The HighExistence Podcast

Psychedelics can cause harm. 

Don’t get me wrong, I love psychedelics. But I also acknowledge their potential to bring about profoundly unwanted changes in the psyche.

Yet, with the ever-more abundant influx of news focussing on the life-changing benefits of these substances, the very real risks that pose are getting drowned out, leaving us with only one-half of the full picture.

The way that our information channels are structured these days, if we don’t want to hear about something, we usually don’t. We also tend to be over-eager to find The Solution to all our problems. Psychedelics, for many, are taking on this projection. It’s not uncommon to hear people talking about the psychedelic renaissance as though it were the second coming. 

Ed Prideaux is on a mission to stop some of this psychedelic naivety in its tracks, by speaking up about his experience with hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD). 

Remember those LSD horror stories that your mum told you, about that guy who took LSD and never stopped tripping? Well, this is sort of like that (although HPPD is not the same as ‘permatripping’, as you’ll hear Ed clarify) except this is no horror story. The week after Ed’s fourth LSD trip, he noticed that the carpets were sparkling and the walls were melting. These effects, along with a handful of others, have not totally left him, 6 years on.

This phenomenon is far more common than you might think. A recent study of 2455 psychedelic users reported that a quarter of participants said that they experienced lingering perceptual changes days and weeks after a psychedelic experience and that 1 in 25 found these changes to be so distressing that they considered seeking clinical help.

The conversation that Ed brings to the table goes far beyond just HPPD. It extends into an axiom-altering exploration of the narratives around ‘really bad trips’, the fundamental flaws of the current mental health framework, and the fluid nature of reality itself. 

What We Cover: 

• What is HPPD?
• Ed’s personal experience with HPPD
• The connection between anxiety and perception
• Advice for someone who thinks they might have HPPD
• The problem with overidentifying with a particular form of suffering
• Can you use psychedelics again if you have HPPD?
• The gifts of neurodiversity
• Stan Grof’s controversial treatment for HPPD
• How to make a psychedelic experience as well-held as possible
• The fundamental skill to have in the psychedelic experience
• The intersection of this psychedelic moment with the metaverse
• Psychedelic narcissism 

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• How the level of access to knowledge is unprecedented right now, and how tapping into it can change the trajectory of your life
• MJ’s “C-E-N-T-S” framework for coming up with high-velocity business ideas (featuring the Commandments of Control, Entry, Need, Time, and Scale)
• How to increase the magnitude of your contribution and accelerate your profits
• The timelessness of great books and podcasts
• Nassim Taleb’s concept of “antifragility” and how it can help prepare you for any external event that could threaten your safety and security
• The Great Rat Race Escape, MJ’s newest book, a business book/novel hybrid that follows one couple’s personal journey from financial slavery to financial freedom
• ”Value skews” and how you can develop them in order to walk over your competition
• ”Superior Unexpected Customer Service” (SUCS) and why it’s so much easier today for your business to stand out
• ”Expected Value” and why you should always aim for “Excellent” instead of just “Good”
• The latest redefinition of “financial freedom” and why it’s just financial slavery in a different form
• Why investing in your health will improve your life in every other area
• When you should begin your child’s financial education and how to avoid the mediocrity narrative

Please leave a review if you enjoy The HighExistence podcast. 

In the 10th installment of the High Existence dialogues, we welcome a 4th member onto the stage, discuss the life-changing opportunities that come with finding a community of like-hearted individuals, and pull back the curtains on two soul-quenching events coming up on the HEx horizon.

Register for Metamorphosis - A FREE 3-Day online transformational gathering focused on designing sacred rituals: https://highexistence.com/metamorphos...
 
IN THIS EPISODE:

• Harnessing feedback for hyper-growth 
• The value of being around people who actually want to hear about what’s going on in your life
• How finding true community changed the lives of the team members
• Ritual as a portal into the sacred
• What is Metamorphosis 2.0? 🦋
• Arriving in each moment with a sense of completeness rather than needing the world to make you whole 
• A special invitation for the High Existence Soul Family (You!)
• Apotheosis 6.0 Announcement 😆
• The glimpse into the future of High Existence

Henry Shukman, HEx Podcast #55

We embark on our healing journeys with intentions to remove the thorns in our sides because these thorns are problematic.

Initially, it seems that the way to go about this is to grab the tweezers and squeeze them out, one by one, until we are rid of them all. This is generally the attitude that the Western mental health paradigm takes towards trauma and mental illness. 

Looking to the East, we see a different approach taken towards suffering. One in which those thorns become enveloped in unconditional love and acceptance, thereby draining them of their problem-ness altogether. 

"Awakening" and "healing" are often used synonymously even though they mean two different things.

Healing is the process by which we become whole again. The word implies a fixing of that which is broken. A bettering of that which needs improvement. An integration of that which has been separated.

Awakening refers to the realization of the non-dual nature of reality. The recognition that, on the deepest level, there is nothing to fix because nothing can be broken. There is nothing to improve because it is all already perfect. There is nothing to be integrated because it is, always has been, and always will be, whole.

So does this mean then that all attempts at healing are a waste of time and that we should just drop everything and head straight for awakening? 

According to Henry Shukman, the answer is no…

There is a middle way. And he has walked it.

Henry is a meditation teacher who has used a combination of various meditative practices alongside psychotherapy, plant medicine, and other healing practices to synergise these two processes in his own life for maximum effect. 

From overwhelming eczema to profound awakening, and then into deep despair and back, Henry eventually forged a path that has led to a long-lasting sense of wholeness and peace that radiates throughout this interview. 

He has found a sweet spot between the paths of healing and awakening and in this episode, he sprinkles the breadcrumbs behind him so that you and me can do the same.

What We Cover:

• Henry’s spontaneous awakening experience and the darkness that ensued afterward
• What happens to trauma when we awaken?
• The ultimate antidote to loneliness
• Where to start with non-duality if you have trauma
• How to work with koans
• Is awakening possible for regular people?
• Henry’s favorite resources on Zen
• How to find the right teachers and practices for you
• Is it possible to make serious progress through online training?

Please leave a review if you enjoy The HighExistence podcast. 

JOIN HENRY AT METAMORPHOSIS, A FREE 3-Day online transformational event, to learn a powerful set of transformative practices for peace, passion, and meaning

Have you ever wished you could be the first one on the dance floor? Or the one who effortlessly jumps on the beat and freestyles without flinching?

I know I have…

We all know that we shouldn’t care too much about what others think of us, yet we struggle to unwind the deep-rooted patterns of self-consciousness and constriction that hold us back from doing socially ‘risky’ things.

Part of us is afraid that if we do such things, we might make a fool of ourselves and everyone will think we’re weird or somehow unacceptable. So we stay stuck in this cage that once protected us when we were young, yearning for deeper levels of freedom and authenticity. 

Until eventually, we decide that we’ve had enough. 

Enough standing on the sidelines. Enough filtering and suppressing that which wants to come through us. Enough being anything other than our messy, unadulterated selves. 

If you have reached this threshold, then this episode is perfect for you.

In it, Jordan Bates explains how he went from being stuck in his head to cultivating a deep sense of core confidence that lead to him becoming a professional rapper.

Are you ready to stop playing small and allow yourself to be exactly what you are in each moment?

If so, I present you with this step-by-step blueprint for how to let go into the life you know you are capable of living.

Before you dig in, here’s a little love letter that Jordan wrote for you.

I love you, HighExistence family. 

Thank you so much for everything.

You all have a very special place in my Heart, and always will.

I truly hope you enjoy this podcast. I had a lot of fun recording it with my soul-brother, Jon. 

I also want to let you know that starting in a few days on 1/22/22, I’m leading a no-cost 1-month mentorship journey called Infinity Mentorship.

This journey is intended as a gift to all beings. 

If you know you are on the precipice of a great shift toward more fully embodying the Light that you truly are, join us in the Infinity Mentorship Telegram Community.

For further connection, wisdom, and chillaxation, I also invite you to join us in the Ouroboros Soul Family and my personal space, both of which are communities on Telegram.

You are a beautiful poem. 

Perfect just as you are. 

Thank you for existing.

Long live this legendary mind-blowing Vortex, and cheers to a High Existence!

Love,

Jordan

• Jordan Bates’ journey to become a professional rapper 
• How to unroot doubt
• Travelling as the ultimate skin shedder
• The value of taking massive aligned action in the direction of what excites you
• Difficult experiences as thresholds to cross that life tests us with
• What it means to embody core confidence, and how to cultivate it
• Learning how to let go on a dance floor as a metric for self-actualisation 
• Jordan’s favourite methods for tapping into flow
• Freestyling as a way to give voice to what is alive in the moment 
• The transformational potential of freestyle rap and dance
• The essence of true communication<

Read all of Matt's books breakdowns and join his weekly High Existence newsletter, Stairway to Wisdom here

"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free."

— Frederick Douglass

Matt Karamazov has already accomplished multiple lifetime's worths of achievements.

You’d think the topic of this conversation would be about his experience as a world heavyweight boxer, a natural bodybuilder, nightclub bouncer, professional writer, or successful music label owner…

But no… On top of all that, Matt decided that he would take on the mammoth task of reading 1000 books! 

And he doesn’t just read them. He makes detailed notes on them too.

Since this episode was recorded, he has accomplished this goal and extended it to 10,000. With an average of 7 hours a day spent reading, Matt has mastered the art of focusing for long periods of time in pursuit of an aim, and he has joined us on the High Existence Podcast to share key insights and tips for turning our own lofty ambitions into fully realized goals. 

This conversation expands way beyond reading into the depths of a mind that has downloaded 1000 of the greatest pieces of content of all time.

• Matt’s history with High Existence
• Why he decided to read 1000 books
• How to stay focused for 7 hours a day
• Can you be mindful while reading?
• The secret to retaining what you read
• Is optimism the privilege of someone who hasn’t experienced true difficulty?
• The futility and utility of envy
• Why you should read more fiction
• How reading can improve your creative writing and communication skills
• The importance of enjoying the moment to moment process of working towards the goal
• How to read 5 books a month
• Why you should have a 100-year plan if you’re under 50
• MUCH MORE…

"…the loss of the original self, that happens to actually the majority of us. It changes who we are and we kinda go through life managing, and it’s natural and appropriate for us to devise different schemes or organizing principles to survive when we’re little because you know, what do we know?"

— Chris Becker, HEx Podcast #52

Interested in what psychedelic therapy is actually like from the inside? 

Chris Becker has been through it all — and he’s written a book about it. 

He is also a veteran meditator and expert physicist. 

What is the connection between psychedelic experiences and meditation? How does mediation heal? And how do we ensure that we don’t get addicted to mystical experiences?

This episode is an exploration through all of these questions and much more, as well as an opportunity learn from a man who has been using psychedelics for over 40 years, all the while figuring out what it means to use these sacred substances responsibly.

What we cover:

• Chris’ transformation from alcohol abuse to effortless abstinence using psychedelic therapy
• Why so many scientists become Buddhists
• Zen vs Vipassana
• The main reason why so many people stop meditating and how to overcome it
• The relationship between psychedelics and meditation
• Ontological addiction: getting hooked on God
• Trauma as the loss of the original self
• The role of the guide in the psychedelic experience 
• Psychedelics in your 60's vs psychedelics in your 20's
• Should we legalize psychedelics?
• MUCH MORE…

Please leave a review if you enjoy The HighExistence podcast. 

"It has to start first and foremost with a real desire and fascination… I think that the best conversations are born from that burning desire."

- Jonny Miller, HEx Podcast #51

If you want to see an example of what happens to those who single-mindedly follow that sense of burning curiosity, then check out Jonny Miller.

Jonny, creator of the Curious Humans podcast, is someone who clearly leads by example. His mind is a treasure trove of embodied wisdom, covering a wide range of topics that have the power to make our lives more joyous for those who share his love of learning.

Jonny is the founder of the Curious Humans podcast and monthly newsletter as well as a breathwork facilitator, meditation teacher, startup and emotional resilience coach and the creator of nervous system mastery.

What we cover:

• Grief as the gateway to the inner Hero’s Journey [17:31]
• How Jonny became a successful digital nomad [20:11]
• Advice for anyone wanting to start a podcast [29:01]
• How to heal the root of trauma [36:06]
• Breathwork for emotional resilience [39:11]
• Jonny’s critique of stoicism [44:35]
• How to remain energized and calm throughout the entire day [56:11]
• Finding the right mentor [1:06:56]
• MUCH MORE

Please leave a review if you enjoy The HighExistence podcast. 

"For me the Ascent is about that. It’s about: wow there are so many areas of this map of my life and reality that I thought were not feasible, not possible, and now I see that if I choose to, I can go there."

Imagine if Harry never went to Hogwarts…

He had the occasional experience of magic, but before he joined a community of witches and wizards, he didn’t even know that he was one. 

Having just finished the first round of The Ascent, I can truly say that it is a school of witchcraft and wizardry. 

Getting a project off the ground is a messy and sensitive process.

You need room to fail and some form of guidance that lets you know which roads lead to a dead end and which ones lead to gold. Things are also a whole lot easier if you have a tribe to watch your back and lift you up when you fall.

As someone who personally took part in The Ascent, I can say without hesitation that it was the most transformative 8 weeks of my life. 

"Having that initial fertile ground in people, in places that are safe to fail, in community that will lift you back up and in the resources and how to’s of people who have scraped their knees doing this stuff before and have some ideas - that is just a perfect concoction to take you exactly where you want to go or places you couldn’t even imagine you wanted to go."

Learn more about The Ascent here.

This episode is packed with key lessons that were taught and learned throughout the first expedition, such as:

• Failure being the primary ingredient for success 
• Why creativity is painful
• The necessity of community
• The inner - outer work feedback loop
• Highlights from the first round
• The importance of honest feedback
• Our take on the law of attraction
• Details on The Ascent
• The cultivation of spontaneity
• MUCH MORE...

Please leave a review if you enjoy The HighExistence podcast.