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The Integral Stage

The Integral Stage

By Layman Pascal / Bruce Alderman

At THE INTEGRAL STAGE, we provide a platform to explore emergent integral perspectives, host innovative thinkers, communicators, and creators from around the world, and reflect the larger integrative meta-community back to itself in all its forms.

Additional Audio Podcasts:
Integral Stage Sexuality Series
Integral Stage Metapodcast
Integral Stage Author Series

The Integral Stage is

BRUCE ALDERMAN - Creator, Producer, and Occasional Host

LAYMAN PASCAL - Interviewer, Co-Conspirator, and Digital Shaman
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Currently playing episode

METAPODCAST: Fathom.fm & AI Wisdom w/ Paul Bloch

The Integral StageDec 31, 2022

00:00
01:15:53
LOVE THE SYSTEM w/ Forrest Wilson
Mar 05, 202401:11:16
LIMINAL CAFE w/ Elen Awalom
Mar 02, 202401:02:42
Public Shadow in the Planetary Age #1 - "The Gafni Within"

Public Shadow in the Planetary Age #1 - "The Gafni Within"

This is the first episode of a new series exploring the subtle dynamics of collective shadow, narrative making & our responses to how we are perceived. In the digital epoch, it is unlikely that anyone will escape confrontation with a negative image of themselves existing in the minds of others. Do we learn from it? Fight it? Absorb it? Ignore it? And how do we evaluate anything when information itself becomes dubious?

Layman is joined this time by Dr. Marc Gafni -- the world philosopher of "cosmo-erotic humanism" together with Dr. Zak Stein. Gafni is the co-president with Stein of the Center for World Philosophy and Religion, founded with Ken Wilber in 2010, where they are articulating a “new meta theory story of value in response to the meta crisis”, even as Gafni lives as a character, both beloved and controversial, in the public mind. 

Our task in this episode, and in this series, is not to demonize or exonerate. We encourage people to do their own research if they are interested. Facts matter. So do feelings. But that is not our topic in this series where we are focused on something more specific. We are not exploring the content of the narratives but rather how they emerge, how they are perceived by the people inside them, how those people respond under the conditions of the emerging digital, planetary age & what they have concluded about their responses.

We are not exploring content of the narratives but rather how they emerge, how they are perceived by the people inside them, how those people respond under the conditions of the emerging digital-planetary age & what they have concluded about their responses.

Center for World Philosophy and Religion:

https://worldphilosophyandreligion.org/ 

Feb 27, 202401:57:22
AUTHOR SERIES: "The Marianne Williamson Presidential Phenomenon" w/ Michael Fisher

AUTHOR SERIES: "The Marianne Williamson Presidential Phenomenon" w/ Michael Fisher

For the 38th episode of the Integral Stage Authors Series, Layman welcomes fellow Canadian, fearologist, and author, Michael Fisher, to talk about his 2021 book, The Marianne Williamson Presidential Phenomenon. While the book chronicled Marianne's first presidential campaign, and offered commentary and critique on the strengths and missteps of those efforts, it is relevant now as well as she enters the US presidential race again.

Layman and Michael explore these questions in the larger context of a consideration of the difference between a politics of love and a politics of fear. Dr. Fisher, Ph.D., is an independent scholar, artist, educator and fearologist and is founder and director of In Search of Fearlessness Research Institute, The Fearology Center, and hosts the Fearlessness Movement ning as a social platform for building community and sharing resources on the impacts, individual and collective, of the culture of fear. He holds degrees in Ecological Sciences, Environmental Biology, Educational Psychology, Education (Secondary Science) and a M.A. in Adult Education and Ph.D. in Curriculum Design & Instruction (The University of British Columbia). He has specialized in futures, philosophy of education, leadership and organizational development and has long been on a healing and recovery quest, engaging in careers of artistry, research consulting, teaching and rehabilitation for youth and their families. The Marianne Williamson Presidential Phenomenon https://www.amazon.com/Marianne-Williamson-Presidential-Phenomenon-Evolution/dp/143317930X/

Feb 24, 202401:27:13
AUTHOR SERIES - "The Subtle Body: A Genealogy" w/ Simon Cox

AUTHOR SERIES - "The Subtle Body: A Genealogy" w/ Simon Cox

For the 39th episode of the Integral Stage Authors Series, Layman cozies up in a yurt with Simon Cox to talk about his recent book, The Subtle Body: A Genealogy.

Simon tells Layman about his history studying martial arts, including six years under a kung fu master on Wudang Mountain in China, and the path that led him to a deep, graduate-level comparative exploration of conceptions of the subtle body in Taoist and Tibetan Buddhist / Bon traditions. What are the similarities and differences between Eastern models of the subtle body and those we have inherited from the Neo-Platonists? How have these models been conflated in past scholarship? What did Crowley bring to the subject? What are the practical and onto-epistemological implications of a deep understanding of subtle body tradition and practice? What are some promising paths of future research? What does this tradition have to contribute to the rising interest in neo-animism in our time, or even the strange stories about interdimensional beings now circulating in the halls of Congress following the recent UAP hearings? Join Layman and Simon as they explore these questions and many more. Simon Cox, Ph.D., is an independent scholar and translator who works primarily in Chinese, Tibetan, and Greek. His research focuses on mysticism and the body. He is also a teacher of Chinese Martial Arts at the Okanagan Valley Wudang center, and a collaborator at the Esalen Institute. The Subtle Body https://www.amazon.com/Subtle-Body-Ge... Okanagan Valley Wudang https://www.okanaganvalleywudang.com/ Follow The Integral Stage on Fathom! https://hello.fathom.fm/ Remember to like, subscribe, and support The Integral Stage on Patreon to make more of these conversations possible!   / theintegralstage   Special thanks and big love to Shai Newman, the LIMITED HANGOUT guys, Brandon LaChance, Mike McElroy, Brandon Norgaard, Brendan Graham Dempsey, Francesca, and all of our other Patreon supporters!

Feb 20, 202401:21:10
SOUL OF AI #11 w/ Cris Beasley

SOUL OF AI #11 w/ Cris Beasley

For the eleventh episode of The Soul of AI, Layman sits down with healer, artist, and AI entrepreneur and consultant, Cris Beasley, to talk about the interface of art and AI; the narcissistic dynamics that drive much of our modern structures, and bringing healing to those dynamics; "Letting the piranha eat us"; the difference between artificial intelligence and augmented intelligence; the potential for AI to take over the "synthesizing intelligence" and function of our leading-edge thinkers, and what then is left for humans still to develop and do; and much more. Cris founded a sustainable AI company nine years ago – well before it was the latest thing on the block. It was featured in a cover story of The Atlantic. She stopped Sequoia Capital from trying to build an AI that was obviously never going to work. It was obvious if you bothered to do the back-of-the-envelope math, which Amazon did not do. They attempted the same thing, failed, and wasted a few million bucks. They should've had someone like Cris on their team. Before that, she led the redesign of Firefox support, which resulted in an extra 7MM users per year finding the answer to their questions immediately. Cris was selected to be in the first cohort of ambassadors to the Interledger Foundation. Their $15k grant supported her project about Jungian emotional polarities, Becoming Dragon, which was covered in Forbes. She advises Earthcodes.org on strategy for their regenerative data cycles project, AI for Gaia, in partnership with the Biomimicry Institute. In her copious spare time, she convinces two mischievous black cats to come when they're called, paints with watercolors, makes AI-generated short films, and plays electronic music that takes you into meditative theta brainwave states. Cris Beasley portfolio https://www.crisbeasley.com/portfolio Becoming Dragon Oracle Cards http://www.crisbeasley.com/

Dec 20, 202301:18:42
SOUL OF AI # 10 w/ Speaker John Ash

SOUL OF AI # 10 w/ Speaker John Ash

The question of the promise and peril of AI is a proper one for our long-running Love the System series, but we thought it deserved its own spot as a sub-series due to the rapid development and proliferation of Large Language Models and other ground-breaking AI technologies over the past six months. It may be too early to tell yet, but with the clear power of this emergent technology, its potential to take over many of the tasks we used to regard as exclusively human, and its rapid public uptake, it feels like we are on the cusp of an epochal change. How are we to secure the psychological and spiritual health of human beings in the face of such developments? How do we ethically and wisely merge living and non-living intelligences? What wisdom from this corner of the internet -- from our respective integral, metamodern, and spiritual communities -- can help us navigate the monumental challenges and opportunities ahead? For the tenth episode of The Soul of AI, Layman meets with musician and systems change thinker and advocate, Speaker John Ash, to discuss the limitations and misperceptions common to popular discourse about AI; the morally questionable, implicit goals behind the development of artificially intelligent agents; AI and art; possibilities for better and more transparently linking AI output to its sources in training data; revolutions in voting and governance systems that AI may facilitate, and much more.

Dec 20, 202301:25:43
SEXUALITY & GENDER w/ The Transpersonal Center
Dec 14, 202301:18:23
INTEGRAL UFOLOGY - Second Panel Discussion

INTEGRAL UFOLOGY - Second Panel Discussion

Several years after the original Integral UFOlogy series was published, the Integral UFOlogy panel reconvenes to discuss the latest UAP news and disclosures, and the latest developments in their own research and experiences in these areas. Panelists: Sean Esbjorn-Hargens, Stuart Davis, Chris Dierkes, Giorgio Piacenza, Layman Pascal, and Bruce Alderman. Original Panel Discussion:    • Integral Ufology Panel Discussion   RESOURCES and REFERENCES Sean Esbjorn-Hargens' Exo-Studies Master Course: https://www.exostudies.org/ Stuart Davis' media Man Meets Mantis:    • MAN MEETS MANTIS   Stuart's episode on Weird Studies podcast: https://www.weirdstudies.com/37 The IS Language:    • Creating The IS Language   The Art of Is:    • THE ART OF IS   Aliens and Artists: https://www.aliensandartists.com/ Explore The Integral Stage on the Fathom app https://hello.fathom.fm/ Support The Integral Stage on Patreon!   / theintegralstage   Special thanks and big love to Shai Newman, the Limited Hangout guys, Brandon LaChance, Mike McElroy, Brandon Norgaard, Brendan Graham Dempsey, Francesca, and all of our other Patreon supporters! Credits Intro and Outro Music: Remix of Sparkspitter's "Pretty Wave"

Dec 08, 202301:57:35
SEXUALITY SERIES - "Shameless" w/ Dr. Tina Shermer Sellers

SEXUALITY SERIES - "Shameless" w/ Dr. Tina Shermer Sellers

For episode 23, Layman is joined by Dr. Tina Schermer Sellers, a sex educator and psychotherapist, to explore questions around gender and sexual development; the impact of shame on sexual development, and the relationship of shame and guilt; the problems in recent and contemporary sex education in the United States; the possibilities for a hedonic education; deeper forms of sexual identity and development available through tantra and entheogens; and much more. Dr. Tina Schermer Sellers is a nationally known speaker, educator, and writer on sexual health and the biopsychosocial-sexual impact of sexual shame and trauma.

She is professor emerita of sexuality and marriage & family therapy at Seattle Pacific University. As a past board member for The American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT), Tina is at the forefront shaping change in the lives of professionals and families. As a preeminent voice on the impact of abstinence education, purity culture, and the failure to provide comprehensive sex education Dr. Sellers is frequently featured on podcasts, TV, documentaries, articles, and radio, including Spirituality & Health magazine, and NPR’s All Things Considered. In her acclaimed 2017 book, Sex, God and the Conservative Church – Erasing Shame from Sexual Intimacy, Dr. Sellers reveals how the western conservative church in collusion with American consumer-driven culture and politics, has infiltrated our core ability to attach to our partners and instruct our children to attach to theirs. Professional Website https://www.tinaschermersellers.com/ Shameless Parenting https://www.amazon.com/Shameless-Pare... Explore The Integral Stage on the Fathom app https://hello.fathom.fm/ Support The Integral Stage on Patreon!   / theintegralstage   Special thanks and big love to Shai Newman, the Limited Hangout guys, Brandon LaChance, Mike McElroy, Brandon Norgaard, Brendan Graham Dempsey, Francesca, and all of our other Patreon supporters!

Dec 05, 202301:05:02
AUTHOR SERIES - "Metamodernism" w/ Brendan Graham Dempsey
Dec 04, 202301:43:27
MAHAMUDRA & GRAMMAR w/ Terri O'Fallon & Bruce Alderman

MAHAMUDRA & GRAMMAR w/ Terri O'Fallon & Bruce Alderman

Layman Pascal and Bruce Alderman meet with Terri O'Fallon to discuss her recent course exploring the intersections of Mahamudra practice and the STAGES model; the relationship of states and stages, and the role of states in higher psychospiritual development; the linguistic dimensions of development, and developmental assessment; nonduality and the embodied dimensions of language; prepositions and other grammatical forms at the subtle and metaware tiers; AI, grammar, and higher development; and much more. Terri O'Fallon is a researcher, teacher, coach, spiritual director, and designer of transformative containers. She does ongoing research on the Integral STAGES developmental model, which supports a MetAware tier with four later levels of development. Her latest research probes into the relationship between states and stages. Terri is a founder of STAGES International, offering programs based on the STAGES model. She holds Masters degrees in Special Education and Spiritual Direction, and an Integral Ph.D. in Transformative Learning and Change. The Royal Seal: An Introduction to Mahamudra and STAGES course https://www.stagesinternational.com/M... Stages International website https://www.stagesinternational.com/ Follow The Integral Stage on the Fathom app https://hello.fathom.fm/ Support The Integral Stage on Patreon!   / theintegralstage   Special thanks and big love to Shai Newman, the Limited Hangout guys, Brandon LaChance, Mike McElroy, Brandon Norgaard, Brendan Graham Dempsey, Francesca, and all of our other Patreon supporters!

Nov 30, 202301:26:34
POST-NORMAL WORLDVIEWS w/ Markus Feenstra

POST-NORMAL WORLDVIEWS w/ Markus Feenstra

In Postnormal Worldviews, Layman is joined by eco-village explorer and Fourth Way practitioner, Markus Feenstra, to inquire into the question of normalcy, how it gets socially established, and what processes, practices, and sensitivities allow for the establishment of new normals; the problem of mismatches between the 'normal' and what we might sense intuitively as what is deeply right; the shamanoid role of the edge-dwellers; the Gurdjieffian possibility for a third position between the exoteric and the esoteric, the mesoteric, and how mesoteric individuals contribute to the evolution of culture; and much more. Markus Feenstra is a resident of the Earthsong Eco-neighborhood in Auckland, Aotearoa/New Zealand, and the co-developer of a fractal theory of change and underpinning worldview that assists people committed to enhancing the wellbeing of all beings to renormalize themselves, so they may better embody their gifts for the world in their natural ways of being.

Nov 26, 202302:06:18
THE FIFTH QUADRANT w/ Aviv Shahar

THE FIFTH QUADRANT w/ Aviv Shahar

Layman sits down with Aviv Shahar, host of the Portals of Perception, to explore his attempt at charting a grounded esoteric path that grows beyond our integrative metamodels.

Nov 09, 202302:00:52
AUTHOR SERIES - "Metaphysics of Exo-Life" w/ Andrew Davis

AUTHOR SERIES - "Metaphysics of Exo-Life" w/ Andrew Davis

For the 36th episode of the Integral Stage Authors Series, Layman beams Andrew M. Davis up to his orbital studio to talk about his recently published book, Metaphysics of Exo-Life. In this wide-ranging discussion, they talk about the renewed interest in and relevance of the field of cosmo-theology, as scientists are detecting possible indicators of life on remote planets and the government is apparently taking the topic of UAPs more seriously; the implications of extra-terrestrial life for human religions and soteriological models; the nature of God in an evolving universe, and whether humans and alien species could ever arrive at similar theological or moral understandings; the relevance of A.N. Whitehead’s process theology for these questions; the strengths and limitations of Steven J. Dick’s naturalistic cosmo-theology, and what Whitehead has to offer in response; and much more. Andrew M. Davis is a process philosopher, theologian, and scholar of cosmological wonder. He is program director for the Center for Process Studies where he researches, writes, and organizes conferences on various aspects of process-relational thought. An advocate of metaphysics and meaning, he approaches philosophy as the endeavor to systematically think through what reality must be like because we are a part of it. He holds B.A. in Philosophy and Theology, an M.A. in Interreligious Studies, and a Ph.D. in Religion and Process Philosophy from Claremont School of Theology. Metaphysics of Exo-Life https://www.amazon.com/Metaphysics-Ex... Fathom app https://hello.fathom.fm/ Support The Integral Stage on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/theintegralstage Special thanks and big love to Shai Newman, the Limited Hangout guys, Brandon LaChance, Mike McElroy, Brandon Norgaard, Brendan Graham Dempsey, Francesca, and all of our other Patreon supporters!

Oct 24, 202301:28:05
SOUL OF A.I. #9 w/ David Swedlow
Oct 21, 202301:33:24
METASHAMANICS - "Jungian Psychology & Drumming" w/ Robin

METASHAMANICS - "Jungian Psychology & Drumming" w/ Robin

Following on several episodes on The Integral Stage where we have discussed subtle energy, neo-shamanism, and related topics, Layman sits down with Robin, a Finnish shamanic practitioner and Jungian, to talk about the history of shamanism, the differences in its forms and manifestations around the globe, the various efforts to reconstruct lost shamanic traditions in our time, its intersections with Jungian psychology, drumming vs. psychedelics, his interest in Bon and the windhorse traditions, and much more. Robin is the host of The Moment Podcast, / @themomentpodcast

Oct 19, 202301:14:29
LOVE THE SYSTEM - "Post-libertarianism" w/ Jason McClain
Oct 17, 202357:22
AUTHOR SERIES - "Agromancy" w/ Patrick Gac
Oct 15, 202344:20
METAPODCAST - "Radical Emergence" Dr. Sally & Dr. Jen
Oct 13, 202301:18:28
THE TRUST CRISIS #1 w/ Alan Watkins & Durwin Foster

THE TRUST CRISIS #1 w/ Alan Watkins & Durwin Foster

In this special episode, Layman is joined by leadership expert, Alan Watkins, and psychotherapist, Durwin Foster, to explore themes from Alan's new book, Lie-Ability: How Leaders Build and Break Trust. What are the seven dark arts of deception? From integral leadership and psychotherapeutic perspectives, how are we to address breakdowns in sensemaking and coherence in a culture where deceit has become common, and will soon be even more powerfully amplified by AI and other emerging technologies? How can we better recognize, and respond to, the tactics of dark triad personalities in our political cultures, workplaces, and spiritual communities? A physician and neuroscientist, and the CEO of Complete, Dr. Alan Watkins is recognised as an international expert on leadership and human performance. Over the years he has coached thousands of individuals to greater levels of performance, transformed organisational cultures and helped leaders discover new ways to succeed. Alan has become a confidant to many of the world’s top leaders over the past 22 years. Alan believes we can create a world with enlightened leaders in all walks of life, but this requires leaders to ‘wake up’, ‘grow up’ and make better decisions. His optimism for the potential of human beings never wavers. He is also the author of many books, including Crowdocracy: The End of Politics and Wicked and Wise: How to Solve the World’s Toughest Problems. Durwin Foster, MA, CCC, has learned the science of effective therapy through rigorous academic training. Completing a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology at the University of British Columbia, Durwin is certified at the national level through the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA). Durwin completed all required doctoral level coursework and trained in supervision, while performing research on the benefits of mindfulness training. A close student of Ken Wilber, Durwin has recently trained in Full-Spectrum Mindfulness, an approach that combines mindfulness with developmental psychology to help us wake up from our dreams of separation, while also growing into our greatest potentials.

Aug 27, 202301:43:28
THE SOUL OF A.I. #7.5 -- Revisiting Jill Nephew's Position
Aug 25, 202301:14:20
AUTHOR SERIES - "Abyssal Arrows" w/ Cadell Last

AUTHOR SERIES - "Abyssal Arrows" w/ Cadell Last

Layman meets with Dr. Cadell Last to talk about a new philosophy anthology that Cadell co-edited with O.G. Rose, and to which Layman contributed as well: Abyssal Arrows: Spiritual Leadership Inspired by Thus Spoke Zarathustra.


Through a review of a number of the essays in this volume, they explore the potential meanings and implications of the notion of Übermensch, especially in our times; the shamanic and tantric dimensions of Nietzsche's thought; the dynamics and scope of Nietzschean education; the relevance of Nietzschean spiritual transformation and leadership in a time of AI and VR; the importance of family and childhood, often missed by revolutionary humanist and transhumanist movements; and much more. Cadell Last, Ph.D., is a philosopher with an interest in anthropology and psychoanalysis, the creator of Philosophy Portal, and the author of Global Brain Singularity; Sex, Masculinity, God; Systems and Subjects; and Enter the Alien.

Aug 24, 202301:21:51
AUTHOR SERIES - "Human Work" w/ Naryan Wong & Leanne Holdsworth

AUTHOR SERIES - "Human Work" w/ Naryan Wong & Leanne Holdsworth

Layman meets with the co-authors of Human Work, Leanne Holdsworth and Naryan Wong, to explore the leadership mindsets that can help foster more livable, humanised workspaces (British spelling of humanized optional!).


How can our work environments be transformed if learning and growth are regularly emphasized; if everyone is recognized as a leader in some capacity; if greater attention is paid to cultures of belonging, love, and care; and if we better digest the wisdom of human systems? How can indigenous ways of knowing, as Leanne is exploring with Maori colleagues in New Zealand, lead to greater connectedness between workers, and between workplaces and the rest of the living world? Leanne Holdsworth stands for a future where it is normal for work environments to be places where human beings thrive, enabling organisations to succeed whilst at the same time, building social capital through how those humans are able to show up with their families and communities. She is the co-author of Human Work: Five Leadership Mindsets for Humanising workplaces and author of the book A New Generation of Business Leaders and has spent 15 years advising organisations predominantly in the private sector (across most sectors including banking, primary sector, FMCG, tech, pharmaceuticals) as well as the public and not for profit sectors in sustainability strategy and leadership. Naryan Wong is fascinated by how individuals, teams, and organizations think and act in the world. He believes that humanity’s most complex challenges will be solved only through well-coordinated collective sensing and acting. By understanding how individual behaviour contributes to team dynamics, and team dynamics create organizational capacities, Naryan helps organizations and communities to act harmoniously to transform themselves and the world. Over the past decade, Naryan has practised the arts of systems change, network mapping, and organizational development in large corporate environments and not-for-profit community spaces. In 2018, he founded the not-for-profit ThinkBetter to better understand the feedback loops between personal growth and organizational culture. Nowadays, Naryan weaves his network at the nexus of various communities working to improve how humanity thinks and coordinates. Human Work network https://www.humanworknetwork.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Human-Work-Leadership-Humanising-Workplace/dp/B0C52JHK5P/

Aug 23, 202301:12:24
THE SOUL OF A.I. #7 w/ Jim Rutt

THE SOUL OF A.I. #7 w/ Jim Rutt

For the seventh episode, Layman meets with Game-B godfather, Jim Rutt, to talk about his recent experiments of using AI to help with screenwriting, the intersections of AI and the creative arts, the likely positive and negative impacts AI will have on human cognitive development, the alignment problem and the seven most likely challenges that AI poses to our civilization, and his ideal vision of an AI-facilitated era of human thriving. Jim Rutt is the former CEO of Network Solutions. The New York Times once referred to him as “the Internet’s bad boy” due to his reputation for creative mischief. He sold Network Solutions at the peak of the Dot Com boom and then went into scientific research. Jim has been affiliated with the Santa Fe Institute since 2002, serving as Chairman from 2009 thru 2012. Currently he hosts the Jim Rutt Show podcast, and is the gun-totin' godfather of the Game B movement.

Aug 23, 202301:14:18
AUTHOR SERIES - "Belonging Again" w/ O.G. Rose (Daniel Garner)

AUTHOR SERIES - "Belonging Again" w/ O.G. Rose (Daniel Garner)

For the 34th episode of the Integral Stage Authors series, Layman sits down with Daniel Garner of @O.G.Rose (Michelle.and.Daniel) to talk about their new book, Belonging Again -- the first in a series of explorations on the topic of "belonging" in our fragmented age.

As they put it in the book's description: "Our identities, religions, nationalities, occupations, life choices, philosophies, political ideologies, political leaders -- none of these are 'given' anymore: whatever we face, we find ourselves full of questions. 'Is this true? Is this best? Is this valid?' ... Individuals today have more freedom than ever before, but at the expense of 'givens' which would help them determine what they should do with that freedom. Choice has increased while direction has decreased, so where should we go now?"

Aug 23, 202301:28:06
SOUL OF A.I. #5 - "Silicon Sages" w/ John Vervaeke
Jul 06, 202301:11:46
SOUL OF A.I. #4 - "Techno-Animism" w/ Tada Hozumi

SOUL OF A.I. #4 - "Techno-Animism" w/ Tada Hozumi

For the fourth episode, Layman sits down with Tada Hozumi to explore his thoughts on how a Shinto, animist approach to the world of living intelligences might help us wisely interface, also, with new AI systems, and to recognize some of their affordances perhaps not as readily apparent within our pervasive, materialist and reductionist worldviews. As their discussion deepens, they also get into tantric and Kabbalistic dimensions of AI, and an exploration of the possibilities of a techno-shamanist ethics and etiquette for our technological and social media landscapes. Tada Hozumi launched his career in 2017, when he started doing coaching work around undoing racism through somatic approaches. This piece of work evolved into something he referred to as ‘cultural somatics’, which is an approach to both individual and cultural change that posits that cultures are in fact bodies made of bodies. Because of this, individual change and collective change are necessarily embodied processes that have a fractal relationship. One of the great benefits he saw in this kind of ‘cultural-somatic’ approach was that it showed us that everything we learn about our own somatic process can be applied to an understanding of how to work with social transformation. Through these efforts, he met Dare Sohei, who had a great impact on his work as they introduced him to foundational concepts of what he could call contemporary liberatory animism, which led Tada to develop a cultural somatic framework that saw the ancestors and other intangible presences our cultures speak of as beings that live in the ‘cultural nervous system’ of our ‘cultural somas’. Professional website https://tadahozumi.com/ Remember to like, subscribe, and consider supporting The Integral Stage on Patreon to make more of these conversations possible! https://www.patreon.com/theintegralstage Special thanks and big love to the Limited Hangout guys, Shai Newman, Brandon LaChance, Mike McElroy, Brandon Norgaard, Brendan Graham Dempsey, Francesca, and all of our other Patreon supporters!

Jul 06, 202301:25:32
METATHEORISTS - "Metaforma" w/ Branden Singletary
Jul 06, 202357:26
METAMODERN SCENE - "Queer Liminal" with Rachel H.

METAMODERN SCENE - "Queer Liminal" with Rachel H.

The queer, liminal, and shamanic all point in their own ways to working fruitfully with 'betweens' and 'crossings,' and yet the possible relations between these worlds and their sensibilities are seldom discussed in the liminal / metamodern communities. Layman sits down with Rachel Hayden to explore these overlaps and to consider what might follow from their more conscious integration. Rachel tends to fret about what to write on a bio. Fortunately, her Personal Medicine of doing tai chi to become calmer is helping her at the moment. She has long been fascinated with mind-body practices, and uses many of these regularly - tai chi, Eastern and Western meditation and philosophy, and karate, to name a few. These have gotten her through some rough patches, kept her generally healthy, and pointed her toward greater insight and meaning. One of her other favorite things is music - listening, playing guitar, singing, and writing songs. Three years ago Rachel switched from being primarily a bodywork therapist and co-op grocery manager to being primarily a peer supporter. It has become part of who she is, and is probably the job she has loved the most, being with people through life's ups and downs. Being a queer trans woman herself, she often works with LGBTQIA+ people and others who are marginalized by society. Rachel became a CPMC to deepen and expand her approach to peer support, and help people find connections to their inner wisdom. She has a profound faith in authentic Personal Medicine, having realized its power in her own life. Remember to like, subscribe, and consider supporting The Integral Stage on Patreon to make more of these conversations possible! https://www.patreon.com/theintegralstage Special thanks and big love to the Limited Hangout guys, Shai Newman, Brandon LaChance, Mike McElroy, Brandon Norgaard, Brendan Graham Dempsey, Francesca, and all of our other Patreon supporters!

Jul 06, 202301:14:54
METAMODERN SCENE w/ Hemant Gupta
Jun 11, 202301:03:41
SOUL OF A.I. #3 - An AI-enhanced Developmental Ecosystem & its Geopolitical Context w/ Fionn Wright

SOUL OF A.I. #3 - An AI-enhanced Developmental Ecosystem & its Geopolitical Context w/ Fionn Wright

For the third episode of The Soul of AI, Layman sits down with Fionn Wright, the creator of an integrative metatheory that draws on Chinese as well as Western integral models, to explore how AI might be leveraged to develop ecosystems of tools and practices for midwifing a Metamodern culture through and beyond the looming poly-crisis. They discuss the importance of tuning these tools, or at least the use of the tools, towards the cultivation of wisdom, and Fionn makes a case for focusing on the benefits this technology can deliver, and the developmental roles it can serve -- without ignoring or downplaying its real existential and social risks as well. Fionn is the Wellbeing Head at Qineticare. Having grown up in a family business in Europe and Africa, he earned his Bachelor in International Business from UBC while learning to speak fluent Chinese. Seeing gaps in Shanghai’s traditional market for corporate training, children’s education and language learning, Fionn founded and ran 3 innovative coaching companies, and led a team to develop the first Holistic Wellness Programs in China. Fionn is also trained in Neuroscience for Coaching, NLP Master Practitioner, Mindfulness-based Somatic Therapy, STAGES Developmental Coaching, Leadership Circle Assessment, Business Coaching, Transformative Leadership and with a Masters in Leadership Coaching, he now teaches over 40 types of meditation. Personal website https://fionnwright.com Universifying website https://universifying.com Qineticare website https://qineticare.com/ Fathom app https://hello.fathom.fm/ Support The Integral Stage on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/theintegralstage

Jun 11, 202301:26:42
HEIDEGGER FOR A TIME BETWEEN WORLDS w/ Steve March
Jun 10, 202301:31:03
LOVE THE SYSTEM - "Indigenous Data Sovereignty" w/ Trevor & Lee
Jun 02, 202301:13:43
AUTHOR SERIES - "Crossing the Threshold" w/ Matt Segall

AUTHOR SERIES - "Crossing the Threshold" w/ Matt Segall

Layman is joined by Matt Segall, this time to discuss his new book, Crossing the Threshold: Etheric Imagination in the Post-Kantian Process Philosophy of Schelling and Whitehead. Matt describes his book as "a philosophical experiment in thinking, feeling, and willing beyond the transcendental threshold of Immanuel Kant's critical philosophy" -- an exercise in opening to a "descendental aesthetic ontology," which places us back into participatory relation with reality, and roots us again in cosmic creativity. In thinking together with Schelling, Whitehead, Nietzsche, and other philosophers, Matt is interested in showing that there are resources for transformative spiritual practice, for a new shamanism, here but often overlooked within the Western philosophical tradition. Matthew D. Segall, PhD, received his doctoral degree in 2016 from the Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness program at CIIS. His dissertation was titled Cosmotheanthropic Imagination in the Post-Kantian Process Philosophy of Schelling and Whitehead. It grapples with the limits to knowledge of reality imposed by Kant's transcendental form of philosophy and argues that Schelling and Whitehead's process-oriented approach (described in his dissertation as a "descendental" form of philosophy) shows the way across the Kantian threshold to renewed experiential contact with reality. He teaches courses on German Idealism and process philosophy for the Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness program at CIIS. He blogs regularly at footnotes2plato.com. Crossing the Threshold book https://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Thres... Follow The Integral Stage on Fathom! https://hello.fathom.fm/ Remember to like, subscribe, and support The Integral Stage on Patreon to make more of these conversations possible! https://www.patreon.com/theintegralstage Special thanks and big love to Shai Newman, the LIMITED HANGOUT guys, Brandon LaChance, Mike McElroy, Brandon Norgaard, Brendan Graham Dempsey, Francesca, and all of our other Patreon supporters!

May 14, 202301:17:24
THE SOUL OF A.I. #2 -- "The Great Illusion" w/ Jill Nephew

THE SOUL OF A.I. #2 -- "The Great Illusion" w/ Jill Nephew

The question of the promise and peril of AI is a proper one for our long-running Love the System series, but we thought it deserved its own spot as a sub-series due to the rapid development and proliferation of Large Language Models and other ground-breaking AI technologies over the past six months. It may be too early to tell yet, but with the clear power of this emergent technology, its potential to take over many of the tasks we used to regard as exclusively human, and its rapid public uptake, it feels like we are on the cusp of an epochal change. How are we to secure the psychological and spiritual health of human beings in the face of such developments? How do we ethically and wisely merge living and non-living intelligences? What wisdom from this corner of the internet -- from our respective integral, metamodern, and spiritual communities -- can help us navigate the monumental challenges and opportunities ahead? For the second episode of The Soul of AI, Layman sits down with Jill Nephew, an engineer and software developer, to explore her unique take on the hype and dominant discourse around artificial intelligence and large language models. Most of the commentators in this area, she argues, have fallen prey to a game of smoke and mirrors: there are no emergent properties, there is no latent intelligence or spark of consciousness, there is no "there" there at all -- nothing nutritious for the human spirit or human society, and certainly no basis for an emergent wisdom culture. She explains why she regards LLM developers as profit-motivated illusionists, and why we should give a hard "no" to this dazzling but ultimately empty and misleading technology. Jill Nephew is the founder of Inqwire, PBC a company on a mission to help the world make sense. The Inqwire technology is designed to enhance and accelerate human sensemaking abilities. The designing of the system required her to attempt to answer a fundamental question: how does technology interact with the mind's ability to do individual and collective sensemaking, and what are the principles that technology should follow to maximize these abilities? Jill's background includes developing tools, platforms, and meta-data-based software languages to help people find solutions to complex, real-world problems. She developed algorithms and models in the area of constraint-based optimization, drug binding, motion control, disease kinetics, protein folding, atmospheric pollution, human articulated movement, complex fluids, and most recently sensemaking. Personal website https://jillnephew.com/index.html Inqwire website https://www.inqwire.io/ Follow The Integral Stage on Fathom! https://hello.fathom.fm/ Remember to like, subscribe, and support The Integral Stage on Patreon to make more of these conversations possible! https://www.patreon.com/theintegralstage

May 14, 202301:24:28
LOVE THE SYSTEM - "The WECO Platform" w/ James & Laurence
May 14, 202301:20:10
THE DREAMING ARTS - "Somatic Dreamwork" w/ Dr. Karen Jaenke

THE DREAMING ARTS - "Somatic Dreamwork" w/ Dr. Karen Jaenke

May 14, 202301:19:09
THE SOUL OF A.I. #1 "Cyborgregores & Artificial Wisdom" w/ Soryu Forall

THE SOUL OF A.I. #1 "Cyborgregores & Artificial Wisdom" w/ Soryu Forall

For the inaugural episode of The Soul of AI, Layman sits down with Soryu Forall, an ordained Zen monk and the head teacher at the Monastic Academy in Vermont, to talk about the ethical and spiritual challenges that confront us with the advent of this civilization-transforming, and potentially civilization-destroying, technology. Soryu discusses what he sees as an emerging (fanatical) religion of data-ism, the compulsion to summon a digital superintelligence or deity at all costs, and the existential risks this poses; and together they explore the concept of the cyborgregore, and the potential to build an Artificial Wisdom system to temper, balance, and constructively direct AI. Soryu Forall has decades of intensive monastic training, a degree in Economics from Williams College, and extensive experience in social and environmental justice. As a teen, upon learning that monasteries are built for such a purpose, he traveled to Japan in order to study suffering and the end of suffering. Forall was ordained in 1998 at Sogen Temple under the tutelage of the Zen Master Shodo Harada. After training at Sogen Temple for five years, Forall trained further at Hemis Gompa, a Kagyud Tibetan monastery in northern India; Xue Feng Si, an ancient Ch’an monastery in eastern China; and at the Sariputta Ambedkar Monastery in southern India, where he served as head monk (Ambedkar Buddhism is an influential sect that defines spiritual training as social engagement and economic justice). While there, he led peaceful protests and organized community efforts to overcome the injustice of the caste system. He also helped to raise thirty boys with the understanding that all are inconceivably valuable, regardless of family circumstance. Forall, a native Vermonter, returned to his home state in 2008 and has continued to fight against systemic injustice and promote youth empowerment. He has created successful curriculum for mindfulness in education, trained professional mindfulness teachers all over the world, worked with high level athletes and business people on using mindfulness for high performance, and founded the Center for Mindful Learning, where he currently serves as President and head teacher. At the Monastic Academy Soryu dedicates his life to creating the next generation of awakened leaders. The Monastic Academy https://www.monasticacademy.com/ Follow The Integral Stage on Fathom! https://hello.fathom.fm/

Apr 25, 202301:15:10
RE/THINKING RELIGION #11 - The Question of Subtle Energy w/ John Vervaeke & Bruce Alderman

RE/THINKING RELIGION #11 - The Question of Subtle Energy w/ John Vervaeke & Bruce Alderman

In Re/thinking Religion, a new Integral Stage series, John Vervaeke joins Bruce Alderman and Layman Pascal to explore possible points of contact and confluence between their respective approaches to religion and spirituality.

For the eleventh episode, Layman, John, and Bruce explore the question of subtle energy -- its nature, its scientific or religious status, and the roles that subtle energy cultivation and awareness may play in transformative processes. They discuss a number of the major paradigms on subtle energy, including one John has offered; its capacity to bridge subject and object, and psychological and contemplative domains; its moral dimensions; and towards the end of the talk, the reasons this topic is more important than ever for our communities to begin to explore.

Apr 25, 202357:32
SEXUALITY SERIES:  Rethinking Yin, Yang & Eros w/ Sally Adnams Jones
Apr 15, 202301:20:33
THE END OF "UNLIMITED HANGOUT" w/ Ezekial-73 & Son-of-Korg
Apr 15, 202301:41:38
THE METAMODERN SCENE: "Voicecraft" w/ Tim Adlin
Apr 15, 202301:28:27
GAMEIFYING REALITY w/ Bobby Azarian

GAMEIFYING REALITY w/ Bobby Azarian

Cognitive neuroscientist and science writer, Bobby Azarian, returns to the Integral Stage for a deep and wide-ranging discussion of the emerging scientific paradigm -- the complexity science paradigm arising out of the intersections of physics, biology, neuroscience, and information theory -- that will likely shape self, culture, and society for the next century. If the universe is now known to be self-organizing through levels of developmental emergence, and if we are, as Carl Sagan once said, "a way for the cosmos to know itself," what really are the implications of such a view for all the domains of life that matter to us? This perspective, of course, is in its general outlines very similar to the one Ken Wilber outlined in Sex, Ecology, Spirituality, but the science has developed since Wilber published SES; so Bobby and Layman explore those developments, and how they further reinforce, and in some cases update, the synthesis Wilber offered several decades ago. Bobby Azarian is a cognitive neuroscientist (PhD, George Mason University), a science journalist, and author of the book The Romance of Reality: How the Universe Organizes Itself to Create Life, Consciousness, and Cosmic Complexity. He has written for The Atlantic, The New York Times, BBC Future, Scientific American, Slate, The Huffington Post, Quartz, The Daily Beast, Aeon, and others. His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals like Human Brain Mapping, Cognition & Emotion, Acta Psychologica, and Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. His Psychology Today blog (Mind in the Machine) has received over 8 million views, making it one of the most popular blogs on the website. He has been a guest on The Joe Rogan Experience, the Michael Shermer Show, The David Pakman Show, The Jim Rutt Show, The Young Turks, the Singularity University podcast, and many others. He helped develop multiple episodes for Season 2 of the YouTube Premium series Mind Field, which won the show its first Emmy nomination. He is a pro at audio and music production, and is currently working on an educational podcast based on his new book.

Apr 15, 202302:05:09
METAMODERN SCENE: "Pascal's Integral Batcave & Metaphilosophical Memes"
Mar 12, 202301:09:15
LOVE THE SYSTEM: "The IRIS Approach " w/ James Redenbaugh
Mar 12, 202353:06
MORE OF WHAT INTEGRAL COULD DO BETTER w/ Andrew Cohen ???
Mar 12, 202301:28:27
RE/THINKING RELIGION 10: Cognitive Science & the Imaginal in Spirituality

RE/THINKING RELIGION 10: Cognitive Science & the Imaginal in Spirituality

In Re/thinking Religion, a new Integral Stage series, John Vervaeke joins Bruce Alderman and Layman Pascal to explore possible points of contact and confluence between their respective approaches to religion and spirituality.  

For the tenth episode, Bruce, Layman, and John reflect on the groundbreaking work of 4E cognitive scientists, Francisco Varela and Evan Thompson, especially their perspectives on the role of the imaginal in perception, healing, self-transformation, and the development of wisdom; the five criteria for the wise use of the imaginal in education, therapy, and religious practice; the need to rehabilitate the 'place' of the imaginal in common understanding; and the potential risks of the exploitative commodification and commercialization of the fruits of the cognitive scientific study of religion and spirituality (along the lines of "McMindfulness"), and how that can be avoided with a fuller, more integral understanding and practice of cognitive science.  

John Vervaeke is a cognitive scientist, a professor of psychology at Toronto University, and the creator of the popular YouTube series, "Awakening from the Meaning Crisis."

Mar 12, 202301:01:00
AUTHOR SERIES: "When Shadow Meets the Boddhisattva" w/ Andrew Cohen

AUTHOR SERIES: "When Shadow Meets the Boddhisattva" w/ Andrew Cohen

For the 30th episode of the Integral Stage Authors series, Layman sits down with evolutionary enlightenment teacher, Andrew Cohen, to talk about his most recent book, "When Shadow Meets the Bodhisattva: The Challenging Transformation of a Modern Guru."  

Ten years after his public fall from grace and the dissolution of his spiritual community, Andrew talks about the lessons learned -- his understanding of what went wrong; his confrontation with shadow and the need to take responsibility for what transpired; the shame and regret of failing those who had counted on him; the wise counsel he sought and received from others; and the personal and spiritual insights, and the new vision of spirituality, he developed through this process.  

Andrew Cohen is an American-born, internationally known spiritual teacher and writer, and the founder of Evolutionary Enlightenment.  He has been teaching meditation for over three decades, and created the magazine, What is Enlightenment?, one of the most successful publications ever in its genre.  His teaching work grapples with the challenges of bringing the revelation of enlightenment to a contemporary Western audience, integrating postmodern cultural and scientific understanding with an original and sophisticated non-dual philosophy.  After his organization, EnlightenNext, dissolved in 2013, he went on sabbatical for several years, but now has returned to teaching and is leading an online spiritual community called Manifest Nirvana.  Links and Resources  

When Shadow Meets the Bodhisattva https://www.amazon.com/When-Shadow-Meets-Bodhisattva-Transformation/dp/1644115905/

Personal Website https://www.andrewcohen.com/

Feb 22, 202301:25:45
AUTHOR SERIES: "A New Synthesis" w/ Dr. Gregg Henriques

AUTHOR SERIES: "A New Synthesis" w/ Dr. Gregg Henriques

For the 29th episode of the Integral Stage Authors series, Layman is joined by friend of the channel and creator of the Unified Theory of Knowledge (UTOK), Dr. Gregg Henriques, to talk about his new book, "A New Synthesis for Solving the Problem of Psychology: Addressing the Enlightenment Gap."  

In their dialogue, Gregg clarifies how the new synthesis he proposes critically examines mainstream academic psychology and highlights its fragmented nature; offers a new vision for the field, a unified system of knowledge for understanding both animal and human behavior; and explores how this vision makes sense of the relations between matter, mind, and social and scientific knowledge.  What is the Enlightenment Gap, how is it related to the hard problem of consciousness, and how does UTOK reorganize the onto-epistemological field to make room for genuine progress and consilience?  What impacts will this new model have on the practice of therapy?  

Dr. Henriques is a Full Professor and a core faculty member in James Madison University's Combined-Integrated Clinical and School Psychology Doctoral Program.  He is also a leader in the Unified Psychotherapy Movement, which attempts to use meta-theory to achieve an effective integrative scheme for the various psychotherapy paradigms.  

https://www.amazon.com/Synthesis-Solving-Problem-Psychology-Enlightenment/dp/3031184920

Feb 22, 202351:48