Elevating Consciousness

Artem Zen
  • 5.0 (7)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Elevating Consciousness is a podcast that brings you mind-expansive conversations into the heart of what matters most.  Join us as we host emerging thought leaders in psychology, spirituality, and philosophy, sharing paradigm-shifting perspectives and insights.

  1. APR 24

    Stephen Zerfas - How to Access Deep Bliss and Wellbeing with Jhana Meditation

    Stephen Zerfas is the CEO and Co-founder of Jhourney — a tech startup scaling transformative meditation through a data-driven lens, guiding complete beginners into deeply absorbed meditation states known as the Jhanas, in less than a week.   Stephen discovered the first three jhanas through his own practice and, upon learning of their profound history, made it his mission to bring them to as many people as possible. He has since trained with leading jhana teachers, including Leigh Brasington and Delson Armstrong. Thus far, Jhourney has served over 1,300 alumni with a 60-70% success rate in helping participants access the jhanas on weeklong retreats. Before founding Jhourney, Stephen worked as a software engineer at Lyft and a management consultant at Bridgespan, a Bain affiliate. A University of Notre Dame graduate, he lives in the Bay Area with his wife and daughter.  The following conversation was recorded live during Limicon - a digital conference for people in the liminal, game b, and metamodern adjacent spaces.  In it, we speak about what the Jhanas are, how Stephen discovered them through self-experimentation, and why he decided to found a tech-company that teaches them. Later, Stephen guides us through a towards Jhana meditation, and we close with a group discussion on whether morality is — or must be — part of such a meditation practice. 🔗[Links & Resources]🔗 Jhourney's websiteSubscribe to Stephen on Substack90 second video capturing the intensity of the jhanas from people recorded on retreatA Jhourney retreat reflectionMeditation safety podcastHow to cry on cueThe Mind Illuminated by Culadasa 🕰️[Time Stamps]🕰️ 0:00 - Introduction  2:49 - The contemplative corner of the liminal web  6:12 - How Stephen discovered the Jhanas on his own  12:22 - The guesswork problem of meditation and starting Jhourney  17:23 - What are the Jhanas? 20:26 - Are these universally discovered states? 22:44 - What do the Jhanas feel like? 24:15 - Super well-being and taking the technology of meditation seriously  27:07 - Main barriers to accessing the Jhanas 34:50 - Orienting to the meditation: Reflect like a scientist, play like a child  38:10 - Towards Jhana guided meditation  1:18:19 - What role does morality play in meditation? 1:28:09 - The biggest concerns of Jhana meditation practice  *Subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch the video versions of the Elevating Consciousness Podcast  *Subscribe to the Insighter Substack to get in-depth articles on the theory and practice of human transformation through a post-conventional

    1h 36m

  2. APR 10

    O.G. Rose - Belonging in an Age of Hyper-Fragmentation

    Daniel Garner is a writer, philosopher, and one-half of O.G. Rose – the philosophical and literary voice he shares with his wife, Michelle Garner.  Their work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize as well as the Uno Press lab prize and has been featured in literary publications such as The Iowa Review, The William and Mary Review, and Broken Pencil.  Daniel has been involved in the writing of over a dozen books, including The Conflict of Mind, The Map is Indestructible, the Belonging Again series, and a creative fiction work, Under the Wing. When not writing or thinking on the deepest questions of our times, he manages the Mead Lake Lodge wedding venue, teaches piano using visuals from the DLG Pattern Method, and raises four children. The following conversation was recorded live during Limicon - a digital conference for people in the liminal, game b, and metamodern adjacent spaces.  In it, we explore how belonging can be created beyond conformity or isolationism in a pluralistic and hyper-fragmented world — and what it asks of us across different scales, from the local to the national to the global. We highlight the importance of lack and negativity, forces so often overlooked in spiritual spaces; examine weak versus costly perennialism and the limits of any single system, model, or medium; and sit with the difference between talking about belonging and living it. 🔗[Links & Resources]🔗 O.G. Rose’s personal siteSubscribe to O.G. Rose’s SubstackWatch O.G. Rose’s YouTube channelBelonging Again: An Explanation by O.G. RoseBelonging Again: An Address by O.G. RoseTriumph of the Therapeutic by Phillip Rieff 🕰️[Time Stamps]🕰️ 0:00 - Intro 2:45 - The central problem of belonging  12:27 - Regressive forms of Belonging  16:37 - How belonging differs on a local, national, and global level 21:15 - Cheap Vs Costly Perennialism and evolving structures  30:18 - Negativity, lack, and radical difference 37:29 - The limits of any one system, model, or medium 41:51 - Hegel's absolute knower, the Deleuzian individual, the Nietzschean child, and the debate between Freud and Jung  46:10 - The irony of not belonging in a conversation about belonging and the importance of intelligibility  57:24 - The social coordination mechanism  1:03:01 - Somewheres and anywheres 1:06:41 - Democratizing media   1:11:41 - Racism as the problem of givens and releases  1:20:06 - Nature as a pathway to diversity and belonging  1:25:18 - The pros and cons of digital history  1:30:11 - The difference between talking about belonging and living it  1:35:37 - Finding belonging in different mediums and structures  1:41:45 - Daniel’s insights from running Eunoia, an in-person gathering space 1:49:03 - We are all doomed without adequate social coordination  *Subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch the video versions of the Elevating Consciousness Podcast  *Subscribe to the Insighter Substack to get in-depth articles on the theory and practice of human transformation through a post-conventional

    1h 53m

  3. MAR 6

    Richard Flyer - How to Weave Networks of Wisdom, Wealth & Well-being

    Richard Flyer is a community weaver and entrepreneur who has devoted his life to exploring how spirituality, local relationships, and practical action can renew communities, building eco-system networks from the ground up. Deeply influenced by Sarvodaya Shramadana’s grassroots mobilization of 15,000 Sri Lankan villages, Richard champions bottom-up regeneration rooted in local relationships, spiritual practice, and everyday service. His work spans founding Vecinos Unidos in San Diego, leading the San Diego Food Bank, supporting syntropic agroforestry in Hawaii, building symbiotic networks (Living Local Economy, Food Systems, Arts and Culture, and Neighbor Networks) in Reno and launching the Symbiotic Culture Lab to activate 50,000 micro-bioregional community networks by 2033.  From early mystical experiences of a “Luminous Web” of interconnection to research with pilot whales and years immersed in nature, Richard’s life has been a living experiment in bringing the transcendent into the immanent—“bringing Heaven to Earth”— through practical, face-to-face community building grounded in love, service, and shared responsibility. He is the Author of Birthing the Symbiotic Age: An Ancient Blueprint To Unite Humanity which draws from five decades of hands-on experiments across cultures, faith traditions, and organizational contexts to help communities move from separation toward connection. In this episode, we speak about Richard’s early spiritual experiences and how they impacted his community building efforts, we also explore how to navigate the polarities of individual and collective, healing the culture of separation, the difference between values and virtues, driving change bottom up, re-sacralizing reality and unpack what Richard calls – The ancient blueprint – the practical applications of transcendent principles needed to birth a symbiotic culture.  🔗[Links & resources] 🔗 Richard’s site & SubstackBirthing a Symbiotic Age by Richard Flyer Dr. AriSmall Is Beautiful by E.F. SchumacherA Secular Age by Charles Taylor 🕰️[Time stamps] 🕰️ 0:00 - Introduction  3:53 - Richard’s vision of a symbiotic culture  8:14 - Do we need spiritual experiences to expand our circle of care? 20:00 - Integrating spirituality into community building  31:16 - The influence of Dr.Ari and the Sarvodaya movement  35:39 - Becoming a Spiritual Gangster: Diffusing violence through loving awareness 46:01 - Healing the culture of separation  58:43 - The worldview that devalues value and disconnects us from the transcendent  1:05:03 - Virtues and the objective sacred  1:10:00 - Navigating inclusivity & exclusivity in community and culture building  1:16:55 - The difference between values & virtues and connecting to foundational community needs   1:24:49 - Truth and love are inseparable and beyond our political beliefs  1:32:50 - Syncretism, perennialism and what brought Richard to Christianity  1:49:04 - How do we include atheists and materialists in this conversation? 1:58:02 - Artem reflects on how Richard’s work is impacting him  *Subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch the video versions of the Elevating Consciousness Podcast  *Subscribe to the Insighter Substack to get in-depth articles on the theory and practice of human transformation through a post-conventional

    2h 2m

  4. 12/19/2025

    Daljeet Peterson - Demystifying the Ancient Art of Astrology for the Modern World

    Daljeet Peterson is an astrologer, Human Design analyst, and author exploring how ancient and modern systems of meaning can guide us through times of transformation.  His work bridges astrology, Human Design, and the Gene Keys as complementary maps of consciousness—tools for aligning with one’s deeper purpose and participating more consciously in the collective evolution of our species. A former television editor turned cosmic cartographer, Daljeet brings a storyteller’s sensibility to the study of archetypes, weaving together myth, history, and contemporary culture.  He’s the author of Collective Souls: Generations, Astrology, and the Future of America, which explores how generational astrology reveals the hidden cycles shaping our nation’s destiny—and the emerging potentials of a new Aquarian era. You can find his writings and upcoming offerings on his Substack called Mutable Fire. In this episode, we explore how astrology was discovered, its foundational principles, common misconceptions, and how to distinguish good astrology from bad astrology. We also touch on Human Design, & the Gene Keys, and how they tie into Astrology. Finally, Daljeet shares some of the main ideas from his new Book Collective Souls, advocating for intergenerational communication and understanding of time that is chronological and astrological. 🔗[Links & resources] 🔗 Daljeet’s siteSubscribe to Daljeet’s SubstackCollective Souls by Daljeet PetersonDaljeet’s Astrology 101: Blueprint of the Soul seriesCosmos & Psyche by Richard Tarnas 🕰️[Time stamps] 🕰️ 0:00 - Introduction  4:38 - Daljeet’s journey into astrology 8:22 - How astrology was discovered  16:27 - Is astrology a religion? 21:55 - Common misconceptions of astrology  26:06 - How to distinguish good astrology from bad astrology  28:58 - The foundational principles of astrology 39:52 - What is the mechanism behind planetary effects? 45:00 - The limits of falsifiability, science, and left-brain ways of knowing  51:22 - Unpacking Human Design & Gene Keys  1:01:56 - Holding modalities with curiosity and humility  1:06:27 - Collective Souls: Generations, Astrology, and the Future of America 1:13:00 - The unique gifts & challenges of the four generations (Baby boomers, Gen X, Millennials & Gen Z)  1:20:51 - Calls to action for the four generations *Subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch the video versions of the Elevating Consciousness Podcast  *Subscribe to the Insighter Substack to get in-depth articles on the theory and practice of human transformation through a post-conventional lens

    1h 31m

  5. 12/05/2025

    Natureza Gabriel - Decoding The Neurobiology of Connection

    Natureza Gabriel is an ancestral neuroscience pioneer, the developer of Autonomics, and the founder of Hearth Science—an organization & community offering tools, trainings, and practices that help people cultivate nervous system fluency and deepen their experience of well-being. At the heart of his work is Autonomics: an animist cartography of living autonomic physiology. This framework has been shaped by over three decades of collaboration with more than one hundred mentors and advisors across 25 healing traditions and 24 cultures, many indigenous. It is considered one of the first accurate maps of the living Autonomic Nervous System in modernity.  His Autonomics trainings have been sought out by the United Nations, a division of NATO, global social and ecological movements, and elite firms in executive coaching and leadership development. He is the author of many books, including Restorative Practices of Well-Being, Finding Home in Your Nervous System, Autonomic Triage, and The Neurobiology of Connection. In this episode, we speak about the origins of Gabriel’s autonomic model and how it diverged from Polyvagal Theory, the 13 autonomic states, what entails a healthy nervous system, the limits of HRV and the future of diagnostics, practices to rebalance the nervous system, the limitations of modernity, and pathways towards civilizational wellness. 🔗[Links & resources] 🔗 Gabriel’s personal site Gabriel’s autonomic trainingsGabriel’s clinicRestorative practices portalThe Neurobiology of Connection by Natureza GabrielGround: How Modernity Disconnected from the Earth, Why it Matters & How to Fix It by NaturezaFinding Home in Your Nervous System by Natureza GabrielAwakening Human Connection by Natureza Gabriel 🕰️[Time stamps] 🕰️ 0:00 - Introduction  3:52 -  The origins of autonomics (bridging neuroscience and autonomic physiology)  7:53 - Stephen Porges, polyvagal theory and moving beyond a two-system autonomics  21:44 - The 13 Autonomic States  31:31 - Neuroception, Neurology & Neurochemistry  34:55 - What is a healthy autonomic nervous system? 42:39 - The limits of HRV and the future of autonomic diagnostics  49:17 - The importance of restorative practices  52:00 - How to rebalance a hyper-activated nervous system  1:01:09 - How to rebalance a shut-down nervous system  1:05:47 - The importance of community in healing and processing grief  1:11:45 - The limitations of modernity  1:14:55 - Ground: How modernity disconnected us from the Earth  1:24:10 - The challenges of running a company in a culture of domination  1:33:52 - How do we bridge power & wisdom? (Becoming a mycelium network) 1:45:10-  The disconnection that underlies the techno-optimist worldview 1:48:33 - Pathways towards civilizational wellness *Subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch the video versions of the Elevating Consciousness Podcast  *Subscribe to the Insighter Substack to get in-depth articles on the theory and practice of human transformation through a post-conventional lens

    2h 1m

  6. 11/14/2025

    Pema Dragpa - Integral, Buddhism and the Future of Wisdom Traditions

    Pema Dragpa is a dharma teacher, author, and ordained Tibetan Buddhist  Lama. He graduated with honors in Philosophy and Religious Studies from New York University in 2002.  Since 2004, Dragpa has served as a resident teacher at Padma Samye Ling, a meditation retreat center founded by the Nyingma Dzogchen masters, Ven. Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Ven. Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche. In 2010, he was formally ordained as a Lama by the Venerable Khenpo Rinpoches.  He is also a senior editor of more than 25 books on Buddhist philosophy and the author of An Integral View of Tibetan Buddhism: Preserving Lineage Wisdom in the 21st Century. Dragpa regularly travels to lead Padmasambhava Buddhist Center events, where he bridges traditional Tibetan wisdom with contemporary approaches to meditation and the path of awakening. In this episode, we discuss an integral approach & developmental stage, balancing spirituality & money, disagreements with Ken Wilber, unity in diversity & the shadow of Integral, core tenets of Vajrayana Buddhism, the intersection of politics & spirituality, and so much more. 🔗[Links & resources] 🔗 An Integral View of Tibetan Buddhism: Preserving Lineage Wisdom in the 21st Century by Pema DragpaListen to Pema Dragpa’s dharma talksPadmasambhava Buddhist CenterKhenpo Tsewang Dongyal RinpocheKhenchen Palden Sherab RinpocheJohn Churchill on the Elevating Consciousness PodcastKen Wilber 🕰️[Time stamps] 🕰️ 0:00 - Introduction  3:32 - Pema Dragpa’s journey into Tibetan Buddhism  7:20 - A deep taste of samsara and the impact of the Khenpo Rinpoches  16:18 - The monastic vs the householder path  18:51 - Balancing spirituality with money and practical concerns  26:56 - Unpacking the Integral view/stage   33:01 - Disagreements with Ken Wilber (Is Vajrayana Integral?) 43:26 - An integrative approach to transformation 47:47 - Unity in diversity and the shadow of Integral  56:36 - John Churchill’s Sacred Humanism 59:33 - There is no definitive answer, system, or theory (experimenting in fail-safe mode)  1:09:31 - The importance of communities of practice & syncing up with lineage wisdom   1:15:49 - Be wary of a Purtian Dharma 1:16:34 -  The core tenets and frames of Vajrayana Buddhism  1:24:11 - Pema shares a Tibetan prayer  1:28:54 - We need more ways of being in touch (healthy integrative mode)  1:32:04 - The importance of going deep in one tradition  1:33:17 - The fourth turnings of Buddhism simplified  1:34:09 - The perfect practice for a degenerative age  1:42:24 - Do we need more politically engaged spiritual teachers? 1:47:53 - Making change at a meso scale  1:50:56 - Integral, the notion of absolute truth & freedom from samsara   1:57:32 - Final message *Subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch the video versions of the Elevating Consciousness Podcast  *Subscribe to the Insighter Substack to get in-depth articles on the theory and practice of human transformation through a post-conventional lens

    2h 2m

  7. 10/17/2025

    Peter McEwen - Transform Yourself Through Inner Fire Practice & Deity Yoga

    Peter McEwen is an ordained Nyingma yogi, meditation coach, and founder of an organization called The Field, where he teaches tantric methods to practitioners navigating contemporary life demands.  Since 1993, he's studied under Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, Tulku Orgyen P'huntsok, Lama Pema Dorje Rinpoche, and Bruce Tift, and has completed the traditional Vajrayana three-year retreat curriculum. Peter writes The Current on Substack, sharing essays and tools from thirty years of integrating contemplative practice with daily life. His work focuses on embodied presence and nervous system fluency, offering methods that survive the actual pressures of work, relationships, and daily complexity.  Grounded in three decades of traditional training, Peter brings Vajrayana into direct conversation with the realities of modern life. In this episode, we discuss Peter’s initial experiences of awakening, balancing personal, interpersonal & spiritual work, Tantra, Tummo, Deity Yoga, and how to get the most out of practice as a householder. 🔗[Links & resources] 🔗 Peter’s personal site The Field meditation training Upcoming Tummo course Subscribe to Peter’s Substack Bruce Tift on the Elevating Consciousness podcast Dzongsar Khyentse RinpocheTulku Orgyen P'huntsok Lama Pema Dorje RinpocheJohnny MillerDonald Hoffman 🕰️[Time stamps] 🕰️ 0:00 - Introduction  2:38 - Initial experiences of awakening and getting into Buddhism  8:01 - Balancing personal, interpersonal & spiritual work  23:17 - The impact of working with Bruce Tift  27:15 - What is Tantra? 34:59 - Selecting the appropriate practice for your developmental stage  44:32 - What is Tummo and how does it work? (Inner fire practice) 54:45 - Peter guides a Tummo meditation  1:10:25 - How Tummo focuses the mind  1:12:28 - Visualization vs feeling in Tummo  1:16:00 - What is Deity yoga & how does it work? 1:22:22 - Do traditional Deity forms work for Western minds? 1:28:51 - How to get the most out of practice as a householder 1:41:49 - Peter’s upcoming Tummo course  *Subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch the video versions of the Elevating Consciousness Podcast  *Subscribe to the Insighter Substack to get in-depth articles on the theory and practice of human transformation through a post-conventional lens

    1h 43m

  8. 09/12/2025

    David Rug - Integrating Ancient Wisdom with Modern Technology to Heal Fragmentation

    David Rug is a metaphysician, civilizational theorist, and visionary storyteller on a journey of transmuting childhood wounds of social fragmentation into memetic medicine for the human family.  Sensitized to the pains of social division and disconnect early in life through his parents' divorce and the increasingly political fracturing of his family field, he set out on a quest to understand the root causes of conflict and miscommunication. While completing his bachelor's degree in physics at Heidelberg University, he discovered GameB and adjacent movements. Through the extraordinarily clear thinking shared by thought leaders in that space, he realized there was, in effect, a "physics of communication"—principles that could be understood and applied to address the challenges he cared most about. This insight led him to found Project Liminality—an open-source communication and co-creation layer designed to reshape how we share and organize around ideas. A central focus of this work is developing the InterBrain, a novel digital medium aimed at flipping the vector of conflict and fragmentation toward unity and wholeness.  His work combines systems thinking, visionary storytelling, and a deep exploration of the kinds of shared ideas and narratives that can inspire humanity to unite in addressing our greatest challenges and creating the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible.  In this episode, we speak about false progress, psychological warfare, developing a memetic immune system, returning to the spoken word, going from personal knowledge management to collective knowledge gardening, and David’s Interbrain project, which aims to bridge ancient wisdom with modern technology to end fragmentation. 🔗[Links & resources] 🔗 Support Project Liminality and the Building of the InterbrainProject Liminality YouTube channelThe Interbrain - How Collective DreamWeaving Can Heal the WorldDialectical thinkingJordan Hall in conversation with David Rug 🕰️[Time stamps] 🕰️ 0:00 - Introduction  3:15 - Early experiences of fragmentation and discovering the liminal web   13:47 - The polarities of fragmentation and finding the third attractor  21:10 - The solution has to come from a higher dimension of consciousness  25:22 - False progress, psychological warfare, and developing a memetic immune system  34:52 - A Course in Miracles, Fear vs Love, Specialness vs Uniqueness  41:54 - Building trust networks, returning to the spoken word, and problems of scale  51:21 - From personal knowledge management to collective knowledge gardening  1:08:35 - Reflecting on David’s big insights ( the primacy of symbols, written vs spoken word ) 1:14:50 - The practicalities of the Interbrain (how it would work)  1:26:30 - Critiques and challenges of building the Interbrain  1:31:21 - Moving from independence to deep interdependence  1:36:42 - Revolutionizing journalism & politics 1:44:06 - The process of DreamWeaving  1:52:55 - Support David’s work  *Subscribe to the Insighter Substack to get in-depth articles on the theory and practice of human transformation through a post-conventional lens *Add me on Facebook

    1h 54m
See All (71)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Elevating Consciousness is a podcast that brings you mind-expansive conversations into the heart of what matters most.  Join us as we host emerging thought leaders in psychology, spirituality, and philosophy, sharing paradigm-shifting perspectives and insights.

Information

  • Creator
    Artem Zen
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    71
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Elevating Consciousness
  • Show Website
    Elevating Consciousness

You Might Also Like