In this episode I am once again joined by Dr Alexander Arguelles, world-renowned polyglot, linguist, and scholar of comparative religion. Dr Arguelles discusses the spiritual dimension of language, recounts his own experiences of self-transcendence, and comments on the power of reading sacred works in their original languages. Dr Arguelles reflects on his personal explorations in meditation, pranayama, and prayer and shares his own method to silence the monkey mind with a combination of breath control and linguistic meditation. Dr Arguelles also discusses how to include work and study as a part of spiritual practice, details the lifestyle habits required to nourish the life of the mind, and warns against the deleterious effects of the convenience traps found in modern life. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep217-spiritual-life-of-the-mind-dr-alexander-arguelles-3 Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics Include: 00:00 - Intro 00:56 - Spiritual dimension of language 05:34 - Silencing the monkey mind 09:41 - Superior meditation 10:14 - Experiences of profundity and trance 13:39 - Power of sacred languages 15:11 - Realisation of vastness 16:50 - Self transcendence and choosing the hard path 18:51 - Life without the monkey mind 20:51 - Comparisons to classic meditation paths 21:53 - Dr Arguelles spiritual experiences studying Sanskrit and Russian 29:51 - The source languages of the world 31:40 - Powerful sacred works in Latin 32:57 - The Bhagavad Gita 33:51 - Reading as a spiritual exercise 34:50 - Obtaining mother language’s blessing 41:26 - Working with resistance 42:54 - Professor Arguelles’ linguistic meditation technique 49:06 - Traits of great polyglots of the past 51:38 - The art of shadowing 53:56 - Degradation of intellect 57:18 - The convenience trap 57:59 - The dumbing down of the 20th century 59:23 - Urbanisation and natural living 01:02:51 - Lifestyle and dietary habits for maximising the life of the mind 01:05:37 - Learning as a mental and spiritual exercise 01:06:02 - Keeping your edge as you age 01:07:52 - The Rule of St Benedict 01:09:35 - Work and study as prayer and meditation 01:12:31 - Working with Dr Arguelles … Previous episodes with Dr Alexander Arguelles: - https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep199-path-of-the-polyglot-dr-alexander-arguelles - https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep207-wandering-polyglot-dr-alexander-arguelles-2 To find our more about Dr Alexander Arguelles and his Academy, visit: - https://www.alexanderarguelles.com/academy/ For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James