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Deep Transformation

Roger Walsh and John Dupuy

Deep Transformation offers dialogues with cutting-edge thinkers, artists, contemplatives, and activists who combine big-picture, integrative perspectives with profound, contemplative depths. With these remarkable people, we explore the great questions of our time, such as how best to live, and how best to heal, learn, create, and contribute in our era of unprecedented challenges and opportunities.

Visit our website at https://deeptransformation.io/ to learn more.

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  • 24 episodes
  • fortnightly
  • Avg 57 min
  • English

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  • #222
    February 19 · 38 min

    Passion, Ecstasy & Challenges on the Path of Love with A. H. Almaas

    Ep. 222 (Part 2 of 2) | A. H. Almaas’ teachings on spiritual love and the inner beloved are based on his own experience, he explains in Part 2 of the first dialogue in the Path of Love Series. “In this path, experience is almost everything,” he says. Spiritual experience created the Diamond Approach—it isn’t a philosophy. What makes Hameed’s path of love unique and different from other paths of love, like the Sufi and the bhakti paths? First off, it is the methodology: the practice of inquiry. Inquiry combines both mind and heart, Hameed explains. It adds a means of discernment that helps to keep the force of love from going astray on its own; it brings understanding to our experience, and shows us our obstacles. “[This path] has in it the sensibilities of modern mind and modern life and how to live it from the perspective of the heart.” Another unique feature of A. H. Almaas’ path of love is how we experience drawing closer and closer to the inner beloved. Hameed describes the experience of approaching the inner beloved as a heartrending mixture of “sweetness, passion, ecstasy, drunkenness… many stages of melting, surrender, effulgence, fullness, radiance… all intertwined with yearning and pain and the feeling of being separate” from one’s heart’s true desire. With his customary concise eloquence, Hameed also answers several of the co-hosts’ questions: How does Hameed see contemporary society in the light of this vision of love? Does he think humanity will wake up? What is a fulfilled life? Hameed concludes by telling us that the question this path of love is designed to answer is, how do you live your life while also engaging in the way of the heart? Recorded December 11, 2025. “The mind asks the questions, the heart finds the answers. The mind gets clear, the heart melts.“ Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2 The difference between Hameed’s approach and other paths of love is the methodology: inquiry (00:32) Truth is a quality of the heart, not the mind; the heart knows truth, the mind doesn’t (05:43) Spiritual experience created Hameed’s teaching—it isn’t a philosophy (09:08) The union between inquiry and the force of love (11:19) The heart is patterned by our history, especially our history of love (15:39) Two common misunderstandings: attributing love to an external source, and believing there is only one manifestation of spirit (17:51) Nearing the inner beloved, there are many stages of melting, surrender, passion, ecstasy, all intertwined with yearning and pain, the feeling of separation (18:49) How does Hameed see contemporary society and its many discontents in the light of this vision of love? (20:53) Is humanity going to wake up? (23:03) What is a fulfilled life? (27:29) On the path, the ego self becomes not just secondary—it’s gone (31:11) The death wish: to dissolve into the inner beloved (32:07) A possible future series by Hameed: What happens after you’re enlightened? (34:21) How do you live your life and follow the way of the heart? (35:57) Resources & References – Part 2 A. H. Almaas, The Inner Beloved: The Heart’s Journey to Divine Unity A. H. Almaas, Love Unveiled: Discovering the Essence of the Awakened Heart A. H. Almaas, Nondual Love: Awakening to the Loving Nature of Reality Bhakti, a concept common in Indian religions, may refer to loving devotion for a personal God, a formless ultimate reality, or an enlightened being Seven Levels of Being, Sufi Path of Love Ken Wilber, The Spectrum of Consciousness Exploring Gurdjieff’s Insight: Man as a Machine (Gurdjieff Central) Sri Ramana Maharshi, Who Am I? --- Deep Transformation’s Path of Love Series with A. H. Almaas Deep Transformation’s Path of Love Series begins with an overview of Hameed Ali’s Love Trilogy — Love Unveiled, Nondual Love, and The Inner Beloved — to orient us on the spiritual path of love unique to Hameed Ali and the Diamond Approach, then delves into the profound and deeply touching topics Hameed addresses in his most recent book, The Inner Beloved, published in February 2026. Listeners may want to get a copy of this book, to study and follow along on this extraordinary path of awakening. --- Hameed Ali (A. H. Almaas) was born in Kuwait in 1944. At the age of eighteen, he moved to the U.S. to study at the University of California in Berkeley. Hameed was working on his Ph.D. in physics when he reached a turning point in his life and destiny that led him to inquire into the psychological and spiritual aspects of human nature rather than the physical nature of the universe. He left the academic world to pursue an in-depth journey of inner discovery, applying his scientific precision and discipline to personal, experiential research. This included study with different teachers in different modalities, extensive reading, and continuous study of his own consciousness in an effort to understand the essential nature of human experience and reality in general. Hameed’s process of exploration led to the creation of the Ridhwan School and, with his colleague Karen Johnson, resulted in the founding and unfoldment of the Diamond Approach. He is the author of 20 books, including Nondual Love: Awakening to the Loving Nature of Reality, Love Unveiled: Discovering the Essence of the Awakened Heart, Keys to the Enneagram: How to Unlock the Highest Potential of Every Personality Type, The Unfolding Now: Realizing Your True Nature through the Practice of Presence, and more. --- Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

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  • #221
    February 12 · 38 min

    Entering the Path of Heart: Love and the Jealous Beloved

    Ep. 221 (Part 1 of 2) | Deep Transformation is excited to release the first episode in our new Path of Love Series with A. H. Almaas, in honor and celebration of Hameed Ali’s latest book, The Inner Beloved. The series begins with Hameed sharing his motivation for writing all three of the books in his Love Trilogy (Love Unveiled, Nondual Love, The Inner Beloved), namely, when he realized his prior books had omitted to teach specifically about the role of love on the spiritual path. Love is the energy, the driving force toward union with our inner nature, Hameed explains, and it is love that dissolves the obstacles that remain towards the end of the path. It is the path of heart that gets you all the way. Hameed orients us with an overview of the Diamond Approach’s experiential path of love, gifting us with some tremendous teachings on love as a prelude to delving deeply into his newest book, The Inner Beloved. When asked, What is the inner beloved? he responds, The beloved is not just love. Love serves the beloved, love is the way to the beloved. The inner beloved is what our deepest heart longs for. The path of the heart is painful at times, he continues, because we feel separate from what we yearn to become one with. At the end of the dialogue, Hameed shares that with his path of love teachings, he wants us to know there is a way to address our longing, our yearning. There is a way for it to complete itself, he assures us. Recorded December 11, 2025. “The beloved is the deepest nondual truth you can experience.” Topics & Time Stamps – Part 1 Introducing A. H. Almaas and his trilogy of books on love: Love Unveiled, Nondual Love, and The Inner Beloved (00:48) Hameed’s motivation to write about love came when he realized his prior books had omitted teaching about the role of love on the spiritual path (04:27) The first book in the trilogy, Love Unveiled, talks about 3 kinds of love important in human life and in spiritual practice (07:01) The second book, Nondual Love, talks about the boundless dimension of universal love (09:05) The third book, The Inner Beloved, is about the path of love—the movement toward our fundamental nature through the heart (10:59) Roger points out that Hameed’s teachings on love go far beyond other spiritual teachings (12:20) The beloved is not just love: love serves the beloved, love is the way to the beloved (13:35) We all have 3 centers of operation: head, heart & belly—each one is a spiritual brain of its own (16:24) Love is the most explicit motivator for the spiritual journey (18:08) The Diamond Approach is not about being liberated or free from suffering, it’s about loving to know the truth (20:40) The path of the heart is painful because we feel separate from what we yearn to become one with (24:13) Emptying the heart of all other loves (26:01) The inner beloved is the most jealous of beloveds (30:21) Was there a certain point of surrender for Hameed? (33:04) Love’s function is to move us towards the inner beloved (35:55) (For fans of the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series, the Wisdom Series, based on Hameed’s book The Inner Journey Home, will be continued later in the spring.) Resources & References – Part 1 A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series on Deep Transformation, based on Hameed’s book The Inner Journey Home A. H. Almaas, The Inner Beloved: The Heart's Journey to Divine Unity A. H. Almaas, Love Unveiled: Discovering the Essence of the Awakened Heart A. H. Almaas, Nondual Love: Awakening to the Loving Nature of Reality A. H. Almaas, The Point of Existence: Transformations of Narcissism in Self-Realization A. H. Almaas, The Pearl Beyond Price: Integration of Personality into Being: An Object Relations Approach A. H. Almaas, The Void: Inner Spaciousness and Ego Structure Ram Dass, renowned spiritual teacher, psychologist, and author Bhakti, a concept common in Indian religions, may refer to loving devotion for a personal God, a formless ultimate reality, or an enlightened being Sri Ramana Maharshi, Who Am I? Kabir, Indian mystic and poet --- Hameed Ali (A. H. Almaas) was born in Kuwait in 1944. At the age of eighteen, he moved to the U.S. to study at the University of California in Berkeley. Hameed was working on his Ph.D. in physics when he reached a turning point in his life and destiny that led him to inquire into the psychological and spiritual aspects of human nature rather than the physical nature of the universe. He left the academic world to pursue an in-depth journey of inner discovery, applying his scientific precision and discipline to personal, experiential research. This included study with different teachers in different modalities, extensive reading, and continuous study of his own consciousness in an effort to understand the essential nature of human experience and reality in general. Hameed’s process of exploration led to the creation of the Ridhwan School and, with his colleague Karen Johnson, resulted in the founding and unfoldment of the Diamond Approach. He is the author of 20 books, including Nondual Love: Awakening to the Loving Nature of Reality, Love Unveiled: Discovering the Essence of the Awakened Heart, Keys to the Enneagram: How to Unlock the Highest Potential of Every Personality Type, The Unfolding Now: Realizing Your True Nature through the Practice of Presence, and more. --- Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

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  • #220
    February 5 · 47 min

    Can Our Democracy Be Healed? Taking Up the Fight

    Ep. 220 (Part 2 of 2) | In part 2 of Sliding Towards Authoritarianism, Constitutional Law expert and Ethics professor Mark Fischler unpacks the significance of the extreme lack of civic understanding in the United States and, well informed about students’ cognitive abilities and mental health status nationwide, adds the precipitous drop in achievement scores and through-the-roof diagnoses of ADHD, autism, anxiety, and depression to the mix, concluding, “You begin to see why an authoritarian world requiring only simple actions and answers would be more attractive than a democratic world that requires complexity, conversation, and the ability to see the intrinsic worth of the person across from you… to collectively decide to honor democratic processes and the winner who was voted in.” This is the challenge, Mark says: “Since everybody has a partial piece of the truth, we need to ask ourselves, am I curious enough to understand another’s partial piece of truth in order to enrich myself and help me understand that we are all in this together?” “We need to take up the fight for greater awareness that recognizes the good, the true, the beautiful, and the oneness of what is,” he continues. Despite all that Mark has shared with us regarding the current Administration’s dehumanizing, authoritarian tactics and other significant factors contributing to the deterioration of our democracy, when asked what gives him hope, Mark answers, “A lot of things!” The discussion ends in a hopeful place—grim realities balanced with inspiring trends, including the growing recognition around the world that we are all in this together in what is essentially one global village. Recorded December 4, 2025. “To understand is to forgive.” – Dr. Michael Fischler Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2 What the problem of pervasive civic ignorance signifies for our democracy (01:02) Our susceptibility to authoritarian leaders is not surprising considering our ignorance of civil responsibility (04:53) Future shock: people under stress regress psychologically, making it even easier for an authoritarian to take over (06:57) There is more than one reason for our pervasive civic ignorance (09:08) Using A.I. to fact-check what we see and hear (10:37) Education: cognitive understanding in young people has plunged below lowest-level functioning thresholds (16:35) Among students, autism, ADHD, anxiety & depression diagnoses are through the roof (18:03) Because of people’s lack of achievement & lack of civic understanding, it makes sense that people are willing to let democracy go (19:40) Cultivating a quest for truth is part of the solution (22:48) A call to contemplative warriors to take up the fight for greater awareness that recognizes the good, the true, the beautiful—and the oneness of what is (25:35) Everybody has a partial piece of the truth (28:36) To understand is to forgive (32:30) The Supreme Court is asking, should we even take race into account? (35:22) What gives Mark hope? A lot of things! (39:51) Resources & References – Part 2 Professor Mark Fischler, Plymouth State University The Integral Justice Warrior series, co-hosted by Mark Fischler and Corey deVos (Integral Life website) Justice David Souter’s speech at UNH’s Franklin Pierce School of Law: Constitutionally Speaking: How Does The Constitution Keep Up With The Times Alvin Toffler, Future Shock Jia Lynn Yang, America’s Children Are Unwell (NY Times, Nov 2025) Ken Wilber, A Post-Truth World: Politics, Polarization, and a Vision for Transcending the Chaos Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, chapter 27: “…what is a good man but a bad man’s teacher…” Ken Wilber’s prime directive: protect and promote the well-being of the whole developmental spiral of consciousness, rather than privileging just one level or worldview, A Theory of Everything Louisiana v. Calais Greg Thomas on the Deep Transformation podcast: Using the Dance of Our Differences to Wise Up, Harmonize, and Actualize --- Mark Fischler is a professor of Ethics, Constitutional Law, and Criminal Procedure at Plymouth State University. Prior to joining the Plymouth State faculty, he practiced law, representing poor criminal defendants for the New Hampshire Public Defender’s Office. Mark left the law after being guided by the Universe to focus on his Spiritual Awareness for almost two years. Upon his return, he was called to become a teacher and accepted a job at Plymouth State in 2003. Since then, Mark has worked extensively with alternative theoretical models in law, constitutional law, and higher education, and has published on integral applications to teaching, being a lawyer, and legal theory. In his time at the university, he’s been a chair, Dean, and Interim VP. His focus in the classroom is ethics and criminal procedure and constitutional law. He is well respected for a teaching philosophy that emphasizes recognizing the humanity and dignity of each student. Professor Fischler was awarded the outstanding teaching award at his university in 2014. He currently offers a weekly Spiritual Inquiry class for college students and also for faculty and staff. --- Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

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  • #219
    January 29 · 46 min

    Sliding Towards Authoritarianism: Our Failing Democracy & What We Can Do About It

    Ep. 219 (Part 1 of 2) | Constitutional Law expert and Ethics professor Mark Fischler joins Deep Transformation again, to help us make sense of the slide towards authoritarianism happening in the United States today. Mark’s vast knowledge of the law, the Constitution, and the Supreme Court, his deep comprehension of ethics and morality, his Integral understanding, and his profound contemplative awareness all make for an extraordinary exploration of what is going on in this country at levels we don’t often consider. Beginning with examples of events in 2025 that are representative of various facets of authoritarianism, Mark goes on to discuss how the very crassness of the current Administration is undermining democracy: “We need to demand civil, fact-based discussion from our leaders, but we’re all accepting it’s okay to act like toddlers and dehumanize each other.” Mark cites some stunning figures illustrating the widespread ignorance of democratic processes and institutions among the populace in this country, and describes why a lack of civic understanding makes us susceptible to authoritarians coming in and taking over. He also acknowledges that progressives are at fault for marginalizing conservatives, and calls on us to recognize the honor and dignity of all people, regardless of their politics—this is part of the solution, he explains. Mark’s passionate caring, wanting the best for all people and all beings, is a current that flows throughout, grounding the discussion in a beautiful way, while also making for a heartbreaking contrast relative to the chilling events happening in the political arena now. Recorded December 4, 2025. “An ignorant people can never remain a free people.” – Thomas Jefferson Topics & Time Stamps – Part 1 Introducing a frequent guest on Deep Transformation: Ethics, Law & Criminal Justice professor Mark Fischler, to help us make sense of our deteriorating democracy (00:43) The trajectory of Trump’s presidency: the devolution of democracy towards authoritarian government (01:51) John presents defining characteristics of fascism according to A. I. (04:01) How does Mark define authoritarianism? (07:24) Mark offers examples of 12 hallmarks of authoritarian government that happened in 2025, beginning with the stifling of dissent and speech (08:12) Statistics on how U.S. citizens feel our democracy is performing (16:51) What surprises Mark the most? The crassness & crudeness of the Trump Administration (18:15) The deterioration in the greater culture at large: who and what is responsible? (21:19) Deflecting our attention using whataboutism breeds cynicism & corrodes our democracy (24:45) We need to demand civil, fact-based discussion from our leaders, but we’re all accepting it’s okay to act like toddlers and dehumanize each other (30:00) Recognizing the humanity & inner dignity of everyone is part of the solution (31:16) Progressives on their side are at fault for marginalizing conservatives (33:38) The red meme mentality (Spiral Dynamics) that is taking place (39:24) Why pervasive civic ignorance in the U.S. is a very significant problem (41:57) Resources & References – Part 1 Professor Mark Fischler, Plymouth State University The Integral Justice Warrior series, co-hosted by Mark Fischler and Corey deVos (Integral Life website) NY Times Editorial Board, Are We Losing Our Democracy? (Oct 2025) Judge Michael Luttig, President for Life (The Atlantic, Dec 2025) Tom Nichols, A Confederacy of Toddlers (The Atlantic, Nov 2025) Supreme Court Justice David Souter Ken Wilber’s prime directive: protect and promote the well-being of the whole developmental spiral of consciousness, rather than privileging just one level or worldview, A Theory of Everything Mona Charon, Whataboutism Is Rotting Our Brains, Our Consciences, and Our Politics (The Bulwark, June 2025) David Brooks, What if We’re the Bad Guys Here? (NY Times Opinion, Aug 2023) Don Beck & Christopher Cowan, Spiral Dynamics, Mastering Values, Leadership and Change Ken Wilber, Boomeritis Justice David Souter’s speech at UNH’s Franklin Pierce School of Law: Constitutionally Speaking: How Does The Constitution Keep Up With The Times --- Mark Fischler is a professor of Ethics, Constitutional Law, and Criminal Procedure at Plymouth State University. Prior to joining the Plymouth State faculty, he practiced law, representing poor criminal defendants for the New Hampshire Public Defender’s Office. Mark left the law after being guided by the Universe to focus on his Spiritual Awareness for almost two years. Upon his return, he was called to become a teacher and accepted a job at Plymouth State in 2003. Since then, Mark has worked extensively with alternative theoretical models in law, constitutional law, and higher education, and has published on integral applications to teaching, being a lawyer, and legal theory. In his time at the university, he’s been a chair, Dean, and Interim VP. His focus in the classroom is ethics and criminal procedure and constitutional law. He is well respected for a teaching philosophy that emphasizes recognizing the humanity and dignity of each student. Professor Fischler was awarded the outstanding teaching award at his university in 2014. He currently offers a weekly Spiritual Inquiry class for college students and also for faculty and staff. --- Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

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