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Behind Greatness by Inspire North

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Jul 1, 2025 • 1h 21min

217. Nick Cook & Dr. Rudy Schild, Part 2 – Seeing the Entanglement

For Rudy + Nick, part 1, see ep 211. For one-on-one episodes with Nick see ep 207. With Rudy, see ep 179, 186, 192, 195, 196, 204. Welcome back to Behind Greatness. This is a continuing series of talks where we host two luminaries in one conversation. Nick - a prolific journalist and author - joins us from his home in the UK. Rudy – a preeminent astrophysicist and a self-described “hopeless astronomer” – joins us from his place in Massachusetts. This is the second meeting between the two. Exploring again the depths of the “why nots” and “what ifs” in this conversation. Nick and Rudy get into plasmas and plasmoids, orbs and their mimicry and camouflage, a tear in the sky, Wilhelm Reich’s love-measuring waveform, stories on famed Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, an account of Wernher von Braun and Roswell, and Edgar’s space story about swapping consciousness with an elephant. For others: Series with Joe McMoneagle – Remote Viewer #001 – ep 198, 199, 200, 210, 215 Nick: Website: https://www.nickcook.works/about-nick-cook/ Books: https://www.nickcook.works/books/ Rudy: Center for Astrophysics – https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/ Journal of Cosmology – https://thejournalofcosmology.com/About.html Personal website – http://www.rudyschild.com/ List of Published papers – (via The SAO Astrophysics Data System) CCRI (Consciousness & Contact Research Institute) – https://agreaterreality.com/ Book (co-Author with Suzy Hansen) – Dual Soul Connection: The Alien Agenda for Human Advancement: (via Amazon) Book: Beyond UFOs: The Science of Consciousness & Contact with Non Human Intelligence – (via Amazon) Edgar Mitchell Book: The Way of the Explorer: An Apollo Astronaut’s Journey Through the Material and Mystical Worlds – (via Amazon) NASA – Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy “SOFIA” – https://science.nasa.gov/mission/sofia/   00:00 NASA's Unspoken Astronaut Challenges 04:46 Introduction to the Discussion 06:23 Nick and Rudy's Quest for Truth 06:47 Remote Viewing and Plasma Phenomena 10:56 The Nature of Consciousness and Entanglement 13:52 Love and Quantum Entanglement 18:50 Probes, Orbs, and Alien Surveillance 23:02 The Science of Plasmas and Orbs 42:14 Reflective Qualities of Orbs 46:51 Remote Viewing and Aerial Phenomena 50:26 Belief Systems and Perception 01:00:20 Edgar Mitchell: A Life of Exploration 01:13:59 Astronaut Experiences and Consciousness 01:19:50 Closing Thoughts and Reflections To give to the Behind Greatness podcast, please visit here: https://behindgreatness.org. As a charity, tax receipts are issued to donors.
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Jun 17, 2025 • 59min

216. Dr. Kevin Knuth – Physicist / Former NASA scientist - Why is There Not Nothing?

Our chat today is with Dr. Kevin Knuth, who joins us from Albany. He is a Professor of Physics at the University at Albany (SUNY). He is a former NASA research scientist designing artificial intelligence algorithms for astrophysical data analysis. His current research interests include the foundations of physics, quantum information, autonomous robotics, the search for and characterization of extrasolar planets, and unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP). Like any good scientist, Kevin is truly interested in the weird. He is inspired by space and by gravity. We learn on what is intimidating vs what is scary, what is perceived as magic, telepathy and intuition, “contriving coincidences”, the importance of the subjective experience, investigating UAPs, a story about the Matrix and a hairy raising story about a personal experience that became a catalyst for his sleeplessness and his deep curiosity about the weird. What is going on? Why is there not nothing? Referenced episodes: Kid Koala (ep 28) Russell Targ (ep 80) Jeffrey Kripal (ep 118, 189) Jeremy Taggart (ep 136) Ryan Graves (ep 141) Kevin Day (ep 171) Rudy Schild & Garry Nolan (ep 204) Kevin's Website: https://www.knuthlab.org/ Kevin's Sol Foundation Work: https://thesolfoundation.org/people/kevin-knuth/ To give to the Behind Greatness podcast, please visit here: https://behindgreatness.org. As a charity, tax receipts are issued to donors.
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May 27, 2025 • 1h 14min

215. Joe McMoneagle, Part 5 - Ret. US Army / Remote Viewer #001 / Author – Violating Time

Joe McMoneagle was a US Army intelligence veteran already before he was chosen to be a part of the psychic intelligence unit at Fort Meade, Maryland, in 1978. He became known as “Remote Viewer No. 1″ within Project Stargate. Project Stargate was the United States’ first organized research into psychic phenomena via the Defense Intelligence Agency and contractor SRI International. He is an author and also founder of Intuitive Intelligence Applications Inc. Today, he also teaches Remote Viewing at The Monroe Institute, a leading center in exploring human consciousness. We’re back into the jungle of Joe’s experiences. We discuss how Joe actually never wanted to work in the military psychic spy program, begging his superior not to assign him to that desk. We hear about double blinded RV exercises on live Japanese TV and saving/finding missing people – live. We learn about the incredible stresses in the program and the early deaths of his comrades succumbing to those stresses. We hear about the several years that Joe spends with congress and senators demonstrating the success of the program and securing funding for 20+ years through his efforts. We talk beliefs, violating time, building a house after a triple by-pass, ingesting agent orange, growing back his liver, another angle to the grey ghost story and being knighted. Oh, and Joe explains to us what God is. “Time is not what we believe it is.”  Previous episodes/discussions on Behind Greatness with Remote Viewers: ·       Russell Targ (ep 80) – Co-Founder, SRI Institute ·       Courtney Brown (ep 131) ·       Stephan A. Schwartz (ep 155, 156) ·       Lyn Buchanan (ep 163) ·       Nancy DuTertre (ep 167) ·       Paul H. Smith (ep 180) Joe, ·       Books: (via Amazon) ·       Parapsychological Association: https://www.parapsych.org/users/jmcmoneagle/profile.aspx ·       Monroe Institute: https://www.monroeinstitute.org/pages/trainer-joe-mcmoneagle ·       IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2140996/   To give to the Behind Greatness podcast, please visit here: https://behindgreatness.org. As a charity, tax receipts are issued to donors
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May 6, 2025 • 1h 8min

214. Fr. Seán ÓLaoire – Former Catholic Priest / Clinical Psychologist / Author – Giving Death the Middle Finger

Fr. Seán ÓLaoire, a former Catholic priest with a PhD in transpersonal psychology, shares his multifaceted journey from priesthood to exploring spirituality and reincarnation. He discusses the vibrant Irish customs surrounding death, the role of storytelling in preserving culture, and the interplay of masculine and feminine energies. Seán reflects on living in Africa, encounters with the Vatican, and the significance of language in personal growth. A captivating conversation that challenges conventional beliefs and embraces a holistic view of life and death.
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Apr 22, 2025 • 1h 8min

213. David Salmoni – Zoologist / Big Cat Expert / Animal Presenter - Trying A Lot of What-Ifs

Dave Salmoni has been a television host, producer, zoologist, animal and animal/adventure expert. His work has ranged from wildlife and adventure, to competition reality, talk show expert and a regular on news outlets for everything and anything animal. Dave is forever that boy with a fascination for large predator cats and he easily enchants your host with his big cat stories. In his early 20s Dave picked up and left for South Africa to work on re-wilding tigers. There, his life changed forever. We talk about communication with animals, sharing a kill with a lion on his birthday, tigers vs lions and hanging with rhinos. We learn his thoughts on tenacity, self-confidence and the significance of wondering harder than being scared. Trying a lot of what-ifs, indeed. David, IG - @realdavesalmoni X - @davesalmoni Animal Instincts, Animal Planet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGj0D83KEto&list=PLMilupvERrnDAgX6Tx-ooShYnDOIlAs9P YT – Living with Lions: https://youtube.com/watch?v=rdAcrP6NcG8&si=9W0OubR4muSDD1FA YT – On Conan O’Brien: https://youtube.com/watch?v=D3mX34qNAHQ&si=bc6xMDzXtSdyF4Th YT – On Jimmy Kimmel: https://youtube.com/watch?v=g04ipP_RqBE&si=DTrSSkXDpCgTo46A To give to the Behind Greatness podcast, please visit here (as a charity, tax receipts are issued to donors): https://behindgreatness.org
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Apr 1, 2025 • 1h 3min

212. Dr. Paco Calvo - Cognitive Scientist / Philosopher of Biology / Author – Challenging Your Expectations

We are speaking with Paco Calvo, who joins us from Southern Spain. Paco Calvo is a renowned cognitive scientist and a philosopher of biology, known for his groundbreaking research in the field of plant cognition and intelligence. At the University of Murcia he leads the Minimal Intelligence Lab (MINT Lab), focusing on the study of minimal cognition in plants. He is the author of Planta Sapiens. At his lab he studies the ecological basis of plant intelligence by conducting experimental studies at the intersection of the areas of plant neurobiology and ecological psychology. His interdisciplinary work combines insights from biology, philosophy, and cognitive science to explore the fascinating world of plant behavior, decision-making, and problem-solving. This is the backdrop to our conversation. Paco is a philosopher and scientist who actively wonders and asks questions about plants – and tests for them. Do plants think? Do plants feel? How do plants make decisions. We discuss how these questions bother the current heterodoxy … and the current calls for the defunding of his scientific work. We learn about “fast science”, the dangers of working for a membership, the importance of considering all hypotheses ... and we are reminded about Einstein and his take on ideas vs testing. We hear from him his ultimate obsession and as a treat, his take on language. The history of science is the history of the blow to human ego. See also the episode with Dr. Vera Tiesler (ep 81). Paco: Minimal Intelligence Lab— http://www.um.es/web/minimal-intelligence-lab Planta Sapiens: https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393881080 or https://www.amazon.com/Planta-Sapiens-Science-Plant-Intelligence/dp/0393881083/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1PSGAKM3N72FP&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.8eFGG0mC1oCLiJNQtHOD-M86tJXe8BES42Z7OqCSjGBZtZBDaqR-Kt2FvX7QWqzVXgpRtyD0MHiT8AeMAps2yEeaa708j8ijG5LtQD04SXRCVwgcvp-aIazdPNHahF18.YpvTll09DBmbFyClrpNFiKN7L8LvzAR0YAR2_29qnjI&dib_tag=se&keywords=planta+sapiens&qid=1743352157&sprefix=planta+sapien%2Caps%2C213&sr=8-1 Laurie Anderson: Language is a Virus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eTSL2kopP4 To give to the Behind Greatness podcast, please visit here: https://behindgreatness.org. As a charity, tax receipts are issued to donors.
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Mar 25, 2025 • 1h 15min

211. Dr. Rudy Schild & Nick Cook – Challenging Old Theories

For earlier one-on-one episodes with Nick see ep 207. With Rudy, see ep 179 , 186, 192, 195, 196, 204. Welcome back to Behind Greatness. This is the second of a series of talks where we host two luminaries in one conversation.  Nick - a prolific journalist and author - joins us from his home in the UK. Rudy - a preeminent astrophysicist – joins us from his place in Massachusetts. This is the first meeting between the two and as expected, it was a fun one. Rudy unpacks his groundbreaking work on black holes as finite, magnetic objects and the universe’s outer edge, while Nick ties it to his consciousness research sparked by a shared death experience. Together, they explore: Is the universe a self-learning AI? Do UFOs shift our perception – or maybe have us remember? And is love the substrate of it all? How does reincarnation fit into all of this? Is there a feedback loop? From helical waves to quantum holograms, to plasmas and orbs, this mind-bending talk asks the big “why nots” and “what ifs.” Nick, Website: https://www.nickcook.works/about-nick... Books: https://www.nickcook.works/books/ Rudy: Center for Astrophysics – https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/ Journal of Cosmology – https://thejournalofcosmology.com/Abo... Personal website – http://www.rudyschild.com/ List of Published papers – (via The SAO Astrophysics Data System) CCRI (Consciousness & Contact Research Institute) – https://agreaterreality.com/ NASA – Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy “SOFIA” – https://science.nasa.gov/mission/sofia/
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Mar 18, 2025 • 1h 14min

210. Joe McMoneagle Part 4 - Ret. US Army / Remote Viewer #001 / Author – Being Shards of a Whole

This episode is part 4 in our series with Joe McMoneagle.   Joe was a US Army intelligence veteran already before he was chosen to be a part of the psychic intelligence unit at Fort Meade, Maryland, in 1978. He became known as “Remote Viewer No. 1″ within Project Stargate. Project Stargate was the United States’ first organized research into psychic phenomena via the Defense Intelligence Agency and contractor SRI International. He is an author and also founder of Intuitive Intelligence Applications Inc. Today, he also teaches Remote Viewing at The Monroe Institute, a leading center in exploring human consciousness. We continue to follow Joe in the deep-end of his experiences. We start with telepathy and lying, language as an inhibitor and a protector, an incredible near death experience in East Germany, love v empathy, a life review and remembering, heaven and hell, being shards of a whole, more out of body experiences, losing the fear of death and dying, and reaching more people who are suffering. “As living entities what we are is perhaps the grand engineer or the architect of reality trying to understand what it is.” 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:19 Telepathy Before Language 00:03:55 Telepathy Tapes 00:10:38 The Link Between Autism and Telepathy 00:12:50 Joe's Near Death Experience - "Which One?" 00:31:55 The Cause of Death in the Near Death Experience 00:40:09 What Exists After Death 00:48:12 Could Humans Just Be Shards of a Larger Being? 00:53:07 What Deja Vu Is 00:58:38 Continuous Learning 01:06:40 Fixing Anaesthesia Complications with Coca-Cola? See here other previous guests mentioned:  - Dr. Diane Hennacy re telepathy (ep 113) https://behindgreatness.org/episode/dr-diane-hennacy/ - Natalie Sudman re NDE (ep 97) https://behindgreatness.org/episode/breaking-down-our-beliefs/ Previous episodes/discussions on Behind Greatness with Remote Viewers: Russell Targ (ep 80) – Co-Founder, SRI Institute https://youtu.be/7Gw3fIFI73k Courtney Brown (ep 131) https://youtu.be/_jCZzPgdzcM Stephan A. Schwartz (ep 155) https://youtu.be/0E6jhiMd7Dk Stephan A. Schwartz (ep 156) https://youtu.be/VATz-Y59UiY Lyn Buchanan (ep 163) https://youtu.be/K2Ig3C88BxQ Nancy DuTertre (ep 167) https://behindgreatness.org/episode/nancy-du-tertre/ Paul H. Smith (ep 180) https://behindgreatness.org/episode/dr-paul-h-smith/ Joe McMoneagle:  - Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Joseph-McMoneagle/author/B00MD24CZW?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_5&qid=1728261714&sr=1-5&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true - Parapsychological Association: https://www.parapsych.org/users/jmcmoneagle/profile.aspx - Monroe Institute: https://www.monroeinstitute.org/pages/trainer-joe-mcmoneagle - IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2140996/ Listen to Behind Greatness: - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/67B5chxVFze3EWUgs9iPJg - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behind-greatness-by-inspire-north/id1511953342 To give to the Behind Greatness podcast, please visit here (as a charity, tax receipts are issued to donors): https://behindgreatness.org
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Mar 7, 2025 • 1h 14min

209. Dr. Jennifer “Kim” Penberthy – Clinical & Research Psychologist, University of Virginia / Author – Exploring the ‘So What?’

We speak with Dr. Kim Penberthy today who joined us from the University of Virginia. Kim wears many hats. She is a professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. She is also a board certified clinical psychologist and conducts research, teaches, and provides clinical care at UVA in psychiatry and the cancer center. She also studies and researches after death communication. She lived on a farm in a house that witnessed Civil War strife, with her mother a nurse and her father a would-be farmer surgeon. Exposed to life and death on a farm, she began at an early age asking herself and her parents metaphysical questions – long before she became a clinician and research scientist. We hear about her life changing story at the beach and fascinating surgical table stories heard from her aging father. We learn about her pursuit in researching after death communications from those who lose loved ones and how this research may help develop more wholistic therapeutic approaches to grieving.   Timestamps: 00:00:00 Coming Up 00:01:21 Introduction 00:03:50 The Division of Perceptual Studies 00:07:45 Does Your "Soul" Exist After Death? 00:13:58 Asking "What is the purpose of life?" and "What happens after death?" 00:20:26 Seeing a Person that is Dead 00:26:01 Divine Interventions 00:32:11 After Death Communication 00:42:34 Living Mindfully Across the Lifespan 00:46:26 Government Funding for Near Death Experiences 00:57:12 Aftermath of NDE's and OBE's   Episodes to check out: Dr. Bruce Greyson (ep 69), Dr. Antonia Mills (ep 88) and Dr. Iya Whiteley (ep 185)   Kim, https://med.virginia.edu/perceptual-studies/dops-staff/kim-penberthy/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-kim-penberthy-79017824/ Book w Morgan: https://www.amazon.com/Living-Mindfully-Across-Lifespan-Intergenerational-ebook/dp/B08LXJFNST/ref=sr_1_1?crid=4A42NNAPUGA&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.3NWBIzpE1SZHjenYF1AtZg.fOCzcGTIApPhdVhuHyTPrOIvW9O8at0lMhi9-7Gch_o&dib_tag=se&keywords=kim+penberthy+Living+Mindfully+Across+the+Lifespan%3A+An+Intergenerational+Guide&qid=1740933711&sprefix=kim+penberthy+living+mindfully+across+the+lifespan+an+intergenerational+guide%2Caps%2C135&sr=8-1     For fun, story about Meat from the Sky: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky_meat_shower   To give to the Behind Greatness podcast, please visit here: https://behindgreatness.org. As a charity, tax receipts are issued to donors
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Feb 23, 2025 • 1h 9min

208. Antonio Cupo – TV / Film Actor, Producer – Being Rooted

We are sitting down with Antonio Cupo at his home in Vancouver. Antonio grew up in Vancouver and early in his career he spent many years in Italy as a lead actor in one of the most popular TV drama shows in Italian TV history – Elisa di Rivombrosa. But, that was just a start. We explore some great human themes in our conversation – the meaning of “immedesimarsi”, using “as ifs” to explore, performing the experience while reliving it, acting from pictures in your head, the power in losing the need to make money, grandmothers being shot at and a beautiful story about a guy in the rain looking for a coffee.   With art comes a lot of pain.   Antonio, IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1182955/bio/ IG: @antoniocupo X: @antoniocupo   To give to the Behind Greatness podcast, please visit here: https://behindgreatness.org. As a charity, tax receipts are issued to donors

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