Conscious.tv: Recent Episodes
Conscious.tv
Wayne Liquorman was a spiritual seeker and a family man with a successful export business, when he met his first and final guru, Ramesh Balsekar, in September 1987. In April 1989 the process of seeking ended with enlightenment. Wayne describes the event as being 'of interest only to seekers.' His first book, "No Way: A Guide for the Spiritually Advanced" was published in 1990 under the pen name Ram Tzu because he 'didn't want a bunch of miserable seekers cluttering up his living room.' Wayne did not speak publicly until Ramesh asked him to do so in 1996. The enlightenment event and its aftermath are described in Wayne's second book, "Acceptance of What Is" published in 2000. He is also the author of "Never Mind... A journey into Non-Duality". Wayne edited Consciousness Speaks and several other books by Ramesh Balsekar.
Co-founder of 'The Path of Love' seminars. In 1972, Turiya and her husband were part of developing the first German Humanistic Psychology Growth Centre known as Zist. The internal shift that she experienced there was profound and set her and her husband on a new course of human development, which lead them to India where she was to meet and become a disciple of Bhagwan/Osho. The sudden, unexpected death of her husband marked a turning point for Turiya and deeply influenced her own personal search and how she works with people today. In this interview she talks honestly and openly about her life and her spiritual journey.
Author of several books including, 'Deeper than Words', 'From the Heart', 'Shaman's Wisdom', Tony was initiated into Shamanism in the jungles of South America. In this interview he talks about the loss of our instinctive connection with Nature and how we can regain our ONENESS with All That Is. Also, Tony talks about his deep commitment to the Evolution of Consciousness. He says, "the heart is what makes a Human Being a HERO".
Tony is author of 'A Shaman's Wisdom'. He talks about his early life; moving to live in a Zen Monastery when he was 18; how he later went to live in the Amazon Jungle for several years moving from village to village and learning about himself and Shamanism. It is a fascinating story of determination, courage and of following your truth.
'The Open Secret communication can only point to the simple wonders of being and attempt to illuminate the futility of seeking for it. It does not accept or reject the teachings of spiritual path or process, but it will expose, without compromise, the singular and fundamental misconception that drives the belief that there is something called a seeker that needs to find something else called enlightenment. The Open Secret does not compromise with the needs and expectations of the seeker. Neither does it attempt to attract or please with promises of an easy and pleasant experience of liberation.' Tony talks about Non-Duality and his early life and experiences. He is the author of several books including, "As It Is: The Open Secret of Spiritual Awakening" and "Invitation to Awaken: Embracing Our Natural State of Presence".
Tom Condon, author of The Dynamic Enneagram and of How to See Enneagram Styles in the Movies, combines in his training, his knowledge of the Enneagram, Ericksonian Hypnosis and NLP to bring about change. Tom has also produced over 50 DVD's and CD's. In this interview we go deeper into the exploration of what other factors, besides our Enneagram type, influence our patterns of behaviour in how we relate to people and to our world. We explore parental points, the Enneagram style of the family, the subtypes and much more. Tom says: "As you apply what you learn to your life, you might remind yourself that an Enneagram style is more than the sum of someone's visible behaviour. The Enneagram describes the inner strategies that drive behaviour. It's not what people do, it's why they do it".
Author of 'The Dynamic Enneagram - How to Work with your personality style to truly grow and change.' Tom explains how the Enneagram is an inner map of what we have learnt, but it is incomplete. It offers many clues to our true strengths and can greatly help us improve our communications with others and our relationships. It is a springboard for change. We are in a deep trance, only perceiving a fraction of reality. We are living the story of our lives rather than our actual lives. The Enneagram can be an invaluable vehicle to help us wake up to who we really are.
Theodore (Ted) is author of 'Instinctual Intelligence - The Primal Wisdom of The Nervous System and The Evolution of Human Nature.' He talks about how Instinctual Intelligence reveals the hidden dimensions of our most personal experiences. It is a comprehensive resource for the newest pathways for harnessing the innate energy of our basic biological programming - the next stage of human evolution.
Theodore (Ted) is author of 'Instinctual Intelligence -- The Primal Wisdom of The Nervous System and The Evolution of Human Nature.' He talks about how Instinctual Intelligence reveals the hidden dimensions of our most personal experiences. It is a comprehensive resource for the newest pathways for harnessing the innate energy of our basic biological programming - the next stage of human evolution.
Fear of death through an experience when she was only eight, set Tess off on a journey to find the meaning of life. After 30 years of inquiry into her mind and experience she woke up to find there was NO SELF. From reading the work of Saint Teresa of Avila and through her personal experience, Tess has come to see that the most difficult obstacle on one's own path is the overcoming of self esteem. She also believes that taking full responsibility for your own Awakening will set us free.
Susanne Marie is a spiritual Mentor and Guide. In this Interview she tells us her story of Awakening and her experience of Oneness as a child. She talks about the challenge of the realization of our True Nature within the context of raising children and having a family. Close to her Heart is Embodiment, welcoming all of ourselves, knowing everything is God. Embodiment is never ending until the last breath. She says: "There is a growing movement in the awareness of the collective consciousness to include the understanding that our bodies are Divine. Consciousness is evolving to include all of itself. The era of recognizing the Absolute Truth that I am not the body, is expanding"
Stuart is a satsang teacher and author of 'The Great Undoing.' He talks about his life and work and explores with Renate the experience of the death of their sons.
‘The spacious groundless sense of being needs to become part of our nature, to be familiar territory and then awakening arrives by itself. The ultimate cannot belong to anyone, nor can there be someone who is awakened.’ Stephen talks us through his spiritual journey. From realising that there was no fixed reality to having his earlier insights confirmed when he took LSD in his 20s. Drawn to India and the ‘Mother Ganges’ he discovered the teachings of S.N. Goenka, spent time on many retreats with Sayama and other Buddhist teachers such as Stephen Batchelor and Christopher Titmuss. Formed the Israel Insight Society. Distanced himself from Buddhism but fully embraced the teachings of the Buddha and still teaches around 15 retreats a year. Also works in Palestinian/Israeli reconciliation....’There is no way to peace, Peace is the way.
ShantiMayi is a rare being in that she embodies that living 'Principle' which resides within us all. She is the only westerner, and only woman ever to carry the grace of her lineage of Indian sages around the entire world. This lineage is said to date back to the beginning of this universal cycle and exists solely for the purpose of the enlightenment of all beings. ShantiMayi eclectically draws upon the quintessence of many traditions: Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, and the Aboriginal Tribes of the Americas and Australia. Though this is so, she speaks from her own direct spirituality and points us back to ourselves. Whatever awakens us to 'Truth' is in fact 'the way'. It is our own spiritual discovery, from within us and in our lives that brings us to the light of our heart - wisdom.
Scott is author of "Love's Quiet Revolution" and "Reflections of The One Life". He is also a lawyer and a musician. In this interview he talks about his drug addiction of 20 years and how through a series of 'spiritual openings' he found he was what he had been seeking.
In this interview Sandra goes deeper into the Enneagram and talks about the material covered in her second book "The Enneagram of Passions and Virtues: Finding the Way Home".
Sandra is an author, an Enneagram teacher, and a principal teacher in the Ridhwan school, home of the Diamond Approach. She was among the first group of students to whom Claudio Naranjo presented the Enneagram system in the US in the 1970s. She has been teaching the Enneagram as part of the larger work of spiritual transformation for 25 years. In this interview she talks about her early adventures in personal development and then describes the principals behind the Enneagram and gives a brief overview of the Nine different types. Sandra has written two books on the Enneagram, "The Spiritual Dimensions of the Enneagram - Nine Faces Of The Soul" and "The Enneagram of Passions and Virtues: Finding the Way Home".
In the mid 90s Rupert met his teacher, Francis Lucille. The first words Rupert heard him say were: 'Meditation is a universal 'Yes' to everything'. This was a pivotal moment in Rupert's life. 'At this moment I realised that I had arrived home, that this encounter was the flowering and fulfilment of the previous thirty years of seeking' says Rupert. Over the next ten years Rupert spent all the spare time that work and family commitments would allow, with Francis, exploring the sense of separation as it appears in the mind in the form of beliefs and, more importantly, how it appears in the body as feelings of being located and therefore limited. Rupert's first book "The Transparency of Things" is available from Non-Duality books.
'The sense of separation is one of the most extraordinary and intricate creations that appear within Consciousness. Discovering its intricacies and subtleties at the level of the mind and the body, and its ramifications in the world is fascinating, enjoyable, humorous, absurd and sometimes painful. The power of this sense of separation lies in its obscurity. As soon as it is clearly seen for what it is, it’s apparent ability to obscure what we are from knowing itself is undermined. The clear seeing of ego is its dissolution.' Rupert's first book "The Transparency of Things" is available from Non-Duality books.
Rupert has appeared on conscious.tv several times before and we very much value his wisdom and clarity. He has two new books coming out on Non-Duality Press this Autumn entitled, 'Presence: The Seamless Intimacy of Experience' and 'Presence: The Art of Peace And Happiness' These two deep, intimate interviews are great trailers for these two books.
Rupert has appeared on conscious.tv several times before and we very much value his wisdom and clarity. He has two new books coming out on Non-Duality Press this Autumn entitled, 'Presence: The Seamless Intimacy Of Experience' and 'Presence: The Art Of Peace And Happiness' These two deep, intimate interviews are great trailers for these two books.
Rupert is a renowned ceramic artist whose book "Bowl" was published in 2004. At the time of this interview Rupert worked from his studio in Shropshire, England. His work is exhibited regularly in many prestigious galleries. He is also an advaita teacher and his book on this subject "The Transparency of Things" is available on Non-Duality Press. In this interview Chris Hebard reads quotes from "Bowl" and encourages Rupert to explain in a great deal of depth his feelings about the connections between art and consciousness.
Richard is an 'enlightened mystic' and teacher of spirituality. In 1970, searching for enlightenment he attended a workshop with Douglas Harding and under his guidance was astonished to discover that he actually saw his True Self - boundless, timeless and one with the world. He was so impressed with the effectiveness of Harding's experiment that he became involved in the work of giving workshops and teaching these methods to a wider audience. In this interview Richard talks about his life and demonstrates 'The Headless way'.
Pim worked as a cardiologist in the Netherlands and in 1986 became interested in near-death experiences in patients who survived a cardiac arrest. In 2007 he published his book 'Endless Consciousness: a scientific approach to the near-death experience.' He looks in detail into what actually happens, and people's experiences, during an NDE, and how it can dramatically change their lives. It raises such fundamental questions as: 'Where is Consciousness located?', 'What Happens when we die' and 'Who am I?'.
Dervish turning from the Mevlevi order of Dervishes is a potent method for experiencing inner stillness and the opening of the heart. It has been taught and practised regularly at Colet House in West London since 1973. The turning is part of a ceremony known as a 'Mukabele' (meaning 'coming face to face') and was originally developed by followers of the 13th century Persian mystic Jelaluddin Rumi. The ceremony has a profound inner symbolism, representing man's inner journey back to the realisation of his essential oneness with God and the unity of all creation. Three turners talk about how this practice has changed their lives.
Philip is the Sheik for the 'Turning' group at Colet House. He studied with Dr Francis Roles for many years. He talks about becoming seriously ill. 'I had always thought that it was possible to change my attitude to any situation. With the illness, I realised that there was a stage where you couldn't. You could have a good attitude either side of the experience, but not while you were in it, ….when the illness was deep in the brain, there was no way out until it passed, and you just had to allow the experience to be what it was. I was having to assimilate the idea of illness and suffering as a gift - what looked like suffering …could often have a transforming effect on the deeper spiritual levels.'
Author of many books including 'The Brain Book,' 'The Global Brain,' 'From Science to God' and 'Waking Up in Time', Peter talks about his life and work. He explains what he calls Spirituality 101. He also talks about Singularity, 'A White Hole in Time,' and the bringing together of Consciousness and Science.
Pamela speaks about Advaita, Non-Duality and says that ‘the universe is one undivided whole.' For the last ten years she has travelled widely in the United States, Canada and Europe, holding satsang and giving private sessions. In this interview she talks about her life and living in the Non-Dual state.
The Feminine Face of God - Part 2. Mukti, whose name is translated as "liberation" is a teacher in the linage of Adyashanti, her husband. In this interview she talks about her spiritual path of Faith and Trusting, her longing to have a spiritual marriage with Adya and her experience of "True Stillness" which lead into her profound Awakening where Reality completely shifted. Mukti also points out that Women need to listen to their direct experience in their bodies and explains with such beautiful clarity how Enlightenment is felt and manifested through the 3 centres - Mind, Heart, Belly - in the body.
Mooji is a direct disciple of Sri Harilal Poonja (Papaji). A chance meeting with a Christian mystic in 1987 was life-changing. It brought him, through prayer, to the direct experience of the Divine within. Mooji soon experienced a radical shift in consciousness so profound that he seemed, to many who knew him, to be an entirely different person. A deep inner transformation began with miraculous experiences and mystical insights. A strong wind of change blew through his life and brought a deep urge to surrender completely to divine will. He stopped teaching to begin a life of quiet simplicity and surrender to the will of God as it manifested spontaneously within him. A great peace entered his being and has remained ever since.
Mike was obsessed with becoming enlightened since childhood - for him that was the point of living. He knew from an early age that the voice in his head wasn't him. He had some terrifying experiences of no-self which led to panic attacks and depression. Eventually he decided that he needed to drop the desire for enlightenment and somehow fix his life; after a time, he was much happier. He then had the experience that ended his search for enlightenment. Mike said, "There's just the impersonal flow of awareness being everything without exception, no way to get it and no way to get out of it. It basks in the ordinary and mundane as well as the fireworks."
Miek was living a full life when she spontaneously decided to enter one of the strictest Monasteries within the Catholic Church - the Carthusian Order - where life was lived in SILENCE. Miek lived her life in silence for 12 years with great discipline and focus on her practice; without that one is soon left at the mercy of the "Demons" of one's mind; without structure one can go mad. After 9 years she had her great Awakening, her perspective completely shifted and her old image of God was smashed. It took her 3 years to leave the Solitude and Silence and go back to the "Market Place" and live her Awakening. She is now a Guide to help people find their own way into the Great Silence.
Michael was born in London, graduated at Cambridge University in Maths and Law and became a highly successful businessman for a while, then a world traveller. On returning to London, he set up the lay movement known as 'People Not Psychiatry' and established his own Growth Centre, 'Community'. In 1974 he become a disciple of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (Osho) and made a name for himself as leader of intensive seminars in Poona and other Rajneesh centres. In 1982 he left this movement and set up his own Energyfield known as The Wild Goose Company. In this in-depth interview he talks about his life, his work, enlightenment and even finds time to talk about his love for Arsenal football club!
Author of 'Movement for Self Healing', Meir tells his inspiring story of how he was born blind to deaf parents. Through hard work and determination, he is now able to see (has a driving license). Meir also talks about his healing Centre in San Francisco, CA and why he believes that virtually anyone who is ill can improve their health.
Matthew's early life was dramatic. As a teenager he became a catalyst for poltergeist activity, at times persistent and dramatic. He then started 'automatic writing' and found that he was becoming a magnet for people from different cultures and languages that had been dead for years. His first book, 'The Link' told the story of this activity and was published when he was 20 years old. It went on to sell over 1 million copies. Then followed an experience in the Himalayas which changed his life. Following that Matthew started to work as a healer. He is now one of Britain's best known healers and works from his healing centre in Suffolk. Other books include 'One Foot In The Stars', 'In The Mind Of Millions; The Healing Journey' and 'Strangers.'
Marlies Cocheret and Ellen Emmet 'The Feminine Face of God' Interview by Renate McNay. This is the first programme in a new series which will explore the subject of Women and Consciousness. In this exploration Spiritual Teacher and Psychologist Marlies Cocheret, and Ellen Emmet who is a Transpersonal Psychologist and a teacher in Non-Duality Yoga and Movement Therapy, talk about how it is to be a woman on the path of awakening and liberation. It is important to first know that what we really are is beyond female and male and form. We can then begin to learn to express ourselves in a balanced way and reach our full potential as Human Beings.
Author of over 40 books including, 'Healing Energy of Shared Consciousness: A Taoist Approach To Entering the Universal Mind' and 'Taoist Shaman: Practices from the Wheel of Life.' In this interview Mantak Chia talks with Iain McNay about his life and how he was taught to access CHI energy by his Chinese teacher. He explains how this CHI energy can clear emotions and strengthen the body and the mind, and how it is connected to Universal energy and life force. Mantak Chia also shows how to start accessing CHI energy.
Lothar Schafer, author of 'Infinite Potential' and 'In Search of Divine Reality', interviewed by Iain McNay, talks about what Quantum Physics reveals about how we should live our lives. A retired Professor of chemistry he spent much of his life looking at quantum-chemical computations and electron diffraction studies of molecular structures. "You need to first understand the order of the universe and your place in it - you can't find happiness in your personal life if you are not living in harmony with the universe. The constituents of real things are found not to be real - these findings show that the quantum phenomena make it possible to establish a new covenant between the human mind and the mind-like background of the universe”.
Kevin is co-author, with his wife Brandon Bays, of 'Consciousness The New Currency.' In this interview he talks in detail about his life and how he finally found peace and freedom. Kevin says: 'All of life, I am that. Nothing external can ever complete me. I always come back to stillness.'
Karen Johnson 'The ALIVENESS of Presence' Interview by Iain McNay Karen is a co-founder of The Ridhwan School/Diamond Approach with AH Almaas (Hameed Ali). She talks about her life, her meeting with Almaas and how their friendship lead to the creation and the on-going development of the school. She also shares her own remarkable expression of presence in its many manifestations.
Jessica is a teacher in the Ridhwan school. She talks openly about her life and the journey that has taken her from Freudian therapy to Jungian work to Gestalt practice. She lived at Esalen for 10 years and started to have sessions with Hammed Ali (AH Almaas) before joining the Ridhwan school in its early years. 'Transcendence is the first step to know one's nature - the nature of everything. The next step is to live this more and more; the one subject expresses itself in your/my/our location.'
Jeff if author of 5 books including, 'The Deepest Acceptance: Radical Awakening In Ordinary Life,' 'An Extraordinary Absence: Liberation in the Midst Of A Very Ordinary Life,' and 'The Wonder of Being.' In this interview Jeff uses the crucifixion of Jesus to explain Life lived in the Present Moment. He also shares his own despair and talks about how we have the tendency to spiritually BYPASSING our human stuff and how we all long for the unconditional rest of the 'Ocean'.
Jeff is author of 5 books including, 'The Deepest Acceptance: Radical Awakening in Ordinary Life,' 'An Extraordinary Absence: Liberation in the Midst of A Very Ordinary Life,' and 'The Wonder of Being.' In this Interview he gives us the Metaphor of the Ocean and the Waves and invites us to discover the Ocean of who we are: an Awareness that has already allowed every Wave of emotion and experience to arrive, they are our beloved children. Jeff explains how we can stop running from "the mess of our life" into the deepest Acceptance of the moment and radically Awaken in Ordinary Life. He also shares with us in depth his own process.
The simple and direct message of Life Without a Centre is this: 'There is only ever Oneness. And in Oneness, the dream of separation arises, the idea that you are a separate 'person in the world', with a heavy past and an uncertain future, somehow divided from everyone and everything else. In this dream there can be great suffering, because to a separate person, life will never seem complete, and a longing for Home will pervade all action. We are talking about the possibility of waking up from this dream. It's an awakening that's simpler and gentler than you could ever imagine. This radical message lovingly allows all spiritual paths, while at the same time making them completely obsolete. This may feel very threatening to a mind hooked on ideas of paths, processes, and perfection. But in the presence of this revolutionary clarity, the endless seeking of the mind cannot last. Then, in the place of striving, suffering, and solidity, there is only ever lightness, love and so much laughter. Some have called this 'spiritual awakening'. I call it Life Without a Centre.'
Jeddah is an International Teacher on Enlightenment who had, already at a very young age, a deep understanding of the Nature of Reality. She embarked on a 20 year long journey at the age of 20 with the world's highest ranking masters such as the Dalai Lama and spending hundreds of hours in practice, meditation, analysis and exploration. Throughout her life she had a series of awakenings, culminating now in a moment to moment awareness of the source of all existence.
Jackie O' Keeffe was raised in rural Ireland. She studied theology and music, graduating in the 1980's and was left disillusioned and a non-believer. In 1997, her life changed dramatically when her sixth sense awakened. Spontaneously, she was able to see chakras, energy fields and auras. She could communicate with animals and with those who have passed away. A busy practice in healing quickly developed, with Jackie offering private sessions and residential retreats. After seven years as a spiritual teacher, Jackie stopped in 2006 and left Ireland to deepen her own spiritual practice. Her personal quest led to a transcendence of dualistic thought. Jackie now lives in Ireland and India. She facilitates spiritual gatherings, offering clear pointers to seekers of truth. In this interview Jackie, gives clear and direct pointers to what's real. She gives examples of how we fool ourselves into believing we are defined by our personality and brings us back to what we truly are.
Igor was born in Uzbekistan and in his childhood, Igor had many episodes associated with the awakening of Kundalini. Later in the wake of an advanced yogic course, TM-Sidhi Program, he went through a profound expansion of Consciousness. By the age of thirty six Igor had undergone a radical transformation of consciousness which subsequently blossomed into spontaneous unfoldment of Grace. For the next five years he continued long hours of meditation, integrating expanded state of awareness throughout his daily activities. Around that time, he began sharing his insights with those who were attracted by the energy emanating in his presence. In this interview he talks about his early life and awakening. His book Flowing Wakefulness - Essays on the Nature of Consciousness and Reality will be released soon.
Igor, artist and Advaita Tantric Teacher was born in Uzbekistan and his book, Flowing Wakefulness - Essays on the Nature of Consciousness and Reality will be released soon. In this interview he tells us his view on Enlightenment and that true Awakening has to take place in the body on a cellular level. It is the Nervous System that supports the individual Consciousness to mature into full Enlightenment; it's an alchemical process. He states, "The Enlightened is one who's Nervous System can no longer be swept away by chemical storms inside. In this interview Igor talks about the importance of meditation and of the need for utter dedication to the truth
Author of ‘The Master and His Emissary - The Divided Brain and The making Of The Western World’ and ‘The Divided Brain And The Search For Meaning’. Iain McGilchrist is committed to the idea that the mind and brain can be understood only by seeing them in the broadest possible context, that of the whole of our physical and spiritual existence and of the wider human culture in which they arise: the culture which helps to mould, and in turn is moulded by our minds and brains. He argues that the division of the brain into two hemispheres is essential to human existence, making possible incompatible versions of the world, with quite different priorities and values.
Hugh is author of the books 'The Heart Of Listening - A Visionary Approach to Craniosacral work' and 'Bhagwan: The God That Failed.' He also features in the movie, 'Guru Bhagwan: His Secretary and His BodyGuard.' The interview covers Hugh's life; how he eventually re-found his childhood abilities to 'see,' his years as Indian Guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh's (Osho) bodyguard and how he has now become a teacher of Craniosacral work.
Author of 'The Enneagram: Understanding Yourself and the Others in Your Life' and 'The Enneagram in Love and Work: Understanding Your Intimate and Business Relationship' as well as other books on the Enneagram. In this interview she talks about how she first heard of the Enneagram and met with Claudio Naranjo in the 70s. At the time there were very few teachings that included the mystical realms along with a psychological understanding. She explains how the Enneagram can provide important pointers to the barriers to spiritual liberation. Self-observation and self-reflection are key as is concentration and witnessing consciousness.
Author of the highly regarded Non-Duality book: 'This Is The Unimaginable and Unavoidable - Irresponsible Writing On Non-Duality', Guy talks about his experiences in the field of spirituality and the challenges he has faced with integrating this on a human level, since that time.
Greg has been a philosophical counsellor since 1996. After studying Psychology at California State University, he studied philosophy at the Universitat zu Koln in Cologne, Germany, and received his M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Rochester. His areas of specialization were decision theory, the philosophy of mind, and the philosophy of George Berkeley. His doctoral dissertation was on the question, "Is it ever rational to be impatient?" Greg studied Advaita Vedanta through the Chinmaya Mission, Sri Atmananda, Jean Klein, and Francis Lucille. He studied the Mahayana teachings of Pure Land Buddhism through Jodo-Shinshu, and studied Chinese Middle-Way Buddhism through the lineage of the pre-eminent scholar of Chinese Buddhism, Master Yin-Shun of Taiwan, P.R.C. and author of The Way to Buddhahood.
Former Blondie bass player (then known as Gary Valentine) and author of several books including "New York Rocker", "A Secret History of Consciousness", "Turn Off Your Mind" and "Jung the Mystic".
Gangaji shares a simple message: 'This is an invitation to shift your allegiance from the activities of your mind to the eternal presence of your being'. Despite her early breakthroughs and successes, Gangaji continued to experience a deep longing for fulfilment. She pursued many paths including relationship, motherhood, political activism, career, and spiritual practice, but all ultimately came up short. She made a final prayer for true help. In 1990. The answer to her prayer came unexpectedly, taking her to India and to the meeting on the banks of the river with Sri H.W.L. Poonja, (Papaji), who opened the floodgates of self-recognition. In this meeting, Gangaji's personal story of suffering ended, and the promise of a true life began to flower and unfold. Today, Gangaji is a teacher and author and powerfully articulates how it is possible to discover the truth of who you are and to be true to that discovery.
Author of the book, Molecular Consciousness: Why the Universe is Aware of Our Presence, Francoise studied for many years with Colette Aboulker-Muscat and works as a researcher in Chemistry for the Hebrew University. She says, 'According to science we are all victims of a fantastic sensory illusion. In quantum mechanics any particle of matter behaves like a solid body in some cases and like waves in other cases. This depends on the observer. We and everything around us are only waves, waves of probabilities, and when interacting with this very sophisticated device called our brain, these waves are reduced to certainty, a certainty WE choose.'
Faisal is a spiritual teacher and the founder of the 'Diamond Teachings' and the 'Diamond Logos Academy'. In this interview he talks about Enlightenment and beyond shedding more light on the nature of enlightened space and some of the experiences that unfold within that great opening and how through the deepening within this great domain, one can dawn on the 'Kingdom of the Three Domains' that is our human home. "The Absolute is our Nature and the Human Being is the Mandala of existence." He recites the 'The Verse of Light' from the Koran in Arabic which mirrors the complete Diamond Teachings.
Faisal talks about his life; his enlightenment, and how awakening happens in the mind, and enlightenment happens in the heart. He also talks about how he formed the Ridhwan school with AH Almaas and helped develop the 'theory of holes' and work with the Latiaf and essential qualities and enquiry. He later left to form his own teaching, 'The Diamond Logos.' 'The more that understanding comes through, the more the personality begins to resolve and we can retrieve the original state that is lost.' 'In our world today two major topics need to be emphasized; humanity needs to be spiritualized and spirituality needs to be humanized'
Author of 'Liberation From The Lie - Cutting The Roots Of Fear Once And For All' Eric talks very candidly about his search for freedom. He learnt that the 'fear-self' is at the root of our difficulty to free ourselves and feels that his book is a 'liberation manual' containing the keys to deconstructing ourselves. 'The World is in crisis and we are in crisis.'
The fifth programme in a new series about the Enneagram and the 9 different personality types. Here type 9 is discussed in detail.
The seventh programme in our series on the Enneagram. Three 8's talk about themselves and their lives.
This is the third programme in a new series about the Enneagram and the 9 different personality types. Here type 7 is discussed in detail.
This is the second programme in a new series about the Enneagram where we will talk in detail about each type (there are 9). Grahame, Judith and Lynne are all Type 6's. In this discussion they explain how their knowledge of the Enneagram has helped them understand themselves and others better. They also talk about how they see the potential of their type in terms of the bigger picture of life.
The sixth programme in a new series about the Enneagram and the 9 different personality types. Here type 5 is discussed in detail.
The fourth programme in a new series about the Enneagram and the 9 different personality types. Here type 4 is discussed in detail.
The First programme in a new series about the Enneagram where we will talk in detail about each type (there are 9). Maureen, Eleonora and Pat are all Type 3's. In this discussion they explain how their knowledge of the Enneagram has helped them understand themselves and others better and live more authentic and fulfilling lives.
The Eighth programme in our series on the Enneagram. Three type 1's talk about themselves and their lives
Author of several books including "Hidden Dimensions: The Unification of Physics and Consciousness", Alan Wallace recalls his early adventures in Europe and India which led him to discover Buddhism. He also talks about the levels of meditation and the importance of true balance in life.
Emilie Conrad is the founder of "Continuum" and the author of 'Life on Land - The Story of Continuum.' In this interview she talks about her traumatizing Brooklyn childhood and discovery of Dance with the psychic and physical collapse that led to the development of Continuum and to her ground-breaking movement and self-realization technique.
Ellen talks about her life and her work as a non-duality yoga and movement teacher. She did record Part 1 a couple of years ago which was a practical demonstration of her work. This is also under the Consciousness/Yoga section. She has a unique way of encouraging the body to enter a non-dual space.
Elias Amidon is co-director of the Boulder Institute for Nature and the Human Spirit which runs training programs in support of human rights, citizen peace-making, environmental ethics, and indigenous cultures. During the 90's he taught in the masters program of Environmental Leadership at Naropa University in Colorado. He is a trained wilderness quest guide. Elias is a Murshid, senior teacher, and lineage holder of the International Sufi Way, an inner school in the lineage of Indian Sufi master Inayat Khan. He was initiated into the Qadiri Sufi order and the Soto Zen Buddhist order of the White Plum Sangha. In this interview he talks about his life, the Sufi way and how the deepening of one's inner life and the deepening of one's life in the world is a single process. His life's primary dedication is to be able to access and sustain the clear presence of simple being pure awareness with ease.
Eli's spiritual path started in 1971, when he was a federal fugitive during the Vietnam war. In 1978, Kalu Rinpoche appointed him the president of the first Kagyu dharma centre in Marin County. In 1982, he was presented with a Zen Teaching Fan at ChoShoJi Zen Temple in Japan. After a search took him around the world and into many traditions and practices, his path and his search ended when he was pulled to India in 1990, where he met his final teacher, Sri H.W.L. Poonja. Confirming Eli's realization, his teacher sent him back into the world to share his unique psychological insights into the nature of egoic suffering in support of self-realization. Eli infuses the teaching with his teacher's living transmission of silence. He presents a unique map of egoic identification as a vehicle for ruthless self-inquiry and final realization of true freedom.
Rupert Sheldrake is a biologist and author of more than 80 scientific papers and ten books. A former Research Fellow of the Royal Society, he studied natural sciences at Cambridge University and then studied philosophy at Harvard University, where he took a Ph.D. in biochemistry. From 1968 to 1969, based in the Botany Department of the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, he studied rain forest plants. From 1974 to 1985 he worked at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in Hyderabad, India, where he was Principal Plant Physiologist. While in India, he also lived for a year and a half at the ashram of Fr Bede Griffiths in Tamil Nadu, where he wrote his first book, "A New Science of Life". This book has recently been republished and it is around this that the interview is based.
Richard is author of many books including "How Shall I Live?", "The Black Butterfly", "The Second Miracle" and "The Mandala of Being". He talks about his life, his awakening and how we can all live in a more alive way.
Author of several books including 'The Art Of Dying', 'The Truth In The Light' and 'The Hidden Door', neuro-psychiatrist Peter Fenwick talks about his research into End of Life Experiences and deathbed phenomena. In this interview Dr Fenwick explains what these occurrences mean in the greater picture of who we really are.
Punk Science charts the current revolution in science that is arising from rebels around the world and gaining ground. This brave new world is not one devoid of meaning or thought, but one alive with consciousness, where we dance in a field of light imbued with the mind of God. This is not a book of dogmatic religion. Punk Science stays firmly in the domain of logic and of science to demonstrate how the separate fields of science and spirituality are starting to look incredibly similar. We dive into the worlds of consciousness physics, the biology of belief, loop quantum gravity, the zero point field and hyperspace to show how we might finally find scientific explanations for phenomena such as psychic abilities, mediumship, distant healing and angelic encounters.
Author of "Manual for a Perfect Government", John Hagelin, Ph.D. is a quantum physicist and leading proponent of peace. Stood for President of the US in 1990 and received over 2 million votes. Conducted pioneering research at CERN and SLAC. His scientific contributions in the fields of electroweak unification, grand unification, super-symmetry and cosmology include some of the most cited references in the physical sciences. He is also responsible for the development of a highly successful Grand Unified Field Theory based on the Superstring. Dr Hagelin is currently Director of the Institute of Science, Technology and Public Policy, a leading science and technology think tank, and International Director of the Global Union of Scientists for Peace. John talks about his life, his work, and the benefits of meditation.
Healer and Author of 'The Reconnection - Heal Others, Heal Yourself'. Eric walked away from one of the most successful chiropractic practices in Los Angeles when he and others started witnessing miraculous healings. He talks about his mission in bringing the 'new' bandwidth of frequency never before present on Earth which awakens and upgrades our minds and human system. Dr Pearl brings his mission worldwide to a fast growing audience, to Governments, to the Healthcare System and to Prisons.
Author of many books including: 'How Quantum Activism Can Save Civilization', 'The Visionary Window: A Quantum Physicist's Guide to Enlightenment' and 'God Is Not Dead' talks about his life and how discovering that consciousness Is the ground of being changed his scientific thinking and his approach to life. He also explains downward causation, quantum non-locality, free will, Intention, the observer effect, quantum collapse and how consciousness creates the manifest world.
David is an Artist and had his first experience of the timeless realm when looking at a painting by David Hockney when studying art in Art School. The highest purpose of art is to reveal the Self. He demonstrates how art can lead to Self-Realisation without the need for spiritual beliefs or practices and shows examples of paintings which can activate the experience of silence and stillness in the viewer. He also talks about the acceleration of the Evolution of Consciousness and that Self-Realisation is happening now on a much larger scale. The idea of a dramatic shift is receding and that clear seeing and acceptance of one's ever present Realisation is all that is required.
In the 'development' of consciousness a point is reached where the distinction between human experience and the knowing of Present-Awareness-Existence becomes clear. This 'development' or 'evolution' is in reality superimposed upon timeless Awareness. Present-Awareness-Existence is the Totality. The Present is disguised by time. Awareness, which is non-conceptual, is disguised by the thinking process. Existence is disguised by identification with the body. Present-Awareness-Existence is what One already is and is fully known. The waking, dreaming and deep sleep states and all other states and experiences simply and effortlessly arise within it. Awareness is presently allowing the knowing of This.
In the 'development' of consciousness a point is reached where the distinction between human experience and the knowing of Present-Awareness-Existence becomes clear. This 'development' or 'evolution' is in reality superimposed upon timeless Awareness. Present-Awareness-Existence is the Totality. The Present is disguised by time. Awareness, which is non-conceptual, is disguised by the thinking process. Existence is disguised by identification with the body. Present-Awareness-Existence is what One already is and is fully known. The waking, dreaming and deep sleep states and all other states and experiences simply and effortlessly arise within it. Awareness is presently allowing the knowing of This.
David has appeared on conscious.tv several times now and we always get a lot of positive feedback. Here he talks about and explains 'Clear Seeing.' Dan and Una had previously had private sessions with David; here they talk about how these sessions have affected how they see reality. At the end of the programme there is a 'Clear Seeing' session where David guides Eleonora. A 'Clear Seeing' Meditation concludes this programme.
David is an Artist and had his first experience of the timeless realm when looking at a painting by David Hockney when studying art in Art School. The highest purpose of art is to reveal the Self. He demonstrates how art can lead to Self-Realisation without the need for spiritual beliefs or practices and shows examples of paintings which can activate the experience of silence and stillness in the viewer. He also talks about the acceleration of the Evolution of Consciousness and that Self-Realisation is happening now on a much larger scale. The idea of a dramatic shift is receding and that clear seeing and acceptance of one's ever present Realisation is all that is required.
Author of 10 books including 'Images of the Soul: The Workings in Shamanic Rituals and Family Constellations' and 'The Tears of the Ancestors: Victims and Perpetrators in the Tribal Soul.' Daan talk about his life and his experiences with Shamanic Rituals and Family Constellations.
Daniel is Director of The Centre for Integrative Psychotherapy, Newton, MA and Associate Clinical Professor of Psychology, Harvard Medical School. Author of 14 books including "Transformations of Consciousness" (with Ken Wilbur and Jack Engler), and a book on Mahamudra, "Pointing Out the Great Way: The Mahamudra Tradition of Tibetan Meditation-Stages" and two books on public dialogues with H.H. The Dalai Lama. He studied meditation practice for 38 years, including Patnajali's Yogasutras with Mircea Eliade; Burmese mindfulness meditation with Mahasi Sayadaw; Indo-Tibetan concentration and insight meditation with Geshe Wangyal, Denmo Locho Rinpoche, and Yeshe Tapkay; the Mahamudra from numerous Tibetan lamas. He spent 10 years translating meditation texts from Tibetan and Sanskrit. He has taught meditation retreats for 18 years.
Author of over 20 books including 'Healing Civilization' and 'Enneagram of Society: Healing the Soul to Heal the World'. In this interview Claudio talks about his life and his first teacher, Totila Albert. How he first experimented with Ecstasy in therapeutic sessions; how he worked with Fritz Pearls; his time with Oscar Ichazo and how he took the basic Enneagram idea and developed the personality types. He shares about his first 'Seekers After Truth' groups and the long period when he felt he had 'fallen from Grace.' A fascinating interview.
Christine Jensen ‘Trauma and Awakening’ Interview by Renate McNay Christine specializes in 'Trauma Resolution Work' which was originally pioneered by American psychologist, Peter Levine. She was brought up in the outback of Australia very connected to nature, the stars and the earth and sees today the importance of it for regulation and harmony of our nervous system. She talks about trauma in spirituality and why trauma is in the way to fully awaken. "Everything we experience is registered in the body and it has to be felt there so that the nervous system can release the blocked energy of the trauma, shock and stress, and heal. Our whole human system from psyche to cell wants to heal and move towards greater wholeness.
Byron Katie 'The Story Of The ONE' Interview by Iain McNay Author of many books including, 'A Thousand Names For Joy', 'Loving What Is: How Four Questions Can Change Your Life ' and 'Who Would You Be Without Your Thinking.' Creator of 'The Work,' Katie talks about her life and how she sees reality. 'Stay in the place you are not creating the illusion. Stay in the I AM.' 'I am the awareness of Consciousness observing itself'.
Burgs initially trained with the Balinese meditation teacher and healer Merta Ada and helped set up his Meditation school in Indonesia. The practices Burgs learnt there heavily influence his current teaching practice. He also trained in Chi Kung with a number of well-known Taoist teachers in Asia and integrates many of these practices into his teaching system. He then learnt meditation from the Venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw in Burma. He was personally tutored by the Sayadaw and became the first Westerner to complete the entire series of 40 Samatha meditation practices as described by the Buddha. He was then asked to visit His Holiness Dodrupchen Rinpoche, who gave him the direct Dzogchen Mind Transmissions and subsequently recognised his attainment of some of the highest levels of Dzogchen practice. Burgs has since been teaching both meditation and Chi Kung in the UK.
Author of 'Beyond The Veil' and 'The Flavour Of Liberation - Volumes One, Two and Three', Burgs has been teaching meditation in Europe and Asia since 1998. He has a deep grounding and understanding in all aspects of meditation and energetic cultivation, and has a profound appreciation of how different spiritual practices and traditions fit together as a whole. He can directly perceive the mechanics of the mind and body, and can help elucidate the relationship between these aspects of ourselves. In this second interview Burgs talks about how meditation changes the mind and therefore the body. The body is a record of everything that has gone on in our minds. He explains the reason why some Cancers are cold and others are hot and what we can do about it. When we enter Samadhi in meditation the body has a rest from the mind and can heal.
Burgs initially trained with the Balinese meditation teacher and healer Merta Ada and helped set up his Meditation school in Indonesia. The practices Burgs learnt there heavily influence his current teaching practice. He also trained in Chi Kung with a number of well-known Taoist teachers in Asia and integrates many of these practices into his teaching system. He then learnt meditation from the Venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw in Burma. He was personally tutored by the Sayadaw and became the first Westerner to complete the entire series of 40 Samatha meditation practices as described by the Buddha. He was then asked to visit His Holiness Dodrupchen Rinpoche, who gave him the direct Dzogchen Mind Transmissions and subsequently recognised his attainment of some of the highest levels of Dzogchen practice. Burgs has since been teaching both meditation and Chi Kung in the UK.
Bruce is a cellular biologist who is the author of "The Biology of Belief" and "Spontaneous Evolution". He talks about his life, his work, and how he sees the predicament of the human race.
Author of 12 books including, 'Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body', 'The Chi Revolution' and 'The Great Stillness' talks about his life; how he started enquiry at 6 years old, learnt Shiatsu and Zen when he was 14, and went to Japan when 18 to study with the founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba. He ended up living in China, Japan and India for 16 years where he studied Zen, Yoga, Kundalini and Taoist Fire traditions. Speaks fluent Chinese and Japanese. First Westerner to be certified in Beijing by the People's Republic of China to teach the complete system of Tai Chii Chuan. A really unique interview.
Bronwen has had a fascinating life. She was a top model in the 50's, was one of the first BBC TV announcers, then married Lord Astor and thus became Lady Astor. Her life was completely changed when she and her husband were pulled in by the press in what became known as the Profumo affair. This time was a tremendous challenge for her and she talks openly about how her faith and her belief in love gave her the character and strength to see her through this and other challenging times.
Brandon has written several books including 'The Journey,' 'The Journey for Kids' and 'Consciousness the New Currency.' In this interview she talks about her early spiritual search; how she healed herself from a large growth in her stomach, and the events that led to her creating 'The Journey' seminar which she has been leading now for many years.
Ex-punk band bass player and author of several books including 'Hardcore Zen' 'Sit Down And Shut Up' and 'Zen Wrapped In Karma Dipped in Chocolate', Brad explains that 'If you question everything thoroughly enough, the truth will eventually hit you upside the head and you will KNOW. But here's a warning: It won't be what you imagined. It won't even be close.
Bob is author of the book 'The Listening Attention'. He talks about his life and awakening: 'I was taken beyond myself into the place of no concern. The years of wondering, of alternating between pleasure and misery came to an end along with the searching and longing it generated. I saw that in all that time I had never really moved; rather I simply woke up.'
Billy is a Spiritual Teacher and Yoga Teacher in the Kashmir Tradition, and author of the book "The Mirage of Separation". He had a strong spiritual orientation early in life and started to explore non-dualistic teachings in his twenties. He met Jean Klein, a master of Advaita and Yoga who became his teacher for 14 years. He practiced the 'Art of Listening' and self-inquiry and then one day, while on a silent retreat, "all identification with a separate Entity dissolved" and he then knew himself as Silence.
Benjamin Zephaniah is a poet, a musician and an author. In this interview he talks about his life, how he was brought up in Birmingham, ended up in jail for burglary, and then decided to completely change his life, moved to London and became a successful poet and author. He talks about his poetry, his music, why he turned down an OBE and spending time in China studying Tai Chi. He now leads a quiet life living in the English Countryside. Benjamin's published works include, "Talking Turkeys", "Teacher's Dead", "Refugee Boy", "Face", "Gangsta's Rap" and "Too Black, Too Strong". His albums include, 'Naked', 'Us An Dem' and 'Belly Of The Beast.'
In the Vietnam War a mortar landed nearby that blew Bart into a clear and brilliant blackness that, "Felt like home. I would have gladly stayed in that blackness, but instead I was brought back into a world I could no longer view in the same way." When he returned in 1968 he experimented with LSD, read everything he could find that might offer clues to what had happened to him, studied meditation and attended workshops. After 20 years he hit a wall as a seeker and then met the teacher Richard Rose whom he studied with for 5 years. It was after a weekend with Douglas Harding that a breakthrough finally happened. "Being the source of everything that is nothing - everything and nothing, only this emptiness."
Author of the book 'Solid Ground Of Being' Art talks about his search for The Truth as his life, though perfect in one way, lacked purpose and meaning. After many years working with Richard Rose's TAT groups and many individual retreats and Douglas Harding's work a breakthrough occurred. 'Art Ticknor was never alive, something broke the identification with the observer, there was no regret in seeing the sense of separate self go.'
Author of 'In The Dark And Still Moving'. Anne talks about the sudden death of her son Tim Guest and how that started her journey to find out what death means for her. Anne Geraghty is a writer, lecturer and psycho-spiritual therapist. She runs workshops on love, relationships, planetary homoeopathy and the geoMystery. 'My life as a: cocktail shaker, psychotherapist, writer, shampoo girl, educational psychologist, taxi driver, cleaner, mother, researcher for the M.R.C., waitress, clinical psychologist, socialist feminist, factory worker, disciple of a tantric guru, maths tutor, relationship counsellor, adventurer into the psycho spiritual wild-side, shop keeper and cook - though not all at once or in that order, has taught me - everything is in everything.' Anne's autobiography is entitled, "In The Dark And Still Moving".
Anita worked in the corporate field before being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Four years after being diagnosed her body began shutting down. As her organs failed she entered into an extraordinary near-death experience where she realised the cause of her disease as well as waking up to who she truly is. On regaining consciousness she found her condition had improved so rapidly that she was released from hospital within weeks.
Into The Rock’N’Roll Universe And Beyond’ and ‘The Book Of Enlightened Masters – Western Teachers in Eastern Traditions.’ Andrew Talks about his life and how he was aware that he was continually ‘hit’ by realisations, small and large, that enabled him to see through his conditioning. ‘The HIT is both a grace and a disturbance. All worlds are a show.. Reality is open. It is constantly transforming itself. It goes beyond itself. It is where illusion begins. All derangements are connected. Like sub atomic particles they just keep reflecting each other jumping between each other and turning into each other. Just like a magic trick where certainty and deception change places. There is really no reality without identity, and identity is a show.’
Author of 30 books including 'Hidden Journey,' 'The Hope,' and his forthcoming book 'Radical Passion' talks about his life, his awakenings, his 'dark nights' and his work these days encouraging people to explore and engage in Sacred Activism. Talks about his time with Mother Meera, the importance of shadow work, and how as a human race we are right on edge of death, but also a new birth. 'Compassion in Action is the marriage of practical action and spiritual wisdom to create a holy force capable of transforming our world crisis and preserving our planet.'
Ananta has had to face many challenges in her life. She spent much of her 20's living with a Billionaire; became addicted to cocaine and then heroin. She spent 2 1/2 years in solitary confinement in a prison in Japan. Here she woke up to who she truly is. She was then deported to London where she had the challenge of integrating her realisation into daily life. She now travels and leads Satsangs in different countries.
Amoda Maa Jeevan is a spiritual teacher and the author of: Finding God in Everything and Change your Life, Change your World and of the forthcoming book Radical Awakening - The Birth of a New World and a New You. In this interview Amoda Maa talks about the need of a truly holistic spirituality and of the need to reframe our understanding of what it means to be an awakened human being. Awakening is just the beginning... the real journey is the Embodiment of this Awakening. It appears as if the outer world of form is breaking down, but it is the inner World of Consciousness that has reached a Crisis Point and we are called to turn around and join forces with Evolution itself.
At the moment of 'coming back to life' after awakening the 'awakened Mind is born'. Before awaking there is only the ordinary mind, a mind that is always deluded. After years of practice this mind develops wisdom into the nature of itself and becomes more and more refined in that respect until it finally reaches the point where it cannot know any more about itself and falls into equanimity. There is a popular misconception that with awakening the everyday ignorant mind is swept away leaving just the pure wisdom of enlightenment. There remains a paradox which many find hard to accept, the transcendental is awakened but shortly after that, the small mind comes back with all its ignorance and power - everyday living doesn't change much at all. The practice that takes place afterward, the 'breakthrough' is precisely about these two.
Alan talks about his life and his work. Having been brought up by Catholic Nuns in an orphanage he started to find his way when he discovered Carl Rogers and Encounter Groups. He describes his awakening: "I disappeared into the most brilliant oneness in the whole of existence. All the boundaries dissolved". Alan worked at the Community Centre in London before going to Poona and becoming a disciple of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (later Osho). At this time he becomes known as Rajen and ran Encounter groups before moving on to the Rajneesh ranch in Oregon. In this interview, Alan reflects on his time with Bhagwan/Osho and talks about 'The Art Of Being.'
Adyashanti is author of several books including, 'Emptiness Dancing' 'Falling Into Grace' and 'The End Of Your World.' In this interview he talks in detail about his years as a Zen meditator; life as a top athlete; his two significant awakenings; the obstacles he discovered in the way, and the nature of illusion.
A.H. Almaas is the pen name of Hameed Ali, who is the creator of the Diamond Approach to Self Realization. The Diamond Approach is a contemporary teaching that developed within the context of awareness of both ancient spiritual teachings and modern depth psychological theories. He has authored several books about spiritual realization, including The Diamond Heart Series, The Pearl Beyond Price, The Void, The Unfolding Now and The Point of Existence. He founded the Ridhwan School, an inner work school devoted to the realization of True Nature. Karen Johnson is a co-founder of the school and is involved with Almaas in its ongoing development. They talk about their relationship going back over 30 years and how it has matured and deepened over that time.
A.H. Almaas is the pen name of Hameed Ali, who is the creator of the Diamond Approach to Self Realization. The Diamond Approach is a contemporary teaching that developed within the context of awareness of both ancient spiritual teachings and modern depth psychological theories. He has authored several books about spiritual realization, including The Diamond Heart series, The Pearl Beyond Price, The Void, The Unfolding Now and The Point of Existence. He founded the Ridhwan School, an inner work school devoted to the realization of True Nature. The goal (orientation) of the school is directed toward helping students to become aware of and embodying their "essence" or essential nature. In this interview he talks about his life, his experiences, and how he feels 'Enlightenment ' is never ending.