logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2024
1h 5m

Ep. 259 – Altered States: American Psych...

RAM DASS / LOVE SERVE REMEMBER
About this episode

Presenting his unique life as a case study, Ram Dass offers insights into the human mind and altered states of consciousness to a gathering of the American Psychological Association.

Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ramdass and get on your way to being your best self.

This show is also sponsored by Magic Mind, a matcha-based energy shot infused with nootropics and adaptogens designed to crush procrastination, brain fog, & fatigue. Use the code RAMDASS at checkout to get up to 50% off your subscription: Magic Mind

This episode of Here and Now is from the first part of Ram Dass’ address to the Meeting of the American Psychological Association in Montreal, Canada, on September 3rd, 1980.

  • Ram Dass presents his case to the American Psychological Association, talking about a set of experiences and shifting perceptions that confronted him with the issue of what reality truly is. 
  • He explores his time as a professor at Harvard, meeting Tim Leary, and the power of his first psychedelic experience. That experience propelled Ram Dass to years of research with these consciousness-altering chemicals and a deep exploration of the human mind.
  • Having become a master of getting high, Ram Dass talks about the horrors of coming down. But these studies with psychedelics helped him to empty his mind, become more of a witness to his experiences, and be less associated with his emotional states.
  • Finally, Ram Dass shares what led to him going to India, his experience of giving his guru psychedelics, and how his concept of time started to change. He closes by talking about the different planes of consciousness.

“I found myself becoming less identified with my emotional states and my psychological qualities and characteristics, and perplexedly enough, at the same moment, more involved with them. I seemed to be living more fully in the moment of the feelings, and yet, at the same moment, being more spacious around them.” – Ram Dass

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Aug 18
Ep. 284 – Every Human Being Has a Right To Be Fed
In this recording from 1979, Ram Dass gives a talk at a benefit for a food bank, emphasizing that every human being has a right to be fed. You can support this podcast, listen to episodes AD-FREE, and receive regular guided meditations from Ram Dass & Friends on our Patreon. Sign ... Show More
1h 2m
Aug 5
Ep. 283 – Your Karma Defines Your Dharma
In this recording from a 1992 retreat, Ram Dass talks about dealing with change, using the stuff of your daily life to get free, and how your karma defines your dharma. You can support this podcast, listen to episodes AD-FREE, and receive regular guided meditations from Ram Dass ... Show More
53m 55s
Jul 21
Ep. 282 – Of Miracles and Maharaj-ji
In this recording from 1978, Ram Dass reads stories about his guru, Maharaj-ji, and his many miracles. We invite you to set aside your analytical mind and simply enjoy these miracles of love. You can support this podcast, listen to episodes AD-FREE, and receive regular guided med ... Show More
46m 21s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 6
The Scientific Basis For NDEs, How Trauma Can Inform the Likelihood of Out of Body Experiences & What Near Death Experiences Reveal about Our Consciousness
What if death isn't the end but a doorway to something far greater? Dr. Bruce Greyson, M.D. (author of After, Chester Carlson Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at the University of Virginia, and co-founder of the International Association for Near-Death Studies) shares the near-de ... Show More
1h 24m
Jan 2025
108 The Shocking Truth About Personal Growth That Nobody Wants To Talk About
📺 Watch & Subscribe on YouTubeIn this episode of "A Changed Mind" our host David Bayer, shares three powerful tools that transformed his approach to personal growth. He discusses the importance of downregulating the nervous system, addressing limiting beliefs, and developing a s ... Show More
45m 7s
Mar 2025
Oprah and Harvard Professor Share How Psychedelics Are Actually Healing
BUY THE BOOK! “How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence” by Michael Pollan “Fire in the Hole!: The Untold Story of My Traumatic Life and Explosive Success” by Bob Parsons In this ... Show More
57m 47s
May 15
Ep. 35 – Dreaming the World
Diving into the cosmic drama of reality, Alan Watts describes the world as a divine dream which is poetic, playful, and only sometimes serious.Being in the Way is brought to you by the Alan Watts Organization and Ram Dass’ Love Serve Remember Foundation. Visit Alanwatts.org for f ... Show More
54m 16s
Mar 2025
275: Breaking the Trauma Cycle: The Power of Somatic Psychology with Dr. Brian Tierney
Have you ever wondered how past experiences live in your body—and how you can release them? In this episode, we dive deep into somatic psychology—exploring how the body stores trauma and how movement, breath, and awareness can unlock healing. We discuss different therapy modaliti ... Show More
1h 8m
Jul 2024
#374 — Consciousness and the Physical World
Sam Harris speaks with Christof Koch about the nature of consciousness. They discuss Christof’s development as a neuroscientist, his collaboration with Francis Crick, change blindness and binocular rivalry, sleep and anesthesia, the limits of physicalism, non-locality, brains as ... Show More
42m 7s
Feb 2025
#181 - Peter Crone: THE MIND ARCHITECT Exposes The Hidden Mental Patterns Blocking Your Healing Journey
➡️ Join AwakenU: https://www.dannymorel.com/awakenu If you’re ready for more—more clarity, abundance and alignment—AWAKENU is your next step. Whether you want to awaken spiritually, heal emotionally, attract your dream relationship, or unlock true financial freedom, AwakenU is yo ... Show More
56m 49s
Dec 2024
PT578 – How Psychedelics Can Help Build a Better You: The Power in Letting Go, with Tommy Aceto
In this episode, Kyle interviews Tommy Aceto: former Navy Seal and trauma medic, and now, ambassador for the Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition and advisor at Beond Ibogaine. He talks about how much the psychedelic space focuses on healing and mental health, but doesn’t t ... Show More
1h 21m
Jul 2024
#377 — The Future of Psychedelic Medicine 2
Sam Harris speaks with Dr. Jennifer Mitchell and Dr. Sarah Abedi about recent developments in research on psychedelics. They discuss the history of this research and the war on drugs, recent setbacks in the FDA approval process, MDMA as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disor ... Show More
1h 16m
Jul 22
The Surprising Habits of Emotionally Resilient (unstressable) People /w Military Psychologist Steven Stein
What if the stories we tell about stress and adversity are holding us back? What if the most resilient people are not the strongest, but the most adaptable? This episode is an invitation to rethink resilience. Dr. Steven Stein shares how the hardiness mindset shifts our relations ... Show More
29m 57s