The Emerald

The Emerald explores the human experience through a vibrant lens of myth, story, and imagination. Brought to life through the wise, wild, and humorous vision of Joshua Michael Schrei — a teacher and lifelong student of the cosmologies and mythologies of the world — the podcast draws from a deep well of poetry, lore, and mythos to challenge conventional narratives on politics and public discourse, meditation and mindfulness, art, science, literature, and more. At the heart of the podcast is the premise that the imaginative, poetic, animate heart of human experience — elucidated by so many cultures over so many thousands of years — is missing in modern discourse and is urgently needed at a time when humanity is facing unprecedented problems. The Emerald advocates for an imaginative vision of human life and human discourse as it questions deep underlying assumptions about societal progress.

Last refreshed: June 13th, 2026 at 1:29 AM

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Episodes

Dismembered Frost Giants and the Core-Power Paradox — Self-Care Meets Self-Obliteration in an Identity-Driven World.

Ancient visions of cosmic dismemberment and ego destruction meet modern yoga practice with its focus on self-care and self-worth in this episode of The Emerald. In creation myths around the world, from Scandinavia to India to Mexico, dismemberment is a central theme — a vision in which a primal oneness is torn into pieces to create this universe of diversity. This cosmic dismemberment is also reflected in the experience of the individual practitioner, who, in their journey towards finding wholen...

Jul 03, 2019•33 min•Season 1Ep. 7

The Yoga of Gun Control, The Grail Myth, and the Healing of the American Wound

In this mytho-poetic look at one of the defining modern political issues, Josh explores ideas of freedom, empathy, and responsibility and how they are viewed in various cultures, cosmologies, and mythologies around the globe. In the west, freedom tends to be seen solely in terms of the material freedom to follow our wants and impulses free of external interference. In yogic traditions, freedom is seen as moving beyond these same impulses towards a deeper vision of peace. Ultimately, questions ar...

Jun 25, 2019•31 min•Season 1Ep. 6

Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World: A Conversation With Wade Davis

What can we learn from those who can read the ocean like we can read words on a page? How can we transform how we view culture when modern western culture likes to position itself as the top of the cultural pyramid? What does a vision of sacred geography have to offer us? What are its implications for planet and person? A discussion with anthropologist and ethnobotanist Wade Davis. If you don’t know the work of Wade Davis, you should. Davis is a Canadian anthropologist, ethnobotanist, author, an...

Jun 18, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 5

The Bright and Bristling Mind: Hair in Imagination and Myth

Have you ever looked at your dog and wondered what it feels like to have whiskers? Those bristling antennae, so bright and alive... Or have you put your hand on one of those globes at a science museum and felt the energy surge through the very ends of your hair? Today on the podcast, we’re going to talk about hair. Tumbling, cascading, curling, radiating — hair holds a very special and very energized place in the imaginative mind. Across the world, visions of the divine involve wild-haired godde...

Jun 11, 2019•31 min•Season 1Ep. 4

The Cow in the Elevator — An Anthropology of Wonder. An Interview with Professor Tulasi Srinavas

Today on the Emerald, we dive a little further into the topic of wonder. Not wonder as just a fleeting feeling, but rather wonder as a state of consciousness deliberately architected through creative ritual. Wonder that is pursued systematically, stoked, as our interviewee says, in order to break open our day to day experience and get us to something deeper. In this way, wonder becomes a form of resistance to the current state of the world. Join us as Josh interviews professor and author Tulasi ...

May 26, 2019•44 min•Season 1Ep. 3

The Case of the Man Who Grew Horns: Imagination as a Driving Force of the Human Experience

The podcast delves into how Paleolithic and Neolithic societies experienced the world, featuring stories of shamans and their visionary states. It contrasts this ancient reliance on imagination and trance with the modern mind's dismissal of such experiences, highlighting how this shift has contributed to societal issues like environmental degradation. The host advocates for reconnecting with these intuitive, empathetic states, citing scientific validation of indigenous wisdom and exploring practices like Tantra, to foster a more interconnected and ethical future.

May 26, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 2

Notre Dame in Flames, The Goddess Isis, and the Architecture of Consciousness

In this inaugural episode of The Emerald we take a look at some of the more mythic implications of the 2019 Notre Dame fire, the place that buildings hold in human consciousness and myth, as well as the little-known history of the cathedral which involves a popular goddess of the ancient world. Architecture can tell many stories — at its best, it reflects a synchronous relationship between human beings and nature. The great temples and mosques of the world are designed to convey the proportions ...

May 26, 2019•32 min•Season 1Ep. 1

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