New Dimensions

Are we living in a material universe or a simulated one? Are we living in a massive, multiplayer, online, role-playing game where our deeds and quests are being kept track of in the “cloud” like an angel recording our lives? If so, who is running the game? And what is the connection between computer science, video game physics, and the great spiritual traditions? Rizwan Virk (known as Riz) is a successful entrepreneur, a video game pioneer, a venture capitalist, and founder of the start-up accelerator Play Labs @ MIT. His interest and expertise ranges from video games, the metaverse, simulation theory, meditation, consciousness, and the intersection of science, science fiction, religion, and philosophy. He’s a graduate of MIT and Stanford and is currently a faculty associate at Arizona State University. He is the author of Zen Entrepreneurship: Walking the Path of the Career Warrior (BayView Labs 2013), Startup Myths and Models: What You Won't Learn in Business School (Columbia Business School Publishing 2020), Treasure Hunt: Follow Your Inner Clues to Find True Success (Watkins Publishing 2017), The Simulation Hypothesis: An MIT Computer Scientist Shows Why AI, Quantum Physics and Eastern Mystics Agree We Are in a Video Game. (Bayview books 2019), Wisdom of a Yogi: Lessons for Modern Seekers from Autobiography of a Yogi (Bayview Books 2023), The Zen Entrepreneur & the Dream: An MIT Grad’s Quest for Success & Enlightenment in Silicon Valley (2023) Interview Date: 7/14/2023 Tags: Rizwan Virk, Riz Virk, video games, Hindu Vedas, Atari, ChatGPT, reincarnation, dialup computer modems, augmented reality, Nick Bostrom, The Matrix film, Elon Musk, multiple universes, parallel universes, John Wheeler, 20th century physics, consciousness, entanglement, nonlocality, Star Trek Holodecks and replicas, Claude Shannon, Galileo, Schrödinger’s cat, quantum physics, probability wave, optimization, conditional rendering, chaos theory, complexity theory, Stephen Wolfram, quenched disorder, Paramahansa Yogananda, Science, Philosophy, Technology, Spirituality

Jones gives practical advice as to how we can engage in deep inner work through focused journaling. She shares exercises that can act as powerful tools in reframing the pieces of our past and our life stories so that suffering becomes meaningful and can boost our healing, empowerment, growth, and transformation. Catherine Ann Jones is an award winning playwright, screenwriter and a Fulbright Scholar to India, studying shamanism. She holds a graduate degree and teaches depth psychology and archetypal mythology. As a screenwriter, Jones has contributed to such television series as “Touched by an Angel,” and wrote the teleplay “The Christmas Wife.” She teaches writing workshops. She is the author of: Heal Your Self With Writing (Divine Arts 2013) and The Way of Story: The Craft & Soul of Writing (Michael Weise Productions 2007). Interview Date: 2/28/2014 Tags: Catherine Ann Jones, memory, traumatic events, body dialogues, inner voice, intuitive voice, authentic self, allies, shamanism, Pre-Hindu Dravidian people in India, artist, synchronicity, personal metaphors, archetypes, deep listening, active listening, Writing, Personal Transformation, Self Help, Shamanism, Mythology, Arts & Creativity

We all have access to a streaming presence of infinite intelligence, which is a wise internal source of love and wisdom. Kieves shares her journey from a successful law career to becoming a teacher and author, highlighting the transformative power of following our inner voice of genius and vitality. Tama Kieves graduated with honors from Harvard Law School, then chose to leave a prestigious law firm to become a teacher and workshop leader. Her books include: This Time I Dance! Creating the Work You Love (Penguin Publishing 2006) and Learning to Trust Yourself; Breaking Through the Blocks that Hold You Back (St. Martin’s Press 2025) Interview Date: 3/21/2025 Tags: Tama Kieves, inner voice, self-criticism, beliefs, higher power, sleep, Personal Transformation, Psychology

Wheatley shares the importance of creating "islands of sanity" in disruptive times to restore and awaken the human spirit. She outlines five stages for solving complex problems: deep listening, understanding diverse perspectives, inviting missing voices, letting go of old patterns, and creating conscious communities. Margaret J Wheatley, Ph.D. is an internationally acclaimed writer, speaker, and teacher. She is cofounder and President Emerita of The Berkana Institute, a charitable foundation that works with people around the world to strengthen their communities using the wisdom and wealth already present in their people, traditions, and environment. Her many books include: Leadership and the New Science (Berrett-Kohler 1998) and Restoring Sanity: Practices to Awaken Generosity, Creativity & Kindness in Ourselves and Our Organizations (Berrett Kohler 2024) Interview Date: 3/14/2025 Tags: Margaret J Wheatley, Meg Wheatley, dwelling mind, complex systems, Personal Transformation, Psychology, Social Change/Politics

Here we delve into Bolen’s Japanese-American heritage and some of the mystical moments that have been guideposts in her life including a transformative moment as a Girl Scout in the mountains and sleeping under the stars. Bolen emphasizes the importance of love, joy, and curiosity in life, and the potential for spiritual support and collective consciousness. Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D. is a psychiatrist, a Jungian analyst, and an internationally known speaker. She is a former board member of the Ms. Foundation, an advocate for a 5th UN World Conference on Women and a convener of the Millionth Circle Initiative, as well as a permanent representative to the UN for the NGO, Pathways to Peace. She is the author of many books, including Ring of Power: Symbols and Themes Love Vs. Power in Wagner's Ring Cycle and in Us: A Jungian-Feminist Perspective (Jung on the Hudson Book Series) (Nicolas-Hays, Inc 1999) and Ever Widening Circles and Mystical Moments (Chiron Publications 2025) Interview Date: 2/14/2025 Tags: Jean Shinoda Bolen, Girl Scouts, Milky Way, mystical moments, Japanese American, resilience, spirit guides, synchronicity, life assignment, love, delight, joyfulness, Personal Transformation, Psychology

For over a decade, Edwin Rutsch has hitchhiked, bicycled, traveled and worked his way around our precious planet. He interacted with a wide variety of cultures and peoples from all walks of life and learned to see and feel a common humanity shared by people around the world. During his explorations he came to see the importance of empathy in human connections.He is a computer expert, a filmmaker, and the founding director of The Center for Building a Culture of Empathy. This center serves as one of the leading organizations of the global empathy movement and focuses on bridging social and political divides by designing a free online empathy training course and holding face to face and virtual empathy cafés. Tags: Edwin Rutsch, Helen Riess, empathy, Carl Rogers, eye contact, active listening, empathic listening, curiosity, Empathy Cafes, Empathy Tent, Empathy Circles, empathy boot camp, peace, nonviolence, conflict, collaboration, Barbara Fredrickson, positive emotions, Social Change/Politics, Personal Transformation, Relationship/Partnership/Sexuality, Self Help

Microdosing involves taking small amounts of psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin mushrooms to enhance physical health and cognitive function. Here, we discuss protocols, legality, safety, and other collective knowledge. James Fadiman, Ph.D. is a former president of the Institute of Noetic Sciences and professor of psychology. Jordan Gruber was awarded a Juris Doctor degree, and has forged and sculpted authoritative volumes in forensic law. He is the author of The Bounce: The Complete SuperBound® Guidebook to 21st-Century Rebound Exercise (co-author Joy Daniels) (SuperBound 2020), James Fadiman and Jordan Gruber are the co-authors of Your Symphony of Selves: Discover and Understand More of Who We Are (Park Street Press 2020) and Microdosing for Health, Healing, and Enhanced Performance (St. Martin’s Essentials 2025) Interview Date: 2/21/2025 Tags: James Fadiman, Jordan Gruber, microdosing, LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, autism, depression, long-COVID, Paul Stamets, Health & Healing, Personal Transformation, Psychology

After having a life-altering dream of a dragonfly, Williams contemplates the re-enchantment of our world to rediscover wonder, mystery, and meaning in our relationship with nature and the environment. He invites us to consider new perspectives on nature, consciousness, and the practice of re-enchantment in our modern world. Brooke Williams is a naturalist and environmental writer who covers subjects such as evolution, consciousness, and his own ventures exploring both the inner and outer wilderness. He advocates for the preservation of wilderness. His writings also take us with him on his many treks into the deserts of Utah, where he lives with his wife and partner, the writer and New Dimensions guest Terry Tempest Williams. He is the author of several books including: Half-Lives: Reconciling Work and Wildness (Johnson Books 1999) and · Encountering Dragonfly: Notes on the Practice of Re-Enchantment (Uphill Books 2025) Interview Date: 1/17/2025 Tags: Brooke Williams, Kathryn “Mimi” Blackett, dragonfly, enchantment, Galapagos, Desert Fathers, climate change, imaginal world, Ecology/Nature/Environment, Personal Transformation, Psychology

Williamson stresses the importance of love over fear and explores the concept of Jesus as an internal teacher and the transformative power of forgiveness. She uses the analogy of cancer cells and quantum physics to illustrate the interconnectedness of all things and advises maintaining respect and openness in political discourse to foster moral persuasion and unity. Marianne Williamson is the author of many books. Throughout her career she has worked on such issues as poverty, anti-hunger, and racial reconciliation. She is a leader of a spiritually progressive circle, and six of her published books have been New York Times bestsellers, including A Return to Love. She has participated in two Presidential campaigns and is the founder of Project Angel Food, a Meals-on-Wheels program that serves homebound people with AIDS in the Los Angeles area. In 2004 she co-founded The Peace Alliance and supported the creation of a U.S. Department of Peace. Interview Date: 12/20/2024 Tags: Marianne Williamson, A Course in Miracles, ACIM, forgiveness, Jesus, true spiritual north, quantum physics, mental prison, atonement, Holy Spirit, natural intelligence, miracles, Martin Luther King Jr., Personal Transformation, Social Change/Politics, Religion, Spirituality

Brown shares his experiences of exploring the most unlikely zones of urban industrial wastelands where wild nature is eking out its existence outside the human realm. He encourages us to explore these exciting urban edgelands which are teaming with life. Christopher Brown is an accomplished lawyer who has worked on two Supreme Court confirmation hearings. He has also been general counsel for several technology companies. His varied experiences span from restoring prairies to reporting from Central American war zones. He’s author of three award-nominated science fiction novels and The Natural History of Empty. His current nonfiction book explores the natural world in urban settings: Lots: Field Notes from Urban Edgelands, Back Alleys, and Other Wild Places (Timber Press 2024). Interview Date: 12/2/2024. Tags: Christopher Brown, biodiversity, abandoned lots, industrial sites, urban creeks, brownfields, Neolithic, agriculture, Kiva, pit house, colony of Harvester ants, Edgeland home Austin, wastelands, Tesla plant in Austin, biodiversity, climate change, Animals, Ecology/Nature/Environment, Social Change/Politics

Orsborn shares the concept of embracing old age as a transformative process. She emphasizes the importance of accepting reality, embracing mortality, and recognizing one's belovedness. She also touches on the evolutionary purpose of old age and the role of spiritual practices in navigating life's challenges, including illness and loss. Carol Orsborn, Ph.D. received her Masters of Theological Studies and Doctorate in History and Critical Theory of Religion from Vanderbilt University, with post-graduate work in Spiritual Counseling at the New Seminary in Manhattan. She specialized in adult development and ritual studies. She has served on the faculties of Pepperdine, Loyola Marymount, and Georgetown Universities. She is the author of Older, Wiser, Fiercer: The Wisdom Collection (self-published 2019), The Making of an Old Soul: Aging as the Fulfillment of Life's Promise (White River Press 2021)and Spiritual Aging: Weekly Reflections for Embracing Life (Park Street Press 2024). Interview Date: 1/10/2025 Tags: Carol Orsborn, Joan Chittister, fear, denial, God, grace, Tolstoy, Death of Ivan Illich, Ram Dass, hope, expectation, curiosity, Personal Transformation, Spirituality, Aging

What drags us under when we experience setbacks, failures, criticism while working for a cause, person, or place? Wheatley advises us to work with as much diligence as we can. She says that in the end it is about feeling that it is our work to do and doing it with vigor and enjoyment even though we don’t know what the outcome will be. Margaret Wheatley is an internationally acclaimed writer, speaker, and teacher. She is co-founder and President Emerita of The Berkana Institute, a charitable foundation that works with people around the world who strengthen their communities using the wisdom and wealth already present in their people, traditions, and environment. Her books include Leadership and the New Science (Berrett-Kohler 1998), Perseverance (Berrett-Koehler 2010), Turning To One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope in the Future (Berrett-Koehler 2009), So Far from Home: Lost and Found In Our Brave New World (Berrett-Koehler 2012) and Who Do We Choose To Be: Facing Reality, Claiming Leadership, Restoring Sanity (Berrett-Koehler 2017). Interview Date: 8/19/2010 Tags: T. S. Eliot, "only don't know”, bravery, Carlos Castaneda, Chogyam Trungpa, creativity, curiosity, Don Juan, Hopi Nation, mp3, personal transformation, righteous anger, steadfastness, vision, Margaret Wheatley, Personal Transformation

Grunther states that we’re in the midst of a New Renaissance when the greatest knowledge and wisdom, both ancient and contemporary, is just a few keystrokes away through digital screens that billions around the planet can access. He shares the three key shifts in human consciousness taking place today, ranging from quantum physics to AI and left/right-brain thinking. Douglas Grunther is the creator and host of the Woodstock Roundtable an award winning radio talk show covering philosophy, depth psychology, and spiritual insight. He is also a dream work facilitator. He is the author of The Quantum & The Dream: Visionary Consciousness, AI, and The New Renaissance (Epigraph Books 2024) Interview Date: 11/15/2024 Tags: Douglas Grunther, AI, Right hemisphere of the brain, left hemisphere of the brain, Lynn Margulis, Elisabet Sahtouris, Albert Einstein, Iain McGilchrist, Wolfgang Pauli, Carl Jung, Sigmond Freud, Max Planck, Wermer Heinsenberg, Niels Bohr, Yin-Yang, Gaia theory, Plato, Marshall McLuhan, Science, Personal Transformation, History, Social Change/Politics

Writing your memoir is a powerful process for discovering elusive elements in your psyche. It forces you to see your life from an entirely different perspective. Peterson encourages us to explore the untold story of you — and the inner hero, heroine, angel, or villain you have yet to meet. She gives a simple writing exercise to help you get started. Brenda Peterson is a novelist, nature writer, and writing teacher. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Orion Magazine, and O: The Oprah Magazine. She’s a regular commentator for Seattle NPR and the Huffington Post. Her books include Build Me an Ark: A Life with Animals (W. W. Norton 2001), Duck and Cover (Backinprint.com 2004), I Want to Be Left Behind: Finding Rapture Here on Earth (Da Capo Press 2010) and Your Life is a Book: How to Craft & Publish Your Memoir (co-author Sarah Jane Freymann) (Sasquatch Books 2014), Wolf Haven: Sanctuary and the Future of Wolves in North America (coauthor Annie Marie Musselman) (Sasquatch Books 2016) and Wolf Nation: The Life, Death, and Return of Wild American Wolves (De Capo 2017) Interview Date: 2/10/2010 Tags: Brenda Peterson, family, memoir, inner critic, fundamentalists, the Rapture, humor, Writing, Religion, Family/Community, Ecology/Nature/Environment, Spirituality, Philosophy

Magsamen and Ross emphasize the transformative power of art, in all its forms. It impacts neural circuitry, physiology, and behavior, enhancing physical and mental well-being, reducing stress, improving cognitive function, and fostering social connections. They highlight the importance of integrating the arts in healthcare, education, and community building. Susan Magsamen is the founder and executive director of the International Arts + Mind Lab, Center for Applied Neuroaesthethics (known as the IAM Lab) at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she’s a faculty member in the Department of Neurology. Ivy Ross is Chief Design Officer of Consumer Devices at Google and has led teams that have won hundreds of design awards. She’s a National Endowment for the Arts grant recipient and was ninth on Fast Company’s list of the 100 Most Creative People in Business in 2019. Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross are Co-authors of Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us. (Random House 2023) Interview Date: 10/14/2024 Tags: Susan Magsamen, Ivy Ross, doodling, E.O. Wilson, salience, neuro arts, neuroaesthetics, improv, endocrine system, James Pennebaker, Stuart Brown, play, neurosynapses, John Krakauer, Art & Creativity, Health & Healing, Personal Transformation