Thom Krystofiak holds a B.A. from Harvard (magna cum laude) and an M.A. from Cambridge University, where he was a Knox Fellow. A trained teacher of Transcendental Meditation, he joined an intentional community in Fairfield, Iowa in 1983, where he and his wife continue to live. There he encountered a cornucopia of spiritual seekers. A rigorous and thoroughgoing skeptic surrounded by ready believers, he has developed unique perspectives on the eternal yet ever-new contest of doubt versus belief.

Website: krystofiak.com

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.

Transcript of this interview.

Interview recorded October 2, 2021.

YouTube Video Chapters:

• 00:00:00 – Introducing Buddha at the Gas Pump
• 00:04:49 – Extraordinary Beliefs and Skepticism
• 00:09:04 – Nurturing Skepticism and Exploring Extraordinary Beliefs
• 00:13:31 – Dangerous Beliefs and their Implications
• 00:17:42 – Strange Beliefs and the Link to Spirituality
• 00:21:57 – The Spectrum of Belief
• 00:26:25 – Perceiving the Unseen
• 00:30:36 – The Complementarity of Science and Spirituality
• 00:35:00 – Spiritual Experiences and Remarkable Coincidences
• 00:38:57 – Exploring Extraordinary Beliefs
• 00:43:39 – Encouragement of the Irrational
• 00:47:56 – The Allure of Hidden Knowledge
• 00:51:58 – The Manipulation of Beliefs by Powerful Industries
• 00:56:20 – Bucking science and climate denial
• 01:00:02 – Einstein’s View on God
• 01:03:53 – The Nature of Consciousness and Embodied State
• 01:08:30 – Recognizing the Essential Nature
• 01:13:13 – The Profoundness of Self-Realization
• 01:17:14 – The Nature of Consciousness
• 01:21:16 – The Value of Skepticism and Certainty
• 01:25:32 – Anecdotes of Out-of-Body Experiences during Surgery
• 01:29:26 – Unexplained Phenomena at Dinner
• 01:33:12 – The Connection between Fascination with the Paranormal and Social Issues
• 01:37:26 – The Seductive Power of Claims About Truth
• 01:41:22 – Peer-Reviewed Science vs. Scientist Claims
• 01:45:16 – The Importance of Scientific Consensus
• 01:49:42 – The Consensus of Spiritual Experiences
• 01:54:04 – The Motivation and Benefits of Spiritual Practices
• 01:58:03 – The Cognition of Deeper Mechanics of Nature
• 02:01:48 – Yogic Flying and Levitation
• 02:05:53 – The Positive Reception of the Book

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Theresa Cheung was born into a family of spiritualists. She has a Masters degree from Kings College, Cambridge, and has written numerous bestselling dream, angel, afterlife, ritual, and spiritual titles and Encyclopedias, including two Sunday Times top 10 bestsellers. She has been a guest on Russell Brand’s Under the Skin and Coast to Coast AM and featured in numerous newspapers and media.

Main points discussed:

• Theresa’s bio and background
• Movies can be a powerful means of popularizing spiritual knowledge.
• Supernatural experiences are part of the human experiences. We should not idolize those who have them but investigate the possibility of having them ourselves.
• Dreams inspire interest in spirituality.
• The pandemic “lockdown dream phenomenon”.
• “Dreams are your intuition, your internal therapist”
• The inner guide is switched off in the modern busy world, but the pandemic switched it back on.
• Night visions and how they may be much more than dreams.
• Lucid dreaming
• Confronting difficulties in dreams can prepare one to deal with difficult situations in waking life.
• Theresa’s investigation of mediumship.
• Discussion of cults and the importance of spiritual integrity.
• The importance of humility on the spiritual path.
• We’re all ordinary people who have extraordinary experiences from time to time.
• Everyone’s path is unique.
• It can be tempting to follow a teacher and intoxicating to amass followers.
• An extensive discussion of angels.
• The importance of kindness and caring for others.
• The importance of a scientific approach to spirituality.
• The importance of open-mindedness and not knowing all the answers.
• When someone dies, there is a relationship in spirit not limited by space and time.
• Heaven on earth. The life we live here determines the quality of the afterlife.
• The importance of forgiveness.
• Theresa mentions that ‘forgiveness’ is somewhat neglected in contemporary spirituality.
• Relationships with animals.
• The importance of curiosity.

A few of Theresa’s books:

• The Truth about Angels: Decoding the secret world and language of the afterlife
• The Dream Dictionary from A to Z
• Dream Decoder: 60 Cards to Unlock your Unconscious (Interpret Archetypal Symbols from your Dreams)
• 21 Rituals to Change Your Life: Daily Practices to Bring Greater Inner Peace and Happiness
• The Premonition Code: The Science of Precognition, How Sensing the Future Can Change Your Life
• The Afterlife is Real

Website: theresacheung.com

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.

Summary and Transcript of this interview.

Interview recorded March 6, 2021.

Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

YouTube Video Chapters:

• 00:00:00 – Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
• 00:05:10 – Spirituality as a Scientific Enterprise
• 00:09:31 – Scientists and the Paranormal
• 00:14:03 – Pushing the Boundaries: Science vs Spirituality
• 00:18:26 – The Awakening of Dreaming and the Lockdown Dream Phenomenon
• 00:23:03 – The Profoundness of Dreams
• 00:27:32 – Interpreting Symbolic Dreams
• 00:32:03 – The Power of Lucid Dreaming
• 00:36:25 – The Fourth State of Consciousness
• 00:41:03 – The Power of Dreams
• 00:44:30 – In Your Dreams Podcast
• 00:48:25 – Emphasizing the Ordinary
• 00:52:03 – Exploring Mediumship
• 00:55:53 – The Danger of Following False Gurus
• 00:59:51 – The Intoxicating Need to Follow and Be Told What to Do
• 01:03:25 – The Existence of Unseen Realms and Angels
• 01:07:16 – Angels Within
• 01:11:02 – The Return to Self-Love
• 01:14:36 – Perception of Angels and Spiritual Equality
• 01:18:22 – The Practice of Meditation
• 01:22:15 – Inner and Outer Alignment
• 01:26:17 – The Importance of Asking Questions and Growth through Open-Mindedness
• 01:29:50 – The Mystery of Life
• 01:33:42 – The Peaceful Release of Death
• 01:37:44 – Life Review and Forgiveness
• 01:41:22 – The Power of Forgiveness and Psychic Cats
• 01:45:14 – Laughed at for Believing in Psychic Abilities
• 01:49:24 – Entertaining Conversations and Recommendations
• 01:53:06 – The Seductive Power of Belonging
• 01:57:03 – From Goofballs to Spiritual Interviews

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