An interview with Tim 'Mac' McCarthy

 

Tim is the author of 'Finding Soul - The Invisible Path to Authentic Leadership'. The book is the story of one man’s search for meaning and purpose in a society that is captivated by values and beliefs that are assaulting the Earth’s living systems and collapsing society in upon itself. It is a call to people who find themselves standing on the side lines. It demonstrates how pain, loneliness and some measure of suffering can become doorways to courageous acts that have the potential to illuminate our lives.

In 1983, Tim was a gardener at a management training centre, by 1987 he was the head of consultancy at the same place and two years later had his own London based people and organization development consultancy working with the leaders of multinationals.

He has foot in two worlds…there has been times when they have been at war with each other; one part is shocked at the beauty of the earth, the other loves the business of business

‘Leaders are failing us and we fail them too…we get the leaders we deserve. We are at a time when we all need to find our own self-leader. Real vision cannot embrace conformity yet most organizations insist upon it. Conformity is the place of the slave. Leaders need to be restless truth seekers. They exist to articulate the dreams and aspirations of a community, they may get burnt but they don’t give up; they must sit by the people side by side as equals and listen.

As things are now, we are in a war with ourselves, with life and the lines are drawn. We are implicated whether we like it or not. We can pretend that the corporations are the enemy but all of us are employed by them, eat their food and derive our power, fuel our cars, furnish our houses and take out entertainment from the same organizations. We can deride our politicians but someone keeps voting them into power. We are the problem.

Around the world, small and big initiatives are being born that are the response of dedicated and visionary people...there are millions of people just one step away from entering the garden and picking up the spade.’

Iain McNay's interview with Tim 'Mac' McCarthy is now available on Conscious TV through this link 

An interview with Iain McGilchrist

Iain McGilchrist is a psychiatrist and writer who lives on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. He is author of ‘The Master and his Emissary – The Divided Brain and The Making Of The Western World.

McGilchrist's other interests include the relationship between creativity and mental illness, and he is currently working on a number of books: a critique of contemporary society and culture from the standpoint of neuropsychology; a study of the paintings of subjects with schizophrenia; a series of essays about culture and the brain with subjects from Andrew Marvell to Serge Gainsbourg; and a short book of reflections on spiritual experience.

He is committed to the idea that the mind and brain can be understood only by seeing them in the broadest possible context, that of the whole of our physical and spiritual existence, and of the wider human culture in which they arise – the culture which helps to mould, and in turn is moulded by, our minds and brains.  He argues that the division of the brain into two hemispheres is essential to human existence, making possible incompatible versions of the world, with quite different priorities and values. 

In McGilchrist's words: 

" Most scientists long ago abandoned the attempt to understand why nature has so carefully segregated the hemispheres, or how to make coherent the large and expanding body of evidence about their differences. In fact to talk about the topic is to invite dismissal.  Yet no one who knows anything about the area would dispute for an instant that there are significant differences: it's just that no-one seems to know why.  And we now know that every type of function - including reason, emotion, language and imagery - is subserved not by one hemisphere alone, but by both. My book argues that the differences lie not, as has been supposed, in the 'what' - which skills each hemisphere possesses - but in the 'how', the way in which each uses them, and to what end.  But, like the brain itself, the relationship between the hemispheres is not symmetrical. The left hemisphere, though unaware of its dependence, could be thought of as an 'emissary' of the right hemisphere, valuable for taking on a role that the right hemisphere - the 'Master' - cannot itself afford to undertake.  However it turns out that the emissary has his own will, and secretly believes himself to be superior to the Master.  And he has the means to betray him.  What he doesn't realize is that in doing so he will also betray himself.

The book begins by looking at the structure and function of the brain and at the differences between the hemispheres, not only in attention and flexibility but in attitudes to the implicit, the unique, and the personal, as well as the body, time, depth, music, metaphor, empathy, morality, certainty and the self.  It suggests that the drive to language was not principally to do with communication or thought, but manipulation, the main aim of the left hemisphere, which manipulates the right hand.  It shows the hemispheres as no mere machines with functions but underwriting whole, self-consistent, versions of the world. Through an examination of Western philosophy, art and literature, it reveals the uneasy relationship of the hemispheres being played out in the history of ideas, from ancient times until the present.  It ends by suggesting that we may be about to witness the final triumph of the left hemisphere – at the expense of us all. "

Iain McGilChrist's complete interview with Iain McNay on Conscious TV is available via this link

Philip Jacobs talks to Conscious TV about ‘illness and the spiritual path'...

‘I had always previously thought that it was possible to change my attitude to any situation. With the illness, I realised that there was a stage where you couldn’t. You could have a good attitude either side of the experience, but not while you were in it. This was when the illness was deep in the brain, there was no way out until it passed and you just had to allow the experience to be what it was and if it was darkness then it was just darkness.

I loved being on the river. Some days I would manage to get myself to the river and slowly row the large boat downstream, tying it to the trees along the waters edge. As the sun went down I sat and meditated on those grassy chalk downlands.  Then a great happiness and stillness would surge through me.  It had taken the whole day to slowly climb out of this pit of illness but the next day I would start right back at the beginning.

It reminded me of doing the “Big Prayer” in the movements at Colet House, there was this great process of effort and despair and more effort as if you were being torn apart and then at the end you arise as from the dead surrendered and empty as if new born. 

I was having to assimilate the idea of illness and suffering as a gift - what looked like suffering on the physical and psychological levels could often have a transforming effect on the deeper spiritual levels, that may not be apparent to the casual observer.

I had often witnessed people go through a period of intense suffering.  At the end of it, it was as if all their hard bits had been washed away. They showed a softness and gentleness which previously had been absent or covered over.  It was as if in the journey of life, having built up a separate identity and a separated ego, life’s events then caused  it all to fall away again, until what you were left with was the true Being, who you always were, the place you never left.’

On February 13th, Philip Jacobs was back in our CTV studios for an interview with Iain McNay. To watch the complete interview, please click here

An interview with Aloka David Smith 

Aloka has been a practicing Buddhist for nearly 40 years. He began training with Zen, practicing with the Venerable Myokyo-ni, a teacher from the Rinzai school, at the Buddhist Society in London for 5 years. He then travelled to Sri Lanka in 1980 where he lived for three years as a Theravada monk under the guidance of the Venerable Dhammaloka Maha Thera. While in Sri Lanka, his spiritual breakthrough took place in 1981, and it is that, that formed the framework of his first book, ‘A Record of Awakening’, published in 1999. 

On his return from Sri Lanka, Smith matured by living on his own for a number of years in east London. 

‘At the time of my breakthrough in Sri Lanka, my teacher told me I should travel and begin to teach, but it was to be around 20 years before I took that role by leading retreats at several retreat centres of the Triratna Community in the UK and abroad. My association with this movement came to an end in 2006.’ 

Aloka David Smith has written 4 further books: ‘Dharma Mind Worldly Mind’ published in 2002,  ‘A Question of Dharma’ published in 2008, ‘The Five Pillars of Transformation’ also published in 2008  and ‘Blue Sky, White Cloud’ published in 2012.

In his words: ‘At the moment of ‘coming back to life’ after awakening the ‘awakened Mind is born’. Before awaking there is only the ordinary mind a mind that is always deluded. After years of practice this mind develops wisdom into the nature of itself and becomes more and more refined in that respect until it finally reaches the point where it cannot know any more about itself and falls into equanimity. Shortly after this awakening takes place and with that the Bodhisattva path is alighted upon. There is a popular misconception that with awakening the everyday ignorant mind is swept away leaving just the pure wisdom of enlightenment. There remains a paradox which many find hard to accept, the transcendental is awakened but shortly after that, the small mind comes back with all its ignorance and power – everyday living doesn’t change much at all. The practice that takes place afterward, the ‘breakthrough’ is precisely about these two minds.’

On February 13th, Iain McNay interviewed Aloka David Smith at Conscious TV studios in London. To watch the complete interview, please click here

An interview with Susanne Marie

Here is what Susanne has shared with us that we would like to share with our viewers...

"I feel that finding one's way home in this culture, and within the collective unconscious, to be challenging for anyone. Doing this while also having a family is not an easy one, as it often takes in the beginning a withdrawal from all outward and inward manifested beliefs. 

For me, everything that I have believed in over time, is returning back into the heart, into what breathed life into it. Everything gets to be examined, and over time things begin to be seen simply as they are, resulting in a sobering up to reality as it is. Once seen, then the process of embodiment, knowing that everything is part of the whole, every feeling, thought, as well as all outward manifestation, takes place within the context of raising children, meeting their needs, loving them and meeting their soul essence. Embodiment in my mind is never ending, and lasts (at least), until the last breath. Inherent in the willingness to meet myself continuously, I am also meeting these innocent beings day to day, in a natural way, which continually reveals where I am still holding resistance to letting things be as they are. 

Over the years, I have looked at many (both my own, and the collective), inherited cultural beliefs of what children should learn and how they should be raised. These beliefs are often examined alongside of my own letting go of what are my conditioned beliefs. It is an interesting experience to have simultaneously, hand in hand, both the dismantling of self-conditioned structures occur while your child is building up theirs, all the while seeing the naturalness and innocence of the emergence of a sense of an 'I' developing and knowing for oneself that that does not mean that one is in truth, separate. 

I have learned to accept my children's inheritance into the collective consciousness and unconsciousness, all the while knowing that in truth, we are all free. This is not always easy, and the nitty gritty of daily life continually reveals new uncharted territory forever creating fresh opportunities to meet each moment with love and acceptance. It is a curious and fascinating thing to be raising one's own children, holding and midwifing their own personal journey into the world with acceptance, all the while within oneself the outward cycle of becoming is in a cycle of returning home. 

The capacity of consciousness is seen to be able to hold both (the paradox of duality), as true, at once. This is a beautiful embrace, making nothing wrong. Seeing through illusion liberates all, as it is seen that in truth no one is lost, everything in the end returns home. Within this trust, raising these beautiful beings, and trusting in the inherent intelligence of life itself, seeing that even making mistakes are ok, all of it, somehow, being ok. The fumbling of life learning about itself is a beautiful thing. Understanding this has opened my eyes and heart to all of life being simply o.k as it is, even when there is the feeling at times that it isn't. I find a growing ability to be able to say yes to it all, and the yes comes from deep within myself, from a place of total allowance. That is my experience of Mothering, and it is my experience of now being in the world. In its larger embrace, one gets to see first hand how Mother Earth holds us, and all of her children as herself."

Susanne Marie 

On November 19th, Susanne came in to CTV's London studios for an interview with Renate. 

To view the complete interview, please click here

An interview with Charlie Morley
by Renate McNay

Charlie Morley is a teacher of Mindfulness of Dream & Sleep: the holistic approach to lucid dreaming within the context of mindfulness meditation and Tibetan Buddhism. 

His first book, "Dreams of Awakening: Lucid Dreaming and Mindfulness of Dream & Sleep" is just out. "Through learning how to sleep mindfully and dream lucidly we can begin to wake up in our daily lives as well as our dream and sleep as we become more lucidly aware and mindfully enter onto a path of both spiritual and psychological awakening."

In 2008 Charlie became one of the first Westerners officially "authorized to teach" lucid dreaming within the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. This allows him the rare ability to synthesize both Western and Eastern perspectives on lucidity.

On November 19th, Charlie came to Conscious TV studios for an interview with Renate. To view the complete interview, you are welcome to click here

How to grow on a spiritual path with the Enneagram

an interview with Tom Condon

Tom has kindly shared an excerpt of his book 'The Dynamic Enneagram' with Conscious TV that we are thrilled to share with our viewers on today's blog post 

" The Enneagram is a map, a map of maps of reality. It presents a psychology of the inner outlook, describing nine personality styles and their central points of view. As such, the Enneagram maps out nine versions of reality that people favor, nine ways the human unconscious creates and organizes subjective experience.

The Enneagram is a clear, exceptionally accessible version of what’s called “ego psychology” and the part of us that sees the world as flat is otherwise known as our ego. Most of us have an intuitive, seat-of-the pants sense of our ego though we may not realize its exact nature or depth of influence on our behavior. We also may not know that our individual ego is similar to others, that there are species of ego. The Enneagram describes its nine different egos in a penetrating way, detailing the inner life, thought patterns and basic beliefs of each one. No style is considered as better than another, and each has a range of healthy and unhealthy potentials – strengths, gifts and advantages as well as limits, pitfalls and blind spots.

Although each Enneagram style has a distinct inner logic and worldview, all are designed to fulfill the same set of basic psychological needs. Your ego governs your map of reality, your sense of identity as well as your core motivations, values and defenses. It controls a tight-knit cluster of guiding assumptions, offering you both a general sense of direction and immediate ways to proceed.

An Enneagram style is a lot like a nationality. Both define you, and yet within them you’re an individual. Both are deeply unconscious and shape your perceptions in involuntary ways. Both your nationality and your Enneagram style are simultaneously deep and yet shallow, parts of you that are apart from you at the same time.

While the Enneagram describes the sameness of people, each person is unique. You have a constellation of qualities that are particular to your makeup – a personal history, an emotional temperament, a genetic heritage and a soul. Your Enneagram style is only part of the picture, yet, in another way, it’s the key to everything. Through your ego’s inner outlook, you accurately perceive a slice of reality – what author Richard Rohr has called “one-ninth of the truth.” To some extent, each of us then mistakes our fraction of the world for the whole and gets stuck in a fixed point of view. In the bargain, we accidentally delete the other “eight-ninths” of reality and this omission lays the groundwork for our difficulties. Once on a boat I noticed a little girl turning pale with fright as the boat’s engines revved for departure. “What’s wrong?” her mother asked. The child anxiously replied, “Are we going to get smaller and smaller and then disappear?” Every boat she had ever watched from the shore had done that. Our limited personal focus means that we are very good at some things but weak at others, like someone on crutches who develops strong arms. While we excel at what we already know, our other potentials may lie distant and buried. The Enneagram maps out our strengths even as it points to the worlds upon worlds of experience that we are missing."

The Dynamic Enneagram by Tom Condon 

On Nov. 19th, Tom came to CTV's London studios for an interview with Iain McNay and Eleonora Gilbert.

To view Iain's complete interview with Tom, please click here 

To view Eleonora's complete interview with Tom, please click here