A New Way of Being

THE SHIFT HAPPENS RETREAT WITH SIMON & ALEX (October 3rd in London): https://shift-happens-retreat.subscribepage.io/

In this conversation I sit down with Peter Russell – physicist, pioneering meditation teacher, and author of How to Meditate Without Even Trying – to explore what happens when we stop striving so hard to “do” spirituality.
Peter studied mathematics and theoretical physics at Cambridge and worked under Stephen Hawking, before realising that no amount of theory could explain the simple fact that we have experience at all. That insight drew him towards meditation, Transcendental Meditation, and eventually a life devoted to exploring consciousness from the inside out.
We cover:
Effortless meditation – why trying to meditate usually makes the mind more active, and how to approach practice as “just sitting quietly with yourself.”
My own kenshō-style shift – including the terror that came beforehand, the prayer “please be gentle with me,” and the subsequent recognition that it’s not “Simon” speaking, but the universe speaking through everyone.
Big experiences vs gradual awakening – why Peter rarely talks about dramatic spiritual events, and why chasing them can keep us stuck.
Intuition and the body – how real wisdom often emerges when we drop out of the story and into sensation, and Peter’s powerful example of tracking a current trigger back to a subtle childhood imprint.
A new relationship to the ego – seeing the ego as a survival pattern that’s trying to help, and how simple gratitude (“thank you for trying to protect me”) can soften intrusive thoughts and reactive patterns.
Forgiving humanity – Peter’s perspective on why our current global crisis is an almost inevitable result of exponential growth, and how inner stability and community become crucial as the pace of change accelerates.

👉 Work with Me - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call
👉 Website for endorsements and retreat info: https://www.simonmundie.com

👉 Free Course on 'Freedom From the Me Mind': https://www.simonmundie.com/courses
👉 My book on Flow and Real uccess: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/champion-thinking-9781526626486/

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Ten months ago I had a kensho. Then the fireworks went. Here's what I found on the other side — and why it matters more than the peak.

Chapters:

0:00 — The fireworks went (and what that actually means)
1:20 — Presence hasn't faded — it's deepened
2:45 — When the inner commentary stops
4:30 — The nervous system still reacts (but I'm not the storm)
6:30 — The heart: from mostly closed to mostly open
8:00 — What integration actually looks like in a body
10:30 — What I'd tell someone just starting this journey

#SpiritualAwakening #AwakeningIntegration #Kensho

THE SHIFT HAPPENS RETREAT: https://shift-happens-retreat.subscribepage.io/

👉 Work with Me - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call
👉 Website for endorsements and retreat info: https://www.simonmundie.com

👉 Free Course on 'Freedom From the Me Mind'
👉My book on Flow and Real uccess: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/champion-thinking-9781526626486/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What actually happens in the brain when you awaken – when “you” fall away and only presence remains? In this episode, pioneering neuroscientist Dr Andrew Newberg helps me unpack my own spiritual awakening (Kensho) and maps it onto decades of research into enlightenment, meditation and non‑duality.
I share my experience of two weeks of bliss, non‑separation and a resulting “thin” Simon who can't seem to leave the present moment, while Andrew brings in neurotheology, brain imaging and the science of spiritual transformation.

In this episode we explore:
My Kensho: bliss, non‑separation and why “Simon feels thin” is a classic non‑dual shift
How enlightenment shows up in the brain – parietal and frontal lobes, the thalamus, dopamine and serotonin
The difference between altered states and altered traits after awakening
Dr Newberg’s own “infinite sea of doubt” and why radical not‑knowing can be deeply peaceful
How meditation, prayer, retreats and psychedelics can rewire perception and behaviour
The role of surrender, flow states and hypofrontality in losing the sense of a separate doer

👉 WORK WITH SIMON - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call
👉 OCTOBER DAY RETREAT with Simon & Alex — a full day of inquiry, presence and practice: https://shift-happens-retreat.subscribepage.io/
👉 WEBSITE (including endorsements): https://www.simonmundie.com
👉 FREE COURSE: https://www.simonmundie.com/courses

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shannon had read the books and understood non-duality “in her head” – but was still suffering and abandoning herself. In this short client conversation, she describes the quiet shift into a stable sense of presence where emotions still arise but no longer consume her.
If you resonate with knowing the concepts but not yet living them, this is the heart of my 1:1 coaching.

👉 WORK WITH ME - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call
👉 WEBSITE with more endorsements and retreat info: https://www.simonmundie.com

👉 YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@IAmSimonMundie
👉 SUBSTACK: https://simonmundie.substack.com/

👉 FREE COURSE: 'Freedom from the 'Me Mind' - https://www.simonmundie.com/courses
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What if your harshest inner critic isn’t the enemy, but a confused part of you that’s desperately trying to keep you safe?
In this episode, I speak with Loch Kelly – non-dual teacher and psychotherapist – about how to transform self-attack into genuine inner support.
We explore:
Why big spiritual openings don’t automatically heal shame, anger or insecurity
How the inner critic is actually a protective part, not a defect
The trap Loch calls the “witness protection programme” – when mindfulness makes you numb, not free
How to relate to fear, shame and anger with real compassion, without bypassing
Moving from head to heart and living from what Loch calls awake loving flow
Loch also guides a couple of short “glimpses” you can follow along with, to experience this shift directly as you listen.
If you’ve done “the work” but still feel hijacked by your inner critic, this one’s for you.

👉 WORK WITH SIMON - free 15 minute 1:1 consultation: https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call
👉 OCTOBER DAY RETREAT with Simon & Alex — a full day of inquiry, presence and practice: https://shift-happens-retreat.subscribepage.io/
👉 WEBSITE: https://www.simonmundie.com
👉 LOCH'S ONE DAY WORKSHOP in London on September 12th: https://www.alternatives.org.uk/event/experience-effortless-mindfulness
👉 Get 20% off LOCH'S MINDFUL GLIMPSES APP: https://mindfulglimpses.com/specialoffer/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.