Buddha at the Gas Pump

Maggie Gilewicz supports those navigating the journey of awakening. Her work is devoted to humanizing awakening by bringing honesty, nuance and emotional depth to a path often clouded by spiritual idealism and bypassing. Through her one-on-one sessions, astrology and YouTube channel, Humanzing Awakening, she offers a space where the personal and impersonal aspects of human experience are explored with honesty, curiosity and compassion. She holds a PhD in sociology and an MA in political science. She's a lover of simplicity, learning and laughter. Maggie offers a candid, often humorous portrait of awakening as a messy, deeply human journey rather than a clean escape into transcendence. She and Rick explore how growing up in an alcoholic family, a teenage glimpse of “Peace with a capital P,” and years in academia prepared the ground for a powerful perceptual shift that came not through formal practice, but through intense inquiry into the nature of thought. That shift opened into several years of profound equanimity and a sense of inherent wholeness, and then into multiple “dark nights” of depression, fear, and trauma surfacing that gradually forced her out of spiritual bypass and into fully embodied feeling. Maggie describes later emptiness and “no‑doer” realizations, energetic/Kundalini‑like phenomena, and the slow integration of shadow, relationship, and ordinary life. Throughout, she emphasizes that awakening is an innate capacity available to ordinary people, and that its true fruition is not leaving our humanity behind but discovering a deeper, kinder way of being human. Book: Awakening to be Human Website: drmaggieg.com YouTube Channel Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group Interview recorded January 17, 2026

George Thompson, filmmaker and founder of Balance is Possible who blends Tai Chi and Taoist wisdom with science. He recounts his Wudang journey and playful teachers. Conversations cover Tai Chi’s body-mind cultivation, Taoist views on mystery and panpsychism, integrating practice with psychology, intimacy and tantra, and hopeful engagement for people and planet.

Swami Sarvapriyananda has been the Minister and spiritual leader of the Vedanta Society of New York since January 2017. He joined the Ramakrishna Math in 1994 and received sannyasa in 2004. He served as an acharya (teacher) of the monastic probationers’ training center at Belur Math, India. He also served in various capacities in different educational institutes of the Ramakrishna Mission in India and as the Assistant Minister of the Vedanta Society of Southern California. During 2019-2020 he was a Nagral Fellow at the Harvard Divinity School. Swami Sarvapriyananda is a well-known speaker on Vedanta and his talks are extremely popular globally via the internet. He has been a speaker on various prestigious forums such as TEDx, SAND, Google Talk etc. He has also been invited to speak at several universities across the world, including Harvard University. The swami has engaged in dialogue with many eminent thinkers such as Deepak Chopra, Rupert Spira, Rick Archer, David Chalmers and Sam Harris. He has played a prominent role in organizing and participating in various interfaith panels and seminars, including speaking at the World Parliament of Religions in Toronto in 2018, and at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Learn more in Conversations. Swami Sarvapriyananda is a prolific writer and speaker whose works make the insights of Advaita Vedanta accessible to modern audiences. His publications include Mahavakya: The Essence of Vedanta,  Fullness & Emptiness: Vedanta and Buddhism, and From Illusion to Infinity: Discovering the Self. The more recent book Conversations on Vedanta in Practice is a curated collection of question and answer sessions with the Swami, on topics of practical importance. The wide range of his writings reflect his deep engagement with comparative philosophy and the application of Vedantic wisdom in daily life. He has also contributed essays and research papers on the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the philosophy of consciousness. Mentioned during the interview: Consciousness Across Three Worldviews - Central concepts in three different domains — Hindu tradition, computer science and quantum physics — Paper by Swami Sarvapriyananda, Blaise Agüera y Arcas and Carlo Rovelli Website: vedantany.org YouTube channel Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group Transcript of this interview First BatGap interview with Swami Sarvapriyananda Swami Sarvapriyananda on Ethical Foundations of Nondual Spirituality Interview recorded December 18, 2025

Christina Guimond has always been oriented toward the mysterious, even from early childhood. She grew up in a Catholic family in Nova Scotia, Canada, and later settled in Montreal, where she married and raised four children. When her youngest was ten, a long-dormant curiosity about the nature of existence began to take centre stage. On the 8th day of a Vipassana retreat in 2001, Christina had an awakening that deeply shifted her understanding of self and reality. What followed was fourteen years of dedicated daily meditation and numerous silent retreats within the S.N. Goenka Vipassana tradition. In 2015, a 2nd awakening unfolded—this time bringing a deeper dissolution of personal identity. Around this period, she began studying with Gary Weber, with whom she worked closely until he retired from teaching in 2019. Those years were marked by intense transformation, awakening the body, healing the nervous system, working with attachments, belief, and shadow. In 2017, two further openings occurred. The first was a non-medical NDE - a profound experience of God—an overwhelming sense of divine presence and infinite love. A month later came an even more radical realization: the complete disappearance of self and world into a primal void. It was an encounter with absolute emptiness—an unconditioned reality beneath all phenomena. In that vast nothingness, only an indescribably sublime, subtle awareness was present. Nothing was manifest, yet it was clear this “nothing” held the potential for everything—a living, dynamic void, like a field of infinite possibilities before form appears. In 2022, Christina began working with Angelo Dilullo, M.D., whose guidance led to the final falling away of the remaining identity structure. What remains is a natural, effortless functioning—life living itself. The integration of that realization continues to unfold. Following the invitation and suggestion of Angelo Dilullo, she has been teaching and guiding others through the awakening. Website: christinaguimond.com Mentioned during the interview: Interview with Angelo Dilullo PAPAJI - Consciousness Alone Is Kevin Shanilec's method for working with reactivity. A Heart Blown Open: The Life & Practice of Zen Master Jun Po Denis Kelly Roshi by Keith Martin-Smith Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group Interview recorded December 6, 2025

Karyn O’Beirne, an embodied awakened faith leader and interfaith minister, shares her transformative journey from a skeptical soccer mom to a spiritual teacher. She discusses the concept of grace as universally accessible, the spontaneity of ordinary awakenings, and the impact of Toltec teachings. Karyn emphasizes the importance of mindfulness and presence, while exploring how narratives shape our perception. She highlights personal practices like morning pages and encourages embracing grace's nudges to foster spiritual growth. A thought-provoking conversation on spirituality and self-compassion!

In this powerful interview, David Ditchfield recounts his extraordinary near-death experience (NDE) following a horrific train accident in Cambridge, UK, in 2006. Once at rock bottom as a functional alcoholic, David was transformed spiritually after being pulled under a speeding train and, just before critical surgery, encountering beings of light in the afterlife. This profound NDE awakened remarkable creative abilities, revealing hidden talents for music and painting. Despite having no formal classical music training and an inability to read or write music, David has composed two symphonies and a rhapsody—every piece premiering at sold-out concerts, including a commission from The Cambridge Clarinet Choir. His inspiring NDE paintings have been displayed in major exhibitions, including a year-long show at the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C. David’s story, recently featured in a BBC World Service documentary, is a testament to human resilience and the profound, positive changes that can arise from even the darkest moments. He continues to compose and paint in Cambridge, sharing a message of recovery, hope, spiritual growth, manifestation, and authenticity. Website: shineonthestory.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group Transcript of this interview Interview recorded November 1, 2025

In this conversation, Emeline Lambert shares her profound spiritual journey, beginning with her childhood experiences of feeling extremely out of place in a world that seemed illusionary and pointless. “Who am I?” was the question that was always too terrifying  to answer. She purposefully tried to cover up the truth of her deepest Self through the limitations of ego and performance art; leading to years of depression, anxiety and PTSD. A turning point in her life occurred during a retreat that invited a significant shift in consciousness and a deeper understanding of her true nature. Emeline discusses the impact of meditation and presence on her life, the changes in her relationships “post-shift”, and the necessity of acceptance, self-observation and compassion. She emphasizes the role of nature as part of any spiritual practice and the ongoing, endless unfolding that is self-discovery. In this conversation, Emeline and Rick explore profound themes surrounding awakening to our true nature, love, and the gift that suffering becomes in the process of awakening. They discuss the differences between knowledge and experience, emphasizing that awakening is a collective impulse rather than an individual desire. The dialogue touches on the importance of surrendering to the essence of “what is”, the impact of the mind's commentary on suffering, and the significance of service in spiritual practice. Emeline shares her insights on the flow state in practical applications and the understanding of the shadow self, ultimately highlighting that awakening is an ongoing phenomenon that occurs beyond the architecture of the man-made sense of separate self. Emeline volunteers with the New York–based non-profit City Voices, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about mental illness and addiction recovery through peer-led support programs, spiritual groups, and self-awareness activities. She co-facilitates their Saturday Spirituality Group and leads regular meditations. Email: CityVoices1995@gmail.com Website: cityvoicesonline.org Emeline's personal email: emwlambert@gmail.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group Transcript of this interview Interview recorded October 12, 2025

In this engaging conversation, Lawrence Pintak, an award-winning journalist and scholar with a PhD in Islamic Studies, shares his journey in Tibetan Buddhism. He reflects on how spiritual practices shifted his perspective on war reporting and explores essential questions about human nature and the challenges of spiritual ego. Pintak discusses the importance of grounding in one tradition while also learning from others. He emphasizes the vibrational power of sacred words and considers whether humanity is moving toward an age of enlightenment.

Richard is an internationally respected spiritual teacher, psychic medium, award-winning international bestselling author, and one of the world’s leading authorities on UFOs and their spiritual message. He is also host of ‘The Spiritual Freedom Show with Richard Lawrence’ Podcast. Richard has appeared on major media including Coast to Coast AM, GMTV, and LBC and has spoken in over a dozen countries, including as a keynote speaker at London’s prestigious Mind Body Spirit Festival for more than 30 years. With deep insight into Eastern and Western mysticism, consciousness, and cosmic spirituality, he brings both credibility and charisma to every conversation. Books: Contacts With The Gods From Space: Pathway to the New Age The Nine Freedoms REALIZE YOUR INNER POTENTIAL through the path of spiritual service – King Yoga The Twelve Blessings Websites: richardlawrence.co.uk aetherius.org Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group Summary and transcript of this interview Interview recorded September 20, 2025

Ricard Perez is a meditation coach, and musician whose work bridges ancient traditions with fresh, practical insight. Drawing from Buddhism, Advaita Vedanta, and A Course in Miracles, he emphasizes meditation as a dynamic balance of clarity and release, with simple methods for directly entering silence. His original explorations into latency, fractals, and perception connect contemplative practice with science and creativity, while his love of music, art, and ecstatic expression bring a celebratory dimension to the path of awakening. Website: ricardcoach.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group Summary and transcript of this interview Interview recorded September 13, 2025