The Unplug Podcast: Activated Living for Truth Seekers and Critical Thinkers in a Collapsing World

It’s been a while since I’ve felt the impulse to record another Table Talk conversation with Louise LeBrun. Even though we see each other regularly and our conversations are always profoundly meaningful to me, there are many times when I feel compelled to just keep them for myself. That said, I’m always open for the potential of a conversation that I feel inspired to share. As it happens, the impulse finally landed for me to once again bring out the mic. With a deep curiosity about what could possibly emerge from within the two of us, I started recording. As always, there was no agenda. Just an open space for a free-flowing, organic conversation. As we often do, Louise and I covered a lot of interesting terrain. Because our conversations are always intimate and personal, we go to places that are familiar to our own shared experiences. To provide some context to aid in your understanding of the direction we embarked on,  Louise references two of her powerful creations: the Decloaking and Living Authentically experience and the Engaging and Awakening Others experience, both of which were unfolding with a local facilitator at the same time as our conversation. You will hear repeated references to both of these experiences as metaphors for how reality can rapidly shift with an expansion in consciousness, starting at the personal level. While Louise is officially retired from leading these experiences, she references them as powerful avenues toward Self reclamation in the face of collapse. Because I have personally engaged with Louise’s work in a very committed and intimate way over the last several years, you will hear me share my own life-changing personal experiences—experiences that now offer me the deep Self connection I feel is so critical during these tumultuous times. I confess that because our conversation is so personal, I found myself wondering: would anyone else care? Would anyone even understand? Would they discover anything for their own Selves? Does it even matter? Should I even bother to release this conversation? And then, I thought to myself: why wouldn’t I bother! Because I know that those who continue to follow my work are the hardcore searchers of their own insights into their Life, especially with the intense provocation that accelerating biosphere collapse is providing. A few of the topics we discuss in this conversation include: * How people are either ignorant or terrified in the face of today’s collapsing world. * Consciousness as the driver for collapse. * The futility of resistance-based actions in the face of collapse. * The illusion of grief as a means toward Self intimacy.  * A new conversation about powerlessness. * Acceptance and surrender vs. Giving up. * The illusion of time. * Standing in the now and continually moving forward. * The repetitive monotony of the human existence. * Learning how to “be”. * A new mindset around resourcefulness. * And a different conversation about “death”. Of course there is always so much more. Throughout this chat, you will hear the everyday sounds of life in my household including the sounds of playful, meowing cats and the occasional barking dog. They are as much a part of these experiences as I am. This is a higher order conversation for those who are willing to surrender their intellects to something far more powerful. To enjoy this conversation, simply click the audio link at the top of this post. If Deb’s words hit home and you find value in her work, please donate:

In this conversation with Michael Dowd and Ganga Devi Braun, I share my personal evolution toward a life of activated presence in these times of social, ecological and climate collapse. This interview is part of the Post Doom Conversation series that will be released later this year. According to Michael Dowd, creator of the Post Doom Conversation series, the theme of the Post Doom conversations is as follows: “A foreboding sense of climate chaos, societal collapse, and ecological “doom” is now widespread. Acknowledging our predicament and working through the stages of grief takes one only to the midpoint: acceptance. What lies beyond? Michael Dowd (with occasional co-hosts) invites guests to share their personal journeys along this trajectory and especially the gifts they have found on the other side of the post-doom doorway.” Michael describes a post-doom heart and mindset as follows: “Living, loving, and relating honorably with full awareness that there are levels of climate chaos beyond human control, our predicament encompasses all aspects of life, human-centered measures of “progress” are ecocidal, technology and the market are false gods, and the near-term extinction of Homo colossus is both inevitable and necessary and the extinction of Homo sapiens is possible. A post-doom mindset is a hard-earned and perhaps fluctuating state of being. For many, classic stages of grief are among the stepping stones; the darkness of despair can rarely be avoided. Nonetheless, mere acceptance of “doom” (civilizational, ecological, our own species) need not be the endpoint. Indeed, what we hope to explore in this series are possibilities other than emotional detachment, stoic resolve, and spiritual transcendence. Rather, what shifts in perception, understanding, relating, and identity become possible when we walk through a post-doom doorway? How do priorities, lifeways, and outer-world involvements shift and clarify on the other side? And how do such changes call forth genuine equanimity, even joy?” This is an important conversation that I feel will resonate with those who have chosen a different way in the face of biosphere collapse. Those who have chosen a path of deeper connection to their Selves and to Life—both embodied and beyond—will no longer feel so alone. To listen to this conversation, simply click the audio link at the top of this post. Alternatively it can also be viewed with embedded video above this post. NOTE: Michael has granted me permission to share this interview before its official release. If Deb’s words hit home and you find value in her work, please donate:

While the prevailing global collective dig their heels deeper into sustaining the status quo, many others are becoming activists, enraged by the infinite list of atrocities being committed around the globe. As seemingly more people fight for change these days—with grandiose expectations for governments, corporations, media, and the global public to wake up and do something—notable progress continues to evade us. With a lifetime of advocacy in my experience, I know well the trenches of activism. Having lived through almost six decades of human potential, I’ve born witness to, and participated in several activist uprisings. The passion behind these acts of revolt was often so impressive that one could easily be convinced of a shift in collective consciousness. Why then, do we stand in the precarious place that we do today? An abbreviated timeline of the past 60 years tells an interesting story about the efficacy of activism to create meaningful change in our world. The ’60’s brought to us a formidable anti-war movement filled with the promise of peace and love through flower power, hippie subculture, and meaningful music. The Women’s Liberation Movement of the ’70’s seemed unstoppable in its mission toward the creation of gender equality in an oppressive, patriarchal world. From the Stonewall riots in 1969 emerged the Gay Liberation Movement of the ’70’s and ’80’s. Social equality for all who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender sparked powerful momentum for today’s LGBT movement. The growing environmental movement of the 80’s spawned the “green” revolution of the ’90’s and early 21st Century. In tandem with the green revolution was the bourgeoning animal rights movement. Countless celebrities and wealthy philanthropists used their clout to speak up for a more compassionate world through animal rights and veganism. In 2011, the Occupy movement gained significant traction and inspired a new way of thinking about democracy and social justice. While it did little to change the culture of sexism and the mindset of patriarchy, the Women’s March of 2017 touched the lives of millions of women around the world. And in 2018, impassioned survivors of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting inspired a powerful movement for gun control in one of the most weapon-loving countries in the world. So much promise. So much “hope”. So much momentum, energy, and passion channeled toward the creation of something more aligned with our better nature. But as Albert Einstein once said, “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” Without fail, many of these movements fizzled out only to be swallowed by the oh-so-familiar and oh-so-comfortable dominant paradigm once again. The systems that make up human civilization (political, corporate, social, market, education, religion, health care, mass media, etc.), and the overwhelming inertia of the status quo who adhere to these systems, remain deeply entrenched in the mediocrity of changelessness. The sheer density of this mass consciousness ensures the impenetrable stasis of what has always been. In the 60-year timeline just mentioned, we have essentially taken two steps forward and several steps back. At a time of rising isolationism, tribalism, racism, and authoritarianism, we currently stand in a place where the right-to-bear-arms mindset is as deeply entrenched in the American psyche as ever; ceaseless wars rage on throughout the world; corporate control has become more globally oppressive with each passing year; homophobia still runs rampant, racism is as prevalent and ugly as ever, and animals, women and the natural world are more brutalized than ever before.

While relishing a beautiful summer day in our lovely screened porch, Deb Gleason, Louise LeBrun and myself enjoy another compelling Table Talk conversation about, Who Are We in the Face of Collapse. In this conversation we explore how we are so conditioned to tiptoe around difficult conversations under the guise of “protecting” others and how this comes at great expense to the fullness of our most authentic expression. We also talk about how the most difficult conversation in the global predicament we are living in today, is that of collapse: of civilization, of ecosystems, of the planetary biosphere, of Life on Earth. Few are willing to go there, and it’s not uncommon for this conversation to be negated, dismissed, mocked, and denied. But what if we stopped skirting the edges of difficult conversations such as these and allowed ourSelves to speak our truth? Not to educate, advise or convince, but simply to tell it like we know it within ourselves? We delve into an exploration about the distraction of activism and the addictive nature of its expression that perpetuates a victim mentality. And of course, we talk at great length about the evolution of consciousness that propels us out of this box and into an entirely different way of being. Other topics of exploration include: * How the critical conversation is not about collapse or climate change, it is about evolution of consciousness. Consciousness is what creates reality. * How activism hasn’t changed anything. If fact, things are much worse than they’ve ever been despite decades of activist movements. * Living with end-awareness. Redefining the meaning of longevity as living fully in the end. * A very different conversation about grief as a provocation for personal evolution. * And the power of choice, and the ripple effect of living authentically. References within the conversation: Fully Conscious…Alive! Interview with Dean Walker Discoveries from a Retired Activist The Perpetual Illusion of Change To enjoy this conversation, simply click the audio link at the top of this post. If Deb’s words hit home and you find value in her work, please donate:

As I continue the vigorous pace of my personal evolution, the emptiness I feel when engaging with others presents more frequently. In fact, I feel more alone engaging with most people than I do when I’m actually alone. There are exceptions, of course. They are the rare few who are also committed to their own personal evolution; free of all doctrine, be it Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, science, politics, technology, or any other form of dogmatic thought. These are the few who have progressed beyond the shallow awareness of seeking to know more to become “enlightened”, “awakened” (as if there is a finish line), or to become a “better person”; to the deeper awareness of knowing their connection to all life and choosing to live accordingly. While the majority of humans live their lives from the coma of culturally conditioned habituation, many others profess their commitment to some sort of spiritual search. Few, however, are willing to move beyond the search in order to find, own and engage the limitless nature of their potential. Even fewer are willing to engage this potential in relation to the severity of our planetary predicament. It takes great courage and Self trust (Soul trust) to be willing to stand this naked, liberated from the confines of our finite mortal nature; intimately connected to the infinite Self that defines what we truly are. In a comatose global collective, how does one converse with individuals so profoundly bound to the illusion of our finite physicality? How does one connect to the disconnected who are utterly clueless about their disconnect? How does one who is connected with their Self relate to those who don’t even know there is a Self to know? If one is not awake, how can they live an awakened life? How does one wake up when they don’t even know they’re asleep? My capacity to talk about the mundane and meaningless in our “conversation atrophied” world, is absent. I no longer have the tolerance or patience for conversations lacking in depth and intimacy. Sure I can calibrate for common ground on the terms of others and “meet folks where they’re at”, but I can’t deny that it doesn’t leave me feeling more empty in the end. So I find myself spending less and less time with more and more people. I’ve worked so hard on myself that I trust what works best for me. Self compromise serves nobody, least of all me. The conversations that mean most to me defy the monotony of the terrestrial, and few are willing to step into this world free of opinions, advice, dogma, and other forms of judgment. Few are willing to take the deep dive into acceptance of a reality that doesn’t map to the longevity of our species, and of Life on this planet. Even fewer are willing to become so much more as a result. Not unexpectedly, few conversations leave me feeling satiated. Most just leave me feeling empty. In fact, the mortally wounded planet is less noxious to me than most of the humans I share it with. Gaea, I can trust. People, not so much. Needless to say, I choose wisely who I spend my time with. Let’s face it, as a generalized global species human beings are disconnected: from the natural world; from birds, fish, reptiles, insects, and animals; from each other; and most importantly from their own Selves. Lack of Self intimacy is the source of all separation in our world. It is the reason for our vastly degraded collective consciousness; the reason for our global idiocracy. It is also the source of all brutality in the world, from self-loathing to the loathing of others; to war, animal slaughter, and the mindless decimation of the planet. Most people are intimately connected to their externally sourced distractions: their personal stories and dramas, their busyness, consumption patterns, jobs, addictions, pornography, tv shows, workout schedules, and most notably, their devices.

My evolution with this podcast has been one of passion to inspire a more compassionate and activated world in the small window of time I believed we still had when I started this endeavor. From there I experienced the dramatic effects of abrupt climate change first hand in 2015. This opened me to a deeper knowing that presented in premonitions of ocean collapse that same year. This made it clear to me that we are now living in the “apocalyptic times” that so many ancient traditions have spoken about. The 6th mass extinction event does not exclude us. We are not miraculously exempt from the repercussions of our collective ignorance, arrogance, and relentlessly consumptive, overpopulating, industrialized, and separated ways. With this in mind, I have been turning inward. I’ve been deep in the throes of an extremely powerful personal evolutionary process that has profoundly transformed my life. It’s been so powerful that all identity of who I once thought myself to be is gone and I am left with the two most powerful words: I am. With this continually expanding evolutionary process, I now find the human world meaningless and mundane. I have lost all interest in the world “out there”. I have no interest in the drama of the human experience, nor do I have any interest in the minutia of the content that drives this uncaring world. My days are now all about being, and from there, doing flows with ease. I am truly living a life of presence. There is no future orientation to pull me anymore. It is breath by breath, moment by moment. It is truly freeing. The more I discover of my essence and the stronger my connection to the Soul, the less interest I have in what matters in our dominant civilization: money, possessions, status, beauty, success, technology fame, longevity, and so on. The greater my connection to the essence of who I am, the greater clarity I have, and the more I engage that, the lesser my connection to the dominant civilization of separation. This brings with it great peace, profound acceptance and total liberation. I have reached the end of the line for the Unplug podcast. It now feels complete, and this week, share my final thoughts on a wonderful journey that has brought me to this profound place of peace and acceptance. I send deep gratitude to all listeners for their passion and support over the years. Most of all, thank you all for having the courage to be more of who and what you are. Inspired by this podcast? If so, here’s how you can fan the flame for the message: 1. Support the show! Support the paradigm-altering Unplug movement on Patreon. Every contribution makes a difference! 2. Subscribe & Review the Show on iTunes: Here’s a simple 5-step process to quickly rate, review and subscribe to the show. You can also now subscribe to the show on Stitcher where the show will now be available all over the world on Stitcher mobile, tablet and web apps and, also in over 4 million in-car dashboards. 3. TELL A FRIEND ABOUT THE SHOW and spread the word FAR AND WIDE! As always, thank you for listening and thank you for helping to co-create a better world!

In the Far East, they say that the innermost channel of the heart is the non-dual channel—our essential nature. Non-duality can be defined as the philosophical, spiritual, and scientific understanding of non-separation and fundamental oneness. When our hearts connect, we are united. This is who we are in our deepest core Soul essence. Many people are rigidly identified with the reasoning mind: the institutional education they’ve had, the books they’ve read, the experiences they’ve had, the beliefs they’ve attached to, and the stories they believe to be real. Although this is common, it limits us because we are so much more than our reasoning minds. When we lead from the heart however, our capacity to hold life-force, is increased. As we open to our Soul, our core essence rises into our experience. The presence of our essence stimulates our energy bodies (mental, emotional and spiritual) and brings with it profound inner wisdom. This week, I’m honored to share the voice of a woman who I have respected for many years. Karen Malik is recognized both nationally and internationally as a uniquely gifted workshop and retreat facilitator, therapist and healer.  She has had the honor of studying with and receiving teachings from many spiritual teachers, Native American elders, and contemporary leaders in the consciousness field as well as the complementary/mind-body healing arts. She is also a long-time student of A.H. Almaas’ The Diamond Approach. I met Karen at the Monroe Institute in 2012 when I was on a profound journey of healing and self discovery after the tragic death of my mother in 2010. It was a time in my life when I was feeling open and raw, and my hunger for the Soul was insatiable. That year, I participated in four separate 5-day resident programs at the Monroe Institute that completely changed my life. The two programs that had the most profound impact on me—to this very day—were the Gateway Voyage and Exploration Essence. Both programs happened to be co-facilitated by Karen. Needless to say, Karen’s presence in my life has been instrumental in both my healing and my personal evolution. This week, we speak to, and from the depths of the Soul. In our conversation, we explore: * Living as an intuitive in an intellectual world. * What is functional silence? * Living from inner guidance rather than external knowledge. * How we are more than our physical bodies. * Integrating our physicality with our spirituality. * What is essence, and what is our essential nature? * Trusting experience over knowledge. * Trusting our internal impulses. * Letting go of the need to know. * What is the higher mind? * Evolving from personality to essence. * Being in the world but not of it. * Choosing discernment over judgement. * The difference between essential power and dominating power. * From free will to free flow. * Mortality as a catalyst for life. * Being grounded in essence in dark times. I’m honored to bring Karen’s wisdom to you. So open your mind and your heart and allow our conversation to inspire your deepest core essence to rise from within. Enjoy. SHOW NOTES: * Karen Malik’s website. * Karen’s workshops and retreats on her website. * The Monroe Institute website. * Hemisync website. * The Ozawkie Book of the Dead on Amazon. If Deb’s words hit home and you find value in her work, please donate:

All conflict, destruction and violence on this planet stems from the illusion that we are separate. We “otherize” one another, non-human animals and the Earth, becoming mere commodities in the end. Separation psychosis is conditioned into us from birth and is nurtured by every dominant belief,and cultural system within our civilization. The deepest, most pervasive, and destructive root of our separation is specieism. The basic definition of speciesism is, “the assumption of human superiority leading to the exploitation of animals.” But it is far more complex than this. From the website veganism.com, “Discrimination is based on judging others not for who they are but for what they are not. The lives and experiences of nonhuman animals are usually considered less important than those of human beings simply because they are not like humans. Yet nonhuman animals have emotional lives and feel pain, pleasure, fear and joy. Devaluing their lives simply because they don’t have some characteristics that most humans have is discrimination. The most common manifestation of speciesist discrimination is moral anthropocentrism, which is the devaluation of the interests of those who don’t belong to the human species. But speciesism includes favoring some nonhuman species over others. For example, usually greater moral consideration is given to dogs than pigs, simply because dogs belong to a certain species and pigs do not.” Many decry racism, sexism, ableism, and heterosexism without realizing that by not decrying speciesism, they only end up perpetuating the very root of all of ‘isms’: separation. We cannot ever live in non-separation if we negate the non-human world. This week I speak with vegan abolitionist, Trisha Roberts, a passionate ethical vegan from Tasmania. I was connected with Trish’s work through a podcast listener who sent me a blog post she wrote a few years back titled, No One Left to Remember, No One to Tell. In many ways, this post was similar to my lengthy essay from last spring. When I read her post, I knew I needed to have her on the show. I’ve been interested in speaking with an outspoken abolitionist for a while, but it never felt aligned because I do not support violence of any sort. Many abolitionists are exceedingly aggressive in the language and words they use that judge and attack others. I am vehemently against this as all it does is perpetuate the very separation of which I am so against. Trish and I are kindred spirits. Both of us live very different lives from the status quo. We are both ethical vegans with female partners living with an awareness of our imminent collective demise. We are both spiritually connected and believe in abolition from a place of non-separation. We both see the bigger picture and connect all the dots without denying that our time as a species is rapidly coming to a close. We both speak openly to this. Trish is the first person I know (other than my partner) who understands it all—and who denies none of it through hopium or wishful thinking. Despite living with the collective end in mind, Trish, like myself, is not giving up on the world and instead, is living from a profound state of purpose. Needless to say, I was very eager to speak to a like-minded, like-hearted Soul sister. In this week’s sobering conversation, we discuss: * Awakening to the pervasive nature of speciesism. * The welfare myth. * What is abolition and how it connects with non-separation. * The myth of “humane”. * Living from essence. * The intersection between justice movements and how speciesism is at the root of all oppressive behavior. * The injustice of domestication. * What is urgent purpose?

The power of metaphor is perhaps one of the best ways to convey a story or message. In the deepening crises facing our world and our planet, it’s becoming increasingly challenging to make sense of the madness that has descended upon us. This week’s guest, Peter Melton, is a gifted storyteller with a voracious curiosity to understand what brought us to this place and how we can move through these times with an intimate connection to our deepest spirituality. Peter is keenly aware of our dire situation and has worked closely with both Guy McPherson and Carolyn Baker to understand more fully the collapse that befalls us. His outlook however is not one of fear and despair. His natural creative talent for metaphors, fables and music has gifted him with an ability to explore spirituality in a way that brings peace and levity to the heart. Peter holds both collapse and expansion, mortality and immortality in his consciousness. Through this, he has discovered what he appropriately calls, urgent spirituality. Peter has a hunger for exploring how spirituality ties in with the crises we are all now living through. His unending curiosity and hunger to understand more of the world and more of his own Soul inspires big questions of which he dares to explore in great depth. In his own words, “We experience ourselves as separate human beings trying to live this great life and yet we know there’s more. I dare to look at that more. What fuels my humanity? Who am I beyond my humanity? What is the bigger picture of the cosmic, infinite story of the 4 billion years of planet Earth and the so much more that exists beyond that? How can I be in touch with that depth of understanding of who I am beyond my humanity?” Peter dares for each of us to discover for our selves, the answers to these questions in these ever challenging times. In this week’s conversation, we discuss: * Cultivating curiosity to understand the deeper meaning of life. * How our anthropocentric worldview prevents us from seeing the bigger picture. * Who are we beyond our humanity? * What is “urgent spirituality”? * Moving from separation to oneness. * The paradox of being “temporary” and infinite at the same time. * Living fully now, with death in mind. * How death can only unsettle us when we live in the “now” with a future-orientation. * Experiencing grief from a male perspective. * Living from vulnerable authenticity. * A new story for the Soul. Peter has become a wonderful friend, and I’m honored to share this thought-provoking conversation with you. Waves of Oneness SHOW NOTES: * Peter Melton’s website. * Howard Kunstler website. * Richard Heinberg website. * Guy McPherson website. * Carolyn Baker website. * The Sacred Power of Grief with Francis Weller podcast. * Conversations with God book on Amazon. * Extinction Dialogues book on Amazon. * The Artist’s Way

Andrew Harvey is a multi-book author, passionate speaker and Founder Director of the Institute of Sacred Activism, an international organization focused on inviting concerned people to take up the challenge of our contemporary global crises by becoming inspired, effective, and practical agents of institutional and systemic change, in order to create peace and sustainability. Andrew’s history is rich. He was born in south India where he lived until he was 9 years old. He credits this early period in his life with shaping his sense of the inner unity of all religions and providing him with a permanent and inspiring vision of a world infused with the sacred. He left India to attend private school in England and entered Oxford University in 1970 with a scholarship to study history. At the age of 21, he became the youngest person ever to be awarded a fellowship to All Soul’s College, England’s highest academic honor. By 1977, Andrew was disillusioned with life at Oxford and returned to his native India, where a series of mystical experiences initiated his spiritual journey. Over the next thirty years he plunged into different mystical traditions to learn their secrets and practices. In 1978 he met a succession of Indian saints and sages and began his long study and practice of Hinduism. There is far more to Andrew’s profound story, but for brevity, his life path is one of studying, writing, and speaking passionately about the sacred, mysticism, and inspiring sacred activism in a far reaching context. A few years ago, I read Andrew’s book, The Hope. This was when I first discovered sacred activism, a form of activism that aligned with the path I was embarking on. As a long-time animal rights, environmental and social justice activist, I’d grown weary and disillusioned with the fighting and resistance-based activism that is most familiar in our world. It was no longer working for me, nor was it working for those I was supposedly fighting for. I knew there was a better way that aligned with the spiritual path I was embracing. The Hope gave me hope. It inspired in me the activism that was already emerging quite naturally, but that I had no language for. It was this activism that birthed the Unplug podcast as well as my book, Unplug. Needless to say, Andrew’s work has had a profound influence on my life. In this week’s passionate conversation, we discuss: * The era of Trump: When the shadow descends on the globe. * How the coma of denial has been broken. Now what? * What is sacred activism? * Transforming anger into passion to create change. * Why we must feel the deepest pain of our most intense heartbreak. * The danger of new age “spirituality”. * Resting in the unknown. * Living in a state of abandonment and true love in action. * Embracing uncertainty as a path to liberation. * The spiritual nature of animals. * How animals reconnect us to our own Souls. * The difference between happiness and joy. * How joy is always with us. Enjoy this inspiring conversation with the eloquent, passionate, inspirational, and activated, Andrew Harvey. Andrew Harvey and Guy McPherson SHOW NOTES: * Andrew Harvey’s Institute for Sacred Activism website. * Return to Joy on Amazon...

Peter Russell has an extensive resume that led him from studies in mathematics and theoretical physics at Cambridge University, to studies in experimental psychology, meditation, consciousness, and evolution. His principal interest is the deeper, spiritual significance of the times we are living in. Peter’s work seeks to distill the essence of the world’s spiritual traditions and present it in ways that are relevant to the current times. He’s an author, speaker, workshop facilitator and a revolutionary futurist. I first learned of Peter’s work many years ago when I read his books, Waking Up in Time and From Science to God. In 2012, I had the honor of spending a week with Peter at the Monroe Institute in a program co-facilitated with Karen Malik called Exploration Essence. The program was life-altering and inspires my life and my work to this day. In January of 2016, Peter released a video titled, Evolution’s End. It resonated on a profound level. After the release of my essay, Letting Go of a World in Collapse last spring, I invited Peter for a return visit to the Unplug podcast where we could discuss our resonant world views. He responded immediately. I sent him my essay, and he sent me a link to his essay titled, Blind Spot: The Unforeseen End of Accelerating Change. Once again, I was struck by the similarities in our worldview. This week’s podcast is an exploration of the personal paradigm shifts that prompted both of us to write our respective essay’s (without knowledge of each others work I might add), about accelerating evolution, about technology in the age of information, and about the near-term finite reality for homo sapien on this Earth. Other topics of exploration include: * How acceleration is an inevitable part of evolution. * What is entropy? * How stress is accelerating in tandem with our lives. * How technology has influenced our social, political, economic, cultural, and ecological breakdown. * The accelerated awakening of consciousness as breakdown simultaneously plays out. * The importance of awakening in these times of breakdown. * How contemplating the end of our species can be the wake-up call we need. * The liberation of accepting our own mortality—as individuals and as a species. * What is evolutionary singularity? * The meaning of life. * The ego mind and how it interferes with the natural mind. This is a profound conversation that is well worth the listen. Evolution’s End SHOW NOTES: * Peter Russell’s powerful Blind Spot essay. * How to Meditate without even Trying online meditation course. * Living Consciously in an Unconscious World: 2013 podcast with Peter. * Peter’s website: The Spirit of Now. * From Science to God: A Physicist’s Journey into the Mystery of Consciousness on Amazon. * Waking Up in Time: Finding Inner Peace in Times of Accelerating Change on Amazon.

A few months ago, my partner and I made the decision to move from the BC coast to the mountainous interior. The move was entirely prompted by intuition and the heartbreaking necessity to say goodbye to a rapidly dying ocean. The departure was emotional to say the least. We left behind an amazing community, breathtaking beauty, many years of inspiration, emotional healing and of course, the ocean. We packed up the furry family and our belongings and moved ourselves to uncertainty. With no place to call home, we made arrangements to store our belongings in a tiny locker for an indefinite period of time. We also searched (and searched and searched) for a temporary, pet-friendly place to land where we could safely look for a new place to call home. With perseverance, we eventually found the perfect place for ourselves and our animal family: a tiny 300 square foot cabin nestled in the foothills on an 8-acre piece of rural property complete with rescued horses, cats, and a chicken. A true sanctuary for all. Not only was the property beautiful, so too were the people who called this place home. Wendy Elrick and her husband Christiaan were gracious hosts who went out of their way to ensure that our transition to the Okanagan valley was a smooth one. As the days passed, we had the opportunity to get to know Wendy. I was drawn to her warmth, compassion, wisdom, and sense of ease. Our conversations were rich with meaning. I knew that she was a perfect candidate for the Unplug podcast. Wendy Elrick has been working as a counsellor for over 20 years. Her experience includes working with children, adults, families, and groups. Her vast toolkit includes trauma recovery, teaching assertiveness, and women’s empowerment. What fascinated me most however, was her practice of equine-assisted learning and therapy. Equine-assisted therapy is an experiential therapeutic modality where horses participate as co-counsellors with their innate energetic sensitivity. The model that Wendy practices utilizes a combination of the concepts of natural horsemanship, play therapy, story-telling, reflective opportunities, and problem-solving exercises. As Wendy says on her website, “Horses are very much like humans in that they are social animals. They have defined roles within their herds. Horses have distinct personalities, attitudes, and moods. As a result, there are many opportunities for metaphorical learning. Using an aspect of the interaction with the horse as a symbol of an issue an individual is struggling with, learning can take place. Due to the fact that horses have the ability to mirror exactly what human body language is telling them, many opportunities arise to learn from the equine exercises. The horse play that happens during equine-assisted therapy activates creativity and allows for the transformation of struggles into something healing.” Throughout this week’s conversation, you will hear how healing applies to both human and horse. Not only is Wendy doing beautiful work for humans, her home and her property is a sanctuary for elderly horses who would otherwise be destroyed—simply because of their age. In this week’s episode, we explore topics such as: * How saying yes to your heart reveals your life path. * How animals and nature facilitate healing. * What is equine-assisted therapy? * Understanding the spiritual nature of horses. * How equine-assisted therapy catalyzes healing in both humans and horses. * Leading life with the voice of the heart. * How trauma is the root of our disconnection from the soul. * The importance of embodiment for connection with the soul. * How trauma within the first 7 years of life creates an unstable foundation. * What is somatic therapy? * Trusting what is felt and unseen: the voice of the soul. * The patriarchal oppression of the feminine qualities of animals ...

I think we can all agree that mainstream media doesn’t report news that serves our best interest. Sadly, there’s no incentive for corporate media moguls to tell it like it is because speaking truth to external ‘reality’ empowers autonomy and critical thought. The greatest danger to the status quo is a humanity that thinks outside of the confines of its cultural conditioning. This doesn’t bode well for a mechanized civilization based on the foundation of consumption, distraction, fear, group think, and separation. In order to maintain the inertia of the status quo, we’re fed a steady diet of diluted half truths, sensationalism, celebrity gossip, and outright lies instead. So where is a critical thinker to go to get real information about the state of our world? Enter Dahr Jamail, author, mountaineer and truth-telling independent journalist. Dahr has an extensive biography that has taken him to places such as the Middle East, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and the Arctic. His story is one of pure courage. Disillusioned with mainstream media coverage of the Iraq war, he decided to find out what was really going on himself. Armed with a fake press pass, a few thousand dollars from his own savings, an email list of 300 people, and a heart full of passion, Dahr’s independent journalism career began in November of 2003 with email reports from ground zero. His initial reporting stint kept him in Baghdad for nine weeks where he was witness to untold suffering. Since then, he’s traveled many more times to Iraq as a freelancer for the BBC, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, The Nation and other major news outlets. Dahr has also reported extensively on veterans’ resistance against US foreign policy, and is now focusing his efforts on the dire reality of anthropogenic climate disruption and the environment. Dahr is gifted in his ability to express himself from a place of objectivity as well as a place of heartfelt truth. His love for this planet—particularly the Arctic—is palpable. As an avid mountaineer, Dahr is right there at ground zero once again—living, experiencing and writing about the alarming changes in the Arctic first hand. I, for one, am grateful for his willingness to tell it like it is without diluting the truth. Dahr Jamail is no stranger to horror, terror and grief. His willingness to go into those painful depths is what enables him to continue living and working from a place of passion, purpose and pure love for this Earth. In this episode, we delve into topics such as: * How we are officially in the 6th mass extinction event. * What is anthropogenic climate disruption and how far along are we? * The epidemic of censorship in mainstream media. * How purpose emerges from courage. * Navigating grief and trauma from the front lines of our collapsing world. * What is climate trauma. * Holding beauty and decline together in a dying world. * Grief work with Joanna Macy. * The importance of allowing our hearts to break. * The rapid melting of the Arctic and why we must pay attention. * The frightening reality of ocean methane release. * Navigating the knowledge of human extinction with presence, compassion, and purpose. * What is spiritual resiliency. Dahr is a kindred spirit—a brother—and I’m honored to bring his important voice to this last episode for 2016. SHOW NOTES: * Dahr Jamail personal website. * Truthout.org website. * As North Pole Melts in November, Wildfires Rage Across US Well Into Winter Truthout article. *

Many people today are feeling the mental, emotional and spiritual impact of our increasingly tumultuous times. This internal unease is playing out in a plethora of dysfunctional way—from anxiety to aggression, to despair, hostility and violence. In order to comprehend these confusing times from a perspective grounded in mental clarity, we need to first understand that the global epidemic of insanity cannot be rationalized. This week’s guest helps us understand—from a psychological perspective—the deeper roots of why things are the way they are in the world today. Lisa van Susteren has an impressive bio as a psychiatrist and Earth activist. She first received her medical degree from the University of Paris and moved on to become board certified in general and forensic psychiatry. She’s worked as a consultant to the CIA, conducting psychological assessments of world leaders, as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown University Department of Psychiatry, and at community mental health centers in the metropolitan Washington, DC area. Lise co-founded The Friends of St. Elizabeths, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the humane treatment of the mentally ill, and Interfaith Moral Action on Climate, a multi-faith coalition dedicated to organizing people of religion and spirituality to speak out against climate change. If that’s not enough, Lise was also a candidate for the Democratic nomination for United States Senate in 2006. She is also the founder and CEO of “Lucky Planet Foods”, a company dedicated to providing low-carbon, plant-based, healthy foods for sustainable living. Lise trained with Al Gore at The Climate Project to educate the public about global warming. She now speaks extensively about the profound effects of pre-traumatic stress syndrome and climate anxiety in our rapidly changing world. Lise is an activist at heart and her willingness to serve a better world is notable. I’m honored to bring her voice to this week’s special show. In this episode, we explore a lot of uncharted territory with topics such as: * How one of the main drivers of denial is fear. * How the admission of climate change is emasculating for many climate change deniers. * What is climate anxiety. * How we are all suffering from some form of climate anxiety. * How we live in a chemically suppressed, numbed out society at the peril of our existence on this planet. * The restorative effects of nature on our mental, emotional and spiritual health. * How technology denatures us with its virtual reality. * How technology gives us the illusion of power and reinforces intolerance and aggression. * How climate change contributes to violence. * How CO2 reduces our cognitive functioning. * What is pre-traumatic stress syndrome. * The psychological/spiritual benefits of swimming. * Why the masses fear ‘vegan’. Lise’s passion is palpable and her ability to articulate what many of us are feeling makes this show one you will want to listen to multiple times. SHOW NOTES: * Our Moral Obligation on the Huffington Post. * Innerfaith Moral Action on Climate website. * Brave New World by Aldous Huxley on Amazon. * Cowspiracy the movie. * Brain Rules by John Medina

At this pivotal time in our history as a species on planet Earth, we are collectively operating from a state of overwhelming fear. Our resourcefulness is profoundly inhibited. Our capacity to trust is severely compromised, and the masses are reverting to primal instincts of survival. Safety in our world is quickly falling by the wayside. There are so many holes in the antiquated story of our world—the illusion—that the masses are grasping for something…anything that is familiar to ease their growing sense of unease. As a result, we’re witnessing a revival of days gone by when racism, sexism, speciesism, homophobia, etc. was ‘just the way it is’. As this social regression plays out, violence is escalating—all while the biosphere is collapsing at an accelerated rate. There is no denying that we are living in frightening times. Linear time has always been the great buffer to point us in the direction of a future. It has also served as an excuse for us to postpone our lives. But the accelerating changes with Gaea and the uncertainty of where we collectively stand means that our buffer of time is now severely compromised. In other words, there are no guarantees for a future anymore—especially a future that includes homo sapien. Hostility and disbelief are typical responses when the buffer of time is removed from our lives. But the compression of time can also be great motivation to live fully now. Gaea has removed the safety net of a future and is forcing us into the now. This is the essence of this week’s powerful conversation. This week I speak with my friend and mentor, Louise LeBrun, a woman who has been pivotal in my personal evolution—a woman who challenges me to think more expansively and see the world through the limitlessness of my capital ‘S’ Self. Louise sees the world in ways that are often difficult to articulate. She is gifted in her ability to put words to unspoken truths. This week‘s episode is intense. My partner, Deb Gleason joins the conversation to bring greater dimension to this reality altering conversation. This week, we shatter paradigms with topics such as: * The complexity of closure. * How fear cannot tolerate the increasing complexity of our world. * How the brevity of our existence converts to motivation to live now. * How linear time is a buffer to postpone our lives. * An important conversation about timelines. * How personal evolution leads to non-compliance. * The liberation of impermanence. * The sacredness of moments. * How letting go frees oneself to finally live! * RIG: A new take on love. * How climate change is a reflection of a collective mindset. * Why presence is so elusive. * How the living organic system of humanity is not separate from Gaea. * How does a spiritual being live in a human world? * Releasing the notion of permanence. * How evolution of our Selves is a purpose we all share. This week’s conversation is probably the most important conversation I’ve had to date and I’m grateful to now be able to share it with you. SHOW NOTES: * Louise LeBrun’s website. * Guy McPherson’s New Zealand interview with Paul Henry. * Guy McPherson’s website. If Deb’s words hit home and you find value in her work, please donate: