Melinda Edwards, MD is a mother, writer and physician in Charleston, South Carolina, providing psychiatric care for underserved adults. She attended the Medical University of South Carolina and completed her residency in psychiatry at Stanford Medical Center. She has studied complementary and alternative medicine with Andrew Weil, MD, researched the effects of MDMA on PTSD with Michael Mithoefer, MD, and is a columnist for Autism Parenting Magazine. Dr. Edwards is the author of PSYCHE & SPIRIT: How a Psychiatrist Found Divinity Through Her Lifelong Search for Truth and Her Daughter’s Autism.

As a child of medical missionaries, Melinda grew up in a Mayan Indian village in Guatemala, Central America. Early in life she experienced an inner pull to a deeper truth. Her journey has taken her through various spiritual practices including meditation retreats, guidance from spiritual teachers, travel to India, and living in spiritual communities. Her quest led to the ongoing discovery of the sacred in all.

Inspired by her journey with her daughter Saachi, Dr. Edwards founded the 501c3 nonprofit organization Living Darshan to foster a deeper understanding of autism in the world.

Website: melindaedwardsmd.com

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group

Summary and transcript of this interview

Interview recorded July 20, 2024

YouTube Video Chapters:

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

00:03:26 - An Evolutionary Journey

00:07:57 - The Fear of Going to Hell

00:11:58 - Tiptoeing Through Sleeping Elephants

00:16:32 - Levels of Spiritual Evolution

00:20:56 - The Spiral into Anorexia

00:25:46 - The Importance of Compassion and Being Heard

00:30:10 - Love as a Virus and the Hazards of Idealizing Spiritual Teachers

00:34:39 - Red Flags in Spiritual Teachers and Communities

00:39:21 - The Dangers of a Spiritualized Ego

00:43:34 - The Danger of Unqualified Advice in the Spiritual Community

00:47:37 - Exploiting Students' Finances

00:51:29 - The Role of Students in Spiritual Teaching

00:55:29 - Correlation between Teaching in Medicine and Spirituality

00:59:39 - Spiritual Teachers and Holistic Development

01:03:34 - The Realization of Nothingness

01:07:09 - The Nature of Realization and Integration

01:10:15 - The Dissolution of the Project of "Me"

01:13:53 - Micro adjustments and thriving

01:18:13 - Medications and Spiritual Awakening

01:21:51 - Support and Caution in Meditation Retreats

01:25:50 - The Impact of Spiritual Practices on Brain Chemistry

01:29:41 - Taking Medication for ADD and Kundalini Awakening

01:33:16 - Online Sessions and the Law

01:38:05 - The Porousness of Energy and Information

01:42:40 - The Increase of Neurodiverse Beings in the Population

01:47:44 - Different Realms and Dimensions

01:51:22 - Supporting Autistic Children in Their Purpose

01:55:29 - Navigating Kundalini Energy

01:59:32 - The Power of a Mother's Love

02:02:41 - Stay tuned for upcoming content