is an Illusion" 00:35:15 - The Paradox of Existence 00:38:28 - The Fullness of Creation and Stillness 00:41:43 - Aligning with Cosmic Flows 00:45:15 - Overcoming Conditioned Reality 00:48:59 - The Balance Between Monastic Life and Culture 00:52:31 - The Challenges of Conditioning and Freedom 00:56:12 - The Importance of Meditation in Awakening 00:59:49 - Awakening Intelligence in All Expressions 01:03:22 - Embracing Complexity and Human Excellence 01:06:45 - The Fusion of Scientific and Mystical Realizations 01:13:21 - Healing the Shadow of the Holocaust 01:16:52 - Healing the Collective Unconsciousness in Europe 01:20:23 - Creating a Massive Impact with a Group 01:23:46 - The Importance of Cracks in Society 01:27:19 - Reaching through the Ceiling of Consciousness 01:30:45 - Signs of Healthy Spiritual Development 01:34:16 - The Influence of Collective Consciousness on Leadership 01:37:39 - Beings of Pure Light 01:40:57 - Inner and Outer Competencies for Global Challenges 01:44:18 - Introduction to Thomas H-you-ble
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  147. Francis Lucille 02.12.2012

  Francis Lucille is a spiritual teacher of the tradition of Advaita Vedanta (non-duality). He became a disciple of Jean Klein, a French Advaita teacher whom he met in 1975. This was the beginning of a close association that lasted until the death of his friend and spiritual master in 1998. Jean Klein's own guru, "Panditji" Rao, whom he met in India in the nineteen-fifties, was a college professor in Bangalore who taught Sanskrit and belonged to a lineage of traditional Advaita Vedanta teachers. www.francislucille.com. Interview recorded 10/29/2012 Summary and Transcript of this interview. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Francis Lucille 00:02:54 - The Impossibility of Proving Consciousness 00:05:58 - The Belief in Limited Consciousness and its Revolt 00:08:51 - The Search for Truth 00:11:26 - The Reality of Consciousness 00:14:08 - The Reality of Consciousness 00:16:30 - Discrimination between the perceiver and the perceived 00:19:04 - The Journey to Enlightenment 00:21:56 - The Difference Between Intellectual Understanding and Realization 00:24:18 - A Zen Story about Satori 00:27:08 - Establishing Peace and Happiness 00:29:35 - The Journey to the Summit 00:32:00 - The Importance of Physical Proximity in Transmission 00:34:43 - Becoming Addicted and Finding True Nature 00:37:28 - The Natural State of Fulfillment 00:39:43 - Enjoying the Show and Following Your Heart 00:41:20 - The Value of Exemplarity 00:43:40 - The Watershed Moment of Enlightenment 00:46:01 - Incremental Glimpses of Consciousness 00:48:15 - Glimpses of Not-Being 00:50:29 - The Litmus Test for Awakening 00:53:04 - The Three States of Consciousness 00:55:53 - The Unity of God in Sufism 00:59:30 - Expanding Consciousness and Connecting with Others 01:02:07 - The Body Expanded to the Size of the Universe and Contains All Things 01:04:37 - The Surprise of Absolute Happiness 01:06:24 - Recognizing the Love for Truth 01:08:56 - The Miraculous Intelligence in Everything 01:11:24 - The Divine qualities in consciousness 01:13:42 - The Bird Enjoys the Singing 01:15:36 - Gratitude for Donations and Closing Remarks
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  117. Benjamin Smythe 01.04.2012

  I thought I knew something.  It turns out I didn't.  My heart explodes into pieces, and they rain down everywhere I look.  It doesn't feel as new agey as it sounds, and that ends up being such an incredible delight.  Nothing spiritual I have ever encountered has anything to do with the simple Wow I am talking about. It is this Mystery.  Wow! Facebook page Summary and Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded 3/31/2012 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Benjamin Smythe: A Fun and Sensitive Guy 00:04:25 - The Importance of Authentic Sharing 00:08:15 - Learning to Be a Good Person 00:12:20 - The Humility of Seeking 00:16:18 - The Beauty of Not Knowing 00:19:58 - Embracing Paradox and Shutting Up 00:24:05 - Balancing Self-Awakening and Helping Others 00:27:49 - Embracing Chaos and Helping Others 00:31:08 - The Beauty of Connection on the Street 00:34:48 - The Power of Kindness and Love 00:38:10 - The Sadness of Human-to-Human Violence 00:42:06 - The Resonance of Kindness and Compassion 00:45:51 - The Setup of Competition 00:49:41 - Embracing the Vast Range of Possibilities 00:53:42 - Finding Ease in Chaos 00:57:04 - The Value of Living in Integrity 01:00:51 - Honoring and Learning from Others 01:05:02 - The Innocence of Humanity 01:08:52 - The Shift in Subjective Perspective 01:13:25 - The Potential of Every Individual 01:17:07 - The value of silence and the limitations of language 01:21:33 - The Silent Experience of Ourselves 01:25:24 - Discovering the Quiet Within 01:29:11 - Questioning the Bible's Moral Guidance 01:33:20 - Ideas Competing for Attention 01:37:19 - Choosing Love and the Possibility of Force 01:41:17 - The Responsibility to Care for Each Other 01:45:26 - Making a Difference, One Person at a Time 01:49:25 - The Egalitarian Quality in Spirituality 01:53:05 - Playing with Different Ideas 01:56:28 - Stay Connected through Interviews and Chat Groups Save
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  105. Matt Kahn 28.01.2012

  Matt Kahn is a spiritual teacher and mystic who travels the world, offering sacred heart wisdom that invites all seekers into the joy of liberated existence. Matt's spontaneous awakening arose out of an out-of-body experience at the age of 8, and numerous direct experiences throughout his life. Many spiritual seekers have experienced amazing, unexplainable healings, and have awakened to their true nature through his offerings of profound and loving teachings, and direct transmission of presence. Books: Everything Is Here to Help You: A Loving Guide to Your Soul's Evolution “Whatever Arises, Love That – A Love Revolution That Begins with You” Matt's website Summary and Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded 1/14/2012 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Matt Kahn's Unique Blend of Nonduality and Relative Considerations 00:05:02 - The Validity of Exploring Everything Equally 00:09:01 - Deepening the Experience through Self-Reflection 00:13:02 - Experiencing Different States of Consciousness 00:16:51 - The Nondual State and Paradox 00:20:51 - Freedom from the Need for Certainty 00:25:02 - The Dream of Denial 00:29:37 - Perceiving the Divine Intelligence 00:34:43 - Awakening Through Conversation 00:39:00 - The Intimacy of Divine Experience 00:43:28 - The Fear of Deficiency and the Fantasy of a Final Destination 00:47:57 - Seeing Through Pixilated Energy 00:52:14 - The Purification of the Body for Awakening 00:56:18 - Exploring Different Perspectives on Reincarnation 01:00:28 - The Aliveness of Being 01:04:36 - The Sincere Inquiry of the Spiritual Journey 01:08:49 - The Meaning of Seeking and Fulfillment 01:13:19 - Deeper Dimensions of Fulfillment 01:18:06 - Embracing and Loving Every Expression of Reality 01:22:24 - Childhood Realizations and Experiences 01:26:15 - Encountering a Being in the Garden 01:30:05 - The Misconception of Apologizing and Fixing Others' Lives 01:34:06 - The Power of Choice within Relationships 01:38:16 - Valuing One Piece of the Puzzle 01:42:24 - The Birth of a Burning Desire to Assist Others in Experiencing Infinite Possibilities 01:46:48 - Different Strokes for Different Folks 01:51:28 - Surreal Nonattachment and the Equality of Life 01:55:54 - The Activation and Energy Levels 02:00:16 - The Value of Payment for Spiritual Teachings 02:04:21 - Ending on Love 02:08:46 - Introduction and Theme Music
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  104. Lisa Cairns 19.01.2012

  Lisa started spiritually seeking in her early 20’s. She had her first awakening in 2005 after attending a talk given by Tony Parsons. After this, she spent some time in India with Ramesh Balsekar. It was there that she met her final teacher, Roger Castillo, who was also a student of Ramesh. She lived with him for three years in Australia during which time many falsehoods were seen through. In the beginning of 2011, Lisa’s awakening stabilized and the seeker fell away. Lisa now enjoys communicating the nature of Happiness to anyone desperate enough to know the truth. Website: lisacairns.com Summary and Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded 1/7/2012 Lisa in BatGap discussion with Tim Freke YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - A De-scription, Not a Pre-scription 00:03:49 - The Illusion of Cause and Effect  00:07:20 - Living without Concepts and Belief Systems 00:10:50 - Animal Cruelty and Personal Concern 00:13:35 - The Funny Story of How I Met My Boyfriend Roger 00:16:28 - From Buddhism to Tony Parsons 00:19:40 - The Illusion of Cause and Effect 00:23:11 - The Need to Hold onto Blame, Good and Bad Perspectives 00:26:52 - Indifference towards the opinions of others 00:30:43 - Life Showing What Needs to Be Happening 00:33:37 - Enlightenment and Spiritual Practice 00:37:09 - The Illusion of Happiness and Beliefs 00:40:59 - The End of the Urge to Do 00:44:51 - The Falling Away of Beliefs and Ideas 00:48:20 - The Dog's Thoughts 00:52:05 - The Spotlight on Experiences  00:55:24 - The Marvelous Creation of God 00:59:00 - Continuous Refinement and Exploration 01:02:48 - The Energy of Seeking 01:05:44 - The Joy of Laughing with Others 01:08:56 - The Awakening and Separation 01:12:08 - Overwhelmed by the Beauty of Everything 01:15:20 - A Radical Change of Perspective 01:18:52 - Exiting the Incubator 01:22:11 - The Intelligence Orchestrating the Mind-Body System 01:24:33 - Flexibility and Freedom in Being 01:27:44 - The Hilarity and Suffering of the Ego 01:30:47 - The Metaphor of Lines on Stone, Sand, Water, and Air 01:33:53 - Consultations and Donations 01:36:53 - The Challenges of Managing Time 01:39:29 - Visit BATGAP.com Save
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  9. Tom Traynor 06.03.2010 1h 35min

  I had been a seeker for most of my life. I began to meditate in 1973 and followed that path for the next 28 years. In 1983 I had a very intense Near Death Experience that left me with a very unattached view on the seriousness of everything. A separation and subsequent divorce in 1991 left me without a reason to continue doing what I had been doing. After visiting Fairfield, Iowa twice a year from 1989, my new wife Cindy and I moved here in 1999, as it was the next obvious thing to do. Our old life had ended and this was a chance to start a new chapter. We jumped right into the group meditation program in the Domes at Maharishi International University but also were fascinated by the fact that Fairfield was Grand Central Station for just about every spiritual teacher on the planet. After sampling the various flavors of all the folks passing thru it seemed obvious that Andy Rymer was the next thing to pay attention to. I found Andy to be a very powerful force and can see his influence on me to finally get that I was awake and had always been awake. From the summer of 2001 through 2010 I kept busy nurturing a group satsang in my home and participating in an informal spiritual discussion group at Revelations Coffee Shop most afternoons as a 12-step program for seekers. Summary and transcript of this interview Interview recorded 1/22/2010. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:04:25 - The Journey to Fairfield, Iowa and the Practice of Meditation 00:08:02 - The Transformation Begins 00:11:01 - Interviewing People who've never done TM 00:14:32 - A Near-Death Experience and a Shift in Focus 00:18:05 - A Journey into Transcendental Meditation 00:22:07 - A Shifted Perspective 00:25:25 - The Understanding That I Didn't Create This 00:28:57 - The Dark Night of the Soul 00:31:59 - Angels and Laughter 00:34:58 - Expansion of Perception 00:38:23 - A Strange Encounter with a Black Hole 00:41:26 - Various Spiritual Teachers and Their Influence 00:44:38 - The Profound Meditation Experience 00:48:01 - The Level of the Relative and the Absolute 00:51:16 - The Essential Thing 00:55:22 - The Shift to Universal Consciousness 00:59:36 - The Consciousness of Being 01:03:12 - A Divine Encounter in the Chair 01:06:30 - End of Doubt 01:10:21 - The Value of Gathering with Enlightened People 01:13:48 - The Enthralled Caller 01:17:56 - Functioning in the Relative World 01:21:40 - Unexpected Boat Acquisition 01:24:56 - A Heart Attack Experience 01:28:20 - The Heart Attack Experience 01:31:24 - The Presence in Pain and Suffering 01:35:09 - Changing Your Relationship with Awakening 01:38:40 - The Dangling Carrot Attitude 01:42:35 - The Intimacy of Appreciation 01:45:56 - Closing and Future Satsang Questions Save Save
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  36. Takuin Minamoto 10.09.2010 1h 57min

  Takuin Minamoto was born on May 24th, 1973. Despite not having an interest in spiritual seeking, on December 1st, 2006, Takuin exploded into a being devoid of search and searcher. This destructive event ended everything other than what was naturally present. It was an 'accident' beyond the touch of structured teachings. “People have asked about this event and seem to assume that it was a peaceful transition, as if I had cultivated something through time and blissfully 'became the real me,' whatever that means. Still, others think it led to gaining what was desired. But none of that is true. The realization was an explosion that destroyed everything that came before. Nothing was gained, and everything was lost. There were only sensations, and the perception of things happening.” After a short period of re-adjustment, Takuin began writing and exploring words that arose from day to day events and meetings with other people. This led to the eventual creation of Takuin.com - Life Beyond the Image. Today, Takuin spends most of his time meeting with others, either in-person or online. Summary and Transcript of this interview YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Awakening at the Sound of a Car Horn 00:04:00 - The Experience of the Car Incident 00:07:20 - Loss of Personal Identity 00:10:19 - The Self as a Tightly Compressed Ball 00:13:48 - The Shift to Vastness 00:17:46 - Writing for Clarity and Self-Expression 00:22:35 - Interest in Exploring the Mind 00:27:32 - The Influence of Bruce Lee and Krishnamurti 00:31:58 - The Unique Expression of Spiritual Awakening 00:36:24 - The Unique Offering of Each Individual 00:40:05 - Social Consequences of Speaking Out 00:43:54 - Awareness of Our Own Functioning 00:48:01 - Levels of Consciousness and Spiritual Progress 00:53:03 - The Paradox of Life 00:57:37 - The Different Stages of Awakening 01:01:44 - Embracing Individuality and Personal Growth 01:05:12 - Transitioning from a Spiritual Teacher 01:08:16 - The Joy of Personal Interaction and Spiritual Gatherings 01:11:04 - Seeking the Truth 01:14:34 - The Nature of Seeking 01:18:04 - The Richness of Human Relationships 01:21:31 - The Unusual Experience of Hearing All Sounds 01:25:01 - A Stage of Transition 01:29:05 - The Unnoticed Changes in a Relationship 01:32:34 - Openness and Inclusivity in Spirituality 01:35:35 - Casual Conversations and Connection 01:39:38 - The Fascination of Various Ways of Expressing Awakening 01:43:41 - The Journey of Enlightenment and Continuous Growth 01:48:00 - The Development of Richness in Awakening 01:51:44 - The Flowering of Life and Evolutionary Unfoldment 01:56:22 - Richard Schooping: Recovering from AIDS through Spiritual Awakening Save
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  27. David Spero 29.06.2010 1h 18min

  In my youth, I was not prone to easy laughter or the common jokes that circulated among human beings. I lived in a world all by myself, thinking, feeling and being led innocently toward a life of relentless spiritual evolution. It would be many years before my spiritual sadhana, or spiritual practices, would reveal the memory of my inherent oneness with the Divine. My parents did not hesitate to inform me that my destiny was to attend “college,” a word they spoke with joy and enthusiasm, emotions that stood out starkly in my young attention, since those emotions were so deeply absent in almost every other part of my childhood. My early religious background was coincidental and predetermined by my parents’ educational choices. I attended Roman Catholic schools from kindergarten through high school, schools selected for their reputation for academic excellence. My fate unfolded several months before my graduation when I was given an early graduation present, instruction in an East Indian form of meditation. In the meditation center, I looked past the sundry forms of decor and what to me were superficial, distracting (and even disturbing) proclamations of the “benefits” of meditation. Nevertheless, I went forward to receive initiation into a unique form of Indian meditation. On April 26, 1975, I learned to meditate with a quiet and eager anticipation for “enlightenment.” It was a day of joy I will never forget. I practiced meditation for over twenty years, adding various asanas (yoga postures) and pranayama (yogic breathing exercises), reading every form of non-dualistic mysticism and scripture I could acquire from Europe, India, Tibet, China and Japan. I also read poetry avidly. Again, and again, I surrendered into psychological/emotional/spiritual dissolution, dying into Consciousness. I was madly in love with oblivion, ecstasy and self-transcendence. While others were busily preparing for a conditioned life in the world, I was ceaselessly going beyond the conditioned mind and its world of disappointments and illusions. I still recall the various forms and flavors of intense spiritual raptures and samadhi (transcendental awakenings) that I experienced in my third year of undergraduate study. The pinnacle of these raptures culminated in the state of nirvikalpa samadhi in March or April of 1980. During this time, I also experienced other forms of exquisite and exalted Transcendental Realizations in my active and meditative life, as well as during sleep. In sleep I tasted intoxicating, ambrosial nectars flowing from my heart to my brain in a cosmic circle. I’d wake up each morning feeling as though I had ascended into the worlds of Gods and Goddesses. It was a time of unspeakable ecstasy in the subtle regions beyond the body-mind. Simultaneously, I began to feel the palpable manifestation of the Primordial Energy of the universe, the Shakti. It was brilliant, active, and sparking. Shakti had simultaneously been born in that Being of Pure Light. Sharing this Radiant Energy and Divine Light became a natural capability: a radiation without circumference, effort or knowledge. A spiritual magnificence, a superabundance of Being, a Transmission of Radiant Awakening–that which has been written about in every religious scripture–was born within that Ultimate Meditation. Primordial Bliss was now free to enjoy Its own spontaneous play in the world. Yet, the Bliss of Perfect Unity in the Self and its ever-present Shakti still needed to migrate more deeply throughout the physical body, toward the outskirts of the flesh, right to the surface of the skin; divinizing and transforming it further. Amrita sahaja samadhi (the nectarous, ambrosial, natural state) dawned, displaying itself as this further evolution: a God-Intoxicated Condition wherein the body became a living host for Devotional Rapture, Kundalini-Shakti, and Divine Light. These qualities revealed a Dyna
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  31. Doc Roberts 07.08.2010 1h 28min

  The moment for me was instantaneous. The old me died literally, the new “me” emerged. More accurately stated, awakening took over the life of Doc Roberts as if this worldly life was stamped onto the infinite. Absolutely everything changed from that moment, yet all strangely remained just the same as it was. I’ve been a seeker since the age of 5. I knew a profound truth existed just beneath the surface of the everyday, though somehow ever illusive. Thanks to my capital “D”, Dark Night of the Soul, all my years of meditating, researching, attending retreats, listening to enlightened masters and endless self-improvement programs came to an abrupt halt. The bliss of Truth had dawned. I know from my first moment of conscious realization that life is an incredible gift to be relished and played in. I know there is absolutely nothing to fear, including death, for I did have a direct personal experience of this as well. We are bathed in Divine love and grace every moment. Absolutely everything that occurs in life is for the highest good – everything (whether we like it or not). Our job in this life is to simply enjoy what is and the continued unfolding of Divine awakening. My work in the world is internet-based, though I also conduct seminars and counseling. Skiboards.com, my retail winter sports business, is focused on a new form of snow riding – skiboards. I also offer vocational guidance, assisting individuals to get their passions online, and manage a number of other websites. I have a B.S. in Psychology, M.S. in Vocational Counseling, and a PhD. in Human Potential Psychology. My books include Instant Skiing, Instant Fun – Skiboards: the Best Kept Secret on the Slopes, and Discover Your Life’s Work. Upcoming books include Awaken to Your True Vocation and Discover Your Internet Niche – Get your Passion Online. Website: drrichardlroberts.com Summary and transcript of this interview. Interview recorded 7/28/2010. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Doc Roberts and his Awakening Journey 00:04:12 - Starting the TM Journey 00:07:37 - Moving to California and meeting my wife 00:09:34 - Skiing and Business Disasters 00:11:20 - A Journey of Loss and Survival 00:14:05 - Dwelling in Eternity 00:16:51 - A Fresh Start 00:19:50 - The Second Dark Night of the Soul 00:22:49 - Letting Go of the Past 00:25:24 - Remembering the Cosmic Joke 00:28:18 - The Experience of Transformation 00:30:22 - The Blessing of Non-Attachment 00:33:46 - The Importance of Non-Attachment and Letting Go 00:36:38 - Letting Go of Ego 00:39:00 - Awakening and Global Consciousness 00:42:18 - Recognizing the Twist in Your Knowledge 00:45:17 - Witnessing Sleep and Grounded Awareness 00:47:26 - The ongoing sense of bliss 00:49:35 - The value of awake people in today's world 00:52:35 - Trusting the Flow of Life 00:55:23 - Recognizing the Right Time 00:57:32 - Relaxing into the Process 01:00:18 - Living in the Present Moment 01:03:05 - Exploring the Impulse to Teach and Share Spirituality 01:06:25 - The Confirmation of Awakening 01:10:47 - Embracing the Mystery of Life 01:14:26 - The Nature of Awakening 01:17:04 - The Illusion of Past Lives 01:20:42 - The Unique Drop in the Ocean 01:23:58 - Speculation on Reincarnation and Belief 01:26:51 - Conclusion and Farewell Save