Patrick J. Mahaffey, PhD, is a core professor and the associate chair of the Mythological Studies Program at Pacifica Graduate Institute, which he chaired for eighteen years. His teaching and research focus on Hindu and Buddhist traditions, comparative philosophy of religion, God complex and contemplative practices. He has practiced Hindu forms of meditation for forty […]

On one hand Steve Gallegos is former university department chair, therapist, speaker, and writer with degrees in psychology from the University of Wisconsin, New Mexico State University, and Florida State University, where he earned his PhD in psychology. On the other hand he is a Shaman, therapist and therapy trainer who teaches the use of […]

Madhavi Narsalay is a professor of Sanskrit and Comparative Mythology in the Sanskrit Department at the University of Mumbai—one of the oldest and most prestigious schools in India. She specializes in the Vedas and Vedanta, and is an expert in the fields of Indian Mythology and Aesthetics. This past April she curated and led the […]

Born in 1931, Dr. Christine Downing has nurtured a long career as a scholar of religion, depth psychology, feminist studies, and mythology. She was the first married woman to graduate from Swarthmore College, earning her degree in literature, and the first woman to earn a doctorate from Drew University, writing her dissertation on the German […]

Jeffrey J. Kripal is the J Newton Rayzor Professor of Philosophy and Religious Thought and former Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Rice University. He received his PhD from the University of Chicago Divinity School, where he worked on his dissertation with Dr. Wendy Doniger. He is the author of seven books: Comparing […]

In this episode we wanted to try a crossover from a JCF Mythological RoundTable event for a Mythosophia episode. We talk a bit in the beginning, then we cut away to snip-its of Safron’s talk. While it may seem like a more odd episode to listen to, when we edit in the video and imagery, […]

John Powers is a Pulitzer Prize Winner and forty year veteran of the Boston Globe. He has authored eight books, writes for Harvard Magazine, and has covered sporting events in five continents–including the Summer Olympics, Winter Olympics and World Cup. In fact, he is currently covering the International event for The Globe, so we are very grateful for our time […]

Mythosophia – 5 – Myth, Psyche, and Human Hybridization, with Glen Slater For the past twelve years, Glen Slater has taught Jungian and Archetypal Psychology at the Pacifica Graduate Institute. His academic background includes degrees in Religious Studies and Clinical Psychology. He edited and introduced volume three of James Hillman’s Uniform Edition of writings, Senex […]

Mythosophia – 4 – Mythology of Eden, with Zaman Stanizai  Zaman Stanizai is professor of Islamic Traditions in the Mythological Studies program at Pacifica Graduate Institute here in Santa Barbara, and a professor of Political Science at California State University, Dominguez Hills. He received an MA in linguistics from the University of Washington and earned his doctorate […]

Alanna Kaivalya is a modern mythologist & mystic reinterpreting the heart of yoga for modern practitioners. She is the founder of The Kaivalya Yoga Method and an internationally published author. Alanna is listed as one of Yoga Journal’s Top 20 Teachers Under 40, and focuses on fixing what’s broken in yoga. Her first book, Myths of the Asanas showcases the myths behind the poses […]