Podcasts about metaphors

This conversation between host BT and returning guest Eleanor, delves into the intricate relationship between gothic literature, supernatural themes, and cultural anxieties, particularly focusing on the evolution of monsters as reflections of societal fears. The discussion spans various topics, including the Victorian obsession with death, the moral implications of creation as seen in Frankenstein, and the portrayal of women in gothic narratives. The conversation also touches on the impact of the industrial revolution on human identity and the ongoing struggle between faith and progress.(Ghostbuster movie reference was Revelation 6:12, this was an error that made it into the final script, but was fixed in Ghostbuster's Afterlife)Eleanor's Website

Host Pete Deeley welcomes Professor Darien to discuss how lessons from jiu-jitsu transfer to life and how first principles, efficiency, and environment shape learning. Professor Darien emphasizes concepts over flashy techniques, urging beginners to build fundamentals like posture, base, weight distribution, and inside position so submissions become reliable and safer. They compare learning to surfing and chess, highlighting "time on the board," pattern recognition, and applying knowledge through feel rather than memory or forcing outcomes. The conversation explores mindset as staying connected to yourself, observing thoughts, avoiding reactive "shootouts," and seeking truth even when it means admitting you've lost a position. Darien shares experiences training with Howder and an unforgettable hour-long roll with Rickson Gracie, plus how adopting his younger brother helped transform his life into a fight-team leader and UFC Fight Pass competitor.   00:00 Welcome 01:12 Why Jiu Jitsu Transfers 02:50 Teaching Evidence First 03:59 Concepts Before Techniques 06:51 Building Safe Training Culture 08:52 Feel Versus Know 10:21 Fight Your Fight Principles 13:08 Mindset and Self Awareness 15:58 Mind as Radio Frequency 17:18 Teaching Inspiration and Metaphors 19:17 Coaching Focus Structure Weight 20:38 Educated Instincts 21:21 Invisible Jujitsu 23:25 Overthink Good Outcomes 25:34 Chess Like Calmness 28:53 Composure Under Pressure 30:51 Most Memorable Roll 35:26 Students Changed Lives 38:00 Calculated Nickname 38:45 Closing Thanks

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 491. https://youtu.be/lfjpoKCWBDA I've known Paul Cwik, Professor of Economics and Finance at the University of Mount Olive and fellow of the Mises Institute since I started attending the Austrian Scholars Conference in 1995. He is an Austrian and libertarian of sorts but had some qualms with my anti-IP writing so presented a paper "Is There Room for Intellectual Property Rights in Austrian Economics?" at the Austrian Scholars Conference in 2008, which I attended and commented on. After 18 years we finally decided to get around to talking about this. I had planned on an hour but we ended up talking for 3. It turns out we were old friends but not that close; we didn't know much about each other. So the first 30-50 minutes or so is more preliminary discussion. To his credit, he read a good deal of the huge deluge of material I sent to read up on and asked many very good questions. He did not engage in intentional equivocation that is characteristic of many on the pro-IP side, and he was reasonable in conceding many of my points and was willing to ponder my push back. I was hoping to get him to see the light, since I have in person seen many people change their minds on IP after a long discussion but have never had it happen while recording. We did not resolve the issue, partly because we just didn't have enough time to keep going, but I think we made some progress. Maybe we will have a Part 2 later. Who knows. For now, some relevant links pertaining to some of the topics discussed. I will organize this better later. (Not to be confused with Bryan Cwik, who also has opinions on IP: “Good Ideas is Pretty Scarce”; Bryan Cwik, "Property Rights in Non‐rival Goods" (2, 3, 4); "Labor as the Basis for Intellectual Property Rights" (2; 3); Gamrot, Labor as the Basis for Intellectual Property Rights: Against Cwik.) IP Proponents Do Not Even Know The Difference Between Patent, Copyright, Trademark …  Types of Intellectual Property It is impossible to own ideas Intellectual Property Rights as Negative Servitudes The “Ontology” Mistake of Libertarian Creationists See the Appendix to What Libertarianism Is: section “Concept and Definition of “Property”” The Structural Unity of Real and Intellectual Property Gamrot, Labor as the Basis for Intellectual Property Rights: Against Cwik The “Ontology” Mistake of Libertarian Creationists Objectivists: “All Property is Intellectual Property” A Recurring Fallacy: “IP is a Purer Form of Property than Material Resources” New Working Paper: Machan on IP “Aggression” versus “Harm” in Libertarianism Kinsella v. Schulman on Logorights and IP The Nature, Properties, and Characteristics of Goods (Igloo Coolers case) Fraud, Restitution, and Retaliation: The Libertarian Approach Libertarian Answer Man: Bitcoin and Fraud KOL274 | Nobody Owns Bitcoin (PFS 2019) On Property Rights in Superabundant Bananas and Property Rights as Normative Support for Possession Libertarian Answer Man: Self-ownership for slaves and Crusoe; and Yiannopoulos on Accurate Analysis and the term “Property”; Mises distinguishing between juristic and economic categories of “ownership” There are No Good Arguments for Intellectual Property Defamation as a Type of Intellectual Property (and trademark) KOL207 | Patent, Copyright, and Trademark Are Not About Plagiarism, Theft, Fraud, or Contract KOL020 | “Libertarian Legal Theory: Property, Conflict, and Society: Lecture 3: Applications I: Legal Systems, Contract, Fraud” (Mises Academy, 2011) Copying vs. Plagiarism: A Recent Illustration—Grau vs. Hernandez on Milei Re the practice of attribution and credit: see Stephan Kinsella, “Mises, Rothbard, Hoppe: An Indispensable Framework,” in  Rothbard at 100: A Tribute and Assessment, Stephan Kinsella and Hans-Hermann Hoppe, eds. (Houston: Papinian Press and Property and Freedom Society, 2026), in the section “Excursus: The Role of Ideas in Human Action” “Copying, Patent Infringement, Copyright Infringement are not “Theft”, Stealing, Piracy, Plagiarism, Knocking Off, Ripping Off“ Intellectual Property Rights as Negative Servitudes Stop calling patent and copyright “property”; stop calling copying “theft” and “piracy” IP Proponents Do Not Even Know The Difference Between Patent, Copyright, Trademark …  Fraud: A Libertarian Theory of Contract: Title Transfer, Binding Promises, and Inalienability, Part III.E “The Title-Transfer Theory of Contract,” Part IV.C Labor and Leisure Rothbard on the Main Fallacy of our Time: Marx's Labor Theory of Value KOL037 | Locke's Big Mistake: How the Labor Theory of Property Ruined Political Theory “Hume on Intellectual Property and the Problematic “Labor” Metaphor” Cordato and Kirzner on Intellectual Property Labor, Value, Metaphors, Locke, Intellectual Property Concise Tweet on the Problem with IP Against Intellectual Property After Twenty Years: Looking Back and Looking Forward: Part IV.D: "Overreliance on “labor” metaphors also leads to confusion about IP. Locke correctly argued that the first person to “mix his labor with” an unowned resource owns it, since he thereby establishes an objective link to the resource which gives him a better claim to it than latecomers.[55] However, Locke based his argument on the confused and unnecessary idea that a person “owns” his labor and “therefore” owns resources that he mixes it with. But labor is not owned—it is an action, something a person performs with his body, which he does own—and this assumption is not needed for the Lockean labor-mixture argument to work.[56] This mistaken notion leads some people to favor IP because they figure that if you own a scarce resource because you mix your labor with it, you also own useful ideas that are produced with your labor. The related Smith-Ricardo-Marx labor theory of value, which underlies Marxism and socialism, is also sometimes used to support IP, as when people argue that if you work or labor, you “deserve” some kind of reward or profit. All this focus on labor must be rejected as overly metaphorical and confused, and, frankly, Marxian.[57]" On Libertarian Legal Theory, Self-Ownership and Drug Laws: p. 632 Libertarianism After Fifty Years: What Have We Learned?, p. 687 Creationism: Libertarian and Lockean Creationism: Creation As a Source of Wealth, not Property Right Libertarian Creationism KOL012 | “The Intellectual Property Quagmire, or, The Perils of Libertarian Creationism,” Austrian Scholars Conference 2008 KOL037 | Locke's Big Mistake: How the Labor Theory of Property Ruined Political Theory Part III.C.2 C. Contract and Fraud Arguments for IP Fraud and Plagiarism “Copying, Patent Infringement, Copyright Infringement are not “Theft”, Stealing, Piracy, Plagiarism, Knocking Off, Ripping Off“ IP by Contract I discuss problems with the contractual argument for IP in: Kinsella (2008, pp. 51–55) — Against Intellectual Property Kinsella, April 8, 2025. “KOL458 | Patent and Copyright versus Innovation, Competition, and Property Rights (APEE 2025).” Kinsella on Liberty Podcast. Link Kinsella, Law and Intellectual Property in a Stateless Society, Part III.C Against Intellectual Property After Twenty Years: Looking Back and Looking Forward, n.46 June 13, 2021. “Richard O. Hammer: Intellectual Property Rights Viewed As Contracts.” C4SIF Blog. https://c4sif.org/2021/06/richard-o-hammer-intellectual-property-rights-viewed-as-contracts/ 2023t, Stephan Kinsella on the Logic of Libertarianism and Why Intellectual Property Doesn't Exist, text at n.52 Jan. 8, 2025. “David Gordon on IP.” C4SIF Blog. https://c4sif.org/2025/01/david-gordon-on-ip/ See also Wendy McElroy's perceptive comments on this issue in Kinsella (March 19, 2013). “McElroy: ‘On the Subject of Intellectual Property' (1981).” C4SIF Blog. Link Bouckaert (1990, pp. 795 & 804–805). Bouckaert, Boudewijn (1990). “What is Property?” Harv. J. L. & Pub. Pol'y 13, no. 3: 775–816 (attached) Related Links Hoppe on Intellectual Property The Universal Principles of Liberty A Selection of my Best Articles and Speeches on IP Key Works The Problem with Intellectual Property (2025) “Intellectual Property and Libertarianism”, Mises Daily (Nov. 17, 2009). Concise case against IP. An Overview of Libertarian Property Rights and the Case Against IP (from KOL341) How To Think About Property “The Overwhelming Empirical Case Against Patent and Copyright” Other Recommended KOL483 | The Economics and Ethics of Intellectual Property, Loyola University—New Orleans (a very good recent overview) KOL 037 | Locke's Big Mistake: How the Labor Theory of Property Ruined Political Theory Shownotes/Topical Summary (Grok) Stephan Kinsella with Paul Cwik • 2 hours 56 minutes In this nearly 3-hour conversation, Stephan Kinsella and economist Paul Cwik explore their personal histories, shared libertarian and Austrian foundations, and engage in a detailed, respectful debate on intellectual property — particularly copyright. Kinsella lays out his principled case against IP while Cwik defends copyright (but rejects patents). Timestamps & Detailed Summary 0:02 – Introduction and Casual Catch-Up Kinsella and Cwik greet each other and set the stage. Cwik explains he has wanted to discuss IP with Kinsella for years because their views differ. He notes he has persuaded people in person on IP and hopes to document the conversation. They acknowledge this is not a typical Kinsella podcast. 1:38 – How Long Have They Known Each Other? They reminisce about Mises Institute events. Kinsella's first was in 1990; Cwik started attending in 1995. They recall the Austrian Scholars Conferences and the tight-knit Austrian community at Auburn in the 1990s. ...

What if the answer for your most complex patient...was actually simpler than you think?In this episode, we share a favorite clinical principle and one that we train on at PelvicSanity...The more complex the patient, the simpler the intervention.Because when someone has seen multiple providers, tried countless treatments, and feels completely overwhelmed by their symptoms...The last thing they usually need is a more complicated plan.We discuss:✅ Why newer clinicians shouldn't be shielded from complex patients✅ The foundational interventions most clinicians overlook✅ How to choose treatment priorities with your patient ✅ Metaphors that help patients understand why you're starting simple ✅ Why patience is required—for both clinician and patient ✅ Why no patient is too complex to helpIf you've ever felt intimidated by a long history, a thick intake packet, or a patient who's "tried everything"...This episode is for you. Downtraining MasterclassMany complex patients don't need more exercises.They need a nervous system that can actually accept change.If you'd like a deeper dive into downtraining and nervous system-focused treatment, check out the Downtraining Masterclass.

Glenn Robbins joins Ross and Russ every Tuesday morning for a bit of fun in the studio!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The scripture lessons this morning were Genesis 1:1-2:4a and 2 Corinthians 13:13, read by Jason Steiner.  The proclamation was given by Rev. Laura Mayo.

The Power of Metaphor in Healing with Linda from The Mindful MigraineJune is Migraine Awareness Month, and throughout this special series on Be Well with Dr. Michelle Greenwell, we're exploring practical tools, inspiring stories, and holistic approaches that can support those living with migraine.In this episode, Dr. Michelle Greenwell welcomes Linda from The Mindful Migraine, an Australian writer, researcher, and migraine advocate whose personal healing journey led her from experiencing almost daily migraines to finding greater balance through mindfulness, body awareness, and holistic wellness practices.Linda's unique perspective comes from her doctoral research on metaphors—the language we use to describe our experiences. Together, we explore how phrases like "I'm carrying too much," "I'm drowning," or "healing is an uphill battle" may reveal deeper clues about stress, nervous system regulation, and the healing process itself.In This Episode:✨ Linda's personal migraine healing journey✨ How metaphor shapes our experience of pain and recovery✨ Choosing healing language that supports rather than exhausts us✨ The connection between mindset, nervous system regulation, and wellness✨ Tai Chi practices for reducing tension and supporting balance✨ Touch for Health insights into common migraine-related tension patterns✨ Gentle acupressure points for Wood and Kidney Element support✨ Why healing isn't always about fighting harderFeatured Tea Ritual: Releasing the WarriorBefore the conversation begins, we share a mindful tea ritual featuring Releasing the Warrior from the Cape Breton Tea Company.This blend invites us to soften the fight and create space for healing.Affirmation:"My ability to let the fight go begins the healing process."Featured herbs include:

In episode 189 of Cybersecurity Where You Are, Sean Atkinson sits down with Ed Skoudis, President of SANS Technology Institute. Together, they discuss the present and future of pentesting enabled by artificial intelligence (AI).Here are some highlights from our episode:00:39. Introductions to Ed01:49. The promise of AI-enabled pentesting in creating more secure infrastructure04:52. AI-enabled and AI-centric workflows in the realm of penetration testing08:03. Wranglers, matadors, and centaurs, oh my! Metaphors for AI-enabled pentesters13:00. How AI can assist with reporting, enumeration, and scanning as part of a pentest14:57. AI-enabled source-assisted pentesting and the types of vulnerabilities it finds19:50. A learning opportunity for the broader cybersecurity community23:44. How AI and human analysts could split the workload in a future penetration test25:54. AI-enabled pentesting vs. AI pentester in a box29:51. Why "human in the loop" might be too passive a phrase30:37. The use of AI for source code developmentResourcesMythos AI: What Actually Matters for Cybersecurity LeadersSecure by DesignSEC543: AI-Assisted Source Code Analysis and Exploitation for Penetration TestersEpisode 108: Gaming and Competition in CybersecurityEpisode 59: Probing the Modern Role of the PentestIf you have some feedback or an idea for an upcoming episode of Cybersecurity Where You Are, let us know by emailing podcast@cisecurity.org.

Hey folks – it recently occurred to me that although this community has been exploring beliefs for years, I don’t think we’ve ever explicitly considered how they are formed. We’ve kind of treated them as though they simply “are”. And that might be a bit ironic, considering that when we treat our beliefs as “givens”, […]

Pain has no objective test — so people depend on language to share what they're experiencing. In this episode, Tim Beames and Bart van Buchem unpack how clinicians can become better listeners, why patient metaphors matter far more than we might think, and how the language therapists use can either bridge or widen the gap between clinician and patient. They cover the skill of balancing open and directed questioning, how to work with chaotic or contradictory stories, and the difference between descriptive metaphors (sharp, electric), body perception metaphors (my head feels huge), and conceptual metaphors (fighting, war). Bart and Tim also explore the risks of layering on clinician-preferred metaphors and why your go-to explanations probably reflect your treatment bias. A practical, reflective conversation for therapists who want to sharpen their communication skills.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, Morgan sits down with former military operator, behavioral expert, and communication specialist Chase Hughes to break down the hidden psychology behind influence, persuasion, and human behavior.Chase shares how elite interrogation and behavioral techniques can be applied to sales, leadership, negotiation, relationships, and everyday communication. From identity framing and covert influence to metaphors, elicitation, and detecting deception, this episode dives deep into how people make decisions often without realizing it.The conversation explores why resonance matters more than persuasion, how to guide people toward their own conclusions, and the neuroscience behind trust, communication, and compliance. Chase also explains how these same principles are used in military intelligence, legal trials, and high-level sales environments.This episode is a masterclass in influence, communication, and understanding human nature.Episode Timestamps0:00 Intro & The Psychology of Influence 0:51 Meet Chase Hughes 2:06 Taking Control of Conversations 4:06 Resonance vs Persuasion 6:08 Identity & Human Behavior 9:09 The Power of Identity Framing 12:10 Metaphors & Influence 15:08 Overcoming Fear & Rejection 17:57 Dreamfest 18:51 The Neuroscience of Communication 21:31 Plato, Persuasion & Human Nature 24:11 Influence in Sales & Trials 28:21 Selling Through Human Psychology 31:02 Why Scripts Don't Work 32:39 Elicitation & Getting People to Open Up 37:55 Detecting Lies & Behavioral Changes 43:18 The Confession Formula Explained 46:22 Using Influence in Everyday Life 47:14 Social Anxiety & Confidence 47:28 Dreamfest Reminder 48:42 NCI Sales & Human-Based Selling 50:16 Building Better Relationships Through Communication 51:13 Final Advice to His Younger Self About Chase HughesChase Hughes is a former military operator, behavioral profiling expert, and founder of Neuro-Cognitive Intelligence (NCI).After serving 20 years in the military, Chase transitioned into teaching advanced human behavior, influence, and interrogation techniques used by intelligence agencies, law enforcement, and high-level negotiators around the world.Today, he trains professionals in communication, sales, behavioral analysis, and leadership through the lens of neuroscience and psychology. His work focuses on helping people understand how humans think, make decisions, and build trust.Dreamfest Detailshttps://dreamfest2026.comConnect with Chase & NCIhttps://www.instagram.com/chasehughesofficialhttps://www.nci.university/ Connect with Mehttps://www.youtube.com/@morgantnelsonhttps://www.instagram.com/morgantnelson

What does it actually mean to close the gap between what you think you said and what your audience actually heard?In this episode, Michael Reddington sits down with Dr. Laura Sicola, a cognitive linguist and executive communication coach who helps leaders master communication and executive presence. Dr. Sicola works with senior leaders, business owners, and professionals across Fortune 500 companies to help them translate their expertise so it lands with clarity, credibility, and impact.This conversation is packed with practical tools for anyone who has ever walked away from a conversation wondering why their message didn't land. Dr. Sicola breaks down the expert's curse, the hidden cost of trying to sound smart, and how the alignment between your words, voice, and body language either builds or destroys credibility in real time.What You'll Learn in This EpisodeWhat the expert's curse is and why deep knowledge is often the biggest obstacle to clear communicationWhy trying to sound smart usually backfires and what to do insteadHow analogies and metaphors bypass conscious processing and create instant comprehensionThe simple one-minute video exercise that reveals the gap between your intent and your actual deliveryWhy credibility depends on aligning your verbal, vocal, and visual channelsHow to stop telegraphing your nerves without faking confidenceWhy adjusting your communication style for different audiences is not inauthenticity, it is self-awarenessHow Dr. Sicola's Listening to Understand protocol creates the conditions for genuine resolution in any conflictAbout the GuestDr. Laura Sicola is a cognitive linguist, executive communication coach, and the author of Speaking to Influence. She helps leaders close the gap between what they think they said and what their audience actually heard, translating technical expertise into messages that move people to action. She is the founder of Vocal Impact Productions and speaks and coaches across industries worldwide.Chapters(00:00) Introduction to Dr. Laura Sicola and the Expert's Curse(04:32) Why Trying to Sound Smart Makes You Less Persuasive(06:07) The Most Counterintuitive Advice on Executive Communication(07:17) How to Simplify Without Dumbing It Down(17:30) Using Analogies and Metaphors to Speak to the Unconscious Mind(23:34) The One-Minute Video Exercise That Changes Everything(31:14) Verbal, Vocal, and Visual: The Three Channels of Credibility(39:42) Authenticity Is Not a Fixed Point: The Prismatic Voice Framework(45:23) The Listening to Understand ProtocolLinks and ResourcesDr. Laura Sicola's Website: https://www.laurasicola.comSpeaking to Influence by Dr. Laura Sicola: https://laurasicola.com/shop/Sponsor Links:InQuasive: http://www.inquasive.com/Humintell: Body Language - Reading People - HumintellEnter Code INQUASIVE25 for 25% discount on your online training purchase.International Association of Interviewers: Home (certifiedinterviewer.com)Podcast Production Services by EveryWord Media

Metaphors of the Universal Church(05/10/26)

Lawrence Armstrong helps leaders turn strategy into something you can actually see. In this episode, he reveals the metaphors that kept a fast-growing firm nimble and future-ready: fleet of ships vs ocean liner, roadrunner vs coyote, the visible light spectrum for smart diversification, and the flywheel moment when hard work suddenly starts pulling you forward. If you lead a team through change, growth, or competing priorities, this conversation will give you language that sticks and frameworks people will remember. Experience our episodes in a whole new way—watch every video version on our YouTube Channel. Subscribe now to be the first to catch our next release. https://www.youtube.com/@manageselfleadotherspodcast?sub_confirmation=1 SOUND BITES [2:44] Fleet of ships vs one ocean liner . . . staying entrepreneurial, connected, and able to change direction quickly as you grow. [5:26] Roadrunner and coyote . . . balancing business development speed with operations capacity so growth stays sustainable. [7:48] Strategic diversification using the visible light spectrum . . . expand within your expertise and avoid distractions outside your “line of sight.” [10:53] The chessboard metaphor for internal talent moves . . . creating career opportunities by placing high-potential people into new markets. [14:34] The tinker toy wheel as a leadership exercise . . . spotting strengths and gaps, then building toward a more balanced “whole-brain” capability. [17:20] Good to Great thinking . . . why continuous improvement and ongoing innovation are non-negotiable if you want longevity. [18:05] The hedgehog concept . . . define your core superpower, keep refining it, and build innovation and diversification from that base. [19:16] How flywheel momentum shows up in real businesses . . . clients seek you out, innovations spread, and growth compounds over time. [20:31] Raising leadership capability with shared reading habits . . . using books as a low-cost way to lift thinking across the organisation. ABOUT PODCAST HOST, NINA SUNDAY Nina Sunday's latest book, ‘'Manage Self, Lead Others: Constructive Conversations, True Self-Leadership, and Culture You Can't Fake'' now on Amazon - paperback or kindle. Amazon USA ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://a.co/d/3WaplI9⁠⁠⁠⁠ Amazon Australia ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.asia/d/0KwghaM⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can read any Kindle eBook on your PC, laptop or phone; you don't need a Kindle device. === To learn more about face-to-face training programs with Nina Sunday or one of her experienced Facilitators from Brainpower Training Pty Ltd in Australia Pacific, visit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.brainpowertraining.com.au...⁠ === To visit Nina Sunday's speaker site for global in-person speaking bookings visit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ninasunday.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ === Connect with Nina Sunday on LinkedIn ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/ninasunday/⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ === To subscribe to Nina Sunday's blog go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.brainpowertraining.com.au/⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and scroll to bottom of the page to register Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Metaphors of the Universal Church(05/03/26)

Send us Fan MailHas your marriage become too serious? And that has overflowed to the bedroom? It's time to bring back the fun, laughter, excitement, and intimacy God's way! Chelsey shares some ways to keep it light and fun as you delight in one another, tasting and seeing God's goodness! Support the showChelsey Holm | the Wife Coach "I help Christian wives surrender fully, live Spirit-led, and be set apart according to God's design in marriage, motherhood, and life."Ready for a next step? If this episode stirred something deeper and you're ready to move from insight into surrender, I created a short guided experience called From Awareness to Surrender.This mini course includes three short teachings, a guided exercise, and a prayer recorded over you to help you stop cycling and start responding differently—rooted in surrender, not striving.

Audio Transcript I’m really glad that you’re with us today. It’s a special day today because we have another baptism. So if you came for that, we’re really glad you’re with us, especially those in navs. We’re happy that you’re with us today. So if you’d open up your Bibles to Luke. Continuing our study of Luke texture study. Today is going to be Luke 8, 1621. And as you’re tuning there, I just want you to know how encouraged I have been yesterday morning and then again this morning. So yesterday morning I came into my office and came in. There’s a number of folks working around the church building and cleaning things up, finishing projects both inside and outside. And I was just really encouraged by them. And a lot of them are actually serving again today. And I go inside the building and then Uncle Wes is leading a next steps class and send people at that. And that was just really encouraging. And after being downstairs in my office for a bit, head back upstairs. And then Caleb and he had a crew making meals for students. And so that was really encouraging. And by the way, kind of on that note, if you didn’t know, so Caleb’s one of our interns. Him and Alyssa got engaged. So if you don’t know that now, you do. And so make sure you congratulate them at the end of service. So that was all yesterday morning. Then this morning, you know, we had the breakfast club going on, Sunday school going on, you know, all the other things going on in the church where there’s so many people involved and serving in a lot of different ways. And that doesn’t even count all the things that goes on throughout the week of, you know, caring and serving one another. And I was just so encouraged, particularly as we get to the text today. You’ll hear why in just a bit. And so let me read our passage. It’s Luke 8, 16, 21. It’s on page 504. If you don’t have a Bible with you, there’s a few Bibles scattered throughout. And if you’re visiting. So we do a style of preaching here called expository preaching. So I’m going to read through the passage and then the rest of our time here, I’m just going to try to walk us back through the passage to try to explain what the passage is saying to us, us. And so open up your Bible and keep them open. Okay, so Luke 8, starting verse 16, this is what God’s word says, says no one, after lighting the lamp, covers it with a Jar, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand so that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is hidden to not be made manifest. Nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care then how you hear. For the one who has more will be given from the one who has not even what he thinks that he has will be taken away. And his mother and his brothers came to him, but they cannot reach him because of the crowd. And he was told, your mother and your brothers are standing outside desiring to see you. But he answered them, my mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it. That’s God’s words for us this morning. Would you please pray with me? God, thank you for bringing us here today. Lord, this is a sweet providence that you brought us here every Sunday that we are able to gather together as your church. It is sweet, Lord, please bless this time here, this time where we work through your word. Please help me to be a good communicator. Help me to speak truth. Help me not to stumble over my words. Lord, pray for the church. Please give them ears to hear that. You’d use this time to just enlarge our hearts for Christ. You bring much glory to him. In his name we pray. Amen. Okay, so throughout the Scriptures, there are many different metaphors that are used to communicate, like bigger spiritualities. So, for instance, just to name a few. So our Lord refers to Himself, like, as a door by which we are to go through to find his great salvation. Lord also refers to Himself as a shepherd who shepherds his sheep, which is a metaphor to describe us, his people. As the Lord shepherds us with his tenderness and his care, in his love and in his mercy. The Lord declares Himself to be our rock and our fortress, which he is the one, the only one which we can find true safety and security. If you’re with us. Last week in our study of Luke, Jesus gave a parable where he used the process of planting seeds as a metaphor to teach a bigger spiritual truth with us. You may remember in that parable, Lord spoke about a sower who would sow seeds in a field where the seeds would fall on different types of ground. Some of the ground would be trampled down underfoot in a path. Some of the ground was like a rock, some with thorns. And as the seed fell on those types of ground, for different reasons, it caused the seed to die. But then you may remember that in that parable, there also was good soil by which the seed would Fall upon which was soil, where the seed would grow, plant roots, and you’d bring forth a huge harvest. In our text last week, as Jesus then interpreted the parable for us, after he spoke it, he told disciples, told us how the seed is a metaphor for God’s word. The soil is a metaphor that represents, like, our hearts and how we respond to God’s word, which for some, in different ways, like, we actually reject God’s word as our hearts remain hard towards God, hard because of sin. But others, they receive God’s word, and they do so because of God’s gracious work in their life. And they receive God’s word in ways like they actually, like, bear fruit, with fruit also being a metaphor, describe, like, the actions or results that come from one’s life that are in step with keeping with the work that God has done in life. And the fruit come out of God’s people. There’s a whole bunch of results that just reflect the heart of our good God. So in the scriptures, there are a lot of different metaphors that are used almost as illustrations to communicate, like, important spiritual truths to us. This morning as we gather together in our text to study, we actually come to two of my favorite metaphors in scriptures. Metaphors, actually, I’ve thought about often. So first is the metaphor of light, where light is used as a metaphor to illustrate, like, God’s work in the world around us, which is God’s work is like light shining into darkness, where darkness itself even cannot overcome it. No matter how sinful or evil, however deep the darkness might be, the light of God will always win out. Then the other metaphor in our text to study today is a metaphor of a family where for all those of all time who have faith in Jesus Christ, they’re viewed as family. Christian scripture is a family to be lived on in local levels, like as the church, where the local church should be viewed as a church family that is knit together by blood, not blood connected by ones like ancestors. But the blood that connects us as a family is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, the blood that he spilled for us on the cross, which is the blood by which we find forgiveness of our sin. Scripture tells us without the shedding of the blood, there actually is no forgiveness of sin. And also, as mentioned, this blood connects us together as family, which is a blood that’s much more thicker than water. So this morning in our passage, we’re gonna be working through these two metaphors, light and family, which are metaphors that actually do work together, as we’ll see in just a bit. So if that was an intro, please look back with me in our text starting in verse 16. As mentioned, we’re going to be walking ourselves back through. So please keep your Bibles open, keep your nose in the Bible right here, Jesus is continuing to preach in parable form. Read. The Lord preached to the crowd around him, saying that no one after lighting a lamp, covers it with a jar. No one after lighting a lamp, then like puts the lamp under a bed. Just a few things here, just to understand what Jesus is getting at. So first, just on a very practical level of this metaphor, which is practical even for us, who I assume we probably don’t use lamps that often at night to shine in our homes, but even we understand that after lighting a lamp to cover it or to hide it, that’d be kind of a foolish thing to do. And really what’s the point of doing that? So even we, like, we understand the foolishness here. But for this crowd, as Jesus spoke with this metaphor, to them, they would even start even more so how foolish this would be. So in this time frame, practically speaking, light during nighttime hours was not always easy to find, as it is for us. For us, night comes, we usually find a switch, we flip it, and our homes are lit up. However, light in this time period is much harder to find, much more of a precious commodity that for some days of poverty, like light during night have been a luxury perhaps that they could not afford. So light was like much more precious. Furthermore, in this time period, light had to be handled with great care for it to be present and to continue to be present. So from what I was reading this week in Different Commentaries, so lamps in that time period, so there’s a bit of a process to get them lit. Most of the process involved like kind of getting the wick ready to get properly trimmed. And then after it’s properly trimmed, it’d be like dipped into olive oil, which is the fuel used to light the lamp. And while the lamp itself probably would be big enough to hold enough olive oil for the entire night, the wicks of the lamp would last maybe just a few hours before the wicks would start to like, smolder and be in danger of going out, which meant throughout the night for light to be present, someone have to get up and tend to the wicked, replace the wick just to keep the light shining. So in this time period, there’s a lot going on for a lamp to be lit and stay lit all night long. So again, this isn’t like simply flipping the switch on and off with ease. So for the crowd around Jesus in this text, for them to hear him say this in verse 16, practically, yeah, it would have been absolutely foolish, ridiculous to think of going through the entire process to pay the expense required to pay to light the lamp, only then to like cover it up or put it under a bed instead. When someone had light the clearing, obvious thing that they would do in verse 16 was to put it on a stand to maximize the light, to get the most out of it so that the light would shine brightly to illuminate the entire house. So those who would enter in, no matter what time of night they entered in, they would enter in ways that they could see the light. The light would penetrate the darkness even at the darkest point of the night. So practically they could walk with freedom. Not running into things that are hidden by darkness would cause them to stumble and fall and get hurt. That’s the practical reality of this metaphor, I think does make sense to us. But then second, the light here does seem to have like maybe a twofold meaning. So the practical reality we just talked about by scholars I read this week imply there’s also a theological reality here, one that’s found in the Old Testament scriptures, where inside the Old Testament tabernacle, then later temple, there were lampstands. The priest would light, so the light would shine and fill the room, which is a room that was filled with God’s unique presence, his unique work was there. So theologically, the priests would minister in the tabernacle, they light the lampstand, they will not cover up that light. Then rather the light would shine, reveal the work of God, the kingdom of God, the salvation of God, the glory of God. Right. This is a great theological truth, I think, also tied to this as God is light, in him there is no darkness. So kind of hold on to these things as it relates to light. We’ll probably pick up more of this as we go. Let’s keep going back the text, verse 17. Because the light is not hidden, but because it’s to be placed on a stand for all to see. Jesus told the crowd tells us that because the light shines, because it illuminates, because it penetrates darkness. For nothing is hidden. Rather, as the light shines, it illuminates the entire room. It puts everything in plain sight, so nothing will remain hidden. Acts verse 17. The light ensures that nothing will not be made manifest, everything revealed, nothing able to hide in the corner or hide beside something in secret. Keep saying, the light will expose everything, the light will touch everything. Everything will come into light so that everything will be known. And now for us, this reality, I think we actually see this both as a terrified, but also a freeing and healing reality. So the light is a terrifying reality because we can’t keep secrets of wrongs that we’ve been done, we can’t keep hidden like lies that we have perpetrated or sins that we. We have committed. And we can’t keep them hidden no matter how hard we work to cover them up, to hide them from others, to hide them from the Lord. Once again, everything will be revealed, including things we work the hardest to remain hidden in darkness. Scripture is clear that our sins will find themselves out. Light will expose them. For working really hard to keep things hidden in secret, we’re here this morning trying to hide things that we don’t want the Lord or maybe others to know about. This text here, this is actually terrifying for us to hear. Yes, maybe for a time. We can keep things hidden. We can lie, we can cover things up where it appears we’re keeping things in the dark. But that can only last for so long. All things will come into light, some of which won’t be until the day of judgment when Christ returns. But I do think a significant amount come to light even in this present life. We’re in times, we’re in time, we actually are exposed. By the way, I actually think the longer we try to keep things hidden, the harder we work to try to keep things in secret. It’s actually the more terrifying and more devastating it is when the light finally exposes us. Man, it’d be as often as we try to keep things hidden and in secret, there’s often like more and more sinful or deceitful things that we need to do just to try to keep things hidden. But if we just brought things to light right away on our own, things would not be so bad. Ongoing covering up, ongoing keeping things in secret only make things worse actually leads to why exposing light can also be freeing and healing to us. But even this morning, if you know that you’re constantly trying to keep things hidden in secret, I just want to encourage you to bring things into light so you can find freedom and healing. Now let me give you a couple reasons why it’s such freedom, such healing, to bring things to light on our own, rather than waiting for, like, the Lord to expose it. So first, trying to hide things, trying to keep things a secret. We know this. Those are incredibly stressful realities to try to live with that we’re losing sleep, we’re feeling all sorts of anxieties of things like being made manifest. Perhaps they are on the edge of various relationships, worried, like what would happen if others found out the truth about a situation. They were nervous, terrified. Things came to light. However, as we understand and accept that the light will expose that which we’re trying to hide, you understand it’s gonna happen, so we just bring it to light on our own, friends, there’s freedom there. It’s gonna happen. So humbly, just bring things to light on your own, like confess it. And yes, as we do that, there could still be some consequences we might have to endure, but there’s freedom to do that now, rather than being bound up, waiting to be exposed. We’re at wit’s end, stressed out, always trying to think, keep things covered. Second, even more importantly, as relates to freedom and healing, when with humility, we bring things to light, and that’s where we find forgiveness. Forgiveness that Jesus offers to all who by faith come to him. So listen to this. This is from First John 1. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another. And the blood of Jesus, his son, cleanses us from all our sins. We say we don’t have sin, we deceive ourselves. The truth is not in us. Listen here. If we confess our sins, bring things to light, he’s faithful, he’s just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So yes, the light is terrifying for trying to keep things hidden in secret. But friends, if with humility we bring things to light, there’s freedom, there’s healing. Even if there’s consequences we have to deal with as we breathe. Things to light, friends, that’s where we find forgiveness for us because of these two realities, the terrifying reality or the freedom healing reality. Because of that, either you will hate the light, hate what the light does. Hate always exposes what you’re trying to keep hidden. We always try to hide from it, which we can’t do. Light will expose all things. Or you will love the light. As the light brings that which is hidden, that’s what’s secret, brings it to light so it can be dealt with, which God promises to do as we come to him by faith through the Lord Jesus Christ, where as he come to him through Jesus Christ, all of our secret hidden sins, they’re nailed to the cross so we might have deeper fellowship with him. Keep going. Verse 18. After Jesus gave this parable or metaphor on light, similar to what he said in our text in Verse eight from last week. I’m going to take your eyes back up there. So after giving this parable of the sower, Jesus then cried out to the crowd in the passage, saying, he who has ears to hear, let him hear now. Similarly, in our text today, after speaking about the light, Jesus once again calls out, saying, take care. Then how you hear, how you hear, how you understand how we respond to this teaching on the light. It matters, so take care. This is on the positive. You hear, you understand, by faith, you respond to the light, to Jesus Christ in the text. For the one who has you see, more will be given. Which is more can be a host of different things, including, like, more freedom, more healing, more enjoyment with fellowship with God and others. Then on the negative, for those who do not hear, do not understand, who not by faith respond to the teaching of Jesus Christ, the text. For the one who has not even what he thinks he has, which can be a host of different things as well, things that we’re tempted to believe that in order to keep these things, we must keep them hidden in secret, for even what he thinks he has will be taken away, which by the way, will put one in even greater states of misery as things are taken away, which no doubt will create, like, even more anxiety and more stress, which for me, on the negative end, this illustration, I just thought about, like the maddening reality of others talked about, like, trying to hold onto sand or like, you know, the harder you try to hold onto it, the more the sand slips through one’s fingers. That’s what happens when we try to keep things hidden from the light, try to keep things in secret, where we simply try to hold on and control whatever it may be. That’s almost like an idol to us that means everything to us. In the end, the light will take more and more away for us this morning. That’s the first illustration or metaphor in this text of light, which I’ll talk about more in the end. But to keep going the text, then we get the second illustration or metaphor, which is family. As mentioned, both these illustrations, light and family work together as we speak to spiritualities, because those who are in the light are family. Those who are family are in the light. Just read in one John. But if we walk in fellowship as he, or walk in light as he is light, we have fellowship with one another. Verse 19. Take your eyes there. After Jesus finished up the shine of light, we see that his mothers and his brothers came to him. Now, a few things already. So first regard to this family here. So his mother this is Mary, who we met in the beginning of our study of Luke. She was the virgin who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, gave birth to Jesus the Christ. The nature of the brothers has been debated kind of throughout church history, where some have argued, there’s maybe more in lines of like cousins of Jesus. But the most natural reading of this passage is brothers, brothers in flesh and blood, which indicates that Mary and her husband Joseph, we also met in her study of Luke. They had children after our Lord was born. So these are Jesus like physical brothers, or I guess you could say like half brothers, as they shared Mary as the mother. As mentioned, Jesus conceived by the Holy Spirit as the brothers came through Joseph. Second, we also mentioned we don’t know where Mary and Joseph or Mary and the brothers were prior to this. And we also don’t know if there was something that prompted them to come to the Lord, possibly came to Jesus simply because they haven’t seen him in a while. The public ministry that he was in was taken from place to place. Maybe it’s been a bit. So they came to Jesus. They kind of catch up and to reconnect as family. Perhaps they came to Jesus maybe in similar ways. The disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus in chapter seven, if you’re with us in that study, maybe remember that story. So John the Baptist was in prison for proclaiming the word of God. And while he was in prison, he was starting to have like, some confusion, some doubts concerning Jesus, if indeed he was the Christ or if there was another who was to come. So he sent some of his disciples to Jesus to get some clarity. So perhaps that’s what’s happening here with Mary and his brothers trying to get some clarity from our Lord. Or perhaps that we see in other parts of Scripture of when Jesus family came to him, even in the context of the passage about to get to maybe Mary and Joseph or Mary. Mary and the brothers came to Jesus to actually question him or even rebuke Jesus for his ministry that was rapidly growing and spreading all over the region. On the text, Luke doesn’t give us the details of why they’re there. Jesus knows where they came from, but we do know in the text is that they came. They cannot easily get to Jesus to reach him, to talk with him, with whatever they wanted to talk to him about. And the reason why is because the great crowd surrounding Jesus was just too great now for us. The scene, I think, is actually probably pretty easy for us to picture in our mind’s eye. So I think, like, maybe Jesus in The middle of a huge crowd, and he’s preaching and teaching about the light. And as a crowd of people were standing around him, it’s like in layers upon layers upon layers. So as Mary the brothers arrived on the scene, you know, you can maybe picture them trying to like, make their way through the crowd. Or maybe people are getting annoyed at them for trying to move ahead. Or maybe they’re getting annoyed because they’re just trying to get to Jesus, but they can’t. No success in doing so. Only for Mary the brothers to like, throw their hands up in the air in frustration, recognize there’s no way they can make it through the crowd. So back to the text. As all this is taking place, we see that word now start to spread among this great crowd. Jesus, mother, his brothers were there and they’re trying to make their way up to them, but having no success. As this news is spreading in the midst of the crowd, maybe like a game of telephone, eventually the news makes its way up to the Lord that the family is in town. Verse 20. If you take your eyes there as it told to Jesus, hey, Jesus, sorry, I didn’t mean to cut you off here, but your mother and your brothers are here, but they’re all the way in the back, standing on the outside. They’re unable to penetrate the crowd. And Jesus, they’re here because they’re desiring to see you. And we understand there’s something they really need to talk to you about. Again, don’t know what they want to talk about, but one of the reasons I tend to think that maybe they wanted to confront Jesus about something was simply how Jesus responded as this information came to his ear, by answering them in verse 21. My mother, my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it. Now, there’s a few things here. First, I don’t want you to see this response to Jesus as like, like him trying to discredit the nature of like one’s family or even like his own family. There’s so many passages in Scripture that speaks towards the importance of like one’s family. Family is there from like Genesis on forward. It’s a great building block of society. There’s passages, Old Testament and New Testament to speak how important one’s family, like their family, blood, family ought to be to them. So don’t see Jesus here saying that family is not important. It is. It’s something we should cherish and protect and invest in. However, second, do read this as Jesus is stressing the centrality of one’s spiritual Family, Right. So not discrediting one’s family, rather, Jesus is emphasizing how central one’s spiritual family ought to be, which is a spiritual family made up of all those who seek to follow God’s Word, which starts with following the call of Scripture to put one’s faith in Christ for forgiveness and salvation. Just like we’re talking more about the spiritual family as we live out in local church settings. But before we get there, third thing I just want to notice here is how important it is to hear and keep God’s word. So once again, back to our text last week. He who has the ear to hear, let him hear. Also in our text last week, the good soil are the hearts of those who hear the word of God, a text from last week says, and hold fast to it earlier in our text today, verse 18. Take care how you hear. And now, as we close this passage, my mother and brothers that make up the spiritual family are those who hear the word of God and do it, which is the hope that I have for all of us this morning to hear what God is saying to us through the metaphors. That is our passage as we end in the text. But before I close the sermon, I do want to just give us a couple thoughts on these metaphors of light and family. Just keep saying we’re together. Those who are in the light are family. Those are family because they are in the light. So first, by faith, just humbly receive the light. In Scripture, the light is a metaphor for God’s word. It’s a lamp to our feet, a light to our path. It’s a metaphor of what God is doing in the world, including our own hearts. But ultimately, the light is a metaphor that is about the Lord Jesus Christ, the very one who is the light of the world, the light of men, the true light is Jesus Christ, the one who shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it. And Scripture is clear that all who received him, the Lord Jesus, the true light, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become the children of God, which further speaks to his spiritual family, those who are born, not of blood, nor the will of flesh, nor the will of man, but of God. This morning, for us, as we consider this passage, this parable, these metaphors, may we consider in ways that we hear what it says about Christ and humbly receive him as our light by calling upon Jesus to save us from our sins, to save us to Himself, by believing that indeed he did come for us and that he did die for us, only to rise again from the dead. Friends, when it comes to the Lord Jesus Christ, one day, when he returns to set up his kingdom, we’re all going to meet him because he’s coming to judge, justly, judge the living and the dead. And for those who reject Jesus as the light, friends, that day is going to be terrifying, because you’ll meet Jesus as the judge, and on that day, he will bring everything fully into light. All the sins that we’ve committed will be exposed, made manifest. Nothing will be kept in secret, and we’re gonna have to give an account. And without Jesus, his blood shed for us. There’s no forgiveness before the judgment seat, and that’s terrifying. But for those who humble themselves, who confess their sins to him by faith, trust in him who receive him as the light. On that day, when our Lord returns, it’s going to be a day of great rejoicing, because we will know that through him, through the blood that he shed for us, we know that before his judgment seat will be forgiven, for his righteousness is going to be counted as our righteousness. So this morning, by faith, receive the light. Receive him as your great treasure, trusting in his promise that on that judgment day, because of faith in him, you’ll be welcomed into his kingdom as his people, as his precious children. So receive the light, and receive it in ways that you spend all of your days, like walking in that light. And if you stumble and you fall, friends, don’t try to cover it back up. Rather, continue to bring your sins before the Lord to find forgiveness, find freedom, to find healing, which even this morning. Say it again. Bring whatever sin that you’re trying to hide, bring it to him who is the light. Second, before we close, boldly shine the light. No, we’re not the light. But as his people, we bear witness to the light, knowing that now that Christ has come, the light of God does not shine uniquely in the tabernacle or temple. But God has chosen to shine the light of Christ. How? Through us, through his people. By reflecting the light of Christ to the world around us. So, friends, don’t cover up the light of Christ that is in your heart. Don’t put it under a bed. Whether it’s because you’re, like, isolating yourselves from others or because you’re silent about Christ to others, rather, for the glory of Christ, set your life up on a stand to shine brightly for all to see that our lives may be like that old gospel song, this little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine Everywhere I go I’m gonna let it shine Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine for us, that light we’re to shine to shine in places where God has already placed us, including the places where you work or your classrooms or the activities or hobbies that you’re in. Shining your light to your family, to those who you live next to in your neighborhood. By the way, if I continue on this end, as the weather warms up, just host some type of neighborhood party or some type of, like, summer social event and just invite those who God’s already placed in your life to it with hopes that through that event you can, like, shine your light through your words, your deeds, that those who see your life see you reflect the light, that they would give glory to God. In addition, for us as a church, VBS is not that far away. Invite people to come with the prayer that people ultimately would come to the light of Christ through VBS and by faith, join the church family. That’s actually the last thing I just want to mention here. Third, joyfully embrace your church or joyfully embrace your spiritual family. Now, I want to be clear. Yes, family is important. Scripture is so abundantly clear in that. But Scripture is also clear, including our text today, that the spiritual family of God is to be central for those who are in Christ Jesus. We’re not to live apart from others who believe in Jesus. Rather, we’re to live with them as family. The New Testament. See, this is particularly to be lived out in the church. This is where our joy may be complete. Now for us, call Red Village Church Home. Obviously, I hope you’re joyfully embracing this church family where you’re embracing in ways you’re seeking to connect with others, certainly others you’re already close with. But if you encourage us here, let’s also try to intentionally connect with others that maybe you don’t know as well who are part of your family. Again, as the weather warms up, it’s a great time, right, to connect with others. In addition, joyfully embrace the church family by using your gifts, by serving others. So I mentioned at the start, I was so encouraged yesterday, so encouraged again this morning, to see so many different people serving in so many different ways. Friends, serving is just really a great and important way. Not only way we worship God, but how we embrace our church family. If you’re looking for ways to serve, come find me. I’d love to talk to you more on this end. Furthermore, friends, if we’re going to joyfully embrace our church family, we need to love and continue to love one another, even during the times that we might not like each other. By the way, in my many years of church life, of the different things that we must continue to bring to light, it’s actually kind of at the top of the list because it’s so easy, like to do things in secret or harbor hard feelings in secret that can divide us as a family. So we’re going to joyfully embrace our spiritual family. We must love God and we must love each other. Lastly, we also just mentioned to joyfully embrace the church family. So for us, we do think imports involves like, membership. So if that’s something that you’re interested in, being like a member of our church family, in a couple weeks, J. Tuck’s actually be leading the class we call the Next steps. For those who are interested in becoming a member of Red Village. There’s a lot more I could say here. Actually would love to say more about the local church, but let me just remind us of one other metaphor that the Lord uses to describe the church. It’s his bride, the bride of Christ, the bride that Jesus died for and is washing clean. And for us, if we’re going to love what Jesus loves, Jesus loves his bride. Jesus loves his family. For us to love Jesus, we will also love his bride and love our spiritual family. So, yes, lots of parables, lots of metaphors, all throughout Scripture. They’re there for us to see and to hear and understand. And this morning, by faith, may we see and hear and understand that Jesus is the light. And may his light shine in us in every corner of our heart, so that through his light we might find freedom and healing and forgiveness. And may that light not only shine in us, but may that light also shine through us that we would indeed be lampstands for the cause of Christ to the world around us and church. May that light of Christ, may that shine through us together as family, we shine more brightly together than apart. And may we shine in ways that our joy may be complete. Let’s pray. Lord, thank you for your word. And Lord, I do pray that through your spirit, if there are sins that need to be brought to light, that we’ve been working tirelessly hard to try to keep covered up in secret, that today, by your grace, you give us humility to trust in you and to confess our sins, indeed we might find freedom and healing and forgiveness. And Lord, please forgive us when we hide the light in our own hearts. We keep them hidden where we’re ashamed or embarrassed or whatever it may be by you, Lord. I do pray also by the power of your spirit, that you would help us to set our lives on a lampstand, that we’d shine brightly for your cause, not only here in Madison, but all the way to the ends of the earth. Lord, thank you just for your wisdom to give us a family, a spiritual family, a church family. Lord, I do pray you help us to joyfully embrace our church family and help us to love each other well. Pray, Lord, that you would use us to shine brightly. It’s in Christ’s name we pray. Amen. The post A Lamp Under a Jar – Luke 8: 16-21 appeared first on Red Village Church.

Leviticus affecting our lives today; Christ's baptism; Fire?; "Euphrates" (fruitful); Flow of sacrifice; Charity alone; Ordering wood?; Information sources; Unhewn stone?; Metaphors; Burnt offerings; Goat?; Codification?; Strong delusion of modern Christianity; Interpretation of the Old Testament without Holy Spirit; Divine fire; Faith of Abraham; Withered tree; Life in the presence of God; Evolution?; Lev 9:16 Untranslated aleph-tav; Spirit-led decisions; Eighth day?; What was Moses teaching?; Lev 9:24 Day of completion?; Not to be that way with YOU!; Covetous practices; Obedience; No exercising authority; Image of the beast?; Making the word of God to effect; Prospering society; Moses' way; Living altars; Making Israel great; Turtledove goddess?; Lev 10:1 Nadab and Abiju; vav-yod?; Serving the Lord in earnest; Mourning?; Excuses; Tabernacle of the congregation?; Declaration of Independence; Where do rights come from?; Woodrow Wilson; Splitting the vote; Lev 10 what did they do wrong?: Opening the box; Towers of modern religion; Not seeing your covetousness; Drunk on mistaken understanding; Righteousness?; Trees without fruit; Strange/Divine fire - what's the difference?; Obeying the Lord; v9: Do not drink wine nor strong drink; Modern religion; Individual inspiration; Sharing light; Religion without snares; Repenting and seeking His kingdom and righteousness; Statutes? Chet-kuf-hey; Revelation; Freewill offerings alone; Obedience?; Red Heifer?; "Leaven"; Conceived in hell; Church welfare; Wilderness of unrighteousness; v16 Moses seeking the goat; Atonement; Practicing Pure Religion to draw near; Moses' disappointment; Taking back responsibility; Goat = strength; Eating in the holy place?; Sin offering - extra for atonement; Efficient social welfare; Lacking oversight; Focus on doing the right way; Right to use; Widows and orphans; Hospice; Altars; Loving our enemy; Laying down your life; Uniting Israel; Red Heifer?; Putting away your idols; Blind eye to covetousness; Social safety net based on love and charity; "Priests"; Burning incense?; Seek the Way of Christ.

The Perfect Church will be released by Christian Focus Publications at the end of this year. 

Send us Fan MailToday's guest is registered psychotherapist and author, Kate Robson, exploring her new book, Something to Hold Onto: Simple Images, Metaphors, and Practical Tools to Transform Your Life.Her book is an incredible resource where she shares her ideas about complex human problems through a therapeutic lens to help make challenging moments a little less challenging. You'll hear about the power of metaphor, through metaphors, to get out of thought ruts. We explore ideas including: failure, happiness, metal flexibility, choice, avoidance, teamwork, identity, creativity, and connection. It's deep, it's gentle, it's eye, mind and heart opening.This episode is co-hosted by Diana's friend and colleague, Donna Cormier. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

In this episode of Bible Talk, Alex chats with Jim and Sam about Isaiah 26, a dense, metaphor-laden passage that cranes its neck to the glorious future that awaits all those who trust in the LORD.

You're not stuck because you lack discipline. You're stuck because you've mistaken consistency for progress. In this episode of The Scratch Golfer's Mindset Podcast, I challenge one of the most commonly accepted beliefs in personal development, golf, and business—that consistency is the key to success. Yes, consistency matters.  But it's not what creates transformation. Transformation comes from intensity. I break down why so many high achievers stay stuck despite doing "all the right things," how being consistently mediocre quietly kills progress, and what it actually takes to create rapid, meaningful breakthroughs in your golf game, business, and life. You'll learn how to strategically apply short bursts of intensity, raise your performance floor, and then use consistency to maintain your gains—without burning out or neglecting other areas of your life. In this episode, you'll learn: Why consistency alone is not enough for transformational change The difference between raising your ceiling vs. raising your floor How intensity creates rapid breakthroughs in performance Why most people are "consistently mediocre" without realizing it How to apply 30–90 day sprints to improve your golf game or business The role of discomfort, stress, and expansion in skill development How to balance intensity in one area without neglecting others Why ruthless elimination is required for real progress The importance of rest and recovery in sustaining high performance If you feel like you're putting in the work but not getting the results… this episode will challenge you in exactly the way you need. Apply for 1-1 High-Performance Hypnotherapy and Mindset Coaching: Click here to apply to work with me. The 90-Day Golf Identity Upgrade Accelerator: This is a private 3-month coaching container designed to help serious golfers rapidly upgrade their beliefs, rewire their golf identity, and accelerate lower scores through deep subconscious transformation — not surface-level tactics. Click here to learn more and DM me "identity upgrade on Instagram (@thepaulsalter) to learn more.  The Sustainable Weight-Loss Code: 61 laws to lose weight and keep it off (for good): Buy on Amazon. Play to Your Potential On (and Off) the Course Schedule a Mindset Coaching Discovery Call Subscribe to the More Pars than Bogeys Newsletter Download my "Play Your Best Round" free hypnosis audio recording. High-Performance Hypnotherapy and Mindset Coaching Paul Salter - known as The Golf Hypnotherapist - is a High-Performance Hypnotherapist and Mindset Coach who leverages hypnosis and powerful subconscious reprogramming techniques to help golfers of all ages and skill levels overcome the mental hazards of their minds so they can shoot lower scores and play to their potential. He has over 16 years of coaching experience working with high performers in various industries, helping them get unstuck, out of their own way, and unlock their full potential. Click here to learn more about how high-performance hypnotherapy and mindset coaching can help you get out of your own way and play to your potential on (and off) the course.  Instagram: @thepaulsalter Key Takeaways: Change happens through intensity; consistency maintains it Most people aren't stuck—they're consistently operating below their potential Short-term sprints create long-term identity shifts Raising your floor is more important than chasing your ceiling Discomfort is a requirement for growth, not a side effect Ruthless elimination creates the space for meaningful progress Stress + rest is the true formula for sustainable excellence Key Quotes: "Change happens as a result of intensity—and what you achieve is maintained by consistency." "You're not stuck—you're consistently mediocre." "You can't expect transformation if you never push beyond comfort." "Intensity raises your floor. Consistency protects it." "Ruthless elimination creates the space for obsession." "You can't sprint in every area of life—but you must sprint somewhere." Time Stamps: 00:00: The Power of Intensity in Change 02:52: Personal Updates and Reflections 05:34: Understanding Consistency vs. Intensity 07:00: Metaphors for Change: Rockets and Habits 09:34: Examples of Intensity in Fitness and Finance 12:41: Focusing Intensity on Specific Areas 15:00: The Dangers of Consistent Mediocrity 17:33: Overcoming Fear of Intensity 19:24: Ruthless Elimination for Intensity 20:55: The Role of Accountability in Change 22:39: Balancing Intensity Across Life Domains 25:21: The Importance of Rest in the Process 26:47: Final Thoughts on Intensity and Change

The Left has tried to assimilate Jews, the Right to exterminate (because in their eyes assimilation does not work)

“Fiction has this unprecedented power in tech spaces. The more I started talking to engineers about their technical problems, the more I realized there’s so much more that humanities could offer.” –Nina Begus About Nina Begus Nina Begus is a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, leading a research group on artificial humanities, and the founder of InterpretAI. She is author of Artificial Humanities: A Fictional Perspective on Language in AI, which received an Artificiality Institute Award, and First Encounters with AI. Webiste: ninabegus.com LinkedIn Profile: Nina Begus  Book: Artificial Humanities What you will learn How ancient myths and archetypes influence our understanding and design of AI Why the humanities—literature, philosophy, and the arts—are crucial for developing more thoughtful and innovative AI systems The dangers of limiting AI concepts to human-centered metaphors and the need for new, more expansive imaginaries How metaphors shape our interactions with AI products and the user experiences companies choose to enable The challenges and possibilities of imagining forms of machine intelligence and language beyond human templates Why collaboration between technical experts and humanists opens new frontiers for creativity and responsible technology What makes writing and artistic creation uniquely human, and how AI amplifies—not replaces—these impulses Practical ways artists, engineers, and thinkers can work together to explore new relationships and futures with AI Episode Resources Transcript Ross Dawson: Nina, it is wonderful to have you on the show. Nina Begus: Thank you for having me. Ross Dawson: You’ve written this very interesting book, Artificial Humanities, and I think there’s a lot to dig into. But what does that mean? What do you mean by artificial humanities? Nina Begus: Well, this was really a new framework that I’ve developed while I was working on the relationship between AI and fiction, and I started working on this about 15 years ago when I realized that fiction has this unprecedented power in tech spaces. So this is how it all started, but then the more I started talking to engineers about their technical problems, the more I realized there’s so much more that humanities could offer in this collaborative, generative approach that I’ve developed. I would say that now, as the field stands, it’s really a way to explore and demonstrate how humanities—as broad as science and technology studies, literary studies, film, philosophy, rhetoric, history of technology—how all of these fields can help us address the most pressing issues in AI development and use. And it’s been important to me that this approach uses traditional humanistic methods, theory, conceptual work, history, ethical approaches, but also that it’s collaborative and exploratory and experimental in this way that you can look back into the past and at the present to make a more informed choice about the future. You can speculate about different possibilities with it. Ross Dawson: Well, art is an expression of the human psyche, or even more, it is the fullest expression of humanity, and that’s what art tries to do. Also, I’m a deep believer in archetypes, human archetypes, and things which are intrinsic to who we are, and that’s something which you can only really uncover through the arts. Now we have arguably seen all these archetypes play out in real time, these modern myths being created right now in the stories being told of how AI is being created. So I think it’s extraordinarily relevant to look back at how we have depicted machines through our history and our relationship to them. Nina Begus: Yes, this is the reason why I started exploring this topic, actually, because there were so many ancient myths, these archetypal narratives that I’ve seen at the same time, both in technological products that were coming to the market and in the way technologists were thinking about it, and also in fictional products and films and novels in the way we imagined AI. I framed my book around the Pygmalion myth, but there are many, many other myths—Prometheus, Narcissus, the Big Brother narrative, and so on—that are very much doing work in the AI space. The reason why I chose the Pygmalion myth is because it’s so bizarre in many ways: you have this myth where a man creates an artificial woman, and then in the process of creation, falls in love with her. So there’s the creation of the human-like, and there’s also this relationality with the human-like. You would think this would not be a common myth, but quite the opposite—I found it everywhere I looked. It wasn’t called the Pygmalion myth, but the motif was there. I found it on the Silk Road, in ancient folk tales, in Native American folk tales, North Africa, and so on. So I think this kind of story is actually telling us a lot about how humans are not rational, how we have some very deeply embedded behaviors in us, and one of them is that we anthropomorphize everything, including machines.So I think this was a really important takeaway that we got already from the early days of AI with the first chatbot, Eliza. We’ve learned that that will be a feature of us relating to machines. Ross Dawson: So Joseph Campbell called the hero’s journey the monomyth, as in, there is a single myth. And I guess what you are doing here is—well, if you agree with that, which I’d be interested in—is that there are facets. The classic hero’s journey is quite simple, but there are facets of that monomyth, or something intrinsic to who we are, that is around this creation. And in this case, as you say, this relation we have with what we have created. Would you relate that at all to Joseph Campbell’s work? Nina Begus: I haven’t thought about it in this way, because I thought about myth and myths more and less of a storytelling issue, which here is definitely happening—the hero goes on a task, returns back changed, and maybe changes something in the community. The myths that I was looking into and the metaphors that I was exploring, primarily this huge metaphor of AI as a human mind, as an artificial reason—I think it works differently. It’s less of a narrative; it’s more of an imaginary of how or towards what we are building. I think this is a big problem, actually, because the imaginary around AI is very poor. What you get is mostly imagining machine intelligence on human terms, and a lot of people are bothered by that in the AI discourse—right, when you say the machine thinks, or the machine learns, or it has a mind, and some people go as far as to say it has consciousness. I think this kind of debate is actually not that productive. I think it’s more important to see how all these different AI products that we’ve created—and mostly when we talk about AI, people think of language models now—are very much designed as a sort of character, almost as an artificial human that, in literature, authors have been creating for a long time. So I think in that case, we can get back to a hero’s journey. But I think what I was looking at was actually more on the surface level of what kind of shortcuts we are using with these metaphors that we’re employing when building and using AI. I think the book makes a really good case showing that, yes, this is actually a very cultural technology. It’s very much informed by our imaginaries. One surprising part of it was really how hard it was to break out of this human mold. It was pretty much impossible to find examples of machines that are not exclusively human-like. I think Stanislaw Lem is one of the rare writers who can consistently deliver this kind of imaginary. Even looking at more recent works, like popular films such as Hollywood’s Ex Machina or Her, you can see how the technologists themselves would say, “Oh, we were influenced by this film,” in a way that it affirmed their product development trajectory. You can see it now, at this moment, with OpenAI launching companionship. So in many ways, not a lot has changed. Ross Dawson: Yeah, there’s a lot to dig into there. I just want to go back—in a sense, Pygmalion is a metaphor, but it’s also a myth. It is a story: creates a woman, and then falls in love with her, and then whatever happens from there. There is this, something happens, and then something else happens. That’s what a story is. I think that can impact the implicit metaphor, but coming back to the metaphor—so George Lakoff wrote the beautiful book Metaphors We Live By. I think the way the brain works is in metaphors and analogies to a very large degree. Some of those are enabling metaphors, and some of those are not very useful metaphors. I think part of your point is that some of the metaphors that we have for thinking about AI and machines are not useful. There may be, or we could create, some metaphors that are more useful. So, what are some of the most disabling metaphors, and what are some of the ones which could be more constructive? Nina Begus: Yes, So I think this main metaphor that I’ve mentioned—of AI as a human mind—is very limiting. I think it really limits the machinic potential to actually do something good with it. The fact that we’re still using the criteria that were made for humans, like different criteria developed on human language—the Turing test was one of them, right, a while ago. Now we have stricter ones. I think this tells you a lot about how we actually evaluate AI and how even these benchmarks that are supposed to be quantitative are actually often qualitative, often stories, like mini-narratives. But yeah, when we look at different metaphors in this space, there are other ones that also emerge from fiction. I mentioned the Big Brother, the AI as an Oracle, and we need to be aware that these ideas inform the very interaction we have with AI. If we think of it as a mirror, we’re going to use it differently—it’s almost as a bouncing board. If we think of it as a teacher, or as a coach, or as an assistant, it would again create a different use. So I think there are a lot of these metaphors that the companies themselves are trying to decide which one they will go with, because it completely changes the user and the interaction. I think they’re also very cultural, even though you might say, “Oh, it’s a categorical mistake to treat a machine as a human.” I think you can see this kind of treatment across, at least in part, and it doesn’t mean that we consider it human. It just means that we’re engaging with it on our own terms, as if it was human. Now, what could be productive? I do think metaphors, even if they’re not accurate, can be productive. My goal, really, with the book was to break out of this projection of what the machine could be, to find in this exploratory way other directions, other landscapes where we couldn’t go because we’re being limited by our imaginary, by our ideas. So in this way, I think humanistic approaches can be very helpful to designers, to technology builders, to artists, to explore the novelty that so many of these sectors are after. Ross Dawson: Yeah, and I guess people latch on to what they know. I think that’s part of the thing where with AI, “Oh, it’s like a human. Let’s treat it like a human, and let’s make it like a human.” It is, amongst other things, a lack of imagination. That’s where the humanities, the arts, can offer us—those who have the imagination to be able to envisage different possibilities or relationships. But I guess part of it is also that humans relate, and so we have learned to relate to other humans and also to other animals and hopefully to nature as well. But these are all established patterns of relating. So do we need to discover in ourselves new ways of relating to new categories—things which are not humans, not animals, and not nature? Nina Begus: Exactly, this is the exact problem we’re dealing with, and because we’re dealing with a yet unexplored, yet undefined relation, and we’re using old, outdated terms for that relation. This is why we don’t really have a good way of describing it and establishing it. It will take a while for this to develop, which is fine, but we need to realize that there are some concepts that we’re using that we better leave behind and go ahead by building new ones. This is why I think it’s really important to work in a more interdisciplinary collaboration, so that you can see what you can actually build from the technical perspective, so that you can see what these machines are actually capable of. Because you usually don’t know when you create them right?Machine learning is sort of exploratory by design. Ross Dawson: So, just to call it out more explicitly, what are the metaphors you think are the most destructive or most inappropriate, and what are some of the ones which you think are the most promising? Nina Begus: Well, I’m just writing on the Midas myth, which is sort of the opposite of the Pygmalion myth. With Pygmalion, you lean into that human imitation, but with Midas, you lean into the liminality that Midas presents as this sort of hybrid creature. I think leaning into the boundaries that we draw for ourselves—and now AI is not cooperating with them—this is where the productive part will be in actually creating something that has philosophical dignity, but also a kind of productive trajectory for the machines to go. I feel like we’re still in this first phase of developing AI, because when you look at it historically, we haven’t really moved from the conceptual and philosophical premises that were established in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s for this technology. We have now gotten the technology that caught up to the ideas from the 60s, but we’re still stuck in the same conceptual space. Ross Dawson: Yeah, very much so. And, you know, of course, what is AGI, which everyone talks about, is basically—the only way in which people seem to be able to frame it is as relative to humans, which is the only reference point we have. I mean, there’s, of course, animal intelligence, but that’s because of that. It is, again, that lack of imagination—saying, “Well, intelligence, oh, intelligence is what humans do, so let’s do something which is the same as that,” whereas there’s so much white space in what intelligence could be. I think this almost comes back to definition. When people say intelligence, the word, when they use the word intelligence, they are referring to what humans do. It’s not a general term, and so it all becomes a language problem as well, because we are so rooted to relating our language to human capabilities, as opposed to a more general potential. Nina Begus: Yes, I think you’re really on to something here, because I can see it also—because I work with animal communication researchers, and we’re finding things there that we didn’t find because we limited ourselves to thinking language is just a human production, that it needs a human subject. Now, as soon as we got rid of this presumption, we’re finding new things, things that are basically parallel to what we do in our language. So language is in a space of tension because it’s being attacked both from the animal side and from the machinic side, which is why I really focused on language in this book. It’s not a coincidence that we centered artificial intelligence in language as the interface, because this is how we relate to the world—this is our interface to talk to each other, to understand each other. I think the fact that language is coming under such pressure as an interface brings with it a lot of other concepts that are being challenged. Are only humans creative? Is there a natural creativity, machinic creativity? Is there a different kind of intelligence that’s maybe solely biological, embodied? How do we think about cognition? How do we think about culture? In AI and in the natural world, there’s so much that comes with it: agency, autonomy, freedom, community, which I think we will be grappling with for the next few decades, at least. Ross Dawson: I think you alluded before to the potential for AI to have its own languages.  Nina Begus: I’ts happening already. The reason why I like Stanislaw Lem so much is because he can actually think about a machine—back in the 1970s, he’s doing that—about a machine that’s not human-like, that’s not limited to human language. It is trained on human language, but then it goes its own way, where the human linguistic ceiling just cannot go anymore. We’re already seeing that in the models, in Berkeley’s Biological Artificial Intelligence Lab, in the models that are not large language models, but generative adversarial networks that are based on speech. We see that as they are learning the words, they are encoding some information into silences that we don’t know what it is. I think what’s really exciting to me are two things about language in machines. The first one is, what is this non-human production of language? We did not think that non-humans can produce language, even though we had parrots who had to crawl their way to us to speak in “humanese,” to show that they have some kind of intelligence—even if it’s just parroting, even if it’s just what we call imitation, which some people consider not to be intelligence. We’ve had these examples before, but now it’s gotten nuclear—on this scale that LLMs are performing, it’s really challenged a lot of our solely human attributes: creativity, storytelling. A lot of journalists come to me because there’s this existential fear of machines taking over their work and so on. So we’ve been thinking about those things, and now it’s actually happening. Ross Dawson: One of the other key points here, I think, is that humanity is—the arts—there’s so much, as you mentioned, in terms of fiction, in terms of films, in terms of visual arts, and many other artistic domains. We have reference points that we use, and the amount which people refer to the movie Her in the last years is pretty extraordinary, partly because it’s obviously coming very much true. I think the Ex Machina story is very interesting as well, as are many others in the past. But there is also this act of imagination. There are people who have written these books, who have crafted these films, who have created these things, and they are the ones who have been not just manifesting our human psyche, but also pushing that out and coming up with ideas which others haven’t had, to give us something. So one thing we can certainly do is mine and dig into what has been created. But is there a way to interface through this to this act of imagining, which can give us new artifacts and ways of thinking and ways of relating? Nina Begus: Yes, I think imagination and humanities in general are going to become more and more important, because AI will do a lot of technical work, but imaginaries—this is what we really excel at. It’s actually interesting to see how you think fiction is this unbounded landscape where you can imagine anything, and yet it’s really hard to find examples of machines that are beyond the human. Even these writers, like the screenwriters for Her and Ex Machina, create these completely Pygmalion-esque films, where you have an artificial woman leading a relationship with a human man, and so on. For the whole film, you have her act as a human-like entity. But then at the end of each of those films—well, particularly in Her—Spike Jonze really tried to break out of this and show her AI side. Basically, there was no language to describe it, so he resorted to a metaphor—the metaphor of a book, where Samantha, the operations assistant, explains that her world is falling apart, like the way words are floating further and further apart in a book. That’s how she’s able to describe it; that’s the closest she gets. And then in Ex Machina, Alex Garland really wanted to portray the world from the social robot Ava’s perspective in a visual way. He wrote down a scene, but he said, “I failed to execute it visually. I just couldn’t do it well.” So instead, he gave us a different scene that’s shot from afar, where Ava embarks onto a helicopter and she has to undergo her Turing test—the helicopter pilot cannot recognize her as a robot; he needs to think she’s a human woman. There have been attempts, I think even in Garland’s next film Annihilation, they’re trying to set the grounds for something that’s entirely new and hard to imagine. I think a big takeaway for us is this is very hard to do. Ross Dawson: Yes, well, given that context, I do want to—as in the human plus AI framing—given all of this, what is it that we can do or should be doing in order to amplify our humanity, our capabilities, the positive aspects of what it is to be human? How can we relate to or use AI in order to amplify the best of us? Nina Begus: Yeah, I actually had, while I was writing the book Artificial Humanities, this other dream project to work with writers—professional writers, creatives, people who live in a world of words—to see what they make of AI. I waited a little bit for the public’s polarized reactions to calm down a bit and gathered 16 writers, some of whom already made a space for themselves in the field, like Sheila Heti and Ken Liu and Ted Chiang, and then some of the more junior writers who I knew were thinking about that—a Netflix screenwriter, and so on. I gathered them to see—I think the creative people are really the answer here—I gathered them to see how they approach this very human part of the new human and AI collaboration zone. What was common across a lot of essays that are coming out in October under the title “First Encounters with AI” is this argument that, well, AI doesn’t have subjectivity, it doesn’t have emotions, it doesn’t have a body, it doesn’t have experience, it doesn’t have meaning—all of these things that really make us human, all of these parts that actually make art compelling and literature compelling. So Ken Liu’s argument, for example, was, let’s leave machines what they’re good at—they’re good at imitating and copying—and we’re good at interpreting, we’re good at creating and imagining. I think this is really a way to go with this. This catastrophizing that’s very present in the public discourse, I think, is a bit misleading. I wish we had a more nuanced approach to what’s actually happening, particularly in the space of writing. Obviously, AI is a groundbreaking technology that affects pretty much every one of us and all the sectors, but when it comes to writing, we just don’t think it’s killable. We think that there’s this perennial impulse that humans have to play with language, and that is not going to go away with AI. We’re just going to amplify it through AI, through this new possibility that has now opened in many ways. I like to think about AI as—you know, we’ve figured out how to fly. As soon as we figured out the physics of flight, we had planes and helicopters and drones and kites, and these are the new possibilities for human activities. In the same way, we figured out the machine learning principles, and now we have large language models and diffusion models, and we have GANs and so on, and there will be more. These are the new spaces of possibility that have opened for our activities, for our spirit to work on, but they do not replace the human in a meaningful way. It’s more about extension than it is about automation. Ross Dawson: Yeah, that’s a wonderful way of framing it. So where can people go to find out more about your work? Nina Begus: I have a pretty populated website with my name, ninabegus.com, where I write about my books, I write about my public work. I have videos on there, podcasts, links, and so on. I also have a pretty lively lab with a lot of collaborators and students, where a lot of what I imagined when writing Artificial Humanities—where a lot of collaborative projects happen. We have artists, we have engineers, we have philosophers that work on the same question, but come at it from very different backgrounds and with very different skills. I think this is becoming more and more important in the world of AI. Ross Dawson: Yes, yes, bringing all of those disciplines and frames and thinking together. That’s wonderful. I love what you’re doing—very important. I hope the messages ripple through, and obviously wonderful to be able to share this with the Humans Plus AI audience. Thank you so much. Nina Begus: Thank you, Ross, and thank you all for listening. The post Nina Begus on artificial humanities, AI archetypes, limiting and productive metaphors, and human extension (AC Ep38) appeared first on Humans + AI.

Novelist, memoirist, and Corporeal Writing founder Lidia Yuknavitch on writing from the body, finding form in the natural world, and why the stories we need most come from the places we've been afraid to go. You'll learn Why the element that makes you vibrate — water, forest, rock, wind — might be the key to unlocking your creative access path. How to find your core metaphors through a body-based meditation practice and why they keep showing up in your work for a reason. A practical portal for memoir writers: revisit one memory from three different ages and watch the story completely change each time. Why abandoning linear plot doesn't mean abandoning form, and how the natural world is full of story shapes waiting to be borrowed. What Virginia Woolf's line about arranging the pieces taught one writer about nonlinear structure and letting go of chronology. Why telling your ego to go eat a sandwich might be the first step toward trusting your creative intuition. How a writing community built on generative response instead of critique can change what's possible on the page. The difference between prompts and portals, and why a small language shift can transform how you approach a draft. Why writers who've survived the hardest things carry a skillset the rest of the world urgently needs right now. A reframe for anyone afraid of writing badly: if all life is change, the fear of doing it wrong is smaller than you think. Resources & Links

Metaphors should be used sparingly because the world is mixed up enough already! 

Hello, Puzzlers! Today: A.J. & Greg present puzzling puzzles to each other.Join host A.J. Jacobs and his guests as they puzzle–and laugh–their way through new spins on old favorites, like anagrams and palindromes, as well as quirky originals.Subscribe to Hello, Puzzlers! wherever you get your podcasts! And come join our growing puzzle community over on Patreon, where you can find bonus episodes and other exclusive content!Our executive producers are Neely Lohmann and Adam Neuhaus of Neuhaus Ideas.The show is produced by Claire Bidigare-Curtis.Our Chief Puzzle Officer is Greg Pliska. Our associate producer is Andrea Schoenberg.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Weight feels like one of those topics everyone has an opinion on, yet it's deeply personal for each of us. So, for this episode, Emily and Jill take the opportunity to dig into what it's like to navigate body changes in a world full of strong opinions, from the rise of GLP-1 medications to the stigma that can come with medical or surgical interventions.Jill opens up about her own journey with weight, body image, and ultimately deciding to have gastric bypass surgery, including what's shifted for her since, physically, emotionally, and socially. They also talk about the judgment people can face, how conversations about health often get reduced to discipline or willpower, and also zoom out to explore the bigger cultural messages about bodies and how therapists can support clients in talking about weight in ways that move beyond shame or “fixing.” Listen and Learn: Why shame, Yo-yo dieting, and a surprising therapy session insight led Jill to discover a life-changing path that transformed her health, mindset, and relationship with exerciseWhy the idea that weight loss tools are “cheating” reveals deeper cultural biases about bodies, health, and who gets judged for the choices they makeHow constant pressure on women's bodies may actually distract from power, health, and autonomy in ways most people never questionFocusing on values instead of weight loss goals to help you stop postponing the life you want to liveHow changing your relationship with cravings and “food noise” through psychological flexibility can make long-term weight loss maintenance more possibleResources: Jill's Website: https://jillstoddard.comConnect with Jill on Social Media https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNDJ6pR5PVGZSSzRFc556QAhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jillstoddardphd/ About Jill Stoddard Jill Stoddard is passionate about sharing science-backed ideas from psychology to help people thrive. She is a psychologist, writer, TEDx speaker, award-winning teacher, peer-reviewed ACT trainer, bariatric coach, and co-host of the popular Psychologists Off the Clock podcast. Dr. Stoddard is the founder and director of The Center for Stress and Anxiety Management, an outpatient practice specializing in evidence-based therapies for anxiety and related issues. She is the author of three books: The Big Book of ACT Metaphors: A Practitioner's Guide to Experiential Exercises and Metaphors in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; Be Mighty: A Woman's Guide to Liberation from Anxiety, Worry, and Stress Using Mindfulness and Acceptance; and Imposter No More: Overcome Self-doubt and Imposterism to Cultivate a Successful Career. Her writing has also appeared in The Washington Post, Psychology Today, Scary Mommy, Thrive Global, The Good Men Project, and Mindful Return. She regularly appears on podcasts and as an expert source for various media outlets. She lives in Newburyport, MA with her husband, two kids, and disobedient French Bulldog. Related Episodes:348. Sustainable Exercise with Michelle Segar326. Weight Stigma and Body Image with Sarah Pegrum264. Raising Intuitive Eaters with Sumner Brooks and Amee Severson231. Eating Skills and Emotional Eating with Josh Hillis151. Intuitive Eating with Evelyn Tribole93. Effective Weight Loss with Evan Forman77. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with Jill Stoddard36. Weight Loss Strategies From Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with Jason LillisSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of The Derivative, Jeff Malec is joined by Patrick Kazley of OneRiver explore how long volatility, convexity, trend following, and systematic macro can be combined in a capital‑efficient way to improve equity compounding and protect portfolios from major drawdowns. They discuss crisis “shapes,” why time-based rebalancing often beats intuitive drawdown triggers, how changing volatility microstructure (zero‑DTE, single-name vol, dispersion) creates new opportunities, and why behavioral biases keep most investors under-allocated to positively skewed defensive strategies. Patrick ties it all together with vivid metaphors — from F1 cars and soup vs. salad to sumo wrestlers and the beer boot — and explains how One River's acquisition of a European alternatives/QIS team fits into their total-portfolio approach..… SEND IT!Chapters:00:00-02:21 = Intro02:22-12:33= From AQR to One River – Patrick's Background and the Case for Systematic Risk Mitigation12:34-28:07 = Engines and Brakes – Equity Beta, Skew, and the Power of Convexity28:08-43:55= Crisis Types, Trend Following, and Building a Total Portfolio Defense43:56-1:03:04= Visualizing Risk – Crisis Shapes, Rebalancing, and the Math of Convexity1:03:05-1:16:36= Metaphors, Markets, and M&A – From F1 Cars to Das Boot and One River's Next Phase1:16:37-1:28:37= Soup vs. Salad – Total Portfolio Thinking and the Future of One RiverFrom the Episode:Blog post: A Short History of Market-Moving Middle East ConflictsOneRiver's WhitepapersFollow along with Patrick and OneRiver on LinkedIn and make sure to check out OneRiver's website www.oneriveram.comDon't forget to subscribe to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Derivative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, follow us on Twitter at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rcmAlts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and our host Jeff at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@AttainCap2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , and⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sign-up for our blog digest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Disclaimer: This podcast is provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as legal, business, or tax advice. All opinions expressed by podcast participants are solely their own opinions and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of RCM Alternatives, their affiliates, or companies featured. Due to industry regulations, participants on this podcast are instructed not to make specific trade recommendations, nor reference past or potential profits. And listeners are reminded that managed futures, commodity trading, and other alternative investments are complex and carry a risk of substantial losses. As such, they are not suitable for all investors. For more information, visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.rcmalternatives.com/disclaimer⁠⁠⁠⁠

We learn best when we are actively building and creating. Think Legos! All coaching is fundamentally play, and purposeful play transforms leadership development. Today's guest is a certified hands-on thinking coach who brings Lego bricks into executive coaching sessions. He shares the neuroscience and learning theory behind why play isn't frivolous but is essential for discovery, practice, and innovation. Learn how to integrate object play and constructionism into your coaching practice to help clients move from abstract thinking to concrete insights, particularly with neurodiverse populations and leaders who live too much in their heads. Are you ready to discover new techniques that might transform your work with your clients? Join us to learn more!Paul Sanbar is an Ingenuity + Leadership Coach, certified coach supervisor, and hands-on visual thinking facilitator. He has dedicated himself to the field of self-development and to effecting positive change through purposeful play, storytelling, and powerful conversations. He was a humanistic-Gestalt psychotherapist and is now an ICF-accredited Master Certified Coach, EMCC-accredited coach supervisor, and senior practitioner. Show Highlights:Play and coaching: How are they related?“Coaching gives clients a chance to suspend reality and just play.”Understanding “purposeful play” (also called “serious play”) in executive coaching, as it relates to how we played as children The value of attunement playConstructivism and constructionismPaul's method of introducing object play into organizational coaching (Understanding the liminal space between “what is” and “what if”)Multi-modal learning helps us use multiple intelligences.Metaphors allow us to relate to and understand the world.Using Legos (and mini-figures) to build our thoughts and ascribe meaning to themThe hands-on thinking coach methodologyFeedback from coaches who are learning Paul's play techniques as an enhancement to other coaching techniquesModern consequences of play deprivation—for kids and adultsThe truth: “We are all still kids.”Paul's key takeaway about play methodologyResources:Connect with Paul SanbarLinktreeLinkedInConnect with Meg:Explore the STaR Coach Show Mentor Program. We are enrolling NOW for this spring!Subscribe to the STaR Coach Show YouTube Channel!Explore over 480 past episodes and other helpful resources at www.STaRcoachshow.com. Explore the STaR Coach Community and see what's available there for you!Mentioned in this episode:Enroll More Clients: Clarity SprintDo you love coaching, but when it comes to enrolling clients, writing your bio, or posting online, you freeze? Or fall into “coach speak” that doesn't actually connect? That's not a you problem. It's a messaging problem—and it's costing you clients. Join me for my free, live five-day experience: Enroll More Clients: Clarity Sprint. From March 16–20 at 9 a.m. Central, I'll help you get crystal clear on your ideal client, refine your message so it actually resonates, and create a confidence statement that makes booking a call the obvious next step. No fluff, just clarity, you can use immediately. Grab your free spot at: https://starcoachshow.com/5dayEnroll More Clients: Clarity Sprint

This episode is a field report from the last month of my life.I unpack the three principles currently organising how I think, work, and make decisions. I share what surfaced during my annual psychedelic trip and the unexpected clarity it brought. I reflect on a fresh discovery about the wonder of music and why it has moved me more deeply than I anticipated.I also explain my favourite coaching tool, one that has created significant breakthroughs for several clients recently, and why I keep returning to it.Running through all of this is a central theme: truth and capacity.Most people say they want freedom. But in my experience, we dramatically overestimate our ability to handle the truth about ourselves. We say we want to be free, yet when faced with the reality that would make us free, we defend, minimise, or look away.Freedom is not relief. It is exposure. It requires the nervous system strength to sit with what is real without collapsing or compensating.I also share a quiet milestone for The Insecurity Project as I bring another coach into the fold for 2026.This is part philosophy, part reflection, part behind-the-scenes look at how I'm currently organising my life and work.As always, take what's useful. Leave what isn't.

This message was given by Pastor DJ Ritchey on Sunday, February 22, 2026 at Memorial Heights Baptist Church.

If you wanted a petri dish for understanding metaphors—how they emerge and evolve and jostle with each other—it would be hard to do better than the world of AI. We talk about AI systems variously as coaches or co-pilots, little genies or alien intelligences. Some researchers claim that AIs "grow," that they're entering their phase of "adolescence." Critics deride AI products as slop and dismiss LLMs as a kind of autocomplete on steroids. What's behind these different characterizations? Which ones are accurate and which are unfair? And are our metaphors mostly colorful rhetoric or do they matter? Are they shaping how we understand, adopt, and ultimately regulate these new technologies?   My guest today is Dr. Melanie Mitchell. Melanie is a computer scientist and Professor at the Santa Fe Institute. She is the author of the book, AI: A Guide for Thinking Humans, and she writes a Substack by the same name.  This episode is a bit of companion to our recent episode with Steve Flusberg. In that episode, Steve and I attempted a kind of crash course on metaphor and the human mind. Here, Melanie and I sit down for more of an extended case study: how metaphors are guiding, galvanizing, and maybe deceiving us in the contested realm of AI discourse. We unpack seven of the most widely used metaphors in this space. We consider how these metaphors are shaping not only our everyday understandings of AI, but also law and policy. We also talk about the metaphor and analogy capabilities of AI itself. Can these system reason abstractly in the way that humans can? Along the way, Melanie and I touch on: AI-generated poetry, anthropomorphism, the original sin of AI research, the myth of Narcissus, psychometric testing and its pitfalls, metaphors for AI that are a bit hard to spot, and the question of whether an AI has ever come up with a decent analogy for itself.  Longtime fans of the show will know that we've had Melanie on the show once before. We invited her back, not only because she's thought about metaphor and analogy in AI discourse for decades, but because she's a voice of calm insight in an area that's increasingly awash in hype and polemic. Longtime fans of the show may also note that we are now celebrating our 6th birthday at Many Minds. That's right, the show launched in February 2020. If you'd like to support us as we recognize this milestone, you can leave us a rating or a review, recommend us to a friend, or give us a shout out on social media. Your support is always appreciated.  Without further ado, on to my conversation with Dr. Melanie Mitchell. Enjoy!    Notes 3:30 – For an overview of Douglas Hofstadter's work on analogy, see here. 8:00 – Much of our discussion in this interview draws on Dr. Mitchell's piece on the metaphors for AI in Science magazine.  13:30 – For earlier discussions of anthropomorphism on the show, see our earlier episodes here and here.  16:00 – See here for the original discussion of LLMs as "stochastic parrots." 17:00 –  See here for the original discussion of ChatGPT as a "blurry jpeg." 18:30 – See here for the original discussion of LLMs as role players. 22:00 – See here for one use of the "LLMs as crowds" metaphor. See also a discussion of this metaphor (and other metaphors for AI) here.   25:00 – For one discussion of AI as a "cultural technology" by Alison Gopnik and colleagues, see here. For a more recent discussion of the same metaphor by Henry Farrell, Alison Gopnik and others, see here. 27:00 – For the podcast series on intelligence that Dr. Mitchell co-hosted for the Santa Fe Institute, see here.  28:00 – See here for an influential formulations of the idea that AI is an "alien intelligence."  29:00 – For philosopher Shannon Vallor's book about AI as "mirror," see here. 31:00 – For the recent study on users' metaphors for AI systems, see here.  33:00 – For more on the rise of social AI, see our earlier episode here.  38:00 – For more on what AI researchers might learn from developmental and comparative psychologists, see Dr. Mitchell's recent post (summarizing here keynote at NeurIPs).  42:00 – For more on the ARC (Abstraction and Reasoning Corpus) and the research that Dr. Mitchell and colleagues have been doing with it, see here and here. 48:30 – For the study on humans' preference for AI-generated poetry, see here. 50:30 – For Brigitte Nerlich's documentation and discussion of various metaphors for AI (including AI's metaphors for itself), see here.   Recommendations  The AI Mirror, by Shannon Vallor 'Role play with large language models,' by Murray Shanahan (former guest!) et al. 'Large AI models are cultural and social technologies,' by Henry Farrell et al.   Many Minds is a project of the Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute, which is made possible by a generous grant from the John Templeton Foundation to Indiana University. The show is hosted and produced by Kensy Cooperrider, with help from Assistant Producer Urte Laukaityte and with creative support from DISI Directors Erica Cartmill and Jacob Foster. Our artwork is by Ben Oldroyd. Subscribe to Many Minds on Apple, Stitcher, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also now subscribe to the Many Minds newsletter here! We welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions. Feel free to email us at: manymindspodcast@gmail.com. For updates about the show, visit our website or follow us on Bluesky (@manymindspod.bsky.social).

This is Part 3 of a short series where I'm sharing how I've been using mini zines to generate ideas, make connections, and get accidentally creative in unexpected ways. In this post, I'll take you through two exercises focused on making connections and using observations to better understand your relationship with the areas of life, challenges, and decisions on your mind. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsbkFmEgs14 Exercise One: Word Association to Make Connections The core purpose here is playful exploration. This is about loosening the grip of overthinking and perfectionism and seeing how ideas might link up. Start by folding and cutting a mini zine from a single piece of A4 paper. (If you need guidance, refer back to the first part of this series or click below.) Pick a word to begin. I used sensitivity as an example, but it can be anything. Write it on the first page, then move through the zine using simple word association with one word leading to the next until each page contains a word. Once each page has a word, you can play with them… 1. Use Each Word for Self-Reflection Go through each panel and ask: If this word relates to something in my life right now, what could it be pointing to? 2. Expand Each Word Outwards Build around each word. Interpret it from different angles: How do we use this word? What does it remind you of? What is its opposite? Fill the page with associated words and doodles. 3. Combine Words (Jazz Fusion Style) Pair words from different pages. For example, combine 1 and 9, 2 and 10, 3 and 11, and so on. Then explore what each combination brings up. You might end up with things like: Sensitivity profit Microphone tax Sing pressure Talent show cooker Some will feel absurd. Some will spark something unexpectedly useful. There's an abundance of combinations. (Also good if you're looking for a band name.) You can create another mini zine and dedicate a page to each combination. You don't have to choose just one way of playing. Try one, or all of them. The aim is to make connections you wouldn't have made through deliberate logic alone. Exercise Two: Using Objects as Metaphors to Make Connections This second exercise helps you explore your relationship with a specific area of life or situation. We'll keep this one simple and use just one side of the zine. Step 1: Choose Your Objects Pick seven ordinary objects from around you. Don't overthink it. It helps if you can place them in front of you. Step 2: Choose an Area to Explore Select an area you want to understand more clearly. For example: My health My creativity My work Or something more specific, like a decision you need to make or a challenge you're navigating. Write the topic on the front. Step 3: Draw and Reflect On the next seven pages, draw one object per page. As you draw, consider: What is it used for? How does it help? What features does it have? How does it feel, smell, or look? Then go back through and ask: If this object were a metaphor for my creativity (or whatever topic you chose), what would it show? This is where you start to connect the physical items with your internal landscape and the situation you’re exploring. Deepening the Connections Once you've done all seven objects, reflect: What themes repeat across multiple objects? If I were to focus on one area first, what am I drawn to? One approach I love is adding these objects to a visual map. I treat each one as a region in a larger territory and play with the links between them. This creates a visual representation of where I am in relation to my challenges, desires, and options. The purpose isn't to force answers. It's to see your position more clearly so you can navigate it more meaningfully. There are no hard rules here. Follow your intuition. Let your imagination carry you. The point is to make connections that help you see where your strengths, resources, and choices fit with the bigger picture. If you try either of these exercises, I'd love to hear how you get on. Send me a message here.

Jeff Moody speaks from Hosea 6 and 7 on God's charges against Israel's false repentance and our call to true repentance.

Mythological and religious texts are usually accepted as total fiction or literal fact. But metaphors, allegories and parables fill these pages providing far deeper meanings. Understanding this could prevent conflicts and war. *The is the FREE archive, which includes advertisements. If you want an ad-free experience, you can subscribe below underneath the show description.WEBSITEFREE ARCHIVE (w. ads)SUBSCRIPTION ARCHIVE-X / TWITTERFACEBOOKINSTAGRAMYOUTUBERUMBLE-BUY ME A COFFEECashApp: $rdgable PAYPAL: rdgable1991@gmail.comRyan's Books: https://thesecretteachings.info EMAIL: rdgable@yahoo.com / rdgable1991@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-secret-teachings--5328407/support.

Visionary Activist Show 2pm pt 2.12.26 KPFA (2.13 KPFK in wee hours & 1 pm pt)   Dark o Moon – Friday the 13th ° Valentine's Day ° Eclipse ° Chinese New Year ° Mardi Gras ° Ramadan –   Such dangerous skullduggery abounding, that the back-stage gods are proffering syncretized Metaphors as allies. Booo-Merangue! May anything up to no good- be revealed, rendered harmless & return to its source with  a pie in the face! Make bad things too expensive, and that which is  liberating be irresistibly magnetic … Responsive Incandescent Wrath fueling Community organizational genius…. Diagnosing Danger: Malefactor  cruelty, actual and  planned   Check Project Salt Box – to see where concentration camps planned in one's hood Using Data for Good: A Crash Course: https://projectsaltbox.substack.com/p/using-data-for-good-a-crash-course   And ICE Detention Reports: 237 Detention Centers detentionreports.com   Acyn ‪@acyn.bsky.social‬ McBride: If we summon our hope then we will find the light and turn this moment into what a friend from Florida once called a slingshot moment.. where we are pulled backwards but the tension and pressure of being pulled backwards ultimately propels us to destinations that we have not yet been https://bsky.app/profile/acyn.bsky.social/post/3lnt725n2uk2a           CoyoteNetworkNews.com · Events, Councils, & More Visionary Activist on Patreon The post Dark o Moon · Friday the 13th appeared first on KPFA.

Drawing inspiration from a recent Tricycle magazine article, this episode explores the powerful metaphors we unconsciously use to describe our lives—and how they influence the way we suffer, grow, and find freedom. When we examine the stories and images we live by, we discover new ways to relate to challenge, identity, and change. By choosing more liberating metaphors, we loosen old constraints and open to a life lived with greater clarity and compassion.   THANKS FOR LISTENING! Become a Super-Fan of the Show If this conversation inspired you, please share it using the social media buttons on the page. Be a part of the show!

Dr Kirk Honda answers patron emails and interviews Dr Mark Whittington about using metaphors in therapy. For more info on Dr Whittington go to: https://metaphoricaltherapy.com/about/dr-mark-whittington/ February 9, 2026This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/KIRK to get 10% off your first month.00:00 When should I be concerned about body image issues in my relationship? 29:29 How do you treat perfectionism? 45:57 Metaphor Therapy with Dr. Mark Whittington 1:13:47 Where else can Dr. Mark Whittington be found? Become a member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOUZWV1DRtHtpP2H48S7iiw/joinBecome a patron: https://www.patreon.com/PsychologyInSeattleEmail: https://www.psychologyinseattle.com/contactWebsite: https://www.psychologyinseattle.comMerch: https://psychologyinseattle-shop.fourthwall.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/psychologyinseattle/Facebook Official Page: https://www.facebook.com/PsychologyInSeattle/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kirk.hondaThe Psychology In Seattle Podcast ®Trigger Warning: This episode may include topics such as assault, trauma, and discrimination. If necessary, listeners are encouraged to refrain from listening and care for their safety and well-being.Disclaimer: The content provided is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. Nothing here constitutes personal or professional consultation, therapy, diagnosis, or creates a counselor-client relationship. Topics discussed may generate differing points of view. If you participate (by being a guest, submitting a question, or commenting) you must do so with the knowledge that we cannot control reactions or responses from others, which may not agree with you or feel unfair. Your participation on this site is at your own risk, accepting full responsibility for any liability or harm that may result. Anything you write here may be used for discussion or endorsement of the podcast. Opinions and views expressed by the host and guest hosts are personal views. Although, we take precautions and fact check, they should not be considered facts and the opinions may change. Opinions posted by participants (such as comments) are not those of the hosts. Readers should not rely on any information found here and should perform due diligence before taking any action. For a more extensive description of factors for you to consider, please see www.psychologyinseattle.com(By The Daily Telegraph. Copyright holders of the image of Madeleine at three are Kate and Gerry McCann. The age-progressed image was commissioned by Scotland Yard from forensic artist Teri Blythe for release to the public. Both images have been widely disseminated by the copyright holders, and have been the subject of significant commentary., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39861556)

Send us a textThis episode is the audio version of my first Substack post, where I'm officially launching my newsletter. I'll share why I'm pairing my podcast with Substack to more fully convey the spirit of Memes, Metaphors and Magic. If you prefer to read and view the accompanying visuals, you can find the full written post linked below: https://memesmetaphorsmagic.substack.com/p/nonsense-mostly?r=73sijfThere's also a Spotify playlist that goes with this post.Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3JWmgOyeNMCDoPwjEgaeuz?si=cd469cbfdabb4782 

In this conversation, Adam Cox and Dale Turnbull explore the journey into hypnosis, the impact of NLP, and the significance of metaphors in personal development and therapy. They discuss how personal metaphors shape our understanding of life and the challenges of change. The dialogue delves into the concept of life as a game, the implications of simulation theory, and the metaphorical perspective on mental health. Dale shares insights from his experiences and upcoming workshops, emphasizing the importance of context in therapy and the power of metaphors in facilitating change.About Dale in his own wordsMetaphors of Movement operates within the realm of autogenic metaphor that is, metaphor generated naturally and internally by the client. All the metaphorical structures explored during the process arise organically from the client, with no content imposed by the therapist.Metaphors of Movement utilizes idiomatic communication to translate unconscious experience from the non-dominant hemisphere of the brain to conscious awareness (dominant hemisphere). This gives a fuller picture of the problem, creating harmonized understanding within the brain.Hi, I'm Dale Turnbull, an Englishman living in New York, and I help people create meaningful change through training, coaching, and mentoring in Metaphors of Movement. My aim is simple: to open up new possibilities for both clients and therapists by exploring how change really works.I got started in this field through Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), learning directly from the creators John Grinder and Richard Bandler. That experience kicked off a fascination with what is the differnece that truly makes the difference when it comes to change work. Since then, I've added a few more tools to my kit including Hypnosis, Provocative Change Works (PCW), Integral Eye Movement Therapy (IEMT) and Metaphors of Movement (MoM).After more than 12 years working with individuals and organizations, I'm now focused on sharing this powerful, eye-opening approach with others. If you're curious about how this change works... let's talk.For more info visit: https://metaphorsofmovement.us/ Keywordshypnosis, NLP, metaphors, personal development, change, mental health, therapy, coaching, self-awareness, personal growthTakeawaysDale Turnbull's journey into hypnosis began with NLP.Effective communication is key to influencing change.Metaphors can open new perspectives in therapy.Personal metaphors shape our understanding of life.Change can be complex and may involve discomfort.Life as a game can be empowering or limiting.The infinite game concept encourages continuous growth.Simulation theory offers a unique perspective on reality.Mental health diagnoses can limit personal growth.Context is crucial in understanding and facilitating change.TitlesUnlocking the Power of HypnosisNLP: The Gateway to ChangeSound bites"I wanted to be a psychotherapist.""The map is not the territory.""Life is an adventure."Chapters00:00 The Journey into Hypnosis03:00 Exploring NLP and Its Impact06:00 Metaphors and Their Role in Change08:41 Understanding Personal Metaphors11:52 The Complexity of Change14:56 Life as a Game: Pros and Cons17:46 Simulation Theory and Its Implications30:44 The Power of Metaphors in Therapy33:42 Understanding Psychosomatic Issues37:36 Disempowering Metaphors and Their Impact44:13 The Mental Health Metaphor: A Double-Edged Sword48:06 Exploring Contexts in Mental Health50:09 Upcoming Events and Practical Applications

Metaphors matter. They enliven our speech and our prose; they animate our arguments and stir our passions. Some metaphors power political movements; others propel scientific revolutions. These little figures of speech delight, provoke, captivate, shock, amuse, and galvanize us. In one way or another, metaphors just seem to help us make sense of a messy world. But how do they do all this? Whence their peculiar powers? What does it say about the human mind that we just can't escape our metaphors—and frankly don't want to?  My guest today is Dr. Stephen Flusberg. Steve is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Vassar College, where he directs the Framing, Reasoning, And Metaphor (FRAME) Lab. Here, Steve and I talk about what metaphors are and why we're so drawn to them. We discuss some of the misleading ideas about metaphor you may remember from middle school literature class. We consider why some metaphors work and others flop. We talk about the metaphors we use for climate change and prevalence and potency of war metaphors across different realms of public discourse. We consider how metaphor operates in science and in scientific theorizing. Finally, we talk about the question of whether there are some ideas that we simply can't grasp literally, concepts we can only approach through metaphor. Along the way, Steve and I talk about: "aura farming"; nautical metaphors and textile metaphors; the outmoded idea that metaphors are mere adornments; metaphor versus analogy; dead metaphors and how to resuscitate them; shadows and footprints; Dan Dennett's technique of metaphorical triangulation; and the brain-as-computer metaphor—and whether it is actually a metaphor. Alright, friends this is a fun one. Steve has spent his entire career exploring this fascinating terrain—and, as you'll see, he's a lively and affable guide. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Without further ado, here's my conversation with Dr. Steve Flusberg.    Notes 3:00 – For more on "beige flags," see here. For more on "aura farming," see here. 8:00 – For an overview of metaphor in communication and thought, see here for an article by Dr. Flusberg and co-authors. 18:00 – The "life is a journey" (or "career is a journey") metaphor—as well as other examples we discuss—are treated at length in the classic book, Metaphors We Live By. 24:00 – For a detailed academic treatment of the relationship between metaphor and analogy, see here. 32:00 – Some of the best-studied "orientational metaphors" are those found in the domain of time. See here and here. 37:00 – For more on metaphors used in discussions of environmental issues, see a paper by Dr. Flusberg and a colleague here.   42:00 – For more on the idea of the "climate shadow," see here. 46:00 – The study by Dr. Flusberg and colleagues comparing the effects of race and war metaphors for climate change. 55:00 – The article by Dr. Flusberg and colleagues on the role of war metaphors across different areas of public discourse. 1:04:00 – For an influential discussion of the role of metaphors and analogies in science, see here. For Kensy's take on Darwin's metaphors for natural selection, see here. For discussion of whether, the "brain-as-computer" metaphor is actually a metaphor, see here and here. 1:12:00  – For more on the history of metaphors in the English language—including analyses of which source domains have historically been the most fruitful—see here. 1:14:00 – For discussion of the (disputed) idea of "dead metaphors," see here and here. 1:17:00 – The idea of "theory-constitutive metaphors" in science is discussed in a chapter by Richard Boyd in this book.  1:19:00 – For a preview of Dr. Flusberg's in-progress paper on the philosopher Daniel Dennett and his technique of "metaphorical triangulation," see here. 1:33:00 – For the (extremely short) Borges' story on a maps that are too accurate to be useful, see here.   Recommendations Metaphors we Live By, by George Lakoff & Mark Johnson Consciousness Explained, by Daniel Dennett Three Sheets to the Wind, by Cynthia Barrett   Many Minds is a project of the Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute, which is made possible by a generous grant from the John Templeton Foundation to Indiana University. The show is hosted and produced by Kensy Cooperrider, with help from Assistant Producer Urte Laukaityte and with creative support from DISI Directors Erica Cartmill and Jacob Foster. Our artwork is by Ben Oldroyd. Subscribe to Many Minds on Apple, Stitcher, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also now subscribe to the Many Minds newsletter here! We welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions. Feel free to email us at: manymindspodcast@gmail.com. For updates about the show, visit our website or follow us on Bluesky (@manymindspod.bsky.social).

Adobe Photoshop finally makes big progress on Linux, and the team unpacks what this means for creative pros, open-source rivals, and anyone dreaming of ditching Windows for good. Canonical's Snaps are under fire as scammers take malware tactics to a new level, hijacking trusted developer accounts and exposing a major risk for anyone installing crypto wallet apps on Linux. Find the show notes at https://bit.ly/4sZbOEk and have a great week! Host: Jonathan Bennett Co-Hosts: Ken McDonald, Jeff Massie, and Rob Campbell Download or subscribe to Untitled Linux Show at https://twit.tv/shows/untitled-linux-show Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

Defenders: Doctrine of Salvation (Part 8): Metaphors for Mystical Union