Spirit Gym with Paul Chek

Paul Chek

Get ready for a no-holds-barred exploration of life and why we’re all here. Each week, world-renowned Holistic Health Practitioner Paul Chek and his guests will tackle topics like spirituality and metaphysics, human performance, diet, science, plant medicine, relationships, sexuality, lifestyle, and personal development with a depth and honesty that you won’t find anywhere else. Previously called Living 4D with Paul Chek, the podcast changed name to Spirit Gym with Paul Chek on Episode 300.

  1. 402 — Teaching Kids How to Think — Not What to Think — in the Age of AI With Priten Soundar-Shah

    1d ago

    402 — Teaching Kids How to Think — Not What to Think — in the Age of AI With Priten Soundar-Shah

    The state of public education is a mess. At the heart of it is a real struggle about a fundamental question: How much tech should our kids be exposed to daily in the classroom? Contrary to what parents have been told by public schools nationwide, there is no single one-size-fits-all solution for kids and that includes the use or non-use of tech tools like artificial intelligence (AI) in classrooms. Also, did those high-tech school districts warn you your kid’s basic math skills would erode so much that she/he would be tethered to a tech device for the rest of their lives? Priten Soundar-Shah, author of Ethical Ed Tech: How Educators Can Lead on AI and Digital Safety in K-12, shares a better way forward based on the intelligent and deliberate use of technology that fosters better engagement in our public schools this week on Spirit Gym.  Learn more about Priten and his much-needed work in the non-profit sector at his website. Listen to his podcast, Margin of Thought with Priten, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen to them. You’ll find him on social media via Instagram, Linkedin and TikTok. Read the opening chapter of Priten’s book, Ethical Ed Tech, for free at this website. Buy his book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Bookshop and upload your receipt, and you’ll receive several free resources, including an exclusive bonus chapter and video course. Timestamps 7:39 Living the life of a non-profit entrepreneur, tech tool-builder and teacher. 19:14 The conversations about the role of tech in schools moved from teachers to big tech companies. 26:03 Reading a book on how to read inspired the name for Priten’s podcast. 32:26 How do know what red is if you don’t experience it? 44:36 How do you persuade kids to eat vegetables and learn things too? 50:19 Making things happen faster and easier — what tech does best — is often not the best environment for learning. 58:00 Paul’s crashing conversation with Claude about generating faulty AI art. 1:02:47 There is no one-size-fits-all solution for improving education and that includes the use/non-use of tech like AI. 1:11:40 Gamified engagement versus learning engagement. 1:18:06 Are we so dependent on technology that your kid’s basic math skills have been “downloaded” to a digital calculator on a cell phone? 1:25:30 The case studies featured in Ethical Ed Tech provide scenarios and options for the ethical use of tech in schools, not absolute solutions. 1:33:17 One unintended consequence of tech dominance in schools: A fixation on measuring and controlling every aspect of them (including reading and test scores). 1:46:11 There’s no community consensus on the purpose of schooling. 1:53:36 The real-world limits on how much schools can solve external factors like personal flourishing, contributing to the world and how a kid feels about herself/himself away from school. 2:03:21 Priten hopes schools will deal with AI faster than they did cell phones (10-15 years). Resources AI and the Future of Education: Teaching in the Age of Artificial Intelligence by Priten Soundar-Shah Pedagogy Futures Academy 4 Social Civics  The work of Confucius Paul’s podcast conversations with Dr. Jared Horvath and Elizabeth Nelson The Digital Delusion: How Classroom Technology Harms Our Kids’ Learning — And How To Help Them Thrive Again by Jared Horvath The Living Soil and the Haughley Experiment by Lady Evelyn Barbara Balfour Find more resources for this episode on our website. Music Credit: Meet Your Heroes (444Hz), Composed, mixed, mastered and produced by Michael RB Schwartz of Brave Bear Music Thanks to our awesome sponsors: Paleovalley BIOptimizers US and BIOptimizers UK PAUL15 Organifi CHEK20 Wild Pastures Pique Life Spirit Gym CHEK Institute We may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using affiliate links.

    2h 14m
  2. 401 — Nothing Is Missing in Your Life… You're Just Not Seeing It With Dr. John Demartini

    Jun 9

    401 — Nothing Is Missing in Your Life… You're Just Not Seeing It With Dr. John Demartini

    At age 13, Dr. John Demartini left home after being told by the “experts” around him that his life would never amount to much. People claimed his physical and learning challenges were too much to overcome… Nearly six decades later, John is living the life none of those “experts” could’ve ever imagined, as a world-renown teacher who helps his students come to a greater understanding of human behavior and maximizing their potential. John shares his amazing journey from his early days as teenage surfer without a home, then explains why he gave up the self-help movement — it’s a moral trap — and reveals the importance of asking the right questions of ourselves and others this week on Spirit Gym. Find out more about John and his work on his website and on social media via Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and YouTube. Listen to his podcast, The Demartini Show, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to them. Also, John invites Spirit Gym listeners to take advantage of some free gifts: · Download his 7 Steps to Expand to the Next Level of Empowerment workbook. · Watch John’s inspiring presentation, Awakening Your Astronomical Vision. · Complete the Demartini Value Determination Process, a 13-step process that helps you determine your highest values or priorities in life. · Take his master classes, Increase Your Deserve Level and Finally Get What You Want and Discover The Hidden Order and Its Power to Transform Your Life. Timestamps 5:34 John leaves home at age 13 to hitchhike cross-country and surf. 8:31 John’s life-changing encounter with Paul Bragg. 19:59 From learning-challenged to speaking to University of Houston students daily. 35:20 “Everything that's going on our life is on the way to help us be our most magnificent self.” 46:00 Lean into your uniqueness and authenticity with help from your teachers. 53:29 The Demartini method. 1:01:45 Holy curiosity. 1:13:32 “I really believe all of the randomness that we have is missing information.” 1:22:29 “The Master lives in a world of transformation, not the illusion of gain, loss, pleasure, pain or polarities.” 1:27:39 John’s research leads him to give up the self-help movement. 1:39:32 “Quality questions are ones that make us aware of what we're unconscious of when we're interpreting things in this polarized way.” 1:41:47 What is depression? 1:54:56 True science and true religion mirror each other, but with different languages. 2:03:25 John’s definition of evil: An incomplete awareness of a mental construct. 2:12:59 Good and evil: The only labels we impose on things that are exaggerations rather than synthesis. 2:15:41 The soulmate question. 2:31:05 “The first thing I tell my students: Whatever you perceive in me, let’s find it in you.” Resources Essentials of Emotional Intelligence by Dr. John Demartini Special Relativity and Classical Field Theory: The Theoretical Minimum by Leonard Susskind and Art Friedman The Principles of Quantum Mechanics by P.A.M. Durac The C.T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston Dr. John Demartini’s heated conversation with Aubrey Marcus on YouTube The Science of Mind: The Complete 1926 edition by Ernest Holmes The Law of Eristic Escalation explained by Dr. John Demartini The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale The work of Jack LaLanne, Buddy Miles, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Claude Shannon, Frank Tipler, Stephen Wolfram, Vera Rubin, Sri Aurobindo, Stephen Hawking, Edward Edinger and Epictetus The Schrödinger equation Rudolf Clausius and the second law of thermodynamics The Boltzmann equation Heraclitis and the Logos What is Life? by Erwin Schrodinger Geocentrism The Rigveda Cosmic Consciousness: A Study in the Evolution of the Human Mind by Richard Bucke Gate control theory by Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall The Secret (film) on YouTube The Trans-Planckian problem Paul’s podcast conversation with Sean O’Laoire Find more resources for this episode on our website. Music Credit: Meet Your Heroes (444Hz), Composed, mixed, mastered and produced by Michael RB Schwartz of Brave Bear Music Thanks to our awesome sponsors: Paleovalley BIOptimizers US and BIOptimizers UK PAUL15 Organifi CHEK20 Wild Pastures Pique Life Spirit Gym CHEK Institute We may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using affiliate links.

    2h 37m
  3. 400 — Shadow Work Never Ends And That’s Great News With Paul Chek

    Jun 2

    400 — Shadow Work Never Ends And That’s Great News With Paul Chek

    Have you been running away from your shadow self for so long you no longer remember why? Too many people attempt to escape from their shadow selves out of fear and a lack of understanding that acknowledging their shadow is a structural feature of an individuated psyche and a reservoir of vital energy that can help you grow into the adult you’re meant to be. If you’ve been struggling to find a path forward, Paul shares the benefits of shadow work and explains why doing it consistently over a lifetime can transform your life this week on Spirit Gym. Check out the PDF Paul created that accompanies this episode to help you better understand shadow work. Timestamps 5:00 True shadow work is a lifetime process that never ends. 15:08 Managing your shadow work by better managing your health and breathing. 21:47 Your shadow: The price of having a definitive identity. 28:35 “The pull between consciousness and shadow is what makes psychological growth possible at all.” 38:16 “If you're not working with your shadow consciously with legitimate spiritual intent and doing the work properly, it will project itself outward.” 44:03 The collective unconscious. 50:43 Doing your shadow work goes a long way toward lessening your judgement of others. 56:03 Hyperstition. 1:03:27 To think holistically, always ask yourself, “Is it true?” 1:11:06 What is your secret story? 1:21:54 The shadow: A hyperstitional structure. 1:31:36 Break hyperstitional patterns with these exercises. 1:44:20 You can’t have consciousness without a positive and a negative. 1:49:15 Your stories are connected to events and the shadow work you do. Resources Ego and Archetype by Edward Edinger The numinous The work of Swami Vivekananda, Carl Jung, Dean Radin, Dr. Larry Dossey, Murray Stein, Edgar Cayce and Nick Land How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy! When God Was a Woman by Merlin Stone Paul’s podcast conversations with James Hollis, Jonathan Bluestein and James Carse Paul’s solocast on Lucifer, Christ and Ahriman Nonviolent Communication: The Basics As I Know and Use Them by Wayland Myers The Evolution of Love From Quarks to Culture: The Rise of Evolutionary Relationships in Response to the Meta-Crisis by Dr. Marc Gafni Find more resources for this episode on our website. Music Credit: Meet Your Heroes (444Hz), Composed, mixed, mastered and produced by Michael RB Schwartz of Brave Bear Music Thanks to our awesome sponsors: Paleovalley BIOptimizers US and BIOptimizers UK PAUL15 Organifi CHEK20 Wild Pastures Pique Life Spirit Gym CHEK Institute We may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using affiliate links.

    1h 60m
  4. 399 — 272 Emotions and You Probably Only Know 28 of Them With D. Earl Johnston

    May 26

    399 — 272 Emotions and You Probably Only Know 28 of Them With D. Earl Johnston

    Imagine you and your teenager are sitting down for a nice meal and she/he asks, “What do you know about depression?” and you’re stumped for an answer. Faced with that question, D. (Doug) Earl Johnston set out to find the answer and, along the way, identified 271 additional and distinct emotional states that formed the basis of his latest book, Choosing Emotions: Thinking with Your Head and Acting with Your Heart. Doug shares what he learned about the amazing array of emotions all of us feel and how they protect us this week on Spirit Gym. Learn more about Doug and his work at his website and on social media via Instagram.  Timestamps 4:58 Doug’s daughter asked him a question he couldn’t answer: What do you know about depression? 10:42 Identifying 272 distinct emotional states through famous quotes. 21:41 Our emotions are tools that protect us. 32:15 The fundamental misunderstandings people have about emotions. 43:15 A consilience. 47:35 Name it, blame it and tame it. 56:30 “Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision.” 1:06:35 Where do you draw the line between an emotion, mood, condition, pattern or life? 1:23:54 “Can you change a default emotion?” 1:33:38 Doug’s reckoning with ego. 1:39:05 Vocabulary and emotions. 1:48:03 The domains of the head, heart and gut. 1:52:55 One of Paul’s guiding principles he learned from a student. Resources Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience by Brené Brown The work of Rollo May, J.K. Rowling, Eckhart Tolle, Dr. Antonio Damasio, Jonathan Heidt, Daniel Kahneman, Niels Bohr, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Charles Kettering, Noam Chomsky, Dan Siegel, Stanley Krippner, Edgar Cayce and Sir Winston Churchill Paul’s podcast conversations with Rollin McCraty and Keith Witt How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain by Lisa Barrett Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath Feelings Buried Alive Never Die by Karol Truman The Body Keeps The Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk  Tao Te Ching: A New English Version by Stephen Mitchell The Second Book of the Tao by Stephen Mitchell Find more resources for this episode on our website. Music Credit: Meet Your Heroes (444Hz), Composed, mixed, mastered and produced by Michael RB Schwartz of Brave Bear Music Thanks to our awesome sponsors: Paleovalley BIOptimizers US and BIOptimizers UK PAUL15 Organifi CHEK20 Wild Pastures Pique Life Spirit Gym CHEK Institute We may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using affiliate links.

    2h 7m
  5. 398 — AI Doesn't Hallucinate — It Makes Crap Up (That Distinction Matters) With Elizabeth Nelson

    May 19

    398 — AI Doesn't Hallucinate — It Makes Crap Up (That Distinction Matters) With Elizabeth Nelson

    Once upon a time not so very long ago, artificial intelligence (AI) was a product of speculative science fiction, especially in films from Metropolis to Blade Runner. Today, AI has so infiltrated our daily lives, the thought of not having access to Google or other AI-driven apps on our mobile phones and computers scares the crap out of a lot of people.  Paul continues his investigation into AI with able assistance from author, Silicon Valley survivor and depth psychologist Elizabeth Nelson who explores the wide gulf between human and machine this week on Spirit Gym. Check out Elizabeth’s essays and individual coaching groups, watch her video presentations and read her essays on her website. Timestamps 7:54 Defining technology and machines. 12:05 Artificial intelligence, large language models (LLMs) or large language machines? 19:12 “Technology is not neutral.” 23:48 Confusing data and information with real knowledge. 29:50 The intrusion of machine language into our humanity. 37:45 The danger of LLMs emulating humans. 51:23 Exploring the gulf between human and cyborg/machine in books and films like Blade Runner. 57:23 When describing what AI does, calling it making crap up or AI slop is better than hallucinating. 1:08:26 Are we turning an it like AI into a being? 1:14:15 The irony of some people celebrating the end times while others turn to transhumanism. 1:38:18 Can you leave your tech toys at home for a week without feeling anxiety? 1:49:48 Why is it so important for humanity to understand very clearly what reality is? Resources Depth Psychology, Myth and Artificial Intelligence: Soul and the Machine, edited by Jason Batt and Jonathan Erickson The Art of Jungian Couples Therapy: An Introduction by Elizabeth Nelson and Anthony Delmedico The Art of Inquiry: A Depth Psychology Perspective by Elizabeth Nelson and Joseph Coppin Psyche’s Knife: Archetypal Explorations of Love and Power by Elizabeth Nelson Journal of Jungian Scholarly Studies Understanding Media: The Extension of Man by Marshall McLuhan and Lewis Lapham  Elizabeth’s Psyche, Soma, Cyborg course at the Pacifica Graduate Institute The Ship of Theseus (Theseus’s Paradox) Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick Exteroception Elysium The work of James Hillman and Edward Edinger Paul’s podcast conversation with B. Earl DNA: Pirates of the Sacred Spiral by Leonard Horowitz Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley The Forgotten Truth: The Common Vision of the World’s Religions by Huston Smith The Social Dilemma on Netflix Elizabeth’s presentation during the recent Soul and the Machine webinar on the International Society of Mythology website Find more resources for this episode on our website. Music Credit: Meet Your Heroes (444Hz), Composed, mixed, mastered and produced by Michael RB Schwartz of Brave Bear Music Thanks to our awesome sponsors: Paleovalley BIOptimizers US and BIOptimizers UK PAUL15 Organifi CHEK20 Wild Pastures Pique Life Spirit Gym CHEK Institute We may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using affiliate links.

    2h 2m
  6. 397 — The Shamanic Journey You Never Knew Fasting Could Be With Sean McCormick

    May 12

    397 — The Shamanic Journey You Never Knew Fasting Could Be With Sean McCormick

    Thanks to its recent mainstream popularity, more people are turning to fasting as a means to promote better health and weight loss than ever before, but is it a good one?  Fasting can be beneficial for some people but not everyone, and only if they really pay attention to what their bodies are telling them and are working with professionals like Sean McCormick, an expert in the realm of dry fasting. Paul and Sean discuss the real world pros and cons of fasting and how a session of fasting, under the best and safest conditions, can be a life-changing Shamanic journey this week on Spirit Gym. Learn more about Sean and dry fasting on his website and Dry Fast With Friends where you can access a FREE Dry Fast Guide and masterclass video. Find Sean on social media via Instagram here and here. Listen to Sean’s Optimal Performance podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to them.  For Spirit Gym listeners: Interested in taking the next step into dry fasting? Join Sean’s next Dry Fast With Friends 4.0 live event starting June 25 at Dry Fast With Friends. Save 50 PERCENT on the event or any other levels of dry fasting by using the promo code CHEK. (Special offers from Spirit Gym guests are time-sensitive and at their discretion to redeem after 30 days.) Timestamps 4:28 Sean’s journey to performance optimization began when his parents taught him transcendental meditation at age 12. 11:17 Sean’s first dry fast was to impress a young woman who is now his wife during Ramadan. 29:32 Sean’s experiments with various fasting methods that are measurable. 35:13 Why dry fasting works best for Sean. 41:44 Pay attention to how your body reacts badly and well to fasting, then food and water afterward. 53:23 How a fast can be an introspective process. 1:02:07 Down and dirty with enemas. 1:12:11 Can you recognize you don’t know everything and be willing to refer a client to a health professional with more skills? 1:20:32 Dry fasting isn’t good for everyone, with the metabolic disruptions that occur in your body. 1:36:19 Treat fasting like a Shamanic journey, not a quick fix to lose weight. Resources The Phoenix Protocol: Dry Fasting For Rapid Healing and Radical Life Extension by Dr. August Dunning Find more resources for this episode on our website. Music Credit: Meet Your Heroes (444Hz), Composed, mixed, mastered and produced by Michael RB Schwartz of Brave Bear Music Thanks to our awesome sponsors: Paleovalley BIOptimizers US and BIOptimizers UK PAUL15 Organifi CHEK20 Wild Pastures Pique Life Spirit Gym CHEK Institute We may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using affiliate links.

    2h 40m
  7. 396 — Does Your Personal Cosmology Need Improvement Before a Plant Medicine Ceremony With Mark Gober

    May 5

    396 — Does Your Personal Cosmology Need Improvement Before a Plant Medicine Ceremony With Mark Gober

    If someone asked you about your personal cosmology — who are you, why are you here and what is your role on our planet — what would you tell them? Or, more to the point, could you really answer the question? For best-selling author Mark Gober, it took years for him to understand the huge gap between following a personal cosmology that was nihilistic, random, superficial and meaningless and living an intentional one that embraces Spirit and the divine in all of us.  A decade passed before Mark was ready for his first plant medicine ceremony, and the healing work he did on developing his personal cosmology made all of the difference in creating a positive, intimate experience that keeps on delivering insights.  Join Mark and Paul on a journey of discovery and lasting growth with help from plant medicines and learn why a personal cosmology matters this week on Spirit Gym. Check out Mark and his work on his website and on social media via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, YouTube and Telegram. Timestamps 3:46 Does our intellect or something in our biology block us being receptive to our natural state, especially as we age? 12:23 How plant medicines reconnect us to the various aspects of ourselves. 15:20 Amnesia is built into the human experience (with a large dose of ignorance thrown in). 22:27 Ibogaine: A medicine that loves through truth, even when it is painful. 31:12 Mark meets ibogaine. 44:00 It took a decade for Mark to be ready for his first plant medicine ceremony. 46:55 Mark’s four intentions going into his first plant medicine ceremony. 1:05:31 Self-betrayal: A form of self-loathing that our society trains us to do. 1:09:35 Ancestral trauma, underlying terror and catastrophic thinking. 1:17:27 “Whenever we heal for ourselves, we’re really healing for our family.” 1:26:54 The purpose of existence and authenticity is the only game in town. 1:32:07 A sign Mark was tapping into his divine guidance before his plant medicine ceremony: Writing a book about it. Resources An End to the Upside Down Cosmos by Mark Gober Find more resources for this episode on our website. Music Credit: Meet Your Heroes (444Hz), Composed, mixed, mastered and produced by Michael RB Schwartz of Brave Bear Music Thanks to our awesome sponsors: Paleovalley BIOptimizers US and BIOptimizers UK PAUL15 Organifi CHEK20 Wild Pastures Pique Life Spirit Gym CHEK Institute We may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using affiliate links.

    2h 26m
  8. 395 — The Family Who Ditched The Rat Race and Never Looked Back With Robyn and Victor Robledo

    Apr 28

    395 — The Family Who Ditched The Rat Race and Never Looked Back With Robyn and Victor Robledo

    If you’re a parent, do you remember one day when you had fun with your kids doing things that weren’t tied down to going on a (rare) yearly vacation or a holiday gathering? Unfortunately, most parents are living the lives of event planners, carting their kids from home to school, birthday parties, recitals, large family gatherings and too many youth sports and hardly anyone is having any fun (or getting much sleep). Do you want to parent your kids in a more holistic, connected way that teaches them how to be their best selves and allows you to live your best life too? Robyn and Victor Robledo, the nomads with a purpose who raised their five kids on the road, will show you how this week on Spirit Gym. Learn more about Robyn, Victor and their family at the Nomads With a Purpose website and Robyn’s website. Check out their adventures on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Contact Victor and Robyn via email for information about their services. Timestamps 4:39 Building a business as a couple at age 20 on the fly and figuring it out. 8:11 Victor’s extreme adrenal fatigue and subsequent panic attack changed everything. 16:15 Victor’s collision course with trauma. 20:46 Leaving Southern California to explore the world. 29:24 Two parents and five kids living on the road on about 150 euros ($174) a day. 32:37 Paul’s collision course with seasonal affective disorder. 39:08 There's something amazing about waking up and choosing what you want to do today, not what you have to do. 47:53 Are you so afraid of your kids that they will reject you? 55:12 “There’s no self-growth in me sitting on the sidelines of another soccer game.” 1:04:54 What started as homeschooling eventually became unschooling. 1:13:09 Robyn and Victor raised a family of seven on roughly $4,000 per month while living on the road. 1:32:39 The Five Pillars of healthy living Robyn and Victor have used to build their family. Resources The Road Less Traveled: Why You Shouldn’t Give Up Your Comfy Couch, Hot Showers and Steady Paycheck by Robyn Robledo Gabriela Robledo’s TEDx Talk on How to Find Purpose and Personal Power Find more resources for this episode on our website. Music Credit: Meet Your Heroes (444Hz), Composed, mixed, mastered and produced by Michael RB Schwartz of Brave Bear Music Thanks to our awesome sponsors: Paleovalley BIOptimizers US and BIOptimizers UK PAUL15 Organifi CHEK20 Wild Pastures Pique Life Spirit Gym CHEK Institute We may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using affiliate links.

    2h 33m

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About

Get ready for a no-holds-barred exploration of life and why we’re all here. Each week, world-renowned Holistic Health Practitioner Paul Chek and his guests will tackle topics like spirituality and metaphysics, human performance, diet, science, plant medicine, relationships, sexuality, lifestyle, and personal development with a depth and honesty that you won’t find anywhere else. Previously called Living 4D with Paul Chek, the podcast changed name to Spirit Gym with Paul Chek on Episode 300.

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