About this episode
Craig Pearson is Executive Vice-President of Maharishi International University (MIU) in Fairfield, Iowa, and a leader in Consciousness-Based education. He has spoken around the United States on this unique approach to education as well as on Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's programs to create world peace. He has held a number of positions at MIU, including Dean of Faculty, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Dean of Students, Director of Freshman Composition, and Director of MIU Press. Dr. Pearson holds a Ph.D. in Maharishi Vedic Science from MIU. He is the author of two books, The Supreme Awakening: Experiences of Enlightenment Throughout Time - And How You Can Cultivate Them, available through MIU Press (free chapter available for download) or Amazon. and The Complete Book of Yogic Flying. He is also the co-author, with Brad Moses, of Peace on Earth, a collection of songs about enlightenment and world peace (available on iTunes). For video versions of these songs, see their YouTube channel. He lives on the MIU campus with his wife Melissa and son Soren. Transcript of this interview Interview conducted January 31, 2015. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:04:23 - Panning for Gold in Unlikely Sources 00:07:42 - Seven States of Consciousness and Higher Spiritual Development 00:12:01 - Description of the Indescribable 00:16:47 - Profound Transformation and Universal Experience 00:22:38 - Wordsworth's Experience at Tintern Abbey 00:26:42 - Rest and Deep Rest 00:30:20 - The Universal Experience 00:33:59 - The Transformative Effects of Meditation 00:38:01 - The Link Between Coherence and Intelligence 00:42:50 - The Benefits of Brain Integration 00:50:14 - Transforming Consciousness for Harmony with the Planet 01:01:36 - Settling the Waves of the Mind 01:13:01 - Cultivation of Mind and Brain 01:26:05 - The Condition in Which I Function 01:38:45 - A Veil Lifted: A Vision of Glory and Universal Love 01:49:10 - Universal Love and Amma's Hugs 01:53:40 - Experiencing the Underlying Silence 01:57:21 - The Experience of Oneness 02:01:14 - Glimpsing the Higher States of Consciousness 02:04:45 - The Importance of Looking Within 02:09:01 - Researching Cosmic Consciousness through Brain Measures 02:12:39 - Understanding the Neurophysiology of Transcending 02:15:48 - Different Techniques and Brain Functioning 02:18:37 - Universality of Meditation Techniques 02:22:01 - Broadening the Possibilities 02:26:14 - The Special Atmosphere of Iowa City 02:29:26 - The Realities of Personal Growth 02:32:48 - Finding the Self Within 02:36:41 - Cultivating Transcendence 02:40:19 - Craig's Page on BatGap