The Ryan Pyle Podcast

Cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Mona Sobhani on how the brain works, why we behave the way we do, and the crossroads of science and spirituality.

Mona Sobhani is a cognitive neuroscientist with 15+ years of experience. She received her Bachelor's of Science (Neuroscience) from the University of California, San Diego and her PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Southern California. Tune in for our conversation on how the brain works and why humans behave the way they do, and how we are now at a crossroads between science and spirituality.

To learn more about Mona: https://www.monasobhaniphd.com/

Chapters
0:00 Welcome Mona Sobhani
2:30 Iranian families and religion
5:07 Explaining experiences away
7:41 Her parents
10:13 The chapter that made her like science
12:50 Graduate school in neuroscience
15:27 Waiting for a tenured job
17:59 An existential crisis
20:37 A psychic's warning
23:12 She saw a death
25:42 Compounding the crisis
28:18 A psychic is not a guaranteed cheer-up
30:50 Lessons repeated over lifetimes
33:21 What regression really is
35:58 A patient who remembered little
38:33 A detail no one else knew
41:09 Her doorway book
43:42 The evidence kept piling up
46:12 Learning not to talk about it
48:42 People willing to talk to her
51:14 Changing our model of the universe
53:48 Assumptions science never questions
56:26 Losing an interconnected mindset
59:03 Feeling like gods
1:01:34 Ryan's 150 nights in a tent
1:04:09 More than meat suits?
1:06:44 Ignoring evidence is not science
1:09:16 Facing old wounds
1:11:52 Not wanting to be run by her past
1:14:29 Medium shows on TV
1:17:04 When the humanities were a safe space
1:19:37 Going against the grain is not profitable
1:22:09 What her neuroscience training said
1:24:42 Meditation and the return of dreams
1:27:16 Layers of belief
1:29:50 Writing about the science of psychedelics
1:32:25 Lowering ego defences
1:34:59 Why context and support matter
1:37:34 Every researched idea deserves a hearing
1:40:08 Deciding despite the fear
1:42:45 Living by fear
1:45:16 The limits of the scientific method
1:47:51 No guides for the transformation
1:50:21 Eastern philosophy and consciousness
1:52:57 A calendar with boxes

The Ryan Pyle Podcast is ad-free by choice. If you enjoy these conversations, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/ryanpyle

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Filmmaker Terry C. Carney Sr. on leaving gang culture behind and his documentary Put the Guns Down: A World Epidemic.

We learn about his journey from a life entwined with gang culture to becoming a renowned filmmaker, a challenging background which has significantly enhanced his approach to documentary filmmaking. We do a deep dive on his new documentary: "Put the Guns Down: A World Epidemic" which offers an in-depth look at the societal impacts of gun violence and mental health crises, going beyond traditional documentary boundaries.

To learn more about Terry: https://www.terryccarneysr.com

Chapters
0:00 Welcome Terry C. Carney Sr.
2:35 A family trip through Oklahoma City
5:10 The best of the best stick to their craft
7:45 What we absorb from family growing up
10:16 Chased at 14 for being from a different neighbourhood
12:49 Exposed so young
15:23 A homicide detective's night in Compton
17:54 Oklahoma City versus South Central LA
20:26 Threats against his parents
23:03 Just trying to get to football practice
25:34 Video games without supervision
28:09 A vicious circle of funding
30:45 A story from Wisconsin
33:15 A father figure
35:49 Children growing up with violence
38:21 Neighbours who looked out for each other
40:57 Faith over security
43:33 Saving kids one step at a time
46:05 Ryan on Dubai, China and LA
48:40 Disconnection and lack of contact
51:13 Listening and spending time with people
53:46 Music and sport
56:22 What feels normal to them
58:57 Divorce rates
1:01:29 What a psychiatrist does
1:03:59 Giving people time
1:06:30 Violence and poverty everywhere
1:09:08 Coming back to the same word
1:11:43 Making people feel valued
1:14:17 Gabriel's story
1:16:52 Violence at home
1:19:22 It starts in your own household
1:21:52 Positive movements
1:24:23 West Coast hip hop artists in the film
1:26:55 Common threads from South Central LA
1:29:28 Didn't miss a beat
1:32:04 Musicians and athletes on side
1:34:41 Reactions to the film
1:37:17 Screenings with USC and UCLA
1:39:49 Staying out of the middle
1:42:26 Role models and upbringing
1:45:02 Police budgets
1:47:37 When prison seems like an honour
1:50:09 Building a real career and giving back
1:52:39 Where to learn more

The Ryan Pyle Podcast is ad-free by choice. If you enjoy these conversations, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/ryanpyle

Ryan's TV series are streaming around the world.

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David Butow returns to talk about photographing the Republican National Convention and his book Brink.

This is my second podcast with David. If you would like to learn all about David, his background and his amazing career, then please listen to Episode 10. Today's podcast is all about David's recent photographic assignment covering the Republican National Convention.

David Butow is a Photographer who has spent decades traveling the world on assignment for some of the world's most influential magazines. We met in China over 15 years ago and it was great to catch up and discuss his new book "Brink" looking at the events leading up to Donald Trump becoming the President of the United States, and also the breach of the Capitol Building on January 6th 2021. As always, you can listen to this podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

To learn more about David: https://www.davidbutow.com

Chapters
0:00 Welcome back David Butow
2:35 January 6th and this convention
5:09 Watching from a distance
7:40 What a party convention is for
10:16 Kid Rock and Hulk Hogan
12:48 Afternoon sessions on the floor
15:25 How quickly the race changed
18:00 On script or off script
20:34 A brush with death on the world's biggest stage
23:07 How the delegates dressed
25:42 Passes and security
28:17 Following the money
30:53 Early views of the first campaign
33:28 How different the political map once was
35:58 What a photographer looks for
38:36 The national anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance
41:07 Getting pictures to the editors
43:38 What was different this time
46:11 Inside the Milwaukee Bucks' arena
48:45 Surrounded by the other team's fans
51:17 The arc of a presidency
53:54 How supporters see it
56:30 The assassination attempt and the image that followed
59:05 Defence spending and Ukraine
1:01:38 1992 and a new generation
1:04:14 Issues that cut close to the bone
1:06:50 Standard and experimental photojournalism
1:09:25 Capturing what it feels like to be there
1:12:03 How many delegates
1:14:36 A reflection of the times
1:17:08 The next convention in three weeks
1:19:39 Covering an election on a low budget
1:22:12 Criticism over Israel policy
1:24:46 Getting downtown
1:27:20 Calm and dignity
1:29:50 The one remaining superpower
1:32:29 Civil servants and political appointees
1:35:04 Switzerland and quiet politics
1:37:42 The common voter
1:40:13 Tired of politics
1:42:44 Access to candidates on election night
1:45:14 Teaching together in person
1:47:48 Strategies for quick observation

The Ryan Pyle Podcast is ad-free by choice. If you enjoy these conversations, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/ryanpyle

Ryan's TV series are streaming around the world.

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Writer and publisher Rich Neher on the tennis business and bringing the joy of tennis to amateur players.

Rich Neher is a writer, author, and owner of the Los Angeles-based Tennis Media Group, publisher of the monthly newsletter RACKET BUSINESS (formerly TENNIS CLUB BUSINESS), and Founder/Chief Executive of Conga Sports Inc. Rich's passion for bringing the joys of tennis to the masses of armatures is inspiring. Tune in for a wide ranging conversation.

To learn more about Rich: https://www.congasports.com/leadership

Chapters
0:00 Welcome Rich Neher
2:32 Community tennis over the pros
5:05 The big moment at the Legends Luncheon
7:42 First encounter with pickleball
10:15 Oktoberfest with Tommy Haas
12:48 Your team for life
15:23 A tennis friend in Iran
17:57 Field hockey and Hong Kong
20:27 A boss who knew how to motivate people
23:05 Selling electronic displays
25:38 Joining a German company
28:13 Uncovering an eBay fraud
30:48 Term limits and German politics
33:22 Getting into tennis after moving to California
35:54 Left alone on the court
38:27 Be friendly, not angry
41:03 A little acting in Hollywood
43:34 Accents and voice work
46:07 When companies cut costs
48:41 Programmes to bring new people into tennis
51:12 Where amateur tennis is biggest
53:45 Building teams across LA
56:20 The Savannah Bananas
58:52 The Savannah Bananas world tour
1:01:24 Daring to be critical
1:03:59 Why 98% of new players left the sport
1:06:33 The junior academy pathway
1:09:04 Coaches at a junior tournament
1:11:35 Tiger Woods and growing a sport
1:14:06 The Netflix tennis series
1:16:40 A profitable programme ready for investors
1:19:15 Sponsors and Head rackets
1:21:51 Big corporate sponsors in tennis
1:24:21 Why young players should be ball kids
1:26:56 A ball girl's mistake
1:29:31 Meeting Goran Ivanišević at Indian Wells
1:32:07 Selling to Premier League football clubs
1:34:39 Catching serves with bare hands
1:37:16 Fitness, diet and the modern game
1:39:46 A champion of the 1920s
1:42:17 Thank you and goodbye

The Ryan Pyle Podcast is ad-free by choice. If you enjoy these conversations, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/ryanpyle

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Robert Ginsberg, founder of the Forever Family Foundation, on personal loss and exploring what happens after we die.

Robert Ginsberg is the Founder of the Forever Family Foundation, an organization setup to understand what happens to us after we die, and also to support those going through loss of loved ones. Robert speaks of his personal loss, his desire to help and his passion to explore our existence beyond physical death.

To learn more about Robert: https://www.foreverfamilyfoundation.org/

Chapters
0:00 Welcome Bob Ginsberg
2:33 Religion and first ideas about death
5:05 Watching over three children
7:41 Consciousness beyond the body
10:15 What a medium is
12:48 Ryan riding a motorcycle around India
15:26 The exact ticket
17:57 Losing his mother, his daughter and his wife
20:33 Talking about life after death in a parking lot
23:03 Science and spirituality are not that far apart
25:39 A message about a father
28:13 When grief becomes an identity
30:46 Can consciousness extend beyond the body?
33:25 A picture experiment
35:57 Starting the foundation as part of healing
38:35 A light show in the kitchen
41:05 After-death communication and anecdotal evidence
43:40 Being young and oblivious to death
46:15 Near-death experiences as evidence
48:46 Facing the harm we caused others
51:16 What happens to people who behaved badly
53:48 His mother in home hospice
56:19 A visit to the care facility
58:49 Neurons and subjective experience
1:01:20 Mysticism in the Catholic Church
1:03:53 Signs near operating theatre ceilings
1:06:30 Grief retreats
1:09:01 Setting up small groups
1:11:32 Ryan's time in Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism
1:14:02 Children who recall previous families
1:16:32 Comments that brought tears
1:19:07 Many versions of Ryan in other dimensions
1:21:37 Cleve Backster and the plant experiments
1:24:09 Ayahuasca and starting a family
1:26:44 Pushing away primal connections
1:29:16 Working from home, childcare and education
1:31:48 Material loss versus real loss
1:34:26 Mediums and the toll of grief
1:36:59 Embracing grief
1:39:36 People who want death to be final
1:42:10 Coincidences
1:44:46 Staying behind the scenes

The Ryan Pyle Podcast is ad-free by choice. If you enjoy these conversations, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/ryanpyle

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Camera operator and filmmaker Ollie Walker on life between Shanghai, Bali and LA, and documentaries that spotlight lesser-known corners of society.

Ollie Walker is a multi-talented creative, working as a camera operator, photographer and editor basing himself between Shanghai, Bali and Los Angeles. Ollie is focusing on making independent documentaries that spotlight lesser-known niches in society, promoting cross-cultural learning and diversification of ideas. He is committed to using storytelling to bring our rapidly globalizing world closer by exposing what it means to be human.

To learn more about Ollie: https://olliewalkerent.portfoliobox.net/videographer

Chapters
0:00 Welcome Ollie Walker and an AI phone call
2:37 The scam industry in Southeast Asia
5:12 Leaving China weeks before Covid
7:46 Hard stories from the lockdowns
10:16 Freedom of speech and the right to protest
12:51 A neighbour emptying out his house
15:24 China first and its economic drawbacks
17:56 Growing up between cultures
20:27 Held for 12 hours at a factory
23:03 The chicken man
25:37 Once the safest city in the world
28:08 Getting an 800cc bike on the road
30:38 Life at an international school
33:10 Fentanyl and the free market
35:46 Douyin and controlling what people see
38:19 Trips to remote villages in Yunnan
40:53 Churches in China
43:25 Different ideas of privacy and safety
45:57 China in the 1960s to the 1990s
48:31 Russia's middle ground
51:02 Propaganda in every country
53:34 Espionage and extracting information
56:11 Davos, China and Africa
58:41 How the West tells its own story
1:01:13 The history of the slave trade
1:03:51 Cold War politics
1:06:24 Pig farms
1:09:00 Change through global pressure
1:11:34 Nationalism and political support
1:14:09 How he got into storytelling
1:16:46 China in 2014 versus 2024
1:19:21 Regional and cultural identity
1:21:51 The US and Canada defence pact
1:24:24 $2 beers and Anthony Bourdain
1:26:59 Producing and directing behind the camera
1:29:36 Not letting other people's opinions get to you
1:32:06 From India's chaos to China's open roads
1:34:42 Motorbike experiences
1:37:20 Independence in the age of social media
1:39:51 Owning your story
1:42:24 Defining where he wants his career to be
1:44:55 Heading north to the less touristy areas
1:47:27 Live for the story
1:49:57 Asking yourself what am I doing here

The Ryan Pyle Podcast is ad-free by choice. If you enjoy these conversations, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/ryanpyle

Ryan's TV series are streaming around the world.

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Nurse and Wim Hof Method instructor Christina Casey on combining evidence-based techniques and ancient practices to help people heal and grow.

Christina Casey is dedicated to empowering people through a unique blend of evidence-based techniques, ancient practices, and pure enjoyment. Combining her expertise as a nurse, her knowledge of the Wim Hof Method, and her free-spirited nature, Christina's process aims to uplift individuals by providing them with tools and experiences that facilitate personal growth and healing.

To learn more about Christina: https://www.christinacasey.com

Chapters
0:00 Welcome Christina Casey
2:33 Nursing in the early days of the pandemic
5:06 How breathwork helped her recover
7:39 Getting a signal after time off-grid
10:09 Getting around LA on the Metro
12:45 Hollywood in the 1990s
15:20 Vertical series shot for phones
17:51 Losing her labels and asking who she is
20:23 Advance directives and end-of-life choices
23:01 Working as a director of nursing
25:39 Nursing specialities
28:14 Home visits as a hospice nurse
30:44 What people talk about at the end
33:15 Childbirth
35:46 Twenty years in hospice nursing
38:20 Women and the cold
40:50 Parenting and control
43:27 Saying hard things to friends
46:02 Cold and heat training for the vascular system
48:35 Her sauna and cold plunge routine
51:07 Wim Hof and the one safety rule
53:43 Wellness outside the pharmaceutical industry
56:19 Unconventional practices and family reactions
58:50 Breathwork and ice bath sessions
1:01:27 Why breathwork works best in a group
1:04:03 Altitude and mountaineers' dreams
1:06:37 Getting comfortable with discomfort
1:09:12 Her monthly sessions in Los Angeles
1:11:44 Teaching people to look after their immune system
1:14:20 The healthy living of life in a tent
1:16:58 Resilience and the immune system
1:19:35 Meditation and breathwork as the easiest hard things
1:22:08 Helping people live healthier lives
1:24:42 Stress and how it feels firsthand
1:27:19 Ryan moving to China alone at 22
1:29:53 See you in an ice bath

The Ryan Pyle Podcast is ad-free by choice. If you enjoy these conversations, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/ryanpyle

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Climber Paul Gagner on Yosemite, more than four decades of first ascents, and still climbing El Capitan while running adventure tours in Utah.

Paul's first outdoor love was Yosemite, and he didn't stop there. He has spent more than four decades exploring, adventuring, and putting up first ascents on rock across the US and internationally. After working in the outdoor industry for over 40 years, the majority of his career was in the outdoor equipment and apparel space. Now running his own adventure touring company in Utah, and Paul is still climbing El Capitan. Tune in for a wide ranging conversation.

To learn more about Paul: https://dreamlandtours.net/about/

Chapters
0:00 Welcome Paul Gagner in Kanab, Utah
2:33 El Cap and Warren Harding's 1958 first ascent
5:10 Alex Honnold and modern climbing
7:44 Exum guide school in the Tetons at 16
10:16 From Detroit to California
12:47 Castle Rock and Pinnacles near San Jose
15:19 Learning from books and older friends
17:52 Chico State
20:25 An A+ in Yosemite crack climbing
22:56 Rescues in the Tetons
25:26 Competing for ranger jobs
27:58 Working retail at The North Face
30:33 Trips to the Himalaya and Alaska
33:10 Getting slammed
35:43 Location, location
38:16 Crowds on El Cap
40:46 The North Face gear connection
43:17 Moving to Boulder
45:48 Climbing better in his 30s
48:18 Credit cards and climbing across the US
50:50 Baffin Island
53:26 Expensive and remote
55:59 Sea ice breakup
58:36 Tidal cracks
1:01:07 The climb and the weak point
1:03:37 Arctic weather
1:06:11 50 gallons of water
1:08:43 Rappelling down to a beach
1:11:18 Climbing 4,000 feet to get out
1:13:49 River crossings at peak melt
1:16:22 Back to camp with one day of food
1:18:59 Rescued by Inuit hunters
1:21:31 Thinking about dying
1:24:01 Fishing to survive
1:26:36 Everyone wants the crash story
1:29:15 Coming home and starting over
1:31:48 Absolute focus
1:34:18 The rhythm of survival
1:36:52 The Peter Pan complex
1:39:27 Making the most of every day
1:42:02 Making their own path with Sunny
1:44:37 Business-for-sale websites
1:47:13 Buying a burned-out business with seller financing
1:49:47 Swiss public transport
1:52:20 Trips that mirror personalities
1:54:55 Sunny's Alaska
1:57:25 Three months in Yosemite
1:59:58 Finding remote places through GoPro videos
2:02:32 Fewer blank spots on the map
2:05:04 Authentic trips and Jon Krakauer

The Ryan Pyle Podcast is ad-free by choice. If you enjoy these conversations, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/ryanpyle

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Author Harker Jones on growing up in a Michigan town with no traffic light and writing the best-selling love story Until September.

Harker Jones grew up on a dirt road in Michigan in a town so small it doesn't to this day have a traffic light. Now a Los Angeles denizen, he has written the #1 best-selling love story "Until September," which has sold more than 4,000 copies worldwide, a Top 7 finalist in the American Writing Awards, a finalist in the Tucson Festival of Books Literary Awards and a winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards.

To learn more about Harker: https://harkerjonesla.com

Chapters
0:00 Welcome Harker Jones
2:30 Growing up in Michigan
5:05 Theatre in high school
7:37 Telecommunications and writing
10:09 Turning criticism into something positive
12:41 Life is what inspires you
15:11 Write it down
17:41 A dirt road by a lake
20:15 Building low in earthquake country
22:46 Uncertainty after sport
25:16 Everyone here is making something
27:48 Writing magazine features
30:23 Hotter summers in LA
32:55 Less glamorous than people think
35:32 Behind the scenes of an adult magazine
38:05 Technology follows that industry
40:42 Freelancing and screenplays
43:14 LA's supportive creative scene
45:46 Working in fandoms
48:21 Crowd-sensitive since Covid
50:55 Small theatres, big theatres
53:26 Could he do this anywhere else?
55:56 Driving across the heartland
58:31 Ryan's speaking tour across America
1:01:03 Staying power
1:03:37 Making friends as an adult
1:06:14 Putting your work out there
1:08:49 Crazy LA stories
1:11:25 Clawing to the middle of the ladder
1:13:58 Before Sunrise at 30
1:16:29 Focus after the gym
1:19:04 Downtown LA after dark
1:21:42 West Hollywood and Silver Lake
1:24:12 A comedy set in a church
1:26:48 From novel to screenplay and back
1:29:21 Novels as the source
1:31:52 Winning a contest to produce a short
1:34:28 Being in the room
1:37:03 Canadian entertainers
1:39:36 Paying your dues
1:42:07 A writer can fix anything
1:44:43 Literary agents and film rights
1:47:16 How things get made
1:49:46 Googling himself
1:52:19 Wrapping up

The Ryan Pyle Podcast is ad-free by choice. If you enjoy these conversations, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/ryanpyle

Ryan's TV series are streaming around the world.

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Surfer, author and life coach Mike Mulkey on leaving 25 years in Silicon Valley and his book Surfing in Heaven.

A surfer, author, and a life coach who writes about finding the perfect wave in heaven, Mike's passion is helping people tackle work/life balance challenges provoked him to launch "Surfing for Balance in Silicon Valley" in 2014 to blog about his struggles to stay afloat amidst the chaos. After 25 years of riding the Silicon Valley Express train, Mike disembarked and discovered that his world had turned upside down. His first book, Surfing in Heaven, is a true story about Mike's journey to find hope amidst the daily battles we all face at work and beyond.

To learn more about Mike: https://surfingforbalance.com

Chapters
0:00 Welcome Mike Mulkey
2:36 Air travel isn't what it used to be
5:10 Self-publishing Surfing in Heaven
7:44 Simon Parker and Covid friendships
10:18 Long podcasts without ads
12:52 How Ryan live-switches the show
15:26 His father's post-war surfing days
17:58 Marriage, kids and Silicon Valley
20:34 Sundays are for surfing
23:06 Reading 70 books on heaven
25:40 A surfer who died and came back
28:14 Finding faith later in life
30:51 Surfing versus high school basketball
33:21 Ryan's father and discipline
35:53 Ryan's practice schedule
38:26 Coaching kids
40:57 Bill Russell
43:28 The Seven Summits
46:01 Climbing in Switzerland
48:36 Ryan's summers away from Dubai
51:13 The birth of the San Onofre Surfing Club
53:46 An idyllic childhood on the beach
56:19 Prize money and the World Surf League
58:54 Ironman training in the Philippines
1:01:25 The road to destruction
1:03:59 Training to escape your demons
1:06:34 Ryan's motorcycle trip around China
1:09:07 Air quality in Shanghai
1:11:45 China's early internet
1:14:15 China's most exciting decade
1:16:50 Bamboo scaffolding
1:19:26 What surfing gave him
1:22:01 Leaving the ocean and the next book
1:24:39 Waves at Middle Peak
1:27:12 Surf Ranch as a corporate retreat
1:29:42 Close to nature
1:32:19 A rained-out trip
1:34:52 Skis versus snowboards
1:37:28 Surfing with his kids
1:40:04 Surfing in unsafe places
1:42:38 Making a surf movie at 50
1:45:14 Warren Miller
1:47:51 Setting his eyes up
1:50:27 Pressure on young people today
1:53:01 Keeping up with the Joneses
1:55:35 Fighting for food
1:58:09 Heaven in scripture
2:00:45 A thousand books a day
2:03:17 The five-minute podcast
2:05:49 A Navy SEAL memoir

The Ryan Pyle Podcast is ad-free by choice. If you enjoy these conversations, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/ryanpyle

Ryan's TV series are streaming around the world.

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