I am so glad you could join us. I'm your host Mo Gaudet. This podcast is nothing more than a conversation between two good friends sharing inspiring life stories and perhaps

some nuggets of wisdom along the way.

This is your invitation to slow down with us.

Welcome to slow more. Welcome to slow more. Welcome back. I do not think you can come across a person with so much diversity as my guest today. My guest is Nicki Murgafuri or in Persian it would be Murgafuri which has grown up until age 16 in Iran and then immigrated to the United States where she

studied at Stanford at UCLA she had a PhD in computer science from UC Berkeley. She then became a visiting professor in the

psychology department and there is that side of her life that's highly enthusiastic about AI and knowledgeable of what's happening in

technology, specifically interested in ethics of AI. But then there is the other side of her which is an empowered teacher who holds a

lineage in Sri Vada Buddhism. She studied all different kinds of Buddhism felt connected to lots of the

practices from mindfulness to silent meditations.

She teaches Buddhism, she teaches meditation,

she teaches silent retreats.

She's interested in the meditation of death and she basically brings together perhaps a bit like I do but a lot more

an interesting perspective of East and West of science and spirituality that I believe is

incredibly needed in the times of confusions we're about to embark on. So when I first knew that she existed, I was honestly delighted. I was like that is definitely a person the world needs today. We got in touch and I got ready for a conversation that is definitely very timely for our time today.

Nicki, I am incredibly grateful that you said yes for us to meet.

I have a million and a half questions so I hope you're ready, but also I have, I felt a hard connection to your path. I felt that you perhaps have had to make very interesting decisions along your life to embrace such dichotomy almost because it is well known that sometimes or most of the time

scientists will not have the time for spirituality and spiritual people will not have time for science.

So tell us a little bit about your journey.

Perhaps if you're even open to discussing your childhood growing up in Iran. I, you know, leaving as a teen could quite have quite a big impact on a person. So you start. Tell us about you.

First of all, deep gratitude and appreciation, Mo, for your kindness, for inviting me on your

podcast to have a conversation and your generosity of heart really appreciate your generous

words and introduction and it's it's lovely to to meet and connect with a like-hearted not just like-minded but like-hearted, not just like-minded, but like-hearted.

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