On this episode we begin with a great piece of listener mail that asks the question: how does one avoid feeling like a ghost in the world? This leads to a discussion of Rilke’s poem “Turning-Point.”

In the second half, Kris and I elaborate on the Crystal Radio / Pirate Radio / Ghost Radio theory of Culture as a Force / Entity with Language as its medium. Why are eccentrics so important? How do we move on from expertisism? And how to we interact with the maps of our world to separate the signal from the noise?

Part 1:

Finding Better Ghosts / The Origin of Idioms / 3-Foot Elvis

Part 2:

Culture as Energy Field / Animism to Religion to Science to Scientism / Mutual Exploration / Living in Territory, Speaking with Maps

“Turning-Point” by Rainer Maria Rilke

Arthur Rimbaud

Lila by Robert M. Persig

Lewis Thomas

Jan Hus

Nazca Lines

Blythe Intaglios

Joseph Needham

Behaviorism

Newton’s Alchemy

Medicine from Midwife Magic

The Wright Brothers

Backwoods Witchcraft: Conjure & Folk Magic from Appalachia by Jake Richards

Raymond Lull’s Memory Wheels

The Presence of the Past by Rupert Sheldrake