JAMES FINLEY on Mysticism, Psychedelic Drugs, Transgender people, Thomas Merton and Richard Rohr

Description: An in-depth interview with James Finley (Host of 'Turning to the Mystics', teacher at the Centre for Action and Contemplation). For a transcript & more go to: www.whatiwannaknow.com/james-finley/ Timecodes: 0:00 - Intro 0:39 - Defining his ideology 2:40 - Unpacking Mystical Experiences & the power of meditation 11:34 - "Being Born Again" 13:37 - Finley describes a mystical experience he had 16:52 - Physical manifestation of mystical experiences 18:04 - Are psychedelic drugs spiritual? 22:56 - Mystical Sobriety 25:04 - Was Jesus Christ a mystic? 27:16 - Was Jesus the greatest mystic? 32:31 - Do Christians often misinterpret Jesus' teachings? 36:54 - Thomas Merton's radical interfaith 39:48 - Did the CIA kill Thomas Merton? 41:45 - How do you know if you're called to be a mystic? 46:38 - How to avoid trappings of fame as a famous mystic 50:24 - An enlightened asshole? 52:15 - Seeking mysticism to combat trauma 57:08 - Why do so few people turn trauma into triumph? 1:00:54 - Origins of evil and making sense of mass tragedies 1:09:00 - Should we abolish the Papacy? 1:12:27 - Transgenderism 1:15:22 - Gender pronouns for God 1:17:55 - Influence and legacy of Richard Rohr 1:22:02 - Finleys' response to atheists 1:24:03 - Is God really real?