Buddha At The Gas Pump

Interview recorded 4/7/2010. Interview with George and Mary Foster Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:06:09 - The Power of Hearing in Consciousness 00:09:44 - The Realization of Being Stuck in the Body 00:13:53 - The Ultimate Connection with All of Existence 00:18:00 - The Experience of "I" in Consciousness 00:21:09 - Awareness of the Self and the World 00:23:20 - The Natural State of Man is Seeking More 00:25:56 - The Persistence of Awareness Beyond the Body 00:28:20 - A New Sensory Experience 00:31:40 - The Expansion of Awareness 00:34:31 - The Power of Meditation and Automatic Progress 00:37:34 - Connecting with the Celestial Realms 00:40:43 - Connecting with the Celestial Realm 00:43:20 - The Connectedness of All Beings 00:45:44 - Celestial Nervous Systems and Consciousness 00:48:48 - The Job of Celestial Beings 00:51:55 - The Experience of Wholeness

Interview recorded 3/31/2010. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction and Background of John Speer 00:03:45 - Questioning Existence and Meaning of Life 00:06:50 - Puzzling Reality and Spiritual Awakening 00:09:23 - The Feeling of Joy and Destiny 00:12:09 - Discovering Maharishi Mahesh Yogi 00:14:41 - A Chance Encounter with Transcendental Meditation 00:17:03 - Introduction to Meditation Journey 00:19:27 - Meeting Elaine and Falling in Love 00:22:14 - A Profound and Loving Experience 00:25:00 - A Profound Sense of Joy and Witnessing Human Emotions 00:28:00 - The Death of Our Son 00:31:05 - The Science of Free Will and Determinism 00:34:06 - Returning to Fairfield 00:36:41 - Resonating with a Spiritual Experience 00:39:25 - Discovering Raja Ram 00:42:01 - Freedom from Belief and Dependency 00:45:00 - The Freedom of Experience 00:47:52 - A Near-Death Experience 00:50:10 - The Dome and T

I remember having the thought at age 26, “what am I going to do, I will never make it through the second year of graduate school”? Having just completed my first year in training as a psychiatric social worker it was obvious that I felt more like a patient, who needed intense help, than the person charged with helping others. At that moment, I became a seeker.  The subsequent initiation into Transcendental Meditation forever set the direction of my life in ways I could not have imagined and it was a blessing that I did not. The road was bumpy quite a bit of the time yet there were always people there to help. Nature was always there giving both challenges and help necessary to see my way through them. Then one day not knowing how it happened or why, silence was now present all the time. Everything had changed yet nothing was different.  The change was both ordinary and profound. It was not the end of the journey but a new beginning and way of experiencing it. Life is now spent in the deepening of that silence

A lifelong seeker of spiritual awakening, Sandra has deeply applied and correlated many teachings, methods, disciplines, healings, experiments, adventures, and views of every kind to forge a comprehensive understanding of human identity. She attended the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, an interdisciplinary program, experientially based, and purposed toward personal transformation. Her investigations led her to become a devotee of Adi Da Samraj between 1986 and 1996. She then began studying with Saniel Bonder, founder of Waking Down in Mutuality, with whose guidance she awakened in 1996, to a non-dual conscious embodiment of both her divine and human nature. She is currently a Senior Teacher of Waking Down, participating also in the ongoing creation of dharma, organizational structure, courses, and workshops. Sandra has been in private practice as a transpersonal psychotherapist since 1987. She has been a resident of Fairfield, Iowa since 2004. Her personal web site Interview recorded 2/24/2010. Video

bax (or baxishta if he’s feeling uppity) does not consider himself fully awakened, but knows for sure that he’s recognized glimpses of the self.  He says this puts him in an awkward position and insists on starting off with this apology, if what i’ve seen is true then i’m a hypocrite every time i speak about it no better than the man who having awoken briefly from his dream rushes back to tell his friends what he saw “you’re all in my mind” he  informs  them and they laugh at him twice once for being obviously wrong and once for being right and therefore talking to himself my only defense is that even hypochondriacs do get sick and even hypocrites do awaken briefly bax’s motto is “self is solid”, and he considers himself a student of Ramana Maharshi, whose favorite description of the self was “a dense mass of self-knowledge”.  He considers himself a post-new age thinker, and feels that most of what is discussed today goes only halfway to Shankara’s great ‘three laws of self-knowledge’.  Specifically, much is

Pam Keene currently resides in Fairfield, Iowa with her husband Brad. A conscious seeker since the age of nineteen, she has been influenced by a variety of spiritual teachers. However, her sacred marriage of ten years has provided her with the most profound education so far. And she is still learning. Interview recorded 2/10/2010. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Buddha at the Gas Pump Introduction 00:04:32 - Pam and Brad's Awakening Journey 00:08:54 - Letting go of Transcendental Meditation 00:12:43 - Alcohol, Drugs, and Awakening Journey 00:16:44 - Honeymoon period and drinking/drugs 00:20:19 - The Importance of a Guru in Spiritual Growth 00:23:21 - Dana's Spiritual Journey 00:27:29 - The Power of Desire and Individual Paths 00:30:36 - The Awakening Process and Embracing a Personal God 00:33:35 - The Progression of Awakening 00:36:07 - The Rheostat of Belief 00:39:11 - Holding all Expressions of the Divine

Interview Recorded 2/3/2010. Article mentioned by Christopher, which help trigger his awakening. Audio and video below. Audio also available as a Podcast. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Spiritual awakenings and shifts with Christopher Roberts 00:02:53 - Questioning Beliefs and Finding Peace in Not Knowing 00:05:21 - The Crumbling of Belief Systems 00:07:35 - Self-Referral and Spiritual Evolution 00:09:43 - Seeking Acceptance and Validation 00:11:59 - Abrupt Shifts and Emotional Turmoil 00:13:52 - Evolving and letting go of struggle 00:15:17 - Synchronicity in Meeting Friends 00:16:53 - An Unexpected Midnight Drive to Chicago 00:18:39 - Spontaneity and Alignment in Life 00:20:49 - Paganism and Eastern Philosophies 00:23:05 - Shifting Reality through Forgiveness and Apology 00:25:21 - Confrontation on the Road 00:27:25 - A Intense Encounter and the Power of Forgiveness 00:29:32 - A Series of Coincidences 00:31:39 - Finding my Spiritual Home at MUM 00:

I had been a seeker for most of my life. I began to meditate in 1973 and followed that path for the next 28 years. In 1983 I had a very intense Near Death Experience that left me with a very unattached view on the seriousness of everything. A separation and subsequent divorce in 1991 left me without a reason to continue doing what I had been doing. After visiting Fairfield, Iowa twice a year from 1989, my new wife Cindy and I moved here in 1999, as it was the next obvious thing to do. Our old life had ended and this was a chance to start a new chapter. We jumped right into the group meditation program in the Domes at Maharishi International University but also were fascinated by the fact that Fairfield was Grand Central Station for just about every spiritual teacher on the planet. After sampling the various flavors of all the folks passing thru it seemed obvious that Andy Rymer was the next thing to pay attention to. I found Andy to be a very powerful force and can see his influence on me to finally get that

Interview recorded 1/6/2010. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Enlightenment as a Universal Experience 00:02:36 - The Experience of Art in Different Cultures 00:04:40 - Sculpture and the Power of Rebirthing 00:06:37 - The Impact of Caesarian Births 00:08:15 - A Spiritual Awakening 00:10:29 - Living in a Superfluid World 00:12:28 - The Range of Human Feelings and Non-Judgment 00:14:22 - The Tricky Balance Between Spiritual Freedom and Economic Realities 00:15:52 - The Meaning of Freedom in Prison 00:17:43 - Choosing Traumatic Circumstances 00:20:49 - Finding Deep Contentment 00:23:34 - Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone 00:26:06 - Early Spiritual Practices 00:28:45 - TM, Hatha Yoga, and Spiritual Development 00:31:50 - Discussing Death and Transition 00:35:02 - The Importance of Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone 00:37:54 - Fulfillment and Contentment 00:40:34 - Expanding Goals as an Artist, Heale

Rev. Winn’s experience is that the Kingdom of Heaven is a state of higher consciousness.  He focuses on understanding and experiencing the Christian mystical tradition in terms of the clearly defined states of consciousness found in the Vedic tradition.  He was the senior pastor of Unity Church of Fairfield IA for 12 years and for six years has been the senior pastor of the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit. He has worked extensively on the subtle process of overcoming the Three Temptations of Jesus Christ and has been practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique for close to 48 years. He is a successful businessman, married with two children. Website: healingtheheartofamerica.org Interview recorded 12/23/2009. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:05:46 - The Experience of Feeling Free 00:09:10 - A Cone of Silence 00:11:46 - Awakening of the Being 00:14:43 - The Importance of Bedtime Sync

Fax and Sharon Gilbert met on a Transcendental Meditation teachers course in 1972 in Santa Barbara California and have been teaching together ever since. They’ve administered meditation centers and retreat facilities and inspired and taught thousands of people to meditate throughout the United States and in several foreign countries. They became involved in the Waking Down work in 2002. Several awakenings and dark nights of the soul later they became mentors and then teachers of this work in 2007. They both enjoy the freedom to express this teaching in their own way and marvel at the unique unfolding of each person in this mysterious process of awakening. Fax is also an artist/educator and uses the performance skills of mime, magic, masks and comedy to teach and inspire students of all grade levels. Since 1990 he has presented over 5,000 school assembly programs, residencies, and community concerts, and keynoted many regional educational events. He now splits his time between his Waking Down work and deliv

We feel like we live a pretty ordinary life, yet in our 54-year marriage and in our working lives (Steve's a retired electrical contractor and Winifred is an artist and poet) grace, challenge and transformation play themselves out in endless variety. Interview recorded 12/9/2009. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction and Definition of Spiritual Awakening 00:05:21 - Commissioned Paintings and Intuitive Portraits 00:09:56 - The Awakening Experience 00:15:16 - The Universal Experience of Enlightenment 00:19:02 - A Journey of Spiritual Seeking 00:24:38 - Discovering Limitless Consciousness 00:30:22 - The Nature of Awakening 00:35:50 - Housecleaning: Waking Down, Shake Down 00:39:27 - Spontaneous Awakening and Personal Growth 00:42:26 - The Spiral of Personalized Wounds 00:44:59 - The Healing of the Core Wound 00:48:01 - Awakening in the Midst of Crisis 00:50:27 - The Perfect Silence of Life 00:52:52

Stan Kendz (Sta) is a popular experiential, motivational, and business coach/mentor who has been guiding advanced personal-achievement seminars at the corporate and individual levels for more than 35 years. He is a published author of numerous audiobooks that enliven intuitive self-development, professional success, and personal fulfillment. In 1994, after a timeless and transformative experience of pure ‘Being’, which he refers to as “our true immortal Nature”, he co-authored a book on consciousness-based natural health care titled: Forever Healthy – An Introduction to Maharishi Ayur Veda. In 2005 Stan enrolled at Maharishi University of Management as a Ph.D. student and has become subjectively and objectively knowledgeable in Vedic Science. He is currently concluding his thesis research on the effects that higher states of consciousness have on an individual’s ability to effortlessly and spontaneously fulfill his/her desires. Website: stankendz.com Interview recorded 12/2/2009. Video and audio below. Au

I was born in Germany in 1940 and have lived in France, Greece, India, China, and seven states within the U.S. When I was fifteen, I taught my first class of ESL and, eight years later, began to develop my own approach. I’ve taught Literature, Writing, Creative Writing (publishing a couple of chapbooks of poetry) and have teaching experience at every level of instruction from pre-school to grad school. I’ve also taught History, Linguistics, German, French, and Russian. Two Ph.D.s—one in English, one in Comparative Studies—didn’t turn out to be a career advantage.  They made men with only one of them too nervous, but I hear that too much education is no longer a problem for women. Is it true?  Spending 28 years in an inter-racial marriage and raising a family was as valuable an education as my stint in academe. I’m still teaching, taking care of teenage boys in my home, and enjoy art in my spare time. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 11/18/2009. Video and audio below. Audio also available

When I recorded this first interview, my intention was to produce a radio show, so this is the pilot for that. I started this interview by reading a prepared introduction to the series, which at the time I was calling "Awakenings". Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 10/7/2009. Interview with Mary Foster Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - The Special Community of Fairfield, Iowa and Beyond 00:02:26 - Overcoming Skepticism and Misconceptions of Spiritual Awakening 00:04:23 - Introduction to the Show 00:06:24 - Meeting George and a Spiritual Awakening 00:08:41 - The Dome Dogs and Group Commitment 00:10:28 - Childhood Fascination and Spiritual Awakening 00:12:50 - Attracted to Meditation and the Pursuit of Reality 00:14:28 - The Brightness and Clarity with TM Meditation 00:15:57 - Introduction to "Awakenings" radio show 00:18:15 - Teaching Transcendental Meditation 00:20:27 - Remarkable Experiences alo