I'm Oprah Winfrey. Welcome to Super Soul Conversations, the podcast. I believe that one of the most

valuable gifts you can give yourself is time. Taking time to be more fully present. Your journey

to become more inspired and connected to the deeper world around us starts right now.

At 27, Richard Alpert was an assistant professor of psychology at Harvard University and had

all trappings of big success, a corner office, golf outings, extravagant vacations.

In 1959, a young professor named Timothy Leary moved into the office next door.

He was brilliant, charismatic, and believed mind-expanding psychedelic drugs could be used in psychological treatment.

A theory that also intrigued Richard Alpert. The professors tested this theory on

students and were famously fired from Harvard for their research in 1963. That's when Richard

realized he needed to follow an entirely different path to enlightenment, and it led him to India. It was there he met

Maharaji, who became his guru, or spiritual guide, and taught him the power of unconditional love.

Richard returned to Boston, renamed Ram Dass, which means servant of God, with a new sense of purpose, to teach a generation

a lesson he learned in the East, to live in the moment. And he wrote his classic best-selling

book, Be Here Now. In 1997, at 65, Ram Dass suffered a massive stroke.

Doctors gave him a 10% chance of survival.

But Ram Dass is still here, and his message as strong as ever.

So on a magnificent Maui day, with the Pacific Ocean as our backdrop, I met Ram Dass for the first time in his own backyard.

So it's an honor to be here?

It's an honor to have you here.

So I wanted to do this interview because it is my goal with my new network to use it as a platform for opening people up to the best of themselves.

I want to elevate consciousness wherever I can.

Wow.

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