Dena Merriam has been working in the interfaith field for 20 years and founded the Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW) in 2002. Initially, the organization was designed to provide a global platform for women spiritual leaders to organize and mediate dialogues in areas of conflict and tension. This soon expanded to include an equal number of men and women spiritual teachers and to deal with a range of issues, including climate change, ecological destruction, racial inequity, etc. The premise for the gatherings organized by GPIW is that at the heart of all these issues is a spiritual crisis and the way to address them is a shift in consciousness. Dena has served on the boards of the Harvard University Center for World Religions, the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy, Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association, among others. In 2014 she was awarded the Niwano Peace Prize. Over the years as memories of past births have arisen, Dena has recorded them in order to better understand the karmic patterns. She has now shared her memories in My Journey Through Time: A Spiritual Memoir of Life, Death, and Rebirth, in the hope that others will gain insight into their own lives through this sharing.

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Transcript of this interview

Interview recorded July 14, 2018

YouTube Video Chapters:

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

00:04:15 - Overcoming the Fear of Death and Shaping our Destiny

00:08:04 - Identity and Spiritual Experiences

00:12:03 - Consciousness and Past Lives

00:16:02 - The Process of Remembering Past Lives

00:20:01 - Reincarnation and the Fear of Death

00:23:59 - Shaping Your Own Life and Awakening

00:28:11 - Shifting to a Higher Era

00:32:13 - Embracing Human and Spiritual Unity

00:35:49 - The Virtue of Patience and the Law of Cause and Effect

00:39:48 - Long-term Vision and Reflection in Life

00:44:02 - Creating a Vision for the Future

00:48:09 - The Shift in Consciousness

00:51:47 - The Cleansing Process and Mobilizing Spiritual Energies

00:55:40 - A Powerful Moment of Bonding

00:59:37 - Memories and Aspirations in Between Lives

01:03:40 - Living in the Celestial Realms

01:07:44 - The Yogis' Understanding of Consciousness

01:11:28 - Meditation and Brain Changes

01:15:12 - The Impact of Meditation in All Communities

01:19:41 - Reincarnation and Spiritual Connections

01:23:48 - The Power of Love and Consciousness

01:27:20 - The Power of Spiritual Laws and Love

01:30:37 - Broadening Perspective and Compassion for the Planet

01:33:40 - The Importance of Every Individual

01:36:50 - The Need for Proper Values in Society

01:40:05 - Debauchery and Inner Clarity

01:43:17 - The Concept of Self in Buddhism and Hinduism

01:46:31 - Finding My Voice as a Woman and Bridging Cultures

01:49:41 - Accessing Higher States in Dreams

01:52:44 - Where to find more content