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Buddha at the Gas Pump
Buddha at the Gas Pump
Author: Rick Archer
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Copyright © by Rick Archer, 2010-2025
Description
The implication of the title - Buddha at the Gas Pump - is that ordinary people are experiencing higher states of consciousness once thought to be rare and difficult to attain.
People everywhere are undergoing a shift or awakening to their true nature. For some, this shift has been abrupt and dramatic. For others, it has been so gradual that they may not have realized it has occurred.
Such shifts, or awakenings, are not new: Christ spoke of the Kingdom of Heaven within, Buddhists speak of Nirvana, Zen masters of Satori, Hindus of Moksha, but these traditions generally regard these states as rare and difficult to attain.
Many people are therefore skeptical of claims of higher states of consciousness. They find it hard to believe that apparently ordinary friends and neighbors might be experiencing something extraordinary. Maybe they expect Enlightenment to look as remarkable on the outside as it is reputed to be on the inside.
This show will attempt to dispel skepticism and misconceptions by week after week, allowing otherwise ordinary people to relate their experience of spiritual awakening. The terminology is tricky, because there are no universally agreed upon definitions to describe this experience. So please forgive us if we use some unfamiliar terms. We will try to clarify our definitions as we go along.
Perhaps, after a while, those listening will become convinced that genuine and permanent spiritual awakenings are not just a pipe dream, but are real and are becoming relatively commonplace.
These podcasts are the audio track of a weekly interview show which may be seen as videos on our YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/buddhaatthegaspump). Also see the main site: http://batgap.com.
For search purposes, I will add the following to this description - batgap, Buddha at the Gaspump, Buddah at the Gas Pump.
People everywhere are undergoing a shift or awakening to their true nature. For some, this shift has been abrupt and dramatic. For others, it has been so gradual that they may not have realized it has occurred.
Such shifts, or awakenings, are not new: Christ spoke of the Kingdom of Heaven within, Buddhists speak of Nirvana, Zen masters of Satori, Hindus of Moksha, but these traditions generally regard these states as rare and difficult to attain.
Many people are therefore skeptical of claims of higher states of consciousness. They find it hard to believe that apparently ordinary friends and neighbors might be experiencing something extraordinary. Maybe they expect Enlightenment to look as remarkable on the outside as it is reputed to be on the inside.
This show will attempt to dispel skepticism and misconceptions by week after week, allowing otherwise ordinary people to relate their experience of spiritual awakening. The terminology is tricky, because there are no universally agreed upon definitions to describe this experience. So please forgive us if we use some unfamiliar terms. We will try to clarify our definitions as we go along.
Perhaps, after a while, those listening will become convinced that genuine and permanent spiritual awakenings are not just a pipe dream, but are real and are becoming relatively commonplace.
These podcasts are the audio track of a weekly interview show which may be seen as videos on our YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/buddhaatthegaspump). Also see the main site: http://batgap.com.
For search purposes, I will add the following to this description - batgap, Buddha at the Gaspump, Buddah at the Gas Pump.
678 Episodes
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In this conversation, Emeline Lambert shares her profound spiritual journey, beginning with her childhood experiences of feeling extremely out of place in a world that seemed illusionary and pointless. “Who am I?” was the question that was always too terrifying to answer. She purposefully tried to cover up the truth of her deepest Self through the limitations of ego and performance art; leading to years of depression, anxiety and PTSD. A turning point in her life occurred during a retreat that invited a significant shift in consciousness and a deeper understanding of her true nature. Emeline discusses the impact of meditation and presence on her life, the changes in her relationships “post-shift”, and the necessity of acceptance, self-observation and compassion. She emphasizes the role of nature as part of any spiritual practice and the ongoing, endless unfolding that is self-discovery. In this conversation, Emeline and Rick explore profound themes surrounding awakening to our true nature, love, and the gift that suffering becomes in the process of awakening. They discuss the differences between knowledge and experience, emphasizing that awakening is a collective impulse rather than an individual desire. The dialogue touches on the importance of surrendering to the essence of “what is”, the impact of the mind's commentary on suffering, and the significance of service in spiritual practice. Emeline shares her insights on the flow state in practical applications and the understanding of the shadow self, ultimately highlighting that awakening is an ongoing phenomenon that occurs beyond the architecture of the man-made sense of separate self.
Emeline volunteers with the New York–based non-profit City Voices, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about mental illness and addiction recovery through peer-led support programs, spiritual groups, and self-awareness activities. She co-facilitates their Saturday Spirituality Group and leads regular meditations.
Email: CityVoices1995@gmail.com
Website: cityvoicesonline.org
Emeline's personal email: emwlambert@gmail.com
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group
Interview recorded October 12, 2025
Lawrence Pintak has spent his life grounded in facts while fascinated by the ethereal. An award-winning former CBS News Middle East correspondent with a PhD in Islamic Studies, Pintak has been a practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism for three decades and is an avid student of the perennial truths at the core of the world’s religions.
The author of seven books at the intersection of religion, media, and policy, his reporting and analysis on religion and international affairs has been published by The New York Times, Foreign Policy, the Washington Post, and many of the world’s leading media organizations. He also wrote about Buddhism and Eastern traditions for Shambhala Sun/Lion’s Roar, Buddhadharma, Beliefnet.com and others before 9/11 drew his focus back to the Middle East. Pintak’s most recent nonfiction book, America & Islam, was a finalist for the 2020 Religion News Association award for Religion Reporting Excellence.
Books:
Lessons from the Mountaintop: Ten Modern Mystics and Their Extraordinary Lives
America & Islam: Soundbites, Suicide Bombs and the Road to Donald Trump
Website: pintak.com
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.
Interview recorded October 4, 2025
Richard is an internationally respected spiritual teacher, psychic medium, award-winning international bestselling author, and one of the world’s leading authorities on UFOs and their spiritual message. He is also host of ‘The Spiritual Freedom Show with Richard Lawrence’ Podcast. Richard has appeared on major media including Coast to Coast AM, GMTV, and LBC and has spoken in over a dozen countries, including as a keynote speaker at London’s prestigious Mind Body Spirit Festival for more than 30 years. With deep insight into Eastern and Western mysticism, consciousness, and cosmic spirituality, he brings both credibility and charisma to every conversation.
Books:
Contacts With The Gods From Space: Pathway to the New Age
The Nine Freedoms
REALIZE YOUR INNER POTENTIAL through the path of spiritual service – King Yoga
The Twelve Blessings
Websites:
richardlawrence.co.uk
aetherius.org
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group
Summary and transcript of this interview
Interview recorded September 20, 2025
Ricard Perez - Silence, Art, and Liberation
Ricard Perez is a meditation coach, and musician whose work bridges ancient traditions with fresh, practical insight. Drawing from Buddhism, Advaita Vedanta, and A Course in Miracles, he emphasizes meditation as a dynamic balance of clarity and release, with simple methods for directly entering silence. His original explorations into latency, fractals, and perception connect contemplative practice with science and creativity, while his love of music, art, and ecstatic expression bring a celebratory dimension to the path of awakening.
Website: ricardcoach.com
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group
Summary and transcript of this interview
Interview recorded September 13, 2025
Swami Padmanabha is a Gaudiya Vaishnava monk, scholar, and spiritual teacher known for his eloquent synthesis of devotion, unconditional love, and contemplative theology. A prolific author and global speaker, he has written hundreds of articles and three books—translated into various languages—which have been widely praised by academics, practitioners, and general readers alike.
He is the founder of the Tadatmya Alliance and hosts The Free Radical Podcast, where he engages voices from diverse traditions in heartfelt dialogue. Fluent in English and Spanish, Swami regularly lectures at universities, spiritual communities, and interfaith gatherings around the world. His writings and teachings are cherished for their intellectual richness, poetic insight, and transformative clarity.
For over twenty-five years, Swami Padmanabha has traveled extensively, mentoring others and leading retreats, while drawing inspiration from the wisdom of his many guides. His talks and seminars are freely accessible at swamipadmanabha.com, inviting listeners into a space of thoughtful inquiry, inner stillness, and sacred relationship.
Books:
Inherent or Inherited? Bhakti in the Jiva According to Gaudiya Vedanta
Radical Personalism: Revival Manifesto for Proactive Devotion
Evolution in Divine Love: The Eternal Becoming of God, Soul, and Matter
Websites:
swamipadmanabha.com
tadatmya.org
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group
Transcript of this interview
Interview recorded August 24, 2025
Michael Bradford has been involved in research into Kundalini and consciousness for more than 45 years. In 1977 he traveled to India where he spent six years serving as a volunteer for the Central Institute for Kundalini Research, founded and directed by the late Pandit Gopi Krishna, the noted authority on Kundalini.
Michael has been a board member of the Institute for Consciousness Research (I.C.R.) since it was founded in the 1990’s, and has been Director of Publications during this time. In 2015, he also became a board member of the Emerging Sciences Foundation (E.S.F.). He was also a founding member of the Kundalini Research Network (K.R.N.) and served as joint coordinator for the organization from 1993 to 1995.
In 2014, Michael retired from a career in the IT consulting field, and since then he has been working to make Gopi Krishna’s theories more widely known, and to encourage research into Kundalini and consciousness.
Michael can be contacted at newparadigm246@gmail.com
Books:
Consciousness: The New Paradigm by Michael Bradford
Gopi Krishna-A biography: Kundalini, Consciousness and Our Evolution to Enlightenment by Teri Degler
Living with Kundalini - the Autobiography of Gopi Krishna by Gopi Krishna
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group
Interview recorded August 16, 2025
While expanding his education and eventually working at a number or companies as an HF engineer, Dan's first love was always spiritual exploration. In 2011, after a number of years of trial and error refining the process of self inquiry into deep self investigation, there came an undeniable recognition that he was not a separate self. Simply no one at all. There was only the selfless THIS, "aware existence". This became his permanent condition.
Soon after, (from a certain perspective), Dan left a successful corporate position and his old life, following an intuited impulse to be in a more free, natural and creative circumstance. He now lives with his wife Victoria in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina, loving nature, exploring various forms of artistic expression and guiding others to awakening.
Website: deepselfinvestigation.com
Book: Deep Self Investigation: A Modern Guide to Awakening
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group
Transcript of this interview
Interview recorded July 19, 2025
Savita Veera - Healing the Intimate Divide
Savita is a spiritual teacher, mentor, embodiment facilitator and healer.
She experienced a profound shift in consciousness after great tragedy, followed by years of further spiritual openings, mystical experiences and her own deep healing.
She meets people with generosity, humour and grounded practicality. Providing a safe space for them to open to their own divine light and inner wisdom.
Website: savita.com.au
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group
Interview recorded July 6, 2025
Aedamar Kirrane - Mystical Awakening & Divine Love
Former barrister turned philosopher and writer, Aedamar Kirrane experienced a spontaneous mystical awakening that began in 2015 and continues to unfold. Unable to find any support or understanding within her own Christian tradition she embarked on a deep enquiry to understand the inner dynamics and telos of awakening. She came to believe in life as an original blessing rather than the doctrine of original sin that she thinks has destroyed our sense of ourselves as sacred beings.
Her spiritual autobiography is Light on Fire: Waking Up to Divine Love, published 2021. Through ongoing reflection and curiosity she has developed her own threefold mystical cosmology that understands creation in the pattern of exodus and return; that recognises all of life as sacred, described through the concept of panentheism; and that the purpose of human life is deification or the return to our divine state while still in human form.
All this is set within the context of the Great Awakening we are living through now, of which the human experience is a micro version. She has come to recognise that spontaneity is characteristic of the human experience of an evolutionary shift in consciousness. Aedamar's awakening is mediated through her mystical and spiritual writing and she recognises sacred writing as its own spiritual path that she calls The Via Scriptoria.
Aedamar's visions are published on aedamarkirrane.com. She blogs at The New Scriptorium.
Aedamar will be opening a wisdom school called "The Mystical Birth of the True Self" in September. It will be a nine month programme to support awakening to our inner divinity. If you would like to be notified when it is formally announced please visit her website to sign up for her newsletter or sign up here.
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group
Summary and transcript of this interview
Interview recorded June 21, 2025
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 - Reentering the Womb of Christ
00:03:40 - Life as a Lawyer, Wife, and Mother
00:07:00 - Motherhood, Postnatal Depression, and a Spiritual Opening
00:13:12 - A Glimpse of the Grail: The 2007 Vision
00:22:07 - Finding a Framework in Philosophy
00:28:23 - The Sacred Fire: A Spontaneous Kundalini Awakening
00:41:03 - Losing the Self, Merging with Love
00:46:44 - A Warning: The Dangers of a Reckless Teacher
00:55:52 - Navigating the Question of Sanity
01:02:30 - Humility as an Antidote to Spiritual Inflation
01:09:03 - A Message of Love from the Christ
01:14:24 - The Great Separation: A Broken World
01:25:09 - The Great Awakening: A New Era is Being Born
01:41:01 - The Return of the Feminine
01:46:41 - Advice for the Seeker: What To Do With Longing
01:53:52 - The Path to Unity Consciousness
01:56:45 - The Invitation: Become Kindling in the Fire of Love
02:00:25 - Closing Remarks
Jurgen Ziewe - Visual Testimony of Life Eternal
Jurgen Ziewe is not a teacher in the traditional sense, but a witness—one who has journeyed beyond the boundaries of self into the vast stillness of unity consciousness. For over five decades, his life has unfolded as an ongoing exploration of multidimensional reality, shaped by a profound meditation practice and spontaneous Out-of-Body Experiences (OBEs) that opened the doorway to a deeper truth.
A moment of unexpected clarity during an ordinary breakfast catalyzed Jurgen’s first direct experience beyond the body—an event that would transform his life and initiate hundreds of journeys into higher realms. What he discovered was not theory, but a living presence—structured, luminous, and more real than waking life.
Rather than building an identity around these experiences, Jurgen surrendered ever more deeply into stillness. His work, including the acclaimed books Multidimensional Man, Vistas of Infinity, and The Ten Minute Moment, offers not just insight but transmission—a quiet resonance that awakens something remembered but long forgotten.
Audiences often speak of his presence as calming, expansive, and strangely familiar. His seminars and talks evoke deep shifts—not through persuasion, but through the palpable stillness from which he speaks.
A renowned illustrator by profession, Jurgen now brings his inner visions to life using cutting-edge virtual reality and AI, offering immersive glimpses into realities beyond the senses.
He offers no dogma, only a clear, ego-free reflection of the vast peace and joy available when the self dissolves into unity. His life is not a performance, but a quiet act of service—a transmission from stillness to stillness.
Books:
Multidimensional Man (2008)
Vistas of Infinity (2015),
The Ten Minute Moment
Explorations in Consciousness: A New Approach to Out-of-Body Experiences
The Phase: Shattering the Illusion of Reality
New Territories
Elysium Unveiled: A Visual Odyssey of Life Eternal
Websites:
multidimensionalman.com
Some of Jurgen’s “multidimensional” artwork
Virtual reality videos
Celestial-Song – Angel of the Earth – A new virtual reality project between Jurgen and composer Craig Pruess
Jurgen’s commercial art
Videos:
About Elysium Unveiled - A Visual Journey through Life Eternal
A video of the final chapter of Jurgen's book “Multidimensional Man” "which illustrates better than the words in my book the entry into Unity consciousness during an Out-of-body experience."
"A spontaneous entry into unity consciousness after I recovered from a cancer operation in 2011"
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group
First BatGap interview with Jurgen
Summary and transcript of this interview.
Interview recorded June 7, 2025
Diarmuid O'Murchu - Theology Coming of Age
Diarmuid O'Murchu, a member of the Sacred Heart Missionary Order, and a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin Ireland, is a social psychologist whose early working life had been in social ministry, predominantly in London, UK. In more recent years he has worked as a workshop leader and group facilitator, conducting programmes on Adult Faith Development across several countries. He is a widely read author, with many of his books listed on this webpage. Now as a retired missionary, he lives in Dublin, Ireland.
Books:
When the Disciple Comes of Age: Christian Identity in the Twenty-first Century
Doing Theology in an Evolutionary Way
Divine Radiance in Human Evolution
Ecological Spirituality
Website: diarmuidomurchu.com
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group
Summary and transcript of this interview
Interview recorded May 17, 2025
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 The Paschal Journey: Crisis Leading to Awakening
00:00:35 Introduction of Diarmuid O'Murchu: Theology Coming of Age
00:02:19 Defining Theology: Rational vs. Revealed
00:05:15 Re-examining Traditional Theology & The Role of Experience
00:08:06 Narrative Theology and Spirit Connecting with Spirit
00:09:08 Expanding Perspectives: Cosmic Reality and Human Evolution
00:12:00 God's Story for Humanity: A 7-Million-Year Journey
00:15:16 Paradigm Shift in Christian Theology: Reworking the Tradition
00:18:41 Incarnation: Jesus as Affirmation, Confirmation, and Celebration
00:21:07 The Exclusivity of Jesus and Other Religions
00:25:08 Impact of Institutionalized Understandings (Anthropology & Theology)
00:26:29 Tracing Issues to the Agricultural Revolution and Patriarchy
00:30:26 Exponential Pace of Change and Adapting Worldviews
00:34:49 Action Follows Thought: The Importance of Shifting Consciousness
00:40:10 Transcendental Meditation and the Power of AI
00:45:01 Ethical and Moral Values in Contemporary Spirituality
00:48:38 God as the Great Birther: A Feminine, Embodied Divine
00:55:00 Moving from "Soul" to "Spirit Energy"
00:59:06 Einstein & Hans-Peter Dürer on Spirit and Matter
01:02:44 Uniqueness vs. Superiority in Creation
01:04:49 The Interconnectedness of All Beings
01:08:27 "Companionship of Empowerment" vs. "Kingdom of God"
01:15:07 Women in Early Christianity & The Shift to Hierarchy
01:20:20 Interpreting Jesus's Miracles: Parables of Action
01:28:45 Closing Thoughts and Diarmuid's Work
01:29:00 Indigenous Wisdom: The Great Spirit and Connection to Land
01:32:11 The Challenge of Engaging with Ancestral Wisdom
01:36:08 Diarmuid's Books and Website
01:37:09 Next Interview Preview: Jürgen Zeewey
01:38:13 End
Julie Seido Nelson is a transmitted teacher (Sensei) in the Maezumi Roshi Zen lineage. Her home Zen community is the Greater Boston Zen Center, a sangha which has experienced three major upheavals due to teacher arrogance and abuses of power over the last several years. She is also a teacher at the Great Plains Zen Center in Monroe, Wisconsin, and has written for Buddhist audiences in Tricycle magazine and on her blog.
Having begun Zen practice in 2004, she has found it to be of immense value. She is deeply saddened when people, either in addition to or instead of realizing the benefits, suffer great harm.
When not reflecting writing about Zen, she sometimes writes and give talks based on her pre-retirement academic work as a feminist and ecological economist. She enjoys visiting her two children and two grandchildren and enjoying the New England outdoors.
Books:
Practicing Safe Zen: Navigating the Pitfalls on the Road to Liberation (Monkfish, 2025)
Amazon
Indie Pubs
Economics for Humans (University of Chicago Press, 2nd ed. 2018)
Website: julieanelson.com
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group
Summary and transcript of this interview
Interview recorded May 11, 2025
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 The Myth of Teachers as Exemplars in Education
00:05:07 Measuring Spiritual Attainment and Its Challenges
00:10:46 The Journey to Self-Realization: Insights from Soto Zen
00:14:29 Importance of Ethics in Spiritual Teaching
00:19:30 The Transformative Power of Momentary Cosmic Experiences
00:24:23 Shadow Work and Spiritual Growth
00:28:30 Legal Challenges in Zen Communities
00:32:31 Identifying and Avoiding Cult-Like Spiritual Groups
00:37:38 The Challenges of Becoming a Zen Teacher
00:41:51 Zen and the Importance of a Beginner's Mind
00:46:30 Trusting the Dharma vs. Human Advice
00:50:48 Embracing Buddha Nature Through Life's Storms
00:55:50 Examining Zen Precepts and Self-Awareness
01:00:23 Navigating Zen Teachings and Moral Conduct
01:05:06 The Misunderstanding of No-Self
01:09:12 The Impact of Long-Term Meditation on the Brain
01:14:22 Power Dynamics in Teaching and Spiritual Leadership
01:17:44 Navigating Teacher-Student Boundaries in Dharma Practice
01:21:06 Institutional Misconduct and In-Group Protection
01:25:22 Understanding DARVO: Strategies of Manipulation
01:28:38 Recognizing and Avoiding Cult-like Behaviors in Groups
01:32:04 Understanding Authority in Charismatic Groups and Zen
01:36:13 Discernment in Supporting Charities
01:39:36 The Essence of Dharma Teaching Transmission
01:44:16 Recognizing Genuine Spiritual Awakening
01:48:28 Finding Inner Security Beyond External Influences
01:53:01 Financial Misuse in Spiritual Communities
01:57:21 Navigating the Path to Spiritual Development
02:01:19 Pre-Order "Practicing Safe Zen"
02:03:38 Engaging with Greater Boston Zen Center Online
Stephan Martin - Cosmic Perspective
Stephan Martin is an astronomer, educator, and author who has taught astronomy, physics, and consciousness studies at colleges, universities, and learning centers across the US for over thirty years. He is currently Director of the Deeptime Leadership Program at the Deeptime Network, where he helps develop and facilitate transformative and innovative leadership programs that support a flourishing future that works for all. Steve is active in leading workshops, lectures, and experiences that bring insights and wisdom from the cosmos down to Earth and everyday life. His first book Cosmic Conversations is a multidisciplinary approach to exploring the universe through the lenses of science, spirituality and culture, and his second book Living a Cosmic Life helps people navigate crisis and change from a cosmic evolutionary perspective. You can find more about him at: cosmicconversations.org and dtnetwork.org.
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group
Summary and transcript of this interview
Interview recorded April 25, 2025
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 Exploring the Universe with Stephan Martin
00:03:59 The Cosmic Perspective and Human Consciousness
00:08:05 The Universe's Timeless Wisdom
00:12:18 Exploring the Connection Between the Universe and Creative Intelligence
00:17:04 The Expanding Universe: A Historical Overview
00:21:06 The Sacred Origin and Continuous Emergence of the Universe
00:25:29 Can We Influence the Past? Exploring Quantum Physics
00:30:00 Ethical Principles of Differentiation
00:34:23 Tapping into Universal Intelligence
00:38:25 Transformative Education and Cosmic Individuality
00:42:21 The Fine-Tuning of the Universe and Life's Emergence
00:45:29 The Cosmic Game of Hide-and-Seek
00:49:44 The Role of Consciousness in Understanding the Universe
00:54:12 The Creative Power of Cosmic Chaos
00:58:36 Building Resilience Through Crises
01:02:12 Balancing Science and Spirituality in Modern Culture
01:06:59 Mystical Realms and Dark Matter
01:10:51 Understanding Dark Matter and Dark Energy
01:13:30 Competing Theories of Universe Origin: Big Bang vs Continuous Creation
01:17:42 Understanding the Universe's Open Nature
01:21:54 Scientists Exploring Mystical Experiences
01:26:05 Aldous Huxley and the Importance of the Scientific Method
01:30:45 The Blind Men and the Elephant: Understanding Reality
01:33:15 The Love Affair with Reality and Science
01:37:09 Embracing the Ever-Evolving Reality
01:41:28 Exploring Perspectives: Spiritual Traditions and Consciousness Shifts
01:45:30 The Power of Relational Emergence and Ubuntu in Culture
01:49:22 Exploring Spiritual Awakening
01:53:24 The Universe's Journey Towards Unity and Complexity
01:57:50 Discovering Earth-Like Planets: A Universe Teeming with Life
02:01:59 Join the Deep Time Network for Free
Mary Shutan - Kundalini Awakening & Shadow Work
Mary Mueller Shutan is a spiritual healer, teacher, and author. She is the author of
The Spiritual Awakening Guide: Kundalini, Psychic Abilities, and the Conditioned Layers of Reality
Managing Psychic Abilities: A Real World Guide for the Highly Sensitive Person
Shadow Work for the Soul: Seeing Beauty in the Dark
The Body Deva: Working with the Spiritual Consciousness of the Body
Working with Kundalini: An Experiential Guide to the Process of Awakening
The Shamanic Workbook series, and
The Complete Cord Course: Working with Cords through Energy Work and Shamanic Healing
She combines her extensive education with her personal meditative practices and direct revelation of the spirit world. She has been serving her community as a spiritual healer and teacher since 2004.
Website: maryshutan.com
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group
Full interview, edited for readability
Interview recorded April 5, 2025
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 Introduction to Chakra Awakening Misconceptions
00:03:00 Journey to a Spiritual Awakening and Kundalini Experience
00:06:46 Surprising Kundalini Awakening Experiences
00:11:40 Exploring Christian Mysticism and Past Lives
00:15:45 Understanding Kundalini Awakening: Myths and Realities
00:20:06 Understanding Kundalini Awakening
00:25:06 Navigating Kundalini Awakening Challenges
00:29:22 Spiritual Awakening and Shadow Work
00:33:35 Understanding the Phenomenon of Deflected Rising and Shadow Projection
00:36:53 The Hidden Darkness in Spiritual Gurus
00:40:42 Understanding Brahman: Limitless Knowledge
00:44:28 Healing Childhood Wounding for Personal Growth
00:48:50 Understanding Realization and Psychedelic Experiences
00:53:11 Carl Jung's Concepts of Ego Inflation and Integration
00:57:23 Emotions and Body-Based Healing
01:02:07 The Challenges and Rewards of Being a Spiritual Teacher
01:06:21 Spiritual Facades and Inner Conflicts
01:11:37 The Dynamics of Gurus and Energy Exchange
01:15:57 Spiritual Imbalance and Physical Health Consequences
01:18:47 The Role of the Association for Spiritual Integrity
01:22:53 Near-Death Experience and Spiritual Insight
01:27:07 Embracing Emotions Through the Body
01:31:09 Embracing Shadow Work for Spiritual Growth
01:34:52 Understanding Shadow Work and Self-Reflection
01:39:19 Understanding the Pendulum of Progress
01:44:09 Preparing for a Kundalini Awakening: Essentials and Caveats
01:48:31 The Transformative Impact of Kundalini Awakening
01:51:48 Embracing Divine Will and Personal Growth
01:54:39 How to Connect with Mary Shutan
01:58:18 Integrating Shamanic Elements in Healing Practices
Diane Hennacy Powell - The Telepathy Tapes
Diane Hennacy Powell, M.D. is the chief scientist involved in The Telepathy Tapes, a podcast about non-speaking autistic children who are extraordinarily telepathic.
"In a world that often dismisses the extraordinary as mere fantasy, The Telepathy Tapes dares to explore the profound abilities of non-speakers with autism—individuals who have long been misunderstood and underestimated. These silent communicators possess gifts that defy conventional understanding, from telepathy to otherworldly perceptions, challenging the limits of what we believe to be real. For years, their parents and teachers have quietly witnessed these remarkable abilities, knowing that the time to share their truth would eventually come. But now, as the evidence mounts, the time has come to reveal what has been hidden in plain sight.
This groundbreaking series challenges everything we think we know about communication and the human mind, inviting viewers to step into a reality where the impossible is not only possible but happening every day. Through emotional stories and undeniable evidence, The Telepathy Tapes offers a fresh perspective on the profound connections that exist beyond words. Traveling with neuroscientist Dr. Diane Hennacy Powell, witnessing mind-boggling telepathy tests and forging deeply intimate relationships with families around the globe, host Ky Dickens invites you to contemplate the world through the eyes of those who speak without words. Prepare to be captivated, challenged, and ultimately transformed as the series shines a light on the untold capabilities of those who have been underestimated for far too long."
Dr. Powell is a Johns Hopkins-trained psychiatrist, therapist, neuroscientist, and public speaker. She develops multidisciplinary theories towards understanding psychological anomalies, such as savant skills and verified accounts of spacetime navigation. Her current research focuses on controlled testing of autistic savants and children reported to be telepathic and/or precognitive by their caregivers.
Dr. Powell has been on the faculty at Harvard Medical School, a member of a think tank on human consciousness at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, and Director of Research for the John E. Mack Institute. Her investigation into the neurocorrelates of ESP is discussed in her 2008 book The ESP Enigma: The Scientific Case for Psychic Phenomena, and in Seriously Strange: Thinking Anew about Psychical Experiences.
Dr. Powell is also an expert on PTSD and created the psychiatry program for Survivors of Torture, International in San Diego, California. She was the principal author of IONS The 2007 Shift Report: Evidence of a World Transforming and a contributing author to Beyond Forgiveness: Reflections on Atonement, the 2014 Campus Book of the Year at Indiana University. She is also a participant in the #NeverAlone movement for suicide prevention launched by Deepak Chopra.
Website: drdianehennacy.com
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.
First BatGap interview with Dr. Powell
Summary and transcript of this interview
Interview recorded March 23, 2025
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 Fascinating Anecdote of Precognition
00:03:15 The Rise of the Telepathy Tapes Podcast
00:05:48 Impact of Telepathy Tapes on Community
00:08:39 Telepathy and Consciousness in Pre-Verbal Babies
00:12:29 Psychic Communication in Babies and Autistic Children
00:16:12 Non-Verbal Communication in Animals
00:19:28 Unique Traffic Culture in Iran
00:22:49 Exploring Telepathy among Children
00:25:35 The Phenomenon of Psychic Fields in Lucid Dreaming
00:28:15 Elon Musk's Patent on Telepathy and Its Implications
00:31:36 Paradigm Shifts and Materialism
00:35:31 The Role of Consciousness in Physics and Reality Co-Creation
00:38:40 Remote Viewing and Military Research
Neil Schuitevoerder - Beyond Awakening: Living Nonduality in Daily Life
Dr. Neil Schuitevoerder, a clinical and organizational psychologist, has been doing spiritual practices for 50 years. He's no longer interested in his ego's story, so here's the story of his soul's evolution: He had early instruction in how to use a pendulum, which led to the opening of his intuitive knowing, which has continued to expand into higher stages. His intense meditation practices in his 20s led to illness, and he was guided to return to a householder life as husband and father. He continued practices in mystical Judaism, then turned to Vedanta, kundalini, and other Hindu practices. With a kundalini master, and with the Diamond Approach technique of Inquiry, he opened the higher chakras and began to experience states of unity and nonduality, first with a near object, such as a tree, then with a far object, such as the galaxy. Slowly, the dualities of self/other, near/far, past/future, dissolved, and his knowing expanded to include the distant past, his past lives, his rebirth in this lifetime, and his ability to travel in subtle bodies to the subtle planes, including conversing with the deceased. His mind emptied out, then his body became empty, containing the whole galaxy, a nondual body. Then his astral body emptied out, and he no longer "traveled" but was united with the subtle mental and causal planes, all within him. The state of bliss is always accessible. The local identity of Neil remains when he functions in the world, as he lives in dual and nondual levels of awareness simultaneously.
Neil's has a podcast with his wife, Connie Zweig, about his ongoing awakening and what it's like to live in the world in advanced levels of consciousness -- Dr. Neil's Spiritual Awakening to Nonduality. It posts on Apple, Spotify, and all platforms.
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.
Summary and transcript of this interview
Interview recorded March 15, 2025
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 Different Levels of Perception
00:02:35 Soul's Evolution and Spiritual Practices
00:06:23 Journey of Consciousness and Skepticism
00:10:27 Near-Death and Out-of-Body Experiences
00:13:59 Exploring Consciousness and Cosmic Manifestation
00:17:19 Extraordinary Abilities in Blind Individuals
00:21:08 Understanding Freedom and Non-Attachment
00:25:32 The Importance of Moral Development in Spiritual Growth
00:30:46 Exploring Multidimensional Consciousness
00:34:03 Exploring the Buddhic Plane and Astral Projection
00:38:55 Understanding Subtle Body Layers and Incarnation Process
00:42:07 Exploring Reincarnation and Astral Realms
00:46:36 Exploring the Universe and Spiritual Liberation
00:51:36 The Nature of True Governance according to Lao Tzu
00:54:01 The Role of Ego in Daily Life
00:57:52 Understanding the Reduction of Thoughts and Ego
01:02:11 Understanding A.H. Almas's Protocol
01:06:05 Telepathic Abilities and Humanity's Shift
01:11:09 The Coexistence of Creation and Destruction Forces
01:15:21 The Cosmic Perspective: Our Place in the Universe
01:19:38 Energy Healing and Silent Therapy
01:23:35 Do Microbes Have Souls and Their Evolutionary Journey
01:27:50 Chakras and the Evolution of Consciousness
01:31:00 Understanding Chakras and Energy Centers
01:34:55 Exploring Spiritual Evolution and Incarnation
01:38:52 Understanding Shadow Material and Spiritual Bypassing
01:43:09 The Importance of Spiritual Community and Marriage
01:47:18 Embracing Pain Through Meditation
01:51:31 Exploring the Connection Between Consciousness and the Body-Heart
01:55:45 Exploring the Concept of the Vajra Body
01:58:30 Upcoming Interview with Diane Hennessey Powell on Telepathy Tapes
Lisa Carrillo - Expanding Our Capacity for Joy
Although Lisa worked as a chemical engineer, spirituality always was the priority in her life. In 2009, at a silent retreat, her thought-based identity dropped away, and she saw only the single flow of benevolence in all that is.
When some of those thoughts returned a few weeks later (less convincing than before), there also came a deep curiosity to inquire into those thoughts. She developed many tools to return to a lived experience of the deeper knowing. Both of her books share these tools. All that is is a vibrant expression erupting from a single full emptiness.
Website: experiencingthetrueself.com
Books:
An Unprincipled Life: Living from the Unknown
Living Awake: 20 Techniques to End "I Got It; I Lost It"
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.
Summary and transcript of this interview
Interview recorded January 26, 2025
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump Series
00:04:27 Early Childhood Spiritual Insights
00:08:09 Exploring the Astral Body and Embodiment
00:11:15 Understanding the Koshas: Layers of Existence
00:15:16 Discovering Inner Strength Through Adversity
00:19:44 The Journey of Pure Intelligence and Self-Rediscovery
00:23:47 Understanding the Mind: A Sense Organ analogy
00:27:56 Discovering the Root of Aliveness in Spiritual Practice
00:31:05 Embracing Life's Uncertainties and Letting Go of Control
00:34:18 Understanding Impermanence in Awakening
00:38:12 Embracing Flexibility in Life's Demands
00:42:34 Understanding Life's Impetus
00:47:11 Parenting Lessons from Calvin and Hobbes
00:51:44 Spiritual Principles in Dire Situations
00:55:33 The Power of Positivity and Human Kindness
00:58:56 Choosing Challenging Lifetimes for Wisdom
01:02:29 Exploring Past Life Memories
01:06:48 Concept of Past Lives and Dimensions
01:11:42 Finding Positivity in Adversity: Lessons from Prisoners
01:17:00 The Illusion of Shoulds and Self-Realization
01:20:57 The Balance of Opposing Forces and Human Nature
01:25:15 Experiencing Wisdom in a Different Realm
01:29:49 Understanding Malignant Narcissism in Leadership
01:33:25 Embracing Life's Harmony and Challenges
01:36:44 The Role of Creativity and Connection in Environmental Action
01:40:16 Climate Change and Thwaites Glacier Threat
01:42:32 Embracing Inner Wisdom vs. Scientific Method
01:46:06 Integrating Science with Inner Wisdom
01:50:29 Embracing Personal Growth and Self-Reflection
01:55:24 Political Perspectives and Third Party Hopes
01:59:09 Embracing Open Dialogue and Challenging Ideas
Eli Recht - The Transformative Power of Psychology and Spirituality
Born and raised in San Diego, CA, and currently residing in Carlsbad, CA, Eli Recht is a licensed psychotherapist (LMFT), EMDR clinician, spiritual counselor, editor, and teacher of Self-realization.
In 2020, Eli experienced a falling away of ego identity and an awakening to the true nature of Reality. As a result, Eli has dedicated his life to service – to help alleviate suffering, cultivate connection, guide people through the often-confusing journey of Life, and invite others to recognize our shared unconditioned essence.
Eli’s specialty is blending contemporary psychological knowledge with timeless spiritual wisdom and advocating for the integration of these two disciplines.
Website: elirecht.com
Books (Editor and Foreword):
Grace Happens: An Awakening of Consciousness
Reflections of Consciousness: Essays on the Journey of Awakening and the Nature of Reality
Summary and transcript of this interview
Interview recorded January 11, 2025
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump Series
00:03:56 Discovering Spiritual Insights through "Buddha at the Gas Pump"
00:09:14 Discovering Eastern Thought at Deer Park Monastery
00:15:21 Exploring Higher States of Consciousness Through Music
00:19:32 The Challenges of Kriya Yoga Practice
00:24:04 Struggles with Kriya Yoga and Finding Purpose
00:28:25 Journey to Emotional and Psychological Healing
00:33:16 Understanding Kundalini Activation and Its Effects
00:38:00 Discovering My Higher Self
00:41:31 Differentiating Awakening from Psychosis
00:45:44 The Path of Perseverance and Enlightenment
00:49:48 Realization of Oneness and Unity
00:54:33 The Importance of Service Post-Awakening
01:00:47 Understanding the Transition from Ego-Identification to Ego-Transcendence
01:04:41 The Influence of Meher Baba and the Journey to Self-Realization
01:09:36 Embracing a Different Memory Post-Awakening
01:13:03 Navigating Non-Doership and Embodiment
01:18:00 Understanding the Ego and Brahman
01:21:01 Rocket Ship as a Metaphor for Awakening
01:25:44 Understanding Psychosis and Spiritual Awakening
01:30:48 Illuminating the Ego: Pre and Post Awakening
01:35:40 Challenges of Kundalini Awakening
01:39:29 The Relationship Between Ego and Self-Realization
01:44:19 Navigating the Role of a Spiritual Teacher
01:49:30 The Role of Spirituality in Addressing Mental Illness
01:53:13 Humanity's Journey Through Suffering to Awakening
01:58:20 The Role of Donations in Spiritual Endeavors
02:02:07 Vision for a Peaceful Humanity
02:06:18 Exploring Life's Big Questions: Meaning, Reality, and Participation
02:10:52 Embracing the Present Moment: The Power of What over Why
02:16:25 Upcoming Interview with Lisa Carrillo
After a 14-year Meditation Journey, Philip experientially realized the nature of the True Self which referred to itself as Infinite Silence.
In his former life, Philip was a Chartered Civil Engineer and Operating Group Director of a large business. In 2000 in response to dreaming about work on a skiing holiday Philip began Meditation. Ultimately, this led him to leave his old world behind in 2009 at the height of his career to focus on a deep inner calling.
Since 2014 he has shared the gift of Self Realization with the world in ways led by Meditative Insight through direct experience of the Infinite Silence Meditation, Spiritual Inquiry, Infinite Touch and via his website and other outlets. His style is simple, compassionate and offers exquisite clarity. His sharing is all based on direct experience, is not rooted in any tradition and is ideal for the present era. Unexpectedly, Philip was both inspired and invited to offer events in person in the UK, Iceland, Greece (Corfu and Crete) and Amsterdam and globally online.
Philip lives near the small but very beautiful Cathedral City of Ripon, North Yorkshire, England. With his Wife Sue, they have created a purpose-built Meditation space for events. He light-heartedly calls it the Universal Studio!
Because of the misunderstandings and spiritual blocks that can be associated with them he has never been a fan of labels people have called him, including Guru, Teacher, and Master. Recently (late 2021) in meditation it was made clear the term Western Mystic was to be used. Whilst the ‘Western’ term is, in truth, superfluous the intention that was made clear was to draw out the fact that his sharing is all rooted in direct experience and is he is not ‘schooled’ in Eastern Teachings. Experience has shown that this has made the material accessible to a broad audience. His message focuses on helping people recognize, inquire into, and experience the absolute simplicity and power of the Infinite Silence that is our true essence.
Website - includes:
A link to a free Meditations Site
Many free resources
An Online Retreat in your own time for a nominal donation
The Living Soul, Self Realisation App - A Self Realisation Community and Resource Library including a Community Zoom Calls and Retreat. Access via the App stores and for more detailed information visit Philip’s Website here.
Insight Timer App - over 50 free Tracks - Includes a freely available LiveStream Self Realisation Programme with accompanying Infinite Silence Meditations (0.25 hours to 1.5 hours).
YouTube Channel - Over 250 videos including many Live Streams, Short Insights and Shorts
Podcast - Nothing Special with Philip Wade: Over 60 Episodes on many Self Realisation topics on all major platforms.
LinkedIn - More recent addition (called for from the Silence) with a series of ‘journeys’ posts to invite people to explore.
Facebook
Instagram - A vast array of insights, articles, videos and quotes.
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.
Summary and Transcript of this interview
Interview recorded May 4, 2024.
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction and Background
00:03:30 - Discovering the Benefits of Meditation
00:08:23 - The Birth of the Open Source Spheres Meditation
00:12:35 - The Experiential Realisation of Infinite Silence
00:15:12 - Intuition and Meditation
00:18:52 - Trusting Intuition and the Source of Wisdom
00:23:34 - The Spheres of Light-Formation
00:28:18 - The Multi-dimensional Nature of the Hiranyagarbha Sphere
00:33:33 - The Purpose of Creation
00:37:42 - The Gateway Location and the Infinite I
00:41:05 - Experiencing the Phenomena of Being through Silence
00:44:09 - Exploring Infinite Silence and Meditative Experiences
00:47:46 - Snapping into Expansion and Infinite Touch
00:51:50 - Childhood and Life Experiences
Tanis Helliwell - Subtle Beings and Their Role in Creation
Tanis Helliwell has seen higher realms and spoken with Masters, angels and elementals since childhood. Walking in many worlds, she led tours to sacred sites for two decades, was a management consultant working for over 30 years, and founded the International Institute for Transformation specializing in spiritual transformation in 2000.
A true mystic who has worked with Masters in higher realms since childhood, her gift is assisting others to develop a soul-infused personal life in harmony with spiritual laws. Her knowledge and understanding of other worlds and spiritual realms can be found in some of her most popular books:
Summer with the Leprechauns,
The Leprechaun’s Story,
HYBRIDS: So you think you are human,
The High Beings of Hawaii,
The Dragon's Tale, and
Good Morning Henry: An In-Depth Journey With the Body Intelligence.
Website: tanishelliwell.com
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.
Summary and transcript of this interview
Interview recorded December 16.
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 Introduction to Tanis Helliwell and Her Mystical Experiences
00:05:06 Yogananda's Astral Universe Exploration
00:09:55 The Intersection of Science and Spirituality
00:13:25 Navigating Spiritual Breakthroughs in Modern Life
00:17:29 Ken Wilber's Lines of Development Explained
00:21:34 Evolution of Souls: From Microbes to Humans
00:26:07 Canadian Identity and Its Global Influence
00:30:21 Interacting with Human Frequencies
00:35:14 Exploring Universal Reality and Intuition
00:38:38 Overcoming Past Life Traumas and Societal Norms Shifts
00:42:18 The Impact of Collective Consciousness
00:46:40 Exploring Human-Elemental Hybrids
00:49:47 Introduction to Elementals and Their Longevity
00:54:15 The Mythical Origins of Dragons and Mermaids
00:58:01 Near-Death Experience and Spiritual Awakening
01:01:29 Notable Figures as Elves in Mythology
01:04:54 Understanding Star Beings and Their Qualities
01:09:08 The Role of Elementals in Universal Orchestration
01:13:16 The Rise in Earth's Frequency and Cosmic Energies
01:16:56 Aligning with Higher Consciousness and Personal Responsibility
01:20:53 Seeds of Change and Global Consciousness
01:25:15 The Power of Frequency and Personal Transformation
01:28:42 Understanding the Role of Dragons in Higher Consciousness
01:33:29 Encounter with a Dragon in the Forest
01:37:48 Understanding Brahman and Totality in Vedic Literature
01:41:47 The Story of the Old Chinese Farmer
01:45:17 The Legacy of Rudolf Steiner
01:49:45 The Importance of Ethics in Spirituality
01:53:25 The Importance of Critical Thinking and Discernment
01:57:50 Understanding Hybrids and Unique Identities
01:59:52 Raising Your Frequency through Magical Worlds




Thanks Rick for your years of commitment to these i terviews. I find David Thomas' episode right up their, he is bebbling over, it's so infectious (one hopes) 😁
Good healer
Beautiful weekly practice, day one, feeling, two seeing, three smelling, tasting, hearing, sensing, being.
...so many delicious, gentle, accessible, and profound pearls of wisdom in this interview!
I loved this interview! it was really refreshing to hear an "ordinary" awakening person again! Those interviews have all been my favorites, I think!
it's an interesting subject, but it's frustrating that Tim doesn't give the same space to Lisa as Lisa does for Tim. it's very obvious that Tim doesn't understand what Lisa is trying to say. instead, Tim tries to explain his perspective as an unintended defense of not understanding..
Really great program! Rick is always so lighthearted and engaging with every guest, and offers the perfect blend of curiosity, experience, knowledge, and humor to keep the conversations moving along. I’ve learned so much from BATGAP...thanks!