Sometimes it is possible to experience something so deeply that it shifts everything forever. Such an experience is outside of the realm of the everyday world, where something is seen and felt so clearly that it can never be forgotten. A Radical Awakening is one such experience, and is the focus of a private session. In the session, we explore together—experientially—the realms of consciousness where the true Self is most evident, and what the barriers are to seeing it clearly. At one point, the seer and sought join as one, and consciousness directly experiences itself as Itself, without the interference of the personality. From there, the personality is clearly experienced as a mechanism which operates within the larger field of Consciousness, where consciousness is literally untouched by anything of the mind. Consciousness then awakens to its existence through its direct perception of Itself—which is classically defined as an awakening.

My teacher Papa-ji once stated, To be the Self is the easiest of all things. It requires no effort and can be realized in one quarter of a second.

A Radical Awakening session is the fertile ground for that quarter of a second look, where the search for an improved and better personality ends, and the opening to love and heart then become the motivating force in life. In years of directly studying my teacher Papjis guidance of the exploration to discover the true Self, and with his personal coaching and encouragement, I have spent the last decade developing and refining this guidance. I included in this study the processes provided by Transpersonal Psychology, the altered states present in shamanism and hypnosis, and three decades of study in different approaches to meditation. The end result of this study is the ability to provide a rich environment and precise guidance to bring one into that quarter of a second. It is such a deep and profound experience that, from that point on, every situation becomes an exciting and alive exploration of how consciousness interacts with life.

What actually happens in the Radical Awakening Weekend?

A typical three-day weekend (usually taking place on a Saturday and the following weekend) picks up where a private session leaves off. As in a private session, the environment is set for the direct discovery of the true Self, and entry points to true awareness are directly explored. As the ego recedes during the process, the heart opens to true love, and the last part of the weekend is the exploration of living a life guided by heart and love. There is no group processing or uncovering of story. Meditation, consciousness exploration, direct routes to knowing the true Self, and the opening to heart consciousness are all aspects of the exploration.

I've done so many seminars before, giving me great experiences, but none which permanently ended my longing and search for more. How is Radical Awakening different?

After a Radical Awakening, life still continues, although the opening of the heart and consciousness engenders a different color to ones life experiences. Even when there is an experience of forgetting, always present in the background of that experience is a stable, deeper Knowing that you never left the true Self. The search for the true Self is ended, as your connection to this background of Knowing continues to deepen.

Is a Radical Awakening enlightenment? Will I become enlightened after a Radical Awakening?

Papaji once stated, The number of fully realized beings [meaning enlightened beings] on the planet can be counted on one s hands. I cannot promise that you will be one of those, any more than I can claim that I am one of those possibly ten on the planet. However, after Radical Awakening, there is a spontaneous and moment-to-moment deepening and maturation into the realization of ones true Self, as the background of true Knowing and love become more and more present in every moment.

Did Papaji appoint you, as well as others, as heirs to the lineage of Ramana Maharshi?

Papaji made it pointedly clear that there is no lineage, and therefore there could be no mantle to pass on. He further made it clear to me that he was not sending me out as a teacher, and that he had sent no teachers out under his name (and also advised caution for people who held themselves as teachers and took on students). He informed me that I am one who is to simply carry a message, the message of the truth of identity and consciousness. He personally worked and encouraged me to deliver this message, which I now know is not in words, but in the silent transmission of the heart—which resides in the heart of all living beings.

A deeper understanding of the word messenger came to light for me when I spontaneously conducted my first pilgrimage to Arunachala. Ramana Maharshi called Arunachala the source of the silent transmission. The biggest gift my heart can give to others is to take them to my teacher's teachers teacher: Arunachala.