The Spiritual Forum
Welcome to The Spiritual Forum, a space curated by Rev Carol Saunders for extraordinary conversations that explore the realms of spiritual living. Join us weekly for heart-to-heart dialogues with captivating individuals, delving into themes like love, faith, awakening, forgiveness, healing, spiritual practices, and divine encounters. These transformative narratives aim to inspire, fostering a deep connection to the profound experiences that shape our lives. Rev Carol’s guests include authors, filmmakers, experts, and everyday individuals who authentically share their journeys toward wholeness. These discussions transcend the ordinary, offering insights into navigating the complexities of our current world with authenticity and grace.
Episodes

21 hours ago
21 hours ago
Bestselling author (Mind to Matter, Bliss Brain, and Spiritual Intelligence), visionary scientist, and spiritual thought leader Dawson Church, PhD shares groundbreaking insights on how to activate the four key brain circuits that unlock spiritual intelligence and lead to lasting joy, deep compassion, and true transformation. From escaping a devastating wildfire to reaching states of incandescent bliss, Dawson’s story is inspiring. Learn how to rewire your brain in just 30 days using his neuroscience evidence-based eco meditation method, and discover why emotional regulation, focused attention, self-awareness, and empathy are keys to awakening. Dawson also reveals why the future of humanity is not just hopeful, it’s scientifically predictable -- we are evolving toward compassion, peace, and unity. Don’t miss this opportunity to awaken your inner light, tap into universal consciousness, and become part of the 3.5% who are reshaping the planet.
🔗 Explore Dawson's work and resources at spiritualintelligence.com🎧 Try the free 30-day eco meditation challenge at ecomeditation.com📍 Join our upcoming retreat at Unity Village: thespiritualforum.org/retreat❤️ Support this mission: thespiritualforum.org Bio - Dawson Church is a best-selling author and researcher known for his groundbreaking books like The Genie in Your Genes, Mind to Matter, and Bliss Brain, which explore the link between emotions, brain function, and reality creation. He has conducted and collaborated on over 100 peer-reviewed studies and developed the popular EcoMeditation method. Church founded EFT Universe and the National Institute for Integrative Healthcare, offering evidence-based stress reduction and PTSD support to over 22,000 veterans. A pioneer in energy medicine, he earned his doctorate in Integrative Healthcare and has testified before Congress on holistic healing. Though retired from business management, he continues to write, teach, and inspire through science and spirituality.
About Dawson's Book : Awaken Your Spiritual Intelligence - https://spiritualintelligencebook.com/
#SpiritualIntelligence #Meditation #EFTtapping #Mindfulness #PersonalGrowth #EmotionalHealing #Awakening #ConsciousLiving #Compassion #HolisticHealth #SelfTranscendence #DawsonChurch #EcoMediTation #TransformativeHealing #HopeAndInspiration #PositiveChange #MindToMatter #BlissBrain #SpiritualAwakening #Resilience #HolisticTherapies #EmpathyInAction #LoveAndCompassion #ConsciousEvolution #spiritualintelligence #hopeforhumanity #rewireyourbrain

Tuesday Apr 15, 2025
Becoming a Sourcerer with Justin L Shaw - EP 306
Tuesday Apr 15, 2025
Tuesday Apr 15, 2025
What happens when you mix a mystical comedian, a spiritual revolution, and a healthy obsession with pop culture? You get this electric, no-holds-barred conversation with Justin Shaw — author of Sourcery 101. From healing childhood trauma and turning pain into power, to bliss attacks, shadow work, and channeling your unapologetic, GOAT (greatest-of-all-time) - mode self — this episode is an unfiltered journey through awakening, humor, and deep soul work. Justin drops truth bombs on the matrix-like reality we live in, intuition vs. instinct, emotional alchemy, and why living life like a 5-year-old in a Superman cape might be the ultimate spiritual hack. If you're ready to unplug from the old programming and source your own revolution, this one's for you. Tap in, wake up — and don’t forget to subscribe, share, and give us a rating if this message hits home. Bio - Justin L Shaw is an author, survivor, mystical comedian and Sorcerer who is passionate about empowering people to heal, thrive, and manifest their highest potential. A little bit Deepak and a little bit Tupac with a sharp comedic edge, he challenges the status quo and empowers people to wake up, unplug, and live their truth
About Justin's Book : Sourcery 101: 13 Rungs to a Higher Elevation of Consciousness available on Amazon - https://amzn.in/d/aXilR0p
#SpiritualAwakening #MysticalComedy #PersonalEmpowerment #Sourcery101 #EmotionalAlchemy #MeditationJourney #ShadowWork #HealingFromWithin #IntuitionOverInstinct #SelfReliance #AuthenticLiving #SpiritualRevolution #ConsciousnessElevated #HumorAndWisdom #TransformationJourney #OvercomingTrauma #StandUpSpirituality #WakeUpAndUnplug #GrowthThroughDiscomfort #spiritualmovies #goatsvssheep #simulation

Tuesday Apr 08, 2025
Growing up as an Arab Jew with Elio Zarmati - EP 305
Tuesday Apr 08, 2025
Tuesday Apr 08, 2025
Prepare to be inspired as we explore the remarkable life of Elio Zarmati, whose childhood in Egypt was shaped by revolution and war. A Jewish boy coming of age in Cairo — riding camels by the pyramids and navigating a vibrant mix of languages and cultures — Elio experienced the dramatic political shift caused by the Suez Crisis that turned friends into foes and ultimately sent his family into exile. His journey is one of resilience, seeking identity, finding love in chaos, and always having hope. Elio shares the profound influence of a Jesuit priest and his literary father, and his unshakable belief that peace between Jews, Christians, and Muslims is possible—rooted in a past where harmony once thrived.
Bio - Born in Egypt and educated in Great Britain and France, Elio Zarmati was a reporter at NBC, a writer-director of films and TV shows in France and in the United States, the CEO of Gelula & Co., a Hollywood-based international film subtitling and dubbing company, and the publisher of YWD magazine and the editor-in-chief of Recovery Living magazine. He lives in Tarzana, California.
Website: https://zarmati.com/
About Elio's Book : “Goodbye, Tahrir Square: Coming of Age as a Jew of the Nile” is a first-person memoir written from the standpoint of a Jewish boy growing up in Egypt during the watershed years that shaped the Middle East into the powder keg it is today. Link : https://www.amazon.in/Goodbye-Tahrir-Square-Coming-Nile/dp/B0DL2D4S7V
#InspiringStories #HopeAndResilience #GoodbyeTahirSquare #CulturalDiversity #JewishIdentity #MiddleEastNarratives #PersonalJourney #FaithAndPeace #OvercomingAdversity #MemoirInsights #LoveAndConnection #LifeInArabLand #NavigatingChallenges #PeacefulCoexistence #CulturalUnderstanding #LessonsFromThePast #InspirationForChange #WarAndPeace #HumanConnection #peaceispossible #arabjew #jewishhistory

Tuesday Apr 01, 2025
Finding Yourself in Healing Stories with Lory Widmer Hess - EP 304
Tuesday Apr 01, 2025
Tuesday Apr 01, 2025
Join Lory Widmer Hess, the insightful author of "When Fragments Make a Whole," as she takes us on a journey through the transformative healing stories found in the Bible. Inspired by anthroposophy and Rudolf Steiner's teachings, Lory shares how these ancient narratives offer powerful insights into our own healing journeys. As we explore the deeper meaning behind the healing stories and uncover the imagined inner world of those who were healed, we see how their experiences mirror our personal struggles and paths to wholeness. Lory also shares how her own transformative healing was largely inspired by her work with developmentally challenged adults, who showed her what an honest life looks like.
Bio - Lory Widmer Hess grew up near Seattle and now lives in Switzerland, where she currently works with adults with developmental challenges and practices spiritual direction. Since childhood, she has been on a quest for both personal healing and for integrative spiritual wisdom, which led her to pursue esoteric studies along with practical life experiences. Her writing has been published widely in journals and magazines including Parabola, Interweave Knits, Handwoven, Pensive, Vita Poetica, Anglican Theological Review, and Motherwell. Her first book, When Fragments Make a Whole: A Personal Journey Through Healing Stories in the Bible, was published in 2024 by Floris Books.
Website: Entering the Enchanted Castle, https://enterenchanted.com
About Lory's Book : When Fragments Make a Whole: A Personal Journey Through Healing Stories in the Bible Book page with links to order: enterenchanted.com/books
#HealingJourneys #BibleStories #TransformativeHealing #WhenFragmentsMakeAWhole #FaithAndSelfDiscovery #RudolfSteiner #Anthroposophy #MiraclesInTheGospels #SpiritualUnderstanding #InnerHealing #JourneyToWholeness #BiblicalInsights #EmotionalHealing #PersonalGrowth #ChristConsciousness #MindBodySpirit #StoriesOfFaith #HealingThroughFaith #SpiritualExploration #lectiodivina #allegory #jesusheals

Tuesday Mar 25, 2025
Living with a Wide-Open Heart with Scott Stabile - EP 303
Tuesday Mar 25, 2025
Tuesday Mar 25, 2025
When Scott Stabile was just 14 years old, his parents were brutally murdered in their family-run store. The youngest of seven children, Scott blamed himself and went through years of inner struggle and intense grief, as well shame for being a gay man. Today he lives with a wide-open heart and complete self-acceptance. He believes there is no force more powerful than love to create real connection and healing in our troubled world. In this episode Scott offers profound insights on forgiveness, self-love, navigating through criticism and embarrassing failures, and daring to experience joy in the face of suffering. We also explore the brokenness of social media and the courage it takes to remain kind in a divisive world. Scott’s raw honesty and wisdom will surely inspire you to open your heart, fully embrace your messy, beautiful self, and cultivate more love in your life.
Bio - Scott Stabile is the author of Big Love: The Undeniable Joy of Following Your Heart and Enough as You Are. Scott guides transformational breathwork journeys and leads personal empowerment workshops internationally. His inspirational posts have attracted a huge and devoted social media following, including more than 350,000 Facebook fans. For more info visit him online at ScottStabile.com and/or check out his newsletter at http://www.scottstabile.substack.com .
About Scott's Book : BIG LOVE: The Undeniable Joy of Following Your Heart is now available at paperback. AMAZON LINK: https://a.co/d/6N6bMje
#LoveAndHealing #PersonalTransformation #SelfLoveJourney #TraumaHealing #AuthenticityMatters #Forgiveness #InnerPeace #HeartOpening #EmbraceYourTruth #CultivateLove #NavigatingCriticism #SocialMediaImpact #KindnessInTheWorld #BigLove #EnoughAsYouAre #JourneyToSelfAcceptance #howtoforgive #chooselove

Tuesday Mar 18, 2025
Breaking Through Medical Paradigms with Dr. Tom Cowan - EP 302
Tuesday Mar 18, 2025
Tuesday Mar 18, 2025
What if you were to learn that something you are so sure about is not true? Throughout history new discoveries have threatened the status quo and those who found them were ostracized or even jailed! The ego defends beliefs fiercely. In this eye-opening episode, alternative medicine doctor Thomas Cowan shares some facts about viruses and contagion that might blow your mind. A questioner of conventionality and master of analogies, Tom makes scientific practices easy to understand and he dispels some long and deeply held ideas. He shares how medical science excludes the spiritual dimension, limiting what we truly know about our biology. We learn how they found the polio virus and delve into the question, “Do sick people make well people sick?” We also discuss the uncomfortable space of ‘not knowing’ as being the magical place where the Divine can inform and guide us to new understanding. Near the end Tom shares about his latest book, Commonsense Child Rearing. This episode will surely challenge you, but if you hang in there and loosen your grip on what you are sure is true, you might awaken to a new reality.
Bio : Dr. Thomas Cowan is a well-known alternative medicine doctor, author and speaker, with a common-sense, holistic approach to health and wellness. He has given countless lectures and workshops throughout the U.S. on a variety of subjects in health and medicine and is the author of six books. Recent publications include "The Contagion Myth” co-authored by Sally Fallon Morell, “Cancer and the New Biology of Water” and "Human Heart, Cosmic Heart." Until his recent retirement from active practice, Dr. Cowan had a general-medical practice for 17 years in San Francisco, preceded by 17 years in Peterborough, NH and several years in upstate New York. He was a founding board member of the Weston A. Price Foundation and currently serves as its vice president. Dr. Cowan lives with his wife, Lynda, on rural farmland in Upstate New York. He has three children, one stepson and seven thriving grandchildren.
Dr. Cowan's website: DrTomCowan.com
About Dr. Tom's new book : Commonsense Childrearing: Unconventional Wisdom for a Nourished Childhood Can we raise healthy children in a toxic world? Yes, we can! Modern life, with its conveniences and technologies, has had mixed results. With great gains come also losses. For better or for worse, as certain types of knowledge have increased, others, which were not perhaps knowledge in the modern sense, but rather types of wisdom, which were once innate, have grown faint. A living, contemporary, and conscious approach to raising children, born of both commonsense and love, is both achievable and necessary. As a physician, parent, grandparent, and friend, Dr. Cowan offers hope and guidance for the parents of today’s youngest generation, that they may raise up a cohort of free, healthy, happy, caring human beings.
Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/Commonsense-Childrearing-Unconventional-Nourished-Childhood/dp/1938685571
#AlternativeMedicine #VirusTheory #ContagionMyths #MedicalScience #SpiritualHealth #ChildRearing #PolioVirus #ChallengingBeliefs #AwakeningConsciousness #ScientificDiscovery #QuestionTheStatusQuo #HealthAndWellness #MindBlowingFacts #NotKnowingJourney #EgoAndBeliefs #HolisticHealth #NewUnderstanding #CommonsenseParenting #DivineGuidance

Tuesday Mar 11, 2025
The Way of the Satisfied Woman with Alanna Kaivalya - EP 301
Tuesday Mar 11, 2025
Tuesday Mar 11, 2025
In this eye-opening conversation, we dive into the essence of the true feminine, unfettered by the patriarchal structures we have all been raised in. According to author and educator Dr. Alanna Kaivalya, both men and women are living in distorted roles that do not serve them. Alanna shares her revolutionary insights on the natures of the authentic feminine and masculine, the importance for women to honor their intuition and embrace the wild, untamed feminine, and the four essential keys to a satisfied life. She encourages women to seek satisfaction rather than success and to receive, create, and thrive on their own terms. We also discuss a more empowering definition of the crone/wise woman stage of life and the crucial feminine/masculine roles in parenting. Don't miss this transformative discussion—like, subscribe, and share with the women (and men) in your life!
Bio - Alanna Kaivalya, Ph.D. is an author, educator, speaker, and pleasure-seeker. She has written 5 books, developed international training programs, and taught audiences around the world. These are not her greatest achievements, though. After spending more than 20 years studying psychology, the human condition, the nature of the feminine and femininity, eastern spirituality, and earning a doctoral degree in Mythological Studies and Depth Psychology, she set her sights on empowering women through a better understanding of femininity. She believes her greatest legacy is helping women redefine femininity in the modern age, and giving them clear pathways to become fully satisfied women. She does this through her writing, education, and speaking, but also through living The Way of the Satisfied Woman everyday with her choices, actions, and intuitive guidance.
Website : https://www.thesatisfiedwoman.com/
#beyondpatriarchy #truefeminine #satisfaction #FemininePower #DivineFeminine #ReclaimYourPower #MasculineAndFeminine #WomenEmpowerment #SpiritualAwakening #FeminineEnergy #IntuitionMatters #SuccessVsSatisfaction #PersonalGrowthJourney

Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Sacred Activism with Henna Maria Vermeulen - EP 300
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Henna Maria, a medicine woman, activist, speaker, and teacher, joins us from the Peruvian Amazon to share her incredible spiritual journey. Speaking on the importance of restoring the sacred in our lives, she explores how indigenous wisdom, Natural Law, and conscious activism can help us break free from the "zoo" of modern society and reconnect with our true essence. Henna discusses the fall of consciousness, the captivity of humanity, the link between human and animal rights, and the urgent need for activism that inspires people to walk the path of peace. As the founder of Dawn of Peace, International Police for Freedom, and Save Our Food Initiative, she has dedicated her life to inspiring action that is both compassionate and transformative. This 300th episode of The Spiritual Forum podcast is a call to awaken to the Divine in all life and restore our lost ability to create meaning and knowledge from within.
Bio - Henna Maria was initiated into the art of healing song by indigenous Shipibo masters and specialises in the ceremonial practice of Ayahuasca. Now Henna and her husband Richard run their own healing sanctuary Wistin Origins and are stewards of a beautiful medicine garden in the Peruvian Amazon. Combining her love for spirituality and activism, in 2019 Henna founded Dawn of Peace, a creative community and peace organisation. Her advocacy focuses on the spiritual reality of life, human and animal rights, medical freedom and self-sovereignty. In 2021, Henna co-founded the international Police for Freedom movement – to advocate for natural rights, rehumanise our societies and facilitate respectful collaboration between activists and police. In 2022, Henna sparked up the Save Our Food initiative in response to the fear around food scarcity, environmental crises and agricultural collapse. Her latest endeavour in the spring of 2023 has been to co-found a cultural association Kotiinpaluu, Finnish word for 'homecoming', with the goal of reviving and protecting indigenous Finnish culture and establishing the foundations for a parallel, natural society.
#medicalfreedom #healthfreedom #sovereignty #veganactivism #SacredActivism #SpiritualAwakening #RestoreTheSacred #ConsciousLiving #NaturalLaw #AwakenHumanity #HealingTheWorld #FreedomForAll #ReconnectWithNature #LoveInAction

Rev Carol Saunders
Experienced Minister, Spiritual Leader, Speaker, Blogger and Podcast Host, with a demonstrated history working in spiritual organizations. Skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Public Speaking, Dialogue Facilitation, Spiritual Coaching, Writing, Pastoral Counseling, Premarital/Marriage coaching, Sacred Ceremonies and Conflict Resolution. Strong media and communication professional in the spiritual awakening business. For more information, Visit the about Rev Carol Saunders in the menu above