With the recent passing of Andrew Cohen, I took a wander through the halls of spiritualteachers.org and, with a sinking feeling, realized: a surprising number of the teachers listed are now dead. Granted, the site launched in 2000 — but still. Mortality, it turns out, has a 100% success rate, even among the awakened. Wanting to find a few younger spiritual voices who might stick around for the next 25 years, I checked out what East Bay Open Circle had on offer this week. Enter: Arian Mateo.
Mateo’s website is a masterclass in personal branding: a stylized “AM” logo, cliffside photoshoots, and a bio that boasts titles like “Psychologist, Engineer, Master Psychotherapist, and Bestselling Author.” He works with elite athletes, high-performing entrepreneurs, serious yogis, and—presumably—anyone else who looks good in activewear. The vibe? Think self-optimization meets lifestyle influencer.
24 people Zoomed in for Arian Mateo’s event. He appeared in a crisp white shirt (tastefully unbuttoned to reveal a curated selection of necklaces and his chest hair). He smiled warmly, setting the tone with some moody, Kronos Quartet-style music that had him visibly swooning — eyes fluttering, lips softly parted. Clearly, Mateo doesn’t just play music; he feels it.
He led us through what he called an “Intimacy practice with ourselves, sometimes called meditation.” Gentle New Age music floated in the background as we were guided through a visualization exercise:
Become a mountain. Imagine beautiful trees, sparkling streams, sensuous objects scattered across your rocky slopes. (Bonus points if you can feel all that while sitting in your ergonomic office chair.) The tip of the mountain was represented by the roof of your mouth — which we were encouraged to expand. Ears, eyebrows, forehead — no body part was left behind.
If you’re craving more of Arian Mateo’s mountain magic, he also pitches “The Awareness Method” through a marketing page so breathlessly overhyped it could make a late-night infomercial look restrained. It’s a familiar scene: fast-tracked transformation, limited-time discounts, and promises just short of actual levitation.
As for Arian Mateo himself:
He claims that at 23 he had a spontaneous “earth-shattering mind opening,” followed by a deep dive into the self-help-industrial complex. He’s now 37, with a backstory involving hundreds of thousands of dollars spent seeking, a two-year stint to become a psychologist specializing in PTSD, and now, a part in the guru game.
Notably, every single person who asked questions during the session seemed to be grappling with trauma or mental health struggles. No one asked about awakening, enlightenment, or anything remotely transcendent. It felt less like a spiritual gathering and more like a group therapy session with better playlists.
Here’s the thing: a lot of people are trying to navigate the chaos of life by riding the wave of the spiritual search. I’m not convinced it’s the smoothest ride. And maybe that’s where Arian Mateo fills a niche: as a spiritually-minded counselor or life coach.
Still, I’ll give Arian Mateo this: he’s patient, warm, seemingly sincere, and he certainly knows how to rock a white shirt. To learn more, visit Arianmateo.com.
I’ll keep looking for young voices speaking to enlightenment….
It’s February 2012, and I’ve been in California for a little over two months. It’s truly mecca for the spiritual tourist (a help and a hindrance, for sure). Suffice it to say there are more teachers and groups than I can keep track of. A couple of weeks ago, Isaac Shapiro visited from Australia and held several meetings in the area. I attended one and have a few impressions to share. 
I was only vaguely familiar with Karl Renz before seeing him in Berkeley, CA in 2012. He is one of the more popular teachers on the satsang circuit and evidently makes his living traveling the world as a spiritual teacher. After nearly two hours watching him dismantle question after question and having my own exchange with him, I thought I would share my impressions. 
J. Krishnamurti spent nearly sixty years travelling the world as a spiritual teacher who rejected the very value of such authorities. With over 60 books, 300 video recordings, 400 audio recordings, and four foundations dedicated to preserving his work, his place as one of the great spiritual figures seems certain. In no way do I claim an exhaustive study of his works; in fact, I’ve only read two of his books, his prose poems, and listened to a couple of audio recordings. Frankly, he’s just not that interesting to me. I read 
With at least 25 books to his name, I think the best way to summarize Ken Wilber is with his own words. Here is an excerpt from a forward he wrote: