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Blinded by invisible abstract concepts such as wealth, investment, interest, socioeconomic status, and profit - our social systems often obstruct the natural flow of generosity with attachments, greed, and possessiveness.
Generosity could be innate, as evidenced by our evolutionary anomaly of hoarding to the point of the peril of the whole species in modern times.
Studies reveal that even toddlers experience more joy when giving treats to others rather than receiving them. Likewise, Capuchin monkeys have demonstrated an understanding of generosity by refusing unequal rewards and showing distress when others are treated unfairly.
However, in contemporary society, our instincts can become misaligned or manipulated with our virtual and psychologically insular environments.
Wisdom texts also convey that generosity is our natural state; to give is to receive or to hold one's breath is to lose it. This episode explores ways to remove the impediments.
(music "The Inner Truth" by The Lovely Moon)
You can support this work at https://patreon.com/kindmind and access bonus content.
'At the center of the universe dwells the Great Spirit. And that center is really everywhere. It is within each of us.' -Black Elk
We all have an often underused and therefore latent power of concentration. It is like the aperture of a camera which controls how much light comes through the lens.
When it is smaller, it yields marvelous depth of field but a blurring of the periphery.
Similarly, the light of conscious attention can be directed like a laser to penetrate the phenomenal world to reveal deeper insights and master an aspect of life.
Ordinarily, our understanding and attentional interests are coming from the environment and outer conditioning with the illusion of one's willful direction, just as the tides appear to be the work of the ocean and not the invisible gravity of the moon.
Concentration also represents the sixth limb in the philosophy of yoga. Dharana is the Sanskrit word with its root "dhar" meaning "to hold."
But this is not the same as meditation, which in some ways is the opposite, like the large aperture full of light due to having no specific focus.
This episode explores various creative and contemplative paths to concentration, it's material and spiritual benefits as well as it's relationship to meditation and other limbs of yoga.
(original artwork on episode website and music "Eight Hours" by Bing Satellites)
You can support this work at https://patreon.com/kindmind
Alchemy, once a mystical endeavor to transmute base metals into gold, finds renewed meaning as an allegory for personal and societal transformation.
The mythical quest for the philosopher's stone or the elixir of life transcends mere physical desires. Instead, it mirrors the journey of self-discovery and spiritual growth.
Kindness emerges as a metaphorical elixir, an alchemical agent that has the power to transform not only ourselves but also the world around us forever. Like a tree's capacity to sequester pollution and return oxygen, kindness acts as a purifying force.
Through it, we can embrace the absurd and extract the beauty.
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Human blossoming is akin to the delicate yet profound process seen in the natural world, where flowers unfurl their petals to reveal their inner beauty.
The metaphor of blooming relates to maturity and is explored in various contexts, from spiritual growth to personal transformation. Just as flowers need the right conditions to bloom, folks too require nurturing environments and opportunities for growth to reach their full potential.
Concepts such as the Flower of Life in sacred geometry and the Chinese teachings from "The Secret of the Golden Flower" illuminate the interconnectedness between nature and human existence, emphasizing the importance of harnessing inner wisdom to navigate life's journey.
At the heart of this discussion lies the notion of the light reflex, a metaphorical beacon guiding individuals towards enlightenment and spiritual awakening. Like a flower turning upward or backward towards the sun to absorb its nourishing light, humans can cultivate inner radiance by turning towards their spiritual essence. Blooming where they are planted, individuals can unfold their unique potential and transform the social garden with grace and wisdom.
(original “frequency” artwork for this episode can be seen on the podcast website)
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Thank you!
Stillness is often associated with meditation, contemplation, and spiritual practices aimed at transcending the superficial layers of social life and the conventional sense of self.
There is a three-part harmony to stillness including physical stillness of movement, auditory stillness of unnecessary sounds, and mental tranquility of thoughts.
This episode parallels these three dimensions with the still pond which can accurately reflect the environment, the quiet forest in which the true sounds of nature can be detected, and the clear mirror free from smudges or debris like a calm mind without judgment.
Original artwork can be seen on the podcast website.
You can pitch in to support this work and access bonus content at https://patreon.com/kindmind
This episode explores the transformative powers of music and meditation, practices that serve as vessels for introspection, revelation, and communal connection.
We delve into the philosophical and spiritual intricacies of how silence complements music—the way meditation underlines our active lives—inviting listeners on a contemplative journey toward self-discovery and collective understanding.
In an era marked by global secularization, remote interactions, geopolitical tensions, and economic uncertainties, the quest for meaning and genuine connection has never been more urgent. Meditation can help us examine these challenges and awaken to a unique refuge in the communal pursuit of curiosity and understanding.
In the cacophony of modern life, we can find solace and clarity in the intentional embrace of stillness and service to others.
Drawing on the linguistic roots of 'ministry' and 'meditation,' both connected to the concept of 'minus,' this episode uncovers the elegant process of shedding false identities through contemplation and altruistic service.
It posits that by minimizing our ego and distractions, we can reveal our divine essence, leading to a deeper appreciation of our shared human experience.
Listeners are invited to reflect on the role of music and meditation as ministries in their own lives, avenues for fostering fellowship around wonder rather than conviction.
This discussion extends beyond personal growth, touching on how these experiments can counteract the existential and societal challenges of our time, offering a blueprint for building communities of seekers united in their quest for understanding and peace.
Original artwork can be seen on the podcast website.
You can support this show on Patreon https://patreon.com/kindmind and access bonus content.
This episode considers the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on society and the human condition, and explores the ethical and existential concerns surrounding it.
We also contemplate the limitations of AI in terms of consciousness, creativity, and complex emotional and social contexts, and warn of the potential dangers of its weaponization for propaganda or bias and the possibility of humans becoming too dependent on technology.
This episode also emphasizes the need for collaboration across different fields to ensure that AI is developed and deployed in an ethical and equitable manner, and to enhance the human condition.
Intro music “New Apartment” by Coldbrew and “Cultivate” by Lee Hannah (https://leehannah.bandcamp.com/)
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The word pray comes from the root sound “prek” as in precarious. It means to entreat or ask.
This corresponds to the often instinctive urge to seek something greater than ourselves or a higher power when in need or at a loss of options.
Check out the psychology and demographics of prayer in America in the intro of this episode and then learn more about the contemplative art and practice of praying power.
Intro music “New Apartment” by Coldbrew and “Everything is Beautiful” by Solar Plexus.
You can support this show and access bonus and companion content to this episode including the Q+A session and a guided meditation on validation here: https://patreon.com/kindmind
Validation means to confirm or authenticate and allows people to feel heard and respected.
This episode explores how validation of others and self-validation are both key skills for emotional well-being and effective interpersonal interactions. It can help partners and teams be more present to each other and engage with respect and genuineness in order to build positive cultures of cooperation and support.
(Intro music “New Apartment” by Coldbrew and “Bathed in Winter Sunlight” by Ethereal Ephemera)
Mutuality is the way of nature, and we can observe it in the ecosystems. Look at the circle of shelter and food chains as well as relocation and procreation among the stationary plants and mobile animals.
Interdependence is a spiritual word because it makes room for the paradox of human life. It presupposes a relationship among parts but also implies oneness or unity.
Can you ever be truly alone or independent from a single element, like air or water or light?
Close your eyes and realize how reliant you are on that which is “outside” yourself.
Support this show at https://patreon.com/kindmind
(Intro music “New Apartment” by Coldbrew and “Absense of Definition” by Kowalski Room)
You can support this podcast and connect with me online and in-person for as little $5 via Patreon: https://patreon.com/kindmind
There are many famous failures that led to unexpected opportunities and wild success. In our own lives, how can we failure forward or understand the implications of defeat?
This episode was a special collaboration with many reflections from the Kind Mind community during the live gathering recorded in May of 2022.
Music intro “New Apartment” by Coldbrew and “The Ellipse” by Bing Satellites. Podcast logo design is by Jon Marro, and episode artwork on the website is by Emily Dawn Duforest.
You can support this podcast on Patreon and access bonus content: https://patreon.com/kindmind
There is a baseline of magic in life.
But it can get covered up by routines and the illusion of control.
Moments of uncertainty open up the space for it to manifest and new ways of being are possible.
If we rush to resolve ourselves too soon, we may miss the opportunity for genuine psychological growth.
Unfamiliar circumstances prompt the brain to dedicate more resources to the hippocampus for learning and memory.
I have started trying to tolerate cold water. It is pretty uncomfortable at first, then a mental equilibrium dawns and finally the body emerges with more vitality.
There is a similar tripartite when we wade into our feelings and wait for clarity...for the right idea to arise by itself.
Music “New Apartment” by Coldbrew (intro) and “Dark Sky Explorations” by Ethereal Ephemera. Kind Mind logo design by Jon Marro and episode artwork on website by Emily Dawn Duforest.
You can support this show and connect with me on Zoom via Patreon: https://patreon.com/kindmind
Our relationship to food is often complex, especially with the rapid-changing nature of its production against the background of millions of years of evolution.
Today there is much science around the benefits of different kinds of fasting - from water fasts and juice fasts for detoxing to intermittent fasting weekly.
In many wisdom traditions, there are practices of fasting for enhancing awareness and tuning the mind to spiritual growth.
Maintaining silence is also a type of fast. So, fasting is not only from food but anything we might be too dependent upon to thereby attenuate its role so that energy can be harnessed and redirected towards healing, creativity or transformation.
This episode shares personal experiences and explores how to safely and joyfully experiment with the right attitude and understanding.
(Music “New Apartment” by Coldbrew and “A Lonely Speck in the Great Enveloping Cosmic Dark” by Bing Satellites; artwork on website by Emily Dawn; Kind Mind podcast logo design by Jon Marro)
Todd gives an introduction to the podcast for new listeners.
Additionally, the show now sometimes features dialogues with transformational thought leaders in the fields of art, music, science, philosophy, public service and beyond. Look for episodes with “Live Free or Dialogue” in the title.
You can support this work and access bonus content via Patreon: https://patreon.com/kindmind
and send mail to: michaeltoddfink@gmail.com
You can support this podcast and access live virtual events and bonus content via Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/kindmind
Send mail to: michaeltoddfink@gmail.com
Compared with other organisms, humans are born significantly underdeveloped physically and highly vulnerable for a considerable period of time.
Therefore, trust and mistrust can be profoundly wired into our design as it is uniquely relevant in our survival.
People may say they don't trust others much, but that might apply more to one's attitude toward specific kinds of relationships. Meanwhile, most of us do trust others in daily life more than we may realize.
Trust can be altered by levels of oxytocin, a pro-social hormone in the body. We also have an evolutionary propsensity to trust faces that look similar to our own, perhaps because our brains recognize a higher probability of being related and thus protected.
Inside of the word trust you have “us” and this episode aims to expand and serve the sense of “us-ness.”
(Music is “The Stone of Rejuvenation” by The Lovely Moon and episode artwork is by Emily Dawn Duforest)
You can support this work and access live virtual events and bonus content via Patreon: https://patreon.com/kindmind
mail to: michaeltoddfink@gmail.com
Why do we build and rebuild?
It could be because of breakdown or breakthrough and the interpretation may be up to us. Sometimes there are setbacks where things fall apart and need repair. Other times, we learn, grow and envision a better way to add on or redo.
We definitely encounter this on the individual level as in the arc of the hero's journey coded in folklore and mythology, where the aspirant seeks, finds, falls, despairs and rises again towards illumination.
In some sense, this path also applies now to the collective experience.
This episode explores what we and society are building - materially, digitally, spiritually - and the etymology of the word "build" with it's roots in Latin and Sanskrit connecting us to the Earth.
Additional analysis is given to the building metaphor and the symbolism of foundations, structures and roofs in life along with the tools to design beyond our breakdowns or breakthroughs.
(music “The Physical World” by The Lovely Moon and episode artwork on website by Emily Dawn Duforest)
Artwork by Emily Dawn
You can support this podcast and access bonus content, mindfulness resources and Kind Mind Gatherings via Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/kindmind
Send mail to: michaeltoddfink@gmail.com
Relgions have long been the purveyors of rituals or sets of actions deemed sacred or worshipful. Despite the growing disaffiliation with religious institutions, spirituality remains important to most people and rituals have been studied and found to be anxiolytic.
Therefore, we may need to establish secular rituals that are contempltive and modern in nature and serve to relieve and protect against the stresses associated with technology.
The word SPIRITUAL contains the word RITUAL. Todd explains that those three extra letters (S, P, I) can stand for three mindful qualites to remember when designing your own personal ritual for psychological well-being.
Music “A Whole World in Your Eyes” by Bing Satellites and artwork on website by Emily Dawn.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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Feedback, mail and booking inquiries may be sent to: michaeltoddfink@gmail.com
(episode artwork by Emily Dawn)
Enjoy this October full moon Halloween spooktacular episode about ghosts and other paranormal experiences and the possible scientific explanations such as psychological bias, hallucination, sensory limitations and mental illness.
Music by Bing Satellites “Mysterious Ways Part 1-3” and episode artwork by Emily Dawn.
You can support this podcast and access bonus content here: https://www.patreon.com/kindmind
You cannot have opposites without some opposition. Right, left, masculine, feminine, hot, cold, day, night, and other seeming anitpodes dance or wrestle endlessly.
Another meaning of polarity has to do with terrestrial magnetism around the north and south pole, resulting from the dynamo effect of flowing liquid metal in the outer core generating electric currents.
In the body, there is also biomagnetism but metaphorically the spine is the axis and north is upward and the base is downward. Below, we have the currents of attraction for food, possessions and sex. Above, the search for knowledge, truth and love has its own pull.
Harmonizing these forces within leads to fulfillment in life and understanding our place in the universe. Raising one's consciousness to the north pole, all sense of direction ends. There is no further north and you get the best view of the inner northern lights. Then, one can engage in and enjoy everything below as it arises naturally but without the old attachment and selfishness.
Music “The Vastness of Night” by Ethereal Ephemera and episode artwork by Emily Dawn and the Kind Mind podcast design by Jon Marro.