682. Jill Bolte Taylor

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is a Harvard trained and published neuroanatomist who is now affiliated with the Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Neurology. In 1996 she experienced a severe hemorrhage in the left hemisphere of her brain causing her to lose the ability to walk, talk, read, write or recall any of her life. Her memoir, My Stroke of Insight, documenting her experience with stroke and eight-year recovery spent 63 weeks on the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list. Her most recent 2021 book is WHOLE BRAIN LIVING: The Anatomy of Choice and the Four Characters That Drive Our Life.

Dr. Taylor is a dynamic teacher and public speaker who loves educating all age groups, academic levels, as well as corporations about the beauty of our human brain and how we can work with ourself to live a more peaceful life. In 2008 she gave the first TED talk that ever went viral on the Internet, which now has well over 28.5 million views. Also in 2008, Dr. Taylor was chosen as one of TIME Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” and was the premiere guest on Oprah Winfrey’s “Soul Series” web-cast.

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.

Summary and transcript of this interview

Interview recorded May 14, 2023.

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

YouTube Video Chapters:

  • 00:00:00 – Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
  • 00:05:33 – The Evolutionary Goal of Humanity
  • 00:11:07 – The Experience of the Present Moment
  • 00:17:04 – Developing the Whole Brain
  • 00:23:18 – Understanding the Dynamics of Relationships
  • 00:28:43 – Understanding Character Two and Emotional Pain
  • 00:33:33 – Understanding the Little Character Two
  • 00:38:03 – The Richness of Human Emotions
  • 00:42:05 – Autism and Brain Circuitry
  • 00:47:10 – The Potential Risks of Whole Brain Living and Psychedelics
  • 00:52:44 – Exploring the Options for Bipolar Disorder and PTSD
  • 00:59:58 – The Beauty of Humor
  • 01:07:06 – The Interface of Individuality and Universality
  • 01:16:07 – Bringing Balance and Meaning Into Life
  • 01:25:16 – The Differences in Perception and Information Processing
  • 01:32:07 – The Absurdity of Language and Consciousness
  • 01:37:18 – The Value Structure of Character Four
  • 01:44:01 – Changing the Model of Enlightenment
  • 01:48:18 – The Existence of Free Will
  • 01:53:44 – The Subtle Work of Cells and Neuronal Networks
  • 01:59:21 – The 90-Second Rule & Addiction in the Brain
  • 02:04:19 – Exploring Selective Mutism and Addiction
  • 02:11:27 – Dealing with Fear of the Future and Worry
  • 02:17:51 – Farewell and Thank You

664. Isira, 2nd Interview

Isira is an awakened spiritual teacher who has been initiated in advanced spiritual practices and rites across a number of traditions including Australian Aboriginal, Yogic Indian, African Shamanism and Tibetan Buddhist. When she was a young adult, Tibetan Lamas, recognized her as an important incarnation and travelled to Adelaide, Australia to bring her to the Himalayas to be ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Isira is also honored as an Australian Indigenous elder and wisdom keeper.

The heart of Isira’s teaching is Holistic Awakening. While the predominant western model of awakening focuses on individual consciousness, Isira’s holistic approach has us awaken to the sacred in all of life. It is an awakening that is integrated, embodied, and grounded, rather than siloed, conceptual, and abstract.

Isira believes that, even among those on a committed spiritual path, there is still a deep sense of “something missing.” The human spirit is hungering to be nurtured by the sacred. We know this because we’re living in a world that is fractured and conflicted more than ever. And people are reporting a sense of fear, alienation, depression, anxiety, and chronic illness in epidemic numbers.

Inspired by the wisdom of indigenous cultures, Isira teaches that we must awaken to what she calls the “Four Sacred Pillars of Life.” While one of these four pillars is the Self or Spirit, they go beyond the Self to include our interconnected relationship with three other essential dimensions of life—the second is nature or earth, the third is kinship or others, and the fourth is the cosmos or universe. While conventional thinking assumes that our spiritual connection must start with Self or Spirit, instead, Isira teaches that for awakening to be holistic, it is essential that we start with our connection to earth or nature.
Through holistic awakening, we move out of the mind into a lived experience in which the sacred is restored to each moment of our day-to-day life.

As we integrate our awakening, a natural byproduct is that we relate in a deeper, more meaningful way—respecting, honouring and loving all of life. Simply, we live sacredly.

Books:

Website: isira.com

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.

First BatGap interview with Isira

Transcript of this interview.

Interview recorded September 25, 2022

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


YouTube Video Chapters:

  • 00:00:00 – Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
  • 00:04:56 – The Power of Spiritual Connection and Ancestral Guidance
  • 00:10:23 – Indigenous Wisdom and Lore
  • 00:15:32 – Interactions in Dream State and Meditation
  • 00:20:14 – Appointment as a Lama’s Consultant
  • 00:25:07 – The Emergence of Nature and Creation
  • 00:30:32 – Embracing Holistic Development and Avoiding Narrow Paths
  • 00:35:10 – Incorporating Boundaries and Boundless
  • 00:40:38 – The Interconnectedness of All Living Beings
  • 00:45:53 – The Importance of Connectivity with Nature and the Cosmos
  • 00:50:54 – The Value of Deeper Connections with Earth
  • 00:55:33 – Connecting with Nature in a Modern World
  • 01:00:35 – The Role of Indigenous Cultures in Awakening Humanity
  • 01:05:44 – Indigenous People as Transceivers of Natural Lore and Values
  • 01:10:31 – Addressing the Root Cause of Crime
  • 01:15:32 – Dissolving Centralized Systems
  • 01:20:38 – Healing Wounds and Transgressions
  • 01:25:29 – The Four Pillars of Connection and Fulfillment
  • 01:30:47 – The Four Pillars of Balance
  • 01:35:55 – Restoring Balance within Ourselves and the World
  • 01:40:49 – Finding Beauty in Life’s Experiences
  • 01:45:42 – The Cosmic Perspective
  • 01:50:21 – The perception of reality
  • 01:55:48 – Anchoring with the Senses
  • 02:00:35 – Wrapping up the interview and answering viewer questions
  • 02:06:09 – The Eternal Nature of Existence and the Transience of Manifestation
  • 02:11:43 – Creating Conscious Love Centered Relationships
  • 02:17:18 – Staying in Touch with Our Essential Nature
  • 02:23:22 – Vibrational Healing and Synergy
  • 02:28:55 – Embracing the Fluidity of Time
  • 02:34:38 – Vibrational transmissions and shared experiences

637. Emma Bragdon

Emma BragnonEmma Bragdon received her Ph.D. in Transpersonal Psychology in 1987. For more than 40 years she has focused on supporting people awakening spiritually, paying special attention to those in spiritual crisis/ emergency. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Integrative Mental Health for You, IMHU.org, which offers 40+ online courses about effective alternatives to psychiatric medications. Emma has trained 80 Spiritual Emergence Coaches® from 14 countries who are now available through an international online Directory.  While intensely studying and participating in Brazilian Spiritism from 2001-2012, she wrote 3 books and co-produced two documentary films about Spiritist treatment of mental disturbance and spiritual emergency.  Emma has been recognized for her pioneering work with Spiritually Transformative Experiences as an Honoree on the Spiritual Awakenings International “Circle of Honor” and within the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology’s “Council of Sages”.  She was licensed as a Marriage, Family, Child Therapist in 1988.

Emma is a member of the Self-realization Fellowship following the yogic philosophy of Paramahansa Yogananda.  She’s been a meditator for over 55 years.  She also studied with two Native American shamans for 20 years.  Currently, she teams with Benjamin Asher, MD in offering Ketamine-Assisted psychotherapy in central Vermont.  She is also available by Zoom in her private practice for psychotherapy and integration of spiritual experiences.

Websites:

Books:

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.

Transcript of this interview.

Interview recorded March 6, 2022.

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

YouTube Video Chapters:

  • 00:00:00 – Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
  • 00:04:13 – The Sense of a Larger Intelligence
  • 00:07:09 – The Dysfunctional Family and Near-Death Experiences
  • 00:10:58 – Sitting in Meditation at Tassajara
  • 00:14:51 – From Zen Buddhism to Neo-Reichian Psychotherapy
  • 00:19:31 – Exploring Shamanism and Spiritual Awakening
  • 00:23:40 – A Journey into Spiritism
  • 00:26:58 – The Origins of Spiritualism and Spiritism
  • 00:29:40 – Integrative Mental Health: Effective Alternatives
  • 00:32:32 – The Importance of Medication Supervision and Integrative Mental Health
  • 00:35:59 – The Importance of Peaceful and Wise States
  • 00:39:08 – Consciousness independent of the body
  • 00:41:47 – Understanding Spiritual Emergence and Emergency
  • 00:44:47 – Understanding Spiritual Emergencies
  • 00:47:30 – Distinguishing between Psychic Perceptions and Psychosis
  • 00:50:08 – A Disturbing Episode
  • 00:52:59 – Uncovering Traumatic Memories
  • 00:56:02 – Moving into a New Identity
  • 00:59:07 – Understanding Spiritual Experiences and Emergencies
  • 01:01:59 – Shifting the Paradigm in Psychiatry
  • 01:04:38 – Spiritism in Brazil and its Integration in Psychiatry
  • 01:08:05 – Spiritism’s Role in Brazilian Society
  • 01:12:21 – The Importance of Supervision and Feedback in Spiritual Practices
  • 01:17:29 – Betrayal of Spiritual Figures
  • 01:24:15 – Controversies in Spiritual Communities
  • 01:30:06 – TRE and Kundalini difficulties
  • 01:34:49 – Meditation and Spiritual Practices Impacting Physical Ailments
  • 01:39:40 – Belief in Reincarnation and its Impact on Diagnosis
  • 01:46:42 – Shamanism and Non-Dual Meditation
  • 01:55:01 – The Importance of Depth in Spiritual Exploration
  • 02:00:02 – Accessing the Directory of Qualified Coaches