I've decided to set Dead Man's Forest down for a while to focus on some business goals I set for myself. Give a listen for more details, and for some parting thoughts. I'll still be around, so you are more than welcome to contact me at https://www.deadmansforest.org/ Mentions Daily LSAT Problems: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCleL7JjTogC_dFqtvtJgOGg?view_as=subscriber 

I hope that you're having a meaningful week.

The conclusion of my conversation with Colleen (and of the interwoven conversations with Colleen and Tbird). She shares how she learned to listen to her inner "yes" and "no," and how living her life aligned with "yes" has allowed her to feel alive in each moment. Of course, if you have any questions for Colleen, or Tbird, feel free to reach out to me on deadmansforest.org. I would be happy to pass along your questions. Mentions Naropa University: https://www.naropa.edu/  More on...

Tbird and I finish our conversation. He wraps up his story on re-gathering the parts of himself he left behind as a child and in his 20s, and how his worldview has changed because of those experiences. He finishes with some powerful thoughts on living with--and sharing--grief. Mentions Shambhala Meditation: In many Hindu and Buddhist traditions, Shambhala is a mythical kingdom or city (sometimes called Shangri-la). In relation to meditation, it represent the perfect spiritual place that may...

T-bird is an incredibly passionate and caring man who has some remarkable experiences to share with you--and reflections on the lessons he's learned from those experiences. This week's episode is a bit of an interruption of my conversation with Colleen. This is an experiment; I wanted to introduce T-bird and his story so that I can make some connections for you in the episodes that will be coming in the next few weeks. Mentions Naropa University:  https://www.naropa.edu/  Joanna Macey and...

My good friend Colleen shares some of her experiences in facing the choice that she had between the life she was "supposed" to live based on how she was raised and a life that aligned more closely with her inner spirit.  Mentions: Steven Levine:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Levine_(author)  Naropa University:  https://www.naropa.edu/  Transpersonal Ecopsychology (feel free to learn about it online, but it will be discussed in more detail in the next few episodes of DMF):...

The things we learn over the course of our lives are largely determined by where and when we were born. Given the huge amount of potential knowledge, and the tiny slice of it any one of us happens to possess, it seems the things any one of us believes we know are more likely to be untrue than true. I think all our worldviews are probably false in one way or another. But perhaps, through respectful, good-faith discussion, we can discover the truths between our different viewpoints.

What can people do when there's a conflict between what you believe you should do and what someone else believes you should do? And when, from each person's perspective, they're right?

I hope you have enjoyed the past couple episodes' conversation with Joyce. Today we wrap it up with a few personal examples. I think we all have something to learn from people who live with authenticity, such as Joyce. No mentions that need links.

Joyce talks about her love for spring, and about how mindfulness of our mortality can help us be more present and more authentic. Mentions: Death Cafes

This is the first part of my conversation with Joyce, who has some wisdom to share about why connection--to all things--is important, and how the disconnection our Western civilization teaches us is harming so many things. Some mentions: Grandmother's Counsel the World, a book Joyce is reading. MK Nature Center, a branch of Idaho Fish & Game that teaches outdoor education and gives wildlife experiences only minutes from downtown Boise. Steven Foster and Meredith Little founded the...

I recently changed some of my ideas about science based on reading an important book called "The Beginning of Infinity," by David Deutsch. (Well worth the read, by the way.) I had what I now think are some misconceptions. I attempt to describe them in this episode.  I also connect my new concepts to the idea I shared in a recent episode: that of love being the answer. I share my new definition of love: it is the will or desire for a thing to exist. You can read about Saving Mr. Banks here:...

Jared Jacobs, perhaps better known on the internet as Gold Yeller, makes stop-motion videos of sports highlights using Lego. Take a few minutes to listen to him talk about some of the lessons he's learned from his work and life.  If you want to see more of Gold Yeller's work, you can check him out on: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5EN6DhpzVZM0sYk1kIXFAQ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoldYeller/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goldyeller/?hl=en Twitter:...

I couldn't record a full episode this week, but I've still been working on some thoughts. This episode will keep you abreast of two of them: first, that in the vision of the Dead Man's Forest that we are both the person AND the dead landscape--that we feed one another and are fed in turn; second, that our perceptual awareness relationship with the universe is perhaps better thought of as being a kind of inverse relationship to our physical existence--the latter happens in the space...

The conclusion of my conversation with Emily Marvosh, where she talks about what classical music is and what continues to interest and excite her about it.  You can read about and hear Emily's work on her website, http://www.emilymarvosh.com/

This week I speak with Emily Marvosh about her experiences and what she's learned from them. She shares several lessons that have been important to her throughout her education and career as a classically-trained singer. You can learn more about Emily on her website, http://www.emilymarvosh.com/

I suspect that love and its fruit--life--are the core goals of all religions. I find it sad that in religion we often lose sight of that, instead making our faith more about being right than being loving.

From the perspective of your relationship to the universe and to civilization, and from the universe's perspective of its relationship to life--including human life--it seems possible that love could be the answer. Let's discuss.

Last week we talked about how Michael sometimes gets emotional about his death as the ultimate goodbye. This week brings some ideas about how we can live in response to the fact that someday we will die.

An emotional episode today, recorded on a walk over very crunchy snow--an experiment that turned out a little noisier than I hoped it would. But, I'll get better at it. I hope you get something out of it.

In this episode, I wrote a short fable to illustrate the lesson I wanted to share. I hope, should you choose to incorporate the lesson into your life, that my story helps you remember it.

After getting up to the mountain today I found myself unable to collect my thoughts due to some external circumstances. Rather than fumble my way through a full episode in which I wouldn't be able to be fully present, I decided to keep it short and simple.

Patrick and wrap up our conversation with ideas about fear, binary thinking, and a couple sports analogies.

Patrick and I continue our discussion. This week we cover dogma and guiding principles, fear and selfishness, iteration and innovation, and being true to the person you want to be.