Guru Viking Podcast

In this episode I am joined by Mary Shutan: author, occultist, and spiritual teacher. Mary shares her journey from a traumatic early childhood to adoption into an upper-middle class family, and how spiritual overwhelm in her teenage years, and a subsequent kundalini awakening, drove her to in-depth study of spiritual themes. Mary details her own kundalini experience, including challenging side eff...

In this episode I travel to the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, where I visit world renowned Bhutanese author Ashi Kunzang Choden at her family seat of Ogyen Choling in the Tang Valley, Bumthang. Ashi gives a tour of her home, which her family have occupied for hundreds of years, including a rare look into a remarkable multi-story temple with rich religious frescos, sacred artefacts, and entire floor...

David recounts his upbringing in Scotland, and how a lifetime of frustrated spiritual seeking was resolved in a profound spiritual experience that changed everything. David details the results of this transformative experience and discusses themes such as religiosity, the zeal of the convert, falling into the spirit of God, advice for prayer and meditation, and the mystic’s view of identity. … Vid...

In this episode I am once again joined by Dr Nida Chenagtsang, master of Tibetan Medicine and spiritual teacher of the Yuthok Nyingthig tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Dr Nida reveals why in 2021 he withdrew from public teaching to take an extended personal retreat lasting the year, and details the overall structure, daily routine, and practices that he engaged. Dr Nida recalls the obstacles he enc...

Lian Brook-Tyler recently interviewed me about magic and the esoteric for her ‘Primal Happiness’ podcast. Topics include: 00:00 - Steve is a muggle 03:07 - Who is Daniel Ingram? 08:29 - Musing on magic 18:04 - Cheat code or apotheosis? 19:46 - Magic as listening 22:22 - Dream yoga 25:00 - Lian on magic 26:55 - Siddhi and special powers 28:48 - Magic in modern culture 35:02 - Lian’s journey with ma...

In this interview I am joined by Michael Taft: maverick meditation teacher, bestselling author, host of the ‘Deconstructing Yourself’ podcast, and founder of the Alembic community. Michael recounts his lifelong meditation journey, describes his initial reluctance to teach meditation, the writing of ‘Mindful Geek’, and his divergence from Shinzen Young. Michael reveals his troubled upbringing, crip...

In this interview I am joined by lucid dreaming teacher and best-selling author Charlie Morley. Charlie recounts a trip to South Africa to see his Buddhist guru Lama Yeshe, and recalls a mystical experience he had there while on retreat with Dr Daniel P Brown. Charlie reveals his most effective lucid dreaming techniques, explains why meditation can be bad for trauma, details his work with veterans...

In this interview I am joined by Amoda Maa, spiritual teacher and author of books such as ‘Embodied Enlightenment’ and ‘Falling Open in a World Falling Apart’. Amoda Maa shares how her troubled upbringing including secretive paternity, abuse, and financial instability, saw her fall into a profound depression with multiple suicide attempts. Amoda Maa discusses how psychedelic experimentation led he...

In this episode I host part 2 of an ongoing dialogue between Rupert Spira: a teacher of the direct path method of Advaita and an internationally acclaimed ceramic artist; and Henry Shukman, Zen teacher and award winning poet and writer. Rupert and Henry discuss the path of deep training in both art and spirituality, why traditional forms are repositories of generational understanding, and the mean...

In this interview I am once again joined by Gregory Blann: mystic, artist, author, and initiate of the Inayati and Halveti-Jerrahi orders of Sufism. Gregory discusses his latest book on the remarkable life of Lex Hixon, aka Sheik Nur, the influential American mystic, author, and broadcaster who was initiated into several of the world’s mystery traditions and was a key figure in inter-faith dialogu...

In this interview I am once again joined by Guo Gu, Chan Buddhist teacher, author, and scholar of Buddhism. Guo Gu describes how ongoing bullying and violent confrontations as a teenager led him to form influential music groups Death Before Dishonor and Judge. Guo Gu reveals why a feeling of hypocrisy as a monk led him to study social work and eventually obtain a PhD from Princeton University's De...

J Brown recently interviewed me for his Yoga Talks Podcast. … Video version: www.guruviking.com/podcast/j-brown-yoga-talks-interviews-steve-james- 
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. 
… Topics Include: 00:00 - J’s Intro 06:22 - J meets Steve 07:49 - J’s alter-ego 10:18 - Living on a boat 15:43 - Outdoor survival and unraveling the mystery 19:57 - Facing fe...

In this interview I am joined by Dr Caroline Van Damme, an adult psychiatrist and family and systemic psychotherapist specialising in chronic psychotic disorders, and co-teacher of Buddhist guru and Sowa Rigpa doctor Nida Chenagtsang.  Caroline discusses the cultural complexity of being raised in Belgium, how an early interest in the mind saw her train as a psychiatrist, and the reasons for her sp...

Stephen Synder, meditation teacher and author of many books including ‘Demsystifiyng Awakening’ and ‘Buddha’s Heart’, offers a ‘guided meditation into the unmanifest Absolute to contact and abide in the deep peacefulness there’. 

Stephen’s students have found this meditation helpful when working with the fear and anguish of the war in Ukraine, and Stephen generously offered to share it here. … Vi...

Dr Jud Brewer - pioneering psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and New York Times best-selling author - returns to once again join the ongoing conversation featuring:

 - Shinzen Young, meditation teacher and neuroscience research consultant
 - Chelsey Fasano, a Columbia University neuroscience student 
- Dr Jay Sanguinetti, Assistant Director for the Center for Consciousness Studies and Research Profes...

In this episode I am once again joined by Stephen Snyder, meditation teacher, author, and the first non-monastic Western man to master the virtuoso-level shamata meditation system of Pa Auk Sayadaw. In this interview we discuss Stephen’s latest book ‘Demysifying Awakening: A Buddhist Path of Realization, Embodiment, and Freedom’. Stephen gives detailed comparisons between the maps of Theravadan an...

In this interview I am joined by Ralph White holistic learning pioneer, international speaker on cultural transformation and the history of the Western tradition, and co-founder of the New York Open Centre. Ralph reveals his difficult upbringing in working class England, and how his intellect served as his escape route, emigrating to America as a Fulbright scholar in 1970. Ralph shares a life-chan...

In this interview I am joined by Dr Thomas Clough Daffern philosopher, educator, peace activist, and peace officer for the Council of British Druid Orders. Most widely known as a peace activist and academic, Dr Daffern is also an esotericist and in this episode he reveals his system of peace magic which draws on a wide range of occult systems. Dr Daffern explains the difference between a peace mag...

In this interview I am joined by Beth Upton, a meditation teacher, ex-nun, and student of renowned meditation master Pa Auk Sayadaw. Beth reveals why reading economics at Cambridge caused her to fracture with today’s economic system and eventually led to her ordaination as a nun in Myanmar. Beth details her rigorous training under renowned meditation master Pa Auk Sayadaw, addresses skepticism of...

In this episode I am joined by Tara Springett, a Buddhist psychotherapist who specialises in treating Kundalini Syndrome. Tara recounts emerging from a troubled childhood to experience her first of several spiritual awakenings through a type of consciousness expansion known as kundalini. Tara shares the diverse consequences of these experiences in her own life including a reckoning with her uncons...

In this episode I host a dialogue between Daniel Ingram and Delson Armstrong. Daniel Ingram is an independent Buddhist writer, author of ‘Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha’, and co-founder of the Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium (EPRC). Delson Armstrong is a spiritual teacher, author of ’A Mind Without Craving’, and the star student of Bhante Vimalaramsi. Daniel and Delson discu...

In this bonus 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.  This footage was recorded right before a dialogue about the Mahasi Method between Dhammarato and Daniel Ingram. Due to a scheduling miscommunication, Dhammarato and I arrived to the recording one hour early. It wasn’t...

In this episode I am once again joined by Alejandro Chaoul PhD to discuss his latest book ‘Tibetan Yoga: Magical Movements of Body, Breath, and Mind’ published by Wisdom Publications. Alejandro tells the story of the creation of this book, describes its textual sources, and explains his decision not to include images of the sacred movements. Alejandro reveals the different uses of Tibetan Yoga mov...

In this interview I am joined by Dr Thomas Clough Daffern, poet, historian, philosopher, educator, and peace officer for the Council of British Druid Orders. Thomas recounts an unusual upbringing, a love affair with classics and poetry, and dropping out of school at 15 to pursue philosophical enquiry. We learn of Thomas’ immersion in study of the world’s religious and mystical traditions, and his...

A dialogue between Rupert Spira, a teacher of the direct path method of Advaita and an internationally acclaimed ceramic artist; and Henry Shukman, Zen teacher and award winning poet and writer. Well known as influential spiritual teachers, both men have also had prestigious careers in the arts, and in this episode they discuss the intersection of art and spirituality. Rupert and Henry consider su...