If you would like to support this podcast, check out the options and benefitis here: https://patreon.com/kindmind
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)
Happy New Year! You can support this podcast at https://patreon.com/kindmind
The theme is HOPE. It stands out among other virtues because it requires negative circumstances and straddles over the present and towards the future.
Charles Snyder was a psychologist and dedicated researcher of hope, who emphasized its relevance in the context of doing vs being. Accordingly, hope is a motivational set of cognitive traits that give people a reason to continue pursuing their goals despite the unpredictable nature of the human experience.
He had a beautiful quote,
"A rainbow is a prism that sends shards of multicolored light in various directions. It lifts our spirits and makes us think of what is possible. Hope is the same – a personal rainbow of the mind."
It suggests that additional pathways may exist or appear that we cannot always comprehend in the present. The past and the future are like the ends of that rainbow. They seem to be really out there, but they are always inaccessible.
However, a bigger view is always possible in the here and now.
(Intro music “New Apartment” by Coldbrew and “Cinnabar Sunset” by The Lovely Moon)
Nadine Strossen is Professor of Constitutional Law at New York Law School and the first woman national President of the American Civil Liberties Union, where she served from 1991 through 2008.
A frequent speaker on constitutional and civil liberties issues, her media appearances include 60 Minutes, CBS Sunday Morning, Today, Good Morning America, The Daily Show, and other news programs on CNN, C-SPAN, Fox, Al-Jazeera, and in Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Her op-eds have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, and USA Today, among others.
Live Free or Dialogue is a video conversation series within Michael Todd Fink's "Kind Mind" podcast 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 the Kind Mind podcast and access bonus content at https://patreon.com/kindmind
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)
Happy Thanksgiving! Wishing you love and light this holiday season. If you would like to pitch in a $5 pledge to help support this podcast and access bonus content, you can at https://patreon.com/kindmind
send mail to: michaeltoddfink@gmail.com or @michaeltoddfink
Registration for “I Am Not My Anxeity” virtual course is here.
Since nothing is permanent, what is it that we really see?
In the Venn diagram of the unseen, some are invisible but some are merely overlooked or ignored.
This episode explores the meaning of sight and the process of seeing from the wisdom of science, art and mythology.
(Intro music “New Apartment” by Coldbrew and “Flying Into The Sun” by Ethereal Ephemera and episode artwork on website by Emily Dawn Duforest)
Use the link below to test your cognitive flexibility at the 8:00 mark of this episode:
“Interactive Stroop Effect Experiment”
https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/java/ready.html
One of the definitions of flexibility is spiritually pliant, indicating an attitude of openness and intellectual humility in order to learn or refine our vision. It also implies a readiness to meet the unexpected and without shock.
Flexibility of mind serves us well under strain and mitigates the risks of rigidness, which we will review in the next Kind Mind Gathering. This mental elasticity allow us to stretch emotionally in order to take the perspective of others while maintaining our center. We can then resume our original shape if desired.
Isolation from social disruptions and lack of nuanced conversation behind our screens with character limits may have further eroded the banks of our common life-stream resulting in wider divides and obstinate hyperbole.
You can support this show at https://patreon.com/kindmind
(Intro music “New Apartment” by Coldbrew and “Echoes of Memories” by The Lovely Moon)
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)
Dr. Mark Hatala is a cognitive scientist and professor at Truman State University since 1994. He is a member of the Midwestern Psychological Association, the Artificial Intelligence Foundation, and the American Association of University Professors.
He received a bachelor's in psychology and history from Miami University of Ohio, and earned both his master’s and doctorate in experimental psychology from Ohio University. Dr. Hatala's current research interests include mental time travel (MTT) and cross-cultural differences in attitudes about romantic relationships. He is also the author of “Psychology and Retrocausality.”
Live Free or Dialogue is a video conversation series within Michael Todd Fink's "Kind Mind" podcast (listen on Apple, Spotify and other platforms) 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 the Kind Mind podcast and access bonus content at https://patreon.com/kindmind
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.
Jay L. Garfield chairs the Philosophy department and directs the Tibetan Studies in India program at Smith College. He is also visiting professor of Buddhist philosophy at Harvard Divinity School.
Academicinfluence.com has identified him as one of the 50 most influential philosophers in the world over the past decade.
https://jaygarfield.org
"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
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)
Vitaliy Katsenelson was born in Murmansk, Russia, and immigrated to the United States with his family in 1991. After joining Denver-based value investment firm IMA in 1997, Vitaliy became Chief Investment Officer in 2007, and CEO in 2012. Vitaliy is also an award-winning writer. Known for his uncommon common sense, Forbes Magazine called him "The New Benjamin Graham." He's written for publications including Financial Times, Barron's, Institutional Investor and Foreign Policy. Soul in the Game is his third book, and first non-investing book.
https://contrarianedge.com
https://soulinthegame.net
"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).
https://www.michaeltoddfink.com
You can support this podcast and access bonus content here: https://patreon.com/kindmind
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)