Spirituality That Works

Q: Please share your views on suicide.

First, my answer will be speaking largely from a nondual perspective. Second, let’s get it out on the table that suicide is a highly charged topic that people have very strong emotions around. It’s an action that’s been condemned and there is a major effort to govern by fear of punishment, even eternal punishment, in the effort to prevent it. And yet, even these guardrails are not wholly effective.

So many judgments are … Read More

Q: There’s been so much in the news about anxiety and depression among the young. Some studies say there’s a direct correlation with cell phone use. Other studies say not so much. What are your thoughts?

The anxiety and depression of youth, and of the population in general, have a direct correlation to cell phone use and to game playing use. But the factor that is not being connected, one that’s almost equally as important, is that young people today … Read More

Q: What impact did the solar eclipse have on us all?

Think of it as a reset button. It certainly was a moment of pause that caused all who saw it to remember the wonder of the universe. But it could also be thought of as an opportunity to reset the way we are operating in the world. A chance to come to terms with the dreams that cannot become reality. And the beginning of accepting what can become reality.… Read More

Q: If someone came to you and asked which path they should follow, the path of intuition or the path of spirituality, what would you tell them?

Well, it’s a “depends” answer. There’s no one-size-fits-all. It’s really looking at who that person is, what they need, and what’s going to take them the furthest to get them the closest to where they want to go.

It’s easy to dismiss intuition as a path that gets you lost and takes you … Read More

Before the hustle and bustle of the Industrial Revolution, the sounds of nature, the ringing of church bells to mark the hours, the everyday noises of town life, horse hooves on cobblestone streets, marketplace haggling, that’s what we knew.

And even these sounds, while sometimes loud, were intermittent and confined to particular places. Back then, experiencing quiet moments was more common, with noise levels similar to what you might find in today’s quiet library or peaceful countryside, at around 40-60 … Read More

Q: I was reading something by Ouspensky, in which he was remembering Gurdjieff and how Gurdjieff spoke of us living in something of a sleep state. There was this quote: “One thing and one thing only is therefore necessary. It is necessary for individual men and women to awaken, to remember who they are, and then to become who they really are, to live it in the service of truth. Without this awakening and this remembering, nothing else can help … Read More

Is it Okay to Fall Asleep During Meditation?

Recently, I had a friend who is new to meditation express her frustration at continually falling asleep whenever she tries to meditate. Then she proceeded to share with me some of the torturous ways she’s tried to keep herself awake. I felt sorry for her tired body…

She wasn’t asking for my thoughts, so I didn’t offer any. But you, dear reader, are about to get an earful.

Whether you’ve just started … Read More