
Sounds of SAND
171 episodes — Page 4 of 4
#21 A Hunger for Wholeness: Iya Affo
This is a recording from the 2022 Community Conversation between with guest Iya Affo and SAND co-founders Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo. Very few people are aware of the impact of historical trauma. Historical trauma is trauma so deeply rooted in the subconscious we may not even know it is there. It can leave us feeling anxious, irritable, sad, and hopeless… and we have no idea why. But once we begin to see the larger context of our trauma, then a more holistic healing can begin. Iya Affo is a Culturalist and Historical Trauma consultant. She earned Western certification as a Trauma Specialist and is a descendant of a long line of traditional healers from Bénin, West Africa. Iya serves as an Executive Board Member for the Arizona ACEs Consortium, is an Adjunct Faculty member at the Arizona Trauma Institute, and is the founder of Heal Historical Trauma Culture & Indigenous Wellness Academy. She has visited more than 30 countries; living in Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Taoist, Native American, and Yoruba communities, embracing aspects from each culture for personal evolution. She strives to transcend tolerance through cultivating love and respect in hopes of facilitating the decolonization and subsequent healing of indigenous people from all over the world. Iya advocates for the harmonization of Traditional Medicine and Western Medicine for true holistic healing. Iya's passion is to cultivate intergenerational healing by connecting intuitive ancestral practices with modern neurobiology. As we delve into leveraging our neurobiology to facilitate the healing process, we will also explore re-culturing and the creation of self-harmonizing communities. Iya Affo’s Website Topics 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:51 Introducing Iya Affo 02:31 Iya's Personal Journey 05:57 Understanding Historical Trauma 10:14 Resilience and Cultural Connections 11:57 The Role of Names and Identity 16:25 Tools for Healing and Resilience 19:12 The Importance of Cultural Practices 24:35 Epigenetics and Generational Trauma 26:34 Storytelling and Historical Context 26:54 Ancestral Vigilance and Survival Instincts 29:05 Epigenetics and Generational Trauma 30:50 Impact of Historical Trauma on Modern Behavior 34:52 Challenges of Western Medicine in Indigenous Communities 43:51 Traditional Healing Practices and Neurological Regulation Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member
#20 Vibrating with Awe: Laura Inserra
"The essence of the Universe is vibration,quenchless energy in motion, e-motion.My work is about experiencing the Source and its manifestationthrough sound, emotions, and body awareness." ~ Laura Inserra Laura Inserra is a sound alchemist, a technician of the sacred, and a multimedia producer. She lives and creates at the confluence of music, wisdom schools, and cutting edge technology. She grew up on the volcanic island of Sicily and has been exploring the powerful world of sound since her youngest years. Both a self-taught and classically trained musician, her career has many facets — multi- instrumentalist, composer, sound healer, teacher, artistic director, and producer. Laura plays acoustic instruments from around the globe and combines them with wisdom practices to facilitate self-exploration, transformation, and healing. After 30+ years of studies and initiations in ancient traditions and modern schools of wisdoms, she has developed a unique practice called MetaMusic Healing, a blend of sound healing, spiritual guidance, and vibrational work. She keeps exploring and evolving her skills to fulfill the purpose of her life-path. Both with individuals and groups, Laura creates opportunities for people to connect to the pulse of life, to experience various states of consciousness, and to learn tools for a regenerative living and healing. https://www.laurainserra.com/Music from Episode by Laura Inserra: Excerpts from “Discovering the Wisdom of Trauma with Gabor Maté” – https://www.scienceandnonduality.com/webinar/discovering-the-wisdom-of-trauma “Hang Upright” from Hang Tales Vol. 1 - live recording“Unknown Path” from Attitude Purchase & download Laura’s music: https://laurainserra.bandcamp.com/
#19 The Wonder of the Heart: A.H. Almaas & Thomas Hübl
“The mind creates the abyss, and the heart crosses it.” — Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj A deep and insightful dialog between A.H. Almaas, founder of the Diamond Approach to Self-realization and Thomas Hübl, founder of the Academy of Inner Science. This conversation was recorded from a 2022 SAND Community Gathering facilitated by SAND co-founders Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo. In this meeting between two leading contemporary spiritual teachers they explored: Healing the gap between the mind and the heart The path from fragmentation to integration Tapping into our sensing/body intelligence Our potential for healing/realization In today’s world of fast-food spirituality, we can get caught in the illusion of finding a spiritual ‘fix’ for the challenges of life. In this conversation, we will look at the notion of integrated spirituality, and how effective spiritual practice needs time and space to be deeply nourishing, healing and sustainable. Join us to explore what it means to commit to a spiritual path and to live with an awakened heart. Hameed Ali (A. H. Almaas), Founder of the Diamond Approach, was born in the Middle East, but at age 18 he moved to the USA to study at the University of California in Berkeley. Hameed was working on his Ph.D. in physics, where he was studying Einstein's theory of general relativity and nuclear physics, when he reached a turning point in his life and destiny that led him more and more into inquiring into the psychological and spiritual aspects of human nature. Hameed is the founder of the Diamond Approach®—a spiritual teaching that utilizes a unique kind of inquiry into realization, where the practice is the expression of realization. Freedom is living our realization, a dynamic enlightenment where our transcendent nondual truth lives personally in the world. This inquiry opens up the infinite creativity of our Being, transforming our lives into a runaway realization, moving from realization to further realization. Almaas' books include: Love Unveiled, Unfolding Now, and The Keys to the Enneagram. www.diamondapproach.org Thomas Hübl is a renowned teacher, author, and international facilitator whose lifelong work integrates the core insights of the great wisdom traditions and mysticism with the discoveries of science. Since the early 2000s, he has been leading large-scale events and courses that focus on the healing and integration of trauma, with a special focus on the shared history of Israelis and Germans. Over the last decade, he has facilitated dialogue with thousands of people around healing the collective traumas of racism, oppression, colonialism, genocides in the U.S., Israel, Germany, Spain, and Argentina. He has been teaching workshops and presenting trainings for Harvard Medical School since 2019. His non-profit organization, the Pocket Project, works to support the healing of collective trauma throughout the world. He is the author of the book, Healing Collective Trauma: A Process for Integrating Our Intergenerational and Cultural Wounds, which outlines his methodology called the “Collective Trauma Integration Process” as a safe framework for guiding groups through collective trauma. www.collectivetraumabook.com and thomashuebl.com
#18 The Mysticism of Sound and Music: Michael Harrison
In this episode, we discuss the life and work of musician and Sufi teacher Hazrat Inayat Khan with composer/pianist and Inayat Khan scholar Michael Harrison. Hazrat Inayat Khan (Urdu: عنایت خان رحمت خان) (5 July 1882 – 5 February 1927) was an Indian professor of musicology, singer, exponent of the saraswati vina, poet, philosopher, and pioneer of the transmission of Sufism to the West. At the urging of his students, and on the basis of his ancestral Sufi tradition and four-fold training and authorization at the hands of Sayyid Abu Hashim Madani (d. 1907) of Hyderabad, he established an order of Sufism (the Sufi Order) in London in 1914. By the time of his death in 1927, centers had been established throughout Europe and North America, and multiple volumes of his teachings had been published. Michael Harrison (called "an American maverick" by Philip Glass) forges a new approach to composition through just intonation (the system of tuning based on pure harmonic proportions). His works blend classical music traditions of Europe and North India. He is a Guggenheim Fellowship and NYFA Artist Fellowship recipient. Michael creates dedicated tuning systems for many of his works. He pioneered a structural approach to composition in which the proportions of harmonic relationships organically determine other musical elements such as pitch, duration, and dynamics. He also invented the "harmonic piano," a grand piano that plays 24 notes per octave, documented in the Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments. Harrison seeks expressions of universality via the physics of sound – music that brings one into a state of concentrated listening as a meditative and even mind-altering experience. Links Inayat Khan 78rpm Recordings 1909 of 16 Indian Songs 1 with text by SufiLab – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7jeQEUmryY https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/158312.The_Mysticism_of_Sound_and_Music https://www.michaelharrison.com https://michaelharrison.bandcamp.com/album/seven-sacred-names Music for today’s Episode Michael Harrison – Mureed from Seven Sacred Names (2021, Cantaloupe Music) Michael Harrison – Alim: Polyphonic Raga Malkauns from Seven Sacred Names (2021, Cantaloupe Music) Michael Harrison – Qadr: Etude in Raga Bhimpalasi from Seven Sacred Names (2021, Cantaloupe Music) Hazrat Inyat Kahn – Purvi Khal – Kamli Wale Tope Sabkuchhvare (2022, Primitiv)
#17 Woman Stands Shining: Pat McCabe
In this moving and powerful conversation with Pat McCabe hosted by SAND friend and presenter Lynn Murphy from SAND’s Wisdom in Times of Crisis series. At this time we are collective examining our human generated systems, worldview, purpose, or our paradigm. What if paradigm was a choice? Indigenous peoples the world over share the same planet, the same water, soil, sky, sun, moon, but how they place themselves relative to these elements is entirely different from how modern world interprets their own humanity. By exploring some of the differences between these two ways of looking at ourselves, what possibilities are revealed for us to move forward in new relationship to ourselves, to each other and to larger than human community? Pat McCabe (Weyakpa Najin Win, Woman Stands Shining) is a Diné (Navajo) mother, grandmother, activist, artist, writer, ceremonial leader, and international speaker. She is a voice for global peace, and her paintings are created as tools for individual, earth and global healing. She draws upon the Indigenous sciences of Thriving Life to reframe questions about sustainability and balance, and she is devoted to supporting the next generations, Women’s Nation and Men’s Nation, in being functional members of the “Hoop of Life” and upholding the honor of being human. Her primary work at the moment is: The reconciliation between the masculine and feminine, Men's Nation and Women's Nation Remembering, recreating or creating anew a narrative for the Sacred Masculine Addressing the Archetypal Wounding that occurred in our misunderstanding and abuse of technology in prayer, ceremony and science Lynn Murphy is a strategic advisor for foundations and NGOs working in the geopolitical South. She was a senior fellow and program officer at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation where she focused on international education and global development. She resigned as a “conscientious objector” to neocolonial philanthropy. She holds an MA and PhD in international comparative education from Stanford University. She is also a certified Laban/Bartenieff movement analyst.
#16 The Wandering, Winding Way of the Wound: Sophie Strand and Bayo Akomolafe
An excerpt from the four day webinar The Wandering, Winding Way of the Wound with Bayo Akomolafe and Sophie Strand exploring the Politics of Cure, the Shadows of Harm Reduction, and Transgressive Networks of Care at World End. You can enroll in the Course here: https://www.scienceandnonduality.com/webinar/wandering-winding-way Also coming up a Community Gathering with Sophie Strand is happening next week at SAND. We Must Risk New Shapes with Sophie StrandWednesday, December 28, 2022 10–11:30am PST A live online conversation facilitated by Zaya & Maurizio Benazzo Sophie Strand is a writer based in the Hudson Valley who focuses on the intersection of spirituality, storytelling, and ecology. Her first book of essays The Flowering Wand: Rewilding the Sacred Masculine will be published by Inner Traditions in Fall 2022 and is available for pre-order. Her eco-feminist historical fiction reimagining of the gospels The Madonna Secret will also be published by Inner Traditions in Spring 2023. Subscribe for her newsletter at sophiestrand.substack.com. Follow her work on Instagram: @cosmogyny and at www.sophiestrand.com. Bayo Akomolafe (Ph.D.), rooted with the Yoruba people in a more-than-human world, is the father to Alethea and Kyah, the grateful life-partner to Ije, son and brother. A widely celebrated international speaker, posthumanist thinker, poet, teacher, public intellectual, essayist, and author of two books, These Wilds Beyond our Fences: Letters to My Daughter on Humanity’s Search for Home (North Atlantic Books) and We Will Tell our Own Story: The Lions of Africa Speak, Bayo Akomolafe is the Founder of The Emergence Network and host of the online postactivist course, ‘We Will Dance with Mountains’. He currently lectures at Pacifica Graduate Institute, California and University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont. He sits on the Board of many organizations including Science and Non-Duality (US) and Ancient Futures (Australia). In July 2022, Dr. Akomolafe was appointed the inaugural Global Senior Fellow of University of California’s (Berkeley) Othering and Belonging Institute. He has also been appointed Senior Fellow for The New Institute in Hamburg, Germany. He is the recipient of the New Thought Leadership Award 2021 and the Excellence in Ethnocultural Psychotherapy Award by the African Mental Health Summit 2022. www.bayoakomolafe.net Science and Nonduality is a community inspired by timeless wisdom, informed by cutting-edge science, and grounded in direct experience. We come together in an open-hearted exploration while celebrating our humanity.
#15 The Healing Potential of Microdosing: James Fadiman & Ayelet Waldman
In this entertaining talk from SAND18, James Fadiman, "America's wisest and most respected authority on psychedelics and their use," describes the citizen science of his recent investigations into the effects of microdosing, and shares some fascinating stories from the hundreds he has gathered in his ongoing research. jamesfadiman.comAyelet Waldman is the author of several novels, and A Really Good Day, a book that documents a month microdosing LSD as a radical solution to a life of suicidal depression. With humor and candor she introduces us to this story and describes the outcome. As a woman who has taught the legal implications of the War on Drugs at the UC Berkeley law school, Ayelet Waldman does not neglect the legal ramifications of the therapeutic use of psychedelics. ayeletwaldman.com
#14 Healing Relationships in Community and in Ourselves: Eriel Tchekwie Deranger
Science and Nonduality co-founders Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo host this Community Gathering with Dënesųłiné indigenous rights activist and climate activist Eriel Tchekwie Deranger. This talk touches into such topics as intergenerational trauma, decolonizing spirituality, climte crisis, ransom economy, and our collective joy and pain. Some links from the episode: Resmaa Menakem | Embodied Anti-Racist Education Native Land.ca Indigenous Climate Action Eriel Tchekwie Deranger is a Dënesųłiné mother from the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and the Executive Director and co-founder of Indigenous Climate Action (ICA), an Indigenous-led climate justice organization in so-called Canada. Deranger is a member of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change, and sits on various boards including Bioneers, It Takes Roots Leadership Council, Climate Justice Resiliency Fund Council of Advisors, the UK Tar Sands Network and WWF Canada; and a founding member of the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus. Deranger’s work focuses on Indigenous rights and building intersectional dialogue between Indigenous rights, climate justice and other social justice movements. She is recognized for her role in the international Indigenous Tar Sands Campaign and developing the Tar Sands Healing Walk. This includes developing one of the first Indigenous rights-based divest movements; lobbying government officials in Canada, the US, the UK and the EU; supporting and leading mass mobilizations against the fossil fuel industry & climate change; and bringing international recognition to issues in her territory with celebrities and politicians alike. Deranger has written for the Guardian, Yellowhead Institute, The National Observer, Red Pepper Magazine; has been featured in documentary films; and is regularly interviewed for national and international media outlets. Science and Nonduality is a community inspired by timeless wisdom, informed by cutting-edge science, and grounded in direct experience. We come together in an open-hearted exploration while celebrating our humanity. http://scienceandnonduality.com
#13 Finding Wholeness Through Our Broken Places: Tara Brach, Jack Kornfield & Dr. Gabor Maté
In this conversation from the “Talks on Trauma” series Gabor investigates the paths of personal Trauma woven into the Buddhist and personal psychology fields for which Jack and Tara are so well known. Find out more about this series “Talks on Trauma” as part of the “All Access Pass” from the film The Wisdom of Trauma: https://thewisdomoftrauma.com/store/ Tara Brach is an American psychologist, author, and proponent of Buddhist meditation. She is a guiding teacher and founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, D.C. (IMCW). Brach also teaches about Buddhist meditation at centers for meditation and yoga in the United States and Europe, including Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California; the Kripalu Center, and the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies. Brach is an Engaged Buddhist, specializing in the application of Buddhist teachings and mindfulness meditation to emotional healing. She has authored several books on these subjects, including Radical Acceptance, True Refuge, and Radical Compassion. tarabrach.com Jack Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India and Burma. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. After graduating from Dartmouth College in Asian Studies in 1967 he joined the Peace Corps and worked on tropical medicine teams in the Mekong River valley. He met and studied as a monk under the Buddhist master Ven. Ajahn Chah, as well as the Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw of Burma. Returning to the United States, Jack co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, with fellow meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein and the Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, California. Over the years, Jack has taught in centers and universities worldwide, led International Buddhist Teacher meetings, and worked with many of the great teachers of our time. He holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is a father, husband and activist. His books have been translated into 20 languages and sold more than a million copies. They include, A Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology, A Path with Heart; After the Ecstasy, the Laundry; Teachings of the Buddha; Seeking the Heart of Wisdom; Living Dharma; A Still Forest Pool; Stories of the Spirit, Stories of the Heart; Buddha’s Little Instruction Book; The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness and Peace, Bringing Home the Dharma: Awakening Right Where You Are, and his most recent book, No Time Like the Present: Finding Freedom, Love, and Joy Right Where You Are. jackkornfield.com Dr. Gabor Maté Rather than offering quick-fix solutions to these complex issues, Dr. Maté weaves together scientific research, case histories, and his own insights and experience to present a broad perspective that enlightens and empowers people to promote their own healing and that of those around them. After 20 years of family practice and palliative care experience, Dr. Maté worked for over a decade in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side with patients challenged by drug addiction and mental illness. The bestselling author of four books published in over thirty languages, Gabor is an internationally renowned speaker highly sought after for his expertise on addiction, trauma, childhood development, and the relationship of stress and illness. His book on addiction received the Hubert Evans Prize for literary non-fiction. For his groundbreaking medical work and writing he has been awarded the Order of Canada, his country’s highest civilian distinction, and the Civic Merit Award from his hometown, Vancouver. His books include In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters With Addiction; When the Body Says No; The Cost of Hidden Stress; Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder; and (with Dr. Gordon Neufeld) Hold on to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers. His next book, The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness & Healing in a Toxic Culture is due out on September 13, 2022. His second next book, Hello Again: A Fresh Start for Parents and Their Adult Children is expected in 2023. Gabor is also co-developer of a therapeutic approach, Compassionate Inquiry, now studied by hundreds of therapists, physicians, counselors, and others internationally. More on his books and programs can be found here. gabormate.com Science and Nonduality is a community inspired by timeless wisdom, informed by cutting-edge science, and grounded in direct experience. We come together in an open-hearted exploration while celebrating our humanity. scienceandnonduality.com/podcast
#12 Indigenous Languages and Encoded Quantum Physics: Tiokasin Ghosthorse
Tiokasin Ghosthorse is a member of the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation of South Dakota and has a long history with Indigenous activism and advocacy. Tiokasin is the Founder, Host and Executive Producer of “First Voices Radio” (formerly “First Voices Indigenous Radio”) for the last 28 years in New York City and Seattle/Olympia, Washington. In 2016, he received a Nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize from the International Institute of Peace Studies and Global Philosophy. Other recent recognitions include: Native Arts and Cultures Foundation National Fellowship in Music (2016), National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship Nominee (2017), Indigenous Music Award Nominee for Best Instrumental Album (2019) and National Native American Hall of Fame Nominee (2018, 2019). He also was recently nominated for “Nominee for the 2020 Americans for the Arts Johnson Fellowship for Artists Transforming Communities”. He was also awarded New York City’s Peacemaker of the Year in 2013. Tiokasin is a “perfectly flawed human being.” Alnoor Ladha is an activist, journalist, political strategist and community organiser. From 2012 to 2019 he was the co-founder and executive director of the global activist collective The Rules. He is currently the Council Chair for Culture Hack Labs. He holds an MSc in Philosophy and Public Policy from the London School of Economics. A conversation from the Dying and Living Summit (October 21-25 2020) with Tiokasin Ghosthorse, Alnoor Ladha, Zaya, and Maurizio Benazzo. scienceandnonduality.com/podcast Reach out to us at [email protected]
#11: Quantum Listening: IONE
In episode #11 IONE is in conversation with Sounds of SAND Producer Michael Reiley McDermott IONE is a noted author, playwright/director and poet whose works include the critically acclaimed memoir, Pride of Family Four Generations of American Women of Color, Listening in Dreams and This is a Dream!. Other works include; The Night Train to Aswan and Nile Night: Remembered Texts from the Deep and Spell Breaking; Remembered Ways of Being, and Anthology of Women’s Mysteries. Links IONE - ionedreams.us The Center for Deep Listening Arnold Mindell – Dreaming While Awake: 24 Hours Lucid Dreaming & Quantum Healing Listening to the Ancestors: Black Feminists & Aboloitions Speak Black Quantum Futurism Pauline Oliveros at 90 Conert at Carnegie Hall (NYC) Deep Listening: The Story of Pauline Oliveros Quantum Listening by Pauline Oliveros, IONE, and Laurie Anderson Music from the Episode Nile Night – IONE / Pauline Oliveros Deep Listening Band: Section I: Invocation By IONE from Dunrobin Sonic Gems Nubian Word for Flowers A Phantom Opera by IONE and Pauline Oliveros OHAM Remembers Pauline Oliveros ft. Exclusive Interview Footage 360 Video: Pauline Oliveros's 'Tuning Meditation' at The Met Cloisters
#10 Nonduality and Postcapitalism: Lynn Murphy and Alnoor Ladha
Join Lynn Murphy and Alnoor Ladha in conversation with Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo about their new book, Post Capitalist Philanthropy: Healing Wealth in the Time of Collapse, as they explore the history of wealth accumulation to the current logic of late-stage capitalism — and ultimately to the lived possibilities of other ways of knowing, sensing and being that can usher in life-centric models. This ontological shift into new possibilities is at the heart of their work. Creating new-ancient-emerging realities is not simply about how we redistribute wealth or “fight power”, but rather, how we non-dualistically perceive and embody our actions in relationship to a dynamic, animistic world and cosmos. The book is a result of decades of deep personal inquiry and practice, as well as hundreds of interviews with activists, philanthropists, philosophers, social scientists, cosmologists and wisdom keepers. Order Post Capitalist Philanthropy here Website: https://www.postcapitalistphilanthropy.org Lynn and Alnoor's work: https://www.transitionresourcecircle.org/ Post Capitalist Philanthropy - Webinar Series starting Nov 11, 2022 transitionresourcecircle.org/events
#9 The Universe in Ecstatic Motion: Mona Haydar
In this live SAND Conference talk she offers some beautiful sacred wisdom from her Islamic tradition with that special Science and Nonduality flavor weaving her talk through the ancient and the modern, the light and dark in this talk. In this talk she leads the live audience in some breathwork, chanting, and singing, so we invite you to tone along wherever you’re listening. She touches into: Heart consciousness Sacred Rhythmic Vibrations Resonance Becoming Beauty And experiencing the infinite And after the talk we have a special musical treat. Mona is a renowned recording artist and performer. And we’ll be featuring her song, “Hijabi (Wrap my Hijab)” after the talk so stick around for that! Mona Hayder is a rapper, poet, activist, meditator, and speaker. She practices a life of sacred activist, contemplating and advocacy for living gently upon the Earth. She offers concerts, workshops, and leads retreats and gives lectures at universities all over the world. monahaydar.com
#8 Evolving with Consciousness: Peter Russell
In this episode we look back on a decade of talks by Peter with a conversation hosted by Sounds of SAND producer Michael Reiley McDermott. We touch into such concepts as Peter's history and origins in meditation The Beatles and Love The Global Brain Letting go of Nothing Climate Collapse And what's next Peter Russell Originally studying mathematics and theoretical physics, became increasingly interested in the nature of consciousness, and in the late sixties traveled to India, to study meditation and Eastern philosophy. On his return he established a meditation center in Cambridge, England, and went on to pioneer the introduction of personal growth programs to corporations. He is the author of a dozen books, including The Global Brain, Waking Up In Time, and From Science to God, Seeds of Awakening and Letting Go of Nothing. At SAND conferences he has led morning meditation sessions that people have found very helpful. For more information on Peter visit: peterrussell.com Peter’s Course with SAND – The Art of Letting Go
#7 Indigenous Resilience: Healing Trauma Through Tradition and Resistance
In this talk from the Talks on Trauma series from the Wisdom of Trauma All Access Pass Course. Dr. Gabor Maté hosts this expert panel of Indigenous teachers. Intergenerational trauma: the impact of colonization and genocide Indigenous wisdom and the healing of trauma Resistance and healing With Jesse Thistle, Tiokasin Ghosthorse, Ruby Gibson, Patricia Vickers & Gabor Maté Bios Patricia Vickers, Ph.D., is currently an independent consultant. She is deeply committed to founding mental health services and research on ancestral teachings and principles. In 2019-2020, she completed a nurofeedback study on Haida Gwaii with highly positive results. Her areas of inquiry include trauma from a somatic and neurobiological perspective, teachings on soul loss and soul retrieval and expressive responses to life such as song, painting and dance. She is mother of four and grandmother of nine. Her Indigenous ancestry is rooted in Heiltsuk, Tsimshian and Haida Nations through her father and British through her mother. patriciajunevickers.com Jesse ThistleAssistant Professor, AuthorJesse Thistle’s award-winning memoir, From the Ashes, was a #1 national bestseller, and the bestselling Canadian book in 2020 and has remained atop bestseller lists since it was published. From the Ashes was a CBC Canada Reads finalist, an Indigo Best Book of 2019, and the winner of the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize Nonfiction, an Indigenous Voices Award, and High Plains Book Award. Jesse Thistle is Métis-Cree and an Assistant Professor at York University in Toronto. He is a PhD candidate in the History program at York where he is working on theories of intergenerational and historic trauma of the Métis people. Jesse has won the P.E. Trudeau and Vanier doctoral scholarships, and he is a Governor General medalist. Jesse is the author of the Definition of Indigenous Homelessness in Canada published through the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, and his historical research has been published in numerous academic journals, book chapters, and featured on CBC Ideas, CBC Campus, and Unreserved. A frequent keynote speaker, Jesse lives in Hamilton with his wife Lucie and is at work on multiple projects including his next book. jessethistle.com Tiokasin GhosthorseFounder & Host "First Voices Radio", Speaker on Peace & Indigenous WisdomTiokasin Ghosthorse is a member of the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation of South Dakota and has a long history with Indigenous activism and advocacy. Tiokasin is the Founder, Host and Executive Producer of “First Voices Radio” (formerly “First Voices Indigenous Radio”) for the last 28 years in New York City and Seattle/Olympia, Washington. In 2016, he received a Nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize from the International Institute of Peace Studies and Global Philosophy. Other recent recognitions include: Native Arts and Cultures Foundation National Fellowship in Music (2016), National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship Nominee (2017), Indigenous Music Award Nominee for Best Instrumental Album (2019) and National Native American Hall of Fame Nominee (2018, 2019). He also was recently nominated for “Nominee for the 2020 Americans for the Arts Johnson Fellowship for Artists Transforming Communities”. He was also awarded New York City’s Peacemaker of the Year in 2013. Tiokasin is a “perfectly flawed human being.” Dr. Ruby GibsonExecutive Director of Freedom Lodge, Author, Historical Trauma SpecialistA mixed-blood woman of Native and Mediterranean descent, Dr. Ruby Gibson lives on both the Flathead Reservation in MT, and in Rapid City, SD near Pine Ridge Agency. For 30+ years, Dr. Gibson has been dedicated to the craft and science of Historical Trauma reconciliation, cultural healing, and generational well-being among Native and Indigenous Peoples. She developed the intergenerational trauma recovery models - Somatic Archaeology© and Generational Brainspotting™. Dr. Gibson is the author of two books, My Body, My Earth, The Practice of Somatic Archaeology, and My Body, My Breath, A Tool for Transformation, which are both available in English and Spanish. Using our Body and Mother Earth as benevolent sources of biological, emotional and ancestral memory, her techniques were field tested on clients and students, and researched in her Doctoral studies with amazing effectiveness. Dr. Gibson developed and teaches the Historical Trauma Master Class, and builds leadership skills in Native Wellness amongst the graduates. She is honored to witness the courage and amazing capacity that each person has to reconcile suffering. As the mother of three beautiful children, one granddaughter, and one grandson. Dr. Ruby has a heart full of hope for the next seven generations! freedomlodge.org Dr. Gabor Maté, M.D. is a physician and best-selling author whose books have been published in twenty languages. His interests include child development, the mind-body unity in health and illness, and the treatment of addictions. Gab
#6 New Gods at the End of the World: Bayo Akomolafe and Sophie Strand
Today, we present wild and flowering conversation between two poets, writers, philosophers, and theobiologians Bayo Akomalofe and Sophie Strand. This conversation is from a 2022 SAND Community Gathering. To hear the full conversation with Q&A from the live webinar you can view it here. In Greek Mythology, the Titan Kronos eats an indigestible stone and vomits up the new Olympic pantheon of gods. In our current time, people planted in stratigraphic layers of shared trauma find themselves uniquely ill – physically and mentally. We are unable to digest food and unable to digest violence. What if indigestion – practical and mythical – was a sign that a new world was threatening to be born? The very basis of our nucleated cells is an ancient botched bacterial cannibalism. What if our inability to digest certain injustices was an invitation to vomit up a new pantheon? And in an age when we are all threaded through with microplastics and blood pressure stabilizers, what does it mean to start to physically grow into new shapes around incursions we cannot properly assimilate or expel? Bayo Akomolafe (Ph.D.), rooted with the Yoruba people in a more-than-human world, is the father to Alethea and Kyah, the grateful life-partner to Ije, son and brother. A widely celebrated international speaker, posthumanist thinker, poet, teacher, public intellectual, essayist, and author of two books, These Wilds Beyond our Fences: Letters to My Daughter on Humanity’s Search for Home (North Atlantic Books) and We Will Tell our Own Story: The Lions of Africa Speak, Bayo Akomolafe is the Founder of The Emergence Network and host of the online postactivist course, ‘We Will Dance with Mountains’. He currently lectures at Pacifica Graduate Institute, California and University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont. He sits on the Board of many organizations including Science and Non-Duality (US) and Ancient Futures (Australia). In July 2022, Dr. Akomolafe was appointed the inaugural Global Senior Fellow of University of California’s (Berkeley) Othering and Belonging Institute. He has also been appointed Senior Fellow for The New Institute in Hamburg, Germany. He is the recipient of the New Thought Leadership Award 2021 and the Excellence in Ethnocultural Psychotherapy Award by the African Mental Health Summit 2022. Sophie Strand is a writer based in the Hudson Valley who focuses on the intersection of spirituality, storytelling, and ecology. Yet it would probably be more authentic to call her a neo-troubadour animist with a propensity to spin yarns that inevitably turn into love stories. Give her a salamander and a stone and she’ll write you a love story. Sophie was raised by house cats, puff balls, possums, raccoons, and an opinionated, crippled goose. She believes strongly that all thinking happens interstitially – between beings, ideas, differences, mythical gradients. She is the author of The Flowering Wand: Rewilding the Sacred Masculine and The Madonna Secret. She is also finishing a collection of essays about navigating an incurable genetic disease and early trauma through ecological storytelling. You can subscribe to her newsletter at sophiestrand.substack.com, and follow her work on Instagram: @cosmogyny and at www.sophiestrand.com. Topics 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 01:35 Introducing Dr. Bayo Akomolafe 04:11 Introducing Sophie Strand 06:35 Starting the Conversation: New Gods in Challenging Times 13:54 Exploring Mispronunciation and Evolution 27:27 Animist Perspectives on Trauma 28:17 Healing in Yoruba Culture 30:29 Bioelectric Signals and Embryogenesis 35:40 The Role of Trickster Gods 38:26 Invasive Species and Ecosystem Dynamics 47:25 Disability as an Invitation to Community 55:32 Concluding Thoughts on New Gods Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member
Healing Trauma and Spiritual Growth: Thomas Hübl, Peter Levine and Zaya Benazzo
From SAND 18 with Peter Levine, the father of trauma therapy work, and Thomas Huebl, a spiritual teacher known for his work integrating healing of collective trauma, discussing the relationship between healing trauma and spiritual growth. One theme that repeats throughout the discussion is that we are all connected through the traumatization of the world and that the healing of trauma is a way of returning to the wholeness and fullness of living. This talk was hosted by SAND co-founder Zaya Benazzo. In the episode they discuss Bliss states Holding lightness and darkness Nonduality of existence State and process awareness Meeting Albert Einstein Waves of Trauma healing Free Will Collective Trauma Processing Apologies for a few audio issues with this live recording. Hopefully, you can listen past that to the content of what they are offering! And you’ll hear there’s QA from the audience at the end. Peter Levine, Ph. D. is the founder and pioneer of Somatic Experiencing® (SE®)and has made it his life-time's work to continue developing it. He holds doctorates in both Medical Biophysics and Psychology. Peter's work led him to become a stress consultant for NASA during the development of the Space Shuttle. somaticexperiencing.com Thomas Hübl is a contemporary mystic, international spiritual teacher, and author of Healing Collective Trauma: A Process for Integrating Our Intergenerational and Cultural Wounds (2020), whose work seeks to integrate the core insights of the great wisdom traditions with the discoveries of modern science. thomashuebl.com And Zaya Benazzo is a filmmaker, producer, activist, and co-founder of SAND. Science and Nonduality is a community inspired by timeless wisdom, informed by cutting-edge science, and grounded in direct experience. We come together in an open-hearted exploration while celebrating our humanity. scienceandnonduality.com
#4 Entering the Bardo: Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
Today on the podcast a profound yet light and sometimes funny conversation with Tibetan meditation master and teacher Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. This conversation is from SAND's Dying and Living online summit. In the conversation, Tenzin and SAND's founders Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo delve into such topics as Fear of Death in our Western Culture Death as a teacher of being in control The Bön and Vajrayana schools of Buddhism The concept of detachment and not-self The Bardo in death, but also in sleep. Dream Yoga. Dying and living consciously What is Rebirth Grief, Parenting, and the wisdom of Dzogchen and the Sutras. Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche is the founder and spiritual director of Ligmincha International. He is a respected and beloved teacher and meditation master in the Bön Buddhist tradition of Tibet. He has students in more than 25 countries, teaches around the world, and reaches thousands of students through his online programs. Trained as a Bön monk, Rinpoche now lives as a householder, allowing him to more fully relate to the needs and concerns of his students. Known for the depth of his wisdom and his unshakeable commitment to helping students recognize their true nature, he is the author of many books and online courses. ligmincha.org Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo who conduct this conversation are the co-founders of Science and Nonduality, filmmakers, activists, and facilitators of conversations at the frontiers of consciousness. Science and Nonduality is a community inspired by timeless wisdom, informed by cutting-edge science, and grounded in direct experience. We come together in an open-hearted exploration while celebrating our humanity. scienceandnonduality.com/podcast Reach out to us at [email protected]
#3 The Future of Love: Esther Perel
In this magnificent talk from the SAND 2018 Radiant Intimacy gathering,Esther Perel offers fresh insights into Expectations Negotiations Intimacy Motherhood Turn-ons and turn-offs The coming and going of love and eroticism. She concludes with answers to a series of questions from the audience, which confirm her reputation as one of the most brilliant and original authorities in the natural history of relationships. So we hope you enjoy this foray into an important and ever-evolving topic we explore at Science and Nonduality – the nature of love and relationships. Psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author Esther Perel is recognized as one of today’s most insightful and original voices on modern relationships. Learn more at EstherPerel.com or by following @EstherPerelOfficial on Instagram.scienceandnonduality.com/podcast Reach out to us at [email protected]
#2 Wisdom in Death and Dying: Stephen Jenkinson
Sounds of SAND presents an in-depth and provocative conversation from Science and Nonduality’s “Death and Dying” online summit. A long-time friend of SAND Stephen Jenkinson offers a frank dialog with SAND co-founders Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo. This conversation took place during the first months of COVID which you’ll hear Stephen talk about as “the plague” they also touch upon: the meaning of death and dying in a death-phobic culture the idea of death as a god the differences between death culture in North America and Europe and other cultures Stephen’s perspectives on Euthanasia. plus some original music from Stephen and Gregory Hoskins at the end of the episode! Stephen Jenkinson is an activist, teacher, author, and farmer. He's the founder of the Orphan Wisdom School in Tramore, Canada, and the author of four books, including Die Wise: A Manifesto for Sanity and Soul, the award-winning book about grief and dying and the great love of life. And stick around until the end of the podcast to hear a spoken word musical collaboration from Stephen and Gregory Hoskins from their Nights of Grief and Mystery project. orphanwisdom.com Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo are the co-founders and directors of SAND and their many offerings, events, and films. Their latest film is The Wisdom of Trauma which has been viewed by over six million people in 230 countries around the world. https://scienceandnonduality.com
#1 Emotional and Spiritual Maturity: Gabor Maté and Adyashanti
In a rare meeting of minds, Gabor Mate asks Adyashanti explore whether there is a predilection for spirituality and expand on passages from Adyashanti’s recent book My Secret Is Silence. Discussion topics in this episode: The influence of trauma on the spiritual path The need for specialists help Spiritual bypassing The power of silence The relationship between spiritual insight and emotional growth In a rare meeting of minds, Dr. Gabor Maté asks Adyashanti explore whether there is a predilection for spirituality and expand on passages from Adyashanti’s recent book My Secret Is Silence Discussion topics in this episode: The influence of trauma on the spiritual path The need for specialists help Spiritual bypassing The relationship between spiritual insight and emotional growth. Dr. Gabor Maté Rather than offering quick-fix solutions to these complex issues, Dr. Maté weaves together scientific research, case histories, and his own insights and experience to present a broad perspective that enlightens and empowers people to promote their own healing and that of those around them. After 20 years of family practice and palliative care experience, Dr. Maté worked for over a decade in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side with patients challenged by drug addiction and mental illness. The bestselling author of four books published in over thirty languages, Gabor is an internationally renowned speaker highly sought after for his expertise on addiction, trauma, childhood development, and the relationship of stress and illness. His book on addiction received the Hubert Evans Prize for literary non-fiction. For his groundbreaking medical work and writing he has been awarded the Order of Canada, his country’s highest civilian distinction, and the Civic Merit Award from his hometown, Vancouver. His books include In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters With Addiction; When the Body Says No; The Cost of Hidden Stress; Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder; and (with Dr. Gordon Neufeld) Hold on to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers. His next book, The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness & Healing in a Toxic Culture is due out on September 13, 2022. His second next book, Hello Again: A Fresh Start for Parents and Their Adult Children is expected in 2023. Gabor is also co-developer of a therapeutic approach, Compassionate Inquiry, now studied by hundreds of therapists, physicians, counselors, and others internationally. More on his books and programs can be found here. https://drgabormate.com Dr. Gabor Maté Adyashanti (whose name means “primordial peace”) is an American-born spiritual teacher who has been teaching for 26 years. His teachings include evening meetings, weekend intensives, silent retreats, live internet broadcasts, and online courses. He has taught throughout the US and also in Canada, the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, and Australia. More than 30,000 people in 120 countries are connected to his website through free email subscription. He is the author of eleven books. https://www.adyashanti.org. Find out more at scienceandnonduality.com/podcastReach out to us at [email protected]