549. Donald Hoffman

05/10/20 • 60 min

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Donald Hoffman received a Ph.D. from MIT and is a Professor of Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. He is an author of over 120 scientific papers and three books, including The Case Against Reality: Why Evolution Hid the Truth from Our Eyes. He received a Distinguished Scientific Award of the American Psychological Association for early career research, the Rustum Roy Award of The Chopra Foundation, and the Troland Research Award of the US National Academy of Sciences. His writing has appeared in Scientific American, New Scientist, LA Review of Books, and Edge, and his work has been featured in Wired, Quanta, The Atlantic, Ars Technica, National Public Radio, Discover Magazine, and Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman. He has a TED Talk titled “Do we see reality as it is?” Website Other book: Visual Intelligence: How We Create What We See Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Summary and Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded May 9, 2020 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump with Donald Hoffman 00:04:52 - Meditation as an Exploration 00:09:08 - The Process of Transformation and the Endless Exploration 00:13:08 - Safety First 00:17:22 - The Illusion of Space-Time 00:22:25 - The Limitations of Space-Time and Measurement 00:26:32 - The Observer and the Observed 00:31:40 - The Oneness of Ultimate Reality 00:36:35 - The Illusion of Objective Reality 00:41:47 - Humility and Precision in Science and Spirituality 00:46:03 - Challenging Dogmatism & the Split between Science and Spirituality 00:50:57 - Rethinking Reductionism and Fundamental Reality 00:55:56 - The Role of Science and Reason in Spiritual Exploration 01:01:03 - The Humility of Scientific Spirituality 01:05:36 - Godel's Candy Store Theory of Consciousness 01:10:03 - The Dynamics of Consciousness 01:14:07 - The Nature of Scientific Progress 01:19:03 - The Science Game and Precision in Spiritual Experiences 01:23:23 - Exploring Consciousness beyond Space-Time 01:27:33 - The Fundamental Dynamical Principle of Consciousness 01:31:38 - The Fictions of Space-Time and Extraordinary Experiences 01:35:20 - Consciousness as Fundamental 01:39:32 - The Evidence for Consciousness as Fundamental 01:43:21 - The Dance Between Precision and No-Concepts 01:47:08 - The Importance of Avoiding Sloppy Thinking 01:51:20 - The Conscious Agent and Unity Consciousness 01:55:58 - The Nature of Consciousness and Emotions 02:00:16 - The Infinite Nature of Consciousness and Godel's Theorem 02:04:41 - Exploring Infinite Possibilities within the Source 02:08:20 - The Playfulness of Exploration 02:11:29 - Consciousness as Fundamental

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548. Ravi Ravindra

Proud to be born in India as a Hindu, I will be sad if I die merely a Hindu. Convinced very early in life that all boundaries are artificially created and tend to hinder the growth of the spirit, I ended up studying at post-doctoral level Physics, Philosophy, and Religion at various universities and later teaching as a professor in these fields. Wishing to correspond to the transformational teachings of several great spiritual luminaries, especially of Krishna, Buddha, Christ, and Patañjali and of present-day masters Krishnamurti and Gurdjieff, I am interested in the actual journey of self-transformation and experiencing the inevitable shifts of focus of energy along the way. Website: ravindra.ca Books: The Gospel of John in the Light of Indian Mysticism The Bhagavad Gita: A Guide to Navigating the Battle of Life The Pilgrim Soul: A Path to the Sacred Transcending World Religions Heart Without Measure: Gurdjieff Work with Madame de Salzmann The Wisdom of Patañjali's Yoga Sutras: A New Translation and Guide Science and the Sacred: Eternal Wisdom in a Changing World Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Summary and transcript of this interview. Interview recorded May 2, 2020. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction: Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:05:56 - Radical Transformation in Spiritual Practice 00:10:39 - The Emphasis on Science and Technology in India 00:15:05 - Exploring Christianity in a Different Cultural Context 00:19:16 - The Role of Belief and Faith in Spiritual Development 00:23:48 - Truth is a Pathless Land 00:28:53 - Love and Compassion vs Intellectual Understanding 00:33:38 - The Significance of Uniqueness and Oneness 00:39:19 - Uniqueness and Oneness in Spiritual Traditions 00:44:43 - The Miraculous Orderliness of Creation 00:49:18 - The Expulsion of Lucifer from Heaven 00:54:34 - Inclusivity in Religion 00:59:45 - Temptations and Tests 01:04:24 - Seeking for What I Am 01:09:07 - The Journey of Self-Realization 01:13:37 - The Development of an Enlightened Person 01:18:12 - Kundalini Awakening and Subtle Energies 01:23:42 - The Importance of Self-Knowledge in Spiritual Growth 01:27:41 - The Shift in Perspective: From Having Questions to Being in Question 01:31:44 - The Eight Limbs of Yoga 01:35:57 - Being Breathed 01:40:40 - The Path to Self-Transformation 01:45:58 - The Purpose of Prakriti in Serving Purusha 01:49:47 - Conditioning and Impression 01:53:46 - Christ's Response on the Crucifixion 01:58:25 - The Need for the Right Instrument 02:03:03 - The Connectivity of Mycelium and Wondering About Astrology 02:07:15 - Remarkable People and Scientific Work 02:11:34 - Trouble with CIA and FBI suspicions 02:15:14 - Website and Future Events 02:17:45 - Swami Beyondananda's Farewell

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550. Chris Beal

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Chris Beal discovered Buddhism as an exchange student in Japan in the 1960s. Given her determination, she was sure she would succeed in getting enlightened. But enthusiasm doesn't always guarantee success, and she went home disappointed, depressed and demoralized. Thirteen years later, after a spontaneous awakening, she contacted the priest who had been her main teacher in Japan and began a six-year connection which deepened her understanding of what she had realized. Meanwhile, she sought a spiritual path in the States but found nothing that spoke to her as deeply as her first teacher had until she met Adyashanti twenty years ago. After almost a decade of absorbing his teachings, she found the realization gradually deepening on its own. Chris enjoys writing about spirituality and spiritual awakening. Her writing includes numerous published book reviews, author interviews, and articles, She is currently seeking publication of her novel, ENLIGHTENMENT OF THE FLESH, in which the main character's dilemma reflects that of many seekers: How do you know which way will lead to the ultimate Truth when what you are seeking is not in the realm of imagining? Chris's Blogs: Miracle of Awakening Literary Journeys to Truth Buddhist Fiction Blog (contributor) Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded May 16, 2020 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:05:25 - The Unimaginable Nature of Awakening 00:10:10 - Perspectives on Enlightenment and Awakening 00:13:54 - The Importance of Suffering in Enlightenment 00:18:09 - A Conversation about Suffering and Bliss 00:22:20 - Seeds of Enlightenment 00:26:09 - Entering Nirvana and the Struggle 00:30:07 - Dependency and Longing for Love 00:33:16 - Cultivating Discernment on the Spiritual Path 00:36:27 - Awakening and the Role of Teachers 00:40:33 - The Path of Everything Being Okay 00:44:47 - The Story of My Spiritual Journey 00:48:48 - The Deeper Place 00:52:40 - Neurophysiological Makeup and Purification 00:57:11 - Experiencing Lack of Separation 01:01:04 - Connecting with the Energetic Field 01:04:11 - The Illusion of Awakening as Effortless 01:07:42 - The Paradox of Separate Domains 01:11:31 - The Debate on Free Will and Choice 01:15:20 - The Pitfall of Comparing Yourself to Others 01:18:40 - The Razor's Edge on the Spiritual Path 01:21:52 - The Process of Awakening and Abiding 01:24:37 - Recognizing Awakeness vs Behavior 01:28:08 - Association for Spiritual Integrity 01:31:33 - The Role of a Teacher in Enlivening the Field 01:36:12 - The Role of Fiction in Understanding Ultimate Reality 01:39:33 - Spiritual Fiction Recommendations 01:42:14 - Discussing Buddhist Fiction and Mythical Stories 01:45:26 - The Transcendent Last Chapter 01:49:00 - Interactive Blogs and Literary Discussions 01:51:17 - Wrapping Up and Next Guest Announcement