The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #423 - 12OCT24

Podcast:

This week on the show we feature a pre-recorded conversation with Ken McLeod, Buddhist teacher and author the recently released book, The Magic of Vajrayana. In today’s conversation, we discuss Ken’s recent English translation of The Diamond Sutra from the Tibetan and his development of a new commentary. The Diamond Sutra is one of the most influential early Mahayana sutras that has been central to a number of Buddhist traditions such as Chan and Zen. It describes a way of being and acting that is not mediated by the conceptual mind. Ken’s approach to his translation and his upcoming commentary is less about understanding the meaning of The Diamond Sutra and more about how to engage with the text so that its magic can infuse and inform the Being of the practitioner.

One of the more innovative Buddhist teachers today, Ken McLeod is known for his clear explanations, poetic translations, and pragmatic approach to practice. He is one of the first generation of Western teachers in the Tibetan tradition and one of the few to be authorized to transmit the full scope of these teachings to students. In particular, his approach resonates strongly with those whose path lies outside established institutions.

After graduating with a degree in mathematics, Ken cycled across Europe to Istanbul and then continued his journey overland to India. In 1970 he met his principal teacher Kalu Rinpoche at his monastery near Darjeeling. There Ken began a study and practice in Tibetan Buddhism that lasted more than twenty years. He completed the traditional three-year retreat program two times, translated for many teachers, and helped set up Buddhist centers in Canada and the United States. After his teacher's passing, Ken moved away from the hierarchical structures of Asian Buddhism to explore new approaches.

In 1990, he founded Unfettered Mind in Los Angeles. His approach of one-on-one consultations roiled the Buddhist world in the early '90s, but was quickly recognized as a viable way to teach and guide students in the West. He made individual interviews a central feature of the many retreats he taught in California, New Mexico, and British Columbia. Through numerous small groups in Southern California, he developed the materials that became the encyclopedic meditation manual, Wake Up to Your Life.

Now retired from formal teaching, he lives in Northern California where he hikes and writes. His writings and translations include The Great Path of Awakening (1987), Wake Up to Your Life (2001), An Arrow to the Heart (2007), Reflections on Silver River (2014), A Trackless Path (2017), and The Magic of Vajrayana (2022), as well as a corpus of articles and translations in Tricycle and other Buddhist magazines.

More information about Ken McLeod's work can be found at:

 
Unfettered Mind website: www.unfetteredmind.org.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #422 - 14SEP24

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show we feature a pre-recorded conversation with Moss Campion aka Peter Cohen, author the newly released book, Blindspot: Through the Wormhole of Science and Religion. Blindspot exposes the unseen distinctions that exist among the ways that people seek the Big Answers to the questions posed by life, the universe, and everything. When most people speak about God or Truth or the Divine, Campion asserts, they aren’t actually talking about anything divine or godly at all – whether they are believers, unbelievers or undecided. Whatever their posture toward these matters, they betray an almost universal “unseeingness” about what the entire spiritual enterprise is actually about – its rules, codes, even its final aim. They are blind to what the great sages of the world’s religious and philosophical traditions have pointed to forever – which also happen to converge with the discoveries of contemporary science as it grapples with the nature of consciousness.

At its core, this book is about the blind spot that prevents us from knowing who we are. In revealing this obliviousness, the author dives into the perspective that is commonly known as “nonduality,” the principle that lies at the core of all world Wisdom traditions, including the scientific ones. The reasons for what Campion has dubbed “Blindspot” may be understandable, yet as he shows in brilliant, and often humorous detail, its costs to the individual, to humanity in general, to the planet as a whole, are high, indeed. In a word, confusion. In another word, suffering.

Moss Campion is a qualified commentator, having immersed himself in the mystery of consciousness all his life, both in the context of his personal circumstances and also in his work with patients in the hospital setting. Along the way he studied with many esteemed teachers and guides, in both the animal and plant kingdoms.

While growing up on the mist-shrouded coast of Maine, Moss Campion would eagerly await the arrival of Halloween all year long, already demonstrating a strong interest in the mystical side of life. Even as he later worked in fields as varied as music, skiing, nursing, and journalism, he continued his involvement with spiritual teachings, studying with a number of esteemed teachers and mentors. He holds a masters degree in journalism and has collected numerous credits in specialized magazines. His biography of the Bavarian sage Lothar Weichert was published in Germany. Along the way he received awards and fellowships from University of Michigan, University of Colorado, and the Ucross Foundation.

More information about Moss Campion's work can be found at:

 
Moss Campion's website: mosscampion.com.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #421 - 20APR24

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show we feature feature a pre-recorded conversation with Ken McLeod, Buddhist teacher and author the newly released book, The Magic of Vajrayana. In today’s conversation, we unpack a compelling quote from Ian McGilchrist’s book, The Matter with Things:

If you had set out to destroy the happiness and stability of a people, it would have been hard to improve on our current formula: remove yourself as far as possible from the natural world; repudiate the continuity of your culture; believe you are wise enough to do whatever you happen to want and not only get away with it, but have a right to it—and a right to silence those who disagree; minimise the role played by a common body of belief; actively attack and dismantle every social structure as a potential source of oppression; reject the idea of a transcendent set of values.

One of the more innovative Buddhist teachers today, Ken McLeod is known for his clear explanations, poetic translations, and pragmatic approach to practice. He is one of the first generation of Western teachers in the Tibetan tradition and one of the few to be authorized to transmit the full scope of these teachings to students. In particular, his approach resonates strongly with those whose path lies outside established institutions.

After graduating with a degree in mathematics, Ken cycled across Europe to Istanbul and then continued his journey overland to India. In 1970 he met his principal teacher Kalu Rinpoche at his monastery near Darjeeling. There Ken began a study and practice in Tibetan Buddhism that lasted more than twenty years. He completed the traditional three-year retreat program two times, translated for many teachers, and helped set up Buddhist centers in Canada and the United States. After his teacher's passing, Ken moved away from the hierarchical structures of Asian Buddhism to explore new approaches.

In 1990, he founded Unfettered Mind in Los Angeles. His approach of one-on-one consultations roiled the Buddhist world in the early '90s, but was quickly recognized as a viable way to teach and guide students in the West. He made individual interviews a central feature of the many retreats he taught in California, New Mexico, and British Columbia. Through numerous small groups in Southern California, he developed the materials that became the encyclopedic meditation manual, Wake Up to Your Life.

Now retired from formal teaching, he lives in Northern California where he hikes and writes. His writings and translations include The Great Path of Awakening (1987), Wake Up to Your Life (2001), An Arrow to the Heart (2007), Reflections on Silver River (2014), A Trackless Path (2017), and The Magic of Vajrayana (2022), as well as a corpus of articles and translations in Tricycle and other Buddhist magazines.


More information about Ken McLeod's work can be found at:

 
Unfettered Mind website: www.unfetteredmind.org.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #420 - 02MAR24

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show, we present a pre-recorded conversation with Sessei Meg Levie, head priest of Stone Creek Zen Center in Graton, CA. She assumed this role in April 2022, succeeding Dojin Emerson and Korin Pokorny, who had served in the role since 2014. Sessei serves with Founding Teacher Jisho Warner to offer the Dharma through talks, classes, individual practice discussion and other programs. Among the topics we address are what draws people to Zen practice, the role of ritual in practice, the importance of nature practices in the current situation, and the impact of emerging AI technology and Buddhist practice.

Sessei Meg Levie, Head Priest, lived and trained at the San Francisco Zen Center and also has had a career teaching mindfulness and emotional intelligence in Silicon Valley and beyond. She received ordination as a Zen priest in 2003 from Tenshin Reb Anderson and held the position of shuso (head student) in 2007. She has studied Buddhism in Thailand and Japan, and for several years served as the teacher for the Bolinas branch of the Mountain Source Sangha. Since 2008 Meg has taught mindfulness and emotional intelligence in business, primarily through the Search Inside Yourself program created at Google. She holds an AB in English Literature from Stanford University and an MA from the University of Texas at Austin.

More information about Sessei Meg Levie's work can be found at:

Stone Creek Zen Center Website: stonecreekzencenter.org,

Sessei Meg Levie at the SF Zen Center: www.youtube.com.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #419 - 17FEB24

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show, we present a pre-recorded conversation with John Friedlander, author of Recentering SETH: Teachings from a Multidimensional Entity on Living Gracefully and Skillfully in a World You Create But Do Not Control. The Seth books, channeled by the late Jane Roberts in the 1970s, galvanized a whole generation of spiritual explorers. The entity known as Seth turned familiar mystical concepts into a radically new framework and introduced a unique understanding of how we create our own reality with our conscious beliefs.

After nearly five decades exploring Seth's ideas, John Friedlander has reframed the groundbreaking Seth teachings, recentering them in the awareness that all consciousness expands in all directions. He synthesizes Sethian teachings with an eclectic variety of concepts and influences, from aura reading, healing, and interpersonal engagement to Buddhism and reincarnation to conscious dying and nondual awareness. He reveals how you do create your own reality, but that no one controls reality, which is spontaneous and surprisingly creative.

John Friedlander holds degrees from Duke University and Harvard Law School. He began a formal meditation practice in 1970 and was introduced to Seth's books in 1972. A Member of Jane Robert's original Seth classes in Elmira in 1974, he also studied psychic meditation and aura reading with Lewis Bostwick beginning in 1973. The coauthor of 3 other books, The Practical Psychic, Psychic Development, and Psychic Psychology, he lives in Saline, Michigan.

More information about John Friedlander's work can be found at:

John Friedlander's Website: psychicpsychology.org.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #418 - 10FEB24

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show, we present a pre-recorded conversation with Rawn Clark, author of A Bardon Companion: A Practical Companion for the Student of Franz Bardon's System of Hermetic Initiation. The Franz Bardon series of books on Magical Arts, Initiation into Hermetics (IIH), The Practice of Magical Evocation (PME), and The Key to the True Qabalah (KTQ), are considered by many as the most lucid and actionable written material on Hermetic practice. Initiation into Hermetics consists of a short introduction on theory and ten detailed lessons on practice covering work on the Mental, Astral, and Physical bodies. These lessons progress from very basic mental concentration and thought control practices through to advanced exploration of elemental and planetary realms and the merging with Unity.

In A Bardon Companion, Rawn Clark combines two versions of his commentaries for each of the ten steps in IIH, additional commentaries on PME and KTQ, as well as years of correspondence with students of the Bardon system. It is an essential guide for anyone interested in exploring the Bardon system of Hermetics.

Rawn Clark is a writer and video producer who dedicates his work to magical practice in general and providing support material for practitioners of the Bardon system. He began pursuing Bardon's system of Hermetic Initiation in the early 1980s at the age of 25. Years later he became involved in online blogging and discussion groups surrounding the Bardon work. He has emerged as one of the leading mentors for this system. His writings are clear, practical, and leavened with a gentle touch and humor. His work dispels many of the misconceptions associated with esoteric practice and makes the Bardon system available to anyone willing to put in the necessary consistent effort.

More information about Rawn Clark's work can be found at:

Rawn Clark's YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com,

A Bardon Companion on Amazon: www.amazon.com,

Franz Bardon on Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #417 - 03FEB24

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show, we present a pre-recorded conversation with Terje Tonne, author of the newly published book, Rodney Collin: a man who wished to do something with his life, from Karnak Press. Rodney Collin, a key figure in the history of esoteric thought and the Fourth Way tradition, is best known for his seminal works, The Theory of Celestial Influence, and The Theory of Eternal Life. This ground-breaking biography provides a wealth of information including Collin's close relationship to Peter Ouspensky and a detailed account of the events leading up to Ouspensky's death. The book goes on to describe the years that followed for Collin, his group activities in Mexico, his search for historical traces of The Work, and his mysterious death in Cusco, Peru, at the young age of 47.

Terje Tonne came into contact with Gurdjieff's ideas in the early 1970s. Together with his wife, he has led a group in Oslo for 35 years. He has had a long and close relationship with professor Merideth Thring, George Cornelius, and Joyce Collin-Smith.

He is the author of The Gurdjieff Puzzle Now (2001 - Gateways Books) and Werr sich verliert, derfindet sich (Random House, GmbH). Tonne is a retired conservator with expertise in fire damaged paintings.

More information about Terje Tonne's work can be found at:

Terje Tonne in The Gurdjieff International Review: www.gurdjieff.org,

Terje Tonne at Karnak Press: tofathomthegist.com.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #416 - 27JAN24

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show we feature a recording of a live video stream with OM C. Parkin kicking off his new online series, Meeting with Teachers – Navigating the Wisdom Path. In this first installment, the Mystical Positivist hosts converse with OM about his book, The Birth of the Lion, as well as many profound aspects of his teachings on inner stillness.

OM C. Parkin is a renowned European wisdom teacher and the founder of the mystery school, Enneallionce, and Gut Saunstorf, a modern monastery. His books also include Intelligence of Awakening - Navigating the Wisdom Path, The Birth of the Lion, and The Digital Age - A Critical View from a Wisdom Perspective.

OM embodies in his work the link between Eastern non-duality and Christian mysticism, of depth psychology and philosophy, beyond the limits of religions and confessions. He often references the tradition of Advaita Vedanta, which has been revived in the 20th century by Shri Ramana Maharshi, Shri H.W.L. Poonja, the American Gangaji, and others. OM acts in the tradition of these teachers and by being rooted in early Christian teaching. His work in the tradition of silence can be described by three functions: teacher (of wisdom), healer (of the soul), seer (of the heart). He has been supporting people to find their true nature for more than 30 years and founded the modern Satsang movement in Europe.

More information about OM C. Parkin's work can be found at:

Meeting with Teachers YouTube Feed: www.youtube.com,

OM C. Parkin website: www.om-c-parkin.com,

OM C. Parkin at Gateways Books & Tapes: www.gatewaysbooksandtapes.com,

OM C. Parkin previously on The Mystical Positivist: mysticalpositivist.blogspot.com.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #415 - 20JAN24

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show we feature a pre-recorded conversation with Theresa Dintino, co-author of the newly published ebook, The Oscan Oracle: from the Ancient Janarra of the Moon. In this wide ranging and remarkable conversation, we discuss her latest book, the nature of lineage, Dagara Stick Divination as a way to connect people to their true lineages, cultural appropriation and ways to hold and practice an indigenous tradition, and the ethics of divination and interaction with non-corporeal beings.

Theresa Dintino is the author of nine books and serves as a guide and spiritual mentor to many. While attempting to reclaim and restore her ancestral medicine lineage, the Italian Strega tradition, Dintino was surprised to be “claimed” by the West African Dagara tradition of stick divination. Honored by this invitation, Dintino pursued it, and in 2011 was initiated into this potent form of divination. Besides her family and daughter, this turned out to be the greatest gift of her life.

Stick divination helped Dintino find her way back to her own lineage and enables her to help others find and restore theirs. This beautiful practice of Dagara stick divination continues to offer countless gifts. In multiple divination sessions, Dintino was taught about the spiritual membranes that protect, nurture, and inform lifesystems.

More information about Theresa Dintino's work can be found at:

Strega Tree Divination website: stregatree.com,

The Ritual Goddess website: ritualgoddess.com,

Nasty Women Writers website: www.nastywomenwriters.com.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #414 - 16DEC23

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show, we present a pre-recorded conversation with Robin Bloor about his latest book, Gurdjieff & Kundabuffer – Food for the Moon. Bloor writes: “The idea that mankind is ‘food for the moon’ seems, when you first encounter the idea, to be ridiculous. Nevertheless, it may well be so… To understand this theory, one needs on the one hand, to examine it from a scientific perspective, and on the other, to study Beelzebub’s Tales deeply to uncover what Gurdjieff says about it and also what he relates about the implanting of the organ Kundabuffer in Man – and the subsequent consequences of its remarkable properties.”

Robin was born in 1951 in Liverpool, UK. He obtained a BSc in Mathematics at Nottingham University and took up a career in the computer industry, initially writing software. From 1989 onwards, he became a technology analyst and consultant. He has thus been a writer of a kind ever since. In 2002 he was awarded an honorary Ph.D. in Computer Science by Wolverhampton University in the UK. He currently resides in and works from Austin, Texas in the USA.

In 1988, Bloor met and became a pupil of Rina Hands. Rina was a one-time associate of J. G. Bennett, a student of Peter Ouspensky's, and later, a pupil of George Gurdjieff. Following Gurdjieff's death, she remained part of J. G. Bennett's group for a while. Subsequently, she formed groups both in London, where she lived, and in Bradford in the North of England - initially in conjunction with Madame Nott. She was an accomplished movements teacher and an inspirational group leader. She died in 1994 and is buried next to Jane Heap in a cemetery in North London.

Robin leads a regular group, The Austin Gurdjieff Society, in Austin, Texas. He produces a monthly newsletter, The Lost Herald, and runs the website, ToFathomTheGist.com. He also organizes multiple on-line study groups to Gurdjieff’s writings and Gurdjieff’s Objective Science. Robin has written or edited nine books about the Work including the To Fathom the Gist series and Gurdjieff’s Hydrogens – Volume 1: The Ray of Creation.

More information about Robin Bloor's work can be found at:

Austin Gurdjieff Society Website: austingurdjieffsociety.weebly.com,

To Fathom the Gist Website: www.tofathomthegist.com,

Robin Bloor on YouTube: YouTube.com,

The Lost Herald Website: The Lost Herald,

Robin Bloor's email address: robin.bloor @ gmail.com.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #413 - 17JUN23

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show we feature a pre-recorded conversation with Ken McLeod, Buddhist teacher and author of the newly released book, The Magic of Vajrayana. In today’s conversation, we explore four ways of working in spiritual practice sometimes characterized by the archetypal forms of the King, the Warrior, the Magician, and the Lover. We discuss how these ways, Compassion, Will, Insight, and Ecstasy, can be brought into balance for a richer and more complete spiritual engagement with life.

One of the more innovative Buddhist teachers today, Ken McLeod is known for his clear explanations, poetic translations, and pragmatic approach to practice. He is one of the first generation of Western teachers in the Tibetan tradition and one of the few to be authorized to transmit the full scope of these teachings to students. In particular, his approach resonates strongly with those whose path lies outside established institutions.

After graduating with a degree in mathematics, Ken cycled across Europe to Istanbul and then continued his journey overland to India. In 1970 he met his principal teacher Kalu Rinpoche at his monastery near Darjeeling. There Ken began a study and practice in Tibetan Buddhism that lasted more than twenty years. He completed the traditional three-year retreat program two times, translated for many teachers, and helped set up Buddhist centers in Canada and the United States. After his teacher's passing, Ken moved away from the hierarchical structures of Asian Buddhism to explore new approaches.

In 1990, he founded Unfettered Mind in Los Angeles. His approach of one-on-one consultations roiled the Buddhist world in the early '90s, but was quickly recognized as a viable way to teach and guide students in the West. He made individual interviews a central feature of the many retreats he taught in California, New Mexico, and British Columbia. Through numerous small groups in Southern California, he developed the materials that became the encyclopedic meditation manual, Wake Up to Your Life.

Now retired from formal teaching, he lives in Northern California where he hikes and writes. His writings and translations include The Great Path of Awakening (1987), Wake Up to Your Life (2001), An Arrow to the Heart (2007), Reflections on Silver River (2014), A Trackless Path (2017), and The Magic of Vajrayana (2022), as well as a corpus of articles and translations in Tricycle and other Buddhist magazines.


More information about Ken McLeod's work can be found at:

 
Unfettered Mind website: www.unfetteredmind.org.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #412 - 18MAR23

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show we feature a pre-recorded conversation with Ken McLeod, author of the newly released book, The Magic of Vajrayana. The Magic of Vajrayana weaves original translations of instructions, insightful commentary and context about key practices, and authentic personal experiences into a powerful transmission of this vibrant tradition of mystical practice.

One of the more innovative Buddhist teachers today, Ken McLeod is known for his clear explanations, poetic translations, and pragmatic approach to practice. He is one of the first generation of Western teachers in the Tibetan tradition and one of the few to be authorized to transmit the full scope of these teachings to students. In particular, his approach resonates strongly with those whose path lies outside established institutions.

After graduating with a degree in mathematics, Ken cycled across Europe to Istanbul and then continued his journey overland to India. In 1970 he met his principal teacher Kalu Rinpoche at his monastery near Darjeeling. There Ken began a study and practice in Tibetan Buddhism that lasted more than twenty years. He completed the traditional three-year retreat program two times, translated for many teachers, and helped set up Buddhist centers in Canada and the United States. After his teacher's passing, Ken moved away from the hierarchical structures of Asian Buddhism to explore new approaches.

In 1990, he founded Unfettered Mind in Los Angeles. His approach of one-on-one consultations roiled the Buddhist world in the early '90s, but was quickly recognized as a viable way to teach and guide students in the West. He made individual interviews a central feature of the many retreats he taught in California, New Mexico, and British Columbia. Through numerous small groups in Southern California, he developed the materials that became the encyclopedic meditation manual, Wake Up to Your Life.

Now retired from formal teaching, he lives in Northern California where he hikes and writes. His writings and translations include The Great Path of Awakening (1987), Wake Up to Your Life (2001), An Arrow to the Heart (2007), Reflections on Silver River (2014), A Trackless Path (2017), and The Magic of Vajrayana (2022), as well as a corpus of articles and translations in Tricycle and other Buddhist magazines.

After the main podcast conversation, we include a recording of a book event that Ken McLeod gave at Many Rivers Books & Tea in Sebastopol, CA, on March 23rd, 2023. The event includes an extended moderated question and answer segment with a live audience.

More information about Ken McLeod's work can be found at:

 
Unfettered Mind website: www.unfetteredmind.org.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #411 - 25FEB23

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show we feature a pre-recorded conversation with Jason Shulman, author of the 6-book series, Practical Guides to Enlightenment, Awakening, and Healing. Jason 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 work 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 to 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 information about Jason Schilman's work can be found at:

A Society of Souls website: www.societyofsouls.com,

The Foundation for Nonduality website: www.nonduality.us.com,

Nondual Healers Association website: nondualhealersassociation.org.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #410 - 18FEB23

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show we feature a pre-recorded conversation with Bernardo Kastrup, philosopher and author of many books and essays including, The Idea of the World: A Multidisciplinary Argument for the Mental Nature of Reality and More Than Allegory: On Religious Myth, Truth, and Belief.

Bernardo Kastrup is the executive director of Essentia Foundation. His work has been leading the modern renaissance of metaphysical idealism, the notion that reality is essentially mental. He has a Ph.D. in philosophy (ontology, philosophy of mind) and another Ph.D. in computer engineering (reconfigurable computing, artificial intelligence). As a scientist, Bernardo has worked for the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and the Philips Research Laboratories (where the 'Casimir Effect' of Quantum Field Theory was discovered). Formulated in detail in many academic papers and books, his ideas have been featured on Scientific American, the Institute of Art and Ideas, the Blog of the American Philosophical Association and Big Think, among others.

More information about Bernardo Kastrup's work can be found at:

Bernardo Kastrup's website: www.bernardokastrup.com,

Essentia Foundation website: www.essentiafoundation.org.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #409 - 28JAN23

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show we feature a pre-recorded conversation with Carol Squire, Sufi Dervish, Fourth Way teacher, Transactional Analysis (TA) facilitator, Sound healer, Reiki Master, Leader, Woman, Mother and a student just like all of us.

Carol Squire is also the co-founder of the International Akhaldans 4th Way School begun with Akash Dharmaraj in India. Together, they have co-created a unique style of transmission of the Fourth Way work using the movements as a vehicle for Awakening and Transformation. Carol is a loving, compassionate human who cares deeply about the Work and does this work of transmission only because she loves it. Carol has been leading groups all over the world for the past 35 years, integrating Sufi practices and Transactional Analysis into her work with high profile corporate leaders, non-profit organizations, personal groups, individuals, and whoever asks to learn. She has taught the Gurdjieff Sacred Dances in India (including in the Osho Commune in Pune), Israel, Portugal, Ethiopia, Israel and in North America where she is now based. From Whidbey Akhaldans, her center on a beautiful island in Puget Sound, WA, she conducts on-going classes, workshops, weekend retreats, and offers residential opportunities for those who wish a longer exposure to the Akhaldans Way.

More information about Carol Squire's work can be found at:

Akhaldans website: akhaldans.org,

Caroil Squire on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #408 - 21JAN23

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show we feature a pre-recorded conversation with William D. Glenn about his latest book, I Came Here Seeking a Person: A Vital Story of Grace; One Gay Man's Spiritual Journey, published by Paulist Press. William D. Glenn, a psychotherapist and spiritual director, is a longtime leader in the LGBTQ+ community. Influenced by Thomas Merton, Carl Jung, the Society of Jesus and Queer Culture, Bill elucidates moments in his life from his childhood in an Irish Catholic family mid-20th century through his nearly decade as a Jesuit, to his subsequent life as a sober, out, married gay man. Former president of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, executive director of Continuum HIV Services, Bill is currently the chair of the board of trustees of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, an inter-religious graduate university. A co-founder of the Center for LGBTQ and Gender Studies at the Pacific School of Religion, he has focused on the intersection of queer and soul for the past four decades.

I Came Here Seeking a Person: One Gay Man's Spiritual Journey is Bill's interior-focused memoir: this volume details his complex journey of faith—in practice—over the span of his lifetime. Shaped by loving and courageous individuals and scores of writers—spiritual, intellectual, cultural, psychological, imaginative—whose words have formed, instructed, confronted and healed. His book is invitational, accessible and a true story of grace.

After the main podcast conversation, we include a recording of a book reading event that Bill Glenn gave at Many Rivers Books & Tea in Sebastopol, CA, on January 19th, 2023. The segment includes a riveting reading from a chapter of his book as well as an extended question and answer session.

More information about William D. Glenn's work can be found at:

Bill Glenn's website: www.williamdglenn.com,

Bill Glenn at the GTU: www.gtu.edu.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #407 - 24DEC22

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show we feature a pre-recorded conversation with Henry Schoenfield, ordained minister, spiritual director, and ICF certified professional coach, about the arc of his spiritual journey, the tension between an inner calling and the outer form that calling may take, and the challenges of inspiring modern American Christian congregations in the possibilities of deep contemplative Work on Self.

Henry Schoenfield is a life-long spiritual seeker and mystic. He was born into a family of mixed religious and cultural backgrounds — his father’s family of English and German-Jewish descent and his mother’s family of Scots-Irish and Cherokee descent. Raised in the Episcopal Church, he was formed and ordained as a Roman Catholic priest. He left the priesthood seeking greater integrity in his life and work as a gay man. This search led him to the United Church of Christ — the liberal Protestant denomination in which he currently serves. All the while, the grounding spiritual relationship in his life has been the experience of the Divine in prayer, meditation, and liturgy. He has worked in parishes and congregations; in hospital and hospice spiritual counseling; and clinical education of spiritual care providers at major trauma centers and teaching hospitals in Seattle and New York City. Currently, he serves in interim congregational ministry in Lowell, Massachusetts, while also working with individuals in spiritual direction and coaching as well as leading workshops and retreats. His joy is to companion others as a teacher and guide through times of disruption and transformation. He is a certified professional coach through the International Coaching Federation and a student of The Fourth Way and Christian Contemplative path in the lineage of the Rev. Dr. Cynthia Bourgeault.

More information about Henry Schoenfield's work can be found at:

Henry Schoenfield's website: www.henryschoenfield.com,

Henry Schoenfield on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com.

ChatGPT on Mystical Positivism

The following is a brief conversation with the newly released AI authoring tool, ChatGPT, on the topic of Mystical Positivism. Though ChatGPT will not profess knowledge on a non-existent topic, it seems very able to invent a response when requested. My questions are in red, and the ChatGPT responses are in green.

What are the basic tenets of Mystical Positivism?

I'm sorry, but I am not familiar with a philosophical or religious movement called "Mystical Positivism." Could you provide more information about what you are asking?

If you were to invent a philosophical tradition called Mystical Positivism, what would be its principal tenets?

As a language model, I do not have the ability to invent philosophical traditions or movements. However, I can try to offer some ideas for what the basic tenets of a hypothetical philosophical tradition called Mystical Positivism might be based on my understanding of philosophy and the terms "mystical" and "positivism."

Here are a few possible ideas for the basic tenets of Mystical Positivism:

1.                The existence and nature of ultimate reality is unknowable and cannot be fully understood or articulated by human reason.

2.                Mystical experiences or practices, such as meditation, contemplation, or rituals, can allow individuals to directly encounter or access a deeper level of reality or truth.

3.                Positivism, the belief that knowledge is based on empirical evidence and scientific method, is a valuable approach for understanding and explaining the natural world and human experience.

4.                Mystical experiences or insights can complement and enrich the understanding gained through positivist approaches, leading to a more comprehensive and nuanced view of reality.

5.                The ultimate goal of Mystical Positivism might be to integrate the insights and perspectives of both mystical traditions and positivist approaches in order to gain a more complete understanding of reality and how to live in accordance with it.

I think that with respect to 3) and 4), mystical experiences constitute the empirical evidence on which a positivist approach can be grounded.

It is certainly possible to view mystical experiences as a form of empirical evidence that can be used to support positivist approaches to understanding reality. Positivism is a philosophical tradition that emphasizes the importance of empirical evidence, particularly scientific evidence, in the pursuit of knowledge. Some proponents of positivism might argue that mystical experiences, because they are subjective and not verifiable through the scientific method, cannot be considered reliable sources of knowledge.

However, other proponents of positivism might take a more inclusive approach and argue that all forms of empirical evidence, including subjective experiences, can be considered valid sources of knowledge if they are properly documented, analyzed, and subjected to critical examination. In this view, mystical experiences could be considered a valuable source of empirical evidence that can be used to inform and enrich our understanding of reality, especially if they are studied in a systematic and rigorous manner.

It is worth noting that the relationship between mysticism and positivism is a complex and contested issue, and there is no one "correct" way to understand the role of mystical experiences within a positivist framework. Different proponents of Mystical Positivism might have different ideas about how these two approaches can be integrated and how much weight should be given to mystical experiences as a source of knowledge.

I think from a positivist approach, we can say that a mystical experience is a concrete datum and empirical in the sense that the experience is a fact I have directly verified by virtue of having had it in the moment. The critical examination to which you allude most certainly applies to any inferences I might be tempted to draw from this experience. These inferences might be colored by a number of implicit biases that I bring to my subsequent process of abstracting conceptual representations by which to recall the experience. Positivism requires that we not let our abstractions about the nature of our mystical experiences get too far ahead of what we can directly verify in in our immediate experience.

You are correct that, from a positivist perspective, a mystical experience can be considered a concrete and empirical datum that is directly verified by the person who experiences it. Positivism emphasizes the importance of empirical evidence, which refers to observations or data that can be directly experienced or measured. Subjective experiences, such as mystical experiences, can be considered a form of empirical evidence if they are properly documented and subjected to critical examination.

However, it is also important to recognize that our understanding of any experience, including mystical experiences, is shaped by the way we interpret and conceptualize it. It is possible that our interpretation of a mystical experience may be influenced by our biases, assumptions, or prior beliefs. In order to ensure the reliability and validity of our understanding of mystical experiences, it is important to carefully examine and critically evaluate the inferences we draw from them and to be mindful of the potential impact of our biases on our interpretation of the experience.

Positivism emphasizes the importance of examining the evidence in a systematic and objective manner, which can help to reduce the influence of biases and subjective interpretations on our understanding of reality. By following this approach, we can strive to gain a more accurate and reliable understanding of mystical experiences and their significance.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #406 - 03DEC22

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This week on the show we feature a pre-recorded conversation with Mary Angelon Young about her recent book, The Art of Contemplation, published in 2021 by HOHM Press. In this compassionate and resourceful book, Angelon gently guides the reader into a larger awareness, reminding us of simple ways to stay grounded in the present moment and connect with what is real in an increasingly unreal human world. With personal narrative, meditative reflections and invitations to creative expression, she draws us into the garden of her inner world. Here we witness how it is possible to transform the suffering we experience in ourselves and others into a nourishment that feeds our essential being.

With a background in Jungian studies and counselling, and decades of life within a contemplative community, Mary Angelon Young draws from a wide range of faith traditions as well as from transpersonal, psychosomatic and archetypal psychologies. She fearlessly engages both the soul and the shadow elements of our human nature, inviting us to confidently welcome the potential for self-understanding contained without our dark moods, doubts and even our despair.

More information about Mary Angelon Young's work can be found at:

Mary Angelon Young's website: www.maryangelonyoung.com,

The Art of Contemplation at HOHM Press: www.hohmpress.com.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #405 - 12NOV22

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This week on the show we feature a pre-recorded conversation with Bruce Miller about his latest book, Uplift: How to Harness the Hidden Engine of Continuous Renewal, published this year by Miller eMedia.

After studying filmmaking and screenwriting at UCLA, Bruce Miller has spent his career as a brand strategist, media producer, writer, and marketing partner in an Atlanta brand development agency.

Beginning the 1970s, Bruce’s spiritual search led him to English author, performer, and teacher, Reshad Feild, as well as to his subsequent long-term relationship with Dr. Bhagwan Awatramani. This journey, as well a number of personal life challenges along the way, are told in UPLIFT in the context of the principle of the Octave.

Bruce and Reshad, with others, started The Institute for Conscious Life, the Mevlana Foundation, and later, Chalice Guild. In these schools, Bruce helped bring the work of Jalaluddin Rumi to America, now considered “the best-selling poet in the US.” This story is recounted in Bruce’s second book, Rumi Comes to America. Bruce also collaborated and edited Steps to Freedom, Discourses on the Essential Knowledge of the Heart based on talks given by Reshad Feild.

Bruce has led residential seminars on Sapelo Island in Georgia and Mendocino, CA on the knowledge of the Octave and Enneagram, ideas brought forth by P.D. Ouspensky and G.I. Gurdjieff, and the Law of Hazard, an understanding of risk and uncertainty from the work of J.G. Bennett.

Bruce’s first book, FORTUNE, Our Deep Dive into the Mysteries of Love, Healing, and Success, explored the karmic mystery of why stuff happens. Bruce has also written business books. Brand Story™ – How to Position Your Shoestring Start-Up Like a National Brand, draws on his decades-long professional career. He also co-authored Seven Superpowers, a parenting guide by Dr. Maria Gilmour.

Bruce is an avid sailor, yoga enthusiast, and has taught the turn of the Whirling Dervishes. His wife Karen is an ordained minister and chaplain educator.

More information about Bruce Miller's work can be found at:

Bruce Miller's I-Thou website: ithou.com.