Complex sentence: As a freshman in college Barry was keenly interested in meditation, and hearing a talk from Swami Satchidananda, had a powerful experience; he felt the lights were being dimmed in the auditorium, while at the same time the Swami was glowing.
Split into simpler sentences: As a freshman in college Barry was keenly interested in meditation, and hearing a talk from Swami Satchidananda, had a powerful experience. He felt the lights were being dimmed in the auditorium, while at the same time the Swami was glowing.