Brain Shaman

In this episode, our guest is Jan Kounen, French film director and producer, VR creator, author, comic book artist, and Ayahuasca expert explorer.

The conversation focuses on various aspects of the Ayahuasca experience, such as: vision, sound (the chants/songs known as "icaros"), embodiment, fear, thinking, cognition, surrender, fragility, reality, perception, self-discovery, pain, beauty, interconnection, and death. This thereby aims to help us gain a deeper understanding and experience of ourselves and our lives.

Ayahuasca: Kosmik Journey, Jan's VR simulation of the experience (now available on Quest 2 and 3) serves as a template for our discussion. Other mind-opening tools we talk about, that can be used as alternatives to (or, as preparation for) Ayayhuasca include: meditation (e.g. Dzogchen), yoga, various plants, psychedelics, light technology (e.g.  roXiva lamp), binaural & monaural sounds, float tanks, music, art, eyes, chants, nature walks, and more. 

We also discuss filmmaking, VR/AR, comics, and Jan's continuing evolution as a human and creator. This is a conversation that traverses various technologies, both natural and man-made. It is a journey beyond your standard human experience, diving into the deeper realities of what you are. As with Ayahuasca and VR, you will never look at life the same. 

BOOKS
- Doctor Ayahuasca by Jan Kounen
- Visionary Ayahuasca by Jan Kounen
- Why Materialism Is Baloney by Bernardo Kastrup

FILMS
- 8
- 99 Francs
- Baraka
- Blade Runner
- Blueberry
- Captain X
- Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky
- Darshan: The Embrace
- Dobermann
- Koyaanisqatsi
- Other Worlds
- The Story of Panshin Beka
- Vibroboy

IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES
- Ayahuasca: Kosmik Journey (VR experience *available on Quest 2 and 3)
- Shamanic Visions (exhibition at the Musée du Quai Branly -  in Paris, France)

ORGANIZATIONS
- Essentia Foundation

PEOPLE
- Alex Grey
- Bernardo Kastrup
- Erasure (band)
- Godfrey Reggio
- Ron Fricke
- Shipibo (indigenous people)

Enjoy a relaxing meditative vacation for your ears with these Hindu chants from Jamie Ananda McConochie. Close your eyes, perhaps sing along, and get swept along on a journey deep into yourself and the cosmos from which you emerged. You can listen to these while meditating, getting ready for bed, or even while making love. Unlimited listens permitted. Let these sounds echo into and expand your being. Om.

In this episode, Jamie Ananda McConochie teaches us all about tantric sex, masturbation, health, and relationship practices. Yes, you will learn how to last longer in bed, love, and life. But you'll also learn how to increase your energy, focus, creativity, presence, and pleasure by using chanting, breathing, voice, movement, meditation, eye gazing, and other sensory-based practices. These techniques can be used alone or in combination with each other, both during sexual and non-sexual activities, to help you connect with the divine flowing energy within yourself, others, nature, and God.

This is a sexy, giggly, awakening dialogue that both men and women can learn from and enjoy.  Embark on a journey beginning in a Hindu monastery, where Jamie lived as a monk for 11 years. From there, explore a tapestry of Hindu and tantric practices, serving as tools to invigorate not only your bedroom but also your entire world with renewed vitality, depth, and spirit.

Topics discussed include: sex, dating, masturbating, relationships, porn, tantra,  Hinduism, Sanskrit, vocalizing, chanting, mantras, meditation, orgasm, speed, movement, eye gazing, semen retention, and more.

RESOURCES

BOOKS
 - Bhagavad Gita
- Narcissus and Goldmund
- Tantrasara 
- The Vedas

DEITIES
 - Ganesh
- Kali
- Shakti
- Shiva

MANTRAS / CHANTS
- Hari Om
- Shiva Gayatri
- Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha

PEOPLE
- Abhinavagupa
- Ekhart Tolle
- Hermann Hesse

MISCELLANEOUS
- microcosmic orbit (energy/breathing technique)
- puja (Hindu ritual)
- Shiva Linga (symbol / object)


***CONNECT & LEARN MORE***
   website: thetantriclife.com
   Facebook: /TheTantricLife
   podcast: The Tantric Life
   YuTantra (dating site): yutantra.com

In this episode, join Norah Al-Azzam, an expert in neuroscience and RNA, as we delve into the intricate cellular biology of rare neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders. Explore the complexities of conditions like ALS, Huntington's disease, Sanfilippo Syndrome (MPS III), and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), gaining insights into the pivotal roles played by RNA, proteins, and sugars. Our conversation spans a spectrum of diagnostic, preventative, and therapeutic tools, encompassing genetics, AI, and lessons borrowed from oncology. We navigate through topics such as aging, autophagy, fasting, biofeedback, gene sequencing, environmental risk factors, pharmaceuticals, supplements, nutrition, and even touch on the impact of Ramadan on health and aging.

Strap on your lab goggles and grab a pen. It's time to dive deep into the cell, so that we can better dissect, detect, and defend against neurodegeneration.

**CONNECT WITH NORAH AL-AZZAM**
   LinkedIn: /norahalazzam

RESOURCES

COMPANIES
- Abbott
- Eli Lilly
- Illumina
- Inhibrix
- Nanomood
- Neurocrine Biosciences

PEOPLE
- Gene Yeo
- Joseph Wang
- Kelly Doran 
- Michael Perry
- Philip Gordts
- Rob Knight

SCIENCE VOCAB
- antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)
- Apo-E
- beta-amyloid
- endocytosis
- glycans
- lysosome
- Lyscosomal storage disorders
- phosphorylation
- RNA-binding protein
- sulfamidase
- survival motor neuron (SMN)
- Tau protein
- TDP43
- Trinucleotide repeat-disorder

STUDIES & NEWS
- Cure SMA
- 'Impaired mitophagy in Sanfilippo a mice causes hypertriglyceridemia and brown adipose tissue activation' (Aug 2022)
- 'The world's first CRISPR therapy is approved: who will receive it?' (Nov 2023)
- 'Unprecedented blood biomarker enables ALS drug approval' (June 2023)
- 'Wearable device and smartphone data quantify ALS progression and may provide novel outcome measures' (Mar 2023)
*Check out Nature Biotech for all the latest and more!

In this episode, we talk with the International Caregivers Association (ICA) about dementia. It is a seven-way conversation with basically the entire team: Dr. Ethelle Lord, Dr. Jennifer Stelter, Dr. Andrew Harrison, Ryan Stoffko, Bill Pemberton, and Pad.

You will learn about what it is, potential risks and causes, the various types (e.g. Alzheimer's, frontotemporal dementia, vascular dementia, etc.), detection, symptoms, prevention, and the good, bad, and future of dementia care, along with the ICA's revolutionary new systems-based approach.

We discuss the use of various tools such as: sleep, exercise / movement, nutrition, supplements, drugs, aromatherapy, music & sound, color, VR/AR, AI, psychedelics, communication, coaching, teamwork, and more.

Dementia affects 55+ million people worldwide, over 6.7 million people in the U.S alone, and these numbers are rapidly rising. The odds of you or a loved one developing some form of dementia is frighteningly high. Listen in to help save yourself and the ones you love. Step inside the shoes of those with dementia, as well as the family, caregivers, and the experts being interviewed today. This is an uncensored glimpse into the world of dementia and how to navigate it.

RESOURCES

BOOKS
- Alzheimer's Coaching by Ethelle Lord
- Awakening From Alzheimer's by Peggy Sarlin
- HOW IN THE WORLD...AND NOW WHAT DO I DO by Ethelle Lord
- The Broken Brain by Nancy Andreasen
- The Busy Caregiver's Guide to Advanced Alzheimer's Disease by Jennifer Stelter

COMPANIES
- Hanson Robotics (robotics)
- Leafguard (gutters)
- Neurotracker (cognitive training technology)
- OPP Neuro SPA (peak performance info)
- Pragma System USA (physical therapy)
- Rezilient (supplement)
- Team Me (coaching & communication training)
- Yuka (app)

PEOPLE
- Bill Gates
- Duncan Trussell
- Hazel Szeto

PROJECTS
- Hallmarks of Aging
- Norman
- Shelley
- Sophia

TV & DOCUMENTARIES
- Inside Bill's Brain
- The Midnight Gospel

--LEARN MORE & CONNECT--
  website: icacares.com

Loretta Breuning returns, with her new book - Why You're Unhappy: Biology vs Politics. In this episode, we discuss that book - debunking various myths about happiness and teaching you how to surf the continuous waves of unhappiness. Take back control over your brain by taking small repeated steps toward goals that fulfill your biological and existential needs. Stop waiting for, chasing, or expecting a constant high. That is the recipe for a life of cortisol, disappointment, and disaster.

Your mind is not broken. Society is not broken. It's time to see through the lies of "Science" and politics and embrace the dark yet navigable realities of human biology. Yes, you are unhappy. And that's okay. We are biologically wired to be unhappy. That's simply part of the package of being a big-brained mammal. But with Loretta's new book and this conversation, you can begin to change your expectations, beliefs, and actions, thereby smoothing out your ride down the rocky roads of dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and cortisol.   

We also discuss: Loretta's trip to Japan (our fun hangout together!), her childhood circuits, mindfulness & meditation, Stoicism, eating behavior, habit change, dating & relationships, connection vs. independence, academia, "happy" countries, naked Tahitian girls, cocky poodles, and your inner fish and reptile.

**CONNECT WITH LORETTA BREUNING**
       website: innermammalinstitute.org

RESOURCES

BOOKS
- I, Mammal by Loretta Breuning
- Status Games by Loretta Breuning
- The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn 
- Why You're Unhappy by Loretta Breuning
- Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin

DOCUMENTARIES
- Chimp Empire
- My Octopus Teacher

PEOPLE
  - Flint the Chimp (*personhood status questionable)
-  James Altucher 
- Jane Goodall
- Jean-Jacques Rousseau
- Joe Rogan
- Max Planck (he's the one who said, "Science proceeds one funeral at a time.")
- Thomas Kuhn

**Learn more or connect**
  website: innermammalinstitute.org
    (scroll to the bottom of the page for your FREE '5-Day Happy Chemical Jumpstart')
course: innermammalinstitute.org/course       (use discount code HAPPY20 for 20% off)
podcast: The Happy Brain
   (her interview with me: 'Learning a Foreign Language' (Oct 2023))

This is an interview with Glenn S. Cohen, the author of Neurological Intelligence: Volumes 1 and 2. Join us on a wild ride through Glenn's neurological life, as he shares various tools and techniques that have helped him and can help you too.

We all have wounds from our past, inner children trapped in time, and destructive habits and thought patterns that we'd like to replace.  The tools we focus on in this episode fall primarily under the category of: visualizations & meditations that engage our various senses.  By deliberately and strategically tapping into our memories of sensory data (e.g. sight, sound, and touch), using metaphors and movie-like sequences, spicing it up with humor and goofiness, and repeating and repeating, we can find and fix various patterns in our body and brain. This can revolutionize our relationships both in our inner and outer worlds. We can learn to be less reactive, more calm, and more neurologically free.

We also talk about body-based tools such as breath and movement (e.g. shaking), as well as combining them with visualization exercises (e.g. the 4-7-8 "John Coffey exercise") and with our love partner (e.g. the "mindful discussion technique"). We also discuss psychedelics (such as Ayahuasca), alcohol, IFS, NLP, attachment theory, brain waves, journaling, and comedy.

Still, we will never be perfect. And this hero's journey deep into the nervous system can be dark, scary, and uncomfortable. It also requires you to temporarily let go of logic, rationality, predictability and let the wild unconscious mind roam free. That's how you will find your paths toward truth, freedom, and health.

*CONNECT W/ GLENN S. COHEN*
website: www.centerforni.com

RESOURCES

BOOKS
- Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
- Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- Neurological Intelligence: Volume 1 by Glenn S. Cohen
- Neurological Intelligence: Volume 2 by Glenn S. Cohen

EXPERIENCES
- ManKind Project: New Warrior Training Adventure
- Rythmia
- Sedona Soul Adventures

MOVIES & TV
- The Green Mile
- Tom and Jerry

PEOPLE
- Andrew Huberman
- Carl Jung
- Dale Carnegie
- Daniel Goleman
- James Pennebaker
- Joseph Campbell
- Oliver Wendel Holmes
- Richard Schwartz
- Steven Pressfield
- Tony Robbins

Learn more at: centerforni.com

This is an interview with ADHD coach Tony Coward. We talk about how to navigate life with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) - from the fear, frustration, perfectionism, distraction, hyperarousal, and feeling of "not enoughness," to the boundless imagination, creativity, excitement, and out-of-the-box thinking that, if properly harnessed, can lead to immense levels of success and happiness. 

We discuss various tools and techniques for finding and focusing on your passion, managing your time and tasks and environment, collaborating with others, visualizing and breaking your goals down into tiny steps, getting feedback, receiving validation, celebrating your wins, and keep diving into your zone of brilliance. Learn to take all those new possibilities trapped in your inner world and passionately unleash them out into reality. ADHD can be a frustrating journey, but Tony Coward is here to help you manage your ADHD so that you can finally become the great person that deep inside you know you are.  With ADHD comes great creative and entrepreneurial potential. Let's learn how to tap into it. It is too sad and beautiful to waste. After listening to this episode, you might find that ADHD can become your new best ally in art, business, and life. Listen in to find out how.

**CONNECT WITH TONY COWARD**
LinkedIn: /tonycowardcoach
website: www.nomadd.coach

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ABOUT ADHD:
- ADDITUDE Magazine: www.additudemag.com
- How to ADHD (YouTube channel): @HowtoADHD

Michael Allison is an educator and coach who uses polyvagal theory to help athletes optimize their resilience, performance, and overall nervous system. In this episode, we talk about the neurophysiology of safety, danger, connection, competition, and play. Learn to "meet your body where it is" and use play as a way to regulate your nervous system, connect with others, and improve almost every area of your life.  We also talk about how play improves creativity, learning, relationships, health, performance, and so much more.

We discuss tools for both calming down and for leveraging that mobilized energy in a safe, social, and connected way by entering the "play zone." The basic tools include: breath, sound, posture, voice, eyes, facial expression, etc. The real powerful ones are things like: singing, dancing, acting, improv, and sports.

The ultimate goal is to develop safe, playful, and trusting relationships with our own body and each other. Find your trusted teammate(s) by playing together.

**CONNECT WITH MICHAEL ALLISON**
    website: theplayzone.com

RESOURCES

• Polyvagal Institute's website: https://www.polyvagalinstitute.org/
• What is Polyvagal Theory? https://www.polyvagalinstitute.org/whatispolyvagaltheory 
• Michael Allison's courses with Polyvagal Institute:
  • Play Zone Pro: A Polyvagal-Informed Certificate for Wellness & Performance Coaches
  • The Play Zone: A Neurophysiological Approach to Our Highest Performance

Nathalie Giraud Desforges is a sex, couples, and IFS therapist. We talk about how to use tantra to connect with our body, mind, multiple selves, nature, and each other. Concepts from Internal Family Systems (IFS) weave through the conversation. 

Learn to be kind and compassionate to both the "good" and "bad" parts and people in both your inner and outer world. Get jiggy with yourself and each other, in a never-ending orgasm that permeates your entire life and being. Blast love through your heart, into everything that you are. You will learn how to have longer-lasting, more pleasurable, connected, satisfying sex. You will learn how to flap your perineum's beautiful butterfly wings and how to feel as powerful, light, and free as that butterfly.  The past will become less of a burden as your inner children reunite and inner villains find a friend. You will feel more alive and aware, as your hidden sensations, selves, thoughts, feelings, and memories slowly reawaken. Energy will flow, opening you up and reconnecting you to yourself, the world, and other people.

**CONNECT WITH NATHALIE**
website: www.nathalie-giraud.fr
Instagram: @nathalie_giraud
Ted Talk (in French): www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQn0A4rGY1Y

We also talk a little about hypnosis. If you want to try to the Reveri app by David Spiegel that I mentioned, you can learn more about it here: www.reveri.com.
I've also found The Hypnotist podcast by Adam Cox to be quite useful (though this wasn't specifically mentioned in this episode).

If you would like to join one of Nathalie's tantric seminars or receive a private consulting (online) *offered in both English and French*, you can find more information about that on her website.