Explore every episode of Pushing Boundaries with Dr. Thomas R Verny
Dive into the complete episode list for Pushing Boundaries with Dr. Thomas R Verny. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
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Pub. Date
Title
Duration
15 Jun 2022
Dr. Howard Eisenberg, Dream it to do it: Encoding Reality 2:0
00:46:49
These are very dark times with multiple existential threats. Dr. Eisenberg, a practicing psychotherapist beside being a writer, brings a new and quite radical "therapy" to us in his new book in which he questions established concepts of consciousness and reality. Listening to Dr. Eisenberg may propel you on a journey in which you will begin to tap into your own resources to create a happier, more satisfying life, as well as a safer, and healthier world.
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Ven. Mihita Suwanda Sugunasiri, Ph.D.,Canadian Buddhist scholar, discusses the Triune Brain of Western science as it relates to the Triune Mind of Buddhism. The topics discussed range over psychology and philosophy, ancient wisdom and reincarnation.
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Prof. Gerlinde Metz, Lethbridge University, Canada discusses her research that advances intriguing evidence that stressful experiences during pregnancy exert long-term consequences on the future mental well being of both the mother and her child. Recent human epidemiological and animal studies indicate that stressful experiences in utero or during early life may increase the risk of neurological and psychiatric disorders, via altered epigenetic regulation. The important role that social support plays in providing resilience is explored as are ways in which this research could lead to the treatment of people, adults and children, suffering of PTSD.
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How to Trust Your Inner Knowing for Guidance with Relationships, Health, and Spirituality with Emmy Vadnais
00:42:17
My guest is Emmy Vadnais, OTR/L, Occupational Therapist, Intuitive Healer, Integrative Health Practitioner, Health Coach, teacher, consultant, and author of Intuitive Development: How to Trust Your Inner Knowing for Guidance with Relationships, Health, and Spirituality. We talk about how to learn to trust your own intuition and how this can benefit your life.
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How hibernating ground squirrels recycle urine to maintain their muscles: Significance for Astronauts and Aging Humans
00:54:51
My guest today is Dr. Matthew Regan, assistant professor of animal physiology in the Département de Sciences Biologiques at the Université de Montréal. We discuss how hibernating animals find it hard to get the nitrogen they need to maintain muscles – but ground squirrels have gut microbes that can break down urea to free up the nitrogen it contains. How knowledge gained in these experiments may, in the future, benefit people who lose muscle mass simply by the aging process or because of being by bedridden. Similarly, it applies to astronauts who spend many months in a weightless environment. We talk about Matthew’s musical achievements and his interest in sports cars.
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Prof. Nirosha Murugan PhD, Thinking Without a Brain
00:39:47
We learn from Prof. Murugan that studies in brainless slime molds reveal that they use physical cues to decide where to grow. The physarum polycephalum i. e. slime mold, demonstrates how brainless organisms process information toward adaptive behavior. According to Prof. Murugan, a slime mold can use mechanical cues in its surrounding to reliably make decisions about distant objects and performs computations similar to what we call "thinking" to decide in which direction to grow based on that information. Scientists are becoming more interested in slime molds and similar unicellular organisms because in spite of lacking a brain or even a single neuron it can still perform many behaviors that we associate with cognition, like solving mazes, learning new things, and predicting events.
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Scientific advances in reproductive technology now allow for infertile couples, LGBTQ+ couples or even single people to have a child in an almost infinite variety of ways in many cases without sexual intercourse. My guest, Klaus Käppeli, MSc, a Swiss psychologist and psychotherapist specializes in treating children born by AI, IVF and other third-party conception techniques who have developed emotional problems such as depression, anxiety, persistent crying, hyper vigilance and the like. Over the last decade, Klaus has treated more than 50 such children. He relates some of their case histories and the therapeutic interventions he has employed to help them resolve their issues. We discuss strategies that parents contemplating this route to having a child may utilize to avoid potentially traumatizing their children.
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My guest today is Scott Tate, consulting personal trainer and coach based out of Toronto and Chatham-Kent, Ontario. He is the owner of Tate Body Sciences. Scotty works with adults, often dealing with movement disorders or other chronic concerns, such as Parkinsons or Multiple Sclerosis or other neurodegenerative conditions.He applies Kinesiology and Sports Science principles to develop for each of his clients a personalised body science plan. According to Scotty, as he likes to be called, “The secret sauce is our deeply human approach to your journey.” He discusses his 4 step plan: Step 1: Write your health story. Step 2: Establish your baseline. Step 3: Build your movement practice. Step 4: Maintain your progress. Working together with his wife who is a naturopath, Scottty is also very much focused on healthy nutrition as an aid to body movement.
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I discuss with my guest, Prof. Nicolas Rouleau, Algoma University, Canada his transdisciplinary approach to understand the fundamental nature of cognitive systems. One of his most interesting researches focuses on the structure of the post-mortem human brain. Functions of the human brain are not assumed to be preserved beyond death and subsequent chemical fixation. Prof. Rouleau and his group present a series of experiments which, together, refute this assumption. Instead, they suggest that chemical preservation of brain structure results in some retained functional capacity. Patterns similar to the living condition were elicited by chemical and electrical probes within coronal and sagittal sections of human temporal lobe structures that had been maintained in ethanol-formalin-acetic acid. So, this raises many questions: what is life, what is consciousness, when is a person dead, are we ever totally dead? We also converse about the nature of electromagnetic fields and subatomic particles like photons.
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From Survival to Fulfillment, Dr. Paul Valent, Australia
00:52:33
My guest today is Dr. Paul Valent, psychiatrist, lecturer at Monash University, cofounder and past president of the Australasian Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and of the Child Survivors of the Holocaust group in Melbourne, Australia. In the course of his work, he tells me, he has come to understand the close connections between mind, body, and society, and how trauma disrupts all these aspects. We discus child survivors’ stories. Their experiences that range from living in hiding to physical and sexual abuse. These stories contribute to questions concerning the roots of morality, memory, resilience, and the trans-generational transmission of trauma. Dr. Valent, himself a survivor of the Holocaust, believes that the Holocaust shows us both, the greatest human vulnerabilities and strengths and everything in between. It warns and explains how people’s minds can become distorted, and how they can apply themselves to wiping out who they see as enemies, even though they are but reflections of themselves. When bureaucracy and modern weaponry are applied to this wiping out, the costs are immense. “I see ripples of the Holocaust in myself, in others, across generations, and across nations.” Don't we all.
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The Prenatal Sciences Global Congress, Olga Gouni, Athens, Greece
00:44:48
My guest today is Olga Gouni. Olga is a researcher, Psychotherapist/ Educator and author of Soul Days, Welcome, Once Upon a Time in Embryoland, The History of Prenatal Psychology, co-editor and chapter contributor of Prenatal Psychology 100 years and author of 15 papers in various journals. Her main interest is connecting the academic world with the community designing and implementing services that promote human consciousness evolution, wellbeing and peace. Olga introduced Prenatal Psychology to Greece and taught it at the Kapodistrian University. Olga is the prime organizer of The Prenatal Sciences Global Congress, Virtual in Oct. 2022 that will be attended by speakers and participants from 120 countries. We talked about the Congress and its very exciting program. Each day will start with an opening ceremony. There will be many art exhibits. As Olga said, “In our case More is JUST MORE.” We also spoke about Olga’s early years and how she developed an interest in Pre and Perinatal Psychology and what matters the most to her in life. My guest next week will be Dr. David Hanscom, prominent spine surgeon, who will speak about how to conquer debilitating chronic pain without surgery. His methods evolved from his own 15-year experience fighting chronic pain.
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A Surgeon’s Roadmap Out of Chronic Pain, Dr. David Hanscom, Seattle
00:45:36
David quit his surgical practice in 2019 to pursue teaching patients and medical providers how to solve chronic pain without surgery or addictive drugs. He has advocated for well-documented and effective solutions for chronic pain that need to be brought into mainstream medicine. We discuss the many different routes this can take such as journaling, emails, webinars, Q&A sessions, and instructional videos. David tells his patients never to talk about pain and to participate in his Direct Your Own Care (DOC) Journey which is intended to calm the nervous system, rewire the brain and allow your body to heal.
David shares with me his early childhood traumas, his struggles with both, mental and physical health and his ultimate recovery. For more information visit https://www.thedocjourney.com/
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Daviorr Snipes started at the Stratford Festival four months ago as its first Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). Before arriving in Stratford, Daviorr served as Director of EDI at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta. In his present position his focus is on devising and implementing strategies to make the theater experience more attractive to racialized communities which in the past have not felt welcomed. We spoke about the need to extend this feeling of being treated as equals at the theater to everywhere in the city of Stratford.
Daviarr shared many memories of his upbringing in Macon, Georgia and how at the age of 16, in an English class, even though he had never seen a play, he suddenly had this irresistible desire to act in the play they were reading, which was Macbeth, instead of simply reading it. His love, he told me, was about the joy he received from telling stories, and having a communication with the audience where he got to talk about the most difficult, personal and joyful aspects of life with complete strangers every night and hopefully have the chance to show them a different way to see the world and the people in it through these stories.
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In Search of My True Calling, Luciano Volpe, Toronto, Canada
00:52:45
There are people who just stumble into a job and suffer through it until they die or retire. Whichever comes first. Others find a vocation that truly expresses and fulfills their inner self early in life. For others it takes longer. Luciano Volpe, my guest today, falls into this latter category. He got his MBA at the University of Toronto and for the next two years he worked as a management consultant, a job that made him feel miserable. Then he went into business development where he lasted four years. In 2007, he started a small international business expoting maple syrup to Italy. This business, SLV International, has grown exponentially and now, both exports and imports food and other items to and from South East Asia, Mexico and the EU. Most importantly, and this is when things become interesting, in 2011 Luciano founded a not-for-profit company, Inspire North. In 2020, he shifted Inspire’s focus and started the podcast Behind Greatness. In our conversation we touched on many subjects including Julius Cesar and Dante Alighieri, author of The Divine Comedy, widely considered one of the most important poems of the Middle Ages and the greatest literary work in the Italian language. I asked Luciano what he would do if given $100 million. He said he would help struggling artists. We had a most stimulating meeting. If you like this podcast, pl remember to check the subscribe button just underneath it. There is no cost or obligation involved on your part but it helps me gain a larger audience.
Next week my guest will be Stephen Gyllenhaal, film director, father of actress Maggie Gyllenhaal and actor Jake Gyllenhaal. He is also a published poet and the founder of the Identity Development Institute in Los Angeles. Please tune in.
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The Metamorphosis of a Film Director. Stephen Gyllenhaal, Hollywood.
00:50:08
My guest today is Stephen Gyllenhaal, film and television director, writer and producer. His producing credits include dozens of films and TV shows, amongst them Shattered Mind, about a woman with dissociative identity disorder, the feature documentaries Exquisite Continent on dream interpretation and In Utero about prenatal psychology. Stephen interviewed me for this movie and that’s how we first met. Stephen is the father of actress Maggie Gyllenhaal and actor Jake Gyllenhaal. A few years ago he made a big career pivot, went to Amsterdam, studied with Franz Rupert, had an epiphany and on his return to LA founded the Identity Development Institute. Stephen spoke with me about his difficult childhood with two alcoholic parents. His escape to a small college in CT and how he fell in love first with movies and then making movies. He says, “It made me feel sane.” Over time he sought out every type of psychotherapy under the sun and saw up to 40 therapists. All this time he was garnering Emys and a multitude of Academy awards for his movies and TV work. His productions were often based on deeply flawed characters with psychological trauma. In 2016 he was introduced to the work of Dr. Franz Ruppert who developed the theories and practice of Identity oriented Psycho Trauma Theory (IoPT) over the last 30 years. Stephen says that just one single session had a profound effect on him. He offered to demonstrate it if I agreed to participate. And I did for 10 minutes. I can attest to the fact that this approach is powerful. No wonder Stephen is putting a lot of his time and energy into establishing it in the US. When you listen to this podcast, if you like it, pl check the subscribe button. There is no cost or obligation involved but it helps me gain traction in the field. Next week my guest will be Michael Levin PhD, an American developmental and synthetic biologist at Tufts University, where he is the Vannevar Bush Distinguished Professor. Levin is director of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University and Tufts Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology. He is also co-director of the Institute for Computationally Designed Organisms with Joshua Bongard. Levin is co-editor in chief of the Bioelectricity Journal and founding associate editor of Collective Intelligence. Please tune in.
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Michael Levin PhD, Regenerative and Developmental Biology
00:54:05
Dr. Michael Levin is the Vannevar Bush Distinguished Professor, director of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University and of the Tufts Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology and co-director of the Institute for Computationally Designed Organisms with Joshua Bongard. He is the founding associate editor of Collective Intelligence and co-editor of the Bioelectricity Journal. Dr. Levin provided in this 50 minute discussion a master class on synthetic biology, regenerative medicine and bioengineering. He explained how birth defects, traumatic injury, cancer and degenerative disease would all be solved if we knew how to control the morphogenetic process. Advances in molecular medicine and genomic editing will not have an impact on biomedicine unless we know what to edit or which pathways to target to achieve system-level goals, such as ‘make a new arm’. Beyond life on Earth, how would we recognize novel forms of life? What is the appropriate scale of observation for detecting the behaviour and appropriate problem spaces in which life operates? Bioengineering provides a crucial inroad for exobiology; a stepping-stone for enabling generalization of biology such that we can detect truly alien forms of life if and when we encounter them. The new field of bioengineering of chimaeric and synthetic organisms, of which Dr. Levin is a leading scientist, suggests not only novel capabilities and advances in knowledge, but also the need for a new ethics. The frequently voiced statements that ‘living things are not machines’ reflect an outdated essentialism and a type of magical thinking that trusts in clear, binary lines separating evolved living beings from designed machines to define our moral duty to various agents comfortably. These lines do not exist, which will be made painfully clear in the next decades as we become surrounded by collections of agents that make the iconic Cantina scene in ‘Star Wars’ look tame in comparison.
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Bruce Lipton PhD. The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness
01:01:01
My guest today is Dr. Bruce Lipton, cellular biologist and author of The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter, & Miracles. He also wrote two more books, The Honeymoon Effect: The Science of Creating Heaven on Earth in 2009 and with Steve Bhaerman Spontaneous Evolution: Our Positive Future (and a Way to Get There from Here)
Through the research of Dr. Lipton and other leading-edge scientists, stunning new discoveries have been made about the interaction between your mind and body and the processes by which cells receive information. It shows that genes and DNA do not control our biology, that instead DNA is controlled by signals from outside the cell, including the energetic messages emanating from our thoughts. Bruce repeatedly emphasised that genes contain the blueprint and the environment, of which of course consciousness is very much part of, is the architect and construction crew that builds who we become. He also asserts that if we use the 50 trillion cells that live harmoniously in every healthy human body as a model, we can create not just honeymoon relationships for couples but also a “super organism” called humanity that can heal our planet. Bruce is no fan of pharmaceutical companies that vigorously resist the idea that one’s mind can control one’s body. A healing of the consciousness which is what Bruce advocates –is something the drug companies cannot sell for any price. The influence of the pharmaceutical companies is enormous, and so their refusal to accept epigenetics is a main reason many people have not heard of it. In fact, the drug companies in some cases even affect the curriculum in medical schools. Bruce says, “You don’t need drugs. You have to change your consciousness because you already manufacture every equivalent of a drug right now.” There's not one gene that causes cancer. Genes are correlated with cancer, but they themselves do not engage the cancer. It's a life out of harmony. That's a life with suppressed anger. It's a life where people are not living what they really want to experience or holding things inside is what initiates a cancer. 50% of the women that have the breast cancer gene never get cancer. Possession of the gene doesn't mean you get cancer. It's not living in harmony, and you want to know about not living in harmony, then I would direct everybody to your book, Thomas, because that's where it all started. And we end on this note: "We're not the TV set, we're the broadcast. And all of a sudden, I said, Hey, I can't die. I'm a spiritual person. Why? Because I'm the broadcast. And the broadcast is always there."
My guest next week is Joan Koenig, a pioneering music educator, author of The Musical Child and owner operator of famed Parisian L’Ecole Koenig-The American Conservatory. Joan will tell us how music can supercharge early childhood development—and how parents and educators can harness its power.
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Joan Koenig, How music can supercharge early childhood development
00:58:43
My guest is Joan Koenig, a pioneering music educator, author of The Musical Child and owner operator of famed Parisian L’Ecole Koenig-The American Conservatory. Joan will tell us how music can supercharge early childhood development—and how parents and educators can harness its power. At her music schol they have classes for parents and babies. “We have bells, little bells that sit on the floor. And there's always a pianist in the room. The bells require no motor skills, literally, the child can hit it with their hand. And even very young babies give it a try, of course, most of the time, they pick up the bell and put it in their mouth. But when they get a little older, they realize what's going on, they begin tapping on the bells, and the pianist will join them in exactly the same tempo. So what this child is understanding is that they are making music with somebody.” Joan says that she has two year olds who can tell you that that chord is major or minor. Of course, for them, it's a happy elephant or a sad elephant, but it doesn't matter what they're attributing emotional valence to something which is completely abstract, which I find thrilling. So I began to realize that a lot of the exciting research on this subject is still in research papers. So then came the idea. I really wanted to write a book so that parents and educators and just the whole world could understand that we shouldn't be negating musical practice, especially now in a world where we're having increasing problems of attention and dissipated classrooms. And you don't have to force the children it music, it acts as a sort of a force field with its laws. And believe me, the children obey them. Because they don't actually like cacophony. They seek harmony, and they will, they will master their impulses, with nobody saying they have to simply because they actually want to participate in this beautiful piece of music they're creating. So that was a Oh, my goodness, was that a 10 minute answer to your question? Even children younger tha 3, interpret dissonances. So let's say a c and a c sharp together. They find that disagreeable. They love major thirds. What it is utterly fascinating is that a two year old child will say they don't like this sound but they like this sound. And they will tell you that this is sad. And they will tell you that this is happy. And these are two year olds. I think it's really dreadful, Joan says, that in the Western developed world experiencing music early in life is most often through learning to read music. Yet, very young children, when given the opportunity will actually spontaneously create music. “It's this period from birth, even before birth, right on till the age of six that I think will determine so many things in their lives.”
Please join me next week when my guest will be Andria Spyridou PhD, Dr.Nat.Sc., the regional mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) coordinator for UNICEF’s Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office. She will discuss with me how conflict shapes birth experience, child development, and parenting and what is the role of the international academic community. UNICEF in 2018 estimated that more than 29 million babies in 2018 were born in conflict zones such as Afghanistan, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen or on perilous journeys to escape fighting.
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Andria Spyridou PhD, Dr.Nat.Sc., Psychosocial Support for Refugees in Conflict Zones
00:53:41
My guest today is Andria Spyridou PhD, Dr.Nat.Sc., Her Doctorate is in Clinical Psychology from the University of Konstanz, Germany. Dr. Spyridou is presently the regional mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) coordinator for UNICEF’s Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office. Currently, Andria lives in Panama. She emphasized that the opinions expressed here are her personal views and do not necessarily represent her employer’s. UNICEF in 2018 estimated that more than 29 million babies in 2018 were born in conflict zones such as Afghanistan, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen or on perilous journeys to escape fighting. In 2016 Andria joined an international humanitarian organization in the response to the refugee crisis in Greece as a psychosocial support (MHPSS) coordinator. Since her work in Greece she worked in similar positions in Syria (2017-2019) in Iraq, Lebanon, Democratic Republic of Congo. During the Covid-19 outbreak she joined Federation of the Red Cross and worked in the Bahamas and in Latin America. As an expert trainer in Narrative Exposure Therapy for PTSD she worked in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Colombia and in Cyprus. I asked her to tell me what is Narrative Exposure Therapy and what benefit did the people in those countries derive from it? In 2018 Andrea wrote a very interesting paper, Variation in Caesarean Section Rates in Cyprus, Italy and Iceland: An Analysis of the Role of the Media. A fascinating subject that we discussed at length. We discussed her own family background that may have contributed to her interest in this subject as well as more existential issues such as what would she like to be most remembered for. My guest next week will be Dr. Bob Rosenberg who received his PhD in the history of science and technology from Johns Hopkins University. He has contributed a chapter on Precognition to Irreducible Mind (2007) and Beyond Physicalism (2015). He will discuss with me Precognition. Please tune in.
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Bob Rosenberg PhD. Precognition, Psi and Parapsychology
00:55:40
Precognition confounds our sense and understanding of time, something we can generally take for granted. Between case histories and recent experimental work, it is clear that we must take precognition seriously. What does it tell us about the world that individuals can get glimpses of the future (and the past)? Psi puzzles us in many ways, muddling our ordinary notions of individuality, personality, and the nature of mind in general. In 2003, Bob started attending the Sursem or ‘Survival Seminar’ project at Essalen and became more actively involved with the leading researchers in Parapsychology. In 2021 he contributed a chapter on Precognition to Consciousness Unbound (Kelly and Marshall). As we talk, Bob offers a number of case histories of people having precognitive dreams and of laboratory research on Psi. Is there a scientific explanation for such phenomena, I asked. Listen to his answer. Bob believes that freedom is real, that our human choices matter, and that we have barely scratched the surface of our human potential. He is convinced that there is some kind of life after death though what form it takes he does not know. My guest next week will be Gerard D. C. Kuiken Ph.D., author of Eastern Thought and The Shiva Sutra of Vasugupta: Sanskrit and English Translation. 2019. We shall discuss •What is thought? •What is space-time? •What is life-death?
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Gerard D. C. Kuiken PhD. False Dualities, Space-time, Life-death
00:55:02
Gerard D. C. Kuiken PhD. False Dualities, Space-time, Life-death We talk about consciousness, thought, time and the relationship between life and death. Max Planck regarded consciousness as a fundamental component of the universe and matter as derived from it. Dr. Kuiken disagrees. He holds that a chosen distinction, a measurement, collapses the “wave function” yielding a triunity, like consciousness—distinction—matter. In other words, they all coexist, and there is no primacy of consciousness over matter or vice versa. His studies of Sanskrit texts have lead him to equate consciousness with Self/self. This self is made of speech, mind and vital breath. The Self is free from evil, free from old age, free from death, free from sorrow, free from hunger, free from thirst, true in love, true in intention. It is to be searched for and wished to be known. Gerard speaks of the paradoxical nature of existence and insights from properties of the QM singlet state. He takes a brief dip into Quantum Mechanics and states that entanglement and superposition are equivalent. Frankly, this is beyond my pay scale but perhaps some of my super well-informed listeners/viewers will get it. Gerard proposes that without a limitation there is no existence and that the brain is the tool for setting up limitations and controlling the consciousness of differences. In this way, 'man becomes aware of himself by limitation and experiences that as the awakening of his own world. Time is part of the form world and the formless world is timeless, a formulation corresponding to insights from near-death and mystical experience. Life and death are complementary in the sense that in life, spirit is beyond space-time and substance is in space-time. Next week my guest will be Dr. Robbie Davis-Floyd, cultural, medical, and reproductive anthropologist, researcher, author, and international. We shall discuss the new three-volume book she is editing, THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF OBSTETRICS AND OBSTETRICIANS: THE PRACTICE, MAINTENANCE, AND REPRODUCTION OF A BIOMEDICAL PROFESSION.
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Robbie Davis-Floyd PhD, Techno Obstetricians and Cyborg Babies
00:49:56
My guest today is Robbie Davis-Floyd PhD, Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Anthropology, Rice University, Houston and Fellow of the Society for Applied Anthropology. Dr. Davis-Floyd is a medical/reproductive anthropologist, international speaker (over 1000 presentations) and researcher in transformational models in childbirth, midwifery and obstetrics. She is author of over 80 articles, 23 encyclopedia entries, and of Birth as an American Rite of Passage (1992, 2003) and Ways of Knowing about Birth: Mothers, Midwives, Medicine, and Birth Activism (2018); coauthor of From Doctor to Healer: The Transformative Journey (1998) and The Power of Ritual (2016); and co-editor of 12 collections. Robbie serves as Editor for the International Childbirth Initiative and Lead Editor for the Routledge series “Social Science Perspectives on Childbirth and Reproduction.” I asked her about her most recent book, BIRTHING TECHNO-SAPIENS: HUMAN-TECHNOLOGY CO-EVOLUTION AND THE FUTURE OF REPRODUCTION. What is a techno-sapiens? After offering an explanation, I wanted to know the meaning of cyborg. I read that once Robbie was asked by a frustrated Latin American epidemiologist, "Why don’t obstetricians get it? We epidemiologists understand that the vast majority of what they do during labor and birth is just plain wrong. Lots of pediatricians do too. Like—cutting the umbilical cord immediately is just plain stupid! So why don’t OBs act according to the evidence, as we have long been insisting that they do? Instead they just blindly follow obstetric traditions—why can’t they learn to think for themselves? “ She answered that the majority of obstetricians are fear driven; fear of anything going wrong, fear of being sued, fear of criticism by colleagues if they dare not to follow the status quo. She said none of the obstetricians practicing in the US have ever seen a normal unassisted vaginal birth. Robbie would dearly like to see present day obstetrics humanized. Robbie is, amongst her many other projects, working on a personal memoir. My guest next week will be Susan Highsmith Phd, Counselor, Author of "The First Fairy Tales I - IV" a series of fairy tales for unborn, newborn and very young children designed to help parents bond with their children and children attach to their parents.
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Susan Highsmith DDiv, PhD. Fairy Tales To Enhance Parent Prenate, Newborn and Young Child Bonding
00:56:22
My guest today is Susan Highsmith DD, PhD, counselor and, in addition to have written The Renaissance of Birth and Babies Know , author of a fabulous series of fairy tales for unborn, newborn and very young children designed to help parents bond with their children and children attach to their parents. They are called The First Fairy Tales I – IV.. Susan got into this subject in 2001 when she began a five year study program to earn a PhD in Pre and Perinatal psychology, intending to help answer the question, why would anybody be having difficulties because they were born in hospitals, a comment made by a friend of hers some time ago. Susan thought that if she could get the mommies to begin to read to their babies, transmit some of the research by reading to the babies while they were being carried in the womb, that that would be a really good start on bonding, this recognition of the child, the acknowledgement of its consciousness, helping reassure it, helping it feel safe, and that those things could be beneficial. So she wrote books. Susan started with one called The Adventure Begins, which is focused on conception. The second is The Awakening Heart, which is about the first three weeks and heart development because the little heart starts to beat it within that first 21 days. The third one is called Making Sense. And it's about sensory development. And the fourth one is about birth. And it's called Welcome to the Light. Her latest book is Sailing into the Light because as she says, “there's another realm of light that I believe our souls go to.” About three days after her son died, when she put herself into a relaxed state because totally exhausted, “ my son came to me, and he said, mom, everybody loves me here. And I thought, oh, Tommy, that's so like you. He was a brilliant chemist, worldwide known and a wonderful kid. And I thought, Oh, that's wonderful. And he said, ‘There is only unconditional love her’. So nobody can convince me that anything after this life is bad. Anything that we create that we might consider hellish we do right here. And all my Pre and Perinatal studies have led me to that conclusion that what we are doing is creating either a heaven or hell for ourselves right here. And so I'm very happy to have books that are sort of like bookends on the entire lifespan.” You may find Susan’s books on https://wordsmatterpublishing.com/ amazon.com
Next week my guest will be Jeffrey Mishlove PhD, a clinical psychologist, host of the podcast, New Thinking Allowed, author of an encyclopedic volume of consciousness studies, The Roots of Consciousness and recently awarded the Bigelow Institute Competition Grand Prize for his paper Beyond the Brain: The Survival of Human Consciousness After Permanent Bodily Death.
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Jeffrey Mishlove PhD, The Survival of Human Consciousness After Permanent Bodily Death
00:56:30
My guest today is Jeffrey Mishlove PhD, clinical psychologist, host of the podcast, New Thinking Allowed, and author of an encyclopedic volume of consciousness studies, The Roots of Consciousness. Dr. Mishlove is a scientist known worldwide for his serious research on unexplained phenomena. He was recently awarded the Bigelow Institute Competition Grand Prize for his paper Beyond the Brain: The Survival of Human Consciousness After Permanent Bodily Death. Jeffrey was studying criminology when at age 27 he had a “dream” about his uncle Harry that changed the direction of his life. He quit criminology and switched into para-psychology at University of California at Berkeley. Since that time, he has worked tirelessly in this field and has become a scientist known worldwide for his serious research on unexplained phenomena. How do you get living, viable consciousness out of dead particles. It's been a thorn in the side of neuroscientists and philosophers for probably centuries. From a discussion of this subject we move to exploring James William James theory, that the brain is the filter of consciousness instead of its source. We would be overwhelmed if we were aware of everything all at once. So, the brain really serves as a reduction valve of sorts. People who have a dysfunction of the brain, for example, in a near death experience, often report this wider cosmic consciousness or mystical visions. How does this filter work, physiologically speaking? Not being a neuroscientist, Jeffrey states that the whole universe is mind like, rather than physical. And so, one could say that it's not so much that the mind exists inside the brain, but that the brain exists inside the mind. And that somehow, being humans as we are, and with the sense of separation, you and I are, we live inside different skins. This membrane is not the whole story, it's only valid at one level of our being at another level the membranes open up and we have access to ultimately each other's consciousness. That is the how a medium or spiritualist is able to connect with deceased people, for example. The consciousness realms described in near-death reports are detailed. As are the reincarnation studies by Ian Stevenson from the University of Virginia, Department of Perceptual Studies, containing a database of over 2,500 individual cases.
Next week my guest will be will be Dr. Martha Atkins, author of Signposts of Dying: What You Need to Know. Dr. Atkins has worked with grieving and bereaved children and families at end-of-life for the past thirty years.
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My guest today is Martha Jo Atkins PhD, end-of-life counselor, counselor supervisor, (LPC-S), coach, speaker and author of Signposts of Dying: What You Need to Know (2015). For almost thirty years, you Martha has worked with grieving and bereaved children and families and people at end-of-life and the ones who love them. I asked what that kind of counselling entails. In the very early 90s, Martha worked at a children's hospital in the intensive care unit. She worked with children who were dying and their siblings. She found that the siblings were often left out not invited in to say goodbye. And so she started to do that and enjoyed it. Her brother died in 93 and her personal and professional lives collided. Martha learned about grief in a whole new way. She returned to university and got her master's degree. Now she is in West Virginia in private practice. As an example of what she does she spoke of the person she most recently lived with and helped to navigate his last days. And it was powerful and good work. Martha likes dropping into a family system or a friend system and helping them help the person who's dying. And this community comes around the person. People engage in their own grief processes, they help each other, they learn. In this case, there was a lot of learning about dying and what dying is and how to care for somebody. It is work that calls to her. We discuss shamanism. Martha saw it was very magical. And through practicing it she realized how it's a support for being human, a different kind of support than sitting in a pew in a church. As a result, her practices are different, she thinks of the spirits of the land. She used to make altars and mandalas, that would give her a sense of rootedness and and connection to the place, which feels important. Next week my guest will be Laurence Freeman OSB, a Benedictine monk of the Congregation of Monte Olivetto Maggiore in Italy. He is the Director of the World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM) an inclusive contemplative community based in Bonnevaux. Fr Laurence is a prolific author. He has collaborated with the Dalai Lama on many dialogues and on the ground breaking book The Good Heart. He was awarded the Order of Canada in recognition of his work for interfaith dialogue and the promotion of world peace.
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Father Laurence Freeman OSB, meditation as a way to personal and social transformation
00:52:31
My guest today is Father Laurence Freeman OSB, a Benedictine monk of the Congregation of Monte Olivetto Maggiore in Italy. Fr Laurence was educated by the Benedictines and studied English Literature at Oxford University. He is the Director of the World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM) an inclusive contemplative community based in Bonnevaux. Fr Laurence is a prolific author. His books include: Light within, the Selfless Self, Your Daily Practice, Jesus: the Teacher Within, First Sight: The Experience of Faith, Web of Silence and Good Work: Meditation for Personal and Organizational Transformation. He has collaborated with the Dalai Lama on many dialogues and on the ground breaking book The Good Heart. In addition to his work for the contemplative renewal of Christianity he leads dialogues and peace initiatives, seeing meditation as opening the common ground of all humanity. To Fr Laurence meditation is central because it is foundational, because it is a daily practice for him. He recommends that people meditate twice a day, morning and evening, which has a transformative effect upon our sense of time and, and our way of living. At his center they meditate four times a day. Many people, when they I first began, feel that they don't have time to meditate. But the time that you give to the meditation comes back. And one has to be patient. And the interesting discovery is that when we enter solitude, for example, in the time of meditation, and we leave images and conversations with ourselves behind then we find ourselves more and more deeply in this solitude. And the curious and wonderful discovery is that accepting your uniqueness is also the means to much deeper and richer sense of relationship to others. Solitude is the cure for loneliness. Loneliness is a failed solitude. It's the failure or the inability to really be oneself and accept oneself in one's uniqueness. God does not allow evil to happen. But God is in the suffering of those who are subjected to that evil. God is omnipresent. God is around a being and God is presence. There is this very challenging and almost terrible saying of Jesus. He says, God is like the sun that shines on good and bad or on the ungrateful and the wicked. God is being and God is your being. In the silence, in the stillness of meditation, you are being with God, God is being with you, but not in a way that you can psychologize. My guest next week will be Dr Jessica Eccles MB, ChB, Dip(French), MA, MSc, MRCPsych, PhD, PGCert HE, Clinical Senior Lecturer and MQ Arthritis Research UK Fellow. We shall talk about philosophy of mind and brain-body interactions and the relationship between joint hypermobility, autonomic dysfunction and psychiatric symptoms
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Dave Pruett PhD, From Ancient Wisdom to the Quantum Universe
00:52:34
My guest today is Prof Dave Pruett, former NASA researcher; award-winning computational scientist; emeritus professor of applied mathematics at James Madison University (JMU); the originator of "From Black Elk to Black Holes", a Templeton-award-winning Honors seminar at JMU; and the author of Reason and Wonder: A Copernican Revolution in Science and Spirit (Praeger 2012, paperback 2016). Reason and Wonder, synthesizes modern scientific insights with ancient spiritual wisdom. Prof. Ptuett says he learned a lot from the work of French paleontologist-priest Teilhard de Chardin who held that biological evolution is not directionless. It tends toward greater biological complexity with concomitantly higher consciousness. This gave rise to the twin theories of cosmogenesis and complexity-consciousness. Dave also found Jung’s radical theories of the unconscious, synchronicity, and individuation influenced his own theories. In the present, scientific discoveries, particularly those of Quantum Mechanics, are now beginning to resonate with and reinforce ancient wisdom, wisdom that has been imbedded in indigenous mythologies for millennia. It’s incumbent upon those who have already transitioned to a more sustainable “myth of meaning” to find ways to encourage others along the path. We talked about mysticism. Teilhard and Jung were mystics. One definition of a “mystic,” paraphrased from theologian Matthew Fox (1991), states simply: A mystic is one who is in awe of the universe. It’s quite extraordinary that Black Elk and Einstein were contemporaries, even more so that their profoundly different backgrounds and education would lead them to similar views of the universe. The “web of life”—which connects all beings, living and “non-living”—figures prominently in Native American mythology. So too, from Einstein’s general theory of relatively, we learn that the geometry of spacetime is not Euclidean like a sheet of graph paper; it’s warped by the presence of massive objects like stars. The warping of spacetime is dynamic, varying in time. In the great cosmic dance, matter tells spacetime how to warp, and spacetime tells matter how to move. In this dance, the motions of stars or the interactions of black holes send gravitational waves rippling throughout the spacetime web. In both worldviews, the universe is a great interconnected web.
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Rabbi Jonathan Duker, Talmudic Scholars and Jewish History
00:49:21
Rabbi Jonathan Duker grew up near Philadelphia, attended Yehivat Reishit Yerushalayim in the Old City of Jerusalem, earned his BA and MA from Yeshiva University, was ordained as rabbi by Yeshivat Chovevei Torah in New York. In 2004 he emigrated to Israel and subsequently received a degree in Education from Herzog College. He currently serves as an Israel Studies Educator at the Alexander Muss High School in Israel, Rabbinic Guide for Camp Yavneh in New Hampshire, and volunteers for the Jewish Marriage department for the Tzohar Rabbinical Organization. Rabbi Duker lives in Beit Shemesh with his wife Susan and their 4 children. He the author of The Spirits Behind the Law: The Talmudic Scholars (2007, Urim Publications) as well as other Talmud based writing. We started our dialogue by familiarizing us with the terms Talmud and Midrash since in the introduction to his book, Jon states that the scholars of the Talmud and Midrash had an immeasurable impact on Judaism. Jon provides a detailed description of the work that went into writing a biography of the 15 scholars he chose for his book. The Talmud is 2,000 pages long and written in Arameic. It contains a hodgepodge of commentaries on observance, hygiene, legal issues, marriage and even jokes. There are discussions of discussions of discussions. There is no punctuation and often no reference as to who is being quoted. So, his book represents a Herculien achievement. Rabbi Akiba, originally a simple shepherd, attended school with his son and became one of the foremost Rabbis of antiquity. As an outsider coming to it late in the game, he had something to contribute that the establishment could not. We also learn that a lot of Jewish ideas spread to much of the world through the teachings of Jesus and Mohamed. Talking about the different way men and women approach the study of Talmud. Jon tells me that there has been a sociological study done recently about women's Talmud study. The finding was that when men are reading the text together, and they're difficult texts, so you have to really parse out the words, they tend to be more competitive with one another, while women, when they're studying together tend to be more collaborative. Jon’s own experience supports these findings. Jon also teaches Jewish history to students visiting Israel students from outside of Israel. It's a combination of classroom learning, and on site learning. They visit all sorts of archaeological sites and historical sites, and teach them about the story of the Jewish people. A component of this program is to take certain groups to Poland as there was a lot of Jewish life in Poland, before ghettoes, concentration and extermination camps. I ask him, “How do you keep your face in a benevolent God after Auschwitz?” Hear his most illuminating answer.
My next guest will be Dr. Dean Radin, Chief Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences founded by Astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell 50 years ago after the Apollo-14 mission. We shall explore with him consciousness, “presentiment” and psychic espionage and related subjects.
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Dean Radin, MS, PhD, Magic and the Frontiers of Consciousness
00:54:03
My guest today is Dr. Dean Radin - Following a career in classical violin, Dean went on to earn an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amhurst, a master’s degree in electrical engineering and a doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. After his graduation, Dean conducted research at Princeton and University of Edinburgh and was a faculty member at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Presently, Dean is Chief Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences founded by Astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell 50 years ago after the Apollo-14 mission. Dean is the best-selling Author of four books: The conscious universe : the scientific truth of psychic phenomena, (2009). Supernormal: Science, Yoga, and the Evidence for Extraordinary Psychic Abilities, (2013), reissued as The Noetic Universe, (2011) Entangled Minds: Extrasensory Experiences in a Quantum Reality (2006) Real Magic: Ancient Wisdom, Modern Science, and a Guide to the Secret Power of the Universe, (2018) Dean is also a musician. I enquired as to the meaning of noetic. Dean explained that in its simplest form, it means deep intuition. And intuition is knowing without knowing how. But you know it with a deep conviction, that it is correct. You don't know how you know that or you don't even know where the conviction came from. But when you check, it turns out that you're correct based on some externally verifiable event or knowledge. We spoke of Practical Magic, as something science has been studying unwittingly in the form of psychic phenomena. According to this view consciousness is primary in the universe. This provides a worldview, where suddenly the mind is the most powerful thing that there is, in which case the mind is primary over physics, not constrained by notions of space, or time, or distance. Then Dean proceeds to delineate how the magical traditions fall into three different practices. We discuss mediums and spirits, haunted houses and what Einstein called “spooky action at a distance.” Maybe there's memory everywhere. At one point in his life, Dean joined a secret government program that was looking explicitly at psychic phenomena. The US government was interested in it, for two reasons. One was that there had been reports primarily out of Russia and China, that they had secret programs going on using these kinds of psychic abilities. And we needed to know whether it was a threat.. But the other half of it was, they had also found people who were very good at clairvoyance, and they were using it for espionage. This and much more you will find in the podcast.
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Apab’yan Tew, The Mayan Calendar and Everything has Life
01:02:23
My guest today is Apab’yan Tew, speaker, herbalist doctor, bones therapist, auxiliary midwife, writer, researcher, musician and ceremonial dancer and singer currently practicing in the highlands of Central Mexico, Chiapas and Guatemala. He is the author of The Birth of a Universe: The Maya science of Pregnancy. Apab’yan spent 19 years becoming a spiritual guide with one female and one male teacher learning his craft experientially. This education was exhaustive, arduous and offered only to certain individuals chosen from within an indigenous community. His two teachers were very different. About his woman teacher he says, “for her I was above all an assistant, for him his spiritual son.” We discuss some of the foundational ideas of the Mayan way of seeing the world. Two of these, I find myself in total alignment with: Everything is connected and Everything belongs to a system. The third, Everything has life not only what we call human or biological but also what is not visible as well as the solids without apparent movement. Apab’yan explains that everything also has a way of thinking and a form of communication or dialogue. If I understood him correctly, everything has consciousness. The Maya actually have three calendars. The first is the sacred calendar, or Tzolk'in, which lasts 260 days and then starts over again, just as our 365-day calendar refreshes once it hits Dec. 31. This calendar is important for scheduling religious ceremonies and predicting the personality of a child. The second calendar is the Haab', or secular calendar, which lasts 365 days but does not account for the extra quarter-day it takes the Earth to revolve around the sun. The final calendar is the Long Count Calendar in which each b'ak'tun is 144,000 days long, or a little less than 400 years. To the ancient Maya, 13 b'ak'tuns represented a full cycle of creation. The Maya had several rarely used units that were even larger than b'ak'tuns, giving them the capacity to count millions of years into the future. In the Maya highlands of Guatemala, parents come to visit a guide or shaman traditionally a few days after their baby was born. The guide would provide, a reading based on the sacred calendar. What day was your child born? is the first question and from the answer the calculation is done. Of course there are many other questions about conception, pregnancy and birth quite similar to what a good obstetrician, midwife or doula would ask in the West. I gave Apab’yan my birth date and in a few minutes he told me I was "8 Monkey" and then proceeded to explain what that implied in terms of my character and personality. Since it was all pretty positive, I would say he was right on. My next guest will be Dr. Gordana Dodig, Professor of Computer Science and Professor of Interaction Design at Mälardalen University, Sweden, She will discuss with me cognition as a driver of evolution and evolution as a driver of cognition in living organisms, cells as information-processing agents and many other related subjects. I hope you will join me.
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Prof. Gordana Dodik-Crnkovic PhD, Recent Advances in Cognition, Computation and Robotics
00:47:53
We face a challenge of understanding information. Because information is considered as something that is written in a book, in a message in a newspaper, it's not understood as something that two bacteria can exchange. And then there is the social challenge, because we think typically of an individual, an individual human, but not about the distributed cognition in a social setting, both for humans, but also for smaller organisms like cells. So, the idea of cognition on the basic level of the smallest living organism, which is the cell has been very difficult for many people to accept and to understand that everything starts on the level of cell. And some people would say that even parts of the cell have some cognitive properties.
There is much controversy in cognitive science, between people who consider cognition only as symbol manipulation and language, human language, and the people who claim that we have to take into account how much of processes that underlie cognition are done within the body and the environment. So it's embodied embedded, an active combination. It's not hanging in a vacuum. It's, it's, it's connected with the world. And we were very much interested to get this discussion between colleagues who believe in different views, to get them together and to get this discussion showing where the positions are, and is their common ground and how we go further.
Presently, Prof. Dodik-Crnkovic work focuses on intelligent computation and cognition as very important processes found in nature that we can use to inspire new technologies.
"Being human to me means the privilege of sharing the past and present, and anticipating the future with other humans. Of course, most importantly to be able to share feelings, and thoughts and be in the world with the closest people like family and friends."
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Dr. David Peters, Burnout, Resilience and Alternative Medicine
00:52:48
My guest today is Dr. David Peters, Professor Emeritus, Westminster Centre for Resilience, College of Liberal Arts and Science University of Westminster, London. He has co-authored or edited five books about complementary therapies including The Encyclopaedia of Complementary Medicine in 1997, followed by The complete Guide to Integrated Medicine in 2000, Understanding the placebo response in complementary medicine and Integrating Complementary Therapies: a practical guide for primary care both in 2001 and in 2007, New Medicine. David started his medical career as a musculo-skeletal physician and gradually branched out to include osteopathy and acupuncture working with the relaxation response, yoga and meditation. A particular clinical interest of his is in dysregulatory syndromes where pain and/or fatigue often overlap, and in the autonomic imbalance and breathing pattern disorders seen so frequently associated with them. There is a pandemic of chronic diseases that is decimating the world. Diseases like obesity, diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease and, of course, cancer. What has gone wrong? Many things; industrialization spewing toxins into the air, water and food, consumerism, “hunting for unreachable goals”, large discrepancies in income. For example, there are many neighborhoods in large cities where the average life expectancy is 60 years, while a few miles further, it is 80. David takes groups of doctors suffering of burnouts camping into the woods for a day or two. Works like magic. For this and much more, listen or watch the full interview.
As a follow up, my next guest will be Dr. Mel Borins, author of Go Away Just for the Health of It, An Apple a Day: A Holistic Health Primer and A Doctor’s Guide to Alternative Medicine: What Works, What Doesn’t and Why. He has written extensively on stress management, psychotherapy, acupuncture, traditional healing, herbs and complementary medicine. Hope you can join me.
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My guest today is Dr. Mel Borins who is a Family Physician in private practice, and is on active staff at St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto, Canada. He is a Fellow of the College of Family Physicians of Canada, and Associate Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. For over two decades, he has been active and instrumental in training Physicians in Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Counseling and Psychotherapy, Stress Management and Communications. Dr. Mel Borins is the author of Go Away Just for the Health of It, An Apple a Day: A Holistic Health Primer and A Doctor’s Guide to Alternative Medicine: What Works, What Doesn’t and Why. He has written extensively on stress management, psychotherapy, acupuncture, traditional healing, herbs and complementary medicine.
What is complementary medicine? Dr. Borins says that complementary medicine is really alternative medicine, medicine that's not mainstream in terms of medical training. When he went through medical school, he did his elective in hypnosis. So that was his first exposure to something different than what he learned in medical school. Subsequently, he attended a weekend workshop in Gestalt therapy given by George Rosner, after seeing many videos of watching Fritz Perls. And then Mel got involved in personal Gestalt work but also in a training group that that met once a week for three hours for about six years. This started the whole interest in psychotherapy and counseling and the impact that the emotions and the mind have on the physical body. After completing his medical training, Mel and wife went on a world trip for about nine and a half months. They traveled to all kinds of different countries around the world. As a result he was exposed to different kinds of healing by local healers, spiritual healers and herbalists. Mel began to see that there were other approaches in addition to modern medicine. When he got back to Toronto, he did some training in acupuncture, took some courses in spinal manipulation. We talk about the uses for acupuncture. There's some scientific research that says that it's useful for headaches, it's useful for osteoarthritis of the knee. It's useful for tennis elbow, it's useful for neck pain, it's useful for nausea and vomiting. So there is some scientific randomly assigned double blind controlled trials that show that acupuncture is actually better than sham or placebo in treating some of these conditions. Music has been a big part of Mel’s life. He has done music videos, DVDs and recorded 200 songs, any of them humorous. Mel kindly sang one for us about gratitude. What does being human mean to you, I asked. Being human means to connect to other human beings through the heart, through the Spirit, through love. And being human, I think is the ability to connect and be connected to other human beings.
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Prof. Thomas Hartung, MD, PhD, Organoids, Intelligence in a Dish
00:30:52
Intro to organoid intelligence
Comparing brain organoids to supercomputers
Is there any danger of organoids becoming conscious
How much does it take to claim an intelligent system
Impact of the work in the long run, on treatment of diseases like Alzheimer’s
My guest today is Prof. Thomas Hartung, MD, PhD. He is the former Head of the European Commission’s Center for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM), Ispra, Italy, and has authored more than 560 scientific publications and received 16 different awards ranging from the German Ministry of Health to Hellenistic Society of Toxicology. Prof. Hartung is presently the Doerenkamp-Zbinden-Chair for Evidence-based Toxicology in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, with a joint appointment at the Whiting School of Engineering. He also holds a joint appointment for Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Bloomberg School. In addition, he holds a joint appointment as Professor for Pharmacology and Toxicology at University of Konstanz, Germany; is Director of Centers for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT, http://caat.jhsph.edu) of both universities. He is adjunct professor at Georgetown University, Washington D.C. and he is Chief Editor of Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence. These past few weeks, image generators like DALL·E 2 and language models like ChatGPT are grabbing headlines. But Prof. Hartung has been working on what sounds like an equally, if not more, revolutionary research, namely computers powered by human brain cells, part of a new field called “organoid intelligence.” Prof. Hartung explains the concept and the research. “Brains have an amazing capacity to store information, estimated at 2,500 (terabytes). We’re reaching the physical limits of silicon computers because we cannot pack more transistors into a tiny chip.” In essence, Prof. Hartung is interested in two different things. One is in advanced cell culture, focusing mainly on the brain referred to as brain organoids, which is a really a breakthrough technology in recent years. And the second one is artificial intelligence, AI. And merging these two, brings them together to AI Augmented Intelligence. So the idea is, how far can we get by letting brain organoids for us do also some computational work. .In response to my questions as to what's the most important thing he has learned about, about life, Prof. Hartung said, “It all happens between people. It is not about the next scientific paper, or the speech you give. It is about talking to others, inspiring each other and motivating each other to work for a goal. It's not something which is done when I'm writing my next article on the computer.”
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Joann O’Leary PhD. Pregnancy and Parenting after Loss
00:31:50
My guest today is Dr. Joann O’Leary, who holds a Masters Degree in Maternal-Child Health from the University of MN and a Masters in Psychology from Queens University in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Joann has published 5 books including Different Baby, Different Story: Pregnancy and Parenting after Loss 2020 Meeting the Needs of Parents Pregnant and Parenting After Perinatal Loss 2016 Pregnancy After Loss: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study Of Parenting A Subsequent Baby Following A Perinatal Loss 2010 After Loss: Parenting in the Next Pregnancy: A Manual for Professionals Working With Families in Pregnancy Following Loss 1998 A parent involvement program for preschool children with special needs 1978 Joann does research and writing on prenatal parenting, and the impact on parents and siblings and on the child born after the loss of a baby.
How it all started 35 years ago. Joann and Linda Parker, a nurse, led their first pregnancy after loss group. “We were going to do it twice a month, like most infant loss group, but the parents were like, Oh, my God, we can't wait another two weeks. We want to come next week too. And when they left Linda being the clinical nurse specialist said, did you see all those moms with high risk pregnancies? And I said, did you see all those babies with attachment disorders because I envisioned all these little babies in their mothers’ wombs, saying I'm here, I'm here, because the moms weren't paying attention, they were afraid to embrace this new baby. And so that's kind of how our program started.”
She works with grief and attachment at the same time. Because it's a whole new layer of grief when parents become pregnant again, because they think they're going to be so excited to have this baby. Of course, it just brings up Oh, my God, this baby could die too.
Joann’s approach, in a nutshell, is showing pregnant parents after a loss how they can still be parents to their deceased baby while working to embrace this new unborn baby.
I asked her whether she thought think that her work had influenced physicians’ attitudes towards pregnancy and pregnancy loss since physicians usually are just interested in the physical aspects of a baby. How much does it weigh, what is the Apgar score, stuff like that? And they don't give a hoot about the psychological emotional aspects of pregnancy and births? Joann obviously does. Her answer was not encouraging.
“I wish I could say yes. But I'm afraid I can't. The perinatologists that I worked with, they always still thought I did a grief group. Right? They never understood that it was a group to build attachment. Right. And we have very, very few physicians that come to our presentations. Very few.”
We spoke of embodied grief. How grief stays in the body and the importance of releasing it with massage, Reiki, other types of body work.
Joann says that the babies that have been in her groups have been observed to be sensitive, caring adults. They have learned about grief in utero. Their teachers report that they're the first child in class to reach out to children with special needs. Parents and teachers agree that they're just wonderful, caring people.
Joann can be reached at joann@starlegacyfoundation.org.
My next week’s guest, will be Dr. Steven Cole, Professor of Medicine, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science in the UCLA School of Medicine with whom I will discuss the molecular pathways by whi
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Steve Cole PhD. Social-Environmental Regulation of Gene Expression, Health and Optimism, Intergenerational Mentoring
00:52:49
My guest today is Dr. Steve Cole PhD, professor of Medicine, Psychiatry and Behavioral Science in the UCLA School of Medicine.
What are signal transduction pathways? It's a way of basically perceiving, at the cellular level, what's going on outside and changing cellular behavior by increasing or decreasing rates of RNA transcription from the DNA genome at specific sites in the genome. A standard signal transduction cascade would have some kind of a receptor on the surface of the cell that detects let's say, a neurotransmitter, or a bacteria or something like that. It relays information from outside the cell, through the cell membrane into the interior of the cell, where it can then kick off a chain reaction of different chemical events, that ultimately leads to turning on or turning off a gene in our DNA genome inside the nucleus of the cell. We discuss one of Steve’s recent papers, Black mothers in racially segregated neighborhoods embodying structural violence: PTSD and depressive symptoms on the South Side of Chicago. In this study, Steve and his team conceptualize the environment as social phenomena and examine its consequences on the body. They asked themselves: Why do these women have heart attacks more often? Why do they get neurodegenerative diseases more often? Why do they get cancer more often? They found that feeling trapped, significantly predicted increased mental distress in the form of PTSD, depressive symptoms, and glucocorticoid receptor gene regulation that's involved in producing inflammation. The reason we pay a lot of attention to that is that in addition to healing wounds, when inflammatory activity is persistent, even at a low level for a long period of time, that kind of molecular scenario acts as a fertilizer for the development of most chronic diseases such as heart disease, neurodegenerative diseases, metastatic cancers, all of the diseases that are the major causes of death in the West. Moving onto a new subject: cytokines. Initially cytokines were discovered to increase communication between immune cells, to enable them to talk to each other. recently it was learned that brain cells could also hear the signal sent by the cytokines. That opened up this really fascinating area of science, trying to understand how changes in immune biology changed people's neurobiology, and perhaps, as a consequence of that change their psychological experience and their, their behavior in the real world. One area where this is known to happen, is what we call sickness behaviors. When people get sick, and they feel tired and fatigued and achy, and they have fevers, it turns out, none of that is actually caused by the pathogen. All of that is caused by the cytokines that go to the brain, and they say, ‘Hey, brain, I want you to activate the behavioral package that we call sickness.’ And so the brain, which has essentially learned to do this over millions of years of evolution says, ‘Great, you're sick. So I'm going to stop you from expending a lot of energy by immobilizing you. I'm not going to let you run around, I'm going to make you tired. I especially don't want you to run around infecting other people or getting into fights with other people. So I'm going to make you antisocial and irritable as well.’ In the course of our meeting, we spoke about many other subjects and ended by talking about the surprising power of pro social behavior for writing many of the wrongs that arise from stress and threat. If I'm anxious, and th
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My guest today is Helane Wahbeh ND MCR, director of research at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS)—a nonprofit parapsychological research institute cofounded by astronaut Edgar Mitchel. Author of Free To Be Me: A Journey of Transformation through Generational Healing, 2015 and The Science of Channeling: Why You Should Trust Your Intuition and Embrace the Force That Connects Us All, 2022.
Helane’s first book offers the reader a remarkable window into the lives of five generations of women in Palestine starting with her great-great grandmother in the early 1800’s. What she learned about herself doing research and writing this book is the ability to overcome the ancestral patterns around being silent, powerless victim, et cetera. So, the story really is one of transformation, of empowerment of subsequent generations to continue their powerful, unique and beautiful voice in the world. And not just women, but also men because women raise men, they raise boys, and so if we can empower the masculine and the feminine side of young boys, they become more well-rounded and compassionate and can balance the nurturing aspects of themselves along with the action, the traditional male archetypes. Attending a meeting at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) changed the trajectory of her life. She was amazed at the courage of the participants to ask esoteric research questions, to do rigorous research on these trailblazing topics, if you will, and got excited to join the team. That triggered a number of synchronistic events for Helane to eventually start working at IONS first as a consultant, and then scientist and now director. So that gave her permission to think about and explore the topics of channeling. Channeling, in a very broad way, is the capacity that all humans have to access information and energy that's not limited by our conventional notions of time or space. It is beyond our five senses, and it can appear expressive, or receptive. And these experiences are quite varied. They exist on a spectrum from intuitive gut hunches to dreams that come true, or getting mental impressions from someone else's mind in the middle of doing something totally different. So there's quite a variety of what we call channeling. The IONS Helane and her team have done quite a bit of work to develop an inventory that helps people evaluate their own, what they call noetic signature. it is unique. Each person has their own unique expression of channeling. Studying data from thousands of people they found 12 different characteristics that seem to show up significantly. People can go to IONS website (https://noetic.org/ ) and take this inventory and discover how channeling shows up for them in their life. And if they're interested, explore that, and see if they can nurture the ones that they're strong in, or even the ones that they aren't strong in and see how it can be used to support them in their daily life. Best advice Helane ever got? Think it was about this path, this inward path. To not look outside myself for the truth for me. Thank you, Helane. I enjoyed our conversation and now I am ready to explore my channeling abilities. My guest next week will be Dr. Natalie Dyer, PhD, who is a Research Scientist with Connor Whole Health at University Hospitals and President of the Center for Reiki Research. Natalie is also an energy medicine practitioner. We shall discuss the benefits of Reiki on physical and psychological health and understanding and addressing mental
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Dr. Natalie Dyer PhD., shamanic Reiki master. Integrating the Scientific and the Mystical
00:47:10
My guest today is Dr. Natalie Dyer, PhD, Research Scientist with Connor Whole Health at University Hospitals, Warrensville Heights, OH and President of the Center for Reiki Research. She has published many scientific papers and book chapters on postmaterialist science, psychedelics, and the therapeutic effects of integrative medicine practices, including Reiki, yoga, acupuncture, and mindfulness, and is co-editor of the book Expanding Science: Visions of a Postmaterialist Paradigm and the forthcoming book Infinite Percepton: The Power of Psychedelics for Global Transformation. Natalie is also an energy medicine practitioner and teacher. Her passion is in understanding and addressing mental and physical health from a psychospiritual perspective. She lives in the woods on the east coast of Canada with her husband, artist Louis Dyer and their freshly minted three-months-old daughter. I asked Natalie to explain the term post-materialism science? Natalie said that it signifies a new age in science, where we move beyond the limitations of the materialist paradigm, which states that everything can be reduced to matter, including consciousness. Many scientists and theologians believe that matter emerges from consciousness instead of the other way around. Post-materialism scientists adopt the findings of quantum mechanics, and acknowledge that that the mind affects measurements of various experiments in physics. It doesn't exclude materialism. Since Natalie’s next book is about psychedelics, I wondered what role do psychedelics play in treating people with mental distress. The usual approach taken is by way of psychedelic assisted psychotherapy in a setting where there's a therapist who has been trained in administering psychedelics who guides the individual to step outside of their normal operating ego self, and to view their whole life, including what led to, and what keeps the depression going through this shift outside of the normal, mundane day to day thinking process. The psychedelics can show them, how their depression developed, and how they're keeping it going with their thoughts and their beliefs. So that they get is this chance to step outside of the normal narrative of their life. And that can cause a profound shift. There can be a scary kind of loss of control, when there's that ego death, where you're kind of stepping outside of your normal function of your mental awareness. That’s where the therapist comes, reassuring the person that it’s ok, that they are safe to continue. Then hopefully, the therapist can facilitate integration to take place and make changes based on what was discovered. What does a shamanic Reiki master, like her, do? “Reiki is a biofeedback therapy. It's 100 years old at this point, but it's based on practices that go back 1000s of years, like Chi Gong, for example. And the idea is that anytime we have disease in the body, or we're unwell, there's an imbalance in our lifeforce energy. So that's called many different things, chi, prana. Spirit. So that's the basis for these practices.” “Reiki works to bring balance back to that energy system and hoping that the physical system corresponds with that shift. So you learn to tap into the intention of channeling this energy, which is infinite and everywhere. That's the idea. And you either give this energy to yourself, so you're just kind of bringing this energy through into your body, or you give it to another person. “ “What I found when I started doing Reiki was really experiencing the
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Mark Rosenbaum PhD., Play, Chat, Date, Learn, and Suffer? Merton’s Law of Unintended Consequences and Digital Technology Failures
00:48:43
My guest today is Mark Scott Rosenbaum, Ph.D., Dean, College of Business, Hawaii Pacific University. Previously, he was dean and professor of marketing with the Graham School of Management at Saint Xavier University in Chicago. Prior to his leadership at St. Xavier Rosenbaum was chair and professor of the Department of Retailing at the University of South Carolina, the Kohl's Professor of Marketing at Northern Illinois University, and an assistant professor in the Department of Marketing at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. Dr. Rosenbaum is a three-time Fulbright Scholar. Dr. Rosenbaum serves as co-editor of the Journal of Services Marketing, an associate editor for the Journal of Business Research.
We discuss how digital technologies, including mobile applications, social media, and online games, have impacted the ways that people communicate, learn, play, date, and entertain themselves. Although digital technologies offer their users many benefits, these technologies also expose their users to risks. Indeed, many digital users have been victims of cyberbullying, identity theft, and data breaches. We have apps like Tinder, and in the gay community, there's Grindr. If you're a member of the gay community, you can now meet people right next to you. You're no longer this isolated member of a community. That's a great positive. However, what you don't hear much is how many men are raped with Grindr hookups. Further, some national governments and local jurisdictions use digital technologies, to curtail their citizens’ freedoms, and to enforce laws that criminalize private, consensual, same-sex sexual activity and anything else that particular government is opposed to. We are fostering internet addictions, we don't realize that digital technologies have a dark side. Numerous studies show that as youth spend more than two hours a day on social media, their depression levels increase. Now, this would almost seem the converse of what reality should be. Because reality means, I'm connected to these networks of friends, I have friends available 24/7/365. This should elevate my self-esteem. I know exactly where everyone is. And yet, young people feel increasingly alone and unhappy. To my question, “What's the most important thing you have learned so far in your life?” Mark answered that regardless of how tough the beginning is, you have to have a beginning. Take the risk, the challenge, and begin. Next week my guest will be Dr Stephanie Alice Baker, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, City, University of London. Dr Baker’s research explores how we connect and communicate online, particularly around issues pertaining to health and wellness. Dr Baker studies influencer culture and the spread of medical misinformation in the context of COVID-19 and the anti-vaccination movement. Please tune in.
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Stephanie Alice Baker PhD., The Post-Secular Society, Influencer Culture and the Spread of Medical Misinformation
00:45:19
My guest today is Dr Stephanie Alice Baker, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, City, University of London. Her first book, Social Tragedy (Palgrave MacMillan 2014), analyzed how collective narratives emerge in different cultural contexts and the role of the media in communicating tragic events of social significance.
Her second book examined how lifestyle and wellness influencers construct authority and influence online. She situated this research in discussions around trust, expertise, microcelebrity and medical misinformation. She has published several key articles on these topics as well as a book, Lifestyle Gurus: Constructing authority and influence online (Polity 2019), co-authored with Chris Rojek.
Her most recent book, Wellness Culture: How the Wellness Movement has been used to Empower, Profit and Misinform, traces the emergence of wellness culture from a fringe countercultural pursuit to a trillion-dollar industry.
Dr. Baker says that we are now living in a post-secular society, where even though a lot of people think of themselves as religious or spiritual, many of the institutions and moral frameworks that dictated how people ought to live, have changed. In this society many people fear that the world as they knew it is rapidly disappearing. They feel lost, suffering what Anthony Giddens calls ontological insecurity..
The frequently degrading nature of modern industrial work, the growth of totalitarianism, the threat of environmental destruction, climate change, the alarming development of military power and weaponry, the polarization of the political discourse, the ever-increasing reliance on robotics with its consequent loss of job opportunities for unskilled workers has become a source of great anxiety for vast numbers of people.
Polarization, skepticism, doubt and division have led to an erosion of trust in institutions, the media, science and government. This low institutional trust will increasingly become an issue, especially as disinformation floods the world as a result of AI.
Of course, as the old saying goes, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Gradually, over the last decade, we have seen the emergence of a whole new class of individuals: the lifestyle and wellness influencers. How can individuals with no expertise, no medical training achieve this high degree of trust and loyalty from their followers?
One way is by their stress on being authentic. “I'm so authentic”. And this adjective is really important. Because in describing themselves in this way, what they're actually doing is distinguishing themselves from say, a manufactured Hollywood celebrity, indicating that they're more real, more genuine. And as a byproduct, you can trust them more. Right?
Now by achieving fame on social media as well, they also seem much more accessible than, say, a mainstream celebrity who is surrounded by managers and agents and various producers or assistants. And one way in which this impression of accessibility is maintained is this idea that we're all sharing the same platform, that I could send somebody who's an influencer a direct message on social media and they will read it and respond. Fat chance.
And the third aspect, which is really important to an influencer, is to present themselves as being outside of the system. Not beholden to any-one. An independent person just like you. Not one of the “elites.” Along with that goes this idea of being self-made, of being ordinary and ju
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John J. Bonaduce PhD., Mythobiogenesis: The Cellular Origin of Myth, Religion, and Ritual
00:47:55
What if the story of Atlantis was deeply connected to our own embryology, and the myths that surround it held the key to our prenatal development? Join me in an enlightening conversation with Dr. John Bonaducci, an expert in the captivating field of Mythobiogenesis, which he created during his doctoral studies. Discover how John transitioned from liturgy to mythology, connected with the Joseph Campbell Foundation, and developed his work on prenatal psychology - all while uncovering the power of storytelling and the significance of mythological studies for understanding our place in the universe.
As we delve into the fascinating connections between Plato's mythology of Atlantis and embryology, Dr. Bonaducci explains how the story reflects the process of cellular mitosis and conforms to the trauma theories of Donald Kallshed. We also explore the implications of Freud's idea of being born as a "tabula rasa" and how John's personal experiences - from his parents' tumultuous relationship to his mother's nine miscarriages - shaped his worldview and experiences in the womb.
Finally, we examine the importance and implications of John's work on Mythobiogenesis, discussing the origin of Plato's "caste system" and its impact on society. This thought-provoking conversation serves as a testament to the power of storytelling and personal introspection. So come along and immerse yourself in this captivating exploration of myth, memory, and the human experience.
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George Grombacher: Overcoming Limiting Beliefs and Embracing Personal Growth
00:31:54
Ever wondered how to unlock the secrets of financial success? Join me for an enlightening conversation with George Grombacher, a financial advisor with over 20 years of experience, as he shares his journey and the keys to achieving financial freedom. Discover how to create a vision for your future, set goals, and take small steps to get out of debt and find breathing room.
George also discusses the importance of financial coaching in overcoming limiting beliefs and how surrounding yourself with the right kind of people can make a significant impact on your financial success. Learn from his personal experiences with finances, the limiting beliefs he overcame, and how identifying and shifting those beliefs can transform your financial situation.
Lastly, we delve into the concept of personal growth and achievements. George believes that if we all focused on becoming the best versions of ourselves, many of the world's problems would self-correct. Don't miss this episode filled with insights and key takeaways to help you unlock your financial success!
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Wayne Altman. How to Stop Tinnitus, Worries and Insomnia with Melody Clouds
00:45:59
What if you could alter your mood, focus your mind, and even manage conditions like PTSD and depression just by listening to a certain type of sound? That's the revolutionary promise behind binaural beats, the focus of our conversation with Wayne Altman, the founder of Melody Clouds, on today's episode of Pushing Boundaries. Wayne shares his intriguing journey into the world of binaural beats, which began as a personal quest to manage his tinnitus, and evolved into an exploration of the incredible potential of these unique sound frequencies.
But Wayne's passion didn't stop there. He took the power of binaural beats and channeled it into his innovative project, Melody Clouds. This remarkable app promises to create a calming environment that helps babies self-soothe and regulate their sleep. Driven by his personal experience and his parents' influence, Wayne's passion for this project shines through as he explains how Melody Clouds stands out from his previous ventures.
Our conversation with Wayne also delves into a more futuristic topic, namely the blurring line between human and AI interactions. We discuss the anxiety induced by repetitive words and motions during conversations and the rapidly advancing world of AI. But amidst this digital evolution, Wayne insists on the importance of human interaction, emphasizing the value of personal contact and encouraging listeners to engage with him directly. Join our thought-provoking conversation on Pushing Boundaries and discover the world of binaural beats, the future of AI, and the enduring value of human connection.
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Exploring the Science and Lifestyle Behind Longevity with Expert Faraz Khan
00:48:18
Ever wonder how Silicon Valley billionaires are investing in research to reverse and slow down the aging process? Well, let's get to the root of it with our guest, Faraz Khan. As a Management Consultant and Longevity Expert, Faraz has bridged his background in computer science and passion for anti-aging to create a platform dedicated to longevity. We delve into his journey and the groundbreaking techniques he uses to help others slow down their aging process.
Getting into the nitty-gritty of aging, we dissect the science behind cell division and its implications on diseases such as Alzheimer's. Ever heard of the Hayflick limit? We explore this concept and discuss how stem cells play an important part in replenishing cell division. And who better to learn from about longevity than the longest-lived people worldwide? We gain insights from their lifestyle and how they maintain their longevity.
Lastly, buckle up for a deep dive into the world of longevity. We discuss mindset, diet, and lifestyle modifications that can contribute to a longer life. Faraz shares an enlightening exercise to help shift our perception of aging and reveal the essential components of longevity including sleep, exercise, nutrition, and mental resilience. We'll also touch on practical advice on reducing oxidative stress, balancing blood sugar levels and the importance of certain supplements. Plus, you'll get to hear about the influential figures in Faraz's life and the life lessons he has gleaned from them. So, are you ready to embark on your journey to longevity? Tune in!
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The Science of Happiness and the Role of Autonomy in Positive Psychology with Mike Rucker
00:42:22
Join us for a fascinating conversation with my guest, Mike Rucker, an organizational psychologist and behavioral scientist. Mike unveils the intriguing science of happiness and warns us about the risk of 'ornamental hygiene' that can emerge from excessively pursuing this emotion. His book, 'The Fun Habit,' serves as a guide to experience a life filled with happiness without obsessively quantifying it. Mike shares his journey into the field of positive psychology that started with the International Positive Psychology Association.
As we delve deeper, we explore the importance of autonomy and time affluence. Mike emphasizes the need for personalized approaches to support psychological well-being when common interventions fall short. We further discuss reclaiming agency and developing cognitive reserve to combat burnout. Fostering pro-social behavior and creating meaningful memories take center stage in our conversation.
In the final segment, Mike enlightens us about the difference between passive and active leisure. He explains the Hedonic Flexibility Principle and how curtailing unenjoyable activities can make room for purposeful leisure. As someone mentored by Michael Jervais, Mike also gives us a peek into his personal life and how he uses behavioral science to make activities fun, thereby improving engagement. This is a great opportunity to uncover these riveting topics with Mike Rucker, a beacon in the field of positive psychology.
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At the Interface of Consciousness, Quantum Theory, and Mysticism with David Lorimer
00:51:37
Ever wondered how mysticism, quantum theory, and consciousness are intertwined? Well, get ready to unlock some mind-bending insights with our special guest, David Lorimer. An acclaimed writer, poet, and spiritual activist, David takes us on a journey through his unique upbringing and career, deeply influenced by his grandfather, Sir Robert Lorimer, a renowned architect and mystic.
We dive into a profound exploration of consciousness and its crucial role in science. Bouncing off the theories of iconic physicists from the 1930s to modern thought-leaders, we explore the paradoxical interface of the brain and consciousness. Prepare to be fascinated by our deep dive into the Hindu concept of the 'witness', and the intricate relationships between the soul, spirit, and body. A stimulating debate on love, freedom, personal responsibility, and the concept of an afterlife awaits you!
In our final act, we present David's work under the microscope, celebrating his commitment to pushing boundaries and exploring new territories. From the impact of the exchange of ideas and knowledge to the profound influence of Reverend Norman Coburn on David's life, we cover it all. So, are you ready to challenge your world view, disrupt your thought patterns, and embark on an intellectual rollercoaster ride with us? Join in for an episode that’s sure to inspire and provoke your thoughts in equal measure.
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Exploring Ojibwe Anishinaabe Ways and Indigenous Science with Jerry Fontaine and Don McCaskill
00:53:04
Have you ever paused to think about how language can shape our relationship with the world around us? Jerry Fontaine and Don McCaskill, authors of the illuminating book 'To Own Ourselves: Embodying Ojibwe Anishinaabe Ways', join us to share a deep dive into this profound understanding.
In the first part of our conversation, we learn about the duo's journey in creating the book, starting with a significant pipe ceremony and a unique relationship with their publisher. We also gain insights on Jerry's background, hailing from a lineage of active political resistance, particularly his grandmother, who was a trailblazer as one of the first Anishinaabe women elected under the Indian Act to council. This segment also illuminates the richness of the Ojibwe language, values, and ceremonial practices, which are all fundamental aspects of their work. Plus, we delve into the art of performing land acknowledgments in a way that truly honors the land being remembered.
The second part of our discussion ventures into the world of Indigenous Science and Spirituality. Highlighting the profound understanding that the First Nations of North America had regarding science and its relation to the world. We explore their intricate understanding of the environment, medicinal plants, measurements, and the connection between science and spirit. The final note of our conversation is a contemplation of the status of Indigenous people in Canada, discussing what could be done to improve their lives. This episode is an invaluable journey, giving you a deeper appreciation of the Ojibwe Anishinaabe ways and a more profound understanding of indigenous science and spirituality. Listen in and expand your knowledge.
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Unraveling Homelessness and its Connection to Prenatal Trauma: A Conversation with Joseph Jacques of Harmonic Humanity
00:49:55
Ever wondered about the hidden causes of homelessness? Join us as we unravel these with Joseph Jacques, co-founder, and director of Harmonic Humanity. An organization which is not just about providing immediate work for those living on the streets, but also about unfolding their potential through transformational education. Joseph, from his unique perspective, highlights the surprising connection between prenatal trauma and homelessness, addiction, and mental health issues. His insights stem from his extensive work with the Association of Pre- and Perinatal Psychology and are beautifully captured in his book, Legends of Creation.
Joseph’s extraordinary journey began with learning scuba diving at three, a seemingly unrelated experience that would become central to his understanding of the womb experience and birth trauma. Joseph shares unforgettable narratives from his work on the streets and his inspiring initiative of creating a workbook for the homeless, enabling them to realize they are their own heroes. His ambitious vision doesn’t stop here. Picture a future where a questionnaire could shed light on prenatal trauma experiences and a global study could link these experiences to homelessness. These are not just dreams for Joseph, but goals he is working diligently towards achieving.
His work is a testament to his unwavering dedication and belief in the power of love, connection, and education. From the concept of prenatal bonding to raising funds for his organization, Joseph is on a mission to change the narrative around homelessness. His work with Harmonic Humanity has already enabled homeless individuals to earn close to a half a million dollars through selling art and music. This is not your typical conversation about homelessness. It’s a deep dive into the transformative power of understanding and empathy, and the extraordinary impact one man can make. Join us as we explore this and more with Joseph Jacques.
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The Hidden Power of Hand Gestures in Shaping Thoughts and Conversations
00:35:25
Ever wondered how our hand movements not only express our thoughts but also shape them? Our guest, Dr. Susan Golden Meadow, is an expert in the fascinating world of gestures, and she's here to unravel their powerful role in communication, thinking, and learning. The magic of nonverbal cues is at your fingertips, from learning to navigate misdirection in conversations to understanding how parents create a unique communicative context for their kids.
We're diving straight into the heart of Susan's vast research, starting from her early fascination with the structured gestures of deaf children that intriguingly mirror the structure of language. Ponder over the captivating science behind how gestures can shape our thoughts and the unique ways in which our hands can be used to deceive others. Plus, we're offering a glimpse of Susan's upcoming projects and how her research has evolved over time.
To wrap things up, we're exploring some deep reflections on what it means to be human and the unexpected ways in which our hands help us relax. We're also talking about the fascinating process our brains undergo when we pair speech with gestures. Join us as we journey from the intimate dynamics of family communication to the wider social implications of gestures. Whether you're an academic, a student, or simply someone curious about the power of nonverbal communication, this episode has something for everyone.
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Stephen Gyllenhaal: A Call for Action and Reform in the Charitable Sector
00:49:01
Join us for an eye-opening discussion with acclaimed film and television director, Stephen Gyllenhaal. Our conversation primarily revolves around his latest work, Uncharitable, a groundbreaking documentary that strikes at the heart of traditional views on charity operations. We embark on a thought-provoking exploration of gender disparity in the non-profit sector, the constraints that hinder charities' effectiveness, and how these elements inspired the film's creation.
Our conversation with Stephen takes an incisive look at non-profit organizations, their struggles, and their indispensable role in society. We challenge the status quo, discussing the necessity for attracting top talent, offering competitive pay, and granting the respect that these individuals deserve. Moreover, we dive into the deeper psychological underpinnings of the charitable sector and even confront its potential dark side. We question the true nature of corruption, the importance of watchdog organizations, and the need for a revised perspective on charity.
As we wind down, Stephen shares his personal experience with the AIDS Rides and the invaluable life advice he's passed on to his son. We touch upon the much-anticipated premieres of Uncharitable in New York and Los Angeles, and the plans for its Canadian release. Don't miss this stimulating conversation filled with revolutionary insights into the charitable sector and its untapped potential. This is not just an interview; it's a call to action for a brighter, more charitable future. Tune in now!
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Unraveling the Role of Hand Gestures in Communication and Thought: A Deep Dive with Dr. Susan Golden Meadows
00:35:25
What if our hands are the key to better communication and deeper understanding? Join me as I sit down with the esteemed Dr. Susan Golden Meadow, diving headfirst into an exploration of her groundbreaking research on the role of gestures in communication, thought, and learning. As we dissect the fascinating world of nonverbal communication, you'll learn how our hands can subtly influence others, and how the gestures of deaf children differ from those of adults. Get ready to see your hands in a whole new light.
But that's not all we have in store for you. As the conversation unfolds, we'll also touch on the art of relaxation, and the importance of human connection. With a little bit of cross-country skiing and windsurfing thrown into the mix, we'll discuss how physical activities can help us unwind and reconnect with our humanity. Plus, we'll give you a sneak peek of the upcoming book, "Thinking With Your Hands: The Surprising Science Behind How Gestures Shape Our Thoughts" and hint at a forthcoming discussion on a documentary about Dr. David Ho. So buckle up and prepare to be enlightened, entertained, and maybe even a little surprised.
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Exploring the Art of Persuasion with Michael McQueen
00:49:13
Promise one thing: by the end of this conversation with bestselling author and professional speaker, Michael McQueen, you'll have an entirely new perspective on open-mindedness and persuasion. We embark on a deep exploration of the human mind, uncovering the psychology behind stubbornness and taking a fresh look at the art of ethically influencing others. Michael, renowned for his insightful perspectives, shares critical nuggets from his book, Mindstruck: Mastering the Art of Changing Minds, and discusses how we can become more open-minded and encourage others to do the same.
As we navigate this fascinating discussion, we compare modern persuasion techniques with principles from Dale Carnegie's classic, How to Make Friends and Influence People. There's a unique focus on the importance of allowing people to maintain their dignity during persuasion, a strategy that has proven beneficial for large companies like Pepsi and KPMG. We'll also dive headfirst into the seismic changes witnessed in the automotive industry due to the pandemic and the intricacies of leading a team in a remote or hybrid environment.
Lastly, we take a journey through the generational labyrinth of the workplace, highlighting the impact of social and technological transformations. We'll touch on the art of effective communication and the power it holds in shaping future thinking. So, gear up for an episode packed with insights that will challenge your perception, redefine your understanding of persuasion, and equip you with the tools to navigate the rapidly evolving professional landscape. Get ready to change minds and perspectives, including your own.
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Bidding Adieu to a World of Ideas with Your Host, Thomas R Verny MD
00:02:56
As I stand at the intersection of heartfelt gratitude and poignant closure, I can't help but reflect on the myriad of voices and perspectives that have graced this podcast. Over the span of two years and 43 episodes, I've had the honor of conversing with a tapestry of brilliant minds—scholars, writers, and medical professionals among them. Each conversation was a thread in the rich quilt of knowledge we've woven together, and as your host, it's a quilt I'll treasure long after the microphone goes silent.
This final episode is a candid look at the podcasting journey, beset with the challenges of standing out in an ocean of content and the bittersweet realization of when to draw the curtain. As I share my experiences and the factors leading to this farewell, I am reminded that every ending is also a commencement. With T.S. Eliot's poetic wisdom as a beacon, “What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.” I invite you to join me one last time as I express my deepest thanks to all who have journeyed with us—your companionship has been a gift beyond measure. Though this is my last podcast episode, the quest for knowledge and boundary-pushing continues in my writings, and I encourage you to join me there.
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