Voices of Esalen Podcast

Richard Schwartz, Ph.D., is the founder of Internal Family Systems, a unique and astoundingly effective modality of psychotherapy that focuses on the various parts within a person. Internal Family Systems, or IFS, views multiplicity of mind as our natural state and our “parts” as sub-personalities that may be healed and transformed by bringing the Self into its rightful role as leader of the internal system.

In this interview, he guides Sam through some transformational trauma work.

Archive Edition: Today we're pleased to bring you an interview conducted on August 5th, 1985, with the godfather of psychedelic psychotherapy, Stanislav Grof. At this point, Grof had been a scholar-in-residence at Esalen for more than ten years.

The interview was conducted at Esalen by a young Perry Holloman, now a well-known figure at Esalen himself, having become over the course of his career an accomplished bodyworker and beloved Gestalt therapist.

During this recording, he and Stan investigate the emergent tendencies of transpersonal psychology, and the context from which they emerged out of Abraham Maslow's and Tony Suttich's Humanistic psychology, touching upon the non-ordinary states of consciousness which Grof is known for as well as Jungian archetypes and the concept of synchronicity.

They also go into the profound connection between Freudianism and Newtonian thinking, and chat about how new discoveries in quantum physics have affected most other scientific disciplines, including psychology. It’s a superb discussion conducted by two very smart people.

By its end, if you're listening closely, you will have an enhanced understanding of why transpersonal psychology became an appropriate container for psychedelic psychotherapy - and indeed any therapy that seeks to go beyond personal biography and delve into the realm of the spiritual and the mystic.

The interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Johnsmith is an acclaimed folk singer and songwriter, as well as a longtime teacher of songwriting at the Esalen Institute, where he’s helped thousands of students across the years to access their creativity and their personal depths to manifest meaningful and joyful work.

In an interview we recorded in early March 2020, B.P., (Before Pandemic), we chatted about his past, his process, what songs are the hardest for him to write, and how inner work changed him.

Look for upcoming workshops with Johnsmith.

Lucia Horan was born and raised at Esalen Institute. She grew up dancing with Gabrielle Roth, founder of the 5 Rhythms method.

Lucia is an international teacher of 5 Rhythms and insight meditation, and leads and co-leads groups in the fields of Buddhist meditation, yoga, trauma, addiction, grief, women’s power, Motion Theater, and wild dolphins.

Today, she spoke about how the coronavirus is changing our lives, and how we can most skillfully dance with our new reality.

Look for upcoming workshops with Lucia Horan.

Peter Bregman coaches CEOs and senior leaders in many of the world’s premier organizations. Ranked as a top 30 thought leader by Thinkers 50 Radar and selected as one of the top 8 thought leaders in leadership, he's also the best-selling author of Leading with Emotional Courage: How to Have Hard Conversations, Create Accountability, and Inspire Action on Your Most Important Work.

He is also a regular contributor to the Harvard Business Review, and his articles and commentary appear frequently in Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Fast Company, Psychology Today, Forbes, The Financial Times, PBS, ABC, CNN and NPR.

In a conversation that occurred several months ago at the Esalen Institute, before the global pandemic foisted itself upon us, we discussed authenticity in leadership, the real meaning of emotional courage, how to skillfully engage in the difficult conversations, why asking for feedback helps to build internal strength, and how to minimize the gap between what we want and what we do.

Look for upcoming workshops with Peter Bregman.

Dr. Rick Hanson is a psychologist, best-selling author, and the co-founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom.

The subtitle of one of his books, Budha’s Brain is "The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love and Wisdom," - and that speaks volumes about Rick’s purpose as a clinician and teacher: to show clients effective ways to light up the brain circuits that relieve worry and stress, in order to promote positive relationships and inner peace.

Recently, he’s developed the online course Positive Neuroplasticity Training to teach general methods of self-directed brain change. He is a wise teacher and a great resource at this time.

Visit rickhanson.net and check out the many free resources available there.

Dr. Shauna Shapiro is a clinical psychologist, professor, and best-selling author, most recently of the book Good Morning, I Love You: Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Practices to Rewire Your Brain for Calm, Clarity, and Joy.

We wanted to hear Shauna's perspective this April, 2020, amidst the global pandemic of the Coronavirus, in hopes that she could offer both perspective and actionable practices to help all of us cope, and achieve some calm and clarity.

Janet Stone is a yoga and meditation teacher with a global following. We spoke on March 23, 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic that is currently dominating the news and changing most our lives. Our intention was to give Janet space to offer actionable advice on how to be calmer and more grounded in the face of the unknown.

Look for upcoming workshops with Janet Stone.

Ram Dass speaks at the Esalen Institute on October 18th, 1987. Ram Dass was born Richard Alpert in 1931. ⁠Initially famous for being part of the Timothy Leary-led LSD revolution at Harvard in the early 1960’s, he was also well known for his book Be Here Now, a kind of illustrated counter-cultural Bible written in 1971 which drew upon many of the transformative experiences he'd undergone during his spiritual travels in India.

Ram Dass was also known for his kindness, his leadership, and the inventive foundations he started: notably, the SEVA foundation, which he speaks about in depth in this lecture - it was created in 1978 with the intention of helping to alleviate blindness in India, Nepal, and other developing countries. He also created the Dying project in 1986, aligned around the concept of a conscious shifting into another realm.

He was an important speaker and teacher at Esalen, famous for his ability to speak extemporaneously with great wisdom, humor and compassion.

In 2013, Ram Dass released a memoir, Polishing the Mirror: How to Live from Your Spiritual Heart. In an interview about the book, he said, "Now, I’m in my 80s ... Now, I am aging. I am approaching death. I’m getting closer to the end. Now, I really am ready to face the music all around me." ⁠

Ram Dass died December 22nd, 2019, leaving a kind, wild, compassionate, and fruitful legacy.

Katie Hafner is the author of the memoir Mother, Daughter, Me, the unsettling true story of how she and her daughter took in her estranged mother for a year. She is also an accomplished journalist, having written for the New York Times since 1991, as well as for Newsweek, Esquire, Wired, and the New Republic.

We talked about how her background in journalism aided her in writing a difficult memoir, and what it’s like to grapple with the truth in these disparate genres. We also went back and forth about our favorite memoirs and the writers behind them - you may want to take some notes, you’re sure to pick a few gems.

Look for upcoming workshops with Katie Hafner.