Rebelliously Curious with Chrissy Newton: UFOs, Science, Culture and Futurism

Today, we're exploring the frontier of human consciousness with Paul Citarella, Chief Technology Officer at The Monroe Institute—a pioneering organization dedicated to understanding the full spectrum of human awareness.

We'll unpack the science, technology, and philosophy behind the Institute's groundbreaking work: from Hemi-Sync® and binaural beats that guide the mind into altered states, to the ways Monroe integrates neuroscience, spirituality, and cutting-edge technology to expand our understanding of consciousness.

Paul will take us behind the scenes of the Institute's research, sharing how these audio technologies are designed, validated, and applied—while exploring questions that touch the very edge of human experience: out-of-body experiences, life after death, and the future of consciousness itself. If you've ever wondered how the brain interacts with sound to unlock hidden states of awareness, or how technology can safely and effectively enhance spiritual exploration, you won't want to miss this conversation.

Join us as we get rebelliously curious.

Watch the YouTube interview - https://www.youtube.com/@RebelliouslyCurious

Follow Chrissy Newton:

Winner of the Canadian Podcast Awards for Best Science Series.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM32gjHqMnYl_MOHZetC8Eg

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Top Canadian Science Podcast: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/canadian_science_podcasts/

Simulation Hypothesis—the idea that our entire reality might be a sophisticated simulation, much like a video game.

Rizwan Virk—or Riz-Won—a true pioneer whose career has spanned computer science at MIT, pioneering work in the video game industry, successful ventures as a startup founder and venture capitalist, professor, and author of The Simulation Hypothesis, joins me on the podcast today to break down what Simulation is.

Hypothesis is. In our conversation, we'll dive into Rizwan's personal journey—what first sparked his curiosity about this mind-bending possibility and why he's now 70% convinced that we are living inside a simulation. We'll unpack the core concepts of the hypothesis, explore its ties to AI, quantum physics, and ancient spiritual traditions, and examine both the skepticism and the far-reaching implications of taking the idea seriously. From questions of free will and consciousness, to the future of AI, to what Sam Altman calls "The Merge"—the potential blending of humans and machines—we'll explore how simulation theory forces us to rethink not just science and technology, but our very understanding of reality. J

Join us as we get rebelliously curious.

Watch the YouTube interview - https://www.youtube.com/@RebelliouslyCurious

Follow Chrissy Newton:

Winner of the Canadian Podcast Awards for Best Science Series.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM32gjHqMnYl_MOHZetC8Eg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingchrissynewton/

X: https://twitter.com/chrissynewton?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeingChrissyNewton

Chrissy Newton's Website: https://chrissynewton.com

Top Canadian Science Podcast: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/canadian_science_podcasts/

What if you could wake up inside your own dreams—and influence them? That's the world of lucid dreaming—a state where you're not only aware you're dreaming, but can actively shape the dream itself.

Today, we're joined by Dr. Garret Yount, PhD, a scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), whose research explores consciousness, healing, and remarkable human experiences. We'll uncover:

What lucid dreaming really is—and how it differs from astral projection or out-of-body experiences.

Whether anyone can learn to do it.

And how the science of "noetic" research is reshaping our understanding of reality itself. Get ready to step into the frontier between science and the subconscious. Join us as we get rebelliously curious.

Watch the YouTube interview - https://www.youtube.com/@RebelliouslyCurious

Follow Chrissy Newton:

Winner of the Canadian Podcast Awards for Best Science Series.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM32gjHqMnYl_MOHZetC8Eg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingchrissynewton/

X: https://twitter.com/chrissynewton?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeingChrissyNewton

Chrissy Newton's Website: https://chrissynewton.com

Top Canadian Science Podcast: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/canadian_science_podcasts/

What would you do if I told you an alien spacecraft might be headed toward Earth this November? Sounds like science fiction, right? But according to Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, it could be a scientific fact.

Discovered by the ATLAS telescope in Hawaii, 3I/ATLAS is a newly detected interstellar object—only the third ever spotted—zipping through our solar system on a highly unusual trajectory. Some scientists believe it's just a rock. But Avi Loeb sees something far more intriguing. In this episode, I sit down with Avi to talk about why he believes 3I/ATLAS might be an intelligently guided probe, how it compares to ʻOumuamua—a mysterious object he famously proposed could be an alien artifact—and what happens if this new visitor suddenly disappears behind the Sun and reappears on a direct course toward Earth.

Could this be contact? Is it time to prepare for a conversation with something... not from here?

Let's find out.

Join us as we get rebelliously curious.

Watch the YouTube interview - https://www.youtube.com/@RebelliouslyCurious

Follow Chrissy Newton:

Winner of the Canadian Podcast Awards for Best Science Series.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM32gjHqMnYl_MOHZetC8Eg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingchrissynewton/

X: https://twitter.com/chrissynewton?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeingChrissyNewton

Chrissy Newton's Website: https://chrissynewton.com

Top Canadian Science Podcast: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/canadian_science_podcasts/

Why is the UAP community lacking diversity? Race, representation, and the unexplored dimensions of the UAP conversation are our focus in today's podcast. Our guest is Dr. Stephen C. Finley, Professor and Chair of African & African American Studies at Louisiana State University — a scholar whose work bridges religion, race, philosophy, and the paranormal. Why have Black voices historically been excluded from mainstream UFO, science, and space research — and while representation is growing, why does it still remain disproportionately low today?

How do centuries of exclusion from government programs and systemic gatekeeping in media still shape who gets seen, heard, and believed? And what might we discover if we dared to take African and African American spiritual cosmologies seriously in our search for non-human intelligences? This is not just about visibility. It's about truth, power, and what it takes to rebuild a narrative that reflects all human experiences — not just a select few.

Join us as we get rebelliously curious.

Watch the YouTube interview - https://www.youtube.com/@RebelliouslyCurious

Follow Chrissy Newton:

Winner of the Canadian Podcast Awards for Best Science Series.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM32gjHqMnYl_MOHZetC8Eg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingchrissynewton/

X: https://twitter.com/chrissynewton?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeingChrissyNewton

Chrissy Newton's Website: https://chrissynewton.com

Top Canadian Science Podcast: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/canadian_science_podcasts/

Today on the show, we're joined by Noland Arbaugh — the first publicly known human to receive Neuralink's brain-computer interface implant. After a diving accident left him paralyzed from the shoulders down, Noland volunteered for one of the most experimental technologies of our time. Now, he can control digital devices with his mind. We'll explore the procedure, how the tech works, its ethical implications, and how merging with a machine is reshaping his view of identity, ability, consciousness, and human potential. This is a conversation about risk, resilience, and the future of the mind.

Join us as we get rebelliously curious.

Watch the YouTube interview - https://www.youtube.com/@RebelliouslyCurious

Follow Chrissy Newton:

Winner of the Canadian Podcast Awards for Best Science Series.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM32gjHqMnYl_MOHZetC8Eg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingchrissynewton/

X: https://twitter.com/chrissynewton?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeingChrissyNewton

Chrissy Newton's Website: https://chrissynewton.com

Top Canadian Science Podcast: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/canadian_science_podcasts/

In 1978, Grenada's Prime Minister Sir Eric Gairy brought UFOs to the floor of the United Nations—backed by researchers like Jacques Vallée and J. Allen Hynek. Their goal? A global investigation into UAPs. However, despite their efforts, the UN dismissed the initiative, citing political and scientific resistance.

Today, as interest in UAPs surges worldwide, we ask: Was Gairy ahead of his time? Should the UN revisit the issue now? And what would it take for global cooperation on this mystery in the skies? I sat down with Jacques Vallee, an astrophysicist, computer scientist, author, and UAP researcher, to discuss the first United Nations meeting he attended in 1978 and the current effects that will one day make this a reality.

Join us as we get rebelliously curious.

Watch the YouTube interview - https://www.youtube.com/@RebelliouslyCurious

Follow Chrissy Newton:

Winner of the Canadian Podcast Awards for Best Science Series.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM32gjHqMnYl_MOHZetC8Eg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingchrissynewton/

X: https://twitter.com/chrissynewton?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeingChrissyNewton

Chrissy Newton's Website: https://chrissynewton.com

Top Canadian Science Podcast: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/canadian_science_podcasts/

We're diving deep into a bold new frontier at the intersection of brain-computer interfaces and consumer tech. Seriously. Joining us is Kurt Haggstrom, Chief Commercial Officer at Synchron, the pioneering company behind the FDA-authorized Stentrode—a brain-computer interface that's redefining accessibility.

With Apple now collaborating with Synchron, what does this mean for the future of human-device interaction? Why did Apple choose Synchron over competitors like Neuralink? And how close are we to everyday mind-controlled tech? We'll explore the science, ethics, risks, and revolutionary potential of this partnership—from restoring communication for people with paralysis to the deeper implications for data privacy, policy, and the future of the human mind.

Join us as we get rebelliously curious.

Watch the YouTube interview - https://www.youtube.com/@RebelliouslyCurious

Follow Chrissy Newton:

Winner of the Canadian Podcast Awards for Best Science Series.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM32gjHqMnYl_MOHZetC8Eg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingchrissynewton/

X: https://twitter.com/chrissynewton?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeingChrissyNewton

Chrissy Newton's Website: https://chrissynewton.com

Top Canadian Science Podcast: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/canadian_science_podcasts/

Today, we're joined by Marik von Rennenkampff, a former U.S. Department of Defense official and State Department analyst. We explore the science behind UAP classification, why shape data varies across agencies, and what those inconsistencies might reveal. Marik shares insights on national security implications, the growing role of private industry in UAP research, and how to move beyond media hype to spark serious public dialogue. We also ask: Why has mainstream media, aside from NewsNation, largely backed away from covering UAPs? What changed?

Join us as we get rebelliously curious.

Watch the YouTube interview - https://www.youtube.com/@RebelliouslyCurious

Follow Chrissy Newton:

Winner of the Canadian Podcast Awards for Best Science Series.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM32gjHqMnYl_MOHZetC8Eg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingchrissynewton/

X: https://twitter.com/chrissynewton?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeingChrissyNewton

Chrissy Newton's Website: https://chrissynewton.com

Top Canadian Science Podcast: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/canadian_science_podcasts/

Guest Revd Professor David Wilkinson stands at a fascinating crossroads shared by many scientists and theologians. Today, we explore the intersections of religion, astrophysics, and culture. As modern science moves beyond strict materialism into questions of meaning, consciousness, and even the metaphysical, faith and science are no longer at odds—but part of a richer cultural conversation. Professor Wilkinson helps us navigate how science and faith are evolving together—shaped by story, symbol, and the human search for belonging in a vast and mysterious cosmos.

Join us as we get rebelliously curious.

Watch the YouTube interview - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJfgX1u1pRQ

Follow Chrissy Newton:

Winner of the Canadian Podcast Awards for Best Science Series.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM32gjHqMnYl_MOHZetC8Eg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingchrissynewton/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/chrissynewton?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeingChrissyNewton

Chrissy Newton's Website: https://chrissynewton.com

Top Canadian Science Podcast: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/canadian_science_podcasts/