THE EXPLODING HUMAN with Bob Nickman

Combat veterans SCOTT HUESING & PETE TURNER, talk with me about their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan and the resulting issues and trauma they and other veterans face  on a daily basis upon returning home.  Both have made a commitment to help other veterans through Save The Brave organization, where Scott is Executive Director.  Pete also uses his podcast, Break It Down Show, to carry the message of hope and healing. We cover what it was like in the military, PTSD, veteran suicide, and their take on millenials in the service. It is a message of of hope, service and compassion.

SADIE ADAMS talks to me about meditation, transformation and changing old beliefs which are no longer working.  We cover a range of topics from childhood trauma to the various disciplines she has studied; including embryology, a topic I had never heard of until this interview.  She also talked about how this study of humans from pre-conception to eight weeks, informs her other career in skin care. FYI, she looks 20 years younger than her actual age! 

In our second interview, DAVID RIPPY and I discuss his newest book, "Powering Through Paralysis," a continuation of his remarkable journey following an accident which left him paralyzed from the shoulders down. We talk about the power of the mind in dealing with challenges and some of the other ways he has learned to thrive through nutrition, hypnosis and a connection to the spiritual realm. 

JERRY WHITING talks to me about all thing cannabis from his car in Seattle. His company LeBlanc CNE creates cannabis healing products as well as recreational strains. Jerry's passion and vast knowledge of cannabis history, genetics, pharmacology and advocacy have made him a favorite on the lecture circuit.  And find out why he never uses the word "marijuana."

GRACE CHENG-BRAUN runs the non-profit WISE and Healthy Aging in Santa Monica, Ca.. We talk about the challenges of aging and caregiving and the many services the organization offers to assist our aging population such as enrichment programs, benefits assistance, assisted living, caregiver support and training and financial assistance.  Her vast knowledge and experience in the field makes for an energetic and informative talk on all aspects of aging. 

DAN GRIFFIN, M.A., has worked in the field of recovery for over twenty years and leads men's retreats across the country. He is also the host of his own podcast The Man Rules which explores what it means to be a man in our modern world.  We talk about how our culture is shaped by how men and boys are raised, how trauma affects us and what he does in his workshops. He even does a couple of his exercises on me to illustrate how he works with both men and women to improve understanding and communication.   

RABBI MARK BOROVITZ talks to me about his alcoholism and two terms in the state penitentiary to becoming a Rabbi in his 40's.  He heads the Beit T"Shuva recovery center in Los Angeles helping addicts of all kinds and imparting a spiritual message.  We talk addiction, recovery and his views on the spirituality that has often been lost in Judaism.  

BRIAN AVERY is an actor and producer who has spent his life studying, enjoying and promoting poetry. He talks about a surgery he had without anesthetic, in which he recited poetry to transport himself to a place of no pain and relaxation. We talk about the healing power, passion and enjoyment poetry has given him and he recites a variety of poems along the way. 

CATHY LADMAN is a successful stand-up comic, actress and writer who has struggled with anorexia her entire life. She talks about her childhood, family of origin, the onset of anorexia and the "quirks" of her eating disorder and how she has learned to manage her disease. She is incredibly honest, open and always funny.  

KIRK SCHNEIDER is an existential psychologist who is the source of my finding the book "The Denial of Death," by Ernst Becker, a stark and fearless look at man's denial of the ultimate.  We talk about living a life of awe amongst the chaotic and mundane. Kirk talks about how the death of his older brother when Kirk was two years-old changed his family dynamic and set him on a quest to discover meaning.  We also get into the influence 60's sci-fi TV had on us both -- and his thoughts on technology and robotics in shaping our future.