Buddha at the Gas Pump

Mark Anthony, JD Psychic Explorer/ Psychic Lawyer, world renowned psychic medium, Oxford educated attorney, near-death experience researcher, paranormal expert and legal analyst appears internationally on TV and radio and headlines at conferences and expos. This Psychic Explorer may be found lecturing at an Ivy League University about Quantum Physics one day, and the next off to mystical locations in remote corners of the world to explore Ancient Ruins and Supernatural Phenomena. Mark is a featured columnist for Best Holistic Life Magazine, and author of three bestselling books. His latest, The Afterlife Frequency is a riveting story driven exploration taking you around the globe, from the cosmic to the subatomic, into the human soul itself. The Afterlife Frequency has been endorsed by the world’s top Survival of Consciousness scientists and designated by PrettyProgressive.com as one of the top books about faith in God. It’s been submitted for a Pulitzer Prize. Other books: Evidence of Eternity: Communicating with Spirits for Proof of the Afterlife Never Letting Go: Heal Grief with Help from the Other Side Website: AfterlifeFrequency.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded October 15, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Ann has been practising yoga and meditation for nearly 20 years and has since completed her Masters in the Traditions of Yoga and Meditation from SOAS University with ongoing Sanskrit training. Ann was inspired from an early age by her father’s anecdotal experiences with Kuṇḍalinī and his involvement in experiments with Zen priest and transpersonal scientist, Dr Motoyama. Her own experiences have pointed her towards a phenomenological investigation of the parallels between spontaneous Kuṇḍalinī awakenings and Buddhist paths to enlightenment. Her previous research focuses on the phenomenology of Buddhist and Yogic experiences through practice. Ann is currently researching spontaneous Kuṇḍalinī arousals and how these experiences map onto the path of realisation within Indian Buddhist and Yogic traditions as well as cutting-edge consciousness theory. Her mission is to gain a deeper understanding of the psychological processes that can arise from spontaneous transpersonal experiences or deep meditation practice and how we can safely support others walking this path towards greater wholeness. Website: annmathie.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded October 8, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Dr. Mario Beauregard, PhD., is a neuroscientist currently affiliated with the Department of Psychology, University of Arizona. He has received a bachelor degree in psychology and a doctorate degree in neuroscience from the University of Montreal. He also underwent postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Texas Medical School (Houston) and the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McGill University. Dr. Beauregard is the author of more than 100 publications in neuroscience, psychology, and psychiatry. He was the first neuroscientist to use functional neuroimaging to investigate the neural underpinnings of voluntary control in relation to emotion. Because of his research into the neuroscience of consciousness, he was selected (2000) by the World Media Net to be one of the “One Hundred Pioneers of the 21st Century.” In addition, his groundbreaking research on the neurobiology of spiritual experiences (including near-death experiences) has received international media coverage. In 2008, he was invited to participate in a symposium held at the United Nations. In 2013, he participated in a dialogue with the Dalai Lama in regard to the new science of mind. Dr. Beauregard has appeared over several radio programs in the U.S.A., Canada, and Europe, Asia, and Australia. His research has been featured on TV (Discovery Channel) and in many newspapers and magazines, including Nature, Science, The New Scientist, Scientific American Mind, and The Economist. He has received a number of distinctions, including the Joel F. Lubar Award (International Society for Neuronal Regulation, USA) and the Spectrum Award (The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential, USA). Being also an author, Dr. Beauregard has published The Spiritual Brain (Harper Collins, 2007) and Brain Wars (Harper Collins, 2012). In these books, he demonstrates that mind and consciousness are much more than the activity of nerve cells in our brains. He also shows that spirituality is a central feature of human beings that cannot be reduced to physical processes. Beauregard actively contributes to the articulation of the new postmaterialist scientific paradigm. Co-author of the Manifesto for a Postmaterialist Science, which has been signed by several hundreds of scientists, he is also one of the founders of The Academy for the Advancement of Postmaterialist Sciences (AAPS). Movie: Expanding Reality Books: Expanding Reality: The Emergence of Postmaterialist Science The Spiritual Brain: A Neuroscientist's Case for the Existence of the Soul Brain Wars: The Scientific Battle Over the Existence of the Mind and the Proof that Will Change the Way We Live Our Lives Expanding Science Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded October 1, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Isira is an awakened spiritual teacher who has been initiated in advanced spiritual practices and rites across a number of traditions including Australian Aboriginal, Yogic Indian, African Shamanism and Tibetan Buddhist. When she was a young adult, Tibetan Lamas, recognized her as an important incarnation and travelled to Adelaide, Australia to bring her to the Himalayas to be ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Isira is also honored as an Australian Indigenous elder and wisdom keeper. The heart of Isira’s teaching is Holistic Awakening. While the predominant western model of awakening focuses on individual consciousness, Isira’s holistic approach has us awaken to the sacred in all of life. It is an awakening that is integrated, embodied, and grounded, rather than siloed, conceptual, and abstract. Isira believes that, even among those on a committed spiritual path, there is still a deep sense of “something missing.” The human spirit is hungering to be nurtured by the sacred. We know this because we're living in a world that is fractured and conflicted more than ever. And people are reporting a sense of fear, alienation, depression, anxiety, and chronic illness in epidemic numbers. Inspired by the wisdom of indigenous cultures, Isira teaches that we must awaken to what she calls the “Four Sacred Pillars of Life.” While one of these four pillars is the Self or Spirit, they go beyond the Self to include our interconnected relationship with three other essential dimensions of life—the second is nature or earth, the third is kinship or others, and the fourth is the cosmos or universe. While conventional thinking assumes that our spiritual connection must start with Self or Spirit, instead, Isira teaches that for awakening to be holistic, it is essential that we start with our connection to earth or nature. Through holistic awakening, we move out of the mind into a lived experience in which the sacred is restored to each moment of our day-to-day life. As we integrate our awakening, a natural byproduct is that we relate in a deeper, more meaningful way—respecting, honouring and loving all of life. Simply, we live sacredly. Books: Awakening You: Embodying Peace, Love and Freedom on Earth (enter code ISIRA010 to access eBook for no charge) Buddha on the Dance Floor Website: isira.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. First BatGap interview with Isira Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded September 25, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Brian Thomas Swimme did his doctoral work in gravitational dynamics in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Oregon. From the publication of The Universe Is a Green Dragon to the Emmy Award–winning PBS documentary Journey of the Universe, Swimme has articulated the cosmology of a creative universe, one in which human intelligence plays an essential role. For three decades as a professor in the Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness program at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, he taught evolutionary cosmology to graduate students in the humanities. Currently he is director of the Third Story of the Universe at Human Energy, a nonprofit public benefit organization. A detailed description of his books and media works can be found at storyoftheuniverse.org. About the documentary, Journey of the Universe. Human Energy presents Story of the Noosphere Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded September 18, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Emilio Diez Barroso perfected the art of appearing very successful. He manages two family offices a venture investment firm, sits on the board of over a dozen companies etc... but up until recently, he was always trying to get somewhere other than where he was—seeking recognition, achievement, love, success, and finally, the ultimate carrot: enlightenment. In his pursuit of enlightenment, he was forced to face what all the seeking had been trying to avoid: his own sense of unworthiness. Defeated at the game of becoming and humbled by the realization of his true nature, he is now dedicated to alleviating suffering in the world. Emilio is a father to three incredible teachers and resides in Los Angeles. Book: The Mystery of You: Freedom is Closer Than You Think (All proceeds from the book go to contentment.org.) Website: emiliosbook.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded September 10, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Dr. Anneloes Smitsman (Ph.D., LLM), is a futurist, evolutionary systems scientist, coach, healer, and award-winning bestselling author. She is the Founder and CEO of EARTHwise Centre. Her programs, practices, and strategies are sought after around the world for actualizing our future human potential, and catalyzing the next steps in human consciousness and systemic design for thrivability. She was awarded the Visioneers Lifetime Achievement Award in May 2022, and was crowned overall African winner in the category "Human Development" of the 2022 Africa’s Most Respected CEOs Awards. She is the co-author of the award-winning Future Humans Trilogy with Dr. Jean Houston, and a member of the Evolutionary Leaders Circle. Website: earthwisecentre.org Other books: The New Paradigm in Politics Love Letters from Mother Earth: The Promise of a New Beginning Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded September 5, 2022. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Alaya first experienced brief glimpses leading to a spontaneous awakening in 1997. This left her with a burning fire for truth and a determination to find a release from her suffering. She was drawn to satsang and to the feet of her beloved Neelam: a teacher of the Ramana Maharshi lineage. From that very first meeting there arose a profound recognition of unconditional love but also a strong sense of separation and resistance. However, Alaya instinctively knew that penetrating the resistance was exactly what was needed to penetrate the suffering. With Neelam’s unconditional love this separation fell away shortly after the birth of Alaya’s first child in 2001. With a new husband and baby, Alaya moved to Asheville. She found in her daily experience of being a householder and working mother, that there was much abiding awareness/living in present Reality. But the non-abiding dream state kept arising which created an even deeper desire to investigate what was still appearing as separation. She realized that what was needed was already in the life she was leading and that every moment was a gift and opportunity to return to the natural awakened Self. “My husband, my children, my job, everything is my teacher, and true love is laying down whatever pulls on you, turning back to this life with an open heart and open palms.” With the realization that ordinary everyday life was sacred and that each moment was the Beloved pointing us home, she continued to question and inquire into her ideas, perspectives, and feelings until the veil of separation finally fell away. “With tenderness and openness, conditioning can unmanifest - leaving what naturally remains, as stillness, presence and love.” As people began to ask her to teach, Grace appeared as the non-dual teacher Adyashanti and with his support and friendship she began to give satsang in 2011. “Grace is like gravity, it will continue to pull you within for the truth of who you are isn’t found in doing. It is found in the silence – in stillness.” Website: alayasatsang.org Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded August 27, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

After years of radical liberation in my own absence eventually became another kind of prison, I found freedom from "Enlightenment" in the freedom to live a richly human bittersweet life, in a new way, the way of transimmanence, in which the spiritual and the material are unified, and everything including suffering is a sacred expression of the divine. Discovering how many other people have been harmed by modern adaptations of liberation via self-negation teachings, I've become a Spiritual Emergence Coach, and run peer support groups for people experiencing spiritual crisis, especially related to Neo-Advaita. Website: thegloriousbothand.com Subscribe to monthly newsletter YouTube Channel Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded August 21, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Growing up, a burning desire to seek truth took hold. After years of searching, the need to see reality overtook the need to avoid suffering. Through the marriage of inquiry and surrender, realization unfolded in ways that could never have been imagined by my former self. After seeing through the illusion of separation, there is now a keen interest in exploring the mystery of reality and the human form. The stage of integrating this non-dual understanding into daily life is ongoing and beautiful, and something I return to daily. Not just to help myself, but to look for ways to alleviate suffering for anyone who is interested. Website: matt-garrett.org Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group Transcript of this interview Interview recorded August 14, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

New Thinking Allowed host, Jeffrey Mishlove, PhD, is author of The Roots of Consciousness, The PK Man, and Psi Development Systems. He is the recipient of the only doctoral diploma in "Parapsychology" ever awarded by an accredited university (University of California, Berkeley, 1980). Between 1986 and 2002 he hosted and co-produced the original Thinking Allowed public television series. He is the Grand Prize winner of the 2021 Bigelow Institute essay competition regarding the best evidence for survival of human consciousness after permanent bodily death. Website: newthinkingallowed.org YouTube Channel Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group Transcript of this interview Interview recorded August 6, 2022. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Bernard Carr is Emeritus Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy at Queen Mary University of London. As an undergraduate, he read mathematics at Cambridge University and for his Ph.D. he studied the first second of the Universe, working under Stephen Hawking. He was elected to a Fellowship at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1975, and in 1980 spent a year traveling around America as a Lindemann Fellow before taking up a Senior Research Fellowship at the Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge. In 1984 he was awarded the Adams Prize, one of the UK’s most prestigious mathematical awards. In 1985 he moved to Queen Mary and he became a Professor there in 1995. He has also held Visiting Professorships at various institutes in America, Canada, and Japan. His professional area of research is cosmology and astrophysics and includes such topics as the early universe, black holes, dark matter, and the anthropic principle. He is the author of around 300 papers and the books Universe or Multiverse? and Quantum Black Holes. He is also very interested in the role of consciousness as a fundamental rather than incidental feature of the Universe. In particular, he is developing a new psychophysical paradigm linking matter and mind which accommodates normal, paranormal, and mystical experiences. He also has a long-standing interest in the relationship between science and religion, especially Buddhism, having been the coholder of a grant from the Templeton Foundation for a project entitled “Fundamental Physics, Cosmology and the Problem of our Existence". He is President of The Scientific and Medical Network and a former President of the Society for Psychical Research. Transcript of this interview Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Interview recorded July 24, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

In 2014, I awakened to the realization that being aware is my true nature. The experience of just being aware without the identity of a person who is aware was at once exhilarating and disorienting. This simple but profound realization transformed my experience of life to one of effortless being. A wonderful result of this awakening is a lasting peace that transcends all experience. In this awakened sense of pure being, the physical body is experienced as an objective sense of being, and the mind is experienced as an objective sense of knowing. There is no longer the need for an individual identity as a person who ​is living life. There is only awareness and the experience of the objective sense of awareness in various forms of expressions. The illusion of a person being aware of objects dissolved and was replaced with a pervasive sense of joy and freedom. Before 2014, my life was based on the story of a woman named Victoria Ukachukwu who is a trained scientist with a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta and is a divorced mother of two daughters. All of my experiences derived from this core identity. Over time, this identity became very limiting and questions about God and the nature of reality began to arise. Science offered no satisfactory answers nor did the Catholic religion in which I was raised. In 2010 I discovered the teachings of non-duality. In particular, the teachings of Mooji and Rupert Spira. In 2012, I went to my first ​retreat with Rupert Spira and came away with more questions. It was not until June 2014 when I went to a second retreat with Rupert Spira that all questions dissolved with the recognition of my true nature. Subsequently, in 2019, I discovered the timeless teaching of Joel Goldsmith which further reaffirmed and expanded my burgeoning understanding of spiritual principles that illuminate the nature of being. In his book, The Master Speaks, Joel Goldsmith reminds us that the Truth of being is eternal regardless of how many different ways it is presented. Consciousness is the creative principle of life. Consciousness is the eternal truth of being. In my experience, being aware or Awareness Itself is our true nature and our only purpose. It is Absolute. Victoria's email address Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded July 16, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Stephen Doetsu Snyder began meditating daily in 1976. he has practiced since in the Zen tradition as well as extensive practice in Theravada Buddhism. he is a lineage Zen teacher as well as a lineage Theravada teacher. He was also influenced by Diamond Heart teachings and practices. He combines the ancient Buddhist heart practices with awakening practices of the Zen tradition into a heartfelt journey of realization and embodiment. Books: Demystifying Awakening: A Buddhist Path of Realization, Embodiment, and Freedom Buddha's Heart: Meditation Practice for Developing Well-Being, Love, and Empathy Practicing the Jhanas: Traditional Concentration Meditation as Presented by the Venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw Website: awakeningdharma.org Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded July 10, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Clare Goldsberry has been a life-long student of religion and spiritual traditions. Having been reared Protestant Christian, her goal was to study for the ministry after completing her BA in Journalism at Arizona State University. However, a few semesters into those studies in a cooperative study program with Claremont School of Theology (Claremont, CA), she was called away into the study of Buddhism. For the past 27 years, she has been engaged in the practice of Buddhism, as well as the study of Hinduism, Gnosticism, Theosophy, philosophy (from the ancients to modern philosophers), and modern Christian religions. She has even added the study of Quantum physics to the mix after noticing that modern quantum ideas parallel those of Buddhism as the science of mind. She has always followed her inner voice, as it is that call that is the true call on her path. She teaches classes on all of those topics and tries to encourage people to follow their inner light/voice and not to be led astray. The questions are always more important than the answers, as she tells her students. Website: claregoldsberry.com Books: The Illusion of Life and Death: Mind, Consciousness, and Eternal Being The Teacher Within: Finding and Living Your Personal Truth: Finding and Living Your Personal Truth A Stranger in Zion Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded July 2, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Penny Sartori became interested in death and dying early in her nursing career after a connection she developed while caring for a dying patient in the ICU. That event motivated Penny to question what happens when we die and this led to Penny undertaking a long-term study to investigate the near-death experiences of patients in ICU. Penny worked as a nurse for 21 years and currently lectures at the nursing department of Swansea University. Website: drpennysartori.com YouTube Channel Books: The Wisdom of Near-Death Experiences: How Understanding NDEs Can Help Us to Live More Fully The Transformative Power of Near-Death Experiences: How the Messages of NDEs Can Positively Impact the World Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded Sunday, June 26, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Shambhavi is the spiritual director of Jaya Kula, a nonprofit organization offering opportunities to learn and practice in the traditions of Trika Shaivism and the Dzogchen. She has also studied meditation with teachers in the Kagyu and Nyingma traditions. Her root Guru is Anandamayi Ma. Shambhavi emphasizes direct encounters with the wisdom of the heart through the more explicitly devotional teachings and practices of Trika Shaivism and Dzogchen. In addition to offering teachings in spiritual practice and view, Shambhavi is a trained jyotishi and diviner. At one time, Shambhavi taught at Northwestern University. She left academia in 2004 in order to devote herself to practice, writing, and teaching in her spiritual traditions. Websites: jayakula.org timemedicine.org Bio Site Facebook group where people can get the Zoom log in info for Thursday and Sunday satsangs. Books (Author page on Amazon) Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group Transcript of this interview Interview recorded June 20, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Suresh Ramaswamy is a transformational teacher and visionary entrepreneur passionate about igniting and catalyzing the transformation of humanity. He is the author of Just Be: Transform Your Life and Live as Infinity, the recipient of many awards, including the Nautilus book award and the International Soul-Bridge Body-Mind-Spirit award. With his background as an electrical engineer and technology executive, Suresh brings an inspired yet pragmatic approach to elevating consciousness on our planet. Held in high regard by people around the world, Suresh’s light-filled presence, and guidance awakens them to their innermost essence. Websites: sureshramaswamy.org radiantfield.org YouTube Channel Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded June 12, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Duane Elgin is an internationally recognized speaker, author, and social visionary. He has an MBA in business and an MA in economic history He has worked as a senior staff member of the Presidential Commission on the American Future, and a senior social scientist co-authoring numerous studies of the long-range future for clients such as the President’s Science Advisor; the National Science Foundation; and others. Duane has also co-founded three non-profit organizations working for media accountability and citizen empowerment. He received the Peace Prize of Japan, the Goi Award, in recognition of his contribution to a global “vision, consciousness, and lifestyle” that fosters a “more sustainable and spiritual culture.” Duane is the Co-director of the Choosing Earth Project. His books include: Choosing Earth: Humanity's Journey of Initiation Through Breakdown and Collapse to Mature Planetary Community "The Living Universe: Where Are We? Who Are We? Where Are We Going?"; "Promise Ahead: A Vision of Hope and Action for Humanity's Future"; "Voluntary Simplicity: Toward a Way of Life That Is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich"; and "Awakening Earth: Exploring the Evolution of Human Culture and Consciousness" (Also available as a free download on Duane's site.) He co-authored the book "Changing Images of Man" with Joseph Campbell and other scholars. In addition, Duane has contributed chapters to twenty-three books and has published more than a hundred major articles. Websites: choosingearth.org duaneelgin.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview First interview with Duane Interview recorded June 4, 2022. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Karen V. Johnson is a graduate of Georgetown Law Center (J.D.), a former Fulbright Scholar in Afghanistan, and holds Masters Degrees in Public Health and Public and International Affairs (MPH, MPIA). Karen is a retired federal administrative law judge who practiced criminal and energy law for more than 30 years. She also is a former U.S. Army officer, Major, USAR (inactive). Karen was personally trained by Alberto Villoldo, and is faculty at the Four Winds Society and a Master Practitioner of Energy Medicine. She has trained extensively in the techniques of Illumination, Soul Retrieval, Extractions of Energies and Entities, Divination, and Death Rites. Living Grieving: Using Energy Medicine to Alchemize Grief and Loss is her first book. Website: karenjohnson.net Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded May 28, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Moshe Gersht is a sought out spiritual teacher in Jerusalem. A student of Torah, Kaballah, and Chasidus, he shares ancient mystical and philosophical wisdom in a way that is practical, relatable, and enjoyable. For nearly a decade Moshe toured the states as the singer and songwriter for a popular Los Angeles-based rock band. Only two years after signing a record deal, Moshe had a spiritual awakening that sent him journeying to Jerusalem. The next fourteen years were spent in the deep spiritual practice and in-depth study of Torah. Today, Moshe seamlessly connects and expresses these fundamental spiritual ideas with universal principles of psychology, spirituality, and self-development. He understands the true nature of the human mind and our collective struggles and has devoted his life to helping people align with their purpose, peace, and inner joy. In 2021 Moshe released his Wall Street Journal bestselling spiritual book titled It's All The Same To Me: A Torah Guide To Inner Peace and Love of Life, which Deepak Chopra has called "a contribution to the world's enlightenment." A free sample of his book can be downloaded from his website: moshegersht.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded May 22, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Sharon Hewitt Rawlette is a philosopher and writer who studies extraordinary experiences and what they have to tell us about consciousness and the deeper nature of the world we live in. She has a Ph.D. in philosophy from New York University and taught for two years at Brandeis University before leaving academia in 2010 for a career as an independent writer and researcher. Her foray into the realm of extraordinary experience began with synchronicities, and her first non-academic book was The Source and Significance of Coincidences, published in 2019. In 2020, she published a memoir about her personal spiritual journey—The Supreme Victory of the Heart—and then in November 2021, she was named a runner-up in the Bigelow Institute for Consciousness Studies essay contest for her essay “Beyond Death,” on the best evidence for the survival of human consciousness after death. She has also contributed to a forthcoming collaborative volume on “deep weird” and a French collective work on the role of the Trickster in paranormal phenomena. Another book, (forward by Thomas Nagel): The Feeling of Value: Moral Realism Grounded in Phenomenal Consciousness Website: sharonrawlette.wordpress.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded May 14, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Anoop Kumar communicates a bold, new vision of healing and healthcare based in a more comprehensive understanding of whole human anatomy–a crucial step in the journey of healthcare transformation. He is the founder of Health Revolution, an emergency physician, public speaker, and author of Michelangelo's Medicine: How Redefining the Human Body Will Transform Health and Healthcare and Is This a Dream?: Reflections on the Awakening Mind, and a columnist for Emergency Medicine News. Integrating a deeper understanding of consciousness with our existing medical knowledge is foundational to Anoop's work. To further this, he developed the Three Minds framework–a trans-disciplinary approach that develops and integrates our knowledge of consciousness, mind, body, and the environment. He applies the Three Minds framework to identify unexamined tenets ripe for disruption and rehabilitation in healthcare. By training, Anoop is board-certified in emergency medicine and holds a master's degree in management with a focus in health leadership. Websites: anoopkumar.com healthrevolution.org YouTube Channels: Healing is Possible Beyond Mental Health with Anoop Kumar, MD Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded May 7, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Pravrajika Divyanandaprana is a monastic member of Sri Sarada Math and is currently the Editor of the English journal Samvit published in New Delhi. She has been Principal of Nivedita Vidya Mandir School from 2014 to 2019. She specializes in Yoga-Vedanta. In addition to studying the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda literature, she has extensively studied the Yoga-Vedanta texts based on these twin philosophies which include the Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, Raja Yoga, Upanishads, and the Prakarana Granthas (auxiliary scriptures of Vedanta like Vedantasara, Vivekachudamani, etc.) along with their commentaries. A gold medallist and topper, Pravrajika Divyanandaprana has a unique combination of knowledge in the conventional sciences and traditional Yogic and Vedantic texts. Pravrajika Divyanandaprana has been lecturing all over India since 2010, including at the Indian Institute of Technology campuses in Madras, Delhi (she has spoken many times at Vivekananda Study Circle of IIT-Delhi), Kharagpur, Mumbai, and Kanpur; Indian Institute of Science Bangalore; Delhi University; Vivekananda International Centre; Ramakrishna Mission; Engineering and Medical Colleges in Mumbai, Pune, and Kolkata; and sometimes in schools. She offers courses on Yoga-Vedanta every semester at IIT Delhi. The courses are available on YouTube at IIT’s official channel: NRCVEE IIT Delhi. She has traveled to hold classes or deliver lectures in South Africa at Cape Town, Durban, Ladysmith, and Kwa Zulu Natal University among other places. Subsequently, she traveled to Ireland, Great Britain, UAE, and recently to Canada for talks, lectures, and scriptural discussions. She has spoken at Imperial College and Logan Hall, London University in 2013. In May 2018, she was in Toronto, Ottawa, Halifax, and Nova Scotia where she gave a number of talks on Self-Knowledge, exploring the Subjective Sciences, and finding the interface between Subjective-Objective Sciences. She has extensively traveled in the US and addressed Vedanta Societies of Iowa, Washington DC, and so on. Purdue University hosted her talk on Mind Management recently. LinkedIn Page "Eternal Truth" YouTube channel with many videos, including the Upanishads classes mentioned in the interview. If you subscribe to the channel, you'll be notified when classes resume. VivekaVani YouTube channel with many more videos. Books: Science of Happiness (Amazon India) Self-Discovery (Amazon India) U.S. Book Contact - (Ask to be notified when books become available.) Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded May 1, 2022. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Shelly Tygielski is the author of Sit Down to Rise Up and founder of the global grassroots mutual aid organization Pandemic of Love. Her work has been featured by over 100 media outlets, including CNN Heroes, The Tamron Hall Show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, CBS This Morning, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. A trauma-mindfulness teacher and a Garrison Institute Fellow, she has been called one of the “12 Powerful Women of the Mindfulness Movement” By Mindful.org and teaches self-care and resilience at organizations around the world. Visit her online at shellytygielski.com. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded April 16, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Sebastián Blaksley is a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 1968 he was born into a large traditional Catholic family. He attended the Colegio del Salvador, a Jesuit school of which the headmaster was Jorge Bergoglio, the current Pope Francis. Sebastian enjoyed sport in his youth, particularly Rugby football, a game that a number of his family have a long involvement with in Argentina. Although he wanted to be a monk as a young man, his family did not consider it acceptable, and the inner voice that he always followed let him know that: “You must be in the world, without being of the world.” He studied Business Administration in Buenos Aires and completed his postgraduate studies in the United States and Argentina. He also undertook further studies in England. He held several highly responsible positions in well-known international corporations, living and working in the USA, England, China, and Panama. He then founded his own corporate consulting firm in Argentina which he led for over 10 years. He has willingly given the company he owned to employees who wanted to continue the business. Sebastián has two daughters with his former wife. At the age of six, Sebastián was involved in a near-fatal accident during which he heard a voice, which later identified itself as Jesus. Ever since he has continued to hear that voice. Sebastián says: “Since I can remember, I have felt the call of Jesus and Mary to live abandoned to their will so that despite my various activities, I always put spiritual and religious reality at the center. I am devoted to my faith.” In 2013, he began to record messages from his mystical experiences. In 2016, he miraculously discovered the books comprising A Course of Love (“received” from Jesus by Mari Perron) and felt the call to devote himself to bringing the course to the Spanish-speaking world. More recently Sebastian receives, transcribes, and shares what the voice of Christ—the voice of love—mystically dictates to him. Most recently he has “received” an astonishing, and most beautiful and uplifting series of messages from Heaven resulting in the Choose Only Love series of seven books, the first of which was published in October, 2019. The seventh and final book was published in March 2022. Sebastian is living on a small island in the Tigre Delta waterways on the outskirts of Buenos Aires; overseeing the building of a retreat property called, at the suggestion of Mother Mary, the Refuge of Divine Love. People from around the world are warmly invited to spend time here in this tranquil and verdant haven covering some 23 secluded acres, to “live the books” in the company of Sebastian as a welcoming host. Sebastián is president of the nonprofit charity Fundación Amor Vivo, through which he shares A Course of Love, as well as the sublime channeled angelic messages which found their home in the Choose Only Love books and audios. The angels lovingly refer to him as “a pencil in the hands of God.” Websites: fundacionamorvivo.org Choose Only Love fundacionuncursodeamor.org (Spanish) Books: Choose Only Love (7 book series) - English Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcripts of this interview: English Spanish Interview recorded April 10, 2022 First BatGap interview with Sebastián. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

At the age of 24, after years of intense internal suffering and an intuition that something about the way we interact with our thoughts causes a lot of unnecessary suffering, Angelo had a fundamental shift in the way he experiences reality. This was a pervasive transformation and was life-altering at every level. It suddenly became clear that thoughts, and the way they "paint" our experience of ourselves, time, and space, are essentially unreal, something like ghosts. What replaced this world of thought, struggle, and suffering, was boundless clarity and intimacy with all immediate textures of phenomena. It became clear that this is simply the natural state of things and that it is true for everyone, even if there is some distortion in experience caused by thoughts. It became exquisitely clear that suffering is unnecessary among humans and that any human being who has a genuine yearning to wake up to their true nature has the capacity to wake up to this boundless (non-separation) living truth. This led to the writing of the book, "Awake: It's Your Turn." The book is a combination of practical advice to help anyone who is on this pathless path, practice pointers and inquiry tips, and direct pointing (transmission) through language. Book: Awake: It's Your Turn Simply Always Awake YouTube channel Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded April 2, 2022. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Andrew Holecek has completed the traditional three-year Buddhist meditation retreat and teaches internationally on meditation, dream yoga, and the art of dying. He is the author of six books, and many articles, including scientific papers on lucid dreaming. Dr. Holecek is a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and a concert pianist, with degrees in music, biology, and a doctorate in dental surgery. He is the co-founder of Global Dental Relief, which serves impoverished children in six developing countries; the founder of the online platform Night Club, which supports the nocturnal meditations, and the founder of the Preparing to Die Institute, a nine-month spiritual and practical training program to help with the end of life. Books: Dream Yoga: Illuminating Your Life Through Lucid Dreaming and the Tibetan Yogas of Sleep Dreams of Light: The Profound Daytime Practice of Lucid Dreaming Preparing to Die: Practical Advice and Spiritual Wisdom from the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition The Power and the Pain: Transforming Spiritual Hardship into Joy Website: andrewholecek.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded March 27, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

I was born 11-11-69 into a nonpracticing Jewish family where the subject of spirituality never came up. So when I discovered an intense spiritual yearning within myself at the age of nineteen, I was completely on my own. After graduating from Towson University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Philosophy in 1994, I had become an avid practitioner of meditation and contemplation of the nature of Reality. As a solitary practitioner, I found my path to be an oscillation of understanding the Nondual view of Dzogchen and experiencing nonordinary events that expanded my understanding of the classic out-of-body experience, astral realm, and the Bardos. The first book of the Trilogy titled "Reality Explained" centers on the peak period of my spiritual journey just after returning home from a weeklong meditation retreat at the world-renowned ‘Monroe Institute’. I had been home less than a week after attending one of their advanced programs when without warning I began to have profound Visions while living out my day-to-day life. I could be taking a walk with my wife and daughter or going about my daily routine at work when I would find myself spontaneously thrust into a vastly more expansive perspective that placed my entire world in a wholly new context. These Visions were progressive in nature as they clearly and pointedly demonstrated the Grand Design of Reality. Some of these Visions were existentially devastating and some were downright terrifying, as they exposed the true nature of the ‘self’. Others were so blissful that they could only be tolerated for brief moments. Ultimately, they coalesced to reveal a model of Reality that is as elegant in its simplicity as it is mind-blowing in its implications. In the first book, I outline a play-by-play account of how four of these Visions shaped a new understanding regarding the true architecture of Reality and how this understanding resolves one of our greatest philosophical paradoxes, the relationship between mind and matter or God and the world. Given the universal nature of these experiences, you will be able to verify each truth for yourself. I wrote this book to demystify the subject of Spiritual Awakening. There are already many excellent books on this subject otherwise known as ‘Nondual Wisdom’ however, what I found to be missing was a book that chronicles the day to day, month to month, and year to year unfolding of the Self in detail. This book is a very personal account of an incredibly impersonal process broken down step by step and presented almost in slow motion. The reader is invited on a journey that chronicles each step along the path to Spiritual Awakening. The details of the climactic experience itself and the final understanding that results from undergoing such a radical and permanent shift in perspective is where I intend to lead you. It is also my hope that this book will serve to demonstrate how the experience of Spiritual Awakening is not something mythical or a fable belonging to some other time or place but an actual shift in perspective that is available right here and now to anyone that is curious enough to explore the true nature of ‘being’. I speak to you from the point of view that we are all sharing the human experience and when we explore the depths of our minds we find the same treasure awaits us all. The fact that I am a husband and a father with a full-time career stands as proof that you don’t have to choose between worldly life and Spiritual Awakening. Books (Reality Explained Trilogy: Enlightenment: Behind the Scenes Being, While Knowing That You Are Not: Surrendering to the sadness and madness of life A Triunistic Model of Reality: What It Is, Does and Emerges As Jed McKenna & The Suicide Letters: Our time together prior to the Invisible Guru Website: thisawarespace.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview.

At the early age of eight, Irma Francis experienced what she now calls a soul remembrance. In this experience, a loving presence spoke. “You have a choice to remember your connection to your true self; if you choose not to remember, you will come to believe the persona of a conditioned self and how the world will try to define you. Whatever you choose will decide your destiny in this lifetime.” She chose to remember. Even though life has continually challenged her to forget, she has remained committed to that choice. Irma continued to have transcendent experiences that were not sought but came as spontaneously and naturally as her first awakening. It took her a lifetime to integrate the absolute truth that she understood via her soul remembrance with the relative facts commonly experienced by humanity. Today, Irma understands there are no spiritual bypasses; we are all affected by the human condition and must find ways to merge our psychological selves with our spiritual selves. Her journey has been mystical and transformational, bringing her to a stable equanimity and wholeness of being. Following is a short excerpt from Irma’s forthcoming book, Front Porch View: Memoir of a Young Girl’s Spiritual Awakening. “To borrow the words of the legendary Joni Mitchell, ‘I’ve looked at life from both sides now’ and discovered a seamless existence. There are no sides. There is no separation. There is only oneness. I am an ordinary person having spiritual experiences. I hope to inspire and encourage others to share their spiritual awakenings as we accompany each other on the road less traveled. We are all teachers and students.” Website: irmafrancis.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded March 12, 2022. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Emma Bragdon received her Ph.D. in Transpersonal Psychology in 1987. For more than 40 years she has focused on supporting people awakening spiritually, paying special attention to those in spiritual crisis/ emergency. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Integrative Mental Health for You, IMHU.org, which offers 40+ online courses about effective alternatives to psychiatric medications. Emma has trained 80 Spiritual Emergence Coaches® from 14 countries who are now available through an international online Directory. While intensely studying and participating in Brazilian Spiritism from 2001-2012, she wrote 3 books and co-produced two documentary films about Spiritist treatment of mental disturbance and spiritual emergency. Emma has been recognized for her pioneering work with Spiritually Transformative Experiences as an Honoree on the Spiritual Awakenings International “Circle of Honor” and within the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology’s “Council of Sages”. She was licensed as a Marriage, Family, Child Therapist in 1988. Emma is a member of the Self-realization Fellowship following the yogic philosophy of Paramahansa Yogananda. She’s been a meditator for over 55 years. She also studied with two Native American shamans for 20 years. Currently, she teams with Benjamin Asher, MD in offering Ketamine-Assisted psychotherapy in central Vermont. She is also available by Zoom in her private practice for psychotherapy and integration of spiritual experiences. Websites: imhu.org emmabragdon.com Books: The Call of Spiritual Emergency: From Personal Crisis to Personal Transformation Kardec's Spiritism: A Home for Healing and Spiritual Evolution A Sourcebook for Helping People with Spiritual Problems Spiritism and Mental Health Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded March 6, 2022. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Selbie makes the complex and obscure simple and clear. He is known for creating bridges of understanding between the modern evidence-based discoveries of science and the ancient experience-based discoveries of the mystics. A dedicated meditator for nearly fifty years, he has taught yoga, meditation, and universal experiential spirituality throughout the US and Europe. He has also been an avid follower of the unfolding new paradigm of post-materialist science—with groaning bookshelves to show for it. Selbie has authored The Physics of God, a unification of science and religion, and The Yugas, a factual look at India’s tradition of cyclical history. Selbie is a founding member of Ananda—a meditation-based community and spiritual movement inspired by Paramhansa Yogananda. He lives with his wife at Ananda Village near Nevada City, California. Books: The Yugas: Keys to Understanding Our Hidden Past, Emerging Energy Age and Enlightened Future - Today's view of history cannot account for ancient anomalies, such as the Pyramids and advanced knowledge contained in India's Vedas. But in 1894, an Indian sage gave us an explanation not only for our hidden past but for the trends of today and for our future enlightenment - the 24,000-year yuga cycle. The Physics of God: How the Deepest Theories of Science Explain Religion and How the Deepest Truths of Religion Explain Science Website: physicsandgod.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview with Joseph Selbie on "The Physics of God". Interview recorded February 26, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Selbie makes the complex and obscure simple and clear. He is known for creating bridges of understanding between the modern evidence-based discoveries of science and the ancient experience-based discoveries of the mystics. A dedicated meditator for nearly fifty years, he has taught yoga, meditation, and universal experiential spirituality throughout the US and Europe. He has also been an avid follower of the unfolding new paradigm of post-materialist science—with groaning bookshelves to show for it. Selbie has authored The Physics of God, a unification of science and religion, and The Yugas, a factual look at India’s tradition of cyclical history. Selbie is a founding member of Ananda—a meditation-based community and spiritual movement inspired by Paramhansa Yogananda. He lives with his wife at Ananda Village near Nevada City, California. Books: The Physics of God: How the Deepest Theories of Science Explain Religion and How the Deepest Truths of Religion Explain Science - "The explanations of transcendent phenomena given by saints, sages, and near-death experiencers—miracles, immortality, heaven, God, and transcendent awareness—are fully congruent with scientific discoveries in the fields of relativity, quantum physics, medicine, M-theory, neuroscience, and quantum biology. The Physics of God describes the intersections of science and religion with colorful, easy-to-understand metaphors, making abstruse subjects within both science and religion easily accessible to the layman—no math, no dogma." The Yugas: Keys to Understanding Our Hidden Past, Emerging Energy Age and Enlightened Future Website: physicsandgod.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview with Joseph on "The Yugas". Interview recorded February 26, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

I came across the writings of a well-known Indian guru in my early twenties and thus began a twenty-five-year odyssey that would uproot me from my normal life and see me living in ashrams and committed spiritual communities around the world. The answers I sought were not easy to find, however, and the promises made by the teachers in whom I placed my trust were rarely kept. Exhausted and disillusioned I left my last teacher and abandoned spiritual life in 2004, and during the intense and all-consuming crisis that followed I finally realized the truth of my own unchanging nature beyond the personal identity. The questions that had haunted me for so long dissolved and I was astonished to find that all seeking had ceased. Over time the shift of identity stabilized and became normalized and permanent. Grateful and content with what I saw as a private internal matter I rarely spoke or thought about spirituality and for the next fifteen or so years focused instead on my long-neglected art career. I began to establish myself as a visual artist exhibiting firstly in the UK and later internationally. I now collaborate with my partner, scientist Dr. Jesse Shore, producing artworks as Sweet+Shore, as well as my individual work as Anne Penman Sweet. About eighteen months ago I confided in my friend, author, and researcher Amir Freimann about what had happened and he immediately invited me to participate in his research project Living Transcendence: a Phenomenological Study of Spiritual Exemplars. I was very surprised as I had no sense of knowing anything or of having arrived anywhere in particular. However, over the course of a dozen or more formal interviews skillfully conducted by him, I experienced an outpouring of spiritual insights and understandings that I had no idea I contained. It was revelatory and transformative and since then I have spoken freely and publicly about these matters. Not long after, I started to feel a deep inner prompting to begin sharing what I had learned and understood, not as a teacher but as a friend and advisor. I created the End of Seeking website as a free resource to help simplify and demystify the spiritual search for others and to give seekers the tools and knowledge they may need to independently navigate the often confusing and at times hazardous terrain of the contemporary spiritual marketplace. I am currently working on a book of spiritual insights illustrated with Sweet+Shore artworks which I hope to publish by the end of the year. Key life points: Born in the UK, raised in Perth, Western Australia Studied Fine Art at Claremont Technical School of Art (Perth), Saint Martin's School of Art (University of the Arts) London 1978 disciple of Osho (Rajneesh) for next 15 years including 4 years living in India at the ashram and at the Ranch in Oregon for the final year as it was imploding Spontaneous channeling began after the Ranch and became a full-time channeler for 2-3 years. Studied with Barry Long in Australia for 3 years 1996 became a committed student of Andrew Cohen, living in his London and US communities for 8 years. 2000-present: exhibiting internationally as a visual artist (painter) Left Andrew Cohen in 2004 and spent time with Lee Lozowick and his community. 2004 Shift of perspective to Self-knowledge/Natural State 2020 began speaking more publicly about my experience/understanding after participating in Amir Freimann's study Living Transcendence: a Phenomenological Study of Spiritual Exemplars. 2021 created The End of Seeking website and began compiling a book of artworks and spiritual insight and inspiration. Website: theendofseeking.org Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Recorded February 12, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

William Peters, MFT, is the founder of the Shared Crossing Project whose mission is to positively transform relationships to death and dying through education and raising awareness about shared crossings and their healing benefits. As the director of the Shared Crossing Research Initiative (SCRI), William and his team collect and study extraordinary end-of-life experiences (shared crossings). William is a global leader in shared death studies and end-of-life phenomena. He has developed methods to facilitate the shared death experience and to assist experiencers in meaningfully integrating their experiences. William is a psychotherapist at the Family Therapy Institute of Santa Barbara where he specializes in end-of-life counseling as a means toward psycho-spiritual evolution. He served as a hospice worker with Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco. His work is informed by his two NDEs and a variety of shared crossings. William has presented at the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine’s Annual Conference. His research has been published in the American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and is approved and awaiting publication in Omega - Journal of Death Studies. Book: At Heaven's Door: What Shared Journeys to the Afterlife Teach About Dying Well and Living Better. For more information on William go to SharedCrossing.com. Shared Crossing's Story Library contains videos of shared death experiences. Viewers may share their spiritual end-of-life experiences with Shared Crossing's research team. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded February 5, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Lauren Robertson is a lifelong psychic medium who has conducted over 15,000 sittings and public demonstrations globally in a career spanning two decades. She is the author of The Medium in Manolos: A Life-Affirming Guide to Modern Mediumship, published by Hay House, and The Art and Science of Mediumship on Substack. Lauren graduated with honors from the University of Glasgow where she studied English Literature and Philosophy specializing in consciousness studies. Website: laurenrobertson.co.uk The Art and Science of Mediumship Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded January 29, 2022. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

EDWARD F. KELLY is currently a Professor in the Division of Perceptual Studies (DOPS) at the University of Virginia. He received his Ph.D. in psycholinguistics and cognitive science from Harvard in 1971, and spent the next 15-plus years working mainly in parapsychology, initially at J. B. Rhine’s Institute for Parapsychology, then for ten years through the Department of Electrical Engineering at Duke, and finally through a private research institute in Chapel Hill. Between 1988 and 2002 he worked with a large neuroscience group at UNC-Chapel Hill, mainly carrying out EEG and fMRI studies of human somatosensory cortical adaptation to natural tactile stimuli. He returned full-time to psychical research in 2002, serving as lead author of Irreducible Mind: Toward a Psychology for the 21st Century (2007), Beyond Physicalism: Toward Reconciliation of Science and Spirituality (2015), and Consciousness Unbound: Liberating Mind from the Tyranny of Materialism - (2021), all published by Rowman & Littlefield. He is now returning to his central long-term research interest – the application of modern functional neuroimaging methods to intensive psychophysiological studies of psi and ASCs in exceptional subjects. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded January 22, 2022. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Gail Brenner, Ph.D. is a psychologist, author, speaker, and lover of the nondual teaching with a fire that burns brightly. She is an expert in healing from early trauma and brings to this work years of experience with individuals and groups. Her work lovingly illuminates our everyday humanness with the deepest spiritual truths, and she is known for creating the safe space needed for inner exploration. Gail has special expertise working with older adults and their families in the transitions of aging, death, and dying. She was an assistant clinical professor at the University of California San Francisco where she trained physicians and maintained a clinical practice. She has published numerous professional articles on coping with stress and chronic medical illness and is the author of the award-winning The End of Self-Help: Discovering Peace and Happiness Right at the Heart of Your Messy, Scary, Brilliant Life and Suffering Is Optional: A Spiritual Guide to Freedom from Self-Judgment and Feelings of Inadequacy. She loves exploring different cultures through international volunteering. First BatGap interview with Gail Website: gailbrenner.com Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded January 16, 2022. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

In January 2015, my mind experienced a huge shift, where I perceived everything as God. In that experience, I had what felt like, a download of knowledge or understanding of the truth. I also felt an inner voice telling me that there was more to be revealed and understood, so I continued to give time to silence so that more could be illuminated. Over the following six months, my mind experienced many deeper understandings, and the teachings of A Course in Miracles were linked up in my mind in a way that I could express them to other students, which seemed to be helpful. From that inner illumination, I have kept vigilance to ensure that no false ideas enter my mind and distort truth to any student. I was guided to start an online group and share what was illuminated, to anyone that would like to hear. My main teaching is that our brother is holy and innocent... and in that perception, our mind heals of its belief in sin, guilt, and fear. I teach others how to apply this "Christ Blessing" to all brothers as a way to a clear and happy peaceful mind. What ACIM calls... The Mind of God. Website: categrieves.com Facebook page YouTube channel Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded January 8, 2022 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Dr. Betty J. Kovacs’ understanding of consciousness and spirituality is based on both scholarly research and symbolic, visionary experience. In fact, she has written two books concerning these subjects. Her first book is about her family’s profound visionary experiences surrounding multiple deaths in their family. Her second book relates to our ancestors’ experience of a vaster consciousness, Cosmic/Christ Consciousness. Within a three-year period, Dr. Kovacs experienced the deaths of her mother, her son, and her husband in separate automobile accidents. While she had studied shamanism before her son’s accident, she and her husband actually experienced their son’s consciousness after his death for an extended period of time. These experiences completely changed their lives. Her first book, The Miracle of Death: There Is Nothing But Life, is about these altered states of consciousness. After her retirement, she began an intensified period of research into our ancestors’ experience of a vaster consciousness, Cosmic/Christ Consciousness, which she relates in her new book, Merchants of Light: The Consciousness That Is Changing the World, winner of the Nautilus Silver Book Award and The Scientific & Medical Network 2019 Book Prize. Dr. Kovacs’ extensive research tracked the existence of a shamanic-mystic-scientist culture from at least 40,000 BCE. Our ancestors had developed symbolic language and various shamanic techniques to trigger altered states of consciousness. Some of these ancestors achieved great skill as visionaries, mystics, and scientists, while others, it is not known how many, achieved the ability to experience Cosmic Consciousness. Their Gift, the blueprint for our evolution, is the knowledge that we are all immortal, divine, and creative. This blueprint is revealed in the heart wisdom of the mystic and the new science of quantum physics. Unfortunately, in the West, this sacred tradition was suppressed by both Church and State and lost to mainline culture, but it survived underground in the Hermetic arts, Alchemy, Gnosticism, Kabbalah, and Mystic Christianity. This powerful tradition emerged four times in European history in an effort to integrate this larger consciousness into mainline culture. Each time the tradition emerged, the culture experienced a renaissance, as in the High Middle Ages, the Italian Renaissance, the Rosicrucian Enlightenment, and the German and English Romantic Period. Each of these attempts was suppressed. The consistent suppression of this ancient wisdom is the root cause of our current planetary crisis. And it can only be healed through the consciousness of the heart that births a just and feeling world. This same tradition, on which our survival now depends, has once again emerged today—and it can change the world. Website: kamlak.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded December 19, 2021. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Father Nathan Castle graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio and entered the Dominican order in 1979. He received MA and MDiv degrees from the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, California. He was Director of the Catholic Communities at Stanford University and Arizona State University. He believes the Holy Spirit has given him a “night job” of helping souls who died suddenly and violently find afterlife peace. He is the author of: And Toto, Too:: The Wizard of Oz as a Spiritual Adventure Afterlife, Interrupted: Helping Stuck Souls Cross Over—A Catholic Priest Explores the Interrupted Death Experience Afterlife, Interrupted Book Two: Helping Souls Cross Over Website: nathan-castle.com Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded December 11, 2021 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Nipun Mehta is the founder of ServiceSpace, a global community at the intersection of technology, volunteerism, and the gift economy. Most recently, ServiceSpace's pandemic response has showcased the unique beauty of its global ecosystem. Nipun has catalyzed a global social movement of community builders grounded in their localities and rooted in practices for cultivating love, nonviolence, selfless service, and compassion. The ecosystem has reached millions, attracted thousands of volunteers, and mushroomed into numerous community-based service projects as well as inspiring content portals. ServiceSpace harnesses the collective power of networks and our deeper interconnectedness to create a distributed social movement founded on small, local individual acts of kindness, generosity, and service that ignite shifts in individual and collective consciousness. Nipun was honored as an "unsung hero of compassion" by the Dalai Lama, not long before former U.S. President Obama appointed him to a council for addressing poverty and inequality in the US. Yet the core of what strikes anyone who meets him is the way his life is an attempt to bring smiles in the world and silence in his heart: "I want to live simply, love purely, and give fearlessly. That's me." In his mid-twenties, Nipun quit his job to become a "full-time volunteer". One of his most formative experiences was a walking pilgrimage across India, with his wife of six months, whose profound lessons also became the subject of his widely-read address at UPenn commencement. Over the last twenty years, he has addressed thousands of gatherings around the world, speaking next to wide-ranging leaders from Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak to author Elizabeth Gilbert to civil rights legend John Lewis. Germany's OOOM magazine named Nipun one of the Top 100 Most Inspiring People of 2020. See links to these ServiceSpace websites at the bottom of their website. And for some of Nipun's talks and articles, visit his personal website. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded December 4, 2021. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Colin was born in a staunch protestant family into the war-torn east end of London in the aftermath of WWII, where austerity and food-rationing were the norms. At the age of 11 he was sent to a Methodist boarding school and from there went to Sheffield University. So, by his early twenties finding himself in Earls Court, West London, in the late 60s when the ‘hippie revolution' was in full swing he was fully ready to break out of the narrow confines that had dogged his life up until then. He discovered the power of high dose LSD to break the barrier between the subconscious and conscious allowing decades of religious (and social) conditioning to pour out, leaving him feeling totally cleansed as if his brain had been truly washed! He also experimented with mescalin having read Aldous Huxley’s ‘The Doors of Perception’ and had many experiences which felt deeply spiritual in nature including ‘sitting’ above his body for hours and observing the world (and the body itself) from this vantage point. It was this that gave him glimpses as to what could be achieved by natural means which raised one’s consciousness to a ‘higher level’. He was reading Ouspensky at the time and could see that many of these experiences tallied with those that he described. He was fully convinced that Awakening was the purpose of life, but Ouspensky made the whole process sound so onerous that Colin decided to postpone the attempt and enjoy life while he was young and living in such a vibrant environment. About ten years later his wife Janet persuaded him to accompany her to a yoga class given by an ex-Jesuit priest. who inspired us by quoting passages from the Upanishads, Dhammapada, and other scriptures during the class. He also emphasized the importance of relaxation and meditation. There followed a few years of investigating various spiritual paths including a prolonged dalliance with the Brahma Kumaris (Raja Yoga) whose meditations were wonderful, but whose dogma he found very hard to take. They then moved into the country to start a pottery and immersed themselves in Satyananda Yoga, an organization that had no dogma but taught a wide range of yogic practices. They were both initiated into karma sannyas by Swami Satyananda and adopted a yogic lifestyle consisting of asanas, pranayama, yoga nidra, meditation, kirtan, and vegetarianism. During this time Colin was at a silent retreat when he happened to pick up a volume entitled The Gospel of Ramakrishna which introduced him to this amazing being who practiced many spiritual paths, within Hinduism and also Islam and Christianity, discovering that they all lead to the same result, and was then approached by many devotees from these various paths all of whom he was able to teach in their own path, whilst emphasizing the harmony of religions. After ten years of meditating on Ramakrishna, having been initiated by a nun of that order, he encountered a disciple of Sri Ramana Maharshi, Gangaji, who said ‘Stop! Be still, you are already That’. The message being that the effort and search were masking that which is always present; all that was required was to ‘stop’ and see what is always here. After many years of struggle and effort this news came like a breath of fresh air and he glimpsed the essence, that undeniable ever-present reality. This was followed by a seven-day silent retreat, in 1996, which resulted in his first ‘Awakening’, and in an ecstasy that slowly faded over the following year. During this time, he began to be aware of the utter simplicity of the process, especially as it became more established through repeated self-inquiry. The realization that one is the Pure Awareness that underlies the whole of life, and in fact all things, became startlingly obvious; so much so that he became increasingly disillusioned by most spiritual writings which seemed to mystify this whole subject. This created the desire to put the matter in the simplest, most straightforward,

Philip Goldberg has been studying the world’s spiritual traditions for more than 50 years, as a practitioner, teacher, and author. He trained as a Transcendental Meditation teacher with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1970 and later became an ordained Interfaith Minister and spiritual counselor. As a public speaker and workshop leader, he has lectured and taught at major venues throughout the U.S. and India. As a professional writer, his articles and blogs have appeared in numerous print and online publications, and he has authored or co-authored more than 25 books, including an upcoming novel and such celebrated nonfiction as: The Intuitive Edge: Understanding Intuition and Applying it in Everyday Life; Roadsigns: On the Spiritual Path--Living at the Heart of Paradox; the award-winning American Veda: From Emerson and the Beatles to Yoga and Meditation How Indian Spirituality Changed the West; the seminal biography The Life of Yogananda: The Story of the Yogi Who Became the First Modern Guru; and his latest book, the timely Spiritual Practice for Crazy Times: Powerful Tools to Cultivate Calm, Clarity, and Courage. He has produced e-courses for Spirituality & Practice and has taught many online courses, most recently, The Yoga of Intuition and Creativity, Four Pathways to the Divine, How Hindu Dharma Transformed the West, and the forthcoming An Immersive Exploration of the Iconic “Autobiography of a Yogi.” His special 12-part series, Spiritual Practice for Crazy Times, for Unity Online Radio, features interviews with well-known spiritual teachers. He is currently working on two nonfiction books and a sequel to his novel. In addition, he blogs regularly on Elephant Journal and Spirituality & Health, cohosts the popular Spirit Matters podcast and YouTube channel and leads American Veda Tours to India. He serves on the board of the Association for Spiritual Integrity. His website is PhilipGoldberg.com. Interview recorded November 21, 2021. First BatGap interview with Phil. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Babaji Bob Kindler is the Spiritual Director of the Sarada Ramakrishna Vivekananda (SRV) Associations since 1993 with teaching centers on the Big Island of Hawaii and Portland, Oregon, USA. Babaji teaches Vedanta, Yoga, Sankhya, and other philosophical systems of Truth with an emphasis on learning to live a divine life and the attainment of direct spiritual experience. He holds a twin spiritual heritage via initiation into the Ramakrishna lineage (Vedanta) and Kagyu Tibetan Buddhism. Editor of Nectar of Non-Dual Truth, A Journal of Universal Religious and Philosophical Teachings, he is also the author of over a dozen books on spiritual topics, including Dissolving the Mindstream A Quintessential Yoga Vasishtha Twenty-Four Aspects of Mother Kali Footfalls of the Indian Rishis: Charting the Timeless Wisdom of Mother India Babaji’s spiritual discourses can be found on YouTube, Livestream, and on the official SRV Associations website. Online and residential retreats are listed here. Email subscription and site index. “Our path is mainly a blend of Advaita and Shaktism, with our devotion to Sri Ramakrishna making it Universal, and inclusive of all religions.” Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded November 13, 2021. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Rhonda Byrne is the creator of The Secret, a documentary film that swept the world in 2006, changing millions of lives and igniting a global movement. Her follow-up book, also entitled The Secret, became a worldwide bestseller, translated into more than 50 languages. Rhonda has since released another five bestselling books covering such topics as the power of love, gratitude, the law of attraction, and the hero’s journey to success. Her latest and most important book to date, The Greatest Secret, is a quantum leap that takes the reader beyond the material and helps them discover who they truly are. Rhonda also served as a producer on the inspirational 2020 family movie, The Secret: Dare to Dream, based on her book The Secret. The film stars Katie Holmes, Josh Lucas, and Jerry O’Connell. For more information on Rhonda and her work, visit thesecret.tv. Rhonda holds live Q&As from time to time on Facebook and Instagram. Past ones are archived here. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded November 6, 2021. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Aging into Awakening Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired therapist, co-author of Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature and Romancing the Shadow: A Guide to Soul Work for a Vital, Authentic Life, author of Meeting the Shadow of Spirituality, and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Story of the Great Sufi Poet Rumi. Her new book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends shadow-work into late life and teaches aging as a spiritual practice. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for 50 years. She is a wife and grandmother and was initiated as an Elder by Sage-ing International in 2017. After investing in all these roles, she is practicing the shift from role to soul. Website: conniezweig.com Email: conniezweig@gmail.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded October 22, 2021. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Stephen Wright works as a spiritual director and trustee for the Sacred Space Foundation (SSF). Before this, he had a long and distinguished nursing career in the National Health Service and academia, the Royal College of Nursing, and as a consultant to the WHO. He gathered a few glittering prizes along the way. Then his personal and professional life took an about-turn over 35 years ago through a series of life-changing spiritual experiences. Consequently, he developed an interest in spiritual matters and the connection with wellbeing, and cofounded the SSF, to support those in spiritual crisis. He was made an Honorary Fellow of the University of Cumbria in 2013 for his work connecting spirituality and health. Three books explore the nature of healing relationships: Therapeutic Touch: Theory and Practice; Sacred Space: Right Relationship and Spirituality in Healthcare; and Reflections on Spirituality and Health. Coming Home: Notes for the Journey is a personal and scholarly account of spiritual awakening and support. Stephen has received significant development in spirituality and spiritual direction in the presence of several renowned spiritual teachers, most especially his mentor Ram Dass, at the Interfaith Seminary, and in the depth of his relationship with his fellow trustee and SSF cofounder Jean Sayre-Adams. He works with individuals seeking spiritual guidance and organizations developing the practice of healing, spiritual care, conflict resolution, staff support, compassion, and leadership. He is a supporter of and an activist in several environmental movements. As an ordained interfaith minister, he brings a rich experience of spiritual practice from many faiths to his work, as well as being a member of the Iona Community. He is a trustee of TheWEL, a charity based in Scotland offering groundbreaking approaches to wellbeing. With the support of the Diocese of Carlisle (in 2021 he was made a member of the Synod), Stephen established the St. Kentigern School for Contemplatives in 2018. His other recently published works include Burnout: a spiritual crisis: from stress to transformation; Contemplation: words and silence for the Way Home; The Kentigern Way: A life and Lakeland pilgrimage; A Grasmere pilgrimage; and collections of poetry and chant: Song and Dance for the Way Home; Beloved; and Yours, Faithfully. Heartfullness: The Way of Contemplation: 12 steps to freedom, awakening and the Beloved completes a quartet of related books on spiritual awakening and is a deep, experiential ‘course’ in liberation from addiction to the ego-self, opening to the way of contemplation, and becoming receptive to the Beloved and a path of service. He lives with his partner in the English Lake District, deepening service and spiritual practice, participating in his local church community, taking care of his organic garden, and enjoying grandfatherhood. Transcript of this interview. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Interview recorded October 16, 2021. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Lucy was raised in a low socioeconomic household and neighborhood, by a young single mother in New Zealand in the early 1980s. The lack of resources available in childhood resulted in a shrinking of her outer world to what she thought of – years later - as a kind of welfare-child ashram. Within the home, and outside of it, there were few distractions or ability to go anywhere else, and significant trauma – all forcing her to go within to what she thought of as “the deep stillness and light inside” to rest, find nourishment, solace, and strength. At 19 she experienced her first shift, seeing through the personality, and subtle perceptions revealing themselves. She never thought much of it, there had already been so much light inside, and she was so thrilled to be in the world finally so she simply went on with living. After a brief stint in television journalism, Lucy spent 15 years in Europe and New Zealand working for international humanitarian aid agencies. On return to NZ at age 31, she suddenly became extremely ill. For six months, she was mostly bedridden. Doctors, both natural and traditional, could not find the source of the illness. Over the next few years, she had to work to earn an income but there was no strength for much else. The pain in her body was ever-present, and the fear of not knowing if this was her life forever now, was sometimes crippling. She was forced to exist in a kind of in-between world again - of much aloneness and silence, aside from work. After a few years of significant illness, she recovered strength enough to live a semi-normal life. But any time she tried to do too much, she was knocked back into illness. By 35 she was in a leadership role at a non-profit, married, with a baby on the way, just surviving day-to-day with the pressure on her physical body. On becoming a mother, she was plunged into a level of blackness that was completely shocking and previously unknown. For more than two years she descended into complete separation and couldn’t hear the guidance that had always accompanied her in her life. For the first time ever she couldn’t feel God. In 2018, after more than two years of immense struggle, an unexplainable and absolute surrender took place within, in a moment, as her two-year-old cried and reached for her. Within two months she had left the career she loved to rest in what she thought of as silence. For around a year and a half, she couldn't do much else. Lucy had never been exposed to spirituality, nor did she know anything about its concepts or traditions. She thought meditation was for “those hippy people.” Because there had been no conscious spiritual search, she had no context for what was happening. Often it was so beautiful and joyful – she didn’t need to know. There was an innate sense of trust and recognition that went beyond what needed to be seen or understood with the mind. When the need to understand did arise - some online searches helped a little, but often it all felt overwhelming, and she preferred sitting in silence to hear from within. Guidance and teaching were always present and given through hearing and images. Despite this, when particularly strange things would occur the need for the mind to understand would return. One night in 2019, before sleep, in heartfelt prayer she asked for help to cut through all the online noise and finally really grasp what was going on. There was a felt sense of need for community. As she was awakening in the morning, she heard the words “Buddha at the Gas Pump”. Lucy says, "I was stumped. I had no idea what that meant, but Googled it and found BatGap. As a result, my life has changed. Over the years BatGap has supported me deeply in the process – nurturing trust and allowing everything to unfold as it wants to." From then until now, Lucy has been called over and over into deeper surrender. She has had further shifts and many clearings. Her career of 15 years,

Thom Krystofiak holds a B.A. from Harvard (magna cum laude) and an M.A. from Cambridge University, where he was a Knox Fellow. A trained teacher of Transcendental Meditation, he joined an intentional community in Fairfield, Iowa in 1983, where he and his wife continue to live. There he encountered a cornucopia of spiritual seekers. A rigorous and thoroughgoing skeptic surrounded by ready believers, he has developed unique perspectives on the eternal yet ever-new contest of doubt versus belief. Website: krystofiak.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded October 2, 2021. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Lynne Twist is the founder of the Soul of Money Institute and author of the best-selling, award-winning book "The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Life.” Over the past 40 years, Lynne has worked with over 100,000 people in 50 countries in the arenas of fundraising with integrity, conscious philanthropy, strategic visioning, and having a healthy relationship with money. Her clients include Microsoft, Proctor & Gamble, the International Unity Church, Charles Schwab, United Way, The National Black Theater of Harlem, Harvard University, and others. A sought-after speaker, she has presented for the United Nations Beijing Women’s Conference, State of the World Forum, Synthesis Dialogues with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and the Governor’s Conference on California Women, among others. A recognized global visionary, Ms. Twist has been an advisor to the Desmond Tutu Foundation, and The Nobel Women’s Initiative. Lynne is the recipient of numerous prestigious honors, including the "Woman of Distinction" award from the United Nations. Lynne is a co-founder of The Pachamama Alliance — a nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest to preserve their lands and culture. In addition, Lynne serves on a number of nonprofit boards including the Fetzer Institute, The Institute of Noetic Sciences, Bioneers, Conscious Capitalism, and Women’s Earth Alliance. From working with Mother Teresa in Calcutta to the refugee camps in Ethiopia and the threatened rainforests of the Amazon, Lynne’s on-the-ground work has brought her a deep understanding of the social tapestry of the world and the historical landscape of the times we are living in. Websites: soulofmoney.org pachamama.org Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded September 28, 2021. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Nancy Rynes is an inspirational speaker, artist, and author of "Awakenings from the Light: 12 Life Lessons from a Near Death Experience", "Messages from Heaven", and "Walking in the Light: A Daily Guidebook for Enhancing Peace, Love, and Connection", books detailing the lessons she learned from two near-death experiences (NDEs). She is a spiritual explorer, making the path to a peace-filled life clearer for seekers all over the world. Nancy is also a leading voice for bringing eternal, spiritual wisdom into our lives on Earth, developing our heart-centered intuition, and living a life of inspired creativity. Known for her fun, lighthearted, girl-next-door demeanor, Nancy loves teaching others how to live a more purposeful, joyful, creative, and spiritually-inspired life. For more information on Nancy and her current classes, workshops, and events, see NancyRynes.com. Her artwork is available at: NancyRynesStudio.com. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded September 18, 2021. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Jeff Vander Clute is a spiritual coach and mentor, and an adviser to love-based businesses and organizations. He is committed to realizing a healed and transformed world through nondual awakening to and as the source of life. Guided by deep listening and a sensitivity to Truth, Jeff helps people to navigate the complexity of these times and discover awakened pathways and possibilities. Every conversation unfolds in a field of loving presence that accelerates spiritual development and the flowering of one’s gifts – in service and in joy. Those who are drawn to this work are committed to peace, unity, and enlightenment, and to sharing their gifts as an act of devotion. Clients include: Professionals bringing spiritual insights into their work Visionaries and change agents Leaders in social transformation and humanitarian aid Artists and authors Executives transforming their businesses and industries Technologists addressing the challenges of humanity Healers of the body, mind, and soul Jeff co-founded Enlightening Journeys and Expeditions and Sourcing The Way, and he is a member of the Evolutionary Leaders, the Global Compassion Council of Charter for Compassion International, and the Association for Spiritual Integrity. He serves on the board of directors for Alliance for the Earth and Garden of Light, and was previously the board chair of the Source of Synergy Foundation. Jeff graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Mathematics from Williams College in 1995. Subsequently, he went on to help build or co-found a number of ventures, including a top-10 Internet service, a pioneering social media company, a consulting enterprise that serves awakened and awakening businesses, and several companies that are working to regenerate nature and uplift communities. Website: jeffvanderclute.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded September 12, 2021. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Clay Lomakayu Miller lives in Cottonwood, Arizona, just outside of Sedona, where he has been serving clients from all over the world to assist them in living at the center of the circle of who they are. Medicine of One is the outcome of this service. It is a nondual shamanic path that has formed from his work with clients for 25 years and his time in the Ancient sacred land of the Southwest. He uses a unique form of healing called Soul Dreaming to help free people from the stories from their past so they may gift the world their true presence. He is also the creator of Primordial Movements for trauma and emotional integration. He considers his primary service as the sharing of Medicine of One. At his side are his Wolf-Dog Helpers assisting people with their presence and love. Medicine of One is summed up in the One Noble truth, which is to live at the center where, from true being, comes our true doing. The first action is the True Action of self Love. Website: medicineofone.com YouTube channel Email address: lomakayu@medicineofone.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded September 4, 2021 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

When Christian Sundberg was a young child, he remembered his existence before coming to Earth. While that memory left him completely for his early adult life, it spontaneously returned at the age of 30 as Christian took up a meditation practice and went through a personal awakening journey. He also began to have Out of Body Experiences (OBEs). Christian has worked for over 15 years as a professional project manager for complex nuclear pump and valve manufacturing projects. Christian has also presented at over 80 public speaking events, as he now seeks to remind others in at least a small part of who we all really are beneath the human “play". Book: A Walk in the Physical: Understanding the Human Experience Within the Larger Spiritual Context A Walk in the Physical (Free online version) Website: awalkinthephysical.com Email Christian at: awalkinthephysical@gmail.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded August 28, 2021 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Eva Natanya is Executive Director and Resident Teacher at the Center for Contemplative Research at Miyo Samten Ling. A scholar of Indian and Tibetan Buddhism, Christian theology, and comparative religion, Dr. Natanya has served in many capacities as a spiritual teacher, academic lecturer, translator, and editor of Tibetan texts, writer, and retreat leader. Following a nine-year career as a professional ballet dancer with both the New York City Ballet and the Royal Ballet of England, she earned an MA in Christian Systematic Theology at the Graduate Theological Union and a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from the University of Virginia. Her dissertation examined the complex interactions of Madhyamaka, Yogācāra, and Abhidharma teachings as they underlie the Vajrayāna philosophy of Je Tsongkhapa. She has worked closely with Dr. B. Alan Wallace on his translations for several books, including Open Mind: View and Meditation in the Lineage of Lerab Lingpa and Fathoming the Mind: Inquiry and Insight in Dudjom Lingpa's Vajra Essence, and has co-taught meditation retreats with Dr. Wallace around the world. In a Christian context, she co-authored Living Resurrected Lives: What It Means and Why It Matters with Veronica Mary Rolf. She has spent more than three years in solitary meditation retreat, and remains in residence at Miyo Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado, guiding fellow retreatants in the details of contemplative training. Her website is: evanatanya.com. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded August 21, 2021 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Peter Russell is a leading thinker on consciousness and contemporary spirituality. He coined the term "global brain" with his 1980s bestseller of the same name in which he predicted the Internet and the impact it would have on humanity. His new book, Letting Go of Nothing: Relax Your Mind and Discover the Wonder of Your True Nature, is published this August. He is the author of ten other books, including Waking Up in Time: Finding Inner Peace in Times of Accelerating Change and From Science to God: A Physicist’s Journey into the Mystery of Consciousness. He studied theoretical physics, experimental psychology, and computer science at the University of Cambridge, and pioneered the introduction of personal growth programs to corporations, running courses for senior management on creativity, stress management, and sustainable development. His mission is to distill the essential wisdom on human consciousness found in the world’s various spiritual traditions and to disseminate their teachings on self-liberation in contemporary and compelling ways. Peter's website: peterrussell.com Peter's YouTube channel Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. First BatGap interview with Peter. Interview recorded August 14, 2021 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Julie Beischel, Ph.D., is the co-founder and Director of Research at the Windbridge Research Center. She received her Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology with a minor in Microbiology and Immunology. Her current research mainly focuses on mediums: individuals who experience communication with the deceased. Dr. Beischel has published research examining mediums’ accuracy and their experiences, psychology, and physiology, and the potential therapeutic application of mediumship readings during bereavement. Her research interests also include spontaneous, facilitated, assisted, and requested after-death communication experiences. She lives in Arizona with her husband and research partner, Mark Boccuzzi, and their two dogs. Books: Investigating Mediums: A Windbridge Institute Collection Among Mediums: A Scientist's Quest for Answers Meaningful Messages: Making the Most of Your Mediumship Reading From the Mouths of Mediums Vol. 1: Experiencing Communication (From the Mouths of Mediums: Conversations with Windbridge Certified Research Mediums) Website: windbridge.org Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded August 7, 2021 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Dr. Jim Tucker is the Bonner-Lowry Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia. He is Director of the UVA Division of Perceptual Studies, where he is continuing the work of Ian Stevenson with children who report memories of previous lives. He is the author of Before: Children's Memories of Previous Lives, a new 2-in-1 edition of his books Life Before Life: A Scientific Investigation of Children's Memories of Previous Lives and Return to Life: Extraordinary Cases of Children Who Remember Past Lives, which together have been translated into twenty languages. Websites: jimbtucker.com Division of Perceptual Studies Detailed bio, including publications Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded July 31, 2021. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

This interview centered around Sadhvi's new book, Hollywood to the Himalayas: A Journey of Healing and Transformation. Her website dedicated to the book is hollywoodtothehimalayas.com. Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, Ph.D. is a renowned spiritual leader, author, and motivational speaker based in Rishikesh, India. Originally from Los Angeles and a graduate of Stanford University, Sadhviji has been ordained into the sacred order of Sanyas by her guru HH Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji and has been living at Parmarth Niketan Ashram for the past twenty-five years. She is the Secretary-General of the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance, an international interfaith organization dedicated to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene; president of Divine Shakti Foundation, a foundation that runs free schools, vocational training programs, and empowerment programs; and director of the world-famous International Yoga Festival at Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh—which has been covered in Time, CNN, the New York Times and other prestigious publications and has been addressed by both the Prime Minister and Vice President of India. She serves on the United Nations Advisory Council on Religion and on the steering committees of the International Partnership for Religion and Sustainable Development (PaRD) and the Moral Imperative to End Extreme Poverty, a campaign by the United Nations and World Bank. She was also the Managing Editor for the monumental project of the 11-volume Encyclopedia of Hinduism. She oversees a variety of humanitarian projects, teaches meditation, lectures, writes, counsels individuals and families, and serves as a unique female voice of spiritual leadership throughout India and the world. Some of the topics discussed in this interview: How Sadhvi’s journey has bridged spirituality and humanness. Grace doesn’t discriminate. Spirituality is available for everyone! The ecstatic story of Sadhvi’s awakening on the banks of the Ganga and the healing and transformation that followed. The lifelong process of integration and embodiment of spiritual awakening experiences. How we can see the Divine in all beings and how that increases our spiritual experience. The role of the guru: the guru shines the light that enables us to see our own light, thus dispelling our darkness of ignorance. How Sadhviji’s guru Pujya Swamiji inspires her to dedicate herself to awareness of that which is eternal rather than things that quickly fade. Becoming a vessel for the flow of grace. Everyone enters the world with their own karmic packages, and awareness of our own and others’ packages is key. Mindfulness teaches us how to stay conscious and present. In order to experience grace, sometimes there’s a lot of work to be done! Sadhviji’s childhood trauma and how she was taught to forgive and let go so she could be free. Forgiveness: regardless of what others have done we deserve to be free. Freedom is our birthright, our highest dharma, purpose, and calling. Websites: Sadhviji.org (personal site) Sadhviji's TED talk @SadhviBhagawatiSaraswati (Sadhviji's Facebook page with announcements of events, videos, etc.) @ParmarthNiketan (Parmarth's Facebook page where they stream Sadhviji's satsangs live daily when she is in town.) Youtube channel with all of the videos of Sadhviji's lectures (and also a lot of other good stuff...) Twitter: @SadhviBhagawati Book: Vegetarianism: For Our Bodies, Our Minds, Our Souls & Our Planet Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. First BatGap interview with Sadhvi. Interview recorded July 25, 2021. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Stephan Bodian is a teacher in the nondual wisdom tradition of Zen, Dzogchen, and Advaita Vedanta and the founder and director of the annual School for Awakening, an intensive six-month program of exploration and study. His offerings are noted for their humor, warmth, spontaneity, and intimacy and combine direct pointers, lively dialogues, silent sitting, and guided self-inquiry. He’s the author of several books, including Wake Up Now: A Guide to the Journey of Spiritual Awakening and Beyond Mindfulness: The Direct Approach to Lasting Peace, Happiness, and Love. Stephan spent a decade practicing Zen intensively as a monk but left the monastery because he sensed that the rigorous practice of meditation was obscuring the truth he was seeking. After studying Dzogchen for several years, he met his guru, Jean Klein, a European teacher of Advaita Vedanta, who told him to stop meditating and instead discover the meditator. Shortly after meeting Jean, he had a profound awakening to his true identity as timeless presence. After Jean’s death, Stephan met Adyashanti, and in 2001 Adya gave him Dharma transmission and invited him to teach. Trained as a psychotherapist, Stephan also offers individual spiritual counseling and mentoring sessions to people throughout the world. His approach blends direct, experiential, nondual wisdom with the insights of Western psychology to support students in realizing who they really are while inquiring into the stories and patterns of thinking and behaving that continue to cause suffering. Some of the main points discussed in this interview: What does spiritual integrity really mean? Absolute and relative levels of truth “There is no right or wrong, but right is right, and wrong is wrong.” The role and deeper meaning of ethical precepts. Understanding the power dynamics of the teacher-student relationship. How teachers abuse their sacred responsibility and act out of integrity. “The teacher represents a whole world of meaning to the student.” Teachers who claim to be enlightened may relegate their students to endless endarkenment. Why narcissists are drawn to becoming spiritual teachers. How students are taken in by misguided teachers. The crucial role of discernment on the path: “The true guru is inside you”. The importance of peer feedback and personal counseling as teachers mature in their role. Sex in the forbidden zone: Wanderers, predators, and boundary confusion. Acknowledging and integrating the shadow. How to know when it’s time to leave a teacher. The future of the spiritual teacher-student relationship in the West. The endless nature of the awakening journey. Website: stephanbodian.org Other books: Meditation For Dummies, w/Audio CD(Also available in various languages.) Timeless Visions, Healing Voices: Conversations With Men & Women of the Spirit Perfect Brilliant Stillness, by David Carse - book mentioned during interview as one of Stephan's favorites. Free to read online. Audio version on Audible: Perfect Brilliant Stillness Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. First BatGap interview with Stephan. Interview recorded July 11, 2021 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Stephen C. Meyer received his Ph.D. in the philosophy of science from the University of Cambridge. A former geophysicist and college professor, he now directs Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture. Meyer is author of the New York Times bestseller Darwin's Doubt: The Explosive Origin of Animal Life and the Case for Intelligent Design and Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design, a (London) Times Literary Supplement Book of the Year. In 2004, Meyer ignited a firestorm of media and scientific controversy when a biology journal at the Smithsonian Institution published his peer-reviewed scientific article advancing intelligent design. Meyer has been featured on national television and radio programs, including The Jim Lehrer News Hour, CBS Sunday Morning, NBC Nightly News, ABC World News, Good Morning America, Nightline, FOX News Live, Paula Zahn Now (CNN), and the Tavis Smiley Show on PBS. He has also been featured in two New York Times front-page stories and has garnered attention in other top national media. Latest Book: Return of the God Hypothesis: Three Scientific Discoveries That Reveal the Mind Behind the Universe Website: stephencmeyer.org Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded July 9, 2021 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Chelan Harkin has been channeling ecstatic poetry for years and has now published two books in the past seven months, Susceptible to Light and Let Us Dance!: The Stumble and Whirl With The Beloved. Her publishing journey has been mystical and transformational and filled with "prayer experiments" gone right. Chelan has regularly been compared to the great mystic poets, Rumi, Hafiz, and Rilke. She lives in a geographically spectacular region of Washington State, The Columbia Gorge, with her husband and two small children. In her poetry and in her life, Chelan continually invites the fumbling, suffering parts of our nature and our divinity to meet for tea in the heart, to have a great laugh, and share a big hug. Website: chelanharkin.com Facebook page Some of the main points discussed in this conversation: Chelan’s background and introduction to poetry by Hafiz. Her shift from effortful poetry to spontaneous “downloads”. Chelan reads some of her favorite poems throughout the interview. Chelan’s subjective experience when a poem starts to “come through” – a full-body tingle and a sense of urgency; a mingling of her spirit with something larger. What the world might be like if everyone unlocked their full potential. Chelan’s transformative experience with hypnosis as a process for the development of consciousness. There is no joy in smallness. Chelan reads the poem ‘I AM TOO MUCH!’ The growth potential of marriage and parenthood. Opening the heart and connecting with the divinity within us. Sensitivity to ‘truth’ and addressing that which is not aligned with it. Being able to have pain move through us without hurting us. Chelan’s collaboration with Daniel Ladinsky. Chelan’s upbringing in the Baháʼí faith. All people and religions are fundamentally united in a common source. Chelan’s mystical experience and creative inspiration in a cell in Israel in which the founder of the Baháʼí faith was imprisoned. Developing a harmonious relationship between knowledge and experience. Chelan’s current and future projects. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded July 3, 2021 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Ilia Delio, OSF holds the Josephine C. Connelly Chair in Christian Theology at Villanova University. Her area of research is Science and Religion with interests in artificial intelligence, evolution, quantum physics, and the import of these for Christian doctrine and life. She holds a doctorate in Pharmacology from Rutgers University, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and a doctorate in Historical Theology from Fordham University. She is the author of over twenty books including Making All things New (Catholicity in an Evolving Universe), a finalist for the 2019 Michael Ramsey Prize and The Unbearable Wholeness of Being: God, Evolution, and the Power of Love, for which she won the 2014 Silver Nautilus Book Award and a 2014 Catholic Press Association Book Award in Faith and Science. Her latest book is Re-Enchanting the Earth: Why AI Needs Religion. She is the founder of the Center for Christogenesis, an online educational resource for promoting the vision of Teilhard de Chardin and, more broadly, the integration of science and religion in the 21st century. Some of the main points discussed in this conversation. What is God? As we enter the mystery of God, language fails us, and the mystery grasps us all the more. The mystery of God is the same mystery at the heart of physics. There’s nothing outside the existence of God. God is existence itself. God’s love is so infinite that there is nothing in this creation that’s un-loveable or unloved by God. This is a finite creation. Wherever there are boundaries there is the possibility of suffering. Suffering and death are part of the life cycle. Reincarnation discussion. Are multiple incarnations sequential or simultaneous? A deep experience of the mystery of God supports the freedom to speculate, dream, and imagine. Science and religion need one another in order to fully understand the world. The necessity and drawbacks of specialization and the complexification of knowledge. If our hearts are grounded in holy mystery we become more fully God-like in our actions. Humanity won’t have a sustainable future unless we renew the deeper dimension in our lives. Cyborgs and transhumanism The mutually beneficial relationship between spiritual and material technologies. A profound spiritual transformation is underway. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin’s idea of a new religion of the earth, retaining the wisdom of the past but creating something new for the future. Wherever in the universe intelligent life exists, it will search for ultimate intelligence. Intelligent design The core energy of the universe – God - is love. The force that creates stars is the same force that manifests as love in humans. Love is the highest knowledge. In the evening of life, we shall be judged on love alone. Making love the lens through which we see all of life. “The more I am in union with another, the more I am in touch with myself because it’s the core of myself that’s in union.” What might the world be like if everyone were enlightened? Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded June 26, 2021. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

From her teenage years onwards Tara has been deeply interested in personal growth and self-development and has dedicated her life to this quest. Tara holds an M.A. in Education and has post-graduate qualifications in gestalt therapy, body awareness therapy, and transpersonal therapy. She is a fully qualified and licensed psychotherapist and counselor. Tara has worked as a drug counselor, counselor for adolescents, and general psychotherapist since 1988. Tara has been a dedicated Buddhist practitioner since 1986. In 1997 she received encouragement from her Buddhist teacher Rigdzin Shikpo to teach meditation to others. In 2002 her Buddhist teacher Venerable Garchen Rinpoche also encouraged her to teach. Tara has since taught ongoing meditation groups and combines Buddhist wisdom and her experience in counseling when assisting her clients with their personal growth, self-development, and improvement. Since 2011 Tara has specialized in helping people suffering from kundalini syndrome. Tara is the author of several self-help books. She has been featured in numerous publications and has appeared on various radio and television shows in Europe and the US. Tara is a regular contributor to beliefnet.com. Tara (born 1960) lives in the beautiful countryside of Devon in England where she also works in her private counseling (Skype) practice together with her husband Nigel. In her free time, Tara loves to walk in nature, visit old-fashioned English tea rooms, and lavish many hours of work on her flower garden. Websites taraspringett.com kundalinisymptoms.com Books Healing Kundalini Symptoms: Proven Techniques That Really Work Enlightenment Through the Path of Kundalini: A Guide to a Positive Spiritual Awakening and Overcoming Kundalini Syndrome Spiritual Joy: The Buddhist Dzogchen Path to Enlightenment Advanced Manifesting - Tibetan Buddhist Secrets for Fulfilling Your Dreams Higher-Consciousness Healing: Discover Your Personal Healing-Symbols to Solve All Your Problems Soulmate Relationships: How to find, keep and understand your perfect partner Some points covered in this conversation: Kundalini can be scary if you don’t know what it is: consciousness expansion. ‘Higher consciousness healing’ to facilitate the process of kundalini awakening. Kriyas (involuntary movements) may happen in the beginning phase of kundalini awakening. We shouldn’t repress or encourage them. Traumas get stored in specific parts of the body. The physical body is permeated by an energy body, in which we feel our thoughts and emotions, including our ‘unconscious’ thoughts. How different traumas reside in different chakras. Kundalini is a subtle psycho-spiritual process. Four levels of spiritual practice. For balanced development, it’s important to continue working with the chakras, particularly the lower ones, even after reaching a high state of consciousness. The importance of infusing bliss into all the chakras and purging them of negativity. The foundational importance of morality and ‘loving kindnesses.’ Being authentic and honest, even if the world doesn’t appreciate it. According to Buddhism, evolution continues on subtler levels after enlightenment. Deification in Tibetan Buddhism. Mental health issues and kundalini symptoms can coexist. Kundalini awakenings are always accompanied by a strong spiritual motivation. The importance of regular routines. It’s extremely rare for kundalini to cause mental health issues, and only then if one has a disposition for that. Psychedelic drugs can cause problematic kundalini awakenings. The importance of preparedness before pursuing advanced teachings. Love and forgiveness indicate you’re on the right path. Profound inner changes usually result in corresponding changes in outer life. A ‘tantric relationship’ can accelerate your mutual development. Long retreats vs. daily practice.

Diederik was born in 1942 in a tiny village south of what now is known as Jakarta, Indonesia. The first three and a half years of his life were spent in Japanese POW camps and it was here that he formed most of his core beliefs, beliefs which he thought were his actual ‘character’. After some fifty years of self-loathing, alcohol, and drug abuse he decided there had to be a better way, it was time to ‘change his mind’ at the deepest levels. Through a Course in Miracles and Attitudinal Healing, he developed a radical forgiveness process that allows him to transform the self he hated into a Self whose only function is to extend love. Choose Again, his charitable society, operates a healing center in Costa Rica and he gives talks and teaches workshops in many places around the world. Some main points discussed in this conversation. Everything happens for a reason. Diederik’s work goes beneath symptoms to the core belief that ‘chooses’ the symptoms. Most core beliefs are formed in the first 8 years of life, and sometimes even in utero. Diederik’s birth and early life in a Japanese POW camp. His troubled background. Most children blame themselves when traumatic things happen to them. Their behavior eventually expresses that guilt. Reading this line in A Course in Miracles completely changed Diederik’s life: “Sin is lack of love as darkness is lack of light.” Recognizing that the world is a dream and that we are its author enables us to write a different script. Whatever we do in life reflects who we think we are. Feelings are vehicles that can take us back to the moment when their underlying beliefs were formed. “Nothing outside of me can bring me anything I need and nothing outside of me needs to change for me to be happy.” The essence of all these teachings: I am the author of my experience and everything in my life is for me. If you decide that happiness and joy are your goals, then whatever happens will serve that goal. Bliss is the goal of this process. The importance of ongoing practice. It gets easier if you persist. Diederik’s Six-Step Process: Step 1: I’m upset. Step 2: Me: It’s about me. Step 3: Focus on the feelings. Step 4: Remember my ancient feelings. Step 5: Establish my judgment of myself. Step 6: Embrace the truth about me. “Discomfort is aroused only to bring the need for correction to awareness.” Programs available, remotely and in residence. Website: choose-again.com Book: Choose Again: Six Steps to Freedom Book Diederik mentioned: What They Don’t Teach in Prenatal Class: The Key to Raising Trouble-Free Kids & Teens Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded June 12, 2021 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Laurence Freeman is a Benedictine monk and teacher and is Director of The World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM) a global, inclusive contemplative community. He resides at the international centre of the WCCM at Bonnevaux Centre for Peace near Paris. With Irish and English roots, he was educated by the Benedictines and studied English Literature at New College, Oxford University. Before entering monastic life, he worked with the United Nations in New York, in Banking and Journalism. Fr. Laurence is a monk of the Benedictine Congregation of Monte Oliveto Maggiore. John Main was his teacher and Fr. Laurence assisted him in establishing the foundations of the Community. Laurence is the author of a number of books on Meditation. He teaches meditation in religious and secular contexts and works in interfaith dialogue. He travels extensively teaching and leading Retreats dialogues. Laurence sees meditation as opening the common ground of humanity and developing the contemplative consciousness that he believes the world today needs for its survival. Some of the points discussed in this conversation: “Meditation itself is a universal wisdom, we find it in all the great spiritual families.” Lawrence’s introduction to meditation by John Main. John Main’s background. The roots of the mantra meditation taught by the World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM): its connection with Ramana Maharshi and the Christian tradition of the desert fathers and John Cassian. “Meditation is a work of attention that gives deep care to the soul.” The loss of esoteric knowledge in the Cristian tradition. Three elements of religion: Mystical, Institutional, Intellectual. How easily the subtle and mystical elements of a religion can be lost. The distinction between contemplative consciousness and transitory yet transformative mystical experiences. Mindfulness is helpful but is preparatory for the deeper and more transformative work of single-pointed meditation. The inevitability of a “dark night” or purificatory stage. How a connection with your deeper self can transform the dying experience. The best scientists are mystics. The influence on society of the materialist paradigm, which fails to recognize that consciousness is fundamental. An encounter with the meaning of suffering at the heart of all great mystical traditions. Finding the still point within ourselves and meeting others from that place is a fundamental prerequisite to solving global problems. Importance of community. Convening leaders who understand the importance of contemplative consciousness and how this might transform the world. Connecting contemplative practice with the work necessary to heal the world. Can meditation alone ensure moral clarity? The issue of ethical integrity in the spiritual community. Good work is that which brings out the best in you and will bring benefits to others – that’s ‘virtue’. “The fruits of the spirit are actually the life of God, burgeoning in your humanity.” “God became human so that human beings might become God.” If some Christians find this blasphemous, they should read the early Church fathers. Emptiness versus fullness in the Cristian tradition. St. Irenaeus: “We can never know God as an object, we can only know God by participating in his own self-knowledge”. Reincarnation vs. resurrection vs. purgatory. Meditation is the journey from the mind, into the heart. Three stages of meditation. 3-minute group meditation. How to learn more about Lawrence's work. Books Jesus the Teacher Within Good Work: Meditation for Personal & Organisational Transformation Christian Meditation: Your Daily Practice Light Within: Meditation as Pure Prayer Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded June 5, 2021 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Anita Moorjani is the New York Times bestselling author of What If This Is Heaven?: How Our Cultural Myths Prevent Us from Experiencing Heaven on Earth and Dying To Be Me: My Journey from Cancer, to Near Death, to True Healing. A beloved international speaker, she lives in the United States with her husband, Danny, and has dedicated her life to empowering the minds and hearts of people with her story of courage and transformation. Anita was born in Singapore to Indian parents and grew up in Hong Kong speaking English, Cantonese, and an Indian dialect simultaneously. Prior to her near-death experience, she worked in the corporate world. Anita's website Anita's latest book: Sensitive Is the New Strong: The Power of Empaths in an Increasingly Harsh World Audio CD: Deep Meditation for Healing Previous BatGap interview with Anita. Some of the points discussed in this conversation: A review of Anita’s near-death experience: “It felt like love was coming from the whole universe, I was bathed in it”. How it changed her life, physically and spiritually, and continues to do so. A brief discussion of her 2nd book, “What if This is heaven?” – how to create heaven on earth. Focusing on what you want, and not on fear. Anita’s new book, “Sensitive is the New Strong”. The spectrum from sociopathy to empathy. Empaths can become doormats, feeling and absorbing others’ pain and not differentiating it from their own; always giving but struggling to receive. The people society regards as powerful are often the most aggressive and insensitive. Sensitive people shy away from power, but if the world were run by empaths we would heal hunger in a minute. We can’t have empathic leaders without a grassroots shift in collective consciousness. Learning to follow your inner guidance and not give away your power. Sensitivity is seen as weakness and should be seen as strength. Empathy and spiritual development should be major components of education. How to balance strength with sensitivity. How to give without being depleted. The importance of taking time for practice, to recharge. How to know if one is an empath. Empaths struggle until they learn that their 6th sense is a gift. Can non-empaths become empaths? Spiritual awakening does not make one an empath. Are empaths more vulnerable to disease? Empaths may be more amenable to alternative medicine than others. Spiritual development is a marathon, not a sprint. Empath’s inability to say ‘no’ creates problems for them. Anita’s answer to a woman who lost her 14-year-old son to leukemia a year ago. Integrating spiritually transcendent experiences into our earthly life once we “return.” Dealing with skeptics and debunkers. Your body is more powerful than you have been led to believe. Having a will to live. Create a life that you love. Sensitive people often have repressed egos. If spiritual teachers tell them ego is bad, they may repress even more. Ground yourself. Entrain with the earth’s cleansing energies. Don’t worry about creating boundaries. Expand your energy and you won’t need them. We are all interconnected. We are all one consciousness. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded June 3, 2021. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Stephen Cope is the Scholar Emeritus at the renowned Kripalu Center in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. He is the author of many best-selling books on the topic of yoga and meditation. For over thirty years, his interest has been in bringing important but esoteric yoga scriptures to the mainstream, including, most recently, the two-thousand-year-old spiritual classic called The Bhagavad Gita, or "The Song of God." His new book on The Gita, entitled The Dharma of Difficult Times, will be released later this year. Some of the points discussed in this conversation: Stephen's background. Dharma – “Sacred Duty”, “That course of action most conducive to your spiritual development” - with particular reference to the Bhagavad Gita. Indra’s net - the connection between the soul's good and the common good. Dharmic hierarchies: individuals, families, communities, nations, planets. The evolutionary opportunities of the human realm as compared with higher realms. Being honest, humble, and discreet about one’s progress on the path. The value of long-term practice. The value of meditation for musicians, athletes, and others whose success demands sharp focus. The four pillars of karma yoga: discerning one’s dharma, applying oneself to it, being unattached to the outcome, and “turning it over to God”. Overcoming the habit of reaching and grasping. The distinction between motivation and grasping. How to determine your dharma. You can still live your dharma even if your job does not fulfill it. You may have many dharmas, both simultaneously and sequentially. To live your dharma is to surrender your life to a higher power and become a channel through which the world benefits. Examples from the lives of Whitman, Beethoven, Frost, Gandhi, Keats, etc. The Gospel of Thomas: “If you bring forth what is within you, what is within you will save you, if you do not bring forth what is within you, what is within you will destroy you”. Suffering can break us open and enable us to receive new information. Just vs. unjust wars. Living your dharma may require sacrificing some attractive things that are not aligned with it. During periods of dharma transition, we may experience doubt and uncertainty. The importance of commitment: “Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” Living a disciplined and holy life bears fruit. "The means collect around sattwa." Focusing our energy and attention rather than scattering it. The difference between happiness and fulfillment. Fulfillment independent of gain and loss. Books: The Great Work of Your Life: A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling (Discussed in this interview) Yoga and the Quest for the True Self The Wisdom of Yoga: A Seeker's Guide to Extraordinary Living Deep Human Connection: Why We Need It More than Anything Else Website: stephencope.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded May 29, 2021 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Born and brought up in Mumbai, Gautam faced one challenge after another fairly early in life. He remarks, “As a result, I grew up before my time.” Having to cope with the loss of his father at the young age of 14 gave rise to questions related to death, insecurity, and survival, which would affect most children faced with a similar loss. Gautam’s fondest memories are of the times spent with his parents on weekend trips to the shrine of Sai Baba at Shirdi, and on annual holidays when the family went to Kashmir. His father had built a prospering advertising business, which after his father’s demise, had continued to grow and progress under the watchful eye of his mother. Gautam started attending office while he was still in college and, three years later, took over the reins of the business. Running the business and dealing with a staff of thirty who were all much older than him taught him about building relationships with people – whether they were CEOs of multi-national corporations, suppliers, or his colleagues at work. Gradually, he was able to bring the company out of the red – bad debts that had been incurred over the years – and back into the black. At the turn of the millennium (December 1999), Gautam’s inherent but latent spiritual inclination surfaced through a series of synchronistic events. Following his mother’s example, he started attending a course in Brahma Vidya (Knowledge of Brahman) based on a system of ancient Tibetan breathing exercises. This course was conducted by his mother’s guru, Justice Dudhat of the High Court of Mumbai. Around this time, Gautam diversified into publishing by setting up Yogi Impressions, primarily to publish his mother Santosh’s book on her spiritual awakening. Santosh Ma’s journey of awakening spanned three years, from 1996 to 1999. Although there was no desire or ambition to publish any other book besides this one, destiny had charted a new course for him, as he was soon to discover. As a single parent, Santosh played the role of both mother and father during Gautam’s as well as his sisters’ growing up years. This role took on another dimension after her spiritual awakening when aspirants started visiting her for guidance on the path of Kundalini and meditation. By now, Gautam was closely working with her on other books that were to follow as well as witnessing, at close quarters, her interactions with aspirants. He imbibed a lot by just being in her presence. He is often asked what it is like to live under the same roof with a personality such as his mother. His sister Shibani sums it up by saying, “Never once did our mother utter the word ‘No’ to us.” In November 1999, Gautam met Eckhart Tolle, the best-selling spiritual author of The Power of Now, in Hong Kong, while holidaying with his sister Nikki who worked there at the time. He had several interactions with this spiritual teacher over the next few years, courtesy of Nikki and her friends’ proximity to Eckhart, which led to his publishing company bringing out the Indian edition of The Power of Now. Eckhart had said that publishing would be the start of ‘an adventure’ for Gautam, and so it turned out to be. It was at Nikki’s urging that Gautam met the Advaita sage, Ramesh Balsekar, in February 2000. Some of her friends were flying down from a distant country just to meet this modern sage who lived a mere 20-minute drive away from Gautam’s home. Having no conscious interest in the subject, he tagged along one Sunday morning to Ramesh’s residence in Mumbai. On his next visit when Ramesh saw him, he asked Gautam: “Isn’t this the second consecutive Sunday you have come? Be careful young man… this will become your Sunday church!” Little then did he know that he would keep visiting Ramesh over the next nine years to attend his satsangs. In hindsight, Gautam says that these three events: the culmination of his mother’s awakening, meeting Eckhart Tolle as well as Ramesh Balsekar,

Sufi mystic and visionary Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri is an enlightened spiritual master. His life and works serve as a reminder that spirituality is a science and an art vitally relevant to our times. Shaykh Fadhlalla grew up in an environment where religious scholars, as well as Sufi and mystics, were part of his formative experience. His love and understanding of the universality of the Qur'anic message have imbued him with respect for other religions and spiritual paths. Websites: sfhfoundation.com shaykhfadhlallahaeri.com zahrapublications.pub Books mentioned during the interview: Son of Karbala: The Spiritual Journey of an Iraqi Muslim Sufi Encounters: Sharing the Wisdom of Enlightened Sufis Spectrum of Reality: Sufi Insights The Garden of Meaning Some points discussed in this interview: Shaykh Fadhlalla’s childhood: His curiosity and interest in science. Seeing the underlying sameness in different cultures and religions. Not being satisfied with earthly comforts. Integrating individuality with universality, inner with outer, physicality with spirituality. Luck and good fortune vs. divine orchestration. Life as preparation for infinite life. Nature provides the most amazing flow of guidance, but we are not attuned to it anymore, and our material fears and anxieties consume everything. Calibration between the physical reality and the ‘quantum field’ makes a “huge difference in the quality of life and the ease of flow”. Different kinds of ‘mind’: Low, Normal, Super, and Supra. Shaykh Fadhlalla’s shift from occasional to abiding awakening. Awakenings can be dramatic (abrupt) or subtle (gradual). In any case, refinement is ongoing. Life’s challenges may still touch you, but won’t overwhelm you. We are moving very rapidly to greater universality, acceptance, tolerance, and respect. The benefits of contemplating the vastness of the universe. Shaykh Fadhlalla’s two highly spiritual fathers – his biological one and his guru, Swami Chinmayananda. The 3-day limit for grieving in the Muslim tradition. All religions come from the same light. “The arc of the rising consciousness is clear.” Love of nature as a spiritual path. “You are essentially a cosmic being on a short journey on this earth.” Suffering can be an incentive to see God. Karma and reincarnation in Islam and Sufism. Spiritual and other forms of leadership is shifting from male to female. Female saints in Islamic history. Liberation within limitations. Some quotes: “The ultimate treasure, without measure, is your own soul” “Every home needs its own inner ashram.” “Within every human being, there is sacred light. If I don’t interfere too much, if I put my shadow away then the light will lead me.” “The master within, my own soul, the divine presence.” Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded May 1, 2021 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Richard Tarnas is a professor of psychology and cultural history at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, where he founded the graduate program in Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness. He teaches courses in the history of ideas, archetypal studies, depth psychology, and religious evolution. He frequently lectures on archetypal studies and depth psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara and was formerly the director of programs and education at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. He is the author of The Passion of the Western Mind, a history of the Western world view from the ancient Greek to the postmodern widely used in universities. His second book, Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View, received the Book of the Year Prize from the Scientific and Medical Network and is the basis for the upcoming documentary series The Changing of the Gods. He is a past president of the International Transpersonal Association and served on the Board of Governors for the C. G. Jung Institute of San Francisco. Website: cosmosandpsyche.com Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded April 25, 2021. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Academic neurosurgeon Dr. Eben Alexander III, whose career includes decades as a physician and associate professor at Harvard Medical School and revered teaching hospitals, was once staunchly committed to the materialist world view -- the belief that the physical world is all that exists. His scientific belief system was altered by a 2008 transcendental near-death experience (NDE) in which a bacterial infection severely damaged his brain as he fell into a week-long coma during which he experienced an odyssey into another realm. Despite a bleak medical prognosis, Dr. Alexander awoke to make an inexplicable return to full health. He has since become a pioneering scientist and modern thought leader in the emerging science that acknowledges the primacy of consciousness in the universe, he is the author of the New York Times #1 bestseller Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife, The Map of Heaven: How Science, Religion, and Ordinary People Are Proving the Afterlife, and Living in a Mindful Universe: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Heart of Consciousness. Website: ebenalexander.com More detailed bio. Karen Newell is an author and specialist in personal development with a diverse body of work that rests upon the foundation of heart-centered consciousness. As an innovator in the emerging field of brainwave entrainment audio meditation, Karen empowers others in their journeys of self-discovery by demonstrating how to connect to inner guidance, achieve inspiration, improve wellness and develop intuition. She is co-founder of Sacred Acoustics, and co-author with Eben Alexander III, M.D. of Living in a Mindful Universe. More detailed bio. Website shared by Eben and Karen: innersanctumcenter.com Twice-monthly webinars mentioned during the interview. Some points discussed during this conversation: Eben’s NDE and improbable recovery, including experience of a subterranean realm, the collapse of 4-dimensional reality, his guardian angel, and a “gateway valley” in which souls reside between lives. The importance of music and sound. Binaural beats. Experiencing a life review (how we impacted others) during NDEs has been reported for over 2,000 years. Dealing with things now so they do not need to be handled during your life review. The brain does not create consciousness. Our mental states create our physical reality. Is the world about to undergo a “phase transition” to a “golden age”? The alignment of science and spirituality - the afterlife and reincarnation studied seriously. Important because mainstream society trusts science. The work of Ian Stevenson and Jim Tucker. The brain as a filter. The harmful ramifications of science not understanding consciousness as primary. Materialists are entrenched because it’s hard to admit that one’s life’s work has been based upon a misunderstanding. They are going extinct. Memory storage: in the brain or in the ‘cloud’? Kindness, compassion, love, forgiveness - feminine qualities the world needs now. The importance of discernment on the spiritual path. How would a person choose their parents and other life events? Our perspective between lives is much broader and not ego-bound. How do we know our life’s purpose and how to live it? During sleep, we interact with subtle realms. The veil shrouding humanity’s consciousness is thinning. Do we reunite with pets on the other side? Illness can be a learning experience for the soul. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded April 17, 2021. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

All I ever did was emphatically declare, “I want to know God, NOW!” It wasn’t long before I was fast-tracked into a reality I didn’t know existed, an inner world full of extraordinary gifts and ultimately liberation of the mind. I’d stumbled upon a pamphlet that outlines a formula to regenerate one’s human race consciousness to Divine Consciousness, like a reboot, by calling forth into one’s mind higher, more universally aligned modes of Being. That pamphlet became my bible, my book of living, and thru contemplative practice expanded the I AM presence within, attracting that which is stable, immutable Principle into my self-consciousness. The art of surrender as put forth by Ramana Maharshi played a huge role along the way, although at the time I had little clue who he was. The regeneration occurred in February 2016, followed by three full years of Bliss, a state of Consciousness I am convinced is that of a newborn. I wallowed in that cocoon, integrating the expansion that I sometimes felt might never end!!! until the desire emerged to step back out into the world. A two-year investigation of kundalini life energy, universal consciousness, and fractal/plasma physics has continued my evolving perception and experiences. The real fun has truly begun, my book of living has become my Book of Life! Lisa's Facebook page Books mentioned during the interview: From Existence to Life - account of Lisa's experience mentioned in the interview. Mind’s Silent Partner, Dr. James Porter Mills (free PDF) James Porter Mills Collection Three Books: From Existence to Life: The Science of Self Consciousness; Mind’s Silent Partner; A New Order of Meditation (The Esoteric Collection) (physical books) The Spiritual Teaching of Ramana Maharshi Holy Spirit's Interpretation of the New Testament: A Course in Understanding and Acceptance - Regina Dawn Akers The Teachings of Inner Ramana - Regina Dawn Akers Healing; the Handbook: Life-changing guide for practitioners or for self-healing - Ken Graydon The Scientific Basis of Integrative Medicine, Second Edition Book Review: The Scientific Basis of Integrative Medicine, Len Wisneski & Lucy Anderson Main points discussed: Initial awakening occurred after three years of intense contemplation and desire to know God. Holographic and telepathic encounter with Ramana Maharshi. Three-year blissful contemplation on the "Omniscient, infinite and eternal nature". The bliss eclipsed human emotions such as fear and animosity. The bliss subsided as the awakening became more integrated. Most people don’t relate God and ‘consciousness’. Shift from fear to divine love. Heart-brain coherence ended 20-year problem with heart palpitations. Recognizing that consciousness is primal and not a product of the brain accelerates our evolution. The importance of balancing experience and understanding. Your higher self knows everything about you and knows what is best for you. No such thing as coincidence. ‘There is no bridge between here and here, we are all that is, we are sovereign beings.’ Six main points: Update your science. Understand the non-solid nature of physical matter. Set your Intention. “I want to know God.” “I want to know my Creator.” “I want to Awaken.” “I want to Embody only Truth.” Claim your True Identity. Recognize and assert your Divine Origin, your Universal Nature! Give in, give over, completely give way to your Creator! Focus your attention on your intention! Do not sway. Be a rock, do not roll. Unwavering. The power of attention. Self-healing comes from the omnipresent nature of our consciousness. Discussion of the pineal gland. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded April 10, 2021. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Ameeta was born and raised in Mumbai India and recalls two predominant family themes which influenced her formative years: intellectual curiosity and devotion to God. She was educated and conditioned to aspire to conventional success, which pursuit dominated the first three decades of her life. She consciously experienced the first stirrings of her deepest yearning following the cancer diagnosis and subsequent death of her father in 1999. Questions opened up in her like "What is life?", "What is death?", and "What is going on?". From then on, Life orchestrated a series of events and experiences which placed her and nurtured her, on an overt spiritual journey. The major influences along the way were Ken Wilber, Byron Katie, and Adyashanti. It was with Adya that she finally found what she was looking for, in terms of his spiritual guidance which has always resonated in her being, in terms of his living example which continues to inspire her, and most especially in terms of what those two brought alive and online within her. What she now sees clearly is that it was the Heart Sutra teaching of Emptiness is Form and Form is Emptiness, which is the meta-story of her life and existence. In 2017 she received her Soul name of Moving Mountain in Taos. And this opened a new facet on her journey, where she experienced deep communion with Nature and a tangible connection with Goddess. Ameeta’s path has been gradual and studded with many life-altering realizations, which illuminated her self-knowledge, and which continue to translate into how she lives and relates in the world. She likes to say she is eternally a work-in-progress. Over the years she has been sharing her experience with small groups and coaching spiritual seekers one on one. Now she is called to share her message more broadly through Moving Mountain Academy. Main points discussed: Ameeta’s background and spiritual path, including her irresistible shift from businesswoman to spiritual seeker. Ken Wilber’s influence in reconciling the battle between her spiritual and intellectual lives. Adyashanti’s influence. Healthy and unhealthy teacher/student devotional relationships. Primordial fear and its falling away. Having a teacher ‘carry the present being awareness’ until one is ready to hold it for oneself. Teachers are ‘custodians of what the student has not yet recognized’. Ameeta’s relationship with Taos mountain and how it helped her recognize the spiritual progress she had made. Embodying what had been realized. The underlying direction of Ameeta’s journey: form is emptiness, emptiness is form. Different paths enrich one other and contribute to the whole. We "stand on the shoulders" of past spiritual pioneers. The value of ancient traditions and innovative modern ones. Spirituality vis-à-vis formal religious systems. Direct vs. progressive paths. Fear of life and embodiment. Individuals are more powerful than they realize, and choices more consequential. The significance of spirituality in dealing with the world’s problems. Listening to opposing viewpoints is a way to test one's realization. Love and empathy for humanity. The importance of closeness to nature. The universe is talking to us. A fundamental shift in consciousness is happening now in the world, without which, attempting to solve problems on the level of symptoms would fail. Presenting spirituality in ordinary language. Depression, anxiety, addiction, etc. are cries for help. People know there’s something deeper and are dissatisfied with surface values. Ameeta’s program to help people experience that there is something much vaster than the thinking mind. The mind-body system is a portal to unboundedness. Including but transcending rationality. Understanding can help us recognize previously unrecognized experiential shifts. The importance of and distinction between knowledge and experience.

Richard Rohr is a Franciscan priest of the New Mexico Province. He is the founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation and academic dean of the CAC’s Living School. An internationally recognized author and spiritual leader, Fr. Richard teaches primarily on incarnational mysticism, non-dual consciousness, and contemplation, with a particular emphasis on how these affect the social justice issues of our time. Podcast: Another Name for Every Thing A few of Fr. Rohr's 30+ books: The Universal Christ: How a Forgotten Reality Can Change Everything We See, Hope For, and Believe Every Thing Is Sacred: 40 Practices and Reflections on the Universal Christ The Wisdom Pattern: Order, Disorder, Reorder Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life Immortal Diamond: The Search for Our True Self Everything Belongs: The Gift of Contemplative Prayer Main points discussed in this conversation: The universal Christ and the personal Jesus. Our environmental destruction reveals our failure to realize God’s omnipresence. Tribal vs. universal religion. Christians are known for protecting life before birth, but not after. Process Theology: Consciousness is evolving in its capacity to be received and embodied. We only have metaphors to describe God – e.g. God is light. There was never one notion of God in the old testament or new testament. Jesus is often depicted as a punisher rather than the compassionate man that he was. Order, Disorder, and Reorder – all three are necessary for the universe to exist. Embracing polarities and paradox. God as the Great Allower – free will. Aligning with God’s will. The Universal Christ – the synthesis of Richard’s 50+ ministry. Transactional vs. transformational religion. The meaning of Jesus dying for our sins. Jesus did not come to change the mind of God about humanity but to change the mind of humanity about God. The importance of restorative vs. retributive justice. The Apostles’ creed. Infinite love can never give up on anything it created. Fundamentally, we’re all connected, so we all share each other’s sins and virtues to some degree. The fall had to happen for us to freely choose the good. Nonduality is more explicit in eastern religions but is also in Christianity. Universities teach us knowledge but not wisdom. Great love and great suffering are the universal paths of transformation. If you avoid them, you will never be wise. We need to love something more than ourselves. We start with a stone, a plant, an animal, and work our way up to God. Suffering accompanies love, but without love, there are things you will never know. The meaning of the crucifixion, in terms of solidarity. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded March 27, 2021 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

A Jewish practitioner of Perennial Wisdom, Rabbi Rami Shapiro is an award–winning author of over thirty-six books on religion and spirituality. He received rabbinical ordination from the Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion and holds a PH.D. in religion from Union Graduate School. A rabbinic chaplain with the USAF for 3 years, a congregational rabbi for 20, and a professor of religious studies for 10, Rabbi Rami currently co-directs the One River Foundation, is a Contributing Editor at Spirituality and Health magazine, and hosts the magazine’s bi-weekly podcast, Essential Conversations with Rabbi Rami. Website: rabbirami.com Books: Recovery―The Sacred Art: The Twelve Steps as Spiritual Practice (The Art of Spiritual Living) Holy Rascals: Advice for Spiritual Revolutionaries Perennial Wisdom for the Spiritually Independent: Sacred Teachings―Annotated & Explained (SkyLight Illuminations) The World Wisdom Bible: A New Testament for a Global Spirituality Surrendered―The Sacred Art: Shattering the Illusion of Control and Falling into Grace with Twelve-Step Spirituality (The Art of Spiritual Living) Some points discussed in this interview: Rabbi Rami’s spiritual journey through superficial Judaism through various traditions to a deep mystical Judaism. Humanity’s transition from matriarchy to patriarchy is the root cause of most of our problems. A collapse of norms is coming. Will it be mindful or mindless? Widespread spiritual practice will help the best outcome to manifest. Escape to another planet, to the transcendent, to heaven is not the answer. We need a balance between transcendence and immanence. The 10 ox herding pictures. Social justice work without a spiritual practice can be draining and ego-driven. Fundamentalist misinterpretations of Scripture. Perennial wisdom is a 4-fold teaching at the heart of all religions. As consciousness expands, personal shadows are illuminated and must be dealt with. Non-dual Judaism is a very rich religion. Tribal Judaism is ‘craziness’. Religions take advantage of people’s fear of death. Emo Phillips - Golden Gate Bridge skit Different perspectives on reincarnation. Out-of-body experiences suggest the existence of a subtle body. Metaphor: the brain as a radio receiver. Body, heart, mind, soul, spirit – We need to develop practices on each of those dimensions. Rami’s mystical experiences, including instruction from the Divine Mother. From a relative perspective, there are separate beings, but ultimately, it’s all God. Discussion on food addiction. Holy Rascals introduce mystical elements not necessarily welcomed by mainstream religion. Administrators are always threatened by the mystics. Perhaps in the coming years experiential, mystical religions rather than dead ones will predominate. The dead ones are rapidly losing membership. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded March 14, 2021 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Theresa Cheung was born into a family of spiritualists. She has a Masters degree from Kings College, Cambridge, and has written numerous bestselling dream, angel, afterlife, ritual, and spiritual titles and Encyclopedias, including two Sunday Times top 10 bestsellers. She has been a guest on Russell Brand's Under the Skin and Coast to Coast AM and featured in numerous newspapers and media. Main points discussed: Theresa’s bio and background Movies can be a powerful means of popularizing spiritual knowledge. Supernatural experiences are part of the human experiences. We should not idolize those who have them but investigate the possibility of having them ourselves. Dreams inspire interest in spirituality. The pandemic “lockdown dream phenomenon”. “Dreams are your intuition, your internal therapist” The inner guide is switched off in the modern busy world, but the pandemic switched it back on. Night visions and how they may be much more than dreams. Lucid dreaming Confronting difficulties in dreams can prepare one to deal with difficult situations in waking life. Theresa’s investigation of mediumship. Discussion of cults and the importance of spiritual integrity. The importance of humility on the spiritual path. We’re all ordinary people who have extraordinary experiences from time to time. Everyone’s path is unique. It can be tempting to follow a teacher and intoxicating to amass followers. An extensive discussion of angels. The importance of kindness and caring for others. The importance of a scientific approach to spirituality. The importance of open-mindedness and not knowing all the answers. When someone dies, there is a relationship in spirit not limited by space and time. Heaven on earth. The life we live here determines the quality of the afterlife. The importance of forgiveness. Theresa mentions that ‘forgiveness’ is somewhat neglected in contemporary spirituality. Relationships with animals. The importance of curiosity. A few of Theresa's books: The Truth about Angels: Decoding the secret world and language of the afterlife The Dream Dictionary from A to Z Dream Decoder: 60 Cards to Unlock your Unconscious (Interpret Archetypal Symbols from your Dreams) 21 Rituals to Change Your Life: Daily Practices to Bring Greater Inner Peace and Happiness The Premonition Code: The Science of Precognition, How Sensing the Future Can Change Your Life The Afterlife is Real Website: theresacheung.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded March 6, 2021. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Raymond Schumann is a fifth-generation carpenter with a high school education. A Roman Catholic upbringing left him sexually repressed. Adolescence left him a Soldier of Christ gone AWOL. In his twenties, he learned about dissociative disorder. The theory explained much. Help was not thick on the ground and ripe in the pod. Not in those days. A shrink who claimed to treat multiple personalities endangered his career. Schumann was on his own. He named the self who thwarted his desires Holdfast. Schumann knew spiritual consciousness was essential to healing. That only made things worse. He’d watched guru after roshi disgrace themselves. There was nothing to trust there. The more he sought healing, the worse Holdfast trashed him. Eventually, Schumann was desperate enough to say, “This has to get better. I don’t care what it costs. This has to get better.” At that instant, he suffered a Kundalini awakening. Never trust a Goddess. She opened the door to a year of hell. A year leading to ego death. A year leading to nondual awareness. Things only got worse from there. If you would like to contact Raymond, here's his email address. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded February 28, 2021 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Bruce Greyson, M.D., is the Chester F. Carlson Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral Sciences and Director Emeritus of the Division of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia. He was one of the founders of the International Association for Near-Death Studies, and for 27 years edited the Journal of Near-Death Studies. Dr. Greyson majored in psychology at Cornell University, received his medical degree from the SUNY Upstate Medical College, and completed his psychiatric residency at the University of Virginia. He practiced and taught psychiatry at the University of Michigan and the University of Connecticut, where he was Clinical Chief of Psychiatry, before returning to the University of Virginia 25 years ago. Dr. Greyson’s research for the past four decades has focused on the aftereffects and implications of near-death experiences. He is co-editor of The Near-Death Experience: Problems, Prospects, Perspectives, co-author of Irreducible Mind: Toward a Psychology for the 21st Century, and author of After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond. Website: brucegreyson.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded February 26, 2021 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Sebene Selassie is a teacher, author, and speaker who explores the themes of belonging and identity through meditation, creativity, and spirituality. Born in Ethiopia and raised in Washington DC, she began studying Buddhism 30 years ago as an undergraduate at McGill University where she majored in Comparative Religious Studies. She has an MA from the New School where she focused on race and cultural studies. For over 20 years, she worked with children, youth, and families nationally and internationally for small and large not-for-profits. Now she teaches classes, workshops, and retreats regularly and is one of the most popular teachers on the Ten Percent Happier app. Sebene is a three-time cancer survivor of Stage III and IV breast cancer. Her first book "You Belong: A Call for Connection" is published by HarperOne. Main points discussed: The importance of belonging and cultural/genetic heritage. The positive, relatable tone of Sebene’s book, You Belong. Trusting the sacredness of life vs. clashing with reality. Surrendering to the mystery that’s beyond our logical comprehension. We are not separate, and we are not the same. Living the paradox of unity and diversity. The importance of integrating absolute and relative. There’s a delusion of separation at the heart of all political and social divisions. ‘Unlearning’ that delusion is where the spiritual path starts. Those who enjoyed embodied presence since childhood may be less effective in teaching others than those who needed to achieve it. Marginalized people often have a broader and more holistic perspective on the world. Healing “epistemicide” – colonialism’s destruction of ancient knowledge. Modern mindfulness practice sometimes dismisses the deeper dimensions of its ancient roots. Everything is sacred. Technology is not the enemy. Benefiting from the best of ancient and modern knowledge. The pandemic may be the first time in history where we are all experiencing the same situation globally. The importance of discernment on the spiritual path, particularly in this time of conspiracy theories, polarization, and pandemic. The importance of community and dangers of isolation. Increased interest in meditation and spirituality during the pandemic. The authenticity, clarity, love, and spirituality of the younger generation. A discussion of Catherine Ingram’s Facing Extinction article. The leverage of technologies of consciousness, including ritual and ceremony. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Remaining curious and open. Ground yourself, know yourself, connect to the moment. Seeing parts of ourselves we don’t like. Meeting whatever comes up with kindness and compassion. Any motivation for starting on the spiritual path is a ‘good’ one. Other reasons will follow. Contemplating the beauty and mystery of nature. “Love yourself” could be the motto for the whole book. Detailed discussion mindfulness and its historical origins. Sebene’s “Elements Practice”: earth, water, fire, air. The importance of intimacy and imagination. Helping heal kids with emotional trauma. Trauma-sensitive mindfulness. Taking care of one’s self so as to care for others more effectively An invitation for white people to learn more about other cultures and identities. For mature spiritual development, we need to illumine our blind spots. Website: sebeneselassie.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded February 14, 2021 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Cynthia Bourgeault is a modern-day mystic, Episcopal priest, and theologian. For thirty years she worked closely with Fr. Thomas Keating as a student, editor, and colleague and has taught and written extensively on Centering Prayer. She is a core faculty member at the Center for Action and Contemplation and founding director of an international network of Wisdom Schools. In addition to her work on Centering Prayer, she is the author of numerous other books on the Christian Mystical and Wisdom tradition, including The Wisdom Jesus: Transforming Heart and Mind--A New Perspective on Christ and His Message, The Meaning of Mary Magdalene: Discovering the Woman at the Heart of Christianity, and her most recent, Eye of the Heart: A Spiritual Journey into the Imaginal Realm. Websites: cynthiabourgeault.org northeastwisdom.org wisdomwayofknowing.org Other Books: The Heart of Centering Prayer: Nondual Christianity in Theory and Practice Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening The Holy Trinity and the Law of Three: Discovering the Radical Truth at the Heart of Christianity Love is Stronger than Death: The Mystical Union of Two Souls Main points discussed in this interview: The Imaginal Realm is an objective reality belonging to the spectrums of consciousness within the Great Chain of Being which transcend, surround, and penetrate the denser realities. “Imaginal” does not mean “imaginary”. Heaven and Hell represent opposites on the spectrum of consciousness which runs from freedom and connectedness on one end to constriction and alienation on the other. Both are experienced here, too. Our important task is to become cosmic servants integrated into earthly reality. Our work done in this realm feeds and informs the subtler realms which then process it and pour it back into our realm so that all realms evolve as a single reality. The Kingdom of Heaven can be interpreted as seeing ourselves as wormholes that act as portals into the wholeness of the cosmic matrix. Encountering the Kingdom of God opens us up to the holistic nature of reality that informs and invites us to walk within the congruity of our individual will and the will of the Wholeness that seeks to become manifest. Developing discernment requires equanimity and open-heartedness grounded in humility so that the ego doesn’t take the lead by creating roles that toxify and stagnate the path towards love and understanding. Remaining teachable while being willing to risk self-exploration is essential to balanced development. Creation is God’s way of communicating Love that gives, receives, sees, and is seen. This relational field has as its telos the eternal generation of diversity held together and protected by Love. The great work is to fully show up in the laboratory of our lives and awaken into higher stages of consciousness. We courageously and graciously accept the presence of “tough grace” which comes to us packaged as apparent obstacles and even suffering. From the depth of humility and spiritual maturity, we learn how to appreciate pinnacle spiritual states without getting attached to them. Our emotional transactions have an energetic signature. We can learn how to “sniff the odor” of the energy in events, places, the dynamic between people, and even in concepts and ideas. This “sniffing” is an encounter with the Imaginal Realms. We are in the birth canal of the collective emergence into the integral but the labor is difficult due to divisions between the “structures of consciousness.” We need to honor and re-engage with the magical and the mythical, ritual, the spirit of repentance, a lifestyle of moderation, and heart-centered living in order to create the spaciousness needed for global metanoia. Jesus came to “line the anguish [of our human experience] with love.” The entire cosmos, from the dense to the subtle, is set up to experience burning restlessness—which becomes the driveshaft propelling the ...

Doug Scott, LCSW, works as a mental health counselor in his private practice in Dallas, Texas. After graduating from college in 1997, he served as an international volunteer for two years in Bluefields, Nicaragua. This intense experience changed his life and he returned to the US to pursue graduate studies in clinical social work and pastoral ministry at Boston College. The nexus of spirituality and psychology have always intrigued Doug since childhood and he brings this sensibility to his counseling practice. Doug grew up Catholic and was always drawn to the mystical lineage within this belief system. He had experiences with Jesus, Mary, and angels at an early age. He was also secretly attracted to all things paranormal and would spend many hours reading topics such as reincarnation, ufology, OBE’s, NDE’s, ghosts, ESP, pyramids, and other areas. One evening in 2013, he felt a presence that invited him to listen to a Buddhist chant, which came as a surprise since, at that time, he had not explored other faith systems. He was guided to listen to Om Mani Padme Hum and as the chant unfolded, Doug saw a golden dew overshadow him and activate him in a way that was new. This marked the next chapter in Doug’s life. A few months later, Doug was led to the Law of One material and immediately saw that it provided the clearest, most undistorted, exploration of the Perennial Philosophy that he’d ever come across. It also cast a wide net to include all of the paranormal things that intrigued him and made it possible for him to put all of the different threads in his life together in one seamless garment. Since 2015, Doug has written a blog (cosmicchrist.net) that explores the synthesis of the Law of One material with mystical Christianity and psychology. He sees his vocation in this lifetime as a bridge-builder between conventional concepts and cosmic metaphysics to help people who seek clarity, normalization, and validation for their own journeys. Main points discussed: Tapping into the imaginal realms, the subtle realms, through the “heart-eyes.” The chakras of the Logos, God, are densities. Densities are different bandwidths of consciousness. Nature of the Infinite Creator as sentient Love, or Logos. Diversification within the Holographic Universe allows the Infinite Creator to experience Itself, infinitely. Christianity’s need to move into the mystical and nondual Consciousness is measured through degrees of knowing we are one with all, with God, and are God experiencing creation. Brief descriptions of God’s chakras (“densities”). Pantheism AND Panentheism are both true. Third density’s veil-of-forgetting leads to development of faith, notions such as “Original Sin,” and more intense experiences for third-density humans. The novel idea of “finity” against the backdrop of infinity is a way for the Infinite Creator to experience Itself. Many people have incarnated to be midwives to help birth Earth’s 4th. Shift into 4th density is a gradual process that includes an ever-increasing number of 3rd/4th densities double-bodied people. Some of Doug’s background: 1) dual master's program at Boston College in clinical social work and pastoral ministry, 2) childhood UFO encounter, 3) alcohol recovery leads to greater self-insight, 4) mystical experience in 2013 of Om Mani Padme Hum and the golden dew, 5) Law of One material (lawofone.info) and Daskalos material (researchersoftruth.org) Brief description of Wanderers: humble servants from 4th, 5th, or 6th density who incarnate in 3rd density to aid. Jesus as a Wanderer had a unique mission known as the Jesus Event. The greatest service as an awakening being is to embrace the full plenum of God disguised as our life and ordinary things. Nothing “up there” that is not fully present “down here.” Triune nature of the Infinite Creator: Transcendent to all things, Incarnated as all things,

Helané Wahbeh is the Director of Research at the Institute of Noetic Sciences and an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Neurology at Oregon Health & Science University. Dr. Wahbeh is clinically trained as a naturopathic physician and research trained with a Master of Clinical Research and two post-doctoral research fellowships. She has published on and spoken internationally about her studies on complementary and alternative medicine, mind-body medicine, stress, and posttraumatic stress disorder and their relationships to physiology, health, and healing. Her current research interests include healing stress and trauma, examining mechanisms of mind-body medicine, and rigorously studying extended human capacities. Dr. Wahbeh’s extensive meditation training includes the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Teacher Training by Jon Kabat-Zinn, a four-year Meditation Teacher Training with CoreLight, and a 19-year regular meditation practice. Books: Free To Be Me: A Journey of Transformation through Generational Healing Whole Body Radiance: The Secret to Successful Weight Loss Website Topics discussed: A broad definition of channeling. Do psychic and similar abilities run in families? Nature vs. nurture. Does the utilization of “junk” or non-coding DNA result in the unfoldment of abilities such as channeling? Helping people find their Noetic Signature. Everybody has the capacity to channel and many have done so without knowing it. We are undergoing a paradigm shift. Abundant evidence challenges the materialist worldview and is shifting the predominant paradigm to an understanding that consciousness extends beyond the brain. This is important because it better explains our reality. The implication of non-local consciousness is that we are all connected and part of a greater whole. This understanding radically changes our behavior and our influence on the world. The influence of major events on collective consciousness as detected by random number generators (RNG’s). The ancient history of channeling. The respect traditional cultures had for channelers (shamans, medicine men, etc.) Degrees of authenticity among channelers and degrees of positivity and usefulness among the entities they channel. Looking to external sources for wisdom vs. looking within. The importance of discernment. Whether subjective, spiritual experiences can be studied as scientifically as the physical phenomena hard sciences study. The currently existing tools of material science are unable to evaluate subtle realities. IONS is developing new ways to measure these realities using the scientific method. Plans to study the legitimacy of out of body experiences and perception of subtle beings. Whether great artistic and scientific achievements are sometimes channeled. People knowing or doing things far beyond what their education and training should have made possible. The capabilities of autistic savants. Higher intelligences interfacing with humanity to transmit wisdom. Could major shifts in collective consciousness (Nazism, QAnon) be mass channelings of powerful negative entities? The question of evil. Can Artificial Intelligence become conscious? Could anxiety or mental health issues result from involuntary ‘channeling’ of negative influences? Conspiracy theories. Striking a balance between closed-mindedness and willingness to consider unconventional possibilities. Those committed to mainstream thinking, such as in medicine, often refuse to consider alternative ideas, such as naturopathic medicine. We need to eschew black and white, dogmatic thinking and be more open-minded, curious, and inquisitive. Being able to face uncertainty and discomfort without taking refuge in false certainty. Does greater spiritual maturity enable one to channel more evolved intelligences? Helané’s personal channeling experiences.

Damo Mitchell has studied the martial, medical, and spiritual arts of Asia since the age of four. His studies have taken him across the planet in search of authentic masters. He is the technical director of the Lotus Nei Gong School of Daoist Arts and teaches Nei Gong in various locations around the world. He specializes in uncovering and studying with rare alchemical and spiritual lineages linked to the tradition of Daoism. Books: A Comprehensive Guide to Daoist Nei Gong Four Dragons (Daoist Nei Gong) The Yellow Monkey Emperor’s Classic of Chinese Medicine Daoist Nei Gong: The Philosophical Art of Change Heavenly Streams: Meridian Theory in Nei Gong (Daoist Nei Gong) White Moon on the Mountain Peak (Daoist Nei Gong) Daoist Reflections from Scholar Sage (Daoist Nei Gong) Daoist Nei Gong for Women: The Art of the Lotus and the Moon Websites: lotusneigong.com damomitchell.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Interview recorded January 16, 2021 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Dr. Daniel Brown has been a clinical and forensic psychologist for almost 50 years. He has been at Harvard Medical School for almost 40 years. He has been a student of, translator for, and meditation master in the Indo-Tibetan and Bon meditation tradition for almost 50 years. He has the only Western neuroscience study identifying the brain changes in the shift from ordinary mind to awakened mind. Books: Pointing Out the Great Way: The Stages of Meditation in the Mahamudra Tradition Transformations of Consciousness: Conventional and Contemplative Perspectives On Development (New Science Library) Self-Arising Three-fold Embodiment of Enlightenment: [of Bon Great Completion Meditation] Websites: pointingoutway.org drdanielpbrown.com mindonly.com attachmentproject.com Main points discussed in this interview: Whether enlightenment is correlated with ethical behavior. Enlightenment is a holistic development, where all lines of development have flourished. An explanation of the four clouds of the Heart Sutra. Establishing neurophysiological correlates of enlightenment. What does it mean to see the world as sacred? Development of multiple bodies serving different functions simultaneously (as a result of enlightenment). Has the Dalai Lama done this? A baseball player who trained by having tennis balls fired in a batting cage at 200mph. A discussion of the relative speeds of thinking, attention, and awareness. Is there a personal self or entity which reincarnates? An enlightened person can choose an incarnation rather than being mandated to a particular life by existing “memory traces”. Detailed discussion on the rainbow body and relics found in the cremation ashes of enlightened beings who have mastered rainbow bodies. The potential pitfalls of silent retreats. Not mistaking preliminary stages for more advanced stages. The only true test of realization is conduct, how you live your life, and how you treat other people. Witnessing The difference between ordinary and awakened awareness. Integrating awakened awareness into all other activity. Stages in the development of concentration. The process of releasing memory traces. What practices are good for a beginner? Eligibility requirements for different stages of instruction. Discussion of the Padmasambhava quote, “Although my awareness is as vast as the sky, my attention to karma is as fine as a grain of barley flour.” The importance of continuing vigilance after enlightenment. Do enlightened people all experience a universal, ultimate reality in the same way, or do different spiritual paths and personal tendencies result in enlightenment being different for different people? Can you do anything to get to non-doing? Conspiracies and cult mentality. The importance of cultivating discernment on the spiritual path. The importance of enlightened leaders. Can they be effective without an enlightened populace? Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded January 10, 2021 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

David Lorimer, MA, PGCE, FRSA is a writer, lecturer, poet, and editor who is a Founder of Character Education Scotland, Programme Director of the Scientific and Medical Network, and former President of Wrekin Trust and the Swedenborg Society. He has also been editor of Paradigm Explorer since 1986 and completed his 100th issue in 2019. He was the instigator of the Beyond the Brain conference series and has co-ordinated the Mystics and Scientists conferences every year since the late 1980s. Originally a merchant banker then a teacher of philosophy and modern languages at Winchester College, he is the author and editor of over a dozen books including Radical Prince: The Practical Vision of the Prince of Wales. His new book of essays, A Quest for Wisdom comes out in March 2021. David is the originator of the Inspiring Purpose Values Poster Programmes, which has reached over 350,000 young people all over the world. David is also Chair of the Galileo Commission which seeks to widen the science of consciousness beyond a materialistic world view. Books: Resonant Mind: Life Review in the Near-Death Experience Radical Prince: The Practical Vision of the Prince of Wales Quest for Wisdom: Inspiring Purpose on the Path of Life Prophet for Our Times: The Life & Teachings of Peter Deunov In this conversation, we discuss whether consciousness fundamental or an epiphenomenon of brain functioning. If it is fundamental (our view), how can this become the accepted paradigm? If it did so, how would this change the world? Topics covered include: Does the brain produce consciousness or do the brain and everything else emerge from consciousness? What does the research say? How do NDEs help answer this question? If consciousness is a fundamental field, is it intelligent – a ‘transcendental universal mind’? How did the scientific assumption that consciousness arises from matter become predominant? How did the Church retard scientific progress? The Galileo Commission – so named because just as Galileo’s critics refused to look through his telescope, modern scientists refuse to look at evidence suggesting that consciousness is fundamental. Scientists are often unaware of the broader assumptions underpinning their work. Historical tension between religious mystics and administrators. If the primacy of consciousness were widely understood and experienced, we would realize our essential oneness. This would transform politics and all other fields of human endeavor. Lacking this knowledge and experience, people, corporations, and politics tend to be ‘excessively individualistic’ - placing self-interest before the good of the whole. This includes short-sightedness, denying or ignoring slow-moving catastrophes such as climate change. Quantum physics undermined materialism a century ago, but other sciences such as biology have maintained it. Mind and matter emerge from a deeper reality – a coherent field that can be accessed through mystical experience. Discussion on the importance of experiential understanding of consciousness in education and opposition from religious fundamentalists. In most cases, paradigm shifts start with a creative minority (5%) and gradually grow to become the norm. Humanity is now too clever to survive without wisdom. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded December 19, 2020 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

International speaker, Master of Bio-Energetic Theory, and Quantum Field visionary, Dr. Sue Morter utilizes the embodiment of high-frequency energy patterns to activate full human potential. Through her seminars, retreats, and presentations, she illuminates the relationship of quantum science and energy medicine – elevating human consciousness into life mastery. Dr. Sue is the USA Today bestselling, #1 bestselling LA Times and #1 Amazon bestselling author of The Energy Codes: The 7-Step System to Awaken Your Spirit, Heal Your Body, and Live Your Best Life. Through THE ENERGY CODES, Dr. Sue provides techniques to activate untapped energy and neurocircuitry in the body, empower hidden potential, and become one’s true, essential self. She is the founder and creator of the globally-taught coursework, The Energy Codes®, a multi-level body of work on Personal and Spiritual Development. Dr. Sue also created the BodyAwake® RYT 200 Certified Yoga Program and is co-creator of the Bio-Energetic Synchronization Technique (B.E.S.T.). She has served on professional licensing boards, providing guidance to health care practitioners on integrative approaches to healthcare leadership. Dr. Sue is also adjunct faculty at two medical schools at Michigan State University, an AAU school classified as one of the top 100 universities in the world. Dr. Sue is the host of Gaia TV’s Healing Matrix, and co-host of Your Year of Miracles lifestyle training. Dr. Sue is E-RYT 200 and E-RYT 500 certified in Yoga Instruction and was recently recognized for her outstanding achievements as an honored member of the Transformational Leadership Council. In addition to founding Morter HealthCenter in 1987, she is the founder and visionary of the Morter Institute for Bio-Energetics, an organization committed to teaching individuals self-healing techniques with an inner wisdom-based approach to life based on Quantum Science and higher consciousness. With three distinct schools representing the unification of mind, body, and spirit: the School of Energy Medicine, School of BodyAwake® Yoga, and School for Higher Consciousness and Personal Development – Dr. Sue provides tools and avenues to empower the global community to discover and embody a joyful, inspired life, lived from the true, Soulful Self. Website: drsuemorter.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded December 12, 2020 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

A conversation with the hosts of the Conspirituality Podcast website. As they describe it, their podcast is... A weekly study of converging right-wing conspiracy theories and faux-progressive wellness utopianism. At best, the conspirituality movement attacks public health efforts in times of crisis. At worst, it fronts and recruits for the fever-dream of QAnon. As the alt-right and New Age horseshoe toward each other in a blur of disinformation, clear discourse and good intentions get smothered. Charismatic influencers exploit their followers by co-opting conspiracy theories on a spectrum of intensity ranging from vaccines to child trafficking. In the process, spiritual beliefs that have nurtured creativity and meaning are transforming into memes of a quickly-globalizing paranoia. Conspirituality Podcast attempts to bring understanding to this landscape. A journalist, a cult researcher, and a philosophical skeptic discuss the stories, cognitive dissonances, and cultic dynamics tearing through the yoga, wellness, and new spirituality worlds. Mainstream outlets have noticed the problem. We crowd-source, research, analyze, and dream answers to it. The term “conspirituality” first appeared in 2009 as the name of a Vancouver rap group that unironically dropped conspiracy keywords into beats calling for political awakening. In 2011, Charlotte Ward and David Voas used the term academically to analyze the growing overlap between the paranoid conspiracism of right-wingers and the New Age’s yearning for spiritual transformation. Derek Beres is a multi-faceted author, media expert, and movement instructor based in Los Angeles. He is the Head of Content Marketing and Community at Centered, as well as a columnist for Big Think and Psychedelic Spotlight. One-half of EarthRise SoundSystem, he also served as music supervisor for the breakthrough documentary, DMT: The Spirit Molecule. He is a co-host of the Conspirituality podcast. His new book, Hero's Dose: The Case for Psychedelics in Ritual and Therapy, is out now. Matthew Remski is a cult survivor and researcher. His 2019 book, Practice And All Is Coming: Abuse, Cult Dynamics, And Healing In Yoga And Beyond, is the first systematic analysis of pervasive cultism in the modern yoga world. He researches and writes on abuse in spiritual movements here, as well as for publications like GEN by Medium and The Walrus. His current research is pivoting to look at cultic dynamics in conspirituality and eco-justice movements. He lives in Toronto with his partner and their two sons. Julian Walker grew up in Zimbabwe and South Africa and has lived in LA since 1990. He is fascinated with the intersections of yoga/meditation, psychology, science, and culture. He has written extensively on cults and gurus, spiritual bypass and quantum woo in New Age circles, trauma and the body, and neuroscience and somatic psychology informing the practice and teaching of yoga. His writing can be found on Elephant Journal, Medium, Freedom Becomes You, and in the 2011 book, 21st Century Yoga: Culture, Politics, and Practice. He teaches yoga and runs teacher-training programs in and around LA. Julian is also a bodyworker and the ecstatic dance DJ/facilitator for his Dance Tribe events. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded December 5, 2020. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Ingrid Honkala, Ph.D., was born in Bogota, Colombia, where she grew up with her parents and three sisters. From the moment she drowned in a tank of cold water at the age of nearly three, Ingrid was aware of other dimensions of life than those most of us normally experience. She was also gifted with the wise input of “Beings of Light” who gave her invaluable insights and assistance as she faced the challenges of growing up, falling in love, and finding her professional destiny as a research scientist and oceanographer. Despite many hardships, she accomplished her dreams, becoming not just a successful marine scientist, world traveler, and mom, but also a mentor and a giver of light. Through her compelling life adventure that journeys from her native Colombia to Europe and her eventual home in the United States — and from a deadly war zone to underwater explorations and a NASA research center — Ingrid reveals how any human experience can be illumined from within. If we are willing to pay attention to subtle signals, take our intuition seriously, and forgive our most challenging difficulties, anyone can experience a brightly guided life. Throughout her life, Ingrid has been guided to meet and help many people on their journey to become aware of a deeper reality and reconnect with their inner wisdom. In her autobiography, A Brightly Guided Life: How a Scientist Learned to Hear her Inner Wisdom, Ingrid reveals how after having her Near Death Experience, the first glimpses of heaven were revealed to her and the doors that allow her to communicate with Beings of Light were opened. Since then a myriad of experiences that many could call mystical and perhaps impossible have crossed her path. However, the Beings of Light have made it clear to her that she is not here to convince anyone about anything but to be a giver of Light. To accomplish this purpose, she has been guided through an amazing journey of unimaginable challenges, awakenings, and miracles where along the way she became the vehicle to help others to rise up from some of the deepest states of hopelessness and bring them back to life. For all this she is eternally grateful and committed to continue awakening, growing, and serving the Light. Website: ingridhonkala.com Books and video: A Brightly Guided Life: How A Scientist Learned to Hear Her Inner Wisdom Una Vida Guiada En La Luz: Cómo Una Científica Aprendió a Escuchar Su Sabiduría Interior (Spanish Edition) Life to Afterlife: Death and Back Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded November 29, 2020. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

This interview was recorded on October 9, 2020, as part of an online conference on "Living and Dying" offered by the Science and Nonduality Conference. The conference has finished, but you may sign up to access all of its content. Rick Hanson, Ph.D. is a psychologist, Senior Fellow of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and New York Times best-selling author. His free weekly newsletter has 180,000 subscribers and his online programs have scholarships available for those with financial needs. His books have been published in 29 languages with 900,000 copies in English alone and include: Neurodharma: New Science, Ancient Wisdom, and Seven Practices of the Highest Happiness Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom Just One Thing: Developing a Buddha Brain One Simple Practice at a Time Mother Nurture: A Mother's Guide to Health in Body, Mind, and Intimate Relationships He’s lectured at NASA, Google, Oxford, and Harvard, and taught in meditation centers worldwide. An expert on positive neuroplasticity, his work has been featured on the BBC, CBS, NPR, and other major media. He began meditating in 1974 and is the founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom. He loves wilderness and taking a break from emails. Website: rickhanson.net Additional books and other media: Stress-Proof Your Brain Meditations to Change Your Brain The Enlightened Brain Meditations for Happiness Self-Directed Brain Change Letting Go: A Key to Lasting Happiness Steadying Your Mind Awaken Your Brain Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. First BatGap interview with Rick Hanson. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Dean Radin, PhD, is Chief Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) and Associated Distinguished Professor of Integral and Transpersonal Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). He occasionally gives lectures in the Department of Psychology at Sonoma State University and has served on doctoral dissertation committees at Saybrook University and CIIS. His original career track as a concert violinist shifted into science after earning a BSEE degree in electrical engineering, magna cum laude with honors in physics, from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and then an MS in electrical engineering and a PhD in psychology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. For a decade he worked on advanced telecommunications R&D at AT&T Bell Laboratories and GTE Laboratories. For three decades he has been engaged in frontiers research on the nature of consciousness. Before joining the research staff at IONS in 2001, he held appointments at Princeton University, University of Edinburgh, University of Nevada, Interval Research Corporation, and SRI International. He is author or coauthor of hundreds of scientific, technical, and popular articles, three dozen book chapters, and three popular books including the award-winning and bestselling The Conscious Universe: The Scientific Truth of Psychic Phenomena (HarperOne, 1997), Entangled Minds: Extrasensory Experiences in a Quantum Reality (Simon & Schuster, 2006), a 2014 Silver Nautilus Book Award, Supernormal: Science, Yoga, and the Evidence for Extraordinary Psychic Abilities (Random House, 2013), and Real Magic: Ancient Wisdom, Modern Science, and a Guide to the Secret Power of the Universe (Penguin Random House). These books have been translated into 14 foreign languages, so far. His technical articles have appeared in journals including Foundations of Physics and Physics Essays to Psychological Bulletin and Journal of Consciousness Studies; he was featured in a New York Times Magazine article; and he has appeared on dozens of television shows ranging from the BBC’s Horizon to PBS's Closer to Truth. He has given over 400 interviews and talks, including presentations at Harvard, Stanford, Cambridge, Princeton, Virginia Tech, the Sorbonne, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Minnesota, for industries including Google, Johnson & Johnson, Rabobank, and for various government organizations including the US Navy, DARPA, and the National Academy of Sciences. In 2010, he spent a month lecturing in India as the National Visiting Professor of the Indian Council of Philosophical Research, a program sponsored by India's Ministry of Human Resource Development. In 2013 and 2014, he gave invited lectures in Kuala Lumpur at the International Center for Leadership and Governance, an organization supported by the Central Bank of Malaysia. In 2015 he spoke at the Australian Leadership Retreat, a confidential program of briefings and discussions for Australian government, business, education, and military leaders. Website: deanradin.com Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded November 15, 2020. First BatGap interview with Dean Radin. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Swami Sarvapriyananda has been Minister and Spiritual Leader of the Vedanta Society of New York since January 2017. He was a Nagral Fellow at Harvard Divinity School during the 2019-20 academic year. Prior to this, he served as assistant minister of the Vedanta Society of Southern California for 13 months. Swami joined the Ramakrishna Math and Mission in 1994 and received Sannyas in 2004. Before coming to serve in the US, he served as an acharya (teacher) of the monastic probationers’ training center at Belur Math in West Bengal, India (the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission founded by Swami Vivekananda, the chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa). He has served the Ramakrishna Math and Mission in various capacities including being the Vice Principal of the Deoghar Vidyapith Higher Secondary School, Principal of the Shikshana Mandira Teacher Education College at Belur Math, and the first Registrar of the Vivekananda University at Belur Math. This conversation hosted by the Association for Spiritual Integrity explores the profound interconnections between ethics and Advaita Vedanta. An ethical life is foundational to the spiritual quest, a non-negotiable sine qua non to any real spiritual development. One can be good without being particularly “spiritual”, but there is no spirituality without goodness. But it is also true that ethics are a consequence of nonduality. For as long as thinkers have pondered ethics, they have searched for a foundation, a grounding, for ethics. Why should one be good and do good? The various answers thinkers have come up with through the ages – utilitarianism, deontology, and so forth – have all been found seriously wanting. Nonduality claims to provide a deep foundation for ethics. In this talk and Q&A, Swami Sarvapriyananda explores the philosophical and practical, as well as the individual and social dimensions of ethics in nondual spirituality. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this webinar. Recorded September 28, 2020 First BatGap interview with Swami Sarvapriyananda Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Asil Toksal is an Austrian-born channel. His work includes group energy alignment sessions and the channeling of celestial guides, as well as working on the energetic alignment of sacred sites around the world. The goal of this work is to assist in the evolution of consciousness in humanity. He has traveled widely to do this work, throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. For the past eighteen years, Asil has been deeply committed to a spiritual path while also training in a variety of different energy healing modalities. He has worked with many masters and lineage holders of various traditions in South America, North America, and China. In his earlier years, he also served as a CEO and corporate executive in software, marketing, and communications. Five years ago, during a moment of deep spiritual experience, Asil connected for the first time to the channeled angelic guides and energies that he works with today. He was offered the opportunity to work closely with these guides, but he was asked to make the choice to let go of the prior traditions, rituals, and healing methods he had learned. After making this choice, the guides assisted him through an intensive spiritual and energetic transformation process. This created a connection that allowed him to begin to receive and transmit energy, as well as spoken wisdom from these angelic and celestial realms. This connection forms the basis of his work. He lives in Marin County, Northern California. In 2019, to support his work, he created the not-for-profit 501(c)3, Ascension One Collective, Inc. To learn more about Asil and his work, as well as find an up-to-date schedule of events, videos, transcripts, and more, please visit: Website: asiltoksal.com YouTube Channel Facebook Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded October 31, 2020 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Dr. James Cooke is a neuroscientist, writer, and speaker, whose work focuses on consciousness, with a particular interest in meditative and psychedelic states. He studied Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience at Oxford University and is passionate about exploring the relationship between science and spirituality. He writes for RealitySandwich.com and is the host of the podcast Living Mirrors with Dr. James Cooke, which can be found on his YouTube channel. He splits his time between London and the mountains of Portugal where he is building a retreat centre, The Surrender Homestead, @TheSurrenderHomestead on Instagram. Find him @DrJamesCooke on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, or at DrJamesCooke.com. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded October 17, 2020 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Tricia Barker experienced a profound near-death experience during her senior year of college, and this experience guided her to teach overseas, in public schools, and at the college level. Her story has been featured on Life to Afterlife: Death and Back, National Geographic Magazine, Women’s World Magazine, Coast to Coast AM, and The Doctor Oz Show. Tricia’s memoir, Angels in the OR: What Dying Taught Me About Healing, Survival, and Transformation is also available through Audible. This book tells a story of her near-death experience, teaching mission, and eventual triumph over childhood trauma. The book focuses on the importance being of service to the world. A screenplay is in the works for her story. Tricia is a graduate of The University of Texas. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College. Currently, she teaches English and Creative Writing at a beautiful community college in Fort Worth, Texas. She interviews other near-death experiencers, researchers, healers, spiritual teachers, and mediums on her YouTube Channel. Tricia’s poetry and essays have been published in several academic publications. Poems: Loving Narcissus & Sometimes God: Poems The Self, The Other, and God: Poems Website: triciabarkernde.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded October 3, 2020 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

After earning a degree in Social Work in Germany, Gabrielle worked for several years with mentally disadvantaged children and coma patients. Her responsibilities included providing guidance as a life counselor for her clients and their families. Today, Reverend Gabrielle Orr is a certified Akashic Record Teacher and Consultant, Healing Touch Practitioner, Reiki Master, Body Talk Practitioner, EFT Practitioner, Massage Therapist, and Feng Shui Consultant. ​She has been teaching Akashic Record Classes and Retreats internationally since 2002 and focuses on inspiring and uplifting others as a motivational speaker and spiritual guide. Website: gabrielleorr.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded September 26, 2020. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Elizabeth Anne Hill's spiritual journey began in October 2002 with the death of her identical twin sister, Catherine Mary Hill, in an on-duty vehicle accident as a United States Border Patrol Agent along the U.S./Mexico border. Before Cathy died, she had learned about a grand spiritual awakening taking place across the planet, which she tried to share with her twin, with no success. After Cathy’s death, Elizabeth began to have contact with her in dreams and through many psychic mediums. She discovered that she and Catherine had come in as social change agents and that they had made a pact to work together to deliver this important information to the world. Catherine assisted Elizabeth in writing her first book, Twin Souls: A Message of Hope for the new Millennium. Through this process, Elizabeth developed strong intuitive gifts and a connection with the non-physical realms. In 2008, during a session with a group of spirit guides via trance channel Glenna Dietrich, Elizabeth was told about a project they would create together called An Interview with the Universe, which would include Q&A, an experiential traveling journey, and another book. Elizabeth’s journey would entail letting go of all traditional safety nets — including job, income, and home — to travel the world with nothing but her intuitive connection with her sister and her Infinite Self. The Guides explained that the purpose of the journey was to transmute the limiting belief systems and fears surrounding money — for herself and for all of humanity. After she undertook this journey, she would be ready for the changes that would occur in the world, and at the right moment, she would be called upon to teach and share the wisdom she had gained. Now, in 2020 — with all that is occurring on the world stage — now is that moment. Website: elizabethannehill.com YouTube Channel Personal Facebook page Author Facebook page Free download of Elizabeth's book, "Twin Souls" Interview with the Universe Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded September 19, 2020 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Paul Muller-Ortega, Ph.D., the founder of Blue Throat Yoga, is an internationally recognized meditation teacher, and one of the world’s most highly respected academic scholars in the field of Indian Religion and Hindu Tantra. Paul is passionate and devoted to teaching students how to access their truest Self, and to offer the knowledge base to understand and support that experience. He has led hundreds of meditation retreats, offered a vast array of study courses, translated and provided commentary on many of the most inspired sacred texts of the Śaiva-Śākta tradition, and has personally trained over 40 Ācāryas as Authorized Teachers of Neelakantha Meditation. Paul is uniquely qualified to offer these potent teachings, drawing upon the synergy of his long career as an academic scholar, his particular capacity to translate complex ideas and concepts into easily accessible and comprehensible understanding, and a personal history of deep meditation and extensive practice in the Śaiva-Śākta Tantra tradition. Paul Muller-Ortega is the author of the highly acclaimed book, The Triadic Heart of Siva: Kaula Tantricism of Abhinavagupta in the Non-Dual Shaivism of Kashmir (Suny Series, Shaiva Traditions of Kashmir), in which he examines the “Heart” as the mystical core of Consciousness. He is also one of the co-authors of "Meditation Revolution", as well as numerous scholarly articles on aspects of Tantric Studies. Website: bluethroatyoga.com Another book: The Philosophy of Sadhana (SUNY Series in Contemporary Continental Philosophy) Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. First BatGap interview with Paul. Interview recorded September 12, 2020 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Helen Hamilton is a spiritual teacher based in West Yorkshire, in the north of England, and is a mother of four. After struggling through her own awakening several years ago Helen was driven by the urge to simplify awakening for all beings and to share the essential pointings that allow us to overcome common challenges along the path to freedom. Helen's teaching style is direct and uncompromising in its insistence that we already are what we are searching for and yet encompasses compassion and wisdom to help us dissolve our ego with love and understanding. She teaches worldwide and holds regular Satsangs and other events. Books: Dissolving The Ego The Story of I Reality Check: A Simple Guide to Final Enlightenment Website: helenhamilton.org Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded August 29, 2020 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Dr. Iain McGilchrist is a Quondam Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, an Associate Fellow of Green Templeton College, Oxford, a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and former Consultant Psychiatrist and Clinical Director at the Bethlem Royal & Maudsley Hospital, London. He has been a Research Fellow in neuroimaging at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore. He has published original articles and research papers in a wide range of publications on topics in literature, philosophy, medicine, and psychiatry. He is the author of a number of books but is best known for The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World, and is currently working on a book of epistemology and ontology. He lives on the Isle of Skye and has two daughters and a son. Websites: iainmcgilchrist.com channelmcgilchrist.com YouTube Channel Facebook Page Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded August 22, 2020. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

This interview was recorded May 15, 2020, as part of an online conference entitled "Wisdom in Times of Crisis" offered by the Science and Nonduality Conference, held May 17-23, entitled Wisdom in Times of Crisis. The conference has finished, but you may sign up to access all of its content. Scott Kiloby is an author and international speaker on mindfulness and addiction recovery. Scott is also the founder and director of the Kiloby Center for Recovery. After twenty years of addiction to drugs and alcohol, Scott began to develop Natural Rest for Addiction which has helped people all over the world confront the root of their addiction, anxiety, and depression. Scott was the COO of MyLife Recovery which held the patent on the naltrexone implant. Scott also developed an app that acts as an interface between pain management doctors and their patients to decrease the likelihood of addiction. The app also protects doctors legally from claims of negligence arising out of opiate overdoses. Originally from southern Indiana, Scott was an attorney for several years before becoming an author. He travels extensively across the United States and in Europe giving talks, seminars, and intensives. Along with his work at the Kiloby Center, Scott is also the director and co-owner of the Natural Rest House, a detox and residential addiction treatment center located in La Quinta, California. In addition to Natural Rest for Addiction: A Radical Approach to Recovery Through Mindfulness and Awareness, Scott is the author of the following books which can be found on Amazon: Living Realization: A Simple, Plain-English Guide to Non-Duality The Unfindable Inquiry: One Simple Tool to Overcome Feelings of Unworthiness and Find Inner Peace Reflections of the One Life: Daily Pointers to Enlightenment Doorway to Total Liberation: Conversations with What Is Love's Quiet Revolution: The End Of The Spiritual Search Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. 1st BatGap interview with Scott 2nd BatGap interview with Scott Interview recorded May 15, 2020. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Diana Durham is a British/American poet and writer who draws on archetype to explore our identity. She's a poet, writer, and documentary film producer who, following a degree in English Literature from University College, London, took the ‘path less traveled’ and became involved in an intentional community in England, the United States, and Canada. In the early 1990’s she was among a grouping who began to explore dialogue and collective intelligence with the late theoretical physicist David Bohm. Her most recent book Coherent Self, Coherent World: A New Synthesis Of Myth, Metaphysics & Bohm's Implicate Order explores how our thinking becomes coherent when our ‘personality self’ is in a meaningful relationship with a deeper, more intuitive quality of awareness and identity. And it also traces how, when we are disconnected from this intuitive source, our thinking becomes incoherent leading to problematic outcomes. The work grew out of her deep study of the Arthurian and Grail Myths, explored in her former nonfiction book, The Return of King Arthur: Finishing the Quest for Wholeness, Inner Strength, and Self-Knowledge, as well as her participation in dialogue with Bohm. Other works include the novel The Curve of the Land; and three poetry books: Sea of Glass, To The End Of The Night and Between Two Worlds a collection of sonnets (Chrysalis Poetry, UK). Her poems have also appeared in numerous magazines in the UK and USA, including Orbis, Tears in the Fence, Kindred Spirit, Mankato Review, Northern New England Review, Parabola, and Ecozone@:European Journal of Literature, Culture and Environment from Leiden University, The Netherlands, as well as in twelve anthologies, including Soul of the Earth The Awen Anthology of Eco-Spiritual Poetry edited by Jay Ramsay, published by Awen Press, UK, The 2008 Poets' Guide to New Hampshire published by the Poetry Society of New Hampshire and Diamond Cutters: Visionary Poets in America, Britain & Oceania edited by Andrew Harvey and Jay Ramsay, published by Tayen Lane. She also wrote, performed, and co-produced a dramatic retelling of the Grail Myth called Perceval & the Grail which is in CD and downloadable form as an audio play as well as a 15-part animated series on YouTube. She was a Visiting Research Associate at the Women’s Studies Research Centre, Brandeis in 2011, and gave talks and workshops using the grail myth sponsored by the NH Humanities Council (in the US), as well as national and international women’s groups and business executives leadership training courses. In addition to writing books, she collaborates with her husband as writer/producer of documentary films. Their current project is a series of short films, 'Making Sense’. For their first film, they talked to psychiatrist Dr. Iain McGilchrist, author of ‘The Master & His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of Western Culture’. Website: dianadurham.net Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Interview recorded August 8, 2020 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

As a contemplative practitioner and clinical psychologist, James Finley helps seekers who desire to live a contemplative, whole life. Drawing from his experience as a former monk and spiritual directee of Thomas Merton, Jim offers trustworthy guidance for the spiritual journey through his website, online courses, occasional retreats, and the Center for Action and Contemplation where he serves as a core faculty member of The Living School for Action and Contemplation with Cynthia Bourgeault and Richard Rohr. Jim is the author of several books, including: Merton's Palace of Nowhere, The Contemplative Heart, and Christian Meditation: Experiencing the Presence of God. James's podcast, Turning to the Mystics is for people searching for something more meaningful, intimate, and richly present in the divine gift of their lives. A clinical psychologist, James offers a modern take on the historical contemplative practices of Christian mystics like Teresa of Avila and Thomas Merton. Leaning into their experiences can become a gateway to hope, healing, and oneness. In each episode, Jim reads an excerpt from a mystical text, unpacks the meaning and symbolism, and then concludes with meditation and prayer. Together with Kirsten Oates from the Center for Action and Contemplation, they explore listener questions and examine their own paths as modern contemplatives in this beautiful and broken world. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded August 1, 2020. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Andrew Hewson is a contemporary spiritual teacher whose focus is on the realization of the Presence of Divinity as one’s fundamental Source and Self. Emphasizing transcendence as a process that can not only be undergone in the midst of daily living but even facilitated by it, Andrew speaks from the experiential reality of having been carried by the Grace of total transformation in the context of daily life. Growing up in the Southeastern United States, Andrew’s childhood was characterized by a state of lightness, freedom, and underlying connection. This effortless Way of Being was taken as an unspoken given until an intense qualitative shift took place in his early teens. The condition which once prevailed progressively became replaced by an acute sense of separation, limitation, and lack, leaving little room for functional participation in the common activities of human life. With this radical drop into apparent fragmentation, Andrew began to seek relief wherever possible. This seeking eventually led to the discovery of altered states of consciousness through the use of alcohol and drugs which quickly spiraled into the pits of despair. After years of unsuccessfully attempting to live from such a constricted sense of identity, Andrew found himself in a medical isolation jail cell facing 30 years in prison. It was there, in the midst of absolute hopelessness and despair, that the Grace of Surrender shone forth, bringing about a profound shift in Consciousness. This transformation revealed a Still, Silent Presence, or Field, Divine in Its Nature, and ignited a fire for spiritual evolution. With a natural and impersonal application, Andrew was given to prayer, meditation, and spontaneous investigation into the nature of identity. The process of Transcendence took place in the day-to-day ebb and flow of human life, culminating in the replacement of the sense of a personal, separate self with the Infinite Context of Divinity. This Reality has since lived and loved while engaged in the common activities of the human experience, serving wherever possible while still finding space for silent reflection in Nature and tasting the Infinite expansion of further refinement. The role of speaking and teaching is not something that was decided upon at a given point in time but is rather a spontaneous and uncontainable expression of the Love that prevails in the condition from which the words emerge. Andrew speaks effortlessly by the grace of Divinity and gives all Glory to the One that abides in the Hearts of All. He also lectures on the evolution of conscious experiencing and the application of this understanding in areas of human suffering such as addiction, mental illness, and eating disorders. Andrew currently resides in Western North Carolina with his wife and partner Elle Hewson where they are working together with devoted friends to be of greater service to those who have been called to Truth, Love, and the fulfillment of Our Highest potential. Website: nondual-devotion.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded July 25, 2020 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Louise Kay was born in Lancashire, in the northwest of The UK. After graduating from university she worked as an English teacher for 15 years, and during this time began to question the deeper meaning of life. This led her to the path of spirituality, where she found a strong resonance with the teachings of non-duality. In her early thirties, Louise felt a deep call in her heart to visit India, where she experienced a profound spiritual awakening. Shortly afterward Louise began channeling and traveled around the world sharing this gift for several years. During this time she experienced a deepening and integration of her initial spiritual awakening and as she opened more to this non-dual truth the channeling faded away and a new form of expression revealed itself from deep in her heart. Louise now holds group events and retreats around the world and offers Embodied Awareness private sessions. Her passion is to sit together in presence and hold gentle, unconditionally loving space for all emotions, all sensations, and all experiences which arise in the moment in order to support the integration of unresolved energies and allow the unfolding of the divine in all who feel the call. Website: louisekay.net Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded July 18, 2020 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Mark Pitstick, MA, DC, has over forty-seven years’ experience and training in hospitals, pastoral counseling settings, mental health centers, and private practice. His training includes a premedical degree, graduate theology/pastoral counseling studies, master's in clinical psychology, and doctorate in chiropractic health care. He also has provided suicide prevention counseling and education to many people. Mark became aware of clairaudient experiences at age ten and has since been blessed with numerous miracles, revelatory, and spiritually transformative experiences. After working in hospitals with many suffering and dying adults and children, he was motivated to find sensible, evidence-based answers to the questions that many people ask: “Who am I? Why am I here? What happens after I die? Will I see my departed loved ones again? Is there a God? If so, why is there so much suffering? and How can I best live during this brief earthly experience?” His books, documentary film, CDs, and experiential workshops address all of these questions and help you survive and even thrive through life’s biggest changes and challenges. Further, his work helps you discover how to enjoy the greatest life you have envisioned—no matter what your current circumstances. To learn more, visit SoulProof.com. Dr. Pitstick wrote the following books: Soul Proof: Compelling Evidence You Are an Infinite Spiritual Being Radiant Wellness: a Holistic Guide for Optimal Body, Mind, and Spirit The Eleven Questions: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Life, Death, and Afterlife Greater Reality Living, 2nd Edition: Integrating the Evidence for Eternal Consciousness (Volume 1) with Gary Schwartz PhD The Big Picture of Life (with Dr. Schwartz and Katta Mapes MA, MEd) Mark was the executive producer for the Soul Proof documentary film, a 93-minute movie featuring interviews with people who had evidentiary experiences. He created twelve transformational CDs that use deep relaxation, breathing techniques, and guided imagery. A frequent radio guest, Pitstick hosted Soul-utions, a nationally syndicated radio show about practical spirituality, and Ask the Soul Doctors interviewing top consciousness experts. Mark is certified in Past Life Regression therapy by Brian Weiss MD and the Facilitated After-Death Contact technique by Raymond Moody Ph.D., MD. Pitstick has given many nationwide workshops on spiritual awareness and holistic wellness at churches, retreats, and conferences. He directs the SoulPhone Foundation that supports R & D of technology to communicate with post-material (“deceased”) persons. He also assists in the research conducted by Dr. Schwartz and other scientists at the Laboratory for Advances in Consciousness and Health at the University of Arizona. Mark founded Greater Reality Living groups to help prepare people for the great news that life after death has been definitively demonstrated scientifically by replicated multi-center studies. To learn more about Dr. Pitstick’s outreaches, visit SoulProof.com. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded June 27, 2020. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Born in Wales, I emigrated with my parents and 4 siblings to NZ in 1962. Educated in Wellington completing an honours degree in philosophy and teacher training. Taught in a variety of special education positions until retiring. Politically active in teachers' union, Labour Party, and the Greens. My wife is Sue Middleton (Emeritus Prof Education), our only child daughter Kate is married with 3 sons. She founded the Reading Revolution charity in NZ. I worked with Men's groups, used various psychotherapy modalities, including doing a year of Primal Therapy in Los Angeles which led to more formal trading in Gestalt Therapy that precipitated ongoing profound experiences and transformations that ignited pilgrimage journeys to India and Bhutan. Also, involvement in Vipassana and other meditation methods confirmed the nature of the processes that have overtaken me and delivered me into the sacred world. Concepts such as Karma, transcendence, synchronicity, reincarnation, rebirth, pure consciousness energy, and indigenous encounters have led to an understanding of the truth power of myth and ancient truths. No website or books. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded June 20, 2020 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Robin Aisha Landsong is a Transformational Speaker, Visual Artist, Medicine Singer, and Medical/Health Intuitive. She had two Near-Death Experiences during the Rhodesian War in 1977 when she was eight years old. When she was called back to life by the Medicine Song of a rural Zimbabwean woman it opened her intuition and her own Medicine Songs. She has had the privilege to give Singing Medicine to over 14,000 people. Her specialty areas as Shamanic Craniosacral Therapist are trauma resolution, understanding illness, and healing injury. She sees inside each person their gifts and strengths as well as the underlying cause of their physical, emotional, or spiritual distress. She helps people restore the natural rhythms in their bodies for their greatest health. She loves to help people integrate their own Near-Death Experiences. She has helped thousands of people regain their sense of wholeness, creativity, intuition, embodiment, self-confidence, and mindfulness in the present moment. Website: robinlandsong.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded June 13, 2020. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Sally Kempton is a deeply practiced teacher of meditation and spiritual philosophy, and the author of the books Meditation for the Love of It and Awakening Shakti: as well as the audio course Doorways to the Infinite, recently put out by Sounds True. A former swami in the Saraswati order of India, she has been practicing and teaching devotional contemplative tantra for more than 40 years. Her teaching is powerfully sourced in the eastern meditative traditions of yoga and Kashmir Shaivism, yet highly contemporary in her focus on evolutionary practice. She offers a powerful transmission of meditative experience. Books: Meditation for the Love of It Beginning Meditation Meditation for the Love of It Awakening Shakti: The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga Shakti Meditations Doorways to the Infinite: The Art and Practice of Tantric Meditation (audio program) Website: sallykempton.com First BatGap interview with Sally Sally Kempton in panel discussion on Kashmir Shaivism Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. This interview was recorded May 15, 2020, as part of an online conference offered by the Science and Nonduality Conference, held May 17-23, entitled Wisdom in Times of Crisis. The conference has finished, but you may sign up to access all of its content. Transcript of this interview. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Dorothy Hunt serves as Spiritual Director of Moon Mountain Sangha, teaching at the request of Adyashanti. She is the founder of the San Francisco Center for Meditation and Psychotherapy and has practiced psychotherapy since 1967. She is the author of Leaves from Moon Mountain, Only This!, and Ending the Search: From Spiritual Ambition to the Heart of Awareness. A contributing author to The Sacred Mirror, and Listening from the Heart of Silence: Nondual Wisdom and Psychotherapy, Dorothy is also a featured spiritual teacher in the book, Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Wisdom: The Feminine Face of Awakening. Dorothy has a long and deep connection to the teachings of Ramana Maharshi and the path of Self-Inquiry, as well as the nondual teachings of Zen, Advaita, and the Christian mystics. In meeting Adyashanti, she was invited beyond identification with either the absolute or relative, finding freedom in what is awake in each of us regardless of the changing faces of experience. Dorothy offers satsang, retreats, and private meetings in the San Francisco Bay area and elsewhere by invitation. For more information, visit www.dorothyhunt.org Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. First BatGap interview with Dorothy Hunt. This interview was recorded May 11, 2020, as part of an online conference offered by the Science and Nonduality Conference, held May 17-23, entitled Wisdom in Times of Crisis. The conference has finished, but you may sign up to access all of its content. Transcript of this interview. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Lars Muhl is a Danish author, mystic, and musician, born in Aarhus, Denmark in 1950. Already as a 10-year-old, Lars Muhl had experienced glimpses of another reality. The shock following the sudden death of his younger sister, caused painful kundalini-like experiences, giving access to the ethereal worlds and a hypersensitive insight into other people’s pain. This lasted for three years. A turning point came when Lars was 15 and received a book anonymously in the post. Hazrat Inayat Khan’s ‘Gayan Vadan Nirtan’ became the start of a lifelong esoteric study. Like Paulo Coelho, Lars was for many years a successful singer/songwriter who, concurrently with his music, studied the world’s religions and esoteric knowledge. Then in 1996, he was struck down by an unexplained illness, which neither doctors nor alternative therapists could diagnose. For three years he lay in bed without being able to move or think straight. Through a close friend’s intervention, Lars was put in touch with a seer who, via the telephone, brought him back to life. That was the start of a completely new existence and the beginning of that quest he has so grippingly described in his trilogy book ‘The O Manuscript: The Seer, The Magdalene, The Grail’. Other books: The Gate of Light: Healing Practices to Connect You to Source Energy The Law of Light: The Secret Teachings of Jesus The Law of Light: The Aramaic Mystery Movie Lars referred to during the interview: The Gate of Light by Lars Muhl Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded May 30, 2020 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Chris Beal discovered Buddhism as an exchange student in Japan in the 1960s. Given her determination, she was sure she would succeed in getting enlightened. But enthusiasm doesn't always guarantee success, and she went home disappointed, depressed and demoralized. Thirteen years later, after a spontaneous awakening, she contacted the priest who had been her main teacher in Japan and began a six-year connection which deepened her understanding of what she had realized. Meanwhile, she sought a spiritual path in the States but found nothing that spoke to her as deeply as her first teacher had until she met Adyashanti twenty years ago. After almost a decade of absorbing his teachings, she found the realization gradually deepening on its own. Chris enjoys writing about spirituality and spiritual awakening. Her writing includes numerous published book reviews, author interviews, and articles, She is currently seeking publication of her novel, ENLIGHTENMENT OF THE FLESH, in which the main character's dilemma reflects that of many seekers: How do you know which way will lead to the ultimate Truth when what you are seeking is not in the realm of imagining? Chris's Blogs: Miracle of Awakening Literary Journeys to Truth Buddhist Fiction Blog (contributor) Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded May 16, 2020 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Donald Hoffman received a Ph.D. from MIT and is a Professor of Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. He is an author of over 120 scientific papers and three books, including The Case Against Reality: Why Evolution Hid the Truth from Our Eyes. He received a Distinguished Scientific Award of the American Psychological Association for early career research, the Rustum Roy Award of The Chopra Foundation, and the Troland Research Award of the US National Academy of Sciences. His writing has appeared in Scientific American, New Scientist, LA Review of Books, and Edge, and his work has been featured in Wired, Quanta, The Atlantic, Ars Technica, National Public Radio, Discover Magazine, and Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman. He has a TED Talk titled “Do we see reality as it is?” Website Other book: Visual Intelligence: How We Create What We See Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded May 9, 2020 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Proud to be born in India as a Hindu, I will be sad if I die merely a Hindu. Convinced very early in life that all boundaries are artificially created and tend to hinder the growth of the spirit, I ended up studying at post-doctoral level Physics, Philosophy, and Religion at various universities and later teaching as a professor in these fields. Wishing to correspond to the transformational teachings of several great spiritual luminaries, especially of Krishna, Buddha, Christ, and Patañjali and of present-day masters Krishnamurti and Gurdjieff, I am interested in the actual journey of self-transformation and experiencing the inevitable shifts of focus of energy along the way. Website: ravindra.ca Books: The Gospel of John in the Light of Indian Mysticism The Bhagavad Gita: A Guide to Navigating the Battle of Life The Pilgrim Soul: A Path to the Sacred Transcending World Religions Heart Without Measure: Gurdjieff Work with Madame de Salzmann The Wisdom of Patañjali's Yoga Sutras: A New Translation and Guide Science and the Sacred: Eternal Wisdom in a Changing World Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded May 2, 2020. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Bayo Akomolafe (Ph.D.) considers his most sacred work to be learning how to be with his daughter and son, Alethea Aanya, and Kyah Jayden - and their mother, his wife, and "life-nectar", Ijeoma. "To learn the importance of insignificance" is the way he frames a desire to reacquaint himself with a world that is irretrievably entangled, preposterously alive, and completely partial. Bayo was born in 1983 into a Christian home, and to Yoruba parents in western Nigeria. Losing his diplomat father to a sudden heart complication, Bayo became a reclusive teenager, seeking to get to the "heart of the matter" as a response to his painful loss. He sought to apply himself to the extremes of his social conditioning, his faith, and his eventual training as a clinical psychologist - only to find that something else beyond articulation was tugging at his sleeves, wanting to be noticed. After meeting with traditional healers as part of his quest to understand trauma, mental wellbeing, and healing in new ways, his deep questions and concerns for decolonized landscapes congealed into a life devoted to exploring the nuances of a "magical" world "too promiscuous to fit neatly into our fondest notions of it." A fugitive to manicured disciplinarity in the academe, speaker, and proud diaper-changer, Bayo leads an earth-wide organization (The Emergence Network) as its Chief Curator and Director. The organization is set up for the re-calibration of our ability to respond to civilizational crisis - a project framed within a feminist ethos and inspired by indigenous cosmologies. He considers this a shared art - exploring the edges of the intelligible, dancing with posthumanist ideas, dabbling in the mysteries of quantum mechanics and the liberating sermon of an ecofeminism text, and talking with others about how to host a festival in Brazil - and part of his inner struggle to regain a sense of rootedness to his community. He also hosts a course (We Will Dance with Mountains) among other offerings. In short, Bayo has given up his longing for the "end-time" and is learning to live in the "mean time". In the middle, where we must live with confusion and make do with partial answers. His greatest vocation is, however, learning to be a satellite orbiting his greatest gift, his goddess Ijeoma, and knowing the blessings of her gravity. Bayo is visiting professor at Middlebury College, Vermont, and has taught in universities around the world (including Sonoma State University California, Simon Frasier University Vancouver, Schumacher College Devon, Harvard University, and Covenant University Nigeria – among others). He is a consultant with UNESCO, leading efforts for the Imagining Africa’s Future (IAF) project. He speaks and teaches about his experiences around the world, and then returns to his adopted home in Chennai, India - "where the occasional whiff of cow dung dancing in the air is another invitation to explore the vitality of a world that is never still and always surprising." Bayo has authored two books, ‘We Will Tell Our Own Story!: The Lions of Africa Speak!’ and ‘These Wilds Beyond Our Fences: Letters to My Daughter on Humanity's Search for Home’, and has penned forewords for many others. Websites: bayoakomolafe.net emergencenetwork.org Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded April 25, 2020 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

An opinion leader and public speaker, Stephen G. Post, Ph.D. (University of Chicago, 1983) is the best-selling lead author of Why Good Things Happen to Good People: How to Live a Longer, Healthier, Happier Life by the Simple Act of Giving. He has been quoted in more than 4,000 newspapers and magazines and featured on numerous television shows including The Daily Show. Described by Martin E.P. Seligman in Flourish as one of “the stars of positive psychology,” Post is a leader in research on the benefits of giving and on compassionate care in relation to improved patient outcomes and clinician well-being. He addressed the U.S. Congress on volunteerism and health, receiving the Congressional Certificate of Special Recognition for Outstanding Achievement. Post was co-recipient (2012) with Edmund D. Pellegrino MD of the Pioneer Medal for Outstanding Leadership in HealthCare from the HealthCare Chaplaincy Network, and the Kama Book Award in Medical Humanities from World Literacy Canada (2008). His book The Moral Challenge of Alzheimer Disease: Ethical Issues from Diagnosis to Dying was designated a “medical classic of the century” by the British Medical Journal (2009), which wrote, “Until this pioneering work was published in 1995 the ethical aspects of one of the most important illnesses of our aging populations were a neglected topic.” Post is a recipient of the Alzheimer’s Association's national distinguished service award “in recognition of personal and professional outreach to the Alzheimer’s Association Chapters on ethics issues important to people with Alzheimer’s and their families.” In 2021 Post published Dignity for Deeply Forgetful People: How Caregivers Can Meet the Challenges of Alzheimer’s Disease (Hopkins). Co-Recipient of the 2019 Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society Professionalism Award for development the Professional Identity Formation curriculum of the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Post has taught at the University of Chicago Medical School, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine (1988-2008), and at Stony Brook (2008-present), where he is Founding Director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care, and Bioethics. The Center was selected (2011) for special institutional excellence by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (AMA & AAMC accrediting body), the only humanities and ethics entity in American medical school history to receive this distinction. An elected member of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, the New York Academy of Medicine, and the Royal Society of Medicine, London, Post is the author of 300 articles in journals such as Science, the New England Journal of Medicine, Psychosomatic Medicine, Journal of the American Academy of Religion, and the Journal of the American Medical Association. In 2003 Post was invited to join the Founding Fellows of the International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR), based at Cambridge University. Founded in 2002, ISSR is the world’s preeminent learned society devoted to this intersection, with 200 Fellows from the sciences and humanities. In 2001 he founded the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love, so named by philanthropist Sir John Templeton, who selected Post as the Institute’s President. A non-profit 501(c) 3 public charity that investigates kindness, giving, and spirituality, Post has written popularly on this topic in God and Love on Route 80: The Hidden Mystery of Human Connectedness. Websites: stephengpost.com unlimitedloveinstitute.org Email: post@stephengpost.com More books: Unlimited Love The Hidden Gifts of Helping: How the Power of Giving, Compassion, and Hope Can Get Us Through Hard Times Is Ultimate Reality Unlimited Love? Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded April 18, 2020 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

HeatherAsh Amara is the Warrior Goddess Mama and creatrix of The Warrior Heart practice. She is dedicated to inspiring depth, creativity, and joy by sharing the most potent tools from a variety of world traditions. Raised in Southeast Asia, HeatherAsh has traveled the world from childhood and is continually inspired by the diversity and beauty of human expression and experience. She brings this open-hearted, inclusive worldview to her writings and teachings. HeatherAsh is the author of numerous books, including the bestselling: Warrior Goddess Training: Become the Woman You Are Meant to Be, Warrior Goddess Wisdom: Daily Inspiration for Women (Warrior Goddess Training), The Seven Secrets to Healthy, Happy Relationships (with don Miguel Ruiz Jr.), and Warrior Heart Practice Website: heatherashamara.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded April 10, 2020. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Meditation asks, “Who am I?” Therapy asks, “How do I heal and become happier?” Purpose work addresses the question, “Where do I belong in the ecology of life?” Purpose guiding breaks the spell of our default purposes of safety, security, comfort and outward success, and orients us towards our true purpose, which is to embody our unique calling within. When we all have the opportunity to live our calling, we can support our collective true purpose: to become co-creators of our species’ evolution. We may, thus, give birth to more beauty, truth, and goodness into the world. Jonathan Gustin, M.A, MFT, is the founder of Purpose Guides Institute. He guides people to find and embody their life’s purpose, as well as trains those who want to become Purpose Guides themselves. Jonathan has been a psychotherapist, meditation teacher, and Purpose Guide for over 20 years. He is an adjunct professor at JFK University and co-author of Purpose Rising: A Global Movement of Transformation and Meaning with Ken Wilber, Erwin Laszlo, and others. Website: purposeguides.org Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded April 3, 2020. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Cynthia Jurs is a Tibetan Buddhist lama and a Dharmacharya in the Order of Interbeing of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh whose source of refuge and spiritual inspiration is Mother Earth; Gaia. In 1990, she made a life-changing pilgrimage to meet the hermit and meditation master, Kushok Mangden Charok Rinpoche, a 106-year-old lama living in a remote cave in Nepal from whom she received the practice of the Earth Treasure Vases when she asked him, “What can we do to bring healing and protection to the Earth?” For thirty years, Cynthia has been building a global community committed to planetary healing and collective awakening in partnership with elders and activists around the world. Cynthia teaches an innovative blend of engaged Buddhism and sacred activism through the Earth Treasure Vase Global Healing Project, the Open Way Sangha in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the international Gaia Mandala Community. Through her nonprofit, Alliance for the Earth, Cynthia has worked with former combatants and the women who stopped a war in Liberia, West Africa, to build peace, teaching mindfulness and co-founding the Peace Hut Alliance for Conflict Transformation. Cynthia’s book, Summoned by the Earth, is forthcoming. Website: EarthTreasureVase.org - learn more and subscribe to the monthly Earth Treasure Vase Full Moon Newsletter which is the best way to stay in touch New website - GaiaMandala.net - coming soon. Will be the home for our global healing community with many practices, calls, courses and more ways to get involved in our work of global healing and collective awakening. Join the monthly Full Moon Earth Treasure Vase Global Healing Meditation here. This is a free call via Zoom. A recording is automatically sent out to registered participants. Gaia Calling: Being a Holy Vessel for Global Healing & Collective Awakening — a 7-week course co-taught by Cynthia Jurs and David Nicol via Zoom April 20—June 10, 2020. Join our free introductory call on April 11th to learn more. Tara Gaia Teachings; a Vajrayana-style deity practice inspired by Tara with a visualization of Gaia and a recitation of her mantra. Cynthia will be giving the transmission and teaching of this practice during two-weekend retreats via Zoom — July 25-26 and November 7-8, 2020. Having received the teachings, one can join a monthly practice group. Let us know you are interested here. Monday Mindfulness Meditation, a weekly gathering via Zoom at 4 pm Pacific // 5 pm Mountain // 7 pm Eastern. As we shelter at home, we can meet this moment of collective crisis and opportunity with calm and clarity by cultivating a practice of calm abiding in mindfulness. In this weekly 1.5-hour practice group, we will sit, walk and sit again—entering into the quiet space within and stopping to catch our breath, to center ourselves, to let go of worry and fear and reconnect with our true source of Being. At the end of our practice, there will be an opportunity for mindful sharing around the circle. Click here if you are interested in participating. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded March 28, 2020 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Peter journeyed to India in 1970 and spent time with Ram Dass and his guru, Neem Karoli Baba, eventually traveling to the Himalayan foothills to live briefly with Gangotri Baba, a disciple of Babaji. He also had transcendent experiences with Anandamayi Ma and other saints. Later he traveled to Tibet and Egypt but did not find his true path until Sathya Sai Baba instructed him to meditate on the I AM—which leads to the True Self. Returning from the East, the Ascended Master Saint Germain materialized before him in Muir Woods near San Francisco and told him to go to Mount Shasta, where he would meet the teacher who would prepare him to work with the Masters in their quest to help humanity. This teacher was Pearl Dorris, a former assistant to Godfre Ray King, author of "Unveiled Mysteries". Vowing to accomplish the training that was offered, he went through years of instruction, initiation, and adventures at the hands of the Masters, who occasionally appeared in physical form. These adventures are described in his best-selling book, "Apprentice to the Masters: Adventures of a Western Mystic, Book II." He is working now under the direction of Saint Germain to bring the ancient teachings of Tibetan Buddhism on the nature of mind into the I AM Teachings of mastery. Books: Search for the Guru: Adventures of a Western Mystic, Part I Apprentice to the Masters: Adventures of a Western Mystic, Part II "I AM" Affirmations and the Secret of Their Effective Use I Am the Violet Tara: Goddess of Forgiveness and Freedom I AM the Living Christ: Teachings of Jesus It Is What It Is: Further Adventures of a Western Mystic Website: i-am-teachings.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded March 21, 2020 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Clare Dubois is the founder and CEO of TreeSisters.org, a global women's movement spanning over 200 countries, that has collectively funded the planting of nearly 9 million trees. TreeSisters is a social change movement and a tropical reforestation organization working towards normalizing cultural reciprocity with nature. The aim of both Clare and TreeSisters is to make it as normal to give back to nature as it currently is to take nature for granted while supporting humanity in its transition from a consumer species to a restorer species. Before founding TreeSisters, Clare worked internationally for over two decades, coaching business leaders and facilitating group behavior change processes in multiple sectors. Known for her direct, catalytic energy, her inspirational speaking and her holistic approach to collective transformation, Clare is a walking invitation to anyone ready to step up and step in on behalf of the planet. Short, informative videos: "Waking Up" (mentioned by Clare in the interview) How Music Can Plant Trees Grow Your Own Forest You Are Alive For A Reason Clare's interview with IONS - LA Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded March 7, 2020 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Zaya Benazzo is a filmmaker from Bulgaria with degrees in engineering, environmental science, and film. For many years, she worked as an environmental activist in Holland and Bulgaria, and later produced and directed several award-winning documentaries in Europe and the United States. Maurizio Benazzo grew up in Italy, and in 1984 came to the United States on a ninety-eight-year-old sailing boat. He started working as an actor, model, and filmmaker, but his thirst for knowledge was only satisfied in 2001 upon encountering I Am That, the seminal work by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, while he was in India shooting the award-winning documentary Short Cut To Nirvana. Maurizio and Zaya merged their lifelong passions for science and mysticism when they met in 2007, and their first project together was filming the documentary Rays of the Absolute on the life and teachings of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. This project sparked their next level of creation and collaboration: Science and Nonduality (SAND)—a global community inspired by the timeless wisdom traditions, informed by modern science, and grounded in direct experience. Book: On the Mystery of Being: Contemporary Insights on the Convergence of Science and Spirituality Transcript of this interview Interview recorded February 29, 2020 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

ON A MISSION: TEACHING THE POWER OF LOVE & FORGIVENESS Rev. Bill’s life has been a spiritual journey, spanning slightly over 7 decades. His whole life has been a mystical trip in search of gurus, the paranormal, and self-discovery. He has written about his many spiritually transformative experiences and “near-death-experiences” including supernatural events during his combat tour of duty in the Vietnam War. In his books, he has shared some incredible spiritual events that are beyond both common understanding or explanation. His autobiography “Warrior: A Spiritual Odyssey” takes us on a life quest for love, understanding, forgiveness, and enlightenment. His follow-up book “Alchemy of a Warrior's Heart" continues that mystical journey including four trips to India for even more profound experiences with holy men, miracles and his personal relationship with the Divine. What he knows for sure after all these years is that the only thing that is truly real is LOVE. He is an author, an award-winning poet, international motivational speaker, artist, film advisor, veteran advocate, a Vietnam War veteran (Distinguished Flying Cross, The Bronze Star, The Purple Heart Medal, 14 Air Medals, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, etc.). He has spoken around the world including Germany, England, Wales, Bolivia, and India. He has been involved with a dozen films and documentaries. (Such as: “In the Shadow of the Blade”- showed on the History Network and “The Art of Healing” shown on PBS TV) Rev. Bill has been on over 800 radio and TV shows over the last 18 years and has stories about his life featured in over a dozen books by other authors and in hundreds of magazine and newspaper articles. He has had articles in such diverse publications as “Parade Sunday Magazine” and “The Self-Realization Fellowship Magazine” as well as military magazines and new age magazines. His YouTube Channel has over 70 videos and had gotten over 550,000 views in its first 18 months. He speaks publicly about the need to forgive and power of love. His mission in life is to inspire others to seek the Divine and he does that through his personal stories of his own life experiences. He is a seeker but not just for himself. His “mission” is to allow others to experience his journey through his stories. He has had many near-death and near-death-like experiences and encounters with the supernatural. He is a friend to many - including famous celebrities and people in power positions in life but he treats everyone the same whether they are homeless or the President or a CEO. His beliefs are simple: There is but ONE GOD – and our only mission is to LOVE & SERVE ALL. Rev. Bill McDonald was born In San Francisco and raised in California, Oregon, and Hawaii. He graduated from San Jose City College with an AA Degree in Labor Management and later from The University of San Francisco with a BA degree in Public Service Administration. He spent over 30 years working for the federal government and retired in 2001. He has spent his time since then working for 5 different non-profit organizations helping veterans while serving the purpose of world peace. He works with PTSD veterans and is an unpaid lobbyist for veteran issues in California. Has also has worked as a volunteer chaplain in Folsom Prison and worked for a time answering phone calls for the National Suicide Hotline. His life is filled with service. He has been married to his high school sweetheart Carol, since 1970. He has been living in Elk Grove, California since 1979. Additional books by William “Rev. Bill” McDonald: A Spiritual Warrior's Journey: The Inspiring Life Story of a Mystical Warrior – 2003 Purple Hearts: Poetry of The Vietnam War – 2003 Sacred Eye: Poetry In Search Of The Divine – 2004 Bill's guru, Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath Bill's Website Bill's email Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview

Roger Walsh MD., Ph.D. DHL graduated from Queensland University with degrees in psychology, physiology, neuroscience, and medicine, came to the United States as a Fulbright scholar, and is currently a professor of psychiatry, philosophy, anthropology, and religious studies at the University of California. His research interests include psychological health and wellbeing, virtues such as love and wisdom, practices such as meditation that foster them, and the psychological roots of our current social and global challenges. Roger’s books include Paths Beyond Ego, The World of Shamanism, and Essential Spirituality: The 7 Central Practices to Awaken Heart and Mind, and he recently edited the modestly titled volume, The World's Great Wisdom. His research and writings have received over twenty national and international awards. He was formerly a circus acrobat, held world records in trampolining and high diving, 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 drrogerwalsh.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded February 15, 2020. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Isira brings a deep understanding of Indigenous, ancient and universal wisdom. She bridges the gap between the overwhelming challenges we face in the world today and our spiritual journey. As a powerful advocate for conscious change, Isira is highly engaged in today's social issues. Her enlightened commentary assists us to navigate the divisive worlds of politics, climate change, mental health and beyond. Books: Awakening You: Embodying Peace, Love and Freedom on Earth Buddha on the Dance Floor Website: isira.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Second interview with Isira Interview recorded February 7, 2020. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Diane Hennacy Powell, M.D. is a Johns Hopkins-trained psychiatrist, therapist, neuroscientist, and public speaker. She develops multidisciplinary theories towards understanding psychological anomalies, such as savant skills and verified accounts of spacetime navigation. Her current research focuses on controlled testing of autistic savants and children reported to be telepathic and/or precognitive by their caregivers. Dr. Powell has been on the faculty at Harvard Medical School, a member of a think tank on human consciousness at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, and Director of Research for the John E. Mack Institute. Her investigation into the neurocorrelates of ESP is discussed in her 2008 book The ESP Enigma: The Scientific Case for Psychic Phenomena, and in Seriously Strange: Thinking Anew about Psychical Experiences. Dr. Powell is also an expert on PTSD and created the psychiatry program for Survivors of Torture, International in San Diego, California. She was the principal author of IONS The 2007 Shift Report: Evidence of a World Transforming and a contributing author to Beyond Forgiveness: Reflections on Atonement, the 2014 Campus Book of the Year at Indiana University. She is also a participant in the #NeverAlone movement for suicide prevention launched by Deepak Chopra. Website: drdianehennacy.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded February 1, 2020 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Panel Discussion at the Science and Nonduality Conference on Sexual Misconduct, Money, Power, Trauma & Ethics in Spiritual Communities Panel Discussion including Jac O'Keeffe, Mariana Caplan, Craig Holliday, and Miranda Macpherson Introduction by Rick Archer The spiritual awakening sweeping the world may be critical to addressing our critical problems. Ethical breaches by spiritual teachers sabotage this awakening. How the ASI was founded. Its role & perspective. Qualities and Characteristics of a healthy teacher, student, and spiritual community. What to look for in a spiritual teacher The student’s responsibility. Healthy teacher/student relationships. Support for teachers recognizing their blind spots. Are higher consciousness and more ideal behavior correlated? Continual growth and learning, even in the teachers’ seat. Discriminating between Awakening, Integration process, and actualization. Abiding exclusively in nondual awareness vs. developing a multi-layered perspective. What contributes to unhealthy behavior or cult-like tendencies. Questions and answers Guru addiction Money issues in spiritual communities The responsibility teachers and students share The importance of therapy. Teachers referring students to other teachers. How long to stay with a teacher Teachers inviting students to give them feedback Discussion of this panel in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this discussion. Recorded October 25, 2019 Video below and audio and audio near the bottom of the page. Audio also available as a Podcast. Meeting of Founders and Members of the Association for Spiritual Integrity Forty-five spiritual teachers, members of “The Association for Spiritual Integrity”, met for four hours prior to the start of the 2019 Science and Nonduality Conference. For the first couple of hours, we engaged in a deep, honest discussion about the challenges teachers face, seeking to learn how we might better support one another. We then broke into six groups, each focusing on a particular topic. Then we reassembled and recorded the remainder of the meeting. This video includes: Introduction by Rick Summary of discussions in each of the six breakout groups. (1) Bringing forth women and feminine empowerment. Distinguishing between women and yin-style teachings in a way to not exclude men from the conversation. Action items: to have each day of SAND have a 3-hour session led by women. to have more yin-style teachings on the SAND website (2) Ongoing growth for teachers and continuing education, trauma, attachment, and shadow work. Teacher survey: what is working for you? Online teacher assessment through which teachers can assess themselves. Regular peer-group meetings, including teachers with younger teachers Workshop around developmental trauma that shows up in the teacher role. (3) Creating community and peer support Among spiritual teachers How to include more people of color and young people in the spiritual community, which tends to be white and middle class. Monthly online and annual in-person peer group meetings for spiritual teachers A system whereby teachers can refer students to other teachers, if appropriate. (4) Healthy power dynamics and dual relationships People will naturally come and go from spiritual training groups. There should be a balance between teacher and student accountability. (5) The Ethics of the Spiritual Community Have something like the Better Business Bureau which would keep the data on teacher abuse. (6) The importance of awareness of teacher misbehavior and discerning between real misbehavior and false accusations. A personal or professional commitment expressed by each teacher in the meeting. Transcript of this meeting Recorded October 24, 2019 Video and audio below.

Leanora Rose founded Embody Truth in 2012 as a way to support an integral approach to awakening and embodiment. The work is originally inspired through a personal awakening and culminates into a coherent and disposable map helping others navigate the terrain. Using a direct felt sense experience a somatic meditation practice supports unification, integration, and embodiment of all phenomena (traumatic material, identity, essence, back to stillness). Leanora Rose provides one-on-one sessions, for those awakening as well as online group programs for ongoing practice, learning, and support. Born in Africa she has lived in seven countries, including London, and California. A life of contrasts, from farm girl to corporate America, a variety of careers, from IT to cottage industry within a land-based, permaculture project in New Zealand for 25 years. She currently resides in Ubud, Bali. Website: embodytruth.com Facebook Page Youtube Channel Interview recorded January 17, 2020 Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Susan Raven is a long-time student of Anthroposophy and an experienced workshop facilitator. She has worked with the methods and exercises prescribed by Rudolf Steiner for seeing into the supersensible realms and has also trained with Dorian Schmidt, director of the Biodynamic Research Institute. Susan is author of the book "Nature Spirits: The Remembrance", featured in the Cygnus magazine, Nexus, Star & Furrow, and Caduceus. Book reviews. Susan is also a singer-songwriter and has produced two CDs entitled "Glittering Cities" and "Ravensong" which are regularly played on local and regional radio stations including the BBC. CD Reviews. For a preview of Susan's forthcoming new album please visit this link. Website: susanraven.com Book Susan mentioned near the end of the interview: Universe of the Human Body: With Gaia Touch Body Exercises Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded January 11, 2020 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Born in 1968, Sebastián Blaksley is a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, born into a large traditional Catholic family. He attended the Colegio del Salvador, a Jesuit school of which the headmaster was Jorge Bergoglio, the current Pope Francis. Although he wanted to be a monk as a young man, his family did not consider it acceptable, and the inner voice that he always obeyed let him know that: "You must be in the world, without being of the world." He studied Business Administration in Buenos Aires and completed his postgraduate studies in the United States and Argentina. He also attended other studies in England, followed by several highly responsible positions in well-known international corporations, living and working in the U.S., England, China, and Panama. He then founded his own corporate consulting firm in Argentina that he led for over 10 years. Sebastián has two daughters with his former wife. At the age of six, Sebastián was involved in a near-fatal accident during which he heard a voice, which later identified itself as Jesus. Ever since he has continued to hear that voice. Sebastián says: “Since I can remember, I have felt the call of Jesus and Mary to live abandoned to their will so that despite my various activities, I always put spiritual and religious reality at the center. I am devoted to my Catholic faith.” In 2013, he began to record messages from his mystical experiences. In 2016 he miraculously discovered A Course of Love and felt the call to devote himself to bringing it to the entire Spanish-speaking world. In addition, he now receives, transcribes, and shares what the voice of Christ—the voice of love—dictates. Most recently he has received Choose Only Love, a series of seven books, the first of which was published in October, 2019. Websites: fundacionamorvivo.org Choose Only Love fundacionuncursodeamor.org (Spanish) Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Spanish transcript of this interview. 2nd BatGap interview with Sebastián Interview recorded January 4, 2020 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Opening points: People get polarized in different perspectives. The more they focus exclusively on their perspective, the more justification for it they find. Learning to appreciate paradox; accommodating different viewpoints within a broader perspective. Enlightenment as Totality. Only Totality can realize Totality. Totality has no difficulty reconciling paradoxes. Getting comfortable with paradox might be conducive to our realization of Totality. Examples of contradictory realities: free will vs. determinism personal self vs. no-self Are we already enlightened, or must enlightenment be attained? Is practice an aid or an obstacle? Is the guru model dead? Does non-duality imply that there are no stages of spiritual growth? direct vs. progressive paths patience vs. determination on the spiritual path Additional points covered: Acting in accordance with your own experience, not a concept of someone else’s. Absolute reality does not negate relative realities. Radically different realities at different levels of nature’s functioning are perfectly compatible with one another. Incorporating universal and individual perspectives – ocean and wave, boundless and boundaries. My experience in doing BatGap. Recorded at the Science and Nonduality Conference, October 27, 2019. Transcript of this talk. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Previous talks on BatGap: 2018 SAND Conference Q&A and Interview by Shakti Caterina Maggi SAND 2017: "The Ethics of Enlightenment" Talk at Berkeley Open Circle Center Talk at SAND 2015 Interviewed by Fax Gilbert Interviewed by Richard Miller Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Mirabai Starr writes creative non-fiction and contemporary translations of sacred literature. She taught Philosophy and World Religions at the University of New Mexico-Taos for 20 years and now teaches and speaks internationally on contemplative practice and inter-spiritual dialog. A certified bereavement counselor, Mirabai helps mourners harness the transformational power of loss. She has received critical acclaim for her revolutionary new translations of the mystics: John of the Cross - Saint John of the Cross: Devotion, Prayers & Living Wisdom Teresa of Avila - The Interior Castle, and Julian of Norwich - The Showings of Julian of Norwich: A New Translation She is the award-winning author of: God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Caravan of No Despair: A Memoir of Loss and Transformation, and Mother of God Similar to Fire, a collaboration with iconographer, William Hart McNichols. Her latest book, Wild Mercy: Living the Fierce and Tender Wisdom of the Women Mystics, was published in Spring 2019. She lives with her extended family in the mountains of northern New Mexico. Website: mirabaistarr.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview First BatGap interview with Mirabai. Interview recorded October 28, 2019 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Rabbi Zvi Ish-Shalom, Ph.D., is a professor of wisdom traditions at Naropa University and is the founder of Kedumah, a universal mystical school that teaches a step-by-step approach to spiritual awakening and personal development. Integrating the timeless wisdom of the great mystical traditions with cutting edge knowledge of psychology, science, and the somatic healing arts, Zvi gently points us toward the primordial light of boundless freedom that abides at the heart of our experience. He is the author of the book The Kedumah Experience: The Primordial Torah and teaches retreats, workshops, and inner work groups internationally. Website: kedumah.org Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded November 30, 2019 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

John J. Prendergast, Ph.D., is the author of The Deep Heart: Our Portal to Presence and In Touch: How to Tune in to the Inner Guidance of Your Body and Trust Yourself. He is a retired adjunct professor of psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies and a licensed psychotherapist. He studied for many years with the European Advaita master, Jean Klein, as well as with Adyashanti. He was invited to share the dharma by Dorothy Hunt. He offers retreats in the U.S. and Europe, as well as online. Website: ListeningFromSilence.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview First BatGap Interview with John Interview recorded November 23, 2019 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Julie Brown Yau, Ph.D., has a 30-year background in psychological, somatic and spiritual traditions providing her with a unique depth of knowledge and direct experience. Julie’s unified approach for addressing developmental and complex trauma, includes the latest neuroscientific & psychosomatic findings, depth psychology, & Eastern wisdom. Julie is an author, speaker, and has a private practice in Laguna Beach CA. She works on Skype worldwide. Julie supports those on a spiritual path to embody realizations and assists those going through spiritual emergence. She is also the Director of Education and Program Development at Compassionate Care ALS, helping families and individuals through trauma and the dying process. Julie's latest book: The Body Awareness Workbook for Trauma: Release Trauma from Your Body, Find Emotional Balance, and Connect with Your Inner Wisdom. Website: juliebrownyau.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded October 24, 2019. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Vicki Woodyard is a spiritual writer living in Atlanta, Georgia. Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, she graduated from The University of Memphis, magna cum laude, with a B.S. in English and Psychology. She is a meditator, a webmaster and has a lifelong interest in the spiritual path. Her late husband, Bob, died of multiple myeloma in 2004 and they lost their only daughter to cancer when she was seven. This equips Vicki to write about her path in an honest and humble way, opening the reader’s own heart to what is worth living for. The light of her path is tinged with humor as she lays down the bottom line and invites you to consider what YOU are living for. Awakening is but a dream until you sink into the heart. When you are caught in the dream, it just means you have temporarily forgotten. Vicki’s writing, as Elsa Joy Bailey says, "serves as a bookmark to help you find your place again. The website is a way into what is. Vicki’s writing catches one off-guard, waking people up to their mortality and infinite being at the same time..." She is the author of: Paperbacks: LIFE WITH A HOLE IN IT: That's How the Light Gets In - The Wisdom of an Awakened Heart BIGGER THAN THE SKY: A Radical Awakening eBooks - All of Vicki's books are available in eBook form on her website: LIFE WITH A HOLE IN IT: That's How the Light Gets In - The Wisdom of an Awakened Heart Bigger Than the Sky: A Radical Awakening The Edge of Enlightenment: Steps on the Mystic Path of Cosmic Consciousness Bare Being: The One Self Only God Remains: Or Why You Should Stop Trying to Get Enlightened You can find out more about Vicki at her website or friend her on Facebook. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded November 16, 2019. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Mark Nepo. Photo by Frank Berkhout Mark has been called “one of the finest spiritual guides of our time,” “a consummate storyteller,” and “an eloquent spiritual teacher.” His work is widely accessible and used by many and his books have been translated into more than twenty languages. A bestselling author, he has published twenty-one books and recorded fourteen audio projects. In 2015, he was given a Life-Achievement Award by AgeNation. In 2016, he was named by Watkins: Mind Body Spirit as one of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People, and was also chosen as one of OWN’s SuperSoul 100, a group of inspired leaders using their gifts and voices to elevate humanity. Mark has a regular columnist for Spirituality & Health Magazine. Recent books include Drinking from the River of Light; More Together Than Alone: Discovering the Power and Spirit of Community in Our Lives and in the World, cited by Spirituality & Practice as one of the Best Spiritual Books of 2018; Things That Join the Sea and the Sky, a Nautilus Book Award Winner; and The Way Under the Way: The Place of True Meeting, a Nautilus Book Award Winner. If you’d like more information about Mark, his books, or events, please visit MarkNepo.com or ThreeIntentions.com. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded November 9, 2019. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Annette Kaiser was born in Zürich, Switzerland in 1948. She is a spiritual teacher, founder and spiritual director of the retreat center Villa Unspunnen in Switzerland. Under her guidance, this place has become a gem of peace and light, that inspires many people in their spiritual work. She is a visionary of a Universal Spirituality and has written more than ten books. After completing her studies in economics and sociology at the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland), she worked for many years in the field of development cooperation. Her special fields were the women`s cause and intercultural dialog. During 17 years, she was a student of Irina Tweedie, an Anglo-Russian Sufi-teacher (author of Daughter of Fire: A Diary of a Spiritual Training with a Sufi Master). In the late 1980s, Annette Kaiser opened her Tai Ji DO-School, training teachers for over 30 years. Since 1998, she is authorized by Mrs. Tweedie to continue the Naqshbandiyya Mujaddidiyya Sufilineage, guiding human beings on the path of love. In the year 2000, she developed the „DO-path“, which she continues to develop and which enhances a deep transformation of the heart as a way of living in a non-dual, cosomocentric understanding. In 2017 she started teaching the art of spiritual dreamwork. She is particularly devoted to transconfessional and transcultural evolutionary spirituality, which implies an open aware state of being as the natural expression of an integral way of living in a very deep sense. This way leads to Universal Spirituality and Universal Cooperation as Not-Two. In both areas, Annette Kaiser initiates and participates in many ways (retreats, workshops, conferences, audio-conferences, etc.) with different groups, centers and human beings in Europe and worldwide. She sees the 21st Century as a call for humanity to recognize itself as inseparably One, co-creating a new culture in collective wisdom and love of One Heart. In addition, she engages herself also on a very practical level, always in the spirit of what Universal Spirituality means for her – ONE World – ONE Humanity – ONE Consciousness – locally and globally: e.g. recently by initiating the Co-creating Europe movement, or supporting the project of “Lebensraum Belmont” next door. And for over 30 years she is president of the not-for-profit association “Open Hands” that supports projects in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Furthermore, projects like “The path of Love – A Meditation path” and the meditation “The Golden Thread – for ONE WORLD” have been inspired by her. She is married, mother of two adult children and grandmother. Website: goldenerwind.ch Books: The Path Has No Name: Life and Vision of a Sufi Teacher Annette Kaiser: 99 Questions to a Spiritual Teacher Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded October 19th, 2019. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Henry Shukman (Ryu’un-ken) is an Associate Zen Master of the Sanbo Zen lineage, based in Kamakura, Japan. He has trained primarily with Joan Rieck Roshi, Zen teacher John Gaynor, Ruben Habito Roshi, and now continues his training under the guidance of Yamada Ryoun Roshi, current abbot of Sanbo Zen. Henry is dedicated to what he sees as core Zen training—clarifying our essential nature to our own satisfaction, and thereby finding true peace of mind, and then living that essential nature in every moment of daily life, in freedom, love and deep responsiveness. As it happens, Mountain Cloud Zen Center was originally founded by a teacher whose training also took place within Sanbo Zen back in the 1950s, and Henry is the first Sanbo Zen teacher to have taught at Mountain Cloud since its founder. Henry is a writer and poet of British-Jewish origin, who has published eight books to date, of fiction, poetry and nonfiction. He writes regularly for Tricycle, The New York Times and other publications, and his most recent book is the poetry collection Archangel. He lives near the center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with his wife Clare and their two sons. Earlier books: One Blade of Grass: Finding the Old Road of the Heart, a Zen Memoir The Lost City (Vintage Contemporaries) Savage Pilgrims In Doctor No's Garden The Lost Continent Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview conducted October 12, 2019 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Henry adds, “At one point in our conversation I start to outline several “levels” of practice that have traditionally been outlined in zen. But partway through I slipped into another categorization of “wisdom levels” as given by Shinzen Young, a mentor of mine. I should have credited him. With apologies, I’m doing so now. Many thanks.”

Dr. Miles Neale, PsyD, is a Buddhist psychotherapist in private practice and founder of the two-year online Contemplative Studies Program. Author of Gradual Awakening (Sounds True, 2018) and co-editor of Advances in Contemplative Psychotherapy (Routledge, 2017), Miles is a faculty member of Tibet House (US) and Weill Cornell Medical College. With more than twenty years integrating the mind science and meditative practices of Tibetan Buddhism with psychotherapy, trauma research, and neuroscience, Miles is a forerunner in the emerging field of contemplative psychotherapy and leads pilgrimages around the Buddhist world. Websites: milesneale.com 2 Year Online Contemplative Studies Program Audio course: The Gradual Path - Tibetan Buddhist Meditations for Becoming Fully Human Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded September 28, 2019 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

From my earliest memories, God was always at the center of things. After exploring a number of teachers and modalities in the great spiritual garden of late-sixties San Francisco, things really geared up when I learned the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique in Berkeley in 1967. TM's gifts were unmistakable and I began a thirty-year career of devoted service to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and the Vedic tradition. This encompassed many years of teaching TM in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, and lots of time simply meditating, including seven years in a convent style setting. All this yielded vast personal and spiritual growth which remains fully integrated into my life, a gift that keeps on giving. Towards the end of this period, I studied and shared several healing modalities, especially Cranio-sacral therapy. This deepened my experience of the body as energy and Light and helped me discover the body's huge role in lasting and comprehensive healing. In 1996, my path led me to the indigenous traditions of the West, especially Lakota. I was blessed in countless ways by the great Lakota holy man, wisdom keeper, and Sundance leader Naca Wa-Anata. Through him, I received a personal pipe--a precious and powerful source of inspiration, healing, and transformation--and was able to participate in life-changing Lakota ceremonies, including Sundance, for many years. As a result, I opened to a profound and intimate relationship with the Earth and her healing and nourishing gifts and learned to embrace life on Earth with a grounded joy and openness that I had never known before. Most importantly, I learned to embody and live the boundless consciousness I had merged with through the Vedic teaching and find the same infinite Self everywhere and in everyone. Through this time, I gradually realized that I was here not only to help people merge with the Infinite in their awareness but also to help them include their bodies in the journey. In simplest terms, this means helping our cellular reality or belief systems shift from identifying as density to self-recognizing as divine Light, or FirstLight, as I call it. We truly are just a dream of Light. Finally, around 2012, what I now call the path of Grace simply showed up for me, initially while visiting sacred sites in France. In essence, I was made aware that our growth is no longer something we have to work at. God/Divine Love/divine Light is so powerfully present now that all we have to do is open and receive It, and It will take care of all that we need for spiritual and human fulfillment. Since then, many divine gifts have "downloaded" to share with others to support this effortless form of growth. While remaining endlessly Silent and utterly unlocalized, this magical-mystery-tour of a life is a sacred and joyous privilege. First BatGap interview with Cynthia. Website: firstlighttransformations.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded September 21, 2019. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Cassandra Vieten is Executive Director of the John W. Brick Foundation, Scholar-in-Residence at the Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination at the University of California, San Diego, and a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Noetic Sciences where she worked for 18 years and served as President and CEO from 2013-2019. She is a psychologist, mind-body medicine researcher, author of numerous articles in scientific journals, and an internationally recognized keynote speaker. Her research has focused on spirituality and health, transformative experiences and practices, and the development of mindfulness-based interventions for emotional well-being. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies, and completed her research training in behavioral genetics at UCSF. She is the author of Mindful Motherhood: Practical Tools for Staying Sane During Pregnancy and Your Child's First Year, and co-author of Living Deeply: The Art and Science of Transformation in Everyday Life, and Spiritual and Religious Competencies in Clinical Practice: Guidelines for Psychotherapists and Mental Health Professionals. Her current projects focus on how mental health care be transformed so that it includes fitness/movement, nutrition, mind-body, and clients’ spiritual and religious beliefs and practices (when relevant) to foster mental and emotional fitness and well-being; what environmental and internal conditions, agents, practices, and states of consciousness stimulate imagination – in particular, the ability to see new possibilities; how cognitive, social and neuroscience along with practices from the world’s wisdom traditions can foster positive change in individuals and in our world (see Consciousness, Communication and Change program and Campaign Science for the political and activist arena), and how introducing people to awe-inspiring ideas and environments can stretch their imagination or help them see things from a new perspective, leading to self-transcendence, shifts in worldview and perspective on life, and other prosocial emotions and behaviors. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Interview recorded September 14, 2019 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Noah is an explorer of what is happening in his own experience. This started on the level of mind, and gradually opened to exploring what's going on in his body, and then from his soul. This journey has led him to meet, feel, heal, and let go of a tremendous amount of pain. Through this journey, a lot of wisdom and honesty has revealed itself. Noah now shares himself and his insights with others. Website: liveinthemoment.org Books: A Guide to The Present Moment Una Guía para El Momento Presente (Spanish Edition) Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded September 7, 2019 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Rey Hernandez is Executive Director of the Consciousness and Contact Research Institute (CCRI), a 501c3 academic research institute comprised of 15 Ph.D. academics and medical doctors whose mission is to explore the relationship between Consciousness, our Cosmology, and Contact with Non-Human Intelligence via the Contact Modalities. Rey was previously one of the co-founders of The Dr. Edgar Mitchell FREE Foundation, a 501c3 academic research institute comprised of 12 Ph.D. academics and lay researchers who recently completed a 5-year comprehensive, worldwide, academic research study on UFO Contact Experiencers. The late Apollo 14 Astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell, the 6th man to walk on the Moon and the founder of the Institute for Noetic Sciences, and Dr. Rudy Schild, Emeritus Professor of Astrophysics at Harvard University, were two of FREE’s co-founders. Rey graduated with honors from Rutgers College, was a Masters Candidate at Cornell University, and was a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of California at Berkeley where he was the recipient of a National Science Foundation Ph.D. Fellowship. He previously was a Professor for six years at the New School for Social Research and at the City University of New York. He is currently an attorney with the US Dept. of Treasury in Miami, Florida. Rey is one of three co-editors of the historic 820-page book titled “Beyond UFOs: The Science of Consciousness & Contact with Non-Human Intelligence (Volume 1)”, which was based on FREE’s 5-year comprehensive academic research study on UFO-related contact experiencers. He has also published in several peer-reviewed academic journals including the Journal of Consciousness Studies and the Journal of the Society for Scientific Exploration. Rey’s new projects are a 3-volume book and a full feature science documentary titled “A Greater Reality: The New Paradigm of Consciousness, the Paranormal, and the Contact Modalities”. Rey’s email is: Info@Experiencer.Org Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded August 31, 2019. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Gillian Ross has always found it difficult to put a label on her spiritual perspective. If pressed she would describe herself as a Christian Buddhist yogi and mystic with a penchant for Taoism! Over recent years, however, she has been happy to call herself a spiritual evolutionary or evolutionary mystic in the tradition of Teilhard de Chardin in the West and Sri Aurobindo in the East. Born in the UK in 1940, she migrated to Australia as an academic in the early sixties. Her Western education gave her an Honours Science Degree, a Masters degree in Philosophy and a Doctorate in the Behavioural Sciences but left her feeling increasingly restless and unfulfilled. There was a growing awareness that her intellectual conditioning had disconnected her from the natural spontaneity and mystical riches of her childhood. The deep love she felt for her children awakened lost memories of spiritual connection. She began to meditate, practice yoga and study Eastern philosophies. In her early forties, she left her marriage, her city life, and academic career and took her family of two young sons, two dogs and two cats off to the Blue Mountains of NSW to explore an alternative lifestyle. She has never looked back! After many years of feeling like a fish out of water, she came to understand what it means to “flow in the current of the Eternal Tao”. She trained as a yoga teacher and shiatsu therapist and has become a best selling ABC author (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) of relaxation and meditation CDs and a yoga video as well as publishing four books on science and mysticism and the evolution of consciousness. After her sons left home she moved even further into the wild. Over the last 20 years, she has fallen in love with 40 acres of natural bush adjacent to a powerful sacred aboriginal site in Northern NSW. She nurtures it as a haven for spiritual retreats and residential weekends on evolutionary spirituality and mystic meditation, delighting in sharing with others some of the philosophies and practices that have helped to bring her out of spiritual bleakness into a lasting sense of peace, purpose and, above all, joy. Books: Consciousness V Catastrophe: Reflections on the Next Stage of Human Evolution Psyche's Yearning: Radical Perspectives on Self-Transformation CD: Relaxation Audio CD Links: Website: drgillianross.com Connection: An Awakening Experience (blog post) Consciousness V Catastrophe: Reflections on the Next Stage of Human Evolution (YouTube video) Email: drgillianross@gmail.com Toolgoolawa School (mentioned in the interview) Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded August 24, 2019 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Dorothy Walters, Ph.D., spent most of her early professional life as a professor of English literature in various Midwestern universities. She helped to found one of the first women’s studies programs in this country and served as the director of this program for many years. After an extended residence in San Francisco, she now lives and writes in Colorado, where she has a close relationship with the mountains as well as various streams and canyons. She underwent major Kundalini awakening in 1981 (a phenomenon totally unfamiliar to her as well as to most of her contemporaries at the time); since then she has devoted her life to researching and writing about this subject and to witnessing the unfolding of this process within herself as well as assisting others on a similar path through writing and other means. As someone who made her extensive journey without the direction of any external leader or guru, church, or established order, she is a strong believer in the “guru within,” the inner guide rather than the external authority figure or institution. She feels that universal Kundalini awakening is the means for planetary and personal evolution of consciousness, and that evidence of planetary initiation is becoming more and more prevalent. Her Kundalini awakening and subsequent process of unfolding are described in her memoir Unmasking the Rose, A Record of a Kundalini Initiation. Her poems taken from her four previous volumes are published as “Some Kiss We Want: Poems Selected and New”. Her article on “Kundalini and the Mystic Path” was included in Kundalini Rising, an anthology from Sounds True Publications. Her poems, which have been included in many anthologies and journals, have been set to music and sung at the Royal Opera House in London as well as Harvard University, used as texts for sermons and read aloud in churches, included in doctoral projects, been frequently quoted, and have given inspiration to many. Recently, a pilgrim to Petra read one of her poems aloud while there. She often gives counsel and referral free of charge to those undergoing spontaneous Kundalini awakening and/or spiritual transformation. Books: Unmasking the Rose: A Record of a Kundalini Initiation The Kundalini Poems: Reflections of Radiance and Joy Marrow of Flame: Poems of the Spiritual Journey (2nd ed.) Some Kiss We Want: Poems Selected and New Website: Kundalini Splendor Email: dorothywalters72@gmail.com Conversations with Andrew Harvey: Dorothy Walters "Mystic Poet" Kabir & Kundalini - Andrew Harvey & Dorothy Walters Dororthy Walters and Andrew Harvey discuss Kundalini Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded August 17, 2019. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Sri Shyamji was born and raised in India. At age 12, he met his spiritual teacher in the Himalayas and spent several years under his guidance. The Guru initiated Shyamji into the Saivite tradition of Tantra—imparting a rare oral tradition of sacred sounds (naada yoga), breath (svara yoga), and spiritual wisdom. The grace of the guru (guru krippa) and the spiritual practices he imparted (sadhana) are the basis for Sri Shyamji’s extraordinary intuition and unique chanting of sounds and mantra. For millennia this tradition was passed down from generation to generation through an oral tradition which preserved its purity. It is a rare opportunity to learn the science of sound from a true master. Website: chakrainstitute.com Book: Microchakras: InnerTuning for Psychological Well-being Email: admin@chakrainstitute.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded August 13, 2019 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Over his lifetime Tom has dived deeply into inner work while simultaneously living a householder life. Through an ongoing revelation of living in the moment, he integrates the insights of the most sophisticated western-developed psychologies with the ongoing unitive consciousness with which he has been blessed since the year 2000. Tom uses these skills and this wisdom to guide those dedicated and willing to go courageously inward, often finding and releasing blocks to spiritual awakening which originated in earliest, often pre-verbal, childhood. After being asked to teach, Tom has been sharing this work for over 19 years. His sessions give attendees a taste of what he exudes, a patient tender Love that is our true interconnected nature. His focus on connection to the immediacy of felt sensation enables potent transformations to readily manifest. His work and presence is an acknowledgment that our beautiful imperfect human condition is completely embraced by the wide openness of Life itself, even when the most uncomfortable aspects of ourselves appear. Tom is known for his humility and a profound acceptance of what is. Throughout his life, he has worked in numerous jobs in multiple disciplines — from basic minimum wage to corporate executive, from grade school teacher to construction contractor, from graphic designer to writer. He has been married to his wife, Dawn, for almost 40 years and they have one daughter. Website: tomkurzka.org Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded August 3, 2019 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Brian Longhurst has been aware of the reality of the spirit realms since childhood. Born in England, he moved to Canada as a young man, where he began what was to become an enduring, personal relationship with Jesus, who manifested in glory to him when Brian was 22. Jesus told him he had come to lead him back to God. From then, his encounters with the living Jesus began in earnest, a decades-long - still ongoing - journey of spiritual awakening. After marrying, Brian returned to live in England. He now resides in Gloucestershire with his wife, Theresa. Books: Seek ye First the Kingdom: One man's journey with the living Jesus Finding the Kingdom Within: Awakening to Eternity Entering the Kingdom Within: The Return to Reality Living FROM the Kingdom Within: Remembering Our One Identity Sharing the Kingdom Within: Ascending the Hill of the Lord Website: honest2goodness.org.uk Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded July 27, 2019 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Shaykh Burhanuddin Herrmann is a contemporary mystic of the ancient Sufi tradition, called to the path at a tender age. He went through the classic dervish training, which involved an intense daily practice of meditation and prayers under the direct guidance of the Master, accepting his instructions for inner and outer life (including raising a family), extreme solitary spiritual retreats, pilgrimages, and regular challenging tests in daily life. He received direct transmission of the Naqshbandi Sufi Order, one of the most ancient and authoritative of the forty existing Sufi Orders, known variously through the ages as the ‘School of the Masters of Wisdom’, the ‘Way of the Scientists of the Soul’, and the ‘Path of Love’. When Shaykh Burhanuddin was 18 years old, he invited to his hometown in Germany the Grand Master and world guide of the Naqshbandi order, Maulana Shaykh Nazim al Haqqani ar Rabbani, may his secret be sanctified. When he saw him the first time he fainted in the middle of the street. Meeting a Master, a saint who has gone beyond fears and who lives in the freedom of love is an unforgettable and life-changing experience. Henceforth he was constantly at his beloved Master’s side for thirty-five years, accompanying him around the world spreading the Sufi touch of grace and love. As a radical lover of the Divine, Shaykh Burhanuddin has an innate capability to convey that longing; he is able to read the souls of people, helping them to remember their own origin, destination, and their task on this Earth. As an appointed shaykh (spiritual guide), he was trained to develop an eye to detect the expressions of Beauty in Life, whatever shape they may take. He was taught that in order to become human beings we are called to practice love and respect towards the Creator through the Creation and His creatures. He was taught gratitude for everything that he had and that he had not. Maulana replaced in him the feeling of the need to strife in life, with an unshakable joyful faith that everything, good or bad is coming from the same Loving Source, and that it carries a message and a teaching for your own evolution. He finally provided Shaykh Burhanuddin with the means and the drive to present a life-changing self-realization Method, the Uwaysi System, in a modern and universal key, beyond any belief or requirements. For 30 years Shaykh Burhanuddin Herrmann has been leading spiritual growth meetings and retreats all over the world, in service of people’s spiritual needs. His simple and revolutionary method, the Uwaysi System, aims to awaken people to the real meaning and purpose of their lives, to remind them their highest origin and destination, and to help them to live a life of the heart, in peace, happiness, creativity and gratitude whatever their life circumstances may be. Shaykh Burhanuddin is the author of three books (all in Italian): Il cammello sul tetto. Discorsi Sufi. Una guida mistico-pratica alla Via dei Dervisci Il derviscio metropolitano. Vivere oggi la tradizione Sufi Il sufismo. Mistica, spiritualità e pratica Website: sufiway.eu He is also a musician and the founder of the Dervish Orchestra. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded July 20, 2019. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Born in Sheffield, England, Georgi has led a life of charm, intoxication, collision and perpetual re-awakening. Having experienced her parent’s divorce and later her father’s death to alcoholism, Georgi was a born seeker for a stable home that was somehow prior to the broken home that she knew. As a teenager, she attended evening classes at the School of Philosophy in Belgium, that offered a ‘sanitized’ version of Vedanta. While it gave a lot, the experience became oppressive, and when she left to Oxford University, she instead delved into Jungian psychology and the application of psychoanalytic and feminist literary theory. When she was 20, Georgi arrived in Jerusalem, in search of a midway point between the mysticism of the east and the decay of the west. She experienced a part of the earth that is charged with bliss. Yet it was also a country where it seemed that nobody belonged. In this, she found a sense of belonging (in the field of not belonging). Georgi’s life in Israel would include a compulsion for conflict. She worked as an investigative journalist exposing lies told about terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. Later, she would undergo a high-conflict divorce in which she was condemned by rabbinical courts as a fake convert, a home-breaker and a naughty woman. All this served to re-awaken her deeper purpose: the exploration of the mysteries of consciousness. After she met the love her life - spiritual teacher Bart ten Berge - this passion would express through escalating processes of liberation.Today, she is deeply fulfilled in sharing this journey with others through workshops, and one-on-one mentorship. A free spirit, citizen of the world and a poet, Georgi is presently pioneering Nondual Therapy, which she sees as part of a paradigm shift in the evolution of psychology. Books: Nondual Therapy: The Psychology of Awakening Stillness of the Wind: A Collection of Nondual Poetry I Am Here: Opening the Windows to Life and Beauty Website: perception.inner-growth.org Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded July 6, 2019 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

My deepest devotion, throughout my life has been to the discovery and embodiment of our truest nature. I studied organized and mystical religions, I traveled to many countries in our world, getting a taste of different cultures and people, I lived a conventional suburban life as a wife and mother, I lived in chronic confusion, and I studied psychology, all with the gnawing question of ‘what is all this really about?’ tugging at my sleeve. I was born in Brooklyn New York, into a world where appearances were everything, but I tended an inner world that I kept to myself. When I look back on how I was “companioned” throughout my childhood by my inner world that was full of comfort and promise I marvel at the wisdom and strength of this stream of consciousness. After raising my two sons, I went to graduate school to study psychology and find professional legitimacy, and to focus on my interior. I had, for a long time, known I needed to heal from childhood trauma and I also felt a calling to help others. But, like so many of us, I had looked to the external world for this elusive happiness and healing I felt was missing. After completing my degree, I built a satisfyingly delicious career – with the same gnawing question in my heart – how do I reconcile pain and confusion with a life-long intuited knowing of a greater consciousness or awareness? In addition to a private practice of psychotherapy, I taught at California Institute of Integral Studies and the University of California at San Francisco. I was the therapist for a pilot study at Stanford and led workshops and presentations for cultivating resilience. (My first book is The Woman’s Book of Resilience – twelve qualities to cultivate). I began to follow and study spiritual teachers: Adyashanti, David Hawkins, Mooji and Jan Frazier. After decades of devoted searching, I was guided by Jan Frazier and experienced a profound shift in consciousness at the age of 70. (Poster child for it never being too late) This realization allowed the inner and the outer world to melt into each other. After decades of healing and opening to larger and larger states of consciousness, the search ended. This shift set my course, in a humbling and wondrous way, to deeper and further understanding, to embodying and, most importantly, living what had been revealed. In the sweet presence of now, I am along for the ride of intimate contact with whatever life has in store from moment to moment and day to day. In my bones, I understand what it means to be intimate with 10,000 things. Website: bethmillerphd.com Book: Waking Up on the Couch Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded June 29, 2019 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Some of the opinions expressed on certain topics in this interview do not reflect BatGap’s point of view. While this may be true of any of our interviews, we wanted to make a special point of it here since the opinions were stated rather emphatically. Hans Wilhelm has created over 70 short YouTube videos in which he explores and visually explains the dynamic of the universal laws. This ‘back of a napkin’ approach has been so appealing that his YouTube channel has more than 100,000 subscribers. Hans says, “My mission is to offer these videos to inspire viewers to question and explore spirituality and their own relationship to the universe.” He is the author and illustrator of over 200 books for all ages – including some together with Byron Katie. His books have sold over 40 million copies and are translated into 30 languages. Websites: LIFEexplained.com YouTube Channel hanswilhelm.com Facebook Books: Tiger-Tiger, Is It True?: Four Questions to Make You Smile Again The Four Questions: For Henny Penny and Anybody with Stressful Thoughts I'll Always Love You Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded June 15, 2019 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

After graduating in French from the University of Exeter and working for several years in conventional jobs in London, Leah found herself deeply unhappy; struggling with feelings of depression, anxiety, disordered eating, an intense feeling of being a ‘wrong’ human being, and desperation to ‘find her purpose’. In 2012, she embarked on a journey of self-discovery, but even after several years of personal and spiritual growth, she found herself in all the same cycles. In 2016, through grace, good luck, and some wonderful people, Leah experienced her first true spiritual awakening, seeing through the illusion of the separate self and knowing herself clearly as the one Love that we all are. For the very first time, she knew true peace, happiness, and freedom. Most importantly, the feeling of being a ‘wrong’ human being left her completely. Since that time, her journey has been one of ongoing learning, integration, and unfolding. Leah works with clients one-on-one and runs online and in-person classes and workshops to support others’ journeys of healing, awakening, and following the call of the heart. Known for her tender, playful and (sometimes) fiery spirit, her message is simple: you are already whole, you are already worthy and you are never, ever outside the gates of Love. Website: leahmarjoriecox.com Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded June 8, 2019. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

J. Jaye Gold has been assisting people in their search for inner meaning for 35 years. He is currently living in the Sierra foothills of Northern California where he works with several dozen seekers of truth. Over the years he has deliberately resisted the trend to become a “traveling guru” with thousands of followers, in favor of preserving an element that he considers precious – that of maintaining opportunities for developing a meaningful teacher/student relationship. He is available to anyone who seeks his guidance, and asks for no payment in return. Websites: justingold.net The Center for Cultural and Naturalist Studies, Inc. Books: Justin Time: Autobiographical Stories from an American Spiritual Master Another Heart in His Hand: A Spiritual Anomaly Highway of Diamonds: An International Travel Adventure The Roca Group: A Tale of Financial Espionage Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded June 1, 2019 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Kate Gustin, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist practicing in the San Francisco Bay Area. She received her education from Princeton University and the University of California, Berkeley; and has worked in a variety of settings over the past twenty-five years as a mental health practitioner: outpatient psychiatry, community mental health clinics, VA Hospital, college counseling services, and currently in private practice. Gustin integrates the science of positive psychology into her psychotherapy, teaching, and consultation, and leads classes and trainings for students, patients, and health care professionals. Book: The No-Self Help Book: Forty Reasons to Get Over Your Self and Find Peace of Mind Websites: kategustin.net no-selfhelp.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded May 25, 2019 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Kylea Taylor, M.S., LMFT, found two gaps in ethics education in the early 1990s while simultaneously studying to be a Marriage and Family Therapist and working as a senior trainer at the Grof Transpersonal Training where she assisted Stanislav Grof in training practitioners of Holotropic Breathwork®. Kylea observed that working with clients in non-ordinary states of consciousness requires different ethical awarenesses. She drew upon the tenets of several of the great religions to create InnerEthics™, a model for ethical self-reflection. The model clarifies the unique ethical territory of understanding and working skillfully with people who are experiencing profound and extra-ordinary states of consciousness and also provides a scaffolding for recognizing our semi-conscious, inner motivations as practitioners, teachers, and caregivers in order to avoid client and student harm and increase client and student benefit. Her book, The Ethics of Caring: Finding Right Relationship With Clients for Profound, Transformative Work in Our Professional Healing Relationships, illuminates transference, countertransference, power dynamics, dual relationship, and other topics important to relational ethics. The book won the 2017 Nautilus Book Award in the category, “Relationships & Communication.” Kylea teaches, writes, and consults about ethics. She is also currently President and co-founder of SoulCollage Inc., which since 2003 has been training facilitators worldwide to share an expressive arts method that promotes deep self-discovery, individually and in community. Kylea’s focus as a therapist has been on assisting clients in integrating the meaning and extra-ordinary gifts of spiritual emergence, awakening or transpersonal experiences, and what she calls “personal paradigm shift” phenomena. Website Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded May 18, 2019. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Michael Pollan is the author of eight books, including How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence, Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation, Food Rules: An Eater's Manual, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, and The Botany of Desire, all of which were New York Times bestsellers. A longtime contributor to the New York Times Magazine, he also teaches writing at Harvard and the University of California, Berkeley where he is the John S. and James L. Knight Professor of Science Journalism. In 2010, Time magazine named him one of the one hundred most influential people in the world. Website Christopher M. Bache is professor emeritus in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Youngstown State University where he taught for 33 years. He is also adjunct faculty at the California Institute of Integral Studies and a Fellow at the Institute of Noetic Sciences. An award winning teacher, Chris’ work explores the philosophical implications of non-ordinary states of consciousness, especially psychedelic states. Chris has written three books: Lifecycles- a study of reincarnation in light of contemporary consciousness research; Dark Night, Early Dawn - a pioneering work in psychedelic philosophy and collective consciousness; and The Living Classroom, an exploration of teaching and collective fields of consciousness. His new book is LSD and the Mind of the Universe: Diamonds from Heaven (2019). Website Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded May 11, 2019 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Daniel is the creator of the award-winning film "Inner Worlds Outer Worlds" as well as the ongoing "Samadhi" series. He is also the founder of the Awaken The World initiative whose purpose is to bring the ancient teachings of Samadhi back to the world for free (in as many languages as possible) Daniel's approach combines self-inquiry with traditional forms meditation so that participants have the opportunity to simultaneously realize their transcendent nature, and to purify themselves of conditioned patterns. The pathless path is to realize an ever-deepening development process within the self-structure, and to simultaneously realize what is always already beyond the self-structure. Samadhi is when the world that is constantly changing merges or unites with the changeless. Website YouTube Channel Inner Worlds Outer Worlds - Part 1 - Akasha Inner Worlds Outer Worlds - Part 2 - The Spiral Inner Worlds Outer Worlds - Part 3 - The Serpant and the Lotus Inner Worlds Outer Worlds - Part 4 - Beyond Thinking Samadhi Parts 1 and 2 - DVD Blu-ray Combo Pack Samadhi Free Guided Meditations and Instructions Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded May 6, 2019 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Dani Antman is an internationally known energy healer and interfaith minister in Santa Barbara, CA. She has been at the forefront of energy medicine and healing since 1992 when she graduated from the Barbara Brennan School of Healing. Dani is a graduate of The School for Nondual Healing and Awakening, where she taught for over nine years. She has led workshops at the Esalen Institute, La Casa de Maria, and The Lionheart Institute for Transpersonal Energy Healing. She is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and helps people recover from the effects of trauma and PTSD. She has received spiritual direction and assistance for over 17 years from Patanjali Kundalini Yoga Care (see BatGap interview with Joan Shivarpita Harrigan). Through this consistent guidance, she completed a challenging Kundalini process related to her Jewish past. She is dedicated to guiding others on their spiritual path. Silvia Eberl is the new lineage holder of Patanjali Kundalini Yoga Care, as designated by Swami Chandrasekharanand. She is working in Austria and Rishikesh, India. Her contact info is: bharatpkyc@yahoo.com. Websites: German version English version Dani's websites: daniantman.com wiredforgod.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded April 27, 2019 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Giovanni Dienstmann is a spiritual practitioner and teacher, and the creator of Live and Dare, one of the top five most visited meditation blogs on the planet. As an author, meditation coach and speaker, Giovanni helps people overcome anxiety and stress to live a more calm and centered life, through spiritually-inspired personal development work. Since the age of 14, spirituality has been the center of his life. In his journey, he practiced over 9,000 hours of meditation, tried 70 different techniques, and nearly became a monk twice. His spiritual thirst and eclectic approach led him to be formally initiated into the traditions of Zen Buddhism, Advaita Vedanta, Raja Yoga, and Mantra Yoga—by the masters Moriyama Roshi, Lakshamana Swami, Shivarudra Balayogi, and Nikhileshwarananda (respectively). In February 2010 he experienced a powerful awakening in the presence of Mooji in South India, and that has been a point of no return in his path. Giovanni is the author of the best-selling book Practical Meditation: A Simple Step-by-Step Guide, which has been translated to 5 different languages and has popularly been called “The Meditation Bible”. As a coach, Giovanni’s clients range from stay at home parents to entrepreneurs, C-level executives and pro athletes. In the field of meditation, he brings a contemporary and pragmatic approach to help both meditation novices and spiritual seekers alike. In his role as a spiritual writer, he balances deep reverence for traditional teachings with critical thinking and a comparative study of spiritual traditions. To learn more about Giovanni and his work, visit LiveAndDare.com. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded April 20, 2019. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

In the spring of 2011, I was cleaning a stove and quite suddenly the knob I was holding became the rag became my hand became the space became the stove as all lines between things between moments and between myself and the world dissolved. It was like the scales had fallen off my eyes! I had heard of no self but had never heard there were no things! There was an intense psychological and physical relaxation, and I was amazed that my body didn't crumble to the floor! It was obvious that there was no one doing life, and that life wasn't happening to a me. It was the end of a lifetime propelled by hope and fear and need of a never arising next. It was as if time died. It was as if I had died, yet it was obvious that I had never existed, yet here I was! This knowing feeling of seamlessness has not left for almost eight years. It is always obvious... it kisses me awake in the morning and holds me as I drift off to sleep.... life is overwhelmingly beautiful and wondrous always, like edgeless liquid love.... no matter what it looks or feels like. The longing to sing of this, knowing that it cannot be kissed with words paints my reflection with sky in sky.... I am not a teacher or guru, simply a lover of love. Nancy's posts and poems (blog) YouTube Channel Books: To Kiss What Cannot Be Kissed...: Love songs from the canyon Liquid Eyes This Is It, Coyote Your Infinite Intimate Embrace: you have never left Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded April 13, 2019. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Rev. Peter Panagore, M.Div (Yale) has had two near-death experiences, the first while ice climbing in 1980 and the second in 2015 due to a heart attack. He recounts these in his book Heaven Is Beautiful: How Dying Taught Me That Death Is Just the Beginning, an Audible Best Seller available globally in nine editions. His best-selling second book, Two Minutes for God: Quick Fixes for the Spirit, is a collection of original inspirational devotional stories, many of which he told for 15 years on a daily TV show reaching 30 million viewers annually in Maine and New Hampshire. Previously, he served as a United Church of Christ minister and pastor in Maine and Connecticut. He published 150 sermons and many prayers in Homiletics, a leading clergy journal. He now runs a global spiritual counseling service for "closet mystics" and travels nationally as a public and inspirational speaker and teacher. He has been practicing Zazen/Centering Prayer and Kundalini/KriyaYoga for forty years. Website: peterpanagore.love Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded April 6, 2019. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Anna Breytenbach is a South African-based professional animal communicator who has received advanced training through the Assisi International Animal Institute in California, USA. She’s been practicing for 18 years in South Africa, Europe and the USA with both domestic and wild animals. Born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa, she holds a degree in Psychology, Economics and Marketing from the University of Cape Town. Trained in tracking and mentoring at the Wilderness Awareness School (USA), she also mentors children and adults in nature awareness based on the ways of the Native American and San Bushmen peoples. Anna is a qualified and experienced master training facilitator, focusing on bringing forth participants’ skills through coaching and mentoring in a practical manner. She consults exclusively with wildlife and offers workshops around southern Africa, occasionally touring Australia, Europe and the USA. Her work includes working with wild dolphins and whales, leading animal communication safaris, interspecies projects at permaculture and organic farms, and giving numerous public talks. Her pro bono work focuses on conservation projects such as elephant management, anti-poaching assistance, baboon rehabilitation, whale and dolphin research and predator conservation. She is also the subject of the feature documentary movie "The Animal Communicator" on interspecies communication. Website: animalspirit.org Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded March 23, 2019 More videos: Spirit The Black Leopard Anna Breytenbach communicates with Great White Shark Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Damien Echols is an artist and New York Times bestselling author of "Life After Death". In 2018, he published his first book on ceremonial magick: "High Magick: A Guide to the Spiritual Practices That Saved My Life on Death Row". He has been a practitioner of ceremonial Magick for over 20 years and leads classes on Magick across the country. He spent over 18 years on death row in Arkansas for a crime he didn't commit before gaining his freedom in 2011. Upon release, he, along with Peter Jackson produced the documentary film "West Of Memphis" which chronicled his legal battle. During his time in prison, he was ordained into the Rinzai Zen tradition of Japanese Buddhism. He lives in New York with his wife and three cats. Other offerings: Audio CD of "High Magick: A Guide to the Spiritual Practices That Saved My Life on Death Row" Angels and Archangels Royal Science of Angels Life After Death Yours for Eternity: A Love Story on Death Row Almost Home Damien's site: damienechols.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

ON A MISSION: TEACHING THE POWER OF LOVE & FORGIVENESS Rev. Bill’s life has been a spiritual journey, spanning slightly over 7 decades. His whole life has been a mystical trip in search of gurus, the paranormal, and self-discovery. He has written about his many spiritually transformative experiences and “near-death-experiences” including supernatural events during his combat tour of duty in the Vietnam War. In his books, he has shared some incredible spiritual events that are beyond both common understanding or explanation. His autobiography “Warrior: A Spiritual Odyssey” takes us on a life quest for love, understanding, forgiveness, and enlightenment. His follow-up book “Alchemy of a Warrior's Heart" continues that mystical journey including four trips to India for even more profound experiences with holy men, miracles and his personal relationship with the Divine. What he knows for sure after all these years is that the only thing that is truly real is LOVE. He is an author, an award-winning poet, international motivational speaker, artist, film advisor, veteran advocate, a Vietnam War veteran (Distinguished Flying Cross, The Bronze Star, The Purple Heart Medal, 14 Air Medals, The Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, etc.). He has spoken around the world including Germany, England, Wales, Bolivia, and India. He has been involved with a dozen films and documentaries. (Such as: “In the Shadow of the Blade”- showed on the History Network and “The Art of Healing” shown on PBS TV) Rev. Bill has been on over 800 radio and TV shows over the last 18 years and has stories about his life featured in over a dozen books by other authors and in hundreds of magazine and newspaper articles. He has had articles in such diverse publications as “Parade Sunday Magazine” and “The Self-Realization Fellowship Magazine” as well as military magazines and new age magazines. His YouTube Channel has over 70 videos and had gotten over 550,000 views in its first 18 months. He speaks publicly about the need to forgive and power of love. His mission in life is to inspire others to seek the Divine and he does that through his personal stories of his own life experiences. He is a seeker but not just for himself. His “mission” is to allow others to experience his journey through his stories. He has had many near-death and near-death-like experiences and encounters with the supernatural. He is a friend to many - including famous celebrities and people in power positions in life but he treats everyone the same whether they are homeless or the President or a CEO. His beliefs are simple: There is but ONE GOD – and our only mission is to LOVE & SERVE ALL. Rev. Bill McDonald was born In San Francisco and raised in California, Oregon, and Hawaii. He graduated from San Jose City College with an AA Degree in Labor Management and later from The University of San Francisco with a BA degree in Public Service Administration. He spent over 30 years working for the federal government and retired in 2001. He has spent his time since then working for 5 different non-profit organizations helping veterans while serving the purpose of world peace. He works with PTSD veterans and is an unpaid lobbyist for veteran issues in California. Has also has worked as a volunteer chaplain in Folsom Prison and worked for a time answering phone calls for The National Suicide Hotline. His life is filled with service. He has been married to his high school sweetheart Carol, since 1970. He has been living in Elk Grove, California since 1979. Additional books by William “Rev. Bill” McDonald: A Spiritual Warrior's Journey: The Inspiring Life Story of a Mystical Warrior – 2003 Purple Hearts: Poetry of The Vietnam War – 2003 Sacred Eye: Poetry In Search Of The Divine – 2004 Bill's guru, Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath Bill's Website Bill's email Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview

After 20+ years of Buddhist and non-dual practice, in 2003 Tina Rasmussen, Ph.D., undertook a year-long solo retreat during which awakening occurred. She later ordained as a Buddhist nun with a world-renowned meditation master, became the first Western woman to attain that path, and was authorized to teach. Tina has been studied by Yale Neuroscience Lab for research on the effects of meditation on consciousness and the brain. Tina is co-author of Practicing the Jhanas: Traditional Concentration Meditation as Presented by the Venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw, and has been featured on Conscious TV and in Non-duality Magazine. She is also involved in the Diamond Approach to realization. Tina teaches students worldwide how to walk the path of the “urban mystic”—functioning from deep spiritual understanding while living a modern human life. Dr. Rasmussen has also worked in the field of human/organizational development as a consultant/coach for 25+ years, with several published books on humanistic leadership. Website: luminousmindsangha.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded February 23, 2019. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Mark Gober is a best-selling author, a Partner at Sherpa Technology Group in Silicon Valley, a former investment banker with UBS in New York, and former captain of the Princeton tennis team. His worldview was turned upside down in late 2016 when he was exposed to world-changing science which suggested that, contrary to mainstream assumptions, consciousness is not produced by the brain. After researching extensively, he wrote An End to Upside Down Thinking: Dispelling the Myth That the Brain Produces Consciousness, and the Implications for Everyday Life to introduce the general public to these cutting-edge ideas -- all in an effort to encourage a much-needed global shift in scientific and existential thinking. Mark's book has been endorsed by leading thinkers such as former Harvard neurosurgeon Eben Alexander, Nobel Peace Prize nominee Dr. Ervin Laszlo, Pixar founder Loren Carpenter, Institute of Noetic Sciences Chief Scientist Dr. Dean Radin, University of Virginia professor of neurobehavioral sciences Dr. Ed Kelly, Dr. Rupert Sheldrake, Guru Singh, Chicken Soup for the Soul author Jack Canfield, actress Goldie Hawn, and many others. Website: markgober.com Transcript of this interview. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Interview recorded February 16, 2019 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Prasannan had a fascination for Astronomy from an early age, having built his own telescope, and spent his teenage years studying the stars and planets. He was the president of the Astronomy, and Photography Clubs in high school. He always understood that what we see is only a tiny portion of the totality. At Easter, in 1987, he attended a retreat which resulted in a spiritual awakening, leading him to conclude that he had always been on a spiritual path. As a result, he adopted a celibate (brahmacharya) lifestyle. Having studied the teachings of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Ramana Maharshi, and Swami Sivananda, he heard about Mata Amritanandamayi (Amma), and met her during her 1990 North American tour. At the time, he held a senior management position in corporate finance. He had a natural motivation towards engaging in serving selflessly (Seva). The Sanskrit word "Seva" means helping others out of compassion, without a conscious thought of receiving personal benefit. Prasannan moved to Amritapuri, India in 1992; on arriving he was placed in charge of the computer room, and developed a new accounting system, training the brahmacharins (monks) in its use; at the same time a Jyotish software program was acquired, which Prasannan became responsible for. At the direction of Amma, he began his practice of Jyotish, which continues to this day. He travelled around the world with Amma, providing Jyotish interpretations during her programs. At other times he conducted sessions in India, raising funds for Amma charities. After 19 years in India, he returned to Canada and established his independent Jyotish practice. After more than 2 decades of brahmacharya, he married Maya, the love of his life! Prasannan has consulted with more than 60,000 clients throughout the world. He answers questions about all areas of life, material, familial, health, and well-being, as well as spiritual. Website: prasannanjyotish.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded February 9, 2019. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Miranda Macpherson began her spiritual journey at the age of thirteen when, amidst a period of clinical depression, she was spontaneously opened into a profound state of boundless love. That experience initiated a lifelong dedication to spiritual practice, psychological depth, and the study of the world’s wisdom traditions. Her travels took her from her native Australia to the United Kingdom, where after completing seminary training, she founded the OneSpirit Interfaith Foundation in London, at the request of her teacher. Over the next decade, Miranda trained and ordained more than six hundred interfaith ministers and spiritual counselors. In 2005, a seismic shift occurred that changed the course of Miranda’s life. While meditating in a cave in India that was once home to the revered sage Sri Ramana Maharshi, she experienced a direct transmission of the true nature of reality that required total surrender. In the wake of this, Miranda found herself again moving to a new continent, this time the United States. There, in the years it took to integrate this opening, a body of teachings on Grace and Ego Relaxation began to emerge that brings ancient wisdom alive for our changing times. Today, Miranda is known for her depth of presence and gift for guiding others into direct experience of the sacred. Miranda leads the Living Grace sangha in Marin and Sonoma counties, holds retreats internationally, and offers online programs through the Shift Network. Unapologetically feminine, joyful, and down to earth in her way of being, Miranda is dedicated to loving people all the way back into the freedom and wholeness of their true nature. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband Bob Duchmann. Books: The Way of Grace - The Transforming Power of Ego Relaxation (Book) Boundless Love: Transforming Your Life with Grace and Inspiration CDs: The Way of Grace - The Transforming Power of Ego Relaxation (CD or audio download) Meditations on Boundless Love 'The Heart of Being' - Mantra CD 'Awakening the Soul' - Meditation CD Website: http://mirandamacpherson.com First BatGap interview with Miranda. Miranda in SAND Panel Discussion on Sexual Misconduct, Money, Power, Trauma & Ethics in Spiritual Communities Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded February 4, 2019 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Judy Cohen is a former clinical psychologist, former serial entrepreneur, former depressed, anxious, anti-depressant-taking, suicidal despairer. She used to be a seeker of Self Improvement. She used to be a Certified Facilitator of The Work of Byron Katie, and later a Certified Senior Facilitator-Trainer of the Living Inquiries. (** She's not certified in either method anymore.) She was desperate to feel better. Luckily, eventually, Judy came to see that the methods she was trained and certified in actually perpetuated, strengthened, the sense of self as damaged. Several awakening experiences happened. Contrary to popular myth, they didn’t put an end to unpleasant feelings. So all that seeking, the inquiry, the desperation to shift, was for… what, then? Judy finally realized she could give up seeking because… This. Is. It. As it is. And what could any teacher or technique give her that wasn’t already here, that she didn’t already have? She came to see that every experience- good, bad, happy, or sad- is an awakening. She knew to give up seeking because there was nothing more to get. She'd had it all along. Much more fun, this no-Judy-to-fix, nothing-to-seek existence. Though of course, she's also still here as Judy. Because human continues. And paradoxically… That's better. Website: irreverentmind.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded January 26, 2019. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian is a meditation teacher, an award-winning poet, writer, and the spiritual director of the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment—a Kriya Yoga Meditation Center with headquarters in San Jose, California. She has taught Kriya Yoga nationally and internationally for more than three decades and has received many service awards, including the Mahatma Gandhi Award for the Promotion of Religious Pluralism. Ordained to teach in 1982 by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, her message is “engaged enlightenment” – an invitation to live an awakened, creatively inspired, and fulfilled life, now. Along with her service as a meditation teacher and esteemed Yogacharya, Ellen Grace O’Brian is the Founder of Carry the Vision, a community nonviolence education project bringing meditation instruction to staff and children in schools, the prison population, and other segments of society. She is the founder and President of Meru Institute, providing healthy lifestyle education and leadership training in yoga studies, Ayurveda, and community service. She is host of The Yoga Hour, a weekly podcast with listeners in over 130 countries. Her latest book, The Jewel of Abundance: Finding Prosperity through the Ancient Wisdom of Yoga, was recently published by New World Library. Other books: The Moon Reminded Me A Single Blade of Grass: Finding the Sacred in Everyday Life One Heart Opening Sanctuary of Belonging Living for the Sake of the Soul Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded January 21, 2019. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Myree Morsi (MA) is a spiritual and energetic healer, counselor and coach who specializes in supporting people with Kundalini, awakening and the embodiment of consciousness. Myree was psychic and naturally shamanic since early childhood. She began intensive spiritual practice in meditation and yoga as a teenager, which eventually heightened these abilities. She has a capacity to “see” the process of Kundalini Shakti in someone’s system and dedicated her gifts to healing others. From 2004 Myree began having deep insights into the nature of true self, amidst a wild Kundalini journey. Kundalini completed in 2009, leaving her with a profound shift in what she identified as her reference point, and access to constantly increasing levels of awareness. Since then, she has explored what it means to continually integrate vast consciousness into a physical and energetic system that had suffered extensive trauma and previously acute PTSD. The journey of awakening continues to deepen and expand endlessly. The most priceless gift has been a causeless joy. Myree’s special interest is in the intersection of trauma, Kundalini, awakening, and embodiment. Trauma presents specific challenges to the capacity of the physical and energetic systems to absorb consciousness and expand in both functional and stable ways. Myree is passionate about supporting people who walk such paths and brings a sense of humor, safety, and compassion to the places we get stuck because she has been in those places too, and unfolded them into freedom. She offers individual sessions, classes, and retreats. Myree is a bhakta, inspired by Amma, and also Adyashanti, Ramana, Gangaji and the quiet crones and wise folks she has met along the way. Website: myree.com.au YouTube Channel Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded January 12, 2019. Video below. Audio coming soon.

Courtney began her path as a seeker at a young age, progressing to the point that these teachings began to flow through her, effortlessly and with complete love and joy, starting at age 16. In the beginning, the wisdom was received for her own evolution and understanding, but after a short time she was guided to share it with as many people as possible through a book. Teachings from God: Greeting Your Soul and Revealing the Divine Within has given Courtney the inspiration and tools to create the life that excites her, and more than anything she wants to inspire you to do the same. In addition to authoring Teachings from God, Courtney is a musician and leads Kirtan, and is also a qigong practitioner of 13 years, hoping to become a qigong master one day. Kirtan, also called Bhakti yoga (yoga of devotion) is a call-and-response style of yoga chanting that includes both the musicians and the audience. You can find her original music and live Kirtans on her YouTube channel. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded January 5, 2019. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Ishtar (Thomas Howell) Ishtar (Thomas Howell) is a meditation teacher, Ishaya monk, gardener, writer, and intuitive astrologer. A sense of himself as Presence was a pronounced feature of his life until about age 7. At age 13, he was in a car accident that took his mother’s life, and initiated an NDE that brought about a profound experience of Samadhi that in the subsequent months he experienced right along with an intense process of grieving. After the Presence faded, he longed to return, resulting in an energetic spiritual search. At 17 he began a regimen of meditation practices and ascetic disciplines that included waking to cold showers at 3 AM, fasting, and 6 hours of daily meditation practice. Longing to find his path, he encountered a practice known as the Ishayas’ Ascension, an effortless and deeply pleasurable form of meditation, which he quickly recognized as the path for which he’d been searching. Several months after learning Ascension, he found himself living on the Oregon coast in a monastic environment dedicated to the practice. The ashram life brought about a rapid acceleration of growth, leading to ever more consistent experiences of Silence, in closed eyed meditation practice, while cooking in the community’s café, doing service work, and planting gardens. After going through a 6-month intensive Teacher Training program, that involved 12-16 hours of closed eyed meditation a day, he began teaching classes around the world, and living in various regional meditation centers around the world. Seeming, miracles, wild manifestations, witness consciousness, and celestial perception were frequent occurrences, as Awareness slowly but surely saturated more and more of life. In 2008, he left his monastic organization and then took an extended break from meditation teaching. The years lived outside the semi cloistered environment of the ashram were often challenging, but ultimately led to a more deeply anchored Presence. Subtle barriers fell, opening to the experience of the world as the Self. This process continues to unfold and expand. Since 2014, he has again been teaching Ascension and working as a spiritual guide, giving people a reliable practice with which to cultivate Awareness and assisting people in relaxing into Presence as a constantly lived experience. Since 2015 he has also been working as an intuitive Astrologer, with a primary focus on helping people align more completely with their soul’s purpose. More information can be found at these websites: ascension-meditation.com and awakenedlightastrology.com. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded October 30, 2018, in Sedona, Arizona Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Thomas Hübl 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. Website: thomashuebl.com First BatGap interview with Thomas. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded October 27, 2018. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Rick Archer, Jac O'Keeffe, Craig Holliday, and Caverly Morgan Ethics and Spiritual Teaching Panel at the Science and Nonduality Conference Questioning whether higher consciousness and ethical behavior are tightly correlated. The founding of the Association for Spiritual Integrity (formerly the Association of Professional Spiritual Teachers). The attempt to formulate a code of ethics that might apply universally in the contemporary spiritual community and enliven an understanding of what may or may not be appropriate, giving students greater confidence in their own discernment and discrimination. Ancient traditions held the teacher beyond reproach and students surrendered their own will. This may have worked in monastic settings but generally does not work today. Preventative support so we’re not busy doing cleanup. Power hierarchies should not be an essential part of spiritual development and can lead to abuses. Spiritual awakening does not necessarily qualify a person to offer advice on relationships, finances, etc. Ethical training of some sort is integral to most honored traditions. The issue of sexism and patriarchy in spiritual organizations. Entering the teaching profession prematurely. All too often, when teachers are challenged on their behavior, they ignore the challenger or become defensive. How do we offer the possibility for redemption and atonement? Moving away from a culture of competition to one of cooperation. The importance of humility. The importance of teachers not identifying with their role and thinking that students’ devotion is about them. South Africa’s “Truth and Reconciliation” as a model. Discussion of this panel in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this discussion Recorded October 27, 2018 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Jac O'Keeffe, Craig Holliday, Rick Archer, Caverly Morgan The Ethics of Teacher-Student Romantic Relationships The Association for Spiritual Integrity does not have a moralistic, judgmental orientation. It’s a community endeavor. We don’t agree among ourselves on certain points. We’re trying to balance our subjective perspectives with standards that fit our contemporary culture. A key point of disagreement is the issue of teacher-student romantic/sexual relationships. None of us are rigid or adamant in our opinions. We’re trying to work it out. There are exceptions to every generality. In graduate school, psychotherapists are taught that it will never be appropriate for therapists and their clients to become partners. Relationships tend to be the most challenging aspect of people’s lives. These challenges shouldn’t bleed into a teacher’s teaching activities. The Association for Spiritual Integrity When a teacher/student or therapist/client relationship transitions into romantic involvement, the potential for growth is undermined. Sometimes “divine compulsion” arises in your spiritual path, shattering your conception of appropriate behavior. The problem with teachers who haven’t transcended desire and explored their own shadow. There can be a huge disparity between the apparent enlightenment of a teacher and their behavior. Isolation and being closed to constructive criticism can be very dangerous for a teacher. If a teacher doesn’t have friends other than his students, he might want to ask why. If he doesn’t have regular relationships and is always on a pedestal, he won’t get real-world feedback. The culture is changing anyway. We’re just trying to give voice to values that are becoming lively in collective consciousness. There can be a lot of practice involved in having your actions be a reflection of your deepest understanding. Discussion of this panel in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this discussion Recorded October 26, 2018

David grew up on the SW coast of Canada. He began witnessing full time during a 6-month retreat in the mid-'70s then the lights came on and celestial perception began. It soon became clear that Self was awake within but had not woken up to Itself through this form yet. Self co-existed with an identified ego. Subtle perception continued to unfold in a myriad of ways. With a more outward stroke into career, marriage, and family, inner development continued but took a back seat to life's responsibilities. Then in 2005, much of the old life fell away and spirituality moved back to the foreground. After some feedback and darshan with Lorne Hoff, Self, at last, woke up to Itself here. Probably because of the long witnessing, this was quickly followed by a series of profound shifts in Being. (see my first BatGap interview) And then transcending Being into Brahman. In 2011, David was awarded a graduate degree in Vedic Science. In this interview, we had an extended preamble to touch on the earlier shifts, then we discussed the ParaBrahman shift, pure Divinity, and how embodied Divinity is waking up laws of nature. This process will help raise the presence of Divinity in consciousness. In the second part of the interview, we touched on the book Our Natural Potential describing the 7 stages of enlightenment, then explored some related topics. For over a decade, David has been blogging on a wide range of subjects related to unfolding enlightenment. Under the nickname Davidya, he has posted close to 2,000 articles. During the Science and Nonduality Conference in 2017, David gave a talk on the stages described in this interview. Website: davidya.ca Book: Our Natural Potential: Beyond Personal Development, The Stages of Enlightenment (Rick Archer wrote the Foreword.) Other BatGap shows with David: First BatGap interview. Panel at Sofia U. Part 1 | Part 2 Panel Discussion: “Sudden or Gradual: Two Paths to Realization?” Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded October 25, 2018. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

As the author of a book that was used to influence millions of voters in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election through social media disinformation campaigns (without his knowledge), Sean Webb probably knows the human mind as well as anyone can. From his work in logically modeling human emotions for the world of Artificial Emotional Intelligence, to his real-world practice as an author, speaker, and guide to helping individuals supercharge their minds and lives with the knowledge of how their mind works, Sean pushes the bleeding edge of mind sciences to the next level. The interesting part; Sean credits his knowledge to a conscious awakening he had 20 years ago which unfolded how the mind, the universe, and consciousness works both within and outside the human body. And science is proving him right. Over the last 20 years, Sean has become one of the world’s leading experts in how the human mind works, particularly in the area of human emotions, the driving force and motivation of all human actions globally. His work is used by universities and engineering firms to teach emotional intelligence, the foundations of artificial emotional intelligence and his discoveries have proved so effective, that his work is currently being turned into programs to address addiction management and the mitigation of PTSD after early amazing successes within those applications. As an alumnus of Georgia Tech’s Advanced Technologies Development Center, Sean has spent years solving complex systems problems for cutting edge technology and supercomputing companies. His latest complex system solve is associated with the mind; how to model mind processes, how to manipulate mind output, and how to use those disciplines to our collective human advantage. His heart lies in this last portion of the project; teaching individuals about our minds so as to understand the thought processes that steal our happiness and block our ability to enjoy life. He loves sharing the practical neuroscience of how to hack the mind to generate happiness from within without any strings attached, and without changing any of life’s external conditions. He has indeed discovered a new door into the deep mind manipulation, where only practiced meditation and psychedelics have been able to take us before. “And the simple fact is that I pulled it all out of the void,” Sean tells us. Sean has spoken at Science of Consciousness, Science and Nonduality, UNC, UGA, ASU, Emory, Georgia Tech, for numerous multinational corporations, and at NASA. Check out Sean’s work at MindHackingHappiness.com. Sean and his wife are licensed foster parents and are active in numerous children’s and animal charities. Books: Mind Hacking Happiness Volume I: The Quickest Way to Happiness and Controlling Your Mind Mind Hacking Happiness Volume II: Increasing Happiness and Finding Non-Dual Enlightenment Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded October 25, 2018. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

This video contains my Question and Answer session at the 2018 Science and Nonduality conference. and also an interview of me by Shakti Caterina Maggi, an Italian spiritual teacher who used to be a journalist. My SAND Q&A includes the following points: How BatGap started. Which guests have been the most interesting, provocative, intriguing, brilliant, mysterious, surprising, etc.? What insights have I gained? How has this process influenced my spiritual path? What do I experience while I’m interviewing people? What do I foresee for BatGap in the next few years? How to deal with family and friends who don’t understand your awakening or interest in spirituality? A consideration of sudden vs. gradual awakenings. How do I regard the urgency of humanity’s need to take a spiritual/cultural leap in response to the dire predicament facing us? The joy and challenge of speaking with people from such a broad range of spiritual backgrounds. Why science and spirituality need and can benefit one another. The importance of understanding consciousness to be the fundamental to the universe rather than merely a product of brain functioning. Shakti's interview includes the following points: In which direction are we as consciousness moving? How might the growing awakening of consciousness help humanity avert disaster? Embodied spirituality vs. avoidance of life through transcendence. Consciousness is relevant to every field of human endeavor. Consciousness is fundamental to matter. Finding the foundation of our being and dealing with individual planetary problems from that foundation. Ethical standards for spiritual teachers. When is one ready to become a spiritual teacher? The potential consequences of entering the profession prematurely. The guru is a function of consciousness which can work through imperfect bodies and personalities. The importance of teachers and students having the humility to acknowledge that we’re all works in progress. Culturing discernment and discrimination. Having the freedom to ask anything in a teacher/student relationship in order to dispel doubts. Is it possible to establish absolute guidelines on appropriate teacher behavior? The quality of awakening will vary according to one’s constitution. Awakening enhances individual differences while establishing our fundamental unity. Sticking with one teacher vs. working with many. The importance of sincerity. The principle of “the highest first”. Recorded October 27th and 28th, 2018, in San Jose, California. Other talks on BatGap: SAND 2019 - Knowledge/Reality is Different in Different States of Consciousness SAND 2017: "The Ethics of Enlightenment" Talk at Berkeley Open Circle Center Talk at SAND 2015 Interviewed by Fax Gilbert Interviewed by Richard Miller Discussion of this talk and interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this talk and interview Other talks by Rick on BatGap: SAND 2019 - Knowledge/Reality is Different in Different States of Consciousness Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Sandra Ingerman, MA, is an award-winning author of twelve books, including: Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self, Medicine for the Earth: How to Transform Personal and Environmental Toxins, Walking in Light: The Everyday Empowerment of a Shamanic Life(CD or eBook version), and The Book of Ceremony: Shamanic Wisdom for Invoking the Sacred in Everyday Life. She is the presenter of eight audio programs produced by Sounds True, and she is the creator of the Transmutation App. Sandra is a world-renowned teacher of shamanism and has been teaching for more than 30 years. She has taught workshops internationally on shamanic journeying, healing, and reversing environmental pollution using spiritual methods. Sandra is recognized for bridging ancient cross-cultural healing methods into our modern culture addressing the needs of our times. Sandra is known for gathering the global spiritual community together to perform powerful transformative ceremonies as well as inspires us to stand strong in unity so we do our own spiritual and social activism work while keeping a vision of hope and being a light in the world. She is passionate about helping people to reconnect with nature. Since the 1980’s thousands of people have healed from past and present traumas through the classic cross-cultural shamanic healing method Sandra teaches called Soul Retrieval. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist and professional mental health counselor. She is also a board-certified expert on traumatic stress. Sandra was chosen as one of the Top 10 Spiritual Leaders of 2013 by Spirituality and Health Magazine. Sandra has two new books released in 2018. The Hidden Worlds was co-written with Katherine Wood and is a novel written for young adults to help them navigate the changing world. And The Book of Ceremony: Shamanic Wisdom for Invoking the Sacred in Everyday Life was written for a shamanic and general audience on how to bring the sacred into daily life by performing shamanic ceremonies designed for our times and the challenges we are facing. Audio programs: The Soul Retrieval Journey - Learn a shamanic practice for returning lost parts of the soul to the body for healing. 21st-Century Shamanism - Contemporary Practices for Direct Revelation Healing with Spiritual Light - The Shamanic Power of Transfiguration to Heal Ourselves, Each Other, and the Earth And many more at SoundsTrue. Websites: sandraingerman.com shamanicteachers.com Transcript of this interview. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Rupert Sheldrake, PhD is a biologist and author of more than 85 scientific papers and 12 books, including Science Set Free and Science and Spiritual Practices. He was a Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge University, a Frank Know Fellow at Harvard, and a Research Fellow of the Royal Society. From 2005-2010 the Director of the Perrott-Warrick Project for research on unexplained human and animal abilities, funded by Trinity College, Cambridge. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Noetic Sciences, Petaluma, California, and of Schumacher College in Devon, England. His website is sheldrake.org. Some of Rupert's books: Science and Spiritual Practices: Transformative Experiences and Their Effects on Our Bodies, Brains, and Health Science Set Free: 10 Paths to New Discovery The Presence of the Past: Morphic Resonance and the Memory of Nature Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home: Fully Updated and Revised Transcript of this interview Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Interview recorded November 20, 2018. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Leanne Whitney Ph.D. is an independent scholar in the fields of depth psychology and consciousness studies. She specializes in the intersection of Western psychology and the Eastern liberatory traditions. For over twenty-five years Leanne has researched the mind body connection and, over the last fifteen plus years, their interrelation with pure consciousness. Trained in depth psychology, yoga, and craniosacral therapy, in her private practice, Leanne works with clients one-on-one to resolve mental, emotional, and physical blocks which obscure the ever-present alignment of the authentic Self. Working with clients online as well as in person, her practice is international, spanning four continents. Her clientele is diverse; racially, socio-economically, and in sexual orientation. Leanne is the author of Consciousness in Jung and Patañjali (Routledge, 2018) as well as several academic papers. Her published papers include Innate and Emergent: Jung, Yoga and the Archetype of the Self Meet the Objective Measures of Affective Neuroscience; Jung, Yoga and Affective Neuroscience: Towards a Contemporary Science of the Sacred; and Jung in Dialogue with Freud and Patañjali: Instinct, Affective Neuroscience, and the Reconciliation of Science and Religious Experience, all for the open access journal Cosmos and History: The Journal of Natural and Social Philosophy. Book: Consciousness in Jung and Patañjali (Research in Analytical Psychology and Jungian Studies) Website: leannewhitney.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded November 9, 2018 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Maury Lee was raised on three continents. He was the oldest son of Baptist missionaries. The oldest son since the sixteenth century had been a minister. Maury Lee turned out to be the black sheep. Even as a small child he felt that something was not right with the theological interpretation of Jesus. He had a deep intuition that the missionaries did not know the truth, even though they proclaimed to. In childhood, Maury Lee was able to watch and observe the missionaries in the Belgian Congo close up. He did not feel that they were honest with themselves. He saw that their belief covered many fears. Maury Lee did not feel that belief based on fear could be open to experiencing truth directly. When all the kids began getting Baptized, he told his father that it would not be right to get Baptized just because others were doing it. He told his father that it would only be meaningful if he was out on his own, not dependent on his parents, or the church. His father saw the truth of this and respected Maury's wishes. Maury was never baptized. Maury moved every year until the age of fourteen. His parents took his family to Belgium at the age of eight. He was thrown into a French school there, taking the tram and walking to school. Then to the Belgian Congo (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo - DRC). He lived summers in the bush, and the school year in Kinshasa at a boarding school. He was just as deeply immersed in the primitive culture of the natives as he was in French schools. There was a lot of Bible study as well. Maury attended high school in Kinshasa, DRC; Atlantic City, New Jersey; and Brussels, Belgium. He went to college in Southern California in the late sixties with the drug culture in full swing. He did not need any drugs to lose his mind. Being away from parents, relatives, and friends, all his doubts came up full-blown. All beliefs he was taught began to fall away. Existential questions arose that could not be easily answered. After getting a Master's degree in counseling and participating in Gestalt and Primal therapy, enlightenment became his primary pursuit. In time he realized that he was the open nondual awareness the sages speak of. That was the end of the search, but just the beginning of embodying what it means. Website Email Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Video below. Audio coming soon.

Bonnie Greenwell Ph.D. is a transpersonal psychotherapist and non-dual teacher in the lineage of Adyashanti. After her kundalini awakening in graduate school, she wrote a dissertation and book on the kundalini process. In 2003 she met Adyashanti and experienced a deep shift in consciousness that led to editing his book "Emptiness Dancing" and an invitation to teach. She has worked as a mentor/guide for people in kundalini or awakening processes for over 30 years. Her 4th book is “When Spirit Leaps: Navigating the Process of Spiritual Awakening”. She was a founder and director of the Kundalini Research Network and has trained people internationally to work with spiritual emergence and understand kundalini phenomena. She believes the awakening of consciousness to Truth is a natural realization available to all who sincerely long for Self-Realization, and that kundalini is fundamentally a clearing and transformative energetic support for this process. She offers webinars and consultations on the web and can be contacted through her websites and her Awakened Living Blog. Websites: www.kundaliniguide.com www.awakeningguide.com Earlier Books: The Kundalini Guide: A Companion for the Inward Journey (Inward Journey Guides) (Volume 1) The Awakening Guide: A Companion for the Inward Journey (Companions for the Inward Journey) (Volume 2) Energies of Transformation: A Guide to the Kundalini Process Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded October 20, 2018 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Bonnie's side of the audio in this video is choppy in places. The audio-only version is clear on both sides of the conversation.

Childhood accustomed me to nature, solitude - a sense of God which needed no explaining. Stillness, beauty, depths of love called my heart back home where it belonged. But life grew out into the world, became possessed and lost the way. After a few unwilling years in business, I went to South America 'To make the world a better place'. It wasn't so easy. Alone on a mountainside one day, an inner voice said, 'To make whole, be whole'. I realised that, before being able to help others, I first had to work on myself. Once back in England, I looked for and found a source of meditation, which opened up a whole new way of seeing. How can I best help the world I love? This question led me through organic farming, much travel and many adventures to ever deeper understanding of the Work of Prayer. I wouldn’t call myself a mystic though some say I am. I’m not sure what it means besides “Not this – not that”. Neither (in a conventional sense) am I very religious. “Mystic” conveys to me a wise unknowing of morning mist with only the promise of a day to come. It’s not an intellectual approach defined by man but trusting, waiting, quietly still before each blade of grass, each little bird (Mat.6,26-28) reminding us of higher, nobler government than ours. This required attending to the moment “Now”, reminding me how much we live not present, here, but absent, lost in past or future - thought, desires and fear. But isn’t that reality? We need to look and see. Books: Wonders of Spiritual Unfoldment Mystic Approaches Website: spiritualunfoldment.co.uk YouTube Channel Transcript of this interview. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Interview recorded October 13, 2018. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

As a teenager, Steve Briggs met his guru at a meditation retreat in the Swiss Alps. After studying English Literature at the University of Arizona on a tennis scholarship, the author received an MBA and a Ph.D. in Vedic Studies and traveled internationally instructing thousands in the art of meditation. Steve is a devotee of Mata Amritanandamayi (Amma), whom he met in India in 1996. He has been practicing Transcendental Meditation (TM) for the past 46 years and credits his guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, with showing him the path to enlightenment. Steve currently coaches the Maharishi School boys' tennis team. His players have won four state high school championships, including the 2014 triple crown. Steve has trained two national champions and a top 50 ATP professional tour player. In 1994, Steve Briggs was sent to India to teach TM to corporate executives. During his seven years in India, Steve traveled repeatedly to the high Himalaya where he encountered many yogis and sadhus. The author’s first book, India Mirror of Truth, was a popular memoir about his time in India. Steve's second book, The Tale of the Himalayan Yogis: The Nirvana Chronicles, is a novel set in India and Tibet. Website: stevebriggsauthor.com Email Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded September 24, 2018. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Rob Schwartz is a hypnotist who offers Spiritual Guidance Sessions, Past Life Soul Regressions, Contact a Deceased Loved One Regressions, and Between Lives Soul Regressions to help you heal and discover your life plan - a plan you yourself created BEFORE you were born. Rob's first book, Your Soul's Plan: Discovering the Real Meaning of the Life You Planned Before You Were Born, explores the pre-birth planning of physical illness, having disabled children, deafness, blindness, drug addiction, alcoholism, the death of a loved one, and accidents. Rob's second book, Your Soul's Gift: The Healing Power of the Life You Planned Before You Were Born, explores the pre-birth planning of spiritual awakening, miscarriage, abortion, caregiving, sexuality, adoption, rape, incest, poverty, mental illness, and even the pre-birth planning we do with our future pets. Rob's books have been translated into 24 languages. Visit Rob online at yoursoulsplan.com or email him directly. Interview recorded September 22, 2018. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Sarah was an actor, writer, and stand-up comedian when she - and her whole world - were turned upside down. And inside out. And dissolved. And then revealed itself to be none other than the seamless one thing that spiritual seekers have sought. But Sarah wasn’t looking for that. An anxious, atheistic insomniac who simply wanted to get a good night's sleep, she took up meditation, immersed herself in Buddhist practice, and got way more than she asked for. She soon began undergoing a series of profound shifts in consciousness, with unity eventually revealing itself. And of course, there have been the ensuing cleanup and integration processes that naturally occur as awakening deepens and is embodied. While navigating this radical shift in identity, Sarah was working and creating as an actor and writer/stand up comedian, performing nightly at the comedy clubs in Los Angeles. She fell in love, too! Today, a deepening and a maturation continue to endlessly unfold, as Sarah revels and delights in being nothing and everything: a divine being as well as a messy human. For about a decade, Sarah has worked as an intuitive energy healing practitioner (Reiki Master + more), spiritual mentor, and Creative Soul guide, helping people navigate awakening and the expression of their creative flow and unique gifts in the world. She seems to be an igniter or catalyst for people to connect with their distinctive soul truth, as well as the deeper, one true nature of their being, holding both the human and the spirit that we are in loving harmony. She is writing a book, The Divine Mess: The Buddha Never Mentioned This Sh*t, and tours with her solo performance and stand up comedy. She lives with her husband, two cats, and an annoyed chihuahua in Los Angeles. Websites: sarahtaylor.org lightofyourbeing.org Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Dr. Jean Houston, Ph.D., is a scholar, philosopher, educator and a recognized pioneer of the Human Potential Movement. Widely recognized as a visionary leader and multi-cultural expert, Houston is the author of over 30 books exploring human possibilities and positive action in the world. Houston served as an advisor in human and cultural development for UNICEF, and to national and international heads of state. Houston has devoted her life to developing processes to activate the latent abilities in individuals, groups, organizations, and societies. Over the last 60 years, Dr. Houston has worked in over 109 countries as an international speaker and teacher. Dr. Houston is the Chancellor of Meridian University and a dedicated champion of the human spirit. Website: jeanhouston.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. I asked Jean which of her 30 books she would recommend for those wishing to learn more and she recommended: A Mythic Life: Learning to Live our Greater Story (her autobiography), and The Possible Human : A Course in Enhancing Your Physical, Mental, and Creative Abilities More of Jean's books: The Wizard of Us: Transformational Lessons from Oz The Search for the Beloved: Journeys in Mythology and Sacred Psychology The Hero and the Goddess: The Odyssey as Pathway to Personal Transformation Manual for the Peacemaker: An Iroquois Legend to Heal Self and Society A Passion for the Possible: A Guide to Realizing Your True Potential Quantum Revelation: A Radical Synthesis of Science and Spirituality The Passion of Isis and Osiris: A Gateway to Transcendent Love Godseed: The Journey of Christ Jump Time: Shaping Your Future in a World of Radical Change What is Consciousness?: Three Sages Look Behind the Veil (A New Paradigm Book) Mystical Dogs: Animals as Guides to Our Inner Life Life Force: The Psycho-Historical Recovery of the Self (Quest Book) Mind Games: The Guide to Inner Space (A Delta Book) Drawing on the Dream: Finding My Way by Art The Varieties of Psychedelic Experience: The First Comprehensive Guide to the Effects of LSD on Human Personality Transcript of this interview Interview recorded September 1, 2018 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Suzanne B. Stryker, Ph.D. is an intuitive healer, artist, writer and teacher. She has always tended to have profound spiritual experiences. For over 45 years Suzanne has experienced unity, with divine and Vedic perceptions. Yet she does not claim to have reached the pinnacle of evolution, if there even is such a thing. She feels she is a continual blissful work in progress. Suzanne had a close student/teacher relationship with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. In 1976 Maharishi said, "Suzanne is having a positive influence on other people and their experiences, a catalytic effect…”. Since 1972 Suzanne has been the subject of numerous scientific studies, some of them published in peer-reviewed journals. One study suggested she could influence matter at the quantum mechanical level by mere intention. EEG studies recorded different types of brain wave coherence not typically seen, indicating harmonious and orderly functioning between different parts of her brain. Oprah's "Next Chapter" show has asked for an interview. She has been asked to be in a movie with David Lynch on Maharishi's life. Through distance healings and phone sessions, she assists people with issues ranging from addiction to dharma. Some of her webinars focus on cultivating intuition, healing and other abilities so that participants can heal themselves and help others as well. You can sign up for notification of free webinars and the next free Global Group Healing at her website: revealwisdom.com. Blog Facebook Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded August 25, 2018. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Steve McIntosh is a leader in the integral philosophy movement and author of three books on spiritual evolution: The Presence of the Infinite: The Spiritual Experience of Beauty, Truth, and Goodness, Evolution's Purpose: An Integral Interpretation of the Scientific Story of Our Origins and Integral Consciousness and the Future of Evolution. In addition to his work in spiritual philosophy, he also serves as president of The Institute for Cultural Evolution, an integral political think tank focusing on the development of values. Before becoming a writer and activist, Steve had a variety of other successful careers, including founding the consumer products company Now & Zen, and practicing law with one of America’s largest firms. Steve is an honors graduate of the University of Virginia Law School and the University of Southern California Business School. He lives in Boulder, Colorado with his wife and two sons. For more on his work visit: stevemcintosh.com. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded August 18, 2018. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

As a child, Karlene Stange, DVM wanted to be an "animal doctor" before she knew the word "veterinarian". Her spiritual journey began as she drove her pickup loaded with medical supplies to attend to animals throughout southwestern Colorado. As an ambulatory veterinarian, she experienced the sorrows and joys of working with creatures great and small. Her quest to understand the spiritual nature of animals inspired a deep exploration into the world's religious, scientific and spiritual teachings about the nonphysical aspect of animals. Today she incorporates acupuncture, traditional Chinese herbal medicine, and nutritional therapy into her Rocky Mountain practice. She often speaks at conferences and lives in Durango, Colorado. Book: The Spiritual Nature of Animals: A Country Vet Explores the Wisdom, Compassion, and Souls of Animals Website: animasanimals.com Websites mentioned in the interview: Chi University International Veterinary Acupuncture Society Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

A pioneer in the field of spiritual emergence, Paul Levy is a wounded healer in private practice, assisting others who are also awakening to the dreamlike nature of reality. He is the author of Quantum Revelation: A Radical Synthesis of Science and Spirituality Awakened by Darkness: When Evil Becomes your Father Dispelling Wetiko: Breaking the Curse of Evil The Madness of George W. Bush: A Reflection of Our Collective Psychosis. He is the founder of the “Awakening in the Dream Community” in Portland, Oregon. An artist, he is deeply steeped in the work of C. G. Jung and has been a Tibetan Buddhist practitioner for over thirty years. He was the coordinator for the Portland Padmasambhava Buddhist Center for over twenty years. Website awakeninthedream.com Email: paul@awakeninthedream.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded August 4, 2018 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

An influential and respected teacher of The Esoteric Philosophy, William Meader has established an international reputation for his gift as a communicator of this spiritual philosophy. His extensive teaching program includes a diverse array of workshops and lectures devoted to nurturing a deeper understanding of the spiritual path, both from an individual and global perspective. William Meader resides in Oregon, and presents regular workshops in the United States, Europe, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. He can be contacted through his website at meader.org. Book: Shine Forth: The Soul's Magical Destiny Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded July 28, 2018. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Kosi is a Direct Path Advaita Vedanta Satsang Teacher in the Śiva Kaśyapa Lineage. This teaching is powerful support for a dynamic shift in your consciousness from the fear, sadness, anger, anxiety, and frustration of your mind to the indescribable peace and happiness of your heart. Satsang with Kosi is an extremely potent initiation and transmission of the non-dual teaching of Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi and her holiness Sri Amma Karunamayi. Websites: kosi.org YouTube channel First BatGap interview with Kosi She is the author of: Organic Awakening – A Simple Guide for Living a Free and Happy Life Absence of Doubt: When the Search for Enlightenment Stops (Includes an interview with Gangaji) Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded July 21, 2018. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Dena Merriam has been working in the interfaith field for 20 years and founded the Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW) in 2002. Initially, the organization was designed to provide a global platform for women spiritual leaders to organize and mediate dialogues in areas of conflict and tension. This soon expanded to include an equal number of men and women spiritual teachers and to deal with a range of issues, including climate change, ecological destruction, racial inequity, etc. The premise for the gatherings organized by GPIW is that at the heart of all these issues is a spiritual crisis and the way to address them is a shift in consciousness. Dena has served on the boards of the Harvard University Center for World Religions, the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy, Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association, among others. In 2014 she was awarded the Niwano Peace Prize. Over the years as memories of past births have arisen, Dena has recorded them in order to better understand the karmic patterns. She has now shared her memories in My Journey Through Time: A Spiritual Memoir of Life, Death, and Rebirth, in the hope that others will gain insight into their own lives through this sharing. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded July 14, 2018 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

James O’Dea is the award-winning author of The Conscious Activist, Cultivating Peace, Soul Awakening Practice, and other works. James is a former President of the Institute of Noetic Sciences, Washington office director of Amnesty International, and CEO of the Seva Foundation. He has taught peacebuilding to over a thousand students in 30 countries. He has also conducted frontline social healing dialogues around the world. He is a founding member of The Evolutionary Leaders group and on the Advisory Board of The Peace Alliance, Kosmos Journal, and the Laszlo New Paradigm Institute. Website: jamesodea.com Books: The Conscious Activist: Where Activism Meets Mysticism Soul Awakening Practice: Prayer, Contemplation and Action Cultivating Peace: Becoming a 21st-Century Peace Ambassador Creative Stress: A Path for Evolving Souls Living Through Personal and Planetary Upheaval 'James O'Dea is a modern-day prophet who has journeyed further than anyone I know in the ways of peace' -- Lynne Twist www.pachamama.org 'James O'Dea is indubitably one of the most evolved souls on the planet' -- Ervin Laszlo author of over 40 books on cosmology, consciousness, and new science. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded June 30, 2018 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Dr. Pamela Eakins is a Sociologist and Visionary Cosmologist. She has taught at Stanford University, the University of Colorado and the California Institute of Integral Studies. She is the founder and director of the Pacific Center. Her books include: Tarot of the Spirit Kabbalah and Tarot of the Spirit: Black and White Edition with Personal Stories and Readings The Lightning Papers: 10 Powers of Evolution by Pamela Eakins (2012-05-14) Visionary Cosmology: The New Paradigm Mothers in Transition, A Study of the Changing Life Course The American Way of Birth (Plume) PASSAGES for a Spiritual Birth Priestess: Woman As Sacred Celebrant (and several others) For information about classes, certification programs, and private sessions, please visit pamelaeakins.net Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded June 20, 2018 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

David Thomas is a self-realization teacher, speaker, and writer living in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Through self-inquiry and deep meditation, he has gained a deeper understanding of the true inner-self and liberation. He seeks to guide individuals in their pursuit of their true nature through his writing, speaking, and personal coaching. David’s teachings are from his own personal experiences and he shares his insights through videos, quotes, and poems. His works are created to help uplift and heal those who seek release from their constant pain and suffering caused by mental bondage. He speaks from his personal experience of having being lost in ignorance, then finding the truth within, and experiencing nirvikalpa samadhi. One conversation with him truly has the power to transform the way you see and experience life. The love and wisdom he often radiates is a blessing to all seekers of truth. YouTube Channel Email address Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Interview recorded June 9, 2018 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Lynn Marie Lumiere, MFT is a nondual psychotherapist and author who is dedicated to awakening consciousness and meeting life’s challenges as doorways to greater freedom. Her work is sourced in over 40 years of dedicated spiritual and psychological exploration as well as almost 30 years of marriage and practicing psychotherapy. This experience has led her to the understanding that no matter what the problem, healing and freedom from suffering is possible when we tap into our infinite and ever-present true nature. She has been especially interested in applying this understanding to healing relationships and trauma. Lynn Marie is one of the pioneers in the exploration of nondual wisdom and psychotherapy and is a contributing author to "Sacred Mirror: Nondual Wisdom and Psychotherapy (Omega Book)" (2003). She is also the author of "Awakened Relating: A Guide to Embodying Undivided Love in Intimate Relationships" to be published July 1, 2018 by New Harbinger. Her primary spiritual teacher is Adyashanti and she has studied with many teachers from nondual, Buddhist and Hindu traditions. She lives in Grass Valley, California. Books: Awakened Relating: A Guide to Embodying Undivided Love in Intimate Relationships The Awakening West : Evidence of a Spreading Enlightenment Website: lynnmarielumiere.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded June 2, 2018 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Dean Sluyter (pronounced "slighter") has taught natural methods of meditation and awakening since 1970. His five highly acclaimed books include Natural Meditation: A Guide to Effortless Meditative Practice (Amazon #1 stress management bestseller, and Nautilus Gold Medal winner for best mind-body-spirit book) and Fear Less: Living Beyond Fear, Anxiety, Anger, and Addiction. Dean gives talks, workshops, and retreats throughout the United States and beyond, from Ivy League colleges to maximum-security prisons. His media appearances have included National Public Radio, The New York Times, New York Magazine, Coast to Coast AM, The Dr. Oz Show, and O, The Oprah Magazine. A grateful student of Eastern and Western sages in several traditions, Dean has completed numerous pilgrimages and retreats in India, Tibet, Nepal, and the West. He is known for conveying authentic teachings in forms that are relaxed, accessible, and down-to-earth. When not writing or teaching, he plays the ukulele and happily rides his Vespa through the streets of Santa Monica. Other books: The Zen Commandments: Ten Suggestions for a Life of Inner Freedom. Cinema Nirvana: Enlightenment Lessons from the Movies Why the Chicken Crossed the Road: & Other Hidden Enlightenment Teachings from the Buddha to Bebop to Mother Goose Website: deansluyter.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded May 26, 2018. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Jason Shulman is an American spiritual teacher whose original work springs from his Judaic and Buddhist background. He is the founder of A Society of Souls: The School for Nondual Healing and Awakening, based in the United States and the Netherlands. There he teaches the distinctive body of nondual work he has developed to awaken the human spirit: Nondual Healing, Impersonal Movement and the Work of Return. Jason’s main concern has been to develop paths of healing the mind, body and spirit based on his own understanding of the difficulties inherent in the human condition. Through his studies and practice, Jason has developed a unique perspective on human consciousness and the nature of existence. His works seeks to translate this perspective into a replicable and clearly delineated path for other seekers of truth to follow. He has been especially interested in applying personal spiritual work into methods of transforming society at large. To that end, he has created the MAGI Process, a nondual method of working with conflicts between people, institutions and governments. He is the author of numerous monographs and books and several albums of his work as a singer and songwriter. More about his work can be found at societyofsouls.com. Books: The Instruction Manual for Receiving God The Kabbalah Monographs The MAGI Process: A Nondual Method for Personal Awakening and the Resolution of Conflict Ecstatic Speech: Expressions of True Nonduality Kabbalistic Healing: A Path to an Awakened Soul Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded May 19, 2018. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Caverly Morgan is a meditation teacher, nonprofit leader, and visionary. She is the Founder and Guiding Teacher of Presence Collective, dedicated to igniting personal transformation and collective awakening. She is also the Founder and Guiding Teacher of Peace in Schools — a nonprofit which created the nation's first for-credit mindfulness class in public high schools. Peace in Schools is pioneering new depths in mindfulness education through teaching youth as well as training educators. Caverly blends the original spirit of Zen with a modern nondual approach. Her practice began in 1995 and has included eight years of training in a silent Zen monastery. She has been teaching contemplative practice since 2001. Prior to her pioneering efforts with Peace in Schools, Caverly formerly worked for nonprofits serving people with special needs. An artist and educator, she brings insight, passion, warmth, and humor to her transformative work with students of all ages and experience levels. Caverly leads meditation retreats, workshops, and online classes internationally. She has been a visiting teacher at Open Circle, the Science and Nonduality Conference, Insight Meditation of Seattle and Charlottesville, Against the Stream in San Francisco, MNDFL, and the New York Zen Center of Contemplative Care. Caverly also speaks publicly at conferences on topics including contemplative practice, social entrepreneurship, authentic leadership, and mindfulness education, and has been featured in publications such as Mindful Magazine and The New York Times. She is dedicated to actualizing possibility, serving love, and embodying the truth of interconnection. Website: caverlymorgan.org Facebook Instagram Caverly's presentation at the Science and Nonduality Conference Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Caverly in panel discussions on ethics and spiritual teaching. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Lama Tsültrim Allione is an author, internationally known Buddhist teacher, and the founder and resident lama of Tara Mandala Retreat Center. She is the author of Women of Wisdom, national bestseller Feeding Your Demons: Ancient Wisdom for Resolving Inner Conflict, which is now translated into seventeen languages, and Wisdom Rising: Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine. Born in New England to an academic and publishing family, Lama Tsultrim traveled to India in her late teens and in 1970, at the age of twenty-two, was ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun by H. H. the Sixteenth Karmapa. After four years living as a nun in the Himalayan region, she returned her monastic vows, married, and raised a family of three children. She has a Master's degree in Buddhist Studies/Women's Studies from Antioch University. Her writings and teachings come from her sublime Tibetan lamas as well as her experience as a Western woman and mother. She is known for her ability to translate the wisdom of the ancient Tibetan Buddhist tradition into clear teachings that are relatable and relevant to Western audiences. Lama Tsultrim continues to guide Tara Mandala, as the resident lama, as well as thousands of students around the world. She was named Buddhist Woman of the Year in 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand. For more information on Lama Tsultrim Allione watch a documentary on her life, Feeding Your Demons, and visit the Tara Mandala website. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group Transcript of this interview Interview recorded May 8, 2018. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

With over two-dozen published books translated in nearly as many languages, Ken Wilber has created what is widely considered the first truly comprehensive Integral Map of human experience. By exploring and integrating the major insights and conclusions of nearly every human knowledge domain in existence, Wilber created the revolutionary AQAL Integral Framework. In short, the Integral Approach is the coherent organization, coordination, and harmonization of all of the relevant practices, methodologies, and experiences available to human beings. Wilber states: “You can’t [realistically] honor various methods and fields, without showing how they fit together. That is how to make a genuine world philosophy.” He is the founder of the nonprofit think tank Integral Institute, co-founder of the transformational learning community Integral Life, co-founder of Source Integral exploring the nature of Integral Society, and the current chancellor of Ubiquity University. Ken's site: kenwilber.com Some of Ken's many books: The Religion of Tomorrow: A Vision for the Future of the Great Traditions Integral Buddhism: And the Future of Spirituality Integral Meditation: Mindfulness as a Way to Grow Up, Wake Up, and Show Up in Your Life Trump and a Post-Truth World Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded April 28, 2018. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Marjorie Hines Woollacott, Ph.D., has been a neuroscience professor at the University of Oregon for more than three decades and a meditator for almost four. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation for 35 years, she has co-authored a popular textbook for health professionals that is in its 5th edition, and has written more than 180 peer-reviewed research articles—several of which were on meditation, the topic that motivated her to write the book Infinite Awareness: The Awakening of a Scientific Mind. As a neuroscientist, Marjorie Woollacott had no doubts that the brain was a purely physical entity controlled by chemicals and electrical pulses. When she experimented with meditation for the first time, however, her entire world changed. Woollacott’s journey through years of meditation has made her question the reality she built her career upon and has forced her to ask what human consciousness really is. Infinite Awareness (winner of the 2017 Parapsychological Association Book Award, Eric Hoffer Book Award, and the Nautilus Book Award) pairs Woollacott’s research as a neuroscientist with her self-revelations about the mind’s spiritual power. Between the scientific and spiritual worlds, she breaks open the definition of human consciousness to investigate the existence of a non-physical and infinitely powerful mind. Website: marjoriewoollacott.com Marjorie is the president of an organization called The Academy for the Advancement of Postmaterialist Sciences, which she co-founded with Gary Schwartz at the U. of Arizona. The organization hopes to help impel the paradigm shift away from materialism. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded April 22, 2018 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Anne Baring, born 1931. MA Oxon. Jungian analyst. Author and co-author of 7 books. The ground of all her work is a deep interest in history and the spiritual, mythological, shamanic and artistic traditions of different cultures. Her website is devoted to the affirmation of a new vision of reality and the challenges facing us at this crucial time of choice. It includes her many talks, lectures and seminars as well as interviews and talks on YouTube. Books: The Dream of the Cosmos The Myth of the Goddess: Evolution of an Image The Divine Feminine: Exploring The Feminine Face of God Around The World The Mystic Vision: Daily Encounters with the Divine Soul Power: An Agenda for a Conscious Humanity Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded April 14, 2018. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Terry Patten is a philosopher, teacher, activist, consultant, social entrepreneur, and author. Over the last fifteen years he has devoted his efforts to the evolution of consciousness by facing, examining, and healing our global crisis through the marriage of spirit and activism. He co-wrote the book "Integral Life Practice" with Ken Wilber and a core team at the Integral Institute. As a teacher and consultant, he has worked on four continents, led a team at the HeartMath Institute that developed their first heart rate variability monitor, and is the founder of the “Beyond Awakening” teleseminar series. As a community builder, he founded Bay Area Integral. As a social entrepreneur, he founded Tools For Exploration, a consciousness technologies company, and currently, he's involved in restorative redwood forestry and fossil-fuel alternatives. His new book "A New Republic of the Heart: An Ethos for Revolutionaries--A Guide to Inner Work for Holistic Change" was released by North Atlantic Books on March 6th, 2018. Terry is also co-author of Integral Life Practice: A 21st-Century Blueprint for Physical Health, Emotional Balance, Mental Clarity, and Spiritual Awakening. Website: terrypatten.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded April 7, 2018 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Andrew B. Newberg, M.D. is currently the Associate Director in Charge of Research at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health at Thomas Jefferson University and Hospital in Philadelphia. He is also a Professor in the Departments of Emergency Medicine and Radiology at Thomas Jefferson University and he is adjunct professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Newberg has been particularly involved in the study of mystical and religious experiences, a field referred to as “neurotheology”. He has also studied the more general mind/body relationship in both the clinical and research aspects of his career including understanding the physiological correlates of acupuncture therapy, meditation, and other types of alternative therapies. He has published over 200 peer reviewed articles and chapters on brain function, brain imaging, and the study of religious and mystical experiences. Books: He is the author of the new book entitled, "Neurotheology: How Science Can Enlighten Us About Spirituality" and is also the co-author of “How Enlightenment Changes Your Brain: The New Science of Transformation”. He is the co-author of the best selling books, “How God Changes Your Brain: Breakthrough Findings from a Leading Neuroscientist” (Ballantine) and, “Why God Won't Go Away: Brain Science and the Biology of Belief” (Ballantine). And he is the author of several academic books including, “The Metaphysical Mind: Probing the Biology of Philosophical Thought”; “Principles of Neurotheology (Routledge Science and Religion Series)” (Ashgate); and co-author of “The Metaphysical Mind: Probing the Biology of Philosophical Thought” (Fortress Press). The latter book received the 2000 award for Outstanding Books in Theology and the Natural Sciences presented by the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences. He has also produced a 24 lecture video program entitled, “The Spiritual Brain,” for The Teaching Company. He has presented his work at scientific and religious meetings throughout the world and has appeared on Dr. Oz, Good Morning America, Nightline, 20/20, CNN, ABC World News Tonight as well as in nationally distributed movies: “What the Bleep Do We Know!?”; Bill Maher’s “Religulous”; and “AWAKE: The Life of Yogananda”. His work has been featured in a number of media articles including in Newsweek, Time, National Geographic, Discover, O Magazine, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, London Observer, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Readers Digest. Additional information regarding books and research can be found at www.andrewnewberg.com. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded March 31, 2018 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Lama Tsomo is an American lama, author, and co-founder of the Namchak Foundation. She followed a path of spiritual inquiry and study that ultimately led to her ordination as one of the few American lamas in Tibetan Buddhism. Lama Tsomo learned Tibetan to study with her teacher Tulku Sangak Rinpoche, and now shares the teachings of the Namchak lineage in the US and abroad. Lama Tsomo holds an M.A. in Counseling Psychology and is the author of the award winning Why Is the Dalai Lama Always Smiling? An Introduction and Guide to Tibetan Buddhist Practice. She is passionate about reaching young people and supporting those working for positive social change. Website: namchak.org Books: Why Is the Dalai Lama Always Smiling?: A Westerner's Introduction and Guide to Tibetan Buddhist Practice The Lotus & the Rose: A Conversation Between Tibetan Buddhism & Mystical Christianity Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded March 25, 2018 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Swami Sarvapriyananda has been Minister and Spiritual Leader of the Vedanta Society of New York since January 6, 2017. Prior to this, he served as assistant minister of the Vedanta Society of Southern California for 13 months, beginning on December 3, 2015. Swami joined the Ramakrishna Math and Mission in 1994 and received Sannyas in 2004. Before being posted to the VSSC’s Hollywood Temple, Swami served as an acharya (teacher) of the monastic probationers’ training center at Belur Math. He has served the Ramakrishna Math and Mission in various capacities including being the Vice Principal of the Deoghar Vidyapith Higher Secondary School, Principal of the Shikshana Mandira Teacher Education College at Belur Math, and the first Registrar of the Vivekananda University at Belur Math. Website: vedantany.org Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcripts of this interview: English Chinese Swami Sarvapriyananda on the Ethical Foundations of Nondual Spirituality Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Interview recorded March 3, 2018.

Kimberly Braun, Minister, M.A., CSP and Meditation Coach has been impelled from and within her contemplative experiences from the age of 5, with over ten of her years spent as a Carmelite monastic nun. Her Masters in theology was completed in 2001 in Washington D.C., and is concentrated upon the adult spiritual journey. As a CSP, keynote presentations are a primary tool in her personal mission to inspire others to live from the power and wisdom within them. Her style is playful, deeply inquiring, and intelligent in the synthesis of not only how to access this part of ourselves, but how to live from that place more consistently. She is a retreat and workshop facilitator, TEDx speaker, meditation faculty at the renowned Omega Institute, and fellow seeker on the path to living freely. She has three CDs and a book now available about her time as a nun, Love Calls: Insights of a Former Carmelite Nun. She is just launching into the online world with her World Meditation for Happiness project, new online courses, and a FREE online spiritual community. Kimberly is now available for private sessions, keynotes, and retreats. Stay in touch by visiting: www.kimberlybraun.com. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded Feb. 24, 2018 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Shakti Caterina Maggi has been sharing a message of awakening to our true nature as One Consciousness since 2003, with workshops and meetings held in Italy, Europe, and around the world. Although in the vein of the Advaita and non dual tantric tradition, Shakti shares a very contemporary approach to self-realization and reveals the real possibility of seeing what we are and embodying it in our everyday life with clarity, wisdom and humor. The first glimpses and non-definitive openings to the Self and the true nature of reality began to occur for her at a very early age. At around 27, these temporary windows of our true nature brought her to a state of great inner openness, without having the cognition that what was happening was called “awakening” or “enlightenment” in other cultures. In January 2003, while working as a financial reporter in Milan, she had the first experience of kundalini awakening. “Everything vibrated from its infinite nature: my body, the room, the bed I was on were all a unique vibration of love that expanded and dissolved itself in a space without borders. I was myself and at the same time I was no longer me, Existence itself was my nature. After about two hours everything disappeared into nothingness and I was surprised to wake up in the morning still alive. Honestly, I was certain I was going to die that night. Now there was something vast and completely silent that looked at a funny little me, acting like a cartoon character, moving but also loving. “ For the first time, she realized she needed a spiritual guide. Knowing that all this had occurred without her conscious desire or intentional action, she simply waited for life itself to deliver someone able to clarify what was unfolding. Each prayer became a simple “amen”, may thy will be done, in the recognition that existence itself, and the Divine through it, always carried what was truly needed. Four months later, she met Bodhi Avasa in a satsang in Milan, and after only five days she encountered a definitive experience of self-recognition. “I suddenly realized that Caterina had never existed. It was just a thought of My Mind, and that My Mind was the Divine Mind. No separate identity existed, but only a single Self, empty and aware, from which Existence itself was born as in a dream. “ It took a few months for this quantum leap to stabilize, as mind and body were traversed by profound and transformational understandings. Avasa’s guidance supported her in crossing through those energetic phenomena without attaching to any of them, and in developing an understanding that could erase the fear that emerges in this integration process. Encouraged by Avasa, she soon thereafter started to share her experience, although it was only in 2011 that she began to hold true satsang. The process of integration of the awakening, and purification from what Ramana Maharshi referred to as vāsanas (latent tendencies), required several years, allowing her to develop a deep understanding of the path that takes place after awakening and its integration into daily life. Since then, many people have met her and recognized the vast and transformative reach of such a simple and direct message. Website: Website Facebook YouTube Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded February 15, 2018. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Paul Selig is considered to be one of the foremost spiritual channels working today. In his breakthrough works of channeled literature author and medium Paul Selig has recorded an extraordinary program for personal and planetary evolution as humankind awakens to its own divine nature. Paul was born in New York City and received his master’s degree from Yale. A spiritual experience in 1987 left him clairvoyant. As a way to gain a context for what he was beginning to experience he studied a form of energy healing and began to “hear” for his clients. Described as “a medium for the living,” Paul’s unique abilities have been featured on ABC News Nightline, Fox News, the Biography Channel series The UneXplained, Gaiam TV’s Beyond Belief and the documentary film Paul & The Word. Paul offers channeled workshops internationally. He serves on the faculty of The Omega Institute, The Kripalu Center and the Esalen Institute. Also a noted playwright and educator, he served on the faculty of NYU for over 25 years. He directed the MFA in Creative Writing Program at Goddard College for many years, and he now serves on the college’s Board of Trustees. He lives in New York City where he maintains a private practice as an intuitive and conducts frequent livestream seminars. Books: I Am the Word: A Guide to the Consciousness of Man's Self in a Transitioning Time The Book of Love and Creation: A Channeled Text - Audio version The Book of Knowing and Worth: A Channeled Text The Book of Mastery: The Mastery Trilogy: Book I The Book of Truth: The Mastery Trilogy: Book II Website: paulselig.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded February 9, 2018 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Sadhviji was raised in an American family in Hollywood, California and graduated from Stanford University. She was completing her Ph.D. when she left America in 1996 to come and live permanently at Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh, India. She has been living there for the last twenty-one years, engaged in spiritual practice and dedicated service.She was officially initiated into the order of Sanyas (monastic renunciation) in the year 2000, by her Guru, His Holiness Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji. Sadhviji is a renowned speaker who gives keynote addresses at large forums, on a wide variety of topics ranging from conscious business to science and spirituality to sustainable development to the keys of happiness and peace in life to all aspects of yoga. She has also been a featured speaker at the United Nations, Parliament of World Religions and many international conferences and summits. Her talks blend the knowledge and logic of the West with the insights, spirituality and wisdom of the East, and she is renowned as a spiritual bridge between the two cultures. She has also received numerous national and international awards and recognition. At Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh, where Sadhviji lives most of the year, she gives daily spiritual discourses and satsang, teaches meditation, provides counseling and oversees myriad charitable and humanitarian projects and activities. Sadhviji is: Secretary-General of the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance, an international interfaithorganization dedicated to bringing clean water, sanitation & hygiene to the children of theworld. President of Divine Shakti Foundation, a foundation dedicated to bringing education and empowerment to women and children which runs free schools, vocational training programs and empowerment programs. Director of the annual world-famous International Yoga Festival at Parmarth which has been covered in Time Magazine, CNN, New York Times, Le Monde and other prestigious publications. Sadhviji has a Ph.D in Psychology and was the Managing Editor for the monumental project of the 11-volume Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Websites: Sadhviji.org (personal site) Sadhviji's TED talk @SadhviBhagawatiSaraswati (Sadhviji's Facebook page with announcements of events, videos, etc.) @ParmarthNiketan (Parmarth's Facebook page where they stream Sadhviji's satsangs live daily when she is in town.) Youtube channel with all of the videos of Sadhviji's lectures (and also a lot of other good stuff...) Twitter: @SadhviBhagawati Book: Vegetarianism: For Our Bodies, Our Minds, Our Souls & Our Planet Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded February 6, 2018. Second BatGap interview with Sadhvi. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

One night in 1997 Richard Schoeller thought he was dying because he found himself surrounded by both sets of deceased grandparents. They reassured him that it wasn’t his time to join them in the afterlife and that their visit was to help him understand that he could now "see them." Who could ignore a visit like that? Richard had to learn more about what had just happened, so he began taking classes and researching the ability to communicate with those who have passed into spirit. Richard is now an ordained Spiritualist minister, Certified Medium, Commissioned Spiritualist Healer. Aside from being a member of the Lily Dale Assembly, he served on the Board of the National Spiritualist Association of Churches (NSAC) for six years, and he is currently the Vice President of the International Spiritualist Federation and a Director and Teacher with the Inner Spiritual Center in Wayne, New Jersey. Richard has taught classes and demonstrated mediumship in England, Holland, Scotland, Austria, Switzerland and Germany as well as served a number of Spiritualist churches and centers throughout the United States. It gives him great pleasure to be of service and to provide information to his clients that help them to come to and understanding that life and love continue after the change known as death. Website: sacredmessages.com Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group Transcript of this interview Interview conducted February 4, 2018. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

When I was 11 years old our school took a bus trip to the local library. While most of the children were off exploring the mysteries of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, for some reason I found myself in the row of books called Philosophy and Religion. I recall pulling a hardbound book off the shelf and directly opening it to an old black and white photograph of the Portola Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. At that moment, it was as if all my breath was sucked out of me and my mind went totally quiet. Somewhere in the depth of my being, I knew I was looking at a very familiar place, one that I may once have called home. I stood there for a very long time just staring at that photograph. Then, like a starving young man having a meal laid before him, I hurriedly began to devour the book. When it was time to leave the library and head back to school, I took the book with me to the check-out counter. What followed was a pitched battle with my teacher and the librarian on one side, and one very determined boy on the other. In the end, I got to take the book home. That book changed my life. At the time, I took the descriptions of a world rarely seen to be real mysticism. With great determination and passion, I began reading everything I could get my hands on about Tibet, its culture, and spiritual teachings. Thus, began a lifelong pursuit for of spiritual insight and knowledge mystical experience. In my youthful naivety, I also began what I deduced as a meditation practice from stories in the book. This practice was quite complex and involved sitting quietly in the lotus posture with my spine perfectly straight while emptying my mind of everything. Then, with eyes closed, the idea was to develop a specific color spot in my field of vision at, what one might imagine to be, an arm’s length away, and then start spinning it into other colors, all while keeping all thoughts at bay. I would do this at night after having gone to bed, or during the day when no one else was home. As you might imagine it was a difficult exercise, however, for short periods of time, I began to experience gaps in my thought pattern. Then it happened. After about four years of practicing my meditation, one day I was sitting quietly and deep into it, when the bottom dropped out. No mind, no thought—just a great expanse. When the experience ended, I felt the most amazing deep sense of happiness bliss. This bliss we might describe as “the peace which passeth understanding”. I didn’t know it at the time but I had transcended and experienced the basis of all life that which is complete fullness yet contains nothing. This is sometimes called non-abiding Samadhi. The problem was my meditation practice was extremely difficult and required great effort and time to achieve the effortless state. I began to search for something easier. My readings led me to try Zen, which, while intellectually satisfying yielded no repetition of the state of no thought only pure awareness. I tried several other practices and even religions until one day I received a phone call that was to be another turning point in my life. My best friend had gone off college and suggested that I leave my job with the Forest Service and continue my education. I think he just wanted someone to share the rent with but it got me there. When I arrived on campus to find Maharishi Mahesh Yogi teaching a course about meditation and training young men and woman like me how to teach Transcendental Meditation, a mantra-based meditation practice. I snuck into his lectures and listened attentively and knew this was the spiritual practice I had been seeking. At the advice of my new friends, I went to ask Maharishi if he would personally teach me. Maharishi was rarely on time anywhere and I waited outside his door a long time for him to emerge. When he finally came out the door there were a number of people waiting like me, some to ask a question, some pay their respects.

Kavitha Chinnaiyan, MD, is a cardiologist, meditation teacher and tantrika. She became drawn to the Direct Path through the teachings of Greg Goode and Sri Atmananda Krishna Menon, and has studied yoga, Sri Vidya Sadhana, Vedanta and Tantra through the teachings of Chinmaya Mission, Sri Premananda, Sally Kempton, Paul Muller-Ortega and Sri Chaitanyananda Natha Saraswati. She blends her expertise in cardiology with her knowledge of Ayurveda, yoga, Vedanta, Tantra, and the Direct Path in her approach to healing, enabling patients to discover bliss amid chronic illness. She is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in Rochester, MI. She is the author of Shakti Rising: Embracing Shadow and Light on the Goddess Path to Wholeness (2017) and The Heart of Wellness: Bridging Western and Eastern Medicine to Transform Your Relationship with Habits, Lifestyle, and Health (2018). Website: kavithamd.com Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group Transcript of this interview Interview recorded January 20, 2018 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Natalie Sudman is an author, artist and psychic intuitive. Natalie worked as an archeologist in the Great Basin states for 16 years before accepting a position managing construction contracts in Iraq. In 2007 Natalie was injured by a roadside bomb. During this incident, she had a near-death experience that she details in her book Application of Impossible Things. After recovering from her injuries, Natalie retired from government service to concentrate on art and writing, both long-time passions. Raised in Minnesota, Natalie has lived most of her adult life in eastern Oregon, Montana, and South Dakota. She now lives in southern Arizona. Facebook Page Book: Application of Impossible Things: A Near-Death Experience in Iraq Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded January 14, 2018 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

A completely spontaneous, life-altering experience of satori or enlightenment shook Lesley Skylar’s world at about age 9 or 10. Everything, in every facet, shifted unimaginably - nothing was ever the same again. This set her on a life course dedicated to understanding, honoring and living what had been revealed. Lesley has spent years as a renunciate, living in ashrams and working deeply with direct teachings of enlightenment, in both the East and West. She has studied and practiced Zen Buddhism, Dzogchen and the Nonduality teachings of Ramana Maharshi and Nisargadatta Maharaj. She has a Degree in Psychology, has counseled, and worked in numerous non-profit, peace and human rights endeavors. Lesley is a teacher of spiritual awakening. The approach and teaching she shares comes directly from her extensive experience and was developed and refined through her own realization. It is based on decades of integration and rigorous work with liberation teachings and realized teachers. Her teaching offers individual or small group guidance for awakening, and also focuses specifically on the post-awakening terrain. Many are confused or struggle after awakening as they don’t realize that awakening is a beginning – it is not stabilized and abiding, involves a coming and going of clarity and higher states, a persistent self-sense, and incomplete seeing or depth. She helps people to move beyond the initial phases of awakening, to clarify and resolve sticking points, subtle aspects of identification, shadow, unconscious beliefs and so on. This creates a deepening, integrating and embodying, which allows liberation and enlightened living to unfold. Lesley states: “As a teacher, I am simply the voice of your own deepest being, your highest possibilities, reflected back to you. A clear mirror, reflecting back to you your most authentic True Nature.” She has traveled extensively and lived in North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. She is currently based in Vancouver, Canada. Lesley offers private sessions worldwide, via Skype/ online video or in person. “Living a realized life is a radical shift of perception and identity, bringing with it true freedom, clarity, and peace that surpasses all understanding.” Learn more about Lesley and her work: Website: lesleyskylar.com Facebook: facebook.com/lesley.skylar facebook.com/From.Awakening.To.True.Liberation Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded December 30, 2017. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Joi was aware of the unseen magic of Presence at a very early age. She remembers being more drawn to this mystery than anything else. This led her to delve into many traditions of spirituality. After a spontaneous awakening at age 28, Joi spent two years on a blissful honeymoon of Spirit before plunging into a deep period of emotional purging and healing. Among her healers were a powerful Lakota medicine man, with whom she traveled for two years, and a group of Yogananda disciples who had developed a powerful way of unlocking unconscious beliefs using kinesiology. She worked with them 3x/week for two years. During this period that the formless aspect of the Divine Mother appeared to Joi and she began a very intense journey. Joi met Amma in 1993, and she realized that Amma was the same Mother that had captured her heart and soul. Joi spent nine years in Amma's Indian Ashram, and then two years in Tiruvannamalai at Ramana's Ashram. When Joi came home from India, she was completely exhausted, and her "seeker drive" fell away. She began sitting with Adyashanti, who helped her understand all that had taken place within her being. Joi began teaching in 2006, with Amma's and Adya's blessings. Joi continues to be inspired and moved toward what Life could be if we let go to our inner potential, which is the ultimate intelligence of all creation. Joi's Website Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview First BatGap interview with Joi Interview recorded Dec. 17, 2017. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

When John Samsen first contacted us several months ago, he said, "I'm 90 years old, I've had both my feet amputated, and I've never been happier". We soon learned that John designed the Ford Thunderbird, Plymouth Barracuda, and other "muscle cars", and later had a profound and abiding spiritual awakening. Over a course of many decades, John Samsen followed a quest to understand the “big questions” of Life; why are we here, what is Life all about, and who am I, really? Along with careers in Aerospace Engineering and car designing, John studied the sciences, mythologies, religions, philosophies, and psychologies, to expand his understandings. A pattern of paranormal experiences opened his mind to areas of experience beyond the paradigms of Science. In 1970, he embarked on a quest of Self Discovery, participating in hundreds of hours of intensive consciousness exploration with such noted researchers as Drs. Jean Houston and Robert Masters, Dr. Lawrence LeShan, Robert Monroe, and others involved in the “human potentials” movements of the 1970s. After a series of traumatic events in his life, John experienced a “metanoia”, what some call a transformation or “awakening”. John's quest ended, and in the years since, he has been enjoying Life, knowing peace of mind, “unconditional love” of self and world, and freedom from fear and anxiety. John has been working on a verbal description of his experiences that does not rely on traditional metaphysical or religious ideas but is consistent with modern scientific concepts of space, time, matter, and energy. He believes that a dramatic experience of “awakening”, which is rare and very difficult to achieve, is not necessary for enlightened living; that with proper guidance and consistent effort, most people can achieve that state of being. His Book: A Journey to Metanoia: My Life Transformed You may email John. More about John's automotive design career here and here. Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded December 9, 2017.

Paul was born in 1961 and lived most of life in the coastal county of Pembrokeshire, UK. He always loved the sea and aspired to be a professional football (soccer) player. One day, at the age of 15, while playing football, unbounded awareness dawned. Everything was the "ocean". He didn't know what this was, or whether anyone else had experienced it, but later on he discovered the Upanishads in a bookstore, which led to his joining a Vedanta Monastery for five years. For a time after that, he lived a hermit-like life. One day in meditation, a woman's name came to him. He had never heard of her, nor did he even know whether she existed, but he knew he would marry her. He later did, opened a gallery and had two boys. He now spends his time supporting the boys and their business and chatting about the ocean. Facebook Page Email Paul. Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group. Interview recorded December 3, 2017. Transcript of this interview Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Kabir Helminski is a Shaikh in the lineage of Rumi, and co-director of The Threshold Society. His translations of Rumi and books on spirituality, Living Presence and The Knowing Heart, have been published in at least eight languages. In 2009 and subsequent years Kabir was named as one of the "500 Most Influential Muslims in the World" by the Royal Strategic Studies Center (Jordan). He has toured North America as Shaikh with the Whirling Dervishes of Turkey bringing Sufi culture to more than 100,000 people. His latest book is Holistic Islam: Sufism, Transformation, and the Needs of Our Time. Other books: Love's Ripening: Rumi on the Heart's Journey The Rumi Daybook: 365 Poems and Teachings from the Beloved Sufi Master Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded November 28, 2017. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Matthew Fox is a spiritual theologian, an Episcopal priest, and an activist. As a spiritual theologian he has written 34 books that have been translated into over 60 languages. Among them are Original Blessing, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ, A Spirituality Named Compassion, The Reinvention of Work, The Hidden Spirituality of Men, Christian Mystics, and The Pope's War. He has contributed much to the rediscovery of Hildegard of Bingen, Meister Eckhart and Thomas Aquinas as pre-modern mystics and prophets. Fox holds a doctorate in the history and theology of spirituality from the Institut Catholique de Paris. The founder of the University of Creation Spirituality in California, he conducts dozens of workshops each year and is a visiting scholar at the Academy for the Love of Learning in Santa Fe, NM. In joining the Episcopal church over 20 years ago, Fox has been working with young people to reinvent forms of worship by bringing elements of rave such as dance, dj, vj and more into the Western Liturgy. The Cosmic Mass has been celebrated over 100 times and in dozens of cities in North America. Fox is recipient of the Abbey Courage of Conscience Peace Award (other recipients being the Dali Lama, Mother Teresa, Ernesto Cardenal and Rosa Parks), the Gandhi King Ikeda Award, the Tikkun National Ethics Award and other awards. His latest books are Order of the Sacred Earth: An Intergenerational Vision of Love and Action; Stations of the Cosmic Christ; and A Way to God: Thomas Merton's Creation Spirituality Journey. He teaches regularly at the Fox Institute for Creation Spirituality in Boulder, CO and resides in Vallejo, CA. Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded November 11, 2017. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Amoda Maa is a contemporary spiritual teacher, author, and speaker. After years of spiritual seeking, meditation, and immersion in psychospiritual practices, an experience of the dark night of the soul led her to a profound inner awakening. Then, after a long period of integration, she began speaking from silence in small gatherings. Today she offers meetings and retreats, and is a frequent speaker at conferences and events, attracting spiritual seekers and people looking for peace and fulfillment in an increasingly chaotic world. Her teachings are free of religion and tradition, and she brings to them a deep understanding of the human journey, born out of her own experience. She is the author of Radical Awakening (originally released as How to Find God in Everything) and Change Your Life, Change Your World: Ten Spiritual Lessons for a New Way of Being and Living. Both books were written shortly after her awakening and before she began to speak in public. Her new book Embodied Enlightenment — written 15 years after her awakening — is based on the many conversations at the cutting edge of spiritual inquiry in her meetings with people from all around the world, and addresses many of the questions relevant to today’s seeker. It has been acclaimed as “a beautiful and precious gift to an emerging new humanity.” Amoda lives with her husband and beloved, Kavi, in New Mexico. Website: amodamaa.com Previous BatGap interviews with Amoda: First Interview Amoda Maa in panel discussion: Birthing Radiant Being into Our Humanity Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded November 5, 2017 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Kittisaro and Thanissara have been married since 1992. They spent 7 years as guiding teachers of the Buddhist Retreat Centre KwaZulu S. Africa and then went on to found Dharmagiri Sacred Mountain Retreat on the border of Lesotho and South Africa. They co-founded several HIV/Aids Outreach Programs and currently support Kuluingile Project, a home for children left vulnerable due to HIV/Aids run by Sister Abegail Ntleko, award winner of the Dalai Lama Unsung Hero Award. They lead retreats in S.Africa, UK, U.S.A and Israel and regularly host one to three-month retreats at Dharmagiri. They currently reside in Sebastopol, CA. Kittisaro is from Tennessee, USA. He graduated from Princeton as a Rhodes Scholar. He ordained with Ajahn Chah in 1976 in the Thai Forest Tradition. He was a monk for 15 years and helped found several monasteries in the UK. His practice has also been informed by the Chinese school of Master Hua since 1980. Kittisaro completed two one year silent self retreats and is co-author of 'Listening to the Heart.' He has taught extensively since the 1980's and is a core teacher at Insight Meditation Society, MA, founding teacher of Chattanooga Insight, TN and affiliated teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, CA. Thanissara is from an Anglo-Irish family in London. She started Buddhist practice in the Burmese school in 1975. She spent 12 years as a Buddhist nun in the Forest Tradition of Ajahn Chah where she was a founding member of Chithurst Monastery and Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in the UK. Thanissara has an MA in Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy Practice from the UK. She has taught extensively since the late 1980's, is the author of several books, including two poetry books. Her latest is Time to Stand Up: An Engaged Buddhist Manifesto for Our Earth. Books: Listening to the Heart: A Contemplative Journey to Engaged Buddhism Time to Stand Up: An Engaged Buddhist Manifesto for Our Earth -- The Buddha's Life and Message through Feminine Eyes (Sacred Activism) Empty Hands, A Memoir: One Woman's Journey to Save Children Orphaned by AIDS in South Africa (Sacred Activism) The Heart Of The Bitter Almond Hedge Sutra Website: dharmagiri.org Discussion of this video in the Batgap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded Oct. 28, 2017. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Recorded at the Science and Nonduality Conference. There is a perennial debate in spiritual traditions regarding whether realization is direct (sudden) or progressive (gradual). But is this a false distinction? Realization is often sudden, no matter how many years of practice may have led up to it, and even after realization, most people find that refinement, clarification, and the working out of personal shortcomings continue indefinitely. Who wouldn’t prefer direct realization to years of purification and practice? But how many examples of purely direct realization can we find? Can a path be both direct and progressive? Is it possible to have a taste of our true nature from the outset, and then spend a lifetime clarifying and embodying it? Also, is there one watershed breakthrough which can be universally agreed upon as final “Realization”, or are there many degrees and stages of realization, each of them important stepping stones in a never-ending journey? Proponents of the direct path sometimes argue that if we regard spiritual development as progressive, we will forever be anticipating, never arriving. But some spiritual seekers, not appreciating the distinction between understanding and experience, mistake intellectual understanding with enlightenment, and consider themselves “finished” when they are just getting started. Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. is the Founding Director of the Foundation of the Sacred Stream, a school for consciousness studies in Berkeley, CA. Isa is also the creator of the spiritual counseling model, Depth Hypnosis, and author of two books, Coming to Peace and Return to the Great Mother. In addition to her teaching schedule that includes teaching classes in Applied Buddhist Psychology, Applied Shamanism, Integrated Energy Medicine and Depth Hypnosis, she has active practices in Depth Hypnosis and Applied Shamanic Counseling in San Francisco, CA. For more information, please see sacredstream.org. Batgap interview with Isa and Robert Thurman. David F. Buckland has a graduate degree in Vedic Science and researches and writes on subjects related to the approach, shift, integration, and embodiment of the stages of enlightenment. This reflects a 40 year unfolding that has been prominent for much of his life. But with a more recent series of profound shifts, the exploration became the life itself. Under the pen name Davidya, he brings ancient teachings into modern life. After many years of research, he published the book Our Natural Potential: Beyond Personal Development, The Stages of Enlightenment in 2017. Previous Batgap discussions with David: Individual interview Panel Discussion at Sofia University, Part 1 Panel Discussion at Sofia University, Part 2 Michael Rodriguez - Drawing always from his direct experience, Michael speaks with great clarity and compassion about the undivided nature of Life or Consciousness, pointing to reality in a way that is free from dogma, ritual, or adherence to any particular tradition. He also draws skillfully from the world's wisdom traditions and integrates Jungian psychology, literature, music, and art into his work to address the full range of human potential. He offers meetings, retreats, and private sessions here in the United States and abroad. Book--Boundless Awareness: A Loving Path to Spiritual Awakening and Freedom from Suffering All his work, including his interviews on Buddha at the Gas Pump and Conscious TV, can be accessed via his website: www.BoundlessAwareness.org. Previous Batgap discussion with Michael Discussion of this video in the Batgap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Recorded October 22, 2017 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Presentation at the Science and Nonduality Conference. Many well-known spiritual teachers and gurus have been accused, credibly, of sexual, financial, and behavioral abuse, despite their own spiritual attainment having seemed significant, and their teachings beneficial. As a result, some people have concluded that higher consciousness and ethical behavior are not correlated, that we are governed by our genetics and conditioning, or by "nature", and that we have no free will and thus no control over or responsibility for our actions. That logic has been used as an alibi by some misbehaving spiritual teachers. Others have become cynical about the motives of all gurus and teachers, and some have even lost faith in spirituality altogether. Yet, every spiritual tradition includes codes of ethics that apply to both teachers and students. Ethical behavior has been regarded not only as a reflection of spiritual development but as a prerequisite to it. To some extent, ethical values vary from culture to culture. But perhaps the contemporary spiritual community can agree upon some universal values. Can we agree that it's not all right to misrepresent ourselves? If we claim or imply that we have realized our true nature, and are offering to help others do the same, is it consistent for us to behave deceitfully, perversely, selfishly, or cruelly? Is it possible to be an enlightened scoundrel? Are purity and saintliness characteristic of higher levels of spiritual development, or unrelated to them? These are important questions. Because we need spiritual teachers and teachings in this critical time in humanity's maturation, we need to understand what genuine spiritual attainment should look like, irrespective of personality differences. If such understanding were more commonplace, most abusive teachers and cults would be unable to get much traction. I discuss these points and others in this talk. Discussion about this talk in the Batgap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Other talks by or interviews of Rick on BatGap: SAND 2019 - Knowledge/Reality is Different in Different States of Consciousness 2018 SAND Conference Q&A and Interview by Shakti Caterina Maggi Talk at Berkeley Open Circle Center Talk at SAND 2015 Interviewed by Fax Gilbert Interviewed by Richard Miller Recorded October 21, 2017. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

T!M FREKE is a pioneering philosopher, Gnostic scholar and spiritual guide who speaks and runs ‘Deep Awakening’ retreats internationally. He is the author of 35 books, translated into more than 15 languages, including The Jesus Mysteries on Gnostic Christianity, which was a top 10 bestseller in the USA and UK, and 'Book of the Year' in the UK Daily Telegraph. Over the last 15 years, Tim has been articulating a revolutionary approach to spiritual awakening, which is life-affirming, heart-opening and intellectually robust. In his recent book Deep Awake, he suggests that to wake up to oneness we need to embrace, rather than deny, our individuality, because ‘the ego is the hero not the villain of the spiritual adventure’. In his latest book Soul Story, Tim offers an inspiring new vision of the nature of reality and the deep purpose of existence. He suggests we need a radical shift in our understanding of both science and spirituality, so we can bring these different perspectives together. Tim’s new worldview, which he calls ‘Emergent Spirituality’, does this by combining an innovative perspective on the theory of evolution with a fresh understanding of esoteric ideas such as the immortality of the soul. Tim has been exploring spirituality since a spontaneous awakening when he was 12 years old and now guides others directly to the 'deep awake' state. He has been pioneering soul-to-soul partner meditations such as ‘gazing’ for more than fifteen years, as a powerful practice to transform consciousness. Tim is a passionate and playful communicator with a contagious enthusiasm for life, who has often been featured in the global media, such as the BBC and the History Channel. He lives with his family in Glastonbury, England. Website: timfreke.com The most recent of Tim's many books: Soul Story: Evolution and the Purpose of Life Deep Awake: Wake Up To Oneness and Celebrate Your Individuality Lucid Living: Experience Your Life Like a Lucid Dream Interview recorded October 20, 2017 at the Science and Nonduality Conference. 1st Batgap interview with Tim 2nd BatGap interview with Tim Tim Freke with Lisa Cairns Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save

Robert A.F. Thurman is the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religion at Columbia University, President of the Tibet House U.S., a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Tibetan civilization, and 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 from the Tibetan Tengyur. TIME Magazine chose Professor Thurman as one of its 25 most influential Americans in 1997, describing him as a “larger than life scholar-activist destined to convey the Dharma, the precious teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha, from Asia to America.” The New York Times recently said Thurman “is considered the leading American expert on Tibetan Buddhism.” In this interview, we discuss Thurman's latest book: Man of Peace: The Illustrated Life Story of the Dalai Lama of Tibet. Thurman is known as a talented popularizer of the Buddha’s teachings. He is a riveting speaker and an author of many books on Tibet, Buddhism, art, politics, and culture, including: The Central Philosophy of Tibet Circling the Sacred Mountain: A Spiritual Adventure Through the Himalayas Essential Tibetan Buddhism The Tibetan Book of the Dead: Liberation Through Understanding in the Between Wisdom and Compassion The Sacred Art of Tibet Inner Revolution Infinite Life: Awakening to Bliss Within The Jewel Tree of Tibet: The Enlightenment Engine of Tibetan Buddhism Why the Dalai Lama Matters: His Act of Truth as the Solution for China, Tibet, and the World With Sharon Salzberg, Love Your Enemies: How to Break the Anger Habit & Be a Whole Lot Happier Website: bobthurman.com Podcast YouTube Channel Previous Batgap interview with Robert Thurman. Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. is the Founding Director of the Foundation of the Sacred Stream, a school for consciousness studies in Berkeley, CA. Isa is also the creator of the spiritual counseling model, Depth Hypnosis. In addition to her teaching schedule that includes teaching classes in Applied Buddhist Psychology, Applied Shamanism, Integrated Energy Medicine and Depth Hypnosis, she has active practices in Depth Hypnosis and Applied Shamanic Counseling in San Francisco, CA. In this interview, we discuss Isa's latest book: Coming to Peace: Resolving Conflict Within Ourselves and With Others Other books: Return to the Great Mother The Four Immeasurables Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Recorded October 19, 2017, at the Science and Nonduality Conference. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save

John Lockley is a traditionally trained African Shaman known as a Sangoma from Nelson Mandela's tribe, the Xhosa nation. He also has a background in Zen Buddhism and was a student of the late Zen Master Su Bong from South Korea. He holds an honors degree in Clinical Psychology and specialized in health psychology with an interest in trauma and how people recover from life-threatening illnesses like cancer. For the last 10 years, he has been running 'Ubuntu' (humanity) retreats worldwide helping people to reconnect to their essential humanity; their bones (ancestors), dreams, and ultimately, life purpose. His mission in the Western world could be summed up in the Xhosa word 'Masiyembo' - involving a profound remembering of the human spirit. As John says, "when people can remember their dreams and connect to their life purpose, then their true vocation surfaces; namely being in service and acting as guardians to our planet". Book: Leopard Warrior: A Journey into the African Teachings of Ancestry, Instinct, and Dreams Audio: The Way of the Leopard: Meditations and Shamanic Practices from the Heart of Africa Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded October 15, 2017. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

Vera de Chalambert is a spiritual storyteller and Harvard-educated scholar of comparative religion. She speaks and writes about spiritual culture, mindfulness in the modern world, and the Divine Feminine and has been a speaker at the Science and Nonduality Conference in the US and Europe, Sister Giant in Washington DC, and other gatherings. Vera holds a Master’s degree from Harvard Divinity School where she studied comparative mysticism and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Florida in Religion and Literature. Her work explores the meeting place of creativity, psychology, and spirituality and is informed by insights from both Eastern and Western philosophies. Vera is a graduate of the Barbara Brennan School of Healing and has been a student of Jason Shulman's Nondual Healing work. She is deeply influenced by Buddhist and Kabbalistic lineages. Vera's recent work has been on the topic of Holy Darkness and exploration of the Dark Goddesses associated with transformation and initiation found in the world's great wisdom traditions, the most well-known of whom is the Hindu Goddess Kali. Vera is a mother and a devotee of the Mother. She is working on her first book on the Dark Feminine. Website: healingawakening.com Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded Saturday, October 7, 2017. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

The Rev. Cynthia Bourgeault, Ph.D., is an Episcopal priest, teacher, writer, and internationally acclaimed retreat leader. A student of Fr. Thomas Keating, Bruno Barnhart, Beatrice Bruteau, and the Gurdjieff Work, she has made her mark exploring Wisdom Christianity and the often overlooked lineage of Christian nonduality. Founding Director of the Contemplative Society in Victoria BC and the Aspen Wisdom School, she now serves as one of the core faculty, together with Richard Rohr, OFM, and James Finley, of the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, NM. When not teaching internationally, she resides in her seaside hermitage on Eagle Island, Maine. Websites: cynthiabourgeault.org northeastwisdom.org wisdomwayofknowing.org Books: Eye of the Heart: A Spiritual Journey into the Imaginal Realm The Heart of Centering Prayer: Nondual Christianity in Theory and Practice The Wisdom Jesus: Transforming Heart and Mind--A New Perspective on Christ and His Message The Meaning of Mary Magdalene: Discovering the Woman at the Heart of Christianity Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening The Holy Trinity and the Law of Three: Discovering the Radical Truth at the Heart of Christianity Love is Stronger than Death: The Mystical Union of Two Souls Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. 2nd BatGap interview with Cynthia. Interview recorded Sept. 30, 2017 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

Carole Griggs, Ph.D. is the founder/CEO of Carole Griggs Enterprises LLC. Dr. Griggs is a professional coach and consultant, university professor, international speaker, author/writer, and pioneer and leader in the areas of Conscious Human Development, and Integrative Wellness and Nutrition. Carole has a PhD. in Professional Coaching and Human Development, a Master’s degree in Education and Teaching, and a Bachelor’s degree in Science. Carole is co-founder and developer of iConscious: accelerating human development and the iConscious Human Development Model, a comprehensive and integrative meta-framework created to accelerate the process of reducing human suffering and maximizing full human potential both individually and collectively. Carole (and her colleague, Ted Strauss) has been applying her experience in an important Artificial Intelligence project that is part of the IBM Watson X-Prize Competition. Carole is a professor at John F. Kennedy University for the Masters in Consciousness and Transformative Studies department, where she co-developed and teaches Human Development and the Evolution of Consciousness. She also developed and teaches courses at National University for the Masters of Science in the Complementary and Integrative Healthcare department. Dr. Griggs is author of Space to See Reality: A New Model for Professional Coaches and Intuitively Your Type: Nourishing through Nutrition, co-owner and developer of Wall 2 Wall Fitness and Wellness app and website, and owner of Griggs Organic supplement line. Carole has worked with thousands of individuals and company leaders worldwide. She has extensive experience in personal and professional coaching, teaching, training, and facilitating groups and individuals, personally and interpersonally. Carole brings a depth and breadth of experience and expertise in the evolution and expansion of human consciousness and potential, personal and interpersonal development, awakening self-awareness, empowerment from oneness, clear communication, leadership development, and various modalities of embodiment and wellness. Dr. Griggs typically works with leaders, upper management, facilitators, and anyone that is in charge of individuals or groups of people or those that are influenced by those leaders working around them. Carole’s mission is to help streamline and accelerate conscious human development for the evolution of humanity’s full potential, and create various educational platforms and technology tools to help scale this process to where we live in a world in which awakening - in all domains - is the new normal. Ted Strauss is co-founder of iConscious and has been a writer and teacher of awakening for over 40 years. Over the past 19 years, he was instrumental in building the foundations of the Waking Down work, including designing and presenting core dharma workshops and the mentor and teacher training programs. During that time, he worked very personally with thousands of students to assist their iConscious realization and further awakening process. Through this experience, Ted has discovered ways to streamline personal and interpersonal development, enabling most aspirants to experience major shifts in days or months instead of years or lifetimes. Recently, Ted has been applying his experience in an important Artificial Intelligence project that is part of the IBM Watson X-Prize competition. Website: iconscious.global Previous Batgap interview with Ted Strauss and Hillary Davis Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save Save Save Save Save

Dean Radin, PhD, is Chief Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) and Associated Distinguished Professor of Integral and Transpersonal Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). He occasionally gives lectures in the Department of Psychology at Sonoma State University and has served on doctoral dissertation committees at Saybrook University and CIIS. His original career track as a concert violinist shifted into science after earning a BSEE degree in electrical engineering, magna cum laude with honors in physics, from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and then an MS in electrical engineering and a PhD in psychology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. For a decade he worked on advanced telecommunications R&D at AT&T Bell Laboratories and GTE Laboratories. For three decades he has been engaged in frontiers research on the nature of consciousness. Before joining the research staff at IONS in 2001, he held appointments at Princeton University, University of Edinburgh, University of Nevada, Interval Research Corporation, and SRI International. He is author or coauthor of hundreds of scientific, technical, and popular articles, three dozen book chapters, and three popular books including the award-winning and bestselling The Conscious Universe: The Scientific Truth of Psychic Phenomena (HarperOne, 1997), Entangled Minds: Extrasensory Experiences in a Quantum Reality (Simon & Schuster, 2006), a 2014 Silver Nautilus Book Award, Supernormal: Science, Yoga, and the Evidence for Extraordinary Psychic Abilities (Random House, 2013), and Real Magic: Ancient Wisdom, Modern Science, and a Guide to the Secret Power of the Universe (Penguin Random House). These books have been translated into 14 foreign languages, so far. His technical articles have appeared in journals including Foundations of Physics and Physics Essays to Psychological Bulletin and Journal of Consciousness Studies; he was featured in a New York Times Magazine article; and he has appeared on dozens of television shows ranging from the BBC’s Horizon to PBS's Closer to Truth. He has given over 400 interviews and talks, including presentations at Harvard, Stanford, Cambridge, Princeton, Virginia Tech, the Sorbonne, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Minnesota, for industries including Google, Johnson & Johnson, Rabobank, and for various government organizations including the US Navy, DARPA, and the National Academy of Sciences. In 2010, he spent a month lecturing in India as the National Visiting Professor of the Indian Council of Philosophical Research, a program sponsored by India's Ministry of Human Resource Development. In 2013 and 2014, he gave invited lectures in Kuala Lumpur at the International Center for Leadership and Governance, an organization supported by the Central Bank of Malaysia. In 2015 he spoke at the Australian Leadership Retreat, a confidential program of briefings and discussions for Australian government, business, education, and military leaders. Website: deanradin.com Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded Sept. 9, 2017 Second BatGap interview with Dean Radin. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save

Paul Muller-Ortega, Ph.D., the founder of Blue Throat Yoga, is an internationally recognized meditation teacher, and one of the world’s most highly respected academic scholars in the field of Indian Religion and Hindu Tantra. Paul is passionate and devoted to teaching students how to access their truest Self, and to offer the knowledge base to understand and support that experience. He has led hundreds of meditation retreats, offered a vast array of study courses, translated and provided commentary on many of the most inspired sacred texts of the Śaiva-Śākta tradition, and has personally trained over 40 Ācāryas as Authorized Teachers of Neelakantha Meditation. Paul is uniquely qualified to offer these potent teachings, drawing upon the synergy of his long career as an academic scholar, his particular capacity to translate complex ideas and concepts into easily accessible and comprehensible understanding, and a personal history of deep meditation and extensive practice in the Śaiva-Śākta Tantra tradition. Paul Muller-Ortega is the author of the highly acclaimed book, The Triadic Heart of Siva: Kaula Tantricism of Abhinavagupta in the Non-Dual Shaivism of Kashmir (Suny Series, Shaiva Traditions of Kashmir), in which he examines the “Heart” as the mystical core of Consciousness. He is also one of the co-authors of "Meditation Revolution", as well as numerous scholarly articles on aspects of Tantric Studies. Website: bluethroatyoga.com Another book: The Philosophy of Sadhana (SUNY Series in Contemporary Continental Philosophy) Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded September 16, 2017 2nd BatGap interview with Paul. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

Raphael Cushnir is a leading voice in the world of emotional connection and present moment awareness. He has shared his unique approach to personal and professional development with millions of readers in O, The Oprah Magazine, Beliefnet, Spirituality and Health, Psychology Today, and The Huffington Post. He is the author of six books, lectures worldwide, and is a faculty member of the Esalen Institute and the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. In addition, he coaches individuals and couples, as well as organizations and their teams. Raphael’s own heart was opened by an experience of profound grief. Website: cushnir.com Books: The One Thing Holding You Back: Unleashing the Power of Emotional Connection Surfing Your Inner Sea: Essential Lessons for Lasting Serenity Setting Your Heart on Fire: Seven Invitations to Liberate Your Life How Now: 100 Ways to Celebrate the Present Moment Unconditional Bliss: Finding Happiness in the Face of Hardship Interview recorded September 3, 2017 Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

Christina Donnell, Ph.D. is best known as a spiritual teacher, mystic and author. She is the Director of The Winds of Change Association, an educational organization dedicated to offering programs that tend our evolving human consciousness. In her book, Transcendent Dreaming: Stepping into Our Human Potential, she chronicles quantum states of awareness in which the participatory nature of perception impacts our visible world. It is a deep foray into truths about our human potential—a new distribution of our resources, and a way to know unity consciousness and be its agent in the world. Transcendent Dreaming won multiple awards for its timely and relevant message which urges us all to tap into the hidden potential within us. Christina conveys a simple yet profound message: Through deepening receptive awareness the participatory nature of perception unfolds and the transfiguration of our consciousness occurs. She is a natural born, pragmatic, mystic and teacher who shares her message worldwide via public lectures, teaching, keynote addresses, and wisdom talks. Many of which benefit independent spiritual centers. The fusion of her unique lyrical prose style with her transmission of the unseen brings a sense of discovery to all audiences. Christina was initiated as a medicine woman by the Q’ero Indians of the High Andes and has worked closely with them for 25 years. Inspired by the cultural shifts and changing human values on a planetary scale, she is dedicated to cultivating and awakening the potency of the human spirit. Christina maintains a small consultation practice along with her teaching commitments. Websites: christinadonnell.com For discussion of this interview, click here. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded August 26, 2017. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save

Gloria Agrelius, (Gloriji), had been a bartender for more than 25 years and owned a blues biker bar. In 1999 her brother died of an overdose. Upon hearing the news, her mother died of a heart attack the following day. Gloriji closed the bar, went home, and fell apart. She writes, “It felt like I was dropping through a dark space, feet first -- rapidly dropping. I couldn't find anything to hold onto. It felt like I was being stripped of everything that made me me. It was all gone.” While on her knees crying out for help, the room she was in filled with radiant light and she recognized herself as that light. An overwhelming sense that all is well filled her being. She told the light that while she didn't know what this was, she would dedicate the rest of her life to finding out. A thirst for truth filled her heart and gave her strength to step more deeply into the unknown. She spent the next decade deepening and healing. While on retreat with Adyashanti, after hearing of her awakening experiences, Adya encouraged her to share herself with others. Adya’s encouragement helped her to trust the strange new territory of teacher, mentor, healer... all held lightly in the open hand and heart that knows there is no other than the Supreme Reality... the Mystery she has come to Love. Website: gloriji.com For discussion of this interview, click here. Transcript of this interview Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save

James Wood works with groups and individuals to discover the fundamental Reality of our essential nature. Having awakened in 2002 after years of study, he began to express a spontaneous teaching whose form continues to evolve. His message is that awakening is possible for anyone committed to finding Truth. Originally, James studied philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin and transformational studies with Richard Moss, M.D. He has combined his education and experience to express a modern, integrated vehicle for others to use as a means of growth in consciousness leading to awakening. He is dedicated to communicating the essence of the true Teaching to those who are ready to receive it. Book: Ten Paths to Freedom: Awakening Made Simple Website: jameswoodteachings.com Discussion of this in interview in the BatGap Community Facebook group. Transcript of this interview Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save

Trained in the 90’s as a teacher in spiritual therapy. The search stopped, among other ‘things’, mainly through the confrontation with Nisargadatta’s I am That, and Ramana Maharshi’s glare and words and the spontaneous recognition of Awareness (Consciousness) as reality. ‘After’ that awakening the ‘I Am/Consciousness’ was recognized to be the first identification. Since ’98 Hans has led hundreds of satsangs, retreats and private sessions. He published eight books and a booklet, many many articles and columns, YouTube satsang video’s (one in English) and seven homemade music cd’s. Hans is sometimes judged as being too confrontational or direct, or, more kindly, as very clear. On the other hand people credit him for his creativity and patience. Funny, right? The following points and others reflecting Hans' perspective were discussed in the interview: When spirituality is not alarming, it’s not worth mentioning. Burn-out is never about work. It’s a spiritual crisis. Not feeling and listening leads to inauthenticity which at a certain point makes the ‘soul’ scream for change. Self-inquiry is for internal use only. Not for beating others down, or to be used as an excuse for lousy behavior. Becoming aware isn’t necessarily pleasant. It will always bring clarity though. Reality is never a problem until we start to project our beliefs, fears, expectations and judgments onto it. You are far too much interested in solutions, and in the meantime it is your mind (what you believe) who is creating the trouble in the first place. Ego-mind has only two modes: trying to get something and trying to get rid of something. Spirituality based on this doesn’t deserve the name. Unresolved issues keep you from being truly present and real. Avoidance is one of the most weakening tributes of identification with the mind. A lot of (your) spirituality is insincere. It’s mostly based on trying to get rid of something, avoiding authenticity, masking what is really there, taking on a new persona. Not feeling things fully. Not facing facts. Trying to force an outcome. Overreacting and looking for approval. All signs of immaturity. Sub-human attitudes. What you truly are has never been hurt or treated badly, it’s not lacking anything. It’s completely free, whole and shining. NOW. ALREADY. It’s fearless! Website: hanslaurentius.nl English section of website. Private Skype Sessions with Hans (in English) will become available in September 2017 for those outside The Netherlands and Belgium. Please check the ‘English’ Section on the website for details. Transcript of this interview. Discussion of this in interview in the BatGap Community Facebook group. Interview recorded 8/5/2017. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save Save

Sri M - spiritual guide, social reformer and educationist – was born into a Muslim family on November 6, 1949 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. His transformational journey, from a young boy to a living yogi, is a fascinating story symbolized by single-minded discipline and dedication. Entranced by mystical stories of Sufi saints and a brief encounter with a numinous Swami at a relatively young age, he was not only drawn to the ‘truth’ but also the compelling landscape of the snow-clad Himalayas. At the age of nine, his spiritual transformation was initiated by his future Master, Babaji (also known as Maheshwarnath Babaji), who miraculously appeared under a jackfruit tree in the compound of his house in Thiruvananthapuram. Though only fleeting, this meeting definitively set the stage for their future reunion in the Himalayas at Sri M’s age of nineteen. The next three and half years, he lived and travelled extensively through the Himalayas with his Master. Maheshwarnath Babaji guided him right through his initiation, his Kundalini awakening, the grueling journey to Tholingmutt and, the eventual meeting with the Grand Master, Sri Guru Babaji also known as Sri Mahavatar Babaji. A few years after his Master passed away, he received the spiritual go-ahead to commence his mission. In 1998, he started his teachings, eventually leading to formation of the Satsang Foundation. In response to a query on the spiritual progress of a person and the path to that evolution, he responds, “Though, my parampara is kriya yoga, I don’t think it suits all aspirants. I propound satsang even between two people. It cuts across barriers of caste and creed. Spiritual evolution is not diverse from regular living. Intervals of solitude are necessary but you cannot shut yourself totally. The world around you is your touchstone to spiritual practice.” Conversant with teachings of most major religions, Sri M says: “Go to the core. Theories are of no use.” His message seeks to transcend the outer-shell of all religions, by exploring their mystical core to nurture the innate goodness in every human being. Website: satsang-foundation.org Books: Journey Continues: A Sequel To Apprenticed To A Himalayan Master Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master: A Yogi's Autobiography Wisdom of the Rishis: The Three Upanishads: Ishavasya, Kena & Mandukya Jewel in the Lotus: Deeper Aspects of Hinduism The Little Guide To Greater Glory And A Happier Life First Batgap interview with Sri M. Discussion of this in interview in the BatGap Community Facebook group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 7/30/2017 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save Save

Stephen D'Amico is a spiritual teacher, mystical poet, and author. At age 22, Stephen went through a profound spiritual transformation that culminated in a permanent realization of his true nature. Since then his life has been devoted to understanding the spiritual path from an evolutionary perspective and helping others reconnect with their true nature to help bring about a global awakening in human consciousness. The main way he does this is through the direct transmission of the enlightened state of being, which connects others with their own true nature. In the past, Stephen has worked in the field of conflict resolution and restorative justice as a mediator, facilitator, trainer, and project leader for youth social action groups. He has also taught at both the elementary and high school levels, focusing on the special needs of students with learning disabilities. Currently, he and his wife, Aniko, run Millwood Melt, a lively grilled cheese restaurant in their beloved community of Leaside, in Toronto. Customers and students playfully refer to Stephen as "the grilled cheese guru." When not feeding bodies, Stephen lives and breathes to feed souls. He currently hosts transformational gatherings/satsang and offers individuals enlightened guidance and support via phone, Skype, or in person. He is the author of two books: The Incredible State of Absolute Nothingness: A Personal Account of Spiritual Enlightenment Heaven on Earth: A Guide to Enlightenment & Human Unity. Website: stephendamico.com Facebook Page Discussion of this in interview in the BatGap Community Facebook page. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 7/23/2017 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

Hoksila Lakota, commonly known as Lakota John is a Native American whose heritage comes from Oklahoma and the Great Plains of North America. Many generations ago his people lived in harmony with all things Universal, "uni" meaning One and "verse" being Song. When a system came in that crippled the people, making them dependent, some stayed and accepted the system, and some left seeking broader horizons. Rejecting the life of poverty and struggle he was born into, as a young man Lakota John fully embraced the illusion of glamour, bright lights, and the fast pace of a big city. Trading in his cultural identity and the ways of his ancestors - a way of prayer and Spirit - he was lured by the seductive power of the city’s underworld, chasing the counterfeit lifestyle of money and self-gain. After traveling down many dead-end roads in a reckless disregard for life, the light finally dawned, and Lakota awakened to the prompting of Spirit and ancient ancestors calling him back to the Red Road of Sobriety. Finding his innocence, or inner sense, by working through his past, he began to walk the straight and narrow path that leads to the sacred Tree of Life and reunion with the Highest Good, God or Wakan Tanka. The impact his own restoration had on his life moved him to reach out to others, and ever since he has been involved in the mental health sector and working with keepers of the sacred pathways and knowledge for over twenty years. Through the lifestyle he once lived he is able to recognize the unseen enemy that binds and captivates the soul of man and woman through separation, suppression, and sedation. Using the time-tested spiritual wisdom of his ancestors he helps guide others back from the dark world that he himself used to live in; the world of illusion, delusion, and separation. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 6/10/2017 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Jude Currivan, Ph.D., is a cosmologist, planetary healer, futurist, author and previously one of the most senior business women in the UK, as CFO and Executive Board Member of two major international companies. She has a Master’s degree in Physics from Oxford University specializing in quantum physics and cosmology, and a Doctorate in Archaeology from the University of Reading in the UK researching ancient cosmologies. She has traveled to more than 70 countries, worked with wisdom keepers from many traditions, and been a life-long researcher into the scientific and experiential understanding of the nature of reality. The author of 6 books, her latest being The Cosmic Hologram: In-formation at the Center of Creation (2017) she is a member of the Evolutionary Leaders Circle, and lives in Wiltshire England. Website: judecurrivan.com Books: The Cosmic Hologram: In-formation at the Center of Creation CosMos: A Co-creator's Guide to the Whole World The 13th Step: A Global Journey in Search of Our Cosmic Destiny The 8th Chakra: What It Is and How It Can Transform Your Life The Wave : A Life Changing Journey into the Heart and Mind of the Cosmos Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded July 1, 2017 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

Together, Bill & Patricia support you to build a foundation, providing tools for strength in the emotional and spiritual domain, yielding flow and freedom to be who you have come here to be. A life of awakening is not one in which we never fall into a dark valley, it is one in which when we fall, we have learned how to move through it. We develop emotional muscle in order to rise. This is the inner work of the soul. Bill & Patricia guide you to that which is unhealed, exposing how these hurts and emotions rule our lives. You are able to face yourself, learn to untangle from these aspects that have a powerful impact and influence. In the discovery of new awareness and integration you begin to experience wholeness. Embrace all emotion, letting go of resistance and live in the present moment. With sensitivity, strength and skill, Bill and Patricia facilitate working through levels of trauma, pain, grief and anger in order to guide people to their own divine nature. As these wounds heal, you are able to discover the depths of self-acceptance and forgiveness. Website: evolutionoftheheart.com Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 6/25/2017 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

Tony Samara, author of ‘Shaman's Wisdom,’ ‘The Simplicity of Love Meditation,’ ‘Different Yet the Same,’ ‘Discover Your Inner Buddha’ and 10 other titles, spent his early years in England, Egypt and also in Norway, where he discovered the Zen Buddhist philosophy. This discovery eventually led him to the Mount Baldy Zen Centre in California, USA, where he received the spiritual teachings of Roshi Sasaki. His first spiritual teacher, at the age of 12, was the question - Who Am I? - and for a few years, he immersed himself more deeply into this question. He had the curiosity to explore further the essence of spirituality and ventured to many different countries, learning much about the various spiritual traditions and cultures, in a non-dualistic and open-minded way. Whilst making pilgrimages to numerous sacred sites in India and other parts of the world, Tony was able to dwell deeply upon the ancient Vedic and Jain philosophies and various mystical practices and work profoundly with the essence of these teachings. Now people from all over the world visit Tony Samara to take spiritual guidance and experience being in his presence. Tony Samara believes that: “The vast majority of people go through life without directly experiencing the depth of their true self or understanding their connection to life or their relationship to others and to the world at large. We are often taught to only relate to the world through our senses. We think, we reason, we feel - but we do not know from our hearts what it means to be connected to what is beyond the senses.” He recognises that direct experiences have the potential to radically transform an individual and his or her life, as well as promote a profound and effortless letting go of past emotional, mental and physical pain and suffering. His main countries of activity are in Europe, yet with the assistance of the Internet he is attracting a global audience through frequent online events and interviews. He encourages all to lead their lives actively in a noble way in order to realise the evolution of human consciousness. Verbal dialogue is not the essence of his teachings, but he explains in a direct and simple way that everyone can understand, how each individual can practically integrate greater acceptance, peace and joy into their daily lives. Tony Samara teaches with humour, humility and with infinite patience, empowering the individual with courage, trust and inner strength to continue on this journey back into wholeness, a path that leads towards real freedom. Website: tonysamara.com Interview recorded 6/18/2017. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

During Suzanne’s first interview we discussed general philosophical points about her journey and the nature of her work. Since her work involves communication with the other side, we felt that a second interview highlighting evidence that this communication actually occurs would be a good follow up. Suzanne relays numerous accounts from her readings that beautifully illustrate and demonstrate evidence of genuine communication with loved ones who have departed. Suzanne Giesemann, M.A., is a spiritual teacher, an evidence-based medium, and the author of eleven books, including Messages of Hope and Wolf’s Message. She is a former U.S. Navy Commander who served as a commanding officer, special assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations, and as aide to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Suzanne’s gift of communication with those on the other side provides stunning evidence of life after death and of our connection with the greater reality. She brings messages of hope, healing, and love that go straight to the heart. Her work has been recognized as highly credible by afterlife researcher Dr. Gary Schwartz, Ph.D., and best-selling author Dr. Wayne Dyer. For more about Suzanne’s work, visit SuzanneGiesemann.com. Some of Suzanne’s other books and DVDs: In the Silence: 365 Days of Inspiration from Spirit “Let Your Spirit S.O.A.R. – the Four Keys to Your Personal Breakthrough” – 6 DVD set with workbook The Priest and the Medium: The Amazing True Story of Psychic Medium B. Anne Gehman and Her Husband, Former Jesuit Priest Wayne Knoll, Ph.D. First BatGap interview with Suzanne Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded 6/4/2017 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save Save

Jeannie Zandi is the director of Living as Love, a nonprofit organization dedicated to seeding a culture of the Heart on the planet, inspiring, teaching and supporting people to live from their essence as Love. A year before the birth of her daughter, Jeannie was plunged into a dark night of the soul that culminated in a radical shift of consciousness. She is known for her fearless clarity, tender mercy toward humanness, and a juicy, poetic and often humorous style that draws from Advaita Vedanta, Sufism, Christian mysticism and the ongoing revelation of fully engaged living. Residing in Colorado, she travels widely in the US, bringing a down-to-earth embodied teaching of living as love. Website: jeanniezandi.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview conducted 5/27/2017 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

After connecting with Joel Goldsmiths' teachings in 1987, Pernilla had a life-changing awakening, realizing Love is All there is. After the initial three months' free Bliss ride, she went straight from heaven to hell for the next many months. This started her journey back Home, learning step-by-step how to arrive with all parts intact - none left behind - with her Heart as her Teacher. This journey Home includes teachers like Joel S. Goldsmith, Barry Long, the Ayahuasca plant, Gangaji, Adyashanti, The Hakomi training, Deeksha, and Dr. Joe Dispenza. All these wonderful teachers helped her get more stabilized as Presence and realize the healing and transforming power of Self Love, dissolving the misperceived duality into embodied Oneness. Out of this journey emerged the simple 'how-to' steps, which are incorporated in her life and work. Pernilla is a certified Hakomi Practitioner with a private practice in the Santa Cruz mountains. She is a meditation teacher at UCSC and founder of 'Women Standing For Love/Young Women Empowerment Circle.' She calls herself a Self Love Mystic & Mentor and loves to support her clients bridging the gap between who they truly are and who they think they are or - should be. Website: divinefeminineflow.com Books: Imagine Being Kind to Yourself -- Inner Peace at Last 5 Steps To Dive Into The Divine Feminine Flow (free) Women Standing For Love (free) Interview recorded 5/20/2017 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

Ivan Rados (Atma) is a meditation master who was born in Former Yugoslavia. At the age of 42 he experienced a profound inner awakening that changed his perception of himself and the reality, after which Atma was devoted to integrating his knowing into his being, marking the beginning of a movement towards the inner point, which he calls The Middle Point. He started teaching meditation regularly from his healing studio in Vancouver. As a healer, Atma is a true master of both himself and his life. Ivan asserts that he heals no one but simply helps people heal themselves through the power of Consciousness. His journey reads like a book of miracles, which he modestly labels “ordinarinesses.” The wisdom he shares comes from his deep roots in the One-Self, the source of everything. Atma has assisted thousands in reconnecting with their state of health, in personal, group and long-distance sessions. Atma is not associated with any particular spiritual movement, religion or tradition. Atma's deep and authentic rooting in the unknown provides him the insight and ability to be of great service to the evolution of Consciousness in these most transformative of times. Ivan travels extensively, taking his knowingness throughout the world, facilitating meditation classes, talks, intensives, and retreats. ivanrados.com middlepointpublishing.com facebook.com/ivanradosart twitter.com/ivanrados issuu.com/ivanrados Books: Transform Your Life Through Sacred Geometry Health: It's All About Consciousness The Middle Point Create Yourself - Secrets of Self Discovery and Healing with Sacred Geometry Transcript of this interview Interview conducted 5/13/2017 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

Mike Jenkins trained as an actor and has worked in theatres in London and around the UK. He later worked as a performing arts teacher and customer services trainer and now creates and manages websites to help people connect with their audience. He has written two stage plays, a growing collection of poetry, and has always been drawn to expressing his own perception and perspectives and exploring those of others, through the creative arts. Mike loves to talk, sing, walk, read, write, cook, eat, sleep, and to help others feel and know the deep joy, grace, and peace at the centre of all life. After many years of mental and emotional distress in his 20's and a diagnosis of cancer at the age of 29, Mike began an intense spiritual search that led him to teachings on nonduality that sparked a series of awakenings and set him on a journey to integrate those shifts into everyday life. Website: heartofpresence.co.uk Books: The Nonduality Diary: A journal of awakening happening The Escape Artist's Handbook: Re-discovering the simple joy of being Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 5/6/2017 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save

His teachings are simple, but profound: You have forgotten your Real Self. You are that abode of Supreme Peace. Through meditation, devotion and selfless service this illusory ego can be removed, and your true immortal nature of Supreme Peace and Permanent Happiness realized. His Holiness Shri Shivarudra Balayogi (affectionately known as Baba Maharaj) is a Self Realized Yogi - one who has completed the path of Yoga and attained union with the Supreme Consciousness. A direct disciple of Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj, He entered His Guru's service at the age of 19 and was later initiated into Sanyas, a monastic life of pure devotion and service. He was placed in charge of the Dehra Dun Ashram where He spent 20 years absorbed in intense spiritual practice, combining selfless service, devotion to His Guru and deep meditation. Following the Mahasamadhi (the passing from this world's physical form) of His Guru in 1994, Shri Shivarudra Balayogi was initiated into the spiritual practice of Tapas, in which He meditated for an average of 20 hours a day continually for the next 5 years. The culmination of this was the attainment of the goal of all spirituality - Self Realization, the permanent union of the mind with the Supreme Peace of Infinite Pure Consciousness. He now travels the world carrying on His Guru's mission of teaching dhyana meditation, true devotion and selfless service. Baba Maharaj is the embodiment of gentleness and compassion. His life itself is His teaching: devotion, selfless service to humanity and unrelenting effort in striving for spiritual perfection. Shri Babaji offers initiation, freely and without obligation, into the technique of dhyana meditation which He used to achieve Self Realization. He engages audiences worldwide with His profound spiritual insight, drawn from deep personal experience rather than scriptural study. His teachings are the purest form of the sublime philosophy of Self Realization taught by the ancient Sages of India. Website: shivarudrabalayogi.org Books: His Master's Grace: The Tapas Experiences of Shri Shiva Rudra Balayogi Maharaj The Peace Within Viveka Choodamani: The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination Shiva Hara Gurudeva The Path Supreme Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded 5/1/2017 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

David Robert Loy is a professor, writer, and Zen teacher in the Sanbo Kyodan tradition of Japanese Zen Buddhism. He is a prolific author, whose essays and books have been translated into many languages. His articles appear regularly in the pages of major journals and Buddhist magazines. He is on the editorial or advisory boards of the journals Cultural Dynamics, Worldviews, Contemporary Buddhism, Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, and World Fellowship of Buddhists Review. He is also on the advisory boards of Buddhist Global Relief, the Clear View Project, Zen Peacemakers, and the Ernest Becker Foundation.” For more details about his teachings, visit his website or his YouTube channel. He also has an extensive audio/video library on his website. Books: A New Buddhist Path: Enlightenment, Evolution, and Ethics in the Modern World The World Is Made of Stories Lack and Transcendence: The Problem of Death and Life in Psychotherapy, Existentialism, and Buddhism Money, Sex, War, Karma: Notes for a Buddhist Revolution Nonduality: A Study in Comparative Philosophy The Great Awakening: A Buddhist Social Theory Awareness Bound and Unbound: Buddhist Essays A Buddhist History of the West (Suny Series in Religious Studies) A Buddhist Response to the Climate Emergency Transcript of this interview Previous Batgap discussion involving David. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

Jacqueline Maria Longstaff began having peak experiences at an early age. She held her first spiritual service - for kids - at age 7. She had a huge heart opening at age 19, but not knowing where to go with this, became a Catholic for a few years and taught in Africa. However, soon she was drawn towards the teachings of the East. The need for religion of any kind dropped after an awakening at the Osho ashram in 1979. 1980 saw the beginning of some powerful connections with inter-dimensional beings as preparation for her future work. She was officially an Osho sannyasin for almost 4 years, but her real guru was Swami Devadas, one of Osho's earliest disciples. She began guiding others in 1979 and has held courses, retreats, and satsangs in many countries. She has been a speaker at conferences in several countries throughout the last 25 years. In 2003 she began creating an Ashram near the sacred hill Arunachala in South India. For 7 years she produced and hosted 2-hour radio programs for Radio Lotus in Copenhagen. She has held three fifteen-month Cosmic Airport training courses - mainly in Scandinavia - training people to assist with conscious birthing, dying, transformation and transcendence. Her education includes a teaching degree, astrological and esoteric studies, astro- psychology and spiritual psychology studies, and much more. Website: cosmicairport.com Books: The Cosmic Airport - A vision whose time has come The Last Waltz: The Enlightened Consciousness Embracing the Collective Shadow Relationship as a Spiritual Pathway: Moving from RelationSHIT to true RelationSHIP Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 4/15/2017 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save

Pamela Wilson celebrates 20 years of being on the road worldwide sharing Truth, Clarity, Love and the Joy of Being. Her new book The Golden Retriever's Guide to Joy is a distillation of everything she has noticed within, reading the Book of Life, within Stillness. She delights in getting to the Heart of the Matter, literally, finding the intelligent presence within all form and function. And then showing it its true nature.So, that emotion, sensation, the body and the mind can also return and stabilize as balanced rooted spaciousness. Join the fun, Life is simple within its complexity! Website Previous interview with Pamela Interview recorded 4/11/2017 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save

There is some controversy surrounding Culadasa. Here's a message from the organization he headed: Important Message from the Dharma Treasure Board of Directors His 33-page response and much discussion can be found on this Reddit board. Culadasa (John Yates, Ph.D.) was the director of Dharma Treasure Buddhist Sangha in Tucson, Arizona and author of The Mind Illuminated: A Complete Meditation Guide Integrating Buddhist Wisdom and Brain Science for Greater Mindfulness. A meditation master with over four decades of experience in the Tibetan and Theravadin Buddhist traditions, Culadasa also taught physiology and neuroscience for many years. He combines the original teachings of the Buddha with an emerging, scientific understanding of the mind to give students a rich and rare opportunity for rapid progress and profound insight. Website YouTube Channel Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded 4/1/2017 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save

Charles Eisenstein is a speaker and writer focusing on themes of human culture and identity. He is the author of several books, most recently Sacred Economics and The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible. His background includes a degree in mathematics and philosophy from Yale, a decade in Taiwan as a translator, and stints as a college instructor, a yoga teacher, and a construction worker. He currently writes and speaks full-time. He lives in Asheville, North Carolina with his wife and four children. Websites: charleseisenstein.org sacred-economics.com "More Beautiful World" Facebook page Other Books: The Ascent of Humanity: Civilization and the Human Sense of Self (Related website and free book online.) The Yoga of Eating: Transcending Diets and Dogma to Nourish the Natural Self Transformational Weight Loss Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 3/25/2017 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

Gabor is a spirited coach who frees people from thought addiction, allowing consciousness to awaken and to become the real guide. Gabor nearly lost his life escaping from communist Hungary at the age of 18. He arrived in Canada with a single-minded and insatiable thirst for his first love - power and material wealth. At the age of 30, he was already a multi-millionaire, had his black belt in Hap-Kido, and had degrees in business and engineering. However, he was not at all happy. And so, Gabor turned to his 2nd love - spirituality. He resided with and was initiated by a Shaman in Ecuador, lived in a forest in the U.S., all the while, attending Ramtha's School of Enlightenment. He also studied with teachers such as Burt Harding and Bob Proctor, and took every new age seminar within shooting distance. All these served as soul searching pacifiers with an occasional glimmer of "What a great experience! If only I could hang on to it a bit longer." Finally, at the age of 40, Gabor found his true Master - suffering. His suffering came in the forms of heartbreak, the loss of his family and his entire fortune, and suicidal depression. Through the grace of this newfound master, Gabor was now able to surrender to his third and ultimate love - Presence, the silence of nothing, where the capitulated mind takes a back seat and becomes the servant. Having deepened his presence and integrating it into his life, Gabor developed many techniques and the ability to teach the indescribable. For the past 10 years, he has been offering seminars and private sessions, online and in several countries around the globe. In these sessions, Gabor not only guides people and teaches the techniques he has developed, but he also helps them deal with the mind’s onslaughts by proxy. Website: gaborharsanyi.com Facebook page Interview recorded 3/18/2017 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save

Six years after the suicide of her father, in one moment her own intense suffering was swapped for mind-blowing joy, altering her life permanently. Happiness and peace became her predominant states. Laughter exploded at the simplicity and power of the shift, and tears of gratitude flowed. Understandings began to come about how we have been living backwards, how we have mistaken the outside for the inside, and how we have tethered ourselves to the uncontrollable winds of change in the midst of freedom—and how we can return to truth, sanity, and peace. She dropped everything she was doing to show people how to feel good no matter what because when you shift your state, problems dissolve, villains become victims, and compassion kicks in. So much gratitude came with this revelation, she began helping people awaken love and joy in their lives. Months after discovering joy, one day in the woods she was knocked to her knees by an explosion of love that ended the imaginary separation of self and other, speech fell away, and all she could do was laugh and cry at the cosmic joke. Forty years of self baggage suddenly fell away. The thinker and speaker she thought she was, was gone. Yet the Self remained. Cindy is writing about that “direct seeing” of Self in a third book she is working on. She is the author of Alchemy - How to Feel Good No Matter What, and The Happiness Lie: What Generations Have Been Told That Makes You Unhappy. Website: alchemylovejoy.com Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 3/11/2017. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

Spiritual midwife, evolutionary, healer, author, and artist, Peter Cutler had a profound awakening experience at the tender age of twenty-two. Ten days after it began, he promptly fell back into the dream state most us consider our lives. Not having a clue what had happened, he began a spiritual search that took him through many spiritual teachers, practices, and traditions, finally flowering as this great light of profound peace, unconditional love, freedom, and contentment. As he first discovered at twenty-two, the radiance of this awake being seems to have a profound effect on people, often leading to remarkable healings. This made it crystal clear that we don't awaken for ourselves alone. As a spiritual midwife, for those who are ready, he assists in the birth of the awakened nature that lies within each of us. He offers weekly teachings, healing, Living Awake groups, retreats, and private sessions at his spiritual center in Sedona, Arizona (The Sedona Zendo of the Awakened Heart) or online. His first book The Zen of Love: Discover Your Own Awakened Heart is available on Amazon. Free digital download of the book. Learn more about Peter and his work at His website Art to Enlighten You The Enlightened Way YouTube channel Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 3/4/2017. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

Brian Yosef Schachter-Brooks is a Jewish spiritual teacher, musician, and founder of Torah of Awakening (2006). He has taught this Jewish Path of Presence to hundreds of students around the world through workshops, retreats, and his on-line program. He also served as clergy and sacred music director at Chochmat HaLev synagogue in Berkeley, California (2000- 2016). He received s'micha (ordination) as Minister of Sacred Music from Reb Zalman Schachter Shalomi z"l (2013), Spiritual Teacher from Rabbi SaraLeya Schley and Shaykh Ibrahim Baba Farajaje (2013), Jewish Meditation Teacher from Dr. Avram Davis (2004) and holds a Bachelor in Music from the Eastman School of Music (1991). He lives in Tucson, Arizona with wife Lisa and their two children. Website: torahofawakening.com Transcript of this interview Interview conducted 2/26/2017 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

Duane Elgin is an internationally recognized speaker, author, and social visionary. He has an MBA in business and an MA in economic history He has worked as a senior staff member of the Presidential Commission on the American Future, and a senior social scientist co-authoring numerous studies of the long-range future for clients such as the President’s Science Advisor; the National Science Foundation; and others. Duane has also co-founded three non-profit organizations working for media accountability and citizen empowerment. He received the Peace Prize of Japan, the Goi Award, in recognition of his contribution to a global “vision, consciousness, and lifestyle” that fosters a “more sustainable and spiritual culture.” Duane is the Co-director of the Choosing Earth Project. His books include: Choosing Earth: Humanity's Journey of Initiation Through Breakdown and Collapse to Mature Planetary Community "The Living Universe: Where Are We? Who Are We? Where Are We Going?"; "Promise Ahead: A Vision of Hope and Action for Humanity's Future"; "Voluntary Simplicity: Toward a Way of Life That Is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich"; and "Awakening Earth: Exploring the Evolution of Human Culture and Consciousness" (Also available as a free download on Duane's site.) He co-authored the book "Changing Images of Man" with Joseph Campbell and other scholars. In addition, Duane has contributed chapters to twenty-three books and has published more than a hundred major articles. Websites: choosingearth.org duaneelgin.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview 2nd interview with Duane Interview recorded 2/18/2017. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

On 10/21/2016 at the Science and Nonduality Conference, Loch Kelly, Mukti, and Francis Bennett discuss the paradoxical understanding reflected in the famous Heart Sutra’s saying, "Form is emptiness and emptiness is form. Form is none other than emptiness and emptiness is none other than form.” They have noticed that many people get caught halfway after an initial awakening in a kind of spiritual bypass: stuck in stillness, spaced-out, blissed-in, or attached to the conceptual belief that “I am nobody." What are the pointers and supports to realize the already manifest life arising out of the unmanifest awareness? They give examples of the fullness of waking up from a limited sense of self to pure awareness, then also waking in to our bodies and waking out to relating and creating in the world. Loch, Mukti, and Francis discuss the importance of the dancing emptiness of embodiment and how to live from open-hearted awareness. Mukti, whose name means “liberation”, is a teacher in the lineage of Adyashanti, her husband. Together they founded Open Gate Sangha in 1996 to cultivate the awakening of consciousness in those who yearn for truth, peace, and freedom. In teaching, Mukti brings flavors of feminine quietude and nurturing as well as kinesthetic, visual, and precise pointers to Truth. Many speak of her being particularly gifted in her offering of guided meditations. Her keen interest as a teacher is in the revelation of consciousness touching and transforming human experience. She is licensed in acupuncture and certified in yoga instruction. For sample teachings, audio clips and downloads, and further information, visit muktisource.org. AudioBook: The Self in Full Bloom Previous BatGap interview with Mukti Francis Bennett entered the Trappist Abbey of Gethsemane in 1981 and in the ’90s subsequently lived at a “daughter house” of Gethsemane in Moncks Corner, South Carolina. Until recently, he was living in a small urban monastery in Montreal Quebec. He has been a “spiritual seeker” during all those years, practicing in the Christian mystical/contemplative Tradition and working deeply with teachers in both the Vipassana and Zen Traditions as well. In 2010 he experienced a profound perceptual “shift” in which he realized the ever-present presence of pure Awareness, which some would call, the Presence of God. Francis’ book: “I Am That I Am: Discovering the Love, Peace, Joy, and Stability of the True Self“. Previous BatGap interviews involving Francis: With John Mark Stroud With Adyashanti on “Resurrecting Jesus” In Panel Discussion on Refined Perception With Jac O’Keeffe and Igor Kufayev at the SAND conference In Panel at Sofia U. Part 1 | Part 2 With Adyashanti on "The Embrace of Jesus and Buddha" Loch Kelly, M.Div., LCSW is the author of, Shift into Freedom: The Science and Practice of Open-Hearted Awareness. He is an educator, licensed psychotherapist, and recognized leader in the field of nondual meditation who was asked to teach Sutra Mahamudra by Mingyur Rinpoche and nondual meditation by Adyashanti. Loch has worked in community mental health, established homeless shelters, and counseled family members of 9/11. He is the founder of the non-profit Open-Hearted Awareness Institute. Loch collaborates with neuroscientists at Yale, UPenn, and NYU to study how awareness training can enhance compassion and well-being. For more information, visit lochkelly.org. Previous BatGap interview with Loch. Transcript of this discussion Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Nicola Amadora Ph.D. traveled far on her search for the truth of life and real love. The fire was burning strong, as her upbringing had been fraught with intense abuse and horrors. When 18 years old, she worked with Mother Theresa in Calcutta, studied with Tibetan Monks, meditated in Hindu Ashrams, and lived with the indigenous people in the Amazon. She learnt from living saints, nature and people on the street. Later she became a Dharma teacher in the Vipassana Tradition, an Interfaith Minister, a Transpersonal Psychologist and Hakomi Therapist. As a single mother she raised a daughter and led an educational center, which united spirituality with our humanity, leadership, relationship and activism. Her life and work is a rich banquet, one which includes many facets of life. Nicola’s awakenings occurred alone in the wilderness and on busy city roads, always with the call to integrate and embody it in daily life. On her journey she experienced immense wonders and terrors, held in an ever-growing sense of love. But one day, when literally everything in her life was ruthlessly stripped away, in sheer despair and finally surrender, she felt a deep merging and all came rushing home. Human and divine was not separated, but one in the heart of life. Nicola speaks from the juicy voice of the feminine, she does not claim to be enlightened, but rather walks her talk as a mystic in ordinary life. She teaches from deep love and alive presence - one that embraces the muck and beauty of this life and dares to stand and act in this world to make a difference. Nicola offers spiritual retreats, professional trainings, individual sessions, and public talks. She writes and supports people to come home and embody who we are - in the world and with each other - to let love live us, in the midst of the whole enchilada, no matter what is going on. Website: nicolaamadora.com Book: Nothing but Love: Poetry CD's: Meditations for Life Return to the Heart Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 2/11/2017. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save

Mari Perron tells us she’s delighted that A Course of Love has granted her a voice in the new dialogue that has opened about who we are as human and divine beings. She feels that the wisdom of the heart—a major focus of A Course of Love—has at times been missing from the conversation, and loves being able to speak for both the heart and the “human.” A question asked within A Course of Love is this: Doesn’t it make sense that the only error possible is that of not being who you are? Mari is called the “first receiver” of this Course that was given as an extension of what was begun in A Course in Miracles. A Course in Miracles was recorded by Helen Schucman in the late 60’s and early 70’s. Helen was called a scribe of the words of Jesus which, since that time, have gone out to millions of people all over the world. A Course in Miracles was stated to be a course in thought reversal and mind training. Within A Course of Love, which Mari received between 1998 and 2001, Jesus calls Mari its “first” receiver and says that each person who lets it enter their heart is a receiver as well. Its stated purpose is a return to a true identity that existed prior to the time of learning, and it calls for learning to end. Mari feels that in a world that has told us everything we need to know can be known with our minds and/or learned from teachers, experts and gurus, we’ve often felt discouraged from listening to our hearts or trusting our inner knowing. A Course of Love offers a new way of knowing and invites us to enter dialogue and become creators of the new. Originally published as three separate books, A Course of Love has now been combined into one volume, which includes The Course, The Treatises, and The Dialogues. Since this new publication a few years ago, it has found acceptance with many in the ACIM community, and, like A Course in Miracles, begun to inspire people around the world. Mari lives in St. Paul, Minnesota where she is a writer and contemplative as well as an engaged mother and grandmother. Websites: acourseoflove.org centerforacourseoflove.org Books: A Course of Love: Combined Volume A Course of Love: The Course A Course of Love: An Overview Transcript of this interview Interview conducted 2/4/2017 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save Save

ShantiMayi has been, what she calls 'mirroring' … for well over two decades. American born, living in France and India, she has traveled the world to remind those who are remembering, who wonder and are drawn by their heart to the ancient wisdom of Self Realization. She had the rare and unusual opportunity to sequester herself for many years in India at the feet of her Master. There she learned, unlearned and experienced directly, her Master's directives. In that awe inspiring atmosphere, her work had its inception and has gone full throttle ever since. She carries the Sacha Linage to the world and does not consider herself a Hindu. Yet, she grew in awareness, love and wisdom in the rich and fertile furrows of India's venerable spiritual heritage. Websites: wanderingstarrs.com shantimayi.com Book: In Our Hearts We Know Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded 1/28/2017 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save

Dr. Jeffery A. Martin is a founder of the Transformative Technology space, and a social scientist who researches personal transformation and the states of greatest human well-being. He's spent the last decade conducting the largest international study on persistent non-symbolic experience (PNSE), which includes the types of consciousness commonly known as: enlightenment, nonduality, the peace the passeth understanding, transcendental consciousness, unitive experience, and hundreds of others. More recently, he has used this research to make systems available to help people obtain profound psychological benefits in a rapid, secular, reliable, and safe way. His research began with over 1,000 individuals who claimed to experience PNSE. This resulted in a reliable, cross-cultural and pan-tradition classification system for these types experience. Jeffery's current work involves helping people use what's been learned to make the life-changing transformation into PNSE. His most recent study achieved strong validation, with over 70% of participants reaching ongoing non-symbolic experience in less than 4 months. His interest in Transformative Technology comes from a belief that findings like his can be translated into mass consumer technologies and affect billions of lives worldwide. Since 2008 he has worked to bring together the stakeholders from academia, technology, business, finance, and public policy to create a sustainable technology space that dramatically improves human well-being. A bestselling author and award-winning educator, Jeffery has authored, co-authored, or co-edited over 20 books and numerous other publications. His work has regularly been featured at leading academic conferences worldwide, as well as major public forums such as Deepak Chopra’s Sages and Scientists Symposiums, Wisdom 2.0, the Science and Nonduality Conference, the Asia Consciousness Festival, and TEDx. He has been covered in media as diverse as Fast Company, the South China Morning Post, and PBS’s Closer to Truth, and been an invited speaker at many leading universities including: Harvard, Yale, Stanford, University of California, University of London, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and the National University of Singapore. Jeffery’s academic work lies at the intersection of technology, psychology, cognitive science, neuroscience, and transformative studies. His research on non-symbolic consciousness began while he was a graduate student in Transformative Studies at CIIS and Psychology at Harvard. He is the Founding Director of the Center or the Study of Non-Symbolic Consciousness and a Research Professor and Director of the Transformative Technology Lab at Sofia University. In addition to these, he holds a number of additional appointments across a variety of institutions worldwide, and serves on many advisory boards. Websites: drjefferymartin.com nonsymbolic.org Paper summarizing Jefferey's work: A Continuum of Persistent Non-Symbolic Experiences in Adults Books: The Fourth Awakening The Gathering Darkness (The Fourth Awakening Series) The Fourth Awakening:Chronicles (4 Book Series) The God Formula: A simple scientifically proven blueprint that has transformed millions of lives (The Path of Freedom Series Book 1) Jeffery Martin in Batgap Panel discussion at Sofia U. Part 1 | Part 2 Transcript of this interview. Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group Interview recorded 1/22/2017. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

Marianne Williamson is an internationally acclaimed spiritual author and lecturer. Marianne has been a popular guest on television programs such as Oprah, Larry King Live, Good Morning America, Charlie Rose & Bill Maher. Seven of her twelve published books have been New York Times Best Sellers. Four of these have been #1. The mega best seller A Return to Love is considered a must-read of The New Spirituality. A paragraph from that book, beginning “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure…” is considered an anthem for a contemporary generation of seekers. Marianne is the founder of Sister Giant, an annual conference dedicated to forging a deeper conversation about what is happening in America today – and what we can do to change it. Speakers have included Senator Bernie Sanders, Thom Hartmann, Jean Houston, Robert Thurman, and many more. The event is livestreamed. Marianne’s other books include: The Law of Divine Compensation: On Work, Money, and Miracles Age of Miracles: Embracing the New Midlife Everyday Grace: Having Hope, Finding Forgiveness, and Making Miracles A Woman's Worth Illuminata: A Return to Prayer Healing the Soul of America: Reclaiming Our Voices as Spiritual Citizens A Course in Weight Loss: 21 Spiritual Lessons for Surrendering Your Weight Forever The Gift of Change: Spiritual Guidance for Living Your Best Life A Year of Miracles: Daily Devotions and Reflections Tears to Triumph: The Spiritual Journey from Suffering to Enlightenment Marianne is a native of Houston, Texas. In 1989, she founded Project Angel Food, a meals-on-wheels program that serves homebound people with AIDS in the Los Angeles area. To date, Project Angel Food has served over 10 million meals. Marianne also co-founded the Peace Alliance. And she serves on the Board of Directors of the RESULTS organization, working to end the worst ravages of hunger and poverty throughout the world. According to Time magazine, “Yoga, the Cabala and Marianne Williamson have been taken up by those seeking a relationship with God that is not strictly tethered to Christianity.” Website: marianne.com Marianne gives weekly talks in New York City, based on A Course in Miracles … every Tuesday night at 7:30pm, at Marble Collegiate Church, Fifth Avenue and West 29th Street. The talks are Live Streamed and so are available to everyone, everywhere. Register at marianne.com. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded January 7, 2017 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

I was hesitant to put this up because there's more than enough of me on this site, but a few kind friends encouraged me to, so here it is. I gave this talk at the Open Circle Center in Berkeley, California on October 24, 2016. Points discussed include: “Can knowledge of nonduality be scientifically understood, that is, systematically organized, tested, explained, and predicted? Science has not devised instruments capable of detecting the nondual nature of ultimate reality, but spiritual traditions discuss it extensively, and numerous followers of these traditions (and of no traditions) claim to have experienced it as their essential nature. This experience is commonly termed “awakening” or “enlightenment”. Is there a “scientific” consensus among these people? Are they referring to the same thing? Is there just one awakening, or are there many degrees of it? Buddhist, Hindu, and Christian mystical traditions tend to assert the latter. If there are many degrees or stages of awakening, do they culminate in an ultimate stage we might term “enlightenment”, or is there no ultimate? When one’s essential nature has been clearly and abidingly realized, has one reached a terminus, or do refinement, clarification, and other facets of development continue? If we see spiritual development as never-ending, will we be forever chasing the dangling carrot, or can we rest in our true nature, the seeking energy having dropped off, and yet acknowledge that compared with what might be possible, we are relative beginners? Many spiritual teachers make statements such as “This is it. You are That which you are seeking. Realize this, and you are finished.” Is such advice helpful, or does it short-change spiritual aspirants?” How might spirituality benefit from science, and vice versa? The consequences of science meddling with Laws of Nature without understanding the field in which they reside. The importance of understanding on the spiritual path. The seeming epidemic of spontaneous awakenings. Other talks by or interviews of Rick on BatGap: SAND 2019 - Knowledge/Reality is Different in Different States of Consciousness 2018 SAND Conference Q&A and Interview by Shakti Caterina Maggi SAND 2017: "The Ethics of Enlightenment" Talk at SAND 2015 Interviewed by Fax Gilbert Interviewed by Richard Miller Transcript of this talk Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

Lawrence Edwards, PhD, BCN Senior Fellow, LMHC has practiced and taught meditation for over 40 years. He is the Founder and Director of The Anam Cara Meditation Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching meditative practices from a variety of traditions. The mission of the Anam Cara Foundation is to make meditation instruction available to everyone. Lawrence has offered thousands of free meditation programs at universities, hospitals, churches, meditation centers, yoga centers, hospice groups, prisons and more. Dr. Edwards maintains a clinical practice in Armonk, NY, offering Optimal Mind® Training, transpersonal psychotherapy, spiritual mentoring, biofeedback, neurofeedback, hypnosis, peak performance training, and meditation training. He also works with people interested in spiritual growth, dream work and Kundalini processes. He has served as President of the Kundalini Research Network since 2006 and is recognized around the world for his wisdom and skill in working with Kundalini. Dr. Edwards has studied and practiced in the Kundalini yoga tradition, Tibetan Buddhist and Huichol Indian shamanic traditions. These rich reservoirs of wisdom have expanded and deepened the transpersonal and Jungian psychological perspectives of his professional training. His mystical experiences began as a young child and have continued throughout his life. They have been the real guiding force behind his studies and training. His profound experience of the Divine present in everyone, at all times, and in all places has lead him to a life of service in teaching and supporting others on their journeys into the Divine. Websites: The Soul's Journey Anam Cara The Kundalini Research Network Anam Cara Meditation Foundation's weekly virtual meditation program offering nondual teachings, meditation, and chanting practices. Led by Lawrence Edwards. Visit anamcarameditation.org for more information. Chants and meditations archived on YouTube. Books: Awakening Kundalini - The Path to Radical Freedom Awakening Kundalini - The Path to Radical Freedom (Audio Book) The Soul's Journey: Guidance from the Divine Within Kali's Bazaar Om Namah Shivaya(Meditation CD) Transcript of this interview. Interview conducted 12/17/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save Save Save

Regina Dawn Akers has been sharing spiritual teachings, organizing retreats and leading pilgrimages to holy sites in Israel and India since 2005. She’s published two books: “Holy Spirit's Interpretation of the New Testament: A Course in Understanding and Acceptance” (NTI) and “The Teachings of Inner Ramana”. Her third book “Thoughts of Awakening: 365 Thoughts for Daily Contemplation” is provided as a free e-book. Each of these books came to Regina from within through her willingness to be their scribe, student and teacher. She is a living model of their teachings and a clear channel of the deeper meaning that lies hidden beyond the written word. Regina shares insightful and consistent clarity using a variety of spiritual teachings as pointers. She is the founder of Awakening Together, a worldwide online spiritual assembly dedicated to helping people become self-reliant with inner spiritual wisdom. Awakening Together uses the teachings of many spiritual traditions to point toward one truth, one true Self, which lies peacefully within each of us. Regina is the author of Awakening Together’s 2-year Minister Preparation Program (MPP), which is a contemplative study of Truth through teachings from Hinduism, Buddhism, Sufism, Kabbalah, the Tao Te Ching, A Course in Miracles, the New Testament, and contemporary masters including Ramana Maharshi and Nisargadatta Maharaj. When she is not traveling, Regina lives a quiet life in Pueblo, Colorado. She enjoys spending time with her family, her dog and a few close friends. Regina invites everyone to enjoy the inspiration and online spiritual community provided through awakening-together.org. Written Books Holy Spirit's Interpretation of the New Testament: A Course in Understanding and Acceptance” (NTI) L'Interpretation Du Nouveau Testament Par Le Saint-Esprit (French Edition) The Teachings of Inner Ramana “Thoughts of Awakening: 365 Thoughts for Daily Contemplation” (free e-book) Les Enseignements de l'Esprit (French Edition) Audio Books HOLY SPIRIT'S INTERPRETATION OF The NEW TESTAMENT - DVD Interview recorded 12/10/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Vera Helleman is an inspiring and well-established speaker, popular in The Netherlands and Belgium. After being a psychotherapist for a while, Vera awoke into oneness and was gifted with the full understanding of the functioning of the human mind, the essence of who we are, and the role which we play in creation. Seeing from an energetic, non-dual perspective, she lovingly confronts people with their misconceptions about who they truly are and how this reality functions. Married, a mother of four, and fully engaged in daily life, people find her life an inspiring example. Though her teaching-style is clear and penetrating, she is playful and humble in her interaction with others. Interactions are thus based on equality and mutuality. Vera is author of the book ‘Effortlessly being yourSelf’, which is a step-by-step guide from an egoic orientation, based on fear and greed, to spiritual maturity, based on self-expression and growth. In her book, she encourages readers to take full responsibility for the role they play in their lives, and the path they follow. (More titles will follow soon.) In all of her teachings, Vera strives to provide insight and tools, enabling the shift to a more congruent life, and increasing understanding and enjoyment of what one attracts in one’s life. Website: verahelleman.com Interview conducted 12/3/2017. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

Shinzen Young is an American mindfulness teacher and neuroscience research consultant. His systematic approach to categorizing, adapting, and teaching meditation has resulted in collaborations with Harvard Medical School, Carnegie-Mellon University, and the University of Vermont in the burgeoning field of contemplative neuroscience. Shinzen’s interest in Asia began at the age of 14 when he decided to attend a Japanese ethnic school in his native city of Los Angeles. After majoring in Asian languages at UCLA, he entered a Ph.D. program in Buddhist Studies at the University of Wisconsin. As a part of his thesis research, he lived as a Shingon (Japanese Vajrayana) monk for three years at Mount Koya, Japan. It was then that he received the name Shinzen (真善). Also during that time, he became friends with Father William Johnston (author of Christian Zen). Fr. Johnston helped broaden Shinzen’s interests to include comparative world mysticism and the scientific study of meditative states. Upon returning to the United States, his academic interests shifted to the dialogue between Eastern meditation and Western science. Shinzen is known for his interactive, algorithmic approach to mindfulness, and often uses mathematical metaphors to illustrate meditative phenomena. He is the author of The Science of Enlightenment, Natural Pain Relief, and numerous audio offerings. Shinzen leads residential retreats throughout North America. In 2006, he created the Home Practice Program. These phone-based mini-retreats are designed to make deep meditation practice accessible to anyone in the world regardless of their location, health situation, and time or financial constraints. Websites: basicmindfulness.com (Phone-based retreats and classes) shinzen.org (Articles, CDs, onsite retreats) YouTube.com/user/expandcontract (Video talks) YouTube.com/user/ShinzenInterviews (Interviews with Shinzen) Blog Facebook Twitter Books: The Science of Enlightenment Science of Enlightenment CD series Natural Pain Relief The Five Ways to Know Yourself (Basic Mindfulness Practice Manual – Free PDF) What Is Mindfulness? – A Comprehensive Overview (Free PDF) And many more First BatGap interview with Shinzen. Interview recorded 11/26/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Jim Tolles is a spiritual teacher who helps people to grow, heal, and embrace their spiritual paths. Jim had a spiritual awakening in August 2007 and has been through an inner roller coaster ride of healing and spiritual growth, dropping away issues as he has moved more deeply into peace and love. The greatest of the shifts came in the 4th, 5th, and 6th years after awakening and truly consumed his life during those times. The intensity of the energy has since subsided into a more relaxed inner flow. Jim continues to grow and be guided by the divine flow while also relaxing into the beautiful oneness and perfection of each moment. Jim teaches his students that we all have our truth and love within us by pointing students towards their innate divine oneness. He offers tools to help people cut away their lies and misconceptions so that they can be more firmly rooted in truth and love. He works with students on an individual basis via Skype, as well as offering free online talks via livestreaming on YouTube. Book: Everyday Spirituality: Cultivating an Awakening Website: spiritualawakeningprocess.com Interview recorded 11/19/2016. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Adyashanti and Francis Bennett in a public dialog about the parallels and differences between Jesus and the Buddha, as two complementary yet very different models of awakening. Where the Buddha emphasized inner peace and the transcendence of samsara, Christ emphasized embodying divine humanity in the midst of samsara, embracing the human condition in order to serve those who are lost in ignorance. Adya came to a deeper appreciation of Jesus by way of his study of Zen, while Francis ─ a former Trappist monk turned non-dual teacher ─ came to Buddhism by way of immersion in mystical Christianity. “The Christ comes to disturb, to stir up the pot, to descend to the chaotic earthly realm, and to get people to move out of their limited comfort zones and indifference toward others and life in general: to help us transform and transmute the personal and social dimension of what it means to be a human being in a human society. The Buddha comes to bring inner peace by awakening us up and out of our over-identification with the personal, and help us to realize who we are in transcendence, who we are as “trans-personal” persons. You need both approaches. They are opposite sides of the one “coin” of awakening.” — Francis Bennett Adyashanti, is an American-born spiritual teacher and author devoted to serving the awakening of all beings. His teachings are an open invitation to stop, inquire, and recognize what is true and liberating at the core of all existence. Asked to teach in 1996 by his Zen teacher of 14 years, Adyashanti offers teachings that are free of any tradition or ideology. “The Truth I point to is not confined within any religious point of view, belief system, or doctrine, but is open to all and found within all.” He teaches throughout North America and Europe, offering satsangs, weekend intensives, silent retreats, a live internet radio broadcast, and a podcast called Being Unlimited. Previous BatGap posts involving Adyashanti: First interview with Adyashanti Adyashanti and Francis Bennett on "Resurrecting Jesus" Adyashanti and Susanne Marie on the Falling Away of Self Website: adyashanti.org Francis Bennett entered the Trappist Abbey of Gethsemane in 1981 and in the ’90s subsequently lived at a “daughter house” of Gethsemane in Moncks Corner, South Carolina. Until recently, he was living in a small urban monastery in Montreal Quebec. He has been a “spiritual seeker” during all those years, practicing in the Christian mystical/contemplative Tradition and working deeply with teachers in both the Vipassana and Zen Traditions as well. In 2010 he experienced a profound perceptual “shift” in which he realized the ever-present presence of pure Awareness, which some would call, the Presence of God. Francis’ book: “I Am That I Am: Discovering the Love, Peace, Joy, and Stability of the True Self“. Previous BatGap interviews involving Francis: With John Mark Stroud With Adyashanti on “Resurrecting Jesus” In Panel Discussion on Refined Perception With Jac O’Keeffe and Igor Kufayev at SAND conference In Panel at Sofia U. Part 1 | Part 2 Francis Bennett in a panel discussion:: “Emptiness is also Form” Recorded 10/25/2016 at the Santa Cruz Open Circle. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save Save

Harri’s descriptions soar from the mundane to the sublime and explain the intimate details, understanding, and experience of the awakened state in an entirely fresh way. He shows us how this life of ours can be naturally transformed into the delightful liveliness of expanded consciousness even within the activity of daily life. Harri has worked as a fine artist/designer, a businessman, and a meditation teacher for his whole life. Throughout these very busy years, his experiences of refined states of consciousness and perception have expanded greatly. He shares his insights in his book, The Landscape of Enlightenment: With Doors and Windows to Our World, which includes his amazing life story from early childhood to the present with very personal, simple stories, works of art and inspired understanding that will uplift your awareness and stir the onset awakening. Websites: http://harriaalto.com http://aaltodesign.com Other interviews: 1st BatGap interview with Harri 2nd BatGap interview with Harri Harri Aalto, in Panel Discussion on Refined Perception Transcript of this interview. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Interview recorded 11/12/2016. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

Join Susanne Marie and Adyashanti in an exploration of an often misunderstood subject. Beyond the traditional landing places that mind creates (commonly discussed in non-dual circles), lies an indescribable landscape of living as pure, direct experiencing. Prior to this opening, the habitual subjective filter creates a veil of separation of which one is not even aware. This is true even within expanded, unified states of consciousness. Once this filter falls away, life is experienced directly, as itself, without an intermediary. Adyashanti is an American-born spiritual teacher and author devoted to serving the awakening of all beings. His teachings are an open invitation to stop, inquire, and recognize what is true and liberating at the core of all existence. Asked to teach in 1996 by his Zen teacher of 14 years, Adyashanti offers teachings that are free of any tradition or ideology. “The Truth I point to is not confined within any religious point of view, belief system, or doctrine, but is open to all and found within all.” He teaches throughout North America and Europe, offering satsangs, weekend intensives, silent retreats, and a live internet radio broadcast. Adya's podcast, "Being Unlimited". Previous BatGap posts involving Adyashanti: First interview with Adyashanti Adyashanti and Francis Bennett on "Resurrecting Jesus" Adyashanti and Francis Bennett – “The Embrace of Jesus and Buddha” Website: adyashanti.org A lifelong spiritual explorer, Susanne Marie offers teachings in support of freedom, meeting in sacred mutuality, and celebrating our common essence of Love and Unity with all life. Her work is transformational and empowering, as she points to the remembering of That which we have always been, allowing truth to become ever more conscious of Itself through a human life. Susanne, the mother of two teenagers, lives in Northern California and works with individuals and groups, offering spiritual mentoring to those who feel called to work with her. She is available for Skype and phone sessions as well as open to invitations to share with groups. Website: susannemarie.org Previous BatGap posts involving Susanne Marie: Individual BatGap interview Birthing Radiant Being into Our Humanity - Panel Discussion at SAND Conference Susanne Marie in Panel at Sofia U. Part 1 | Part 2 Transcript of this discussion. Interview recorded October 23, 2016. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save

Thomas Beck, Ph.D. has helped people for 25 years to integrate transformational experience—a radical restructuring of the psyche on a higher level of functioning. As a result of his own neurophysiological restructuring, his meditation practice & interactions with an otherworldly being ("Cosmic Mother"), Thomas is now helping people heal from a wide range of physical illnesses. He believes we all have the ability to heal, and to spiritually awaken through the unconditional love of the Almighty Spirit. Janet Elizabeth Colli, Ph.D. is a psychotherapist in the Pacific Northwest specializing in integrating trauma with spiritual awakening. With expertise in both Clinical and Transpersonal Psychology, she bridges psychology with the extraordinary, and the mystical. She presents at the professional conferences of the American Center for the Integration of Spiritually Transformative Experiences (ACISTE). Catalyzed by a spiritually transformative experience (STE) during cancer treatment, she now provides psycho-spiritual support for a full range of processes, including for those who have been psychiatrically hospitalized during STEs. She facilitates Spiritual Emergence Seattle—a consultation service integrating psycho-spiritual, physiological & community support. Janet lives on Whidbey Island and swims with wild dolphins in Hawaii. Website: sacredencounters.com Books: The End of Homo Sapiens: And The Birth of a New Species The Dark Face of Heaven: True Stories of Transcendence Through Trauma Sacred Encounters Interview recorded 11/5/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Michael A. Rodriguez is a spiritual teacher who works with people in meetings, retreats, and private sessions on a full-time basis in the United States and abroad. He holds four academic degrees, including a master's degree in comparative religion from Harvard and a Ph.D. in English literature from Florida State University; taught at the university level for well over a decade; and has lived long-term in two monasteries. Drawing always from his direct experience, Michael illuminates the undivided nature of Life or Consciousness with great clarity and compassion, pointing to reality in a way that is free from dogma, ritual, or adherence to any particular tradition. Michael draws skillfully from the world's wisdom traditions and also integrates Jungian psychology, literature, music, and art into his work to address the full range of human potential. His book--Boundless Awareness: A Loving Path to Spiritual Awakening and Freedom from Suffering--distills the essence of his teaching and is now available on Amazon. Website: BoundlessAwareness.org Book: Boundless Awareness: A Loving Path to Spiritual Awakening and Freedom from Suffering YouTube Channel Michael in a panel discussion on the direct vs. progressive paths. Interview recorded 10/20/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save

Ted Zeff, Ph.D is the author of The Highly Sensitive Person's Survival Guide, The The Highly Sensitive Person's Companion, The Strong, Sensitive Boy, and The Power of Sensitivity. Elaine Aron, Ph.D., author of The Highly Sensitive Person, has written the forwards to his books about sensitive people. Dr. Zeff’s books have sold more than 75,000 copies and have been translated into 8 languages. He has more than 25 years’ experience counseling sensitive children and adults. Dr. Zeff has also written Raise an Emotionally Healthy Boy: Save Your Son From the Violent Boy Culture, Searching for God Part I and II and Amma: Inspiring Experiences with the Divine Mother. Dr. Zeff currently teaches workshops and consults internationally on coping strategies for highly sensitive children and adults. He has given presentations in Denmark, Holland, Norway, Israel, and throughout the United States. He has been interviewed about the trait of high sensitivity in the media, such as NBC TV, PBS radio, Psychology Today and the Huffington Post (which received 1.2 million likes). Ted Zeff Dayalu has also given talks about the books he has written about Amma throughout the United Sates, Israel, Denmark and Holland. Books: The Highly Sensitive Person's Survival Guide: Essential Skills for Living Well in an Overstimulating World (Step-By-Step Guides) The Highly Sensitive Person's Companion: Daily Exercises for Calming Your Senses in an Overstimulating World by Zeff, Ted (2007) Paperback The Strong, Sensitive Boy The Power of Sensitivity Raise an Emotionally Healthy Boy: Save Your Son From the Violent Boy Culture Amma: Inspiring Experiences with the Divine Mother Website: drtedzeff.com Movie referred to in this interview: sensitivethemovie.com Interview with Ted Zeff about Amma Interview recorded 10/29/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Ted Zeff (Dayalu) met Amma, the "hugging saint" from India, in 1988 and has lived in her ashram in California for 20 years and her ashram in Chicago for one year. Dayalu has written three books about Amma: "Searching for God Part I" in 1996, "Searching for God Part II" in 2002 and "Amma: Inspiring Experiences with the Divine Mother" in 2016. Dayalu has a Ph.D. in integral counseling and psychotherapy from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco and has studied ayurveda and vedic astrology. Ted Zeff Dayalu has also given talks about the books he has written about Amma throughout the United Sates, Israel, Denmark and Holland. Amma's website: amma.org Book: Amma: Inspiring Experiences with the Divine Mother Interview recorded 10/29/2016 Interview with Ted Zeff about highly sensitive people. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

David Spangler has been a teacher of spiritual potentials since 1964. From 1970 to 1973 he was co-director of the Findhorn Foundation Community. He is a Fellow of the Lindisfarne Association. He is a co-founder of the Lorian Association, a spiritual educational foundation, and a director of the Lorian Center for Incarnational Spirituality. His work involves enabling individuals to embody the innate spirituality of their incarnations. He is the author of over 30 books, including Journey Into Fire Apprenticed To Spirit: The Education of a Soul Subtle Worlds: An Explorer's Field Notes Facing the Future He writes a free monthly email essay called “David’s Desk”. He also writes a quarterly esoteric journal of his work and explorations with the subtle worlds titled Views from the Borderland. In recent years, this work has brought him into contact with the Sidhe, the “Elven” cousins of Humanity. He describes his experiences in a book Conversations with the Sidhe and through a special card deck—Card Deck of the Sidhe, which he created with Jeremy Berg with inspiration and guidance from their Sidhe contacts. Information about his journal, David’s Desk, online courses, books, and workshops can be found at Lorian.org. David is happily married with four adult children. Interview conducted 10/15/2016. Discussion about this interview in the Batgap Community Forum. Transcript of this interview Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

Whilst growing up James had a deep sense that something about life didn’t add up. Unsure about what exactly that something was he tried to ‘fit in’ and graduated in Maths from Oxford University. It didn’t work. He then began seeking a resolution to a lingering sense of unfulfillment by writing songs, singing and playing in bands, then as an actor, then as a school teacher, but that didn’t work either. On recognising that no matter what his outer circumstances were the feeling of longing and dissatisfaction still remained, the nature of seeking turned inward and James found himself following a variety of spiritual and therapeutic paths. Despite providing many insights along the way these too ultimately failed to satisfy. He felt drawn more and more to the question that no one seemed to be asking: “Who is doing all this?” Finally James came across the Non-Dual message with which there was an instant resonance. He met with many different teachers and seeking came to an end when the true nature of reality was clearly seen. James now holds meetings and retreats in the UK and abroad, and lives in Totnes with his partner and two sons. Website: jameseaton.org Interview recorded 10/8/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Sri M - spiritual guide, social reformer, and educationist – was born into a Muslim family on November 6, 1949, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. His transformational journey, from a young boy to a living yogi, is a fascinating story symbolized by single-minded discipline and dedication. Entranced by mystical stories of Sufi saints and a brief encounter with a numinous Swami at a relatively young age, he was not only drawn to the ‘truth’ but also the compelling landscape of the snow-clad Himalayas. At the age of nine, his spiritual transformation was initiated by his future Master, Babaji (also known as Maheshwarnath Babaji), who miraculously appeared under a jackfruit tree in the compound of his house in Thiruvananthapuram. Though only fleeting, this meeting definitively set the stage for their future reunion in the Himalayas at Sri M’s age of nineteen. For the next three and half years, he lived and traveled extensively through the Himalayas with his Master. Maheshwarnath Babaji guided him right through his initiation, his Kundalini awakening, the grueling journey to Tholingmutt and, the eventual meeting with the Grand Master, Sri Guru Babaji also known as Sri Mahavatar Babaji. Few years after his Master passed away, he received the spiritual go-ahead to commence his mission. In 1998, he started his teachings, eventually leading to the formation of the Satsang Foundation. In response to a query on the spiritual progress of a person and the path to that evolution, he responds, “Though my parampara is kriya yoga, I don’t think it suits all aspirants. I propound satsang even between two people. It cuts across barriers of caste and creed. Spiritual evolution is not diverse from regular living. Intervals of solitude are necessary but you cannot shut yourself totally. The world around you is your touchstone to spiritual practice.” Conversant with the teachings of most major religions, Sri M says: “Go to the core. Theories are of no use.” His message seeks to transcend the outer-shell of all religions, by exploring their mystical core to nurture the innate goodness in every human being. Website: satsang-foundation.org Books: Journey Continues: A Sequel To Apprenticed To A Himalayan Master Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master: A Yogi's Autobiography Wisdom of the Rishis: The Three Upanishads: Ishavasya, Kena & Mandukya Jewel in the Lotus: Deeper Aspects of Hinduism The Little Guide To Greater Glory And A Happier Life Transcript of this interview. Second Batgap interview with Sri M. Interview recorded 10/6/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save

Sheerly by Divine Grace, in 1971 Timothy woke up to nondual Reality, the Divine Reality or Self that is doing everything and being everybody. He has gratefully served ever since then as a simple “spiritual friend” (kalyana mitra) and since the 1980s as a satsang leader, counselor, healer, and author of over one hundred essays, as well as the book Women of Power & Grace: Nine Astonishing, Inspiring Luminaries of Our Time and forthcoming books (The Liberating Zen Sourcebook, the enormous 2-volume India’s Sages, and other works). His website Enlightened-Spirituality.org is a major resource on spiritual awakening, nondual wisdom and nondual devotion, engaged spirituality, illustrious sages, and world religions, spiritual humor, and much more. After residing in the Santa Barbara region of the Great Dream from 1988 to mid-2016, Timothy and his wife Laura are residing in Vistancia, Arizona, for at least a year to be close to her family. Timothy continues to hold free satsangs and classes on a variety of spiritual topics and also sees clients for psychological counseling services. His basic message: Your unborn TRUE IDENTITY is already complete, whole, and full as Absolute Awareness-Aliveness, and by the Grace-full Power of this Supra-personal Reality the personal consciousness “instrument” can be suffused with all sorts of beautiful Divine virtues. Timothy's email address. Interview recorded 9/10/2016 First interview with Timothy Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

David Newman is an author, inspirational teacher, world-renowned devotional singer, songwriter and recording artist. He travels extensively sharing his music, and teachings on the path of love as a vehicle for spiritual awakening. David is also the creator of the The Stay Strong Project and the founder of Yoga On Main. He has been featured on NPR, and in The Washington Post and Yoga Journal among many others. David, also known as Durga Das, lives with his wife Mira and daughter Tulsi just outside of Philadelphia, USA. Website: davidnewmanmusic.com Interview recorded 8/31/2016. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Here I am, Roger. From an early age I recall a natural inquisitiveness towards the nature and mechanics of all sorts of things. I was constantly observing and theorizing. Fortunately, throughout life, the denser and more persistent forms of suffering were not something I was particularly familiar with. Life unfolded quite smoothly on an inner and outer level. Although there was already a strong spiritual bent, it wasn't until my late twenties that life introduced the notion of enlightenment and the underlying non-dual nature of life. When this happened all the cells in my body shouted ‘yes’ and there was an unexplainable faith that trusted what had been read. From that point, everything else faded into insignificance next to the quest that had been ignited. This was the beginning of a wonderful phase which spontaneously started some 15 years back and spanning 5 years miraculously didn't stop until what was initially pointed at became lived on an unwavering basis. IT WAS ALL JUST HAPPENING What was most amazing about the process was that from very early on the concept that everything is a 'happening' and not 'my doing' was introduced – that everything is unfolding exactly as it is meant to, not according to my will but according to God's Will. This notion immediately resonated deeply and in a short time the ingrained contrary beliefs dissolved and the conviction flowered into an experiential way of being that so perfectly embodied this pointer. This magically intricate process unfolded with this heart attitude present throughout, making it known directly to be a divinely orchestrated plan delivering everything that was needed in exactly the right proportions and at exactly the right time. I have been known to say "that if any of this process was actually up to 'me', I would have messed it up on day one!". And yet the paradox, but not contradiction, is that it was Roger who was the one contemplating, reading, meditating and so forth. From then I had a deep experiential conviction that everything in life happens the same way "according to God's Will" from the beginning of time to the end of time. This deepened and led to a radical insight about the nature of Source in its most primordial. From here the underlying oneness of life became obvious far more than just intellectually and an unbroken connection to Source was established from where peace of heart in daily living stems. I hold Satsang and retreats and welcome anyone to join in the spiritual discourses, especially if there is a genuine yearning to open to the notion, and ultimately the first hand, direct knowing, that unbroken peace of mind, love and contentment are our very nature and not caused by things we need to do or attain. This is everyone’s birthright. The following saying penetrates to the core of what this particular teaching addresses, and that is the marriage of two seemingly contradictory standpoints into a unified paradoxical realization of 'non-dual duality' which leads to liberation. Before one studies Zen, mountains are mountains and waters are waters; after a first glimpse into the truth of Zen, mountains are no longer mountains and waters are no longer waters; after enlightenment, mountains are once again mountains and waters once again waters. ~ Zen saying I always speak from my own direct experience, however many who knew the great teachings of my beloved Guru Sri Ramesh Balsekar will recognize the content often comes through in much the same vein as what he shared with seekers for more than 25 years in Mumbai, India. Jai Ramesh Guru. The teachings of Jesus, A Course in Miracles, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj and Bhagwan Sri Ramana Maharshi, among others, were all precious gifts which were instrumental in what happened. Humbled and in gratitude I bow. Website: rogercastillo.org YouTube Channel Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 8/20/2016 Video and audio below.

Anette Carlström is an internationally recognized speaker, author and teacher in development in consciousness living in Helsingborg, Sweden. Her focus and specialty is guiding the individual and in groups toward finding your inner compass to discover your full potential and true nature. Anette also has a strong presence in chanting Sacred Mantras, offering mantra concerts as well as having recorded several CD's carrying the transmission of Divine Grace through the Oneness Blessing, easily accessed by simply listening. She is the author of two acclaimed books. In her first – From the Heart - Discovering and Living the Oneness Blessing– she shares her bumpy journey of conscious Awakening and natural transformation as well as answering sensitive and profound questions. Her second book – Namaste, Awakening The Power of Presence is a road map and extraordinary guide, exploring the sacred truths that are hidden in our everyday life. It is filled with wonderful guided meditations and anecdotal stories. Each word of her books permeates the reader into the Power of Presence. Anette is Founder of Diamond Life Foundation, an alternative health practice and meditation center in southern Sweden, where she gives weekly programs, courses and guided meditations as well as giving Cranio Sacral Treatments. Since 2003 she has been traveling around Europe and the World sharing her story, teaching and singing. When she chants and speaks, there is a natural transfer of Grace that is received either in person or over the phone. She is initiated to give the Oneness Meditation (OM) which is a Sacred Transmission of energies that accelerate Awakening to the Intelligence of the Heart. She offers on-line Oneness Meditations every Tuesday evening Swedish time on her free Livestream channel. Website: anettecarlstrom.com YouTube channel Interview recorded 8/13/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Adam Chacksfield is a nondual spiritual teacher whose retreats and private sessions are known for their transformative power and love-saturated depth. He devotedly serves the alive field of awareness as it unfolds, reveals, and liberates, rather than any fixed philosophy. Adam first turned toward spirituality and meditation after a series of profound psychedelic-assisted openings led him to experience the truth that lies beyond all philosophies. At age 33 he left his career as a university professor of political theory to devote his life to spiritual unfolding. For a few years, Adam struggled to try and piece together all the apparently contradictory teachings and practices. These efforts decisively fell away when he came across the nondual teaching of Peter Fenner, and realized the openness that can never be captured in words and requires no practice. Adam started inviting his friends to do nondual inquiry with him and was amazed by the ease with which the direct experience of openness could be shared. In 2010, with Peter Fenner's encouragement and support, Adam started to publicly share with groups and individuals. Since then, his teaching has been profoundly influenced by the opportunity to soak in Jeannie Zandi's heart-centered and full-bodied transmission. Adam now shares the direct experience of the heart and mind falling open. In this effortless opening, the suffering involved in resisting feelings and believing thoughts spontaneously releases. The natural abundance of joy, peace, wisdom, and love becomes apparent and available. Heart-centered, gentle, and direct, Adam offers a path straight into the truth of who we are. In addition to leading retreats in North America and Europe, Adam meets with individuals, and is the creator of “Falling Open,” a four-month online course. He is also the founder of the Center for Nondual Awareness, a supportive community for those called to share nonduality. Website: adamchacksfield.com Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded 8/6/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

My childhood world was one of abuse, repression, and terror. This is what I believed the world was about. Until, from the depths of my despair, I began searching for a new way. My conscious spiritual journey began when I was called as a young adult, determined to find new life and freedom from this limited world, to a higher quest for the Truth of myself. I studied many forms of spiritual practice, including Buddhism, Native American, Judaism, and others, and soon became aware that the Source of All Life is within all traditions. Approximately 15 years ago, I entered into a deep Shamanic/healing Path centered in the heart of Brazil. I remained fully committed and dedicated to my journey in this form for eight years, healing most of the false ideas that I carried through all of my lifetimes. After this, I was called to enter a several year retreat. During this time I was guided to enter fully into the teaching of A Course in Miracles. I received the transmission completely through my heart and guided by my prayers, intention and deep devotion to being healed of all that held me prisoner in this temporary illusion, my heart completely melted and I awakened to the Truth of All Love. Since my awakening, I have dedicated my life to guide, with radical gentleness and complete devotion, all beloveds who have a deep desire to come home easily and gently. Chris Celine is an awakened spiritual Mystic and guide to many beloveds seeking a gentle way home. A powerful healer and seer, Chris Celine transmits the love of God in profound and life-altering ways. Her pure love can be received in every cell. She is a living example of the Love of God manifesting on earth and walks in this world as a reminder that everything can be healed and transformed into Love. Website: awakened-heart.org YouTube Channel Interview recorded 7/30/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

“The point of this teaching is the realization of total and complete freedom, in which we are free from suffering.” I had my first conscious spiritual awakening aged 18. Everything was seen to be one, the sense of personal self fell away and I had a deep sense that I truly was not the limited being that I commonly took myself to be. This experience was short-lived and further fueled my seeking. I wanted to try to re-experience it. I think because this experience happened in the context of reading a book, I subsequently developed a voracious appetite for reading spiritual texts. I read books on everything such as on Buddhism, Zen, Taoism, Mystic Christianity, Vedanta, Dzogchen, and the core texts of each, as well as many self-help and new-age type books. I also had a keen interest in science and mathematics and my studies took me along this route in school, eventually leading me to study medicine and become a doctor. I later got married and now have two amazing and lovely children. Alongside my studies, career and home life, the spiritual seeking continued for 15-20 years. Now the sense of a ‘me’ living a life and the dissatisfaction that fueled my spiritual seeking have both disappeared, leaving behind an ordinary life ‘being lived’ or living itself. I call it Freedom. —– Tom is a medical doctor who lives in London UK with his wife and 2 children. He holds regular meetings in London and on Skype to share this wonderful teaching with anyone who is interested. To learn more about him and his teachings see www.tomdas.com. Interview recorded July 23, 2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Richard C. Miller, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist, author, researcher, yogic scholar, and spiritual teacher who, for the past 46 years has devoted his life to integrating western psychology and neuroscience with the ancient nondual wisdom teachings of Yoga, Tantra, Advaita, Taoism, and Buddhism. Richard is the founding president of the Integrative Restoration Institute, co-founder of the International Association of Yoga Therapists, founding editor of the peer-reviewed International Journal of Yoga Therapy, and a founding member and past president of the Institute for Spirituality and Psychology. Author of iRest Meditation: Restorative Practices for Health, Healing and Well Being iRest Yoga Nidra Immersion - An 8-Week Intensive to Accelerate Mind-Body Healing & Spiritual Awakening Yoga Nidra: The Art of Deep Relaxation Richard also serves as a research consultant studying the meditation protocol he’s developed (Integrative Restoration ~ iRest Meditation), a modern adaptation of an ancient yogic form of meditation, researching its efficacy on health, healing, and well-being with diverse populations that include active-duty soldiers, veterans, women rescued from human trafficking, youth and college students, seniors, the homeless, and the incarcerated, with issues such as sleep disorders, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, chronic pain, chemical dependency, and anxiety, as well as research on iRest’s efficacy for enhancing resiliency, well-being, and compassion. Richard leads international training and meditation retreats on the integration of enlightened living into daily life. For information visit irest.org. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 7/16/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

“The spiritual journey does not consist in gaining what a person does not have, but in dissipation of ignorance concerning himself and life, and the growth of understanding which begins with spiritual awakening. To find God is to come to one’s own self.” - Avatar Meher Baba. No longer the person with its conditioning and history, here now there is only this and the overall feeling is “I don’t mind.” No fear, no push, a great emptiness that is also a rich and all-pervading fullness. Here there is silence, peace and an exquisite sense of joy. Here it feels so light there is no distance, ‘marinating in the self.’ It is as if nothing is happening here yet happening graciously unfolds. To look back at the dream, the necessary mistaken identity, it seemed like so much happened. Personhood was such psychological suffering. Separation, a feverish, fearful struggle, always restless, dissatisfied, looking outside for love and fulfillment. Now peace, and love reside here. I have spent thirty years with Avatar Meher Baba in deep devotion. Baba has administered his kiss and his kick, expertly unraveling the ego identity. Longing for the truth and with nothing more to express in this life, I knew I was going to die, not sure if it was the body or the ego, I completely surrendered. Shortly after, whilst watching Mooji on the net, he pointed, and I said with total conviction, “I am That”. In that recognition I hysterically and uncontrollably laughed for hours. When I could hardly breathe from the laughter and I asked God to help me, the laughter only escalated. The funniest thing, the divine joke was that I knew I had always been that. I love Meher Baba and Mooji - the brightest reflections of the true self I know. It is quiet here as I experience the bliss and love of the self. Book: Hot Flush Dark Cave: One Woman’s Spiritual Transformation Through Menopause Website: awakeningthroughthebody.com.au Facebook page: Awakening Through the Body Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 7/9/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

David Godman has lived in India since 1976, mostly in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu. He spent his time there studying and practicing the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi. His anthology of Ramana Maharshi’s teachings, Be As You Are, is probably the most widely read book on Sri Ramana’s teachings. During his fourteen-year stay at Ramanasramam (1978-92), he managed the ashram’s library, cataloged its archives, and recorded the stories and experiences of devotees who had had direct contact with Sri Ramana. David is the authorized biographer of two devotees of Sri Ramana Maharshi (Lakshmana Swamy and Papaji) who realized the Self in Sri Ramana’s presence and who later went on to become gurus themselves. He has written and published several other books that contain first-person accounts of devotees who moved closely with Sri Ramana Maharshi and who were transformed by his power and presence. In collaboration with two Tamil scholars, T. V. Venkatasubramanian and Robert Butler, he translated and edited several Tamil texts including two authoritative collections of Ramana Maharshi’s teachings that were originally recorded in Tamil verse. The three of them also joined forces to bring out Sorupa Saram, a translation of a text in which a 15th century Tamil saint and Guru, Sorupananda, speaks authoritatively of his experience of the Self. Earlier this year David and T. V. Venkatasubramanian completed a new book that will be entitled The Shining of my Lord. It will contain translations of Tamil verses by Muruganar, an enlightened devotee of Ramana Maharshi who wrote thousands of verses in which he praised his Guru, spoke of his own liberated state, and thanked Sri Ramana for bestowing it on him. It will be published later this year. In the 1970s David frequented Nisargadatta Maharaj’s satsangs in Mumbai. In the 1980s he was a regular visitor to the ashram of Lakshmana Swamy and Saradamma in Andhra Pradesh. When they moved to Tiruvannamalai in the early 1990s, he helped them to establish and landscape their new property at the foot of Arunachala, the holy mountain where Sri Ramana Maharshi spent all his adult life. For four years in the 1990s, he lived with Papaji in Lucknow and ended up writing or editing five books about him. David Godman is married to Miri Albahari, a philosophy lecturer who teaches in Perth, Australia. He is based in India, but nowadays spends part of the year with Miri in Australia. Last year David released a series of twenty-seven films on Youtube in which he spoke about Ramana Maharshi, the places where he stayed, his devotees, and his teachings. The series contains about fifteen hours of talks about Sri Ramana and can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8hGc9OaVmFXOZDbRB3eP55FQtG1wKLNr Books: Be As You Are: The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi (Compass) No mind, I am the self: The lives and teachings of Sri Lakshmana Swamy and Mathru Sri Sarada Living By the Words of Bhagavan Papaji: Interviews Nothing Ever Happened (three volumes): a 1,200-page biography of H. W. L. Poonja, also known as ‘Papaji’. Annamalai Swami Final Talks- teaching dialogues between Annamalai Swami and visitors to his ashram, recorded in the last six months of his life. The Power of the Presence -Transforming Encounters with Sri Ramana (Vol1) (three volumes): chapter-long accounts by devotees of Sri Ramana Maharshi that record their experiences of living with and being transformed him. The Power of the Presence (Part Two) The Power of the Presence (Part Three) Padamalai: Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi: Recorded by Muruganar Ramana Puranam- an edited and annotated 540-line poem that was jointly composed by Ramana Maharshi and Muruganar. The Fire of Freedom, Satsang with Papaji (The Fire of Freedom, Volume 1)- dialogues between Papaji and visitors that took place in his Lucknow home in 1991. Guru Vachaka Kovai (The Garland of Guru's Sayings)- a translation o...

Jurgen Ziewe has been following a strict regime of meditation since 1969. In 1973, after a six-month stint of intensive meditation for up to five hours a day, he decided to abandon the practice completely, being disappointed with the lack of progress and some negative side effects. Then one day out of the blue, at breakfast, he spontaneously experienced a total dissociation from his body and entered a state of what he described as one of absolute clarity. After this he continued his meditation practice, but now paying homage to the experience with more humility than before. He directly attributes the spontaneous Out-of-body experiences that followed for the next forty years, to this powerful experience of consciousness singularity. Jurgen has spent hundreds of hours, mostly in a super waking awareness in these out-of-body states, which frequently lasted several hours at a time. He soon mapped out what he considered to be the multidimensional reality man inhabits after physical death. On one of these non-physical excursions he was met by a Chinese Master who put him through an intensive training process in order for him to reach much higher states of consciousness. In 1980, on one of these OBE journeys, he was taken once more into a state of absolute clarity. This and other significant experiences were chronicled in his diaries and later published in his books, "Multidimensional Man" in 2008 and "Vistas of Infinity" in 2015, by which time he had experienced another singularity event on a solitary mountain retreat, later published in his book, “The Ten Minute Moment”. Jurgen sees himself as a reporter, not as a teacher. His down-to-earth narrative has attracted the attention from the science community and he has recently contributed a chapter to a science publication entitled, “Consciousness Beyond the Body: Evidence and Reflections” by Alexander de Foe, where he explores the nature of nonphysical consciousness, in collaboration with other experiencers. In his working life Jurgen Ziewe is a sought after commercial illustrator with a global clientele. Using the latest CG technology of the film industry has allowed him to document his experiences in alternate realities in a very visual format. His graphic testimonies have been likened to those of Swedenborg and his accounts of the higher spiritual realms give a vivid insight into the infinite strata of human consciousness which is rarely reported in such depth and detail. Websites: multidimensionalman.com Some of Jurgen's "multidimensional" artwork Virtual reality videos Celestial-Song - Angel of the Earth - A new virtual reality project between Jurgen and composer Craig Pruess Jurgen's commercial art Other Books: Explorations in Consciousness: A New Approach to Out-of-Body Experiences The Phase: Shattering the Illusion of Reality New Territories Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview conducted 6/11/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Bernardo Kastrup has a Ph.D. in computer engineering with specializations in artificial intelligence and reconfigurable computing. He has worked as a scientist in some of the world's foremost research laboratories, including the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and the Philips Research Laboratories (where the "Casimir Effect" of Quantum Field Theory was discovered). Bernardo has authored many scientific papers and philosophy books. His three most recent books are: More Than Allegory, Brief Peeks Beyond, and Why Materialism Is Baloney. He has also been an entrepreneur and founder of a successful high-tech start-up. Next to a managerial position in the high-tech industry, Bernardo maintains a philosophy blog, a video interview series, and continues to develop his ideas about the nature of reality. He has lived and worked in four different countries across continents, currently residing in the Netherlands. Books: Why Materialism Is Baloney: How True Skeptics Know There Is No Death and Fathom Answers to life, the Universe, and Everything Meaning in Absurdity: What bizarre phenomena can tell us about the nature of reality Dreamed Up Reality: Diving into the Mind to Uncover the Astonishing Hidden Tale of Nature Rationalist Spirituality: An exploration of the meaning of life and existence informed by logic and science More Than Allegory: On Religious Myth, Truth And Belief Important article: The Physicalist Worldview as Neurotic Ego-Defense Mechanism Website: bernardokastrup.com Youtube Channel First Batgap interview with Bernardo. Interview recorded June 4, 2016. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Sruti is a spiritual teacher and feminist advocate. She writes about her experience with an uncommon and painful illness called Interstitial Cystitis. This ongoing and chronic condition challenged her to stay present with daily pain and to look further inward for answers. In an extreme moment of pain, in which consciousness began to fade, Sruti experienced the erasure of all that clouds over the earliest source of vision. She asks the question: with whose vision are we seeing when the lights are going out? Has this early vision ever known anything at all? After these extreme episodes of pain Sruti spent time on retreat with teachers such as Gangaji and Mooji. She found no difference in these nondual pointings and the discoveries made directly in painful circumstances. Sruti finds that we can allow what is painful to become a tool to disrupt the ordinary layers of our experience. Underneath these layers we find the unconditional peace that is our constant being in each moment. Can we investigate the source of ordinary vision - can we find the place of true seeing that is earlier that who we think we are? Book: The Hidden Value of Not Knowing Interview recorded 5/28/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Geneviève De Coux was born in 1947 in Namur, Belgium during her parents’ holidays. The family lived in the Belgian Congo. Geneviève and her brother enjoyed an idyllic childhood until 1960, the year of the Congo’s independence. The family emigrated to Belgium. Their paradise was lost. Geneviève found herself in Brussels, this radical change of scenery stoked the fire of her ontological search and she found refuge in art. In 1968 during her second year at the university while studying her philosophy paper, she stumbled upon a saying of Socrates which hit her straight in the heart: “Know thyself”! Realising that this was precisely what she had always been looking for, she instantly dropped her studies and set out for India by road in search of a living Socrates or Buddha. On reaching the Himalayan foot-hills, she led a meditative and ascetic life by the Ganges in Rishikesh, waiting to meet her master. The locals called her Mira because of her devoted renunciation. At the end of 1968, in circumstances well worthy of Indian mythology, she met a man with whom she had an awakening experience. He left the following day without Mira knowing anything about him, neither his name nor his address. The one certainty was that finally she had found her master. To give herself the best chance of seeing him again, she decided to live at the exact spot of their meeting. For eight months she waited for him and meditated under a little tree on the banks of the Ganga river. One day, her master, H.W.L.Poonja, a disciple of Ramana Maharishi, came back for her. She became his disciple and wife and started to travel with him. In 1971, H.W.L Poonja was invited to give Satsang in Europe and Mira accompanied him. Their daughter Mukti was born in 1972 and the little family went on travelling the world. For the education of her daughter Mira returned to Belgium. In 1990, H.W.L Poonja, also called Papaji, settled permanently in Lucknow where he gave Satsang every day until he passed away in 1997. In 1998, Mira was invited to give satsang, which she continues giving to this day all over the world. She decided to call herself Ganga. In 2004 Ganga Mira moved to Portugal. She lives near the wild ocean of the Algarve with her daughter Mukti and her grand-children, Arun and Satya, and gives satsang four times a week. Website: gangamirasatsang.com Interview conducted 5/21/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Tom Thompson is a teacher of Conscious Living. In 1982 Tom began teaching Conscious Living at the Woodbury Yoga Center in Connecticut, and in 1990 at The Awakened Heart Center in North Carolina. Conscious Living is an all-inclusive way of life. It includes the possibility of radical awakening along with the integration of body, emotions, mind and spirit; living skillfully and effectively in this world; and being in loving, empowering relationships. In 1964, at the age of fifteen, Tom became a student of human psychology and a practitioner of the yogic pathways and enlightenment traditions. He has had the great fortune of training in depth with a number of exceptional teachers in both the enlightenment traditions and western psychology. While pursuing spiritual realization, Tom had many jobs in many different fields. All were important in terms of his personal growth and evolution, but the most important was working 13 years as a mental health worker in psychiatry. He has extensive training and experience in several different therapeutic modalities including hypnotherapy, transactional analysis, human potential, energy psychology and HeartMath®. After many years of intense practice and experiences in several different spiritual traditions, a sudden awakening occurred that led to the spontaneous collapse and falling away of all identification with spiritual and psychological belief systems, traditions, gurus, concepts, and the experience of a separate, unique, individual self. Now there is this, as it is, and as it appears to happen. The teachings of Conscious Living are direct, obvious, and all-inclusive. There is nothing to be believed or accepted, as they are self-evident. They point to the incredible gift and mystery of life, living us here and now, as we are. Tom lives with his best friend, partner and wife Bonnie. He also has a daughter Kelly, son-in-law Chad and grandson Caden. Website: theawakenedheartcenter.com Interview recorded May 14, 2016. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Thomas Razzeto is one of the newest and freshest voices among the teachers of our balanced, ancient nondual wisdom. Thomas easily digs deeply into the core of this wisdom to reveal both its essential truth and the heartfelt compassion that all true sages embody when they are genuinely engaged in the world without being entangled by it. The first time Thomas heard this nondual wisdom was in 2005 when he attended one of Timothy Conway’s satsangs and Thomas has continually attended these weekly meetings since they provide the foundation for all his work. (By the way, Timothy Conway was guest number 28 at Buddha at the Gas Pump way back in July of 2010.) Timothy woke up when he was only 16 and he later was fortunate enough to meet several enlightened masters, such as Sri Nisargadatta, Annamalai Swami, and others among Sri Ramana Maharshi’s immediate followers. Thomas teaches in plain English, yet much of what he says would be recognized by people familiar with Advaita, Buddhism, or Hinduism. Thomas has taught his book, Living the Paradox of Enlightenment: Spiritual Awakening in Simple, Clear English, as a class for the Center for Lifelong Learning, which is a part of Santa Barbara City College, the highest-ranked community college in the United States. In September 2012, Thomas spoke for the prestigious lecture series, Mind, and Supermind, which is run by Santa Barbara City College. Website: Infinitely Mystical Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Interview conducted 4/23/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Chadwick Johnson is a teacher at heart. Chad does not claim to be an expert in the various subjects that he teaches, but rather, he teaches the subjects in which he seeks to become an expert. In fact, Chad ultimately attributes his spiritual clarity and ability to articulate non-dual concepts in a simplistic manner, to this “the teacher is the student” approach to sharing Truth. Chad had a spiritual awakening in early 2010 after reading “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle, and began teaching non-duality later in that same year. Chad knew early on that the wisdom he shared was from a source of intelligence that was greater than his own. Consequently, he used his own teachings as a guide in his spiritual journey toward spiritual clarity. While Chad read countless books and watch hundreds of videos of teachers such as Mooji, Rupert Spira, Eckhart Tolle, and Adyashanti, it was ultimately the trust in his own teachings that dissolved all questions. Since 2010, Chad has spoken to thousands of people about self-discovery, in many different formats, and to people on all different levels of spiritual experience, understanding, willingness, and readiness. Chad started The W.A.Y. Project in 2012 as a way to organize his volunteer work and to raise awareness about mindfulness. He also has a YouTube page that he created as a way to share the truth of self-discovery to the hip-hop generation. Chad held the Second Saturday Mindfulness Workshop on the second Saturday of every month from 2012 to 2015. This workshop was designed to introduce people to mindfulness and non-duality in a non-spiritual in a secular, workshop environment. Chad his wife, Ericka, have been married for 18 years. They live in Sacramento California with their five children. He has a bachelor’s degree from California State University of Sacramento and a law degree from McGeorge School of Law. Chad works as a computer programmer for Hewlett Packard Enterprises, an adjunct professor at Sacramento City College. YouTube Channel HipHop Page: TheEbonyBones Interview conducted 4/16/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Suzanne Giesemann is the author of 11 books, an inspirational speaker, metaphysical teacher, and evidence-based medium. She is a messenger of hope who captivates audiences as she brings love, healing, and comfort through her work. Suzanne’s gift of communication with those on the other side brings stunning evidence of life after death, as well as validating her teaching about the purpose of life, the nature of reality, and attuning to higher consciousness. Her work has been recognized as highly credible by afterlife researcher Dr. Gary Schwartz, Ph.D., and best-selling author Dr. Wayne Dyer. Suzanne is a retired U.S. Navy Commander. She served as a commanding officer, as special assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations, and as Aide to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 9/11. In addition to earning the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, she has a Master’s Degree in National Security Affairs and taught political science at the U.S. Naval Academy. Her unexpected and fascinating career transformation to her current work is the subject of the documentary, Messages of Hope, which has been featured at several film festivals, including the Awakened World Film Festival sponsored by the Association for Global New Thought. Some of Suzanne's books: Messages of Hope: The Metaphysical Memoir of a Most Unexpected Medium Wolf's Message In the Silence: 365 Days of Inspiration from Spirit “Let Your Spirit S.O.A.R. – the Four Keys to Your Personal Breakthrough” – 6 DVD set with workbook Website: suzannegiesemann.com 2nd BatGap interview with Suzanne Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 4/2/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

A former athlete, teacher, and business entrepreneur, JC is now an author, producer, and teacher who corresponds with students worldwide. A student himself, first of his enlightened father, and later of world-renowned teachers J.Krishnamurti and Eckhart Tolle, JC's own investigation into the nature of Life and the universe led to realizations in Pure Consciousness that eventually led to the writing of his critically acclaimed book, The Christ Is Not a Person: The Evolution of Consciousness and the Destiny of Man. He has written and produced a three-episode video series entitled, Pure Consciousness: The Last Frontier. It can be viewed online at jctefft.com. Non-duality teachings focused on the nature of Awakening unto Pure Conscious Awareness posted in the form of video shorts will be made available for viewing online in the coming years. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 3/26/2016. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Why are we here? Is there a God? Can there be authentic mystical experience? Are Hindus and Buddhists correct that we can attain a state of enlightenment? Can psychedelic drugs give us a glimpse of it? Does religion have a viable place in the modern world? Is there a common core of values and insights among the world's religions? Huston Smith spent his career in a search for answers to these and other questions. Born in China in 1919, the son of Methodist missionaries, Smith followed a life-long spiritual quest that led him around the world many times. He studied the world's religions and mystical traditions directly with Aldous Huxley, D.T. Suzuki, J. Krishnamurti, Alan Watts, Paul Tillich, Reinhold Niebuhr, the Dalai Lama, Joseph Campbell, Ram Dass, and a host of others. Huston, as a renowned philosopher of religion, helped shape the contemporary face of comparative religion, interfaith dialogue, and religious tolerance. As a seeker, he became a citizen of the world, plunging into its various spiritual traditions. Website: hustonsmith.net Some of Huston Smith's books: The World's Religions (Plus) Tales of Wonder: Adventures Chasing the Divine, an Autobiography Forgotten Truth: The Common Vision of the World's Religions Why Religion Matters: The Fate of the Human Spirit in an Age of Disbelief The Soul of Christianity: Restoring the Great Tradition (Plus) Buddhism: A Concise Introduction And Live Rejoicing: Chapters from a Charmed Life — Personal Encounters with Spiritual Mavericks, Remarkable Seekers, and the World's Great Religious Leaders The Huston Smith Reader Dana Sawyer is the author of Huston Smith: Wisdomkeeper: Living The World's Religions: The Authorized Biography of a 21st Century Spiritual Giant. He is also the author of an acclaimed biography of Aldous Huxley. He was a professor of religion and philosophy at the Maine College of Art and a popular lecturer at venues such as Esalen Institute and Kripalu. An expert in Asian religions and theories related to the perennial philosophy, he has written for Tricycle, Parabola and other magazines. His website is dana-sawyer.com Previous Batgap interview with Dana. Previous Batgap interview with Jeffrey Kripal and Dana. Batgap panel discussion at Sofia University, including Dana. Part 1 | Part 2 Transcript of this interview Interview conducted 3/19/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

The Rev. Matthew Wright is an Episcopal priest, writer, and retreat leader working to renew the Christian Wisdom tradition within a wider interspiritual framework. He writes a monthly column, Belonging, for Contemplative Journal and serves as priest-in-charge at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in Woodstock, NY. Matthew lives with his wife, Yanick, alongside the brothers of Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, NY. You can learn more about his work through the Center for Spiritual Resources. Transcript of this interview. Interview conducted 3/12/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Mary Reed is an “accidental” mystic who, following eleven years of profound, involuntary visions and insights into divine realms, surrendered her executive life in Washington, DC to explore her spiritual gifts in a remote Buddhist nunnery in India. She grew up without any interest in religion but with an innate knowing that humans had more ability to access greater wisdom than most seemed to realize. She is originally from the U.S. Southwest but spent most of her career directing global healthcare programs and creating nonprofit partnerships throughout America and Africa. Today she divides her time between Thosamling Nunnery in India, where she is often immersed in silence; Cambodia, where she works with Wide Open Wings (a small charity she co-founded); and traveling to speak with a variety of audiences to share her story as a way to illuminate the common ground of Love and precious Divinity in all of us, and to inspire joyful collective resurrection and remembrance with her unique view of our beautifully awakening world. Website:lovemaryreed.com Book: Unwitting Mystic: Evolution of The Message of Love Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Interview recorded 3/5/2016 Video below. Audio coming soon.

Abdy was born in Iran in 1964 to the Electriciteh family. At an early age he realized that his realm of reality was beyond what he could share with others. As a child, his awareness of extraordinary abilities, such as putting light and sparkles on people, could only be rationalized as a dream. When, thirty years later, he realized those sparkles were being received by the people, healing them physically, emotionally and spiritually, he gave up his adapted reality to his child-hood reality. In 2002 he began working around the world anchoring light and spreading his wisdom. Abdy works with an ancient energy which dissipates our inabilities to relate to our self, higher self and the universe. His work is to bring about and support the transformation of humanity and the Earth to a higher consciousness. This is carried out by raising the vibration of people and places. He channels an energy that allows an individual to connect to their own divinity. He believes the truth cannot be learned and can only be connected to, from within. Even though most of his work is energy-based, he guides people to realize their gift and their wisdom. Through Abdy's presence, some people have become healers, spiritual teachers, life coaches and many free from physical and emotional illnesses, but many more have been gifted to see the beauty of life and its participants. Abdy’s gift is to radiate timeless, spaceless connection to the Source. The universe’s gift to Abdy is for him to live life knowingly connected. Website: abdy.info Interview recorded 2/11/2016. Video below. Audio coming soon.

Della had the good fortune of a life that many would have wanted to live. She grew up in a loving environment. She went to college. She started a family. She became a doctor and worked in emergency. She wasn’t looking for anything. She didn’t have any spiritual beliefs. She was happy. Then, in 2005, during a hypnosis session, she had what could be described as a near-death experience. Her heart was deeply touched by oneness and its unconditional love. Her life was turned upside down by this experience. With this free and loving presence breathing inside of her, all of " her " identity was put into question. Gradually she had to surrender to the reality that we are One and that no label, belief or knowledge is needed for Being. Website: dellainvitation.com Article referred to during the interview: Breakdowns and ‘Shift-Ups’: The relationship between psychosis and spiritual awakening Interview recorded 2/20/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Joey Lott is not a spiritual teacher. He’s not offering enlightenment, awakening, liberation, or any such carrot to keep you searching for something else. Instead, he’s just a fellow person who had the fortune to discover that the willingness to stop seeking for answers, for solutions to all kinds of imagined spiritual problems, reveals the peace of just being whatever is happening - which is all that is ever happening anyway. It’s not a glorious attainment. It’s not morally or spiritually elevated. It’s very mundane, and often uncomfortable - exactly like your life now. Joey doesn’t do formal teaching. In an ever-changing manner, he does experiment with inviting others to join in a conversation and explore the assumptions that underlie suffering. Website: joeylott.com YouTube Channels: Joey Lott Completely Ordinary Books: The Best Thing That Never Happened You're Trying Too Hard: The Direct Path to What Already Is Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 2/13/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Once called by Norman Cousins, “An accomplished court jester to humanity,” David Ellzey is a transformative speaker, entertainer, author, and mentor – who has inspired a quarter of a million people worldwide to explore the oneness of humanity and of life. As mentor, coach, and teacher, David guides clients with unflinching self-inquiry, techniques like The Sedona Method for emotional well being, movement, and fundamentally pure investigation into what is real. Humor often joins the journey. His devotion to the mystery of life began at age fourteen when he had his first life-changing experience of sensing the infinite presence that permeates all of existence. At age seventeen he pursued the embodiment of this understanding through the performance art form of pantomime taught by his teacher using ancient principles of Kabbalah. He was guided by his dear teacher to create universes in the silence and emptiness on stage. But most importantly, David understood that, indeed, all of life is born of, and returns to, this mother consciousness. Published in non-dual and contemplative journals, and author of, The Ocean of Now, David’s a regular presenter at the Science and Non-Duality Conferences. David sat with Francis Lucille for 10 years, with Neelam in India, and is forever inspired by Rumi and Nisagardatta. Currently his private practice as a consciousness coach is based in New York City. Website: davidellzey.com David Ellzey in Panel at Sofia U. Part 1 | Part 2 Book: The Ocean of Now: How To Navigate The Unsure Waters Of These Challenging Times With Courage And Peace Article: Are Practices Necessary to Realize The Self? The Sedona Method. Interview conducted 1/16/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Salvadore Poe was a successful musician from New York, making records, touring, having videos on MTV, and doing film scores when in 1997 he had a life-changing experience that propelled him on a single-pointed inquiry in search of enlightenment. During the next seven years, he immersed himself in intensive retreats in USA, Europe, and India, met many teachers, including U.G. Krishnamurti, Douglas Harding, Toni Packer, among others, and eventually moved to India where he lived for two years in the ashram of Ajja, a recognized spiritual master, and then for a year in the ashram of another spiritual master, Siva Sakthi Ammaiyar. During all these years he meditated countless hours, had numerous mystical, transcendent experiences, and then finally, frustrated with it all, met his last teacher, Dolano in 2004, and his search was over. Eight years later, living an ordinary life making music in India, someone he met asked him to work one on one with a spiritual seeker. Since then Salvadore has been offering a means of inquiry intended to let you come to know for yourself that you are now and always have been complete, whole, lacking nothing and free. This recognition, when true and doubtless, ends seeking automatically, as it is seen that what you have been seeking is already true and realized. What has kept you from this ‘knowing’ are all of the myriad ideas, beliefs, and spiritual concepts given to you by culture and religion, which you have taken for granted without really investigating. But once clearly investigated they all fall, leaving you at ease here and now with and as what is. Seeking is finished, there is no cause of it any longer. Life is lived at ease. Salvadore currently divides his time between India and New York State, writing and recording music and sharing the inquiries. Websites: http://www.salvadorepoe.com http://liberationis.com Books: Liberation IS: The End Of The Spiritual Path The Way of Freedom: Conversations with Salvadore Poe Articles of Peace, a collection of 39 articles, some were transcribed from group meetings and others were written, inspired by a particular topic. I offer this collection freely and encourage you to share them freely with anyone who might be interested. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded 2/6/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save

Brief history of Norio: I always loved wheels ever since I was a small child. The first set of wheels was a bicycle, which by age nine, I was riding 40 miles at a time. Age 19, I drove a taxi in Boston for five years. I began driving a truck, as well as greyhound buses, at age 25. I began what I refer to as "true inquiry" while driving my truck in 2003, thereby being able to see the silence, from which "Norio brain" could see all that I thought I am is only an illusion. Website: demystifyenlightenment.org Interview conducted 1/30/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Andrew Harvey is an author, speaker and founder/director of the Institute of Sacred Activism, an international organization focused on inviting concerned people to take up the challenge of our contemporary global crises by becoming inspired, effective and practical agents of institutional and systemic change, in order to create peace and sustainability. Andrew Harvey has taught at Oxford University, Cornell University, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, The California Institute of Integral Studies, and the University of Creation Spirituality as well as at various spiritual centers throughout the U.S. He was the subject of the 1993 BBC film documentary The Making of a Modern Mystic and appears also in Rumi Turning Ecstatic and The Consciousness Of The Christ: Reclaiming Jesus for a New Humanity. He has also worked with the great Iranian Sufi dancer, Banafsheh Sayyad, in producing a film, In the Fire of Grace, which marries Sufi inspired dances to the stages of Rumi’s understanding of the path of Divine love. He has written and edited over 30 books and received many awards, including the Benjamin Franklin Award and the Mind Body Spirit Award. Website: andrewharvey.net Some of Andrew's many books: Savage Grace: Living Resiliently in the Dark Night of the Globe The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism Radical Passion: Sacred Love and Wisdom in Action Light the Flame: 365 Days of Prayer Movie referred to during the interview: A Human Search: The Life of Father Bede Griffiths (1993) Interview recorded 1/25/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

John Astin is the author of three collections of poetic and prose reflections on the non-dual nature of reality, Too Intimate for Words, (2005) This Is Always Enough(2007), and Searching for Rain in a Monsoon (2012). He is presently at work on a new book, It’s Not What You Think It Is: Reflections on the Inconceivable Nature of Reality. Along with his writing and teaching, John is also a singer, songwriter and recording artist who since 1987 has produced seven CDs of original spiritual/contemplative music including his most recent release, What We’ve Always Been. In addition to his writing and music, John also holds a PhD in health psychology and is an internationally acclaimed scholar in the field of mind-body medicine, his research focusing on the applications of meditative/contemplative practices in psychology and health care. For information about John’s work, visit www.johnastin.com. Music CDs: What We've Always Been Already Shining Clear Blue Mind Now Is the Time For more see johnastin.com/music Interview recorded 1/9/2016 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Stan Grof, M.D., Ph.D. is a psychiatrist with more than fifty years’ experience researching the healing and transformative potential of non-ordinary states of consciousness. His groundbreaking theories influenced the integration of Western science with his brilliant mapping of the transpersonal dimension. He is one of the founders and chief theoreticians of Transpersonal Psychology and received an Honorary Award for major contributions to and development of the field of Transpersonal Psychology from the Association for Transpersonal Psychology in 1993. Dr. Grof is also the founder of the International Transpersonal Association (ITA) and its past and current president. He has organized large international conferences throughout the world and continues to lecture and teach professional training programs in Holotropic Breathwork and transpersonal psychology. Currently, Dr. Grof is Professor of Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in the Department of Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness, and teaches at the Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara, CA. Website: stanislavgrof.com Some of Dr. Grof's many books: Healing Our Deepest Wounds: The Holotropic Paradigm Shift The Ultimate Journey: Consciousness and the Mystery of Death When the Impossible Happens: Adventures in Non-Ordinary Reality Holotropic Breathwork: A New Approach to Self-Exploration and Therapy (Suny Series in Transpersonal and Humanistic Psychology) The Holotropic Mind: The Three Levels of Human Consciousness and How They Shape Our Lives Spiritual Emergency: When Personal Transformation Becomes a Crisis (New Consciousness Readers) The Adventure of Self-Discovery: Dimensions of Consciousness and New Perspectives in Psychotherapy and Inner Exploration (SUNY Series in Transpersonal and Humanistic Psychology) LSD: Doorway to the Numinous: The Groundbreaking Psychedelic Research into Realms of the Human Unconscious The Cosmic Game: Explorations of the Frontiers of Human Consciousness (S U N Y Series in Transpersonal and Humanistic Psychology) The Stormy Search for the Self: A Guide to Personal Growth through Transformational Crisis Interview conducted 10/24/2015 at the Science and Nonduality Conference Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Gail is a clinical psychologist and author in Santa Barbara, CA, who joyfully speaks from her own experience about the possibility of moving from common everyday problems to living in the deepest acceptance and peace. Problems are seen as opportunities; the illusion of the separate self as a doorway to enduring happiness. Stories are honored, while fierce and loving investigation invites their dissolution. She has special expertise working with older adults and their families, bringing clear seeing and compassion to the transitions of aging, death, and dying. She meets with people both individually and in groups and blogs at GailBrenner.com, where she invites readers to see through the confusion of separation and discover reality, which is true, alive, and undeniable. Her core offering is to bring non-dual understanding to the moments of suffering in everyday life. She is the author of “The End of Self-Help: Discovering Peace and Happiness Right at the Heart of Your Messy, Scary, Brilliant Life.” Suffering Is Optional: A Spiritual Guide to Freedom from Self-Judgment and Feelings of Inadequacy At the Core of Every Heart: Reflections, Insights, and Practices for Waking Up and Living Free Website: GailBrenner.com Interview recorded 10/25/2015 at the Science and Nonduality Conference. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Second BatGap interview with Gail. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

Adam Bucko is an activist, spiritual director to many of New York City’s homeless youth, and co-author of a new award-winning book called “Occupy Spirituality: A Radical Vision for a New Generation (Sacred Activism)". He grew up in Poland during the totalitarian regime and spent his early years exploring the anarchist youth movement as a force for social and political change. At the age of 17, Adam immigrated to America where his desire to find his path towards a meaningful life led him to monasteries in the US and India. His life-defining experience took place in India, where on his way to a Himalayan hermitage, he met a homeless child who lived on the streets of Delhi. This brief encounter led him to the “Ashram of the Poor” where he began his work with homeless youth. After returning to the US, he worked on the streets of various American cities with young people struggling against homelessness and prostitution. He eventually co-founded The Reciprocity Foundation, an award-winning nonprofit dedicated to transforming the lives of New York City’s homeless youth. In addition to his work with homeless youth, Adam established HAB, an ecumenical and inter-spiritual “new monastic” fellowship for young people which offers formation in radical spirituality and sacred activism. He collaborates with spiritual leaders across religious traditions and mentors young people, helping them discover a spiritual life in the 21st century and how to live deeply from the heart in service of compassion and justice. Adam is a recipient of several awards and his work has been featured by ABC News, CBS, NBC, New York Daily News, National Catholic Reporter, Ode Magazine, Yoga International Magazine and Sojourner Magazine. Huffington Post Articles by Adam Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded 10/23/2015 at the Science and Nonduality Conference. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Originally from the Netherlands, Prajnaparamita has been in search of her true nature all her life. Initially investigating and studying psychology, religion and philosophy, she eventually met a truly awakened soul and surrendered her heart, her mind and her life. Over several decades Prajnaparamita received a rich vista of non-dual teachings: Advaita Vedanta, Mahayana Buddhism, Zen and Ch’an. Once realized, she has dedicated her life to the self-realization of all. Through satsangs, retreats and interviews she continually directs the listener to their very wisdom heart. These days, Prajnaparamita spends most of her time at La Roseraie de Sacha: a centre of awakening and natural living deep in the countryside of central France. With meditation and satsang daily, opportunity is given for contemplation and self-enquiry interwoven with the participation in projects around the property - from gardening to cooking. People remember the transformative force of play, and remember what it is to live without purpose. All are welcome at La Roseraie, at any stage of their awakening journey, of any religion and no religion whatsoever. When not at La Roseraie, Prajnaparamita is giving satsang in the Netherlands or travelling worldwide. Website: www.prajnaparamita.nl Interview recorded 12/19/2015 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Science and Spirituality: Potential Allies in Discovering Truth My talk was accompanied by a multimedia presentation, which has been edited into this video. There were technical issues: the official camera wasn't there, so a friend recorded this on her camcorder and the sound quality isn't ideal. I ran out of time and had to cut some things that I added to this video, etc. But hopefully, you'll enjoy the content. I put a lot of thought into this over several months. Points include: Introduction by Deepak Chopra. We’re sense organs of the infinite; instruments of the Divine. Some of my personal history. If science and spirituality are both about understanding Reality, then they should be on the same team. Science, and a scientific approach, can help restore experience, rather than belief, as the foundation of religion and spirituality. If the ultimate reality is consciousness, then what instrument could be better suited to exploring it than the human nervous system? If everything is consciousness, then the qualities we see displayed in the world must somehow reveal the qualities of consciousness. If everything is consciousness, does it follow that everything is conscious? And to what degree? Atman (the Self), smaller than the small, greater than the great, is hidden in the hearts of all living creatures. A vast, universal perspective does not negate or diminish our personhood. Practical implications. How do we realize our true nature as infinite intelligence? Concluding with a couple of songs, and a note on devotion. The song "There is a Light" is by Maryanne Eagleson, and the song Holy Now is by Peter Mayer. Talk recorded 10/23/2015 at the Science and Nonduality Conference. Transcript of this talk. Other talks by or interviews of Rick on BatGap: SAND 2019 - Knowledge/Reality is Different in Different States of Consciousness 2018 SAND Conference Q&A and Interview by Shakti Caterina Maggi SAND 2017: "The Ethics of Enlightenment" Talk at Berkeley Open Circle Center Interviewed by Fax Gilbert Interviewed by Richard Miller Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Dorothy Hunt serves as Spiritual Director of Moon Mountain Sangha, teaching at the request of Adyashanti. She is the founder of the San Francisco Center for Meditation and Psychotherapy and has practiced psychotherapy since 1967. She is the author of Leaves from Moon Mountain, Only This!, and Ending the Search: From Spiritual Ambition to the Heart of Awareness. A contributing author to The Sacred Mirror, and Listening from the Heart of Silence: Nondual Wisdom and Psychotherapy, Dorothy is also a featured spiritual teacher in the book, Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Wisdom: The Feminine Face of Awakening. Dorothy has a long and deep connection to the teachings of Ramana Maharshi and the path of Self-Inquiry, as well as the nondual teachings of Zen, Advaita, and the Christian mystics. In meeting Adyashanti, she was invited beyond identification with either the absolute or relative, finding freedom in what is awake in each of us regardless of the changing faces of experience. Dorothy offers satsang, retreats, and private meetings in the San Francisco Bay area and elsewhere by invitation. For more information, visit www.dorothyhunt.org Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 10/23/2015 at the Science and Nonduality Conference. Second BatGap interview with Dorothy Hunt. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Jane Anderson-Ross is a wife, mother, and grandmother currently living in Rochester, NY. Raised in a New Jersey suburb of Philadelphia, Jane always had the gifts of love and compassion, and even as a young child, felt that her life path was to help others heal. But in 1988, during the throes of her own trials and difficulties, Jane had a transformation that was prompted by a singular prayer. She surrendered to the Divine Creator and asked, “Let me be Your Eyes, Your Ears, Your Hands, and Your Heart.” From that prayer, came what she can only describe as a “Rebirth”; a profound transformation with a pure divine directive. However, still very much Jane, she continued on as a devoted wife and mother of 2 babies. What became extraordinary to her though, was the Divine events, healings, and transformations that touched not only her own life, but that of many others who came into contact with her. Nevertheless, Jane’s love, humility, and simplicity never wavered, and she decided to enter into the field of holistic healing arts. She began sharing her gifts through a spiritually-based newsletter, which included Divinely inspired writings and poetry. Later she added more formal, professional training, and became a Shiatsu and Thai Message Therapist, Reiki Master, Aromatherapy, and Naturopathic Esthetician. Other modalities included Ancient Palmistry and Psychic Mediumship. Jane is happy to share her personal story with all who ask, and feels that her expression is best stated by the following; “It matters not what we do, but from where we come whilst doing it”. Website: janeandersonross.com Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 12/12/2015 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

A. Hameed Ali was born in Kuwait in 1944. At the age of eighteen, he moved to the USA to study at the University of California in Berkeley. Hameed was working on his Ph.D. in physics when he reached a turning point in his life and destiny that led him more and more into inquiring into the psychological and spiritual aspects of human nature. Hameed’s interest in the truth of human nature and the true nature of reality resulted in the creation and unfoldment of the Diamond Approach®: “The Diamond Approach is a path of wisdom, an approach to the investigation of Reality and work on oneself that leads to human maturity and liberation. Because of our particular vision of Reality it is not completely accurate to think of this approach as spiritual work, for this work does not separate the spiritual from the psychological, neither does it see these two as separate from the physical everyday life and scientific investigation of the content of perception. However, because we live in a society where the prevailing thought is that of the separated facets of Reality, the closest category recognized in this mentality, to our approach, is that of a spiritual path or exploration.” Some of Hameed’s many books: Runaway Realization: Living a Life of Ceaseless Discovery The Power of Divine Eros: The Illuminating Force of Love in Everyday Life The Unfolding Now: Realizing Your True Nature through the Practice of Presence Brilliancy: The Essence of Intelligence (Diamond Body Series) Essence With the Elixir of Enlightenment: The Diamond Approach to Inner Realization Website: ahalmaas.com 1st interview with Hameed 2nd interview with Hameed Karen Johnson is a co-founder of the Diamond Approach as it is taught in the Ridhwan School, a contemporary original spiritual understanding and path, expressing timeless wisdom on self-realization using the insights of our time. She is a colleague and friend of Hameed Ali (A.H. Almaas). Her life is dedicated to the discovery of inner freedom and sharing the treasures with humankind. In this interview, we discussed how the Diamond Approach is evolving, what differentiates it from other traditions, and the most recent developments of the past 15 years, about which Karen and Hameed have only recently begun to teach, speak and write. Neither the depths of spirit nor the surface of the mundane world can adequately express what reality is and what is possible for each of us. How can our human lives be both the arena for spiritual practice and enlightenment, and the occasion for our true being to express its infinite possibilities? When we realize that we are each the miracle of matter and spirit and at the same time we are neither, our everyday ordinary experiences can become doorways to further possibilities of reality, of awakening to our spiritual potential in its endless possibilities. True Being lives through the particulars of our lives, utilizing them to reveal its potentialities. The Diamond Approach explores how to use our personal situations as occasions for practice and learning, and as opportunities for expression of our finer spiritual qualities. It enables people to work with their everyday experiences of work, relationships, play, creativity, love, sex and so on to learn to be the transcendent living a human life. Its students learn to employ each particular situation within this world to go beyond it in a way that includes it. Inclusive transcendence enables our human consciousness to view reality beyond the concepts of duality and nonduality. Each particular situation affords us the opportunity to use its energies and forces to liberate and optimize our experience. Following such path, it becomes natural to be of help to others and to life in general. Book: The Power of Divine Eros: The Illuminating Force of Love in Everyday Life Website: ridhwan.org Individual interview with Karen Recorded 10/23/2015 at the Science and Nonduality Confer...

Richard Moss is an internationally respected leader in the field of inner transformation, subtle body-mind dynamics, and living a path of conscious relationships. In 1977 Richard was a practicing medical doctor when he experienced a spontaneous spiritual illumination that awakened him to the multi-dimensional nature of human consciousness. This realization profoundly transformed his understanding of the roots of emotional suffering, and inspired him to explore the almost limitless human potential for growth and healing. Impelled by this opening, he released the practice of medicine to devote his life to mentoring individuals and couples whose lives have brought them to the point where they hunger to explore the mystery of their being. Whether called to his work by their soul’s yearning to awaken and grow, or impelled by a health, career, or relationship crisis, his comprehensive and evolutionary approach to healing and forging loving relationships has transformed the lives of tens of thousands of people. He is particularly renowned for the innovative, experiential nature of his workshops and longer retreats that offer individuals direct experience of life-changing states of consciousness and provide them with very effective models and practices for on-going personal growth. He guides seminars and retreats in North and South America, Europe, and Australia, and is available for private mentoring for individuals at his home in Colorado. He has published 7 seminal books on his visionary approach to human evolution which have been translated into 6 languages. Website: richardmoss.com Books: Inside-Out Healing: Transforming Your Life Through the Power of Presence The Mandala of Being: Discovering the Power of Awareness The Black Butterfly: An Invitation to Radical Aliveness The I That Is We: Awakening to Higher Energies Through Unconditional Love The Second Miracle: Intimacy, Spirituality, and Conscious Relationships Metaphysics: Who Will Cure a Sick World? Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded 12/5/2015 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Robert A.F. Thurman is the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religion at Columbia University, President of the Tibet House U.S., a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Tibetan civilization, and 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 from the Tibetan Tengyur. TIME Magazine chose Professor Thurman as one of its 25 most influential Americans in 1997, describing him as a “larger than life scholar-activist destined to convey the Dharma, the precious teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha, from Asia to America.” The New York Times recently said Thurman “is considered the leading American expert on Tibetan Buddhism.” Thurman is known as a talented popularizer of the Buddha’s teachings. He is a riveting speaker and an author of many books on Tibet, Buddhism, art, politics, and culture, including: Man of Peace: The Illustrated Life Story of the Dalai Lama of Tibet. The Central Philosophy of Tibet Circling the Sacred Mountain: A Spiritual Adventure Through the Himalayas Essential Tibetan Buddhism The Tibetan Book of the Dead: Liberation Through Understanding in the Between Wisdom and Compassion The Sacred Art of Tibet Inner Revolution Infinite Life: Awakening to Bliss Within The Jewel Tree of Tibet: The Enlightenment Engine of Tibetan Buddhism Why the Dalai Lama Matters: His Act of Truth as the Solution for China, Tibet, and the World With Sharon Salzberg, Love Your Enemies: How to Break the Anger Habit & Be a Whole Lot Happier Website: bobthurman.com Podcast YouTube Channel Batgap interview with Robert Thurman and Isa Gucciardi. Recorded 10/25/2015 at the Science and Nonduality Conference. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save

I grew up in a hard-working family, none religious. At the age of 18, I learned that the Father I'd known all my life was not, in fact, my biological Father. This new-found fact destabilized the identity I had become accustomed to. The idea of who I was came under question. I was left asking, who am I. What then followed was ten years of drinking. At 27 I found myself in recovery from alcoholism. I spent three and a half years examining all the aspects of self-identified traits in order to find an honesty that would propel me into a more productive direction. After three and a half years I came to see that all willful attempts at modifying the self still remained within the paradigm of self-will. I had not transcended into honesty. It was at this point in a room one evening in 99 that I handed all attachment to the mind for any orientation to ongoing recovery. In doing so, not knowing what lay beyond, there was to be a complete self-realization. Book: Walking Awake Website: invitationtobeing.org Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 11/21/2015 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Bruce Joel Rubin is an Oscar-winning screenwriter for the film Ghost. His films include Jacob's Ladder, My Life (which he also directed), Brainstorm, Deep Impact, Stuart Little 2, The Last Mimzy, and The Time Traveler's Wife, among others. His spiritual journey began with a massive overdose of LSD in the 1960s. Shortly afterward he began hitchhiking around the world in search of a teacher and then found him in New York City, just blocks away from where he began his search. His name was Swami Rudrananda, also known as Rudi. Rudi was a New York City businessman and a yogi who taught a form of Kundalini meditation he called The Work. Rudi died in 1973 but Bruce continues to teach his practice. In 2001 Bruce discovered I AM THAT - the teachings of Nisargadatta Maharaj, and fell into the world of non-dualism. He awoke in 2010 during a seminar on awakening. Since that time he has continued to teach meditation and the effortless nature of simple Being. Since most people work and struggle in the world, it seemed to Bruce that meditation was a significant tool for living a good and productive life while waiting for awakening to make itself known. Bruce teaches in San Rafael, CA, in Los Angeles, and in New York. Websites: brucerubin-class.com brucejoelrubin.com YouTube Channel Interview recorded 11/14/2015 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save

While out in California for the Science and Nonduality Conference, I had some downtime before the conference started, so I decided to tape a long panel discussion with a rather large group of friends, most of them previous guests on Batgap. Sofia University in Palo Alto (where transpersonal psychology was founded by Abraham Maslow and others), generously provided a room and video equipment. I'm especially grateful to Dr. Jeffery Martin, who conducts research there, for offering and organizing this. It was an experiment, and some were skeptical that it would work, but it did! Main points of discussion in this part include: The panel reflects on the morning session from direct experience after meditating together. Discussion of spiritual teachers and how awakening can come with new charisma and confidence along with an ability to enliven others which can lead to ego aggrandizement. The panel discusses what to be aware of and how to share with humility and grace. Spiritual Maturity - Importance of ongoing psychological growth and healing post-awakening. The benefit of peer check-in, therapy, and support. Sharing of ideas of a new paradigm for spiritual teaching to include humanness and meeting students as equals. Importance of honesty and sharing humanity and personality and not playing a role. Experiences of subtle realms and beings, psychic powers, siddhis that can naturally arise. Refinement and exploring dimensions of consciousness, Skilfully sharing gifts and graces that arise with awakening for the good of all. Importance of developing spiritual maturity and continued growth and healing. When is mystical experience useful and the benefit of guides in such openings? A discussion of healing and wellness in association with awakening. Are awakening and healing interrelated or separate journeys? Is it important to heal before awakening or can healing take place afterward? Refinement and purification of physiology. Is healing necessary for an abiding awakening? Functioning in daily life after an initial awakening. The panel shares their leading/learning edge right now to enter the conversation with vulnerable truth. Participants included: Name Other Batgap Interview(s) Website(s) Canela Michelle Meyers 12/18/2011, 9/24/2015 canelamichelle.com Chuck Hillig 7/21/2010 chuckhillig.com Clare Blanchflower clareblanchflower.com Craig Holliday 1/3/2015, 12/19/2018*, 10/25/2019* craigholliday.com Dana Sawyer 9/29/2010, 2/9/2014*, 3/19/2016 dana-sawyer.com David Buckland 9/25/2015, 10/27/2017* davidya.ca David Ellzey 1/16/2016 davidellzey.com Francis Bennett 8/4/2012, 4/21/2013* 10/26/2013*, 5/24/2014*, 10/23/2014*, 10/21/2016, 10/25/2016* Jeffery Martin 1/25/2017 drjefferymartin.com nonsymbolic.org Kiran Trace 11/2/2013, 09/24/2015 kirantrace.com Kristin Kirk 2/16/2014, 5/24/2014* kristinkirk.com Laurie Moore 7/21/2012, 10/24/2013 counselingscottsvalley.us animiracles.com Mariana Caplan 2/3/2012, 1/6/2013, 10/25/2019* realspirituality.com Rick Archer 6/5/2010, 3/16/2013, 5/11/2014, 10/23/2015, 10/24/2016, 10/21/2017, 12/19/2018*, 10/25/2019*, 10/27/2019 You're on it. Susanne Marie 7/7/2013, 10/24/2014*, 10/23/2016* susannemarie.org *In group discussion. Recorded 10/22/2015 Part 1 of this discussion Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save Save

While out in California for the Science and Nonduality Conference, I had some downtime before the conference started, so I decided to tape a long panel discussion with a rather large group of friends, most of them previous guests on Batgap. Sofia University in Palo Alto (where transpersonal psychology was founded by Abraham Maslow and others), generously provided a room and video equipment. I'm especially grateful to Dr. Jeffery Martin, who conducts research there, for offering and organizing this. It was an experiment, and some were skeptical that it would work, but it did! This is part 1. Part 2 will be posted shortly. Main points of discussion in this part include: What are awakening and enlightenment? Are we on the same page? The discussion goes into direct experiencing of different states, levels, and depths of consciousness in the evolution of the progressive, dynamic process of awakening. What is identity and identification in different stages in the evolution of consciousness and the journey of the dissolution of self? What is the value of words and the use of semantics in the discussion of awakening and Self-realization? Is awakening lost in the experience of our brokenness? In the face of deep emotional trauma or when life shatters, what happens? Is there an abiding, unmoving stability that is unshakeable in all circumstances? The evolution of our humanity as an expression of the divine and the importance of continued growth and refinement in the awakening journey. Participants in the morning session included: Name Other Batgap Interview(s) Website(s) Chuck Hillig 7/21/2010 chuckhillig.com Clare Blanchflower clareblanchflower.com Craig Holliday 1/3/2015, 12/19/2018*, 10/25/2019* craigholliday.com Dana Sawyer 9/29/2010, 2/9/2014*, 3/19/2016 dana-sawyer.com David Buckland 9/25/2015, 10/27/2017* davidya.ca David Ellzey 1/16/2016 davidellzey.com Francis Bennett 8/4/2012, 4/21/2013* 10/26/2013*, 5/24/2014*, 10/23/2014*, 10/21/2016, 10/25/2016* Jeffery Martin 1/25/2017 drjefferymartin.com nonsymbolic.org Kiran Trace 11/2/2013, 09/24/2015 kirantrace.com Kristin Kirk 2/16/2014, 5/24/2014* kristinkirk.com Laurie Moore 7/21/2012, 10/24/2013 counselingscottsvalley.us animiracles.com Mariana Caplan 2/3/2012, 1/6/2013, 10/25/2019* realspirituality.com Rick Archer 6/5/2010, 3/16/2013, 5/11/2014, 10/23/2015, 10/24/2016, 10/21/2017, 12/19/2018*, 10/25/2019*, 10/27/2019 You're on it. Susanne Marie 7/7/2013, 10/24/2014*, 10/23/2016* susannemarie.org *In group discussion. Part 2 of this discussion Transcript of this discussion Recorded 10/22/2015 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save

Karen's spiritual journey has been long and eventful, with many insights, realizations and awakenings. She has been blessed by the influence and support of wonderful teachers including Joel Goldsmith, Eckhart Tolle and Pamela Wilson. After many years and much investigation, Karen came home to the truth that freedom can only be found within. She now offers group and private sessions to assist others in returning to a state of wholeness and embodying the essence of true nature. Her down-to-earth approach helps bring spiritual reality from the conceptual to the experiential. Website Blog Facebook Interview recorded 10/11/2015 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

David grew up on the SW coast of Canada. In the mid-'70s, he discovered the subject of consciousness, then Transcendental Meditation (TM). This was quite a revelation. He quickly became an avid seeker, attending many talks and courses. Nine months after starting TM, he arrived in NE France for a 6-month retreat where he would train to become a teacher of TM. After 3 months with lots of purification and clearing, he had sporadic witnessing experiences where awareness shifted briefly into an observer mode. Then in the second 3 months, the lights came on. With a blinding flash of white light (which he much later learned was makara), the witness became permanent, throughout waking, dreams and sleep. At first, he was over-attentive, keeping the mind awake to observe sleeping and manipulate dreams. But quickly that settled into a simple continuity of awareness underlying all experience. Soon after that, the first re-cognition happened, a form of experience where everything about the object is known. This enlivens that principle in consciousness, making it easier for still others to have the same. In this case, it was hiranya gharba or the golden egg - the seed and origin of the universe. It took months to unpack the experience. Perception continued to unfold from there. At the end of the course, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi confirmed the experiences and said there would be much more. As David returned to normal life, it became clear that Self had woken internally but had not woken up to Itself in this form yet. Self co-existed with an identified ego. But subtle perception continued to unfold in a myriad of ways. David's life grew into career, marriage, and family. Inner development continued but took a back seat for a number of years to the usual demands of a householder’s life. This helped ground and integrate what was unfolding and culture the platform further. Then in 2005, life made several unexpected changes. The spiritual side of life again moved to the forefront. He reconnected with some old friends. A few it turned out had become Self-Realized. After some feedback and darshan with Lorne Hoff, Self at last woke up to Itself here as well. Probably because of the long witnessing, this was quickly followed by a series of profound shifts in Being. And that in turn by transcending Being into Brahman. The unfolding continues. Accompanying this process, writing began to help integrate what was unfolding. Then the call came to share those discoveries online under the nickname Davidya. David was present for and helped support the awakenings of many others, leading to a broad understanding of the varieties of this process. The writing evolved into a large blog discussing many of the aspects of the approach, shift, integration and embodiment of transpersonal stages of development, otherwise known as enlightenment. In 2011, David obtained a graduate degree in Vedic Science. David has a professional background in software design and development in several industries but now works mostly with WordPress. For this interview, rather than listening from the mind to a story, I invite you to take a different approach. Settle back into presence and notice the talking and the listening. Give the content less weight and notice the experiencing itself. This is where the magic is, in simple awareness. Website Book: Our Natural Potential: Beyond Personal Development, The Stages of Enlightenment (Rick Archer wrote the Foreword.) Other BatGap shows with David: Panel at Sofia U. Part 1 | Part 2 Panel Discussion: “Sudden or Gradual: Two Paths to Realization?” David's 2nd BatGap interview. About a month after the interview, David gave a talk at the Science and Nonduality conference on the stages he describes in this interview. Interview recorded 9/25/2015. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save

Canela Michelle Meyers offers very practical, supportive Satsang events and sessions for people to drop deeply into what is happening in each moment. There is a strong transmission of Self in Satsang with Canela, supporting people to ‘fall in’ with Self consciously. Canela calls this ‘falling in Love’ as all occurrences are rooted in Love – it is only a case of recognition of That (re-cognition). People are waking up to Self in these gatherings. She loves supporting people in finding how every happening is rooted in Love…what at first might look like tragedy or horrific, transforms itself with in-the-moment exploration. She calls this the Science of Love because it has been tried and tested, explored and tasted, over and over again with thousands of people. When people find this and experience the Truth of this for themselves, they find it easier to open up to whatever is happening in their lives. She offers this support in Transformational Satsang events for groups and for couples & individuals (in person, on skype, or phone) in sessions and has done so since 1999. She is the author of ‘Right Here, Right Now Meditations Vol. 1 – Satsang Invitations for Expanding Awareness’; has been a speaker at the Paradoxica Conference of Nondual Psychology for the last four years; is speaking at the Science and Nonduality Conference 2015 and travels internationally offering Transformational Satsang wherever she is invited. (For what people have shared about their own experiences with Satang with Canela, click here.) Canela's website. Book: Right Here, Right Now Meditations: Satsang Invitations for Expanding Awareness (Volume 1) Her first BatGap interview Canela in BatGap panel discussion at Sofia University Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 9/24/2015 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

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 linage she points to. 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 09/24/2015 Kiran's 1st Batgap interview. Kiran in Batgap Panel at Sofia U. Part 1 | Part 2 Transcript of this interview Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

Loch Kelly, M.Div., LCSW is the author of, Shift into Freedom: The Science and Practice of Open-Hearted Awareness. He is an educator, licensed psychotherapist and recognized leader in the field of nondual meditation who was asked to teach Sutra Mahamudra by Mingyur Rinpoche and nondual meditation by Adyashanti. Loch has worked in community mental health, established homeless shelters and counseled family members of 9/11. He is the founder of the non-profit Open-Hearted Awareness Institute. Loch collaborates with neuroscientists at Yale, UPenn and NYU to study how awareness training can enhance compassion and well-being. For more information, visit lochkelly.org. Loch Kelly in panel discussion:: “Emptiness is also Form” Interview recorded 8/29/2015 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save

Since the Center for Sacred Sciences was founded in 1987, Joel Morwood has served as the spiritual director and primary teacher for its community of practitioners. Joel's first book, Naked Through the Gate: A Spiritual Autobiography, second edition, tells the story of his own spiritual path, culminating in Gnosis, or Awakening, in 1983. Here is some of what Joel has to say about himself and his role: Some people who have come to me have been disappointed to discover that I have no supernatural powers to transmit, no magic wand to wave, no extraordinary knowledge to dispense which can make them instantly wise, loving, and happy. "Who, then, are you?" they ask. "What's your secret?" My secret can be summed up in one word: Selflessness. Selflessness is the Truth. Selflessness is the Way. Selflessness is the Fruit. In reality, there is no 'you' nor 'I' nor any 'self' whatsoever. There is only Consciousness Itself—the One True God—which is what we are. All that is necessary is to Realize This, because to Realize This is Wisdom, to Live This is Love, to Be This is Happiness. So, if you really want to know my secret, look to your 'self'. In finding the source of your 'self', you will find Consciousness Itself, and nothing else. Then, you, too, will be free of your self and all its sufferings. Joel has no special religious attire. In fact, he often wears old blue jeans, sweatshirts, and a Mexican poncho. He is married, enjoys movies, drinks wine, and interacts with others much like any other guy. Joel speaks from his own Realization or Gnosis. Although he makes use of stories, texts, and practices taken from many different traditions, his interpretations are always spontaneous, direct, and personal. He continually points beyond mere intellectual understanding to a Truth that is beyond both thought and experience. Moreover, he constantly links the teachings of the mystics with concrete examples drawn from daily life so that one can see how they actually relate to one's own experiences. In all this Joel displays an intuition, sensitivity, and humor which could never have come from book-learning alone. Moreover, because Joel has no pretensions about being someone special, he is approachable not only as a teacher but also as a friend. He is a wonderful listener who knows how to pierce right to the heart of a problem. Often he can point out ways of viewing a situation from an entirely new perspective, yet he always insists one take responsibility for making one's own decisions. Moreover, when he has no advice to offer, he doesn't hesitate to say, "I don't know." Joel is a teacher who always challenges his students to investigate the mystics and their teachings for themselves. Far from demanding blind obedience, or even verbal agreement, he encourages them to explore various teachers, to compare what he says with the teachings found in the great mystical traditions, to test all these teachings against our one's experience, and to test one's own experience against the hard realities of life. In his view, a true spiritual path never leads one away from reality but, on the contrary, forces one to face it squarely, no matter how ugly or painful it may appear. It is only by getting to the bottom of suffering that we can be free of suffering. Beyond that suffering, Joel assures us, there is the Boundless Joy of Consciousness Itself—and, indeed, with his guidance, we sometimes catch a glimpse of this as well! Finally, Joel receives no financial remuneration from the Center. His teachings are given as a labor of love freely to all—although occasionally he has asked for personal donations to cover special needs, like the time he needed a suit for his marriage. Other books: The Way of Selflessness: A Practical Guide to Enlightenment Based on the Teachings of the World's Great Mystics Through Death's Gate: A Guide to Selfless Dying Talk by Tom McFarlane referred to during the interview: Einstein, Buddha,

Gary Renard is the author of The Disappearance of the Universe trilogy of books. He speaks regularly all over the world, teaching the principles of A Course in Miracles, which is the fundamental focus of his books. In 1992, he began to be visited in person by two people in the flesh who identified themselves as Arten and Pursah, two Ascended Masters. They are the main teachers in the books and Gary is the student. The critically acclaimed books are now in 22 languages. Books: The Disappearance of the Universe: Straight Talk about Illusions, Past Lives, Religion, Sex, Politics, and the Miracles of Forgiveness Your Immortal Reality: How to Break the Cycle of Birth and Death Love Has Forgotten No One: The Answer to Life Fearless Love - The Answer to the Problem of Human Existence Secrets of the Immortal - Advanced Teachings from "A Course in Miracles" The End of Reincarnation - Breaking the Cycle of Birth and Death Website: garyrenard.com Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded 8/15/2015 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Best-selling "Letting Go" author Guy Finley’s encouraging and accessible message is one of the true bright lights in our world today. His ideas cut straight to the heart of our most important personal and social issues – relationships, success, addiction, stress, peace, happiness, freedom – and lead the way to a higher life. Finley is the acclaimed author of The Secret of Your Immortal Self: Key Lessons for Realizing the Divinity Withinand more than 40 other books and audio albums (plus over 1,000 unique audio programs) that have sold millions of copies in 24 languages worldwide. His syndicated weekly radio program is aired on several international networks including Healthy Life Radio, Achieve Radio, Sedona Talk Radio, and Healthlife.net. Guy is a faculty member at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York and is a regular expert contributor to Beliefnet.com, the Huffington Post and many other journals. Guy is the founder and director of Life of Learning Foundation, the renowned non-profit Center for Self-study in Merlin, Oregon where he offers four inner-life classes each open to the public. www.guyfinley.org www.guyfinleynow.org www.onejourney.net Facebook Page Free MP3 Audio Album - Seven Steps to Oneness: Journey to a Whole New Life More books: The Meaning of Life(audio album) Life Is Real Only When You Are CD Album(audio album) The Essential Laws of Fearless Living: Find the Power to Never Feel Powerless Again Let Go and Live in the Now: Awaken the Peace, Power, and Happiness in Your Heart The Intimate Enemy: Winning the War Within Yourself The Lost Secrets of Prayer: Practices for Self-Awakening Design Your Destiny: Shape Your Future in 12 Easy Steps 365 Days to Let Go: Daily Insights to Change Your Life The Courage to Be Free: Discover Your Original Fearless Self The Seeker, the Search, the Sacred: Journey to the Greatness Within Interview recorded 8/8/2015 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

In January of 2012, Robert was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and told he had nine months to live. However, consistent with his contrarian nature, he lived a productive life until passing away in 2017. Robert was struck by a strong curiosity about life when he was 11, which propelled him into years of globe-trotting adventures. In 1973, Robert met Swami Muktananda and spent the next 10 years studying with him. Since 1985, Robert's professional motto was Have Mouth, Will Travel, and he was known as an iconoclastic self-awareness facilitator, speaker, leadership adviser, and mentor to people from all walks of life. He led "Conversations on the High Wire" and presented programs in "The 5 Principles of Authentic Living" and "Speaking Truthfully." Robert published eight books and more than 250 articles on the themes of meditation, self-inquiry, leadership, authentic living and speaking, and spiritual activism. In the early 1990s, he wrote a pioneering column for The New Leaders' executive newsletter entitled “The Corporate Mystic." He contributed original essays to three leading-edge anthologies and was interviewed for The Awakening West, a collection of conversations with contemporary Western wisdom teachers. His résumé of speaking engagements includes more than 350 of his distinctive inquiry-based seminars and talks to such organizations as State of the World Forum, California Institute of Integral Studies, Institute of Noetic Sciences, International Conference on Enlightenment, Inner Directions Conference, and International Coach Federation. "Speaking Truthfully" coaching and classes Books: The 5 Principles of Authentic Living: How to Live an Authentic Life in 10 Words Sound Bites from Silence: Scouting Reports from the Frontier of Consciousness Speak Truthfully: Speak Your Way to an Authentic Life with Awareness, Courage, and Confidence Invisible Leadership: Igniting the Soul at Work The Sacred Hub Radical Wisdom: Living from Silence while Rocking the World Interview recorded 8/1/2015 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Cheryl Abram is a mother of 4 from southern Louisiana. She’s a graduate of the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. and holds a Master's degrees in Social Work in Quality Systems Management. Cheryl currently lives in Northern Virginia and works as a learning and development specialist in a federal agency in Washington DC. After an undeniable experience that reminded her of our inherent value…without the need of a “savior”, Cheryl is now passionate about spreading the good news that belief is not necessary. We are already innocent, eternal, and free. Website: cherylabram.com Book: Firing God Interview recorded 7/25/2015 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Bri. Joan Shivarpita Harrigan, Ph.D. is the spiritual director of Patanjali Kundalini Yoga-Care (PKYC-USA). Shiva has practiced, studied, and taught Raja yoga and Advaita Vedanta for more than thirty years. She has been tutored as the designated successor for America in the Kundalini Vidya lineage founded by Gomatagiri Maharaj, learning the oral commentary teachings of Traditional Kundalini Science from her spiritual mentor, Swami Chandrasekharanand Saraswati. A retired psychologist, she has been a brahmacharini (novice) in the Shankaracharya Vedic monastic order since 1987. She is the author of Kundalini Vidya The Science of Spiritual Transformation: A comprehensive system for understanding and guiding spiritual development and Stories of Spiritual Transformation: The Fulfillment of Kundalini Process - Modern Seekers, Ancient Teachings. Patanjali Kundalini Yoga Care is a spiritual guidance service for qualified spiritual seekers. Based on Traditional Kundalini Science (Kundalini Vidya), it supports serious aspirants in advancing their spiritual progress by providing individualized spiritual practices designed for their particular needs. The specialty of PKYC is to assess the kind of spiritual process that seekers have, to assist them in reaching a stable higher level, and to support them in their continued spiritual advancement by providing ongoing spiritual education, consultations, recommendations, and guidance so they can progress more skillfully and dedicatedly. This helps the divine within make efficient, untroubled, and speedy progress toward Liberation, awareness of oneness with the One. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded 7/12/2015 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Enza Vita is the author of “Instant Presence: Allow Natural Meditation to Happen” and the founder of the MahaShanti Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to spiritual awakening. Enza Vita was born in a small village in Sicily and immigrated to Australia on her own at the age of seventeen. From a young age, she questioned everything around her, constantly seeking out the point and purpose of our life here on earth. Her search eventually brought her to her work in the consciousness community where she became one of the leaders in the personal development movement in Australia, working as editor in chief for glossy magazines “Woman Spirit”, “Health & Wellbeing” and publisher of “Innerself Newspaper”. Through her job, she was blessed with the opportunity to meet and study under many of the great spiritual teachers of our age and she was exposed to the wonderful writings of many others around the world. Her outer work always reflected her inner journey, one immersed in contemplation, self-inquiry, and spiritual deepening. Culminating in a profound spiritual realization in 2007, all her life’s work came into a clear focus, as she began to write and answer questions for those who came to her which eventually became her book “Always Already Free” later republished by Watkins under the title “author of “Instant Presence: Allow Natural Meditation to Happen”, currently being translated in 4 languages. In addition to her BatGap interview, Enza has been interviewed and quoted by many publications including “Nonduality Talk”, “Advaita Vision”, “One The Magazine”, “Meeting Truth” and other body-mind-spirit periodicals. She has also presented at the “Science and Nonduality Conference” (SAND) in USA and Amsterdam. Enza lives in Adelaide, South Australia with her partner and children. Website: enzavita.com. Interview recorded 6/27/2015 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Rev. Michael Dowd is a bestselling evolutionary theologian and pro-future evangelist whose work has been featured in The New York Times, LA Times, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Newsweek, Discover, and on television nationally. His bridge-building book, Thank God for Evolution, was endorsed by 6 Nobel Prize-winning scientists, noted skeptics, and religious leaders across the spectrum. Michael and his science-writer wife, Connie Barlow, have spoken to more than two thousand groups across North America since 2002. Michael has delivered two TEDx talks and a program at the United Nations. In 2010 he interviewed 38 Christian leaders across the theological spectrum, all of whom embrace an ecological, evolutionary worldview and are committed to a healthy future, as part of a series, titled, “The Advent of Evolutionary Christianity.” Most recently, he interviewed 55 experts on climate change, peak oil, and sustainability, as part of an online conversation series, titled, The Future Is Calling Us to Greatness. Dowd’s passion for proclaiming a pro-science message of inspiration — what he calls “the Gospel of Right Relationship to Reality” — has earned him the moniker ‘Reverend Reality’ as he speaks prophetically in secular and religious settings alike about the generational evil of anti-future / anti-Christian policies and the necessity of co-creating a just, healthy, and sustainably life-giving future for humanity and the larger body of life. Websites: MichaelDowd.org TheGreatStory.org PostDoom.com Huffington Post blog: huffingtonpost.com/rev-michael-dowd Facebook pages: facebook.com/RevMichaelDowd Important video. According to Michael, "the single most important thing I’ve created in my lifetime": Ten Commandments to Avoid Extinction: Reality's Rules Key quote: “God is reality with a personality, not a person outside reality. If you don’t get personification, you can’t possibly understand the world’s myths and religions — and you’ll surely miss what God is telling us today through scientific evidence. Few things matter more than this in a world of ecological degradation and climate chaos. Anyone who doubts this need only watch one or two of the Hollywood star-studded ”Nature Is Speaking” videos that have gone viral in recent months.” ~ Rev. Michael Dowd Suggested readings: Overshoot: The Ecological Basis of Revolutionary Change, by William R. Catton Collapse Now and Avoid the Rush: The Best of The Archdruid Report, by John Michael Greer Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We're in without Going Crazy, by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone Thank God for Evolution: How the Marriage of Science and Religion Will Transform Your Life and Our World, by Michael Dowd This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate, by Naomi Klein Transcript of this interview. Interview conducted 6/13/2015 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Michael's wife Connie Barlow split this video into two segments, edited it a bit, and added text and graphical annotations. In this first segment, Michael Dowd speaks of his "pro-future" distinctions in the context of broad concerns as well as the metaphysical/Buddhist worldview set forth in questions posed by Rick Archer, host of the "Buddha at the Gas Pump" conversation series (extracts of which have been re-shaped into this video). In this second segment, Michael Dowd speaks of his "pro-future" distinctions derived from ecological sciences. Rick Archer, host of the "Buddha at the Gas Pump" conversation series, poses questions of broad interest as well as topics central to Buddhist and metaphysical worldviews.

Shellee Rae, a Reiki Master for 15+ years, trained to the master level in many other energy modalities, and is certified in numerous body-centered therapies. Her work in this field became full-time in 2000. Sexually abused as a child, followed by 27 years of drugs, alcohol, and bouts of depression brought her to death’s door in 1997. With the help of 12-step recovery, and many spiritual paths, in August of 2008, Shellee Rae awakened. Her first book "Suffering ~ A Path of Awakening: Dissolving the Pain of Incest, Abuse, Addiction and Depression”, after going worldwide, opened a portal to support and guide many people in their awakening process. Her second book, "Enlightenment: Tips To Reveal Your Divine Nature", has become a valuable tool to many who are seeking embodied awakening. While supporting others, Shellee Rae’s raucous path to awakening allows a non-judgmental, gentle pointing to the truth of who they are from the depths of her own realization. She balances deep compassion with the steady and potent awareness that you are not, in your Essential Self, the sufferer. Website: www.shelleerae.com Interview recorded 6/7/2015 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Dr. Frank J. Kinslow is the discoverer of Quantum Entrainment® and the founder of The Kinslow SystemTM, a practical new way of approaching your life that quickly allows it to become more productive, fun and fulfilling. Frank has been researching and teaching the applied application of health and healing techniques for more than 45 years. He draws from his clinical experience as a chiropractic physician, in-depth studies into Eastern esoteric philosophies and practices, and an ardent love of special relativity and quantum physics. In 2007, during a time of personal crisis, Dr. Kinslow cognized the Quantum Entrainment® process of instant healing. As a result of this deep insight he was able to create a vibrant and fulfilling life for himself and his family. Out of his desire to share this wisdom with others he began to teach and write with such simplicity and clarity that in just a few years, tens of thousands of people around the world were able to create vibrant and fulfilling lives for themselves. Quantum Entrainment® and the other techniques of The Kinslow System can be learned by reading Frank's books, listening to his CD’s and, of course, learning directly from Frank in one of his workshops. Dr. Kinslow continues to refine his techniques and write and teach extensively. He resides in Sarasota, Florida, with his wife, Martina. Learn More about Quantum Entrainment® and The Kinslow SystemTM. Website: www.KinslowSystem.com YouTube page: youtube.com/user/FrankKinslow Books: When Nothing Works Try Doing Nothing: How learning to let go will get you where you want to go The Kinslow System: Your Path to Proven Success in Health, Love, and Life The Secret of Instant Healing The Secret of Quantum Living Beyond Happiness: Finding and Fulfilling Your Deepest Desire Eufeeling!: The Art of Creating Inner Peace and Outer Prosperity Interview recorded 5/20/2015 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Wayne took his own life on August 31, 2017. Discussion in the Batgap Community Facebook Group. Putting his words in the past tense, Wayne Wirs was a transparent, rational, nondual mystic. Wayne blogged about his day-to-day life as a semi-homeless, van-dwelling drifter and had been doing so before, during, and after his awakening experience in 2009. Wayne considered himself more of a spiritual explorer than teacher, so his "teachings" tended toward first-hand, real-world experiences (open-ended, integral, mystical and evidence-based) rather than academic hard and fast truths. Unlike many nondual teachers who focus on an all-or-nothing approach to awakening, Wayne advocated a simple yet integral fading of the ego based on key qualities: Eternal (soul, practical), Radiance (love, emotional), Emptiness (awareness, rational), and Intimate (mystical experience). He called this dynamic, flowing, magical way of living Mystical Oneness. Wayne had two key sayings which best describe his message: "The less there is of you, the more there is of the Divine." "The smart have their books. The wise have their scars." Websites: waynewirs.com mysticsjournal.com Books: Mystical Oneness and the Nine Aspects of Being: A step-by-step guide to enlightenment and beyond Fading Toward Enlightenment A Mystic's Journal: The Dilemma of Divine Surrender A Simple Explanation For Everything Seeing Clearly Interview recorded 5/23/2015 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save Save Save Save

Recently at a Whirling Dervish Meditation in Istanbul I read how Rumi summarized his life: I was immature; I became experienced; I was consumed. I could divide this lifetime in those categories also, starting with a life driven by conditioning resulting in a very successful appearance without much satisfaction. Then the search for real happiness and peace. Decades of working with different modalities and sitting with many masters leading to teaching others how to relinquish conditioning and experience peaceful Silence. And now, Satsang starts with the truth of everyone, the perfection of Self. The tapestry of life includes all as the expression of Consciousness without any separation. Anything that attempts to obscure this truth melts in its power. Satsang is given in America, Canada and Europe as well as Private Satsang Sessions. Website: satsangwithstuart.com Book: The Great Undoing Interview conducted 5/16/2015 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Until two years ago, my only interest in spirituality was self-improvement. I wasn’t interested in what was true, only to make my experience better. For whatever reason, I just didn’t care. About five years ago I turned abruptly away from any kind of self-improvement. I had felt a shift in my being, and I knew the ‘unknown’ was chasing after me. I intuitively knew that If I explored my experience, I would be broken open and transformed in some way. So I found subtle ways of avoiding myself. I avoided immersing myself in nature which I had previously gained so much nurturing from. At the same time my being began to change where I was shifting into a place where I felt a deep trust in life, even though there was no conscious recognition. I just felt good about life and being alive. So I was very happy with my life, and I felt It was being refined and would only get better. I would have these days or hours where certainty would fall away, but somehow it just seemed natural. Then at the start of Feb 2013 year, a catalytic process began from a single moment. For the first few days, I was fine but after a few more days I had completely given up hope on everything. I knew that I would not get what I needed through my life as it is, and I intuitively knew I was in a process that could not be stopped. I knew I could not escape, so I gave up simply because there was nothing else to do. I remember saying to my close friends ‘I’m dying'. It was the only thing I knew. Then after a week, I had a sense that I had to calm my mind a little. That evening I was sitting on my bed reading a book by Adyashanti called ‘The End of Your World’. As I read a sentence that ended in ‘and you are not your thoughts’, a switch turned on in my being, something fell away, and I just knew I wasn’t my thoughts. I remember I kept saying aloud ‘I’m not my thoughts’ again and again. At some point, I then asked ‘then what am I’ (I’d never asked myself this until now), and in some way, I began to recognize being was ‘one thing’. The experience was In a minuscule way intellectual, it was mostly a physical experience. My body had more energy flowing through it than ever before and felt insight was experienced at regular intervals. At the same time as the opening, a movement arose that knew there was more to fall away. The last two and a half years have been about that falling away, about living a human life from truth. Facebook page. Some of Chris's music. Interview recorded 5/9/2015 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Bonnie is a non-dual teacher in the lineage of Adyashanti, and a transpersonal therapist who has specialized in working with spiritual emergence issues for 30 years. She has published several books and articles related to kundalini and spiritual awakening, most recently “The Kundalini Guide” and “The Awakening Guide”, available on amazon.com. These are based on assessments and consultations with over 2000 people over the years, and also reflect her own experiences of awakening. She holds a Ph.D. from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology and founded a counseling and education center in Ashland, Oregon called Shanti River Center where she offers satsang, study groups, workshops, meditation programs and spiritual guidance. She was a founder and organizer of the Kundalini Research Network, and has trained therapists and offered seminars in Europe, Australia and the U.S, and currently does assessments by phone and skype with people in awakening processes from all over the world. With a broad background in eastern and western mystical teachings, energy work and psychospiritual counseling, she describes her role as being a mentor or a mid-wife for people going through the spiritual awakening process. Websites: www.kundaliniguide.com www.awakeningguide.com Books: The Kundalini Guide: A Companion for the Inward Journey (Inward Journey Guides) (Volume 1) The Awakening Guide: A Companion for the Inward Journey (Companions for the Inward Journey) (Volume 2) Energies of Transformation: A Guide to the Kundalini Process When Spirit Leaps: Navigating the Process of Spiritual Awakening 2nd BatGap interview with Bonnie. Interview recorded 4/25/2015 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Save

Peter is a leader in the Western adaptation of Buddhist wisdom. He is a pioneer in the new field of nondual psychotherapy. He was a celibate monk in the Tibetan Buddhist traditions for nine years. He has a Ph.D. in the philosophical psychology of Mahayana Buddhism and has held teaching positions at universities in Australia and the USA. He has taught workshops at Naropa University, the California Institute for Integral Studies, Omega Institute, and other centers, and given invited presentations at JFK University, Saybrook College, Stanford Medical School, Columbia University, and internationally. Peter’s way of teaching is known for its dynamic and engaging deconstruction of all fixed frames of reference that block entry to unconditioned awareness, and for the purity and depth of natural, uncontrived silence that emerges in his work. He also has a unique capacity for sharing the skills and states of his transmission in a way that others can easily understand and begin to replicate the nondual transmission. Books: Radiant Mind - Teachings and Practices to Awaken Unconditioned Awareness (Audio) Radiant Mind - Awakening Unconditioned Awareness (Book) Realizing Unconditioned Awareness Sacred Mirror: Nondual Wisdom and Psychotherapy (Omega Books) The Edge of Certainty: Dilemmas on the Buddhist Path ESSENTIAL WISDOM TEACHINGS Websites: radiantmind.net nondualtraining.com peterfenner.com wisdom.org Interview recorded 4/18/2015 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

Sri Karunamayi is revered in India as an embodiment of Divine Motherly Love, due to the love and affection that she showers liberally on all people, animals, and even plants, the spiritual knowledge and guidance that she gives freely to all of humanity, and the humanitarian works that she has undertaken. “Amma” as she is affectionately called by her followers, is simply the Telugu word for “mother”- Telugu being Amma’s native language. Born in 1958 in South India, Sri Karunamayi spent a childhood immersed in an atmosphere of prayer and worship created by her deeply spiritual parents. Both of her parents had received visions indicating that Sri Karunamayi was not an ordinary child, and her astrological chart indicated that she would dedicate her life to serving humanity. Naturally inclined towards charity as a child, Sri Karunamayi, or “Amma,” would often give away food and clothes to whomever needed them. As she grew into a young woman, Amma felt an inner urge to begin spending more and more time in the family worship room, immersed in prayer and meditation. As she was now a first-year college student, she was forced to make time for meditation by reducing the time she spent sleeping. As her meditations deepened and intensified, she also began reducing her intake of food. These meditation sessions grew in length until one day Amma locked herself inside a room of the house and remained there in meditation for a month. Though her family members were perplexed, they did not dare to disturb her, having witnessed the profundity of her meditations before. When she finally emerged, she seemed like a different person to her family members. Though she still showed the same sweet affection to which they were accustomed, her demeanor now expressed a more impersonal, universal love. Determined to fulfill the sacred purpose of her life, Amma gently told her mother that it was time for her to go into seclusion in the sacred Penusila Forest, to meditate there in solitude. Always respectful of her daughter’s divine nature, and trusting completely in God, Amma’s mother did not try to stop her from going. Amma never felt that these meditations were done for her own sake, as she was following the example of India’s ancient Vedic sages, who meditated for hundreds of years in order to discover the best teachings for all of mankind. Through Amma’s austerities, she determined which of the Vedic teachings and practices would be of greatest benefit to people living in this difficult modern age. After performing such intense tapasya for over 10 years, Amma decided that it was time to share her knowledge with all those who thirsted for true spirituality, wherever they may live in the world. Emerging from her seclusion in the sacred Penusila Forest, Amma began giving public discourses on various aspects of Sanatana Dharma, India’s ancient spirituality, and conducting sacred ceremonies to promote world peace and universal well-being. At this time, Amma also began Her work on serving humanity in the eradication of poverty, providing free medical care & housing for the disadvantaged, stopping child labour through free schooling and mentorship programs, and supplying water treatment facilities to those impoverished communities that have been severely affected from toxic water resources. After performing such intense tapasya for over 10 years, Amma moved to a more urban area to share her knowledge with all those who thirsted for spirituality, wherever they may live in the world. In 1995, Amma began reaching out to the world, beginning with the US, where She offers yearly public programs. During these programs Amma gives teachings and blessings, holds meditation retreats, and performs sacred fire ceremonies for the benefit of all of humankind & the world. During her visits to each city, countless followers come to express their worries and problems and to request blessings or guidance. And to this end,

Ellen’s deepest longing for the absolute was fulfilled when she met her teacher, Francis Lucille. In his presence, over many years, she awakened to her true nature of peace and happiness through continuous and deepening glimpses. The process of aligning and stabilizing her life to and in this beautiful non-dual understanding has never ceased to unfold since then. As a child Ellen was in love with movement and dance. She knew without words the joy and limitless transparency that the body dissolved into when it was free and alive. As an adolescent and young adult, she acutely felt and enacted suffering through her body, struggling with an eating disorder and with depression. Thus, the experience that we call the body has always been central to all of Ellen’s experiences, both in the ignoring and in the recognition of her true nature. Today, Ellen lives in Oxford with her husband Rupert Spira, a teacher in the tradition of non-duality. She has a private practice as a Psychotherapist, and facilitator of Authentic Movement. Her background of Dance-Movement Therapy and Transpersonal Psychology has been deeply influenced by the non-dual understanding. Ellen also offers meetings called The Awakening Body, an exploration of the body and of perception sourced in the teaching tradition of Kashmir Shivaism, Jean Klein and Francis Lucille. During these sessions our true nature is explored at the level of the body and of the sense perception. Credentials: Master Degrees in Dance Movement Therapy (New York University) and Transpersonal Psychology (John F. Kennedy University, CA). Certificate in Laban Movement Analyst Other Teachers and Mentors: Janet Adler and Marion Woodman provided great guidance and support in the realms of feminine wisdom, archetypal energies and intuitive knowing. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 4/11/2015 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

John J. Prendergast, Ph.D., is a retired professor of psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco and a psychotherapist in private practice. He spent many years studying with the European Advaita master Jean Klein as well as with Adyashanti. He was invited to share the dharma by Dorothy Hunt in 2012. He is the author of: The Deep Heart: Our Portal to Presence and In Touch: How to Tune in to the Inner Guidance of Your Body and Trust Yourself. He is the senior editor of two anthologies of original essays about nondual wisdom and psychology entitled Sacred Mirror: Nondual Wisdom and Psychotherapy (Omega Books)and Listening from the Heart of Silence: Nondual Wisdom and Psychotherapy, Volume 2 (Nondual Wisdom & Psychotherapy). He is also the founder and editor of Undivided: The Online Journal of Nonduality and Psychology. Website: listeningfromsilence.com Interview recorded 4/4/2015 Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Second BatGap interview with John. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

CC’s passion for helping people awaken came to the foreground in 1989 when she had a startling vision of a star appearing near the ceiling of her bedroom and streaming forth a download. The message was clear: she was to play a role in helping humans awaken, and in paving a new understanding of spirituality for the world. But first, she had to awaken. After some years of rapid spiritual growth and openings to subtle dimensions, CC landed in the darkest of nights as her early attempts at offering her gifts to other seekers “failed” rather dramatically. She lost her livelihood, home, community, and self-esteem, and ended up living in a small RV borrowed from an ex-boyfriend for 3½ years in the mid-1990s. Ultimately, she learned the truth of these words by Leonard Cohen: “There’s a crack, a crack in everything—that’s how the light gets in.” And the light did enter. The depths of disillusionment, despair, and ruthless self-judgment gave way to deeper explorations and radical samadhis, and led, by 1995, to a profound, permanent knowing of herself as the infinite ground and totality of Being. The next phase of her life was about trying to integrate that awakening with her human patterns of thinking and reacting—no easy matter. Yet she felt called to embodied awakening even when her Advaitic-oriented friends were telling her to bypass her human tendencies and simply abide as Consciousness. After years of attempting to make her human life make sense in light of her awakening as Consciousness, at first on her own and then in the company of a group of people practicing “Trillium Awakening" (formerly called "Waking Down"), it all gelled into a sense of undivided (though often paradoxical) Onlyness. At that point, CC began teaching again. She loves to bring light to other seekers, especially those who find themselves lost, confused, alone or discouraged by the difficulties of being a conscious person in a deeply unconscious world. In 2005 CC co-founded the Trillium Awakening Teachers Circle to provide an alternative to guru-centric, strongly hierarchical spiritual communities, and to help stem the tide of ethical lapses on the part of spiritual authority figures. The teachers of the WDTA meet regularly in mutuality and hold one another to standards and ethics around their teaching work, as well as experimenting with a more democratically-oriented society of awakened and awakening divinely human beings. CC’s unique approach to teaching focuses on radical awakening to our true and total nature as both Consciousness and matter (divinely human), but does not stop there. Her Inseeing Process TM helps people experience radical self-acceptance, deep compassion, and “inner mutuality” which in turn leads to a much greater ability to feel compassion and tolerance for other people: “outer mutuality.” That and much more is spelled out in CC’s highly-acclaimed handbook, Becoming Divinely Human: A Threefold Path to Embodied Awakening. Following the heartbreaking death of her beloved husband Michael in the spring of 2012, CC again spent several years living in a (slightly larger) RV with her dog Tucker and cat Bodhi. Then in 2015 CC settled near Boulder Colorado, and added another dog, Ziva, to her pack of furry friends. CC’s embodied awakening and integration is continuing and becoming ever-more “seamless.” She reports that Michael’s essence is frequently quite palpable. He offers support and inspiration for her teaching work, which includes a variety of online courses as well as private and group coaching, and of course, there is love. Websites: divinelyhuman.com trilliumawakening.org Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 3/28/2015 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.