Ep297: Boarding on Insanity - Piers Cross

In this episode I am once again joined by Piers Cross, ex-Buddhist monk, coach, and creator of the documentary “Boarding on Insanity”. Piers explains the British boarding school system, examines its history and social context, and reveals how and why boarding school attendance is seen by many as a pathway to power. Piers recalls his own boarding school experience, the trauma and subsequent breakdown it caused, and describes the dynamic of the “privilege double-bind”. Piers recounts his years as a Buddhist monk, how he navigated suicide attempts and self harm with meditation and community support, and the powerful mystical experiences he encountered during his religious practice. Piers lists over two dozen leading figures in the arts, business, and politics who attended boarding school and reflects on the possibility of a leadership class affected by abandonment and dissociation by elite educational institutions. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep297-boarding-on-insanity-piers-cross Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
 … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:05 - Military family upbringing and alcoholic father 03:42 - Going to boarding school at 11 years old 05:36 - History of British boarding schools 08:23 - Pathway to power 10:19 - Oxbridge emphasis 11:37 - The old boys network and breaking parental attachment 14:42 - Is the education better? 17:48 - IQ vs emotional intelligence 20:31 - A typical day at boarding school 23:30 - Piers’ boarding school trauma and learning to dissociate 27:07 - Suicide of Piers’ best friend 29:37 - Resilience vs dissociation and avoidant attachment 32:48 - Resurfacing trauma in the 30s and 40s 33:28 - Richard Branson, David Cameron, Bear Grylls, and John Peel 34:36 - Trauma of neglect 36:53 - Idealisation, cover up, and not listening to children 41:45 - The privilege double-bind 47:32 - After boarding school & city career 51:03 - Depression and breakdown 53:07 - Laughed at by the doctor 54:31 - Death of Piers’ father and work in Africa 56:41 - 3.5 years in a Buddhist monastery 59:37 - A sense of coming home 01:02:22 - Taking the 8 precepts 01:03:30 - Ordination, self harm, and suicidal ideation 01:06:31 - The support and kindness of the other monks 01:09:26 - Struggles with meditation 01:12:03 - Reading scriptures and other Buddhist books 01:14:00 - Tastes of transcendence 01:14:55 - Profound experience of childlike mind 01:16:35 - Healing avoidant attachment 01:20:10 - Working with dreams 01:21:10 - Tears and connecting to emotion 01:22:41 - Buddhist doctrine about suicide and hell 01:25:14 - The power of initiation 01:27:13 - Leaving the monastery 01:28:08 - Piers shows his journal 01:29:33 - After the monastery and work with board school survivors 01:33:15 - “Boarding on Insanity” documentary 01:33:28 - Tony Blair, Boris Johnson, Justin Welby 01:37:05 - Cover ups and a societal flip 01:39:30 - Prince Charles, Stephen Fry, Ranulph Fiennes, Gabriel Byrne, Roald Dahl, Harry Windsor, 01:41:00 - JFK, Princess Diana, Charles Spencer, Aldous Huxley, Richard Beard, Jeremy Paxman, 01:41:26 - Elon Musk, Mini Driver, Eddie Izzard, Princess Catherine, Rupert Murdoch, 01:44:46 - Piers’ 3hr daily practice 01:46:44 - Taoist Tantric Arts 01:47:59 - Piers’ advice for taking on new practices 01:49:37 - Piers’ meditation practice 01:51:02 - Closing remarks and advice for ex-boarders … To find our more about Piers Cross, visit: - https://www.youtube.com/@pierscross - https://www.piers-cross.com/ - https://www.boardingoninsanity.com/ … 
For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - www.guruviking.com … Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James