#130 Spiritual Shadows: Scott Kiloby & Toshi Matsunaga
Today on the show, we welcome Scott Kiloby and Toshi Matsunaga, authors of Awake But Sick, to explore the hidden emotional pain that can persist even after profound spiritual awakening. Their work challenges the common myths of nonduality and mindfulness, offering a deeper path through emotional repression, physical illness, and the illusion of immediate freedom. In this conversation, we explore the gap between awakening and true healing, the dangers of spiritual bypassing, and how to reconnect with the body’s wisdom to find lasting peace.
Links
Kiloby.com
Nondualship with Toshi Matsunaga
Nonduality & KI Monthly Meeting with Toshi
Awake But Sick
Emotional Repression Test Inquiry
Topics
00:00 Introduction to Guests and Their Work
01:34 Scott and Toshi's Journey to Collaboration
02:31 Understanding Kiloby Inquiries (KI)
03:12 The Dimensions of Spiritual Practice
04:54 Addressing Spiritual Bypassing
08:48 The Connection Between Awakening and Suffering
12:26 The Role of Repressed Emotions
15:28 Integrating Non-Dual Teachings with Modern Psychosis
25:49 The Iceberg Metaphor and Emotional Repression
29:13 The Role of Spiritual Practices in Repression
31:35 Identifying Patterns of Avoidance and Spiritual Bypassing
32:49 Signs of Repression in Meditation and Spiritual Practices
36:31 Understanding and Addressing Anger Repression
46:54 The Importance of Community in Spiritual Work
52:20 Connecting with the Speakers and Their Work
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Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen is a Historian of Religion, Ph.d from Uppsala University in Sweden. His research into Afro-diasporic strategies for maintaining animist reality in the modern world has lead him towards reading North European cultural history from the perspective of rejected animist knowledge and practice. The objective is to recover Euro-traditioanl forms of landconnectedness ecological knowledge and kinship with the greater community of beings. Rune has lived in a number of countries in Europe, Africa North- and South America and presently runs the platform “Nordic Animism”.
Links:
Nordic Animism
YouTube
Instagram
Topics
00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome00:49 Rune's Background and Nordic Animism03:13 Understanding Nordic Animism07:34 Decolonization and Animism11:45 Animism in Daily Life21:49 Relational Practices and Cultural Renewal37:10 Animism and Modern Challenges47:51 Resources and Upcoming Projects50:17 Conclusion and Farewell
Join Rune for the free global premiere of The Eternal Song and a 7-day online gathering centered on Indigenous voices—part of the online SAND event, happening June 3–9.
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Wendy Elisheva Somerson (wes) is a non-binary Jewish somatic healer, writer, visual artist, and activist who helped found the Seattle chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace. They facilitate Ruach, body-based Jewish healing groups held in an anti-Zionist, anti-racist, and feminist framework. As part of a movement of anti-Zionist Jews, they support Jewish healing from historical trauma and promote a liberatory future for Judaism and Jewishness beyond Zionism that includes a free Palestine. Today on the show we discuss their new book An Anti-Zionist Path to Embodied Jewish Healing: Somatic Practices to Heal Historical Wounds, Unlearn Oppression, and Create a Liberated World to Come.
https://wendysomerson.net/
Topics
00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome01:09 Discussing the Book: An Anti-Zionist Path to Embodied Jewish Healing01:36 Genocide in Palestine: Context and Impact04:07 Zionism and Jewish Historical Trauma06:07 Embodied Jewish Healing: Concepts and Practices09:26 Technology and Disembodiment10:32 Anti-Zionism as a Path to Healing16:12 Spiritual and Ethical Responsibilities26:42 Activism and Jewish Faith30:05 Resources and Community for Anti-Zionism31:46 Somatic Healing Practices36:58 Hope and Solidarity for the Future40:07 Conclusion and Farewell
Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member
Join SAND June 3–9 for the FREE global film premiere of The Eternal Song and the 7-day online gathering with Indigenous voices
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41:21
#67 The Dreaming Path Podcast: Uncle Paul Callaghan & Uncle Paul Gordon (Encore)
Join SAND co-founders Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo in conversation with Aboriginal elders and authors Uncle Paul Callaghan and Uncle Paul Gordon for a powerful SAND Community Gathering (2023), “The Dreaming Path,” where they explored some of the profound Aboriginal teachings.
Connect with Uncle Paul Gordon and dozens of other Indigenous speakers at the 7-Day The Eternal Song Gathering hosted live by SAND June 3-9 2025.“Our stories are not myths or legends or fables, they aren’t about dreams either”—Uncle Paul Callaghan
Topics
0:00 – Introduction
4:33 – Dreamtime
13:00 – Aboriginal Lore
20:26 – A Dreamtime Story
32:16 – Importance of Relationality
41:26 – 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice Referendum
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59:51
#128 Portals of Connection: Abigail Rose Clarke
Abigail Rose Clarke is a somatic educator, writer, and creator of The Embodied Life Method. Her new book, Returning Home to Our Bodies: Reimagining the Relationship Between Our Bodies and the World, challenges the dominant narratives that treat our bodies as machines. Instead, she invites readers into a deeper relationship with the body as part of the living world. In this conversation, we explore embodiment as a political and spiritual practice, embodiment as a framework for systemic change, and how returning to the wisdom of the body can help us imagine and build a more just, interconnected future.
Topics
00:00 Introduction to Abigail Rose Clarke and Her Work01:08 Abigail's Journey to Becoming a Writer05:02 The Concept of Embodiment and Its Importance07:45 The Interconnectedness of Body and World13:49 The Radical Act of Returning Home to Our Bodies19:11 Expanding the Definition of Somatics26:24 Healthy Boundaries and Somatic Practices28:50 Exploring Community and Boundaries31:08 The Wellness Industry and Its Pitfalls32:27 Embracing the Complexity of Human Emotions33:52 The Body's Relationship with Pain and Healing39:47 Language and Its Impact on Perception46:54 Reframing Hope and Its Role in Our Lives51:20 Upcoming Projects and Final Thoughts
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Sounds of SAND invites listeners into a contemplative journey through the infinite cycles of existence - from its raw beauty to its deepest mysteries, from its intricate complexity to its profound wonder. Through intimate conversations, thought-provoking interviews, poetic readings, and carefully curated music, we weave together ancient wisdom with lived experience, creating a tapestry of sound that honors the great questions of being
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