Living from the Soul with Sam Torode – Details, episodes & analysis

Today I’m happy to be speaking with Pooja Mottl. She’s had a unique career path—going from finance & banking, to cooking & nutrition, to mental & spiritual wellbeing.

Pooja graduated from the University of Michigan and began a career in finance in the late 1990s, working for investment banks including Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch. She left to earn a master's degree in International Relations at the London School of Economics, and then—in a twist—enrolled in the Natural Gourmet Institute’s Chef’s Training Program.

In 2014 she published her first book, The 3-Day Reset: Restore Your Cravings For Healthy Foods in Three Easy, Empowering Days, which was endorsed by Whole Foods founder John Mackey, among many others.

Next, Pooja pursued advanced training in yoga, meditation, and psychology. She now writes and speaks about mental and spiritual health. She created the Calm & Free Podcast, has a blog on LinkedIn, is an affiliate of Stanford University’s psychology department, and is currently preparing a new book and podcast series about what makes for a truly successful life.

In this conversation. Pooja shares her insights on the difference between religion and spirituality; the mind-body connection; finding balance between striving and satisfaction; passing on a spiritual legacy to children; and more.

Visit Pooja’s website & sign up for her newsletter: www.poojamottl.com
Listen to the Calm & Free Podcast: www.calmandfreepodcast.com
Subscribe to her YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@poojamottl8951
Follow her on Amazon: www.amazon.com/Pooja-Mottl/e/B00HOFYD6G
Instagram: www.instagram.com/poojamottl
Twitter: www.twitter.com/PoojaMottl

This ad-free podcast is supported by Sam’s Torode’s books, including “Living from the Soul: The 7 Spiritual Principles of Ralph Waldo Emerson,” available at www.samtorode.com.

Today I’m excited to be speaking with P.M.H. Atwater, one of the world’s leading experts on Near-Death Experiences (NDEs). After having three near-death experiences of her own in 1977, when there was very little public knowledge about them, P.M.H. began researching other peoples’ NDEs using investigative techniques she learned from her adoptive father, a police officer.

She has now analyzed over 4,000 NDEs and written eighteen books about them. She’s been featured in Newsweek magazine and interviewed by television hosts including Regis and Kathie Lee, Larry King, and Sally Jessy Raphael.

In this conversation, P.M.H. tells the story of her NDEs and shares what she’s learned from over forty years of research, including the four types of NDEs, their common after-effects, the impact of NDEs in childhood, how having an NDE changes one’s views on religion and spirituality, what we can learn from “hellish” NDEs, and what NDEs reveal about the purpose of life.

Visit P.M.H. Atwater's website.
Sign up for her newsletter.
Check out her books. 

This ad-free podcast is supported by Sam’s Torode’s books, including “Living from the Soul: The 7 Spiritual Principles of Ralph Waldo Emerson,” available at www.samtorode.com.

This week I’m happy to be speaking with my friend Ryan Rhoades. Ryan is a writer, visual artist, musician, podcaster, website designer, videographer—anything creative, Ryan does it. 

He’s also a student of Stoicism, the ancient philosophy that advises us to focus our attention only on what is within our control. 

I’ve published two books of Stoic writings: The Manual of Epictetus and The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. Ryan reached out to me after reading these books several years ago, and our friendship grew from there. 

This week I wanted to talk with Ryan about what drew us to Stoicism, and both the benefits and struggles of applying this philosophy to our lives. 

Follow Ryan on Instagram: instagram.com/ryan.j.rhoades
and Facebook: facebook.com/RyanJRhoades
Visit the Reformation Designs shop for everything from clothing to coffee mugs: rdshop.biz
Visit his Amazon author page: amazon.com/Ryan-J-Rhoades/e/B00PJ1W9UO
Listen to his podcast, “The Creative Revolution”, on all platforms + YouTube: youtube.com/user/ReformationDesigns 

This ad-free podcast is supported by Sam’s Torode’s books, including “Living from the Soul: The 7 Spiritual Principles of Ralph Waldo Emerson,” available at samtorode.com.

Today I’m happy to be speaking with my longtime friend Sarah Hempel Irani. 

Sarah and I both studied art at Hillsdale College in Michigan. She went on to earn a master’s degree in Medieval and Renaissance Studies, and to become a very accomplished sculptor. 

Sarah’s sculptures have been included in many national shows and have won several awards, including one in a competition judged by Sister Wendy Beckett. 

Her most recent work is a 7-foot-tall bronze statue of fashion designer Claire McCardell for her town of Frederick, Maryland. 

I wanted to talk with Sarah about what goes into creating these monumental works, as well as the values they represent. Sarah has great insights on the need for more women to be celebrated in public art, and the controversy over Confederate monuments. 

We also discuss how our political and religious beliefs have shifted over the years, and Sarah shares her experience with ovarian cancer and how it changed her perspective. 

Visit Sarah’s website: hempelstudios.com
Follow her on Instagram: instagram.com/sarahhi
and Facebook: facebook.com/HempelStudios
Read Baltimore Magazine's article on Sarah’s sculpture of Claire McCardell: baltimoremagazine.com

This ad-free podcast is supported by Sam’s Torode’s books, including “Living from the Soul: The 7 Spiritual Principles of Ralph Waldo Emerson,” available at samtorode.com.

As a lifelong Frank Sinatra fan, today I’m excited to be speaking with Charles Granata. 

Chuck is the producer and co-host of Nancy Sinatra’s weekly radio show on SiriusXM, “Nancy for Frank,” which recently concluded after 14 years and over 500 episodes. “The Best of Nancy for Frank” continues to air every week. 

He has worked on several Frank Sinatra box sets, including “A Voice on Air: 1935–1955” and “Sinatra in Hollywood: 1940–1964.” Most recently he oversaw the restoration and reissue of the 1950 LP “Sing and Dance with Frank Sinatra” (Impex Records, 2020). 

Chuck is the author of two acclaimed books, “Sessions with Sinatra: Frank Sinatra and the Art of Recording” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds.” And he assisted music legends Phil Ramone and Johnny Mandel in writing their memoirs. 

I loved hearing how Chuck’s childhood passion eventually became a fulfilling career, thanks to many serendipitous connections along the way. Near the end of our conversation, he also shares his personal thoughts on spirituality, which I found very moving. 

Read “Sessions with Sinatra”: amazon.com/dp/B005HF4DGK
Follow Chuck on Facebook: facebook.com/chuckgranata
Get his latest Sinatra legacy release: impexrecords.com/sing-and-dance-with-frank-sinatra 

At the end of this episode, instead of the usual closing music, I’m including a track from my own Sinatra-inspired album, “Someone to Watch Over Me,” which is available on most music platforms. 

This week I’m excited to talk with Karen Newell, a lifelong explorer of consciousness and seeker of esoteric wisdom. 

Karen is the coauthor, with her partner, Dr. Eben Alexander, of Living in a Mindful Universe: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Heart of Consciousness—an amazing and informative book. 

She is the cofounder of Sacred Acoustics, a company producing meditation tracks with binaural beats. I’ve been using these tracks myself, and wanted to learn more about them and ask Karen for advice on using them. 

We also chat about quantum physics, and Karen has fascinating things to say about the lost technologies of the ancient Egyptians and Pythagoras. 

As Nikola Tesla said: “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” 

Visit United in Hope and Healing for free webinars with Karen & Eben: unitedinhopeandhealing.com
Read “Living in a Mindful Universe”: amazon.com/dp/1635650658
Visit Sacred Acoustics and try a meditation track: sacredacoustics.com
Follow Karen on Facebook: facebook.com/SacredAcoustics
and Instagram: instagram.com/sacredacoustics
Visit HeartMath Institute, which Karen discusses: heartmath.org 

This ad-free podcast is supported by Sam’s Torode’s books, including “Living from the Soul: The 7 Spiritual Principles of Ralph Waldo Emerson,” available at samtorode.com. 

This week I’m happy to speak with my friend Mark Stephens. Mark has been a police officer for 13 years, first in Phoenix and now in Nashville. 

Mark explains how he first became aware of systemic racism in American society and law, and the process of becoming more educated about it. He tells stories from his years on the job that demonstrate the power of empathy and treating all people with dignity and respect. 

I also ask him about gun culture, deescalation tactics, and mediation—which he’s recently taken up. He’s currently writing a memoir tentatively titled “Lessons Learned from Tragedy: A Misfit Cop’s Journey to Awakening.”  

Here’s a link to the books of Tim Wise, which Mark recommends: amazon.com/Tim-J-Wise/e/B001ITVYTI 

This ad-free podcast is supported by Sam’s Torode’s books, including “Living from the Soul: The 7 Spiritual Principles of Ralph Waldo Emerson,” available at samtorode.com.

Today I’m excited to talk with my friend—one of the wisest people I know—Kat Courtney. 

Kat has many years of training and experience facilitating plant medicine ceremonies, specifically with Ayahuasca and Huachuma. These are both drinks prepared from plants which have been used for thousands of years among the indigenous tribes of South America. 

Kat is the founder of Afterlife Coaching, which provides preparation and integration support for such ceremonies, as well as spiritual life coaching in general. Check out her excellent blog and website at afterlife.coach. That’s where you can book a coaching session with Kat, which I highly recommend. She also offers live online classes with the Plant Medicine Mystery School. 

The first half of this interview focuses on psychedelics and expanded consciousness. In the second half, Kat shares her powerful perspective that death is our friend and reincarnation is real. At the end, I ask about her first book, which is coming out very soon. 

Visit Kat’s website: afterlife.coach
Follow her on Instagram: instagram.com/theafterlifecoach
and Facebook: facebook.com/afterlifecoach 

This ad-free podcast is supported by Sam’s Torode’s books, including “Living from the Soul: The 7 Spiritual Principles of Ralph Waldo Emerson,” available at samtorode.com.

This week I’m honored to speak with one of my favorite authors and thinkers, Dr. Larry Dossey. 

Dr. Dossey is a leading voice bridging the worlds of science and spirituality. He was a practicing physician for many years, and was chief of staff at Medical City Dallas Hospital. He also served as a battalion surgeon in the Vietnam War, earning the Medal of Valor and Bronze Star. 

He is the author of twelve books, including the New York Times bestseller “Healing Words.” This interview focuses on his most recent book, “One Mind: How Our Individual Mind Is Part of a Greater Consciousness and Why It Matters.” 

“One Mind” examines phenomena like telepathy, premonitions, near-death experiences, autistic savants, spontaneous healing, and more, which are not explainable by materialism (the assertion that the physical world is all that exists, and our thoughts are mere byproducts of chemical reactions in our brains). 

Based on evidence—not dogma or blind faith—Dr. Dossey concludes that our minds are not separate or confined to our brains, but are transcendent and connected through a kind of internet of consciousness, which he calls the One Mind. 

Reaching a realization of the One Mind, he says in this interview, “is the cure for the greatest disease which has ever afflicted human beings, which is the fear of death.” 

Visit Dr. Dossey’s website: larrydosseymd.com
Read his books, including "One Mind": amazon.com/Larry-Dossey/e/B000AQ2V1U
Read his essay (mentioned in the interview) “War: A Vietnam Memoir”: projectpeaceonearth.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Dr.-Larry-Dossey-Vietnam-Field-Surgeon-Editorial-War.pdf 

This ad-free podcast is supported by Sam’s Torode’s books, including “Living from the Soul: The 7 Spiritual Principles of Ralph Waldo Emerson,” available at samtorode.com
.

This week I’m pleased to converse with James Marcus about one of my favorite subjects—Ralph Waldo Emerson!

James is a writer, editor, and translator. A former editor-in-chief of Harper’s Magazine, his articles have also appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, the New York Times Review of Books, The Nation, and many other publications. He wrote a memoir, “Amazonia: Five Years at the Epicenter of the Dot-Com Juggernaut,” about his experiences as an early employee of Amazon.com. And he’s currently at work on a book about Ralph Waldo Emerson.

James talks about Emerson’s transition from minister to lecturer, how he became an anti-slavery activist, the tension between self-reliance and society, his complicated friendships with Margaret Fuller and Henry David Thoreau, an upcoming Emerson biopic, and more.

Our overarching theme is that Ralph Waldo Emerson is as relevant today as ever.

Follow James on Twitter: twitter.com/jamesamarcus
Read his essay, “Channelling Emerson”: theamericanscholar.org/channeling-emerson
Watch his lecture on Emerson & religion: vimeo.com/259007250
Read another interview with James: fivebooks.com/best-books/ralph-waldo-emerson-james-marcus

This ad-free podcast is supported by Sam’s Torode’s books, including “Living from the Soul: The 7 Spiritual Principles of Ralph Waldo Emerson,” available at samtorode.com.