Episodes

  • Richard Whall is Senior Lecturer in Human Movement, thoughtfully exploring ways to develop our physical intelligence and define what it might actually mean to be physically educated. Today we talk about the biotensegrity model and how it helps us to conceptualize the bodymind as a unified whole; we talk about the difficulties faced when trying to capture the complexity of these matters in scientific language, how personal practice can inform more abstract investigation, and more.

    X: @MoveTrainRegen

    Instagram: @mtrnature 

    I can't seem to upload the PDF summary of Whall's biotensegrity model here, so just send me an email if you would like a copy: eric at primal nature dot eu

    --

    Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. 

    We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature.

    We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa.

    www.primalnature.eu

    Insta: @existential.hormesis

  • Jason leads a nomadic life, traveling through Europe with his homemade bike and guitar; with uncommon grace he manages to balance gentle thoughtfulness and raw grit, with many other qualities besides. I picked him up on the side of the road when he was in a tough situation, and we ended up sharing a few days together on the farm. Today we talk about his travels and what drives him to move; we share stories about the ways in which we have each found solace in the challenges unfettered nature provides, and the search for balance between freedom and connection.

    Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. 

    We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature.

    We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa.

    www.primalnature.eu

    Insta: @existential.hormesis

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  • Soten is a dedicated practitioner and teacher of meditation, as well as avid long-distance runner. He was the first person to sign up for the first ever Persistence Race, in which we will be running 150km through the Kalahari with the world’s last remaining persistence hunters. Today we talk about his meditative path and how it intersects with long-distance running, psychedelics, and more; we discuss his exploration of ancestral wisdom and the body as a vehicle for transcending the various mental patterns we tend to confuse for reality. 

    The first ever Persistence Race will take place September 2024. Sign-ups are now open; you can find more info at www.persistencerace.com

    -

    You can read Soten’s blog here:

    https://walkingtogetherblog.tumblr.com/

    He will be leading a retreat in Peru this coming July 2024:

    https://www.amazonexpeditioners.com/amazon-rainforest-retreat-3-weeks

    You can contact him by email at:

    [email protected]

    -

    Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. 

    We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature.

    We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa.

    www.primalnature.eu

    Insta: @existential.hormesis

  • Agnieszka & Prash are the co-founders of Enosis Therapeutics, a company that has created a VR tool which allows us to create and interact with our own inner worlds in a uniquely tangible way. Today we talk about applications for psychedelic therapy, integration, sharing access to our mental space, technology as a tool for improving the human experience, controversies, and much more. 

    You can find Enosis here:

    https://www.enosistherapeutics.com/

    Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. 

    We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature.

    We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa.

    www.primalnature.eu

    Insta: @existential.hormesis

    We collaborate with Sapient, a nonprofit endeavor dedicated to revitalizing the wisdom of the world’s oldest living cultures.

    www.sapientfuture.org

  • Today I am interviewed by James Lambert, the guest on the previous episode. We talk about life, work, and some of the glories as well as the challenges of being.

    If you'd prefer to watch us you can find the interview on James' YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw3Z0TDdzNM

    Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. 

    We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature.

    We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa.

    www.primalnature.eu

    Insta: @existential.hormesis

  • James Lambert is a personal trainer, life coach, doorman (US: bouncer), and recently retired bareknuckle boxing champion. His presence is a unique combination of calm, humility, and thoughtfulness paired with the focus, dedication, and strength necessary for success in a world of oftentimes brutal combat. Today we talk about his life, his work, and his perspective on many matters ranging from love to anger to transcendence.

    You can find James here:

    web: https://jameslambertcoaching.co.uk/

    IG: @jameslambertcoaching

    Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. 

    We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature.

    We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa.

    www.primalnature.eu

    Insta: @existential.hormesis

  • Ocean is an itinerant explorer of realms both physical and spiritual, combining a critical mind with a unique openness to the power of the natural world. She works with a mixture of modalities learned from indigenous traditions and many years of direct experience in nature. Today we talk about living in the wild, going barefoot, plant medicine, communing with the spirit realm, rites of passage, and more.

    You can find Ocean on Instagram @bare.tobefree

    Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. 

    We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature.

    We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa.

    www.primalnature.eu

    Insta: @existential.hormesis

  • Matt Rossano is a prolific evolutionary psychologist with a unique and compelling view on what makes us human. Today we talk about the role of ritual in religion and community both secular and nonsecular, the evolution of our species and our societies, experiencing the supernatural vs. explaining it, our various efforts at living a good life, and more. 

    You can find Matt through his website: 

    https://www2.southeastern.edu/Academics/Faculty/mrossano/ 

    Recent papers are available under “recent publications.”

    He is the author of several books, including: Supernatural selection: How religion evolved (2010, Oxford University Press); Mortal rituals: What the story of the Andes’ survivors tells us about human evolution (2013, Columbia University Press); and Ritual in human evolution and religion (2020, Routledge Press).

    --

    Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. 

    We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature.

    We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa.

    www.primalnature.eu

    Insta: @existential.hormesis

  • Maci is a skilled and insightful therapist focused on helping couples harness the growth potential of Awakened Intimacy.  As she says, “We become more intimate and self-aware on this path because of challenges, not despite them. And we embrace the difficulties of erotic coupling with a curious and open heart.” Today we talk about sex and intimate relationships as a vehicle for growth, tapping into the body’s memory and somatic intelligence, practices to cultivate passion and presence, tantra, open relationships, awareness, and much more.

    You can find Maci here:

    www.passionandpresence.com

    --

    Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. 

    We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature.

    We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa.

    www.primalnature.eu

    Insta: @existential.hormesis

  • Victor Manuel Fleites is an insightful explorer of movement and refreshingly unfettered lover of nature, known mainly as Tarzan. He has been climbing trees since he was a child in Cuba, and over the years has gradually built up a practice he calls Tarzan Movement, inspired by his observation of our simian relatives. Today we talk about finding peace, non-intellectual ways of knowing, learning by imitation, transforming fear, and much more.

    You can find Tarzan here:

    Web: https://tarzanmovement.wixsite.com/tarzanmovement

    IG: @tarzan_movement

    Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPW3Ea8cs1U

    --

    Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. 

    We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature.

    We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa.

    www.primalnature.eu

    Insta: @existential.hormesis

  • Rafe is a deep thinker, mover, and practitioner of parkour in nature. He is the founder of Evolve Move Play, a practice of “movement training for humans” based out of the Pacific Northwest US. Today we cover movement, body, mind, parkour, advice for developing an ecology of practice, the hero’s journey toward a meaningful life, and quite a bit more. 

    You can find Rafe here:

    https://www.evolvemoveplay.com/

    IG: @rafekelley

    --

    Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. 

    We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature.

    We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa.

    www.primalnature.eu

    Insta: @existential.hormesis

  • Sam Friedman is a pioneering researcher at the Broad Institute dedicated to using machine learning to map the salient features of human health. Today we talk about his recent studies of psychedelics and the human mind; we cover his insights into the various axes along which psychedelic experience can be understood; the ontological status of our altered states; the dimensions of meaning; the future of humanity; machine learning, and more.  

    You can find Sam here:

    Website: http://samwell.info

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/lucidtronix

    Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=fOi-AjQAAAAJ&hl=en

    --

    Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. 

    We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature.

    We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa.

    www.primalnature.eu

    Insta: @existential.hormesis

  • Bjorn Olson is a red-blooded Alaskan explorer, film-maker, carnivore, activist, and deep thinker. Today we talk about life as he lives it, adventuring far beyond the limits of what many might think possible.

    You can find him here:

    Website:

    mjolnirofbjorn.com

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGFhGkMCDAikQYJA0fWj8_Q

    Insta:

    https://www.instagram.com/fatbikebjorn/

    FB: 

    https://www.facebook.com/bjorn.olson.3

    --

    Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. 

    We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature.

    We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa.

    www.primalnature.eu

    Insta: @existential.hormesis

    --

    Sources mentioned or alluded to during our conversation include:

    Allan Savory

    Dr. Michael Yellowbird

    John Zerzan

    Christopher Ryan

    L Amber O'hearn 

    Dr. Anthony Chaffee

  • Barbara Savage is the founder of the Tribal Trust Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting indigenous cultures from around the world through a wide variety of projects and initiatives. Barbara shares some of the unique experiences she's amassed over 26 years working in remote locations with some of the world's last surviving hunter-gatherer cultures, and we hone in more specifically on her seemingly supernatural connection with many of the shamans she's encountered in Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

    https://tribaltrustfoundation.org/

    --

    Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. 

    We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature.

    We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa.

    www.primalnature.eu

    Insta: @existential.hormesis

  • This is basically a trip report from my first ultra marathon. 5 months ago the longest distance I had ever run was 21km; last week I did 93km, and next month I'm going for 180km. My physical training has been minimal, like maybe 25km per week of running on average. I've been focused instead on the psychological and the physiological, pushing to train my body-mind for the impact of the experience.

    I'm not an expert in ultra running by any stretch of the imagination, and I don't provide much in the way of tangible advice here; I am, however, a connoisseur of altered states of consciousness, which are I think at the root of the ultra experience...and arguably the essence of human nature. This is the perspective that I wish I had found while I was preparing. 

    --

    Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. 

    We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature.

    We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa.

    www.primalnature.eu

    Insta: @existential.hormesis

  • Amal Graafstra is a biohacker, engineer, entrepreneur, and deep thinker about our species' increasingly integrated relationship with technology. He is CEO of Dangerous Things and Vivokey, two pioneering companies dedicated to developing tech implants for general use.

    Today we talk about some of the specifics of the technology currently developed and dive deep into the practical, ethical, and existential implications of those that are soon to come. He provides a unique perspective on the movement of which he is at the forefront.

    dangerousthings.com 

    vivokey.com

    --

    Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. 

    We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature.

    We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa.

    www.primalnature.eu

    Insta: @existential.hormesis

  • Neil Harbisson is the world’s first cyborg, neither human nor machine but a hybrid mix. Since 2004 when he got an antenna implanted in his skull he can perceive color as sound, receive phone calls directly to his head, listen in on the ultraviolet radiation of outer space, and more. He is part of a small community of experimental artists pushing the bounds of what it means to be human, sometimes reluctant spokespeople for a life in which biology and technology are inextricably intertwined. Today we speak about his way of perceiving the world, what it means to open your consciousness to direct internet access and external control; identity, sanity, reality, ethics, and our future as a species.  

    You can find more about Neil here:

    www.cyborgarts.com 

    https://www.instagram.com/neilharbisson/

    --

    Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. 

    We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature.

    We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa.

    www.primalnature.eu

    Insta: @existential.hormesis

  • Eric Harbour is a researcher at Salzburg University dedicated to exploring the role of breath in exercise, in all of its facets. Here we discuss his recent paper Breath Tools, in which he outlines the key parameters of breath and their effects on training, performance, and the enjoyment of exercise through physiological and psychological pathways. Specifically he describes the importance of rate, depth, nasal vs. mouth, active exhale, sync, strength, and hold. Listen in if you want to dive deep into the details of breath.

    You can find the full paper here: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2022.813243/full

    --

    Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. 

    We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature.

    We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa.

    www.primalnature.eu

    Insta: @existential.hormesis

  • Part 3. The near future is unlikely to look remotely similar to anything this planet has ever experienced before. Bioengineering extends beyond regenerating limbs or custom-order brains; eventually it means that humans take the reins in directing the course of evolution. Dr. Michael Levin builds on our previous conversations and talks about the practical applications and complex philosophical implications of his work in greater depth. Mike is a researcher, entrepreneur, and brilliantly heterodox thinker; officially, he’s a developmental and synthetic biologist at Tufts University. More than that, he is an intrepid explorer of some of the most profound questions in both science and philosophy; widely read and deeply thoughtful, a prolific writer and eloquent speaker. 

    https://ase.tufts.edu/biology/labs/levin/

    https://ase.tufts.edu/biology/labs/levin/presentations/

    https://ase.tufts.edu/biology/labs/levin/publications/ 

    https://icdorgs.org/ 

    https://twitter.com/drmichaellevin 

    --

    Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. 

    We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature.

    We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa.

    www.primalnature.eu

    Insta: @existential.hormesis

  • Part 2. Dr. Michael Levin builds on our previous conversation, centering more specifically on the moral and ethical implications of our rapidly approaching enmeshment with robotic and AI systems, crossing the Rubicon into an unknown future. We explore the relevant issues through the lens of biological continuity, explain in greater depth in part 1. Mike is a researcher, entrepreneur, and brilliantly heterodox thinker; officially, he’s a developmental and synthetic biologist at Tufts University. More than that, he is an intrepid explorer of some of the most profound questions in both science and philosophy; widely read and deeply thoughtful, a prolific writer and eloquent speaker. 

    https://ase.tufts.edu/biology/labs/levin/

    https://ase.tufts.edu/biology/labs/levin/presentations/

    https://ase.tufts.edu/biology/labs/levin/publications/ 

    https://icdorgs.org/ 

    https://twitter.com/drmichaellevin 

    --

    Primal Nature is a podcast and center for psychedelic therapy in rural Spain. 

    We work primarily with people who have reached the limits of what rational analysis can offer in terms of healing or growth; our practice is centered on cultivating deeper relationships between feeling and understanding, body and mind, human and nature.

    We offer therapy for individuals and couples, as well as workshops, retreats, and expeditions - in select locations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Africa.

    www.primalnature.eu

    Insta: @existential.hormesis