In this interview I talk with Robert Beer, an internationally renowned artist who has dedicated his life to both the study of Indo-Tibetan sacred art and to experiential contact with the afterlife. Robert is the author and illustrator of the The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motif, and The Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbol, as well as having his work featured in countless publications and websites. In our discussion we delve into Robert's childhood mystical experiences, his psychedelically induced psychosis and kundalini crisis, the runaway Carmelite nun, years spent in India studying with Tibet’s greatest living master artist, astral encounters with long-dead Indian gurus, and Robert’s extensive research into parapsychology and the spirit world. - The afterlife experience at 14 years old that catalysed Robert’s spiritual search - The death of Robert’s sister and an afterlife dream - How Robert became homeless at 16, sleeping rough in the blood bank where he worked - Being rejected from art school and meeting the eccentric artist John F.B. Miles - The story of John’s mother the runaway Carmelite nun - John’s prodigious ability to reproduce any script instantly - Robert’s psychedelic explorations in his early twenties - How an attempt to practice Tibetan phowa on LSD triggered a devastating psychosis and kundalini crisis - The severe and debilitating effects of Robert’s kundalini crisis - Travelling to India and Robert’s 7 year journey to reintegrate his nervous system - Sacred art and music as therapy and medicine - The practice of stillness and concentration in art - Learning Tibetan thangka painting with Tibet’s master artist Jampa Tseten - Understanding mystic traditions through sacred art - Robert’s aboriginal encounter with Buddhist Dharma - Robert’s unpublished manual of the deities of the Karma Kagyu tradition - The challenges of obtaining funding and support in Robert’s career - The physical and psychological demands of creating extremely intricately detailed images - Robert’s incompatibility with traditional Buddhist practice - Encountering the physical emanation of the long deceased Shirdi Sai Baba - Ongoing psychic contact and teaching from Shirdi Sai Baba - How the tragic death of Robert’s daughter radically changed his life trajectory - Encounters with channellers and mediums - Robert’s profound experience with Dr. Michael Newton’s ‘Life Between Life’ hypnosis method - Research into Near Death Experiences and deathbed visions - The limitations of the Tibetan bardo and after-death teachings - The ineffectiveness of religious practice compared to near death experiences - Ani Tenzin Palmo’s near death experience - The karmic implications of past life regression - Robert’s opinion on the tulku system - Dudjom Lingpa’s anomalous reincarnation process - The blindly dogmatic approach to reincarnation of most Western Buddhist teachers - Robert’s approach to counselling the bereaved To find our more about Robert, visit: http://www.tibetanart.com/ For more interviews, videos, and more visit: www.guruviking.com Music 'Deva Dasi' by Steve James