Ram Dass

Tuning in

I vividly remember the first time I saw Ram Dass. At that time (2019), I was very cynical about spirituality and religion. I heard his name somewhere—I don't even remember where—and as I usually do, I checked Wikipedia for more information. I just remember the weird but thrilling sensation of watching his picture on that page. I felt like I knew who he was. Not on a superficial level, but on a much deeper level, like I had known him my whole life. It was so weird, and I still can't fathom what that was. It is incredibly hard to explain that feeling in words. My memory in general is so foggy, but that exact moment I will always remember. It gives me goosebumps every time I relive it. My explanation is that I have lived this life a 1000000 times and I recognized him because every life I discover him and he helps me with his love and teachings (like a residu in my mind, idk if that makes sense).

This experience though was not the start of my spiritual journey. During COVID I was losing my mind an I lived in a state of constant fear. This was definitely not fun but I believe this allowed me to expand my mind and explore new ideas. It was during this time I saw Midnight Gospel on Netflix. I was so blown away by the concepts in this series that I immediately started diving into The Duncan Trussell Family Hour. This podcast is hosted by the creator of The Midnight Gospel himself: Duncan Trussell!

I have listened so many hours to this podcast! It really felt like I was tuning into some far out space cast. Duncan's mind is truly one of a kind, and I came in touch with so many cool topics like Aliens/UFO, different kinds of Mysticism, Magick, and of course a lot of Eastern Philosophy. It was through his episodes that Ram Dass re-entered my life. Duncan & his guests quoted him constantly, which eventually led me to pick up his bestseller, 'Be Here Now'.

After reading the first few pages, I decided to print a pwetty large photo of Ram Dass and hang it on my bedroom wall. Looking back, I didn't really know why I did it. Back then, there was so much in that book I didn't understand yet. I wasn't religious at all, and I knew absolutely nothing about Bhakti Yoga. Yet, there was something inside of me that already knew Ram Dass was going to be very important to me. That photo is still in my room today, and later on, a puja table was added! (see photos)

Since then, I’ve spent countless hours reading Ram Dass’s books and listening to the Ram Dass Here and Now podcast. Through him, I’ve also been introduced to other incredible spiritual figures like Chögyam Trungpa, Neem Karoli Baba, Sri Anandamoyi Ma, and Sri Ramakrishna. I’m completely aware that I still worship Ram Dass as a person, almost like a groupie putting him on a pedestal. I still identify strongly with my ego, which causes me to project things onto him—sometimes turning him into a bit of a wild fantasy in my mind. Yet, despite that ego-play, the impact Ram Dass has on my life is undeniably real and profoundly positive. Whenever I listen to him, read his words, or simply picture his face, I can suddenly feel this overwhelming rush of love. And the most beautiful part is that the love I feel for him allows me to transfer that same love onto others. That is exactly why I am so obsessed with him.