Synchronicity with Noah Lampert

Randy is the former author of "The Ethicist" a column from the New York Times Magazine that dealt with ethical questions and dilemmas from reader submitted questions. Questions like whether a patient about to receive anesthesia should be allowed to refuse an anesthesiologist based on their race. Or if wearing a fur coat inherited by a relative is OK since you didn't buy it. In addition to being an excellent thinker and writer, Randy hosts a wonderful radio show and podcast called "Person, Place, Thing" where he asks each guest to talk about a person, place and thing that's important to them. Great premise, right? Randy and I discuss the current state of the world and while we see similar problems we have very different viewpoints and perspectives on where we're at right now. Person, Place, Thing

Fear. It's something we all deal with in varying degrees almost every day of our lives. Whether it's the fear of going to the dentist, or the fear of rejection or the fear of death all of us know what it's like to be afraid. My guest this week, Mel Stephens, is no stranger to fear herself. In fact, I found out about Mel through her excellent podcast, Fear Based Life, where each episode she explores her own and her guests fears. Mel is an expert at sharing her own vulnerability in a way that helps people. And frankly, people who do that are my favorite type of people. In our discussion this week we speak about the current political climate, our own deep-seeded fears and Mel's struggle with the concept of death. Sit back, strap in and get ready for this weeks Synchronicity with Mel Stephens.

  My guest this week is Jerry Cannon. Jerry is a creative professional and founder of the lifestyle brand Infinite Bit. We talk about empowering artists by creating business models that puts revenue and control back into creator's hands. This is a topic that's dominated my business psyche since I started making money out in the world. Having this conversation with Jerry was both inspiring and illuminating. The Synchronicity Book Club starts Feb. 1, 2017. Join the Synchronicity Facebook Group for more details.

Here's a thought experiment for you: Imagine the worst thing you can possibly think of. Now imagine you actually had to live through whatever scenario your extremely creative brain just came up with. My guest this week had to live out his own nightmare scenario when his wife and mother to his young daughter suddenly was diagnosed with brain cancer. This is a reality few of us can possibly conceive of, let alone have to live through. Daniele Bolleli has been on my radar for a while now but when five friends mentioned his name to me in a week I knew it was time to reach out. In this weeks episode Daniele and I discuss what the function of suffering is and what being "Not Afraid" (the name of Daniele's latest book) really means. Lots of wisdom on how to process difficult experiences from a modern day philosopher. Daniele Bolelli has two excellent podcasts that I highly recommend you check out: The Drunken Taoist History on Fire

The multi-talented Matt Xian stops by Synchronicity to talk art collectives, music and mindfulness. Matt is co-founder of one of my favorite online channels, TIMEWHEEL and is also in the band Something Fiction. TIMEWHEEL is an independent record label, creative studio and artistic platform based in San Antonio, founded in 2013 by a collective of artists to create and celebrate forward-thinking music, art and culture. I first tuned into TIMEWHEEL when a friend shared one of their awesome posts on Facebook and since then I've enjoyed learning more about this digital art collective that includes a record label, web site and various social media channels. In this episode Matt and I delve into the intersection of art and community and specifically how creativity and art are ultimately wonderful maps for tracking consciousness. Like connecting with cool people? Check out the Synchronicity Facebook Group where cool people go to hang out.

My guest this week is the truly amazing, Roshi Joan Halifax. Roshi Joan Halifax, Ph.D., is a Buddhist teacher, Zen priest, anthropologist, and pioneer in the field of end-of-life care. She is Founder, Abbot, and Head Teacher of Upaya Institute and Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She received her Ph.D. in medical anthropology in 1973 and has lectured on the subject of death and dying at many academic institutions and medical centers around the world. I've known Roshi for a few years now from my work with her wonderful Zen Center, Upaya. Upaya is a Sanskrit word which translates to skillful means something that Roshi truly embodies. In our chat Joan brings up the importance of balancing engaged activism with non-attachment. Combining her years of activism with her Zen sitting practice gives her a unique and valuable perspective on many the issues facing humanity and the world at-large.

Magic maker Michael Garfield stops by Synchronicity. Check out Michael's podcast, Future Fossils which he co-hosts with Evan Snyder. Support Michael on Patreon! Topics Discussed The Intellect as guard dog History Life, The Universe and Everything Dinosaurs Advaita Vedanta Into the World vs Leaving the World Culture The Psychedelic Experience Ken Wilber 3-2-1 Process   Enjoy Synchronicity? Why not leave a review on iTunes. It helps the podcast and proves you're a good person. Win-win.

Da god Vic Berger stops by Synchronicity again to talk Trump, his creative process and being funny when things aren't particularly funny. In a turn of events since this episode was recorded Vic was targeted by an alt-right personality. In the intro I discuss some of the ways we can deal with hateful and non-factual rhetoric being amplified in the digital age. For a full recap of what's going on check out this in-depth piece in NY Mag: http://nymag.com/selectall/2016/12/how-mike-cernovich-is-pizzagating-his-latest-victim.html Support Vic by sending him love and checking out his stuff on Super Deluxe. If you like Synchronicity leave a rating and review on iTunes or subscribe.

Visionary artist and creative tour de force, Simon Haiduk stops by Synchronicity. Topics Discussed Cello Synchronicity Pulling from beyond and bringing it back Autism and music The power of jamming What the fuck is going on and what to we do? Simon's incredible art What is art? Psychedelics Simon being a super cool person Visit Simon on his website, Facebook and Instagram! This episode is brought to you EatDreamBe.com. Like the podcast, dreams and delicious things? Pick up a Dream Bar today. As a Synchronicity listener you get a special discount. Seriously. Check it out: http://www.eatdreambe.com/sync/

I'm joined by philosopher, thinker and all around wonderful person, Bard Azima. Bard runs a wonderful website called Empathy Rising which if you know what's good for you, you will check out. Bard and I had a wonderful discussion about the current state of the world, the need for compassion in discourse and interactions, how boarding school culture has shaped the world and where we go from here. Check out Bard's wonderful eBook: BREXIT: AN INVITATION TO DIG DEEPER This episode is brought to you EatDreamBe.com. Like the podcast, dreams and delicious things? Pick up a Dream Bar today. As a Synchronicity listener you get a special discount. Seriously. Check it out: http://www.eatdreambe.com/sync/