Reading 'The Exorcism' and the Power of Poetic Witness

Can creative expression help us return to ourselves after we’ve experienced spiritual trauma?

This week, Thomas sits down with Pádraig Ó Tuama, a distinguished Irish Poet, theologian, and host of the podcast Poetry Unbound, for a profound exploration of spiritual trauma. Pádraig shares about the specific heartbreak of being betrayed by a spiritual community, drawing from his own intense experiences as a young gay man whose sexuality was demonized by his church.

Pádraig and Thomas discuss the intertwining of religious identity with politics and colonial history, particularly in Ireland, and share practical, philosophical, spiritual, and artistic approaches to healing from this type of trauma. At the heart of this conversation is the regenerative power of creativity and how art, poetry, and other forms of self-expression are essential to reestablishing a healthy relationship to your identity and your personal faith after trauma.

Pádraig also reads his poem “The Exorcism” from his “Seven Deadly Sonnets” collection.

✨ Click here to watch the video version of this episode on YouTube:

👉 https://youtu.be/UbHVywpETVc

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✨ Join Thomas, Pádraig, and over 40 expert leaders in trauma-healing, embodiment, somatics, and social change for 7 days of embodied practices, guided reflection, and powerful interviews at the Collective Trauma Summit 2025.

This free, online event will help you deepen your understanding of trauma, learn practices for deeper presence, regulation, and compassion, and connect with a supportive global community.

The Summit begins on October 12.

Register for free here 👉 https://collectivetraumasummit.com

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✨ Pádraig Ó Tuama is a poet with interests in conflict, language, and religion. He presents Poetry Unbound from On Being Studios and has published two anthologies. In early 2025, Copper Canyon Press published Kitchen Hymns, his fourth poetry collection. A freelance artist, one of Ó Tuama’s projects is poet in residence with the Cooperation and Conflict Resolution Center at Columbia University. He splits his time between Belfast and New York City.

Connect with Pádraig here:

👉 https://www.padraigotuama.com

Thomas Hübl, PhD, is a renowned teacher, author, and international facilitator who works within the complexity of systems and cultural change, integrating the core insights of the great wisdom traditions and mysticism with the discoveries of science. Since the early 2000s, he has led large-scale events and courses on the healing of collective trauma. 

In addition to Attuned, he is the author of Healing Collective Trauma: A Process for Integrating Our Intergenerational and Cultural Wounds. He has served as an advisor and guest faculty for universities and organizations, as a coach for CEOs and organizational leaders, and is currently a visiting scholar at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University.

✨ Connect with Thomas here:

Website: https://thomashuebl.com/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/Thomas.Huebl.Sangha/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thomashuebl/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ThomasHuebl

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✨ Order Thomas Hübl’s newest book, “Attuned: Practicing Interdependence to Heal Our Trauma–And Our World,” here:

👉 https://www.attunedbook.com/ 

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Mentioned in this episode:

Collective Trauma Summit 2025

✨ Join us at the 7th annual Collective Trauma Summit, a FREE 7-day online gathering with embodied practices, guided reflection, powerful interviews, and live events, guided by Thomas and over 40 expert leaders in trauma-healing, embodiment, somatics, and social change. Speakers include Dr. Richard Schwartz, Prentis Hemphill, Cheryl Strayed, Francis Weller, Gabby Bernstein, Rick Hanson, Sonya Renee Taylor, and many more. This year, we’ve partnered with mission-driven organizations, including the Internal Family Systems Institute, the Embodiment Institute, Poetry Unbound, and more, to help you deepen your understanding of trauma and see how healing can become a force for transformation in your life, your community, and the world. We hope to see you there!

CTS2025