Boundless Life

BenGreenfieldFitness.com/devouredbycannabis

Pastor Doug Wilson first joined me for a podcast episode about his book Confessions of a Food Catholic, for which we recorded a show entitled, "Why Your Pursuit Of A Better Body & The Perfect Diet Is Never Going To Make You Happy, How Christians Should Make Food Choices, The Ultimate Source Of Joy & Much More".

Since then, Doug has, as is his usual practice, been churning out plenty more books, including a couple of my favorite fictional titles of his Ecochondriacs and Ride, Sally, Ride, and quite recently, the book Devoured by Cannabis: Weed, Liberty, and Legalization, which is the topic of this podcast.

In Devoured by Cannabis, Doug argues that marijuana usage is not comparable to alcohol consumption or to smoking cigarettes, and demonstrates that the use of recreational marijuana is definitely not an option for Christians, and just a bad idea in general. He says that liberty for potheads means tyranny for everyone, including the smokers enslaved by the drug.

Considering I just interviewed Josiah Hesse about his book Runner’s High: How a Movement of Cannabis-Fueled Athletes Is Changing the Science of Sports, I thought it would be timely to get Doug's take on the topic too.

Doug has been a family friend for years, and is the minister of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, which is a member of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC) and the church I and my wife Jessa attended all throughout my childhood and during college. After his stint in the submarine service of the U.S. Navy, he attended the University of Idaho where he obtained an MA in philosophy.

As one of its founders, Doug has served on the board of Logos School, a classical and Christian school (K-12), since its inception. He is also a Senior Fellow of theology at New St. Andrews College, which I consider to be one of the better liberal arts institutions in the country.

He is the author of numerous books, including Reforming Marriage, The Case for Classical Christian Education, Letter from a Christian Citizen, and Blackthorn Winter. Doug is also the general editor for the Omnibus textbook series. 

You can check out his blog here, and his metric ton of grandkids can be found spread across the planet with rapidly increasing frequency.

Doug's brother, Gordon Wilson, has also joined me for the podcast "Are Christians Destroying The Environment? A Biblical Approach to Environmentalism and the “Dominion Mandate.”.

BenGreenfieldFitness.com/devouredbycannabis

During our discussion, you'll discover: -Cannabis use viewed from a conservative pastor's perspective...08:05 -How to know if we're enjoying a natural benefit of a substance or have descended the slippery slope of addiction...23:40 -Is Ben sinning when he vapes to relax in the evening?...32:10 -Pastoral admonishment vs. endorsing the government's "war on drugs"...38:05 -Correlation between legalization of weed and compliance with mask mandates, mandatory vaccines, etc...43:02 -The biggest drug-related issues Doug faces as a pastor...46:35 -THC as a plant-defense mechanism...53:42 -And much more! Upcoming Events:

• Ben will be speaking at the Ancestral Health Symposium in L.A. on August 12-14, 2021
• Las Vegas Keto Expo (October 15-16, 2021). Ben will be speaking at the Las Vegas Keto Expo along with 13 other keto experts. The first 300 guests to register here will get a free drink chip for the poolside party and a free t-shirt.
• Keep up on Ben's LIVE appearances by following bengreenfieldfitness.com/calendar

Episode sponsors: -JOOVV -Paleo Valley Organ Complex -Kion Serum -Thrive Market BenGreenfieldFitness.com/devouredbycannabis

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BenGreenfieldFitness.com/Keith

Keith Rabois is the General Partner at Founders Fund. He has a unique background as an entrepreneurial executive and investor. Since 2000, he has been instrumental in driving five startups from their early stages to successful IPOs. He has provided seed capital to another ten companies that are currently valued at over $1 B, including Airbnb, Lyft, YouTube, Wish, Yammer.

Since March 2013, Keith Rabois has served as a senior partner at Khosla Ventures, a technology venture capital fund founded by Vinod Khosla. He specializes in funding early-stage companies with a primary focus in consumer, financial services and health care innovation.

At the same time, Keith co-founded Opendoor, a startup which transforms the painful process of selling a home into delightful and immediate experience. At KV, Rabois has led investments in a broad array of startups including, DoorDash, Stripe, Thoughtspot, Affirm, Even Financial and Piazza.

Over the prior decade, he forged several of the most important new social and commerce platforms.

Keith began his career in the industry as Executive Vice President of Business Development & Public Policy at PayPal [NASDAQ: PYPL, later acquired by EBAY] and subsequently served in influential roles at LinkedIn [NYSE: LNKD] and as a chief operating officer of Square [NASDAQ: SQ].

But he's also a bit of a fitness and optimization nerd, often heard championing the value of fitness, sleep and heart rate tracking, and recently leading 'big tech' scions in Miami fitness bubble, as a recent news article cited "The former PayPal exec, who has invested in LinkedIn, Square and Yelp, is teaching a Barry’s Bootcamp class in Miami with tech industry insiders", where he was quoted as saying that he believes the future of fitness in a post-pandemic world will be a combination of at-home meets in-person workouts.

“I think the future will be a hybrid. Resistance training is a critical ingredient for everybody’s workout and it’s very difficult for people to do strength training at home. People need both guidance and form correction. I think some people will allocate some time to training at home just for convenience, then people like to get inspired with in-person classes -- running next to someone on a treadmill urges you to run faster; seeing other people lifting dumbbells encourages you to lift heavier weights, plus you’re in a community meeting new people and engaging with new people. Some people will take one or two classes a week and then exercise on their own."

During our discussion, you'll discover: -How Keith measures his health through the heart rate...08:30 -A typical workout for Keith...12:20 -How Ben and Keith track and manage their sleep...22:55 -Keith and Ben's big wins in caring for the body and brain...28:55 -Supplements and biohacks Keith uses to enhance sleep...45:48 -What Keith has for breakfast...50:45 -Hacks in the workplace...54:45 -What a typical day looks like for both Keith and Ben...57:40 -What things in the fitness and biohacking industry excites Keith...1:04:20 -Flaws with the exciting, yet underachieving personalized health services and products industry...1:08:55 -And much more... Episode sponsors:

-The Boundless Cookbook

-Organifi Gold

-Four Sigmatic

-Kion Aminos

-Clearlight Saunas

Extensive show notes, including links to all products and resources Ben and Keith mentioned can be found at BenGreenfieldFitness.com/Keith

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BenGreenfieldFitness.com/herbalism

When I interviewed Gordon Wilson in the show "Are Christians Destroying The Environment? A Biblical Approach to Environmentalism and the “Dominion Mandate.”, I mentioned a book called The Lost Language of Plants by Stephen Buhner, describing the innate intelligence built into the plant kingdom, and the loss of natural connectivity we rational, scientific humans have developed when it comes to the plant kingdom.

Since then, I've continued my interest in the, shall we say, more spiritual, medicinal, and little-known aspects of the plant kingdom, including trees, leaves, roots, herbs, flowers, flower essences, essential oils, plant medicines, and beyond. One book I've discovered along the way is Evolutionary Herbalism: Science, Spirituality, and Medicine from the Heart of Nature by today's podcast guest, Sajah Popham.

In the book, weaving together herbal and medical traditions from around the world into a singular cohesive model, you're guided from an herbal practitioner's point of view to a comprehensive understanding of the practice and philosophy of healing with herbs. Sajah presents an innovative approach to herbalism that considers the holistic relationship among plants, humans, and the underlying archetypal patterns in Nature.

Organized in five parts moving from the microcosmic to the universal, this work explores a unique integration of clinical herbalism, Ayurveda, medical astrology, spagyric alchemy, and medical and esoteric traditions from across the world into a truly holistic system of plant medicine.

A balance of the heart and the mind, the science and spirit of people and plants, Evolutionary Herbalism provides a holistic context for how plants can be used for transformational levels of healing for the body, spirit, and soul. For both the student herbalist and experienced practitioner, Popham's original perspectives guide you to a more intimate, synergistic, and intuitive relationship with the plant kingdom, people, and nature as a whole.

Sajah Popham's mission is to share knowledge, tools and medicine that spread the healing power of plants - to not just heal our bodies of disease, but to assist in the evolution of human consciousness back into its natural state. His holistic focus is on finding the universal principles and practices across herbal traditions and using plants in a way that not only brings about physical healing and rejuvenation, but psychological and emotional health, and spiritual transformation.

He holds a degree in Herbal Sciences from Bastyr University and has studied herbal traditions across the world and with some of North America's top clinical practitioners. His unique approach integrates not only clinical Western herbalism, Ayurveda and Chinese medicine, but also the practices of Medical Astrology, Spagyric Alchemy, and western esotericism.

Sajah's approach unites these traditional models in a way that utilizes the whole plant (chemistry, energetics and spirit) to heal the whole person (body, spirit and soul) by getting to the root causes of disease. He lives in the Pacific Northwest forest with his wife Whitney.

During our discussion, you'll discover: -How an evolutionary herbalist describes his "day job"...06:25 -The study environment at Bastyr University...10:15 -How a disconnection between the human and plant kingdom has helped to create some of the chaos we see today...13:00 -"Vitalism" and its connection to evolutionary herbalism...17:30 -Can plants be misused as is often the case with pharmaceuticals?...23:45 -Molecular herbalism contrasted with evolutionary herbalism...28:50 -How plants have their own electromagnetic field...36:20 -How plants have the same senses we do...40:15 -The "song" of a plant...45:20 -The Doctrine of Signatures and how Sajah "gets to know" a new plant...49:15 -A sneak-preview of what's to come in Part 2 with Sajah...1:07:04 -And much more!... Episode sponsors:

-The Boundless Cookbook

-Organifi Green Juice

-Paleo Valley Beef Sticks

-Kion Cold Thermogenesis Challenge

-Butcher Box

Show notes: BenGreenfieldFitness.com/herbalism

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bengreenfieldfitness.com/432

News Flashes – Follow Ben on Twitter for more…

• These biohacking tricks give the world's best footballers the ultimate kick...05:30
• I totally agree with this paper endorsing much more *female* research and biologically sexual appropriate studies on human... - while I think "sexist" is an oft over-used or mis-used term, it definitely applies to much scientific research these days...17:15
• If you are going to light your house with something other than the incandescent/red incandescent bulbs I use, then OLED appears to be less problematic for circadian rhythm disruption than LED, but still not great: (Get incandescent bulbs of maximum wattage (150w) to avoid the harmful flickering of LED and fluorescent bulbs)...23:05
•  New article/paper on amino acids, protein and aging DEFINITELY back up that the low-calorie, non-insulinogenic effects of essential amino acids (EAA's) make these a really good way to 'stay anabolic' without excess aging. (thank you @kion aminos...27:35
• "Reset" your circadian rhythm with bright light in morning and melatonin at night...34:10
• A late dinner isn't as big a deal as most say when it comes to sleep disruption, but experiment/track nonetheless to see if that's the case for you...39:20
• You have GOT to be kidding me..."the world's first weight loss device"?  Like a chastity belt for your mouth...46:30

Special Announcements...

-The Boundless Cookbook: Optimize your physical and mental performance with nutritious and delicious Greenfield family recipes. This is your roadmap to a culinary journey that includes ancient food and wild game preparation tactics, biohacked smoothies, meat rubs, cocktails, desserts, and beyond—without any restrictive diet, limited ingredients, or tasteless “health foods”! Pre-order yours today here!

Check out Ben on Instagram for epic posts and photos about his morning, day, and evening routines, recipes, and much more!

Follow Ben on Twitter for daily news flashes and the latest health, fitness, and anti-aging research.

Join Ben's Facebook page for conversations with listeners and even more useful information, posts, and support!

This podcast is brought to you by:

-The Boundless Cookbook

-Organifi 

-Kion Cold Thermogenesis Challenge

-Ra Optics

-Butcher Box

Listener Q&A: How long does it take to reset the circadian rhythm after above average sunlight exposure?...54:15 How to optimize eating times for an athlete...56:35 What kind of supplements do you recommend for high blood pressure?....1:02:40 bengreenfieldfitness.com/432

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bengreenfieldfitness.com/peakhuman

On a recent trip to Austin, Texas, I had the pleasure to sit down with my new friend Brian Sanders.

Brian is the filmmaker behind the feature-length documentary Food Lies and host of the Peak Human podcast. He graduated from UCLA with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and then turned to technology and sold an app company. He’s used his technical background and love for fitness and nutrition to also work as a Health Coach and be the co-founder of the health, media, and technology company SAPIEN. 

He's also a speaker and the owner of NoseToTail.org providing premium grass-finished meat to the 48 contiguous states. Prior to this podcast, we both did a "shot" of a kratom/kava euphoric-inducing blend called FeelFree, so the podcast got a bit crazy! If you want to try a shot of this stuff for yourself click here and use code INSERT CODE for an XYZ% discount.

In this episode, you'll discover: -Brian and Ben have “drunken banter” over some new products...03:05 -About ancestral hacking vs biohacking...06:30 -Why it’s important to track your metrics naturally, without wearables...10:05 -The most ideal state to consume food and how to stabilize blood glucose spikes...13:20 -Ben’s biggest takeaways from the Faster Study and what it involved...26:10 -What Ben carb loaded before Spartan race days...31:00 -The best way to adapt your diet for improved longevity...41:00 -Ben’s best tips for including alcohol into your “healthy” diet...45:10 -Why Ben says it’s okay to be weird in the sake of being metabolically well...57:05 -And much more... Episode sponsors:

-Kion Cold Thermogenesis Challenge

-Butcher Box

-Ra Optics

-Levels Health

bengreenfieldfitness.com/peakhuman

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time to take a deep dive into all things pre-, post-, and during-workout nutrition to maximize recovery, anabolism, muscle hypertrophy, and much more with Milos Sarcev — one of the top bodybuilders of all time.

Milos was born on January 17, 1964 in Novi Sad, Serbia (former Yugoslavia), grew up in Bečej, and at an early age got involved in numerous sporting activities—participating in judo, karate, swimming, soccer, and basketball tournaments as a teenager. At the age of 17, he was introduced to weightlifting and immediately fell in love with bodybuilding.

Four years later, he started competing, entered and won his province title (Mr. Vojvodina), his republic title (Mr. Serbia), and finally national title (Mr. Yugoslavia) before going on to compete on the international scene (Mr. Europe and Mr. Universe). He won the 1989 Amateur Mr. Universe competition and started competing as a professional in the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB).

Milos studied nutritional technology at the University of Novi Sad and moved to the USA in 1987 to pursue his bodybuilding career. In 1989 he won the Amateur Mr. Universe title, in 1991 became an IFBB professional bodybuilder, competing in over 110 bodybuilding shows worldwide (72 of which were IFBB professional competitions), and qualified for the Mr. Olympia contest for 10 consecutive years in the hardest era of bodybuilding (1990s). After his competitive career, Milos became known for coaching/advising numerous professional athletes and Olympic medalists.

He took a part in famous BALCO Labs "Project World Record" as a nutritionist and strength and conditioning coach for Tim Montgomery—creating the fastest man alive by breaking the World Record on the 100-meter sprint (9.77 seconds) after less than 9 months of coaching.

As a bodybuilding coach, he advised over 100 IFBB professional bodybuilders, of which 36 qualified for the most prestigious Mr. Olympia competition. He is a renowned international nutritional expert and speaker; professional trainer; and strength, conditioning, and contest preparation consultant with over 35 years of firsthand industry experience.

Milos has become one of the most prominent authorities on nutrition and the human body as relates to athletic performance, earning him the industry moniker “The Mind.” He is considered to be one of the most influential bodybuilders in history, pioneering the usage of specific intra-workout nutritional sports supplementation through his Hyperemia Advantage System, which revolutionized the whole sports supplementation industry.

Milos' methods of training and hormonal manipulation for achieving a hyper-anabolic state and maximal hypertrophy are now accepted by millions around the world.

During this discussion, you'll discover: -The background on Milos' interest on muscle growth...6:25 -Milos' ideas and theories put into real-world practice...16:00 -The substances Milos uses alongside EAAs during training...29:45 -Proper timing and dosage of supplementation before and during a workout...37:15 -How Milos structures his diet for optimal training...42:00 -Why supplementation during the workout is necessary...45:45 -How post-workout supplement differs from the pre-, and during-workout...49:15 -Milos' carnosine strategy...54:05 -What Milos' training looked like during his peak vs. now...57:10 -Why essential amino acids are so...essential...1:10:05 Milos' actual training - Body split workouts, warm-up, and exercise selection:

1. I always begin my workout with 10 minutes of cardio, then move to leg extensions to further warm up my muscles, tendons, and ligaments. I take three seconds to raise the weight, two seconds to hold it at the top, and three seconds to complete the negative. Although I don't advocate locking out your knees on squats, lunges, and leg presses, I do recommend fully contracting your quads on leg extensions, and this requires a momentary locking-out of the knee joint.
2. I now move to what I consider the king of all exercises: barbell squats. Even though I've already warmed up my quads with leg extensions, I still do two warm-up sets of 10 squats to warm up my hips, glutes, lower back, and calves before my three heavy working sets. My descending speed is still slow, about three seconds, but since squats are a building motion, the ascending motion is more explosive. A lot of people make the mistake of stopping between reps and resting when doing squats, but you must keep continual tension on your muscles for maximal results, and this is achieved by continual motion.
3. Next come leg presses. I alternate from week to week between the unilateral and two-leg versions. I see so many people doing 1,000-pound 1-inch leg presses. That won't help you develop anything. For both single- and double-leg, I advocate a full range of motion.
4. I finish off with hack squats. On two-legged leg press days, I perform the standard three sets of 10, with my feet and knees close together to hit the outer sweep of my quads. On the unilateral days, I do my infamous triple drop set. I've made more than 100 people throw up doing this, and I myself have thrown up on several occasions. You begin with a weight with which you can get only 5-6 reps, then drop it down and do another 10, drop it again, and go for 10-15. But the trick is this: Do these as slowly as possible. Five seconds to go down, pause two seconds at the bottom, and five seconds to go back up. If you finish this without being sick, you didn't do it right.
5. I used to think I could train legs all at once, but my hams were always lagging because I was exhausted from quad training. So these days, I train quads and hams separately, giving each its own day once a week to ensure complete development.

Episode sponsors:

-Kion Cold Thermogenesis Challenge

-Butcher Box

-Ra Optics

-Levels Health

Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for Milos or me? Leave your comments at https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/milos2 and one of us will reply!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/redbull 

Occasionally, I'm interviewed by magazines, other podcasts, authors, radio networks, etc., and occasionally, I also release those interviews with the journalist in public.

After all, whatever you say on an interview can and will be used against you right?

Just kidding.

This interview actually went quite well, and was recorded to be published in The Red Bulletin Innovator, published by the Red Bull Media House, distributed in Germany, Austria and Switzerland plus digitally in several other languages online (including English).

The interview with me is an 8-page-opener for a special section about biohacking, and the issue will be out in September. The interview was conducted by Andreas Breitfeld, a German biohacker and founder of the first biohacking lab in Germany, along with author Stefan Wagner.

In this episode, you'll discover: -Is there such thing as a "perfect life"?...03:55

• Full mind, body, spirit optimization
• Not fully attainable due to our fallen human nature
• Our fallibility can be a beautiful thing; keeps us humble and grounded
• Problems spur progress
• Most people exist in a sub-optimal state
• Many obstacles to an optimal life humanity today we weren't exposed to before
• Always learning new things to optimize mind, body, spirit

-What is the meaning of life?...10:35

• The meaning life is "survival"
• Maslow's hierarchy of needs
• Ben subscribes to a higher power, absolute truth
• "Savor, enjoy God's creation while loving others; identify our calling and make a positive impact"
• John Piper: "We are designed to fully glorify God by being fully satisfied in Him."

-Is your personal health the best expression of seeking meaning in your life?...16:35

• Focusing on your own health is the opposite of seeking true meaning in life
• Focusing on others makes your own health more gratifying
• Take care of your health in order to serve others
• Use biohacks in order to best serve those who depend on you
• Put on your own oxygen mask first; but don't dwell on all the technical details, help people!

-How to find the balance between optimal health and a worthwhile life...20:40

• Self-quantification (genetics, HRV, sleep cycles)
  • Oura Ring
  • Apollo
  • Genetic test we recommend
  • Biome test (viome?)
  • Food allergy test
  • Blood panel, micronutrient
• Make serving others your prime focus in your life
  • Spiritual Disciplines Journal
• Don't ignore the heart/gut impulses
• Self-optimization with the goal of "others-optimization"

-Ben's "elevator pitch" to embrace biohacking...29:00

• Understand what problem you want to fix before identifying which bio hack to use
• Joovv light panels
• Clearlight sauna
• ReTimer glasses
• Earthing sandals
• Hot/cold contrast
• The Body Electric by Robert Bekcer
• Healing is Voltage by Jerry Tennant
• Structured water
• Use salt and minerals the right way
• Quinton
• Aqua True liquid minerals

-How to approach biohacks that aren't advocated by mainstream science...38:25

• Earthing documentary
• Book by Clint Ober
• BGF podcast w/ Clint Ober
• PEMF mats and pads
• Use self-quantification to identify what is and isn't working for you
• Many biohacks simulate what nature is already doing

-How to be a human guinea pig without harming one's self...42:20

• Blood glucose monitor
• Track sleep cycles and melatonin levels
• Don't try any biohacks you don't feel comfortable doing
• Weirdest biohacks Ben has tried:
  • Build muscle using electrical stimulation
  • Whipworms and tapeworms
• Ensure there's ample evidence of a biohack's efficacy before using

-What will it look like when Ben is an old man?...46:40 -What to do when you're lacking motivation to fill your life's purpose...50:20 -And much more... Resources mentioned in this episode: Episode sponsors

-Organifi Green Juice

-Paleo Valley Beef Sticks

-Kion Refer a Friend

-Thrive Market

https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/redbull

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/431

Have a question you'd like Ben to answer on the podcast?

Click here, or use the 'contact' button in the free Ben Greenfield Fitness app. Prior to asking your question, do a search in the upper right-hand corner of this website for the keywords associated with your question. Many of the questions we receive have already been answered here at Ben Greenfield Fitness!

News Flashes – Follow Ben on Twitter for more…

• Good one: "Psychedelics Weren't As Common in Ancient Cultures As We Think"08:40
• Interesting...why chewing morning glory seeds gets you high: (I guess Home Depot is probably going to sell out of seeds once this becomes common knowledge)...14:20
• Interesting that vegetable oils trigger the 'bliss molecule' anandamide. May that's why that baked goodie or potato chip is so darn addictive (veg oils kinda like using THC for munchies!)...18:55
• Ladies - it appears cannabis makes sex better...22:25
• How to have WAY MORE SEX in your marriage...25:40

Special Announcements...

-The Boundless Cookbook: Optimize your physical and mental performance with nutritious and delicious Greenfield family recipes. This is your roadmap to a culinary journey that includes ancient food and wild game preparation tactics, biohacked smoothies, meat rubs, cocktails, desserts, and beyond—without any restrictive diet, limited ingredients, or tasteless “health foods”! Pre-order yours today here!

Check out Ben on Instagram for epic posts and photos about his morning, day, and evening routines, recipes, and much more!

Follow Ben on Twitter for daily news flashes and the latest health, fitness, and anti-aging research.

Join Ben's Facebook page for conversations with listeners and even more useful information, posts, and support!

This podcast is brought to you by:

-Kion Clean Energy Bars

-Organifi Green Juice

-Magic Spoon

-Paleo Valley Organ Complex

Listener Q&A: Tips for training children...38:00 Supplements that increase NAD, and other plants that make you feel high...47:30

bengreenfieldfitness.com/431

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey, what's up. It's Ben Greenfield. You may have heard that I wrote a new book. It's free at fitsoulbook.com as a digital download. You can also get the physical version for next to nothing. I'm not making any money off this book. I'm just covering my shipping and handling and printing costs. I just want you to experience some of the things I've written within the pages.

Now, because of that, I'm also recording the audio book version, and I want to give you a bit of a taste of that audio book version. 

If you like it all the resources and everything for what you're about to hear are at fitsoulbook.com/resources.

So I hope you enjoy this chapter and you can always find me on social media at Ben Greenfield Fitness on most social media platforms. And perhaps there you can just let me know what you think. 

So without further ado, here we go.

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BenGreenfieldFitness.com/recapturerapture

My guest on today's podcast, Jamie Wheal, first joined me on the podcast episode: "Recapture the Rapture: Biohacking Sex, Tantric Breathwork, Plant Medicines For Orgasmic Enhancement & Much More!", for which the title is pretty self-explanatory regarding the wildly stimulating topics we covered on that show. 

Today Jamie, a so-called "neuroanthropologist" is back, describing exciting elements from his new book Recapture the Rapture: Rethinking God, Sex, and Death in a World That's Lost Its Mind - a book in which he maps out a revolutionary new practice—Hedonic Engineering—that combines neuroscience and optimal psychology. It’s an intensive program of breathing, movement, and sexuality that mends trauma, heightens inspiration and tightens connections—helping us wake up, grow up, and show up for a world that needs us all.

This is a book about a big idea. And the idea is this: Slowly over the past few decades, and now suddenly, all at once, we’re suffering from a collapse in Meaning. Fundamentalism and nihilism are filling that vacuum, with consequences that affect us all. In a world that needs us at our best, diseases of despair, tribalism, and disaster fatigue are leaving us at our worst. It’s vital that we regain control of the stories we’re telling because they are shaping the future we’re creating.

To do that, we have to remember our deepest inspiration, heal our pain and apathy, and connect to each other like never before. If we can do that, we’ve got a shot at solving the big problems we face. And if we can’t?  Well, the dustbin of history has swallowed civilizations older and fancier than ours. This book is divided into three parts. The first, Choose Your Own Apocalypse, takes a look at our current Meaning Crisis--where we are today, why it’s so hard to make sense of the world, what might be coming next, and what to do about it.

It also makes a case that many of our efforts to cope, whether anxiety and denial, or tribalism and identity politics, are likely making things worse. The middle section, The Alchemist Cookbook,  applies the creative firm IDEO’s design thinking to the Meaning Crisis. This is where the book gets hands on--taking a look at the strongest evolutionary drivers that can bring about inspiration, healing, and connection. From breathing, to movement, sexuality, music, and substances--these are the everyday tools to help us wake up, grow up, and show up.

AKA--how to blow yourself sky high with household materials.

The final third of the book, Ethical Cult Building, focuses on the tricky nature of putting these kinds of experiences into gear and into culture—because, anytime in the past when we’ve figured out combinations of peak states and deep healing, we’ve almost always ended up with problematic culty communities. Playing with fire has left a lot of people burned.

This section lays out a roadmap for sparking a thousand fires around the world--each one unique and tailored to the needs and values of its participants. Think of it as an open-source toolkit for building ethical culture.

In Recapture the Rapture, Jamie takes radical research out of the extremes and applying it to the mainstream to the broader social problem of healing, believing, and belonging. It’s providing answers to the questions we face: how to replace blind faith with direct experience, how to move from broken to whole, and how to cure isolation with connection. Said even more plainly, it shows us how to revitalize our bodies, boost our creativity, rekindle our relationships, and answer once and for all the questions of why we are here and what do we do now?

Jamie is also the author of Stealing Fire: How Silicon Valley, Navy SEALs, and Maverick Scientists Are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work and the founder of the Flow Genome Project, an international organization dedicated to the research and training of human performance.

His work and ideas have been covered in The New York Times, Financial Times, Wired, Entrepreneur, Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Inc., and TED. He has spoken at Stanford University, MIT, the Harvard Club, Imperial College, Singularity University, the U.S. Naval War College and Special Operations Command, Sandhurst Royal Military Academy, the Bohemian Club, and the United Nations.

He lives high in the Rocky Mountains in an off-grid cabin with his partner, Julie; two children, Lucas and Emma; and their golden retrievers, Aslan and Calliope. When not writing, he can be found mountain biking, kitesurfing, and backcountry skiing.

During our discussion, you'll discover: -What the heck is a "neuroanthropologist?"...07:34 -What does it mean to "recapture the rapture?"...15:15 -A contrarian view of the end times...23:56 -Jamie's creative writing process...31:55 -How prostate massages bring one to a new level of consciousness...43:25 -The 5 big techniques for achieving a peak state of flow...48:35 -Why sex, drugs, rock and roll mark the beginning of civilization, not the end...1:00:44 -About circular breathing...1:05:00 -Meduna's Mixture...1:10:12 -How to use breath to "steer" your psyche...1:23:40 -How to work directly with Jamie...1:28:05 -And much more! Episode sponsors:

-The Boundless Cookbook 

-Kion Aminos

-JOOVV

-Clearlight Saunas

-Paleo Valley Beef Sticks

BenGreenfieldFitness.com/recapturerapture

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