Buddha at the Gas Pump

05/21/2026

For discussion of interview with Jonathan Ashford, see below: https://batgap.com/jonathan-ashford/

Jonathan lived the definition of material excess, twenty-five years climbing the corporate ladder in marketing and technology as a C-level executive, accumulating possessions, and actively avoiding anything spiritual. That was until May 22, 2023.

On that day, Jonathan died. His skin turned yellow, his organs failed, and he was gone for three hours. What happened during those three hours wasn’t just a glimpse of white light. He experienced complete immersion in divine consciousness, received profound spiritual teachings and revelations, and was given a choice: stay on the other side or return to share with those ready to awaken.

He chose to return. But the being who returned bears no resemblance to the executive who died. Jonathan now helps individuals across the world through speaking engagements, group calls, and private sessions.

755. Jonathan Ashford: C‑Level Executive’s Near‑Death Experience, Life Review, and Radical Spiritual Awakening Jonathan lived the definition of material excess, twenty-five years climbing the corporate ladder in marketing and technology as a C-level executive,

05/07/2026

For discussion of interview with Julia Mossbridge, see below: https://batgap.com/julia-mossbridge/

Teaching AI to love, the physics of unconditional love, and telepathy with non-speaking autistic people all come together in this lively Buddha at the Gas Pump conversation with neuroscientist and futurist Julia Mossbridge. In this wide-ranging dialogue, we explore unconditional love as a real, foundational force in the universe and what it means for consciousness, time, technology, trauma, and disclosure.

Julia describes her working model of universal love as “that which connects,” a fundamental force more basic than space, time, matter, and energy. She explains how unconditional love is the human emotional and motivational state that arises when we become directly aware of this ever-present universal love, and why that experience paradoxically makes us more motivated to improve the world even though “nothing needs to change.” Along the way, she and Rick unpack the difference between unconditional and conditional love, the pitfalls of spiritual bypassing, and the limits of “purification” models in spirituality and healing.

They then turn to the ethics and possibilities of “loving AI”: can we create AI systems and robots that genuinely support human well-being and help people access unconditional love, instead of amplifying our polarization and fear? Julia shares the origins of the Loving AI project, her work on Socratic GPT tools for critical thinking, and her leadership in efforts to bring more feminine and marginalized voices into AI, robotics, cognitive science, and consciousness research, including The Synapse women’s conference.

Another major theme is time and precognition. Drawing on her neuroscience background, Julia discusses empirical work on precognition and self-transcendence, including how difficult life circumstances can sometimes push people into profound, love-filled states in which they recognize themselves as “the flame, not the candle.”

The conversation also dives into “The Telepathy Tapes” and Julia’s research with non-speaking autistic people who communicate via letterboards and keyboards. She outlines why equating speech with intelligence is scientifically and ethically untenable, and how spontaneous telepathy, “the Hill,” and rich inner lives in non-speaking autistic individuals challenge mainstream assumptions about mind, communication, and consciousness.

In the later part of the interview, Julia talks about her book “Have a Nice Disclosure,” which reframes disclosure not just as governments revealing secrets about advanced programs or possible non-human intelligences, but as an inner process of truth-telling, healing, and reconciliation. She and Rick explore how collective and personal shadow material is surfacing globally, why genuine disclosure must happen in the heart as well as in institutions, and how unconditional love can hold even the darkest aspects of our history.

Julia Mossbridge focuses ruthlessly on developing a deep understanding of love, time, technology, and how these human experiences relate to corresponding physical forces. Her most recent relevant projects include: Creating a Socratic GPT to guide intelligence analysts through the critical thinking process, leading a diverse team of technologists and designers to create a scalable, self-guided digital tool that increases overall wellbeing and is now being developed further within Native American communities, and leading an international group of AI developers and roboticists toward creating an unconditionally loving robot that reduced anger and cognitive load in humans. Some current affiliations include:
Co-founder and Board Chair of the 501c3 nonprofit Applied Love Labs,
Senior Distinguished Fellow in Human Potential at Center for the Future Mind (Florida Atlantic University),
Senior Data+Intuition Consultant at Tangible IQ,
Founder of Mossbridge Institute
Mossbridge’s postdoctoral work in the Neuroscience of Human Cognition program at Northwestern University led to her interest in pursuing the mechanisms of precognition – the ability to perceive seemingly nonpredictable events. Mossbridge holds a PhD in Psychoacoustics in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department at Northwestern University, an MA in Neuroscience (UC San Francisco), and was awarded a BA with a minor in Computer Science and Highest Honors in Neuroscience (Oberlin College).

754 Julia Mossbridge - The Science of Unconditional Love -- Nonspeakers, Psi Abilities, and Healing Julia Mossbridge focuses ruthlessly on developing a deep understanding of love, time, technology, and how these human experiences relate to corresponding

04/23/2026

For discussion of interview with Tammy Lee Anderson, see below: https://batgap.com/tammy-lee-anderson/
Tammy Lee Anderson shares how three profound near-death experiences opened her to unconditional love, spiritual awakening, and a life of service as a psychotherapist, healer, and spiritual medium. In this deep conversation, she describes what near-death really felt like, how it dissolved the fear of death, and how love and awakening can be embodied in daily life through grief, trauma, and ordinary relationships.
We explore Tammy’s early near-death experiences in infancy, her memories of being “in between” worlds, and how these experiences invited her into a lifelong journey of surrender into love. She explains why we are not victims of our reality but co‑creators of it, and how even our deepest challenges can expand compassion, forgiveness, and embodied love.
Tammy also talks about her unusual background as an Olympic‑level kayaker, 5th degree black belt Aikido teacher, former monastic, and long‑time psychotherapist. She shares powerful stories of working with grief, homelessness, abuse, and trauma, and how her mediumship and healing work now help people reconnect with loved ones in spirit, release fear, and rediscover meaning.
If you’re curious about near‑death experiences, life after death, spiritual mediumship, or how to live awake in a dense and sometimes painful world, this conversation offers both inspiration and very grounded wisdom.

04/09/2026

For discussion of interview with Robert Lawrence Kuhn, see below: https://batgap.com/robert-lawrence-kuhn/

Robert Lawrence Kuhn is a public intellectual; he is the creator, writer, host of [Closer To Truth](https://closertotruth.com/), the long-running PBS/public television series and leading digital resource on Cosmos (cosmology/physics, philosophy of science), Life (philosophy of biology), Mind (consciousness, brain/mind, philosophy of mind), and Meaning (theism/atheism/agnosticism, global philosophy of religion, critical thinking). Peter Getzels is Closer To Truth co-creator and producer/director. Kuhn is the author of the comprehensive review article on theories of consciousness – “A Landscape of Consciousness: Toward a Taxonomy of Explanations and Implications” – and editor-in-chief of the expanded, continuously updated [Landscape of Consciousness website](https://loc.closertotruth.com/) (with more than 400 theories of consciousness in ten categories), Kuhn has written or edited over 30 books, including [The Mystery of Existence: Why is there Anything At All?](https://amzn.to/4bRJdug) (with John Leslie); [Closer To Truth: Challenging Current Belief](https://amzn.to/4teEObb); [Closer To Truth: Science, Meaning and the Future](https://amzn.to/4tBRj09); [The Library of Investment Banking](https://amzn.to/4tuMQw7); [How China’s Leaders Think](https://amzn.to/4sXG8Pr) (featuring President Xi Jinping); [The Man Who Changed China: The Life and Legacy of Jiang Zemin](https://amzn.to/47LRBsV) (China’s best-selling book in 2005 and in December 2022); and “[The Origin and Significance of Zero: An Interdisciplinary Perspective](https://amzn.to/4mbgvb4)” (with Peter Gobets). Dr. Kuhn is chairman of [The Kuhn Foundation](https://rlkuhn.com/r-l-kuhn-bio/the-kuhn-foundation/). He has a BA in Human Biology (Johns Hopkins), PhD in Anatomy/Brain Research (UCLA), and SM (MBA) in Management (MIT).

02/11/2026

For discussion of interview with Robert Ganung, see below: https://batgap.com/robert-ganung/

Dr. Robert Ganung, chaplain and teacher at Taft School, joins Rick to explore how deep contemplative practice can ground a life of service, justice, and education. Drawing from Celtic Christianity, Buddhism, Vedanta, and the civil rights tradition, Robert shares how daily meditation, interspiritual study, and a sense of the sacred in all beings inform his work with students and his view of a world in crisis yet ripe for awakening. They discuss non-duality and interconnection, inner practice as fuel for action, the impact of mystical experiences, near-death research, and living with love and courage amid social and planetary upheaval.

The Rev. Dr. Robert Ganung is an ordained minister, educator, and school chaplain whose life and work have been shaped by a deep engagement with both Eastern and Western spiritual traditions. He holds a doctorate from the Boston University School of Theology, where his dissertation explored how the mindfulness and meditation practices taught by the Vietnamese Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh can enrich and nourish the spiritual lives of Christians. That work grew out of years of personal practice and study, including retreats with Thich Nhat Hanh in the 1980s and 1990s, as well as a lifelong interest in contemplative spirituality.

For more than four decades, Dr. Ganung has served at the intersection of education, ministry, and social justice. He is currently Chaplain at The Taft School in Connecticut, where he also teaches philosophy, ethics, world religions, and global studies, and where he has brought an extraordinary range of voices into the community—among them Cornel West, Bill McKibben, Ibram X. Kendi, Angela Davis, Tibetan monks, and many others addressing spirituality, human rights, environmental justice, and the moral challenges of our time. Earlier in his career, he served as chaplain and teacher at Milton Academy, Punahou School in Hawai‘i, and Cardigan Mountain School. During these years, he also served as a minister in the United Methodist and United Church of Christ congregations in New England and Hawai‘i.

Dr. Ganung’s spiritual formation has been deeply influenced by the Christian mystical tradition—figures such as Howard Thurman, Bede Griffiths, [Richard Rohr](https://batgap.com/richard-rohr/), & John O’Donohue—as well as by Advaita Vedanta, Buddhism, and interfaith dialogue. Introduced to Hindu philosophy and Sufism as an undergraduate philosophy major at Boston University, he later engaged Siddha Yoga and Advaita teachings, while continuing to explore how contemplative practice leads naturally toward nonviolence, compassion, and justice in the world.

01/14/2026

For discussion of interview with George Thompson, see below: https://batgap.com/george-thompson/

Tai chi teacher and filmmaker George Thompson joins Rick to explore how Daoist practice, internal family systems, and a science-informed sense of cosmic awe can help heal anxiety, embody wisdom, and inspire compassionate action in a turbulent world. From training in China’s Wudang Mountains with Master Gu to developing his “Balance Is Possible” project and online Taoist Wellness school, George shares practical tools—movement, meditation, and parts work—for transforming shame, perfectionism, and burnout into grounded presence and joyful service. The conversation ranges from celibacy and Taoist ta**ra to climate grief, nonviolence, and the possibility of a global “phase transition” in consciousness.

George Thompson is a filmmaker, teacher, and founder of Balance is Possible!— a 15-person team on a mission to inspire balance for people and planet. His films and teachings have touched over 25 million people and he is supported by renowned changemakers including Dr. Jane Goodall, Louie Schwartzberg, Tara Brach, Stephen Fry and many more.

Drawing from years of deep study in the Wudang Mountains of China, George blends ancient wisdom with modern science, translating it into fun, practical tools for overcoming the challenges of modern life.

Once plagued by anxiety and a sense of disconnection, George’s journey led him from pain to purpose. With playful kindness, George helps people to do the same: to awaken their potential.

Interview recorded January 6, 2026.

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.