David Z. Morris | Sam Bankman-Fried, Effective Altruism & the Ideology Behind FTX

In this episode of Liminal News, I'm joined by journalist and author David Z. Morris, whose book Stealing the Future examines the rise and collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried — not just as a crypto scandal, but as a warning about the belief systems driving Silicon Valley power today. We explore how effective altruism, longtermism, and utilitarian ethics became moral loopholes — allowing fraud, deception, and massive harm to be reframed as "ethical" actions in service of an imagined future. This conversation goes far beyond FTX. We talk about crypto's real and fictional use cases, AI as a quasi-religious project, elite networks of protection, stimulant-driven grind culture, and why figures like Peter Thiel loom so large in today's techno-authoritarian landscape. 👤 Guest Bio: David Z. Morris is a journalist covering technology, crypto, politics, and ideology. He is the author of "Stealing the Future", an investigation into Sam Bankman-Fried, effective altruism, and the techno-utopian belief systems reshaping Silicon Valley and global power.  🔗https://davidzmorris.com/ ================================== Please subscribe to the Liminal News Substack Newsletter! https://substack.com/@danielpinchbeck Please buy my books! https://tinyurl.com/mrsmtpwv Please join my online seminars and community at THE LIMINAL INSTITUTE: www.liminal.news Instagram:   @danielpinchbeck Official Website:  www.pinchbeck.io/ #SamBankmanFried #FTX #EffectiveAltruism #Longtermism #CryptoCrash #TechIdeology #ArtificialIntelligence #SiliconValley #LiminalNews #TechAuthoritarianism #danielpinchbeck #liminalnews #crypto

I speak with Adam Levy, a Minneapolis-based activist, educator, and musician, about what he describes as an unprecedented federal crackdown unfolding right now in the Twin Cities. Adam shares first-hand accounts of ICE raids, racial profiling, mass detentions, and families being targeted in their own neighborhoods — including a harrowing incident in which a baby nearly died after tear gas was fired under a family's car. Drawing on his background as a public historian who has studied fascism and genocide, Adam places these events within a broader historical and political context, warning that the United States is entering a dangerous and unstable phase. We also discuss how communities in Minneapolis are responding in real time: mutual aid networks, encrypted communication systems, legal accompaniment, nonviolent direct action, and community patrols designed to slow or disrupt enforcement. What emerges is a picture of grassroots resistance forming in the absence of institutional protection — and a sober assessment of what may come next. This is a difficult but essential conversation about democracy, state power, moral responsibility, and what it means to resist when the rules begin to collapse.  👉In this episode, we explore: • First-hand reports of ICE raids and detentions in Minneapolis • Civil liberties, racial profiling, and collective punishment • Historical parallels to fascist movements and authoritarian states • How mutual aid, patrols, and direct action are slowing enforcement • Why Minneapolis became a federal target • The psychological toll on communities under siege • What peaceful resistance can still accomplish — and where this may be heading 👤 Guest Bio: Adam Levy is a Twin Cities–based musician, educator, and activist. A former high school teacher of U.S. history, government, and economics, he is widely regarded as a public historian focused on movements of liberation, fascism, and genocide. After losing his child to suicide in 2012, he became deeply involved in mental health advocacy and community organizing. He is currently active in on-the-ground resistance and mutual aid efforts in Minneapolis.  🔗https://www.adamlevy.com/ ================================== Please subscribe to the LIminal News Substack Newsletter! https://substack.com/@danielpinchbeck Please buy my books! https://tinyurl.com/mrsmtpwv Please join my online seminars and community at THE LIMINAL INSTITUTE: www.liminal.news Instagram:   @danielpinchbeck Official Website:  www.pinchbeck.io/ #Minneapolis #ICERaids #Immigration #CivilLiberties #Authoritarianism #Activism #Resistance #Fascism #Democracy #MutualAid #HumanRights #MinneapolisProtests #LiminalNews #AdamLevy

In this episode of Liminal News, I speak with Salih Hudayar, Foreign Minister of the East Turkistan Government in Exile, about China's mass detention system, the ongoing Uyghur genocide, and why East Turkistan has become one of the most advanced surveillance laboratories in the world. I've long known that the Uyghurs are a deeply oppressed people, often compared to Tibetans, but I realized I didn't fully understand the scale, history, or mechanisms of what's happening. This conversation felt like a necessary public service—to learn, to document, and to share what's largely being ignored. Salih walks me through the forgotten history of East Turkistan, including multiple declarations of independence before its occupation by the Chinese Communist Party in 1949. He explains how millions of Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples have been subjected to DNA collection, biometric tracking, AI-powered monitoring, forced sterilization, mass internment camps, and the removal of children into state-run boarding schools. One of the most disturbing themes we explore is how Western technology companies helped China develop and refine its surveillance infrastructure—systems that were tested on the Uyghurs and are now quietly reappearing in Western democracies. As Salih makes clear, East Turkistan wasn't just occupied; it was used as a testing ground for digital authoritarianism, with consequences that extend far beyond China's borders. 👤 Guest Bio: Salih Hudayar is the Foreign Minister of the East Turkistan Government in Exile and a leading international advocate for Uyghur human rights. He represents both the Government in Exile and the National Awakening Movement, working with policymakers, NGOs, and civil society groups worldwide to raise awareness about China's occupation of East Turkistan and the ongoing genocide against Uyghur and other Turkic peoples. 🔗https://x.com/SalihHudayar  🔗https://east-turkistan.net/ ================================== Please subscribe to the LIminal News Substack Newsletter! https://substack.com/@danielpinchbeck Please buy my books! https://tinyurl.com/mrsmtpwv Please join my online seminars and community at THE LIMINAL INSTITUTE: www.liminal.news Instagram:   @danielpinchbeck Official Website:  www.pinchbeck.io/ #LiminalNews #UyghurGenocide #danielpinchbeck #EastTurkistan #ChinaSurveillance #DigitalAuthoritarianism #AIandFreedom #HumanRights #China #SurveillanceState #BeltAndRoad

In this episode of LIMINAL NEWS, I'm joined by Patrick McCollum, a global peacemaker and the subject of the new documentary The Man Who Saves the World, directed by Gabe Polsky. Patrick's life defies easy explanation. At 15, he was killed in a motorcycle accident and pronounced dead for more than seven minutes. What he experienced during that near-death encounter set him on a path that would take him far beyond anything he could have imagined. Over the decades, Patrick has lived what he calls "ten different lives": a kung fu master an internationally celebrated jewelry designer for presidents, royalty, and film stars a prison chaplain who counseled Charles Manson and spent years on death row at SanQuentin an advisor to presidents, prime ministers, kings, and revolutionary leaders  a peacemaker in Africa, the Middle East, and beyond  Most recently, Patrick became the central figure in an extraordinary effort to unite Indigenous nations across the Amazon. According to an ancient prophecy shared by elders from more than 300 Indigenous nations, a time would come when someone would help reunite their peoples to stand against the destruction of the rainforest. Patrick agreed to step forward — and over time, helped bring together more than 60 million Indigenous people in a shared commitment to protect the Amazon and sacred lands worldwide. In this conversation, Patrick recounts his journey to meet the Kogi, restoring what they describe as their stolen spiritual inheritance; his deep friendship with Jane Goodall; his belief in seeing every person as sacred — even those we fear or despise — and why, at 75 years old and in declining health, he continues to step forward rather than retreat. We also talk candidly about despair, burnout, the rise of authoritarianism, ecological collapse, and what it means to keep going when the future feels increasingly uncertain. This is a conversation about courage, sacrifice, prophecy, skepticism, and hope — and about what it really means to try to serve something larger than yourself in a time of global crisis. Learn more or support his work: https://patrickmccollum.org/ https://themanwhosavestheworld.com/ ================================== Please subscribe to the LIminal News Substack Newsletter! https://substack.com/@danielpinchbeck Please buy my books! https://tinyurl.com/mrsmtpwv Please join my online seminars and community at THE LIMINAL INSTITUTE: www.liminal.news Instagram:   @danielpinchbeck Official Website:  www.pinchbeck.io/

In this episode of LIMINAL NEWS, I'm joined by journalist and author Don Lattin, who spent decades as the religion beat reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, covering cults, new religious movements, and American spirituality from the inside. We begin with a provocative question: Is Donald Trump functioning as a modern messianic cult leader? Drawing on his firsthand reporting on Jim Jones, Jonestown, and the cult "wars" of the 1970s, Don breaks down the psychological, political, and religious dynamics that define cult leadership — and why so many of those same patterns are visible today. From Christian nationalism and the New Apostolic Reformation to the strange convergence of psychedelics, wellness culture, tech elites, and authoritarian politics, this conversation maps the deeper forces shaping our current moment. We also explore Don's long engagement with psychedelics and religion, including insights from his books "The Harvard Psychedelic Club" and "God on Psychedelics." This is a wide-ranging, unsettling, and deeply informed conversation about belief, power, charisma, and the future of American consciousness. https://www.donlattin.com/ ================================== Please subscribe to the LIminal News Substack Newsletter! https://substack.com/@danielpinchbeck Please buy my books! https://tinyurl.com/mrsmtpwv Please join my online seminars and community at THE LIMINAL INSTITUTE: www.liminal.news Instagram:   @danielpinchbeck Official Website:  www.pinchbeck.io/ #LiminalNews #DonLattin #CultPsychology #Trump #JimJones #ChristianNationalism #Psychedelics #ReligionAndPolitics #Authoritarianism #NewApostolicReformation #PoliticalCults #Consciousness

The real battleground of our time isn't politics or technology — it's the imagination. Filmmaker Ari Kuschnir and embodiment guide Schuyler Brown join me for a deep conversation about AI, storytelling, spirituality, and how we reclaim agency in an age of dystopian futures. The future is being shaped in the imaginal realm — by the stories we consume, the images we repeat, and the futures we're told are inevitable. In this episode of Liminal News, I'm joined by filmmaker and AI storyteller Ari Kuschnir and embodiment guide Schuyler Brown for a wide-ranging conversation about artificial intelligence, creativity, spirituality, and cultural resistance. We explore AI not just as a technical tool, but as an imaginal force — one that can amplify propaganda and despair, or be used to create counter-visions, meaning, and agency. Mastering the Alchemy of AI Storytelling: A six-week live seminar for filmmakers, artists, writers, and cultural creators who want to work with AI consciously, creatively, and ethically — without losing their humanity. The course blends practical AI filmmaking workflows with embodiment practices, ethical inquiry, and storytelling frameworks designed to restore agency and imagination in an age dominated by automation and dystopian narratives. 👉 Learn more and enroll here: https://www.liminal.news/mastering-the-alchemy-of-ai-storytelling GUEST BIOS: ARI KUSCHNIR Ari is a storyteller and visual artist whose viral AI shorts — from TRUMP AYAHUASCA and WE CAN TALK to LOVE FORCE ONE and MAGA BALLROOM 2028 — have reached over 150 million views. Founder of the award-winning production company m ss ng p eces, he specializes in metaphysical stories built with emerging tools, imagining different futures while pushing the boundaries of contemporary storytelling. https://mssngpeces.com https://www.instagram.com/arikuschnir SCHUYLER BROWN Schuyler is a facilitator and creative channel. Former brand strategist and corporate consultant. Focuses on intuitive practice, heart-centered collaboration, and maintaining coherence in chaotic edge-times. Offers embodiment and subtle world practices to keep us human. https://www.artofemergence.com ================================== Please subscribe to the LIminal News Substack Newsletter! https://substack.com/@danielpinchbeck Please buy my books! https://tinyurl.com/mrsmtpwv Please join my online seminars and community at THE LIMINAL INSTITUTE: www.liminal.news Instagram:   @danielpinchbeck Official Website:  www.pinchbeck.io/

In this episode, I'm joined by Frank Schaeffer and Warren Farrell for a deep, unflinching conversation about masculinity, fatherhood, and the growing crisis facing boys and men in modern society. Frank and Warren help me unpack how anger often masks vulnerability, how fatherlessness reshapes culture, and why political polarization is inseparable from unresolved emotional and relational wounds. We talk about masculinity beyond ideology — exploring failure, forgiveness, empathy, parenting, and the search for meaning in a time when old models no longer work and new ones haven't fully emerged. 👤 GUEST BIOS Frank Schaeffer is an author, filmmaker, and cultural commentator whose work explores religion, politics, masculinity, and moral reckoning. The son of evangelical theologian Francis Schaeffer, Frank later became a prominent critic of the religious right and has written candidly about ideology, failure, forgiveness, and grace. His books include "Crazy for God," "Why I Am an Atheist Who Believes in God," and "Portofino." 🔗 https://frankschaeffer.com 🔗 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Schaeffer Dr. Warren Farrell is a psychologist, author, and one of the most influential voices on men's and boys' issues. A former board member of the National Organization for Women (NOW), Warren later focused his work on fatherhood, education, emotional development, and the unintended consequences of cultural change. He is the co-author of "The Boy Crisis" and "When Fathers Win." 🔗 https://warrenfarrell.com 🔗 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Farrell ================================== Please subscribe to the LIminal News Substack Newsletter! https://substack.com/@danielpinchbeck Please buy my books! https://tinyurl.com/mrsmtpwv Please join my online seminars and community at THE LIMINAL INSTITUTE: www.liminal.news Instagram:   @danielpinchbeck Official Website:  www.pinchbeck.io/ #LiminalNews #TheBoyCrisis #FrankSchaeffer #WarrenFarrell #Masculinity #Fatherhood #MenAndBoys #ModernMasculinity #CultureWars #Psychology #MeaningCrisis #Empathy

Are psychic phenomena real—and are science and the humanities finally ready to admit it? In this episode, I speak with Jeffrey Kripal, PhD and Dean Radin, PhD about consciousness, magic, telepathy, UFOs, and why a genuine paradigm shift is already underway. Dean, one of the most prolific researchers in parapsychology, and chief scientist at the Institute for Noetic Sciences, describes how academic institutions—from Harvard on down—are suddenly opening their doors to rigorous studies of psychic phenomena. "The seesaw has turned… we are in the midst of the paradigm shift right now," he tells me. Jeffrey, a leading scholar of religion, explores how UFOs, psychedelics, synchronicities, and anomalous experiences challenge both rigid materialism and religious fundamentalism. He argues that a deeper, more integrated model—dual-aspect monism—is needed to understand what's emerging. https://jeffreyjkripal.com https://www.deanradin.com/ https://noetic.org/ ================================== Please subscribe to the LIminal News Substack Newsletter! https://substack.com/@danielpinchbeck Please buy my books! https://tinyurl.com/mrsmtpwv Please join my online seminars and community at THE LIMINAL INSTITUTE: www.liminal.news Instagram:   @danielpinchbeck Official Website:  www.pinchbeck.io/ #LiminalNews #JeffreyKripal #DeanRadin #Consciousness #PsiResearch #Paranormal #Magic #UFOs #Telepathy #Psychedelics #Philosophy #AIConsciousness #QuantumMind #FutureOfScience #Spirituality

Former tech executive and political writer Mike Brock joins me for one of the most urgent and explosive conversations we've had on the channel — covering Trump's accelerating authoritarianism, the GOP civil war, Silicon Valley's Christian turn, Epstein revelations, and the structural collapse of American democracy in real time. In this new episode of LIMINAL NEWS, I speak with writer and former tech executive Mike Brock, whose recent Substack essays have gone viral for their sharp, insider-level analysis of the American political meltdown. We explore the dizzying speed at which Trump's second-term movement is consolidating power, the internal rebellion within the conservative legal world, the unraveling of the Republican establishment, and why state-level GOP leaders may finally be defecting. Mike dissects the incentives, psychology, and ideology driving both Trumpworld and the Democratic establishment — from "ultra-processed speech" to the death throes of the old party structure. We also dive into Silicon Valley's new fascination with Christian nationalism, Peter Thiel's metaphysics, the collapsing "simulation" of technocratic liberalism, the moral vacuum in American media, and the corrupt machinery behind ICE raids, billionaire protection networks, and the post-democratic executive branch. 🔹 Guest Bio: Mike Brock is a former Silicon Valley executive (most recently on the leadership team at Block) and a writer whose Substack Notes from the Circus explores the breakdown of democratic institutions, Big Tech's cultural influence, and the meaning of power in the digital age. 🔗Mike Brock on Substack: https://substack.com/@mikebrock ================================== Please subscribe to the LIminal News Substack Newsletter! https://substack.com/@danielpinchbeck Please buy my books! https://tinyurl.com/mrsmtpwv Please join my online seminars and community at THE LIMINAL INSTITUTE: www.liminal.news Instagram:   @danielpinchbeck Official Website:  www.pinchbeck.io/ #LiminalNews #DanielPinchbeck #MikeBrock #AmericanPolitics #Authoritarianism #GOPCivilWar #EpsteinEmails #SiliconValley #ChristianNationalism #Trump2025 #Democracy #PoliticalAnalysis #CurrentEvents

Can ancient plant medicines and indigenous traditions help heal our fractured civilization? Daniel Pinchbeck speaks with Roman Hanis—author of Beyond Ayahuasca and co-founder of the Paititi Institute—about his two decades apprenticing with Amazonian elders, bridging Tibetan Buddhism, Jungian psychology, and ecological preservation. In this episode of LIMINAL NEWS, I speak with Roman Hanis, author of "Beyond Ayahuasca" and co-founder of the Paititi Institute for the Preservation of Ecology and Indigenous Culture. For over twenty years, Roman has lived and apprenticed among Andean and Amazonian elders, integrating traditional plant-medicine lineages with Tibetan Vajrayana, Jungian psychology, and Daoist internal alchemy. We explore the deeper meaning of "sacred reciprocity," the illness of forgetfulness that afflicts modern civilization, and what it means to reconnect with the original wisdom of the heart. Roman shares his own healing journey from chronic illness to remission in the rainforest, the founding of his eco-spiritual community, and his vision for uniting ancestral wisdom with modern science through rites of passage, education, and intercultural healing. 🌿 Roman Hanis — https://paititi-institute.org 📘 "Beyond Ayahuasca" - https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Ayahuasca-Unlocking-Evolutionary-Indigenous/dp/1401979599 ================================== Please subscribe to the LIminal News Substack Newsletter! https://substack.com/@danielpinchbeck Please buy my books! https://tinyurl.com/mrsmtpwv Please join my online seminars and community at THE LIMINAL INSTITUTE: www.liminal.news Instagram:   @danielpinchbeck Official Website:  www.pinchbeck.io/ #LiminalNews #RomanHanis #BeyondAyahuasca #Ayahuasca #PaititiInstitute #PlantMedicine #IndigenousWisdom #DanielPinchbeck #Consciousness #Ecology #Psychedelics #SpiritualHealing #AmazonRainforest #TibetanBuddhism #JungianPsychology