556. George Middleton

Synchronicity, Samadhi, and the Sacred World

Summary: This conversation explores how early life, therapy, and meditation can open into profound spiritual transformation. It also ranges across synchronicity, samadhi, the union of consciousness and energy, and the need to stay grounded in ordinary life.

Questions This Interview Explores

• How can birth trauma, body memory, and early experience shape later spiritual awakening?
• What can therapy, breathwork, and altered states reveal about consciousness and transformation?
• How do synchronicity, myth, and indigenous traditions help make sense of spiritual experience?
• How can one honor pure consciousness without losing touch with the practical realities of daily life?

Born in Wales, I emigrated with my parents and 4 siblings to NZ in 1962. Educated in Wellington completing an honours degree in philosophy and teacher training. Taught in a variety of special education positions until retiring. Politically active in teachers’ union, Labour Party, and the Greens.

My wife is Sue Middleton (Emeritus Prof Education), our only child daughter Kate is married with 3 sons. She founded the Reading Revolution charity in NZ.

I worked with Men’s groups, used various psychotherapy modalities, including doing a year of Primal Therapy in Los Angeles which led to more formal trading in Gestalt Therapy that precipitated ongoing profound experiences and transformations that ignited pilgrimage journeys to India and Bhutan. Also, involvement in Vipassana and other meditation methods confirmed the nature of the processes that have overtaken me and delivered me into the sacred world. Concepts such as Karma, transcendence, synchronicity, reincarnation, rebirth, pure consciousness energy, and indigenous encounters have led to an understanding of the truth power of myth and ancient truths.

No website or books.

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.

Transcript, summary, and key takeaways from this interview

Interview recorded June 20, 2020

YouTube Video Chapters:

• 00:00:00 – Winter Solstice and Synchronicity
• 00:04:54 – The Miracle of Birth
• 00:09:51 – Childhood Reflections on Belief in God
• 00:13:16 – An Interesting Family History
• 00:17:43 – The War and its Impact on Personal Experiences
• 00:21:58 – Pentecostalist Christian and Casting Out Demons
• 00:26:08 – Primal Therapy and Rastafarian Influence
• 00:30:08 – Bob Marley’s Influence on Indigenous Culture
• 00:34:43 – Abuse of Power and Vulnerability in Therapy
• 00:39:12 – Personal Growth and Therapy Journey
• 00:44:10 – Breathing and Therapy Session
• 00:48:04 – Stopping Breathing and Going into Samadhi
• 00:52:05 – A Peculiar Year
• 00:57:28 – A Heightened State of Well-being
• 01:02:41 – The Story of Nachiketas in the Katha Upanishad
• 01:07:49 – The Earth as our Witness
• 01:13:24 – The Uniting of Shiva and Shakti in Consciousness
• 01:18:24 – The Relationship Between Science and Consciousness
• 01:23:42 – Balancing Scientific Exploration and Earthly Problems
• 01:28:06 – Establishing Awareness in Being
• 01:32:37 – The Importance of Experiential Spirituality
• 01:36:48 – Understanding the Meaning of Grace
• 01:41:06 – The Myth of Kali and Shiva
• 01:45:15 – The Mountain of Shiva and the Energy of Ganesha’s Head
• 01:49:43 – Life Living You
• 01:54:51 – Experience during Spiritual Practice
• 02:01:59 – Living in Pure Consciousness
• 02:03:56 – Inner Light and Moonlit Night
• 02:07:44 – The Normality of Spiritual Experiences
• 02:11:35 – Balancing the Yin and Yang
• 02:15:28 – Conversation about New Zealand and future visit