A Thousand Names For God

The Cosmic Quest through the Vertical Imagination

In the quest for spiritual growth, the quest for truth does not seek conclusions but rather opens the path to deeper questions. In today’s episode, I explore the vertical imagination of the French philosopher Henry Corbin. Using his book The Man of Light in Iranian Sufism, I explore his understanding of what it means to be human and to walk the spiritual path.  

This exploration happens through the mythology of the Exile, as seen through Sohravardī’s Recital of the Occidental Exile. The Exile represents the soul's journey trapped in a well, constrained by oppressive forces, yet seeking light and liberation through spiritual ascension. The Exile is a metaphor for the soul's struggle against the forces of conformity and forgetfulness, ultimately striving for reunion with the Divine, symbolized by the quest for the "Emerald City" or “the Cosmic North”. Corbin illustrates this as a battle of consciousness, where mystic awareness resists the secular forces that try to reduce the individual to madness or heresy. On the other hand, the Seeker is portrayed as a fragment of divine light, searching to reunite with the source of all light. This mystical journey leads to a profound cosmic salvation where the individual, transcending geographical boundaries and personal limitations, reaches a direct relationship with the divine. In this transformation, the "man of light," or the subtle body, emerges—an essential aspect of spiritual development that allows one to perceive and experience the spiritual realms. Through these narratives, Corbin emphasizes that the spiritual path is not a collective journey, but a deeply personal one, where the seeker must confront their inner darkness and strive to manifest their light. In the end, the seeker’s relationship with the divine is intimate, unique, and unshareable, a relationship defined by love, the highest expression of being.

For more information on Rick Alexander, check out wwww.rickalexander.com

You can find today's intro and outro music here: https://open.spotify.com/track/1b5jf2kJ73trBAbME4eSSq?si=b6283c50a12f47a7

 

Entering the Imaginal with Tom Cheetham

In today’s episode, I am joined by Tom Cheetham, an author, teacher, biologist, and poet whose work delves into the role of creative imagination in human life and culture. During our conversation, we explore Henry Corbin’s concept of the Imaginal realm, discussing its profound implications for how we perceive and engage with reality. We also examine the necessity of moving beyond consensus reality in spiritual life, as well as the limitations of both religious and scientific fundamentalism.

The best way to stay in touch with Tom's work is by subscribing to his Substack @ https://www.tomcheetham.com/blog, or you can check out his books by clicking here

To engage with Rick Alexander's work, check out www.rickalexander.com

The intro and outro music for today's show is the song Divide by Odesza featuring Kelsey Bulkin

 

Tantrik Yoga & Jungian Psychology in dialogue (Full Talk + Q&A)

Today's episode is a talk given by Rick Alexander for the Myth Salon on September 30th 2023.

See the full description here:

In 1932, C.G. Jung first put analytical psychology in dialogue with Tantra through his lectures on Kundalini Yoga. Tantra and the Path of Individuation is an attempt to dream that conversation forward, asking essential questions about how the Tantric worldview might inform our models of psychic development and the unfolding of our personal myth. In this lecture, we will look at and contemplate the psychological and spiritual path in light of these two philosophies. As Tantra and Jungian Psychology come together, the seeker is given new images to see by and imagine their individuation. This new way of seeing includes a reorientation of one’s relationship to the body, to one’s own desire—which can be seen here as the fuel for individuation—as well as a reorientation of the ego’s relationship to the Soul. 

 

Use this link to watch the original video version: https://youtu.be/Uth-_u4PTjo?si=Ti6t7Pxjlj6FRS8Q

Intro and Outro music is Royals by The Vitamin String Quartet

The Intersection of Psychedelics and Myth with Simon Yugler

In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Simon Yugler, author of "Psychedelics and the Soul." As a seasoned psychedelic facilitator and therapist, Simon brings a wealth of expertise to the discussion. Together, we delve into the transformative potential of psychedelics, examining their capacity to facilitate encounters with mythic realms. We also explore how an understanding of mythology can provide valuable frameworks for navigating these experiences and fostering meaningful integration. Join us for an enlightening conversation that bridges the realms of psychedelics and myth.

 

For more from Simon Yugler, visit www.simonyugler.com

To work with or explore the work of Rick Alexander, check out www.rickalexander.com

 

The World as God's Erotic Ecstasy

In today's episode, I use the spiritual teachings of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite to make a case for the fact that you, everyone you've ever met, and everything you've ever known, is in fact, an outpouring of God's Erotic Ecstasy. As Paul D’Arcy asserts, “God comes to you disguised as your life." Today's show, which falls somewhere between an academic lecture and a sermon, attempts to explain how this might be possible. 

 

Sources:

For more information on Rick Alexander's work, check out Rickalexander.com

Today's show draws heavily from Pseudo-Dionysius: The Complete Works, which can be found anywhere books are sold.

The outro music is a song called Higher than the Mountains by Sam Garrett

 

Psychedelic Psychotherapy with Rachael Spyker

In today's episode, I talk with Rachael Spyker about psychedelic psychotherapy. Toward the end of the show we specifically focus on cannabis and MDMA. We also explore religious trauma and the search to find an authentic sense of self.

Rachael is a therapist in British Columbia, Canada. Learn more about her client work at Alchemy Psychotherapy by visiting alchemycounselling.ca. She is also the host of the Deconstruction Podcast where she explores the intersection of psychology, spirituality, and society. 

For more information about my work, check out rickalexander.com.

Today's intro and outro music is a song called Falling by ZenAware.

The Stories We Live, The Stories That Live Us

In today's episode, I speak with Danielle Alexander about the stories we live and the stories that unconsciously live through us. 

To learn more about Danielle's upcoming Wild Retreat, click here

 

Psychedelics and the Soul: SXSW lecture

In today's episode, I am releasing a recording of my talk at the 2024 South by Southwest Conference and Festival called Psychedelics and the Soul. Drawing on Jungian psychology I explore the need for a psychology that accounts for the soul as a reality when working with the psychedelic experience. 

Click here for information on my upcoming workshop Jungian Psychology and the Psychedelic Experience

 

The Soul in Conflict: Polytheism & Monotheism in the Western Psyche

In today's episode, Rick shares a paper he wrote called The Soul in Conflict, which uses archetypal psychology to look at the pagan / Christian divide that tends to unconsciously exist in the Western psyche.

For more from Rick Alexander, visit www.rickalexander.com

To register for the upcoming psychology of Cannabis workshop, click here

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Intro Music: Royals, by Vitamin String Quartet

Outro Music: I am, by Satsang

Sources used in today's show:

Eknath, Easwaran. The Bhagavad Gita. Nilgiri Press, 2019.

Emerson, Ralph Waldo, and Stanley Appelbaum. Self-Reliance, and Other Essays. DoverPublications, 2016. 

Frantz, Alison. From Paganism to Christianity in the Temples of Athens. 

Hillman, James. Re-Visioning Psychology. HarperCollins, 1975. 

Hillman, James. Mythic Figures. Spring Publications, 2021. 

History Today. “The Dream of Constantine.” History Today, Volume 69 Issue 3 March 2019

www.historytoday.com/archive/foundations/dream-constantine.  

López-Pedraza, Rafael. Cultural Anxiety. Daimon Verlag, 1994. 

Paris, Ginette, and Gwendolyn Moore. Pagan Meditations: The Worlds of Aphrodite, Artemis, and Hestia. Spring Publications, 1991.

 

Tantra and The Erotic Heart of Individuation

In today's episode, Rick Alexander shares a paper he presented at the 2023 Mythologium Conference called Tantra and the Erotic Heart of Individuation. 

In 1932, C.G. Jung first put depth psychology in dialogue with the Tantric worldview through his lectures on Kundalini Yoga. This paper is an attempt to dream that project forward, asking essential questions about how taking Tantra seriously might inform our ideas about how we relate to the soul, the body, and ultimately, the path of individuation.

To work with Rick or engage more with his content, visit www.rickalexander.com 

To sign up for the upcoming Psychology of Cannabis workshop, click here

 

 

 

Sources: 

Roche, Lorin. The Radiance Sutras: 112 Gateways to The Yoga of Wonder & Delight. 2014.

Jung, C. G. The Psychology of Kundalini Yoga. Princeton University Press, 1996.