Born Merwan Sheriar Irani in 1894 in Pune, India, to a Zoroastrian family of Persian descent, Meher Baba grew into a vibrant, multi-instrumentalist youth before an encounter in 1913 changed everything. This episode traces how he became an Indian spiritual master who asserted he was the Avatar, the total manifestation of God in human form, and how he built a vast global following without speaking a single audible word for 44 years.

We examine the mechanics of his silent teachings, his counterintuitive strategies for influence, and the profound cultural footprint he left behind, from rural Indian villages to Hollywood estates and the creative DNA of late 20th century music.

• How a kiss on the forehead from the saint Hazrat Babajan triggered a nine-month altered state, and how Upasni Maharaj helped ground his consciousness back into  ...