Global Spirit

This episode of "Global Spirit" focuses on the powerful role that spiritually-based communities have played for hundreds of years, and continue to play, in supporting the well-being, spiritual growth, and transformations of many individuals.

For thousands of years people of every tradition have embarked on long, difficult and often costly journeys to sacred places in search of various benefits, from health or material well-being to a spiritually transformative experience. But why have these millions of pilgrims endured such hardships? What are they ultimately in search of? "Sacred Travel: The Pilgrimage Experience" will utilize compelling film footage from India and Peru combined with deep studio conversation to shed light on this fascinating topic. The program brings together Peruvian anthropologist Zoila Mendoza and renowned travel writer Pico Iyer, meeting for the first time. These guests, together with host Phil Cousineau, shed light on various dimensions of this timeless ritual, which is an important part of most, if not all religions and spiritual traditions.

While the human ability to think and reason have certainly propelled human evolution forward, today more than 200 years after “the age of enlightenment” we find ourselves asking if knowledge and thinking are enough to really grasp the true meaning of existence? Or is there something more?

Presented by author/actor/comedian John Cleese, GLOBAL SPIRIT is a unique inquiry into humankind's belief systems, wisdom traditions and states of consciousness. Hosted by author and spiritual seeker Phil Cousineau and featuring renowned experts such as Karen Armstrong, Robert Thurman, Deepak Chopra, Riane Eisler, Joanne Shenendoah and many others, this new critically acclaimed series takes viewers on a mind and soul-expanding journey, exploring the relationships between ancient wisdom traditions, diverse belief systems, world religions, metaphysics and modern science. The series is a co-production of Stephen Olsson, CEM Productions and Link Media.

Global Spirit interviews two guests who use the power of story and storytelling to remember what's most important.

This episode of "Global Spirit" explores the human needs that the concept of “God” addresses, as well as the various forms, names and expressions for God. Drawing from ancient and contemporary Talmudic, Christian and Islamic concepts of God, and extending to the atheistic renouncement of God as a mere creation of humans afraid of the finality of death, this episode probes the timeless human “yearning to know God,” and will illuminate some of the most compelling perspectives and practices, on the concept and reality of God.

Presented by author/actor/comedian John Cleese, GLOBAL SPIRIT is a unique inquiry into humankind's belief systems, wisdom traditions and states of consciousness. Hosted by author and spiritual seeker Phil Cousineau and featuring renowned experts such as Karen Armstrong, Robert Thurman, Deepak Chopra, Riane Eisler, Joanne Shenendoah and many others, this new critically acclaimed series takes viewers on a mind and soul-expanding journey, exploring the relationships between ancient wisdom traditions, diverse belief systems, world religions, metaphysics and modern science. The series is a co-production of Stephen Olsson, CEM Productions and Link Media.

The transcendent power of music has long been recognized as a vehicle for spiritual practice and a path to spiritual fulfillment and enlightenment. In this episode of Global Spirit, host Phil Cousineau explores the transcendent qualities of spiritual and sacred music with guests Rev. Alan Jones, and Grammy-award-winning singer and member of the Native American Onondaga tribe Joanne Shenandoah. Experience the power of liturgical musical performances in Latin from Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, and witness powerful, live studio performances by Joanne Shenandoah and a haunting sequence from Peter Brook's film, "Meetings with Remarkable Men" with sacred sounds resonating across the Afghan mountaintops.

Most world religions and wisdom traditions include teachings on the nature of forgiveness. This episode of Global Spirit explores forgiveness and healing on a personal and societal level. The program features author and psychotherapist Dr. Ed Tick and his wife Kate Dahlstedt taking a group of PTSD traumatized Vietnam War vets back to the land where they fought and killed, to help them learn the art of "forgiveness of the self". Program guest Azim Khamisa powerfully illustrates "forgiveness of the other" as he traces how he learned to forgive the boy who murdered his own son. Now Khamisa works with the killer's grandfather to foster forgiveness and healing with young audiences all over the world.