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Voices of Courage with Ken D Foster How Poetry Heals: Words, Seasonal Affective Disorder and Transcendence with Norman Rosenthal Ken D. Foster talks with psychiatrist and author Dr. Norman Rosenthal about how poetry can heal grief and trauma, why he first described seasonal affective disorder, and how Transcendental Meditation shapes his forthcoming book on unity. A Show Built On the Power of Words Ken D. Foster opens Voices of Courage with a preview of the conversation to come, reading a few lines from a poem before rolling the show's intro theme and returning to formally welcome listeners. He tells his audience that words carry an energy, a frequency and a vibration connected deeply to the psyche, and that reading a poem can make the world seem to disappear, carrying a listener back into memory or forward into peace and presence. Foster mentions that he has spent roughly thirty years writing poems himself and has a forthcoming poetry collection called "Echoes of Courage and Grace: Reflections from the Journey Within." He explains that poetry can bypass people's defenses, awaken memory, reveal truth and restore hope in ways ordinary words sometimes cannot. He then introduces his guest, a psychiatrist he says will help listeners understand where words can transform how they think, communicate and show up in the world. Introducing Dr. Norman Rosenthal Foster formally introduces Dr. Norman Rosenthal, welcoming him back to the show and describing him as a psychiatrist who understands darkness from both a scientific and deeply human perspective. He notes that Rosenthal led the team that first described seasonal affective disorder, known as SAD, and that his pioneering work on light therapy has helped millions of people, along with his exploration of meditation, adversity and resilience. Foster highlights Rosenthal's book "Poetry Rx: How 50 Inspiring Poems Can Heal and Bring You Joy to Your Life," calling him a New York Times best-selling author. Rosenthal thanks Foster for having him back. Foster explains he wants to start with poetry, calling it a door to the soul, and mentions his niece in Washington, D.C. who is depressed, wondering aloud whether Rosenthal's book might help her. He asks directly why Rosenthal wrote "Poetry Rx" and what the book is about, opening the door for Rosenthal's story about a phone call with a grieving friend. The Origin Story and Why Words Heal Rosenthal tells Foster the book began with a phone call from a grieving friend who had lost someone dear and asked how he would ever manage. Rosenthal told him that losing is an art that, like any art form, can be developed, prompting his friend to read Elizabeth Bishop's villanelle "One Art" aloud over the phone. Rosenthal recalls feeling the man's relief and his own sense of elation, realizing in that moment that words can actually heal. Foster then asks Rosenthal, as a scientist and psychiatrist, why words heal at all. Rosenthal explains that words carry both meaning and music, a combination that has drawn people around fires for thousands of years to share poetry that produces hope, potency or anger. He says this taps into primitive cognitive and visceral areas of the mind. Foster asks how a poem that triggers anger can still lead someone toward peace, and Rosenthal answers with Dylan Thomas's "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night," written to his dying father, reading several lines aloud. Grief, Struggle and the Music of Words The conversation moves through several more poems Rosenthal has collected. He reads "Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep," telling the story of a Baltimore woman who wrote it for a German refugee unable to return to her dying mother during World War II, and says it gave the most comfort to people he has shared it with who were grieving or dying themselves. He then reads Theodore Roethke's "The Waking," describing how the Pulitzer Prize winner captured the daily struggle of simply getting up in the morning. Foster and Rosenthal discuss poetic structures, from sonnets and villanelles to free verse and the ghazal, before Rosenthal reads Gwendolyn Brooks's short poem "We Real Cool." Turning to why some people resist poetry, Rosenthal argues they may love songs and ballads without realizing these belong to the same family as poetry. He invokes Marshall McLuhan's line that "the medium is the message," arguing that real connectedness, whether around a dinner table or in a poem, communicates that a person matters. Listening, Silence and a Letter to a Mother Foster shifts the conversation toward listening itself, describing himself as a long-term meditator who believes stillness is the key to writing and connecting with the divine part of oneself. Rosenthal responds by reading Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," noting that the poem's quiet imagery magnifies every small sound through silence. Foster compares the experience to cycling, describing a "zone" where time seems to collapse while doing something he loves, and says poetry brings him into that same deep inward space. Rosenthal then shares a personal poem, "Letter to Mother" by Nobel laureate Salvatore Quasimodo, which he read repeatedly before leaving South Africa for the United States, knowing he was leaving his family behind. He describes the poem's closing image of a kitchen clock with an enamel dial and painted flowers, and says he later bought such a clock from Italy that he and his wife still look at, thinking of the people they left behind. Seasonal Affective Disorder, Meditation and Closing Thoughts Foster asks Rosenthal to reflect on his own journey, and Rosenthal answers with gratitude, recalling a near-fatal assault at age twenty-four and crediting the National Institute of Mental Health's funding for making his seasonal affective disorder research possible. The two turn to SAD itself, with Rosenthal describing how his own move from sunny South Africa to New York exposed him and his wife to lethargy, oversleeping and difficulty socializing once daylight savings time shortened the days. He recommends morning light exposure, outdoor walking, staying socially connected and, in some cases, an antidepressant, pointing listeners to his book "Defeating SAD." Foster shares his own story of hearing an inner voice in 1992 tell him he had to feel the pain to make the change. Rosenthal then describes practicing Transcendental Meditation twice daily and outlines stages of consciousness explored in his books "Transcendence" and "Super Mind," previewing a forthcoming book, "Unity," about healing societal division. Foster closes by pointing listeners to Rosenthal's books on Amazon and signing off with the show's closing line.
Voices of Courage with Ken D Foster How Poetry Heals: Words, Seasonal Affective Disorder and Transcendence with Norman Rosenthal Ken D. Foster talks with psychiatrist and author Dr. Norman Rosenthal about how poetry can heal grief and trauma, why he first described seasonal affective disorder, and how Transcendental Meditation shapes his forthcoming book on unity. A Show Built On the Power of Words Ken D. Foster opens Voices of Courage with a preview of the conversation to come, reading a few lines from a poem before rolling the show's intro theme and returning to formally welcome listeners. He tells his audience that words carry an energy, a frequency and a vibration connected deeply to the psyche, and that reading a poem can make the world seem to disappear, carrying a listener back into memory or forward into peace and presence. Foster mentions that he has spent roughly thirty years writing poems himself and has a forthcoming poetry collection called "Echoes of Courage and Grace: Reflections from the Journey Within." He explains that poetry can bypass people's defenses, awaken memory, reveal truth and restore hope in ways ordinary words sometimes cannot. He then introduces his guest, a psychiatrist he says will help listeners understand where words can transform how they think, communicate and show up in the world. Introducing Dr. Norman Rosenthal Foster formally introduces Dr. Norman Rosenthal, welcoming him back to the show and describing him as a psychiatrist who understands darkness from both a scientific and deeply human perspective. He notes that Rosenthal led the team that first described seasonal affective disorder, known as SAD, and that his pioneering work on light therapy has helped millions of people, along with his exploration of meditation, adversity and resilience. Foster highlights Rosenthal's book "Poetry Rx: How 50 Inspiring Poems Can Heal and Bring You Joy to Your Life," calling him a New York Times best-selling author. Rosenthal thanks Foster for having him back. Foster explains he wants to start with poetry, calling it a door to the soul, and mentions his niece in Washington, D.C. who is depressed, wondering aloud whether Rosenthal's book might help her. He asks directly why Rosenthal wrote "Poetry Rx" and what the book is about, opening the door for Rosenthal's story about a phone call with a grieving friend. The Origin Story and Why Words Heal Rosenthal tells Foster the book began with a phone call from a grieving friend who had lost someone dear and asked how he would ever manage. Rosenthal told him that losing is an art that, like any art form, can be developed, prompting his friend to read Elizabeth Bishop's villanelle "One Art" aloud over the phone. Rosenthal recalls feeling the man's relief and his own sense of elation, realizing in that moment that words can actually heal. Foster then asks Rosenthal, as a scientist and psychiatrist, why words heal at all. Rosenthal explains that words carry both meaning and music, a combination that has drawn people around fires for thousands of years to share poetry that produces hope, potency or anger. He says this taps into primitive cognitive and visceral areas of the mind. Foster asks how a poem that triggers anger can still lead someone toward peace, and Rosenthal answers with Dylan Thomas's "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night," written to his dying father, reading several lines aloud. Grief, Struggle and the Music of Words The conversation moves through several more poems Rosenthal has collected. He reads "Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep," telling the story of a Baltimore woman who wrote it for a German refugee unable to return to her dying mother during World War II, and says it gave the most comfort to people he has shared it with who were grieving or dying themselves. He then reads Theodore Roethke's "The Waking," describing how the Pulitzer Prize winner captured the daily struggle of simply getting up in the morning. Foster and Rosenthal discuss poetic structures, from sonnets and villanelles to free verse and the ghazal, before Rosenthal reads Gwendolyn Brooks's short poem "We Real Cool." Turning to why some people resist poetry, Rosenthal argues they may love songs and ballads without realizing these belong to the same family as poetry. He invokes Marshall McLuhan's line that "the medium is the message," arguing that real connectedness, whether around a dinner table or in a poem, communicates that a person matters. Listening, Silence and a Letter to a Mother Foster shifts the conversation toward listening itself, describing himself as a long-term meditator who believes stillness is the key to writing and connecting with the divine part of oneself. Rosenthal responds by reading Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," noting that the poem's quiet imagery magnifies every small sound through silence. Foster compares the experience to cycling, describing a "zone" where time seems to collapse while doing something he loves, and says poetry brings him into that same deep inward space. Rosenthal then shares a personal poem, "Letter to Mother" by Nobel laureate Salvatore Quasimodo, which he read repeatedly before leaving South Africa for the United States, knowing he was leaving his family behind. He describes the poem's closing image of a kitchen clock with an enamel dial and painted flowers, and says he later bought such a clock from Italy that he and his wife still look at, thinking of the people they left behind. Seasonal Affective Disorder, Meditation and Closing Thoughts Foster asks Rosenthal to reflect on his own journey, and Rosenthal answers with gratitude, recalling a near-fatal assault at age twenty-four and crediting the National Institute of Mental Health's funding for making his seasonal affective disorder research possible. The two turn to SAD itself, with Rosenthal describing how his own move from sunny South Africa to New York exposed him and his wife to lethargy, oversleeping and difficulty socializing once daylight savings time shortened the days. He recommends morning light exposure, outdoor walking, staying socially connected and, in some cases, an antidepressant, pointing listeners to his book "Defeating SAD." Foster shares his own story of hearing an inner voice in 1992 tell him he had to feel the pain to make the change. Rosenthal then describes practicing Transcendental Meditation twice daily and outlines stages of consciousness explored in his books "Transcendence" and "Super Mind," previewing a forthcoming book, "Unity," about healing societal division. Foster closes by pointing listeners to Rosenthal's books on Amazon and signing off with the show's closing line.
It's never been easier to connect with others yet loneliness is reportedly the fastest-growing epidemic worldwide. In this episode, Thom explores why human beings are built for proximity, how consciousness affects us in subtle ways, and why technology cannot fully replace the richness of physical presence. He also expands the conversation beyond human interaction alone, pointing to a living, sentient Universe and the importance of participating fully in community, even when that comes with challenge. Listen to or watch this episode for the Vedic perspective on loneliness, connection, and what it means to truly relate. Episode Highlights[00:45] Technology Cannot Carry Presence[01:59] Human Beings Need Proximity[05:00] Isolation Shrinks Human Exchange[07:29] No Room Is Truly Empty[09:20] Reality Extends Beyond Human Company[10:31] Social Chocolate Is Not Enough[12:28] Practice, Then Go Interact[14:44] We Need to Get Out MoreUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/
What if abundance begins when we stop assuming everything is running out? In this short bonus episode of The Vedic Worldview Podcast, Thom previews his upcoming Living Abundance retreat in Sedona and explores why certainty has to be internalized rather than extracted from an ever-changing world. He reflects on unboundedness, spiritual evolution, and a deeper view of the Self as the basis for happiness and success. Listen to or watch this brief invitation to discover what Thom will be teaching from January 3 to 8, 2027. Find out more about the LIVING ABUNDANCE Wisdom Retreat here: https://thomknoles.com/abundance-retreat Episode Highlights[01:04] A Playground Beneath Red Rocks[01:55] Certainty Has to Be Internalized[04:18] Letting Go of Non-Abundance[06:14] Change Your View of SelfUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/
Are fears about AI justified, or is it fear itself that's the problem? In this episode, Thom puts today's anxiety about artificial intelligence into a much larger context, from thermonuclear war to the Vedic understanding of consciousness itself. He explores why fear is the real danger, how Vedic Meditation helps stabilize awareness, and what it means to participate fully in life without panic. Listen to or watch this episode for a grounded Vedic perspective on AI, consciousness, and how to stay steady in uncertain times. Episode Highlights[00:45] Fear Is the Real Enemy[04:06] Create Collective Consciousness[06:25] One Consciousness Field[08:37] Vedic Meditation Beats Panicking[11:33] Be a Super Evolved Cannibal[12:52] Humanity Has Survived Before[14:45] Enjoy Life While You Can[16:15] Consciousness Is UnslayableUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/
In this episode, Loch welcomes Peter Russell, a physicist-turned-meditation-teacher and author of How to Meditate Without Even Trying, for a conversation about why the most direct path to presence may be the one that is most available. Peter traces his journey from theoretical physics and early Transcendental Meditation practice to decades of teaching what he calls a minimalist practice of allowing. He and Loch explore what "effort" and "effortless" really mean, where the individual self begins and hands off to effortless non-dual awareness. They explore mindfulness of being: relaxing attention and savoring the felt sense of presence, as well as how that quality can be carried off the cushion and into ordinary daily life. The conversation closes with a shared sense that awakening isn't a rare achievement but simply coming home.Mindful GlimpsesYou can now explore all of Loch Kelly's practices and teachings on the Mindful Glimpses mobile app, found at https://lochkelly.org/mindful-glimpses. This innovative meditation and wellness app offers daily micro-meditations, step-by-step programs, and simple-yet-advanced tools for awakening.About Loch KellyLoch is the creator of the Mindful Glimpses app, and an award-winning author, psychotherapist, and nondual meditation teacher. He is also known for his unique practical methods that support awakening as the next natural stage of human development. Backed by modern neuroscience and psychology, Loch introduces Effortless Mindfulness, which combines an ancient form of nondual meditation and IFS psychology that allows immediate access to our embodied awake nature which arises as our calm, clear, and compassionate healing capacity. Connect with Loch:Mobile App: https://lochkelly.org/mindful-glimpsesWebsite: https://lochkelly.org/Podcast: https://lochkelly.org/podcastDonate: https://lochkelly.org/donate
Interview starts at 31:35 This episode follows Wayne Purdin's early UFO encounters, his years as a UFO investigator, and how those experiences eventually led him into meditation, devotional practice, and prophetic interpretation. Graham Dunlop and Darren Grimes press Wayne on the line between extraterrestrial contact and spiritual experience, especially around CE5, grays, and higher beings. Wayne's story centers on a 1967 sighting that he describes as a first contact experience, plus a later cigar-shaped craft sighting with multiple independent witnesses. From there, the conversation moves into his spiritual framework, his books, and his view that the coming years are tied to a possible evacuation, mitigation, or golden-age transition. My website: https://wayne-purdin.com My blog: https://wpurdin.wixsite.com/elixir/ My articles on Sungazing: Sun Meditation and Gazing to Experience the God Presence, Sun Yoga, Sun Gazing, Surya Namaskar My contributions to Sunlightenment.com: sunlightenment.com/?s=Purdin#google_vignette shakti-meditation.com Key topics Wayne says his first UFO sighting happened on June 5, 1967, during a regional blackout, and he describes a large craft with several bright lights as a Pleiadian ship. He says that during that sighting he prayed for guidance and received a telepathic message: "you will find a teacher." Wayne recounts a second sighting in September 1967 of a silent cigar-shaped craft near Waterford, Connecticut. He says the next morning he heard multiple corroborating cigar-shaped UFO reports on talk radio, including one report of a craft splitting in half and another involving a person in a shiny spacesuit. He explains his background with APRO and NICAP, saying he investigated newspaper sightings and interviewed witnesses with a large tape recorder. The conversation shifts into meditation and spiritual development, including Wayne's move away from UFO investigation and into Transcendental Meditation and later teaching. Wayne discusses a meditative near-death experience where he encountered the goddess Durga, described a dweller or personal demon blocking access, and said the obstacle was overcome through devotion and love. He draws a clear distinction between spiritual contact and extraterrestrial contact, arguing that devotion and consciousness determine what kind of beings someone attracts. Wayne says he believes his 1967 message about meeting a teacher was fulfilled decades later when he met Ananda Devi Ma, whom he identifies as a co-author and spiritual guide. The bulk of the episode focuses on his prophecy work, especially his book Twenty Thirty Five Golden Ageand his timeline centered on September 9 to 11, 2029. He explains three different methods he used to derive the date, including a calculation from his own visions, a Daniel prophecy reference, and patterns in the Jewish calendar. Wayne argues that the coming period could involve mass evacuation, tribulation, or mitigation depending on collective karma and prayer. Graham and Darren repeatedly challenge and clarify whether the prophecy is fixed, symbolic, or something that can still be changed by consciousness and preparation. Become a Lord or Lady with 1k donations over time. And a Noble with any donation. Leave Serfdom behind and help Grimerica stick to 0 ads and sponsors and fully listener supported. Thanks for listening!! 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A former investigator for NICAP and APRO, Wayne reports his own UFO encounters and has spent decades studying Transcendental Meditation, the Ascended Masters, Sun Yoga, white magic, and the Divine Mother traditions of India. Over the past six years, he has written 17 books covering subjects ranging from sungazing and alternative healing to Akhenaten, Jesus and Mary Magdalene, near-death experiences, prophecy, and the spiritual symbolism of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. His current work focuses on humanity's transition through what he describes as the Tribulation and toward a coming Golden Age and higher-dimensional consciousness.
Ready to turn your gift for helping people into a real coaching career? Visit: https://riseandthriveglobal.com/positive-psychology-coaching/ Tom Cronin will tell you that thinking is very overrated, and he has 26 years on a trading floor to explain why. He is an international keynote speaker, author of six books, leadership trainer and the producer of the feature-length documentary The Portal, and he has taught meditation to everyone from six-year-olds in classrooms to senior executives at Amazon, Oracle, Qantas and Coca-Cola. None of that was the plan. He spent a decade as one of Australia’s leading bond and swap brokers, starting in the late 80s in a world he describes as very Wolf of Wall Street, and by his late 20s it had cost him chronic panic attacks, anxiety, depression, addictions, insomnia and eventually agoraphobia. He was diagnosed as having a nervous breakdown. Psychiatrists, doctors and medication followed, and none of it felt quite right. Not a spiritual practice What changed things was a style of meditation known as Vedic or Transcendental Meditation, in which a qualified teacher allocates you a mantra, a resonance you repeat silently that shifts your brain out of its busy waking frequency and moves the body from the sympathetic nervous system, where we fight or flee, into the parasympathetic, where we rest and repair. Most people assume meditation is spiritual. Tom sees it as physiological. Most of our challenges, he argues, are not psychological at all. They are stresses held in the body, what the Vedic tradition calls samskara, and deep rest is what lets the body release them. Uncomfortable is not the same as worse Catherine asked the obvious question: does it get worse before it gets better? Tom reframed it. Stress releasing is not the same as stress inputting. Think of the twitch you feel falling asleep after a frantic day, he says. That is the same process, and it is not a crisis, it is a healthy expenditure of energy. On retreats, where the work goes deeper, tears and frustration do surface, but they are held in a safe space and understood as a good sign rather than a bad one. What the body does when you leave it alone His favourite illustration is a broken bone. No doctor, no medicine and no therapist can mend it. All the cast does is create stillness, and the body’s own intelligence does the rest. Cut your arm on a rose bush and the bandage keeps your clothes clean while your body coagulates the blood, grows scab cells and then skin cells, with no instruction from anyone. Meditation, in his view, is simply the same principle applied to the nervous system. He is careful about what he claims. He will not say meditation cures disease. What he will say is that his own biological age was measured at 37 when he was 29, that stress is one of the biggest factors in ageing, and that he stayed in the same high-pressure job for another 13 years and the number went the other way. The story is not happening now This is where Tom departs most sharply from conventional therapy. We do not need to regurgitate the story, he says, because the story is not happening right now. What keeps the mind replaying it is the energy of it still sitting in the body. Clear that, and the memory loses its charge. He can retell his own history on a stage, in a book or on a podcast without being triggered by it, not because he has analysed it enough, but because the stress behind it has gone. The sky behind the clouds If you have ever said you cannot meditate because your mind will not stop, Tom has an analogy for that too. A fidgety four-year-old will not sit still if you tell him to, but give him something charming to hold and he will. The mantra charms the mind. And beyond the thinking there is a state he calls Samadhi, where the mind trades the charm of thought for the bliss of being. Imagine a lifetime of cloudy days, he says. You would assume the sky is grey. Then one day the clouds part and you realise the grey was never the sky at all. Tom left us with three shiny golden nuggets. Start the day deliberately, with movement, hydration, meditation and clear intention rather than a scroll and a double shot. End it deliberately too, shutting down technology by around nine, stretching, reading and naming five things you are grateful for. And if you have no teacher and no mantra yet, close your eyes and rest your attention on the cool air at the rim of your nostrils. Three to five minutes is enough to begin slowing everything down. Watch the full conversation on YouTube Find Out More About Tom Cronin Website: http://www.tomcronin.com/ | https://entertheportal.com/ Instagram: @tomcronin YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/stillnessproject Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tomcronincoach Ready to turn your gift for helping people into a real coaching career? Visit: https://riseandthriveglobal.com/positive-psychology-coaching/
What if becoming extraordinary has less to do with certainty and more to do with your capacity to move with the unknown? In this episode, Part Two of a two part series (Listen to or watch Part One here if you haven't already) Thom responds to retreat questions about charm, long-term planning, chaotic times, collective consciousness, and how to make a meaningful contribution in a suffering world. From the difference between pleasure and charm to the idea that real leadership begins in individual consciousness, this conversation reframes what growth and responsibility can look like. Listen to or watch this episode for a grounded, far-reaching exploration of how personal evolution shapes the world around us. Episode Highlights[01:00] Q - How do charm and planning work together?[01:56] A - Planning Without Predicting[06:16] Guided Tours and Real Adventure[09:56] Q - How do I relate to conflicting thoughts?[10:27] A - The Unknown Is Safe[11:03] Q - How do we contextualize chaotic times?[11:24] A - Every Day Is "These Days"[14:38] Build a Contextualizing Consciousness[16:58] The Collective is in Charge[19:44] Wars Start in Kitchens[23:17] Q - What is pleasure versus charm?[23:24] A - Localized and Overarching Charm[25:42] State of Consciousness Expands Choice[28:20] Q - How do I make peace with privilege?[28:42] A - Make Your Contribution Count[32:36] Evolution Still Moves Forward[34:49] Follow What Breaks Your Heart Useful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/
What if safety is not found in the familiar, but in our willingness to move into the unknown? In this episode, Thom explores why the ever-repeating known leads to stagnation, while greater context, transcendence, and Vedic Meditation awaken more of our human potential. From brain power and stress to evolution, ancestry, and consciously designed change, he offers a grounded Vedic perspective on what it really means to become an extraordinary human being. Listen to or watch this episode for a practical and expansive reframe on change, relevance, and the courage to evolve.Episode Highlights[00:45] Beyond the Body Story[03:59] The Guru Gives Context[07:36] Consciousness Shapes Experience[10:27] Scarcity Is a Brain-Power Problem[13:54] A Renaissance Brain Awakens[16:57] Stress Eats Brain Power[20:30] The Ever-Repeating Known[24:38] Design Change or Deteriorate[28:17] Your Ancestors Were Adventurers[31:28] The Cognitive Revolution[33:52] There Is No Going Back[36:44] The Human Spirit Explores[38:01] Meditation Launches Into the Unknown[40:40] Thank You for Making Me Worthy Useful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/
After more than forty years working as a psychologist and executive coach, Dr. David Zelman has become fascinated by one question: how do we stop allowing the past to determine what we believe is possible next?In this conversation, David explores the internal dialogue shaping our decisions, why awareness has to come before another tool or technique, and how we can create conversations that pull us toward the lives we actually want.We also explore anxiety, meditation and self-awareness, why two competing conversations can't occupy the same mental space, and the remarkable story of how David transformed his relationship with his father by changing one deeply held interpretation.David also shares his definition of readiness—the moment willingness meets awareness—and why he believes asking "what?" and "how?" can sometimes move us forward more effectively than asking "why?"EXCITING STUFF!My second book now available for pre-order! You're Invited: A Life-Changing Conversation with History's Greatest Wisdom TeachersGet your MENTAL FITNESS BLUEPRINT here!A special thanks to our mental fitness + sweat partner Sip Saunas Connect with Marc: https://konect.to/marcchampagne Timestamps:00:00 — The question that opens every interview: “Who are you?”01:41 — From struggling student and college dropout to finding psychology04:33 — What becomes obvious about life when you reach your seventies05:10 — How our internal dialogue shapes our experience of life07:19 — The question David starts with: “Where do you want to wind up?”10:15 — Why we keep trying to build the future using information from the past12:36 — David's decades-long Transcendental Meditation practice14:33 — Asking: “What future does this action create?”16:01 — Why awareness needs to come before another technique17:35 — A simple demonstration of who's actually telling you what to do19:54 — How the listener participates in creating their reality21:52 — Possibility versus the certainty of already knowing23:40 — What riding a bicycle teaches us about psychological distinctions25:20 — Conversations from the past versus conversations for the future28:33 — Anxiety, specificity and getting underneath generalizations29:48 — The five-minute experiment David uses with stressed clients31:50 — Why two competing conversations can't occupy the same space34:20 — Changing the conversation during conflict with someone you love36:21 — David's difficult relationship with his father38:00 — The reframe that transformed “dominate and control” into “access and contribute”39:36 — How changing one conversation helped David recover his relationship with his father42:37 — Readiness: when willingness meets awareness44:29 — Why journaling and resolutions aren't always enough45:55 — Why another person can help us hear our real commitments47:45 — Integrity, contribution and the future you're actually trying to build50:32 — Why David prefers asking “what?” and “how?” instead of “why?”51:38 — David's books and where to go deeper*Special props
Dr. Tony Nader is a Harvard- and MIT-trained neuroscientist, physician, and internationally recognized expert in consciousness, human development, and mind-body health. He serves as the global leader of the Transcendental Meditation® organizations, guiding their educational, health, and humanitarian initiatives in more than 100 countries worldwide. Dr. Nader earned his medical degree from the American University of Beirut, completed advanced clinical and research training at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, and received a Ph.D. in Brain and Cognitive Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His research has explored neuroscience, neurochemistry, neuroendocrinology, stress physiology, consciousness, and human potential. A New York Times bestselling author, Dr. Nader writes and speaks on the relationship between consciousness, health, emotional well-being, resilience, and human flourishing. His work bridges modern science with deeper questions about awareness, connection, and the full development of human potential. His latest book, The Power of Caring, explores why so many people today feel emotionally exhausted despite their desire to remain compassionate, connected, and engaged—and offers a science-based framework for cultivating resilience, deep rest, emotional balance, and sustainable caring in an increasingly overwhelmed world. https://www.youtube.com/@DrTonyNader https://www.instagram.com/drtonynader/ https://www.instagram.com/vedicsciencebydrtonynader/ https://www.facebook.com/DrTonyNader His new book and The Power of Caring website: https://www.thepowerofcaringbook.com/
In order to compete in a sea of cliche, gimmicky shows, Tom needs your help! What dumb gimmick can he start doing for The Best Show? Animal sidekicks, aliens, food... Callers galore chime in on all of the new ideas! Detours include trying to get Spiro a date (who hopefully likes his Opie & Anthony shirt), Mushroom Mike's strong opinions about Transcendental Meditation, a caller passes the psycopath test, Mary talks Philly sports mascots, and more! SUPPORT THE BEST SHOW ON PATREON! WEEKLY BONUS EPISODES & VIDEO EPISODES!https://www.patreon.com/TheBestShowWATCH THE BEST SHOW LIVE EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT 6PM PT ON TWITCHhttps://www.twitch.tv/bestshow4lifeFOLLOW THE BEST SHOW:https://twitter.com/bestshow4lifehttps://instagram.com/bestshow4lifehttps://tiktok.com/@bestshow4lifehttps://www.youtube.com/bestshow4lifeTHE BEST SHOW IS A FOREVER DOG PODCASThttps://thebestshow.nethttps://foreverdogpodcasts.com/podcasts/the-best-showHEARD IT ON THE BEST SHOW PLAYLISThttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/2XIpICdeecaBIC2kBLUpKL?si=07ccc339d9d84267See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This week Sarah sits down with Dr. Tony Nader, a physician, neuroscientist, and leader in the Transcendental Meditation movement, to explore one of the biggest mysteries of our existence: consciousness. Together, they explore the relationship between the mind and body, science and spirituality, meditation and creativity, and what it means to access a deeper sense of self. On this episode of Moonbeaming you'll hear: How Dr. Tony Nader went from physician and neuroscientist to studying consciousness and Transcendental Meditation What consciousness actually is and why Dr. Nader believes it extends far beyond human consciousness How meditation can create a state of inner silence while maintaining deep alertness and awareness Why stress and fear narrow our consciousness and limit the possibilities we can see How calming the nervous system can create more space for creativity, intuition, and clearer decision-making The connection between meditation, the brain, creativity, and the default mode network How Transcendental Meditation can help us reconnect with what Dr. Nader describes as our deeper, truer self What it means to live from a place of greater consciousness, connection, and care --- Dr. Tony Nader is a physician, neuroscientist, Vedic scholar, and leader of the Transcendental Meditation movement. A Harvard- and MIT-trained scientist, he is the author of Consciousness Is All There Is and his newest book, The Power of Caring, which explores how caring is rooted in consciousness and how we can cultivate deeper, more fulfilling connections with ourselves and others. https://drtonynader.com/ --- Join Our Community: Join the Moon Studio Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themoonstudio Buy the 2026 Many Moons Lunar Planner: https://moon-studio.co/products/many-moons-2026?srsltid=AfmBOopThx1yrmKl0tMjecc_EFeeN5DAiIafqPqvQ4Uke1WEi5droeam Subscribe to our newsletter: https://moon-studio.co/pages/newsletter Find Sarah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gottesss/
We're often told that we live in a world full of toxic behaviour, but is it the world that's toxic or is it our view of it that gives it a toxic flavor? In this episode, Thom explores the true source of toxicity: the stress we carry that makes us sensitive to the inputs from the outside world. As always Thom has a solution that allows us to remove those stresses and develop the resilience we need to be less disturbed by the forms and phenomena we come into contact with on a day-to-day basis. Listen to or watch this episode for a grounded Vedic perspective on toxicity, stress reactivity, and the invincible integrity of the inner Self. Episode Highlights[00:45] What Makes Something Toxic?[04:31] Beyond Stoicism, Toward Vastness[06:15] Maharishi Meets an Imposter[08:58] Toxicity Comes From Reactivity[10:32] Granite, Clay, and Foam Rubber[14:40] Infinite Stability Meets Adaptability[16:12] Premature Associations Become Reactions[19:43] Rest Beyond What Sleep Provides[21:33] Inner Integrity Is Invincible Useful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/
What if the real problem with dopamine is not too little or too much, but the modern urge to treat it as the source of human experience rather than its product? In this episode, Thom explores the Western fixation on active ingredients, from neurochemicals to nutrition to pleasure, and contrasts it with the Vedic understanding that Nature knows how to restore balance when consciousness settles down. Through this lens, he explains why Vedic Meditation supports order, assimilation, and relevant behavior more effectively than a life built on manipulation and control. Listen to or watch this episode for a grounded Vedic perspective on dopamine, balance, and the deeper intelligence of the human physiology.Episode Highlights[00:45] Dopamine as Effect, Not Cause[05:01] Vedic Meditation Restores Balance[09:57] A Little Knowledge Is Dangerous[12:43] The Active-Ingredient Mentality[16:02] Extraction Leads to Addiction[18:09] Nature Knows Best[21:41] Assimilation Matters More Than Intake[23:13] Consciousness Prints Out the BodyUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/
Transcendental Meditation, Going Orthodox, superstition and more on Called to Communion with Dr. David Anders.
Mind Love • Modern Mindfulness to Think, Feel, and Live Well
Why does caring feel so exhausting right now?Tony Nader breaks down why so much of what drains us was never actually caring, it was carrying someone else's pain, outcome, or opinion as if it were our own. This conversation goes beyond compassion fatigue advice into the actual mechanism your nervous system uses to confuse a stranger's problem with your own life. Nader also walks through a real-time way to tell, in the moment, which one you're actually doing.What you'll learn:• Why caring and carrying feel the same but aren't• Your nervous system can't tell news from your life• The 10-second test that reveals when you're carryingTony Nader is a Harvard and MIT-trained physician and the successor to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, leading Transcendental Meditation organizations worldwide. His empirical research on the nervous system has been published widely, and his new book, The Power of Caring, applies decades of that research to a simple question: why sustainable caring depends on regulation, not willpower.Find Tony's book “The Power of Caring” and all links at: mindlove.com/467Want to practice caring without carrying, with people who actually get it? Join the free Mind Love Collective for monthly themed calls and weekly challenge accountability. mindlove.com/joinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
If Oneness is our natural state, why does life unfold through uncertainty, limitation, and change? In response to a listener's question, Thom explores why the Unified Field becomes manifest, and why creation expresses itself through sequence, variety, and storyline. Using Homer's Odyssey and the metaphor of the bow, he shows how pure potential becomes lived experience, and why not knowing may be part of the richness of evolution. Listen to or watch this episode for a Vedic perspective on purpose, uncertainty, and the movement from Being into action. Episode Highlights[00:45] Q - Why leave unity at all?[01:38] A - The Purpose Is Storyline[02:55] Manifestation Is Sequential Elaboration[05:22] Variety Makes Potential Interesting[07:04] The Bow Becomes a Story[10:14] Unmanifest and Manifest Undulate[11:13] Q - How do we know our next steps?[11:26] The Riches of Not Knowing[13:47] Q - How do we work with the unknown?[14:11] A - Recognize the Through Line Useful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/
Can a regional town become a living experiment in collective consciousness? In this conversation, Thom speaks with fellow Vedic Meditation Initiator, Barron Hanson about returning home to Nowra, in Australia, teaching Vedic Meditation in a regional community, and creating the Here in Nowra festival as a gathering point for meditators from around the world. They explore the effect of sustained group meditations, the role of community in personal transformation, and what extended rounding can make possible in a properly supported setting. Listen to or watch this episode to hear how meditation, knowledge, and adventurous consciousness can help reshape both individual life and collective life.You can also watch this episode on YouTube here: [YOUTUBE URL]Find out more about the Here In Nowra festival here: https://here-in.world [00:45] A Hometown Mission Begins[03:59] Finding Vedic Meditation in New York[08:08] Meditation for High Achievers[09:24] The Be Here Nowra Vision[13:08] A Town That Embraced Meditation[16:10] Reaching the One Percent Goal[18:32] Healing Nowra From the Inside[21:20] Measuring Collective Consciousness[24:06] Retreats, Talks, and Community[28:27] How to Join the Festival[31:46] Ancient Culture in Nowra[33:57] Festival Dates in October[34:55] What Extended Rounding Does[43:31] A Clockwork Answer[43:46] Lessons in Building Community[49:33] Practice First, Knowledge Follows[49:59] Why Nowra Is Worth Visiting[51:45] Nature Funds AdventureUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/
What if caring isn't weakness, but one of the greatest forms of human strength? Tune in for an inspiring discussion with New York Times bestselling author Dr. Tony Nader on his new book The Power of Caring: Who Cares, Why It Matters, and How Conscious Caring Creates a Fulfilling and Connected Life.Moments with Marianne Radio Show airs in the Southern California area on KMET1490AM & 98.1 FM, an ABC Talk News Radio Affiliate! https://www.kmet1490am.comDr. Tony Nader, M.D., Ph.D., is a Harvard- and MIT-trained neuroscientist, physician, Vedic scholar, and the global leader of the Transcendental Meditation organizations. A New York Times bestselling author, his work bridges modern science and ancient wisdom to explore consciousness, health, and human potential. Dr. Nader is also President of Maharishi International University and a frequent media guest and keynote speaker, including at the United Nations' first World Meditation Day. Through his books, courses, and public talks, he shares research-backed approaches to reducing stress, improving well-being, and enhancing human performance and connection. https://drtonynader.com https://www.thepowerofcaringbook.comOrder on Amazon: https://a.co/d/091YWNdRDiscover inspiring conversations with today's leading authors, celebrities, thought leaders, and change makers. To learn more about the Moments with Marianne Radio Show, explore guest interview opportunities, connect with Marianne, and follow her on social media, visit https://www.mariannepestana.comExplore the Moments with Marianne Book Club and find your next great read: https://www.mariannepestana.com/book-club/Listen to the Moments with Marianne Radio Show on KMET 1490AM & 98.1FM, an ABC News Radio Affiliate, weekdays at 8:06 AM PT / 11:06 AM ET and Sundays at 10:06 AM PT / 1:06 PM ET. Learn more at: https://www.kmet1490am.com/moments-with-marianne
In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Ian Gardner, founder and CEO of The Acraya, about dark retreats as an ancient contemplative practice now entering Western culture. This episode is sponsored by The Acraya. Listeners of The Psychedelic Podcast can receive 5% off an Acraya retreat. Visit https://acraya.global/thirdwave and use discount code 3WAVE when booking. Ian explains what happens when external stimulation disappears, why boredom and difficult inner material can become central parts of the experience, and how dark retreats compare with psychedelics and extended meditation. He also discusses screening, facilitator training, post-retreat integration, and his vision for technologically supported retreat centers in Costa Rica, Nepal, Bali, and beyond. Episode Highlights: Ancient roots of dark retreat practice What remains when sensory anchors disappear Psychedelics versus gradual inner awakening Boredom as a gateway to deeper material Preparing for several days in darkness Why facilitators need embodied experience Screening for psychological contraindications Technology designed to support retreat safety Integrating before returning to ordinary life Scaling dark retreat centers worldwide Ian Gardner is the founder and CEO of The Acraya, a network of dark meditation retreat sanctuaries. A seasoned entrepreneur, he has founded and exited five companies across biotechnology, renewable energy, and electric vehicles in private and public markets. While earning his MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles, Ian was introduced to yoga and meditation. He later explored Transcendental Meditation, Self-Realization Fellowship, Eckankar, Mudrashram, and the Bridge Path. In 2001, he traveled to Allahabad, India, for the Maha Kumbh Mela before entering a year of seclusion, during which he meditated for up to eight hours daily. Ian has written six books related to esoteric teachings and spent two years working at the Esalen Institute. In 2023, he founded the Church of the Acraya to support the development of dark meditation retreat centers worldwide. He lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, with his wife and children and maintains a daily meditation practice. Epoisode Links: Explore The Acraya and receive 5% off with code 3WAVE Additional Episode Sponsors: The Psychedelic Practitioner Certification by Third Wave's Psychedelic Coaching Institute. Golden Rule - Get a lifetime discount of 10% with code THIRDWAVE at checkout Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-367/?ref=278 Third Wave occasionally partners with or shares information about other people, companies, and/or providers. While we work hard to only share information about ethical and responsible third parties, we can't and don't control the behavior of, products and services offered by, or the statements made by people, companies, or providers other than Third Wave. Accordingly, we encourage you to research for yourself, and consult a medical, legal, or financial professional before making decisions in those areas. Third Wave isn't responsible for the statements, conduct, services, or products of third parties. If we share a coupon code, we may receive a commission from sales arising from customers who use our coupon code. No one is required to use our coupon codes." Disclaimer: This episode is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered medical, psychological, or legal advice. Any views, experiences, or claims expressed by the guest are his own and do not necessarily represent those of Third Wave or The Psychedelic Podcast.
What creates diplomacy, and why does it seem so absent when societies need it most? Thom explores Dhanur Veda, the Vedic body of knowledge concerned with governance, diplomacy, defense, and the awakening of collective potential. He explains why the Vedic approach is diagnostic rather than prescriptive, and why lasting change begins not with controlling behavior, but with raising consciousness. Listen to or watch this episode for a deeper look at how individual dharma shapes leadership, community, and society.Episode Highlights[00:45] Four Vedas and Their Branches[03:07] The Bow as Consciousness[04:47] Governance Begins With Dharma[07:23] Diplomacy Follows Receptivity[09:27] Defense, Not War[10:52] From Family to Society[13:12] Sanskrit Flow and the Sandhi Rule[14:47] Q - Has this been tried before?[15:01] A - Diagnostic, Not Prescriptive[19:40] The Vedas Measure Alignment[21:10] Q - Is this true of architecture as well?[21:14] A - Shaping Space Shapes Consciousness[26:10] Ayurveda Works the Same Way[28:34] Q - What restores diplomatic skill?[29:04] A - Begin With Your Own Example[30:45] Leadership Mirrors the Collective[33:57] Confusion Breeds Corruption[37:03] Change Society by ExampleUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/
Founders ✓ Claim Key Takeaways “You've got to think extraordinarily big from day one. Nobody achieves massive success by thinking small and hoping to become big.” – Brad JacobsNegative and goal-based fuel sources can be depleted, you didn't want to be poor, then you made X amount of money, and the tank is emptyA generative fuel source compounds instead: the drive creates more energy, more ideas, more momentum the more it's used The act of creation becomes its own feedback loop instead of needing constant external validation from money, praise, or statusBrad and his teams have raised roughly $50 billion in total capital to fund M&A and organic growth, and in a matter of days or even hours he can raise hundreds of millions or even billionsTwo of QXO's current top 20 shareholders had never heard of Brad until he was profiled on Founders, and they have since put $750 million into the companyDavid's favorite sentence in the entire book: “The most consequential decision you'll make in business and in life is who you surround yourself with”“If you're not substantially improving the companies you buy, you're just moving capital around”He negotiates unrestricted access to the company from the moment the agreement is signed, not the day the deal closes, and that is not commonplace in M&AEvery position gets categorized three ways: must have, nice to have, or what the hell, and they take a broom to that third categoryHe started Transcendental Meditation at 16 and has meditated twice a day for decades without missing a single day“When I stopped expecting flawlessness from myself and others, I could let go of frustration and put that energy to good use”Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgIn 2024 Brad Jacobs wrote the book How to Make a Few Billion Dollars. In the book Brad explains how he built 8 separate billion dollar companies and other lessons from his 40+ year career as an elite entrepreneur. In the two years since Brad has made a few MORE billion dollars and so the sequel to his first book is: How to Make a Few MORE Billion Dollars. In this episode I share some of Brad's ideas on raising tons of money (Brad has raised over $50 billion), mastering his integration playbook, ideas for organizational integration, org chart design, and how Brad keeps his mind centered and in a positive place to handle the inevitable ups and downs of building great companies. Episode sponsors: Ramp gives you everything you need to control spend, watch your costs, and optimize your financial operations —all on a single platform. Make history's greatest entrepreneurs proud by going to Ramp and learning how they can help your business control your costs and save time and money. https://ramp.com Automate compliance, security, and trust with Vanta. Vanta helps you win trust, close deals, and stay secure—faster and with less effort. Find out how increased security leads to more customers by going to Vanta. Tell them David from Founders sent you and you'll get $1000 off. https://vanta.com/founders Collateral transforms your complex ideas into compelling narratives. Collateral crafts institutional grade marketing collateral for private equity, private credit, real estate, venture capital, family offices, hedge funds, oil & gas companies, and all kinds of corporations. Storytelling is one of the highest forms of leverage and you should invest heavily in it. You can do that by going to https://collateral.com
Why would a naked yogi be received as a blessing, and why would a great master decline a title others might revere? In this second part of the two-part Masters of the Tradition series (watch or listen to Part 1 here), Thom answers questions about Shukadeva, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the place of women in the tradition, and the meaning behind Guru Deva's throne and parasol. Along the way, he opens a wider view of the Shankaracharya tradition, its stages of life, its hidden maternal lineage, and the cultural world from which these symbols emerge. Listen to or watch this episode to explore the stories, symbolism, and living context behind the tradition.Episode Highlights[00:45] Q - Who is the blue-skinned master with no robes?[00:56] A - Shukadeva and the Demigods[05:00] Unity Consciousness and Fearlessness[09:19] A Naked Yogi as Blessing[11:52] Q - Why did Maharishi Mahesh Yogi not become a Mahamandaleshwar?[11:56] A - The Four Stages of Life[16:07] Maharishi as a Forest Dweller[18:47] Accepting the Mahamandaleshwar Title[19:53] Q - What role do women hold here?[20:03] A - Paralakshmi's Injunction[24:14] Saraswati and the Hidden Lineage[26:20] Q - What is Guru Deva's throne?[26:34] A - The Throne of Jyotir Math[31:24] A Badge of RankUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/
https://www.patreon.com/illuminatiwatcher/posts/dr-anteater-uap-164344299?pr=true (*Unlock ad-free, early access w/ monthly bonus shows!)On today's episode of the Occult Symbolism and Pop Culture with Isaac Weishaupt podcast: the doctor is in! It's the return of Dr Anteater! My long time friend returns to update us on his journey into retiring from the military, his Transcendental Meditation experience, meeting the Bledsoe family, UAP Disclosure, Epstein Files, 4chan, cyberpunk topics, the new Corbell documentary and more! (*Sorry- no video version of this episode, it was on the road in North Carolina)Non-Profit Spotlight: Fayetteville Animal Protection Society: http://fapspet.orgWoofstock is Oct 9, 2026: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/woofstock2026/event/woofstock2026/Links:Merch, MushroominatiWatcher Coffee, shirts, signed books: https://occultsymbolism.com/Dr Anteater 1st interview: Researching the Occult, Religion, Hunting Ghosts, Haunted Ouija Boards, Santeria Ritual & MORE: https://illuminatiwatcher.com/researching-the-occult-religion-hunting-ghosts-haunted-ouija-boards-santeria-ritual-more-dr-anteater-interview/Breaking Social Norms related episode: We Went Sky Watching for UFOs with the Bledsoes… Here's What Happened! https://breakingsocialnorms.com/2026/07/07/we-went-sky-watching-for-ufos-with-the-bledsoes-heres-what-happened/SUPPORTER FEEDS get bonus content AND go commercial free + other perks:*PATREON.com/IlluminatiWatcher : ad free, HUNDREDS of bonus shows, early access AND TWO OF MY BOOKS! (The Dark Path and Kubrick's Code); you can join the conversations with hundreds of other show supporters here: Patreon.com/IlluminatiWatcher (*Patreon is also NOW enabled to connect with Spotify! https://rb.gy/hcq13)*VIP SECTION: Due to the threat of censorship, I set up a Patreon-type system through MY OWN website! IIt's even setup the same: FREE ebooks, Kubrick's Code video! Sign up at: https://illuminatiwatcher.com/members-section/*APPLE PREMIUM: If you're on the Apple Podcasts app- just click the Premium button and you're in! NO more ads, Early Access, EVERY BONUS EPISODE WANT MORE PODCASTS?... Check out my UNCENSORED show with my wife, Breaking Social Norms where we discuss conspiracies, politics, relationships and more!: https://breakingsocialnorms.com/Merch, MushroominatiWatcher Coffee, shirts, signed books: https://occultsymbolism.com/Isaac's Link Tree with links to EVERYTHING: https://allmylinks.com/isaacw *STATEMENT: This show is full of Isaac's useless opinions and presented for entertainment purposes. Audio clips used in Fair Use and taken from YouTube videos.
What keeps a body of knowledge alive across thousands of years without losing its purity? In this first part of a two-part series, Thom traces the Guru Parampara, the lineage of the Shankaracharya tradition, from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and Guru Deva back through Vyasa, Shankara, and the ancient masters who carried Vedic knowledge forward. Along the way, he explores why preserving the purity of the teaching matters just as much as sharing it. This series also serves as a fitting prelude to upcoming Guru Purnima celebrations for 2026. You can find out more about Guru Purnima events near you by following this link: https://thomknoles.com/guru-purnima-2026/ Listen to or watch this episode to explore the tradition, the terminology, and the living provenance behind Vedic Meditation. Episode Highlights[00:45] How This Knowledge Arrived Here[04:02] Reading the Lineage in Stone[05:56] Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and Guru Deva[08:39] From Gaudapadacharya to Vyasa[10:57] The Meaning of 1008[13:00] The Lineage Before Vyasa[16:08] What Guru Parampara Means[18:47] Becoming an Initiator[20:51] Why Thom Wears a Silk Dhoti[23:55] The Meaning of Jai Guru Deva[27:36] Why Guru Purnima Matters[29:46] The Ceremony of GratitudeUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/
There's never any shortage of characters on the world stage who demonstrate what appear to be anti-evolutionary behaviors, but what if the very forces that seem to obstruct life are part of what drives its evolution? In this follow-up episode on Ravana, the essential villain (you can find the first episode here), Thom responds to listener questions about adversity, the severity of rishis when creating consequences, the relevance of mythos for householders, the symbolic meaning of Ravana's 10 heads, and how to honestly evaluate our own Ravana-like actions. Along the way, he offers a Vedic view of resistance, showing how disruption, challenge, and even apparent destruction can serve the larger movement of growth and awakening. Listen or watch to explore how this perspective can change the way you meet the pressures of everyday life.Episode Highlights[00:45] Questions From Part One[01:11] Q - Is adversity needed for growth?[01:25] A - Evolution Requires Disruption[04:34] Near Extinction Drives Adaptation[06:57] Why Adversity Creates Rigor[10:37] Destroyers Get Destroyed[11:27] Q - Why are rishis so severe?[11:44] A - Resistance Can Look Extreme[15:25] Michelangelo And The Marble[18:53] Q - How is mythos relevant to householders?[19:15] A - Householder Life Meets Ravana[21:45] Elevational Theater In Life[24:20] Great Stories Reveal The Pattern[25:21] Pattern Recognition Makes Us Human[27:48] Humanity And Self-Destruction[29:08] Q - What do Ravana's 10 heads mean?[29:17] A - Formidability Through Many Forms[31:52] Ten Heads And Twenty Arms[33:26] A Different Form For Each Observer[34:27] Q - What's the best way for a new meditator to engage with mythos?[34:32] A - Enjoy The Story First[38:06] Learn The Deeper Meaning In Satsang[41:02] Q - How should we think about ourselves if we have served the Ravana function?[41:15] A - Evolution Includes A Lesser Past[43:53] Growth Comes From A Smaller Self Useful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/
What if the villain is not outside evolution, but part of what gives it shape? In this first episode of a two-part exploration, Thom uses the characters of Ravana and Rama, from the epic Ramayana, to unpack Vedic mythos, dharma, and the surprising role of the antagonist in the unfoldment of consciousness. Along the way, he reframes mythology not as fantasy or fallacy, but as a way profound knowledge becomes relatable and alive. Listen or watch to explore why, in the Vedic worldview, even destructive forces may have a place in the larger movement of evolution. You can also watch this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/3sGz4FP6LTwEpisode Highlights[00:45] What Mythos Really Means[05:32] Valmiki and the Ramayana[07:54] Conditions for an Avatar[10:18] Ravana Enters the Story[13:06] Ravana's Origin in Vaikuntha[16:52] What Is a Rakshasa?[19:12] Dharma and the Flow of Life[23:31] Villainy Gives Shape to Heroes[24:59] Nothing Is Anti-EvolutionaryUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/
Dr. Eleanor Haspel-Portner doesn't do small talk. Fifty-one years in private practice. Forty-five thousand statistical cases. A PhD from Chicago that taught her the map is not the territory — especially when the territory is the human soul. She sat across from me and told me about the voice. 1974. Transcendental Meditation. A voice in her head that said: Go to Osho's ashram. She laughed at it. Called it woo-woo. She'd already seen enough fake gurus in her Jungian training — professors waxing poetic about numinous experiences who'd never had a single one. "Have you ever had one?" she asked them. Silence. That told her everything. But the voice persisted. She went to India. Alone. Single woman, 1978. A client handed her Osho's book at the gate — same birthday. Coincidence? She doesn't believe in them. She took sannyas. Got a new name: Madhava Asangaro. Divine inconsistency. Osho nailed her in one look. Then she met Marvin. Sitting next to her at a lecture. Same neighborhood in Pacific Palisades. Same circle of healers. Never met. He'd walked away from a chief-of-medicine gig because he couldn't stomach herd medicine. She set a boundary at dinner — he played games with the check, she walked. He chased her. Forty-eight years later, still chasing. Here's where it gets sharp. Ra Uru Hu, founder of Human Design, asked her to validate his system. She ran thirty thousand cases through the grinder. The result? "It's a faulty system. Incomplete. Erroneous. Disempowers people." Five types, not four. Projectors aren't here to wait for recognition — they're here to recognize themselves first. That's the difference between a cage and a compass. She built Noble Energy Maps instead. Eight charts. Starts three months before birth. The only system that treats the prenatal window as sacred architecture. Four worlds — physical, emotional, mental, spiritual — mapped from Kabbalah, I Ching, astrology, and the Tree of Life. Psychology has no language for soul, she says. Dreams are symbolic. The waking mind is sensory. Soul speaks in questions with no visual cues: What do you know now? What do you want? When? Her prescription is brutally simple: morning time with yourself. Gratitude journal with "because" statements — science backs it, cortisol drops, healing accelerates. If you won't give yourself time, why should anyone else? This episode isn't about feel-good spirituality. It's about the architecture of a life that works. The woman who walked into darkness and found light. The psychologist who tested the map against the territory and built a better one. Listen if you're done with borrowed wisdom. Listen if you want the blueprint. Learn more today: https://nobleenergywellness.com/
Have we met before? Is it possible to be over apologetic? And if Cosmic Consciousness is so special, then what's the function of God Consciousness and Unity Consciousness? In this Ask Thom Anything episode, Thom responds to guest questions on when an apology is appropriate, how Cosmic Consciousness differs from God Consciousness and Unity Consciousness, and whether past-life connections continue into this life. He explores responsibility without sorrow, the refinement of perception through higher states of consciousness, and the braided nature of lifetimes. Listen or watch to understand the grounded Vedic perspective on relationship, enlightenment, and continuity across lives. Episode Highlights[00:45] Q - How should we apologize?[01:08] A - Only Apologize if You're Sorry[02:15] Responsibility vs Sorrow[04:55] Q - How does Cosmic Consciousness Compare with God and Unity Consciousnesses?[05:08] A - Understanding What Is Relevant[07:13] Senses Refine Beyond Cosmic Consciousness[09:01] From Almost Self to Self[10:48] Love Is Recognition of Self[13:50] Q - Do past lives reconnect in this life?[14:05] A - Lifetimes Follow Braided Threads Useful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/
Tony Nader, M.D., Ph.D., is a medical doctor trained at Harvard and MIT, and a globally respected neuroscientist and Vedic scholar. Appointed by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi* to lead the international Transcendental Meditation organization, he champions the development of Consciousness to awaken higher values, resolve societal conflicts, and help individuals unlock their full potential.Unlocking Humanity with Ancient Knowledge Hosted by John Edmonds Kozma Unimpressed Podcast offers a groundbreaking look into consciousness, ancient wisdom, and the nonconscious aspects of humanity via the Quantum Field. Hosted by John Edmonds Kozma, CEO of Bang Productions and a seasoned entertainment industry veteran with extensive experience, each episode delves deeper than typical discussions to reveal profound insights about reality, spirituality, and human potential. He has been likened to Albert Einstein for his innovative reasoning. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Bob Roth—legendary teacher, author, CEO of the David Lynch Foundation, and one of the most influential figures in the Transcendental Meditation movement—takes the host's chair to explore the life and journey of Jaymee Carpenter. Over the past five decades, Bob has introduced meditation to everyone from Martin Scorsese, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks, and Jonah Hill to hundreds of thousands of students around the world. Through his longtime collaboration with filmmaker David Lynch, Bob has helped bring Transcendental Meditation to more than 500,000 underserved youth across 35 countries.A longtime supporter of Jaymee's work, Bob has expressed a desire for years to sit down and uncover the story behind the storyteller. In this special and deeply personal episode, Jaymee opens up about his life, spiritual path, struggles, inspirations, and the experiences that shaped Love Is The Author. A true role reversal—and a profound honor for your host. Special thanks to Coulter Jacobs (CJLA) for the cover art.Interested in Trauma Counseling/Mentorship with Jaymee?email: lacee@loveistheauthor.com to set up a free consultation,or visit: www.loveistheauthor.com/mentorship LITA PODCAST: hosted, produced, and recorded by Jaymee Carpenter. SOUND MIX: Jonah LevineOPENING SONG: Tripura Subdari by Earthtones Music & Sheela BringiCLOSING SONG: Ocean Of Beauty by Earthtones Music & Sheela BringiSPONSORS: YERBA MADRE www.yerbamadre.comRAUM GOODS www.raumgoods.comBOSSANOVA SOAP www.bossanovasoap.comTOTALLY BLOWN www.totallyblown.usINDIAN LODGE ROAD www.indianlodgeroad.comTHiS SHOW is a LABOR of LOVE. PLEASE SUPPORT IT: www.patreon.com/loveistheauthorpodcastFAN CONTACT: lacee@loveistheauthor.comON INSTAGRAM: @loveistheauthor / @unconventionalgardener
Does Nature really need us to organize forest floors? And do we all suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) to some extent? We often think of OCD as being a personal affliction, but as Thom explains in this episode, it's much broader than that, reflecting a general lack of trust in Nature's organizing power. Thom explores OCD through the lenses of entropy, control, addiction, and inner order, and how we can collectively display OCD-like traits. Thom explains how Vedic Meditation can complement existing treatments by helping the brain settle into a more orderly state., and he also shares a simple coming-to-your-senses technique that can help quiet obsessive momentum in the moment. Listen or watch to learn how a deeper experience of inner order can change the way we relate to the world around us. Episode Highlights[00:45] The Search for Order[04:32] Heat Reveals Perceived Disorder[09:24] Nature Orders the Forest[12:50] When Order Turns Dysfunctional[16:22] Meditation Restores Inner Order[20:21] Q - What quiets obsessive compulsive thoughts?[20:36] A - Nature Knows Best How to Organize[22:50] Do Less, Accomplish More[25:53] Come to Your Senses[28:31] Q - Is OCD similar to addiction?[28:42] A - Addiction and External Control[33:11] Growing Field Independence You can also watch this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/PjWnIbONr3I Useful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/
This week it's just the two of us! Amber & Melanie sit down for a long overdue catch-up episode.Amber has fans in the woods and is leaning into Transcendental Meditation. Melanie comes in fresh off vacation! Plus we get into relationships, mutual respect, and working for yourself without losing your mind.The rest of this conversation releases June 11 for our paywall subscribers community.Subscribers get:* 2 additional bonus episodes each month (4 total!)* Guided Meditations* Live chats with Amber & Melanie* A community to connect with other fans of the podcast and share ideas for future episodes!I'm Fine, It's Fine is hosted by comedian Amber Autry & trauma therapist Melanie Reese, LMFT. Follow Us!
This week, Tee is joined by Barbara Ann Briggs, an author, certified consciousness advisor, spiritual teacher, and longtime practitioner of Ayurveda and Transcendental Meditation. Barbara has dedicated her life to studying and sharing ancient Ayurvedic wisdom that helps individuals cultivate greater health, balance, and longevity. Through her work, she teaches practical ways to strengthen immunity, reduce the impact of modern environmental stressors, and reconnect with the body's innate intelligence. Barbara shares her personal journey into Transcendental Meditation and Ayurveda, explaining how both practices transformed her understanding of health and wellness. She discusses Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's revival of Ayurveda and how this ancient system approaches health through the interconnected relationship between consciousness, mind, body, behavior, and environment. Barbara explains why strengthening the body's natural defenses is often more effective than focusing solely on avoiding toxins, and how daily habits can support resilience in an increasingly polluted world. In this chat, Tee and Barbara explore the growing concerns surrounding chemical exposure, environmental toxins, multiple chemical sensitivities, and chronic stress. They discuss why digestion is considered the foundation of health in Ayurveda, how the body's ability to process food and sensory experiences affects overall well-being, and why individual constitutional types influence dietary and lifestyle recommendations. Barbara also shares insights into Panchakarma cleansing therapies, the importance of seasonal routines, and how meditation can help reduce anxiety, improve emotional balance, and support the body's natural healing processes. Throughout the conversation, she emphasizes the powerful connection between happiness, consciousness, and physical health. Connect with Barbara: Website Instagram LinkedIn Facebook YouTube Guide to Good Health: 7 Simple Health Hacks A Short Summary of The 7 Simple Health Hacks Podcast Follow Therese "Tee" Forton-Barnes and The Green Living Gurus: Austin Air Purifiers: For podcast listeners, take 15% off any Austin Air product; please email Tee@thegreenlivinggurus.com and mention that you want to buy a product and would like the discount. See all products here: Austin Air The Green Living Gurus' Website Instagram YouTube Facebook Healthy Living Group on Facebook Tip the podcaster! Support Tee and the endless information that she provides: Patreon Venmo: @Therese-Forton-Barnes last four digits of her cell are 8868 For further info, contact Tee: Email: Tee@thegreenlivinggurus.com Cell: 716-868-8868 DISCLAIMER: ALL INFORMATION PROVIDED HERE IS GENERAL GUIDANCE AND NOT MEANT TO BE USED FOR INDIVIDUAL TREATMENT. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR PROVIDER OR DOCTOR FOR MEDICAL ADVICE. Produced By: Social Chameleon
What if spiritual progress becomes clearest when you stop trying to measure it? In this episode of The Vedic Worldview, Thom explores why enlightenment is not an individual achievement but a gradual expansion of Universal Consciousness through the individual.He describes the signs of growing consciousness, from moments of inner silence to greater adaptability, rapid recovery, and a quieter relationship with stress. Listen or watch to learn why Vedic Meditation changes the pace of evolution and how real progress often becomes most obvious in daily life.Episode Highlights[00:45] Relax and Enjoy the River[06:34] The First Taste of Transcendence[07:51] Eyes Open, Silence Remains[10:45] Adaptation Is a Hallmark[13:05] Enlightenment Does Not Boost Ego[15:35] Uncontrollable and Unpredictable[18:37] Rapid Recovery and Relevance[19:39] Q - Can non-meditators measure progress too?[20:10] A - Why Meditation Changes the Timeline[23:18] The Direct Route to Transcending[27:04] Q - Can attachment block enlightenment?[27:27] A - Stop Striving, Keep PracticingUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/
You have seen scientists debunk the paranormal before. You have seen the condescending eyebrow, the impatient sigh, the eye roll. Barry Markovsky is not that scientist.He is the scientist who as a twelve-year-old boy lay on his back in the backyard of a Boston suburb, stared up at a moonless sky, and watched a point of light slow to a dead stop and reverse direction. He is the scientist who once woke from a dream about an earthquake, went to work at Stanford, and then felt the building shake beneath him an hour later. He is the scientist who walked into a haunted vape shop in South Carolina with a notebook, and walked out genuinely unsure whether the man he investigated was a liar or a true believer. He is the scientist who dated a naturopath and had to decide whether to tell her the truth about homeopathy. He is the scientist who spent years trying to pry a data set out of Transcendental Meditation researchers who kept inventing new reasons why he could never see it.Dr. Barry Markovsky earned his Ph.D. from Stanford, spent decades on the faculties of the University of Iowa and the University of South Carolina, and served as director of the Sociology Program at the National Science Foundation. But his new book, Everyday Extraordinary, is not a faculty report. It is eighteen true stories from his own life, each one beginning with the raw moment of strangeness exactly as he experienced it, and then peeling it back. Not to ridicule. Not to dismiss. But to understand.He has a name for the move that changes everything. He calls it the fourth response. When something inexplicable happens, most people move through three reactions in sequence. First, uncertainty. Then they look outward. Then they look inward. And then they stop. The fourth response is the one almost nobody takes. I wonder if I can make this happen again. That single question, applied to a lifetime of genuinely bizarre personal experiences, is what produced this book.Tonight we are going to cover all of it. UFOs. Ghosts. ESP. Intercessory prayer tested on eighteen hundred heart patients. A Transcendental Meditation study that claimed to reduce casualties in the Lebanon War using collective meditation, and the years-long battle to get the data behind that claim. Conspiracy theories. Alternative medicine. Havana Syndrome. Astrology. Numerology. Psychics. And the deepest question of all: what does a man who has spent his entire career studying how beliefs form actually believe himself, in the places he cannot prove?This is a preview. Members hear the full interview and the complete archive at https://veritas7.com/subscribeveritasplus.php
You have seen scientists debunk the paranormal before. You have seen the condescending eyebrow, the impatient sigh, the eye roll. Barry Markovsky is not that scientist.He is the scientist who as a twelve-year-old boy lay on his back in the backyard of a Boston suburb, stared up at a moonless sky, and watched a point of light slow to a dead stop and reverse direction. He is the scientist who once woke from a dream about an earthquake, went to work at Stanford, and then felt the building shake beneath him an hour later. He is the scientist who walked into a haunted vape shop in South Carolina with a notebook, and walked out genuinely unsure whether the man he investigated was a liar or a true believer. He is the scientist who dated a naturopath and had to decide whether to tell her the truth about homeopathy. He is the scientist who spent years trying to pry a data set out of Transcendental Meditation researchers who kept inventing new reasons why he could never see it.Dr. Barry Markovsky earned his Ph.D. from Stanford, spent decades on the faculties of the University of Iowa and the University of South Carolina, and served as director of the Sociology Program at the National Science Foundation. But his new book, Everyday Extraordinary, is not a faculty report. It is eighteen true stories from his own life, each one beginning with the raw moment of strangeness exactly as he experienced it, and then peeling it back. Not to ridicule. Not to dismiss. But to understand.He has a name for the move that changes everything. He calls it the fourth response. When something inexplicable happens, most people move through three reactions in sequence. First, uncertainty. Then they look outward. Then they look inward. And then they stop. The fourth response is the one almost nobody takes. I wonder if I can make this happen again. That single question, applied to a lifetime of genuinely bizarre personal experiences, is what produced this book.Tonight we are going to cover all of it. UFOs. Ghosts. ESP. Intercessory prayer tested on eighteen hundred heart patients. A Transcendental Meditation study that claimed to reduce casualties in the Lebanon War using collective meditation, and the years-long battle to get the data behind that claim. Conspiracy theories. Alternative medicine. Havana Syndrome. Astrology. Numerology. Psychics. And the deepest question of all: what does a man who has spent his entire career studying how beliefs form actually believe himself, in the places he cannot prove?This is Part 1. Part 2, and all 886 interviews going back to 2008, are at https://veritas7.com/subscribeveritasplus.php
Urinary tract infections are one of the most common health issues women experience, yet there's still so much confusion about what they are, why they happen, and how they're different from yeast infections and other vaginal conditions. In this episode of Ask Dr. A, Dr. Aliabadi breaks down the anatomy behind UTIs, explains the difference between bladder infections and kidney infections, and shares the symptoms every woman should know.Dr. Aliabadi also dives into why some women seem to get recurrent UTIs while others never experience them, covering the roles of hydration, sex, genetics, hormones, menopause, and the vaginal microbiome. She explains how bacteria causes infection, why urine cultures are essential for an accurate diagnosis, and the common mistakes that can lead to repeated infections.Plus, you'll learn evidence-based prevention strategies, including the truth about cranberry supplements, D-mannose, vaginal estrogen, probiotics, and whether peeing after sex actually helps. If you've ever wondered why UTIs keep coming back, or how to lower your risk, this episode is packed with practical information every woman should know.Subscribe to SHE MD Podcast for expert tips on PMOS, endometriosis, fertility, hormonal balance, mental health, and more. Share with friends and visit SHE MD website and Ovii for research-backed resources, holistic health strategies, and expert guidance on women's health and well-being.SponsorsMidi: Ready to feel your best and write your second act script? Visit JoinMidi.com today to book your personalized, insurance-covered virtual visit. Peloton: Let yourself run, lift, sculpt, push and GO. Explore the new Peloton Cross Training Tread+ at onepeloton.comMyriad: List GetMyRisk.com to learn more about hereditary cancer testing and how you can use Myriad's virtual care option for fast, at-home testing - no office visit required. Talkiatry: Head to Talkiatry.com/shemd and complete the short assessment to get matched with an in-network psychiatrist in just a few minutes.Transcendental Meditation: Curious about Transcendental Meditation? Find a certified teacher near you and begin your journey today. Go to TM.org/SheMDWhat You'll LearnThe difference between UTIs, bladder infections, kidney infections, and yeast infectionsHow bacteria enters the urinary tract and causes infectionCommon UTI symptoms and warning signs you shouldn't ignoreWhy some women are more prone to recurring infectionsThe role of hydration, sex, and vaginal health in UTI preventionHow menopause and declining estrogen affect urinary tract healthWhen a urine culture is necessary and why it mattersThe truth about cranberry supplements, D-mannose, and other prevention strategiesWhy recurrent UTIs may require a deeper investigationKey Timestamps00:00 Welcome to She MD Podcast00:46 UTI, Yeast infection, Bladder infection, and Kidney infection07:12 E.coli and how you get them in the urethra13:09 How is the test called?19:45 What can a woman do for these infections?29:13 What kind of treatment will help with the infection?37:15 Vaginal Estrogen Treatment 45:18 How do you address the bacteria?50:20 How much is too much?51:40 Let's address some myths 53:33 Final WordsKey TakeawaysUTIs and yeast infections are completely different conditions that affect different parts of the body.Most UTIs begin as bladder infections caused by bacteria entering the urethra.Early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent serious kidney infections.Hydration, urinating after sex, and avoiding prolonged urine retention can reduce risk.Vaginal microbiome health plays a major role in preventing recurrent UTIs.Menopause-related estrogen loss can increase susceptibility to urinary tract infections.A urine culture is the best way to confirm whether symptoms are truly caused by a UTI.Cranberry extract and D-mannose may help prevent recurrent infections but are not treatments for active UTIs.Recurrent infections should prompt an evaluation of underlying causes rather than repeated rounds of antibiotics.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jason Corbett is the founder, frontman, and creative force behind ACTORS — one of the most compelling modern post-punk and darkwave bands to emerge from Canada. Known for their cinematic, atmospheric sound often described as "neon-noir," ACTORS blends elements of goth, synth, and new wave into something that feels both nostalgic and completely original. From their breakout debut It Will Come to You to Acts of Worship, Jason has built a global following rooted in authenticity, mood, and emotional depth. Beyond the stage, he is a producer, composer, and founder of Jacknife Studio, working across music, television, and film — including projects like Letterkenny. With a new album Our Love Will Live Forever on the horizon and international touring ahead, Jason continues to evolve as both an artist and creator. In this conversation, we go far beyond music — into identity, discipline, creativity, and what it really takes to build something that lasts. In This Episode, We Cover: • The origin of ACTORS and the evolution of Jason's sound • Why his music feels cinematic, timeless, and emotionally immersive • The early years — experimentation, identity, and searching for direction • The breaking point: burnout, chasing success, and hitting a wall • How ACTORS was born from truth, not strategy • The meaning behind the name ACTORS and the roles we all play • Creativity, stillness, and accessing deeper ideas through meditation • The influence of Transcendental Meditation on artistic output • Whether creativity is created… or received • "Celebrate in the darkness" — what it actually means • Sobriety, anxiety, and rebuilding life and creativity from clarity • The myth of suffering and substance use in art • Overcoming anxiety and stepping into live performance • The philosophy behind live shows and creating immersive experiences • The "Merch Table Philosophy" and why connection matters more than ego • Building Jacknife Studio — control, independence, and creative ownership • Producing, scoring for film/TV, and evolving as a creator • How Jason knows when a song is finished • What inspires him today and what he's currently listening to • New music: Our Love Will Live Forever and what's next • Advice for anyone chasing something that doesn't feel aligned • Legacy, reflection, and what success really means now This Episode Is About More Than Music This isn't just a conversation about building a band or making records. It's about: Reinvention Creative honesty Letting go of who you thought you had to be And building something real — from the inside out Jason's story is a reminder that the best work doesn't come from chasing success… It comes from telling the truth. SPONSORS Signature 12 Fewer garments. Better materials. Longer life. Premium essentials made from the world's finest Peruvian Pima cotton. Get 10% off your first order and access exclusive drops: https://signature12.com MyFunnelPilot Build your own lead generation machine. Download The Nine Laws Playbook and start building predictable income: https://myfunnelpilot.com FOLLOW JASON CORBETT / ACTORS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/actorsband Music / Streaming: ACTORS (all platforms) FOLLOW THE DAVID MORRELL SHOW Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedavidmorrellshow YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDavidMorrellShow For inquiries / partnerships: info@thedavidmorrellshow.com SUBSCRIBE If this episode gave you something valuable, share it with someone building something meaningful. Subscribe, follow, and leave a review. It helps us bring you more conversations like this.
How does one describe a person whose presence alone seemed to transform everyone around her? In this episode, Thom shares the story of Anandamayi Ma, the Bliss Permeated Mother, and reflects on why she was regarded by so many as a living embodiment of The Divine. Through personal memory, Vedic insight, and vivid detail, he offers a portrait of a woman whose influence reached across India and far beyond. Listen or watch to learn why Anandamayi Ma remains one of the most unforgettable figures in the Vedic tradition. You can find out more about Anandamayi Ma here.Episode Highlights[00:45] A Remarkable Woman in India[03:49] Early Marriage and Recognition[07:18] Millions Follow Her Pilgrimages[10:42] Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Welcomes Anandamayi Ma[13:58] Recording a Pivotal Encounter[18:05] Why She Was Unforgettable[18:45] Q - What significance did the Haridwar ashram play?[18:52] A - Her Ashes, Ashram, and PilgrimageUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/
What if post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, is shaped not only by what happened, but by how much adaptation energy we had when it happened? In this episode, Thom explores stress, premature cognitive commitment, and why seemingly unrelated triggers can keep past overload alive in the nervous system. Thom also explains how Vedic Meditation helps dissolve accumulated stress and responds to a follow-up question about past-life trauma and karma. Listen or watch for a grounded Vedic perspective on recovery, resilience, and liberation from past impressions.Episode Highlights[00:45] Understanding Stress[04:04] Adaptation Energy and Stress Reaction[06:33] When Adaptation Energy Runs Low[10:15] Premature Cognitive Commitments[13:05] PTSD Is Not About Scale[16:05] How Stress Leaves the Body[19:50] Vedic Meditation for PTSD[24:29] 24-Hour Bliss and Liberation[29:22] Q - Do past lives affect PTSD?[29:34] A - Consciousness Carries Past Impressions[33:10] Recovery Depends on Adaptation Energy[36:22] No Single Event Causes BreakdownUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/
What if the best advice you ever receive sets you up to walk straight into danger? In this episode, Thom shares why meeting Maharishi Mahesh Yogi personally changed the course of his life, and how following that guidance led him into the middle of political unrest in The Philippines.What unfolds is a remarkable account of trust, action, and the role meditation can play in cooling collective consciousness during a national crisis. Listen or watch to learn how one instruction became a lived lesson in courage, steadiness, and peace.Episode Highlights[00:45] Meet Maharishi in Person[01:42] Do What He Says[02:31] A Crisis in The Philippines[04:26] Maharishi Sends Me to Manila[06:34] Into the Presidential Palace[08:21] A Meditation Campaign for Peace[10:49] Sixty Thousand People Meditating[12:11] A Peaceful Transition of PowerUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/
Bob Roth is a teacher of Transcendental Meditation and the CEO of the David Lynch Foundation. He began practicing Transcendental Meditation in 1969 and went on to build a career centered on teaching it to executives, students, veterans, and others dealing with stress. As CEO of the David Lynch Foundation, he has expanded meditation programs for underserved communities and people affected by trauma, with 1.5 million adults and children worldwide learning to meditate. Roth is also the author of Strength in Stillness: The Power of Transcendental Meditation, a practical guide that explains how the practice can reduce stress and build resilience. ------ Thank you to the sponsors that fuel our podcast and our team: Anthropic https://Claude.com/tetra ------ AG1 https://DrinkAG1.com/tetra ------ Athletic Nicotine https://www.AthleticNicotine.com/tetra Use code 'TETRA' ------ LMNT Electrolytes https://DrinkLMNT.com/tetra Use code 'TETRA' ------ Lectio 365 https://Lectio365.com ------ Sign up to receive Tetragrammaton Transmissions https://www.tetragrammaton.com/join-newsletter
Grace and devotion are often seen as qualities we need to embody for our spiritual progress, but are they a cause or an effect? In this episode, Thom responds to a guest question about grace and devotion, clarifying the Vedic view of omnipresence, the role of devotion, and why Unity lies beyond the experience of self and Other.It is a thoughtful exploration of evolutionary progress, deep inner consciousness, and the movement from friction to graceful living. Listen or watch for a clear and quietly radical reframing of two ideas that are often misunderstood.Episode Highlights[00:45] Q - Could you talk about grace and devotion?[00:56] A - Grace Means Relevant Living[03:39] Grace Emerges From Within[05:34] Devotion Begins With The Other[07:58] Omnipresence Must Be Everything[11:41] Science And The Unified Field[13:22] Devotion Is A Transitional Phase[14:45] Unity Lies Beyond DevotionUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/
Jay is in LA for the Netflix Is A Joke Fest and the legend Colin Quinn sits in his chair for the show. Colin plays a flowery opening song that is the opposite of what Jay would like. | Bobby finally gets a fan to slide into his DM's and send him dirty pictures. Paco reads the messages in his best vixen voice. | Colin once practiced Transcendental Meditation but will not give Bobby his mantra because it costs money to obtain. | He also has a theory on why the Catholic Church fell apart. *To hear the full show to go www.siriusxm.com/bonfire to learn more! FOLLOW THE CREW ON SOCIAL MEDIA: @thebonfiresxm @louisjohnson @christinemevans @bigjayoakerson @robertkellylive @louwitzkee @jjbwolf Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of The Bonfire ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Thanks to its recent mainstream popularity, more people are turning to fasting as a means to promote better health and weight loss than ever before, but is it a good one? Fasting can be beneficial for some people but not everyone, and only if they really pay attention to what their bodies are telling them and are working with professionals like Sean McCormick, an expert in the realm of dry fasting.Paul and Sean discuss the real world pros and cons of fasting and how a session of fasting, under the best and safest conditions, can be a life-changing Shamanic journey this week on Spirit Gym.Learn more about Sean and dry fasting on his website and Dry Fast With Friends where you can access a FREE Dry Fast Guide and masterclass video. Find Sean on social media via Instagram here and here. Listen to Sean's Optimal Performance podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to them. For Spirit Gym listeners: Interested in taking the next step into dry fasting? Join Sean's next Dry Fast With Friends 4.0 live event starting June 25 at Dry Fast With Friends. Save 50 PERCENT on the event or any other levels of dry fasting by using the promo code CHEK. (Special offers from Spirit Gym guests are time-sensitive and at their discretion to redeem after 30 days.)Timestamps4:28 Sean's journey to performance optimization began when his parents taught him transcendental meditation at age 12.11:17 Sean's first dry fast was to impress a young woman who is now his wife during Ramadan.29:32 Sean's experiments with various fasting methods that are measurable.35:13 Why dry fasting works best for Sean.41:44 Pay attention to how your body reacts badly and well to fasting, then food and water afterward.53:23 How a fast can be an introspective process.1:02:07 Down and dirty with enemas.1:12:11 Can you recognize you don't know everything and be willing to refer a client to a health professional with more skills?1:20:32 Dry fasting isn't good for everyone, with the metabolic disruptions that occur in your body.1:36:19 Treat fasting like a Shamanic journey, not a quick fix to lose weight.ResourcesThe Phoenix Protocol: Dry Fasting For Rapid Healing and Radical Life Extension by Dr. August DunningFind more resources for this episode on our website.Music Credit: Meet Your Heroes (444Hz), Composed, mixed, mastered and produced by Michael RB Schwartz of Brave Bear MusicThanks to our awesome sponsors:PaleovalleyBIOptimizers US and BIOptimizers UK PAUL15Organifi CHEK20Wild PasturesPique LifeCHEK InstituteWe may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using affiliate links.
What if time is not an objective force, but a function of consciousness? In this Ask Thom Anything episode, Thom explores the Vedic view of time, the deeper meaning of evolution, whether God can feel individual pain, and how to think about artificial intelligence without fear or fantasy.Along the way, he returns again and again to a central Vedic question: who is the "I" having the experience? Listen for a wide-ranging conversation on context, consciousness, and what it means to live from a larger sense of Self.Episode Highlights[00:45] Q - What is the Vedic view of time?[00:51] A - Time Depends On Consciousness[02:52] Dust Mites And Human Time[04:54] The Universe's Vast Idea Of Now[07:27] Time Is Observer Dependent[09:39] Q - Is evolution goal-based or Darwinian?[10:22] A - Evolution Beyond Biology[12:13] Life Emerges In Many Places[13:53] Intention Reveals Consciousness[16:06] Q - Does God feel human pain?[16:33] A - Pain Depends On Context[19:39] Cosmic Inclusivity Feels Everything[21:35] Expand The Sense Of I[22:47] Happiness Can Include Sadness[25:10] Q - What is AI doing to us?[25:19] A - AI Mirrors Humanity[29:08] AI Resembles Horseless Carriages[31:29] Humans Already Hold The Risk[33:00] Everything Exists In Consciousness[35:48] Stop Being Two PercentersUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/
Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3998: Allison Carmen shares how a minor car accident turned into a powerful reminder that we can choose calm over conflict. By shifting perspective in the moment, she shows how small mindset changes can prevent unnecessary stress and keep life's inconveniences from spiraling. Her insights offer simple, practical tools to respond with greater awareness and ease. Read along with the original article(s) here: http://www.allisoncarmen.com/finding-a-new-way-to-react-to-problems/ Quotes to ponder: "Cars are easy to fix, people are harder to fix." "We forget the big picture and just how insignificant this one thing that is bothering us is." "It is not about suppressing emotions, but instead examining them and giving yourself perspective while you are in the midst of an unexpected or challenging situation." Episode references: Transcendental Meditation: https://www.tm.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices