Almost Awakened

Hartley and Reel decide to celebrate the Christmas Season by diving into their favorite stories that surround Christ. In spite of not holding a literal view of the Christ figure of the New Testament they still find a way to draw out modern spirituality through the stories attributed to the Christ figure!

Spiritual Atheist is a ground-breaking ‘philosophical memoir’ that draws on the author’s knowledge of cutting-edge neuroscience, physics, and psychology; his insights into wisdom traditions like Taoism, Kabbalah, Advaita Vedanta, Buddhism, Zen, and Sufism; and twenty years experience leading hundreds of major organizations, and tens of thousands of individuals, to transform themselves. Unable to find lasting happiness with religion, reason, pills, therapy, partying, wealth, success, or entrepreneurship, the author discovered the life-changing and heart-expanding benefits of ‘spiritual’ enlightenment. But not satisfied with New Age ideology, he spent years meticulously joining the dots between science and spirituality to form a rigorous philosophy for the ‘spiritual but not religious’ who want to flourish in their inner lives, relationships, and careers.RESOURCES: https://switchonnow.com/https://smile.amazon.com/Nick-Seneca-Jankel/e/B00L115YX0 https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickjankel

Britt & Bill once again invite Jana Spangler and Anthony Miller on to dive deep into the idea of Doubt. This is the second of three parts using Brian McLaren’s book “Faith After Doubt” as the framing for this conversation. And along the way they hope to address the following. Doubt as Descent Doubt as Dissent Doubt as Love Doubt as a Human Problem Faith, Beliefs, and Revolutionary LoveRESOURCES:Part 1 – https://youtu.be/3iFBEtHQZqIJon Paulien Stages of Faith – http://www.thebattleofarmageddon.com/stages_of_faith.pdfPerry’s Stage of Cognitive Development – https://mormondiscussionpodcast.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/12/Perry-Scheme.pdf

Most of us believe inside our mind that we are being objective, fair, and reasonable. And at the same time we sort of grasp we are not and that our mind leans towards beliefs, conclusions, and taking sides on various issues. Today we discuss biases and how they affect us and how we can best avoid them which in turn helps us be more present in reality. RESOURCES: Brian McLaren on biases – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/learning-how-to-see-with-brian-mclaren/id1532685433 wiki List of cognitive biases – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cognitive_biases Another list of Biases – https://thedecisionlab.com/biases Three Ways To Avoid Bias In Decision-Making – https://www.forbes.com/sites/jarretjackson/2020/08/26/three-ways-to-avoid-bias-in-decision-making/?sh=5a7fe890a715 MindTools How Avoid Biases – https://www.mindtools.com/a0ozgex/cognitive-bias Outsmart your own Biases –  https://hbr.org/2015/05/outsmart-your-own-biases

A dive into Greek Mythology and archetype for this episode. Chiron was the wisest of all centaurs, who can teach a lot about our wounds. It is in our wounds that we are healed.

Hartley and Reel sit down with Theologian and Philosopher Thomas Jay Oord to discuss Theology. Namely how Religion helps us connect with our inner and outer world. How humans are social creature who crave connection and whose minds seeks meaning constantly. Oord, Hartley, and Reel facilitate a conversation where we look into the Idea of GOD and if can can create a framing for God that allows us to dismiss the unhealthy facets of belief and religion. And if we take out all the unhealthy, if there is anything left of GOD worthy of continued belief. Thomas Jay Oord is a theologian, philosopher, and multidisciplinary scholar who directs a doctoral program at Northwind Theological Seminary and the Center for Open and Relational Theology. He formerly taught for sixteen years as a tenured professor at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho and before that a philosophy professor at Eastern Nazarene College. Oord is the author or editor of more than thirty books and hundreds of articles. He is known for his contributions to research on love, open theism, process theism, open and relational theology, postmodernism, the relationship between religion and science, Wesleyan, holiness, Nazarene theology. Oord is consistently ranked among the most influential academic theologians of our time. (Wikipedia)

Britt & Bill once again invite Jana Spangler and Anthony Miller on to dive deep into the idea of Doubt. Using Brian McLaren’s book “Faith After Doubt” as the framing for this conversation. And along the way they hope to address the following.* Doubt as Loss – How did you experience doubt as a loss?* Doubt as Loneliness – How did doubt bring loneliness?* Doubt as Crisis  -How did doubt bring crisis?* Doubt as Doorway – What did doubt open up for you?* Doubt as Growth – What growth did you experience because of doubt? Resources: Introduction to Stages of Faith – https://christoffaith.org/2018/04/7386/ Jon Paulien Stags of Faith – http://www.thebattleofarmageddon.com/stages_of_faith.pdf Ages & Stages: Robert Keeley – https://faithformationlearningexchange.net/uploads/5/2/4/6/5246709/faith_development__faith_formation_-_keeley.pdf Ken Wilber: Spiral Dynamics – https://mormondiscussions.org/discussion/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/12/IntegralMapBest.jpg Perry’s Scheme of Cognitive Development – https://mormondiscussions.org/discussion/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/12/Perry-Scheme.pdf Fowler’s Stages of Faith – https://psychologycharts.com/james-fowler-stages-of-faith.html

On this weeks episode Bill and Britt discuss How to have “Difficult Conversations”. When a Hard Disagreement occurs, often our Egos get in the way of having hard conversations where both sides feel heard and understood. Often even small conversations with nothing at stake can have us misunderstanding each other. So today Bill & Britt share their insights into how to navigate difficult conversations. Resources For Hard Conversations:https://www.hrmorning.com/articles/difficult-conversations/https://au.reachout.com/articles/6-steps-to-help-you-tackle-difficult-conversationshttps://www.judyringer.com/resources/articles/we-have-to-talk-a-stepbystep-checklist-for-difficult-conversations.phphttps://hbr.org/2017/05/how-to-have-difficult-conversations-when-you-dont-like-conflicthttps://www.betterup.com/blog/how-to-have-difficult-conversations

Often when we hear “Brainwashing” or “Mind Control” it feels weird or a little science fiction to us. In reality, mind control refers to a specific set of methods and everyday normal appearing techniques that influence how a person thinks, feels, and acts. Our minds can easily be influenced… simply notice the billions spent in advertising. So in today’s episode Britt & Bill discuss Steven Hassan’s work with the B.I.T.E. Model which is the manipulation of (B)ehavior, (I)nformation, (T)hought,and (E)motion in order to maintain control over a person or group of people.

Bill runs solo today and decides to talk about Privilege. How privilege permits a person or group of people to redistribute negatively felt experiences or trauma and allowing others or imposing others take that additional trauma or negative experience on. He then talks about who were the system makers. Why did we choose them to be our voice? To make our systems? To create our rules? Bill points out that even when someone comes along such as Jesus to help us deconstruct the system and hold system leaders accountable, notice how the message is twisted and sabotaged so that the privileged remain at the top and now manage the message of the the one who came to disrupt the system. Bill wraps up the episode inviting us to see through all that clutter and to take our lives back by leaning into awareness, being present, and showing up in our life with focus and intention that allows you to have greater capacity to be a good actor in the world around you.