Some conversations unfold according to plan. Others become something considerably more expansive than we could have anticipated.
Recently, I had the extraordinary pleasure of welcoming my longtime teacher, mentor, and friend, Dr. Will Coleman, to International Meditation Hour for what was intended to be an hour-long exploration of consciousness, spiritual traditions, and contemplative practice.
We had prepared several broad themes to guide our exchange. Yet, almost immediately, the conversation developed a rhythm of its own. Indeed, I became so absorbed in our discussion that I initially forgot to begin recording! However, it was corrected in short order. And what followed was one of the most memorable conversations I have had the privilege of hosting.
Drawing upon decades of scholarship, teaching, and personal exploration, Doc reflected on his intellectual and spiritual journey through Christianity, African traditional religions, Hoodoo, Qabala, Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry, and other contemplative traditions. Our discussion examined the relationship between intellectual enquiry and direct experience, the boundaries created by religious and educational institutions, and the possibilities that emerge when we encounter wisdom beyond familiar systems of belief.
We also explored ancestral intelligence and the ways our lives remain connected to those who preceded us. During one particularly meaningful exchange, Doc challenged me to reconsider the relationship between individual achievement and ancestral inheritance, declaring, “You are your ancestral bones now.”
From there, our conversation moved into the implications of artificial intelligence, the historical concentration of knowledge within institutions, and the possibility that emerging technologies may expand opportunities for intellectual and human development. His observation that “Knowledge is real estate” offered a particularly compelling perspective on the relationship between knowledge, access, and power.
Throughout the exchange, we returned to the importance of contemplative practice—not merely as an activity undertaken at particular times, but as something capable of informing the entirety of our lives.
As Doc observed, “Meditation should not be an event but a rhythm.”
Our conversation was also deeply personal. I first studied with Doc in Atlanta before departing for graduate studies in Iowa in 2008. Nearly two decades later, having remained connected through many of life’s transitions, we found ourselves revisiting familiar questions from the perspective of experiences neither of us could have fully anticipated.
The result was an exchange that extended considerably beyond our scheduled hour, encompassing scholarship, personal recollections, laughter, spiritual enquiry, and reflections on what it means to continue becoming.
I am delighted to share the complete recording with you.
Accompanying Resources
During our conversation, Doc generously shared his approach to evening and morning meditation, reflection, and intention-setting. His meditation instructions will be available for personal use through the International Meditation Hour website.
Our discussion of artificial intelligence and the democratisation of knowledge also connects with my earlier essay, The Three Chord Revolution, which explores the changing relationship between technological capability, creativity, and human possibility.
For those interested in a more personal reflection on the conversation, I have also explored several of its central themes in The Wisdom We Carry Forward, including ancestral intelligence, the responsibilities of inheritance, and the continuing work of becoming.
An Invitation
Whether your interests lie in consciousness, spirituality, philosophy, artificial intelligence, or the relationship between personal development and collective human progress, I hope you will find something meaningful in this exchange.
More than anything, I hope the conversation encourages you to examine the wisdom you have inherited, the assumptions you continue to question, and the possibilities you may help create for those who follow.
My sincere appreciation to Doc for his enduring friendship, intellectual generosity, and willingness to join us for this memorable gathering.
And to everyone who participated in International Meditation Hour, thank you for helping make the afternoon such an extraordinary experience.
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About the Host
Dr. Baruti KMT-Sisouvong is a scholar of consciousness, researcher of human development, and Certified Teacher of Transcendental Meditation® based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His work explores the relationship between Pure Consciousness, neuroscience, and social systems, and how deeper awareness can inform both personal growth and institutional transformation.
He is the Founder and Chief Meditation Officer of Transcendental Brain, an initiative examining the intersection of consciousness research, cognitive science, and high-performance decision-making. He is also President of Serat Group Inc. and Founder and Director of Radical Scholar Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to consciousness-based research and public scholarship.
Alongside his wife and teaching partner Mina, he co-directs the Transcendental Meditation program for Cambridge and the Greater Boston area. He is also the host of the On Transcendence Podcast and Founder of International Meditation Hour, a quarterly global gathering dedicated to the unifying power of silence.
His writings—spanning frameworks such as The Model for Perpetual Growth and Progress and The Seven Layers of Manifestation—explore the evolving relationship between consciousness, leadership, and society.
He writes from the conviction that the most important race is not between nations or machines, but between the conditioned mind and the awakening soul.
To learn more about him, visit: https://barutikmtsisouvong.com/.
