Ep304: Crumbs from the Parrot’s Beak - Tulku Sherdor

In this episode I am joined by Dr Nicholas Van Dam, the inaugural Director of the Contemplative Studies Centre and an Associate Professor in the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Melbourne, and Chelsey Fasano, a Columbia University neuroscience graduate. Dr Van Dam discusses his 2018 paper ‘Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation’ which levels serious criticisms at his own field of mindfulness research and contemplative neuroscience, taking aim at poor methodological practices, problems with definitions, and the strong incentives in the field which can conflict with the pursuit of science. Dr Van Dam reveals what he calls the unholy triad of mindfulness research, explores the theme of elitism in meditation, and raises questions about the studies conducted on Buddhist contemplative Matthieu Ricard, known as the ‘happiest man in the world’. Dr Van Dam also considers the degree to which mindfulness can be meaningfully isolated apart from its traditional religious contexts, notes the adverse effects of meditation, and shares his thoughts for the individual meditator on how to practice and who to trust in todays meditation marketplace. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep213-mind-the-hype-dr-nicholas-van-dam-chelsey-fasano 
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics Include: 00:00 - Intro 01:26 - Mind the Hype 03:02 - Realising something was wrong with the mindfulness field 05:30 - Has the field improved? 06:20 - Perverse incentives 08:08 - The unholy triad of mindfulness 09:53 - The definition problem 11:56 - Poor standards of evidence 14:36 - Misunderstanding of neuroplasticity 16:36 - The Matthieu Ricard problem and elitism 19:17 - Olympians of the mind 21:21 - Adverse effects of meditation 22:11 - History of elitism in Buddhist meditation 23:48 - Controversies about defining mindfulness 29:16 - The judgment trap 31:58 - Operationalising mindfulness to serve the research agenda 32:58 - Missing the traditional context 35:40 - To what extent can science be informed by traditional schema? 42:01 - Consequences of moving away from religious thinking 46:45 - Scientism as a faith position 47:41 - Profit incentives 51:17 - What motivates mindfulness researchers? 51:29 - How to we recognise authority? 52:43 - Omertà and corrupt science 59:22 - Career risks in criticising mindfulness research 01:02:33 - Mindfulness is passé 01:04:28 - Critique of psychedelic and tech interventions 01:08:56 - Why bother with meditation? 01:12:39 - Importance of practice goals 01:13:50 - Is enlightenment really worth the effort and risk? 01:16:40 - Is meditation just practicing skilful suffering? 01:18:21 - Real practice doesn’t sell 01:20:46 - Advice for meditation practitioners 01:23:22 - Recommendations for mindfulness researchers 01:23:58 - Gaslighted by religious traditions 01:24:51 - Who can we trust? 01:27:26 - Contemplative Studies Centre … To find out more about Dr Van Dam, visit: - https://www.nicholastvandam.com/ - https://psychologicalsciences.unimelb.edu.au/CSC - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29016274/ To find our more about Chelsey Fasano visit: - www.chelseyfasano.com For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

4 Aug 20231h 29min

I was recently interviewed by Mark V Wiley for his ‘Transformations Podcast' with a particular focus on ritual, religion, meditation, martial arts, my teenage apprenticeship to a Christian mystic, and more. ... Mark's Shownotes: Our discussion touched a wide variety of subjects from Steve early childhood entering karate, being an altar boy and the comparative rituals of both, early fiction writing, and introduction to a Celtic mystic; crossing thresholds, energy work, altered states and meditation; ways to manage pain, merge with it and let it go; Movement Koan Method and migraine relief. 0:14 The Guru Viking - not just a guy on a boat 4:38 Non-ordinary lifestyle, aesthetic and embodied nature of karate 7:45 Profound Altar boy ritual experience, shared ideology but private faith, personal contemplative space 11:45 Story: Wado-Ryu karate 12:17 crossing thresholds: martial art and religious space and ritual 16:56 The young contemplative, TV sound meditation and thought problems 19:02 Observation of martial arts with and without ritual, Arrogance 21:30 Skatipat, no-mind, how thought brings you out of the altered state, meditative practices 23:48 The untangling of pain from emotion and psychological reactivity and physically bracing against it 27:21 Heroic "strong determination' sitting of Shinzen Young, working through pain in meditation 38:50 Ann array of techniques, ego, meditating with others on their terms, not being bound by dogma 41:22 More thoughts on Catholicism, the Bible, and door-knocking sects 44:00 Novel, Celtic mystic writing group, learn by doing and observing, listening to God and the still, small voice within, seeing with God's eyes 51:28 Mentoring, learning by osmosis and proximity, apprenticeship, The Paris Review 54:44 Scotitsh fencing team, weight training, if strong appear weak, deception/perception 1:01:29 Movement Koan Method, what to do after a spiritual epiphany, body movement riddles, muscular activation and somatic reference points, investigation and inquiry over imposition of answer 1:10:41 Somatic emphasis on the concept "there is only here and now, don’t fight just feel and be" with it. 1:14:22 Zhan Zhuang qigong, water seeks its level, muscles, migraines, why we hold pain 1:15:34 Holding tension to withstand migraine and headache. Parallel to sitting meditation pain. Why we hold onto pain, persistent pain, mind/body pain, phantom pain, referred pain. 1:19:34 Dr. Wiley's Migraine cure - Headache's Relieved (book), Natural Solutions to Pain and Inflammation (book) 1:25:27 Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Framework of excess, stagnation, deficiencies 1:27:35 Extending the sweet spot in wellness 1:29:33 Deliberate exposure to weak causing, homeopathy, resources for pain relief 1:34:18 ending comments More on Steve James and The Guru Viking Podcast found here: https://www.guruviking.com/ Transformations Podcast brought to you by: www.TambuliMedia.com ... To watch more of Mark's episodes, click here: https://www.youtube.com/@markvwiley

30 Juli 20231h 36min

In this episode I am joined by David Johnson, a meditation teacher and author of ‘A Path to Nibbana’, a complete meditation guide to TWIM. David shares details about the life of his recently deceased teacher, Bhante Vimalaramsi, including their first meetings in the 1970s meditation scene, the last days of Bhante Vimalaramsi’s life, and the consequences of his death for the religious organisation he left behind. David recounts his own life story, including twenty years of meditation in the Vipassana movement and a detailed description of how he achieved its version of stream entry. David explains how practicing Bhante Vimalaramsi’s teachings showed to him that the stream entry achieved through Vipassana meditation is merely a mental blackout, and explains how to achieve true awakening through the practice of TWIM. David also defines enlightenment, discusses psychic siddhi powers, and questions the enlightenment of figures such as Dipa Ma, suggesting their attainments were much less than widely believed. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep212-path-to-nibbna-david-johnson 
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics Include: 00:00 - Intro 03:12 - Death of Bhante Vimalaramsi 09:12 - Meeting Bhante Vimalaramsi in 1975 11:42 - Disco killed meditation 12:24 - Becoming a millionaire and going to India 16:52 - David’s work as librarian of Bhante Vimalaramsi’s teachings 18:42 - Filming Dipa Ma and other famous teachers 21:22 - What’s next after Bhante Vimalaramsi’s death? 25:56 - David’s middle class upbringing in the USA 27:17 - Teenage interest in hypnosis 27:58 - Talking about guitars and music 30:29 - Attending Evergreen College, LSD, and Carlos Castaneda 33:04 - Bouncing between colleges 36:06 - Extensive experience in vipassana meditation 38:22 - David details passing through the progress of insight stages 45:54 - Did David achieve stream entry? 47:08 - Discovering the real stream entry 50:18 - Real stream entry vs vipassana black-outs 55:35 - The practice story of the Buddha 01:02:00 - The importance of tranquillising the mental formations 01:07:02 - The dangers of meditation and psychedelics 01:10:56 - Secularising meditation 01:13:50 - David asks Steve, ‘What is enlightenment?’ 01:16:01 - David accuses Steve of eel-wriggling 01:17:11 - David defines enlightenment in terms of the 4 noble truths 01:22:19 - Dipa Ma was not as enlightened as she thought she was 01:29:29 - Dipa Ma’s mastery of psychic powers 01:34:16 - Going to hell after suppressing the mind with concentration 01:36:58 - How to evaluate your enlightenment level 01:48:04 - Why did Buddhism go wrong? … Previous episodes with Delson Armstrong and Bhante Vimalaramsi visit: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=delson - https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep112-bhante-vimalaramsi-relaxing-into-nibbana To find our more about David Johnson visit: - https://www.dhammasukha.org/david-johnson For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

28 Juli 20231h 58min

John Myrdhin Reynolds, also known as Lama Vajranatha, is a writer, teacher, translator, and scholar/practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. In this episode I am once again joined by John Myrdhin Reynolds, also known as Lama Vajranatha: writer, teacher, translator, and scholar/practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism.  John explains his own involvement with Western occult systems, including ordination into the OTO and as a Wiccan priest, and traces the history of the Western Esoteric tradition from the Italian Renaissance to the present day. John describes how to accumulate magickal power, explains the workings of the spirit world from the perspectives of both Western occultism and Himalayan shamanism, and comments on subjects such as Aleister Crowley, John Dee, Enochian magick, and more. John also gives a detailed step-by-step description of tantric guardian spirit pujas, compares them to the spirit invocation rituals of Western esoteric systems, and warns against the dangers of working with occult forces without proper protection. … Video version: 
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics Include: 00:00 - Intro 01:08 - Early Christian experiences 04:14 - Zen vs Tibetan Buddhism 05:24 - The power of Catholic ceremony and ritual 06:24 - Childhood encounters with nature spirits 10:07 - Pagan symbolism and Greek mythology 12:45 - Fascination with science fiction 14:53 - Columbia University and an interest in Asia 16:01 - Meeting esoteric groups in California and India 20:14 - Return to USA and association with various Tibetan lamas 23:08 - Initiation into Wicca and the OTO 27:00 - History of Wicca in the USA 32:17 - History of Western Esotericism from the Renaissance to the present day 39:22 - John Dee and Enochian Magick 43:03 - Magickal workings with spirits 47:34 - Comments on Aleister Crowley 49:18 - How to develop magickal capacity in Vajrayana Buddhism 52:42 - Comparing Western magick invocations to tantric spirit pujas 55:02 - Essential steps in tantric guardian spirit rituals 01:15:42 - Inside the sacred space of the mandala 01:17:29 - Invocation vs channelling 01:25:43 - Propitiating local spirits 01:27:23 - The tantric feast 01:32:00 - Signs of psychic and magickal capacity 01:38:59 - The psychic power of the 16th Karmapa 01:40:11 - Developing siddhi … Previous episode with John Myrdhin Reynolds visit: - https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep200-lama-vajranatha-professor-john-myrdhin-reynolds To find our more about John Myrdhin Reynolds visit: - https://vajranatha.com/ For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

21 Juli 20231h 46min

In this episode I am joined by Charlie Morley, lucid dreaming teacher and best-selling author, and Dr Garret Yount, a scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences. Charlie and Garret discuss their recent pilot study entitled ‘Decreased Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Following a Lucid Dream Healing Workshop’, published in the May 2023 issue of Traumatology, and explain why their initial results may show great promise for the use of lucid dreaming techniques in the treatment of PTSD. Charlie and Garret lay out the study’s design, the participant recruitment process, the lucid dreaming techniques taught to the subjects, and reveal what they consider to be the most effective techniques for relief of PTSD symptoms. Garret responds to criticisms of the study design, including that limiting the participants to individuals with prior experience of lucid dreaming may have biased the findings, and that the significant psychotherapeutic aspects of the intervention prevent any conclusions being drawn about the efficacy of the lucid dreaming component for PTSD relief. Charlie also discusses how his religious beliefs as a Buddhist influence his work, and reflects on the flowering of the altruistic motivation known as Bodhicitta in his own life and practice. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep210-science-of-lucid-dream-healing-charlie-morley-dr-garret-yount 
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics Include: 00:00 - Intro 01:29 - How the study came to be 06:12 - Securing private funding 08:22 - Charlie’s predictions for the study 10:23 - Anxiety about possible lack of lucid dreams in subjects 17:02 - Garret explains the results of the study 20:05 - The study design and participant selection 26:14 - Charlie’s workshop design 31:21 - Dream planning and Charlie reads participant reports 38:53 - Charlie praises the scientists 40:14 - Saliva sample collection 43:33 - Follow up study with a control group 48:13 - Was the participant selection biased? 54:15 - Why the psychological aspects of the workshop prevent conclusions being drawn about lucid dreaming efficacy 01:00:23 - Charlie on Keith McKenzie 01:01:33 - Hope vs false hope 01:05:35 - The importance of reframing nightmares 01:10:23 - Has the follow-up study broadened the selection criteria? 01:12:28 - Charlie’s speculations about the mechanism of effect 01:18:16 - Charlie’s altruistic motivation 01:22:05 - The flowering of Charlie’s bodhicitta 01:27:24 - Religious doubts and struggles in practice 01:30:33 - Charlie assesses his own religious practice … Previous episode with Charlie Morley: - https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/guru-viking-interviews-ep2-charlie-morley-2 - https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep148-wake-up-to-sleep-charlie-morley-2 To read the paper: - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/371051446_Decreased_posttraumatic_stress_disorder_symptoms_following_a_lucid_dream_healing_workshop To find out more about Charlie and Garret, visit: - http://www.charliemorley.com/ - https://noetic.org/profile/garret-yount/ … For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

14 Juli 20231h 38min

In this episode I am joined by Lionel Snell, a contemporary English magician, publisher, and, under various pen names such as Ramsey Dukes, a renowned author on magic and philosophy. Lionel shares his life’s journey with magick, explores his years reading mathematics at Cambridge University, immersing in the work of British occultists Aleister Crowley and Austin Spare, and how an experimental group ritual had unexpected and tragic implications. Lionel discusses the true meaning of initiation, the serious dangers of becoming involved in magick, and his time in the OTO alongside figures such as Gerald Suster. Lionel also considers subjects such as the importance of magical thinking, the tension between structure and freedom, the role of banishing rituals, and the cycles of a person’s life. … Video version: www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep209-the-english-magician-ramsay-dukes 
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics Include: 00:00 - Intro 00:59 - Childhood interest in magick 04:12 - The mystery of alchemy 06:04 - Exploring Aleister Crowley’s writings while at Cambridge University 07:26 - Meeting Gerald York and discovering Austin Spare 08:37 - The Zen of Western Magick 10:39 - Writing books about magick 13:00 - Joining the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO) 14:38 - The Kindred of the Kibbo Kift 19:31 - From maths to magick 25:11 - Education as a ritual of initial 29:24 -The true meaning of initiation 32:25 - Initiation in British and American culture 36:38 - Experiments in practicing the occult 40:52 - The role of psychedelics in the 60s occult revival 42:06 - Lionel’s life changing experience with psychedelics 50:37 - Meditation and practicing the occult 55:06 - The Yang form of Tai Chi 56:17 - Gerald Suster and transforming experience through magick 01:02:24 - Lionel’s talent for ritual magick 01:05:04 - Crowley on ritual 01:06:19 - Lionel’s occult ritual at Emmanuel College with unexpected results 01:13:21 - The dangers of practicing magick 01:17:47 - Beyond occult power 01:20:48 - Strength vs power 01:24:37 - Structure and freedom - a secret to magick 01:29:25 - Banishing rituals and self protection 01:31:54 - A profound dream and making one’s magickal implements 01:35:43 - About cycles 01:40:44 - Magical thinking and the cyclical phases of life … To find out more about Ramsey Dukes, visit: - https://ramseydukes.co.uk/ - https://www.youtube.com/@RamseyDukes For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

7 Juli 20232h

In this episode I am once again joined by Naomi Levine, author, under her birth name Norma Levine, of multiple books including ‘The Miraculous 16th Karmapa’, ‘A Quest For The Hidden Lands’, and ‘Chronicles of Love and Death: My Years With The Last Spiritual King of Bhutan’. Naomi discusses her various publications about the Karmapas, focusing in particular on the lives and activities of the 16th and 17th of that line. Naomi describes the magical powers and spiritual aura of the 16th Karmapa, recounts her own and others’ experiences of his supernatural potency, and recalls the process of compiling stories of his miraculous activities. Naomi explores the controversies around the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje, including his recognition, escape from Tibet, interactions with the Tibetan government in exile, and various accusations in the media. Naomi also speculates about the futures of both the Tibetan political cause and the Tibetan religious institutions after the death of the Dalai Lama. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep208-karmapa-tales-naomi-levine-2 
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics Include: 00:00 - Intro 01:12 - 16th Karmapa’s miraculous powers 02:51 - Meeting the 16th Karmapa in England 05:08 - Apolitical 06:51 - Political intrigue and persecution of the Karmapas 09:02 - The 16th Karmapa’s freedom 10:13 - The controversy of the 17th Karmapas 11:50 - Escaping from Tibet but captured in Dharamsala 22:35 - Politics and Dharma 24:03 - The unravelling of the Tibet cause 26:23 - The future of Tibetan religion 28:56 - Did the Tibetan government In exile block the 17th Karma’s activities? 31:41 - The 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje’s current situation 34:11 - Compiling satires for ‘the book’ 36:15 - A black hat ceremony story 43:18 - How did the Karmapa become so supernaturally powerful? 48:22 - Allegations against the 17th Karmapa 57:05 - The role of the 17th Karmapa in discovering the Shabdrung’s yangsi 01:07:54 - Separating personal religious practice from religious politics … Previous episode with Naomi Levine: - https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep190-love-death-in-the-himalayas-naomi-levine To find out more about Naomi Levine, visit: - https://www.facebook.com/naomilevine111 - https://www.amazon.com/stores/Norma-Levine/author/B001K86LZ4?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

30 Juni 20231h 12min

In this episode I am once again joined by Dr Alexander Arguelles, linguist, world-renowned polyglot, and scholar of comparative religion. Dr Arguelles continues the biographical thread taken up in his previous episode, recalling, after his years of intense language study in Korea, accepting a Professorship in Lebanon to immerse in Arabic and later fleeing the country with his family as war erupted there. Dr Arguelles recalls teaching positions in California, Singapore, Dubai, and the language immersions that those posting facilitated. Dr Arguelles also critiques current trends in the American university system, compares it to the past, proposes alternative structures and reformations, and offers his thoughts on the future of academia. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep207-wandering-polyglot-dr-alexander-arguelles-2 
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics Include: 00:00 - Intro 02:54 - Accepting a professorship in Lebanon to immerse in Arabic 05:26 - Reflecting on learning Arabic 08:19 - Mental technique to turn off the English mind 09:18 - Fleeing Lebanon when war broke out 15:01 - Teaching at the New College of California 19:27 - :Early activity on ‘How To Learn A Language’ forum 21:47 - How would Professor Arguelles reform education in America today? 26:11 - Learning 4 languages at once 32:30 - Teaching in Singapore as a Language Specialist 35:14 - Collaboration with linguist Paul Nation 38:34 - Teaching adults vs university students 42:42 - Accepting a professorship in Dubai and more Arabic immersion 40:03 - Being studied as a polyglot and learning Hebrew 51:08 - The rich story tradition of Arabic 53:47 - Death of Prof Arguelles’ brother 56:07 - Homeschooling his sons in multiple languages 58:51 - Mixed experiences at the Concorida Language Villages in Minnesota 01:08:59 - Professor Arguelles Academy 01:12:23 - Criticisms of academia and today’s University system 01:21:29 - Predicting the future of Universities in the USA 01:23:30 - Language learning as meditation … Previous episode with Dr Alexander Arguelles: - https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep199-path-of-the-polyglot-dr-alexander-arguelles To find our more about Dr Alexander Arguelles and his Academy, visit: - https://www.alexanderarguelles.com/academy/ For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

23 Juni 20231h 26min