Dawn of an Era of Well-Being: The Podcast (Ervin Laszlo and Frederick Tsao)

Michael Tobias is an ecologist, author, filmmaker, historian, explorer, anthropologist, educator and non-violence activist. His work encompasses ecological anthropology and aesthetics, the history of ideas, environmental psychology, comparative literature, philosophy and ethics, global biodiversity field research, systematics, deep demography, animal rights and animal liberation. In addition, he focuses on aspects of zoosemiotics and ethology, and the critical links between human demographic pressure (various population issues) and the genetic corridors and diverse, remaining habitats on Earth.

He has received The Courage of Conscience Award, the Parabola Focus Award, in addition to countless film awards, nominations, and accolades.

http://www.michaeltobias.org/Michael_Tobias.html

Lynne McTaggart is an award-winning journalist and the author of seven books, including the worldwide international bestsellers The Power of Eight, The Field, The Intention Experiment and The Bond, all considered seminal books of the New Science and now translated into some 30 languages.

She’s consistently voted one of the world’s top 100 spiritual leaders for her ground-breaking work with consciousness and the power of intention. Lynne is known for the quality of her writing and in-depth research, her inspirational speaking style and her uncompromising role as New Thought leader and spiritual change agent. In 2020, she was singled out with a special Walden Award for being a ‘Champion of Change.’

She’s also architect of the Intention Experiment, a global ‘laboratory’ involving thousands of readers around the world testing the power of group thoughts to heal the world. Lynne, her book and the web-based experiment were prominently featured in Dan Brown’s book The Lost Symbol, and Brown even created a character partly based on her.

lynnemctaggart.com

The Power of Eight on Amazon  

Dear Audience, 

Today’s episode is a repeat broadcast from our archive, the Best of Dawn of an Era of Well-Being. 

In this episode we will revisit our conversation with the spirited and often outspoken, Bruce Lipton. Our talk with Bruce was one of our most popular episodes and he certainly merits a replay. This conversation was originally released on March 1, 2022.

Tune in next week for the final episode of Season TWO of Dawn of an Era of Well-Being when we will feature a very special guest, Neale Donald Walsch. 

And stay tuned after that, Season THREE will be coming up soon!  

***

Today we are joined for a dynamic conversation with the noted biologist Bruce Lipton whose ground breaking work on the connection between science and spirituality has made him an important voice in the fields of new biology and epigenetics. Dr. Lipton will discuss some of his thoughts on how thoughts and emotional experiences impact the human organism on a cellular level. 

We will also consider the legacy of the human species’ tendency to regard itself as an entity outside of nature when it is imperative that we realize that we are nothing more than a part of the natural world, and that our connection to nature and the cosmos operates on a subatomic level. An understanding of this connection to each other and all of nature is in fact critical to our survival and the outbreak of COVID (like so many events in today’s current events) simultaneously serves as a symptom of our inability to come together as it creates new impediments.  

While this may seem like a grim outlook, Bruce Lipton remains firmly positive and places a great deal of hope in our establishing a New Paradigm to see us through these troubling times.

Apologies in advance for the noise that we experienced on our co-host Fred Tsao’s line during the interview.  

Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D., cell biologist and lecturer, is an internationally recognized leader in bridging science and spirit. Bruce was on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin’s School of Medicine and later performed groundbreaking stem cell research at Stanford University. He is the best-selling author of The Biology of Belief, Honeymoon Effect, and Spontaneous Evolution, co-authored with Steve Bhaerman. Bruce received the 2009 prestigious Goi Peace Award (Japan) in honor of his scientific contribution to world harmony.

www.brucelipton.com

Hazel Henderson was a tremendous intellectual force helping us make economic sense out of human connection and advocating for a green agenda to mitigate climate change long before many of us knew what these terms meant. Hazel was also a close friend and collaborator with our program’s co-host, Ervin Laszlo—in fact, she was our first guest on the show. She was also a contributor to Ervin Laszlo and Fred Tsao’s recent book which shares the same title as this podcast, Dawn of an Era of Well-Being. 

Sadly, Hazel departed this world on May 22, 2022, though we can be assured that wherever she may be, the strength of her ideas will continue to drive this planet in the direction peace, love, and sustainability.

In today’s abbreviated episode, our moderator Alison Goldwyn speaks with Ervin as he reflects on Hazel Henderson’s legacy and their friendship. 

Please stay tuned for more episodes of Dawn of an Era of Well-Being: the Podcast. We will be announcing the release of Season Two very soon which will include such guests as Deepak Chopra, Eben Alexander, and Jean Houston. 

Here is a link to the Hazel Henderson episode of Dawn of an Era of Well Being from December 2021:

 https://dawnofanera.transistor.fm/episodes/hazel-henderson

New York Times obituary:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/27/climate/hazel-henderson-dead.html

Website:

https://hazelhenderson.com/

“Patterns of millennia have prepared us for another world, another time, another era. At the same time, the virus pandemic, unlike any ever known in human history or pre-history, has confused our values, uprooted our traditions, and left us in a labyrinth of misdirection. Factors unique in human experience are all around us—the inevitable unfolding towards a planetary civilization, the rise of women to full partnership with men, the daily revolutions in technology, the media becoming the matrix of culture, and the revolution in the understanding of human and social capacities. The Zeit is getting Geisty as the old story itself is undergoing the sacred wound in order that it too grows and addresses the multiples of experience and complexity of life unknown to our great grandparents. We have become so full of holes that perhaps we are well on the way to becoming holy.”

Jean Houston from her chapter contributed to the book Dawn of an Era of Well-Being

We are certainly living in “interesting times” to quote the arch left-handed blessing from the Chinese. So what does that mean for us? Through the anxiety and tumult, perhaps we are finding our way to transformation to a better world, and there may be a light at the end of the tunnel of these interesting times. Fortunately there are people like our guests Jean Houston and Anneloes Smitsman to offer some guidance during this very complicated historical epoch, because we need to get it right. The world may seem to be in chaos, but this would not be the first time humanity has undergone cataclysmic circumstances and made giant strides forward; the Renaissance was proceeded by the Dark Ages is a notable example. But the stakes are higher this time. In today’s conversation, Jean and Anneloes join Fred, Ervin, and Alison to analyze the situation and consider why we should feel optimistic in the midst of the uncertainty—and the steps we must collectively take to turn a breakdown into a breakthrough.

Jean Houston, PhD, is an innovative scholar, futurist, and researcher in human capacities, social change, and systemic transformation. She is one of the principal founders of the Human Potential Movement and one of the foremost visionary thinkers and doers of our time. She has been a key player in the empowerment of women around the world, and was awarded the Synergy Superstar Award 2020 by the Source of Synergy Foundation for her exemplary work inspiring us to source our highest human capacities. A powerful and dynamic speaker, and renowned for her gifts as a mythic storyteller, Dr Houston holds conferences, seminars, and mentoring programs with leaders and change agents worldwide. 

She has worked intensively in over 40 cultures, lectured in over 100 countries, and worked with major organizations such as UNICEF, UNDP, and NASA, as well as helping global state leaders, leading educational institutions, business organizations, and millions of people to enhance and deepen their own uniqueness. She has authored nearly 34 published books and a great many unpublished books and manuscripts. Dr Houston is Chancellor of Meridian University and has served on the faculties of Columbia University, Hunter College, Marymount College, The New School for Social Research, and the University of California. Dr. Houston was also President of the American Association of Humanistic Psychology, and is presently the Chair of the United Palace of Spiritual Arts in New York City.

Anneloes Smitsman, Ph.D., LLM, is a visionary scientist, bestselling author, futurist, system architect, and leadership catalyst for the transition to a thrivable civilization. She is Founder and CEO of EARTHwise Centre and a founding member of the Creative Board of the Laszlo Institute. She is the co-author of the “Future Humans Trilogy” series with Dr. Jean Houston, the lead author of the r3.0 Educational Transformation Blueprint, co-editor with Alexander Laszlo of The New Paradigm in Politics from the New Paradigm Symposia Series, and lead architect of the SEEDS Constitution. Her unique 138 transformation programs and practices have empowered thousands of people and organizations from around the world.

Welcome to the THIRD season of Dawn of an Era of Well-Being. This season we are dedicating our focus to the world’s religions, and discovering how religion and spirituality can help bring the us together in a more harmonious condition. 

Today’s episode will focus on the very broad ranging subject of the Protestant Faith with our special guest Deborah Rundlett. There are numerous examples of Protestantism across the world, such as Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Methodists, Baptists and so on. What they have in common is a connection to the reform movement originating in Western Europe which challenged the doctrines of the Catholic Church, as well as the authority of the Papacy in Rome. The various branches of the Protestant Faith also place a higher stress on personal accountability as critical to salvation. We are very pleased to have Deborah Rundlett with us today to help us understand what is at the core of this numerous and multi-faceted collection of religious traditions. 

 

Deborah is a practical mystic who guides leaders and their teams in connecting soul with Source. Her conviction is that the whole leader requires the whole person: body, mind and soul. She is a Protestant with very deep roots in Celtic Scott and French Huguenot and serves the church as pastor and judicatory leader. She currently serves as Director of The Meetinghouse, home to Poets & Prophets, a global community of change leaders; and is a founding steward of the Global Consciousness Institute.

 

As a global coach and facilitator, Deborah designs journeys that weave perennial wisdom, change leadership principles, and sustainable practice toward the flourishing of people and planet. She particularly enjoys working with interdisciplinary teams.

 

She holds Masters of Organizational Development from Case Western Reserve University; and Doctor of Ministry from Yale University. Her current research is focused on how wisdom informs global consciousness. Deborah believes that for such a time as this, we have called to collectively take a leap to a new level of consciousness that together we might thrive.

Our world is entering what may be referred to as the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This is an era marked by technological advances which manufacture machines that are capable of outperforming human beings in a variety of activities and with the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI.), this will include “thinking”. The Fourth Industrial Revolution was ushered in by the Third Industrial Revolution from which we are only now emerging and was characterized by a widespread dissemination of information—steam and electricity were the attributes of the First and Second Industrial Revolutions, respectively. As A.I. becomes more prevalent technology will continue to reshape and revolutionize human life, blurring the distinction between physical, digital, and biological systems and processes. 

Could many of the problems that the world faces today—Social injustice, climate change, pandemics, and so forth—be the result of humankind using the tenets of an old paradigm in an arena where they no longer apply? 

Helping us consider the pros and cons of this new world we are entering, we are joined today by the acclaimed social scientist and economist, Garry Jacobs. Over the course of this fascinating conversation we will also speak of eastern and western perspectives on the individual’s role in the world (Garry resides in India), and an exploration of the concept of “pure thinking”.

Garry Jacobs is an American-born researcher, author and international consultant on economic and social development and business management focusing on strategies to promote full-employment, equitable and sustainable development for all.

He is currently CEO of the World Academy of Art & Science, and co-chairs the Academy’s international working group on new economic theory, and editor of Cadmus Journal. He is also chairman of the Board and CEO of World University Consortium, he leads an effort to evolve a transdisciplinary science of society. As Vice President of Mother’s Service Society, an Indian social science research institute, he developed a strategy to create 100 million jobs and double agricultural productivity in India. He is also Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Institute for Person-Centered Approach, Italy.

As a management consultant, he works on strategies to develop human and social capital and corporate values to promote growth by serving real social needs.

http://worldacademy.org/gl-geneva/team/garry-jacobs/

Welcome to SEASON 3 of Dawn of an Era of Well-Being, the podcast that brings together some of the world’s most innovative thinkers to weigh in on matters concerning the future of ourselves and our planet—and to discuss that future not as something to be predicted, but to be created. In this third season we will be doing something slightly different by dedicating our focus on a survey of the world’s religions and investigating how they offer wisdom to humanity at a time when it is greatly needed. In the past, religion has often been used as an instrument of division, but these discussions will be conducted with the purpose of finding commonality in the human experience, discovering how religion and spirituality can help serve a function in bringing the world together to a more harmonious condition; supporting a paradigm shift in civilization and help usher in an era of well-being.

We also want to give a warm welcome to our new moderator, Nora Csiszar.

We think it is very appropriate to start things off with a discussion on Buddhism, and are honored to have as our guest, Zoltan Cser, the Director and Vice-Rector of the Dharma Gate Buddhist College in Budapest, Hungary.  In his conversation with Ervin, Fred, and Nora we will discuss the importance of Buddhism as a spiritual practice which joins the heart and the mind to help us gain a better understanding of ourselves and the world around us. In this sense, we suggest that Buddhism is a critical source of insight for ushering in that era of well-being which this program advocates. 

Zoltán Cser was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1970. He started to practice in a Buddhist Chan Community at the age of 16 to become a monk in 1992. Later on, he enrolled at the University of Economics, but after two years, he decided to continue his studies at the newly founded Dharma Gate Buddhist College (DGBC). In 2004, he returned to DGBC as a lecturer, teaching Buddhist ethics, meditation techniques, Buddhist liturgy and breathing methods as well as to organize and lead Buddhist ceremonies. In 2003, Zoltan began to practice in the International Dzogchen Community under the guidance of Choegyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche. In 2010 he became a Vajradance and Yantra Yoga instructor in the International Dzogchen Community. Between 2008–2016, he served as the Vice-Rector of Education at DGBC.

Zoltan was accepted as a doctoral student at ELTE University Budapest in partnership with the  Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University (MCU) International Buddhist Studies College Thailand. He  became the Director of the Dharma Gate Buddhist College and since 2020, he serves as the Vice-Rector  again at the same educational institution. His main focus of research is in the various meditation technics of Buddhism, while he enjoys leading regularly Buddhist retreats, teaching online and in person.

https://www.tkbf.hu/oktato/cser-zoltan/

Hazel Henderson D.Sc.Hon., FRSA, founder of Ethical Markets Media, a Certified B Corporation. She is a world-renowned futurist, syndicated columnist, and author of award-winning Ethical Markets: Growing the Green Economy (2006); Mapping the Global Transition to the Solar Age (2014) now in 800 libraries. Her earlier books are worldwide in 20 languages. Ethical Markets TV series distributed globally at www.films.com. She created the EthicMark® Awards, the Green Transition Scoreboard®,  EthicMarkGEMS®.com and co-created Ethical Biomimicry Finance®. Henderson served as a science policy advisor to the US Office of Technology Assessment, the National Science Foundation and National Academy of Engineering, and she has many honorary degrees. Her articles have appeared in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, LeMonde Diplomatique, and journals in Japan, Venezuela, China, France, and Australia. An Honorary Member of the Club of Rome and a Fellow of The World Academy of Art & Science, she shared the 1996 Global Citizen Award with Nobelist A. Perez Esquivel. In 2007, she was elected a Fellow to Britain’s Royal Society of Arts. In 2012, she received the Reuters Award for Outstanding Contribution to ESG & Investing; was inducted into the International Society of Sustainability Professionals Hall of Fame in 2013, and in 2014 was again honored as a “Top 100 Thought Leader in Trustworthy Business Behavior” by Trust Across America.

https://hazelhenderson.com/
https://www.ethicalmarkets.com/

Thank you for listening to Dawn of an Era of Well-Being: The Podcast. Please subscribe to the program as we have more guests joining Ervin and Fred and Alison for more fascinating conversation. If you enjoyed our program, here are a few links that may be of further interest:

ERVIN LASZLO
https://thelaszloinstitute.com/
https://ervinlaszlobooks.com/

FREDERICK TSAO
https://www.aitiainstitute.org/
https://www.octaveinstitute.com/en

ALISON GOLDWYN
https://www.synchronistory.com/

Please visit the SelectBooks Studios YouTube channel for episodes and bonus video material.

The book Dawn of an Era of Well-Being: New Paths to a Better World by Ervin Laszlo and Frederick Tsao is available wherever books or e-books are sold including AMAZON and Barnes & Noble

Welcome to the THIRD season of Dawn of an Era of Well-Being. This season we are dedicating our focus to the world’s religions, and discovering how religion and spirituality can help bring us together in a more harmonious condition.

This week we are pleased to present a truly extraordinary conversation on the Catholic faith with the Benedictine monk and Catholic Priest, Father Laurence Freeman.

With Irish and English roots, Laurence Freeman was educated by the Benedictines and studied English Literature at New College, Oxford University. Before entering monastic life, he worked with the United Nations in New York, in Banking and Journalism. He is Director of The World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM) a global, inclusive contemplative community. Fr. Laurence Freeman is a monk of the Benedictine Congregation of Monte Oliveto Maggiore.

During this conversation, Father Laurence and podcast hosts Ervin Laszlo and Chavalit Frederick Tsao, and moderator Nora Csiszar, delved into a variety of topics concerning the Catholic faith and the modern world; in particular vis-à-vis the sciences and relationships with other faith traditions—all of this with the ultimate goal of building a better world through collaboration rather than competition.

https://wccm.org/people/laurence-freeman/

Today on “Dawn of an Era of Well-Being: The Podcast” we have a special episode featuring our co-host Frederick Tsao sharing some of his extensive knowledge of the ancient Chinese spiritual tradition of Daoism. The body of today’s episode was recorded on May 14, 2022 for the New Paradigm of Sentience and Consciousness Global Symposium which was presented by Laszlo Institute of New Paradigm Research. 

Frederick Tsao, is fourth-generation family steward of IMC Group. Assuming chairmanship in 1995, he successfully transformed a shipping business to an industrial supply chain. With more than 40 years’ experience as an entrepreneur, Fred has worked successfully with business partners and governments in multiple markets across diverse cultures. 

 A visionary entrepreneur, Fred believes east-west integration is imminent, as the well-being and happiness economy arises. Born in the east and educated in the west, Fred is uniquely positioned to bridge this integration. As Chair of Family Business Network International, Council of Wisdom, Fred promotes family business reform, to rise to this challenge.

 Fred has initiated research that has led to the publication of over 30 Chinese books. He has co-authored two English books, including the Dawn of the Era of Well-being with our co-host Ervin Laszlo. In his latest work, One Choice, One World, published in June 2023, he paints a picture of the new world order of narrative economics that serves well-being of life.

Fred also takes a deep interest in the Chinese spiritual tradition of Daoism, of which he has an extensive knowledge, and which profoundly informs him in his daily life and work.

Daoism is an ancient spiritual practice native to China but its origins date back to prehistoric times. It stresses our finding and living in alignment with the DAO which is roughly translated into English as the “Way” or the “Road”. It shares characteristics of both a philosophy and a religion.

https://www.octaveinstitute.com/en
New Paradigm of Sentience and Consciousness Global Symposium

Welcome to the THIRD season of Dawn of an Era of Well-Being. This season we are dedicating our focus to the world’s religions, and discovering how religion and spirituality can help bring the us together in a more harmonious condition. 

In today’s episode, we will be talking to Safi Kaskas about Islam which is the second largest religion on this planet after Christianity. It is also the most recent expression of the three primary Abrahamic faiths, preceded by Christianity and Judaism. Islamic practitioners, or Muslims, take their spiritual and ethical guidance from the teachings of the Quran, which was “revealed” by God to the prophet Muhammed in the 7th century CE. Muhammed is himself seen as the last prophet, following a lineage which begins with Adam and includes Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Though Islam shares this common thread with the other Abrahamic religions Muhammed is regarded as the ultimate authority, the “Seal of the Prophets.”  

In this inspired conversation, Dr. Kaskas will try to help us understand what is and is not dictated in the Quran and what it means to be a Muslim. Islam is a profoundly spiritual faith which preaches love of your fellow man as among its highest principles, yet it is clear that this message has been distorted in some parts. Kaskas will explain some of the history of the region to help us understand how some bad actors in the community have managed to gain an outsized influence on the world stage.  

Safi Kaskas is an administrator in the managerial sciences with over 40 years of broad-based experience  in strategic planning, leadership and business ethics with an emphasis on strategic management in the corporate and academic worlds.

He is a co-founder of East West University, Chicago, IL; and was elected as President of its Board of  Directors from 1979 – 2005. He continues to serve on its board as an ex officio. He is the Founder and  President of Strategic Edge Management Consultants, Dr. Kaskas helped many mid-level and large  corporations successfully develop their business portfolios. His consultant firm focused on strategic
 development within the health care industry and founded the American Strategic Healthcare  Management Company (ASHM) which is active in the healthcare field in Jeddah, Saudi Arabic.

In addition to his focus on strategic management science, Dr. Kaskas has studied Abrahamic religions and lectured throughout the US and the Middle East on subjects related to Islam, interfaith and reconciliation between Evangelicals and American Muslims. He is Senior Researcher in Islam and Multifaith Reconciliation with George Mason University, Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution.

Dr. Kaskas translated and published the Qur’an into simple easy to understand English in January 2015 and published The Qur’an with references to the Bible in January 2016. This book has 3000 references to the Old and the New Testaments.

Dr. Kaskas is the founder and President of the International Qur’an Research Association IQRA.

http://kaskas.com/

Welcome to the THIRD season of Dawn of an Era of Well-Being. This season we are dedicating our focus to the world’s religions, and discovering how religion and spirituality can help bring us together in a more harmonious condition.

In today’s episode we will be talking about Judaism with the much esteemed Rabbi Aaron Raskin. 

Judaism is one of the world’s most ancient monotheistic religions, and it is the parent tradition to the Abrahamic faiths, which include Christianity and Islam. The primary text of the Judaic faith is the Torah, which is specifically the original five books of Moses, describing the origin of the Jewish people and the laws that instruct them in ethical conduct and outline terms of their covenant with G-d. The Torah is the initial portion of a larger set of books known as the Tanakh, which is roughly analogous to the Old Testament of Christianity.

Judaism is a distinctive tradition in that it also interweaves the concepts of an ethnic group—the Hebrews or Israelites—and a political or national entity, that being the nation of Israel— which could be perceived as the Jewish people at large—historically living in diaspora—as well as the nation state of Israel centered around the sacred site of Jerusalem (or Zion). Thus Jewish identity can run along a variety of religious and secular vectors.

The topic of the Jewish spirituality is complex, multi-faceted, and has been subject to millennia of scholarly commentary. So we are very fortunate to have Rabbi Raskin joining us to share some of his knowledge on this. 

Rabbi Aaron L. Raskin is a dynamic and charismatic leader who hails from a long line of prominent rabbis. His grandfather, Rabbi Jacob J. Hecht, served as official translator to the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

Rabbi Raskin came to Brooklyn Heights in September of 1988 where he co-founded the Congregation B’nai Avraham and he continues to serve as its spiritual leader. Serving a community at the crossroads of so many other diverging communities in the heart of New York City has made Raskin particularly attuned to the exigencies—and opportunities— of answering questions posed across racial, religious, and political divides. He has been consulted as reference by sources religious and secular alike (The New York Daily News; the Oprah Winfrey Network; National Geographic Magazine) and retains a unique position as a respected Jewish leader sensitive to 21st-century secular issues.

He is also author of By Divine Design: The Kabbalah of Large, Small, and Missing Letters in the Parshah (2010); Letters of Light:  A Mystical Journey through The Hebrew Alphabet (2003); and The Rabbi & The CEO: The 10 Commandments for 21st Century Leaders (2008, co-authored with Thomas Zweifel, PhD.). 

https://brooklynheightsjewishacademy.org/

Today’s discussion starts off with an investigation of storylines and narratives. Are storylines a necessity for the human species, perhaps an element that is intrinsic to our DNA? What role do they serve in furthering our evolutionary progress to a new paradigm, and how often are they at odds with such progress? Do storylines have an expiration date at which they outlive their usefulness and then require a new narrative to take over? Helping us to answer some of these questions we are joined by the renowned author, researcher, and futurist Kingsley Dennis. 

This deeply informative discussion moves on to explore such matters as the price of excessive individualism and the spirit of play.

https://kingsleydennis.com/

Kingsley L. Dennis, PhD, is a sociologist, researcher, and writer. He is the author of several critically acclaimed books including The Phoenix Generation, New Consciousness for a New World, Struggle for Your Mind, After the Car, and the celebrated Dawn of the Akashic Age (with Ervin Laszlo). He is coauthor of the study “New Media for a New Future: The Emerging Digital Landscape for a Planetary Society” produced as part of the Fuji Declaration for the Goi Peace Foundation, in collaboration with the renowned global think tank the Club of Budapest.

Kingsley also runs a self-publishing imprint called Beautiful Traitor Books, and is now writing books for the children’s market. His first children’s book is called Mundus Grundy: Trouble in Grundusland. 

Kingsley currently serves as Director of Publications for the Laszlo Institute of New Paradigm Research. 

Well-being and wellness, it should be noted, are not the same. “Well-being” is an aspirational state of life, while “wellness” refers to the interventions humans perform on themselves to improve their health. Our state of living is not always well, and sometimes there is a need for measures that bring us closer to alignment with the universe.

Frederick Tsao from the book Dawn of an Era of Well-Being

In our quest to overcome the challenges that stand in the way of a better future—an era of “well-being” as our program frequently makes reference—we need to consider paths to spiritual betterment which help show us the way. Our guest today is Alberto Villoldo, a trained practitioner of western medicine who has also spent decades studying the shamanic healing practices of the Amazon and Andes. Dr. Villoldo will engage our hosts with a penetrating conversation investigating how shamanic traditions of South America can inform the western thought process. At the nexus of science and spirituality lies the key to our evolution as a species, and the basis of a healing process that will make true well-being accessible. This discussion delves into the evolution of the human brain and its chemistry, and how the shamanic tradition can help reinforce our connection to both nature and a higher level of consciousness.

Alberto Villoldo, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and best-selling author who has studied the shamanic healing practices of the Amazon and Andes for over 30 years. He is the founder of the Four Winds Society, and his recent books include The Heart of the Shaman: Stories and Practices of the Luminous Warrior and The Wisdom Wheel: A Mythic Journey through the Four Directions

For more information on Shamanic Energy Medicine, please visit this link to Alberto Villoldo's organization The Four Winds Society

Dr. Villoldo's latest book The Wisdom Wheel: A Mythic Journey through the Four Directions can purchased here

The Heart of the Shaman: Stories and Practices of the Luminous Warrior can be purchased here

WELCOME to the Dawn of an Era of Well-Being podcast annual holiday edition!

Tis the season for well-being. And that’s precisely what Dawn of an Era of Well-Being podcast brings us throughout the year! 

 

Yet at this time of year-end festivity it can also feel like year-end sensitivities. So let’s focus on possibilities, and up-swing toward more invigorating living! Opportunities are burgeoning, perspectives are changing, and our multifaceted Humanity is awakening as the dance between challenge & opportunity finds its new rhythm, synchronicity. 

Whether you feel festive or reflective, frazzled or dazzled, we hope you’ll take comfort with our hosts Ervin Laszlo, Fred Tsao, and moderator Alison Goldwyn and our many exciting guests whetting our appetite with intriguing perspectives about how to evolve our human condition into a more loving disposition. 

 

No matter which episodes you tune in to, there will always be nuggets to enrich you, and remind you to remain attuned to … You. 

 

Dawn is breaking and we are celebrating … the passing of an old paradigm while ushering in the new.

Please remember to subscribe! Our next episode will publish on Tuesday, January 3, 2023 and upcoming guests include Eben Alexander, Neale Donald Walsch, Alberto Villoldo, Jean Houston, and Anneloes Smitsman.

And remember Dawn of an Era of Well-Being THE BOOK makes a great gift for friends and family. Order yours HERE

Welcome to the THIRD season of Dawn of an Era of Well-Being. This season we are dedicating our focus to the world’s religions, and discovering how religion and spirituality can help bring us together in a more harmonious condition. 

Today we will turn our attention to the fascinating and perhaps not very well-understood spiritual faith of the Baha’i with Elena Mustakova. 

A relative newcomer to the spiritual traditions, the Baha’i religion was founded in Iraq in the 19th century by Mīrzā Ḥosayn ʿAlī Nūrī—also known as Bahāʾ Allāh, meaning “Glory of God.” The Baha’i belief system posits that Bahāʾ Allāh was an actual manifestation of God. Baha’i tradition is very inclusive of the Abrahamic religions and suggests a continuity amongst all of these faiths, and their key figures: Jesus, Mohammed, Moses, etc. As the encyclopedia Brittanica points out: “Bahāʾīs believe in the oneness of humanity and devote themselves to the abolition of racial, class, and religious prejudices. The great bulk of Bahāʾī teachings is concerned with social ethics. The faith has no priesthood and does not observe ritual forms in its worship.”

Elena Mustakova is a spiritual philosopher, evolutionary thinker, educator, psychologist, and social scientist, and an expert on the systemic links between individual health, culture, moral development, language, and collective social health. Her work is inspired by Bahá’í ontological understanding of reality as a spiritual phenomenon of the evolution of consciousness.

Elena believes individual consciousness has the potential to evolve towards wholeness throughout the  lifespan to the extent to which people grasp and take ownership of that process. Collective  consciousness has evolved through many stages of broadening allegiances toward more just and  comprehensive forms of governance – from clans, all the way to nation states and even geo-political  allegiances. Both individual and collective evolution can be quite painful when not understood. Her  commitment is to education that helps people grasp the intersection of their individual micro  experience and the macro socio-historical transformation under way and develop conscious agency.

www.elenamustakova.net

Today we are joined for a dynamic conversation with the noted biologist Bruce Lipton whose ground breaking work on the connection between science and spirituality has made him an important voice in the fields of new biology and epigenetics. Dr. Lipton will discuss some of his thoughts on how thoughts and emotional experiences impact the human organism on a cellular level. 

We will also consider the legacy of the human species’ tendency to regard itself as an entity outside of nature when it is imperative that we realize that we are nothing more than a part of the natural world, and that our connection to nature and the cosmos operates on a subatomic level. An understanding of this connection to each other and all of nature is in fact critical to our survival and the outbreak of COVID (like so many events in today’s current events) simultaneously serves as a symptom of our inability to come together as it creates new impediments.  

While this may seem like a grim outlook, Bruce Lipton remains firmly positive and places a great deal of hope in our establishing a New Paradigm to see us through these troubling times.

Apologies in advance for the noise that we experienced on our co-host Fred Tsao’s line during the interview.  

Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D., cell biologist and lecturer, is an internationally recognized leader in bridging science and spirit. Bruce was on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin’s School of Medicine and later performed groundbreaking stem cell research at Stanford University. He is the best-selling author of The Biology of Belief, Honeymoon Effect, and Spontaneous Evolution, co-authored with Steve Bhaerman. Bruce received the 2009 prestigious Goi Peace Award (Japan) in honor of his scientific contribution to world harmony.

www.brucelipton.com

Neale Donald Walsch is author of 39 books on contemporary spirituality and its practical applications in everyday life. Seven of the nine books comprising his extremely popular “Conversations with God” series have made the New York Times bestseller list, with the first one, Conversations with God, occupying a space on that list for an astonishing 134 weeks. His latest book is The God Solution published by Phoenix Books. In Fred and Ervin's book, Dawn of an Era of Well-Being, Mr. Walsch was kind enough to contribute a chapter which begins with the following inquiry:

For years, we have received spiritual guidance to be “in this world, but not of it.” It’s been widely advised (in those exact words, actually) from the time of Jesus and suggested in more general terms as a workable modus operandi by the elders and philosophers of our species from very early on in our jointly undertaken Earthly adventures. 
 
 In more recent times this notion has been reinforced by the repeated reminders of our contemporary spiritual teachers that we are, in fact, eternal metaphysical entities, and that our purpose on Earth has to do with the soul’s agenda, not the desires of the body or the excursions of the mind. 
 
So now, a question. 
 
If we really are spiritual beings living eternally and serving the Agenda of the Soul, why should we pay particular attention to our physical life—much less place the enormous amount of focus on it that most people do?
 
What’s the purpose of continuing our millennia-long struggle to create possibilities for heading toward a better world if we are not even of this world? 
 
Are we wasting our time with our forever-ongoing explorations of what we can do in this physical life to create a better world? If not, what would it take to produce the outcome?

Today on the podcast Dawn of an Era of Well-Being we are very pleased to be joined once again by Mr. Walsch for the final episode of Season 2. In this season finale Neale will discuss his expansive yet deeply personal outlook on spirituality. This conversation with Ervin and Alison will zero in on what really matters in our spiritual journey across all faiths. After our talk with Neale, our co-host Fred Tsao will follow up with some additional, remarkably inquisitive comments on how these points can be applied to the realms of economics, leadership, and the Chinese perspective.
 
Thank you for listening to Season 2 of Dawn of an Era of Well-Being: The Podcast. Season 3 is already set for production and new episodes will be available soon!

http://www.nealedonaldwalsch.com/
 
https://www.cwg.org/

The God Solution: The Power of Pure Love

 NEALE DONALD WALSCH is a modern day spiritual messenger whose words continue to touch the world in profound ways. With an early interest in religion and a deeply felt connection to spirituality, Neale spent the majority of his life thriving professionally, yet searching for spiritual meaning before experiencing his now famous conversation with God. The "Conversations with God" series of books that emerged from those encounters has been translated into 37 languages, touching millions and inspiring important changes in their day-to-day lives. 

"Conversations with God" has redefined God and shifted spiritual paradigms around the globe. In order to deal with the enormous response to his writings, Neale has created several outreach projects, including the CWG Foundation, CWG for Parents, Humanity’s Team, the CWG Helping Outreach, and The Global Conversation—all accessible at the “hub” website CWGPortal.com, and all dedicated to help the world move from violence to peace, from confusion to clarity, and from anger to love.

Neale's work has taken him from the steps of Machu Picchu in Peru to the steps of the Shinto shrines of Japan, from Red Square in Moscow to St. Peters Square in Vatican City to Tiananmen Square in China. And everywhere he has gone—from South Africa to Norway, Croatia to The Netherlands, the streets of Zurich to the streets of Seoul—Neale has experienced a hunger among the people to find a new way to live, at last, in peace and harmony, and he has sought to bring people a new understanding of life and of God which would allow them to experience that.

“Well-being is a system-wide concept. Being well means not just the well-being of one individual, but of everything and everybody. For one to be well, ALL must be well, and for all to be well, evolution must be continuously moving in alignment with the impetus of the universe, thereby allowing for the flourishing of life. If life is flourishing, everything is aligned with the evolutionary impetus of the Dao.” 

Frederick Tsao from Dawn of an Era of Well-Being (page 38)* 

Today we are pleased to be joined by Katie Hill and Jarvis Smith, co-founders of My Green Pod Ltd., a socially conscious on-line retailer of a variety of products ranging from clothing to housewares to food and drink. My Green Pod is an independent, family-run UK business, with a compelling mission to lead the way to making it easier for consumers to behave in a sustainable fashion. 

With every product on their shelf, they endeavor to share the real stories behind the brands and people; working tirelessly to offer ethical alternatives to mainstream products and services. In order to make this reality they meet and connect personally with the owners of the companies with whom they work. 

Plenty of businesses are cashing in on the trend towards natural and organic products, but if those companies are cutting corners to be the first to market—whether in their packaging, their supply chains, their ingredients, or their staff welfare—they won’t be featured with My Green Pod. This isn’t something you can check by visiting a website, so they go behind the scenes to investigate the company’s entire DNA. The most effective and enjoyable alternatives to mainstream options are featured with their “Hero” products and services, a featured list of their top of the line products.  

Join us today as Alison and Ervin engage Jarvis and Katie in an in depth exploration of the importance and the challenges facing the creation of a sustainable consumer culture. This will be followed by a few insightful words from co-host Fred Tsao about ethics, capitalism, and the spirit of stewardship.

*Note that the audio mistakenly indicates page 60 as the source to this quote

My Green Pod website: www.mygreenpod.com 

Jarvis Smith website: www.jarvissmith.com

#PutYourMoneyWhereYourHeartIs 

In Jarvis Smith two worlds collide with dynamic effect. On one hand a proud hippy, mystic, self-confessed tree-hugger and radical eco-warrior, Jarvis is also a thought leader, media entrepreneur, speaker and renowned online retail businessman. His work gracing global publications, he now partners with and is advising brands including Natwest, HSBC, Deloitte, Citrix, the Parliament Trust, Octopus Energy, Yeo Valley and Weleda. 

He is on the advisory boards for the 2022 Initiative, the good business club, WhereFrom, Zero Carbon HR and the One Earth Show.  It was in the middle of 14 years’ Shamanic training that Jarvis’ true awakening happened, during the filming of 2007 Channel 4 reality TV show ‘Dumped’. Shot on location on a Croydon landfill, the experience opened Jarvis’ eyes to the vast devastation human lifestyle waste was having on the planet. It was a realization that was to lead to a lifetime’s work protecting the Earth.

His first magazine GREEN was published with National Geographic from 2008, which then moved to The Guardian in 2010, evolving into the My Green Pod magazine from 2013. Co-produced with wife Katie Hill, it is now the world’s biggest ethical lifestyle magazine. Jarvis launched the P.E.A. (People Environment Achievement) Awards which, in its 12th year, is the UK’s leading sustainability awards and honors individuals and teams for their contribution towards sustainability.

Spring of 2021 sees Katie and Jarvis collaborate with Jo Wood for the My Green Podcast, interviewing celebrities like Fearne Cotton about their ethical endeavors. Providing shoppers with a healthy, affordable retail space that is good for them, their children, their families and ultimately, the planet, Jarvis and Katie’s online eco-conscious store MyGreenPod leads the field in ethical shopping.

In October 2021, just before Cop26, Jarvis’s TEDX Glasgow talk, “Possibility Consciousness – where do we start with runaway Climate”, encouraged people to stop and re-evaluate their consumer lifestyles and the negative knock-on effect this has on the planet. In the next decade Jarvis’ intent is to provide an ethical alternative to Amazon, with real purpose and proper values. As his message and impact spreads, so the My Green Pod project continues to grow in strength, reputation and effect. 

Prior to co-founding My Green Pod with Jarvis Smith, Katie Hill was a senior writer, researcher and a deputy editor at Which?, and headed up the magazine’s Indian equivalent from Mumbai. During this period she was also a contributing co-editor for UK-based GreenSpirit Magazine.

With My Green Pod, Katie has combined her experience in investigative journalism with her passions for clean living, transparent business, human rights and the environment.

As editor in chief, Katie has exposed a ‘microplastics dodge’ in cosmetics, the ‘dark side’ of bubbles and ‘second-wave greenwash’ from companies cashing in on the growing demand for ethical products. She frequently writes about the importance of detecting corporate sideshows that can slow the shift to a more conscious lifestyle. 

Katie currently sits at number 13 on the ‘Who’s Who in Natural Beauty’ Top 25 list of personalities driving change in the sector. She is also a co-presenter on My Green Podcast, a Beauty Buzz columnist for Natural Products News, a regular judge for the coveted Beauty Shortlist Eco Lifestyle and Mama & Baby Awards and a speaker at events including Natural & Organic Products Europe and Fully Charged LIVE.

Welcome to a special re-broadcast of of this discussion with Marti Spiegelman in honor of Indigenous Peoples' Day 2023

In today’s discussion on Indigenous beliefs, we will revisit a topic that was discussed in some detail in our earlier episode on shamanism, but from some differing perspectives. Our esteemed guest, Marti Spiegelman, actually has mixed feelings about using the term “shamanism” when describing the spiritual practice, believing the term has become too much of a generalization and a catchall. Whatever we may choose to call it, Marti is deeply involved in reconnecting the modern world with an ancient wisdom with which we have lost touch. This ancient wisdom involves the immediacy of experience and in turn a profound attunement with the universal consciousness. She emphasizes that this is not some sort of esoteric past-time, but very practical knowledge which will grant prosperity in our individual lives and a tremendous benefit for humanity.   

Marti Spiegelman holds a BA in biochemistry from Harvard University, an MFA in graphic design from the Yale School of Art and Architecture, and has advanced training in neurophysiology, psychology, and anthropology. Her executive mentoring and initiation programs – Foundations of Precision Consciousness and The Shaman’s Light Program – are dedicated to helping today’s changemakers and visionaries, across all professions, embody and apply timeless indigenous wisdom to the evolution of consciousness and thriving in today’s world.

Marti is also co-founder, with Todd Hoskins, of the ‘Leading from Being’ podcast and leadership training. She was a presenter at TEDx Berkeley 2011 and is widely known for her work in weaving indigenous principles of consciousness with modern genius to ignite quantum leaps in the ways we live, work, and create together.

https://pc.martispiegelman.org

In this episode, Ervin and Alison are joined by Michael Beckwith, Founder and Spiritual Director of the Agape International Spiritual Center. Agape is a term from ancient Greek meaning “unconditional love” and since its founding in 1986, the Agape Center has pursued a mission of fostering a living environment for individuals to realize that they are unique emanations of God, the Love-Intelligence governing the Universe.

Today Michael and our hosts discuss the distinction between our ego and the subtle voice of guiding consciousness, and how to navigate between the two. From there, we also engage in a conversation about intentionality, the costs and benefits of new technology, and how to lead a meaningful life.

https://agapelive.com/

Michael Bernard Beckwith is the Founder and Spiritual Director of the Agape International Spiritual Center. Agape is a trans-denominational community headquartered in Los Angeles comprised of thousands of local members and global live streamers.

Highly regarded for his teachings on the science of inner transformation, Dr. Beckwith embraces a practical approach to spirituality utilizing meditation, affirmative prayer, and Life Visioning™, a process he originated. These practices teach us to take the experience of inner peace and awakened awareness into our everyday lives.

In 2012, Dr. Beckwith addressed the UN General Assembly during its annual World Interfaith Harmony Week. As co-founder and president of the Association for Global New Thought, he hosts conferences featuring harbingers of world peace including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and had the distinguished honor of presenting to Nelson Mandela the Gandhi King Award.

Dr. Beckwith is a sought after meditation teacher, conference speaker, and seminar leader on the Life Visioning Process™.  Three of his most recent books: Life Visioning, Spiritual Liberation, and TranscenDance Expanded are recipients of the prestigious Nautilus Award. He has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Network (Super Soul Sunday, Super Soul Sessions, and Help Desk), Dr. Oz, CNN, The Oprah Show, Larry King Live, Tavis Smiley, and in his own PBS Special, The Answer Is You. He is a member of Oprah’s prestigious inaugural Super Soul 100 and Oprah has named his book, Life Visioning in the top 15 Books to Solve a Problem. Every Friday at 1pm PT, thousands tune into his radio show on KPFK, "WAKE UP! The Sound of Transformation".

Today we have the distinct honor of speaking with the author, political activist, spiritual advisor, and one time US Presidential candidate, Marianne Williamson. You can expect a dynamic conversation as Williamson is rarely one to mince words, nor has she ever been known to flinch at confronting life’s uncomfortable truths. Our interview starts off with a discussion about the necessity to come to terms with an old paradigm as part of the process of entering a new paradigm— and how the “letting go” process is critical to our development as a society. In the course of this we will examine the concept of reparations for past misdeeds of one group against another and how this might impact our spiritual well-being.

Marianne Williamson is a bestselling author, political activist, and spiritual thought leader.

For over three decades Marianne has been a leader in spiritual and religiously progressive circles. She is the author of 14 books, four of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers. A quote from the mega-bestseller A Return to Love, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure…” is considered an anthem for a contemporary generation of seekers.

Williamson founded Project Angel Food, a non-profit that has delivered more than 14 million meals to ill and dying homebound patients since 1989. The group was created to help people suffering from the ravages of HIV/AIDS. She has also worked throughout her career on poverty, anti-hunger and racial reconciliation issues. In 2004, she co-founded The Peace Alliance and supports the creation of a U.S. Department of Peace. She ran for the Democratic nomination for president in 2020, and in 2021 she launched MarianneWilliamson.Substack.com.

https://www.heartmath.com
https://www.thepoweroftheheart.com

Howard Martin is one of the original leaders who helped found HeartMath in 1991. A key spokesperson for the HeartMath Companies, Howard Martin is deeply passionate about the topics he presents. 

 

Through his talks Howard illuminates the intelligence of the heart, describing how we can access it to create positive and sustainable change. 

 

His presentations provide a unique clarity and sense of ease about the evolutionary changes many are experiencing personally, collectively and socially. 

 

Howard shows us how we can actively participate in the creation of our individual and collective future. His Southern roots play into the palpable warmth and gentle humor you will experience when you meet him. 

 

He is a co-author of the highly acclaimed book The HeartMath Solution and contributing author of Heart Intelligence. Most recently, Howard helped to co-create The HeartMath Experience, a new online video program introduced by HeartMath in January 2020. 

 

Howard is also a member of The Transformational Leadership council, an organization founded by author Jack Canfield, and The Evolutionary Leaders, a group of select global visionaries founded by Deepak Chopra.

 

Recent Work 

 

Howard helped produce The HeartMath Experience, an interactive program that is especially appropriate during these times for maintaining emotional balance, mental clarity and sustaining resilience. The content is uplifting and provides scientifically validated tools for managing stress and anxiety — which we need now more than ever.

 

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are now offering the program completely free. 

Audience members can click here to register https://www.heartmath.com/experience/ 

“We know now, more than ever before, that we must change or perish. Worldviews are the foundation of culture, and the crisis has presented us with an opportunity to move to a new world-view linking Ancient & Modern, East & West, Science & Spirituality. Endowed with technology and a new worldview informed by ancient wisdom as well as the findings of contemporary science, we can create a new narrative and witness the dawn of a better era.” 

Dawn of an Era of Well-Being from the Introductory Note from the Authors (Ervin Laszlo and Frederick Tsao) page xvi

Today’s conversation concerns matters of matter and spirit. By taking a close look at this very seemingly basic distinction, we can gain a lot of very practical information. What do we actually know about the material world? Many Eastern spiritual traditions, as well as many of the ancient thinkers, do not make a hard distinction between physical matter and spiritual substance. Some might say they are one and the same. Our guest today, the best-selling author and Jungian Analyst, Anne Baring, has much to say about the modern disconnect between the spiritual and the material. Today, she will make very clear her case that this disconnect alienates us from our sacred nature, and our divine purpose. 

The fruits of uninhibited materialism can be seen in current events and throughout the violent history of world events. Our leaders are often driven by nothing more than selfish ambition and a wanton quest for power, placing self-interest above all else. A clear perception of the divinity manifest in the material world and its inhabitants helps us understand the interconnectedness and sacred purpose of all other beings on this planet, and should be instructive on how we must build a better world through collaboration rather than competition. Join us today as Ervin and Anne delve deep into these questions of material and spiritual. 

Anne Baring is a Jungian Analyst and author of numerous publications including The Myth of the Goddess: Evolution of an Image co-authored with Jules Cashford; Soul Power: An Agenda for a Conscious Humanity with Scilla Elworthy; The Divine Feminine: Recovering the Feminine Face of God Around the World with Andrew Harvey; and The Dream of the Cosmos: A Quest for the Soul for which she was awarded the Scientific and Medical Network Book Prize for 2013, and which in 2020 was re-released in a new edition. The ground of all her work is a deep interest in the spiritual, mythological, shamanic, and artistic traditions of different cultures. Her website is devoted to the affirmation of a new vision of reality and the issues facing us at this crucial time of choice. 

www.annebaring.com

Dream of the Cosmos

Today’s conversation with Master Sha is very special for a few reasons. First of all, this will be the last episode of our first season of Dawn of an Era of Well-Being: The Podcast. We thank all of our wonderful listeners for your mindful support and love as we brought you this initial season, and do not be dismayed since we are preparing to bring you another exciting season with more fascinating guests and topical discussion. So stay tuned, season two of Dawn of an Era of Well-Being is coming soon!

Another reason this episode is so special (and unusual) is that it will also be available in video format so that our audience will have the rare chance to witness Master Sha demonstrate his calligraphy on screen. If you wish to view this podcast in its video format, please visit one of the links listed below. 

Of course any opportunity to have an in depth conversation with the Tao Grandmaster, Dr. and Master Zhi Gang Sha would count as a very special occasion. In addition to Master Sha’s masterful calligraphy demonstration, we will also embark on an absorbing discussion on such matters as connectivity, consciousness, and healing.

VIDEO LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b296sqo7XaY

Master Zhi Gang Sha is a Tao grandmaster, healer, teacher, and author of 30 books, including 11 New York Times bestsellers and several others on the bestseller lists of the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Amazon. He has an MD degree in Western medicine from China and is also a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture. Master Sha has combined the essence of Western medicine with ancient wisdom to create Soul Mind Body Medicine and Tao teachings to help humanity. He is a grandmaster of several Asian arts and in 2002 was named Qigong Master of the Year at the Fourth World Congress on Qigong. With the creation of Tao Calligraphy, he received the highest honors a Chinese calligrapher can receive, being appointed to the position of National Chinese Calligrapher Master as well as Honorable Researcher Professor by the State Ethnic Academy of Painting in Beijing, China.

Master Sha founded the Tao Academy to share Tao wisdom and practices through classes, workshops, retreats, and training programs. He has trained thousands of teachers and practitioners worldwide and taught many students simple but powerful self-healing techniques. Through the Sha Research Foundation, he has sponsored scientific research studies that have shown the benefits of the Tao practices and Tao Calligraphy. For his original contributions, Master Sha was named the Spiritual Innovator of the Year in 2020 by the International Association of Top Professionals. A renowned humanitarian, he founded the Love Peace Harmony Foundation and has received widespread recognition for his service to humanity, including the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission Award for promoting world peace.

Master Sha received an MD from Xi’an Jiaotong University in 1983 and was certified as an acupuncturist and herbalist in 1986 by the World Health Organization’s Institute of International Acupuncture and Moxibustion in Beijing, China, where he taught acupuncture, tai chi, and qi gong to foreign physicians. He also completed a Master’s Degree in Hospital Administration at the University of the Philippines in 1988. While there, word of his skill as an acupuncturist spread and he treated numerous VIPs while also offering a street clinic for the poor. Master Sha and his healing practices have been featured in a public television documentary and are the subject of the full-length film Soul Masters: Dr. Sha and Dr Guo.

In today's episode we are called upon to look within ourselves to discover both identity and healing.  Our guest is the best-selling author, Dawson Church, PhD, who will talk about some of the specifics behind mental and spiritual healing. The discussion will focus a great deal on brain function and the healing process which occurs in the brain when coping with stress or trauma. How effectively we cope with this and how quickly can depend on a number of factors, and there are proactive exercises which we can engage in to achieve a higher state of well-being and develop greater resilience. Dr. Church is a major advocate of the EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) method which is a form of touch therapy that utilizes acupressure meridians in its administration. He will speak in depth about how this therapy can be an important treatment for a variety of concerns.

Dawson Church, PhD, is an integrative health-care researcher and an award-winning author whose best-selling book, The Genie in Your Genes, has been hailed by reviewers as a "breakthrough in our understanding of the link between emotions and genetics." He is also
author of Mind to Matter: The Astonishing Science of How Your Brain Creates Material Reality and his most recent book, Bliss Brain: The Neuroscience of Remodeling Your Brain for Resilience, Creativity, and Joy.

Author of many books on healing trauma, he is a pioneer in the field of epigentics and a national leader and professional trainer in Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), a modality endorsed by the Veterans Administration as an alternative method suitable for work with veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
 
He has edited or authored more than 200 books in the fields of health, psychology, and spirituality. Books on which he has worked have won more than two dozen awards, including Best Health Book (Independent Press Awards) and Best Science Book (USA Book News Awards), and his research summaries of the biomedical evidence for consciousness-based treatments provide the scientific underpinnings for this emerging field.
 
Founding director of the Veterans Stress Project, he also founded the National Institute for Integrative Healthcare to study and implement promising evidence-based psychological and medical techniques. His groundbreaking research has been published in prestigious scientific
journals. He also shares how to apply these breakthroughs to health and athletic performance through EFT Universe, one of the largest alternative medicine sites on the web.
 
The editor of Energy Psychology: Theory, Research, & Treatment, a peer-reviewed professional journal, Dawson Church has been quoted in USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and Parenting, and he has appeared on CNN and other national media.
 
https://dawsonchurch.com
For courses, Dawson’s newest The Short Path to Oneness:  https://eftuniverse.com/short-path/

Free gift/newsletter sign up:  www.dawsongift.com

To our dear audience, as warfare escalates in Ukraine, we are taking a week off in honor of those who have fallen and those who continue to struggle for their lives in a truly terrible sequence of events. These are indeed troubling times and we hope that our podcast helps us in some small way to find light in the darkest hours.

Please rest assured that Dawn of an Era of Well-Being will return next week at the customary time when we will bring as our guest, none other than the author, political activist, spiritual advisor, and one time US Presidential candidate, Marianne Williamson. In the interim, we encourage you to peruse our list of previous episodes as a timeless resource of wisdom and inspiration.   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0HEYB-AEAY

Welcome to the special Holiday edition of Dawn of an Era of Well-Being: the Podcast. This program includes holiday messages from:
Marianne Williamson, bestselling author, spiritual leader, and political activist; Democratic candidate in the 2020 United States presidential election
Michael Tobias, author, environmentalist, and filmmaker; Producer of the ten-hour dramatic television series, Voice of the Planet
Michael Beckwith, founder and spiritual director of the Agape International Spiritual Center
Jude Currivan, cosmologist, planetary healer, futurist, and author; previously one of the most senior business women in the UK and co-founder of WholeWorld-View
Kingsley Dennis, researcher and futurist; author of several books including Unified - Cosmos, Life, Purpose: Communicating with the Unified Source Field & How This Can Guide Our Lives and The Struggle for Your Mind: Conscious Evolution & The Battle to Control How We Think
Garry Jacobs, author, researcher, and business and economic consultant; he is President, Chief Executive Officer and former Chairman of the Board of the World Academy of Art & Science
Ervin Laszlo, co-host of Dawn of an Era of Well-Being
Fred Tsao, co-host of Dawn of an Era of Well-Being
Alison Goldwyn, moderator of Dawn of an Era of Well-Being, founder of Synchronistory

That which haunts us will always find a way out. The wound will not heal unless given witness. The shadow that follows us is the way in. – Rumi

Deepak Chopra is a veritable one-man institution, with over ninety books to his credit, several of them making the New York Times bestsellers list. He is also fonder of The Chopra Foundation and Chopra Global. We at “Dawn of an Era of Well-Being: The PODCAST” are proud to count Dr. Chopra among the contributors to the book, Dawn of an Era of Wellbeing: New Paths to a Better World by Ervin Laszlo and Frederick Tsao (SelectBooks, ISBN 978-1-59079-515-6) for which he penned both the Foreword and the article, “Human Well-Being and the Pathless Path”. As you will hear, Dr. Laszlo and Dr. Chopra have a long history of collaboration, and similar aims of elevating human consciousness through the vectors of science and spirituality—as does our co-host, Frederick Tsao, from a markedly East-Asian point of view. Our discussion with Deepak will continue an overarching theme across this podcast, of harmonizing such supposed dichotomies—science and spirituality, East and West, etc.—and demonstrating how their very existence is more a matter of perception than of reality. And how a stronger awareness of the perception is part of the path to higher consciousness and the condition of Well-Being. To quote Dr. Chopra from his chapter in Dawn of an Era of Well-Being:  

Morality and spirituality add meaning to human existence, and the one thing human beings cannot tolerate for long isn’t poverty—but a meaningless life. If we cut to the quick, all models for achieving well-being are fatally flawed by using the reducing valve. When infinite possibilities are squeezed down into a few possibilities, advocated for our own good, the price is too high. Instinctively, children rebel when a parent says, “It’s for your own good,” and the same is true when we are faced with formulas for well-being.

Join us today for a very special episode of our podcast as Frederick Tsao, Ervin Laszlo, and our moderator, Alison Goldwyn take a close look at the human condition with the extraordinary Deepak Chopra. 

Deepak Chopra MD, FACP, founder of The Chopra Foundation, a non-profit entity for research on well-being and humanitarianism, and Chopra Global, a whole health company at the intersection of science and spirituality, is a world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation. Chopra is a Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of California, San Diego and serves as a senior scientist with Gallup Organization. He is the author of over 90 books translated into over forty-three languages, including numerous New York Times bestsellers. His 90th book and national bestseller, Metahuman: Unleashing Your Infinite Potential (Harmony Books), unlocks the secrets to moving beyond our present limitations to access a field of infinite possibilities. For the last thirty years, Chopra has been at the forefront of the meditation revolution and his latest book, Total Meditation (Harmony Books, September 22, 2020) will help to achieve new dimensions of stress-free living and joyful living. TIME magazine has described Dr. Chopra as “one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century.” 

www.deepakchopra.com

Dr. Jude Currivan is a cosmologist, planetary healer, futurist, author, previously one of the most senior business women in the UK and co-founder of WholeWorld-View. Having grown up as the daughter of a coal miner in the north of England, she has since journeyed to more than eighty countries around the world and for the last twenty -five years has lived in the sacred landscape of Avebury. She has experienced multidimensional realities since early childhood and worked with the wisdom keepers both incarnate and discarnate of many traditions.

Jude integrates leading edge science, research into consciousness and universal wisdom teachings into a wholistic world-view. This underpins her work aimed at enabling transformational and emergent resolutions to our collective planetary issues, raising awareness and empowering fundamental change and sustainable solutions to global problems.

She holds a PhD in Archaeology from the University of Reading in the UK researching ancient cosmologies and a Masters Degree in Physics from Oxford University specializing in cosmology and quantum physics.

She is the author of six non-fiction books currently available in 16 languages and 26 countries including CosMos – a co-creator’s guide to the whole-world co-authored with Dr Ervin Laszlo. Her first fictionalized e-book Legacy is available at amazon.

Her latest is The Cosmic Hologram- In-formation at the Center of Creation, the first book of the Transformation trilogy and which won a silver Nautilus Book Award for 2017. She is currently writing book two Gaia: Her-Story.

Welcome listeners to the debut episode of Season 2 of Dawn of an Era of Well-Being: The Podcast.

On September 8 of 2022, Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms, passed away peacefully at her residence of Balmoral Castle, thus concluding the longest reign of any British Monarch, and one of the most elongated terms of any leader known to history. The funeral was a tremendous spectacle as British subjects poured to the streets while an estimated 4.1 billion people around the world tuned in to the televised ceremony, an astounding number by any stretch pf the imagination. The French President Emmanuel Macron summed it up in his statement to the people of Britain, “To you, she was your Queen. To us, she was The Queen.” Queen to the World, the death of Queen Elizabeth was very much a global event.

In today’s episode of Dawn of an Era of Well-Being our special guests, Anne Baring and Jude Currivan, share their reflections on Elizabeth’s legacy in a candid and at times quite emotional discussion. We understand of course that the history of the British Empire is deeply problematic in many respects, but our focus here is on the single figure of Elizabeth and her contribution to a tradition that has found significance at a time when the Empire’s twilight has already passed. We will primarily discuss Elizabeth as the embodiment of an archetype, a highly performative role that she used to unify and inspire people across the world with a sense of duty and service to a higher purpose. It was a performance that lasted over seventy years and witnessed the arrivals and departures of fifteen Prime Ministers, and it is not one that will be repeated any time soon, if ever.

Roger Nelson, Ph.D., was Coordinator of Research at the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR) laboratory at Princeton University from 1980 to 2002, and has directed the Global Consciousness Project (GCP), since its inception in 1997.

Interests in psychology, physics, philosophy and the arts have given opportunities to collaborate with creative interdisciplinary teams at PEAR and elsewhere developing ways to study consciousness and intention. Roger's work integrates science and spirituality, including research that is directly focused on numinous communal experiences.

Building on years of laboratory experiments, Roger began using random event generator (REG) technology in the field to study effects of special states of group consciousness. This led naturally to the GCP, which is designed to register indications of a coalescing global consciousness responding to major world events such as 9/11, the beginnings of war, or New Year's Eve.

Speculative interpretations suggest that we may be looking at some form of consciousness field. Though we don't have a full explanation, this frontier research provides evidence of interconnection and interaction of our minds with the environment. It is consonant with ancient and modern ideas about a nascent greater consciousness.

LINKS:
http://noosphere.princeton.edu/
http://www.global-mind.org
http://noosphere.princeton.edu/media.html. 

John Bunzl is a global political activist and businessman. In 2000, he founded the Simultaneous Policy (Simpol) campaign, a way for citizens to use their votes to drive politicians towards global cooperation. It has supporters in over 100 countries and enjoys the support of a growing number of Members of Parliament around the world. He has authored or co-authored a number of books including The Simpol Solution, Monetary Reform – Making it Happen!, People-Centred Global Governance – Making it Happen!, and Global Domestic Politics. He has published numerous articles on global governance in the Journal of Integral Theory & Practice. He has lectured widely, including to The Schumacher Society, The World Trade Organisation, The Lucis Trust, and various universities.

https://simpol.org/who-we-are/who-we-are

Welcome to the THIRD season of Dawn of an Era of Well-Being. This season we are dedicating our focus to the world’s religions, and discovering how religion and spirituality can help bring the us together in a more harmonious condition. 

This week we are turning our attention to the extremely broad collection of indigenous traditions, generally referred to as Shamanism. While Shamanism may seem to be a loose terminology, considering the countless regional variants which span the entire globe, we will see that there are common threads which connect many of these local practices. These local practitioners can be found in Central Asia, China, Japan, throughout North and South America, Africa, Australia, to name a few. The term Shamanism comes from the word has its root with the Russian word šamán, which in turn has its origins with indigenous Siberian dialects where Shamanic practices were observed by European travelers from as early as the 16th century.  

So what is Shamanism and what connects these very ancient and widespread spiritual practices which can be found on every corner of our planet? And how can Shamanism teach us something of value in our lives today? To help answer these questions we are proud to have as our guest Marcela Lobos. 

Marcela Lobos is a medicine woman initiated in the healing and spiritual traditions of the Amazon and  the Andes. She was born and raised in Chile, where she leads expeditions, working with women  shamans who belong to a matriarchal society that holds the wisdom and passion of Mother Earth.

She is a senior staff member at the Four Winds Society and is married to its founder, Alberto Villoldo.  Together they travel throughout the United States and Europe teaching the wisdom of the Medicine  Wheel. They also founded Los Cuatro Caminos in South America to share the same wisdom in Spanish.  Marcela is passionate about taking women through rite of passage that allow them to find their power,  grace, and wisdom.

https://marcelalobos.com

https://thefourwinds.com/

“Coherence in society calls for working together and creating the system where “I” becomes “WE”—where the parts maintain their unique identity while working together to maintain the integral coherence of the whole that they form. This is the principle we obtain from the quantum paradigm. Public policy is the field for the application of this principle. It defines the coexistence of unique but not separate individuals in coherent wholes, whether these wholes are states and nations, or businesses or social and cultural groups.”

From page 49 of the book Dawn of an Era of Well-Being by Ervin Laszlo and Frederick Tsao  

We are very pleased to be joined today by the scientist, psychologist, and transformational teacher, Shamini Jain, PhD. Dr. Jain is the founder and CEO of the nonprofit Consciousness and Healing Initiative (CHI), a collaborative accelerator of scientists, healers, artists, and educators to help lead humanity to heal themselves. She also serves as adjunct faculty at UC San Diego and is author of Healing Ourselves: Biofield Science and the Future of Health (Sounds True, 2021). 

We are in the midst of a shifting paradigm in which we can observe concepts that were once thought to have no place in the realm of empirical science, slowly being processed into mainstream thinking. This includes matters that were once deemed to be within the realm of spirituality. Still, however, negative preconceptions in the scientific community continue to persist, and ancient healing arts still tend to be written off as “pseudo-science” without further consideration. Dr. Jain occupies the vanguard of this transition, and she will enlighten us specifically on the roles consciousness and Eastern spirituality can play in healing both our bodies and our minds.

This intriguing conversation covers a multitude of topics including how music and aural therapy have been used to treat trauma and anxiety disorders, as well as the related field of biofield tuning—a therapy pioneered and developed by Eileen Day McKusick. Dr. Jain also discusses how her spiritual background as an adherent of the ancient Indian tradition of Jainism helps to shape her outlook. 

Throughout this episode, Ervin and Fred will help to maintain a focus on the overarching question concerning how we are to think about acts of healing for the “individual” in the context of a universal consciousness, in which the singular and the whole are one in the same—and how this helps us to awaken in an era of Well-Being.

 
Shamini Jain, PhD, is a scientist, psychologist, and transformational teacher.  She is the founder and CEO of the nonprofit Consciousness and Healing Initiative (CHI), a collaborative accelerator of scientists, healers, artists, and educators to help lead humanity to heal themselves. She received her BA degree in Neuroscience and Behavior from Columbia University and her PhD from the UCSD/SDSU Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology with a research focus in psychoneuroimmunology. She has received numerous awards for her published research studies in integrative health approaches, including biofield healing and meditation. Her award-winning book with Sounds True Publications, Healing Ourselves: Biofield Science and the Future of Health, is available at booksellers worldwide.  
 
Dr. Jain integrates her background in clinical psychology, psychoneuroimmunology, East Indian spiritual practice and vocal art to share with others how they can best heal themselves and live joyful, meaningful lives. She speaks and teaches in diverse venues including TEDx, universities, conferences, hospitals and retreat centers worldwide.
 
Links:

TEDx Berkeley - We’re Wired To Heal Each Other: The Science of Interconnection
‍www.tinyurl.com/wiredtoheal

Book with Sounds True Publications: Healing Ourselves: Biofield Science and the Future of Health
www.healingourselvesbook.com

Free Meditation from Dr. Shamini Jain
www.shaminijain.com/free-gift

Dr. Jain’s nonprofit, Consciousness and Healing Initiative (sign up for free webinars with leading teachers!)
www.chi.is

Thank you for tuning in to Dawn of an Era of Well-Being: The Podcast—now in our third season! 

In this exciting new season we will turn our attention to focus on the world’s religions and observe how religious traditions— and their diverse perspectives— can share an active role in bringing us together with common purpose. Too often in the past, religion has been used as a wedge, pitting us against one another; in the era of “Well-Being” we will see how various spiritual practices can also have the opposite effect of uniting us in harmony. In this fashion, it may well be that the ancient wisdom traditions will be at center of the paradigm shift which ushers in a new era! 

It has been argued, with good evidence, that Hinduism is the oldest ongoing spiritual tradition on this planet. Its distant and nebulous origins can be traced with some authority to the pre-Vedic period of the Indus Valley civilization, which takes it back to before 1750 BCE—though it probably goes back much farther, perhaps into what we consider “prehistoric” times. As the world’s third largest faith with close to one-and-a-half-billion practitioners, Hinduism is a significant force in world affairs both in current events and throughout history— Siddhartha Gautama was believed to have been an observant Hindu prior to assuming the role of The Buddha. 

In order to delve deeper into the fascinating and complex essence of Hinduism, we are honored to have joining us the renowned spiritual leader and motivational speaker, Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji, better known as Sadhviji. Originally from Los Angeles, Sadhviji is a graduate of Stanford University and holds a PhD in psychology. She has lived on the banks of the sacred Ganga river in the lap of the Himalayas for more than twenty-five years, the entire time engaged in spiritual service, wisdom teaching, sacred action, and deep spiritual practice. 

Sadhviji is currently based in Rishikesh, India. She is the author of the bestselling memoir, Hollywood to the Himalayas: A Journey of Healing and Transformation, which recounts the joys and challenges that she faced during her journey to enlightenment, and those who helped her on the way.  Now one of the preeminent female spiritual teachers in the world, Sadhviji serves as the Secretary-General of the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance, an international interfaith organization dedicated to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene; President of Divine Shakti Foundation, a foundation that runs free schools, vocational training programs, and empowerment programs; and Director of the world-famous International Yoga Festival at Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh—which has been covered in prestigious international publications and has been addressed by both the Prime Minister and Vice President of India.

https://sadhviji.org/

Could it be that the universal realization of our spirituality will serve as the catalyst for a new era for the evolution of humanity? Might this be the key that unlocks the door to that “era of well-being” which Ervin and Fred have been heralding through their work? And more to the point of today’s program, how can Near Death Experiences (NDEs) and paranormal activity provide us with information about the spiritual realm? 

In today’s podcast we are joined by Eben Alexander and Karen Newell, best-selling authors and co-authors of several books, including Proof of Heaven, Living in a Mindful Universe, and The Map of Heaven. Karen is also founder of Sacred Acoustics, a therapeutic program utilizing audio signals embedded in recordings to help calm the mind to reduce anxiety and stress and improve sleep and focus. Dr. Alexander is a well-known neurosurgeon and the survivor of his own NDE from 2008. In this, so to speak, report from the afterlife, Eben and Karen speak eloquently about how NDEs and paranormal experiences provide us with valuable information regarding spirituality and the relation of the spiritual to our physical lives here on planet earth. 

From this information, we are also provided with information about the meaning life, and of death. It also raises questions concerning the maintenance of our spiritual health? And what does it mean to live forever?

Sacred Acoustics:
https://www.sacredacoustics.com/

Dr. Eben Alexander's website:
www.ebenalexander.com

Click on titles for links to books:
Living in a Mindful Universe

The Map of Heaven
Proof of Heaven

DR EBEN ALEXANDER: After decades as a physician and teacher at Harvard Medical School and elsewhere, renowned academic neurosurgeon Dr. Eben Alexander thought he knew how the brain, mind, and consciousness worked. A transcendental Near-Death Experience (NDE) during a week-long coma from an inexplicable brain infection changed all of that – completely. Memories of his life had been completely deleted, yet he awoke with memories of a fantastic odyssey deep into another realm –more real than this earthly one!

Since his 2008 NDE he has been reconciling his rich spiritual experience with contemporary physics and cosmology. We are conscious in spite of our brain. By probing deeply into our own consciousness, we transcend the limits of the human brain, and of the physical-material realm. His story offers a crucial key to the understanding of reality and human consciousness. 

A pioneering scientist and thought leader in consciousness studies, Dr. Alexander has been a guest on Dr. Oz, Oprah, and many other media programs. His most recent book, Living in a Mindful Universe: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Heart of Consciousness (co-authored with Karen Newell), has garnered accolades from many scientists around the world who study the mind-body question and the nature of consciousness. His earlier books, Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife and The Map of Heaven: How Science, Religion, and Ordinary People Are Proving the Afterlife, have collectively spent more than two years atop the New York Times and international bestseller lists. 

KAREN NEWELL: As an innovator in the emerging field of brainwave entrainment audio meditation, Karen Newell, co-founder of Sacred Acoustics, empowers others in their journeys of self-discovery. Using Sacred Acoustics recordings, she teaches how to connect to inner guidance, achieve inspiration, improve wellness and develop intuition. In her search for answers to fundamental questions, it became clear that direct experience is crucial to full understanding. To bolster her strong sense of inner knowing and alignment with her higher nature, she enrolled in a series of hands-on experiential courses to investigate and develop such skills as lucid dreaming, astral travel, telepathy, remote viewing, self-hypnosis, and different forms of energy healing.

She developed a facile expertise in living through daily connection with universal consciousness using heart awareness as a central element. At international workshops presented with best-selling author Dr. Eben Alexander, Karen demonstrates key practices of consciousness exploration: heart awareness, intention, maintaining neutrality, emotional management and cultivating internal knowing. She is co-author with Dr. Alexander of their latest book, Living in a Mindful Universe: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Heart of Consciousness.