The Thinning

Steven Martin

"The Thinning" explores experiences that unsettle our explanations of reality—consciousness, near-death experiences, the paranormal, and the questions they raise across science and culture. The show isn’t about proving anything. It’s about what happens to people after the mystery: how attention shifts, values change, and life opens up. Hosted by Steven D. Martin, "The Thinning" is a space for thoughtful conversation where certainty loosens and the veil feels thin.

  1. Mar 27

    From Control Systems to Cosmic Love: An Engineer's Spiritual Awakening

    Gail Behrend spent twenty years as a mechanical engineer, learning to think in systems, control the variables, and add factors of safety. Then a relationship ended, she hit bottom, and something completely outside her engineering training showed up. A voice. A rush of energy. An experience of love so total it redrew her entire map of reality. In this conversation, Gail and Steven find that a control systems engineer and an ordained minister have been asking the same questions from very different starting points, and that the answers, when they come, feel a lot alike.

    1h 2m

  2. Mar 21

    A First Responder, PTSD, And The Way Back

    Former Atlanta police detective and Suffolk County cop Michael Morgan spent 30 years burying the weight of the worst moments in other people's lives — homicides, child deaths, the visceral cries he couldn't unhear. When a forced retirement brought everything flooding back, he knew he needed something radical. In this raw and remarkable conversation, Michael shares how ayahuasca unlocked a grief he'd sealed off for decades, what actually happens inside a ceremony, and why the medicine alone isn't what healed him. A must-listen for anyone who's ever wondered what real healing looks like — and what it costs to finally let your guard down.

    47 min

  3. Mar 5

    Michael Waters Helps Spirits Enter the Light

    What happens when “neighborhood lore” about a Native American burial ground turns into a life-altering spiritual calling? In this episode, Steven Martin talks with Mike (joining from the West Coast in Oregon) about an extraordinary series of experiences that began when Mike and his wife considered moving away from their Washington property near Seattle—and instead, his wife began receiving vivid dreams. In those dreams, Native American spirits asked her to stay and learn psychopomp work: helping spirits who have died but haven’t “moved on” find their way into the light. Mike describes how the teachings started through dreams and meditation, how his wife would sense a “tap” (a physical-feeling signal) when someone needed help, and how their work evolved from assisting willing spirits to encountering darker, more complicated cases—what they came to call “spiritual vampires.” He shares the moment he realized he could participate directly, how shamanic training expanded their understanding of “non-ordinary reality,” and why they ultimately shifted to safer spiritual practices. The conversation also explores: Death, grief, and what may happen after we die Why some spirits may resist crossing over (fear, guilt, trauma) Near-death experiences, “life review,” and karma as a process (not a free pass) Shamanic journeying, intuition, the “third eye,” and altered states of consciousness Psychedelics vs. meditation as paths to spiritual insight (and the risks of “recreationalizing” the work) Suffering, love, and the “dark night of the soul” Mike also mentions a later approach influenced by Daniel Foor’s Ancestral Wisdom, calling on well ancestors to do the “heavy lifting,” and shares that he’s rebuilding his website and is open to public speaking. He and his wife wrote a book about their experiences, which he says he gives away to help spread the message. This is a thoughtful, worldview-stretching dialogue about mortality, meaning, and what it might look like to serve both the living—and the dead.

    1h 3m

  4. Feb 20

    Christian Pastor Gets a Tarot Reading — What Happens Next Is Wild

    What happens when a lifelong Christian pastor — raised to believe tarot was dangerous, occult, and forbidden — sits down with a professional tarot reader for the first time? In this fascinating and surprisingly emotional conversation, Steven Martin talks with tarot reader and teacher Jeni Archer about spirituality, intuition, faith, skepticism, and the power of symbolic language. What begins as curiosity quickly turns into a deeply personal experience as Steven receives a live tarot reading on camera — and the results leave him stunned. This episode explores: ✨ What tarot actually is (and what it isn’t) ✨ Why so many religious traditions fear divination ✨ The connection between intuition, psychology, and storytelling ✨ Neurodivergence, perception, and spiritual sensitivity ✨ Whether tarot predicts the future — or reveals what we already know ✨ A live 3-card reading that gets unexpectedly personal Steven comes in skeptical. He leaves questioning everything. Whether you’re religious, spiritual, curious, or doubtful, this conversation invites you to consider a bigger question: 👉 What if there’s more to human perception than we’ve been taught? Learn more about Jeni's work at https://www.hearthmagickshop.com

    52 min

  5. Feb 13

    Clementine Moss: Channeling Bonzo, a Journey in Spirituality

    In this engaging conversation, Clementine Moss (drummer for the all-female Zeppelin tribute band, Zepparella, shares her unique journey from a late start in drumming at 27 to becoming a spiritual counselor and musician. She discusses the connection between music and spirituality, the influence of iconic drummers like John Bonham, and the importance of groove and feel in music. The dialogue explores the transformative power of music, the role of spirituality in her life, and the idea of channeling energy through performance. Ultimately, Clementine emphasizes the unity of music and spirituality, encouraging listeners to connect with the divine through their passions. Check out Clementine's work at: https://www.clemthegreat.com/

    1h 2m

  6. Feb 6

    Psilocybin Experience: A Priest's Journey

    I feel like I found a brother when I interviewed Hunt. He is honest, truthful, and only wants to share with others the power of the experience he’s had. Hear his story and embark upon his journey, but know that seeking (and finding) truth does not come without a cost. Hunt's organization: ligare.org

    1h 11m

  7. Jan 30

    Nancy, the Psychic Detective

    Nancy is a fascinating intuitive with a disarming personality: quite simply, her intuition produces results. Get ready for a wide-ranging conversation about listening to and trusting yourself, and how this can make a difference in the lives of people around you. Nancy has a few wild stories that will keep you listening to the very end! Find out more about Nancy at https://nancyorlenweber.com/.

    1h 5m

  8. Jan 23

    Prodigy Kids, ‘The Zone,’ and the Mystery of Music — Where Does It Come From?

    In this conversation, we’re diving into one of music’s strangest (and most human) questions: where does it actually come from? Why do some kids seem to arrive already “plugged in” — composing, improvising, and owning music long before anyone could reasonably teach it? And what is that unmistakable feeling musicians describe as “the zone,” where it doesn’t feel like you’re doing the music so much as channeling it?  Host Steven Martin and jazz musician/professor Kurt Ellenberger explore: Prodigy stories (from Mozart to Joey Alexander) and the eerie sense that “there isn’t enough time in a life” to practice your way there  The idea that music may be spiritual—a wordless force that still hits the deepest parts of us  What “the zone” feels like, and why even your past self can sound like a different person when you listen back  A fascinating bridge between emotion and physics: harmonic series, symmetry, and why your brain expects musical resolution  If you’ve ever wondered why music can feel bigger than technique—why it can feel like mystery, memory, and meaning all at once—this conversation is for you.  Join the discussion: Have you ever experienced “the zone” (in music or anything else)? Drop your story in the comments.

    56 min
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Trailer

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

"The Thinning" explores experiences that unsettle our explanations of reality—consciousness, near-death experiences, the paranormal, and the questions they raise across science and culture. The show isn’t about proving anything. It’s about what happens to people after the mystery: how attention shifts, values change, and life opens up. Hosted by Steven D. Martin, "The Thinning" is a space for thoughtful conversation where certainty loosens and the veil feels thin.

Information

  • Creator
    Steven Martin
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Steven Martin
  • Show Website
    The Thinning