Buddha at the Gas Pump

From my earliest memories, God was always at the center of things. After exploring a number of teachers and modalities in the great spiritual garden of late-sixties San Francisco, things really geared up when I learned the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique in Berkeley in 1967. TM’s gifts were unmistakable and I began a thirty-year career of devoted service to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and the Vedic tradition. This encompassed many years of teaching TM in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, and lots of time simply meditating, including seven years in a convent style setting. All this yielded vast personal and spiritual growth which remains fully integrated into my life, a gift that keeps on giving. Towards the end of this period, I studied and shared several healing modalities, especially Cranio-sacral therapy. This deepened my experience of the body as energy and Light and helped me discover the body’s huge role in lasting and comprehensive healing. In 1996, my path led me to the indigenous traditions of the West, especially Lakota. I was blessed in countless ways by the great Lakota holy man, wisdom keeper, and Sundance leader Naca Wa-Anata. Through him, I received a personal pipe–a precious and powerful source of inspiration, healing, and transformation–and was able to participate in life-changing Lakota ceremonies, including Sundance, for many years. As a result, I opened to a profound and intimate relationship with the Earth and her healing and nourishing gifts and learned to embrace life on Earth with a grounded joy and openness that I had never known before. Most importantly, I learned to embody and live the boundless consciousness I had merged with through the Vedic teaching and find the same infinite Self everywhere and in everyone. Through this time, I gradually realized that I was here not only to help people merge with the Infinite in their awareness but also to help them include their bodies in the journey. In simplest terms, this means helping our cellular reality or belief systems shift from identifying as density to self-recognizing as divine Light, or FirstLight, as I call it. We truly are just a dream of Light. Finally, around 2012, what I now call the path of Grace simply showed up for me, initially while visiting sacred sites in France. In essence, I was made aware that our growth is no longer something we have to work at. God/Divine Love/divine Light is so powerfully present now that all we have to do is open and receive It, and It will take care of all that we need for spiritual and human fulfillment. Since then, many divine gifts have “downloaded” to share with others to support this effortless form of growth. While remaining endlessly Silent and utterly unlocalized, this magical-mystery-tour of a life is a sacred and joyous privilege. Website: firstlighttransformations.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Summary and transcript of this interview. First BatGap interview with Cynthia. Interview recorded September 21, 2019. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:04:10 - Shifting from Density to Divine Light 00:07:42 - Mary Magdalene's Message of Love and Support 00:11:44 - The Emergence of First Light 00:16:24 - The Emergence of Different Fields of Potentiality 00:19:21 - Individual Journeys of Spiritual Awakening 00:22:47 - The Shift in Collective Consciousness 00:26:38 - The Infinite Way Home 00:30:03 - The Transition and Turbulence 00:34:15 - Embracing Being and Doing 00:38:47 - Being Established in the Self 00:41:31 - Exploring the Depths of Existence 00:45:18 - Becoming Light: The Path of the Rainbow Body 00:48:31 - Physiological and Spiritual Transformation 00:52:27 - Living Without Belief Systems 00:56:25 - Perceiving the Divine with our Senses 01:00:01 - Expressing the Infiniteness within You 01:03:30 - Breaking Through Doubts and Resistance 01:07:28 - The Shift in Attitude and Opportunities for Evolution 01:10:23 - The Experience of Change and Transformation 01:13:49 - Transmuting Suffering into Bliss 01:17:36 - Seeking Help and Different Approaches to Healing From Mental Illness 01:21:04 - Lady Julian's Visions and God's Love 01:24:16 - Expansion and Cognition of Awareness 01:28:18 - Dissolving Duality and Defensiveness 01:30:44 - Dissolving into the Black Hole 01:34:31 - The Correlation between Consciousness and Quantum Mechanics 01:38:17 - The Limitations of Understanding Reality 01:42:10 - The Humility of Enlightenment 01:45:20 - The Omnipresence of Intelligence 01:47:46 - Lightning Bolts to the Head

Cassandra Vieten is Executive Director of the John W. Brick Foundation, Scholar-in-Residence at the Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination at the University of California, San Diego, and a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Noetic Sciences where she worked for 18 years and served as President and CEO from 2013-2019. She is a psychologist, mind-body medicine researcher, author of numerous articles in scientific journals, and an internationally recognized keynote speaker. Her research has focused on spirituality and health, transformative experiences and practices, and the development of mindfulness-based interventions for emotional well-being. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies, and completed her research training in behavioral genetics at UCSF. She is the author of Mindful Motherhood: Practical Tools for Staying Sane During Pregnancy and Your Child's First Year, and co-author of Living Deeply: The Art and Science of Transformation in Everyday Life, and Spiritual and Religious Competencies in Clinical Practice: Guidelines for Psychotherapists and Mental Health Professionals. Her current projects focus on how mental health care be transformed so that it includes fitness/movement, nutrition, mind-body, and clients’ spiritual and religious beliefs and practices (when relevant) to foster mental and emotional fitness and well-being; what environmental and internal conditions, agents, practices, and states of consciousness stimulate imagination – in particular, the ability to see new possibilities; how cognitive, social and neuroscience along with practices from the world’s wisdom traditions can foster positive change in individuals and in our world (see Consciousness, Communication and Change program and Campaign Science for the political and activist arena), and how introducing people to awe-inspiring ideas and environments can stretch their imagination or help them see things from a new perspective, leading to self-transcendence, shifts in worldview and perspective on life, and other prosocial emotions and behaviors. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Summary and transcript of this interview Interview recorded September 14, 2019 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Science and Spirituality as Means of Understanding Reality 00:05:25 - Self-realization and the Gita 00:07:45 - A Blissful Epiphany in Space 00:10:40 - The Combination of Science and Spirituality 00:13:40 - The Role of Intuition and Creativity in Inventions 00:15:46 - Reluctance in the scientific community towards psychic phenomena 00:18:17 - History repeating itself 00:21:06 - Paradigm Shifts and Robust Studies 00:23:50 - The Importance of Critical Thinking in Science 00:27:54 - Presenting climate change to skeptics and the importance of collective thinking 00:31:30 - The Power of Authenticity in Activism 00:35:08 - Awakening and Change 00:38:20 - Taking Practice off the Mat: Fierce Love and Social Justice 00:41:38 - The Practice of Perspective 00:45:26 - Destiny and Enlightenment 00:48:31 - The Misunderstanding of Awakening 00:52:04 - The Normalization of Vulnerability and Self-Reflection 00:54:49 - Communicating for Change 00:58:08 - The Institute of Noetic Sciences 01:01:36 - Transformative Education and Spiritual Practices 01:04:56 - The Future of Meditation Science and Research 01:08:30 - The Complexities of Individual Perception 01:12:14 - Exploring the Nature of Reality 01:15:47 - Speculating on the Rules of Robotics 01:18:54 - The Role of Futurists 01:22:17 - Embracing Solutionism 01:25:23 - The Three Key Areas of Focus 01:28:25 - Shifting Perspectives and Fostering Imagination 01:31:56 - The Ripple Effect 01:34:57 - The Future of Virtual Reality Experience 01:38:01 - The Wonders of Possibility

Noah is an explorer of what is happening in his own experience. This started on the level of mind, and gradually opened to exploring what's going on in his body, and then from his soul. This journey has led him to meet, feel, heal, and let go of a tremendous amount of pain. Through this journey, a lot of wisdom and honesty has revealed itself. Noah now shares himself and his insights with others. Books: A Guide to The Present Moment Una Guía para El Momento Presente (Spanish Edition) Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Summary and transcript of this interview. Interview recorded September 7, 2019 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:04:05 - Growing Up in an Ashram and Following a Guru 00:08:11 - Personal Journey and Learning from Teachers 00:11:55 - Discovering Your Own Truth 00:15:17 - Rebellion and Self-Discovery 00:18:51 - Breaking Free from the Guru's Influence 00:22:49 - The Ease of Stopping Spiritual Practices 00:26:32 - The Disappearance of Everything 00:30:53 - The Illusion of Being Done and the Continual Process of Growth 00:34:50 - The Relationship Between Fear and Worthiness 00:38:32 - Reconnecting with Emotions 00:42:57 - The Journey of Emotion and Pain 00:46:37 - Unexpected Experiences with Past Lives 00:50:37 - Exploring Past Lives for Healing 00:54:32 - Beautiful and Horrible Past Life Experiences 00:59:15 - Coming to Earth for the Experience 01:03:05 - Choosing Our Parents: A Holistic Perspective 01:07:23 - Holding Both Knowledge and Experience 01:11:28 - Exploring Deep Layers of Suffering 01:15:28 - Past Lives and Spiritual Work 01:19:59 - The Nature of Personal Identity and Free Will 01:24:11 - Embracing and Discerning Emotions 01:28:03 - Intense Moments and Ice Cream Choices 01:31:50 - The Fluidity of Truth and Sharing Perspectives 01:35:39 - The Universe as a Teacher 01:39:37 - The Beauty of Perception 01:44:01 - Benefits and Limitations of Discipline 01:46:45 - Cause-Effect Relationship and Arbitrary Possibilities 01:50:20 - The Power and Uncertainty of Beliefs 01:54:00 - Opportunities to Follow Up 01:57:13 - Upcoming Interviews and Subscriptions

Rey Hernandez is Executive Director of the Consciousness and Contact Research Institute (CCRI), a 501c3 academic research institute comprised of 15 Ph.D. academics and medical doctors whose mission is to explore the relationship between Consciousness, our Cosmology, and Contact with Non-Human Intelligence via the Contact Modalities. Rey was previously one of the co-founders of The Dr. Edgar Mitchell FREE Foundation, a 501c3 academic research institute comprised of 12 Ph.D. academics and lay researchers who recently completed a 5-year comprehensive, worldwide, academic research study on UFO Contact Experiencers.  The late Apollo 14 Astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell, the 6th man to walk on the Moon and the founder of the Institute for Noetic Sciences, and Dr. Rudy Schild, Emeritus Professor of Astrophysics at Harvard University, were two of FREE’s co-founders. Rey graduated with honors from Rutgers College, was a Masters Candidate at Cornell University, and was a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of California at Berkeley where he was the recipient of a National Science Foundation Ph.D. Fellowship.  He previously was a Professor for six years at the New School for Social Research and at the City University of New York.  He is currently an attorney with the US Dept. of Treasury in Miami, Florida. Rey is one of three co-editors of the historic 820-page book titled “Beyond UFOs: The Science of Consciousness & Contact with Non-Human Intelligence (Volume 1)”, which was based on FREE’s 5-year comprehensive academic research study on UFO-related contact experiencers.  He has also published in several peer-reviewed academic journals including the Journal of Consciousness Studies and the Journal of the Society for Scientific Exploration.  Rey’s new projects are a 3-volume book and a full feature science documentary titled “A Greater Reality:  The New Paradigm of Consciousness, the Paranormal, and the Contact Modalities”. Rey’s email is:  Info@Experiencer.Org Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Summary and transcript of this interview. Interview recorded August 31, 2019. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:04:55 - Edgar Mitchell's Interest in UFOs and Contact Experiences 00:10:20 - A miraculous encounter with angels 00:15:16 - Different Perspectives and Missing Time 00:19:33 - Angelic Visitations and UFO Encounters 00:24:04 - Witnessing a UFO with My Daughter 00:28:27 - Unexplained Sightings Above the House 00:32:45 - The Start of Paranormal Experiences 00:37:37 - Positive Effects of Contact with Non-Human Intelligence 00:42:22 - The Evolution of John Mack’s Research and the Shift in Perspectives 00:47:27 - Transformative and Positive Experiences 00:52:25 - Paranormal Experiences and Spiritual Messages 00:57:29 - Interconnected Contact Modalities within the UFO Field 01:01:59 - The Physical and Non-Physical Nature of Contact Modalities 01:06:54 - Comparisons between Near-Death Experiences and UFO Contact 01:10:56 - Interacting with Beings from Subtler Realms 01:15:09 - Exploring Consciousness and Diverse Experiences 01:19:04 - The tipping point of acceptance 01:23:41 - The Emergence of Non-Material Topics 01:27:32 - The Rise of Contact Modalities 01:31:52 - Awakening of Humanity and the Need for Spiritual Evolution 01:36:13 - The Team of Advisors 01:40:09 - Embracing all possibilities in the search for truth 01:44:29 - Unity and Consciousness in Ancient Texts 01:48:53 - The Unanswered Questions of Consciousness and Contact 01:52:28 - Dealing with Different Types of Entities 01:56:24 - Major Categories of Interactions with Beings 02:00:40 - The Transformation of Humanity 02:04:11 - A Downloaded Revelation 02:08:28 - Encounters with Non-Human Intelligence 02:12:29 - Thank you, Ray

Gillian Ross has always found it difficult to put a label on her spiritual perspective. If pressed she would describe herself as a Christian Buddhist yogi and mystic with a penchant for Taoism! Over recent years, however, she has been happy to call herself a spiritual evolutionary or evolutionary mystic in the tradition of Teilhard de Chardin in the West and Sri Aurobindo in the East. Born in the UK in 1940, she migrated to Australia as an academic in the early sixties. Her Western education gave her an Honours Science Degree, a Masters degree in Philosophy and a Doctorate in the Behavioural Sciences but left her feeling increasingly restless and unfulfilled. There was a growing awareness that her intellectual conditioning had disconnected her from the natural spontaneity and mystical riches of her childhood. The deep love she felt for her children awakened lost memories of spiritual connection. She began to meditate, practice yoga and study Eastern philosophies. In her early forties, she left her marriage, her city life, and academic career and took her family of two young sons, two dogs and two cats off to the Blue Mountains of NSW to explore an alternative lifestyle. She has never looked back! After many years of feeling like a fish out of water, she came to understand what it means to “flow in the current of the Eternal Tao”. She trained as a yoga teacher and shiatsu therapist and has become a best selling ABC author (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) of relaxation and meditation CDs and a yoga video as well as publishing four books on science and mysticism and the evolution of consciousness. After her sons left home she moved even further into the wild. Over the last 20 years, she has fallen in love with 40 acres of natural bush adjacent to a powerful sacred aboriginal site in Northern NSW. She nurtures it as a haven for spiritual retreats and residential weekends on evolutionary spirituality and mystic meditation, delighting in sharing with others some of the philosophies and practices that have helped to bring her out of spiritual bleakness into a lasting sense of peace, purpose and, above all, joy. Books: Consciousness V Catastrophe: Reflections on the Next Stage of Human Evolution Psyche's Yearning: Radical Perspectives on Self-Transformation CD: Relaxation Audio CD Links: Website: drgillianross.com Connection: An Awakening Experience (blog post) Consciousness V Catastrophe: Reflections on the Next Stage of Human Evolution (YouTube video) Email: drgillianross@gmail.com Toolgoolawa School (mentioned in the interview) Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Summary and transcript of this interview. Interview recorded August 24, 2019 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:05:58 - The Consciousness Revolution and Evolutionary Spirituality 00:10:36 - Evolutionary Mysticism and the Driving Force of Evolution 00:18:14 - Awakening the Collective Consciousness 00:24:19 - The Power of the Awakened Heart 00:29:04 - Problems with Paleolithic Emotions and God-like Technology 00:35:29 - The Emergence of a New Consciousness and Humanity 00:39:58 - Getting Established in the Self for the Faith Transition 00:43:35 - The distinction between emotions and feelings 00:48:31 - The Sacredness of Life and Our Treatment of Animals 00:53:48 - The Shadow Side of Non-dualism 00:58:21 - The Science of Spirituality and the Impact of Consciousness 01:02:30 - The Scientific Method and Mystics 01:06:27 - A Journey of Mystical Awakening 01:11:05 - Awakening the Mystical Anatomy 01:16:10 - The Awakening of the Third Eye 01:20:06 - Awakening to the Divine Within 01:24:08 - The Injection of Feminine Energy 01:28:32 - Flowing with the Stream of Consciousness 01:32:40 - The Snowflake Self and Connectivity 01:36:19 - Finding Fulfillment and Reawakening Genius 01:40:04 - Buying a House and Finding the Lemon Grove 01:42:43 - Guides and Spiritual Insight 01:45:37 - Surrendering to the Divine Will 01:48:46 - The Framework of the New Story 01:51:43 - Stabilizing High Levels of Consciousness 01:54:42 - Universal Mysticism and Connecting with the Sacred 01:57:51 - The Transition from Ego to Essence 02:00:48 - The Power of Love and Sacred Activism 02:03:13 - Getting More Involved and Staying Updated 02:05:28 - Encouragement to Write a Book

Dorothy Walters, Ph.D., spent most of her early professional life as a professor of English literature in various Midwestern universities. She helped to found one of the first women’s studies programs in this country and served as the director of this program for many years. After an extended residence in San Francisco, she now lives and writes in Colorado, where she has a close relationship with the mountains as well as various streams and canyons. She underwent major Kundalini awakening in 1981 (a phenomenon totally unfamiliar to her as well as to most of her contemporaries at the time); since then she has devoted her life to researching and writing about this subject and to witnessing the unfolding of this process within herself as well as assisting others on a similar path through writing and other means. As someone who made her extensive journey without the direction of any external leader or guru, church, or established order, she is a strong believer in the “guru within,” the inner guide rather than the external authority figure or institution. She feels that universal Kundalini awakening is the means for planetary and personal evolution of consciousness, and that evidence of planetary initiation is becoming more and more prevalent. Her Kundalini awakening and subsequent process of unfolding are described in her memoir Unmasking the Rose, A Record of a Kundalini Initiation.  Her poems taken from her four previous volumes are published as “Some Kiss We Want: Poems Selected and New”. Her article on “Kundalini and the Mystic Path” was included in Kundalini Rising, an anthology from Sounds True Publications. Her poems, which have been included in many anthologies and journals, have been set to music and sung at the Royal Opera House in London as well as Harvard University, used as texts for sermons and read aloud in churches, included in doctoral projects, been frequently quoted, and have given inspiration to many.  Recently, a pilgrim to Petra read one of her poems aloud while there. She often gives counsel and referral free of charge to those undergoing spontaneous Kundalini awakening and/or spiritual transformation. Books: Unmasking the Rose: A Record of a Kundalini Initiation The Kundalini Poems: Reflections of Radiance and Joy Marrow of Flame: Poems of the Spiritual Journey (2nd ed.) Some Kiss We Want: Poems Selected and New Website: Kundalini Splendor Dorothy passed away in February, 2023. Conversations with Andrew Harvey: Dorothy Walters "Mystic Poet" Kabir & Kundalini - Andrew Harvey & Dorothy Walters Dororthy Walters and Andrew Harvey discuss Kundalini Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Summary and transcript of this interview. Interview recorded August 17, 2019. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:06:21 - The Two-Edged Sword of Kundalini 00:13:09 - Out-of-body experiences and subtler realms 00:17:31 - The Masculine and Feminine Aspects of Shiva and Shakti 00:21:43 - Kundalini Awakening Journey 00:26:32 - Searching for Guidance in the Absence of Gurus 00:30:59 - Walking in Two Worlds 00:35:33 - The Importance of a Spiritual Buddy 00:39:37 - First level initiation with unseen guides 00:43:35 - Being in Touch with Guides 00:47:10 - Early Experiences and Lack of Understanding 00:50:44 - Moments of Cosmic Consciousness 00:54:11 - The Experience of Bliss 00:57:28 - The Energetic Path 01:00:46 - Tuning into Others' Experiences 01:04:51 - Challenges and Pain as Catalysts for Kundalini Awakening 01:09:05 - Overcoming Cancer and Spiritual Awakening 01:12:32 - Aches and Pains with Inner Spiritual Awakening 01:16:59 - The TM disaster and finding your own path in spirituality 01:20:06 - Beauty and Oneness in Consciousness 01:24:22 - The Skepticism of Channeling and the Answers Received 01:27:35 - Facing Childhood Issues 01:31:31 - Hope and the Power of Poetry 01:34:35 - The Power of Poetry and Spiritual Writing 01:38:27 - Evolution and Progress in Turbulent Times 01:42:01 - The Subtle Body and the Bliss 01:45:31 - The Importance of Taking Care of your Body 01:49:09 - Surrendering to Vastness and Love 01:53:47 - Publishing Poetry and Embracing Wildness 01:58:43 - A Delightful Conversation with Rick 02:01:52 - Staying Connected with Me

Sri Shyamji was born and raised in India. At age 12, he met his spiritual teacher in the Himalayas and spent several years under his guidance. The Guru initiated Shyamji into the Saivite tradition of Tantra—imparting a rare oral tradition of sacred sounds (naada yoga), breath (svara yoga), and spiritual wisdom. The grace of the guru (guru krippa) and the spiritual practices he imparted (sadhana) are the basis for Sri Shyamji’s extraordinary intuition and unique chanting of sounds and mantra. For millennia this tradition was passed down from generation to generation through an oral tradition which preserved its purity. It is a rare opportunity to learn the science of sound from a true master. Website: chakrainstitute.com Book: Microchakras: InnerTuning for Psychological Well-being Email: admin@chakrainstitute.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Summary and transcript of this interview. Interview recorded August 13, 2019 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Meeting the Spiritual Teacher 00:05:46 - The Power of Breathing with the Nose 00:11:10 - The Brain's Role in Thinking and Feeling 00:16:03 - The Nature of Love and Subtle Matter 00:21:08 - Blocked Micro Chakras 00:25:56 - The Importance of Breastfeeding and the Belief that Babies Have no Feelings 00:30:34 - The Importance of Pronouncing Sounds Properly 00:35:52 - Discontentment and Addiction 00:40:44 - The Importance of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms 00:45:44 - Ingmar Bergman and the Colors of the Week 00:50:28 - Understanding the Mind and Mantras 00:54:50 - The Subject and the Ego 00:59:05 - The Story of a Human Being 01:02:40 - The Meaning of Meditation 01:06:41 - The Stages of Meditation 01:10:52 - Purification of the Body and Sexual Energy 01:14:35 - Understanding the Prana Calendar and Nostril Dominance 01:18:21 - Calming Anger and the Power of Water 01:22:01 - Controlling the Ego 01:25:57 - The Seven Sister Powers 01:29:36 - Awakening Kundalini and Siddhis 01:33:38 - The Value of Teachers and Subjective Science 01:38:10 - Music Compilation 02:03:13 - Sri Radhe Mantra and Purifying the Second Chakra 02:08:33 - The Power of Stories 02:12:12 - The Three-Body Purification Practice 02:16:12 - Individual Fitness and Surviving Challenges 02:19:45 - The Meaning of Tantra and Its Misconceptions 02:24:16 - The Importance of Sleep in Relation to the Sun 02:28:42 - Many more years to come

Over his lifetime Tom has dived deeply into inner work while simultaneously living a householder life. Through an ongoing revelation of living in the moment, he integrates the insights of the most sophisticated western-developed psychologies with the ongoing unitive consciousness with which he has been blessed since the year 2000. Tom uses these skills and this wisdom to guide those dedicated and willing to go courageously inward, often finding and releasing blocks to spiritual awakening which originated in earliest, often pre-verbal, childhood. After being asked to teach, Tom has been sharing this work for over 19 years. His sessions give attendees a taste of what he exudes, a patient tender Love that is our true interconnected nature. His focus on connection to the immediacy of felt sensation enables potent transformations to readily manifest. His work and presence is an acknowledgment that our beautiful imperfect human condition is completely embraced by the wide openness of Life itself, even when the most uncomfortable aspects of ourselves appear. Tom is known for his humility and a profound acceptance of what is. Throughout his life, he has worked in numerous jobs in multiple disciplines — from basic minimum wage to corporate executive, from grade school teacher to construction contractor, from graphic designer to writer. He has been married to his wife, Dawn, for almost 40 years and they have one daughter. Website: tomkurzka.org Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Summary and transcript of this interview. Interview recorded August 3, 2019 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:05:44 - Childhood Moments of Connection 00:10:47 - Unity consciousness and celestial perception 00:15:41 - Feeling Yourself as the Space 00:19:46 - A Trip Down Memory Lane 00:24:14 - The Fractured World 00:27:57 - Losing My Mind 00:31:53 - Meditation Experiences 00:36:04 - The Mystical Element in All Traditions 00:39:49 - Integrating Fear in Meditation Practice 00:43:45 - Fear of Annihilation 00:48:03 - The Fractured Mind 00:52:11 - Physiological Transformation and Unraveling 00:56:03 - Transition to Awakening 01:00:22 - Recognition of Oneness 01:04:20 - Seeing Perspectives from God's Point of View 01:08:14 - Imperfect Human Beings and the Beauty of Being Human 01:12:30 - Reliving Early Trauma and Connecting with Loved Ones 01:16:48 - The Purpose of Life and Continuing Evolution 01:20:48 - Finding Aliveness Beneath the Bleakness 01:25:06 - The Gut Awakening 01:29:18 - The Personal Essence and the Vastness 01:33:09 - The Zone and Spontaneous Flow 01:37:23 - The Connection Between Divine Intelligence and Human Behavior 01:41:38 - The Sun's Expansion and Earth's Destruction 01:45:34 - Higher Standards in the Spiritual Community 01:49:26 - Transitioning to Full-Time Teaching 01:53:40 - The Body's Subtle Bracing 01:57:51 - Receiving and Listening 02:01:55 - Building Connections in Local Communities 02:05:43 - Goodbye Rick

Brian Longhurst has been aware of the reality of the spirit realms since childhood. Born in England, he moved to Canada as a young man, where he began what was to become an enduring, personal relationship with Jesus, who manifested in glory to him when Brian was 22. Jesus told him he had come to lead him back to God. From then, his encounters with the living Jesus began in earnest, a decades-long - still ongoing - journey of spiritual awakening. After marrying, Brian returned to live in England. He now resides in Gloucestershire with his wife, Theresa. Books: Seek ye First the Kingdom: One man's journey with the living Jesus Finding the Kingdom Within: Awakening to Eternity Entering the Kingdom Within: The Return to Reality Living FROM the Kingdom Within: Remembering Our One Identity Sharing the Kingdom Within: Ascending the Hill of the Lord Website: honest2goodness.org.uk Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Summary and transcript of this interview. Interview recorded July 27, 2019 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:04:26 - Communing Mind-to-Mind 00:08:49 - The Center of our Focus 00:13:39 - The Purpose of Incarnating into Challenging Conditions 00:18:36 - The Dream of Separation and Duality 00:22:40 - The Intelligence of Creation 00:27:15 - Encountering Jesus in Canada 00:32:13 - The Encounter with Jesus 00:37:06 - The Purpose of our Existence 00:41:33 - Jesus Appears to a Muslim in Iran 00:46:07 - Purpose in the Physical World 00:50:38 - Finding Stability in Chaos 00:55:35 - The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth and the Real World 01:00:12 - The Profound Spiritual Awakening 01:04:23 - The Great Rescue Program and Transforming Energy 01:09:44 - The Three Measures of Meal 01:14:30 - The Acceleration of Awakening 01:18:36 - The Power of Inner Plane Servers and Beings of Light 01:23:17 - Seeking the Real Jesus 01:28:29 - Understanding the Book of Revelation 01:32:31 - Sharing Your Story 01:36:26 - Vision vs Sight 01:40:48 - Holistic Blossoming and Patience in Spiritual Development 01:44:59 - Seeking First the Kingdom 01:49:21 - Finding the Kingdom within 01:53:05 - The Correct Translation of the Bible 01:58:34 - The Best Translation of the Bible 02:03:00 - The Kingdom of God Within 02:07:29 - Bobby Kennedy's Visit in Spirit 02:11:54 - Continuing the Conversation 02:15:32 - Continuing the Conversation

Shaykh Burhanuddin Herrmann is a contemporary mystic of the ancient Sufi tradition, called to the path at a tender age. He went through the classic dervish training, which involved an intense daily practice of meditation and prayers under the direct guidance of the Master, accepting his instructions for inner and outer life (including raising a family), extreme solitary spiritual retreats, pilgrimages, and regular challenging tests in daily life. He received direct transmission of the Naqshbandi Sufi Order, one of the most ancient and authoritative of the forty existing Sufi Orders, known variously through the ages as the ‘School of the Masters of Wisdom’, the ‘Way of the Scientists of the Soul’, and the ‘Path of Love’. When Shaykh Burhanuddin was 18 years old, he invited to his hometown in Germany the Grand Master and world guide of the Naqshbandi order, Maulana Shaykh Nazim al Haqqani ar Rabbani, may his secret be sanctified. When he saw him the first time he fainted in the middle of the street. Meeting a Master, a saint who has gone beyond fears and who lives in the freedom of love is an unforgettable and life-changing experience. Henceforth he was constantly at his beloved Master’s side for thirty-five years, accompanying him around the world spreading the Sufi touch of grace and love. As an appointed shaykh (spiritual guide), he was trained to develop an eye to detect the expressions of Beauty in Life, whatever shape they may take. He was taught that in order to become human beings we are called to practice love and respect towards the Creator through the Creation and His creatures. He was taught gratitude for everything that he had and that he had not. Maulana replaced in him the feeling of the need to strife in life, with an unshakable joyful faith that everything, good or bad is coming from the same Loving Source, and that it carries a message and a teaching for your own evolution. He finally provided Shaykh Burhanuddin with the means and the drive to present a life-changing self-realization Method, the Uwaysi System, in a modern and universal key, beyond any belief or requirements. For 30 years Shaykh Burhanuddin Herrmann has been leading spiritual growth meetings and retreats all over the world, in service of people’s spiritual needs. His simple and revolutionary method, the Uwaysi System, aims to awaken people to the real meaning and purpose of their lives, to remind them their highest origin and destination, and to help them to live a life of the heart, in peace, happiness, creativity and gratitude whatever their life circumstances may be. Shaykh Burhanuddin is the author of three books (all in Italian): Il cammello sul tetto. Discorsi Sufi. Una guida mistico-pratica alla Via dei Dervisci Il derviscio metropolitano. Vivere oggi la tradizione Sufi Il sufismo. Mistica, spiritualità e pratica Website: sufiway.eu He is also a musician and the founder of the Dervish Orchestra.  Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Summary and transcript of this interview. Interview recorded July 20, 2019. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:04:14 - Conveying the Longing for the Divine 00:08:18 - Direct Experience of God in Sufism 00:13:32 - Understanding Traditions and Becoming Human 00:19:04 - The Full Emptiness and the Path to Single-player Mode 00:24:44 - The Center of Life Energy 00:30:44 - The Importance of Accepting Life as It Is 00:35:01 - Life has no end 00:38:31 - Higher States of Consciousness and Enlightenment in Sufism 00:42:21 - Becoming Humans in a Time of Transformation 00:46:22 - Seeking Spirituality from a Young Age 00:50:37 - Childhood in the Forest  00:54:22 - Silence in the Himalayas 00:58:23 - Seeking Help from a Master Healer 01:01:59 - Healing Miracles and Personal Transformation 01:05:16 - Functioning in the Real World 01:08:48 - Klaus' Family and Spiritual Upbringing 01:12:08 - Encountering Khidr, alayhi salam 01:16:12 - Sufism and Cultural Heritage 01:20:05 - Meeting J. Krishnamurti and the Power of Silence 01:24:16 - Speaking the Truth 01:28:10 - Importance of Dreams in Sufism 01:31:50 - Rumi and His Importance 01:35:38 - Dressing in the Presence of the King 01:39:55 - Breaking through the Barrier of Fear 01:43:44 - Punishment for Misleading Information from Doctors 01:48:16 - The Revolutionary Prophet Sufism 01:51:26 - The Power of Thankfulness 01:54:55 - Embracing the Good Reasons  01:58:04 - Traveling Around the World 02:00:43 - Farewell