Dr. Betty J. Kovacs’ understanding of consciousness and spirituality is based on both scholarly research and symbolic, visionary experience.  In fact, she has written two books concerning these subjects.  Her first book is about her family’s profound visionary experiences surrounding multiple deaths in their family.  Her second book relates to our ancestors’ experience of a vaster consciousness, Cosmic/Christ Consciousness. Within a three-year period, Dr. Kovacs experienced the deaths of her mother, her son, and her husband in separate automobile accidents.  While she had studied shamanism before her son’s accident, she and her husband actually experienced their son’s consciousness after his death for an extended period of time.  These experiences completely changed their lives.  Her first book, The Miracle of Death: There Is Nothing But Life, is about these altered states of consciousness.  After her retirement, she began an intensified period of research into our ancestors’ experience of a vaster consciousness, Cosmic/Christ Consciousness, which she relates in her new book, Merchants of Light: The Consciousness That Is Changing the World, winner of the Nautilus Silver Book Award and The Scientific & Medical Network 2019 Book Prize. Dr. Kovacs’ extensive research tracked the existence of a shamanic-mystic-scientist culture from at least 40,000 BCE.  Our ancestors had developed symbolic language and various shamanic techniques to trigger altered states of consciousness.  Some of these ancestors achieved great skill as visionaries, mystics, and scientists, while others, it is not known how many, achieved the ability to experience Cosmic Consciousness. The consistent suppression of this ancient wisdom is the root cause of our current planetary crisis.  And it can only be healed through the consciousness of the heart that births a just and feeling world.  This same tradition, on which our survival now depends, has once again emerged today—and it can change the world. Website: kamlak.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Summary and Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded December 19, 2021. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:04:09 - The Search for Meaning and Belief 00:07:58 - The Ancient Wisdom of Shamanism 00:12:11 - Uncovering Ancient Wisdom 00:16:28 - Suppression of the Sacred Feminine 00:20:47 - Living with the Tao and the Awakening 00:24:48 - The Distorted Story of the Tree 00:28:47 - The Hidden Tradition of Christianity and the Gnostic Experience 00:33:03 - The Church's Resistance to Scientific Exploration 00:37:30 - A Journey of Search and Freedom 00:41:36 - The Power of the Feminine and the Importance of Listening  00:45:05 - Plans Being Made for Us 00:49:13 - The Hidden Tradition within the Church 00:53:25 - The Dangers of Manipulating Human Nature 00:57:18 - Unfolding our Full Inner Potential 01:01:09 - The Wholeness of Mind Experience 01:05:14 - Ancient Wisdom and Indigenous Cultures 01:09:43 - The Deep Spiritual River 01:14:00 - A Father's Vision 01:18:04 - Decaying and Transforming Darkness into Light 01:22:15 - The Earth's Longing for Love 01:26:36 - Interactions with Higher Forms of Life 01:30:31 - Integration of Cosmic Consciousness 01:34:56 - The Relevance of Connecting to Vast Intelligence 01:39:30 - The Power of Creativity and Love 01:43:41 - True Stories and Organizing Principles 01:47:33 - The Wisdom of Integration 01:51:59 - Finding Purpose Despite Circumstances 01:55:45 - Finding Fulfillment and Inner Peace on the Spiritual Path 01:59:24 - The Power of Lighting a Candle