What happens when an atheist who doesn't believe in past lives sits down with a past life regressionist?

In this installment of Conversations With an Atheist, Daniel is joined by atheist content creator Unquestionable Calvin for a candid—and surprisingly good-humored—conversation about belief, evidence, faith, and how we decide what is actually true.

Having grown up Christian, Calvin says that reading and studying the Bible ultimately helped lead him away from Christianity. Today, he challenges religious claims and asks believers to provide evidence for what they believe. But Daniel has questions of his own: What counts as evidence? What's the difference between believing something and knowing it? And should the inability to scientifically measure something be enough to dismiss it altogether?

Those questions eventually bring the conversation directly into Daniel's own world. Calvin openly challenges past life regression, questioning its evidence, its potential risks, and whether experiences that seem profound or inexplicable necessarily point to anything supernatural. Daniel, in turn, explains why he doesn't consider a seemingly verified past life definitive proof of reincarnation—and why he believes the value of regression may have more to do with what someone learns from the experience than proving where it came from.

From consciousness, souls, the afterlife, and the limits of science to the Bible, miracles, faith, skepticism, and even whether either of them could simply be wrong, the conversation becomes less about proving one worldview and more about what happens when two people with very different beliefs are willing to challenge each other without needing to win.

Because perhaps the most interesting place for a believer and an atheist to meet isn't certainty.

It's "I don't know."

Calvin's bio:

Calvin Smith (A.k.a. UnquestionableCalvin) is an atheist content creator based out of Plymouth, Michigan. Calvin has been doing religious deconstruction content for nearly 7 years and has accumulated roughly 250,000 followers on social media. Ranging from live call-in show debates, to video response content, to teaching you how to have conversations with religious people, Calvin will make you question what you never thought you could.

Originally aired on the podcast, When Spirit Talks.

Why do some people feel instantly familiar? Why do certain relationships seem impossible to walk away from? And if someone really was connected to you in a past life, does that mean they're supposed to remain in your life today?

Stefanie Ruth interviews Daniel for a deeper exploration of past lives and the relationships we experience in the present. Together, they discuss repeating relationship patterns, unexplained attraction and irritation, soulmates, twin flames, karma, and the possibility that the same souls may play very different roles across different lifetimes.

But the conversation also challenges one of the more seductive ideas in modern spirituality: that a powerful spiritual connection automatically means a relationship is meant to last. Daniel and Stefanie explore how labels like "twin flame" can sometimes keep people attached to unhealthy dynamics—and why understanding a past-life connection should never become an excuse to ignore what's happening right now.

They also dive into confirmation bias in past life regression, whether we can ever know that what we're experiencing is "real," the danger of seeing only the parts of a past life that reinforce what we already want to believe, and why Daniel no longer turns to past lives for every difficult situation in his own life.

From karma and soul contracts to free will, personal responsibility, and the mysterious nature of time itself, this conversation ultimately comes back to a surprisingly grounded idea:

Whatever you may have been to each other then, what matters most is who you are to each other now.

Stefanie's links:

YouTube & IG @iamstefanieruth

Website https://www.liveandbreathereiki.com/

Part two of two.

What happens when personal growth crosses the line into psychological control?

In this episode, Zack Alexander shares a deeply personal story about participating in what he believes became a cult-like self-development organization. What began as an opportunity for growth slowly revealed patterns of manipulation, pressure, and control that fundamentally changed the way he views the modern self-development industry. 

Zack explains the warning signs he observed, why he ultimately chose to speak out despite the personal cost, and how the experience became an unexpected lesson in trusting his own instincts. From there, the conversation expands into the history of Large Group Awareness Trainings, organizations like LifeSpring, recruitment models, trauma-based facilitation techniques, and why some self-development programs can become deeply harmful when there is little accountability or oversight. 

Together, Daniel and Zack explore an important question: How do you distinguish genuine personal growth from an organization that demands your identity, your autonomy, or your unquestioning loyalty?

This conversation isn't about attacking personal development. It's about learning how to recognize manipulation, protect yourself, and pursue growth without surrendering your ability to think for yourself.

Part one of two. 

Why are so many people leaving New Age spirituality for Christianity? Is it a genuine spiritual awakening, a reaction to past harm, or something more complex?

Daniel sits down with spiritual mentor Zack Alexander to explore the growing pipeline from New Age spirituality to born-again Christianity. Together, they discuss why people are searching for certainty, how trauma can influence belief systems, and why black-and-white thinking often emerges after painful spiritual experiences. 

The conversation also examines the rise of spiritual influencers, the modern guru culture, and the fine line between learning from a teacher and becoming dependent on one. Daniel and Zack explore whether religion itself is the problem—or whether people have a tendency to misuse any system of belief in the pursuit of certainty, identity, or control. 

They also tackle an important question facing today's spiritual landscape: Should there be greater accountability for practitioners? From ethical standards to the absence of meaningful oversight, they discuss why the spiritual community may need to rethink how it protects both seekers and practitioners alike. 

New episodes return July 26th

In this episode, Whitney Abke returns to Timeless Spirituality to share her experience with The Expanse Method and the profound lesson that emerged from an unexpected encounter. During her session, Whitney found herself fleeing through a forest as her village came under what appeared to be an attack. Desperate to escape, she raced for a boat and pushed out onto the river—only to be pursued by a mysterious man who hurled a hatchet in her direction.

But as the journey unfolded, a very different story began to emerge.

Whitney's bio:

Whitney is an Intuitive Healer, Spiritual Mentor, and Host of The Soul-ish Podcast.
She believes everyone has everything they need already within them to heal and she is passionate about working with individuals in support of their healing journey… Whitney’s intention is to help others become more connected, healed, and empowered.

Links:

IG: Https://www.instagram.com/intuitively-whit

Subscribe to my podcast: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheSoulishPodcast

I AM HEALED RESOURCE GUIDE: https://www.whitneyabke.com/store/p/i-am-healed-resource-guide

What happens when a lifelong atheist starts investigating the possibility of an afterlife?

After losing her father in 2015, Liz Entin began searching for evidence—not faith, not religion, but evidence—that consciousness might survive death. What started as a skeptical inquiry led her down a path that challenged many of her assumptions about reality, consciousness, and what happens when we die.

In this episode, Daniel and Liz explore the nature of consciousness, near-death experiences, the relationship between science and spirituality, whether the brain creates consciousness or receives it, and the possibility that our individual lives are connected to something much larger than we can currently understand.

They also tackle questions surrounding God, religion, evidence, faith, the limits of human understanding, and why two people can sometimes be describing the same mystery while using completely different language.

Liz's bio:

Liz began examining if there was evidence of an afterlife and anything paranormal in 2015 following the passing of her father. While she still considers herself skeptical and an atheist, (although she’s a cultural Jew), the evidence really blew her away. She is the author of two books in the WTF Just Happened? series: Book One - WTF Just Happened?!: A sciencey-skeptic explores grief, healing, and evidence of an afterlife and Book Two WTF Just Happened?!: A sciencey skeptic investigates even more evidence of an afterlife and fights for justice with her dead dog. 

She is host of a podcast, WTF Just Happened?!: All about the afterlife. No woo. She also runs “Science and Spirituality” private events, where an intimate group of you and your friends can learn more about the science behind an afterlife and get readings from highly evidential mediums who have been tested by scientists. 

Fun fact that has nothing to do with the afterlife - she has a chihuahua Peanut who is famous for chasing and scaring Harvey Weinstein. She splits her time between New York and LA.

In Part 2, the conversation moves beyond spiritual culture and into some of the biggest questions imaginable: What are past lives? Is time really linear? Are we separate individuals, or expressions of a larger consciousness experiencing itself through billions of perspectives?

Daniel and Jenn explore the nature of past life regression, Dolores Cannon’s concept of imprints, symbolic versus literal experiences, the Akashic Records, starseeds, soul identity, and the possibility that many spiritual teachings are stories designed to help us understand truths that may be too large for the human mind to grasp directly.

Together, they examine the tension between certainty and mystery, discuss the value and limitations of spiritual labels, and wrestle with the paradoxes that emerge when we look deeply enough into consciousness itself. Along the way, they share personal experiences from QHHT sessions, spiritual awakenings, and the moments that challenged their most deeply held beliefs.

Daniel sits down with spiritual content creator Jenn Carmody (jk ultra) to explore what happens when spiritual beliefs evolve, identities begin to crack, and certainty gives way to deeper questions.

Jenn opens up about her viral rise during 2020, the 5D/New Earth content that built her platform, and why she’s now publicly revisiting many of those beliefs through her 40-day challenge. Together, they dive into fear-based spirituality, the psychology of social media, spiritual narcissism, discernment, “light worker” culture, projection, shadow work, and the danger of turning spiritual ideas into fixed identities.

The conversation also explores the emotional responsibility of spiritual creators, why fear spreads so easily online, and how people can become trapped inside the very belief systems that once brought them comfort. Throughout the episode, both Daniel and Jenn reflect candidly on their own journeys, mistakes, awakenings, and ongoing search for truth in a space that often rewards certainty over curiosity.

This episode of Timeless Spirituality features a conversation with filmmaker, podcaster, and near-death experience survivor Laura Scarpati, host of The Woo Report. Together, Daniel and Laura explore what happens when a life-altering moment cracks open your understanding of reality, consciousness, and the soul itself. 

Laura's bio: 

Laura Scarpati is a NDE survivor, spiritual activator and host of The Woo Report Podcast - exploring all the unseen energies of the universe and mapping how this magic helps us live better.  She is living proof that miracles are real, that spirituality is actually fun and that dying is likely just the beginning. Come hang.

Listen to the Woo Report on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-woo-report-everyday-spirituality/id1791131337

Follow The Woo Report on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewooreport/

Follow Laura Scarpati on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurascar_la/