In this episode I am joined by Dr. Ian Wickramasekera, Bön Buddhist practitioner and associate professor of Mindfulness Based Transpersonal Counseling at Naropa University.

We discuss how a violent, childhood near-death experience propelled Ian onto the path of meditative exploration, and how psychedelics played a part in unraveling deep seated racial conditioning.

We learn how early encounters with Glenn Mullin and Robin Kornman profoundly shaped Ian’s contemplative and academic trajectories.

Ian recounts his first meditation retreats with the Shambala organisation, his opinion of the Sakyong, and why he left that lineage.

Ian also explores dualistic and non dualistic epistemologies, the intersection of psychology and religion, and his academic work in the field of hypnosis.

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Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/ep61-dr-ian-wickramasekera-devolving-the-self/

Audio version of this podcast also available on iTunes and Stitcher – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

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Topics Include

0:00 - Intro

0:53 - Childhood mystical experiences

4:18 - Violent near-death experience as a child

10:08 - Ian’s love for Catholic ritual and prayer

16:30 - Ian’s relationship with his Sri Lankan father

19:17 - Early racial conditioning and experiments with LSD

27:00 - First encounter with Tibetan Buddhism

31:27 - Ian discusses Glenn Mullin’s

37:34 - Meditation misconceptions

40:58 - First retreat at the Shambala Centre

48:32 - Meeting Robin Kornman

59:52 - The secret of space

1:03:13 - Devolving not evolving the self

1:09:31 - Space or spiritual materialism?

1:12:08 - Spacious equanimity vs setting personal boundaries

1:18:19 - Trends in psychology

1:22:52 - Non-dual perspectives in counselling and psychology

1:25:40 - Meeting Albert Ellis

1:31:41 - Dualism in science, personality disorders, and meditation studies

1:45:49 - Criticism from Buddhists about Ian’s work

1:48:39 - Comparing Dzogchen to hypnosis

1:54:40 - Counsellors and scientists who practice non-dual traditions

1:56:53 - Ian’s experiences on his first month-long retreat

2:06:45 - Meeting the Sakyong and leaving the Shambala organisation

2:14:04 - In search of a teacher

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Audio version of this podcast available on iTunes and Stitcher – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

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To find our more about Ian, visit:

- https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ian_Wickramasekera2

- https://www.naropa.edu/faculty/ian-wickramasekera.php

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For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- http://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James