This is a special episode with Daniel Thorson — who I initially came across through his super podcast called 'Emerge'  and later learned that he was living as a full-time monastic at the Monastic Academy in Vermont — where after a series of conversations, he persuaded me to come and sit for a 10-day retreat — which I just returned from myself recently.I found this was an immensely rich conversation, and I'm grateful to Daniel for opening up about some of the experiences he had recently during 73 days of solitude and silence (which he described as the most profound experience of his life) — during which he had some brushes with insanity but emerged (no pun intended) on the other side with some very hard-won insights to share.~~🫁  Apply for Nervous System Mastery 🫁This episode of Curious Humans is brought to by the one and only 'Nervous System Mastery' ~ which is my flagship 5-week bootcamp designed to equip you with evidence-backed protocols to cultivate calm and emotional regulation.Our third cohort will be running in Spring, 2023 ~ and applications are currently open until April 1st. We've had over 400 students complete this training, and many have said that it has been the most impactful thing they've ever done for their personal growth ~ so if you're intrigued at all, you can find more details and apply to join this year's cohort over at nsmastery.com🔗 Official Show Notes 🔗 💬  Find Daniel on Twitter @dthorson🏛  Learn more about the Monastic Academy🎙️  Listen to Daniel's powerful conversation with Soryu Forall on Emerge🎙️  Link to Buddhist Geeks podcast mentioned by Daniel

Soryu Forall, an ordained Zen Buddhist monk with extensive training across Asia, delves into the intersections of spirituality and technology. He discusses how spiritual awakening can alleviate suffering and critiques humanity's neglect of the consequences of its technological advances. Forall emphasizes the importance of compassion and wisdom in AI development, urging a new spiritual framework to navigate ethical dilemmas. He also explores how modern civilization contrasts with ancient ethical traditions, highlighting the need for clarity and integrity in a rapidly changing world.