We Dream on Behalf of Others: Presence, Agency, and Staying Sane

Send us Fan MailThis episode picks up on the sixth principle of spiritual practice from my new book, Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics: We Dream on Behalf of Others. Meditation protects our minds from the incessant barrage of those who seek our attention, whether for good or, most probably, for ill. Great forces are vying for agency over your thoughts right now. I hope that doesn’t sound conspiracy theory-y! It just seems obvious that a lot of money is being spent to capture attention spans as so much consumerist fodder. What could possibly go wrong?! Besides everything! In this episode, I talk about the importance of maintaining sovereignty over your inner world, in no small part because it enables you to keep dreaming…visioning…imagining…remaining connected to what is possible–not as a means of escaping reality but of laying the ground for creating a new reality, one that includes decency, sanity, and care for others. There are many who simply cannot dream right now, and for very understandable reasons. Many are under siege. Homeless. Hungry. Living in a fire of rage. Right now, we are able to dream. This may not always be so, but while it is, we could dream on everyone’s behalf. Because what we cannot imagine, we cannot build.  Highlights:In the Heart Sutra, the Buddha's meditative absorption stirs a student, Sariputra, to ask an important question.Because none of us is truly separate, your practice affects everyone around you.Plenty of beings cannot dream right now because they are besieged, hungry, sick, or without a home, so the rest of us can hold dreams for them.If we cannot dream something, we cannot build it, and there are forces that would rather their dreams of money and power become ours. Don’t do it!!Meditation is how I keep my own mind: I notice a thought, call it a thought, and come back to the the present.Listener questionFrom Kim, a parent who wants to stay informed for the sake of conversation with her children, but is deeply disturbed by all the things happening in  2026 America..Send your questions or reflections via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes.Music "A Girl Like You" by Edwyn Collins, a mid-90s hit I love for its weird, fuzzy guitar tone. Idiosyncratic guitar playing FTW.My new book is now availableInexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics, is available for purchase. Explore the spiritual path through 7 principles which run counter to conventional wisdom. Learn more and buy your copy here.Watch this episode on videoIf you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here.Proclaiming Basic Sanity: Living the Bodhisattva Path Retreat Come practice with me at Drala Mountain Center, up in the Colorado Rockies, for a retreat on the bodhisattva path: what it takes to live with real courage and an open heart in the middle of our ordinary, chaotic, beautiful lives. We'll talk honestly about how to recognize and rouse basic sanity right where we already are. Everyone's welcome, and you don't need any prior meditation experience. Learn more and register.If this one meant something to you Please subscribe, leave a rating or review, and/or send it to someone who's curious about meditation, spiritual practice, or the Buddhist path. Or just feeling better, really.Free meditations: my free weekly newsletter Come be in community: the Open Heart Project sangha More about all of it: openheartproject.comIf you enjoyed this episode:Please rate, review, and share it with a friend who’s curious about mindfulness, spiritual commitment, or the Buddhist path.For more on Buddhist teachings and how our humanity isn’t necessarily in our way, sign up for my free weekly newsletter or join the Open Heart Project sangha for more connection with community and with me.If this podcast has been meaningful to you, it would be great if you would subscribe, give it a five star rating and share it with a friend. To join or learn more about The Open Heart Project please visit openheartproject.com.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project