The Mirror in My Cell

The Mirror in My Cell

By Thomas ZarandSociety & Culture
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The Mirror in My Cell episodes

  • Classmates with Your Persecutor - Vika of Viasna

    In this episode, I chat with Vika, a human rights defender exiled from Belarus and now based in Lithuania. This was my first conversation with someone who hasn’t been incarcerated, and I was unexpectedly moved by her wisdom. Vika shares how to stay kind in the face of darkness, how to find peace in fighting injustice, and how to be compassionate with ourselves when we feel we haven’t achieved enough.


    Her advice on finding our "point of maximum tension"—the moment when life will never be the same, is such incredible guidance for how to fulfil your utmost potential.


    The Mirror in My Cell will be on a short break for the next month as we refresh the format. If you have any feedback or thoughts, feel free to reach out!

    Learn more about Vika’s work with Viasna, advocating for political prisoners in Belarus, at Viasna’s website.




    Reach me at:
    Email: [email protected]
    Instagram: @thomaszarand

    43 min
  • Croissants In Norway - Jisu Checks Into Jail

    Jisu started the day by collecting the forbidden apples of her neighbours’ garden. By evening time she was imprisoned.


    How do you process and accept a situation where it feels like the universe is against you, but the system treats you with compassion and care? How can you nurture a narrative about why this is happening, why you?


    Jisu and I had a funny conversation, and reflected on what was similar and different between our experiences.






    Reach me at:⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thomaszarand⁠⁠

    42 min
  • Therapy Through Action - Lisa from Russia, Incarcerated in Armenia
    Lisa is a Russian music artist based in Armenia, where she fled after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
    ‘Based’ is a nice way of putting it because she’s currently under arrest, pending trial for a drugs charge that arose when she was found in possession at a Yerevan nightclub.
    This saga has dragged on for years now, with her spending multiple months imprisoned in a jail amongst murderers and prostitutes.
    How she has assembled a humble but robust story of what the time and its consequences have meant, plus the person she’s been able to become is powerful. She’s released her album on Spotify, produced while under house arrest, entitled
    Raspad, as the artist wjerstean. She continues to fight the charges, while looking squarely into the eyes of that in her power. Support her and follow her developing story here: https://www.instagram.com/wjerstean/.
    Reach me at:⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
    ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thomaszarand⁠⁠
    1 hr 3 min
  • Arrested In Mugabe's Zimbabwe - Simon Bright on Race

    Simon Bright is a filmmaker and documentary producer. Born in Rhodesia, he was optimistic about the country's future, about Robert Mugabe's plan to build a better, more equal country.



    That all unravelled, and the nation building project turned into one of spite and greed, of racism stoked and fanned. Simon's unblinking lenses were not welcome in Mugabe's Zimbabwe.



    He was symbolically arrested for the production of a documentary he didn't even produce, and found himself sat in a jail cell, contemplating all the things that had brought his country here, all the things this episode revealed about humanity.




    -----------------------------------



    Find Simon's work here:https://zimmedia.com/

    (Brilliant documentaries often fusing politics with African music)


    -------------------------



    Reach me at:

    ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

    ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thomaszarand⁠

    45 min
  • Swimming to Freedom - Kseniya Flees Belarus

    When you think of student protestors you might think of philosophy students at UCL smoking cigarettes and finger painting.



    In Belarus they get in trouble for less, and Kseniya was one of them back in 2020. She was arrested and spent two years in prison. The very sad thing about Kseniya is how innocent she makes the whole thing sound, there was no scheming or machinations, just some kids who understood they were the future.



    She worked for Viasna, helping parents understand where there kids ended up when they were arrested. And then got imprisoned. We spoke about family, milkshakes, and prison conditions, then how she swam to freedom across a river into Lithuania. Brave girl.


    She left me thinking about all the struggles and sacrifice it took in history to get me my rights. How it was done in the name of family, friends and freedom.








    Reach me at:

    ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thomaszarand⁠



    42 min
  • Hostage in Iraq - Prof. Paul Dieppe faces Science and Spirituality

    Professor Paul Dieppe, was, as he puts it, conventionally satisfied. A blossoming medical career, producing great research and raising a happy family.

    One day he was invited to a conference. He got on a plane to fly to Malaysia. By the end of the day he was hostage, courtesy of Saddam Hussein.
    On my return from Belarus, I felt people deserved the gory details and drama of a story that had sparked their compassion. I fumbled to reproduce some of the drama. But what it was really like, staring into the darkness, into myself, alone, was something quite different than that.
    I think Paul feels the same, and above all it was a time of self examination. And an examination of higher things. We discussed how his time in Iraq unravelled his faith in science. How Paul began to prod at deeper truths about our universe.
    He wrote an astounding book, in small part mentioning Iraq, but ultimately outlining his quest to reconcile metaphysical truth with the material, in pursuit of healing. How do we become whole?
    It's a brilliant book and we shared a powerful conversation.
    ---------------------------------------------
    Pauls book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Healing-Medicine-Doctors-Journey-Integration/dp/103261059X
    Reach me at:
    ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠

    https://www.instagram.com/thomaszarand


    59 min
  • The French Masseuse in Chinese Prison Pt. II - Dreams & Unity
    This is the second half of my conversation with Robin, a French citizen and masseuse who ended up in prison in China for drugs offences.
    In this part we discussed much more of how we made sense of our sentences, finding acceptance, unity and humour. We rambled onto what one can understand about national politics and patriotism from within the confines of a prison cell.
    Lost in Music / Радио Город FM (Брест) Playlist
    Soul Rebel
    Chinese Exercise Video
    The Prophet (book by Kahlil Gibran)
    Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming
    Reach Robin at:
    ⁠https://www.instagram.com/a_balancedcorre/⁠
    And check his blogs on his time in China:
    ⁠https://bridonsnous.eklablog.com/⁠
    ⁠https://desbrides.blogspot.com/⁠
    ⁠https://robinlecorre130.wixsite.com/abalancingcore⁠
    Reach me at:
    ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠
    ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thomaszarand⁠
    1 hr 5 min
  • The French Masseuse in Chinese Prison, Pt. I - Robin's journey

    I spoke with Robin this week. His story involved adventurism, cannabis, an authoritarian government and a 3-7 year prison sentence.


    Sound familiar?


    Singing jazz while cleaning out shit trenches, Robin is a example of how mindset absolutely defines your experience of life, the constant ability to live your best life, and also of the self-love needed to navigate any of life's situations, small or.. Chinese prison.



    ---------------------------------------------



    Here's the video of the Chinese exercises Robin was forced to do:

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AH7YejzR0CQ&pp=ygUY5Lit5Zu95bm_5pKt5L2T5pON56ys5YWr


    Reach Robin at:

    https://www.instagram.com/a_balancedcorre/

    And check his blogs on his time in China:

    https://bridonsnous.eklablog.com/

    https://desbrides.blogspot.com/

    https://robinlecorre130.wixsite.com/abalancingcore


    Reach me at:

    ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠

    ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thomaszarand⁠

    45 min
  • A Mother in Prison - Portia Louder finds Clarity and Meaning
    Portia and I spoke a lot about freedom.
    That didn't happen because we'd experienced it being taken away, but our shared search for internal, personal freedom.
    Portia was sentenced to seven years in prison, but the outlook, love and conviction she meditated on there, the resolution of pain, the accountability she embraced, were the lessons of a lifetime.
    ---------------------------------------------
    Reach Portia at:
    https://www.instagram.com/portialouder/
    Portia's book, Living Louder
    Reach me at:
    ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠
    ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thomaszarand⁠
    59 min

About The Mirror in My Cell

From the publisher's feed

In each prison cell, a story.