Category Archives: Guest

General category for interview guests.
This is the default and what separates an interview post from anything else, like an announcement, talk, etc.

712. Melinda Edwards

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Melinda Edwards, MD is a mother, writer and physician in Charleston, South Carolina, providing psychiatric care for underserved adults. She attended the Medical University of South Carolina and completed her residency in psychiatry at Stanford Medical Center. She has studied complementary and alternative medicine with Andrew Weil, MD, researched the effects of MDMA on PTSD with Michael Mithoefer, MD, and is a columnist for Autism Parenting Magazine. Dr. Edwards is the author of PSYCHE & SPIRIT: How a Psychiatrist Found Divinity Through Her Lifelong Search for Truth and Her Daughter’s Autism.

As a child of medical missionaries, Melinda grew up in a Mayan Indian village in Guatemala, Central America. Early in life she experienced an inner pull to a deeper truth. Her journey has taken her through various spiritual practices including meditation retreats, guidance from spiritual teachers, travel to India, and living in spiritual communities. Her quest led to the ongoing discovery of the sacred in all.

Inspired by her journey with her daughter Saachi, Dr. Edwards founded the 501c3 nonprofit organization Living Darshan to foster a deeper understanding of autism in the world.

Website: melindaedwardsmd.com

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group

Summary and transcript of this interview

Interview recorded July 20, 2024

YouTube Video Chapters:

  • 00:00:00 – Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
  • 00:03:26 – An Evolutionary Journey
  • 00:07:57 – The Fear of Going to Hell
  • 00:11:58 – Tiptoeing Through Sleeping Elephants
  • 00:16:32 – Levels of Spiritual Evolution
  • 00:20:56 – The Spiral into Anorexia
  • 00:25:46 – The Importance of Compassion and Being Heard
  • 00:30:10 – Love as a Virus and the Hazards of Idealizing Spiritual Teachers
  • 00:34:39 – Red Flags in Spiritual Teachers and Communities
  • 00:39:21 – The Dangers of a Spiritualized Ego
  • 00:43:34 – The Danger of Unqualified Advice in the Spiritual Community
  • 00:47:37 – Exploiting Students’ Finances
  • 00:51:29 – The Role of Students in Spiritual Teaching
  • 00:55:29 – Correlation between Teaching in Medicine and Spirituality
  • 00:59:39 – Spiritual Teachers and Holistic Development
  • 01:03:34 – The Realization of Nothingness
  • 01:07:09 – The Nature of Realization and Integration
  • 01:10:15 – The Dissolution of the Project of “Me”
  • 01:13:53 – Micro adjustments and thriving
  • 01:18:13 – Medications and Spiritual Awakening
  • 01:21:51 – Support and Caution in Meditation Retreats
  • 01:25:50 – The Impact of Spiritual Practices on Brain Chemistry
  • 01:29:41 – Taking Medication for ADD and Kundalini Awakening
  • 01:33:16 – Online Sessions and the Law
  • 01:38:05 – The Porousness of Energy and Information
  • 01:42:40 – The Increase of Neurodiverse Beings in the Population
  • 01:47:44 – Different Realms and Dimensions
  • 01:51:22 – Supporting Autistic Children in Their Purpose
  • 01:55:29 – Navigating Kundalini Energy
  • 01:59:32 – The Power of a Mother’s Love
  • 02:02:41 – Stay tuned for upcoming content

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711. John Audette

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John R. Audette is the author of “Loved by the Light: True Stories of Divine Intervention and Providence”. He earned a Master of Science degree from Virginia Tech. A native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, his professional career spans over three decades of senior executive positions in hospital and hospice administration and physician practice management, as well as the performing arts and public broadcasting.

He contributed several scholarly chapters to various books by other authors about spiritually transformative experiences and non-local consciousness including works by Dr. Ervin Laszlo. He is also gratefully acknowledged in many other books on these subjects by various well-known authors whom he assisted dating back to 1974. His first work of fiction, a novel trilogy, will be published in 2025.

John is the primary founder of the International Association for Near-Death Studies, Inc., (IANDS.org), with co-founders Raymond Moody, MD; Bruce Greyson, MD; Michael Sabom, MD; and Kenneth Ring, PhD. John now serves as CEO of Eternea, (eternea.org), which he co-founded with Eben Alexander, MD and Edgar Mitchell, Sc.D. He is also an honorably discharged veteran with over six years of voluntary service (both active and inactive duty) in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam era.

Website: AffirmingGod.com

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group

Summary and transcript of this interview

Interview recorded July 7, 2024

YouTube Video Chapters:

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709. Philip Weber

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Philip Weber had a successful 35-year career as an executive in the hospitality industry. A member of Paramahansa Yogananda’s Self-Realization Fellowship since 1999, Phil is known for his highly ecumenical outlook, holding a deep appreciation for many of the world’s spiritual traditions and teachings, and often affirming his Guru’s adage: “Truth is one, paths are many.”

Currently retired and residing in Carlsbad, California, Phil prefers a quiet, contemplative life. He is not a spiritual teacher and has no online or social media presence. For Phil’s book announcements, please go to his editor’s website.

Books:

To Contact Phil please go the “Connect” page of his editor’s website.

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.

Transcript of this interview

Interview recorded June 16, 2024.

YouTube Video Chapters:

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