Emerge: Making Sense of What's Next

After more than a decade of exploring what's emerging at the edges of culture and consciousness, it feels clear that we've crossed some kind of threshold - we're no longer in a time of gathering ideas, but of coming into deeper intimacy and action. Thank you for accompanying me on this journey of inquiry. While Emerge is complete, I'm continuing to write and explore these threads through The Intimate Mirror on Substack, and I pray we find our way through these precarious times together. My Substack: https://intimatemirror.substack.com/ My Coaching Work: http://www.dthorson.com

Daniel shares his feelings and disorientation in the aftermath of a profound experience and Jane opens up about living with a life-threatening health condition. They discuss the intensity and beauty of working with pain and facing endings. They then turn to the value of “being local” and the critical importance of bringing people together in physical space. Jane discusses her work with Imaginisma, an organization that describes itself as “a new kind of incubator for remembering, contacting, and amplifying the aliveness and grace of being human,” and the duo explores “aliveness” as a guiding principle. Themes of rediscovering simple, fundamental qualities of our humanity and rooting growth in the rich context of local relationship and “holy work” are contrasted with modern tendencies toward philosophical abstraction, reductionism, and trauma fixation. Finally, Jane and Daniel muse on the challenges and abnormalities of our era and their sense of hope for their own work and for today’s younger generations. 1:17 Daniel's experience of a profound opening through intimacy with pain 7:49 Jane's experience facing a life threatening condition 14:02 Pain, beauty, and "holy work" 19:56 The value of being local, especially as an antidote to abstraction 28:38 Relationship, love, and the power of bodies in space 33:42 Describing "holy work" and the philosophy of Jane's Imaginisma project 39:25 Searching for life purpose and "being in the house of aliveness" 45:21 How Jane's work straddles the material and the imaginal/etheric 49:31 Rediscovering life's latent magic and fundamental qualities of being human in the digital age 56:41 The orientation of Jane and Daniel's work toward inspiration and action (over philosophical abstraction) 1:01:24 Misconceptions about personal development and issues with pain and trauma fixation 1:08:50 Casual encounters with strangers 1:10:32 The abnormality of our times, the meaning of "normal," and "sewing seeds of ecstasy for the future" 1:14:47 A beautiful future beckoning in spite of a tragic world 1:19:38 Conclusion Imaginisma Daniel's Unfolding Coaching Offering Civilizations never just happen. They are brought into existence quite consciously, with unbelievable compassion and determination, from another world. Then the job of people experienced in ecstasy is to prepare the soil for them; carefully sow and plant them; care for them; watch them grow." ― Peter Kingsley, A Story Waiting to Pierce You: Mongolia, Tibet and the Destiny of the Western World Jane recommended a poem to accompany this episode, 'Taking of Emily Dickinson's Clothes'.

John Churchill joins Daniel to discuss the relationship between Attachment Theory and the process of awakening. Weaving together strands from Buddhist psychology and developmental psychology, John describes the Bodhisattva path and the development of a Planetary Dharma through the lenses of attunement and attachment. Topics covered include the development of the heart, the definition and various dimensions of attunement, and the difficulty of finding trustworthy spiritual teachers and community. John also shares theory and practice perspectives on the development of healthier attachment and offers words of encouragement for community building in difficult times. 0:00 Introduction and background for the talk 2:43 Western and Eastern Psychology and Attachment Theory 5:01  The attachment and attention systems and the sense of self 10:37 Addressing the split between the heart and the mind 16:21 Buddhist perspectives on the healing of the attachment system 21:26 Right relationship, attunement, and the dimensions of the heart 26:42 Developmental psychology and attunement 28:42 Levels of attunement and the significance of intuition 36:46 Collective psychological and structural components of attunement  40:52 Awakening with and without the heart as a central point of focus 48:09 Discernment on the Buddhist path and a developmental model of the Bodhisattva 52:32 The significance of time in spiritual development 55:50  Finding trustworthy teachers and avenues of practice 1:04:30 Putting the difficulty of finding a reliable spiritual path in perspective 1:07:33 Theoretical perspectives and practical advice for developing healthier attachment  1:20:23 Summarizing the development of healthy attachment and the Bodhisattva path from the perspective of attachment theory 1:23:37 Closing thoughts: Coming together and taking care of each other

Daniel and Jordan Hall discuss Jordan’s recent conversion to Christianity and the evolution of his worldview. How did a tech pioneer and futurist intellectual who would have said his chances of being baptized were “exactly zero” only five years ago become a convert? Daniel and Jordan talk about their respective “paths to humility” and the importance of religious community and traditional wisdom in the modern world. Topics include the tension between innovation and tradition, Game A and Game B,  the search for deeply connected communities, the importance of grief, the evolution of modern Christianity, cultural attitudes towards Christianity, and the power of committing to Truth. 0-3:34 Jordan’s recent conversion to Christianity 3:35 The evolution of Jordan’s worldview and his relationship to religion since childhood 9:11 The 2008 financial crisis and the birth of “Game B” 16:55 Searching for “Civium” (seeking out a philosophically aligned community)  23:07 Going to Black Mountain, North Carolina 31:18 Reflections on attending church and turning towards religion 42:06 Getting to humility 47:56 The importance of grief 49:54 “Religion that is not a religion” and the “Two Worlds Mythology” 53:26  Addressing the condemnation of Christianity in modern culture 1:02:57 Jordan’s thoughts on shifts in modern Christianity 1:06:36 The value of religious community and tradition in a neophilic culture 1:12:47 Committing to Truth 1:14:07 Wrap-up

After a long career using many therapeutic modalities, for more than a decade, Bob Falconer has devoted his practice exclusively to Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy. Bob has completed all levels of IFS training and continues to study with many of the senior IFS trainers. He co-authored the book Many Minds, One Self with IFS founder Richard Schwartz and has helped to train more than a thousand people in IFS.  For the past several years, Bob has been devoted to completing the extensive research and writing of his new book, The Others Within Us, which deals with “unattached burdens,” “guides” and what has sometimes traditionally been referred to as spirit possession. In this episode, Daniel and Bob discuss Bob’s personal trauma and the historical fight for the cultural and professional recognition of abuse, trauma and PTSD. They then delve into the history of psychotherapy and its connections to capitalism and colonialism and Bob’s perspectives on Internal Family Systems (IFS). While exploring the major themes of Bob’s book, they discuss the porous nature of mind, differing cultural models of mind, psychosis and spirit possession, Bob’s personal experiences with “the others within us,” the imaginal realm, and how Western psychology might shift from a “mono-mind” perspective to a “porous mind” one in the future. Timestamps 03:39 Intro 05:29 Bob’s Abusive Upbringing and Early Spiritual Experiences 11:07 How Internal Family Systems Has Helped Bob Become a “Man of Joy” 13:37 The History and Evolution of Modern Cultural Conceptions of Abuse, Trauma and Mind 21:03 Competition, Capitalism and Colonialism in Psychotherapy 23:42 Internal Family Systems and Multiplicity of Mind 28:43 Bob’s Book and His Perspectives on The Porous Nature of Mind 31:48 “Something Foreign In My Mind”: The Client Who Changed Bob’s Perspective 39:09 “The Others Within Us”: The Core Claim of Bob’s Book 45:36 Generational Trauma and Different Cultural Approaches to “The Others Within Us” 49:19 How Forces Not Clearly Linked To Our Personal History Might Get Into Us 52:53 Limitations of the Western Conception of Mind and Differing Cultural Interpretations of “Psychosis” 57:39 Possible Portals To A More Widespread Recognition of The Porosity of Mind 1:00:05 Navigating The Imaginal Realm 1:03:51 How Coaches and Practitioners Can Make Space for Porosity of Mind and The Others Within Us 1:09:20 Closing The Others Within Us

Tasshin – which means “to reach or achieve truth” – describes himself as an “online pilgrim wandering this precious world for the benefit of all beings.” In this episode, Daniel talks with Tasshin about some of the lessons he has learned and his unique insights into what it means to “live your vow,” from clarifying one’s sense of unique purpose to effectively coordinating with individuals and groups. While breaking down a statement on “bottlenecks” from Tasshin’s recent article, they outline a powerful framework that connects inner and outer work and service. Topics covered include productivity, psychology, ethics, effective coordination, the technological and poetic attunements (as described by Heidegger), the pathology of trying to “solve the world’s problems,” and the duo’s friendship, which dates back to their two-plus years together at the Monastic Academy. Tasshin's Home on the Internet Support Emerge on Patreon Timestamp 02:15 Daniel and Tasshin’s Personal Connection and Mutual Inspiration 10:29 Overview of Tasshin’s Recent Article and Reading of His “Bottleneck” Statement 16:33 “Finding Your Vow Is The Bottleneck On Productivity” 24:02 Living One’s Vow/Purpose As An Iterative Process 28:23 Addressing Doubts Regarding The Concept of “Vow”or “Unique Purpose” 31:53 “Productivity Is The Bottleneck On Strategy” 44:37 “Strategy Is The Bottleneck On Effective Coordination” 47:57 Different Levels of Harmonization 54:17 Trusting Yourself, Trusting Experience, Trusting Life 58:52 From Solving The World’s Problems to Focusing On Goodness, Truth, Beauty, and Playing One’s Part 1:07:52 Closing

This episode is a 're-Cast' from the Coach's Rising podcast, hosted by Joel Monk. I was so moved and inspired by the conversation I thought I'd share it with you all on my stream. I've been following John Churchill's work for some time, and this was exactly the conversation I wanted to have with him. It's a beautiful episode, and I hope you enjoy. Dr. John Churchill is a Doctor of Psychology and teacher of Buddha Dharma as well as a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine and author. John’s interest in psycho-spiritual development, Integral theory, Contemplative studies, Western Esotericism, and Mahayana Buddhism began in his adolescence, leading him to spend several years as a Buddhist monk at Samye Ling Monastery in Scotland. During this time, John received the esoteric Planetary Dharma transmissions that would in time unfold as his contribution to a planetary fourth turning teaching. He is also a founding member of the Integral Institute. WEBSITEShttps://www.karunamandala.org/https://samadhiintegral.com/ https://www.coachesrising.com/

Vince Horn and Daniel discuss the evolution, benefits, and potential of social meditation. They explore the new meditatewith.ai app created by Vince and Interbeing Inc. co-founder Chris Ewald. The app allows users to practice social meditation with an AI partner, with the ultimate goal of deepening the realization of human interconnectedness in everyday life. Vince and Daniel discuss how social meditation can affect relationships and networks, and how the practice might help address core issues of alienation from self, other, and world at the heart of the meta-crisis. Vince Horn is part of a new generation of teachers translating age-old wisdom into 21st century code. A computer engineering dropout turned modern monk, Vincent spent his 20s co- founding the Buddhist Geeks project while doing a full year of silent meditation practice on retreat. Timestamps 3:54 Intro 5:36 Intro to Social Meditation 11:23 Evolution of Social Meditation 16:33 The Role of Language in Meditation 21:50 Significance of Meditation Moving into the Inter-Relational Context 24:53 Social Meditation’s Effects on Relationships 26:04 The Meditatewith.ai App & The Issues It Addresses 30:11 Intra-Connection, Interconnection & How Social Meditation Can Impact Groups 34:19 Vince’s Inspiration For This Work 38:43 How AI Is Used in the App 49:09 Social Meditation and the Unfolding of the Spiritual Path 53:36 Creating and Refining a Protocol for Social Meditation 57:30 Value of Social Meditation for the Meta-Crisis 1:01:12 Next Steps for the App 1:03:09 Wrap-up Try the app at meditatewith.ai

In this conversation, John, Bonnie, and Thomas discuss various frameworks on what wisdom is, how it functions, and the different types and scales of complexity in which wisdom may arise. The conversation explores themes of wisdom and complexity with both depth and breadth, navigating the topic philosophically and pragmatically, and ultimately arriving at wisdom's relationship with the "It" beyond all relationship. This conversation is brought to us by the Respond Network. The Respond Network is a distributed research network focused on addressing the meta-crisis by researching and cultivating wisdom. Respond Network Practitioners taking place August 7th – 12th, 2023 in Bergerac, France Daniel's Patreon Timestamps 0:00 - Intro 5:59 - Virtue Reactivation 8:19 - Wisdom vs. Development & Complexity vs. Rootedness 12:47 - Wisdom as a function of Domains of Complexity 17:48 - Wisdom as a function of Relationship 20:30 - Wisdom as the Interplay between Sophia & Phronesis 25:35 - Moving between Scales of Sophia & Phronesis 30:37 - Vertical and Horizontal Axes of Wisdom & Complexity 35:41 - Letting Go of Complexity into New Emergence 38:35 - Receptivity to Spontaneity 40:20 - Reorientation Towards Rootedness 42:50 - Accessing What is Fundamental Through Rootedness 49:59 - John Explicating Bonita's Demonstration of the Topic 51:22 - Mindfulness Mirroring 56:27 - Recognizing the Exemplification of the Sacred as a Function of Wisdom 1:02:34 - The World as a grounding agent for Wisdom 1:05:24 - When and How did 'It' show up? 1:12:10 - The 'It' is Beyond Relationship 1:24:14 - In Story'ing 1:26:14 - Mindfulness Mirroring II

In this conversation I speak with Jill Nephew. Jill, a former AI black box algorithm engineer with extensive experience in developing software architectures, holds a highly heterodox perspective on the risks associated with LLM AIs. In this conversation we explore Jill's argument that using LLMs like ChatGPT or Bard are like eating plastic for your cognitive agency and natural intelligence, how it is that AIs could cause the rise of new 'supercults', and how another world is possible, if only we learn to ask the right questions. If you enjoy this podcast and want to support it please consider becoming a Patreon supporter. [3:52] The critical difference between cognition and thinking [9:49] Why is using LLMs like eating plastic for our cognition? [16:04] What LLMs represent in the context of the meta-crisis [24:51] How LLMs signal trustworthiness and use randomness to confuse us and unground our cognition [36:00] What we can expect to see as LLMs introduce more plastic into our cognition [38:29] What ways of interacting with LLMs might be safe? [47:52] What are cults and how do they function in relationship to our cognition? [53:29] The possibility of an AI 'supercult' [55:27] The most dangerous thing we do to each other [59:48] The deep meaningfulness and richness of grounded cognition, going beyond trauma healing, beyond the monkey mind [1:07:17] Technology to reclaim natural intelligence, the practice of inquiry, the difference between 'good' inquiry and 'bad' inquiry [1:12:31] The rigorous engineering behind good inquiry forms [1:13:29] The power of inquiry, the feeling of insight, how to achieve a quiet mind [1:18:29] Jill's advice for how to respond to the acceleration of planetary destruction Jill's Conversation with Layman Pascal on the Integral Stage⁠ Inqwire, the software Jill has developed to help people reclaim their natural intelligence. Support Daniel on Patreon