Living from the Soul with Sam Torode

Today I’m happy to be speaking with Pooja Mottl. She’s had a unique career path—going from finance & banking, to cooking & nutrition, to mental & spiritual wellbeing.

Pooja graduated from the University of Michigan and began a career in finance in the late 1990s, working for investment banks including Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch. She left to earn a master's degree in International Relations at the London School of Economics, and then—in a twist—enrolled in the Natural Gourmet Institute’s Chef’s Training Program.

In 2014 she published her first book, The 3-Day Reset: Restore Your Cravings For Healthy Foods in Three Easy, Empowering Days, which was endorsed by Whole Foods founder John Mackey, among many others.

Next, Pooja pursued advanced training in yoga, meditation, and psychology. She now writes and speaks about mental and spiritual health. She created the Calm & Free Podcast, has a blog on LinkedIn, is an affiliate of Stanford University’s psychology department, and is currently preparing a new book and podcast series about what makes for a truly successful life.

In this conversation. Pooja shares her insights on the difference between religion and spirituality; the mind-body connection; finding balance between striving and satisfaction; passing on a spiritual legacy to children; and more.

Today I’m excited to be speaking with P.M.H. Atwater, one of the world’s leading experts on Near-Death Experiences (NDEs). After having three near-death experiences of her own in 1977, when there was very little public knowledge about them, P.M.H. began researching other peoples’ NDEs using investigative techniques she learned from her adoptive father, a police officer.

She has now analyzed over 4,000 NDEs and written eighteen books about them. She’s been featured in Newsweek magazine and interviewed by television hosts including Regis and Kathie Lee, Larry King, and Sally Jessy Raphael.

In this conversation, P.M.H. tells the story of her NDEs and shares what she’s learned from over forty years of research, including the four types of NDEs, their common after-effects, the impact of NDEs in childhood, how having an NDE changes one’s views on religion and spirituality, what we can learn from “hellish” NDEs, and what NDEs reveal about the purpose of life.

“All we are is peace, love, and wisdom, and the power to create the illusion that we’re not.” —Jack Pransky

This summer I stumbled across a book about the Three Principles (Mind, Consciousness, and Thought) as elucidated by Sydney Banks beginning in the 1970s. Intrigued, I read more books on the subject and decided to interview Dr. Jack Pransky, a leading teacher of the Three Principles.

Jack has worked in the mental health field since 1968, learned about the Three Principles in the early ’90s, and is now director of the Center for Inside-Out Understanding. He’s the author of many books, including Somebody Should Have Told Us, Parenting from the Heart, and Seduced by Consciousness. His book Modello won the Martin Luther King Storyteller’s Award for exemplifying Dr. King’s vision of “the beloved community.”

This is a video created in celebration of Ralph Waldo Emerson's birthday, May 25th, for the online magazine IMAGINE. 

My aim is to show why Emerson's philosophy is as relevant as ever, and inspire people to take a deeper look into his works. I emphasize Emerson's social and political views because they address issues of race and gender that still reverberate today. 

Today I’m speaking with Emilia Ann, artist and champion of creativity. She uses many different media—including poetry, painting, photography, music, and dance—with the aim of being an open channel to whatever the universe wants to express through her.

I started following Emilia on Facebook in 2018, and soon after that she embarked on “100 Days of Creativity,” a personal challenge to work on something creative for one hundred straight days. She didn’t stop there, and now she’s exceeded a thousand days of creative expression.

I wanted to talk with Emilia because I struggle with procrastination and perfectionism when it comes to my own creative projects. If you can identify with that, I’m sure you’ll enjoy our conversation, because she shares some very helpful advice.

At the end of the episode, Emilia recites her beautiful poem, “Unexpressed.”

Today I’m speaking with two people who’ve recently published memoirs about their lives in and out of fundamentalist/evangelical Christianity.

Alice Greczyn, author of “Wayward: A Memoir of Spiritual Warfare and Sexual Purity,” is a former devout evangelical who went from homeschool to Hollywood. She’s an actress and model with extensive credits in television, film, and print media. As a thinker and writer, she’s the founder of “Dare to Doubt,” a website offering resources for those seeking to escape or recover from harmful belief systems.

Dave Warnock, author of “Childish Things,” joined the Jesus movement in the ’70s, became a pastor for many years, and then left the church altogether. Diagnosed with ALS in 2019, he’s a frequent public speaker and podcast guest on the theme of “Dying Out Loud.” He’s also the co-host of his own popular live call-in show on YouTube, “That GD Show.”

I read their books last week, then found out Alice happened to be visiting Dave at his rented beach-house this week, so I jumped on the opportunity to interview them both together.

This week I’m thrilled to be speaking with one of my favorite thinkers, Tim Freke. Based in England, Tim is a philosopher, prolific author, speaker, podcaster, and workshop facilitator.

Tim’s many books include the New York Times bestseller The Jesus Mysteries, and, most recently, Soul Story: Evolution and the Purpose of Life.

This conversation—mainly about harmonizing science & spirituality—gets better and better as it goes along, so be sure to stick around for Tim's inspiring messages towards the end! 

This week I’m speaking with singer/songwriter Nathan Landis Funk, who has just released his debut album, Here’s to the Sojourners.

Nathan talks about his years as a Pentecostal faith-healer-in-training, how experience and doubt left him disillusioned, and how music and theater helped him find a new version of faith and community.

A couple stand-out quotes from this conversation: “Music is a vehicle that allows us to reach a higher plane.” And, “Art can help us glue the pieces of our life together.”

Need some help managing anxiety, overwhelm, and depression about politics?

I do!

So I called up MJ, a California-based life coach who specializes in coaching LGBTQ+ persons and also political activists.

In addition to talking politics, MJ shares the faith journey of a nonbinary & queer Christian. She talks about joining and leaving the evangelical church, living as an Episcopal monk for 3 years, what she learned from being a jail chaplain, and—just recently—becoming an ordained priest.

Here are a few of MJ’s comments in our conversation that stood out to me:

“The reason—or one of the reasons—my soul is incarnated in this human form is to learn to love and be loved.”

“Even the worst case scenario—death—is not a bad thing. It’s just a transition to another state of existence.”

“You are making a difference if you’re making a difference in one person’s life, because that has a ripple effect.”

“If my goal is to make the world a better place, that has to involve everyone—including the people I disagree with and that I feel are really doing harm.”

In this reverse episode, I’m interviewed by Omural Ates. We talk about my book Living from the Soul: The 7 Spiritual Principles of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Stoic philosophy, creating a life vision statement, and more.

This week I’m happy to be speaking with my friend Ryan Rhoades. Ryan is a writer, visual artist, musician, podcaster, website designer, videographer—anything creative, Ryan does it. 

He’s also a student of Stoicism, the ancient philosophy that advises us to focus our attention only on what is within our control. 

I’ve published two books of Stoic writings: The Manual of Epictetus and The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. Ryan reached out to me after reading these books several years ago, and our friendship grew from there. 

This week I wanted to talk with Ryan about what drew us to Stoicism, and both the benefits and struggles of applying this philosophy to our lives. 

Today I’m happy to be speaking with my longtime friend Sarah Hempel Irani. 

Sarah and I both studied art at Hillsdale College in Michigan. She went on to earn a master’s degree in Medieval and Renaissance Studies, and to become a very accomplished sculptor. 

Sarah’s sculptures have been included in many national shows and have won several awards, including one in a competition judged by Sister Wendy Beckett. 

Her most recent work is a 7-foot-tall bronze statue of fashion designer Claire McCardell for her town of Frederick, Maryland. 

I wanted to talk with Sarah about what goes into creating these monumental works, as well as the values they represent. Sarah has great insights on the need for more women to be celebrated in public art, and the controversy over Confederate monuments. 

We also discuss how our political and religious beliefs have shifted over the years, and Sarah shares her experience with ovarian cancer and how it changed her perspective. 

As a lifelong Frank Sinatra fan, today I’m excited to be speaking with Charles Granata. 

Chuck is the producer and co-host of Nancy Sinatra’s weekly radio show on SiriusXM, “Nancy for Frank,” which recently concluded after 14 years and over 500 episodes. “The Best of Nancy for Frank” continues to air every week. 

He has worked on several Frank Sinatra box sets, including “A Voice on Air: 1935–1955” and “Sinatra in Hollywood: 1940–1964.” Most recently he oversaw the restoration and reissue of the 1950 LP “Sing and Dance with Frank Sinatra” (Impex Records, 2020). 

Chuck is the author of two acclaimed books, “Sessions with Sinatra: Frank Sinatra and the Art of Recording” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds.” And he assisted music legends Phil Ramone and Johnny Mandel in writing their memoirs. 

I loved hearing how Chuck’s childhood passion eventually became a fulfilling career, thanks to many serendipitous connections along the way. Near the end of our conversation, he also shares his personal thoughts on spirituality, which I found very moving. 

This week I’m excited to talk with Karen Newell, a lifelong explorer of consciousness and seeker of esoteric wisdom. 

Karen is the coauthor, with her partner, Dr. Eben Alexander, of Living in a Mindful Universe: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Heart of Consciousness—an amazing and informative book. 

She is the cofounder of Sacred Acoustics, a company producing meditation tracks with binaural beats. I’ve been using these tracks myself, and wanted to learn more about them and ask Karen for advice on using them. 

We also chat about quantum physics, and Karen has fascinating things to say about the lost technologies of the ancient Egyptians and Pythagoras. 

As Nikola Tesla said: “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” 

This week I’m happy to speak with my friend Mark Stephens. Mark has been a police officer for 13 years, first in Phoenix and now in Nashville. 

Mark explains how he first became aware of systemic racism in American society and law, and the process of becoming more educated about it. He tells stories from his years on the job that demonstrate the power of empathy and treating all people with dignity and respect. 

I also ask him about gun culture, deescalation tactics, and mediation—which he’s recently taken up. He’s currently writing a memoir tentatively titled “Lessons Learned from Tragedy: A Misfit Cop’s Journey to Awakening.”  

Today I’m excited to talk with my friend—one of the wisest people I know—Kat Courtney. 

Kat has many years of training and experience facilitating plant medicine ceremonies, specifically with Ayahuasca and Huachuma. These are both drinks prepared from plants which have been used for thousands of years among the indigenous tribes of South America. 

This week I’m honored to speak with one of my favorite authors and thinkers, Dr. Larry Dossey. 

Dr. Dossey is a leading voice bridging the worlds of science and spirituality. He was a practicing physician for many years, and was chief of staff at Medical City Dallas Hospital. He also served as a battalion surgeon in the Vietnam War, earning the Medal of Valor and Bronze Star. 

He is the author of twelve books, including the New York Times bestseller “Healing Words.” This interview focuses on his most recent book, “One Mind: How Our Individual Mind Is Part of a Greater Consciousness and Why It Matters.” 

“One Mind” examines phenomena like telepathy, premonitions, near-death experiences, autistic savants, spontaneous healing, and more, which are not explainable by materialism (the assertion that the physical world is all that exists, and our thoughts are mere byproducts of chemical reactions in our brains). 

Based on evidence—not dogma or blind faith—Dr. Dossey concludes that our minds are not separate or confined to our brains, but are transcendent and connected through a kind of internet of consciousness, which he calls the One Mind. 

Reaching a realization of the One Mind, he says in this interview, “is the cure for the greatest disease which has ever afflicted human beings, which is the fear of death.” 

This week I’m pleased to converse with James Marcus about one of my favorite subjects—Ralph Waldo Emerson!

James is a writer, editor, and translator. A former editor-in-chief of Harper’s Magazine, his articles have also appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, the New York Times Review of Books, The Nation, and many other publications. He wrote a memoir, “Amazonia: Five Years at the Epicenter of the Dot-Com Juggernaut,” about his experiences as an early employee of Amazon.com. And he’s currently at work on a book about Ralph Waldo Emerson.

James talks about Emerson’s transition from minister to lecturer, how he became an anti-slavery activist, the tension between self-reliance and society, his complicated friendships with Margaret Fuller and Henry David Thoreau, an upcoming Emerson biopic, and more.

Our overarching theme is that Ralph Waldo Emerson is as relevant today as ever.

This week I’m thrilled to interview David Ditchfield, who shares one of the most amazing stories you’ll ever hear. 

In 2007, David was dragged under a train and—against all odds—survived. After being transported to the hospital, he left his body and had a near death experience (NDE). 

This changed David’s life in profound and surprising ways. A manual laborer with no fine arts training, he inexplicably began painting and composing classical music. 

He’s completed over 40 paintings, many depicting what he saw in the afterlife. His first symphony, “The Divine Light,” was performed to great acclaim at a sold-out orchestral concert. 

In 2020, David published his memoir, “Shine On.” He continues to paint and compose music near Cambridge, England. 

This week I’m happy to be speaking with Tracey Owens Lowd. Tracey combines the skills of life coach, spiritual counselor, and energy healer. She leads retreats and works with individuals at her office in Atlanta or anywhere in the world through online sessions.

In this interview, Tracey talks about growing up as a highly intuitive, spiritually-aware child, and the challenges she had to overcome in order to put her gifts to use as a healer. I ask her about the different modalities she uses to work with mind, body, spirit, and emotions. Questions include: What are “limiting beliefs” and how can we unlearn them? How can we change negative thought patterns? What is energy healing? How can we find our purpose in life?

We also discuss manifestation—getting clear on what you want, and bringing more of it into your life. And the vital role of struggle—not always getting what you want—in sparking growth. 

Today I’m honored to be speaking with Victoria Browning Wyeth. Victoria is the only granddaughter of artist Andrew Wyeth. Her great-grandfather, N. C. Wyeth, was a celebrated illustrator, and her uncle, Jamie Wyeth, continues to expand the family's artistic legacy. 

After graduating from Bates College in Maine, Victoria studied the history of psychiatry at Harvard and then earned her masters degree in psychology from Wesleyan University in Connecticut. 

Victoria has lectured at Wyeth exhibits from Paris to Tokyo, and frequently leads gallery talks at the Brandywine River Museum (Chadds Ford, PA) and the Farnsworth Art Museum (Rockland, ME). In Covid times, she’s reaching new audiences online. 

Victoria has curated art shows and exhibited her own photography. A book of her photographs and accompanying essays, "My Andy," was published by the Greenville Museum of Art in 2017. 

In this interview, Victoria shares many stories and insights, including this advice from N.C. Wyeth: “Paint what you know. Paint what’s in your heart. Paint with emotion. Paint with intensity.” 

This week I’m excited to share a conversation with a bestselling author/illustrator who also happens to be my former college roommate—Aaron Zenz. 

Aaron reveals the hidden history behind his smash hit, “The Hiccupotamus.” It involves a case of hiccups, a college assignment, bankruptcy, embezzlement, a publishing executive’s daughter, and Jeff Bezos. 

Aaron also tells the stories behind his amazing collaborative projects—creating a popular book review blog with his kids; setting off a global scavenger hunt for painted rocks; and drawing hundreds of monsters with schoolchildren. The latter two projects were finalists for the Grand Rapids Art Prize, one of the world’s largest art competitions. 

Describing all the ups and downs of life as a freelance artist, Aaron’s humor, humility, and faith come shining through. 

In our 5th episode, Sam Torode converses with Anita Ashland, writer and spiritual seeker. First, they talk about their shared history joining the Eastern Orthodox Church in early adulthood, and their reasons for leaving. They discuss the paradigm shift from a literal reading of religious language to a metaphorical, symbolic understanding. Anita then delves into Jungian psychology, the Myers-Briggs personality type indicator, and Hellenistic astrology. This quote from Jason E. Smith summarizes her theme: “Religious institutions should not be seen as repositories of truth, but instead as opportunities for the individual’s own experiments with truth.” 

In our 4th episode, Sam Torode talks with Lisa’Anne Ivey, actress, poet, and all-around artist. Lisa’Anne grew up in Jamaica and initially pursued a career as a medical doctor, studying biology and psychology. But partway through medical school, she dropped out to pursue her true love—the performing arts. Lisa’Anne talks about the challenges of defying family expectations and finding her footing in Hollywood. She also reads two of her poems and chats with Sam about writing, singing, the relationship between sensuality and spirituality, and more.

Imagine learning about creativity & the craft of writing from the master himself, Ray Bradbury!

In our 3rd episode, Sam Torode speaks with Sam Weller, Ray Bradbury's authorized biographer. In addition to “The Bradbury Chronicles: The Life of Ray Bradbury,” Sam collaborated with Ray on “Listen to the Echoes: The Ray Bradbury Interviews,” and “Shadow Show: All-New Stories in Celebration of Ray Bradbury.” Sam’s newest book is a beautiful collection of short stories, “Dark Black” (Hat & Beard Press, 2020). 

In our 2nd episode, Sam Torode speaks with actress Nicole J. Butler. Nicole has appeared in TV shows from “ER” and “CSI” to “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and “Space Force.” She’s perhaps best known as “She-Shed Cheryl” from a viral State Farm commercial. Recently she wrote, produced, and starred in her own comedy series, “Sister President,” free to watch on YouTube. Her production company is called the Live True Project. 

In this interview, Nicole discusses how she came to love the theater; the art of embodying a character; scripting her own series; her spiritual journey; the importance of on-screen diversity; politics and the pandemic; and more.

In our inaugural episode, Sam interviews Trevor Clark, botanist and herbalist. Trevor tells the amazing story of how he became “obsessed” with plants and herbs after they helped him recover from debilitating illness stemming from a spinal injury. He explains how plants are scientifically analyzed, and discusses the use of medicinal herbs in treating a variety of conditions, including Covid-19. 

Specific supplements mentioned include: Pau D’arco (fibromyalgia); Berberine (blood sugar); Crossvine (fatigue); Cordyceps mushroom, Vitamins C and D, Zinc, and Niacin (Covid-19); Mimosa tree, Rhodiola, and St. John’s Wort (depression).