117 episodes

A podcast based inquiry into the next phase of the human experiment.

Emerge: Making Sense of What's Next Daniel Thorson

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.7 • 102 Ratings

A podcast based inquiry into the next phase of the human experiment.

    John Churchill - Attunement as World Medicine

    John Churchill - Attunement as World Medicine

    John Churchill joins Daniel to discuss the relationship between Attachment Theory and the process of awakening. Weaving together strands from Buddhist psychology and developmental psychology, John describes the Bodhisattva path and the development of a Planetary Dharma through the lenses of attunement and attachment. Topics covered include the development of the heart, the definition and various dimensions of attunement, and the difficulty of finding trustworthy spiritual teachers and community. John also shares theory and practice perspectives on the development of healthier attachment and offers words of encouragement for community building in difficult times.



    0:00 Introduction and background for the talk

    2:43 Western and Eastern Psychology and Attachment Theory

    5:01  The attachment and attention systems and the sense of self

    10:37 Addressing the split between the heart and the mind

    16:21 Buddhist perspectives on the healing of the attachment system

    21:26 Right relationship, attunement, and the dimensions of the heart

    26:42 Developmental psychology and attunement

    28:42 Levels of attunement and the significance of intuition

    36:46 Collective psychological and structural components of attunement 

    40:52 Awakening with and without the heart as a central point of focus

    48:09 Discernment on the Buddhist path and a developmental model of the Bodhisattva

    52:32 The significance of time in spiritual development

    55:50  Finding trustworthy teachers and avenues of practice

    1:04:30 Putting the difficulty of finding a reliable spiritual path in perspective

    1:07:33 Theoretical perspectives and practical advice for developing healthier attachment 

    1:20:23 Summarizing the development of healthy attachment and the Bodhisattva path from the perspective of attachment theory

    1:23:37 Closing thoughts: Coming together and taking care of each other

    • 1 hr 29 min
    Jordan Hall Converts to Christianity

    Jordan Hall Converts to Christianity

    Daniel and Jordan Hall discuss Jordan’s recent conversion to Christianity and the evolution of his worldview. How did a tech pioneer and futurist intellectual who would have said his chances of being baptized were “exactly zero” only five years ago become a convert? Daniel and Jordan talk about their respective “paths to humility” and the importance of religious community and traditional wisdom in the modern world.

    Topics include the tension between innovation and tradition, Game A and Game B,  the search for deeply connected communities, the importance of grief, the evolution of modern Christianity, cultural attitudes towards Christianity, and the power of committing to Truth.



    0-3:34 Jordan’s recent conversion to Christianity

    3:35 The evolution of Jordan’s worldview and his relationship to religion since childhood

    9:11 The 2008 financial crisis and the birth of “Game B”

    16:55 Searching for “Civium” (seeking out a philosophically aligned community) 

    23:07 Going to Black Mountain, North Carolina

    31:18 Reflections on attending church and turning towards religion

    42:06 Getting to humility

    47:56 The importance of grief

    49:54 “Religion that is not a religion” and the “Two Worlds Mythology”

    53:26  Addressing the condemnation of Christianity in modern culture

    1:02:57 Jordan’s thoughts on shifts in modern Christianity

    1:06:36 The value of religious community and tradition in a neophilic culture

    1:12:47 Committing to Truth

    1:14:07 Wrap-up

    • 1 hr 18 min
    Bob Falconer - Internal Family Systems and Spirit Possession

    Bob Falconer - Internal Family Systems and Spirit Possession

    After a long career using many therapeutic modalities, for more than a decade, Bob Falconer has devoted his practice exclusively to Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy. Bob has completed all levels of IFS training and continues to study with many of the senior IFS trainers. He co-authored the book Many Minds, One Self with IFS founder Richard Schwartz and has helped to train more than a thousand people in IFS. 

    For the past several years, Bob has been devoted to completing the extensive research and writing of his new book, The Others Within Us, which deals with “unattached burdens,” “guides” and what has sometimes traditionally been referred to as spirit possession.

    In this episode, Daniel and Bob discuss Bob’s personal trauma and the historical fight for the cultural and professional recognition of abuse, trauma and PTSD. They then delve into the history of psychotherapy and its connections to capitalism and colonialism and Bob’s perspectives on Internal Family Systems (IFS). While exploring the major themes of Bob’s book, they discuss the porous nature of mind, differing cultural models of mind, psychosis and spirit possession, Bob’s personal experiences with “the others within us,” the imaginal realm, and how Western psychology might shift from a “mono-mind” perspective to a “porous mind” one in the future.



    Timestamps


    03:39 Intro
    05:29 Bob’s Abusive Upbringing and Early Spiritual Experiences
    11:07 How Internal Family Systems Has Helped Bob Become a “Man of Joy”
    13:37 The History and Evolution of Modern Cultural Conceptions of Abuse, Trauma and Mind
    21:03 Competition, Capitalism and Colonialism in Psychotherapy
    23:42 Internal Family Systems and Multiplicity of Mind
    28:43 Bob’s Book and His Perspectives on The Porous Nature of Mind
    31:48 “Something Foreign In My Mind”: The Client Who Changed Bob’s Perspective
    39:09 “The Others Within Us”: The Core Claim of Bob’s Book
    45:36 Generational Trauma and Different Cultural Approaches to “The Others Within Us”
    49:19 How Forces Not Clearly Linked To Our Personal History Might Get Into Us
    52:53 Limitations of the Western Conception of Mind and Differing Cultural Interpretations of “Psychosis”
    57:39 Possible Portals To A More Widespread Recognition of The Porosity of Mind
    1:00:05 Navigating The Imaginal Realm
    1:03:51 How Coaches and Practitioners Can Make Space for Porosity of Mind and The Others Within Us
    1:09:20 Closing





    The Others Within Us

    • 1 hr 13 min
    Tasshin - Fullstack Harmony for Maximum Deep Benefit

    Tasshin - Fullstack Harmony for Maximum Deep Benefit

    Tasshin – which means “to reach or achieve truth” – describes himself as an “online pilgrim wandering this precious world for the benefit of all beings.”

    In this episode, Daniel talks with Tasshin about some of the lessons he has learned and his unique insights into what it means to “live your vow,” from clarifying one’s sense of unique purpose to effectively coordinating with individuals and groups. While breaking down a statement on “bottlenecks” from Tasshin’s recent article, they outline a powerful framework that connects inner and outer work and service.

    Topics covered include productivity, psychology, ethics, effective coordination, the technological and poetic attunements (as described by Heidegger), the pathology of trying to “solve the world’s problems,” and the duo’s friendship, which dates back to their two-plus years together at the Monastic Academy.



    Tasshin's Home on the Internet

    Support Emerge on Patreon



    Timestamp

    02:15 Daniel and Tasshin’s Personal Connection and Mutual Inspiration
    10:29 Overview of Tasshin’s Recent Article and Reading of His “Bottleneck” Statement
    16:33 “Finding Your Vow Is The Bottleneck On Productivity”
    24:02 Living One’s Vow/Purpose As An Iterative Process
    28:23 Addressing Doubts Regarding The Concept of “Vow”or “Unique Purpose”
    31:53 “Productivity Is The Bottleneck On Strategy”
    44:37 “Strategy Is The Bottleneck On Effective Coordination”
    47:57 Different Levels of Harmonization
    54:17 Trusting Yourself, Trusting Experience, Trusting Life
    58:52 From Solving The World’s Problems to Focusing On Goodness, Truth, Beauty, and Playing One’s Part
    1:07:52 Closing

    • 1 hr 12 min
    John Churchill - The Three Strands of Awakening [From the Coach's Rising Podcast]

    John Churchill - The Three Strands of Awakening [From the Coach's Rising Podcast]

    This episode is a 're-Cast' from the Coach's Rising podcast, hosted by Joel Monk. I was so moved and inspired by the conversation I thought I'd share it with you all on my stream. I've been following John Churchill's work for some time, and this was exactly the conversation I wanted to have with him. It's a beautiful episode, and I hope you enjoy.

    Dr. John Churchill is a Doctor of Psychology and teacher of Buddha Dharma as well as a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine and author. John’s interest in psycho-spiritual development, Integral theory, Contemplative studies, Western Esotericism, and Mahayana Buddhism began in his adolescence, leading him to spend several years as a Buddhist monk at Samye Ling Monastery in Scotland. During this time, John received the esoteric Planetary Dharma transmissions that would in time unfold as his contribution to a planetary fourth turning teaching. He is also a founding member of the Integral Institute.



    WEBSITEShttps://www.karunamandala.org/https://samadhiintegral.com/

    https://www.coachesrising.com/

    • 1 hr 32 min
    Vince Horn - Meditate with AI

    Vince Horn - Meditate with AI

    Vince Horn and Daniel discuss the evolution, benefits, and potential of social meditation. They explore the new meditatewith.ai app created by Vince and Interbeing Inc. co-founder Chris Ewald. The app allows users to practice social meditation with an AI partner, with the ultimate goal of deepening the realization of human interconnectedness in everyday life. Vince and Daniel discuss how social meditation can affect relationships and networks, and how the practice might help address core issues of alienation from self, other, and world at the heart of the meta-crisis.

    Vince Horn is part of a new generation of teachers translating age-old wisdom into 21st century code. A computer engineering dropout turned modern monk, Vincent spent his 20s co- founding the Buddhist Geeks project while doing a full year of silent meditation practice on retreat.

    Timestamps

    3:54 Intro

    5:36 Intro to Social Meditation

    11:23 Evolution of Social Meditation

    16:33 The Role of Language in Meditation

    21:50 Significance of Meditation Moving into the Inter-Relational Context

    24:53 Social Meditation’s Effects on Relationships

    26:04 The Meditatewith.ai App & The Issues It Addresses

    30:11 Intra-Connection, Interconnection & How Social Meditation Can Impact Groups

    34:19 Vince’s Inspiration For This Work

    38:43 How AI Is Used in the App

    49:09 Social Meditation and the Unfolding of the Spiritual Path

    53:36 Creating and Refining a Protocol for Social Meditation

    57:30 Value of Social Meditation for the Meta-Crisis

    1:01:12 Next Steps for the App

    1:03:09 Wrap-up



    Try the app at meditatewith.ai

    • 1 hr 7 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
102 Ratings

102 Ratings

Ellen McS ,

Support for this challenging journey

An amazing source of support, knowledge, and resources for those of us truly grappling with the craziness of this planetary moment. As a meditator, therapist, and environmental activist, I’ve gained so much support and wisdom from Daniel’s work. Thank you for what you do.

BudValley ,

Profound

Fantastic collection of thinkers exploring ideas at the cutting edge of cultural and spiritual evolution. Emerge has introduced me to SO many new lines of thought - things that were nascent in my own mind but have been now fully fleshed out in beautiful and fulfilling ways. Thank you for this excellent contribution and please keep up the great and important work.

mmaaaxx ,

Best of contemporary spiritual thinking

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite podcasts. Daniel’s whole attitude is open, gentle, and expansive, while being rigorous, grounded, and careful—a balance so rare to achieve! I detect a true searching soul with very little if any ego distortion or grandeur.

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