Exploring the Depths of the Soul: Bridging Ancient Wisdom & Modern Psychology Using the Practice of Inquiry with A. H. Almaas

Ep. 143 (Part 1 of 2) | In the second A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series conversation, Hameed Ali describes how the practice of inquiry can aid us on our spiritual journey, illuminating our understanding of our personal experience and our soul. He uses the example of inquiring into a sense of worthlessness to illustrate what happens as we begin to investigate the terrain of our consciousness. There comes a point when the inquiry leads beyond where a psychologist would normally end—when it slips from psychological into spiritual inquiry. “If you stay with the wounding, something will emerge: a sense of inherent value. You recognize ‘I am presence’ and this presence has value—all the way to nondual presence and beyond.” 

In introducing us to the Diamond Approach’s inquiry technique, Hameed covers a rich array of topics: the dynamism of consciousness; the importance of scientific objectivity in our exploration of inner experience; modern psychology’s revelation of how our sense of self develops; the essential qualities of curiosity and love of truth; and how understanding the ways in which the past influences the present disentangles it. Hameed is a masterful teacher—with just a few words he can illuminate vast territories of spiritual landscape for the purpose of helping his students learn to live their lives from a deeper, liberated condition. Rather than aiming to transcend our experience, Hameed assures us there is a way through, an unraveling we can do, as we discover never-ending realizations about individual consciousness and the nature of reality. Recorded July 4, 2024.

“What does it mean that ‘I am spiritual in nature’ and what psychological constellation prevents us from knowing this?”

(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)

Topics & Time Stamps – Part 1

• Introducing Hameed Ali (A. H. Almaas), founder of the Diamond Approach, the Ridhwan School, and author of The Inner Journey Home and many more (00:59)
• Why inquiry is essential for transformation, beginning with an investigation of our own subjective, personal experience (04:13)
• Consciousness is a whole terrain of sensations, emotions, thoughts, reactions, images (09:47) 
• First we need to become aware of what is obstructing our awareness, then inquire into why that block is there (10:54)
• Exploring the content of the self: start from the premise we don’t know everything that is going on and be open to finding out (12:57)
• Two essential ingredients for inquiry: curiosity and a love of the truth for its own sake (14:26)
• As you get better at inquiry, you learn not to interfere with the experience, to have no end in mind (18:05)
• Although practiced in the present, inquiry does not deny the impact of the past—it’s open to all time and space (21:35)
• Inquiring into the wound of worthlessness can bring up fear, then hurt—so we inquire into the fear (24:17)
• Everything is a question—nothing is left as ultimate truth (25:51)
• Deficient emptiness can turn into spaciousness (27:48)
• Roger’s synopsis of the elements of inquiry that Hameed has discussed so far (30:18)
• If you stay with the wounding, something will emerge: a sense of inherent value (35:46)
• What does it mean that I am spiritual nature and what psychological constellation prevents us from knowing this? (37:51)
• Curiosity is connected to the quality of joy—it brings a sense of adventure to the inquiry (39:54)

Resources & References – Part 1

• The Ridhwan School, home of the Diamond Approach, founded by A. H. Almaas (Hameed Ali)
• A. H. Almaas, The Inner Journey Home: Soul’s Realization of the Unity of Reality*
• A. H. Almaas, Runaway Realization: Living a Life of Ceaseless Discovery*
• Ramana Maharshi, Hindu sage and liberated being, Who Am I?: The Teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi*
• Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
• Bodhicitta

The A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series will generally follow the sequence of Hameed’s magnum opus, The Inner Journey Home* (which John describes as psychoactive and spiritually, psychologically, and intellectually transformative), so listeners may want to get a copy of this book, to study and follow along on this exhilarating path of awakening.

* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.

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A. Hameed Ali (A. H. Almaas) was born in Kuwait in 1944. At the age of eighteen, he moved to the U.S. to study at the University of California in Berkeley. Hameed was working on his Ph.D. in physics when he reached a turning point in his life and destiny that led him to inquire into the psychological and spiritual aspects of human nature rather than the physical nature of the universe. He left the academic world to pursue an in-depth journey of inner discovery, applying his scientific precision and discipline to personal, experiential research. This included study with different teachers in different modalities, extensive reading, and continuous study of his own consciousness in an effort to understand the essential nature of human experience and reality in general.

Hameed’s process of exploration led to the creation of the Ridhwan School and, with his colleague Karen Johnson, resulted in the founding and unfoldment of the Diamond Approach. He is the author of 20 books, including Nondual Love: Awakening to the Loving Nature of Reality, Love Unveiled: Discovering the Essence of the Awakened Heart, Keys to the Enneagram: How to Unlock the Highest Potential of Every Personality Type, The Unfolding Now: Realizing Your True Nature through the Practice of Presence, and more. 

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Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell