We need a “middle way.” Right now, polarization between social and political groups has our political system teetering on collapse. We are approaching a “tipping point.” As with any tipping point, we have two options: spiral into chaos (and eventually implode), or reorganize into higher order. If we cling tighter to our social and political identities — Democrat/Republican, Pro-/Anti-Trump, White/Non-White — the chasm between us will continue to widen, leading to collapse. If, instead, we can move beyond our identities and ideologies, we may be able to stabilize our system. The path of stabilization is the compassionate middle way.

A POLITICS OF PRAGMATISM AND COMPASSION

The…

America has made tremendous progress towards racial equality. This is especially true since the movements sparked by George Floyd’s death in the Spring of 2020. We have come a long way in shifting the hearts and minds of people across the globe.

Right?

I am not so sure. Yes, we have made unequivocal progress in shifting social norms, narratives, and laws. Racial and ethnic minorities continue to grow in representation across many sectors of society. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives have reshaped education and business culture. Justice, long overdue, is beginning to unfold for many individuals and groups. …

The idea that cities, companies, economies, and ecosystems are macro-organisms — larger complex systems composed from the basic blueprint as individual organisms — is not simply a matter of “woo-woo” wishful projection. For decades, the field of complexity science has been studying the parallels between smaller organisms and larger systems. The data is intriguing, on the surface, and bone-chilling, when fully comprehended. In a nutshell, complexity scientists have found a set of “universal principles” that extend across all living systems. The same laws that govern individual organisms also dictate the behavior of cities, companies, economies, and ecosystems. …

• Note: If you enjoy this episode or want to read more, you might enjoy my blog post on the same topic!

In this episode I discuss the science of interconnectedness. Based on the wisdom of ancient spiritual traditions, now supported by science, I make the case that we should view the world as a single, interconnected organism. This not only generates more compassion for others by seeing our “oneness,” but also helps “diagnose” and “treat” the world’s problems by drawing upon knowledge of disease at the individual level. I discuss the purpose of symptoms, namely to draw our compassionate attention…

In this episode I speak with Teresa Cassou. Teresa is a psychotherapist in Mexico and yoga teacher in the U.S. She began working with terminally ill children and prisoners in Mexico, before migrating to the U.S. at 24 years old to rebuild her life after recovering herself from alcohol addiction and divorce. Today she teaches yoga in San Diego and hold psychotherapy groups in Puebla, Mexico City, and Tijuana.

In this episode we discuss Teresa’s own recovery process and journey to teaching, bringing authenticity and humility to spiritual teaching and the healing arts, how to remain grounded in the…

On September 11th, 2001, the world’s attention was seized as two planes struck the World Trade Center in New York City. Shock, grief, and turmoil spread across the globe. Our hearts and minds were fragmented in the wake of the destruction; yet, a sense of cohesion and connection also filled the atmosphere.

Since 1998, scientists with the Global Consciousness Project (GCP) have been collecting data on major global events, such as 9/11. The international team has set up random number generators (RNGs) at 70 sites across the globe. RNGs, as the name implies, generate random number sequences that can be…

Welcome to the first episode!

In this debut episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, Chair of the Board of Trustees for the American Medical Association. Dr. Mukkamala is a board-certified otolaryngologist in private practice in Flint, MI. He is currently President of the Michigan State Medical Society, past President of the Genesee County Medical Society, former Chair of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, and current board member of the Foundation for Flint. While a wide range of public health issues are important to Dr. Mukkamala, no issue strikes closer to home than his own city of Flint’s nationally publicized…

Hundreds of millions of people engage in some form of contemplative practice, such as meditation or yoga. The benefits of mindfulness practice have been touted by scientists and lay people. As one of those scientists — my research has examined the health benefits of mindfulness, including in educational settings — I can stand behind most of these claims. Yet I have encountered a number of “adverse effects” in my own practice. These challenges are seldom acknowledged in the research, and even more rarely discussed in popular society.

Can meditation and spiritual practice produce adverse effects? Who might experience these, how…