Paul Robear – President & Executive Director, Cuyamungue Institute
Paul Robear serves as the President and Executive Director of the Cuyamungue Institute, the non-profit center founded by anthropologist Dr. Felicitas Goodman to preserve and advance the practice of Ritual Body Postures—an ancient method for inducing expanded states of consciousness. With roots tracing back over 36,000 years, these postures are a cross-cultural legacy of embodied mysticism, offering direct experience of the sacred through the wisdom of the body.
Paul first became involved with the Institute in the early 1990s, was elected to the Board in 2011, and shortly thereafter stepped into the role of President. With strategic oversight of the Institute’s programs, facilities, and mission, Paul has helped guide the organization into a new era of outreach, education, and global collaboration. He brings to this work a lifelong passion for spiritual inquiry and cross-cultural wisdom, and a personal calling to bridge ancient practices with the needs of the modern world.
Under Paul’s leadership, the Institute has flourished as a hub for consciousness studies and experiential learning. He has expanded its educational programs, developed facilitator trainings, and fostered collaborations with scholars, researchers, and traditional wisdom keepers. Alongside his wife and collaborator, Laura Lee, Paul co-hosts workshops, presents seminars, and curates conversations at the intersection of science, spirit, and ancestral knowledge. Together, they also serve as resident instructors, spending up to six months each year on-site at the Institute’s headquarters near Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Paul’s own journey began with a powerful awakening at age 18 that set him on a sacred path of inquiry. His travels—from the ancient temples of Egypt to sacred sites across Europe, including a dozen paleo caves in France, to the megalithic temples on the island of Malta and the Pyramids of Mexico, and mounds builder cultures across America—fueled a deep appreciation for humanity’s shared spiritual heritage. A native of Maine, Paul brings the independent spirit and curiosity of his upbringing into all aspects of his work. His early studies explored the intersection of mysticism, meditation, and psychological wellbeing—threads that would later converge in the work of Dr. Goodman and the practices preserved by the Institute.
Paul believes that Ritual Posture practice is not only a method for personal transformation but a vital technology for our times—one that restores our relationship with the body, reconnects us with ancestral wisdom, and opens a path toward collective healing and spiritual renewal. In his words, “We are each being invited to become modern-day mystics—ordinary people answering an extraordinary call. The sacred isn’t separate from daily life. It lives in our bodies, our breath, and our deep capacity to listen.”
With a background in media, publishing, and communications, Paul co-founded Seven Directions Media, producing and syndicating the acclaimed “Laura Lee Show,” which featured conversations with leading thinkers in holistic health, spirituality, and ancient wisdom. His experience in strategic marketing and content creation helped distribute over 200,000 books, videos, and audio programs worldwide. Today, he applies this same vision and dedication to carrying forward the mission of the Cuyamungue Institute.
Social Media
Facebook
Linkedin
Academia.edu
YouTube Channel
Podcasts
Professional Affiliations
- SAA; Society for American Archaeology
- AAA: American Anthropological Association (AAA)
- ISARS: International Society for Academic Research on Shamanism
- NAISA: Native American and Indigenous Studies Association
Other mentors and influences
Besides the blessing of working with Dr. Goodman, the radio show provided access to many scholars, teachers, and people of medicine. Paul had the gift of directly spending time, interviewing and/or studying with these amazing people:
Vine Deloria Jr. – one of the best-known American Indian activists of the 20th century. A member of the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, Deloria came from a family of prominent American Indians. Deloria worked in the mid 1960s for the National Congress of American Indians and brought the organization through a very rough time in its history. After becoming a national figure himself with the publication of his book “Custer Died for your Sins: An Indian Manifesto” in 1969, Deloria continued his education with a law degree and expanded his writings to more than two dozen books before his death. His writings are as diverse as his education with topics including politics, theology and law. Deloria culminated his professional life as a professor working at both Arizona State University and the University of Colorado at Boulder. Am amazing strong and fun presence. Since his death, Paul and Laura Lee have attended several “Vine Deloria Symposiums” held yearly at the Northwest Indian College located Located on the Lummi Indian Reservation.
Ipupiara – When Dr. Bernardo Peixoto was born into his mother’s tribe, the Uru-e-wau-wau numbered 2,400. Today 43 members are left. Tribal Elders gave him the Shamanic name “Ipupiara” (Ipu for short) and a long apprenticeship as shaman and healer. They then encouraged Ipu to learn the ways of the developed world. Ipu earned his Ph.D. in Anthropology and Biology and is fluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese and eight indigenous dialects. Ipu is a consultant to the Smithsonian Institute and National Zoo in Washington, D.C. and is skilled in the sacred ceremonies and traditional healing practices of several rainforest cultures.
Angaangaq Angakkorsuaq, is an Eskimo-Kalaallit Elder whose family belongs to the traditional healers from Kalaallit Nunaat, Greenland [[Inuit|Inuk]. His engagement for the Environment and Indigenous issues brought him to more than 60 countries in the world. He has represented the Arctic peoples in the United Nations General Assembly, and frequently speaks before governments and universities. Angaangaq was raised in a remote village in Greenland. “ The greatest distance in the existence of man is not from here to there, nor there to here. Nay, the greatest distance in the existence of man is from his mind to his heart. Unless he conquers this distance, he can never learn to soar like an eagle and realize the immensity within.”
Nadyezdeh “Nadia” Duvan of Siberia (Ulchi Shamanism.) Nadia Duvan, last shaman of the Ulchi people of Siberia. The Shamanic traditions of the Ulchi people date back to ancient neolithic times from the Amur River Region of Southeastern Siberia. Brought to the U.S. by Jan Van Ysslestyne – Ms. Van Ysslestyne is the only native speaker of the Ulchi language and has been hosting visits from the last remaining shamans since 1994 and is dedicated in preserving the teachings and culture of these unique peoples. Misha’s traditional Ulchi culture was based largely on hunting. These Siberians lived close to nature, their survival depending upon their knowledge of, and relationship with, all of its aspects. Their personal stories are full of the details of nature. They involve bears, tigers, the forest, the sea, seal hunting, fishing, snowstorms, dog sleds, cold winds, and frigid temperatures.
Contact Paul at: paulrobear@cuyamungueinstitute.com
