In this episode I am joined by Jason Miller, occultist, author, and teacher of magick. Jason shares his explorations in Tibetan Buddhism, including life changing encounters with Lama Vajranatha and famed ngakpa Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche. Jason recalls his months spent in Nepal during which he received esoteric empowerments, conducted cave and charnel ground practice, and refused the offer of discipleship under a spiritual master. Jason also discusses encountering the goddess Hekate and...

In this episode I am once again joined by Leigh Brasington, Buddhist meditation teacher and author of ‘Right Concentration, A Practical Guide to the Jhanas’. Leigh discusses his latest book, ‘Gradual Training: The Buddha’s Step-by-Step Guide for Awakening’, in which Leigh lays a 13 step training which culminates in enlightenment. Leigh explains the scriptural origins of this formulation, why it is so crucial for meditation success, and speculates as to why it is so rarely taught by Buddhist...

In this episode I host a dialogue between Dr Chencho Dorji, Bhutan’s first psychiatrist and the Professor of Psychiatry at Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences, and Dr Caroline Van Damme, an adult psychiatrist and family and systemic psychotherapist specialising in chronic psychotic disorders. Drs Dorji and Van Damme dialogue about their experiences as psychiatrists in very different countries, Bhutan and Belgium. They compare their experiences treating religious psychosis in which...

In this episode I am once again joined by Mattias Daly, Taoist practitioner and translator of ‘Taoist Inner Alchemy’, published by Shambala. Mattias recounts the unusual circumstances that saw him travel to a remote monastery to meet Abbess Liu Yuanhui, under whom he would begin intensive training in meditation. Mattias discusses Taoist meditation and its relationship to magical powers, psychic abilities, and other unusual meditation experiences. Mattias then pulls back the veil to reveal...

In this interview I am joined by Dr Willoughby Britton, an Associate Professor at Brown University, the Director of Brown’s Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, and founder of Cheetah House which provides support to those experiencing meditation-related difficulties. Dr Britton recounts her unusual childhood interest in consciousness, why a friend’s suicide drove her to meditation, and how a psychedelic peak experience changed her view of the world. Dr Britton considers the...

In this interview I am once again joined by Lama Glenn Mullin, spiritual teacher, Tibetologist, and author of over 30 books on Buddhism. Glenn discusses the mysterious Kālacakra ‘Wheel of Time’ Tantra, exploring its history, and uncovers its unique esoteric characteristics, Glenn recounts his own connection to the Kālacakra tantra, including his memories of the Dalai Lama’s first ever public Kālacakra empowerment given to hundreds of thousands of people in Bodhgaya, and discusses the...

In this episode I am joined by Dr James Justin Sledge, a professor of philosophy and religion specialising in the Western Esoteric tradition and founder of the popular Esoterica Youtube channel. Dr Sledge recounts how his working class upbringing profoundly influenced both his view of academia and his work ethic within it. He recounts his early fascination with philosophers and mystics, and recalls his studies in religion, philosophy, and the occult. Dr Sledge discusses the importance of...

In this episode I am join by Steve Donoghue, writer, nationally published book critic, and popular Youtuber. Steve details his remarkable daily routine in which he sleeps 90 minutes a night and devotes vast amounts of time to reading and writing. He recalls his Jesuit education and reveals the intellectual doctrines at the heart of the religious order famed for its rigour and learning. Steve reflects on the healing power of high states of concentration, the art of memory and how to train...

In this interview I am once again joined by John Maki Evans, teacher of Japanese swordsmanship and several esoteric spiritual disciplines, and author of ‘Kurikara: The Sword and the Serpent’. John discusses his time at Oxford University, his depression as a student, and why it took him years in a monastery and extensive training in Japan to undo the effects of academic study on his mind. John shares his insights into ‘The Subtle Art of a Cat’, a little known, centuries old Japanese text...

In this episode I am once again joined by Dr Chencho Dorji, Bhutan’s first psychiatrist and the Professor of Psychiatry at Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences. Dr Dorji reveals the challenges he faced establishing modern psychiatrist in Bhutan, a culture heavily invested in a supernatural model of mental illness. He recounts stories of patients possessed by ghosts, local avatars of Shiva, reincarnations of Padmasambhava and more. Dr Dorji explains the role of religion and...

In this episode I am joined by Mattias Daly, Taoist practitioner and translator of ‘Taoist Inner Alchemy’, published by Shambala. Mattias reveals how youthful delinquency and substance abuse problems saw him kicked out of the University of Chicago and drove him to seek out martial arts and meditation instruction under a Taoist master. Mattias shares his travels to China and unusual training adventures there including bodily purification through tree slapping, encounters with religious...

In this episode I am joined by Charles Manson, author of ‘The Second Karmapa Karma Pakshi’ published by Shambhala, and librarian for the Tibetan Collections at the Bodleian Library (Oxford University) and the British Library. Charles begins by discussing the remarkable life of Karma Pakshi, the second Karmapa, Tibet’s oldest continuous reincarnation lineage. Charles traces Karma Pakshi’s adventures as a yogic trainee, personal guru to Mongol Khans, figure of political intrigue, and reformer...

In this episode I am once again joined by Stephen Snyder, Buddhist meditation teacher and author of several books including ‘Buddha’s Heart’, ‘Trust in Awakening’, and his up-coming release ‘Soothing the Longing Heart’. Stephen talks about the importance of working with one’s personality material especially after awakening. He points to an idealisation of the Buddha and other blindspots in Buddhism that he believes have led to the various behavioural scandals that have surrounded so many...

In this episode, I am once again joined by Dhammarato: a lineage teacher in the Thai Buddhist tradition who is known for his unique, 1-1 teaching style conducted over Skype.  Dhammarato challenges what he sees as the widespread misconceptions about meditation practice, focusing in particular on American Buddhism and the Goenka and Mahasi methods. Dhammarato discusses issues such as the dangers of meditation retreats, the problems with sleep deprivation and other austerities, and recounts...

In this interview I am once again joined by Dr Nida Chenagtsang, Buddhist teacher, doctor of Tibetan Medicine, and author of ‘Foundations of Sowa Rigpa: A Guide to the Root Tantra of Tibetan Medicine’. Dr Nida discusses the traditional Tibetan medical system of Sowa Rigpa and reveals its core doctrines such as health as balance, pulse and urine analysis, and how to discover your body’s typology. Dr Nida also delves into the esoteric side of Sowa Rigpa, including Tibetan demonology, the...

In this interview I am once again joined by Ralph White holistic learning pioneer, international speaker on cultural transformation and the history of the Western esoteric tradition, and co-founder of the New York Open Centre. Ralph reflects on his decades at the centre of the American spirituality and human potential movements and discusses the life and works of figures such as poet Robert Bly, Ram Dass, Colin Wilson, RD Laing, and Rupert Sheldrake and tells personal anecdotes of his time...

In this episode I am joined by Katarina Falkenberg & Tommy Westlund, alchemists, practitioners of Western Esotericism, and authors of ‘Alchemy, The Divine Work’. Katarina and Tommy recount the history of Western alchemy from Egypt, through Ancient Greece, the Islamic golden age, Renaissance Europe, to today and consider critiques of alchemy as mere proto or indeed pseudo-science.. Katarina and Tommy reveal the language of the birds, the hidden language of symbol and intuition used...

In this episode I am joined by Dr Chencho Dorji, Bhutan’s first psychiatrist and the Professor of Psychiatry at Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan. Dr Dorji recalls his traumatic childhood growing up in Bhutan with a psychotic, alcoholic father. He describes the impact of living in constant fear of violence on he and his siblings, the resultant psychotic breakdown of his elder brother and the extreme methods used by the shamans, lamas, and traditional doctors who were...

In this interview I am once again joined by Lama Lhanang, a spiritual teacher of the Nyingma Longchen Nyingthig lineage of Tibetan Buddhism and an expert in meditation, geomancy, art, cultural and historical studies, and Tibetan medicine. Lama Lhanang discusses the Tibetan Buddhist and traditional Tibetan medical beliefs about death, including a detailed description of the death process itself, physical signs of imminent death, and the system of divination and omens that can indicate that...

In this episode I am joined by Jason Miller, occultist, author, and teacher. Jason discusses how to judge authenticity in the occult, considers the different levels of magickal practitioner in the world today, and whether it is more efficacious to curse your enemies or to pray for them. Jason also reveals the origin and unfolding of his passion for the occult, considers the role of talent in successful spell casting, and recounts his astral awakening. Jason also shares the art of...

In this episode I travel to deepest of Wales to visit Drala Jong, the headquarters and retreat centre of the Aro gTér sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Ngakchang Rinpoche and Khandro Déchen give a tour of the grounds of Drala Jong, discuss the esoteric geomancy of the site, and reveal the methods used to identify and propitiate the local spirit of the land. Ngakchang Rinpoche and Khandro Déchen detail the methods and practices of the Aro gTér, guide practice sessions in the Dzogchen meditation of...

In this episode I am once again joined by Naomi Levine, author, under her birth name Norma Levine, of several books including ‘The Miraculous 16th Karmapa’, ‘A Quest For The Hidden Lands’, and ‘Chronicles of Love and Death: My Years With The Last Spiritual King of Bhutan’. In this interview, Naomi discusses her first book ‘Blessing Power of the Buddhas’, an account of her 3 year investigation into the sacred relics and holy men of Himalayan Buddhism and the field of supernatural happenings...

In this episode I am once again joined by Joe Evans, founder of the Rangdröl Foundation and teacher of Dzogchen under the name Jigme Rangdröl. Joe explains the significance of the guru-disciple relationship in Dzogchen, details the various forms it may take, and reveals his own special relationship with Dzogchen master teacher Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche. Joe considers the power of devotion, describes the practice of guru yoga, advises on how to assess a Dzogchen teacher’s authenticity and...

In this interview I am joined by John Maki Evans, teacher of Japanese swordsmanship, practitioner of several syncretic esoteric Japanese disciplines of tantra and magic, and author of ‘Kurikara: The Sword and the Serpent’. John recalls aspects of his intense training in Japan, traces his lifetime spent uncovering the higher esoteric dimensions of the Japanese arts, and details the 9 stage journey from novice to master. John maps the subtle body and its correspondences to the five elements...