In this episode I am once again joined by Mattias Daly, Taoist practitioner and translator of ‘Taoist Inner Alchemy’, published by Shambala. Mattias reflects on lessons learned from the series of exorcisms her underwent in his 20s, as described in episode 263 of this podcast, “My Demon Exorcism”, including the means by which entities may gain entry, and the surprising motives for their doing so. Mattias explains the vast hierarchy of spirit beings described in Taoism, considers the problems of obtaining special powers through relationships with entities and gods, and contrasts deity worship with voluntary shamanistic possession. Mattias also reflects on different types of Taoist practices, drawing a distinction between cataphatic and kenotic approaches, and recounts a remarkable story of spiritual healing. … Video version: Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
 … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:59 - Lessons learned after exorcisms 03:34 - Can entities give supernatural powers and siddhis? 06:44 - Entities enter through pride 08:15 - Entities piggyback on humans to accumulate merit 09:43 - The problem with gaining siddhi from entities 10:33 - A renowned Taiwanese siddha 11:59 - Do special powers come with spiritual attainment? 15:27 - Necessity to show off during rituals 17:54 - The vast celestial hierarchy of beings 22:10 - Abbess Liu’s spiritual journeys 24:11 - Making contact with higher beings 26:09 - Shamanism and voluntary entity possession 32:34 - Fr Michael Saso on cataphatic Taoist ritual 34:51 - Cataphatic vs kenotic practice 36:34 - Meeting a Taoist practitioner who had three spirit-helpers 43:13 - Requesting information from the spirit realm 49:59 - The cataphatic side of Taoism 52:43 - Learning a powerful somatic release technique and a remarkable healing 01:06:40 - Further healings and the purple cloud 01:17:43 - Mattias’ current views on entities and powers … Watch the previous episodes with Mattias Daly: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=daly To find our more about Mattias Daly, visit: - https://www.shambhala.com/authors/a-f/mattias-daly.html … 
For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com … Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James