Digital Communion Podcasts: We’re All Alone in Thi

Digital Communion #38 – ‘Admiration and Intoxication’ Question: ‘Who do you admire most these days?’ This is an episode about admiration and its limits. What are the things we can or ‘should’ admire in others? Is it possible to admire ‘bad’ people in some way? Nic and Thomas then dig deeper and talk about the nature of success, the influence of technology on our opportunities, and how people can rationalize doing great harm to others and still manage to sleep at night. NOTES: The strange phenomenon that when you don’t want to know the answer, usually the first thing that comes to mind is the truth Nic explains why he admires Barack Obama Being remembered not for how you start things, but how you finish them The art of feeling people’s vibe and making snap judgements Why evil is so intoxicating, even when it seems so against our nature Making sense of Vladimir Putin Rick Doblin and using psychedelics for self-development Thomas explains why he admires Elon Musk Does success beget success? What technology has done for our quality of life Is Big Pharma poisoning people on purpose to keep them hooked? Cigarette companies and conspiracies How people can rationalize doing great harm to others The post Ep. 38 – Admiration And Intoxication appeared first on DIGITAL COMMUNION.

This week’s episode begins in the kitchen, but rapidly moves into the great outdoors and then on to some deep questions about the perils and perks of specialization. Can we be fulfilled as humans if we only master one skill? Or does the old cliché about being a Jack of All Trades hold true? From culinary Jiu Jitsu to powerful ideas on how to reforge the education system, this episode is as wide-ranging as it is thought-provoking. Question: ‘Do you think it’s important to be able to cook well?’ NOTES: What does your (in)ability to cook say about you? The personal rewards of harvesting and hunting your own food How much more well-rounded and actualized would we be if the education system included classes on how to manage your emotions? How far does traditional education impact the quality of our life experiences? Nic brings up quotes from two different ends of a spectrum: Robert Heinlein thought ‘specialization is for insects’, but Tim Ferriss claims that ‘the world rewards specialists’. How can we reconcile these perspectives? Could we have Renaissance Men if we were designed to be just one thing? Musashi and the art of mastery With specialization, do we ever learn to play chords, rather than single notes? Nic reconnects with videogames after writing them off as a waste of time When productivity becomes the enemy of personal development… and fun The post Ep. 37 – Specialization is for Insects appeared first on DIGITAL COMMUNION.

This is a special episode, featuring Nic and Thomas in a three-way conversation with Leigh Martinuzzi, host of the very cool podcast The Hidden Why. Leigh’s show is all about peace, passion and purpose, with a good dose of humour and straight-talking along the way. All three come together to discuss and discover the game of life in all its beautiful complexity. SHOW NOTES: What does your god look like (and why)? Does following a religion rob you of your true individuality? How to choose and lose your beliefs Flow, meditation… and drinking binges Can we be committed to freedom yet still have vices, material and chemical? Finding the strength to let yourself off the leash, but not to then go chasing every rabbit that comes your way Information overload: are we reading and learning too much to be happy in the present moment? Why we should make the effort to schedule regular time in nature A powerful way to switch up how we approach our lives: not ‘I have to do this’, but ‘I get to do this’ Finding the Muse – sometimes against your will Why humans are always searching for meaning – and why we so often get side-tracked from it     The post Special Episode: The Hidden Why appeared first on DIGITAL COMMUNION.

In this episode we talk about the power of music, how it can shape mood, why electronic music is so special, burn out from things experienced over and over, the magic of nature sounds, and much more. What’s the difference between someone who only listens to one type of music and someone who appreciates a broad variety? Find out in this surprising episode. SHOW NOTES - When and why electronic music first spoke to Nic - How different kinds of music connect with your soul rhythm - The ability of music to alter your mood - Training and exercising with music - The power of experiencing live electronic music and how the energy is different than other types of music - Are you selling yourself short if you only listen to one type of music? - What song would you have playing in everyone’s head when you walk in a room? - Burn out caused by having music on all the time in the background without paying attention to it - Not taking music for granted and consciously focusing and appreciating the track you're listening to - Why do humans burn out on things (including food) if they have too much over and and over - The specialness of nature sounds Watch or Listen below or get the Podcast free on iTunes   The post Ep. 36: Electronic Buddhism: For Love of Music appeared first on DIGITAL COMMUNION.

The world just can’t look away from the drama that’s defining the 2016 presidential election. And the most obvious factor is Donald Trump. But is he a genius marketing mastermind, making controversial statements on purpose? Or is he merely in the right place at the right time in history, causing many to overlook the otherwise outrageous or controversial? In this episode we're discussing this and more, including people’s desperation to be part of a tribe, inherent distrust of authority, and a recent experience that altered Nic’s opinion of government. The answer might surprise you. Listen now.   “When you’re born in this world you’re given a ticket to the freak show, and when you are born in America you’re given a front row seat." - George Carlin   Watch or Listen below or get the Podcast free on iTunes   SHOW NOTES - Donald Trump: Genius Mastermind or Lucky Idiot? - What Trump’s speech patterns say about him - Social cues that can imply the level of someone’s intelligence - The possibility that the American political system is rigged - How did Trump get this far without the full support of Republicans? - Is polling a sham? - Is the American election just a giant reality TV show? - Why does it seem like we just can’t look away from the political drama - People’s desperation to be part of a tribe - Inherent distrust in authority and government systems - A recent experience that changed Nic’s perspective on the need for government regulation - People are only truly free when they are safe - The conspiracy of the New World Order: is it really such a bad thing? - How the perception of safety relates to the heartbreaking race issues that are being exposed day after day - Emissions standards vs integrity standards http://thehighersidechats.com/ MENTIONS - The Higherside Chats Podcast The post Ep. 35: The Biggest Reality TV Show – the US Presidential Election appeared first on DIGITAL COMMUNION.

Some people at the top of their game hit a point where they stop growing. This limits their potential - in life, knowledge, and the pursuit of so much more. Nic and Thomas discuss intelligence and the pitfalls of rigid thinking, how to keep an open mind, and the most important factor in your full potential: awareness. Are you sure you know where the gaps are in your knowledge? Learn ways you become aware and lots more in this week's episode. Watch or Listen below or get the Podcast free on iTunes   https://youtu.be/jzZpYShVFHw SHOW NOTES - A definition of intelligence: the ability to recall information that you've put in it - The day you actually need to fear is the day you stop being aware of your own lack of knowledge - Thomas relates his first awareness of struggling with math at an early age - The paralyzing effects of not feeling as good at a school subject as your peers - Thomas's later realization that he has an innate understanding of the "math" of music and polyrhythms - Could you be good at a subject if you had just been pushed to be? - Are some people just not pushed toward certain school subjects because of the way they act or look? - Why does it seem rare to see extremely attractive world-class scientists? - Does society push people toward certain things based on their proclivities and how society views them; and in turn the individual's mind doesn't develop to its full extent unless you are self aware and break away from the mold - What Stephen Hawking, Beethoven, and All-Star Chef Grant Achatz all have in common - Having agility in your thinking vs rigidity - Why your brain does NOT work like a computer despite the common analogy - Why your brain does not have to be bound by the limitations of operating like computer software - The benefits of noticing your thoughts or tendency to immediately think of a counter argument in any discussion you have - How you can choose to not be rigid in your thinking - How being open to discussion can give you a good reflection of where you have gaps in your knowledge - Why some people who are at the top of their game stop growing, and how this can be avoided MENTIONS - Must see: Chef's Table, Season 2, Episode 1 featuring Grant Achatz   Need a life change but not sure where to start? check out Thomas’s METAMORPHOSIS PROGRAM now available at: http://www.30minuteadvantage.com/ Nic’s unique Jiu Jitsu philosophy has gained worldwide recognition. Join in at The Jiu Jitsu Brotherhood. Check out the business success course Nic is using at the moment - 'Winning the Game of Money' The post Ep. 34: Awareness of Your Full Potential appeared first on DIGITAL COMMUNION.

We almost didn’t release this one. We're fully aware of the sensitive nature of some of the topics. But the whole point of this is the quest for an honest conversation, right? So here's a mild warning that it's probably not appropriate for a car ride with the kids. Check it out below. If you could meet God and ask one question what would it be? What does your God look like? These questions and more lead to a colorful discussion about gods, warriors, and ancient rituals, the limitations of the blunt medium of language when it comes to describing the divine, and whether you have to understand the nuances of a ritual in order to get the benefits. Plus find out how to avoid malaise after reaching the ceiling of a goal or amount of income you’ve been working towards.... Watch or Listen below or get the Podcast free on iTunes https://youtu.be/5t7QNnHw0AU The post Ep. 33: One Question for God appeared first on DIGITAL COMMUNION.

In this episode Nic talks jiu jitsu, masters vs beginners, and how his workout approach has transformed in the last year. Find out what the Japanese idea of "Gen-jutsu” is, what it has to do with training and mindset, and how to pass Level 1. Check out this episode and explore with us: what are you not doing in your life regularly, that you KNOW would make your life better? When was the last time you did something to get out into nature for 5 days in a row? Today is day 1 for Thomas. Find out what happened here. “You need to internalize the structure or the framework before you can supersede it. Like if you’re a beginner in jiu jitsu, we were work with positional hierarchy, in which some positions are better to be in than others. But at the highest level, the elite guys can thwart that, they don’t have to adhere to that… But you have to EARN the right to be able to thwart the framework.” - Nic   Watch or Listen below or get the Podcast free on iTunes   SHOW NOTES - The workout routine Nic used to do consistently and wants to start consistently again - Nic talks jiu jitsu routine and the difference between the beginner and the master - Why Nic doesn’t keep track of PR's (personal record numbers) when he trains - The metric Nic uses to keep track of his training - “Gen-jutsu” within a “Gen-jutsu” (illusion techniques and abilities) regarding training - What’s the motivation within that first level of Gen-jutsu - What it feels like at the second level of Gen-jutsu - Why it is important to “know thyself” - Building mental strength in order to achieve balance - Why Thomas trains his clients through a 30 minute workout instead of an hour - Bodybuilding - We talk about some of the conversation we had about weightlifters in the “long-lost episode” never-released - Day 1 of Thomas’s challenge to surf for 5 days in a row (no matter what) - How the connection with nature feels golden and has phenomenal effects for free - Nature as the free “drug” - Thomas talks about his new Metamorphisis Program for the first time MENTIONS & LINKS - Naruto (Japanese anime cartoon about ancient ninjas in Japan) - Oracle at Delphi: “Know thyself" - The Metamorphosis Program (learn to change your life in just 30 minutes a day) - Dissolve the Problem: by Shifting Physical Reality, by Richard Dotts The post Ep. 32: How to Get to Level 2 “Gen-jutsu” appeared first on DIGITAL COMMUNION.

“Why would the desert reveal such things to a stranger, when it knows that we have been here for generations?” said another of the chieftains. “Because my eyes are not yet accustomed to the desert,” the boy said. “I can see things that eyes habituated to the desert might not see.”  -Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist   Curious what outside (un-habituated) eyes see while they're in America? How aware are you of the parts of your consciousness that are shaped as a result of your unique culture? Terence McKenna speaks of "cultural operating systems" and says travel (among other things) can open your eyes to it.   But what if you can't travel to see other cultures, or you're curious what your own cultural operating system looks like… you can catch a glimpse through a stranger’s eyes. Find out how America fares during a midnight drive as our favorite outsider gives you insights about the uniquely American "operating system”. The conversation this week will make you think about the parts of your culture that you can't see (anymore).   Watch or Listen below or get the Podcast free on iTunes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhSYvQIL8Wg SHOW NOTES - The scale of things in America - Taking things for granted - Hyper-nationalistic sentiment or patriotism turned toxic? - Knowing how good you have it - Thoughts on entitlement - Riff on american stereotypes - Using the technology of modernity to enhance your own growth vs. mindless lazy uses of your car or iPhone - Value of the United States - Getting caught up in the dream that Hollywood sells you - The biodiversity and geographical natural wonders of the U.S. - It’s fashionable to talk about L.A. as a vapid sewer, but in all honesty people are breaking their necks to get there MENTIONS & LINKS - Dan Carlan’s Wrath of the Khans Series (Hardcore History Podcast) - George Carlan standup routine about putting up a strip mall in the most picturesque natural place The post Ep. 31: Midnight City appeared first on DIGITAL COMMUNION.

This special episode of the show is a throwback to the first time the guys met. Before Digital Communion, Thomas and Nic were co-hosts of two different podcasts. During a trip to LA, Nic was invited by Thomas to be a guest on his show at the time, LA Real. An interesting conversation ensued, covering a diverse range of topics yoga, working out, losing your mind on drugs, being choked unconscious, male-modeling and much, much more. "...at that moment when I saw the flat-line I just passed out..." Watch or Listen below or get the Podcast free on iTunes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E33nda1fvqI The post Ep. 30: LA Real Throwback appeared first on DIGITAL COMMUNION.

… get ready for a helluva episode this week. Some experiences stick with you for a lifetime. Sometimes they change your thinking or outlook on life. Sometimes it’s for the better, sometimes the worse… Have you ever taken it too far? In this episode we’re talking about drugs (cannabis) and betrayal and 2 big realizations learned the hard way. Listen to get some powerful insights about what it’s like to take it too far, how you know you’ve taken it too far, and what to do to fix it. "It was like an itch I couldn’t scratch, but in my mind. I couldn’t be still or at peace anywhere.” - Nic “That’s about the darkest thing I’ve ever done…” - Thomas "It’s not all about the present moment; a fully integrated human being is able to live in the present moment, while learning from the past and planning for the future.” - Nic WARNING: We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again - in no way do we advise or condone the use of illicit drugs, especially for minors. Your brain isn’t completely formed yet! So don’t mess with it. Watch or Listen below or get the Podcast free on iTunes https://youtu.be/34hlHUzlCM8 SHOW NOTES - Nic’s experience with marijuana/cannabis - How to know when it’s crossed the line into “too much” - Withdrawals and detox symptoms - The positive effects of cannabis, creative impulse - When the positive effects start to become negative - What it means to feel mentally fragile, uneasy, unable to be at peace or sit still - Triggering a paranoia switch? The onset of anxiety and paranoia - Days after of edginess - Does all the down-side then make you want to OVERCOME that paranoia mechanism? - We’re so good at training our brains for other things, why can’t we train our minds to not go into that paranoia with cannabis? - Control issues - Mental handcuffs - Spending energy to overcome something that you don’t really need in the first place - Polyrhythm beats laid over the top of a 5:4 - Cannabis as a positive tool - Betrayal and cheating - The intoxicating fire of infatuation blinding you - Guilt from messing with someones’s trust - "I didn’t want to hurt this woman… but I was obviously willing to" - "The darkest part was that I made her feel crazy" - Thinking you’re strong enough to cut it off before anyone can get hurt - Repeating patterns from your father’s example - If you don’t learn from the past you will hurt in the future - Careful balance of being present, learning from past, and thinking about the future The post Ep. 29: That Time I Took it Too Far – Drugs & Betrayal appeared first on DIGITAL COMMUNION.

Why would anyone in their right mind live in the city of Los Angeles? Some love it, some hate it… but Thomas describes the perks of living in the "City of Angels" in a way that will make you rethink not only L.A., but whichever place you call home. Why do you live where you live? And in case any East coaster’s start to feel left out - don’t worry, we include you once we get to the necessity of “suffering” (and making good art) :D Listen now for a nice break from all the serious political talk, and have a great day! "The city is powerful and got a powerful hold on me very early” - Thomas Watch or Listen below or get the Podcast free on iTunes https://youtu.be/V_6QAImYIkE SHOW NOTES - Thomas’s acting background and what prompted his decision to move to Los Angeles - Power, magnetism and the art culture in LA - Training at Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach - A lifetime of exploration just from cruising around the different parts of the city - Los Angeles compared to Austin, TX - Nic’s thoughts on London - How a city can drain you or energize you - Is there strange energy created from Hollywood and the industry? - Strong current of technological progress disseminating in all parts of life in this realm - Information technology and media both centered in LA and both symbiotically growing their branches out across the planet from this point (ie. LA) - Confirmation bias - Is it just programming that we have to be struggling in order to be giving something of value back to the world? - Finding the happy middle ground - Suffering for good art - for example, the New School of Painters came out of NYC, not LA - the case for “needing" the winter in order to suffer and be able to come through with the inspiration the spring brings - “A lot of 'the Greats' (artists/bands) came out of a place where the elements have a huge influence on your psyche" ------------------------ MENTIONS - Los Angeles County Museum of Art - The Getty (one of the world’s largest art organizations) - Radiohead The post EP. 28: LA to Austin to NYC appeared first on DIGITAL COMMUNION.

Want to find your purpose? Focus on your passion? Ignore the crackling static from social media and the pressure to '10X' your life and do more, be more, produce more…. In other words, want to do your own thing? Not sure what that is? Check out this episode for some simple thoughts, observations, and strategies to help you deal with the pressures and recognize what it feels like when you’ve found your purpose. Watch or Listen below or get the Podcast free on iTunes https://youtu.be/Wj8A9-vufGQ P.S. Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to our YOUTUBE channel to get updates on new episodes! SHOW NOTES - The Age of the Quantified Self - Coming to the realization that you’re not going to outwork life - How to do your own thing - The importance of 'flow it' instead of '10x it’ - Is it better to draw lines and set tight schedules or not? - How you know when you’ve done enough work - Going with the feel instead of rigid rules - People who get lost in aspects of the game of life - Thomas is about to embark on one of the biggest projects of his life - How do you know if you’ve lost yourself in a project? - Doing the thing that you can’t stop thinking about - Can you get lost in a project in a good way? - How to not take things too seriously - Keep doing what you’re doing if it moves you toward joy - Could it be that nothing is really that important? - Somewhere between nothing matters and everything matters - Wim Hof breathing method insights: what it feels like and why Nic and Thomas have differing opinions - Manipulating your breathing in order to feel things in your body and physiology that only otherwise could come from psychedelics, sensory deprivation, or meditation - Plant medicine: is there an infinite amount of information to be gained from plant medicines or is there a limit? --------------------------- MENTIONS - Gladiator movie, quote “what we do in life echoes in eternity" - Wim Hof breathing method The post Ep. 27: Finding Your Purpose and Doing Your Own Thing appeared first on DIGITAL COMMUNION.

Join us for a special version of Digital Communion this week as Thomas and Nic record for the first time together in the same location. This episode features the unapologetic use of a selfie stick as we stroll to the beach and eventually settle in for a fun chat. We discuss a range of things, including what it means to be authentic, the importance of the intention behind what you seek, ’scientism’ and connection, how much seeking is too much, and a yardstick by which you should measure all of your beliefs. It’s The Art of Seeking… because who doesn’t want the best life?   Enjoy this special recording in Venice Beach!   Watch or Listen below or get the Podcast free on iTunes https://youtu.be/4JffcUEqsvo SHOW NOTES - Nic and Thomas take a walk to Venice Beach - A candid description of what Thomas is like behind the scenes - Instincts and the Gift of True Sight - Health the greatest wealth - Next projects, including Nic’s plans to write another book - What it means to be authentic and vulnerable - Getting rid of the many different layers that we put on that keep us from being who we really are - What the "Art of Beautiful Living" means - Just when you think you get what’s going on with the game of life, something else happens to remind you that no one really knows the universal answers - Further down the scientific rabbit hole, it seems like we are further along than primitive societies' stories of Creation, but is it true? - ‘Scientism’ as the dominant religious paradigm in the West - Western materialism causing discontent and a feeling of being disconnected from Truth and Source - Forgetting that your soul is infinite in order to play the game of human experience - The yardstick to measure any of your beliefs by: Does it bring you more joy? - Richard Dawkins doesn’t seem happy or vibrant - Why Nic doesn’t want to describe his discoveries using the word ‘conclusion’ anymore - Searching for the purpose of figuring out as much about the Game as possible, so you can play it as well as you can - Rabbit holes: searching with the intention of living a better life and not taking it so far as to become unable to function ------------------------ MENTIONS - Osho - Richard Dawkins - The Simpsons The post Ep. 26: The Art of Seeking appeared first on DIGITAL COMMUNION.

In this episode we talk about the social ins and outs of meeting people and raising money. The problem is that networking events are usually awkward at best and filled with people that are obviously looking to gain something. Listen in for the trick to NOT "networking” (in the conventional sense), and what’s important instead. There’s also priceless wisdom from some wealthy friends that will make you take a look at your money mindset. Enjoy! Watch or Listen below or get the Podcast free on iTunes https://youtu.be/GmfQmve05I8 Show Notes - Investments, startups, networking - Raising money to fund a project - Social dynamics game from the autobiography ‘Pimp’ by Iceberg Slim - Developing the gut instinct to sense when a situation isn’t what it’s being sold to you as - The trick to getting your project funded without superficial networking… no conniving, no calculated moves - Networking in general vs. personal acquaintances - The strength of the pan-continental jiu jitsu network - How people with wealth use how they feel (more than data or figures) when deciding to invest in a project - The importance of your state of mind and polarity when approaching a project - How to change your polarity when you don’t feel energized or positive about a project - For most of the wealthiest people, money is actually the least exciting thing about a project - How to have a 'wealthy mindset' about money even though you aren’t there yet - Having impact in the world; "feeding the kids vs. feeding the ego” - Noticing how being in a negative mood only perpetuates in other ways if you go out in public - Feeling comfortable socially vs. the natural tendency to put on a mask for social interaction - Looks can be deceiving; you never know who might know more than you in a situation - Getting out of the stereotypes of judging people based on a single metric - Lessons from Kingdom of Heaven film Mentions - Pimp: The Story of My Life by Iceberg Slim (book) - Kingdom of Heaven (film) The post Ep. 25: How to Deal with Networking appeared first on DIGITAL COMMUNION.

This week we tackle a difficult issue as Nic is struggling - really struggling - with something…. How do you know when to quit and when to push through a little longer; when to cut your losses and when to give it another try? Good money after bad…. Never say die or time to surrender? Can trying to make money doing what you love end up ruining the joy of what you love? If parts of work make you miserable, is it ever as easy as – just don’t do it? Watch or Listen below or get the Podcast free on iTunes https://youtu.be/uYzG7TMQmuw Check out this latest episode and let us know how you’ve dealt with this issue in the comments! Show Notes - Putting in hard work vs. knowing when to call it quits - Manifesting and setting intentions - Hot or cold; be not lukewarm or I will spit you out - First question to ask yourself: do you believe in what you are doing? - What happened when Thomas attempted to turn his script into a graphic novel - Art matching where the story goes - Abandoning a project that you have already told people you are working on - When you have multiple projects, finding the one you care about most - Why ‘doing what you love’ for a living may be total bulls*** - The actual hard work is finding the nexus point where your skills meet something that you enjoy or could be passionate about that is also lucrative - Identifying the thing you can package and monetize is a huge skill - Not what you love the most, but what is the greatest expression of you? - What do you want to spend your time doing? - When was the last time you woke up excited to do the work ahead of you - If someone can live a certain experience, then you can too (within reason) - Happiest when creating something - Integrity: when thoughts, actions and words are in alignment - Cycle of a project will naturally hit a plateau - How patience may be the key and the hindrance - Thomas Edison’s example of not giving up after hundreds of attempts and failures - Seth Godin calls this work/creative plateau ‘the dip’ and Steven Pressfield calls it ‘resistance’ - Using exercises from Godin’s ‘Ship it’ journal to ask questions about your creative endeavor, like what does perfect look like? - Gift and curse of thinking too much - Becoming the guy you were once so proud not to be, i.e. for Nic, becoming someone “chained” to their computer with work - Thomas has found a few things that work to snap out of a funk, like very cold water, or very difficult exercise   Mentions - The Millionaire Fastlane: Crack the Code to Wealth and Live Rich for a Lifetime by M. J. DeMarco (book and audiobook) - The Joe Rogan Experience podcast #789 Dan Auerbach, musician and record producer best known as the guitarist and vocalist for The Black Keys - Previous DC Episode 18: Having Hope [insert link] - Ship it: a Little Pamphlet for People Who Can, by Seth Godin - Genius Brain Power binaural beats program You can also send us questions you’re curious to hear discussed. We get too many to answer each with an episode, but who knows, maybe you’ll give us something we can’t resist ;) The post Ep. 24: Never Say Die or Time to Surrender? appeared first on DIGITAL COMMUNION.

This week the discussion gets started by a listener who asked: "Do you believe that love is a choice?" Far from the usual conversation about romantic love, this episode goes all over... from the chemical ‘madness’ of falling in love, to peak experiences, to things that are merely echoes of love. By ‘echoes' we mean - what if every wholesome expression has its own inferior copy that is pawning, posing, or trying to look like the real thing? And yes, that includes porn and McDonald’s. Tune in and enjoy! You can also send us questions you’re curious to hear discussed. We get too many to answer each with an episode, but who knows, maybe you’ll give us something we can’t resist ;) Watch or Listen below or get the Podcast free on iTunes https://youtu.be/6g8o2nJbrRE Show Notes - The thought paradigm that “thoughts people’d” or in other words, that a thought decides to express itself through the human mind - Love is not controlled through the experiencer, but expressed through the experiencer - Love compared to infantile infatuation - Peak experiences as a valid expression of love - More to love than romance - The drunken state of emotions that feel like a runaway train or a fire - Madness of being ‘madly in love’ - Love as the choice of being attentive to your partner and present - What Gary the Sea Lion can teach us about love - When saying 'I love you' doesn’t say enough - How the concept of ‘love’ has been hijacked by use of the word for trivial things - If love is fleeting like a peak experience, is that how it’s supposed to be? - Stretching out a peak experience into a bliss state - Making the choice to be more loving to your significant other reflected back to you - How you choose to direct your energy is how it comes back, whether you direct it at your girlfriend, your dog, your surfboard, etc - Will we be able to scientifically duplicate the 'chemical reaction' of love eventually? - Every wholesome expression has its own inferior copy that is posing or trying to do the same as the real thing - Porn as the imposter to a loving, healthy connection between people in the flesh - Online chat is very different from the spirit of a group of people in one place sharing a conversation or meal - Lots of echoes of the truth, but it can never be the real thing - Shadow sentiences come up - Freaky echoes in the audio (we can’t explain) come up at the end….   Mentions - Terminator 2 The post Episode 23: Is Love a Choice? appeared first on DIGITAL COMMUNION.

In honor of Thomas’s 38th birthday, this week’s conversation starts out with the question: How have you changed in just the last year? Then the topic quickly turns to the quest for answers via dreams. Check it out to learn more about our experiences with the awareness of flying, astral projections, lucid dreams, and why Nic eventually decided to focus on this waking reality instead. Watch or Listen below or get the Podcast free on iTunes https://youtu.be/6zlvkQtnGkM Show Notes - Nic no longer wants to use the name “Nic Gabriel” but his real name Nic Gregoriades - The power of words - Thomas’s 38th birthday - What’s the biggest change in the way the 38 year old Thomas looks at the world compared to the 37 year old Thomas? - Surfing, Gary the seal, dolphins, and Thomas’s conversation with the Panoply of Gods giving thanks and asking for strength - Thomas’s shift from self-focused projects to an outward-focus to improve the world - The wise man unlearns something every day - Sifting through information to figure out what to trust or not trust - Nic is far less certain about certain things than he was a year ago - Reference to Episode 18: On Hope - Quest for answers via dreams? - How the waking reality is just a vague recollection when in dream-reality - Why Nic took a break from lucid dreaming - How dream-reality is fraught with its own difficulties, risks, dangers, and obstacles, and you need to develop the skills to navigate safely before just jumping in - Getting to the point where you just want a good night’s sleep - How Nic did astral projections and lucid dreams - Dreams where you are flying and know you’re flying - Asking the question “is this real or am I dreaming”? Caution: to anyone interested in trying astral projections or lucid dreaming, please do thorough research and preparation before attempting The post Episode 22: The Quest for Answers Via Dreams appeared first on DIGITAL COMMUNION.

This week the guys consider what it means to be healthy beyond the usual 'food, movement, strength' advice you hear everywhere. Listen in to find out what VIBRANCY has to do with it. P.S. Nic still isn’t revealing his mind-bending secret insight from Episode 20, but if you listen closely we’re starting think he can’t help but drop a few more clues…. Watch or Listen below or get the Podcast free on iTunes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IoHpN2iO-4 Show Notes - Is health a ‘binary system’ in which you are either healthy or you’re not? - Absence of disease vs. vitality - How Nic personally knows when he is healthy - Physiological markers of health like how you feel when you wake up - Getting perspective from an emergency room doctor - Can you be in a sustained state of health or is it just day by day? - The numerous variables that go in to growing good marijuana - How humans are more analagous to plants then machines - The constant process of tuning variables and adjusting stimuli accordingly to your body’s responses - The "razor’s edge” - Genetics in combination with how you maintain the vehicle - Why the modern western lifestyle and diet is not condusive to vibrancy - Chem trail conspiracy - High fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils - The difference between ‘nescience' and ‘ignorance’ and how it affects the majority of people's health - Thomas has a wealth of knowledge as a personal trainer - Prolonging life with caloric deficit - Reducing life span with too much weight lifting or muscle trauma - Acceptable level of physicality and movement for a healthy individual - How the answer is different for everyone - The paradigm of ‘harder, faster, stronger’ and why it may be detrimental - How the modern physical culture’s exercises are directly related to the industrial revolution (whereby humans are taught to pull and push levers or do very mechanical actions) - We are not economic workhorse units to be 'plugged in' to factories or desks - Humans more like growing and adapting ‘plants’ - Why it’s important to ‘know thyself’ with so many competing theories and resources out there now - Awareness of how particular food or exercise makes you feel - No one knows your body better than you; trial and error with the best food for you - Never underestimate capitalism’s ability to taint the quality of your food - The more of a role a production system has played in the food you’re consuming, the more likely it is to be missing nutrients or to have had detrimental toxins added - The quality of what you put into your body makes all the difference - But science might someday have better solutions that we don’t want to admit now?… HGH supplementation vs. grass-fed beef - And as Nic gets further down the rabbit hole, what does 'Magick' have to do with it? Mentions - Mike Mentzer, the father of high-intensity training - Weston A. Price, information on nutrient-based diets around the world - The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham - ‘Know thyself’ inscription at temple of Oracle of Delphi The post Episode 21: What is Vibrancy? appeared first on DIGITAL COMMUNION.

What does being “awake” mean to you? This week Nic and Thomas share powerful insights they’ve recently had about consciousness and the concept of being “awake”. From coconut groves in Nicaragua, to ayahuasca in Amsterdam - listen in for a harrowing tale and some surprising answers. Watch or Listen below or get the Podcast free on iTunes https://youtu.be/gNtfIUsfVaQ Show Notes - Thomas discusses finding a ‘sense of place’ in Nicaragua - How island life contributed to being ‘awake’ and peacefulness - How he felt a continuous flow state for almost a full week - Nic discusses his most recent revelations after an ayahuasca experience in Amsterdam - Conspiracy theories and fringe subjects - The topic that got its hooks into Nic and prompted his search for new answers - A belief held by most that was shattered for Nic as a result - One of the surprising new byproducts Nic discovered from the experience (and how he almost lost his mind) - The one thing that brought Nic back from the "brink of insanity” - What it means to understand what’s important in life - What it feels like to be ‘awake’ from Nic’s new found perspective - New knowledge equivalent to taking the “blue pill” - The awareness that there’s two pathways: 1 - you have the choice to not know (ignorance is bliss) or 2 - the difficult task of having the knowledge and playing on in the game (or having the knowledge and what to do with it) - Thomas's uncomfortable realization that a goal he’s been after in Los Angeles may not be the answer he thought he was after References:  - The Matrix (movie), scene with Joe Pantoliano’s character eating a steak The post Episode 20: Are You Awake? (Part 1) appeared first on DIGITAL COMMUNION.