The Lightfoot Podcast

Scoutleader Wiley and I discuss the psychological perks and deep healing possibilities of cultivating a practice of ritual art. We unpack what it means to foster an arcane intellect and delve into the hot topics of gender and race identity exploring Scout's broader philosophical framing in the process. I enjoyed this conversation immensely and hope you do too.   

Emil and I discuss some of the more nuanced critiques of Metamodernism and highlight the central importance of finding love in our lives. We explore the danger of cults forming around developmental theory and Emil shares an update on upcoming Hanzi publications. We dream of Metamodern monasteries and unpack the core ideas from the Hanzi article Obedience As Laughter: From The Great Dicator To The Great Spectator and Emil leaves us with some prescient words from David Foster Wallace. I really enjoyed spending this conversation and I hope you do too.

This week I’m joined by Justin Scott Campbell for a fascinating conversation about the connections between identity, social change, racial justice and the somatic experience. We explore some of the themes in Justins writings and trace his developmental arc from professor to diversity trainer to somatic coach. We also delve into the ideas of Octavia Butler, Ursula Le Guinn and Adrienne Maree Brown. Justin even coaches me in real time around how best to structure communities of practice that don’t crumble under the pressure and weight of looking more directly at uncomfortable truths. I hope you enjoy basking in Justins wisdom as much as I did.

This week I'm joined by Stephanie Lepp for a far reaching discussion around what it means to have a deep reckoning. We explore the ethics of apologising, the art of forgiveness and the fundamental importance of understanding how people can radically change their world views. Stephanie shares what it's like to be Alex Jones for a day and also speaks to the profoundly transformative power of ritualised days of atonement. I really enjoyed spending this time with Stephanie and hope you do too.

This week I'm joined by Helena Norberg-Hodge for a passionate discussion around the importance of localisation. We touch on her time in Ladakh and trace how the unique experience of being exposed to a culture almost entirely free of Western influence has motivated and informed her campaign against globalisation ever since. We unpack the pervasiveness of multinational corporate influence, ask what role technology should play in a regenerative future and highlight how relocalising our food production is one of the key leverage points for bringing about an economics of happiness. I feel Helena has such an important message to share with the world so I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

This week I speak with Jeremy Lent who I believe to be one of the most important thinkers of our time. We trace the thread of ideas connecting his first book The Patterning Instinct with his new book The Web Meaning and explore the limits of scientific reductionism in relation to unifying science and spirit. We touch on the fascinating origins of Neo-confucianism and even speak to the profound metaphorical implications of rainbows. I had my world view gently expanded at multiple points throughout this conversation and left feeling a like I'd been drinking some kind of intellectual ayahuasca. I feel there is tremendous value in the philosophical case Jeremy puts forward for why and how we can move towards an Ecological Civilisation. It was a pleasure and a privilege to spend this time with him.

This week Miriam and I take a deep dive into her wealth of experience weaving community. We explore her journey in cultivating 10 years of integrally informed intentional community and unpack both what helped and hindered the group from crystallising their communal coherence from a series of peak states into a solid stage. Miriam also shares her insights from two decades of counselling into what kind of psychospiritual work might help prepare us for deeper experiences of connection, safety and love in our relationships. She also offers a some guidance for how best to hold space for others as they unfold along their path. I found so much wisdom in her word and feel really grateful to have shared in the conversation together. 

Right off the bat Arran and I delve into some shadow work together before exploring how our Western culture seems perfectly engineered to avoid facing it's own dark side. Arran outlines his relationship to Jungian psychology and shares some of what he's learned in his process interviewing a series of leading thinkers in that world. We discuss the huge potential and giant pitfalls of approaching shadow work in the context of the sense making web and also touch on how difficult it is to dedicate oneself to 'the spirit of truth' and not end up in sticky situations because of it. We talk about the promise of a fully committed, embodied and lived experience of a tribe committed to shadow work together and outline the critical tension between cynicism and hope. Arran has a keen and broad mind and this conversation left me feeling connected and inspired.  

The ever profound Brad Kershner joins me for a humming exchange around the idea of Hope As Process. We unpack his notion of The Great Integration and explore the interconnections between development stage theories and Brads work as an educator and school administrator. We delve into his connection to the Buddhist tradition and also explore what education might look like in a post labour world. But most of all we enjoy each others presence and have a blast exploring the outer edges of our shared well springs of inspiration. 

Get ready for a conversational contact high as Schuyler and I journey into the heart of polarity and stillness together. We speak to rebalancing the masculine and feminine in ourselves and the culture around us and explore Schuyler's work in coming home to ourselves through practices of embodiment. We also reveal some of the more tender and vulnerable parts of ourselves that don't always get to see the light of day. It starts with a poem and ends in a beautiful coincidence. The grander archetypal energies definitely emerged and danced within this particular conversation and I hope it lights you up the same way it did me. 

A.J. and I explore what is known as The Master Emotion: Shame! He explains what it means to get discomfortable and outlines the evolutionary origins of the shame response. We also explore the conditions that led to A.J's own shame breakthrough and make sense of the connections between guilt, shame and fear. We talk about ways of starting to recognise and work through the shame we're each carrying and propose that vulnerability is the real foundation for any kind of new global culture we wish to inhabit. It's all in there folks, I hope you enjoy this time with A.J as much I did.

Alexander and I unfurl through a fascinating forest of ideas. We track the evolution of Rebel Wisdoms development and outline its spiral like journey from embodiment and liminality to its focus on the impact of Jordan Peterson, its exploration of the Intellectual Dark & Deep Web before a return to its roots. We dance with the knotty but humming question of how to cultivate meaningful culture and community within the context of the digital sense making scene and explore the importance of remembering that we're all in this together, that we're practicing for each other. Ali also gives us an update on how he's feeling about the state of the Psychedelic renaissance after his recent debate with the co-founder of Compass Pathways which is one of the best funded and more Game A companies racing towards the Mushroomy Pot Of Gold at the end of the research rainbow. I feel there is a lot to savour in this exchange, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 

This week I'm joined by Daniel Görtz who is one of the marvellous minds behind Metamodern philosopher and theorist, Hanzi Freinacht. We delve into where Daniel is currently at in his creative process and get a little sneak peak into the next few books currently under development. We unpack the connection between Solarpunk and Metamodernism and explore how Indigenous Wisdom fits into the broader picture of Daniel's work. We explore our shared fascination with shame and discuss our personal practices around attempting to move through it in our bodies. We analyse the hyper intellectual nature of the broader Meta movement and learn about Daniel's involvement in a project that aims to integrate a number of leading Meta theories into one giant framework. But most of all we talk about the profound importance of friendship. I love this mans brain and his heart as well. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.  

Lana and I take a joyful journey through the ins and outs of her experience weaving community. She shares at least four words from other cultures that left me pondering the poverty of the English language. We touch on whether it's possible to blend corporate culture and community cultivation without corrupting ones principles and also unpack the idea of normalising the notion of different neurotypes. I always feel warm, fuzzy and inspired after spending time with Lana, I hope you do too. 

Sylvie Barbier joins me for an exploration of what it's like to cultivate new culture through community. She gives an overview of the fascinating work unfolding under the umbrella of the Life Itself institute and their network of hubs across the south of France and Berlin. Sylvie also offers up her wisdom around letting go of being a mother in relation to her young son and the community she has been helping grow these past five years. I found Sylvie to be truly inspiring human who shares of her self very freely and generously. I hope you enjoy this discussion as much as I did.

Jeremy Johnson and I shared an epic adventure of a discussion. We delve deep into the ideas of Jean Gebser and trace the contours of just how prescient the ideas in Ever Present Origin really were. We touch on the evolution of perspective throughout art history, the promising synthesis of the Integral movement with Cosmo-Localism and also the progressive legacy of Michael Brooks. There is poetry, complex ideas, concrete ideas and I even have a go at pronouncing the 50 syllable long german word for the 'phenomenology of becoming consciousness'. It was a real pleasure to spend some time in Jeremy's verdant noosphere, I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did.

This week I'm joined by Richard D. Bartlett for a deep dive into what it is that drives us both to cultivate community. We question whether our passion is coming from a wholly integrated place and explore how our trauma often compels us to act the way we do. We also break down the constellation of thinkers that have most inspired us and zero in on the difference between linking and ranking in social contexts. I enjoyed this conversation with every ounce of my being and hope it touches you the way it did me. I recommend you check out the courses that Rich and Nati offer through the Hum, I made some really great new friends after doing the Microsolidarity course last year.

This week I'm joined by Stephen Reid, he is a co-operative technologist and cultural changemaker who has trained in the fields of complexity science, physics, software development, meditation, psychotherapy, plant medicine, conscious sexuality and political activism. He is currently a co-director of Dandelion Collective (the not-for-profit worker co-operative behind the Psychedelic Society, which he founded in 2014), the lead developer of dandelion.earth, founder of the Autopia DAO and associated AUT token, teacher of the Tools for the Regenerative Renaissance and Introduction to Crypto & DeFi courses, and a contributor to Enspiral.

We delve deep into the fascinating world of the blockchain, zeroing in on DAO's and some of the more progressive projects emerging in the space. We also explore the state of the psychedelic movement and the potential for the integration of community cultivation and psychedelic medicine distribution. Finally Stephen shares his Taoist perspective on the merger of the political and spiritual. Enjoy.

On this weeks podcast I'm joined by empathy expert, empath, performance artist, filmmaker, writer and revolutionary, David Sauvage. We explore the role of Empaths within a community context, sound out the nature of a potential Occupy 2.0 movement and take a snapshot of how the many inner parts of David are currently organising themselves. I left this conversation smiling ear to ear with a bunch of new insights to try on for size.

Today I spoke (and sang) with the marvellous Malcolm Ocean, we delved deeply into his emerging notion of the Non Naive Trust Dance and explored how breaking the taboo of speaking about the loss of trust can be a key component in community cultivation. 

Peter Limberg lays out his journey as The Steward of The Stoa and together we break down some of the core elements that might help nudge us all towards cultivating a deeper sense of Communitas in our lives.

Dr Jason Fox joins me to share the story of The Coterie, an online community of complexity practitioners and philosopher poets. Our discussion ranges far and wide, beginning and ending with the same circuit breaker of a question... Who Am I?

Diana Nayeli Monsberger shares her story of being a part of the Noden community in Stockholm. We explore the intersection of Noden, House Blivande and the Borderlands festival and touch upon a whole range of different philosophical ideas together. 

Gene Ellis and Jan Gerards join me to share the story of the PYNK Collective, a community that has been sharing peak moments of connection together for over a decade. We explore what it is that makes a truly transformational gathering and unpack the arc of evolution that we seem to be on as a social species.

The host of The Emerge Podcast Daniel Thorson joins me for an exploration of whether we need the contemplative backdrop of a Monastic Academy to create truly regenerative communal contexts.

In this fourth episode of The Collective Blooming Series I speak with Michel Bachmann, co-founder of The Community Weavers Guild. We delve into a wide range of fascinating ideas including the potential for regenerative communal contexts to help us heal our Collective trauma and how preparing ourselves and our community for that moment when the old system degrades into chaos may be the most effective change making approach currently at our disposal. We also use a whole bunch of gardening metaphors, which seems to be par for the course for this podcast series. Hope you enjoy!

In this third episode of The Collective Blooming Series I speak with Nati Lombardo, co-founder of the The Hum and member of the Enspiral network. We cover all sorts of fascinating topics including Nati's insights into the importance of cultivating self awareness in non-hierarchical contexts and  the many benefits of participating in a Collective. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

In this second episode of The Collective Blooming Series I speak with Community Weaver Shubha Pradha as we explore the origins of That Extra Step, a thriving Collective she founded in Bangalore alongside her brother Hari and her mentor Abhay. Our discussion covers the many ups and downs of being in the centre of such a tight knit community and touches on the deeply personal challenges that can arise along the way.

In this first episode of The Collective Blooming Series I speak with Communitarian Technologist Tibet Sprague. We explore the story of the Terran Collective, as well as the challenges and opportunities of cultivating a community of practice and care that is dedicated to building systems and tools for a regenerative future in the Bay Area of Northern California.