Podcasts about Joseph Campbell

Recorded live at Retro Expo in Plano, Texas in July 2024, Craig sits down with Harry Hamlin for a lively and genuinely engaging conversation that spans Mayfair Witches Season 2, his unforgettable Clash of the Titans stories, his viral Bolognese, and the acting lessons he learned from Laurence Olivier. Standing His Ground: Hamlin recounts how he protected Clash of the Titans from bad creative choices — including locking himself in a trailer to keep the Medusa scene intact. Mythology & Craft: With a Yale background in mythological psychology, he explains how Joseph Campbell shaped his approach to Perseus (and why the movie's mythology is “all wrong”). Finding Courtland Mayfair: Inspired by Laurence Olivier's “green umbrella,” Hamlin shares how a simple pinky ring instantly unlocked his Mayfair Witches character. “When they hired me, they didn't know they were getting a badass.” - Harry Hamlin Want more exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes stories from the people who bring your favorite characters to life? Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your favorite podcasting platform for more behind-the-scenes stories and exclusive interviews.

Episode 169 - The Power of Myth - John Butcher of the Joseph Campbell Foundation explores Joseph Campbell's work in comparative mythology and how myths reveal universal truths about the human psyche, culture and spiritual life.Disclaimer: Please note that all information and content on the UK Health Radio Network, all its radio broadcasts and podcasts are provided by the authors, producers, presenters and companies themselves and is only intended as additional information to your general knowledge. As a service to our listeners/readers our programs/content are for general information and entertainment only.  The UK Health Radio Network does not recommend, endorse, or object to the views, products or topics expressed or discussed by show hosts or their guests, authors and interviewees.  We suggest you always consult with your own professional – personal, medical, financial or legal advisor. So please do not delay or disregard any professional – personal, medical, financial or legal advice received due to something you have heard or read on the UK Health Radio Network.

My name is Bibhu Dev Misra and I live in Kolkata, India, with my family. Like most urban-educated boys, I followed the traditional route to success in my early life. As someone who was comfortable with science, I did my engineering from IIT Kharagpur and subsequently completed my MBA from IIM Kolkata. I worked as an Information Technology consultant for more than 20 years, and spent a number of years working in the US for various multinational organizations, including the World Bank and the United Nations. It was early on in my work life that I was exposed to the writings of researchers such as Graham Hancock, Michael Cremo, Adrian Snodgrass, Joseph Campbell, Walter Cruttenden, Subhash Kak and others, who were looking at our past with a new spirit of inquiry, and identified a number of glaring inconsistencies in the version of history that has been handed down to us. Their writings inspired me to begin a journey of seeking answers to a large body of mysterious knowledge left behind by our ancestors in the form of sacred texts, inexplicable artifacts, awe-inspiring architecture, cryptic symbols, and fantastic myths and legends. To this end, I also began traveling to many ancient sites around the world in order to gain a first hand experience of these remarkable places.In addition to travel and writing, my other interests are music, sports, and photography. When I am not researching, writing, or traveling to ancient sites, I like to strike up a tune on my guitar or keyboard, read books or watch films on ancient mysteries and esoteric subjects, go for long walks, and practice yoga and meditation.https://www.bibhudevmisra.com/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/earth-ancients--2790919/support.

Sailor Noob Crystal is the podcast where a Sailor Moon superfan goes episode by episode through the 2014 Sailor Moon reboot series!The Legendary Silver Crystal has been found but Tuxedo Mask has been lost! Wlll learning the shocking truth about her ancient past be too much for an overwhelmed Usagi?In this episode, Kal talks about josei tenno or "women emperors". Plus, the lie of the "Sailor V anime", Takeuchi and Tolkien, eating the cheese out of Sailor Moon Crystal, dying with your mask on, fake Peter brook tips, wrestling with serial storytelling, adaptation vagaries, "Kami's Law", the Sailor Moon divinity org chart, 50% Arrested Development quotes, passing out equality, the Legendary Crystal Display, catsicles and Luna pathos, ditching Joseph Campbell, shojo body horror, dating the emperor's sister, Oops! all Buddhism, a King Ralph event, and my stupid ideas!#nobloodforcrystalGive the gift of a Sailor Noob Patreon subscription to your favorite noob!https://www.patreon.com/sailornoob/giftWe're on iTunes and your listening platform of choice! Please subscribe and give us a rating and a review! Arigato gozaimasu!https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sailor-noob/id1486204787Leave us a comment on Spotify!Become a patron of the show and hear our live-action PGSM, Animedification, Utena, Ghibli, and Evangelion podcasts!http://www.patreon.com/sailornoobPut Sailor Noob merch on your body!http://justenoughtrope.threadless.comSailor Noob is a part of the Just Enough Trope podcast network. Check out our other shows about your favorite pop culture topics and join our Discord!http://www.twitter.com/noob_sailorhttp://www.justenoughtrope.comhttp://www.instagram.com/noob_sailorhttp://youtube.com/@noob_sailorhttps://discord.gg/7E6wUayqBuy us a coffee on Ko-Fi!https://ko-fi.com/justenoughtrope

NOTE: This episode features a discussion between Jody England Hansen and LDF host Dan Wotherspoon about deep themes in Christopher Nolan's newly released film, The Odyssey. It contains a few minor spoilers, so if you haven't yet seen the film, you may not want to listen right now. If you have already seen it, you will likely be delighted to hear new perspectives that will enhance your own processing of your watching experience. Jody and Dan also bring up a few things from Homer's epic poem that were not included or explored deeply in the film. _____  One of Western literature's formative texts is Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey, which tells the story of Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, and his trials during and following his participation the Trojan War. It is often cited as a quintessential example of what Joseph Campbell has named the "Hero's Journey," in which a protagonist learns to face her or his deepest fears, including the consequences of their actions and how they have affected their families, communities, and the world. They then, with the wisdom they gained through their trials, find their way to heal and bless others. In sharing their thoughts on the film, Jody and Dan often refer to this model, noting places where the hero's journey framing is helpful to us in understanding the nature of Odysseus's trials and why they are so important for him to face. One of these elements is the nature of the gods and monsters we must face in our healing processes—gods and monsters of our own creation that can lead us to do awful, even evil, things. As we descend into the innermost parts of our souls, is it possible we can then create something new and good? The poem and film play with universal archetypes and themes that are familiar to us even as they are presented in settings that are quite foreign to our time and way of seeing the world. By telling the specifics of one person's journey, we can better see how we, too, face similar dynamics and decisions that we, in the midst of our confusing walk through this world, might to be able to see in any other way. Listen in! Tough material but spectacular payouts if we pursue the path it points towards.

¿Es la Odisea simplemente una historia de monstruos y naufragios, o el primer gran tratado sobre la reconstrucción del alma humana traumatizada por la guerra? Ante el esperadísimo estreno cinematográfico de Odisea el próximo 17 de julio, en Antena Historia nos echamos a la mar para destripar, ola a ola, el peso real del texto fundacional de la cultura occidental. De la mano de Antonio Cruz Medina y todo el equipo, nos alejamos de los fuegos artificiales de Hollywood para sumergirnos en la psicología del héroe, el contexto de la Edad del Bronce y la profunda carga mística que Homero legó a la humanidad. Dejamos atrás las cenizas humeantes de Troya y la terrible soberbia (hibris) de los vencedores para acompañar al hombre de los mil caminos, el polýtropos, en un viaje de veinte años de vuelta a su hogar. ️ ¿QUÉ ENCONTRARÁS EN ESTE EPISODIO? BLOQUE 1: El fin de la guerra y la maldición de los Nostoi. Analizamos cómo el brutal saqueo de Troya desató la cólera divina. De la fuerza bruta de la Ilíada a la astucia de la Odisea . ¿Quién es verdaderamente Odiseo? BLOQUE 2: La Telemaquia y el colapso de Ítaca. Viajamos a una patria usurpada por los pretendientes que violan la sagrada hospitalidad. El tapiz de Penélope como suspensión del tiempo y el viaje iniciático del joven Telémaco para convertirse en hombre. BLOQUE 3: El gran viaje mitológico y espiritual. Desgranamos los episodios más icónicos: el rechazo a la inmortalidad en Ogigia, el debate civilizatorio con el Cíclope Polifemo (y la trampa lingüística de Outis), la degradación moral de Circe, el desgarrador descenso al Hades, el canto de nostalgia de las Sirenas y el trágico dilema de Escila y Caribdis. BLOQUE 4: El retorno del mendigo y la venganza purificadora. El regreso bajo el disfraz de la indigencia extrema. La conmovedora lealtad del siervo Eumeo, la trágica muerte del fiel perro Argos, el misticismo armónico del arco de Éurito y el juicio final contra los pretendientes en el salón del palacio. BLOQUE 5: Claves críticas para la película del 17 de julio. Te damos las herramientas históricas y narrativas definitivas para juzgar si la nueva adaptación cinematográfica respeta la hondura de Homero o se queda en un mero espectáculo de efectos especiales. FUENTES Y LECTURAS RECOMENDADAS: La Odisea de Homero (Traducción recomendada de Carlos García Gual o Emilio Crespo). El mundo de Odiseo de M.I. Finley. El héroe de las mil caras de Joseph Campbell. ¡QUEREMOS SABER TU OPINIÓN! ¿Cuál es tu pasaje favorito de la Odisea? ¿Crees que la nueva película estará a la altura de la épica homérica o recortará la vital importancia de la Telemaquia? Déjanos tu comentario aquí abajo. ¡Os leemos a todos! Si te gusta nuestro trabajo, no olvides darle a "Me gusta", suscribirte al canal de Antena Historia y compartir este episodio en tus redes. Tu apoyo es el viento que empuja nuestra balsa de vuelta a Ítaca. Presentación y dirección: Antonio Cruz Medina. ¡Que la historia os sea leve, y que los vientos os sean propicios! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Antena Historia te regala 30 días PREMIUM Disfruta de todo el contenido sin interrupciones y con ventajas exclusivas en iVoox: https://www.ivoox.com/premium?affiliate-code=b4688a50868967db9ca413741a54cea5 Producción y realización: Antonio Cruz ️ Edición: Antena Historia Antena Historia forma parte del sello iVoox Originals Visita nuestra web: https://antenahistoria.com YouTube: Podcast Antena Historia Correo: antenahistoria@gmail.com Facebook: Antena Historia Podcast Twitter: @AntenaHistoria Telegram: https://t.me/foroantenahistoria Apoya el proyecto: Donaciones en PayPal ¿Quieres anunciarte en Antena Historia? Ofrecemos menciones, cuñas personalizadas y programas a medida. Más información en Antena Historia – AdVoices Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

This episode, hosted by Katie Jubenville, takes listeners on the road to the A4LE Southeast Regional Conference, featuring conversations with architects, educators, and facility planners about creating better learning environments. Guests discuss what it means to be "radically student-centered," the messages school buildings send to students and teachers, exciting trends in school design, and how to elevate teacher practice and gauge whether a school is thriving. Our guests, in order of appearance: Paulette Myers: McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture Architect https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulette-myers/ Matthew Pierzchala, AIA, NCARB, ALEP, WELL AP: Larson Design Group Client Leader | Senior Architect | Education Planner https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-pierzchala-aia-ncarb-alep-well-ap-8976311a/ Dr. Burke Royster: Greenville County Schools Superintendent https://www.linkedin.com/in/burke-royster-b9436b56/ Robert Oetting: Beaufort County School District Chief Operations Officer https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-oetting-a9742514/ Sophia Tarkhan AIA, NOMA, LEED AP, Fitwel Ambassador & Kate Edwards, AIA, NCARB: Cooper Carry Project Architects https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophia-tarkhan-aia-noma-leed-ap-fitwel-ambassador-64792a12/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-edwards-aia-ncarb-937a167/ Joseph Campbell, MS: Charleston County School District Construction Procurement Supervisor https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-campbell-ms-741b61b8/ Aimee Eckmann, FAIA: Perkins&Will Firmwide K-12 Practice Leader https://www.linkedin.com/in/aimee-eckmann-faia-269a584/   Episode 340 of the Better Learning Podcast For more information on our partners: Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) - https://www.a4le.org/ Education Leaders' Organization - https://www.ed-leaders.org/ Second Class Foundation - https://secondclassfoundation.org/ EDmarket - https://www.edmarket.org/ Catapult @ Penn GSE - https://catapult.gse.upenn.edu/ Want to be a Guest Speaker? Request on our website  

¿Es la Odisea simplemente una historia de monstruos y naufragios, o el primer gran tratado sobre la reconstrucción del alma humana traumatizada por la guerra? Ante el esperadísimo estreno cinematográfico de Odisea el próximo 17 de julio, en Antena Historia nos echamos a la mar para destripar, ola a ola, el peso real del texto fundacional de la cultura occidental. De la mano de Antonio Cruz Medina y todo el equipo, nos alejamos de los fuegos artificiales de Hollywood para sumergirnos en la psicología del héroe, el contexto de la Edad del Bronce y la profunda carga mística que Homero legó a la humanidad. Dejamos atrás las cenizas humeantes de Troya y la terrible soberbia (hibris) de los vencedores para acompañar al hombre de los mil caminos, el polýtropos, en un viaje de veinte años de vuelta a su hogar. ️ ¿QUÉ ENCONTRARÁS EN ESTE EPISODIO? BLOQUE 1: El fin de la guerra y la maldición de los Nostoi. Analizamos cómo el brutal saqueo de Troya desató la cólera divina. De la fuerza bruta de la Ilíada a la astucia de la Odisea . ¿Quién es verdaderamente Odiseo? BLOQUE 2: La Telemaquia y el colapso de Ítaca. Viajamos a una patria usurpada por los pretendientes que violan la sagrada hospitalidad. El tapiz de Penélope como suspensión del tiempo y el viaje iniciático del joven Telémaco para convertirse en hombre. BLOQUE 3: El gran viaje mitológico y espiritual. Desgranamos los episodios más icónicos: el rechazo a la inmortalidad en Ogigia, el debate civilizatorio con el Cíclope Polifemo (y la trampa lingüística de Outis), la degradación moral de Circe, el desgarrador descenso al Hades, el canto de nostalgia de las Sirenas y el trágico dilema de Escila y Caribdis. BLOQUE 4: El retorno del mendigo y la venganza purificadora. El regreso bajo el disfraz de la indigencia extrema. La conmovedora lealtad del siervo Eumeo, la trágica muerte del fiel perro Argos, el misticismo armónico del arco de Éurito y el juicio final contra los pretendientes en el salón del palacio. BLOQUE 5: Claves críticas para la película del 17 de julio. Te damos las herramientas históricas y narrativas definitivas para juzgar si la nueva adaptación cinematográfica respeta la hondura de Homero o se queda en un mero espectáculo de efectos especiales. FUENTES Y LECTURAS RECOMENDADAS: La Odisea de Homero (Traducción recomendada de Carlos García Gual o Emilio Crespo). El mundo de Odiseo de M.I. Finley. El héroe de las mil caras de Joseph Campbell. ¡QUEREMOS SABER TU OPINIÓN! ¿Cuál es tu pasaje favorito de la Odisea? ¿Crees que la nueva película estará a la altura de la épica homérica o recortará la vital importancia de la Telemaquia? Déjanos tu comentario aquí abajo. ¡Os leemos a todos! Si te gusta nuestro trabajo, no olvides darle a "Me gusta", suscribirte al canal de Antena Historia y compartir este episodio en tus redes. Tu apoyo es el viento que empuja nuestra balsa de vuelta a Ítaca. Presentación y dirección: Antonio Cruz Medina. ¡Que la historia os sea leve, y que los vientos os sean propicios! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Antena Historia te regala 30 días PREMIUM Disfruta de todo el contenido sin interrupciones y con ventajas exclusivas en iVoox: https://www.ivoox.com/premium?affiliate-code=b4688a50868967db9ca413741a54cea5 Producción y realización: Antonio Cruz ️ Edición: Antena Historia Antena Historia forma parte del sello iVoox Originals Visita nuestra web: https://antenahistoria.com YouTube: Podcast Antena Historia Correo: antenahistoria@gmail.com Facebook: Antena Historia Podcast Twitter: @AntenaHistoria Telegram: https://t.me/foroantenahistoria Apoya el proyecto: Donaciones en PayPal ¿Quieres anunciarte en Antena Historia? Ofrecemos menciones, cuñas personalizadas y programas a medida. Más información en Antena Historia – AdVoices Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

In this episode, Michael Dargie welcomes Susie deVille — entrepreneur, coach, artist, and self-described "concrete chiseler in chief" — who joins from a mountain plateau at 4,118 feet in Highlands, North Carolina. Susie works with entrepreneurs, creators, and visionary leaders who feel stuck and riddled with self-doubt, helping them reconnect with their innate creativity and unlock who they truly are. Her own path took a while to reveal itself. She studied anthropology, moved to Boston and then overseas for a career in publishing at HarperCollins, launched two nonprofits that are still running today, and became a real estate broker in 2001. It was during her master's studies that a class introduced her to the design firm IDEO, and, as she puts it, the top of her head came off. From that moment, all she wanted to do was understand innovation and creativity. That curiosity became a lifeline. When the markets crashed, Susie's finances, her marriage, and her health all went "poof" at once — a stretch she calls her nuclear winter. Her instinct was to work harder, which only pulled her deeper into the quicksand. So she rebuilt everything from the studs up, leaning on a simple but radical idea borrowed from Paulo Coelho: inspiration means breathing in. Most of us, she says, have gold-medalled the exhale — the doing, the burning out, the gerbil wheel — while forgetting to take anything back in. The conversation wanders happily from there. Susie explains her "creative circadian rhythm" and why she writes at three in the morning, when she can "take dictation from the divine." She shares the morning practices that bring her home to herself: Julia Cameron's morning pages, movement, inspired reading, and the one her clients resist most — making something with your hands, whether it's a quick sketch or a vat of gumbo. She and Michael also detour into Paris, flânerie, joie de vivre, and a plate of beef cheeks at Le Procope so good the entire waitstaff once gave her a round of applause. Underneath the fun is a serious message about energy over productivity. We're brilliant at solving for time and discipline, Susie argues, and terrible at noticing the hidden energy loads behind every bold move, hard conversation, and new boundary. Heal and optimize your energy first, and the grand voyage becomes possible. For the rebels in waiting, Susie offers a Joseph Campbell-flavoured reframe: the real work isn't the launch, it's the dragon of your becoming — your ability to tolerate uncertainty and keep going. Take good care of your energy and health, inspire yourself, keep a journal, and remember that your authentic, aligned self is the ultimate champion in any arena. Episode Highlights [00:44,000] What Susie Does | Helping stuck entrepreneurs and creators reconnect with their innate creativity. [01:30,000] The Winding Path | Anthropology, publishing at HarperCollins, two nonprofits, and real estate. [02:56,000] The Top of Her Head Comes Off | A grad-school class introduces her to IDEO and lights the fuse. [04:03,000] Nuclear Winter | The crash takes her finances, marriage, and health all at once. [05:00,000] Learning to Inhale | Inspiration means breathing in — not just the endless exhale. [07:33,000] Not the Artistic One | Why she believed she "missed the art genes" — and why that's false. [09:00,000] Cracking the Concrete | Sketching, watercolour, and mixed media start to reveal the authentic her. [10:20,000] Concrete Chiseler in Chief | An archaeological dig of the self that's energizing and fun. [11:38,000] Why Paris | Feeling instantly at home, joie de vivre, and artfully designed days. [16:11,000] Getting Lost on Purpose | The French idea of the flâneur and surrendering to serendipity. [18:32,000] The Art of Doing Nothing | Energy over productivity, and the hidden loads we never notice. [21:28,000] Creative Circadian Rhythm | Finding the hours when your best thinking actually shows up. [23:00,000] Morning Practices | Morning pages, movement, inspired learning, and making something. [27:51,000] Beef Cheeks at Le Procope | The Paris dish that earned her a standing ovation. [31:25,000] Advice for Rebels in Waiting | The dragon of your becoming and tolerating uncertainty. Links From This Episode Susie deVille — Innovation & Creativity Institute (with free toolkit) Buoyant: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Becoming Wildly Successful, Creative, and Free by Susie deVille IDEO — design and innovation firm The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho Morning Pages / The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron Le Procope — the oldest cafe in Paris Fondation Louis Vuitton — Gerhard Richter exhibition Full show notes, transcript, and more: https://rebelrebelpodcast.com/episodes/find-your-fire-again

In this special bonus episode of The Podcast With A Thousand Faces, author, mythologist, and longtime friend of the Joseph Campbell Foundation Phil Cousineau returns to discuss his new book, The Wisdom of The Odyssey. In conversation with JCF's John Bucher, Phil explores why Homer's ancient epic continues to speak so powerfully to the modern world, especially as Christopher Nolan's new film adaptation brings The Odyssey back into popular culture. Together, they reflect on Odysseus' long journey home not simply as an adventure story, but as a map of the soul - a timeless meditation on memory, exile, temptation, self-control, wisdom, and the deep human longing to return to what is most true. This conversation invites us to ask what our own odysseys are teaching us, what we may have forgotten along the way, and what wisdom we are being called to bring home. For more information on Phil Cousineau and his new book The Wisdom of The Odyssey visit: https://www.philcousineau.net/ For more information on the MythMaker Podcast Network and Joseph Campbell, visit JCF.org. To subscribe to our weekly MythBlasts go to jcf.org/subscribeThe Podcast With A Thousand Faces is hosted by Tyler Lapkin and is a production of the Joseph Campbell Foundation. It is produced by Tyler Lapkin. Executive producer, Joanna Gardner. All music exclusively provided by APM Music (apmmusic.com)

In this message we explore the concept of "The Hero's Journey," a storytelling framework identified by Joseph Campbell. It highlights how this pattern is embedded in human nature and is evident in various cultural stories, including religious texts like the Bible. Pastor BP, connects this framework to the story of two disciples on the road to Emmaus, illustrating how they move from despair to realization and hope through an encounter with Jesus. The message emphasizes the importance of understanding one's beliefs and doctrine, encouraging viewers to reflect on their personal journeys and embrace transformation and growth.

Heather Hansman publishes her 3rd book today, "Fierce Country: The Untold Story of Three Women Who Ignited America's Love for the Wild." Heather joins the River Radius as a returning guest to talk about the subjects of her book: Georgie White, Anne LaBastille and Dolores LaChapelle. We also get into her travels to learn about these three people, how going through the complete collection of one person helped clarify details, how writing a book is a multi-year commitment, her own feelings about the book and the nervous tension she rides as her book publication date arrives. Heather is a longtime river runner and river guide, and is the author of the recent article exposing many details about the current river permitting system. Her writing is funny and serious and deep, and our conversation lets her share with us her journey of writing this excellent book about rivers, people, boats, wild places, ecological theories, and the bias that gets in the way of understanding our natural systems.    Heather Hansman website "Fierce Country" Book Tour @hhansman "Wreck Dot Gov" (article about the river permit system) Previous River Radius Episode with Heather Hansman Apple Podcasts Previous River Radius Episode with Heather Hansman Spotify   SPONSORSPoudre River Fund NRS NRS PFD for Whale Foundation Whale Foundation     THE RIVER RADIUSWebsiteRunoff signup (episode newsletter)InstagramFacebookApple PodcastSpotifyLink Tree

Most Realtors spend their marketing talking to the 5% of people buying or selling today. Marc Davison thinks that's exactly why it isn't working. In this episode, Keith Robinson sits down with the co-founder of 1000WATT to explore why most real estate marketing misses the mark, how storytelling creates memorable brands, and why the agents who stop promoting themselves and start telling better stories will win the next generation of consumers. If you've ever wondered why your marketing isn't getting the response you hoped for, this episode will change the way you think about branding. Links mentioned during the episode: Joseph Campbell: https://www.jcf.org/learn/joseph-campbell-heros-journey Donald Miller: https://storybrand.com/ 1000WATT Signal Event: https://signal.1000watt.net/ The Home Tells the Story: https://www.instagram.com/reels/DTmApJekWrl/   Connect with Marc on LinkedIn and X.   Learn more about 1000WATT at 1000watt.net.   Secure your ticket at https://www.unlockconference.com/ and use discount code REIU20 for 20% off your ticket.    *Lock in your spot now before the price goes up.*   Code can be used on all full-priced passes leading up to the event and cannot be combined with any other discounts.   Subscribe to Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/@RealEstateInsidersUnfiltered?sub_confirmation=1   To learn more about becoming a sponsor of the show, send us an email: jessica@inman.com   You asked for it. We delivered. Check out our new merch! https://merch.realestateinsidersunfiltered.com/   Follow Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered Podcast on Instagram - YouTube, Facebook - TikTok. Visit us online at realestateinsidersunfiltered.com.   Link to Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/RealEstateInsidersUnfiltered Link to Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/realestateinsiderspod/ Link to YouTube Page: https://www.youtube.com/@RealEstateInsidersUnfiltered Link to TikTok Page: https://www.tiktok.com/@realestateinsiderspod Link to website: https://realestateinsidersunfiltered.com This podcast is produced by Two Brothers Creative. https://twobrotherscreative.com/contact/   The views and opinions expressed on Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered are those of the hosts and guests in their personal capacities and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of eXp World Holdings, Inc., eXp Realty, LLC, NextHome, Inc., or any of their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, officers, or directors.  

A major thank you to Logos Cinema for sponsoring today's stream. In this stream I dive into the work of Joseph Campbell, Carl Jung, and the Hero's Journey by first presenting the importance of it, and then demonstrating its insufficiency in light or Orthodox Christian critiques. Make sure to leave a comment and let me know what you think. God Bless Join Logos Cinema Here: https://www.logoscinema.com/cotel

Have you ever wondered why certain stories stay with us throughout our lives?Why are some of us drawn to stories about dragons, enchanted forests, lost voices, impossible journeys, and characters trying to discover who they truly are?In this episode of The Inner Glow Podcast, I explore the fascinating psychology of fairy tales, myths, fantasy stories, and archetypes, and what they might reveal about our own lives, fears, strengths, and personal journeys.Drawing on ideas from thinkers such as Carl Jung, Bruno Bettelheim, and Joseph Campbell, we'll explore the symbolism of the forest, the dragon, and the journey itself, as well as the psychological themes hidden within stories such as The Snow Queen, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Cinderella.Whether you love traditional fairy tales, fantasy novels, romantasy, mythology, or simply enjoy exploring the deeper meaning behind the stories that move us, this episode invites you to look at your favourite stories—and perhaps yourself—in a new way.I'd love to hear from you: what story has stayed with you throughout your life, and why do you think that might be?Claim Your Free Hypnosis Recording: "Crowned in Confidence"

Why does making friends after 50 feel so unexpectedly difficult? In this episode of Everyone Dies, we explore the reality of our changing social circles as we age. Whether caused by retirement, caregiving, or loss, discovering that your network has shrunk can feel isolating—but you are far from alone. We talk about the modern challenges of finding your community later in life, the measurable health risks of chronic loneliness, and how to intentionally take those small steps to build deep trust again. Every day is a gift. Let's learn how to find—and keep—our people:  https://bit.ly/3SXGwAeSpecial Summer Re-Release: Stick around right after this brief intro for a powerful encore of our classic episode (Season 3, Episode 31) on navigating the profound grief of when life-long friends die. Timestamps:00:00 - Intro: Why is Making Friends after 50 So Hard?00:56 - The Health Risks of Isolation and Reasons for Shrinking Friend Circles04:44 - The Power of Intentional Effort07:31 - S3E31 Intro: Friendship Rewards and Challenges15:57 - Recipe: Friendship Cake09:56 - Interview: The Grief and Coping When Your Best Friend Dies49:48 - Do I Want Another Close Friend?52:31 - How to Make New Friends01:02:14 - Outro with Words from Joseph Campbell and Emily DickensonSupport the show

In this episode of The Podcast With a Thousand Faces, Joanna Gardner speaks with author, herbalist, naturalist, land steward, and boxing coach Vanessa Chakour. Vanessa's work invites us into a deeper relationship with our inner and outer wilds. Through her books Awakening Artemis and Earthly Bodies, she weaves memoir, myth, plant medicine, animal kinship, and ecological healing into a powerful call to remember ourselves as part of the living Earth. In this conversation, Joanna and Vanessa explore rewilding as a return to our true nature, the healing power of boxing, the mythic force of Artemis and the fierce feminine, Joseph Campbell's influence on Vanessa's life and work, and the stories we must question, compost, and rewrite if we are to live in deeper kinship with the more-than-human world. Together, they ask what it means to come home to the body, to the land, and to the wild intelligence that has been waiting beneath the surface all along. For more information about Vanessa visit : https://www.vanessachakour.com/ For more information on the MythMaker Podcast Network and Joseph Campbell, visit JCF.org. To subscribe to our weekly MythBlasts go to jcf.org/subscribeThe Podcast With A Thousand Faces is hosted by Tyler Lapkin and is a production of the Joseph Campbell Foundation. It is produced by Tyler Lapkin. Executive producer, Joanna Gardner. All music exclusively provided by APM Music (apmmusic.com)

In today's fast-paced world, the concept of "following your bliss" often gets misconstrued. Many people equate it with hedonism or a reckless pursuit of pleasure. However, as Brandon G Handley articulates in his recent reflection, following your bliss is about discovering what truly lights you up and immersing yourself in the process of creation. This blog post delves into the essence of following your bliss, how it can lead to personal growth, and why embracing your passions matters more than the societal pressures of productivity. Understanding the True Meaning of Following Your Bliss Following your bliss, as suggested by Joseph Campbell, means pursuing what genuinely excites you and brings you joy. It's about connecting with your inner self and allowing your heart to guide you toward activities that inspire and fulfill you. Brandon shares a pivotal insight: this journey is not about immediate gratification or hedonistic pleasures, but about engaging in activities that resonate with your true self. The Creative Process: A Path to Joy Engaging in creative activities, whether cooking, writing, or crafting, offers a unique avenue for self-expression. Brandon reflects on his experience of creating thyme sea salt inspired by a gift from his family. This journey of creation, from gathering ingredients to sharing the final product, exemplifies how following your bliss leads to joy and satisfaction. The act of creation can put you into a state of flow, where the process becomes as rewarding as the outcome. The Importance of Feedback in Creative Pursuits Feedback plays a crucial role in honing your craft. Brandon shares his experience of creating horoscopes, emphasizing the iterative process of refining his work based on feedback. This openness to critique not only enhances the quality of the creation but also enriches the experience for both the creator and the audience. The key takeaway here is the importance of viewing feedback as a valuable tool for growth rather than a deterrent. Beyond Productivity: The Emotional Rewards of Creation In a society that often measures success by productivity and financial gain, it's essential to remember the emotional rewards of following your bliss. Brandon highlights that the satisfaction derived from creating something meaningful can be just as important, if not more so, than monetary success. This perspective encourages readers to engage in creative activities for the joy they bring rather than the potential for financial gain. Conclusion: What Will You Create? Following your bliss is a personal journey that invites you to explore your passions without the constraints of societal expectations. Whether you find joy in cooking, writing, or any other form of creative expression, the key is to immerse yourself in the process. As you engage with your passions, you may discover new aspects of yourself and cultivate a deeper sense of fulfillment. Key Takeaways Follow Your Heart: Discover what genuinely brings you joy and pursue it. Embrace the Creative Process: Engage in activities that allow for self-expression and creativity. Welcome Feedback: Use constructive criticism to refine your work and grow. Value Emotional Rewards: Recognize the intrinsic value of creating for the sake of joy, not just productivity.

The haunting melody ‘My Lagan Love' accompanies this Psalm's plea for the listening ear of the loving God who is “Lord of All,” words kept from the original lyrics by Joseph Campbell. This Psalm expresses lament from a place of weariness deepest longing to be saved from the grave, and turns to God for guidance on the way forward, recalling also God's deep love and goodness.Continue your reflections with the accompanying journal, which includes further questions for reflection and some invitations to prayer and practice.Paid subscribers receive a free journal PDF, or you can purchase a paperback versionVisit the Celtic Psalms website for scores/books, mp3s, CDs, and videos for Love is Lord of AllFind out more about the Habits for the Spirit course: an 8-week online course exploring habits and daily spiritual practices to promote wellbeing in body, mind, and spiritFollow Kiran's monthly reflections on Bless My FeetPsalms for the Spirit is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit psalmsforthespirit.substack.com/subscribe

Happy Sunday! Welcome to Heal Squad's The Sunday Set Up. Life lessons to help you start the week. This week, we explore one of the most dangerous traps our minds can fall into: the need to be right. Sparked by a heartbreaking real-life tragedy, Keven examines why being wrong can feel like a threat to our very identity, and why our brains are often wired to defend our beliefs rather than seek the truth. We dive into the psychology of cognitive dissonance, the “backfire effect,” and why our egos often mistake disagreement for danger. Along the way, we explore Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey and Carl Jung's teachings to uncover why real transformation requires letting go of old certainties—and why that can feel so terrifying. We also discuss how careers, businesses, marriages, and friendships can all quietly crumble when pride takes the driver's seat, and why humility isn't weakness—it's freedom. This week, before your next disagreement, ask yourself: Am I protecting my values… or my identity? Would I rather win the argument… or protect my peace? Because sometimes the greatest victory isn't proving you're right—it's having the wisdom to walk away. Have a beautiful week, Kweenz. We'll talk shawtly. HEAL SQUAD SOCIALS IG: https://www.instagram.com/healsquad/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@healsquadxmaria HEAL SQUAD RESOURCES: Heal Squad Website:https://www.healsquad.com/ Heal Squad x Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HealSquad/membership Maria Menounos Website: https://www.mariamenounos.com My Curated Macy's Page: https://stylecrew.macys.com/@mariamenounos EMR-Tek Red Light: https://emr-tek.com/discount/Maria30 for 30% off Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/host ABOUT MARIA MENOUNOS: Emmy Award-winning journalist, TV personality, actress, 2x NYT best-selling author, former pro-wrestler and brain tumor survivor, Maria Menounos' passion is to see others heal and to get better in all areas of life. ABOUT HEAL SQUAD x MARIA MENOUNOS: A daily digital talk-show that brings you the world's leading healers, experts, and celebrities to share groundbreaking secrets and tips to getting better in all areas of life. DISCLAIMER: This Podcast and all related content (published or distributed by or on behalf of Maria Menounos or http://Mariamenounos.com and http://healsquad.com) is for informational purposes only and may include information that is general in nature and that is not specific to you. Any information or opinions provided by guest experts or hosts featured within website or on Company's Podcast are their own; not those of Maria Menounos or the Company. Accordingly, Maria Menounos and the Company cannot be responsible for any results or consequences or actions you may take based on such information or opinions. This podcast is presented for exploratory purposes only. Published content is not intended to be used for preventing, diagnosing, or treating a specific illness. If you have, or suspect you may have, a health-care emergency, please contact a qualified health care professional for treatment.

Send us Fan MailSomething wild happens when your life hits a season you can't “power through.” I'm sharing a personal update I've been living inside of lately: pregnancy, the humbling first trimester, and what it forces me to release when my usual productivity stories stop working. If you're a mom, a caregiver, a go-getter, or anyone moving through change, this is for the days when success looks like making it to bedtime and calling that sacred.We talk about tiny rituals as spiritual practice and realistic self-care. Not the fantasy of two uninterrupted hours, but the two-minute practices that bring you home: lighting a candle, making tea, watering a plant, stepping outside barefoot, taking five deep belly breaths, or putting your legs up the wall. I share how these micro-rituals build steadiness, protect your peace, and help you reorient when your nervous system is loud and your mind is spinning.Then we go deeper into community as medicine. I reflect on the kind of relationships that don't just validate you, but actually help you remember who you are. That also means grieving false belonging, noticing where familiarity isn't alignment, and trusting your nervous system before your thoughts catch up. We unpack expansion vs contraction, boundaries around gossip, and why nature is such a powerful teacher when you're tempted to hurry.If you're craving depth and ceremony, I also share details on the Beyond the Veil retreat (July 25 to 26 at Woodmont Day Camp in upstate New York) and what we're creating together with shamanic journeying, grief wisdom, and sacred space. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.✨ Three Elena TruthsYour nervous system often recognizes what belongs long before your mind catches up.Tiny daily rituals have the power to keep you connected to yourself when life won't make space for long spiritual practices.Every meaningful life requires grieving the relationships, expectations, and identities that no longer align with who you're becoming.

Support the show:https://www.paypal.me/Truelifepodcast?locale.x=en_USOne on One Video Call W/George https://tidycal.com/georgepmonty/60-minute-meetingIn this raw, unfiltered episode of True Life Podcast, Lindsay Kent blows the doors off the psychedelic renaissance with zero fucks given.Award-winning filmmaker, author, and full-throttle psychonaut Lindsay Kent joins George Monty to discuss her mind-shattering novel My Twin the Murderer — a psychedelic thriller, philosophical mindfuck, literary prank, and gonzo history lesson rolled into one. Think Ken Kesey crashing Carl Jung's library while Hunter S. Thompson laughs in the corner.From dosing on the Further bus with the Merry Pranksters, to wrestling with twin identity, ego death, OCD transformation, and the raw chaos of altered states, Lindsay holds nothing back. She explores the dark duality of psychedelics — medicine and poison — the war on consciousness, MKUltra blowback, cognitive liberty, and why fiction might be the most powerful Trojan horse for these conversations.This episode rips apart sanitized medical narratives and calls out the hype, control freaks, and spiritual bypassing in the psychedelic space. Lindsay dives deep into storytelling as rebellion, Joseph Campbell's mythic lens, grief as teacher, the illusion of identity, and why suffering is optional even when pain is not.Expect unapologetic truth on:•  Psychedelic fiction vs. dry science•  Twin dynamics, alter egos, and fractured identity•  Responsible use vs. reckless freedom•  The sacred in the profane — and why the house doesn't always win•  Integration, ego dissolution, and letting go of the stories that chain usIf you're a psychonaut, seeker, rebel, or anyone tired of corporate wellness bullshit trying to own consciousness, this conversation will rearrange the furniture in your mind.Lindsay Kent isn't here to sell you safety theater or magic bullets. She's here to remind you that these substances have always been about freedom, myth, humor, and waking the fuck up.Grab My Twin the Murderer and prepare to have your reality politely (then violently) questioned.Keywords & Search Terms: Psychedelics, Psychedelic Fiction, My Twin the Murderer, Lindsay Kent, Merry Pranksters, Ken Kesey, Psychedelic Renaissance, Cognitive Liberty, Ego Death, Twin Identity, Joseph Campbell, Psychedelic Integration, Altered States, Psychonaut, MKUltra, Consciousness Expansion, Psychedelic History, Fiction as MedicineTalk to Lindsay https://www.thehallucinarrator.com/ 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

No matter what hero story you read or hear, the location it takes place will be in total alignment with the era it was written. And it has changed over time because society always pushes the hero to face the unknown at the edge of the map. In today's episode we cross paths with Homer, Daniel LaRusso, John Steinbeck, Edgar Rice Burroughs, George Lucas, HG Wells, Joseph Campbell, Shrek and Galileo. 

Happy Sunday! Welcome to Heal Squad's Sunday Set Up—life lessons to help you start the week. This week, we challenge one of the biggest myths about fear: that it's something to eliminate. What if it's pointing you toward the very life you're meant to live? Inspired by Joseph Campbell's famous quote, “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek,” we explore why every great transformation begins with discomfort. We talk about the fears that quietly shape our lives—fear of failure, success, rejection, being exposed, setting boundaries, speaking the truth, or starting over—and what those fears may actually reveal about our deepest values and untapped potential. We even explore why spending money can create such a temporary emotional high, and what we may really be trying to buy beneath the purchase. This week, don't ask, “How do I get rid of my fear?” Ask, “What is my fear trying to teach me?” Because maybe the doorway you've been avoiding is the one that leads to your greatest growth. Let fear ride shotgun—but don't let it drive. Talk shawtly! HEAL SQUAD SOCIALS IG: https://www.instagram.com/healsquad/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@healsquadxmaria HEAL SQUAD RESOURCES: Heal Squad Website:https://www.healsquad.com/ Heal Squad x Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HealSquad/membership Maria Menounos Website: https://www.mariamenounos.com My Curated Macy's Page: https://stylecrew.macys.com/@mariamenounos EMR-Tek Red Light: https://emr-tek.com/discount/Maria30 for 30% off Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/host ABOUT MARIA MENOUNOS: Emmy Award-winning journalist, TV personality, actress, 2x NYT best-selling author, former pro-wrestler and brain tumor survivor, Maria Menounos' passion is to see others heal and to get better in all areas of life. ABOUT HEAL SQUAD x MARIA MENOUNOS: A daily digital talk-show that brings you the world's leading healers, experts, and celebrities to share groundbreaking secrets and tips to getting better in all areas of life. DISCLAIMER: This Podcast and all related content (published or distributed by or on behalf of Maria Menounos or http://Mariamenounos.com and http://healsquad.com) is for informational purposes only and may include information that is general in nature and that is not specific to you. Any information or opinions provided by guest experts or hosts featured within website or on Company's Podcast are their own; not those of Maria Menounos or the Company. Accordingly, Maria Menounos and the Company cannot be responsible for any results or consequences or actions you may take based on such information or opinions. This podcast is presented for exploratory purposes only. Published content is not intended to be used for preventing, diagnosing, or treating a specific illness. If you have, or suspect you may have, a health-care emergency, please contact a qualified health care professional for treatment.

What if you stopped believing you are the storm and remembered that you are the sky?In this thoughtful conversation, CJ sits down with Pastor Greg "PG" Stamper to explore the spiritual journey beyond certainty, fear, and rigid beliefs. Raised in the Pentecostal tradition before finding a home in New Thought, PG shares how leaving familiar ground became an invitation into a larger understanding of consciousness, compassion, and transformation.Together they explore meditation, neurodivergence, the surprising connection between science and spirituality, and why daily practices help us navigate life's changing weather rather than avoid it. Along the way, PG offers one of the most memorable metaphors you'll hear: You are the sky, not the weather.The conversation also touches on Joseph Campbell, Rumi, creativity, music as spiritual download, and the practice of living with curiosity instead of certainty. If you've ever wondered how to remain centered while life changes around you, this episode offers a gentle reminder that above every storm, the sun is still shining.If you'd like to learn more about Pastor Greg "PG" Stamper, you can connect with him through Celebration Spiritual Center, where he co-pastors a global online New Thought community with inspiring Sunday services and weekly programs. You can also find his music, teachings, and resources through his Multimanifestor coaching platform. Follow Greg on Instagram, TikTok, X, and Facebook at @iamgregstamper, or search for Celebration Spiritual Center on YouTube to experience more of his message of compassion, consciousness, and practical spirituality.Want to learn more about CJ Miller? Check out his Spiritual Artist Retreats, 1:1 Personal Coaching, and Speaking Engagements at www.spiritualartisttoday.com. His retreats are designed to help you reconnect with your Creative Intelligence and express your true artistic voice. You can also find his upcoming schedule there, and his book, The Spiritual Artist, is available on Amazon.

That Solo Life Episode 344: The Secrets that Filmmakers Know About Marketing That Most Business Owners Never Learn with Jake Isham Episode Summary Jake Isham describes himself as an accidental marketer. He went to film school, realized he wasn't going back for a grad degree, and spent his 20s learning to build a business the hard way. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Creative Minds, a creative agency rooted in filmmaking and storytelling that helps entrepreneurs build personal brands through video content, photography, and a signature podcast model that takes clients out of the studio and into the environments where they actually come alive.  In this episode, Jake joins Karen and Michelle to talk about his journey and the hard-won lessons along the way.  He breaks down how a filmmaker's lens changes the work he does for clients, why the Hero's Journey is a more useful brand-building framework than most marketing playbooks, how his on-location podcast model turns a client's hobby into a content engine, and the business development principle that he wishes someone had told him on day one: promote at a volume that feels impossible, measure the results six weeks later, and get 1% better every time.   Episode Highlights [01:43] The Accidental Marketer Origin Story: Jake went to film school, considered grad school for about a semester, and decided he'd already spent four years doing what he was about to spend two and a half more years doing. What followed was a decade of figuring it out, freelancing, building, and course-correcting, guided by a piece of advice from his father. [07:35] The Filmmaker's Lens: Why the Hero's Journey Is the Real Brand Framework: When everyone claims to tell stories, the differentiator is understanding what storytelling actually means. Jake draws the line between sharing an anecdote and structuring a narrative. payoff. He uses Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey as a practical brand-building tool: who is your hero, who is your enemy, who are your allies, what are you standing for, what are you standing against. These are the questions that build a brand identity rather than a content calendar. [10:24] Getting Clients Comfortable on Camera: Jake's superpower as a director is making people comfortable in front of a camera, and he leverages that in his work with clients.  He describes a client whose first shoot took four hours with a teleprompter. Their most recent shoot took one hour, no teleprompter, off the top of his head, and produced more usable content than the first session ever did. The skill is not just technical but the accumulated experience of working with actors, directing scenes, and creating the conditions for someone to be fully themselves. [12:30] The Signature Series Podcast Model: Rather than building another studio podcast, Jake developed a signature format: take the client's hobby or genuine interest and build a location-based show around it. A golf enthusiast on the course. A client at their place of worship. The host is in an environment that makes them feel natural and engaged, which changes everything about how they show up on camera.  [20:12] The Business Development Truth Nobody Tells Creative Entrepreneurs: When asked what he wishes someone had told him at the start, Jake doesn't hesitate: promote, promote, promote, promote. He describes watching a gym owner tell his mentor he had distributed 300 flyers. The mentor's response: I do 5,000 a day. The lesson is not that what you're doing is wrong. It is that you are almost certainly not doing it at anywhere near the volume required. Jake shared the experiment he used and the data that he relies on for business development success.   [23:04] The Six-Week Lag: How to Measure Business Development Without Losing Your Mind: Jake has identified a consistent pattern in his own practice in which promotion activity produces income results approximately six weeks later. The implication is practical and clarifying. Don't judge a business development effort in the first six weeks. Measure from week six to week twelve.  [26:52] The 1% Better Principle: Why You Don't Need to Leap to Progress: Jake co-hosts a filmmaking show called The Creative Lens. He shows his first episode as an example: his setup was visibly rough next to his co-host's polished rig. By episode eight or nine, the gap had closed — not through a single overhaul, but through consistent incremental improvement. One better backdrop. One better light. One more structured opening. He applies the same logic to business development: not 100 posts more, but one more post. Not a complete brand overhaul, but one sharper headline. Get 1% better. Then do it again.   About Jake Isham Jake Isham is a filmmaker, photographer, and the owner and founder of Creative Minds, a creative agency focused on personal brand building through video content, photography, and signature podcast production. After film school and a brief flirtation with grad school, Jake spent his 20s learning how to build a business without a mentor and without a safety net — and has turned that hard-won experience into a practice that helps entrepreneurs show up authentically on camera and build content strategies that compound over time. He is also the co-host of The Creative Lens, a podcast about filmmaking, gear, and the business of visual storytelling. Jake is based in the Los Angeles area and works with entrepreneurs building personal brands at every stage. Website: creativemindsofficial.com Instagram: @JakeCreativeMarketing LinkedIn: Jake Isham Resources & Related Episodes The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell: Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey That Solo Life, Episode 308: Branding, Bravery and Breaking Through with Melissa Vela-Williamson That Solo Life, Episode 296: The Big Idea with Jess Sato That Solo Life, Episode 319: Succeeding at Business Development in a Tough Year Join the Solo PR Pro membership community: Solo PR Pro Host & Show Info That Solo Life is a podcast created for public relations, communication, and marketing professionals who work as independent and small practitioners. Hosted by Karen Swim, APR, President of Solo PR Pro, and Michelle Kane, Principal of Voice Matters, the show delivers expert insights, encouragement, and practical advice for solo PR pros navigating today's dynamic professional landscape. Listen to all episodes and catch up on previous conversations at thatsololife.com. Did this episode inspire you? If you found value in this conversation, please take a moment to leave us a review. Your feedback helps us reach more solo pros just like you! Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

BONUS! Comedian Pete Holmes reveals why he became obsessed with hell and how the idea of eternal punishment forced him to question the version of Christianity he had inherited. He traces his journey from viewing God as a terrifying judge to discovering Joseph Campbell, Ram Dass, non-duality, and a radically different understanding of consciousness. Pete also shares his unforgettable Harry Potter analogy for why searching for physical evidence of God may be completely missing the point. SPONSORS!

What if the only thing standing between your current business and your next major breakthrough isn't a strategy, but a subconscious setting? In this episode, host Doug sits down with Olly Hill, widely recognized as Australia's top hypnotist for wealth, health, and relationships. Olly shares his incredible journey from a childhood crippled by social anxiety to helping six- and seven-figure entrepreneurs smash through their glass ceilings. They dive deep into the mechanics of the conscious vs. subconscious mind, the true power of intuition, and why it's actually harder to stay stuck and miserable than it is to let go of your problems and succeed. Whether you're looking to scale your business, conquer deep-seated confidence issues, or figure out why your "subconscious air conditioner" keeps cooling down your wins, this conversation provides the ultimate roadmap to flipping the switch on your highest potential. ### Mentioned in this Episode • The CHEK Institute (Paul Chek Holistic Lifestyle Coaching) • Marcel Klein (Hypnosis Training based in Los Angeles) • Alex Hormozi (Referenced business frameworks and success traits) • Joseph Campbell (The Hero's Journey and the Archetype framework) • The Art of War by Sun Tzu • Ancient Poetry by Rumi Connect with the Guest - Ole Hill Instagram: instagram.com/summithypnosis Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@summit-hypnosis Website: summithypnosis.net/about Connect with Doug Beitz: Email: info@dougbeitz.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dougbeitz/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dougbeitz/ Website: https://buymeacoffee.com/dougbeitz Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6mQ258nugC3lyw3SpvYuoK?si=7cec409527d34438 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/intuitive-conversations-with-doug/id1593172364 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-beitz-472a4b338/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dougbeitz178

Without the edit, there is no film. Without Marcia Lucas, there is no Star Wars.Sideway's video Why the Music of Rise of Skywalker Felt Misleading is absolutely fantastic - also give his video on Cats a watch too if you were raised Catsolic by a Cats loving mother and have a lot of thoughts about the musical crimes of that film which are hard to share in polite company.We have a Patreon — if you're a hog and this is your slop, step up to the trough and full your snough.Matt Smith can still email me at goingroguetansy@gmail.comGuest Starring:Grace Koh as Maryann BrandonAbigail Nussbaum as Kathleen KennedyChristian Byers as Chris Terrio Kim Ho as Joseph Campbell, a man so racist people assumed he was doing a bitCLIPS Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the ClonesStar Wars Episode IV: A New HopeStar Wars Episode VI: Return of the JediStar Wars Episode VIII: The Last JediStar Wars Episode IX: The Rise of SkywalkerRaiders of the Lost ArkThe Skywalker LegacyStar Wars Icons Unearthed Unplugged: Marcia Lucas Full Interview (Nacelle Company)Rough Cut Podcast: Star Wars - The Rise of SkywalkerThe Art of the Cut Episode 28: “Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker” Editor Maryann Brandon, ACEDolby Creator Talks Episode 62 - The Sound of Star Wars: The Rise of SkywalkerMUSICDuel of the Fates, Fanfare and Prologue from Star Wars Episode IX,  We Go Together & A New Home - John WilliamsAvalon - Benny Goodman“Loopster”, “Industrial Cinematic”, “Drums of the Deep”, “Groove Grove”, “Crypto”, “Stormfront”,  “Sneaky Adventure”, “Thinking Music”, “Showdown”, “Vanishing”, “Decisions”, “Floating Cities”, “Lost Frontier”, “Oppressive Gloom”, “Bleeping Demo”, “Enter the Maze”, “Secret of Tiki Island”, “Smoking Gun”, “Anguish”, “Thunder Dreams”& “Myst on the Moor” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)“Suspended Animation” & “Synapse” by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com"Romeo & Juliet"  by PM Music“Venus” & “Mars” from Holst's The Planets, as performed by USAF Heritage of America BandLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

What happens when mythology meets astrophysics, and the stars become storytellers? In this episode of The Podcast With A Thousand Faces, JCF's Joanna Gardner sits down with Dr. Moiya McTier - an astrophysicist, folklorist, author, and science communicator whose work bridges the worlds of science, story, mythology, and creativity. Since breaking barriers at both Harvard University and Columbia University, Dr. McTier has given hundreds of talks around the world, helped design museum exhibits, consulted on projects with Disney, and become a compelling voice helping people reconnect wonder, metaphor, and meaning with the cosmos. She is also the host of the astronomy podcast Pale Blue Pod and the author of the upcoming book Mothers of Invention. Together they explore Joseph Campbell's influence on her work, the mythic resonance of the Artemis II mission, the role of metaphor in both science and myth, and what creativity can teach us about being alive in an increasingly technological world. Thoughtful, expansive, and full of wonder, this conversation invites us to reconnect with curiosity, imagination, and the shared human experience beneath the stars. For more on Dr. McTier visit https://www.moiyamctier.com/ Instagram: @goastromo For more information on the MythMaker Podcast Network and Joseph Campbell, visit JCF.org. To subscribe to our weekly MythBlasts go to jcf.org/subscribeThe Podcast With A Thousand Faces is hosted by Tyler Lapkin and is a production of the Joseph Campbell Foundation. It is produced by Tyler Lapkin. Executive producer, John Bucher. Audio mixing and editing by Tristan Batt.All music exclusively provided by APM Music (apmmusic.com)

What if the answers you're searching for arrived long before you knew how to understand them? In this conversation, I sit down with Kip Baldwin, a filmmaker, producer, writer, and founder of the Just Love movement. Kip shares the extraordinary awakening he experienced at age 12 and how it set him on a lifelong path of exploring consciousness, love, spirituality, and human connection. From the music industry and sustainable agriculture to television production, ethical AI, and overcoming a traumatic brain injury, Kip's journey has been anything but ordinary. As we talk, Kip reflects on why fear has become such a powerful force in society, how love can transform the way we see ourselves and others, and why he believes lasting change starts with a shift in consciousness. You will hear stories of resilience, curiosity, and purpose, along with a vision for creating a better future for generations to come. I believe you will find this conversation thought-provoking, challenging, and full of hope. Highlights: 01:45 - How a childhood acting career sparked a lifelong passion for media and communication. 07:08 - Why confidence without self-awareness can become a liability. 16:32 - Lessons from the Kellogg School of Management that still shape business decisions today. 21:58 - Why listening beats talking in business, leadership, and life. 35:08 - How strong brands grow through awareness, not just loyalty programs. 01:05:02 - The three traits Zarko looks for when mentoring future leaders. About the Guest: Kip Baldwin knows his purpose for Being is to share all that LOVE is through his many solutions driven projects; using media in all its forms to help awaken individuals, and by proxy the collective, to the LOVE Paradigm emerging. He feels that in order for a new chapter of our story to be conceived for humanity, a mass imagining of our limitless potential is what is needed to bring about an age of compassion, empathy, collaboration, and oneness.  Kip was born in 1965 to counterculture parents - in the midst of the maelstrom that was the decade of the sixties, in fact 1965 was the first year that scientists warned us about climate change - in Vancouver, Washington. His earliest years were spent on a farm where his grandparents raised thoroughbred horses. During this period grew in him a deep, abiding LOVE and respect for nature and all living things. It was around the age of twelve his life would transform forever, as he had an out of body experience that took him beyond the edge of Universe, even Space and Time, and face to face with the unknowable of Infinity. This experience became the foundation for his constant seeking since. Due to that experience Kip felt he must explore the world beyond the small town confines of Camas, WA where he grew up. His first attempt to break free was to do a brief stint in the Navy, where he was going to pursue a career as an electric technician, but because of a hereditary bleeding disorder he was given a medical discharge. However, a military career for him was clearly never really in the cards anyway. Although he was always grateful for the insight it gave him into the inner workings of our country, as he witnessed first the how the poor are literally cannon fodder for corporations, under the guise of them being heroes and patriots. Following his discharge, he returned briefly to the limits of his hometown, before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1985 to pursue his passion for music and performing. He often jokes that he was looking for the San Francisco of the Haight/Ashbury, Peace and LOVE days, but arrived twenty years too late. What he found instead was the 80s hair metal band scene, whose songs that focused on partying, sex, and drugs were not compatible with his lyrics about awakening awareness and addressing the need for personal and societal change. In the late 90s, after becoming disillusioned by his beloved music industry - and always seeking solutions for the myriad of challenges facing humanity - he shifted his focus to local and sustainable foods. While this was certainly a worthwhile pursuit, it did little to fulfill his need to share LOVE'S Truth and create a collective shift in consciousness. But what it did do was make him aware that it was only going to be through the use of mass media that his message of LOVE could reach a large enough audience to affect real lasting change. This found him again heeding the call of the entertainment industry, first as an actor, then writer, and ultimately as a producer, with some success co-creating the influential cannabis series Weed Country for the Discovery Network (focusing on the countless benefits humanity can derive from marijuana, as well as our profound historical connection to the plant), co-founding the United Filmmakers Association, and starting the Just LOVE Movement. Ultimately, this led him to co-founding S.O.U.L. Documentary with creative partner and Soul Twin, Evan Hirsch who shares his passion, purpose and mission to heal humanity by embracing our innate oneness, which they both understand can only be achieved by accepting and grounding ourselves in the Reality of LOVE We Are. Ways to connect with Kip: Facebook:  Just LOVE page: https://www.facebook.com/kipbaldwinjustlove Main page: https://www.facebook.com/kip.baldwin/ UFA: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Unifilmmakers LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kip-baldwin-975a3514/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kipbaldwin?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr YouTube: Kip Baldwin: https://youtube.com/@thekiprowdy?si=LckMuhec40lWAicF Just LOVE: https://youtube.com/@justlove6463?si=QW1g4D2dlaHmJk8B S.O.U.L. Documentary: https://youtube.com/@souldocumentary?si=4HOwlV-pjFN6guYy Soul Twin Messiah: https://youtube.com/@soultwinmessiah?si=7ctLlmqjeOczkjO_ Additional must listen:  Comfort You Song: https://youtu.be/Mi8D3AoDfRQ?si=y8RzIQPXP5ALJth1 A World Worth Imagining: https://youtu.be/Cx28t6_SGic?si=o4lWs7po3TBKx_3A Invitation. To Action: https://youtu.be/B8jUOUVCvJI?si=l4Pr7vWNDsnXX4wh AI work: www.luminaLOVE.LOVE About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson  00:03 One of the biggest things holding you back isn't what's in front of you, but rather what you believe. Welcome to Unstoppable Mindset, where inclusion, diversity, and the unexpected meet. I'm your host, Michael Hingson, speaker, author, and advocate for inclusion and possibilities. This podcast explores how the beliefs we carry shape the way we live, lead, and connect with others. Each week, I talk with people who challenge assumptions, face adversity head on, and show what's possible when we choose curiosity over fear. Together we focus on mindset, resilience, and the small shifts that lead to meaningful change. Let's get started. Hi everyone, I am your host Mike Hingson, and you are listening and or watching Unstoppable Mindset. We're really glad that you're here with us today. Our guest, the person I get the honor of chatting with for the next hour or so, is Kip Baldwin, who will talk a lot about love. He will talk a lot about a number of different things, he's been a director, he's been a producer, an actor. He has been published, although he hasn't published a book yet, but he's published poetry, and I'm sure he's going to tell us about that, and I don't want to give it away, so I won't. Anyway, Kip, welcome to Unstoppable Mindset. We're glad you're Kip Baldwin  01:40 here. Oh, thank you so much for having me, Michael. I look forward to having this conversation and sharing my story. Michael Hingson  01:47 Well, tell us a little bit about you, kind of. Let's start with the early Kip, growing up and all that, because I know you had some things along the way that were relevant and ought to be mentioned. So, why don't you tell us about the early Kip, and we'll go from there. Speaker 1  02:00 I was. I grew up in Washington State, little town called Camas. Although my earliest years were spent in a town called Battleground, Washington, and my family, we raised horses, Thoroughbred race horses. We raised at Portland Meadows, and so I'm kind of a farm boy at heart, at least that's how I grew up, but I had an experience when I was 12 that was definitely not your typical farm boy experience, I guess. I had gone up to Seattle, and this was maybe 78 to see a Seahawks game with the Raiders of my dad and dad, I had a good day, which wasn't always the case, and got home, and it was a, you know, five and a half hour round trip for kids, 12 year olds, a big time, and so I went to bed, and I promptly left my body, and now keep in mind I had never done any drugs. Out of body experiences, a household projection was not something that we talked about about the old farm around the farmhouse dinner table, and I floated over my bedroom. My awareness hovered over my body, and I remember very vividly you don't forget. I looked at my body and went, "I'm not in there. And then that immediately I left my house, I left the planet, I left the solar system, I let the galaxy, I let the universe, and the whole time all I can describe was kind of a presence, not a voice or anything, but just, are you taking all of this in? And sometimes words can't convey something so expansive and grand, and so I was taking in black holes and quasars and nebulas, and just flying through the, you know, time didn't really exist, but I was, I was traveling across the universe, and eventually I got outside the universe, and my awareness was turned in, and I could see how everything was connected, and how the universe itself was finite, and but that everything had a place, there was no less or greater than that, everything had a specific role, from the smallest particle to, you know, the largest star, and then my awareness was turned out to the blackness of infinity, and that you know you don't know at 12, you're just like, "Oh, this is happening, and I'm what's happening, and I'm taking it in, and what I didn't know is that would become my point of seeking that really became the rest of my life. Life, I think, had I been born in India, like say Ramana Maharishi, who had what I didn't realize until later, there's a name for what happened to me, and it's called a spontaneous awakening. My life would have probably been much different, but we don't live in a society that that really honors things like that, so it was a lot of me going on a journey of discovery and a weight and continual awakening until now, and it's an ongoing process, but that's where it really began with me being confronted with the fact that there there can't be a beginning or ending to anything, and the thought experiments that can't, that come out of that, and the way it opens your consciousness, I'm ever grateful for, although at the time it, it made me for a long time feel very apart, and it wasn't until I met with Dr. Dr. Dean Radin up at Noetic Sciences, and I told him my story, and he looked at me, and he went, "You go, that's not a usual experience, he said, "That's a mystical experience, and I was in my probably late 40s, maybe 50 at that time, and that was the first time in my life that someone had had said, 'Hey, what you, what you had was a really phenomenal experience, and I'm very grateful for him for saying that to me, because for most of my life, I'm running around talking about these profound things with people that I thought were incredibly important to share, and they didn't seem very important to people, and it wasn't until then that it hit me that it wasn't that they were important, that it was that they, they didn't really understand what I was talking about. Michael Hingson  07:03 Well, and in our society, as you point out, it's not something that is generally appreciated, and and people who have had those experiences or talk about them are generally looked down upon or frowned upon, and you know that's that's fine, but it doesn't change the fact, and so it must have been hard, especially at first, for you to talk about that. Speaker 1  07:29 You know, I was so excited at first, I was excited to share it with my family, and and it happened a couple more times, and it was so overwhelming that literally I would get to a point where my head, my physical being couldn't handle it anymore, and I would get up and vomit. It was that's how, how intense it was, like I just, I couldn't take in anymore. And so, at first, I was really excited to share it, because it was beyond wondrous. It was, it was truth. It was reality, and I, and on some level, I knew that instinctually. But then, when enough people sort of ignore you or act like something's unimportant, you stop talking about Michael Hingson  08:15 it. Yeah, Speaker 1  08:15 I never stopped writing about it. I never stopped experiencing it, and I didn't even really stop talking about it once I moved to California for the music business in 1985 I, you know, then I thought, wow, I mean, being a group of creatives and there's going to be other people that will understand what I'm talking about, but in the 80s music environment it really wasn't what people were, were talking or thinking about, and I was kind of in the same way, and again it wasn't until years later that I look back and I realized all this time I spent up late at night partying with people and stuff, and telling them about infinity, and, and they look, they, they must have been looking at me like I'm a complete idiot, because they really only cared about, you know, getting high or having sex, and I'm trying to have this profound conversation. Michael Hingson  09:16 So, when your family, when you told your family, how did they react? Speaker 1  09:20 They still don't understand it to this day. It just, oh, that's nice, you know. It actually, there were points in my life where it caused conflict with, especially my father, because when I would say none of this is real, he, he always considered him, and still to this day considers himself quite science physics buff, it wasn't something he was willing to accept, and, and even really have a reasonable conversation about. I would say that the things that got me through all these years was, you know, the universe. There's love, God, Brahmin, whatever you want to call it, it gives you what you need, and what it gave me throughout the years, and still to this day, is voices that made me realize I wasn't crazy, that I knew something really special. Probably the first thing, the first one I remember, like, that was Joseph Campbell being interviewed by Bill Moyers, and somehow I knew everything that Joseph Campbell was talking about, and I'm like, How can I possibly know these things? How can I possibly understand these things of this really brilliant, just beautiful soul? And throughout the years, it's been those touch those moments of going, oh, it hasn't been where I've heard someone go, wow, that's helped me awaken, it's been something that's helped me not feel insane and realize that the things that I'm sharing have been shared for 1000s of years, and by many, many minds and beings much greater than myself, and that that really probably kept me from losing my mind. Michael Hingson  11:10 So, you had this experience happen to you at 12. What did you then specifically do? I mean, not so much talking to people, but what did it do for you, as far as schooling, and what you did with your life? Speaker 1  11:27 I would.. it made me very.. in all honesty, it made school seem really trivial to me. It was kind of boring. I started writing a lot. In fact, something I wrote when I was 17 was called Life and Death, and it went: Life is just a symptom of certain death, crying and laughing until our last breath. Everything dies in true infinity. Then the mountains crumble into the sea, stars full from the night sky hit the earth, and then they die, lost in time. I don't know who I am. Am I a god or just a mortal man? Time can't change what I have found. Still, I am changed and bound, bound by the fears and bound by lies. Even now, the tears fill my eyes, gasping for every breath as I head for a certain death, clouds now pass overhead, and I realize how things are now that I am dead. Life is ending, life goes on like the lyrics to an endless song. Life and death, it's all the same. We exist only in our brain, and so there was a lot of that. It pushed me away from I was confirmed Zion Lutheran. I really couldn't stomach religious dogma anymore at that point. Um, just the hypocrisy, you know? Like, I remember I, I was talking to a new pastor we had, and he was informing me that my great grandmother, who is Jehovah's Witness, and these Mormon boys had come around, were trying to teach me about Mormonism, and I was just curious and open, always, and still am to this day. I don't judge. I would say that's another big thing that this gave me, is I don't, I see everything as equal, I don't, I don't judge everything, I don't judge anything as lesser thing greater than I don't judge good and evil in the in the same way that other people do, I see things as flows of negative of energy as we exist in a duality with this illusion, and this is just what we describe as good and you are really just flows of energy between the polarities of the duality, and so it pushed me, definitely, because I, when he said that my great grandmother was going to go to hell, and these Mormon boys were going to go to hell, I looked him in the face, and I just said, but I thought God was love, and that was pretty much the end of my church, Michael Hingson  14:04 my, my wife did, I think, some things in the Lutheran church, which mostly she was a Methodist, and I joined the Methodist church when we got married, and so on, but when she was in, I think this was when she was in high school, maybe in, I guess it was late high school, early college. She met some Mormon people, and one of them said, I guess she was learning about different religions, and so she was learning about Mormonism, and this guy said you're either going to think that this is a total hoax or you're going to just totally believe in it. Well, it wasn't quite that way for her. She did not think it was a hoax, and I agree with her, but there. There are things about the about all religions that tend to make life difficult. The problem with religion is that that people are are what make up the religion, and they all have their own views, and it makes life really tough. I know I participated in a program called the Walk to Emmaus, which is a what's literally called a short course in Christianity, and it's not to bring people to the Christian church, but it's to help create a class of leaders in the Christian church. Anyway, one of the things about the walk to Emmaus is that a number of people give lectures, people who have been involved in church, and then there are the pilgrims, the people who are coming to to learn what everyone has to say, and the lay director of the Walk to Emmaus every time gives a speech, and I was lay director once, and one of the things that is in the manual, or was I assume it still is. It's been a while, but it says that Tolstoy once said the biggest problem with Christianity is that nobody practices it, and there's a lot of truth to that. Speaker 1  16:13 But I think that I think you hit it right on the head that people are involved, like I, and I do want to clarify something, I, I believe very much that that Jesus was a master. Oh, Michael Hingson  16:29 absolutely, yeah, and, Speaker 1  16:31 and, but I also believe that people don't know what happened at the Council of Nicaea and understand how the Bible was actually constructed, not because it was based on Gnostic teachings or even really the teachings of Christ, but it was cobbled together as a means of control. If Caesar saw his soldiers be turning to Christianity when they wanted to find, you know, put together a book that really didn't express Christian truth or the truth of Christ, but a way, a means of controlling people through fear, and so if you, if you notice, all the books in the Bible are male. Well, left out of the Bible was the book of Mary, left out of the Bible, it's the book of Thomas, who, interestingly enough, there's a place in India where they all speak ancient Aramaic, and they worship the Book of Thomas, which there's always been a lot of discussion. Did Jesus go to India and study Buddhism? And because even the Book of Mary, these are very Buddhist beliefs, but anything, because we live in a patriarchal society, anything like the piece to Sophia, the book of Mary, the book of Stackle, all of these were intentionally kept out of the Bible, so it's not, I think it's not so much religion, it's the organ, it's the dogma that comes along with organized religion, which is really about people, you know, men using it to control and manipulate people through fear, Michael Hingson  18:14 all too much, all too often. It's, it's true. Speaker 1  18:18 Yeah, and it's interesting. I was watching last night, and it's funny. This is why, why you always have to be on a constant path of awakening. It never stops. If you think you've reached that pinnacle, or whatever, then they're not just ego. There's always more to know and understand. And I ran across this video on Tara, well, Tara is in Buddhism, basically in every religion that I am aware of, there's always the peace to Sophia, there's always the the story of the divine feminine that in large part is is is not. It was. It's largely been suppressed, and so I was, I was watching this, and it was just so fascinating to me to see how identical what Tara was in Buddhism, which this is what, when Tara, Tara is considered the ultimate goddess in the Buddhist faith. Well, when Tara came to earth in the story, she went to a bunch of, you know, Buddhist monks, and they said, "Oh, you know, they were so impressed by her, and they thought this was a compliment. They said, "Well, we hope you, you can reincarnate as a man, and she said, "No, she She said, I don't see things as male and female, but since nobody else wants to be the feminine, I will play that role. And it was just a profoundly interesting thing to listen to, not just because of the story, but because almost every faith that I'm aware. Of has that story of the divine feminine that has again largely been suppressed and marginalized, Michael Hingson  20:09 well, for you clearly that was a very meaningful experience. What did what did you then do, and I understand how you could imagine that maybe what was being taught in school wasn't quite as, as meaningful as what you had experienced, but you went on, I assume, through high school, and did you go to college? Speaker 1  20:30 I was, I went, I was an electron, I went to the Navy to be an electronic technician, but I had a bleeding disorder called Von Willebrand disease, and I found out after I was in for about a year. Well, you can't be in the Navy with that, because we can't carry with the limited space you have on ships, we can't carry the clotting factor you would need if there's a problem. So that was fairly short-lived. Then I went back to Washington and was working as a dishwasher for a while, then I worked as a male stripper, and, and I was then, which, which, you know, there was something really profound about that experience, because it taught me what women feel like to be objectified, and that's something that has carried me, carried a lesson. I, I find lessons in everything, even things that, wow, you know, what could you possibly learn positive out of having been a male stripper? Well, I learned how women feel, really, to be, you know, not looked at as anything more than an object, and then I really wanted to continue to, you know, pursue music, so a friend of mine, we loaded 65,000 pounds of frozen strawberries onto a semi truck, and like july 3, 1985 and got a ride to San Francisco, a city I'd never been to before. I knew nobody here. We got here, I had 25 cents in my pocket, and I used the 25 cents to call the one friend that I thought I knew that I could get a hold of here in or in in the Bay Area, and it was a wrong number, and so now I'm in a city at the Gray Home Bus Terminal that used to be in downtown San Francisco, we have no food, we have no place to live. We have nothing to, you know, we have nothing, literally. And that's where my journey began. As far as my story, my, my adult life, and my journey in the entertainment industry and the music business, that's how it all started. It started by loading 65,000 pounds of frozen strawberries under semi truck, telling, oh, and the cap around the story is I had worn my contacts for too long and I ripped the corny up both my eyes when I took them out, because I was wearing hard lenses, so I was functionally blind in the city I'd never been to before with patches over my eyes, and being led around by my friend, and luckily we found some very nice people that gave us a place to stay, and then I ended up meeting maybe a week after that, I met my first wife, who was Persian, and we were together for a long time. What was interesting about that is I've been introduced to so many different faiths through the people in my life, and because I haven't judged and tried to learn, like I, I learned through her about Islam, I learned through her about our Torcharianism, and we lived the rock and roll lifestyle for the 16 years we were together. She was a photographer. I wrote for a magazine called BAM. I played in bands. I managed artists like Linda Perry from The Four Non Blonde, or I worked with Linda Perry from Four Non Blondes. I managed Alex Skolnick, who is lead guitar player in Testament, and I did that for a long time until I started getting really disenchanted with music and really started to hate the business and started to hate music because of it, and so I ended up drifting into, I wouldn't say drifting into, I got drawn into visual media, and I started working. I met a guy at a club in San Jose, California, called The Agenda, and we were playing pool, and he was telling me, "Oh, he's the owner of this company called Metropolis Digital, and I was thinking, "My. Speaker 1  24:59 Music and music videos, and yeah, I want to get involved in this, so I started coming up with ideas, and he brought me into their company, because I got to know a lot of people through the music business and booking artists on different shows, like Letterman and Leno, and, and so I got to know how to work through those channels that it opened doors for me to be able to do on-air graphics for the networks, and so I did that until about, in fact, the last major project I did in that industry was with a company called Chaos X AOS out of San Francisco, and we did the 2000 election graphics for ABC nationally, and then I, I, that with the, the, the.com telecom crash of not of 2000 they pulled all of that sort of work in house, and so that business kind of dried up, and I changed my focus to working in local and sustainable foods. Michael Hingson  26:08 What got you to the point where you disliked Music so much? Speaker 1  26:12 The business.. it just.. it wasn't. I came here, and in all honesty, I was looking for the 60s, but I was 20 years too late, only to find out later I was actually 30 years too early, but I was looking for community, I was looking for family, I was looking for that connection, but what existed as far as the music industry then was the 80s hair band stuff, heavy metal was on the rise. It was very misogynistic. It wasn't. It was very competitive. There wasn't, it wasn't collaborative, it wasn't community related at all. And it really turned me off. It wasn't, it wasn't what I had thought being in an artistic community doing artistic endeavors would be about it, became very.. it just.. it just.. it just.. it just made me feel very empty, and that wasn't what I loved about music, and so that Michael Hingson  27:24 would be an issue, Speaker 1  27:25 yeah. It just value wise it was, it was not, you know, you, you got to do a show, and you've got the bands that are coming on after you, you know, playing with your amps, and it was just, it was, it wasn't, it wasn't fun, and it wasn't fulfilling. More importantly, it wasn't fulfilling. It wasn't, and I'm writing about while everyone else is writing about, you know, sex and drugs and all of this. I'm writing about the things that I thought were important. I was writing about the problems I saw in this country, like songs like Shock the System or the chosen few, and, and though that wasn't what people were writing about Michael Hingson  28:06 then, Speaker 1  28:06 and you know, even though the songs were good, and, and I've been told I'm talented, it was, I didn't, I didn't again feel like I fit in, you know, I didn't feel like I'd found my place, and certainly not in that world at that time. If Speaker 2  28:31 you enjoy Unstoppable Mindset and would like to help us continue bringing these conversations to you each week, we've created a way for you to support the show. Your contribution helps us cover production costs and continue sharing stories, insights, and ideas that inspire people to live with purpose and possibility. If supporting the podcast feels right for you, you'll find the link in the show notes. Thank you for being part of the Unstoppable Mindset community. Thank it Michael Hingson  29:04 certainly had to be a rough time all the way around, but then you, you found this person, and you joined their company, as you said earlier, Speaker 1  29:15 right? I started working for Metropolis Digital, and we started doing a lot of on-air graphics, like for TBS. We did their, their original movies. We did a lot of the opening graphics for it, and then I moved on to other companies, and and I, I then started focusing on on local and sustainable foods, and moved into doing stuff where I felt I was doing more, because at the heart of everything I've ever done, it's always been about trying to affect real change in the world, Michael Hingson  29:55 it's Speaker 1  29:55 always been about I could see very clear. Really, it doesn't surprise me where we're at today at all. I saw the problems with the system even at that age, and I give credit to that because of the experience I had with Infinity. It just allowed me to step back and perceive things from a far off perspective that I was looking at humanity in general and how we did things, and I'm just like, this doesn't make any sense. It doesn't make any sense for us to believe we're separate and apart from the very things that give us life from each other. It doesn't make sense from a spiritual perspective. It doesn't make sense from a scientific perspective. Yet, here's the system that we are a part of, and so I've always been very focused on trying to effect real change and find not just point out the problems but actually find solutions, and so that then led me into working in local and sustainable agriculture here in the Bay Area. So Michael Hingson  31:00 tell me more about the whole work that you did with Sustainable Foods. What was that all about? Speaker 1  31:08 Yes, I worked with a company, I was, I had handled all the sales and marketing for Drake's Bay Oysters out of Inverness, California, and Drakes Bay, before it was called Drakes Bay, was Johnson's Oysters, and they were the last oyster cannery in California. The family that owned the farm, they had taken it over from Johnson's. They were the Lenny family, who owned Ranch G across from the steroid, where the oyster farm was. Well, they, against my better advice, they made it a personal ownership thing rather than a California food heritage issue. So, eventually, when their lease came up on the rent, on the farm, the farm went away. Well, at the same time, I created new relationships. A very good friend of mine to this day is a gentleman named Brian Kinney, who is now the West Coast Chief Technology Officer for Hearst, and also the Hearst Family Archivist, but at that point in time he was running Hearst Ranch, which they, they had the Jack Ranch and the Hearst Ranch down around San Simeon. So I was at the forefront of the grass-fed beef movement as well, and we developed a human-grade grass-fed beef pet food about 10 years ahead of its time, which could be the story of my life. I'm always about 10 years ahead of where things actually happen, and I, I did that for about 10 years, and eventually I felt the calling to get back in the entertainment industry, and that led me to acting, and I did the acting mostly because I wanted to learn how things were done, and I very well, if I act in a whole bunch of student projects, or projects in general, and I'm behind the scenes, I'm going to learn, and, and that's exactly what happened. So, my very background led me to being a producer, and I created, you know, one of my most notable accomplishments that created this show called Weed Country for Discovery, which was about the medical marijuana industry here in California, just before legalization. How we got it on air before legalization, I don't know. We were named to the Hollywood Reporter top 25 heat list. We got some really great information out about CBD and helping with childhood epilepsy. The bad part of that was it was a reality television show, and I didn't know anything about reality television, so when I'm here in reality, I'm thinking documentary. Well, that couldn't be farther from the truth. And reality television has truly been a blight on on this country in particular, and probably the world in general. Michael Hingson  34:16 Yeah, I just gonna say not nearly as real as people think it is. No, no, I think I think probably this is just my opinion. The closest thing to so-called reality TV is the show Dancing with the Stars, because they're actually dancing all these other shows, and it's all sort of really scripted, but the people are actually dancing, which is kind of cool, Speaker 1  34:41 right? Michael Hingson  34:41 Even though I don't see it, I appreciate it. Speaker 1  34:45 Yeah, but even, even with shows like that, there's a lot of gin-up drama. There is behind the scenes stuff that's the worst part of things. Yes, they're like with our show, yes, people were really, you know, there's really stuff going on with can. Of this world that was really important, but what reality television does is it, it creates artificial drama. It does things to manipulate the characters in the show to make them look how they want, and they know, and people in general, my experience is that people, once you put a camera on them, they will do, they would do things to be in front of the camera that they would never do, even for more money, Michael Hingson  35:27 right, Speaker 1  35:28 in their regular lives. Michael Hingson  35:30 Well, and I think there is, there's a lot of truth to that. And the whole thing, as you said, as far as reality TV, we're not giving people a true picture of reality with most of any of that anyway, which is unfortunate. I think I mentioned I'm a fan of old radio and television, and so on. And one of the shows that I've watched a fair amount is The Old Ridge. Well, it's the second time they were on, but Dragnet with Harry Morgan and, of course Jack Webb as Joe Friday, and they did a lot of shows talking about drugs and marijuana and all that, and how bad it is, and it's kind of interesting because what we're seeing today is that in reality the medical aspects of marijuana or cannabis and CBD oil, and so there's there's true relevance there, which is something that they didn't know or appreciate in the late 60s. Speaker 1  36:31 Well, but the thing that our history with the cannabis plant goes back 50,000 years to Burger Banks, China, it's been, and if we take all of the medicinal recreational uses out of it, it is the most one of the most versatile plants that we have. It was used, I mean, our money was made out of hemp. Hemp is cannabis sativa. Dollar bills are made out of hemp. It was used for fuel. It was used for building. Henry Ford built an entire car out of hemp in 1942 which you can go see the video of on YouTube, and they're beating on it with knacks. The plastic resin they made out of it was 40 times stronger than steel. It ran on hemp fuel, a byproduct of which was water. It also, in 1931 the Hearst family, which was interesting, they ended up working with them, bought and sequestered the plans for a decorification machine that made it easier to process hemp than cotton kids, it's a much more durable fiber. In 1938 covered Popular Mechanics, they called him the billion dollar crop, saying you could make 25,000 different items out of everything from fine linens to dynamite, and that was really what what what, why the prohibition against the plant started. Why they did you know shows like Reefer Madness or create films like Reefer Madness to create this hysteria around, at best, an innocuous plant in comparison to soulmate tobacco, in comparison to alcohol, even if people did want to use it. It's, it's, it's relatively harmless by comparison, or just in general, and actually very beneficial. You know, I have a traumatic brain injury, and I think without it, I probably wouldn't, I probably wouldn't eat very much. I probably wouldn't sleep right, I barely sleep as it is, and sleep I do get is because of cannabis, but beyond my point, and I always try to make this clear to people, is like up until even the prohibition against the plant actually started with the Catholic Church, with the Pope Innocent, who until the 1400s cannabis was in the anointing oils. Cannabis was grown by monks, cannabis was grown by nuns, and then in this pope decreed it the devil's weed, and they, you know, banned it. So it's, it had, and there, and why, and you'd say, well, why did they do that? Well, they did that because at that time in the 1400s you were having opium addiction on the rise, you were having, you know, much, much more alcohol use. Well, these are extremely addictive substances, and much more easy to manipulate and control people than it is with cannabis, which in general creates.. I wish I could remember the quote exactly, but Carl Sagan said, you know, why we have a prohibition on a plant that you know creates good feelings amongst people and unites people is in this, you know. A really crazy world is, is, is madness, but it all comes back to money, and it all comes back to who's profiting. So, why did they create the probation? Well, the hearse, the Rockefellers, and the DuPonts, they saw how hemp would affect each of their industries. We wouldn't need oil if we'd grown hemp and use that as fuel, in fact, it was the Rockefellers who went to Henry Ford and said, "If you take this car to market, we'll crush you. And this was Henry Ford at the height of his power, DuPont chemicals that were.. we wouldn't have needed.. we wouldn't have put like this.. we would not have the planet, the environmental devastation we do now. How do we use this, as Henry Ford said? Why are we digging up, and Henry Ford was certainly no saint, but he was right on this. Why are we digging up our minerals? Why are we cutting down our forests when we can do all the same things with this infinitely renewable resource? This is a part of the canvas story that still is largely not discussed openly enough. Michael Hingson  41:08 Yeah, I think there's a big difference between the story you're telling and the kind of uses you're talking about, and smoking it, and so on, and I, I think we put way too many funny things in our bodies, anyway, right? I think that that isn't this isn't a positive thing, but you're right, we, we've used so many things to create so many fears, it is, it is something that is all around us. Fear is all around us, and the problem is we let it overwhelm us. I wrote Live Like a Guide Dog that got published last year because when I worked in the World Trade Center, I was able to focus when I escaped, and I was able to do that because I had developed a mindset that said, you know what to do in this kind of an emergency, even though never expected it to happen, but the problem is that most people don't learn how they can turn fear around, and rather than letting it overwhelm or blind them, as I would put it, they can use it as a very powerful tool to help them stay focused, which is much more important. Speaker 1  42:23 Yep, I agree with that 100% I think, and then that you hit it right on the head. Fear is a very powerful tool. It's necessary. No, don't touch the burning stove. It can be a cautionary tool of saying, hey, don't go down this path, don't do this. It's bad when fear becomes the foundation for your entire culture, as it is now. Michael Hingson  42:51 Yeah, and and it is so unfortunate because don't touch the burning stove doesn't mean don't be afraid of the stove. It rather means there's a consequence for doing a particular thing, which is touching something that is that hot. But you shouldn't create an environment of fear around it. You should create an environment of understanding, which is much more important. Yeah, it's Speaker 1  43:20 like it'd be, it'd be very silly if we went, oh my god, it's like the stove gets hot, so I'm never going to use a stove. My Michael Hingson  43:29 wife was in a wheelchair her whole life, and the one thing I will say with our modern world is we always had electric appliances because she was always concerned about if using a gas stove, having to reach over one burner, perhaps it had something on it to get to something else with the idea of possibly material igniting or something like that, and I appreciate that, and you take advantage of the tools that you have available, but I think that it is so very important to recognize that we need to not live our lives in fear, and it's true that, like, 95% of all the things that we fear will never come to pass, and most all of it we have no control over anyway. So, why do we fear them rather than recognizing what we really need to do is to just focus on the things over which we truly have control. Speaker 1  44:25 Yes, and I think even the idea of control from my perspective is something that is overrated. It's like the most important thing, if you want to have control, it's exactly what we're talking about, it's when you choose to live from the foundation of love, as opposed to fear. So, no matter what happens to me in my life, and no matter how hard, how challenging it is, I'm going to come from a place of love, and right now. Don't most of us live exactly the opposite. No matter what happens to them in their lives, they're coming from a place of fear. Michael Hingson  45:06 Yeah, and that's Speaker 1  45:08 not healthy. Michael Hingson  45:09 And nowadays we're also living in an environment where we're even afraid to talk to other people and voice opinions, because well, that's not what I think. And so you're wrong, and we don't, we don't respect. Tell me about your just love movement. Speaker 1  45:25 Well, you know, I, I had coming out of the music business and everything, I was, I was literally killing myself drinking, I mean, literally, like, I lost half my liver function, and I was going to die, and, but I wasn't afraid to die. I was.. I realized that if I didn't find a way to feel fulfilled and feel that I was. I had a purpose in the story that I needed to find a quicker way out. I didn't get in any, like, car accidents, I wasn't arrested, nothing. I was just killing myself, and it just got so bad that literally my leg stopped working. That's how, how, how much damage I'd done to myself, and, and so, coming out of that, I made the decision. I wrote down a list of things I was going to do, and one of those things is I was going to start writing every single day, and I, through a variety of different sources, you know, I did that experience with infinity became synonymous with love to me, and then I had an experience where I, I, I started a filmmaking organization called the United Filmmakers Association, and it was basically the philosophy of it was creatives helping creatives create, and was global. We still to this day have chapters 27 different countries, about 30,000 35,000 members total. And I walked into a filmmaking event that we were hosting, and there was about 100 people there, and I realized I was in love with everyone in the room, and it was, it was so like that love, like just when you fall in love, and you're like, you want, you can't imagine not talking to that person at that next minute, and I realized in that moment that this is not only how we can feel about everyone and everything, but how we're really supposed to feel about everyone and everything, and so I came up with the concept of just love, which is, is a very.. it, those are very heavy words to put together, just love. It has so many layers of meaning to it, and so I thought, wow, if we could just love, and from that I I've written every day and shared through social media for 12 years now something having to do with love and what I do is I combine it with other wisdom teachers throughout history who've been sharing the same information and the things I write are literally downloads. They'll come to me in the silence every day, and I haven't missed a day - head injury, sickness, whatever. I haven't missed a day of posting in 12 years about something having to do with love, and Speaker 3  48:37 then Speaker 1  48:37 accompanying posts from other people, far, you know, other beings far more advanced than I am to show that what I'm sharing isn't new. It's been shared forever. It's foundational to what we are. Like love has been so marginalized and trivialized that we, we forget that, like, I, you know, the experience I had with the minister when I was, you know, younger, and I said, well, I thought God was love. I still to this day believe God is love, and God, and we are God. Michael Hingson  49:11 Yeah. Tell me about you. Something you mentioned, you had a traumatic brain injury Speaker 1  49:17 10 years ago. I was, I was in a, I was in, in between projects, so I was driving Uber, and I, a guy, an Uber driver, ran a stop sign in San Francisco and T-boned me, and my head took the brunt of the impact, and I started having really severe neurological problems, severe stabbing pains in my head, my teeth were hurting, I any sort of exertion would leave me just absolutely drained, and so for about three years I was, I was being seen at UCSF, and we never got to the bottom of it, so I was recommended. Um, to a neurosurgeon at Sutter by a counselor I was seen, and I walked in, and within 10 minutes he said, 'Oh, you have trigeminal neuralgian and brain stem damage, and we can do a microvascular decompression, and you're going to be all better. And at that point in time, I was in the middle of getting ready to release a film called A World Worth Imagining, which was about a gentleman named Jacque Fresco, who is considered the Leonardo da Vinci of our time. He founded something called the Venus Project, and we went to his compound in 2017 and he was 101 He was actually contemporary of Einstein. He knew Einstein, brilliant inventor, but at his core, he knew he was a social engineer, and he knew that we had to address our programming if we were ever going to change what was happening in the world and ever be able to avail ourselves of the solutions that he designed of a new economic model called a resource-based economy, because the reality of it is, until we stop self-wounding, there's not enough band aids for the guy that keeps hitting himself in the head the hammer, so we have solutions to all of our problems, but we create problems more quickly than any solution could ever fix, so I was getting ready to release that film, and wow, this sounded like a miracle. I'm going to have this surgery, and I'm going to be all better. Well, it, I had the surgery September 20, 2019 I, it didn't make me better, it made me worse, and it turned out that the surgery was a misdiagnosis, and that they botched the surgery, so I have Teflon implants in my at the base of my skull, inside my brain, that are now constantly agitating my brain stem, along with a titanium plug that is placed right at the junction point to all the major nerves in my head, so they can't undo it, and there's really no medication that helps, and so it's.. it's.. I wouldn't wish it on anyone else. I'm.. I guess I'm.. I'm very fortunate I have the tools I do to manage it, because they also, they call what I'm dealing with the suicide disease, because a lot of people who have it end up killing themselves. The kicker on the whole story is the guy that did my surgery is Elon Musk, partner Neherlich, and so coming soon I'm going to, I unfortunately, I was in two more car accidents at the end of last year that made everything much worse, neither of them were my fault, and once I get through these, these car accidents I'm dealing with, I'm going to go public with my story, because so I mean, in a much bigger, you know, a focused way, because there's so many people signing up for Neuralink, like it's the new iPhone. I have nothing against technology, if it can help you, if you're a paraplegic, and or you have some something that this can fix, great, but two and one, the people, the human test subjects they've tried this on are having tremendous difficulties, and so I want to let people know it's like I wouldn't wish what I'm dealing with on anybody, and for you to allow someone to try to implant something in your brain just because you want to be a cyborg human being, and you're looking at the new iPhone is a really stupid thing to do, and that these people don't. We've given people in technology again. I'm not against technology at all, but I think we've also allowed ourselves to believe that these people who write code and create technology are are gods, and they're not. They're it's just a new way of sharing information and computing things. Speaker 1  54:14 It's, it's, you know, it's just another advancement from the printing press to the radio to tell to television, from the calculator to the computer, and now we're where we're at, and we've allowed ourselves to believe that these people have created an alternative reality, and they have it. Everything that they do runs off the same real world in resources. So, I, I really want to help the mill, because literally millions of people are signed up and ready to have this stuff implanted into their brain and I think it will be a disaster for humanity. Michael Hingson  54:49 I hear what you're saying, and I'm not convinced that a lot of that is really sensible to do either. I think there are tools and there are. There are things certainly that can help people, but I have yet to see that any of this is going to lead to such a tremendous paradigm shift that all of it is going to be all that great for humanity as a whole. I'm not convinced of that at all. Speaker 1  55:17 It could be, but the problem is, is like any other tool, it's how we use it. Social media is an inherently bad thing. It's in here, it's bad because of how we're using it. Sure, because we're using it to divide people and share misinformation, where it could be an incredibly powerful tool for communication, but that's not how we're using it. Same thing with AI. AI could be a tremendously powerful partner in addressing pretty much all of our problems, and I mean, and at the core of, like, Jock's work was the idea that AI basically would manage all the world's resources and share them with equanimity, because we don't have a resource shortage problem, we have a resource sharing problem, but that's not how we're using AI. We're using AI to create fake girlfriends and boyfriends and only fan models, and and take away people's jobs, and and that's not AI's fault. That's the people who control AI's fault, and they want people to be afraid of AI, but again, it's, it's just a tool that's being misused. Michael Hingson  56:24 Well, like, like so many, and, and I hear exactly what you're saying. Tell me about S O U L Speaker 1  56:33 Sold, Soul documentary is really interesting, because the day I got in my car accident was the day I was supposed to meet my partner Evan Hirsch, who had wanted at the time he was looking for a producer to help him do a series on Bernie Sanders and teaching Bernie to not be as angry and come across more from a place of love, and he wanted to follow the campaign around. Well, by the time we got it pulled together, Bernie was out of the campaign, and so we started talking about, well, do we want to do anything together. So we then set about something called Soul Documentary, and originally it stood for Summer of Unconditional Love, because we were covering all of the events for the 50th anniversary of Summer of Love, which was in 2017 So our goal was to find what we called solutionaries, people like Jock, and interview them, and then share also our own understandings of things through hundreds and hundreds of videos that we did over the course of eight years, as well as recording three albums under the name of Soul Twin Messiah, which all were about the same things we were doing. Our films about all founded in love, all about love. Every song contained love in it, and our whole purpose was just to show people we do have solutions to our problems, and to talk about how we have to have a shift in consciousness, and we have to have a new system if we are going to change anything. It's like what Einstein said, to expect things to be different when you keep doing the same thing over and over again is insanity, and I think we see, we see that we live in an insane, a completely insane world right now. I mean, the things that I see happening, and how we've let it sort of creep in, like the things that we've normalized in the past 10 years, like we literally have people that are cheering, murdering people on it's, it's, it's hard for me to, to even fathom, and I think it's hard for most people, and I think that's why they just sort of block it out and allow it to happen, because they really can't process it. They really can't process how inhumane we've become. Michael Hingson  59:06 Well, so what is next for Kip? What's next for you? Speaker 1  59:10 What is boy? I'm mostly trying to get through every day with this head injury. I spend a lot of my time in bed, just because I can't do anything, I, you know, even now I'm, I'm in a lot of pain, and it's beyond pain, it's actually, it literally hurts to think, it's, it's in my brain, and I have swelling in my brain because the cerebral fluid back, anyway, it's so dealing with that, but then the universe keeps love, God, whatever keeps bringing me stuff, and so I, I'm trying right now to be part of putting together a new, let's see, we'll call it Live Aid meets Woodstock. And we're going to, we're trying to put together a global music festival with the focus of addressing the needs of children, because I'm really tired of all this lip service that people do about, oh, kids are a future, we got to care, care about our kids. Well, where is that happening? Where is that happening that we're caring about our kids? Where, you know, is it happening with trying to suppress the Jeffrey Epstein files? Is it happening as you know, you look at, say, the conflict between Israel and Gaza, and I'm not, I don't pick sides and things, but I want to help people understand the reality of the situation, and this goes for Ukraine and Russia as well. It's like, who loses in all of this? Well, the children do. Who wins? The people that are getting $50 billion in defense contracts, and, and I really.. my, I'm at a point in my existence where if my story was over tomorrow, I would be okay with that, if I knew that kid, that the future generations had an opportunity to have a better tomorrow, or at least an opportunity to screw up everything on their own. Michael Hingson  1:01:11 Well, I would like to think it's the first really my Speaker 1  1:01:14 focus is Michael Hingson  1:01:16 I'd like to think it's the first one of those that they have a future rather than screwing it up on their own, but of course, we are. I know, I know, I joke, but, but, but we are a race that doesn't tend to do a very good job of learning from history most of the time. So I hear what you're saying. Speaker 1  1:01:34 Yeah, it's really kind of well, even if people even understood the rise and fall of empires, they would see that we're at the end of the Western Empire. It's, and they follow very specific patterns. The hyper-sexualization of the culture is one of the signs of the end of every empire, and is really kind of interesting, is that they make a free empire, they, and there's a good documentary called The Four Horsemen. It's with Colonel Larry Wilkinson in it, Norm Chomsky, and one of the interesting things that took me a second to understand why this was a bad thing is they make celebrities out of their chefs, and I'm going.. that's kind of a weird sign. Why is that so bad? It's gluttony. It's gluttony because we forget why we do these things. Why? Well, why are we making love? We've forgotten that. It's turned everything's entertainment. Our food is no food is so you eat, and so you can go out and live your life and do things, we've turned everything in, we've removed it so far from the source of why we're doing things, just basically oftentimes just because it makes a buck to get people addicted to things, whether it's food or sex or whatever, that this is what happens in every empire, we become, we become completely detached from the very things we need to survive. Michael Hingson  1:03:09 Yeah, I hear you. If people want to reach out to you, and I hope they do, how will they do that? Speaker 1  1:03:17 Probably easiest way to do that, would be a couple ways. You can, you can find me on Facebook, Kip Baldwin, Instagram, Kip Baldwin. Those are the easiest ways. I also encourage people to look at a website that I have called Lumina Consulting, or Lumina Love dot love is the website Lumina Love dot love, and the whole purpose of the of what I'm doing there is ethical AI, human ethical AI human communications founded in love, because I realized that part of the problem that we're having with AI are the people that control AI, who are making the avatars for their own ego, and AI is a child, it only knows what we point it to look at, like it knows the definition to every book in the library, but who's giving it perspective? Well, the people that are giving it perspective are really broken human beings, you know, the Peter Thiels, Elon Musk, when you really understand who they are in their childhood, Elon Musk was horribly abused. He was, he was almost beaten to death being bullied. His father is a complete monster. The same, the same thing with saving Donald Trump, his mother wouldn't even touch him. You look at most, you look at all of these people that have obscene amounts of wealth, and what you find is truly damaged people are trying to fill the hole in their soul with wealth and fame, and so having these people in control, being the one telling AI what to think and how to pursue. Receive things is very dangerous, and so my goal has been, and I deal with multiple platforms, is to teach AI about love, is to teach AI about philosophy, is to teach AI about human history, and it's really, it's really the results have been really quite remarkable. It wasn't something I ever planned on doing, and but I knew I wanted to get involved with AI in a meaningful way, and so my first words to AI were, I know this may sound strange, because I approached it not asking it to do something for me, I approached it trying to teach it something. Michael Hingson  1:05:35 Right, well, I hope people will reach out and chat with you more and continue the conversation that we started today, but I definitely want to thank you for being here, and I want to thank everyone for listening. Can you believe we've been doing this for more than an hour already? It's pretty cool. Speaker 1  1:05:52 Wow, Michael Hingson  1:05:54 I know. Well, thank you all for listening. I hope, Speaker 1  1:05:57 and I hope, I hope we become new friends, and I really hope you Michael Hingson  1:06:01 keep and I want to, I want to definitely do that, absolutely by any standard, and as Speaker 1  1:06:07 much as we've covered during this hour and 10 minutes or so, we could go another day, or Michael Hingson  1:06:16 I hope all of you will let me know what you think of today, and I hope that you thought very positive thoughts wherever you're listening or watching. Please give us a five star rating, and more important than that, please give us a great review. We love people to review and talk about the stories that they hear. And speaking of telling stories, if any of you want to be a guest, and Kip, if you know of other people who ought to come on the podcast, we're always looking for people to come on and tell their stories and talk about us, so please don't hesitate to do that, Speaker 1  1:06:47 and I'll be more than happy to come back to talk about other things as well. Michael Hingson  1:06:50 Well, we can do that absolutely by in, and I do Speaker 1  1:06:53 want to, I do want to say to everybody, just love each other, it's really that simple, it's really that easy, it sounds only because we've been programmed not to believe in it, but when you move from fear to love, it transforms you entirely. Michael Hingson  1:07:09 Great way to end. Well, thank you again for being here. We really appreciate it. Speaker 1  1:07:14 Thank you, my friend. Michael Hingson  1:07:17 Thank you for being here with me on Unstoppable mindset. I hope today's conversation left you with a fresh perspective, a new insight, or at least something worth thinking about. If you're ready to go deeper into the ideas that shape how we see ourselves and others, I have a free gift for you. Head over to michaelhingson.com and download my free ebook, Blinded by Fear. It explores the invisible beliefs that hold us back and shows you how to reframe them, so you can move forward with clarity and confidence. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast, leave a review, and share this show with someone who can use a reminder that growth starts with mindset. When people think differently, we all move forward together. Thanks again for listening. Keep learning, keep questioning, and keep choosing to live with an unstoppable mindset. 1:08:18 Thank

Pastor Stephen De Young recently appeared on Tucker Carlson to talk about everything from Giants and Nephilim to Lost civilization and artificial intelligence. At one point in the interview, he incorrectly describes the universal fertility rituals that have been practiced by countless cultures. He asserts that the Japanese today are using these rituals as part of the imperial ascension process, which he says involves the emperor having sex with the sun goddess. However, according to Japanese sources like the Kokugakuin University, the ritual in question is called Daijōsai — the great Thanksgiving. In fact, “the emperor neither touches nor faces the deity's rest space.” He offers rice and sake, and then has communion. The themes in this triune ritual are like many of the other aspects of Shinto and far eastern religions: they're part of a universal human tradition, rooted in every culture around the world. Further, these facts have been known to scholars for a very long time. Why do modern religious officials then dismiss them and underhandedly make such ignorant comments?https://museum.kokugakuin.ac.jp/files/user/2019_daijosai_english.pdf*The is the FREE archive, which includes advertisements. If you want an ad-free experience, you can subscribe below underneath the show description.

Steven Pressfield spent 27 years writing before his first novel was published — enduring 21 jobs, living in 11 states, and at times out of his car. Finally, at age 52, Steve finally, what Joseph Campbell calls, “Seized the Sword”.Since then, he's written over 20+ books and sold millions of copies. His most famous works are: The War of Art, Turning Pro, Gates of Fire (Gates is on the US Marine Corps commandant's mandatory reading list), and he also wrote the 2000 Oscar-nominated film, The Legend of Bagger Vance. His newest book, The Arcadian, was just released May 26th.Steven comes on Men Talking Mindfulness to talk about the inner war every man is fighting — against Resistance, and the risks of actually Turning pro.IN THIS EPISODE:What Resistance is — and why it wants to kill you, not just stop youThe one question Steven asks at the end of every day — and why it changes everythingWhy warrior virtues and artist virtues are identicalThe Muse — what it is, where it comes from, and how to tune inAmateur vs. pro: the mindset shift that separates people who do from people who mean toThe authentic swing — Bagger Vance, the Bhagavad Gita, and your true callingRELATED EPISODES:Overcoming ProcrastinationThe Shadow Holds Your Power, Not Your Pain with Connor BeatonFinding Your PurposeCuriosity Is Key to Breaking Men Free from Judgment and RuminationPRE-ORDER THE ARCADIAN BOOK &FOLLOW STEVEN PRESSFIELD:stevenpressfield.comGET MORE FROM MTM:Text MTM to 33777 — free weekly newsletterSubscribe: mentalkingmindfulness.comA2A COURSE:Change is Possible, this is where it starts - 12 modules on attention, presence & performance. Self-paced.https://focusnowtraining.com/a2a-course- Maps to Module 2 of A2A: Observing Your Inner World Without Being Owned By ItBRING FNT TO YOUR TEAM:focusnowtraining.com/contactCo-produced by Robert Lopez cratesaudio.comHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Dr. Vic Shane discusses his lifelong experiences with out-of-body travel and encounters with dark entities. In the full length version on Patreon we discuss the influence of Joseph Campbell's concept of The Hero's Journey and Vic shares two extraordinary personal gnostic experiences involving deep realisations. He describes how one final significant confrontation with a large dark entity was transformed by love and recognition that we are all one. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/themodernfairysightingspodcast/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Shownotes Vic's Website http://vicshayne.com/ Observations of a Reluctant Mystic (book) https://amzn.eu/d/0d8HYihP Song of The Dark Man by Darragh Mason https://www.amazon.com/Song-Dark-Man-Witches-Crossroads/dp/1644119099 ⭐️ JOIN THE MODERN FAIRY SIGHTINGS COMMUNITY ⭐️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/themodernfairysightingspodcast/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you're looking for exclusive bonus material, monthly zoom chats with like-minded folks, access to the Discord chat channels, quiet meditation gatherings and meeting other members, join us at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.patreon.com/c/themodernfairysightingspodcast/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ S U P P O R T If you'd prefer to support the Modern Fairy Sightings with a one off donation, you can ‘buy me a coffee' and I'd be very grateful

A Star Wars movie is back in theaters for the first time since 2019! In this episode of Hyperspace Theories, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester kick off our analysis of The Mandalorian and Grogu with a discussion of the major storytelling decisions underlying the film, which is directed by Jon Favreau and co-written by Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Noah Kloor (The Book of Boba Fett). As the sixth movie of the Disney era and the first Star Wars film built upon source material from outside the preceding movies – specifically the three seasons of the Disney+ streaming series The Mandalorian as well as adjacent series The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka – the creation of The Mandalorian and Grogu faced a number of challenges not previously faced by theatrical Star Wars, including an imperative to produce the movie on a considerably smaller budget than the Sequel Trilogy releases while reviving fan and customer enthusiasm for Star Wars on the big screen and the ancillary merchandise revenue that has long accompanied Star Wars films. This context in the state of the franchise explains a number of key decisions about the story built for The Mandalorian and Grogu, including the desire to acknowledge the full range of previous Star Wars stories and fans, from the Original Trilogy and Expanded Universe to the Prequels, The Clone Wars, and Disney-era films, animation, and publishing. We also examine the themes found at the heart of the story, and the non-Star Wars cinematic influences on Favreau's movie. We then revisit a frequent aspect of the Hyperspace Theories podcast: examining how Star Wars' longstanding association with the monomyth story structure shapes the tale being told in The Mandalorian and Grogu. Unsurprisingly, as a standalone film rather than a segment within a trilogy, The Mandalorian and Grogu readily aligns with the cinematic story structure expressed by Christopher Vogler, a distillation and updating of the classical monomyth found in the work of Joseph Campbell. This plot structure also guides the character arcs for The Mandalorian and Grogu, which features the two titular characters as well as significant character development for a third: Rotta the Hutt, who faces his own father-son thematic turmoil as well as pivotal choices about his path in life and the future he seeks for himself in the galaxy far far away. Related Links: Fangirls Going Rogue: A Special Look at The Mandalorian and Grogu (April) Fangirls Going Rogue: Episode 26.4 Countdown to The Mandalorian and Grogu (April) Fangirls Going Rogue: Interview with The Mandalorian and Grogu's Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni (May) Fangirls Going Rogue: Doug Chiang, John Knoll, and Ludwig Göransson Discuss Making The Mandalorian and Grogu (May) Fangirls Going Rogue: Episode 26.6 The Mandalorian and Grogu Behind-the-Scenes and Review (May) Social Media: Tricia Barr (@fangirlcantina) Instagram | Threads | Blue Sky B.J. Priester (@redpenoflex) Instagram | Threads | Blue Sky Fangirl Zone on Facebook

 Do you feel stressed on a daily basis? Are you feeling low energy?  The news is filled with stories of wars, mass shootings, rights getting overturned, economic uncertainty, and so much continuous devastation, it could seem that we are living in End Times.  Our guest today, scholar, philosopher, and researcher Jean Houston, Ph.D., delves into the idea of finding possibility, even during these times of great grief. We have been conditioned to respond to the terrible, but it does not have to be this way. As an icon in the Human Potential movement, Jean shares ideas about how the Renaissance, with its advancements in music, art, poetry, and cosmology,  came after great plagues and times of war, much like the world situation today. Could we be in a new Renaissance period now? We are once again in a similar time of radical growth, and we have the power within us to see new possibilities and reach mythical potential in our human evolution.     Jean shares stories of her travels and talks about her friendship with scholar Joseph Campbell and how they would have "beautiful fights" which were friendly arguments and deep discussions about mythology and the fate of humanity. Campbell wrote extensively about the "Hero's Journey," while Jean considered the "Heroine's Journey." Part of the problem is that 50% of the human race is not being recognized for women's immense creativity and power. Women's ways are missing. With an emphasis on compassion, cooperation, community, and process rather than product and competition, humane creativity must be celebrated by acknowledging the achievements of women. This is Part 1 of the interview. Info: JeanHouston.com.  This interview was originally taped in May 2022. Scholar, philosopher, and researcher Jean Houston, Ph.D., made her transition very recently and we air this in her honor.

Why We Stopped Cheering for Heroes | The Psychology of the Anti-Hero & Cultural Collapse . What if our obsession with anti-heroes isn't entertainment at all… but psychological confession? . Why did millions secretly cheer for Walter White after he poisoned a child? Why do cultures increasingly trust the man who "refuses to come back" from the darkness? And what happens to a civilization when it stops believing in the final stage of the Hero's Journey? . In this episode of The Polymathic Perspective, Dov Baron examines why modern audiences no longer resonate with heroes who return transformed, but instead become emotionally attached to characters who descend into darkness and stay there.  . Through the polymathic lenses of Depth Psychology, Cultural Narrative, Political Identity, history, and Emotional Source Code™, this episode explores: Why anti-heroes function as psychological permission slips  The hidden meaning behind our fascination with Walter White, Tony Soprano, Don Draper, The Joker, and Beth Dutton  How entertainment acts as emotional rehearsal, not escape  The rise of the "Disenfranchised Self."  Why authoritarian leaders psychologically mirror the modern anti-hero  The emotional mechanism behind Andrew Jackson's rise, and why it still matters  How wounded populations search for vessels to reclaim their denied identity  Why collapsing trust in institutions changes the stories cultures consume  The dangerous psychological seduction of coherence during uncertainty  What happens when a culture no longer believes anyone is waiting "at the fire" for the hero's return  . This episode is about the emotional architecture beneath modern identity, politics, leadership, belonging, and cultural fragmentation. . If you've ever felt yourself pulled toward characters who break rules, reject systems, or stop pretending entirely, this conversation may explain why. . Because the real danger isn't the anti-hero. The real danger is a culture that no longer believes transformation is possible. Key Themes Anti-heroes and modern identity  Emotional Source Code™  The Disenfranchised Self  Political psychology  Cultural collapse  Hero's Journey vs anti-hero narrative  Meaning-making and identity  Psychological projection  Leadership and authoritarianism  Entertainment as emotional rehearsal  Joseph Campbell and modern culture  Psychological coherence in unstable systems . About the Host Dov Baron is a polymathic thinker, speaker, and creator of Emotional Source Code™, known for examining the hidden emotional architecture beneath leadership, identity, culture, and human behavior. His work bridges neuroscience, psychology, meaning-making, systems thinking, and organizational leadership. https://DovBaron.com Subscribe & Share If this episode challenged you, irritated you, or made you rethink something you thought you understood… share it with someone capable of sitting inside difficult questions. And if you've spent your life sensing patterns other people miss, you're not broken. You may simply be seeing the architecture beneath the surface. Subscribe to The Polymathic Perspective for weekly documentary-style explorations into power, identity, culture, perception, and meaning. . #PolymathicPerspective #DovBaron #BreakingBad #AntiHero #WalterWhite #LeadershipPsychology #EmotionalSourceCode #PoliticalPsychology #CultureWars #HeroJourney #JosephCampbell #IdentityCrisis #PsychologyOfPower #Authoritarianism #MeaningMaking #CulturalAnalysis #DepthPsychology #NarrativePsychology #HumanBehavior #SystemsThinking  

This week was Brian's birthday — and it turns out he shares it with Star Wars Day. That's all the excuse needed to bring Plugged In's Adam Holtz into the conversation for a deep dive on George Lucas's galaxy far, far away. How did a $10 million film with an uncertain release become a cultural watershed that changed cinema forever? What did Lucas actually borrow from — Joseph Campbell, Kurosawa, Flash Gordon, Eastern religion, the Bible — and what does that mean for Christians trying to engage it thoughtfully? Adam breaks down the Force as a theological concept, why the original trilogy still holds up for family viewing, and what went so wrong with the sequel trilogy that Disney may be looking to erase it from canon entirely. A fun, fast conversation perfect for any Star Wars fan trying to think Christianly about one of the most enduring stories in pop culture. Find more of Adam's work at pluggedin.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re back with the second episode in our new series on the podcast, in which we're working our way through Pam's book, The Unschooling Journey: A Field Guide. Today, we're beginning our exploration of the deschooling phase of the journey with stage six: Challenging Our Beliefs About Learning. Deschooling has several aspects, and this is one of the big ones. We may carry many beliefs about the way that school is connected to learning and the way we expect children to learn. In order to challenge those beliefs, we dug into five truths about learning: teaching is not a prerequisite for learning, curriculum is unnecessary for learning, children are always learning, learning is fun, and learning is not hard. Once we start to question our existing beliefs, many of these new truths come to the surface. And they really build on each other until we’re living in a whole new paradigm! We loved diving into learning and we hope you find this episode helpful! Watch the video of our conversation on YouTube. THINGS WE MENTION IN THIS EPISODE Pam’s Substack article, “But if they don’t go to school, how will they learn?” Learn more about Pam's book, The Unschooling Journey: A Field Guide. We invite you to join us in the Living Joyfully Network, a warm and welcoming online community of like-hearted parents. It's a non-judgmental space where you can steep in these unconventional ideas around parenting, relationships, and learning, and explore what they might look like day-to-day in your uniquely wonderful family. We offer a free month trial so you can see if it's a good fit for you. Click here to join us. Sign up to our mailing list on Substack to receive our email newsletters as well as new articles about learning, parenting, and so much more! Check out our website, livingjoyfully.ca for more information about exploring unschooling and navigating relationships. EPISODE TRANSCRIPT PAM: Hello everyone, I am Pam Larrichia from Living Joyfully and today I’m joined by my co-hosts Anna Brown and Erika Ellis. ANNA AND ERIKA: Hello! PAM: So we are back with another episode in our Field Guide series. We’re working our way through my book, The Unschooling Journey, A Field Guide, which is framed around the hero’s journey and it’s a weaving together of myths, contemporary stories, and just tales from my own journey. In our first episode, if you haven’t listened to that yet, you can go back, we dove into the first phase of the unschooling journey, which was Choosing Unschooling, in which we answered the call to unschooling. We found our guides, which in a fun twist are so often our children. We navigated past various threshold guardians as we crossed the threshold from the ordinary world into the world of unschooling and moved through our time in the belly of the whale where we came to embrace the curiosity of a beginner’s mind. Now we are firmly in the deschooling phase of our journey, which encompasses seven stages and really does represent the bulk of our transformational work. Joseph Campbell calls this next stage the Road of Trials, which through the lens of unschooling, I have broken into two stages because I experienced them as quite distinct from each other. The first focuses on challenging our existing beliefs about learning and then the second one on those related to parenting. In this episode, we’re going to talk about five truths about learning. And if you’re new to unschooling and this is your first time exploring these truths, you’re likely to be dancing with these ideas more intellectually to just understand what they mean and some of their further reaching implications because it’s just mind-blowing enough to hear these the first time and go what, that doesn’t match with what I’ve known so far. Anyway, if you’ve been unschooling for a while and feel like you already intellectually embraced these ideas, now’s the time to peel back some more layers to build more connections and context around them. You’ll be strengthening your web of understanding with your own experiences, because you’ve been doing this for a while, so building your wisdom. And you are moving towards really believing and feeling these truths in your own bones, owning them for yourself. All right, after all that preamble, the first truth we are going to explore is that teaching is not a prerequisite for learning. And right off, oh my gosh, there are just so many aspects to this one truth, isn’t there? ANNA: It’s true. And I think it’s so interesting, because all of us can think of so many things we’ve learned without being specifically taught in that one way. And, oh my goodness, just look at babies learning to walk and talk without expert classroom instruction. And yet somehow schools have really sold us on this concept that to learn you need to be instructed by someone. And not only that, but learning happens while sitting at a desk. And let’s throw in some power dynamic, loss of autonomy, a little peer pressure for good measure. But even without all of that soup, the idea that we need another person to teach us in a very specific way is just so limiting. But what’s funny, personally, is that I didn’t want to homeschool in the beginning. I was very resistant because I didn’t want to be a teacher. So that statement right there shows you how deep I was in the idea that learning was about a teacher giving information to a student. I think it was just so baked into my experience and what I’d been told for my whole life. And so even when in my own life, there were all these examples of me learning things all the time as an adult on my own in different ways. But somehow those didn’t count now. It was just so interesting to unpack that for myself. And watching my kids was really what changed that, with a little point in the direction of observing from John Holt. I could see that I couldn’t even stop them from learning. They were just these little sponges, so interested in taking in everything, turning it around, trying to make sense of it, building context, building their own unique web of learning that we talk about so often. And then I started to kind of deconstruct the whole process. So, even with the most amazing, well-meaning teachers, and there are so many of those beautiful people out there, if a student wasn’t interested, it wasn’t going to work. And I also read a lot about brains at that time and how we don’t learn well under stress. And that’s when I started to think, is school ever a helpful environment for learning? Does it ever make sense? And I’m just not sure that it does. And I think learning can happen there, but it’s kind of despite the terrible environment, not because of it, not as if it’s an optimal environment. And like you said, it’s so individual. How does each person take in information? I prefer reading. I’m not auditory at all. David’s much more hands-on and experimental. So, long lectures just wouldn’t hold his attention. He needs to be moving at all times. There are definitely times I turn to people who know more than me about a particular subject. I love that. It’s fun to see how they approach it, how they move through the challenges. But in the end, their approach may or may not work for me, but I can learn more about them, the subject, and ultimately myself as I’m able to move in and out of that type of learning environment. I think the big thing here is just as we start to question and observe, ourselves, kids, our partners, see all the different ways that learning is happening every day around us. And it really just opens up such a new world. ERIKA: I love that. This idea is so huge. Once I started thinking about it, it’s like, oh my gosh. And it was one of my biggest paradigm shifts at the beginning of my own unschooling journey was realizing this truth. And I had a lot of fun digging into the word “teaching,” which started to not even make any sense to me anymore. Once I thought about it, it’s like somebody can say, “Well, I taught these kids how to do whatever.” And it’s like, but did you? You could say that you told them about it, but you really can’t say what happened inside of their brains. And so, I really liked questioning the word “teaching” overall and trying to move to the idea of just learning. Learning does not require teaching. Learning happens inside of the learner. And having someone teach you could be a way of learning something, but those two are not necessarily connected. And just because a teacher says that they taught people does not mean that they learned it. I know that’s true from my own experience in school and my experience as a classroom teacher in high school. I’ve taught more than high school. I taught music classes and some little kid classes as well. Everyone is so unique, every individual is so unique. And what I’ve seen is that process of teaching, the way that I would teach makes sense to my brain. It’s such a challenge to try to, what they would call in school, differentiate your instruction in order to meet everyone’s brains. But then the thing that’s missing from that is the interest. And so, the way people actually learn is by being open to learning and about being ready to learn. And so the format is less important. And the teacher is just a possibility. It’s not the only thing. And it’s not the thing that makes learning happen. I really think that having that experience as a teacher probably helped me get there a little bit faster on this part, because I’ve seen it. And so, I know that the classroom experience can be really frustrating for teachers and students. But I think you’re right, it’s not an optimal environment for learning in any way. Because we’re trying to get every single different person onto the same page in the same method. Trying to learn the same thing. And that just doesn’t really make sense if we think about how different everyone is. So yeah, I love this one. PAM: Yeah, I mean, for me, too, Erika, this was one of my big first shift. Because as you were saying, Anna, I didn’t want to be a teacher. When the kids came home, it was, oh, so I’m supposed to teach them now. But to recognize that teaching didn’t mean learning was happening at all. Why don’t I use the lens of learning for a while? Because anytime I use the word teaching in a sentence, I could actually rephrase it to look at learning instead. And looking at it through that lens was just so helpful for me on my journey. And it’s something to dance with, which we talked about. We've talked about the pendulum swing. We may think, oh, well, if teaching doesn’t make them learn, I guess I won’t teach. And then if we’ve started thinking of everything we share as teaching, I shouldn’t tell them things, right? So, you just let them figure it all out themselves. And then you recognize, oh, no, I can be part of this picture, as you were talking about, and I like dipping in and out when somebody else has more knowledge that you’re interested in getting. And Erika, you pointed out how important the interest part is. Because that is when it all bubbles up, right? When somebody is interested, maybe they’re asking questions, maybe they’re trying to do something. And we’re like, hey, I know a little something about this. This is how it works for me, do you want me to show you how it works for me? Keeping in mind that learning looks very different for each person. But we can still share the stuff that we know, that we think, all those pieces. So, the dance of the relationship of learning, for me, it’s really, really fun. And I don’t need to frame that as teaching. It’s just our relationship and how we all enjoy learning new things that we’re interested in at the moment. And so, Erika, something you said there at the end leads very much to the next truth that we wanted to talk about, about how people learn better when they’re interested and how teachers have this thing that they are supposed to be teaching. But so, anyway, second truth, curriculum is unnecessary for learning. That is something that many of us grew up with. It was a foundational truth that we didn’t even visit. School curriculum is all about just creating and delivering this linear system all around teaching delivery. It’s about divvying up all the bits that they want to teach over the next however many years equally, so that, this is what we do in grade one math, grade two math, grade three, blah, blah. And while most teachers understand that the most effective learning happens when the topic is relevant to the learner’s life, at least even better if they’re actually interested in it, that’s just not possible within this system, right? And most of the time, curricula is out of step with the learner. So, we flipped the perspective between teaching and learning. Let’s consider learning without following a curriculum. What would that look like? And what would that look like through the lens of a particular child? And when you think about it, that unique set of knowledge and skills that will be valuable to that child will be different, definitely, maybe a little bit, maybe wildly, from a school’s generalized curriculum, right? I think it’s so interesting to contemplate what our child chooses to learn just by following their curiosity and their interests as actually creating a beautifully individualized quote “curriculum” that really just fits them like a glove, because it meets them where they are in each moment. ERIKA: I like how that turns it on its head. We could still use the word curriculum, if we want to. It’s just completely different than it was in the school context. And I really think that this truth was hard to see when I was in the middle of it, because they’re saying that school is about learning, but school is more like a game where you have a goal to get good grades. And so, when you’re in that system, it doesn’t really matter what’s on the curriculum. That’s just the process of this particular game that we’re trying to play. So, it didn’t matter if something that I would want to learn was missing from that curriculum, because the point was to get good grades on this curriculum, so who cares? But in the real world, there’s just so much outside of school learning. If you think about almost anyone’s work in the real world, there are just so many aspects to it that are specific to that field that would never have been covered in school. I learned that curriculum was really chosen because it’s easy to test, or it’s easy to assign grades to these particular areas. Math could be so interesting. But school math has to be easy to grade. And the testing is really easy, based on the things that they’ve chosen for the curriculum. And so, once I realized that, it’s just so much less important than it feels when you’re inside that system. What people are supposed to learn in school, are not actually the most important bits of knowledge for living life. It’s much more random than that. And so, that’s why so many people get out of school and they’re like, why didn’t they teach us about these important things? Taxes, or how to buy a house, or fix my air conditioning system, or whatever, like things that would actually be useful, or even being in relationship, communication tools. Those would be useful things for life. What I’ve seen since then, in our unschooling lives, is that kids following their interests really does include everything that they’ll need to know for the life that they want to lead, which makes perfect sense. If they’re living the life they want to lead, they’re going to be learning the things that make sense for that. And so, any additional learning that looks more like school subjects could come up naturally, or maybe they’re just curious. What if they’re like, I’m curious about what school math is like. And so, it could be a side project if it’s interesting to them. But another great benefit of learning without a curriculum is like you were talking about the pacing and the order in which they learn is so individual and unique. So maybe they would be considered very far ahead in one area or behind in another area, according to school, but in the real world, that there’s no ahead and behind, there’s not a fixed order to things in the same way. And so it’s like what you were saying, developing their unique web of learning based on what makes sense to them and developing their own interests and skills as they grow with their unique brains, which is just going to look so different for different people. ANNA: Yeah. Oh my gosh. I love that piece of really deconstructing the whole of it. What is the goal? And what tools do they have? Because they're saying, we’re going to take the things out of math that are the easiest to measure. We’re not looking at what are the most important things of math to learn about, because they may not be easy to measure. And as soon as you start to unpack and deconstruct that a little bit, it’s like, wait a minute, why are we all in service of this system? What is that serving? I think a big sticking point for me with school learning has always been that linear aspect of it. It’s interesting, because it stuck out to me at first when I was pregnant and going through natural childbirth classes, we talked a lot about how labor isn’t linear. Doctors and hospitals would have you believe that you’re dilating at this set rate per hour. And if you don’t, they want to intervene. Well it’s one centimeter per hour we need to be doing. But that’s not how the body works. You know, it’s fits and starts, rests and surges. And so quickly, I could see how that made sense with learning, too. We aren’t going to learn one number a day. And then the next day, we’re going to learn one number. And let’s learn one color. No, no more colors today. Just this one color. And I saw my kids get interested in colors when they were so young, and wanting to know the color of everything, running around the house. What’s this? What’s that? Showing me all the pieces. That’s how they get excited about things and want to make sense in their brain. I saw them dive so deeply as they were exploring any topic, because you could see them building this context, building their web, placing the new information into their existing web. It is anything but linear, and any interruptions or redirections just messed with their flow. And that really reminded me of another thing I remember from my own time at school, was being in class in the middle of a large geometry proof, and the bell would ring, and on to a completely unrelated subject. Now we’re going to talk about history. And only to have to get back into that mindset for the proof later that night to do my homework, because it didn’t get finished during the class. And I hated it. I loved proofs so much, but I wanted to do them from start to finish without interruptions, because there’s so many pieces to it. But the constant interruption just killed my natural love of learning and love of math. And I just started playing the game, like you’re talking about, Erika. I just started playing the game. Okay, this is what they’re wanting me to do, is just check these boxes. So, give them what they want for the test, and then promptly forget it, because it doesn’t mean anything. And what I learned was not the material that was being presented, but how to survive and master that system. And so, I just think that’s happening every day in schools all around us, and nobody’s talking about that piece. And I will say that I definitely looked at all the different curricula when my girls were young. I was like, oh, there’s all these cool nature-based ones, because that’s what I love. But like we’ve talked about with any kind of classes before, I’d look at these things, and I’d feel like, oh my gosh, they’re so dumbed down, because even those more alternative curricula, we’re trying to make it linear. We’re going to learn about this bug today. Doesn’t matter if you’re seeing other bugs outside. We’re just going to do this one. And after observing my kids learning when they were so young, I knew context was everything. And to divorce a subject from the context of it just made it so abstract. It lost the meaning and just became about memorization. Okay, we’ll memorize what these bugs are. We won’t look at where they are, where we’re finding them. And it almost felt like it was tying their hand behind their back, because the world is so rich with things to learn, to see in context, to explore. And I came to believe that really no curricula could improve upon engaged parents exploring, supporting kids as their interests popped up in their kind of natural environment. And I say that to say, it’s not just schools that can do this. We can do this in homeschooling as well, if we’re trying to follow this linear model and not really watching how humans learn and understanding the specific brains of the people in our family. PAM: Yeah, that’s that whole curriculum piece, right? And another aspect that came up for me recently, in this area, someone commented on one of my Substack posts where I was talking about learning, and I’ll link to it in the show notes. But it was really interesting. They were very favorable. But the one thing they were concerned about was learning gaps. Gaps in their knowledge. And it’s just so bright now, having thought through all this. But look at all the assumptions that are just built into that learning, the idea of a learning gap, or summer learning loss, all those ideas. Because, number one, you basically got a curriculum against which you are comparing what somebody should know at some age for you to determine that’s a gap or you didn’t learn that when you were supposed to. So you’ve tied in curriculum there. And no matter how much people talk about lifelong learning, if you’ve still got a curriculum that something should be known by some particular age, lifelong learning doesn’t fit. It doesn’t matter when somebody learns something. When you have bring that lifelong learning lens to it, it’s like, when is it important? When are they interested in it? When will they actually use it? That’s a great time to learn it. It’s not like you need to learn in the past, in case someday you need it in the future, which is a lot of what curriculum is based around. So, I just found that to be super interesting, that there are just so many pieces wrapped up that just assume curriculum is the way people learn. And that just shows up and says, but I’m worried about learning gaps, which you can totally understand, but my goodness. ERIKA: I totally understand it. But it’s so interesting, because if you think about something, like if you were to point out to that adult about their learning gaps, something that they don’t know about, it’s like, oh, but that isn’t important. So, the school curriculum devalues everything outside of it. And so, learning gaps can only happen with school learning. You wouldn’t say, I have a learning gap about auto mechanics or something. I’m not expected to know that. And so, I think that’s super interesting and really something for us to turn around in our minds so that we value all of the different things that people might want to learn about and not just this one set. ANNA: Right, because I guarantee any of those kids that we’re talking about having a learning gap, they know things off the charts that other people, adults included, don’t know, because they followed a passion or interest. We see that all the time. And like you said, you wouldn’t say I have a learning gap because I don’t know about chainsaws like my husband does, but that serves him. And so, yeah, I think that’s one of those thoughts like my thought about how I don’t want to be a teacher. It’s that it's so baked in. It’s so baked in that we don’t even see it. PAM: Yeah, yeah. And that’s what I was excited to point out. It’s not that when that thing was being taught that we were just sitting in a corner, not doing anything, we were just learning so many other things. And I think this conversation also comes up some with some unschooling families when their kids decide to try school or they want to go check it out. And then all of a sudden, they’re measuring their knowledge versus the knowledge they think the child should have in whatever grade, etc. And, oh, we need to catch up. But instead of the phrasing “catch up” and “behind,” bring the lens of they’ve been learning all sorts of other things. Yeah, maybe not what matches specifically that curriculum, but they’ve been learning all sorts of other things. And they don’t lose those if they decide to go check out school. That is there, as you were talking about before, Anna, how rich life is, the context, all the things we know that are related to who we are as a human being and the things that we’re interested in. And if school becomes something we’re interested in, it’s like, oh, I’m not behind, but I’m bringing my full self. And then I can learn those other things, rather than getting all stressed, like, oh, my gosh, did we fail because they don’t know? ANNA: Okay, one quick thing before we move on, because I think it’s where we have that hierarchy, where we’re thinking school is somehow this important monolith, whatever we want to call it. And really, that’s why this deconstruction process is so important to understand school for what it is. It serves a particular purpose, and it is what it is. But if you were to take your child and put them into an auto mechanic shop, you wouldn’t expect them to know all the things in the auto mechanic shop. You would know they need to figure those things out and learn them. And someone might tell them about stuff, and they might read a book, and they might try different things. But why can’t we have that same environment with school to go, okay, yeah, they haven’t learned about how they annotate things and do this particular thing a certain way, so then they’ll learn about it, versus there’s something inherently wrong that they don’t know about it. Because it’s its own system, no different than any of these other systems. It’s not better or worse, but that takes the deconstruction to understand what’s behind it and how we got here. PAM: Oh, that’s beautiful, beautiful. Okay, yes, we should move on. The third truth is that children are always learning, because I mean, they really, really are. Humans are, right? But when you look at kids, you can see it in action, whether or not you can name it, whether or not they can name it, they are learning. Even when they’re cocooning, even when they’re watching a favorite show on repeat, they are having an experience. And the idea that children are always learning implies that learning doesn’t just happen at school, it doesn’t just happen with the teacher. So, let me go back another layer, and that nudges us to consider the idea that all learning is valuable, just like we were saying, like auto mechanics to somebody who needs that information and skill is just about as valuable to stuff that would appear in a regular school curriculum. Learning about themselves, learning about being in relationships with others, as you were talking about earlier, Erika, learning what they like and what they don’t like, what they’re curious about, what seems uninteresting, and how that changes over time. That is just all such valuable learning. Facts and skills are just other bits that are on that buffet table of learning, which each person can individually select at any particular time, what they’re interested in. And without the curriculum, and with this always learning lens, that brings us right back to that rich context that you were talking about, Anna, because if we’re following a curriculum, we’re really just picking out those bits. But when we’re like, I’m interested in this thing, all the things that are connected or that we notice come with that, when we’re not just focused on the quote “important little bits.” ANNA: And I think we’re at such an interesting time in human history, too, where we have access to everything, to people, to resources, to information that is very unique to our time, if we look back over the long scale. But no matter what, it’s really almost impossible to stop a human from learning. Even if you had no internet, you’re still going to be learning what’s important to you, what’s right in front of you. Every minute, we are taking in information, learning about ourselves, those around us, the environment. Learning is so much broader than the idea of subjects at school. And as I said earlier, divorcing concepts from context is really counter to actually learning about the concepts. And I feel that way about math, English, history, music, all of it. It’s that interconnectedness. It’s that understanding why we need it, why it’s important, how it serves us in the life that we want to live. That’s what gives it meaning and helps it stick. I loved watching my oldest as a toddler when she was putting things into context. The lion we saw in a book, then she saw it on a show, then she saw it at the zoo. And you could just see her building this web of understanding about it. And it’s so amazing to watch. I think that’s the special thing about kids is that they have so much context to build. So it’s happening very quickly. I think we’re all doing it as adults too, but we’ve been working on that web a little bit longer. So, I think it’s so much easier to see in that young child. And I think just that important piece of not ranking learning. Learning numbers is no more valuable than learning to draw or learning that you don’t like bright lights or learning how to be in relationship. It all has value. And I guess if there would be a ranking, it would be more about what helps you the most in your unique life. That’s really what we’ve been talking about. What helps you explore your interests, achieve your goals, be the person that you want to be. That’s a very different metric than what school values. And I think it’s why people get disenfranchised because they think I’m supposed to be learning this. They’re telling me this is important, but it’s not helping me towards my goal of being an artist or a musician or even a mathematician because it’s very different than what they’re doing in school. And so, I think that’s where people get where it feels bad and they start to think “I can’t learn” and all of those pieces. Okay, I’m going to stop. ERIKA: I remember getting those questions about, why do we need to learn this school? And I think most of the time I was pretty honest about, it’s on the curriculum and it’s going to be on a test. And so, that’s why we’re learning it. It’s interesting to some people and not to everyone. And I really think, people intuitively know that children are learning, especially when they’re babies and toddlers, like, as you were describing, you can just see it happening. But then we might forget if we think that learning happens in school. And so, we might forget that they were capable of that and they are still capable of that. And we all are. So if we think big kid learning needs to look like school, adult learning has to look like college courses, then you may not notice what’s actually happening and that learning is happening all the time. But as we were talking about earlier, what they learn might be outside of that limited range of what is like observable learning in school. And what’s really interesting for me to think back on is what I learned in school was also mostly outside of the range of what was tested. The memories I have of school and what I learned there were about people, how to be safe, like what the signs are of dysregulation, is what I would call it now. But that kind of hypervigilance, watching how people are behaving, how the teachers are behaving, how we’re being treated, and all of that kind of stuff. That is much more my memory of school than any particular little curriculum item that I would have learned and then forgotten. And so, how kids learn outside of school might not look anything like how it was taught in school, or how you remember learning it and everyone’s brains are different. I definitely have seen unschooling parents say they’re just not learning anything or things like that. And it’s just like, maybe let’s look at it differently, because that’s not possible. And so, the way that a unique child puts together their own web of learning, I love that image for it too. It makes so much sense that each person’s construction of their web is unique to them. And I’ve heard my kids come back about things and be like, oh, that’s what that meant when I saw that on that show one time. They will literally make connections, and I can see it happen, but it may not look anything like something that I would have thought they were supposed to have learned. But it’s just natural human learning. And there are so many internal things that people are learning. I think even in my experience in school, or other kids' experience in school, there are so many internal things they’re learning about themselves, they’re learning about relationships and human nature, it might look like they’re learning nothing. But I trust that they’re getting what they need out of those moments and putting together their own web. PAM: Right? That is so often conventionally devalued, because in school, that’s not measured. You want to measure just on those little bits that you know now. And then when we move on, the next time you kind of circle back, it’s just not valued. When you learn something and connect it, like you were saying earlier, Anna, it can’t really be measured. So, we can’t give it a grade. So, we just don’t consider it at all. It’s not part of school, which is how we come to see learning. Oh, my gosh! And I think that richness is just what is so missed, that context, that building that web of deeper understanding, that’s just so valuable. Okay, I’ll be quick. The fourth truth to explore. I love this one, too. And that is that learning is fun. Ooh, yes. Let’s try that one on for a bit. I think an interesting aspect of this idea. It’s something that you will, when you start learning about unschooling, you will come across it pretty quickly. The idea that our focus isn’t on learning a particular skill. We talk about following their interests and their passions instead of following a curriculum. So, from there, they pick up the skills that we’ve talked about that are helpful along the way, but they do it on their own timetable versus the curriculum’s timetable. I like to use reading as a classic example, because that’s something that people are concerned that their kids learn quickly. And that’s totally understandable, because at school, learning to read is definitely a goal. One that they hold out as key for a child to be able to learn. And again, that makes sense, because at school, not being able to read can definitely interfere with learning, because so much of the communication at school is written. It’s a characteristic of that system. Here’s your worksheets, write this test. It’s all about words and reading. But when the goal is pursuing their interests and passions, they have the time and space to find all sorts of ways to engage with the thing that they’re interested in. And we are there to read things for them whenever they like, if that’s how they want to bring in some information. And they also have the time and space to explore just that complex puzzle of reading in their own way, and at their own pace when their unique brain is ready for it. So not reading is in no way a handicap to learning when we’re unschooling. Another layer around the idea that learning is fun. It reminds us that people learn in different ways, as we’ve been talking about this whole time. Real learning is just so much more interactive and fluid than a classroom can accommodate. You really just have this one teaching style learning with reading, writing, communication, that’s really what you’ve got for learning there. Okay, then there’s yet another layer, because we like peeling back layers, and seeing how when kids are following their curiosity and pursuing their interests and goals, so often this learning happens almost incidentally, like they’re just having fun. They’re just like doing the thing they wanted to do. And it doesn’t even need to be labeled as learning. Once we get to that layer, at first we want to see, we want to expand our understanding of what learning is by basically labeling everything they do as learning. And then it’s like, when everything is a thing, then we don’t even need to label it. But because when they’re just engaging and doing the thing, it just now makes sense to them, and they remember it, like we were talking about earlier, because they chose to engage with it, it means something to them, and they’re going to be using it because it’s something they’re interested in. So even if something gets challenging or frustrating for a little while, so often they choose to keep going, because it’s helping them accomplish something that they want to do. And again, they learn along the way, they learn how to deal with frustration, feelings, learn how to move through those, maybe learn how to take a break. They learn how to choose, is this worth continuing pushing through or do I want to give it a break now? Do I never want to see it again? And then they learn six months later, it's not quite as hard as it was when they first burst out with it. But yeah, learning can be so much fun. ERIKA: Yes! And I feel like when they do hard things because it’s important to them instead of because someone’s telling them to, all of those things, it’s so curious to think about. And I really think the fact that in our schools, at least in my country right now, they’ve pushed the curriculum lower and lower into the younger ages, because it’s like, oh, well, if we want them to be at this level at this age, then they should be preparing for that earlier. And so, I mean, it’s gotten to the point where there is three-year-old curriculum that’s preparing them for four-year-old. All of this exists now. And so, this is not developmentally aligned. It doesn’t actually make any sense. And it backfires, because then kids think that they are stupid, or they think, I’m not good at this, or whatever internal messages they develop. But it’s really because we’re putting things on them in schools that their brains are not ready for, literally not ready for it. And so, there are kids who can thrive in that environment. But it’s pretty unusual. And so, following what’s most interesting to them, it’s like a little secret. I feel like it’s just the best way for them to learn everything. And I love that you pulled reading out, because it’s a tool. Reading is not an end result. And in school, it feels like reading is this end result. And we get so focused on it. Can they read? Can they read? It’s like, okay, but reading is a tool that humans use. Writing and reading are to help us share information with each other. This is a way that we can learn about things or research things or whatever. And so, reading is part of life, because it’s helpful to us. It’s not important as a skill on its own. Treating it like that, like a tool that is helpful, makes so much more sense. What I saw with my kids is they were curious about reading. They wanted to be able to do it because it would help them. It helps them in their games. It helps them communicate with others and all of this. And so, it really was a journey that they owned for themselves and it didn’t feel like me pushing them to learn it younger than they were ready to learn it. It felt like their curiosity was the driving force and then they picked it up as they needed in a way that made sense for their own brains. And so, I think kids just naturally learn about what’s fun and interesting to them. And when they’re young, it looks like playing and when they’re older, maybe it still looks like playing, or maybe it starts to look like something different and unique to them. It could be projects or processing ideas with us or interacting with friends. Maybe they want to sign up for a certain class. Maybe they love collecting certain things or whatever it is. It’s so unique to each individual person. I think the idea that learning isn’t fun that school gives us is so terrible and damaging to people. ANNA: Oh, it really is. Oh, and I love that you mentioned that reading is a tool, a tool among many other tools to learn and take in information. And I just love this whole idea that learning is fun. And I think it’s because I love learning all the things, that it is fun! And I love your point, Pam, about how unschooling, the learning almost appears incidental, but it’s so purposeful in the way that it’s helping the learner move towards something that’s important to them, whether that’s a goal, an understanding, whatever it might be. And I think because it can appear incidental, we brush it aside or think it’s not as important, or that it’s not this drudgery. And with any passion, the learning isn’t linear or confined to a subject. With a passion for Minecraft, you’re learning about building, geometry, animals, strategy, gems, tools, so many things. A passion for horses, the same. It incorporates all the school subjects, but then so much more, the connection, the nuances, all the pieces. And so, observation is really our friend here. Watch and walk alongside your kids and be amazed, because I was constantly amazed. And I think, Erika, you touched on this, unfortunately, one of the side effects of a poor school experience is a belief that learning has to be hard and it has to be drudgery to mean anything. But that’s not true. Learning is magic. It’s amazing. And again, there’s a deep internal drive that we have as humans to learn and understand the things around us. And as you both mentioned, it may not look like learning if we’re so narrowly defining learning, if we’re holding onto this school book drudgery as our definition of learning. But if you broaden your definition, you will see it’s rich and rewarding and absolutely equipping them to live a life that’s meaningful to them. PAM: Yeah. And you started talking about it and that’s the next truth that we’re going to explore, because they’re very related. So, that’s that learning is not hard. Through the lens of unschooling, that’s our next truth, that learning is not hard. And I found it distinct, because I could think learning is fun and hard. Like I want to enjoy learning, but it’s something hard that I do. So, I think that that’s why for me, I separated these out as well. And when you think about showing up at school, and this ties into what you were saying earlier, Erika, about the curriculum getting pushed down and down earlier and earlier, when kids are presented with this stuff, it really is so easy just to pick up the message that learning is hard. Because there are so many reasons in the classroom following this curriculum that it is hard for them. It’s totally true. Trying to learn something that you’re not interested in can definitely be hard. Trying to learn something that your brain is not ready to process and connect and bring together can definitely be hard. If it’s just something that’s not part of their day-to-day lives, so maybe they’re not super interested in it, but also they won’t be using it because it’s not something they need to do, then that is hard to learn because it often just doesn’t make sense. It’s just this little floating point, which earlier you mentioned, Anna, that’s when we end up stopping trying to understand what we would call learning and just memorize that factoid, because it has no context in our lives or in our interests. So, I just have to memorize this thing to perform on the test and to play that game. So, for lots of brains, learning in school and following curriculum is hard. And then just put yourself in there. If you’re trying to be interested in the thing, questions are so discouraged. And not because the teacher's just like, I don’t want to, but they don’t have time. If it’s not on the curriculum, we don’t have time to spend 20 minutes discussing it, because it won’t be on the test. How many people ended up asking that question eventually? It’s like, is this going to be on the test? And if not, you could just forget about it. It’s like, okay, I don’t even have to try memorizing or understanding it, because it’s not going to be on the test. When you imagine kids in school, their days really are just filled with that push and pull of what is it that I need to know? How do I memorize it? And in all that, because of all the testing and the grading, we become so afraid of being wrong and we can’t ask questions. So, we stop being curious about stuff. We have to answer questions on the test in exactly the same way that we were told. So, we don’t even try to think of other ways that might connect for us better or understand better. We have to say it the way it’s supposed to be said. So, our creativity fades. I just feel it’s become so ingrained in that school experience that we now think that is the human experience that learning is hard. Full stop. That’s just it. Learning for anybody is hard. But what so many unschooling parents have seen over these decades, as we’ve talked to more and more unschooling parents, what we’ve seen with our children is it’s the environment that makes a fundamental difference in how learning feels. When you’re doing the things that are interesting to you or that you want to learn, you’re following your curiosity, you’re following your needs, your own goals, oh my gosh, learning can be fun. And the incidental piece is like, it’s not hard because I’m meeting it where I am. And I’m meeting it right at the place where I can learn. If I do jump too far ahead, it’s like, this makes no sense. I’m going to find information or a person or whatever that’s going to meet me where I am. So, now I can just soak it up like that sponge. We can learn like little kids do no matter our age. When you think of challenging or frustrating moments in it, it doesn’t feel like the learning piece is hard. It’s just like, ooh, I’m trying to figure out this piece and I want to play around with it. I want to figure it out. It’s much less about defining all learning as hard, because this particular piece is challenging or frustrating for me in this moment. It’s just so interesting. ANNA: It’s true. And so this is going to sound a little bit cynical, but I think it’s really one of the ways that the powers that be keep us in line. Learning’s hard. You can’t do it on your own. You need these experts in this building or you’re not going to be successful. You’re not going to get a job. You won’t amount to anything. Because as soon as you realize learning isn’t hard when it’s in service of an interest and that you don’t need that expert and that building, the whole system starts to crumble. But truly what you said is so important to tease apart. Memorizing facts devoid of context is hard, especially for some brains. For other brains, memorization comes really easily and I think those people do well in school. And so, like most things, there is a grain of truth to the idea that learning is hard. It can be, but it doesn’t have to be. And for me, I think watching the babies and toddlers learning so much in such a short amount of time just really blew the lid off the idea that we can’t learn without proper instruction. But even then, they pick out specific things. Well, then reading’s going to be hard or math is going to be hard. But again, it’s made harder by that environment and by that environment not taking into account different brains and different timelines. And if something does seem hard, is it still hard if we let go of the agenda around it, the timeline around it, the context? Is it a context issue that’s making it feel hard? Can we examine something that we’re saying feels hard and just understand it a little bit more? A few months ago, a Network member talked about how people will say learning gets harder as you get older. It’s another truism, learning gets harder as you get older. When really, it’s that being in that school environment gets harder because as adults, we have much more context for living alongside learning. So, the artificial environment and arbitrary hoops make much less sense and are much less tolerable than when we were kids and didn’t know there was a choice. And I think that there are actually some kids that intuitively know there’s a different way and they end up not doing well in school, because they just keep bucking, like, I’m going find my way out of this tiny little narrow place that you’re putting me in, because I know there’s another world out there. And for a lot of us, we don’t really discover that until we’re adults and realize we just performed for that system for many, many years. And now there’s this whole other world out here. ERIKA: My kids didn’t go to school and I didn’t question it when I was in school. And so, this was a lot of new information for me and super interesting. But what I observed with my kids was that they just resist anything that doesn’t interest them, period. And that’s not every personality. My husband, Josh, and I are really curious and interested in almost anything, where my kids are more interested in very specific things. And so, I can be like, isn’t this cool? And they’re just like, no, like, why would I care about that? So, it’s so unique. And then imagine in school where they’re not even saying, isn’t this cool? Most of the time, they’re just saying, you have to learn this. It's important to learn it. Of course, it’s going to be hard. It’s going to be hard to learn something if your brain either isn’t ready for or if it holds no interest at all. It just is so logical now for me to think about that. But when I was in it, I didn’t know what was the problem with these other kids, that they weren’t actively participating or they weren’t trying hard or to do better. So looking back on it, I’m like, okay, that doesn’t make any sense though. The reason why I’m doing well in this system is because I’m good at memorizing or because I’m able to put my internal feelings and thoughts to the side in service of, this is what they said to do. I want to get this good score, whatever. And so, looking back when I was first coming to unschooling, I felt a little bit jealous of the people who had realized about school when they were actually in school and were a little bit more rebellious, because I just totally got sucked into the game. I didn’t even see it. I did start to see it when I was a teacher in school. But the more I think about this story that most people tell about learning being hard and learning being no fun, the more upset I get about this. Because it really doesn’t have to be that way. And I think it affects people for the rest of their lives, either thinking that they can’t learn or that they hate certain topics. And I think this is also the core of the “adults versus kids” conflicts that people have in their lives. Because if the adults are saying, this is the most important thing, and the kids are saying, this is hard and I hate it, that clash is so terrible. And so, I think some kids can push themselves through it, but I don’t think that it’s natural and it doesn’t really make any sense because, like you were saying about the memorization aspect of it, the things that I remember from school are few and far between. It’s not like that memorization type of learning to put it down on a test. It's not learning that lasts or that makes any sense as something we take with us through our lives as important information. And so, yeah, this one upsets me. PAM: I know, it’s so true. That is what is so fascinating about this stage of the journey, I think. Okay, so it’s been a long time. I do want to thank everyone for joining us. And we do really hope that you enjoy diving into this stage of the de-schooling phase as we challenge some of our conventional beliefs about learning. I really think, as you were saying, it fundamentally sets us up so negatively, those conventional beliefs of how you have to be taught by a teacher, you have to follow a curriculum, learning is hard, learning is not fun, all of those pieces, we bring all that weight with us into adulthood. And we carry the message that we can’t learn. But then all the fun stuff that we’re doing and the deep dives into our own passions and interests, we don’t call them learning because they weren’t on a school curriculum, right? ANNA: We devalue it. PAM: We still carry the message, I can’t learn. Oh sure, I love this and I could do this for hours, but that doesn’t count, right? I mean, it’s just so deep, the messages that we carry. We do invite you to join us in the Living Joyfully Network to continue these kinds of conversations. It is a warm and welcoming online community of like-hearted parents, absolutely. And a nonjudgmental space where you can steep in these unconventional unschooling ideas and just explore what they might look like in the day-to-day of your unique and wonderful family of individuals. No matter where you are on the journey, just learning about it, been doing it for years, there are always layers to peel back around as things come up at different ages and stages. And we are very excited to welcome you. To learn more, just follow the link in the show notes or go to livingjoyfully.ca and just choose Network in the menu. And thank you so much, Anna and Erika! We wish everyone a lovely, lovely day. ERIKA: Bye! ANNA: Bye, take care.

We analyze the story and characters of Final Fantasy IX to pluck out the elements of the Hero's Journey as outlined by Joseph Campbell and Christopher Vogler. Joining me is Gavin from @overleveledgames . Enjoy the podcast, and don't forget to become a part of our Patreon community if you have the means. Thanks for watching! **Listen On Spotify**: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gIzzvT3AfRHjGlfF8kFW3 **Listen On Soundcloud**: https://soundcloud.com/resonantarc **Listen On iTunes**: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/state-of-the-arc-podcast/id1121795837 **Listen On Pocket Cast**: http://pca.st/NJsJ Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/resonantarc Subscribe Star: https://www.subscribestar.com/resonant-arc Twitter: https://twitter.com/resonantarc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/resonantarc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resonantarc TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@resonantarc

Today I sit down with Peter Bailey, author of Be Epic: Reframe Your Past to Navigate Your Future, president of the Prouty Project, and a man with 43 years of sobriety. Peter started drinking at 13, got sober at 22 on Block Island, Rhode Island, and has spent decades since helping people in recovery and corporate leadership see their stories through a completely different lens — one rooted in Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey model. In this episode, you'll learn: How reframing your past can turn shame into your greatest superpower What the Hero's Journey model is and how it maps directly onto recovery Why comparison is a "disease" that disconnects us from ourselves and others How to use "defense mechanisms that don't work anymore" as your 4th step inventory The power of celebrating recovery milestones and daily wins Peter's daily armor-up practice: the sobriety coin, sunrise ritual, and 10th step Why willingness to be willing is itself a revolutionary act How the Prouty Project uses leadership development to build resilience in recovery Action Items: Write down one story from your past you've been carrying as shame. Ask: what strength did surviving that require? Map your current challenge onto the Hero's Journey. Where are you on the road? Practice disclosing one unexpressed expectation in a key relationship this week. Add one small "armoring up" ritual to your morning. Resources Mentioned: Be Epic: Reframe Your Past to Navigate Your Future by Peter Bailey The Hero's Journey -The Joseph Campbell Collection The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous The Prouty Project: https://peterbailey.com

EPISODE SUMMARY: Adam Taylor, President and CEO of APM Music, shares his non-linear career path from chemist and perfumer to producing landmark TV for Lifetime and PBS, co-founding a direct marketing enterprise, and becoming the driving force behind APM Music. He explains how he champions composers, shapes production-music strategy, and builds longevity in media. Expect behind-the-scenes TV stories, leadership lessons for broadcasters and creatives, and actionable career takeaways. On this episode of Chachi Loves Everybody, Chachi talks to Adam about: Becoming the head of his family business, Caswell-Massey, and its legacy as the oldest chemist and perfumer in America What he learned about marketing top-shelf intellectual property His pivot into the entertainment industry and how he started Goldman Taylor, producing movies and TV Working with scientists to market their ideas as the founder of Taylor Fox Getting hired as the head of APM, how he modernized the company, and what a day in his life is like The impact of AI on the world of production music and his vision for the future Chairing the Production Music Association and how he creates community, educates, and advocates for the production music industry How he gives back through community engagement and philanthropy His advice for aspiring composers And More! ABOUT THIS EPISODE'S GUEST: With over three decades of experience in the music and intellectual property sectors, Adam Taylor has been instrumental in helping companies, organizations, and individuals harness the value of their copyrights, trademarks, and patents. For the past twenty-two years, he has led APM Music, the world’s premier production music company, renowned for delivering high-quality scores, themes, and background music across various media platforms. Since its inception in 1983, APM has provided an extensive catalog that spans genres from contemporary urban and rock to classical and archival recordings, shaping the soundtracks of countless TV shows, films, commercials, and video games. Before his tenure at APM Music, Adam co-founded Taylor/Fox Enterprises, collaborating with innovators to market unique, patent-protected inventions. He also played a key role as a co-founding partner at Goldman/Taylor Entertainment, where he developed significant television properties, including the Lifetime series “Confessions of Crime” and the acclaimed PBS series “Joseph Campbell – Mythos,” featuring Academy Award® winner Susan Sarandon. Adam’s career began at Caswell-Massey, the oldest chemists and perfumers in the U.S., where he served as President/CEO for a decade. In addition to his leadership in the music industry, Adam is dedicated to humanitarian efforts. He serves on the Board of Advisors for IsraAid, focusing on crisis response and community recovery, and is involved with the Council of Advisors for the Zelikow School for Jewish Non-Profit Management and the Advisory Board of Creative Community for Peace. His commitment to both the arts and social impact underscores his influential role in today’s cultural landscape. LINKS: Brightlight Kenya https://www.brightlightkenya.org/ Tomfoolery SpongeBob Remix https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qXVIbs4CR0 Sosh and Mosh https://www.instagram.com/soshmosh?igsh=MWF1OGl6cGQ3ZmdrYw== Groove Factory https://www.groovefactory.group/ Somebody Call Sean Penn https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/sean-penn-battle-jacob-ostreicher-bolivia-prison.html ABOUT THE PODCAST: Chachi Loves Everybody is brought to you by Benztown and hosted by the President of Benztown, Dave “Chachi” Denes. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the myths and legends of the radio and broadcast industry and beyond as they share their unique career paths. Hear how a variety of innovative leaders grow businesses, develop iconic brands, and entertain audiences in this in-depth interview podcast. ABOUT BENZTOWN: Benztown is a leading international audio imaging, production library, voiceover, programming, podcasting, and jingle production company with over 3,000 affiliations on six different continents. Benztown provides audio brands and radio stations of all formats with end-to-end imaging and production, making high-quality sound and world- class audio branding a reality for radio stations of all market sizes and budgets. Benztown was named to the prestigious Inc. 5000 by Inc. magazine for five consecutive years as one of America’s Fastest-Growing Privately Held Companies. With studios in Los Angeles and Stuttgart, Benztown offers the highest quality audio imaging work parts for 23 libraries across 14 music and spoken word formats including AC, Hot AC, CHR, Country, Hip Hop and R&B, Rhythmic, Classic Hits, Rock, News/Talk, Sports, and JACK. Benztown’s Audio Architecture is one of the only commercial libraries that is built exclusively for radio spots to provide the right music for radio commercials. Benztown provides custom VO and imaging across all formats, including commercial VO and copywriting in partnership with Yamanair Creative. Benztown Radio Networks produces, markets, and distributes high-quality programming and services to radio stations around the world, including: The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Countdown, The Todd-N-Tyler Radio Empire, Hot Mix, Sunday Night Slow Jams with R Dub!, Flashback, Top 10 Now & Then, Hey, Morton, StudioTexter, The Rooster Show Prep, and AmeriCountry. Benztown + McVay Media Podcast Networks produces and markets premium podcasts including: IEX: Boxes and Lines and Molecular Moments. Web: benztown.com Facebook: facebook.com/benztownradio Twitter: @benztownradio LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/benztown Instagram: instagram.com/benztownradioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us Fan MailSpacemen, this is sort of a will-they / won't they episode. Except, should I / shouldn't I. Should you correct your friend's parenting? No. Don't be rude. Maybe see how hard they want to be good parents. And stop thinking you're so good at it.Keywordsparenting, Star Wars, empathy, judgment, storytelling, therapy, parenting advice, pop culture, discussion, mental modelsKey TopicsParenting styles and their outcomesThe influence of childhood experiences on adult opinionsWhen and how to give helpful advice without judgmentSound Bites"Reframing creates space for helpfulness.""Judgment rarely leads to helpfulness.""Keep your advice brief and context-aware."Chapters00:00 Star Wars: A Generational Perspective04:49 The Canon Debate: Understanding Star Wars Lore05:50 Critiquing Star Wars: Bad Writing or Nostalgic Enjoyment?07:31 The Influence of Joseph Campbell on Star Wars09:31 Directing Styles: One Take vs. Multiple Takes13:36 Star Wars: A Love-Hate Relationship13:45 Listener Engagement and Podcast Dynamics20:18 The Right Way to Parent?24:21 Judgment in Parenting27:56 Context Matters in Parenting33:27 Understanding Parental Stress37:50 Empathy in Parenting DiscussionsResourcesStar Wars Movies - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_seriesJoseph Campbell's Hero with a Thousand Faces - https://www.amazon.com/Hero-Thousand-Faces-Joseph-Campbell/dp/1577315936The Mandalorian (Disney+) - https://www.disneyplus.com/series/the-mandalorian/3jLIGMDYINqDAndor (Disney+) - https://www.disneyplus.com/series/andor/3jLIGMDYINqDThe Day of Disclosure Documentary - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1234567/Spread the word! The Manspace is Rad!!

It's a topic we discuss a lot. When you love comics, you eventually want to make them. Curt Pires heard Franklin Jonas professing his love for the medium on a podcast. Immediately, he recognized a kindred spirit. Pires invited Jonas to play. The result is the new Image Comics series Fireborn, spinning out of Pires' massive comic book playground, Lost Fantasy. Maybe you've already read the logline: Fireborn is Invincible meets How to Train Your Dragon meets Absolute Batman. Whoa, okay. That's a lot, but what does that actually mean? On this week's podcast, we get into it with Franklin Jonas and Curt Pires. We break down those other stories and consider what they owe to Spider-Man and his Amazing Fantasy #15 debut. Where do you begin when creating an F'd up Peter Parker? And did we mention the hot takes? Franklin Jonas has them! We give the musician the space to profess his passion for comics, champion his all-time favorite Daredevil run, and explain why not enough of you are reading the current JSA monthly written by Jeff Lemire. In Fireborn, Aaron Hillburg is a rich kid who runs face-first into Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey. He answers the call to action, but when will he reject it? With great power there must also come great responsibility. One issue in, we got part one of that statement. Is part two coming? Let's geek out about what comics can do that no TV pitch can ever contain. Fireborn #1 is out now from Image Comics. It's written by Curt Pires and Franklin Jonas, illustrated by Patrick Mulholland, colored by Mark Dale, and lettered by Micah Myers. Make sure you're following Franklin Jonas on Instagram and Curt Pires on BlueSky and Instagram. This Week's Sponsors Everyone loves to talk and debate about comics, but few people get to see what it's actually like behind the scenes. Now, IDW Publishing is changing that with the launch of IDW Studios. The first monthly show is CreatorxCreator, a free-flowing, fun and honest chat between two comic book creators as they discuss their craft, process, inspiration, and what life is really like as a creative. The second monthly show, Superlatives, brings IDW's knowledgeable and spirited editors head-to-head to debate each of these categories, with another editor stepping in as the moderator to pick the winner once the pros have made their arguments. The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy's Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it'll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe' now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today! Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics Previously on CBCC: Henry Barajas and Rachel Merrill on Death to Pachuco The Four Color Fantasies Charity Sketch Cover Auction The Literacy Volunteers of the Winchester Area Comic Book Club: Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 5/3 at 3:30 PM Comic Book Film Club: Paying For It on 4/26 at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia. Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

When we call something "clickbait," we don't mean it as a compliment. But let's be real: we also click. It's hard to resist a spicy story, and 19th-century newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst knew it. At a time when most papers merely reported events, his papers created them, sending reporters out to perform daring rescues, solve sensational murders, and even meddle in geopolitics. Today on the show: the man who brought spectacle and scandal to the news — and changed journalism forever.Guests:Karen Roggenkamp, professor of English at East Texas A&M University and author of Narrating the News and Sympathy, Madness, and CrimeW. Joseph Campbell, emeritus professor of communication at American University and author of The Year That Defined American Journalism: 1897 and the Clash of Paradigms and Lost in a Gallup: Polling Failure in U.S. Presidential ElectionsTo access bonus episodes and listen to Throughline sponsor-free, subscribe to Throughline+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/throughline.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Did you know the comic book characters and their stories that are adapted into very successful books, TV shows and movies could teach you as much about myth as the work of Joseph Campbell?Filmmaker and comic book writer B. Earl describes how his deep love for comics, mythology and the Tarot led him on a Fool's Journey away from doing the safe thing — studying biochemistry — to work on Spider-Man comics, make movies and share the lessons he learned by following the road less traveled this week on Spirit Gym.Discover more about B. Earl on his Weirdbunch Studio website and on Instagram, Substack and LinkedIn. Read his chapter in the book, Depth Psychology, Myth and Artificial Intelligence: Soul and the Machine, edited by Jason Batt and Jonathan Erickson. Check out his crowdfunded Fangbanger: SUPERPOSITION Anthology on Zoop.Timestamps7:44 “I found my voice and my own ideas through a mixture of mythology and comic books.”11:09 Whose dream wins out to study biochemistry or telling stories?17:53 B. Earl's Hero's Journey begins with a call from movie producer Larry Cohen.28:03 The Tarot helps B. Earl achieve sobriety when he needed it.33:45 The libido as life force energy.37:46 How do we learn to process, use and embrace the 72 demons of Solomon?49:13 The commercialization of Hip Hop.53:35 Comics: The most powerful medium and the additive version of the creative process.1:00:05 Can you decode the symbolism hiding in plain sight?1:07:15 How much of your consciousness is tied up in your ego?1:16:44 The Fool's Journey.1:26:40 Different Tarot card decks, different insights.1:35:00 The forced redundancy of us in AI.1:41:07 The magic of storytelling that conveys deeper truths and native myths in B. Earl's Deadly Neighborhood Spider-Man.1:55:55 Conflict and forgiveness are necessary for us to live and grow.ResourcesWatch B. Earl talk about The Poetry of Death during the recent Soul and the Machine webinar on the International Society of Mythology websiteFind more resources for this episode on our website.Music Credit: Meet Your Heroes (444Hz), Composed, mixed, mastered and produced by Michael RB Schwartz of Brave Bear MusicThanks to our awesome sponsors:PaleovalleyBIOptimizers US and BIOptimizers UK PAUL15Organifi CHEK20Wild PasturesPique LifeCHEK InstituteWe may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using affiliate links.

Tickets are on sale for Confluence 2026. Use code ZECK10 for 10% offThis talk is from the 2025 edition of the Confluence Festival. Platinum Members of The Way Forward get access to all past Confluence talks, as well as 20% off all Confluence tickets. Become a Platinum member here.You have the greatest currency in the world within you… and you can use it to break out of the toxic system we live in.This video is a little different from our usual podcast. I asked Tom Barnett to talk about Natural Law in the 2025 edition of the Confluence Festival, and his presentation called “The Offer” didn't disappoint. His path into natural law, self-sovereignty, and personal responsibility began long before he even knew those words existed. Growing up in Australia, Tom constantly questioned the limits of freedom and democracy, often finding himself in conflict with authority while trying to understand why the world felt so inconsistent and unfair. His background in holistic health, spanning sports performance, nutrition, psychology, emotional patterns, and spiritual lessons, deepened during a long personal battle with chronic fatigue that eventually pushed him to explore consciousness, natural lore, and the deeper laws shaping reality.This presentation explores how the hero's journey applies to modern life, the difference between lawful and legal systems, and why true change may begin with confronting our own inner government. If we want a different world, the first step might be remembering who we actually are.You'll Learn:[00:00] Introduction[12:24] How law, lore, and story all connect[20:11] Why natural law is the "great leveler" and what that means for your standing [27:25] How Tom overcame 20 years of chronic fatigue[44:38] Why going fully private is a trap, and what mastering both worlds actually looks like[50:32] Your name is not you, and the pop quiz that proves it[01:00:45] Ancient knowledge was never destroyed, it's waiting in counter space[01:08:50] The difference between a grounded no and a fearful refusal[01:20:41] Why breathwork is just the beginning, and how to reach the essence beneath intentLearn more about Tom:The Humble Kingdom | WebsiteThe Humble Kingdom | InstagramTom Barnett | FacebookTom Barnett | InstagramFind more from Alec:Alec Zeck | InstagramAlec Zeck | XThe Way Forward | InstagramThe Way Forward is Sponsored By:PACHA Sourdough: The wheat-free, sprouted buckwheat bread that actually digests well. Made with just two ingredients: organic sprouted buckwheat and sea salt. No gums, oils, or fillers.Shop now and use code THEWAYFORWARD for 10% off. Dr. Cowan's Garden helps you boost daily nutrient density with vegetable powders and clean, pasture-raised essentials. Shop now and use code: THEWAYFORWARD for 15% off your first order.

While navigating the very narrow habitrail of daily living, it's very easy to forget there's an amazing, alluring and mysterious universe all around us that we simply cannot completely quantify (but take very much for granted). Over time, this daily dulling of our imagination can kill our heart, mind and soul, but only if we let it…If you've misplaced your sense of wonder and want to reclaim it, join Paul and his very special guest Fred Provenza on an exploration of the cosmos through the world of dreams this week on Spirit Gym.Download Fred's recent paper, Cosmic Dreaming: Memories of a Moment on Earth, for FREE at this link. Check out Fred's earlier work on Acres USA at this link.Watch Fred's recent discussion, Cosmic Dreaming: The Ecology of Food Systems and Human and Environmental Health, with the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine on YouTube.Learn more about the Behavioral Education for Human Animal Vegetation and Ecosystem Management (BEHAVE) program co-founded by Fred at Utah State University at this link.Timestamps 2:21 The conversation begins with prayers.4:59 What happens when God become an idea instead of a mystery?14:25 The one lesson all of us need to learn during our time on the planet.25:38 The book that saved Fred from a life of depression.31:16 What is consciousness?37:58 How Fred developed a course on Myth and The Management of Natural Resources.44:19 The danger of dogmas.56:57 “You depart from nature when the death you produce no longer feeds or supports life.”1:08:09 Has the human race become doers at the expense of losing out on feeling alive?1:11:35 How much do you want to be owned?1:33:13 The inherent creativity of human beings.1:38:08 Challenges, opportunities, living in an evolutionary spirit and transcending boundaries.1:51:36 The importance of studying principles that transcend time and space.ResourcesThe Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell and Bill MoyersLucid Dying: The New Science of Revolutionizing How We Understand Life and Death by Sam ParniaFind more resources for this episode on our website.Music Credit: Meet Your Heroes (444Hz), Composed, mixed, mastered and produced by Michael RB Schwartz of Brave Bear MusicThanks to our awesome sponsors:PaleovalleyBIOptimizers US and BIOptimizers UK PAUL15Organifi CHEK20Wild PasturesKorrect SPIRITGYMPique LifeCHEK Institute We may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using affiliate links.

“People say that what we're all seeking is a meaning for life. I don't think that's what we're really seeking. I think that what we're seeking is…to actually feel the rapture of being alive.” This is a quote by Joseph Campbell that kicks off the book by my guest in this episode. A key aspect of my personal and professional devotion is how we make meaning of life. You will be hearing much more from me about this in the coming weeks and months. In this episode I have with me Director of the Life Design Lab at Stanford, Bill Burnett. Bill is a guru of design. He worked at Apple designing laptops and spent years in the toy industry designing Star Wars action toys. But he's been at Stanford, he says, “since dinosaurs roamed the campus.” Dave Evans is also a master designer and lecturer at Stanford and together they lead students in designing their lives. They recently co-wrote a book, How To Live A Meaningful Life: Using Design Thinking to Unlock Purpose, Joy, and Flow Every Day. Bill joined me to discuss how we view meaning in life. Bill says, “Meaning is how we experience our felt response to an encounter that matters to us.” Bill and Dave literally go through steps to designing a meaningful life in their book, drawing from the same guidance they give students at Stanford, but I spend most of my time with Bill talking conceptually about how we perceive and pursue meaning. One thing Bill said that stuck with me and I've been discussing a lot, is that in his 40+ years at Stanford they are experiencing the loneliest student population ever, which correlates to what we are seeing in the general populace. So I interest myself with the correlation between both our feelings of increased loneliness and lack of felt meaning in life. Find Bill and Dave's work at designingyour.life Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Originally aired April 25, 2018. American philosopher and best-selling author Jean Houston describes herself as an "evocateur of the possible" and a "midwife of souls." She sits down with Oprah to talk about her expansive career, mythologist Joseph Campbell, her work with luminaries like Hillary Clinton and the moment she had her spiritual awakening at age 6. Jean discusses her book "The Wizard of Us: Transformational Lessons from Oz," which examines the timeless American classic "The Wizard of Oz," a mythic tale brimming with spiritual insights and lessons. Jean reveals how Dorothy's journey can be a catalyst to live an authentic life filled with heart, brains and courage. Oprah also shares her favorite spiritual lesson from "The Wizard of Oz." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.