Dream Chasers and Eccentrics

Cheryl Drury, a lifelong reader, is on a misssion to read a long list of classic books which she found on Ted Gioia's Substack page. She now has her own Substack page that features her podcast "Crack the Book" about classic books. We talk about The Great Gatsby, The Red Badge of Courage, Romeo and Juliet and other works of Shakespeare, The Odyssey, David Foster Wallace, James Joyce's Ulysses, Swann's Way, Les Miserables, Louise May Alcott's Little Women, Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice, reading on a Kindle vs hardcopies, things we learn about life and human nature from reading classic books, Great Expectations and Charles Dickens, Gentleman in Moscow, Dead Souls, Fathers and Sons, The Brothers Karamazov, The Death of Ivan Ilyitch, characters, taking notes while reading, Dante, what makes a book a classic, Bleak House, Blood Meridian, The Road and Cormac McCarthy, Canticles for Liebowitz, Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad, reading aloud, poetry, Pablo Neruda, writing every day, why we love to read, Breakfast at Tiffany's, In Cold Blood, Brave New World, Blood Child, This is How you Lose the Time War, Isaac Asimov, classic science fiction, Don Quixote, The Golden Ass, and more. Links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon

Just Like Meat, or Prosthetics, is a sci-fi short story by Paul Trammell (the host). If you like short stories and want to receive one of mine on the first of every month, for free, sign up for my Substack "newsletter" You can support the podcast through Patreon More info can be found on the podcast shownotes page Kepp an eye out for my latest novel Identity Crisis releasing March first, available for preorder now. Remember to alway stand on the side of love, and that relentless peaceful protest is what won the Civil Rights Movement.

Colin Corby is a Leadership, Wellbeing, Digital Detox, and Mindset Coach. He is also a TEDx Speaker, a technologist, and an endurance athlete. He created 'The Digital Detox Coach' in 2018 as he was fascinated by the collision between technology and psychology and how this relationship was changing the world, our health, and even the way we think. He is passionate about helping people and organisations achieve a healthier, more productive, and ethically sustainable relationship with technology. He has over 30 years' experience in leading technology companies. He brings this and the mindset of an athlete to his technology wellbeing practice. We talk about digital detox and what it is, things we might forget to do when spending too much time online, sleep, exercise, the importance of physical social connection, Artificial Intelligence, education and how AI is affecting it, ousourcing knowledge, using AI to transfer knowledge to us, developing the mindset of a business athlete, getting better sleep, why multitasking is inefficient, AI's use of energy and water and how our online activities affect the environment, AI companions, morning routines, the "just one thing" challenge to reduce misusing our phones, improving our lives through self-experimentation, preventing our phones from distracting us from work, exercising control, minimizing electronics for children, being more present, and more. Links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon

A life long search for freedom took Eli Jaxon-Bear around the world and into many spiritual traditions from a Zen monastery in Japan to a Sufi circle in Marrakesh, among others. His search ended when he was drawn to India (1990) where he met his final teacher, Sri H.W.L Poonja, lovingly known as Papaji; a direct disciple of the renowned Indian Sage Ramana Maharshi. Confirming Eli's realization, his teacher sent him back into the world to share his unique psychological insights into the nature of egoic suffering in support of self-realization. Eli infuses his teaching with his teacher's living transmission of silence and peace. He presents a unique map of egoic identification as a vehicle for ruthless self-inquiry and final realization of true freedom. His life is dedicated to passing on the transmission of his teacher. We talk about resisting the Vietnam war, going underground, living in a commune, growing marijuana, living in a shadow play, LSD, waking up and seeing the truth, psilocybin, facing his own death in an LSD trip, surrendering the ego, searching in India and finding a teacher, realization vs learning, theraputical use of psychadelics, meditation, hypnosis, seeking fulfillment, meeting an enlightened sufi, finding everything you really need, his books, and a lot more. links are on the podcast shownotes page support the show through Patreon

This week's episode is a short story by Paul Trammell, narrated by the author. A Ship Without Time is a short work of science fiction. If you like short stories, and would like to get a free one in your mailbox on the first of each month, sign up for Paul Trammell's Substack newsletter, for free (or donation) at paultrammell.substack.com.

Catia Batalha is a psychotherapist, spiritual teacher, author, and mystic, devoted to guiding souls on their journey of awakening, healing, and self-discovery. Moved by a deep reverence for the hidden wisdom that flows through all traditions, she has spent much of her life immersed in the holistic philosophies of the East and the psychological sciences of the West. We talk about growing up in Portugal, discovering yoga, how our external realities reflect our internal realities, moving to New Zealand, traveling during Covid, elevating our frequencies, the importance of avoiding fear, yoga, tantra, changing our states of conscience, the deeper treasure of yoga, chakras, meditation, different meditation techniques, frequency, alcohol and how it lowers frequency, Vipasana, solitude, karma, and more. At the end, she performs a medicine song. Links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the podcast through Patreon

Libbie Grant, who writes as Olivia Hawker, is a Washington-Post Best-selling author and a UFO enthusiast. She and I have both seen UFO's, and she wrote a historical fiction novel, "The Stars and their Light," about the Roswell incident in 1947. We talk about UFO's, her book "The Stars and their Light," religion and how UFO sightings can affect our beliefs, biblical references to possible UFO's, the possibility of UFO's hiding in bodies of water, the Baltic Sea structure, my UFO sightings, other UFO sightings, Terrance McKenna, where here ideas come from, smoking weed, 3I/Atlas, and more. Links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon

Danny Johnson's hilarious, clean stand-up has entertained audiences in comedy clubs, corporate events, and churches nationwide for over 15 years. Danny's work as a stand-up comedian has been humbly compared to Jerry Seinfeld, Kevin James, and Jackie Gleason, blending his original material with his renowned facial expressions. Danny's show is relatable, entertaining, and always evolving. Danny has starred in numerous TV commercials, Comedy Central's Laugh Riots, Florida's Funniest Comedian Top 10 Finalist, Winner-Carnival Cruise line Comedy Challenge, Finalist in Search for the One Christian Comedy contest, recently filmed his wildly popular Dry Bar Comedy Special (now available on Apple TV, Amazon, & Peacock), and has had the pleasure of sharing the stage with Chris Rock, Damon Wayans, Bob Saget, Billy Gardell, Richard Lewis, Rickey Smiley, Norm McDonald and a variety of others. We talk about becoming a professional comedian, what he enjoys about it, where jokes and routines come from, improvisation, hecklers, what makes a show go well, humor and what it all has in common, going on stage for the first time, what goes on backstage, drugs, drinking, sobriety, shows that don't work, mental health issues, social anxiety, auditioning, when things go wrong, and more. Links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon

John David is the author of the novel "The Bystander," which I read and loved. It's a thriller about a journalist who films an active-shooter incident and a "good samaritan" with a concealed weapon taking out the shooter. However, things are not what they seem. We talk about writing fiction and nonfiction, writing about a real location, setting, the second amendment and concealed weapons, heros, his work in crisis management, school shootings, writing technique and routine, publishing, querying agents, plotting vs pantsing, art, books he reads, other authors, his other book, "How to Protect Your Reputation Online," his next book "The Pawn," and more. Links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon

Libbie Grant, who also write under the pan name Olivia Hawker, is a Washington Post best-selling author of historical fiction and literary fiction. I recently read her novel "The Ragged Edge of Night," which tells the story of a Franciscan Friar in Nazi Germany struggling to maintain his sense of morals and doing what he can to thwart the efforts of the Nazis. Libbie has written and published 46 books under various pen name and is one of my favorite modern authors. We talk about the real-life story that inspired "The Ragged Edge of Night," the research that went into the book, how it relates to modern politics and the current rise of fascism in the USA, entering the dark side and how it leads to fascism, the value of being unpredictable, blind faith, religion, her book "The Prophet's Wife," Mormons, Joseph Smith, publishing, writing historical fiction, self-publishing vs traditional publishing, editing and marketing, her book about marketing writing "Gotta Read It," marketing tips for writers, Amazon and Facebook ads, how to generate word-of-mouth, how many days a week and hours a day she writes, short stories, artificial intelligence and how not to get replaced by it, and more. Links to her books are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon

Inna Segal is a pioneer in the field of energy medicine and human consciousness. She is also the bestselling author of "The Secret Language of Your Body," which has been translated into 26 languages and has sold over a million copies worldwide. We talk about her roots as a healer, clairvoyance, pain, anxiety, meditation, exercise, living consciously, intuitive healing, food choices, understanding what gets into our bodies, emotional wisdom and how to improve it, learning from other people's mistakes, narcissism, boundaries, her book "The Secret Language of Your Body," color, how there is always an opportunity to learn and grow, and more. links are on the shownotes page support the show through Patreon

Thom Barrett is an adventurer, cancer survivor, and the author of several books: "Living While Dying", "Chasing My Northern Lights", "Embracing the Cold", "The Strength of Surrender" and "Beyond the Blueprint." His stories of resilience, adventure, and self-discovery empower readers to navigate life's adversities, cherish their experiences, and uncover the beauty in unexpected places. We talk about a ski mountaineering adventure in the alps, hiking in Patagonia, hubris, accepting help, making friends while traveling, the value of being still in the wilderness, diving, places where people don't go, predecessor energy, preparing for death, kayaking in the arctic and antarctic, penguins, orcas, polar bears, Greenland, expedition cruises, embracing the cold, winter camping, nearly dying in an avalanche while helicopter skiing, dying on your own terms, and more. Links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the Show through Patreon Check out my latest novel Identity Crisis

Ian Wallace is a dream psychologist who has also worked professionally as a North Sea oil-rig roughneck, mountain guide, session musician, fashion photographer, commercial pilot, military psychologist, relationship counsellor, child psychologist, celebrity psychologist and artificial intelligence inventor. His knowledge of dreams and his ability to articulate this is extraordinary. We talk about dreams and what they mean, the conscious vs the subconscious, how dreams are the language of the unconscious, lucid dreams, how to deal with nightmares, how a bedroom should be set up to improve sleep, blue light, how alcohol affects sleep, the cycle of dreaming, how we create dreams, analogies between drams and waking life, characters in dreams, spirit, the liminal state, near death experiences, the meanings of various common dreams, recurring dreams, how our instinctive behavior affects our dreams, and more. links are on the podcast shownotes page support the show through Patreon

Mike Pushkin is a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates and is the Chair of the WV Democrat Party. We talk about why elections matter, the top of the ticket vs the bottom of the ticket, substance-abuse issues, addiction and recovery, a day in the life of a delegate, representing the people, division of Americans, what we all have in common, the joy to be found in politics, driving a taxi, what one person can do to make a change in the world, SNAP, protests, the demolition of the White House's East Wing, social media, propaganda, white supremacist groups, communism, fascism, bombing boats in Venezuela, due process, keeping a standard of ethics in politics, coal mining, renewable energy, ICE, voter intimidation, authoritarian regimes and how the Trump administration is moving in this direction, the importance of everyone paying attention, empathy, music, and more. Links are on the shownotes page Support the show through Patreon

Elliott Hasler wrote, directed, and filmed "Vindication Swim," the story of Mercedes Gleitz, the first British woman to swim the English Channel. He also wrote and directed "WWII: The Long Road Home," which opened in the USA and the UK, and for which Elliott was praised as "perhaps the next Spielberg." "Vindication Swim" opened in select theaters October 17. We talk about filming the movie, swimming, inspiration, having the confidence to spend a year making a film, being self-taught, writing, the challenge of shooting at sea, boats, cameras, jellyfish, sharks, and more. Links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon

After the previous episode with Scott Wells and Tina Erwin, I realized Tina and I had a lot more to talk about. The subject of Karma and Frequency came up and I was intrigued. After learning that she had written a book on this, titled "Karma and Frequency," I scheduled another interview with her, got the book, and read it. One could argue that nothing in life is more important than managing our karma, since it determines our "luck," how much we enjoy life, where we go after we die, and what happens after we die. Tina and I talk about Christianity and Buddhism and how there is no religion in the afterlife, universal truths, the Dalai Lama, Martin Luther, how every person can be their own personal connection to God without intermediaries, the importance of living without the guilt imposed upon followers of some religions, the Urantia Book, predescessor energy, karma, reincarnation, why we shouldn't fear judgement, signs, past lives, the power of thoughts, how to deal with horrible people, surrounding yourself with angels, why angels are standing by waiting for us to ask for their help (they earn karma for helping us), the danger of alcohol and how addiction drops your frequency, how we can improve our karma and raise our frequency, prayer, our ultimate mission here on Earth, and more. Links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon

You might remember Tina Erwin from the episode Ghost Helper Tina Erwin April 2024. She is a retired Commander in the US Navy who has had psychic abilities since she was a child. She is now know for helping ghosts, who she explains are souls trapped on Earth, pass on to Heaven. After last week’s interview with Scott Wells where we discussed his Ouija Board experience and his book "Marked by the Ouija," I thought I should have them on together to gain some more insight into ghosts, Ouija boards, and Scott’s experience. What follows is a discussion between the three of us, and it’s mostly Tina and Scott discussing what happened (in the story he told in the previous episode) and why and who the ghost might have been, and the dangers of Ouija Boards and Tarot cards and other portals. It is truly a fascinating conversation, so open your mind and prepare to take in some knowledge from another side of reality. We talk about Ouija Boards and what they are, Scott's story from last week's episode, who Peter (the ghost in Scott's story) might have been, how ghosts gain influence over people, how the Ouija Board represents a portal to the dark side, how to properly destroy a Ouija Board or Tarot Cards, the Crossing Over Prayer, who the perpetrator might have been, how time works on the other side, sage, frequency, string theory, how to raise our frequency, karma, the importance of service to others and relieving suffering, and more. Links and photos are on the shownotes page Support the show through Patreon

Scott grew up in a small town in Idaho. When he was 16 years old, he bought a Ouija board. His friends got to it before he did, and while he was at work, they had an experience so terifying that they burned the board. This is just the beginning of a story so enthralling and scary that I got goosebumps several times during the interview. The book, "Marked by the Ouija," is based on this experience. I also scheduled another interview with Scott in conjunction with Tina Erwin, the "ghost helper," who I interviewed on this podcast 4/18/2024 (see episode here), which will be on the show next week (if all goes as planned). I'm expecting that Tina will have some valuable insights into Scott's experience with the Ouija board and the ghost he and his friends interacted with. This is a fascinating and eye-opening interview, however, it's a bit scary and might be unnerving. Scott stressed that the Ouija board is real and it's not a toy. He has developed a set of rules or protocol for safe use of the board. Using the Ouija contrary to the protocol, he says, leads to a negative experience which can include a spirit atttaching itself to your life. Scott also invites anyone who has had a Ouija Board experience Enjoy! Links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon Marked by the Ouija

Robert Abele is an artist who paints Cape Cod scenes in oils. He is also a master of cultivating a creative life, and a master of articulating what this means. We talk about becoming an artist, being inspired by a teacher, trying to be a Disney animator, capturing a feeling of time, selecting colors, playing in the shadows, skills that cross over beteween the arts, cultivating creativity in life, sailing, whales, the source of creativity, the flow state, rituals, the comfort of predictability, saving brainpower for the creative act, approaching art with an empty mind, goals, painting architecture, the purpose of art, motivation, time and balance, working out of you blocks, love of painting, how painting is a superpower, tenacity, how creativity saved his life, and more. Photos of Robert's painting and his links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon

Tom Cunliffe is the author of the new novel Hurricane Force, which I read and loved. He has also written 30 sailing nonfiction books and is a lifelong sailor. He lives in England with his wife Ros, sails a Mason 44, and drives a 1949 Mk VI Freestone and Webb Bentley. We talk about writing fiction vs nonfiction, sailing, navigating by the stars, learning to write without formal study, real and fictional bad guys, islands in the Caribbean, classic sailboats, dealing with storms at sea, writer's block, reading, and more. Hurricane Force Tom Cunliffe's Website Support the show through Patreon