Daljeet Peterson is an astrologer, Human Design analyst, and author exploring how ancient and modern systems of meaning can guide us through times of transformation. His work bridges astrology, Human Design, and the Gene Keys as complementary maps of consciousness — tools for aligning with one's deeper purpose and participating more consciously in the collective evolution of our species. 

A former television editor turned cosmic cartographer, Daljeet brings a storyteller's sensibility to the study of archetypes, weaving together myth, history, and contemporary culture. He is the author of "Collective Souls: Generations, Astrology, and the Future of America," which explores how generational astrology reveals the hidden cycles shaping our nation's destiny and the emerging potentials of a new Aquarian era.

In this conversation, we explore Daljeet's journey into astrology, how astrology was discovered, and whether astrology is a religion.

We get into common misconceptions of astrology, how to distinguish good astrology from bad astrology, and the foundational principles of astrology.

We also explore the mechanism behind planetary effects, the limits of falsifiability, science, and left-brain ways of knowing, and unpack Human Design and Gene Keys and how they tie into astrology.

Daljeet walks us through holding modalities with curiosity and humility, the ideas behind "Collective Souls: Generations, Astrology, and the Future of America," the unique gifts and challenges of Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z, and calls to action for each generation.

🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES 🔗

• Daljeet's site
•  Subscribe to Daljeet's Substack
•  Collective Souls — Daljeet Peterson
•  Astrology 101: Blueprint of the Soul series
•  Cosmos & Psyche — Richard Tarnas

🕰️ TIMESTAMPS 🕰️

0:00 - Introduction
4:38 - Daljeet's journey into astrology
8:22 - How astrology was discovered
16:27 - Is astrology a religion?
21:55 - Common misconceptions of astrology
26:06 - How to distinguish good astrology from bad astrology
28:58 - The foundational principles of astrology
39:52 - What is the mechanism behind planetary effects?
45:00 - The limits of falsifiability, science, and left-brain ways of knowing
51:22 - Unpacking Human Design and Gene Keys
1:01:56 - Holding modalities with curiosity and humility
1:06:27 - "Collective Souls: Generations, Astrology, and the Future of America"
1:13:00 - The unique gifts and challenges of the four generations — Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z
1:20:51 - Calls to action for the four generations

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch the video versions of the Elevating Consciousness Podcast 

*Subscribe to the Insighter Substack to get the latest podcast episodes, in-depth articles, and community practice sessions delivered straight to your inbox

Natureza Gabriel is an ancestral neuroscience pioneer, developer of Autonomics, and founder of Hearth Science — an organization and community offering tools, trainings, and practices that help people cultivate nervous system fluency and deepen their experience of wellbeing. 

At the heart of his work is Autonomics, an animist cartography of living autonomic physiology shaped by over three decades of collaboration with more than one hundred mentors and advisors across 25 healing traditions and 24 cultures, many indigenous. It is considered one of the first accurate maps of the living autonomic nervous system in modernity. 

His Autonomics trainings have been sought out by the United Nations, a division of NATO, global social and ecological movements, and elite firms in executive coaching and leadership development. He is the author of many books including "Restorative Practices of Well-Being," "Finding Home in Your Nervous System," "Autonomic Triage," and "The Neurobiology of Connection."

In this conversation, we explore the origins of Gabriel's autonomic model and how it diverged from Polyvagal Theory, and the 13 autonomic states that make up his framework.

We get into neuroception, neurology, and neurochemistry, what constitutes a healthy autonomic nervous system, and the limits of HRV and the future of autonomic diagnostics.

We also explore the importance of restorative practices, how to rebalance a hyperactivated nervous system, how to rebalance a shut-down nervous system, and the importance of community in healing and processing grief.

We close on the limitations of modernity, how modernity disconnected us from the Earth, the challenges of running a company in a culture of domination, how to bridge power and wisdom by becoming a mycelium network, the disconnection underlying the techno-optimist worldview, and pathways towards civilizational wellness.

🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES 🔗

• Gabriel's personal site
•  Gabriel's autonomic trainings
•  Gabriel's clinic
•  Restorative practices portal
•  The Neurobiology of Connection — Natureza Gabriel
•  Ground: How Modernity Disconnected from the Earth — Natureza Gabriel
•  Finding Home in Your Nervous System — Natureza Gabriel
•  Awakening Human Connection — Natureza Gabriel
•  Stephen Porges
•  Somatic Experiencing
•  Dr. Vincent Felitti
•  Malidoma Patrice Somé
•  Sobonfu Somé on grief
•  Tiokasin Ghosthorse
•  Scott Galloway podcast
•  What is Circling? — Artem Zen
•  Carri Munn

🕰️ TIMESTAMPS 🕰️

0:00 - Introduction
3:52 - The origins of Autonomics — bridging neuroscience and autonomic physiology
7:53 - Stephen Porges, Polyvagal Theory, and moving beyond a two-system autonomics
21:44 - The 13 autonomic states
31:31 - Neuroception, neurology, and neurochemistry
34:55 - What is a healthy autonomic nervous system?
42:39 - The limits of HRV and the future of autonomic diagnostics
49:17 - The importance of restorative practices
52:00 - How to rebalance a hyperactivated nervous system
1:01:09 - How to rebalance a shut-down nervous system
1:05:47 - The importance of community in healing and processing grief
1:11:45 - The limitations of modernity
1:14:55 - Ground — how modernity disconnected us from the Earth
1:24:10 - The challenges of running a company in a culture of domination
1:33:52 - How do we bridge power and wisdom? Becoming a mycelium network
1:45:10 - The disconnection that underlies the techno-optimist worldview
1:48:33 - Pathways towards civilizational wellness

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch the video versions of the Elevating Consciousness Podcast 

*Subscribe to the Insighter Substack to get the latest podcast episodes, in-depth articles, and community practice sessions delivered straight to your inbox

Pema Dragpa is a dharma teacher, author, and ordained Tibetan Buddhist Lama who graduated with honors in Philosophy and Religious Studies from New York University in 2002. Since 2004 he has served as a resident teacher at Padma Samye Ling, a meditation retreat center founded by the Nyingma Dzogchen masters Venerable Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Venerable Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche. In 2010 he was formally ordained as a Lama by the Venerable Khenpo Rinpoches. He is also a senior editor of more than 25 books on Buddhist philosophy and the author of "An Integral View of Tibetan Buddhism: Preserving Lineage Wisdom in the 21st Century." Dragpa regularly travels to lead Padmasambhava Buddhist Center events, bridging traditional Tibetan wisdom with contemporary approaches to meditation and the path of awakening.

In this conversation, we explore Pema's journey into Tibetan Buddhism, a deep taste of samsara and the impact of the Khenpo Rinpoches, and the monastic vs the householder path.

We get into balancing spirituality with money and practical concerns, unpacking the Integral view and stage, and Pema's disagreements with Ken Wilber — including whether Vajrayana can even be considered Integral.

We also explore an integrative approach to transformation, unity in diversity and the shadow of Integral, John Churchill's Sacred Humanism, and why there is no definitive answer, system, or theory — experimenting in fail-safe mode.

Pema walks us through the importance of communities of practice and syncing up with lineage wisdom, why we should be wary of a "Puritan Dharma," and the core tenets and frames of Vajrayana Buddhism, before sharing a Tibetan prayer.

We close on why we need more ways of being in touch, the importance of going deep in one tradition, the four turnings of Buddhism simplified, the perfect practice for a degenerative age, whether we need more politically engaged spiritual teachers, making change at a meso scale, and Integral, the notion of absolute truth, and freedom from samsara.

🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES 🔗

• An Integral View of Tibetan Buddhism — Pema Dragpa
•  Listen to Pema Dragpa's dharma talks
•  Padmasambhava Buddhist Center
•  Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche
•  Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche
•  John Churchill on the Elevating Consciousness Podcast
•  Ken Wilber
•  Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
•  Sean Esbjorn-Hargens

🕰️ TIMESTAMPS 🕰️

0:00 - Introduction
3:32 - Pema Dragpa's journey into Tibetan Buddhism
7:20 - A deep taste of samsara and the impact of the Khenpo Rinpoches
16:18 - The monastic vs the householder path
18:51 - Balancing spirituality with money and practical concerns
26:56 - Unpacking the Integral view and stage
33:01 - Disagreements with Ken Wilber — is Vajrayana Integral?
43:26 - An integrative approach to transformation
47:47 - Unity in diversity and the shadow of Integral
56:36 - John Churchill's Sacred Humanism
59:33 - There is no definitive answer, system, or theory — experimenting in fail-safe mode
1:09:31 - The importance of communities of practice and syncing up with lineage wisdom
1:15:49 - Be wary of a Puritan Dharma
1:16:34 - The core tenets and frames of Vajrayana Buddhism
1:24:11 - Pema shares a Tibetan prayer
1:28:54 - We need more ways of being in touch — healthy integrative mode
1:32:04 - The importance of going deep in one tradition
1:33:17 - The four turnings of Buddhism simplified
1:34:09 - The perfect practice for a degenerative age
1:42:24 - Do we need more politically engaged spiritual teachers?
1:47:53 - Making change at a meso scale
1:50:56 - Integral, the notion of absolute truth, and freedom from samsara

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch the video versions of the Elevating Consciousness Podcast 

*Subscribe to the Insighter Substack to get in-depth articles on the theory and practice of human transformation through a post-conventional lens

Peter McEwen is an ordained Nyingma yogi, meditation coach, and founder of The Field, an organization teaching tantric methods to practitioners navigating contemporary life demands. Since 1993 he has studied under Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, Tulku Orgyen P'huntsok, Lama Pema Dorje Rinpoche, and Bruce Tift, and has completed the traditional Vajrayana three-year retreat curriculum. Peter writes The Current on Substack, sharing essays and tools from thirty years of integrating contemplative practice with daily life. His work focuses on embodied presence and nervous system fluency, offering methods that survive the actual pressures of work, relationships, and daily complexity.

In this conversation, we explore Peter's initial experiences of awakening and getting into Buddhism, balancing personal, interpersonal, and spiritual work, and the impact of working closely with Bruce Tift.

We get into what Tantra actually is, selecting the appropriate practice for your developmental stage, and what Tummo is and how it works as an inner fire practice — including Peter guiding us through a live Tummo meditation.

We also explore how Tummo focuses the mind, visualization vs feeling in Tummo practice, what Deity yoga is and how it works, and whether traditional deity forms translate for Western minds.

We close with practical guidance on how to get the most out of practice as a householder and a look ahead at Peter's upcoming Tummo course.

🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES 🔗

• Peter's personal site
•  The Field meditation training
•  Upcoming Tummo course
•  Subscribe to Peter's Substack
•  Bruce Tift on the Elevating Consciousness podcast
•  Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
•  Tulku Orgyen P'huntsok
•  Lama Pema Dorje Rinpoche
•  Jonny Miller
•  Donald Hoffman

🕰️ TIMESTAMPS 🕰️

0:00 - Introduction
2:38 - Initial experiences of awakening and getting into Buddhism
8:01 - Balancing personal, interpersonal, and spiritual work
23:17 - The impact of working with Bruce Tift
27:15 - What is Tantra?
34:59 - Selecting the appropriate practice for your developmental stage
44:32 - What is Tummo and how does it work? — inner fire practice
54:45 - Peter guides a Tummo meditation
1:10:25 - How Tummo focuses the mind
1:12:28 - Visualization vs feeling in Tummo
1:16:00 - What is Deity yoga and how does it work?
1:22:22 - Do traditional deity forms work for Western minds?
1:28:51 - How to get the most out of practice as a householder
1:41:49 - Peter's upcoming Tummo course

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch the video versions of the Elevating Consciousness Podcast 

*Subscribe to the Insighter Substack to get in-depth articles on the theory and practice of human transformation through a post-conventional lens

David Rug is a metaphysician, civilizational theorist, and visionary storyteller on a journey of transmuting childhood wounds of social fragmentation into memetic medicine for the human family. Sensitized to the pains of social division and disconnect early in life through his parents' divorce and the increasingly political fracturing of his family field, he set out on a quest to understand the root causes of conflict and miscommunication. While completing his bachelor's degree in physics at Heidelberg University, he discovered GameB and adjacent movements, realizing there was, in effect, a "physics of communication" — principles that could be applied to the challenges he cared most about.

This insight led him to found Project Liminality, an open-source communication and co-creation layer designed to reshape how we share and organize around ideas. A central focus of this work is developing the InterBrain, a novel digital medium aimed at flipping the vector of conflict and fragmentation toward unity and wholeness. His work combines systems thinking, visionary storytelling, and a deep exploration of the shared ideas and narratives that can inspire humanity to unite in addressing our greatest challenges.

In this conversation, we explore David's early experiences of fragmentation and how he discovered the liminal web, the polarities of fragmentation, and finding the third attractor. We get into the idea that the solution has to come from a higher dimension of consciousness, false progress, psychological warfare, and developing a memetic immune system.

We also explore A Course in Miracles, fear vs love, specialness vs uniqueness, building trust networks, returning to the spoken word, and the problems of scale. David walks us through moving from personal knowledge management to collective knowledge gardening, his big insights on the primacy of symbols and written vs spoken word, and the practicalities and critiques of building the InterBrain.

We close on moving from independence to deep interdependence, revolutionizing journalism and politics, and the process of DreamWeaving.

🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES 🔗

• Support Project Liminality and the building of the InterBrain
•  Project Liminality YouTube channel
•  The InterBrain — How Collective DreamWeaving Can Heal the World
•  Dialectical Thinking
•  Jordan Hall in conversation with David Rug
•  In Search of the Third Attractor — Daniel Schmachtenberger
•  The War on Sensemaking — Daniel Schmachtenberger
•  The War on Sensemaking II — Daniel Schmachtenberger
•  Sand Talk — Tyson Yunkaporta
•  Rebel Wisdom
•  A Course in Miracles
•  Joe Hudson
•  Relateful
•  Jordan Myska Allen
•  Ultraspeaking

🕰️ TIMESTAMPS 🕰️

0:00 - Introduction
3:15 - Early experiences of fragmentation and discovering the liminal web
13:47 - The polarities of fragmentation and finding the third attractor
21:10 - The solution has to come from a higher dimension of consciousness
25:22 - False progress, psychological warfare, and developing a memetic immune system
34:52 - A Course in Miracles, fear vs love, specialness vs uniqueness
41:54 - Building trust networks, returning to the spoken word, and problems of scale
51:21 - From personal knowledge management to collective knowledge gardening
1:08:35 - Reflecting on David's big insights — the primacy of symbols, written vs spoken word
1:14:50 - The practicalities of the InterBrain — how it would work
1:26:30 - Critiques and challenges of building the InterBrain
1:31:21 - Moving from independence to deep interdependence
1:36:42 - Revolutionizing journalism and politics
1:44:06 - The process of DreamWeaving
1:52:55 - Support David's work

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch the video versions of the Elevating Consciousness Podcast 

*Subscribe to the Insighter Substack to get in-depth articles on the theory and practice of human transformation through a post-conventional lens

Dr. John Churchill is a psychologist, dharma teacher, and founder of Planetary Dharma — an integrally informed community embracing the vows and path of the Bodhisattva, committed to elevating human consciousness and collective transformation. John holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from William James College and is a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine. His journey into Buddhist psychology began as a monk at Samye Ling Monastery in Scotland, where he undertook an in-depth study of Buddhist contemplative practice. He later spent 15 years training and teaching Mahamudra meditation within an Indo-Tibetan Mahayana lineage under the mentorship of Dr. Daniel P. Brown.

John is a founding member of the Integral Institute, led by transpersonal philosopher Ken Wilber, and has received advanced training in attachment therapy, hypnosis, positive psychology for peak performance, and the "Pointing Out" style of Mahamudra meditation. He is the author of "Becoming Buddha: Buddhist Contemplative Psychology in a Western Context." For the past 25 years, he has been developing what he calls the Fourth Turning Planetary Dharma — a full-spectrum psychospiritual approach integrating the great Indo-Tibetan traditions with psychodynamic healing and adult development.

In this conversation, we unpack the four turnings of Buddhism and John's vision for a distinct fourth turning, Planetary Dharma's emphasis on the imaginal and self-image, and John's differences with his mentor and teacher, Dan Brown.

We get into navigating the traditional vs progressive polarities in spirituality, transitioning beyond Buddhism into Sacred Humanism, and why modern minds are disconnected from sacred world.

We also explore the pre-trans fallacy and navigating the trans-rational, the role of psychedelics on the psychospiritual path, what's needed to build out a fourth turning academy, the constraints of a householder, and the future of dharma.

🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES 🔗

• Learn more about Planetary Dharma
• Follow Planetary Dharma on Instagram
• Follow Planetary Dharma on Facebook 
• Planetary Dharma’s Medicine Dharma Course
• Dan Brown
• Ken Wilber
• A.H. Almaas
• Hamilton Souther
• Lama Mike Crowley

🕰️ TIMESTAMPS 🕰️

0:00 - Intro
3:29 - Unpacking the four turnings of Buddhism
9:58 - Further distinguishing the fourth turning
16:09 - Artem's experience participating in the Planetary Dharma introductory retreat
17:27 - Planetary Dharma's emphasis on the imaginal and self-image
25:25 - John's differences with his mentor and teacher Dan Brown
37:56 - Navigating the traditional vs progressive polarities in spirituality
49:01 - Transitioning beyond Buddhism into Sacred Humanism
55:15 - Why modern minds are disconnected from Sacred World
1:02:46 - The pre-trans fallacy and navigating the trans-rational
1:16:17 - The role of psychedelics on the psychospiritual path
1:28:00 - What's needed to build out a fourth turning academy
1:37:40 - The constraints of a householder and the future of Dharma
1:50:37 - Planetary Dharma offerings

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch the video versions of the Elevating Consciousness Podcast 

*Subscribe to the Insighter Substack to get in-depth articles on the theory and practice of human transformation through a post-conventional

Ali Tataryn is a counselor, somatic educator, and coach who guides clients through somatic-emotional release and helps them map their internal emotional landscapes for healing and self-development. She is the founder of Relational Dojo, a space where kind humans come together to co-create curious and courageous conversations, and co-founder of Sacred Somatic Events, a sober somatic dance experience inviting participants into full-spectrum self-expression.

Her primary training is in counseling, expressive arts, and somatic education. Ali has completed over 260 hours of Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training and is a trained T3 Circling Facilitator through the Integral Center. She is a meditation teacher certified under Upasaka Culadasa and Junpo Roshi, with extensive personal practice in the Namgyal-Kagyu tradition under teachers including Lama Lodro, Lama Sidney, Lama Rodney Devinish, and her mother, Dr. Darlene Tataryn. Ali proudly collaborates with her father, clinical psychologist Dr. Douglas J. Tataryn, facilitating and coaching through his Bio-Emotive Framework.

In this conversation, we explore Ali's journey growing up with parents deeply immersed in emotional and spiritual work, what it meant to grow up with "cycle breakers," and good enough parenting in an imperfect life.

We get into navigating the self vs other polarity, how a bodhisattva deals with a narcissist, and reconnecting to the good, the true, and the beautiful.

Ali walks us through acting as a spiritual practice versus acting as a career, becoming aware of suffering, the thin line between awakening and psychosis, and navigating identity as an artist.

We also explore the Bio-Emotive Framework and the art of emotional processing, why emotions are not logical but lawful, balancing intellectual with emotional and relational development, and comparing Circling, emotional processing, and deconstruction as distinct paths of growth. 

🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES 🔗

• Ali’s personal site
• The Bio-Emotive Framework
• Follow Ali on Substack
• Follow Douglas Tataryn on Substack
• How to Process Emotions with Douglas Tataryn on the Elevating Consciousness Podcast
• Diane Musho Hamilton
• Leonard Cohen
• What is Circling by Artem Zen

🕰️ TIMESTAMPS 🕰️

0:00 - Introduction
 4:00 - Growing up with cycle breakers
 7:06 - Good enough parenting and an imperfect life
 10:08 - Navigating the self vs other polarity
 16:18 - How does a bodhisattva deal with a narcissist?
 22:00 - Reconnecting to the good, the true, and the beautiful
 24:50 - Acting as a spiritual practice vs acting as a career
 37:45 - Becoming aware of suffering
 40:27 - The thin line between awakening and psychosis
 44:25 - Navigating identity as an artist
 57:02 - The Bio-Emotive Framework and the art of emotional processing
 1:08:07 - Emotions are not logical but they are lawful
 1:10:57 - Balancing intellectual with emotional and relational development
 1:15:49 - Circling (relational work) vs emotional processing vs deconstruction
 1:31:43 - What is between me and love, or truth?

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch the video versions of the Elevating Consciousness Podcast 

*Subscribe to the Insighter Substack to get in-depth articles on the theory and practice of human transformation through a post-conventional

Delson Armstrong is a maverick meditation teacher and author. At age 16, disillusioned with conventional life, he embarked on a pilgrimage to the Himalayas, where he spent 6 to 8 hours a day practicing meditation, studying sacred texts, and receiving guidance from masters across multiple lineages. 

Through this intensive training Delson developed the rare ability to enter nirodha-samāpatti — a meditative state marked by the complete cessation of perception and feeling — for extended periods of time. These claims have been rigorously examined through neuroscience research, with findings published in a 2023 paper titled "Cessation of Consciousness in Meditation."

He is the author of "A Mind Without Craving" and a five-volume series on dependent origination, and currently teaches the Optimal Mind System — a synthesis of diverse practices designed to align the body, mind, energy, heart, and consciousness to catalyze deep insight and transformation. Though deeply informed by traditional models of awakening, Delson takes a universal approach and does not adhere to any single doctrine or path.

In this conversation, we explore Delson's experience working with and integrating different traditions and spiritual practices, how encountering integral theory helped him recontextualize the spiritual path, and the fallacy of the superior path.

We get into letting go of idealistic views, integrating no-self and true-self through the lens of integral theory, and whether it's actually possible to end suffering.

We also explore Delson's desire to master and integrate a wide variety of teachings, Rigpa vs cessation, the micro-phenomenology of cessation, and the relationship between psychedelics, spirituality, and meditation.

We close with the pros and cons of being open about spiritual attainments, creating healthier dynamics between spiritual teachers and students, and going beyond spiritual idealization altogether.

🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES 🔗

• Delson’s personal site
• Listen to Delson’s Dharma talks on his YouTube channel
• A Mind Without Craving by Delson Armstrong
• Dependent Origination series by Delson Armstrong
• Delson Armstrong, Guru Viking interviews
• Tales from Nibbana with Dor Konforty & Delson Armstrong
• Ending Guru Worship for True Liberation by Delson Armstrong

🕰️ TIMESTAMPS 🕰️

0:00 - Introduction
2:43 - Artem's experience following Delson's journey
7:02 - Sutra, Tantra, and going beyond traditional teachings
13:29 - The impact of cultural context on spiritual practices
22:28 - The fallacy of the superior path
27:50 - Letting go of idealistic views
33:31 - The impact of integral theory — integrating no-self and true-self
37:12 - Is there an end to suffering?
50:47 - Delson's desire to master and integrate a wide variety of teachings
56:42 - Rigpa vs cessation
1:02:38 - The micro-phenomenology of cessation
1:04:21 - The relationship between psychedelics, spirituality, and meditation
1:22:00 - The pros and cons of being open about spiritual attainments
1:29:11 - Creating healthier dynamics between spiritual teachers and students
1:37:44 - Final message

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch the video versions of the Elevating Consciousness Podcast 

*Subscribe to the Insighter Substack to get in-depth articles on the theory and practice of human transformation through a post-conventional

Dor Konforty is a neuroscientist, entrepreneur, investor, and awakening teacher dedicated to distilling the first principles of the dharma and bringing them to every aspect of human life. He spent most of his twenties conducting interdisciplinary brain research in academic settings, and his thirties as an entrepreneur and CEO in the decentralization space—applying his neuroscience background to envision more collaborative, non-zero-sum human networks. 

In parallel, he has devoted thousands of hours to meditation practice as well as growth and relational modalities, training closely with pragmatic dharma teachers such as Culadasa, Daniel Ingram, and Delson Armstrong, and personal development coaches like Joe Hudson and Kim Barta. 

He is the founder of The Awakening Fund, a venture that invests in technologies aimed at making meditation unnecessary. Dor is also the author of The Heart Illuminated, a spiritual successor to Culadasa’s The Mind Illuminated. Drawing on over fifteen years of multidisciplinary experience, the book lays out a clear and systematic path towards awakening through a completely modern lens.

In this episode, we explore Dor’s book The Heart Illuminated, his time studying with pragmatic dharma teachers—Culadasa, Daniel Ingram, Delson Armstrong, and Dan Brown—and dive into topics such as integrating emptiness with fullness, investing in awakening technologies that aim to make meditation unnecessary, aligning artificial intelligence with dharma, and navigating the complexities and controversies that can arise in relationships with spiritual teachers.

🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES 🔗

• Dor's personal site
•  The Heart Illuminated — Dor Konforty
•  Dor's investment venture — The Awakening Fund
•  Follow Dor on Twitter/X
•  Subscribe to Dor's YouTube channel
•  Culadasa
•  The Mind Illuminated — Culadasa
•  Gödel, Escher, Bach — Douglas F. Hofstadter
•  The Society of Mind — Marvin Minsky
•  Why Everyone Else Is a Hypocrite — Robert O. Kurzban
•  Psyche as a System — Artem Zen
•  Rob Burbea
•  Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha — Daniel Ingram
•  Delson Armstrong
•  Kim Barta
•  Dan Brown
•  Dustin DiPerna
•  John Churchill
•  Joe Hudson
•  Matthew Immergut on the Adventures in Awareness podcast

🕰️ TIMESTAMPS 🕰️

0:00 - Introduction
3:43 - Dor's journey into meditation
7:09 - The unique contribution of "The Mind Illuminated"
10:04 - Working closely with Culadasa and inspiration for writing "The Heart Illuminated"
21:49 - The iterative writing process and gathering feedback from community
24:58 - Understanding the multiplicity of the mind — sub minds, parts, agents, modules, and coordinators
31:32 - Integrating awakening (emptiness) with healing (fullness)
39:22 - Is awakening about creating a better life?
47:00 - Meeting Daniel Ingram and doing a 23-day Fire Kasina retreat under his guidance
55:30 - The power of dark retreats and sensory deprivation
57:40 - Friendship with Delson Armstrong
1:01:20 - Sutra, Tantra, metasystemicity, and stages of development
1:12:16 - The contributions of Dan Brown and Dustin DiPerna
1:16:43 - Investing in awakening technologies and making meditation unnecessary
1:26:02 - Aligning artificial intelligence with dharma
1:36:18 - Navigating the Culadasa controversy

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch the video versions of the Elevating Consciousness Podcast 

*Subscribe to the Insighter Substack to get in-depth articles on the theory and practice of human transformation through a post-conventional

Daniel Thorson is a former monastic, podcaster, writer, and coach. He spent five years as a resident at the Monastic Academy and has accumulated two years of silent retreat experience. Daniel is a certified Aletheia Coach and Circling facilitator whose work weaves together embodied inquiry, attachment-based healing, philosophical exploration, and relational presence. For many years he hosted the Emerge podcast, a pioneering platform that helped catalyze what many now call the liminal web. He currently writes The Intimate Mirror on Substack, exploring meaning, transformation, intimacy, and the search for religion in the age of artificial intelligence.

In this conversation, we explore Daniel's extensive experience living and training at a monastery, going through a psychological breakdown, and discovering attachment work through the ideal parenting protocol.

We get into developing a better relationship with conceptuality and rationality, emotional attunement, relational practices, and the importance of safe containers, and what it means to develop secure attachment with reality itself.

We also explore trusting the intelligence of every experience, whether the fundamental nature of reality is love, what's missing from Buddhism, and moving towards a translineage spirituality — questioning whether there's anything specifically afforded by identifying as Buddhist or Christian.

Daniel walks us through the shift from emptiness and deconstruction to soulmaking and skillfully playing with identity, what a dharma capable of addressing the meta-crisis might look like, his current meditation practice, and integrating ethics with eros and clarifying desire.

We close by reflecting on the Human Transformation in a Time of Meta-Crisis conference at Harvard and the liberation of creative agency.

🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES 🔗

• Daniel’s personal site & coaching services
• Subscribe to Daniel’s Substack
• Follow Daniel on Twitter/X
• The Upper Middle Path & Tech Bro Buddhism by Daniel Thorson
• Daniel Thorson speaking about Secure Attachment to Reality on the Meta-Game podcast
• Daniel speaking about consensus Buddhism and pragmatic dharma on the Buddhist Geeks podcast
• Monastic Academy (MAPLE)
• Transformational Connection
• Aletheia Coach training
• Daniel P. Brown
• David Elliott - Repairing Attachment | Elevating Consciousness podcast

🕰️ TIMESTAMPS 🕰️

0:00 - Introduction
 5:06 - Daniel's experience living as a monk
 13:32 - Going through a psychological breakdown
 17:29 - Discovering attachment work and the ideal parenting protocol
 21:56 - Developing a better relationship with conceptuality and rationality
 25:25 - Emotional attunement, relational practices, and the importance of safe containers
 34:15 - Secure attachment with reality
 38:54 - Trusting the intelligence of every experience
 40:30 - Is the fundamental nature of reality love?
 44:35 - What is missing from Buddhism?
 52:10 - Towards a translineage spirituality
 55:50 - Is there anything afforded by identifying as Buddhist or Christian?
 1:06:05 - From emptiness and deconstructing to soulmaking and skillfully playing with identity
 1:09:29 - A dharma capable of addressing the meta-crisis
 1:11:36 - Daniel's current meditation practice
 1:14:20 - Integrating ethics with eros and clarifying desire
 1:17:36 - Reflecting on the Human Transformation in a Time of Meta-Crisis conference at Harvard
 1:22:17 - The liberation of creative agency

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