Beyond Experience Design | Paul Bulencea

A dialogue between artist Chuck Ceraso and Daniel Lev Shkolnik on the nature of spiritual awakening and consciousness.   Chuck had an awakening experience in college which for a time destabilized his life. Afterward, he began his path to return to that state of awareness and discovered that his practice of painting was no different than his spiritual practice.    Now, when he teaches others to paint, he not only teaches the craft but how to perceive the world from that state of open, concept-less awareness.    "I paint not to reproduce a scene or subject as a picture, but to plunge more deeply into my experience of the world and to bring forth a painting that is alive with visual truth and Presence. For me, painting is an ongoing contemplation on the mystery and magic of life. I continue to learn that a profound humility is required for this endeavor and that the more I paint, the less I know. I approach each painting as if I’ve never before seen that which sits before my eyes. I have learned that the world is a visual feast that can never be fully digested, and in that, offers unending revelation and profound inspiration." — Chuck Ceraso   The 1-hour dialogue was followed by an open discussion with the audience.    To hear about future dialogues like this one, subscribe to my Substack:  stableawakening.substack.com

Daniel speaks with Eliot Red about his transition from the rationalist movement to a broader way of looking at reality and what prompted him to make that shift.

Crossbones Cemetery sits in the heart of London, and thanks to two decades of activism, John Constable has helped transform this outcast's burial ground into a protected sacred space. Memoria Symposium - https://youtu.be/PXFlNnTxW3E

How does the faith, fanaticism, and utopic vision surrounding crypto-currencies mirror age-old patterns of religious fervor and salvation? Daniel talks with Devin Singh, an associate professor of religious studies at Dartmouth and author of "Divine Currency: The Theological Power of Money in the West."

Yannick Jacob is an existential coach. He talks about how to apply this 20th century philosophy in a practical way to help us find a greater sense of meaning and purpose in our lives.

Paul Bulencea speaks about creating the College of Extraordinary Experiences—an immersive, Harry-Potter-style conference around experience design. But even more interesting than his work with the College is his work with nature. He reaches a level of connection with the natural world that is astoundingly intimate and deeply profound.

Think and Grow Rich was a seminal book of American success and self-help literature that Napoleon Hill wrote in the wake of the Great Depression to help Americans pick up and start their lives over. I discuss the book and its ideas with Mitch Horowitz and what role it can play in peoples' lives as they strive to recover from the COVID pandemic.

Daniel speaks with Professor David Potter about his new book which looks at five periods of major historical change to better understand when and where the next big change might come from.

What does it take to free-climb El Capitan? What does it take to survive a Vietnamese POW camp? How do seemingly regular people rise above and beyond to achieve seemingly impossible things? In this episode, I explore some of the psychology of setting fantastically audacious goals—and achieving them.

Our brains have a difficult time subtracting. It's often easier for a doctor to add a medication than figure out which to take away. It can take less brain power to rent another storage unit than sort and throw out old stuff. Yet research shows that subtraction can be key to finding the optimal solutions to problems. Professor Leidy Klotz joins Daniel Lev Shkolnik on Re-Enchantment to share a positive take on subtraction.