Father Thomas Keating: Inviting the Presence of the Divine

Father Thomas Keating was a Trappist monk in the Cistercian Order who served as abbot of Saint Joseph’s Abbey Monastery in Spencer, MA, for more than 20 years. He was the author of 20 books, and was one of the architects of the contemporary Centering Prayer movement. Father Keating passed away on October 25, 2018. In celebration of his life and to honor his death, Sounds True is rebroadcasting this classic Insights at the Edge interview. Here, Tami Simon and Father Keating discuss the monastic path, prayer, doubt, and how he has dealt with both little deaths and big deaths in his own life. They also talk about the afterlife and the transformative process that occurs when one engages regularly with the practice of Centering Prayer. (72 minutes)

Tami’s Takeaway:
This conversation was originally recorded in 2008, 10 years before Father Thomas Keating died on October 25, 2018, at the age of 95. We discussed in detail many little deaths that had occurred in his life, including a fire that occurred at his monastery, his resignation from being an abbot, and other events that Father Thomas called “invitations to greater and greater diminishment.” Surrendering and accepting these little deaths anchored Father Thomas in what he describes as a “boundless confidence with nothing to stand on.” We even discussed what Father Thomas imagined his own physical death would be like. His answer: “A plunge into the immensity of love, irresistibly.” Listening to this conversation afresh reminded me of how Father Thomas Keating is a truly great teacher of death and resurrection.

Andrea Gibson: Facing Mortality and Being Adored and C...

Andrea Gibson, a beloved poet and artist, recently passed away. We are honored to share this special encore episode of their conversation with Tami Simon that originally aired in 2023.

Great poets expand our view—of ourselves, of each other, and of the entire universe. Andrea Gibson was named Colorado’s 2023–25 Poet Laureate for their celebrated verses on love, LGBTQ issues, spirituality, mental health, social justice, and more. Tami Simon speaks with Andrea about their approach to work and how their journey through cancer radically changed that approach.

This poignant conversation featuring Andrea’s reading of their poem, “Acceptance Speech After Setting the World Record in Goosebumps” and exploring spiritual surrender, finding joy in every instant, facing challenges, moving through grief, the life force of the universe within us, self-love and loving the whole world, trying softer (not harder), the power of relaxation, identifying the keys that open your heart, staying with our fear, activism and loosening our attachment to desired outcomes, being yourself fully, the gift of mortality, giving the present moment the cold shoulder, why authenticity is the most important thing when it comes to writing, the pull of creativity, and more.

Suzy Miller: Becoming an Integrated, Multidimensional ...

Suzy Miller — July 22, 2025

Is it possible that what we call “autism” is actually the expression of a disconnect between the body, mind, and soul? Are we all functioning in a field of oneness that we’ve forgotten about? Does the neurodivergent population have a special role to play in human evolution? These are the intriguing questions explored in this episode of “Being Open: Spirituality and the Neurodivergent Mind.”

Tune in for an expansive conversation with Tami Simon and integration specialist Suzy Miller to learn about: telepathic communication, clairsentience, and other psychic abilities shared by many autistic children; the emerging occupation of the integration specialist; the light body and the physical body; overcoming our inherited patterns of mental and emotional conditioning; the Presence Process created by Michael Brown and the practice of harmonizing the unintegrated information within yourself; recognizing your triggers as opportunities for self-compassion and healing; embracing the messenger and loving the past; parenting your inner child; the “awesomeness” of autism; why nervous system self-regulation is so important in families of divergent children; the link between stuck patterning and physical discomfort; including the whole family in the work of integration; keeping the right brain open and in tandem with the left brain; kundalini awakenings and other experiences that “rewire” the nervous system; tapping into the collective consciousness of the neurodivergent population; and more.

Note: This episode originally aired on Sounds True One, where these special episodes of Insights at the Edge are available to watch live on video and with exclusive access to Q&As with our guests. Learn more at join.soundstrue.com.

Caroline Myss: From the Love of Power to the Power of ...

Few luminaries in modern times have opened the doors to the spiritual dimensions of who we are, why we are here, and how we heal and evolve more profoundly than Caroline Myss. In this podcast, Tami Simon speaks with the longtime Sounds True author and renowned medical intuitive about her new online program, The Way of Guardians and Grace, where Caroline shares for the first time an intimate account of her relationship with unseen allies and the energetic realms they opened to her.

Listen now as the inimitable Caroline Myss tells us how these turning-point events in her life can inform your own greater path and calling. She and Tami discuss and illuminate: accessing our latent mystical intelligence; forging a partnership with the Divine; how your biography becomes your biology; life—a sacred spiritual adventure; wisdom, faith, love, and light; shifting from the love of power to the power of love; humanity’s collective shadow at this time; cultivating a high-voltage moral conscience; making grace-filled choices; what to pray for (and what not to); turning on your light in service of the world—and keeping it on; and more.