Who I amJohn Wigand, M.A., holds a master’s degree in transpersonal psychology. Ordained in 1995, he now serves as a hospital chaplain providing spiritual care to patients and families struggling to find meaning amidst the challenging times of receiving a terminal diagnosis, facing impending surgery, or while navigating the emotional waters of a life changing event or loss.
John’s interest in end-of-life and the afterlife has been heavily influenced by his work in oncology and with patients experiencing neurological insults who he cared for in Neuro-Intensive Care. These experiences prompted him to travel to Dharamsala, India, with a cohort of hospice professionals to explore issues of end-of-life from a Tibetan Buddhist perspective. John is a long-time student of spirituality and the enigmas of extraordinary human experience revealed through meditation, dreams, near-death experiences (NDEs), and transpersonal consciousness. His investigations of yoga, holistic and herbal medicine began many years ago before they became popular and accepted in the west. He holds yoga teacher certification in three separate lineages and has completed training in Ayurveda at Maharishi International University. John is a certified breath-worker in the tradition of Richard Orr and Sondra Ray, and is also certified in the FiveStar Method™ of dream analysis through the DreamStar Institute. His master’s thesis investigated the influence of parental affective state on the developing fetus and gestational consciousness. He has recently completed Harvard’s clinical bioethics training. Other interest include: neuroscience, the Enneagram, lucid dreaming, Eastern spirituality, contemplative/esoteric Christianity, metaphysics, entheogens and especially mystical or non-ordinary states of consciousness. |
HistoryIf you want to awaken all of humanity, then awaken all of yourself; if you want to eliminate the suffering in the world, then eliminate all that is negative in yourself. Truly, the greatest gift you have to give is that of your own self-transformation. -Lao Tzu
Fourth Heart Alliance is the culmination of a lifetime of stumbling, learning and self-examination; my sacred scars and lessons learned have earnestly prepared me to be your compassionate ally on your personal journey of self-exploration and transformation. My holistic approach relies on various modalities advocating meaningful integration and co-creative strategies. |