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I speak to Diederik Wolsak, Program Director of Choose Again: a Canadian Registered Charitable Foundation which offers a variety of intensive, mind-training programs to enable clients to heal anxiety, addictions, depressions, dysfunctional relationships and other issues.

Diederik is a wonderful counsellor and therapist with years and years of experience, and has an amazing life story!

Our conversation revolves around 3 major themes (not entirely sequentially though!):

1. Diederik’s life and his journey
2. A Course in Miracles, and the role it plays in the work that he does – both in his Choose Again centres and for him personally
3. What happens in his retreat centres and circles, and how we can practice in our daily lives

01:39 Diederik introduces himself – starting with his childhood – his first 3 years in a Japanese concentration camp in Indonesia, moving to Australia and then Holland
05:10 I ask Diederik about playing sport (field hockey) at an international level
07:13 Diederik’s turning point – choosing against suicide, discovering A Course in Miracles, and becoming a counsellor
11:29 Drug addiction, and how the focus has shifted at Choose Again from crisis work to anybody who is asking for ‘a better way’
12:57 The root of addiction and all problems – the belief in separation
14:07 Feelings are essential to doing the work
14:35 Feelings, Needs and Non-Violent Communication (Marshall Rosenberg) and where Diederik sees the limitations of NVC
18:20 NVC already assumes we are bodies
19:47 A Course in Miracles – why he thinks it’s important and the role it plays in his work
22:14 “If I really get one lesson, I’m done”
23:15 Why do we think we’re victims?
25:35 Meditation and silent contemplation and its importance
27:05 The Course teaches a radical kind of forgiveness
29:03 What is “I”?
32:10 “Putting icing on shit”
33:10 The 6 step process that is used in the circles at the Choose Again centers
1. Recognising our upset
2. This is about ME
3. What I really feeling?
4. Is that feeling familiar?
5. Where did that feeling come from? What does it say about me?
6. Reconfirmation of Truth (“Forgive me for forgetting who I am”)
37:34 What happens in a circle?
1. A short spiritual passage, read by everyone in the group
2. Meditating on the reading
3. People speak about what personally stood out in the reading for them – what upsets were triggered
40:28 What is a feeling?
43:07 Beliefs, Feelings and Thoughts
46:08 The therapist and the patient are one: humanistic psychology, Carl Rogers, ACIM and Diederik’s approach
48:00 “There’s nothing wrong with you”
49:00 Being addicted to being a victim
49:56 “Its comfort is its guiding rule.” T-27.VIII.1
51:30 Do people have resistance to the Christian language of the Course at the center?
53:20 “The medium is not the message”
53:47 ACIM is a universal teaching
54:30 Some of Diederik’s recommended practices
56:38 Diederik’s workshops in Belgium, Holland and the Omega Institute (in New York)
57:45 Our stories are meaningless
59:06 “There are no small upsets” Lesson 5
59:38 Sticking to one path
1:01:00 Behaviour modification vs. Spiritual transformation
1:02:29 Is he ever going to write a book?
1:03:45 What is the link to the Holy Spirit for him?
1:08:00 Wrap up – final comments

Diederik’s Bio:

Diederik’s journey started in 1942 on the island of Java, Indonesia. He spent the first three years of his life in Japanese concentration camps. Many of his core beliefs were developed during that early, potentially traumatic phase. At age 8 he was sent to a foster home in Holland and by the time he rejoined his parents and brothers two years later he was filled with self-hatred and fear of the world around him. This self-hatred, fear and guilt translated into prolonged alcohol and drug abuse till finally at age 50 he reached that point where he realized that there had to be a better way or there would be no point in continuing. While his self-hatred drove him to be a successful businessman and international athlete, it allowed him little joy. Following the fork in the road where something had to change, Diederik entered upon a spiritual path of deep healing. This path eventually led to a fulfilling career as counselor in private practice.

Today, Diederik is the founder and program director of the Choose Again Attitudinal Healing Centre. He is the lead facilitator of both the Vancouver and Costa Rica arms of the organization. He is an international workshop leader, public speaker and relationship counselor with years of experience in group facilitation.

http://www.choose-again.com/
info@choose-again.com

More information on Diederik:
Diederik’s juicy interview with Lilou Mace: http://youtu.be/7ED6SWDBvQ0
Article by the Georgia Straight (a Vancouver weekly): http://bit.ly/HJwQda
At the EUROTAS conference: http://youtu.be/kJF0r_t1TzI
Studio 4 interview with Fanny Kiefer: http://youtu.be/RBtCevrGBvo

Diederik and Claudette’s workshop at the Omega Institute, 10-15 Jun 2012: http://bit.ly/IYEfVZ

Talks on ACIM Gather – Paltalk:

“What’s my Emotional Addiction?”

http://www.miraclescenter.us/wolsak2.htm

“Practical Application of ACIM for Therapy”

http://www.miraclescenter.us/wolsak.htm

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I speak to Nouk Sanchez, co-author of Take Me to Truth – a very influential book in my spiritual journey. I’m delighted to speak to Nouk – who is an inspiration to me and many others in so many ways.

In our long conversation, we cover:

01:24 Take Me to Truth is about “undoing the ego” – but what is the ego in the first place?
06:07 Tomas’ definition of the ego: “the will to suffer” and the associated concept undoing free will
07:26 ”My will and God’s are one.” – Lesson 74
08:15 A billion choices available in our life
10:00 ”The only true power we have, is the power to choose Spirit”
11:45 ”It doesn’t even show up on God’s radar!”
13:30 What is self-inquiry?
16:43 Ramana Maharshi’s “Who am I?”
17:20 Byron Katie’s “The Work”
19:14 Suffering is a gift to examine our blocks to Love
20:04 Nouk introduces a prayer
26:47 We talk about Tomas and Nouk’s individual upbringings, her relationship with Tomas, and why it was so significant to her in her learning
31:39 The vow that Tomas and Nouk made to each other in 1984
32:45 The Special Relationship: being obsessed with the form of relationships, while we ignore the content
34:39 Nouk talks about how Tomas and her were guided to let go of the form – their marriage – to save their relationship!
36:14 ”Tomas and I, through letting go of the marriage, ending up getting closer and closer and closer, to the point we became inseparable.”
37:15 Nouk’s breakdown / spiritual crisis after Tomas passed (the biggest one she’s had in her life), and how it was a catalyst for her for catapulting her into a perception of lasting Joy
38:10 Tomas’ passing was, like letting go of their marriage, just another change in form of their relationship!
39:20 Her new book coming out soon – “The End of Death”
40:16 How does she hear Tomas, now?
41:10 Distinguishing between Spirit and Tomas
42:03 “If you ever cheat on me…”: Nouk’s ultimatum to Tomas before they got married
Nouk tells the story of their relationship
54:53 Special Relationships and Death – two themes in Nouk and Tomas’ relationship
56:30 I ask Nouk about her new book “The End of Death” and one of the themes in it: physical miracles
1:01:44 What Nouk is being shown: Jesus’ teaching is to undo the central dream – the belief in death. We cannot believe in God, fully, unless we let go of our belief in death.
1:03:35 The concept of death in Eastern non-dualism
1:05:40 Nouk gives an wonderful analogy about all the different spiritual pathways of the world and the pathway that Jesus is teaching
1:10:26 Defining death
1:11:38 Tomas’ passing
1:13:46 What Nouk is experiencing now
1:14:30 What happens when we die? Death as the ego’s means to try to escape awakening in the dream body
1:16:30 The power of Christ undoing the laws of the ego
1:18:30 “There is nothing about me that you cannot attain. T-1.II.3.”
1:19:08 The Atonement
1:21:03 Laying the body aside without pain and suffering
1:26:14 “I am not this body!”
1:27:28 I ask Nouk about her upcoming workshops
1:32:55 “Was there a physical resurrection?” – Nouk talks abut the Special Messages to Helen from Jesus
1:37:20 Nouk’s final words for this interview

Take Me to Truth

US: http://amzn.to/Ho8gwR
UK: http://amzn.to/HmgXOL

Nouk’s Bio:

Australian born, NOUK SANCHEZ is co-author of the bestseller Take Me To Truth, along with her late partner Tomas Vieira. In 1984, after experiencing lives of lost loves and dysfunctional relationships, they decided to join in a commitment to experience real, indestructible love – a love that was eternal and that could never be threatened.

In 1990, after being introduced to A Course in Miracles, their journey saw them relinquish the dysfunctional ‘form’ of their relationship, being marriage, in order to restore the ‘content’, being love. They found that beneath layers of ego fear and past conditioning was Love that could never be threatened; not by anyone, or anything… not even death.

The result of the precious insights gained from their life-transforming experiences is the book they co-wrote: Take Me to Truth. Having finally started their real relationship after their divorce, they traveled the world teaching ACIM workshops until Tomas’ passing from cancer in 2010.

Tomas’ passing was a potent spiritual catalyst for Nouk. It allowed her to let go of yet another ‘form’ of her relationship with Tomas: this time being the physical body. It was an experience which caused her to rediscover the True nature of Love and to see through the illusion of death – ultimately catapulting her inwards into an experience of lasting Joy.

Since Tomas left form, Nouk has received staggeringly powerful spiritual insights into the true meaning of A Course in Miracles. She now teaches workshops based on these new-paradigm ACIM transmissions. For more information, please visit: http://www.undoing-the-ego.org

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It has been an amazingly challenging and rewarding journey for me. A big area of growth for me was (and still is) dealing with my self-doubt. Did I really have anything of value to say? At 27 years old, was I knowledgeable enough about ACIM to try to explain it? Did I really understand what ACIM was saying, at all? I’ve stagnated, self-agonized, and beat myself up in ways unimaginable. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve wanted to give up and do something else.

Since then, your feedback to me – be it in the form of private emails and messages, or comments left on ACIMExplained.com, Facebook or YouTube – has been overwhelmingly positive. Your encouragement has helped me to see that my work indeed has value. Your support has helped me to cross the ‘point of no return’ – I know deep down that teaching ACIM, and doing the work I do with ACIM Explained IS what I am meant to be doing with my life.

All real pleasure comes from doing God’s Will. This is because not doing it is a denial of Self. T-1.VII.1.

It’s very fulfilling and exciting to be interviewing ACIM teachers, and making content that I know will last for hundreds of years. The great thing about making content about ACIM is that it’s timeless. ACIM and Spirituality will always be relevant – in the year 2012, or in the year 2312.

Money is the other challenge for me. I’ve struggled with wanting to charge for videos / podcasts / articles or asking for donations because I have several limiting beliefs: that charging money for spiritual work is bad; that asking for donations is shameful and needy; and that it’s not possible to do what you love for a living. Not to mention that my ego is not a fan of being dependent on others.

That being said, it takes time, money and resources to build things online. Not to mention a lot of hard work.

I’ve always resonated deeply with the idea of “freely given, freely received”. Unconditional giving on both sides has always seemed to me a more enlightened mode of commerce. The Course tells us that “No one should be turned away because he cannot pay.” (P-3.III.6) What better way to ensure that by making all of my content donation-based? I can’t promise that for all of my work – but again – I’m sure willing to try! Making my content donation-based also keeps them free of annoying advertisements that detract from the message.

So this is what I’m saying: I will continue to deliver quality, freely-available content about ACIM, but to make it sustainable in the long-run – I do need your financial support. Supporting me helps me to make even better, more professional videos, interview more ACIM teachers, and reach a wider audience. I have big plans, and I’m not intending to give up anytime soon. If you’ve gotten something out of my videos, articles or interviews – do consider making a donation. The best way is to send it via Paypal to ken@acimexplained.com, by clicking on this link.  It doesn’t matter how big or small – I appreciate it all the same!

Beyond money, there are many other ways to support me. Share my videos and articles online. Link to ACIMExplained.com and my videos if you have a website. Click on my Amazon Affiliate links when you buy a book. (It doesn’t cost you anything extra) Send me feedback and suggestions on how to improve. I’m also looking for a web designer / SEO specialist to revamp the website, and for volunteers to transcribe interview material.

Thanks for taking time to read what I have to say. I deeply enjoy doing what I’m doing – and I’m looking forward to ramping it up to a whole new level with your financial support. Again, I appreciate your help in whatever, way, shape or form!

Much love

Ken

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I interview Bob Rosenthal – psychiatrist, psychotherapist, screenwriter, Board Member of the Foundation for Inner Peace and Author of “From Plagues to Miracles: The Transformational Journey of Exodus from the Slavery of ego to the Promised Land of Spirit”.

In our far-ranging conversation – we cover:

1:23 Bob introduces his background and how he came to write ‘From Plagues to Miracles’ – dating all the way back to his college freshman years in an introductory course on religion, where Bob developed a particular interest in the Jewish festival of Passover
3:27 Bob talks about discovering A Course in Miracles when he was 20 (Judy Skutch’s son happened to be Bob’s college roommate!)
4:50 Passover and the story of Exodus – the main theme and metaphor in ‘From Plagues to Miracles’
10:05 Personal accounts of Bob’s patients / clients contained in the book
16:13 ‘Truth is stranger than Fiction!’
16:44 We talk about Bob’s decision to go into psychotherapy and psychiatry as opposed to his other passion of writing
21:18 Bob’s personal story and his close personal relationships to Judy Skutch and Bill Thetford
22:12 How ‘From Plagues to Miracles’ uses and quotes different traditions and teachings, not just ACIM
26:10 Bob shares a story from Adyashanti to highlight the importance of actually doing the spiritual work as opposed to just theorising / intellectualising
26:51 Bob talks about Bill Thetford, who Bob considered a personal mentor
28:20 The Foundation for Inner Peace – what it is, what they do, some history and their role in shepherding the Course in the early years
31:15 The copyright issue with the Course, the Urtext, and parallels to the development / distortion of the Bible
33:20 The Foundation for A Course in Miracles and Kenneth Wapnick
37:40 Helen’s channelling / dictation process, and the influence on the Course material
38:04 Why material about sex in the Urtext is not found in the later editions of the Course
38:30 Psychoanalytic terms in the Course
39:00 Bob makes parallels to the process of Helen’s fine tuning to Jesus with the development of the early Abraham-Hicks material
39:38 Bob’s opinion on the Course as a psychotherapist / psychiatry
41:16 Psychology as study of the mind; Freud’s original concept of the “das Ich” (“the I”), pre-latinisation; Psychology as an attempt to answer the question “Who am I?”
43:04 The difference between Western Religion and Eastern Religion
45:45 “Are changes required in the life situation of God’s Teachers? M-9.1″
47:58 What is Denial? Bob shares some personal examples to illustrate these psychological concepts
51:15 What is Projection?
54:20 “Every defence mechanism introduces a distortion in Truth” – Bill Thetford
57:34 Final comments and when is the book coming out? (1 April)

Bob’s Bio:

Bob Rosenthal, M.D. is a board-certified psychiatrist in half-time private practice. He was awarded his B.A. magna cum laude with Distinction in English Literature from Yale College in 1977 and earned his M.D. from Hahnemann University (now part of Drexel) in Philadelphia in 1981 with honors in Mental Health Sciences. He was also awarded the Van Buren O. Hammet Award for Excellence in Psychiatry. He completed his psychiatric residency at Hahnemann in 1985, served as Chief Resident, and was appointed Assistant Clinical Professor of Mental Health Sciences (1987 to 1991). He served as psychiatric liaison to the Department of Neurosurgery pain program and trained psychiatric residents in psychotherapy and hypnosis. He also held the rank of Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the U.C. San Francisco School of Medicine (1992 to 1995), where he taught medical residents.

Dr. Rosenthal has been a student and teacher of A Course in Miracles since he was first introduced to it, before its publication in 1975. He met its scribes, Helen Schucman and Bill Thetford, and remained a close friend of Bill’s for many years up until his death in 1988. Dr. Rosenthal has served on the board of the Foundation for Inner Peace, publisher of the Course, for almost 20 years. He is also a novelist and screenwriter (see IMDb.com). From Plagues to Miracles is his first work of non-fiction.

http://www.fromplaguestomiracles.com/

From Plagues to Miracles – Book Blurb

We have all known bondage in one form or another, we have all suffered plagues, and we all want to be free. In this sense, the biblical book of Exodus is not just the story of Moses leading the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt 3,000 years ago. . . . It is very much our story, too. The conflict between Moses and Pharaoh is our conflict-an inner struggle played out every day in our own hearts and minds.

In From Plagues to Miracles, psychiatrist Bob Rosenthal offers a remarkable new understanding of Exodus in which Moses and Pharaoh represent dueling aspects of the human mind. Forget what you learned in Sunday school. Under Dr. Rosenthal’s keen interpretive lens, Exodus reveals itself as a travel guide for the spiritual seeker; and a road map for navigating the different stages of the spiritual journey-the rough terrain that stands between us and a direct, abiding relationship with Spirit.

We have all known bondage in one form or another, we have all suffered plagues, and we all want to be free. In this sense, the biblical book of Exodus is not just the story of Moses leading the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt 3,000 years ago. It is very much our story too. The conflict between Moses and Pharaoh is our conflict—an inner struggle played out every day in our own hearts and minds.

Amazon UK Paperback http://amzn.to/wwdBQX
Amazon UK Kindle http://amzn.to/wp9wyK
Amazon US Paperback http://amzn.to/yLHmqX
Amazon US Kindle http://amzn.to/xOC4yH

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I interview Efrat Sar-Shalom Hanegbi – one of the translation team members for the Hebrew version of A Course in Miracles, co-founder of Zman Midbar (a spiritual retreat center in the Negev desert in Israel) and editor of Peace – the first book to feature quotes from ACIM in Arabic!

Some topics we cover:

- How Efrat discovered A Course in Miracles and her story / spiritual journey prior (2:08)
- How ACIM came to Israel in the 80s, and her meeting Avi Yasur, Ruth Yasur and Phyllis Schlemmer (6:51)
- Her Jewish background, and if it conflicted with ACIM (13:35)
- The figure of Jesus / Y’shua and some history of the area 2000 years ago (15:34)
- Her favourite chapter in ACIM, and why (20:55)
- Jewish people and the Course (24:10)
- Has she read The Disappearance of the Universe (by Gary Renard)? (25:32)
- We talk about the Desert and its significance (25:55)
- The work they do at Zman Midbar, the spiritual retreat center Efrat and her husband Seffi founded (30:42)
- Her work with women’s groups / conflict resolution between Muslims and Jews, Palestinians and Israelis
- The Peace Book (33:50)
- How some quotes from ACIM got translated into Arabic
- What the translation process was like for her (over 12 years!) (35:00)
- What’s communication with the Holy Spirit like for her
- Final comments and comments on ACIM students in Israel (41:37)

Efrat’s bio:

Efrat Sar-Shalom Hanegbi is a spiritual leader and instructor who gives lectures and classes about subjects such as: living together in peace and tolerance. Efrat has hosted prayers for peace worldwide and is a member of the Forum for Peace.

Together with her husband, Seffi Hanegbi, they founded “Zman Midbar“; a spiritual ecological site for peace, located in the Judean desert, Israel. She is a senior teacher of ACIM, a poet, and a singer. Efrat runs courses and workshops about “A Course in Miracles“.

Efrat Sar-Shalom Hanegbi was part of the team that translated ACIM into Hebrew, as well as “The Song of Prayer” and “Psychotherapy”. Her credentials include: Head of the healing courses at Reedman College, Chairman of the Ness Shalom Association, a founder of the “Zman Shalom”, peace organization that empowers Bedouins teachers in the Negev, Israel.

Efrat is an author of numerous articles dealing with spirituality and politics. She is about to published her book “Hagar”. She has over 20 years teaching experience, thousands of students and is a guest speaker at peace conventions worldwide.

Efrat’s website (in Hebrew):
http://www.efratsarshalom.com

The Peace Book:
http://peace-salaam-shalom.com/

Zman Midbar eco-spirit-lodge:
http://zmanmidbar.net/home

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/efratsarshalom2

A clip of Efrat teaching (in Hebrew):

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I speak to Dr. Jon Mundy, a well-known Teacher and Author in the ACIM community! Jon has been the editor of Miracles Magazine, the longest running ACIM magazine / newsletter, since 1985. Jon is an expert on comparative religion and philosophy, and taught university courses in philosophy and religion from 1967 to 2009. He is also the author of several books: including “Missouri Mystic”, “What is Mysticism?”, and the recently published “Living A Course in Miracles”.

We talk about Mysticism and A Course in Miracles:

- What is Mysticism?
- Some of Jon’s mystical experiences
- How ACIM and other spiritual paths seek to connect us to the pure non-dual state

We then move on to

- His personal experiences growing up in a farm in Missouri
- As a spiritual seeker in India, and meeting gurus such as Muktanada and Rajneesh (Osho)
- His personal experiences knowing Marianne Williamson and Helen Schucman years ago!
- Jon’s alter(ed) ego, the stand up philosopher-comedian Dr. Baba Jon Mundane
- His advice for new ACIM students

Jon’s website:
http://miraclesmagazine.org/

Living A Course in Miracles
Amazon US http://amzn.to/wajJMo
Amazon UK http://amzn.to/w9JxBc

Missouri Mystic (A honest, enthralling read – I finished it in 2 sittings )
Amazon US http://amzn.to/wLVoxV
Amazon UK http://amzn.to/yxr3Xj

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Amazing soundtrack, amazing footage, amazing pairing!

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I speak to Michael Murray, ACIM Teacher, workshop leader and facilitator for the newly created ACIM Ireland! Michael has had some pretty phenomenal experiences – including 4 near-death experiences and a series of profound spiritual awakenings. We talk about

- His near-death experiences
- His out-of body experiences before his spiritual awakening in 2008
- ‘Rungs down the ladder’ – Dreams within dreams within dreams within dreams
- His journey and purpose in this lifetime
- How ACIM ties in with his experiences
- The relevance of lucid dreaming, out-of-body experiences, astral projection and near-death experiences with A Course in Miracles.
- The Ireland National Conference in 26-27th May 2012, where Gary Renard and I will be speaking!

Michael’s Bio:

Michael.bc.Murray was born in 1964 in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, Ireland. He is the youngest of eleven children, with six sisters and four brothers. Michael attended woodlands national primary school from 1969-1976. In 1977 attended St Eunan’s College in Letterkenny until 1981.

In 1971 aged seven, Michael had his first near-death experience; he was rushed to hospital with internal bleeding. An aspirin had burned a hole through his stomach wall into his spleen. He had been bleeding to death internally for two days. He lost so much blood that it was a miracle he was even alive at that stage. He had an out of body experience while unconscious in the operating theatre. For the next five years Michael underwent several major operations.

In 1981 aged seventeen Michael had a second near-death experience. He fell thirty feet onto a concrete floor head first. His skull was smashed open, at the second of impact he recalls he again had an out of body experience, which lasted some time. For five years after this event, Michael endured countless out of body experiences including astral travel. This for him at the time was a very frightening experience.

His third near-death experience happened while on holiday in Ibiza with a group of friends in 1996, Michael aged thirty two drowned in a swimming pool accident. He has described this experience as one of the most tranquil and peaceful experiences he has ever had. Again while he was under the water he had an out of body experience.

His fourth near-death experience happened on the 22nd of December 1999; Michael again was rushed to hospital. He just had his Femoral Artery severed in an accident. He lost several pints of blood, and it was a miracle he survived. While in the operating theatre he had another out of body experience.

All of his out of body experiences were the exact same. He found himself in a long corridor with a circular door at the end. This door looked like a circle of gleaming light. Each time as he approached the circle of light he became afraid and returned, and found himself back in his body.

On 29th September 2008 Michael had a very profound Spiritual Awakening. This event centred on another out of body experience. But this time no trauma was involved. Michael describes this event like an audience with God. It was Divine in nature, and he said “no words can describe the feelings of that experience”. It felt like he was in Heaven. This event totally transformed his life almost immediately.

Within three months of this first experience, Michael had a second experience, similar to the first, this time it was witnessed by a friend of his. This second experience was much more profound than the first. He had another out of body experience with what he calls “The Divine Realm of Consciousness”. He has had many visions of Archetypes, symbols, and has travelled in many different Consciousness realms. He says “What we experience both in and out of body is a system of separate consciousness levels”.

Within days of this experience in March 2009, his best friend bought him a copy of the book A Course In Miracles. Michael read this book in a few short weeks, and straight away had the most profound deep understanding of what it says its meaning and most importantly, his new found vision as described in the book. So much so that he started to organise groups in his home town, and further afield. He began giving workshops, seminars and talks on the spirituality that is A Course In Miracles.

Creativity exploded in to Michael’s mind after these events. He began to explore and write down all of his visions, discoveries, and symbols. He designed and created his own website called www.acim.ie. He enrolled in a creative writing class and then began writing and wrote his first book, which is currently with Hay House publishers. He enrolled in a photography class and took up photography. His stunning photos have been published in several magazines, calendars and newspapers.

In 2011 Michael began the process of establishing the awareness of A Course In Miracles throughout Ireland. Michael believes that this book and its teachings have the most incredible power of healing. He believes that its power can heal addiction, alcoholism and any form of depression. Michael knows this because for several years he fought these very three profound illnesses. He has also met countless people who have been cured of cancer through the power that is A Course In Miracles.

In July 2011 he held his first National Seminar on Acim, and by October last year he had Jon Mundy a teacher of Acim over from New York to hold workshops in Letterkenny and Dublin. This year 2012, Michael has organised the very first ever National Conference of A Course In Miracles in Ireland. Gary Renard will be the main special guest speaker, along with several other speakers from all over Ireland. This event will take place in Dublin on 25th – 27th May.

http://acim.ie/

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http://www.vigli.org/FINANCIAL_TYRANNY_Defeating_the-Greatest_Cover-Up_of_All_Time_David-Wilcock_Feb-13-2012.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqXAOPhTIxU

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2102800/Fake-bonds-bank-vault-Italian-police-seize-6-TRILLION.html

http://youtu.be/AMccY_xXfCg

http://benjaminfulford.net/

http://www.treeofthegoldenlight.com/First_Contact/mike_quinsey/channeled%20messages/February2012/salusa__24february2012.htm

http://the2012scenario.com/2012/02/accountability-hold-on-to-your-hats-the-dominoes-are-falling-and-falling-and-falling-2/

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One of my favourite interviews so far – I speak to Carrie Triffet, Author of “Long Time No See” and “The Enlightenment Project”. “Long Time No See” is a funny, heartfelt, well-written book and I read it in 3 sittings! (My book review here: http://acimexplained.com/book-review-long-time-no-see/) In our far-ranging conversation, we cover:

- Carrie’s spiritual path, briefly, from growing up in a “suburban-orthodox” Jewish family, to Nichiren Buddhism, to A Course in Miracles.
- What communication with Spirit is like for Carrie, and how it is evolving
- Was Buddhism a stepping-stone for Carrie into A Course in Miracles?
- What the writing process is like for Carrie
- The Law of Attraction and ACIM
- Is there a third book in the works?
- Upcoming events with Carrie: A joint workshop with Nouk Sanchez, Stacy Sully in the Bavarian Alps (I’m envious as I type this ) to be held in April 2012, and her appearance at the UK ACIM Conference, also in April 2012.
- And much more!

Long Time No See: Diaries of an Unlikely Messenger
Amazon US Paperback http://amzn.to/xs3Mrg
Amazon US Kindle http://amzn.to/AoYNtx
Amazon UK Paperback http://amzn.to/zCgvLE
Amazon UK Kindle http://amzn.to/zQ1tyi

The Enlightenment Project
Amazon US Paperback http://amzn.to/y13OAm
Amazon US Kindle http://amzn.to/y51HsP
Amazon UK Paperback http://amzn.to/zk1uKW
Amazon UK Kindle http://amzn.to/yg5yjA

Carrie’s Bio:

From a young age, Carrie Triffet seemed to experience the world very differently from the people around her. She was told she was “an open window between worlds.” She didn’t know what that meant back then – she only knew time and space played tricks on her, and otherworldly “ghosts” were her nightly companions. These things frightened her deeply, so she did her best to block out all evidence of a world beyond the five senses.

Embracing Buddhist practice in her twenties, Carrie gradually became a devout spiritual practitioner. Yet it wasn’t until a couple of decades years later, after a powerful awakening in 2005, that Carrie began to understand just how profoundly different her experience really was…and what her life’s purpose was meant to be.

Carrie Triffet hears the Voice of Spirit. She is the author of LONG TIME NO SEE – Diaries of an unlikely messenger, and THE ENLIGHTENMENT PROJECT. Carrie sports a dazzling array of flaws and vices, none of which seem to dampen her single-minded desire for enlightenment.

http://www.carrietriffet.com/

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In October last year, in the midst of writing the article about the history of the Course, I came across the first public article written about ACIM, ‘Simple, Dumb, Boring Truths and A Course in Miracles’, published in New Realities magazine in 1977 by Brian Van der Horst. In the course of my research, I came across Brian’s website – and I was intrigued by his far ranging interests and expertise in seemingly diverse areas: journalism, marketing, the New Age and consciousness, marine biology, NLP, Ken Wilber’s integral theory, and even being an ex-staff writer for Playboy!

It was also very interesting that he lived in Paris – it just so happened that I was due to be in Paris for a week that month. It was simply too much of a coincidence, and a wonderful opportunity to hear about some Course history first-hand, so I contacted him to see if he would like to do an interview.

What is fascinating for me – being a young man – is hearing about the New Age / spiritual / consciousness exploration movement that took place in the 70s and 80s, especially in the US and in Europe, with all of the things associated with it – the Beatles, Rock and Roll, the Harmonic Convergence, Hippies, etc. I can only imagine what an immense period of change it was – politically, socially, and culturally.

This interview took place at Brian’s home in the outskirts of Paris, in October 2010.

Transcription here

Brian’s bio:

Brian Van der Horst has been an executive coach and consultant since 1977, and an NLP trainer and psychotherapist since 1984 when he began to live and work in Europe, based in Paris where he founded The Integral Perspectives Group Repère, an international NLP training institute, with two French consultants, designing and teaching practitioner and master practitioner certification programs for more than 10,000 people world-wide. In 1994, he founded a coaching school, and has certified around 300 coaches.

A founding member and Chief Facilitator, Europe, for Ken Wilber’s Integral Institute. In the past few years, he has held positions such as Director, Program Development for Renaissance2, and Associate Director for Dirigeants and Partenaires, in Paris. Previously he was director of the Neuro-Linguistic Programming Center for Advanced Studies in San Francisco, an international NLP training institute, designing and teaching practitioner and master practitioner certification programs, and specializing in NLP applications for business, psycho-neuro-immunology, and intercultural communication, Before that he was a consultant with Stanford Research Institute in the Values and Lifestyles Program of the Strategic Environments Group.

Van der Horst has taught at John F. Kennedy University in Orinda, California; The University of California in Sonoma; the University of Paris XIV, and XIII; and Apple University, France; and has given seminars in NLP and intercultural communication for MBA students at the Sorbonne, the International Management Institute , in Paris, and at the Institut d’Administration des Enterprises in Aix-en-Provence. He has also given leadership, team-building, and long-term management training seminars in Moscow, Sao Paulo, Hong Kong, and Indonesia; along with 10 countries in the European Community.

He has worked in journalism as an editor for New Realities, Practical Psychology, Playboy, and The Village Voice. The author of the books, Folk Music in America, Rock Music, and The Outcome Strategy; and over 1,000 magazine and newspaper articles, he has also been an acquisitions editor for J.P. Tarcher Books, Houghton-Mifflin, and hosted a television program in San Francisco. He currently writes for Intelligence, a newsletter on neuro-computing, and Integral Leadership Review.

Before this time, Van der Horst was originally trained in marine biology, but shortly after attending Duke University, worked in the entertainment industry for 10 years, serving as Vice-President of the Cannon Group, and as Director of Advertising and Publicity for Atlantic Records. Van der Horst has been listed in Who’s Who in the World since 1994, and Who’s Who in America since 2007.

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I speak to Carol Howe, author of ‘Never Forget to Laugh’ – THE biography of Bill Thetford, co-scribe of A Course in Miracles. Carol is a truly multi-faceted teacher, and lends her past experience in Engineering and Design to the way she teaches A Course in Miracles – using large 3-dimensional teaching models! Each unique model helps to clarify a major message of the Course, making it accessible and practical.

The ego model

The relationship model

The forgiveness model

More information about Carol’s soon to be released DVD series:

http://seehowlifeworks.com/
https://www.facebook.com/seehowlifeworks

Buy ‘Never Forget to Laugh’:
UK Kindle http://amzn.to/yruYrK
US Kindle http://amzn.to/yyNLWl
US Paperback http://amzn.to/zgUnkZ

Carol’s Bio

Carol M. Howe, author, counselor, and student/teacher of A Course In Miracles since 1977, is noted for her exceptional ability to make Course principles come alive with power and relevance, and her presentations continue to inspire and uplift those who seek for peace of mind, both at home and abroad.

Known for her affirming warmth and compassionate sense of humor, Carol brings a rich combination of skill and experience to her present work and is eminently qualified to offer guidance and reassurance in all areas of daily living. A common element in her varied career path has been “trouble-shooting,” helping others perceive the real problem and assisting in implementing an effective solution — guaranteed to bring positive results for those willing to change their minds. As an exceptionally articulate and gifted speaker, she is able to convey both principle and example concisely and clearly.

In addition to thirty years of teaching and counseling in the psycho-spiritual field, Carol holds a BA in mathematics, taught secondary school mathematics, served as a systems engineer for IBM, engaged in years of project and event management, and co-founded attitudinal healing centers in Denver, CO and Winter Park, FL. Worked with Jerry Jampolsky. She is the author of three books: Never Forget To Laugh: Personal Recollections of Bill Thetford, Co-scribe of A Course In Miracles, Healing the Hurt Behind Addictions and Compulsive Behaviors(English and Russian), Homeward To An Open Door: Exploring Major Principles of A Course In Miracles, the pamphlet, Emergency Procedures for Regaining Peace of Mind (English and Spanish) and co-editor with Dr. Jerry Jampolsky of Children As Teachers Of Peace.

Additionally, Carol designed and holds copyrights on seven three-dimensional interactive teaching models used as props in workshops that aid in revealing with unparalleled clarity the source of all distress and the promise of peace and healing set forth in A Course In Miracles.

Carol’s websites:

http://www.carolhowe.com/
http://www.neverforgettolaugh.com/
http://seehowlifeworks.com/

This is the previous interview with her on ACIM Explained Radio:

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I speak to Gary Renard, author of the best-selling ‘The Disappearance of the Universe’ and ‘Your Immortal Reality’, 2 mind-blowingly outstanding books. Never before has ACIM been explained in such a clear, accessible way!

We start with this question, ‘What is the Nature of God?’

- What is a non-dual God like?
- How is God portrayed in the Bible, and why this Biblical God is so different from a non-dual God?

Gary later goes on to talk about
- Key themes in A Course in Miracles
- The ego
- Waking up from the dream
- The Holy Spirit, and what is the Holy Spirit?
- How do we know if it’s the Holy Spirit or the ego?

We also talk about Gary’s long-awaited third book coming out in the Fall this year (2012), and his upcoming TV series! Gary also talks about some of the ‘slow burn’ events taking place in his life, and his forgiveness opportunities.

Also check out my book review of The Disappearance of the Universe

The Disappearance of the Universe by Gary Renard
Amazon UK http://amzn.to/AAe4AX
Amazon US http://amzn.to/A9tdXP

Your Immortal Reality
Amazon US http://amzn.to/x61anA
Amazon UK http://amzn.to/wYqw7S

Gary’s Website
http://www.garyrenard.com/

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- What is a special relationship?
- What’s the difference between special love and special hate, and the dynamics behind it
- Can we have a special relationship with objects?
- Tantra and Holy Relationship – any links there?
- Codependency and Special Relationships
- How do we deal with codependency?
- The relationship of special love as found in a spiritual guru/idol figure
- Romantic relationships: With special love and special hate in mind – does it make it easier have a relationship with someone else who is into the same concepts? eg. Having a Holy relationship
- Polyamory and Monogamy
- Some of Phil’s personal experiences (Being part of an Osho community, his personal relationships past and present)

special relationships:
(Definition taken from http://www.facim.org/acim/glossary.htm, The Foundation for A Course in Miracles)

relationships onto which we project guilt, substituting them for love and our true relationship with God; the defenses that reinforce belief in the scarcity principle while appearing to be undoing it — doing what they would defend against — for special relationships attempt to fill up the perceived lack in ourselves by taking from others who are inevitably seen as separate, thereby reinforcing a guilt that ultimately comes from our believed separation from God: the thought of attack that is the original source of our sense of lack; all relationships in this world begin as special since they begin with the perception of separation and differences, which must then be corrected by the Holy Spirit through forgiveness, making the relationship holy; specialness has two forms: special hate justifies the projection of guilt by attack; special love conceals the attack within the illusion of love, where we believe our special needs are met by special people with special attributes, for which we love them: in this sense, special love is roughly equivalent to dependency, which breeds contempt or hatred.

Phil’s Bio:

Phil Mistlberger is many things; a lifelong wisdom-seeker (and finder), therapist, guide, founder of communities and schools of transformation, author, artist, meditator, magician, martial artist, historian, collector of Oriental art, chess aficionado, owner of a substantial library on the wisdom traditions, and world traveler.

He was born in Montreal, Canada, in 1959, and was educated at Champlain College and John Abbott College (physics and mathematics), Concordia University (English literature, theology, and psychology), and McGill University (geology). After the standard “seeker’s disenchantment” with conventional education — which in his case involved bouncing between many disciplines — he embarked on an exhaustive path of investigating the metaphysical, esoteric, and transformational schools of thought, combined with extensive forays into altered states of consciousness, such as lucid dream work and the OOBE state, followed by time in the Gurdjieff Work and Primal Therapy. In early 1983 he was initiated as a disciple of the radical Indian mystic Osho (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh). During those early years he worked a variety of jobs to support myself: in a meat-packing plant, in a bakery, drove a forklift in a warehouse, was a treeplanter in the forests of northern Ontario, a pollster, a fundraiser, etc. He traveled to Asia while in my mid-20s, wandering for months through India, Nepal, and the Tibetan plateau, staying variously in Buddhist monasteries and Indian ashrams. After returning to Canada he graduated from a transpersonal therapist’s training program in 1988, and since then have worked as a transformational therapist and workshop facilitator. He has had a number of spiritual influences, studying and practicing in many traditions, including the Gurdjieff Work, the Western esoteric tradition, Gnosticism, Kabbalah, A Course in Miracles, a decade as a disciple of the Indian mystic Osho, many forms of depth psychology and therapy, and most major Eastern pathways, including Tantra, Zen, Tibetan and Theravadin Buddhism, and Advaita.

http://www.ptmistlberger.com/

Phil’s books:

The Three Dangerous Magi
US Paperback http://amzn.to/xX4P5g
US Kindle http://amzn.to/xqqT6V
UK Paperback http://amzn.to/zjxqJV
UK Kindle http://amzn.to/wtOwk2

Rude Awakening
US Paperback http://amzn.to/z2CuGU
UK Paperback http://amzn.to/zHJGml

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Some themes in the show:

- What was Bill like?
- Some of Bill’s academic accomplishments as an eminent psychologist
- Demystifying what Bill did and didn’t do whilst working with the CIA, and being unknowingly involved with the Manhattan Project
- The shifts in his life – moving from New York to California
- Bill’s relationship with Helen
- Bill’s teaching style – his being a silent teacher and one of great humility
- Bill’s past lives!
- Other interesting psychic phenomena involving Bill
- A first-hand account of Bill’s final days and why Carol, amongst others, thinks that Bill actually finished the Course

Buy the book:

UK Kindle http://amzn.to/yruYrK
US Kindle http://amzn.to/yyNLWl
US Paperback http://amzn.to/zgUnkZ

Carol’s Bio

Carol M. Howe, author, counselor, and student/teacher of A Course In Miracles since 1977, is noted for her exceptional ability to make Course principles come alive with power and relevance, and her presentations continue to inspire and uplift those who seek for peace of mind, both at home and abroad.

Known for her affirming warmth and compassionate sense of humor, Carol brings a rich combination of skill and experience to her present work and is eminently qualified to offer guidance and reassurance in all areas of daily living. A common element in her varied career path has been “trouble-shooting,” helping others perceive the real problem and assisting in implementing an effective solution — guaranteed to bring positive results for those willing to change their minds. As an exceptionally articulate and gifted speaker, she is able to convey both principle and example concisely and clearly.

In addition to thirty years of teaching and counseling in the psycho-spiritual field, Carol holds a BA in mathematics, taught secondary school mathematics, served as a systems engineer for IBM, engaged in years of project and event management, and co-founded attitudinal healing centers in Denver, CO and Winter Park, FL. Worked with Jerry Jampolsky. She is the author of three books: Never Forget To Laugh: Personal Recollections of Bill Thetford, Co-scribe of A Course In Miracles, Healing the Hurt Behind Addictions and Compulsive Behaviors(English and Russian), Homeward To An Open Door: Exploring Major Principles of A Course In Miracles, the pamphlet, Emergency Procedures for Regaining Peace of Mind (English and Spanish) and co-editor with Dr. Jerry Jampolsky of Children As Teachers Of Peace.

Additionally, Carol designed and holds copyrights on seven three-dimensional interactive teaching models used as props in workshops that aid in revealing with unparalleled clarity the source of all distress and the promise of peace and healing set forth in A Course In Miracles.

Carol’s websites:

http://www.carolhowe.com/
http://www.neverforgettolaugh.com/

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The Disappearance of the Universe
http://amzn.to/weX27u

Your Immortal Reality
http://amzn.to/wg9cCj

About Gary Renard

Gary Renard, the best-selling author of The Disappearance of the Universe and Your Immortal Reality, was born on the historic North Shore of Massachusetts. He became a successful professional guitar player, but during the harmonic convergence of 1987, he heard a Calling and began to take his life in a different direction. At the beginning of the 1990′s, he moved to Maine, where he underwent a powerful spiritual awakening. As instructed, he slowly and carefully wrote Disappearance over a period of nine years. In the fall of 2003, after much encouragement from other speakers and students, Gary began to present talks and workshops in public. His speaking career took off remarkably fast, and today he lectures internationally.

Combining a disarming sense of humor with radical, cutting-edge metaphysical information and experiential exercises, this acclaimed teacher of A Course in Miracles has been described as one of the most interesting and courageous spiritual speakers in the world. Over the past seven years, he has spoken in 43 states, 23 countries, and was the keynote speaker at the International A Course in Miracles Conferences in Salt Lake City and San Francisco. Gary is also the most recent recipient of the Infinity Foundation Spirit Award. The award is given to a person who has made a meaningful contribution to personal and spiritual growth. Past recipients include Dan Millman, Ram Dass, Gary Zukav, James Redfield, Byron Katie, and Neale Donald Walsch.

Interviewed on Miracle Hour, by John Campbell
http://www.greatvine.com/john-campbell
http://www.londonspeakerbureau.com/speaker-profiles/john-campbell?PHPSESSID=2…
24 June 2008

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Heather’s Biography:

At age 5 my spiritual journey began as a member of the Baha’I Faith. This wonderful Faith offered me insights in my youth by encouraging me to open my eyes to world structure and the many different ways that people live. The Oneness of God, mankind and religion being the primary teachings of the Baha’I Faith, influenced me in the best possible way to recognize that we are all one and equal no matter what path one chooses to walk. This Faith enabled me to look below the surface of life with all its madness to find the core of this Ultimate Oneness.

As a teenager my personal struggles surfaced. Lacking self-esteem, security and direction I experienced depression. At 17 I was introduced to the mystical Christian teaching of The Course in Miracles. The curriculum teaches us to heal our own mind first and then to become a Light Unto the World. It taught me I was innocent, even with my human mistakes. It gave me peace during the many trials of everyday life. It reminded me to teach only love for that is what I am.

15 years later having traveled many bumpy roads, I am still a student who also serves as a facilitator of ACIM Study Group. Having worked with the Miracle Network Organization I’ve experienced many wonderful opportunities to assist in spiritual workshops and conferences held in London.

With a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing, and many years of personal development courses, I entered the Interfaith Seminary during the autumn of 2005. As an ordained Interfaith Minister and Spiritual Counselor, I feel I am able to understand and honor wholeness in myself and others.

http://www.heatherpozzo.com

Interviewed on Miracle Hour, by John Campbell
http://www.greatvine.com/john-campbell
http://www.londonspeakerbureau.com/speaker-profiles/john-campbell?PHPSESSID=2…
27 May 2008

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We talk about a BIG topic: ***Enlightenment***

On the show, I ask him:

- What is Enlightenment?
- Is Enlightenment a process or an instantaneous thing?
- Is having Enlightenment as a goal an obstacle in itself?
- How did he come across the Course?
- We talk a little about Carl Rogers (the father of humanistic psychology and whom Bill Thetford had also worked with) and Tara Singh (an ACIM teacher with Eastern roots)
- We talk about the 2 guidelines in his retreat centers: 1) No private thoughts 2) No people pleasing
- His emphasis and use of movies as a teaching device, as in his book “Movie Watcher’s Guide to Enlightenment” (http://global-miracles.net/library/PDF/moviewatchers.pdf)
- Finally, his advice for new ACIM students

David’s Bio:

In the early part of his life, David was inspired to seek spiritual Enlightenment. He was a “professional student” for 10 years at University of Cincinatti, where he majored in Urban planinng. In 1986, at the age of 28 years old, he encountered A Course in Miracles at a humanistic psychology conference. He recognized the Course as the tool he sought to help him transform his mind. David studied the Course very intensely for 2 years, reading for eight or more hours a day. As he read it, David found that he formed a very close connection to an inner voice – which he identified, answering his every question, and guiding him in the day-to-day management of his life and relationships.

In 1991 David was guided to travel around the United States and Canada to share his understanding of A Course in Miracles. He followed Jesus’ instructions to “become as a child,” depending completely on the Holy Spirit for transportation, money, shelter, food and the words he spoke.

David has traveled extensively for over 26 years in 28 countries, teaching ACIM, Love and Peace wherever he goes. Donations and love offerings make the travels free and online resources available to tens of thousands of people.

David’s websites:

http://acim.cc/

http://global-miracles.net/

“Awakening Through A Course in Miracles”, David Hoffmeister
http://global-miracles.net/library/awakening_through_a_course_in_miracles.docm

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