The Gospel of Direct Experience

In a world of failing traditions and crumbling institutions, the Gospel of Direct Experience is the living Spirit of Truth revealed through our senses, our intuitions, our dreams, and our visions. Where orthodoxy meets heresy, religion meets the paranormal, and the physical meets the psychic… the Spirit calls us to transcend our inherited dogmas and second-hand stories, waking up to the power, the meaning, and the mystery that are alive and vibrant within us and beyond us. Join hosts Jeff Mansfield and Michael Ellick for a conversation transcending the boundaries of the conventional world.

Knowledge Must Bow to Spirit: A Journey with George Inness 04/30/2025

Knowledge Must Bow to Spirit: A Journey with George Inness What if a long-dead painter could reach across time to guide your spiritual awakening? In this episode, Jeff shares the astonishing true story of how George Inness—a 19th-century landscape artist and mystic—emerged as a living spirit guide in his life. From a chance encounter at a museum to a series of visionary dreams filled with barns, handprints, and transfigured light-beings, Jeff and Michael explore how spirit invites us to see beyond appearances, surrender our over-love of knowledge, and walk the ancient, living path of direct experience. This is an episode about listening deeply, following the signs, and allowing Spirit to lead the way. Episode Highlights [00:00:47] Introduction: Bringing Gnostic Texts into Real Life Jeff reflects on the show’s evolution toward the personal and devotional, emphasizing the need to live these spiritual insights rather than just study them. [00:03:05] A Spirit Encounter at the Montclair Art Museum Jeff shares the powerful experience of being arrested by George Inness’ words—“Knowledge must bow to spirit”—and the unfolding realization that Inness had something vital to teach him. [00:08:11] Bypassing the Theopoetic Middlemen Jeff critiques the academic appropriation of theopoetics and makes the case for going straight to the poets and artists themselves—those who embody mystery, not just define it. [00:14:31] Direct Experience and the Mission of Art Jeff reads Inness’s reflections on memory, beauty, and art’s mission to reveal the unseen—sparking connections to spiritual practice and preaching. [00:19:43] Dream One: Entering the Haunted Barn Jeff recounts a vivid dream where a mysterious three-fingered hand points to a dark doorway and an optical device, leading to a transformation. [00:27:18] Dream Analysis: The Role of Vision and Witnessing Jeff and Michael explore the symbolism of the optical device, the three-fingered hand, and the barn owner’s transfiguration—uncovering profound insights about spiritual sight and bearing witness to change. [00:39:59] Deeper Symbolism: The Barn, the Handprints, and the Call to Ministry Jeff recalls that the summer he first heard his call to ministry, he was living in a barn—and left his handprint on its wall. The dream becomes a bridge across time, connecting his present awakening with his spiritual origins. [00:43:53] Confirming the Connection: Finding George Inness' Barn Jeff shares the culmination of his search for George Inness’ physical traces—finding the land where Inness’s farmhouse and barn once stood, affirming the deep personal connection to his spirit guide. Connect Visit our . While you're there: to keep up to date on the all the latest from us about your own experiences, questions, comments /episode/index/show/1f614ae7-4e89-40d6-b102-3baa15326535/id/36360990

Waking Up: Dreams, Enlightenment, and the Space Between 04/16/2025

Waking Up: Dreams, Enlightenment, and the Space Between What if waking up isn’t a single breakthrough moment—but a layered, looping journey through insight, fear, wonder, and mystery? In this episode, we explore the complex terrain of spiritual awakening through dreams, false awakenings, mystical encounters, and moments of terrifying clarity. From Michael’s lucid Spirit Train dream to Jeff’s powerful visitation from a fierce divine feminine presence, we ask: What does it really mean to wake up—is it a one time affair or is it a journey, a process? We dig into the paradoxes of awakening: how it can feel ecstatic or annihilating, grounding or destabilizing—and how most of us live in the space between. Along the way, we talk about Kundalini energy, inflation, ontological shock, the fear of God, and the danger of mistaking glimpses of the Real for the whole story. This episode is about learning to live with grace and curiosity in the middle ground—where waking up is not an arrival, but a way of being. Episode Highlights [00:00:49] Waking Up on the Spirit Train To get us going, we review Michael's "Spirit Train" dream and the multiple instances of "waking up" within it? The lines between dreaming, waking, illusion, and reality are appropriately blurred. Is waking up a one-time affair or does it transition us between states? [00:06:57] Red Goddess Kundalini Jeff recounts a dream in which he met a goddess who tried to awaken and/or annihilate him and he had to run like hell to save himself. Do we really want the awakening we think we want? Do we really know what it will cost us? [00:15:49] Terror and Illumination Is waking up always "good?" When it's "bad," is that always bad? Once again we trace the line that runs at once both through terror and illumination. [00:27:08] Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God Docuseries Discussion Can waking up lead to trouble in your life? We discuss the docuseries Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God which you can watch on Max. [00:42:02] The Profound Middle Ground Can we both awake and embedded in the dream at the same time? In that in-between what might be possible? [00:52:07] The Sea of Consciousness Endeavoring to treat everything with dignity, respect, and love in late-stage matter deconstruction. [01:01:07] The Perception of the Heart and Loving the Middle Ground Do we wake up in the head? Or in the heart? Visit our . While you're there: to keep up to date on the all the latest from us about your own experiences, questions, comments Episode Artwork: /episode/index/show/1f614ae7-4e89-40d6-b102-3baa15326535/id/36120230

Searching for a God We Will Never Find with John Hamilton 04/02/2025

Searching for a God We Will Never Find with John Hamilton What happens when the walls of traditional religion crumble, and all that’s left is raw, unfiltered awe? In this episode we sit down with John Hamilton—UCC minister, musician, and author of the excellent theological memoir Honest to God. Guided by the book, the three of us dive into the chaos and beauty of spiritual awakening in an era of collapsing institutions. John Hamilton was born into a spirited Irish-American family of singers and storytellers. Breaking with his strict Catholic upbringing, he embarked on a career in music that immersed him in the colorful but dangerous world of drugs, alcohol, and rock clubs. A debilitating onset of panic disorder abruptly halted his musical pursuits, propelling him into the business world where he thrived as a creative director in advertising. Despite professional success, Hamilton's persistent quest for the transcendent led him to seminary and, eventually, to two decades of parish work as a pastor. His most recent book, Honest To God, chronicles the collapse of mainstream Christianity, his loss of connection to the transcendent and his walk into the wilderness to search for it again. He maintains an active presence on , has 25,000 followers on , and another book, “The Weight of Snow” in the works for 2026. If you’ve ever felt the holy ground shake beneath your feet or wondered how to find meaning when the old gods fall, this conversation is for you. Episode Highlights [00:04:50] Rock & Roll—The Hot Wire to God A conversation on music and spirit. If you're a rock musician, why be a minister at all? [00:12:35] Awe A reading from the book gets into one of the major themes of the book—awe, the relationship of one's seminary training to a one's experience of awe, John's experience of staring into the abyss during his wife's medial emergency, and the negative or apophatic approach to God. [00:26:15] Nontheism Another reading from the book gets us into a discussion of John's identity as a nontheist (as opposed to an atheist), God's identity and nature, prayer, miracles, and direct spiritual experience. [00:41:56] The Collapse of Mainstream Christianity We talk about John's experience closing churches, the worldview collapse the accompanies the collapse of the Church, a reading from the book about John's earliest memory (of a church burning down), and what could or should replace the loss of churches. [01:02:20] Searching for a God We Will Never Find A final, triumphant reading captures the heart of the book and leads us into a concluding discussion of why Jeff left his last church position in September 2024. Continue the Conversation What did you think about this conversation? Tell us at or reach out at: . /episode/index/show/1f614ae7-4e89-40d6-b102-3baa15326535/id/35970295

The Homa & the Chapel Perilous 03/19/2025

Awaken in the Dream with Paul Levy 03/06/2025

All Aboard the Spirit Train: Dreams, Discernment, and Anxiety 02/26/2025

Star Wars, Hidden Histories, and the Stories That Shape Us with AJ Musewe 02/12/2025

Star Wars, Hidden Histories, and the Stories That Shape Us with AJ Musewe Why do Star Wars, Harry Potter, and other sci-fi/fantasy stories resonate so deeply with us? What do they reveal about power, identity, and spirituality? In this episode of we sit down with historian and educator AJ Musewe to explore the power of myth, the narratives we inherit, and how reclaiming lost stories shapes our understanding of ourselves and the world. From the parallels between Anakin Skywalker and Harry Potter to the hidden histories of the Civil Rights movement, this conversation dives into how fantasy, sci-fi, and real-life struggles intersect in our search for meaning. Time-stamped Episode Highlights in the on the website. While you're there: to keep up to date on the all the latest from us about your own experiences, questions, comments Read the latest blog post: About Our Guest: AJ Musewe is a passionate community educator deeply dedicated to preserving unvarnished Black history and culture. Specializing in designing and managing interactive educational programs, AJ has a profound knack for creating immersive experiences that connect the dots between the past and present. Her role as the founder of With Reverence Co-op exemplifies her innovative approach, offering dynamic educational sessions that delve into sustainable actions and foster community connections through storytelling and historical tours. These sessions often focus on Black culture and heritage, underscoring AJ’s commitment to celebrating and understanding the profound contributions of Black communities. AJ honed her educational strategies by focusing on education training programs and curricula to support neurodiverse and neurotypical learners, making history accessible and relevant. AJ’s extensive background also includes roles in equity consulting and community building, where she has facilitated critical discussions and engagements that bridge gaps in understanding and foster a collective commitment to justice and inclusivity. With her engaging manner and deep expertise, AJ continues to inspire and educate communities, guiding them toward a more enlightened and empathetic understanding of historical contexts and their impact on contemporary society, especially within Black communities. Where to find AJ: Papers For My Acres—a narrative podcast about history, culture, and the shared human experiences of the Black diaspora. IG: @Ajandthebeanies Website: /episode/index/show/1f614ae7-4e89-40d6-b102-3baa15326535/id/35225155

Consciousness & the Cross (D.B.Y.D. Pt. 2) 02/05/2025

Dying Before You Die (Part 1) 01/22/2025

Rewilding the Soul: Wilderness, Apocalypse, Practice 01/15/2025

Abducted by Direct Experience 01/08/2025

The Gospel of Direct Experience 01/01/2025

Teaser (What Is This Podcast Like?) 10/23/2024

The Gospel of Direct Experience

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