The Superhumanize Podcast

My guest today is a woman who listens to stone the way others listen to music, hearing the layered rhythms, ancient memory, and hidden messages beneath our feet.Dr. Marcia Bjornerud is a structural geologist, writer, and professor at Lawrence University whose work explores the physics of earthquakes, the architecture of mountains, and the deep time story of our living planet. She is the author of several beloved books for popular audiences, including Reading the Rocks, Timefulness, Geopedia, and most recently, Turning to Stone: Discovering the Subtle Wisdom of Rocks, which won the 2025 John Burroughs Medal for Natural History Writing.In today’s conversation, we explore Earth as an animate, dynamic system, one that has been reinventing itself for over 4 billion years, leaving records of her great experiments in stone. We dive into Marcia’s life’s work of decoding that record and into her belief that rocks are not inert, they are narrators of Earth’s evolving story. Marcia invites us to understand the language of stone, to foster a “geo-centric” worldview that reconnects us with the rhythms and relationships of this planet, and to step into a deeper kinship with the Earth as home.We also speak about her travels to remote parts of the world, such as Svalbard, Norway, her reflections on the Anthropocene, how thinking like a geologist can help save the world, and what she may have learned from Indigenous wisdom traditions in her dialogue with land and rock.This is a conversation about time, transformation, and the quiet, enduring truths that live in stone.Episode Highlights:02:30 – Dr. Bjornerud’s early fascination with rocks from glacial deposits in Wisconsin.04:00 – Structuring her latest book Turning to Stone around autobiographical chapters, each linked to a specific rock.06:00 – Defining the term "timefulness" and how seeing in geologic time alters our perception of the present.07:30 – Rocks as palimpsests: ancient stories overwritten but still traceable.08:45 – Rocks as verbs, not nouns: dynamic participants in Earth's ongoing transformation.10:30 – Witnessing the radical evolution of geoscience: from fixed continents to dynamic tectonics and complex climate models.13:00 – Paradigm shifts: from denying catastrophes to accepting extinction events like the one that ended the dinosaurs.16:00 – Ice age floods and possible global correlations to catastrophic water events.18:00 – Reflections on flat-earthers, epistemology, and failures in science education.20:30 – Dr. Bjornerud’s spiritual and emotional connection with rocks and their silent companionship.22:30 – Working in rapidly changing Arctic landscapes and observing real-time geology in motion.24:00 – The language of stone: sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks as dialects.26:00 – What would change if Western culture viewed the Earth as animate rather than mechanical?29:00 – Critiquing techno-optimism and misplaced hubris in dreams of colonizing Mars.32:00 – Hidden infrastructures of rock: aquifers, basalt weathering, and climate regulation.35:00 – Collaborating with Indigenous scientists and tribal legal teams to protect ecosystems.38:00 – Thinking like a geologist: embracing humility, interconnectedness, and a long-term perspective.40:00 – Letting go of narcissism and rediscovering our place in Earth’s continuum.42:00 – Why colonizing Mars is scientifically implausible and ethically evasive.45:00 – Message for the seventh generation: the Earth abides—if we listen.47:00 – Closing reflection: stone as story, Earth as ancestor, and ourselves as part of a resilient and sacred cycle of becoming.Resources mentioned:Books by Dr. Marcia BjornerudTurning to Stone – https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781324093494Timefulness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the World – https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780691202631Reading the Rocks – https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780465009335Geopedia – https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780691217109Lawrence University Faculty Page – https://www.lawrence.edu/offices/faculty/marcia-bjornerudSubscribe to the podcast at https://superhumanize.com

Today’s episode is a truth-telling, taboo-breaking, and pleasure-restoring conversation that could quite literally change lives.I am joined by Dr. Laurie Mintz, psychologist, author, speaker, and Emeritus Professor at the University of Florida, whose life’s work has been a powerful act of cultural unlearning and sexual awakening. Dr. Mintz is the author of the groundbreaking books Becoming Cliterate: Why Orgasm Equality Matters and How to Get It and A Tired Woman’s Guide to Passionate Sex. Both are rooted in science, filled with heart, and have been proven through published research to increase sexual satisfaction, body confidence, and orgasm frequency in women, and to radically improve communication and connection between partners.For too long, the narratives around women’s bodies and sexuality have been distorted by shame, silence, and a patriarchal script that left so many disconnected from their birthright: pleasure, autonomy, and full aliveness.In a world where we have been taught that sex is penetration, that female pleasure is elusive, and that clitoral stimulation is optional, Dr. Mintz is leading a revolution: a revolution for orgasm equality, for linguistic liberation, and for true intimacy based on knowledge, consent, and joy.Her viral TEDx talk, watched by over two million people, challenges us to close the pleasure gap and to stop treating women’s orgasms as afterthoughts, or worse, illusions. And her message is as much about cultural healing as it is about personal empowerment.In this episode, we explore why sex education fails most women, how language shapes our sexual experiences, why so many women fake orgasm, and how we can all return to a more authentic, attuned, and pleasure-centered approach to sexuality.This is much more than a conversation about sex. It is a conversation about power, equality, and embodiment. It is about reclaiming what was ours all along.And to remember that when a woman’s pleasure is honored, we do not just heal individuals, we begin to heal the world.Episode highlights:03:00 – Dr. Mintz shares her path from writing about low sexual desire in women to uncovering the widespread ignorance around the clitoris and female orgasm.05:45 – The “orgasm gap” is a cultural problem, not a biological one—and the myth that “sex equals penetration” is rooted in patriarchal definitions of sex.08:00 – Mainstream media portrays distorted, unrealistic depictions of female pleasure, leading women to believe they are broken when they aren’t.10:00 – Why so many women fake orgasms and how performance-based sex robs both partners of real connection and joy.13:45 – New research shows that bisexual women orgasm dramatically more with female partners than male ones—revealing a deeper systemic issue.16:15 – How language, sex ed, and media erase clitoral stimulation, creating a false norm that harms everyone.22:00 – When women feel fully safe, seen, and met, they can access not just physical but also spiritual and energetic orgasms.24:30 – The false end-point of male orgasm in sex and why we must redefine climax as a shared, intentional experience.27:00 – The real cost of ignoring women’s pleasure: emotional distance, relational breakdown, and lost intimacy.29:00 – Lesbian couples experience more orgasms because of communication, mutual respect, and attention to clitoral stimulation—practices that can be applied to all relationships.31:45 – Research-backed benefits of Becoming Cliterate: greater sexual satisfaction, more frequent orgasms, improved communication—and less sexual pain.34:00 – Dr. Mintz’s six-step rhyme to close the orgasm gap: Educate, Meditate, Communicate, Lubricate, Vibrate, Alternate.36:30 – Addressing the myth of vibrator “desensitization” with science and compassion.39:00 – Why labiaplasty, unless medically necessary, is a tragic form of aesthetic mutilation driven by shame and cultural pressure.45:00 – Reclaiming pleasure as a spiritual act: when women embrace their orgasms, they unlock confidence, freedom, and personal power in every area of life.47:00 – Practical steps to move from shame to self-awareness, and from silence to sexual sovereignty.Resources:Dr. Laurie Mintz's website – www.drlauriemintz.comBecoming Cliterate: Why Orgasm Equality Matters—and How to Get It by Dr. Laurie Mintz – https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062465094A Tired Woman’s Guide to Passionate Sex by Dr. Laurie Mintz – https://www.amazon.com/dp/1608826954Dr. Mintz on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/drlauriemintzTEDx Talk: “The Orgasm Gap” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmOhyxzZ1gcVulva photo project (mentioned): The Vulva Gallery – https://www.thevulvagallery.comWorld Association for Sexual Health – https://worldsexualhealth.netGuide to Getting It On by Paul Joannides – https://www.amazon.com/dp/1885535754

Welcome back to The Superhumanize Podcast. I am so deeply honored to have you with me today for a conversation that is close to the very core of what it means to be human.My guest is Dr. Hsien Seow, Canada Research Chair in Palliative Care and Health System Innovation, Professor at McMaster University, and one of the foremost voices reimagining how we approach serious illness and end-of-life care. His work transcends the medical system, inviting us to see palliative care not as surrender, but as a path to reclaiming agency, dignity, and meaning, even, and perhaps especially, in life’s most vulnerable chapters.Dr. Seow’s book, Hope for the Best, Plan for the Rest, co-authored with Dr. Samantha Winemaker, is a guide to navigating life-changing diagnoses with clarity, courage, and grace. It offers seven keys to transform the illness journey from one of fear and disempowerment to one of hope and preparedness.In today’s conversation, we explore the paradigm shifts needed in healthcare, the deeper truths mortality can teach us about life, and how we can each become active architects of our own experience, even when the path ahead feels out of our control.This episode is about much more than palliative care. It is about what it means to live fully awake to our finite nature, and to love, decide, and be present with the preciousness of this human life.Episode Highlights:02:30 – Realizing a disconnect: the moment Hsien noticed future doctors weren’t trained to talk about dying, sparking his mission to change the system.04:00 – What palliative care really means: an approach that centers on the full human experience—emotional, spiritual, social—not just medical intervention.06:30 – Why timing matters: most people meet palliative care too late. Hsien and his colleague Dr. Sammy Winemaker push for earlier integration.07:15 – The key concept: “Hope for the best, plan for the rest” — balancing optimism with informed planning.08:30 – Reclaiming power from the medical system: how patients and families can move from passive to activated roles.10:00 – “Zooming out” to see the big picture: why asking what stage you’re in is essential to living fully.12:15 – How to move from silence to agency: the role of courageous conversations in healing.14:45 – The ripple effect: illness doesn’t just affect the patient—it shapes families and communities.16:30 – Family dynamics and understanding: how knowing someone’s coping style reduces conflict and increases compassion.20:00 – What to do when the patient avoids discussion: using gentle invitations instead of confrontations.25:00 – Real-life application: how Hsien’s own family used these principles to navigate care with love and tact.27:30 – Cultural myths and medical systems: how we've lost the communal experience of dying and what needs to change.30:15 – Reframing grief and loss: learning from everyday changes how to prepare for bigger transitions.32:30 – Dying as sacred: honoring diversity in spiritual beliefs and values through customized care.34:45 – The invisible load: recognizing and supporting family caregivers before burnout sets in.38:30 – Revisiting roles and expectations: how adaptability sustains families through long-term illness.40:00 – Everyday palliative care: acts of love like cooking, walking a pet, or simply being present.42:00 – Customize your order: bringing your whole self—values, beliefs, and personality—into your care.44:30 – One key question: “What do I need to know about you to give you the best care possible?”46:00 – The central truth: in the end, it’s not about things—it’s about love, presence, and purpose.48:00 – What Hsien would tell his younger self—and all of us—about listening to the quiet voice of purpose.49:15 – The Waiting Room Revolution: Hsien’s vision for a global movement to humanize the experience of illness and empower patients everywhere.Resources:The Waiting Room Revolution Websitehttps://www.waitingroomrevolution.com/Book: Hope for the Best, Plan for the Rest by Dr. Hsien Seow and Dr. Sammy Winemakerhttps://www.amazon.com/Hope-Best-Plan-Rest-Revolution/dp/1774583086The Waiting Room Revolution Podcasthttps://www.waitingroomrevolution.com/podcastAmbassador Program & Free Workshop Materialshttps://www.waitingroomrevolution.com/ambassadorsDr. Hsien Seow’s Faculty Profile at McMaster Universityhttps://healthsci.mcmaster.ca/palliativecare/team/faculty/hsien-seowhttps://superhumanize.com

Welcome back to the Superhumanize Podcast. Today, we step into the radiant realm of healing, where ancient light meets modern science. My guest is Forrest Smith, a visionary at the intersection of wellness innovation and technology.As the founder of Kineon Labs and a former extreme athlete, Forrest brings decades of insight, both as a high-performing human and as a pioneering entrepreneur. His journey spans continents, from the rugby fields of South China to the tech corridors of North America. Along the way, he has built and sold multiple companies, delved deep into Chinese medicine and philosophy, and emerged with a powerful mission: to make cutting-edge red light therapy accessible, effective, and rooted in science.In this conversation, we explore what makes red light such potent allies for recovery, inflammation, performance, and even emotional well-being. We discuss photobiomodulation, how light interacts with our tissues at the molecular level, and why precise dosing truly matters. We also touch on the exciting future of light therapy for brain health, mood support, and energy optimization.Whether you are curious about pain management without pharmaceuticals, or interested in how light can nourish and heal the body, this episode will light the path.Episode highlights:02:00 – Forrest's journey from China-based tech entrepreneur and extreme athlete to mission-driven wellness innovator.04:00 – The founding vision of Kineon Labs: making high-quality red light and laser therapy devices accessible for home use.05:00 – Explanation of red light therapy and photobiomodulation—how light interacts with the body at a molecular level.07:00 – Why precise dosing matters: understanding the biphasic dose curve and photon absorption.09:00 – The role of nitric oxide and hemoglobin in increasing oxygen delivery and blood flow through light exposure.10:30 – How light affects mitochondrial function, oxidative stress, and inflammation on a cellular level.13:00 – Use of red light therapy in stroke recovery: extending the life of cells deprived of oxygen.14:00 – Designing devices backwards from desired biological outcomes instead of product features.17:00 – Why lasers outperform LEDs for dosing depth and precision.19:30 – Real-world outcomes from Kineon’s Move+ device: high performance athletes, military, and aging populations.21:00 – Sustainable pain relief and mobility improvements for osteoarthritis and chronic injuries.24:00 – Long-term cardiovascular effects of untreated joint injuries—and how light therapy reverses them.27:00 – The power of stacking light therapy with stem cells, PRP, and shockwave treatments.31:00 – Protocols for joint pain and recovery: knees, backs, and sprains.39:00 – Forrest’s favorite protocol: “Proximal Priority Therapy” for systemic inflammation and mood enhancement.41:00 – Transcranial light therapy and its promise for brain health, neurotransmitter balance, and immune resilience.44:00 – Future innovations: EEG and vagus nerve stimulation to support PTSD and autonomic regulation.50:00 – What’s next: real-time brain energy mapping with single photon avalanche diodes.51:00 – Where to find Kineon products and community resources.Resources mentioned:Kineon Labs website – https://kineon.ioMove+ wearable laser therapy device – https://kineon.io/products/move-plusKineon Therapy Quiz – https://kineon.io/pages/quizKineon Facebook Community Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/kineonusersGuest's social handles:TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@kineon_labsInstagram https://www.instagram.com/kineon_labs/LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-forrest-smith/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/KineonlabsYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@Kineon_LabsP.S. If you enjoy this episode and feel it helps to elevate your life, please give us a rating or review. And if you feel others may benefit from this podcast as well, spread the word, share and help grow our tribe of Superhumans. When we help heal One, we help heal All. Much gratitude and love.Yours,Ariane

Today’s guest is someone whose presence ripples far beyond the traditional walls of medicine.Nurse Penny Smith, also known to millions online as @hospicenursepenny, is a nationally certified hospice and palliative care nurse, a social media educator, and the author of the powerful new book, Influencing Death: Reframing Dying for Better Living.With over 20 years of intimate experience at the bedside of the dying, and more than two million followers drawn to her dark humor, dance, and deeply human wisdom, Penny is helping us reclaim something we have collectively pushed away: our relationship with death.In a world obsessed with youth and longevity, her message is a radical invitation to soften our fear, to educate ourselves, and to begin to see death not as the opposite of life, but as its mirror.This conversation is especially meaningful to me. Earlier this year, I lost my father. And while I live immersed in the health and wellness world, and explore every corner of longevity and life extension, I know that none of it is complete without the courage to look at our own endings.Penny and I speak about what a “good death” means, how to support our loved ones and ourselves through the mystery of dying, and what she has witnessed that suggests there is more beyond the veil.If you have ever whispered the question what happens when we die, or if you simply want to live more fully, this episode is for you.Episode Highlights:00:00 – Introduction to Nurse Penny Smith, her background in hospice care, and her new book Influencing Death: Reframing Dying for Better Living02:00 – Why our culture avoids talking about death, and how medical advancements have contributed to this denial04:30 – How Penny opens up conversations about death with patients and their families06:00 – The value of grief counseling and how hospice services support loved ones for up to a year after death09:00 – Penny’s journey through addiction and incarceration, and how it shaped her capacity to care without judgment12:15 – Supporting “difficult” patients and families by recognizing their humanity without needing to fix or judge them15:00 – Penny's unexpected rise on social media and the impact of her dark humor and dance videos16:45 – Deathbed visions, Penny’s personal experiences with her father’s passing, and what changed her perspective on the afterlife22:00 – Swedish death cleaning, writing your own obituary, and planning your memorial on your terms26:15 – On recording conversations and preserving memories as acts of legacy28:00 – Concerns around AI-generated avatars of deceased loved ones and the ethics of consent32:15 – Penny’s strong support for medically assisted death and patient autonomy34:30 – Ketamine therapy for end-of-life anxiety and grief, and Penny’s hope for more tools like nitrous oxide in hospice settings37:30 – What death has taught Penny about how to live more fully40:00 – How to choose a hospice provider, what questions to ask, and why nonprofit Medicare-certified agencies may offer better care44:15 – The most important thing Penny wants families to know: talk openly about death with your loved ones before it’s too lateResources mentioned:Nurse Penny’s Website – https://www.hospicenursepenny.comInfluencing Death: Reframing Dying for Better Living (Book) – https://www.hospicenursepenny.com/bookMedicare Hospice Comparison Tool (Care Compare) – https://www.medicare.gov/care-compareNurse Penny on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@HospiceNursePennyNurse Penny on TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@hospicenursepennyNurse Penny on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/hospicenursepennyNurse Penny on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/HospiceNursePenny

Today, I am honored to speak with Leslie Zane, a woman whose work reveals the unseen forces that shape our decisions, our loyalties, and even our sense of self. Leslie is an award-winning marketer, TEDx speaker, founder and CEO of Triggers® Brand Consulting, the first brand consulting firm rooted in behavioral science, and a foremost authority on leveraging the instinctive mind to drive brand and business growth.With a BA from Yale, an MBA from Harvard, and a career that includes leadership roles at Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, and Bain & Company, Leslie has dedicated her life to understanding what truly drives us as human beings. Her pioneering concepts, such as the Brand Connectome® and Growth Triggers®, illuminate how subconscious cues influence everything from consumer choices to cultural narratives. Leslie is also the author of the book The Power of Instinct: The New Rules of Persuasion in Business and Life.But beyond business, Leslie’s insights invite us to reimagine the architecture of our beliefs, to recognize how positive associations can overwrite fear-based programming, and to explore how branding itself is not just strategy, but frequency, resonance, and soul expression.In today’s conversation, we explore the hidden architecture of choice, how beliefs are formed at the intersection of identity and environment, and how each of us can leverage subconscious science to create deeper trust, authenticity, and transformation in our lives and in the world we shape.I cannot wait to share this illuminating dialogue with you.Episode highlights:02:00 – How subconscious cues and the “brand connectome” drive behavior04:00 – Why we often make automatic decisions—95% of them, in fact—without realizing it06:00 – Applying brand psychology to personal health and behavior change08:30 – Why the conscious mind resists persuasion, and how to influence through positive associations10:15 – Connectomes as living systems that grow or decay based on inputs12:30 – What happens when once-strong brand loyalties dissolve14:45 – Positive and negative “memories” stored in brand connectomes17:15 – The power of symbols, visuals, and language to rewire physiology and emotions18:30 – The story behind Leslie’s first growth trigger: putting a father in a baby shampoo ad20:30 – What makes a trigger effective: sensory cues that carry positive associations22:00 – Why growth triggers act like mental fertilizer, accelerating influence24:00 – Advice for small businesses: target the biggest market share, not just the closest competition26:30 – The Dollar Shave Club example: how underdogs unseat industry giants28:45 – Overriding fear-based programming through positive association and belief30:15 – Political polarization as a result of unbalanced connectomes33:00 – Why avoiding political discussions leads to ignorance, not peace36:00 – Mirror-image connectomes and why political disagreement triggers physical pain38:00 – Building sovereignty by balancing perspectives and reclaiming agency40:00 – How conscious brands can shift cultural narratives through emotion and values42:30 – The danger of emphasizing mission over product value44:30 – The gap between what people say and what they buy45:45 – Feminine intelligence in branding: attraction, resonance, and subtlety47:00 – The future of marketing is instinctive, not aggressive48:30 – Closing thoughts and where to find Leslie’s workResources mentioned:Leslie Zane’s book – The Power of Instinct: The New Rules of Persuasion in Business and Lifehttps://www.amazon.com/Power-Instinct-Persuasion-Business-Life/dp/1637743479Triggers Brand Consultinghttps://www.triggers.comConnect with Leslie Zane on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/lesliezane/

Today we open a field of inquiry and healing around women’s mental health, reclaiming wholeness, and reshaping the way we understand treatment, addiction, and embodiment.Our guest is Dr. Stacy Cohen, a double board-certified psychiatrist, addiction specialist, and founder of The Moment Health, a revolutionary holistic health and wellness clinic that integrates science, soul, and social impact.What drew me to Dr. Cohen’s work is not only her clinical depth, but her fiercely compassionate, woman-centered lens, a lens that acknowledges that mental health and also addiction looks different in women, that healing must honor biology and story, and that reclaiming joy, clarity, and inner coherence is a personal, political, and spiritual act.As someone who has walked this path of healing myself, I know the power of what happens when we shift from symptom management to soul-based medicine.This conversation is not merely about treatment, it is about remembering what wholeness feels like, and choosing it again.Episode highlights:[02:00] What “fragmentation” looks like in traditional psychiatry[04:00] How The Moment Health was born[05:45] Building a collaborative care team rooted in interdependence[08:00] Why addiction and mental health look different in women[10:00] The clinical blind spot around hormones, perimenopause, and gynecological factors[13:30] Cultural differences in how menopause is experienced[16:00] Psychedelics and the danger of one-size-fits-all thinking[20:00] Embracing the middle passage: Stillness as power[23:00] The importance of interconnection between women and men[26:30] Why Dr. Cohen brought ketamine therapy into her practice[29:30] Addiction psychiatry, recovery culture, and psychedelics[33:30] Healing trauma and reinterpreting AA for female empowerment[36:00] Embracing the lioness: Anger, motherhood, and power[38:00] Returning to ancestral ways of raising children[41:00] The power of play, embodiment, and creative self-expression[43:30] Embracing duality: Complexity and simplicity in healing[44:00] Repainting the system: A new vision for women’s mental health[48:00] Practical first steps for reclaiming your mental health[49:30] Honoring postmenopausal women and the second springResources mentioned:Dr Stacy Cohenhttps://www.stacycohenmd.com/The Moment Healthhttps://www.themomenthealth.com/who-we-areThe Middle Passage by James HollisAmazon: https://www.amazon.com/Middle-Passage-From-Misery-Meaning/dp/0919123600Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/66679.The_Middle_PassageInternal Family Systems (IFS) – Richard SchwartzIFS Institute official site: https://ifs-institute.comIntro video on YouTube by Richard Schwartz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99NF6K8vN00Gateway Sciences / Gateway ClinicGateway Sciences: https://gatewaysciences.comGateway Clinic page: https://gatewaysciences.com/clinicSOCIAL MEDIALinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/the-moment-by-dr-stacy-cohenInstagram https://www.instagram.com/themomenthealth/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/themomenthealth/

This episode is different. It is personal.Because for the first time, I will be sharing something I have not yet spoken about publicly.My father passed away this March. Just two days before my birthday.And in the weeks that followed, I gave myself permission to fully grieve, to feel, to remember, to process.It was a conscious act of mourning, supported by ceremony, solitude, and also by ketamine therapy, medically supervised at our clinic in Santa Monica.It helped me meet the waves of grief and let them move through me, not around me.And in that space, I kept returning to one question: Why, in our culture, is death treated as something to avoid, deny, or sanitize?Why is something so universal, so sacred, still held in so much fear?Today’s guest has devoted her entire life to shifting that.Barbara Karnes is a hospice pioneer and one of the most respected voices in end-of-life education.Her booklet Gone From My Sight, known as The Little Blue Book, has sold over 40 million copies and changed how countless families understand and approach death.In this conversation, Barbara offers profound wisdom: she offers a map, a presence, a way of holding death that allows us to also hold life more fully.This is much more than a conversation about dying. It is a conversation about what it means to live without fear, and to love more openly, even at the edge of goodbye.Episode highlights:02:45 Ariana's Personal Story of Grief and Healing05:29 Understanding the Dying Process10:40 The Role of Caregivers and Cultural Myths About Dying21:51 The Emotional and Spiritual Costs of Caregiving31:36 The Role of the Witness in the Dying Process33:04 Creating a Sacred Experience Before Death34:08 Saying Goodbye and Processing Grief42:16 The Importance of Personal Choice in End-of-Life Care44:44 Cultural Perspectives on Death and Aging52:32 Rehearsing for Death Through Life's Changes54:25 Barbara's Personal Relationship with Death56:22 Understanding Grief as Part of the Dying Process01:02:39 Barbara's Legacy and ResourcesResources mentioned:https://bkbooks.com/pages/about-barbarahttps://bkbooks.com/collections/allSOCIAL MEDIALinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbarakarnesrnInstagram https://www.instagram.com/barbarakarnesrnFacebook https://www.facebook.com/barbarakarnesrnYouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXVqIQdyP2OBTop8-jboRww

My guest today is someone whose work has shaped the very code of modern biology, and whose vision continues to ripple across fields as vast as genomics, synthetic biology, age reversal, and artificial intelligence.Dr. George Church is a a true pioneer, Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School,a molecular engineer, chemist and serial entrepreneur as the co-founder of more than 50 biotech companies. He has helped invent many of the technologies that now define the genomic era, from CRISPR optimization to DNA data storage, and he was one of the first humans to ever publicly share his full genome and medical history.In this conversation, we explore the edge where science meets spirit.We talk about synthetic biology as a modern myth, DNA as a vessel of intelligence, and what it means to engineer life with intention. We dive into radical transparency, longevity research, AI collaboration, and the philosophical gravity of rewriting the arc of aging.This episode is not just about technology. It is about becoming.It is about asking: What does it mean to choose our evolution, consciously, ethically, and with awe.Episode highlights:00:04:30 – Sleep states and engineered serendipity: tapping creativity through unconscious rhythms00:06:30 – Synthetic biology as a modern myth: Promethean fire and the sacred aesthetic of science00:08:30 – DNA as memory, medium, and myth: encoding images in bacterial genomes00:10:00 – Is DNA a vessel of intelligence beyond biology?00:13:30 – Preserving culture in encoded DNA: who might decode it in the far future?00:16:00 – Are we alone in the universe? Dr. Church’s speculative yet grounded view00:18:30 – What should we preserve for the next million years? The humility of legacy00:21:00 – DNA as sacred text: what it teaches us about identity, ancestry, and consciousness00:24:00 – Radical transparency: the Personal Genome Project and sharing his own genome00:29:00 – Rethinking consent, privacy, and research ethics in human genomics00:32:00 – From printing press to gene sequencers: the dawn of programmable biology00:33:30 – From slowing aging to redesigning it: reprogramming human cells and organs00:36:00 – How smarter gene, cell, and organ therapies could surpass pharmaceuticals00:40:00 – Personalized vs. generic medicine: the case for affordable global health00:43:30 – Aging as a treatable condition: tackling multiple pathways at once00:46:30 – Ethical and spiritual questions at the threshold of biological reinvention00:49:00 – The risks of artificial general intelligence vs. the promise of scientific AI00:52:30 – Why narrow scientific AI (like protein design) offers real-world breakthroughs00:54:30 – Will synthetic intelligence ever hold ethical responsibility?00:55:00 – Final reflections: safety, accessibility, and helping humanity fulfill its potentialResources mentioned:WebsitesWyss Institute: https://wyss.harvard.edu/team/core-faculty/george-church/Harvard Department of Genetics: https://icgd.bwh.harvard.edu/team/george-churchBiophysics at Harvard: https://biophysics.fas.harvard.edu/people/george-m-churchChurch Lab: https://arep.med.harvard.edu/gmc/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAae_vhiy2Qp-_GpV4FHll3Xxvuv1h1b7qgeRA1-Cz9jHTJrmnWlMH0GEVbBDgg_aem_-ujXtOnt6CpbGBHRC-P8BgBookRegenesis: How Synthetic Biology Will Reinvent Nature and Ourselveshttps://www.amazon.com/Regenesis-Synthetic-Biology-Reinvent-Ourselves/dp/0465075703Social MediaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-church-2b86301/

Welcome to The Superhumanize Podcast, where we explore the frontiers of human potential, consciousness, and creation.My guest today is someone whose life and work pulse with the resonance of a deep, sacred mission: Tom Cronin, keynote speaker, meditation teacher, author of The Portal, and a visionary committed to guiding humanity toward inner stillness as a path to global transformation.After a high-stakes career in finance led to a personal health crisis, Tom turned inward, and discovered something profound: that the silence within us is not empty, but alive with intelligence, possibility, and healing.Today, he works with individuals, corporations, and communities across the globe to awaken what he calls the "technology of stillness." His practice is rooted in Vedic meditation, a lineage of ancient wisdom that uses mantras to access deep inner states, echoing the oldest creation myths where frequency was the first architect of reality.We will speak today about the power of meditation not just as a wellness tool, but as a gateway to personal sovereignty and planetary coherence. We will explore how frequencies, whether ancient mantras or modern neural rhythms, can shape our world from the inside out.This conversation is a portal. You are invited to enter.Episode highlights:02:03 The Power of Stillness and Vedic Meditation06:09 Understanding Mantras and Their Impact07:19 The Influence of Frequency and Resonance11:58 The Role of Peace and Higher Frequencies17:41 Tom Cronin's Transformative Retreats20:28 Global Impact of Meditation and Peace32:42 The Intersection of Technology and Consciousness40:18 Tom Cronin's Vision for a Better World44:27 Practical Steps for Personal Transformation45:55 Conclusion and Offerings from Tom CroninThis episode is more than a conversation—it’s an invitation to step into a deeper awareness of yourself and your role in the collective evolution of humanity. Tom Cronin’s journey from high-stakes finance to sacred stillness offers a powerful reminder that peace is not passive, and stillness is not empty.Resources & MentionsTom Cronin's Official Website – https://www.tomcronin.comThe Portal (Book & Film by Tom Cronin) – https://entertheportal.comLearn about Vedic Meditation – https://www.tomcronin.com/vedic-meditationZen Academy: Coaching for Conscious Leaders – https://www.tomcronin.com/zen-academyWatch The Portal Movie – https://entertheportal.comDaniel Schmachtenberger’s Work – https://civilizationemerging.comJulia Mossbridge’s Research – https://www.transcendentresearch.orgFilm Mentioned: The Dish (2000) – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0205873Yogastha Kuru Karmani ("Established in Being, Then Perform Action") – https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/8592/yogastha-kuru-karmaniFollow Ariane and the podcast at https://superhumanize.comPodcast produced by Podcast Artistry