Ep140: Quest for A Life of Meaning - Ralph White

In this interview I am joined by Ralph White holistic learning pioneer, international speaker on cultural transformation and the history of the Western tradition, and co-founder of the New York Open Centre. Ralph reveals his difficult upbringing in working class England, and how his intellect served as his escape route, emigrating to America as a Fulbright scholar in 1970. Ralph shares a life-changing spiritual experience on Route 66, reflects on the role of psychedelics in raising consciousness, and details his personal path as a nature mystic heavily influenced by Western Esotericism. Ralph recounts his adventures throughout Canada, hitch hiking to Machu Picchu, getting streetwise in Columbia, and eventually landing in New York to co-found the world-famous Open Centre. Ralph also reflects on what years of booking spiritual teachers taught him about spotting spiritual fakes, what it means to be in the third of act of one’s life, and shares his vision for the future of world culture … Video version: www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep140-quest-for-a-life-of-meaning-ralph-white 
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics Include:
 00:00 - Intro 03:22 - Ralph’s childhood in working class England 08:12 - Education as the escape route 12:45 - Move to America and travelling Route 66 17:19 - A life-changing spiritual experience 22:01 - Ralph on psychedelics 25:01 - The future of psychedelics research 29:37 - Ralph’s meditation practice and explorations in Western Esotericism 34:35 - Nature mystic 38:17 - Misconceptions about Western Esotericism 50:14 - Ralph’s Esoteric Quests 52:21 - Adventures in Vancouver 58:39 - Hitch hiking for 6 months to Machu Picchu 01:00:30 - Profound experience in the Andes 01:06:55 - The role of pilgrimage in finding one’s purpose 01:16:21 - Streetwise in Colombia and New York 01:20:11 - How to spot spiritual fakes and baloney 01:29:10 - Integrity and the spiritual marketplace 01:35:06 - Ralph reflects on the erotic 01:41:28 - The third act of one’s life 01:45:41 - The future of world culture … To find out more about Ralph White, visit: - https://www.ralphwhite.net/ 
For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - www.guruviking.com … Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James