Simplest State

Craig Pearson - Author: The Supreme Awakening: Experiences of Enlightenment Throughout Time

Dr. Pearson’s book, The Supreme Awakening: Experiences of Enlightenment Throughout Time—and How You can Cultivate Them, offers us a glimpse into the lives of people who have recorded their experiences of higher states of consciousness, as conveyed to us through their poetry, prose, letters and biographies.
The wonderfully unique feature of this book is that it documents the experiences of higher states of consciousness by dozens of people, spanning thousands of years, across all geographic regions, and in every culture.
The interview ranges from Wordsworth to William Blake, from Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj to Eugene O’Neill and Billie Jean King. Pearson provides clear examples revealing that the development of higher states of consciousness is not a fanciful philosophy, nor a mere metaphor or belief system, but is a natural, and indeed vital, progression of human evolution.
As William James said, “Compared with what we ought to be, we are only half awake.”
We discuss the fact that knowledge is structured in consciousness and knowledge is different in different states of consciousness. Each state of consciousness is a world unto itself and our experience of reality is, and can only ever be, a reflection of our own state of consciousness.
Craig notes that people seem to have a glimmer, a spark, that tells them there is something more to life that lies beyond their day-to-day experiences.
He further explains that the development of consciousness is the key to knowing the full experience of happiness that we are capable of—the ultimate experience of bliss within, in our own simplest state of awareness.
Dr. Pearson also describes how the development of our consciousness can bring solutions to world problems which, essentially, are caused by collective stress, adding that a problem is just something to which we have not applied sufficient consciousness or creativity.
 
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George Barselaar - Instructor on the traditions of Vedanta and Kashmir Shaivism

George Barselaar was born in the south of Holland and grew up in Sydney, Australia.
At the age of 18, George took a keen interest in Yoga, which inspired him to learn Transcendental Meditation (TM), and eventually, to become a teacher of TM.
He went deeply into Vedic Science and Sanskrit, and  developed a keen interest in Kashmiri Shaiva Philosophy.
George was immediately struck by the very first verse of the Shiva Sutras, as translated by Lakshmanjoo, which says, "Consciousness is everything."
Feeling an irresistible pull, George went to India to study under the guidance of Swami Lakshmanjoo, who was the last living Master of the oral tradition of Kashmir Shaivism.
George recalls the time that one aspirant told Swami Lakshmanjoo that he did not feel he was making much progress with his meditation, and Lakshmanjoo explained that the passion for self-knowledge (enlightenment) must be as strong as the overwhelming passion he felt the first time he fell in love.
With regard to the turmoil we see in the world, George was optimistic and said that, "Sometimes the world gets shaken-up in order to wake up."
He added that meditation creates ripples that affect others in a positive way. When we create coherence in our own consciousness, it affects everyone in our environment.
George was given permission to transcribe all of the Swami’s recorded lectures, and it took almost 20 years to complete the English transcriptions of all of Swami Lakshmanjoo’s recorded teachings.
George now lives in Northern California, where he and his partner, Claudia, work full-time for the Universal Shaiva Fellowship and Lakshmanjoo Academy.
They often spend the summer months in Kashmir, and George connected with us for this interview from Kashmir, India, at the ashram of Shaivacharya Swami Lakshmanjoo Maharaj.
About Kashmir Shaivism, Swami Lakshmanjoo said that it is the three-fold science of man and his world, and is a philosophy meant for any human being without the restriction of caste, creed, color or gender.
For more information on Swami Lakshmanjoo and Kashmir Shaivism, please see the following websites:
Kashmir Shaivism: www.universalshaivafellowship.org
Lakshmanjoo Academy: www.lakshmanjooacademy.org
Ishwar Ashram Trust founded my Swami Lakshmanjoo: https://www.ishwarashramtrust.com/
 
 
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John Cowhig - TM teacher and author

With only a few precious hours left on earth–a miracle–a donor organ becomes available!
His heart stopped for 6 minutes during surgery, but John's will was strong and he's here today to share profound insights into his Catholic upbringing, the expansion of his horizons at that mecca of the psychedelic counterculture–Haight-Ashbury, the realization that drugs did not provide the answers he was seeking, and his subsequent pursuit of higher knowledge and enlightenment with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
John describes in compelling detail the drama and emotion of his illness, his last days and hours, and the series of miraculous events that gave him "a 30-year extension to his train ticket," and an ethereal meeting with his donor.
We'll hear from John how these experiences have shaped his current perspective and we look forward to the release of his memoir, Bohemian U, which is the first volume of his upcoming autobiography, Satsang Junkie.
 
 
 
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Don Arney - Entrepreneur, inventor, and philanthropist that has practised meditation for 5 decades.

The Bambi Bucket, used in aerial firefighting in more than 115 countries, is a life-saving device that allows pilots to drop water on wildfires with precision.
It was even used to fight the post-explosion fires after the tragic blast at the Port of Beirut, Lebanon and also to cool the nuclear reactor after the Tsunami tragedy in Fukushima, Japan.
Don Arney, the man who invented it, is our guest today.
Don is a resident of British Columbia, Canada, and is just the 14th Canadian to be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, in Washington, DC
He is an inventor, a helicopter pilot, and noted philanthropist that has practised meditation for 5 decades to develop his mental potential and creativity.
Entrepreneur, inventor, helicopter pilot, and a noted philanthropist, Don has practised meditation for 5 decades to develop his mental potential and creativity.
Don describes how diving deep in meditation has allowed him to find the infinite value in solutions and see that each part of the solution contains the entirety. He adds that everyone has the opportunity to do the same.
Meditation has revealed to Don the interconnectedness of our active world, and he says, “The beauty of mind-stuff is the lack of boundaries.”
Don describes how “Being happy for no reason,” is one of the greatest gifts of his expanded vision.
The profundity of solutions is in their simplicity, says Don, as he relates how solving engineering problems is ultimately a journey of self-discovery.
Learn more about Don at Donarney.com
 
 
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James Hoggan - Best-selling author, climate activist, and advocate of ethics in public discourse

A fascinating discussion with James Hoggan, author of I'm Right and You're an Idiot - The Toxic State of Public Discourse and How to Clean it Up.
Hoggan recalls his meeting with the Dalai Lama, and how the esteemed Buddhist monk, Thích Nhất Hạnh, taught him about compassionate listening and the inner ecology, advising James to, "Speak the truth, but not to punish."
This lively exchange touches on many timely subjects, including tribalism in public discourse, propaganda, and the growth of unreasonableness. Hoggan relates how the inner work on one's character and consciousness is necessary to effectively participate in social and political processes.
Learn more about James Hoggan at: https://www.hoggan.com/ and https://www.imrightandyoureanidiot.com/
 
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Vesey Crichton - meditating pioneer of the personal computing industry

Educated at Eton College and the University of East Anglia, Vesey Crichton was one of the early players in the burgeoning personal computer industry.
Vesey learned meditation as a student and experienced remarkable benefits from the practice, which inspired him to become a teacher of Transcendental Meditation (TM). He relates the sense of privilege and sanctity he felt when he eventually had the opportunity to work directly with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
From the abstract and sublime, Vesey shifted his attention to the world of logic and commerce and became a senior executive with Compaq Computers, which later merged with HP, and he was integral in the set up of Alta Vista–one of the Internet's pioneering search engines–in Europe.
He describes his successes with Compaq and Alta Vista, remarking on the luck and support of nature that he attributes to his practice of meditation.
Vesey went on to become Vice-President for Europe, the Middle East and Africa for Palm Inc, which, at the time was the world-leading provider of Personal Digital Assistants (PDA's) and smartphones. 
He describes how the development of consciousness dwarfs all other skills and lessons in his life, and he now wishes to take a step back from his activities to pursue the accelerated development of consciousness.
 
 
Music by Lesfm. Track “In the Forest”