Marieta Pehlivanova, PhD, is a junior researcher at the Division of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia. Dr. Pehlivanova’s work at the Division focuses on near-death experiences, children reporting past-life memories, as well as other unusual experiences. Marieta holds a PhD in Experimental Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from American University. Prior to her academic work, she pursued a career as a statistician in medical res…

Kylie Harris, PhD, is a transpersonal research psychologist from Melbourne, Australia. She has recently completed her dissertation on the topic of spiritual emergence(y) and its relationship with psychosis and personality. Kylie’s work is inspired by her own personal experience. She believes that people around the world are “waking up” as we undergo a scientific and spiritual paradigm shift, catalyzing spiritual emergence(y) for individuals, as well as on a global scale. Kylie has published a…

Isa Gucciardi, PhD, holds degrees and certificates in transpersonal psychology, cultural and linguistic anthropology, comparative religion, hypnotherapy, and transformational healing. She has been a dedicated Buddhist practitioner for forty years and has spent over thirty years studying spiritual, therapeutic, and meditative techniques from around the world. Isa has worked with master teachers of Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism and Sufism, as well as expert shamanic practitioners from a varie…

Isa Gucciardi, PhD, holds degrees and certificates in transpersonal psychology, cultural and linguistic anthropology, comparative religion, hypnotherapy, and transformational healing. She has been a dedicated Buddhist practitioner for forty years and has spent over thirty years studying spiritual, therapeutic, and meditative techniques from around the world. Isa has worked with master teachers of Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism and Sufism, as well as expert shamanic practitioners from a varie…

Bonnie Greenwell, PhD, is a transpersonal psychotherapist and non-dual teacher in the lineage of Adyashanti. She has authored four books on spiritual awakening and kundalini, her latest being When Spirit Leaps: Navigating the Process of Spiritual Awakening released by New Harbinger Press last June. Since 1990 she has trained people internationally to work with spiritual emergence, and provided assessments and consultations to over 3000 people through Internet appointments, webinars, and ret…

Chris Cole hosts the Waking Up Bipolar podcast, focused on the intersection of bipolar disorder and spiritual awakening. He is the author of The Body of Chris: A Memoir of Obsession, Addiction, and Madness, inspired by his own journey of spiritual unfolding and mental health challenges. You can find Chris’s message of spiritual and psychological transformation on Lion’s Roar, Psychology Today, To Write Love on Her Arms, and the International Bipolar Foundation. He offers life coaching for any…

Dr. Yvonne Kason MD, Med, CCFP, FCFP, is a retired Family Physician and MD-Psychotherapist, author, and public speaker, previously on faculty at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine. She is the person who first coined the phrase “Spiritually Transformative Experiences” (STEs) and defined five major categories of STE experience. She was the first Canadian medical doctor to specialize in the research and counseling of patients with Spiritually Transformative Experiences. A renowned in…

Katie Mottram is an author, blogger, speaker, activist, and project coordinator. As well as in her own book, Mend The Gap, her personal story is featured in the 2016 publication by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Spirituality and Narrative in Psychiatric Practice: Stories of Mind and Soul. She is the founder of the grassroots social movement Emerging Proud and its companion film. Katie’s latest project is The Emerging Kind, an outcome of the Emerging Proud launch that took place in 12 cou…

Bill Scheffel is a meditation and creative writing teacher and videographer, who has directed meditation retreats since 1980. Bill was a student of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and taught classes in meditation, creative writing, and poetry at Naropa University for thirteen years. In addition to several films, he authored the book, Loving-Kindness Meditation: Meditations to Help You Love Yourself, Love Others, and Create More Love and Peace in the World. In 2017, Bill founded Transcending Madness …

Ingo Lambrecht is a New Zealand-based clinical psychologist and consultant with over 20 years of experience. His book, Sangoma Trance States: Exploring Indigenous Consciousness Disciplines in South Africa, skillfully interweaves personal experience with scholarly research to map the specific non-ordinary states of traditional South African healers. He has clinical experience in a variety of settings in South Africa and New Zealand. Using a collaborative, integrative approach, he works with a …