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5 min readAllowing Space for Individual Differences
In 1906, William James wrote that normal waking consciousness is "but one special type of consciousness, whilst all about it, parted from it by the filmiest of veils, there lie other types of consciousness complete." He added that "it behooves us not to prematurely close our accounts with reality." James's colleagues in experimental psychology later dropped his book on mystical experiences from his bibliography, embarrassed by what didn't fit the Western rationalist model. Ram Dass uses this story to introduce the central question of this talk: once you begin to see through the conditioning of identity and assumption, how do you actually live in this world without turning awakening into just another performance?
The Predicament of the Transitional Being
Ram Dass describes his audience as beings who have "taken birth on this plane because you still have stuff in your first, second, and third chakra"—the energies of survival, sex, and power—but who have also awakened to the fourth chakra, where genuine compassion lives. Not intellectual liberalism, but "real compassion of acceptance and allowing space for individual differences."
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:01) **Sponsor Break: BetterHelp & Dharma Moon** - Two advertisements for BetterHelp and a meditation teacher training with David Nicktern.
- 2 (02:25) **Opening Frame: The Predicament of the Awakening Being** - Ram Dass introduces the core audience: beings with lower-chakra stuff still active but who have awakened to the heart (4th chakra) and a desire for real compassion.
- 3 (05:31) **The Mother/Mescaline Story: The Fragility of Awakening** - Ram Dass shares the story of being on mescaline with his mother on morphine, illustrating how ego structure can grab back hold after a breakthrough.
- 4 (06:45) **William James & The Veil of Consciousness** - Ram Dass paraphrases William James on other types of consciousness lying just beyond normal waking reality, and how society dismisses these experiences.
- 5 (09:11) **Incarnation & The Support System** - Ram Dass explains that listeners are “old beings” who have taken birth now because this time and place offers a support system for spiritual work that is hard to find alone.
- 6 (11:47) **The Harvard Dismissal & The Psychosis of Awakening** - Ram Dass recounts being thrown out of Harvard and feeling free from the cultural burden of identity, while his rational mind worried he was psychotic for having a different reality.
- 7 (14:24) **Distinguishing Awakening from Power-Seeking** - Ram Dass warns against the spiritual scene attracting people who want power, not enlightenment, and the danger of recasting the spiritual journey to serve egoic needs.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Ram Dass talks about consciousness, allowing space for individual differences, and letting go of identification with the body and personality, and then taps into the heart of devotional yoga with some chanting to Krishna.
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This episode of Here and Now is the conclusion of a talk Ram Dass gave during a retreat at Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island, in June 1976. Be sure to check out the first part of this talk in Episode 310 – The Mainline Reality Trip.
- This portion of the talk begins with Ram Dass exploring consciousness, reality, and reincarnation. He talks about opening to the fourth chakra as a way of allowing space for individual differences.
- As we begin to awaken to being more than just our bodies and personalities, Ram Dass warns us that many people can get trapped in the “phony holy” stage, using himself as an example. “And ultimately,” he says, “you have to find your part to play in your body, in your personality, in your soul, and beyond all of it.”
- Ram Dass wraps things up by tapping into the heart of devotional yoga with some very sweet chanting to the baby form of Lord Krishna, Gopala.
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