This week, we take a look back at a conversation that Raghu had with Gabor Maté about trauma, desire, addiction, and getting honest with ourselves.
In this remastered episode, Gabor explores these struggles through the lens of the Hungry Ghost Realm of saṃsāra.
To learn more about all six realms of saṃsāra and the Wheel of Life in Buddhist tradition, check out this episode of the Mindrolling Podcast with Buddhist teacher, David Nichtern: Ep. 168 Awakening from the Daydream
Gabor Maté is a renowned speaker and bestselling author. After 20 years of family practice and palliative care experience, Gabor worked for over a decade in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side with patients challenged by drug addiction and mental illness. The bestselling author of four books published in over thirty languages, Gabor is sought after for his expertise on addiction, trauma, childhood development, and the relationship between stress and illness. His latest book, released in 2022, is titled the Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness & Healing in a Toxic Culture.
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts
Gabor Maté has been exposed to so many patients suffering from addiction through his work as a doctor in Vancouver, BC, which has one of North America’s worst drug abuse problems. He and Raghu discuss the connection between addiction, in its many forms, and what Buddhist philosophy refers to as the Hungry Ghost Realm.
Healing Trauma, Breaking Addiction
Gabor talks about the role of trauma in addiction. He shares his own traumatic experiences being a Jew born in Nazi-occupied Hungary. Raghu and Gabor also discuss the ways that trauma and suffering are handed down from parent to child.
The Pursuit of Desire
In his book In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction, Gabor writes about the drive behind addictions. He and Raghu discuss how the energetic charge behind addiction is more about desire than attainment.
Equal Parts Honest and Compassion
Gabor examines how we can look at ourselves honestly and constructively by practicing compassionate inquiry.
Psychology of Spiritual Seeking
The spiritual path is a way to transform some of the wounded natures that we all grow up with. Gabor speaks about this and the risks of spiritual materialism that come along with it.
“The hungry ghosts are depicted as these creatures with large empty bellies and small scrawny necks with narrow gullets and small mouths. No matter what they do, they cannot ever fill that emptiness inside, and that relates to me as the realm of addiction.” – Dr. Gabor Maté
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Ep. 539 – Ethics in A.I. with Alex Tsakiris
Ep. 538 – Love the Mystery with Jaymee Carpenter
Ep. 537 – Soul Paths and Near Death Experiences with Michelle Clare
Ep. 535 – The ‘Mere I’ and Non-Self with Loch Kelly
Ep. 534 - Expanding Our Notions of Love with Satish Kumar
Ep. 533 – An Homage to Aldous Huxley with David Silver
Ep. 532 - The Lost Art of Silence with Sarah Anderson
Ep. 531 – The Buddhist and the Ethicist with Peter Singer
Ep. 530 – The Dreaming Path with Paul Callaghan
Ep. 529 - Insight into a Bright Mind with Dr. Nicole Tetreault
Ep. 528 - The 21 Taras with Nina Rao & Chandra Easton
Ep. 527 – Exile and Ecstasy with Madison Margolin
Ep. 526 - A Behind The Scenes Look At "The Movie of Me to the Movie of We" with Duncan Trussell
Ep. 525 – The Peaceful Warrior’s Path with George Pitagorsky
Ep. 524 - A Fire Runs Through All Things with Susan Murphy
Ep. 523 - Making Sense of This Moment with Thanissara
Ep. 522 - Seeking Truth with Hameed Ali
Ep. 521 - Alleviating Suffering and Finding Grace with Jack Kornfield, Duncan Trussell, and Krishna Das
Ep. 520 - Embracing Suffering with Joseph Goldstein & Noah Markus
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Hello Heaven Podcast
Devoted To Prayer
Cast The Word
Let Me Be Frank | Bishop Frank Caggiano’s Podcast | Diocese of Bridgeport, CT
The Bible Recap
BardsFM