Melinda Edwards, MD is a mother, writer and physician in Charleston, South Carolina, providing psychiatric care for underserved adults. She attended the Medical University of South Carolina and completed her residency in psychiatry at Stanford Medical Center. She has studied complementary and alternative medicine with Andrew Weil, MD, researched the effects of MDMA on PTSD with Michael Mithoefer, MD, and is a columnist for Autism Parenting Magazine. Dr. Edwards is the author of PSYCHE & SPIRIT: How a Psychiatrist Found Divinity Through Her Lifelong Search for Truth and Her Daughter’s Autism.
As a child of medical missionaries, Melinda grew up in a Mayan Indian village in Guatemala, Central America. Early in life she experienced an inner pull to a deeper truth. Her journey has taken her through various spiritual practices including meditation retreats, guidance from spiritual teachers, travel to India, and living in spiritual communities. Her quest led to the ongoing discovery of the sacred in all.
Inspired by her journey with her daughter Saachi, Dr. Edwards founded the 501c3 nonprofit organization Living Darshan to foster a deeper understanding of autism in the world.
Website: melindaedwardsmd.com
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group
Summary and transcript of this interview
Interview recorded July 20, 2024
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
00:03:26 - An Evolutionary Journey
00:07:57 - The Fear of Going to Hell
00:11:58 - Tiptoeing Through Sleeping Elephants
00:16:32 - Levels of Spiritual Evolution
00:20:56 - The Spiral into Anorexia
00:25:46 - The Importance of Compassion and Being Heard
00:30:10 - Love as a Virus and the Hazards of Idealizing Spiritual Teachers
00:34:39 - Red Flags in Spiritual Teachers and Communities
00:39:21 - The Dangers of a Spiritualized Ego
00:43:34 - The Danger of Unqualified Advice in the Spiritual Community
00:47:37 - Exploiting Students' Finances
00:51:29 - The Role of Students in Spiritual Teaching
00:55:29 - Correlation between Teaching in Medicine and Spirituality
00:59:39 - Spiritual Teachers and Holistic Development
01:03:34 - The Realization of Nothingness
01:07:09 - The Nature of Realization and Integration
01:10:15 - The Dissolution of the Project of "Me"
01:13:53 - Micro adjustments and thriving
01:18:13 - Medications and Spiritual Awakening
01:21:51 - Support and Caution in Meditation Retreats
01:25:50 - The Impact of Spiritual Practices on Brain Chemistry
01:29:41 - Taking Medication for ADD and Kundalini Awakening
01:33:16 - Online Sessions and the Law
01:38:05 - The Porousness of Energy and Information
01:42:40 - The Increase of Neurodiverse Beings in the Population
01:47:44 - Different Realms and Dimensions
01:51:22 - Supporting Autistic Children in Their Purpose
01:55:29 - Navigating Kundalini Energy
01:59:32 - The Power of a Mother's Love
02:02:41 - Stay tuned for upcoming content