I am excited to share Neil McKinlay’s wisdom on bringing meditation to life. Today, Neil and I will discuss his story about being involved in a cult-like narcissistic, abusive situation, how he is recovering from the experience, and what he is learning.

Neil McKinlay’s Background: Having engaged in the practice his entire life, he has been a meditation teacher since 2005. Serving people who feel everyday living is essential to their spiritual path, he offers a solid and relatable grounding in the teachings and practices of meditation, so they can discover what this work means in their lives. He is also in recovery from a long relationship with a dysfunctional spiritual mentor – someone leading in a cult-like way. Through this, he has started to see more directly what meditation is in his life. He has begun to see how much the stillness and revelation of the practice have to offer his way back to wholeness. All of which have strengthened his inspiration to share this work – this ground-level, personally empowered approach to meditation in our lives- and his story with others. It is a journey he believes will make for exciting and informative listening for my audience.

Interview Questions:

1. When did you first begin to suspect you were involved in a cult-like narcissistic abusive situation?
2. With the benefit of hindsight, was there a moment you knew you were involved in a cult-like narcissistic abusive situation?
3. How did you respond to this moment of insight?
4. Is there anything you would like to say to yourself in that moment of insight?
5. Is there anything you would like others in similar moments to learn from your experience?
6. How did things evolve for you after that moment of insight?
7. When did you know you had to remove yourself from this situation?
8. How did you do this?
9. How did being a one-time leader in that community affect your departure?
10. How has your former leadership role affected you since/affected your recovery process?
11. What role has meditation played in your recovery?
12. Is meditation the only tool you’ve used in this process?
13. How are you doing with this experience today?
14. What would you like others to learn from your experience?

You can find Neil McKinlay at the following websites and social media platforms:

Website: https://www.neilmckinlay.com
Podcast: https://neilmckinlay.com/bringing-meditation-to-life-podcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NeilMcKinlayMeditation/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neil.mckinlay.meditation.words/