Elevating Consciousness | Inner Work & Contemplative Practice in a Time of Meta-Crisis

By Artem Zen

Listen to a podcast, please open Podcast Republic app. Available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Image by Artem Zen

Category: Self-Improvement

Open in Apple Podcasts


Open RSS feed


Open Website


Rate for this podcast

Subscribers: 7
Reviews: 0
Episodes: 77

Description

There is a gap between intellectual understanding and embodied wisdom. Elevating Consciousness exists to help you close it — drawing from the depths of the great wisdom traditions, contemplative science, and leading-edge psychology.



Each episode, I sit down with spiritual teachers, philosophers, psychologists, practitioners, and emerging thinkers from the liminal web to explore what it means to live an awakened and fully human life in a time of meta-crisis.



We don’t just share ideas to think about but perspectives to try on, practices to engage with, and ways of being to embody.




WHO THIS IS FOR:


This show is designed for the post-conventional practitioner — those who have outgrown mainstream self-help and pop spirituality into something more nuanced, pragmatic, and integrative. 



You're less interested in external achievement and more drawn to inner development.


You want to be challenged, not just comforted — and you want to explore these questions alongside others who are genuinely grappling with them.


You think holistically. You know that wisdom lives in the body as much as the mind. You care about the state of the world and sense that personal transformation and collective transformation are inseparable.




TOPICS WE EXPLORE INCLUDE:



Contemplative practice and dharma practice across traditions — Buddhist meditation, Vajrayana, nondual tantra, and tantric awakening. Psychedelic healing, navigating mystical experiences and altered states. Shadow integration, emotional processing, somatic therapy, relational practice, and Jungian psychology. Adult development and integral philosophy. The meaning crisis, the meta-crisis, and what it means to build a life and culture grounded in wisdom. 




WHAT YOU WON'T FIND HERE:



Conspiracy theories, sensationalist claims, or ungrounded woo that have no bearing on how you actually live and relate to others.



Mainstream self-help or pop spirituality that keeps you pacified and comfortable rather than leaning into your developmental edge.




ABOUT YOUR HOST:



I'm Artem Zen — a dharma practitioner, artist, writer, facilitator, and podcaster.



I've spent the last decade in the trenches of inner work and human transformation — from psychedelic ceremonies and retreats in monasteries to therapy sessions and thousands of hours in contemplative practice, all while raising two children, running a business, and navigating disability.



My life has been devoted to creating offerings and facilitating conversations that help people embody wisdom and recognize sacredness in their everyday lives.




STAY CONNECTED: 



Subscribe to my Substack to receive new episodes, in-depth articles, and access to community practice sessions - https://substack.com/@artemzen



Episode Date
Physically Paralyzed, Spiritually Free: Disability, Awakening & The Meta-Crisis | Kabir Kadre
Sep 04, 2026
Chris Bache - What 73 High Dose LSD Trips Revealed About Consciousness & Reality
Aug 07, 2026
What Meditation Misses: Circling, Psychedelics & Tantric Awakening | Andrew Venezia
Jul 10, 2026
De-Armoring with Reichian Breathwork | The Therapy of Wilhelm Reich | Lydia Becker
Jun 26, 2026
Ken Wilber: Losing his Wife to Cancer, AI, Longevity & Metamodernism VS Integral Theory
May 29, 2026
Why the World Needs a Second Renaissance to Solve The Meta-Crisis | Sylvie Barbier & Rufus Pollock of Life Itself
May 15, 2026
How to Access Deep Bliss and Wellbeing with Jhana Meditation - Stephen Zerfas
Apr 24, 2026
How to Find Real Belonging in an Age of Hyper-Fragmentation - O.G. Rose
Apr 10, 2026
The Ancient Blueprint for Community Building in an Age of Disconnection | Richard Flyer
Mar 06, 2026
Astrology Explained: A No BS Guide for Astrology Skeptics | Daljeet Peterson
Dec 19, 2025
Decoding The Neurobiology of Connection: Understanding Autonomic State & Vagus Nerve Health | Natureza Gabriel
Dec 05, 2025
Saving Lineage Wisdom: Integral Theory, Tibetan Buddhism and the Future of Religion | Pema Dragpa
Nov 14, 2025
Transform Through Tummo Breathwork & Deity Yoga - Peter McEwen
Oct 17, 2025
The Interbrain: Ending Memetic Warfare & Collective Dreamweaving - David Rug
Sep 12, 2025
Dr. John Churchill - A Full Spectrum Path to Planetary Awakening: Four Turnings of Buddhism to Sacred Humanism
Aug 29, 2025
Artistry, Emotional Processing, & Acting as Spiritual Practice | With Somatic Alchemist Ali Tataryn
Jul 25, 2025
Awakening Beyond Spiritual Idealization: Cessation of Mind, End of Suffering & Guru Worship | Delson Armstrong
Jul 11, 2025
The End of Meditation: Awakening Tech, Pragmatic Dharma & the Culadasa Controversy | Dor Konforty
Jun 06, 2025
From Avoidance to Deep Intimacy: Leaving Monastic Life & Developing Secure Attachment | Daniel Thorson
May 23, 2025
Beyond Political Tribalism: Why You're Not Actually Liberal or Conservative & What Jonathan Haidt Got Wrong | Hyrum Lewis
May 09, 2025
Why Jordan Hall Converted to Christianity: Rethinking Religion, Divine Calling, & The Meta-Crisis
Apr 25, 2025
Pragmatic Buddhism: Pluralism, Polarization & Human Flourishing | Zen Priest Seth Zuiho Segall
Apr 11, 2025
Education in a Time of Meta-Crisis: Waldorf, Wise Parenting & The Dangers of the TESCREAL Worldview | Brad Kershner
Mar 28, 2025
Carl Jung's Map of The Soul: Unlocking the Secrets of Jungian Psychology | Murray Stein
Feb 14, 2025
Process Relational Philosophy, Artificial intelligence, and the Limits of Science | Bonnitta Roy
Nov 08, 2024
Radical Freedom in Any State | Living with Adi Da, Choosing Happiness & Letting Go of Perfectionism | Ari Nielsen
Oct 25, 2024
Why Reclaiming Value is Critical for Our Survival, Evolving Perennialism, & The Problem of Evil | Zak Stein
Aug 30, 2024
From Novice to Expert in Any Domain: Learning How to Learn, Tacit Knowledge & Believability | Cedric Chin
Aug 17, 2024
The Future of Philosophy: Hegel, Lacan, Zizek & What Dawkins & Jordan Peterson Have in Common | Cadell Last
Aug 02, 2024
From Finance to Wisdom: Money & Meaning, Demons & Daemons, & How to Follow Your Bliss | Tom Morgan
Jul 19, 2024
How to Synthesize Wisdom Like a Wizard | Kyle Kowalski
Jun 14, 2024
Bernardo Kastrup - Why All of Reality is Mental & Physicalism is a Lie
May 31, 2024
Intentional Society: Adult Development, Breaking Social Norms, & The Paradox of Being & Becoming | James Baker
May 17, 2024
How to Bridge Money & Meaning, Game B Economics, and Ending Bullshit Jobs | Layman Pascal
Mar 27, 2024
How Early Childhood Development Impacts Human Morality | Darcia Narvaez
Dec 16, 2023
The Paradox of Awakening, Psychological Maturity & The Way Out of Struggle | Bruce Tift
Nov 17, 2023
The Art of Community Building: Microsolidarity, Teal Organizations & Decentralized Power | Richard D. Bartlett
Nov 03, 2023
Are You Ready for Silent Retreat? Using Intensive Meditation to Accelerate Awakening | North Burn
Oct 20, 2023
Transcending Not Enoughness, the Fundamental Fear of Life & the Meaning Crisis | David Loy
Oct 06, 2023
Evolving Vajrayana, Sutric vs Tantric View, & Why Traditional Buddhism Fails Householders | Charlie Awbery
Sep 22, 2023
Imaginal Practice, Mythopoetic Cognition & Dream Work | River Kenna
Sep 08, 2023
Spiritual Psychosis, Whole Being Awakening & Shadow Work | Rosa Lewis
Aug 25, 2023
The Seven Myths About Religion & The Problem with Spiritual But Not Religious | Jonas Atlas
Jul 28, 2023
The Art of Spiritual Midwifery: Dialectic, Socratic Irony & Why How You Say it Matters | Stephen Faller
Jul 14, 2023
The Wisdom Famine, Lifelong Questioning & Integrating God | Guro Hansen Helskog
Jun 30, 2023
The Dark Dynamics of Relating: Navigating Narcissistic and Borderline Patterns with Circling | Sean Wilkinson
Jun 17, 2023
The Imaginal Realm: Insights from Carl Jung, James Hillman & Henry Corbin | Tom Cheetham
Jun 03, 2023
Mindful Glimpses: Why You Don't Need 10,000 Hours of Meditation to Awaken | Loch Kelly
Apr 28, 2023
Leaving Corporate & Finding Purpose: Simple Living, Fire Movement & the Lottery of Birth | Kyle Kowalski
Apr 14, 2023
Frank Yang | How Awakening Changes Sexual Desire, Creativity & Relationships
Mar 31, 2023
Pragmatic Philosophy, Self Inquiry & The End of Suffering | Andrew James Taggart
Mar 17, 2023
Unifying The Science of Psychology & Solving The Meaning Crisis | Gregg Henriques
Mar 03, 2023
Is God Evolving? | The Meaning Crisis & Emergentism | Brendan Graham Dempsey
Jan 28, 2023
The Dark Side of Healing Culture, Mental Health & Psychedelic Integration | Adam Aronovich
Jan 13, 2023
Healing Insecure Attachment Styles With Harvard Psychologist David Elliott
Dec 30, 2022
Hanzi Freinacht | 12 Rules Better Than Jordan Peterson's, Denial of Death, Religion & Spirituality
Dec 16, 2022
Zak Stein | Meta-Psychology: Complexity Thinking, Ensoulment & Transcendence
Dec 02, 2022
Surrendered Leadership: Circling, Collective Shadow & Embodiment | John Thompson
Nov 18, 2022
The Man Who Hunts Down The Worlds Greatest Spiritual Gurus | Steve James
Nov 04, 2022
David McRaney - How Minds Change, Intellectual Humility & Why We Need to Argue
Oct 23, 2022
Stephen Jenkinson | Mystery, Grief and The Art of Storytelling
Oct 07, 2022
Beyond Self Improvement: Parts Work, Levels of Depth & The Next Generation of Coaching | Steve March
Sep 23, 2022
Psychedelic Healing: Cannabis & Ketamine Treatment for Healing Trauma | Saj Razvi
Sep 10, 2022
Metamodernism, Why Recognition is Overrated & What Actually Matters in Life | Emil Ejner Friis
Jul 22, 2022
Zak Stein - Why The Schooling System is Broken & The Future of Education
Jul 08, 2022
Immanent Metaphysics: How to Better Think About Truth, Ethics and the Meaning Crisis | Forrest Landry
Jun 10, 2022
Dacher Keltner | The Power Paradox — How We Gain & Lose Influence
May 27, 2022
Precognitive Dreams: Can Dreams Predict the Future? & the Paradox of Free Will | Eric Wargo
Apr 22, 2022
How to Die Wise in a Deathphobic Culture | Stephen Jenkinson
Apr 08, 2022
The Yoga of Conversation: Circling, Deep Listening & Conflict transformation | Guy Sengstock
Mar 18, 2022
Cultural Evolution, Values Integration, & Transcending Political Conflict | Steve McIntosh
Feb 25, 2022
What is Metamodernism? | Beyond Post-Modernism, Meaning Crisis & Complexity Thinking | Daniel Gortz
Feb 11, 2022
How to Process Emotions in a World That Forgot How to Feel | Douglas Tataryn
Dec 26, 2021
Angelo DiLullo - Awakening Made Simple, Spiritual Materialism & The End of Suffering
Dec 10, 2021
Susanne Cook-Greuter - Stages of Consciousness, Vertical Development & Why Growth is Overrated
Nov 26, 2021
Why the Ego is an Illusion — or the Neuroscience of No Self | Chris Niebauer
Nov 11, 2021
Dr. Daniel Ingram - Pragmatic Dharma, Integrating Awakening & Mastering Buddhism
Sep 23, 2021