Trauma and Pain

As a hospice chaplain, I went to many deaths at all hours of the day. Later, as a hospital chaplain, I again stood by bedsides at the time of death. I wanted to try to share with you, Dear Listener, a little about what I saw during these experiences. This is a compilation of thousands of times when I've been with families at these painful, but still human experiences. I conclude the episode by reciting the poem. You can see the show-notes and entire poem here. Above all, I hope you sense my appreciation for the families that have allowed me to be present with them, my love for their loved one, and my desire to support people. You can learn more about me an my services here. Mike Davis Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the first episode in a three-part series. Lasting change through resolutions occurs for less than half the people who make them. Part of the reason for this is because we derive our resolution from our sense of deficits, failures, and wanting or The Hungry Ghost. Unfortunately, there's a whole industry that thrives on highlighting our deficits and providing tools, apps, and devices to "help us achieve our goals." Don't believe it. There are better ways that support your sense of skillfulness, self-image, and agency.You can see the transcript here: https://worldwidestew.com/media/2026-01-12-resolutions-and-the-hungry-ghost-podcast-transcript/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen to a chirp from deep space—two black holes colliding over a billion years ago. It took decades of planning and listening for LIGO's scientists to detect that signal. What if you could build your own LIGO for detecting the quiet signals within you? This episode explores how gravitational wave detection teaches us to listen to our ego awareness with curiosity instead of judgment.I hope you enjoy this episode. It's slightly over 18 minutes long.Some people want to test themselves. I do! When you're done listening, you can go to this link to take a short quiz and see what stuck: https://forms.gle/HUqVGbgiXbp8v3RG9Original idea by Mike Davis and developed through collaboration with Anthropic's Claude.ai.Music licensed through AGSoundtrax. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is one of potentially more episodes. It's focused on self-acceptance. Self-acceptance is hard to find when your muscles, body, and brain don't work as well as they did. As a hospice and then a hospital chaplain, I saw the complex types of pain that Parkinson's Disease (and other similar motor neuron diseases) inflict on patients. Some of them are family members whom we love. I've tried to make this episode simple, brief, and supportive. I regularly use Claude.ai to help me create content for this meditation. Self-acceptance is a core issue for Parkinson's Disease patients. There is no religious content in this meditation. I hope it helps. You can find the transcript here. I hope it helps you or someone you love. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cows chew chew their food multiple times (chew their cud) because grass isn't fundamentally digestible. What does this have to teach us about processing grief and trauma? Music by AGGoldstein. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Not all our adages are helpful. Sometimes, they harm. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Two-Minute Mindfulness Break: A brief reset for your mind and body. Find a comfortable position and focus on your breath and your body. Notice the sensations of breathing and experience open-awareness without trying to change anything. If your mind wanders, gently bring your attention back to your breath. In just two minutes, you can create a moment of calm in your busy day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Worldwide Stew serves up an interview with my friend and colleague, Anthony Nguyen, an Rn with a BSN from Midwestern State University. His specialty is preparing and recovering patients from cardiovasclar procedures at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital in downtown Dallas. He and his colleagues are experts at bringing a easing the fears of undergoing surgery. We talked about the following:The rich meaning of travel (twice, in fact),Ethics (especially with respect to the work of Jane Tronto; see this excellent Philosophize This podcast where Stepehn West introduces the Ethics of Care),Culture and generational differences,Healthcare,A recent study stating that ~ 60% of nurses would not include a chaplain on a consult for acute painAnd the role and needs of nurses.Music licensed through AGSountrax. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Imagine you discover something before anyone else Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.