The Labyrinth

In a collaboration of Alchemical Dialogues and Unraveling Religion, co-hosted by Henry Cretella and Joel Lesses, Part 2 the Panels opens to discuss: 'What makes us come alive?' 'What is your 'note' in life?' (Rumi's 'be your note.') Discussion turns to Rumi's quote 'when I was young I wanted to change the world, when I grew older I wanted only to change myself.'How do we attune to spiritual teachers? How do we know who our spiritual teachers are meant to be?Moments that open and we lose sense of time, time falls away: Activity ​ When meeting new people, old karmic connections?  In our Dharma, our work Henry's discussions, Sohbet, mystical discussions on mystical subjects, with his teacher. How do we find what makes us home in the world? How do we cultivate spiritual discernment in Life? The World as ourself Is there preparation to receive 'flow' states? The Panel also explores: Where does the spiritual path begin?  What are the implications of having a guide or spiritual teacher? Teachers seeing into their students Tears as an indicator of one's spiritual path Sufism as a path of 'heart' Karma of helping others as way of being helped The importance of 'others before self.'We end with two poems from Ikkyu:Raincoat and Straw HatWoodcutters and fishermen know just how to use things.What would they do with fancy chairs and meditation platforms?In straw sandals and with a bamboo staff, I roam three thousand worlds,Dwelling by the water, feasting on the wind, year after year.I Hate The Smell of IncenseA master's handiwork cannot be measuredBut still priests wag their tongues explaining the 'Way' and babbling about 'Zen.'This old monk has never cared for false pietyAnd my nose wrinkles at the dark smell of incense before the Buddha.

In a collaboration of Alchemical Dialogues and Unraveling Religion, co-hosted by Henry Cretella and Joel Lesses, Part 1 of this discussion examines psychology, philosophy, religion, spiritually, science, and medicine, a panel of five (5) people opens with the question, 'where am I?' and 'what is going on [in the world]?' and refers to James Hillman, ideas and action as an artificial distinction, are they the same thing? How are they interlinked? The poet Major Ragain is quoted, 'contemplation alters the course of rivers.' From the Bhagavad Gita: Freedom from action is not accomplished by abstaining from action, so how is it accomplished? Relinquishing the fruit of action  Ghandi's, 'through service, I find myself.' The Panel begins to examine the Taoist concept of non-action, Wu Wei. How do we cultivate Wu Wei? The Panel explores Univerisal Truths. Natural action arises, we have a deep intrinsic calling, how do we find and express it? What is our reason for being here? To receive the Divine Will is a part of choiceless action.   Biographies of Panel: Dr. Bob Insull is an New York State Licensed Psychologist with more than 60 years experience teaching, training, and treating in the arena of human behavior. In his clinical practice, he has worked across the developmental stages (children to golden-agers), across the diagnostic spectrum (chemical dependency, severe mental illness, relationship issues, depression, anxiety, and PTSD), and treatment settings (clinics, inpatient psychiatric centers, and private practice). During the closing years of his practice, he became interested in the area of psychological trauma and worked with survivors in individual and group settings. He has been retired from active practice for about 15 years and spends his time engaged in self-discovery on the Sufi Path and social-change activities with his church. Brian Mistler is a Missouri-hillbilly curious about Reality. He has lived as a computer scientist, psychologist, running and growing  businesses, and helping entrepreneurs, hospitals, and healthcare providers. Mid-life Brian had a partially debilitating nerve injury and soon after met a true Vedanta teacher who spent 30+ years in India and trained under Swami Chimayananda, Sawmi Dayananda, and others. This refocused his study of the classic non-dual wisdom as presented in the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads. Learn more at http://www.stillcenter.media. Hari Om Tat Sat. Peace, peace, peace.  Richard Grego is Professor of philosophy and cultural history at FSCJ. His research interests focus on cross cultural themes in religion and science - including philosophy of mind, comparative world religions/world civilizations, and the metaphysical - theological implications of theoretical physics and cosmology. His publications have included studies in the history - philosophy of science and conceptions of nature in the history of western philosophy, as well as cross-cultural perspectives on mind/ consciousness in western philosophy - psychology and the neo-Vedanta Hindu tradition. Prior to his academic career, he was a criminal investigator - polygraph examiner for the Florida Office of the Public Defender and in the private sector Instructor at the Criminal Justice Institute and International Academy of Polygraph Science in Florida, and national Academic Director of the Criminal Defense Investigation Training Council. Joel David Lesses is President and Executive Director of Education Training Center, Inc. and his work experience is in education, psychology, and counseling for people marginalized by trauma, addiction, and psychological distress. He is deeply vested in addressing the...

On February 7th, 2023, Chris Meek interviewed Joel for the podcast Next Steps Forward, and explored: Does God Exist? How does meditation reveal God? What is the nature of evil? Where does God exist? Can we experience God directly? Why are we here on earth? What is the purpose of life? Why does God ask us to struggle? Does morality matter? Is there life after death? What is a koan? Next Steps Forward is a podcast hosted by Chris Meek, the Mission Statement of the podcast: Personal empowerment, commitment to our own well-being and the motivation to achieve more than we ever thought possible are the ingredients of a better life. And, they’re all within our reach. Next Steps Forward with Chris Meek delves into each aspect of the three keys that add energy, excitement, direction and purpose to everything that we do. Each week, Chris hosts leaders from the worlds of business, sports, entertainment, medicine, politics and public policy as they engage in thought-provoking discussions to help us all take the next step forward on our own journeys to our better selves and greater service to others.     Biography  Co-founder, Chairman, and CEO of SoldierStrong, Chris Meek has been recognized for his philanthropy with the President’s Call to Service Award, March of Dimes Franklin Delano Roosevelt Outstanding Corporate Citizen Award, Syracuse University’s Orange Circle Award, the ACT-IAC “Game Changer” Award, and was named a “Face of Philanthropy” by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. He discusses resiliency, empowerment, and leadership through adversity on his weekly podcast, “Next Steps Forward with Chris Meek,” via VoiceAmerica network’s Empowerment Channel. Next Steps Forward is his first book. Joel David Lesses founded the Education Training Center as a means of counseling those marginalized by trauma, addiction and psychological distress, and its effects including incarceration, homelessness and institutionalization. He is dedicated to reframing mental health distress as a potential spiritual marker. Joel has lived in Nepal and Israel and is also a poet expressing the landscape of the mystical elements of our human beings. He believes world religion, poetry, spirituality, and meditation encompass the most vital aspects of our mind and life. The crux of his own personal journey are the questions and answers to his own koan or inquiry: “what is the matter with me?” revealing the individual and universal aspects of our inherent and potent creativity. Everything is flux, everything is poetry. His other passions include the intersection of poetry, spirituality, science, and phenomenology shared and disparate in the human experience, with the transformative power of self-inquiry and introspection through contemplative and meditative practices. Joel holds the belief that the fundamental transformation of individuals and our collective comes through barreling inward, relentlessly asking the questions, “Who am I?” or “What am I” or “What is the matter with me?” The latter being a question which after years of examination, shattered a false sense of self, the work of integration of that experience being an ongoing work in progress.

After a Sunday Brunch at Lisa Carley's friend Joel Lesses' house, on his Two Schmoes Sanctuary patio, Lisa and Sam had an ongoing conversation into the afternoon and evening where a suggestion was made to throw down a phone and record the discussion. Topics of this conversation include travel (i.e., Ireland and India), philosophy, humanity's limitations and failures, and the desire to seek a 'hive-mind' for all people, constructively benefiting all members of our society and community. Lisa and Sam explore how to dissect the makeup of human life and what drives this dialogue, this exploration. Shifting to morals and ethics, are they relevant in our World, in our Life? If so, 'How?!,' 'Why?!' A framework of understanding brought the notion that 'We only know the answers to the questions we are asking,' so the question becomes, 'are we asking the right questions?' What is the nature of 'Consciousness?' What about 'Free Will?'  What is it to examine or look at our consciousness? Sam feels that while drawn to the mystical, he also holds himself back from it, because the mystical can be taken too far. All Scientist began as philosophers. All Physical Science began out of Philosophy. Is openness or an open mind a sign of brillance. Is there always a causal relationship in human behavior, a reason for it? Discussion turned to the book Sapiens, and the documentary Unknown: The Cave of Bones. 'There are some questions we will never know the answers to.' The phone recording ended without Sam or Lisa knowing it and Agnostic Explorations of The Miracle of Consciousness and Hope winds down an evening of conversation special and sanctified. Biography: Sam Zito is a serious student of philosophy and life, although he describes himself as just beginning the journey into it. Sam lives in Buffalo, New York and has had a range of life experience. He currently studies at Arizona State University, Philosophy, plays chess, has two daughters, and ponders often life's mysteries and wonders.

In today’s The Labyrinth podcast, retired psychiatrist Henry Cretella joins us to share both his philosophy and personal experience with surrender. We begin our conversation with Eckart Tolle’s view that surrender requires an expansion (and often suspension) of our rational mind. From there, we discuss the general nature of surrender and the role of intuition. We move into sharing stories about times when we felt a deep intuition/calling to stretch the boundaries of our limited rational frameworks and take a leap. The podcast ends with Hazrat Inayat Khan's essay on the future of humankind. Biography Henry Cretella, M.D., graduated from Vanderbilt Medical School and completed his psychiatric training at Strong Memorial Hospital of the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY.  His professional career spanned over 40 years as a general and child and adolescent psychiatrist and included teaching, administration, clinical practice and consultation in the greater Rochester and western NY areas.  This, along with his spiritual and especially mystical interests lead him to certification as a mind body practitioner through the Center for Mind Body Medicine and Dr. James Gordon.  He retired several years ago from active psychiatric practice, but continues to incorporate what he has learned into his spiritual practices and offerings. Henry studied and practiced Tibetan Buddhism for several years along with training in martial arts.  He then immersed himself in the more universal Sufism of Inayat Khan, an Indian mystic, for close to twenty years. He functioned as a senior teacher in the Inayati Order and the Sufi Healing Order before pursuing  his independent practice and study of mysticism. He now integrates what he has learned and experienced over these many years.

Recorded for Alchemical Dialogues podcast, Henry Cretella hosts Lisa Carley regarding mental health and spirituality and Lisa's lived experience. Avoiding and easing unnecessary suffering is a worthwhile goal, but so is the less often discussed opportunity for transformation that distress provides.   Mystics teach that the heart and mind open through suffering.   The good news is that we don’t have to look for upsets, they find us quite easily. Join Henry Cretella and Lisa Carley as we discuss her journey through mental illness and how it led to her personal heart-mind opening and impacted her life for the better.   It’s a journey of courage to explore and change, using all the tools that are available to understand and ease the pain while never closing the door that has been unlocked.     Biography: Henry Cretella's Alchemical Dialogues are live and unscripted conversations recorded on Zoom brought to you by the great folks of Amber Light International. We choose topics from our current social and cultural climate, with an emphasis on humanism and spirituality. In a cross-collaboration with both Lisa Carley's new podcast The Labyrinth, and Joel Lesses' Unraveling Religion podcast, we have begun posting 'Selected, Best of The Labyrinth' and 'Selected, Best of Unraveling Religion' episodes on Alchemical Dialogues. We continue to promote conversations that evolve our understanding of the vital topics of spirituality, the humanities, psychology, and The Arts and deepen community through this mutual support.

In today’s The Labyrinth podcast, I’m honored to join one of my closest spiritual companions, Shobitha Kedlaya and her spiritual friend Ramesh Krishnan. I met Shobitha four years ago at her organic farm and community in Andhra Pradesh. We immediately connected through a shared narrative of our complex maternal identities. Shobitha is a trained dancer, holds an MBA, and left a thriving career in the textile industry to cofound Protovillage, a model back-to-our-roots village that has become a magnet for educators and seekers from across the world. Most recently, Shobitha took another more personal leap, transforming her own journey as a seeker into a space of inquiry into the ways our identities often become the obstacles to awakening our purpose and interconnection with reality itself. We are joined also by Ramesh Krishnan, author of The Urban Monk Diaries, who inspired Shobitha’s journey more than a decade ago. As Ramesh Babu will share with us, his own journey began in his twenties when he felt unsure of what to do, who he was, and which path to choose. In his writing, he explores the Eight Chambers of the Urban Shaolin which begins with discovering the Real nature of objects and moves toward a meeting with our mysterious I. Shaolin is a temple and we journey within the temple of Reality as we walk the labyrinth: with intention, curiosity, and above all, faith.

As a part of The Labyrinth's collaboration with Unraveling Religion podcast, this conversation with Crazywise Producer Phil Borges and Unraveling Religion's Joel Lesses is shared: 'Crazy…or wise? The traditional wisdom of indigenous cultures often contradicts modern views about a mental health crisis. Is it a ‘calling’ to grow or just a ‘broken brain’? The documentary Crazywise explores what can be learned from people around the world who have turned their psychological crisis into a positive transformative experience.' Exploring alternatives to psychosis, from 2014 as Crazywise was nearing completion, Phil and Joel talk of spirituality, shamanism and healing. Phil and Joel talk about the gifted (i.e., those who exhibit Shamanic potentic through hearing voices and visions) and their relation to mental health distress, our Western cultures treatment, and the traditional or indiginous view of these markers as a sensitivity and gift. Biography Phil Borges, has been documenting indigenous cultures and striving to create an understanding of the challenges they face. Phil has spoken at multiple TED talks; including TED in 2007, TEDxRainier in 2012 and TEDxUMKC in 2013 and hosted television documentaries for Discovery and National Geographic. 

This conversation with Lisa and Joel explores the podcast 'The Labyrinth' and its slogan 'Destination Unknown' and its relationship to the 'Unraveling Religion' podcast, whose own slogan 'What You Are Is More Than What You Want.' These two old friends share deep vision of hope and work toward a brighter future as they deconstruct meaning, mission, and purpose, and the mechanisms of what comprises the most vital aspects of life and relationship. In this brief discussion, Lisa and Joel outline the parallel journey of spirituality and curiosity that forms the basis of their timeless bond.

Originally posted on the Unraveling Religion podcast, Joel David Lesses lassoed Rich Grego and Lisa Carley into a conversation recorded weaving threads through time and space and love, itself. This conversation meanders among these three old, dear friends, and touches on nihilism, dissolution, and romanticism, Dharma decay and Dharma renewal, changes and transformations. Is there room for Hope in the world today? Optimism? Does the state of the world allow a falling away so that things might improve, a sense something better might come. What does Enlightenment look like? What does Enlightenment feel like? Rich,

Lifted from the archives of Lisa Carley's history with her good friend Joel David Lesses, this from July 2013, into the deep of night, armed with Mike's Hard Lemonaid, American Spirits, Pringles, Eckhart Tolle and Rumi, in Lisa's 2001 Black Hundai Elantra in the parking lot of Allentown Trading Company Gas station, at the corner of Buffalo's Allen Streen and Delaware Avenue, Lisa Carley and Joel Lesses explore the nature of the existential condition and its relation to identity and reveal an enduring friendship. Using psychological, poetic and spiritual lenses, Lisa and Joel laugh, talk, drink, and smoke their way through a terrain that is both deeply personal and exploratory, introspective and hilarious. A version of this talk is also on the Unraveling Religion podcast. Joel and Lisa talk about identity and examine it through the psychological lens, relationship as a model of teaching, repressed memories; poetry begins to emerge in this second segment, existential psychology and mental health distress are examined. What do we attach or connect to in the world. Is the world physical spiritual or both? What does it mean to be a 'good father.' Past lives and poetry intertwine. What are we as human beings 'holding together' and what does it mean when we fall apart?   More hilarity as the conversation loosens up. The poetry continues, talk of Bardos (spiritual realms), what does it mean when we first meet someone and time slows or stops, spiritual signs are discussed. The special evening ends with a favorite Rumi poem.   Biography: Born in Buffalo, NY, Joel David Lesses has lived in Nepal and Israel, along with hosting Unraveling Religion is a poet expressing the landscape of our existence, capturing the mystical elements of our human being. World religion, poetry, spirituality, meditation, encompassing the makeup of our mind and life. The crux of his own personal journey are the manifestation of questions and answers to his personal koan “What is the matter with me?” which reveals the individual and universal aspects of our inherent and potent creativity. Everything is flux. Everything is poetry. Other passions include the intersection of poetry, spirituality, science and phenomenology shared and disparate in the human experience, and transformative power of self inquiry and introspection through contemplative and meditative practices with a belief that the fundamental transformation of individuals and our collective comes through barreling inward, relentlessly, the question, "Who am I?" or "What am I" or "What is the matter with me?" the latter being his question which after years of examination, shattered a false sense of self, the work of integration of that experience being an ongoing work in progress.

In this trailer of The Labyrinth Podcast, Lisa Carley introduces the podcast's orgins, philosophy, topics, and terrain covered in curiosity of life and existence with these conversations, an invitation to join.        Image is the cover of Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, Shunryu Suzuki, kanji: 'Inexhaustibility.' 2015; 'The Sound of Silence' (Instrumental); Immortalized; Reprise Records