Author and philosopher Richard Smoley joins the Plutopia podcast to discuss Kabbalah: Treasure House of Secret Wisdom, drawing on five decades of study to explore this mystical tradition rooted in Judaism as a framework for understanding consciousness and spiritual awakening. He explains the Tree of Life, offers a symbolic interpretation of Genesis, and describes the divine as ultimately beyond human images and concepts, emphasizing humility over dogmatism. The conversation explores connections among Kabbalah, Buddhism, Gurdjieff’s teachings, and A Course in Miracles, particularly their approaches to self-observation and the limitations of ordinary perception. Smoley also reflects on his experiences with supervised psychedelic therapy, acknowledging both its value for him and its potential risks. Throughout, he presents spiritual development as a gradual process of recognizing how our minds shape experience and opening ourselves to possibilities beyond familiar assumptions.
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Richard Smoley:
There are three pillars in the Kabbalah, the Kabbalistic tree: Pillar Mercy, the Pillar Severity, and the Pillar of Consciousness. So, when the severe aspect of God is being invoked, it tends to use those God names. When the merciful aspect of God is invoked, it tends to use another set of names. And when the central principle is involved, it uses yet another set. So, actually, a Kabbalist will say the names of God are the garments with which He clothes Himself. So that is, I hope, some explanation of how Kabbalists conceptually envisage God.
