The Subtle Body, Ep. 1: Michael Murphy and Simon Cox

About this episode

This episode features a conversation between scholar Simon Cox and Esalen co-founder Michael Murphy about the concept of the subtle body and its significance in various spiritual traditions.

Today we begin a three part series in which we explore the idea of the subtle body, a concept found in many contemplative and healing traditions around the world. From yogic energy channels to Daoist internal alchemy, the subtle body refers to the layers of human experience that lie between the physical body and consciousness, suggesting that our lives may unfold through more dimensions than the purely material. In this episode, scholar and martial artist Simon Cox interviews Esalen co-founder Michael Murphy. Murphy was born in Salinas, California in 1930, making him a lively 95 years old at the time of this recording. He is a longtime student of Sri Aurobindo’s integral philosophy and the author of numerous innovative books that approach the topic of the subtle body — including 1992's The Future of the Body and 1995’s In the Zone. Throughout his career, Murphy has made it a priority to investigate extraordinary human capacities and the further evolution of human nature. Simon Cox brings a unique perspective to this conversation. he spent six years training in Daoist internal arts at Wudang Mountain in China before earning his PhD from Rice University. His book The Subtle Body: A…

People in this episode

Guests: Michael Murphy, Simon Cox

Topics covered

• subtle body
• contemplative traditions
• healing traditions
• human experience
• spiritual evolution

Keywords

• yogic energy channels
• Daoist internal alchemy
• Sri Aurobindo
• extraordinary human capacities
• evolution of human nature
• The Future of the Body
• In the Zone
• Wudang Mountain
• The Subtle Body: A Genealogy

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Subtle Body, The Future of the Body, In the Zone, PhD, The Subtle Body: A Genealogy

Places: Salinas, California, Wudang Mountain, China

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