Tim Freke on the Evolution of the Human Psyche

A native of South Dakota, Robert Sessions earned a B.A. from Drake University and a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Michigan.  Before focusing on photography, for more than four decades he taught at Kirkwood Community College, Grinnell College, Luther College, and the University of Minnesota in Duluth.As a photographer he works frequently with his wife, travel writer Lori Erickson. Together they produce Spiritual Travels, a website describing holy sites around the world, and Holy Rover, a blog hosted by Patheos, the world’s largest website on religion and spirituality. His photos also appear regularly in publications that include the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette and Group Tour Magazine. He is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers.In addition, Sessions is the author of Becoming Real: Authenticity in an Age of Distractions and co-author of Working In America: A Humanities Reader.  He has also published several dozen articles on environmental philosophy, the philosophy of work, ethics, and the philosophy of technology.He lives in Iowa City, Iowa. In This Interview, Robert Sessions and I Discuss:The One You Feed parableHis new book, Becoming Real: Authenticity in an Age of DistractionsThat authenticity is something fundamental that is at the heart of what we are all seekingHow authenticity is impacted by variables found on the inside as well as in the world surrounding a personThe three main distractions that get in the way of authenticityThat work is a major context within which we discover ourselvesHow bad habits surrounding technology can get in the way of being our authentic selvesFor more show notes visit our websiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

5 Apr 201644min

This week we talk to Rick Heller about secular meditationRick Heller is the author of the new book, Secular Meditation: 32 Practices for Cultivating Inner Peace, Compassion, and Joy — A Guide from the Humanist Community at Harvard.Rick leads weekly meditations at the Humanist Community at Harvard.Rick received a master’s degree in journalism from Boston University. He also holds a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from MITIn This Interview, Rick Heller and I Discuss:The One You Feed parableHis new book, Secular Meditation: 32 practices for cultivating inner peace, compassion & Joy (A guide from the Humanist Community at Harvard)How in the brain, two negatives do not equal a positiveWhat a "Humanist" isA secular view of meditation & mindfulnessOther types of meditation other than breath focused meditationHow there's no such thing as an inherently negative stimulusWhat face meditation isHow the muscles in your face can affect your inner speechHow to relate to emotions with mindfulnessThat recognizing an emotion actually brings it's feeling back toward neutralWhat "positive equanimity" isThe difference between cognitive reappraisal and positive thinkingDifferent approaches to help us achieve "mindfulness of life"When you're more "in your head" about something than you are collecting sensory information about something, you're really just dealing with abstractionsSkepticism surrounding the concept of "no self" as a goal to pursueHis working definition of enlightenmentA secular version of the serenity prayerFor more show notes visit our websiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

30 Mars 201645min

This week we talk to Rebecca Newberger Goldstein about the relevance of philosophy in today's worldRebecca Newberger Goldstein is an American philosopher who is also a novelist and public intellectual. She is the author of ten books, many of which cross the divide between fiction and non-fiction. She holds a Ph.D. from Princeton.Her latest book is called Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won't Go Away, an exploration of the historical roots and contemporary relevance of philosophy. In the book Plato is brought to life in the 21st century and demonstrates the relevance of philosophy by arguing with contemporary figures such as a software engineer at Google headquarters, a right-wing talk show host, an affective neuroscientist, and others.Goldstein is a MacArthur Fellow, has won the National Jewish Book Award, and numerous other honors. In September of 2015  she was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Obama in a ceremony at the White House. In This Interview, Rebecca Newberger Goldstein and I Discuss:The One You Feed parableWinning a National Humanities Medal and meeting President ObamaCultivating the positive emotionsHer latest book Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won't Go AwayWhat Plato would say about the Parable of the Two WolvesPlato's Parable of Two HorsesWhy virtue is good for usThe story of Socrates deathThe most famous sound bite in the last 2500 years For more show notes and a free download of the best quotes from Plato at the Googleplex visit our websiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

22 Mars 201639min

This week we talk to Tara Mohr about playing bigTara Mohr is an expert on women’s leadership and well-being. She helps women play bigger in sharing their voices and bringing forward their ideas in work and in life. Tara is the author of Playing Big: Practical Wisdom for Women Who Want to Speak Up, Create, and Lead, named a best book of the year by Apple’s iBooks and now in paperback. In the book, she shares her pioneering model for making the journey from playing small–being held back by fear and self-doubt–to playing big, taking bold action to pursue what you see as your callings.Tara is the creator of the Playing Big leadership program for women, which now has more than 1,000 graduates from around the world, and creator of the global Playing Big Facilitators Training for coaches, therapists, leadership development professionals and other practitioners supporting women in their personal and professional growth. A Coaches Training Institute-certified coach with an MBA from Stanford University and an undergraduate degree in English literature from Yale,Tara takes a unique approach that blends inner work and practical skills training. Her work has been featured on national media from theNew York Times to Today Show to Harvard Business Review, and has captivated women from all walks of life including Maria Shriver, Jillian Michaels and Elizabeth Gilbert. Our Sponsor this Week is FractureVisit Fracture and use the promo code “wolf” to get 10% off!!In This Interview, Tara Mohr and I Discuss:The One You Feed parableThe immense flexibility we have in who we becomeFeeding the good wolf in othersThe Inner Mentor and the Inner CriticThe qualities of the Inner CriticWhy you shouldn't argue with the Inner CriticHow the Inner Critic also sounds like the voice of reasonFinding our Inner MentorDon't ask what you are ready for but instead ask what is life asking of me right now?Imposter SyndromeThe Objection RolodexMaking "The Leap"The 6 criteria of the "The Leap"How to keep change goingGiving up sugar For more show notes visit our websiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

15 Mars 201647min

Real change is possible but it takes time- Keep Trying! JK Rowling was broke and depressed and her book had been rejected by 12 different publishers. This was right before Harry Potter was finally accepted and hit the big time. It took me three different attempts to finally achieve sobriety. Gone with the wind was rejected 38 times. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was rejected 121 times Edison famously tried 1000 different approaches before getting the light bulb right. We often cite these examples as encouragement to keep trying at things like business or success. What if we applied the same principles and tenacity to our internal development? What if we kept trying at emotional and mental change? We have to do this stuff over and over again, change takes time. There are no easy answers or shortcuts to a life worth living.Our sponsor this week is FractureVisit Fracture and use the promo code “wolf” to get 10% off!!    The Tale of Two WolvesA grandfather is talking with his grandson and he says there are two wolves inside of us which are always at war with each other. One of them is a good wolf which represents things like kindness, bravery and love. The other is a bad wolf, which represents things like greed, hatred and fear.The grandson stops and thinks about it for a second then he looks up at his grandfather and says, “Grandfather, which one wins?”The grandfather quietly replies, the one you feedThe Tale of Two Wolves is often attributed to the Cherokee indians but there seems to be no real proof of this. It has also been attributed to evangelical preacher Billy Graham and Irish Playwright George Bernard Shaw. It appears no one knows for sure but this does not diminish the power of the parable.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

13 Mars 20167min

This week we talk to Dr. Gabor Mate´ about addictionGet a free download of Eric's key quotes and ideas from Dr. Mate's work. A renowned speaker, and bestselling author, Dr. Gabor Maté is highly sought after for his expertise on a range of topics including addiction, stress and childhood development.For twelve years Dr. Maté worked in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside with patients challenged by hard-core drug addiction, mental illness and HIV, including at Vancouver’s Supervised Injection Site.As an author, Dr. Maté has written several bestselling books including the award-winning In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction; When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress; and Scattered Minds: A New Look at the Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder, and co-authored Hold on to Your Kids. His works have been published internationally in twenty languages.Dr. Maté is the co-founder of Compassion for Addiction, a new non-profit that focusses on addiction. He is also an advisor of Drugs over Dinner.Dr. Maté has received the Hubert Evans Prize for Literary Non-Fiction; an Honorary Degree (Law) from the University of Northern British Columbia; an Outstanding Alumnus Award from Simon Fraser University; and the 2012 Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award from Mothers Against Teen Violence. He is an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Criminology, Simon Fraser University. Our Sponsor this Week is FractureVisit Fracture and use the promo code “wolf” to get 10% off!! In This Interview, Gabor Mate´ and I Discuss:The One You Feed parableThe degree of choice we have in lifeWhat is the Realm of the Hungry Ghosts?What is addiction?The characteristics of addictionRecognizing what addicts get out of their addictionThe fundamental question is not "Why the Addiction" but "Why the Pain"How all addiction comes out of some hurt or traumaThe different types of traumaThe role of neurotransmitters in addictionHow drugs and alcohol destroy the parts of the brain that allow us to make sound decisionsWhether or not genetics play a significant role in addictionWhether our culture breeds addictionHow our children get most of their leadership from other childrenHow the breakup of family, community and clan is contributing to addictionThe critical role of the culture in our the development of our brainsRecognizing our inherent valueTo what degree we have freedom over our choicesWithout consciousness, there is no freedomPaths to recoveryHow compassion can help with recoveryDeveloping compassionate curiosity towards ourselves Get a free download of Eric's key quotes and ideas from Dr. Mate's work.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8 Mars 201652min

Make Better Decisions using Solomon's ParadoxKing Solomon was said to be wiser than anyone in Egypt.What we don't hear, is that while Solomon was great at giving advice to others, he was notoriously bad at dealing with his own life issues, ultimately bringing ruin upon the kingdom.If look closely at ourselves, we’ll see that we all have this same flaw. This behavior is so common  it has been given a name — “The Solomon Paradox”.Igor Grossman's research that founds the basis for this mini episode.   Our sponsor this week is FractureVisit Fracture and use the promo code “wolf” to get 10% off!!  The Tale of Two WolvesA grandfather is talking with his grandson and he says there are two wolves inside of us which are always at war with each other. One of them is a good wolf which represents things like kindness, bravery and love. The other is a bad wolf, which represents things like greed, hatred and fear.The grandson stops and thinks about it for a second then he looks up at his grandfather and says, “Grandfather, which one wins?”The grandfather quietly replies, the one you feedThe Tale of Two Wolves is often attributed to the Cherokee indians but there seems to be no real proof of this. It has also been attributed to evangelical preacher Billy Graham and Irish Playwright George Bernard Shaw. It appears no one knows for sure but this does not diminish the power of the parable.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

6 Mars 20167min

This week we talk to Barry Mangione about how there are no easy answersBarry Mangione is an author, musician, podcaster, life coach, and pediatric physical therapist.Barry was once a struggling alcoholic suffering from depression, failed relationships, and bankruptcy. He even came close to suicide, but he now enjoys a life filled with creativity, service to others, and abundant possibilities.In his Self-Help Rockstar Show podcast, he features music, interviews, and his own brand of self-help advice in order to raise self-awareness and to inspire people to go out and live their best lives every day.In his self-help book No Easy Answers: A Book of Life-Changing Questions, Barry shares his personal success story with readers so that they, too, can achieve personal transformation.Barry is also currently in the studio recording an album of rock songs to carry his message of hope and healing to music lovers everywhere.Barry lives in New York with his wife and their family, who are all firm believers in the paleo diet and lifestyle, for both physical and mental health.  Our Sponsor this Week is Casper MattressVisit casper.com/feed and use the promo code “feed” to get $50 off!! In This Interview, Barry Mangione and I Discuss:The One You Feed parableSimple practices to feed your good wolfJournaling as a practiceGuilt doesn't help but accepting responsibilityLearning to see our role in thingsAsking ourselves "Maybe it's me"The questions to ask ourselves when making a decision:How do I feel about myself now?How will I feel about myself after I've done this?How will I feel about myself if I don't do this?How will I feel in 10 days/10 months/10 YearsTrying to avoid black and white thinking when making decisionsHow perspective is intellectual while gratitude is emotionalThe 2nd ArrowResponsibility without creativity is lifeless and boringCreativity without responsibility is dangerous and misleadingFinding creativity again after getting soberLearning to do things sober as a challengeHow would I talk to my best friend if he was in my shoes?Visit our show notesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 Mars 201633min