In Spring of 1969, I journeyed to Cambridge Mass. I stayed in house with several residents. One was a student of Ram Dass his who had dropped out of Harvard to get into the spirituality that Ram Dass was teaching at the time. While others of us were carrying on with late sixties psychedelia, this person, Scott I think his name was, would sit and watch, meditate perhaps and draw caricatures. That fall I went off the deep-end. I experienced a near-death and powerful visionary experiences for which I was hospitalized in a state institution. Following discharge, I felt really drained and enervated on many levels. Didn’t quite know how to process what I had gone through. About a year later, in spring of 1971, *Be Here Now* came out. I devoured the book, really took many of the teachings to heart. Immediately I gave up drinking, smoking and eating meat and waited for my guru. For the next few months I checked around the spiritual scenes a bit. I saw Swami Satchitananda, remembering him from Woodstock where he blessed the crowd. I read a few spirituality books, but generally speaking bided my time. In the fall of 1971 I heard of a young 13 year old guru, Maharaji, on a late night radio show in New York. I connected with this “guru” and found myself in India in November. A large group of us Western disciples were camped on a dusty site with big tents between Old and New Delhi called Ram Lila ground. One of the group was this American guy who went by the name Sita Ram. He now goes by Baba Rampuri and has an interesting story. I recently read his recent book called Baba. Here’s his website: http://www.rampuri.com/ I think it was Sita Ram who said that Ram Dass was in town at a local hotel in New Delhi right on Connaught Circus located in the center of town. I was excited and managed to get the address of where Ram Dass was staying. I went to town and knocked on the door of the hotel. Ram Dass invited me up and I sat on a small third floor balcony overlooking the town circle. With Ram Dass I related my story as best I could. I told him of some of my experiences, including spiritual experiences and the abuse of the mental hospital. Ram Dass shared with me some regarding the experiences of his brother who had 'lost it' like I had. Basically Ram Dass suggested that my experiences were authentically spiritual, not just crazy hallucinations. This was a great gift for me as I really didn’t have many reference points for what I had experienced. The perspective that Ram Dass' offered remains with me today. I believe strongly there are many who are diagnosed with schizophrenia or bi-polar disease or other “mental illness” syndromes that can greatly benefit by holding some or all experience as spiritual in nature and not just psychotic hallucination. In "going off the deep end" I had been in effect blasted by spirit. I had experienced the

My Ram Dass Connection

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short history of connection with Ram Dass

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While others of us were carrying on with late sixties psychedelia, this person, Scott Ithink his name was, would sit and watch, meditate perhaps and draw caricatures.

That fall I went off the deep-end. I experienced a near-death and powerful visionaryexperiences for which I was hospitalized in a state institution. Following discharge, I feltreally drained and enervated on many levels.

Didn’t quite know how to process what I had gone through. About a year later, in springof 1971, *Be Here Now* came out. I devoured the book, really took many of theteachings to heart. Immediately I gave up drinking, smoking and eating meat andwaited for my guru.

For the next few months I checked around the spiritual scenes a bit. I saw SwamiSatchitananda, remembering him from Woodstock where he blessed the crowd. I reada few spirituality books, but generally speaking bided my time. In the fall of 1971 I heardof a young 13 year old guru, Maharaji, on a late night radio show in New York.

I connected with this “guru” and found myself in India in November. A large group of usWestern disciples were camped on a dusty site with big tents between Old and NewDelhi called Ram Lila ground. One of the group was this American guy who went by thename Sita Ram. He now goes by Baba Rampuri and has an interesting story. I recentlyread his recent book called Baba. Here’s his website:http://www.rampuri.com/

I think it was Sita Ram who said that Ram Dass was in town at a local hotel in NewDelhi right on Connaught Circus located in the center of town. I was excited andmanaged to get the address of where Ram Dass was staying.

I went to town and knocked on the door of the hotel. Ram Dass invited me up and I saton a small third floor balcony overlooking the town circle. With Ram Dass I related mystory as best I could. I told him of some of my experiences, including spiritualexperiences and the abuse of the mental hospital. Ram Dass shared with me someregarding the experiences of his brother who had 'lost it' like I had.

Basically Ram Dass suggested that my experiences were authentically spiritual, not justcrazy hallucinations. This was a great gift for me as I really didn’t have many referencepoints for what I had experienced. The perspective that Ram Dass' offered remains withme today. I believe strongly there are many who are diagnosed with schizophrenia orbi-polar disease or other “mental illness” syndromes that can greatly benefit by holdingsome or all experience as spiritual in nature and not just psychotic hallucination.

In "going off the deep end" I had been in effect blasted by spirit. I had experienced the

full force of spirit all at once and, being quite unprepared, was literally ungrounded. Ithas been my work of 40 years to integrate and come to terms with the spiritual energiesthat opened up in me. Ram Dass was a tremendous help for me and I remain verygrateful for his compassionate presence.