The Conscious Life: Presence, Plants, and Human Attention with Michael Pollan

On this episode of the Harvest Series, host Rose Claverie sits down with neuroscientist and perception researcher Beau Lotto to explore how the brain constructs reality. Rather than simply observing the world, Beau argues that humans actively create meaning through perception shaped by evolution, emotion, memory, and social experience.The conversation explores anxiety, stress, uncertainty, social belonging, resilience, and why humans are biologically wired toward threat detection. Beau explains how perception influences behavior, why accountability matters, and why modern education systems often reward certainty while suppressing curiosity and experimentation. Through neuroscience and practical examples, he challenges the idea that people truly see reality objectively.The episode also focuses heavily on growth, parenting, leadership, and creativity. Beau shares powerful stories about raising children, encouraging curiosity, creating environments for discovery, and helping people embrace uncertainty rather than fear it. This is a conversation about perception, adaptation, and learning how to navigate an unpredictable world with courage and openness. To know more about Beau Lotto and his work : www.be.evolvabel.me Chapters00:00 Introduction to Beau Lotto01:07 Perception as imagination01:28 Anxiety and imagined threats02:15 Holding multiple realities at once03:02 Sensations, emotions, and perception04:30 Hormones, stress, and cortisol05:16 Why humans focus on negativity06:29 Social exclusion as a modern threat08:29 How perception shapes behavior09:15 Reducing stress vs reducing its source10:26 Preparing how you enter each moment11:57 The brain as a practice system13:20 Emotional contagion and relationships15:05 Why conflict is necessary for learning17:33 Growth vs true understanding19:52 Why education rewards certainty20:47 Travel, identity, and perspective22:14 Why life has always been uncertain24:23 Subjective feelings vs objective reality25:29 Raising resilient children27:51 AI, rapid change, and the future of education31:05 Awareness, action, and accountability35:24 Harvest reflections and imagination38:11 Adding energy vs consuming energy39:10 Beau Lotto’s mother and childhood curiosity42:12 Happiness vs meaningful living44:12 The bee experiments and child scientists49:00 Question for Dan Buettner50:33 Why accountability matters51:06 The importance of doubt52:13 How to deal with endings53:39 Love, uncertainty, and parentingYou can follow us on Instagram at @HarvestSeries or @rose.claverie for updates.Watch our podcast episodes and speaker sessions on YouTube: Harvest Series.Credits:Sound editing by: @lesbellesfrequencesTechnician in Kaplankaya: Joel MoriasiMusic by: ChambordThis season of the Harvest Series podcast is made possible by Spark of Light. To learn more, visit: https://sparkofsouls.com/Harvest Series is produced in partnership with Athena Advisers and Capital PartnersHarvest Series Founders: Burak Öymen and Roman Carel

The Harvest Series podcast, hosted by Rose Claverie, welcomes theoretical physicist and cosmologist Janna Levin for a conversation on black holes, imagination, mortality, and the limits of human understanding. Recorded during Harvest, this episode explores how science and wonder coexist at the edge of the known universe.Levin reflects on black holes, gravitational waves, infinity, and why scientists must become comfortable with uncertainty. Moving between philosophy, cosmology, death, and human meaning, the conversation reveals science not as cold certainty, but as an ongoing relationship with mystery.What happens when the deeper we look into the universe, the less certain we become about ourselves?You can follow us on Instagram at @HarvestSeries or @rose.claverie for updates.Chapters00:00 – Introduction to Janna Levin01:05 – Why science needs imagination02:03 – Einstein and thought experiments03:06 – Conversations and contradictions at Harvest05:10 – Parents, risk, and unconventional paths06:06 – What black holes really are08:24 – Why black holes fascinate us09:06 – Infinity and the shape of the universe11:02 – Why scientists say “I don’t know”12:34 – Women in science and identity13:06 – Does the universe have a sound?14:28 – What humans are actually made of14:59 – What happened before the Big Bang?16:04 – Space race, SpaceX, and geopolitics19:54 – Seeing Earth as one planet20:47 – From philosophy to physics22:01 – Science, spirituality, and meaning23:54 – Death, nature, and continuity25:25 – Ordinary life and cosmic thinking26:19 – Legacy and curiosity27:11 – How to deal with endings28:18 – When will the universe end?29:14 – Music on the moon30:10 – Children, bees, and scientific discovery30:49 – Living at the edge of comprehension31:21 – Closing reflectionsWatch our podcast episodes and speaker sessions on YouTube: Harvest Series.Credits:Sound editing by: @lesbellesfrequencesTechnician in Kaplankaya: Joel MoriasiMusic by: ChambordThis season of the Harvest Series podcast is made possible by Spark of Light. To learn more, visit: https://sparkofsouls.com/Harvest Series Founders: Burak Öymen and Roman Carel

On this episode of the Harvest Series, host Rose Claverie sits down with Shaka Senghor for a deeply personal conversation about survival, transformation, and imagination. After spending 19 years in prison, including years in solitary confinement, Shaka rebuilt his life through storytelling, philosophy, meditation, and writing. His journey raises difficult questions about justice, trauma, violence, and redemption.Shaka reflects on growing up in Detroit during the crack epidemic, surviving gun violence, and the emotional weight of incarceration in America. He speaks candidly about shame, masculinity, systemic racism, forgiveness, and what it means to heal without denying responsibility for the past. The discussion moves beyond prison reform into something much more human: how people rebuild themselves after devastation.The episode also explores creativity and ambition. Shaka explains why imagination became essential to his survival, how writing transformed his understanding of himself, and why he now wants to focus on fiction, film, and art rather than only being viewed through the lens of incarceration. This is a conversation about resilience, identity, and refusing to live a small life.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Shaka Senghor01:18 Imagination as survival02:08 Solitary confinement and mental freedom04:12 Reflections from Harvest05:27 Childhood abuse and running away06:14 Detroit, crack cocaine, and violence06:39 The shooting and prison sentence07:38 Trauma, PTSD, and accountability09:02 Receiving a 17-to-40-year sentence09:58 Mentors and transformation in prison11:00 Meditation, journaling, and mindfulness12:11 Malcolm X and self-education13:17 Discovering writing in prison15:13 Radical honesty and self-examination17:20 Ambition, imagination, and dreaming bigger19:57 How parole and release worked21:51 Spirituality and questioning God24:14 Forgiveness and healing with his mother27:20 Breaking cycles of violence30:03 What prisons ask him most often32:02 Rich and poor people are more alike than different35:19 Forgiveness as liberation37:48 Masculinity and modern culture39:27 Parenting, resilience, and overprotection41:12 Wanting to move beyond prison identity43:12 Returning to fiction and screenwriting45:03 Legacy and resilience47:25 Intentional endings and closure49:03 What writing taught him about himself52:20 Question for the next Harvest guest52:58 Final reflectionsYou can follow us on Instagram at @HarvestSeries or @rose.claverie for updates.Watch our podcast episodes and speaker sessions on YouTube: Harvest Series.Credits:Sound editing by: @lesbellesfrequencesProducer in Kaplankaya: Joel Moriasi & teamMusic by: ChambordThis season of the Harvest Series podcast is made possible by Spark of Light. To learn more, visit https://sparkofsouls.com/.Harvest Series Founders: Burak Öymen and Roman Carel

In this episode of the Harvest Series, Rose Claverie speaks with Michael Pollan about consciousness, imagination, plants, and the future of human attention. Recorded during Harvest, the conversation moves from food and psychedelics to technology, spirituality, and the hidden ways modern life shapes awareness.Pollan reflects on ego dissolution, immersive journalism, plant intelligence, and why he believes consciousness itself is under threat from social media and AI. A thoughtful exploration of what it means to remain awake, present, and emotionally connected in the modern world.You can follow us on Instagram at @HarvestSeries or @rose.claverie for updates.To know more about Michael Pollan and A World AppearsChapters00:00 – Introduction to Michael Pollan00:57 – What imagination really is01:54 – Imagination, empathy, and theory of mind02:22 – Shaka Senghor and imagination as liberation03:17 – From gardening to consciousness04:09 – Plants, desire, and co-evolution05:26 – Defining consciousness06:11 – What it’s like to be a bat07:03 – Plant awareness and sentience09:02 – Consciousness and spirituality09:40 – Immersive journalism and owning a cow11:58 – Participatory journalism13:28 – Psychedelics and fear of death14:20 – First psychedelic experiences later in life14:55 – Psychedelics and emotional openness15:41 – Ego dissolution explained17:16 – Spirituality and merging beyond the self18:02 – Bach, music, and transcendence19:06 – Social media, AI, and consciousness20:33 – Consciousness hygiene22:00 – Are animals more conscious than us?22:31 – What’s next: the microbiome23:53 – Teachers and people who shaped his life25:09 – Rapid fire questions26:18 – Funniest psychedelic moment28:08 – Frightening psychedelic experiences29:18 – Safe first steps into psychedelics31:01 – Legacy and changing minds32:19 – Why endings matter35:06 – Can plants teach us health?36:00 – A question for Shaka Senghor37:09 – Closing reflectionsWatch our podcast episodes and speaker sessions on YouTube: Harvest Series.Credits:Sound editing by: @lesbellesfrequencesTechnician in Kaplankaya: Joel MoriasiMusic by: ChambordThis season of the Harvest Series podcast is made possible by Spark of Light. To learn more, visit: https://sparkofsouls.com/Harvest Series Founders: Burak Öymen and Roman Carel

Harvest Series is coming back.After a short pause following Season 9, featuring inspiring voices such as Golshifteh Farahani, Satish Kumar and Aaron Maté, the podcast returns soon with a brand new season.Season 10 will be recorded live, from May 13th-17th, at the next Harvest gathering, dedicated to the theme of imagination.Among the upcoming voices: Michael Pollan, Suleika Jaouad and many more!The event will take place in Kaplankaya, on the South Aegean coast of Turkey.→ Discover the event: harvestseries.comSee you very soon for Season 10.

In this episode of the Harvest Series, Rose Claverie speaks with Nikki Bergen bout pelvic health — a topic often overlooked, misunderstood, or quietly endured by many. Recorded in Kaplankaya, the conversation explores why symptoms are frequently normalised, how stress and trauma shape the pelvic floor, and why education around body literacy is still missing.Together, they unpack the myths around Kegels, the difference between tight and weak pelvic floors, and how shame and silence can delay care. The episode also reflects on aging, independence, sexuality, and the importance of restoring dignity and understanding to this essential aspect of health.You can follow us on Instagram at @HarvestSeries or @rose.claverie for updates and follow our guest Nikki. Chapters00:00 – Welcome to Harvest00:30 – Why pelvic health is misunderstood01:55 – Common symptoms women normalize03:20 – Why “just do Kegels” is misleading05:10 – Tight vs weak pelvic floors07:00 – Stress, trauma, and the nervous system09:30 – Shame and delayed care12:05 – Aging, independence, and dignity14:40 – Pelvic health and sexuality17:10 – What body literacy really means19:30 – Why this education is missing21:45 – Men and pelvic health24:10 – Closing reflectionsWatch our podcast episodes and speaker sessions on YouTube: Harvest SeriesCredits:Sound editing by: @lesbellesfrequencesTechnician in Kaplankaya: Joel MoriasiMusic by: ChambordHarvest Series is produced in partnership with Athena Advisers and Capital PartnersHarvest Series Founders: Burak Öymen and Roman Carel

In this episode of the Harvest Series, Rose Claverie speaks with Schuyler Grant and Jeff Krasno about what it takes to grow together over decades. Recorded in Kaplankaya, the conversation explores love beyond romance, commitment beyond sacrifice, and parenting through emotional safety.They reflect on power, money, vulnerability, and the courage to let each other evolve. A rare, honest look at long-term partnership without idealisation.You can follow us on Instagram at @HarvestSeries or @rose.claverie for updates, and follow our guests Jeff and Schuyler.Chapters00:00 – Opening and introduction01:41 – Creating, healing, and evolving together03:15 – Traveling as a couple again05:13 – Parenthood and identity shifts06:36 – Letting go and trust07:22 – Movement, breath, and embodiment08:26 – Community as the heart of wellness10:17 – The birth of Wanderlust12:07 – Engineering containers for connection13:37 – Wellness, scale, and commodification15:11 – Why connection can’t be engineered16:00 – Business roles and shared values17:20 – Money, power, and partnership19:52 – Feminine and masculine dynamics20:34 – “Multiple marriages” with one person22:21 – Lover and beloved dynamics24:41 – Parenthood and vulnerability27:23 – Losing intimacy and finding stability28:58 – Love without neediness30:12 – Commitment as liberation31:14 – Vulnerability, aging, and dependence34:15 – Impermanence of self and relationship37:20 – Letting partners evolve freely39:33 – Coherence, safety, and family41:27 – Creating safety for children45:49 – Breaking generational cycles47:02 – Power, money, and independence52:05 – Values over attraction53:09 – Monogamy, freedom, and choice55:14 – Repair, rupture, and resilience56:03 – Pride, growth, and admiration01:00:01 – Parenting, safety, and trust01:02:00 – Closing reflectionsWatch our podcast episodes and speaker sessions on YouTube: Harvest Series.Credits:Sound editing by: @lesbellesfrequencesTechnician in Kaplankaya: Joel MoriasiMusic by: ChambordHarvest Series is produced in partnership with Athena Advisers and Capital PartnersHarvest Series Founders: Burak Öymen and Roman Carel

In this episode of the Harvest Series, Rose Claverie speaks with Chloé Macintosh about courage, intimacy, and the intelligence of the heart. Recorded by the sea during Harvest, the conversation explores pleasure as a healing force and the role of embodied practice in emotional wellbeing.Chloé Macintosh shares how trauma shapes attachment, why we fear vulnerability, and how healing happens through relationship rather than isolation. A powerful invitation to reconnect with life through the body and the heart.PS : Chloe is kindly offering a 50% discount on her app, Kama. Follow the linkChapters00:00 – Welcome to Harvest00:29 – Shame, disconnection, and intimacy01:08 – Courage and authenticity02:18 – Pleasure as a pathway to wellbeing03:00 – Why pleasure feels blocked03:40 – Trauma, numbness, and the senses04:03 – Courage as an open heart05:12 – Why we don’t practice with the heart06:00 – Heart intelligence and coherence06:52 – The heart before the mind07:35 – Emotional signals and awareness08:12 – Why the heart is hard to access09:14 – Awareness as embodied intelligence10:09 – The heart beyond symbols11:02 – Fear, pain, and emotional avoidance12:02 – Healing wounds through practice13:14 – Childhood heartbreak and attachment14:29 – Separation and emotional safety15:34 – Repeating patterns in relationships16:00 – Healing in relationship, not isolation17:01 – Communication, triggers, and transparency18:32 – Vulnerability and desire19:06 – Intimacy, miscommunication, and distance20:29 – Pleasure, thoughts, and the body21:47 – From pleasure to heart work22:27 – Depression and aliveness23:10 – Sexual energy and embodiment24:36 – Dissociation and numbness25:15 – Re-centering and grounding26:10 – Layering pleasure and heart work27:05 – Creating practical methods28:33 – Trauma, trust, and safety30:13 – Receptivity as self-love31:05 – Practice as devotion32:11 – Everyday rituals and awareness33:27 – Intention, water, and presence34:06 – Intimacy with life35:08 – Personal breakthrough with the heart36:31 – Trauma, shutdown, and safety37:00 – Reopening the heart through service38:55 – Healing others through relationship40:13 – Closing reflectionsYou can follow us on Instagram at @HarvestSeries or @rose.claverie for updates.Watch our podcast episodes and speaker sessions on YouTube: Harvest Series.Credits:Sound editing by: @lesbellesfrequencesTechnician in Kaplankaya: Joel MoriasiMusic by: ChambordHarvest Series is produced in partnership with Athena Advisers and Capital PartnersHarvest Series Founders: Burak Öymen and Roman Carel

This episode marks Rose Claverie’s conversation with Sunny Bates for the Harvest Series.Recorded at Harvest in Kaplankaya, they come together to explore a question that feels increasingly urgent in our modern world: what does real connection truly mean?In this thoughtful and expansive dialogue, Sunny Bates challenges transactional networking and reframes connection as an act of generosity, curiosity, and courage. Reflecting on community, asking, and vulnerability, this episode is a powerful reminder that human connection remains one of our most essential tools.Chapters00:00 – Welcome to Harvest00:29 – What makes a connection extraordinary01:14 – Sunny Bates’ work and background01:53 – Networking without discomfort02:30 – Shyness, asking, and vulnerability03:48 – Becoming a connector from childhood05:12 – Why people fear uncomfortable personalities06:00 – Giving generously and transformation06:10 – How travel reshaped connection07:31 – Networks, generosity, and ripple effects08:25 – Introverts, extroverts, and curiosity09:29 – Managing energy and meaningful interactions10:39 – Hiring, trust, and deep evaluation12:08 – Approaching busy or guarded people13:53 – When connection becomes transactional15:02 – Personal mission and alignment16:05 – Rejection, fear, and asking again17:25 – Phones, avoidance, and modern disconnection18:46 – Advising TED and building communities20:26 – Sustaining engaged communities22:02 – Connection as political resistance24:14 – Regretful connections and responsibility28:24 – Courage, motherhood, and career risk32:14 – The courage to ask32:54 – Closing reflectionsYou can follow us on Instagram at @HarvestSeries or @rose.claverie for updates.Watch our podcast episodes and speaker sessions on YouTube: Harvest Series.Credits:Sound editing by: @lesbellesfrequencesTechnician in Kaplankaya: Joel MoriasiMusic by: ChambordHarvest Series is produced in partnership with Athena Advisers and Capital PartnersHarvest Series Founders: Burak Öymen and Roman Carel

This episode marks Rose Claverie’s second conversation with Satish Kumar for the Harvest series.Following their first interview on courage, they reunite to explore a question that feels especially meaningful at the beginning of a new year: how can we live a simpler life?In this gentle and deeply inspiring dialogue, Satish Kumar shares his timeless wisdom on simplicity, inner clarity, and living in alignment with what truly matters, a beautiful way to open the year with intention and perspective.The official website for the Satish Kumar Foundation, the charity set up to continue Satish Kumar’s legacy and support initiatives like Schumacher College.Chapters00:00 – Welcome to Harvest00:29 – Why simplicity matters today01:50 – Living in a world of inequality02:30 – Time, possessions, and lost joy03:40 – Cities, speed, and the coffee example05:00 – “I am the CEO of my life”06:35 – Elegant Simplicity and real wealth07:35 – Sustainability and nature’s economy09:25 – Abundance vs greed10:50 – The BUD principle: Beautiful, Useful, Durable12:00 – Contentment and sufficiency13:55 – Climate change and root causes15:50 – Why change must come from citizens17:50 – Education of head, heart, and hands21:55 – We are nature, not separate from it23:15 – Closing reflectionsYou can follow us on Instagram at @HarvestSeries or @rose.claverie for updates.Watch our podcast episodes and speaker sessions on YouTube: Harvest Series.Credits:Sound editing by: @lesbellesfrequencesTechnician in Kaplankaya: Joel MoriasiMusic by: ChambordArtwork by: Davide d'AntonioHarvest Series is produced in partnership with Athena Advisers and Capital PartnersHarvest Series Founders: Burak Öymen and Roman Carel