Think Act Be Podcast

My guest this week is Karen Newell, co-author of Living in a Mindful Universe and co-creator of Sacred Acoustics, which produces binaural beats audio recordings. Karen and I explore what binaural beats are, how they're created, and many intriguing topics in this area. These simple beats seem to have far-reaching effects on things like sleep, anxiety, and meditative states.  Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is Solan McClean, author of a book called Driving into the Now: PRND. We discussed the big idea from Solan’s book, which is that we can use driving as a mindfulness practice, and carry that practice into other parts of our lives. Solan describes how the practice of mindful driving is not only good for us as individuals and for our personal practice of mindfulness, but it also can make us safer and more considerate drivers. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is psychiatrist Dr. Suvrat Bhargave, author of the recent book, A Moment of Insight. It was a great conversation about the deep work of psychotherapy, which can even lead to spiritual growth—for both people in the therapy relationship. We explored the challenging and exciting question of figuring out who each of us actually is; how healing can lead to growth; reliable ways to reduce anxiety; challenging the stories we tell ourselves about our lives and ourselves; and recognizing our spirit as a constant source that helps us navigate through our experiences. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is the Rev. Lisa Schubert Nowling, an ordained minister and Lead Pastor at the First United Methodist Church in Bloomington, Indiana. In this episode we talk about the life of a pastor (interesting to me as the son of preachers), what it means to have a "calling" and how to find yours, and the nature of divine love. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is Dr. Aria Campbell-Danesh, back for a second time (Aria was my very first podcast guest). We’re really pleased to announce the release of the book we wrote together called A Mindful Year, on September 10, 2019 (Blackstone Publishing). In this episode Aria and I explore many of the themes that came up in our year-long collaboration as we wrote back and forth to each other, such as the quality of presence we bring to each moment, how to move through the fear that holds us back, and the value of simplicity. We also share our hope that the practices in this book will prove as useful to our readers as they have to us.  Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is historian and author Dr. Rachel Chrastil, who recently wrote a book called How to Be Childless: A History and Philosophy of Life Without Children. We discussed the intersection of her professional and personal interest in this topic—Rachel herself has chosen not to have kids—and several of the myths about a life without children. Her perspective is uplifting, as she emphasizes the joy in living that is available to all, regardless of parenthood status, and the symbiosis that exists between those who do and those who don't have kids.    Check out the complete show notes here.  Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is author and change agent Laurie Warren. We discussed her forthcoming book Wild World, Joyful Heart (Oct. 8, 2019) and her approach to empowered well-being. Along the way we explored how body, mind, and spirit are interconnected, and how we can take back responsibility for our own health and well-being. Laurie emphasizes that joy (which is different from “happiness”) is always available, no matter what’s happening in our lives. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is Dr. Raymond Moody, who brought the phenomenon of near-death experiences (NDEs) into the mainstream with his landmark 1975 book, Life After Life. In this episode we explored how the field of NDE investigation has evolved in the past four decades, and discussed some of his latest thoughts about the boundary between this world and whatever is beyond. It was a fascinating conversation about the biggest questions facing each of us.  Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is Dr. Yonder Gillihan, a professor of Theology with special expertise in the Dead Seas Scrolls. He's also my older brother, so our discussion included some of our personal history with religion and the Bible, and what it was like growing up as preacher's kids in a fundamentalist Christian home. Yonder describes how his relationship with the Bible has changed over the past four decades, and how he not only made peace with the Bible but even made friends with it. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is Dr. Eben Alexander, a neurosurgeon who had a near-death experience (NDE) about a decade ago. You may be familiar with Eben's story from his New York Times number one bestselling book, Proof of Heaven. I found this to be a surprising and thought-provoking discussion about some rather controversial ideas—for example, that memories aren't actually stored in the brain! We discuss his most recent book, Living in a Mindful Universe, which grew from his NDE. Get full access to Think Act Be with Seth Gillihan at thinkactbe.substack.com/subscribe