Islands of Coherence

Brett Kane
  • 5.0 (21)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • UPDATED SEMIMONTHLY

Islands of Coherence is a podcast for people who refuse to go numb. The world is in freefall - politically, ecologically, spiritually - and most of us can feel it. But Nobel Prize-winning physicist Ilya Prigogine showed us something remarkable: when a system is in chaos, small pockets of coherence don’t just survive - they can shift the entire system toward a higher order. This show is about building those pockets. Each episode draws from spiritual practice, somatic work, artmaking, ecology, and activism to explore a single question: how do we cultivate wholeness - in ourselves, in our communities - while everything around us fragments?

  1. 1D AGO

    Goodbye 21st Century Vitalism...Hello Islands of Coherence

    Here's a major update for the future of this platform. We are now laying the '21st Century Vitalism' show to rest and ushering in a new chapter for the broadcast. I'm very excited to announce the newest iteration of this effort, 'Islands of Coherence'. Stay tuned for more updates and episode releases.  Thanks to Mike Rempel of Circle and Arc for the incredible music (https://circleandarc.com/) and  Andrew Tamlyn from Formless and Forming to envisioning the awesome art. (https://formlessandforming.com/)

    3 min

  2. 11/12/2025

    The Weird and Wonderful World of Smell Science with Dr. Kate Mclean

    Joining us on the show for this episode is graphic designer, cartographer, and smellwalk guide, Dr. Kate Mclean. Kate's work is at the intersection of human-perceived smellscapes, cartography, and the communication of 'eye-invisible' sensed data. She uses a range of media including digital design, watercolor, animation, and sculpture to encourage and stimulate people to consider smell in new ways. For this conversation, we explore the sense of smell; how it works, why it's important, and what happens when we strengthen our ability to intentionally smell the world. We then talk about her work of mapping smellscapes in urban environments and all of the implications that come with it. You can stay tuned into Kate's work by heading over to Sensorymaps.com Show Topics - What Are Smellmaps? - What is the Physiology of Smell? - Is Smell Conditioned? - Smell and Memory - Smell and Home - What Happens When We Lose Our Smell? - Becoming more Sensationally Aware - Smell and our Perception of Time - Smell and Cooking - Smell and Design

    1h 5m

  3. 10/23/2025

    Maintaining the Mystery of Psychedelics with Zach Leary

    Joining us on the show today is renowned psychedelic expert, facilitator, and author, Zach Leary! For this conversation we explore the when, where, how, and why of incorporating psychedelics into your journey of self-inquiry and healing. Having sat with hundreds of individuals in their own medicine journeys as well as partaking in hundreds of personal voyages through the psychedelic space, Zach’s unique perspective captures both the immense healing potential as well as the broader mystical implications in a way that nobody else does. His newest book, ‘Your Extraordinary Mind’ is now available wherever you order your books. You can also head on over to zachleary.net to tune into his podcast and sign up for his upcoming online psychedelic studies intensive which begins on December 10th. Show Topics - Zach’s History of Psychedelic Exploration - The Shamanstic Qualities of 60’s Hippie Movement - Psychedelics as Tools for Surrender - Fitting Psychedelics into Modern Life - Choosing the Right Compound - Proper Set and Setting - The Advantages of Working with a Facilitator - Preparation and Integration - Psychedelics and Music - Challenging Trips - Spiritual Practice and Psychedelics

    1h 3m

  4. 09/24/2025

    The Role of Movement in the Search for Meaning with Rafe Kelley

    Joining us on the show this week is the parkour teacher, martial artist, and founder of Evolve, Move, Play - Rafe Kelley. Having spent 20 years exploring diverse movement practices, Rafe has gone on to create a system which combines parkour, connecting with the natural world, and building community through intentional interactions. In this conversation, we explore how we can create a deeper sense of embodied living through movement. You can check out Rafe’s work by heading over to evolvemoveplay.com or following his socials @evolve.move.play     Show Topics: - History of Parkour and How it Changes Us - Risk Vs. Danger - The Importance of Play - The Pros and Cons of Devices - Learning from Rejection and Friction - Apprenticeship - How Ideologies Colonize Us - Building Somatic Resiliency - Sensory Desensitization and Political Extremism - Parkour Helps Us Establish Faith in Reality

    1h 24m

  5. 09/11/2025

    Storytelling and Rediscovering What's Real with Tyson Yunkaporta

    Joining us on the show for this episode is the Australian academic, author, and Indigenous thinker, Tyson Yunkaporta. His work explores Indigenous knowledge systems and their relevance to contemporary global challenges, including sustainability, education, and systems thinking. In this conversation we explore the central themes of his book, ‘Right Story, Wrong Story: How to Have Fearless Conversations in Hell’. If you want to plug into Tyson’s work, you can order his books wherever you typically shop! His newest work, ‘Snake Talk: How The World’s Ancient Serpent Stories Can Guide Us’ is now available on all platforms. Show Topics - What is the Importance of Storytelling? - What Makes a Story Right or Wrong? - Origins of Wrong Story - Community Responses to Wrong Story - Contrasting What’s Real with What’s True - How to Connect With What’s Real - The Pairing of Wellness Culture and Fascism - The Commodification of Indigenous Thinking

    1h 10m

  6. 08/21/2025

    The Four Enlightened Actions to Help in Troubled Times with David Nichtern

    This weeks episode of 21st Century Vitalism is with the one and only, David Nichtern! David is a senior meditation teacher in the lineage of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, founder of online mindfulness education platform, Dharma Moon, and a Grammy nominated musician. For this conversation, we explore how to effectively make change in the world by investigating Buddhism’s Four Karmas teaching, navigating hopelessness, and the importance of maintaining a joyful heart. To stay connected with David, check out dharmamoon.com to see their extensive list of upcoming mindfulness courses including their 100 hour Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training starting on October 10th. He also has the ‘Creativity, Spirituality, and Making a Buck Podcast’ available wherever you tune into your podcasts. To support this show: head on over to Patreon.com/21stcenturyvitalism and consider becoming a member. Also subscribe over on YouTube, follow us on Instagram, or like us on Facebook. Show Topics - Bodhisattva Intention and Action - Emptiness and Compassion - The Four Karmas - The Near Enemies of the Four Karmas - Habituated Actions - Do Countries Have Karmic Signatures? - Turning Hopelessness into a Resource - Maintaining a Joyful Heart

    1h 17m

  7. 08/06/2025

    Connection, Community, and the Art of Somatic Listening with Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith

    Joining us on the show this week is American composer, performer, and producer, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith. In this conversation we explore the connections created from interacting with art, somatic listening, and discovering your own authentic voice. Kaitlyn is a classically trained creative force who uses an array of rare synthesizers to generate unique and immersive pieces that transport you to different spaces. Kaitlyn’s new album ‘GUSH’ is set to be released on August 22nd and can be listened to on all streaming platforms.  https://kaitlynaureliasmith.com/ Show Topics - Music and Connection - Exploring Unheard Sonic Territories - Ambient Music as a Space - Creating Live Shows - Signs of Connecting with an Audience - The Changing Meaning of Art - Body Based Practice and Music - Somatic Listening - The Beauty of Musical Preference - Listening More Deeply

    1h 2m

  8. 07/15/2025

    Shared Awe and the Importance of Visionary Communities with Amanda Sage

    New Episode of the 21st Century Vitalism Podcast is out now! This week's offering is with the incredible American Visionary Artist and educator, Amanda Sage. In this conversation we explore the importance of visionary communities, teasing out our unique offerings to the world, and the notion that we’re all inherently creative. Amanda is a lifelong artist who’s dedicated a majority of her career to creating works of transformation, interconnectedness, and regenerative practices. She spent over a decade living in Vienna studying with the founder of Fantastic Realism, Ernst Fuchs and is currently serving on the Board of Directors at the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors. Her global community, The Vision Train can be found over at visiontrain.org. You can check out some of her work while listening to this episode over at amandasage.com Show Topics Maintaining Connection to the Creative Impulse Celebrity and Its Shadow The Visionary Component of Festivals Importance of Community and Elders The Function of Visionary Art We’re All Uniquely Creative Bringing Festival Energy Into the Mundane  The Vision Train Shared Awe

    1h 4m
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5
out of 5
21 Ratings

About

Islands of Coherence is a podcast for people who refuse to go numb. The world is in freefall - politically, ecologically, spiritually - and most of us can feel it. But Nobel Prize-winning physicist Ilya Prigogine showed us something remarkable: when a system is in chaos, small pockets of coherence don’t just survive - they can shift the entire system toward a higher order. This show is about building those pockets. Each episode draws from spiritual practice, somatic work, artmaking, ecology, and activism to explore a single question: how do we cultivate wholeness - in ourselves, in our communities - while everything around us fragments?

Information

  • Creator
    Brett Kane
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2020 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Islands of Coherence

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