Heart and Soul: Spirituality in Sin City
The Documentary Podcast
BBC
4.3 • 2.6K Ratings
🗓️ 31 January 2025
⏱️ 26 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In Spirituality in Sin City, presenter Rajeev Gupta takes listeners on an unexpected journey through the hidden spiritual side of Las Vegas—a city famed for its glitz, glamour, and indulgence. Beyond the flashing lights and high-stakes casinos, Las Vegas is home to a growing community of spiritual practitioners and seekers, drawn to the city in search of transformation and meaning.
The documentary explores stories of resilience and renewal, including Erin Raymond, a mother navigating profound personal loss while seeking healing in the spiritual community. It also features Chaplain Ryan from Westcare, who supports addiction recovery through a unique blend of Christian and Eastern spiritual practices. Together, their experiences paint a vivid picture of how spirituality thrives in a place known for excess.
From meditation sessions to spiritual detoxing and the serene Brahma statue on the Strip, Spirituality in Sin City reveals a side of Vegas few would expect—a city where faith and transformation flourish in the most surprising ways.
Produced and Presented by Rajeev Gupta.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Las Vegas, USA, home to billion-dollar casinos, towering luxury hotels, and a nightlife so wild, it's earned the city's famous nickname, Sin City. |
| 0:20.6 | But beyond the neon glow and glamorous showgirls lies |
| 0:24.1 | aside of Las Vegas, most visitors never get to see. I'm Rajeev Gupta and this is the |
| 0:33.0 | documentary on the BBC World Service. For heart and soul, I'm here to explore a very different Vegas, |
| 0:40.6 | a place where sinner meets the saint. This city has become an unlikely hub for a growing spiritual |
| 0:48.4 | movement, attracting those looking to heal, detox or simply escape the chaos. |
| 0:54.7 | Lovely to meet you. |
| 0:56.0 | I'm Reggie from the BBC. |
| 0:57.6 | Very, very nice to meet you. |
| 0:58.9 | Thank you for being here today. |
| 0:59.8 | I'm starting my journey at a spiritual centre called The Haven, |
| 1:03.6 | which is around 15 minutes away from the Las Vegas Strip. |
| 1:07.3 | I'm greeted at the door by Karen Jackson, |
| 1:09.9 | who's wearing a lovely flowery blouse. |
| 1:12.3 | She has a warm smile and eyes framed by brown patterned glasses. |
| 1:17.5 | This room is mine. Each one of us have our own room, but the space is shared by the three of us, |
| 1:24.5 | three like-minded ladies working together to bring light. |
| 1:28.8 | I love what you've done here. So it's kind of almost like, I know, a spiritual boudoir. |
| 1:33.3 | You've got your lovely fairy lights adorning the walls. I see symbols, religious symbols. |
| 1:39.0 | I saw the orm sign and other symbols as you walk in and that beautiful smell of incense. |
| 1:45.0 | Yes. Yes. Yes. We wanted to our goal is when people walked in, they immediately felt |
| 1:53.7 | like they could just breathe and relax and just let everything fall off and just be and connect |
... |
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