In this episode, Dr. Leah and Taraleigh talk with writer Charles Lighthouse about his passion project the Dead Letter, a zine he writes and hands out for shows featuring remaining members of The Grateful Dead. Charles shares how he discovered The Grateful Dead music and community and how he views it as “a context to engage spiritually with a container of energy.” Listeners can get a taste of Charles’s writing that so eloquently paints a picture in your mind and connects your heart and soul to the depth of the music and scene. Also included is Charles’s notion that everyone has an opportunity to be the medicine and how this project represents that for him. For the “Did you Know” Dr. Leah shares the difference between hedonic wellbeing and eudaimonic wellbeing and how both can be found through live music. Taraleigh encourages listeners to “be the medicine” in the “Daily Jam.”
Charles provides editorial, strategic planning, communications, analysis, and coaching services for non-profit and creative clients. He is an expert on publishing, grassroots fundraising, non-profit leadership, event planning, psychedelics with a humanities focus, free expression, education, and the arts.
He writes zines, pamphlets, articles, and podcasts about visionary culture, music, and art. His current project, The Dead Letter, is a deep dive into the history and meaning of the Grateful Dead, examining how the band's creativity and heritage provide models for reshaping American life.
Charles is also the co-host of Psychedelic Salon, a twice-weekly online community meeting and ongoing podcast series. Founded by Lorenzo Hagerty in 2005, the Psychedelic Salon represents the longest-running online archive of lectures and interviews documenting the history of the psychedelic culture.
You can keep up to date about his current projects by visiting www.charleslighthouse.com and following him on Instagram: @clearsightedmind.