Buddha at the Gas Pump

Buddha at the Gas Pump Enlightenment, Awakening For some, this shift has been abrupt and dramatic. For others, it has been so gradual that they may not have realized it has occurred.
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Ordinary people everywhere are undergoing a shift to an Awakened state of consciousness which is transforming their understanding of themselves and the world. Such shifts, or “awakenings,” are not new: Christ spoke of the “Kingdom of Heaven within,” Buddhists speak of Nirvana, Zen masters of Satori, Hindus of Moksha, but these traditions generally regard these states as rare and difficult to attai

n. Many people are therefore skeptical of claims of higher states of consciousness. They find it hard to believe that apparently ordinary friends and neighbors might be experiencing something extraordinary. Maybe they expect Enlightenment to look as remarkable on the outside as it is reputed to be on the inside. This show will attempt to dispel skepticism and misconceptions by week after week, allowing otherwise ordinary people to relate their experience of spiritual awakening. The terminology is tricky, because there are no universally agreed upon definitions to describe this experience. Also, enlightenment is not something that an individual person “gets”. It’s not even something that the mind can grasp. It’s an awakening to that which contains the mind and all other things. So it’s not surprising that language is inadequate to convey it. Perhaps those listening to these interviews will become convinced, as we are, that genuine and permanent spiritual awakenings are not just a pipe dream, but are real and are becoming relatively commonplace. Feel free to pose and discuss questions brought up on the show, either on YouTube or in the BATGAP Yahoo group. Occasionally we conduct interviews with individuals who may not have personally experienced an awakening or do not claim to have experienced one. However, their research or academic study or teaching may have contributed significantly to the understanding and experience of spiritual awakenings. Or we may interview an individual who’s work or service has contributed to the raising of collective or individual consciousness and has created heightened awareness of an evolutionary nature. Even less occasionally we may interview individuals with specific awakened abilities such as healers, mediums etc. BatGap’s intention is to inspire and inform. We are not in a position to endorse any of our guests’ teachings, practices, healings, etc. We encourage you to discriminate carefully and make your own decisions before signing up for any retreats, sessions, or healings. Sincerely,

Rick & Irene ArcherRick Archer – show host and webmaster, general overview. Irene Archer – selection of guests, scheduling/processing of guests, general inquiries, accounting, graphics, general overview.

01/06/2026

IIf you would like to ask a question during the interview, please use the form at https://batgap.com/questions-for-interview-guests/.

’m George Thompson, a filmmaker, storyteller and educator. Drawing from my extensive studies in the Wudang Mountains of China, I have dedicated my life to translating ancient wisdom into fun, practical tools for overcoming the challenges of modern life—from anxiety, meaninglessness to disconnection.

From Pain to Purpose
Like many, my journey began in pain. After completing education, I was consumed by anxiety and a sense of meaninglessness. In search of answers, I ventured to the Wudang Mountains of China to study Tai Chi and Daoism under Master Gu. There, I immersed myself in practices that opened my eyes to the principles of balance, harmony, and flow.

These ancient practices transformed my life and taught me that to hurt is to be human—and yet, within that pain lies the potential for profound transformation. This realisation became the foundation of my life's work.

George’s Mission
Today, I am humbled that my organisation Balance is Possible! has grown into a thriving team of 19 people from 12 countries. Together, we run the world’s most popular Tai Chi school, produce films that have inspired millions, and host transformational events across the globe. Through playfulness and joy, our mission is to guide people towards clarity, purpose, and lasting balance.

For discussion of 2nd interview with Swami Sarvapriyananda, see below: https://batgap.com/swami-sarvapriyananda-2/Swami ...
01/01/2026

For discussion of 2nd interview with Swami Sarvapriyananda, see below: https://batgap.com/swami-sarvapriyananda-2/

Swami Sarvapriyananda has been the Minister and spiritual leader of the Vedanta Society of New York since January 2017. He joined the Ramakrishna Math in 1994 and received sannyasa in 2004. He served as an acharya (teacher) of the monastic probationers’ training center at Belur Math, India. He also served in various capacities in different educational institutes of the Ramakrishna Mission in India and as the Assistant Minister of the Vedanta Society of Southern California.

During 2019-2020 he was a Nagral Fellow at the Harvard Divinity School.

Swami Sarvapriyananda is a well-known speaker on Vedanta and his talks are extremely popular globally via the internet. He has been a speaker on various prestigious forums such as TEDx, SAND, Google Talk etc. He has also been invited to speak at several universities across the world, including Harvard University. The swami has engaged in dialogue with many eminent thinkers such as Deepak Chopra, Rupert Spira, Rick Archer, David Chalmers, and Sam Harris.

He has played a prominent role in organizing and participating in various interfaith panels and seminars, including speaking at the World Parliament of Religions in Toronto in 2018, and at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Learn more in Conversations.
Swami Sarvapriyananda is a prolific writer and speaker whose works make the insights of Advaita Vedanta accessible to modern audiences. His publications include Mahavakya: The Essence of Vedanta, Fullness & Emptiness: Vedanta and Buddhism, and From Illusion to Infinity: Discovering the Self. The more recent book Conversations on Vedanta in Practice is a curated collection of question and answer sessions with the Swami, on topics of practical importance. The wide range of his writings reflect his deep engagement with comparative philosophy and the application of Vedantic wisdom in daily life. He has also contributed essays and research papers on the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the philosophy of consciousness.

12/18/2025

If you would like to ask a question during the interview, please use the form at https://batgap.com/questions-for-interview-guests/.

Swami Sarvapriyananda has been the Minister and spiritual leader of the Vedanta Society of New York since January 2017. He joined the Ramakrishna Math in 1994 and received sannyasa in 2004. He served as an acharya (teacher) of the monastic probationers’ training center at Belur Math, India. He also served in various capacities in different educational institutes of the Ramakrishna Mission in India and as the Assistant Minister of the Vedanta Society of Southern California.

During 2019-2020 he was a Nagral Fellow at the Harvard Divinity School.

Swami Sarvapriyananda is a well-known speaker on Vedanta and his talks are extremely popular globally via the internet. He has been a speaker on various prestigious forums such as TEDx, SAND, Google Talk etc. He has also been invited to speak at several universities across the world, including Harvard University. The swami has engaged in dialogue with many eminent thinkers such as Deepak Chopra, Rupert Spira, Rick Archer, David Chalmers and Sam Harris.

He has played a prominent role in organizing and participating in various interfaith panels and seminars, including speaking at the World Parliament of Religions in Toronto in 2018, and at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Learn more in Conversations.

Swami Sarvapriyananda is a prolific writer and speaker whose works make the insights of Advaita Vedanta accessible to modern audiences. His publications include Mahavakya: The Essence of Vedanta, Fullness & Emptiness: Vedanta and Buddhism, and From Illusion to Infinity: Discovering the Self. The more recent book Conversations on Vedanta in Practice is a curated collection of question and answer sessions with the Swami, on topics of practical importance. The wide range of his writings reflect his deep engagement with comparative philosophy and the application of Vedantic wisdom in daily life. He has also contributed essays and research papers on the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the philosophy of consciousness.

For discussion of interview with Christina Guimond, see below: https://batgap.com/christina-guimond/Christina Guimond ha...
12/18/2025

For discussion of interview with Christina Guimond, see below: https://batgap.com/christina-guimond/

Christina Guimond has always been oriented toward the mysterious, even from early childhood. She grew up in a Catholic family in Nova Scotia, Canada, and later settled in Montreal, where she married and raised four children. When her youngest was ten, a long-dormant curiosity about the nature of existence began to take centre stage.

On the 8th day of a Vipassana retreat in 2001, Christina had an awakening that deeply shifted her understanding of self and reality. What followed was fourteen years of dedicated daily meditation and numerous silent retreats within the S.N. Goenka Vipassana tradition. In 2015, a 2nd awakening unfolded—this time bringing a deeper dissolution of personal identity. Around this period, she began studying with Gary Weber, with whom she worked closely until he retired from teaching in 2019. Those years were marked by intense transformation, awakening the body, healing the nervous system, working with attachments, belief, and shadow.

In 2017, two further openings occurred. The first was a non-medical NDE – a profound experience of God—an overwhelming sense of divine presence and infinite love. A month later came an even more radical realization: the complete disappearance of self and world into a primal void. It was an encounter with absolute emptiness—an unconditioned reality beneath all phenomena. In that vast nothingness, only an indescribably sublime, subtle awareness was present. Nothing was manifest, yet it was clear this “nothing” held the potential for everything—a living, dynamic void, like a field of infinite possibilities before form appears.

In 2022, Christina began working with [Angelo Dilullo, M.D.](https://batgap.com/angelo-dilullo/), whose guidance led to the final falling away of the remaining identity structure. What remains is a natural, effortless functioning—life living itself. The integration of that realization continues to unfold. Following the invitation and suggestion of Angelo Dilullo, she has been teaching and guiding others through the awakening.

For discussion of interview with Karyn OBeirne, see below: https://batgap.com/karyn-obeirne/Karyn’s spiritual journey wa...
12/05/2025

For discussion of interview with Karyn OBeirne, see below: https://batgap.com/karyn-obeirne/

Karyn’s spiritual journey was documented in her book Findings from the Hunting Party’s Scout, which chronicles her four most intense years of spiritual growth as an ordinary working soccer mom into an embodied awakened faith leader. After a life-changing spontaneous awakening she shared her Toltec teacher’s teachings and her own experiences as an Interfaith minister ordained by One Spirit Seminary in NYC. In 2019 Karyn was certified as a Mindfulness Meditation teacher taught by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield in their Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program Program.

Incorporating methods of mindfulness, The Four Agreements and mystical teachings of the world’s religion into her talks, workshops and writings, Karyn shares wisdom in a non-denominational, dogma free style that is accessible to people who are searching for an open spiritual path that they can call their own.

On her Substack, Karyn’s Findings, she released Inviting Grace In, a curated full year of quotes to guide readers through Four seasons of spiritual growth:

Spring-Uplifting Spirit,
Summer-Shifting Perspectives,
Autumn-Recognizing Wisdom,
Winter-Expanding the understanding of our being.

As a life long social activist, Karyn’s posts highlight ways we can mindfully and compassionately co-create a world where all life is uplifted with a new understanding of ourselves and the source of existence we often call God.

Interview recorded November 15, 2025

For discussion of interview with David Ditchfield, see below: https://batgap.com/david-ditchfield/In this powerful inter...
11/20/2025

For discussion of interview with David Ditchfield, see below: https://batgap.com/david-ditchfield/

In this powerful interview, David Ditchfield recounts his extraordinary near-death experience (NDE) following a horrific train accident in Cambridge, UK, in 2006. Once at rock bottom as a functional alcoholic, David was transformed spiritually after being pulled under a speeding train and, just before critical surgery, encountering beings of light in the afterlife. This profound NDE awakened remarkable creative abilities, revealing hidden talents for music and painting. Despite having no formal classical music training and an inability to read or write music, David has composed two symphonies and a rhapsody—every piece premiering at sold-out concerts, including a commission from The Cambridge Clarinet Choir. His inspiring NDE paintings have been displayed in major exhibitions, including a year-long show at the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C. David’s story, recently featured in a BBC World Service documentary, is a testament to human resilience and the profound, positive changes that can arise from even the darkest moments. He continues to compose and paint in Cambridge, sharing a message of recovery, hope, spiritual growth, manifestation, and authenticity.

For discussion of interview with Emeline Lambert, see below: https://batgap.com/emeline-lambert/In this conversation, Em...
11/06/2025

For discussion of interview with Emeline Lambert, see below: https://batgap.com/emeline-lambert/

In this conversation, Emeline Lambert shares her profound spiritual journey, beginning with her childhood experiences of feeling extremely out of place in a world that seemed illusionary and pointless. “Who am I?” was the question that was always too terrifying to answer. She purposefully tried to cover up the truth of her deepest Self through the limitations of ego and performance art; leading to years of depression, anxiety and PTSD. A turning point in her life occurred during a retreat that invited a significant shift in consciousness and a deeper understanding of her true nature. Emeline discusses the impact of meditation and presence on her life, the changes in her relationships “post-shift”, and the necessity of acceptance, self-observation and compassion. She emphasizes the role of nature as part of any spiritual practice and the ongoing, endless unfolding that is self-discovery. In this conversation, Emeline and Rick explore profound themes surrounding awakening to our true nature, love, and the gift that suffering becomes in the process of awakening. They discuss the differences between knowledge and experience, emphasizing that awakening is a collective impulse rather than an individual desire. The dialogue touches on the importance of surrendering to the essence of “what is”, the impact of the mind’s commentary on suffering, and the significance of service in spiritual practice. Emeline shares her insights on the flow state in practical applications and the understanding of the shadow self, ultimately highlighting that awakening is an ongoing phenomenon that occurs beyond the architecture of the man-made sense of separate self.

Emeline volunteers with the New York–based non-profit City Voices, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about mental illness and addiction recovery through peer-led support programs, spiritual groups, and self-awareness activities. She co-facilitates their Saturday Spirituality Group and leads regular meditations.

Email: [email protected]
Website: cityvoicesonline.org

Emeline’s personal email: [email protected]

Interview recorded October 12, 2025

For discussion of interview with Lawrence Pintak, see below: https://batgap.com/lawrence-pintak/Lawrence Pintak has spen...
10/22/2025

For discussion of interview with Lawrence Pintak, see below: https://batgap.com/lawrence-pintak/

Lawrence Pintak has spent his life grounded in facts while fascinated by the ethereal. An award-winning former CBS News Middle East correspondent with a PhD in Islamic Studies, Pintak has been a practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism for three decades and is an avid student of the perennial truths at the core of the world’s religions.

The author of seven books at the intersection of religion, media, and policy, his reporting and analysis on religion and international affairs has been published by The New York Times, Foreign Policy, the Washington Post, and many of the world’s leading media organizations. He also wrote about Buddhism and Eastern traditions for Shambhala Sun/Lion’s Roar, Buddhadharma, Beliefnet.com and others before 9/11 drew his focus back to the Middle East. Pintak’s most recent nonfiction book, America & Islam, was a finalist for the 2020 Religion News Association award for Religion Reporting Excellence.

Books:
Lessons from the Mountaintop: Ten Modern Mystics and Their Extraordinary Lives
America & Islam: Soundbites, Su***de Bombs and the Road to Donald Trump

Website: https://pintak.com

For discussion of interview with Ricard Perez, see below: https://batgap.com/ricard-perez/Ricard Perez is a meditation c...
09/24/2025

For discussion of interview with Ricard Perez, see below: https://batgap.com/ricard-perez/

Ricard Perez is a meditation coach, and musician whose work bridges ancient traditions with fresh, practical insight. Drawing from Buddhism, Advaita Vedanta, and A Course in Miracles, he emphasizes meditation as a dynamic balance of clarity and release, with simple methods for directly entering silence. His original explorations into latency, fractals, and perception connect contemplative practice with science and creativity, while his love of music, art, and ecstatic expression bring a celebratory dimension to the path of awakening.

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