Ep. 150 (Part 2 of 2) | In the third dialogue of the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series, Hameed Ali brings us to a deeper understanding of individual consciousness, our true nature, in relation to pure consciousness. Once we come to know what consciousness is, he says, our spiritual experience truly begins. The conversation flows through many illuminating teachings: how true nature manifests itself in many ways—there is no one way, no final way; reality is only what we perceive it to be—there is no hard and fast reality “out there;” and the ego is not some sort of developmental mistake—it only becomes a problem if we become fixated on it. Psychology helps us see how the soul became the ego, Hameed explains, and psychodynamics reflect how our individual consciousness becomes imprinted by experience, the effects of which can be unraveled through spiritual inquiry. When asked how he is able to write so remarkably clearly and concisely, fine-cut like a diamond, Hameed explains that the teachings articulate themselves as he writes by becoming his direct experience in the moment. He is not channeling, nor is his individual self expressing an opinion, the teaching simply expresses itself by becoming his true nature. This conversation is inspiring on many levels as consciousness becomes more graspable and because, as Roger says, Hameed’s teaching is grounded in our being capable of realizing being. At the end, Hameed gives a beautifully resonant account of why we love freedom. Once again, Hameed’s profound teachings come as a transmission and are a joy to receive. Recorded August 8, 2024.“Depth psychology helps us understand how our soul became our ego.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2How Hameed came to think that soul is the best word to describe a human being (00:45) The soul is pure consciousness with an aliveness added to it; the soul is always learning (04:26)Knowing what consciousness is is the true opening to spirituality (05:52)Development of the ego is necessary for physical survival, it is not a mistake unless we become fixated upon it (07:32)Arrested development: bottled up consciousness experiences pressure, a sense of pain & suffering (11:49)The ancient concept of soul was replaced by the idea of a separate self (13:14)Unity, disunity, and beyond (14:37)Psychology helps us understand how our soul became our ego (15:41)Psychodynamics show us how early experience impacts current experience, and it is inquiry that helps us unravel the ego (18:26)Our consciousness is a living organism (22:25)Grasping the nature of our soul is not easy, because it’s holographic, dynamic—you can’t give it a form (24:46)There is a nondual unity—united in the medium of consciousness—but it is also holographic: each point contains all other points (27:29)The difference between the holographic Huayan Buddhist perspective and the Zen perspective, where individual uniqueness becomes important (30:11)Do different teachings lead to different experiences of freedom? (33:38)Freedom is a sacred right of each individual (36:21)Resources & References – Part 2A. 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 Reality*William Blake, Auguries of Innocence, “To see a World in a grain of sand…”Huayan BuddhismThe 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.---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. ---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 149 (Part 1 of 2) | In the third dialogue of the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series, Hameed Ali brings us to a deeper understanding of individual consciousness, our true nature, in relation to pure consciousness. Once we come to know what consciousness is, he says, our spiritual experience truly begins. The conversation flows through many illuminating teachings: how true nature manifests itself in many ways—there is no one way, no final way; reality is only what we perceive it to be—there is no hard and fast reality “out there;” and the ego is not some sort of developmental mistake—it only becomes a problem if we become fixated on it. Psychology helps us see how the soul became the ego, Hameed explains, and psychodynamics reflect how our individual consciousness becomes imprinted by experience, the effects of which can be unraveled through spiritual inquiry. When asked how he is able to write so remarkably clearly and concisely, fine-cut like a diamond, Hameed explains that the teachings articulate themselves as he writes by becoming his direct experience in the moment. He is not channeling, nor is his individual self expressing an opinion, the teaching simply expresses itself by becoming his true nature. This conversation is inspiring on many levels as consciousness becomes more graspable and because, as Roger says, Hameed’s teaching is grounded in our being capable of realizing being. At the end, Hameed gives a beautifully resonant account of why we love freedom. Once again, Hameed’s profound teachings come as a transmission and are a joy to receive. Recorded August 8, 2024.“Humanity needs realized individuals, sources of light and understanding, to keep the true spirit of what a human being is alive.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps – Part 1Introducing the third dialogue of the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series, focused on the introduction of The Inner Journey Home, a diagnosis of our root challenge: dissociation (01:02)On humanity’s capacity to wake up from being asleep to who we really are (04:15)This path is a journey into reality, not focused specifically on relief from suffering (07:00)Reality is only what we perceive it to be (08:31)The main delusion we suffer from is believing the way we experience this world is the only way (10:48)Spiritual work doesn’t try to resolve social conflicts—it is for individuals and small groups to transform (13:41)Humanity needs realized individuals, sources of light and understanding, to keep the true spirit of what a human being is alive (15:28)Hameed’s experience of writing: the teaching articulates itself and becomes his experience in the moment—that’s why there is a transmission (16:42)True nature is the fundamental truth of human beings, the nature of consciousness—it’s not physical but at some point the distinction between physical and spiritual disappears (24:27)True nature manifests itself in many ways: there is no one way, no final way (26:00)The journey of ascent and descent: how we come to recognize ourselves as the absolute dimension and how we bring the vastness back into the realm of life (28:47)An individual is not a separate person; the complete human being is one who integrates both heaven and earth (32:45)When did Hameed start speaking English and the remarkable quality of his prose (35:34)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 Reality*A. H. Almaas, Runaway Realization: Living a Life of Ceaseless Discovery*Karen Johnson, The Jeweled Path: The Biography of the Diamond Approach to Inner Realization*The Ten Ox Herding Pictures from the Zen traditionThe 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.---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.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Cindy Wigglesworth, trailblazer in the field of spiritual intelligence, has created an assessment tool that identifies our spiritual strengths and weaknesses—qualities that fall outside the traditional IQ or emotional intelligence (EQ) parameters—in order to provide a guide for determining which skills we as individuals need to develop in order to show up in the world as love in action. Early on, Cindy recognized the profound benefits that both spiritual practice and EQ assessments had in her leadership development work, wishing only there was a map similar to what EQ offers but going one step higher, to lead people in the realm of spiritual development. So she created a multidimensional self-assessment tool to do just that, wrote the book SQ21: The 21 Skills of Spiritual Intelligence, and founded the global leadership development network Deep Change. Cindy’s dedication, brilliant intellect, integral understanding, and the effects of a lifetime of spiritual motivation and practice are abundantly evident in this warmly personal, articulate, and inspiring conversation about spirituality and how we can come to embody the values we aspire to. It’s easy to love people in the abstract, Cindy points out, but how we actually behave is what’s critical. What would love see? she asks, when talking about the practice of reframing. As co-host John Dupuy said, this conversation is like “an infusion of spiritual vitamins.” It’s also very timely—Cindy reflects that spiritual intelligence skills and learning how to sustain faith are more important than ever in these times of polarization and crisis. Recorded July 18, 2024.“Spiritual intelligence is the ability to behave with wisdom and compassion while maintaining inner and outer peace regardless of the situation.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time StampsIntroducing Cindy Wigglesworth, world authority on spirituality, creator of the SQ21 assessment that measures spiritual intelligence (01:25)How did Cindy come to focus on the field of spiritual intelligence? (04:18)Cindy’s existential quest began with moving to India at the age of six (05:59)Leadership development skills benefit directly from spiritual practice (10:08)Discovering Goleman & Boyatzis’ work on emotional intelligence (EQ)—where was the equivalent on spiritual intelligence? (11:58)Defining the terms spirituality and spiritual intelligence (15:21)Spiritual intelligence = love in action (18:21)State experiences are not sufficient for showing up as love in the world (20:35)Exemplars of spiritual intelligence and the quality of equanimity (21:53)The road to a pluralistic understanding of Christianity (24:49)Inheriting both strengths & weaknesses of her parents (29:40)Cindy’s SQ model emulates the EQ model with 4 quadrants (31:05)How Cindy developed the 21 skills and survey for her SQ assessment (32:56)A positive age correlation for skills, which grow over time, is essential (36:00)What strikes Cindy having given this test to so many? The 3 levels of value (37:06)The SQ test can uncover weak foundations under skills people thought they had down (39:59)How has Cindy’s understanding of spirituality changed during this process? (41:26) Spiral Dynamics’ stages of development: we are all playing chords of a melody of colors (42:43)SQ assessment levels’ relationship with developmental stages (46:35)Do certain practices help with building these skills? Reframing skills are Cindy’s favorite: What would love see? (49:32)Exchanging self with other: practicing with Trump and the current political situation (54:45)Cindy’s website and resources (59:04)How does religion factor into this and the importance of sustaining faith in these difficult times (1:00:19)Resources & ReferencesCindy’s website, DeepChange.com, has free resources and a sample assessmentCindy Wigglesworth, SQ21:The 21 Skills of Spiritual Intelligence*Roger Walsh, Essential Spirituality: The 7 Central Practices to Awaken Heart and Mind*Rachel Carson, Silent Spring*The Myers-Briggs Type IndicatorDaniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ*Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis & Annie McKee, Primal Leadership: Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence*Abraham Maslow, The Farther Reaches of Human Nature*Helen Schucman, A Course of Miracles* (Foundation for Inner Peace)Susanne Cook-Greuter, Postautonomous Ego Development: A Study of Its Nature and Measurement*Clare Graves & Don Beck, Spiral Dynamics: Mastering Values, Leadership and Change*Roland (Rollie)Stanich, Integral Christianity: The Way of Embodied Love*James Fowler, Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning** As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Cindy Wigglesworth is the bestselling author of SQ21: The Twenty-One Skills of Spiritual Intelligence. Her SQ21 spiritual intelligence self-assessment has created a validated and diversity-appropriate way of having spiritual conversations in the workplace. John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, calls SQ “the next frontier in Leadership.” Endorsed by Ken Wilber, Cindy’s dialogue with him on SQ is available here: https://integrallife.com/spiritual-intelligence-measuring-the-infinite/. Cindy has appeared on Oprah, PBS, TEDxLowerEastSide, TEDxSonomaCounty and numerous radio programs and conferences. She is the current Chairperson of the Board at Unity of Houston. Her website is www.deepchange.com.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 147 (Part 3 of 3) | Award-winning author, Zen priest and teacher, Kung Fu master, and professional advisor and trainer, Keith Martin-Smith, took a good look at the diversity, equity, and inclusion movement when he began to notice the damage it was causing people he knew under the guise of progress, or equity. Putting his keen mind to the task, Keith identified seven key areas where the DEI movement goes markedly astray from the values it aspires to. Coming from an integral understanding, Keith does more than simply point out where the movement has backfired. We learn that postmodern thinking is how we became aware of the “subtle soup of racism [and bias] in the cultural field itself”—beyond the concrete, obvious social injustices that activists fought in the 20th century. This more subtle field of bias is responsible for the inequalities we see in society today, which is what the DEI movement would like to tear down. But the ways in which DEI acts to make this happen, ironically, are characterized by exactly the things that DEI is against: intolerance, inequity, undiversity, tribalism, and anti-liberalism.In his wise, articulate, and gracious way, Keith makes sense of why the diversity, equity, and inclusion movement has become a political flashpoint, raising the hackles of not only rightwing conservatives but also liberal progressives. Sympathetic to the values of DEI, Keith is all about helping to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive movement. When asked how the values of DEI could be fulfilled to make it the harmonious, effective, correcting movement it aspires to be, Keith responded, “with conversations like this, for one thing,” adding, “we need to realize that everyone has a portion of truth—we just need to connect everyone’s portion of truth with their heart.” Recorded June 6, 2024.“Everybody cares…they just care about different things. Consensus and change come from being willing to listen to what people care about and finding space to honor that.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps – Part 3What is liberalism? (01:18)The nature of DEI’s anti-liberalism: banning free speech and more (05:08)White fragility is a non-argument and it’s anti-liberal (09:30)Another dangerous idea: silence is violence (10:44)Allowing trial by public opinion (11:41)Creating a true meritocracy: results from blind auditioning symphony musicians (14:13)Forced equality of outcome: is forcing 20% of symphony goers to be black a good idea? (15:31)Going far right and far left, you find they mirror each other (18:32)The klansmen who turned in their robes after talking to a black man (21:11)What could be done to fulfill the values of DEI and make it the effective correcting movement it aspires to be? (23:39)DEI at its best: recognizing the subtle ways in which cognitive bias affects the culture (27:05)The postmodern/DEI point of view doesn’t see how they are projecting their beliefs onto the culture (29:45)Microaggressions are real—but DEI proponents conflate microaggressions with macroaggressions (34:46)Critical race theory is the only explanatory theory in the DEI toolbox (39:33)Critical theory says power dynamics distort all interactions (44:15)The presumption of oppression and power is inaccurate from a biological standpoint (50:17)Partial truths are worth honoring (53:14)Everybody cares: finding space to honor that (56:09)What can we do to turn things around? (59:34)The difference between dignity and respect (01:01:10)Resources & References – Part 3Steve McIntosh, co-founder of the Institute for Cultural Evolution, author of Developmental Politics: How America Can Grow into a Better Version of Itself*, see also Consciousness Evolves, Politics Can Too (Deep Transformation podcast)Shachar Erez, Israeli therapist who brought a Palestinian woman and far right Israeli woman together on his podcast, see also Coping with the Horrors of War: An Israeli Therapist Shares the Agony, Grief & Uncertainty of Wartime (Deep Transformation podcast)Daryl Davis, How One Man Convinced 200 Ku Klux Klan Members To Give Up Their Robes (NPR story)Jordan Peterson, psychologist, author, popular media commentatorCritical race theoryCritical theoryDignity versus Respect with Rosalind Wiseman (YouTube video)Keith Martin-Smith’s website: https://www.keithmartinsmith.comKeith Martin-Smith, When the Buddha Needs Therapy*Keith Martin-Smith, A Heart Blown Open: The Life and Practice of Zen Master Jun Po Denis Kelly Roshi*Keith Martin-Smith, The Seven Deadly Sins of DEI (Integral Life video presentation)Keith Martin-Smith, Reintegrating DEI: Beyond the Culture Wars (Integral Life video presentation)* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Keith Martin-Smith is the award-winning author of five books, most recently When the Buddha Needs Therapy, about which Ken Wilber said, “This is a terrific book, fully embracing a truly Integral perspective and highly recommended.” He is also an ordained Zen priest, a Northern Kung Fu lineage holder and recognized sifu, and a professional advisor and trainer. More at KeithMartinSmith.com.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 146 (Part 2 of 3) | Award-winning author, Zen priest and teacher, Kung Fu master, and professional advisor and trainer, Keith Martin-Smith, took a good look at the diversity, equity, and inclusion movement when he began to notice the damage it was causing people he knew under the guise of progress, or equity. Putting his keen mind to the task, Keith identified seven key areas where the DEI movement goes markedly astray from the values it aspires to. Coming from an integral understanding, Keith does more than simply point out where the movement has backfired. We learn that postmodern thinking is how we became aware of the “subtle soup of racism [and bias] in the cultural field itself”—beyond the concrete, obvious social injustices that activists fought in the 20th century. This more subtle field of bias is responsible for the inequalities we see in society today, which is what the DEI movement would like to tear down. But the ways in which DEI acts to make this happen, ironically, are characterized by exactly the things that DEI is against: intolerance, inequity, undiversity, tribalism, and anti-liberalism.In his wise, articulate, and gracious way, Keith makes sense of why the diversity, equity, and inclusion movement has become a political flashpoint, raising the hackles of not only rightwing conservatives but also liberal progressives. Sympathetic to the values of DEI, Keith is all about helping to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive movement. When asked how the values of DEI could be fulfilled to make it the harmonious, effective, correcting movement it aspires to be, Keith responded, “with conversations like this, for one thing,” adding, “we need to realize that everyone has a portion of truth—we just need to connect everyone’s portion of truth with their heart.” Recorded June 6, 2024.“All of us deserve to be treated with dignity that is innate in all of us.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2DEI’s overemphasis on oppression and power: how it started (00:50)Critical race theory’s metaview is that the world operates on principles of power and oppression (01:57)The single cause fallacy (02:59) Drawing the wrong conclusions: Kenyans and marathons, women and STEM fields (04:10)Male dominance in sports caused by bias rather than biology? (12:03)The wage gap between men and women and significant difference it makes to control for factors (18:51)Why men outearn women at Uber: subtle differences in the way men and women behave (27:39)IQ and how men dominate the extremes of the Bell Curve (29:34)Fairness demands that everyone is treated the best way possible (34:18)Brief review of the main DEI flaws covered so far: DEI’s simplistic view of privilege; how DEI’s diversity doesn’t look at diverse mindsets; intolerance of other viewpoints; pushing everything through critical race theory; and how equality of outcomes can be oppressive, unfair, sexist & racist (35:31)Tribalism: DEI compartmentalizes everyone to a tribalistic identity, with the focus on race and sex (40:05)How to explain a white supremacist group run by people who are not white: multiracial whiteness (46:00)The primary goal should be to cultivate relationship rather than projecting a whole history on an individual based on their skin color or sex (49:20)Resources & References – Part 2André Pichot, known for his critical writings on issues related to geneticsCritical Race TheorySTEM fields (science, technology, engineering, math)Duke Law Study: Comparing Athletic Performances: The Best Elite Women to Boys and MenRichard Herrnstein & Charles Murray, The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life*Jordan Peterson, psychologist, author, popular media commentatorSusan Nieman, Left is Not Woke* The Proud BoysKeith Martin-Smith’s website: https://www.keithmartinsmith.comKeith Martin-Smith, When the Buddha Needs Therapy*Keith Martin-Smith, A Heart Blown Open: The Life and Practice of Zen Master Jun Po Denis Kelly Roshi*Keith Martin-Smith, The Seven Deadly Sins of DEI (Integral Life video presentation)Keith Martin-Smith, Reintegrating DEI: Beyond the Culture Wars (Integral Life video presentation)* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Keith Martin-Smith is the award-winning author of five books, most recently When the Buddha Needs Therapy, about which Ken Wilber said, “This is a terrific book, fully embracing a truly Integral perspective and highly recommended.” He is also an ordained Zen priest, a Northern Kung Fu lineage holder and recognized sifu, and a professional advisor and trainer. More at KeithMartinSmith.com.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 145 (Part 1 of 3) | Award-winning author, Zen priest and teacher, Kung Fu master, and professional advisor and trainer, Keith Martin-Smith, took a good look at the diversity, equity, and inclusion movement when he began to notice the damage it was causing people he knew under the guise of progress, or equity. Putting his keen mind to the task, Keith identified seven key areas where the DEI movement goes markedly astray from the values it aspires to. Coming from an integral understanding, Keith does more than simply point out where the movement has backfired. We learn that postmodern thinking is how we became aware of the “subtle soup of racism [and bias] in the cultural field itself”—beyond the concrete, obvious social injustices that activists fought in the 20th century. This more subtle field of bias is responsible for the inequalities we see in society today, which is what the DEI movement would like to tear down. But the ways in which DEI acts to make this happen, ironically, are characterized by exactly the things that DEI is against: intolerance, inequity, undiversity, tribalism, and anti-liberalism.In his wise, articulate, and gracious way, Keith makes sense of why the diversity, equity, and inclusion movement has become a political flashpoint, raising the hackles of not only rightwing conservatives but also liberal progressives. Sympathetic to the values of DEI, Keith is all about helping to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive movement. When asked how the values of DEI could be fulfilled to make it the harmonious, effective, correcting movement it aspires to be, Keith responded, “with conversations like this, for one thing,” adding, “we need to realize that everyone has a portion of truth—we just need to connect everyone’s portion of truth with their heart.” Recorded June 6, 2024.“Everybody cares…they just care about different things. Consensus and change come from being willing to listen to what people care about and finding space to honor that.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps – Part 1Introducing award-winning author, professional advisor & trainer, martial arts master, Zen priest & teacher Keith Martin-Smith (01:12) How Keith came to articulate what has gone wrong with the diversity, equity & inclusion movement (01:49)The divisiveness of DEI and the need to bring in an integral understanding (06:22)The difference between concrete, overt injustices and systemic injustice (08:27)The subtle soup of racism in the cultural field that we have become aware of in the postmodern period (11:19)All the punches at DEI are being thrown from an early rational or prerational worldview (15:26)What are the seven deadly sins of DEI? (18:15)DEI’s simplistic view of privilege, considering race, sex & gender, but not class, education & family of origin (19:00)What are healthy responses to having been given privilege (as opposed to shame and guilt)? (23:37)DEI proponents lecturing us about privilege don’t talk about their own privilege (26:50)The effect of neglecting class in DEI’s reductionist view of privilege (29:56)The problematic (undiverse) way the DEI movement treats diversity (34:31)Concrete racism versus subtle racism/microaggressions (37:49)Because Asians are doing so well, they are excluded from the diversity discussion (39:56)Intolerant tolerance and the why the 2017 women’s march movement fell apart (41:49)Robin diAngelo, white fragility, systemic internalized racism (43:49)Dismissing views you don’t agree with (46:57)Holding privilege with humility and the importance of genuinely listening (49:05)The purity test requiring people to toe the DEI party line (50:11)Resources & References – Part 1Keith Martin-Smith’s website: https://www.keithmartinsmith.comKeith Martin-Smith, A Heart Blown Open: The Life and Practice of Zen Master Jun Po Denis Kelly Roshi*Keith Martin-Smith, When the Buddha Needs Therapy*Keith Martin-Smith, The Seven Deadly Sins of DEI (Integral Life video presentation)Keith Martin-Smith, Reintegrating DEI: Beyond the Culture Wars (Integral Life video presentation)Reggie Ray, spiritual teacher, founder of the Dharma Ocean foundationJordan Peterson, psychologist, author, popular media commentatorTerri O’Fallon’s model of developmental stagesSusanne Cook-Greuter, Ego Development: Nine Levels of Increasing Embrace2017 Women’s MarNikole Hannah-Jones, New York Times reporter, creator of The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story*Ibram X. Kendi, author, professor, anti-racist activist, How To Be an Antiracist*Robin diAngelo, White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism** As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Keith Martin-Smith is the award-winning author of five books, most recently When the Buddha Needs Therapy, about which Ken Wilber said, “This is a terrific book, fully embracing a truly Integral perspective and highly recommended.” He is also an ordained Zen priest, a Northern Kung Fu lineage holder and recognized sifu, and a professional advisor and trainer. More at KeithMartinSmith.com.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 144 (Part 2 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.“The soul is a living embodiment of the life force.” (For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2Basic trust: fundamentally we are an indestructible nature, but our basic trust can get whittled away (00:50)Feeling the love inherent to reality (05:27)Marrying ancient knowledge of the soul with advancements in modern psychology (06:09) Psychology provides us with answers about how our sense of self develops but not about what gets structured—the soul (09:35)Individual consciousness is impressionable, otherwise learning would not be possible (12:31)The self is nothing but the soul structured through the ego stages of development (14:28)Psychodynamics and the self-liberating quality of the soul (15:29)We need our sense of self in order to survive—and in order to become become illuminated, we need a body (17:21)To stay with the ego self is arrested development, but we can develop further to become conscious of consciousness itself (19:53)We can understand the terrain of experience rather than simply transcend it—we can go through it, unravel it, and open up different dimensions of reality as we go (21:40)As we inquire we go deeper, bringing liberation into ordinary life (24:58)The emphasis in the East is on liberation—the emphasis in the West is on how to fulfill life (26:06)What many nondual teachings don’t understand is the individual soul (27:14)The enlightenment drive: motivation beyond ego (30:38)Beyond the enlightenment drive: pure being coming through individual consciousness (34:45)Resources & References – Part 2The 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 NeedsBodhicittaThe 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.---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. ---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

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 1Introducing 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 1The 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 NeedsBodhicittaThe 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.---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. ---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 142 (Part 2 of 2) | Award-winning author of The Web of Meaning and founder of the Deep Transformation Network, Jeremy Lent, relates how his discovery of systems thinking opened the door to a whole new way of making sense of the world and illumined his in depth exploration of what creates meaning. In looking into what forms concepts like God, soul, humanity, nature, and science, Jeremy came to understand the thinking that has led to the existential crisis we face now, then began to explore what it would take to break out of the worldview that has caused so much destruction on so many levels. Jeremy integrates systems thinking with concepts from evolutionary biology, neuroscience, ecology, and traditional and indigenous wisdom, forming a holistic view of science, where “maybe the distinction between science and spirituality isn’t really valid.”Jeremy’s heartfelt intention is to act as translator—to make it enjoyable for people to explore difficult concepts like consciousness and evolutionary biology they might otherwise steer away from—as well as be a catalyst for large-scale transformation. His vision of a potential future “ecological civilization” builds on the evolutionary success of life itself—ecosystems living in mutual symbiosis—and includes the idea of “islands of coherence” which would provide a bridge from a disintegrating society to a new and flourishing one. Systems thinking, like indigenous wisdom, recognizes the deep connectedness of all things, a realization, Jeremy points out, that leads to the knowing that nothing is inevitable and the choices we make matter. Jeremy leaves us with a sense of agency and of liberation, as well as a sense of responsibility to work together in the shaping of a life-affirming, sustainable future. Recorded June 20, 2024.“Based on a deep understanding of systems thinking, there is nothing inevitable about any of this.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2Can flourishing-of-the-commons ideas be scaled beyond small, local ventures? (01:25)Polycentric self-organization: a large region in Syria has instituted a form of government called democratic confederalism (03:53)Where are the most strategic places to intervene? (08:45)Becoming a transformation catalyst—amplifying the entire system of people moving toward a life-affirming future (09:59)Neoliberalism is a great model for successfully transforming a culture’s dominant ideas and creating fundamental change (13:13)Is there any hope of a rapid evolutionary leap to a more beautiful, more functional system? (17:18)Breaking through to the next level will require self-organizing and setting conditions for prosocial behavior on a global level (21:23)Understanding that the choices we make matter gives us a sense of agency, liberation, and responsibility (24:46)It’s important to move away from attachment to outcome—just do the right thing to do (28:18)The necessary perspectival shifts will only occur in people at a post-conventional stage of development (30:51)Animate intelligence is an intuitive system that allows people to feel their heart (33:24)Creating a life-affirming future (37:14)Rupert Sheldrake’s morphogenetic fields (39:05)From a systems perspective, these are principles of connectivity (42:18)Resources & References – Part 2Jeremy Lent’s website: https://www.jeremylent.com/Jeremy Lent, founder of the Deep Transformation NetworkJeremy Lent, The Web of Meaning: Integrating Science and Traditional Wisdom to Find Our Place in the Universe*Jeremy Lent, The Patterning of Instinct: A Cultural History of Humanity’s Search for Meaning*Elinor Ostrom, Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action*David Sloan Wilson, This View of Life: Completing the Darwinian Revolution*Christiana Figueres & Tom Rivett-Carnac, The Future We Choose: The Stubborn Optimist’s Guide to the Climate Crisis*Sandra Waddock, Transforming Towards Life-centered Economies: How Business, Government, and Civil Society Can Build a Better World*Ilya Prigogine’s small islands of coherenceNeoliberalism, the Mont Pelerin Society, the Overton WindowThe Fermi paradoxAntonio Damasio’s theory of consciousness, The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness*Gerald Edelman’s primary consciousness, The Remembered Present: A Biological Theory of Consciousness*Rupert Sheldrake, Morphic Resonance and Morphic Fields: An Introduction* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Jeremy Lent is an author and speaker whose work investigates the underlying causes of our civilization’s existential crisis, and explores pathways toward a life-affirming future. His award-winning books, The Patterning Instinct: A Cultural History of Humanity’s Search for Meaning and The Web of Meaning: Integrating Science and Traditional Wisdom to Find Our Place in the Universe, trace the historical underpinnings and flaws of the dominant worldview, and offer a foundation for an integrative worldview that could lead humanity to a flourishing future. He has written extensively about the vision and specifics of an ecological civilization and is founder of the Deep Transformation Network, an online global community exploring pathways for a deep transformation toward a life-affirming future on a regenerated Earth. Author website: jeremylent.com---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 141 (Part 1 of 2) | Award-winning author of The Web of Meaning and founder of the Deep Transformation Network, Jeremy Lent, relates how his discovery of systems thinking opened the door to a whole new way of making sense of the world and illumined his in depth exploration of what creates meaning. In looking into what forms concepts like God, soul, humanity, nature, and science, Jeremy came to understand the thinking that has led to the existential crisis we face now, then began to explore what it would take to break out of the worldview that has caused so much destruction on so many levels. Jeremy integrates systems thinking with concepts from evolutionary biology, neuroscience, ecology, and traditional and indigenous wisdom, forming a holistic view of science, where “maybe the distinction between science and spirituality isn’t really valid.”Jeremy’s heartfelt intention is to act as translator—to make it enjoyable for people to explore difficult concepts like consciousness and evolutionary biology they might otherwise steer away from—as well as be a catalyst for large-scale transformation. His vision of a potential future “ecological civilization” builds on the evolutionary success of life itself—ecosystems living in mutual symbiosis—and includes the idea of “islands of coherence” which would provide a bridge from a disintegrating society to a new and flourishing one. Systems thinking, like indigenous wisdom, recognizes the deep connectedness of all things, a realization, Jeremy points out, that leads to the knowing that nothing is inevitable and the choices we make matter. Jeremy leaves us with a sense of agency and of liberation, as well as a sense of responsibility to work together in the shaping of a life-affirming, sustainable future. Recorded June 20, 2024.“Every aspect of our world today is founded ultimately on the worldview of reductionism…If we were to design or co-create a civilization built on a sense of deep connectedness, it would look very different.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps – Part 1Introducing Jeremy Lent, award-winning author, integrator, founder of the Deep Transformation Network (01:15)What does meaning come from? Where do mainstream concepts like God, soul, humanity, and nature come from? (02:58)What’s considered valid science turns out to be reductionism and Jeremy’s subsequent discovery of systems science & complexity science (05:25)Jeremy’s intention is to act as translator—make it a joy for people to explore concepts like consciousness and evolutionary biology (08:50)The concept of reductionism (09:36)Where reductionism goes wrong and why systems thinking is so important: studying the relationship between things (12:19)Richard Dawkins attributes everything to our genes, but the reality is far more complex (13:53)What the modern worldview of reductionism has done to our society (16:59) Jeremy’s new book, Ecological Civilization, applies the principles of ecology that life itself evolved to every aspect of our civilization (18:43)The difference between the metacrisis and the polycrisis: is there something meta, above all the crises, that we need to be aware of? (20:44)The reductionist worldview creates a separatist world that allows for resource exploitation: capitalism is the economic manifestation of a worldview of profound separation (22:29)Moving beyond the dichotomy of individual good and common good (26:57)Individual flourishing, fractl flourishing, holon flourishing (30:38) The evolution of life itself: learning to cooperate in mutually beneficial symbiosis (34:00)How do we break out from the zero sum game we are stuck in? (35:18)Our dominant system is beginning to unravel: weaving together small islands of coherence while the dominant civilization crumbles (39:16)What are examples of “attractors,” sources of coherence for us to build on? (41:52)Resources & References – Part 1Jeremy Lent’s website: https://www.jeremylent.com/Jeremy Lent, founder of the Deep Transformation NetworkJeremy Lent, The Web of Meaning: Integrating Science and Traditional Wisdom to Find Our Place in the Universe*Jeremy Lent, The Patterning of Instinct: A Cultural History of Humanity’s Search for Meaning*Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene*Fritjof Capra, The Turning Point: Science, Society, and the Rising Culture*Systems theoryReductionism originally started with DescartesAdam Smith, The Wealth of Nations*Ayn Rand, author, developer of objectivismJason Hickel, Less Is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World*Fredric Jameson, “Someone once said that it is easier to imagine the end of the world than to imagine the end of capitalism…”Ilya Prigogine’s small islands of coherenceThe Commons with David Bollier (The Permaculture Podcast on YouTube)Elinor Ostrom, Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action** As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Jeremy Lent is an author and speaker whose work investigates the underlying causes of our civilization’s existential crisis, and explores pathways toward a life-affirming future. His award-winning books, The Patterning Instinct: A Cultural History of Humanity’s Search for Meaning and The Web of Meaning: Integrating Science and Traditional Wisdom to Find Our Place in the Universe, trace the historical underpinnings and flaws of the dominant worldview, and offer a foundation for an integrative worldview that could lead humanity to a flourishing future. He has written extensively about the vision and specifics of an ecological civilization and is founder of the Deep Transformation Network, an online global community exploring pathways for a deep transformation toward a life-affirming future on a regenerated Earth. Author website: jeremylent.com---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell