THE EXPLODING HUMAN with Bob Nickman

CATHY LADMAN is a successful stand-up comic, actress and writer who has struggled with anorexia her entire life. She talks about her childhood, family of origin, the onset of anorexia and the "quirks" of her eating disorder and how she has learned to manage her disease. She is incredibly honest, open and always funny.

KIRK SCHNEIDER is an existential psychologist who is the source of my finding the book "The Denial of Death," by Ernst Becker, a stark and fearless look at man's denial of the ultimate. We talk about living a life of awe amongst the chaotic and mundane. Kirk talks about how the death of his older brother when Kirk was two years-old changed his family dynamic and set him on a quest to discover meaning. We also get into the influence 60's sci-fi TV had on us both -- and his thoughts on technology and robotics in shaping our future.

David Rippy talks about his life as a quadriplegic, following a devastating car accident at age twenty-five. We discuss the aftermath of having his destiny instantaneously spun in a new direction and his recovery -- physical, emotional and spiritual -- as he learned to look inward and discover deeper knowledge. His remarkable story is an inspirational testament to the human spirit and the power of the mind.

Jon Paul Crimi the power of meditative breathwork and how it transformed his life from resentment and anger to positivity and healing. And how a serendipitous encounter with Tony Robbins sent him in a new direction where he discovered a calling to teach and promote this simple, yet powerful, technique. Make sure to check out his website: breathewithjp.com to learn more about his live and virtual live classes, teacher training and special workshops.

Glenna talks to me about the importance of setting intention, soul in Psychology, hospice work and relationship with prayer. Raised in Christian Science, she began further study in spiritual matters at The University of Santa Monica, continuing her lifelong passion to seek God and help others.

Former guitarist from the band Korn, Wes talks about his organization Rock To Recovery, which uses music to heal. They work in a variety of environments such as drug & alcohol treatment, with people who have eating disorders, veterans with both physical and psychological injuries and at-risk youth. He talks about his own struggles with addiction, his life in rock music, and his passion for helping others to recover and discover through musical expression.

AMANDA COWAN talks about the differences and similarities in social work and addiction treatment between the U.S. and England based on her nine year experience working in London and other cities. In a wide-ranging, tell-it-like-it-is conversation we discuss difficult and complicated issues surrounding addiction, poverty, mental illness, street drugs, pharmaceuticals. cultural trends, government policy, the health care system and the lighter side of being stalked.

Hypnotherapist CYNTHIA MORGAN says, "You are already hypnotized!" What we really need is to be "un-hypnotized" from false and unhealthy beliefs and expectations imposed by our parents. society and our ourselves. She talks about the surprisingly fast results which can be achieved with hypnotherapy for weight loss, smoking cessation and other emotional issues. We get into some the specifics of my own experience in the sessions I did with her about ten years ago, including back pain and past-life regression.

I talk with Elena about the various forms of sex addiction, childhood sexual abuse, and the types of treatment she uses -- including EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) for trauma.

Writer/Comedian Ritch Shydner and I talk about his turbulent childhood, how comedy helped him escape and how his childhood depression kicked in again when he stopped doing stand-up. We talk about pharmacology, UCLA psych ward and his mind/body/spirit approach to extricating himself from all meds.