The Man Who Hunts Down The Worlds Greatest Spiritual Gurus | Steve James

Steve James is a meditation teacher, somatic practitioner, podcaster, and artist with extensive experience in contemplative and spiritual disciplines, elite athletic performance, and extreme outdoor survival. His original music has been featured in several Netflix series. He is also the host of the Guru Viking podcast — where he hunts down and interviews some of the most prolific spiritual teachers and practitioners in the world, including Daniel Ingram, Shinzen Young, Glenn Mullin, and Godfrey Devereux.In this conversation, we explore Steve's early experiences with martial arts, meditation, and contemplation, the downside of organized religion, and what drew him to both Eastern and Western spiritual traditions. We also get into the benefits and challenges of extreme outdoor survival as a spiritual practice — and why if you don't come to the dragon, it will come to you.Steve shares why he has never used psychedelics despite moving in deeply contemplative circles, unpacks his somatic practice, The Movement Koan Method, and speaks openly about dealing with a serious illness and the near-death experience that followed — and whether that experience was an awakening.We also explore models of awakening, the art of letting go of mystical experiences, the genius and impact of Shinzen Young, and what Steve has learned from interviewing hundreds of the world's greatest spiritual teachers.A wide-ranging and deeply personal conversation at the intersection of somatic practice, contemplative discipline, near-death experience, and spiritual awakening.🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES 🔗Guru Viking — Steve's website and podcast The Movement Koan Method Deep Survival — Laurence Gonzales Grinberg Method The Science of Enlightenment — Shinzen Young Deconstructing Yourself Podcast Steve's podcast with Godfrey Devereux Steve's podcast with Glenn Mullin Steve's podcast with Daniel Ingram & Delson Armstrong🕰️ TIMESTAMPS 🕰️0:00 - Introduction 1:00 - Steve's early experiences with martial arts, meditation, and contemplation 5:55 - The downside of organized religion 8:45 - Steve's interest in both Western and Eastern spiritual traditions 13:47 - The benefit and challenge of extreme outdoor survival 26:23 - If you don't come to the dragon it will come to you 29:17 - Why embracing discomfort is key to learning 34:04 - Why Steve has never used psychedelics 38:32 - Using the Grinberg Method for healing 41:34 - Steve unpacks his somatic practice — The Movement Koan Method 46:53 - Steve speaks about dealing with a serious illness and having a near-death experience 1:05:31 - How the near-death experience transformed Steve 1:10:08 - Was that an awakening? 1:12:09 - Artem speaks on integrating his 5-MeO-DMT experience 1:15:58 - Letting go of mystical and spiritual experiences 1:24:08 - Models of awakening 1:26:17 - Deconstructing the Guru Viking podcast 1:37:49 - The genius and impact of Shinzen Young 1:46:42 - Other spiritual teachers that greatly impacted Steve*Subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch the video versions of the Elevating Consciousness Podcast *Subscribe to the Insighter Substack to get in-depth articles on the theory and practice of human transformation through a post-conventional