What is a ghost??
The concept is based on the ancient belief that there is a spirit or essence that continues to exist without the body after death and can in some cases interact or haunt the "living."
This actually led to the development of funerals and rituals to help protect against this and encourage the soul's onward journey.
This episode explores how despite the different spiritual beliefs that permeate the end of life ceremonies, the final disposition of the corpse happens initially with the help of one of the 5 elements: earth, water, fire, air or space.
You can support this podcast and join our virtual poetry chats and other bonus content by pitching in $5 through Patreon at https://patreon.com/kindmind
(Intro music “New Apartment” by Coldbrew and “The Absence of Definition” by Kowalski Room; episode artwork on website by Emily Dawn Duforest)
You can support this podcast at https://patreon.com/kindmind to connect with Todd and access bonus content.
Intuition is defined as the ability to know something immediately or to know something without proof.
In the digital age, intuition may have taken a backseat to satellite GPS and Google searches. However, its philosophical significance for our personal life and psychological growth has not been diminished but rather overlooked.
There is a good scientific reason to call it a "gut feeling." According to researchers at Johns Hopkins, we have as many as 500 million neurons lining our gastrointestinal tract forming what scientists call the enteric nervous system (ENS) or second brain.
This can partly explain why antidepressants may be prescribed for irritable bowel syndrome, which often includes emotional distress. The medication can soothe symptoms by acting on nerve cells in the gut.
But is intuition still a good guide? Is it outdated now that we have seemingly more rational tools at our instant disposal?
This episode explores the science and spirituality of intuition along with its theological origins in Sanskrit and Latin languages which emphasized "inner" and "tutor" as its core meaning, respectively.
(intro music “New Apartment” by Coldbrew and “Bathed in a Golden Light” by Ethereal Ephemera with episode artwork on website by Emily Dawn Duforest)
Sarah Durham Wilson is a women’s rites of passage leader and writer. She has taught courses and led retreats for thousands of women over the past decade. She previously worked as an arts and music writer in New York City, for Rolling Stone, VH1, GQ, Vanity Fair and Interview Magazine.
Sarah is also the author of ‘Maiden to Mother’ - her first book, published by Sounds True in 2022.
https://themotherspirit.com
Live Free or Dialogue is a video conversation series within Michael Todd Fink's "Kind Mind" podcast platform and based on the etymology of the word dialogue: two individuals (di) communicating with openness, respect and mutual search for meaning (logos).
You can support this podcast and access bonus content here: https://patreon.com/kindmind
(Music “Obscurity” by Lowercase Noises)
Please consider supporting this podcast via Patreon: https://patreon.com/kindmind Thank you!
When you stop trying to get it, you got it.
It may sound counterintuitive given the popularity of law of attraction.
But doesn't the affirming and manifesting work also reinforce the sense of lack in the first place?
Studies show that we are not accurate at predicting what would make us happy... because it is never really the thing but the feeling that we seek.
Therefore, the pursuit of happiness can make it hard to positively appreciate the present moment.
Consider health, career, love or revolution and how urgency or desperation tempts us to resort to interventions that push it away or us out of harmony with the original vision.
Most importantly, this law of reverse effort applies to spirituality and inner peace, as there is no process to still the mind.
There is only a process to disturb it.
(intro music “New Apartment” by Coldbrew, with “Twilight Reflections” by Ethereal Ephemera, episode artwork on website by Emily Dawn Duforest and podcast logo design by Jon Marro)
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
from the Dawn Chorus artist retreat at the Grand Canyon, New Year's Eve 2020.
you can join the virtual Kind Mind Gathering each month and access the Kind Mind Studio meditation page by becoming a patron of this podcast on Patreon for as little as $5/month:
https://patreon.com/kindmind
(music “Sunlight on Still Water” by The Lovely Moon and episode artwork on website by Emily Dawn Duforest)
Please consider supporting this podcast and accessing bonus content the Kind Mind Gatherings via https://patreon.com/kindmind
Send feedback and mail to: michaeltoddfink@gmail.com
This episode was recorded over 3 consecutive weeks 1 year ago in June 2021 at Speakeasy Spiritual Community. It’s called The Seahorse Series because of the uniqueness of the male seahorse and subtitled mending masculinity.
This series is about the energy and quality of masculinity as distinct from manhood but then its also about men and perspectives on life and wisdom for males.
This is an invitation to hear from all people to better understand our place in the world and history, how we impact one another and recognize and regard our interdependence and our unique opportunities for correction, redemption and progress for all.
(Music by The Lovely Moon called “Music for Dreams” and episode artwork on website by Emily Dawn Duforest)
send mail to: michaeltoddfink@gmail.com
support this show: https://patreon.com/kindmind
An attitude is a lot like a musical score, a kind of outline or map for the potential expression or organization of sounds and rhythms.
Similarly, an attitude, in the psychological sense is a set of thoughts, feelings and most importantly behavioral tendencies towards someone or something. So, both are mental constructs with the potential to manifest certain actions in the environment.
When parts of the music do not fit as intended, it is called dissonance. And when one of the components of attitude is discovered to be out of alignment, it creates cognitive dissonance, the catalyst for its transformation, which points to a fundamental urge towards harmony.
Just as there is no universal agreement on good and bad music, there is also a lack of consensus on good and bad attitudes.
This episode explores the formation of attitude and how it can be changed, while inquiring about how real or important are our attitudes in the context of personal growth and self-discovery.
(music “Dream” and “Innocence” by Bing Satellites and episode artwork on website by Emily Dawn Duforest)
Kute Blackson is a transformational teacher, speaker, visionary, guide and national best-selling author of You.Are.The.One. and The Magic of Surrender.
https://www.kuteblackson.com
"Live Free or Dialogue" is a video conversation series within Michael Todd Fink's "Kind Mind" podcast platform and based on the qualities of dialogue: two individuals (di) communicating with openness, respect and mutual search for meaning (logos).
https://www.michaeltoddfink.com
Support this podcast and access bonus content here: https://patreon.com/kindmind
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)
Todd talks with Sandy Gibson.
Sandy Gibson is the Founder of Better Place Forests, America's first conservation memorial forest. Instead of graves, Better Places offers a sustainable alternative to cemeteries for families who choose cremation.
Launching in 2017, the 130+ acre woodland based in San Francisco has raised more than $75M in venture capital! Better Place Forests has also been featured in the New York Times, and on the Today Show.
https://www.betterplaceforests.com
"Live Free or Dialogue" is a video conversation series within Michael Todd Fink's "Kind Mind" podcast platform and based on the qualities of dialogue: two individuals (di) communicating with openness, respect and mutual search for meaning (logos).
Join the Patreon community and access bonus content and live events: https://www.patreon.com/kindmind
send mail to: michaeltoddfink@gmail.com
Sleep is really weird when you think about it. You get 16-24 hours of life out of a human and then they need 8 hours to fully charge.
There are so many interpretations of dreams from psychology and spirituality. They include descriptions of our subconscious resolving conflicts and playing out fantasies to intuition and prophecies.
fMRI studies of the brains of mice show activity similar to when they were trying to find cheese in a maze, suggesting that dreams have a lot to do with learning and integration.
Not only does life influence dreams but dreams sometimes alter the course of history.
(Music by Ethereal Ephemera “Reflections of Sunlight Drifting” and episode artwork on website by Emily Dawn Duforest)
Todd talks with Jose Hernandez.
In 2004 Jose began creating art as a meditative tool. His art has now exhibited in galleries across the US and hangs in private and corporate collections worldwide. Jose founded Inner Immersion, LLC and Immersive Arts, LLP. He is a member of the Association of Transformational Leaders. Jose is featured in the Netflix docu-series, Surviving Death, and the Dr Oz show. He regularly speaks on his near-death experience, and on Art as a Conduit for Healing.
More at https://www.innerimmersion.org
"Live Free or Dialogue" is a conversation series within Michael Todd Fink's "Kind Mind" podcast platform and based on the qualities of dialogue: two individuals (di) communicating with openness, respect and mutual search for meaning (logos).
Join the Kind Mind patreon community and access bonus content and live events: https://www.patreon.com/kindmind
You can send mail to: michaeltoddfink@gmail.com
We tend to take for granted when our bodies are healthy and strong. We also tend to assume the worst when there is pain and worry that it will never go away.
In my understanding, health is not a permanent state. Consider all the factors involved with health or disease: physical, psychological, genetic, social, environmental and more. And til now, death is still inevitable.
Each side of life is an opportunity to go beyond our limiting notions of self. In so-called good health, we can expand our awareness past the boundaries of our skin to feel the dis-ease in the wider field of our existence. Then, we can be an agent for positive change and healing.
Dis-ease is a signal to come back to our innermost being. To observe pain in the body with compassion and curiosity, again helps us feel less identified with the corporeal and find equanimity in the pure consciousness.
(Music by Ethereal Ephemera - “Slow Movement in the Light” 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!
You can support this work, access bonus content and submit your own questions about anything for future segments of the show via https://www.patreon.com/kindmind
Feedback, mail and booking inquiries may be sent to: michaeltoddfink@gmail.com
(episode artwork by Emily Dawn)