A Pilgrim’s Progress

Ben Johnson
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  • Mental Health
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I'm Ben Johnson, Warzone Kid. That's my shorthand for those of us whose childhoods were more like warzones and less like nurseries. I'm a child sex abuse survivor, and as an adult I live with Complex PTSD, Borderline Personality Disorder, I'm a recovering addict, bulimic, and binge eater. This podcast is about my own quest to live my life, to learn and become what I am. I'm a Pilgrim on the Trail to the Western Lnds, the place of peace and wholeness.  We've got a long way to go, Pilgrim. Let's walk a few miles together.  Daylight's burnin'!

  1. Episode 1

    Welcome to the Trail!

    I'm a child sex abuse survivor living as an adult with CPTSD, Borderline, I'm a recovering addict, bulimic, and binge eater. Those are just some words from the mental health world.  I'm a human being with a soul. This podcast is about my journey to learn and become what I am. The three cornerstones of my life are Healing Circles, Jungian Analysis, and Zen practice.  I'm a warzone kid - that's my term for those of us whose childhoods were more like a warzone than a supportive nursery.  We are legion!  Welcome to the podcast! It's taken directly from the Pilgrim's Progress playlist on my youtube channel @trailtothewesternlands.  Come on, Pilgrim. We've got a lot of miles to walk, and daylights burnin'. Let's walk a few miles together. We've got a lot to talk about.

    6 min

  2. Episode 2

    Good Morning Warzone Kids!

    Here's my take on Robin Williams's classic monologue from "Good Morning Vietnam!" it's my way of capturing all the themes of the podcast. Plus ot was fun to do!

    5 min

  3. Episode 3

    I: The Leaning Tower of Psyche

    Imagine the psyche as a Jenga Tower made of wooden blocks. Warzone Kids have childhoods that took their Jenga towers apart and stacked them into rickety structures which tend to fall down in adulthood. That's our task as Warzone Kids, to put our Jenga towers back together, to live our lives now.

    19 min

  4. Episode 3

    II: Take the 378 to Infinity!

    378 pounds is the most I know that I have ever weighed. Today I'm at 197 and planning to run a half-marathon this spring. This episode is about a series of numbers and how they relate to my own healing psyche. Let's go!

    20 min

  5. Episode 6

    IV: The Demons Have Your Belt!

    Intergenerational Trauma. That's what the mental health folks call it. We pass down parts of our psyches from one generation to the next, for good and for bad. If you're a warzone kid like me, and you're listening to this, you probably shiver at the thought that you'd pass the damage down to your kids, too.

    8 min

  6. Episode 7

    V: Hidden Water Runs Deep

    I'm a volunteer circle keeper with Hidden Water, a group that facilitates healing circles by and for those effected by child sex abuse. This experience forms one of my "Three Pearls of Healing" - the others are Jungian analysis and Zen practice.  This episode is about my experience sitting in circles with my fellow warzone kids. Hidden water can be found at https://www.hiddenwatercircle.org/

    16 min

  7. Episode 8

    VI: At the Trailhead!

    This episode introduces the idea of the Trail to the Western Lands and the title of the podcast, "A Pilgrim's Progress." it's taken from a book I'm currently pitching. The inward journey toward healing becomes an external pilgrimage, and the challenges we face in our own healing become literal obstacles on the path.

    8 min

  8. Episode 9

    VII: Map & Terrain

    This piece is about my own map of the trail to the western lands. I've just finished draft one of a book called "A Pilgrim's Progress: Letters from the Trail to the Western Lands." The idea is that the inner journey becomes an external pilgrimage where the pilgrims encounter obstacles that reflect the obstacles I've encountered. I'd love to hear from you! I'm at suchaone@proton.me My website is at https://www.hoanthropos.com/

    19 min
See All Season 1 (18)

About

I'm Ben Johnson, Warzone Kid. That's my shorthand for those of us whose childhoods were more like warzones and less like nurseries. I'm a child sex abuse survivor, and as an adult I live with Complex PTSD, Borderline Personality Disorder, I'm a recovering addict, bulimic, and binge eater. This podcast is about my own quest to live my life, to learn and become what I am. I'm a Pilgrim on the Trail to the Western Lnds, the place of peace and wholeness.  We've got a long way to go, Pilgrim. Let's walk a few miles together.  Daylight's burnin'!

Information

  • Creator
    Ben Johnson
  • Episodes
    83
  • Seasons
    1
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    A Pilgrim’s Progress