Charles T. Tart, Ph.D. is internationally known for his psychological work on the nature of consciousness, particularly on altered states of consciousness, and for his research in scientific parapsychology. He is one of the founders of the field of transpersonal psychology. Tart’s two classic books, Altered States of Consciousness (Doubleday 1972) and Transpersonal Psychologies (Harper Collins 1992), were instrumental in introducing these subjects to modern psychology. He is the author of many books including: Altered States of Consciousness (Doubleday 1972) , Waking Up: Overcoming the Obstacles to Human Potential(iUniverse 2001), and The Secret Science of the Soul: How Evidence of the Paranormal Is Bringing Science and Spirit Together (Fearless Books 2017)

Tags: Charles Tart, Near Death Experiences, NDEs, brain chemistry, spontaneous mystical experiences, assassin, altered states of consciousness, Science, Spirituality, Personal Transformation, Philosophy, Meditation

Tara Cousineau, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist at Harvard University’s Counseling and Mental Health Services. She’s professionally trained in mind-body medicine, energy psychology, mindfulness, self-compassion, and other psychological methods. She is the author of The Kindness Cure: How The Science Of Compassion Can Heal Your Heart And Your World (New Harbinger Publications 2018) and The Perfectionist’s Dilemma: Learn the Art of Self Compassion and Become a Happy Achiever (Alcove Press 2025)

Interview Date: 7/18/2025 Tags: Tara Cousineau, three types of perfectionism, naming your inner critic, self-compassion, affirmations, kindness, support from friends, how the body speaks, mental health, destress, nitpicker, naming our inner narratives, Scarlet O’Hara, movie “The Help”, be our own cheerleader, allies, Personal Transformation, Psychology

Brian Thomas Swimme, Ph.D. is Professor of Evolutionary Cosmology at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. He is the Director of the Third Story of the Universe at The Human Energy Project He is the host of the Emmy-award winning PBS special "Journey of the Universe," written with Mary Evelyn Tucker He is also the host of the 35-part video series "The Story of the Noosphere," created for the Human Energy Project. Monica DeRaspe-Bolles is a doctoral student at the California Institute of Integral Studies in the Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness program. Her area of research is the “Third Story of the Universe” and the potential emergence of a new structure of experience fostering cosmogenic awakening. She is a collaborator with Brian Swimme of the video series “Story of the Noosphere.” They are the co-authors of the book The Story of the Noosphere (Orbis Books 2024) Illustrated by Brian’s son, Sebastian Swimme.

Interview Date: 7/11/2025 Tags: Brian Thomas Swimme, Monica DeRaspe-Bolles, geosphere, biosphere, technosphere, Earth’s brain, Noosphere, Teilhard de Chardin, evolutionary time, biome complexification, planetary wisdom, chaos, wealth, money, universe is a verb, Personal Transformation, Philosophy, Science, History, Community

Bruce Alderman, MA, is an affiliate faculty professor at John F. Kennedy University in the Consciousness and Transformative Studies and Holistic Counseling Psychology departments. He is the Associate Director of the Blue Sky Leaders Certificate Program at the California Institute of Integral Studies [known as CIIS] . His essays and white papers have been published in many prestigious publications and anthologies on consciousness studies, and he is co-creator, producer, and occasional host of the YouTube series The Integral Stage.

Interview Date: 06/13/2025 Tags: Bruce Alderman, echo chamber, filter bubble, algorithms, social media, polarization, attention economy, number of clicks on a podcast, mindfulness revolution, biases, increasing fragmentation, othering, deliberate engagement, social media, reactivity, notice somatic impacts, social media diet, opinions versus facts, J. Krishnamurti, construct awareness, mindfulness, internal silos, internal reflective processes, journaling, dialog, Fr. Raimon Panikkar and interfaith dialog, comparison model, Imperative Method, Media, Philosophy, Personal Transformation, Technology.

Isaac Bentwich, M.D. is a longtime practitioner and teacher of Yoga and Meditation. Trained as a physician in Western and Ayurvedic medicine, he founded three life-science technology companies, leading revolutions in medicine, genomics, and environment conservation. Dr. Bentwich lives in Israel. He’s a translator of the Bhagavad Gita and the author of Gita: A Timeless Guide for Our Time (Harmonia Publications 2018)

Interview Date: 6/29/2019 Tags: MP3, Isaac Bentwich, Bhagavad Gita, inner battlefield, Bhagavad Gita, Prince Arjuna, Lord Krishna, the Buddha, God, pearls of wisdom, Personal Transformation, Religion, Spirituality

Kaliko Beamer-Trapp was born on the Isle of Wight, England. He moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, joined a performing group named Dances of the Pacific and spent the following nine years as a performer of Polynesian music and dance both in California and also in group tours of England, Spain, Mallorca, Hawaiʻi, and Fiji. In 1994 he moved to the island of Hawaiʻi at the invitation of well-known Hawaiiana expert and cultural historian Aunty Nona Beamer (1923-2008). Being in Hawaiʻi brought about a deep affection for things Polynesian, and Kaliko focused his studies particularly on the languages and cultures of Hawaiʻi and the Marquesas Islands (Te Henua ʻEnana). He attended the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and joined the Hawaiian Studies department at the University of Hawai’I both as a student and an employee in 1994. In 1996, he became the editor for Hawaiian language curriculum at the Hale Kuamoʻo, a Hawaiian language center on the university campus. That same year, Kaliko was adopted into the Beamer family in Waipiʻo Valley, after the late Louise Beamer, Aunty Nona's mother, suggested privately to Aunty Nona, "I wish Kaliko could be my moʻopuna (grandson.)". He speaks as an interpreter of a local language person wants to speak Hawaiian in court and also, as a musician understands how mele and oli music an chant are an important part of the language and are a big part of hula.

Interview Date: 4/24/2019 Tags: Kaliko Beamer-Trapp, Aunty Nona Beamer, moon calendar, Mauna Kea, Hawaiian language, Battle of Kuamo’o, Arts & Creativity, History, Global Culture, Indigenous Wisdom

Carla Marie Manly, Ph.D. is a licensed psychotherapist who’s focus is on fear-based disorders such as trauma, anxiety, and depression as well as women’s issues. With her doctorate in clinical psychology and her master's degree in counseling, Manly merges her psychotherapy skills with her writing expertise to offer easily understood guidance. Through a highly personalized approach that focuses on discovering and understanding each individual's unique needs and life-path goals, Dr. Manly's psychotherapeutic approach blends her clinical knowledge with a holistic, body-mind-spirit approach. She’s passionate about creating healing from the inside out and maintains her clinical practice in Sonoma County, California just North of San Francisco. She is the author of Joy From Fear: Create the Life of Your Dreams by Making Fear Your Friend. (Familius 2019).

Interview Date: 7/30/2019 Tags: MP3, Carla Marie Manly, constructive fear, destructive fear, flight or fight, childhood trauma, volunteering, Psychology, Health & Healing, Personal transformation

Marc Lesser is a Zen teacher who leads trainings and talks worldwide. He has led mindfulness and emotional intelligence programs at many of the world’s leading businesses and organizations including Google, Genetech and Kaiser. He’s currently CEO of ZBA Associates, a company providing mindfulness-based leadership trainings and creating community by supporting ongoing groups. Previously, he served as CEO and co-founder of Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute, whose core programs he helped develop within Google. Marc was a resident of the San Francisco Zen Center for 10 years and former director of Tassajara, Zen Mountain Center. His books include Less: Accomplishing More by Doing Less (New World Library 2009), Know Yourself, Forget Yourself (New World Library 2013) and Seven Practices of a Mindful Leader: Lessons From Google and a Zen Monastery Kitchen (New World Library 2019).

Interview Date: 6/7/2019 Tags: MP3, Marc Lesser, mindfulness, Norman Fischer, vulnerability, deep listening, ground truth, conflict, failure, Zen, business world, negativity bias, cultivating trust, building trust, connection, Meditation, Philosophy, Personal Transformation, Buddhism, Work/Livelihood