This episode was recorded two months before the passing of our dear friend and guest, Dr. David L. Collins. Always a kind, gentle, and compassionate soul, he touched the lives of many people during his time on this Earth. We will deeply miss all of the thoughtful contributions that he made within our shared spiritual communities and the way he inspired people to look at the most mundane aspects of life with a sense of reverent awe. Dave was always fond of saying “There's a miracle going on. There really, really is. And it's everything.” After meeting Dave, we couldn't agree more!
For those who knew and loved him personally, we wish you peace and comfort in this time of grief and extend our deepest condolences. For those who didn't have the pleasure of meeting Dave, we hope this episode gives you one small glimpse into the amazing man that he was. Thank you for listening.
Welcome back to The Eternal Void, But With Jazz. Today, we are joined by the late Dr. David L. Collins. Dave was a retired Psychology professor from the University of Texas at Austin and a frequent meditator. Together, we explore the concept of meditation, the cultivation of altered states of consciousness, spiritual and paranormal experiences, and far more.
In his own words, Dave Collins had what he called “an embarrassing amount of education”, including a Masters degree in Contemplative Theology from Berkeley's Graduate Theological Union, a Masters in Buddhist Studies from Harvard, and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. Interested in those experiences in our lives that mean most to us, he was especially interested in cross-cultural parallels in meditation practices. He felt there was no question, though, that he learned more about human spiritual experience through actually practicing meditation, including taking part in over 50 silent meditation retreats, mostly in the Zen tradition.
Visit Dave’s website at https://utexas.academia.edu/DavidCollins to peruse his collection of academic writing spanning topics such as “The Contemplative’s Socrates” and “Deconstructing Mindfulness.”
Dave’s work has also been highlighted on YouTube, and you can find his videos here:
To learn more about Dave, you can find his archived social media account on BlueSky at https://bsky.app/profile/bodhidave.bsky.social
For this week's Charity Shout-Out, we'd like to introduce you to Buddhist Peace Fellowship:
“Buddhist Peace Fellowship is a BIPOC, queer and trans-led Dharma organization that offers opportunities for practice, education and spiritual friendship, in service of personal and relational awakening and collective compassionate action. [They] work to amplify the kind of spiritual power that can interrupt violence, internally and externally, and seed the conditions for a world beyond domination, with fierce love at the center.”
To learn more and to donate, please visit their website at https://www.bpf.org/
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