Deep Transformation

Ep. 179 (Part 1 of 2) | In this podcast, John Prendergast, spiritual teacher, depth psychotherapist (retired), and prolific author, eloquently lays out the territory we encounter on the spiritual path as we move towards opening to our deepest ground. John defines deepest ground as “ungraspable and unfathomable, something we can know intimately as a quality of awareness, unbounded and open.” “When we touch into this,” he continues, “we move from a place of love, peace and groundedness.” In working with students and clients over four decades, John says the presence or absence of ground has been the most important theme. John has a gift for communicating exactly what is most useful for a spiritual practitioner to hear: taking an integral and nondual approach different from traditional psychotherapy, he invites us to evoke presence—welcome the experience, welcome the fear of annihilation—let go of ordinary knowledge and allow a translucent, transformative space to emerge around ordinary mind. Blending archetypal wisdom and guidance with spacious emptiness, John explains that opening to unbounded awareness supports the process of individuation and actualization; he also weaves in an intriguing version of the hero’s journey, where the hero emerges from the underground, not as a figure of accomplishment and victory, but as a simple, humble being, void of ego. The rich wisdom and gentle guidance offered here is invaluable, worthy of listening to many a time. Recorded November 7, 2024.“Transcendence is a beautiful first step… but there’s a very important process of embodying awareness more and more deeply, in the physical body, in the subtle body.”Topics & Time Stamps – Part 1Introducing John Prendergast, Ph.D., retired psychotherapist, spiritual teacher, and author, whose most recent book is Your Deepest Ground (00:57)What is our deepest ground? (01:55)What is the difference between presence and ground? (04:29)The fear of losing control, of annihilation, that comes up in the process of healing and awakening (06:47)Using the myth of the underground descent, but emerging not as a hero, but simple and humble—devoid of egoic will (09:29)A translucency of the body/mind emerges: a core illumination (13:18)Meditation, self-inquiry, and time with authentic teachers are what have brought John to luminosity (15:09)The connection to one’s teacher: for John, this was Jean Klein and Adyashanti (16:25)Back to returning to the world—not as a hero, but where there’s no sense of accomplishment and hierarchy disappears (17:55)The tyranny of the enlightenment drive (20:42)Willfulness gradually transforms into willingness (24:07)Individual guidance can come as the small, still voice but also in kinesthetic form (25:25)Are there specific practices that facilitate opening to our deepest ground? (27:24)Evoking presence: John leads an invitation to welcome the experience, welcome the fear of annihilation (29:14)The difference between John’s work and traditional psychotherapy (31:31)Beyond welcoming, John teaches a self-inquiry practice that asks, “Do I really want to know what is true?” (36:15) Working not just on personal limiting beliefs but existential limiting beliefs—e.g., “I am a separate self” (39:19)Recognizing the limitation of rational thought, a transformative space emerges around ordinary mind (41:59)What is the experience of transrational knowing? (43:01)Resources & References – Part 1John Prendergast’s website: Listening from SilenceJohn Prendergast, Your Deepest Ground: A Guide to Embodied SpiritualityJohn Prendergast, The Deep Heart: Our Portal to PresenceJohn Prendergast, In Touch: How to Tune In to the Inner Guidance of Your Body and Trust YourselfJohn Prendergast, The Sacred Mirror: Nondual Wisdom and PsychotherapyJoseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand FacesArnold Toynbee, A Study of History (abridgment by D.C. Somervell)Carl Jung, Memories, Dreams, ReflectionsJ.R.R Tolkien, The HobbitDante Alighieri, Dante’s InfernoAdyashanti, spiritual teacher, Open Gate SanghaJean Klein, spiritual teacher, The Ease of BeingThe 10 Ox Herding PicturesParamahansa Yogananda, Autobiography of a YogiA. H. Almaas (Hameed Ali), founder of The Ridhwan School, home of The Diamond Approach, see also Deep Transformation’s A. H. Almaas Wisdom SeriesStanislav Grof---A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, John J. Prendergast, PhD. is a nondual teacher, author, retired psychotherapist, and retired Adjunct Professor of Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco where he taught masters level counseling students for twenty-three years. John studied for many years with the European sage Dr. Jean Klein, as well as with Adyashanti. He was invited to share the dharma by Dorothy Hunt in 2011 and received dharma transmission (authorization to teach) from Adyashanti in 2023. John has been offering residential retreats with his wife, Christiane, since 2015, in both the U.S. and, more recently, in Europe. He also has extensive experience teaching online.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 178 (Part 2 of 2) | In the ninth dialogue of the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series, Hameed gives a fascinating account of how four distinctly different wisdom teachings came to him in succession, directly from true nature, embodied in the form of diamonds. “In the beginning, I didn’t know…what the hell were these? Is it my imagination?” Hameed laughs. But then his colleagues and students experienced the diamondness too. Like angels of revelation, each diamond vehicle brings a different type of wisdom: the first diamond vehicle, Guidance, brings clarity and initiated the practice of inquiry; the second embodies the wisdom that pleasure is what we are, bringing an understanding of pleasure from a spiritual perspective; the third diamond vehicle holds the wisdom of how to conduct our lives from a place of truth, and the fourth the wisdom of true knowledge—knowing by being—the knowing that is needed for awakening.Not only do we hear marvelous stories of how the diamond-shaped wisdom messengers appeared to Hameed, but he also imparts a wonderfully comprehensive yet succinct rendering of the teachings they brought, and the conversation flows from embodying wisdom to embodying pleasure, the inward turn, and why bliss must be combined with emptiness for enlightenment to occur. Also, how to live a life of truth with the inner compass provided by the third diamond teaching, the pitfalls of the ego’s tendency to accommodate others, how being is inseparable from knowing, and lots more. A very full, warm, rich conversation, filled also with humor, sparkle, and delight. Recorded January 30, 2025.“The Diamond Dome brings in the wisdom of true knowledge—spiritual knowledge, knowing by being—the knowing that is needed for awakening.”Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2Emptiness has a bliss to it (00:49)The death tantra and sexual tantra paths to enlightenment (01:06)Emptiness/fullness, being/non-being, unity/particularity: two sides of reality (03:18)We lose track of the particularity when we focus on unity only (05:22)There are many different levels of particularity: ego, body, soul… Each diamond vehicle is a particularity (09:39)The Citadel, the third diamond vehicle, is the essential conscience, the wisdom of how to conduct your life from the perspective of true nature (10:05)Accommodating is part of the behavior of the ego, but in accommodating, most of the time you are selling yourself, compromising (13:20)Living a life of truth brings in the unity and the particularity (15:37)You transition when you become willing to sacrifice comforts, relationships, the supports of the ego, to align only with truth (17:56)On this path, the vehicle first appears then manifests each of its aspects—different shaped diamonds within a diamond (21:31)For Hameed, first Diamond Guidance appeared, then Markabah, then the Citadel, then the Diamond Dome (24:24)The Diamond Dome brings in the wisdom of true knowledge—spiritual knowledge, knowing by being—the knowing that is needed for awakening (25:41)This vehicle brings the knowledge of each aspect; basic concepts are clearly delineated (29:27)True nature informs the individual mind with basic concepts (34:38)Each vehicle highlights certain parts of the ego as obstacles to realization; the dome highlights self-identity, the “I-ness” of the ego (36:26)To embody the Diamond Dome the ego needs to experience cessation (37:43)Resources & ReferencesA. H. Almaas (Hameed Ali), founder of The Ridhwan School, home of The Diamond ApproachA. H. Almaas, The Inner Journey Home: Soul’s Realization of the Unity of RealityVajrayana Buddhism’s SaṃbhogakāyaThe three kayas of Mahayana Buddhism (Lion’s Roar website)A. H. Almaas, Space Cruiser Inquiry: True Guidance for the Inner JourneyAdvaita VedantaDzogchenDogen, founder of the Sōtō School of Zen, “A blade of grass is a blade of grass.”William Blake, “Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,” from “Auguries of Innocence”A Course in Miracles, Helen Schucman and the Foundation for Inner PeaceWalt Whitman, “Dismiss whatever insults your own soul,” from the preface of Leaves of GrassThe cessation of perception as recognized by the Buddha (Wisdom Library website)A. H. Almaas, Luminous Night’s Journey: An Autobiographical FragmentThe 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.---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.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 177 (Part 1 of 2) | In the ninth dialogue of the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series, Hameed gives a fascinating account of how four distinctly different wisdom teachings came to him in succession, directly from true nature, embodied in the form of diamonds. “In the beginning, I didn’t know…what the hell were these? Is it my imagination?” Hameed laughs. But then his colleagues and students experienced the diamondness too. Like angels of revelation, each diamond vehicle brings a different type of wisdom: the first diamond vehicle, Guidance, brings clarity and initiated the practice of inquiry; the second embodies the wisdom that pleasure is what we are, bringing an understanding of pleasure from a spiritual perspective; the third diamond vehicle holds the wisdom of how to conduct our lives from a place of truth, and the fourth the wisdom of true knowledge—knowing by being—the knowing that is needed for awakening.Not only do we hear marvelous stories of how the diamond-shaped wisdom messengers appeared to Hameed, but he also imparts a wonderfully comprehensive yet succinct rendering of the teachings they brought, and the conversation flows from embodying wisdom to embodying pleasure, the inward turn, and why bliss must be combined with emptiness for enlightenment to occur. Also, how to live a life of truth with the inner compass provided by the third diamond teaching, the pitfalls of the ego’s tendency to accommodate others, how being is inseparable from knowing, and lots more. A very full, warm, rich conversation, filled also with humor, sparkle, and delight. Recorded January 30, 2025.“For enlightenment to happen, emptiness has to be combined with bliss.”Topics & Time Stamps – Part 1Introducing the 9th dialogue in the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series: How did the Diamond Approach teaching come to Hameed? (00:53)First came a pure, transparent presence like liquid diamond: clarity itself (04:46)The diamond also came with a sense of precision, of sharp discrimination, of objectivity (08:07)Hameed’s vision of the diamond vehicles: like a fleet of ships in black space (11:05)The first diamond vehicle, guidance, brought about the practice of inquiry (12:06)Hameed’s near-death experience: looking down upon his body it was a body of diamonds; two diamonds called him back: love and joy (13:23)Recounting this experience to friends later, the diamond vehicle filled the room—the sacred manifest (17:08)Manifest in this one body was the guidance for the teaching, like an angel of revelation but shaped like a spaceship made of diamonds (19:46)Each diamond vehicle brings a different kind of wisdom (20:58)Diamond wisdom can be used as guidance in the scientific field (22:36)It’s not just a teaching, but a presence that embodies the teaching; embodying the presence is learning the teaching (25:11)The second diamond vehicle is the vehicle of pleasure, understanding pleasure from the spiritual perspective: the teaching of the inward turn (27:04)Pleasure turns out to be a whole realm, where all aspects appear in their pleasurable form (34:38)Inner guidance is where the truth is from instant to instant, telling you to look here, not there (35:58)Hameed differentiates pleasure from bliss, because pleasure is something ordinary human beings know (37:39)Embodying the wisdom that pleasure is what we are (40:08)All the vehicles are expressions of the essence of consciousness, messengers of wisdom (40:54)For enlightenment to happen, emptiness has to be combined with bliss (42:10)Resources & ReferencesA. H. Almaas (Hameed Ali), founder of The Ridhwan School, home of The Diamond ApproachA. H. Almaas, The Inner Journey Home: Soul’s Realization of the Unity of RealityVajrayana Buddhism’s SaṃbhogakāyaThe three kayas of Mahayana Buddhism (Lion’s Roar website)A. H. Almaas, Space Cruiser Inquiry: True Guidance for the Inner JourneyAdvaita VedantaDzogchenDogen, founder of the Sōtō School of Zen, “A blade of grass is a blade of grass.”William Blake, “Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,” from “Auguries of Innocence”A Course in Miracles, Helen Schucman and the Foundation for Inner PeaceWalt Whitman, “Dismiss whatever insults your own soul,” from the preface of Leaves of Grass The cessation of perception as recognized by the Buddha (Wisdom Library website)A. H. Almaas, Luminous Night’s Journey: An Autobiographical FragmentThe 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.---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.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 176 (Part 3 of 3) | Longtime spiritual practitioner, gifted teacher, Tibetan Buddhist lama, and developmental psychology specialist Kimberley Lafferty integrates contemporary psychology and wisdom tradition in this lively, luminous conversation about the process of awakening, the evolution of ethics, and the extraordinary capacities that come online as we mature into later stages of development. What do developmental perspectives have to add to our understanding of human nature and to spiritual practice? Our meaning-making shifts radically as we develop, Kimberley says, and because of that our reality itself shifts. This is why communicating with people with very different points of view can fail so miserably—one person’s reality is simply not the same as the next person’s reality. We need to discern, what is their meaning-making reality in this moment? What is ours?Throughout, Kimberley grounds the discussion in practical, real-life scenarios; she also shares intriguing research on later stage development that has found that as we mature, our senses evolve: our hearing evolves to deep attunement; our seeing evolves to witnessing, our capacity of touch evolves to embody presence. It’s exciting and inspiring to see the road ahead, to acquire new insights and tools to improve communication across cultural (and age) divides, to have the concept of bodhicitta unpacked so deftly and common misperceptions about emptiness corrected—and to witness Kimberley’s wise and zesty approach to life: “What connects us all is our luminous, aware consciousness,” she says, “and if we can lean into the messiness, I think we can find our way through.” Recorded October 3, 2024.“How can I reconstruct myself to be truth, goodness, and beauty?”Topics & Time Stamps – Part 3What are some of the capacities that come online as people mature? (01:26)At late stage development, people awaken to individual construction; this is meta-awareness or 5th person perspective (03:40)It’s like waking up in a lucid dream and realizing you’re dreaming (06:00)How can I reconstruct myself to be truth, goodness, and beauty? (07:24)Development is a balloon, not a ladder (10:15)How developmental theory illuminates broader perspective taking: the capacity of skillful means (13:12)Siddhis (transpersonal powers) start to come on: precognitive capacities, the capacity of empathy (16:24)What challenges come about as we develop? (17:40)What connects us is our luminous, aware consciousness—if we can lean into the messiness, we can find our way through (22:43)What are humans becoming? The possibility of becoming trans-human (25:28)In later stages, our senses evolve: our hearing evolves to deep attunement; our seeing evolves to witnessing, to see through time and space, our capacity of touch evolves to embody presence (28:49)Seeing polarities rather than opposites: polarities are the building blocks of how we construct reality (31:50)Bodhicitta taps us into our ultimate nature (35:12)Correcting misperceptions of the bodhisattva vow (40:34)The tradition of debate in the Tibetan-Buddhist tradition (42:30)You are not alone; there is spiritual support available (45:36)Resources & ReferencesKimberley Lafferty’s website: The Confluence Experience (Education, Community, Experiences)12-month living immersion in the STAGES matrix with Terri O’Fallon & Kimberley LaffertyThe Association for Spiritual Integrity (ASI)Vajrayana BuddhismHuston Smith, The World’s ReligionsHis Holiness the Dalai Lama, The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for LivingKen Wilber’s Integral TheoryDan Brown, Buddhist meditation teacher and authorAbraham Maslow, Toward a Psychology of BeingRoger Walsh, Essential Spirituality: The 7 Central Practices to Awaken Heart and MindBrian Daizen Victoria, Zen at WarThe A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series (Deep Transformation podcast series)---Kimberley Theresa Lafferty is a seasoned teacher-practitioner specializing in constructive developmental psychology and Indo-Tibetan Vajrayana. She leads multi-year, private spiritual education cohorts with the Confluence Experience, and co-leads, with Terri O’Fallon, the penultimate Minds I year-long developmental course of Stages International. She is an active Board member for the Association for Spiritual Integrity. Kimberley is also a wife and mother to a young son, living in a remote valley of the North Cascades of North America which deeply impacts her worldview and practice.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 175 (Part 2 of 3) | Longtime spiritual practitioner, gifted teacher, Tibetan Buddhist lama, and developmental psychology specialist Kimberley Lafferty integrates contemporary psychology and wisdom tradition in this lively, luminous conversation about the process of awakening, the evolution of ethics, and the extraordinary capacities that come online as we mature into later stages of development. What do developmental perspectives have to add to our understanding of human nature and to spiritual practice? Our meaning-making shifts radically as we develop, Kimberley says, and because of that our reality itself shifts. This is why communicating with people with very different points of view can fail so miserably—one person’s reality is simply not the same as the next person’s reality. We need to discern, what is their meaning-making reality in this moment? What is ours?Throughout, Kimberley grounds the discussion in practical, real-life scenarios; she also shares intriguing research on later stage development that has found that as we mature, our senses evolve: our hearing evolves to deep attunement; our seeing evolves to witnessing, our capacity of touch evolves to embody presence. It’s exciting and inspiring to see the road ahead, to acquire new insights and tools to improve communication across cultural (and age) divides, to have the concept of bodhicitta unpacked so deftly and common misperceptions about emptiness corrected—and to witness Kimberley’s wise and zesty approach to life: “What connects us all is our luminous, aware consciousness,” she says, “and if we can lean into the messiness, I think we can find our way through.” Recorded October 3, 2024.“If we have no traditional spiritual boundaries to teach our children, we end up raising narcissists.”Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2Ethics involve intention: looking into the mind at the moment of intention (00:53)How to explain misuse and abuse of power in a spiritual organization? (04:18)What is missing for many teachers and healers is ethical training (11:11)How do warrior ethics make sense? Spirituality at an ethnocentric developmental stage (12:58)Misunderstanding emptiness: the emptiness of ethics; there is no ethics (17:20)A spiritual tradition can be complemented by modern understanding & practices—what do we need to update? (19:21)The importance of a developmental understanding and spiritual education (20:46)We need to teach our children that what they do matters (23:09)The feeling of deep belonging that comes with a lineage, belonging to a mystical family, having them at your back (25:09)What do developmental perspectives have to add to our understanding of human nature and to contemplative practices? (28:16)The connection between spiritual experiences and later stages of development: meaning-making radically shifts throughout our life span—because of that our reality itself shifts (31:52)What stage is presenting right now? In me. In you. In others? (33:58)Leveraging the strengths of each perspective and stage (37:29)Resources & ReferencesKimberley Lafferty’s website: The Confluence Experience (Education, Community, Experiences)12-month living immersion in the STAGES matrix with Terri O’Fallon & Kimberley LaffertyThe Association for Spiritual Integrity (ASI)Vajrayana BuddhismHuston Smith, The World’s ReligionsHis Holiness the Dalai Lama, The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for LivingKen Wilber’s Integral TheoryDan Brown, Buddhist meditation teacher and authorAbraham Maslow, Toward a Psychology of BeingRoger Walsh, Essential Spirituality: The 7 Central Practices to Awaken Heart and MindBrian Daizen Victoria, Zen at WarThe A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series (Deep Transformation podcast series)---Kimberley Theresa Lafferty is a seasoned teacher-practitioner specializing in constructive developmental psychology and Indo-Tibetan Vajrayana. She leads multi-year, private spiritual education cohorts with the Confluence Experience, and co-leads, with Terri O’Fallon, the penultimate Minds I year-long developmental course of Stages International. She is an active Board member for the Association for Spiritual Integrity. Kimberley is also a wife and mother to a young son, living in a remote valley of the North Cascades of North America which deeply impacts her worldview and practice.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 174 (Part 1 of 3) | Longtime spiritual practitioner, gifted teacher, Tibetan Buddhist lama, and developmental psychology specialist Kimberley Lafferty integrates contemporary psychology and wisdom tradition in this lively, luminous conversation about the process of awakening, the evolution of ethics, and the extraordinary capacities that come online as we mature into later stages of development. What do developmental perspectives have to add to our understanding of human nature and to spiritual practice? Our meaning-making shifts radically as we develop, Kimberley says, and because of that our reality itself shifts. This is why communicating with people with very different points of view can fail so miserably—one person’s reality is simply not the same as the next person’s reality. We need to discern, what is their meaning-making reality in this moment? What is ours?Throughout, Kimberley grounds the discussion in practical, real-life scenarios; she also shares intriguing research on later stage development that has found that as we mature, our senses evolve: our hearing evolves to deep attunement; our seeing evolves to witnessing, our capacity of touch evolves to embody presence. It’s exciting and inspiring to see the road ahead, to acquire new insights and tools to improve communication across cultural (and age) divides, to have the concept of bodhicitta unpacked so deftly and common misperceptions about emptiness corrected—and to witness Kimberley’s wise and zesty approach to life: “What connects us all is our luminous, aware consciousness,” she says, “and if we can lean into the messiness, I think we can find our way through.” Recorded October 3, 2024.“Applying a developmental understanding and developmental education is essential to any situation that we have.”Topics & Time Stamps – Part 1Introducing Kimberley Lafferty, teacher-practitioner specializing in developmental psychology and Indo-Tibetan Buddhism (01:02)What drew Kimberley into Buddhism? Suffering! And an awakening experience (02:36)The Dalai Lama’s path is what spoke to Kimberley’s feeling of losing her compass and Integral Theory kept her grounded in modernity (07:11)The 3 interpenetrating principal paths of Tibetan Buddhism: ethics, bodhicitta (the path of the warrior heart), and wisdom itself (09:17)Unpacking the concept of bodhicitta (13:54)Metacognition: an ability we grow into in the later stages of ego development (16:52)The richness of Tibetan Buddhism begins with the understanding that everything changes (21:37)How do kindness and compassion follow from a realization of emptiness? (25:50)There is emptiness and there is Clear Light, they are not the same (27:09)If emptiness is the canvas and karma is the paint: how do I repaint for the future? (31:08)Ethics and karma: everything we think, say, and do is the material cause for the next moment of our reality (32:54)Ethical training starts with be kind, do no harm, because God (or Santa) is watching (35:00)As we evolve, our ethics become more subtle and expand to include all people and the responsibility of becoming a light in the world (36:23)Stepping into our divinity, our gifts and creativity (41:09)Vajrajana ethics invite us to think about who is doing the giving, the recipient, and the gift (43:35)Resources & ReferencesKimberley Lafferty’s website: The Confluence Experience (Education, Community, Experiences)12-month living immersion in the STAGES matrix with Terri O’Fallon & Kimberley LaffertyThe Association for Spiritual Integrity (ASI)Vajrayana BuddhismHuston Smith, The World’s ReligionsHis Holiness the Dalai Lama, The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for LivingKen Wilber’s Integral TheoryDan Brown, Buddhist meditation teacher and authorAbraham Maslow, Toward a Psychology of BeingRoger Walsh, Essential Spirituality: The 7 Central Practices to Awaken Heart and MindBrian Daizen Victoria, Zen at WarThe A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series (Deep Transformation podcast series)---Kimberley Theresa Lafferty is a seasoned teacher-practitioner specializing in constructive developmental psychology and Indo-Tibetan Vajrayana. She leads multi-year, private spiritual education cohorts with the Confluence Experience, and co-leads, with Terri O’Fallon, the penultimate Minds I year-long developmental course of Stages International. She is an active Board member for the Association for Spiritual Integrity. Kimberley is also a wife and mother to a young son, living in a remote valley of the North Cascades of North America which deeply impacts her worldview and practice.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 173 (Part 2 of 2) | In this 8th dialogue in the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series, Hameed Ali gives a clear, colorful description of the three stages we go through on the spiritual path: the journey to presence, the journey with presence, and the journey in presence. “There’s much more to the journey than just being free of suffering,” he says, “in the journey with presence, there’s a whole universe to discover—unexpectedly we find there is a whole realm of splendor, beauty, freedom, and liberation.” In the third journey, the journey in presence, the stage of actualization, we are swimming in the ocean of presence or we are the presence itself. Hameed relates how impeccability, strong and pure like stainless steel, is an important part of actualizing presence, embodying our essence in our daily lives. “The ‘I am’ can function in the world as a person,” he explains, “I can be the vastness, an infinite, black, luminous night, completely formless, but still walk in the street as a person.”Hameed also talks about the “pearl beyond price”—the individuated self that brings a functional capacity to the isness, which is why it is of incomparable price—and the point of existence, point of light, or pure I-ness. He discusses the individuation of the soul and the realization that the nature of the soul is the nature of everything: this is the nondual experience. This dialogue is another treasure trove of spiritual transmission by Hameed—with humor, clarity, precision, and beautiful metaphor, his teachings, even as deeply profound and mysterious as they are, come as wonderful revelations for us to grasp onto, leading us forward on the inner journey home. Recorded January 3, 2025.“Presence is the ground of all reality.”Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2What is the I in ‘I am that’? A point of light, presence, existence (00:53)I-am-that are three different things (04:25)At some point, the point of light and the pearl beyond price become unified (06:56)The ego self is insecure: that’s why there is selfishness (09:04)With the realization of I am that, the “that” changes (12:30)The “I am” can function in the world as a person: I can be the vastness, formless & infinite, but still walk in the street as a person (14:01)In the source dimension, all people are nothing but organs of perception for the absolute (15:05)What brought Hameed back from the absolute? (17:46)Each teaching has their ultimate, but there is more than one ultimate (19:24)There’s much more to the journey than just being free of suffering (20:31)Ignorance never ends (21:26)Is there a best way to study spirituality? (22:57)The essentialization of the soul: recognizing that presence is our true nature, essence is a living consciousness (25:21)Realizing the ground of being: the nature of the soul is the nature of everything; this is the nondual experience (27:18)The issues that come up on the journey: psychodynamic, structural, existential & epistemological (33:17)Resources & ReferencesA. H. Almaas (Hameed Ali), founder of The Ridhwan School, home of The Diamond ApproachA. H. Almaas, The Inner Journey Home: Soul’s Realization of the Unity of RealityDzogchen, a tradition of teachings in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism and Bön aimed at discovering and continuing in the ultimate ground of existenceAdvaita VedantaA. H. Almaas, The Pearl Beyond Price: Integration of Personality into Being: An Object Relations ApproachA. H. Almaas, The Point of Existence: Transformations of Narcissism in Self-RealizationSri Nisargadatta Maharaj, I Am ThatIsaac Newton, “I do not know what I may appear to the world…”A. H. Almaas, Luminous Night’s Journey: An Autobiographical FragmentThe 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.---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.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 172 (Part 1 of 2) | In this 8th dialogue in the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series, Hameed Ali gives a clear, colorful description of the three stages we go through on the spiritual path: the journey to presence, the journey with presence, and the journey in presence. “There’s much more to the journey than just being free of suffering,” he says, “in the journey with presence, there’s a whole universe to discover—unexpectedly we find there is a whole realm of splendor, beauty, freedom, and liberation.” In the third journey, the journey in presence, the stage of actualization, we are swimming in the ocean of presence or we are the presence itself. Hameed relates how impeccability, strong and pure like stainless steel, is an important part of actualizing presence, embodying our essence in our daily lives. “The ‘I am’ can function in the world as a person,” he explains, “I can be the vastness, an infinite, black, luminous night, completely formless, but still walk in the street as a person.”Hameed also talks about the “pearl beyond price”—the individuated self that brings a functional capacity to the isness, which is why it is of incomparable price—and the point of existence, point of light, or pure I-ness. He discusses the individuation of the soul and the realization that the nature of the soul is the nature of everything: this is the nondual experience. This dialogue is another treasure trove of spiritual transmission by Hameed—with humor, clarity, precision, and beautiful metaphor, his teachings, even as deeply profound and mysterious as they are, come as wonderful revelations for us to grasp onto, leading us forward on the inner journey home. Recorded January 3, 2025.“The experience of presence is the defining experience of this path.”Topics & Time Stamps – Part 1Introducing the 8th dialogue of the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series, which focuses on the 15th chapter of The Inner Journey Home: “The Inner Journey” (00:56)Hameed outlines 3 stages of the inner journey: the journey to presence, the journey with presence, the journey in presence (03:00)First, the individual soul, structured through early life experience, begins (with practice) to recognize presence (09:50)Second is the journey with presence: working with the theory of holes before opening to spaciousness (12:22)The second stage is the fun part—when everything is completely new and somewhat miraculous (14:56)Experiencing the true potential of a human being: unexpectedly we find there is a whole realm of splendor, beauty, freedom & liberation (17:59)The third journey is actualization, when we are swimming in the ocean of presence or we are the presence itself: self-realization; the self is the presence (19:55)Impeccability: living in a way that is faithful to our true nature (21:12)Roger’s summary of Hameed’s points: presence is not static, learning about true nature is an ongoing, marvelous surprise, viewing spiritual maturation along a spectrum, and how realizing presence brings with it the deep desire that all beings experience it (23:34)In other traditions, there isn’t much discussion beyond the realization itself (25:56)The world is never “fixed” (28:55)Part of the soul’s maturation is individuation; personal-ness turns out to be a quality of presence (30:10)The pearl beyond price (the individuated self) is known also to the gnostics, the Sufis, the Taoists… it is protected by a fearsome monster (the ego) (33:28)The point of light, the point of existence, is pure “I-ness” (38:42)Resources & References – Part 1A. H. Almaas (Hameed Ali), founder of The Ridhwan School, home of The Diamond ApproachA. H. Almaas, The Inner Journey Home: Soul’s Realization of the Unity of RealityDzogchen, a tradition of teachings in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism and Bön aimed at discovering and continuing in the ultimate ground of existenceAdvaita VedantaA. H. Almaas, The Pearl Beyond Price: Integration of Personality into Being: An Object Relations ApproachA. H. Almaas, The Point of Existence: Transformations of Narcissism in Self-RealizationSri Nisargadatta Maharaj, I Am ThatIsaac Newton, “I do not know what I may appear to the world…”A. H. Almaas, Luminous Night’s Journey: An Autobiographical FragmentThe 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.---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.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 171 (Part 2 of 2) | An emotionally powerful and deeply inspiring conversation with renowned embodiment and trauma educator Mark Walsh from the U.K. and Ukrainian psychologist and trauma trainer Kristina Obluchynska, where we learn about effective ways of treating trauma in the middle of an ongoing war, what trauma therapists are left holding, and how beautiful is the human spirit when it embraces right action. When Russia commenced its full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago, Mark went to Ukraine, located willing psychology students, educated them in body-oriented trauma therapy and training, and with Kristina and several other trainees co-founded Sane Ukraine, with the urgent mission of preventing an epidemic of trauma disorders in Ukraine. Beginning with applying trauma first aid and teaching resilience skills in places like the local railroad station where people were coming in from the front lines, and in bomb shelters, Kristina and several other psychologists have now educated thousands of people about trauma—active duty soldiers, veterans, survivors, wives of combatants, and first-line responders such as doctors, teachers, and social workers—and trained hundreds of them to become trauma trainers themselves. It is an honor to bear witness to Mark’s courageous actions and the humble heroism of Kristina and her team in the face of the devastation being leveled on Ukraine and Ukrainians. “We don’t grieve,” Kristina tells us, “because grief comes after safety. We don’t even use the word safe anymore,” she continues, “only relatively safe.” Mark points out that modern warfare is not just running around with guns—drones hunt civilians and if you move, they kill you. “Do we all have PTSD?” the soldiers ask. With Sane Ukraine, there is someone to answer their questions and teach them what they can do to help themselves and each other. Resilience comes from relationship—from connection to self, others, nature, and spirit. Does the concept of post traumatic growth even apply considering the intensity of this war? co-host Roger wonders. At the end of this extraordinary, heartfelt conversation, when asked what we could do to help, Kristina advises, “Help the army. We are talking here about healing, but what we really need is to survive.” Recorded January 9, 2025.“It’s not reasonable for young women to be talking about mass rape and torture in dark bomb shelters . . . There’s a darkness that will be there perhaps forever.”Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2Surviving Bucha (00:57)The pros and cons of group work (03:23)Does the concept of post traumatic growth apply in the intensity of this war? (05:40)Singing traditional songs helps foster the belief that we will survive this (09:50)How does Mark help trainers to find strength? Love people unconditionally and continually (12:31)There are actually less mental health problems in Ukraine than in the UK or the US (16:35)What has been most inspiring for Mark? The girls—and the purity of the work (17:24)The hardest thing? The huge grief (18:53)What are Kristina’s practices to keep sane? (20:05)What is the hardest for Kristina? The guilt is the worst (23:38)What is most inspiring for Kristina? The ability to do something for people who have been in the war (25:02)What is the difference between pre-Ukraine Mark and post-Ukraine Mark? (26:33)The pre-war Kristina and the post-war Kristina: everything is possible (28:12)How can listeners help? Sane Ukraine could use funding & educational support; professionals could offer tension & trauma releasing (TRE) trainings (31:39)Help the army: we are talking about healing, but what we really need is to survive (33:49)Resources & References – Part 2The Masha Fund, helping Ukrainian women overcome the psychological consequences of warStuart Heller, The Dance of Becoming: Living Life as a Martial Art*Veteran Hub: providing peer-to peer veteran support, also serving those who are waiting for or who have lost loved ones in serviceThe Association of Families of Defenders of Azovstal, the defenders of Mariupol united to accelerate the processes related to the return of soldiers homeMark Walsh, Kristina Obluchynska, co-founders, Sane UkraineMark Walsh, founder and CEO of Embodiment UnlimitedKristina Obluchynska can be contacted through Deep Transformation Podcast’s support emailMark Walsh, The Body in Coaching and Training: An Introduction to Embodied Facilitation,* Embodied Meditation: Mindfulness, the Body, and Daily Life*Mark’s Embodiment Coaching Podcast

Ep. 170 (Part 1 of 2) | An emotionally powerful and deeply inspiring conversation with renowned embodiment and trauma educator Mark Walsh from the U.K. and Ukrainian psychologist and trauma trainer Kristina Obluchynska, where we learn about effective ways of treating trauma in the middle of an ongoing war, what trauma therapists are left holding, and how beautiful is the human spirit when it embraces right action. When Russia commenced its full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago, Mark went to Ukraine, located willing psychology students, educated them in body-oriented trauma therapy and training, and with Kristina and several other trainees co-founded Sane Ukraine, with the urgent mission of preventing an epidemic of trauma disorders in Ukraine. Beginning with applying trauma first aid and teaching resilience skills in places like the local railroad station where people were coming in from the front lines, and in bomb shelters, Kristina and several other psychologists have now educated thousands of people about trauma—active duty soldiers, veterans, survivors, wives of combatants, and first-line responders such as doctors, teachers, and social workers—and trained hundreds of them to become trauma trainers themselves. It is an honor to bear witness to Mark’s courageous actions and the humble heroism of Kristina and her team in the face of the devastation being leveled on Ukraine and Ukrainians. “We don’t grieve,” Kristina tells us, “because grief comes after safety. We don’t even use the word safe anymore,” she continues, “only relatively safe.” Mark points out that modern warfare is not just running around with guns—drones hunt civilians and if you move, they kill you. “Do we all have PTSD?” the soldiers ask. With Sane Ukraine, there is someone to answer their questions and teach them what they can do to help themselves and each other. Resilience comes from relationship—from connection to self, others, nature, and spirit. Does the concept of post traumatic growth even apply considering the intensity of this war? co-host Roger wonders. At the end of this extraordinary, heartfelt conversation, when asked what we could do to help, Kristina advises, “Help the army. We are talking here about healing, but what we really need is to survive.” Recorded January 9, 2025.“There is nothing that can prepare human psychology for modern warfare.”Topics & Time Stamps – Part 1Introducing Mark Walsh, trauma trainer, author, founder & CEO of Embodiment Unlimited, and Kristina Obluchynska, clinical psychologist & trauma therapist, who together co-founded Sane Ukraine to provide training in trauma therapy and resilience skills to professionals, soldiers, combatants’ families and more (01:03)What compelled Mark to get involved in Ukraine and found Sane Ukraine? (02:33)How did Kristina get involved with Mark’s trauma training? (06:29)It requires 3 hours a day of body/mind practice to keep trainees in a state where they can learn something in between running to the bomb shelters (08:30)Trauma training started happening in person all over the place: Lviv is now the world’s most trauma-informed city (11:11)When Kristina and her team were invited to do combat resilience training, they were told, “We have 2,000 soldiers, please do something for them!” (13:11)Training psychologists, social workers, veterans, and wives of combatants (14:01)Elements of the 3-day training: tactic, tactic medicine, psychological resilience (15:42)Combatants ask, “Do we all have PTSD?” (17:44)What are the symptoms of trauma? (18:28)Nothing can prepare human psychology for modern warfare (20:06)Now it’s all about exhaustion, because the only way out is to be injured, or dead (22:55)Meaning is a resilience factor: Man’s Search for Meaning is the most sold book in Ukraine, ever (25:10)The importance of relationship: connection to self, to others, to the land, to spirit (28:08)Healing mountain trips for veterans have a dramatically positive effect (29:27)What are trauma therapists like Kristina and her team holding? (31:49)We don’t use the word safe anymore—only “relatively safe” (34:24)Using humor and selling trauma therapy (36:41)Using Stephen Porges’ traffic light model (39:09)Resources & References – Part 1Mark Walsh, Kristina Obluchynska, co-founders, Sane UkraineMark Walsh, founder and CEO of Embodiment UnlimitedKristina Obluchynska can be contacted through Deep Transformation Podcast’s support emailMark Walsh, The Body in Coaching and Training: An Introduction to Embodied Facilitation,* Embodied Meditation: Mindfulness, the Body, and Daily Life*Mark’s Embodiment Coaching PodcastPolyvagal theoryStephen Porges, The Pocket Guide to the Polyvagal Theory: The Transformative Power of Feeling Safe*EMDR UkraineViktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning*Colorado’s Huts for Vets, wilderness therapy for veterans and active-duty service membersThe traffic light model, Dr. Stephen Porges: What is the Polyvagal Theory? (YouTube video) * As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---“Mr Embodiment” (Mark Walsh) is the author of The Body in Coaching and Training: An Introduction to Embodied Facilitation and Embodied Meditation. Mark hosts The Embodiment Coaching Podcast (3 million+ downloads), and led the world’s largest Zoom event, The Embodiment Conference. He founded the Embodied Facilitator Course, and has trained over 2,000 embodiment coaches in over 40 countries. Mark went to Ukraine twice during the recent conflict and set up saneukraine.org, a charity now run solely by Ukrainian professionals to provide trauma and embodiment training to trainers, therapists, and coaches. Mark has worked in war zones, and entertained over 50,000 children. He has headlined International Coach Federation events, taught at Moscow State University, and lived with the circus in Ethiopia. Mark is an aikido black belt, and has 25 years of experience in other martial arts, yoga, bodywork, improv comedy, conscious dance, and meditation. Embodiment is his obsession, life’s work, and frankly, at this point, he couldn’t get a job doing anything else. ---Kristina Obluchynska is a clinical psychologist, in the process of training to be a psychotherapist with a medical background. In her practice, Kristina integrates gestalt and body-oriented psychotherapy with trauma therapy methods, and uses nature-based therapy as well. Kristina’s main work is done with combatants and veterans and their families, as well as with first-line responders in Ukraine, such as doctors and social workers. Together with her colleagues and with Mark Walsh’s help, she co-founded Sane Ukraine, a charity foundation with more than 60 trainers that provides knowledge about trauma and psychological first aid to combatants and civilians. The full-scale invasion of Ukraine caught Kristina and her colleagues when they were Master’s Degree students at Ukrainian Catholic University, and Kristina is now an assistant at the Department of Clinical Psychology, sharing knowledge about psychological trauma and how to work with it using various approaches. Kristina loves and believes in Ukraine—she participated in the Revolution of Dignity and actively supports the Ukrainian army via psychological trainings and volunteer work.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell