The HighExistence Podcast

HighExistence family, we are back! If you want to know where we've been, what we have been up to, and what we are doing now… This episode holds all the answers.  To find out about our upcoming retreat go to: https://apotheosisretreat.com/

Tim Corcoran is a Nature Based Purpose Guide and the founder of Purpose Mountain.He is a certified Purpose Whisperer. For a long time, I cringed whenever I saw people use this word. I thought it was an oversimplistic and biased interpretation of a random series of events.The first time I heard Tim speak was when that started to change for me. I felt something deep inside, ringing with energy and bursting with potential, held in a sense of knowingness that felt more solid than the chair I'm sitting on. Your Purpose is that thing, that calling, that direction that your entire life is constantly reorienting and pointing you towards. It's what happens when you surrender to Life. The instinctual gravitational force that never stops pulling you, no matter how far you feel you have 'strayed from the path.'If know what I'm speaking about, and want to turn up the volume on this Inner Guidance, or you don't and feel a curiosity tingling in your toes, this episode is going to be medicine for your soul.In this episode:What is Purpose?How to find and follow itHow to discern a true synchronicity from an imagined oneSensitivity as a non-specific amplifierHow to find the right mentorThe true meaning of prayerThe ultimate practice for connecting to your Purpose: The Vision QuestThe Soul Wander: a bite-sized Vision Quest LinksTims Work:Purpose MountainThe Vision QuestOther:Tim's Interview with Erick GodseyHEx Ascent Podcast: How to Make a Living Doing What You LoveAPOTHEOSIS - The Ultimate Plant Medicine Retreat 

Identity is at the core of all of our personal transformation. It is absolutely central to the process of change, for better or for worse.After decades of my own work, and the insights gained from guiding thousands through their own transformational experiences, we've pulled apart the fundamental mechanics of personal transformation.This episode is a solocast with Eric Brown, taking you deep down the rabbit hole of personal change, touching on the tips, tricks, mechanisms, and fundamentals of what it takes to change who you are, and who you're becoming. This wisdom and insight has been pulled together in a 100-day transformational initiation, the Hero100. We're inviting a group of courageous individuals to take this adventure with us, one that will be sure to ripple out for a lifetime.In This Episode:- The 4 requirements for identity-level transformation- Key pitfalls and obstacles along the path- How to maintain transcendent experiences - A deep humbling 5 days into a medicine retreat- Unique mechanics to survive and thrive through the change process- An invitation to join a movement to make heroesLINKSHero100Overview Video

Do you feel the call to serve plant medicine?Or to become a coach, healer, or helper of human flourishing in any way?Navigating this path can be tricky terrain.For myself, it brings many questions up:Is this coming from my ego or my soul? What path should I follow? And who are my teachers?How often should I work with medicine?Do I have what it takes?I could think of no better person than Maestro Hamilton Souther to help me answer them.Hamilton is a Master Shaman currently working out of Peru, working primarily with Ayahuasca. He founded BlueMorpho Tours, one of the most reputable Ayahuasca centres in the world, and was one of the first westerners to be initiated into an indigenous lineage in the Amazon over 20 years ago. In This Episode:The incredible story of Hamilton's callingHow to follow your life's callingNavigating ego along the wayWhat comes after healing on the path to become an Ayahuasquero?Space Holders vs ShamansBlue Morpho's at-home dieta experiences and what's currently exciting Hamilton most at the momentLinks:Hamilton's ProjectsBlue Morpho RetreatsHamilton's InstagramHighExistence Presents: Apotheosis - The Ultimate Spiritual-Psychedelic RetreatInformationTrailer

What does it take to become the best fighter on the planet? And then how do you go from there, to building a Bufo Alvarius (5-MeO-DMT) based NFT collection designed to bring attention to mental health awareness? This is the incredible journey that we cover in this episode. Rashad Evans is the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion of The World, Hall of Famer, and current-day desk analyst. He recently co-founded Umbo, a company that supplies the world with high-quality functional mushrooms, and created MetaToads, a collection of 10,000 NFTs based on the psychedelic Sonoran Desert Toad.In this episode:Rashad's internal shift that has occurred since his fighting daysThe role that plant medicines played in his transformationGenuine affirmations as the future speaking through youWhat it feels like to be the best fighter on the planetAdvice for someone who is trying to find their passionThe importance of sweet potatoesThe down low on all of Rashad's projectsWhy letting go is the most important part of the process

“What if this life were the paradise we were promised, and we're just squandering it?”-Naval RavikantBeing happy and rich are learnable skills, and our guest today, Eric Jorgenson, has learned from the very best. His compilation of wisdom and winning business strategies from legendary tech innovator Naval Ravikant took the internet by storm, and his unbelievably popular book, The Almanack of Naval Ravikant, holds a prominent place on the bookshelves of rich and happy people all over the world.Even more impressively, though, he's brought these ideas and timeless insights back into the real world again to create the foundations of a legendary career for himself as well. Eric Jorgenson consistently proves the truth and value of this wisdom via his own work and positive example. During our conversation, he holds nothing back and lets us inside two fascinating minds, both his and Naval's.In this episode, we cover:- What it's like working with Naval Ravikant- How to decide which book to read next- Why it's more effective to focus on your trajectory than your current results- Why everything is getting better all the time- Using leverage to get to the point where you're only doing what you want to do- The importance of honing in on your specific knowledge- Allowing your path to unfold organically as the fast track to genuine expertiseOne of the greatest lessons you'll learn in this episode, though, is that where you start off doesn't have to be where you end up. If there's a skill you lack, you can learn it; if there's a big scary problem looming over you, you can overcome it; if you want more out of life, you can have it. About Our Guest:Eric Jorgenson is an entrepreneur, writer, and investor. He is on the founding team of Zaarly, and has been publishing online since 2014. His blog has educated and entertained over a million readers.Naval Ravikant (not present) is an Indian-American entrepreneur and investor. He is the co-founder, chairman, and former CEO of AngelList. He has invested early-stage in over 200 companies including Uber, FourSquare, Twitter, Wish.com, Poshmark, Postmates, Thumbtack, Notion, SnapLogic, Opendoor, Clubhouse, Stack Overflow, Bolt, OpenDNS, Yammer, and Clearview AI, with over 70 total exits and more than 10 Unicorn companies. He is also a podcaster who shares advice on pursuing health, wealth, and happiness.Please leave a review if you enjoy The HighExistence podcast. You've gone Down The Rabbit Hole. Now it's time to walk up The Stairway to Wisdom.Introducing a brand new weekly newsletter from the minds at HighExistence.Over the past year, we've been publishing the wonder-inducing weekly email known as “Down The Rabbit Hole,” and now we're taking it a step further.We want our readers not only to feel a deep sense of enchantment towards the world around them but also to apply deep teachings to their daily life so they can experience the life-transforming benefits of wisdom-in-action.The Stairway to Wisdom is a premium weekly newsletter for those who are ready to dive deeper. We've partnered with independent researcher and knowledge connoisseur, Matt Karamazov, who has taken sharp, meticulous notes on over 1000 books so that he could share the most inspiring pearls of wisdom with the world.Learn more here

“It is integration that unlocks the next step, or the next stage, in that process, and if you're not integrating, you'll often find yourself looping”- Eric Brown, HEx Podcast #63If there's anyone worth listening to on the topic of integration, it's Eric Brown.Eric is the director of Apotheosis, our spiritual-psychedelic plant medicine retreat, as well as a content writer and program creator at Mindbloom, the largest provider of psychedelic medicine therapy in the world. He has designed, developed, and run thousands of people through the psychedelic integration process, in both therapeutic and shamanic settings. I have heard and read much on the topic of integration, but never before has it been presented to me so clearly and usefully as here, as if it were a chapter out of an ancient shamanic textbook, translated for modern times. “Making this new way of being so normalized that you don't even have to think about the thing, it just happens. With this, over time, second nature becomes a way of being, and this is what I would consider a complete and thorough integration of whatever the lesson, experience, insight, or feeling is. It becomes effortless and natural, and it becomes a hallmark of who you are.”- Eric Brown, HEx Podcast #63If you have a psychedelic experience coming up, or you feel you may have some not-yet-fully resolved material from a previous one, this is the episode for you. In this episode:·      Eric's experience in the psychedelic field·      What is integration?·      Why is it necessary?·      The shamanic stages of relationship with the plants·      The 7 step process of integration·      The PEMS energetics model·      The 3-day initiation model·      Integration timelines, and what usually occurs in each phase·      Can you integrate with another psychedelic experience?·      Why you might not be getting any new messages/insights·      How to know when you're done integrating·      Where to find support for this processPlease leave a review if you enjoy The HighExistence podcast. Interested in working with psychedelics in a safe, reliable setting? Check out Apotheosis, our one-of-a-kind plant medicine retreat.

⇨Anxiety Rewired is HERE ⇦I have tried many different approaches to overcoming my own anxiety.  But never before have I tried them all at once. Anxiety Rewired is the first course that, rather than prizing one particular method, introduces and interweaves them all into one anxiety-blasting supernova that aims to rewire your relationship with anxiety, so that it no longer holds you back, but rather propels you towards your dreams and your purpose.

Anxiety Rewired goes live on Sunday, August 21st. Get a text the moment it becomes available here: https://rewired.ju.mp"The aim of Anxiety Rewired is to reframe the pursuit of working on our anxiety as a path to mastery. As something that is epic and challenging and fun, and extremely fulfilling and rewarding. That's what it's been for me and that's what I would really like it to be for you too."In this final chapter of our 3 part series on overcoming anxiety, Jon and Mike dissect the remaining parts of Jon's history with anxiety, extracting massive amounts of wisdom, tools and techniques that allowed Jon to go from being crippled with multiple forms of anxiety, to hosting workshops for thousands of people on how to overcome them all.We also flesh out our course, Anxiety Rewired, in a way that leaves no stones unturned. By the end of this video, you will have a clear idea of what the next best step is for you on your journey to overcome whatever specific strain of anxiety you're struggling with at the moment.IN THIS EPISODE:00:00 Who is Anxiety Rewired Designed for?00:30 Welcome01:50 Jon shares his deepest experience of being stuck in an anxiety rut08:40 Other manifestations of anxiety in Jon's life11:10 How to heal from panic attacks18:20 What doors opened up for Jon as he started to overcome his anxiety22:25 The story of how this course came to be25:55 What makes Anxiety Rewired unique?27:26 The 4 maps that we'll use to overcome anxiety 33:06 The magic that happens when you combine practices with insights from the leading research36:00 What's included in the course?43:39 A word from Jon for those sitting on the fencePlease leave a review if you enjoy The HighExistence podcast. 

This episode is part 2 of a 3 part series, hosted by Mike Slavin and Jon Brooks Sign up here for the full 3-part training

The Anxiety Masterclass is HERE!

Order a copy of Verissimus hereIn our 3rd interview with Stoic author, philosopher and cognitive behavioural therapist, Donald Robertson, we discuss his brand new graphic novel, VERISSIMUS. This is the most epic philosophical project that I am aware of to date. If Ridley Scott's Gladiator had a baby with Marcus Aurelius' Meditations, you'd get Verissimus.As you'll hear in this interview, this project was a massive undertaking, taking nearly 3 years to complete. Detailing the life, times, and philosophy of Marcus Aurelius, the book acts as a historically accurate, action-packed entry point into the Stoic landscape.In this episode, we cover:The process of creating this bookWhy Donald decided to make a graphic novelWhy many Romans actually opposed Marcus AureliusMarcus' mission to cultivate natural compassion towards all human beings, even his worst enemiesThe absurdity of Stoicism's most popular criticism Stoicism's deep influence on early ChristianityThe relationship between intuition and reasonJon's single favourite chapter on StoicismLinks to Donald's Work: Verissimus: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius, by Donald Robertson How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, by Donald RobertsonDonald's websiteModern Stoicism

Cris Beasley has become a profoundly influential force in my life.Her ability to go directly to the places where we are hiding, playing it small, and not owning the raw realities of our human experience is remarkable.Her path from the tech world to being CEO of an AI company, to psychedelic facilitator, medicine woman, and oracle creator is as vibrant and rich as her personality.Cris has several amazing achievements under her belt:Working with Mozilla to shape the open internet.The trials and tribulations of being a CEO.Creating the ‘Cult of Busyness' immersive workshop experiencePsychedelic facilitation and retreat workCreating the Becoming Dragon oracle deckHer new microdosing experience+ much moreCris is as emotionally attuned as she is wise. As witty as she is serious. It's been an incredible process to watch her grow, evolve, and continue to execute with a combination of quality, speed, vigour, and grace. Bridging the shamanic and the scientific, the emotional and the intellectual, Cris is a deeply strong, powerful, and loving voice in the space of emotional intelligence, personal healing, and experience design. You can find her at:Becoming DragonSubstackMicrodosing ExperienceEnjoy this episode of the HighExistence podcast with Cris Beasley!Please leave a review if you enjoy The HighExistence podcast. DIVE DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE and get 5+ mind-blowing ideas, tools, or quotes sent to you every Wednesday. 

“You can move past these obstacles. You probably relate to them as obstacles right now, but they're actually a part of the path, right?”-Mike Slavin (HEx Podcast #61)In today's solo cast, Mike leads us down a rabbit hole of discombobulate selves, where we find the true source of our procrastinative tendencies.He reminds us that we procrastinate, not because we are cursed, but because a part of ourselves doesn't want us to go where we are trying to go. Resistance is not an external force, but rather a part of YOU that is not yet on board with the mission yet.Instead of slaying the procrastodragon, have you tried communicating with it? Listening to it, and harmonizing with it until it shrinks, or joins forces with you, so you can ride it into the ever-expanding horizon of your dreams

“Here's the funny thing: when I ask someone to tell me what his or her wildest dream is, they dilute it. Ten times out of ten, people sell themselves short”Steve Sims Our guest on the podcast today should never have been able to succeed in business or in life. Growing up as a bricklayer in London, England, all the odds were against him achieving the kind of outlandish success he's been able to claim so far, but it's clear that the universe didn't expect someone with Steve Sims' heart, ingenuity, and initiative to appear and to turn traditional forms of networking on their heads. I first came across Steve Sims in his absurdly motivating book, Bluefishing, which tells the story of his company that makes seemingly unreasonable requests come true. The company is called Bluefish, and they're who you call if you want to sing on stage with Journey, eat dinner in front of Michelangelo's David, or visit the undersea wreckage of the Titanic. He's orchestrated all of these experiences for his clients and many more besides. Steve is just an absolute magician when it comes to making the impossible possible, so listen to today's episode if you're open to receiving a ton of inspiration to get out there and make big things happen. He teaches that there is a password for every door, a weak spot in every wall, and if we would only stop selling ourselves short and start taking massive action, we might just be able to make that wall come down. Especially important to understand, moreover, is that in today's business environment, mean guys finish last. A new, longer-term, more generous form of networking is making the old, manipulative kind of networking obsolete, and Steve Sims is helping to lead the way. I hope that you finish this episode just brimming with inspiration and courage, and leave with the understanding that you can get pretty much anything you want in life, so long as you help enough other people get what they want.What We Cover: What makes an entrepreneur an entrepreneur?The most important skills for futureproofing yourselfHow to break away from the rest and make yourself memorableWhy being you is the most powerful marketing tactic there isCommunicating your message clearly, without dilutionThe importance of surrounding yourself with people who are further along than youPlease leave a review if you enjoy The HighExistence podcast. You've gone Down The Rabbit Hole. Now it's time to walk up The Stairway to Wisdom.Introducing a brand new weekly newsletter from the minds at HighExistence.Over the past year, we've been publishing the wonder-inducing weekly email known as “Down The Rabbit Hole,” and now we're taking it a step further.We want our readers not only to feel a deep sense of enchantment towards the world around them but also to apply deep teachings to their daily life so they can experience the life-transforming benefits of wisdom-in-action.The Stairway to Wisdom is a premium weekly newsletter for those who are ready to dive deeper. We've partnered with independent researcher and knowledge connoisseur, Matt Karamazov, who has taken sharp, meticulous notes on over 1000 books so that he could share the most inspiring pearls of wisdom with the world.Learn more here

“Our True Desires are deeply sacred. As sacred as a river, or a volcano, or any other natural process. It's something separate from egoic desire which is, ‘I want this because I saw it in a commercial', but the exploration of those egoic desires might actually help somebody go towards those things. And so I think our desires are sacred. I think it's something to listen to as if it is the voice of God.”Jake Kobrin (HEx Podcast #59)Magick has always been a concept that I've brushed aside as another overly esoteric, new-age fad that I assumed would reveal itself to be built on faulty foundations if I ever actually decided to dig into it.After listening to this episode, I realize that those assumptions couldn't be further from the truth. Magick is thousands of years older than western psychology. Its' roots run deep and its implications far and wide.The most controversial magician of the 20th century, Aleister Crowley, defined it as “the science and art of causing change in conformity with our Will”. In other words, this is a long-standing tradition that has mastered the art of manifesting the life that is the fullest and most accurate expression of your innermost being (aka the True Will). As you'll hear in this episode, there is an endless list of techniques that can aid and accelerate this process. ”If you follow, yeah you can call it whatever you want, some divine intelligence, some deep ancestral wisdom that's just sown into your DNA, your life will be better than your dreams because man, it's going to take you on a process. Some of it might be an initiation process, some of it might be really challenging. It might confront you with a lot, but the other side of it is… mind-boggling.”Eric Brown (HEx Podcast #59)And that's only one portion of this conversation...What We Cover: What it means to be a visionary artist Practical examples of how to use language to shape your realityAn introduction to MagickThe concepts of The True Will and The Great WorkCeremonial Magick as initiatory processesSigil MagickA run through the Magickal toolbox The sacredness of desiresThe refreshing sincerity of sex dungeonsCryptocurrency, NFT's and Virtual RealityDIVE DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE and get 5+ mind-blowing ideas, tools, or quotes sent to you every Wednesday.Please leave a review if you enjoy The HighExistence podcast. 

Psychedelics can cause harm. Don't get me wrong, I love psychedelics. But I also acknowledge their potential to bring about profoundly unwanted changes in the psyche.Yet, with the ever-more abundant influx of news focussing on the life-changing benefits of these substances, the very real risks that pose are getting drowned out, leaving us with only one-half of the full picture.The way that our information channels are structured these days, if we don't want to hear about something, we usually don't. We also tend to be over-eager to find The Solution to all our problems. Psychedelics, for many, are taking on this projection. It's not uncommon to hear people talking about the psychedelic renaissance as though it were the second coming. Ed Prideaux is on a mission to stop some of this psychedelic naivety in its tracks, by speaking up about his experience with hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD). Remember those LSD horror stories that your mum told you, about that guy who took LSD and never stopped tripping? Well, this is sort of like that (although HPPD is not the same as ‘permatripping', as you'll hear Ed clarify) except this is no horror story. The week after Ed's fourth LSD trip, he noticed that the carpets were sparkling and the walls were melting. These effects, along with a handful of others, have not totally left him, 6 years on.This phenomenon is far more common than you might think. A recent study of 2455 psychedelic users reported that a quarter of participants said that they experienced lingering perceptual changes days and weeks after a psychedelic experience and that 1 in 25 found these changes to be so distressing that they considered seeking clinical help.The conversation that Ed brings to the table goes far beyond just HPPD. It extends into an axiom-altering exploration of the narratives around ‘really bad trips', the fundamental flaws of the current mental health framework, and the fluid nature of reality itself. What We Cover: What is HPPD?Ed's personal experience with HPPDThe connection between anxiety and perceptionAdvice for someone who thinks they might have HPPDThe problem with overidentifying with a particular form of sufferingCan you use psychedelics again if you have HPPD?The gifts of neurodiversityStan Grof's controversial treatment for HPPDHow to make a psychedelic experience as well-held as possibleThe fundamental skill to have in the psychedelic experienceThe intersection of this psychedelic moment with the metaversePsychedelic narcissism DIVE DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE and get 5+ mind-blowing ideas, tools, or quotes sent to you every Wednesday.Please leave a review if you enjoy The HighExistence podcast. 

“Whenever you say ‘I can't find ideas,' what you're really saying is, ‘the world is perfect and it needs nothing.'”-MJ DeMarco, HEx Podcast #57—There's a lot of terrible advice out there. Maybe you've noticed this the last time you were outside. People will say things like, “Just follow your passion!” or, “Money doesn't matter!” or, perhaps even worse, “Only 40 more years until retirement, and then you'll be a millionaire!”Some of the people that proffer this advice actually do want the best for you, and they're honestly trying to help. The problem is that they've never learned how money actually works, how wealth is actually created, and how entrepreneurs can solve the problems that are pervasive in society and reap a financial windfall by doing so. Our guest on the podcast today, author MJ DeMarco, has taken aim at all the bad advice out there and has consistently proven the truth of his principles in the process of building out his own businesses and helping tens of thousands of entrepreneurs achieve their financial goals - including me. He reveals the fallacy behind the idea that following your passion will pay your bills; he shows how, in some contexts, money can buy happiness, and how it can also remove some of the sources of unhappiness; and this whole thing about retirement? What people don't tell you is that in 40 years, you'll be 40 years older, and unable to enjoy your money to the degree that you would have been able to while you're young. As he says, wheelchairs, don't fit inside the trunks of Lamborghinis. But his wisdom goes deeper than that. Much deeper. Business can be an incredible source of personal fulfillment, and if you're willing to put your heart and soul (and brain and hands) into something for 10 years, you can win the financial game. You can have it when you're relatively young, and you'll never have to wonder, “What would have happened if I really went for it?”—What We Cover:How the level of access to knowledge is unprecedented right now, and how tapping into it can change the trajectory of your lifeMJ's “C-E-N-T-S” framework for coming up with high-velocity business ideas (featuring the Commandments of Control, Entry, Need, Time, and Scale)How to increase the magnitude of your contribution and accelerate your profitsThe timelessness of great books and podcastsNassim Taleb's concept of “antifragility” and how it can help prepare you for any external event that could threaten your safety and securityThe Great Rat Race Escape, MJ's newest book, a business book/novel hybrid that follows one couple's personal journey from financial slavery to financial freedom”Value skews” and how you can develop them in order to walk over your competition”Superior Unexpected Customer Service” (SUCS) and why it's so much easier today for your business to stand out”Expected Value” and why you should always aim for “Excellent” instead of just “Good”The latest redefinition of “financial freedom” and why it's just financial slavery in a different formWhy investing in your health will improve your life in every other areaWhen you should begin your child's financial education and how to avoid the mediocrity narrativePlease leave a review if you enjoy The HighExistence podcast. 

Stoicism is often thought of as a collection of theoretical concepts and ideas that one learns by reading books and consuming Stoic content.  In this solocast, Jon Brooks proposes that a true Stoic is more like a Martial Artist.  To become undefeatable, we need to practice and refine our skills so that we are ready for the real battles when they come.If you're ready to put down the book and step into the arena, sign up for Askesis: our 10 week Online Stoic Bootcamp.

In the 10th installment of the High Existence dialogues, we welcome a 4th member onto the stage, discuss the life-changing opportunities that come with finding a community of like-hearted individuals, and pull back the curtains on two soul-quenching events coming up on the HEx horizon.Register for Metamorphosis - A FREE 3-Day online transformational gathering focused on designing sacred rituals: https://highexistence.com/metamorphos... IN THIS EPISODE:• Harnessing feedback for hyper-growth • The value of being around people who actually want to hear about what's going on in your life• How finding true community changed the lives of the team members• Ritual as a portal into the sacred• What is Metamorphosis 2.0?

"If we're in a fully awakened state, trauma's not a problem. In a sense, it's not trauma. It just becomes something beloved. It becomes washed through with love and acceptance. That's the healing."Henry Shukman, HEx Podcast #55We embark on our healing journeys with intentions to remove the thorns in our sides because these thorns are problematic.Initially, it seems that the way to go about this is to grab the tweezers and squeeze them out, one by one, until we are rid of them all. This is generally the attitude that the Western mental health paradigm takes towards trauma and mental illness. Looking to the East, we see a different approach taken towards suffering. One in which those thorns become enveloped in unconditional love and acceptance, thereby draining them of their problem-ness altogether. "Awakening" and "healing" are often used synonymously even though they mean two different things.Healing is the process by which we become whole again. The word implies a fixing of that which is broken. A bettering of that which needs improvement. An integration of that which has been separated.Awakening refers to the realization of the non-dual nature of reality. The recognition that, on the deepest level, there is nothing to fix because nothing can be broken. There is nothing to improve because it is all already perfect. There is nothing to be integrated because it is, always has been, and always will be, whole.So does this mean then that all attempts at healing are a waste of time and that we should just drop everything and head straight for awakening? According to Henry Shukman, the answer is no…There is a middle way. And he has walked it.Henry is a meditation teacher who has used a combination of various meditative practices alongside psychotherapy, plant medicine, and other healing practices to synergise these two processes in his own life for maximum effect. From overwhelming eczema to profound awakening, and then into deep despair and back, Henry eventually forged a path that has led to a long-lasting sense of wholeness and peace that radiates throughout this interview. He has found a sweet spot between the paths of healing and awakening and in this episode, he sprinkles the breadcrumbs behind him so that you and me can do the same.What We Cover:Henry's spontaneous awakening experience and the darkness that ensued afterwardWhat happens to trauma when we awaken?The ultimate antidote to lonelinessWhere to start with non-duality if you have traumaHow to work with koansIs awakening possible for regular people?Henry's favorite resources on ZenHow to find the right teachers and practices for youIs it possible to make serious progress through online training?Please leave a review if you enjoy The HighExistence podcast. JOIN HENRY AT METAMORPHOSIS, A FREE 3-Day online transformational event, to learn a powerful set of transformative practices for peace, passion, and meaning

Have you ever wished you could be the first one on the dance floor? Or the one who effortlessly jumps on the beat and freestyles without flinching? I know I have… We all know that we shouldn't care too much about what others think of us, yet we struggle to unwind the deep-rooted patterns of self-consciousness and constriction that hold us back from doing socially ‘risky' things. Part of us is afraid that if we do such things, we might make a fool of ourselves and everyone will think we're weird or somehow unacceptable. So we stay stuck in this cage that once protected us when we were young, yearning for deeper levels of freedom and authenticity.  Until eventually, we decide that we've had enough.  Enough standing on the sidelines. Enough filtering and suppressing that which wants to come through us. Enough being anything other than our messy, unadulterated selves.  If you have reached this threshold, then this episode is perfect for you. In it, Jordan Bates explains how he went from being stuck in his head to cultivating a deep sense of core confidence that lead to him becoming a professional rapper. Are you ready to stop playing small and allow yourself to be exactly what you are in each moment? If so, I present you with this step-by-step blueprint for how to let go into the life you know you are capable of living. Before you dig in, here's a little love letter that Jordan wrote for you. From Jordan: I love you, HighExistence family.  Thank you so much for everything. You all have a very special place in my Heart, and always will. I truly hope you enjoy this podcast. I had a lot of fun recording it with my soul-brother, Jon.  I also want to let you know that starting in a few days on 1/22/22, I'm leading a no-cost 1-month mentorship journey called Infinity Mentorship. This journey is intended as a gift to all beings.  If you know you are on the precipice of a great shift toward more fully embodying the Light that you truly are, join us in the Infinity Mentorship Telegram Community. For further connection, wisdom, and chillaxation, I also invite you to join us in the Ouroboros Soul Family and my personal space, both of which are communities on Telegram. You are a beautiful poem.  Perfect just as you are.  Thank you for existing. Long live this legendary mind-blowing Vortex, and cheers to a High Existence! Love, Jordan In this Episode: Jordan Bates' journey to become a professional rapper  How to unroot doubt Travelling as the ultimate skin shedder The value of taking massive aligned action in the direction of what excites you Difficult experiences as thresholds to cross that life tests us with What it means to embody core confidence, and how to cultivate it Learning how to let go on a dance floor as a metric for self-actualisation  Jordan's favourite methods for tapping into flow Freestyling as a way to give voice to what is alive in the moment  The transformational potential of freestyle rap and dance The essence of true communication Alchemizing heartbreak with creativity MUCH MORE… DIVE DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE and get 5+ mind blowing ideas, tools, or quotes sent to you every wednesday. Please leave a review if you enjoy The HighExistence podcast. 

Read all of Matt's books breakdowns and join his weekly High Existence newsletter, Stairway to Wisdom here "Once you learn to read, you will be forever free." — Frederick Douglass Matt Karamazov has already accomplished multiple lifetime's worths of achievements. You'd think the topic of this conversation would be about his experience as a world heavyweight boxer, a natural bodybuilder, nightclub bouncer, professional writer, or successful music label owner… But no… On top of all that, Matt decided that he would take on the mammoth task of reading 1000 books!  And he doesn't just read them. He makes detailed notes on them too. Since this episode was recorded, he has accomplished this goal and extended it to 10,000. With an average of 7 hours a day spent reading, Matt has mastered the art of focusing for long periods of time in pursuit of an aim, and he has joined us on the High Existence Podcast to share key insights and tips for turning our own lofty ambitions into fully realized goals.  This conversation expands way beyond reading into the depths of a mind that has downloaded 1000 of the greatest pieces of content of all time. In this Episode: Matt's history with High Existence Why he decided to read 1000 books How to stay focused for 7 hours a day Can you be mindful while reading? The secret to retaining what you read Is optimism the privilege of someone who hasn't experienced true difficulty? The futility and utility of envy Why you should read more fiction How reading can improve your creative writing and communication skills The importance of enjoying the moment to moment process of working towards the goal How to read 5 books a month Why you should have a 100-year plan if you're under 50 MUCH MORE…

"…the loss of the original self, that happens to actually the majority of us. It changes who we are and we kinda go through life managing, and it's natural and appropriate for us to devise different schemes or organizing principles to survive when we're little because you know, what do we know?" — Chris Becker, HEx Podcast #52 Interested in what psychedelic therapy is actually like from the inside?  Chris Becker has been through it all — and he's written a book about it.  He is also a veteran meditator and expert physicist.  What is the connection between psychedelic experiences and meditation? How does mediation heal? And how do we ensure that we don't get addicted to mystical experiences? This episode is an exploration through all of these questions and much more, as well as an opportunity learn from a man who has been using psychedelics for over 40 years, all the while figuring out what it means to use these sacred substances responsibly. What we cover: Chris' transformation from alcohol abuse to effortless abstinence using psychedelic therapy Why so many scientists become Buddhists Zen vs Vipassana The main reason why so many people stop meditating and how to overcome it The relationship between psychedelics and meditation Ontological addiction: getting hooked on God Trauma as the loss of the original self The role of the guide in the psychedelic experience  Psychedelics in your 60's vs psychedelics in your 20's Should we legalize psychedelics? MUCH MORE… Please leave a review if you enjoy The HighExistence podcast. 

"It has to start first and foremost with a real desire and fascination… I think that the best conversations are born from that burning desire." - Jonny Miller, HEx Podcast #51 If you want to see an example of what happens to those who single-mindedly follow that sense of burning curiosity, then check out Jonny Miller. Jonny, creator of the Curious Humans podcast, is someone who clearly leads by example. His mind is a treasure trove of embodied wisdom, covering a wide range of topics that have the power to make our lives more joyous for those who share his love of learning. Jonny is the founder of the Curious Humans podcast and monthly newsletter as well as a breathwork facilitator, meditation teacher, startup and emotional resilience coach and the creator of nervous system mastery. What we cover: Grief as the gateway to the inner Hero's Journey [17:31] How Jonny became a successful digital nomad [20:11] Advice for anyone wanting to start a podcast [29:01] How to heal the root of trauma [36:06] Breathwork for emotional resilience [39:11] Jonny's critique of stoicism [44:35] How to remain energized and calm throughout the entire day [56:11] Finding the right mentor [1:06:56] MUCH MORE Please leave a review if you enjoy The HighExistence podcast. 

"For me the Ascent is about that. It's about: wow there are so many areas of this map of my life and reality that I thought were not feasible, not possible, and now I see that if I choose to, I can go there." — Jon Brooks, HEx Dialogues #9 Imagine if Harry never went to Hogwarts… He had the occasional experience of magic, but before he joined a community of witches and wizards, he didn't even know that he was one.  Having just finished the first round of The Ascent, I can truly say that it is a school of witchcraft and wizardry.  Getting a project off the ground is a messy and sensitive process. You need room to fail and some form of guidance that lets you know which roads lead to a dead end and which ones lead to gold. Things are also a whole lot easier if you have a tribe to watch your back and lift you up when you fall. As someone who personally took part in The Ascent, I can say without hesitation that it was the most transformative 8 weeks of my life.  "Having that initial fertile ground in people, in places that are safe to fail, in community that will lift you back up and in the resources and how to's of people who have scraped their knees doing this stuff before and have some ideas - that is just a perfect concoction to take you exactly where you want to go or places you couldn't even imagine you wanted to go." — Eric Brown, HEx Dialogues #9 Learn more about The Ascent here. This episode is packed with key lessons that were taught and learned throughout the first expedition, such as: Failure being the primary ingredient for success  Why creativity is painful The necessity of community The inner - outer work feedback loop Highlights from the first round The importance of honest feedback Our take on the law of attraction Details on The Ascent The cultivation of spontaneity MUCH MORE... Please leave a review if you enjoy The HighExistence podcast. 

Is it possible to bring the level of reverence and integrity that we see in traditional plant medicine ceremonies into our own homes? Koen and Sebastian, the team over at Portier Supplies have created a product that is doing exactly this. "Psychedelics deserve a beautiful place in people's lives, not shoved in a closet, hidden away somewhere'" — Sebastian from Portier Supplies, HEx Podcast #50 There is a lot of shame that many well-intentioned psychedelic users carry around due to misinformed stigma and misplaced projections.  Initiatives such as Portier Supplies are putting that to an end. This conversation is a dive into psychedelic healing and the exciting realms beyond, as well as a front row seat to the tricky business of psychedelic entrepreneurship.  What We Cover: 2:40 - The journey that led to the creation of Portier 11:35 - What the Portal Box is 17:00 - The true meaning of luxury 20:05 - What comes after healing with psychedelics? 24:00 - Maintaining integrity when combining business and spirituality 43:25 - Growth as the accumulation of responsibility 44:25 - Practices that support psychedelic use 53:55 - Bufo vs Ayahuasca MUCH MORE... Please leave a review if you enjoy The HighExistence podcast. 

If you identify as spiritual but not religious, then this one is for you. In our second interview with John Vervaeke, he urges those who have been traversing the spiritual path on their own up until now to come together and join forces: “We need the best wisdom we can come up with. The chances that you're going to get that on your own are very small.” — John Vervaeke, HEx Podcast #49 What forms as we come together is what John calls, ‘the religion that is not a religion'.  If you extracted everything that was valuable from traditional religions and left behind what was constricting and harmful, this is what you would get. “We need to reach deeply into the roots of our traditions in order to grow up into the novelty of the sunlight, if we're going to grow what we need here.” Why do we need something like this? And how do we begin to build it?  Eric and John dive deep into these questions and surface with a stash of nuggets pointing the way to a world of wisdom. What We Cover: Why we need a religion that is not a religion  The problems that arise from being ‘spiritual but not religious' Why it's not a religion Untangling the supernatural from the spiritual How to build up your own community  Metapsychotechnologies for curating ecologies of practice Yoga's 4 paths to Union as an example of pluralism Western traditions as equally viable paths to wisdom MUCH MORE… Please leave a review if you enjoy The HighExistence podcast. 

“We need to have a deep dialogue between science and spirituality.” John Vervaeke, HEx Podcast #48 It's easy to say that science and spirituality are being summoned to sit down together for a deep conversation — but much harder to actually make this happen without things devolving quickly.   John Vervaeke has taken it upon himself to come in and, not only translate, but provide an entire vocabulary and grammar for both parties to use to allow for deeper understanding and more nuanced agreements. This is a mammoth task. For this reason, John has an entire 50 episode YouTube series called The Meaning Crisis exploring the past, present, and future of this dynamic between science and spirituality. It is one of the most significant series I've seen in a while. If you don't have 50 hours to spare, fear not, for we have an exhaustive summary of it all for you right here. Originally posted on John's Youtube channel under the title ‘Best Synoptic Overview of The Meaning Crisis & my Work', this interview is an action-packed call to arms against the spiritual challenges we are facing today, featuring misunderstood vampires and re-spawning Hydra heads. By giving us a strong foundation to stand on and bringing spirituality back down to earth, John is creating a platform for this crucial merging to take place.  “We can go from these being terms that are wrapped in mystique and obscurity to being a realizable continuum that we can start engaging in right now right here.” — John Vervaeke With the groundwork in place, please enjoy this deep dive into the meaning crisis, stealing the culture, and redesigning religion. WHAT WE COVER: An exhaustive summary of The Meaning Crisis John's own personal meaning crisis and how meaning began to emerge in his life The deep mechanisms underlying downward spirals/addiction Perennial Problems: the eternal spiritual problems of man Jordan Peterson's role in the reawakening Hamlet as an example of over-self-consciousness The pros and cons of the scientific mindset The 4 ways of knowing Psychotechnologies Strengths and weaknesses of Eastern and Western approaches Ecologies of practices: responses to the Perennial Problems An introduction to the Religion that is not a Religion Serious play as the bridge between two worlds MUCH MORE… Please leave a review if you enjoy The HighExistence podcast. 

Have you been struggling to keep a consistent meditation practice? Switching around between different types, trying to find the right one for so long that you eventually forgot why you were even doing it in the first place? This is a common complaint many aspiring meditators face. Without a clear understanding of why we are doing what we are doing and a way to know that we are doing it right, we are destined to fall off track. In comes The Mind Illuminated by Culadasa (John Yates, PhD). The Mind Illuminated is the result of 50,000 hours of meditation and decades of neuroscience study. This book is arguably the clearest, most systematic, and well-researched meditation manual ever written. In this episode of the HighExistence podcast, Jon Brooks and Eric Brown discuss the 6 steps Culadasa recommends in the book to prepare the mind for practice. But these 6 steps, as you'll see, have far reaching applications beyond just meditation. “This stuff is not separate. The lessons you learn in mediation are lessons that apply to life. The stuff going on in your life will carry on into your mediation practice.” — Eric Brown, HEx Podcast #47 IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: Why you should meditate Culadasa’s 6 steps for preparation for meditation How TMI has impacted not only Eric’s meditation practice, but his life Is enlightenment actually possible? What does it take to get there? Meditation as a tool for tragedy How to find and renew the motivation to do anything The first 3 stages of the meditation journey Meditation as a microcosm for life The importance of posture How showing up is all you need to do The value of taking a moment to clarify intent before starting anything MUCH MORE… (Please remember to leave a review because it helps us improve the podcast!)

Learn more about The Ascent here. ~ In the first podcast I did with Justin, we discussed the secret strategies of super-learners. In the follow up YouTube video we dissected the best ways to get the most from the books that you read. In today's episode, my main question was to find out Justin's origin story. I knew that he had suffered from depression as a teen, and also grew up in South Africa, and was curious how he transformed himself from this state to being a nuero-resilience coach and learning expert living out of LA. My hope is that anyone who is struggling with their current living situation or feels burdened with an overactive mind can find great inspiration in Justin's story, and of course... we will learn a lot along the way. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: Justin's origins and childhood The issues with the traditional school system Science proven learning strategies The value of learning to think for yourself Justin's experience with life-threatening depression The power of stillness practices How to get over an emotional slump Justin's method for interpreting "negative" feedback MUCH MORE… Please leave a review if you enjoy The HighExistence podcast.  Bonus: Justin's Top 3 Recommended Blog Posts The Human OS: Part 1 Introduction to the Principles Weakness is Strength Models of perception: the light switch, the dimmer switch, and the lighting board

It’s not every day you sit down with a shaman to explore their life, beliefs, practices, and opinions. But today, we’re doing just that. We have the pleasure of sitting down to talk to our friend Marie Lou of Infinity Retreats. We have worked with Marie Lou and her partner Anke at our Apotheosis Retreats, and it was Marie Lou and Anke who ran the diet that Jon and I discussed in Episode 28. Marie Lou is a true example of where ‘doing the work’ can take you. Through extensive study, diets, and work with the plants, she moves gracefully through the world with the poise and power of someone who walked the path for a long time. But this isn’t just an exploration of her work, we get the opportunity to go into much more with her. And much more ground is covered. This is an up close and intimate look at how one moves down the path from just interested to awakened, what work is required to hold space and conduct ceremonies, and why anyone would do this and what results they can see. It is an exploration into the world of the plants, the nature of reality, and the purpose of the here and now. We are so honoured to bring this to you, and hope that this will be the start of many more conversations to come. If you liked this and want to hear more from Marie Lou + Anke, send us an email or give us a comment to let us know. IN THIS EPISODE: How has the past year with COVID been for you? How do you describe what you do? Exploring Bufo and how to diet the medicine. Understanding diets and how to do the work. How did you get started doing this work? What’s your definition of a shaman? German New Medicine and the nature of illness. Does a shaman still feel fear?  Infinity Retreats and the path forward. MUCH MORE… Please leave a review if you enjoy The HighExistence podcast. 

The Ascent is the new 8-week online meaningful work mastermind brought to you by HighExistence. The experience is designed for those who have already some understanding of self-improvement and spirituality, and now want to turn their passion into an opportunity to do what they love, get paid for it, and make a dent in the universe. We are bringing together a team of online entrepreneurs and facilitators to walk you through every stage of your own project so you can have the freedom to work from anywhere in the world, doing what makes you feel most alive. It doesn't matter if you want to do online coaching, run a successful blog, start a podcast, or become an artist... This will be your chance to take bold action and radically change your situation with support from the HighExistence team and a small tribe of individuals who will help hold you accountable. Learn more about The Ascent here. In today's Dialogues, I chat with Mike Slavin and Eric Brown about the reason we set out to create The Ascent. We noticed that when we asked people who attended our Apotheosis retreats what they really wanted to do with their lives, almost nobody was actually pursuing their biggest ambitions. Instead, many were settling for local, small self-improvement changes. This approach is definitely useful for some things, like building small habits, but for lifestyle changes and following your bliss, a more nuclear option must be taken.  In this episode, we look at some of the traps of thinking small in life, as well as... Why people struggle to do what they love for work The WHY that must come before the HOW Classic self-sabotaging strategies The value of changing your container, not it's contents Downsides of incremental changes How we can live our own Hero's journey What The Ascent involves Way more hidden gems... ;) Please leave a review if you enjoy The HighExistence podcast. 

"Are you the same with your best friend as you are with your boss and your mother and the stranger in the bus stop? Are you the same person in all those scenarios? Because if not, you are dishonest. And that's okay. Because, you wanna know who's definitely a dishonest person? Anyone who says that they're an honest person." — Dan Munro "Losing your job is nothing compared to losing your Self." — Dan Munro Today I sit down and chat with Dan Munro about his new book, The Naked Truth.  Dan has been on the podcast before where we went deep into Dan's own story with honesty and authenticity and the tactics he uses as a coach to turn people from socially anxious into socially bulletproof.  In this episode, we focus specifically on the toxic effects of being dishonest, and the blueprint you need to turn your life around and start being boldly... YOU.  In this discussion, we cover: Essentialism and shiny object syndrome Self deception and bias The mixed messages from society on honesty Dan's own story of how dishonesty hurt him The various hidden types of lies The link between shame and dishonesty How to express authentically without harming people The validation addiction detox Why it's good to be disliked Was murderer Chris Watts spurred by dishonesty? Please leave a review if you enjoy The HighExistence podcast.   

Down the Rabbit Hole is your weekly injection of wisdom, wonder, and well being sent straight to your inbox from HighExistence. Each email explores ancient and emerging tools, techniques, and teachers to help you live a more meaningful, adventurous, and ecstatic existence. Sign up here.  --- In today's episode, Jon Brooks, Eric Brown, and Mike Slavin discuss how to see through your own blindspots so you can achieve meaningful transformation in areas you were previously avoiding.  Those of us interested in personal development, sometimes use it as a form of productive procrastination.  We meditate, journal, read, exercise, etc., as a way to avoid doing the thing we REALLY know we need to do...  Cleaning our room, having that conversation, paying our bills, working on that project, asking that person out on a date, writing that novel...  Real growth lies more in failure and adventure than in the safety of self-care habits.  That is what this conversation is all about... We share our deepest insights on personal development after a combined 30 years studying and practicing on the spiritual path.  If you enjoyed this episode, why not share it with a friend? 

"Craft over status; art over praise." Mike Slavin, HEx Dialogues #6 The core HighExistence team members, Mike Slavin, Eric Brown, and Jon Brooks are back with another roundtable discussion. Lockdown restrictions are easing and it's time to reflect on all the craziness that's been happening in the months prior. Four topics that seemed to interlinked during this prolonged period of social isolation are placed, flow, social skills, and depression. Play is a vital form of expression that helps one keep their sanity, enter into flow state, ward off depression, and bond with others. Social skills are just that, "skills" and the worsen when we are not practicing them. When we are out of practice we struggle to flow and we lack a childlike playfulness. Flow is when the challenge perfectly matches the skill level, and this state is vital for good mental health. Depression has many causes, one of the most common being a build up of stress that overwhelms the system. Such stress can be relieved by play, flow, and social relationships. In this discussion, the team explores the intersection of these topics to spark new ideas and provide guidance on how to make sense of the world. WHAT WE DISCUSS IN THIS EPISODE: The impact of coming out of the Covid lockdown The idea of the upward vs. downward spiral The medicinal power of video games How to use emotional reward to increase productivity How competition can increase bonding The fact that being alive is worth a celebration The Stoic approach to being successful The secret to being a great friend How to handle neediness and rejection TONS MORE...

NOTE: Before listening, view the model here: http://www.fourgamestheory.com — — — When I first saw a visual depiction of the 4Game model I was floored. Instantaneously, all of the studying I had done across everything from metaphysics to productivity systems sorted itself into a coherent narrative, a structure where everything fit together. Immediately I knew I wanted to explore this further. To my surprise, there was very little information available! As the trophic cascade of mental imagery and insight continued, I knew this model had the makings of something revolutionary. This was the Cultural Theory of Everything. A model so unwaveringly aesthetic, so deeply comprehensive as to give a shared cultural-cognitive grammar to anyone who was blessed to bear witness to it. The more I dove into the Unified Culture Field Theory, the more I knew the world needed this. This was the foundation for the deep discussion we as a collective need to have. This is the language that unites the masses. From that point, I reached out to the creator Jamie Combs, and this conversation is what emerged as a result. Jamie is a brilliant systems thinker, an intrepid designer and thinker, and I'm extremely excited to be sharing this conversation with you now. What We Cover: An introduction/exploration of the 4Game Model The personal significance of altering your lenses of perception Creating a common cultural language Deep dives into the short, mid, long, and deep game components Cultivating an individual Way of Being Memetically spreading cultural evolution MUCH more...

What would your life be like if you woke up every day, ready to unleash yourself on the world? What would our world be like if our aging elders were comfortable and full of healthy vitality? What gets in the way of us expressing our immense potential? For many of us, our energy levels, mental clarity, and physiological health are the first obstacle we need to tackle. But the health field is complex, dynamic, and getting to the roots of the matter is paramount. Today we're cutting through the noise, going straight to the signal of what matters for your health, vitality, and the longevity of those you care about. Today we welcome Dr. Heather Sandison, Medical Advisor at the Neurohacker Collective to the podcast. The breadth and depth of Heather's insight and experience are astounding, and she brings a holistic approach to managing diseases, addressing longevity, and infusing vitality into each and every day. Your health is foundational. It is the base that the rest of your life is built upon. It is the prime mover of your personal universe. Given this, we need to take it seriously. If this piques your interest, if you're excited about dialling in the degrees of your DNA, we have an ongoing partnership with NHC, you can use the code 'EXISTENCE' for 15% off of any order. Part of being of service for the world is being fit for service. You have to have your own foundations covered, and this conversation is a masterclass in mastering those foundations, and how you can adapt with them as you grow, age, and move through your life. What We Cover: Heather's personal health regime. The illusion of the dichotomy of natural vs. clinical medicine. The need for high-touch care in the medical field. Creating personalized health programming. The 6 paths of managing dementia. How society can shift to accentuate individual wellbeing Unlocking elder wisdom and ageing gracefully What young adults should be focusing on NOW. MUCH more...

Watch interview on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/TI2dA0M1cfk Today, Eric Brown and I sit down and speak to Dominic Milton Trott, the author of The Drug User's Bible. Here are some words from Dominic that really convey the mission behind his book: "The first casualty of war is truth, and the war on drugs is no different. This book is a step to counter this destructive situation. People Are Dying. They are dying because of ignorance: because unremitting propaganda is denying them essential safety information." What Dominic has attempted with The Drug User's Bible has never been done before. Over the course of 8 years, he self-administered over 150 different chemicals and botanicals. For each of these he documented the vital safety data, inclusive of dose thresholds, onset times and duration. In addition, he recorded a trip report: a subjective analysis of his qualitative experience, usually at different time-checks. Amongst the most well known drugs are LSD, xanax, DMT, cocaine, GHB, spice, phenibut, speed, magic mushrooms, cannabis and opium. In this interview we sit down and speak to a man who has taken detailed reports on 157 different drugs.  As you might imagine, it has to be heard to be believed. 

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Jules Evans appeared on the podcast last time to discuss his two previous books: Philosophy For Life And Other Dangerous Situations and The Art of Losing Control. In that episode, we talked at length about the benefits of Stoicism, and also where reason-based philosophical frameworks might be lacking if one wishes to experience a rich, integrated human life. We dove into topics like meditation, eastern philosophy, and psychedelics as useful additions in our psychological toolkit. When I asked Jules what he was working on next, he explained that he was in the process of co-editing a book with psychiatry expert Tim Read all about spiritual emergencies. Considering I am involved in the psychedelic and spirituality space, I was surprised to find that I knew very little about this important topic. 30, years ago Stanislav Grof and his wife Christina wrote a book called Spiritual Emergency where they defined this phenomenon as follows: One of the most important implications... is the realization that many of the conditions, which are currently diagnosed as psychotic and indiscriminately treated by suppressive medication, are actually difficult stages of a radical personality transformation and of spiritual opening. If they are correctly understood and supported, these psychospiritual crises can result in emotional and psychosomatic healing, remarkable psychological transformation, and consciousness evolution. With the resurgence of psychedelics and increased popularity of spiritual practices, information on how one might recognise and navigate their way through a spiritual emergency has never been more important. In this episode of the HighExistence Podcast, Jules and I discuss the book he edited on this topic Breaking Open: Finding Your Way Through a Spiritual Emergency. I have read the book, and I can't express how important I found it. If you are in any way interested in pursuing spiritual transformation, this book book is indispensable. To learn more about Breaking Open and the topic of spiritual emergencies, my conversation here with Jules is a perfect place to begin. WHAT WE DISCUSS IN THIS EPISODE: What is a spiritual emergency? Tips for dealing with difficult spiritual experiences The creative process behind the book Breaking Open Jules' own spiritual emergency and ayahuasca experience Useful guidelines for attending psychedelic retreats Psychosis vs. spiritual emergency Psychedelic intergration The usefulness of psychotherapy The dark side of spirituality MUCH MORE...

To learn more about Richard "Shaky" Shore, Check out the Shake, Rattle, and Roll podcast on Youtube and Spotify --- Today's episode is a very special one for me. I sit down and speak to Richard "Shaky" Shore, Brazilian JiuJitsu black belt, head coach and owner of Shore Mixed Martial Arts (SMMA), and host of the Shake, Rattle, and Roll podcast, where Richard interviews British sporting icons and rising stars, primarily in the MMA scene. What Richard has achieved with SMMA is nothing short of spectacular. Coming from a place in the Welsh valleys where there hasn't historically been a ton of opportunity, he created a mixed martial arts gym before the sport became the mainstream attraction it is now, and has gone on to build a truly state of the art training facility boasting 3 UFC athletes, and many top level pro and amateur MMA fighters. I train at SMMA, and Richard is my Brazilian Jiujitsu coach, so this interview was particularly special for me. I sat down to talk to Richard about martial arts, his own story and personal evolution as a coach, leadership, facing your fears, the attitudes required to be successful at your passions, and much much more.

We're releasing an Accelerated Learning course shortly. If you want to learn more, head over to: https://highexistence.com/learnfast/ — — — After going through the traditional medical paradigm, looking for a solution to treat his debilitating OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) – both medications and therapy were failing him. Left with no viable options, he turned to an unexpected ally — magic mushrooms. Adam's citizen science work with psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) gave him space and the breathing room necessary to make some impressive strides in managing his mental space. The results of his experiments here became the foundation for The Mushroom Cure — a dramatic monologue series that Adam created and performed himself, launching him directly into the psychedelic world and into the public stage here. This is a raw, vulnerable, and real conversation – nothing was left off of the table for discussion. WHAT WE DISCUSS IN THIS EPISODE: The value of humor in deep transformation The harsh reality of living life with mental illness The promise and pitfalls of modern psychotherapy How mushrooms transformed Adams OCD Where do psychedelics fit in modern society? Psychedelic integration and the growth process Understanding identity during times of flux MUCH MORE...

Sign up here to get early access to The Accelerated Learning Experience with Justin Noppe: https://highexistence.com/learnfast/ To watch the video version of this interview visit: https://youtu.be/Mggo7ayRIdY -- In my first conversation with learning expert Justin Noppé we spent a couple hours going over the ultimate skill... learning. Learning how to learn gives you a meta skill that can be applied to any activity you want to master, from cooking to web development and design to martial arts to music to writing to... well everything else you can think of. Most of the high-level people I've met in my life have a certain confidence that comes from knowing they can do anything they put their mind to. The world becomes you oyster when you can confidently look at any obstacle and confidently proclaim... "I can learn to overcome this challenge." After the podcast aired, I wanted to learn more about Justin's learning process, so I asked him to become my Brazilian JuJitsu learning coach. This may sound a bit crazy since Justin doesn't actually practice this martial art, but if his process worked it should work regardless of the topic being studied. After just a few weeks of working with Justin I started seeing the results, and other people started noticing at the gym too. "How are you getting good so quickly? Last week I was smashing, you and now you're smashing me..." It was at this point I knew we had to share Justin's 5-step learning process with the the HighExistence readers. If you want to learn more about this, watch this two-minute video: https://highexistence.com/learnfast/ In the initial podcast I did with Justin, we talked a little bit about reading books, but I wanted to go much deeper on the topic. So in this episode, Justin and I speak specifically all about optimizing book reading. If you enjoy books or want to get more from the books you're reading, the next 35 minutes could change your life. Okay, so what's inside? WHAT WE DISCUSS IN THIS EPISODE: How to pre-read books The uses and limits of speed-reading  The best ways to read for maximum absorption Justin's number one tip when it comes to learning from books When you should read super slow  The wisdom of book lists  The right way to take notes Vanity metrics when it comes to reading  Tons more...

We're opening the doors to our accelerated learning course with Justin soon. Add yourself to the early access list here. What does living in alignment really look like? How do you define the goals, virtues, and morals that will guide your life? And how do you act them out in your daily life? This is just one of the many topics we explore today on the latest HighExistence Dialogues – with learning expert Justin Noppé with us. We explore the systems and techniques of unlocking yourself, living up to the potential you have inside of you, and explore how your culture shapes a lot of this early on and what you can do about it now. Whether it's new skill acquisition, changing your personality and disposition, or getting a deeper understanding of how to connect with others — this conversation goes into all of that and a lot more. Justin is already the creator of our Accelerated Learning course, so you can dive in behind-the-scenes as we riff on these topics. To learn more about the course, check out the link at the top of this description. WHAT WE DISCUSS IN THIS EPISODE: Overcoming agreeableness and cultural divisions Navigating interpersonal dynamics with expertise What an 'aligned human' looks like Become anything and anybody you want Building a sturdy foundation for the rest of your life Hard skills vs. soft skills Becoming an interesting person and owning it Deconstructing yourself with real-world results MUCH MORE...

What would life be like if we could transcend the ordinary? Now this journey isn’t for the faint of heart. This is a Hero’s Journey of cataclysmic proportions. Undoing, overriding, and re-learning decades of distilled and conditioned socio-cultural programming is no small feat. But on the other side awaits beauty, wonder, and experiences far beyond our present imagining. This is why HighExistence came into being. To serve as a portal, through which the initiates pass, into a world of wisdom and wonder. As we take an evolutionary step forward with HighExistence, we riff on what it means to transcend the ordinary and become the creators of our own reality. Won’t you come along with us? WHAT WE DISCUSS IN THIS EPISODE: What it means to transcend the ordinary The next evolutionary step for HighExistence How to modify and amplify the lenses of perception The mythological meaning of I.M M.Y.T.H. Seeking Truth as the ultimate Hero's Journey Courage and wonder in the face of the mundane What does it really mean to create your own reality? Myth-busting common cultural constructs The awe-inspiring wonder of inter-subjective existence MUCH MORE...

East Forest is a man of many talents. Composer, explorer, facilitator, innovator, digital shaman — the list goes on. Many of us know him through the music he produces, the experiences he’s crafted, or for the meditations and retreats that he hosts. He recently burst back into the spotlight with his latest album release ‘Ram Dass’ — a collaboration project he did with the renowned spiritual teacher himself. It was one of the last public projects that Ram Dass undertook before his passing. We sat down with East Forest to go into the woods on everything with him: his creative process, his views on spirituality and metaphysics, the value of inner work and exploration, and a whole lot more. East Forest has the makings of a wise elder — reserved and focused in his speech, but able to convey a level of wisdom and reverence that is truly stunning. We hope you enjoy this conversation with East Forest, as well as a few samples of songs that appear on the Ram Dass album. WHAT WE DISCUSS IN THIS EPISODE: What East Forest thinks of music and meaning The production of music as the birthing of the new Navigating uncertainty as a creator The metaphysics of meaning and human life Collaborating with Ram Dass Spontaneous emergence through courageous leaps Digital shamanism and the future of psychedelic experiences Slow down and tuning in with yourself, for yourself MUCH MORE...

Watch the video of this interview here. Patrick McKeown is the author of the acclaimed The Oxygen Advantage. I was first recommended this book by my friend and mentor Justin Noppé to help with my breathing during Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The book blew my mind. I consider myself fairly knowledgeable about topics like health, fitness, anxiety, and stress... But there was so much highly useful information in this book, I knew I had to started putting the ideas into practice immediately. Then COVID-19 hit. The more research I did on this disease, the more I wanted to talk to Patrick about it. COVID-19 is a respiratory disease, so the world's leading authority on the Buteyko breathing method should surely have some useful input. I reached out to Patrick and he agreed to speak. It was an incredibly illuminating 90-minute discussion, and a few days later I attended his masterclass—did not disappoint. Whether you're new to Patrick's work or already familiar, there will be a ton of value for you in this episode. WHAT WE DISCUSS IN THIS EPISODE: How to breathe to avoid spreading and catching COVID-19 How to breathe if you are suffering from anxiety The insane benefits of nasal breathing How to combine breath work and meditation The Wim Hof Method and its drawbacks How to measure the health of your lungs Simple ways to dramatically improve your athletic performance Simple techniques to improve your sleep overnight MUCH MORE... WATCH MY INTERVIEW WITH PATRICK HERE: https://youtu.be/i6bXKYS2mk4

“We appear to be heading for a level of existence that is beyond our ability to even imagine: the universe is being recalled; we are going home.” — Bob Frissell Bob Frissell came into my reality in quite a fitting fashion: By synchronicity. I was in a bookstore called Myopic Books in Chicago, perusing the esoteric and occult section. A book caught my eye. It was called, Nothing in This Book is True, But It's Exactly How Things Are. I grabbed the book and began to page through it. In the few days prior I had discovered and begun reading the work of Drunvalo Melchizedek, a fascinating spiritual teacher who discusses things like unity consciousness, sacred geometry, ancient civilizations, miraculous feats of spiritual masters, and Merkaba energy fields. Paging through Nothing in This Book is True, I was serendipitously surprised and delighted to find mention of Drunvalo Melchizedek. I realized the book extensively discussed Drunvalo's teaching and elaborated on the same general constellation of topics. It became clear that it was "heavily indicated" to purchase this book and read it. I would later learn that the book, originally published some 25 years ago, had become a cult classic and sold half a million copies worldwide. I devoured the book in the coming days, greatly enjoying its mind-bending contents. Then, on a whim, I decided to email the author, Bob Frissell, after discovering his website. I mentioned I'd be interested in interviewing him. Within a couple days, he replied, and the rest, as they say, is history. Bob and I 'sat down' digitally and had one of the most far-reaching, cranium-detonating conversations I've ever had. It was a lot of fun. If you're open to radical ideas that will challenge your understanding of history, the origins of humanity, our purpose on this planet, and what we're truly capable of, you won't want to miss this one. Visit HighExistence.com for more podcasts. 

Important note: The HighExistence dialogues are where the three creators Jon Brooks, Eric Brown, and Mike Slavin come together to discuss life, the universe, and everything in between. But if you'd like to follow up with us individually, be sure to subscribe to our new YouTube channels. Here are some places you can find out more... Mike Slavin's beautiful video on how to navigate loss Jon Brooks's practical video on Stoic strategies for overcoming anxiety Eric Brown in conversation shares his masterful insights on how to be productive When’s the last time you learned something for the first time? It might have been a while. For many, education stops the moment school is finished. Should it continue to be this way? How we can learn new skills so that we can stay sovereignty and adaptable to a future that is constantly in flux? Learning is the ultimate meta-skill. It is the foundation of acquiring any other skill. It is the foundation that resilient humans are built upon. To this end, there are a number of techniques, mindsets, and teachers that can be instrumental in helping us move towards mastery. In the latest instalment of the HEx Dialogues, we dive into the nuance and opportunity present in learning, bending reality, and picking up the pace of skills acquisition. If you find yourself wanting to become more adaptable, to level up quickly and consistently, this is a blueprint to doing exactly that. WHAT WE DISCUSS IN THIS EPISODE: The great teachers and allies along the path A massive list of recommended readings and resources Jon, Mike, and Eric's take on what we're learning right now The fundamentals of skills acquisition and learning Is accelerated learning real? The potential and pitfalls The shortcomings of the current educational matrix How to bend reality and the journey to being superhuman The long and short road to mastery MUCH MORE... See the Full Show Notes and Recommendations Here

Do you hear the call right now? The call to rise up, to step into your power, to be the hero. To take actions for yourself, your community, and your world. These are the tests that we've been waiting for. This is the call to be a Hero. This is where you can demonstrate the fruits of your inner work. In times of uncertainty, the best things you can do are often the smallest steps. Take care of yourself and others. Remaining grounded and centered. Check-in on others and see what help is needed. Coordinate information and resources. Contribute. Show Up. It is under this thread that we embark again today on another Dialogue, sitting down to riff on these concepts and far more, dissecting the mythological significance and opportunity that the COVID-19 pandemic is offering individuals. With some reframing, some individual empowerment, and a lot of diligence – we can all find space here to step further into our power, to embrace this as an opportunity to rise up and be the Hero in a time that needs more of them. WHAT WE DISCUSS IN THIS EPISODE: Cultivating sovereignty in uncertain times The slippery slope of framing humanity as a virus... The danger of listening to successful people What nobility looks like and why it's been lost How the Hero's Journey relates to global events The revitalization of the Warrior archetype How to be the hero that the world needs MUCH MORE...