Dean Sluyter (pronounced "slighter") has taught natural methods of meditation and awakening since 1970. His five highly acclaimed books include Natural Meditation: A Guide to Effortless Meditative Practice (Amazon #1 stress management bestseller, and Nautilus Gold Medal winner for best mind-body-spirit book) and Fear Less: Living Beyond Fear, Anxiety, Anger, and Addiction. Dean gives talks, workshops, and retreats throughout the United States and beyond, from Ivy League colleges to maximum-security prisons. His media appearances have included National Public Radio, The New York Times, New York Magazine, Coast to Coast AM, The Dr. Oz Show, and O, The Oprah Magazine.
A grateful student of Eastern and Western sages in several traditions, Dean has completed numerous pilgrimages and retreats in India, Tibet, Nepal, and the West. He is known for conveying authentic teachings in forms that are relaxed, accessible, and down-to-earth. When not writing or teaching, he plays the ukulele and happily rides his Vespa through the streets of Santa Monica.
Other books:
The Zen Commandments: Ten Suggestions for a Life of Inner Freedom.
Cinema Nirvana: Enlightenment Lessons from the Movies
Why the Chicken Crossed the Road: & Other Hidden Enlightenment Teachings from the Buddha to Bebop to Mother Goose
Website: deansluyter.com
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.
Transcript of this interview
Interview recorded May 26, 2018.
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
00:06:06 - The Principle of Effortlessness
00:11:15 - The Effortlessness of Meditation
00:16:26 - Resting as Awareness and Mindfulness
00:21:18 - Finding Fulfillment within Ourselves
00:26:29 - Happiness and the Nature of Awareness
00:31:54 - The Illusion of an External Universe
00:37:26 - The Existence of the Moon and Reality
00:42:25 - Shifting Perspectives and the Materialistic Worldview
00:47:12 - The Paper Tiger
00:51:05 - The Stories We Read
00:55:00 - Finding the Divine in Unexpected Places
00:58:59 - Functioning from the Zone
01:02:52 - Support of Nature and Synchronicity
01:06:27 - The Intersection of Spirituality and Science
01:10:18 - The Misconception of Alpha Waves
01:13:57 - Relaxing at the Moment of Contact
01:17:29 - Sharing with the Sweetest Dog in the World
01:21:30 - Breaking the Habit of Worry
01:25:28 - Cessation of Suffering through Mind Control
01:29:20 - Arrival at the Villa of the Hippie Artist Commune
01:33:34 - Cultivating Devotion and Appreciation
01:37:30 - The Shaky Ground of Devotion
01:41:37 - Movies as Conduits of Higher Wisdom
01:45:28 - Einstein's Classroom in Princeton
01:49:03 - The Healing Power of Meditation and Conscious Contact
01:53:06 - Bill Wilson's Meditation Experience
01:57:04 - The Lord of Destruction
02:01:25 - Finding Liberation in Loss
02:05:48 - Cooperating with the Cosmic Purpose
02:09:24 - Ways to Support the Channel
