E87: Aaron Balick - Human Psychology, Technology, and Artificial Intelligence

My guest today is Jacob Nordby, co-founder of A Writing Room Collective, Heal + Create, The Institute for Creative Living Foundation 501(c)3,  and the author of several books, including Blessed Are the Weird – A Manifesto for Creatives and The Creative Cure. He previously worked as the marketing director for a traditional publishing house and oversaw the launch of many bestselling books. A working author and creative guide, he has a passion for helping writers solve their challenges and enjoy the satisfaction of sharing their work with the world.We discussed being weird, fundamentalist cults, being sensitive, arts, poetry, reading, building forts, Jacob’s book, Blessed Are the Weird People, homeschooling, true believers, cults and ‘isms’, Buddhism, the Dead Sea Scrolls, depth psychology, Joseph Campbell, Carl Jung, nihilism, Nietzsche, Man’s Search for Happiness, Victor Frankl, Prometheus Rising, our greatest creative project being our own lives, the Industrial Era, The Professor and the Madman, literalism, Neo Atheists, the three pillars of Apollo, paradox, tension, ventral vagal states, objectivity, creativity, unshakable beliefs, creativity as a life source, writing, AI, Artificial Intelligence, spiritual bypassing, suffering, and reading.Episode Details:Guest Name: Jacob NordbyWebsite: https://www.jacobnordby.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jacobnordby/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacobnordby/Bonus multimedia journaling program gift: www.creativeselfjournal.comThe Creative Cure book page: www.creativecurebook.comGong Sound: 68261__juskiddink__bell4.wavWhere to find The EXPLORER POET Podcast:Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@explorerpoetSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0icGCdo1uv8WauJnFjhe89Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-explorer-poet-podcast/id1621189025X / Twitter: https://X.com/TheExplorerPoetWebsite: https://explorerpoet.com/

My guest today is John Bucher, a renowned mythologist and story expert who has been featured on the BBC, the History Channel, the LA Times, The Hollywood Reporter and on numerous other international outlets . He serves as Executive Director for the Joseph Campbell Foundation and is a writer, podcaster, storyteller, and speaker. He has worked with government and cultural leaders around the world as well as organizations such as  HBO, DC Comics, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, A24 Films, Atlas Obscura, and The John Maxwell Leadership Foundation, bringing his deep understanding of narrative and myth to a wide array of audiences. He is the author of six influential books on storytelling, including the best-selling Storytelling for Virtual Reality, named by BookAuthority as one of the best storytelling books of all time.  John has worked with New York Times Best Selling authors, YouTube influencers, Eisner winners, Emmy winners, Academy Award nominees, magicians, and cast members from Saturday Night Live. Holding a PhD in Mythology & Depth Psychology, he integrates scholarly insights with practical storytelling techniques, exploring the profound connections between myth, culture, and personal identity.  His expertise has helped shape compelling narratives across various platforms, enriching the way stories are told and experienced globally.We discussed archetypes, job and life as an ecosystem, explorer poets, containing multitudes, following your bliss, following your blisters, aligning with your soul, what brings life to you, the Human Aliveness Lab, Joseph Campbell, myth, depth psychology, narratology, subtext, storytelling, theme, Carl Jung, meaning, purpose, kindness, the unconscious, alchemical magic in movies, mythic, bypassing the rational, asking how and why, science, philosophy, the three great emergences, the monomyth, human consciousness, AI, Artificial Intelligence, craving certainty, journeys focused on a single ego, group journeys, the collective heroic journey, the call of desperation, the Avengers, and setting ego aside.Episode Details:Guest Name: John BucherWebsite: https://www.tellingabetterstory.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tellingabetterstoryX/Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnkbucherFacebook: http://facebook.com/tellingabetterstoryThreads: https://www.threads.net/@tellingabetterstoryGong Sound: 68261__juskiddink__bell4.wavWhere to find The EXPLORER POET Podcast:Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@explorerpoetSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0icGCdo1uv8WauJnFjhe89Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-explorer-poet-podcast/id1621189025X / Twitter: https://X.com/TheExplorerPoetWebsite: https://explorerpoet.com/

My guest today is Teddy Hamstra, a writer and seeker in Los Angeles. He is the recipient of a PhD from the University of Southern California, where he completed and successfully defended a dissertation entitled 'Enchantment as a Form of Care: Joseph Campbell and the Power of Mysticism.' Recently, Teddy has been working for the Joseph Campbell Foundation, spearheading their Research & Development efforts. As an educator and research consultant for creatives, Teddy is driven to communicate the wonder of mythological wisdom in ways that are both accessible to, and which enliven, our contemporary world.We discussed David Lynch, the Joseph Campbell Foundation, Joseph Campbell’s legacy, the New World Library, “Thou Art That”, myths of light, the ecstasy of being, Mythblast Newsletter, the practice of enchantment, mythic thinking, storytelling, James Joyce, mystical experiences, being spiritual versus religious, mysticism, ceremonies, shamans, dissolving boundaries, being a genius versus a madman, artists, the four functions of myth, myths are not neutral, mystic paths, care, monomyth, historical atlas of mythology, seekers, physics, enchantment, wonder, awe, yoga, following your bliss disenchantment, risk, joy, and love.Episode Details:Guest Name: Teddy HamstraWebsite: https://www.jcf.org/profile/c6c9d491-8518-4db6-84e0-54c6ee3f757083947/profile?mc_cid=550f280e6a&mc_eid=b07afcc98bInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/teddyhamstragram/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teddy-hamstra-phd-17028118bThreads: https://www.threads.com/@teddyhamstragramGong Sound: 68261__juskiddink__bell4.wavWhere to find The EXPLORER POET Podcast:Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@explorerpoetSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0icGCdo1uv8WauJnFjhe89Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-explorer-poet-podcast/id1621189025X / Twitter: https://X.com/TheExplorerPoetWebsite: https://explorerpoet.com/

My guest today is Dr. Monica Martinez, an author, professor, podcaster, and Jungian psychotherapist who works in São Paulo and Granja Viana, Brazil. The aim of Monica’s practice is to encourage self-knowledge through tools and processes that encourage a fuller and healthier physical, emotional and intellectual life.We discussed archetypes, polarities, age, wisdom, flexibility, openness, psychology, Joseph Campbell, mythology, narratives, medication, dreams, dream work, active imagination, suffering, AI, the wise person, Carl Jung, courage, to enter life, to be in life, evolving ourselves, identity, being there for someone or something, personality, ego, light and dark, being good enough, projections, emotions, weak egos, strong egos, James Hillman, marriage, and the alchemical marriage.Episode Details:Guest Name: Monica MartinezWebsite: https://www.monicamartinez.com.br/Blog: http://analisejunguianasp.blogspot.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monicamartinezpsi/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Monicamartinezpsi-109984140707608Linkedin: https://br.linkedin.com/in/monica-martinez-984938113X / Twitter: http://twitter.com/monicam94235405Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkSR99QxXH7SFHSVWp85SyA/Gong Sound: 68261__juskiddink__bell4.wavWhere to find The EXPLORER POET Podcast:Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@explorerpoetSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0icGCdo1uv8WauJnFjhe89Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-explorer-poet-podcast/id1621189025X / Twitter: https://X.com/TheExplorerPoetWebsite: https://explorerpoet.com/

My guest today is Aaron Balick, a psychotherapist, academic, and a leading voice in the psychology of technology. As the author of the groundbreaking book The Psychodynamics of Social Networking, he pioneered the exploration of the psychological dimensions of technology, with a particular focus on the impact of social media, online behaviour, and hyperconnectivity on individuals and their relationships. Aaron is also the author of two popular self-help books The Little Book of Calm and Keep Your Cool. Aaron is based in Shorditch, East London, where he runs his private psychotherapy practice. He is also an associate of The Balint Consultancy, a consortium of highly experienced consultants offering a specialist expertise on relationships and how they have the power to transform our workplace, our friendships, our families, and our lives.We discussed depth psychology, Sigmund Freud, explorers of the unconscious, psyche, human psychology being the same for thousands of years, motivations, relating and attaching, ego, narcissism, social media, artificial intelligence (AI), artificial general intelligence (AGI), large numbers, algorithms, group identities, identity categories, fragmentation, recognition, paradoxes, black boxes, projection, sentience, sentience requiring the other, the Turing Test, Alan Turing, anthropomorphizing, transitional objects,  extending our psychological selves outward, interpersonal complexity, personality disorders, thinking, ego development, embodiment, and ego as a callus.Episode Details:Guest Name: Aaron BalickWebsite: https://www.aaronbalick.com/Substack: https://newsletter.aaronbalick.com/BluSky: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:h452wysiyx7stduxyhp5bxqlInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/draaronbFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/draaronbalickLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/draaronb/TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/@draaronbGong Sound: 68261__juskiddink__bell4.wavWhere to find The EXPLORER POET Podcast:Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@explorerpoetSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0icGCdo1uv8WauJnFjhe89Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-explorer-poet-podcast/id1621189025X / Twitter: https://X.com/TheExplorerPoetWebsite: https://explorerpoet.com/

My guest today is John Bonaduce, a writer, lecturer, and theorist in “Mythobiogenesis”. John earned a doctorate in mythological studies with an emphasis in depth psychology. His specific expertise lies in his work on Mythobiogenesis, a term and theory he coined during his doctoral studies. John is currently a regular contributor to the Joseph Campbell Foundation through his writing as well as a lecturer, presenting at both academic and religious conferences.We discussed Mythobiogenesis, stories and myths origins in biology, natures templates, Joseph Campbell, physical laws, everything boiling down to physics and psychology, Ray Bradberry, storytellers, stories being derived from older stories or myths, Catholicism, early childhood development, child and infant play, neonatal trauma, psyche as author, spirit meeting flesh, cultural conditioning, literalizing myth and scripture, dream work and dream journaling, consciousness, growing up, inner pantheons, Hollywood, art, and Pacific University.Episode Details:Guest Name: John BonaduceWebsite: https://johnbonaduce.com/Mythobiogenesis: https://johnbonaduce.com/mythobiogenesis/JCF Contributions: https://www.jcf.org/profile/6d989f1a-79a5-4dda-a9ed-b8b1ba7c080c/profileContact: https://johnbonaduce.com/contact/Gong Sound: 68261__juskiddink__bell4.wavWhere to find The EXPLORER POET Podcast:Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@explorerpoetSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0icGCdo1uv8WauJnFjhe89Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-explorer-poet-podcast/id1621189025X / Twitter: https://X.com/TheExplorerPoetWebsite: https://explorerpoet.com/

My guest today is Randolph Nesse, a founder of evolutionary medicine whose work with George Williams inspired many to expand explanations of disease from descriptions of why and how mechanisms fail in some individuals, to evolutionary explanations for traits that leave all individuals in a species vulnerable to a disease. Their six categories of possible explanations have become canonical: the limits of natural selection, mismatchwith environments, arms races with pathogens, trade-offs, gene transmission at the cost of robustness, and defensive responses. After 40 years as a Professor of Psychiatry and of Psychology at the University of Michigan, Nesse moved to Arizona State University to start a new Center for Evolution and Medicine, and the International Society for Evolution Medicine and Public Health. His focus is now returning to his original mission of trying to provide a solid scientific foundation for psychiatry through evolution.We discussed evolution, cultural group selection, Mormonism, life and death, mental problems, natural selection, emotions, being vulnerable to failure, aging, biology, asking - how does it work and how did it get that way?, being vulnerable to disease, ancestral environments, anthropology, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, the smoke detector principle, love, evolutionary treatment, social traps, and the acronym SOCIAL - social resources, occupation, children, income, abilities, and love.Episode Details:Guest Name: Randolph NesseWebsite: http://www.RandolphNesse.comBook: https://www.randolphnesse.com/good-reasons-book-infoX / Twitter: https://x.com/randynesseLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randolph-nesse-97647b38/ Gong Sound: 68261__juskiddink__bell4.wavWhere to find The EXPLORER POET Podcast:Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@explorerpoetSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0icGCdo1uv8WauJnFjhe89Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-explorer-poet-podcast/id1621189025X / Twitter: https://X.com/TheExplorerPoetWebsite: https://explorerpoet.com/

My guest today is Drew Norton, a dynamic coach and co-host of The Everyday Leader Podcast and The Climb. With a background spanning sales, hiring, recruiting, leadership, and training across diverse industries, he's a seasoned expert in cultivating individual and organizational success. His career journey encompasses a proven track record in sales, and he's passionate about translating his wealth of knowledge into actionable insights, empowering others to achieve their career aspirations in sales and leadershipWe discussed proximal goals versus psyche goals, being a futurist, how to be happy now, entrepreneurship, the Hero’s Journey, going all in, setting boundaries, valuing time, freedom of time, coaching, physical health, affirmations, identity, priority, clarity, actionable insights, and wanting to help the people we used to be.Episode Details:Guest Name: Drew NortonWebsite: https://www.theeverydayleader.co/Podcast: https://www.theeverydayleader.co/podcastEvents: https://www.theeverydayleader.co/collisionsThe Climb: https://www.theeverydayleader.co/theclimbCoaching: https://www.theeverydayleader.co/coachingLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nortonandrew89/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/livelikeaneverydayleaderInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.everyday.leader/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEverdayLeader Gong Sound: 68261__juskiddink__bell4.wavWhere to find The EXPLORER POET Podcast:Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@explorerpoetSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0icGCdo1uv8WauJnFjhe89Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-explorer-poet-podcast/id1621189025X / Twitter: https://X.com/TheExplorerPoetWebsite: https://explorerpoet.com/

My guest today is Cynthia Poorbaugh, a certified Jungian Analyst, faculty member and supervisor for the Jungian Psychoanalytic Association, and member of the Board of Directors for the C.G. Jung Foundation of NY. As an artist, Cynthia exhibited in institutions and galleries in New York from 1987–2003. Cynthia also has an interest in the symbology and psychology of alchemy and astrology and, like Jung, recognizes their impact and effects on our individual and collective psyches.  We discussed Jungian psychology and language, the archimedean point, the objective psyche, making the psyche make sense, alchemy, astrology and its history, astrological ages, the human ability to symbolize, see patterns, and make meaning, esoteric practices as a map, astrology in therapeutic practice, the unconscious being prescient, and complexes in astrological charts.Episode Details:Guest Name: Cynthia PoorbaughWebsite: https://www.cynthiapoorbaugh.com/C.G. Jung Foundation: https://www.cgjungny.org/about/Podcast:X / Twitter: Gong Sound: 68261__juskiddink__bell4.wavWhere to find The EXPLORER POET Podcast:Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@explorerpoetSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0icGCdo1uv8WauJnFjhe89Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-explorer-poet-podcast/id1621189025X / Twitter: https://X.com/TheExplorerPoetWebsite: https://explorerpoet.com/

My guest today is Dean Abbott, a writer, podcaster, coach and spiritual director, who helps people live more soulfully in their relationships with self and others.We discussed X/Twitter, social media, publishing as a personal notebook, being helpful to others, personal development, asking ‘so what?’, asking yourself ‘what would you do in this situation if you believed x’, self-narratives, reimagining our frameworks, our inner guidance system, atrophied imagination, goals and objectives, organic metaphors, childlike openness, death and rebirth, and developing a full pallet of methods for responding to reality. Episode Details:Guest Name: Dean AbbittWebsite: https://www.deanabbott.com/Podcast: https://www.deanabbott.com/podcastX / Twitter: https://x.com/DeanAbbottGong Sound: 68261__juskiddink__bell4.wavWhere to find The EXPLORER POET Podcast:Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@explorerpoetSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0icGCdo1uv8WauJnFjhe89Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-explorer-poet-podcast/id1621189025X / Twitter: https://X.com/TheExplorerPoetWebsite: https://explorerpoet.com/