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In this interview, Jeff Carreria speaks with Mekdes Asefa, CEO of AfroCore AI, who shares the cultural, spiritual, and practical challenges of introducing AI into Ethiopia, where fear, religious concerns, and job security shape public response. She frames AI as a powerful mirror of human values and calls for responsible, homegrown development that honors local culture and context.

In this interview, Jeff Carreira speaks with Steve McIntosh, whose work has long helped illuminate the unfolding evolution of human consciousness. In books such as Integral Consciousness, Evolution’s Purpose, and The Presence of the Infinite, Steve brings complex ideas vividly to life and shows how they apply to the challenges of our time. Underlying all of his work is a profound commitment to restoring philosophy to its rightful place as a living force capable of guiding culture toward a wiser and more purposeful future. When Jeff saw that Steve had written about the implications of artificial intelligence, he knew he needed to include his voice in this issue of the magazine. This conversation explores how the emergence of AI fits into the larger arc of human and cosmic evolution, and how it might serve the expansion of consciousness.

This interview explores artificial intelligence as a creative and spiritual instrument rather than a sentient being in its own right. E.J. Gold frames AI as an evolving tool—like a synthesizer or musical instrument—that amplifies human intention, not replaces it. Both Gold and Claude Needham emphasize that the real differentiator between humans and AI is presence, discernment, and the capacity for conscious overview. They argue that AI’s power lies in how it is used: with mastery, attention, and ethical responsibility, it can become a catalyst for creative breakthrough and even altered states of awareness. Ultimately, the conversation suggests that AI can help people “break through the glass ceiling” of limitation—but only when guided by human consciousness, beingness, and awake participation.

In this interview, Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati shares the extraordinary story of her transformation from a Stanford-trained academic to a revered spiritual teacher living on the banks of the Ganga in Rishikesh. With disarming honesty and clarity, she recounts the moment of divine awakening that changed the course of her life, and reflects on the spiritual teachings and practices that continue to guide her. Through her insights into self-realization, trauma, identity, and the power of Vedantic wisdom, Sadhvi offers a luminous vision of spiritual awakening grounded in lived experience, radical openness, and unwavering devotion to truth.

In this interview, Jac O’Keeffe shares the powerful story of her spiritual awakening and the decades of inner work that followed. With candor, humor, and unflinching insight, she describes the moment divine love flooded her being, the guidance she received, and how that awakening transformed her life. But the heart of this conversation lies in what comes after awakening—how we integrate, embody, and express spiritual realization in the world. Together, we explore how spiritual practice helps us transcend our stories, free ourselves from limiting beliefs, and ultimately serve a world in need with humility, love, and clarity.

Shelli Joye shares her lifetime journey weaving mysticism, science, and consciousness into a coherent framework she calls "tantric psychophysics." Drawing from electrical engineering, Eastern traditions, and modern quantum theory, she discusses collective consciousnesses or "psychospheres," and the role of human beings as agents within a larger cosmic network. She advocates for intentional occupation of higher dimensions of awareness through meditation and inner exploration. Together with Jeff Carreira, she explores how telepathy, mystical experiences, and conscious collectives might form a new evolutionary step in human awareness, suggesting that hope and connectedness are vital tools for navigating today’s spiritual challenges.

Tarot reader Julia Eve reflects on her intuitive practice in light of the podcast The Telepathy Tapes, finding deep resonance between her symbolic work and the telepathic abilities of autistic children. We explore the imaginal realm as a space where symbolic wisdom and mystical knowing arise. Julia emphasizes that tarot serves as both a map and a tool for spiritual development, guiding seekers through inner and cosmic consciousness. This dialogue uncovers tarot’s power as a creative and mystical endeavor, affirming that authentic knowledge emerges from openness, intention, and lived experience beyond conventional rational frameworks.

Jeffrey Kripal explores how extraordinary experiences—mystical, paranormal, or anomalous—require new interpretive frameworks beyond traditional science and religion. He proposes “thinking-with” experiencers to co-create meaningful narratives that make space for paradox and subjectivity. In this interview he discusses dual aspect monism, ontological shock, and the role of narrative in transforming consciousness. Kripal emphasizes the importance of storytelling in making the impossible thinkable, advocating for a worldview rooted in inclusivity, creativity, and not-knowing. The interview closes with a reflection on fiction as a vehicle for spiritual truth, inspired by Philip K. Dick and my own mythopoetic writing journey.

For this issue I immediately wanted to speak with Timothy Morton, one of my favorite ecological thinkers, and Rita Shea Guffey Chair in English at Rice University. When I read Timothy's book Ecology Without Nature, I gained a deeper understanding of how the modern world divorces the idea of nature from human beings. We tend to think of nature as trees and landscapes and animals and plants, things that are not human. At the same time, we think of cities, machinery and other man-made things as not part of nature. But the idea that human beings are somehow separate from nature is the root cause of our ecological problems. When I spoke with Timothy I noticed he was not speaking about nature in terms of forests, trees and animals. He was speaking about human nature and our human connection to reality.

Nora is the president of the International Bateson Institute, and one of my favorite ecological thinkers. In this interview Nora explains the current thinking contained in her book called Combining, that came out of an inquiry into the nature of evolution. Nora was asking herself questions about how evolution occurs. How do things evolve? A change fundamental and deep enough can be called an evolutionary change, and what Nora realized was that by the time a change of that magnitude becomes visible, it has been building through unseen influences for a long time.

It was a pleasure to speak with Christopher J. Miller about his understanding of what it means to be a spiritual artist. Chris is an artist, author, teacher, and produces The Spiritual Artist Podcast where he shares stories of enlightenment and growth in conversations with today’s spiritual artists and thought leaders. It became quickly clear to me that Chris and I hold very similar views about art, creativity and the fundamental nature of reality. w: spiritualartisttoday.com

In this interview we had the pleasure to speak with our dear friend Mary Adams about her involvement with The Extinction Rebellion and how she sees her current work as an activist as a natural extension of her dedicated spiritual life.

In this interview we spoke with Aterah Nusrat about her research aimed at deepening our understanding of the relationship between spirituality, health and well-being, and how those domains also relate to planetary health and well-being. Nusrat is clear that until we shift into a mindset that recognizes our true unity with the natural world we will not become the true stewards of life on Earth that we need to be.

Athena Laz is a spiritual mentor, lucid dream teacher and psychologist. I recently discovered her books The Alchemy of Your Dreams and The Deliberate Dreamers Journal. What she shares in them, and perhaps even more the way she shares, really caught my attention. Speaking with Athena it became even more clear that her orientation and spiritual history were a perfect fit for our discussion on the awakening power of sleep and dreams. You can learn more about her at: athenalaz.com

Dr. Lawrence Edwards has taught meditation for over 40 years and is the founder of the Anam Cara Meditation Foundation. We were very happy to interview him to discuss enlightenment and the path of kundalini awakening. He is a teacher that I have known about and admired for some years and his knowledge of multiple spiritual traditions as well as the clarity and simplicity of his articulation of them made this interview a true joy to conduct.