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Today I sit down with Brendan Graham Dempsey, Director of Research at the Institute of Applied Metatheory, where he thinks about human meaning-making systems. It’s rare that I have someone on the pod who doesn’t specialize in Asian traditions, but I thought a conversation with Brendan might help crystalize some of the ideas we’ve been discussing so far this season. We talk about what kind of spirituality is possible after postmodernism, the advantages of an integrative worldview, and how to decide which perspective should win out over others when they’re in conflict. In our conversation, it is apparent that Brendan and I are coming at this from different directions, but ultimately we discover some common ground. If you want to hear scholars and practitioners engaging in multidisciplinary conversations about Asian religious, medical, healing, and mystical traditions, then subscribe to Black Beryl wherever you get your podcasts. If you would be willing to help support the pod so we can pay our bills, please look us up on Substack and become a member! Each month our guests share downloadable PDFs of articles, book chapters, and other materials in our members area. Check it out! One last thing: we are planning an “Ask Me Anything” episode in the future, so reach out via Substack or my website, piercesalguero.com, and let me know your questions. Ok, on with the show! Resources relevant to this episode: * Discussion of Pierce’s publication in Metamodern Theory and Praxis: BBP episode 4.1 * Brendan’s main website: https://www.brendangrahamdempsey.com/ * Evolution of Meaning: https://evolutionofmeaning.com * Ω (Omega): https://www.brendangrahamdempsey.com/omega Subscribe on blackberyl.substack.com to unlock our members-only benefits, including the following: * Chapter 1 from Brendan’s forthcoming book Evolution of Meaning (PDF, 142 pp.) Get full access to Black Beryl Podcast at blackberyl.substack.com/subscribe

Today I sit down with Helena Choi Soholm, PhD. A Korean American who grew up in a Protestant family, in 2018, Dr Soholm was initiated into becoming both a transpersonal psychologist and a Korean shaman (or mudang). Our conversation focuses on her experience navigating the intersections of archetypal energies, trance states, and possession by ancestral spirits. Along the way, we talk about her initiation in Korea, the centrality of music in shamanic ceremonies, how Korean adoptees reestablish ancestral connection, and about the goal of integrating transcendent and immanent spirituality. If you want to hear scholars and practitioners engaging in multidisciplinary conversations about Asian healing and mystical traditions, then subscribe to Black Beryl wherever you get your podcasts. Also check out our members area on Substack (blackberyl.substack.com), as each episode our guests share downloadable PDFs of articles, book chapters, and other materials for you. One last thing: we are planning an “Ask Me Anything” episode coming up soon, so reach out via Substack or my website, piercesalguero.com, and let me know your questions. Ok, on with the show! Resources relevant to this episode: * Helena’s upcoming events * Helena’s shamanic services * My interview with Jeff Kriple (BBP 3.18) * Intangible Asset No. 82 Subscribe on blackberyl.substack.com to unlock our members-only benefits, including the following: * Helen Choi Soholm, Brief Guidelines for an Ancestor Honoring Ritual (PDF) * Intangible Asset No. 82 (streaming video) Get full access to Black Beryl Podcast at blackberyl.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I sit down with Dr Peter Wayne, Director of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at Harvard Medical School and Brigham & Women’s Hospital. A prolific researcher of the science of body-mind practices, Peter is the author of The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi (2013) and over 200 scientific papers. But he has also been a practitioner and instructor of taiji and qigong for over 45 years, and is the founder of the Tree of Life Tai Chi Center outside of Boston. Together we explore the intersection of science and practice, as well as the bridges he has been building for decades between them. Along the way, we discuss reconciling reductionism with systems thinking, Peter’s ecological way of speaking about the body, and whether or not one should mention qi in a scientific paper. If you want to hear scholars and practitioners engaging in multidisciplinary conversations about Asian healing and mystical traditions, then subscribe to Black Beryl wherever you get your podcasts. Also check out our members area on Substack (blackberyl.substack.com), as each episode our guests share downloadable PDFs of articles, book chapters, and other materials for you. One last thing: we are planning an “Ask Me Anything” episode coming up soon, so reach out via Substack or my website, piercesalguero.com, and let me know your questions. Ok, on with the show! Resources mentioned in this episode: * Osher Center for Integrative Health * Ted Kaptchuck, The Web That Has No Weaver (2000) Subscribe on blackberyl.substack.com to unlock our members-only benefits, including these PDFs of Peter’s publications: * Wayne et al., “A Systems Biology Approach to Studying Tai Chi, Physiological Complexity and Healthy Aging” (2013) * Wayne et al., “Can Tai Chi and Qigong Postures Shape Our Mood? Toward an Embodied Cognition Framework for Mind-Body Research” (2018) * Wayne et al., “Integrative Medicine Is a Good Prescription for Patients and Planet” (2019) * Wayne et al., “The Science of Tai Chi and Qigong as Whole Person Health” (2025) Get full access to Black Beryl Podcast at blackberyl.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I sit down with my friend Linda C. Ceriello, a scholar of mysticism and popular culture from Kennesaw State University in Georgia. Linda is one of the foremost scholars of metamodernism, with particular focus on contemporary spirituality and mystical experiences. She talks with me about what this concept of metamodernism means, and how it can open up new kinds of more capacious thinking. I’m sure you will agree that a lot of what we’ve been doing on this podcast over the past 4 years — juxtaposing different perspectives, exposing our full selves, exploring the dark sides of spirituality, leaning into sincerity, etc. — has all embodied a metamodern sensibility. Anyway, I think she’s the perfect guest to talk with as we launch season 4, and I hope you’ll enjoy the show. If you want to hear scholars and practitioners engaging in multidisciplinary conversations about Asian healing and mystical traditions, then subscribe to Black Beryl wherever you get your podcasts. Also check out our members area on Substack (blackberyl.substack.com), as each episode our guests share downloadable PDFs of articles, book chapters, and other materials for you. One last thing: we are planning an “Ask Me Anything” episode coming up soon, so reach out via Substack or my website, piercesalguero.com, and let me know your questions. Ok, on with the show! Resources mentioned in this episode: * “What is Metamodern?” website * “What is Metamodern? Conversations” on YouTube * Bloomsbury Press series: Studies in Metamodernism, Theory and Criticism Across the Disciplines * Vermeulen and van den Akker, “Notes on Metamodernism” (2010) * Kersten, Polo, Wilbers, Glocal Metamodernisms: European Fiction After Postmodernism (2026) * Disambiguation video * Recorded lecture: “An Overview of the Academic Research on Metamodernism” (2021) * Recorded panel: “A Bodhisattva Move: Popular Mysticism’s Influence on the Metamodern Turn?” (2023) Subscribe on blackberyl.substack.com to unlock our members-only benefits, including these PDFs of Linda’s work: * Metamodern Mysticisms (2018) * “Toward a metamodern reading of Spiritual but Not Religious mysticisms” (2018) * “The Metamodern Bend: Theorizations for Religious Studies” (2022) Get full access to Black Beryl Podcast at blackberyl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to season 4 of the BBP! We concluded the last episode with Jeff Kripal calling upon humanities scholars to break out of our conservative paradigms and to allow ourselves to “get weird.” So, let’s do it! This season, we are going all-in on the mystical, mysterious, profound, reality-bending, and impossible aspects of Asian religions, medicines, and spiritualities. As usual, we’ll launch the season the tables turned, with Lan taking up the mic to interview Pierce. Together, we think about traditional, modern, and postmodern approaches to Asian medicine. Usually, these epistemologies are competing or people are trying to integrate them… but could there be another approach that celebrates all of them without needing to reconcile dissonance? If you want to hear scholars and practitioners engaging in multidisciplinary conversations about Asian healing and mystical traditions, then subscribe to Black Beryl wherever you get your podcasts. Also look us up on Substack to see what our guests have shared with you. Enjoy the show! Resources mentioned in this episode: * Pierce Salguero, “A Metadisciplinary Approach to Asian Medicine (and Other Epistemological Carnivals)” (2025) * Pierce Salguero, “The Fractal of Humanities” (2021) * Pierce Salguero, “A Pedagogy of the Soul” (2022) * Pierce Salguero, “Let’s Put More Humanity into the Humanities” (2019) * Pierce’s Human•ities Blog on Substack or on Medium Subscribe on blackberyl.substack.com to unlock our members-only benefits, including: * PDF of the introduction to Pierce’s new book: Meditation Sickness: A Sourcebook on the Dangers of Buddhist Practice, just published by University of Hawaii Press. Get full access to Black Beryl Podcast at blackberyl.substack.com/subscribe

Today I sit down with Prof. Jeff Kripal, noted scholar of religion at Rice University, to talk about extraordinary, mysterious, and “impossible” experiences. This is a conversation I’ve been waiting a few years to have. Together we explore what you can or can’t talk about in the humanities — and what we risk when we break the rules. Along the way, we touch on paranormal phenomena, epistemological pluralism, conspiracy theories, Plato’s cave, and why no one dresses up as a humanities professor for Halloween.  If you want to hear scholars and practitioners engaging in deep conversations about the dark side of Asian religions and medicines, then subscribe to Black Beryl wherever you get your podcasts. Also check out our members-only benefits on Substack.com to see what our guests have shared with you. Enjoy the show! Resources related to this conversation: Jeff Kripal's websiteArchives of the Impossible & Conferences Pierce Salguero, "Secret Lives of Buddhist Studies Scholars" (2024)Pierce Salguero, "The Fractal of Humanities" (2021)Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes, "On the need for metaphysics in psychedelic therapy and research" (2023)Jeff Kripal, The Flip (2020)Jeff Kripal, Secret Body (2019)Commonweal PodcastSubscribe on blackberyl.substack.com to unlock our members-only benefits, including: PDF of the introduction of Jeff's book, How to Think Impossibly: About Souls, UFOs, Time, Belief, and Everything Else (2024) Get full access to Black Beryl Podcast at blackberyl.substack.com/subscribe

I'm happy to share this rebroadcast of an interview I did with James Bae, the host of the "Buddhist Yoga" Youtube channel. In this deep-dive, we discuss my new book, Meditation Sickness, just out from University of Hawaii Press. This edited collection of translations by expert scholars lays out a range of Buddhist viewpoints about the potential side-effects of contemplative practice, and what happens when one crosses the line between expected challenges and true medical crises. Including ancient scriptures, writings by some of the most celebrated Buddhist meditation teachers of all time, as well as contemporary ethnographic reports from all over the Buddhist world, the book details the symptoms, causes, prevention, and treatment of "meditation sickness." Our conversation provides a detailed overview of the contents of the book, and illustrates why it is crucially important for Western meditators to be knowledgable about these phenomena. Enjoy!  Resources mentioned in the episode: Pierce Salguero, Meditation Sickness: A Sourcebook of the Dangers of Buddhist Practice (2026). Pierce Salguero, “Meditation Sickness” in Medieval Chinese Buddhism and the Contemporary West (2023).Pierce's previous appearances on Buddhist Yoga: Buddhist Medicine and Contemplative Pedagogy ; The Contemporary Landscape of Buddhist HealingPierce's resource website: BuddhistMedicine.NetBecome a paid subscriber on blackberyl.substack.com to unlock our members-only benefits, including: PDF of the introduction to the 2026 book.  Get full access to Black Beryl Podcast at blackberyl.substack.com/subscribe

Today I sit down with Sanjay Manchanda, who is an Adjunct Professor at California Institute of Human Science and also teaches at the California Institute of Integral Studies. Sanjay is an awakening facilitator, a practicing psychotherapist, and an inventor and technologist with a PhD in computer science. In this conversation, we talk about the importance of integration after awakening, psychedelics, shadow work, and a helmet that pulses infrared light into the brain to facilitate spiritual experiences. Along the way, we raise the important question of whether we will ever be able to create an enlightenment machine. If you want to hear scholars and practitioners engaging in deep conversations about the dark side of Asian religions and medicines, then subscribe to Black Beryl wherever you get your podcasts. Also check out our members-only benefits on Substack.com to see what our guests have shared with you. Enjoy the show! Resources related to this conversation: Sanjay's Neuromatrix Headset: https://neuromatrix.health/Ultrasound research by Jay Sanguinetti: https://www.jaysanguinetti.com/Arnold Mindell, Dreambody: The Body's Role in Healing the Self (1982).Les Fehmi, The Open-Focus Brain: Harnessing the Power of Attention to Heal Mind and Body (2008).YouTube videos: Awareness Explorers, Neuroscience of Meditation SummitFor information about Sanjay's Monday morning group Multidimensional Fundamental Well-Being, personal coaching, and therapy sessions, contact [email protected]. Become a paid subscriber on blackberyl.substack.com to unlock our members-only benefits, including: $500 discount on the Neuromatrix Headset Get full access to Black Beryl Podcast at blackberyl.substack.com/subscribe

Today I sit down with Dr. Tawni Tidwell, a biocultural anthropologist and Tibetan medicine doctor at the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Together we discuss how Tibetan medicine approaches the challenges that arise in the course of meditation. Along the way, we talk about reconnecting with indigenous knowledge, establishing a more intimate relationship with the body and the land, and the importance of social context in supporting spiritual practice. If you want to hear scholars and practitioners engaging in deep conversations about the dark side of Asian religions and medicines, then subscribe to Black Beryl wherever you get your podcasts. Also check out our members-only benefits on Substack.com to see what our guests have shared with you. Enjoy the show! Resources related to this conversation: Tawni Tidwell, “Life in Suspension with Death: Biocultural Ontologies, Perceptual Cues, and Biomarkers for Tibetan Tukdam Postmortem Meditative State” (2024)Tawni Tidwell et al, “Effect of Tibetan Herbal Formulas on Symptom Duration Among Ambulatory Patients with Native SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Retrospective Cohort Study” (2024)Tawni Tidwell, “Tibetan Medical Paradigms for the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: Understanding COVID-19, Microbiome Links, and Its Sowa Rigpa Nosology” (2021)New open access book! Crafting Potency: Sowa Rigpa Artisanship Across the HimalayasTawni’s research profile at the Center for Healthy MindsPlease note that Tawni is not taking new patients at this time, but she recommends the American Tibetan Medical AssociationBecome a paid subscriber on blackberyl.substack.com to unlock our members-only benefits, including downloading: Tawni Tidwell et al. “Chasing dön spirits in Tibetan medical encounters: Transcultural affordances and embodied psychiatry in Amdo, Qinghai” 2022. Get full access to Black Beryl Podcast at blackberyl.substack.com/subscribe

Today I sit down with Marleen Thaler, a researcher at the University of Vienna and University of Graz. Together, we investigate the history of the transformation of Kundalini from a Hindu goddess resting at the base of the spine to her modern manifestation as a psychiatric syndrome. Along the way, we discuss the central importance of the Theosophical society, the anti-psychiatry movement of the 1970s, spiritual emergencies, and kundalini as a meeting point for religion and medicine. Resources mentioned in this episode: Arthur Avalon, The Serpent Power: The Secrets of Tantric and Shaktic YogaGopi Krishna, Kundalini: The Evolutionary Energy in ManLee Sennella, The Kundalini Experience: Psychosis or TranscendenceSpiritual Emergence Network (USA | International)Marleen's publications: Academia.eduBecome a paid subscriber on blackberyl.substack.com to unlock our members-only benefits, including downloading: Full English translation of the Hathayoga Pradipika, which includes description of kundalini coiled at the base of the spine and structured practices to direct her energy toward enlightenment. Get full access to Black Beryl Podcast at blackberyl.substack.com/subscribe

Today, I catch up with Brandt Stickley, Associate Professor at the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland. We discuss his practice of “Chinese medicine anti-psychiatry,” which involves exorcising spirits using acupuncture needles. Along the way, we talk about mass possession, spiritual shark bites, and how to properly unwind a wayward ghost.  If you want to hear scholars and practitioners engaging in deep conversations about the dark side of Asian religions and medicines, then subscribe to Black Beryl wherever you get your podcasts. Also check out our members-only benefits on Substack.com to see what our guests have shared with you. Enjoy the show! Resources mentioned in this episode: Brandt's websiteCertificate in Chinese Medicine PsychiatryBrandt's courses and mentorshipBlood, Fire, Light, & Time on SubstackBecome a paid subscriber on blackberyl.substack.com to unlock our members-only benefits, including downloading: Brandt Stickley, "Approaching the Origin: The Diaphanous Body and Classical Chinese Medicine" (2024) Get full access to Black Beryl Podcast at blackberyl.substack.com/subscribe

In celebration of the holiday season, here's a bonus episode from the archives. In May of 2023, I sat down with Zachary Lui who is a practitioner of Chinese medicine, magic, and shamanism in the Toronto area. We started by talking about his early work with Chinese martial arts, traditional medicine, and qigong. We then got into Zac’s practice of chaos magic, diverse ritual practices, reiki, and esoteric Buddhist healing. Finally, we discussed his communication with different deities and spirits, as well as the potential dangers of working with them in his healing practice. If you want to hear scholars and practitioners engaging in deep conversations about the dark side of Asian religions and medicines, then subscribe to Black Beryl wherever you get your podcasts. Also check out our members-only benefits on Substack.com to see what our guests have shared with you. Enjoy the show! Resources mentioned in the episode: Wuji Xuan Life Wellness Queen City Curio Deeper Down the Rabbit Hole Podcast Andrieh Vitimus, Hands-On Chaos Magic (2009) Get full access to Black Beryl Podcast at blackberyl.substack.com/subscribe

Today I sit down with Nick Canby, visiting assistant professor at Brown University and a clinical psychologist specializing in meditation and psychedelics. Together, we dive into Nick’s research on the self — what is it and what it’s like to lose it. Along the way, we mention some of the downsides of experiencing oneness and the complications of defining a mental health disorder. If you want to hear scholars and practitioners engaging in deep conversations about the dark side of Asian religions and medicines, then subscribe to Black Beryl wherever you get your podcasts. Also check out our members-only benefits on Substack.com to see what our guests have shared with you. Enjoy the show! Resources mentioned in this episode:  Previous episode on meditation challenges with Willoughby Britton and Jared Lindahl List of Publications from the Varieties of Contemplative Experience studyCanby et al., "The Teacher Matters: The Role and Impact of Meditation Teachers in the Trajectories of Western Buddhist Meditators Experiencing Meditation-Related Challenges"Pierce's forthcoming volume, "Meditation Sickness: A Sourcebook on the Dangers of Buddhist Practice" Previous episode on madness and religious experience with Richard Saville-SmithNick's clinical practiceNick's profile on Cheetah HouseComplete list of Nick's publications Become a paid subscriber on blackberyl.substack.com to unlock our members-only benefits, including downloading: Article summarizing Nick’s dissertation research on “loss of self” experiences50% off “Varieties of Ego-Dissolution” online course (research overview of the types of self-boundary dissolution and their impacts)  Get full access to Black Beryl Podcast at blackberyl.substack.com/subscribe

Today I sit down with Leo Lok, a retired practitioner of Chinese medicine who now teaches and consults with practitioners treating difficult cases of meditation-caused dysregulation. Together, we discuss how to think about the challenging side-effects of meditation through the lens of the ancestral Chinese arts of qi regulation. Along the way, we discuss the surprising power of ocular alignment, how to gradually condition oneself for spiritual heavy lifting, and medieval Chinese emergency treatments for meditation practice gone wrong. If you want to hear scholars and practitioners engaging in deep conversations about the dark side of Asian religions and medicines, then subscribe to Black Beryl wherever you get your podcasts. Also check out our members-only benefits on Substack.com to see what our guests have shared with you. Enjoy the show! Resources mentioned in this episode:  Leo's chapter on Chinese physicians will appear in Pierce's forthcoming book, Meditation Sickness: An Anthology on the Dangers of Meditation Practice. (Get notified when this is published.)Zhiyi's (538–597) magnum opus on meditation in the Chinese Buddhist tradition, translated by Paul SwansonPierce discusses medieval Chinese approaches to meditation sickness, including Zhiyi's advice for meditators, in an open access article in Journal of Buddhist Ethics.See Leo's recommended YouTube instructional video on the six healing breaths.Leo's new website is under constructionBecome a paid subscriber on blackberyl.substack.com to unlock our members-only benefits, including downloading: Pierce's 2017 translation of the complete "Chapter on Illness" from Zhiyi's Shorter Treatise on Śamatha and Vipaśyanā.  Get full access to Black Beryl Podcast at blackberyl.substack.com/subscribe

Today I sit down with Susannah Deane, a scholar of Tibetan medicine, Buddhism, and psychiatry. Together, we delve into her work on Tibetan concepts of "wind disorders" and Tantric practice gone wrong. Along the way, we talk about losing control of spirits, becoming a deity, and how Tibetans choose between religious and medical specialists when spiritual practice goes off the rails. If you want to hear scholars and practitioners engaging in deep conversations about the dark side of Asian religions and medicines, then subscribe to Black Beryl wherever you get your podcasts. Also check out our members-only benefits on Substack.com to see what our guests have shared with you. Enjoy the show! Resources mentioned in this episode:  Susannah Deane, Tibetan Medicine, Buddhism and Psychiatry: Mental Health and Healing in a Tibetan Exile Community (2018).Salguero, Cheung, and Deane (eds.), Buddhism and Healing in the Modern World (2024).Susannah Deane, Illness and Enlightenment: Exploring Tibetan Perspectives on Madness in Text and Everyday Life (2025).Susannah's Academia.edu profileBecome a paid subscriber on blackberyl.substack.com to unlock our members-only benefits, including downloading: High resolution image of the Tibetan subtle body system Susannah's chapter “For This Kind of Thing, the Lama Is Better: Religion, Medicine, and the Treatment of 'Madness' among Tibetans in Amdo," from Buddhism and Healing in the Modern World Get full access to Black Beryl Podcast at blackberyl.substack.com/subscribe