Deep Transformation

Ep. 136 (Part 2 of 2) | Criminal justice professor and constitutional law expert Mark Fischler does a brilliant job of deepening our understanding of the challenges facing our democracy, our legal system, and our public morality. How did the democratic process and the values it represents—equality and liberty for all—come to be teetering on the brink? Mark illuminates the fact that the Constitution is not a set-in-stone document, but eminently open to interpretation, and explains that its interpretation is a direct reflection of the worldviews of the Supreme Court justices. In fact, the whole process of democracy needs to be aligned with a certain level of development in order to deliver. Mark points out that democracy hasn’t served all of us, and urges us to explore who and in what ways it has failed, that we may work to correct its flaws and continue to uphold and expand the values foundational to democracy to include respecting and protecting the rights of all beings.Mark contrasts the moral integrity of revered public figures such as Socrates and Dr. King, who honored the rule of law despite that it went against their own self interest, with the disregard for the law so prevalent among political figures today, and points out that democracy can be subverted not only by malicious intent, but also by misplaced idealism—when people feel that supporting a charismatic leader or ideology is more important than supporting the principles of democracy. With regard to the Trump trials, the question arises, is any human above the law? Mark also shares where he finds hope—in his own university students with their openness to a deeper ethical understanding and responsibility and willingness to undertake civic action. Mark urges all of us who care about democracy to become engaged now. His wise, integral, highly informed insights about the current state of the legal system and of democracy, here and around the world, are revelatory, alarming, and inspiring in turn. Recorded May 22, 2024.“It’s time for us to take absolute responsibility for our democracy: if you have a democracy, you need to be engaged and involved.“(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2Democracy only functions properly when there is a foundational rule of law, and the moral integrity of Socrates (01:08)Trumpian politics/political chicanery vs conservative or progressive politics (05:25)Roe vs. Wade and how we have lost the ability to have a sincere conversation about postnatal care (08:19)We are suffering as a people from our inability to enter into a dialectic (09:23)We are not the only democracy at risk: the rise of authoritarianism, populism & demagoguery around the world (12:28)Is there any precedent for a president to be immune from prosecution? (13:27)What is an “official act”? January 6th and interpreting if an act is official or criminal (16:41)Back to democracy at risk: what are democratic values about? (22:19)How is democracy subverted? (23:54) Misplaced idealism can undermine democracy and subvert the rule of law (27:23)Educated citizenry and moving through levels of development to where we recognize the equal dignity of everyone (29:55)With the internet, there are no consistent, shared news sources, no awareness of civic responsibility (32:52)We need to own that democracy has not worked for everybody (37:09)So much depends on our intention: is it about me and mine or the wellbeing of all? (41:13)What gives Mark hope? Mark’s students and their openness to a deeper ethical understanding and responsibility (43:27) It’s time for us to take absolute responsibility for our democracy: if you have a democracy, you need to be engaged and involved (44:25)Resources & ReferencesThe Integral Justice Warrior series, co-hosted by Mark Fischler and Corey deVos (on the Integral Life website)Linda Greenhouse, Pulitzer Prize winner who reported on the Supreme Court for The New York Times from 1978 to 2008, author of The U.S. Supreme Court: A Very Short Introduction*, Justice on the Brink: A Requiem for the Supreme Court*, The Burger Court and the Rise of the Judicial Right*, and more.The Federalist Society and OriginalismThe Warren Court, 1953-1969Justice Scalia’s Contradictory Originalism (New Yorker article)Plato, Crito’s dialogue with SocratesSinclair Lewis, It Can’t Happen Here** As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Mark Fischler is a Professor of Criminal Justice and current program coordinator for the criminal justice and criminology programs at Plymouth State University. Prior to joining the Plymouth State faculty, he practiced law, representing poor criminal defendants for the New Hampshire Public Defender’s Office. Mark left the law after being guided by the Universe to focus on his Spiritual Awareness for almost two years. Upon his return, he was called to become a teacher and accepted a job at Plymouth State in 2003. Since then, Mark has worked extensively with alternative theoretical models in law, constitutional law, and higher education, and has published on integral applications to teaching, being a lawyer, and legal theory. In his time at the university, he’s been a chair, Dean, and Interim VP. His focus in the classroom is ethics and criminal procedure and constitutional law. He is well respected for a teaching philosophy that emphasizes recognizing the humanity and dignity of each student. Professor Fischler was awarded the outstanding teaching award at his university in 2014. He currently offers a weekly Spiritual Inquiry class for college students.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 135 (Part 1 of 2) | Criminal justice professor and constitutional law expert Mark Fischler does a brilliant job of deepening our understanding of the challenges facing our democracy, our legal system, and our public morality. How did the democratic process and the values it represents—equality and liberty for all—come to be teetering on the brink? Mark illuminates the fact that the Constitution is not a set-in-stone document, but eminently open to interpretation, and explains that its interpretation is a direct reflection of the worldviews of the Supreme Court justices. In fact, the whole process of democracy needs to be aligned with a certain level of development in order to deliver. Mark points out that democracy hasn’t served all of us, and urges us to explore who and in what ways it has failed, that we may work to correct its flaws and continue to uphold and expand the values foundational to democracy to include respecting and protecting the rights of all beings.Mark contrasts the moral integrity of revered public figures such as Socrates and Dr. King, who honored the rule of law despite that it went against their own self interest, with the disregard for the law so prevalent among political figures today, and points out that democracy can be subverted not only by malicious intent, but also by misplaced idealism—when people feel that supporting a charismatic leader or ideology is more important than supporting the principles of democracy. With regard to the Trump trials, the question arises, is any human above the law? Mark also shares where he finds hope—in his own university students with their openness to a deeper ethical understanding and responsibility and willingness to undertake civic action. Mark urges all of us who care about democracy to become engaged now. His wise, integral, highly informed insights about the current state of the legal system and of democracy, here and around the world, are revelatory, alarming, and inspiring in turn. Recorded May 22, 2024.“Democracy really only functions properly when there is a foundational rule of law.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps – Part 1Introducing criminal justice professor and integral expert on constitutional law, Mark Fischler (01:32)The hush money trial: you can’t disengage the politics (03:46)Is any human being above the rule of law? (06:16)It was ethical Republicans that got Nixon to resign; now a cult-like status exists in the party (07:36)How people like Supreme Court Justice Alito’s wife and Justice Thomas’ wife have bought into the Stop the Steal idea, supporting the idea that the 2020 election was false (10:15)Impeachment is the most direct form of accountability in the Supreme Court (12:50)Understanding the nature of the current Supreme Court and how the Constitution gets interpreted according to the justices’ worldviews (14:12)The Citizens United case where the Supreme Court ruled to give corporations the right to freedom of speech (17:31)The current Supreme Court is hostile to the Union movement, to regulation around land use, to green, pluralistic values—it’s all about protecting individual rights (20:13)The Constitution is not the solid document we might think, but is very open to interpretation (23:35)The Federalist Society and the rise of originalism (24:35)The beginning of culture wars in the Supreme Court and how Supreme Court nominee Robert Borg applied originalism to abortion (29:33)Selective interpretation of the Constitution and originalist interpretations of the 2nd and 8th Amendments (33:58)How should democracy be delivered? What we want to see reflected in our interpretation of the Constitution is an honoring of our interconnectivity with all sentient beings (38:19)The Manhattan hush money case soon going to jury and why it turned into a felony case (40:55)Does Trump’s motivation to run for president include attempting to pardon his own crimes? Can someone pardon themself? (46:13)Resources & ReferencesThe Integral Justice Warrior series, co-hosted by Mark Fischler and Corey deVos (on the Integral Life website)Linda Greenhouse, Pulitzer Prize winner who reported on the Supreme Court for The New York Times from 1978 to 2008, author of The U.S. Supreme Court: A Very Short Introduction*, Justice on the Brink: A Requiem for the Supreme Court*, The Burger Court and the Rise of the Judicial Right*, and more.The Federalist Society and OriginalismThe Warren Court, 1953-1969Justice Scalia’s Contradictory Originalism (New Yorker article)Plato, Crito’s dialogue with SocratesSinclair Lewis, It Can’t Happen Here** As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Mark Fischler is a Professor of Criminal Justice and current program coordinator for the criminal justice and criminology programs at Plymouth State University. Prior to joining the Plymouth State faculty, he practiced law, representing poor criminal defendants for the New Hampshire Public Defender’s Office. Mark left the law after being guided by the Universe to focus on his Spiritual Awareness for almost two years. Upon his return, he was called to become a teacher and accepted a job at Plymouth State in 2003. Since then, Mark has worked extensively with alternative theoretical models in law, constitutional law, and higher education, and has published on integral applications to teaching, being a lawyer, and legal theory. In his time at the university, he’s been a chair, Dean, and Interim VP. His focus in the classroom is ethics and criminal procedure and constitutional law. He is well respected for a teaching philosophy that emphasizes recognizing the humanity and dignity of each student. Professor Fischler was awarded the outstanding teaching award at his university in 2014. He currently offers a weekly Spiritual Inquiry class for college students.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 134 (Part 2 of 2) | Author, podcaster, farmer, and poet, Brendan Graham Dempsey, brings passion, dedication, clarity, and outstanding scholarship to the fascinating and enormously important study of cultural evolution, which operates on both a personal level and a collective one. He illuminates how, when, and why we shift from one cultural worldview to the next, using his own life’s journey through the cultural stages as a map and paints colorful portraits of the outstanding characteristics of each stage: traditional/premodern, modern, postmodern, and metamodern. Brendan enlightens us as to the tumultuous and often lonely and despairing time that occurs when our prior stage has been deconstructed and we find ourselves between worldviews in a liminal space where sensemaking fails. As he puts it, we live in certain worlds to help us navigate reality. But then things change, and we bump up against the limits of things. Now the time has come to update our sense of the world; we are invited to expand and grow.We come to understand why it is necessary for cultures to evolve—to accommodate ever increasing complexity—and why culture wars and confusion result from misunderstanding a worldview that infiltrates your psyche before it’s ready. Brendan explains why postmodernism does not serve us now, introducing and inviting us to the new, emerging worldview of metamodernism, where there is hope in positivity, affirmation, and aspirational idealism. Hope, and the promise of coming together in a new understanding among peoples, a prerequisite for dealing with the challenges of the global crises that affect us all. Brendan brings a big heart, keen mind, and a lot of verve to these complex subjects, which come alive under his brilliant tutelage. As he points out, deconstructing the psyche can help save the world, adding, this is a lot of what the metamodern community is trying to get the word out about. Recorded May 1, 2024.“Metamodernism is a worldview of worldviews, a cultural logic of cultural logics, trying to expand beyond the frame we have been working in…to a framework where we can relate to each other in deeper ways, and find deeper modes of understanding, compassion, and empathy with one another.“(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2How do the Civil Rights movement and other awareness expanding movements fit into cultural evolution? (00:57)Postmodernism in academia (06:21)Postmodern art, films, punk, grunge—a response to how superficial the suburban world has become (07:30)To move out of the cynical and skeptical, your critique can’t be all cynical too—you’ve got to start affirming things (08:22)Thus metamodernism: a turn to sincerity, earnestness, moving through irony (10:54)How metamodernism shows up in the arts—like with many worldviews, the artist often shows up as forerunner of the shift in stages (14:28)Metamodernism is a move towards hope, values, aspirational idealism—from negativity to positivity (16:23)Postmodern academia profoundly needs a paradigm shift because all categories of knowledge have been deconstructed (19:52)Culture wars and the confusion that results from misunderstanding a worldview that infiltrates your psyche before it’s ready to assimilate it (23:32)Metamodernism offers tools to help bring clarity to the above (26:20)Postmodernism as an intellectual toolkit is now being deployed by the political right, whereas it started in the leftist intelligentsia (27:14)Truth matters, grand narratives can bring us together, and power can work for the good (29:06) Complexity and finding an island of coherence in time of chaos (32:51)John on using a metamodern approach to look at science: “This meta stuff really works!” (35:38)The “meta move”: asking what it is we need to take into account that we are not taking into account; applying the logic of systems (37:51)Metamodernism is a worldview of worldviews, trying to expand beyond its frame and discover ways in which we can relate to each other with greater understanding, compassion, and empathy (41:05) Resources & References – Part 2Howard Zinn, A People’s History of the United States*Robert Venturi, Learning from Las Vegas*David Foster Wallace, writer, professor, early forerunner of metamodernismHanzi Freinacht, The Listening Society*Ken Wilber, founder of Integral Theory, What is Integral? (Integral Life website)Jason Storm, academic, philosopher, social scientist & author, The Myth of Disenchantment: Magic, Modernity, and the Birth of the Human Sciences* (whom Brendan is working with on an academic journal called Metamodern Theory & Praxis)Complexity Theory Overview (Systems Innovation YouTube video)Cory David Barker, diagonal complexityDr. Gregg Henriques, The Unified Theory of KnowledgeBrendan Graham Dempsey, Metamodernism: Or, The Cultural Logic of Cultural Logics*Brendan Graham Dempsey,A Universal Learning Process (The Evolution of Meaning)*Brendan’s website: Sky Meadow InstituteBrendan’s podcast: Metamodern SpiritualityBrendan’s YouTube channel* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Brendan Graham Dempsey is a writer, poet, farmer, and the director of Sky Meadow Institute, an organization dedicated to promoting systems-based thinking about the things that matter most. He holds a BA in religious studies from the University of Vermont and a master’s in religion and art from Yale University. He is the author of the 7-volume Metamodern Spirituality Series and, most recently, Metamodernism: Or, The Cultural Logic of Cultural Logics. His primary interests include theorizing developments in culture after postmodernism, productively bridging the divide between science and spirituality, and developing sustainable systems for life to flourish. All of these lead through the paradigms of emergence and complexity, which inform all of his work.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Brendan Graham Dempsey explores the evolution of cultures from pre-modern to metamodern era, explaining the importance of updating worldviews. He discusses the challenges of transitioning through cultural stages, the hero's journey concept, and the shift from modernism to postmodernism. The podcast provides insights on the relationship between individual mentalities and societal developments, emphasizing the need for cultural evolution to accommodate complexity.

Ep. 132 (Part 3 of 3) | World renowned EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing) therapy pioneer and trainer Dr. Laurel Parnell has used EMDR therapy with clients for decades with truly remarkable success. Laurel relates how EMDR therapy dissolves blocks caused by trauma, freeing clients from negative constructs so they can develop their own felt sense of truth, and express from and know their own true nature. After EMDR, she says, “singers sing, writers write, dancers dance.” Not only are clients freed, but the endpoint of EMDR therapy quite often rests in a transpersonal space that is invariably characterized by an upwelling of self-love and compassion for others, an opening to mystery and boundless possibility. Interestingly, because of the resonant field between therapist and client (interpersonal neurobiology), the therapist experiences the transpersonal opening when it happens as well. More often than not, Laurel tells us, the way the session unfolds is a surprise to both client and therapist, with long forgotten little “t” traumas turning out to be responsible for the client’s blocks rather than the expected major life traumas. Laurel makes it clear that the goal of EMDR is to empower the client; the therapist must allow the wisdom to reside in the client rather than in their own interpretation of what unfolds, and adhere strictly to a process of open inquiry. She describes how the therapist’s beliefs can limit the outcome and outlines the advantages of a therapist who has a spiritual practice and transpersonal awareness. Laurel’s leading edge at this point involves Multidimensional Integrative Healing, an evolution from her longtime experience with EMDR, where further dimensions of reality have so often emerged in her work, and her own spiritual journey. It is fascinating to hear her describe how we can not only install helpful inner resources for ourselves, but also counter intergenerational trauma by calling forward ancestral wisdom. A deeply intriguing, eye opening, and impactful conversation with a very wise, enthusiastic, far thinking trailblazer of a teacher. Recorded April 15, 2024.“The consciousness that illumines everything illumines everything on all dimensions.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps – Part 3Normalizing living in the nondual space with Suzanne Segal (00:56)Laurel’s son’s horrific death, the sense of feeling held, and working with a spirit worker afterwards (03:42)Laurel’s further healing on her own with EMDR (08:51)The onset of working with multiple dimensions of reality: working with energetic attachments, ancestral/intergenerational trauma, energetic sovereignty (09:53)Not everything we experience is ours, and should not be integrated (11:20)This way of working is all about empowering the individual, cultivating & developing the very powerful resource deities within us and in other dimensions (15:20)Using Tibetan technology & developing skillful means (16:48)Energetic sovereignty and working with energy bubbles: how to help others without merging with them (20:22)Healing intergenerational trauma: resourcing positive, wholesome, healthy ancestry and bringing it forward (21:59) The bridging technique: reprocessing past life trauma of the client or even of another energetic being (25:49)Staying open to the multiplicity of possibilities of what could be going on (28:14)What the original pioneering psychedelic therapists discovered about the psyche (29:13)Laurel’s healing journey in the Amazon and recognizing that ancient ways of healing are still important (31:03)Consciousness is so vast, everything is there—grief too (34:48)Primordial purity: everything is an expression of consciousness; nothing needs to be condemned (35:19)There is cross-generational transmission of limiting beliefs, traumas, etc., but also of virtues: bringing forward ancestral wisdom to heal current traumas (37:28)The importance of service, setting good boundaries, and practicing good ethics on the part of the shaman or therapist (42:45)Resources & References – Part 3Suzanne Segal, Collision with the Infinite: A Life Beyond the Personal Self*Michael Harner, The Way of the Shaman*, Cave and Cosmos: Shamanic Encounters with Another Reality*Zen Master Seung Sahn, The Compass of Zen*, Only Don’t Know: Selected Teaching Letters of Zen Master Seung Sahn*The Pachamama AllianceIsabel Wilkerson, The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration*Dr. Laurel Parnell, Executive Director, The Parnell Institute, a major provider of EMDR training and educational programs, and leading authority on Attachment-Focused EMDRFind an EMDR Therapist at Parnell InstituteLaurel Parnell, Transforming Trauma: EMDR: The Revolutionary New Therapy for Freeing the Mind, Clearing the Body, and Opening the Heart*Laurel Parnell, Rewiring the Addicted Brain: An EMDR-Based Treatment Model for Overcoming Addictive Disorders*Laurel Parnell, Attachment-Focused EMDR: Healing Relational Trauma*Laurel Parnell, Tapping In: A Step-by-Step Guide to Activating Your Healing Resources Through Bilateral Stimulation** As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Live Online Training at the Parnell Institute June 7-8, 2024: Discover the Power of Multidimensional Integrative Healing and EMDR with Laurel Parnell---Laurel Parnell, Ph.D. is the Executive Director of the Parnell Institute and developer of Attachment-Focused EMDR and Multidimensional Integrative Healing. She is a clinical psychologist, author of several books, and leading expert on Eye-movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. Since 1995 she has trained thousands of clinicians in EMDR both nationally and internationally. A meditation practitioner since 1973, she brings a transpersonal orientation to her teaching as well as to her clinical work.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 131 (Part 2 of 3) | World renowned EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing) therapy pioneer and trainer Dr. Laurel Parnell has used EMDR therapy with clients for decades with truly remarkable success. Laurel relates how EMDR therapy dissolves blocks caused by trauma, freeing clients from negative constructs so they can develop their own felt sense of truth, and express from and know their own true nature. After EMDR, she says, “singers sing, writers write, dancers dance.” Not only are clients freed, but the endpoint of EMDR therapy quite often rests in a transpersonal space that is invariably characterized by an upwelling of self-love and compassion for others, an opening to mystery and boundless possibility. Interestingly, because of the resonant field between therapist and client (interpersonal neurobiology), the therapist experiences the transpersonal opening when it happens as well. More often than not, Laurel tells us, the way the session unfolds is a surprise to both client and therapist, with long forgotten little “t” traumas turning out to be responsible for the client’s blocks rather than the expected major life traumas. Laurel makes it clear that the goal of EMDR is to empower the client; the therapist must allow the wisdom to reside in the client rather than in their own interpretation of what unfolds, and adhere strictly to a process of open inquiry. She describes how the therapist’s beliefs can limit the outcome and outlines the advantages of a therapist who has a spiritual practice and transpersonal awareness. Laurel’s leading edge at this point involves Multidimensional Integrative Healing, an evolution from her longtime experience with EMDR, where further dimensions of reality have so often emerged in her work, and her own spiritual journey. It is fascinating to hear her describe how we can not only install helpful inner resources for ourselves, but also counter intergenerational trauma by calling forward ancestral wisdom. A deeply intriguing, eye opening, and impactful conversation with a very wise, enthusiastic, far thinking trailblazer of a teacher. Recorded April 15, 2024.“EMDR clears what isn’t true.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2The amazing healing effects of after-death communications (00:55)Allan Botkin’s research with veterans, inducing after-death communication to heal PTSD (06:26)Roger’s experience of EMDR and how it healed his hypersensitivity (10:04)The therapist experiences the same healing, clearing process as the client, also opening into a transpersonal space (14:12)The importance of spiritual practice for the therapist: meditation, presence, watching thoughts, coming back to the moment, the ability to be curious, allowing things to unfold as they will (16:59)Can we do this on our own? Resource installation or resource tapping (19:35)Activating 4 strong foundational resources: peaceful place, nurturing figure, protective figure, and wise figure (21:09)NeuroTek devices that Laurel and clients can use to aid the process of bilateral stimulation (25:10) Laurel’s spiritual path: from Tibetan Buddhism to Vipassana to nonduality (27:49)What is important in life after the dissolution of all constructs? (35:47)Resources & References – Part 2Allan Botkin, Induced After-Death Communication: A New Therapy for Healing Grief and Trauma*Zen Master Seung Sahn, The Compass of Zen*, Only Don’t Know: Selected Teaching Letters of Zen Master Seung Sahn*NeuroTek EMDR ShopLaurel Parnell, Installing Resources: An Attachment-Focused EMDR™ In-session Demonstration (YouTube video)Tarthang Tulku, Tibetan Vajrayana teacher and lama who introduced the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism to the U.S.Lama Yeshe co-founded Kopan Monastery & the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana TraditionJack Kornfield & Joseph Goldstein, Vipassana teachers (see also Deep Transformation episode #121, Living on the Spiritual Edge with Joseph Goldstein, or watch on YouTube)Jean Klein, spiritual teacher, The Ease of Being*Suzanne Segal, Collision with the Infinite: A Life Beyond the Personal Self*Dr. Laurel Parnell, Executive Director, The Parnell Institute, a major provider of EMDR training and educational programs, and leading authority on Attachment-Focused EMDRFind an EMDR Therapist at Parnell InstituteLaurel Parnell, Transforming Trauma: EMDR: The Revolutionary New Therapy for Freeing the Mind, Clearing the Body, and Opening the Heart*Laurel Parnell, Rewiring the Addicted Brain: An EMDR-Based Treatment Model for Overcoming Addictive Disorders*Laurel Parnell, Attachment-Focused EMDR: Healing Relational Trauma*Laurel Parnell, Tapping In: A Step-by-Step Guide to Activating Your Healing Resources Through Bilateral Stimulation** As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Live Online Training at the Parnell Institute June 7-8, 2024: Discover the Power of Multidimensional Integrative Healing and EMDR with Laurel Parnell---Laurel Parnell, Ph.D. is the Executive Director of the Parnell Institute and developer of Attachment-Focused EMDR and Multidimensional Integrative Healing. She is a clinical psychologist, author of several books, and leading expert on Eye-movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. Since 1995 she has trained thousands of clinicians in EMDR both nationally and internationally. A meditation practitioner since 1973, she brings a transpersonal orientation to her teaching as well as to her clinical work.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 130 (Part 1 of 3) | World renowned EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing) therapy pioneer and trainer Dr. Laurel Parnell has used EMDR therapy with clients for decades with truly remarkable success. Laurel relates how EMDR therapy dissolves blocks caused by trauma, freeing clients from negative constructs so they can develop their own felt sense of truth, and express from and know their own true nature. After EMDR, she says, “singers sing, writers write, dancers dance.” Not only are clients freed, but the endpoint of EMDR therapy quite often rests in a transpersonal space that is invariably characterized by an upwelling of self-love and compassion for others, an opening to mystery and boundless possibility. Interestingly, because of the resonant field between therapist and client (interpersonal neurobiology), the therapist experiences the transpersonal opening when it happens as well. More often than not, Laurel tells us, the way the session unfolds is a surprise to both client and therapist, with long forgotten little “t” traumas turning out to be responsible for the client’s blocks rather than the expected major life traumas. Laurel makes it clear that the goal of EMDR is to empower the client; the therapist must allow the wisdom to reside in the client rather than in their own interpretation of what unfolds, and adhere strictly to a process of open inquiry. She describes how the therapist’s beliefs can limit the outcome and outlines the advantages of a therapist who has a spiritual practice and transpersonal awareness. Laurel’s leading edge at this point involves Multidimensional Integrative Healing, an evolution from her longtime experience with EMDR, where further dimensions of reality have so often emerged in her work, and her own spiritual journey. It is fascinating to hear her describe how we can not only install helpful inner resources for ourselves, but also counter intergenerational trauma by calling forward ancestral wisdom. A deeply intriguing, eye opening, and impactful conversation with a very wise, enthusiastic, far thinking trailblazer of a teacher. Recorded April 15, 2024.“How many trauma therapies have the upwelling of compassion for self and others as the typical endpoint?“(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps – Part 1Introducing world renowned EMDR therapist & trainer, leading authority on Attachment-Focused EMDR, author, and longtime spiritual practitioner Dr. Laurel Parnell (01:11)What is EMDR (Eye-movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy) and the power of alternating bilateral stimulation (03:20)EMDR: a highly efficacious trauma therapy that rapidly processes our frozen memories/experiences and moves us toward health and wholeness (05:15)Humanistic psychology theory underlies EMDR, and the difference between EMDR and other therapies based on similar theories (06:48)EMDR clears what isn’t true; it eliminates places of holding in the mind/body, creating space for living in a free, fluid way & allows the expression and knowing of our true self (07:55)Beyond theories, beyond talk therapy (10:30)More often than not what underlies current symptoms and problems is a complete surprise: small “t” traumas (11:31)What is important in any good therapy is the right brain to right brain connection between therapist and client (14:38)The importance of spiritual practice for the therapist (17:55)The most common transpersonal experience/typical result of EMDR is an upwelling of compassion for self and others (21:11)Objective forgiveness: when you see things as they are, a broader context arises (23:57)How therapists can limit the outcomes (26:19)Where EMDR starts to blend with shamanic practices, opening the veil to transpersonal dimensions of reality (28:43)The wisdom abides in the client and the therapist aligns to that (32:09)The Golem effect: self-limiting beliefs do manifest (34:09)No interpretations! This is about inquiry (35:53)How our individual unique ways of self expression come forth (38:26)Empowering people to come to their own truth, which they can then rely on day to day (39:28)The problem with neoshamanism (43:23)Resources & References – Part 1Dr. Laurel Parnell, Executive Director, The Parnell Institute, a major provider of EMDR training and educational programs, and leading authority on Attachment-Focused EMDRFind an EMDR Therapist at Parnell InstituteLaurel Parnell, Transforming Trauma: EMDR: The Revolutionary New Therapy for Freeing the Mind, Clearing the Body, and Opening the Heart*Laurel Parnell, Rewiring the Addicted Brain: An EMDR-Based Treatment Model for Overcoming Addictive Disorders*Laurel Parnell, Attachment-Focused EMDR: Healing Relational Trauma*Laurel Parnell, Tapping In: A Step-by-Step Guide to Activating Your Healing Resources Through Bilateral Stimulation*Francine Shapiro, originator and developer of EMDR, founder of the EMDR Institute, Inc.Jean Klein, spiritual teacher, The Ease of Being*Carl Jung, “Learn your theories as well as you can, but put them aside when you touch the miracle of the living soul.”Zen Master Seung Sahn, The Compass of Zen*, Only Don’t Know: Selected Teaching Letters of Zen Master Seung Sahn*Alan Watts, The Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for an Age of Anxiety*Laurel Parnell, Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) and Spiritual Unfolding, published in the Journal of Transpersonal Psychology CA Institute of Integral StudiesThe Golem effectAlice Miller, The Truth Will Set You Free: Overcoming Emotional Blindness and Finding Your True Adult Self*, The Drama of the Gifted Child: The Search for the True Self*Live Online Training at the Parnell Institute June 7-8, 2024: Discover the Power of Multidimensional Integrative Healing and EMDR with Laurel Parnell* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Laurel Parnell, Ph.D. is the Executive Director of the Parnell Institute and developer of Attachment-Focused EMDR and Multidimensional Integrative Healing. She is a clinical psychologist, author of several books, and leading expert on Eye-movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. Since 1995 she has trained thousands of clinicians in EMDR both nationally and internationally. A meditation practitioner since 1973, she brings a transpersonal orientation to her teaching as well as to her clinical work.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 129 (Part 2 of 2) | Environmental philosopher, public health scientist, and corporate malfeasance researcher Dr. Yogi Hendlin is dedicated to understanding, communicating, and addressing the psychological, social, political, and economic barriers that keep us from treading a solid path toward sustainability. One of the areas Yogi is extremely knowledgeable about is the dynamics and drivers of corporate decision making. An underlying belief that the planet is indestructible makes it okay to prioritize profit above global health, or companies may find themselves in a double bind where they would actually prefer to be more strictly regulated but that would mean corporate suicide unless their entire industry was regulated. Interestingly, Yogi has found that learned helplessness operates at all levels of power in inverse relation to actual power and responsibility, citing how some of the most powerful people in the world are saying, “What can I do?” when Indigenous groups with very few resources find ways to thrive in a sustainable way.Yogi points out that changing the world is not an event but a process—and delves into how we can make real changes to get off the destructive path we are on, overshooting the limits of our biosphere on every metric. We can create circuit breakers for our habitual, counterproductive routines, we can cultivate skillful communication that allows our defense mechanisms to drop away, we can recognize our fundamental need for community and connection, and we can use spiritual practice and psychedelics to help us regain a sense of wonder and reverence for life. Yogi believes that decolonization and creating ecologies of discourse that reward honesty, vulnerability, admitting mistakes, and asking for help is the way forward. This is an earnest, thought provoking, heartfelt, and inspiring discussion of the way things are, the barriers to change, and hope for the future. Recorded January 11, 2024.“All human beings have a fundamental capacity for change and growth, evolution and divinity.”Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2Decolonizing the psychedelic renaissance: protecting the sacraments & cultural traditions that have been part of psychedelic use for millenia (00:45)Psychoplastogens and the theory that one can engineer a psychedelic trip to fit a 1-hr therapy session (02:21)Ensuring low abuse liability for all our experiences: community and connection are the best way to do this (05:19)The skillful use of psychedelics: including them as part of a larger spiritual practice and the trap of thinking the psychedelic is doing “it” (08:25)Future holiness: psychedelics can help pull us toward the future we know in our hearts is possible; but there are many spiritual paths to help us evolve (11:29)The Buddhist parable of looking for water (14:14)Changing the world is much more than just an event (15:45) Our systems are all based on efficiency of the wrong kind—we need to learn how our actions affect others (17:12)What are Yogi’s spiritual practices? Vipassana, Buddhist meditation/Taoism, Indigenous practices & ceremonies & more (21:27)A lot of people who are challenging dominant narratives feel lonely (25:45)Stepping up compassion and learning how to be a better communicator & disarm defense mechanisms in others (29:58)Allowing individuals as well as corporations to “save face” (33:11)Creating ecologies of discourse: rewarding honesty, vulnerability, and admitting mistakes (33:50)The value of systems theory and the need for multifaceted responses to get out of our dysfunctional matrix (36:16)“I’m going to always root for solutions that work for everybody, because I understand that the moment we start the us/them demonization thing, we’ve already lost the battle.” (38:33)Resources & References – Part 2Joanna Moncrieff & Mark Horowitz, Depression is probably not caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain – new study (The Conversation)Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of NeedsRoger Walsh, Higher Wisdom: Eminent Elders Explore the Continuing Impact of Psychedelics*Arundhati Roy, “Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day I can hear her breathing.”Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ (All Are Related)Neil Gaiman, American Gods*Philip Shepherd, Radical Wholeness: The Embodied Present and the Ordinary Grace of Being*Starhawk, The Fifth Sacred Thing*Yogi Hendlin’s website: https://www.yogihendlin.com/,Yogi Hendlin, Assistant Professor, Erasmus School of Philosophy; Core Faculty, Dynamics of Inclusive Prosperity Initiative, Erasmus University, Rotterdam; Research Associate, Environmental Health Initiative, University of California, San FranciscoYogi Hendlin, editor-in-chief, Biosemiotics* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Yogi Hale Hendlin is a professor in environmental philosophy and public health at Erasmus University Rotterdam and the University of California, San Francisco. Editor-in-Chief of the journal Biosemiotics, Yogi’s work explores the various ways in which industrialization has supercharged the illusion of separation and control as viable solutions, and instead harkens to the various ways traditional peoples have developed cultural practices from ecologies conducive to integral communities.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 128 (Part 1 of 2) | Environmental philosopher, public health scientist, and corporate malfeasance researcher Dr. Yogi Hendlin is dedicated to understanding, communicating, and addressing the psychological, social, political, and economic barriers that keep us from treading a solid path toward sustainability. One of the areas Yogi is extremely knowledgeable about is the dynamics and drivers of corporate decision making. An underlying belief that the planet is indestructible makes it okay to prioritize profit above global health, or companies may find themselves in a double bind where they would actually prefer to be more strictly regulated but that would mean corporate suicide unless their entire industry was regulated. Interestingly, Yogi has found that learned helplessness operates at all levels of power in inverse relation to actual power and responsibility, citing how some of the most powerful people in the world are saying, “What can I do?” when Indigenous groups with very few resources find ways to thrive in a sustainable way.Yogi points out that changing the world is not an event but a process—and delves into how we can make real changes to get off the destructive path we are on, overshooting the limits of our biosphere on every metric. We can create circuit breakers for our habitual, counterproductive routines, we can cultivate skillful communication that allows our defense mechanisms to drop away, we can recognize our fundamental need for community and connection, and we can use spiritual practice and psychedelics to help us regain a sense of wonder and reverence for life. Yogi believes that decolonization and creating ecologies of discourse that reward honesty, vulnerability, admitting mistakes, and asking for help is the way forward. This is an earnest, thought provoking, heartfelt, and inspiring discussion of the way things are, the barriers to change, and hope for the future. Recorded January 11, 2024.“We live disconnected from each other because we don’t need each other.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps – Part 1Introducing environmental philosopher, public health scientist, professor & corporate malfeasance researcher, Dr. Yogi Hendlin (01:05)Yogi has coined the term “chemical anthropocene” in reference to the indelible legacy we have created in changing the composition of the earth’s chemistry (and our bodies) (02:18)“Forever chemicals” bioaccumulate in our systems and persist up to 7 generations (04:18)Humans are already bearing a toxic load, and we’re creating a path dependency of toxicity for future generations (06:09)How can we evolve collectively to respond effectively? (07:51)All day, we are called into being in different ways, some very tension inducing, and we have erected barriers to our unmediated appreciation of the world in response to these demands (12:12)We can practice different ways of attending (i.e. fasting from media, eating, work, routine) that act as circuit breakers to our culture’s destructive habits (13:57)The age-old separation between understanding the world through analysis and understanding reality by becoming part of the mindset of the other (15:20)Being open to novelty (apophatic) while also reaffirming the knowledge we already have (cataphatic): the rise of LGBTQ, for example (17:37)Does the “arc of the moral universe bend towards justice”? (19:08)The fate of the world is not independent from our actions (23:17)Decolonization is the way forward and Yogi’s upcoming book, Industrial Pandemics (26:23)Game theory and the double bind: it would be suicide for many companies to do what is best for all (30:00)We are currently engaged in what is essentially a global arms race that is destroying and undermining the basis of life on earth (33:29)Wherein lies the hope? Shifting perspectives, ecodelics (34:53)How learned helplessness operates at all levels of power in inverse relation to actual power and responsibility (35:59)We live disconnected from each other because we don’t need each other (38:07)Meaning making is a participatory event; connecting with and serving community is the fastest way out of depression (39:56)Resources & References – Part 1Yogi Hendlin’s website: https://www.yogihendlin.com/Yogi Hendlin, Assistant Professor, Erasmus School of Philosophy; Core Faculty, Dynamics of Inclusive Prosperity Initiative, Erasmus University, Rotterdam; Research Associate, Environmental Health Initiative, University of California, San FranciscoYogi Hendlin, editor-in-chief, BiosemioticsJohan Rockström et al., A Safe Operating Space for Humanity The Haber process is the main industrial procedure for the production of ammonia by converting atmospheric nitrogen into ammoniaThe debate between Erklären and Verstehen The Fusion of Horizons (Steve Thomason YouTube video, simple representation of the concept of joined horizons)Hans-Georg Gadamer, Truth and Method* (on the joining of horizons)Iain McGilchrist, The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World*Pauline Kleingeld, Kant and Cosmopolitanism: The Philosophical Ideal Of World Citizenship*Douglas Rushkoff, Team Human*Cory Doctorow, The Internet Con: How to Seize the Means of Computation*Gregory Bateson et al.’s double bind theoryRichard Doyle, Darwin’s Pharmacy: Sex, Plants, and the Evolution of the Noosphere*Charles Eisenstein, The Turning of the Age* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Yogi Hale Hendlin is a professor in environmental philosophy and public health at Erasmus University Rotterdam and the University of California, San Francisco. Editor-in-Chief of the journal Biosemiotics, Yogi’s work explores the various ways in which industrialization has supercharged the illusion of separation and control as viable solutions, and instead harkens to the various ways traditional peoples have developed cultural practices from ecologies conducive to integral communities.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 127 (Part 3 of 3) | Purpose guide, activist, nonduality student/teacher, and meditation teacher Jonathan Gustin is passionate about bringing the subject of the metacrisis into spiritual practice, essentially updating spiritual traditions that originated on deeply local levels to reflect the world of interrelated global crises we live in today. Jonathan proposes we delve into the relationship between nondual awakening and the metacrisis, using the metacrisis as our spiritual koan, and fostering within our contemplative practice a sense of responsibility for life that manifests in activism. Jonathan’s focus is also on guiding individuals to explore the notion of soul-level purpose—not only to discover our true purpose but embody a purpose that is consistent with love without boundaries. This is a warm, lively, far reaching, and enlightening discussion, tying many intriguing subjects to the overarching theme of nonduality, metacrisis, and soul-level purpose: Native American vision questing, karma yoga, skillful communication, the developmental stages of purpose, the consequences of the delusion of separateness, the difference between humancentric nonduality and ecocentric nonduality, and much more. It is deeply inspirational to approach the metacrisis (which Jonathan provides a wonderful definition of) as an investigation into our relationship with life and reality. Recorded April 4, 2024.“The metacrisis is an investigation into our relationship with life and reality; the term itself is a koan.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps – Part 3A definition of the metacrisis: the polycrisis (the multiple interrelated crises) plus the consciousness in which the polycrisis arises and is ultimately made up (00:56)What is beyond (meta) all the elements of the polycrisis? Consciousness (02:32)We cannot engineer our way out of the metacrisis: we will have to heal, mature, and awaken ourselves individually & collectively if we are to make our way through the bottleneck we have created; furthermore, this is a permacrisis (05:11)The metacrisis is an investigation into our relationship with life and reality; the term itself is a koan (09:00)Default (inherited) purpose vs soul-level purpose (11:48)Purpose goes through a number of developmental stages—what are the characteristics of a mature, service-oriented, worldcentric purpose? (16:17)The difference between humancentric nonduality and ecocentric nonduality (20:26)The embodiment piece of nonduality is key (22:31)Updating our spiritual traditions and koans to 2024; asking, What is the metacrisis? (24:01)Jonathan’s open letter to nondual teachers inviting them to integrate the metacrisis into their teachings (33:07)Integral Conference in North America (ICON): Future Human, Denver, May 16th-19th (35:28)Resources & References – Part 3Terry Patten, founder of A New Republic of the Heart, Facing Death: A Call to “Get Real,” the Importance of Being Kind, and Waking Up to the Miracle of Existence (Terry’s Message to Us 3 Weeks Before His Own Passing) (Deep Transformation podcast)James Fowler, Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning*David Loy, Growing from Bodhisattva to Ecosattva: Integrating Personal Practice and Global Activism (Deep Transformation podcast)The Blue Cliff Record*, translated by Thomas Cleary & JC Cleary (compilation of 12th century koans)Lama Surya Das, The Essence of Awakening (Deep Transformation podcast on YouTube)Peter Russell’s “truth decay,” Consciousness: The Bridge Between Science & SpiritBrother David Steindl-Rast, Benedictine monk, author, lecturer committed to interfaith dialogueJonathan Rowson, Tasting the Pickle: Ten flavours of meta-crisis and the appetite for a new civilisationDaniel Schmachtenberger, Rivalrous dynamics, multiplied by exponential technology, self-terminate. Or: how not to go extinct (The Alternative, YouTube video)John Prendergast, co-author of Jonathan’s upcoming paper on the metacrisis and nondualityIntegral Conference in North America (ICON)’s Future Human Conference, Denver, May 16-19, 2024Jonathan Gustin, founder of the Purpose Guides Institute and Green Sangha, a spiritually oriented activist organizationJoin Roger Walsh at Integral Conference of North America (ICON)’s FUTURE HUMAN conference, May 16-19, 2024 in Denver!* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Jonathan Gustin, MA, MFT, is the founder of Purpose Guides Institute. He helps people to find and embody their life’s purpose, and offers training for those who want to become Purpose Guides themselves. He is also a meditation teacher, facilitating meditation gatherings remotely as well as in-person in his hometown of Victoria, BC, Canada.  Jonathan has been a psychotherapist and spiritual mentor for over 25 years. He is a retired adjunct professor at JFK University and co-author of Purpose Rising with Ken Wilber, Erwin Laszlo, and Bill Plotkin. He has had the pleasure of co-teaching programs with such luminaries as Human Potential pioneer George Leonard, eco-activist Joanna Macy, eco-psychologist Bill Plotkin, and Non-Duality pioneer Adyashanti. Jonathan looks forward to igniting a global conversation on Non-Duality & The Metacrisis (with a forthcoming paper in Summer 2024). Jonathan’s Institute welcomes a new cohort each September for Purpose Discovery and Purpose Guide Training. You can join him here:HERE Zoom MeditationHERE Intro to Purpose DiscoveryHERE Non-duality & the MetaCrisis – A group exploration---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell