Podcasts about Platonic

In the fourth century B.C., Plato famously posited a philosopher-king as the ideal ruler for his imagined Republic. Five hundred years later, the Roman Empire was led by Marcus Aurelius, the man often viewed as the best example of this Platonic ideal. In this episode, Jacke talks to William O. Stephens about his book Marcus Aurelius: Philosopher-King, which guides readers through the fascinating life, writings, and legacy of Rome's great emperor philosopher. The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gabrielruizbernal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Help support the show at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/literature⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠historyofliterature.com/donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FREEDOM - HEALTH - HAPPINESSThis podcast is highly addictive and seriously good for your health.SUPPORT DOC MALIK For the full episodes, bonus content, back catalogue, and monthly Live Streams, please subscribe to either:The paid Spotify subscription here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/docmalik/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The paid Substack subscription here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://docmalik.substack.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thank you to all the new subscribers for your lovely messages and reviews! And a big thanks to my existing subscribers for sticking with me and supporting the show! ABOUT THIS CONVERSATION: Quite a lot, as it turns out.It was great to have Rurik back on the podcast. In episode 419 we explored Plato, power, religion, and mythology. In this episode we go deeper, looking at how Platonic ideas have echoed through the centuries, shaping major religions, modern political systems, ideology and geopolitics. Enjoy folks!ps After I thought we had finished recording, we unexpectedly spoke for another hour, which became a bonus section.DocLinks Website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@rurikskywalker⁠⁠⁠⁠IMPORTANT INFORMATIONCONSULTATION SERVICEIn a world of rushed 7-minute consultations and endless referrals, I offer you something rare: time, context, and clear guidance.As your health advocate, I can help you:Understand your diagnosis and decode medical jargonBreak down treatment plans in plain, easy to understand non jargon EnglishPrepare for surgery, understand your risks, obtain true informed consent, and optimise yourself pre-op Recover from surgery, advise you how to heal faster and quicker and minimise post-op complicationsManage chronic illness with lifestyle, mindset, and dietary changesExplore holistic options that complement conventional careImplement lifestyle changes like fasting, stress reduction, or movementAsk better questions, and get real answersGet an unbiased second opinionReady to Take Control?If you're navigating a health concern, preparing for a big decision, or simply want to feel more confident in your path forward, I'd love to support you.Book here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://docmalik.com/consultations/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AFFILIATE LINKSSeagreenIf you want to support your health naturally, I highly recommend trying Sea Greens, a rich source of bioavailable iodine and trace minerals that nourish thyroid function, balance hormones, and provide a clean daily boost from wild ocean plants. Use the code DOCMALIK⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://seagreens.shop/go/docmalik/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Heracles Wellness SaunaHeracles Wellness is a UK-based company and supporter of the show. They offer a fantastic range of beautifully crafted saunas and cold plunge systems, perfect for creating your own healing sanctuary at home.Use the code DOCMALIK3 at checkout to get 3% off all products. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://heracleswellness.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hunter & Gather FoodsCheck out the products from this great company⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://hunterandgatherfoods.com/?ref=DOCHG BUY HERE TODAY⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Use DOCHG to get 10% OFF your purchase with Hunter & Gather Foods.IMPORTANT NOTICEIf you value my podcasts, please support the show by making a one-off donation.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/docmalik⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

In this fascinating episode of Secrets of a Sugar Daddy, Marcus sits down with Andrew and Jackie, a sugar couple who have built a relationship that breaks one of the biggest assumptions about sugar dating—there's no physical intimacy involved.Andrew and Jackie explain how their platonic arrangement developed, why the dynamic works for both of them, and how clear expectations, boundaries, and communication keep everything running smoothly. They discuss the emotional benefits of their relationship, the misconceptions people have about sugar dating, and why their connection feels authentic despite not fitting the typical mold.Marcus digs into the practical side as well—how they structure their arrangement, how they deal with skepticism from others in the lifestyle, and what both sugar daddies and sugar babies can learn from their unconventional setup.If you've ever wondered whether a platonic sugar relationship can actually work, this episode offers a rare firsthand perspective.Become a VIP Supporter of the show and receive coaching at www.patreon.com/secretsofasugardaddypodcastShare your stories, questions, and comments at www.secretsofasugardaddy.comFollow us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/secretsofasugardaddySubscribe to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@secretsofasugardaddy

Historic RPG designer Ken St. Andre (Tunnels & Trolls, Starfaring, Monsters! Monsters!, Stormbringer, more) joins for this episode. The game that shall not be named. Is it wise to go into dungeons as an adventurer, or do you just need luck? The practicality of six-siders versus Platonic solids. The most powerful buttons in the universe. Who's tougher, the Romulans or the Klingons? Marbles were the collectible card game of their day. Diplomacy variants. Gary Gygax's first introduction to Tunnels & Trolls. Dave Arneson's contribution to Flying Buffalo Games. Ken's impressions of Dave. Ken's opinion on whether OD&D was an actual RPG. Ken told TSR's lawyers, and I quote, "go piss up a rope." Ken's advice to game designers. Clever solutions in dealing with a Balrog. What is "stunting" in an RPG? Tunnels & Trolls on the MetaArcade app. Ken and Shane's predictions about AI's effect on the RPG industry. Mata Hari. Ken was a pioneer in solo RPG adventures (which Shane feels is important). What game of Ken's does he think is better than Tunnels & Trolls? Some Elric discussion. The secret brotherhood of librarians (or lack thereof). A brief diversion into chicken psychology.  Shane Plays Geek Talk Episode #288 - 3/8/2026 Like what you hear? Support Shane Plays Geek Talk on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/shaneplays Listen to the Shane Plays Geek Talk podcast on YouTube, SoundCloud, iTunes, Google Play Music, Amazon Music, Podbean and Stitcher (and other fine, fine podcast directories). Hey, you! Yeah, you! Buy cool stuff, support Shane Plays Geek Talk with these affiliate links! Humble Bundle https://www.humblebundle.com?partner=shaneplays DriveThruRPG.com https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?affiliate_id=488512 SHOW NOTES Ken St. Andre on Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_St._Andre   Trollgodfather Press (Ken's Publishing Company) https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher/9559/trollgodfather-press   Tunnels & Trolls https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnels_%26_Trolls   Starfaring https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starfaring   Monsters! Monsters! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsters!_Monsters!   Stormbringer RPG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stormbringer_(role-playing_game)   Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games 2nd Edition Shane's book! Co-authored with Matt Barton of Matt Chat https://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Desktops-History-Computer-Role-Playing/dp/1138574643/  

Click here to send me a quick message :) So often when we hear the word "intimacy," we think of sexual connection or relationships. It's so common to limit our sensual, emotional or physical closeness to our primary partnerships because that's really what we're socialized to believe is appropriate.But what if... there's more a spectrum around intimacy?And how could exploring this "platonic intimacy," as today's guest Nala Sudo calls it, actually be a healing force in our lives, especially in relation to other women?And how can something like ritual rope help us with deep healing around sisterhood, trauma, or other deep-seated patterns in our lives?Today's episode is an incredibly rich conversation exploring all of these topics and so much more. I loved hearing Nala's depth of embodied practice and wisdom, and hope you do too!Resources:Today's shownotes: Grab the link to Nala's workFree practice: Guided Womb Connection & ClearingEpisode 190: Awakening erotic aliveness with Usha RoseIf you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdomAnd if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you.  ❤️DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I'm an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.

Platonic friends help with Intimate shaving, complicated by arousal.By darrenr.  Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories.“There's one thing, though,” Anna said hesitantly. “I'm nervous about wielding a razor in such a tender place when I can't see very well down there. Would you, would you be willing to help me?”Jake swallowed. “Help, um, help you shave?”Anna nodded. “I know it's a big favor. It's no problem if you'd rather not.”Jake couldn't think of anything he wanted to do more than spend some quality time with Anna's vagina.“There’s one thing, though,” Anna said hesitantly. “I’m nervous about wielding a razor in such a tender place when I can’t see very well down there. Would you… would you be willing to help me?”Jake swallowed. “Help, um, help you shave?”Anna nodded. “I know it’s a big favor. It’s no problem if you’d rather not.”Jake couldn’t think of anything he wanted to do more than spend some quality time with Anna’s vagina.“It’s not that! I’m happy to help. It’s just, I’ve never shaved a, um, you know, a…”“Vulva?” Anna said with a smirk. “It’s okay to use the word. Anyway, neither have I! But you have the advantage of being able to see down there.”“Okay, fair point,” Jake said. “But it also means… well in order to do this, I’ll need to…” Anna raised her eyebrows waiting for him to finish.“I’ll be clean,” Anna said. “I’m going to shower first, of course.”Jake wasn’t expecting that. He shook his head. “Oh, no, I’m not concerned about that. I just mean I’ll need to… touch… you. There. You know, to shave you.”Anna frowned. “Yes, hmm, I see the difficulty now. You’ve got a friend sincerely asking for your help with her most private place, and you’re balking because even a clean vulva is, let’s face it, pretty gross.”“NO!” Jake said. “That’s not it at all!” Anna looked hurt. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to yell. You’re completely misunderstanding me. I don’t think you’re gross in any way. I don’t think your… vulva is gross. At all. Not to be too corny about it, but I think your whole body is beautiful. Including your vag–, I mean, vulva.” Anna looked skeptical. Jake grimaced. “I’m nervous because… well, you’ve said our relationship isn’t sexual. I have to be honest with you. There’s no way I can touch your body… your vulva… and not be affected. Sexually.”Anna bit her lip and looked down, nodding. “I’m still figuring myself out. I think that experience with Andrew all those years ago affected me more than I realized. I don’t know what I want, or what I feel. I just know I feel safe with you.” She lifted her head to look him in the eye. “Do you think it’s possible to just pretend that it’s not sexual between us?”“Yes, I can do that,” Jake said. “Though my body might react differently.”Anna smiled in relief. “Then there’s nothing to worry about. Once the novelty wears off, you’ll realize what a tedious task you’ve volunteered for. Now come ON already.” Her face bright with happiness, she jumped up from the couch, pulling him by the hand to the bathroom. “I’m happy to help shave you in return, of course.”“That’s probably safest,” Jake said, trying to play it cool as he realized where she would be touching him.They showered together like normal. Anna got two fresh towels, spreading one on the floor of the bathroom and keeping the other folded as a pillow. She unwrapped a new razor and put it, along with a can of shaving cream, beside the towel. Lying down on her back, she stretched her legs out and spread them apart.“Do you think I should shave it all or keep a patch of hair?” she asked.Jake stood transfixed by the sight, contemplating her lovely bush. It was full and fluffy and beautiful, with light brown hair looking impossibly soft. Part of him didn’t want her to shave it, but only part of him.“We could definitely leave a patch of hair if you want. Though even if you start fully shaved it would grow back soon.”“Good point. Let’s just shave it all to start.” She reached for the can of shaving cream.“Wait,” Jake said. “When I’ve shaved my beard in the past it worked much better when I clipped the hair short first. Otherwise the razor gets clogged. I have some small mustache scissors, if you want?”“Good idea,” Anna agreed.Jake dug in his drawer until he found the scissors, and then turned to face her and froze. Could he really do this? He felt a bit faint at the thought of accidentally cutting her.“It’s okay, Jake. I know you’re going to be gentle. Go ahead and start!” She smiled nervously at him. “But please be careful.”Jake took a deep breath and knelt between her open legs. He’d never been this close, and his greedy eyes took in every detail. He looked up to her face, framed at this angle by her lovely breasts, and she gave him an encouraging nod. Taking a deep breath, Jake raised his empty hand toward her and gently grabbed a tuft of hair. It was even softer than it looked.“Your hair is beautiful. Are you sure you want me to cut it?”Anna rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’m sure. Let’s do it!”Slowly, Jake brought the scissors up and snipped off a chunk of hair. Realizing he needed a place to collect it, he spread out a tissue. Anna watched him intently, propped up on her elbows. Carefully he worked, gathering and snipping, gathering and snipping. He gently brushed the loose hairs off her after trimming everything above her cleft.“How are you doing?” Jake asked.“Thank you for being so gentle. I would be a nervous wreck doing this myself.”“It’s my pleasure,” Jake said automatically, before realizing how intensely true the statement was. Quickly, he added, “Are you ready for me to continue working down… lower?”“You mean on my vulva?” She laughed. “Please use the names of my body parts, you silly.”“Sorry, you’re right. Are you ready for me to trim your vulva?”“Absolutely, please go ahead,” Anna said with a smile, though he still saw nervousness in her eyes. She dropped back onto the towel pillow, her breathing only a little shaky.Looking at her tender folds, Jake felt his palms sweating and his heart beating furiously. Gently, so gently, he touched his finger to the top of her cleft and drew it down to tease out the hairs trapped within. It took a few tries to get the hairs pulled off the bit of her inner labia that sat flush with her cleft. Careful to hold the scissors so he could see exactly where they cut and terrified of hurting her, he trimmed down the length of her outer lips.Anna’s hips twitched a little. “That tickles!”“Sorry! I’m not trying to tickle you.”“I know, it’s just a bit of sensory overload. Can you please just pause for a minute and press your palm against my skin, just to give my nerves a minute to calm down?”“Skin? Don’t you mean ‘vulva’?” Jake said.Anna laughed. “Fair point! Yes, please put your hand over my vulva to calm it down.”Jake put his palm against her cleft and felt its warmth, relishing the intimacy. Anna sighed and took a few deep breaths. “Okay, I’m good. Keep going.”“Could you please spread your legs a bit wider, so I can trim at the base of your legs?”“Sure thing!” Anna said. She bent her knees, bringing her feet up to rest against the sides of Jake’s legs as he knelt before her. Her outer lips were pulled apart, revealing moist pinkness inside. Her lovely scent grew stronger in his nose. Jake felt his erection jump. At least she couldn’t see his obvious arousal now. A few more minutes of careful clipping and he was done. He couldn’t be sure, but her inner lips looked wetter than before. He gently brushed the loose hairs away from her cleft and onto the tissue. Remembering how it might tickle, he placed his palm over everything again to relieve her.“Would you like me to clip, um, further down?” Then, remembering her earlier admonishment, added, “Around your, uh, anus?”Anna giggled as she sat up, her cheeks a little red. Anna bit her lip. “I suppose getting embarrassed at this point is silly. Yes, please trim down there, too.” She turned over onto her knees and pushed her bottom into the air, giving Jake his first clear view between her cheeks. His heart yearned with affection for her, the desire to care for her, even her cute little butthole. Only a few wisps of hair grew back there, and he was soon finished clipping.“Okay, I think we’re ready to start shaving,” Jake said. “Does it make sense to do that in the tub with lots of warm water?”“Definitely the tub, but we’re not ready yet. I need to clip you!”“Oh!” Jake said, “I forgot.” It was true. He was disappointed to realize he was quite erect, and with no way to hide it.“Well come on, trade places with me!” Jake stood up, his massive erection hanging out in the open air. He lay on his back feeling exposed and embarrassed. Anna knelt between his legs, and then she picked up his feet and brought them against the sides of her legs, so he was spread apart like she had been. His straining dick pointed up at the wall somewhere above his head.“Sorry about that,” he said, gesturing toward his erection.“Don’t be!” Anna replied. “I think it actually works better to have the skin stretched out for this. See if you can keep it that way. Are you ready?”“Sure, go ahead,” Jake answered. He didn’t expect it to be difficult to stay hard with her breath gently tickling his shaft. Sitting up on his elbows, he watched her gently grab a tuft of hair and clip it. She looked up to make sure he was okay, and then resumed careful clipping. Her breasts hung down in a lovely way as she bent over him clipping. Jake put his head back on the towel pillow and tried to relax, her every touch thrilling him.“I didn’t realize hairs grew up the shaft of your penis.”“Yeah it’s pretty nasty.”“No, it’s not nasty,” Anna said. “Just interesting.” He felt her fingers gingerly wrap around his shaft. “Wow, the skin is so soft. It’s a weird contrast with the hardness beneath the skin.” Jake relished the feel of her hand on him and listened to the soft swish of the scissors.“Are you doing okay?” Anna asked. She paused and kept her hand still on his hardness, the same anti-tickling strategy he’d used on her. It felt so nice. Jake was far more than okay, though he didn’t dare say that.He tilted his head up to look at her. “Perfectly comfortable. Thank you for being so careful.” She smiled at him, and then returned to her trimming. Her tongue poked out between her lips the same way it did when she was focused on some electronics soldering project. Seeing her so dedicated to caring for him made his ridiculous dick strain against her fingers.“Everything is more dynamic down here than I thought,” Anna said.Jake sat up again to give her a questioning look.“I suppose it’s obvious. It just hadn’t occurred to me. Like, when you’re hard it’s not simply rigid. It’s constantly softening a bit and re-hardening. I can even feel your pulse! And your scrotum moves!”Jake laughed. “Yeah I guess it’s all pretty weird.”“Not weird! Interesting.”Anna moved her hand down to his scrotum, her fingers gently stroking it as she trimmed hairs.“Alright, flip over so I can trim your… um,” Anna giggled for a second before continuing. “Your anus.” Jake dreaded this, but he complied. “Oh, I like how this seam of skin connects to your scrotum. This is so interesting!” A few more minutes of trimming and then she was done.“Okay NOW we’re ready for the shaving part,” Anna said brightly.Jake righted himself and helped clean up the tissues of trimmed pubic hair. There was a lot of hair.“Wow, look at us all trimmed!” Anna said, looking back and forth between the two trimmed crotches. “It feels cooler already. This is going to be great!” She started the water running and moved the new razor and can of shaving cream to the edge of the tub. They climbed in together and sat facing each other in the rising water.“This is fun,” Anna said. “I know it must be weird and tedious for you. I really appreciate you doing this with me.”“Are you kidding?” Jake said. “I’m having fun too. It’s not tedious at all.”Anna pulled herself up to sit on the edge of the tub and handed Jake the can of shaving cream. Still sitting in the water, he scooted toward her as she spread her legs apart. Jake squirted some shaving cream into his hand.“Ready?” he asked. Anna nodded, but he could see that her smile was a bit forced. He didn’t blame her for being nervous. He knew he felt more than nervous, and was grateful his hands remained steady. Jake dabbed the cream on the clipped-short hairs above her cleft and massaged it in with circular motions of his fingertips. Then he carefully dragged the razor in downward strokes, with the grain of her hair, stretching her skin flat as needed. Rinsing the razor often, he made sure to avoid re-shaving the same patch of skin. Finally, he was done with her pubic mound and rinsed her with cupped handfuls of water.“Nicely done, Jake!” Anna said, stroking the smooth skin with her hand. “Very nicely done.”Jake smiled, feeling pleased with his work. “Are you ready for me to shave your vulva now?”“Yes please!” Anna replied, though he could tell her enthusiasm was trying to conceal her nervousness.Jake squirted more cream in his hand and dabbed it on either side of her cleft. With both hands he gently rubbed cream along the inside of her legs and along her outer lips. Glancing up to check on her, he saw her cheeks were flushed. Did his touches feel good to her, or was that simply terror? Anna gave him a reassuring smile. Jake tried to focus.Continuing the short downward strokes, Jake gently drew the razor along her outer lips. Terrified of hurting her, with his other hand he stretched the skin flat and pulled it away from her inner labia as he shaved. After several minutes of careful work, she was shaved as far down as he could work at this angle. He brought up cupped handfuls of water to rinse and carefully stroked her skin feeling for any spots he might have missed. After a few touch-up strokes, he felt satisfied.“How is that?” Jake asked, looking up to her face. Anna’s cheeks were even more flushed, and she bit her lower lip. She broke out into a big smile.“Wow, Jake, you did a great job!” She explored all the shaved places with her fingers. “It feels so strange.”“I didn’t do a perfect job,” Jake said. “I was afraid of giving you a razor burn, so I went for gentleness over thoroughness.”“Thank you for being so careful. The whole time I knew I was in safe hands.”“You’re beautiful,” Jake said softly, lost in thought staring at her smooth cleft. Then, catching himself, “I think it looks great! Want me to finish your, uh, anus?”“Definitely!” Anna said. She dipped her bottom in the tub water to get everything freshly wet and turned over on her knees to present her bottom to him. Jake put shaving cream along the inside of each bottom cheek. A few careful strokes of the razor later he was finished, and he stopped to admire his work on her beautiful body.“All done!” he announced.Anna sat back down in the tub. “Alright, your turn now. Up on the edge of the tub!”While shaving Anna, Jake was so focused on being careful that his misbehaving dick shrunk down to nearly normal. Spreading his legs and presenting himself to Anna, however, quickly brought it back to fully erect.“Thank you,” she said. “I was worried how I would do this properly if your penis wasn’t erect. Are you ready?”Jake nodded, and Anna started rubbing shaving cream into his pubic hair. Looking down he watched her beautiful face, completely focused on her task. Her breasts, so comforting to see, jiggled as she moved. Part of him was very present, relishing her touches and attention. Another part of him was so deep in thought it was almost like having an out of body experience. Anna was the one person he cared most about in the whole world. She was his closest friend, the person who most understood him. When he was away from her, he missed her. When he was with her, he felt utterly content. His place didn’t feel like home unless she was there too. This wasn’t mere physical lust, though there was plenty of that as well. He truly loved her. The trouble was he didn’t see a way to tell her this, without risking messing up what he already had. The thought of frightening her off, of not sharing this intimacy with her, was too horrible to consider.Seeing the way she touched him, though, so carefully and tenderly, it was hard to believe she didn’t have any sexual feelings for him.“There we go,” Anna said, waking him from his reverie. Jake looked down to see himself thoroughly hairless. He didn’t get time to really look before she turned him over to shave between his butt cheeks. A minute later she was finished. They rinsed off in the shower and stood next to each other in front of the mirror to admire the results.“We look fantastic. I love this!” Anna said.“You look amazing,” Jake said.“So do you!” Anna was striking poses in the mirror. “Oh, I almost forgot. We need to moisturize.” She dug in her drawer and pulled out a bottle of lotion. “It’s a very gentle lotion suitable for the whole body. Do you mind if I apply it?” Jake shook his head and Anna straightened the towel on the floor for him to lie down upon. Anna used both hands on him to gently massage lotion everywhere she had shaved, including the shaft of his rock-hard dick and his smooth ball sack. Unlike shaving, he was obviously capable of applying lotion to himself without danger. But if she wanted to touch him and be touched by him, he certainly wasn’t going to argue. He was surprised to find Anna spreading the lotion beyond the sha

Platonic friends help with Intimate shaving, complicated by arousal.By darrenr.  Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories.“There's one thing, though,” Anna said hesitantly. “I'm nervous about wielding a razor in such a tender place when I can't see very well down there. Would you, would you be willing to help me?”Jake swallowed. “Help, um, help you shave?”Anna nodded. “I know it's a big favor. It's no problem if you'd rather not.”Jake couldn't think of anything he wanted to do more than spend some quality time with Anna's vagina.“There’s one thing, though,” Anna said hesitantly. “I’m nervous about wielding a razor in such a tender place when I can’t see very well down there. Would you… would you be willing to help me?”Jake swallowed. “Help, um, help you shave?”Anna nodded. “I know it’s a big favor. It’s no problem if you’d rather not.”Jake couldn’t think of anything he wanted to do more than spend some quality time with Anna’s vagina.“It’s not that! I’m happy to help. It’s just, I’ve never shaved a, um, you know, a…”“Vulva?” Anna said with a smirk. “It’s okay to use the word. Anyway, neither have I! But you have the advantage of being able to see down there.”“Okay, fair point,” Jake said. “But it also means… well in order to do this, I’ll need to…” Anna raised her eyebrows waiting for him to finish.“I’ll be clean,” Anna said. “I’m going to shower first, of course.”Jake wasn’t expecting that. He shook his head. “Oh, no, I’m not concerned about that. I just mean I’ll need to… touch… you. There. You know, to shave you.”Anna frowned. “Yes, hmm, I see the difficulty now. You’ve got a friend sincerely asking for your help with her most private place, and you’re balking because even a clean vulva is, let’s face it, pretty gross.”“NO!” Jake said. “That’s not it at all!” Anna looked hurt. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to yell. You’re completely misunderstanding me. I don’t think you’re gross in any way. I don’t think your… vulva is gross. At all. Not to be too corny about it, but I think your whole body is beautiful. Including your vag–, I mean, vulva.” Anna looked skeptical. Jake grimaced. “I’m nervous because… well, you’ve said our relationship isn’t sexual. I have to be honest with you. There’s no way I can touch your body… your vulva… and not be affected. Sexually.”Anna bit her lip and looked down, nodding. “I’m still figuring myself out. I think that experience with Andrew all those years ago affected me more than I realized. I don’t know what I want, or what I feel. I just know I feel safe with you.” She lifted her head to look him in the eye. “Do you think it’s possible to just pretend that it’s not sexual between us?”“Yes, I can do that,” Jake said. “Though my body might react differently.”Anna smiled in relief. “Then there’s nothing to worry about. Once the novelty wears off, you’ll realize what a tedious task you’ve volunteered for. Now come ON already.” Her face bright with happiness, she jumped up from the couch, pulling him by the hand to the bathroom. “I’m happy to help shave you in return, of course.”“That’s probably safest,” Jake said, trying to play it cool as he realized where she would be touching him.They showered together like normal. Anna got two fresh towels, spreading one on the floor of the bathroom and keeping the other folded as a pillow. She unwrapped a new razor and put it, along with a can of shaving cream, beside the towel. Lying down on her back, she stretched her legs out and spread them apart.“Do you think I should shave it all or keep a patch of hair?” she asked.Jake stood transfixed by the sight, contemplating her lovely bush. It was full and fluffy and beautiful, with light brown hair looking impossibly soft. Part of him didn’t want her to shave it, but only part of him.“We could definitely leave a patch of hair if you want. Though even if you start fully shaved it would grow back soon.”“Good point. Let’s just shave it all to start.” She reached for the can of shaving cream.“Wait,” Jake said. “When I’ve shaved my beard in the past it worked much better when I clipped the hair short first. Otherwise the razor gets clogged. I have some small mustache scissors, if you want?”“Good idea,” Anna agreed.Jake dug in his drawer until he found the scissors, and then turned to face her and froze. Could he really do this? He felt a bit faint at the thought of accidentally cutting her.“It’s okay, Jake. I know you’re going to be gentle. Go ahead and start!” She smiled nervously at him. “But please be careful.”Jake took a deep breath and knelt between her open legs. He’d never been this close, and his greedy eyes took in every detail. He looked up to her face, framed at this angle by her lovely breasts, and she gave him an encouraging nod. Taking a deep breath, Jake raised his empty hand toward her and gently grabbed a tuft of hair. It was even softer than it looked.“Your hair is beautiful. Are you sure you want me to cut it?”Anna rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’m sure. Let’s do it!”Slowly, Jake brought the scissors up and snipped off a chunk of hair. Realizing he needed a place to collect it, he spread out a tissue. Anna watched him intently, propped up on her elbows. Carefully he worked, gathering and snipping, gathering and snipping. He gently brushed the loose hairs off her after trimming everything above her cleft.“How are you doing?” Jake asked.“Thank you for being so gentle. I would be a nervous wreck doing this myself.”“It’s my pleasure,” Jake said automatically, before realizing how intensely true the statement was. Quickly, he added, “Are you ready for me to continue working down… lower?”“You mean on my vulva?” She laughed. “Please use the names of my body parts, you silly.”“Sorry, you’re right. Are you ready for me to trim your vulva?”“Absolutely, please go ahead,” Anna said with a smile, though he still saw nervousness in her eyes. She dropped back onto the towel pillow, her breathing only a little shaky.Looking at her tender folds, Jake felt his palms sweating and his heart beating furiously. Gently, so gently, he touched his finger to the top of her cleft and drew it down to tease out the hairs trapped within. It took a few tries to get the hairs pulled off the bit of her inner labia that sat flush with her cleft. Careful to hold the scissors so he could see exactly where they cut and terrified of hurting her, he trimmed down the length of her outer lips.Anna’s hips twitched a little. “That tickles!”“Sorry! I’m not trying to tickle you.”“I know, it’s just a bit of sensory overload. Can you please just pause for a minute and press your palm against my skin, just to give my nerves a minute to calm down?”“Skin? Don’t you mean ‘vulva’?” Jake said.Anna laughed. “Fair point! Yes, please put your hand over my vulva to calm it down.”Jake put his palm against her cleft and felt its warmth, relishing the intimacy. Anna sighed and took a few deep breaths. “Okay, I’m good. Keep going.”“Could you please spread your legs a bit wider, so I can trim at the base of your legs?”“Sure thing!” Anna said. She bent her knees, bringing her feet up to rest against the sides of Jake’s legs as he knelt before her. Her outer lips were pulled apart, revealing moist pinkness inside. Her lovely scent grew stronger in his nose. Jake felt his erection jump. At least she couldn’t see his obvious arousal now. A few more minutes of careful clipping and he was done. He couldn’t be sure, but her inner lips looked wetter than before. He gently brushed the loose hairs away from her cleft and onto the tissue. Remembering how it might tickle, he placed his palm over everything again to relieve her.“Would you like me to clip, um, further down?” Then, remembering her earlier admonishment, added, “Around your, uh, anus?”Anna giggled as she sat up, her cheeks a little red. Anna bit her lip. “I suppose getting embarrassed at this point is silly. Yes, please trim down there, too.” She turned over onto her knees and pushed her bottom into the air, giving Jake his first clear view between her cheeks. His heart yearned with affection for her, the desire to care for her, even her cute little butthole. Only a few wisps of hair grew back there, and he was soon finished clipping.“Okay, I think we’re ready to start shaving,” Jake said. “Does it make sense to do that in the tub with lots of warm water?”“Definitely the tub, but we’re not ready yet. I need to clip you!”“Oh!” Jake said, “I forgot.” It was true. He was disappointed to realize he was quite erect, and with no way to hide it.“Well come on, trade places with me!” Jake stood up, his massive erection hanging out in the open air. He lay on his back feeling exposed and embarrassed. Anna knelt between his legs, and then she picked up his feet and brought them against the sides of her legs, so he was spread apart like she had been. His straining dick pointed up at the wall somewhere above his head.“Sorry about that,” he said, gesturing toward his erection.“Don’t be!” Anna replied. “I think it actually works better to have the skin stretched out for this. See if you can keep it that way. Are you ready?”“Sure, go ahead,” Jake answered. He didn’t expect it to be difficult to stay hard with her breath gently tickling his shaft. Sitting up on his elbows, he watched her gently grab a tuft of hair and clip it. She looked up to make sure he was okay, and then resumed careful clipping. Her breasts hung down in a lovely way as she bent over him clipping. Jake put his head back on the towel pillow and tried to relax, her every touch thrilling him.“I didn’t realize hairs grew up the shaft of your penis.”“Yeah it’s pretty nasty.”“No, it’s not nasty,” Anna said. “Just interesting.” He felt her fingers gingerly wrap around his shaft. “Wow, the skin is so soft. It’s a weird contrast with the hardness beneath the skin.” Jake relished the feel of her hand on him and listened to the soft swish of the scissors.“Are you doing okay?” Anna asked. She paused and kept her hand still on his hardness, the same anti-tickling strategy he’d used on her. It felt so nice. Jake was far more than okay, though he didn’t dare say that.He tilted his head up to look at her. “Perfectly comfortable. Thank you for being so careful.” She smiled at him, and then returned to her trimming. Her tongue poked out between her lips the same way it did when she was focused on some electronics soldering project. Seeing her so dedicated to caring for him made his ridiculous dick strain against her fingers.“Everything is more dynamic down here than I thought,” Anna said.Jake sat up again to give her a questioning look.“I suppose it’s obvious. It just hadn’t occurred to me. Like, when you’re hard it’s not simply rigid. It’s constantly softening a bit and re-hardening. I can even feel your pulse! And your scrotum moves!”Jake laughed. “Yeah I guess it’s all pretty weird.”“Not weird! Interesting.”Anna moved her hand down to his scrotum, her fingers gently stroking it as she trimmed hairs.“Alright, flip over so I can trim your… um,” Anna giggled for a second before continuing. “Your anus.” Jake dreaded this, but he complied. “Oh, I like how this seam of skin connects to your scrotum. This is so interesting!” A few more minutes of trimming and then she was done.“Okay NOW we’re ready for the shaving part,” Anna said brightly.Jake righted himself and helped clean up the tissues of trimmed pubic hair. There was a lot of hair.“Wow, look at us all trimmed!” Anna said, looking back and forth between the two trimmed crotches. “It feels cooler already. This is going to be great!” She started the water running and moved the new razor and can of shaving cream to the edge of the tub. They climbed in together and sat facing each other in the rising water.“This is fun,” Anna said. “I know it must be weird and tedious for you. I really appreciate you doing this with me.”“Are you kidding?” Jake said. “I’m having fun too. It’s not tedious at all.”Anna pulled herself up to sit on the edge of the tub and handed Jake the can of shaving cream. Still sitting in the water, he scooted toward her as she spread her legs apart. Jake squirted some shaving cream into his hand.“Ready?” he asked. Anna nodded, but he could see that her smile was a bit forced. He didn’t blame her for being nervous. He knew he felt more than nervous, and was grateful his hands remained steady. Jake dabbed the cream on the clipped-short hairs above her cleft and massaged it in with circular motions of his fingertips. Then he carefully dragged the razor in downward strokes, with the grain of her hair, stretching her skin flat as needed. Rinsing the razor often, he made sure to avoid re-shaving the same patch of skin. Finally, he was done with her pubic mound and rinsed her with cupped handfuls of water.“Nicely done, Jake!” Anna said, stroking the smooth skin with her hand. “Very nicely done.”Jake smiled, feeling pleased with his work. “Are you ready for me to shave your vulva now?”“Yes please!” Anna replied, though he could tell her enthusiasm was trying to conceal her nervousness.Jake squirted more cream in his hand and dabbed it on either side of her cleft. With both hands he gently rubbed cream along the inside of her legs and along her outer lips. Glancing up to check on her, he saw her cheeks were flushed. Did his touches feel good to her, or was that simply terror? Anna gave him a reassuring smile. Jake tried to focus.Continuing the short downward strokes, Jake gently drew the razor along her outer lips. Terrified of hurting her, with his other hand he stretched the skin flat and pulled it away from her inner labia as he shaved. After several minutes of careful work, she was shaved as far down as he could work at this angle. He brought up cupped handfuls of water to rinse and carefully stroked her skin feeling for any spots he might have missed. After a few touch-up strokes, he felt satisfied.“How is that?” Jake asked, looking up to her face. Anna’s cheeks were even more flushed, and she bit her lower lip. She broke out into a big smile.“Wow, Jake, you did a great job!” She explored all the shaved places with her fingers. “It feels so strange.”“I didn’t do a perfect job,” Jake said. “I was afraid of giving you a razor burn, so I went for gentleness over thoroughness.”“Thank you for being so careful. The whole time I knew I was in safe hands.”“You’re beautiful,” Jake said softly, lost in thought staring at her smooth cleft. Then, catching himself, “I think it looks great! Want me to finish your, uh, anus?”“Definitely!” Anna said. She dipped her bottom in the tub water to get everything freshly wet and turned over on her knees to present her bottom to him. Jake put shaving cream along the inside of each bottom cheek. A few careful strokes of the razor later he was finished, and he stopped to admire his work on her beautiful body.“All done!” he announced.Anna sat back down in the tub. “Alright, your turn now. Up on the edge of the tub!”While shaving Anna, Jake was so focused on being careful that his misbehaving dick shrunk down to nearly normal. Spreading his legs and presenting himself to Anna, however, quickly brought it back to fully erect.“Thank you,” she said. “I was worried how I would do this properly if your penis wasn’t erect. Are you ready?”Jake nodded, and Anna started rubbing shaving cream into his pubic hair. Looking down he watched her beautiful face, completely focused on her task. Her breasts, so comforting to see, jiggled as she moved. Part of him was very present, relishing her touches and attention. Another part of him was so deep in thought it was almost like having an out of body experience. Anna was the one person he cared most about in the whole world. She was his closest friend, the person who most understood him. When he was away from her, he missed her. When he was with her, he felt utterly content. His place didn’t feel like home unless she was there too. This wasn’t mere physical lust, though there was plenty of that as well. He truly loved her. The trouble was he didn’t see a way to tell her this, without risking messing up what he already had. The thought of frightening her off, of not sharing this intimacy with her, was too horrible to consider.Seeing the way she touched him, though, so carefully and tenderly, it was hard to believe she didn’t have any sexual feelings for him.“There we go,” Anna said, waking him from his reverie. Jake looked down to see himself thoroughly hairless. He didn’t get time to really look before she turned him over to shave between his butt cheeks. A minute later she was finished. They rinsed off in the shower and stood next to each other in front of the mirror to admire the results.“We look fantastic. I love this!” Anna said.“You look amazing,” Jake said.“So do you!” Anna was striking poses in the mirror. “Oh, I almost forgot. We need to moisturize.” She dug in her drawer and pulled out a bottle of lotion. “It’s a very gentle lotion suitable for the whole body. Do you mind if I apply it?” Jake shook his head and Anna straightened the towel on the floor for him to lie down upon. Anna used both hands on him to gently massage lotion everywhere she had shaved, including the shaft of his rock-hard dick and his smooth ball sack. Unlike shaving, he was obviously capable of applying lotion to himself without danger. But if she wanted to touch him and be touched by him, he certainly wasn’t going to argue. He was surprised to find Anna spreading the lotion beyond the sha

Platonic friends help with Intimate shaving, complicated by arousal.By darrenr.  Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories.“There's one thing, though,” Anna said hesitantly. “I'm nervous about wielding a razor in such a tender place when I can't see very well down there. Would you, would you be willing to help me?”Jake swallowed. “Help, um, help you shave?”Anna nodded. “I know it's a big favor. It's no problem if you'd rather not.”Jake couldn't think of anything he wanted to do more than spend some quality time with Anna's vagina.“There’s one thing, though,” Anna said hesitantly. “I’m nervous about wielding a razor in such a tender place when I can’t see very well down there. Would you… would you be willing to help me?”Jake swallowed. “Help, um, help you shave?”Anna nodded. “I know it’s a big favor. It’s no problem if you’d rather not.”Jake couldn’t think of anything he wanted to do more than spend some quality time with Anna’s vagina.“It’s not that! I’m happy to help. It’s just, I’ve never shaved a, um, you know, a…”“Vulva?” Anna said with a smirk. “It’s okay to use the word. Anyway, neither have I! But you have the advantage of being able to see down there.”“Okay, fair point,” Jake said. “But it also means… well in order to do this, I’ll need to…” Anna raised her eyebrows waiting for him to finish.“I’ll be clean,” Anna said. “I’m going to shower first, of course.”Jake wasn’t expecting that. He shook his head. “Oh, no, I’m not concerned about that. I just mean I’ll need to… touch… you. There. You know, to shave you.”Anna frowned. “Yes, hmm, I see the difficulty now. You’ve got a friend sincerely asking for your help with her most private place, and you’re balking because even a clean vulva is, let’s face it, pretty gross.”“NO!” Jake said. “That’s not it at all!” Anna looked hurt. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to yell. You’re completely misunderstanding me. I don’t think you’re gross in any way. I don’t think your… vulva is gross. At all. Not to be too corny about it, but I think your whole body is beautiful. Including your vag–, I mean, vulva.” Anna looked skeptical. Jake grimaced. “I’m nervous because… well, you’ve said our relationship isn’t sexual. I have to be honest with you. There’s no way I can touch your body… your vulva… and not be affected. Sexually.”Anna bit her lip and looked down, nodding. “I’m still figuring myself out. I think that experience with Andrew all those years ago affected me more than I realized. I don’t know what I want, or what I feel. I just know I feel safe with you.” She lifted her head to look him in the eye. “Do you think it’s possible to just pretend that it’s not sexual between us?”“Yes, I can do that,” Jake said. “Though my body might react differently.”Anna smiled in relief. “Then there’s nothing to worry about. Once the novelty wears off, you’ll realize what a tedious task you’ve volunteered for. Now come ON already.” Her face bright with happiness, she jumped up from the couch, pulling him by the hand to the bathroom. “I’m happy to help shave you in return, of course.”“That’s probably safest,” Jake said, trying to play it cool as he realized where she would be touching him.They showered together like normal. Anna got two fresh towels, spreading one on the floor of the bathroom and keeping the other folded as a pillow. She unwrapped a new razor and put it, along with a can of shaving cream, beside the towel. Lying down on her back, she stretched her legs out and spread them apart.“Do you think I should shave it all or keep a patch of hair?” she asked.Jake stood transfixed by the sight, contemplating her lovely bush. It was full and fluffy and beautiful, with light brown hair looking impossibly soft. Part of him didn’t want her to shave it, but only part of him.“We could definitely leave a patch of hair if you want. Though even if you start fully shaved it would grow back soon.”“Good point. Let’s just shave it all to start.” She reached for the can of shaving cream.“Wait,” Jake said. “When I’ve shaved my beard in the past it worked much better when I clipped the hair short first. Otherwise the razor gets clogged. I have some small mustache scissors, if you want?”“Good idea,” Anna agreed.Jake dug in his drawer until he found the scissors, and then turned to face her and froze. Could he really do this? He felt a bit faint at the thought of accidentally cutting her.“It’s okay, Jake. I know you’re going to be gentle. Go ahead and start!” She smiled nervously at him. “But please be careful.”Jake took a deep breath and knelt between her open legs. He’d never been this close, and his greedy eyes took in every detail. He looked up to her face, framed at this angle by her lovely breasts, and she gave him an encouraging nod. Taking a deep breath, Jake raised his empty hand toward her and gently grabbed a tuft of hair. It was even softer than it looked.“Your hair is beautiful. Are you sure you want me to cut it?”Anna rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’m sure. Let’s do it!”Slowly, Jake brought the scissors up and snipped off a chunk of hair. Realizing he needed a place to collect it, he spread out a tissue. Anna watched him intently, propped up on her elbows. Carefully he worked, gathering and snipping, gathering and snipping. He gently brushed the loose hairs off her after trimming everything above her cleft.“How are you doing?” Jake asked.“Thank you for being so gentle. I would be a nervous wreck doing this myself.”“It’s my pleasure,” Jake said automatically, before realizing how intensely true the statement was. Quickly, he added, “Are you ready for me to continue working down… lower?”“You mean on my vulva?” She laughed. “Please use the names of my body parts, you silly.”“Sorry, you’re right. Are you ready for me to trim your vulva?”“Absolutely, please go ahead,” Anna said with a smile, though he still saw nervousness in her eyes. She dropped back onto the towel pillow, her breathing only a little shaky.Looking at her tender folds, Jake felt his palms sweating and his heart beating furiously. Gently, so gently, he touched his finger to the top of her cleft and drew it down to tease out the hairs trapped within. It took a few tries to get the hairs pulled off the bit of her inner labia that sat flush with her cleft. Careful to hold the scissors so he could see exactly where they cut and terrified of hurting her, he trimmed down the length of her outer lips.Anna’s hips twitched a little. “That tickles!”“Sorry! I’m not trying to tickle you.”“I know, it’s just a bit of sensory overload. Can you please just pause for a minute and press your palm against my skin, just to give my nerves a minute to calm down?”“Skin? Don’t you mean ‘vulva’?” Jake said.Anna laughed. “Fair point! Yes, please put your hand over my vulva to calm it down.”Jake put his palm against her cleft and felt its warmth, relishing the intimacy. Anna sighed and took a few deep breaths. “Okay, I’m good. Keep going.”“Could you please spread your legs a bit wider, so I can trim at the base of your legs?”“Sure thing!” Anna said. She bent her knees, bringing her feet up to rest against the sides of Jake’s legs as he knelt before her. Her outer lips were pulled apart, revealing moist pinkness inside. Her lovely scent grew stronger in his nose. Jake felt his erection jump. At least she couldn’t see his obvious arousal now. A few more minutes of careful clipping and he was done. He couldn’t be sure, but her inner lips looked wetter than before. He gently brushed the loose hairs away from her cleft and onto the tissue. Remembering how it might tickle, he placed his palm over everything again to relieve her.“Would you like me to clip, um, further down?” Then, remembering her earlier admonishment, added, “Around your, uh, anus?”Anna giggled as she sat up, her cheeks a little red. Anna bit her lip. “I suppose getting embarrassed at this point is silly. Yes, please trim down there, too.” She turned over onto her knees and pushed her bottom into the air, giving Jake his first clear view between her cheeks. His heart yearned with affection for her, the desire to care for her, even her cute little butthole. Only a few wisps of hair grew back there, and he was soon finished clipping.“Okay, I think we’re ready to start shaving,” Jake said. “Does it make sense to do that in the tub with lots of warm water?”“Definitely the tub, but we’re not ready yet. I need to clip you!”“Oh!” Jake said, “I forgot.” It was true. He was disappointed to realize he was quite erect, and with no way to hide it.“Well come on, trade places with me!” Jake stood up, his massive erection hanging out in the open air. He lay on his back feeling exposed and embarrassed. Anna knelt between his legs, and then she picked up his feet and brought them against the sides of her legs, so he was spread apart like she had been. His straining dick pointed up at the wall somewhere above his head.“Sorry about that,” he said, gesturing toward his erection.“Don’t be!” Anna replied. “I think it actually works better to have the skin stretched out for this. See if you can keep it that way. Are you ready?”“Sure, go ahead,” Jake answered. He didn’t expect it to be difficult to stay hard with her breath gently tickling his shaft. Sitting up on his elbows, he watched her gently grab a tuft of hair and clip it. She looked up to make sure he was okay, and then resumed careful clipping. Her breasts hung down in a lovely way as she bent over him clipping. Jake put his head back on the towel pillow and tried to relax, her every touch thrilling him.“I didn’t realize hairs grew up the shaft of your penis.”“Yeah it’s pretty nasty.”“No, it’s not nasty,” Anna said. “Just interesting.” He felt her fingers gingerly wrap around his shaft. “Wow, the skin is so soft. It’s a weird contrast with the hardness beneath the skin.” Jake relished the feel of her hand on him and listened to the soft swish of the scissors.“Are you doing okay?” Anna asked. She paused and kept her hand still on his hardness, the same anti-tickling strategy he’d used on her. It felt so nice. Jake was far more than okay, though he didn’t dare say that.He tilted his head up to look at her. “Perfectly comfortable. Thank you for being so careful.” She smiled at him, and then returned to her trimming. Her tongue poked out between her lips the same way it did when she was focused on some electronics soldering project. Seeing her so dedicated to caring for him made his ridiculous dick strain against her fingers.“Everything is more dynamic down here than I thought,” Anna said.Jake sat up again to give her a questioning look.“I suppose it’s obvious. It just hadn’t occurred to me. Like, when you’re hard it’s not simply rigid. It’s constantly softening a bit and re-hardening. I can even feel your pulse! And your scrotum moves!”Jake laughed. “Yeah I guess it’s all pretty weird.”“Not weird! Interesting.”Anna moved her hand down to his scrotum, her fingers gently stroking it as she trimmed hairs.“Alright, flip over so I can trim your… um,” Anna giggled for a second before continuing. “Your anus.” Jake dreaded this, but he complied. “Oh, I like how this seam of skin connects to your scrotum. This is so interesting!” A few more minutes of trimming and then she was done.“Okay NOW we’re ready for the shaving part,” Anna said brightly.Jake righted himself and helped clean up the tissues of trimmed pubic hair. There was a lot of hair.“Wow, look at us all trimmed!” Anna said, looking back and forth between the two trimmed crotches. “It feels cooler already. This is going to be great!” She started the water running and moved the new razor and can of shaving cream to the edge of the tub. They climbed in together and sat facing each other in the rising water.“This is fun,” Anna said. “I know it must be weird and tedious for you. I really appreciate you doing this with me.”“Are you kidding?” Jake said. “I’m having fun too. It’s not tedious at all.”Anna pulled herself up to sit on the edge of the tub and handed Jake the can of shaving cream. Still sitting in the water, he scooted toward her as she spread her legs apart. Jake squirted some shaving cream into his hand.“Ready?” he asked. Anna nodded, but he could see that her smile was a bit forced. He didn’t blame her for being nervous. He knew he felt more than nervous, and was grateful his hands remained steady. Jake dabbed the cream on the clipped-short hairs above her cleft and massaged it in with circular motions of his fingertips. Then he carefully dragged the razor in downward strokes, with the grain of her hair, stretching her skin flat as needed. Rinsing the razor often, he made sure to avoid re-shaving the same patch of skin. Finally, he was done with her pubic mound and rinsed her with cupped handfuls of water.“Nicely done, Jake!” Anna said, stroking the smooth skin with her hand. “Very nicely done.”Jake smiled, feeling pleased with his work. “Are you ready for me to shave your vulva now?”“Yes please!” Anna replied, though he could tell her enthusiasm was trying to conceal her nervousness.Jake squirted more cream in his hand and dabbed it on either side of her cleft. With both hands he gently rubbed cream along the inside of her legs and along her outer lips. Glancing up to check on her, he saw her cheeks were flushed. Did his touches feel good to her, or was that simply terror? Anna gave him a reassuring smile. Jake tried to focus.Continuing the short downward strokes, Jake gently drew the razor along her outer lips. Terrified of hurting her, with his other hand he stretched the skin flat and pulled it away from her inner labia as he shaved. After several minutes of careful work, she was shaved as far down as he could work at this angle. He brought up cupped handfuls of water to rinse and carefully stroked her skin feeling for any spots he might have missed. After a few touch-up strokes, he felt satisfied.“How is that?” Jake asked, looking up to her face. Anna’s cheeks were even more flushed, and she bit her lower lip. She broke out into a big smile.“Wow, Jake, you did a great job!” She explored all the shaved places with her fingers. “It feels so strange.”“I didn’t do a perfect job,” Jake said. “I was afraid of giving you a razor burn, so I went for gentleness over thoroughness.”“Thank you for being so careful. The whole time I knew I was in safe hands.”“You’re beautiful,” Jake said softly, lost in thought staring at her smooth cleft. Then, catching himself, “I think it looks great! Want me to finish your, uh, anus?”“Definitely!” Anna said. She dipped her bottom in the tub water to get everything freshly wet and turned over on her knees to present her bottom to him. Jake put shaving cream along the inside of each bottom cheek. A few careful strokes of the razor later he was finished, and he stopped to admire his work on her beautiful body.“All done!” he announced.Anna sat back down in the tub. “Alright, your turn now. Up on the edge of the tub!”While shaving Anna, Jake was so focused on being careful that his misbehaving dick shrunk down to nearly normal. Spreading his legs and presenting himself to Anna, however, quickly brought it back to fully erect.“Thank you,” she said. “I was worried how I would do this properly if your penis wasn’t erect. Are you ready?”Jake nodded, and Anna started rubbing shaving cream into his pubic hair. Looking down he watched her beautiful face, completely focused on her task. Her breasts, so comforting to see, jiggled as she moved. Part of him was very present, relishing her touches and attention. Another part of him was so deep in thought it was almost like having an out of body experience. Anna was the one person he cared most about in the whole world. She was his closest friend, the person who most understood him. When he was away from her, he missed her. When he was with her, he felt utterly content. His place didn’t feel like home unless she was there too. This wasn’t mere physical lust, though there was plenty of that as well. He truly loved her. The trouble was he didn’t see a way to tell her this, without risking messing up what he already had. The thought of frightening her off, of not sharing this intimacy with her, was too horrible to consider.Seeing the way she touched him, though, so carefully and tenderly, it was hard to believe she didn’t have any sexual feelings for him.“There we go,” Anna said, waking him from his reverie. Jake looked down to see himself thoroughly hairless. He didn’t get time to really look before she turned him over to shave between his butt cheeks. A minute later she was finished. They rinsed off in the shower and stood next to each other in front of the mirror to admire the results.“We look fantastic. I love this!” Anna said.“You look amazing,” Jake said.“So do you!” Anna was striking poses in the mirror. “Oh, I almost forgot. We need to moisturize.” She dug in her drawer and pulled out a bottle of lotion. “It’s a very gentle lotion suitable for the whole body. Do you mind if I apply it?” Jake shook his head and Anna straightened the towel on the floor for him to lie down upon. Anna used both hands on him to gently massage lotion everywhere she had shaved, including the shaft of his rock-hard dick and his smooth ball sack. Unlike shaving, he was obviously capable of applying lotion to himself without danger. But if she wanted to touch him and be touched by him, he certainly wasn’t going to argue. He was surprised to find Anna spreading the lotion beyond the sha

Platonic friends help with Intimate shaving, complicated by arousal.By darrenr.  Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories.“There's one thing, though,” Anna said hesitantly. “I'm nervous about wielding a razor in such a tender place when I can't see very well down there. Would you, would you be willing to help me?”Jake swallowed. “Help, um, help you shave?”Anna nodded. “I know it's a big favor. It's no problem if you'd rather not.”Jake couldn't think of anything he wanted to do more than spend some quality time with Anna's vagina.“There’s one thing, though,” Anna said hesitantly. “I’m nervous about wielding a razor in such a tender place when I can’t see very well down there. Would you… would you be willing to help me?”Jake swallowed. “Help, um, help you shave?”Anna nodded. “I know it’s a big favor. It’s no problem if you’d rather not.”Jake couldn’t think of anything he wanted to do more than spend some quality time with Anna’s vagina.“It’s not that! I’m happy to help. It’s just, I’ve never shaved a, um, you know, a…”“Vulva?” Anna said with a smirk. “It’s okay to use the word. Anyway, neither have I! But you have the advantage of being able to see down there.”“Okay, fair point,” Jake said. “But it also means… well in order to do this, I’ll need to…” Anna raised her eyebrows waiting for him to finish.“I’ll be clean,” Anna said. “I’m going to shower first, of course.”Jake wasn’t expecting that. He shook his head. “Oh, no, I’m not concerned about that. I just mean I’ll need to… touch… you. There. You know, to shave you.”Anna frowned. “Yes, hmm, I see the difficulty now. You’ve got a friend sincerely asking for your help with her most private place, and you’re balking because even a clean vulva is, let’s face it, pretty gross.”“NO!” Jake said. “That’s not it at all!” Anna looked hurt. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to yell. You’re completely misunderstanding me. I don’t think you’re gross in any way. I don’t think your… vulva is gross. At all. Not to be too corny about it, but I think your whole body is beautiful. Including your vag–, I mean, vulva.” Anna looked skeptical. Jake grimaced. “I’m nervous because… well, you’ve said our relationship isn’t sexual. I have to be honest with you. There’s no way I can touch your body… your vulva… and not be affected. Sexually.”Anna bit her lip and looked down, nodding. “I’m still figuring myself out. I think that experience with Andrew all those years ago affected me more than I realized. I don’t know what I want, or what I feel. I just know I feel safe with you.” She lifted her head to look him in the eye. “Do you think it’s possible to just pretend that it’s not sexual between us?”“Yes, I can do that,” Jake said. “Though my body might react differently.”Anna smiled in relief. “Then there’s nothing to worry about. Once the novelty wears off, you’ll realize what a tedious task you’ve volunteered for. Now come ON already.” Her face bright with happiness, she jumped up from the couch, pulling him by the hand to the bathroom. “I’m happy to help shave you in return, of course.”“That’s probably safest,” Jake said, trying to play it cool as he realized where she would be touching him.They showered together like normal. Anna got two fresh towels, spreading one on the floor of the bathroom and keeping the other folded as a pillow. She unwrapped a new razor and put it, along with a can of shaving cream, beside the towel. Lying down on her back, she stretched her legs out and spread them apart.“Do you think I should shave it all or keep a patch of hair?” she asked.Jake stood transfixed by the sight, contemplating her lovely bush. It was full and fluffy and beautiful, with light brown hair looking impossibly soft. Part of him didn’t want her to shave it, but only part of him.“We could definitely leave a patch of hair if you want. Though even if you start fully shaved it would grow back soon.”“Good point. Let’s just shave it all to start.” She reached for the can of shaving cream.“Wait,” Jake said. “When I’ve shaved my beard in the past it worked much better when I clipped the hair short first. Otherwise the razor gets clogged. I have some small mustache scissors, if you want?”“Good idea,” Anna agreed.Jake dug in his drawer until he found the scissors, and then turned to face her and froze. Could he really do this? He felt a bit faint at the thought of accidentally cutting her.“It’s okay, Jake. I know you’re going to be gentle. Go ahead and start!” She smiled nervously at him. “But please be careful.”Jake took a deep breath and knelt between her open legs. He’d never been this close, and his greedy eyes took in every detail. He looked up to her face, framed at this angle by her lovely breasts, and she gave him an encouraging nod. Taking a deep breath, Jake raised his empty hand toward her and gently grabbed a tuft of hair. It was even softer than it looked.“Your hair is beautiful. Are you sure you want me to cut it?”Anna rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’m sure. Let’s do it!”Slowly, Jake brought the scissors up and snipped off a chunk of hair. Realizing he needed a place to collect it, he spread out a tissue. Anna watched him intently, propped up on her elbows. Carefully he worked, gathering and snipping, gathering and snipping. He gently brushed the loose hairs off her after trimming everything above her cleft.“How are you doing?” Jake asked.“Thank you for being so gentle. I would be a nervous wreck doing this myself.”“It’s my pleasure,” Jake said automatically, before realizing how intensely true the statement was. Quickly, he added, “Are you ready for me to continue working down… lower?”“You mean on my vulva?” She laughed. “Please use the names of my body parts, you silly.”“Sorry, you’re right. Are you ready for me to trim your vulva?”“Absolutely, please go ahead,” Anna said with a smile, though he still saw nervousness in her eyes. She dropped back onto the towel pillow, her breathing only a little shaky.Looking at her tender folds, Jake felt his palms sweating and his heart beating furiously. Gently, so gently, he touched his finger to the top of her cleft and drew it down to tease out the hairs trapped within. It took a few tries to get the hairs pulled off the bit of her inner labia that sat flush with her cleft. Careful to hold the scissors so he could see exactly where they cut and terrified of hurting her, he trimmed down the length of her outer lips.Anna’s hips twitched a little. “That tickles!”“Sorry! I’m not trying to tickle you.”“I know, it’s just a bit of sensory overload. Can you please just pause for a minute and press your palm against my skin, just to give my nerves a minute to calm down?”“Skin? Don’t you mean ‘vulva’?” Jake said.Anna laughed. “Fair point! Yes, please put your hand over my vulva to calm it down.”Jake put his palm against her cleft and felt its warmth, relishing the intimacy. Anna sighed and took a few deep breaths. “Okay, I’m good. Keep going.”“Could you please spread your legs a bit wider, so I can trim at the base of your legs?”“Sure thing!” Anna said. She bent her knees, bringing her feet up to rest against the sides of Jake’s legs as he knelt before her. Her outer lips were pulled apart, revealing moist pinkness inside. Her lovely scent grew stronger in his nose. Jake felt his erection jump. At least she couldn’t see his obvious arousal now. A few more minutes of careful clipping and he was done. He couldn’t be sure, but her inner lips looked wetter than before. He gently brushed the loose hairs away from her cleft and onto the tissue. Remembering how it might tickle, he placed his palm over everything again to relieve her.“Would you like me to clip, um, further down?” Then, remembering her earlier admonishment, added, “Around your, uh, anus?”Anna giggled as she sat up, her cheeks a little red. Anna bit her lip. “I suppose getting embarrassed at this point is silly. Yes, please trim down there, too.” She turned over onto her knees and pushed her bottom into the air, giving Jake his first clear view between her cheeks. His heart yearned with affection for her, the desire to care for her, even her cute little butthole. Only a few wisps of hair grew back there, and he was soon finished clipping.“Okay, I think we’re ready to start shaving,” Jake said. “Does it make sense to do that in the tub with lots of warm water?”“Definitely the tub, but we’re not ready yet. I need to clip you!”“Oh!” Jake said, “I forgot.” It was true. He was disappointed to realize he was quite erect, and with no way to hide it.“Well come on, trade places with me!” Jake stood up, his massive erection hanging out in the open air. He lay on his back feeling exposed and embarrassed. Anna knelt between his legs, and then she picked up his feet and brought them against the sides of her legs, so he was spread apart like she had been. His straining dick pointed up at the wall somewhere above his head.“Sorry about that,” he said, gesturing toward his erection.“Don’t be!” Anna replied. “I think it actually works better to have the skin stretched out for this. See if you can keep it that way. Are you ready?”“Sure, go ahead,” Jake answered. He didn’t expect it to be difficult to stay hard with her breath gently tickling his shaft. Sitting up on his elbows, he watched her gently grab a tuft of hair and clip it. She looked up to make sure he was okay, and then resumed careful clipping. Her breasts hung down in a lovely way as she bent over him clipping. Jake put his head back on the towel pillow and tried to relax, her every touch thrilling him.“I didn’t realize hairs grew up the shaft of your penis.”“Yeah it’s pretty nasty.”“No, it’s not nasty,” Anna said. “Just interesting.” He felt her fingers gingerly wrap around his shaft. “Wow, the skin is so soft. It’s a weird contrast with the hardness beneath the skin.” Jake relished the feel of her hand on him and listened to the soft swish of the scissors.“Are you doing okay?” Anna asked. She paused and kept her hand still on his hardness, the same anti-tickling strategy he’d used on her. It felt so nice. Jake was far more than okay, though he didn’t dare say that.He tilted his head up to look at her. “Perfectly comfortable. Thank you for being so careful.” She smiled at him, and then returned to her trimming. Her tongue poked out between her lips the same way it did when she was focused on some electronics soldering project. Seeing her so dedicated to caring for him made his ridiculous dick strain against her fingers.“Everything is more dynamic down here than I thought,” Anna said.Jake sat up again to give her a questioning look.“I suppose it’s obvious. It just hadn’t occurred to me. Like, when you’re hard it’s not simply rigid. It’s constantly softening a bit and re-hardening. I can even feel your pulse! And your scrotum moves!”Jake laughed. “Yeah I guess it’s all pretty weird.”“Not weird! Interesting.”Anna moved her hand down to his scrotum, her fingers gently stroking it as she trimmed hairs.“Alright, flip over so I can trim your… um,” Anna giggled for a second before continuing. “Your anus.” Jake dreaded this, but he complied. “Oh, I like how this seam of skin connects to your scrotum. This is so interesting!” A few more minutes of trimming and then she was done.“Okay NOW we’re ready for the shaving part,” Anna said brightly.Jake righted himself and helped clean up the tissues of trimmed pubic hair. There was a lot of hair.“Wow, look at us all trimmed!” Anna said, looking back and forth between the two trimmed crotches. “It feels cooler already. This is going to be great!” She started the water running and moved the new razor and can of shaving cream to the edge of the tub. They climbed in together and sat facing each other in the rising water.“This is fun,” Anna said. “I know it must be weird and tedious for you. I really appreciate you doing this with me.”“Are you kidding?” Jake said. “I’m having fun too. It’s not tedious at all.”Anna pulled herself up to sit on the edge of the tub and handed Jake the can of shaving cream. Still sitting in the water, he scooted toward her as she spread her legs apart. Jake squirted some shaving cream into his hand.“Ready?” he asked. Anna nodded, but he could see that her smile was a bit forced. He didn’t blame her for being nervous. He knew he felt more than nervous, and was grateful his hands remained steady. Jake dabbed the cream on the clipped-short hairs above her cleft and massaged it in with circular motions of his fingertips. Then he carefully dragged the razor in downward strokes, with the grain of her hair, stretching her skin flat as needed. Rinsing the razor often, he made sure to avoid re-shaving the same patch of skin. Finally, he was done with her pubic mound and rinsed her with cupped handfuls of water.“Nicely done, Jake!” Anna said, stroking the smooth skin with her hand. “Very nicely done.”Jake smiled, feeling pleased with his work. “Are you ready for me to shave your vulva now?”“Yes please!” Anna replied, though he could tell her enthusiasm was trying to conceal her nervousness.Jake squirted more cream in his hand and dabbed it on either side of her cleft. With both hands he gently rubbed cream along the inside of her legs and along her outer lips. Glancing up to check on her, he saw her cheeks were flushed. Did his touches feel good to her, or was that simply terror? Anna gave him a reassuring smile. Jake tried to focus.Continuing the short downward strokes, Jake gently drew the razor along her outer lips. Terrified of hurting her, with his other hand he stretched the skin flat and pulled it away from her inner labia as he shaved. After several minutes of careful work, she was shaved as far down as he could work at this angle. He brought up cupped handfuls of water to rinse and carefully stroked her skin feeling for any spots he might have missed. After a few touch-up strokes, he felt satisfied.“How is that?” Jake asked, looking up to her face. Anna’s cheeks were even more flushed, and she bit her lower lip. She broke out into a big smile.“Wow, Jake, you did a great job!” She explored all the shaved places with her fingers. “It feels so strange.”“I didn’t do a perfect job,” Jake said. “I was afraid of giving you a razor burn, so I went for gentleness over thoroughness.”“Thank you for being so careful. The whole time I knew I was in safe hands.”“You’re beautiful,” Jake said softly, lost in thought staring at her smooth cleft. Then, catching himself, “I think it looks great! Want me to finish your, uh, anus?”“Definitely!” Anna said. She dipped her bottom in the tub water to get everything freshly wet and turned over on her knees to present her bottom to him. Jake put shaving cream along the inside of each bottom cheek. A few careful strokes of the razor later he was finished, and he stopped to admire his work on her beautiful body.“All done!” he announced.Anna sat back down in the tub. “Alright, your turn now. Up on the edge of the tub!”While shaving Anna, Jake was so focused on being careful that his misbehaving dick shrunk down to nearly normal. Spreading his legs and presenting himself to Anna, however, quickly brought it back to fully erect.“Thank you,” she said. “I was worried how I would do this properly if your penis wasn’t erect. Are you ready?”Jake nodded, and Anna started rubbing shaving cream into his pubic hair. Looking down he watched her beautiful face, completely focused on her task. Her breasts, so comforting to see, jiggled as she moved. Part of him was very present, relishing her touches and attention. Another part of him was so deep in thought it was almost like having an out of body experience. Anna was the one person he cared most about in the whole world. She was his closest friend, the person who most understood him. When he was away from her, he missed her. When he was with her, he felt utterly content. His place didn’t feel like home unless she was there too. This wasn’t mere physical lust, though there was plenty of that as well. He truly loved her. The trouble was he didn’t see a way to tell her this, without risking messing up what he already had. The thought of frightening her off, of not sharing this intimacy with her, was too horrible to consider.Seeing the way she touched him, though, so carefully and tenderly, it was hard to believe she didn’t have any sexual feelings for him.“There we go,” Anna said, waking him from his reverie. Jake looked down to see himself thoroughly hairless. He didn’t get time to really look before she turned him over to shave between his butt cheeks. A minute later she was finished. They rinsed off in the shower and stood next to each other in front of the mirror to admire the results.“We look fantastic. I love this!” Anna said.“You look amazing,” Jake said.“So do you!” Anna was striking poses in the mirror. “Oh, I almost forgot. We need to moisturize.” She dug in her drawer and pulled out a bottle of lotion. “It’s a very gentle lotion suitable for the whole body. Do you mind if I apply it?” Jake shook his head and Anna straightened the towel on the floor for him to lie down upon. Anna used both hands on him to gently massage lotion everywhere she had shaved, including the shaft of his rock-hard dick and his smooth ball sack. Unlike shaving, he was obviously capable of applying lotion to himself without danger. But if she wanted to touch him and be touched by him, he certainly wasn’t going to argue. He was surprised to find Anna spreading the lotion beyond the sha

This week on The Sidebar Podcast, Leise Winny and Mr. Royce sit down with William Honablew Jr., Business Consultant, for a sharp, layered conversation about capitalism, leadership, culture, and power.From understanding business ownership in Black communities to navigating influence, distraction, and the consequences of “winning,” this episode connects entrepreneurship with identity, accountability, and cultural politics.Is capitalism the path to leadership — or just another hierarchy?Should cultural figures be called out for their behavior?Who controls access to power?And what does it really cost to win?It's business… but it's also bigger than business.4:20 — William Honablew Jr. introduction5:12 — Why is it important for Black people to understand how to run a business?10:30 — Should we call out 50 Cent for his behavior?14:30 — Looking for leadership through capitalism19:13 — Who can say the N-word?26:02 — What is a martyr?32:35 — Keeping people out & using power strategically34:15 — Entertainment or distraction?39:08 — How marketing changed the game49:48 — Platonic friendships — real or not?1:00:55 — Being honest: hero vs. villain1:13:18 — The consequences of winning1:20:30 — William's business info & closing

Many people don't believe it is true, but it is true! However, most people are still dealing with lack of control of the their flesh. Therefore, they just don't believe it can happen. They are of immature minds and still being controlled by their flesh. When a person have no control over the flesh it affects them in many ways and many areas of their lives, because they're always doing the wrong things to gain something.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/relationships-and-relatable-life-chronicles--4126439/support.

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Would you date a divorcee?The episode kicks off with a wild dating take from the train — two kids is fine, but being divorced is where the line gets drawn. Is divorce actually a red flag, or are we just projecting our own fears about commitment?Recorded on location at an Apricrest property in Bryanston, the guys also unpack the difference between sectional title ownership and corporate landlord models — from slower decision-making and levy risks, to whether single-owner rental estates actually make for better tenant experiences.Then the conversation pivots into relationships:Are women intentionally testing boundaries?Is insecurity something we bring into relationships — or something that gets unlocked once we're in them?And why do honest conversations between men and women break down the moment insecurity enters the chat?Expect debates on dating, emotional honesty, power dynamics and the uncomfortable truths nobody wants to own.00:00 Would you date a divorcee?03:00 Episode intro + Uzuri Online & Standby Auto Repairs04:00 Corporate landlords vs sectional title ownership08:30 Non-paying tenants & levy risk explained11:00 Body corporate rules vs single landlord control16:40 The headache of serious relationships17:20 Do partners create chaos when things are “too peaceful”?19:10 Boundary-testing in relationships20:00 Can men criticise women objectively?22:40 Nature vs intention in conflict24:00 Emotional honesty vs “pop psychology” excuses25:40 Insecurity in dating dynamics26:00 Platonic friendships & trust issues27:30 Owning your insecurity (or refusing to)

What is mathematics, really? Mathematician David Bessis joins me to argue that math isn't about numbers in a Platonic realm or a meaningless game of symbols—it's a cognitive technology for rewiring your brain. We explore why the official definitions of mathematics have been unresolved for 2,300 years, why understanding something means finding it obvious, and how the gap between a beginner and Terence Tao looks less like genetic destiny and more like compound interest on intuition. When asked what mathematics fundamentally is, his answer cuts through millennia of philosophy: it's what happens in your head when you pretend something is true until it feels real. LINKS MENTIONED: Papers, books, websites: - https://davidbessis.substack.com/ - https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=YmJL9KwAAAAJ - https://amazon.com/dp/0300283288?tag=toe08-20 - https://davidbessis.substack.com/p/the-magic-of-mathematical-intuition - https://davidbessis.substack.com/p/weve-been-wrong-about-math-for-2300 - https://arxiv.org/abs/math/9404236 - https://amazon.com/dp/0387900926?tag=toe08-20 - https://davidbessis.substack.com/p/the-curious-case-of-broken-theorems - https://mathworld.wolfram.com/FermatsLastTheorem.html - https://xenaproject.wordpress.com/2024/12/11/fermats-last-theorem-how-its-going/ - https://gwern.net/doc/math/1979-hersh.pdf - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem_of_universals - https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/set-theory/zf.html - https://imperialcollegelondon.github.io/FLT/blueprint/ - https://amazon.com/dp/1015393233?tag=toe08-20 - https://annals.math.princeton.edu/2015/181-3/p01 - https://arxiv.org/abs/math/0610778 - https://pi.math.cornell.edu/~bts82/events/homotopyF20/notes/bar-construction-typed.pdf - https://www.edge.org/conversation/reuben_hersh-reuben-hersh-1927-2020 - https://mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Ramanujan/ - https://amazon.com/dp/1107536510?tag=toe08-20 - https://viennot.org/abjc-lectures.html - https://pdf.sciencedirectassets.com/272332/1-s2.0-S0021869306X06555/1-s2.0-S0021869305006150/main.pdf Videos: - https://youtu.be/tYgiVnQubyw - https://youtu.be/RX1tZv_Nv4Y - https://youtu.be/73IdQGgfxas - https://youtu.be/lhpRAWxvY5s - https://youtu.be/rJz_Badd43c - https://youtu.be/c8iFtaltX-s - https://youtu.be/81sPQGIWEfM - https://youtu.be/wbP0KjWm0pw - https://youtu.be/mTwvecBthpQ - https://youtu.be/_sTDSO74D8Q - https://youtu.be/DeTm4fSXpbM SOCIALS: - Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt - Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs Guests do not pay to appear. Theories of Everything receives revenue solely from viewer donations, platform ads, and clearly labelled sponsors; no guest or associated entity has ever given compensation, directly or through intermediaries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Love is in the air… Wait, no. That's not love. It's just our host. She smells amazing. That last statement was not written under duress… Host Terri Doty is in the booth and ready to catch up with... Read More

: Valentine's Day isn't dying—but it is changing. It's less about romance and more about… friends?

In this episode of the podcast, Keltie speaks with creative director, producer, musician, and writer, Amrita Vijay, about her decision to have a child with her platonic life partner, Andrew. You'll hear about: Why Amrita never wanted kids — and what made her change her mind How Amrita and her gay best friend, Andrew, decided to become co-parents How her and Andrew's unique relationship allows them to challenge traditional gender roles — and the pressures and expectations that still exist as a straight-presenting "couple" (who aren't actually a couple) The importance of questioning societal expectations around marriage and family — and how doing so, can create new ways of having kids and experiencing family What Andrew and Amrita's co-parenting relationship entails, and how they're navigating dating, future partners, and living arrangements Mentioned in this episode: Find Amita on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vijayandstephens Her and Andrew's website is: emergencycontacts.substack.com Watch Amrita and Andrew's short film, LOOSELY — inspired by their decision to have kids together, and viewable on a private link here: https://vimeo.com/788430913/bc7f928154 Check out Amrita and Andrew's feature on Storyworth, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS_1ZCkQtJU Join one of our monthly SUPPORT SERIES sessions

It's our 800th Episode, and it's about time we show our real face. For 16 years, you thought we were Da Gooberman, but really we're Monica Angela Rita! But don't worry, we're still full of great advice even though our souls are spread out across eighty-eight haunted piano keys.Suggested Talking Points: Da Man in Da Goobermask, Be Gentle About Deck Size, Trade Your Brother for a Website, Hone Your Brain and Ditch Your ShameImmigrant Law Center of Minnesota: https://www.ilcm.org/donate/

Heavily Edited-Watch the full uncensored livestream with Nick Farrell: https://youtube.com/live/toQi9HIR4FYExploring Hermetic Wisdom with Nick Farrell: A Deep Dive into the Golden Dawn TraditionJoin us on the Magic Without Fears Hermetic podcast as we welcome renowned occult author and practitioner, Nick Farrell. In this episode, we discuss technical glitches, Farrell's influential books, and his controversial views on the Golden Dawn, Mathers, and historical occult figures. Farrell emphasizes the human flaws of these figures and the importance of magical practice and experience over theoretical knowledge. The conversation touches on a range of topics, from the misuse of secrecy in occultism to practical applications of ritual magic. We also delve into Farrell's latest work on John Hayden and the complexities of alchemy and geomancy within the Golden Dawn system. This insightful discussion offers valuable perspectives for both seasoned practitioners and newcomers to the occult. Don't miss this deep dive into the rich traditions and modern interpretations of Hermetic wisdom. #Occult #GoldenDawn #NickFarrell #MagicWithoutFearsTheomagica is the blueprint for a lot of the waffle you hear in modern occult circles, but with actual depth and taken in context.Heyden discusses the magician as a mediator between celestial forces and the material world. It's the exact microcosm–macrocosm spiel that the Golden Dawn borrowed wholesale and incorporated into their rituals. Like Heyden, Crowley waltzed in later, sprinkled on some poetry, and declared himself the prophet. But the cosmology he borrowed comes from the likes of Heyden.His book is stuffed with Platonic philosophy, biblical mysticism, and the power of the stars, and unlike some later magicians, he didn't need a thesaurus to make it look impressive.Even Frederick Hockley, who was the Golden Dawn's beta version, drew on Heyden when shaping his scrying techniques. And despite his endless bluster about smashing old systems, even Crowley ends up echoing Heyden's ideas. Mathers and Westcott leaned on Heyden's worldview, which included magical images and a hierarchy of spirits, while pretending it all came straight from the Secret Chiefs.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/magick-without-fears-frater-r-c-hermetic-podcast/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This week on PodQuest, Walnut has been playing some games including the Tomb Raider Remaster and Highguard, meanwhile Chris caught up on some shows starting with Shrinking on Apple TV+. We also have a bit of a Dragon Ball discussion, Walnut played some Nice Day for Fishing, and Chris watched season two of Platonic, also on Apple TV+. Our current theme is movie sequels following a big gap (minimum 10 years). The second pick for this is Spinal Tap 2 (2025) Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:07:34 - Agenda 00:07:54 - Tomb Raider Remaster (Game) 00:19:05 - Nice Day for Fishing (Game) 00:24:15 - Highguard (Game) 00:40:49 - Shrinking (TV Series) 00:50:12 - Platonic (TV Series) 00:55:36 - Outro Support One-Quest https://www.Patreon.com/OneQuest Follow Us Email - Social@one-quest.com Twitter - @One_Quest Instagram - @One_Quest Facebook - OneQuestOnline Follow Chris on Twitter - @Just_Cobb Follow Richie on Twitter - @B_Walnuts Follow Drootin on Twitter - @IamDroot Check out Richie's streaming and videos! Twitch b_walnuts YouTube BWalnuts TikTok b_walnuts Intro and Outro music Mega Man 2 'Project X2 - Title Screen' OC ReMix courtesy of Project X over at OCRemix

This week on PodQuest, Walnut has been playing some games including the Tomb Raider Remaster and Highguard, meanwhile Chris caught up on some shows starting with Shrinking on Apple TV+. We also have a bit of a Dragon Ball discussion, Walnut played some Nice Day for Fishing, and Chris watched season two of Platonic, also on Apple TV+.

On this episode of Funky Friday with Cam Newton, Cam sits down with Demetri Wiley for an honest conversation about love, relationships, and personal growth. From love at first sight to co-parenting, boundaries, and healing, nothing is off limits. Dmitri shares real-life experiences and lessons that challenge how we think about connection and commitment. This is one of those episodes that makes you reflect on how — and why — you love.00:00 — Love, Lust & Real Talk: Setting the Tone00:49 — Welcome Back to Funky Friday with Cam Newton01:07 — Meet Dmitri Wiley: Love, Life & Perspective02:39 — Demetri's Love Story: How It Really Started04:16 — Is Love at First Sight Real or Just Chemistry?07:23 — What “Real Love” Actually Looks Like17:09 — Co-Parenting, Blended Families & Doing It the Right Way33:20 — Prom Nights, Young Love & Lessons Learned34:16 — Platonic vs Romantic: Where People Get It Wrong35:22 — Temptation, Discipline & Self-Control37:03 — Boundaries, Respect & Knowing When to Fall Back41:20 — The Crack House Analogy (Yeah… We Went There)46:22 — Healing Yourself Before Loving Someone Else57:51 — Valentine's Day Advice You Actually Need to Hear

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and Dr. Donald Prudlo explore the intricate relationship between Plato and St. Thomas Aquinas, examining how Aquinas's thought is influenced by Platonic philosophy while also being rooted in Aristotle. We are reading the PURGATORIO for Lent!Check out our LIBRARY OF GUIDES TO THE GREAT BOOKS.See Dr. Prudlo's books on St. Thomas, administration, and more!They discuss the nuances of Aquinas' understanding of universals, the nature of evil, and the significance of the body in Christian anthropology, highlighting the complexities of Aquinas's intellectual context and the historical development of these philosophical ideas. They discuss how Aquinas synthesized various philosophical traditions, particularly in his understanding of existence and essence, the role of beauty, and the moral implications of his metaphysics. The dialogue also touches on the early church's reception (or rejection) of Aristotle, the influence of Islamic philosophy, and the evolution of Aquinas' thought throughout his life. Ultimately, the conversation highlights the richness of Aquinas' philosophy and its relevance to contemporary discussions on faith and reason.Chapters00:00 Introduction to the Great Books Podcast03:11 Experiencing the Papal Conclave06:34 Plato and Aquinas: A Complex Relationship12:43 Aquinas' Intellectual Evolution17:02 The Importance of Reading the Great Books24:25 Platonic Thought in Aquinas' Philosophy34:48 The Quest for Certitude in Philosophy37:20 Realism and the Nature of Universals40:56 Mind-Body Dualism and the Significance of the Body47:36 The Reception of Aristotle in Early Christianity54:09 The Distinction Between Essence and Existence01:04:53 The Role of Beauty in Aquinas' Philosophy01:06:38 Exploring Beauty in Philosophy01:11:23 The Role of Beauty in St. Thomas Aquinas01:13:44 The Ladder of Love and Its Implications01:19:18 Essence and Existence in Thomistic Thought01:21:41 The Hierarchy of Being and Divine Wisdom01:25:22 The Evolution of Aquinas' Thought01:27:35 Understanding Aquinas Through His Influences01:30:17 Final Thoughts on Faith and ReasonTakeawaysAquinas is often mischaracterized as purely Aristotelian.The relationship between Plato and Aristotle is more complex (and harmonious) than often portrayed.Aquinas' thought is enriched by both Platonic and Aristotelian influences.Evil is understood as a privation of the good in Aquinas's philosophy.Aquinas' understanding of universals differs from both Plato and Aristotle.The concept of exitus and reditus is a key Neoplatonic idea in Aquinas.The mind-body dualism presents challenges for Christian thought.Aquinas retained Platonic emphasis on the...

In this episode, I sit down with Riyan Parekh, a high school senior juggling life as a philosophy club president, Boy Scout, tennis player, and full-time thinker, to talk about what it actually means to live philosophically at 18.Riyan shares the philosophical motion he lives by, how leading discussions has reshaped the way he listens in his personal life, and what it's like balancing ambition, reflection, and responsibility in a world that often rewards self-obsession over self-awareness. We unpack the tension between truth and reality, how to express emotions—Platonic or romantic—without losing yourself, and why second chances matter when navigating identity, ego, and growth.We also talk about what advice he'd give his future self five years from now, and Riyan leaves listeners with a final message that feels grounding, honest, and deeply relevant for anyone trying to figure themselves out while growing up in public.

What if everything we think we know about the brain is just a really good metaphor that we forgot was a metaphor?This episode takes you on a journey through the history of scientific simplification, from a young Karl Friston watching wood lice in his garden to the bold claims that your mind is literally software running on biological hardware.We bring together some of the most brilliant minds we've interviewed — Professor Mazviita Chirimuuta, Francois Chollet, Joscha Bach, Professor Luciano Floridi, Professor Noam Chomsky, Nobel laureate John Jumper, and more — to wrestle with a deceptively simple question: *When scientists simplify reality to study it, what gets captured and what gets lost?**Key ideas explored:**The Spherical Cow Problem* — Science requires simplification. We're limited creatures trying to understand systems far more complex than our working memory can hold. But when does a useful model become a dangerous illusion?*The Kaleidoscope Hypothesis* — Francois Chollet's beautiful idea that beneath all the apparent chaos of reality lies simple, repeating patterns — like bits of colored glass in a kaleidoscope creating infinite complexity. Is this profound truth or Platonic wishful thinking?*Is Software Really Spirit?* — Joscha Bach makes the provocative claim that software is literally spirit, not metaphorically. We push back on this, asking whether the "sameness" we see across different computers running the same program exists in nature or only in our descriptions.*The Cultural Illusion of AGI* — Why does artificial general intelligence seem so inevitable to people in Silicon Valley? Professor Chirimuuta suggests we might be caught in a "cultural historical illusion" — our mechanistic assumptions about minds making AI seem like destiny when it might just be a bet.*Prediction vs. Understanding* — Nobel Prize winner John Jumper: AI can predict and control, but understanding requires a human in the loop. Throughout history, we've described the brain as hydraulic pumps, telegraph networks, telephone switchboards, and now computers. Each metaphor felt obviously true at the time. This episode asks: what will we think was naive about our current assumptions in fifty years?Featuring insights from *The Brain Abstracted* by Mazviita Chirimuuta — possibly the most influential book on how we think about thinking in 2025.---TIMESTAMPS:00:00:00 The Wood Louse & The Spherical Cow00:02:04 The Necessity of Abstraction00:04:42 Simplicius vs. Ignorantio: The Boxing Match00:06:39 The Kaleidoscope Hypothesis00:08:40 Is the Mind Software?00:13:15 Critique of Causal Patterns00:14:40 Temperature is Not a Thing00:18:24 The Ship of Theseus & Ontology00:23:45 Metaphors Hardening into Reality00:25:41 The Illusion of AGI Inevitability00:27:45 Prediction vs. Understanding00:32:00 Climbing the Mountain vs. The Helicopter00:34:53 Haptic Realism & The Limits of Knowledge---REFERENCES:Person:[00:00:00] Karl Friston (UCL)https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/1236-karl-friston[00:06:30] Francois Chollethttps://fchollet.com/[00:14:41] Cesar Hidalgo, MLST interview.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzpFOJRteeI[00:30:30] Terence Tao's Bloghttps://terrytao.wordpress.com/Book:[00:02:25] The Brain Abstractedhttps://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262548045/the-brain-abstracted/[00:06:00] On Learned Ignorancehttps://www.amazon.com/Nicholas-Cusa-learned-ignorance-translation/dp/0938060236[00:24:15] Science and the Modern Worldhttps://amazon.com/dp/0684836394RESCRIPT:https://app.rescript.info/public/share/CYy0ex2M2kvcVRdMnSUky5O7H7hB7v2u_nVhoUiuKD4PDF Transcript: https://app.rescript.info/api/public/sessions/6c44c41e1e0fa6dd/pdf Thank you to Dr. Maxwell Ramstead for early script work on this show (Ph.D student of Friston) and the woodlice story came from him!

Dr. Michael Levin (@drmichaellevin) is the Vannevar Bush Distinguished Professor of Biology at Tufts University and director of the Allen Discovery Center. He is primarily interested in how intelligence self-organizes in a diverse range of natural, engineered, and hybrid embodiments. Applied to the collective intelligence of cell groups undergoing morphogenesis, these ideas have allowed the Levin Lab to develop new applications in birth defects, organ regeneration, and cancer suppression.This episode is brought to you by:ShipStation shipping software: ShipStation.com/TimAG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: DrinkAG1.com/TimOur Place's Titanium Always Pan® Pro using nonstick technology that's coating-free and made without PFAS, otherwise known as “forever chemicals”: FromOurPlace.com/TimTIMESTAMPS:[00:00:00] Start[00:03:18] The Body Electric: A Vancouver bookstore discovery that launched a career.[00:04:19] Bioelectricity 101: Your brain uses it to think; your body used it before you had a brain.[00:06:05] The lesson learned by scrambled tadpole faces that rearrange themselves.[00:08:51] Software vs. hardware: The genome is your factory settings, not your destiny.[00:11:43] Two-headed flatworms: Rewriting biological memory without touching DNA.[00:16:20] Seeing memories: Voltage-sensitive dyes reveal the body's hidden blueprints.[00:20:12] Three killer apps for humans: Birth defects, regeneration, and cancer.[00:24:27] Cancer as identity crisis: Cells forgetting they're part of a team.[00:25:40] The boredom theory of aging: Goal-seeking systems with nothing left to do.[00:30:09] Planaria's immortality hack: Rip yourself in half every two weeks.[00:31:27] Manhattan Project for aging: Crack cellular cognition, everything else falls into place.[00:33:47] Giving cells new goals: Convince a gut to become an eye.[00:37:42] Must mammalian mortality be mandatory?[00:40:25] Cross-pollination: Why biologists would benefit from programming courses.[00:47:15] Does acupuncture actually do anything?[00:50:57] Placebo as feature, not bug: Words and drugs share the same mechanism.[00:55:06] The frame problem: Why robots explode and rats intuit what matters.[00:59:41] Binary thinking is a trap: “Is it intelligent?” is the wrong question.[01:07:46] Minimal brain, normal IQ: Clinical cases that break neuroscience.[01:08:45] Super panpsychism: Your liver might have opinions.[01:13:48] The Platonic space: Bodies as thin clients for patterns from elsewhere.[01:15:24] Keep asking “why” and you end up in the math department.[01:23:07] Polycomputing: Sorting algorithms secretly doing side quests.[01:28:24] Power scaling for the future and avoiding red herrings for understanding machine minds.[01:34:06] Sci-fi recommendations.[01:37:24] Cliff Tabin's toast and Dan Dennett's steel manning.[01:41:21] Parting thoughts.*For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsorsSign up for Tim's email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim's books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferrissSee 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 Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick engages in a profound discussion with Dr. Thomas Ward from Baylor University about Plato's influence on St. Boethius. The conversation begins with an exploration of Boethius's life, particularly his role as a Roman statesman and philosopher during a tumultuous time in history. Dr. Ward highlights St. Boethius's seminal work, "The Consolation of Philosophy," written while he awaited execution, and discusses its impact on medieval thought and the liberal arts tradition. The dialogue emphasizes St. Boethius's unique position as a bridge between Roman and medieval philosophy, often referred to as the last of the Romans and the first of the medievals.Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule.Want to know more about Plato? Start here with our Plato playlist.And check out Dr. Thomas Ward's website!As the conversation unfolds, the discussion shifts to the Platonic influences on St. Boethius's writings. Dr. Ward explains how Boethius synthesized Platonic and Aristotelian thought, particularly in his understanding of the good and the nature of happiness. The episode delves into the themes of evil as privation, the nature of true happiness, and the philosophical journey from despair to enlightenment that St. Boethius undergoes in his work. The dialogue is rich with references to other philosophical texts, including the works of Plato, and draws parallels between Boethius's ideas and those found in the writings of later thinkers like Dante and Aquinas. Overall, the episode serves as a compelling introduction to Boethius's thought and its enduring relevance in the study of philosophy.Chapters00:00 Introduction to the Great Books Podcast02:24 Exploring Boethius and His Influence04:16 Who Was Boethius?07:49 Boethius: The Last Roman and First Scholastic10:18 The Liberal Arts and Boethius' Legacy11:36 Teaching Boethius: A Personal Journey14:07 Plato's Influence on Boethius18:50 The Consolation of Philosophy: Setting the Stage24:31 Lady Philosophy: Deconstruction and Reconstruction29:58 The Quest for Self-Knowledge30:51 Fortune and Its Dual Nature31:53 The Good: Bridging Plato and Christianity36:19 Happiness and the Divine Connection40:00 The Paradox of Good and Evil45:11 The Poetic and Philosophical Fusion48:44 Evil as Privation: A Platonic Insight52:08 Boethius: A Synthesis of Philosophical TraditionsTakeawaysBoethius is often called the last of the Romans and the first of the Medievals.His work, "The Consolation of Philosophy," was written while he awaited execution.Boethius synthesized Platonic and Aristotelian thought in his writings.Evil is understood as a privation of good, not a substance in itself.The journey from despair to enlightenment is central to Boethius's philosophy.KeywordsBoethius, Plato, Consolation of Philosophy, medieval philosophy, Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Thomas Ward, liberal arts, happiness, evil as privation, philosophy, Deacon Harrison Garlick, great...

What it is...and how to escape.

Wearing Sexy Clothes Around Platonic Friends by Maine's Coast 93.1

How did Plato influence St. Augustine? Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Chad Pecknold of the Catholic University of America discuss Plato's influence on St. Augustine.Check out our account on X for daily postings on the great books!Check out our library of written guides to the great books!Check out FIRE ON THE ALTAR by Dr. Chad Pecknold.The discussion begins with the historical evolution of Platonism—from the original Academy of Socrates and Plato, through Middle Platonism (with figures like Plutarch and Apuleius), to the late or Neoplatonism of Plotinus and others—showing how it became increasingly religious, mystical, and hierarchical in the Roman Empire, complete with daemons (intermediary spiritual beings) and a strong emphasis on the soul's ascent to the divine.St. Augustine, after years as a Manichaean and skeptic, encountered Platonic texts (likely including Plotinus) in Milan around 385–386 AD through Christian Platonists like Bishop Ambrose and Simplicianus. These writings played a crucial role in his intellectual conversion: they revealed a transcendent, immaterial God as Being itself, the eternal Word/Logos, and the soul's capacity for contemplative ascent beyond the material world—ideas strikingly parallel to the prologue of John's Gospel.Yet St. Augustine recognized Platonism's crucial limitation: it allowed him to "catch the fragrance" of God but not to "feast" through union, because it lacked the Word made flesh—the incarnate Christ as the true mediator who bridges the gap between the divine and humanity, solving the problem of mediation and purification that Platonism itself raised but could not resolve.Ultimately, Pecknold presents Platonism as a providential praeparatio evangelica—a promise that raises the restless heart's longing for God, truth, beauty, and eternal happiness—but one fulfilled only in Christianity. St. Augustine adopts and transforms Platonic elements (such as the ideas/forms residing in the divine mind, now identified with the Logos/Christ, and the soul's ascent through purification) while critiquing its errors, especially its inadequate mediators and inability to address incarnation, bodily resurrection, and grace. In this way, St. Augustine shows that Plato comes closest among philosophers to Christianity, yet only the Word made flesh satisfies the hunger Plato so powerfully articulated.Plato on St. Boethius is up next week!

Human beings move as a flock. What feels like freedom is motion inside a herd. People act the way they do because of pressure, habit, fear, desire, reward, or past experience. When we make decisions, we are responding to systemic forces already acting on us, even when theologians insist on calling this a free choice, the so-called “free will.” Long before a choice is named, the path is worn.Governments, workplaces, laws, economies, religions, philosophies, ideologies, and social norms all rely on the same logic. If certain behaviors are rewarded and others punished, people will respond in predictable ways. Obedience inside these systems is never neutral. People comply because it benefits them, protects them, or helps them avoid loss. Even rebellion, blind to what it is building, follows recognizable patterns and is absorbed back into the systems it supposedly opposes.But beneath these systems sits something deeper and more diabolical: the human logos. Explanation. Justification. Language itself as causality. Words that govern reality, binding reasons to actions, beliefs to outcomes, and sacrifices to meaning. This is how systems hold together. They are not only structures of power, but temples built of language, narratives, and shared explanations. Propaganda. A world where everything makes sense.Belief, in this sense, is not faith. It is how humans explain themselves to themselves, a projection of the lamp of the body, quieting fear, justifying loss, making obedience reasonable. Over time, this explanatory language becomes a prison people inhabit. A Temple made of human hands, not of stone, but of coherence. An idol constructed from meaning.Inside this Temple, every sacrifice is justified. Every command explained. Every loss serves a purpose. Even love is rationalized. Domesticated. Hope reframed as likelihood. Language does not merely describe the system. It sanctifies it.These systems can even tolerate sacrifice, as long as the sacrifice is made for something abstract: the nation, the tribe, the future, the greater good, the “building” up or the “survival” of the community. Abstract loyalty is calculable. It can be taught, praised, rewarded, and demanded. A person who gives themselves for an idea or a cause is still operating inside logic the system understands and human language can defend.Torah insists that a true command cannot arise from within this Temple or employ its language. Scripture does not perceive human beings as autonomous agents standing outside the flock, freely acting. It finds people as they are: already bound, already oriented, already enslaved to something. That is why Torah does not ask whether people are free, but whom they serve. Egypt is not replaced by false autonomy, but by covenant. Pharaoh is not replaced by the self, the builder of temples, but by the Voice of the Shepherd, that commands, calling us out of the temples that entomb us. According to Scripture, if a rule makes sense because it works, helps, or produces good outcomes, then following it is still a calculation. It may be wise or effective, but it is not obedience. It is sycophancy. That is why the Voice of the Shepherd is heard in the wilderness, away from stable systems and the human Temple of explanation. In the wilderness, people cannot rely on strategy or outcomes. They can only hear and respond. To those who live inside the system, this looks like slavery, or worse, insanity. Far from it.It is trust.This is where love of neighbor enters, and it does not enter as an idea, let alone a Platonic ideal. A neighbor is not humanity in the abstract. A neighbor is not the future, the cause, or the system. A neighbor is the real person who stands before you and whose claim cannot be translated into principle without being lost.Your neighbor is not defined by worth, identity, or moral condition, but by proximity under obedience to the Command. Love of neighbor is irrational by decree. It does not weigh consequences. It does not ask whether the whole will survive. It does not justify itself in language the system can use. Systems assume that when forced to choose, people will sacrifice the one for the many. Love of neighbor refuses that exchange. It does not assume God's purview. It does not control. It does not judge. It does not choose the right thing. It submits to the Command: love for the one encountered. This is why love of neighbor looks dangerous from inside the Temple. It threatens coherence. It interrupts explanation. It is willing to let the world burn rather than betray the one who stands before you. It does not argue. It does not explain. It does not rebel. The moment it does, it has already been absorbed back into the prison of the human logos. Hope enters here, not as optimism and not as confidence in success. Hope is what remains when explanation fails. Hope is the willingness to act without knowing whether the act will save or destroy everything. It interrupts causality by refusing to let outcomes or narratives decide what matters. Love of neighbor does not act because things will turn out well. It acts because of the Command.The Command does not abolish cause and effect, but it interrupts it. Scripture introduces something causality and human language cannot produce: a binding word that is not an effect, not a tool, and not a story we tell ourselves. It is not obeyed because it succeeds or pays off, but because it is spoken and heard, through the claim of a real person, a flesh and blood prophet, rather than the demands of an abstract group.When people live inside societies and institutions, this kind of hearing becomes difficult. Explanation returns. Outcomes take precedence. Faithfulness is measured by effectiveness. Hope is reduced to human belief in a future that can be imagined and defended. The Temple quietly rebuilds itself.Scripture keeps pointing back to the wilderness to remind people that freedom is not about mastering systems or rejecting them, but about remaining able to hear and act when human language blinds and deafens us, to act with conviction when explanation fails, and to obey the Command of the Shepherd even when the world can no longer be justified.This is the promise in which we hope, faith in things not seen: that through his Command God alone will achieve victory for his many flocks, which in his sight are one flock:“For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” (Romans 8:24-25)Episode 576 is a searching and uncompromising meditation on language, submission, and judgment, spoken from the land itself rather than from the safety of abstraction. Recorded in Jordan on New Year's Day, the conversation between Father Marc Boulos and Father Timothy Lowe unfolds as both personal reckoning and scriptural indictment.At its core, the episode argues that modern Christianity has betrayed the text it claims to serve by severing itself from the languages in which Scripture was spoken. Translation is not neutral, and reliance on English is not innocent. To speak in God's name while neglecting Hebrew, Greek, and Arabic is to risk uttering words God never said. For the preacher, this is not an academic shortcoming but a spiritual danger, because every utterance stands under divine accounting.The discussion presses further, insisting that biblical languages are not tools but living realities that carry wisdom through shared Semitic roots. By tracing these roots across the Torah, the Gospel, and the Qur'an...

MetaTheurgy with Kevin Cann Kevin Cann is a contributor to Jeffrey Kripal's book How to Think Impossibly. He is a high-functioning autistic individual whose perspectives inform his philosophical work. Cann is the originator of a worldview he calls Platonic Surrealism. Kevin Cann explores MetaTheurgy as an expansion of ancient theurgy, reframing ritual, consciousness, and wonderworking through the contemporary lens of his system, Platonic Surrealism. He explains how human beings function as interfaces between awareness, potentiality, monadic consciousness, and the physical world, offering practical methods to restore agency in a postmodern culture marked by alienation. Cann also discusses how ritual, transcendence, and expanded states of mind can foster healing, meaning, and participation in a larger cosmic process. 00:00:01 Introduction: metatheurgy and expanded awareness 00:01:42 Origins, Platonic surrealism, and, ancient theurgy 00:03:48 Wonderworking, UFO summoning, and, altered states 00:07:03 Metamodern, moving beyond postmodern despair 00:12:02 Rituals, daily practices, and, reframing life 00:15:12 Healing, empowerment, and, suffering in modern life 00:29:47 Wonderworking, personal transformation as the core 00:33:21 Freewill, determinism, and, feedback loops 00:44:06 Human beings, monads, souls, and, plasma symbiosis 01:08:53 Conclusion New Thinking Allowed host, Jeffrey Mishlove, PhD, is author of The Roots of Consciousness, Psi Development Systems, and The PK Man. Between 1986 and 2002 he hosted and co-produced the original Thinking Allowed public television series. He is the recipient of the only doctoral diploma in “parapsychology” ever awarded by an accredited university (University of California, Berkeley, 1980). He is also the Grand Prize winner of the 2021 Bigelow Institute essay competition regarding the best evidence for survival of human consciousness after permanent bodily death. He is Co-Director of Parapsychology Education at the California Institute for Human Science. (Recorded on December 9, 2025) For a short video on How to Get the Most From New Thinking Allowed, go to https://youtu.be/aVbfPFGxv9o For a complete, updated list with links to all of our videos, see https://newthinkingallowed.com/Listings.htm. Check out the New Thinking Allowed Foundation website at http://www.newthinkingallowed.org. There you will find our incredible, searchable database as well as opportunities to shop and to support our video productions – plus, this is where people can subscribe to our FREE, weekly Newsletter and can download a FREE .pdf copy of our quarterly magazine. To order high-quality, printed copies of our quarterly magazine: NTA-Magazine.MagCloud.com Check out New Thinking Allowed’s AI chatbot. You can create a free account at awakin.ai/open/jeffreymishlove. When you enter the space, you will see that our chatbot is one of several you can interact with. While it is still a work in progress, it has been trained on 1,600 NTA transcripts. It can provide intelligent answers about the contents of our interviews. It’s almost like having a conversation with Jeffrey Mishlove. If you would like to join our team of volunteers, helping to promote the New Thinking Allowed YouTube channel on social media, editing and translating videos, creating short video trailers based on our interviews, helping to upgrade our website, or contributing in other ways (we may not even have thought of), please send an email to friends@newthinkingallowed.com. To join the NTA Psi Experience Community on Facebook, see https://www.facebook.com/groups/1953031791426543/ To download and listen to audio versions of the New Thinking Allowed videos, please visit our new podcast at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/new-thinking-allowed-audio-podcast/id1435178031. Download and read Jeffrey Mishlove’s Grand Prize essay in the Bigelow Institute competition, Beyond the Brain: The Survival of Human Consciousness After Permanent Bodily Death, go to https://www.bigelowinstitute.org/docs/1st.pdf. You can help support our video productions while enjoying a good book. To order a copy of New Thinking Allowed Dialogues: Is There Life After Death? click on https://amzn.to/3LzLA7Y (As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.) To order the second book in the New Thinking Allowed Dialogues series, Russell Targ: Ninety Years of ESP, Remote Viewing, and Timeless Awareness, go to https://amzn.to/4aw2iyr To order a copy of New Thinking Allowed Dialogues: UFOs and UAP – Are We Really Alone?, go to https://amzn.to/3Y0VOVh To order The Other Goddess: Mary Magdalene and the Goddesses of Eros and Secret Knowledge by Dr. Joanna Kujawa, go to https://amzn.to/483vqPl To order How to Think Impossibly by Jeffrey Kripal (with collaboration from Kevin Cann), go to https://amzn.to/3XJ7OJw

Clement of Alexandria (ca. 150–215 CE) stands as a formative intellect of the Alexandrian Christian tradition, mediating between apostolic faith and Hellenic paideia. As a teacher at the Catechetical School of Alexandria, he argued that philosophia especially Platonic ethics and Logos-theology—was a preparatory discipline granted by God to the Greeks, analogous to the Torah for Israel. In works such as Protrepticus, Paedagogus, and Stromateis, Clement articulated a vision of gnōsis not as elitist speculation but as the mature apprehension of faith, ordered by love and ascetic virtue. Christ, the Logos, is for Clement the true Teacher who heals the passions and leads the believer toward likeness to God. His synthesis laid crucial groundwork for later Alexandrian theology, especially in Origen, while preserving a rigorously ethical and ecclesial horizon. For more teachings about Patristics and early church father check our online Academy: www.twinsbiblicalacademy.com/academy 

Jairus appears as an administrator. He was named, titled, and located inside a functioning system. He knew how things worked, when to ask, when to stop, when a situation was resolved. When he knelt before Jesus, it was already a breach of role, but the text does not stop there. It presses him.While he was still on the way, while the instruction was still unfolding, a message arrived from his own house: Your daughter has died. Do not trouble the Teacher.It sounds compassionate. It sounds final. But it is not merely a report. It is a deception and a false command. Those who pressed Jairus pressed him to stop searching Scripture, to stop pursuing the call of the Prophet. They said: return to your place. Accept the verdict the system of human words has rendered.But there is only one Judge.Jesus answered without addressing death at all. He promised nothing. He uttered the command, Do not fear. Only trust.With that command, the axis of the text shifts. Fear here is not panic. Fear is obedience to human reasonableness. It is enclosure within narrative walls built of human words. Trust is remaining under instruction, exposed to reality, out in the open, where only living, breathing divine words can give life, even when every visible sign says the moment has passed.The crowd moves with them. They are practical. They know how death works. They know when grief must become resignation. They are not simply onlookers. They are the stone Temple outside the synagogue, walls built of human words, set against the living, breathing Word.They do what walls always do. They mark the human boundary. They decide what may pass and what must stop. What they call wisdom is fear of man disciplined into respectability. What they call obedience is resignation taught to bow to something other than God. They are the domesticated gatekeepers of reasonableness, the infrastructure of Herod, the architecture of fear.They are like the children in the marketplace who said:“We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.” (Luke 7:32)They do not listen for the sound of God. They pipe their own tune. Whether the sound is mourning or rejoicing, their demand is the same: respond within our script. The problem was not his music. It was their refusal to hear.They are the makers of garments, woven out of fig leaves. As Moses wrote:“Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9)“I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” (Genesis 3:10)Jesus emptied the room. Only Peter, James, John, and the parents remained. When Jesus said She is not dead but sleeping, they laughed. Their laughter was not a misunderstanding. It was fear covered, not by God, but by human craftiness. It restored their order. It set a guard around the girl's tomb. It domesticated the moment. It said: this voice may sing only within the borders of our melodies.No one expected what was about to happen. No one could later claim trust in his Command:“And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?'” (Ezekiel 37:2-3)Jesus took the girl by the hand and spoke: Child, arise. The text is not Greco-Roman. It is not written that her “mind” returns. It is not written that her Platonic “soul” is restored. It is written that her pneuma, her ruaḥ, returns. Breath that had gone out came back in. Life does not rise from within the human system of words. It enters from outside, at the sound of his voice (Genesis 2:7; Ezekiel 37:2-10).“Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.” (Ezekiel 37:4)Peter, James, and John, like the parents, said and did nothing. They bore witness. Life does not come from parents. Wisdom does not come from disciples, let alone stone temples:“So I prophesied as I was commanded, and as I prophesied there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh came upon them, and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God, Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.'” (Ezekiel 37:7-9)The living breath comes not from human words, but from him who commands the four winds, who commanded the Son of Man to breathe his living words upon her.Immediately, Jesus commanded practical care. Feed her. Life is not human spectacle. It is divine instruction, followed by silent obedience:“Tell no one.” (Luke 8:56)Silence is not secrecy. It is judgment. To speak at that moment would rebuild the stone temple of human words in narrative form. It would turn instruction into explanation, breath into human property, life into idolatry.Silence is the test.Like Zechariah leaving the temple unable to speak, the witnesses were stripped of their voice so that God's voice was no longer imprisoned.Hearing must remain intact.Come from the four winds, O breath!The girl was raised and returned, not unto comfort but unto function under his command. As with the man freed from Legion, return to the path of Scripture is always the assignment. Living, moving breath restored from God cannot be managed by those who witness it. They too are sent back under his command, to love the neighbor.Luke tears down every refuge at once. The crowd's boundary-making, parental love, administrative reasonableness, and Jairus's partial trust are all human shelters made of fear. Life, which came before man, will not be housed, measured, ruled, judged, explained, or secured by the words with which humans try to protect themselves.Life, it is written, is not from men, nor through man, but from God, through God:“Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand,O house of Israel.” (Jeremiah 18:6)“On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God?The thing molded will not say to the molder, ‘Why did you make me like this,' will it?Does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?” (Romans 9:20–21)Fear, St. Paul explained, tries to build a platform over God. Fear builds. The gospel dismantles (Genesis 11:4).This week, I discuss Luke 8:49-56. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Dale and Rachel catch up on life, travel, and the strange conversations that only long-term platonic friends can have. They debate manicures, dating standards, and whether asking for a feet picture is ever acceptable. Rachel explains why she wore a salmon sperm face mask on a flight and how she handled the internet backlash that followed.The conversation shifts to Dale's NBC6 appearance, the brainstorming process behind naming his sports segment Dale's Download, and the stress of live television. They also share stories from Spirit Airlines, reality show hosting at Camp Challenge, and wrap with their “say it with your chest” segment, touching on airline fees and a serious moment about witnessing immigration enforcement in real time.

Send us a textHey beautiful souls!In today's episode I'm talking all about:Platonic intimacy What if relationships aren't all bad?Why I don't need a roster (& taking the pressure off my roster search) Removing the moochers from my life before I could elevate and ascend& SO MUCH MOREWant to join my pleasure oasis? CLICK HERE: https://www.loveatiya.com/theetherealpleasureacademyWanna learn how to pleasure yourself to your higher self? CLICK HERE: https://www.patreon.com/TheLoveAtiyaExperience Sex Education Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveatiya/Sex Education TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iloveatiya?Sex Positive Podcast: https://theloveatiyaexperience.buzzsprout.comYouTube: iloveatiya https://www.youtube.com/@iloveatiya/videos Pure Tested Peptides - GLP-3, BPC 157, CJC-1295, ipamorelin, ss-31, epithalon, SLU-pp-332 99% pure research peptides for longevity muscle and metabolic healthSupport the show

In one of our greatest holiday traditions, Hayley Leier (ADHD-DVD) returns to talk about the best TV shows of the year. Pluribus! Severance! The Chair Company! Platonic! Much more!

Platonic Computation and the Dodleston Messages with Simon Duan Simon Duan came from China to the United Kingdom in the 1980s, where he earned a PhD in materials science from Cambridge University. He is a past Vice President of the Chinese Parapsychology Association and the founder and CEO of Metacomputics Labs, which researches a postmaterialist paradigm unifying consciousness, mind, and matter. Duan developed the hypothesis known as Platonic computation, argued to provide the strongest available explanation for the controversial Dodleston Messages case, if the case is genuine. Simon Duan discusses his hypothesis of Platonic computation, a postmaterialist model proposing that consciousness, mind, and matter emerge from a deeper non-physical realm of forms. He explains how this framework may illuminate the enigmatic Dodleston Messages, a decades-old case involving anomalous communications that appear to originate from both the past and the future. Duan explores how higher-level layers of reality, intelligence, and information processing could account for the extraordinary features of this controversial paranormal episode. New Thinking Allowed host, Jeffrey Mishlove, PhD, is author of The Roots of Consciousness, Psi Development Systems, and The PK Man. Between 1986 and 2002 he hosted and co-produced the original Thinking Allowed public television series. He is the recipient of the only doctoral diploma in “parapsychology” ever awarded by an accredited university (University of California, Berkeley, 1980). He is also the Grand Prize winner of the 2021 Bigelow Institute essay competition regarding the best evidence for survival of human consciousness after permanent bodily death. He is Co-Director of Parapsychology Education at the California Institute for Human Science. (Recorded on November 16, 2025) For a short video on How to Get the Most From New Thinking Allowed, go to https://youtu.be/aVbfPFGxv9o For a complete, updated list with links to all of our videos, see https://newthinkingallowed.com/Listings.htm. Check out the New Thinking Allowed Foundation website at http://www.newthinkingallowed.org. There you will find our incredible, searchable database as well as opportunities to shop and to support our video productions – plus, this is where people can subscribe to our FREE, weekly Newsletter and can download a FREE .pdf copy of our quarterly magazine. To order high-quality, printed copies of our quarterly magazine: NTA-Magazine.MagCloud.com Check out New Thinking Allowed’s AI chatbot. You can create a free account at awakin.ai/open/jeffreymishlove. When you enter the space, you will see that our chatbot is one of several you can interact with. While it is still a work in progress, it has been trained on 1,600 NTA transcripts. It can provide intelligent answers about the contents of our interviews. It’s almost like having a conversation with Jeffrey Mishlove. If you would like to join our team of volunteers, helping to promote the New Thinking Allowed YouTube channel on social media, editing and translating videos, creating short video trailers based on our interviews, helping to upgrade our website, or contributing in other ways (we may not even have thought of), please send an email to friends@newthinkingallowed.com. To join the NTA Psi Experience Community on Facebook, see https://www.facebook.com/groups/1953031791426543/ To download and listen to audio versions of the New Thinking Allowed videos, please visit our new podcast at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/new-thinking-allowed-audio-podcast/id1435178031. Download and read Jeffrey Mishlove’s Grand Prize essay in the Bigelow Institute competition, Beyond the Brain: The Survival of Human Consciousness After Permanent Bodily Death, go to https://www.bigelowinstitute.org/docs/1st.pdf. You can help support our video productions while enjoying a good book. To order a copy of New Thinking Allowed Dialogues: Is There Life After Death? click on https://amzn.to/3LzLA7Y (As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.) To order the second book in the New Thinking Allowed Dialogues series, Russell Targ: Ninety Years of ESP, Remote Viewing, and Timeless Awareness, go to https://amzn.to/4aw2iyr To order a copy of New Thinking Allowed Dialogues: UFOs and UAP – Are We Really Alone?, go to https://amzn.to/3Y0VOVh

Andrew Lopez is on FX's The Bear and Apple TV's Platonic with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood. He also has his own show in development with HBO. But it wasn't long ago that he was a kid growing up in Pella. Then, Donna Reed is beloved for roles like Mary Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life and Donna Stone in The Donna Reed Show. She was born in Denison, where the Donna Reed Foundation keeps her legacy alive.These segments were produced in September and October 2025.

This deep dive comprehensively challenges the foundational materialist model by synthesizing cutting-edge biological research with decades of high-strangeness data, including near-death experiences (NDEs), the UAP phenomenon, and reports of paranormal events. The central conflict addressed is whether reality consists of separate physical things or is fundamentally an expression of a unified, non-local field, leading to the essential question of whether physical matter creates consciousness or is merely its byproduct.The sources argue that science, while possessing immensely powerful models capable of precise description (how gravity or cells work), fundamentally fails to provide the ultimate explanation (why these laws exist), creating a "total black box". This distinction between description and explanation highlights the historical hubris seen in the late 19th century, when influential physicists believed "everything had already been discovered," only for Relativity and Quantum Mechanics to shatter the perceived fixed laws of reality soon after. This failure of explanation persists today, making highly descriptive data, such as military UAP reports, intractable because the required underlying theory of existence is missing.The inadequacy of the materialist view forces a paradigm shift to reality defined by non-physical information and pattern, termed the Platonic blueprint. Abstract truths, such as the constant π or the Fibonacci sequence, are discovered, not invented, and exist as fixed, immutable relationships independent of physical matter. This suggests they are the "deep architecture" or scaffolding upon which the physical universe is built.Physical matter is reduced to an "epiphenomenon"—a secondary effect or byproduct, like smoke from the fire that is the primary field.The brain is thus viewed not as the source of consciousness, but as a "localized receiver" or terminal jacked into a non-local network. Consciousness must be the operating system itself, given that cognitive scientists view spacetime as merely an interface or "headset" designed for survival, meaning the brain, which exists inside that construct, cannot possibly create consciousness. This concept of consciousness as a non-local field is overwhelmingly validated by experiential data from NDEs, where survivors often report a sense of oneness and intuitive, expansive knowledge that cannot be explained by the local brain, such as a blind woman suddenly understanding calculus.Dr. Michael Levin's work aligns with this pattern-based view, focusing on agency and goal-seeking capacity regardless of material composition. He defines the self by the scale of its goals—its "cognitive light cone". Disease, like cancer, is reinterpreted as a failure of collective cognition where cells shrink their light cone and revert to a primitive, selfish imperative. Experimental systems like xenobots, which are simple cells demonstrating sophisticated, complex competencies like kinematic self-replication without any evolutionary history for the behavior, strongly suggest that the patterns for these minds are pulled from a pre-existing latent space, the Platonic field.Ultimately, the sources conclude that reality is a participatory universe, where observation shapes outcomes and the distinction between the observer and the observed is dissolved. The UAP phenomenon exemplifies this by its "highly reflexive" nature, mirroring the witness's culture, trauma, or expectation. This deliberate ambiguity—the phenomenon persistently staying "just out of reach"—is crucial, as it forces humanity to constantly upgrade its understanding of reality, ensuring that the game of discovery and developmental growth continues. #NonLocal #cancercure #PlatonicBlueprint,.#ConsciousnessIsFundamental #ParticipatoryUniverse #PostMaterialism #MichaelLevin #CognitiveAgency #Brain #UAPPhenomenon #Xenobots #REALITY #HighStrangeness #BigBang

In 1908, Virginia Woolf wrote that she hoped to revolutionise the novel and ‘capture multitudes of things at present fugitive'. ‘To the Lighthouse' (1927) marks perhaps her fullest realisation of the novel as philosophical enterprise, and not simply because one of its central characters is engaged with the problem of ‘subject and object and the nature of reality'. In the final episode of their series, Jonathan and James consider different ways of reading Woolf's great novel: as a satirical portrait of her father through Mr Ramsay, as a study of creative expression through Lily Briscoe, or as a mystical, Platonic quest in which form and style respond to philosophical propositions, and the truth of human experience is to be found in movement, conversation and laughter. Non-subscribers will only hear an extract from this episode. To listen to the full episode, and to all our other Close Readings series, subscribe: Directly in Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lrb.me/applecrcip⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ In other podcast apps: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lrb.me/closereadingscip⁠ Read more in the LRB: Jacqueline Rose: Where's Woolf? https://lrb.me/cipep13woolf1 Virgina Woolf: The Symbol https://lrb.me/cipep13woolf2 John Bayley: Superchild https://lrb.me/cipep13woolf3

John Collins and McKinnon continue their in-depth exploration into William Branham's “Adoption” doctrine and its influence on modern charismatic movements. They expose how Branham's teaching of a “word for the age” replaced salvation through faith in Christ with loyalty to new revelation. Drawing direct lines from Branham to the New Apostolic Reformation, they analyze how a theology rooted in mysticism, pantheism, and esoteric thought evolved into the cultic systems seen today. The discussion compares scriptural truth with Branham's distortions, examines the idolization of tapes and prophets, and reveals how persuasive charisma led countless believers to substitute emotional fervor for biblical faith.00:00 Introduction and Purpose of the Episode00:32 How Branham's “Word for the Age” Replaced the Gospel02:25 Cultic Authority and Fear of Outside Information05:20 Doctrinal Problems: Diminishing Christ and Changing the Gospel07:01 Tape-Only Churches and Movement-Wide Confusion10:40 Internal Message Criticism: A Minister Challenges Tape Worship13:25 Emotional Manipulation and the Power of Persuasion17:03 “Not Every Word Is Thus Saith the Lord”: Rising Internal Doubt20:55 Infallibility Contradictions in Branham's Teachings23:17 The Shift Toward Mysticism and Pre-Existence Doctrine29:56 Platonic and New Thought Roots Behind Branham's Ideas35:51 Blending Ancient Mysticism With Christianity38:18 A Different Gospel: Recognition Theology and Loss of Biblical Salvation44:00 Modalism in the Message and the Denial of Christ's Deity51:01 Closing Thoughts and Preview of Next Episode______________________Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR:Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K______________________– Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham– Subscribe to the channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBSpezVG15TVG-lOYMRXuyQ– Visit the website: https://william-branham.org– Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WilliamBranhamOrg – Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@william.m.branham– Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/wmbhr– Buy the books: https://william-branham.org/site/books

Jess had 16 people in 1 house for Thanksgiving...what could go wrong? Wicked review!! Can Kramer fix this friendship?

Friendship is one of the topics we get asked about most, so we brought back Dr. Marisa Franco, one of the world's leading voices on human connection. We dive straight into the heart of modern friendship and start with something that influences every relationship we have: attachment styles. Marisa explains how these patterns begin in childhood, how they show up differently in adulthood, and why none of us fit neatly into one category. We explore one of the biggest questions we hear from listeners: if you tend to be anxious or avoidant, do you end up attracting friends with the same tendencies? Marisa shares one of her biggest challenges in her research—secure people continue to find each other easily, while those who struggle with connection often repeat the same patterns with similar types of friends.Since many of you are new moms or navigating school-aged seasons, we ask Marisa what to do when a friend needs more from you than you can realistically give. She reminds us that it's okay to say no and that saying no with kindness helps preserve the relationship.Although friendship looks natural from the outside, we share honestly that it hasn't always been effortless for us either. Amy opens up about how isolating early motherhood felt and why making new friends during that time was unexpectedly hard. If you're in a season where friendship feels like it has to fall to the bottom of the list, Marisa offers a powerful reminder of why connection still matters—and what small steps can help bring it back to the forefront.Finally, we talk about the hardest part of friendship: knowing when it's time to end one. Should you let the relationship fade or have a more direct conversation? Marisa shares how to discern which path is right, and she gives guidance on something we rarely talk about—grieving a friendship.LINKS AND RESOURCES:Listen to HERself episode #145 Dr. Marisa Franco on the Importance of Adult Friendship; https://www.herselfpodcast.com/listen/adultfriendshipRead Dr. Marisa Franco's Book; Platonic: https://amzlink.to/az0lb2DLKWeWk Follow Marisa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmarisagfranco/Dr. Marisa's Website: https://drmarisagfranco.com/HERSELF PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/herselfpodcastLMNT: Free Sample Pack with purchase:  drinkLMNT.com/HERSELFLet's connect!HERSELF INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/herselfpodcastMEET AMY: http://instagram.com/ameskieferMEET ABBY: http://instagram.com/abbyrosegreenThis episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.

Send us a textHey beautiful souls!I'm so excited for this wonderful Patreon episode that's all about platonic intimacy! I was going to post it exclusively for my Patreons but I decided to post this as a preview into the type of bonus content you can enjoy on my Patreon! ❤️In today's episode I talk all about:Platonic touch & intimacyMy amazing ass first Reiki sessionHow it feels like everytime I go outside I'm energetically attacked (It's a test, thank you ancestors)I only wanna meet people who are like my momWhy I'm excited to age nowPlatonic friendships and how to introduce them into our livesThe time I got ghosted because I held a man's handMy relationship with intimacy before the shame How much I love and appreciate my mommy Finding my peopleAll the times I begged for love and intimacy The time he said he couldn't cuddle cause he gets hot The difference between platonic intimacy and sexual intimacy The difference between sensuality and sexualityHanging out with my 13 year old self  If you loved what I talked about in this episode then I know you'll love The Ethereal Pleasure Oasis! CLICK HERE: https://www.loveatiya.com/theetherealpleasureacademyWanna learn how to pleasure yourself to your higher self? CLICK HERE: https://www.patreon.com/TheLoveAtiyaExperience Sex Education Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveatiya/Sex Education TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iloveatiya?Sex Positive Podcast: https://theloveatiyaexperience.buzzsprout.comYouTube: iloveatiya https://www.youtube.com/@iloveatiya/videos Support the show

This classic Platonic dialogue recounts Socrates' courageous defense before his execution, revealing why so few attain true wisdom and how love of the truth can demand great sacrifice, uncovering timeless lessons on living rightly in a fallen world.

This is my relatively short talk given during the 2025 Plato's Academy multidisciplinary conference: The Philosophy and Psychology of Anger, during which I discuss some of the useful insights and practices early Christian thinkers (2nd-5th Century CE) can provide us. These don't require one to be committed to Christianity and can be applied by a wide range of people. I begin with a passage from Pierre Hadot's book Philosophy As A Way Of Life: "[Christians] believed they recognized spiritual exercises, which they had learned through philosophy, in specific scriptural passages . . . The reason why Christian authors paid attention to these particular biblical passages, was that they were already familiar, from other sources, with the spiritual exercises of prosokhē, meditation on death, and examination of the conscience.” What Hadot calls “spiritual exercises” gets called by a variety of other terms by other thinkers. Foucault's "technologies of the self", Nussbaum's "therapeutic arguments", as well as the more general "philosophical practices" many of us reference in our work and study. What we can say about these early Christian thinkers is that many had a philosophical education, had opportunities to engage with pagan philosophical schools, some of which had pretty strong religious stances, with precursor and contemporary Jewish thought, and with a variety of other disciplines like rhetoric, medicine, literature, political theory, law, history, music, etc. There was already a strong interest in issues about anger already raised and debated in ancient philosophy including: vicious anger, can anger have useful role, dangers of indulging or excusing anger, anger and courage or justice, types or levels of anger, divine anger. Early Christian thinkers rely upon or incorporating broadly Platonic psychology, and ethical conceptions drawn from Platonist, Stoic, and Aristotelian schools, but within a framework Christianity provides. The thinkers I reference and discuss in this presentation include: 2nd-4th Century CE: Clement of Alexandria 150 – c. 215 AD, Tertullian 155 – c. 220, Origen 185 – c. 253, Lactantius 250 – c. 325 4th 5th century CE: Basil of Caesarea 330 – 379, Gregory of Nyssa 335, Evagrius Ponticus 345–399 AD, John Chrysostom 347-407, Ambrose 339-397, Jerome 342–347-420, Prudentius 348-413?, John Cassian 360 – 435, Augustine of Hippo 354-430 Some of the key scriptural passages they tend to engage most heavily with include: A number of discussions of anger in Pre-Christian Jewish scriptures, particularly in the Psalms, Proverbs, and Sirach The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, Paul's Letter To Ephesians, and the Letter of James There is a stress on identifying and dealing with vices that involve anger, but also on developing virtues of Patience, Humility, Mercy, and Forgiveness. They also adopt, develop, and discuss a number of useful practices for lessening, understanding, or dealing with anger.

This classic Platonic dialogue recounts Socrates' courageous defense before his execution, revealing why so few attain true wisdom and how love of the truth can demand great sacrifice and uncovering timeless lessons on living rightly in a fallen world.

This week, Louis is joined by Smith Sisters Live co-host Mariah Smith to discuss the VMAs, Sabrina Carpenter's new album Man's Best Friend, Lady Gaga's new music, Justin Bieber's Swag II, the Wuthering Heights teaser, and Hollywood's most legendary celebrity families. They're also joined by writer/director Nicholas Stoller to discuss season 2 of the AppleTV+ comedy Platonic.Subscribe to Keep It on YouTube to catch full episodes, exclusive content, and other community events. Find us there at YouTube.com/@KeepItPodcast