In this episode I am joined by Naomi Levine, author, under her birth name Norma Levine, of multiple books including ‘The Miraculous 16th Karmapa’, ‘A Quest For The Hidden Lands’, and ‘Chronicles of Love and Death: My Years With The Lost Spiritual King of Bhutan’.

Naomi recalls why she dropped out of academia to pursue an alternative lifestyle, and through a series of life-changing encounters with Tibetan gurus such as Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, 16th Karmapa, and Tai Situpa, converted to Buddhism and moved to India to pursue a life of yogic practice.

Naomi describes her close discipleship under Tai Situpa, and recounts her initial meeting, and subsequent multi-year relationship, with the Shabdrung - a highly revered Bhutanese tulku said to possess potent magical abilities.

Naomi also discusses the difficulty of differentiating between crazy wisdom and abusive behaviour, reflects her own naivety about what the practice of Vajrayana really entails, and describes the signs of enlightenment after the death of great beings.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep190-love-death-in-the-himalayas-naomi-levine

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro 
01:14 - Naomi’s recent autobiographical writings 
04:58 - The last free generation 
09:53 - How the world and culture changed and became less open
11:51 - Post war culture and music’s effect on culture
12:50 - Naomi’s PhD thesis on the English playwright Arnold Wesker and moving to England
14:37 - The extraordinary village of Hay-on-Wye
16:05 - Naomi’s family of origin and upbringing
17:48 - A powerful Saturn return
19:34 - Meeting Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche at Samye Ling
21:46 - Impressions of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
25:19 - Life changing meeting with the 16th Karmapa 
26:30 - Becoming a disciple of Tai Situ Rinpoche
27:48 - Conversion to Buddhism 
30:18 - Naivety about the realities of Vajrayana practice 
33:23 - The Guru is not your best friend 
34:20 - Not ready for Tantra
37:17 - What’s really required for Vajrayana practice
40:24 - Vajrayana cannot be taught in today’s culture
45:11 - Meeting the Shabdrung for the first time 
49:06 - Falling in love with the Shabdrung and beginning a relationship
51:16 - The remarkable story of the previous Shabdrung incarnations 
53:02 - Great beings can still experience trauma
55:08 - Crazy wisdom or just crazy?
01:01:13 - Impressions of Bhutan
01:03:49 - Supernatural experiences around the Shabdrung
01:05:58 - The death of the Shabdrung and revealing realisation
01:08:31 - Shabdrung’s opinion of other lamas
01:10:14 - How Naomi’s book was received 
01:13:14 - Not a great Khandro

…

To find out more about Naomi Levine, visit:
- https://www.facebook.com/naomilevine111
- https://www.amazon.com/stores/Norma-Levine/author/B001K86LZ4?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true 

…

 For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
 - www.guruviking.com 

…

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep190: Love & Death in the Himalayas - Naomi Levine

In this episode I am joined by Dr Julian Schott, Indologist & Tibetologist, trained at institutions such as the renowned Center for the Study of Manuscript Culture at the University of Hamburg. 

Julian recalls his early interest in philosophy and meditation, and recounts how he emerged from a period of self destruction and found meaning and purpose in academic studies. 

Julian describes how he fell in love with classical Indic and Tibetan languages, and details the rigorous academic atmosphere at the University of Hamburg, where he immersed in years of reading Sanskrit for many hours a day under masters of philology.

Julian makes the case for the vital importance of primary language competency for scholars and religious practitioners alike, and offers his opinion on those who practice or teach religious traditions without an ability to read its writings in the original languages.    

Julian critiques the idea of Buddhist transmission as a useful lie without historical support which is employed to encourage behaviour in line with the religion’s soteriological aims, and reflects on his own evolving journey as both a scholar and religious practitioner.   

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep197-scholar-practitioner-dr-julian-schott

 Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro
01:13 - Julian’s upbringing 
02:27 - Origins of Julian’s interest in Indology and Tibetology 
03:11 - Investigating meditation traditions 
04:13 - Spiritual not religious 
05:08 - Early meditation experiences 
06:44 - Julian’s favourite meditation techniques 
07:18 - Self destructive phase and turning life around
10:37 - The downward spiral 
11:28 - Rock bottom
12:44 - The day is full of potential 
13:14 - Immersion in the study of history, classical Western philosophy, law, and 14:58 - Falling in love with Indian and Tibetan language
17:04 - Redirecting from law to philology 
17:47 - Discovering what real mastery takes 
19:21 - Rigorous academic atmosphere at University of Hamburg  
20:16 - Reading Sanskrit for 5-6 hours a day
23:46 - Self-teaching Classical Tibetan via Sanskrit 
24:44 - How to bridge the intermediate gap in language learning 
27:43 - The vital role of primary language knowledge in understanding a religion and culture
31:29 - The incredible level of previous generations of philologists and Indologists
32:29 - The diminishing role of primary language learning in the academy 
34:51 - The limitations of not knowing the primary languages 
37:17 - To meditators and religious teachers who don’t know the languages
42:05 - Julian’s own religious journey 
43:39 - Scepticism vs naivety
44:37 - Liberated by the proliferating unknowns in practice and scholarship
46:54 - Friction with religious institutions  
48:23 - Make your own Dharma 
50:31 - Mistaken ideas about lineage and transmission in Buddhism 
54:05 - The useful lie of Buddhist lineage 
55:51 - Critically investigating Buddhist claims 
57:42 - Challenging the esoteric claims of Tantric Buddhist transmission 
01:00:56 - Surpassing the master and the Jedi dimension 
01:05:53 - Julian probes Steve’s opinion on doctrinal contradictions 
01:07:23 - Lack of self confidence and making your own Dharma 
01:10:42 - Contradictions of modern Buddhist practitioners
01:12:34 - Was Buddha a Buddhist? 

…

To find our more about Dr Julian Schott, visit:
- https://www.aai.uni-hamburg.de/indtib/personen/schott.html

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com 
	

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep197: Scholar Practitioner - Dr Julian Schott

In this episode I am joined by Tulku Sherab Dorje, Buddhist teacher, translator, and author of scholarly and popular books about Tibetan Buddhism.

Tulku Sherdor reflects on the changes in the spiritual journey over a lifetime, whether or not the world is becoming more turbulent, and the effects of ageing on yogic practice and view.

Tulku Sherdor explains why mind training is superior to mystical experiences, emphasises the reality of impermanence, and shares the best tests of successful retreat and spiritual growth.

Tulku Sherdor also warns about the prognosis of tulkus who do not conduct extensive retreat; critiques the shortcomings of the 3-year retreat model as conducted in the West; and details the temptations for dharma teachers in pleasure, profit, praise, and popularity.


…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep304-crumbs-from-the-parrots-beak-tulku-sherdor 

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro 
01:04 - Crumbs from the Parrot’s Beak
02:43 - The spiritual journey and the phases of life
04:24 - Is the world becoming more turbulent?
05:56 - The effects of ageing on spiritual practice
07:53 - How to relate to physical limitations
09:56 - Ambition for enlightenment
12:26 - This is more fundamental than Bodhicitta
13:23 - Reality of impermanence
15:20 - The unique challenges of intensive practice and retreat
18:39 - Distinguishing appearance from substance 
19:41 - The title “lama” is not a guarantee of quality
21:12 - The best proof of progress
23:17 - The role of a demanding retreat schedule
26:24 - Mature practice
28:03 - Tulkus must conduct extensive retreat but sometimes don’t
30:28 - Prognosis for high lamas who don’t do extensive retreat 
32:30 - Hopes for corrections in the tulku system
34:58 - The Tibetan Buddhist tradition is unique and precious
35:41 - Signs of a successful retreat
38:01 - Completing a 3 year retreat is not a guarantee of quality
38:56 - Substandard Western 3 year retreats
40:49 - Pre-1950s Tibet and the renunciate yogi system
46:11 - Today’s economic challenges when practicing the dharma
49:47 - Mind training is superior to glimpses of the nature of mind
55:45 - The best test of success in practice 
57:00 - Does practice ever get easier?
01:01:28 - The 4 payoffs: pleasure, profit, praise, popularity
01:06:49 - Guru devotion and the guru relationship
01:12:31 - A story about Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
01:14:41- Peace Prayer Gathering in June 2025 

…

Previous episode with Tulku Sherdor:
- https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep276-canadian-tulku-translator-tulku-sherab-dorje  


To find our more about Tulku Sherdor, visit:
-  https://blazingwisdom.org/tulku-sherab-dorje/ 
- https://dharmakayacenter.org/all-programs/2637/sadhana-practice-expanding-our-compassion-for-all-beings/?fbclid=IwY2xjawKAGaRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFXZEJ2cmRmb0U3VTExUWpmAR729nsWXoI6VZEb9GkrzCeajdhS6ze_zGrQZUTvLpsphQJQHPSdJABxQ0brag_aem_dWMYHIGmMRk_dxeWxEuL7A 


For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com 

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep304: Crumbs from the Parrot’s Beak - Tulku Sherdor

This trialogue is the first in a series exploring the latest interdisciplinary research into tantric completion stage practices such as yogas of dream, sleep, and death.

Dr Michael Sheehy is the Director of Research at the Contemplative Sciences Center in the Department of Religious Studies in the University of Virginia.

Dr Tawni Tidwell is a biocultural anthropologist and doctor of traditional Tibetan medicine. 

Dr Julian Schott is an Indologist, Tibetologist, and assistant professor at the University of Vienna. 

Dr Sheehy shares his cutting edge research into the tantric completion stage yogas of dream and sleep, reveals the implication of new directions in neuroscience and micro-phenomenology, and warns of the danger of esoteric practices becoming extinct.

Dr Sheehy proposes a two-way split in the future of religious practice, Dr Tidwell reflects on the decline in the number of spiritual masters, and Dr Schott considers the real meaning of secrecy in Tibetan tantra.

Video version: www.guruviking.com

Topics include: 

00:00 - Intro
01:22 - Current research about yogic practices of dream and sleep
02:46 - Overview of Tibet and Indian dream and sleep practices
04:15 - Michael’s scientific studies of yogic lucid dreaming practice
07:53 - Opening a 2-way channel of communication between dreamer and scientist
08:46 - Rigorous micro-phenomenology
10:04 - Comparisons with classic descriptions and prescriptions found in Tibetan dream manuals
11:34 - Dreams are unpredictable spaces
13:53 - Understanding lucidity 
16:27 - Psychological flexibility, imaginal simulation, and somatic awareness
22:28 - The impact of dream yoga on daily life 
23:59 - 6 similes of reality and dream yoga 
26:26 - Lucid waking practices & the illusory body 
29:45 - 2-fold practice curriculum of day and night
31:16 - A devastating pitfall
32:07 - New ways to amplify practice 
35:38 - Designing virtual reality simulations for dream yoga exercises
39:49 - Intersections with psychedelic research
42:16 - 2 ways to approach contemplative practice 
47:05 - Generating interdisciplinary hypotheses 
48:14 - Utilising VR meditations as practice supports
52:37 - Drawing on traditional expertise 
53:27 - Bringing traditional practice categories into neuroscience research
55:27 - Neuroscience as the next level of translation 
59:40 - Michael challenges ahistorical perspectives; Tibetan tradition has been highly experimental
01:02:32 - Community-based partnerships
01:05:02 - What does it mean that a practice is “secret”?
01:07:01 - The body in tantric traditions and secularising tantra 
01:09:33 - A 2-way split in the global culture of religious practice 
01:12:10 - Esoteric traditions are in danger
01:16:56 - Bold experimentation is historically consonant with the tradition
01:18:23 - Great masters are decreasing in number
01:23:17 - Esoteric practices have a coherent logic
01:26:22 - Traditional practices have undergone evolution and change
01:28:36 - Ethics of scholar-practitioners 

To find our more about the panel, visit:
- https://michaelrsheehy.com/
- https://centerhealthyminds.org/about/people/tawni-tidwell
- https://stb.univie.ac.at/en/about-us/team/julian-schott/user/schottj85/inum/1083/backpid/198178/ 

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com 

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep305: Neuroscience of Dream Yoga - Dr Michael Sheehy, Dr Tawni Tidwell, Dr Julian Schott

I was recently interviewed by  ⁨@gabikoyenov⁩ about a wide range of topics for his podcast. 
...

Gabi's shownotes:

In this enlightening episode, I'm joined by Steve James, known as Guru Viking, who delves into his unique life experiences and the genesis of his intriguing persona. Steve shares insights from living on a boat, his personal religious exploration, and the profound impact of martial arts on his approach to discipline and personal growth. He highlights key influences in his life, including the significant impact of Bruce Lee. Additionally he explains his movement the Movement Koan Method, which helps in navigating emotional and physical tensions through joint nourishing movements.

Throughout our discussion, Steve explores the deeper layers of emotional pain, the risks of forced emotional exploration, and the benefits of an inquiry-based approach to meditation. He offers a critical look at the limits of meditation, the potential dangers of psychedelics, and the current state of spirituality in the Western world, providing historical perspectives and personal reflections on navigating modern challenges with ancient wisdom.

The episode concludes with Steve's thoughts on the concept of self and enlightenment, describing spiritual experiences as moments of 'sacred ordinariness.' This conversation is packed with insights for anyone interested in the intersections of spirituality, personal development, and modern life challenges. Tune in for a thought-provoking journey with Guru Viking on The Gabi Koyenov Podcast.


00:00 Introduction to Steve James
00:24 Podcast Purpose and Audience Engagement
00:51 The Origin of Guru Viking
03:19 Living on a Boat
04:51 Insights from Memorable Guests
06:32 Steve's Personal Religious Journey
11:35 Influence of Martial Arts
17:14 Impactful Books and Wisdom Literature
24:13 Developing Discipline and Motivation
29:02 Bruce Lee's Influence
33:55 Movement Koan Method
44:09 Understanding Habitual Tension and Stress
44:21 The Deeper Layers of Emotional Pain
44:47 The Risks of Forced Emotional Exploration
45:29 Inquiry-Based Approach to Meditation
47:08 The Limits of Meditation and Need for Professional Help
47:29 Modern Spirituality and Healing
48:02 The Dangers of Psychedelics
48:42 Exploring the State of Spirituality in the Western World
49:04 Historical Perspectives and Personal Reflections
59:18 The Concept of Self and Enlightenment
01:15:21 Spiritual Experiences and Sacred Ordinariness
01:24:31 Podcast Reflections and Future Plans

Steve James Interviewed on the Gabi Koyenov Podcast

In this episode I am joined by Alan Chapman, British writer, occultist, and spiritual teacher.

Alan recalls his troubled childhood in the impoverished North of England, reflects on the British class system, and shares his first encounter with Aleister Crowley.

Alan recounts his occult adventures with long time collaborator Duncan Barford, shares his spiritual biography of awakenings and mystical experiences, and considers the power and pitfalls of spiritual transmission.

Alan also compares gurus Papaji, and Andrew Cohen, and Adi Da; reveals why he considers Stephen Batchelor and Sam Harris to be Black Brothers; and discusses the role of the Dark Goddess on the path of awakening.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep323-british-occultist-alan-chapman

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro
00:55 - Duncan Barford and Alex W
03:07 - Impoverished upbringing in the North of England
05:05 - Early reaction to Christ
05:56 - First encounter with Aleister Crowley 
11:17 - Chaos magic and meeting Duncan Barford
12:00 - What kind of boy was Alan?
14:28 - Class consciousness 
15:44 - Sensitive boy in a cruel environment
19:20 - Regret about violence
20:58 - One’s own nature
22:25 - Alan questions Steve’s questions
22:45 - British class system
27:21 - Liminal identity
29:50 - Working vs middle vs upper class
31:18 - Anti-aspiration
33:18 - Growing out of musical aspirations 
37:36 - Shedding Feathers and fulfilment on the path
41:41 - Crowley book and facing challenges
47:37 - Path myth in The Book of the Law
54:56 - True path vs the New Age
58:08 - Following the Silent Knowing
01:05:10 - Facing darkness
01:10:36 - Black Brothers like Stephen Batchelor and Sam Harris
01:19:48 - Stephen Batchelor’s crisis of faith
01:22:49 - Warning about spiritual teachers
01:23:48 - Stereotypes of culture and awakening
01:27:54 - Papaji and the nondual car crash
01:31:33 - Adi Da and guru yoga
01:35:45 - Papaji vs Adi Da
01:41:24 - Invoking the Holy Guardian Angel
01:47:30 - Andrew Cohen
01:52:16 - Great White Brotherhood
01:54:34 - Enlightened in India
01:57:26 - Ancestors appear
01:59:11 - Practicing with Adi Da
02:01:01 - Transmission traps
02:05:02 - Confronted by Adi Da disciple
02:06:51 - Solid, vital, peculiar
02:09:12 - Cutting truth and Adyashanti 
02:10:43 - Reflections on Adi Da’s trajectory
02:11:52 - Further awakening at 33 
02:19:52 - Receiving the Magia teaching
02:33:58 - The Dark Goddess
02:36:15 - Accommodating yourself to the Damned
02:37:25 - Finding Sophia 
02:40:28 - Crowley and Jung
02:42:14 - Myth of Sophia
02:47:42 - Sequel plans
02:48:58 - Alan’s perspective on near death experiences 
03:00:31 - Purpose of life and awakening

…

To find our more about Alan Chapman visit:
- https://barbarouswords.com/ 

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com 
	

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep323: British Occultist - Alan Chapman

In this episode, I am once again joined by Dhammarato: a lineage teacher in the Thai Buddhist tradition who is known for his unique, 1-1 teaching conversations conducted with students online. 

Dhammarato guides us through the Ānāpānassatisutta, a much loved scripture which describes Buddhism’s famous breath meditation practice.

Dhammarato describes the technique in detail, challenges common misconceptions about this practice and the sutta, and explains how the whole Buddhist path is contained within it. 

Dhammarato also argues that loving kindness meditations and remembering past lives are not Buddhist practices, addresses jhana and other meditation practice mistakes, and reflects on the fruits of his own practice when faced with illness and physical pain. 

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep342-npnassati-dhammarato

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

...

Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro
00:52 - Various breathing meditations
02:28 - MN 118: Ānāpānassatisutta - about the sutta
04:58 - 4 foundations of mindfulness
05:37 - Factors of Enlightenment
06:39 - Mistaken readings of the sutta
08:01 - Critique of loving kindness meditation
10:12 - Sitting meditation vs ānāpānassati
11:22 - Sati vs loving kindness meditation and recalling past lives
13:00 - Right noble looking
13:55 - Entering the first jhana and gladdening the mind
17:19 - Victim attitude 
19:31 - How to make the body comfortable 
22:36 - The skill of developing sukha, satisfaction
26:02 - Thoughts, feelings, and body are interrelated 
27:35 - Ānāpānassati is not a breathing meditation
28:42 - Pragmatic Dharma vs Engaged Buddhism
30:25 - How to apply ānāpānassati
33:27 - The first step of nobility
36:22 - A feeling of success
39:14 - Attaining knowledge and deliverance 
41:58 - Common jhana practice mistakes
46:52 - Loving kindness meditation mistakes 
51:50 - Metta is a consequence not a practice
53:06 - Vipassanā vs samatha 
57:10 - Explaining other Buddhist masters’ enlightenments 
59:23 - Comments on Ajahn Chah and correct practice
01:01:53 - Working with pain and sickness
01:03:06 - Cancer and meditation
01:05:31 - Dhammarato’s aging and health 
01:06:03 - Criticism of Goenka and sitting through pain   
01:07:11 - Magical thinking of sitting through pain
01:08:28 - Advice for approaching death
01:10:53 - Dhammarato reflects on the deaths of his loved ones
01:13:37 - How to die happy

 Dhammarato Episode Playlist
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=DHAMMARATO  

To find out more about Dhammarato, visit:
- Email: dhammaratog@gmail.com  
- Discord: https://discord.gg/epphTGY  
- https://dhammaratoblog.wordpress.com/ 
- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjxg5GJFsRqnS-YLTzyrjLQ 

Read the Ānāpānassatisutta:
- https://suttacentral.net/mn118/en/sujato?lang=en&layout=plain&reference=none&notes=asterisk&highlight=false&script=latin

…

For more interviews, videos, and more visit.
- www.guruviking.com

…

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep342: Ānāpānassati - Dhammarato

R.B. Russell, author and founder of Tartarus Press, takes us on a deep dive into the life and works of Welsh author and mystic Arthur Machen. 

Ray traces the religious life of Machen, his involvement with the occult society the Golden Dawn, and his friendship with famed occultist A.E. Waite.

Ray details Machen’s fascination with the esoteric symbolism of the Grail mythology; his role in originating and spreading the supernatural, urban myth of the Bowman; and impact of his notorious horror-fantasy novella ”The Great God Pan”.

Ray also shares his reflections on literary theory, the various interpretations of Shakespeare, and the prevalence of psychoanalytic readings of classic genre fiction. 

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep343-the-mystic-arthur-machen-rb-russell

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. 

…

Topics include: 


00:00 - Intro
01:07 - First encounter with the works of Arthur Machen
05:25 - Hill of Dreams and an abiding interest
06:21 - Mysteries of Machen
07:12 - Life of Arthur Machen
09:29 - Involvement with occultism
17:11 - The Great God Pan 
22:19 - Machen, Lovecraft, and the mystical
26:17 - Reflections on literary theory
27:26 - Why so many psychoanalytic readings of horror?
29:13 - Historicism vs textualism 
31:40 - Shakespeare and classic vs modern productions 
34:38 - The Great God Pan needs to be Victorian
35:25 - Machen’s involvement in the Golden Dawn
38:43 - Grail Myth as a spiritual path and an early Welsh church
39:26 - Friendship with occultist A.E. Waite 
40:05 - The Great Return and the evolution of awe
43:41 - Why were so many writers fascinated by the Grail Myth and King Arthur?
46:15 - Esoteric symbolism of the Grail 
48:52 - Links to Roman Britain
49:58 - Machen’s Oxford disappointment and subsequent work
53:05 - The Bowmen and urban myths
57:28 - Reading vs collecting books 
01:02:27 - Ray’s prized item and Machen collection
01:03:34 - Tartarus Press and Machen publishing projects 
01:05:28 - Friends of Arthur Machen society 
01:07:06 - Faunus journal
01:07:22 - Where to start with Machen for those interested in the occult and mysticism

…

Previous episode with Ray:
- https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/p319-mystery-of-t-lobsang-rampa-rb-russell 

Find out more about Ray here:
- http://tartaruspress.com/russell-rampa.html
- https://www.arthurmachen.org.uk/ 

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep343: The Mystic Arthur Machen - RB Russell

In this episode I am joined by British occultists, authors, and creative collaborators Alan Chapman and Duncan Barford.

Alan and Duncan reflect on their decades of shared magickal practice and creative collaboration. They recall their first meeting at the secret society the “Illuminates of Thanateros” and muse on the gatekeeping and status games of the Chaos magick scene. They explain why they feel their emphasis on awakening and association with Buddhist writer and self-proclaimed arhat Daniel Ingram has contributed to their being shunned by leading figures in British occultism.

Alan and Duncan take a deep dive into their controversial new understanding of Aleister Crowley, address criticism levelled at them, and reveal the idealogical mistake that drove Alan to withdraw one of his biggest public projects.

Alan and Duncan also share their current practices, detail how to develop visionary capability, give their best understanding about how magick really works, and offer their advice for those who wish to enter the path of Western occultism. 


…

Video: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep345-magick-awakening-crowley-alan-chapman-duncan-barford

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
01:13 - Meeting at an occult secret society
06:29 - Formative experiences of group magick
07:36 - Should you join the IoT?
07:53 - The importance of group magick
08:19 - Timidity in magickal practice
10:20 - What does magick have to do with enlightenment?
12:03 - Jealousy in spiritual circles
14:38 - Peter Carroll vs Neoplatonism
17:11 - Alan and Duncan’s contribution to Chaos Magick
19:07 - Feuds between religionists
20:33 - What kind of person is drawn to Chaos Magick?
22:25 - Gatekeeping and status games
23:10 - The best thing about Chaos Magicians
25:45 - Bad uses of Chaos Magick
28:38 - Being ignored by the magickal community
29:24 - Why were Alan and Duncan ignored?
30:!4 - Controversial association with Daniel Ingram
31:54 - Why did Peter Carroll dislike Alan and Duncan?
33:01 - How to understand magickal results and synchronicities
36:46 - How Duncan’s practice has changed over time
40:13- Awakening and the structure of things
43:16 - Alan’s current practice
43:57 - The everyday as a basis
45:07 - How to get started in magick
52:35 - Permission and confidence
53:41 - Developing visionary capability
54:55 - Alan’s understanding of the path
01:00:32 - Pinnacle of practical magick
01:01:46 - Duncan’s Goddess vision
01:03:14 - The basis of the path
01:07:50 - How magick works
01:09:00 - Criticism of Alan abandoning projects
01:16:14 - Sigmund Freud
01:16:57 - Why do people criticise Alan?
01:18:56 - One thing that really annoys Alan
01:20:53 - Resentment and psychological shadow
01:22:43 - Malevolence and denying enlightenment 
01:29:26 - A dark occult conference experience
01:31:20 - Envy and counter-initiation 
01:33:51 - Creative journey
01:35:49 - The toxic belief in cultural progress
01:39:38 - Ken Wilber’s Integral Theory 
01:41:10 - Daniel Ingram’s pivot to science
01:42:19 - The spirit of the times
01:44:08 - Realising cultural chauvinism
01:49:53 - Desire to do something else
01:51:30 - Source of many problems 
01:53:23 - The Crowley project
02:01:15 - Alan’s academic approach
02:03:53 - Legal challenges
02:06:34 - Crowley on Chinese wisdom
02:09:05 - Dao De Jing
02:17:24 - Misunderstandings about the Dao De Jing
02:19:03 - Jung’s (mis?)undersanding of Asian classics
02:21:06 - Western alchemy and spirit writing
02:23:19 - Two kinds of researchers
02:290:02 - Life of Aleister Crowley
02:31:28 - The Inner Church
02:33:28 - The Bornless Rite 
02:35:18 - The Book of the Law
02:45:24 - Crossing the abyss
02:47:39 - Mad or enlightened?
02:52:20 - Liber 31
02:53:53 - Crowley’s failures
02:55:57 - Jung and Philip K Dick 
02:56:41 - Controversial take on Crowley
03:00:48 - Why follow Crowley’s path?

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep345: Against the Stream Magick, Awakening, & Crowley -  Alan Chapman & Duncan Barford

In this episode, I am joined by Dr Christopher “Hareesh” Wallis, a Sanskritist and scholar-practitioner of Classical Tantra.

Christopher recounts his unusual upbringing, early meetings with Osho and Muktananda, early shaktipat experiences, and powerful spiritual awakenings.

Christopher traces his educational journey under professors such as Douglas Brooks and Alexis G. J. S. Sanderson, offers his opinions about optimal pedagogy for Sanskrit language study, and questions lineage claims made in Tibetan Buddhism.

Christopher also considers the tension between religious faith and academic skepticism, explains why he thinks it is possible to receive spiritual benefit from corrupt gurus, and descries why he believes spiritual awakening leads to a deep trust in the unfolding of life.

…

Video version: www.guruviking.com

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
00:57 - An unusual family of origin 
03:28 - Mother’s conversion to Hinduism 
03:50 - Meeting Osho and Swami Muktananda
05:17 - Awakening experience at 16 years old
05:55 - Attraction to Tantric Shaivism
07:35 - Academic training and intellectual infatuation
09:00 - Multiple teachers
10:13 - Seeing through intellectual ego
12:57 - Teenage rebellion and psychedelics
14:44 - Love of sci fi and fantasy
17:05 - Siddha yoga shaktipat 
18:33 - Gurumayi Chidvilasananda
20:33 - Heart opening shaktipat
24:01 - Saint or psychopath?
28:26 - The guru’s shadow
30:18 - Transmission from a disgraced guru
32:25 - No single objective reality  
35:32 - No doubts despite guru’s flaws
38:18 - Has Christopher missed the point?
39:53 - Parsing subjective certainty
41:55 - A belief but not really
43:21 - Innate intelligence and trusting the unfolding of life
46:50 - Harmonising with the pattern
50:17 - Don’t pretend to be more enlightened that you are
51:56 - The same awakening as the Buddha’s
54:22 - Waking up out of your tradition
55:32 - Agnosticism about reincarnation
57:29 - BA at Rochester
01:00:53 - Alexis G. J. S. Sanderson 
01:05:40 - Great professors at Rochester
01:08:22 - Learning Sanskrit 
01:11:12 - Art of translation
01:13:27 - Sanskrit pedagogy
01:16:42 - Christopher’s approach to teaching Sanskrit
01:21:19 - Why learn Sanskrit?
01:24:10 - Parallel primer method
01:26:06 - Does academia ruin religious faith?
01:30:39 - Mantra disillusionment
01:34:40 - Disillusionment with saints and siddhas
01:38:10 - Religious professors
01:39:13 - Debunking tantric lineage claims
01:42:05 - Did Tibetan Buddhists fabricated their lineages?
01:43:10 - Tantric Shaivism as a living tradition 
01:46:16 - Is Christopher a lineage holder?
01:48:04 - Critique of lineage holders and lamas 
 
…

To find our more about Dr Wallis visit:
- https://hareesh.org/ 

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com 

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep346: Tantric Scholar-Practitioner - Christopher “Hareesh” Wallis

In this episode I am once again joined by Alex W, long term practitioner of Zen, Pragmatic Dharma, and Western Occultism.

Alex takes a deep dive into the world of magick to compare esoteric systems from around the world including Western Occultism, Tibetan Buddhism, Indian Tantric and Goddess systems, Santeria and more. 

Alex gives a history of the development of Western Occultism, exploring the Egyptian mysteries, Neoplatonism, Catholic mysticism, Kabbalah, Shi’ism, Wicca, the Golden Dawn, Thelema, Chaos Magic and beyond.

Alex discusses esoteric techniques such spellcraft, opening the psychic senses, working with entities, mantra, yantra, alchemy, astrology, and divination. He considers the tension between natural talent and practiced skill, reviews strategies for protection against curses and entity oppression, and recounts his own path as a practitioner of the occult.

…

Full episode: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep349-deep-dive-into-magick-alex-w

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. 
…

Topics include: 


00:00 - Intro
01:09 - History of magick
06:08 - Christianity as a reinterpretation of Egyptian mysteries of Osiris
06:40 - Syncretism of the Golden Dawn
08:48 - Thelema 
09:50 - English vs French magick
11:10 - Wicca
12:55 - Chaos Magic 
16:04 - Belief and manifestation
19:26 - Theory vs practice
20:52 - Neoplatonism 
22:54 - Kabbalah
29:09 - Shi’ism, Sufism, and the Church fathers
30:42 - Renaissance 
32:36 - Not superstition?
33:53 - Alex’s magick path
35:32 - Training under Alan Chapman
38:21 - Scrying and the Holy Guardian Angel
40:10 - What is the HGA?
46:04 - The real initiation of Western Occultism
47:37 - Santeria and spirits
51:16- Exploring the Renaissance grimoires
54:56 - Catholic mysticism, angels, and saints
56:25 - Spellcraft
57:25 - Hinduism and Buddhist magick
01:03:33 - Mantra  
01:07:29 - Yantras and Indo-European astrology
01:10:15 - Tantra as a ritual process to effect change and invoke spirits 
01:11:34 - Ramnath Aghori Baba 
01:12:51 - How Goddess traditions work
01:19:13 - Initiated by Kālī and the Dark Feminine
01:25:21 - Opening the psychic senses
01:27:19 - Kālī, Chinnamastā, and the Dark Feminine
01:30:41 - Hecate 
01:33:10 - Dark spirits, ḍākinīs, and the 64 yogis
01:37:19 - Network of friends 
01:41:06 - Past lives
01:42:38 - Astrology
01:46:12 - Which practice is right for you?
01:47:42 - Alchemy
01:48:46 - Why practice magick?
01:53:14 - Divination and protection against curses
01:54:28 - 3 magickal self defence methods 
02:02:10 - How common are curses?
02:05:26 - Why seek the Western Tradition?
02:12:08 - Indian vs Tibetan tantra 
02:15:29 - Is magick well understood?  
02:20:34 - Talent, lineage, and technique
02:22:44 - Crowley’s birthchart
02:27:32 - Alan & Duncan’s relationship
02:29:08 - Dangers
02:35:089 - Spiritual psychosis
02:37:50 - Devotion 

…

Previous episodes with Alex W:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=alex 

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- www.guruviking.com 

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep349: Deep Dive Into Magick - Alex W

In this episode I am once again joined by Rebekah Sturgill, mother, school teacher, and convert to Orthodox Christianity.

Rebekah discusses the contemplative methods of Orthodox Christianity; shares one of the tradition’s core practices, the Jesus Prayer; and discusses the importance of the liturgical year.

Rebekah explorex the phenomenology of a felt sense of Christ, explains the ideal of theosis, and reveals why the imagination is discouraged in Orthodox practice.

Rebekah also details the Orthodox view on demons, compares it to popular depictions in books and films, and offers her own experience of the supernatural dimensions of the spiritual war for the human will.

…

Video version: www.guruviking.com

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics include:
 
00:00 - Intro
00:48 - Practice of Orthodox Christianity
03:37 - Time, community, and individual practice 
10:51 - Learning how to be an Orthodox Christian
13:50 - The Jesus Prayer
16:11  - Against the imaginal
17:11 - Breathing practice in the Jesus Prayer
18:51 - Focusing on Christ
22:17 - A felt sense of Christ
24:38 - Phenomenology of meditation
26:49 - False vision and dangers of the imagination
29:50 - Warnings and special experiences
32:29 - Community as a check on spiritual pride
33:52 - Theosis and the goal of Orthodox Christian practice
38:36 - The heat of God
40:42 - Ethics and positive behavioural change
44:57 - The ethical ideal of Christ
47:18 - Angels, demons, and supernatural entities
51:08 - Screwtape Letters and the ontology of demons
53:59 - Theories of demonology
55:35 - War for the human will
58:56 - Levels of understanding
01:01:41 - How much should catechumens be taught about demons?
01:06:00 - Orthodoxy is in vogue
  …

Previous episode with Rebekah Sturgill:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=sturgill 

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com 

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep353: Mysticism and Demonology in Orthodox Christianity - Rebekah Sturgill

In this episode I am once again joined by Dr Francisco José Luis, scholar of Indo-Iranian Studies and Comparative Religion trained at the Sorbonne, Paris and SOAS, London.

Francisco shares his research into the links between Indian and Tibetan tantric practices and the mystical teachings of Shi’ite Islam, reveals the prevalence of lucid dreaming techniques in antiquity, and emphasises the importance of the Silk Road in transmitting esoteric knowledge between civilisations.

Francisco discusses the Islamic yogi, Jâbir ibn Ḥayyān; traces the historical tensions between the scholarly, jurist factions and mystics within Shi’ism; and asserts that Iranian Buddhism was a key part of the Islamic Golden Age. 

Francisco also argues for significant Islamic influence on Buddhism, the need for a sense of civilisational greatness, and why he believes the time has to come to reignite sacred chivalry.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep354-islamic-mysticism-tantric-buddhism-francisco-jose-luis

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
01:02 - Lucid dreaming techniques in a 19th century Shi’ite text
03:34 - The focal point of the Shi’ite tradition
04:28 - 4 volume Shi’ite encyclopaedia of dreams
06:21 - Links between Tibetan and Shi’ite dream yoga techniques 
08:01 - Silk road, Gandhāra, and the internationalisation of Buddhism
09:07 - Jâbir ibn Ḥayyān, the Islamic alchemist and “Buddhist yogi”
11:06 - Iranian Buddhist influence on the Golden Age of Islam
14:26 - The rise of the scholar 
16:20 - Islamic influence on Buddhism
17:04 - Practice over dogma in Oḍḍiyāna
19:11 - The influence of Classical Greece 
19:51  - Lucid dreaming in antiquity
22:27 - Hesychasm: a Christian breath, body, and mind meditation
25:16 - A prophet is always awake
26:19 - Rosary and the influence of Christianity on Islam
28:01 - Lucid dreaming and the Desert Fathers
31:54 - Sleep deprivation to achieve mystical states
37:51 - Bardo ideas and the Iranian worldview
40:49 - Monastic routine and lucid dreaming
42:57 - Tasks to complete in the dream
43:28 - Angelic possession and contacting the Imam in dreams
50:28 - Is mystical Shi’ism practiced today?
58:22 - Francisco’s initiation and anti-mystical, Occidental materialism 
59:20 - Political Shi’ism 
01:01:41 - Attachment to matter to the detriment of spirit
01:02:07 - The need for the spirit for civilisational greatness
01:04:13 - Francisco’s mentoring
01:07:14 - Reigniting sacred chivalry 
01:08:07 - Plato, Evola, and Traditionalism 
01:10:19 - Use of the letter “a” in Shi’ite mysticism and other tantric similarities
01:11:13 - Entheogen use in Iranian mysticism 
01:12:06 - Francisco’s mushroom trip
01:13:23 - Francisco’s aims 
01:15:22 - Reading recommendations: Henry Corbin and Mostafa Vaziri
01:19;18 - Buddhism in Iran

…

Previous episodes with Dr Francisco José Luis:
- https://www.guruviking.com/ 

To find our more about Dr Francisco José Luis, visit:
- https://www.instagram.com/hludvig_tradicionalista 


For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com 

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep354: Islamic Mysticism & Tantric Buddhism - Dr Francisco José Luis

In this episode, filmed in Sarnath, India, I am joined by Doug Nurnberg, a close student of Tarthang Tulku for over 50 years and project manager and board member of the Sarnath International Nyingma Institute (SINI).

Doug recalls his childhood in a conservative farming family in Kansas, how an out of body experience saw him embark on a search for meaning, and why he sometimes thinks of himself as an “accidental Buddhist”.

Doug describes his 50 year discipleship under Tarthang Tulku; recounts stories of conflict, trust, and unusual teaching methods; and reveals his impressions of the personality and capabilities of Tarthang Tulku the man.

Doug also reflects on work ethic as a path to enlightenment, why he has deferred meditation practice to preserve Tibetan culture and further the aims of his teacher, and the role of esoteric geomancy in the building of grand stupas and statues around the world. 

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep355-the-accidental-buddhist-doug-nurnberg

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
01:02 - Tour of the Sarnath International Nyingma Institute
09:45 - Library and scripture collections
12:54 - Books by Tarthang Tulku
13:27 - Revelations of Mind 
14:39 - Deferring practice to preserve the Tibetan culture
16:30 - Setting up a printing press at Ratna Ling
17:55 - Doug’s childhood in Kansas 
19:47 - Accidental Buddhist
20:30 - Excellence in athletics 
21:39 - Winning the national championship and an out of body experience 
24:16 - Searching for meaning 
25:41 - Meeting Tarthang Tulku
28:29 - Conflicts during construction projects for Tarthang Tulku
34:29 - Horses and Tarthang Tulku’s teaching methods 
37:59 - Permaculture projects 
42:17 - Work ethic as a path to enlightenment
46:04 - Tarthang Tulku’s individualised teaching style
48:37 - Why such grand scale projects?
52:36 - Geomancy and sacred building projects
56:29 - Difficult relationship with Tarthang Tulku
01:01:33 - Leaving in frustration for 10 years
01:03:22 - Family obligations
01:05:37 - Political instability in America
01:08:12 - Family concern about Doug’s involvement with Tarthang Tulku
01:10:40 - Tarthang Tulku the man
01:14:59 - Devotion to the guru
01:17:19 - Tarthang Tulku’s unusual capacities
01:21:21 - Doug’s understanding of Buddhist doctrine
01:27:36 - Gratitude to Tarthang Tulku
01:29:56 - Thinking about death 
01:31:14 - Does Doug want to be enlightened?
01:33:19 - Buddhism is a natural state 

…

To find our more about Doug Nurnberg, visit:
- https://www.sinibridge.org/team-member/doug-nurnberg/ 

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com 

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep355: The Accidental Buddhist - Doug Nurnberg

In this episode I am joined by Ken Wilber, contemporary philosopher, author, and founder of Integral Theory.

Ken recounts his biography and intellectual development including prodigious early reading, major spiritual experiences, and his models of spiritual and psychological development.

Ken reflects on his rise to fame, his deeper motivations for writing, and whether or not his Integral Institute made the impact he had hoped for. 

Ken also gives a detailed account of his association with controversial American spiritual teacher Adi Da, weighs the good and bad of Da Free John’s career, considers the source of Adi Da’s shaktipat power, and reveals why he almost joined the guru’s inner circle.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep356-awakening-to-wholeness-ken-wilber

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
00:51 - Steve’s favourite Ken Wilber book
02:01 - Difficulties writing “One Taste”
05:39 - Adolescent interest in developmental psychology
08:53 - Major spiritual experience at 13 years old
09:55 - Comparing stage models
12:24 - Zen Buddhist practice 
13:47 - Ken’s first theoretical discovery
15:57 - Different types of wholeness
17:19 - Waking up
17:55 - Growing up
19:00 - Opening up
21:15 - Cleaning up
23:47 - Showing up
24:43 - 4 perspectives of person
28:51 - Ken’s fiction reading and the types of truth
31:11 - Marquis de Sade
32:45 - Why Ken wrote 
39:39 - Why participate in the Great Conversation?
41:29 - Who you really are
43:32 - Universal mysticism
45:00 - Two types of religion
53:15 - Dealing with the audience response 
56:22 - Being noticed in public
57:50 - Did Ken have collaborators?
01:00:05 - Integral group gatherings and conferences
01:04:22 - Ken’s assessment of the overall impact of Integral theory and the Integral gatherings
01:07:58 - No regrets
01:09:39 - Ken’s opinion of Steve’s work
01:12:23 - Ken’s history with Adi Da 
01:17:10 - Invited to be part of Adi Da’s inner circle
01:19:57 - Meeting Adi Da
01:20:59 - When Ken decided not to join Adidam
01:21:57 - Sadness at Adi Da’s death 
01:23:53 - William Tsiknas
01:25:22 - Falling in love with Adi Da
01:28:35 - Source of Adi Da’s power
01:28:41 - Ken on Adi Da’s relationship with his teachers
01:32:59 - Adi Da’s pranic transmission
01:35:38 - Muktananda +  why Adi Da was drawn to Rudi
01:40:16 - What is shaktipat?
01:43:15 - Post-death contact and ethical controversies
01:45:04 - Feeling the heart transmission of Adi Da 
01:47:17 - Ken’s disappointment in Adi Da’s controversial conduct  
01:50:54 - Good vs bad of Adi Da

…

To find our more about Ken Wilber, visit:
- https://kenwilber.com/ 

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com 

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep356: Awakening to Wholeness - Ken Wilber

In this episode I am joined by Muho, Sōtō Zen teacher, Youtuber, and previous abbot of Antai-Ji monastery in Japan.

Muho recalls the death of his mother when he was 6 years old, his childhood behavioural problems and time in boarding school, and initial contact with meditation.

Muho shares what he describes as his narcissism, which arose from the death of his mother and a subsequent yearning to be seen; how his desire to be seen has caused difficulties for those around him; and how his thirty years of discipleship under a Zen master in a Japanese monastery collided with these patterns. 

Muho also observes that there is something missing in American Zen teachers, disambiguates good and bad reasons for teaching Zen, and explains why he believes sitting meditation is actually good for nothing.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep357-zen-is-good-for-nothing-muho

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
00:54 - Death of Muho’s mother and the beginning of questioning
04:49 - Sent to boarding school
05:35 - First meditation at 16 years old
07:48 - Discovering a connection to the body
10:02 - Reading about Zen Buddhism
11:32 - Studying Japanese and moving to Japan
12:21 - Being the class clown
13:14 - Muho’s narcissism 
15:10 - Trouble from describing himself as a narcissist 
18:20 - Others’ suffering from Muho’s narcissism 
19:31 - How Zen practice affected narcissism
22:01 - “It’s not about you”
24:35 - Vertical and horizontal axis of enlightenment
27:32 - Achieving Buddhahood
30:00 - Should you try to improve yourself?
34:37 - Student projections and exposing the teacher’s flaws
36:16 - Guru as father figure 
38:02 - Looking for the perfect leader
39:00 - What is the role of the Zen teacher?
40:31 - Muho’s teaching activities
41:40 - The problem with American Zen teachers
42:21 - What example should a teacher set?
43:38 - Real teachers do not promote their enlightenment
45:11 - Using your teacher to promote yourself
47:14 - A teacher must first be a student
49:00 - Spiritual businessmen and teacher trainings
50:30 - 3 reasons to teach 
56:05 - What is missing in Western teachers?
57:05 - Teaching as an expression of gratitude
58:15 - Minimum time before becoming a teacher
59:57 - Signs to become a teacher
01:00:26 - Tragedy of premature teaching
01:02:40 - Muho’s advice for shallow teachers
01:05:01 - Zen has become a game
01:06:25 - Zen is good for nothing
01:07:56 - Techniques, states, and stages
01:11:25 - Play a different game
01:13:48 - Is Zen true or just another method?
01:19:43 - Taking the result as the path
01:22:00 - Do other practices miss the point?
01:25:51 - From samsara to nirvana
01:28:46 - Muho’s Youtube channels

…

To find our more about Muho, visit:
- https://www.youtube.com/@muho 
- https://www.youtube.com/@MuhoZen

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com 

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep357: Zen Is Good For Nothing - Muho

In this episode I am once again joined by Mary Shutan: author, occultist, and spiritual teacher. 

Mary opens her casebook as a spirit lawyer, working on behalf of her clients with occult techniques to solve all manner of natural and supernatural problems.

Mary recounts stories of jealous wizards, astral encounters, and the dark side of shamanism.

Mary also reveals the two ways in which curses operate, warns about the power of blood magic, and explores the connection between trauma and soul retrieval.

…

Video episode: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep358-casebook-of-a-spirit-lawyer-mary-shutan

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. 
…

Topics include: 


00:00 - Intro
00:39 - What is a spirit lawyer?
05:46 - How Mary works with clients
09:16 - Case study: I am blocked in my spiritual seeking
12:50 - Case study: I keep getting angry at work
15:14 - How to meet people where they are
18:28 - A shift in Mary’s method
20:30 - Working with spirits
23:07 - Initiations and navigating the Underworld
27:08 - Dark side of shamanism
30:01 - 2 ways in which curses work
34:23 - Easy-access occult systems
36:44 - Rescuing black magic practitioners 
38:20 - Magick can be addictive 
40:27 - Difficulty letting go of magick
41:44 - How to offset karmic debts 
45:19 - Language magick
47:16 - The exorcism of Mattias Daly 
49:39 -  - How common is genuine spirit oppression?
55:13- Blood magick
57:29 - Dangers to the spirit lawyer
01:00:41 - Power and jealous wizards
01:02:25 - Meeting powerful practitioners
01:04:14 - Commonalities among systems
01:06:11 - Meeting people in the astral realm
01:07:08 - Mary’s shamanic techniques
01:08:45 - Journeying and discernment
01:10:37 - Trauma and soul retrieval 
01:13:26 - Psychedelic casualties
01:14:25 - Mentoring others
01:17:32 - Alienation from the natural world
01:19:42 - Mary on today’s world
01:22:18 - Healing, shadow work, and creativity
01:23:54 - Mary’s advice for others

…

Previous episodes with Mary Shutan:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=shutan 

To find out more about Mary Shutan, visit:
- http://maryshutan.com/ 

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep358: Casebook of a Spirit Lawyer - Mary Shutan

In this episode, I am once again joined by Jensen Martin, a scholar-practitioner and PhD student at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California.

Jensen leads a deep dive into Narasiṃha, compares different version of the Narasiṃha myth, and examines contradictions in the tradition. 

Jensen reveals his motive for pursuing a PhD, describes his plans for a meditation retreat as part of the project, and reflects on what he sees as a crisis in academia. 

Jensen also discusses the relevance of Narasiṃha to today’s world situation, the terror of dissolution, and the advantages of being an outsider.
	 
…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep359-narasimha-the-lion-man-jensen-martin-2

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
00:47 - Jensen’s PhD about Narasiṃha
02:27 - Caveats and disclaimers
04:26 - Relevance of Narasiṃha to today’s world situation
07:54 - Story of Narasiṃha
25:59 - Uniqueness of Narasiṃha
29:00 - Calculating the yuga
33:46 - Interstellar travel and kriya yoga
37:15 - Reconciling myths with historical evidence
37:15 - Soifer and comparing the Narasiṃha myths
50:06 - Star Wars canon 
51:55 - 1000 years of narrative development
56:03 - How Narasiṃha is most commonly seen today
01:01:49 - Many different schools
01:02:50 - The advantages of being an outsider
01:06:09 - Jensen is motivated by awakening
01:08:42 - Narasiṃha meditation text
01:15:15 - Oral tradition
01:20:12 - Dhruva Gorrick and visions of Narasiṃha
01:23:43 - Terror of dissolution
01:28:42 - The Cult of Janagannath 
01:34:14 - The benefit of worshipping Narasiṃha
01:42:28 - What Narasiṃha means to Jensen
01:45:29 - Jensen’s goal is to find out what Narasiṃha means today
01:47:21 - Contradictions in the tradition
01:48:35 - How Jensen will proceed with his PhD and a practice focus
01:49:37 - The danger of moving too fast
01:52:43 - Jensen’s retreat curriculum
02:00:09 - Learning Hindi
02:01:58 - Academic lineage and a flexible programme
02:03:12 - Future plans and financial crisis in academia 
 
…

Previous episode with Jensen Martin:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=jensen

To find our more about Jensen Martin visit:
- https://www.instagram.com/jensen_sudarshan/ 

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com 

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep359: Narasiṃha the Lion Man - Jensen Martin

In this episode, I am once again joined by Dr Christopher “Hareesh” Wallis, a Sanskritist and scholar-practitioner of Classical Tantra.

Christopher shares how he became a spiritual teacher, explains the dangers of guru idealisation, and considers if he may be misleading his students. 

Christopher discusses his own series of religious peak experiences, explores their causes, and reflects on their consequences.	

Christopher recalls his time studying with American spiritual teacher Adyanshanti, the influence of Marshall Rosenberg, and reveals how his ability to spot fake gurus improved after his awakening.

…

Full episode at www.guruviking.com.

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
00:43 - Studying under Alexis Sanderson
04:16 - Faithfulness to the traditions
05:38 - The requirements to understand tantric sources
06:24 - Secrecy and the oral tradition
09:07 - Did Sanderson receive Lakshmanjoo’s energetic transmission
12:28 - Academic approaches to religion
13:28 - Public vs private religion
14:23 - Why isn’t Sanderson religious?
16:40 - Is Shaivite Tantra a relic of the past?
17:42 - Does religious affiliation contaminate academic objectivity?
20:43 - Cabezón on the benefits of an insider perspective on religious 
21:44 - Piety and devotion as motives
23:02 - Humanists can have devotion too
23:43 - Cynicism about human motives
24:50 - Loss of trust in gurus 
26:39 - Famous gurus want to be famous
28:30 - How gurus fall
31:25 - How Christopher became a spiritual teacher 
33:33 - Switching from academia to freelance spiritual teaching
25:22 - Is Christopher a guru?
39:30 - Does Christopher mislead his students?
44:21 - Christopher’s experience of flow when teaching
47:20 - Feeling the presence of past masters
49:30 - Self-deception and collusion with students
53:02 - Student-teacher projection
54:29 - Christopher’s experience with naive projection
56:23 - How Christopher deals with idealisation
57:52 - Why your biggest fans can become your greatest haters
59:14 - A story of praise and blame
01:01:55 - Christopher’s spiritual journey
01:05:22 - Studying with Adyashanti
01:08:26 - Christopher’s awakening
01:09:45 - What is vs one’s mental representation
01:14:39 - Sudden or gradual?
01:18:08 - Freedom from mental constructs
01:20:08 - Non-violent communication
01:24:13 - Am I good enough?
01:26:31 - Aftermath of an awakening experience
01:29:58 - Glimpse vs abiding shift
01:33:42 - Spotting fake gurus after awakening
01:35:57 - Changes in doctrinal understanding
01:40:22 - Challenging the true believer 
01:42:29 - Denying the Buddhist doctrine of no-self
01:43:26 - 3 stages of awakening
01:47:41 - Christopher’s “Tantra 112” meditation app
 
…

Previous episode with Christopher Wallis:

- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=wallis

To find our more about Dr Christopher Wallis visit:
- https://hareesh.org/ 

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com 

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep360: Gurus & Awakenings - Dr Christopher “Hareesh” Wallis

In this episode I am once again joined by Stephen Snyder, Buddhist meditation teacher and author of several books including “Living Awakeness: Embodying Your Awakening”.

Stephen compares Theravada to Zen in terms of difficulty and depth, explains why 30 minutes of cessation is his minimum to achieve Theravada stream entry, and shares why he believes cessation has a feminine energy.

Stephen discusses the writing practices that have made him such a prolific author, reflects on how spiritual experiences can change one’s reading habits, and reveals his opinion on academic histories of Buddhism

Stephen also discusses false awakenings and ego inflation, whether enlightenment eliminates all negative emotions, and considers the controversial relationship between enlightenment and political engagement.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep361-living-awakeness-stephen-snyder  

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. 

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
01:02 - Stephen’s secrets for writing so prolifically 
04:51 - Writing routine
05:57 - Influence of law career on writing style
07:32 - Does Stephen read fiction?
08:00 - Does awakening change reading preferences?
10:03 - Does Stephen read Buddhist history?
12:14 - Stephen’s new book, “Living Awakeness”
12:34 - Patterns in students with deeper awakening
13:30 - 8 levels of consciousness
18:22 - Are desire and anger eliminated by awakening?
20:32 - The Buddha was angry
21:19 - How does awakening affect emotion?
22:59 - Stored karma in the 8th level of consciousness
24:31 - Awakening vs self improvement
27:07 - Meditation as stress reduction
29:26 - Why not just teach the brahmavihārās?
30:45 - Yogic origin of Buddhist practices 
31:18 - Different ways to practice brahmavihārā 
34:13 - Theravada vs Zen awakenings 
34:54 - Theravada awakening is in danger of being lost
37:00 - Which is more difficult: Theravada or Zen?
37:58 - Fear of extinction 
39:34 - Cessation is a feminine energy
41:06 - Which awakening should you get first: Theravada or Zen?
41:54 - 30 min cessation minimum for stream awakening
44:56 - False awakenings
45:11 - Cessation vs falling asleep during meditation
45:38 - “Awakening” is used to generically
46:10 - Interrogating awakening experiences
47:18 - Ego inflation after transcendent experiences
49:09 - Post awakening perspectives
53:07 - Awakening and political engagement 
57:21 - Bernie Glassman’s Auschwitz retreats
59:52 - Does awakening change one’s politics?
01:03:01 - Origin of enflamed political engagement 

…

Watch previous episodes with Stephen Snyder:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=Stephen%20Snyder 


To find our more about Stephen Snyder, visit:
- https://awakeningdharma.org/ 

…
 For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
 - www.guruviking.com 

…

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep361: Living Awakeness - Stephen Snyder

In this episode I am once again joined by Delson Armstrong, spiritual teacher, meditation virtuoso, and author of ‘A Mind Without Craving’.

Delson describes his recent initiation into the goddess tradition of Śri Vidya, recounts his subsequent encounters with deities and supernatural beings, and discusses his latest writings on para-consciousness and nibbanadhatu.

Delson explains how to relate to guilt, doubt, and skepticism; how to enter the three gates to cessation; and gives his take on the essence of the spiritual path.

Delson also reveals his recent explorations in Western Philosophy, why he has begun writing about world peace,  offers his predictions for the future, and shares what he is doing to prepare himself and his family for what is to come.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep362-mirror-beyond-mind-delson-armstrong

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
00:53 - Delson life update
02:24 - Words for the exhausted seeker
04:18 - Why Delson still teaches TWIM
05:50 - Jhana wars
08:28 - Bad doubt vs good doubt
10:06 - What is beyond the fetter of doubt?
18:33- Questioning the doctrine of rebirth
19:46 - Ordinary right view vs supramundane right view
21:39 - Delson’s library of books
23:35 - Exploring Western philosophy
25:57 - The essence of the path
31:20 - Philosophy reading list
36:49 - Lucretius and the Swerve
38:42 - Initiation into Śri Vidya
45:10 - Encounters with Goddesses
50:17 - Deity visitations
54:39 - The Mirror Beyond Mind
58:41 - Para-consciousness and nibbanadhatu
59:01 - Did the Buddha reject the Vedas?
01:03:28 - Zero point of expansion and contraction
01:04:57 - 3 gates to cessation 
01:10:25 - How to relate to cessation?
01:15:27 - What happens at death
01:16:47 - The Vakkalisutta
01:18:45 - Life review during meditation and death
01:19:42 - Forgiveness practice
01:22:25 - Teachings of Jesus
01:23:21 - Guilt and how to forgive
01:29:51 - When reconciliation is not possible
01:31:20 - Civilisational utopia thru enlightenment?
01:38:11 - Is world peace unrealistic?
01:39:57 - Can peace come from weakness?
01:44:01 - Why is Delson writing about world peace?
01:46:48 - Predictions about the immediate future of the world
01:50:43 - How Delson is preparing for the future 

...

Watch previous episodes with Delson Armstrong:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=delson 
	
Find out more about Delson Armstrong:
- https://www.delsonarmstrong.com/events
- https://delsonarmstrong.substack.com/

…

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com 

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep362: Goddess Encounters - Delson Armstrong

In this episode I am once again joined by Duncan Barford, occult practitioner, counsellor, and author of “Occult Experiments in the Home”.

Duncan reflects on his training as a counsellor and the difficulties in sharing his occult interests in that context; his deep appreciation of Freud and Jung; and the links between psychoanalysis and mythic figures such as such as Uranus, Oedipus, and Narcissus.

Duncan considers whether Buddhism is merely a useful fiction, offers advice for those interested in learning how tp use mythology to gain insight into life, and explains why the emphasis of his spiritual practice has shifted from awakening to psychological wellbeing. 

Duncan also talks about his new magical novel, “The Going Down”, describes its plot and messages, and reveals why he believes the practice of Pragmatic Dharma can accrue a profoundly dark karmic debt.

…

Video version: www.guruviking.com

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
00:59 - Duncan’s therapist hated the occult
02:58 - Misconceptions about Jungian therapy
04:19 - Psychopomp as therapist
04:25 - Freud, Jung, Skinner, Piaget, Rogers, and Carlyle
08:48 - Duncan was a fervent Freudian
09:35 - Freud vs trauma therapy
13:13 - What Freud did
15:58 - Buddhism’s useful fiction
19:47 - Where Freud went wrong
21:50 - The castration complex
26:37 - Castration myths
27:58 - Freud and Duncan’s childhood
30:40 - Universal or culturally specific?
32:15 - Oedipus, myth, and psychoanalysis
37:29 - Duncan’s novel
38:36 - Writing “The Going Down”
41:11 - Plot summary
43:07 - A life-changing ancestor working
44:22 - Duncan’s hope for the book
45:53 - Fiction and the occult
48:40 - Alan Chapman’s dismay at the novel
49:22 - The dark, karmic debt of Pragmatic Dharma
54:38 - Meeting a Dark Goddess
56:15 - The myth of Persephone
59:49 - A change in Duncan’s meditation practice 
01:00:43 - This is the Underworld
01:02:34 - Bailey’s and Steve’s problems
01:03:55 - The Franklin’s Tale
01:05:30 - How occultists interpret their life situations
01:09:12 - Is everyone psychotic?
01:10:45 - Using depression and panic as portals
01:12:16 - Duncan believes in everything
01:14:00 - Internal vs external integration
01:19:30 - Why you need mythic literacy 
01:20:57 - How to learn more about myths
01:22:55 - Should you read myths?
01:25:07 - The myth of Narcissus
01:28:25 - Scholar vs poet
01:32:22 - Finishing a novel
01:34:06 - Narrative fashions in fiction
01:36:01 - Haunting quality
01:37:43 - A companion in the Underworld
 …

Watch previous episodes with Duncan Barford:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=barford 

Read “The Going Down”:
- https://godsandradicals.squarespace.com/bookstore/p/the-going-down-by-duncan-barford 

To find our more about Duncan Barford, visit:
- https://www.duncanbarford.uk/

…

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com 

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep363: Mythic Descent & the Dark Side of Dharma - Duncan Barford

In this episode I am once again joined by Tara Springett, a Buddhist psychotherapist who specialises in treating what she calls “Kundalini Syndrome”. 

Tara discusses her book "Stairway to Heaven" in which she lays out a 9 stage model of consciousness from innocence to enlightenment.

Tara compares psychological ego strengthening to Buddhist ego deconstruction, reflects on her own childhood development and family of origin, and considers the place of kundalini phenomena in her 9-stage model.

Tara also reflects on the Tibetan saint Milarepa as a model for spiritual development, gives her assessment of Western Civilisation, and explains why she believes so many people choose the wrong practice for their stage of development.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep364-9-stages-of-consciousness-tara-springett

 Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics Include: 
00:00 - Intro 
00:53 - Award for “Stairway to Heaven”
02:42 - Psychological ego strengthening vs Buddhist ego deconstruction
07:15 - Tara’s 9-stage model of consciousness
08:28 - Innocence stage
09:38 - Dominance stage
11:45 - Obedience stage
14:43- Ambition stage
17:36 - Sharing stage
21:21 - Responsibility stage
27:31 - Love stage
29:16 - Bliss stage
30:54 - Enlightenment stage
33:43 - Kundalini awakening vs spiritual awakening
38:14 - Difficulties when having an awakening at a lower stage
41:09 - Tara’s family’s stage
41:56 - Tara’s assessment of Western Civilisation 
47:46 - Stage model applied to historical periods
49:53 - Political positions and the stage model
51:44 - Milarepa as an exemplar of stage development
53:41 - The power of stories, fairy tales, and myths
56:25 - Choosing practice according to stage
01:01:19 - Teachings appropriate to all levels
01:02:33 - Reflections on the last 10 years
01:07:12 - Tara’s optimism about the future

…

Previous episodes with Tara Springett:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=springett 

To find out more about Tara Springett, visit:
- https://www.taraspringett.com/ 

…

 For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- www.guruviking.com

Ep364: 9 Stages of Consciousness - Tara Springett

In this episode I am once again joined by Lorin Roche PhD, meditation teacher and author of “The Radiance Sutras”.

I first met Lorin at the Summit at Sea conference in 2015 where we were both teaching. We attended each others’ workshops and immediately hit it off.  

In those days, we both taught on the California conference circuit and were often booked to teach at the same gatherings. Over the years we spent many weeks enjoying extended conversations, raucous dinners, and long evenings of music and poetry. In short, we became true friends.

It was a desire to share the rich conversations I was having with friends like Lorin that contributed to my decision to start the Guru Viking Podcast. And so, naturally, I asked Lorin to be my first interview subject. He went on to become one of my most popular, recurring guests.

On the 18th of April 2026, Lorin died. What follows is our last interview and conversation, recorded a few months before his passing. The episode covers many of Lorin’s most characteristic teaching themes and I have also included some of the conversation we had before and after the main episode content. 

There are many poignant and amusing stories from the years of my friendship with Lorin and there is a lot worth saying about his approach to meditation. One day, I might record an episode dedicated to those themes.

For now I will say that it is obvious to all that Lorin was a vivacious man - the essence of his approach to teaching meditation was an encouragement to wholeheartedly embrace life. But I can also report that behind the scenes and off the stage Lorin was a generous man, irreverent, funny, and very kind.

…

https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep365-the-last-interview-lorin-roche-phd 

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
01:5 - Boats, geese, and hummingbirds
07:05 - Meditating with the flow of nature
08:14 - Being human is like being president of Earth
11:35 - The miracle of attention
13:51 - Teaching was easier in the 70s
15:15 - Agencylessness is a dumb idea 
16:38 - Human reaction time
17:52 - Attending to the inner life
18:44 - Evil meditation teaching
19:58 - Misunderstandings about Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras 
22:55 - Taming the body
26:33 - The genius of yoga
28:01 - Pros and cons of stopping the mind
28:57 - Where meditation went wrong
35:47 - Tuning the instrument
38:56 - Limitations of the “tuning” metaphor
43:24 - Monastic ideas sabotage lay people
45:41 - Religion vs meditation
50:56 - Is Loren’s approach self-indulgent?
56:18 - Peak experiences and enlightenment
59:20 - Loren’s drug experiences
01:02:20 - LA Yoga community’s enthusiasm for drugs
01:04:50 - Loren asks about Steve’s meditation 

…
 
Previous episodes with Lorin here:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=lorin  

To find out more about Lorin visit: - www.lorinroche.com  - www.radiancesutras.com  - www.meditationtt.com 

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com/ 


Music 'Deva Dasi' by Steve James

Ep365 : The Last Interview - Lorin Roche PhD

In this episode I am once again joined by Leigh Brasington, Buddhist meditation teacher and author of “Right Concentration, A Practical Guide to the Jhanas”.

This episode begins with a brief comment from Leigh about his appearance in “Ep329: Enlightened Politics” in which he explored the relationship between Buddhism and political ideology.  

After that we discuss Leigh’s new book “On the Way to the Far Shore”, his commentary on the Pārāyanavagga, chapter five of Suttanipāta, one of the earliest sutta collections in the Pali canon. The text takes the form of a question and answer session with the Buddha himself and evidences nascent forms of the doctrines of the four noble truths and the path of gradual training.

Leigh considers the pros and cons of formal study of the Pali language, explains the ways in which English translations can be misleading, and muses on why so few Buddhist converts read their own scriptures.

Leigh also reveals how his Dzogchen practice helped him understand early Buddhist doctrine, gives advice about how to internalise intellectual ideas through meditation practice, and shares how a profound experience of the nature of mind changed his life forever.

…

Video version: www.guruviking.com

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro 
01:17 - Can there be an enlightened tyrant?
02:49 - Anyone can perform enlightened activity
04:20 - Why Leigh wrote On the Way to the Far Shore
08:13 - Wrestling with the Pali sutta
09:07 - Leigh’s training the the Pali language 
11:18 - Struggles to learn foreign languages
12:37 - Is training as a scholar worth it?
14:36 - 4 categories of Pali suttas
17:05 - Why Leigh won’t pursue a PhD
19:17 - Why don’t Buddhists read the Pali canon?
23:14 - Diving into the the Pārāyanavagga, book five of the Suttanipāta
27:50 - Vedanā and āsava - don’t believe the English translations
29:44 - Literal vs meaning translations + implications of grammar
33:40 - Q&A with the Buddha 
36:20 - Questions the Buddha refuses to answer
37:46 - Experiencing the world raw
42:27 - The most important insight 
44:22 - How to really gain insight
45:24 - Leigh’s Dzogchen practice
46:14 - Leigh’s mind blowing experience of the nature of mind
51:28 - After effects of Leigh’s epiphany
53:56 - Integrating vs losing an insight
55:04 - How to keep an insight fresh
56:31 - How to regard the world so you are not seen by the King of Death
59:17 - How to become “ever mindful”
01:01:30 - This is a different kind of book
01:02:41 - The roots of the Four Noble Truths and the gradual training
01:05:13 - Will Leigh start a Pali sutta discussion group?
01:07:14 - Man in the Light of History of Religion
01:10:02 - Scripture as literature or an instruction manual?
01:12:32 - Leigh’s advice for approaching difficult books
01:13:46 - What do the suttas say about the brahmavihārās?

…

Previous episodes with Leigh Brasington:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=brasington 

To find our more about Leigh Brasington visit:
- http://www.leighb.com/ 

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com 
	
Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep366: Questioning the Buddha - Leigh Brasington

In this interview I am once again joined by Martin Faulks: author, hermeticist, meditation adept, and memory expert.

Martin discusses the recent death of his mother, reflects on the profound power of her positive support in his own life successes, and describes the surprising consequence of her loss in his own mindset and practice. 

Martin discusses his latest book “Long Livers”, a new edition of a work published in 1722 by English alchemists Thomas and Rebecca Vaughan. Martin explains the text’s methods of life extension, shows their links to spiritual and moral practice, and reflects on his successful participation in the Rejuvenation Olympics. 

Martin also muses on the appeal of high demand religious groups, espouses the virtues of philosophical Freemasonry, and compares Western and Eastern methods of spiritual alchemy.

…

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro 
00:59 - Long Livers editions
02:24 - Martin’s current daily practice 
03:55 - Interest in esoteric rejuvenation methods 
07:23 - How to measure effectiveness of rejuvenation?
08:00 - Martin’s 2hr daily regime to slow the ageing process
11:16 - Setbacks 
12:06 - Death of Martin’s mother
13:36 - Ascetic or English gentleman?
14:56 - Aftermath of Martin’s mother’s death
17:44 - Don’t let anything pull you out of who you are
18:33 - Sending well wishes to his mother
19:43 - The power of supportive observers
25:07 - Martin summarises his progress
26:41 - Authorship of “Long Livers” (1722)
28:45 - Thomas and Rebecca Vaughan, practical alchemists 
31:33 - Anti-ageing advice in “Long Livers”
34:48 - Eccentric techniques
36:39 - Western vs Eastern Inner Alchemies
38:52 - Christian Inner Alchemy
42:31 - Morality and rate of ageing 
46:52 - Simulacra of virtue
48:32 - Philosophical Freemasonry
53:22 - Is Freemasonary a good spiritual path?
01:01:48 - An avoidant pattern in Martin’s life
01:03:20 - Detachment vs engagement
01:06:34 - Respect through observation of authenticity
01:07:49 - Skepticism about public spiritual claims
01:09:58 - When spirituality is a distraction from the real challenges of life
01:14:54 - Actions as truth
01:16:37 - Intuition vs intellect
01:19:45 - Unity of complementary opposites
01:20:27 - Jordan Peterson
01:22:56 - Pushing the borderlines of human potential
01:27:00 - A cultural turn to rigorous religion and high demand groups
01:29:16 - Why anti-ageing?
01:30:36 - 5 top anti-ageing tips 

…

Previous episodes with Martin Faulks:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=FAULKS 

To find out more about Martin Faulks, visit:
 - https://martinfaulks.co.uk/ 

…
 For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
 - www.guruviking.com 

…

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep367: Life Extension & Inner Alchemy - Martin Faulks

I was recently interviewed by Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho from the Clear Mountain Monastery Project. They asked wonderful questions and we talked a lot about the power of listening.

...

Their shownotes:

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Steve James, meditation teacher & host of the Guru Viking Podcast (https://www.guruviking.com/).

00:00:00 Introduction and Welcome
00:01:32 Formative faith moments and vocation
00:06:18 Life on an English canal boat
00:08:40 The rhythm of travel and interviewing
00:10:59 Interviewing the same guest over time
00:14:20 Most moving and luminous conversations
00:17:21 Handling negative reactivity in conversation
00:22:24 Balancing internal and external awareness
00:23:50 Advice for engaging with teachers and mentors
00:29:50 Finding beauty in people on different paths
00:34:45 Questions that bring out conversational depth
00:41:06 Personal frameworks for organizing experience
00:48:15 Belief alignments and the "pie chart" of faith
00:55:30 Personal relationship to the Buddha
00:59:44 Navigating dual vs. non-dual teachings

Steve James Interviewed on the Clear Mountain Monastery Podcast

In this episode I am once again joined by Dr Francisco José Luis, scholar of Indo-Iranian Studies and Comparative Religion trained at the Sorbonne, Paris and SOAS, London.

Francisco describes the religious and philosophical view of Traditionalism, tracing the ideas of figures such as René Guénon, Julius Evola, and Henry Corbin to give a sense of the different strands of this increasingly influential system of thought.

Francisco explains what he sees as the importance of uniting spiritual and martial disciplines, recounts his own experiences of receiving death threats during his academic research, and argues for an aristocracy of the soul.

Francisco also addresses criticisms that associate Traditionalism with the political far right, various forms of ethnic and cultural chauvinism, and imperialism; compares and contrasts different caste and class systems from around the world; and outlines his objections to Plato’s ideas about education. 

…

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search “Guru Viking Podcast”.

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
01:06 - First encounter with Traditionalism
06:03 - René Guénon
10:11 - Devotion to Indian saints
12:05 - Concern for the working class
15:51 - At odds with society’s direction
16:55 - Beyond René Guénon
17:50 - Debates are a competition between egos
19:30 - Julius Evola and the aristocracy of the Soul
22:45 - Who was Julius Evola
26:02 - Warriors, Brahmins, and merchants
28:07 - Corruption of the Brahmin class
29:51 - Evola’s theory of the body, soul, and spirit 
33:05 - Evola and fascism 
34:58 - Trial of Evola
36:31 - Francisco’s favourite Traditionalist
37:15 - Where does religion and mysticism fit into Traditionalism?
42:30 - Elites should practice a spiritual discipline
44:03 - Critique of institutional Catholicism
45:17 - Warrior spirituality
47:33 - Why Francisco is attracted to Sikhism
48:45 - Spiritual warfare
51:39 - Sikh Khalsa
52:17 - Francisco’s interest in the martial arts
55:13 - Receiving death threats
57:37 - Facing death like a samurai
59:38 - Embodiment 
01:01:13 - Limitations of Henry Corbin
01:05:41 - Is Traditionalism far right?
01:20:34 - Cultures should respect each other
01:25:31 - European vs American cultures
01:26:44 - Pros and cons of American culture
01:31:55 - Warning about the language of Traditionalism 
01:32:48 - Spirituality and politics
01:34:37 - Warrior spirituality is not for everyone
01:41:28 - Dangers of warrior spirituality
01:42:24 - Francisco’s spiritual path
01:43:11 - Francisco’s therapy journey
01:45:15 - Setting boundaries without hatred
01:47:13 - Why discuss the application of religion to politics?
01:48:52 - Plato’s views on education
01:50:55 - Francisco’s disagreement with Plato
01:53:18 - Francisco’s suggestion for education
01:55:15 - Waldorf education
01:55:59 - Speculum principum

…

Previous episodes with Dr Francisco José Luis:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=francisco 

To find our more about Dr Francisco José Luis, visit:
- https://www.instagram.com/hludvig_tradicionalista 


For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com 

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep368: Aristocracy of the Soul - Dr Francisco José Luis

During a recent trip to Nepal, I met with Lama Glenn Mullin, spiritual teacher, Tibetologist, and author of over 30 books on Buddhism. 

Glenn was in Kathmandu to lead a group of pilgrims into tantric retreat and graciously agreed to film with me at various sacred sites before and after their retreat.

In this video, Glenn and I travel to Pharping where we explore sacred sites, temples, and meditation caves.

We meet a student of Glenn’s who performs a fire pūjā after a multi-year cycle of tantric retreat, enter the meditation cave of Padmasambhava, view a self arising Tara image, and encounter guard dogs at the Vajrayoginī temple.

Glenn converses with monks, explains the meaning of prayer flags, and traces the esoteric history of the region.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep369-esoteric-pharping-lama-glenn-mullin

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
00:57 - Pharping as a sacred site 
01:32 - Pāṃthiṅpa brothers
02:21 - Fire pūjā footage 
03:02 - Esoteric meaning of the fire puja
04:17 - Guru Rinpoche’s enlightenment place
04:43 - Other great masters who practiced in Pharping
06:05 - History of Tibetan monasteries in Pharping
09:27 - Ra Lotsawa Tulku’s monastery 
10:17 - View of the developing valley
10:58 - Self-arisen (rangjung) Tara shrine
11:21 - Ganesh in Buddhism
11:51 - Entering the shrine and viewing the self-arisen Tara
12:26 - About the rangjung phenomenon 
13:48 - Lighting the butter lamp
15:56 - Drupthob Rinpoche and persecutions
18:58 - 5 visions of Tsongkhapa
19:16 - Retreat huts
20:00 - About prayer flags
21:16 - Origin of the Dalai Lamas
23:00 - Prayer in Buddhism
24:52 - Evening vs morning kora advice 
26:20 - About Thrangu Rinpoche
27:31 - Namo Buddha and the Buddha’s sacrifice 
28:28 - Towards the Asura cave
30:12 - Guru Rinpoche cave
31:51 - Hand print of Guru Rinpoche
33:00 - Entering the cave
34:04 - Walking and conversations 
37:11 - Vajrayoginī temple
38:31 - Kathmandu’s Buddhist past 
40:25 - Remarks on religious conflict 

…

Previous episodes with Lama Glenn Mullin:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=glenn%20mullin 
 
To find out more about Lama Glenn Mullin, visit:
- http://www.glennmullin.com/
- https://www.facebook.com/Maitripa.Glenn

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James 

Thanks to Norbu Samphel for checking my translation of the Tibetan language.

Ep369: Esoteric Pharping - Lama Glenn Mullin

In this episode I am once again joined by Alan Chapman, British writer, occultist, and spiritual teacher.

Alan takes a deep dive into his understanding of the phenomenon of prophecy, how it operates, and its surprising purpose.

Alan explains the different between prophecy and prediction, the tests a prophet will face, and contrasts his approach to that of the Old Testament prophets.

Alan also shares stories of his own prophetic experiences, including a prophecy which he believes concerns events to come in 2026.

…

Video version: www.guruviking.com

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro
00:43 - Prophecy vs prediction 
02:57 - What is prophecy?
03:27 - Prophecy and the path of awakening
03:51 - 2 worlds
05:58 - Expressing the silent knowing 
08:43 - Confounding factors on the path
11:32 - Surprising encounters as awakening deepens 
12:24 - The role of the prophet
15:00 - Are musicians and artists prophets?
16:26 - Speaking truth to power
20:20 - Alan’s prophetic dream about Fukushima 
21:51 - Prophecy about Alan’s awakening
26:04 - Premonitions and more on Fukushima
27:03 - Prediction vs prophecy 
30:35 - Divine mercy and a parental tone
31:50 - Purpose of prophecy 
34:58 - Divine judgement and smiting 
36:36 - Interpreting Old Testament prophecy 
40:47 - Love not wrath
45:21 - Is a prophecy inevitable or can it be changed?
50:04 - Incarnation and identity formation 
52:21 - Path of spiritual seeking
53:18 - Rebellion and revenge 
54:25 - Cultural rebellion and inevitability 
58:39 - Analysing Alan’s Fukushima prophecy
01:01:27 - Oracles and prophetic institutions 
01:03:00 - Alan’s prophecy about 2026
01:24:44 - Teachers and trusting the silent knowing
01:28:44 - Understanding why prophecy happens
01:30:37 - Has Alan failed?
01:34:26 - Tests on the path
01:38:16 - Alan’s comments on Western culture 
01:38:44 - We have forgotten the divine
01:42:13 - The Presocratics were prophets and magicians
01:44:23 - Alan comments on today’s geopolitical and cultural situation
01:46:23 - False flags and true flags 
01:49:59 - Alan’s advice for living in today’s world
01:53:03 - Beatitudes and being light 
01:56:30 - The consequences of violating your conscience 
01:59:07 - True repentance 
02:01:55 - Alan’s relationship with Jesus Christ
02:12:07 - Upcoming Magia exegesis
02:13:43 - Planned series about Alan’s Magia system

…

Previous episodes with Alan Chapman: 
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=chapman 

To find our more about Alan Chapman visit:
- https://barbarouswords.com/ 

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com 
	

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep370: What is Prophecy? - Alan Chapman

The Guru Viking Podcast specialises in in-depth interviews with remarkable figures in the fields of meditation, spirituality, and religion.

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