As a professor of religion, Robert Forman acquired a stellar reputation for his pioneering work on spiritual experiences and the study of mysticism. Some of the eleven books he wrote or edited became classics in academia, including: The Problem of Pure Consciousness; The Innate Capacity; and Mysticism, Mind, Consciousness. He's also written non-academic books such as Enlightenment Ain't What It's Cracked Up to Be. After retiring from academic life, Robert founded the Forge Institute for Spirituality and Social Change and The Forge Guild of Spiritual Leaders and Teachers. He later became a hospital chaplain, retiring from that in 2023. We talked about what he's learned from those diverse careers and the book he's currently working on, about how "mystics on the margins" are reinventing Christianity by finding meaning and community even when they don't accept key doctrines and beliefs.   

Connect with Robert Foreman

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J.D. Stillwater is a public speaker, author, and science educator who finds--and helps others find--spiritual insight and inspiration in the empirical, evidence-based discoveries of hard science. An officer of the Religious Naturalist Association and a member of the governing council of the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science, he shares revelations from natural reality to drive spiritual awakening in his various audiences, and in this interview he shares that sense of wonder and excitement with us. You'll see how the cold facts of science reveal the same interconnectedness and oneness that the mystics of all the world's traditions have pointed us to for millennia. 

J.D. Stillwater Science, Sustainability, Spirituality https://www.jdstillwater.earth/

Meet Philip Goldberg, host of Spirit Matters Author, Speaker, Spiritual Counselor, Writing Coach https://www.philipgoldberg.com/

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Christina Donnell has worn many hats over the course of a remarkably interesting life. A clinical psychologist, spiritual teacher, public speaker, and writer, she has not only studied Eastern and Western spiritual traditions, she delved deeply into a shamanic tradition in Peru for thirty years. She's the author of Transcendent Dreaming: Stepping Into Our Human Potential and, recently, Encounters with Living Language: Surrendering to the Power of Words. We explored, among many of things, the spiritually transformative use of language, literature, dreams, and her work at the Winds of Change Association.

https://www.christinadonnell.com/ Christina Donnell

https://www.christinadonnell.com/winds-of-change/  Winds of Change

Meet Philip Goldberg Author, Speaker, Spiritual Counselor, Writing Coach

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Steve Farrell was a hugely successful Silicon Valley entrepreneur before transforming his life and devoting his time and energy to service. He's the co-founder and Executive Director of Humanity's Team, a non-profit focused on helping people awaken to their deeper selves and "the divine truth of oneness." The company offers a variety of educational programs on "conscious living" in different spheres of life. We discussed his personal evolution, Humanity's Team, and his new book, "A New Universal Dream," which is both a memoir and a call to action. 

Find out more about Steve Farrell here

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Sadly, many spiritual organizations display the negative characteristics of cults, and many spiritual teachers and leaders abuse their power. As a result, many sincere seekers end up disillusioned, wounded, or traumatized. Steven Hassan is an expert on cults, mind control, and "undue influence," and his Freedom of Mind Resource Center is dedicated to empowering spiritual students to protect themselves and retain their independence. We discuss some of the valuable tools Steven has developed, such as the BITE (Behavior, Information, Thought, Emotional control) model and the Influence Continuum, as well as the indicators of healthy teachers and organizations and unhealthy ones.

Find out about Steve Hassan and the Freedom of Mind Resource Center

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We all have wounds. We've all struggled with pain, grief and loss. In this interview, the psychologist, contemplative teacher, and renowned author, James Finley, discusses what he calls "a path, a way of life, in which we human beings may be healed from all that hinders us from experiencing the steady, strong currents of divinity that flow on and on in the bitter-sweet alchemy of our lives." The author of "Merton's Palace of Nowhere," "Christian Meditation," and other books and audio series, Jim here draws on his latest book, "The Healing Path: A Memoir and an Invitation," pointing us to "the secret opening through which we pass into wholeness."

Find out about James Finley and the Center for Action and Contemplation

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We've all heard of Kundalini. However, misconceptions about it are commonplace. In this episode we get it all straight by speaking with Joan Shivarpita Harrigan about kundalini and the entire process of spiritual development. An American who was authorized to teach in a traditional lineage based in Rishikesh, India, Joan has practiced, studied, and taught Advaita Vedanta and Raja Yoga for 45 years, 30 of which were spent as Director of Kundalini Yoga Care USA. A retired psychologist as well, she's the author of two books, Kundalini Vidya: The Science of Spiritual Transformation and Stories of Spiritual Transformation: The Fulfillment of Kundalini Process. 

KundaliniCare.com

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In the first half of this episode, we explore the life and teachings of the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Anthroposophy and the Waldorf Schools, with two longtime practitioners and teachers in Steiner's tradition, Signe Eklund Schaefer and Christopher Schaefer. Then Christopher says goodbye and Signe discusses her new book, She Was Always There: Sophia as a Story for Our Time. The term Sophia is Greek for "wisdom" and has come to signify the Divine Feminine. We explore Her implications for our spiritual growth. Both Signe and Christopher are authors of previous books and taught at Emerson College in England and Sunbridge College in the U.S.

Signe Eklund Schaefer Author Page

Christopher Schaefer

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Karen Tate is an Interfaith Minister, a public speaker, a podcaster, a social justice activist, and an author. Her books include Sacred Places of Goddess; Voices of the Sacred Feminine; and her latest, Normalizing Abuse: A Commentary on Our Pervasive Culture of Abuse. Observing that "abuse and exploitation are pervasive and global," she warns about the risks of accepting this as "ordinary, acceptable, usual, or standard." The conversation focuses on her research on the various forms of abuse found in spiritual institutions and her advice about protecting ourselves and our communities.

Find out more about Karen Tate here

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Mark Matousek is an award-winning author, teacher, and speaker whose work focuses on transformative writing for personal, professional, and spiritual development. He’s the founder of the Seekers Forum, an online community for non-sectarian spiritual dialogue, a founding member of V-Men, an organization devoted to ending violence against women and girls, and he offers workshops in self-inquiry and personal development, featuring a method he calls Writing to Awaken. He blogs for psychologytoday.com and is the author of eight books including the memoir Sex Death Enlightenment, Writing to Awaken, and his new book, Letters from an American Stoic: How Emerson Can Change Your Life. That’s the subject of this conversation, which dives deeply into the valuable lessons to be gleaned from Emerson’s life and thought and the enduring ideas of the American Transcendentalists. 

Mark Matousek https://markmatousek.com/

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