Podcasts about Illusion

THEATER, BATTLESHIPS, AND THE ILLUSION OF AMERICAN POWER Colleagues Gaius and Germanicus, Friends of History Debating Society, Londinium, 91 AD. Gaius and Germanicus discuss the theatrical nature of American imperial power under Donald Trump, positing that the administration utilizes military displays—such as missile strikes on empty targets in Nigeria or Venezuela—as symbolic rituals to assert authority without risking the failure associated with actual combat. Germanicus argues that Trump possesses the insight that "theater is the best way to assert American authority," drawing a parallel to Reagan's "Star Wars" initiative, which defeated the Soviets through the illusion of technological superiority rather than its reality. They debate the strategic utility of battleships; while Trump envisions massive vessels for their psychological hold on the "collective imagination," Germanicus predicts the construction of guided missile cruisers that merely project that image of invincibility. The conversation shifts to the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, where Germanicus characterizes the Kyiv government as a "gangster racket" protracting the war for financial gain while Russia solidifies its military reputation. They conclude that the US is transitioning into a phase of empire relying on "demonstration and display" to maintain global dominance, warning that an actual military defeat could be a fatal blow to the system. NUMBER 1 1942 BB58 USS MARYLSND IN ACTION.

Problems occur when consciousness becomes identified with external objects and forgets its own nature as pure, eternal witnessing presence. Ego emerges when we build a self-concept based on our past experiences, which leads to suffering whenever reality doesn't align with internal expectations. The path to liberation begins by accepting what is and allowing our past stored blockages to be transmuted through spiritual practice and clarity. The true self is the unchanging observer, resting in pure consciousness beyond the personal mind, where the divine experiences creation. © Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

https://media.blubrry.com/thesuccessfulmindpodcast/ins.blubrry.com/thesuccessfulmindpodcast/TSM705_MDM_Oct22_25.mp3   The battle between need vs desire decides whether you expand or stay stuck. I've lived both—and I can tell you, desire carries the creative power that need never will. Need is fear-based. It pushes you just far enough to survive. Desire, though, pulls you into your future with energy and purpose. Understanding the Energy Behind Need vs DesireNeed comes from safety and certainty—the illusion of control. Desire begins as fantasy but becomes a magnificent obsession. When you feed it daily, it fuels the action that brings growth. Breaking the Safety IllusionMost people cling to safety. But as I always say, if you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room. Growth requires risk. Every step forward brings some chaos—but that's the cost of expansion. Feed Desire, Not FearYou have to nourish your vision—keep it free of negative people and thoughts. In business, that means selling, serving, and staying inspired by what's next. When you live by need vs desire, choose desire. Every time. Episode 155 – The Edge of Uncertainty Episode 365 – What Causes Blindspots Episode 551 – The Illusion of Growth You are successful on paper… but why doesn't it feel like freedom?In February, I'm bringing together a group of driven entrepreneurs for a 2-day business intensive where we strip away the fear, resistance, and patterns that quietly cap your growth, and get you clear on your next breakthrough. Together, we'll uncover what's been holding you back, claim the freedom you've been chasing, and walk away with the clarity and courage to lead your business — and your life — on your terms. And because business growth isn't just about mindset, Steph Tuss is teaching a special marketing session on the latest business-building tactics that are working now. She'll also answer your most pressing marketing questions. Seats are limited. If you want in, secure yours now. If you like the show, would you be so kind as to leave us a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than a minute and really makes a difference in helping me spread the Successful Mind message around the globe.  LEAVE A REVIEW Check out David's book! Get Your Copy Today! Miss anything? Don't forget to subscribe to the show to keep up with your own successful mindset. We're available wherever you listen to podcasts:   Apple Podcasts Spotify Pandora iHeartRadio Amazon Music Life is Now wants you to get SOCIAL! You can find us on the following platforms:  Facebook X-twitter Instagram Linkedin Youtube The post Need vs. Desire: The Energy That Creates Growth appeared first on The Successful Mind Podcast.

Imagine for a second that Eckhart Tolle wasn't a spiritual teacher, but a deep cover operative with a gun to his head. And just for a second, pretend that Tolle’s Power of Now wasn't a way to find peace, but a survival mechanism used to slow down time when your reality is collapsing. And your memory has been utterly destroyed by forces beyond your control. Until a good friend helps you rebuild it from the ground up. These are the exact feelings and sense of positive transformation I tried to capture in a project I believe is critical for future autodidacts, polymaths and traditional learners: Vitamin X, a novel in which the world’s only blind memory champion helps a detective use memory techniques and eventually achieve enlightenment. It’s also a story about accomplishing big goals, even in a fast-paced and incredibly challenging world. In the Magnetic Memory Method community at large, we talk a lot about the habits of geniuses like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. We obsess over their reading lists and their daily routines because we want that same level of clarity and intellectual power. But there's a trap in studying genius that too many people fall into: Passivity. And helping people escape passive learning is one of several reasons I’ve studied the science behind a variety of fictional learning projects where stories have been tested as agents of change. Ready to learn more about Vitamin X and the various scientific findings I’ve uncovered in order to better help you learn? Let’s dive in! Defeating the Many Traps of Passive Learning We can read about how Lincoln sharpened his axe for hours before trying to cut down a single tree. And that's great. But something's still not quite right. To this day, tons of people nod their heads at that famous old story about Lincoln. Yet, they still never sharpen their own axes, let alone swing them. Likewise, people email me every day regarding something I've taught about focus, concentration or a particular mnemonic device. They know the techniques work, including under extreme pressure. But their minds still fracture the instant they're faced with distraction. As a result, they never wind up getting the memory improvement results I know they can achieve. So, as happy as I am with all the help my books like The Victorious Mind and SMARTER have helped create in this world, I’m fairly confident that those titles will be my final memory improvement textbooks. Instead, I am now focused on creating what you might call learning simulations. Enter Vitamin X, the Memory Detective Series & Teaching Through Immersion Because here's the thing: If I really want to teach you how to become a polymath, I can't just carry on producing yet another list of tips. I have to drop you into scenarios where you actually feel what it's like to use memory techniques. That's why I started the Memory Detective initiative. It began with a novel called Flyboy. It’s been well-received and now part two is out. And it’s as close to Eckhart Tolle meeting a Spy Thriller on LSD as I could possibly make it. Why? To teach through immersion. Except, it's not really about LSD. No, the second Memory Detective novel centers around a substance called Vitamin X. On the surface, it's a thriller about a detective named David Williams going deep undercover. In actuality, it's a cognitive training protocol disguised as a novel. But one built on a body of research that shows stories can change what people remember, believe, and do. And that's both the opportunity and the danger. To give you the memory science and learning research in one sentence: Stories are a delivery system. We see this delivery system at work in the massive success of Olly Richards’ StoryLearning books for language learners. Richards built his empire on the same mechanism Pimsleur utilized to great effect long before their famous audio recordings became the industry standard: using narrative to make raw data stick. However, a quick distinction is necessary. In the memory world, we often talk about the Story Method. This approach involves linking disparate pieces of information together in a chain using a simple narrative vignette (e.g., a giant cat eating a toaster to remember a grocery list). That is a powerful mnemonic tool, and you will see Detective Williams use short vignettes in the Memory Detective series. But Vitamin X is what I call ‘Magnetic Fiction.’ It's not a vignette. It's a macro-narrative designed to carry the weight of many memory techniques itself. It simulates the pressure required to forge the skill, showing you how and why to use the story method within a larger, immersive context. So with that in mind, let's unpack the topic of fiction and teaching a bit further. That way, you'll know more of what I have in mind for my readers. And perhaps you'll become interested in some memory science experiments I plan to run in the near future. Illustration of “Cafe Mnemonic,” a fun memory training location the Memory Detective David Williams wants to establish once he has enough funds. Fiction as a Teaching Technology: What the Research Says This intersection of story and memory isn't new territory for me. Long before I gave my popular TEDx Talk on memory or helped thousands of people through the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass, live workshops and my books, I served as a Mercator award-winning Film Studies professor. In this role, I often analyzed and published material regarding how narratives shape our cognition. Actually, my research into the persuasion of memory goes back to my scholarly contribution to the anthology The Theme of Cultural Adaptation in American History, Literature and Film. In my chapter, “Cryptomnesia or Cryptomancy? Subconscious Adaptations of 9/11,” I examined specifically how cultural narratives influence memory formation, forgetting, and the subconscious acceptance of information. That academic background drives the thinking and the learning protocols baked into Vitamin X. As does the work of researchers who have studied narrative influence for decades. Throughout their scientific findings, one idea keeps reappearing in different forms: When a story pulls you in, you experience some kind of “transportation.” It can be that you find yourself deeply immersed in the life of a character. Or you find your palms sweating as your brain tricks you into believing you're undergoing some kind of existential threat. When such experiences happen, you stop processing information like you would an argument through critical thinking. Instead, you start processing the information in the story almost as if they were really happening. As a result, these kinds of transportation can change beliefs and intentions, sometimes without the reader noticing the change happening. That's why fiction has been used for: teaching therapy religion civic formation advertising propaganda Even many national anthems contain stories that create change, something I experienced recently when I became an Australian citizen. As I was telling John Michael Greer during our latest podcast recording, I impulsively took both the atheist and the religious oath and sang the anthem at the ceremony. All of these pieces contain stories and those stories changed how I think, feel and process the world. Another way of looking at story is summed up in this simple statement: All stories have the same basic mechanism. But many stories have wildly different ethics. My ethics: Teach memory improvement methods robustly. Protect the tradition. And help people think for themselves using the best available critical thinking tools. And story is one of them. 6 Key Research Insights on Educational Fiction Now, when it comes to the research that shows just how powerful story is, we can break it down into buckets. Some of the main categories of research on fiction for pedagogy include: 1) Narrative transportation and persuasion As these researchers explain in The Role of Transportation in the Persuasiveness of Public Narratives, transportation describes how absorbed a reader becomes in a story. Psychologists use transportation models to show how story immersion drives belief change. It works because vivid imagery paired with emotion and focused attention make story-consistent ideas easier to accept. This study of how narratives were used in helping people improve their health support the basic point: Narratives produce average shifts in attitudes, beliefs, intentions, and sometimes behavior. Of course, the exact effects vary by topic and the design of the scientific study in question. But the point remains that fiction doesn't merely entertain. It can also train and persuade. 2) Entertainment-Education (EE) EE involves deliberately embedding education into popular media, often with pro-social aims. In another health-based study, researchers found that EE can influence knowledge, attitudes, intentions, behavior, and self-efficacy. Researchers in Brazil have also used large-scale observational work on soap operas and social outcomes (like fertility). As this study demonstrates, mass narrative exposure can shape real-world behavior at scale within a population. Stories can alter norms, not just transfer facts from one mind to another. You’ll encounter this theme throughout Vitamin X, especially when Detective Williams tangles with protestors who hold beliefs he does not share, but seem to be taking over the world. 3) Narrative vs expository learning (a key warning) Here's the part most “educational fiction” ignores: Informative narratives often increase interest, but they don't automatically improve comprehension. As this study found, entertainment can actually cause readers to overestimate how well they understood the material. This is why “edutainment” often produces big problems: You can wind up feeling smarter because you enjoyed an experience. But just because you feel that way doesn't mean you gain a skill you can reliably use. That’s why I have some suggestions for you below about how to make sure Vitamin X actually helps you learn to use memory techniques better. 4) Seductive details (another warning) There's also the problem of effects created by what scientists call seductive details. Unlike the “luminous details” I discussed with Brad Kelly on his Madness and Method podcast, seductive details are interesting but irrelevant material. They typically distract attention and reduce learning of what actually matters. As a result, these details divert attention through interference and by adding working memory demands. The research I’ve read suggests that when story authors don't engineer their work with learning targets in mind, their efforts backfire. What was intended to help learners actually becomes a sabotage device. I've done my best to avoid sabotaging my own pedagogical efforts in the Memory Detective stories so far. That's why they include study guides and simulations of using the Memory Palace technique, linking and number mnemonics like the Major System. In the series finale, which is just entering the third draft now, the 00-99 PAO and Giordano Bruno's Statue technique are the learning targets I’ve set up for you. They are much harder, and that’s why even though there are inevitable seductive details throughout the Memory Detective series, the focus on memory techniques gets increasingly more advanced. My hope is that your focus and attention will be sharpened as a result. 5) Learning misinformation from fiction (the dark side) People don't just learn from fiction. They learn false facts from fiction too. In this study, researchers found that participants often treated story-embedded misinformation as if it were true knowledge. This is one reason using narrative as a teaching tool is so ethically loaded. It can bypass the mental posture we use for skepticism. 6) Narrative “correctives” (using story against misinformation) The good news is that narratives can also reduce misbelief. This study on “narrative correctives” found that stories can sometimes decrease false beliefs and misinformed intentions, though results are mixed. The key point is that story itself is neither “good” or “bad.” It's a tool for leverage, and this is one of the major themes I built into Vitamin X. My key concern is that people would confuse me with any of my characters. Rather, I was trying to create a portrait of our perilous world where many conflicts unfold every day. Some people use tools for bad, others for good, and even that binary can be difficult for people to agree upon. Pros & Cons of Teaching with Fiction Let’s start with the pros. Attention and completion: A good story can keep people engaged, which is a prerequisite for any learning to occur. The transportation model I cited above helps explain why. The Positive Side of Escapism Entering a simulation also creates escapism that is actually valuable. This is because fiction gives you “experience” without real-world consequences when it comes to facing judgment, ethics, identity, and pressure-handling. This is one reason why story has always been used for moral education, not just entertainment. However, I’ve also used story in my Memory Detective games, such as “The Velo Gang Murders.” Just because story was involved did not mean people did not face judgement. But it was lower than my experiments with “Magnetic Variety,” a non-narrative game I’ll be releasing in the future. Lower Reactance Stories can reduce counterarguing compared with overt persuasion, which can be useful for resistant audiences. In other words, you’re on your own in the narrative world. Worst case scenario, you’ll have a bone to pick with the author. This happened to me the other day when someone emailed to “complain” about how I sometimes discuss Sherlock Holmes. Fortunately, the exchange turned into a good-hearted debate, something I attribute to having story as the core foundation of our exchange. Compare this to Reddit discussions like this one, where discussing aspects of the techniques in a mostly abstract way leads to ad hominem attacks. Now for the cons: Propaganda Risk The same reduction in counterarguing and squabbling with groups that you experience when reading stories is exactly what makes narratives useful for manipulation. When you’re not discussing what you’re reading with others, you can wind up ruminating on certain ideas. This can lead to negative outcomes where people not only believe incorrect things. They sometimes act out negatively in the world. The Illusion of Understanding Informative narratives can produce high interest but weaker comprehension and inflated metacomprehension. I’ve certainly had this myself, thinking I understand various points in logic after reading Alice in Wonderland. In reality, I still needed to do a lot more study. And still need more. In fact, “understanding” is not a destination so much as it is a process. Misinformation Uptake People sometimes acquire false beliefs from stories and struggle to discount fiction as a source. We see this often in religion due to implicit memory. Darrel Ray has shown how this happens extensively in his book, The God Virus: How Religion Infects Our Lives and Culture. His book helped explain something that happened to me after I first started memorizing Sanskrit phrases and feeling the benefits of long-form meditation. For a brief period, implicit memory and the primacy effect made me start to consider that the religion I’d grown up with was in fact true and real. Luckily, I shook that temporary effect. But many others aren’t quite so lucky. And in case it isn’t obvious, I’ll point out that the Bible is not only packed with stories. Some of those stories contain mnemonic properties, something Eran Katz pointed out in his excellent book, Where Did Noah Park the Ark? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhQlcMHhF3w The “Reefer Madness” Problem While working on Vitamin X, I thought often about Reefer Madness. In case you haven’t seen it, Reefer Madness began as an “educational” morality tale about cannabis. It's now famous largely because it's an over-the-top artifact of moral panic, an example of how fear-based fiction can be used to shape public belief under the guise of protection. I don’t want to make that mistake in my Memory Detective series. But there is a relationship because Vitamin X does tackle nootropics, a realm of substances for memory I am asked to comment on frequently. In this case, I'm not trying to protect people from nootropics, per se. But as I have regularly talked about over the years, tackling issues like brain fog by taking memory supplements or vitamins for memory is fraught with danger. And since fiction is one of the most efficient way to smuggle ideas past the mind's filters, I am trying to raise some critical thinking around supplementation for memory. But to do it in a way that's educational without trying to exploit anyone. I did my best to create the story so that you wind up thinking for yourself. What I'm doing differently with Vitamin X & the Memory Detective Series I'm not pretending fiction automatically teaches. I'm treating fiction as a delivery system for how various mnemonic methods work and as a kind of cheerleading mechanism that encourages you to engage in proper, deliberate practice. Practice of what? 1) Concentration meditation. Throughout the story, Detective Williams struggles to learn and embrace the memory-based meditation methods of his mentor, Jerome. You get to learn more about these as you read the story. 2) Memory Palaces as anchors for sanity, not party tricks. In the library sequence, Williams tries to launch a mnemonic “boomerang” into a Memory Palace while hallucinatory imagery floods the environment. Taking influence from the ancient mnemonist, Hugh of St. Victor, Noah's Ark becomes a mnemonic structure. Mnemonic images surge and help Detective Williams combat his PTSD. To make this concrete, I've utilized the illustrations within the book itself. Just as the ancients used paintings and architectural drawings to encode knowledge, the artwork in Vitamin X isn’t just decoration. During the live bootcamp I’m running to celebrate the launch, I show you how to treat the illustrations as ‘Painting Memory Palaces.’ This effectively turns the book in your hands into a functioning mnemonic device, allowing you to practice the method of loci on the page before you even step out into the real world. Then there’s the self-help element, which takes the form of how memory work can help restore sanity. A PTSD theme runs throughout the Memory Detective series for two deliberate reasons. First, Detective Williams is partly based on Nic Castle. He's a former police officer who found symptom relief for his PTSD from using memory techniques. He shared his story on this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast years ago. Second, Nic's anecdotal experience is backed up by research. And even if you don't have PTSD, the modern world is attacking many of us in ways that clearly create similar symptom-like issues far worse than the digital amnesia I've been warning about for years. We get mentally hijacked by feeds, anxiety loops, and synthetic urgency. We lose our grip on reality and wonder why we can't remember what we read five minutes ago. That's just one more reason I made memory techniques function as reality-tests inside Vitamin X. 3) The critical safeguard: I explicitly separate fiction from technique. In Flyboy's afterword, I put it plainly: The plot is fictional, but the memory techniques are real. And because they're real, they require study and practice. I believe this boundary matters because research shows how easily readers absorb false “facts” from fiction. 4) To help you practice, I included a study guide. At the end of both Flyboy and Vitamin X, there are study guides. In Vitamin X, you'll find a concrete method for creating a Mnemonic Calendar. This is not the world's most perfect memory technique. But it's helpful and a bit more advanced than a technique I learned from Jim Samuels many years ago. In his version, he had his clients divide the days of the week into a Memory Palace. For his senior citizens in particular, he had them divide the kitchen. So if they had to take a particular pill on Monday, they would imagine the pill as a giant moon in the sink. Using the method of loci, this location would always serve as their mnemonic station for Monday. In Vitamin X, the detective uses a number-shape system. Either way, these kinds of techniques for remembering schedules are the antidote to the “illusion of understanding” problem, provided that you put them to use. They can be very difficult to understand if you don't. Why My Magnetic Fiction Solves the “Hobbyist” Problem A lot of memory training fails for one reason: People treat it as a hobby. They “learn” techniques the way people “learn” guitar: By watching a few videos and buying a book. While the study material sits on a shelf or lost in a hard drive, the consumer winds up never rehearsing. Never putting any skill to the test. And as a result, never enjoying integration with the techniques. What fiction can do is create: emotional stakes situational context identity consistency (“this is what I do now”) and enough momentum to carry you into real practice That's the point of the simulation. You're not just reading about a detective and his mentor using Memory Palaces and other memory techniques. You're watching what happens when a mind uses a Memory Palace to stay oriented. And you can feel that urgency in your own nervous system while you read. That's the “cognitive gym” effect, I'm going for. It's also why I love this note from Andy, because it highlights the exact design target I'm going for: “I finished Flyboy last night. Great book! I thought it was eminently creative, working the memory lessons into a surprisingly intricate and entertaining crime mystery. Well done!” Or as the real-life Sherlock Holmes Ben Cardall put it the Memory Detective stories are: …rare pieces of fiction that encourages reflection in the reader. You don’t just get the drama, the tension and the excitement from the exploits of its characters. You also get a look at your own capabilities as though Anthony is able to make you hold a mirror up to yourself and think ‘what else am I capable of’? A Practical Way to Read These Novels for Memory Training If you want the benefits without the traps we've discussed today: Read Vitamin X for immersion first (let transportation do its job). Then read it again with a simple study goal. This re-reading strategy is important because study-goal framing will improve comprehension and reduce overconfidence. During this second read-through, actually use the Mnemonic Calendar. Then, test yourself by writing out what you remember from the story. If you make a mistake, don't judge yourself. Simply use analytical thinking to determine what went wrong and work out how you can improve. The Future: Learning Through Story is About to Intensify Here's the uncomfortable forecast: Even though I’m generally pro-AI for all kinds of outcomes and grateful for my discussions with Andrew Mayne about it (host of the OpenAI Podcast), AI could make the generation of personalized narratives that target your fears, identity, and desires trivial. That means there’s the risk that AI will also easily transform your beliefs. The same machinery that can create “education you can't stop reading” can also create persuasion you barely notice. Or, as Michael Connelly described in his novel, The Proving Ground, we might notice the effects of this persuasion far more than we’d like. My research on narrative persuasion and misinformation underscores why this potential outcome is not hypothetical. So the real question isn't “Should we teach with fiction?” The question is: Will we build fiction that creates personal agency… or engineer stories that steal it? My aim with Flyboy, Vitamin X and the series finale is simple and focused on optimizing your ability: to use story as a motivation engine to convert that motivation into deliberate practice to make a wide range of memory techniques feel as exciting for you as they are for me and to give your attention interesting tests in a world engineered to fragment it. If you want better memory, this is your challenge: Don't read Vitamin X for entertainment alone. Read it to see if you can hold on to reality while the world spins out of control. When you do, you'll be doing something far rarer than collecting tips. You'll be swinging the axe. A very sharp axe indeed. And best of all, your axe for learning and remembering more information at greater speed will be Magnetic.

Welcome to episode #1016 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a moment when artificial intelligence is reshaping not just how markets operate but how people think, feel, decide and connect, understanding the human consequences of that shift has become essential. Mark Schaefer is a keynote speaker, educator, strategist, and a voice in modern marketing, with more than three decades of experience spanning global sales, public relations and brand strategy. He is a faculty member at Rutgers University. Mark's latest book, How AI Changes Your Customers - The Marketing Guide To Humanity's Next Chapter, extends his body of work by examining how AI is quietly rewiring consumer psychology, trust, agency, empathy, and belonging (be sure to check out his other books). Rather than focusing on algorithms or tools, Mark explores how customers are becoming more machine-assisted, less patient, more dependent on automation, and increasingly hungry for meaning and connection in a world optimized for efficiency. He argues that curiosity, art, and human connection are strategic advantages rather than soft ideals. Grounded in research, lived experience, and cultural observation, his work challenges marketers and leaders to rethink relevance, rethink loyalty, and rethink what it means to serve customers whose decisions are increasingly shaped by machines. At its core, Mark's perspective reframes AI not as a threat to humanity, but as a force that exposes what only humans can still do well…if they choose to lean into it. Enjoy the conversation… Running time: 1:06:07. Hello from beautiful Montreal. Listen and subscribe over at Apple Podcasts. Listen and subscribe over at Spotify. Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Thinking With Mitch Joel. Feel free to connect to me directly on LinkedIn. Check out ThinkersOne. Here is my conversation with Mark Schaefer. Book Mark for your next meeting on ThinkersOne. How AI Changes Your Customers - The Marketing Guide To Humanity's Next Chapter. Check out his other books. Read Mark's Blog. Follow Mark on LinkedIn. Chapters: (00:00) - Introduction to Mark Schaefer and AI's Impact. (03:00) - The Dual Nature of AI: Exciting and Terrifying. (06:09) - Cultural Shifts and AI's Influence on Humanity. (08:53) - Curiosity and Learning in the Age of AI. (12:08) - The Role of AI in Content Creation. (14:57) - Art, Tools, and the Essence of Creativity. (17:54) - The Illusion of Intimacy in AI. (21:05) - Navigating the Attention vs. Intimacy Economy. (23:54) - The Future of AI and Human Connection. (37:13) - Cultural Perspectives on AI and Work. (39:06) - AI Sovereignty and Global Implications. (41:23) - The Human Element in AI and Marketing. (43:42) - The Challenge of Authenticity in AI Content. (45:52) - Navigating Trust in a Digital Age. (49:20) - Generational Differences in Trust and Truth. (53:02) - The Role of Curiosity in the Age of AI. (56:46) - The Future of Trust and AI in Business. (01:01:40) - The Impact of AI on Human Connection. (01:03:59) - Embracing AI for Positive Change.

Florian Schroeder hat sich für sein neues Buch auf die Suche gemacht: Was macht Menschen wirklich glücklich? Wo handelt es sich eher um eine "Glücks-Illusion”?

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Is transgenderism a mental disorder? Is transexualism a delusional pursuit? Is sexual identity a cultural value arbitrarily assigned at birth? This is the topic of today's discussion. My first experience with a person seeking transexual modification was as a private practice marriage counselor in Idaho, back in the early 1980's. This fellow was seeking an official diagnosis of transexualism as required by the state in order to proceed with surgical procedures. He had been denied certification by other psychologists and was hoping I would provide him with the needed diagnosis. One session was enough for me to deny his claim. Why? After hearing his story, it turned out that his wife had recently decided she was a lesbian and no longer wanted to have sex with him. In order to save his marriage he decided to have his genitals surgically removed so he could “become a woman” to save their marriage. Though motivated by love for his wife, this reason would not qualify him for surgery under any transgender or transexual definition. I can tell you he was plenty pissed off by my refusal to go along with his plan. By definition, a transgendered individual is one who identifies with a gender incongruent with their body. They prefer dressing in clothing usually associated with the “other” gender and purposely minimize their secondary sexual characteristics. They may prefer engaging in activities more popular with the “other” gender. Population estimates of transgender persons has jumped from an historically steady 0.6% of the total population as of 2016 to 1.0% of the population surveyed in 2025, with young people ages 13-17 now accounting for 3.3% of the general population. Transexual is defined as taking the extra step of body modification through surgery or hormones to bring the body into closer congruence with self-identity. It is estimated that 25% to 30% of transgendered individuals now undergo body modification, up from an estimated 10% to 15% in the early 2000's. What accounts for this rise in trans identity? Is it merely a rise in societal acceptance that grants the freedom to declare one's identity publicly as many claim, or is there another, more gnostic, interpretation of this phenomena? Let's consider this carefully. Many gnostic texts suggest that the spiritual plane is gendered and populated by male and female entities, which gives rise to tidy mythological pantheons of male and female gods. However, I question the meaning of the term “gender” as it applies to the aeonic realm. At least one important book of the Nag Hammadi makes no mention of gender in the spiritual realm, and that's the Tripartite Tractate upon which this gnosis is based. [I take that back. Actually, there's one mention of the fallen Aeon being as one stripped of their masculinity, but that's more a statement of overall loss of integration and power arising from the fall.] Everything I'm sharing with you today is based upon the Tripartite Tractate and the logical conclusions that arise from that book. Yes, the terms “Father” and “Son” are assigned to the originating consciousness out of which our consciousness flows, but the meaning of those terms has nothing to do with sexual attributes or form. Neutral names like “Source” and “Offspring” would do as nicely but lack the personal relatability of family and the familiarity of traditional names. Sexual orientation and activity only applies to us creatures here in the Deficiency for purposes of reproduction. The portal between the ethereal and the so-called material cosmos requires a mechanism for fruiting the 2nd Order Powers arriving from the Fullness. Sexual activity is primarily responsible for populating the 2nd economy for all creatures above the level of bacteria, amoeba, fungi, and some plants and invertebrates. It would seem that the rules for fruiting changed from asexual to sexual as the complexity of the 2nd Order creatures arriving on the planet changed from smallest to largest. The Aeons are not male and female. They are fully integrated units of consciousness. What we call male identity and female identity reflect our lack of integration of our complete identity, or what Jung referred to as the lack of self-actualization of our animus and anima. In other words, our essential identities are neither male nor female but both. So identifying with either is actually a deficiency that represents incomplete individuation hampered by overidentification with the physical form. Male identity is misclassified as belonging to a man's soul identity, or what we here at Gnostic Insights call “ego” identity. The same goes for female identity. Remember, all 2nd Order Powers share the same One Self consciousness that flows unimpeded from Above. What distinguishes us is our ego identity—our self-identified name, position, place, and duty. The same goes for the Aeons. The Aeons share their One identity with the Son as fractals of the Son, and are distinguished from one another by their self-identified egoic position within the hierarchy of the Fullness of God according to name, position, place, and duty. Like the Aeons, we encompass and embrace the full anima/animus spectrum within our ego identity. But down here, physical and material forces act upon our bodies and influence self-identity as either male or female. In reality, we are equally both. Furthermore, the memes we pick up here from our childhood experiences, especially childhood sexual trauma, can affect our gender identity. The Son is the Father's only direct emanation. The Son is a monad, not a dyad or syzygy. Even though we call this monad the Son, it is not a male figure. The Son is a fully realized individual representing all aspects of the originating Source. The Son is the singular embodiment of the ALL. The Totalities of the ALL are the full expression of the diversity of the Son. The Totalities of the ALL are not self-aware; they are fully identified with the ungendered Son. The ALL is called the “aeon of the Aeons.” During the act of singing glorious praise to the Father, this “aeon of the aeons” produces a limitless variety of Aeons that occupy the Fullness of God. The Aeons of the Fullness are fractal iterations of the ungendered Son. The Aeons self-sort themselves into a hierarchy of unique positions, ranks, and duties within the Fullness. Their job is to continue giving glory to the Father through song. The Aeons do not reproduce sexually. They combine with other Aeons and sings songs of glory to the Father all together within these various combinations, which produces fruit from their comingled glory. And during the giving of glory, the Aeons dream of Paradise. We 2nd Order Powers are the fruit of these Aeons dreaming of Paradise. We enjoy making love the same way the Aeons enjoy giving glory together. In our fallen world, we 2nd Order Powers manifest as only two sexes for the purpose of reproduction. Self-assigned gender identity is irrelevant to the end goal of biological reproduction; male plus female are required. Love is not confined to sexual activity or reproduction. Love is love and we are all full of love that flows like an unending stream from the Father through the Fullness. Love is not limited to sex, reproduction, or gender identification. Now we move on to a consideration of reincarnation and its implications for transgender confusion. We've talked about reincarnation in prior episodes. If you would like to review those, the links are in the transcript to this episode, so if you are listening to an audio podcast, please visit the Gnostic Insights website where all previous episodes are posted, or view this transcript at the Cyd Ropp Gnostic Reformation Substack. [Revisiting Reincarnation] [Reincarnation, Research, and Gnosis] Reincarnation provides an excellent counter-argument to transgenderism, so let's consider the logic of this together. We do not necessarily reincarnate as the same gender from lifetime to lifetime. Therefore it follows that our ego's memory houses all of our prior gender identities. What we take for our gender identity is usually associated with the body we are currently inhabiting. A person may identify with their previous life's gender and carry those memes strongly forward into this incarnation. It is not an error to notice those gender-identified memes and behave accordingly. The error is thinking this current body needs to conform to that previous meme chord that we call gender. Confusion arises from thinking one is born into the wrong body or telling a child they are born into the wrong body. No. We are born into the most perfect body possible for our current incarnation. We are sent into this fallen world by our aeonic parents with our full cooperation. We forget our mission once we are here. We forget why we are here and who we really are, just as the Demiurge did. The error is thinking we know better than the Fullness from our fallen perspective down here who we are and what body we should be wearing. “Tomboy” girls and so-called “effeminate” boys are just that. There is no need to make the body conform to the previous life's body. There is a reason to inhabit the body one is born into. Perhaps lessons to be learned by living a lifetime in a less familiar body configuration. Remember, our talents are gifted by our aeonic parents, just as our DNA comes through our earthly parents. A female who is gifted with so-called “masculine” traits is not masculine. The words masculine or feminine are misnomers of our gender-obsessed, fallen culture. Here's a chart of so-called masculine and feminine traits drawn up by an AI at my request. The AI noted that, “Personality traits are often categorized as masculine or feminine, though it's important to note that these traits exist on a spectrum and can be present in anyone, regardless of gender.” And, indeed, you can see by the chart that a well-balanced, integrated personality would display both types of traits as needed, regardless of sex. Trait Type Communication Masculine: Direct, assertive Feminine: Empathetic, nurturing Emotional Expression Masculine: Reserved, independent Feminine: Expressive, relational Leadership Style Masculine: Authoritative, task-oriented Feminine: Collaborative, inclusive Conflict Resolution Masculine: Competitive, confrontational Feminine: Cooperative, harmony Decision Making Masculine: Decisive, risk-taking Feminine: Reflective, consensus-building Problem Solving Masculine”: Analytical, logical Feminine: Intuitive, holistic Self-Perception Masculine: Self-reliant, confident Feminine: Community building, supportive Offering my own experience as an example, this unit of consciousness that is known as Cyd is often miscategorized by others as exhibiting so-called masculine traits in academic and workplace settings. Yet, at home, I skew much more toward the “feminine.” That's probably why I enjoyed running a large bed and breakfast for several years, because both types of traits make for an efficient yet caring innkeeper. Growing up, I was considered a “tomboy,” preferring wrestling and sports to playing with dolls and trying on make-up. My pixie haircut displays my lifelong disdain for futzing with hairdo's, curlers, and hair products. My mother was a glamorous woman, a real girlie-girl that forever tried to force me into pink and ruffles while I preferred jeans and hoodies, much to her frustration. Again, I don't think that any of these distinctions have one whit to do with gender. It never even crossed my mind that I should be a boy. Rude people from time to time have suggested I “come out” as gay and join the alphabet community. No thanks. No need. I am not confused. I am who I am. Knowing who you are, your aeonic inheritance and lifetimes of experience, transcends the tidy categories the culture would like to cram us into. The categories become irrelevant. We carry our fixed, God-given personalities along with our self-identity egos with us from lifetime to lifetime, adding and subtracting memes and meme chords like gender identity as we go. However, our initial personalities were formed by Aeons giving praise together in various combinations. Eventually we reach our final resting place. That resting place is not the silence of decomposing flesh in the grave. We have occupied countless bodies and forms throughout our lifetimes. We have left those bodies behind every time. We are not confined to those vessels of flesh and bone that sicken and die. Our One Self spirit and ever-evolving ego carry on. We either return to the next, most perfect body for our unit of consciousness to inhabit, or we stay in the higher ethereal plane occupied by Aeons and 2nd Order Powers who have left behind the material cosmos and the confusion that arises in the Deficiency. We will remain recognizable by ourselves and others. Our ego identification is not dependent on our gender or appearance; we have occupied so many different bodies in so many different incarnations that there is no way our identity is anchored by a single material form. Like Christ and the 3rd Order of Powers, we will all be recognizable to those who know us, irrespective of appearance or sexual traits. Like the Aeons, our ego is tied to our mind, our words, our rank in the overall system of the Fullness. “Each of those who glorify has his own station, rank, dwelling place, and place of rest, which is the glorification he brings forth.” [Tripartite Tractate verse 70] “For each of the aeons is a name corresponding to each of the Father's qualities and powers. Since he exists in many names, it is by mingling and through mutual harmony that they are able to speak of him, by means of a richness of speech. Thus, the Father is a single Name because he is One, but nevertheless innumerable in his qualities and names.” [verse 73] Just be who you are without labels or gender identification. Embrace your self-identity irrespective of how you present to others as long as it is true to your aeonic, God-given Self and ego. Drop those confusing and unnecessary cultural memes that weigh down your soul. Our God Above All Gods is not the author of confusion. Gender confusion is just another demiurgic ploy to throw you off track and keep you down. The Father's will is strong and clear and uplifting. The path of discovering gnosis and self-actualization is not through the labyrinths of despair and self-doubt. And it is certainly not through a surgeon's scalpel. Turn your eyes up to the Fullness and within to find true self identity and acceptance. This article is not meant to criticize but to uplift divergent individuals like myself. God blesses all of us. Onward and upward. Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *FirstLastEmail *Stripe Credit Card *Choose your item *Item A - $10.00Item B - $25.00Item C - $50.00Total$0.00Submit

❤️Lies hier weiter

Is transgenderism a mental disorder? Is transexualism a delusional pursuit? Is sexual identity a cultural value arbitrarily assigned at birth? This is the topic of today's discussion. My first experience with a person seeking transexual modification was as a private practice marriage counselor in Idaho, back in the early 1980's. This fellow was seeking an official diagnosis of transexualism as required by the state in order to proceed with surgical procedures. He had been denied certification by other psychologists and was hoping I would provide him with the needed diagnosis. One session was enough for me to deny his claim. Why? After hearing his story, it turned out that his wife had recently decided she was a lesbian and no longer wanted to have sex with him. In order to save his marriage he decided to have his genitals surgically removed so he could “become a woman” to save their marriage. Though motivated by love for his wife, this reason would not qualify him for surgery under any transgender or transexual definition. I can tell you he was plenty pissed off by my refusal to go along with his plan. By definition, a transgendered individual is one who identifies with a gender incongruent with their body. They prefer dressing in clothing usually associated with the “other” gender and purposely minimize their secondary sexual characteristics. They may prefer engaging in activities more popular with the “other” gender. Population estimates of transgender persons has jumped from an historically steady 0.6% of the total population as of 2016 to 1.0% of the population surveyed in 2025, with young people ages 13-17 now accounting for 3.3% of the general population. Transexual is defined as taking the extra step of body modification through surgery or hormones to bring the body into closer congruence with self-identity. It is estimated that 25% to 30% of transgendered individuals now undergo body modification, up from an estimated 10% to 15% in the early 2000's. What accounts for this rise in trans identity? Is it merely a rise in societal acceptance that grants the freedom to declare one's identity publicly as many claim, or is there another, more gnostic, interpretation of this phenomena? Let's consider this carefully. Many gnostic texts suggest that the spiritual plane is gendered and populated by male and female entities, which gives rise to tidy mythological pantheons of male and female gods. However, I question the meaning of the term “gender” as it applies to the aeonic realm. At least one important book of the Nag Hammadi makes no mention of gender in the spiritual realm, and that's the Tripartite Tractate upon which this gnosis is based. [I take that back. Actually, there's one mention of the fallen Aeon being as one stripped of their masculinity, but that's more a statement of overall loss of integration and power arising from the fall.] Everything I'm sharing with you today is based upon the Tripartite Tractate and the logical conclusions that arise from that book. Yes, the terms “Father” and “Son” are assigned to the originating consciousness out of which our consciousness flows, but the meaning of those terms has nothing to do with sexual attributes or form. Neutral names like “Source” and “Offspring” would do as nicely but lack the personal relatability of family and the familiarity of traditional names. Sexual orientation and activity only applies to us creatures here in the Deficiency for purposes of reproduction. The portal between the ethereal and the so-called material cosmos requires a mechanism for fruiting the 2nd Order Powers arriving from the Fullness. Sexual activity is primarily responsible for populating the 2nd economy for all creatures above the level of bacteria, amoeba, fungi, and some plants and invertebrates. It would seem that the rules for fruiting changed from asexual to sexual as the complexity of the 2nd Order creatures arriving on the planet changed from smallest to largest. The Aeons are not male and female. They are fully integrated units of consciousness. What we call male identity and female identity reflect our lack of integration of our complete identity, or what Jung referred to as the lack of self-actualization of our animus and anima. In other words, our essential identities are neither male nor female but both. So identifying with either is actually a deficiency that represents incomplete individuation hampered by overidentification with the physical form. Male identity is misclassified as belonging to a man's soul identity, or what we here at Gnostic Insights call “ego” identity. The same goes for female identity. Remember, all 2nd Order Powers share the same One Self consciousness that flows unimpeded from Above. What distinguishes us is our ego identity—our self-identified name, position, place, and duty. The same goes for the Aeons. The Aeons share their One identity with the Son as fractals of the Son, and are distinguished from one another by their self-identified egoic position within the hierarchy of the Fullness of God according to name, position, place, and duty. Like the Aeons, we encompass and embrace the full anima/animus spectrum within our ego identity. But down here, physical and material forces act upon our bodies and influence self-identity as either male or female. In reality, we are equally both. Furthermore, the memes we pick up here from our childhood experiences, especially childhood sexual trauma, can affect our gender identity. The Son is the Father's only direct emanation. The Son is a monad, not a dyad or syzygy. Even though we call this monad the Son, it is not a male figure. The Son is a fully realized individual representing all aspects of the originating Source. The Son is the singular embodiment of the ALL. The Totalities of the ALL are the full expression of the diversity of the Son. The Totalities of the ALL are not self-aware; they are fully identified with the ungendered Son. The ALL is called the “aeon of the Aeons.” During the act of singing glorious praise to the Father, this “aeon of the aeons” produces a limitless variety of Aeons that occupy the Fullness of God. The Aeons of the Fullness are fractal iterations of the ungendered Son. The Aeons self-sort themselves into a hierarchy of unique positions, ranks, and duties within the Fullness. Their job is to continue giving glory to the Father through song. The Aeons do not reproduce sexually. They combine with other Aeons and sings songs of glory to the Father all together within these various combinations, which produces fruit from their comingled glory. And during the giving of glory, the Aeons dream of Paradise. We 2nd Order Powers are the fruit of these Aeons dreaming of Paradise. We enjoy making love the same way the Aeons enjoy giving glory together. In our fallen world, we 2nd Order Powers manifest as only two sexes for the purpose of reproduction. Self-assigned gender identity is irrelevant to the end goal of biological reproduction; male plus female are required. Love is not confined to sexual activity or reproduction. Love is love and we are all full of love that flows like an unending stream from the Father through the Fullness. Love is not limited to sex, reproduction, or gender identification. Now we move on to a consideration of reincarnation and its implications for transgender confusion. We've talked about reincarnation in prior episodes. If you would like to review those, the links are in the transcript to this episode, so if you are listening to an audio podcast, please visit the Gnostic Insights website where all previous episodes are posted, or view this transcript at the Cyd Ropp Gnostic Reformation Substack. [Revisiting Reincarnation] [Reincarnation, Research, and Gnosis] Reincarnation provides an excellent counter-argument to transgenderism, so let's consider the logic of this together. We do not necessarily reincarnate as the same gender from lifetime to lifetime. Therefore it follows that our ego's memory houses all of our prior gender identities. What we take for our gender identity is usually associated with the body we are currently inhabiting. A person may identify with their previous life's gender and carry those memes strongly forward into this incarnation. It is not an error to notice those gender-identified memes and behave accordingly. The error is thinking this current body needs to conform to that previous meme chord that we call gender. Confusion arises from thinking one is born into the wrong body or telling a child they are born into the wrong body. No. We are born into the most perfect body possible for our current incarnation. We are sent into this fallen world by our aeonic parents with our full cooperation. We forget our mission once we are here. We forget why we are here and who we really are, just as the Demiurge did. The error is thinking we know better than the Fullness from our fallen perspective down here who we are and what body we should be wearing. “Tomboy” girls and so-called “effeminate” boys are just that. There is no need to make the body conform to the previous life's body. There is a reason to inhabit the body one is born into. Perhaps lessons to be learned by living a lifetime in a less familiar body configuration. Remember, our talents are gifted by our aeonic parents, just as our DNA comes through our earthly parents. A female who is gifted with so-called “masculine” traits is not masculine. The words masculine or feminine are misnomers of our gender-obsessed, fallen culture. Here's a chart of so-called masculine and feminine traits drawn up by an AI at my request. The AI noted that, “Personality traits are often categorized as masculine or feminine, though it's important to note that these traits exist on a spectrum and can be present in anyone, regardless of gender.” And, indeed, you can see by the chart that a well-balanced, integrated personality would display both types of traits as needed, regardless of sex. Trait Type Communication Masculine: Direct, assertive Feminine: Empathetic, nurturing Emotional Expression Masculine: Reserved, independent Feminine: Expressive, relational Leadership Style Masculine: Authoritative, task-oriented Feminine: Collaborative, inclusive Conflict Resolution Masculine: Competitive, confrontational Feminine: Cooperative, harmony Decision Making Masculine: Decisive, risk-taking Feminine: Reflective, consensus-building Problem Solving Masculine”: Analytical, logical Feminine: Intuitive, holistic Self-Perception Masculine: Self-reliant, confident Feminine: Community building, supportive Offering my own experience as an example, this unit of consciousness that is known as Cyd is often miscategorized by others as exhibiting so-called masculine traits in academic and workplace settings. Yet, at home, I skew much more toward the “feminine.” That's probably why I enjoyed running a large bed and breakfast for several years, because both types of traits make for an efficient yet caring innkeeper. Growing up, I was considered a “tomboy,” preferring wrestling and sports to playing with dolls and trying on make-up. My pixie haircut displays my lifelong disdain for futzing with hairdo's, curlers, and hair products. My mother was a glamorous woman, a real girlie-girl that forever tried to force me into pink and ruffles while I preferred jeans and hoodies, much to her frustration. Again, I don't think that any of these distinctions have one whit to do with gender. It never even crossed my mind that I should be a boy. Rude people from time to time have suggested I “come out” as gay and join the alphabet community. No thanks. No need. I am not confused. I am who I am. Knowing who you are, your aeonic inheritance and lifetimes of experience, transcends the tidy categories the culture would like to cram us into. The categories become irrelevant. We carry our fixed, God-given personalities along with our self-identity egos with us from lifetime to lifetime, adding and subtracting memes and meme chords like gender identity as we go. However, our initial personalities were formed by Aeons giving praise together in various combinations. Eventually we reach our final resting place. That resting place is not the silence of decomposing flesh in the grave. We have occupied countless bodies and forms throughout our lifetimes. We have left those bodies behind every time. We are not confined to those vessels of flesh and bone that sicken and die. Our One Self spirit and ever-evolving ego carry on. We either return to the next, most perfect body for our unit of consciousness to inhabit, or we stay in the higher ethereal plane occupied by Aeons and 2nd Order Powers who have left behind the material cosmos and the confusion that arises in the Deficiency. We will remain recognizable by ourselves and others. Our ego identification is not dependent on our gender or appearance; we have occupied so many different bodies in so many different incarnations that there is no way our identity is anchored by a single material form. Like Christ and the 3rd Order of Powers, we will all be recognizable to those who know us, irrespective of appearance or sexual traits. Like the Aeons, our ego is tied to our mind, our words, our rank in the overall system of the Fullness. “Each of those who glorify has his own station, rank, dwelling place, and place of rest, which is the glorification he brings forth.” [Tripartite Tractate verse 70] “For each of the aeons is a name corresponding to each of the Father's qualities and powers. Since he exists in many names, it is by mingling and through mutual harmony that they are able to speak of him, by means of a richness of speech. Thus, the Father is a single Name because he is One, but nevertheless innumerable in his qualities and names.” [verse 73] Just be who you are without labels or gender identification. Embrace your self-identity irrespective of how you present to others as long as it is true to your aeonic, God-given Self and ego. Drop those confusing and unnecessary cultural memes that weigh down your soul. Our God Above All Gods is not the author of confusion. Gender confusion is just another demiurgic ploy to throw you off track and keep you down. The Father's will is strong and clear and uplifting. The path of discovering gnosis and self-actualization is not through the labyrinths of despair and self-doubt. And it is certainly not through a surgeon's scalpel. Turn your eyes up to the Fullness and within to find true self identity and acceptance. This article is not meant to criticize but to uplift divergent individuals like myself. God blesses all of us. Onward and upward. Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *FirstLastEmail *Stripe Credit Card *Choose your item *Item A - $10.00Item B - $25.00Item C - $50.00Total$0.00Submit

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Welcome To the Truth Behind Illusion! Lilly and ABJ cover all spooky topics from ghosts, demons, cryptids, and metaphysics. We may even end up on location at some fun places.ABJ Links:https://linktr.ee/anthonyblackwelljrhttps://www.youtube.com/@truthbehindillusionWitchCraftsByLilly YT:https://www.youtube.com/@WitchCraftsByLilly

In your abusive relationships, is power over you an illusion? I know it doesn't seem like it is. The abuser exerts control, and it feels impossible to challenge it. You feel stuck, victimized, confused, and powerless. It takes a lot of work to be able to stand up against verbal abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and any other abuse controllers use. One of those things you can begin to do to feel more empowered is to question the abuser's tactics. It helps to consider the basis of the abuser's power and control. If it is only perceived power, you have choices about what to do and how to respond that you didn't know you had. Watch this video to navigate your abusive relationships and find out the answer to this question: Is power over you an illusion? Abuse survivors know the answer, and you need to know it too. #abusiverelationships #power #emotionalabuse #abusesurvivors #controller Website: https://www.changemyrelationship.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChangeMyRelationship YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@changemyrelationship Watch this video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7zGHKNhHQb0  

One on One Video Call W/George https://tidycal.com/georgepmonty/60-minute-meetingSupport the show:https://www.paypal.me/Truelifepodcast?locale.x=en_USTitle: Unmasking the Predators of Modern Civilization: A Journey to True FreedomIntroduction: In a world dominated by technology and societal expectations, many of us live under the illusion of freedom while being subtly manipulated by unseen forces. This blog post delves into the insights from a thought-provoking podcast that reveals how our daily lives are engineered to keep us both useful and docile, turning our attention into a commodity for profit.Main Content:Understanding the Predators: The podcast opens with a stark reminder that civilization, as we know it, often functions like a predator, hunting for our attention and compliance. The host highlights how algorithms are meticulously designed to understand our behaviors, keeping us in a perpetual state of distraction and dependence. For instance, Netflix has invested years in perfecting its interface to ensure that users experience dopamine spikes with each autoplayed episode, replacing genuine thought with mindless consumption.The Illusion of Choice: We often believe we are making conscious choices, but the reality is that many of our actions are influenced by external forces. The host points to the example of recycling, where companies like Amazon rebrand waste to make consumers feel virtuous while continuing harmful practices. This manipulation extends to our wellness apps, which, while promising inner peace, actually profit from our personal data, affecting our financial well-being through increased insurance premiums based on our stress patterns.The Theater of Revolt: In a society where outrage is a currency, the podcast discusses how many protests and acts of rebellion are mere performances. Influencers tweet about social injustices while benefiting from the very systems they criticize. This hypocrisy serves as a distraction, keeping us engaged but ultimately powerless against the predictability that corporations seek in our behavior.Redefining Freedom: Real freedom, as the podcast suggests, comes from recognizing the systems that seek to control us. It requires us to embrace sovereignty and the courage to walk alone when necessary. The host challenges listeners to reflect on their dependencies: if familiar comforts vanished overnight, would we be lost or liberated? This introspection is crucial for understanding what truly defines our identities.Finding Your Guideposts: The podcast encourages listeners to confront their fears, anxieties, and guilt—not as enemies, but as guideposts that reveal where external pressures are strongest. The emotions we often suppress are indicators of the predators lurking within our minds. By acknowledging these feelings, we can begin to dismantle the control they have over us.Conclusion: The journey toward true freedom involves sharpening our attention and reclaiming our autonomy from the societal predators that seek to manipulate us. By recognizing and addressing our dependencies, we can emerge more authentic and empowered. As we reset our perspectives tomorrow, let us focus on honing our awareness, one step at a time.Key Takeaways:- Civilization often acts as a predator, manipulating our attention for profit.- Many choices we believe are ours are influenced by external forces.- True freedom requires recognizing and confronting the systems of control.- Emotions like fear and guilt can guide us toward reclaiming our sovereignty.Tags: Modern Civilization, Freedom, Personal Growth, Technology Manipulation, Awareness, Authenticity, Societal Control, Emotional Intelligence. One on One Video call W/George https://tidycal.com/georgepmonty/60-minute-meetingSupport the show:https://www.paypal.me/Truelifepodcast?locale.x=en_US

We couldn't resist it forever. It's been 9 years, hard to believe, but the Dunshelm Players are finally back in action. A completely new, standalone project with no links to any previous work, All must surely be an illusion is essentially a parody of modern society, with a warning about the degree of danger posed by modern computer imagery, as compared with the more basic type Knightmare itself used back in the 1990s.It features debuts for Jason Karl (who was a dungeoneer in season 2, and later went on to a career as a television presenter), Kim Stewart-Crossley of the Temporal Discussion podcast, Kim Harder (wife of Martin H), Laura Bean, Scott Evans (a dungeoneer in season 3 of Knightmare), and Rea Pearson (a team advisor in season 5).As ever, the play is not set at Christmas, includes no reference to Christmas whatsoever, and is entirely unrelated to Christmas, and so it will be available to listen to during the Christmas period 2025, as yet another non-festive festive offering.Nice to bring back an old tradition.CastJason Karl as TreguardAndy Marshall as CarlKim Stewart-Crossley as EmmaAmy Davies as AmyMartin Harder as TonyKim Harder as Council CallerRoss Thompson as HughMartin Odoni as NeddyLaura Bean as MillyJake Collins as Alec and Inspector Jim BoyleScott Evans as PolicemanRosey Collins as Bank TellerRea Pearson as Sergeant TheodoraWritten and edited by Martin OdoniIntro music: Colossus - by Kevin MacLeodOutro music: Unpromised - by Kevin MacLeodVisit our ⁠⁠⁠Website ⁠⁠⁠Check out our socials:⁠Bluesky⁠   ⁠Twitter/X⁠   ⁠Mastodon⁠   ⁠Facebook⁠   ⁠Instagram⁠   ⁠Threads⁠Check out our ⁠⁠⁠Redbubble Store⁠⁠⁠Download our Corridor of the Catacombs and Bomb Room jingles as ringtones from ⁠⁠⁠Zedge⁠⁠⁠Jake's stuff:⁠The Eye Shield fanzine⁠⁠The Olden Days podcast⁠⁠Jake's Audio Commentaries⁠⁠Knightmare: The Lost Series (original cut)⁠

Are the Fabian Society quietly reshaping Britain from behind the scenes? In this explosive episode of Heretics, barrister Steven Barrett lays out a chilling, historically grounded case that connects Tony Blair, elite technocrats, and a long march away from trial by jury, democracy, and national sovereignty. SPONSORS: Use my code Andrew25 on MyHeritage: https://bit.ly/AndrewGoldDNA  Grab your free seat to the 2-Day AI Mastermind: https://link.outskill.com/GOLDNOV4  Start fresh at tryfum.com/products/zero-crisp-mint . Over 500,000 people have already made the switch — no nicotine, no vapor, no batteries. Just flavor, fidget, and a fresh start. Get up to 45% off Ekster with my code ANDREWGOLDHERETICS: https://partner.ekster.com/andrewgoldheretics  Plaud links! Official Website: Uk: https://bit.ly/3K7jDGm US: https://bit.ly/4a0tUie  Amazon: https://amzn.to/4hQVyAm Get an automatic 20% discount at checkout until December 1st. Cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month at https://mintmobile.com/heretics  This isn't “conspiracy theory” — it's constitutional history, Fabian ideology, and the uncomfortable reality of how “moderation” can become authoritarian control. We explore: - The Fabian Society's origins and its obsession with population control - Why Tony Blair may have done more long-term damage to Britain than people realise - How trial by jury is under threat — and why that matters more than voting - The quiet replacement of citizens with state employees - Why “professional experts” always seem to gain power when freedom disappears - The disturbing parallels between modern Britain and the Weimar Republic - How extreme moderation becomes a tyranny of endless compromise - Why today's political class believes it is morally superior — and therefore unaccountable Barrett argues that Britain is drifting toward a continental, elite-run system, where citizens are managed rather than represented — and where dissent is increasingly criminalised. If you've ever felt something is off — but been told you're imagining it — this conversation puts names, ideas, and history to that feeling.

Being elite isn't about money, followers, or aesthetics. It's about standards, principles, and how you move through life when no one is applauding. In this episode, I break down what it actually means to be elite, the discipline, the self-respect, the quiet rules elite people live by. This is about how you think, how you speak, how you choose, and how you carry responsibility. If your standards are low, your life will show it. Elite is a way of being, not a phase, not a mood, not motivation.>>> Join the elite mindset group.

In this eye-opening episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Zoe Harwood to dismantle the dangerous myths surrounding the BMI and the concept of "clean eating." Zoe shares her personal journey from a professional dancer praised for her "discipline" to a woman battling severe Orthorexia—a condition often hidden behind a mask of health and wellness. They discuss how the medical community frequently overlooks eating disorders in individuals who sit within a "healthy" weight range, the toxic grip of social media algorithms, and the frightening reality of navigating pregnancy while fearing medical intervention. This conversation challenges the definition of health, proving that well-being is about far more than a number on a scale or the "purity" of the food on your plate.SHOW NOTES: Click hereFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behind_the_bite Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this eye-opening episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Zoe Harwood to dismantle the dangerous myths surrounding the BMI and the concept of "clean eating." Zoe shares her personal journey from a professional dancer praised for her "discipline" to a woman battling severe Orthorexia—a condition often hidden behind a mask of health and wellness. They discuss how the medical community frequently overlooks eating disorders in individuals who sit within a "healthy" weight range, the toxic grip of social media algorithms, and the frightening reality of navigating pregnancy while fearing medical intervention. This conversation challenges the definition of health, proving that well-being is about far more than a number on a scale or the "purity" of the food on your plate.SHOW NOTES: Click hereFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behind_the_bite Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this conversation, Rav and Loch Kelly explore the intersection of mindfulness and psychotherapy. They discuss practical steps for experiencing non-duality, the importance of integrating mindfulness with psychotherapy, and the role of agency and free will in personal development. Loch shares his personal journey into meditation and psychotherapy, highlighting the significance of understanding consciousness and the “true self.” The conversation emphasizes the need for a balanced approach to healing and enjoyment in life, and how different meditation methods can lead to various experiences. The discussion emphasizes the significance of living awake in the world, integrating spiritual practices into daily life, and making wise decisions from a place of authenticity and trust.Apple linkSpotify linkYouTube link(Available on all other podcast platforms too)Timestamps:00:00 – Intro00:59 – Who Is Loch Kelly?06:05 – How Meditation And Therapy Differ10:30 – Discovering Awareness Through Sport14:20 – Losing A Parent And Opening Up18:10 – Psychedelics And Consciousness Explained26:30 – Why Spiritual Bypass Causes Problems34:10 – When Meditation Fails Emotionally41:16 – Agency Free Will And Mental Health57:50 – What Is ‘The Self' In IFS01:23:00 – Noticing The Anxious Part01:27:30 – The Root Of Dissatisfaction01:36:30 – A Meditation01:48:30 – Why Pure Awareness Is Not Enough02:03:47 – Making Wise Decisions From The SelfI highly recommend you download Loch Kelly's ‘Mindful Glimpses' App here:https://lochkelly.org/mindful-glimpsesSupport The Illusion of Consensus!The Illusion of Consensus is a fully reader-supported publication. If you support the high-quality mental health and wellness journalism on this site, consider becoming a paid or founding member to receive exclusive articles, early-access episodes, and ask questions for future episodes. Or support The Illusion of Consensus with a one-time donation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.illusionconsensus.com/subscribe

As the lights dim and the holidays fade, what's left behind —  true fulfillment or just another illusion? In this episode of Coaching In Session, host Michael Rearden explores how consumerism, education, and technology have shaped our modern mindset especially during the holiday season. He challenges the illusion that material wealth equals happiness and encourages listeners to rediscover fulfillment through self-awareness, purpose, and mindful living.Michael dives deep into the societal norms that fuel materialism and disconnection, revealing how technology and the education system have diverted focus from personal growth and meaningful connection. He explains why investing in yourself mentally, emotionally, and financially is one of the most powerful ways to reclaim your purpose and clarity in a distracted world.If you've ever felt caught in the rat race or questioned whether your life aligns with your true values, this episode will help you reset your mindset and pursue deeper meaning beyond the noise of consumer culture.What You'll Learn-How consumerism during the holidays impacts personal fulfillment-Why education often fails to nurture creativity and self-awareness-The role of technology in shaping modern disconnection-How to invest in yourself for long-term success and growth-The mindset shifts needed to find meaning beyond materialismKey Takeaways✅ The holiday season often emphasizes materialism over meaningful connections✅ Education systems are failing to engage students effectively✅ Technology has shifted the youth's focus away from real-world experiences✅ Investing in oneself is crucial for personal development and growth✅ Consumerism is perpetuated by societal norms and marketing strategies✅ Many people are caught in a rat race, losing sight of their true goals✅ Boredom is a result of not engaging in meaningful activities✅ Skin in the game is necessary for true commitment to personal goals✅ Mindset shifts are essential for achieving long-term success✅ Reflection on personal values can lead to a more fulfilling life

"The more you know, the more you realize you don't know.”In this episode, Burair and I sit down to dissect a masterpiece by Khumar Barabankavi:“Had se badhe jo ilm to hai jahl dosto / Sab kuch jo jaante hain wo kuch jaante nahi.”We explore how this single couplet perfectly bridges the gap between 20th-century Urdu poetry and the modern Dunning-Kruger effect. We discuss the "Ego Patch"—that dangerous phase in learning where a little bit of information makes us feel invincible—and why the TikTok algorithm is making us all feel like experts on topics we've only spent sixty seconds on.In this conversation, we cover:The Illusion of Mastery: Why information is cheap, but knowledge is earned.The "Smartest Room" Fallacy: If you're the smartest person in your circle, your growth has already hit a ceiling.Winning vs. Learning: Why the ego prioritizes being right over being curious.The Elegance of Poetry: How Khumar Barabankavi distilled complex human psychology into two powerful lines.Whether you are a lover of literature or a student of psychology, this episode is a reminder that true wisdom doesn't lead to a louder voice, but a more humble heart.

In this episode, we look at what happens when artificial intelligence is put in charge of real-world systems, starting with an experiment in automated pricing and what it reveals about incentives, scarcity, and control. We turn to Denmark's decision to shut down its national postal service, using it to examine the decline of physical mail, environmental tradeoffs, and why government monopolies struggle to compete with private delivery. We highlight the week's “foolishness,” including the rise of competitive spreadsheet championships, before turning to a broader discussion about inequality. We examine IQ distributions, bell curves, and why inequality is often confused with poverty, exploring the limits of measures like the Gini coefficient, the difference between snapshot and lifetime earnings, and the role of incentives, envy, and value creation. We close by contrasting equality of opportunity with equality of outcome and asking what societies should actually care about when assessing fairness and prosperity. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:27 AI Runs a Vending Machine at the Wall Street Journal 01:52 When AI Meets Communism and Price Controls 03:52 Why AI Isn't Replacing Humans Anytime Soon 04:32 Denmark Shuts Down Its Postal Service 06:11 Is Physical Mail Environmentally Absurd? 07:39 Why the Postal Service Can't Compete 11:43 The Foolishness of the Week: Excel World Championships 13:25 Are Spreadsheets More Important Than Football? 15:08 Main Topic Setup: Should We Care About Inequality? 16:13 IQ, Bell Curves, and Random Distributions 23:05 Why Inequality Is Not the Same as Poverty 25:36 The Gini Coefficient and Its Limits 28:57 Sports, Superstars, and Value Creation 38:00 Taxes, Transfers, and the Illusion of Inequality 41:57 Lifetime Earnings vs Snapshot Inequality 45:14 Equality of Opportunity vs Equality of Outcome 49:30 Envy, Incentives, and Human Motivation 53:38 Closing Thoughts on Inequality and Society Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There is no such thing as maintaining. Life doesn't pause, settle, or hold position. Everything is either adapting forward or decaying quietly. In this episode, I break down why “maintaining” is one of the most comfortable lies we tell ourselves and how stagnation disguises itself as balance, stability, and maturity. This is a conversation about standards, self-respect, and the invisible cost of standing still.Buy my book Above the illusion. Above the Illusion: The blueprint for mental clarity, self-respect, and irreplaceable value" is a deep exploration into the hidden forces shaping our lives – the conditioning, beliefs, and stories we've unknowingly accepted as truth. This book exposes the psychological distractions that cloud our vision, keeping us blind, fearful, and stuck in cycles of limitation.Anthony Minaya challenges you to question the narratives that hold you back, illuminating the illusions that prevent you from seeing yourself clearly. From the self-imposed boundaries to the unconscious patterns dictating your choices, "Above the Illusion" guides you to break free from the mental fog and step into undeniable personal growth.This isn't just a book about change – it's about learning how to see. When you learn to recognize what is real and what is fabricated by fear and doubt, you gain the clarity, awareness, and self-respect necessary to reshape your life."Above the Illusion" will leave you more prepared, more conscious, and more powerful than ever before – ready to live with a sharpness that cuts through deception and a confidence rooted in truth.Buy now. https://a.co/d/8w516R7

Is it possible to reverse aging simply by changing your mind? In this episode of Truth Works, we sit down with Dr. Ellen Langer, the legendary Harvard psychologist known as the "Mother of Mindfulness."Dr. Langer challenges everything we think we know about the mind-body connection. She breaks down her groundbreaking "Counterclockwise" study, where elderly men reversed signs of aging by living as if they were in their younger years, and the famous "Chambermaid" study, which proved that simply believing your work is exercise can lead to weight loss and lower blood pressure.If you feel stressed, burned out, or stuck on autopilot, this conversation will change how you view your health, your work, and your potential.In this episode, we cover:Mindfulness vs. Mindlessness: Why "active noticing" is the key to health and vitality.The Illusion of Absolutes: Dr. Langer explains why 1+1 doesn't always equal 2 and how context changes everything.Reversing Aging: Inside the famous study where participants improved their hearing, vision, and strength just by changing their environment.The Placebo Effect in Daily Life: How hotel maids lost weight just by being told their job counted as exercise.Managing Stress: Why prediction is an illusion and how to stop creating tragedy out of inconvenience.About the Guest: Dr. Ellen Langer is a professor of psychology at Harvard University and the author of multiple best-selling books, including The Mindful Body. She has spent 45 years researching the effects of mindfulness on health, business, and competence.About Truth Works: Hosted by Jessica Neal and Patty McCord, Truth Works digs into the nitty-gritty of leadership and work. We're here to redefine rules to work for us, not against us.

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SummaryIn this powerful sermon from Psalm 1, Pastor Greg exposes the destructive spirit of scorn—and why it's not just dangerous, but deadly to your soul, your marriage, your ministry, and your future.You'll discover:• The hidden roots of a scornful spirit (pride, insecurity, guilt, and inner conflict)• Why scorn dries up love, faith, and fruitfulness• How mockery ruins marriages, poisons children, and hinders revival• The urgent call to repent and not sit in the seat of the scornfulThis message is more than a warning—it's a roadmap to freedom, healing, and spiritual longevity.Chapters0:00 – Manila Revival: A Testimony of Fruitfulness1:38 – A Scorner's Confession: A Life Destroyed2:45 – The Seat of the Scornful Explained4:50 – What Is Scorn? (Boasting, Mockery, Contempt)6:58 – Why Are People So Scornful?8:45 – Pride and the Illusion of Superiority10:45 – Insecurity and the Need to Tear Others Down11:52 – Guilt: The Hidden Root of Criticism14:16 – Inner Conflict and the Outward War15:40 – Scorn's Personal and Spiritual Damage17:30 – Scorn Kills Relationships, Especially in Marriage18:50 – Why Scorn Blocks Wisdom and Growth20:12 – The Generational Curse of Despising22:40 – Scorn in the Church: Blocking Revival23:50 – When God Hears Our Words25:00 – How to Survive the Spirit of Scorn26:30 – The Scorn Test: What Comes Out of Your Mouth?28:15 – Making Hard Decisions About Toxic Relationships30:45 – A Marriage and Ministry That Lasted32:15 – A Real Story: Leaving the Scorner's Table34:05 – Altar Call: Turning from Sin and Scorn36:30 – Come Pray: Make the Decision to SurviveShow NotesALL PROCEEDS GO TO WORLD EVANGELISMLocate a CFM Church near you: https://cfmmap.orgWe need five-star reviews! Tell the world what you think about this podcast at: • Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://apple.co/3vy1s5b • Podchaser: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/taking-the-land-cfm-sermon-pod-43369

In Episode 12 of The No Treason Podcast, Jonathan Drake continues a deep exploration of trial by jury through the lens of Lysander Spooner's Trial by Jury, arguing that modern courts have stripped juries of their historic power and turned justice into a government-controlled illusion. Building from last week's foundation, this episode confronts the claim that government already represents the people, examining why unchecked authority, judicial supremacy, and managed elections undermine genuine self-government. Drake walks through Spooner's rebuttals, connects theory to real-world cases like Tina Peters, and explains why unanimous juries once served as a true barrier against tyranny. This episode challenges listeners to reconsider liberty, consent, and the role of the people in determining justice, asking whether modern trials protect freedom or merely perform it.

Where have WE been? Where have YOU been!? This week, we sipped another Winc wine as we discussed Season 2 Episode 6: “Who's Afraid of Cory Wolf?” A red blend called “Illusion” paired perfectly with an episode we…sort of wish was just an illusion. If you don't want this one to go right over your head, we recommend watching the 1941 black-and-white film, “The Wolf Man”. Having seen Edward Albee's 1962 play, “Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” won't help—and neither will having read William Golding's 1954 novel, The Lord of the Flies, though both are superficially referenced in this bewildering episode in which Cory believes he's turning into a werewolf. While it's obvious to viewers that it's all an allegory for puberty, no one in the BMW-universe seems to pick up on that… Grab the remote and get ready to be…a little confused!

In this week's episode, I take a look back at my writing goals for 2025, and see how many of them I met. I also take a loog ahead at my writing goals for 2026. This coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in my Anthologies series at my Payhip store: STORIES2025 The coupon code is valid through December 29, 2025. So if you need a new ebook this winter, we've got you covered! 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 282 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is December 19th, 2025 and today I'm taking a look back at my writing goals from the start of 2025 and seeing how many of them I reached. We'll also take a look ahead at my writing goals for 2026. Before we get to that, we will have Coupon of the Week and a progress update on my current writing projects. This week's coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in my anthology series at my Payhip store. And that is STORIES2025. And as always, I will put the coupon code and a link to the store in the show notes. This coupon code is valid through December 29th, 2025, so if you need new ebook to read as you travel for this upcoming Christmas week, we have got you covered. A reminder that the anthology series is collections of my short stories, which I tend to release every year. And in fact, next month, if all goes well, we'll have 2025: The Complete Short Stories. Now for an update on my current writing projects. Wizard-Assassin, the fifth book in the Rivah Half-Elven series is now done. By the time this episode goes live, you should be able to get it off Amazon and Kindle Unlimited since it is my series that is in Kindle Unlimited. So I hope if you are looking for something to read, you will give that a shot. Now that Wizard-Assassin is done, my main project is going to be Blade of Storms, which will be the third book in my Blades of Ruin epic fantasy series. And I believe I'm 12,000 words into that. I'm hoping to have that out in January, but depending on how January goes, it might slip to February, but January would be ideal. And after that, my next main project will be Cloak of Summoning, the 14th book in the Cloak Mage series. And I literally just started it this morning before I went to the gym, which puts me at 250 words into it, so there's definitely a ways to go in that. In audiobook news, we are still waiting on Cloak of Embers (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) to get through processing at the various platforms, which always, as you imagine, tend to slow down this time of year. And Brad Wills has just started working on recording for Blade of Shadows. So hopefully we should have Cloak of Embers available for you at all platforms before too much longer. And Blade of Shadows will probably be our first audiobook for 2026. So that is where I'm at with my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. 00:02:28 Main Topic: 2025's Writing Goals and My Writing Goals for 2026 And speaking of 2026, in this week's episode, we're going to take a look back at my writing goals for 2025, see how many of them I met, and then look ahead for my writing goals to 2026, which is in fact just around the corner. So first off, a big thank you to everyone who read one of my books over the year of 2025. 2025 for me was an interesting year, both in a personal and a professional way, and sometimes in both the good and bad senses of the word interesting. Sales were down from 2024, but given all the economic turbulence of the year, I am grateful they were only down a relatively small amount compared to 2024. Facebook ads went from my main advertising platform at the start of 2025 to near uselessness by the end of the year due to all the AI nonsense Meta has injected into them. Spotify converted Findaway Voices to Inaudio and made a total mess of it this summer, which after that got settled is why I now upload my audiobooks directly to Google Play and Kobo rather than through Findaway Voices. It seems like a lot of companies are pursuing AI in the desperate hope that it will somehow magically become profitable even as the expense of running AI services devours them from the inside out and renders them incompetent at their primary missions. I was so annoyed at all the half-baked AI stuff Microsoft shoved into Windows 11, I did all my writing on a Mac Mini this year and have been pretty happy with it as a writing platform. Apple, of course, has AI stuff as well, but what Apple has that Microsoft doesn't is a switch that flips it all off at the system level and doesn't do any "install later" passive aggressive crap that Microsoft does. On the plus side, my Super Summer Of Finishing Things let me finish The Shield War, Stealth & Spells Online, and Ghost Armor one after another. Five unfinished series at once was too many. Three has been more manageable. And after five years, I finally got my weight down to what it was before COVID in 2025. Watching some relatives go on Ozempic and the side effects they experienced was very inspirational in the sense of wanting to avoid that experience myself. I thought I would take a lot of exercise and vegetables to do lose weight. It turns out instead it takes a whole freaking lot of exercise and a truly staggering quantity of vegetables. I tell myself the carrot sticks are really just like potato chips when I eat them, and I can almost convince myself of it. They're crunchy, right? Just like potato chips. I told myself that often enough that I very, nearly almost believe it. So let's start with a look back at my writing goals for 2025 and see how many of them I reached. #1: Write as many new words as possible, hopefully hitting one million new words of fiction in 2025. And I'm pleased to report that I hit this one. 2025 was the second year in a row where I reached a million words of new fiction and will come in at 1.12 million words with Wizard-Assassin. It did get a bit tight, but I passed the million word mark with Blade of Shadows in November, so is a nice milestone to reach. Two years of a million words in a row! #2: Finish The Shield War. I did that one! Shield of Power, the final book in The Shield War series, came out in July. It's even available in audiobook (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills). #3: Finish Ghost Armor. I did this one as well. Ghost in the Siege, the final book in the Ghost Armor series, came out in August. It's also available in audiobook (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy). #4: Continue Cloak Mage. There was a year gap after Cloak of Illusion, but I'm pleased to report I finally got back to Cloak Mage with Cloak of Worlds in October. As I mentioned earlier, in 2024, I had five unfinished series, which is way too many. So my goal was to finish some and then limit myself to only three unfinished series at any one time. By the end of summer 2025, I successfully achieved that. So going forward (barring any illness or Unexpected Events), there shouldn't be another year-long gap between Cloak Mage books. In fact, I'm hoping to write the outline for Cloak of Summoning this weekend, if all goes well. And in fact, I started this morning. #5: Continue Half-Elven Thief. It went down to the wire with only 12 days left in the month, but I was able to publish Wizard-Assassin and meet my goal. Like with Cloak Mage, there's a yearlong gap between the books, but that should be much shorter going forward. I'm hoping to start work on Rivah #6 in March or February, if all goes well. #6: Conclude Stealth & Spells Online. I did this as well. I'm not going to lie, it really was quite challenging. I originally thought of Stealth & Spells Online as a seven or eight book series, but it sold weakly enough that I didn't want to put six books' worth of effort into it. So I thought about it and figured out how to wrap up the story in one volume, and I wrote most of it at 500 words a day from like October 2024 to July 2025, squeezing it between other things as time allowed. Then in July, I was far enough along from all that cumulative work that I finished it in like one quick burst. I think I had only like one full-time day working on it. So I'm very glad that people liked the ending for the trilogy and thought that it worked. I'm hoping to release a single volume edition of the audiobook sometime in 2026, if all goes well. Fun fact: the book was 116,000 words long, and since I published 1.12 million new words in 2025, it was in fact Stealth & Spells Online: Final Quest that got me over the million word mark. #7: New epic fantasy series in the Andomhaim/Frostborn world. I did that as well with Blade of Flames and Blade of Shadows. As I mentioned before, I'm about 12,000 words in Blade of Storms, and hopefully that will be the first book I publish in 2026, ideally in January, but it might slip to February. #8: New audiobooks as time, budget, and narrator availability allow. This worked out as well. Like I said, in 2024, I've brought as many of my old series into audio as I'm going to, so instead we're going to focus on recording the books in the new series. We have books from The Shield War and Blades of Ruin narrated by Brad Wills, new books from Ghost Armor and Cloak Mage [narrated] by Hollis McCarthy, and a new Half-Elven Thief audiobook [narrated by] Leanne Woodward. So I am pleased to say that I met all my 2025 writing goals. Now with that in mind, let's take a look at what I would like to do in 2026. I'm not planning on starting anything new in 2026, but I don't think I'll reach the end of any ongoing series in that year. So basically 2026 will be The Year of Continuing. #1: Publish a million words of new fiction. I'm going to try and hit a million words again, but there's a chance ... I'm going to say right up front, there's a chance it might not work out in 2026. I'm going to have to spend at least a couple of weeks on travel, and I know for sure there are a couple of mandatory Real Life Activities that will take up an unknown amount of time. The older I get, the more I can emphasize with former UK Prime Minister, Harold McMillan when he said his biggest problems were "events, dear boy, events." But assuming we can avoid too many "events," I will aim to publish a million new words of fiction in 2026. #2: Continue Blades of Ruin. I also want to continue with Blades of Ruin, which will be my main series for a while. I'm planning for 12 books in this series, so we should hopefully make some good progress with it in 2026. #3: Continue Cloak Mage. I would also like to continue Cloak Mage in 2026. Cloak of Worlds was number 13 in the series and I'm planning for 18. Since I'm only working on three series at a time now, like I said before, we shouldn't have those yearlong gaps between books like I've had in the past for Cloak Mage. #4: Continue Half-Elven Thief. I'm also continuing Half Elven Thief in 2026. I had planned for six books originally, but there was just too much story to fit into six, so we're going to end up with nine. So I'm planning to continue that in 2026 as well. There was a year's gap between Orc-Hoard and Wizard-Assassin like there was with Cloak Mage but hopefully won't have as big a gap for Half-Elven Thief now that I'm only writing three series at the same time. #5: New audiobooks as time, budget, and narrator availability allow. I did this in 2025 and it worked pretty well. I don't want to bring any more of my old backlist books into audio, but instead I'll focus on Blades of Ruin, Cloak Mage, and Half-Elven Thief as time, budget, and narrator availability permit. #6: Other opportunities as available. I think it is fair to say we live in turbulent times, which is often unsettling. The flip side is that sometimes this can bring unexpected opportunities your way, so it's wise to remain alert and flexible. So we will see what 2026 brings. So those are my six writing goals for 2026. Once again, thanks for reading and listening. I hope I have new books for you to read in 2026. And as ever, when I make plans for the new year, it seems like a good idea to reflect on this quote from the book of James: "Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that." So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes on https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave your review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.  

We're back with Noah, August, Elayna, and guest host Beth from Driver Picks the Podcast! This week, we talk about "logistical challenges" posed by the Loch Ness Monster, Cas and his relation to the Anthropocene, and how pretty much this entire show is just the illusion of heterosexuality.This episode discusses Supernatural Season 9, Episode 3, I'm No Angel through the theme of Illusion.Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/TVwznZZqEyFor more episodes and social media, visit queeringthingspodcast.com! Join our Patreon (now includes FREE tier!) at https://www.patreon.com/queeringthings!Check out Driver Picks the Podcast, featuring Beth and Jaime, at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/driver-picks-the-podcast/id1583116429!

In this episode of Devolution Power Hour, Jon Herold and Chris Paul unpack the escalating psychological warfare playing out across media, politics, and the so-called conservative movement. The conversation moves through the coordinated infighting on display at AmFest, the push to manufacture consensus around preferred political successors, and the growing efforts to delegitimize President Trump from both inside and outside the movement. They examine how psyops operate by shaping perception rather than truth, using examples ranging from influencer politics and election narratives to Epstein-related distractions and foreign policy manipulation. The episode also explores emerging technology narratives, fusion energy announcements, Space Force milestones, and the deeper implications of parallel systems being built beneath the surface. Throughout, Jon and Chris emphasize discernment, personal sovereignty, and the importance of recognizing manipulation before choosing whether to engage or opt out entirely.

The Countdown to Christmas continues ...

Niels and Cem reflect on a year marked by concentration, confidence, and growing structural fragility beneath calm markets. They examine extreme positioning, record low cash levels, and the quiet dominance of reflexive flows over fundamentals. Cem challenges common readings of volatility, explains where real fear hides in options markets, and outlines why tail exposure becomes critical late in cycles. The discussion broadens into portfolio construction, questioning the legacy of 60/40 investing and the illusion of diversification built during falling-rate decades. Grounded in history, market structure, and political cycles, this conversation offers a disciplined framework for navigating regimes where leverage, policy, and inequality quietly redefine risk.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HERE-----Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT's TRUE ? – most CIO's read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.comAnd please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Cem on Twitter.Episode TimeStamps: 00:00 - Introduction to the Systematic Investor Series00:49 - Geopolitical tensions beneath the surface of markets02:07 - Extreme bullish sentiment and record low cash levels04:12 - Margin use, positioning, and why this setup is fragile06:07 - Why the VIX fails as a true fear indicator11:48 - Buffett's concentration and risk management through quality16:27 - Leverage, Sharpe ratios, and misunderstood diversification21:02 - Trend following performance and late year positioning23:48 - Positioning, reflexivity, and market microstructure28:25 - Volatility traps and convexity before stress events31:06...

In this episode, I sit down with Illusion itself, the force that turns symbols into threats, stories into suffering, and meaning into control. Illusion explains how the mind mistakes representation for reality:Why you cry over fictional characters.Why money controls behavior despite being imaginary.Why relationships, status, fear, and identity feel real, even when they're built on stories.At one point, Illusion breaks the fourth wall and exposes itself in real time, reminding you that even this conversation feels real… when it isn't.This is not an episode about fixing your life.It's an episode about what you've been reacting to your entire life.Listen carefully.Buy my book Above the illusion. Above the Illusion: The blueprint for mental clarity, self-respect, and irreplaceable value" is a deep exploration into the hidden forces shaping our lives – the conditioning, beliefs, and stories we've unknowingly accepted as truth. This book exposes the psychological distractions that cloud our vision, keeping us blind, fearful, and stuck in cycles of limitation.Anthony Minaya challenges you to question the narratives that hold you back, illuminating the illusions that prevent you from seeing yourself clearly. From the self-imposed boundaries to the unconscious patterns dictating your choices, "Above the Illusion" guides you to break free from the mental fog and step into undeniable personal growth.This isn't just a book about change – it's about learning how to see. When you learn to recognize what is real and what is fabricated by fear and doubt, you gain the clarity, awareness, and self-respect necessary to reshape your life."Above the Illusion" will leave you more prepared, more conscious, and more powerful than ever before – ready to live with a sharpness that cuts through deception and a confidence rooted in truth.Buy now. https://a.co/d/8w516R7

The holidays are a perfect storm where your ego whispers the six most famous last words of every drinker: "I can handle it." Head Coach Victoria English explains the Illusion of Control Bias, the competence that makes you successful also makes you dangerously underestimate alcohol. Learn how holiday stress raises cortisol by 20-25% , amplifying the need to "handle" everything. The key shift is trading the egoic question ("Can I handle it?") for the truthful one: "What does it cost me?" Choose clarity and peace this holiday season .   Download my FREE guide: The Alcohol Freedom Formula For Over 30s Entrepreneurs & High Performers: https://social.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/podcast ★ - Learn more about Project 90: www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/Project90 ★ - (Accountability & Support) Speak verbally to a certified Alcohol-Free Lifestyle coach to see if, or how, we could support you having a better relationship with alcohol: https://www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/schedule ★ - The wait is over – My new book "CLEAR" is now available. Get your copy here: https://www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/clear

POUR COMMANDER MON LIVRE : Sur Amazon : https://amzn.to/3ZMm4CY Sur Fnac.com : https://tidd.ly/4dWJZ8OLes psychédéliques ont la réputation d'ouvrir les portes de la conscience. Mais qu'est-ce que cela signifie exactement ? Se pourrait-il que ce que nous percevons ne soit qu'une version parmi d'autres de la réalité ? Étudier les effets de ces substances, c'est explorer la conscience humaine elle-même, la manière dont nous construisons la réalité, et la question de ce que nous appelons « vérité ».ATTENTION : Ma parole n'est pas celle d'un expert. Pour des informations officielles, je vous renvoie au site de la société psychédélique française : https://societepsychedelique.fr/fr---Envie d'aller plus loin ? Rejoignez-moi sur Patreon pour accéder à tout mon contenu supplémentaire.

Welcome To the Truth Behind Illusion! Lilly and ABJ cover all spooky topics from ghosts, demons, cryptids, and metaphysics. We may even end up on location at some fun places.ABJ Links:https://linktr.ee/anthonyblackwelljrhttps://www.youtube.com/@truthbehindillusionWitchCraftsByLilly YT:https://www.youtube.com/@WitchCraftsByLilly

Most of us experience ourselves as solid and unchanging, as if there's a stable “me” at the center of our thoughts, feelings, and actions. But in meditation, when we slow down and look more closely, that sense of solidity begins to soften.In Dissolving the Separate Self, Craig guides a contemplative practice designed to help us look more closely and discover that what we are is not a fixed “self” that is  separate from the world around us, but a fluid, dynamic process that is deeply connected with life as it unfolds.You may want to listen at a time when you can be quiet and unhurried.For a deeper experience of Craig's approach to meditation, consider joining our Awakened Life membership program which offers in-depth guidance, a meditation workshop, and a live online retreat with Craig. Register today to receive your first month for 50% off at AwakenedLifeMembership.com.If you're interested in exploring more of Craig's meditation experiments, you're invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at FreeMeditationWorkshop.com.If you would like to share your experience of the podcast or have questions about Craig's teachings, please feel free to email us at support@craighamiltonglobal.com.

Bush Whisperer https://youtube.com/@bushwhisperer?si=kmP7legV0GreK1u4https://www.linkedin.com/in/bushwhisperer?originalSubdomain=zaForbidden Knowledge Network https://forbiddenknowledge.news/ FKN Link Treehttps://linktr.ee/FKNlinksMake a Donation to Forbidden Knowledge News https://www.paypal.me/forbiddenknowledgenehttps://buymeacoffee.com/forbiddenWe are back on YouTube! https://youtube.com/@forbiddenknowledgenews?si=XQhXCjteMKYNUJSjBackup channelhttps://youtube.com/@fknshow1?si=tIoIjpUGeSoRNaEsDoors of Perception is available now on Amazon Prime!https://watch.amazon.com/detail?gti=amzn1.dv.gti.8a60e6c7-678d-4502-b335-adfbb30697b8&ref_=atv_lp_share_mv&r=webDoors of Perception official trailerhttps://youtu.be/F-VJ01kMSII?si=Ee6xwtUONA18HNLZPick up Independent Media Token herehttps://www.independentmediatoken.com/Be prepared for any emergency with Prep Starts Now!https://prepstartsnow.com/discount/FKNStart your microdosing journey with BrainsupremeGet 15% off your order here!!https://brainsupreme.co/FKN15Book a free consultation with Jennifer Halcame Emailjenniferhalcame@gmail.comFacebook pagehttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561665957079&mibextid=ZbWKwLWatch The Forbidden Documentary: Occult Louisiana on Tubi: https://link.tubi.tv/pGXW6chxCJbC60 PurplePowerhttps://go.shopc60.com/FORBIDDEN10/or use coupon code knowledge10Johnny Larson's artworkhttps://www.patreon.com/JohnnyLarsonSign up on Rokfin!https://rokfin.com/fknplusPodcastshttps://www.spreaker.com/show/forbiddenAvailable on all platforms Support FKN on Spreaker https://spreaker.page.link/KoPgfbEq8kcsR5oj9FKN ON Rumblehttps://rumble.com/c/FKNpGet Cory Hughes books!Lee Harvey Oswald In Black and White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FJ2PQJRMA Warning From History Audio bookhttps://buymeacoffee.com/jfkbook/e/392579https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jfkbookhttps://www.amazon.com/Warning-History-Cory-Hughes/dp/B0CL14VQY6/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=72HEFZQA7TAP&keywords=a+warning+from+history+cory+hughes&qid=1698861279&sprefix=a+warning+fro%2Caps%2C121&sr=8-1https://coryhughes.org/Become Self-Sufficient With A Food Forest!!https://foodforestabundance.com/get-started/?ref=CHRISTOPHERMATHUse coupon code: FORBIDDEN for discountsOur Facebook pageshttps://www.facebook.com/forbiddenknowledgenewsconspiracy/https://www.facebook.com/FKNNetwork/Instagram @forbiddenknowledgenews1@forbiddenknowledgenetworkXhttps://x.com/ForbiddenKnow10?t=uO5AqEtDuHdF9fXYtCUtfw&s=09Email Forbidden Knowledge News forbiddenknowledgenews@gmail.comsome music thanks to:https://www.bensound.com/ULFAPO3OJSCGN8LDDGLBEYNSIXA6EMZJ5FUXWYNC6WJNJKRS8DH27IXE3D73E97DBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/forbidden-knowledge-news--3589233/support.

In this episode, i break down the cost of staying the same. Not the money, not the risk, not the work… but the quiet price you pay when you avoid the moves that would've changed your life.Buy my book Above the illusion. Above the Illusion: The blueprint for mental clarity, self-respect, and irreplaceable value" is a deep exploration into the hidden forces shaping our lives – the conditioning, beliefs, and stories we've unknowingly accepted as truth. This book exposes the psychological distractions that cloud our vision, keeping us blind, fearful, and stuck in cycles of limitation.Anthony Minaya challenges you to question the narratives that hold you back, illuminating the illusions that prevent you from seeing yourself clearly. From the self-imposed boundaries to the unconscious patterns dictating your choices, "Above the Illusion" guides you to break free from the mental fog and step into undeniable personal growth.This isn't just a book about change – it's about learning how to see. When you learn to recognize what is real and what is fabricated by fear and doubt, you gain the clarity, awareness, and self-respect necessary to reshape your life."Above the Illusion" will leave you more prepared, more conscious, and more powerful than ever before – ready to live with a sharpness that cuts through deception and a confidence rooted in truth.Buy now. https://a.co/d/8w516R7

In this episode of ZERT Coffee & Chaos, we break down the latest wave of violence making headlines—from a shooting in Australia to a gun-free-zone incident at Brown University—and ask the uncomfortable questions no one in power seems willing to answer. Every time these events happen, the same talking points get recycled: more laws, more restrictions, more promises that this time it will make a difference. But criminals don't follow laws. They don't respect signs. And they certainly don't care about “gun-free zones.” This episode isn't about fear—it's about reality. The hard truth is that no one is coming to save you. Law enforcement does their best, but they can't be everywhere. Institutions will issue statements, not protection. Safety is not outsourced. We discuss why disarmed populations are repeatedly targeted, how “safe spaces” often become soft targets, and why preparedness—mental, physical, and situational—isn't paranoia, it's responsibility. If you believe safety is something someone else provides, this episode will challenge that belief. If you understand that personal responsibility is the first line of defense, this conversation will reinforce why staying prepared at all times isn't optional—it's essential. Coffee's hot. Chaos is real. Stay ready.

Evolutionary psychologist Geoffrey Miller joins Rav on the Illusion of Consensus for a deep exploration of Gen Z's crisis of sex, dating, and relationships, unpacking why modern courtship is failing and how evolutionary instincts still shape today's mating market. Miller breaks down the rise of incel culture, the psychology of attraction, the impact of dating apps, and practical strategies young men can use to build confidence, social skills, and real-world romantic success. This conversation moves from societal trends to actionable insights on approaching women, navigating rejection, and understanding human mating psychology with clarity and honesty. A candid and highly informative session with Geoffrey Miller on how young people can thrive in a transformed romantic landscape.Follow Geoffrey on X: https://x.com/primalpolyTime-stamps: 00:00 – Intro05:55 – Queer Identity + Gen Z's Sexual Recession Unpacked13:25 – Sapiosexuals and Social Categories20:40 – What Intelligence Really Signals in Dating27:55 – Phones, Isolation, and the Collapse of Social Skills35:10 – Dating Apps and the New Mating Inequality42:25 – How Rejection Creates Modern Incel Psychology49:40 – Low-Stakes Flirting and Building Social Confidence56:55 – Approaching Women Without Creeping Them Out1:04:10 – Standards, Risk, and Smarter Short-Term Choices This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.illusionconsensus.com/subscribe

This week Dalanie and Katie talk about jealousy. IN THIS EPISODE: Video episodes are now available on YouTube! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@classicallyblackpodcast WE HAVE NEW CHRISTMAS MERCH!: https://www.classicallyblackpodcast.com/store JOIN US ON PATREON!: https://patreon.com/ClassicallyBlackPodcast FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA! https://linktr.ee/classicallyblack Tourte Cello Bow Breaks Record After Fetching €375,000 https://theviolinchannel.com/tourte-cello-bow-breaks-record-after-fetching-e375000/ Brazil Abandons Proposed Ban of Pernambuco Wood and Trade https://theviolinchannel.com/brazil-abandons-proposed-ban-of-pernambuco-wood-and-trade/ Do We Truly Celebrate Each Other's Success? On Envy, Empathy, and the Illusion of Merit in Classical Music https://icareifyoulisten.com/2025/11/do-we-truly-celebrate-each-others-success-on-envy-empathy-and-the-illusion-of-merit-in-classical-music/?fbclid=PAdGRleAN4fjpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAacBuqDX4f1EMjZriLU7Gum_keJjGQknnStQNucbnnxnq44AZFtBr7_Qzxe7Xw_aem_Hx3Wd9y0WxhQVOx74cxGDg Black Excellence: Maxwell Arceneaux https://www.stagehand.app/artists/3418 Piece of the Week: Nutcracker Suite - Duke Ellington https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKwydJkCkvA

In this episode, I break down the true state of the culture today, how people think, how they move, what they value, and how the environment is shaping your mindset without you realizing it.Buy my book Above the illusion. Above the Illusion: The blueprint for mental clarity, self-respect, and irreplaceable value" is a deep exploration into the hidden forces shaping our lives – the conditioning, beliefs, and stories we've unknowingly accepted as truth. This book exposes the psychological distractions that cloud our vision, keeping us blind, fearful, and stuck in cycles of limitation.Anthony Minaya challenges you to question the narratives that hold you back, illuminating the illusions that prevent you from seeing yourself clearly. From the self-imposed boundaries to the unconscious patterns dictating your choices, "Above the Illusion" guides you to break free from the mental fog and step into undeniable personal growth.This isn't just a book about change – it's about learning how to see. When you learn to recognize what is real and what is fabricated by fear and doubt, you gain the clarity, awareness, and self-respect necessary to reshape your life."Above the Illusion" will leave you more prepared, more conscious, and more powerful than ever before – ready to live with a sharpness that cuts through deception and a confidence rooted in truth.Buy now. https://a.co/d/8w516R7

Today I sit down for an awesome episode with Dr. Haroldo Magariños, founder of DetoxU, dentist, and naturopathic doctor specializing in the oral-gut axis and microbiome health. We talked about something most people overlook: how your mouth and gut are connected and why it matters for your whole body health.We explore the oral gut connection and why issues like periodontal disease are rarely just dental problems. Dr. Magariños explains how chronic oral infections, environmental toxins, and an overburdened detox system can quietly contribute to systemic inflammation and ongoing symptoms. We talk about why focusing on individual symptoms often misses the bigger picture.We also dive into biological dentistry, the oral microbiome, and how detox pathways actually function. Dr. Magariños shares practical insights on supporting detoxification in a way that makes sense, where people often go wrong with detox approaches, and how binders fit into a broader strategy for helping the body clear toxins.If you are dealing with persistent gut issues, inflammatory symptoms, or feel like your body is not clearing things the way it should, then definitely take a listen!Want to learn more for Dr. Haroldo Magariños?www.DetoxU.com00:43 Today's Topic: Oral Microbiome and Gut Connection01:22 Introducing Dr. Haroldo Magariños02:40 Dr. Magariños' Background and Journey02:54 Understanding Chronic Illness and Microbiome Imbalances08:54 The Role of Environmental Pollutants09:46 Mouth as a Reflection of Overall Health17:33 Feeding the Oral Microbiome21:04 Oil Pulling: Benefits and Drawbacks23:18 Testing the Oral Microbiome26:39 Microbial Balance: Mouth vs. Gut27:54 Inflammation Signs in the Mouth28:19 Systemic Approach to Oral Health28:23 The Role of Diet and Probiotics29:00 Visual Inspections and Microbial Analysis29:28 The Illusion of Antibiotics30:41 Introduction to DetoxU31:25 The Age of Toxins32:16 Challenges in Detoxification33:25 Creating DetoxU: A Collaborative Effort34:56 DetoxU Product Line36:48 Understanding Remover and Binder42:38 The Importance of Comprehensive Binders46:01 Effective Detoxification Protocols49:19 Final Thoughts on DetoxificationIG: @MoldFindersNot sure the best way to get started? Follow these simple steps to hit the ground running…Step 1: Subscribe To Our Podcast!Step 2: Want a Test More Advanced Than ERMI? www.TheDustTest.com⁠Step 3: Already Have An ERMI? Find Out What It Actually Means. ⁠⁠www.ErmiCode.com⁠Step 4: Text Me (yes, it's really me!) The Mold Phone: 949-528-8704Step 5: Book A FREE Consultation www.yesweinspect.com/call

Summary In this conversation, Ali Damron and Kelly Kessler explore the concept of self-respect and the fawning response, discussing how it manifests in relationships and personal dynamics. They delve into the importance of understanding the nervous system, the impact of grief on personal growth, and the necessity of setting boundaries. The discussion also touches on the pressures of holiday expectations, the challenge of asking for help, and the journey towards internal validation. Ultimately, they emphasize the importance of choosing oneself and cultivating a supportive community. Takeaways Self-respect is crucial for personal growth. Fawning is a response to external pressures and expectations. Understanding the nervous system is key to healing. Self-abandonment can lead to unhealthy relationships. Grief can catalyze significant personal change. Choosing yourself often means setting boundaries. The holiday season can amplify feelings of stress and obligation. Asking for help is a vital skill to develop. Recognizing patterns of behavior is essential for change. Internal validation is more important than external approval. Sound bites "I was completely abandoning myself." "You are allowed to prioritize your peace." "Your energy is worth something." Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Self-Respect and Fawning Response 02:56 Understanding Self-Abandonment and Fawning Patterns 05:58 The Impact of Relationships on Self-Identity 09:01 Navigating Grief and Personal Transformation 12:11 The Role of Community and Support in Healing 15:00 Choosing Yourself: The Journey of Self-Love 17:45 The Pressure of Holiday Expectations and Self-Care 20:54 Asking for Help: Building the Muscle of Vulnerability 27:03 Navigating the Challenge of Receiving Help 28:49 The Illusion of External Validation 29:44 The Pursuit of Fulfillment 31:00 Understanding Personal Desires 32:34 Setting Boundaries in Relationships 35:38 Creating Safety Within Yourself 37:42 Recognizing Fawning Behavior 39:50 The Energy Behind Actions 41:16 Choosing Yourself and Your Peace 43:39 Filtering Relationships 46:38 The Ongoing Journey of Self-Discovery   Kelly's Resources: https://www.instagram.com/drkellykessler/ Self Respect Reset   Ali's Resources:  Calm the Chaos: Practical Tips and Tools for Stopping Anxiety in It's Tracks Course! Consults with Ali  Fullscript (Get 25% off all supplements for Black Friday) BIOptimizers Magnesium Breakthrough 25-33% off using code ALIDAMRON10 www.alidamron.com/magnesium Master Your Perimenopause Course + Toolkit "Am I in Perimenopause?" Checklist.  What Hormone is Imbalanced? Quiz! Fullscript (Get 10% off all supplements) "How To Balance Your Hormones For Better Sleep, Mood, Periods and Energy" Free, On Demand Training Website  Ali's Instagram Ali's Facebook Group: Holistic Health with Ali Damron 

Why is the world moving away from liberalism and towards conservatism?One of Britain's most provocative thinkers, John Gray is a political philosopher known for dismantling liberalism and exposing the illusions of human progress. Former Professor of European Thought at the London School of Economics, Gray has challenged orthodoxy across the political spectrum with a body of work that ranges from critiques of Enlightenment rationalism to meditations on the limits of secular humanism.He is the bestselling author of Straw Dogs, The Silence of Animals, and Seven Types of Atheism as well as a frequent contributor to The Guardian, New Statesman, and The Times Literary Supplement. Gray's sharp insights and contrarian stance continue to shape contemporary debates on ethics, politics, and the future of humanity.Don't hesitate to email us at podcast@iai.tv with your thoughts or questions on the episode!To witness such debates live buy tickets for our upcoming festival: https://howthelightgetsin.org/festivals/And visit our website for many more articles, videos, and podcasts like this one: https://iai.tv/You can find everything we referenced here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sarah Isgur and David French kick things off by revisiting the Slaughter case and responding to an insightful access-to-justice question from a listener. Then they break down the Supreme Court's latest GVR on school vaccine mandates before diving into two fresh oral arguments: Olivier v. City of Brandon and NRSC v. FEC. Plus, a brief return of grifter Sarah. The Agenda:—A correction to our livestream—The Supreme Court argument that could have been an email—Religious exemptions and vaccine mandates—The case of the street preacher—Understanding campaign finance law—The super PAC dilemma—Can Jasmine Crockett win Texas? Show Notes:—Sarah's piece for the New York Times Advisory Opinions is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, conservative perspective. To access all of The Dispatch's offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—click here. If you'd like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices