Life is a Festival

Of Timelessness, Flow States, Psychedelics & Death The ancient Greeks had two words for time: Chronos (consensus time or mechanized time) and Kairos (archetypal time or dream time). Jason Silva, the host of Brain Games and the award winning creator of Shots of Awe has spent his life capturing and sharing the timeless. From his adolescent anxiety about transience to his sensational viral videos, Jason has always had an eye for collecting and souvenirs that he has lived. Jason and I met in that Mecca of Kairos, Black Rock City, a year ago and I am honored to share our rich musings with you today. On the podcast we discuss Burning Man as a timeless heterotopia. We go deep into Flow States, for which timelessness is key. We discuss psychedelics and whether Jason himself uses them. Finally, fittingly, we end with a conversation about death and impermanence. May death tremble to take you. Jason Silva: https://www.thisisjasonsilva.com/ Shots of Awe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClYb9NpXnRemxYoWbcYANsA Brain Games: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/education/channel/brain-games/ Mentioned in the Podcast Ernest Becker “The Denial of Death” : https://www.amazon.com/Denial-Death-Ernest-Becker/dp/0684832402 Erik Davis previously on Life is a Festival: https://www.eamonarmstrong.com/lifeisafestival/erik-davis Stealing Fire: https://www.amazon.com/Stealing-Fire-Maverick-Scientists-Revolutionizing/dp/0062429663 Brain Pickings: https://www.brainpickings.org/ Martin Buber “I and Thou” : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_and_Thou Mr. X by Carl Sagan (Marihuana Reconsidered 1971): http://marijuana-uses.com/mr-x/ David Pierce “The Hedonistic Imperative” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Pearce_(philosopher) Allan Harrington “The Immortalist” https://www.amazon.com/Immortalist-Alan-Harrington/dp/0890871353 Time Stamps 7: Kairos & Cronus: Silva’s youth and trying to capture time and his anxious relationship to transience. 15: A home run podcast for Jason is to allow ourselves to find new reflections and counterintuitive ways of seeing ourselves 18: Heterotopia and why Burning Man is so full of beautiful synchronicities 22: What took Jason so long to get to Burning Man 30: How did Burning Man change Jason 38: Flow State, a state of conscious where you feel your best and you perform your best. 45: “I-Thou” relationships & “I-It” relationships 49: Jason Silva as celebrity philosopher and the commoditizing of art 58: What psychedelics has Jason Silva used? 1:17: Experiencing love without fear of loss 1:27: I invite Jason to do Ayahuasca 1:33: Raging against the dying of the light: How Jason understands death

Welcome back from Black Rock City! At Burning Man this year, Jex, Operations Manager at BMIR (Burning Man Information Radio) invited me to be on her Monday afternoon show. My pal, David Block, The Human Experience, wandered by my camp just before I left so I brought him along. In the studio, we were also joined by Wolverine, BMIR’s Assistant Sound Engineer. The show started out pretty silly, but then David set the table with a juicy lamb chop of vulnerability, speaking directly to his wife Kristina. From there we went deep into what it means to be a conscious man on the Playa, performative vulnerability, consent and the lost art of listening. Special shoutout to the fans of the show I met at Burning Man this year Taylor, Alex and Kyrie! Your reflection of my work elevated my burn in ways I can't possibly express. For those missing the dust, enjoy this little pop of Playa magic! Burning Man Information Radio (BMIR): https://burningman.org/event/volunteering/teams/radio/ The Human Experience: https://www.humanexperiencecreations.com/

For those about to Burn… Caveat Magister (AKA Benjamin Wachs) was a founding member of Burning Man's Philosophical Center and a lead writer and researcher for Burning Man’s education program. Caveat has just released a beautiful book on Burning Man philosophy and culture called "The Scene That Became Cities." And that’s what brings us together today. In the podcast we talk about the collision of prank culture and personal development at Burning Man. We discuss issues of privilege and race in Burning Man culture. We talk about the 10 Principles and how these descriptive ideas help to define a “Burning Man Space.” We even finish with a sea shanty! I think this podcast will make great listening material on your way up to Black Rock City whether you are a sparkly neophyte or a dust-seasoned veteran. Caveat: https://journal.burningman.org/author/cmagister/ The Scene That Became Cities: What Burning Man Philosophy Can Teach Us about Building Better Communities: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JFK6RWR/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 A Brief History of Who Ruined Burning Man: https://journal.burningman.org/2016/10/philosophical-center/tenprinciples/a-brief-history-of-who-ruined-burning-man/ Is Burning Man a “White People Thing?”: https://journal.burningman.org/2012/01/philosophical-center/tenprinciples/is-burning-man-a-white-people-thing/ It’s okay to be miserable at Burning Man: https://journal.burningman.org/2012/06/black-rock-city/tales-from-the-playa/its-okay-to-be-miserable-at-burning-man/

The most important political revolution of our time may be connected to how we love, at least that’s what the erotic visionaries of the Tamera community in Portugal believe. According to Tamera, the revolutionary peace research eco village in Portugal, liberating love from fear violence and lies is the root solution for a true system change. Today on the podcast, I’m speaking with Ian MacKenzie and Julia Maryanska about their upcoming documentary Love School: The Film about Tamera’s radical work in healing sex, love, and the relationship between genders. We discuss Tamera’s Love School and the powerful ritual called “The Forum” where participants can dis-identify with personal challenge and see it as a collective issue within a wider cultural context. We talk about Free Love as love free from fear, how jealousy is not love, and how the healing of the world requires a radical commitment to community. Ian MacKenzie is a filmmaker, writer, and activist who has spent over 10 years tracking and amplifying stories of emergent culture. His films include Occupy Love, Amplify Her, and now Love School. Julia is a filmmaker who has worked on numerous award-winning documentaries. Her work re-imagines how we look at women’s bodies, relationships and our approach to sensuality through video poetry, her other film UNION and her photographic project “Sensual Surrealism.” Along with their co-director John Wolfstone, Julia and Ian are part of the filmmaker collective Re/Culture Films. If today’s podcast lights up your imagination, consider supporting Love School: The Film on Kickstarter. Love School: The Film http://www.loveschoolfilm.com/ Support the Film on Kickstarter https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/johnwolfstone/love-school Julia Maryanska http://www.juliamaryanska.com/about UNION http://www.uniondocumentary.com/ SENSUAL SURREALISM http://www.sensualsurrealism.com/ Ian MacKenzie https://www.ianmack.com/ Occupy Love https://www.ianmack.com/occupy-love/ Amplify Her https://www.ianmack.com/amplify-her/

Would you like to make money making art? How about 158 million dollars? Not easy, but apparently not impossible. The intersection of art and business can be tricky for creatives wary of “selling out.” That’s why today’s guest is such an interesting life-designer. Not only has Vince Kadlubek designed his life like a festival, but he’s helped do so for hundreds of artists, as CEO of the mighty Meow Wolf. You might know Meow Wolf from the House of Eternal Return which is conveniently located in my hometown of Santa Fe New Mexico. But you’ll soon be seeing them in Denver and Vegas and likely beyond. Meow Wolf was a small, punk collective but with the help of Game of Thrones author George RR Martin and a hell of a lot of grit and ingenuity, they have become leaders in the experience economy. Today on the podcast, you’ll hear Vince’s story, including his struggles with leadership style, loneliness and the death of a dear friend as well as his personal philosophy on the intersection of money and art. He rejects the Disney-land model of replicating success but maintains that art can be sustainable. Don’t get lost in the grind of past projects, become a future being by challenging your perspective. Meow Wolf: https://meowwolf.com/ Meow Wolf Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meowwolf.sf Meow Wolf Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meow__wolf/ Meow Wolf Twitter: https://twitter.com/meowwolf Meow Wolf Documentary: https://meowwolf.com/explore/watch/origin-story

"If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution." - Emma Goldman, 1931 Abi Getto and Liz Garard are two co-founders of Nap Girls, a membership-based nonprofit that supports and empowers women and non-binary people in the music industry and beyond. On the podcast we talk about how the iconic napping pose drew over 250 members to the collective. We discuss intersectionality and white feminism, how a girl gang metabolized #metoo, and how best to be an ally. Liz Garard spent the last few years building apps for artists including Bieber and Ariana Grande. She is currently a Social Entrepreneurship graduate student at USC's Marshall School of Business. Abi Getto is a feminist, DJ, and artist manager. She currently works with the music collective Seven20. Nap Girls Website: http://napgirls.com/ Nap Girls Twitter: https://twitter.com/napgirls Nap Girls Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/napgirls/ Nap Girls Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/napgirls/ You can reach Helen Lenton-Perez, Nap Girls’ Admissions Director at NapApp@napgirls.com Abi Getto Twitter: https://twitter.com/Abi_Getto Abi Getto Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abi_getto/ Liz Garard Twitter: https://twitter.com/lizgarard Liz Garard insta: https://www.instagram.com/lizgarard/ Photo by Jar.Photo: https://www.instagram.com/jar.photo/

Mauricio, a former street performer from Argentina, is the Creative Director of the club at Heart Ibiza. On the podcast we talk about how street performance taught Mauricio to embrace failure as a teacher, the history of Ibiza and why Mauricio is optimistic about the future of the White Island. To be rich in this life we must learn to embrace the whole spectrum of the human condition, including our failures. Mauricio Boogieloop: http://www.boogieloop.biz/ Heart Ibiza: https://www.heartibiza.com/

When did weird stop being so, well… weird? Today on Life is a Festival I’m speaking with psychedelic elder, writer and host of the Expanding Mind Podcast, Erik Davis. Erik has just published a new book called High Weirdness focusing on the super weird early 70s through the figures of Terence and Dennis McKenna, Robert Anton Wilson and Philip K Dick. On the podcast we talk about where the true weird resides in the age of Donald Trump. Is depression weird, or is depression when things aren’t weird enough? Is Burning Man still weird or has it become too mannered and too known? Are there degrees of reality? How can we serve the psychedelic Renaissance while keeping the weird alive? If you make it through the full two hours we have a bonus bit of weird where Erik gets vulnerable about his recent appearance that the queering psychedelics conference and the role of straight white men today. Let’s get weird… or rather… let’s let the weird get us. Links Techgnosis https://techgnosis.com/ High Weirdness (Available for preorder on Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/High-Weirdness-Esoterica-Visionary-Experience/dp/1907222766/ Expanding Mind Podcast: https://techgnosis.com/category/podcast/ Podcast about Experience Design: https://techgnosis.com/patterns-of-transformation/

Have you been enjoying the intro music for Life is a Festival as much as I have? That song, “Peculiar Colors”, was written by Atish Mehta, my guest on today’s episode. Atish is a former software engineer turned full-time DJ, producer, and label boss. Atish is a thought leader in the festival world and his earnest ideas and opinions always inspire me. Atish’s story about a difficult Burning Man experience became the foundation for an article I wrote in 2015: “Sometimes a Bad Burn is a Good Thing”. When Atish and I traveled to Poland’s Garbicz Festival together in 2016, it was the first time I had heard someone speak openly about the challenges of punishing performance schedules (sometimes called “DJ heroics”) and the strain on mental health that so much travel, self-promotion, and substance use can have on a person. On the podcast, we go behind the curtain of managing a DJ career. Atish speaks openly about anxiety, the pressures of social media, and how the theater of success has evolved into a theater of vulnerability. Atish still considers DJing to be the greatest job in the world and has absolutely no regrets about going from hobbyist to professional. He’s also a strong believer in the idea that we must all support each other in nurturing mental and physical wellness, even as we make heroes out of the women and men who create the party. Atish on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/atish Atish on Instagram: https://instagram.com/atishmusic/ Upcoming Shows: https://www.bandsintown.com/a/1136261-atish Peculiar Colors (Song): https://soundcloud.com/atish/peculiar-colors Peculiar Colors (Clothing): https://peculiarcolors.com/ Photo of Atish: Wobs Arazzi (https://500px.com/wobsarazzi) Graphic: Andy McErlean (http://andymcerlean.com/)

In 2016, the Burning Man Project, stewards of an ephemeral city in the Black Rock Desert, purchased a property called Fly Ranch. Fourteen donors gave the organization millions to secure the property, which boasts rejuvenating hot springs, a diverse ecology, and the famous Fly Geyser. Zac Cirivello is my longtime friend and the Operations Manager at Fly Ranch. He has worked in many aspects of festival and Burning Man culture, from promoting to vending to photography. When Zac was the media liaison for Burning Man, we shared many long conversations about the integrity and sustainability of transformational spaces. Today on the podcast, Zac and I demystify Fly -- from purchase to governance. Zac thoughtfully responds to concerns about environmental stewardship, access to the land, and proactive inclusivity. At the end of our conversation, Zac announces a design challenge for Fly Ranch in partnership with the Land Art Generator Initiative, which opens to submissions in January 2020. What could Burning Man culture look like year-round on a property with gorgeous hot springs and wild horses? Like Black Rock City itself, it’s going to be up to us. Show notes: Zac Cirivello on Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeaysi Zac’s Writings in the Burning Man Journal: https://journal.burningman.org/author/lmariglia/ The Burning Man Project: https://burningman.org/ Fly Ranch: https://flyranch.burningman.org/ LAGI 2020 Fly Ranch https://lagi2020flyranch.org/ Friends of Black Rock High Rock: http://blackrockdesert.org/ Land Art Generator Initiative: https://landartgenerator.org/