A mental disorder that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying or life-threatening event
POPULARITY
Categories
Eight Deployments, One Mission: Chad Robichaux and the Call to Never Quit What an incredible guest we have on this week's Team Never Quit Podcast. Marcus engages in a compelling discussion with former Force Recon Marine, Chad Robichaux. With eight deployments to Afghanistan as part of a Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) Task Force, Chad overcame his personal battles with PTSD after nearly becoming a veteran suicide statistic. Chad is the founder of the Mighty Oaks Foundation, serving the active duty, military veteran and first responder communities around the world with highly successful faith-based combat trauma and resiliency programs. He has spoken to over 450,000 active-duty troops and led life-saving programs for over 4,600 active military and veterans at four Mighty Oaks Ranches around the U.S. He has served as an advisor to former President Trump, Congress, the VA, and the Department of Defense. Another one of Chad's personal endeavors, Save Our Allies, is focused on the evacuation and recovery of Americans, our allies and vulnerable people still trapped in Afghanistan. His original mission was to rescue his long-time friend and Afghanistan interpreter, but the mission quickly evolved because of Chad's compassion for people and his servant heart. Since its inception, Save Our Allies has safely evacuated over 17,000 people that were trapped in Afghanistan and he is now helping in Ukraine. As if that weren't enough, Chad is a lifelong martial artist. He holds a 4th degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt and is a former Professional Mixed Martial Arts Champion having competed at the highest levels of the sport. In this episode you will hear: • My family has 84 years of military service. (11:27) • I was raised in a very dysfunctional home because my father never recovered from Vietnam. (13:15) • Our operation was compromised and I ended up being abducted. (26:53) • On the surface, everything seemed fine. Then I crashed, had an affair, filed for divorce, and attempted to take my life. The some amazing people came around me and helped us to restore my family and my faith. (30:38) • I tried to build the courage to take my life and I had my Glock 40 caliber pistol, but I was interrupted, and it was enough to pump the brakes. (31:18) • My wife asked me: “How can you do all you did in the military, but when it comes to your family, you'll quit?” (32:23) • You're gonna deal with anxiety, depression, and anger, but you could respond to it in a better way that could lead you to a better place. (35:35) • God's like a centerpiece solution, because a lot of what we deal with are spiritual wounds. (36:29) • President Bush signed the Opportunity for Faith Mission in 2001, then in 2009, President Obama signed a policy to override that, and take funding away from faith-based programs. (49:47) • In Afghanistan, people couldn't go in to help, but in Ukraine you could drive a bus across the border to do mass evacs. (52:07) • I've been getting a lot of heat like: Why are you going over there to help – the governments is corrupt. None of that matters. These people didn't ask for any of this. They're being invaded by a super power. (54:48) • Glen Beck (Radio Show Host) raised 21 million dollars to support our mission. (72:41) • The White House said there were 100 Americans left [in Afghanistan] but without debate there were thousands of Americans still there. (75:27) • You don't leave Americans behind. The White even promised that they wouldn't but they did. (76:34)
Retired LAPD Lieutenant Rick Deadman joins the show to share over 50 years of intense, bizarre, and sometimes humorous police stories from his career with LAPD, Casper PD, and Natrona County Sheriff's Office. From high-speed pursuits and armed suspects in the 1970s "Jungle" to a tragic training accident that shook Hollywood Division, Rick pulls no punches. He also discusses his current volunteer work with Copline, helping officers and their families through PTSD, trauma, and crisis. Copline www.copline.org Contact Steve - steve@thingspolicesee.com Support the TPS show by joining the Patreon community today! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=27353055
In this episode of "Next Level Healing," Dr. Tara Perry interviews Julie Ryan, a seasoned businesswoman and medical intuitive with a remarkable 45-year career in the medical devices industry. Julie shares her journey from the 3D science world to the realm of energy medicine and psychic mediumship, revealing how her experiences have shaped her understanding of healing and consciousness.Throughout the conversation, Julie discusses her unique ability to scan individuals for medical issues, offering insights into the connection between emotional and physical health. She shares compelling stories of her work with both humans and animals, illustrating the profound impact of energy healing. The episode also touches on the spiritual aspects of dying, including the comforting presence of deceased loved ones and the role of angels during the transition process.Listeners are encouraged to explore their own intuitive abilities, as Julie emphasizes that everyone has the potential to connect with spirit. The episode concludes with information about Julie's teachings and resources, including her book "Angelic Attendance," which offers insights into what happens when we die and the support available from the spirit world.Work with Dr. Tara PerryTune in every Wednesday for a new episode of Next Level Healing. Subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform and never miss an episode!
Welcome back to Resiliency Radio with Dr. Jill Carnahan, where today's empowering episode asks a transformative question: Can You Rewire a Dysregulated Nervous System? Dr. Jill is joined by Dr. Cat King, founder of Primal Trust™ Academy and a leading educator in nervous system healing, brain retraining, vagus nerve toning, and trauma-informed somatic practices. In this heartfelt and science-driven conversation, Dr. Cat explains why safety is the foundation of all healing—and why no protocol, supplement, or therapy can work when the body feels threatened. She shares how cultivating genuine safety, both internally and within therapeutic relationships, can shift the autonomic nervous system out of fear and into healing mode.
Episode 160: of the American Grown Podcast in the Colortech Creative Solutions studios with returning guest, Track & Field Coach at Cedar Crest High School Rob Bare.In this episode, we welcome back Rob Bare, Cedar Crest Track & Field coach, physical education teacher, author, and lifelong runner—for his first appearance since Episode 1 in 2022.Rob joins us to celebrate an incredible milestone: 50,000+ lifetime running miles—equal to running around the Earth twice. But for Rob, the miles have always been about more than running. They're about service, leadership, and impact.We talk about the Kids Heart Challenge at Ebenezer Elementary nearing $1 million in total donations, Cedar Crest Track & Field's continued success with four Division I athletes this spring, and Rob's work with the Men Wear Pink campaign.Braving Your AdversityMen Wear Pink CampaignSHOW SPONSORS:College Knowledge Foundation. Your path to higher education.Cleona Coffee Roasters. A small batch coffee roastery & coffee shop, veteran & first responder owned located inside 911 Rapid Response in Annville PA.Angelo's Pizza. Enjoy mouthwatering Italian dinners.Triggered 22. Support a local veteran and help spread awareness for PTSD & #22aday.Hossler Engraving. Looking for unique handcrafted gifts for all occasions Zach has you covered.Modern Gent Customs. We don't make basics...We make statements.Hains Auto Detailing. Have your car smiling from wheel to wheel.Boyer's Tavern. Proper food & drinks made by slightly improper people.Sip or Snack break.SIP: Garage Beer.SNACK: Jurgy.OFFICIAL STUDIO SPONSOR: Colortech Creative Solutions takes your creative projects from visualization to realization. We've been doing so since 1980 all while keeping your budget in mind.To see photos of today's guest follow on social media:IG: AmericanGrownPodcastFB: American Grown Podcast or visits us at American Grown Podcast
SUMMARY: - “Hurting people hurt people—but narcissists mean to. The higher up the spectrum, the more deliberate and sadistic it becomes.” - “A normal person can self-reflect and repair. A narcissist can't or won't—self-reflection feels like death to them.” - “You didn't cause this, and you can't fix it. It's not your fault.” - “As darkness rises, so does the glory of God. What the enemy meant for evil, God can turn for good.” - “If you move slowly and keep physical/emotional boundaries while dating, a narcissist will often disqualify himself.” Annette's 4-category spectrum - Category 1: “Normal” human flaws—can be selfish or insensitive at times, but can self-reflect, repent, repair, and grow. - Category 2: Emotionally immature; hurtful without calculated malice. Constant defensiveness, blame-shifting, meltdowns when confronted. Change is unlikely; aim is reducing chaos and managing wisely if you choose to stay. - Category 3: Calculated and conniving. Love-bombing, data-mining your hopes/fears to weaponize later. Public charm/private cruelty. Dangerous in church/community settings. You won't resolve this. - Category 4: Sociopathic/psychopathic traits. Amplified cruelty and real danger. Divorce triggers the “monster.” Requires safety planning, documentation, and expert help. Dating red flags and protection - Love-bombing: intense pursuit, “soulmate” language, over-the-top gestures, fast-moving timeline. - Boundary testing: pushes past your limits; discomfort rises quickly. - Inconsistencies and subtle cruelty: backhanded comments, smirks at tears or grief, delight in your pain. - How to protect: move slowly, keep physical/emotional boundaries early, listen to the Holy Spirit and your discomfort, look for patterns (not isolated incidents), and let time test character. If you stay (Category 2 dynamics) - Goal: not fixing him, but wisely reducing chaos and preserving your well-being and the household's stability. - Tactics: reframe requests in terms of what benefits him; avoid head-on confrontation; build your life outside the relationship (calling, ministry, education, friendships). - Support: grief the loss of the dream; get equipped; find a small, trusted peer group who truly understands narcissistic abuse. If you're considering leaving (especially 3–4) - Safety first: if there's a risk of harm, have a go-bag for you/kids/pets and get out. - Prepare: document everything; expect financial sabotage; avoid using the term “narcissist” in court unless there's a diagnosis. - Kids: courts may be vulnerable to “parental alienation” claims; consider a High-Conflict Divorce Coach to reduce legal costs and navigate strategy. - Church/community: narcissists often “borrow” your credibility and pre-poison relationships. Find a healthy church culture and rebuild wise support. Biblical considerations for divorce - Abuse, abandonment, adultery are valid biblical grounds. With minors, weigh carefully: safety, modeling for children, and the realities of family court. Healing and identity - Post-abuse, identity is almost always impacted. You can be 10 years out and still hear their voice in your head—self-abuse by proxy. - The path: clean up the past (lies, agreements, unresolved pain), rebuild identity in Christ, then step into power and authority with wisdom and boundaries. - Beauty must rise with pain: intentionally add joy, nature, creativity, and community to counterbalance suffering. Church and parenting insights - Teach kids the Word, discernment, and healthy vs. unhealthy relationship dynamics. Christlike love includes boundaries and walking away when necessary. Programs and resources Annette mentioned - Living Well While Staying: coaching for women who choose to remain in Category 2 marriages, focused on reducing chaos and rebuilding a meaningful life. - Cinderella No More Academy: membership community and tools for recovery and growth. - Cinderella Conversations: 4-session discovery series on identifying narcissistic dynamics, tactics, false guilt, and spiritual warfare. - Upcoming book: Cinderella No More: Becoming Ella (target 2026). She's seeking early readers for feedback. - For severe trauma/PTSD: consider a Christian therapist specializing in trauma; complement with coaches who understand narcissistic abuse. Interview for fit. One thing to remember - You didn't cause it, you can't fix it—and this isn't the end. With God, this can be the beginning of a new, stronger chapter. You get to write the next chapters with Him. PODCAST INTRO: My guest Annette Chesney is a Christian coach, speaker, and seasoned recovery professional who equips women healing from narcissistic abuse. Narcissistic dynamics can be hard to spot because they often look like ordinary relationship friction at first. Many people struggle to tell the difference between someone who is simply hurting and occasionally hurtful, and someone who persistently harms others without accountability. One useful way to think about it is as a spectrum: not everyone with difficult traits is a narcissist, and not every narcissistic person behaves the same way. Understanding this range can help you decide what you're seeing—and what to do next. But before you think that keeps you in the dark….Annette has created a spectrum that consists of 4 categories or types of narcissists including 10 different characteristics. What she shares is very interesting and from my experience very accurate. Annette's work is done both one-on-one and in groups. She talks primarily from a women's point of view with regard to narcissistic abuse but she did say men are subject to women narcs as well. Annette talks about common red flags and she says pay attention to patterns over time rather than isolated incidents; that wider view tells the truth. Annette even shares about how she coaches women who choose to stay in a challenging relationship…she teaches “management” strategies that focus less on changing the other person and more on stabilizing her client's environment, protecting her energy, and minimizing chaos. A few of the examples she gave were learning how to reframe requests so they're seen as mutually beneficial, limiting circular arguments, and building a strong support system outside the relationship. She even touches on the subject for when separation or divorce becomes necessary and minor children are involved. She alerted us to the fact that trauma symptoms, including anxiety and PTSD‑like responses, are not uncommon adding that qualified mental health support and targeted coaching can help you recover clarity and confidence. Even with the reality of living with the effects of narcissistic abuse…the dismantling of who you are, loss of confidence, identity, goals, dreams etc. , Annette says recovery is possible. Many people find that healing involves unpacking earlier hurts, challenging false beliefs, rebuilding identity, and learning durable skills: boundaries, self‑care, emotional regulation, and discernment. Getting connected with the right help will make all the difference and get you to what she calls…your Kingdom Zone of Impact where you're living with identity and purpose in Christ. Her parting words were for the listener to remember two things that are worth holding onto: you didn't cause someone else's narcissistic pattern, and you can't fix it for them. What you can do is prioritize safety, educate yourself/get informed, surround yourself with wise support, and invest in your own future. Whether you're staying, preparing to leave, or rebuilding afterward, the next chapters can be healthier—with Christ those next chapters are filled with restoration and redemption, they can bring clarity, strength identity and purpose… and they're yours to discover with the Lover of Your Soul, the One who never abuses you, never fails you, Jesus. Live Loved and Thrive! Sherrie Pilk Connect With Annette: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annette-chesney/ Website: https://annettechesney.com/ Visit her website for more information on the programs and resources Annette mentioned: - Living Well While Staying: coaching for women who choose to remain in Category 2 marriages, focused on reducing chaos and rebuilding a meaningful life. - Cinderella No More Academy: membership community and tools for recovery and growth. - Cinderella Conversations: 4-session discovery series on identifying narcissistic dynamics, tactics, false guilt, and spiritual warfare. - Upcoming book: Cinderella No More: Becoming Ella (target 2026). She's seeking early readers for feedback. - For severe trauma/PTSD: consider a Christian therapist specializing in trauma; complement with coaches who understand narcissistic abuse. Interview for fit.
You're listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for December 30, 2025. 0:30 We kick off today’s show with a major legal showdown as the U.S. Department of Justice takes aim at the state of Virginia over immigration and college tuition policy. We break down how Virginia law allows students without legal immigration status to qualify for discounted tuition if they attended Virginia schools, even as law-abiding U.S. citizens from states like West Virginia or North Carolina are forced to pay more. These benefits directly violate federal law, which prohibits states from offering post-secondary education benefits to illegal immigrants unless those same benefits are provided to all U.S. citizens on identical terms. It's a test of the Supremacy Clause and federal authority over immigration, and these policies normalize lawlessness one benefit at a time. 10:00 Plus, we cover the Top 3 Things You Need to Know. US Attorney General Pam Bondi said this week that the DOJ has already indicted 98 people with fraud in Minnesota this year. A federal judge has ruled that the Trump Administration does not have the authority to block funding to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. President Trump will become the first non-Israeli to be awarded the Israel Prize. 12:30 Get Prodovite Plus from Victory Nutrition International for 20% off. Go to vni.life/agr and use the promo code AGR20. 13:00 We dig into the unraveling scandal surrounding fraudulent daycare operations in Minnesota. As scrutiny intensifies, the focus turns to empty daycare centers—previously exposed by independent reporting— that are now suddenly filled with children, raising serious questions about timing and credibility. 16:00 The American Mamas Teri Netterville and Kimberly Burleson don’t hold back on this one. They take on the question of why it suddenly feels like everyone has a disability—and whether it’s about real need or working the system. While acknowledging legitimate conditions that truly require accommodations, they zero in on what they see as a disturbing trend: elite college students claiming disability status for special treatment, extra time, exemptions, and advantages. This isn’t about compassion anymore—it’s about entitlement. A culture that rewards victimhood, hands out loopholes, and teaches young people that being “broken” is a badge of honor. Comparing today’s mindset to the grit and pride of earlier generations, the Mamas warn that intelligence without ethics is dangerous, and a society that incentivizes weakness shouldn’t be surprised when responsibility, character, and resilience disappear. If you'd like to ask our American Mamas a question, go to our website, AmericanGroundRadio.com/mamas and click on the Ask the Mamas button. 23:00 Protests are breaking out across multiple cities in Iran as the country's economy spirals. The national currency has collapsed to record lows against the U.S. dollar, inflation has surged past 40 percent, and everyday life is becoming increasingly unlivable for ordinary Iranians. 24:30 Plus, we give director and actor Steven Grayhm a call. His film Sheepdog, is set to release nationwide on January 16, centered on the unseen battles of PTSD and the long-term cost of military service. Grayhm spent years traveling the country, listening to veterans, Gold Star families, and mental-health professionals, determined to tell their stories without political spin or Hollywood gloss. The result, he says, is a “love letter” to those who wore the uniform and the families who carried the burden alongside them. 32:00 Get TrimROX from Victory Nutrition International for 20% off. Go to vni.life/agr and use the promo code AGR20. 32:30 According to newly revealed information, more than $5 billion in HUD rental assistance payments during the final year of the Biden administration were flagged as questionable or improper—an eye-popping figure that immediately raises red flags. According to newly revealed information, more than $5 billion in HUD rental assistance payments during the final year of the Biden administration were flagged as questionable or improper—an eye-popping figure that immediately raises red flags. The most jaw-dropping detail: over 30,000 of those payments allegedly went to people who were already deceased. 35:30 New data shows Bible sales in the United States are booming, with double-digit growth two years in a row, and that's a Bright Spot. The resurgence isn’t limited to Bible sales alone. Church attendance is rising, especially among young people, with Catholic parishes seeing growth even in major cities like New York—places long declared spiritually dead by the secular elite. Add in the historic election of the first American pope, and the signs of a broader faith revival are hard to miss. 39:30 Here’s something that stopped us in our tracks: Charlie Kirk was the most searched name in the world in 2025. Not just in the United States—globally. More than any other news story, more than any other headline, Charlie Kirk topped Google search inquiries worldwide. 41:00 And we finish off today's episode with the most popular New Year's resolutions. Follow us: americangroundradio.com Facebook: facebook.com / AmericanGroundRadio Instagram: instagram.com/americangroundradio See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As 2025 comes to a close, this episode of PTSD and Beyond offers a slower, more intentional way to pause. December 31 is often treated like a countdown or a party night. But it is also a bridge. A bridge between who we were, who we lived as this year, and who we are becoming next. In this Self Care Sunday episode, Dr. Deb shares a trauma-informed reflection practice that supports the nervous system through transition. Rather than rushing into goals or avoiding the moment, this episode focuses on reflection, closure, and care as essential forms of self care. This episode explores • Why endings and transitions matter • The difference between reflection and rumination • How unfinished projects and decisions affect mental and emotional health • The role of energy awareness, boundaries, and environment • A simple planning approach that supports clarity without overwhelm This episode is for listeners who want to end the year with intention, steadiness, and care. Listen at your own pace. Pause or return as needed. Take what resonates. If this episode resonates, share it with someone who may need a reminder that healing does not always announce itself loudly. Sometimes it arrives as a breath, a softness, or a quiet moment the body whispers you are safe right now. Follow, subscribe, and leave a review to support PTSD and Beyond. Join us on Ko-Fi to help keep these conversations going.
After surviving the Taliban's 2012 attempted assassination, activist Malala Yousafzai didn't back down. She continued to advocate for girls' education across the globe. In 2014, Yousafzai became the youngest person to win a Nobel Prize, an honor that weighed on her when she went off to college. In ‘Finding My Way,' she writes about her life at Oxford and beyond. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about reliving childhood, PTSD, and her decision to get married.Also, critic at large John Powers highlights some things he wish he had reviewed this year. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
This week, we sit down with our great friend, Johnny Krash, for the kind of conversation that feels like home yet challenges the way you think. Johnny brings sharp insight on guns and gun control, the climate of our country, and the realities of PTSD among troops, law enforcement etc. Topics that often divide, but here are approached with honesty, depth, and respect. Together we explore what freedom really means, how trauma shapes resilience, and where hope still lives in a divided America. It's equal parts real talk, reflection, and revelation, the kind of dialogue that reminds us why meaningful conversations matter. FULL EPISODE: Patreon.com/straightupsisters __________________________________ Follow us on IG and TikTok: @straightupsistersthepodcast @lasusie @raqcsworld Follow Johnny on IG: @jonnykrash @sabotfoundation YouTube: Straight Up Sisters Podcast Contact us: hello@straightupsisters.com
Let me start with a disclaimer—this isn't a political editorial. It's a conversation about ideas. Lessons from business, design, culture, and philosophy that might help us grow—individually and collectively. And if you disagree, email me at ConvoByDesign@Outlook.com. I welcome the debate. As this year closes, I'm feeling a mix of frustration and optimism. This moment feels chaotic—as does most of life lately—which is why I often end the show with, “rise above the chaos.” We can't eliminate it, but we can manage what's within our control. The Stoics told us that long ago: focus on what you can control, release what you can't, act with virtue, and let obstacles sharpen resilience. This essay is about taking back even a small amount of control through the work we do and the spaces we shape. The Problem with Trend-Driven Design This year, phrases and hashtags flew faster than ever—Quiet Luxury, Brat Green, Fridgescaping, Millennial Grey. Much like the “big, beautiful bill” language we've all heard tossed around in political discourse, design's buzzwords can distract from what actually matters. They generate attention, not meaning. They look good on social media, not necessarily in the lived experience of a home, workplace, or public square. So instead of centering our design conversations around fleeting edits, let's pivot toward the global innovations that are transforming the built world in ways that truly matter. Designer Resources Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise. Design Hardware – A stunning and vast collection of jewelry for the home! TimberTech – Real wood beauty without the upkeep Real Innovation Worth Talking About Across the globe, designers, architects, and researchers are developing ideas that transcend buzz. These are the concepts with longevity—the ones shaping smart, resilient, human-centered spaces: Biophilic Design, rooted in the work of Edward O. Wilson, Erich Fromm, and Japanese shinrin-yoku, continues to reframe our relationship with nature. Net-Zero Architecture, pioneered in Canada, Germany, and Australia, redefines building performance through projects like Seattle's Bullitt Center and Colorado's RMI Innovation Center. Smart Homes and Invisible Tech, building on early Asian innovation, hiding circuitry and functionality behind seamless design powered by Apple, Google, and Amazon ecosystems. Prefab and Modular Construction, originally exemplified by structures like the Crystal Palace and the Sydney Opera House, now reimagined by firms such as Plant Prefab. Passive House Design, born in Germany but rapidly shaping U.S. projects in California, New York, and the Pacific Northwest. And the list goes on: Self-Healing Concrete by Hendrik Marius Jonkers Guggenheim Abu Dhabi by Frank Gehry Bët-bi Museum in Senegal by Mariam Issoufou Powerhouse Parramatta in Australia Pujiang Viewing Platform in China by MVRDV Landscape and biophilic approaches—Wabi-Sabi gardening, edimental gardens, climate-adaptive landscapes, and indoor biophilia—are redefining how we engage with natural systems in daily life. Even infrastructure has become a site of innovation: CopenHill/Amager Bakke, Denmark's waste-to-energy plant with a ski slope Urban Sequoias by SOM—skyscrapers designed as carbon sinks 3D-printed timber in Germany, Finland, and France This is the work that deserves our attention—not the color of the week on TikTok. Rethinking the Shelter Space For years I described architecture as a language, design as a dialect, and landscape as the narrative. Mies van der Rohe famously introduced the concept of architecture as language. It caught on, and then the bandwagon effect took over. But today, the metaphor feels insufficient—especially for the shelter space, where people spend their lives, raise families, work, heal, and age. The shelter space isn't like a retail store or restaurant, where design is often intended for those who pass through briefly while the people who labor there navigate the leftover space. The shelter space must serve those who inhabit it deeply and continuously. And that shifts the conversation. Design begins with the usual questions—purpose, function, users, goals, budget. But these questions don't define design. They only outline it. There is no universal purpose of architecture or design, no single philosophy, no singular “right” answer. The shelter space varies as widely as the people living within it. So instead of treating architecture and design as technical processes, we should approach them philosophically. A Philosophical Framework for Design Stoicism offers clarity: Accept that budget overruns and changes will occur. Respect the expertise of the designer you hired. Invest in authenticity rather than dupes. Create environments that support health—clean air, clean water, noise reduction, resilience. Utilitarianism reminds us that choices have consequences. If the design decisions you make are based on influencer content instead of expertise, the result is no surprise. And now, a new framework is emerging that could transform our shared spaces entirely. Sensorial Urbanism: Designing the City We Actually Feel One of the most compelling movements emerging globally is Sensorial Urbanism—a shift from focusing on how the city looks to how it feels. It's neuroscience, phenomenology, and inclusive design rolled into a multi-sensory toolkit. Five Key Sensory Principles Soundscaping Water features masking traffic. Acoustic pavilions. Designed sound gardens. Paris' Le Cylindre Sonore. Soundscape parks in Barcelona and Berlin. Smellscaping Native flowers, herbs, and aromatic trees restoring identity—especially critical after disasters like wildfires. Kate McLean's smellwalks map a city's olfactory signature. Tactile Design Materials that invite touch and respond to temperature—stone, wood, water—connecting inhabitants to place. Visual Quietness Reducing signage and visual clutter, as seen in Drachten, Netherlands, creates calmer, more intuitive environments. Multisensory Inclusivity Design that accommodates neurodiversity, PTSD, aging, and accessibility through tactile paving, sound buffers, and scent markers. Why It Matters Because cities didn't always feel this overwhelming. Because design wasn't always rushed. Because quality of life shouldn't be compromised for aesthetics. Sensorial Urbanism reconnects us with spaces that are restorative, intuitive, and emotionally resonant. A city is not just a picture—it is an experience. The Takeaway for 2026 Rising Above the Chaos: Lessons from 2025 for a Smarter 2026 HED (3-sentence summary): As 2025 closes, the design and architecture world has experienced unprecedented chaos and rapid trend cycles. In this episode, Soundman reflects on lessons from business, culture, and global innovation, emphasizing resilience, purposeful design, and human-centered spaces. From Stoic philosophy to sensorial urbanism, this conversation offers guidance for navigating the next year with clarity and intentionality. DEK (Expanded description): Twenty twenty-five tested the design industry's patience, creativity, and adaptability. In this reflective episode, we explore the pitfalls of trend-driven design, the enduring value of service, and the innovations shaping architecture globally — from net-zero buildings to multisensory urbanism. With examples ranging from TimberTech decking to Pacific Sales' trade programs, we examine how designers can reclaim control, prioritize meaningful work, and create spaces that heal, inspire, and endure. A philosophical lens, practical insights, and actionable guidance make this a must-listen for professionals and enthusiasts alike. Outline of Show Topics: Introduction & Context Reflection on the chaotic year of 2025 in design and architecture. Disclaimer: this is a philosophical conversation, not a political editorial. Invitation for audience engagement via email. Trends vs. Meaningful Design Critique of buzzwords like “quiet luxury” and “millennial gray bookshelf wealth.” Emphasis on global innovation over social media-driven trends. The gap between American design influence and international innovation. Global Innovations in Architecture & Design Biophilic design and its philosophical roots. Net-zero buildings: Bullitt Center (Seattle), RMI Innovation Center (Colorado). Smart homes, modular construction, and passive house adoption in the U.S. vs. abroad. Focus on Service & Professional Support Pacific Sales Kitchen & Home: Pro Rewards program and exceptional service. TimberTech: innovation in sustainable synthetic decking. Importance of performance, durability, and client-focused solutions. Philosophical Approach to Design Architecture as experience, not just a visual language. Stoicism, utilitarianism, and mindfulness applied to design. Sensorial urbanism: engaging all five senses in public and private spaces. Emerging Global Examples of Innovation Self-healing concrete (Henrik Marius Junkers), Copenhill (Denmark). 3D printed timber in Germany, Finland, France. Climate-adaptive landscapes, Wabi-sabi gardening, inclusive urban design. Moving Beyond Social Media Trends Rejecting influencer-driven design priorities. Returning to performance, resilience, and quality of life. Practical guidance for designers in all regions, including overlooked U.S. markets. Closing Reflections & New Year Outlook Encouragement to rise above chaos and focus on what can be controlled. Goals for 2026: intentional, human-centered, and innovative design. Call to action: share, subscribe, and engage with Convo by Design. Sponsor Mentions & Callouts Pacific Sales Kitchen & Home TimberTech Design Hardware If you enjoyed this long-form essay, share it with a friend. Subscribe to Convo By Design, follow @convoxdesign on Instagram, and send your thoughts to ConvoByDesign@Outlook.com. Thank you to TimberTech, The AZEK Company, Pacific Sales, Best Buy, and Design Hardware for supporting over 650 episodes and making Convo By Design the longest running podcast of it's kind!
Content Warning This podcast contains detailed discussions of sensitive topics, including combat experiences, childhood trauma, and substance abuse. It also includes a first-hand account of a mental health crisis involving a firearm and thoughts of suicide. In this episode of the DAV Podcast, host Matt Saintsing sits down with Justin, a combat veteran who served as an infantry Marine in Fallujah and Ramadi. Justin shares a raw and candid account of his journey from enlisting to seek his father's approval to his decade-long struggle as a firefighter masking deep-seated anxiety, depression, and alcohol abuse. While initially believing his suffering stemmed from war-related PTSD, a spontaneous encounter with the psychedelic medicine Ayahuasca led to a profound spiritual awakening. Through this experience and his subsequent work with Save A Warrior, Justin realized the roots of his trauma actually lay in his childhood, leading him to a new path in spiritual chaplaincy and a mission to help others heal through the power of psychedelic integration.
Johnny Mac presents five uplifting news stories from Britain and beyond: A 63-year-old army veteran named Nick, suffering from COPD, arthritis, and PTSD, received a major surprise when a cleaning company owner cleared his overgrown backyard and raised about $14,000 for him via GoFundMe. In Norway, a hiker discovered an Iron Age reindeer trap that dates back between 500 AD and 500 BC. Conservationists in the Caribbean successfully boosted the population of the critically endangered lesser Antillean iguana on Anguilla's Prickly Pear East island. GameStop in Texas conducted its most valuable trade-in ever by paying a customer over $30,000 for a rare Pokemon card. In New York, a loose horse running along the Van Wick Expressway near JFK Airport was safely captured and returned to Curley's Cowboy Center.John also hosts Daily Comedy NewsUnlock an ad-free podcast experience with Caloroga Shark Media! For Apple users, hit the banner which says Uninterrupted Listening on your Apple podcasts app. FSubscribe now for exclusive shows like 'Palace Intrigue,' and get bonus content from Deep Crown (our exclusive Palace Insider!) Or get 'Daily Comedy News,' and '5 Good News Stories' with no commercials! Plans start at $4.99 per month, or save 20% with a yearly plan at $49.99. Join today and help support the show!Get more info from Caloroga Shark Media and if you have any comments, suggestions, or just want to get in touch our email is info@caloroga.com
Creating Spaces with Natalie Bedard (ADHD, PTSD,OCD).We open with Natalie Bedard (NatNat), an Energy Healing Specialist who helps people regulate the nervous system and transform anxiety into empowerment through her brand LiftOneSelf. She's been featured on multiple podcasts, always reminding us that self‑care is personal and that understanding our own biology is essential.This episode is special because NatNat turns her insight toward me. I open up about the negative voices in my head — the ones many listeners know too well. It gets emotional, and she meets it with compassion, clarity, and spiritual guidance. She offers practical ways to quiet those inner demons, plus a short meditation to help ground the moment.You might want a box of Kleenex. I certainly did. I don't pretend to have it all together — I'm traveling toward home just like you.Sleep Lists for the SleeplessNext is Helen Sernett, host of the podcast Sleep Lists and a dedicated sleep and wellness enthusiast. Her show uses simple, soothing lists — numerical, chronological, or alphabetical — all designed to help listeners drift off before the episode ends. And if you're still awake, she offers gentle suggestions to help you settle into sleep. With six episodes per season, quarterly releases, and special holiday editions, there's always something calming to queue up.We talk about alternative sleep routines for people without traditional schedules — remote workers, flex‑schedule professionals, college students, and retirees — and how daytime napping can support better rest. Good sleep is essential to mental health, and Helen's podcast may be exactly the natural support you need.Advocacy for Inclusion - Neurodivergent Acceptance into SocietyNext we talk to Khushboo Chabria, a neurodiversity specialist, career coach, and mental health advocate reshaping how workplaces and schools include neurodivergent people. We talk about why ADHD, Autism, and other forms of neurodiversity are not disorders, and why every brain deserves the right accommodation.Khushboo is the coauthor of Neurodiversity for Dummies (including the full ADHD chapter) and leads transformative work through Neurodiversity Pathways at Goodwill of Silicon Valley. Drawing on her therapeutic background, leadership experience, and her own ADHD journey, she brings a powerful, authentic perspective to this conversation.Goodbye Anxiety, Depression, Addiction & PTSD: The Life-Changing Science of Dual-Brain Psychology.Dr. Fredric Schiffer joins me to discuss his groundbreaking new book, Goodbye Anxiety, Depression, Addiction & PTSD: The Life‑Changing Science of Dual‑Brain Psychology. A best‑selling author, psychiatrist, public speaker, and part‑time assistant professor at Harvard, Dr. Schiffer has spent decades studying how early trauma, brain laterality, and emotional patterns shape our mental well‑being. His work explores how the two hemispheres of the brain can function like two competing minds — and how treating the more troubled side can reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and addiction.As founder of the Dual‑Brain Psychology Institute, Dr. Schiffer has developed innovative techniques to help people access and heal the wounded part of the mind, including a surprisingly simple method involving something as ordinary as a piece of junk mail. His new book lays out these discoveries and the science...
As we close out 2025, I'm reflecting on the biggest lessons we've learned about building mental strength this year. I reviewed reviewed the most listened-to episodes of the year—from conversations with neuroscientists to inspiring stories from musicians—to bring you the top 10 takeaways that resonated most with you. Today, I'm breaking down the most powerful, science-backed strategies and insights from this year's most popular episodes to help you make 2026 your strongest year yet. Some of the things I talk about are: The #1 lesson from our most popular episode on healing anxiety How to "dose stack" your brain chemicals for a powerful boost to your mental health Why you don't need therapy to improve your mental health (and what may be more helpful) The surprising connection between lifting weights, confidence, and PTSD How to influence someone to change Why the belief "I am enough" is the foundation of a healthy money mindset The childhood beliefs that might still be holding you back as an adult Why joy is found in the journey, not the destination (and how to embrace it) Featured Episodes 211 — 5 Ways to Add More Joy to Your Life with Dr. Tiffany Moon 176 — 10 Childhood Beliefs Holding You Back and How to Break Free 181 — The Money Mindset Makeover to Help You Cope with Financial Anxiety with Elizabeth Husserl 174 — How to Influence People to Change Without Overstepping Your Bounds 179 — The Power of Persistence and Positivity with Singer/Songwriter Niko Moon 180 — Stronger Mind, Stronger Body: The Science of Building Both 202 — 10 Ways to Improve Mental Health Without Therapy 187 — The Ultimate Guide to Hacking Your Brain Chemicals with Neuroscientist TJ Power 204 — 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do in Today's World Connect with the Show 183 — How to Permanently Heal Your Anxiety by Addressing the Root Cause with Dr. Nicole Cain Resources Buy a copy of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do Connect with Amy on Instagram — @AmyMorinAuthor Visit my website — AmyMorinLCSW.com Sponsors OneSkin — Get 15% off OneSkin with the code STRONGER at https://www.oneskin.co/ Quince — Go to Quince.com/stronger for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! Hollow Socks — Buy 2, get 2 free at hollowsocks.com BetterHelp — This episode is sponsored by/brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try and get 10% off at betterhelp.com/mentallystrong Shopify — Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at Shopify.com/mentallystronger Lola Blankets — Get 35% off your entire order at Lolablankets.com by using code STRONGER at checkout. Experience the world's #1 blanket with Lola Blankets. AirDoctor — Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code STRONGER to get UP TO $300 off today! Uncommon Goods — Go to UncommonGoods.com/Stronger for 15% off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Post-traumatic stress disorder is common among veterans, with 10% of men and nearly 20% of women reporting having symptoms at some point in their lives. But could exposure to more arts programming be the needed prescription for those who have served our country? Stephanie Sy reports for our look at the intersection of art and health, part of our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
In this deeply moving episode of The Addicted Mind, host Duane Osterlind sits down with Burton Fischler, author of The Gift: Trauma to Triumph. Burton shares a harrowing personal journey marked by unimaginable loss—the murder of his wife, Barbara, at the hands of her son who struggled with severe mental illness and addiction.Burton discusses how he navigated the dark abyss of PTSD and grief, eventually finding a path toward healing through writing, nature, and service. Now a substance addiction counselor, Burton explains the intersection of trauma and addiction and offers a message of profound hope for anyone feeling lost in the darkness.Key HighlightsA Tragic Turning Point: Burton recounts the heartbreaking events leading up to his wife's death and the systemic failures that preceded the tragedy.The Weight of Trauma: Moving beyond "talk therapy" to understand how trauma lives in the body and the reality of living with PTSD.The Power of Writing: How documenting his journey for eight hours a day became a lifeline and a tool for self-discovery.Gratitude vs. Joy: The shift from waiting for joy to practicing gratitude as a foundational step toward recovery.Neuroplasticity and Choice: Understanding that while we cannot "think" our way into right action, we can act our way into right thinking by rewiring the brain through healthy habits.The Wisdom of Trauma: Why Burton chose to become a substance abuse counselor and how his own pain allows him to connect deeply with his clients.During the conversation, Burton emphasizes the importance of replacing negative feedback loops with positive ones. This process leverages the brain's natural ability to change.Breaking Isolation: Moving from secrecy and shame to human connection.Nature and Awe: Finding symbols of resilience in the natural world (like a flower growing through concrete).Holistic Practice: Incorporating meditation, nutrition, and movement to support the "rewiring" of the mind.Notable Quotes"It is not joyfulness that makes us grateful. It's gratitude that makes us joyful." — Burton Fischler (referencing Brother David Steindl-Rast)"If children after they fell did not get up and try again, we would have a world of people on their knees." — Burton Fischler"There are two ways to look at life: one is that nothing is a miracle, and the other is that everything is." — Burton Fischler (referencing Albert Einstein)Resources MentionedBook: The Gift: Trauma to Triumph by Burton FischlerPoetry: T.S. EliotReferences: Viktor Frankl (Man's Search for Meaning), Gabor Maté, and Bill Wilson (AA).Connect with Burton FischlerWebsite: traumatotriumph.clubCoaching: coachburton.comSocial Media: Follow @BurtonFischler on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.If you live in California and are looking for counseling or therapy please check out Novus Mindful Life Counseling and Recovery CenterNovusMindfulLife.comWe want to hear from you. Leave us a message or ask us a question: https://www.speakpipe.com/addictedmindDisclaimerSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sean/a Smith:Sean/a's bold style and vibrant spirit made her a beloved figure in La Jolla—despite being unhoused for years. When Dr. Kirsten Harrison learned Sean/a's story, she was moved to help. Their connection sparked a shared journey of healing, advocacy, and transformation. From life on the streets to co-author and national speaker, Sean/a now champions intersex rights and dignity for the marginalized, always grounded in her deep sense of community.Dr. Kirsten Harrison:Dr. Kirsten Harrison is a psychologist specializing in trauma, with research experience at UCLA and advanced studies at institutions like Georgetown, Harvard, and Pepperdine. But her greatest education has come from working directly with survivors of PTSD, DID, and near-death experiences. Inspired by their resilience, she continues to share her expertise with compassion and purpose, guided by the strength of those she serves.In This EpisodeDr. Kirsten's websiteI, Sean/a: The Story of A Homeless Intersex Woman Who Inspired A CommunityBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.You can learn more about what I do here:The Trauma Therapist Newsletter: celebrates the people and voices in the mental health profession. And it's free! Check it out here: https://bit.ly/4jGBeSa———If you'd like to support The Trauma Therapist Podcast and the work I do you can do that here with a monthly donation of $5, $7, or $10: Donate to The Trauma Therapist Podcast.Click here to join my email list and receive podcast updates and other news.Thank you to our Sponsors:Incogni - Use code [traumatherapist] and get 60% off annual plans: https://incogni.com/traumatherapistJane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app/book_a_demoJourney Clinical - visit https://join.journeyclinical/trauma for 1 month off your membershipTherapy Wisdom - https://therapywisdom.com/jan/
Explore the power of purpose through the story of Velasco in The Samurai and research-backed insights:Velasco chose meaning over comfort, even at the cost of his life.Purpose drives resilience, stress tolerance, and mental well-being.Without purpose, life can feel stagnant and numbing.Discover why knowing your “why” is essential to truly being alive.Thrive With Leo Coaching: If you want to reduce your psychological pain, regain your purpose and forge your own path, go to www.thrivewithleo.com to begin your journey.If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, or is anxious, depressed, upset, or needs to talk, there are people who want to help:In the US: Crisis Text Line: Text CRISIS to 741741 for free, confidential crisis counseling. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or 988The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386Outside the US:International Association for Suicide Prevention lists a number of suicide hotlines by country. Click here to find them.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is common among veterans, with 10% of men and nearly 20% of women reporting having symptoms at some point in their lives. But could exposure to more arts programming be the needed prescription for those who have served our country? Stephanie Sy reports for our look at the intersection of art and health, part of our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
In this powerful and insightful episode, we explore the connection between PTSD and OCD, two conditions that often intersect in complex and misunderstood ways. The discussion dives into how trauma can shape obsessive-compulsive patterns, how compulsions can emerge as coping mechanisms, and why a trauma-informed approach is essential for effective treatment.The speakers unpack the challenges of working with co-occurring trauma and OCD, emphasizing flexibility, creativity, and compassion in clinical work. From ERP integration to managing dissociation and building client insight, this conversation offers a nuanced understanding of how clinicians can hold both trauma and OCD safely in the therapy room.
Today on Emotional Detox Michael O'Dell, Marine Veteran and Warriors Heart Command Center COO shares his unique and inspiring recovery story, turn-around and message for anyone going through or supporting someone in recovery. Don't forget to subscribe to the show and check out the Emotional Detox Marketplace. If you or a loved one is a warrior who is struggling with addiction, PTSD and/or mental health issues, Warriors Heart's 24-hr hotline is 866-955-4035, and is answered by warriors. And for more information, visit https://warriorsheart.com/connect ✔️Take the Emotional Detox Quiz Purchase The Emotional Detox 50 Card Deck
In this episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Sayan sits down with Dr. Christal L. Badour to cut through the internet noise around trauma healing. They break down what actually happens in the brain and body during trauma. Why memory can show up as vivid snapshots with gaps. And why that is a survival feature, not a personal defect. Dr. Badour also explains how to spot credible healing information in a world full of “pretty but flimsy” wellness content. She points listeners to research-backed sources like global and national trauma organizations, then adds a grounded take on generative AI. It can help you find reputable resources, but it is not a replacement for real clinical care or human connection. The conversation closes with a practical shift. Trauma-informed environments change everything. Families, workplaces, and communities can support recovery by moving from “what's wrong with you” to “what happened to you” and “what do you need.” About the Guest: Dr. Christal L. Badour is a licensed clinical psychologist, researcher, and founder of Science for Survivors. She has led federally funded research on PTSD and substance use, trains clinicians, and translates paywalled research into real-world language survivors and communities can use. Key Takeaways: Trauma responses start during the event. Your brain's #1 KPI is survival, not comfort. The limbic system ramps up fast. The amygdala helps drive threat detection and intense emotions. Trauma memories can store as sharp snapshots with gaps. That is common and not “proof” you are broken. Confusion after trauma is often the brain reviewing threat data, not weakness or failure. Online healing content can look credible because production quality is not evidence. Packaging is not peer review. Start with research-grounded hubs like the World Health Organization and major trauma education networks. Evidence-based tools and spiritual reflection can coexist. Real humans do not heal in tidy categories. Generative AI can act like an advanced search engine for credible sources. It should not replace therapists or care teams. Trauma and substance use often intersect. Coping via substances is not a moral failing, but it can become harmful over time. Trauma-informed workplaces improve outcomes. Shift from blame to support and psychological safety. How Listeners Can Connect With the Guest Website: http://www.scienceforsurvivors.com/ Explore Dr. Badour's blog on trauma recovery science. You can also find details on her services and professional work there. Want to be a guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? DM on PM . Send me a message on PodMatch DM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik Disclaimer: This video is for educational and informational purposes only. The views expressed are the personal opinions of the guest and do not reflect the views of the host or Healthy Mind By Avik™️. We do not intend to harm, defame, or discredit any person, organization, brand, product, country, or profession mentioned. All third-party media used remain the property of their respective owners and are used under fair use for informational purposes. By watching, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer. Healthy Mind By Avik™️ is a global platform redefining mental health as a necessity, not a luxury. Born during the pandemic, it's become a sanctuary for healing, growth, and mindful living. Hosted by Avik Chakraborty. storyteller, survivor, wellness advocate. this channel shares powerful podcasts and soul-nurturing conversations on: • Mental Health & Emotional Well-being • Mindfulness & Spiritual Growth • Holistic Healing & Conscious Living • Trauma Recovery & Self-Empowerment With over 4,400+ episodes and 168.4K+ global listeners, join us as we unite voices, break stigma, and build a world where every story matters.
Imagine for a second that Eckhart Tolle wasn't a spiritual teacher, but a deep cover operative with a gun to his head. And just for a second, pretend that Tolle’s Power of Now wasn't a way to find peace, but a survival mechanism used to slow down time when your reality is collapsing. And your memory has been utterly destroyed by forces beyond your control. Until a good friend helps you rebuild it from the ground up. These are the exact feelings and sense of positive transformation I tried to capture in a project I believe is critical for future autodidacts, polymaths and traditional learners: Vitamin X, a novel in which the world’s only blind memory champion helps a detective use memory techniques and eventually achieve enlightenment. It’s also a story about accomplishing big goals, even in a fast-paced and incredibly challenging world. In the Magnetic Memory Method community at large, we talk a lot about the habits of geniuses like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. We obsess over their reading lists and their daily routines because we want that same level of clarity and intellectual power. But there's a trap in studying genius that too many people fall into: Passivity. And helping people escape passive learning is one of several reasons I’ve studied the science behind a variety of fictional learning projects where stories have been tested as agents of change. Ready to learn more about Vitamin X and the various scientific findings I’ve uncovered in order to better help you learn? Let’s dive in! Defeating the Many Traps of Passive Learning We can read about how Lincoln sharpened his axe for hours before trying to cut down a single tree. And that's great. But something's still not quite right. To this day, tons of people nod their heads at that famous old story about Lincoln. Yet, they still never sharpen their own axes, let alone swing them. Likewise, people email me every day regarding something I've taught about focus, concentration or a particular mnemonic device. They know the techniques work, including under extreme pressure. But their minds still fracture the instant they're faced with distraction. As a result, they never wind up getting the memory improvement results I know they can achieve. So, as happy as I am with all the help my books like The Victorious Mind and SMARTER have helped create in this world, I’m fairly confident that those titles will be my final memory improvement textbooks. Instead, I am now focused on creating what you might call learning simulations. Enter Vitamin X, the Memory Detective Series & Teaching Through Immersion Because here's the thing: If I really want to teach you how to become a polymath, I can't just carry on producing yet another list of tips. I have to drop you into scenarios where you actually feel what it's like to use memory techniques. That's why I started the Memory Detective initiative. It began with a novel called Flyboy. It’s been well-received and now part two is out. And it’s as close to Eckhart Tolle meeting a Spy Thriller on LSD as I could possibly make it. Why? To teach through immersion. Except, it's not really about LSD. No, the second Memory Detective novel centers around a substance called Vitamin X. On the surface, it's a thriller about a detective named David Williams going deep undercover. In actuality, it's a cognitive training protocol disguised as a novel. But one built on a body of research that shows stories can change what people remember, believe, and do. And that's both the opportunity and the danger. To give you the memory science and learning research in one sentence: Stories are a delivery system. We see this delivery system at work in the massive success of Olly Richards’ StoryLearning books for language learners. Richards built his empire on the same mechanism Pimsleur utilized to great effect long before their famous audio recordings became the industry standard: using narrative to make raw data stick. However, a quick distinction is necessary. In the memory world, we often talk about the Story Method. This approach involves linking disparate pieces of information together in a chain using a simple narrative vignette (e.g., a giant cat eating a toaster to remember a grocery list). That is a powerful mnemonic tool, and you will see Detective Williams use short vignettes in the Memory Detective series. But Vitamin X is what I call ‘Magnetic Fiction.’ It's not a vignette. It's a macro-narrative designed to carry the weight of many memory techniques itself. It simulates the pressure required to forge the skill, showing you how and why to use the story method within a larger, immersive context. So with that in mind, let's unpack the topic of fiction and teaching a bit further. That way, you'll know more of what I have in mind for my readers. And perhaps you'll become interested in some memory science experiments I plan to run in the near future. Illustration of “Cafe Mnemonic,” a fun memory training location the Memory Detective David Williams wants to establish once he has enough funds. Fiction as a Teaching Technology: What the Research Says This intersection of story and memory isn't new territory for me. Long before I gave my popular TEDx Talk on memory or helped thousands of people through the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass, live workshops and my books, I served as a Mercator award-winning Film Studies professor. In this role, I often analyzed and published material regarding how narratives shape our cognition. Actually, my research into the persuasion of memory goes back to my scholarly contribution to the anthology The Theme of Cultural Adaptation in American History, Literature and Film. In my chapter, “Cryptomnesia or Cryptomancy? Subconscious Adaptations of 9/11,” I examined specifically how cultural narratives influence memory formation, forgetting, and the subconscious acceptance of information. That academic background drives the thinking and the learning protocols baked into Vitamin X. As does the work of researchers who have studied narrative influence for decades. Throughout their scientific findings, one idea keeps reappearing in different forms: When a story pulls you in, you experience some kind of “transportation.” It can be that you find yourself deeply immersed in the life of a character. Or you find your palms sweating as your brain tricks you into believing you're undergoing some kind of existential threat. When such experiences happen, you stop processing information like you would an argument through critical thinking. Instead, you start processing the information in the story almost as if they were really happening. As a result, these kinds of transportation can change beliefs and intentions, sometimes without the reader noticing the change happening. That's why fiction has been used for: teaching therapy religion civic formation advertising propaganda Even many national anthems contain stories that create change, something I experienced recently when I became an Australian citizen. As I was telling John Michael Greer during our latest podcast recording, I impulsively took both the atheist and the religious oath and sang the anthem at the ceremony. All of these pieces contain stories and those stories changed how I think, feel and process the world. Another way of looking at story is summed up in this simple statement: All stories have the same basic mechanism. But many stories have wildly different ethics. My ethics: Teach memory improvement methods robustly. Protect the tradition. And help people think for themselves using the best available critical thinking tools. And story is one of them. 6 Key Research Insights on Educational Fiction Now, when it comes to the research that shows just how powerful story is, we can break it down into buckets. Some of the main categories of research on fiction for pedagogy include: 1) Narrative transportation and persuasion As these researchers explain in The Role of Transportation in the Persuasiveness of Public Narratives, transportation describes how absorbed a reader becomes in a story. Psychologists use transportation models to show how story immersion drives belief change. It works because vivid imagery paired with emotion and focused attention make story-consistent ideas easier to accept. This study of how narratives were used in helping people improve their health support the basic point: Narratives produce average shifts in attitudes, beliefs, intentions, and sometimes behavior. Of course, the exact effects vary by topic and the design of the scientific study in question. But the point remains that fiction doesn't merely entertain. It can also train and persuade. 2) Entertainment-Education (EE) EE involves deliberately embedding education into popular media, often with pro-social aims. In another health-based study, researchers found that EE can influence knowledge, attitudes, intentions, behavior, and self-efficacy. Researchers in Brazil have also used large-scale observational work on soap operas and social outcomes (like fertility). As this study demonstrates, mass narrative exposure can shape real-world behavior at scale within a population. Stories can alter norms, not just transfer facts from one mind to another. You’ll encounter this theme throughout Vitamin X, especially when Detective Williams tangles with protestors who hold beliefs he does not share, but seem to be taking over the world. 3) Narrative vs expository learning (a key warning) Here's the part most “educational fiction” ignores: Informative narratives often increase interest, but they don't automatically improve comprehension. As this study found, entertainment can actually cause readers to overestimate how well they understood the material. This is why “edutainment” often produces big problems: You can wind up feeling smarter because you enjoyed an experience. But just because you feel that way doesn't mean you gain a skill you can reliably use. That’s why I have some suggestions for you below about how to make sure Vitamin X actually helps you learn to use memory techniques better. 4) Seductive details (another warning) There's also the problem of effects created by what scientists call seductive details. Unlike the “luminous details” I discussed with Brad Kelly on his Madness and Method podcast, seductive details are interesting but irrelevant material. They typically distract attention and reduce learning of what actually matters. As a result, these details divert attention through interference and by adding working memory demands. The research I’ve read suggests that when story authors don't engineer their work with learning targets in mind, their efforts backfire. What was intended to help learners actually becomes a sabotage device. I've done my best to avoid sabotaging my own pedagogical efforts in the Memory Detective stories so far. That's why they include study guides and simulations of using the Memory Palace technique, linking and number mnemonics like the Major System. In the series finale, which is just entering the third draft now, the 00-99 PAO and Giordano Bruno's Statue technique are the learning targets I’ve set up for you. They are much harder, and that’s why even though there are inevitable seductive details throughout the Memory Detective series, the focus on memory techniques gets increasingly more advanced. My hope is that your focus and attention will be sharpened as a result. 5) Learning misinformation from fiction (the dark side) People don't just learn from fiction. They learn false facts from fiction too. In this study, researchers found that participants often treated story-embedded misinformation as if it were true knowledge. This is one reason using narrative as a teaching tool is so ethically loaded. It can bypass the mental posture we use for skepticism. 6) Narrative “correctives” (using story against misinformation) The good news is that narratives can also reduce misbelief. This study on “narrative correctives” found that stories can sometimes decrease false beliefs and misinformed intentions, though results are mixed. The key point is that story itself is neither “good” or “bad.” It's a tool for leverage, and this is one of the major themes I built into Vitamin X. My key concern is that people would confuse me with any of my characters. Rather, I was trying to create a portrait of our perilous world where many conflicts unfold every day. Some people use tools for bad, others for good, and even that binary can be difficult for people to agree upon. Pros & Cons of Teaching with Fiction Let’s start with the pros. Attention and completion: A good story can keep people engaged, which is a prerequisite for any learning to occur. The transportation model I cited above helps explain why. The Positive Side of Escapism Entering a simulation also creates escapism that is actually valuable. This is because fiction gives you “experience” without real-world consequences when it comes to facing judgment, ethics, identity, and pressure-handling. This is one reason why story has always been used for moral education, not just entertainment. However, I’ve also used story in my Memory Detective games, such as “The Velo Gang Murders.” Just because story was involved did not mean people did not face judgement. But it was lower than my experiments with “Magnetic Variety,” a non-narrative game I’ll be releasing in the future. Lower Reactance Stories can reduce counterarguing compared with overt persuasion, which can be useful for resistant audiences. In other words, you’re on your own in the narrative world. Worst case scenario, you’ll have a bone to pick with the author. This happened to me the other day when someone emailed to “complain” about how I sometimes discuss Sherlock Holmes. Fortunately, the exchange turned into a good-hearted debate, something I attribute to having story as the core foundation of our exchange. Compare this to Reddit discussions like this one, where discussing aspects of the techniques in a mostly abstract way leads to ad hominem attacks. Now for the cons: Propaganda Risk The same reduction in counterarguing and squabbling with groups that you experience when reading stories is exactly what makes narratives useful for manipulation. When you’re not discussing what you’re reading with others, you can wind up ruminating on certain ideas. This can lead to negative outcomes where people not only believe incorrect things. They sometimes act out negatively in the world. The Illusion of Understanding Informative narratives can produce high interest but weaker comprehension and inflated metacomprehension. I’ve certainly had this myself, thinking I understand various points in logic after reading Alice in Wonderland. In reality, I still needed to do a lot more study. And still need more. In fact, “understanding” is not a destination so much as it is a process. Misinformation Uptake People sometimes acquire false beliefs from stories and struggle to discount fiction as a source. We see this often in religion due to implicit memory. Darrel Ray has shown how this happens extensively in his book, The God Virus: How Religion Infects Our Lives and Culture. His book helped explain something that happened to me after I first started memorizing Sanskrit phrases and feeling the benefits of long-form meditation. For a brief period, implicit memory and the primacy effect made me start to consider that the religion I’d grown up with was in fact true and real. Luckily, I shook that temporary effect. But many others aren’t quite so lucky. And in case it isn’t obvious, I’ll point out that the Bible is not only packed with stories. Some of those stories contain mnemonic properties, something Eran Katz pointed out in his excellent book, Where Did Noah Park the Ark? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhQlcMHhF3w The “Reefer Madness” Problem While working on Vitamin X, I thought often about Reefer Madness. In case you haven’t seen it, Reefer Madness began as an “educational” morality tale about cannabis. It's now famous largely because it's an over-the-top artifact of moral panic, an example of how fear-based fiction can be used to shape public belief under the guise of protection. I don’t want to make that mistake in my Memory Detective series. But there is a relationship because Vitamin X does tackle nootropics, a realm of substances for memory I am asked to comment on frequently. In this case, I'm not trying to protect people from nootropics, per se. But as I have regularly talked about over the years, tackling issues like brain fog by taking memory supplements or vitamins for memory is fraught with danger. And since fiction is one of the most efficient way to smuggle ideas past the mind's filters, I am trying to raise some critical thinking around supplementation for memory. But to do it in a way that's educational without trying to exploit anyone. I did my best to create the story so that you wind up thinking for yourself. What I'm doing differently with Vitamin X & the Memory Detective Series I'm not pretending fiction automatically teaches. I'm treating fiction as a delivery system for how various mnemonic methods work and as a kind of cheerleading mechanism that encourages you to engage in proper, deliberate practice. Practice of what? 1) Concentration meditation. Throughout the story, Detective Williams struggles to learn and embrace the memory-based meditation methods of his mentor, Jerome. You get to learn more about these as you read the story. 2) Memory Palaces as anchors for sanity, not party tricks. In the library sequence, Williams tries to launch a mnemonic “boomerang” into a Memory Palace while hallucinatory imagery floods the environment. Taking influence from the ancient mnemonist, Hugh of St. Victor, Noah's Ark becomes a mnemonic structure. Mnemonic images surge and help Detective Williams combat his PTSD. To make this concrete, I've utilized the illustrations within the book itself. Just as the ancients used paintings and architectural drawings to encode knowledge, the artwork in Vitamin X isn’t just decoration. During the live bootcamp I’m running to celebrate the launch, I show you how to treat the illustrations as ‘Painting Memory Palaces.’ This effectively turns the book in your hands into a functioning mnemonic device, allowing you to practice the method of loci on the page before you even step out into the real world. Then there’s the self-help element, which takes the form of how memory work can help restore sanity. A PTSD theme runs throughout the Memory Detective series for two deliberate reasons. First, Detective Williams is partly based on Nic Castle. He's a former police officer who found symptom relief for his PTSD from using memory techniques. He shared his story on this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast years ago. Second, Nic's anecdotal experience is backed up by research. And even if you don't have PTSD, the modern world is attacking many of us in ways that clearly create similar symptom-like issues far worse than the digital amnesia I've been warning about for years. We get mentally hijacked by feeds, anxiety loops, and synthetic urgency. We lose our grip on reality and wonder why we can't remember what we read five minutes ago. That's just one more reason I made memory techniques function as reality-tests inside Vitamin X. 3) The critical safeguard: I explicitly separate fiction from technique. In Flyboy's afterword, I put it plainly: The plot is fictional, but the memory techniques are real. And because they're real, they require study and practice. I believe this boundary matters because research shows how easily readers absorb false “facts” from fiction. 4) To help you practice, I included a study guide. At the end of both Flyboy and Vitamin X, there are study guides. In Vitamin X, you'll find a concrete method for creating a Mnemonic Calendar. This is not the world's most perfect memory technique. But it's helpful and a bit more advanced than a technique I learned from Jim Samuels many years ago. In his version, he had his clients divide the days of the week into a Memory Palace. For his senior citizens in particular, he had them divide the kitchen. So if they had to take a particular pill on Monday, they would imagine the pill as a giant moon in the sink. Using the method of loci, this location would always serve as their mnemonic station for Monday. In Vitamin X, the detective uses a number-shape system. Either way, these kinds of techniques for remembering schedules are the antidote to the “illusion of understanding” problem, provided that you put them to use. They can be very difficult to understand if you don't. Why My Magnetic Fiction Solves the “Hobbyist” Problem A lot of memory training fails for one reason: People treat it as a hobby. They “learn” techniques the way people “learn” guitar: By watching a few videos and buying a book. While the study material sits on a shelf or lost in a hard drive, the consumer winds up never rehearsing. Never putting any skill to the test. And as a result, never enjoying integration with the techniques. What fiction can do is create: emotional stakes situational context identity consistency (“this is what I do now”) and enough momentum to carry you into real practice That's the point of the simulation. You're not just reading about a detective and his mentor using Memory Palaces and other memory techniques. You're watching what happens when a mind uses a Memory Palace to stay oriented. And you can feel that urgency in your own nervous system while you read. That's the “cognitive gym” effect, I'm going for. It's also why I love this note from Andy, because it highlights the exact design target I'm going for: “I finished Flyboy last night. Great book! I thought it was eminently creative, working the memory lessons into a surprisingly intricate and entertaining crime mystery. Well done!” Or as the real-life Sherlock Holmes Ben Cardall put it the Memory Detective stories are: …rare pieces of fiction that encourages reflection in the reader. You don’t just get the drama, the tension and the excitement from the exploits of its characters. You also get a look at your own capabilities as though Anthony is able to make you hold a mirror up to yourself and think ‘what else am I capable of’? A Practical Way to Read These Novels for Memory Training If you want the benefits without the traps we've discussed today: Read Vitamin X for immersion first (let transportation do its job). Then read it again with a simple study goal. This re-reading strategy is important because study-goal framing will improve comprehension and reduce overconfidence. During this second read-through, actually use the Mnemonic Calendar. Then, test yourself by writing out what you remember from the story. If you make a mistake, don't judge yourself. Simply use analytical thinking to determine what went wrong and work out how you can improve. The Future: Learning Through Story is About to Intensify Here's the uncomfortable forecast: Even though I’m generally pro-AI for all kinds of outcomes and grateful for my discussions with Andrew Mayne about it (host of the OpenAI Podcast), AI could make the generation of personalized narratives that target your fears, identity, and desires trivial. That means there’s the risk that AI will also easily transform your beliefs. The same machinery that can create “education you can't stop reading” can also create persuasion you barely notice. Or, as Michael Connelly described in his novel, The Proving Ground, we might notice the effects of this persuasion far more than we’d like. My research on narrative persuasion and misinformation underscores why this potential outcome is not hypothetical. So the real question isn't “Should we teach with fiction?” The question is: Will we build fiction that creates personal agency… or engineer stories that steal it? My aim with Flyboy, Vitamin X and the series finale is simple and focused on optimizing your ability: to use story as a motivation engine to convert that motivation into deliberate practice to make a wide range of memory techniques feel as exciting for you as they are for me and to give your attention interesting tests in a world engineered to fragment it. If you want better memory, this is your challenge: Don't read Vitamin X for entertainment alone. Read it to see if you can hold on to reality while the world spins out of control. When you do, you'll be doing something far rarer than collecting tips. You'll be swinging the axe. A very sharp axe indeed. And best of all, your axe for learning and remembering more information at greater speed will be Magnetic.
#foryou #podcast In this episode, a survivor breaks decades of silence to expose what happened inside the Huntington, New York YMCA. Between the ages of 9 and 12, they were repeatedly raped by three male YMCA employees. The abuse wasn't isolated—there were dozens of child victims. For years, the truth was buried, protected by an institution that failed the children in its care. Nearly 50 years later, everything changed. Time Stamps: 00:00:00 — What does it mean when childhood trauma shapes an entire lifetime? 00:01:07 — What was it like growing up in a large working-class family in the 1960s? 00:03:27 — Why do certain childhood memories feel magical before everything changes? 00:06:49 — How can switching mentors or teams quietly alter a child's future? 00:07:41 — What are early grooming behaviors adults often mistake for kindness? 00:09:19 — How do predators identify children who crave approval and belonging? 00:11:07 — Why would parents trust authority figures enough to allow overnight stays? 00:13:32 — How does grooming convince a child that abuse equals love? 00:15:52 — How does a child rationalize abuse when they don't understand what's happening? 00:18:22 — How can unaffiliated adults gain access to children through trusted institutions? 00:21:16 — Why don't children tell their parents even when they're terrified? 00:23:13 — How does repeated trauma begin to erase a child's sense of identity? 00:25:58 — What does it feel like when your body knows what's coming but you can't escape? 00:27:35 — Can PTSD develop from childhood abuse without visible violence? 00:30:56 — What moment finally exposes years of hidden abuse? 00:34:03 — What happens when one child speaks up and the system responds incorrectly? 00:35:01 — Why do institutions relocate abusers instead of reporting them? 00:38:50 — How does untreated childhood trauma show up as rebellion in adolescence? 00:42:01 — How can sports become a lifeline after deep trauma? 00:44:39 — What happens when trauma is locked away instead of processed? 00:48:52 — Why do survivors stay busy to avoid confronting unresolved pain? 00:53:08 — Why do trauma survivors gravitate toward high-pressure careers? 00:56:56 — How does intense training or structure temporarily suppress trauma symptoms? 00:59:39 — How does purpose restore identity after years of emotional shutdown? 01:06:22 — What does it feel like when buried trauma resurfaces later in adulthood? 01:16:33 — Why can healing feel harder than surviving the original trauma? 01:26:34 — What is PTSD really like when triggers appear without warning? 01:36:41 — How can the right therapist completely change the recovery process? 01:52:40 — How does writing about trauma help the brain and nervous system heal? 01:57:43 — What's the difference between surviving and choosing to truly live again? If you have a unique story you'd like to share on the podcast, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/ZiHgdoK4PLRAddiB9 or send an email to wereallinsanepodcast@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this powerful end-of-year episode of Black Men Sundays, host Corie Sylvester Murray sits down with J.R. McIntyre, aka ThaHoodMotiv8tor—a 14-year U.S. combat veteran, motivational speaker, life coach, author, and doctoral candidate.J.R. opens up about transitioning from military life, confronting PTSD, surviving multiple suicide attempts, and learning how to heal not just himself—but his children. He shares why emotional intelligence is essential for veterans and Black men, how faith guided him through failure, and what it really takes to turn your God-given gift into a sustainable business.From setting firm prices and building multiple income streams to breaking generational trauma and preparing for the new year, this episode is a masterclass in mental health, purpose, and generational wealth.This conversation isn't just motivation—it's a mission briefing for 2026.
A tow operator flagged down on I‑10. A man trapped under a semi. A rotator lifts, the team coordinates with fire and EMS, and a life is moved toward safety. That's where our conversation with Hall of Famer Kevin Goodyear begins—not with chrome and horsepower, but with service, training, and calm decisions when seconds matter.We trace Kevin's journey from riding in tow trucks as a kid to leading a multi-faceted operation built on faith, grit, and community. He shares the mechanics and mindset behind a 500,000‑pound dragline recovery that ran through the night: deadman anchors, D8 bulldozers, thirty-eight lines, and five heavy wreckers working in sync. It's applied physics under floodlights, where load transfer and line angles decide whether a plan succeeds. Along the way, Kevin explains how cross-training with fire departments, understanding PTSD, and building a culture of purpose keep teams ready for the hardest calls.Beyond the roadside, we dig into the policies that shape daily work. Kevin makes a compelling case for state towing associations as the thin line protecting lien laws, rotation fairness, lighting standards, and move-over enforcement. He's raising the next generation inside his own company—operations, marketing, and legislative advocacy—and tapping national 20 groups to avoid tunnel vision. We also talk vendor partnerships and why reliable support after the sale matters as much as a spec sheet. The through line is unity: compete in business, collaborate in the halls of advocacy, and present towing as the professional emergency service it is.If you care about safety, professionalism, and the future of the towing and recovery industry, this conversation will give you tools, stories, and a clear direction. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway—what's one standard we should all raise next?
if you've been stuck in anxiety, burnout, chronic stress, emotional shutdown, people-pleasing, or feeling “fine” but not actually okay… this episode is for you.In this conversation, we break down what real nervous system healing actually looks like (beyond surface-level coping), and how somatic healing, trauma-informed tools, and embodiment practices can help you build true emotional regulation, safety in your body, and lasting change in your relationships, health, and daily life.This episode is deeply rooted in the work we teach inside The Bridge Experience—a powerful, practical approach to nervous system regulation and rewiring your stress responses through The Bridge Method.✅ In this episode, you'll learn:Why you can't “mindset” your way out of survival modeHow trauma lives in the body (and what to do about it)The difference between calming down vs. healing the rootHow to expand your window of tolerancePolyvagal theory basics, vagus nerve support, and somatic regulation toolsPractical embodiment practices you can use immediatelyWhy emotional safety changes everything (especially in love + family)If you want nervous system healing that's grounded, trauma-aware, and actually usable in real life… press play.➡️ Learn more about The Bridge Method + The Bridge Experience here: https://thebridgemethod.orgKeywords (for search): nervous system regulation, somatic healing, trauma healing, polyvagal theory, vagus nerve, anxiety relief, stress relief, burnout recovery, emotional regulation, somatic therapy, embodiment, PTSD healing, inner child healing, relationship healing, nervous system reset, healing trauma in the body.
The principal focus of this podcast episode is the insightful dialogue with JR Love, the esteemed figure behind the Cowboy Yacht Club in Houston, who elucidates the profound impact of barbecue culture intertwined with charity efforts, particularly for veterans suffering from PTSD. Our conversation traverses the expansive landscape of barbecue competitions, including the Houston Rodeo, which has burgeoned into an unparalleled event, drawing approximately 250 teams and a staggering 250,000 attendees within a mere three days. JR shares his personal journey into the world of barbecue, beginning in his youth and evolving into a profound passion that now serves a greater purpose through charitable initiatives. Additionally, we delve into the nuances of Texas brisket, highlighting the historical significance and culinary techniques that render it a masterpiece of American barbecue. Join us as we explore the vibrant camaraderie present in the barbecue community, as well as the vital contributions made towards supporting those in need.Links referenced in this episode:heritagesteel.usoregondungeness.orgpaintedhillsbeef.compinkpowder.comcowboyyachtclubCompanies mentioned in this episode:KiaWeston KiaHeritage SteelPainterdale's Natural BeefTexas TechCowboy Yacht ClubPinkerton'sCamp HopeMark ChestnutThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
צמיחה מתוך משבר, ההבדל בין החלמה לשינוי עמוק, והמתח העדין בין הכרה בכאב לבין בניית משמעות חדשה. פרופ’ רות פת־הורנצ’יק, פסיכולוגית קלינית וחוקרת טראומה, חוסן וצמיחה פוסט־טראומטית, בבית הספר לעבודה סוציאלית באוניברסיטה העברית מסבירה איך התמודדות עם משבר עמוק יכולה להוביל לתובנות ומציאות אחרת. בשיתוף המרכז להחלמה מטראומה אוניברסיטה העברית, בתמיכת | JFNA פרק 8 בסדרה על טראומה והחלמה להצטרפות לניסוי בטיפול בPTSD לטיפול באמצעות האפליקציה לחצו על הלינק הבא: https://beyond.sheba.co.il/267255 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Police Addicted to Drugs And His Amazing Recovery, Special Episode. Police Officer Attacked, Multiple Surgeries, Forced Retirement, Addiction, and an Inspiring Recovery. This special episode is streaming for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and most every major Podcast platform Brock Bevell never imagined that a single violent moment would change the entire trajectory of his life. A retired Mesa, Arizona police officer, Brock dedicated his career to public service, until a targeted act of violence ended his time on the job and set him on a painful, unexpected journey through addiction and recovery. Look for The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms. “She threw the truck into reverse and hit me,” Brock recalls. “In an instant, everything changed.” Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin . A Career Cut Short by Violence While serving with the Mesa Police Department, Brock was seriously injured during a violent incident involving a vehicle. The attack caused devastating, career-ending injuries and required multiple surgeries. What followed was a long and grueling rehabilitation process, one familiar to many injured officers across the country. Police Addicted to Drugs And His Amazing Recovery, Special Episode. Available for free on their website and streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube and other podcast platforms. To manage the intense pain, Brock was prescribed opioid pain medication. Like countless patients recovering from serious injuries, he trusted the prescriptions meant to help him heal. Instead, they quietly became the beginning of a much deeper struggle. From Recovery to Addiction During months of surgeries and physical therapy, Brock developed a severe dependence on opioid painkillers. What started as medically prescribed relief slowly evolved into addiction. “I didn't recognize myself anymore,” Brock says. “My world became smaller and darker. I was surviving, not living.” Brock openly shares how addiction affected every part of his life, his relationships, his identity, and his sense of purpose after forced retirement from policing. His story reflects a reality many first responders face but few openly discuss. Police Addicted to Drugs And His Amazing Recovery, Special Episode. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast episode is available for free on their website , Apple Podcasts , Spotify and most major podcast platforms. The Science Behind the Crisis Research underscores just how common Brock's experience is. A major study published in JAMA Internal Medicine by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine found that patients undergoing 11 common surgeries faced an increased risk of becoming chronic opioid users. Lead author Eric Sun, MD, PhD, explained: “For a lot of surgeries, there is a higher chance of getting hooked on painkillers.” The study defined chronic opioid use as filling 10 or more prescriptions or receiving more than a 120-day supply within a year after surgery. Patients undergoing knee surgery faced the highest risk, nearly five times that of nonsurgical patients, followed by gallbladder surgery. Importantly, the study did not suggest avoiding surgery, but emphasized the need for careful monitoring and alternative pain management strategies. Police Addicted to Drugs And His Amazing Recovery, Special Episode. The interview can be found on The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Youtube and on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and across most podcast platforms where listeners will find authentic law enforcement stories. Trauma, Policing, and Substance Use Law enforcement officers face unique occupational hazards, including repeated exposure to trauma. Studies show that substance use disorders, including alcohol and drug dependence, occur at higher rates among officers, particularly those experiencing psychological distress. In nationally representative data, more than half of men with lifetime PTSD also had a history of alcohol abuse or dependence. For police officers, these risks are compounded by work stress, injuries, and the cultural stigma surrounding mental health and asking for help. “We wear the uniform, but we're human,” Brock says. “And sometimes the damage doesn't show until it's almost too late.” The full podcast episode is streaming now on their website, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube and across Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Hitting Bottom and Choosing Recovery Brock's turning point came when he realized addiction had taken everything it could from him. With professional help, support, and unwavering determination, he entered recovery and committed to sobriety. “Recovery didn't give me my old life back,” he says. “It gave me a new one, one with purpose.” Police Addicted to Drugs And His Amazing Recovery, Special Episode. Today, Brock uses his experience to help others struggling with addiction, trauma, and life after law enforcement. His message is clear: recovery is possible, even after profound loss. Healing Beyond the Badge In the aftermath of violence and trauma, communities often look to police officers as symbols of strength. Yet officers themselves must also heal. Proactive wellness programs, mental health resources, and open conversations about addiction are critical, not just for officers, but for the communities they serve. You can find the show on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn, as well as read companion articles and updates on Medium, Blogspot, YouTube, and even IMDB. Mesa, located just east of Phoenix, is known for its deep history, from the ancient Hohokam culture to the modern city Brock once patrolled. It is also where his story originated, one of resilience, accountability, and hope. Listen to Brock's Story Brock Bevell's journey is featured in this Special Episode of the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast available for free on their website, also on Platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and most major podcast platforms. His story is also being shared across their Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other Social Media and News outlets. Listen to Brock's inspiring account of what happened, how prescribed opioids led to addiction, and how recovery helped him rebuild his life, and helps others do the same. Police Addicted to Drugs And His Amazing Recovery, Special Episode. Because sometimes, the most powerful stories of policing aren't about arrests or badges, but about survival, healing, and redemption. You can help contribute money to make the Gunrunner Movie . The film that Hollywood won't touch. It is about a now Retired Police Officer that was shot 6 times while investigating Gunrunning. He died 3 times during Medical treatment and was resuscitated. You can join the fight by giving a monetary “gift” to help ensure the making of his film at agunrunnerfilm.com . Background song Hurricane is used with permission from the band Dark Horse Flyer. You can contact John J. “Jay” Wiley by email at Jay@letradio.com , or learn more about him on their website . Stay connected with updates and future episodes by following the show on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, their website and other Social Media Platforms. Find a wide variety of great podcasts online at The Podcast Zone Facebook Page , look for the one with the bright green logo. Be sure to check out our website . Be sure to follow us on X , Instagram , Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news. Listeners can tune in on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show website, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and most every major Podcast platform and follow updates on Facebook, Instagram, and other major News outlets. You can find the show on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn, as well as read companion articles and updates on Medium, Blogspot, YouTube, and even IMDB. Police Addicted to Drugs And His Amazing Recovery, Special Episode. Attributions Stanford Medical IACP NIH Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
"Happiness radiates out of people… your change is the most potent contribution you can make to global change." Hard times have a way of exposing what actually holds us together. When prices rise, headlines darken, and uncertainty becomes constant, willpower and positive thinking stop working. What matters then is whether you have an inner foundation that stays steady regardless of external pressure. This episode points to a different kind of strength—one that doesn't numb you to reality, but keeps you calm, clear, and grounded while everything else feels unstable. The conversation explores how inner states like peace, resilience, and clarity are not personality traits or spiritual gifts—they're trainable. There is a neurological threshold where fleeting moments of calm begin to lock in, where stress stops running the system, and where reactions soften into perspective. What's most compelling is how quickly this shift can begin, and how it changes the way people relate to money, conflict, fear, and even ambition during difficult seasons. Dr. Dawson is a researcher, author, and speaker known for bridging neuroscience with spiritual practice. He has written multiple bestselling books and founded an organization that has helped tens of thousands of veterans recover from PTSD. His work focuses on turning elevated inner states into something stable, practical, and usable—especially when life feels anything but easy. Learn more & connect: spiritualintelligencebook.com EFTUniverse.com https://dawsonchurch.com/ Other books: The Genie in Your Genes – Dr. Dawson Church Mind to Matter – Dr. Dawson Church Bliss Brain – Dr. Dawson Church Happy for No Reason – Marci Shimoff Raymond Aaron has shared his vision and wisdom on radio and television programs for over 40 years. He is the author of over 100 books, including Branding Small Business For Dummies, Double Your Income Doing What You Love, Canadian best-seller Chicken Soup for the Canadian Soul, and he co-authored the New York Times best-seller Chicken Soup for the Parent's Soul. Raymond's latest, co-authored book is The AI Millionaire's Path: Discover How ChatGPT‐Written Books Become Bestsellers and How They Can Make You a Millionaire Author!. www.Aaron.com
Ed Cicale interviews Terrence "TJ" Carter of Ascende Athletics at the 2025 MLB Baseball Winter meetings in Orlando, discussing the brand's focus on men's mental health, apparel lines, and the Ascend Brotherhood community. TJ explains how Ascend donates 20% of sales to mental health efforts, plans a men's retreat, and offers a Facebook support group for men dealing with loneliness, divorce, PTSD, and other life struggles. Recorded at the 2025 MLB Winter Meetings during the Professional Baseball Strength & Conditioning Coaches Society PBSCCS showcase and coaching award presentation.
The Love, Happiness and Success Podcast With Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby
If you've been hearing more about psychedelic therapy and wondering whether it's a genuine breakthrough for healing—or just the latest mental health trend—you're not alone. Many people feel curious, hopeful, and skeptical all at once. This conversation is meant to help you slow down, understand what the research actually shows, and think clearly about whether this path is right for you. In this episode of Love, Happiness and Success, I'm joined by psychiatrist and MDMA-assisted psychotherapist Dr. Scott Shannon, founder of Wholeness Center, the largest integrative mental health center in the U.S. Together, we talk about how psychedelic therapy works differently from conventional psychiatric treatment, why it can help disrupt rigid trauma patterns in the brain, and what researchers are learning about long-term healing—not just short-term symptom relief. We also spend time on the parts of this conversation that matter just as much: the risks, the ethical boundaries, and the importance of preparation, professional support, and integration. Psychedelic therapy isn't appropriate for everyone, and it isn't something to pursue casually or without careful guidance. This episode offers a grounded, responsible look at how people can think critically about safety, readiness, and what to look for in a qualified provider. As you listen, I invite you to reflect on a few questions: What kind of healing are you actually looking for? What does feeling “better” really mean to you? And how do you decide which growth paths deserve your trust, time, and care? Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Psychedelic therapy explained: promise, research, and real risks 02:31 Why psychedelic therapy differs from traditional psychiatric medication 04:55 Trauma, brain patterns, and how psychedelic therapy disrupts stuck loops 07:00 MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD and why healing can continue long after treatment 12:21 A paradigm shift in mental health: supporting the brain's capacity to heal 19:30 What MDMA actually does in therapy: safety, self-compassion, and trauma processing 25:47 Mystical experience, meaning, and the spiritual dimension of psychedelic therapy 30:09 Ethical concerns, safety risks, and how to evaluate psychedelic therapy providers 38:00 Preparation and integration: why psychedelic therapy is more than the experience itself If this conversation leaves you thinking about your own healing or growth, I want to be clear that Growing Self does not offer psychedelic therapy. What we do offer is thoughtful, evidence-based therapy and coaching for people who want to grow with intention and care. If you'd like, I'd love to help you think through what kind of support would actually be most helpful for you. I've created a simple, private way to do that. By answering just a few quick questions, we can help match you with the right therapist or coach for a complimentary consultation—someone who understands what you're navigating and where you'd like to go next. Schedule a free consultation today. Consider it a small gift from me, and a gentle next step if you're ready for one. xoxo, Dr. Lisa Marie BobbyGrowing Self
In this episode of the Gladden Longevity podcast, Dr. Jeffrey Gladden interviews Mark Fox, a former rocket scientist turned innovator in energy therapy. They discuss Mark's journey from working on the solid rocket boosters for NASA to developing devices that utilize pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) for health benefits. The conversation covers the Challenger disaster, the potential of PEMF technology for treating PTSD, and the importance of vagus nerve stimulation. Mark shares insights on brainwave frequencies and the future of energy therapy devices, emphasizing the need for innovation in healing practices. For Audience · Use code 'Podcast10' to get 10% OFF on any of our supplements at https://gladdenlongevityshop.com/ ! Takeaways · Mark L. Fox transitioned from rocket science to energy therapy. · The Challenger disaster led to significant redesign efforts in NASA's programs. · PEMF technology shows promise for treating PTSD and other ailments. · Vagus nerve stimulation can enhance heart rate variability and reduce anxiety. · Brainwave frequencies play a crucial role in mental health and performance. · Innovative devices are being developed to make energy therapy more accessible. · The future of energy therapy includes integrating technology into everyday devices. · Mark aims to revolutionize how energy therapy is delivered through smart technology. · The importance of asking questions in the pursuit of knowledge and innovation. · Collaboration and open-mindedness are key to advancing health technologies. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Rocket Science and Career Path 05:27 The Challenger Disaster and Its Aftermath 08:21 Transition to Energy Therapy and Technology 11:06 Understanding PEMF Technology and Its Applications 14:08 Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Its Benefits 16:59 Exploring Brainwave Frequencies and Their Impact 19:34 Innovations in Energy Therapy Devices 22:31 Future Aspirations and Technological Integration 25:18 Closing Thoughts on Innovation and Healing To learn more about Mark Fox: Email: info@resona.health Website: https://resona.health/ Reach out to us at: Website: https://gladdenlongevity.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Gladdenlongevity/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gladdenlongevity/?hl=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gladdenlongevity YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5_q8nexY4K5ilgFnKm7naw
Santa wasn't supposed to find this kind of house on Christmas Eve.No Christmas tree. No stockings. No cookies.Just combat boots by the mantle, sand where comfort should be, and a Canadian soldier sleeping alone on the floor.In this episode of Unwritten Chapters, I recite an original Christmas poem / Christmas story I wrote—told through Santa's eyes—about a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) soldier spending Christmas alone. It's a spoken word piece about military life, loneliness, and the real cost of freedom, especially during the holidays.If you're searching for a Christmas poem about soldiers, a military Christmas story, a Canadian soldier Christmas poem, or a Christmas message for veterans, you're in the right place. This is for anyone who has served, loves someone who serves, or knows what it feels like to carry trauma, mental health struggles, addiction recovery, or isolation through the season that's “supposed” to be joyful.In this episode you'll hear:A Christmas Eve story about a Canadian soldier aloneA raw look at veteran loneliness and the quiet side of serviceReflections on trauma, PTSD, and mental health during the holidaysA reminder of why we say “support our troops” and remember veteransA closing Christmas blessing for those standing watch—at home or deployedIf this story resonates, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs it.
Fighter Pilot Survival: Kegan Gill's Battle Beyond the Battlefield In this extraordinary episode, Marcus and Melanie meet with retired U.S. Navy Fighter Pilot Kegan Gill, whose story is nothing short of miraculous. Kegan survived a catastrophic ejection from his aircraft during a training mission over the Atlantic Ocean, where he ejected directly into the sound barrier. The injuries he sustained in that moment were severe enough to kill most people – his limbs torn apart and a traumatic brain injury among them. But Kegan's ordeal was only beginning. Plunged into the icy waters of the Atlantic with his parachute still attached, his wetsuit torn, and his arms unable to move, Kegan was forced to endure a two-hour battle with hypothermia as rescue teams raced to find him. Miraculously, his hypothermic state prevented fatal blood loss. Following this harrowing experience, Kegan faced months of grueling recovery, eventually achieving a perfect Physical Fitness Test score and returning to flight duty. However, Kegan's journey didn't end with physical recovery. He began experiencing severe psychotic episodes due to his brain injury, leading to a stint in a VA Mental Health Facility. Pharmaceutical treatments only worsened his symptoms, and he endured dehumanizing treatment from caregivers who misunderstood his unique needs. Now, Kegan is finding renewed hope through alternative treatments for brain health. Through the Warrior Angels Foundation, he has discovered the power of nutraceutical and hormonal interventions, offering a glimmer of healing. Beyond his personal health battles, Kegan is a dedicated father and husband, working tirelessly to support his young family. Join us as Kegan opens up about his incredible journey of survival, resilience, and healing. His story is as inspiring as it is shocking – a testament to human strength and the will to overcome even the darkest of circumstances. Tune in to hear a story of grit, determination, and the relentless pursuit of healing against all odds. In This Episode You Will Hear: • When I was about 10 years old, my family had a friend that had a Cessna, and he took me up on this lawnmower with wings, and we went buzzing around, and it felt like a freakin' rocket ship. I absolutely loved being above the earth, and I felt so free. (6:36) • In May of 2012, I graduated as a winged aviator, and I got those wings pinned on my chest. (23:40) • [Marcus] It's an absolute transition into a different human being the minute those wings touch your chest. (24:02) • [In flight school] you showed up there, and you had your wings, and you thought you made it. They made it very clear you have not made anything yet. (26:40) • It just so happened on this day there was a 16 foot, 3,500 pound Great White Shark named Mary Lee directly under my airspace, and my buddy pointed out, “Hey man, Today would be a terrible day to eject,” and an hour after having that conversation, I found myself out on what turned into a pretty freaking wild experience. (36:23) • [Melanie] Q: Is it common to eject?” [Keegan] A: It happens more than you hear about in the news. We lose a few naval fighter jets every year to mishaps. (37:16) • When you show up at flight school, they say “Look to your left and look to your right. One of you is gonna have a serious mishap or be dead choosing this job. Are you sure you wanna be here?” (37:49) • You think you're invincible, and you don't really think anything of it. (38:04) • Keegan tells the detailed story of that fateful day. (Starting at 41:21) • When I punched out, I got the initial blast from the ejection seat, and then immediately impacted the sound barrier with my body. At that speed, the human body is not aerodynamic. (50:58) • The aircraft impacted the water so fast, it just vaporized. (52:50) • They ended up wheeling me in, and treated me for severe hyperthermia. They took my core body temperature. I was at 87 degrees. [Marcus] “That should've killed you.” (60:13) • One of the more senior guys takes me into his office and he goes: “Congratulations, Lieutenant Gill. If you can figure out how to get your body working again, we'll get you back in a Super Hornet. (68:14) • My brain was just not working the way it was supposed to from TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). (75:04) • I had a deep sense of betrayal from all that thought I had served. To see the treatment, it seemed like everything I was fighting for was a joke. (89:53) • I've had a number of psychedelic-assisted therapies that have been really helpful. (95:54) • Ibogaine has been studied pretty thoroughly at this point. It's showing that it triggers neuro-regeneration. (102:21) Support Kegan: - IG: kegansmurfgill - https://kegangill.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabtNw03Fww-lVt1LHf5b2iWrga-lLxSr_uJYqbNYUMN_NKoEMDqtfBd-Cw_aem_v5m2wI-nx5AKPUoeOA77pA Order His Book Here --> https://ballastbooks.com/purchase/phoenix-revival/ - IG: team_neverquit , marcusluttrell , melanieluttrell , huntero13 - https://www.patreon.com/teamneverquit Support TNQ - IG: team_neverquit , marcusluttrell , melanieluttrell , huntero13 - https://www.patreon.com/teamneverquit Sponsors: - Tractorsupply.com/hometownheroes - Navyfederal.org - mizzenandmain.com [Promo code: TNQ20] - masterclass.com/TNQ - Dripdrop.com/TNQ - ShopMando.com [Promo code: TNQ] - meetfabiric.com/TNQ - Prizepicks (TNQ) - cargurus.com/TNQ - armslist.com/TNQ - PXGapparel.com/TNQ - bruntworkwear.com/TNQ - shipsticks.com/TNQ - stopboxusa.com {TNQ} - ghostbed.com/TNQ [TNQ] - kalshi.com/TNQ - joinbilt.com/TNQ - Tonal.com [TNQ] - greenlight.com/TNQ - drinkAG1.com/TNQ - Hims.com/TNQ - Shopify.com/TNQ
Many people experience trauma not from accidents or violence—but from medical events. ICU stays, surgery, birth trauma, or even routine procedures can leave lasting emotional wounds. In this conversation, Emma McAdam (Therapy in a Nutshell) and Christen Mullane, LMHC, unpack what medical trauma really is, how it differs from medical PTSD, and practical ways to heal. Christen explains how medical experiences can damage trust in your body and in healthcare systems, why “health anxiety” is sometimes actually trauma, and how to gently rebuild a sense of safety and empowerment. Looking for affordable online counseling? My sponsor, BetterHelp, connects you to a licensed professional from the comfort of your own home. Try it now for 10% off your first month: https://betterhelp.com/therapyinanutshell Learn more in one of my in-depth mental health courses: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com Support my mission on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/therapyinanutshell Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.therapyinanutshell.com Check out my favorite self-help books: https://kit.co/TherapyinaNutshell/best-self-help-books Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health. In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger Institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction. And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services. Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC
Get Mike's book: https://amzn.eu/d/b2lcwQtGet ad-free, early access to new 10 Percent True videos: https://www.10percenttrue.com/pricing-plans/listPig Penn, 10 Percent True Episode 79.In this extraordinary episode of 10 Percent True, Mike “Pig” Penn—US Navy A-7 Corsair II pilot, Iron Hand aviator, and Vietnam POW—walks through a life defined by combat, captivity, survival, and purpose. Pig recounts flying alpha strikes and Iron Hand missions over North Vietnam, dodging SAMs at night, being shot down near Hanoi in 1972, and surviving an ejection, capture, and eight months inside the Hanoi Hilton. He describes the brutal realities of captivity, the tap code, the psychological battle to retain hope, and the moment B-52 strikes signalled that the war—and his imprisonment—was nearing its end. The conversation then shifts to Pig's post-war life: returning to flight, confronting PTSD and alcoholism, and ultimately finding a new mission—helping others survive their darkest moments. It's a raw, unfiltered account of air combat, resilience, and why hope is not abstract, but essential to survival.0:33 intro teaser1:20 welcome “Pig” 2:55 ama question from Sedlo regarding Alpha Strikes6:18 Route to Naval Aviation and background 9:07 Training pipeline and experiences11:23 Buckeye at the boat14:50 Hope and Courage15:55 the reality of landing in the boat, scary, exhilarating?18:40 going into combat knowing a night trap awaits afterwards 20:33 The SLUF24:37 SAMS and dodging them30:37 Iron Hand32:53 finding SAMs and target prosecution by Shrike39:13 validating success? BDA? 40:33 any tactic change through experience - when iron hand turns into RESCAP43:08 psychological load? 45:08 shootdown49:21 on the ground and to the Hanoi Hilton53:23 cheating death54:03 coming to terms with initial stages of the ordeal56:33 any preconceptions/intel on the “Hilton” before arriving 58:23 initial phase at the Hilton1:02:33 Heartbreak hotel, making (unexpected) acquaintances, eventually starting to eat1:07:43 low down via tap code before leaving solitary and meeting fellow POWs1:10:19 why group you together?1:11:45 information flow, long sideburns and air raid drills preface December 18th (Linebacker II)1:19:53 mindgames and release order hang ups 1:21:58 release day story1:26:50 3 days in Clark and learning to sleep in a bed again1:28:06 to Travis AFB and reuniting with family and friends1:29:11 resentment? Return?1:32:17 flight gear on display in Hanoi1:32:43 what comes next? Returning to normality? Coming full circle on an incredible story. 1:35:58 F-4 orders turn sour so back to Lemoore and the A-7 RAG1:38:38 getting out and into Continental 1:38:45 meeting Kissinger 1:40:06 psychological and emotional journey and the genesis of the book - Hope and Courage1:47:48 meeting Marcus Luttrel and guesting on his podcast1:51:44 how to find Pig on tour/find out more1:53:03 philosophising on the experiences1:55:17 Share this please
Norm Wielsch was a police officer for more than 26 years, developing severe PTSD and eventually becoming addicted to opioids. With a lifetime of trauma in his wake, he didn't realize that true healing was possible until he read the Word of God and embraced the saving grace of Christ. Today, Norm is a chaplain and addiction counselor. He's also the author of two books centered on Biblically-based trauma healing. Norm explains the toxic and sometimes damaging effects of working in violent jobs like law enforcement, and how it affected him and his personal life. He also talks about the Biblical way to deal with personal pain, and why forgiveness is a big factor in all of it.TAKEAWAYSSin separates us from God and keeps us from healing completely from past traumaCops are often dissuaded from showing any type of perceived weakness or emotion, which can cause major traumaNorm says his difficulty in dealing with the emotional pain of being a cop led to his breakdownYou'll never completely forget trauma, but you can get to a point where it no longer controls your life
What happens when life takes everything from you—and you're forced to decide who you become next?In this deeply moving conversation, Mark Divine sits down with Cody Lakefield, co-founder of Long Ship Men and Look Health, to explore the intersection of trauma, healing, proactive health, brotherhood, and purpose.Cody shares his journey through profound personal loss, responsibility, and suffering—and how those experiences led him to build systems that help men reclaim ownership of their health, their inner lives, and their relationships with other men.From personalized biomarker testing and preventative health… to grief, PTSD, faith, and the power of men rowing together… this episode is about moving from survival to meaning.If you're a leader, father, entrepreneur, or man navigating pressure in silence, this conversation offers a different path forward—one rooted in awareness, courage, and community.In this episode, you'll discover:Why proactive health matters more than “sick care”How understanding biomarkers gives you agency over your bodyWhy trauma doesn't resolve itself through willpower aloneThe danger of carrying everything in isolationHow brotherhood accelerates healing and resilienceWhy purpose is often forged through suffering, not comfortHow to move from surviving life to living it intentionallyJoin The Unbeatable Leader Challenge - January 13thThe Unbeatable Leader Challenge is back starting January 13th, this time we're making it FREE to join on this training. Kick off 2026 with a growth mindset to win the winner war, achieve front-sight focus, and build an unbeatable team in 2026. → https://www.unbeatableleader.comUnlock your full potential and lead with courage, clarity, and purpose—join The Unbeatable Tribe and become truly unbeatable in life and leadership.Join for free for 7 days: The Unbeatable Tribe → https://www.skool.com/unbeatable-mastery-tribe/aboutBUBS NATURALS - Use Code Unbeatable for 20% OFFI use BUBS Naturals daily for focus, recovery, and hydration—all built on a mission to honor a fallen Navy SEAL. Use code UNBEATABLE for 20% off any one time purchase or subscription at bubsnaturals.comCody Links:Website: https://www.lookhealth.com/, https://www.longshipmen.com/Book: https://a.co/d/2iDuYdy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raven_cody7/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cody-lakevold-458b311b/?originalSubdomain=caX: https://x.com/CodyLakevoldMark Links: Website: https://markdivine.comThe Unbeatable Tribe: https://www.skool.com/unbeatable-mastery-tribe/aboutDivine Inspiration Newsletter: https://markdivine.com/newsletterYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@markdivineofficial/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markdivineofficialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markdivine/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markdivineofficial/Subscribe to https://www.youtube.com/@markdivineofficial for more inspiring conversations on leadership, growth, and impact.Rate and review the show to help us reach more listeners.Share your thoughts and takeaways in the comments!#MarkDivine #CodyLakefield #MensWork #MentalHealth #TraumaHealing #PreventativeHealth #Biomarkers #Brotherhood #PurposeDrivenLife #LeadershipDevelopment #Resilience #UnbeatableMind #LongShipTimestamps:00:00 Introduction to the Biomarkers, LookHealth, Longship Men00:38 Mark Divine's Leadership Challenge01:28 Welcome to the Mark Divine Show01:54 Introducing Cody Lakevold02:52 Cody's Health Ventures04:30 Challenges in Healthcare Access06:39 Cody's Personal Journey Begins12:38 Family Struggles and Personal Loss20:32 Coping with Family Tragedies40:31 Struggling with Nightmares and Suicidal Thoughts42:16 Turning to Alcohol for Relief43:41 Seeking Therapy and Finding Hope45:35 Discovering MDMA Therapy46:16 A Life-Changing MDMA Session53:04 Rebuilding Life and Relationships54:12 Creating Raven Lake Investments01:00:05 The Birth of Long Ship01:11:24 The Vision for Long Ship01:21:03 Conclusion and Future PlansSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Did PTSD exist in the Old West, and if so, did it contribute to the violence of the frontier? Join me as we explore how trauma affected soldiers and civilians alike long before the condition had a name, from Civil War veterans suffering from what was once called soldiers' heart or Da Costa's syndrome to rising rates of alcoholism, domestic violence, and institutionalization across the United States. Using historical research, homicide statistics from frontier towns like Dodge City and San Francisco, and modern scholarship, we'll examine whether PTSD was a driving force behind Old West violence or one factor among many. And stick around to the end for another listener Q&A! We'll discuss Brushy Bill Roberts, Doc Scurlock, Henry Plummer, and the Montana vigilantes, along with reflections on notable Western films and books. National Center for PTSD - https://www.ptsd.va.gov/ Legends & Outlaws Calendar! https://wildwestcalendar.com/ Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/ Buy Me A Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jason Gilley walked into adulthood with a fastball, a college roster spot, and a head of curls that deserved its own agent. Cancer crashed that party and took him on a tour of chemo chairs, pediatric wards, metal taste, numb legs, PTSD, and the kind of late night panic that rewires a kid before he even knows who he is.I sat with him in the studio and heard a story I know in my bones. He grew up fast. He learned how to stare down mortality at nineteen. He found anchors in baseball, therapy, and the strange friendships cancer hands you when it tears your plans apart. He owns the fear and the humor without slogans or shortcuts. Listeners will meet a young man who refuses to let cancer shrink his world. He fights for the life he wants. He names the truth without apology. He reminds us that survivorship stays messy and sacred at the same time. This conversation will stay with you.RELATED LINKS• Jason Gilley on IG• Athletek Baseball Podcast• EMDR information• Children's Healthcare of AtlantaFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee 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 Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Avik sits down with Dr. Caroline Crocker to unpack what “unforgivable” feels like through a child's eyes. They explore childhood trauma, shame, grief, and the hidden ways pain rewires identity. Caroline shares a deeply personal story about her father's Holocaust-era childhood and how trauma can silently shape families for generations. You will also hear practical, grounded steps for healing, like naming one truth, finding one safe witness, and building nervous system safety without forcing a “quick fix.” This conversation is for anyone navigating PTSD, intergenerational trauma, emotional healing, and mental health recovery. About the Guest: Dr. Caroline Crocker is an international speaker, multi-genre author, and storyteller. She has a background as a microbiologist, immunologist, medical researcher, professor, nonprofit founder, and tech startup CEO. As the daughter and granddaughter of World War II survivors, she writes and speaks on trauma, survival, and how painful history can echo through families. Key Takeaways: Childhood trauma can feel “unforgivable” because kids process danger through fear, rage, numbness, and shutdown, not adult logic. Survivors often internalize blame, believing they are “unforgivable”, which fuels shame, silence, and self-sabotage. Trauma echoes through generations via learned rules like hypervigilance, food hoarding, and emotional disconnection, even when no one names the root cause. A single memory can define a lifetime, like a child being unable to save a friend, and the grief resurfacing decades later. What looks like “rebellion” or “acting out” can be an intelligent survival strategy for an unsafe home or institution. Forgiveness is framed as a practical tool for forward movement, not instant forgetting or excusing harm. Healing benefits from sharing the story with one safe witness, a friend, therapist, support group, or helpline, to break isolation and reality-check shame. Notice family beliefs you inherited, especially fear-based messages about safety, trust, or relationships, and choose new scripts. Focus on daily regulation, small moments of beauty, breath, nature, and kindness, to retrain the nervous system toward safety. One concrete next step: write one honest sentence about what still affects you, then share a small piece of it with someone safe within a week. How Listeners Can Connect With the Guest: Website: https://ramblingruminations.com/ Facebook Best starting point: Use the website to learn more and contact her from there. Want to be a guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? DM on PM . Send me a message on PodMatch DM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik Disclaimer: This video is for educational and informational purposes only. The views expressed are the personal opinions of the guest and do not reflect the views of the host or Healthy Mind By Avik™️. We do not intend to harm, defame, or discredit any person, organization, brand, product, country, or profession mentioned. All third-party media used remain the property of their respective owners and are used under fair use for informational purposes. By watching, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer. Healthy Mind By Avik™️ is a global platform redefining mental health as a necessity, not a luxury. Born during the pandemic, it's become a sanctuary for healing, growth, and mindful living. Hosted by Avik Chakraborty. storyteller, survivor, wellness advocate. this channel shares powerful podcasts and soul-nurturing conversations on: • Mental Health & Emotional Well-being • Mindfulness & Spiritual Growth • Holistic Healing & Conscious Living • Trauma Recovery & Self-Empowerment With over 4,400+ episodes and 168.4K+ global listeners, join us as we unite voices, break stigma, and build a world where every story matters.
Army combat medic veteran Adam Fluegel talks about answering the call for medics after 9/11, running patrols during the first Iraqi elections, losing a brother-in-arms in his first real trauma case, and coming home with no decompression. To hold it together, he leaned on alcohol, hydrocodone, and Adderall, which fueled anxiety, insomnia, paranoia, and eventually a stay in a psychiatric ward. He then walks through the night, he took his pistol from the safe, and almost ended his life before the thought of his daughters pulled him back. That choice started him on the path of PTSD recovery through journaling, facing memories from Iraq, and using medication as a tool instead of a crutch. Adam and Scott dig into veteran mental health, suicide prevention, therapy dogs and service animals, and the damage of pretending to be fine at work, then pivot to Operation Overwatch, a veteran nonprofit and app that connects vets and veteran nonprofits for community, PTSD support, fly-fishing and skydiving groups, GI Bill-backed scuba therapy, and more. Timestamps: 00:04:45: From Baghdad streets to a calm warehouse floor 00:13:25: The first IED and losing a brother in his care 00:24:30: Adderall, burnout, and a life spinning out of control 00:31:30: Pistol in hand and the thought that saved him 00:40:04: Operation Overwatch and a new way to find your people Links & Resources Veteran Suicide & Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1 Follow Adam Fluegel on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1A3KitAG2b/ Follow Adam Fluegel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fluegeladam Follow Adam Fluegel on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/adam-fluegel-b14793150 Transcript View the transcript for this episode.
His friend took his spot. The convoy was hit. Only one came home.In this Urban Valor episode, Marine Veteran Travis Pinn shares a devastating Iraq War story that changed his life forever. As an 0311 Infantry Rifleman with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, Travis endured some of the war's most brutal moments—multiple IED attacks, deadly ambushes, and the psychological trauma that followed him home.But the moment that haunts him most? The day a fellow Marine took his place in a convoy... and didn't make it back.From surviving deadly routes in Iraq to battling PTSD and rebuilding after the war, Travis lays bare the truth of what it means to carry survivor's guilt and live with invisible wounds.This episode is more than just a war story—it's an honest look at what thousands of veterans face once the shooting stops.
Born and raised in the mountains of rural northwest Georgia, Chadd grew up obsessed with becoming a SEAL, but when the Navy discovered a rare but asymptomatic cyst on his heart, he was disqualified from entering BUD/s. Chadd refused to give up, ultimately tracking down a surgeon willing to perform a procedure deemed too risky by every cardiologist he previously petitioned. Cyst successfully removed, Chadd went on to realize his SEAL dream, serving over the next decade as a Team Leader on multiple deployments to conflict zones across the world. He became a SEAL instructor. A Master Training Specialist. Chadd even served a stint as President Obama's bodyguard. Along the way, he battled PTSD and traumatic brain injury. Now retired from the military, Chadd has found new life as an elite ultramarathoner — a spiritual quest for self-knowledge and mind-body mastery that has compelled him to tackle some of the world's most insane endurance slogs like The Revenant — a 118-mile footrace across south New Zealand with over 52,000 feet of elevation gain that not one person has ever successfully completed. The 3 of 7 Project: https://www.3of7project.com/ Today's Sponsors: Black Rifle Coffee: https://www.blackriflecoffee.com David: Order a sample pack at https://Davidprotein.com
Movies might have us believe that bomb disposal comes down to cutting the right wire. In fact, explosive devices are complex and varied - and learning how to dispose of them safely involves intense training, as well as the ability to stay calm under pressure. This was the world of Dr Gareth Collett, a retired British Army Brigadier General and engineer, specialising in bomb disposal; whose 32-year military career took him around the world, including heading up major ordnance clearance projects in Iraq and Afghanistan. After retiring from the army, Gareth became a university lecturer – but following his diagnosis with bladder cancer, started researching a possible link between bomb disposal veterans and higher rates of urological cancers. In conversation with Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Gareth discusses this ongoing research, dealing with PTSD - and why he just can't watch Oscar-winning movie The Hurt Locker...
In this live episode, Tricia Eastman joins to discuss Seeding Consciousness: Plant Medicine, Ancestral Wisdom, Psychedelic Initiation. She explains why many Indigenous initiatory systems begin with consultation and careful assessment of the person, often using divination and lineage-based diagnostic methods before anyone enters ceremony. Eastman contrasts that with modern frameworks that can move fast, rely on short trainings, or treat the medicine as a stand-alone intervention. Early Themes: Ritual, Preparation, and the Loss of Container Eastman describes her background, including ancestral roots in Mexico and her later work at Crossroads Ibogaine in Mexico, where she supported early ibogaine work with veterans. She frames her broader work as cultural bridging that seeks respect rather than fetishization, and assimilation into modern context rather than appropriation. Early discussion focuses on: Why initiatory traditions emphasize purification, preparation, and long timelines Why consultation matters before any high-intensity medicine work How decades of training shaped traditional initiation roles Why people can get harmed when they treat medicine as plug and play Core Insights: Alchemy, Shadow, and Doing the Work A major throughline is Eastman's critique of the belief that a psychedelic alone will erase trauma. She argues that shadow work remains part of the human condition, and that healing is less about a one-time fix and more about building capacity for relationship with the unconscious. Using alchemical language, she describes "nigredo" as fuel for the creative process, not as something to eliminate forever. Key insights include: Psychedelics are tools, not saviors You cannot outsource responsibility to a pill, a modality, or a facilitator Progress requires practice, discipline, and honest engagement with what arises "Healing" often shows up as obstacles encountered while trying to live and create Later Discussion and Takeaways: Iboga, Ethics, and Biocultural Stewardship Joe and Tricia move into a practical and ethically complex discussion about iboga supply chains, demand pressure, and the risks of amplifying interest without matching it with harm reduction and reciprocity. Eastman emphasizes medical screening, responsible messaging, and supporting Indigenous-led stewardship efforts. She also warns that harm can come from both under-trained modern facilitators and irresponsible people claiming traditional legitimacy. Concrete takeaways include: Treat iboga and ibogaine as high-responsibility work that demands safety protocols Avoid casual marketing that encourages risky self-administration Support Indigenous-led biocultural stewardship and reciprocity efforts Give lineage carriers a meaningful seat at the table in modern policy and clinical conversations Frequently Asked Questions Who is Tricia Eastman? Tricia Eastman is an author, facilitator, and founder of Ancestral Heart. Her work focuses on cultural bridging, initiation frameworks, and Indigenous-led stewardship. What is Seeding Consciousness about? The book examines plant medicine through initiatory traditions, emphasizing consultation, ritual, preparation, and integration rather than reductionistic models. Why does Tricia Eastman critique modern psychedelic models? She argues that many models remove the ritual container and long-form preparation that reduce risk and support deeper integration. Is iboga or ibogaine safe? With the right oversite, yes. Eastman stresses that safety depends on cardiac screening, careful protocols, and experienced oversight. She warns against informal or self-guided use. How can people support reciprocity and stewardship? She encourages donating or supporting Indigenous-led biocultural stewardship initiatives like Ancestral Heart and aligning public messaging with harm reduction. Closing Thoughts This episode makes a clear case that Tricia Eastman Seeding Consciousness is not only a book about psychedelics, but a critique of how the field is developing. Eastman argues that a successful future depends on mature containers, serious safety culture, and respectful partnership with lineage carriers, especially as interest in iboga and ibogaine accelerates. Links https://www.ancestralheart.com https://www.innertraditions.com/author/tricia-eastman Transcript Joe Moore Hello, everybody. Welcome back. Joe Moore with you again from Psychedelics Today, joined today by Tricia Eastman. Tricia, you just wrote a book called Seeding Consciousness. We're going to get into that a bunch today, but how are you today? [00:00:16.07] - Tricia Eastman I'm so good. It's exciting to be live. A lot of the podcasts I do are offline, and so it's like we're being witnessed and feels like just can feel the energy behind It's great. [00:00:31.11] - Joe Moore It's fun. It's a totally different energy than maybe this will come out in four months. This is real, and there's people all over the world watching in real-time. And we'll get some comments. So folks, if you're listening, please leave us some comments. And we'd love to chat a little bit later about those. [00:00:49.23] - Tricia Eastman I'm going to join the chat so that I can see... Wait, I just want to make sure I'm able to see the comments, too. Do I hit join the chat? [00:01:01.17] - Joe Moore Sometimes you can, sometimes you can't. I can throw comments on the screen so we can see them together. [00:01:07.02] - Tricia Eastman Cool. [00:01:08.03] - Joe Moore Yeah. So it'll be fun. Give us comments, people. Please, please, please, please. Yeah, you're all good. So Tricia, I want to chat about your book. Tell us high level about your book, and then we're going to start digging into you. [00:01:22.10] - Tricia Eastman So Seeding Consciousness is the title, and I know it's a long subtitled Plant Medicine, Ancestral Wisdom, Psychedelic Initiation. And I felt like it was absolutely necessary for the times that we are in right now. When I was in Gabon in 2018, in one of my many initiations, as as an initiative, the Fung lineage of Buiti, which I've been practicing in for 11 years now, I was given the instructions. I was given the integration homework to write this book. And I would say I don't see that as this divine thing, like you were given the assignment. I think I was given the assignment because it's hard as F to write a book. I mean, it really tests you on so many levels. I mean, even just thinking about putting yourself out there from a legal perspective, and then also, does it make any sense? Will anyone buy it? And on Honestly, it's not me. It's really what I was given to write, but it's based on my experience working with several thousand people over the years. And really, the essence of it is that in our society, we've taken this reductionistic approach in psychedelics, where we've really taken out the ritual. [00:02:54.05] - Tricia Eastman Even now with the FDA trial for MDMA for PTSD. There's even conversations with a lot of companies that are moving forward, psychedelics, through the FDA process, through that pathway, that are talking about taking the therapy out. And the reality is that in these ancient initiatic traditions, they were very long, drawn out experiences with massive purification rituals, massive amounts of different types of practice in order to prepare oneself to meet the medicine. Different plants were taken, like vomatifs and different types of purification rituals were performed. And then you would go into this profound initiatic experience because the people that were working with you that were in, we call it the Nema, who gives initiations, had decades of training and experience doing these types of initiatic experiences. So if you compare that to the modern day framework, we have people that go online and get a certificate and start serving people medicine or do it in a context where maybe there isn't even an established container or facilitator whatsoever. And so really, the idea is, how can we take the essence of this ancient wisdom wisdom, like when you look at initiation, the first step is consultation, which is really going deep into the history of the individual using different types of techniques that are Indigenous technologies, such as different forms of divination, such as cowrie shell readings. [00:04:52.18] - Tricia Eastman And there's different types of specific divinations that are done in different branches of And before one individual would even go into any initiation, you need to understand the person and where they're coming from. So it's really about that breakdown of all of that, and how can we integrate elements of that into a more modern framework. [00:05:24.23] - Joe Moore Brilliant. All right. Well, thank you for that. And let's chat about you. You've got a really interesting past, very dynamic, could even call it multicultural. And you've got a lot of experience that informed this book. So how did this stuff come forward for you? [00:05:50.02] - Tricia Eastman I mean, I've never been the person to seek anything. My family on my mother's side is from Mexico, from Oaxaca, Trique, Mixtec, and Michica. And we had a long lineage of practice going back to my, at least I know from my great, great grandmother, practicing a blend of mestiza, shamanism, combining centerea and Catholicism together. So it's more of like a syncratic mestiza, mestiza being mixed tradition. And so I found it really interesting because later on, when my grandfather came to the United States, he ended up joining the military. And in being in the US, he didn't really have a place. He's very devout spiritual man, but he didn't have a place to practice this blended spiritual tradition. So the mystical aspect of it went behind. And as I started reconnecting to my ancestral lineage, this came forth that I was really starting to understand the mystical aspect of my ancestry. And interestingly, at the same time, was asked to work at Crossroads Abigain in Mexico. And it's so interesting to see that Mexico has been this melting pot and has been the place where Abigain has chosen to plant its roots, so to say, and has treated thousands of veterans. [00:07:36.28] - Tricia Eastman I got to be part of the group of facilitators back over 10 years ago. We treated the first Navy Seals with Abogaine, and that's really spurred a major interest in Abogaine. Now it's in every headline. I also got 10 I got initiated into the Fung lineage of Buiti and have really studied the traditional knowledge. I created a nonprofit back in 2019 called Ancestral Heart, which is really focused on Indigenous-led stewardship. Really, the book helps as a culmination of the decade of real-world experience of combining My husband, Dr. Joseph Barzulia. He's a psychologist. He's also a pretty well-known published researcher in Abigain and 5MEO-DMT, but also deeply spiritual and deeply in respect for the Indigenous traditions that have carried these medicines before us. So we've really been walking this complex path of world bridging between how we establish these relationships and how we bring some of these ancient knowledge systems back into the forefront, but not in a way of fetishizing them, but in a way of deeply respecting them and what we can learn, but from our own assimilation and context versus appropriation. So really, I think the body of my work is around that cultural bridging. [00:09:31.07] - Joe Moore That's brilliant. And yeah, there's some really fun stuff I learned in the book so far that I want to get into later. But next question is, who is your intended audience here? Because this is an interesting book that could hit a few categories, but I'm curious to hear from you. [00:09:49.02] - Tricia Eastman It's so funny because when I wrote the book, I wasn't thinking, oh, what's my marketing plan? What's my pitch? Who's my intended audience? Because it was my homework, and I knew I needed to write the book, and maybe that was problematic in the sense that I had to go to publishers and have a proposal. And then I had to create a formula in hindsight. And I would say the demographic of the book mirrors the demographic of where people are in the psychedelic space, which It's skewed slightly more male, although very female. I think sex isn't necessarily important when we're thinking about the level of trauma and the level of spiritual healing and this huge deficit that we have in mental health, which is really around our disconnection from our true selves, from our heart, from our souls, from this idea of of what Indigenous knowledge systems call us the sacred. It's really more of an attitude of care and presence. I'm sure we could give it a different name so that individuals don't necessarily have any guard up because we have so much negative conditioning related to the American history of religion, which a lot of people have rejected, and some have gone back to. [00:11:37.06] - Tricia Eastman But I think we need to separate it outside of that. I would say the demographic is really this group of I would say anywhere from 30 to 55 male females that are really in this space where maybe they're doing some of the wellness stuff. They're starting to figure some things out, but it's just not getting them there. And when something happens in life, for example, COVID-19 would be a really great example. It knocks them off course, and they just don't have the tools to find that connection. And I would say it even spans across people that do a lot of spiritual practice and maybe are interested in what psychedelics can do in addition to those practices. Because when we look at my view on psychedelics, is they fit within a whole spectrum of wellness and self-care and any lineage of spiritual practice, whether it's yoga or Sufism or Daoist tradition. But they aren't necessarily the thing that... I think there's an over focus on the actual substance itself and putting it on a pedestal that I think is problematic in our society because it goes back to our religious context in the West is primarily exoteric, meaning that we're seeking something outside of ourselves to fulfill ourselves. [00:13:30.29] - Tricia Eastman And so I think that when we look at psychedelic medicines as this exoteric thing versus when we look at initiatory traditions are about inward and direct experience. And all of these spiritual practices and all of these modalities are really designed to pull you back into yourself, into having a direct relationship with yourself and direct experience. And I feel like the minute that you are able to forge that connection, which takes practice and takes discipline, then you don't need to necessarily look at all these other tools outside of yourself. It's like one of my favorite analogies is the staff on the Titanic were moving the furniture around as it was sinking, thinking that they might save the boat from sinking by moving the furniture around. I think that's how we've been with a lot of ego-driven modalities that aren't actually going into the full unconscious, which is where we need to go to have these direct experiences. Sorry for the long answer, but it is for everybody, and it's not just about psychedelics. Anyone can take something from this doing any spiritual work. But we talk a lot about the Indigenous philosophy and how that ties in alongside with spiritual practice and more of this inner way of connecting with oneself and doing the work. [00:15:21.22] - Tricia Eastman And I think also really not sugar coating it in the sense that the psychedelics aren't going to save us. They're not going to cure PTSD. Nothing you take will. It's you that does the work. And if you don't do the work, you're not going to have an 87 % success rate with opioid use disorder or whatever it is, 60 something % for treatment-resistant depression or whatever. It's like you have to do the work. And so we can't keep putting the power in the modality reality or the pill. [00:16:03.18] - Joe Moore Yeah, that makes sense. So you did an interesting thing here with this book, and it was really highlighting aspects of the alchemical process. And people don't necessarily have exposure. They hear the words alchemy. I get my shoulders go up when I hear alchemizing, like transmutation. But it's a thing. And how do we then start communicating this from Jung? I found out an interesting thing recently as an ongoing student. Carl Jung didn't necessarily have access to all that many manuscripts. There's so many alchemical manuscripts available now compared to what he had. And as a result, our understanding of alchemy has really evolved. Western alchemy, European alchemy, everybody. Perhaps Kmetic, too. I don't know. You could speak to that more. I don't keep track of what's revealed in Egypt. So it's really interesting to present that in a forward way? How has it been received so far? Or were you nervous to present this in this way? [00:17:25.10] - Tricia Eastman I mean, honestly, I think the most important The important thing is that in working with several thousand people over the years, people think that taking the psychedelic and the trauma is going to go away. It's always there. I mean, we We archetypically will have the shadow as long as we need the shadow to learn. And so even if we go into a journey and we transcend it, it's still there. So I would say that the The feedback has been really incredible. I mean, the people that are reading... I mean, I think because I'm weaving so many different, complex and deep concepts into one book, it might be a little harder to market. And I think the biggest bummer was that I was really trying to be respectful to my elders and not say anything in the title about Iboga and Abigain, even though I talk a lot about it in the book, and it's such a hot topic, it's really starting to take off. But the people that have read it really consider it. They really do the work. They do the practices in the book, and I'm just getting really profound feedback. So that's exciting to me because really, ultimately, alchemy... [00:18:55.22] - Tricia Eastman Yeah, you're right. It gets used Used a lot in marketing lingo and sitting in the depth of the tar pit. For me, when I was in Gabon, I remember times where I really had to look at things that were so dark in my family history that I didn't even realize were mine until later connected to my lineage. And the dark darkness connected to that and just feeling that and then knowing really the truth of our being is that we aren't those things. We're in this process of changing and being, and so nothing is is fixed, but there is a alchemical essence in just learning to be with it. And so not always can we just be with something. And and have it change, but there are many times that we can actually just be with those parts of ourselves and be accepting, where it's not like you have to have this intellectualized process It's just like, first you have the negrado, then you tune into the albeda, and you receive the insights, and you journal about it, and da, da, da, da, da Action, Mars aspect of it, the rubeda of the process. It's not like that at all. [00:20:44.15] - Tricia Eastman It's really that the wisdom that comes from it because you're essentially digesting black goo, which is metaphoric to the oil that we use to power all of society that's pulled deep out of the Earth, and it becomes gold. It becomes... And really, the way I like to think of it is like, in life, we are here to create, and we are not here to heal ourselves. So if you go to psychedelic medicine and you want to heal yourself, you're going to be in for... You're just going to be stuck and burnt out because that's not what we're here to do as human beings, and you'll never run out of things to heal. But if you You think of the negrado in alchemy as gasoline in your car. Every time you go back in, it's like refilling your gas tank. And whatever you go back in for as you're moving in the journey, it's almost like that bit of negrado is like a lump of coal that's burning in the gas tank. And that gets you to the next point to which there's another thing related to the creative process. So it's like As you're going in that process, you're going to hit these speed bumps and these obstacles in the way. [00:22:07.29] - Tricia Eastman And those obstacles in the way, that's the healing. So if you just get in the car in the human vehicle and you drive and you continue to pull out the shadow material and face it, you're going to keep having the steam, but not just focus on it, having that intention, having that connection to moving forward in life. And I hate to use those words because they sound so growth and expansion oriented, which life isn't always. It's evolutionary and deevolutionary. It's always in spirals. But ultimately, you're in a creative process would be the best way to orient it. So I think when we look at alchemy from that standpoint, then it's productive. Effective. Otherwise, it sounds like some brand of truffle salt or something. [00:23:09.12] - Joe Moore Yeah, I think it's a... If people want to dig in, amazing. It's just a way to describe processes, and it's super informative if you want to go there, but it's not necessary for folks to do the work. And I like how you framed it quite a bit. So let's see. There is one bit, Tricia, that my ears really went up on this one point about a story about Actually, let me do a tangent for you real quick, and then we're going to come back to this story. So are you familiar with the tribe, the Dogon, in Africa? Of course. Yeah. So they're a group that looks as though they were involved in Jewish and/or Egyptian traditions, and then ended up on the far side of like, what, Western Africa, far away, and had their own evolution away from Egypt and the Middle East. Fascinating. Fascinating stories, fascinating astronomy, and much more. I don't know too much about the religion. I love their masks. But this drew an analogy for me, as you were describing that the Buiti often have stories about having lineage to pre-dynastic Egyptian culture. I guess we'll call it that for now, the Kometic culture. [00:24:44.23] - Joe Moore I had not heard that before. Shame on me because I haven't really read any books about Buiti as a religion or organization, or anything to this point. But I found that really interesting to know that now, at least I'm aware of two groups claiming lineage to that ancient world of magic. Can you speak about that at all for us? Yeah. [00:25:09.24] - Tricia Eastman So first off, there really aren't any books talking about that. Some of the things I've learned from elders that I've spoke with and asked in different lineages in Masoco and in Fong Buiti, there's a few things. One, We lived in many different eras. Even if you go into ancient texts of different religions, creation stories, and biblical stories, they talk about these great floods that wiped out the planet. One of the things that Atum talks about, who is one of my Buiti fathers who passed a couple years ago, is Is the understanding that before we were in these different areas, you had Mu or Lumaria, you had Atlantis, and then you had our current timeline. And the way that consciousness was within those timelines was very different and the way the Earth was. You had a whole another continent called Atlantis that many people, even Plato, talks about a very specific location of. And what happened, I believe during that time period, Africa, at least the Saharan band of the desert was much more lush, and it was a cultural melting pot. So if you think about, for example, the Pygmy tribes, which are in Equatorial Africa, they are the ones that introduced Iboga to the Buiti. [00:27:08.08] - Tricia Eastman If you look at the history of ancient Egypt, what I'm told is that the Pygmies lived in Pharaonic Egypt, all the way up until Pharaonic Egypt. And there was a village. And if you look on the map in Egypt, you see a town called Bawiti, B-A-W-I-T-I. And that is the village where they lived. And I have an interesting hypothesis that the God Bess, if you look at what he's wearing, it's the exact same to a T as what the Pygmies wear. And the inspiration for which a lot of the Buiti, because they use the same symbology, because each part of the outfit, whether it's the Mocingi, which is like this animal skin, or the different feathers, they use the parrot feather as a symbology of speech and communication, all of these things are codes within the ceremony that were passed along. And so when you look at Bess, he's wearing almost the exact same outfit that the Pygmies are wearing and very similar to if you see pictures of the ceremonies of Misoko or Gonde Misoko, which I would say is one of the branches of several branches, but that are closer to the original way of Buiti of the jungle, so closer to the way the Pygmies practice. [00:28:59.16] - Tricia Eastman So If you look at Bess, just to back my hypothesis. So you look at Neteru. Neteru were the... They called them the gods of Egypt, and they were all giant. And many say the word nature actually means nature, but they really represented the divine qualities of nature. There's best. Look at him. And a lot of the historians said he's the God of Harmeline and children and happiness. I think he's more than the God of Harmeline, and I think that the Pygmies worked with many different plants and medicines, and really the ultimate aspect of it was freedom. If you think about liberation, like the libation, number one, that's drunkiness. Number two, liberation, you of freeing the joyous child from within, our true nature of who we are. You look at every temple in Egypt, and you look at these giant statues, and then you have this tiny little pygmy God, and there's no other gods that are like Bess. He's one of a kind. He's in his own category. You've You've got giant Hathor, you've got giant Thoth, you've got giant Osiris, Isis, and then you've got little tiny Bess. And so I think it backs this hypothesis. [00:30:48.27] - Tricia Eastman And my understanding from practitioners of Dogon tradition is that they also believe that their ancestors came from Egypt, and they definitely have a lot of similarity in the teachings that I've seen and been exposed to just from here. I mean, you can... There's some more modern groups, and who's to know, really, the validity of all of it. But there are some, even on YouTube, where you can see there's some more modern Dogon temples that are talking in English or English translation about the teachings, and they definitely line up with Kamehdi teachings. And so my hypothesis around that is that the Dogon are probably most likely pygmy descendants as, And the pygmy were basically run out of Bawiti because there was jealousy with the priest, because there was competition, because all of the offerings that were being made in the temple, there was a lot of power, connected to each of the temples. And there was competitiveness even amongst the different temples, lining the Nile and all of that, of who was getting the most offerings and who was getting the most visits. And so the Pygmies essentially were run out, and they migrated, some of them migrated south to Gabon and Equatorial Africa. [00:32:43.07] - Tricia Eastman And then If you think about the physical changes that happened during these planetary catastrophes, which we know that there had been more than one based on many historical books. So that whole area went through a desertification process, and the Equatorial rainforest remained. So it's highly likely even that Iboga, at one point, grew in that region as well. [00:33:18.00] - Joe Moore Have you ever seen evidence of artwork depicting Iboga there in Egypt? [00:33:24.17] - Tricia Eastman There are several different death temples. I'm trying to remember the name of the exact one that I went to, but on the columns, it looked like Iboga trees that were carved into the columns. And I think what's interesting about this... So Seychet is the divine scribe, the scribe of Egyptian wisdom. And she was basically, essentially the sidekick of Thoth. Thoth was who brought a lot of the ancient wisdom and people like Pythagoras and many of the ancient philosophers in Roman times went and studied in a lot of these Thoth lineage mystery schools. When you look at the the river of the Nile on the east side, east is the energy liturgy of initiation. It's always like if you go into a sweat lodge or if you see an ancient temple, usually the doorway is facing the east. West is where the sun sets, and so that's the death. And what's interesting about that is that it was on the west side in the death temple that you would see these aboga plants. But also Seixat was the one who was the main goddess depicted in the hieroglyphs, and there was other hieroglyphs. I mean, if you look at the hieroglyphs of Seixat, it looks like she has a cannabis leaf above her head, and a lot of people have hypothesized that, that it's cannabis. [00:35:16.03] - Tricia Eastman Of course, historians argue about that. And then she's also carrying a little vessel that looks like it has some mushrooms in it. And obviously, she has blue Lotus. Why would she be carrying around blue Lotus and mushrooms? I don't know. It sounds like some initiation. [00:35:36.19] - Joe Moore Yeah, I love that. Well, thanks so much for going there with me. This photo of Seixet. There's some good animations, but everybody just go look at the temple carvings picturing this goddess. It's stunning. And obviously, cannabis. I think it's hard to argue not. I've seen all these like, mushroom, quote, unquote, mushroom things everywhere. I'm like, Yeah, maybe. But this is like, Yes, that's clear. [00:36:06.27] - Tricia Eastman And if you look at what she's wearing, it's the exact same outfit as Bess, which is classic Basically, how the medicine woman or medicine man or what you would call shaman, the outfit that the healers would wear, the shamans or the oracles, those of the auracular arts, different forms of divination would wear. So if you really follow that and you see, Oh, what's Isis wearing? What's Hathor wearing? What's Thoth wearing? You can tell she's very specifically the healer. And it's interesting because they call her the divine scribe. So she's actually downloading, my guess is she's taking plants and downloading from the primordial. [00:37:02.00] - Joe Moore Well, okay. Thanks for bringing that up. That was a lovely part of your book, was your... There's a big initiation sequence, and then you got to go to this place where you could learn many things. Could you speak to that a little bit? And I hope that's an okay one to bring up. [00:37:22.22] - Tricia Eastman Are you talking about the time that I was in initiation and I went to the different ashrams, the different realms in, like Yogananda calls them astral schools that you go and you just download? It seemed like astral schools, but it seemed like it was a Bwiti initiation, where you were in silence for three days, and then Yeah, that one. So there were several different... I mean, I've done seven official initiations, and then I've had many other initiatic experiences. And I would say this one was incredible. Incredibly profound because what it showed me first was that all of the masters of the planet, it was showing me everyone from Kurt Cobain to Bob Marley to Einstein, all the people that had some special connection to an intelligence that was otherworldly, that they were essentially going to the same place, like they were visiting the same place, and they would go. And so the first thing I noticed was that I recognized a lot of people, and current, I'm not going I don't want to say names of people, but I recognize people that are alive today that I would say are profound thinkers that were going to these places as well. [00:38:57.05] - Tricia Eastman And interestingly, then I was taken into one of the classrooms, and in the classroom, this one, specifically, it showed me that you could download any knowledge instantaneously That essentially, having a connection to that school allowed you to download music or understand very complex ideas ideas of mathematics or physics or science that would take people like lifetimes to understand. So it was essentially showing this. And a lot of people might discredit that, that that might be a specific... That we as humans can do that. Well, I'm not saying that it's not that. I don't I don't want to say that it's anything. But what I can say is that I have definitely noticed the level of access that I have within my consciousness. And also what I notice with the masters of Bwiti, specifically in terms of the level of intelligence that they're accessing and that it's different. It's got a different quality to it. And so it was a really profound teaching. And one of the things, too, that I've learned is I use it to help me learn specific things. I don't know if I can give a positive testimonial, but I am learning French. [00:40:55.00] - Tricia Eastman And I noticed when I was in Aspen at the Abigain meeting, and I was with Mubeiboual, who speaks French, I started saying things French that I didn't even realize that I knew to say. I've had these weird moments where I'm actually using this tool And I'm also using it. I have a Gabonese harp. I don't know if you can see it up on the shelf over there. But I also went and asked for some help with downloading some assistance in the harp, then we'll see how that goes. [00:41:38.17] - Joe Moore Yeah. So that's brilliant. I'm thinking of other precedent for that outside of this context, and I can think of a handful. So I love that, like savant syndrome. And then there's a classic text called Ars Notoria that helps accelerate learning, allegedly. And then there's a number of other really interesting things that can help us gain these bits of wisdom and knowledge. And it does feel a little bit like the Dogon. The story I get is the receiving messages from the dog star, and therefore have all sorts of advanced information that they shouldn't we call it. Yeah. Yeah, which is fascinating. We have that worldwide. I think there's plenty of really interesting stuff here. So what I appreciated, Tricia, about how you're structuring your book, or you did structure your book, is that it it seems at the same time, a memoir, on another hand, workbook, like here are some exercises. On the other hand, like here's some things you might try in session. I really appreciated that. It was like people try to get really complicated when we talk about things like IFS. I'm like, well, you don't necessarily have to. You could. Or is this just a human thing, a human way to look at working with our parts? [00:43:20.15] - Joe Moore I don't know. Do you have any thoughts about the way you were approaching this parts work in your book versus how complicated some people make it feel? [00:43:30.00] - Tricia Eastman Yeah. I find that this is just my personal opinion, and no way to discredit Richard Schwartz's work. But parts work has existed in shamanism since forever. When we really look at even in ancient Egypt, Issus, she put Osiris act together. That was the metaphorical story of soul retrieval, which is really the spiritual journey of us reclaiming these pieces of ourselves that we've been disconnected from a society level or individually. And within the context of parts work, it's very organic and it feels other worldly. It's not like there's ever a force where I'm in the process with someone. And a lot of times I would even go into the process with people because they weren't accustomed to how to work with Iboga or game, and so they would be stuck. And then the minute I was like, you know, Iboga, in the tradition, it's really about... It's like the game Marco Polo. It's call and response. And so you're really an active participant, and you're supposed to engage with the spirits. And so the minute that things would show up, it'd be more about like, oh, what do you see? What's coming up here? Asking questions about it, being curious. [00:45:17.07] - Tricia Eastman If you could engage with it, sometimes there's processes where you can't really engage with things at all. So everything that I'm talking about is It was organically shown up as an active engagement process that it wasn't like we were going in. There have been some where you can guide a little bit, but you never push. It might be something like, go to your house, and it being completely unattached. And if they can't go there, then obviously the psyche doesn't want to go there, but it's really an exercise to help them to connect to their soul. And then in contrast, IFS is like, let's work on these different parts and identify these different parts of ourselves. But then let's give them fixed titles, and let's continually in a non-altered state of consciousness, not when we're meditating, not when we're actively in a state where we have the plasticity to change the pathway in the unconscious mind, but we're working in the egoic mind, and we're talking to these parts of ourselves. That could be helpful in the day-to-day struggles. Let's say you have someone who has a lot of rumination or a very active mind to have something to do with that. [00:46:57.01] - Tricia Eastman But that's not going to be the end-all, be-all solution to their problem. It's only moving the deck chairs around on the Titanic because you're still working in the framework where, I'm sorry, the Titanic is still sinking, and it may or may not be enough. It may or may not produce a reliable outcome that could be connected with some level of true relief and true connection within oneself. And so I think that people just... I feel like they almost get a little too... And maybe it's because we're so isolated and lonely, it's like, Oh, now I've got parts. I'm not by myself. I've got my fire I've got my firefighter, and I've got my guardian, and all these things. And I definitely think that IFS is a really great initiator into the idea of engaging with parts of ourselves and how to talk to them. But I don't think it's... And I think doing a session here and there, for some people, can be incredibly helpful, but to all of a sudden incorporate it in like a dogma is toxic. It's dangerous. And that's what we have to be really careful of. [00:48:23.25] - Joe Moore So thank you for that. There's a complicated discussion happening at the Aspen meeting. I think I was only sitting maybe 30 feet away from you. Sorry, I didn't say hi. But the folks from Blessings of the Forest were there, and I got a chance to chat with a number of them and learn more about nuclear protocols, biopiracy, literal piracy, and smuggling, and the works. I'm curious. This is a really complicated question, and I'm sorry for a complicated question this far in. But it's like, as we talk about this stuff publicly and give it increased profile, we are de facto giving more juice and energy to black markets to pirate. We're adding fuel to this engine that we don't necessarily want to see. Cameroon has nothing left, pretty much. From what I'm told, people from Cameroon are coming in, stealing it from Cabona, bringing it back, and then shipping it out. And there's It's like a whole worldwide market for this stuff. I witnessed it. This stuff. Yeah, right? This is real. So the people, the Buiti, and certain Gabanese farmers, are now being pirated. And international demand does not care necessarily about Nagoya compliance. United States didn't sign Nagoya protocol for this biopiracy protection, but we're not the only violator of these ethics, right? [00:50:00.22] - Joe Moore It's everywhere. So how do we balance thinking about talking about IBOCA publicly, given that there's no clean way to get this stuff in the United States that is probably not pirated materials? And as far as I know, there's only one, quote unquote, Nagoya compliant place. I've heard stories that I haven't shared publicly yet, that there's other groups that are compliant, too. But it's a really interesting conversation, and I'm curious of your perspectives there. [00:50:34.04] - Tricia Eastman I mean, this is a very long, drawn-out question, so forgive me if I give you a long, drawn-out answer. [00:50:41.01] - Joe Moore Go for it. [00:50:41.26] - Tricia Eastman It's all good. So in reality, I do believe... You know the first Ebo, Abogaine, that was done in the country was experiments on eight Black prisoners at a hospital under the MK program. [00:51:01.16] - Joe Moore Pre-lutz off, we were doing Abogaine tests on people. [00:51:06.00] - Tricia Eastman Yeah, so pre-Lutz off. I have a hypothesis, although a lot of people would already know me. [00:51:12.07] - Joe Moore No, I didn't know that. Thank you for sharing that with me. [00:51:14.13] - Tricia Eastman That's great. I'll send you some stuff on that. But the Aboga wanted to be here. The Abogaine wanted to be here. I think it's a complex question because on one side of the coin, you have the spirit of plants, which are wild and crazy sometimes. And then you have the initiatory traditions, which create a scaffolding to essentially put the lightning in a bottle, so to say, so that it's less damaging. [00:51:51.13] - Joe Moore It's almost like a temple structure around it. [00:51:53.16] - Tricia Eastman I like that. Yeah. Put a temple structure around it because it's like, yeah, you can work with new nuclear energy, but you have to wear gloves, you have to do all these different safety precautions. I would say that that's why these traditions go hand in hand with the medicine. So some people might say that the agenda of Iboga and even Abogaine might be a different agenda than the Buiti. And ultimately, whether we are Indigenous or not, the Earth belongs to everyone. It's capitalism and the patriarchy that created all these borders and all these separations between people. And in reality, we still have to acknowledge what the essence of Buiti is, which is really the cause and effect relationship that we have with everything that we do. And so some people might use the term karma. And that is if you're in Abogaine clinic and you're putting a bunch of videos out online, and that's spurring a trend on TikTok, which we already know is a big thing where people are selling illegal market, iBoga, is Is any of that your responsibility? Yes. And if I was to sit down with a kogi kagaba, which are the mamus from Colombia, or if I were to sit down with a who said, Hey, let's do a divination, and let's ask some deep questions about this. [00:53:54.01] - Tricia Eastman It would look at things on a bigger perspective than just like, Oh, this person is completely responsible for this. But when we're talking about a medicine that is so intense, and when I was younger, when I first met the medicine, I first was introduced in 2013 was when I first found out about Abigain and Iboga. And in 2014, I lived with someone who lived with a 14th generation Misoko, maybe it was 10th generation Misoco in Costa Rica. And then he decided to just start serving people medicine. And he left this person paralyzed, one person that he treated for the rest of his life. And Aubrey Marcus, it was his business partner for On It, and he's publicly talked about this, about the story behind this. If you go into his older podcasts and blog posts and stuff, he talks about the situation. And the reality is that this medicine requires a massive amount of responsibility. It has crazy interactions, such as grapefruit juice, for example, and all kinds of other things. And so it's not just the responsibility towards the buiti, it's also the responsibility of, does me talking about this without really talking about the safety and the risks, encourage other people. [00:55:49.10] - Tricia Eastman One of the big problems, back in the day, I went to my first guita conference, Global Abogaine Therapy Alliance in 2016. And And then, ISEARs was debating because there was all these people buying Abogaine online and self-detoxing and literally either dying or ending up in the hospital. And they're like, should we release protocols and just give people instructions on how to do this themselves? And I was like, no, absolutely not. We need to really look at the fact that this is an initiatory tradition, that it's been practiced for thousands of that the minimum level at which a person is administering in Gabon is 10 years of training. The way that we've made up for those mistakes, or sorry, not mistakes, lack of training is that we've used medical oversight. Most of the medical oversight that we've received has been a result of mistakes that were made in the space. The first patient that MAPS treated, they killed them because they gave them way over the amount of what milligrams per kilogram of Abigain that you should give somebody. Every single mistake that was made, which a lot of them related to loss of life, became the global Abogane Therapy Safety Guidelines. [00:57:28.19] - Tricia Eastman And so we've already learned from our mistakes here. And so I think it's really important that we understand that there's that aspect, which is really the blood on our hands of if we're not responsible, if we're encouraging people to do this, and we're talking about it in a casual way on Instagram. Like, yeah, microdosing. Well, did you know there was a guy prosecuted this last year, personal trainer, who killed someone And from microdosing in Colorado, the event happened in 2020, but he just got sentenced early 2025. These are examples that we need to look at as a collective that we need. So that's one side of it. And then the other side of it is the reciprocity piece. And the reciprocity piece related to that is, again, the cause and effect. Is A Abogaine clinic talking about doing Abogaine and doing video testimonials, spurring the efforts that are actively being made in Gabon to protect the cultural lineage and to protect the medicine. The reality is every Abogaine clinic is booked out for... I heard the next year, I don't know if that's fact or fiction, but someone told me for a year, because because of all the stuff with all the celebrities that are now talking about it. [00:59:05.20] - Tricia Eastman And then on top of that, you have all these policy, all these different advocacy groups that are talking about it. Essentially, it's not going to be seven... It's going to be, I would say, seven to 10 years before something gets through the FDA. We haven't even done a phase one safety trial for any of the Abigain that's being commercialized. And even if there's some magic that happens within the Trump administration in the next two years that changes the rules to fast track it, it's not going to cut it down probably more than a year. So then you're looking at maybe six years minimum. That whole time, all that strain is being put on Gabon. And so if you're not supporting Gabon, what's happening is it's losing a battle because the movement is gaining momentum, and Gabon cannot keep up with that momentum. It's a tiny country the size of Colorado. So my belief is that anyone who's benefiting from all the hype around Iboga and Abogayne or personally benefited with healing within themselves should be giving back, either to Ancestral Heart, to Blessings of the Forest, to any group that is doing authentic Indigenous-led biocultural stewardship work. [01:00:45.21] - Joe Moore Thanks for that. It's important that we get into some detail here. I wish we had more time to go further on it. [01:00:54.17] - Tricia Eastman I'll do a quick joke. I know. I have a lot. [01:00:57.17] - Joe Moore Yes. Now do Mike Tyson. Kidding. Yeah. So what did we maybe miss that you want to make sure people hear about your book, any biocultural stuff that you want to get out there? You can go for a few more minutes, too, if you have a few things you want to say. [01:01:20.03] - Tricia Eastman I mean, really, thank you so much for this opportunity. Thank you for caring and being so passionate about the context related to Buiti, which I think is so important. I would just say that I've been working with this medicine for... I've known about it for 13 years, and I've been working with it for 11 years, and this is my life. I've devoted my life to this work, me and my husband, both. And there isn't anything greater of a blessing that it has brought in our life, but it also is it's a very saturnian energy, so it brings chaos. It brings the deepest challenges and forces you to face things that you need to face. But also on the other side of the coin, everything that I've devoted and given back in service to this work has exponentially brought blessing in my life. So again, I see the issue with people doing these shortened processes, whether it's in an Abigain clinic where you just don't have the ritualistic sacred aspects of an initiatic context and really the rituals that really help integrate and ground the medicine. But you still have this opportunity to continue to receive the blessings. [01:03:09.23] - Tricia Eastman And I really feel in our current psychedelic movement, we essentially have a Bugatti. These medicines are the most finely-tuned sports car that can do every... Even more than that, more like a spaceship. We have this incredible tool, but we're driving it in first gear. We don't even really know how to operate it. It's like, well, I guess you could say flight of the Navigator, but that was a self-driving thing, and I guess, psychedelics are self-driving. But I feel that we are discounting ourselves so greatly by not looking into our past of how these medicines were used. I really think the biggest piece around that is consulting the genuine lineage carriers like Buiti elders, like Mubu Bwal, who's the head of Maganga Manan Zembe, And giving them a seat at the head of the table, really, because there's so much I know in my tradition, about what we do to bring cardiac safety. And why is it that people aren't dying as much in Gabon as they're dying in Abigan clinics. [01:04:37.28] - Joe Moore Shots fired. All right. I like it. Thank you. Thank you for everything you've done here today, I think harm reduction is incredibly important. Let's stop people dying out there. Let's do some harm reduction language. I actually was able to sweet talk my way into getting a really cool EKG recently, which I thought really great about. If you can speak clinician, you can go a long way sometimes. [01:05:11.20] - Tricia Eastman Yeah. Oh, no, go ahead. Sorry. [01:05:15.17] - Joe Moore No, that's all. That's all. So harm reduction is important. How do we keep people safe? How do we keep healing people? And thank you for all your hard work. [01:05:27.22] - Tricia Eastman Thank you. I really appreciate it. We're all figuring it out. No one's perfect. So I'm not trying to fire any shots at anybody. I'm just like, Guys, please listen. We need to get in right relationship with the medicine. And we need to include these stakeholders. And on the other side of the coin, I just want to add that there's a lot of irresponsible, claimed traditional practitioners that are running retreat centers in Mexico and Costa Rica and other places that are also causing a lot of harm, too. So the medical monitoring is definitely, if you're going to do anything, Because these people don't have the training, the worst thing you could do is not have someone going in blind that doesn't have training and not have had an EKG and all that stuff. But we've got a long way to go, and I'm excited to help support in a productive way, all coming together. And that's what me and Joseph have been devoted to. [01:06:45.02] - Joe Moore Brilliant. Tricia Eastman, thank you so much. Everybody should go check out your book Seeding Consciousness out now. The audiobook's lovely, too. Thank you so much for being here. And until next time. [01:07:00.14] - Tricia Eastman Thank you.