How did Westerners first get involved with Eastern teachers, and is the age of the guru now over?

Mick Brown's latest book, The Nirvana Express, presents a colourful cast of seekers, writers, mystics, tricksters and chancers – he reveals people’s flaws without obscuring the sincerity of spiritual quests.

Alongside portraits of better-known subjects, from Vivekananda and the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to Rajneesh, Mick notes the influence of Western occultists, and early interest in Ramana Maharshi – who inspired The Razor’s Edge by Somerset Maugham and A Search in Secret India by Paul Brunton.

Our conversation explores the significance of these stories, along with others from an earlier book, The Spiritual Tourist, which recounts Mick’s engagement with mystical teachers.

In his day job, he works as a journalist – reporting in detail on guru abuses – so we talk about the value of critical thinking, while considering the merits of genuine teachers, who can only awaken what's found in oneself.

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