Ep. 3 - The Aghori Who Changed My Life with Dr. Robert Svoboda

Ep. 5 - Finding God in Buddhism with Dr. Robert Thurman

In loving memory of our dear friend, Dr. Robert Thurman, Dakota shares a recent interview with him in which they explore the bardos and the joyful wisdom of seeing all beings as a Buddha. You can help continue Dr. Thurman’s life’s work to preserve Tibetan culture. Visit Tibet House [https://thus.org/about/our-mission/] to learn more. Help us celebrate 10 years of Be Here Now Network and support the next chapter of Ram Dass Here and Now. Gifts are matched dollar for dollar through June 30. Learn more and give here: BHNN 10th Birthday Fundraiser [https://beherenownetwork.com/10years] In this insightful & heart-opening episode, Dakota and Robert Thurman explore: * Choosing love just as Ram Dass did * How the Romans twisted the teachings of Jesus * Becoming Jesus and doing something really good ourselves  * The connection between psychedelics and the bardos  * The healing that comes after collapse * Adoring all things just as they are * Feeling the spark of bliss and connection * Art as a spiritual practice  * Taking responsibility for our next lives * Life-long learning as the highest spiritual practice About Dr. Robert Thurman: Robert Thurman (1941-2026) was an American Buddhist author and academic who wrote, edited, and translated many books on Tibetan Buddhism. He was the Je Tsongkhapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University, before retiring in June 2019. He held the first endowed chair in Buddhist Studies in the West. After education at Philips Exeter and Harvard, he studied Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism for almost thirty years as a personal student of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He wrote both scholarly and popular books and lectured widely all over the world. As President of the American Institute for Buddhist Studies, he convened the First Inner Science Conference with His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Amherst College in 1984. He was also a founding trustee of Tibet House New York. Check out his most recent book Wisdom Is Bliss: Four Friendly Fun Facts That Can Change Your Life [https://smile.amazon.com/Wisdom-Bliss-Friendly-Facts-Change-ebook/dp/B08WRWDFB6/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=robert+thurman&qid=1631809878&sr=8-1]. "We have allowed the more heavily diluted people to take over and spread their misery over all of us. It will collapse, and we’ll heal them by taking away their power and letting them turn their attention to healing themselves.” —Dr. Robert Thurman See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Ep. 4 - The Moment I Realized Psychedelics Were Not the Path with Your Mate Tom

What does it mean to see psychedelics as tools or guides instead of solutions? Dakota and his guest, Your Mate Tom, look at how transpersonal experiences provide insight yet still require real-world integration, self-work, and spiritual practice to fully embody. If Dakota’s perspective resonates with you, you’ll enjoy Tom’s documentaries, vlogs, and in-depth interviews that explore psychedelics, personal transformation, and the world at large through a different lens. Check it out over on the ‘ Your Mate Tom’ YouTube channel: Your Mate Tom [https://www.youtube.com/@yourmatetom] (Sorry folks, no extended interview this week. All the goodness is packed into this episode!) This time on The Flower Heads Show: * What can be learned from spending time with shamans  * The pharmacy of the Amazon jungle  * How Bhavani Baba helped Dakota direct the wisdom of Sapo to the right place * How psychedelics give us a hall pass to accept our power * Putting what psychedelics show us into practice * Loving yourself first and treating your mind, body, and heart well * Wisdom and unconventional teachings from Neem Karoli Baba  * The basic yet profound practice of feeding people and chanting the name of God  About Dakota Wint: Dakota Wint is a documentary filmmaker, vlogger, podcast host, and spiritual teacher from Detroit, Michigan. His films and podcasts revolve around current events, strange spirituality, and taboo traditions. You can subscribe to his podcast, A Place for Humans, HERE [https://aplaceforhumans.podbean.com/]. Dakota grew to fame as an internet personality via his popular YouTube channel, Dakota of Earth [https://www.youtube.com/dakotawint]. Dakota hosts retreats around the world and runs a non-profit focused on cultural and language preservation. Learn more about current happenings on his website [https://www.dakotawint.com/]. “The sapo (toad) works. The psychedelics work. But we have to look at where they’re pointing and not confuse the light within the substance itself with what it shows us. It is a spotlight saying, ‘Hey, look over here.’” — Dakota Wint See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Ep. 3 - The Aghori Who Changed My Life with Dr. Robert Svoboda

When does spirituality cease to be sacred and become performance? Dakota shares the drastically different encounters he had with Aghori while traveling through India. He brings on Dr. Robert Svoboda to learn more about Aghora practices and shares some of the extreme practices he encountered while traveling through India. In this episode, Dakota dives into: * The performative and theatrical dimensions of religious ritual * Dakota’s firsthand experience with the Aghori of India * Learning the power of spiritual practice through Bhavani Baba * The Aghori ritual of Shava Sadhana (meditation on the corpse) * Lessons from Vimalanda on illusion and superficiality  * Loving your mother as a spiritual practice  * Seeing through the relative and connecting to ultimate reality  * The practice of non-attachment to passing experiences and states Check out Dr. Svoboda’s renowned books on the Aghori HERE [https://www.amazon.com/Aghora-At-Left-Hand-God/dp/8171673422/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0]. About Dr. Robert Svoboda: Dr. Robert Svoboda is the first Westerner ever to graduate from a college of Ayurveda and be licensed to practice Ayurveda in India. During and after his formal Ayurvedic training he was tutored in Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotish, Tantra and other forms of classical Indian lore by his mentor, the Aghori Vimalananda. He is the author of twelve books including Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution and the Aghora series, which discusses his experiences with his mentor during the years 1975 – 1983. In the years since 1986, Dr. Svoboda has traveled extensively, spending three months per year on average in India. He often speaks on Ayurveda, Jyotish, Tantra and allied subjects in locales across the world. “Something that Vimalananda emphasized repeatedly is that the least important part of Aghora is the external part, the part where you’re applying a bunch of ashes and showing off, because that’s the superficial part. The important part is what's on the inside.” –Dr. Svoboda Join Dr. Svoboda’s courses [https://streaklinks.com/B7BjUWWb26AbUVvJ6QxUHHeD/https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.convertkit-mail2.com%2Fclick%2Fdpheh0hzhm%2FaHR0cHM6Ly9kcnN2b2JvZGEudGVhY2hhYmxlLmNvbS8%3D], watch the latest video in Dr. Svoboda’s 5 Minutes series on Youtube [https://streaklinks.com/B7BjUWSQ0E0pV5IO7AtfxSbx/https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.convertkit-mail2.com%2Fclick%2Fdpheh0hzhm%2FaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vcGxheWxpc3Q_bGlzdD1QTDU1VzRjVnVfUERGYUpwdmNKRFhhQ2pVajdJOUVsRk5L] and follow Dr. Svoboda on Facebook [https://streaklinks.com/B7BjUWW6-kqTd0zdUQNUKg0Y/https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.convertkit-mail2.com%2Fclick%2Fdpheh0hzhm%2FaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZmFjZWJvb2suY29tL0RyUm9iZXJ0U3ZvYm9kYQ%3D%3D] and Instagram [https://streaklinks.com/B7BjUWSGhlNrEKoz-wm3q_gG/https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.convertkit-mail2.com%2Fclick%2Fdpheh0hzhm%2FaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5zdGFncmFtLmNvbS9kcnJvYmVydHN2b2JvZGEvP2hsPWVu] for updates, events, and new content. You can also check out www.drsvoboda.com [https://preview.convertkit-mail2.com/click/dpheh0hzhm/aHR0cHM6Ly9kcnN2b2JvZGEuY29tLw==] About Dakota Wint: Dakota Wint is a documentary filmmaker, vlogger, podcast host, and spiritual teacher from Detroit, Michigan. His films and podcasts revolve around current events, strange spirituality, and taboo traditions. You can subscribe to his podcast, A Place for Humans, HERE [https://aplaceforhumans.podbean.com/]. Dakota grew to fame as an internet personality via his popular YouTube channel, Dakota of Earth [https://www.youtube.com/dakotawint]. Dakota hosts retreats around the world and runs a non-profit focused on cultural and language preservation. Learn more about current happenings on his website [https://www.dakotawint.com/]. "We are just now in this festival with these Aghoris, there are animal sacrifices happening, there are exorcisms happening, there are people bleeding, people flailing on the ground, thousands of people just trying to get some energy from this festival. This is a very localized, specific energy portal. This is where I begin to see the power of spiritual practice—through Bhavani." –Dakota Wint See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Full Interview With Dr. Robert Svoboda, From Ep. 3

We invite you to sit back and enjoy the full interview from Ep.3 of the Flower Heads Show, featuring Dr. Robert Svoboda. Dr. Robert Svoboda is the first Westerner ever to graduate from a college of Ayurveda and be licensed to practice Ayurveda in India. During and after his formal Ayurvedic training he was tutored in Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotish, Tantra and other forms of classical Indian lore by his mentor, the Aghori Vimalananda. He is the author of twelve books including Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution and the Aghora series, which discusses his experiences with his mentor during the years 1975 – 1983. In the years since 1986, Dr. Svoboda has traveled extensively, spending three months per year on average in India. He often speaks on Ayurveda, Jyotish, Tantra and allied subjects in locales across the world. Dakota speaks with Dr. Svoboda about: * The performative and theatrical dimensions of religious ritual * Dakota’s firsthand experience with the Aghori of India * Learning the power of spiritual practice through Bhavani Baba * The Aghori ritual of Shava Sadhana (meditation on the corpse) * Lessons from Vimalanda on illusion and superficiality  * Loving your mother as a spiritual practice  * Seeing through the relative and connecting to ultimate reality  * The practice of non-attachment to passing experiences and states Check out Dr. Svoboda’s renowned books on the Aghori HERE [https://www.amazon.com/Aghora-At-Left-Hand-God/dp/8171673422/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0]. “Something that Vimalananda emphasized repeatedly is that the least important part of Aghora is the external part, the part where you’re applying a bunch of ashes and showing off, because that’s the superficial part. The important part is what's on the inside.” –Dr. Svoboda Join Dr. Svoboda’s courses [https://streaklinks.com/B7BjUWWb26AbUVvJ6QxUHHeD/https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.convertkit-mail2.com%2Fclick%2Fdpheh0hzhm%2FaHR0cHM6Ly9kcnN2b2JvZGEudGVhY2hhYmxlLmNvbS8%3D], watch the latest video in Dr. Svoboda’s 5 Minutes series on Youtube [https://streaklinks.com/B7BjUWSQ0E0pV5IO7AtfxSbx/https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.convertkit-mail2.com%2Fclick%2Fdpheh0hzhm%2FaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vcGxheWxpc3Q_bGlzdD1QTDU1VzRjVnVfUERGYUpwdmNKRFhhQ2pVajdJOUVsRk5L] and follow Dr. Svoboda on Facebook [https://streaklinks.com/B7BjUWW6-kqTd0zdUQNUKg0Y/https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.convertkit-mail2.com%2Fclick%2Fdpheh0hzhm%2FaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZmFjZWJvb2suY29tL0RyUm9iZXJ0U3ZvYm9kYQ%3D%3D] and Instagram [https://streaklinks.com/B7BjUWSGhlNrEKoz-wm3q_gG/https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.convertkit-mail2.com%2Fclick%2Fdpheh0hzhm%2FaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5zdGFncmFtLmNvbS9kcnJvYmVydHN2b2JvZGEvP2hsPWVu] for updates, events, and new content. You can also check out www.drsvoboda.com [https://preview.convertkit-mail2.com/click/dpheh0hzhm/aHR0cHM6Ly9kcnN2b2JvZGEuY29tLw==] See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Ep. 2 - I Tried to Outsmart the Universe (and lost)

An honest look at faith, hope, and letting go. Dakota shares spontaneous moments of awakening and sits down with Raghu Markus to talk about taking leaps of faith and embracing the mystery. For more conversation about faith, spirituality, and psychedelics, listen to this episode's full interview with Raghu here in The Flow Heads Show's podcast feed, or watch the video version over on Be Here Now Network’s YouTube Channel [https://youtu.be/TzIjmKwFcNY]. Welcome back to The Flower Heads Show! In this episode, we explore: * Mental health struggles and facing nihilism with a new, awakened perspective  * Dakota’s spontaneous moment of faith and pure grace * What it means to trust the mystery and release control * Spirit messages during an indigenous psychedelic ceremony in Mexico * The profound truth that arises in moments of silence * A powerful reflection on faith from Raghu Markus * Sinking into faith and surrendering to the present moment  About Dakota Wint: Dakota Wint is a documentary filmmaker, vlogger, podcast host, and spiritual teacher from Detroit, Michigan. His films and podcasts revolve around current events, strange spirituality, and taboo traditions. You can subscribe to his podcast, A Place for Humans, HERE [https://aplaceforhumans.podbean.com/]. Dakota grew to fame as an internet personality via his popular YouTube channel, Dakota of Earth [https://www.youtube.com/dakotawint]. Dakota hosts retreats around the world and runs a non-profit focused on cultural and language preservation. Learn more about current happenings on his website [https://www.dakotawint.com/]. "All spiritual practice is about remembering, for me. This is my spiritual practice. It's about paying attention so that when these moments happen, I can be conscious of them. So, when the ‘love serve remember' message comes through in the form of a mushroom, in the form of Maharaj-ji, in the form of someone asking me for some change, in the form of my own mother, any way that it approaches, my practice is to try to remember." –Dakota Wint About Raghu Markus: Raghu Markus spent two years in India with Neem Karoli Baba and Ram Dass. He has been involved in music and transformational media since the early 1970s. He is currently the Executive Director of the Love Serve Remember Foundation [https://www.ramdass.org/] and hosts the Mindrolling [https://beherenownetwork.com/category/mindrolling-with-raghu-markus/] Podcast on the Be Here Now Network. Along with Duncan Trussell, Raghu also recently co-created The Movie of Me to the Movie of We [https://www.amazon.com/Movie-Me-We/dp/B0CLWLGBLJ]. “When you speak about intentionality with a being that is no longer in two, no duality, you're missing the point…there is no intentionality, it is just whatever is in the flow of that which is true.” –Raghu Markus on Neem Karoli Baba See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].