675. John Churchill

Buddha at the Gas Pump

Born in London, Dr. Churchill's interest in psycho-spiritual development, Integral theory, Contemplative studies, Western Esotericism, and Mahayana Buddhism began in his adolescence,. During this time, John received the esoteric Planetary Dharma transmissions that would in time unfold as his contribution to a planetary fourth turning teaching. Dr. Churchill spent 15 years training and teaching “Great Seal” meditation in an Indo-Tibetan Mahayana lineage under the mentorship of the late senior Western teacher, translator, respected author, and clinical psychologist Dr. Daniel P. Brown. He is also a founding member of the Integral Institute led by esteemed Transpersonal/Integral philosopher, Ken Wilber. John has received advanced training in: attachment therapy, hypnosis, positive psychology for peak performance, and the “Pointing Out” style of Mahamudra meditation. For the last 25 years, John has developed a a Fourth Turning Planetary Dharma practice which includes the somatically based contemplative practice path; Embodying the Open Ground, that integrates psychodynamic healing, adult development and meditation. John holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from William James College, and is a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Married to his partner, Nicole since 2000, they are Co-Founders of Samadhi Integral, and Co-Directors of Karuna Mandala. Book: Becoming Buddha: Buddhist Contemplative Psychology in a Western Context Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group Summary and transcript of this interview Interview recorded January 29, 2023. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:05:37 - The Different Dimensions of Mind and Cross-training the Mind 00:11:07 - The Path of the Bodhisattva 00:17:12 - Meeting the Needs of a Different Population 00:22:54 - Developing a Contemplative System in the West 00:27:53 - Examining Components and Creativity in Meditation Practices 00:33:32 - Understanding Different Types of Spiritual Practices 00:39:15 - Transcending Sacred Technologies Through Collaboration 00:44:40 - Allowing Our Natural Tendency to Unfold 00:50:08 - Describing the Experience of Brahman 00:55:41 - Gaia as a Multidimensional Being 01:01:41 - Perspectives and Metacognition 01:07:26 - Exploring the Fundamental Nature of Reality 01:12:26 - The Next Stage of Human Development 01:18:12 - Education and Spiritual Development 01:23:03 - Tiered Levels of Cognition and Development 01:28:02 - The Four-Year Contemplative Education 01:32:05 - The Plant Dimension 01:33:19 - The Sacred Tradition of Herbal Medicine 01:38:25 - Thoreau's Belief in Building Foundations 01:44:05 - A New Contemplative System with Psychedelics 01:49:43 - Legalization of Marijuana and Psilocybin 01:55:20 - Personal Experiences with the Law 02:00:07 - The Significance of a Skull Symbol 02:04:57 - Personal Connection and Future Meetup