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Right Where You Are Sitting Now

Right Where You Are Sitting Now

Written by: Ken Eakins
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 Right Where You Are Sitting Now is a podcast that explores the esoteric and offbeat side of the world. From fringe thinkers and The Occult, to UFOs and Cyber mysteries...basically, if it’s coming from a fresh, funny or different perspective, we are interested in it! Check us out on the web at http://sittingnow.co.ukCopyright 2020 All rights reserved. Philosophy Social Sciences
Episodes
  • What is Heaven? Celestial Realms with Tobias Churton

    What is Heaven? Celestial Realms with Tobias Churton
    Apr 19 2026
    Ken sits down with returning guest Tobias Churton — historian of Western esotericism, Gnostic scholar, and one of the most wide-ranging thinkers in the field — to explore his latest book Celestial Realms, an ambitious attempt to map humanity’s ideas of heaven across cultures, religions, and time. Beginning with Tobias’s own early spiritual experience, the conversation expands outward into a global survey of how different civilisations have imagined the afterlife — from ancient burial rites and Mesopotamian pessimism to Egyptian moral judgment, Eastern philosophies, and the evolution of heaven as both a metaphysical reality and a psychological projection. What emerges is a sweeping and often provocative exploration of heaven not as a fixed destination, but as a mirror of human consciousness, culture, and desire. Along the way, the discussion touches on psychedelic interpretations, near-death experiences, religious power structures, and the uncomfortable possibility that our visions of the afterlife reveal more about us than any ultimate truth. This week: Tobias Churton’s new book Celestial Realms The first global history of heaven across cultures Ancient burial practices and early afterlife beliefs Mesopotamian pessimism vs Egyptian moral judgment Heaven as projection: “as below, so above” Near-death experiences and personal encounters with the divine Psychedelics and the idea of a “backdoor to heaven” Eastern perspectives: Hinduism, Buddhism, and liberation beyond heaven Chinese cosmology and the bureaucratic heavens The role of power, hierarchy, and politics in shaping heaven Why most early cultures believed heaven was not for humans The evolution of moral reward and spiritual aspiration Imagination, culture, and the limits of describing the infinite Heaven as hope, illusion, or something more People, books, and concepts mentioned: Tobias Churton – Celestial Realms Aleister Crowley – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleister_Crowley Plato – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato Carl Jung – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Jung Jacob Boehme – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jakob_B%C3%B6hme Nisargadatta Maharaj – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nisargadatta_Maharaj George Harrison – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Harrison John Lennon – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lennon Gautama Buddha – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha Vajrayana Buddhism – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajrayana Tantra – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tantra Nirvana – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana Moksha – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moksha Near-death experience – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near-death_experience DMT – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N,N-Dimethyltryptamine Ancient Egyptian religion – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_religion Mesopotamian religion – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Mesopotamian_religion Chinese mythology – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_mythology Comparative religion – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparative_religion Afterlife – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afterlife Heaven (concept) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heaven Hell (concept) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell Collective unconscious – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_unconscious Tobias Churton Official Website https://tobiaschurton.com Books https://www.amazon.com/stores/Tobias-Churton/author
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    1 hr and 15 mins
  • Beyond the Occult – Discipline, Danger, and Nothingness with Greg Kaminsky

    Beyond the Occult – Discipline, Danger, and Nothingness with Greg Kaminsky
    Apr 1 2026
    Ken sits down with Greg Kaminsky — host of the Occult of Personality podcast, author, and long-time explorer of Western esotericism turned Vajrayana practitioner — for a deep and uncompromising conversation on the limits of occultism, the demands of genuine spiritual practice, and the often misunderstood path toward enlightenment.

    Beginning with Greg’s early immersion in Western magical traditions and podcasting, the discussion traces his journey through alchemy, Kabbalah, and ceremonial magic, before confronting their limitations and turning toward the disciplined, teacher-led path of Vajrayana Buddhism.

    What emerges is a stark contrast between Western “talking schools” and Eastern traditions rooted in rigorous practice, direct transmission, and the transformation of the practitioner themselves. Along the way, the conversation explores tantra, the left-hand path, taboo as method, the role of the guru, and the uncomfortable reality that the greatest obstacle on the path may be the practitioner themselves.

    This week:
    • Greg Kaminsky’s background in Western esotericism
    • The transition from occult practice to Vajrayana Buddhism
    • Western “talking schools” vs disciplined spiritual traditions
    • The role of the guru and transmission
    • Tantra and the left-hand path re-examined
    • Taboo, ritual, and transformation
    • The Great Work across East and West
    • The Grail quest and getting lost on the path
    • Ego, identity, and the idea that “you are the problem”
    • Meditation as submission rather than control
    • Nothingness, reality, and the limits of experience
    People, books, and concepts mentioned:

    Greg Kaminsky – Host of Occult of Personality

    Vajrayana Buddhism – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajrayana

    Tantra – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tantra

    Left-Hand Path – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-hand_path_and_right-hand_path

    Nisargadatta Maharaj / I Am That – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_That

    Aleister Crowley – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleister_Crowley

    Kabbalah – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabbalah

    Alchemy – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alchemy

    Gurdjieff – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Gurdjieff

    Greg Kaminsky

    Occult of Personality Podcast https://occultofpersonality.net

    Books and Writing https://www.amazon.com/stores/Greg-Kaminsky/author
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    1 hr and 52 mins
  • Occult Experiments in the Zone with Duncan Barford

    Occult Experiments in the Zone with Duncan Barford
    Mar 29 2026
    Ken and Ulysses sit down with Duncan Barford — ritual magician, psychodynamic counsellor, and longtime collaborator with Alan Chapman — for a deep exploration of chaos magic, mystical experience, and the strange territory where occult practice, psychology, and awakening intersect. Beginning with the early days of The Baptist’s Head and the revival of mystical aims within chaos magic, the conversation traces Barford’s journey from teenage encounters with spirit phenomena through intensive magical practice, encounters with entities, and the gradual movement from postmodern magic toward a more direct exploration of awakening and consciousness. This week: -Duncan Barford’s background in chaos magic and the IOT -The Baptist’s Head project and mystical approaches within chaos magic -Ritual experimentation and magical practice in the early 2000s -The Holy Guardian Angel as a paradigm for non-dual experience -Mystical awakening and Daniel Ingram’s stages of insight -The overlap between mystical experience and psychosis -Encounters with spirits, entities, and magical phenomena -Abramelin magic and the psychology of ritual practice -The occult realism of A Dark Song and ritual in film -Angels, demons, and the nature of spiritual entities -Chaos magic, postmodernism, and the search for truth beyond belief 🔗 People, books, and concepts mentioned: Duncan Barford – Occult writer, magician, and psychodynamic counselor Alan Chapman – Magician and co-creator of The Baptist’s Head https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Chapman_(magician) The Baptist’s Head – Early chaos magic blog and body of work exploring awakening The Abramelin Ritual – Traditional operation to attain the Holy Guardian Angel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Abramelin Holy Guardian Angel – Central concept in Western ceremonial magic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Guardian_Angel Peter J. Carroll – Founder of modern chaos magic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_J._Carroll Liber Null & Psychonaut – Foundational chaos magic texts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liber_Null Daniel Ingram – Buddhist teacher and author of Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha https://www.mctb.org Stages of Insight – Theravada Buddhist map of meditative awakening The Red Book – Carl Jung’s visionary exploration of the unconscious https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Red_Book_(Jung) A Dark Song – Occult horror film depicting an Abramelin-inspired ritual https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Dark_Song Aleister Crowley – Occultist and proponent of the Holy Guardian Angel working https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleister_Crowley Chaos Magic – Postmodern magical practice focused on belief as a tool https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaos_magic The Abramelin Operation – Ritual process of devotion and invocation leading to contact with the angel Entities and spirits in magic – Angels, demons, elementals, and spiritual relationships 🔗 Duncan Barford Occult Experiments in the Home https://oeith.co.uk Duncan Barford’s main site featuring essays, podcasts, and writing exploring magic, mysticism, psychology, and spiritual experience. Counselling / Professional Site https://www.duncanbarford.uk Information about Duncan’s work as a psychodynamic psychotherapeutic counsellor. 🔗 Ulysses Black The World of Ulysses Black https://www.ulyssesblack.com Ulysses Black’s main site — an archive of his work as a ritual researcher, writer, artist, and performance practitioner. The Ritualist (Substack) https://theritualist.substack.com Ulysses’ Substack newsletter exploring ritual practice, symbolism, mythology, and esoteric research.
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    1 hr and 58 mins
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