Sex, Drugs, and the Miracle of Consciousness

How to liberate yourself and create art in a troubled world. Key Quote: "Learn as much as you can. Create as much as you can. Do as much as you can. Do and make the things you want to see in the world." -- John C. Collins Summary: This week, John and Daniel cover the heady topics of creating music and self-publishing in the new Internet economy. They tackle internationalism, the de-nationalization of art, the ethical perils of creating and consuming from mass corporations, and the enormous possibilities available to creators in this brave new world. The hosts explore the surprising connections between chess, adult entertainment, and self-liberation; the abiding wisdom of Kalidasa, C.S. Lewis, Carl Sagan, and Rob Bell; strategies for breaking free of fear; and "the danger when you hide in the comfort of nothing." They challenge traditional notions of masculinity and gender and the challenges of negotiating fundamentalism (and life after faith). They also challenge the illusion of "Internet Culture" and various popular forms of extremism; and they leverage the complexity of cognitive neuroscience to challenge arrogance and overconfidence in the popular culture. Topics discussed: Overcoming Fear Making, Distributing Good Art Reality is Complex; Be Humble Chess, Porn, and Self-Confidence (They're Connected!) Life is Dancing, Not Math! Evolutionary Psychology, Epistemology, and Cognitive Neuroscience The Ethics of Mass Consumerism and Art The Joy of Cats (And Rum!) This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm

This week, John and Daniel discuss their origins and explain how to survive 2020 with grace, verve, and good beer. Topics discussed: Overcoming fears and reaching your potential Learning to be adventurous Growing up in homeschool and religious communities Leaving fundamentalism and creating happiness and meaning Personal growth John's epic completion of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in Spain World Travel Covid and work conditions Literature and Culture Society, American capitalism Philosophy, existentialism, spirituality Consciousness “Everything’s a miracle” "Your cat is a motherfucking miracle" -- learn to find joy and wonder in even the most basic parts of your daily life This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm