After more than a decade of exploring what's emerging at the edges of culture and consciousness, it feels clear that we've crossed some kind of threshold - we're no longer in a time of gathering ideas, but of coming into deeper intimacy and action. Thank you for accompanying me on this journey of inquiry. While Emerge is complete, I'm continuing to write and explore these threads through The Intimate Mirror on Substack , and I pray we find our way through these precarious times together. My Subs...
Jan 09, 2025•9 min
Daniel shares his feelings and disorientation in the aftermath of a profound experience and Jane opens up about living with a life-threatening health condition. They discuss the intensity and beauty of working with pain and facing endings. They then turn to the value of “being local” and the critical importance of bringing people together in physical space. Jane discusses her work with Imaginisma, an organization that describes itself as “a new kind of incubator for remembering, contacting, and ...
Apr 27, 2024•1 hr 24 min
John Churchill joins Daniel to discuss the relationship between Attachment Theory and the process of awakening. Weaving together strands from Buddhist psychology and developmental psychology, John describes the Bodhisattva path and the development of a Planetary Dharma through the lenses of attunement and attachment. Topics covered include the development of the heart, the definition and various dimensions of attunement, and the difficulty of finding trustworthy spiritual teachers and community....
Mar 09, 2024•1 hr 30 min
Daniel and Jordan Hall discuss Jordan’s recent conversion to Christianity and the evolution of his worldview. How did a tech pioneer and futurist intellectual who would have said his chances of being baptized were “exactly zero” only five years ago become a convert? Daniel and Jordan talk about their respective “paths to humility” and the importance of religious community and traditional wisdom in the modern world. Topics include the tension between innovation and tradition, Game A and Game B, t...
Jan 31, 2024•1 hr 19 min
After a long career using many therapeutic modalities, for more than a decade, Bob Falconer has devoted his practice exclusively to Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy. Bob has completed all levels of IFS training and continues to study with many of the senior IFS trainers. He co-authored the book Many Minds, One Self with IFS founder Richard Schwartz and has helped to train more than a thousand people in IFS. For the past several years, Bob has been devoted to completing the extensive researc...
Jan 06, 2024•1 hr 14 min
Tasshin – which means “to reach or achieve truth” – describes himself as an “online pilgrim wandering this precious world for the benefit of all beings.” In this episode, Daniel talks with Tasshin about some of the lessons he has learned and his unique insights into what it means to “live your vow,” from clarifying one’s sense of unique purpose to effectively coordinating with individuals and groups. While breaking down a statement on “bottlenecks” from Tasshin’s recent article , they outline a ...
Oct 05, 2023•1 hr 12 min
This episode is a 're-Cast' from the Coach's Rising podcast, hosted by Joel Monk. I was so moved and inspired by the conversation I thought I'd share it with you all on my stream. I've been following John Churchill's work for some time, and this was exactly the conversation I wanted to have with him. It's a beautiful episode, and I hope you enjoy. Dr. John Churchill is a Doctor of Psychology and teacher of Buddha Dharma as well as a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine and author. John’s...
Aug 21, 2023•1 hr 32 min
Vince Horn and Daniel discuss the evolution, benefits, and potential of social meditation. They explore the new meditatewith.ai app created by Vince and Interbeing Inc. co-founder Chris Ewald. The app allows users to practice social meditation with an AI partner, with the ultimate goal of deepening the realization of human interconnectedness in everyday life. Vince and Daniel discuss how social meditation can affect relationships and networks, and how the practice might help address core issues ...
Jul 23, 2023•1 hr 8 min
In this conversation, John, Bonnie, and Thomas discuss various frameworks on what wisdom is, how it functions, and the different types and scales of complexity in which wisdom may arise. The conversation explores themes of wisdom and complexity with both depth and breadth, navigating the topic philosophically and pragmatically, and ultimately arriving at wisdom's relationship with the "It" beyond all relationship. This conversation is brought to us by the Respond Network . The Respond Network is...
Jun 08, 2023•1 hr 30 min
In this conversation I speak with Jill Nephew. Jill, a former AI black box algorithm engineer with extensive experience in developing software architectures, holds a highly heterodox perspective on the risks associated with LLM AIs. In this conversation we explore Jill's argument that using LLMs like ChatGPT or Bard are like eating plastic for your cognitive agency and natural intelligence, how it is that AIs could cause the rise of new 'supercults', and how another world is possible, if only we...
May 20, 2023•1 hr 30 min
John Vervaeke, Zak Stein, and Nora Bateson discuss transformation and its complex, cross-domain dimensionality. This episode addresses topics such as how does transformation take place and in what contexts? How does western culture misunderstand transformation? How is transformation naturally interwoven within the larger narrative of our lives? This conversation is brought to us by the Respond Network (https://rspnd.network). The Respond network is an initiative to address the meta-crisis by res...
May 18, 2023•1 hr 11 min
Zak Stein and Daniel Thorson discuss the myriad risks of emerging AI tutoring technologies. AI tutoring is being developed now and will be deployed over the course of the next two to five years, bringing radical changes to our educational systems. This conversation explores the risks of this emerging technology while simultaneously proposing how, if designed correctly, this technology could solve the meta-crisis. Timestamp 0:00 - Intro 5:20 - Shift in Awareness of AI 10:08 - GAI Risk 15:51 - AI ...
Apr 24, 2023•1 hr 37 min
A conversation about how emergence can be the foundation a new society. We talk about how societies can create containers for healthy decision making. And how sacred containers can allow for the emergence of the planetary movement we’re longing for. David Sauvage asks, how do we create the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible? In my first episode after returning from the Emerge gathering in Austin, we discuss the future of collective decision-making, reflect on our shared past with O...
Aug 06, 2022•1 hr 21 min
Gary Sheng is a US-based technologist and civic entrepreneur dedicated to building tools, systems, and movements that accelerate human and planetary flourishing. He was recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 for his work building Civics Unplugged. In this conversation we offer some friendly critiques of the emerging network and discuss how we can empower the next generation to actualize Game B. https://www.garysheng.com [0:00:00] Introducing Gary [0:16:40] Civics Unplugged [0:21:05] Dream DAO [0:39:11...
Jun 15, 2022•1 hr 30 min
Steve March is the creator of an integrated ecology of practice and founder of Aletheia Coaching. In this episode we get into the history of coaching, depth and the fourth generation of coaching, going from self-improvement to self-unfoldment, Heidegger’s view on technology and attunement, depth ontology, eclecticism to integration, parts conflict in ecologies of practice, four depths of self-contact, internal family systems. Aletheia Coaching: https://integralunfoldment.com Steve's Paper on the...
Jun 13, 2022•1 hr 47 min
Circling Europe co-founder Sean Wilkinson and I explore what it's like to practice across paradigms, the limits and transformational potential of circling, and the interplay between mediation, circling, and trauma work. Sean shares from his experience about the problems with static orientations to practice, subtle grasping to personal growth, and the orientation of trust. Sean Wilkinson is a Circling Europe co-founder with an enduring passion for self-awareness, human potential, wisdom tradition...
May 23, 2022•1 hr 58 min
In this episode fellow Monastic Academy resident Ellen McSweeney and I explore the relationship between Circling and Soulmaking in an attempt to make sense of the experience we shared co-facilitating the Anti-Fragile Heart retreat in March. Towards the end there is a Q+A with retreat participants. If you'd like to explore the practice of Circling MAPLE is hosting the SAS 6-month Circling Training starting in June. This conversation was recorded in the meditation hall at the Monastic Academy, and...
Apr 14, 2022•1 hr 15 min
In this episode Mark Feenstra guides me through his 'accompanying' process. This process, which Mark has developed after 25 years of experimentation, is something like a systems collapse aware mixture of Circling, Internal Family Systems, and Imaginal practice...but really it's totally unique (and very potent!). Mark is offering a workshop on this approach on December 11th/12th. If you'd like to join you can click here: https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/3domHkJiNhPctmd6zboebQhb
Dec 04, 2021•1 hr 50 min
Layman Pascal is an author, speaker, and body-mind-soul at large in the Integral and Metamodern scenes. In this episode we dive into Layman's 'integration surplus' model of spiritual practice. This model offers an integrative lens through which to view all transformative practices. Through my work at the Monastic Academy I developed a startlingly similar 'harmonization model' of spiritual practice, which forms the conceptual basis of the curriculum for the Willow Intensive. You can learn more ab...
Oct 12, 2021•1 hr 16 min
John Vervaeke speaks with Seishin and myself about the ecology of practices we are exploring in the Willow Intensive . This was originally recorded on The Stoa . This episode includes a brief overview of the Harmony model and the five aspects we've been training to harmonize. We discuss the obstacles and opportunities of birthing a new kind of wisdom institution in the modern world, and the necessity of having an ecology of practices to adequately transform the human mind during a time of planet...
Oct 12, 2021•1 hr 29 min
Is it still possible to create a more beautiful future for life on earth, or are we now merely stewards for the dying process of our world? How do we live with the weight of this uncertainty? Soryu Forall responds to these questions during a recent lecture at the Monastic Academy. Soryu is the founder and head teacher at the Monastic Academy for the Preservation of Life on Earth (MAPLE). You can hear my previously recorded conversation with Soryu by clicking here ....
Aug 12, 2021•26 min
Rob McNamara is an author, leadership coach, advisor and consultant with expertise in adult development and human performance. He is a co-founder of the leading consulting firm Delta Developmental, a faculty member for the Ivey School of Business' LIFT Advanced Coaching Program, and is a Senior Monk and Integral Zen Dharma Holder training with Diane Musho Hamilton Roshi. McNamara’s coaching focuses leaders on clarifying life purpose, growing critical leadership skills to advance value creation a...
Jul 24, 2021•1 hr 40 min
In this first conversation after a year sabbatical from the Emerge project I'm speaking with Zak Stein. This is a far ranging conversation about ethics, education, trauma, the erotics of moral understanding, and more. Support me on Patreon Show Notes 0:00 Opening 0:03 How to create the kinds of humans who can respond to the meta-crisis? 0:08 “We’re not sure what it means to be good anymore” / what’s worth loving 0:09 Eros and Ethics / Ensoulment 0:17 Moral development 0:23 “How do you get someon...
Jun 28, 2021•1 hr 35 min
Emerge is back! This is a solo episode where I share a few life updates and thoughts about the evolution of the Emerge podcast. Support me on Patreon
Jun 28, 2021•24 min
I've decided to put this project on hold and dedicate myself more fully my work and training at the Monastic Academy . In this episode I share some of the thinking and feeling that went into my choice. If you'd like to support me in my training and work you can do so through Patreon . A few recent pieces I've read that are relevant to this episode: Cutting Through Spiritual Colonialism by Vinay Gupta Mindfulness: Developing Agency in Urgent Times by Jamie Bristow & Rosie Bell...
Sep 18, 2020•19 min
In the first episode after my 75 day silent retreat I sat down with Zak Stein to speak about the the current cultural moment and how we can respond to the chaos and uncertainty of the world with love and integrity. This is part two of a two part episode. In this episode we discuss: - An overview of Zak’s metapsychology - How the psyche is a triple of development, ensoulment, and transcendence and why one must work on all three - How much of the talk about ‘sense making’ is missing two thirds of ...
Jul 09, 2020•59 min
In the first episode after my 75 day silent retreat I sit down with Zak Stein to speak about the the current cultural moment and how we can respond to the chaos and uncertainty of the world with love and integrity. This is part one of a two part episode. We discuss: - My experience coming out of retreat into a 'post-covid' world - How strange and problematic it is that people speak with confidence about the world right now - How our media ecology forces us to take on perspectives even when uncer...
Jul 01, 2020•1 hr 9 min
Soryu Forall is the founder and head-teacher of the Monastic Academy . Soryu has a decade of intensive monastic training, a degree in Economics from Williams College, and extensive experience in social and environmental justice. He was ordained in 1998 at Sogen Temple under the tutelage of the Zen Master Shodo Harada. The day this recording goes live I'll be beginning an 80(ish) day silent solo retreat here on the land of the Monastic Academy. By the end of this episode, I hope you'll understand...
Mar 13, 2020•1 hr 46 min
Andrew J Taggart is a practical philosopher, Zen Buddhist, and entrepreneur. Recently Andrew wrote an article called 'Psychotechnologies of Self-Transformation' that led me to reach out to him and schedule a conversation. This episode was recorded a few months ago, but it occurs to me as exactly the right time to release it. If you are feeling panicked about the Corona Virus, I'd encourage you to slow down, get a hot cup of tea (or go for a walk outside) and enjoy this warm-spirited philosophica...
Mar 11, 2020•1 hr 35 min
Jonathan Reams works at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology ( NTNU ), serves as Editor-in Chief of Integral Review , and is a co-founder of the Center for Transformative Leadership and of the European Center for Leadership Practice . He brings awareness based leadership development practices to his work, focusing on how the inner workings of human nature can develop leadership capacities for today’s complex challenges. His recent research and practice has focused on subjects such ...
Mar 11, 2020•1 hr 25 min
