Posts

Conversations, stories, random thoughts, updates, announcements, and posts from me and the EXPLORER POET Podcast.

religion, symbology, everyone’s interpretation of one story, history, tradition, problems with technology, spirituality, neurosis, mental health, creativity, different worlds; psychological, spiritual and real, mystical function and sociological function, false prophets and being on the wrong path vs the right path.

E44: Jason Smith

My guest today is Jason Smith, a Jungian analyst, author, and podcastor. Jason is a graduate of the C.G. Jung Institute–New England and holds a Master’s degree from Pacifica Graduate Institute. He is the past president of the C.G. Jung Institute-Boston and has over 20 years of clinical experience. Jason is the author of ‘Religious but Not Religious: Living a Symbolic Life’ and the creator of the ‘Digital Jung’ podcast. I truly enjoyed my conversation with Jason and I hope you do as well.

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breath work, emotions, depression, anxiety, joy, the nervous system, living intentionally, following dreams, psychedelics, how events and environment in life influence our minds, differences between the eastern and western world, cognition, perception, awe, wonder, excitement and being in control.

E43: Jonny Miller

My guest today is Jonny Miller, a curious Somanaut, writer, podcaster, and nervous system specialist. Jonny is the host of the Curious Humans podcast and author of the Curious Human’s newsletter. He also leads a five-week bootcamp on nervous system mastery. I truly enjoyed my conversation with Jonny and hope you do as well.

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music and its unique way of tapping into our subconscious, masculine and feminine, how they play essential parts in the creative process, our inner need for seeking truth, nihilism, and psychedelics as a portal to the unconscious mind.

E42: Jay Redelsperger

My guest today is Jay Redelsperger, a singer, songwriter, and fellow Jungian enthusiast. Jay received his BA in psychology from the University of Oklahoma and an MA in Depth Psychology from Sonoma State University. His music is available on YouTube and on all major music platforms. Jay also co-hosts the Gatherings Podcast with Béa Gonzalez. I truly enjoyed our conversation and I hope you do as well. 

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An interpretation of a dream: At first, it seemed as if I was in a busy city, but then it became apparent I was in a school. The dream seems to be telling me that I’m now attending the school of life and I need to keep learning.

Keep Going (A Dream Interpretation)

An interpretation of a dream: At first, it seemed as if I was in a busy city, but then it became apparent I was in a school. The dream seems to be telling me that I’m now attending the school of life and I need to keep learning.

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dreams – how to approach them and how they can be thought of as elements for personal healing and growth; the collective unconscious; the inner balance between ego and subconscious; and how religion relates to symbolism.

E41: Jonathan Hyland

My guest today is Jonathan Hyland. Jonathan is a depth psychologist with a degree from Pacifica Graduate Institute. Jonathan began a journey into his own depths in an effort to understand an anxiety that was imposing on his life. Instead of medicating, Jonathan chose to allow the anxiety to guide him to a more whole version of himself. Jonathan’s story is fascinating, inspiring, and almost magical. I truly enjoyed our conversation and hope you do as well.

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art as a means of communication, the spiritual and the primordial world, reinterpreting religion, the current spiritual movements and following your Inner Voice as a way of core guidance.  

E40: Feldsott

My guest today is Feldsott, an artist and healer with a long and fascinating story. At a young age, Feldsott became an artist on the rise, but he was disillusioned with the business side of art and stopped exhibiting or selling his work. Instead, Feldsott disappeared to South America where he championed environmental issues and studied with Indigenous people for more than 25 years. During this time Feldsott continued to paint every day, amassing a truly impressive body of work that went entirely unseen. In 2002, the National Museum in Quito, Ecuador, offered Feldsott his first solo show in two decades. I found Feldsott to be genuine, insightful, and quite gentle. I truly enjoyed our conversation and I hope you do as well.

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dreaming – why do we dream, the relationship between the dream and the dreamer, the interactive quality of dreams, metaphors as a way of communication, the idea of a collective consciousness and a shared knowledge, and the interpretation of dreams in other cultures.

E39: Jason DeBord

My guest today is Jason (J.M.) DeBord, best-selling author of the Dream Interpretation Dictionary, Creator of DREAMS 1-2-3, and host of The Dreams That Shape Us podcast. Jason is well known in the dream work space, and also as RadOwl, the moderator of Reddit’s most popular subReddit on dreams – r/dreams. Jason is the author of a new book Nightmares: Your Guide to Interpreting Your Darkest Dreams. I found him to be well-traveled in both the waking and dream world, generous and passionate. I truly enjoyed our conversation and I hope you do as well.

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the response to mental health crises, anxiety, depression, suicide, the system which is supposed to help with these things, psychology, individuals, cognition, patterns and paradigms, perception, the collective unconscious, conformity, survival, how we see ourselves, stories we tell ourselves and how we might not even realise we’re telling them.

E38: Jessica Watson Miller

My guest today is Jessica (Jess) Watson Miller, the founder of PsychCrisis.org – a nonprofit working to reform the psychiatric crisis system. Jess has a deeply personal connection to the crisis system and its flaws, and so works passionately to educate others about psychiatric crises and how to manage them, as well as designing new systems and working with current operators to improve their services. I found Jess to have a deep understanding of the issues. She’s well researched, thoughtful and articulate. I truly enjoyed our conversation and I hope you do as well.

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power and love being opposites, fear, happiness, empathy, religion, compassion, strength, myth, stories, individuality in a collective society, self development, writing, growing old, regrets, value and being truly engaged in the life that we are living to make something happen.

E37: Bud Harris

My guest today is Bud Harris, an author, psychologist, and Jungian analyst. Early in life, Bud pursued a career in business but his life lacked meaning. Following a period of dissatisfaction and searching, he returned to school and eventually became a diplomate Jungian analyst. Bud has written dozens of books, including Sacred Selfishness, Into the Heart of the Feminine, and Becoming a Love Warrior. Through his writing, Bud shares what he’s learned about living a life of passion and love, fueled by self-knowledge and awareness. I truly enjoyed our conversation and I hope you do as well.

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writing, reading and storytelling, fiction and nonfiction, human-centric experiences and natural experiences, culture vs nature, evolution of stories, how everyone shares the same experiences in a different way without realizing, connection with animals from foxes to flies, loneliness, marriage, how even in modern life we carry the same human nature as humans always have.

E36: Catherine Raven

My guest today is Catherine Raven, an author, biologist, and overall inspiring human being. Catherine is a former national park ranger, she earned a PhD in biology from Montana State University, and holds degrees in zoology and botany from the University of Montana. Her first published book of non-fiction – Fox and I: an Uncommon Friendship – was the winner of the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Award. Catherine’s natural history essays have appeared in American Scientist, Journal of American Mensa, Montana Magazine, Narrative Magazine, and National Geographic Traveler. I found Catherine to be a lovely person, passionate about life and her work, and I truly enjoyed our conversation. I hope you do as well.

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facing mortality, Jared’s personal experience facing adversity from a young age and how it shaped his behavior growing up, religion, adversity, privilege, pain, morality, good and evil, Buddhism, stoicism, differences between East and West, non-duality, humility, vulnerability, finding truth, distance from oneself, equanimity, individual stories, detachment, mythology, the bible, the garden of Eden, the two trees, symbolism, reincarnation, meditation, the endless pursuit of ‘something’ and the evolution of our own stories. 

E35: Jared Janes

My guest today is Jared Janes, a coach, podcaster, community builder, and meditator. From an early age, Jared has had a deep interest in human development, and has been willing to endure quite a lot to learn about and experience that development for himself. Jared spent six years exploring a handful of popular meditation methods and spiritual traditions, but still sensed that something was missing. With the guidance of his friend & teacher Charlie Awbery, he moved from a renunciative practice to the life-affirming path of a yogi. And in 2020, the two of them co-founded a contemporary community of practice called Evolving Ground. I found Jared to be open, warm, and full of helpful knowledge based on personal experience. I truly enjoyed our conversation and I hope you do as well.

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storytelling, active imagination, the benefits of pushing known boundaries, human evolution, history, psychology, Carl Jung, creativity, writing, individuality and our inner need for connection.

E34: Béa Gonzalez; Sophia Cycles

My guest today is Béa Gonzalez, an author, podcaster, lecturer, educator, and one of my favorite social media follows. I’m a fan of Béa because of her passion for teaching people about the importance of a metaphorical approach to life. As an author, Béa’s novels have been published in seven countries. Her titles include The Bitter Taste of Time, The Mapmaker’s Opera, and the recently published Invocation, which is available now. Béa recently launched a podcast called Gatherings, with her friend and musician Jay Redelsperger, in which they sit down to discuss subjects they are both passionate about—books and music. Whether reading her books, watching her lectures, or listening to her podcast, Béa always has something deep, relevant, and interesting to say. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and hope you do as well. 

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ancient cave art, human history and evolution, Jung’s concept of the collective unconscious, animism and its impact in modern society, spirituality versus projection, the psychological significance of stories, how stories relate to dreams and myth, the Hero archetype and its evolution throughout time.  

E33: Bernie Taylor

My guest today is Bernie Taylor, a naturalist, author and archaeoastronomer whose research explores the origins of mankind’s creativity and awareness of the natural world. He’s authored several books, including Biological Time and Before Orion: Finding the Face of the Hero, which explores mankind’s creative capacity by looking at Paleolithic cave art from 40,000 years ago. Bernie proposes that select cave paintings are fundamental pieces in the human journey to self-realization, the foundation of astronomy, and a record of biological knowledge that irrevocably impacted some of the artistic styles, religious practices, and stories that are still with us today. I found Bernie to be deeply knowledgeable and enthusiastic. I truly enjoyed our conversation and I hope you do as well.

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archaeology, history, the past and what we can learn from it in the present, human connection, spirit, empathy, greed, control and money, what it is to be human, superimposing our own moralities in situations where they don’t belong, evolution, animism, mysticism, tolerance, how languages and cultures can allow beautiful expression in ways others can’t, and artificial intelligence being used to give an objective unbiased view the human eye might not see.

E32: Dr. Alicia Colson

My guest today is Dr. Alicia Colson, an archaeologist and ethnohistorian, who’s conducted fieldwork in Canada, the UK, the US and Antigua, all in an effort to understand our human past. In her work, Alicia collaborates with indigenous communities in an effort to understand differing viewpoints, while also using AI computing to make scientific discoveries. Alicia’s a member of The Explorers Club’s Class of 2022. She’s a Wiley Digital Archive Fellow, and the co-founder and co-Editor of Exploration Revealed, the Scientific Exploration Society’s digital hybrid publication, which showcases advances in knowledge and peer-to-peer support for those engaged with scientific exploration and adventure-led expeditions. In addition, Alicia is the commissioning editor for the Great Britain and Ireland Chapter of The Log Magazine, a quarterly publication of The Explorers Club. I truly enjoyed my conversation with Alicia and I hope you do as well.

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evolving vs. devolving societies, psychopaths, sociopaths, the biological and evolutionary drivers of our social behavior and order, narcism, gods, stories, myths, authoritarian regimes and their foundations, different types of leadership according to a given social context, several forms of trauma, empathy and the emotions that are derived from it.

E31: Charles Pezeshki

My guest today is Charles Pezeshki, a professor of engineering at Washington State University, and self-described world traveler, husband, and father of two. Charles has published in the field of design theory and high performance work teams. He runs a large Design Clinic and has worked on large-scale projects in various fields: from organizing sustainability education in Europe, to understanding nonlinear dynamics and complex system theory, to environmental policy and experiential education. Charles has a fascinatingly-scary way of looking at the world, but it’s a message of hope, because empathy is at the heart. For all of Charles’s thoughts you can check out his website empathy.guru. I truly enjoyed our conversation and hope you do as well.

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Eastern and Western ways of approaching religion and their main differences, searching for meaning as a basic human need, magic, finding meaning and establishing a sense of connection to a whole, monotheistic and polytheistic religions and how they relate with the concept of truth, and the importance of separating valid personal experiences from historical proven facts.

E30: Dr. Angela Puca; Angela’s Symposium

My guest today is Dr. Angela Puca who’s research focuses on magic, witchcraft, Paganism, esotericism, shamanism, and related currents. Angela holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Philosophy and has lectured at Leeds Trinity University for several years. In 2021, The University of Leeds awarded her a PhD in Anthropology of Religion, which will be published in the upcoming year. Author of several peer-reviewed publications and co-editor of the forthcoming ‘Pagan religions in five minutes’ for Equinox, she hopes to bridge the gap between academia and the communities of magic practitioners by delivering related scholarly content on her YouTube Channel and TikTok ‘Angela’s Symposium.’ I truly enjoyed my conversation with Angela and I hope you do as well.

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meditation and mindfulness, the impact these practices can have on chronic illnesses, how some people often misuse meditation as a form of escapism, the Alexander Technique, Western and Eastern approaches to overall wellbeing, and the importance of human connection.

E29: Maija Haavisto

In our conversation, we dive deep into meditation and mindfulness, the impact these practices can have on chronic illnesses, how some people often misuse meditation as a form of escapism, the Alexander Technique, Western and Eastern approaches to overall wellbeing, and the importance of human connection.

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Ben's signature, a Circle and Square, dualities with a lot of space in between, visual art, painting, the long human conversation, just a box in a cage, individuals, set and setting, human beings, potential, what we could be, what we see ourselves as, paintings making the artist, the the paintings should be signing the artist, The center of our own circles, every human in the center of their own circle, never standing in anyone else's circle, the stories we accept can become our boxes, art at its best is consciousness changing, Abstraction as spirituality, adaptation to life and adaptation is life, discovery is removing boxes, there's so much more out there, So many ways to look at the same work of art, and art occuring when somebody has enough power over something.

E22: Benjamin Johnson

My guest today is an amazing,  photo-realistic painter named Benjamin Johnson. Born in Philadelphia, Ben spent his formative years in the Pine Barrens of southern

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like mindedness, being an outsider, melancholy, American pop culture, popular culture, Star Wars, relating to television, World War I, World War II, Capitalism, Communism, China, Russia, the vastness of media and how to navigate it, the distillation of current mythology through media, dealing with editors, the amount of room there is for mediocrity, doing the only thing you know how to do, the artist by themselves as a stance, DIY, Punk and hard core, living in places that expose you to others’ work, energy for creation, the myth of the artist or writer being alone, creating based on what was created before you, originality, exposure and content creation, artists reflecting the world they see, postmodernism, hyper-capitalism, and the world telling you everything you need to think

E21: Adam Helms

My guest today is Adam Helms, a fascinating artist and human, who’s work encompasses drawing, printmaking, sculpture, assemblage, and archival research. Adam’s work often highlights

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art as the study of the self, having curiosity, not having curiosity, the x-factor, creativity as a living entity that needs to be nurtured, the collective unconscious, the shadow, information that we are simply channeling, watching scenes versus writing them out, what the body knows but consciousness doesn't, being aware of what's being produced, the collective unconscious hides the shadow of our society, art and comedy as a presentation of the collective unconscious, courage as a big part of honoring your creative urges, being most connected with others when we're most connected with ourselves, connection through vulnerability, the presence of God in a movie theater, 99% of the country is conservative, people and countries always decline, what it means to be who you are, feeling so different with time, everything is energy and that's all there is to it, you don't have to love you are being loved, behaving based on others ideas and trying to match it, the God of America, Ex-Mormons and the Religious Shelf, and that when you're an artist you are Mother Nature

E18: Carrie Seid

My guest today is a nationally recognized artist, accomplished educator, and driven creative coach named Carrie Seid. Carrie has produced and taught art most of

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genuine conversation, educators and how they deliver lectures, individuals, late starts, art class, the value of art education, the words we use, phrases such as “I don’t care”, learning online, the ocean of knowledge, finding a teacher you connect with, Appreciating the Intangible, liberal education, creativity as puzzle solving, children and culture, if everyone is making art, becoming a visitor again, memories, exploring past experiences through art, humans as hardware and software, being a simulation of the universe, software, operating systems, software packages, language packages, Vietnam, Vietnamese, English, energy in the universe, we are the universe simulating itself, evolution, sophistication, pain, a need to figure out how to exist, having nothing to regret, death is the end, the destination is not the work, Buddhism, and wanting a little and knowing that’s enough

E16: Ahn-Thuy Nguyen

My guest today is Ahn-Thuy Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American photographer, educator, and all-around fantastic human being. Through her art, Ahn-Thuy investigates her personal history as a

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having a way, letting others play “that” game, being a late bloomer, conflicting values, paying a fortune to play a game, having a perfectionist inside, in painting only the top layer counts, not fearing a paintbrush, being willing to sit with something, academic training and an ability to adapt, commissions, guarantees, wanting to be loved, money being the key to the door, love at first sight, living romantically, only being on the planet so long, what to do if you’re not happy, just doing the work, putting drama into creativity, the grand canyon, and the ultimate object of any artist

E10: Beth Zink

My guest today is an accomplished painter, and an amazing person, named Beth Zink. Beth didn’t begin painting professionally until her kids were grown, but

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the stories all around us, discovering new artists, art transcending stories, context and story, art and culture, newness and profanity, humanity, the culture we grow up in, being our own person, feeling like a fool, loving where you are, an attitude as an artist, doing what other people tell you, growing from a child to an adult with a story, having confidence in yourself, seeing your situation as a blessing and loving it, and accepting the process

E9: Julie Sasse

My guest today is the amazingly talented Julie Sasse, Chief Curator at the Tucson Museum of Art. Julie is a life-long lover of the arts,

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theater art, directing, fulfillment in the process, getting to sit back, books, stories, the effects of stories, the intrinsic value of entertainment, fiction vs nonfiction, emotional journeys, child play, work, creative people and their work, energy for sharing stories, strokes, the ability of brains to break, the BEFAST acronym for strokes, humor and horror, the human monster, aliens, bad guys, people’s stories making sense to them, figuring out what you really want to do, and the hierarchy of stories

E8: Kimberly Davis Basso

My guest today is the multi-talented Kimberly Davis Basso. Kimberley is a theater director, author, mother, and stroke survivor named Kimberly Davis Basso. Kimberly spent

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what allows us to be, confidence, loving art, creating art is doing the work, being your own limit, flow, hard days, discipline without a boss, knowing you're the only one to make it happen, including the bad days in the picture, sculptures, wood, steel, life and money, investing in yourself, our responsibility in the studio, creativity and discipline, games becoming jobs, art as a job, being alive and doing something, the thing inside of you, stories and games to play, wanting to create something, work, young people, successful people, humans are still here, energy, stories in our heads, peace living with uncertainty, magic, priests and shamans, and the best gifts we can offer the world

E7: Carlos Page

My guest today is a brilliant sculptor, a thoughtful human being, and a great conversationalist named Carlos Page. Carlos was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

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polygamist communities in Utah and the surrounding states, my families connection to this history, how people often seem crazy but are not, Mormon apologists, putting yourself in other’s shoes, the religious fear of being or doing enough, growing up isolated from others, public school, social learning, feeling normal after leaving polygamy, intentionally creating a persona, abuse and fatigue of abuse within religion, shelves or drawers in which to put religious doubts, emotional intelligence, joy and happiness, walking away from a self-sustaining society, the architecture of one’s reality, honesty of people who have hit rock bottom, the types of people you can trust, relating to others, children’s souls, external worlds and emotions, trauma from emotional neglect, not being allowed to feel, our bubbles becoming us, courage and blessings, becoming a whole person, reality and our perception of it, father’s becoming daddys, and our trial making us who we are today

E4: Tonia Tewell

My guest today is an amazingly hard worker with a giant heart. Her name is Tonia Tewell and she’s the Founder and Executive Director of

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having real conversations, dogma, having a life’s work and legacy, having a sense of humor, innate optimism and loving people, self love and acceptance, coming to grip with art, high school pranks and concrete phalluses, being a fighter, souls and circuitry, accepting the journey, family bubbles, alexithymia, psychology, bankruptcy, being too afraid to fail, learning as human beings, life dependent outcomes, trying new things, self doubt, helping others with our unique gifts, the simplicity of being a kid, wisdom from various sources, being comfortable with discomfort, listening to your inner self, people who have arrived, fear of losing it, letting go of the path, roadmaps for life and god, enjoying the creative process, insistent thoughts or desires, the zen of being a bear, creation and creativity, the adaptability of humans, cats and calendars, art as a meditation, the hardest part of art, music and breaking the rules, having the space to do crappy stuff, and the essence of life

E3: Bruce Marion

My guest today is Bruce Marion, a fantastic, fun loving artist, and teacher. Bruce is a contemporary impressionist painter whose work explodes with vivid color

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the thrill of discovering real conversation, the unknowable essence of God, experiencing real prayer, leaving careers without a plan, identifying with others ideals, begging the universe for meaning, homeopathy and modern western medicine, faith and honesty, science and religion, insatiable curiosity, cultures’ views of children, emergence, higher powers and love, religious movements, ancient and archaic peoples, materiality and spirituality, motivation, and following one’s awe.

E1: Ebbie

My guest today is my amazing friend Ebbie. Ebbie and I met way back in a past life. Since those days, we’ve both been reborn

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Welcome to The EXPLORER POET Podcast. In this intro episode I discuss the podcasts format, my intent to explore through conversation, the unexplored realms of today, my podcast objectives, and I invite everyone to come explore with me.

E0: Intro

Welcome to The EXPLORER POET Podcast. In this intro episode I discuss the podcasts format, my intent to explore through conversation, the unexplored realms of

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