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
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | Email | TuneIn | RSS | More