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John Speer: From Mormon Faith to Cosmic Consciousness – TM, Witnessing State & the Path to Godhood

2,532 views · Published 21 June 2011 · 1:23:52 · Indexed 29 October 2026

Channel: Buddha at the Gas Pump® · 2011 · People & Blogs

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John Speer grew up in East Cleveland, Ohio, where from age nine he was seized by terrifying existential questions — "Am I really here? Is this really happening?" — that would set him on a lifelong search for the nature of consciousness and reality.

After a devout path through born-again Christianity and Mormonism, John discovered Transcendental Meditation in 1996 when a providential series of events led him to Fairfield, Iowa and Maharishi International University. In 1998, during a residence course, he had a profound meditative vision of three figures who told him, "We are going to grant your request" — and his life was permanently transformed.

In this conversation with Rick Archer, John describes:
• Childhood "terror attacks" that were really early glimpses of the witness state
• His journey from Baptist Christianity to Mormonism to Vedic understanding
• A career as a life coach helping CEOs discover that what they truly want is joy, not possessions
• His 1998 awakening into Cosmic Consciousness: witnessing himself 24/7, including through deep sleep
• How the death of his 23-year-old son Jack was held within a permanent undercurrent of peace and joy
• The synthesis of Christ, Joseph Smith, Deepak Chopra, Maharishi, and Tony Nader (Raja Ram) in his worldview
• The non-dual insight that "light is one, though the lamps be many"
• His belief that humans are on a path to godhood — understood as eternal, creative, loving existence

At the time of this interview, John was Associate Dean of Men at Maharishi University of Management (now Maharishi International University) in Fairfield, Iowa, where he was also involved in theater and performing arts.

Interview recorded 3/31/2010.

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00:00:00 - Introduction and Background of John Speer
00:03:45 - Questioning Existence and Meaning of Life
00:06:50 - Puzzling Reality and Spiritual Awakening
00:09:23 - The Feeling of Joy and Destiny
00:12:09 - Discovering Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
00:14:41 - A Chance Encounter with Transcendental Meditation
00:17:03 - Introduction to Meditation Journey
00:19:27 - Meeting Elaine and Falling in Love
00:22:14 - A Profound and Loving Experience
00:25:00 - A Profound Sense of Joy and Witnessing Human Emotions
00:28:00 - The Death of Our Son
00:31:05 - The Science of Free Will and Determinism
00:34:06 - Returning to Fairfield
00:36:41 - Resonating with a Spiritual Experience
00:39:25 - Discovering Raja Ram
00:42:01 - Freedom from Belief and Dependency
00:45:00 - The Freedom of Experience
00:47:52 - A Near-Death Experience
00:50:10 - The Dome and TM City Program
00:53:06 - The Experience of Oneness
00:56:29 - The Embodiment of the Universe in Christ
00:59:05 - The Omnipresence of God
01:01:43 - Christ as the Savior for Each Other
01:04:37 - Finding Fulfillment on the Spiritual Path
01:07:39 - Reflecting the Essence of the Soul
01:10:36 - "Light that is one, though the lamps be many"
01:13:00 - The Awakening Moment
01:15:34 - The Essence of Seeking and Finding
01:18:10 - Ramana Maharshi and the Essence of Spiritual Awakening
01:20:42 - The Mahavakya and a Good Stopping Point
01:23:09 - Conclusion and Farewell

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