Do you find the current situation in the United States alarming? Are you having trouble finding serenity while chaos reigns? Join Jill in exploring how to anchor yourself and stay steady. Let love reign as you find ways to stay positive and take action.

Links:

The Brain: The Story of You
https://eagleman.com/books/the-brain/

The influence of group membership on the neural correlates involved in empathy
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3644680/

SBNR Episode 4: Takeaways from "Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender" by David R. Hawkins
https://www.spiritualbnr.org/letting-go

Ballotpedia Elections Calendar:
https://ballotpedia.org/Elections_calendar

NPR 2024 Election Recap:
https://www.npr.org/2024/12/27/nx-s1-5222570/2024-politics-recap

2024 Presidential General Election Results
https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/

University of Florida Election Lab:
https://election.lab.ufl.edu/2024-general-election-turnout/

Music credit:
Almost in F - Tranquillity by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100394
Artist: http://incompetech.com/

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Edit: I was unhappy with the original version uploaded, so I uploaded a new version at 5:30 p.m. CST on Wednesday, December 18, 2024.

This is a review of John Hamilton's memoir titled Honest to God. I found much to relate to in John's life story, even as his path through life took some major twists and turns.

The narrative of the book alternates between past and present and weaves a masterful tale of personal and spiritual transformation. Odd-numbered chapters trace John's evolution from his 1980s rock career through his successful stint as an ad executive, culminating in his 2002 pastoral calling. Even-numbered chapters chronicle his final days as a pastor, interweaving tender memories of his life as the spiritual leader of First Congregational Church in Norwood, Massachusetts. Throughout his life, John's wisdom grows with every triumph and tribulation.

For more information on John Hamilton and his memoir, go to:
https://wildhousepublishing.com/honest-to-god/

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For the video version of this episode, go to: https://youtu.be/_iUn3yOo0yw

In this episode of "Spiritual but Not Religious" with Jill Dominguez, we delve into the profound insights of Wake Up Call by Tom Rapsas. Tom's journey mirrors many of our own as he navigates a departure from the confines of organized religion toward a more expansive spiritual understanding. Through his exploration of various traditions and thinkers, Tom shares with us the realization that true wisdom transcends any single belief system or authority.
______________

Links:

About Tom Rapsas and Wake Up Call:
https://www.tomrapsas.com

Andre Dubus II essay:
https://sites.up.edu/portlandmagazine/making-sandwiches-for-my-daughters/

NPR interview with Andre Dubus III:
https://www.npr.org/2023/08/01/1191357456/novelist-andre-dubus-iii

The Guardian article on awe:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/sep/23/how-getting-more-awe-can-improve-your-life-and-even-make-you-a-nicer-person

Richard Rohr on nonduality:
https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-dualistic-mind-2017-01-29/

Eckhart Tolle interview "On Being":
https://eckharttolle.com/listen-on-being-with-krista-tippett/

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Episode 13 of the Spiritual But Not Religious podcast with Jill Dominguez.

In this podcast, we explore the profound wisdom encapsulated in the words of Ramana Maharshi, as shared by Robert Wolfe in "Ramana Maharshi: Teachings of Self-Realization". Ramana's declaration, "Only the Absolute Being is real," challenges conventional notions of reality, inviting us to transcend the illusions of the mind and embrace the ultimate truth.

You can find a video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/VnXlZp5Lamo.

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In this episode, I discuss my takeaways from the novel by Wesley J. Wildman titled The Winding Way Home. This work of fiction explores the life of Jesse as he navigates his way through the latter half of his life. Along the way, Jesse experiences much joy and much agony, nurturing a journey towards spiritual fulfillment along the way.

In my discussion, I relate the Buddhist teachings of dukkha dukkha, viparinama dukkha, and sankhara dukkha to the characters in the novel and to my own life.

I found these references to be helpful to my understanding of the dukkhas:

• https://www.lionsroar.com/deep-dukkha-part-2-the-three-kinds-of-suffering/
• https://drarisworld.wordpress.com/2020/05/18/concept-of-suffering-dukkha-in-theravada-buddhism/

Information on Riding the Windhorse:
https://www.chronicleproject.com/riding-on-the-wind-the-culture-of-windhorse/

The book is an advanced review copy that I received from the publisher, Wildhouse Fiction. No compensation was received for this review.

The background music is "Thin Places" by Jesse Gallagher. 

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Dive into the profound intersections of addiction, spirituality, and recovery. Join me as I explore the transformative journey outlined in Peg O'Connor's book, Higher and Friendly Powers: Transforming Addiction and Suffering. Throughout this book, Peg draws inspiration from the wisdom of spiritual researcher, philosopher, lecturer, and author William James. From the origins of Alcoholics Anonymous to the power of spiritual awakening, discover how embracing positivity and gratitude can pave the way to a life of fulfillment and recovery.

For more information on Peg O'Connor, William James, and Alcoholics Anonymous, explore the following links:

• https://gustavus.edu/profiles/poconnor (faculty bio of Dr. O'Connor on the Gustavus Adolphus College website)
• https://pegoconnorauthor.com/ (Peg's author website)
• https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/621 (link to the e-book for The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature by William James on Project Gutenberg)
• https://www.aa.org/ (Alcoholics Anonymous website)

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This episode is a bit of a meditation on a leaf I saw on the ground during a morning walk. That leaf inspired me to think of all the people of the Earth as leaves on a tree. When we nurture the tree, the tree takes care of us all. Our purpose is to nurture the tree and each other, so that the tree will stay healthy and bear new leaves after we are gone.

If you would like to see the imagery that accompanies this episode, you can find the video version on my YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/juukk8GU-Yg.

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In this podcast episode, I talk about the feelings that accompany the death of a loved one: loss, grief, guilt, and the search for answers. My inspirations for this episode came from my own struggle with the death of my mother, and a book called "Tyson's Gift: How an 8-Pound K9 Became a Man's Greatest Spiritual Guide", by Brandon Wainwright. Learn more about Brandon and his book at https://tysonsgift.com/about.

For those who prefer a video format, see https://youtu.be/eAfBHreGnKk.

You can see more episodes and blog posts at the Spiritual But Not Religious website at https://www.spiritualbnr.org/.

Background music: "Rain Cloud Music" by Emily A. Sprague

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This is Episode 8 of the Spiritual But Not Religious podcast by Jill Dominguez. In this podcast, Jill summarizes key points from chapters four through the end of Andre Halaw's book "Neti-Neti Meditation".

For a video version of this podcast (including subtitles), go to: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJeyAmTqsGQLmfMWaogH7mQ   

For a written transcript, go to: https://www.spiritualbnr.org/blog/part-2-a-review-of-neti-neti-meditation 

Link to "Neti-Neti Meditation" by Andre Halaw on Amazon.com: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00GP62LU0  

Link to "True Meditation" by Adyanshanti (another insightful meditation resource I found on Audible.com): https://www.audible.com/pd/True-Meditation-Audiobook/B002V0153I?asin=B002V0153I  

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In this podcast, Jill summarizes key points from chapters one through three of Andre Halaw's book "Neti-Neti Meditation".

For a video version of this podcast (including subtitles), go to https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJeyAmTqsGQLmfMWaogH7mQ.

For a written transcript, go to https://www.spiritualbnr.org/blog/part-1-a-review-of-neti-neti-meditation.

Link to "Neti-Neti Meditation" by Andre Halaw on Amazon.com: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00GP62LU0

Link to "True Meditation" by Adyanshanti (another insightful meditation resource I found on Audible.com): https://www.audible.com/pd/True-Meditation-Audiobook/B002V0153I?asin=B002V0153I

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Andre Halaw has a wonderful way of wording things, and he explains the concept of Nothingness in a beautiful way that reinforces the ideas from the resources we've explored in previous episodes. This book takes us step by step through the process of revealing our true natures, and is a great lead-in to the next podcast in which I'll discuss the concept of Neti-Neti meditation using another book by Halaw as a reference.

You can find the audio and full transcript of this episode on my website at SpiritualBNR.org/blog/making-sense-of-nothingness.

For a video version of this podcast, go to https://youtu.be/x--EwTTxfLY.

Other resources that might be helpful:

Books (as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases made through these links):

• God is Nothingness (Kindle version)

https://amzn.to/3xh5uLI

• God is Nothingness (paperback version)

https://amzn.to/3awKjLZ

Websites:

Non-Duality – Applied Advaita and the 'Direct Path':

https://not-two.net/advaita-zen-dzogchen-and-taoism/

Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advaita_Vedanta

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nondualism#Hinduism

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In this episode I'll be talking about what I have learned from reading Dr. David R. Hawkins' book "The Eye of the I: From Which Nothing is Hidden". This book delves deeply into awareness, what it means to exist, the meaninglessness of time, the role of the mind, and the nature of God.

Read the full transcript at https://www.spiritualbnr.org/blog/what-i-learned-from-the-eye-of-the-i.

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In this episode, I talk about David R. Hawkins, MD, PhD, and some of my key takeaways from his book Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender.  I relate some of my personal experiences, and pass on some of the knowledge I've gained through reading this book.

On my blog at spiritualbnr.org, you will find a full transcript of this episode.

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One of my first "aha" moments with spiritual awakening was discovering the 17th-century philosopher Baruch Spinoza. You can listen to the audio recordings that really resonated with me on audible.com: "Baruch Spinoza: The Giants of Philosophy" written by Thomas Cook and narrated by Charlton Heston, and "New Jerusalem: The Interrogation of Baruch de Spinoza at Talmud Torah Congregation: Amsterdam, July 27, 1656" an L.A. Theatre Works production written by David Ives and performed by Ed Asner and others.

You can find an examination of Spinoza's life and writings here: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/spinoza/#Biog)

And you can find a short biography of Spinoza here: Great Thinkers—Baruch Spinoza (https://thegreatthinkers.org/spinoza/biography/)

Read the transcript of this podcast at spiritualbnr.org.

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Tying together Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" and Jonathan Livingston Seagull and relating those lessons to your own life.

Read the transcript on my blog at spiritualbnr.org.

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Have you read Jonathan Livingston Seagull? That one book has influenced my life for more than 30 years. In this episode, I talk a little about my initial spiritual curiosity outside of organized religion and summarize the book that has brought me full circle.

Read the transcript on my blog at spiritualbnr.org.

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This episode describes my life, summarizes my journey from Cradle Catholic to spiritual awakening, and gives an idea of why I am making these podcasts.

Read the transcript on my blog at spiritualbnr.org.

Find SBNR episodes and more on the Spiritual But Not Religious website and connect with me on Mastodon and YouTube!