KNOWING Wendy Tremayne & Rob Stroup

Desire is often misunderstood, sometimes seen in a negative light or, in certain traditions, portrayed as something to be avoided—characterized as sinful. However, the truth is that all our actions originate from desire. It propels us toward our goals, serves as inspiration, facilitates our pursuit of intimacy, and motivates altruism. What if we were to perceive human desire as an asset rather than a liability?
Is desire more profound than mere cravings for the latest gadgets or status-symbol possessions like houses, cars, or a significant other who might elevate our social standing? In this show we’ll examine how, by honestly examining our desires and responding to them with self-compassion, we could come to regard desire as a vital aspect of growth, and self-discovery.
Our interviewed guest, Gayan Macher offers perspectives that encourage us to cultivate, direct, and align with our desires, so that we may discover what we truly want from life. Scientist Mina Lebitz shares biological viewpoints that reveal that desire may be necessary for the evolution of life.
 
Gayan Macher is a companion and guide to those who are called to the courageous path of love. He has practiced and taught the universal Sufism of Hazrat Inayat Khan his entire adult life. He has also studied Buddhist practice, the Diamond Approach, and psychology. 
 
Gayan leads group retreats and has guided scores of individual students including myself. He collaborated with Pir Zia Inayat Khan in designing Suluk Academy, whre he also taught for for eight years. Along with Taj Inayat Gayan founded New Rain, a  laboratory for the process of awakening and spiritual maturation.
 
Among Gayan’s great loves is music. He plays guitar, and is a singer-song writer with several recordings of original music. 
 
Mina Lebitz prides herself on being a lifelong learner. Her enthusiasm for science and talent for simplifying complex subjects have made her a sought-after educator. After a deep engagement in a PhD program, delving into cellular metabolism and fatty acid binding proteins, she began teaching high school and college levels, and became a premier tutor. Mina is a published author with two Advanced Placement test preparation books under her belt – biology and chemistry, both now in their 4th editions. For Mina, the world functions as her laboratory, and textbooks provide a realm of leisurely exploration. She’s also a dedicated omnologist - a passionate explorer of inner and outer realms.
 

According to scientists, everyone dreams. On this show, we explore why we dream, what we gain from dreaming, and the possibilities of what we can accomplish through dreaming if we look at dreaming as a way of knowing. 
 
Dr. Jeffrey Thompson kicks off the subject by explaining brain states, revealing that dreaming isn't confined to sleep alone. Our primary interview features Ken Stringfellow, the songwriter for the band the Posies, who shares his personal experiences of fully formed songs arriving in his dreams. Neuroscientist Katya Valli provides insights into the current scientific understanding of this enigmatic state of consciousness, which remains largely mysterious despite ongoing research efforts.
Guests
Ken Stringfellow - A fixture on the music landscape, indie and otherwise, since the debut of his band The Posies in 1988, Ken Stringfellow has over a quarter century of experience as a performer, composer, producer, arranger, programmer and more. In addition to his 8 albums with the Posies and 4 solo albums (his 5th, “Circuit Breaker” is to be released in 2024), Ken spent a decade touring and recording with R.E.M.; he was also involved in the rebirth of Memphis cult band Big Star, playing with Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens from the band's first reunion shows in 1993 until Chilton's death in 2010. Ken has played onstage or in studio with such artists as Neil Young, the Afghan Whigs, Snow Patrol, Mercury Rev, Thom Yorke, John Paul Jones, Patti Smith, Wilco, Robyn Hitchcock, Ringo Starr, Damien Jurado, Nada Surf, Brendan Benson, Mudhoney, the Long Winters...a very long list indeed. In fact, Ken has appeared on over 350 albums (totaling 9 million physical sales and millions of streams), and performed in 95 countries.
Dr. Thompson is the Founder/Director of the Center for Neuroacoustic Research in Carlsbad, California, a research center which is actualizing its vision of “Healing the Body*Heart*Mind and Spirit through the Scientific Application of Sound.” Dr. Thompson is considered the world’s premier sound healing researcher, brainwave entrainment expert, and high-tech personal transformation innovator, motivator and futurist. He is a physician/ musician, composer, inventor, educator and author. His work addresses harmony between the body/mind/spirit and is clinically proven to foster deep personal wellness and expansion of consciousness. Certified in multiple healthcare modalities, Dr. Thompson draws people nationally and internationally to his clinical practice and to his cutting-edge auditory, kinesthetic and visual therapeutic products and services.
Katja Valli, PhD, is a Professor at the Department of Cognitive Neuroscience and Philosophy, University of Skövde, Sweden, and an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Finland. She has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on dreaming and consciousness and edited, together with Robert J. Hoss, the reference work Dreams: Understanding Biology, Psychology, and Culture (Vol. 1) (2019, Greenwood). She is a past President of the International Association for the Study of Dreams and an avid dreamer.
Special thanks to Andrea Allen for the reading of the Taoist story of metamorphosis.

The ’tension of opposites’ is a concept that suggests opposing forces coexist, generating tension that fosters change, growth, and transformation. In our main interview on this episode, we explore how tension was navigated in the context of constitutional law and religious freedom. Attorney Stu De Haan shares a personal story of how he embodied the Luciferian character, serving as a scapegoat, and prompting us to confront our conflicting desires, beliefs, and motivations. This episode explores how the tension of opposites may propel the human narrative forward and facilitate a reconciliation of opposites. Physicist Suhwardi Gebel further underscores the interdependence of darkness and light, emphasizing their function in the universe.”

Stu de Haan is the legal advisor for The Satanic Temple as well as trial counsel for the Invocation Campaign and the Battle for Baphomet in Arkansas. He co-founded the Arizona chapter and was the co-Chapter Head for several years before serving on the Temple’s National Council. He retired from that position in order to handle legal battles against Satanic religious discrimination. He is an instructor for the Ordination Program focusing on the history of Witch Hunts. He hosted TST.TV’s “Devil’s Dispatch” talk show for one season. A firm believer that ritual practice is essential to the burgeoning modern Satanic movement, he incorporates these practices into short instructional films and his own personal practices. 

William Hassan Suhrawardi Gebel earned a BA in physics from Johns Hopkins University and a PhD in astrophysics from the University of Wisconsin, followed by postdoctoral work at the University of Chicago’s Yerkes Observatory. He was an assistant professor of astrophysics at SUNY Stony Brook.