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

Monday Sep 19, 2022
Episode 176 - Matters of the Heart: A Near-death Experience Story
Monday Sep 19, 2022
Monday Sep 19, 2022
After a near-death experience during a heart and kidney transplant in 2020, Shana Pereira is now channeling her purpose into building a movement, content platform and research institute around the future of religion and healthcare. She openly shares her lessons around organ transplantation, the importance of partnership with your medical team, the mental resilience it takes to survive when faced with death, and the emotional impact of having seen the afterlife. In this episode we learn how serendipity, God/Higher Power, and her own initiative guided her extraordinary path. We discuss the importance of honing our power of discernment and paying attention to the minute, opportune moments in life that call us to action. Shana also details her death experience, her new calling, and her relationship with her new heart.
Website: http://www.shanapereira.com/
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/shana_pereira

Monday Sep 12, 2022
Episode 175 - The Benevolent Revolution with Dr. Will Tuttle
Monday Sep 12, 2022
Monday Sep 12, 2022
Dr. Will Tuttle, visionary author of the international best-seller, The World Peace Diet, has presented over 3,000 lectures, workshops, and concert events throughout the world. An ordained Dharma Master in the Zen tradition, he is a featured expert in Cowspiracy and A Prayer for Compassion. In this episode we traverse human history beginning 10,000 years ago when animal herding became the dominant culture and brought with it the elite class structure, materialism, war, domination of the feminine, and systemic exploitation that are so familiar to us today. We have individually and collectively been wounded by this culture and lost our ability to make relevant connections. The ultimate result is the commodification of humanity (as you sow, so shall you reap). But a benevolent revolution that honors all life, our sacred bodies and the Divine within, is in our grasp. Keep your mind and heart open to this message!
The World Peace Diet: Eating for Spiritual Health and Social Harmony: https://www.amazon.com/World-Peace-Diet-Spiritual-Harmony/dp/1590565274
http://www.willtuttle.com/
https://www.worldpeacediet.com/
https://circleofcompassion.org/

Monday Sep 05, 2022
Episode 174 - What Cancer Taught Me About Life
Monday Sep 05, 2022
Monday Sep 05, 2022
It was only when breast cancer knocked at her door in 2016 that everything changed for Celine O’Donovan. A new path emerged in front of her and she was propelled in a new direction -- a direction that she could never have found on her own. In this episode we talk about the gifts that came out of her devastation. She got off the proverbial “hamster wheel,” did a lot of “undoing” and breaking open, and moved herself through fear to her own power. A native of Galway City on the west coast of Ireland, Celine recently published a book titled, Gifts from the Devastation – What Cancer Taught Me About Life. She is also a qualified life coach and public speaker who is passionate about sharing her story of hope. Her message is for anyone experiencing any kind of devastation, not just a cancer diagnosis.
Celine’s Inside Out Living Indicator, mentioned in this podcast, is shown below her photo at https://thespiritualforum.org/podcast/gettingoffthehamsterwheel
https://linktr.ee/celineodonovan
Website:www.celineodonovan.com
Gifts from the Devastation Print Book: https://www.johnhuntpublishing.com/o-books/our-books/gifts-from-devastation-cancer-life
Gifts from the Devastation Audio Book: https://celineodonovan.samcart.com/products/audio-book
https://www.instagram.com/celineodonovan/
https://www.facebook.com/celine.odonovan.9

Monday Aug 29, 2022
Monday Aug 29, 2022
Anneke Lucas is an author, speaker, advocate for human trafficking victims and creator of the Unconditional Model. Her work is based on her decades-long healing journey, after surviving being sold by her family as a child sex slave into a murderous pedophile network in Belgium. In this second episode we go deeper into her healing process – how her memories were recovered and the work she has done herself and with other survivors. We also discuss the internal and external power structures that we are stuck in and how we give our power away to authorities because we haven’t healed ourselves. Indeed, we do create our reality. And by our healing/integration/awakening work, we can create a new one. Anneke’s message is one of hope and healing – we have to be the Light in this world. She has shared her life experience in a TedxTalk and four-part YouTube interview series, and she recently published a book titled, Quest for Love: Memoir of a Child Sex Slave.
US link to book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B4FV3982
International links to book: https://annekelucas.com/book
Website: www.annekelucas.com
TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLp5LM18wIU
Four part Interview Collective Evolution: https://explorerlounge.one/programs/elite-pedophilia-sex-rituals-anneke-lucas
NOTE: In our conversation we mention Internal Family Systems Model. You can learn more about that here: https://ifs-institute.com/about-us
We also share paraphrased scripture about children. Here are a few of Jesus’s words about it:
"Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” Mark 10:15"If anyone causes one of these little ones to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea." Matthew 18:6
“Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14
“Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:4

Monday Aug 22, 2022
Episode 172 - Child Sex Slavery Survivor Anneke Lucas and Her Quest for Love
Monday Aug 22, 2022
Monday Aug 22, 2022
Anneke Lucas is an author, speaker, advocate for human trafficking victims and creator of the Unconditional Model. Her work is based on her decades-long healing journey, after surviving being sold by her family as a child sex slave into a murderous pedophile network in Belgium. In this episode we learn about Anneke’s journey through mind control, abuse, a near death experience and healing. We discuss the psychology of the pedophile perpetrator and why it is so hard for people to contemplate this widespread, but hidden reality. Anneke’s message is one of hope and healing as she also shares her experience of extreme Divine aid, influx of Christ consciousness, and awareness of Light in the depth of her darkness. Extremely intuitive as a child, she was able to see beyond the masks of her perpetrators to their own suffering -- a spiritual understanding that is incredibly inspiring. Anneke has shared her life experience in a TedxTalk and four-part YouTube interview series, and she recently published a book titled, Quest for Love: Memoir of a Child Sex Slave (see excerpts below).
US link to book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B4FV3982
International links to book: https://annekelucas.com/book
Website: www.annekelucas.com
TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLp5LM18wIU
Four part Interview Collective Evolution: https://explorerlounge.one/programs/elite-pedophilia-sex-rituals-anneke-lucas
NOTE: In our conversation we mention John Paul Rice. I had a deep conversation with him in Episode 159 on Forgiveness, Reconciliation and the Inner Child.
We also talk about the Dutroux case in Belgium where 30 scheduled witnesses mysteriously died. Here are some links about that:
https://pedogate.world/cases/dutroux-affair/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6eBpZAhf3w

Monday Aug 15, 2022
Episode 171 - Exploring the Common Core of the World’s Religions
Monday Aug 15, 2022
Monday Aug 15, 2022
Gary Beckwith is a solar system engineer, certified hypnotherapist and writer. Out of personal interest, he studied comparative religion, focusing his research on similarities. Searching for a simple book that outlined the common teachings shared by the world’s major religions and unable to find one, he decided to write The Message That Comes from Everywhere: Exploring the Common Core of the World’s Religions and Modern Science. The book is a useful tool to learn about spirituality and promote peace from an inclusive perspective. In this episode we discuss the commonality among the world’s major religions and how we can benefit from their cross fertilization. We also discuss the application of the scientific method to theological questions, the myth of God in the sky, the significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls and more.
To order the book from The Harmony Institute (discount price for Spiritual Forum listeners):
http://theharmonyinstitute.org (you'll see a big button on the home page that links to the special for podcast listeners)
To order from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0970112564
Spirituality Discussion Group on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualitydiscussion/
The Harmony Institute Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/harmonyinstitutevt
Contact Gary personally: gary.beckwith@theharmonyinstitute.org
If you love this podcast please rate and review! https://ratethispodcast.com/thespiritualforum

Monday Aug 08, 2022
Episode 170 - The Choice Between Two Paths: Nature or Transhumanism
Monday Aug 08, 2022
Monday Aug 08, 2022
Born into a family of seekers and artists at a commune in Baltimore, Maryland, Maré Hieronimus spent her childhood surrounded by mystical teachings, a reverence for the earth, and a love of dance. An artist and dancer by training, Mare has kept traditional aspirations at arm’s length, instead listening to the call of her soul to live a creative life. At this pivotal time of transition, Maré believes we are being asked to choose between two paths – nature/divine and transhumanism/anti-divine. In this episode we discuss these two paths as well as the natural technology of the body, cultural structures around motherhood, how to connect to the wisdom body, our crisis in imagination, the importance of learning family stories, the need to retain our individual, sovereign nature, and more.
Maré is the author of three books: Path of Remembrance - Vision for a New Earth, Systems of Indoctrination and The Wild Rose of the Soul, and Majesty of the Wild - Writings on Freedom.
Website: https://thesacredbody.earth/
Ceremonies: https://thesacredbody.earth/womens-ritual-and-ceremony
Embodied movement and healing sessions: https://thesacredbody.earth/embodied-movement-and-healing

Friday Jul 29, 2022
Friday Jul 29, 2022
“Sometimes the universe/God taps you on the shoulder ands says you know what? You might want to change the direction you are in. And then you get a shove from behind, and if you ignore that, sooner or later you get a big whack with a 2x4.” – Gregory David Roberts, TSF Episode 169
Former heroin addict/bank robber/fugitive turned best-selling author/musician/devotee, Gregory David Roberts has quite a story to tell. He is most known for his critically acclaimed best-selling novel Shantaram, which sold over 7 million copies and was hailed “a masterpiece” by critics. It has been translated into 44 languages and is sold in over 116 countries. Roberts recently authored the book, The Spiritual Path, a personal journey of wonder and insight into science, belief, faith and devotion, which catalogues his experience over six years in spiritual practice blowing the conch shell (an Indian practice) in devotion to the Divine. In this episode, we talk about what gives life meaning, the power of intention, humbling the self, the unconditional nature of Faith, offering ourselves to the Divine, and more. He also has a bright message for anyone who is currently suffering from addiction. There is a lot of wisdom in this remarkable man, who turned his life around after his first year in solitary confinement in an Australian prison.
website: https://gregorydavidroberts.com
Instagram: gdr_shantaram
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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