Episodes

  • Messages from Ram Dass on Harmony and Wholeness, with Parvati Markus

    Messages from Ram Dass on Harmony and Wholeness, with Parvati Markus
    Feb 2 2026
    Parvati Markus is a developmental editor who has been midwifing spiritually oriented non-fiction books and memoirs going back to her early friendship with the late spiritual leader Ram Dass and working with him on his iconic Be Here Now. Later books she either authored, coauthored, or edited include Dying to Know, Whisper in the Heart, Love Everyone, and the children's book, Isabella Castaspella. She has also worked in various capacities with spiritual organizations such as the Neem Karoli Baba ashram and temple in Taos, New Mexico, the Global Peace Initiative of Women, and the Love Serve Remember Foundation. The focus of our conversation is her new book, There is no Other: The Way to Harmony and Wholeness, which names Parvati as editor and Ram Dass as author. It's a collection of Ram Dass writings, assembled, organized, and introduced by Parvati, and it's billed as The Final Teachings from Beloved Spiritual Leader Ram Dass on Unity and Love. https://www.parvatimarkus.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Exploring the Holy Trinity with Robert Jonas

    Exploring the Holy Trinity with Robert Jonas
    Jan 19 2026
    Robert A. Jonas is a a multifaceted spiritual practitioner and teacher: psychotherapist, a Christian mystic, a leader in Buddhist-Christian dialogue, an environmental activist, a retreat leader, and the director and host of The Empty Bell, a contemplative sanctuary in Northampton, MA. , as well as a husband, father, and grandfather. He’s also a master of the Shakuhachi (a Japanese bamboo flute) and an author whose books include Rebecca: A Father’s Journey from Grief to Gratitude; two biographies of Father Henri Nouwen; and his most recent work, the award-winning, My Dear Far-Nearness, which explores Christianity’s Holy Trinity as three dimensions of consciousness. We spoke about the mysticism, the grace of grief, his friend Henri Nouwen, and his provocative interpretation of the Trinity. He also gifted us with a meditative performance of a traditional song on Shakuhachi. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 10 mins
  • Igniting Your Juicy Life With Stephanie James

    Igniting Your Juicy Life With Stephanie James
    Jan 5 2026
    Stephanie James is a psychotherapist, a transformation coach, an international speaker, a filmmaker, an author, and the host of the podcast “Igniting the Spark,” on mindbodyspirit.fm, where you will find interviews, (including one with me). Her new book, which we talk about here, is Your Big Fat Juicy Life (And Everything After). The book, according to the press material, “illuminates how we perceive life, death, and the magnificent spectrum of human experience. It is also a jubilant invitation to us all to wake up, breathe deeply, and dance with the mysteries of existence.” Much of our conversation was about how a serious consideration of death and reincarnation can enrich our lives here and now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • The Hero's Journey of St. Francis with Craig Bullock

    The Hero's Journey of St. Francis with Craig Bullock
    Dec 22 2025
    Craig Bullock (aka Isha Das) is the Spiritual Director of the Assisi Institute in Rochester, New York, where he integrates mystical Christianity and teachings from the Kriya Yoga tradition. He has an advanced degree in religious studies from the University of Notre Dame and another in clinical psychology from Duquesne University. He is also an authorized Kriya Yoga teacher, having been trained by Roy Eugene Davis, who was a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda. In addition to his transformational work with students at the Assisi Institute, Craig is a retired psychotherapist, a public speaker, and an author. His books include Open Wider the Door: The Integration of Kriya Yoga and Mystical Christianity, and his latest, Merchant to Mystic: The Hero’s Journey of St. Francis of Assisi. We talked about his work integrating east and west and, mainly, the spiritual journey of St. Francis and lessons we can all learn from his story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • The Fifth Season with Mark Nepo

    The Fifth Season with Mark Nepo
    Dec 8 2025
    Mark Nepo returns to Spirit Matters for a conversation about spirituality in the second half of life. Mark is a poet, a spiritual teacher, and a bestselling author of some 26 books, including You Don't Have to Do it Alone: The Power of Friendship; Falling Down and Getting Up; Finding the Strength to Meet Adversity; and best-known of all, The Book of Awakening, which has sold more than a million copies worldwide over the last 20 years. Mark has won numerous awards, has appeared on several national television shows, including Oprah's, and has made personal appearances throughout the world - all devoted to the journey of inner transformation and the life of relationship. His latest book, the one we talk about here, is The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life, which, he says, celebrates "living from the inside of the one life we’re given." Learn more about Mark here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Exploring Jewish Mysticism With Rabbi Tirzah Firestone

    Exploring Jewish Mysticism With Rabbi Tirzah Firestone
    Nov 24 2025
    Tirzah Firestone is an author, a Jungian psychotherapist, and a rabbi. She has been a leader in the international Jewish Renewal movement and a scholar and teacher widely known for her groundbreaking work on Kabbalah, depth psychology, intergenerational trauma healing, and the re-integration of the feminine wisdom tradition within Judaism. She lectures and teaches about how harvesting ancestral wisdom can help us at what she considers a critical time in world history. Her books include With Roots in Heaven: One Woman's Passionate Journey Into the Heart of Her Faith; The Receiving: Reclaiming Jewish Women’s Wisdom; and her most recent, Wounds Into Wisdom: Healing Intergenerational Jewish Trauma, which combines research in depth psychology, neuroscience, and collective traumatology. We dove into the little-known treasures of Jewish mysticism and the spiritual implications of intergenerational trauma. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • The Power of Spiritual Imagination with Rodger Kamenetz

    The Power of Spiritual Imagination with Rodger Kamenetz
    Nov 10 2025
    Rodger Kamenetz is an award-winning poet, author and teacher. He has authored nine books of poetry and several nonfiction books, including (not in chronological order) The History of Last Night’s Dream, which earned him an interview with Oprah Winfrey on her “Soul Series” program; Burnt Books; Stalking Elijah, which won the National Jewish Book Award; and his best known book, The Jew in the Lotus, about an historic dialogue between the Dalai Lama and a group of rabbis that became an international bestseller and prompted a reevaluation of Judaism in the light of Buddhist thought. He is also the founder of Natural Dreamwork, an approach to using dreams for spiritual growth. Now he's written a new book, Seeing Into the Life of Things, which is about the use of imagination in the spiritual life. We spoke mainly about that book, but also about many other intriguing and practical topics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Pure Unlimited Love With Stephen Post

    Pure Unlimited Love With Stephen Post
    Oct 27 2025
    Professor Stephen G. Post is one of the world’s leading scholars on altruism, love, compassion, and the science of giving. A professor of preventive medicine, he has held leadership positions at various medical schools and is the founder of the Institute for Research on Pure Unlimited Love, which is active across the us and worldwide. Quoting from his bio, “His work bridges science, spirituality, and ethics with a mission to understand how unselfish love heals, uplifts, and transforms both individuals and cultures.” He is also the author of several books, including God and Love on Route 80 and the best-selling Why Good Things Happen to Good People: How to Live a Longer, Healthier, Happier Life by the Simple Act of Giving. Now he has a new book, Pure Unlimited Love: Science and the Seven Paths to Inner Peace, with a Foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We talked about that book, altruism, unlimited love, and other topics that couldn't be more relevant today. Learn more about Dr. Post here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 10 mins