The Awe Effect

Have you experienced times when the natural world seemed to sustain you or provide guidance?

In this episode, eco-psychologist Molly Young Brown cracks open our perceived separateness from the natural world, inviting us into a profound interconnectedness with all life.

Through insights from decades of work, Molly guides us to "see with new ancient eyes" - to experience ourselves not just as bystanders to the ‘natural’ world.

Her work reminds us that we are not operating solely from personal callings, but are expressions of a vast, planetary life force urgently emerging.

Molly's wisdom is anchored in her work as a writer, educator, workshop facilitator, and life coach. She draws on the Work That Reconnects, ecopsychology, psychosynthesis, and systems thinking, and specializes in working with activists.

She is the author and co-author of several books, including Growing Whole: Self-realization for the Great Turning; Unfolding Self: The Practice ofPsychosynthesis, Held in Love: Life Stories To Inspire Us Through Times of Change (co-editor Carolyn Treadway); and Lighting A Candle: Collected Reflections on a Spiritual Life. 

Extras from this episode.

* Practices from "The Work That Reconnects"

* Understanding eco-psychology

* Dr.Roberto Assagioli’s work and pioneering of psychosynthesis

You may never look at a plant the same way again.

In this episode, we explore the world of biofield musician Shane Mendonsa, who has composed music for award-winning films and blockbuster Bollywood movies. But most recently, Shane has focused on more-than-human collaborators.

By tapping into the bioelectric fields of various flowers, ferns, and foliage, Shane reveals an unseen world where nature isn't just a source of inspiration but an active co-creator.

His experience in enabling plants to compose their own music evokes a sense of awe and interconnectedness, inviting us to rethink our relationship with the more-than-human world around us.

As we grapple with environmental crises, could this be a key to building a regenerative future where we see plants not just as a backdrop but as partners on this planet we all inhabit?

Extras from this episode

Find out more about Shane Mendonsa’s work.

What’s a biofield?

Listen to an incredible performance by Shane and a sugar maple tree

Does anyone truly know what it’s like to die? What we know for certain is that the topic of death calls for an immense amount of not-knowing. Death is, in fact, one of the wonders of life. A death doula is someone who supports the transition between life and death, and on this episode, we chat with death doula, Paul Simard.

Paul talks about the "death industrial complex", our modern system of death fostering denial and disconnection. Yet death can be filled with mystery, reverence and awe. He shares how reclaiming death's role in our lives can, in fact, nurture us.

Extras from this episode

Find out more about Paul’s work.

The untranslatable word: "hiraeth"

The Mushroom Death Suit

Stephen Jenkinson’s book about grief, and dying

Ernest Becker’s book The Denial of Death

When award-winning artist and filmmaker Chris Jordan first visited Midway Atoll, he aimed to document the tragedy of albatross chicks perishing from ingested plastics. Once focused exclusively on revealing the dark underbelly of mass consumption, Chris’ perspective expanded after profoundly connecting with the albatrosses. Through observing their joy, pain, and loving bonds, Chris realized the need to balance heartbreak with reverence.

What does “hope” mean facing ecological crises? Chris shares his journey from chronicling tragedy toward cultivating awe through nature’s beauty. He proposes that revering life’s intricate complexity, from cells to galaxies, spurs empowerment. By practicing a “transcalar imaginary,” we grasp our kinship with all creatures - motivating action through love.

How might awe and hope foster teach us about our shared humanity?And what do monkeys have to do with it?

Agustín Fuentes is an accomplished anthropology professor at Princeton University who authored the acclaimed book "Why We Believe" exploring how evolution shaped human beliefs and behavior. Agustín shares his insights on awe, the biocultural reality of humans, the role of hope and belief in human flourishing, and how these elements can build interconnected communities.

Moments of awe have the power to profoundly shift our perspective and connect us to each other and the world in transformative ways. But can awe move beyond an individual experience to drive collective action?

The Awe Effect explores how to harness the power of awe to affect positive change. Join host Laura François and Tasmin Vosloo on a journey to understand awe as a catalyst. Through interviews with scientists, philosophers, artists, activists and more, gain wisdom about how experiences of awe can trigger self-reflection, empathy, and new possibilities.