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: [email protected] 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.