Ep61: Devolving The Self - Dr Ian Wickramasekera
In this episode I am joined by Dr. Ian Wickramasekera, Bön Buddhist practitioner and associate professor of Mindfulness Based Transpersonal Counseling at Naropa University.
We discuss how a violent, childhood near-death experience propelled Ian onto the path of meditative exploration, and how psychedelics played a part in unraveling deep seated racial conditioning.
We learn how early encounters with Glenn Mullin and Robin Kornman profoundly shaped Ian’s contemplative and academic trajectories.
Ian recounts his first meditation retreats with the Shambala organisation, his opinion of the Sakyong, and why he left that lineage.
Ian also explores dualistic and non dualistic epistemologies, the intersection of psychology and religion, and his academic work in the field of hypnosis.
Audio version of this podcast also available on iTunes and Stitcher – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
Topics Include
0:00 – Intro
0:53 – Childhood mystical experiences
4:18 – Violent near-death experience as a child
10:08 – Ian’s love for Catholic ritual and prayer
16:30 – Ian’s relationship with his Sri Lankan father
19:17 – Early racial conditioning and experiments with LSD
27:00 – First encounter with Tibetan Buddhism
31:27 – Ian discusses Glenn Mullin’s
37:34 – Meditation misconceptions
40:58 – First retreat at the Shambala Centre
48:32 – Meeting Robin Kornman
59:52 – The secret of space
1:03:13 – Devolving not evolving the self
1:09:31 – Space or spiritual materialism?
1:12:08 – Spacious equanimity vs setting personal boundaries
1:18:19 – Trends in psychology
1:22:52 – Non-dual perspectives in counselling and psychology
1:25:40 – Meeting Albert Ellis
1:31:41 – Dualism in science, personality disorders, and meditation studies
1:45:49 – Criticism from Buddhists about Ian’s work
1:48:39 – Comparing Dzogchen to hypnosis
1:54:40 – Counsellors and scientists who practice non-dual traditions
1:56:53 – Ian’s experiences on his first month-long retreat
2:06:45 – Meeting the Sakyong and leaving the Shambala organisation
2:14:04 – In search of a teacher
To find our more about Ian, visit:
https://www.naropa.edu/faculty/ian-wickramasekera.php
Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James