Blueprints for Civilisation, Post-traumatic Growth & Re-imagining the Role of the Human with Dr. Zachary Stein

12/24/21 • 102 min

I'm really thrilled to be bringing you this philosophical deep dive with truly I think one of the most radical and thoughtful thinkers of our generation.

Dr. Zachary Stein is a co-founder of The Consilience Project—which publishes novel research and explores questions surrounding global risk mitigation and existential threats facing humanity. He is the Academic Director Center for Integral Wisdom and the author of 'Education in a Time Between Worlds' – which I've personally gifted myself to many friends and shifted how I think about the future of schooling.

In this conversation, we cover some truly fascinating territory, because of his multi-disciplinary approach Zak has a truly unique perspective on some of the biggest questions of our time.

To give you a sense of what to expect in this conversation:

🙏 We began with a model of what it means to move into the perspective of post-traumatic growth...

🌱 He shared a thought experiment of 'Nous Arc' which asks the question of what seeds of ideas could be stored such that they could reboot human civilisation.

🫁 We talk about the role of nervous system regulation in models of adult development

🌎 Zak's diagnosis of 'Global Intimacy Disorder' and re-imagining what it means to be human and his work to start the conversation for a new kind of global philosophy called cosmo-erotic humanism.

What questions come alive in your mind? How might you see yourself contributing? Drop me a note on twitter... and finally, if this conversation resonates, do consider sharing a link with a friend who might also appreciate it.

🔗 Links

Zak's Homepage // zakstein.org
The Consilience Project // consilienceproject.org
Nous Arc // Zak's talk at the centre for integral wisdom

I'm really thrilled to be bringing you this philosophical deep dive with truly I think one of the most radical and thoughtful thinkers of our generation.

In this conversation, we cover some truly fascinating territory, because of his multi-disciplinary approach Zak has a truly unique perspective on some of the biggest questions of our time.

To give you a sense of what to expect in this conversation:

🙏 We began with a model of what it means to move into the perspective of post-traumatic growth...

🌱 He shared a thought experiment of 'Nous Arc' which asks the question of what seeds of ideas could be stored such that they could reboot human civilisation.

🫁 We talk about the role of nervous system regulation in models of adult development

🔗 Links

Zak's Homepage // zakstein.org
The Consilience Project // consilienceproject.org
Nous Arc // Zak's talk at the centre for integral wisdom

Previous Episode

Redefining Emotional Freedom, Exploring Healthy Ambition & Accessing Deep Joy with Joe Hudson

Joe Hudson is many things — he's a Venture Capitalist and renowned executive coach, but beyond that, he is a rare example of someone who in my perspective has accessed some profound truths about the human experience and is putting himself out there into the world helping others to find greater joy and ease in their lives.

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❓ We begin with his perspective on wonder and explore what makes for the capacity to ask transformational questions.

🤩 He then shares his VIEW framework—which stands for Vulnerability, Impartiality, Empathy & Wonder—and how life-changing it can be if we're able to truly inhabit these states of being.

🔥 We both then begin to unpacking the concept of emotional fluidity, why it's very different from emotional management and dive into specific examples of unclogging the tube of anger, Joe's process for dissolving shame (in which I become the guinea pig and it gets real for a few minutes)

Joe also mentions his experiences doing naked breathwork, the one-two punch tactic he used to use to get out of speeding tickets, why selfishness is a word used to get children to do what their parents want and why you have to allow your heart to break a little to increase your capacity to love.

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I was quite taken aback by how many of my recent Nervous System Mastery students had taken Joe's 'Connection Course' and how tremendously impactful they shared it had been in their journeys of self-exploration and finding greater depths of emotional maturity.

I rarely (if ever) promote other courses, but having listened to Joe's 'Art of Accomplishment' podcast episodes, heard from several of his students whose lives have been transformed by his work as well as the depth of our recent conversation I believe his work and methodology deserves to be shared more widely.

So to this end, I'd like to make the case for at the very least considering the 'Connection Course' that he's offering—it's very reasonably priced ($300) and uses a “cohort of two” learning format that combines the power of cohort-based learning with the flexibility of a self-paced course.

It's an opportunity to access workshops usually only reserved for elite execs and combines 20 years of Joe's research into dozens of spiritual traditions + robust psychological frameworks, also backed by the more recent findings from neurological research.

"This course is a unique approach to relationships with yourself and others. It dramatically changes your ability to accomplish what you want in your life with ease and joy. It will help you examine the way that you show up at work and in your personal life, all through training a mindset that leads to more connection and more satisfying relationships."

So there you have it—a wholehearted recommendation to first listen to the podcast conversation with Joe and if the themes of emotional exploration resonate, then definitely check out the amazing podcast and self-paced connection course linked below for a deeper dive.

>> You can use the code CURIOUS to save 10% on Joe's course here <<

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Links to Joe & the Art of Accomplishment

👨‍🎓 Art of Accomplishment Connection Course (link)
🎙️ Art of Accomplishment Podcast (link)
📸 Art of Accomplishment on Instagram (link)
💬 Joe Hudson on Twitter (link)

Next Episode

Meditation Myth-Busting, Finding Alignment & Living an Effortless Life with Michael King

This is a really unique episode—Michael King has been a mentor of mine and dear friend for nearly four years now. If it weren't for some of our conversations I'm not sure that Curious Humans would even exist, at least not in the form that it does today.

I find some of his perspectives and approaches to meditation and life so refreshing and my goal for this conversation was really to tease out some of the ideas and radical concepts that he has shared with me privately over the years.

Some of the questions we explored:

😬 What is the case for living life from a place of ease rather than over-efforting — which is something that I've wrestled with for a long time, as well as how our experience of reality is shaped by who we are and our beliefs.

🧘 Some common meditation myths and pitfalls that he sees with meditators with varying levels of experience as well as how he recommends navigating the landscape of meditation and the vast number of options and traditions and approaches out there.

📝 And finally, he also shares a really powerful framework for feeling into and moving through any challenging emotional experience or resistance.

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Michael is also launching the third iteration of his Meditation Teacher Training early next March which I was a student in two years ago. What I learnt in that training profoundly shaped not only my work as a founder coach but also deepened my own practice and my relationship to my own mind and emotional landscape. So if training to become a meditation teacher or deepening your own practice is something that calls to you, I would absolutely recommend getting in touch with Michael. He's generously offering Curious Humans, listeners, $200 off the 2022 training — just mention Curious Humans when you reach out.

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🔗 Links

🧘 Check out the Meditation Teacher Training 2022 👋 Find Michael on Instagram @kingsmeditationandmentoring