The Passing Through Podcast

Danny

I currently live in a German-made van named Wilma with my partner. We’ve given up our old way of life and are touring Europe – passing through farms and eco-villages while I record a rambling, ranting podcast examining consciousness, mental health, ecology, philosophy, mindfulness, literature, language, and the human condition. Fasten your seatbelt and come along for the ride!

  1. APR 15

    E117 | Jeremy Lent | Envisioning Ecocivilization and Exiting the Anthropocene

    Jeremy Lent, visionary thinker, founder of The Deep Transformation Network, and author of books like The Patterning Instinct, The Web of Meaning, and most recently, Ecocivilizaiton: Making A World That Works For All, joins us this week on The Passing Through Podcast. He takes a systems-thinking approach to assess our collective unraveling, which is, by definition a systemic crisis, and he emphasizes how an ecology of practice and action is required to shift our global paradigms. Jeremy’s work helps us imagine the horizons of different shared futures as we transition from the horrors of the anthropocene into a possible era of fractal flourishing. And this sort of vision and imagination is exactly what I think we need because to quote social critic Fredric Jameson: “For most people, it’s easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism.” He invites us to ask “what if civilization were designed not for profit, but for life?” But this book isn’t only about imagination — it’s rigorous and research and evidence-based and it’s as much about diagnosing systemic disease as it is about liberation and the dispelling of harmful myths and necrotizing narratives. Let’s find out how we might make the most of this one and precious life we’ve got as we’re all just passing through.  You can find Jeremy at his website where you can pre-order his new book Ecocivilizaiton: Making A World That Works For All: ⁠https://www.jeremylent.com⁠ You can also check out Deep Transformation Network, Ecocivilization Coalition, his YouTube channel and Substack: ⁠https://deeptransformation.network/feed⁠ ⁠https://www.ecociv.org⁠ ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@JeremyLent⁠ ⁠https://jeremylent.substack.com⁠

    1 hr

  2. APR 11

    E116 | Weekend Updates | New Website & Substack

    This week I'm passing through with some news! We've got a website! Now you can stream episodes, search content, watch animated transcripts, comment, and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts without having to use Spotify or pay for any apps. Check it out: https://thepassingthroughpodcast.com I'm also on Substack now. If you want to check out supplemental writing-based content, you can subscribe to The Passing Through Substack page that I'll occasionally post on: https://substack.com/@thepassingthroughpodcast This episode brought to you by Tenta-Call. Grab everyone!

    16 min

  3. APR 1

    E115 | Werner Herzog | The Texture of the Moment

    Filmmaker, writer, and philosopher Werner Herzog is Passing Through (he's always passing through) for a conversation about the state of the world — oil, artificial intelligence, borders, and what lies underneath all of it. He discusses H.P. Lovecraft, the moth that drinks from the tears of sleeping birds, a jar of crude oil he has kept sealed for many years, and a specific frog who he may or may not know. One of the more surreal conversations I've had on this show. (Music during past lives reading by SWER)

    27 min

  4. MAR 25

    E114 | Grace Rachmany | Leaving, Belonging & the Courage to Compost

    What does it mean to build a new world when you haven't figured out how to leave the old one behind? Grace Rachmany returns to The Passing Through Podcast for the second time, this time calling in from Malaysia, where she had been living inside a crypto-bro utopia not entirely dissimilar to the eco-villages where we first met. Different tribe, same restless hunger for something better. We talk about what separates those two worlds, what they unexpectedly share, and what gets lost when you try to build culture without knowing how. We also get into death — specifically, our disagreement with Bryan Johnson about it — trauma, what it quietly does to the brain, apocalypse porn and Plato's virtue signaling. This is a wide-ranging, unscripted conversation that went places neither of us planned for. Links: Grace's Website: https://gracerachmany.com  DAO Leadership: https://www.daoleadership.com Decentralized Identity Foundation: https://identity.foundation So You've Got a DAO (Grace's book): https://www.daoleadership.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/So-Youve-Got-A-DAO-2.0-The-Big-DAO-Fail-Expose-Grace-Rachmany.pdf Mentioned in this episode: Bryan Johnson / Don't Die: https://bryanjohnson.com  Balaji's Network School: https://networkschool.com  Grace's first appearance on Passing Through — https://open.spotify.com/episode/3SeH5vQTSLQ1DcZeRCffNC

    1h 35m

  5. MAR 18

    E113 | Vipassana Meditation | Inside a 10-Day Silent Retreat

    In this solo episode of The Passing Through Podcast, we dive deep into the ancient meditation practice of Vipassana. After completing my third 10-day silent retreat, join me for a talk where I unpack what really happens inside a Vipassana course: the intense physical pain, the psychological unraveling, and my confrontation with an unfocused mind. Before we start I'll lay out some core Buddhist concepts—impermanence (anicca), non-self (anatta), suffering (dukkha)—as well as sila, samadhi and panna. From concentrated breathing to scanning sensations to dissolving deep-rooted reactions (sankaras), this episode reveals how meditation can become a laboratory for understanding reality itself. If you’ve ever wondered: What is Vipassana and what happens during a 10-day silent meditation retreat? Is Vipassana for me? Is it wrong to crave bagels? What's the difference between acceptance and resignation? Sit back, and let's stretch out that third eye!

    1h 54m

  6. MAR 11

    E112 | David George Haskell | Listening to the Living World

    This week I’m joined by biologist, author, educator and deep listener David George Haskell. David is a contributor to publications such as the New York Times, Scientific American and The Guardian, he has produced sound projects with Emergence Magazine, and he has a brand new book coming out later this month, titled How Flowers Made Our World. David’s work is perched in the wonderful place between science and poetry, where forests aren’t just ecosystems but bustling communities, and where listening carefully to the world can be a beautiful way of befriending it. His books such as The Forest Unseen, The Songs of Trees, and Sounds Wild and Broken explore how life is woven together through sound, scent, story, and relationship. Together we explore the strange and beautiful intelligence of the natural world: the decentralized awareness of trees, the communal genetics of ocean microbes, and the ways flowers have revolutionized our world. We discuss what modern science sometimes misses—that loss of sensory intimacy with our living planet—and how a more respectful, relational approach to inquiry is emerging among scientists today. We also examine the tension between Western scientific frameworks and Indigenous ecological perspectives, asking what it means to approach forests, plants, and animals not merely as objects of study, but as participants in relationship. David introduces the ideas behind his new book How Flowers Made Our World, revealing how flowering plants reshaped the planet—creating rainforests, grasslands, and also the evolutionary conditions necessary for human life. Through cooperation, beauty, and sometimes deception, flowers transformed Earth’s ecosystems and continue to sustain the vast webs of life around us. Links to find David How Flowers Made Our World US: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/775876/how-flowers-made-our-world-by-david-george-haskell/ UK:  https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/470547/how-flowers-made-our-world-by-haskell-david-george/9781911709985 David's Website: https://dghaskell.com/about/

    1h 23m

  7. FEB 24

    E111 | Jeffrey Epstein | Power, Corruption, and the Global Elite

    Join me for a different kind of episode this week, and it's a long one. Lots of people are talking about Epstein—not enough, in my opinion, considering it’s quite possibly the biggest, most disturbing scandal in modern history—so I’d like to share some thoughts. I’m going to explore this with a "straight from the horses mouth" approach, using sometimes graphic multimedia throughout this episode, so listener discretion is advised. I'm going to be investigating: - Who was Epstein - How did he make his money - What’s the timeline we’re looking at here for the Epstein Files - What’s in them, what has been redacted or withheld, and what are the implications? If an international group of ultra wealthy ultra powerful individuals are known to be abusing and trafficking children—the most innocent and vulnerable among us—committing unspeakable crimes and operating above the law, what does this mean for our governmental institutions and democracy? References Who’s Faced Consequences ⁠https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/us/epstein-files-names-fired-resigned-fallout.html#⁠ Survivor Claims ⁠https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/epstein-superior-gene-pool-babies-b2913060.html⁠ Trafficking ⁠https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/02/epstein-files-new-batch⁠ Redactions ⁠https://edition.cnn.com/2025/12/18/politics/epstein-documents-redaction-process⁠ JMail ⁠https://jmail.world⁠ Israel Connections ⁠https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/9/what-were-jeffrey-epsteins-links-to-israel⁠ ⁠https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/16/world/middleeast/epstein-israel-barak-ehud.html⁠ ⁠https://www.thetimes.com/world/middle-east/article/was-jeffrey-epstein-mossad-agent-spy-israel-w6p35b9v6⁠ ⁠https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20260208-new-documents-reveal-epstein-donated-to-the-israeli-army-and-funded-settlements/⁠ ⁠https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/epstein-funded-organisations-linked-israeli-military-fbi-document-says⁠ Carbyne ⁠https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2026/02/10/epstein-police-surveillance-investments-with-ehud-barak/⁠ ⁠https://carbyne.com/resources/press/carbyne-powers-nationwide-emergency-communications-expansion-for-global-medical-response/⁠ ⁠https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbyne_(company)⁠ Netflix Documentaries | Filthy Rich https://www.netflix.com/title/80224905 https://www.netflix.com//title/81380539 Some DOJ References ⁠https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01246048.pdf⁠ ⁠https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02603821.pdf⁠ ⁠https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01714002.pdf⁠

    2h 8m
  8. E110 | Doug Tallamy | The Little Things That Run The World

    FEB 18

    E110 | Doug Tallamy | The Little Things That Run The World

    In this episode of The Passing Through Podcast, entomologist, ecologist, educator and author Doug Tallamy reveals why insects are the foundation of life on Earth, and what happens if they disappear. From caterpillars and chickadees to invasive species, deer, and global insect decline, we explore how biodiversity underpins our food systems, ecosystems, and even social stability. Doug explains why native plants matter, how light pollution is driving down moth populations , and how simple acts like planting oaks or switching to yellow “bug lights” can help restore local ecosystems. Are we separate from nature, or participants in a vast living web? This conversation bridges science, enchantment, and responsibility, offering practical steps anyone can take to rebuild biodiversity from their backyard, balcony, or voting block. If you care about conservation, ecology, rewilding, regenerative living, butterflies or the future of the planet—this episode is for you. https://homegrownnationalpark.org/doug-tallamy/ https://www.udel.edu/canr/departments/entomology-and-wildlife-ecology/faculty-staff/doug-tallamy/ https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-nature-of-oaks-the-rich-ecology-of-our-most-essential-native-trees-douglas-w-tallamy/9789d335ef5f46d5?ean=9781643260440&next=t

    1h 25m
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4.9
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

I currently live in a German-made van named Wilma with my partner. We’ve given up our old way of life and are touring Europe – passing through farms and eco-villages while I record a rambling, ranting podcast examining consciousness, mental health, ecology, philosophy, mindfulness, literature, language, and the human condition. Fasten your seatbelt and come along for the ride!

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