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Deep Practice. Peak Experience.
Profound Understanding.
Powerful Contribution.

Deep Transformation dialogues with cutting-edge thinkers, contemplatives, and activists to explore the great questions of our time—and all time. Join us to explore how to live life to the fullest, to create and to contribute in a new era of unprecedented challenges and opportunities.

With Roger Walsh & John Dupuy

What our listeners say

I have learned, and continue to learn, so much from these podcasts! I have listened to some of their guests such as, A.H. Almaas, Sean Esbjorn, and Ron Interpreter. Their podcasts interweave so many “disciplines” and subjects from integrative spirituality, psychology, philosophy, ancient traditions, the cosmos, and others. I’m gaining a much wider and deeper appreciation for the inter-relatedness of these areas of knowledge and practices.

I have often wondered what the term, “non-duality” really meant. After listening to their interviews and discussion with Sean Esbjorn, I finally understand the richer, broader context of its meaning.

Thank you for asking your guests insightful questions! I look forward to listening to each new podcast.

~ Sharron (sent through https://deeptransformation.io/contact/)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Deep and intelligent

I love the thoughtfulness and depth this podcast offers. I am especially excited that you are doing some in-depth and ongoing interviews with AH Almaas! Roger and John are able to ask great questions that help reveal the incredible teachings Hameed has to offer. Thank you for enriching my life.

~ Bobchesters on Apple Podcasts (🇨🇦)

Thank you for bringing consistently thoughtful, provocative, and awakening guests to the show. The yin/yang dance (or mercurial/mars) of Roger and John's ways of processing information adds a beautiful layer of teachings to the programs.

~ Anonymous from buymeacoffee.com

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Deeply thoughtful, insightful and provocative.

Have been listening for the past year or so. So any good episodes. Hosts are gracious and allow guests lots of room while still being engaged enough for a lively conversation. Topics are broad and deep - obviously centering around spiritual topics, personal and spiritual growth, etc - but also extending into relevant adjacent areas (like the amazing conversation with Daniel Schmactenberger on the meta crisis and much much more). Also loved all the interviews with A H Almaas, Cory DeVos and Beena Sharma, among others.

HIGHLY recommended.

 ~ patrickwal on Apple Podcasts (🇺🇸)

This video or any video from Andrew are just direct, clear magnificent and soooo beneficial, they are one of my favorite, thank you for promoting and explaining such a profound practices.

~ @user-yo3mp8ek1t (on YouTube)

Praise for Andrew Holecek – The Remarkable Practice of Dream Yoga: How Lucid Dreaming Makes Sleep Endlessly Fascinating and Leads to Lucid Living (and Lucid Dying)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Broad and Meaningful

What a wonderful podcast with interviews from a broad spectrum of people who have really plumbed the depths of human potential. The warmth and friendly nature of the hosts brings these topics down to earth. This is my new go to podcast to refresh and enliven my brain on the commute home. Thank you both so much!

~ Moniseur Qui on Apple Podcasts (🇺🇸)

Dear Roger and John, your decades of crystalizing lived Integral approaches shines so clearly! Your recent conversation with Brad Reynolds was such an elegant, pristine sweep of Wilber's work, delivered succinctly and comprehensively in a way that offers freshly available hand holds for deeper exploration of Wilber's extraordinary insights. I celebrate your big heartedness and the dignified commitment you both regularly demonstrate to honor the intricate beauties of varied perspectives, yet without avoiding or exaggerating the messy complexities of actual living. Big gratitude!

~ dragpa (sent through Facebook Messenger)

Praise for Brad Reynolds – Ken Wilber’s Map of Everything: A Guide to the Brilliance & Span of Wilber’s Work from Philosophy to Psychology, Spirituality and Science

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Worth It

Just finished the first episode. Excellent conversation that had good pace, light humor, deep thoughts, clear explanations and plenty of heart and humility. A really winning blend of all those qualities in a winning way. Very nourishing to not just hear a dry intellectual recitation of theory, but to have it expressed and lived in a full body manner during the delivery by all involved.

From the trailer, “Feeling over fed and undernourished? So are we. So we made this podcast.”

Mission accomplished. An excellent multi course home cooked meal worthy of our time. Dive in!

~ Studio Teacher Scott on Apple Podcasts (🇺🇸)

Praise for Jeff Salzman – Polarization, Being Woke, the Universal Agenda, Mindfulness Going Bad, and the Integral Vision

Above and beyond enjoying your coffee, I’d like you to be happy and well, free from affliction and at peace. I am experiencing an upswing now, that your fine podcast has contributed to. Since listening to it, I have gotten through a bit more than half of the Dhamapada. In addition, I am doing well with my endurance regimen, which has stabilized many symptoms of my spinal cord deficit for the time being. I bicycled to a nice spot by the Salt river in the Tonto National Forest to hear and learn birdsong melodies, which I’ll use for original classical guitar compositions and disseminating concepts of bird conservation/extinction and ecosystem services acquired from the Cornell University ornithology lab’s online program, while introducing the songs to general audiences who urgently need to be reached. I experienced the iridescence of twilight’s spectrum on my way back home.

~ Michael Weiss from buymeacoffee.com

Deep Transformation | Listen Notes

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LATEST PODCAST EPISODES

Can Our Democracy Be Healed? Taking Up the Fight

By Heidi Mitchell | February 5, 2026

“To understand is to forgive.” – Dr. Michael Fischler?

In part 2 of Sliding Towards Authoritarianism, Constitutional Law expert and Ethics professor Mark Fischler continues to explain why our democracy is faltering and considers what we might do to heal it. He further 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, Professor Fischler 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…the collective decision 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, Mark continues. Even after Mark’s poignant, in-depth look at the effects of the “course discourse” that has come to dominate the political arena 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 this is a global village we all live in together. Recorded December 4, 2025.

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

By Heidi Mitchell | January 29, 2026

“An ignorant people can never remain a free people.” – Thomas Jefferson

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.

Welcoming the Absolute: What Happens When Reality Lives Through You

By Heidi Mitchell | January 22, 2026

“If we become mature enough to cease and desist, to let reality take its course… when we’re out of the way, true nature will come through—that’s what a true human is.”

Ep. 218 (Part 2 of 2) | In Part 2 of the 17th dialogue in the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series, Hameed Ali explores the great freedom we experience when we allow being itself to unfold through us—when we let reality take its course without our egoic selves getting in the way. When we are out of the way, Hameed explains, all the virtues come through us: responsibility, ethics, morality, compassion, caring, sensitivity, and more. These ideals are not human-made, he says, they are expressions of our true nature. In fact, Hameed adds, this is what a true human is; expressing the absolute is the fulfillment of life. 

Just knowing the absolute does not eliminate all obstacles, Hameed continues. Even as we go very deep, there are “ego islands” that pose ongoing difficulties. But the practice is to be with our experience and let it inform us—allow our life experiences to become the arena for the expression of spirit. All we need to do is abide in the knowing that the absolute is expressing itself through us, Hameed says. And laughs telling a story about the “do nothing” instructions of lamas and Zen teachers, as they attempt to show their students that there is nothing to be done but get out of the way. All manifestation, our lives, even our problems and challenges and getting lost in the illusion is all a play of the absolute, Roger reflects. Another very rich, deeply nourishing conversation with A. H. Almaas. Recorded November 13, 2025.

Awakening is Not the End of the Story: Living as the Radiance of the Absolute 

By Heidi Mitchell | January 15, 2026

“It is inherent to true nature for it to be lived in the world.”

Ep. 217 (Part 1 of 2) | In the 17th dialogue of the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series, Hameed Ali explores the classic spiritual theme: the journey of descent. What happens after we awaken, having had a realization of the deepest kind? The path of descent, where we retain the awareness of what came with our experience of the absolute, and bring it into our life, expressing it with every aspect of our being. Many teachings talk about the ascent (the journey of awakening) and the descent, Hameed explains, but when they talk about the descent, they interpret it as an individual coming down the mountain with their great realization. Hameed thought this was how it happened too, he laughs. But then it became clear to him following his own descent that it is not an enlightened individual who descends back into the world—it’s the absolute. In Christian terms, it’s the father who comes, appearing as the son.
What was it like for Hameed as he descended, living in the absolute dimension at the same time as living in the everyday world? co-host John Dupuy asks. Something transcendent lives through the body with the individual as the organ of perception, Hameed responds. “The entire universe becomes subtle shimmerings…like the waves in quantum theory; the blackness so extreme that it shines—and that sheen is the world.” Different from the classic Eastern spiritual path, where what is significant is living the transcendent rather than living regular life, in the Diamond Approach (Hameed’s path), actualization is the goal, coming back to the everyday world and living life as an expression of the Absolute. Recorded November 13, 2025.

Embodying Compassion: The Practice of Loving Everyone with Jack Kornfield

By Heidi Mitchell | January 8, 2026

“You think you’re separate – you think you exist. But you’re not who you think you are. You are consciousness in drag.”

Ep. 216 (Part 2 of 2) | In Part 2 of Deep Transformation’s first episode in the What is Real Greatness Series, longtime spiritual teacher Jack Kornfield declares that in his experience real greatness is a greatness of heart. In Buddhism, greatness of heart is embodied in the ideal of the bodhisattva—one whose life is dedicated to the well-being of all. Embodying compassion is not a grim proposition, Jack explains, but a joy! The whole point of it being human happiness and inner freedom. Because of his deep understanding of compassion, Jack was invited to the Oslo Freedom Forum to counsel global activists on how to prevent burnout, and when talking to them about their outrage, he told them, “You do this because you care—that is not a loss of power, it’s actually the deep power. Tune into the care.” Greatness of heart is the great power.

Jack relates that the experience of awakening can be felt in different ways: it might feel like everything is love, perfection, emptiness, or freedom. For me, the channel is love and my practice is to love everyone, he explains. We have to love both the lion and the gazelle, he continues, and shares a poignant story of how very loving Ram Dass became towards the end of his life, loving everything, even his pain. When the conversation turns towards the potential demise of humanity, Jack wonders, will we be able to do something beneficial with our consciousness now that we’re aware that we are all connected? What is the spirit you want to lead with? he asks. What is the dance you want to do? A thoroughly thought provoking, nourishing, inspiring conversation. Recorded October 2, 2025.

Setting the Compass of Your Heart: What Really Matters with Jack Kornfield

By Heidi Mitchell | January 1, 2026

“The beautiful thing about the bodhisattva ideal is that it becomes your intention… it becomes the setting of the compass of your heart.”

Ep. 215 (Part 1 of 2) | The first of Deep Transformation’s What is Real Greatness Series, this conversation with world-renowned meditation teacher Jack Kornfield is filled with beautiful teachings touching into the sacred at the heart of our lives and the point of our whole spiritual journey: to remember and embody our innate capacity to awaken and experience the reality of our own innate dignity and nobility. Respecting ourselves at the deepest level is what transforms us and transforms society too, Jack explains. “Do you hold yourself with nobility and respect?” he asks. “Can you remember your own beauty and dignity? Can you see it in others?”
The topic of greatness—real greatness—is woven throughout the dialogue, as Jack recounts the seed events of his own spiritual journey and ruminates on Roger’s question, what is the sacred question at the center of your life? This is a question Jack often asks his own students, and we are inspired to ponder it for ourselves, along with, if you were to write your own bodhisattva vow, what would it be? Jack is a master at inspiring us to live our ideals, to broaden the possibilities of our lives, and to remember the miracle of our existence. A warmly personal, deeply profound discussion. Recorded October 2, 2025.

Finding Our True Home in the Absolute: Experiencing Intimacy with Everything, with A. H. Almaas

By Heidi Mitchell | December 25, 2025

“You don’t have to experience the absolute to know nonduality.”

Ep. 214 (Part 2 of 2) | Part 2 of the 16th dialogue of the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series takes us on a sweet journey farther into our exploration of the nature of the absolute. Hameed Ali discusses the paradox of the absolute, being both source and cessation of all things, the nonduality of emptiness and beingness, these being two sides of the same coin, and explains why many nondual teachings do not touch upon the absolute. He makes sense of the difficult-to-fathom concept of pure emptiness, explaining that the absolute’s nature is absence—in contrast with presence—and relates that Mystery is the essence of the absolute, the fundamental essence of the nature of reality. “We are never going to know where it’s at, what’s happening, what life is about,” he laughs. Our knowledge is but “small islands in the vast ocean of mystery we live in;” mystery cannot be eliminated.
In the absolute, the soul finds its final resting place, Hameed tells us. The absolute is our true home—the essence of the meaning of home. All humans are searching for their true home, Hameed says, and they search in many places. But here the search is over. Reflections of the absolute bring us closer to love, like when we are in love, Hameed continues. Being in love with an outer beloved brings us closer to the inner beloved and we see deeper. “The absolute is total intimacy, Hameed finishes. “In the absolute we are intimate with everything.” How do we express this in the world, in our ordinary lives? “It becomes very simple,” Hameed says. “The absolute is the essence of simplicity—so simple, even though there is a profundity…” Recorded October 9, 2025.

Into the Absolute: At One with the Radiant Source of All, with A. H. Almaas (Part 1)

By Heidi Mitchell | December 18, 2025

“The absolute itself is majesty, and the universe that emerges is beauty.”

Ep. 213 (Part 1 of 2) | The 16th dialogue of the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series is about the absolute, the source dimension of all manifestation, deeper than any other dimension, the vastness beyond vastness. In Part 1, Hameed gives a wonderful description of the majesty and the blackness of the absolute, and tells the story of when he first experienced being one with the absolute himself. When Roger Walsh asks him, what are the doorways to the absolute, Hameed talks about mystical poverty and also the way of the heart. “When the true beloved shines through the heart, it’s an amazing ecstasy… a mindblowing kind of beauty,” he says. He discusses the fear people often feel as they approach cessation of all perception, and the need for the basic trust we were born with (which often gets clobbered as we grow up) to proceed. What changes after an experience of the absolute? John Dupuy asks. If one abides in this realization, it cleanses the soul of all impurities, and our action embodies the virtues, Hameed answers.

In Part 2, which will be released December 25th, Hameed delves into the paradox of the absolute (the absolute is the elimination, the annihilation, the cessation of all things—and the source of all things), the nonduality of emptiness and awareness, and explains that mystery is the essence of the absolute: the absolute IS mystery, he says. There is laughter all around when Hameed says you can never completely “get” it, because there’s nothing there to get! Your mind disappears as you’re trying to get it. Towards the end, the conversation relaxes so deeply into the subject of the absolute, you can just about feel its presence. We become intimate with everything in the absolute, Hameed says. It is the soul’s final resting place, our true home, where the search ends. Recorded October 9, 2025.

Exposing Injustice & Suffering in Palestine & Around the World with Filmmakers Zaya & Maurizio Benazzo

By Heidi Mitchell | December 11, 2025

“Opening to the darkness and the pain is the gift of this time. We are all one; we cannot continue to separate ourselves into our comfortable silos.”

Ep. 212 (Part 2 of 2) | In Part 2 of the compelling conversation with SAND founders Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo, the discussion turns to the making of their 2021 documentary film about the tragic injustices inflicted upon Palestinians in the West Bank. Where Olive Trees Weep is a very beautiful, heartbreaking, and eye opening film we highly recommend to our listeners. “How do we stop the violence?” asks co-host John Dupuy. No one knows the answer, but “each of us can find a way to alleviate the suffering in Palestine now as we grapple with the question of how to stop the wounds that continue to bleed,” Zaya and Maurizio contend. “We can stand for justice, food, and human rights, recognize the dignity of Palestinians and fight for their freedom.”

Spiritual communities are mostly quiet on this issue, Zaya mentions. But “it’s not a political issue,” she says, “it’s a human issue—we are losing our humanity. If we believe in oneness, we need to face our discomfort and turn towards the pain, towards the suffering. Discomfort is the very essence of the issue on a psychological and archetypal level,” Zaya adds. Zaya and Maurizio are also working on a remarkable series of films called The Eternal Song, an ongoing project to bring forth teachings from Indigenous communities around the world. To date, they have released The Eternal Song, Mauri: The Vital Essence of All Beings, and most recently If an Owl Calls Your Name. Thank you, Zaya and Maurizio, for contributing your gifts in these stunning films, so poignant and important in these disconnected, turbulent times, and for sharing your extraordinary wisdom with our Deep Transformation listeners. Recorded October 16, 2025.

Where Science, Spirituality & Indigenous Wisdom Meet: The Remarkable Contributions of Filmmakers Zaya & Maurizio Benazzo

By Heidi Mitchell | December 4, 2025

“There is no spiritual work without trauma work.”

Ep. 211 (Part 1 of 2) | Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo are not only the founders of the longstanding and highly regarded Science & Nonduality Conference (SAND), but also brilliant filmmakers, producing stunning documentaries about the injustice and suffering occurring in Palestine and elsewhere, as well as films that feature the eternal wisdom of elders from Indigenous communities around the world. Zaya and Maurizio are clearly passionate about their work, and co-host Roger Walsh points out they do a beautiful job of intertwining the personal, professional, and spiritual into an offering that meets the needs of our time. As Maurizio says, “There is no spiritual work. Period. Everything is spiritual work! It’s life.”

In Part 1 of this episode, lively and inspired, Zaya and Maurizio share what they’ve learned about life, spirituality, trauma, healing, guidance, and the deep-time perspective of the Maori. They relate the trajectory of SAND’s evolution from featuring male-dominated nondual teachings to include an understanding of trauma, somatic healing, feminine, earth-oriented teachings, and Indigenous wisdom. “Healing never ends; it’s a lifelong journey—there’s no modern solution that will ‘fix’ you,” Zaya tells us. Also, “We are constantly being guided if we just listen.”

In Part 2, Zaya and Maurizio describe the making of their 2021 documentary about the tragic mistreatment of Palestinians in the West Bank, a beautiful, heartbreaking film called Where Olive Trees Weep. Also their film The Eternal Song, an ongoing project to bring forth Indigenous teachings, so valuable and timely for us now in our chaotic, disconnected world. This whole conversation is thought provoking, delightful, profound, paradigm shifting, and inspiring all at once. Recorded October 16, 2025.

Photo of Roger Walsh
Photo of Roger Walsh

Roger Walsh, M.D., Ph.D. DHL

Roger’s day jobs include being a University of California professor (of psychiatry, philosophy, anthropology, and religious studies), as well as a writer and researcher whose work has received over 20 national and international awards. Roger is also a meditation student, teacher, and researcher, a Tibetan Buddhist lama, and was formerly a circus acrobat, a world record high diver, and a spectacularly unsuccessful standup comedian.

Photo of John Dupuy

John Dupuy, M.A.

Professional wilderness guide, award-winning author, CEO of iAwake Technologies, pioneer applying Integral Theory to the field of addiction & recovery, dedicated tennis player...In his other lives, John has been a singer/songwriter, military police investigator, cowboy, and psychedelic guide. John is passionate about the grit, grind, glory, and grace of daily Integral practice.

Photo of John Dupuy