Emergence Magazine Podcast

David James Duncan, acclaimed author of 'The Brothers K' and 'The River Why', dives into his new novel, 'Sun House', exploring themes of love, spirituality, and ecological awareness through its characters in rural Montana. He discusses the interweaving of Eastern and Western philosophies, emphasizing how mystics like Meister Eckhart inspire personal growth and community healing. Duncan also reflects on the transformative power of nature, contrasting authentic spiritual practices with superficiality, all while advocating for deeper connections amid contemporary crises.

This month we released the first film in our new four-part Shifting Landscapes documentary film series exploring the role of art and the storyteller in our age of ecological crisis. The inspiration for The Nightingales Song, which spends time with British folk singer Sam Lee during nightingale season as he joins the bird in mutual song, grew from a special interview we held with Sam in 2021.To accompany the film, we’re returning to this conversation with Sam, where he shares the story of how the call of the nightingale opened him to a kinship with the more-than-human. Reflecting on how this bird has served as a “wisdom keeper” and “unlocker” of hearts for generations of poets, musicians, and storytellers, he also speaks more about his process of leading audiences into this magical space of communion with the nightingale each spring.Read the transcript.Watch the film The Nightingale's Song, by Adam Loften and Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, the first in our four-part Shifting Landscapes documentary film series.Photo by Dominick Tyler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Architect, artist, and journalist Marko Milovanovic discusses Time at the Architectural Association in London with Emergence executive editor Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee. They explore diverse concepts of time, from reconnecting with nature to the mystical teachings of Sufi poet Rumi, weaving together ecology, culture, and spirituality to understand the Earth as alive and sacred.

In this conversation from our Shifting Landscapes exhibition, Emergence executive editor Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee is joined by Marshmallow Laser Feast creative director Ersin Han Ersin, one of the artists behind the exhibition’s large-scale installation, Breathing with the Forest, which invites you into an experience of exchanging breath with a forest in the Colombian Amazon. Talking about the ways MLF’s projects bring together science and imagination to illuminate the hidden connections within the living world, Ersin speaks to the power of sensory engagement, wonder, and awe to broaden our perception of more-than-human experiences.Explore our special online adaptation of Breathing with the Forest.Read the transcript.Image courtesy of Marshmallow Laser Feast and Sandra Ciampone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we step into a forest aware and listening to what surrounds us—remembering that the living world is just as aware of our presence—a relationship of reciprocity can take root. How might such a quality of attention change our ability to see, feel, and give ourselves to the landscapes around us? In this audio practice, writer and certified nature and forest therapy guide Kimberly Ruffin takes us on a sensory walk to meet the soil, sky, smells, and sounds of the forest. Encouraging us to “be a part of the music of a place,” this practice beckons us to witness, and be witnessed by, the living world. Sign up for our newsletter to hear more stories as they are released each week.Photo by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Poet and author David Hinton discusses the ecological crisis and the separation from the living world. He explores the interconnectedness of ecology, culture, and spirituality, advocating for reweaving mind and landscape. The conversation emphasizes the importance of recognizing our interconnectedness with all beings and advocates for a shift in cultural assumptions for sustainable progress.

Acclaimed biologist David G. Haskell explores the evolution of Earth's sounds, from insects to marine life. He discusses the interconnectedness of instrumental music and nature, the impact of human noise levels on the environment, and the importance of attentive listening to foster kinship and joy.

Join acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton as he takes listeners on a tranquil journey through the Hoh Rain Forest. Hear the gentle sounds of nature—from rivers to birds—reminding us of the beauty that emerges in silence. Discover how deep listening can reconnect us with our environment and the importance of finding genuine silence in a noisy world. Experience the transformative power of nature's symphony, and immerse yourself in the enchanting soundscape that surrounds us all.

How can we repair our connection with what we eat, rejoining the biological web that we are a part of? In this conversation, fermentation expert Sandor Katz unpacks his book Fermentation as Metaphor, guiding us through the lessons taught by microorganisms as they change form. Exploring how our fear of the other, the unseen, and the unknowable has divorced us from the wonder of fermentation, Sandor shows us how engaging with microbial communities through food—breads, fungi, pickles, yogurts—can bring us into relationship with the tiny but vital unseen forces of the living world. Read the transcript. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this enlightening conversation, Susan Murphy Roshi, an Australian writer and Zen teacher, explores how Zen koans can shift our consciousness during crises. She discusses embracing uncertainty and deep adaptation as essential for personal and ecological resilience. The dialogue delves into the transformative power of emptiness, encouraging connections between humanity and nature. Susan emphasizes that recognizing our interconnectedness can lead to greater compassion and healing, urging listeners to respond to suffering with openness and awareness of our relationship with the Earth.