Ep360: Gurus & Awakenings - Dr Christopher “Hareesh” Wallis

Ep360: Gurus & Awakenings - Dr Christopher “Hareesh” Wallis

From Guru Viking Podcast by Guru Viking

May 8, 2026 · 1h 50m

About this episode

Dr Christopher “Hareesh” Wallis discusses his journey as a spiritual teacher and the complexities of guru dynamics.

In this episode, I am once again joined by Dr Christopher “Hareesh” Wallis, a Sanskritist and scholar-practitioner of Classical Tantra. Christopher shares how he became a spiritual teacher, explains the dangers of guru idealisation, and considers if he may be misleading his students. Christopher discusses his own series of religious peak experiences, explores their causes, and reflects on their consequences. Christopher recalls his time studying with American spiritual teacher Adyanshanti, the influence of Marshall Rosenberg, and reveals how his ability to spot fake gurus improved after his awakening. … Full episode at www.guruviking.com. Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:43 - Studying under Alexis Sanderson 04:16 - Faithfulness to the traditions 05:38 - The requirements to understand tantric sources 06:24 - Secrecy and the oral tradition 09:07 - Did Sanderson receive Lakshmanjoo’s energetic transmission 12:28 - Academic approaches to religion 13:28 - Public vs private religion 14:23 - Why isn’t Sanderson religious? 16:40 - Is Shaivite Tantra a relic of the past? 17:42 - Does religious affiliation…

People in this episode

Host: Guru Viking

Guest: Dr Christopher “Hareesh” Wallis

Topics covered

  • spiritual teaching
  • guru idealisation
  • religious peak experiences
  • tantric sources
  • academic approaches to religion
  • trust in gurus

Keywords

  • spirituality
  • tantra
  • guru
  • religion
  • peak experiences
  • academic objectivity
  • trust

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