Bradley Bemis, MS, CLC

    • Ph.D. Student
    • Nondual Spiritual Teacher
    • Contemplative Wisdom Guide
    • Mental Health Counseling Intern
    • Inner Presence and Life Purpose Coach
    • Career Mentor For Awakened Livelihoods

 

Bradley Bemis is an Orlando-based spiritual author, teacher, and guide who fully embodies the nondual wisdom and compassion of awakeness.  Simple, deep, and direct, his humble offerings are a modernized encapsulation of an ancient truth, presented without the trappings of inflexible religious belief systems, culturally-inspired spiritual traditions, or confusing metaphysical theories. It is the truth of our being, stripped down and laid bare for all to see, through direct experiential realization – if they so choose.

His awakened spiritual guidance is in direct alignment with the core foundations of all esoteric mystical transmissions; including Gnosticism (Christianity), Sufism (Islam), Kabbalah (Judaism), Zen and Dzogchen (Buddhism), Advaita Vedanta (Hinduism), Yoga, Taoism, Sikhism, and several other lesser-known ancient wisdom traditions.  Yet everything he offers comes from his own direct experience.

In October of 2014, he underwent a profound shift in consciousness that is often referred to as a ‘spiritual awakening’.  In a singular moment, he saw beyond the thinking mind into the infinite silence and stillness of pure awareness and watched everything else fall away.  Within six months Bradley sold all of his possessions and entered into the homeless life as a wandering ascetic.  He spent three months living on the streets of Seattle, sleeping in front of a bookstore at night and sharing his newly awakened insights through street-ministry work during the day.

In 2015 he moved to Florida and spent a considerable amount of time in discussion with several teachers, priests, zen masters, swami’s, and other spiritual leaders, all of whom validated and confirmed the clarity of his experiential insights. Later that year he began to offer public teachings, and in 2018 he started engaging in formal studies to become a life coach and mental health counselor to augment his offerings.  He graduated from Walden University’s CACREP-accredited Master of Science degree program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in August of 2021, became a Certified Life Coach through the Life Purpose Institute in January of 2022, and is now a Ph.D. student in the Integral and Transpersonal Psychology program at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), pursuing a concentration in Consciousness Studies and Contemplative Neuroscience.

Before becoming ‘aware of awareness’ as the core essence of all that is, Bradley was born in Bermuda, grew up in a military family, and joined the U.S. Air Force in 1991.  He left his final military assignment with Air Force Special Operations Command in 2000 and moved to Seattle Washington.  In Seattle Bradley worked as an information security professional; doing cybersecurity consulting work for many well-known companies, including Microsoft, Starbucks, T-Mobile, and many more.  During this time period, Bradley experienced tremendous personal, physical, and psychological suffering – and was by all accounts “miserable”.  A self-proclaimed “atheist and asshole”, he spent several years “stumbling around in the dark” until he started to recognize that he was the central character in his own suffering.

Bradley had been raised in the Catholic faith before becoming an atheist as a young adult.  Due to the weight of his suffering, he ultimately turned toward studies in the Theravada Buddhist tradition with the Seattle Insight Meditation Society and at the Vipassana retreat center of S.N. Goenka, from 2004-2005.  Disappointed that these did not ease his pain, he took another hiatus from all spiritual pursuits.  It was not until 10 years later that this brief period of study would culminate in the awakening of conscious presence.  In 2014, facing an existential crisis of character, Bradley spontaneously began inquiring into the question ‘Who Am I?’  He had naturally entered into the timeless technique of self-inquiry.  All at once, everything fell away and his life was changed forever.

Since 2014, Bradley has openly taught the core essence of nonduality as a way to clear the mind, open the heart, and realize the truth of who and what we have always been.  His whole life is now lived in devotion and service to the underlying truth of this reality – and extending an invitation for others to investigate and discover this truth for themselves. He currently lives in Melbourne Florida, works as a Cybersecurity Professional, and is a part-time student and spiritual teacher.  In his personal time Bradley spends a great deal of his time studying ancient wisdom texts from all spiritual and philosophical traditions, and enjoys relaxing quietly at home. He engages in one-on-one and small group dialogues, conducts larger group sessions in both public and private forums, and hosts occasional trainings and workshops throughout the year.

Note: As of December 2022, Bradley is no longer teaching or speaking on the topic of non-duality. 

After much careful deliberation, I am going to be winding down most of my nondual work, websites, and teachings.
    
My preference is to be in silence on all such matters – since the essential essence of experiential realization is wordless and impossible to communicate.
    
Instead, I am in the midst of exploring a clinical emphasis on stress, anxiety, and anxiety-related mental health conditions; finding ways to aid those who struggle with deep inner tensions.
    
By focusing on stress and anxiety at the level of mind (thought) and the level of body (feeling), it is my hope that I can do some small good in this confusing world of ours.
    
~B

Formal Education

    • Ph.D. Integral and Transpersonal Psychology, California Institute of Integral Studies (underway)
    • M.S. Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Walden University (CACREP-accredited, 4.0 GPA) (2021)
    • B.S. Information Technology, Minoring in Business Administration, University of Phoenix (2004)
    • A.A.S. Information Systems Technology, Community College of the Air Force (1998)
    • A.A.S. Personnel Administration, Community College of the Air Force (1998)
    • Additional graduate studies in business, psychology, and education

Specialized Training

    • Teaching Adult Learners, 1-year, UC San Diego (underway)
    • Life Coaching training, 60-hours, Life Purpose Institute (2021)
    • NCMHCE preparation training course, 30-hours, Counseling Exams (2021)
    • Certified Clinical Trauma Professional training, 3-days, Professional Education Services Institute (2020)
    • Certified Dialectical Behavior Therapist training, 3-days, Professional Education Services Institute (2020)
    • Registered Behavioral Technician course, 40-hours, the University of Central Florida/The Appletree (2019)
    • Certified Behavioral Health Technician course, 40-hours, Academy for Addiction Professionals (2019)
    • Introduction to Hypnotherapy course, 20-hours, Institute of Interpersonal Hypnotherapy (2019)
    • NAMI Basics (Children and Adolescents), 6-weeks, National Alliance on Mental Illness (2019)
    • Inner Presence Coaching course, 9-months, Inner Presence Coaching Institute (2018)
    • Nonviolent Communications course, 3-days, Seattle Center for Nonviolent Means (2006)
    • Hospice Care training program, 5-days, Providence Hospice of Seattle (2005)
    • Mindfulness and Meditation, 10-days, S.N. Goenka Retreat Center, Seattle (2005)
    • Mindfulness and Meditation, 6-weeks, Seattle Insight Meditation Society (2004)
    • Additional training received through NICABM, ACA, FMHCA, MHACF, ACBS

Professional Experience

    • Teacher/Guide/Counselor/Coach/Mentor at Awakening Into Life (2014-Present)
    • Student Intern, Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the Meaningful Life Center, 6-month internship (2021)
    • Student Intern, Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Holistic Integrated Mental Health Services, 3-month practicum (2020)
    • Additional professional experience in the areas of leadership, management, training, technology, and security (30 years)
    • Military Veteran, United States Air Force, Honorably Discharged (8 years)

Volunteer Work

    • Hospice Care, 1 year
    • Working with the Homeless, 5+ years
    • Mental Health and Wellness Advocacy, 5+ years

Honors and Awards

    • Chi Sigma Iota National Honor Society, 2018-2021
    • Golden Key International Honor Society, 2019-2021
    • National Society of Leadership and Success, 2019-2021
    • John Levitow Leadership Award (USAF), bestowed in 1996

Memberships and Affiliations

    • American Counseling Association
    • Florida Mental Health Counselors Association
    • Mental Health Association of Central Florida
    • Association for Contextual Behavioral Science
    • Association for Addiction Professionals
    • International Coaching Federation
    • International Cultic Studies Association
    • Association for Spiritual Integrity
    • Science and Nonduality Conference
    • Center for Nondual Awareness
    • Open Circle Center
    • Nondual Brevard
    • Nondual Orlando
    • CIIS Public Programs

Projects and Programs of Interest

    • Spiritual Care Association
    • Religious Trauma Institute
    • Council on Spiritual Practice
    • International Breathwork Foundation
    • Global Professional Breathwork Alliance
    • Center for Action and Contemplation
    • Center for Contemplative Mind in Society
    • Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies
    • Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling

Additional Information

    • Bradley has been living a fully vegan lifestyle since June of 2004
    • He does not identify with any particular political, philosophical, religious, or spiritual system of personal belief
    • He is an autodidact and lifelong learner who has broadly studied science, psychology, philosophy, and religion
    • His compassion for the suffering of all beings tends to align him with humanistic, liberal, and progressive causes
    • His work facilitates a shift in conscious perception that is deeply psychological, heart-centered, and wisdom-based