EVEN MORE about this episode! Did your soul choose this life—and its challenges—before you were born? Join Julie Ryan and developmental psychologist Robert Atkinson, PhD, as they explore pre-birth planning, destiny, déjà vu, and how ancient myths reveal the deeper purpose behind your life’s journey. Through powerful spiritual stories and folklore— including tales of souls receiving their life path before birth—they explore whether experiences like déjà vu may be echoes of a greater design meant to guide our growth and awakening. This episode dives into myths and sacred stories not as literal history, but as profound psychological and spiritual maps. Dr. Atkinson reveals how timeless narratives—from Jonah and the whale to Gilgamesh and Odysseus—share a universal structure rooted in Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, offering a blueprint for transformation that transcends culture and time. These stories, he explains, are invitations to wholeness—calling us to face trials, claim meaning, and evolve beyond duality. Together, Julie and Dr. Atkinson explore how imagination, community, meditation, prayer, and spiritual guidance help us interpret these stories in a modern world overflowing with information but starving for wisdom. This rich conversation will change how you view your life story—inviting you to see your challenges not as obstacles, but as sacred signposts guiding you toward purpose, unity, and deeper consciousness. Guest Biography: Robert Atkinson, PhD, is an award-winning author, educator, and developmental psychologist whose work bridges storytelling, personal transformation, and the evolution of consciousness. He is the author or co-editor of more than a dozen influential books, including The Way of Unity: Essential Principles and Preconditions for Peace (2025), A New Story of Wholeness, The Story of Our Time, Year of Living Deeply, and Mystic Journey, earning multiple Gold and Silver Nautilus Book Awards for his contributions to unitive and evolutionary thought. Dr. Atkinson holds a PhD in cross-cultural human development from the University of Pennsylvania with a postdoctoral fellowship from the University of Chicago, is Professor Emeritus at the University of Southern Maine, and is internationally recognized for his pioneering work in life story interviewing, personal myth-making, and soul-centered development. He is the director of StoryCommons, founder of One Planet Peace Forum, a member of the Evolutionary Leaders Circle, and a recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award as a Visionary Leader from the Visioneers International Network. Episode Chapters: (0:00:01) - Soul's Purpose and Life's Journey (0:12:24) - The Power of Myths and Legends (0:26:42) - The Power of Stories and Imagination (0:37:23) - The Power of Parables and Healing (0:55:43) - The Path to Wholeness ➡️Subscribe to Ask Julie Ryan YouTube ➡️Subscribe to Ask Julie Ryan Español YouTube ➡️Subscribe to Ask Julie Ryan Português YouTube ➡️Subscribe to Ask Julie Ryan Deutsch YouTube ➡️Subscribe to Ask Julie Ryan Français YouTube ✏️Ask Julie a Question! 🌟Follow on Instagram! Please join Julie next week with your question. Thursdays at 8pm ET, 7pm CT, 5pm PT. https://askjulieryanshow.com And, please leave a five-star review and subscribe so you can hear all the new episodes. Sponsors & Recommendations Disclaimer: This show is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be medical, psychological, financial or legal advice. Please contact a licensed professional. The Ask Julie Ryan show, Julie Ryan, and all parties involved in producing, recording and distributing it assume no responsibility for listener’s actions based on any information heard on this or any Ask Julie Ryan shows or podcasts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
