The Meaning Code

Can coherence therapy and memory reconsolidation contribute to personal healing and transformation? What role do spirituality and faith play in the healing process? Ryan joins me to tell his story. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:20 Ryan's Story of Healing 09:38 Ryan's Journey to Healing and Self-Discovery 12:00 Coherence Therapy 25:32 Personal Transformation and Empowerment 29:38 Ryan's Transformation and Career Shift 40:55 Finding Purpose in Pain and Suffering 44:15 The Interweaving of Psychological and Spiritual Healing 55:50 Developing Heuristic Models for Understanding the Body 1:04:09 Integrating Mind and Body for Healing 1:12:50 Learning to Listen to Yourself and Paying Attention 1:24:16 Integration of Science, Religion, and Healing 1:28:43 The Interconnectedness of Systems and Healing Two books Ryan recommends: Ecker’s book Unlocking the Emotional Brain https://www.amazon.com/Unlocking-Emotional-Brain-Eliminating-Reconsolidation/dp/0415897173 The book I referenced at the end (with info on how to do the inner child work) was in Attachment Disturbances in Adults. It’s a textbook, not very accessible, but very good material https://www.amazon.com/Attachment-Disturbances-Adults-Treatment-Comprehensive/dp/0393711528?nodl=1&dplnkId=835a6f9a-05a4-4bc0-8ac1-a9f40146aa79

Alastair Duckworth discusses his book-in-progress, The Golden Extremes, a play on Aristotle's Golden Mean and a fascinating look at how a deeper understanding of polarity may help to heal our fractured society. Links to ideas mentioned follow the timestamps. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and Book Overview 07:22 The Paradoxical Nature of Design and Faith 22:39 The Relationship Between Courage and Virtue 25:48 The Importance of Polar Relationships in Marriage 30:14 The Transformative Power of Evil 35:46 The Relationship Between Truth, Goodness, and Beauty 41:06 The Relationship Between Fittedness, Goodness and Unity 46:18 The Importance of Every Part 53:46 The Importance of Implicit Elements in Building Community 1:00:36 The Challenge of Creating Meaningful Brands in Materialistic Companies 1:05:13 Life and Creativity as Polar Dynamics Rupert Sheldrake and Mae-Wan Ho on Everything is Life: Part 1: https://youtu.be/IwMWTD-nyck?si=ljcZv4Sfjqjxn2Zx Part 2: https://youtu.be/9Z5D8v4EYHQ?si=p0sj_lVhR5LAfm2A Stephen Talbott's book, free on-line Organisms and Their Evolution - Agency and Meaning in the Drama of Life https://bwo.life/bk/index.htm

Scientist Richard A. Watson discusses the limitations of evolution by natural selection in explaining life's origin and transitions. Topics include dominance in art, physics of vibrations, stress in living systems, placebo healing, and life as a song leading to transformation and growth.

Peter Berkman and Karen Wong discuss the life and work of Romano Guardini, a 20th-century theologian. They explored Guardini's delineation of the difference between oppositions and contradictions, and the idea that some things, like truth and falsehood, cannot exist in the tension of opposites. They also discussed the philosophical and ethical implications of the contradiction between living and non-living things, and the need to understand and tame the technological advancements that surround us in order to preserve our humanity.The conversation then turned to the importance of context and attention in building things, and the intersection of attention in the works of various philosophers and thinkers. Wong and Berkman also delved into the concept of experiential DNA and how it affects our perception of the world, arguing that acknowledging our biases is crucial for scientific research.Peter's latest album with Anamanaguchi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqPETi21K8QThanks so much for having me, that was great

Pastor Phil Eubank of Menlo Church in Silicon Valley tells his life story and how he looks at The Great Story. Along the way, we covered a range of topics, including his experience at Moody Bible Institute, and his appointment as lead pastor at Menlo Church. We also discussed deconstructing faith, understanding God, and the dangers of finding identity solely in labels. Phil shared his reading list and discussed the liturgical approach to Menlo's worship service and the significance of life groups in church communities. At the end, he reveals his current reading list and his thoughts on the impact of politics on the church and the dechurching of America. Books follow timestamps. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 00:15 Phil EuBank's Life Story and Experience at Moody Bible Institute 08:53 Deconstructing Faith and Understanding God 13:55 Identity, Introspection, and the Great Story 17:20 Teaching and Understanding the Bible and Science 26:54 Phil EuBank's journey to Menlo Church 29:50 Adjusting to a New Environment 31:30 Recent Books Read by Phil EuBank 37:12 Exploring Liturgical Approaches to Worship Services 39:43 Explore God and Community Building 42:43 Importance of Life Groups in Church Communities 47:04 Navigating Politics and RealityThe Reappearing Church by Mark Sayers (pertinent quote from this book: "The renewal pattern is composed of four stages through which we progress: Holy Discontent, which leads into Preparation, which then sets us up for the posture of Contending, which then moves into the formation of Patterns that center our lives around God’s presence. A group of people gathered around this process then finds each other, forming a Remnant. The process looks like this, moving in a clockwise direction.” and “In the post-Christian vision, progress replaces God’s presence as the engine of history” Live No Lies by John Mark Comer Genesis Unbound by John Sailhammer How Not to Read the Bible by Dan Kimball The Air We Breath by Glen Scrivener The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt The Great De-Churching by Jim Davis, et al The 4 Views Series, including Creation, Evolution & Intelligent Design (Stephen Meyer, Ken Ham, and others)

The meeting began with Haris Neophytou providing an update on his research and transition period, highlighting his focus on his own research and departure from EU funded projects. He discussed his progress on his monster group theory and an alternative method of calculating entropy, as well as his interest in cognitive science and interdisciplinary research. Karen and Haris discussed the importance of different domains of knowledge in offering perspectives on the whole, and the need for generalists in academia who can explore beyond their domain. They also delved into the world of interdisciplinary connections and unconventional cognition, discussing the work of Michael Levin and his ability to bring together people from different disciplines to have fascinating conversations. They also explored Richard Watson's idea of morpho space and its connection to palindromes and recollection, and how quasi experimentation can be used to study living systems through numerical analysis and simulations. Additionally, they touched on the history of science and the work of Galvani, and how his experiments with electricity and bioelectricity relate to the concept of galvanization in computer science. The group then discussed the concept of different types of knowing, including perspicacious, perfusive, and palindromic knowing, each with their own unique characteristics and examples. They explored the importance of these types of knowing in various contexts. They also delved into the concept of palindromic knowing and its connection to tradition and knowledge passed down through generations. The meeting concluded with a deep discussion about the nature of truth, beauty, and goodness, and how they relate to God's love. They explored the idea of running experiments in life to move towards the ultimate good, and how this can be seen as a personal journey towards becoming more like Christ. Haris shared a personal story about a wish he made at a church in Turkey, and how it relates to his theory of maximum unentanglement. They also touched on the concept of factorization in order to talk about different service spaces, and how this relates to quantum physics and communication.Turing's work on the chemical basis of morphogenesis: https://www.dna.caltech.edu/courses/cs191/paperscs191/turing.pdfDragon drone light show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G1KBu6H6BMYves Klein's art, the International Klein Blue https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/yves-klein-1418 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Klein_BlueA Critique of Integrated Information Theory (IIT) - Scott Aaronson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQa5cu7Ao9M&t=1sAnd the actual open letter, signed by 124 researchers https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/zsr78/

Lucas Van Os, a literary enthusiast exploring human connection, joins the conversation about C.S. Lewis's 'Till We Have Faces.' They dive into the transformative power of love and the nature of sacrifice, analyzing complex character relationships. The impact of perspective on self-discovery is also discussed, highlighting how personal experiences shape our views. Lucas shares insights on how technology influences genuine interactions and the importance of deep connections in a superficial world, all while showcasing his passion for insightful conversations.

Allyn is an ad copywriter by day, and uses his creative side in comedy and sketch writing. Here, we discuss the aspects of creativity that supersede boundaries among artistic endeavors.

Jesse shared his creative journey, discussing his struggles with dyslexia and his love for music and film. Karen and Jesse delved into the complex topic of symbolism in art and music, discussing how it can create a narrative and resonate with audiences. They explored the balance between technical skill and symbolism, and the dangers of losing the symbolic message in pursuit of technical perfection and also touched on the idea that beauty can be hard to define and appreciate, and the importance of authenticity in art. Additionally, they discussed the Pre-Raphaelite movement and its deeply romantic and symbolic paintings, contrasting them with the formulaic plots of modern rom-coms. Jesse is concerned that people have become addicted to the certainty and predictability in music and stories, and how this has led to a trap of authenticity where people want to feel like they are having an authentic experience rather than embracing uncertainty. He suggested that artists and creators should try to find new ways to bring back ambiguity and develop new paths, rather than continually subverting expectations, delving into the personal and societal implications of coping with uncertainty and novelty. They explored how it affects engagement with art and entertainment, and how intentional desensitization can impact audiences. Going deeper, they talked about the concept of carrying burdens and the importance of recognizing one's limitations. They referenced the movie "The Mission" and Jesse's track "The Place of No Return" as examples of this idea. They also touched on the idea of meeting the transcendent at the limits of one's knowledge and the importance of acknowledging one's need. They talked about the idea that it is possible to idolize the call to adventure or the leap of faith and the danger of reducing the size of God by bringing the transcendent down to a level that can be grasped.

Karen and Scott explored the concepts of context, anomaly, synthesis, dichotomies, and deep triads, delving into the complexities of each. They also discussed the principles of art and the impact of algorithms and social media on learning and life.