Why You Feel Alone Even When You’re Connected

What do you do when the only coping mechanisms you know stop working? In this first of two conversations, Thom Knoles talks with Joh Jarvis, founder of The Light Inside, and Mike Wangstad, who is incarcerated at the James River Correctional Center in North Dakota. Mike speaks candidly about his childhood, his addiction, and the day he first learned Vedic Meditation. Listen to or watch this conversation, then come back for Part Two. Episode Highlights[00:45] Welcoming Joh and Introducing Mike[03:28] Marijuana, Misconceptions, and Forced Sobriety[08:04] Chance, Friends, and a First Meditation[11:07] A Childhood of Chaos in Minneapolis[13:54] Raised to Be a Criminal[16:36] The First Arrest and Probation[18:22] An Awkward Bible Study Flips a Switch[22:29] The Suitcase of Dirty Laundry[25:32] Relapse, Meth, and the Standoff[28:09] A Son in Trouble Sparks Change[30:14] Reset to Zero in Prison Useful [email protected]://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

What is purpose, and is it something we discover once or continually renew? In this episode, Part one of a three-part masterclass series, Discovering Your Purpose, Thom explores purpose through the Vedic concept of dharma, a personal role that can shift with the needs of the moment. He considers how Vedic Meditation can bring a wider perspective to our place in the evolving whole. To access the remaining parts of the Discovering Your Purpose series, visit thomknoles.com/purpose-masterclass. Listen to or watch this episode for a thoughtful Vedic perspective on purpose, consciousness, and change. You can also watch this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/ha07n2eakEE Episode Highlights00:45 From Matter to Living Consciousness03:43 The Universe's Intention to Create Life05:59 Touching Consciousness Without Thought08:48 How Inaccurate Expectations Become Suffering10:27 Evolution as Progressive Change12:46 Dharma Is a Moment-to-Moment Role15:59 Seeing Our Place in the Cosmos19:02 Consciousness as the Universe's Baseline21:11 Recognizing Evolutionary Progress24:41 Nature's Demand to Evolve27:04 Purpose as Cosmic LawUseful [email protected]  https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

If a desire doesn't bring lasting fulfillment, why do we follow it at all? Thom offers a Vedic perspective on desire, fulfillment, and the difference between pursuing an outcome and engaging fully with the process. In response to questions from meditators, he considers what we call essential needs, how meditation can support inner certainty, and why charm can guide action as circumstances change. Listen to or watch the episode for a thoughtful exploration of how to meet the needs of the moment without becoming fixed on a particular result.Episode Highlights[00:45] Q - What do we do when things aren't going our way?[00:55] Desire And The Search For Fulfillment[04:12] The Big Self Authors Desire[08:01] Letting Go When A Project Has Served[11:06] Process Itself Is The Outcome[13:54] Fulfillment Seeks The Need[16:09] Q - How do essential needs fit with fulfillment?[16:30] A - Rethinking Essential Needs[20:10] Maharishi's Plans And Letting Go[22:09] Internalizing Capability And Certainty[25:29] Energy, Intelligence, And Creativity[28:49] Challenge Assumptions About Outcomes[31:24] Q - Why do desire and charm guide decisions?[31:35] A - Dharma And The Guidance Of Charm[33:49] Refreshing Dharma Through Meditation[35:46] Charm As A Guide To Action[38:47] Individuality In Service Of Cosmic Intelligence[40:53] The Universe Is Not Separate[41:57] Follow The Charm Of The Big Self Useful [email protected]  https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

What can Vedic Meditation offer in a place most people only imagine from the outside? In Part Two of this two-part series, Thom Knoles and Joh Jarvis trace Joh's work teaching meditation in prisons, from her early efforts in New York to The Light Inside's programs with incarcerated people and corrections officers in prisons and jails across the United States. Joh reflects on the challenges people face inside and after release, and on why this work matters to the wider community. If you haven't heard Part One, start with Part One, then listen to or watch this conversation.Episode Highlights[00:45] What Drew Joh to Prison Work[05:16] Getting In: Goulburn Gaol and Brooklyn Jail[10:48] Rikers Island: Remand and First Impressions[17:57] Teaching the First Students[22:17] The First Course in 2020[26:23] Joh Finds Herself in North Dakota[32:36] Jamestown and James River[37:07] After Prison[40:48] Research on Wellbeing and Sleep[46:00] How to Support The Light Inside[49:31] Working with Prison Officers[55:47] Old Colleagues and Friends React[58:11] Thom's View of the Future of Vedic Meditation in the Prison SystemUseful LinksYou can find out more about The Light Inside here:https://[email protected]  And you can find out more about Joh Jarvis at https://johjarvis.com/https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

What could be more worthy of a twice-yearly celebration lasting nine nights and ten days than the celebration of Mother Divine herself? In this bonus episode, coinciding with the festival of Navaratri Sharad: The Nine Nights of Mother Divine, Thom explores the meaning and significance of the event, describing Maha Durga Devi as the protective, active expression of Mother Divine who observes what the world needs. He connects this seasonal transition and Vijaya Dashami, the day of action immediately following Navaratri, with restoring the relationship between the laws of Nature and humanity. Explore this Vedic perspective on honoring the Divine Feminine, and listen to or watch the episode.Episode Highlights00:45 Q - What is the meaning and relevance of Navaratri Sharad?01:00 A - Mother Divine's Protective Power02:47 Motherly Protection In Action04:51 Seasonal Change And Restoring Nature's Laws06:46 Celebrating The Divine Feminine Useful [email protected]  https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

How can a piece of advice unsettle a life that seems already established? In this first installment of a three-part conversation, Thom Knoles and Joh Jarvis, a fellow Vedic Meditation teacher, look back on their first meetings, Joh’s years as a journalist in Australia, and the unexpected suggestion that led her to New York City. Joh reflects on meditation, becoming a Vedic Meditation teacher, and learning to follow a path that felt more true to her. Listen to or watch Part One of their conversation. The next episode covers Joh's work establishing The Light Inside (http://the-lightinside.org), a program that teaches Vedic Meditation inside the US prison system.Episode Highlights[00:45] First Impressions And A New Direction[04:25] From Journalism To Meditation[07:36] The First Face-To-Face Meeting[12:28] Connections To Australian History[14:46] A Dangerous Paradise[19:44] Taking The Leap To New York[21:27] Training To Teach Meditation[22:30] Meditating In Rishikesh[25:01] Following A Path That Feels Right[26:12] Finding A Home In New York Useful [email protected]  https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Is the problem ego, or our misunderstanding of it? In this Ask Me Anything episode, Thom responds to three big questions: how to balance eliminating the ego with having a healthy self esteem, whether consciousness can move backward through time, and how compassion differs from enabling. Along the way, he connects self-esteem, spiritual evolution, past lives, and compassionate boundaries to the regular practice of Vedic Meditation. Listen to or watch this episode for a clear Vedic perspective on identity, evolution, and what it really means to love wisely. Episode Highlights[00:45] Q - Can ego and self-esteem coexist?[00:52] A - The Ego Cannot Be Erased[03:38] The Mantra Turns Inward[05:46] Purifying the Individual Ego[08:58] Enlightenment and False Identity[11:22] Q - Can we reincarnate backwards in time?[11:30] A - Evolution Does Not Reverse[13:58] The Universe Has a Larger Now[16:07] Evolve. Period.[18:10] Revisiting the Past Consciously[20:01] Q - Is tough love compassionate?[20:07] A - Compassion Refuses Enabling[24:05] Support What Sustains Life[26:11] Compassion Arises SpontaneouslyUseful [email protected]  https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

It's never been easier to connect with others yet loneliness is reportedly the fastest-growing epidemic worldwide. In this episode, Thom explores why human beings are built for proximity, how consciousness affects us in subtle ways, and why technology cannot fully replace the richness of physical presence. He also expands the conversation beyond human interaction alone, pointing to a living, sentient Universe and the importance of participating fully in community, even when that comes with challenge. Listen to or watch this episode for the Vedic perspective on loneliness, connection, and what it means to truly relate. Episode Highlights[00:45] Technology Cannot Carry Presence[01:59] Human Beings Need Proximity[05:00] Isolation Shrinks Human Exchange[07:29] No Room Is Truly Empty[09:20] Reality Extends Beyond Human Company[10:31] Social Chocolate Is Not Enough[12:28] Practice, Then Go Interact[14:44] We Need to Get Out MoreUseful [email protected]  https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

What if abundance begins when we stop assuming everything is running out? In this short bonus episode of The Vedic Worldview Podcast, Thom previews his upcoming Living Abundance retreat in Sedona and explores why certainty has to be internalized rather than extracted from an ever-changing world. He reflects on unboundedness, spiritual evolution, and a deeper view of the Self as the basis for happiness and success. Listen to or watch this brief invitation to discover what Thom will be teaching from January 3 to 8, 2027. Find out more about the LIVING ABUNDANCE Wisdom Retreat here: https://thomknoles.com/abundance-retreat Episode Highlights[01:04] A Playground Beneath Red Rocks[01:55] Certainty Has to Be Internalized[04:18] Letting Go of Non-Abundance[06:14] Change Your View of SelfUseful [email protected]  https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Are fears about AI justified, or is it fear itself that's the problem? In this episode, Thom puts today’s anxiety about artificial intelligence into a much larger context, from thermonuclear war to the Vedic understanding of consciousness itself. He explores why fear is the real danger, how Vedic Meditation helps stabilize awareness, and what it means to participate fully in life without panic. Listen to or watch this episode for a grounded Vedic perspective on AI, consciousness, and how to stay steady in uncertain times. Episode Highlights[00:45] Fear Is the Real Enemy[04:06] Create Collective Consciousness[06:25] One Consciousness Field[08:37] Vedic Meditation Beats Panicking[11:33] Be a Super Evolved Cannibal[12:52] Humanity Has Survived Before[14:45] Enjoy Life While You Can[16:15] Consciousness Is UnslayableUseful [email protected]  https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/