Spirit Matters

Dana Sawyer is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and World Religions at the Maine College of Art & Design and the author of biographies of both Aldous Huxley and Huston Smith. His primary expertise is in Hinduism and Buddhism but his work has focused on comparative mysticism, theories of the “perennial philosophy,” and the value of psychedelic experience in the study of mysticism. His most recent book is The Perennial Philosophy Reloaded, which we discussed on this show when it was released two years ago. We spoke about all the above and a lot more about life on the spiritual path. 
NOTE: If you’re going to be anywhere near Portland Maine on October 31, come to the workshop Dana and Phil are leading together. Details and registration here.

This episode's guest is Michael Schauch . Michael is an alpinist—meaning he climbs high mountains—and an award-winning author who, in his words, “lives to explore the depths of nature and the human spirit and share the beauty of connection he discovers along the way.”
A resident of Canada—specifically the mountains of British Columbia—he is a world-traveler and explorer and a Buddhist practitioner who has, for fifteen years, served as a mentor and supporter of Tibetan Buddhist youth in Kathmandu, Nepal, and to young members of his local community in Canada. He also holds an MBA from Queens University and is a member of the Explorers Club—probably a combination you don’t find very often.
He has been published in numerous magazines and his books have been praised by reviewers and well-known spiritual leaders. Those books include A Story of Karma: Finding Love and Truth in the Lost valley of the Himalaya and his new release, Anatta: Heart of Wisdom, which is mainly what we spoke about in this conversation. We touched on a range of topics, including the spiritual value of time in nature, why he says "The way to resolve conflicts with others is to first resolve conflicts within ourselves," and why he quotes his friend, who said, "Those moving about in crazy ways only appear to be crazy until you can hear the music." 
You'll find much to draw upon moving forward. Learn more about Michael here:  www.michaelschauch.com. 
NOTE: We recorded this episode before the devastating floods that destroyed parts of Nepal and the lives of many Nepalese and pilgrims. I wish we could have discussed the tragedy.    

Mirabai Starr returns for her third visit to Spirit Matters. Mirabai is an award-winning author of creative non-fiction and contemporary translations of sacred literature. She taught philosophy and world religions at the University of New Mexico-Taos for 20 years and now teaches and speaks internationally on contemplative practice

I first became aware of Mirabai because of her books about – and translations of – some of the pre-eminent Christian mystics—John of the Cross, Julian of Norwich, Teresa of Avila—and later interviewed her about her other excellent books, such as Wild Mercy, which is about female mystics from different traditions, Caravan of No Despair, which is about her own heart-wrenching loss and the transformation that can come from grief, a subject she’s helped a great many people deal with in workshops

She’s back now with a revised and expanded edition of her 2012 book, God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. As always with Mirabai, the conversation offers much to learn and much to feel.

Cynthia Abulafia is an author, an academic, and a devotee of the Goddess. She is, in her words, committed to giving language to the divine feminine and restoring the experience of embodiment as the heart of spiritual practice. A longtime student and teacher of non-duality, she guides people through kundalini awakenings and spiritual emergence with grounded tools rooted in embodiment, breath, and the context of sacred texts and traditions. Her debut book, Embodying the Goddess: How to Awaken Curiosity and Reverence on the Spiritual Path, which was released in January 2026, was "inspired by 20 years of kundalini awakening, 20 years of study in non-duality traditions, and the work of the great philosopher Utpaladeva (900s CE)." In it, Cynthia challenges the “transcendence bias” of patriarchal spirituality and offers a path of radical integration. If you're curious about the divine feminine, the phenomenon of kundalini awakening, and about grounding nonduality in the apparent dualism of embodiment, this is the conversation for you.

Rabbi Rami Shapiro is our returning champion. This is his third appearance on Spirit Matters (fourth if you count the time he interviewed me about Karmic Relief). Rami is a self-proclaimed “Jewish practitioner of perennial wisdom.” He was ordained by Hebrew Union College and earned a Ph.D. in religion from Union Graduate School. He’s the co-director of the One River Foundation,

If you've ever contemplated the link between spirituality and music, or between consciousness and musical improvisation, this is the episode for you.

My guest is Ed Sarath, a longtime professor of music at the University of Michigan—specifically, in the Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation department at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance. He is also director of the university’s Program in Creativity and Consciousness Studies, and President of the International Society for Improvised Music. And he’s the author of scholarly books, including Music Theory Through Improvisation: A New Approach to Musicianship Training; Improvisation, Creativity, and Consciousness: Jazz as Integral Template for Music, Education, and Society; Black Music Matters: Jazz and the Transformation of Music Studies. He has

Ed designed the BFA program in Jazz and Contemplative Studies, which was the first to include a significant meditation and consciousness studies component. And he teaches classes such as Creativity, Consciousness and the Future; Black Music

A Hindu Chaplain and a Buddhist Chaplain walk into the Spirit Matters podcast ... and talk about counseling today's generation of students.

Vineet Chander graduated from the George Washington University Law School, earned an MA in religious studies at Rutgers University, and a doctorate in education from New York University. He is now an assistant dean in the Office of Religious Life at Princeton, where he directs the Hindu Life Program and serves as Hindu Chaplain (the first full-time one in

Monica Sanford holds a master of divinity degree from University of the West and a Ph.D. in practical theology from the Claremont School of Theology. She is also an ordained Buddhist lay minister in a Chan lineage and was trained as a Buddhist Chaplain. After leading the Multireligious Life Department at the Rochester Institute of Technology, she joined Harvard Divinity School as Buddhist Chaplain and Assistant Dean for Multireligious Ministry. Her book, Kalyāṇamitra: A Buddhist Model for Spiritual Care is the first textbook for Buddhist Chaplains.

Stephan Bodian studied and practiced for many years with masters in the nondual wisdom traditions of Zen, Dzogchen-Mahamudra, and Advaita Vedanta, and in 2001 received authorization to teach from Adyashanti. He offers webinars, retreats, videos, books, and spiritual counseling that, his words, “make profound spiritual teachings and practices accessible to a global audience.” He has taught at major retreat centers and other venues, and, since 2007, has led an annual, months-long intensive program in spiritual transformation known as the School for Awakening.

A trained psychotherapist as well, he has been a pioneer in the integration of nondual wisdom and Western Psychology and in the embodiment of awakened awareness in everyday life.

He also has a literary background, with a degree in English Literature from Columbia, graduate work at Stanford, and 10 years as editor-in-chief of Yoga Journal. His 1998 book, Meditation for Dummies, has sold nearly a half million copies. His other books include: Wake Up Now; Timeless Visions, Healing Voices; Beyond Mindfulness; and his latest, Infinite Awakening: A Guide to Nondual Wisdom and the Pathless Path, which is what we focus on in this conversation.

Anantanand Rambachan is an eminent scholar of religion, currently Emeritus Professor of Religion at Saint Olaf College in Minnesota. He has also served as Visiting Professor at the Academy for the Study of World Religions at the University of Hamburg, in Germany, and as the Keating-Schachter World Wisdom Teacher-in-Residence at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. His scholarly interests include Advaita Vedānta, Hindu ethics, liberation theology, and interreligious dialogue. He has contributed to broadcasts, conferences, and publications too numerous to mention, and has been engaged in interreligious dialogue for more than 45 years, as a Hindu contributor and analyst (often the only Hindu contributor). Notably, he delivered the invocation address when the White House first celebrated the festival of Diwali in 2003, and he is now Co-President

He has also found time to write books. They include: Accomplishing the Accomplished: The Vedas as a Source of Valid Knowledge in Saṅkara; The Limits of Scripture: Vivekananda's Reinterpretation of the Authority of the Vedas; The Advaita Worldview: God, World and Humanity; A Hindu Theology of Liberation: Not-Two is Not One; and his latest, which we talk about in this conversation, The Way of the Sant: Virtues for All Humanity.

Deborah Santana is an author, activist, philanthropist, and business leader dedicated to peace, justice, and women’s empowerment. The founder of the nonprofit, Do a Little, she advocates for women and girls through global education and health initiatives and has worked with the Smithsonian Institution, The Children’s Defense Fund, and other important organizations. She has also produced five documentary films highlighting the work of non-profits in Africa. And she’s the author of two memoirs— something you can do only if you’ve lived an exceptionally interesting life. The first was Space Between the Stars, which was about coming of age as the child of a pioneering interracial couple. The other is a new release, Loving the Fire: Choosing Me, Finding Freedom, which is about the