From Believing to Being

In this final episode of our 1st season, we discuss powerlessness, control, value, purpose, and selfishness. Karen shares insights around how we use the term “selfish” as a way to control others, and talks about her experience of letting go of defining herself in terms of “value” or “worth.” Dave adds important clarifications and thoughts around power and releasing the need to make meaning out of this journey. We hit on some heavy topics and would love to hear what you think about it all! Email us at FromBelievingToEing@gmail.com

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If we're not our emotions, what do we do with them? In this episode, we discuss how to handle emotions and what to do with the especially difficult ones. Dave shares the acronymn phrase R.A.I.D. on A.N.T.S, as one approach to dealing with our feelings. We dive deep into the idea of compassion and the role it plays for ourselves and others, and look at how being detached or disidentified with our emotions eventually enables us to be more loving and understanding people.  Resources mentioned:  Mindfulness with Tara Brach  "Being aware of being aware" by Rupert Spira "10% happier" by Dan Harris "The End of Night" by Paul Bogard "You made it weird" podcast with Pete Holmes Teachings of Ram Dass  Jon Kabat Zinn R.A.I.N. (Recognize, Allow/Accept, Investigate, Nurture) R.A.I.D. on A.N.T.S. (Recognize, Allow/Accept, Investigate, Detach/Disidentify on Automatic Negative Thoughts)

We’re putting a spin on what it means to “surrender,” the role it plays in spirituality, and how our views and experiences of “surrendering” have changed over the last 6 months. There are practical tips on how to identify resistance inside yourself, what to do when it comes up, and how it frees you to grow in awareness. Resources Mentioned From Believing to Being podcast - episode 7 Karen's Blog post: https://www.inspiredtofaith.com/2019/03/15/be-still-doesnt-mean-what-you-think-it-does/ "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle "Resurrecting Jesus" by Adyashanti "Stillness Speaks" by Eckhart Tolle The Taoist concept of wu-wei

In this episode, we follow up on our last one by asking the question, "How can we know what to do with events outside of our direct experience, if we are not actually investigating the experience we ARE having?" We discuss the maturation process that is necessary to embrace the mystery of this life and how to lean into the uncertainty that is part of being human. Doing this intense self-investigation takes time and courage in this world of distraction, but we offer that the deep peace on the other side is worth it.  Resources mentioned:  "Dark Night of the Soul" experience, as described by St. John of the Cross Digital Minimalism & Deep Work by Cal Newport 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey Integral Theory of Spiritual Development The Difference between Neo-Advaita and Advaita with Francis Lucille 

This week Karen & Dave touch on the current abortion debate and the Ukraine/Russia conflict, ultimately asking the question, "What do we do with events that are outside of our current experience?" We consider the concepts of neutrality vs. apathy vs. observing as we wrestle with some of the non-dual teachings and look at how our perspectives on social justice matters have shifted as we deepen into embracing the present moment.  Resources Mentioned  Justice Alito's leaked draft opinion of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Rupert Spira's conversation with woman in Ukraine Sam Harris Adyashanti's Book "End of Your World" Eckhart Tolle's book "Power of Now" Mooji quote: "Live as though you don't exist; like you are two eyeballs floating in space with nothing behind them. No brain attached. Not even hair - Nothing. There  is a place inside your own heart, inside your own being that knows the kind of seemingly foolish things I speak of and it is totally thrilled to be reminded of this infinite expanse and infinite joy that it is. Find this place."

Do you think too much? Do you consider yourself an "over-thinker"? In this episode, we think and talk about our thoughts. Where do they come from? Do we have to have so many? Is thinking a cause of suffering and can we control what we think about? We offer up some practical exercises we've used to help separate ourselves from our thoughts, and touch on whether positive and negative thoughts should be handled the same. This episode will make you look at your mind differently and get you thinking more deeply and critically about all the things you think about!  Sources Mentioned Sam Harris (and his talk "Where do thoughts come from?") Waking Up - A guide to spirituality without religion by Sam Harris Pete Holmes podcast with Michael Shur Michael Shur's new book, How to be Perfect The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening by Cynthia Bourgeault The Cloud of Unknowing  The End of Your World: straight talk about the nature of enlightenment by Adyashanti

In this episode, we talk about "Self-help" practices and pursuits, and how they play into the spiritual journey: the pitfalls to be aware of, the benefits, and the paradox of building up an ego that isn't really who you are. Karen describes her struggle with anger and her frustration that neither the Holy Spirit nor the "self-help" techniques were helping...and how 85%+ of her anger dissolved after she let go of her religious beliefs and dropped her judgments. In contrast, Dave discusses the lessons he's learning from self-improvement books that are making a tangible difference in his life. Karen also shares an approach to personality tests and concepts that helps her coach women into "unknowing" themselves, and Dave gets insightful about how we all need to ask WHO are we trying to improve? and WHY do we think we need to change?  Resources mentioned:  The Enneagram The Strengths test Joe Dispenza and his book "Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself"  The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

Join us as we discuss what mindfulness is, how it can help us with "triggers," what it means to pay attention, and the wisdom of Harry Potter! We parse out this definition offered by scientist, author, and mindfulness teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn: "Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally... And then I sometimes add, in the service of self-understanding and wisdom.”  Resources Mentioned Jon Kabat Zinn Mindfulness with Jon Kabat Zinn Your True Home: Everyday wisdom of Thich Nhat Hahn ("365 days of practical, powerful teachings") Harry Potter lake scene from The Goblet of Fire (#4) Extra: “what if there is no next?” With Mooji http://online-satsang.com/hp_wordpress/?p=157&fbclid=IwAR27_ZNm4Cbn4GjCywU24zpZRMbyBdWIMBvX0vaGTHe2KA1ViI8G6Ws6l6o

This episode may strike a nerve. We discuss law of attraction and manifestation, and whether they are "pitfalls" that just seek to satisfy the ego. Do these pseudo-spiritual pursuits have a role to play in the spiritual journey? These concepts are so prevalent in today's spiritual circles, yet are they truly the way to find peace and joy? And, how does law of attraction fit in with the non-dual teachings that we are not our thoughts or our feelings? Finally, we consider how we un-enlighten ourselves by getting hooked into these ideas of abundance, and how LOA and similar ideas conflict with the actual lives and ways of being of the great spiritual teachers.  Resources mentioned:  "How to recognize spiritual bullshit" with Awaken Insight (aka Nada) "Creating your reality will prove itself to be empty" with Jac O'Keefe  A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle  Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth (Children's book of zen stories) The End of Your World: Uncensored straight-talk on the nature of enlightenment by Adyashanti Ego as a verb, talk by Adyashanti Draw the circle by Mark Batterson  Neville Goddard Extras: Promises and pitfalls of the spiritual path with Ram Dass If I am universal consciousness, why can't I manifest what I want? with Francis Lucille 

We all know what it is to hope, to experience that magical mix of positive expectation and deep desire. And hope can often feel necessary to get us through times of difficult suffering, but can it also prevent us from maturing into a deeper spirituality? Do we need hope? Can you cling to hope and be "awakened" at the same time? Is hope intoxicating, but detrimental, like a drug? And if we don't lean into hope, then what is the alternative? These are just a few of the ideas and questions we explore in this week's episode.  Resources Mentioned Sam Harris on mindfulness Adyashanti - "The End of Your World: Uncensored straight talk about the nature of enlightenment" Adyashanti on the ego Alan Watts muddy waters quote from his book The Zen Way  “As muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone, it could be argued that those who sit quietly and do nothing are making one of the best possible contributions to a world in turmoil.” Integral theory model of spiritual development with Ken Wilbur  Karma yoga, a concept from the Bhagavad Gita, referenced by Eckhart Tolle in The Power of Now Francis Lucille  Bible references: Matthew 19:24 (easier for camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to get into Heaven); temptations of christ; book of John 

In this episode, we talk about the buzz words "enlightenment" and "awakening". What are they? Are they the same thing? Do they make you superior to others? Do they mean you've found some secret to life that makes you special? We don't really have any answers, but we raise all these questions and more and talk about what our experience has been and how we are understanding these ideas right now. Karen shares a helpful cookie dough analogy and discusses how difficult these non-dual teachings can be to actually live out in the real world. Dave gets weird by asking the question "Am I even a person?" and shares his thoughts on how going deep into this stuff can bring so much peace but also appears to be at odds with the way most people see the world.  Resources mentioned:  Alan Watts describing "awakening" Ramana Maharshi Rupert Spira discusses the screen analogy and "enlightenment" Sam Harris sharing thoughts on "enlightenment"  

In this week's episode, we essentially admit that, when it comes to "God" {or whatever it is that has brought this life experience into being}, we're like dogs trying to understand the internet. Ha! We talk about how we understand "God" today, whether modern humanity is God pretending it's not God, and how the search for certainty and truth about God can lead us to embrace its mystery. We address the idea that we can't really know exactly WHAT we are - or what God is - due to our inherent human limitations, and ask the question "Do we even NEED to understand God?"  Towards the end, we venture into more sensitive territory about whether God/consciousness cares about this experience, what to do about pain and suffering, and how, if nothing else, our experience as humans allows God to show love to itself.         Alan Watts Video - "Happiness is NOT the Meaning of Life" Pete Holmes podcast "You made it weird" Brief summary of the life of Siddartha/Buddha Pema Chodren I am That by Nisaraghadatta Maharaj The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

In this episode, Dave shares more about his spiritual journey. Leveraging the metaphor of Kintsugi, he shares about how it was the seasons and moments of brokenness that allowed for a deeper peace and equanimity to prevail. Life hardships like family rifts, substance abuse, mental health, dating/relationships, theological shifts, church drama, and felt rejection all served as experiential breaking points, ultimately leading to a heighted awareness of and access to the impenetrable and ineffable peace, available to us all. Resources mentioned: Kintsugi - repairing broken pottery with gold 12 steps of AA Explore God - The 7 Big Questions Richard Rohr - the first of his videos Dave watched in 2019, where he suspected Richard might be "heretical", but was also very curious A.W. Tozer - The Pursuit of God Christian Mysticism Mystical Experience Contact: E-mail: frombelievingtobeing@gmail.com Karen Instagram: @inspiredtofaith Dave Instagram: @dave.navratil

This week, Karen's brother Brian joins her for a conversation about growing up amongst church confusion, leadership scandals, and parents who pushed the End Times narratives. They also discuss losing their dad to cancer, Brian's interest in UFO's, African alien encounters, and the idea that we are trying to "recreate" an experience of universal consciousness through technology.    

In this episode, we revisit the question of "Who am I?" with a closer look at the differences and relationship between the "Big I" and the "Little I." As humans, we have an inherent "ego" that is necessary, but does it have to stay as the locus of control in our lives? What happens when we start shifting to the "Big I" perspective? We also discuss the many roles we play, how our views on death have changed, and what it means to loosen the attachment to our egoic self. We offer some theories and metaphors on what the "Big I" is and how we are understanding it, and Dave sets out a comparison to the biblical story of Abraham & Isaac.  Resources mentioned: Anatta and Advaita philosophies "Man cannot live without God, but God cannot live without man either. Without man, God wouldn’t know he existed."– Meister Eckhart "Enlightenment is a destructive process. It has nothing to do with becoming better or being happier. Enlightenment is the crumbling away of untruth. It’s seeing through the facade of pretense. It’s the complete eradication of everything we imagined to be true."– Adyashanti Adyashanti - Definition of Ego as a verb The emperor with no clothes Ramana Maharshi and the screen metaphor Michael Gungor - THIS Don't look up on Netflix Mooji - consciousness is like a candle Eckhart Tolle - A new earth truth #2 "This, too, shall pass." Nisargadatta Maharaj - "Wisdom tells me I am nothing, love tells me I am everything, between the two my life flows" Mooji - "If you don't know who you are, how can you know anything?" Contact: frombelievingtobeing@gmail.com

In this episode, we distinguish between pain and "suffering," and our experiences in learning the difference. Using the CoVid-19 pandemic and parenting as real-world examples, we discuss approaches to dealing with acute and "slow-burn" suffering and how these strategies challenge and change us. We touch on the ideas of cultural conditioning, being in the present moment, stepping out of the normal grind, and leaning into a deeper understanding of who we truly are.  Resources mentioned     Ram Dass Rupert Spira's talk on grace (Karen admits she totally botched Spira's explanation of grace. She encourages you to watch these videos instead!) Rupert Spira's other talk referencing grace J. Krishnamurti's quote "This is my secret," he said. "I don't mind what happens."  (Karen misattributed this quote to Ramana Maharshi, although we think he probably would have said the same thing.)  Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening by Cynthia Bourgeault The Cloud of Unknowing Alan Watts video on yin/yang: Short version | Long Version "Cultural Conditioning"  Bernardo Kastrup Contact frombelievingtobeing@gmail.com

In this episode, we talk about the “theme” of surrender and how it is an on-going practice, while at the same time the only option we have. We share what surrendering has looked like in our lives and how it’s reminiscent of what we were taught to do as christians, yet very different. Karen relates a jellyfish metaphor that offers practical wisdom for how we can surrender more deeply to the present moment and not get so attached to the past or an imagined future. Dave offers some visualization and meditation practices that can help ground us in the now and bring us to a place that is “beyond thinking.” We wrap up the podcast with the real-life struggles of learning to trust and the temptation to keep living under the illusion of control. Resources mentioned Meister Eckhart - Book of the heart: Meditations for the restless soul Becoming the Bravest Woman you know by Karen Holmes (about the jellyfish metaphor)  The Self-Driven Child The Power of Now  Carl Sagan's "Pale blue dot" quote "Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there--on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam." Contact frombelievingtobeing@gmail.com

In this Christmas episode, we talk about Jesus and how our “relationship” and views on him have evolved during our faith deconstruction. We touch on the mythological aspects of Jesus, what it means to be a disciple, and at what point clinging to Jesus could actually prevent us from moving forward on a spiritual path. We ponder Jesus' roles as a guru, a crutch, a friend, a king, a Buddhist. Dave also brings up whether devotion to a guru/savior indicates an inherent desire for a physical representation of “God."   Resources mentioned:  How Winston Delivered Christmas by Alex T. Smith I am that by Nisargadatta Maharaj The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle Henri Nouwen (Following Jesus) The New Man by Thomas Merton Teachings of Ram Dass Drummer Boy by For King & Country Contact: Frombelievingtobeing@gmail.com

*note: reference to suicide around ~50mins. In this episode, we discuss the concept of "spiritual paths." Are we all on a spiritual path? Is it necessary to follow a specific path? Is there an end to the spiritual path? We talk about the various types of spiritual journeys out there, gleaning from our experience of being firmly on the evangelical Christian path to now pursuing more mystical and "outside the box" ways of being.  Spiritual exercise: do a sit-up or push-up every time we say "path"  ;)   Quotes:  "The ego loves a journey"  "Destinations are all ego games" - Various  "Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water" - Zen Proverb  Resources Mentioned:  Rupert Spira talk comparing the direct path and progressive paths  Mo Willems Book - Waiting is not Easy  Contact:  frombelievingtobeing@gmail.com