Guru Viking Podcast

In this episode I am once again joined by Samuel Bercholz, a senior teacher in the Nyingma and Kagyu lineages of Tibetan Buddhism, founder of Shambala publications, and author of “Rude Awakenings:An Unconventional Guide to the Buddhist Path”.

Sam reflects on the controversial behaviour of his guru, Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chogyam Trungpa; explores the uneasy relationship between enlightenment and morality; and reports Thinley Norbu Rinpoche’s enthusiasm for cleaning and toilet hygiene.

Sam explains why he believes that the ground of meditation is hopelessness, shares his own past skepticism about Buddhist doctrines of awakening, and discusses the pros and cons of publicising one’s spiritual attainments.

Sam also recounts times when his gurus demonstrated omniscience and other siddhi powers, muses about a special sense of humour that comes with spiritual realisation, and reveals the centrality of working with spirits and other beings in Indo-Tibetan Tantra.

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Also available on Youtube , iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

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Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
01:11 - High octane gurus
02:33 - Guru trends, edgy vs nice
04:07 - Dzogchen madness
05:45 - Things happen
07:43 - How lies become truth
10:04 - Claiming enlightenment
13:41 - Why meditate?
18:29 - Meditation and hopelessness
20:20 - Skepticism about the path
24:08 - Realising hopelessness
25:23 - From depression to liberation
26:18 - The middle way
29:09 - No problem amidst problems
32:29 - No more working hard
35:27 - Guru relationship vs personal practice
38:09 - Chod practice
39:46 - Ngondro, the preliminary practices
40:45 - Is more practice better?
44:13 - The mind of the 16th Karmapa
45:02 - Enlightened humour
47:46 - The cosmic joke
49:32 - Concepts about enlightenment
51:56 - Thiney Norbu Rinpoche’s fanaticism about cleaning and toilet practice
53:38 - Enlightenment vs moral development
55:20 - The ālaya, all-ground
55:59 - Wrathful and peaceful deities
59:04 - Spiritual bliss
01:00:32 - Esoteric and drop the scientific method
01:01:11 - Morality and gurus
01:03:30 - Vinaya is based on human error
01:05:00 - Vajrayana morality
01:06:06 - Why people hate Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche
01:09:02 - The Merwin incident
01:09:35 - Trungpa slept with his students
01:11:59 - Does Trungpa’s bad reputation bother Sam?
01:14:20 - Why Sam wrote Rude Awakenings
01:15:38 - Building an enlightened society
01:16:39 - Why Trungpa’s enlightened society crumbled
01:17:36 - Guided Tour of Hell
01:18:54 - Guru omniscience and psychic powers
01:23:06 - Thinley Norbu Rinpoche’s omniscience
01:25:53 - ESP and entity contact in Tantra
01:28:37 - Why Buddhist Tantra is failing
01:29:36 - Working with spirits
01:32:09 - Emphasising the Indo-Tibetan link
01:33:16 - Narpoa, Tilopa, and Padmasambhava

To purchase “Rude Awakenings: vist:
- https://www.shambhala.com/rude-awakenings.html

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

If you value the podcast and would like to support its continued production, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/guruviking.

In this episode I am once again joined by Alan Chapman, British writer, occultist, and spiritual teacher.

In episode 370, Alan shared a prophecy and predicted that a major disaster would occur in New York on the 11th of September 2026. No such disaster occurred.

In this episode, Alan wrestles with the implications of his failed prediction; confronts the possible suffering he may have caused others; and shares his experiences before, during, and after the predicted day

Alan explores the concept of the false prophet, considers whether or not he is one, and describes Satanism as a force of accusation against God.

Alan also reflects on conscious reputation destruction for spiritual growth, compares Crowley with Christ, and warns about the danger of using prophecy for personal gain.

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Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

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Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro
01:01 - Alan’s failed prediction
02:17 - Passing on the curse
03:36 - Despite best intentions
06:09 - Accusing God
07:28 - Is Alan a false prophet?
10:01 - A deeper sin
11:01 - Using prophecy for personal gain
13:16 - Satan and the Satanic
15:41 - Catastrophes and the nature of God
22:48 - What is justice?
25:44 - New Atheism, rejecting God, and subverting trust in God
27:06 - Why did Alan share his prediction when he knew better?
32:46 - Giving advice and the absence of God
34:32 - Taking full responsibility
37:56 - Peoples’ reactions to Alan’s failed prediction
39:21 - Personal gain and false prophets
40:36 - What if the prediction had come true?
42:50 - Alan’s experience before, during, and after the predicted day
47:07 - Consciously destroying one’s reputation
50:04 - Death of possibilities
51:01 - Puncturing idealisation of Alan
52:21 - Is death of reputation liberating?
56:44 - Pythagoras and the way of blame
59:22 - Crowley’s reputation destruction
01:04:44 - Christ as the archetype of reputation destruction
01:07:46 - Crowley’s character traits
01:12:54 - Christ vs Crowley
01:17:03 - Growth of the Soul
01:17:13 - Alan sums up what he thinks happened to him
01:19:52 - Prophecy vs prediction
01:21:44 - 4D chess
01:25:24 - Negative consequences of Alan’s failed prediction
01:26:46 - For what Alan takes responsibility
01:29:23 - Alan’s distress
01:31:01 - Demonstrating the nature of Satan
01:32:40 - Alan’s courses

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Previous episodes with Alan Chapman: 
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=chapman

To find our more about Alan Chapman visit:
- https://barbarouswords.com/

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

In this episode I am joined by Jessica Messenger psychic, occultist and founder of a new occult bookshop, CraftHaus, in the city of Derby, England.

Jessica recalls her idyllic childhood in the Midlands of England, her early affinity for the weird and metaphysical, and how a life changing experience at age 17 drove her to a lifelong study of the occult.

Jessica discusses psychic gifts, mediumship, tarot, ritual, and descries how she used chaos magic to radically change her financial situation.

Jessica also talks about the inspiration behind starting her occult bookshop, reflects on the importance of community, and shares stories of entity encounters and visitations.

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Also available on Youtube , iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

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Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
00:53 - Opening an occult bookstore
03:47 - Downloading ideas from spirit
05:29 - Jessica’s idyllic childhood
07:25 - An affinity for the weird and metaphysical
08:01 - Early experiments with potions and magick
09:33 - A life changing supernatural experience at age 17
14:35 - Driven to explore the occult
16:18 - Internet occult communities
18:10 - Finding a deeper spirituality in a toxic relationship
20:23 - Trauma and connecting with the spirit world
21:06 - Premonition about ex-partner’s death
23:38 - Finding herself exiting a toxic relationship
25:57 - Everything you need is within
27:51 - Learning to trust intuition
29:42 - Two sources of intuition
32:57 - Working with guides
33:46 - Years of secret occult practice
34:33 - Exploring Tarot cards
36:10 - Shame around occult practice
36:19 - Worry about the opinions of others
37:47 - Ongoing learning and mentoring others
39:33 - Chaos magick practice
41:01 - Wealth magick and radical financial gain
43:30 - Is wealth magick stealing?
45:11 - Podcasts and books
47:55 - Icons and idols
49:51 - Me-too era and mistrust of public figures
50:54 - Meditation practice
52:40 - Evolution of Jessica’s meditation practice
53:08 - Trance mediumship
55:17 - Physical sensations of spirit contact
55:40 - Psychic self defence and magickal protection
59:49 - Going beyond fear
01:01:04 - Entity encounters
01:02:15 - Visitations
01:03:29 - What do entities want?
01:05:29 - Personal lore and natural psychics
01:07:00 - Sharing magick in a relationship
01:10:17 - A hub for alternative lifestyle communities
01:13:14 - A magickal experience in the shop
01:17:13 - Using magick and psychic abilities to help others
01:20:34 - Finding CraftHaus Occult
01:22:15 - Concluding remarks

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Find out more about Jessica Messenger:
- https://crafthausderby.com/

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For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

If you value the podcast and would like to support its continued production, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/guruviking.

In this episode, filmed in London, England, I am once again joined by Delson Armstrong, spiritual teacher, meditation virtuoso, and author of ”A Mind Without Craving”.

Delson recounts his recent close encounter with death in severe floods in Missouri. He recalls fighting for his life as ten feet of water filled his retreat cabin, and how he escaped with deep laceration in his foot.

Delson describes the surprising consequences of this experience including what he calls a “crotchety old man” attitude towards spiritual practice as entertainment or escapism, symptoms of trauma, and a new perspective on meditation and enjoying life.

Delson also talks about the dimension of spiritual luminosity, why he hasn’t meditated since the floods, his openness to a change in life direction, and the relationship between the will to live and the ego.

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Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

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Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
01:01 - Delson’s close encounter with death
06:07 - Pure survival instinct
08:47 - Escaping the flood
12:25 - Recovery
13:45 - Becoming a “crotchety old man” about spirituality
14:39 - Loosh and the demiurge
16:43 - Impatience with spiritual entertainment
17:25 - What’s important when you die
17:55 - Delson and Steve sit in silence
23:12 - Luminosity and the thinking mind
26:29 - Delson’s experience of luminosity
31:49 - Spiritual practice as escapism and avoidance
36:28 - How to embrace the present moment
40:53 - Delson’s intention to live to the fullest
42:15 - Waves and the ocean
42:54 - The importance of the spiritual journey
47:38 - Is Delson traumatised?
51:51 - Jhana-assisted therapy?
55:07 - Why Delson hasn’t meditated since the flood
57:38 - The spiritual ego
01:01:04 - There was no God that came at the point of death
01:02:14 - Meditation just for fun
01:04:01 - Surrender and openness to change of life direction
01:06:58 - Might Delson give up teaching?
01:08:26 - How to completely give up

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Watch previous episodes with Delson Armstrong:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=delson

Find out more about Delson Armstrong:
- https://www.delsonarmstrong.com/events
- https://delsonarmstrong.substack.com/

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For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

If you value the podcast and would like to support its continued production, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/guruviking.

In this episode, filmed in the city of London, I am joined by Har-Prakash Khalsa, artist, meditation teacher, and senior student and archivist of American meditation teacher Shinzen Young.

Har-Prakash takes a walk through London drawing on the sights and sounds of the environment to demonstrate meditation techniques and express his experience as an advanced meditator.

Har-Prakash reflects on being an introvert, shares meditation strategies to work with pain and sensory overload, and recalls his early days studying with Shinzen Young.

Har-Prakash also addresses common misconceptions about meditation and enlightenment, describes mystical experiences of cessation and nonduality, and emphasises the importance of adding psychological work to meditation practice.

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Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

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Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro
00:51 - Har-Prakash’s experience of the world as a meditator
04:25 - How to see the world differently
06:13 - Har-Prakash’s experience of the self
09:03 - Different types of cessations
12:23 - Experiencing emptiness in real time
14:11 - First cessation + working with Shinzen Young
15:16 - Dance of sensory experience
16:09 - Are mystical experiences inevitable for meditators?
18:06 - So what?
19:31 - Being useful to others
19:50 - Introversion and overcoming overwhelm
20:46 - Alienation and becoming invulnerable
22:09 - How to practice in daily life
25:24 - From meditating to “being meditated”
27:19 - Noting and labelling practice
32:48 - Dissociation and fast noting
34:07 - Noting practice as avoidance
35:54 - The ultimate addiction
40:01 - Common misunderstandings about Shinzen’s system
41:01 - Background equanimity
44:03 - Simultaneous zoom in / zoom out for knee pain
49:30 - #1 misunderstanding about enlightenment
51:43 - Adding psychological work to mindfulness

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To find our more about Har-Prakash Khalsa visit:
- https://www.cultivatingthejewel.com/

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James