Episodios

  • Ep. 640 – The Man Who Saves the World? With Patrick McCollum & Gabe Polsky

    Ep. 640 – The Man Who Saves the World? With Patrick McCollum & Gabe Polsky
    Apr 3 2026

    Interfaith peace counselor Patrick McCollum and documentary filmmaker Gabe Polsky share the powerful prophecy that united the Amazon and led to making their film, The Man Who Saves the World?

    Click here to find screenings of The Man Who Saves the World? near you.

    This week on Mindrolling, Raghu speaks with his guests, Gabe and Patrick, about:

    • The origin story behind The Man Who Saves the World? and the real-life journey that inspired the film
    • How diverse Amazonian tribes are connected through shared spiritual practices and plant communication
    • The meaning of the Roxa Prophecy and why the Amazon is considered the “heart of the world”
    • Efforts to unite the Amazonian tribes to save the rainforest and its inhabitants
    • Our universal journey to understand reality and our purpose in life
    • How psychedelics, indigenous wisdom, and other spiritual pursuits open doors to new perspectives
    • Bursting the bubble of our constructed reality
    • Patrick’s work as a bridge between “the people of the concrete” (modern society) and the indigenous

    About Patrick McCollum:

    Patrick McCollum ​​is an interfaith chaplain, spiritual mentor, and peace counselor. Patrick was inspired by the Great Mother to promote a sacred universal vision that respects religious and cultural diversity and advances pluralism. As a dedicated peacemaker, Patrick brings forth a well-timed meta-narrative of universal magnitude that is alerting the world of the sacredness of all beings. Patrick is the founder and president of The McCollum Foundation for Peace, which aims to discover and implement positive, workable, and sustainable strategies that create local and global change and peace in all areas of life.

    “Their ancient story said that one day, thousands of years later, the Amazon would be in trouble. It would be burning, the water would be poisoned, and the indigenous people and their wisdom would be wiped out. When that happened, the creator would send the spirit of Roxa into a man or woman, and that person would unite all of the indigenous people of the Amazon and help them create a strategy to save the heart of the world.” –Patrick McCollum

    About Gabe Polsky:

    Gabe Polsky is a filmmaker, director, producer, and writer best known for the documentaries Red Army (2014) and In Search of Greatness (2018). Known for pushing the boundaries of documentary filmmaking, Gabe Polsky has built a reputation for uncovering stories that challenge perception, provoke thought, and entertain. His work has premiered at major international festivals, including the Cannes Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival, the Telluride Film Festival, and the New York Film Festival.

    “After eight years of pursuit from these tribes, he agreed to try and unfold this prophecy. I learned about this, and I got caught up in this story as well, following Patrick down to the Amazon to try and fulfill this prophecy. It’s this wild spiritual adventure, very funny, very strange, it’s a film that has a lot of deep meaning.” –Gabe Polsky

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
    Más Menos
    1 h
  • Ep. 639 – Psychedelics for Personal Development with Dr. Phil Wolfson & Gagan Levy

    Ep. 639 – Psychedelics for Personal Development with Dr. Phil Wolfson & Gagan Levy
    Mar 27 2026
    Dr. Phil Wolfson offers his seasoned perspective on psychedelics, ketamine assisted therapy, and more in this expansive talk with Raghu Markus and Gagan Levy.Check out these FREE personal & clinical guidelines for use from the Ketamine Research FoundationThis week on Mindrolling, Raghu, Phil, and Gagan discuss:How psychedelics shaped Phil’s worldview in the 1960s and inspired his commitment to social justiceUsing psychedelics as tools for personal growth, healing, and transformationThe importance of set and setting when taking psychedelics recreationally, therapeutically, or ceremoniously Going beyond the ups and downs of psychedelics and finding steady peace through practiceThe persistent anti-depressant effects of Ketamine and its therapeutic promisePhil’s ongoing studies with the Ketamine Research Foundation for phantom limb pain, end-of-life care, and menstrual cycle disordersMind Manifesting: What exactly happens to the brain on psychedelics?Phil’s ‘bottom line’: positive intentions and practical guidelines for Ketamine useAbout Dr. Phil Wolfson:Phil Wolfson MD was Principal Investigator for the MAPS sponsored Phase 2, FDA approved 18-person study of MDMA Assisted Psychotherapy for individuals with significant anxiety due to life threatening illnesses. His clinical practice with ketamine has informed his leadership role in the development of Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy. Phil’s book, The Ketamine Papers, has been published by MAPS and is the seminal work in the burgeoning ketamine arena. Phil is a sixties activist, psychiatrist/psychotherapist, writer, practicing Buddhist and psychonaut who has lived in the Bay Area for 38 years. He is the author of Noe: A Father/Son Song of Love, Life, Illness and Death (2011, North Atlantic Books). He has been awarded five patents for unique herbal medicines. He is a journalist and author of numerous articles on politics, transformation, psychedelics, consciousness and spirit, and was a founding member of the Heffter Research Institute. Phil has taught in the graduate psychology programs at JFK University, CIIS and the UCSF School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry. Phil is the founder and CEO of the Ketamine Research Foundation and is committed to making the organization a vibrant contributor to the betterment of human beings through psychedelic psychotherapy."The work needs to be thought of not as a single episode, but as a therapy. Psychedelic psychotherapy is much quicker than conventional psychotherapy for many reasons, but it needs to have a follow-up, continuation, integration, and work with someone to be effective. That's not to say ketamine on its own doesn't have value, it does." – Dr. Phil WolfsonAbout Gagan Levy:Gagan Levy is the Founder/CEO of Guru, an award-winning creative agency dedicated to serving purpose-driven movements, brands, and organizations. They work with impactful brands like Patagonia, Traditional Medicinals, Nalgene, Non-GMO, The Organic Alliance, Bring Change to Mind and many natural products brands, including EO / Everyone Products, OM Mushroom Superfoods, and REBBL. Gagan also serves as Chief Evangelist at MAHA Global, a platform focused on helping businesses adapt to stakeholder needs using data-driven reputation intelligence. As former Co-chair of Social Venture Circle, one of the country’s most prestigious impact investor and social business communities, Gagan leads the way to a next economy that is regenerative, just, and prosperous for all. Gagan Levy is also a current board member to his prolific teacher Ram Dass’ Love Serve Remember Foundation, he has been instrumental in strategizing how to connect the greatest wisdom keepers of our time to a new generation. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
    Más Menos
    1 h y 3 m
  • Ep. 638 – Zen Mind Jewish Mind with Rabbi Rami Shapiro

    Ep. 638 – Zen Mind Jewish Mind with Rabbi Rami Shapiro
    Mar 20 2026

    In this rich conversation bridging Zen and Jewish mysticism, Rabbi Rami Shapiro and Raghu Markus navigate nonduality, the shadow, and the living experience of the divine.

    Grab a copy of Rabbi Rami’s newest book, Zen Mind Jewish Mind, HERE

    This time on Mindrolling, Raghu and Rabbi Rami discuss:

    • Veering off from traditional Judaism and into Jewish mysticism
    • Nondual awareness as the realm of divine consciousness
    • Going beyond the dead word and into the living word
    • Inspiration from Shunryu Suzuki Roshi’s classic Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind and Thich Nhat Hanh’s series on How to Live
    • Koan: the Zen practice of exhausting the logical mind to provoke direct, intuitive insight into reality and one's own nature
    • Recognizing our own shadow rather than pretending it does not exist
    • Holding multiple truths at once: there is no other, we are all part of a whole, and we do have differences
    • How the Kabbalah expresses the name of God in an embodied way
    • Seeing the divine in all humans and everything in front of us
    • Special moments with Ram Dass, accepting silence and accepting the moment for what it is

    About Rabbi Rami Shapiro:

    Rabbi Rami Shapiro is an award-winning author of over two dozen books on religion and spirituality. He received rabbinical ordination from the Hebrew Union College: Jewish Institute of Religion, and holds a PH.D. from Union Graduate School. A congregational rabbi for 20 years, Rabbi Rami currently co–directs One River Wisdom School, blogs at r writes the foundation’s newsletter, Ask Rabbi Rami, and hosts the foundation’s podcast, Explore Spirituality with Rabbi Rami. Rami is also a contributing editor for Spirituality+Health magazine www.spiritualityhealth.com where he writes the advice column Roadside Assistance for the Spiritual Traveler. Rami can be reached at https://www.threads.net/@rabbirami

    "The Jewish meditation practices, the spirituality within Judaism, never or at least rarely gets beyond or slips into the nondual to the extent that you drop the labels, that you drop the tribal. You get Saint Paul saying there is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, in Christ. To me, that's Christ consciousness, that's Buddha mind. When you reach that level of consciousness, all the labels fall away, your sense of separate self is gone.” –Rabbi Rami Shapiro

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
    Más Menos
    1 h y 3 m
  • Ep. 637 – Beyond the Veil of Normal Perception with Documentary Filmmaker Dakota Wint

    Ep. 637 – Beyond the Veil of Normal Perception with Documentary Filmmaker Dakota Wint
    Mar 13 2026

    Dakota Wint meets Raghu beyond the veil of normal perception to explore mysticism, altered states, and the fringe of spirituality.

    Subscribe to Dakota’s new series, The Flower Heads Show, on your favorite podcast app.

    This time on Mindrolling, Raghu and Dakota explore:

    • The Aghori people of India and the side of Hinduism a lot of people don't know about
    • Dr. Robert Svoboda’s trilogy on the Aghori people: At the Left Hand of God
    • Differentiating real prayer from performative rituals
    • Faith and seeing beyond the veil of our normal perception
    • Considering the limits of spirituality and how it is expressed across cultures
    • Dissolving polarities and seeing the universality of all beings
    • Taking wisdom from Ram Dass through his posthumous book, There is No Other
    • Realizing that wisdom and spirituality does not require travel or psychedelics
    • Dakota’s experience with plant medicine in the Amazonian jungle
    • Faith and remembering the mystery in day-to-day life
    • The eternal light of the Sadhu and reaching enlightened states without substances

    You can find Dakota’s documentary, Aghori: Holy Men Of The Dead, free on YouTube: Click Here To Watch

    About Dakota Wint:

    Dakota Wint is a documentary filmmaker, vlogger, podcast host, and spiritual teacher from Detroit, Michigan. His films and podcasts revolve around current events, strange spirituality, and taboo traditions. You can subscribe to his podcast, A Place for Humans, HERE. Dakota grew to fame as an internet personality via his popular YouTube channel, Dakota of Earth. Dakota hosts retreats around the world and runs a non-profit focused on cultural and language preservation. Learn more about current happenings on his website

    “I am just trying to figure out what spirituality is, what the limits of it are, how it expresses itself, are we all talking about the same thing, what can you show me? I go to these places that have these big practices. What do you have to offer? Especially in India, where all these gurus make these big claims, what can you show me? That's what I've been asking myself and anyone I meet.” –Dakota Wint

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
    Más Menos
    1 h y 3 m
  • Ep. 636 – A Buddhist Guide to Navigating the Chaos of the Digital Age with Vincent Thibault

    Ep. 636 – A Buddhist Guide to Navigating the Chaos of the Digital Age with Vincent Thibault
    Mar 6 2026

    From Tibetan Buddhism to Bhakti Yoga, Raghu and author Vincent Thibault explore reshaping the mind in our chaotic world.

    Grab a copy of Vincent’s book: Overflow: A Buddhist Guide to Recovering Sanity in the Age of Information Overload | Vincent Thibault

    This time on Mindrolling, Raghu and Vincent journey through:

    • Vincent’s early exposure to literature and the roots of his interest in Eastern philosophy and contemplative traditions
    • Navigating digital overwhelm and content overload in the modern age
    • How busyness and productivity culture can numb us to collective suffering
    • Parkour: a physical, artistic, and spiritually metaphorical discipline
    • Suffering as a path to transformation and a deeper connection with God
    • Drawing connections across many different wisdom traditions
    • Positive attachment versus attachment that traps us
    • Those who inspire the trust of our own pure minds
    • Tibetan Buddhist traditions and the value of learning from multiple teachers
    • Raghu’s lineage of Bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion
    • The Tibetan translation of devotion: interested humility
    • Training the mind, training the heart, and learning to relate to both inner and outer phenomena

    Learn more about Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche HERE and check out his book on karma

    About Vincent Thibault:

    A man of ideas and actions, an amazed traveller, and a defender of what could be called lucid optimism, Vincent Thibault is a Quebec writer and screenwriter. Vincent’s writing takes on many forms, including fantasy, psychological or adventure novels, comic or dramatic scenarios, travel stories, literary short stories, philosophical essays, and translations of Buddhist texts. While his work is incredibly diverse, it revolves around the same key themes: integrity, the quest for wisdom, the relationship to uncertainty, the reconciliation between tradition and modernity, and the power of benevolence in a noisy and busy world.

    Check out more of Vincent’s writing on his website which includes both a French and English section. You can also keep up with Vincent on Facebook.

    “Be it just on the cushion for a few minutes a day, if you find a way to make that switch and see difficulties as opportunities, then you can slowly learn to turn everything into the path of enlightenment.” –Vincent Thibault

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
    Más Menos
    1 h y 2 m
  • Ep. 635 – Inheriting the Lineage: Tulku Urgyen Family Part 2 with David Silver

    Ep. 635 – Inheriting the Lineage: Tulku Urgyen Family Part 2 with David Silver
    Feb 27 2026

    Continuing their discussion on Tibetan Buddhism and Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's lineage, David Silver and Raghu Markus chat about carrying forward the wisdom of great masters.

    Check out part 1 of this conversation on Ep. 627 of the Mindrolling Podcast and grab a copy of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche’s memoirs, Blazing Splendor, for a deeper look into his magnificent life.

    In this episode, Raghu and David chat about:

    • Being guided toward unconditional love, selflessness, and devotion to the Divine Mother
    • The role of lineage holders and treasure revealers in Tibetan Buddhism
    • Tulku Urgyen’s unique style of teaching
    • Deep humility as an essential spiritual practice
    • How ‘being here now’ becomes a gateway to embodied wisdom
    • Releasing skepticism and misunderstanding around the concept of a guru
    • Honoring great spiritual masters and transmitting their wisdom across generations
    • The powerful film, Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion
    • Reaching a state of deathlessness and timeless awareness
    • Starting our day with compassion for ourselves and others

    “As soon as I wake up in the morning, I remind myself that nothing exists as it appears. Then I think about sentient beings who want happiness, but experience suffering. I generate compassion for them, determined to help them as much as I can to eliminate their negative emotions.” –The Dalai Lama


    About David Silver:

    David Silver is the former co-host of the Mindrolling podcast. He is a filmmaker and director, most recently coming out with Brilliant Disguise. Brilliant Disguise tells the unique story of a group of inspired Western spiritual seekers from the 60s, who in meeting the great American teacher, Ram Dass, followed him to India to meet his Guru, Neem Karoli Baba, familiarly known as Maharaj-ji. Two days before he left his body, Maharaj-ji instructed K.C. Tewari to take care of the Westerners, which he did resolutely until the day he died in 1997. Silver’s #1 charting MGM/UA/Warners film, “The Compleat Beatles” is the critically acclaimed biopic movie about history’s most famous band. The term ‘rockumentary’ was first applied to this two-hour movie. Rolling Stone recently described the film as a “masterwork.” Silver’s Warner Brothers’ feature film, “No Nukes” also started the whole trend of music/activism feature documentaries.

    “‘Be Here Now’ is not only Ram Dass’s precept of just be in the present, it’s saying, ‘Be here now, and you’re everywhere. Be here now, and you’re in wisdom.’ If you’re not here now, you’re veering away from wisdom.” — David Silver

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
    Más Menos
    1 h y 1 m
  • Ep. 634 – Almost Home with Mirabai Bush

    Ep. 634 – Almost Home with Mirabai Bush
    Feb 20 2026

    Tracing her path from sharp-minded scholar to seasoned devotee, Mirabai Bush shares intimate stories of her personal evolution and enduring devotion to Maharaj-ji.

    Check out Mirabai's latest book, Almost Home: Dharma, Social Change, and the Power of Love

    In this episode, Raghu and Mirabai chat about:

    • Mirabai’s leap of faith: leaving her PhD program, going to India, and becoming a devotee of Maharaj-ji
    • The mystery of timing and how a single moment can quietly change the course of a life
    • A silent meditation retreat that unexpectedly prepared Mirabai to meet Maharaj-ji
    • How one moment with Maharaj-ji expanded Mirabai’s sense of being alive and transformed her inner world
    • Surrendering control: how Maharaj-ji taught Ram Dass to release the need to manage reality
    • The sacred symbolism and devotional practice of touching a guru’s feet
    • The miracle of childbirth and Mirabai’s profound experiences with home birth

    Check out Mirabai’s archived podcast series on the Be Here Now Network.

    About Mirabai Bush:

    In addition to being one of Love Serve Remember Foundation’s respected board members, Mirabai Bush is a devotee of Neem Karoli Baba and spent time with him in India from 1971 to 1972. Along with Ram Dass, she is the co-author of Compassion in Action: Setting Out on the Path of Service and Walking Each Other Home. Mirabai is Senior Fellow and founder of the Center on Contemplative Mind in Society, which encourages contemplative practice and perspective in American life in order to create a more just, compassionate and reflective society. Mirabai has also worked with Google on a workplace course called ‘Search Inside Yourself’ and with the US Army on a program for chaplains and medics. She is editor of Contemplation Nation: How Ancient Practices are Changing the Way We Live, co-author of Contemplative Practices in Higher Education: Powerful Methods To Transform Teaching and Learning, and author of Working with Mindfulness. Keep up with Mirabai on her website and don’t forget to grab her latest book, Almost Home.

    “I just fell down at his feet. I never thought I would bow to a guru, but it wasn’t a decision; I was just there. In those first moments, he just expanded my sense of what it could mean to be human, to be on this planet. There is so much more to it than I had thought.” –Mirabai Bush

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
    Más Menos
    57 m
  • Ep. 633 – Faith Over Fear with Michael Leach

    Ep. 633 – Faith Over Fear with Michael Leach
    Feb 13 2026
    Raghu Markus is joined by Michael Leach, the first-ever Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer of the White House, for a conversation on how to have faith over fear in the face of uncertainty.Grab a copy of Michael’s book, Faith Over Fear, to learn more about harnessing your own resilience.In this episode, Raghu and Michael take a journey through:Closing the gap between faith and fearSeeing faith as an action rather than a feeling How freedom comes when we loosen our grip on ego, fear, and identitySurrender and choosing presence even when outcomes are unclearThe book The First 90 Days and what culture truly meansMichael’s time working in the White House with the Biden-Harris administrationThe meaningful pivot from our preference to our purposeEnduring and adapting through the many changes we face socially, politically, and personally Breaking down the wall between ‘us’ and ‘them’, taking inspiration from Ram Dass’s There Is No OtherGiving ourselves ‘the fear test’ and looking inward before we judge another personConsidering the cost of unity and choosing listening over labelingForming ourselves so that we are not driven by fear “Whatever you're not changing you’re choosing, but here's the truth about change: it's not secured in a single election or moment of triumph. Democracy is an ongoing experiment, constantly tested by shifts in power, societal challenges, and the choices we make to protect (or erode) progress. It's not about ensuring nothing changes when you leave, it's about ensuring that what truly matters can endure when everything does. The key is not permanence, it's resilience” –Michael LeachAbout Michael Leach:Michael is a nationally respected strategic advisor, public sector leader, and culture builder whose career spans the NFL, national politics, and the White House. He currently serves as CEO & Co-Founder of BridgeTrust Partners, an advisory firm specializing in leadership development, inclusive strategy, and transformative partnerships across industries—from sports and healthcare to tech, media, and government.Michael began his professional journey in the National Football League, serving as Assistant to the Head Coach of the Chicago Bears and later managing Labor Relations at NFL Headquarters, where he played a key role in administering and enforcing the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement. In 2019, he was appointed Chief People Officer and Head of Diversity and Inclusion for the Biden-Harris campaign, helping build the most diverse general election team in U.S. history. He later became the first-ever Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer for the White House, serving as Special Assistant to the President. Michael is also now an author! Faith Over Fear, a book on resilience and faith in uncertain times, was released in February 2026. Reach out to Michael via his website, where you can find his social media and contact information as well as learn more about his speaking engagements, career coaching, and more. “It's really through our surrendering that God does his establishing. God is unable to establish if we don't surrender. If your hands are closed and someone is trying to give you a gift, it's going to be really hard to receive that gift if you don't first open your hands. That's literally the nature of faith. I first have to release what's in my hand in order for God to release what's in his hand.” –Michael LeachSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
    Más Menos
    55 m