509. Georgi Y. Johnson

Georgi Y. JohnsonBorn in Sheffield, England, Georgi has led a life of charm, intoxication, collision and perpetual re-awakening.

Having experienced her parent’s divorce and later her father’s death to alcoholism, Georgi was a born seeker for a stable home that was somehow prior to the broken home that she knew.  As a teenager, she attended evening classes at the School of Philosophy in Belgium, that offered a ‘sanitized’ version of Vedanta. While it gave a lot, the experience became oppressive, and when she left to Oxford University, she instead delved into Jungian psychology and the application of psychoanalytic and feminist literary theory.

When she was 20, Georgi arrived in Jerusalem, in search of a midway point between the mysticism of the east and the decay of the west. She experienced a part of the earth that is charged with bliss. Yet it was also a country where it seemed that nobody belonged. In this, she found a sense of belonging (in the field of not belonging).
Georgi’s life in Israel would include a compulsion for conflict. She worked as an investigative journalist exposing lies told about terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. Later, she would undergo a high-conflict divorce in which she was condemned by rabbinical courts as a fake convert, a home-breaker and a naughty woman.

All this served to re-awaken her deeper purpose: the exploration of the mysteries of consciousness. After she met the love her life – spiritual teacher Bart ten Berge – this passion would express through escalating processes of liberation.Today, she is deeply fulfilled in sharing this journey with others through workshops, and one-on-one mentorship.

A free spirit, citizen of the world and a poet, Georgi is presently pioneering Nondual Therapy, which she sees as part of a paradigm shift in the evolution of psychology.

Books:

Website: perception.inner-growth.org

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.

Transcript of this interview.

Interview recorded July 6, 2019

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

YouTube Video Chapters:

  • 00:00:00 – Introduction and Importance of Donations in Supporting BATGAP
  • 00:04:47 – The Value of Individual Responsibility and Volunteer Work
  • 00:08:37 – A Jacob’s Ladder of Light
  • 00:12:30 – The Connection Through Meditation and Mantras
  • 00:17:09 – Forbidden Mantras and Spiritual Contemplation
  • 00:21:19 – Surrendering to Genius
  • 00:26:10 – Mystical experiences and the power of sound
  • 00:30:11 – The Death of the Author and the Fluidity of Texts
  • 00:34:28 – The Negative Effects of Trusting Outer Authority
  • 00:38:58 – Cannabis and Coffee-induced Psychosis
  • 00:42:16 – From Anxiety to Apocalyptic Depression
  • 00:46:42 – Finding Healing and Service
  • 00:50:53 – Overcoming Anxiety and Finding Joy
  • 00:55:05 – Closing of the Heart
  • 01:00:00 – Visitations from Enlightened Beings
  • 01:03:01 – The Cone of Non-Duality
  • 01:07:34 – The Paradox of Existence and Nonexistence
  • 01:12:37 – Qualities of Awakening: Love, Peace, Joy
  • 01:17:21 – The Peace Within Conflict
  • 01:22:26 – The Spoiled Nature of Humanity
  • 01:26:14 – The Impulse to Incarnate in a State of Nondual Quality
  • 01:31:16 – The Innocence and Guilt of Humanity
  • 01:35:35 – The Non-Dual Nature of Inheritance and Purpose
  • 01:39:53 – Embracing Natural Empathy and Unity with Others
  • 01:44:16 – Different Experiences of Enlightenment Based on Nervous System
  • 01:49:14 – The Sensitivity of the Nervous System
  • 01:53:17 – The Vision of Two Figures
  • 01:58:06 – The Tragic Effects of Psychiatric Drugs
  • 02:02:49 – The Mind as a Receiver
  • 02:07:57 – Embracing Diversity and Non-Conformity
  • 02:11:43 – Conclusion and Donation Reminder

504. Kate Gustin

Kate GustinKate Gustin, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist practicing in the San Francisco Bay Area. She received her education from Princeton University and the University of California, Berkeley; and has worked in a variety of settings over the past twenty-five years as a mental health practitioner: outpatient psychiatry, community mental health clinics, VA Hospital, college counseling services, and currently in private practice. Gustin integrates the science of positive psychology into her psychotherapy, teaching, and consultation, and leads classes and trainings for students, patients, and health care professionals.

Book: The No-Self Help Book: Forty Reasons to Get Over Your Self and Find Peace of Mind

Websites:

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.

Transcript of this interview.

Interview recorded May 25, 2019

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

YouTube Video Chapters:

  • 00:00:00 – Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
  • 00:03:54 – The Influence of Eastern Thought
  • 00:07:58 – Spiritual Practice and Influences
  • 00:12:05 – Choosing Where to Rest Your Attention
  • 00:15:50 – The Importance of Regular Practice
  • 00:19:32 – The Levels of Self Concept
  • 00:23:18 – The Development of Self-awareness: From Ahamkara to Brahman Consciousness
  • 00:27:03 – Connection and Accessing Inner Resources
  • 00:30:35 – The Illusion of Self
  • 00:34:09 – Shifting Perspectives: From Self to No-Self
  • 00:38:05 – The Irrelevance of Self-Esteem
  • 00:41:53 – The Shift in Culture and Paradigm
  • 00:45:42 – The Erosion of Self
  • 00:49:12 – The Illusion of Self and the Effort to Protect It
  • 00:53:04 – The Self as a Thief
  • 00:56:45 – The Longing for Self
  • 01:00:28 – The Influence of Past Experiences on the Present Moment
  • 01:04:05 – Processing Traumatic Experiences in Therapy
  • 01:07:55 – Life as an Instrument of Wisdom
  • 01:12:00 – The Fading Self-Referencing Narrative
  • 01:15:40 – Detaching from Self and Suffering
  • 01:19:31 – Letting go of attachment to opinions
  • 01:23:08 – Disidentifying from Beliefs and Building Understanding
  • 01:26:37 – Infusing Collective Consciousness
  • 01:30:21 – The Illusion of Self
  • 01:34:19 – Near-Death Experiences and the Beauty of Death
  • 01:38:20 – The Shift Towards a More Unified Reality
  • 01:42:04 – A Glimpse of Possibilities
  • 01:45:49 – The Importance of Digging Deeper
  • 01:49:37 – Cultivating Compassion and Empathy
  • 01:53:29 – Workshops and Website Updates

482.2 Ethics and Spiritual Teaching Panel at the Science and Nonduality Conference

  • Questioning whether higher consciousness and ethical behavior are tightly correlated.
  • The founding of
    the Association for Spiritual Integrity (formerly the Association of Professional Spiritual Teachers).
  • The attempt to formulate a code of ethics that might apply universally in the contemporary spiritual community and enliven an understanding of what may or may not be appropriate, giving students greater confidence in their own discernment and discrimination.
  • Ancient traditions held the teacher beyond reproach and students surrendered their own will. This may have worked in monastic settings but generally does not work today.
  • Preventative support so we’re not busy doing cleanup.
  • Power hierarchies should not be an essential part of spiritual development and can lead to abuses.
  • Spiritual awakening does not necessarily qualify a person to offer advice on relationships, finances, etc.
  • Ethical training of some sort is integral to most honored traditions.
  • The issue of sexism and patriarchy in spiritual organizations.
  • Entering the teaching profession prematurely.
  • All too often, when teachers are challenged on their behavior, they ignore the challenger or become defensive.
  • How do we offer the possibility for redemption and atonement?
  • Moving away from a culture of competition to one of cooperation.
  • The importance of humility.
  • The importance of teachers not identifying with their role and thinking that students’ devotion is about them.
  • South Africa’s “Truth and Reconciliation” as a model.

Discussion of this panel in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.

Transcript of this discussion

Recorded October 27, 2018

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

YouTube Video Chapters:

  • 00:00:00 – The Disconnect Between Higher States of Consciousness and Ethical Behavior
  • 00:02:15 – Developing a Universal Code of Ethics
  • 00:04:11 – Creating Ethical Standards for Spiritual Teachers
  • 00:06:04 – The Purpose of Spirituality
  • 00:08:05 – Redesigning the Future of Spirituality
  • 00:10:46 – Healing and Support
  • 00:12:55 – Education and Growth as a Community
  • 00:14:36 – The Importance of Addressing Abusive Power
  • 00:17:01 – Opening up to Questions and Collaboration
  • 00:19:03 – The Usefulness of CPE for Spiritual Teachers
  • 00:20:34 – The Importance of Boundaries and Power Dynamics in Communities
  • 00:22:31 – The Importance of Ethical Development in Spiritual Practice
  • 00:25:03 – The Healing Power of Community
  • 00:27:06 – Cedar Barstow: The Right Use of Power in Spirituality
  • 00:29:03 – Equal Gender Representation
  • 00:31:41 – The prevalence of gender imbalance and abuse in the community
  • 00:34:07 – Moving beyond collective conditioning
  • 00:36:31 – The Perpetual Debate on Relationships and Ethics
  • 00:38:41 – The Spiritual Aspect of Trauma
  • 00:40:39 – The Deep Desire Within
  • 00:42:28 – Empowering Students and Demanding Accountability
  • 00:43:57 – Premature Immaculation
  • 00:46:21 – Challenging Ethics in the Spiritual Community
  • 00:48:01 – Addressing Apologies, Making Amends, and Atonement
  • 00:50:14 – Creating a Culture of Accountability
  • 00:52:14 – Moving towards a culture of cooperation
  • 00:53:57 – The Importance of Humility in Learning
  • 00:55:25 – The Importance of a Deeper Student-Teacher Relationship
  • 00:57:34 – Abuse of Power in Teaching and Learning
  • 00:59:10 – Mutual Healing and Reconciliation
  • 01:01:34 – The Birth of Something Helpful