203 episodes

Join philosopher, educator and celebrated speaker on the cognitive sciences, Thom Knoles for inspiring insights and wisdom to support your personal evolution. Thom is an renowned expert on the relationship between quantum physics and human consciousness, and on the 5,000 year-old body of wisdom known as The Veda. For over 50 years, he has personally taught Vedic Meditation to tens of thousands of students and consulted to governments and private corporations throughout the world.

Vedic Worldview Thom Knoles

    • Religion & Spirituality
    • 4.9 • 138 Ratings

Join philosopher, educator and celebrated speaker on the cognitive sciences, Thom Knoles for inspiring insights and wisdom to support your personal evolution. Thom is an renowned expert on the relationship between quantum physics and human consciousness, and on the 5,000 year-old body of wisdom known as The Veda. For over 50 years, he has personally taught Vedic Meditation to tens of thousands of students and consulted to governments and private corporations throughout the world.

    AI, Sacred Cows, Exceptional Children

    AI, Sacred Cows, Exceptional Children

    It’s another Q&A episode with Thom, answering questions with a common thread of consciousness running through them.

    He starts off by tackling the question of consciousness and AI, before exploring the consciousness of cows, and bulls for that matter, and what it is about their consciousness that makes them sacred (Hint:evolution is the only thing that’s ever happening).

    And he also helps a mother navigate the responsibility of supporting a child whose consciousness gives him levels of perception beyond the ordinary.
    Episode Highlights:
    [00:45] Q - Does AI Have the Potential to Experience Consciousness?
    [00:54] Consciousness Is the Foundation of Everything
    [02:38] AI Is Already Conscious
    [05:47] The Repertoire of AI
    [07:05] Q - Why is the cow sacred in the Vedic Worldview?
    [07:11] A - Cows Everywhere in India
    [09:06] The Legal Sacredness of Cows
    [10:28] A Very Simple Thing
    [12:24] Fond of Dairy
    [13:27] Q - How to Support a Sensitive Toddler?
    [14:16] A - Wise Do Not Bewilder Ignorant
    [16:11] Honor and Validate Your Child's Perceptual Abilities
    Useful Links
    info@thomknoles.com 
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    https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

    • 20 min
    How Do I Alleviate the Suffering of Others?

    How Do I Alleviate the Suffering of Others?

    The desire to help others is baked into human DNA, and the sight of someone suffering often triggers a need to take action.

    This is one of the reasons our species has been able to thrive.

    Often, however, our attempts to alleviate the suffering of others don’t succeed, not necessarily because of lack of effort or misguided intentions. It’s because there’s another dynamic at play that can thwart our efforts.

    In this episode, Thom reminds us that the desire to be helped doesn’t come as naturally as the desire to offer help, and that the greatest help we can sometimes give, is to not give help at all.
    Episode Highlights:

    [00:45] The Natural Desire to Alleviate the Suffering of Others
    [02:23] Harmonizing Inner Alignment with External Responses to Change
    [04:03] Unsought Advice
    [05:43] How to Help Someone Who Is Suffering
    [07:27] Perceiving Cues
    [09:02] The Role of Humility in Seeking Help
    Useful Links
    info@thomknoles.com 
    https://thomknoles.com/
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    https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

    • 13 min
    The Fruits of Action

    The Fruits of Action

    Desire is one of the most misunderstood facets across all Wisdom traditions. Teachers often teach, and readers often misinterpret, some of the writings of the texts, both from Veda as well as other ancient wisdom cultures, as meaning that desire is bad, or that the key to enlightenment is to eliminate our desires.

    One such example of this misunderstanding is the Vedic epic Bhagavad Gita, specifically Chapter 2, Verse 47, in which Krishna tells Arjuna, “Live not for the fruits of action.”

    The misinterpretation of this text leads many to think that desire itself is the cause of suffering, and thus attempt to suppress or ignore desires in the hope of avoiding suffering.

    Thom sets the record straight in this episode, clarifying the purpose of desire, and giving us a technique whereby we can ensure that our desires are not just aligned with Nature, but serve to meet the need of the time.

    Episode Highlights
    [00:45] What’s the Point of Taking Action?
    [00:55] Bhagavad Gita and the Mahabharata
    [03:12] Arjuna and Krishna: The Central Characters of Mahabharata
    [05:07] Krishna's Guidance
    [06:38] The Song of God
    [08:16] Krishna's Message on the Fruits of Action
    [10:27] What is the Need of the Time?
    [12:07] What is Cosmic Desire?
    [14:03] Beyond the Scope of the Intellect
    [15:59] Let Charm be the Driver of Action
    [17:32] Surrender to Nature's Intelligence
    [19:36] Cosmic Intelligence in Action
    [20:44] We Don't Want Options
    [22:47] Move Beyond Fruits
    Useful Links
    info@thomknoles.com 
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    https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles
    https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

    • 26 min
    Why the Long Hair?

    Why the Long Hair?

    While most of us think of hair in terms of current fashion trends and style ourselves accordingly, (or not!), most long-lasting schools of thought still have customs related to hair based on traditions that have lasted millenia.

    The Vedic worldview is no different, and in fact, many of the traditions related to the hair can be traced back to Vedic origins.

    In this episode, Thom explains that hair has a very subtle yet specific function, beyond just keeping the head or the body warm, that dictates a style of relating to the world, or even retreating from the world.

    While it may not affect how you manage your own hair, it will give insights into the ways in which many masters, monks, sadhus and other teachers manage theirs.

    Episode Highlights:
    [00:45] Hair as a Conduit
    [02:06] One Set of Tubes After Another
    [04:12] A Larger Information Base
    [06:11] Signaling the Phase of Life
    [08:15] Hair that Grows Unfettered
    [10:21] Three Kinds of Characters
    [11:58] What's Cooking in the Outside World?
    [13:36] Please Tell Me All About Everything
    [14:51] Shakya Muni
    [16:14] Demonstrating Self Sufficiency
    [17:58] Stop Cutting Your Hair
    [20:30] The Best Time to Get a Haircut
    [22:00] Don't Let Your Life Go in Orbit Around Here
    [23:51] Don't Make a Big Issue of It
    Useful Links
    info@thomknoles.com 
    https://thomknoles.com/
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    https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles
    https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

    • 27 min
    My Maharishi - Humor Incarnate

    My Maharishi - Humor Incarnate

    Spiritual leaders are often perceived as being stern and serious, in some cases even humorless. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, while he could be serious when needed, was famous for his smile, his laugh, and his sense of humor in general.

    In this episode, Thom shares some anecdotes from his 26-plus years of being with Maharishi, where Maharishi put his sense of humor on display. Some of these were public displays, while others were from behind the scenes; all of the stories reflect Maharishi’s famous quote, “We have an infinite number of reasons to be happy, and a serious responsibility not be serious.”

    Episode Highlights:
    [00:45] Maharishi's Humor
    [02:36] Maharishi's Way of Answering Serious Questions
    [04:59] The Million-Pound Reply
    [06:09] A Lover of Analogies
    [07:29] The Complaint About Meditation
    [09:12] Fifty Dollar Bet on Effortless Mantra
    [11:17] Think Mantra Without Effort
    [11:59] "I Am an Imposter."
    [13:35] Journalist Wanted to Expose Maharishi
    [15:15] "I'm Here to Find and Report Facts."
    [16:39] Laughter-Filled Meeting With Maharishi
    [18:03] Surprising Turns: Maharishi's Impact on the Journalist
    [18:56] A Force Five Hurricane of Happiness
    Useful Links
    info@thomknoles.com 
    https://thomknoles.com/
    https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles
    https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoles
    https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles
    https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

    • 21 min
    Dark Room Retreats

    Dark Room Retreats

    Silent retreats and cave retreats are nothing new and have been around for millenia, giving seekers an escape from the demands of daily life and a chance to simply let the mind be with itself.

    A modern twist on this is the use of Dark Room Retreats, a growing business model where the cave might be swapped for a cabin, and food and other needs are provided for you, leaving you alone to experience the potential bliss of sensory deprivation.

    In this episode, Thom shares his own experience with cave retreats, along with his perspective on dark room retreats. 

    He also shares an alternative method for sensory deprivation. One that doesn’t require dark rooms or even silence but which still yields the bliss we might be looking for if we were to consider a dark retreat.

    Episode Highlights:
    [00:45] Awakening the Mind's Innermost Potential
    [02:41] Techniques of Sensory Deprivation
    [04:33] How do I Experience Pure Consciousness?
    [06:32] Deep Rest in Vedic Meditation
    [08:35] The Charm of Silence
    [12:02] The Reason the Mind Falls Mute
    [13:39] Modern Technology's Impact on the Search for Bliss
    [14:52] Limits of Sensory Deprivation in Achieving Bliss
    [16:52] Reduced Oxygen Consumption - The Measure of Deep Rest
    [18:20] Testing Bliss Levels
    [20:03] Extended Meditation in Solitude
    [21:37] Sensory Deprivation as a Test, Not a Shortcut to Bliss
    [23:42] Left With Your Own Joy
    [25:27] Passing the Bliss Exam
    [26:45] The Bliss of Being Beyond Relativity
    Useful Links
    info@thomknoles.com 
    https://thomknoles.com/
    https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles
    https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoles
    https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles
    https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

    • 29 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
138 Ratings

138 Ratings

eetswaa23 ,

Time Well Spent.

The Vedic Worldview podcast meets you where you are at. Thom delivers ancient wisdom that withstands the test of time and is easily applied to modern life. The insight gained will support you to live with greater joy and purpose. If there is only one thing, this is it!

Chloe - Sydney, Australia ,

5 stars for Thom!

Love this podcast to have direct access to such an amazing teacher like Thom, whose story is totally awe-inspiring. I love the My Maharishi episodes that detail his time spent with his Guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, famous for teaching The Beatles Vedic Meditation, and also loved more recently the one about Indigenous Australians and his time meeting elders in the areas surrounding Broome, Western Australia. Amazing! Thom’s examples and lessons are relatable and direct. His most recent episode about Mood Making reflects the straight forward and down-to-earth approach to Vedic Wisdom on this podcast. Would definitely recommend!

philip - melbourne ,

Worth a look, and listen!

Thom is the worldwide authority of Vedic knowledge and meditation. Quite a statement! After close to 15 years of listening to Thom both online and in person on a number of retreats, I have first hand experience and have witnessed the expansion of consciousness in many others too. An interesting point is the knowledge and teaching which Thom expresses actually comes from a body of wisdom which has been passed down over several thousand years in India. It’s fascinating and compelling, I would encourage eyeryone to listen to Thom and decide for yourself. I cannot recommend him highly enough.

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