Delving into the spiritual realm with Philip Goldberg, we explore his journey from a skeptic to a seeker of profound truths in the tumultuous era of the 1960s counterculture. Embracing practicality over dogma, Philip’s coaching philosophy revolves around individual paths to spiritual growth, a theme echoed in his bestselling books and engaging public speaking engagements. Learn more in his exclusive MysticMag interview below.
How did you get into spiritual work and what drew you to it?
I was a product of the 1960s counterculture. My parents were anti-religion and I had given no thought to spirituality until my late college years when I started asking the Big Questions: Who am I? What is life all about? How can I live a fulfilled life? How do I connect to the rest of the cosmos? In that context, books about Eastern philosophy and spirituality were circulating, and I got totally hooked. I found reasonable answers to my inquiries and practical methods for self-transformation, mainly meditation. I liked that no one asked me to believe in anything or take any premise on faith. It was an empirical and rational approach, so I pursued it more and more widely and more and more deeply.
What ideas and principles do you base your spiritual coaching on?
I have a practical view, favoring whatever works to deepen a person’s spiritual life. Everyone’s path is unique. I help people find the teachings and practices that best suit their perspective, circumstances, and personality. And encourage them to be open to change as they progress along the path.
As a successful author of books like Spiritual Practice for Crazy Times, what are some of your most popular books, and what are they about?
In terms of sales, my most successful book is a collaboration with psychiatrist Mark Goulston titled Get Out of Your Own Way. Of my own books, the best known is American Veda, which describes the history of how India’s spiritual teachings came to the West and impacted our culture in myriad ways. The consistent theme in my most meaningful books is the integration of East and West, spiritual and material, inner and outer.
You are also a public speaker. What can you tell me about that part of your work?
I’ve been lecturing and leading workshops on various aspects of spirituality for decades. It remains deeply satisfying to be able to inform, inspire, or illuminate an audience even a little.
What topics does your podcast cover?
I cover a broad range of topics relating to contemporary spirituality, and I look for diversity and practicality in choosing the guests I interview.
Is there anything else about your work that you’d like to share that we haven’t covered?
We live in crazy times. I want to encourage those who take their spirituality seriously to follow the police slogan: protect and serve. Protect yourselves and your loved ones by cultivating inner peace and stability, then bring your spirituality into the world in the spirit of service to make the world a little less crazy.
To learn more about Philip and his work, you can visit www.philipgoldberg.com
