Dean Sluyter (pronounced "slighter") has taught natural methods of meditation and awakening since 1970. His five highly acclaimed books include Natural Meditation: A Guide to Effortless Meditative Practice (Amazon #1 stress management bestseller, and Nautilus Gold Medal winner for best mind-body-spirit book) and Fear Less: Living Beyond Fear, Anxiety, Anger, and Addiction. Dean gives talks, workshops, and retreats throughout the United States and beyond, from Ivy League colleges to maximum-security prisons. His media appearances have included National Public Radio, The New York Times, New York Magazine, Coast to Coast AM, The Dr. Oz Show, and O, The Oprah Magazine.

A grateful student of Eastern and Western sages in several traditions, Dean has completed numerous pilgrimages and retreats in India, Tibet, Nepal, and the West. He is known for conveying authentic teachings in forms that are relaxed, accessible, and down-to-earth. When not writing or teaching, he plays the ukulele and happily rides his Vespa through the streets of Santa Monica.

Other books:

The Zen Commandments: Ten Suggestions for a Life of Inner Freedom.

Cinema Nirvana: Enlightenment Lessons from the Movies

Why the Chicken Crossed the Road: & Other Hidden Enlightenment Teachings from the Buddha to Bebop to Mother Goose

Website: deansluyter.com

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.

Transcript of this interview

Interview recorded May 26, 2018.

YouTube Video Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump

00:06:06 - The Principle of Effortlessness

00:11:15 - The Effortlessness of Meditation

00:16:26 - Resting as Awareness and Mindfulness

00:21:18 - Finding Fulfillment within Ourselves

00:26:29 - Happiness and the Nature of Awareness

00:31:54 - The Illusion of an External Universe

00:37:26 - The Existence of the Moon and Reality

00:42:25 - Shifting Perspectives and the Materialistic Worldview

00:47:12 - The Paper Tiger

00:51:05 - The Stories We Read

00:55:00 - Finding the Divine in Unexpected Places

00:58:59 - Functioning from the Zone

01:02:52 - Support of Nature and Synchronicity

01:06:27 - The Intersection of Spirituality and Science

01:10:18 - The Misconception of Alpha Waves

01:13:57 - Relaxing at the Moment of Contact

01:17:29 - Sharing with the Sweetest Dog in the World

01:21:30 - Breaking the Habit of Worry

01:25:28 - Cessation of Suffering through Mind Control

01:29:20 - Arrival at the Villa of the Hippie Artist Commune

01:33:34 - Cultivating Devotion and Appreciation

01:37:30 - The Shaky Ground of Devotion

01:41:37 - Movies as Conduits of Higher Wisdom

01:45:28 - Einstein's Classroom in Princeton

01:49:03 - The Healing Power of Meditation and Conscious Contact

01:53:06 - Bill Wilson's Meditation Experience

01:57:04 - The Lord of Destruction

02:01:25 - Finding Liberation in Loss

02:05:48 - Cooperating with the Cosmic Purpose

02:09:24 - Ways to Support the Channel