The Local Church Podcast Sermon: In Good Company | Week 4: Discovering Your Internal Universe // Cody Deese
Nov 23, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Cody Deese, a spiritual guide and author, shares his insights on navigating anxiety and panic. He challenges the stigma around mental health, viewing anxiety as a signal from our internal universe rather than a failure. Cody reflects on his personal journey of living with panic disorder and the liberating power of naming it. He offers transformative practices like hypnotherapy and imagination to connect with one's inner child, emphasizing self-compassion and resilience in the face of fear.
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Anxiety As A Valid Alarm
- Living in 2025, rising anxiety is a normal human response to real societal threats.
- Cody Deese reframes collective panic as the body's alarm signaling real danger needing attention.
Diagnosis Brought Liberation
- Cody learned he had panic disorder at age 40 and found naming it liberating, not depressing.
- Having a diagnosis gave him language and permission to explain episodes publicly and reduce shame.
The Edible That Backfired
- Cody tried many treatments from doctors to shamanic medicine before discovering what worked for him.
- A first edible produced a four-and-a-half-hour panic episode with a hallucinated monster, teaching him caution with substances.
