Deep Transformation

Ep. 59 (Part 2 of 3) | Michael Murphy, author, co-founder of the world-famous Esalen Institute, and pioneer of the Human Potential Movement starting in the 60s, relates a wealth of intimate experience, knowledge, and wisdom covering his decades of living at the leading edge of transformative practice and the realization of human potential. Mike talks about Esalen’s latest research, our current crisis of belief, and the anchoring question that has guided Esalen (and Mike) all along: how best to serve? Mike has watched the developmental process of transformative practices themselves, such as somatics and psychedelics, now circling around after a period of purgation, and talks about current efforts to add research on the mystical and the ecstatic to meditation and mindfulness research in order to better understand what's going on. This podcast is a wonderful mix of tales from the past—including Mike and his wife Dulce’s achievements and adventures with Soviet-American citizen diplomacy towards the end of the Cold War—the present, and what’s coming up at the Esalen research center now, e.g., asking what is happening on "the other side," and discovering the truth about subtle body phenomena. On a personal note, Mike shares about practicing agnosticism, his respect and admiration for the quality of wonder, and about the magic of reading subtle cues and being increasingly in tune with “the algorithms of his heart.” Friendly, relaxed, and humorous, Mike is one of the world’s leading lights on self-transformation. Recorded on February 16, 2022.“With Esalen, life has given me this marvelous laboratory.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2What are the practices that are the most important to Mike? (01:07)Exploring what happens after we die and the richness of the subliminal mind (02:57)The nature of thoughts, their texture, their capacity to take over (06:28)Mike’s crap detector, his favorite skeptics, and his skepticism about reincarnation (09:29)Reincarnation studies at Esalen (15:39)Tacit knowing: Mike reads the “algorithms of his heart” (18:16)Agnosticism is a practice in the face of empiricism (20:38)The nature of the subtle body and building fellowships around this at Esalen (24:40)Central to what goes on on the other side is “degree of agency” (29:59)Merging the gnostic and agnostic at the same time (32:31)We need more language describing particular aspects of mystical to understand what’s going on (33:00)Back to reincarnation: yes—but it can be scary (34:03)The most surprising things that have happened to Mike over the years: people’s need to play the Game of Thrones (40:50)The Russian front, American hypocrisy, and Yeltsin’s conversion in 1989 (45:04)Resources & References – Part 2Esalen Institute, a leading center for exploring and realizing human potential through experience, education, and research, Esalen’s Center for Theory & ResearchM. de Voltaire, French Enlightenment writer and philosopherFrederic Myers’s Service to Psychology by William JamesR2-D2, character in the epic space saga Star WarsErnest Jones, The Life and Work of Sigmund Freud* Timothy Leary & Dick Alpert (Ram Dass), Dying to Know trailer (documentary about Ram Dass & Tim Leary)Willis Harman & Howard Rheingold, Higher Creativity: Liberating the Unconscious for Breakthrough Insights*James Fadiman, The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide*Edward Kelly & Emily Kelly, Irreducible Mind* Bruce Greyson, Journal of Near-Death Studies, After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond*Sri Aurobindo, deeply realized contemplative & mystic, led the most radical wing of the Indian independence movementWilliam James, Radical empiricismMichael Polanyi, Personal Knowledge*Taittiriya UpanishadSimon Cox, The Subtle Body: A Genealogy*Jeffrey Kripal, Chair in Philosophy and Religious Thought at Rice University, Kali’s Child*Charlie Stang, Harvard School of Divinity and Esalen Board Member, author of Our Divine Double*The “undiscovered country” from Act 3, Scene 1 of Shakespeare’s Hamlet*Words of the Mother: Death and Rebirth (Sri Aurobindo Ashram)Rudolf Otto, German philosopher, theologian, and comparative religionistFritz Perls, a well renowned German psychotherapist and psychiatrist known for his notable works on Gestalt therapyPeter Berger & Thomas Luckmann, The Social Construction of Reality*Michael Murphy, Golf in the Kingdom*John le Carré, author of best selling international espionage novelsTrack II: An Institute for Citizen Diplomacy, host organization for the Russian-American ProgramJames Redfield, Michael Murphy & Sylvia Timbers, God and the Evolving Universe: The Next Step in Personal Evolution*Michael Murphy, The Future of the Body: Explorations into the Further Evolution of Human Nature*Michael Murphy & George Leonard, The Life We Are Given*Michael Murphy & Steve Donovan, The Physical and Psychological Effects of Meditation*Michael Murphy & Rhea White, In the Zone: Transcendent Experience in Sports** As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Michael Murphy is a graduate of Stanford University, co-founder of Esalen Institute, founder of Esalen’s Center for Theory and Research, and author of numerous books. His novels include The Kingdom of Shivas Irons, Golf in the Kingdom, Jacob Atabet, and An End to Ordinary History. His latest nonfiction work is God and the Evolving Universe, co-authored with James Redfield and Sylvia Timbers. Other nonfiction work includes: In the Zone, an anthology of extraordinary sports experiences, co-authored with Rhea White; The Life We Are Given, a book about transformative practice, co-authored with George Leonard; The Future of the Body, and The Physical and Psychological Effects of Meditation, co-authored with Steve Donovan.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 58 (Part 1 of 3) | Michael Murphy, author, co-founder of the world-famous Esalen Institute, and pioneer of the Human Potential Movement starting in the 60s, relates a wealth of intimate experience, knowledge, and wisdom covering his decades of living at the leading edge of transformative practice and the realization of human potential. Mike talks about Esalen’s latest research, our current crisis of belief, and the anchoring question that has guided Esalen (and Mike) all along: how best to serve? Mike has watched the developmental process of transformative practices themselves, such as somatics and psychedelics, now circling around after a period of purgation, and talks about current efforts to add research on the mystical and the ecstatic to meditation and mindfulness research in order to better understand what's going on. This podcast is a wonderful mix of tales from the past—including Mike and his wife Dulce’s achievements and adventures with Soviet-American citizen diplomacy towards the end of the Cold War—the present, and what’s coming up at the Esalen research center now, e.g., asking what is happening on "the other side," and discovering the truth about subtle body phenomena. On a personal note, Mike shares about practicing agnosticism, his respect and admiration for the quality of wonder, and about the magic of reading subtle cues and being increasingly in tune with “the algorithms of his heart.” Friendly, relaxed, and humorous, Mike is one of the world’s leading lights on self-transformation. Recorded on February 16, 2022.“With Esalen, life has given me this marvelous laboratory.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps – Part 1Introducing Michael Murphy, Human Potential Movement pioneer, author, co-founder and director of Esalen Institute, co-creator of Integral Transformative Practice (01:20)Esalen’s “scouring of the Shire” (05:51)Forging a deeper marriage of the two parts of Esalen: public programming & the Center for Theory & Research (07:19)The realization that atman = Brahman and how Michael came to be a yogi (08:29)The anchoring vision and worldview of Esalen: evolutionary panentheism, embracing the whole in an evolving world (11:33) Our current crisis of belief: living between the death of the old gods and the birth of new gods has prompted more conflict, more divergences than ever before (16:37)How best to serve? Should Esalen continue? Most transformative practices (like somatics and psychedelics) have had to go through a period of purgation and are now coming back into play (21:34)The explosion of psychedelics in the 1960s through the psychedelic renaissance today and owning the immensity of its shadow side (27:47)Tanya Luhrmann, critical of the unwarranted hegemony of modern Buddhist influence on meditation research, researches contemplative, transformative, yogic, shamanic practices, including the evangelical Vineyard Movement (33:14)Tanya is now studying the uniqueness of people who have attended Esalen (37:28)On absorption capacity, its differentiating effects on our evolutionary capacities, and the concept of porosity, an attribute involving both the sensory and the extrasensory domain (38:29)  Resources & References – Part 1Esalen Institute, a leading center for exploring and realizing human potential through experience, education, and researchTrack II: An Institute for Citizen Diplomacy, host organization for the Russian-American ProgramJames Redfield, Michael Murphy & Sylvia Timbers, God and the Evolving Universe: The Next Step in Personal Evolution*Michael Murphy & George Leonard, The Life We Are Given*Michael Murphy & Steve Donovan, The Physical and Psychological Effects of Meditation*George Leonard, “taking the hit as a gift,” The Way of Aikido*Dick Price, ran Esalen in Big Sur for many yearsEsalen’s Center for Theory & ResearchFrederic Spiegelberg, professor at Stanford University, developed and theorized a mystical humanismJohn Steinbeck, Grapes of Wrath*Sri Aurobindo, deeply realized contemplative & mystic, led the most radical wing of the Indian independence movementEvolutionary panentheism, guiding vision and worldview for EsalenIntegral Transformative Practice: ITP-International, founded by Michael Murphy & George LeonardMichael Murphy, Golf in the Kingdom*Michael Murphy & Rhea White, In the Zone: Transcendent Experience in Sports*Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, scientist, theologian, philosopherAlfred North Whitehead, developed a comprehensive metaphysical system which radically departed from most of Western philosophyHenri Bergson, Creative Evolution*Martin Heidegger, one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th centuryDon Johnson, Diverse Bodies, Diverse Practices: Toward an Inclusive Somatics*Thomas Hanna, philosopher who gave the field of somatics its nameSomatic psychology, a form of psychotherapy that seeks to bridge the mind-body dichotomyIda Rolf, Structure, Function, Integration*, Dr. Ida Rolf InstituteAldous Huxley, provided a mediating language between metaphysics, the language of human potentialities, and the non-verbal humanities, The Doors of Perception*Georg W. F. Hegel, a founding figure of modern Western philosophyGeorge Brown, director for the Ford-Esalen project, Human Teaching for Human Learning: An Introduction to Confluent Education*Timothy Leary, clinical psychologist who developed a philosophy of mind expansion and personal truth through LSD, Exo-psychology: A Manual on the Use of the Human Nervous System According to the Instructions of the Manufacturers*Charlie Stang, Esalen board member & director of the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard Divinity School Tanya Luhrmann, professor of anthropology at Stanford, When God Talks Back: Understanding the American Evangelical Relationship with God*, Our Most Troubling Madness*, How God Becomes Real*Richard Davidson, Mind & Life Institute, co-author with Daniel Goleman, Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body*William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature*Abraham Maslow, American psychologist, creator of Maslow’s hierarchy of needsPam Kramer, President of ITP International, a non-profit organization that stewards the work of Michael Murphy and George Leonard and their creation of Integral Transformative Practice®MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory), a standardized psychometric test of adult personality and psychopathologyAuke Tellegen and the Tellegen Absorption Scale (TAS)Michael Murphy, The Future of the Body: Explorations into the Further Evolution of Human Nature*The Sandpiper with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton (filmed at Esalen)Fritz Perls, a well renowned German psychotherapist and psychiatrist known for his notable works on Gestalt therapyJane Austen, English novelist still popular though her novels were published 200 years agoStuart Symington, Secretary of the Air Force in the 1950sA Beautiful Mind, 2001 movie based on the life of the American mathematician John NashAgnews Developmental Center (originally “The Great Asylum for the Insane”)Ramakrishna, Hindu mystic who experienced spiritual ecstasies from an early ageCharles Taylor, Canadian philosopherVineyard Movement (Association of Evangelical Vineyard Churches)* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Michael Murphy is a graduate of Stanford University, co-founder of Esalen Institute, founder of Esalen’s Center for Theory and Research, and author of numerous books. His novels include The Kingdom of Shivas Irons, Golf in the Kingdom, Jacob Atabet, and An End to Ordinary History. His latest nonfiction work is God and the Evolving Universe, co-authored with James Redfield and Sylvia Timbers. Other nonfiction work includes: In the Zone, an anthology of extraordinary sports experiences, co-authored with Rhea White; The Life We Are Given, a book about transformative practice, co-authored with George Leonard; The Future of the Body, and The Physical and Psychological Effects of Meditation, co-authored with Steve Donovan.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 57 | Adult psychology pioneer and ego development expert Susanne Cook-Greuter introduces us to her favorite wisdom teacher: Nature. Susanne explains how Integral Theory’s 3-2-1 Process can be practiced with elements in nature to gain greater insight into the teachings of nature—evolution, cycles of life and death, the transience of life, the beauty that is everywhere—and to experience oneness with all. She notes that indigenous wisdom is based on deep connection with nature, and speaks of ubuntu, the concept of a shared humanity that reveals an entirely different understanding of self than what we have in the West. Susanne’s is a uniquely valuable perspective, informed and inspired by her many years at the cutting edge of what we know about adult psychological growth and development, and from being an integralist from the beginning of Ken Wilber's Integral Theory project and a beloved elder in the worldwide Integral community today. Susanne explains that people at every stage of development have gifts to give that we need to pay attention to, and that individuals at later stages of development are not necessarily more virtuous because of it. Recorded November 15, 2021."It is not a separation. I am because you are, and you are because I am."(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time StampsIntroducing adult development pioneer Susanne Cook-Greuter, who integrated her cutting-edge psychological development research with the wisdom of the great traditions and Integral Theory (01:31)Why nature is a better teacher than our human teachers (06:47)The teachings of nature: the transience of life, evolution, cycles of life and death, and how indigenous knowledge is based on a real connection with nature (09:12)Susanne introduces the 3-2-1 Nature Process, an Integral practice to gain wisdom and experience oneness (11:37)The feeling of belonging to nature leads to acting ethically (18:40)The need to re-own our fundamental connection with nature (21:51)Finding beauty in everything (22:38)Zen, developmental theory, humility, and ordinariness (27:29)Paying attention to what people at all levels have to give (29:04)Being at higher levels of development allows you to talk authentically with people at all levels and not get lost in abstraction (32:58)The healing capacity of nature and the acquisition mindset that has brain-washed so many (36:10)The deplorable state of children’s Christmas toys (40:53)The miracle of our body (42:21)What are some practical ways we can cultivate virtues? (43:30)Ubuntu and indigenous wisdom’s completely different understanding of self (49:17)The huge importance of role models to stimulate developmental growth, especially for children (50:55) Later stage people aren’t necessarily more virtuous (53:14)How did we get into this mess? (58:22)Let’s start with re-educating children and foster real play and imagination (01:00:20)Susanne’s mission now: to describe the developmental model for lay people using a fable situated at Walden Pond (01:05:21)Resources & ReferencesSusanne Cook-Greuter, Vertical Development Academy (VeDA)Susanne Cook-Greuter, Postautonomous ego development: A study of its nature and measurement *Susanne Cook-Greuter, “Making the case for a developmental perspective” Sadhguru, spiritual guru, yoga teacher, founder of the Isha Foundation, author of Inner Engineering, A Yogi’s Guide to Joy*, Karma: A Yogi’s Guide to Crafting Your Destiny*, and Death, An Inside Story: A Book for All Those Who Shall Die*Integral Theory’s 3-2-1 Process: Face it, Talk to it, Be it, and The 1-2-3 of GodWallace Black Elk, Black Elk: The Sacred Ways of a Lakota*Wakȟáŋ Tȟáŋka, Lakota term for Great Spirit or the divineThe Ten Ox Herding Pictures from the Zen traditionJane Loevinger, Ego Development: Conceptions and Theories*William Wordsworth’s poem “The World is Too Much With Us” Hanzi Freinacht, Nordic Ideology*Confucius, “Wisdom, compassion, and courage are the three universally recognized moral qualities of men.”Templeton Foundation funds research on character virtue developmentIntegral Africa Conference brings people from all over the world together with the African Integral community to support each other and craft an awakened community motivated by the highest good Ubuntu philosophy, the bond that all of humanity sharesWEIRD (Western, educated, industrialized, rich, democratic)Robert Kegan, In Over Our Heads: The Mental Demands of Modern Life*Maslow’s hierarchy of needsThe Street University, helping young people find exciting new futuresUrban Hub 23 – Integral Africa: Thriveable Cities* by Paddy Pampallis D.Prof, Paul van Schaik, et al., (Susanne Cook-Greuter contributed an essay on WEIRD in this volume)* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Susanne Cook-Greuter is one of the world’s leading experts in adult psychology and ego development theory. Her Harvard dissertation (1999) “Post-Autonomous Ego Development” addresses the farther reaches of human development. Susanne is a founding member of Ken Wilber’s Integral Institute and an elder in its community. She developed the MAP, a sentence completion assessment of vertical development and acts as the chief research and knowledge officer at VeDA (Vertical Development Academy). Together with Beena Sharma, she trains and supervises coaches in tailoring coaching to the stage of the client. Currently Susanne is focusing on writing a book on ego development. She also enjoys co-writing a fable with a colleague from Australia. It takes place around Walden Pond near her home, and uses local animals and her love of nature to share the idea of adult development with lay readers. Susanne loves life, all creatures (2-leggeds and others), grand-mothering, world-wide travel and good questions.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 56 (Part 3 of 3) | A frank, hard-hitting conversation with TV producer David Riordan about the dangers democracy faces in this country, the fact that we are in a state of transition whether we like it or not, and the power of shifting our narratives to create change and a sustainable future. David has long been fascinated by the power of story, and has set up Vital Signs of Democracy, a platform that tracks and analyzes the narratives told and reported in the U.S. today—narratives that are foundational to our culture, our culture wars, our politics, and our future. Is there hope for American democracy? The good news is that studies show 65-70% of the population actually agree on and support the core principles of democracy—so if we could shift our narrative to reflect the majority view, we might be okay. The other news is that neither democrats or republicans, MAGA conservatives or progressives, have stepped up to represent this majority. David explains that we urgently need an alternative narrative from what we have to move forward—and we all need to ask what kind of country we want America to be. Recorded November 16, 2022 (on the heels of the 2022 midterm elections).“If you don’t like the story that’s driving you, you can change it.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps – Part 3Mediation: asking both sides, what are you willing to live with? (01:18)Why do democracies fail? (03:15)The frailties of democracies and the susceptibility to demagogues (04:57)Can post post-progressives sort out the conversation? (05:51)Capitalism has blown through its own guardrails: historically when wealth is in the hands of as little as 0.5% of the people, violent change is coming (10:23)The US is transitioning from a white-dominated culture to a multicultural population: can that kind of cultural transition happen peacefully? (13:42)We need an alternative narrative, a stakeholder economy rather than capitalism’s winner-take-all approach that has 99.5% of the wealth consolidated in the hands of the very few (17:02) Creating a more generative approach to the distribution of wealth requires re-thinking the meaning of success (25:49) Rewarding people for putting money back into the system instead of for keeping it all to themselves (27:59)What can one person do? Can the way we talk and the way we listen change things? (31:49)We can vote, support candidates financially, and volunteer for a campaign: is this enough at this point in time? (36:09)Vital Signs of Democracy is designed to answer the question, “Am I crazy to think our democracy is in extreme danger?” (41:56)Do the 2022 midterm election results mean democracy is safe? (43:51)What Vital Signs of Democracy can do for you (46:09)Are you willing to move outside of your comfort zone and address the serious problems democracy faces? (49:54)Resources & References – Part 3Diane Musho Hamilton, award-winning mediator, author, Zen teacher, Everything is Workable: A Zen Approach to Conflict Resolution*, see also Deep Transformation episode #14, The Essence of Zen: One Heart One Mind, Waking Up, Working Through Grief, and What Women Want From MenDiane Musho Hamilton, Gabriel Wilson & Kimberly Loh, Compassionate Conversations: How to Speak and Listen from the Heart*John Montgomery & Mark Van Clieaf, Net Zero Business Models: Winning in the Global Net Zero Economies*Jeff Bezos gives Dolly Parton $100 million to spend on charity (NPR News)Jeff Salzman, The Daily Evolver podcast, “a developmental take on the news,” see also Deep Transformation episode #1, Polarization, Being Woke, the Universal Agenda, Mindfulness Going Bad, and the Integral VisionIntegral Life.com, digital media community that supports the growth, education, and application of Integral Philosophy and integrative metatheory to complex issues in the 21st centuryKen Wilber, visionary thinker and the developer of an Integral “theory of everything”What Are the Four quadrants? (from Integral Life’s Ken Wilber Biography Series)David Riordan’s website: The Evolution of Intelligence: Storycatching the Now and FutureVital Signs of Democracy analyzes our cultural condition, providing biweekly reports on the formative narratives being told in the United States* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---David Riordan is a transmedia producer who has years of experience creating and producing documentary television series, interactive entertainment, and participatory AR/VR experiences. Before founding Story Studio, David was the Vice President of Media for Ken Wilber’s Integral Life, where he was responsible for strategic planning, talent development, and content and conference development. He was also the producer for Random 1, a documentary television series on A&E Networks and the Executive Producer for the award-winning documentary film Lost in Woonsocket.Previously, David was the VP of Production at Time Warner Interactive, Disney Interactive, and Philips Media. He has won numerous awards from major interactive societies including seven Interactive Academy Awards. David also directed the documentary film The Future of Christianity, co-created Google Ocean on Google Earth, and directed the Ken Wilber Biography Project. David Riordan, Wikipedia. The Evolution of Intelligence: Storycatching the Now and Future.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 55 (Part 2 of 3) | A frank, hard-hitting conversation with TV producer David Riordan about the dangers democracy faces in this country, the fact that we are in a state of transition whether we like it or not, and the power of shifting our narratives to create change and a sustainable future. David has long been fascinated by the power of story, and has set up Vital Signs of Democracy, a platform that tracks and analyzes the narratives told and reported in the U.S. today—narratives that are foundational to our culture, our culture wars, our politics, and our future. Is there hope for American democracy? The good news is that studies show 65-70% of the population actually agree on and support the core principles of democracy—so if we could shift our narrative to reflect the majority view, we might be okay. The other news is that neither democrats or republicans, MAGA conservatives or progressives, have stepped up to represent this majority. David explains that we urgently need an alternative narrative from what we have to move forward—and we all need to ask what kind of country we want America to be. Recorded November 16, 2022 (on the heels of the 2022 midterm elections).“If you don’t like the story that’s driving you, you can change it.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2Is our democracy under threat? We seem to be in love with the story that we are heading into dystopia (00:50)Since the Civil War, we’ve believed in our democratic political system (02:45)It used to ebb and flow, back and forth; liberals would be elected, then conservatives, in both Congress and the Supreme Court (05:14)What is happening, different from political turbulence in the past, that is putting our democracy under threat now? (07:05)Are the guardrails of the political system still working? Did the 2022 midterms bring us back on course? (9:30)Beginning to work in a healthy perspective is going to depend on what both parties learn from this last election (10:59)The Overton window, a range of ideas and values that are acceptable to discuss (14:17)What are the two parties going to learn from this midterm election? (15:29)The quality of the candidates matters: what the voters have said is we want more reasonable candidates (16:36)What part of America is Make America Great Again referring to? (18:53)Trump, the white, nationalist, Christian-driven narrative, and the fact that we are now a multicultural society (21:32)David’s adventure through red states with progressive Evangelicals, “We cannot imagine living in your progressive narrative as much as you can’t imagine living in our America.” (23:42)What is it we’re doing as progressives that so frightens people? Could we change the narrative to where people feel included rather than excluded? (27:00)The “unify message”: can we find common ground so each side can talk to each other? (28:27)What can be done to stop the polarization? (31:43)The abortion conversation, Roe vs Wade, and the part it played in the last two elections (32:16)We have to decide, as a country, what America we want to be going forward, and establish a template to work with without getting into the weeds of logistics (37:39)Trump is selling the story that a minority view should dictate what the country will do instead of the majority view that democracy is based on (42:11)Resources & References – Part 2The Overton window, a range of ideas and values that are acceptable to discussVote Common Good, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to mobilize people of faith to make the common good their voting criteriaIndra Idnan, founder of The Alternative Global, a socio-political platform serving systemic transformation, author of The Politics of Waking Up: Power and Possibility in the Fractal Age*, and Deep Transformation podcast guest, Reimagining Power, Politics, and PossibilitiesDavid Riordan’s website: The Evolution of Intelligence: Storycatching the Now and FutureVital Signs of Democracy analyzes our cultural condition, providing biweekly reports on the formative narratives being told in the United States* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---David Riordan is a transmedia producer who has years of experience creating and producing documentary television series, interactive entertainment, and participatory AR/VR experiences. Before founding Story Studio, David was the Vice President of Media for Ken Wilber’s Integral Life, where he was responsible for strategic planning, talent development, and content and conference development. He was also the producer for Random 1, a documentary television series on A&E Networks and the Executive Producer for the award-winning documentary film Lost in Woonsocket.Previously, David was the VP of Production at Time Warner Interactive, Disney Interactive, and Philips Media. He has won numerous awards from major interactive societies including seven Interactive Academy Awards. David also directed the documentary film The Future of Christianity, co-created Google Ocean on Google Earth, and directed the Ken Wilber Biography Project. David Riordan, Wikipedia. The Evolution of Intelligence: Storycatching the Now and Future.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 54 (Part 1 of 3) | A frank, hard-hitting conversation with TV producer David Riordan about the dangers democracy faces in this country, the fact that we are in a state of transition whether we like it or not, and the power of shifting our narratives to create change and a sustainable future. David has long been fascinated by the power of story, and has set up Vital Signs of Democracy, a platform that tracks and analyzes the narratives told and reported in the U.S. today—narratives that are foundational to our culture, our culture wars, our politics, and our future. Is there hope for American democracy? The good news is that studies show 65-70% of the population actually agree on and support the core principles of democracy—so if we could shift our narrative to reflect the majority view, we might be okay. The other news is that neither democrats or republicans, MAGA conservatives or progressives, have stepped up to represent this majority. David explains that we urgently need an alternative narrative from what we have to move forward—and we all need to ask what kind of country we want America to be. Recorded November 16, 2022 (on the heels of the 2022 midterm elections).“If you don’t like the story that’s driving you, you can change it.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps – Part 1Introducing David Riordan, Integral documentarian & storyteller (01:05)David Riordan, Story Studio, and discovering the power of stories (02:22)Asking, “What are the stories we are telling about the now and the future?” (06:02) The surfacing of the “democracy story” and taking the independent political perspective (07:07)From conventional up to postconventional developmental stages, our stories usually aren’t even examined (09:54)Our stories are what drive us, and we are usually driven by a sense of uncomfortableness (11:34)Taking our power back: if we don’t like the story that’s driving us, we can change it (13:09)How does David identify the stories? (14:10)How the news is reported is a focal point for identifying cultural stories (15:25)Did the news used to honor the truth? (16:20)How Dan Rather was set up to report a false story (18:54)Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN: each tell a different story (20:01) Looking for an ethical higher ground or synthesis of the progressive narrative and the MAGA conservative narrative (23:01)How each developmental stage of the Integral map has a different narrative (25:27)MAGA: Who are we making America great for? (26:18)The old stories are falling away and new stories have yet to stabilize: the very definition of transition (27:45)The polarization story in the polls seems hopeless – where is the hope? 65-70% of Americans are in general agreement about the principles of democracy this country needs to represent (28:31)There is agreement about the principles of democracy in this country but neither party is addressing the majority view (33:03)The 65-70% needs to exercise itself and get our political structures to support and reflect their preferences (36:48)What are the characteristics of healthy, healing stories vs divisive stories? (38:11)David’s AI-driven platform that reads and records news over time, helping to identify what spikes a story (39:13)Roe vs Wade, the unfolding story of a woman’s right to choose, and its effect on the 2022 midterm elections (41:09) Resources & References – Part 1David Riordan’s website: The Evolution of Intelligence: Storycatching the Now and FutureVital Signs of Democracy analyzes our cultural condition, providing biweekly reports on the formative narratives being told in the United StatesKen Wilber, Integral Theory, Ken Wilber’s books* IntegralLife.com supports the growth, education, and application of Integral Philosophy and integrative metatheory to complex issues in the 21st century (a great place to learn the Integral Map and much more)Walter Conkrite, beloved CBS Evening News anchorman from 1962 to 1981Dan Rather, anchorman for CBS Evening News for the 24 years following Walter Cronkite up until the Killian documents controversyElon Musk, business magnate, investor, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---David Riordan is a transmedia producer who has years of experience creating and producing documentary television series, interactive entertainment, and participatory AR/VR experiences. Before founding Story Studio, David was the Vice President of Media for Ken Wilber’s Integral Life, where he was responsible for strategic planning, talent development, and content and conference development. He was also the producer for Random 1, a documentary television series on A&E Networks and the Executive Producer for the award-winning documentary film Lost in Woonsocket.Previously, David was the VP of Production at Time Warner Interactive, Disney Interactive, and Philips Media. He has won numerous awards from major interactive societies including seven Interactive Academy Awards. David also directed the documentary film The Future of Christianity, co-created Google Ocean on Google Earth, and directed the Ken Wilber Biography Project. David Riordan, Wikipedia. The Evolution of Intelligence: Storycatching the Now and Future.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 53 (Part 2 of 2) | Saniel Bonder and Linda Groves-Bonder live and guide others along the path of embodied awakening, using the tools of transmission, mutuality, self-inquiry, evocation, and more. They have named their process of spiritual embodiment “waking down,” to distinguish working the nuts and bolts of an individual’s unique path of spiritual development from the more general transcendent state described by the term “waking up.” Saniel and Linda not only mentor people on the road to awakening, but also through the challenges and never-ending process of purification that characterize post-awakening stages.How do we speak to our present state of divinity? What really leads to the stabilization of awakening? In this heartfelt, open conversation, Linda and Saniel share practical wisdom about nonduality, self-sense, and radical transcendence; the importance of fostering communion and appreciation; using “HEART” to point to ultimate reality; and also describe their own unique and beautiful ways of sanctifying and ritualizing everyday life. Saniel and Linda's system of opening people up to an awakened life, is very much an individuated one; their 10-year vision is one million hearts illumined. Recorded October 27, 2022.“Practicing one’s identification as the Great Mystery.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2The importance of self-acceptance while also understanding change is possible (00:56)The post-awakening process and Daniel Brown’s map of maps (06:39)The stages of awakening: the unawakened persona, awakened personhood, and personification of the awakening cosmos (12:39)Post-awakening opens us up to new challenges: wake down, shake down (16:18)The inquiry process in post-awakening stages (20:44)Bringing people to confidence in awakened stages (23:57)Contributing not only by what you do but by your very being (25:53)Becoming a HEART activator and managing the other side of the transmission process (28:49)Evocation: how to speak to your present state of divinity (30:15)The need to foster individuation, communion, and appreciation and living in gratitude (31:20)Sanctifying and ritualizing everyday life (34:40)The feminine aspect Linda brings to the teaching: empathetic, motherly, a whole-being welcoming (37:28)What are Linda and Saniel’s daily practices? (40:02)Saniel & Linda’s 10-year vision: 1 million hearts illumined (51:00)Resources & References – Part 2Six Step Recognition Yoga (YouTube video)Samjama, one-pointed absorption in the object of meditationDr. Daniel Brown, meditation teacher who mapped the process of awakening and beyond: a map of mapsSaniel Bonder, Great Relief*Christopher Bache,  LSD and the Mind of the Universe*, and the Deep Transformation podcast episode The Evolution of Collective ConsciousnessGospel of John 3:3, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”Brother David Steindl-Rast, Gratefulness.orgSufism’s seven stages of awakeningSaniel & Linda’s website: Waking Down and the Human Sun InstituteSaniel Bonder, Waking DownSaniel Bonder, The White-Hot Yoga of the Heart*Saniel Bonder, Great Relief: Nine Sacred Secrets Your Body Wants You to Know About Freedom, Love, Trust, and the Core Wound of Your Life*Waking Down in Mutuality* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Saniel Bonder is a pioneer of embodied, integrative, non-dual realization. An Honorary National Scholar at Harvard with a B.A. in Social Relations, he devoted himself to a long spiritual quest and, for the last thirty years, to “democratizing awakening.” He and his wife and full partner Linda’s breakthrough, HEART-transmission based work is best known as Waking Down in Mutuality®. Coaching in a spirit of peership, they present their full suite of offerings, the Human Sun HEART Work, through Human Sun Institute. Saniel has authored Waking Down, Healing the Spirit/Matter Split, The White-Hot Yoga of the Heart, Great Relief, and two novels. He plays indigenous flutes and “would like to play more — and better! — golf.” Ken Wilber praises Linda Groves-Bonder as “a brilliant teacher in her own right.” Since the 1990s she has created key expressions of her and Saniel’s teachings and personally assisted many people into awakened living. A multi-talented artist, she holds a B.S. in Art Education from Ball State University. She has sung internationally and recorded two albums, I’m Here, jazz standards and her original songs, and Joy of Being, her non-verbal vocal toning. Among those who know her, Linda is cherished for both her heart of immense love and her discerning, simply stated wisdom. Saniel and Linda are Founding Members of Integral Institute, Charter Members of the Integral Spiritual Center, faculty for The Shift Network, conference speakers, and sought-after podcast guests. They’ve helped hundreds achieve unshakable realizations of boundless Spirit in natural unity with their everyday lives, lightened and brightened the souls of thousands, and mentored dozens who’ve become effective mentor-transmitters, inspired artists, and wise leaders. They both feel their greatest contribution is only now beginning, through their “Million Hearts Illumined” 10 Year Vision. As improvisational artists of liberating empowerment, they are co-manifestors with many others of the global “Deep Transformation” now emerging. Their message to all: “The Sun in your Heart is rising!”---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 52 (Part 1 of 2) | Saniel Bonder and Linda Groves-Bonder live and guide others along the path of embodied awakening, using the tools of transmission, mutuality, self-inquiry, evocation, and more. They have named their process of spiritual embodiment “waking down,” to distinguish working the nuts and bolts of an individual’s unique path of spiritual development from the more general transcendent state described by the term “waking up.” Saniel and Linda not only mentor people on the road to awakening, but also through the challenges and never-ending process of purification that characterize post-awakening stages.How do we speak to our present state of divinity? What really leads to the stabilization of awakening? In this heartfelt, open conversation, Linda and Saniel share practical wisdom about nonduality, self-sense, and radical transcendence; the importance of fostering communion and appreciation; using “HEART” to point to ultimate reality; and also describe their own unique and beautiful ways of sanctifying and ritualizing everyday life. Saniel and Linda's system of opening people up to an awakened life, is very much an individuated one; their 10-year vision is one million hearts illumined. Recorded October 27, 2022.“Practicing one’s identification as the Great Mystery.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps – Part 1John talks about his early experience with cults, shadow, Integral (01:01)What does it mean to be enlightened/awakened? Saniel’s capacity for transmission and mutuality (06:20)Cult leaders and what really leads to the stabilization of awakening (10:29)What is waking down (versus waking up)? (15:43)“Onlyness” and the down aspect of waking down: embodiment (19:09)Nonduality, the self-sense, and radical transcendence: the simultaneity of being here as a divinely human being (20:04)Sahaj samadhi: living in a transcendental condition while also participating in everyday life (24:30)Using “HEART” to point to ultimate reality (25:28)The nature of human evolution is not human seeking God, but God seeking human (26:11)The unique ways individuals find to open up to the greater reality are often a surprise (31:36)What are the specific elements of Saniel & Linda’s process? (33:20) Tanking up on the transmission aspect: meeting in mutuality together, and exploring the precepts and practices that have emerged for Saniel over the last 3 decades (35:43)Individuating the system (38:42)Self-inquiry and Saniel & Linda’s own working kōans (40:22)12 gateways to realizing yourself as a divine human being, 6-step recognition yoga, and active conscious dreaming (43:08)Ethics, emotional work, shadow, community, and waking down in mutuality are all part of the “down” aspect of the work (45:58)Broken-off zones in relationships can be a chokehold on the transformational process (53:27)Crystalizing a deeper identity as the “all”: recognizing each person’s uniqueness and appreciating the other (55:40)The effectiveness of Six Step Recognition Yoga: see it, feel it, live it, be it, transcend in place, and speak it all along the way (59:10)Resources & References – Part 1Saniel & Linda’s website: Waking Down and the Human Sun InstituteSaniel Bonder, Waking DownSaniel Bonder, The White-Hot Yoga of the Heart*Saniel Bonder, Great Relief: Nine Sacred Secrets Your Body Wants You to Know About Freedom, Love, Trust, and the Core Wound of Your Life*Waking Down in MutualitySix Step Recognition Yoga (YouTube video)Adi Da (aka Da Free John), controversial American spiritual teacherJohn Gebser, Swiss philosopher focused on the structures of human consciousnessSahaj samadhi, deep spiritual bliss arising spontaneouslyCarl Jung, The Answer to Job*Roger Walsh, The Transpersonal Movement: A History and State of the ArtSaniel Bonder, The Conscious Principle (ebook), The Conscious Principle (printout)Pointing-out instructionsMartin Buber, philosopher and prodigious mystic, I and Thou*, Tales of the Hasidim*Thich Nhat Hanh, Interbeing** As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Saniel Bonder is a pioneer of embodied, integrative, non-dual realization. An Honorary National Scholar at Harvard with a B.A. in Social Relations, he devoted himself to a long spiritual quest and, for the last thirty years, to “democratizing awakening.” He and his wife and full partner Linda’s breakthrough, HEART-transmission based work is best known as Waking Down in Mutuality®. Coaching in a spirit of peership, they present their full suite of offerings, the Human Sun HEART Work, through Human Sun Institute. Saniel has authored Waking Down, Healing the Spirit/Matter Split, The White-Hot Yoga of the Heart, Great Relief, and two novels. He plays indigenous flutes and “would like to play more — and better! — golf.” Ken Wilber praises Linda Groves-Bonder as “a brilliant teacher in her own right.” Since the 1990s she has created key expressions of her and Saniel’s teachings and personally assisted many people into awakened living. A multi-talented artist, she holds a B.S. in Art Education from Ball State University. She has sung internationally and recorded two albums, I’m Here, jazz standards and her original songs, and Joy of Being, her non-verbal vocal toning. Among those who know her, Linda is cherished for both her heart of immense love and her discerning, simply stated wisdom. Saniel and Linda are Founding Members of Integral Institute, Charter Members of the Integral Spiritual Center, faculty for The Shift Network, conference speakers, and sought-after podcast guests. They’ve helped hundreds achieve unshakable realizations of boundless Spirit in natural unity with their everyday lives, lightened and brightened the souls of thousands, and mentored dozens who’ve become effective mentor-transmitters, inspired artists, and wise leaders. They both feel their greatest contribution is only now beginning, through their “Million Hearts Illumined” 10 Year Vision. As improvisational artists of liberating empowerment, they are co-manifestors with many others of the global “Deep Transformation” now emerging. Their message to all: “The Sun in your Heart is rising!”---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 51 (Part 2 of 2) | Robert Masters, psychospiritual guide, shadow work expert, and author of Spiritual Bypassing and To Be A Man, tells the story of his life-shattering psychedelic experience with DMT, from which it took 9 months to recover. Following this experience, Robert found himself transformed in many ways, heart broken (not just open but broken), embracing ordinariness instead of the limelight, attuned to his own mortality, and intimate with all that is. Here, Robert shares about how to learn from such an experience, how to unseat fear from its place of power, recognize grief’s wisdom, and the always-important need to turn into our pain—under all conditions at all times.Robert Masters also talks about men’s work: the need for men to reclaim their integrity as well as be vulnerable in relationship; include heart in their anger; and sexuality, shame, and how to outgrow porn habits. And our existential metacrisis. Can we become a species reborn in a good way as we confront our current challenges? This conversation blends psychotherapeutic brass tacks with transcendent insights into the nature of reality and opening to the divine mystery. As Robert says, “If there was a time for waking up, this is it.” Recorded August 17, 2022. “My path is becoming intimate with all that I am.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps - Part 2What are some of the unique challenges facing men at this time? (00:59)On men (and women) reclaiming their integrity of being: it’s all about embodied awakening and the stakes are very high (05:21)We are all on a journey of endless discovery (10:20)How nonduality tends to favor the nondual aspect rather than the unique aspect (11:24)What is the anatomy of choice? Who is doing the choosing? (14:34)More on men reclaiming integrity, becoming more mature, entering deeply into relationship, and embracing vulnerability in relationship (14:58)Promoting intimate relationship as a path of awakening (16:12)Communicating about mortality in intimate relationship (20:56)The problem of denial of our existential crisis (22:36)Unresolved shadow elements run us until we are aware of them (25:06)How to work with nightmares; turning towards the pain (26:10)Out of the existential crisis and mounting challenges, can we become a species that is reborn in a good way? (28:10)Why some people are interested in spiritual and psychological development and others not (31:52)What is Robert’s current transformational practice? (34:58)Resources & References - Part 2A.H. Almaas, founder of the Diamond Approach A. H. Almaas, Runaway Realization*, The Alchemy of Freedom*, A.H. Almaas: Nonduality and Beyond: The Exhilarating Adventure of Discovering the Nature of Reality and How Awakenings Can Unfold Endlessly (Deep Transformation Podcast episode 43)Frances Vaughan, one of the great pioneers of transpersonal psychology, psychotherapist, teacher, author Rajneesh, controversial Indian mystic guruVipassana coursesRobert Masters’ website: https://www.robertmasters.comRobert Masters, Spiritual Bypassing*Robert Masters, To Be a Man, A Guide to True Masculine Power*Robert Masters, Darkness Shining Wild: An Odyssey to the Heart of Hell & Beyond: Meditations on Sanity, Suffering, Spirituality, and Liberation*Robert Masters, Bringing Your Shadow Out of the Dark: Breaking Free from the Hidden Forces That Drive You*Robert Masters, Emotional Intimacy: A Comprehensive Guide for Connecting with the Power of Your Emotions*Robert Masters, Transformation through Intimacy, Revised Edition: The Journey toward Awakened Monogamy*Robert Masters, Knowing Your Shadow: Becoming Intimate with All That You Are* (audiobook)Robert Masters, Shadow Work: Turning Towards Our Pain (Integral Recovery podcast YouTube video)* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Robert Masters, PhD, is a psychospiritual guide and trainer, with a doctorate in psychology.  He’s also the author of many books — including Transformation Through Intimacy, Spiritual Bypassing, Emotional Intimacy, To Be a Man, and Bringing Your Shadow out of the Dark — and the audio program Knowing Your Shadow. His intuitive, uniquely integral work blends the psychological and physical with the emotional and spiritual, with an emphasis on full-blooded awakening, emotional authenticity and literacy, deep shadow work, and the develop­ment of relational maturity. At essence, his work is about becoming more intimate with all that we are, in the service of the deepest possible healing, awakening, and integration. His website is robertmasters.com.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 50 (Part 1 of 2) | Robert Masters, psychospiritual guide, shadow work expert, and author of Spiritual Bypassing and To Be A Man, tells the story of his life-shattering psychedelic experience with DMT, from which it took 9 months to recover. Following this experience, Robert found himself transformed in many ways, heart broken (not just open but broken), embracing ordinariness instead of the limelight, attuned to his own mortality, and intimate with all that is. Here, Robert shares about how to learn from such an experience, how to unseat fear from its place of power, recognize grief’s wisdom, and the always-important need to turn into our pain—under all conditions at all times.Robert Masters also talks about men’s work: the need for men to reclaim their integrity as well as be vulnerable in relationship; include heart in their anger; and sexuality, shame, and how to outgrow porn habits. And our existential metacrisis. Can we become a species reborn in a good way as we confront our current challenges? This conversation blends psychotherapeutic brass tacks with transcendent insights into the nature of reality and opening to the divine mystery. As Robert says, “If there was a time for waking up, this is it.” Recorded August 17, 2022. “My path is becoming intimate with all that I am.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps - Part 1Introducing Robert Augustus Masters, author, shadow work expert, psychospiritual guide (01:15)Robert’s terrifying and transformative psychedelic experience with 5-methoxy-N (5-MeO-DMT) (03:19)Working with deep fear states (09:32)Who should use psychedelics (DMT) and who shouldn’t? (10:45)How to learn from the experience: embracing ordinariness, compassion and gratitude (16:55)Fear: loving and protecting the fearful part (21:38)The importance of attuning to mortality: becoming intimate with death (22:51)Turning into the pain under all conditions at all times (27:43)Individual grief, collective grief—grief is a very beautiful emotion. It has its own wisdom (29:07)Working with men: transforming emotional emptiness and including heart in anger (33:34)Sexuality, shame, and how to outgrow porn habits (35:44)Women’s groups are about getting their voice back, establishing firm boundaries (36:21)Internet porn is an epidemic: recognizing loneliness, sadness, frustration (36:50)The clarifying capacity of intimacy and the importance of curiosity (42:42)Awakened innocence, plugging into the divine, opening to the mystery (46:46)Resources & References - Part 1Robert Masters’ website: https://www.robertmasters.comRobert Masters, Spiritual Bypassing*Robert Masters, To Be a Man, A Guide to True Masculine Power*Robert Masters, Darkness Shining Wild: An Odyssey to the Heart of Hell & Beyond: Meditations on Sanity, Suffering, Spirituality, and Liberation*Robert Masters, Bringing Your Shadow Out of the Dark: Breaking Free from the Hidden Forces That Drive You*Robert Masters, Emotional Intimacy: A Comprehensive Guide for Connecting with the Power of Your Emotions*Robert Masters, Transformation through Intimacy, Revised Edition: The Journey toward Awakened Monogamy*Robert Masters, Knowing Your Shadow: Becoming Intimate with All That You Are* (audiobook)Robert Masters, Shadow Work: Turning Towards Our Pain (Integral Recovery podcast YouTube video)5-MeO-DMT, psychedelic DMT Facts: 10 Must Know Facts About DimethyltryptamineStanislov Grof, The Way of the Psychonaut Vol. 1: Encyclopedia for Inner Journeys*Alcoholics Anonymous, Using HALT to prevent relapseRam Dass: Living the Mystery (“Death is the ultimate mystery”)* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Robert Masters, PhD, is a psychospiritual guide and trainer, with a doctorate in psychology.  He’s also the author of many books — including Transformation Through Intimacy, Spiritual Bypassing, Emotional Intimacy, To Be a Man, and Bringing Your Shadow out of the Dark — and the audio program Knowing Your Shadow. His intuitive, uniquely integral work blends the psychological and physical with the emotional and spiritual, with an emphasis on full-blooded awakening, emotional authenticity and literacy, deep shadow work, and the develop­ment of relational maturity. At essence, his work is about becoming more intimate with all that we are, in the service of the deepest possible healing, awakening, and integration. His website is robertmasters.com.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell