315. Steve Ford

Steve FordI grew up in a hard-working family, none religious. At the age of 18, I learned that the Father I’d known all my life was not, in fact, my biological Father. This new-found fact destabilized the identity I had become accustomed to. The idea of who I was came under question. I was left asking, who am I. What then followed was ten years of drinking. At 27 I found myself in recovery from alcoholism. I spent three and a half years examining all the aspects of self-identified traits in order to find an honesty that would propel me into a more productive direction. After three and a half years I came to see that all willful attempts at modifying the self still remained within the paradigm of self-will. I had not transcended into honesty. It was at this point in a room one evening in 99 that I handed all attachment to the mind for any orientation to ongoing recovery. In doing so, not knowing what lay beyond, there was to be a complete self-realization.

Book: Walking Awake

Website: invitationtobeing.org

Transcript of this interview

Interview recorded 11/21/2015

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

YouTube Video Chapters:

  • 00:00:00 – Introduction and Background
  • 00:04:19 – Past Lives and Memories
  • 00:08:33 – Family Background and Drinking Habits
  • 00:11:51 – Identity Crisis and the Impact of Discovering the Truth
  • 00:16:01 – Experimenting with Reality and Alcohol Addiction
  • 00:19:42 – Escaping into Art and Self-Destruction
  • 00:23:43 – A Turning Point in Recovery
  • 00:27:38 – The Powerlessness of Alcoholism
  • 00:32:08 – Impact of a Simple Sentence
  • 00:36:36 – Walking Away from the Fellowship
  • 00:40:39 – The Search for Authenticity
  • 00:45:29 – Surrendering the Mind to a Higher Power
  • 00:50:21 – Letting go of the Mind
  • 00:55:11 – The Opening of the Heart and the Dark Void
  • 01:00:24 – Relating from Absolute and the Heart
  • 01:05:29 – Realization and Appreciation of Spiritual Texts
  • 01:09:14 – The Dissipation of the Body of Illusion
  • 01:13:44 – Living in relation to Absolute
  • 01:18:07 – Dissociation and Formlessness
  • 01:21:52 – The Uncommon Language of Self-Realization
  • 01:25:53 – From Therapy to Awakening
  • 01:30:12 – The Integration of Self-realization and Mind Experience
  • 01:35:24 – The Direct Experience of Consciousness
  • 01:39:48 – Union with the Absolute
  • 01:44:15 – Attunement and Entrainment in Silence
  • 01:48:38 – Awakening to the Absolute
  • 01:52:20 – The Play of I Am-ness and Curiosity
  • 01:56:36 – The Blossoming of Curiosity and Direct Experience
  • 02:01:11 – Spiritual Realization and Relationships
  • 02:05:42 – The Breaking Point for Addicts and Alcoholics
  • 02:09:30 – Conclusion and Farewell

295. Shellee Rae

Shellee RaeShellee Rae, a Reiki Master for 15+ years, trained to the master level in many other energy modalities, and is certified in numerous body-centered therapies. Her work in this field became full-time in 2000.

Sexually abused as a child, followed by 27 years of drugs, alcohol, and bouts of depression brought her to death’s door in 1997. With the help of 12-step recovery, and many spiritual paths, in August of 2008, Shellee Rae awakened.

Her first book “Suffering ~ A Path of Awakening: Dissolving the Pain of Incest, Abuse, Addiction and Depression”, after going worldwide, opened a portal to support and guide many people in their awakening process. Her second book, “Enlightenment: Tips To Reveal Your Divine Nature“, has become a valuable tool to many who are seeking embodied awakening.

While supporting others, Shellee Rae’s raucous path to awakening allows a non-judgmental, gentle pointing to the truth of who they are from the depths of her own realization. She balances deep compassion with the steady and potent awareness that you are not, in your Essential Self, the sufferer.

Website: www.shelleerae.com

Transcript of this interview

Interview recorded 6/7/2015

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

YouTube Video Chapters:

  • 00:00:00 – Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump & Guest Speaker Shellee Rae
  • 00:03:43 – From Self-Medication to Addiction
  • 00:08:10 – Boredom in School and Troublemakers
  • 00:12:13 – Seeking Connection and Communication
  • 00:16:31 – Angel Al and the Pre-arranged Agreement
  • 00:20:13 – The Journey to Forgiveness
  • 00:25:20 – Cause and Effect in Life
  • 00:29:43 – Exploring Different Spiritual Paths
  • 00:33:47 – Discovering Ashland, Oregon
  • 00:37:40 – The Power of Awakening and Clearing the “Stuff”
  • 00:42:09 – The Fire of Awakening
  • 00:46:40 – The Blissful State and Relativity
  • 00:50:37 – Listening to Life’s Guidance
  • 00:54:32 – Out of Body Experience and the Beginning of the End
  • 00:58:15 – The Wake-Down Process and the Loss of Filters
  • 01:02:31 – Finding Acceptance in the Messiness of Life
  • 01:08:08 – The Continuous Path of Growth and Expansion
  • 01:12:30 – The Kundalini Experience
  • 01:16:32 – Meeting Life on a Deeper Level
  • 01:21:14 – Exploring the Spiritual Path
  • 01:26:35 – Trusting the Natural Unfolding of Life Through Meditation
  • 01:31:21 – The Disappointment of Awakening
  • 01:35:14 – Surrendering to a New Path
  • 01:39:38 – The Journey to Finding What’s Next
  • 01:43:22 – Out-of-Body Experiences and Parallel Realities
  • 01:46:32 – Slipping into another Parallel Reality
  • 01:50:24 – Finding the Earrings
  • 01:53:48 – Synchronistic Events and Creating Deeper Reality
  • 01:57:37 – The Power of Dreams and Synchronicity
  • 02:01:23 – “We are God”
  • 02:05:10 – Expressing Appreciation and Farewell

186. Tom Catton

Tom CattonTom Catton has been in long-term recovery since October 20, 1971. His story appears in a twelve-step fellowship text with more than seven million copies in circulation around the world. Tom is invited to speak in the US and internationally several times a year at twelve-step conventions in front of audiences ranging from 500 to 10,000 people. He has been taking twelve-step meetings into the prison system in Hawaii since 1984. He has been active in service positions over the years, including serving on a committee that met for over three years to write a recovery text for a twelve-step fellowship.

Tom is author of The Mindful Addict: A Memoir of the Awakening of a Spirit

Tom is on the advisory board of the Buddhist Recovery Network, and is also trained in Tibetan singing bowl therapy. He leads a Buddhist recovery meditation group that meets twice a month in Hawaii. Trained in MBSR Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction; also initiated in several schools of meditation and has practiced daily for 40 years.

Tom’s Facebook page.

Interview conducted 7/27/2013

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

YouTube Video Chapters:

  • 00:00:00 – Tom Catton: A Journey of Awakening
  • 00:02:55 – Volunteering for Addiction, Becoming a Guide
  • 00:06:15 – Addiction as a Gift
  • 00:09:34 – The Possibilities of Expanded Consciousness
  • 00:12:02 – Addiction and the Search for Fulfillment
  • 00:15:01 – The Journey of Self-Discovery
  • 00:18:11 – The Strange allure of addiction
  • 00:20:36 – The Birth of the 12-Steps
  • 00:23:25 – Seeking Something Different
  • 00:26:06 – A Guided Journey to Recovery
  • 00:28:29 – The Profound Intuition of a Wise Woman
  • 00:31:23 – Following Intuition and Guidance
  • 00:34:29 – Finding Guidance in Recovery and Meditation
  • 00:37:29 – The Cessation of the Thought Process
  • 00:39:58 – The Twelve Steps of Recovery
  • 00:43:04 – Freedom from Suffering: Handing Over to a Higher Power
  • 00:45:41 – Recovery and the Role of a Sponsor
  • 00:47:54 – Enlightenment through Service
  • 00:50:49 – Spreading Love in India
  • 00:53:24 – Becoming a Conduit for Love
  • 00:55:59 – Dark Nights of the Soul
  • 00:58:43 – The Illusion of Self and the Planet’s Need for Help
  • 01:01:13 – The Bodhisattva’s Vow and the Limitlessness of Enlightenment
  • 01:04:20 – The Beauty of the 12 Steps and the Dharma
  • 01:07:03 – Still Climbing the Ladders
  • 01:09:38 – The Importance of Spiritual Practice in Daily Life
  • 01:12:30 – Finding Strength in Weakness
  • 01:15:12 – Positive Obsessions for Recovery and Meditation
  • 01:18:00 – Learning to Write by Writing
  • 01:20:29 – Concluding Remarks
  • 01:22:57 – Upcoming Interview with Eric at my House