Ishtar (Thomas Howell) is a meditation teacher, Ishaya monk, gardener, writer, and intuitive astrologer. A sense of himself as Presence was a pronounced feature of his life until about age 7. At age 13, he was in a car accident that took his mother’s life, and initiated an NDE that brought about a profound experience of Samadhi that in the subsequent months he experienced right along with an intense process of grieving. After the Presence faded, he longed to return, resulting in an energetic spiritual search. At 17 he began a regimen of meditation practices and ascetic disciplines that included waking to cold showers at 3 AM, fasting, and 6 hours of daily meditation practice. Longing to find his path, he encountered a practice known as the Ishayas’ Ascension, an effortless and deeply pleasurable form of meditation, which he quickly recognized as the path for which he’d been searching. Several months after learning Ascension, he found himself living on the Oregon coast in a monastic environment dedicated to the practice. The ashram life brought about a rapid acceleration of growth, leading to ever more consistent experiences of Silence, in closed eyed meditation practice, while cooking in the community’s café, doing service work, and planting gardens. After going through a 6-month intensive Teacher Training program, that involved 12-16 hours of closed eyed meditation a day, he began teaching classes around the world, and living in various regional meditation centers around the world. Seeming, miracles, wild manifestations, witness consciousness, and celestial perception were frequent occurrences, as Awareness slowly but surely saturated more and more of life. In 2008, he left his monastic organization and then took an extended break from meditation teaching. The years lived outside the semi cloistered environment of the ashram were often challenging, but ultimately led to a more deeply anchored Presence. Subtle barriers fell, opening to the experience of the world as the Self. This process continues to unfold and expand. Since 2014, he has again been teaching Ascension and working as a spiritual guide, giving people a reliable practice with which to cultivate Awareness and assisting people in relaxing into Presence as a constantly lived experience. Since 2015 he has also been working as an intuitive Astrologer, with a primary focus on helping people align more completely with their soul’s purpose. More information can be found at these websites: ascension-meditation.com and awakenedlightastrology.com. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Summary and transcript of this interview. Interview recorded October 30, 2018, in Sedona, Arizona YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:06:44 - Early Spiritual Experiences 00:12:06 - Dressing up as Sherlock Holmes for Psychic Investigations 00:16:16 - The Visitation of Spirits 00:21:02 - Transition to a Better Opportunity 00:26:09 - Childhood Moments of Stillness 00:31:23 - The Great Wound and Blessing 00:36:18 - The Car Crash and Revelation of Love 00:41:13 - Transcending Grief and Finding Presence 00:46:43 - The Journey to Meditation 00:51:03 - Meeting Guides and Mentors 00:56:21 - Small Town Stories 01:01:06 - Visions of an Ashram Room 01:05:16 - The Power of Meditation and Urgency in Life 01:09:43 - The Importance of Seizing the Moment 01:14:11 - Opening of the Heart in Meditation 01:19:09 - Enlightenment and the Workshop Experience 01:24:05 - A Surprising Opportunity in Oregon 01:28:30 - Clarity through visions and confirmations 01:32:57 - A Profound Experience in Switzerland 01:37:49 - Feeling Connected to Everything, Getting Kicked Out 01:42:27 - Leaving the Group, Growth, and Gratitude 01:46:35 - Spontaneous Manifestations and Awareness during Sleep 01:51:04 - A Surprising Rush of Customers