In this episode I am joined by Shiv Mathur, Youtuber and spiritual explorer.Shiv recounts his life story including his upbringing in India, 16 years of military service, and international career in IT.Shiv describes how a growing spiritual calling saw him retire from the world of work to seek out spiritual masters in the Himalayas. Shiv shares stor…

In this episode I am once again joined by Mattias Daly, Taoist practitioner and translator of ‘Taoist Inner Alchemy’, published by Shambala.Mattias reflects on lessons learned from the series of exorcisms her underwent in his 20s, as described in episode 263 of this podcast, “My Demon Exorcism”, including the means by which entities may gain entry,…

Delson Armstrong is a spiritual teacher, meditation virtuoso, and author of ‘A Mind Without Craving’.In this interview, Delson renounces all of his previous claims to spiritual attainment. Delson details recent changes in his inner experiences that saw him question the nature of his awakening, including the arising of emotions and desires that he t…

In this episode I am joined by Miles Neale & Matthew Freidell to discuss their documentary film “Missing Peace”.The film’s description states: “Borobudur is a 1250-year old Buddhist monument located on the island of Java, Indonesia. It was designed as a kind of ancient technology to broadcast the frequency of peace across the world. The only proble…

In this episode I am joined by Ishtar, an independent mediation teacher, mystic, and spiritual guide.Ishtar shares his unusual childhood including near constant encounters with ghosts, early spiritual experiences, astral journeys, and precognitive dreams.Ishtar details his life of spiritual seeking, years of intensive meditation practice, encounter…

In this episode I am once again joined by Dr. William Rory Dickson an associate professor of Islamic Religion and Culture at The University of Winnipeg and author of “Dissolving into Being: The Wisdom of Sufi Philosophy”.Professor Dickson discusses Ibn ‘Arabi (1165–1240), an important Sufi poet and philosopher. Ibn ‘Arabi was described as the great…

In this episode I am joined by Tulku Sherab Dorje, Buddhist teacher, translator, and author of scholarly and popular books about Tibetan Buddhism.Tulku Sherdor recounts his unusual childhood and past-life proclivities, his graduation from Columbia Law School and subsequent elite level law practice, and years of spiritual retreat under masters of Ti…

In this episode I am once again joined by Khandro Kunzang Dechen Chodron, teacher of Tibetan Buddhism and executive director of Saraswati Bhawan Publications.Khandro Kunzang details her apprenticeship in Nepal under renowned ngakpa Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche, outlines the course of her training from yidam practice to tummo and beyond, and reflects on t…

In this episode I host a dialogue between Henry Shukman, British poet, Zen teacher, and author of ‘One Blade of Grass; a Zen memoir’; and John Brehm, American poet and author of ‘The Dharma of Poetry’.Henry and John share the story of their formations as poets, compare the similarities as well as the marked differences in their backgrounds, and rev…

In this interview I am once again joined by Dr Ben Joffe, anthropologist and scholar practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. Dr Joffe leads a deep dive into the Western magickal tradition of spirit conjuration, traces their diverse forms through the centuries, and considers the range of beings described, from the land sprites of localised traditions to t…

In this episode I am joined by Dr. William Rory Dickson an associate professor of Islamic Religion and Culture at The University of Winnipeg and author of “Dissolving into Being: The Wisdom of Sufi Philosophy”.Professor Dickson recalls his Christian upbringing, teenage atheism, and how powerful psychedelic experiences saw him embark on a religious …

In this episode, I host a dialogue between Brad Warner, Zen teacher, Youtuber, and best-selling author of “Hardcore Zen”; and Shozan Jack Haubner, ex-Zen Monk, Youtuber, and prize winning author of the memoir “Zen Confidential: Confessions of a Wayward Monk”. Brad and Jack explore their own journeys as writers, the humorous and confessional element…

In this episode, filmed on location in Kathmandu, Nepal, I am joined by Jina Kusala, originally from Norway and now a wandering Theravada monk. Jina tells the story of his traumatic childhood, the mental suffering and instability it caused, and how the Buddhist path provided a means to reckon with the pain.Jina shares encounters with religious lead…

In this episode I am once again joined by Damo Mitchell author, teacher, and student of the internal arts of Asia including Tai Chi and Daoist Inner Alchemy.Damo draws on his background in the qi arts, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Western psychology to reveal the causes and symptoms of various types of qi and meditation related problems, inclu…

In this episode I am joined by Khandro Kunzang Dechen Chodron, teacher of Tibetan Buddhism and executive director of Saraswati Bhawan Publications.Khandro Kunzang recalls her childhood samadhi experiences and communications with animal spirits, her meetings with great gurus, and her own path of mystical experiences.Khandro Kunzang recounts stories …

In this episode I am joined by Gilbert M Gutierrez, Chan Buddhism teacher and a dharma heir of Master Sheng Yen.Gilbert recounts his early childhood mystical and meditation experiences, his deep-dive into closed-door internal martial arts and nei gong systems, and the special abilities he both witnessed and unlocked.Gilbert describes the unusual ci…

In this episode, I host a dialogue between Guo Gu, Chan Buddhist teacher and scholar and author of ‘Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist Path to Natural Awakening’, and Meido Roshi, Rinzai Zen Abbot of Korinji Monastery and author of ‘Hidden Zen: Practices for Sudden Awakening and Embodied Realisation’.Guo Gu and Meido Roshi reflect on their long f…

In this episode I am joined by Duncan Barford, occult practitioner, counsellor, and author of ‘Occult Experiments in the Home’.Duncan discusses his own journey into the occult including reality-bending experiments with Chaos Magick, invocation of his holy guardian angel, identifying and relating to entities, and meeting his long-time collaborator, …

In this episode, filmed on location in Boudhanath, Kathmandu, I am joined by Naljorma Tsül'dzin, an internationally acclaimed performance artist and ordained apprentice in the Aro gTer sect of Tibetan Buddhism.Tsül'dzin recalls her childhood in rural Ireland, early cultural and occult explorations, substance abuse and recovery, and her internationa…

In this episode I am once again joined by Mattias Daly, Taoist practitioner and translator of ‘Taoist Inner Alchemy’, published by Shambala.Mattias tells the story of his affliction by a malevolent entity, a demon attached to his ancestral line for generations. Mattias details the progression of his symptoms and his terror as the being began to tak…

In this episode, filmed on location in Boudhanath, Kathmandu, I am joined by Dorje, an American Vajrayana practitioner born in 1947.Dorje recounts his childhood in the American South, his move to San Francisco in 1968, and his involvement in the early days of the gay liberation movement. He recalls the arrival of AIDS in 1981, the traumatic deaths …

In this episode I am once again joined by Henry Shukman, award-winning poet, Zen teacher, and author of ‘One Blade of Grass; a Zen memoir’ and the new book ‘Original Love’. Henry discusses the surprising writing process of ‘Original Love’, the importance of love in spiritual practice, and how to release the heart.Henry describes the 4 major areas o…

During a recent trip to Nepal, I met with frequent podcast guest Lama Glenn Mullin, spiritual teacher, Tibetologist, and author of over 30 books on Buddhism. Glenn was in Kathmandu to lead a group of over fifty pilgrims into tantric retreat in the nearby mountains and graciously agreed to film with me at various sacred sites before and after their …

In this episode I am once again joined by Dr James Justin Sledge, a professor of philosophy and religion specialising in the Western Esoteric tradition and founder of the popular Esoterica Youtube channel.Dr Sledge begins by explaining his position on enlightenment, why he’s not interested in becoming enlightened but still finds the concept interes…

In this interview I am once again joined by Dr Ben Joffe, anthropologist and scholar practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. Dr Joffe begins an interview series on demonology with a discussion about the spirit ontology of Tibet and the Himalayas. Dr Joffe explores the pre-Buddhist frameworks of relating to spirits and considers the degrees to which the a…