Ram Dass

Description: (Spiritual Teacher)

Ram Dass was an American spiritual teacher who did not follow any particular religion in his early years. After gaining a PhD in psychology from ‘Stanford University,’ he served as an assistant professor of psychology at ‘Harvard University.’ At ‘Harvard,’ he came into contact with Timothy Leary, with whom he carried out extensive research on the effects of hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD. He was dismissed from ‘Harvard’ due to the controversial nature of his work. His quest for spirituality took him to India, where he met Neem Karoli Baba, whom he later adopted as his guru. His guru gave him the name “Ram Dass,” meaning “servant of God” and had a lasting influence on his life. Ram Dass founded the ‘Hanuman Foundation,’ which initiated the ‘Prison-Ashram Project.’ The project encouraged convicts to turn to meditation and spirituality. He was also a co-founder of various other foundations, such as the ‘Living/Dying Project’ in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which helped people to die consciously. Ram Dass openly talked about his bisexuality and said that he preferred to have no family ties that would influence his work. He suffered a stroke that left him with expressive aphasia, which he attributes to the will of God. In his later days, he lived in Maui, an island in Hawaii, where he conducted retreats and preaches through the internet.

Overview

Birthday April 6, 1931 (Aries)
Born In United States
Alternative names Richard Alpert
City Boston
Died on December 22, 2019
Spouse/Ex- Karen Saum
Parents George Alpert
Children Peter Reichard

Did you know

What is the significance of Ram Dass's book Be Here Now? Ram Dass's book "Be Here Now" is a spiritual classic that introduced many Westerners to Eastern spirituality and mindfulness practices. It emphasizes living in the present moment and finding inner peace.
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