#8: Navigating Global Crises: Prophecies, Politics, and Civilizational Change with Daniel Pinchbeck

Serendipity in the digital age brought about this episode. It was a true highlight when Daniel Pinchbeck, a writer whose work has profoundly influenced my thinking, responded to one of my essays proposing we have a dialogue. After a brief email exchange, we decided to just hit record on our initial conversation, which I’m delighted to share with you today.

Daniel Pinchbeck is a NYT Bestselling author whose books include Breaking Open the Head, 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl, How Soon is Now, and When Plants Dream. He is the founder of the Liminal Institute, and he co-founded Reality Sandwich and the Evolver network, fostering conversations on transformative culture. 

He’s also the author of one of my favorite Substack newsletters. His work delves into ecology, politics, indigenous wisdom, mysticism, psychedelics, and social change.

In this episode expect to learn more about:

* Indigenous prophecies that forecast a collective descent into insanity followed by a state of enlightenment or awakening, and their relevance to the current global crises

* Why Daniel identifies as a ‘monistic idealist’, believing that the universe is primarily comprised of consciousness, rather than matter

* Concerns about the impact of technology on cognitive capacity and the need for a deeper level of crisis to catalyze collective action

* How the digital age has accelerated the breakdown of sensemaking and led to a bifurcation of communities

* Daniel’s criticisms of the RFK Jr. Presidential campaign

* A nuanced exploration of the war in the Middle East

* Why young people are depressed and sometimes have little hope for the future, and whether that’s a self-fulfilling prophecy

* The importance of holding both the pain and the bliss of our current reality, and the outsized potential for a shift in collective consciousness

* Daniel’s personal journey towards a state of “joyful surrender” and Jnana yoga amid our existential threats

Learn more about Daniel on his website. And I highly recommend subscribing to his Substack, Liminal News.

Listen to the episode on Apple, Spotify, Substack, or YouTube.

Hosted by Alex Olshonsky.

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