Buddha at the Gas Pump

Tanis Helliwell has seen higher realms and spoken with Masters, angels and elementals since childhood. Walking in many worlds, she led tours to sacred sites for two decades, was a management consultant working for over 30 years, and founded the International Institute for Transformation specializing in spiritual transformation in 2000. A true mystic who has worked with Masters in higher realms since childhood, her gift is assisting others to develop a soul-infused personal life in harmony with spiritual laws. Her knowledge and understanding of other worlds and spiritual realms can be found in some of her most popular books: Summer with the Leprechauns, The Leprechaun’s Story, HYBRIDS: So you think you are human, The High Beings of Hawaii, The Dragon's Tale, and Good Morning Henry: An In-Depth Journey With the Body Intelligence. Website: tanishelliwell.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Interview recorded December 16.

Efrat Shokef, Ph.D., is a mother to three spiritually aware teens. A daughter, wife, sister, writer, teacher, cosmic journeyer, a shamanic energy healing practitioner working primarily with children, teens, parents, and families, and the Author of The Promise We Made: Three Universal Soul Promises We Made to Our Children – Near Death Experience and the Parenting Teachings It Invites. Efrat was severely injured in a car crash and experienced a profound near-death experience (NDE) when her three daughters were all still younger than four. Her journey of physical recovery, the integration of her NDE, and, at the same time, her inability to participate in the caretaking of her daughters sent her on a quest to the essence of motherhood. What makes us our child(ren)’s parent beyond the doing? A quest and insights she shared in her book, and on her website. Efrat believes that when parents know/remember that they are more than their physical bodies or their confused, wounded emotions, they can recognize the luminosity of their child(ren). When we all accept that we are on a journey of growth, we can mirror the possibility of this Earthly journey to the children in our lives. When we walk our essence and connect to who we are at our core, we can see that same luminosity in everyone, beyond gender, race, ethnicity, or age. Respecting all others, including our children— dependent humans, yet also powerful, experienced souls—becomes a way of life. Explore articles and resources for Spiritually Aware Families and Contact Efrat through her website: https://efratshokef.com/ Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group Interview recorded December 8, 2024.

 Born in Kenya, and of Indian ancestry, Riyaz came to North America when he was ten years old (growing up in Canada, and then moving to the United States as an adult). Each of these lands, peoples, and cultures has informed and shaped his expression and sensibilities. He is a product of both East and West. Most of his adult life has been devoted to the study and practice of both psychotherapy and spirituality. And both of these disciplines have been integral to a path of healing and awakening. Professionally, his life’s work has been to bring together Eastern wisdom with Western science and psychology in a synergistic alliance. After 26 years of mainly practicing as a psychotherapist, and many years of teaching and supervising students and interns in a transpersonally oriented graduate school (CIIS in San Francisco), he has shifted his work in a more explicitly spiritual direction. He now leads individuals and groups in spiritual work through groups, and day-long and multi-day retreats. In April 2023, he received dharma transmission and the blessing of his teacher, Adyashanti. Website: riyazmotan.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group Summary and transcript of this interview Interview recorded November 26, 2024 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 Embracing Vulnerability in Teaching    00:03:24 Transition to Spiritual Teaching    00:06:25 The Unexpected Lung Cancer Diagnosis  00:10:10 Embracing Life's Challenges as Spiritual Lessons  00:13:24 Philosophy of Evolution and Suffering    00:17:23 Embracing Mortality and Living Fully  00:20:23 Wisdom from Sri Ramakrishna: Always Be Learning  00:23:25 Navigating Cancer Treatment Challenges  00:26:34 Embracing Alternative Healing Methods    00:29:41 Embracing Non-Western Healing Approaches    00:33:01 The Profound Experience of Near-Death and Out-of-Body Events     00:36:32 Personal Transformations Through Marriage    00:40:30 Embracing Earthly Spirituality  00:45:53 The Impact of Spirituality as an Escape Mechanism  00:49:46 Cultivating Presence for Emotional Healing  00:53:54 The Power of Group Consciousness  00:57:45 The Toll of Being a Spiritual Teacher    01:01:07 Embracing Vulnerability in Teaching  01:05:08 The Evolution of Spiritual Teaching Methodologies  01:08:57 Evolution of Teacher-Student Dynamics in Education    01:12:51 Importance of Preparatory Spiritual Practices    01:16:26 Lack of Spiritual Development and Global Issues  01:19:34 Humanity's Crisis and Opportunity for Change    01:22:26 Awakening of a New Consciousness  01:26:27 Exploring Neurodivergence and Enhanced Perception  01:30:28 Transformative Power of Psychedelics and Nature    01:33:46 Ayahuasca Experience: A Catalyst for Awakening    01:36:57 Spiritual Awakening through Nature and Retreats    01:40:52 Exploring the Hero Dose: Insights from Adyashanti    01:43:41 Transition from One-to-One Work to Spiritual Mentoring  01:47:33 Upcoming Guests and Spiritual Experiences

 Thomas Legrand is a wisdom’s seeker, a social scientist and sustainability practitioner. He is the author of the internationally acclaimed book “Politics of Being. Wisdom and Science for a New Development Paradigm” (2022), an invitation to radically rethink our model of development, which received the Grand Prize of the Nautilus Book Award in 2024. His spiritual journey began at the age of 23 with an encounter with native spirituality in Mexico, before embracing the wisdom of a wide range of traditions and practices, including meditation, energetic healing and Tai-chi-chuan. He lives with his wife and their two young daughters near Plum Village, the monastery of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in the South West of France, his country. He is currently the Lead Technical Advisor for the UNDP-convened Conscious Food Systems Alliance. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group Interview recorded November 9, 2024 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 Introduction to Thomas Legrand and His Work  00:03:27 Integrating Politics and Spirituality    00:07:32 Radical Restructuring for Humanity's Survival    00:10:43 Prophecies of Transformation and Enlightenment    00:15:14 Exploring Spiritual Solutions for Society  00:19:22 The Necessity of Consciously Attending to Ethics in Spiritual Practice  00:23:51 Spirituality and Science Collaboration    00:27:12 The Influence of Sri Aurobindo's Spiritual Work on Global Events    00:31:11 Spiritual Practices and Deep Forces    00:34:53 The Need for Spiritual Transformation    00:39:07 Theory X and Theory Y: Workplace Dynamics    00:43:34 Prisons as Factories of Stress and Recidivism    00:48:32 The Importance of Relationships in Happiness    00:52:40 The Impact of Collective Consciousness    00:56:18 Emerging Sciences for Happiness and Peace    01:00:30 Integrating Wisdom and Science for Unity    01:04:21 Healing Patterns on a Societal Level    01:09:00 Transformation Through Breakdown and Regrowth    01:12:06 Introducing the Concept of a Politics of Being    01:15:30 The Shift Back to Human Dimensions  01:20:37 Implementing Spiritual Solutions in Everyday Life    01:25:51 Economic Inequality as the Root of Social Issues    01:30:39 The Necessity of Change in Society    01:36:22 The Baha'i Vision and Progressive Revelation    01:39:03 Understanding the Soul of a Nation in a Globalized World  01:43:25 The Destiny of Unity and Diversity    01:48:08 Conversations on Conflict and Harmony in Israel    01:50:45 Healing Trauma as a Gateway  01:53:37 Presidential Apology and Indigenous Healing  01:56:00 Navigating Economic Growth and Conscious Transformation    02:00:23 Exploring Our Website Offerings