The Enlightenment Trap
Obsession, Madness and Death on Diamond Mountain
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Narrated by:
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Scott Carney
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By:
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Scott Carney
About this listen
The 2023 edition of The Enlightenment Trap includes two new chapters, photography, and updated total revision.
In 2012, 38-year-old Ian Thorson's search for spiritual transcendence ended in tragedy on a remote Arizona mountaintop. His wife, a woman anointed as a goddess by an eccentric Buddhist community, held him in her arms as he slowly died from dehydration and dysentery. For Scott Carney, a journalist and anthropologist who lived in India for six years, Thorson's death was just the most recent iteration of an unspoken epidemic that connected intensive meditation and mental instability.
The Enlightenment Trap explores how Tibetan Buddhism in the West morphed from its roots in the Himalayan foothills into a fundamentally new American religion. For Thorson, the entry point into this new faith was Geshe Michael Roach, the supreme spiritual leader of Diamond Mountain University.
Carney unravels the cult-like practices of Diamond Mountain to illuminate the uniquely American tendency to mix and match Eastern religious traditions like LEGO pieces. The result is that for some, enlightenment is a synonym for almost god-like powers, and achieving it can become more important than life itself.
Aided by Thorson’s private papers and cutting-edge neurological research, the book reveals the profound impact of intensive meditation on the brain. Carney exposes stories of miracles and black magic, sexualized rituals and tantric rites from former Diamond Mountain acolytes. The Enlightenment Trap is a gripping work of investigative journalism that reveals how the path to enlightenment can be riddled with danger.
©2023 Scott Carney (P)2023 Scott CarneyListeners also enjoyed...
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By: Tim Burkett
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A Fierce Heart
- Finding Strength, Courage, and Wisdom in Any Moment
- By: Spring Washam
- Narrated by: Spring Washam
- Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Spring Washam is a founder of the East Bay Meditation Center, the most diverse and accessible meditation center in the United States. In A Fierce Heart, she shares her contemporary, unique interpretation of the Buddha's 2,500-year-old teachings that get to the heart of mindfulness, wisdom, and compassion. Woven throughout the book are stories from her life, family, and community, along with soulful and unexpected stories of compassion in action from all over the world.
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inspirational
- By Aaron M. Fabun on 01-31-21
By: Spring Washam
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The In-Betweens
- The Spiritualists, Mediums, and Legends of Camp Etna
- By: Mira Ptacin
- Narrated by: Chloe Cannon
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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They believed they would live forever. So begins Mira Ptacin's haunting account of the women of Camp Etna - an otherworldly community in the woods of Maine that has, since 1876, played host to generations of Spiritualists and mediums dedicated to preserving the links between the mortal realm and the afterlife. Beginning her narrative in 1848 with two sisters who claimed they could speak to the dead, Ptacin reveals how Spiritualism first blossomed into a national practice during the Civil War, yet continues - even thrives - to this very day.
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No strings attatched
- By Sarah on 09-28-24
By: Mira Ptacin
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The Goddess Pose
- The Audacious Life of Indra Devi, the Woman Who Helped Bring Yoga to the West
- By: Michelle Goldberg
- Narrated by: Tanya Eby
- Length: 10 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Born into the minor aristocracy (as Eugenia Peterson), Devi grew up in the midst of one of the most turbulent times in human history. Forced to flee the Russian Revolution as a teenager, she joined a famous Berlin cabaret troupe, dove into the vibrant prewar spiritualist movement, and, at a time when it was nearly unthinkable for a young European woman to travel alone, followed the charismatic theosophical leader Jiddu Krishnamurti to India.
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The Auntie Mame of yoga!
- By Victoria Moran on 10-09-17
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The Art of Solitude
- By: Stephen Batchelor
- Narrated by: Stephen Batchelor
- Length: 5 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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When world renowned Buddhist writer Stephen Batchelor turned 60, he took a sabbatical from his teaching and turned his attention to solitude, a practice integral to the meditative traditions he has long studied and taught. He aimed to venture more deeply into solitude, discovering its full extent and depth. This beautiful literary collage documents his multifaceted explorations. In a hyperconnected world that is at the same time plagued by social isolation, this book shows how to enjoy the inescapable solitude that is at the heart of human life.
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Great idea, mediocre execution.
- By Darwin8u on 05-31-20
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The Seeker's Guide
- By: Elizabeth Lesser
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Lesser
- Length: 4 hrs and 26 mins
- Original Recording
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America has given birth to a wisdom tradition entirely its own, a spirituality that is as diverse as its people, and that respects the freedom and uniqueness of each individual. Judeo-Christian traditions and the meditation practices of Asia and India...modern science and Native American teachings...Sufism and transpersonal psychology - The New American Spirituality explores what happens when these and other traditions cohabitate our unique cultural landscape.
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Very thorough and enlightening
- By Pony on 08-30-14
By: Elizabeth Lesser
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Maharishi & Me
- Seeking Enlightenment with The Beatles' Guru
- By: Susan Shumsky
- Narrated by: Laural Merlington
- Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Susan Shumsky is a successful author in the new age/spirituality field, writing books on meditation, intuition, prayer, auras, chakras, and the like. But in the 1970s, she was one of only a handful of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s personal attendants and administrators, in India, Switzerland, and elsewhere. Following the teachings of Maharishi displaced Susan’s devotion to the hippie lifestyle, as she learned about meditation and grew spiritually self-aware. Maharishi founded the spiritual movement TM (Transcendental Meditation).
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Excellent
- By Tam on 12-25-20
By: Susan Shumsky
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The Journey Home
- By: Radhanath Swami
- Narrated by: Radhanath Swami
- Length: 19 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Within this extraordinary memoir, Radhanath Swami weaves a colorful tapestry of adventure, mysticism, and love. Listeners follow Richard Slavin from the suburbs of Chicago to the caves of the Himalayas as he transforms from young seeker to renowned spiritual guide. The Journey Home is an intimate account of the steps to self-awareness and also a penetrating glimpse into the heart of mystic traditions and the challenges that all souls must face on the road to inner harmony and a union with the Divine.
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Excellent
- By Julia on 01-28-21
By: Radhanath Swami
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The Harvard Psychedelic Club
- How Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, Huston Smith, and Andrew Weil Killed the Fifties and Ushered in a New Age for America
- By: Don Lattin
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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It is impossible to overstate the cultural significance of the four men described in Don Lattin's The Harvard Psychedelic Club. Huston Smith, tirelessly working to promote cross-cultural religious and spiritual tolerance. Richard Alpert, aka Ram Dass, inspiring generations with his mantra "be here now". Andrew Weil, undisputed leader of the holistic medicine revolution. And, of course, Timothy Leary, the charismatic, rebellious counterculture icon and LSD guru.
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A Fascinating, Engaging Story, Expertly Told
- By Gillian Culff on 12-12-19
By: Don Lattin
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Brotherhood
- Dharma, Destiny, and the American Dream
- By: Sanjiv Chopra, Deepak Chopra
- Narrated by: Deepak Chopra, Sanjiv Chopra
- Length: 12 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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The Chopra brothers were among the most eager and ambitious of the new generation. In the 1970s, they each emigrated to the United States to make a new life. Both faced tough obstacles: while Deepak encountered resistance from Western-trained doctors over what he called the mind-body connection, Sanjiv struggled to reconcile the beliefs of his birthplace with those of his new home. Eventually, each brother became convinced that America was the right place to build a life, and the Chopras went on to great achievements.
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How to Toot Your Horn
- By Kenneth on 07-01-13
By: Sanjiv Chopra, and others
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Walking Each Other Home
- Conversations on Loving and Dying
- By: Mirabai Bush, Ram Dass
- Narrated by: Ram Dass, Mirabai Bush
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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We all sit on the edge of a mystery. We have only known this life, so dying scares us - and we are all dying. But what if dying were perfectly safe? What if you could approach dying with curiosity and love? What if dying were the ultimate spiritual practice? Walking Each Other Home: Conversations on Loving and Dying reunites lifelong friends Ram Dass and Mirabai Bush, who speak on the spiritual opportunities in the dying process. They share intimate personal experiences and timeless practices for every aspect of this journey.
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Wow - the love comes through
- By Dan Lentine on 09-13-18
By: Mirabai Bush, and others
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Asian Journals
- India and Japan (The Collected Works of Joseph Campbell)
- By: Joseph Campbell
- Narrated by: Fred Stella
- Length: 26 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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At the beginning of his career, Joseph Campbell developed a lasting fascination with the cultures of the Far East, and explorations of Buddhist and Hindu philosophy later became recurring motifs in his vast body of work. However, Campbell had to wait until middle age to visit the lands that inspired him so deeply. In 1954, he took a sabbatical from his teaching position and embarked on a year-long voyage through India, Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and finally Japan.
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What a journey!
- By Anonymous User on 08-11-18
By: Joseph Campbell
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Sometimes Brilliant
- The Impossible Adventure of a Spiritual Seeker and Visionary Physician Who Helped Conquer the Worst Disease in History
- By: Larry Brilliant
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 12 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Larry Brilliant's life journey has led him on a purposeful path across continents and countercultural movements, marching arm in arm with the men and women who defined a generation. A man who has always been in the right place at the right time, Brilliant has engaged with some of the most prominent thought leaders, spiritual masters, heroes, and icons in the world, including Neem Karoli Baba (Maharajji), Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, Mikhail Gorbachev, Wavy Gravy, the Grateful Dead, the Dalai Lama, and Barack Obama.
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Sometimes Brilliant--Brilliant
- By Dr. Sharon G. Solloway on 10-24-16
By: Larry Brilliant
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What listeners say about The Enlightenment Trap
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- DEWEY
- 06-11-23
A Cautious and Dangerously Enlightening Tale.
A fantastic and inspiring book! Several journeys intertwine and are told here in a humble manner which I discovered to be enlightening in and of itself. I listened to the audio book as read by the author. The material was well researched and the stories presented with compassion. It is an educational, insightful, introspective and authentic experience to not only learn about the lives of these seekers but to also get inside their heads a little.
In particular, I really appreciate the way the author shares his personal experiences and knowledge in Tibetan Buddhism, especially relating to the characters and how his own journey intersects with them. Although the author has a stake of sorts in the story, the wisdom is presented in a non-ego and nonjudgemental way. It will indeed have you contemplating your own personal journey in comparison. I highly recommend this book for the intellectually curious and those on a spiritual path. You’re certain to discover a thing or two here in regards to the seldomly-discussed potential dangers in following your bliss.
-Dewey Paul Moffitt
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- Justin Weiss
- 01-16-23
FINALLY
I have been waiting for Scott to make this an audio book. I’ve had the print copy of the second(?) edition, but hearing Scott’s voice which is analogous to melting chocolate is preferred. I returned an audiobook to immediately get this, instead of waiting for my next credit.
Scott Carney is both a fantastic journalist and a well-hearted human. A few of his books are my favorites of all time. Also I recommend checking out info on his next Foxtopus Ink project and his wife Laura Krantz for more great work.
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- Kjetil Alisøy Søvig
- 01-29-24
Sure you want to reach enlightenment?
Fascinating book to read if you are trying to become enlightened through meditation. I really enjoy listening to Scott’s narrating.
I was happy to find out that as long as you do it for stress relief in daily life you should be ok.
Too much of anything can be lethal✌️
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