The Emerald
The Emerald explores the human experience through a vibrant lens of myth, story, and imagination. Brought to life through the wise, wild, and humorous vision of Joshua Michael Schrei — a teacher and lifelong student of the cosmologies and mythologies of the world — the podcast draws from a deep well of poetry, lore, and mythos to challenge conventional narratives on politics and public discourse, meditation and mindfulness, art, science, literature, and more. At the heart of the podcast is the premise that the imaginative, poetic, animate heart of human experience — elucidated by so many cultures over so many thousands of years — is missing in modern discourse and is urgently needed at a time when humanity is facing unprecedented problems. The Emerald advocates for an imaginative vision of human life and human discourse as it questions deep underlying assumptions about societal progress.
Latest episodes
13 snips
May 26, 2019 • 44min
The Cow in the Elevator — An Anthropology of Wonder. An Interview with Professor Tulasi Srinavas
Today on the Emerald, we dive a little further into the topic of wonder. Not wonder as just a fleeting feeling, but rather wonder as a state of consciousness deliberately architected through creative ritual. Wonder that is pursued systematically, stoked, as our interviewee says, in order to break open our day to day experience and get us to something deeper. In this way, wonder becomes a form of resistance to the current state of the world.Join us as Josh interviews professor and author Tulasi Srinivas about her book The Cow in The Elevator: An Anthropology of Wonder. Tulasi Srinavas is Professor of Anthropology, Religion and Transnational Studies at Emerson College. She is currently a Luce ACLS fellow in Religion and international Affairs, and a World Economic Forum expert in the study of religion. Support the show
98 snips
May 26, 2019 • 32min
Notre Dame in Flames, The Goddess Isis, and the Architecture of Consciousness
Exploring the mythic implications of the Notre Dame fire, the podcast discusses the importance of buildings in human consciousness and myth. It explores the connection between architecture and sacred geometry, and reveals the little-known history of Notre Dame's worship of the goddess Isis. The podcast also questions the role of architecture in power dynamics and contrasts it with the meditative practice of San Mandala. Finally, it reflects on the rebuilding of Notre Dame and envisions a sustainable and inclusive future for the iconic cathedral.
