Love & Understanding – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, John speaks with the writer and philosopher Shiv Sengupta, who is quickly rising the ranks in Substack's top 100 Philosophers.

Shiv is an incredibly clear and introspective thinker, who carries a remarkable intellectual prowess while still remaining humble and ultimately grounded in wisdom - his empty, interconnected, ever-changing nature.

You can learn more about him at his website Advaitaholics Anonymous, as well as his Substack blog Dark Night of the Soul.

In this episode, John speaks with Linnea Butler. Linnea Butler is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, who holds a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology and a Master of Science in Molecular Biology. She founded Bay Area Mental Health, where she helps people with trauma, PTSD, depression, and anxiety using a number of modalities, including DBT, sensorimotor therapy, ketamine assisted psychotherapy, among others.

In our conversation, we discuss the difference between shock trauma and developmental trauma, common struggles in relationships, shadow work, attachment styles, parts work, somatic work, and much more.

In any case, I really enjoyed our conversation, and I hope you do too.

In this episode, John speaks with the philosopher and academic Neil Durrant. Neil grew up in a Christian home, eager to become a minister. So, he spent the early years of his adulthood committed to the Anglican Church. After receiving a degree in linguistics, studying Arabic, Old Norse, and an aboriginal language of Australia, Neil then taught himself Hebrew and Greek, before getting a theological degree, so that he could focus more on the philosophical debates rather than spend time learning the language. After exploring European and German philosophers, like Nietzsche, Neil could no longer accept and practice his faith with integrity. John and Neil discuss the consequences of leaving a faith and explore how one might navigate a faith-crisis or -transition skillfully. John and Neil also explore the nihilism many people face after leaving a religion and how they might approach that.

In this episode, John speaks with C.B. Robertson (Chris), a self-described Classical Pagan. Chris points out that we often overvalue the historical truth of a myth at the expense of its deeper meaning. He offers up the myths of 'Santa Clause' and 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf' as examples. Finally, as an anecdote to nihilism born out of a faith crisis, Chris stresses the importance of participating in myth and ritual, which connects us to others and to something larger than ourselves.

In this episode, John interviews Elina Jerschow, M.D., M.Sc, about her upbringing in Russia, her exit after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and her new life in the West. John and Elina also discuss her meditation practice, particularly her relationship with Vajrayana Buddhism.

Elina is a board-certified allergist and immunologist with specialized expertise in Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease (AERD), chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis, and asthma.

Dr. Jerschow completed her medical degree at Vienna University in Austria and pursued further training in internal medicine, followed by subspecialty training in Allergy and Immunology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY.

Her clinical practice is dedicated to diagnosing and treating patients with AERD and nasal polyposis. In her research, Dr. Jerschow focuses on the role of immune cell subsets within polyp tissue and their impact on the severity of AERD and nasal polyposis.

In this episode, John invites his dear friend Kandice Knoelk over to take some Molly (MDMA) as they explore how everything circles back to Love. Kandice is a Writing Coach, who helps people connect with their authentic voice by pointing them to the infinite source of love, wisdom, creativity, and play within their own hearts and minds.

If you want to work with Kandice, you can reach her at scribblealchemy@gmail.com or LinkedIn.

You can find more information about Impact Training here.

In this episode, John speaks with Tomer Duwek, an Israeli American artist and Zen monk.

You can find Tomer's art at https://www.tomerduwek.com

He is also on Instagram and Facebook.

A conversation with Loch Kelly about healing, spiritual development, and non-dual mindfulness.

Loch Kelly is offering John's listeners a special discount code for the Mindful Glimpses App, available here: https://mindfulglimpses.com/specialoffer/

Loch Kelly is the creator of the new groundbreaking meditation and wellness app, Mindful Glimpses. An award-winning author, psychotherapist, and nondual meditation teacher, Loch is also the founding director of the nonprofit Effortless Mindfulness Institute. Loch has master’s degrees from both Columbia University and Union Theological, where he won a traveling fellowship to Sri Lanka, India and Nepal. There, he trained with some of the great meditation masters of the modern era.

Informed by modern neuroscience and psychology, Loch teaches Effortless Mindfulness, an ancient form of nondual meditation. His nondual mindfulness discussion on Sam Harris’s Waking Up app was the most-listened-to audio of the year.

Loch has co-taught with IFS-Founder Dick Schwartz and collaborated with neuroscientists at Yale, UPenn, and NYU to study how awareness training can enhance compassion and well-being. He also worked as a community mental health professional in New York City for over 30 years.

Loch is known for his unique practical methods and warm sense of humor. He has a talent for leading people to their true nature, which he frames as the next stage of human development.

In the Mindful Glimpses app, Loch introduces Effortless Mindfulness through simple yet advanced micro-meditations. These short meditations open the door to well-being, clarity, and compassion. Mindful Glimpses weaves together ancient nondual practices, cutting-edge psychology, and neuroscience research.

In this episode, through his own personal struggle, John explores some skillful reflections to help us work through anger, fear, and distrust.

In this episode, John speaks with Ben Painter, the co-founder of Whole School Mindfulness, an organization dedicated to funding and placing Mindfulness Directors in schools.

Interested in getting mindfulness in your school:

https://wholeschoolmindfulness.org