Chase is a filmmaker, buddhist practitioner, and dear friend of mine. In this wide open conversation he shares stories from a lifetime of seeking, from an unintentionally massive psychedelic trip at age 16, where an unknown amount of liquid LSD blasted him off into space (and police custody) to several years in the “fucking hell” of severe alcoholism. His subsequent search for grounding and a workable context of reality lead him to Buddhism and Trungpa Rinpoche, his beloved and “incredibly controversial” teacher. We talk about the scandals that have recently rocked his spiritual community at Shambala and his ongoing navigation of truth, power, harm and healing, the sacred and the mundane. This is a generous offering on addiction and sobriety, meaning-making and self-knowledge. You can find Chase on instagram @cosminomena. More podcasts where podcasts are found and maurajames.com.
[“Buzzing in the Light” - Dr. Dog]