Basecamp for Men E52: Psychedelics and the New Vision

E52: Psychedelics and the New Vision

 

E52: Introduction

Growing up on the west coast, the lore of the 1960’s free-thinking hippie/peace movement was something that was part of our heritage. Within this culture, psychedelics always had a strange, mysterious, and transformative power. An elixir that had the ability to throw open the doors of perception, revealing a sacred, divinely infused electromagnetic field that we are in constant communication with.

The lineage of these psychedelic explorers carried forth into the rave and music culture of the 80’s and 90’s and today is kept alive by festivals like Burning Man. Whatever your take is on this controversial topic, psychedelics seems to be an important part of our mythical Tree of Knowledge.

Tales of seeing the face of God or the Goddess abound. Scores of courageous people have had profound experiences that changed the course of their lives. What these intrepid psychic explorers seemed to discover was a portal in consciousness. A DMT-primed access point that seemed to accelerate their understanding of the underlying design and meaning of the cosmos.

My guest today has built his podcast around profound discoveries made in sacred space, having participated in many ayuhuasca ceremonies with shamans in the Amazon. I am excited to dialogue with him about what he learned from what is commonly called plant medicine.

Alex is the host of the Natural Born Alchemist podcast. The podcast has been going since 2014 and features a wide array of guests. The theme of the podcast revolves around shamanism, psychedelics, philosophy and alternative ideas. www.naturalbornalchemist.com it is also available on Apple podcasts, Spotify and elsewhere.

Alex has had a life long interest in esoteric topics and his quest for meaning eventually led him to visiting many different indigenous groups around the world and discovering his main teacher in life: Ayahuasca

Here is my interview with Alex from Natural Born Alchemist.

Basecamp for Men E48: The One You Feed

E48: The One You Feed with Special Guest Eric Zimmer

 

E48 Introduction

I love speaking with people who have risen out of personal challenges. We all do this at different chapters in our Hero’s Journey. I think it’s naturally inspiring for us to hear redemption stories. There is something human and real about somebody who spirals downwards but recognizes their descent before

it’s too late for more courageous choices. We are imperfect people, learning at each choice point, and then sharing what we learned with our tribe. That is the very essence of the Hero’s Journey.

We have been so cultured to cover up our flaws or our mistakes or our character defects, as if we are the only ones that have them. It never occurs to us that by revealing more of ourselves to the world, we draw others in. Being authentic with others is like building a campfire. People want to come over and pull up a seat and listen in. It‘s human nature.

Personally, my life got 10 times better and more interesting when I dropped the pretense that I had it all figured out and started to share my faults, blind spots, and fears and doubts.  I hope these conversations help you in some small way. For we are fellow travellers in the middle of an epic story.

Eric Zimmer Bio-

My guest today is someone who exemplifies the authentic road. Eric Zimmer is a behavior coach, podcast host and author. At the age of 24, Eric was homeless, struggling with drug addiction, and facing jail time. In the years since, he not only found a way to overcome these obstacles to create a life worth living, he now helps others do the same.

Eric is the creator and host of the award-winning podcast, The One You Feed, which is based on the old parable about two wolves at battle within us. With over 300 episodes and over 15 million downloads, the show features conversations with experts across many fields of study about how to create a life worth living.

Here is my interview with Eric Zimmer.

To find out more a about his programs or to listen to his excellent podcast, go to  www.theoneyoufeed.net.

Basecamp for Men E46: Wisdom for Uncertain Times

E46: Wisdom for Uncertain Times with

Special Guest Paul Dunion

 

E46 Introduction

Whenever we find ourselves in uncertain times, it’s important to listen for voices of wisdom. This has always been true. Hearing truths that resonate and touch the human heart is a very good way to navigate confusion. Whenever we find ourselves amongst old structures and narratives that are no longer vibrant and alive, the Soul is indicating that it is time initiation into something new.  Together, we are travelling the faint path, you and I.  Right now, there is no sure, safe way. This much, I think, is clear.

Sometimes one simple conversation can make a difference in your perspective and trajectory. It’s interactions that carry depth that reaffirm our humanity. These conversations can help us back onto our true path or hero’s journey. It is clear to me more now than ever that we are here to help one another in these challenging times. My guest today is one such voice of wisdom.

Paul Dunion Bio-

Paul Dunion is a co-founder of the Connecticut’s Mens’ Gathering, a biannual retreat for men that began in 1992. He is the founder of Boys To Men, a mentoring community for teenage boys. He’s been in private practice as a Psychotherapist for 37 years and is presently a faculty member for Mobius Executive Training. Paul is the author of several books including my favorite, Path of the Novice Mystic. His blogs can be accessed at the Hufington Post as well as Medium.com. 

E46 Final Thoughts

To find out more about Paul and his work and writing, go to www.pauldunion.com

I always enjoy talking with Paul. I come away feeling better, more connected to my truth and to what is REALLY happening, as opposed to what all the media noise is trying to convince me about what is happening.

I love what Paul said about when we are in a paradigm shift, as we so clearly are now, our willingness to get shamelessly lost is something that can serve us well. It’s an interesting notion and it runs completely counter to how we have been cultured as men.

And what he said about cultivating tenderness is so powerful. In mythic terms, this is activating and strengthening the archetypal Lover.

What if, as men, we take on being more tender and caring? Would this make us less manly? Would it make us less courageous? What if this was the direction that our collective courage was taking us right now?

 

 

Basecamp for Men E45: Free Yourself from Suffering

E45: Free Yourself from Suffering with Special Guest Sophie McLean

 

E45 Introduction

There seems to be spiritual truths that are trying to find us, you and I. One prominent one is that the ego, or sense of separation, is the chief cause of much of our suffering. This is something that echoes down through the wisdom traditions, particularly from the east.

However, westerners are also awakening from the illusion of the ego. As my guest today so eloquently states, identification with the ego creates an illusory disconnect from Source, or from the Divine.

When you start to see the workings of the ego……..its strategies for keeping itself safe;  its incessant desire to be right and make others wrong; and it’s binary thinking where we draw boundaries between me and my side of the conflict as “the good guys”  and the others on the other side of the conflict or “the bad guys, the idiots, etc”. This is ego identification in action and the primary driver of much of our unhappiness.

Would you like to be truly happier? One sure path is to learn to investigate and dissolve the ego in service to something greater than yourself. See if you can stop trying to get everyone to believe and feel as you do. Let everyone have their particular truth.  Even if it doesn’t jive with your perspective. Try to give everyone space just as you want space to figure things out as well. We really don’t need to feel so distance from one another simply because we disagree about a few things.

Any narrative that has separation built into it is driven by the ego. It’s an easy litmus test. Can we, dear listeners, drop all “us vs. them” thinking? Can we stop polarizing whoever is over there? Can we awaken from the illusion of separation?

Sophie McLean Bio-

My guest today is an exceptional wisdom teacher. Someone who has stood at the front of the room and helped usher in new possibilities and new understanding for those in attendance.

She’s been a helicopter pilot, a teacher, a designer, a relief worker, a war refugee, and a CEO.

As a wisdom teacher, Sophie has spent decades leading transformational seminars to over 80,000 people around the world, of all ethnicities, ages, religions and social backgrounds.

Her seminar topics span both human and metaphysical dimensions and touch on such topics  such as: deconstructing the ego, consciousness, the nature of fear, relationships, spirituality, the dynamics of the feminine and the masculine, and how to make a  difference in the world.

Sophie’s new book The Elegance of Simplicity is a compelling, thought-provoking work of autobiographical fiction.

Basecamp for Men E44: Change Your Life by Changing Your Story

E44: Change Your Life by Changing Your Story featuring Lori Gottlieb

 

E44 Introduction

“The nature of life is change and the nature of people is to resist change.”

There is so much wisdom in this simple little statement. The Hero or the protagonist of the story (which is you) must always be reconciling this dynamic. How do we get ourselves ready for the next chapters of our lives, knowing that loss and change and life itself will shake our very foundation? How do we keep our narratives flexible so as not to get too rigid in our interpretations of what has happened to us, of who we are, and of what is possible for us moving forward.

In many ways, we don’t see how we create our own limitations. Or how we will often use story to create inertia in our lives. We unconsciously block ourselves from the very things that we crave the most- love, vitality, forgiveness, and renewal. We want a fresh chapter but keep telling ourselves the same old stories about ourselves and our world.

My hope is that today’s conversation can help show how psychotherapy can be used as a powerful tool. One that can help us re-write the parts of our narrative that no longer serve our growth or our potential. As a champion and recipient of many hours of therapy, I can attest to the effectiveness of the tools you learn and the value of changing perspectives on a life situation. Therapists are often excellent guides in getting forward movement back into the protagonists story. The takeaway? That the story of your life is always open to a fresh interpretation.

Lori Gottlieb Bio

Lori Gottlieb is a psychotherapist and author of the New York Times bestseller Maybe You Should Talk to Someone which is being adapted as a television series.  In addition to her clinical practice, she writes The Atlantic’s “Dear Therapist” advice column and contributes regularly to The New York Times and many other publications. Her recent TED Talk is one of the top 10 most watched of the year. Her new iHeart Radio podcast, “Dear Therapists”, produced by Katie Couric, will premier later this year.