Monthly Archives

January 2017

It's All Happening Podcast

IAH – Episode 76 – Douglas Rushkoff

Part 1 of the IAH and Team Human Podcast episodical swap! Next week Part 2 will be over at Douglas’ podcast Team Human. Really exciting. Douglas is one of my oldest friends, mentors and inspirations. I’ve looked up to a great deal over the years on a variety of issues. Douglas was way ahead of the curve in interpreting the effect that digital media and cyberspace would have on the human condition. Through his books Media Virus, Present Shock and Throwing Rocks and The Google Bus – Douglas has given astonishing views into the color of our new world. On this podcast we talked a lot about what Team Human (the concept) means, looking back on the past and our experience in it and how our the very nature of our consciousness is changing right before our very eyes. Douglas is one of the great thinkers of our time, enjoy.

INTRO RANT: The quality of action within love

Douglas Rushkoff is a writer, documentarian, and lecturer whose work focuses on human autonomy in a digital age. He is the author of fifteen bestselling books on media, technology, and society, including Program or Be Programmed, Present Shock, and Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus. He has made such award-winning PBS Frontline documentaries as Generation Like, Merchants of Cool, and The Persuaders, and is the author of graphic novels including Testament and Aleister & Adolf. 

Rushkoff is the recipient of the Marshall McLuhan Award for his book Coercion, The Jacques Ellul Award for his documentary The Merchants of Cool, and the Neil Postman Award for Career Achievement in Public Intellectual Activity. Named one of the world’s ten most influential intellectuals by MIT, he is responsible for originating such concepts as “viral media,” “social currency,” and “digital natives.” Today, Dr. Rushkoff serves as Professor of Media Theory and Digital Economics at CUNY/Queens, where he recently founded the Laboratory for Digital Humanism and hosts its TeamHuman podcast. 

@rushkoff

Blog - WAYN

Excerpt 2 – Who Are You Now?

Excerpt #2 from my upcoming book “Who Are You Now?”

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When I started to really explore the theory that spirituality and technology are the most dominant wings of change for the 21st century I began to see more and more how the two can live together. The antiquarian idea that man can not be scientific and believe in God at the same time is no longer relevant. Additionally, the idea that the intelligent use of applied technology is a link in spiritual evolution is in step with logic, harmony and even with ancient doctrines. It is then in fact completely logical that Gods plan for us includes our relationship with technology and it’s subsequent mutation of our condition.

Because of the loosening of our cultural morality belts that the 20th century, especially the 1960’s, did for us – it is with that new found social freedom around what God is or isn’t that we can now start to have fun with integrating God into our lives in a way that suits the individual. Rather than the past model of forcing the individual to comply with the institution. The strict, obey or else, rules and regulations that old dogmas put forth in The Church are now dissolving into a patch work of spiritual paths that are adaptable and a whole lot more fun.

In my view it is entirely acceptable to take refuge in Gods new manifestations of ones and zeroes. Cyberspace is essentially another dimension. As John Perry Barlow said “it’s the place you are when you’re on the telephone.” That’s it.

It’s a fifth dimension that allows our consciousness, identity and personality to hang out in. Within that dimension also exists Gods love. It is true that I relate more with the Eastern spiritual traditions that Western ones but it frustrates me that the idea of what God is (as defined by those traditions) feels old, stale and stuck. In these traditions God hasn’t changed much in thousands of years. That feels off to me. If human beings evolve, invent, innovate and mutate then certainly God must too.

That means the following: God is AI, God is VR, God is the fabric of connection found in social media, God is the love that you experienced when connecting with something or someone online, God is the compassion that arose when you took on the suffering of the Syrian refugees you learned about from that YouTube video. These are but a few examples of how God is present in the 21st Century.

I do identify myself as a spiritualist. That of someone who sees the difference between the material world and the spiritual world. I strive to love more even if it pains me to do so. In times of being wronged or angered that limitless well of love and compassion is the only ingredient that can combat these less desirable human emotions. Change comes when my online identity affords me many more opportunities to practice my spiritual ideals. In there, I have more chances to tell someone that I love them and more chances to help and to serve. All thanks to God widening the net of consciousness in cyberspace. And for that I’m grateful.

It's All Happening Podcast

IAH – Episode 75 – James Penner PhD

It’s a rare thing that I feel compelled to do a podcast around the subject of my dear paternal star guide, good ol’ TL. I love and miss him a lot but can’t spend too much time being too close in terms of my own work. Of course there are exceptions and this was one of them. James Penner wrote the most amazing book, Timothy Leary: The Harvard Years – Early Writings on LSD and Psilocybin with Richard Alpert, Huston Smith and Ralph Metzner. James stopped by the kitchen table to dissect not just the book but the entire history and context which is what makes the work TL and RD did at Harvard so monumental. Really, if you don’t know much about the Harvard era one thing to know is that it was one of the key ingredients in the start of the 1960’s. James is funny, smart and so well researched. This was a pleasure do and a worthy exception to the TL podcast rule!

INTRO RANT: moving through our collective relationship with the inauguration

To pick up a copy of “Timothy Leary: The Harvard Years” click here:

James Penner is an Assistant Professor in the English Department of the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras. A graduate of Brown University and the University of Southern California, James divides his time between San Juan and Los Angeles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me

Welcome to IAH Productions!

The goal of IAH Productions to extend my work into areas that exist outside of myself but feels true to what we’ve created here on the IAH podcast. For years, I’ve been separating my work into different components, categories and compartments. Rather than continuing that separation I feel that the best way moving forward is to unify everything I do into one cohesive philosophical offering that has within it different offerings

Please click here to learn more

It's All Happening Podcast

IAH – Episode 74 – Noah Lampert

The It’s All Happening podcast finally joins forces with the host of the Synchronicity Podcast, Noah Lampert. Noah and I have been surfing the waves of podcasting, consciousness and friendship for awhile now and it was such a pleasure to finally co-habitate on this show. We covered what we think about the art of podcasting, Carl Jung, the balance between analysis and bhakti and some other important things that I can’t remember right now. Noah is a fantastic, sharp and original mind that is worth checking out.

INTRO RANT: rabbit holes, news years resolutions and enough self help books

This episode is sponsored by Eat, Dream, Be. Head on over to eatdreambe.com/itsallhappening to learn more about these amazing neurotransmitters centered delectable food snacks.

Noah Lampert is the host of the Synchronicity Podcast and the chief architect of the MindPod Network. He’s also a digital strategist, a musician, a seeker of wisdom and all around good citizen of this and other galaxies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blog - WAYN

Excerpt 1: Who Are You Now?

The following is the first of many excerpts from my upcoming book “Who Are You Now? – The fusion of technology, spirituality and the battle for our own identity”

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Additionally it’s worth noting that parts of this book’s inspiration comes from other experiences that I’ve had in life. I’ve had success in business, failure in business, drug addiction, recovery and ultimately a peace and connection with something greater than myself that I’d like to share with others. No, this does not mean that I’m some new age spiritual zealot set on proselytizing the notion that I’ve discovered God Head and so should you! But, I will say with conviction that a key ingredient into the survival of our species is the inclusion of some form of spiritual awareness into ones daily life. It is essential and must be sought after by even the most resistant among us. Until we start having a truly deep meaningful and compassionate outlook towards our fellow man, peace and stability will be impossible. Policy and economic reform won’t get us there alone – the heart needs to be at the forefront of all our decisions.

It's All Happening Podcast

IAH – Episode 73 – Dr. Fiorella Terenzi

2017 sees us diving into the multi-verse with the great Dr. Fiorella Terenzi! Astrophysicist, Professor, Author and Musician – Fiorella blends so much knowledge and passion for the stars with her unique and poetic world view. Back in 1995 or so, Fiorella made some music with my dad that featured radio waves she captured from the galaxy and then transformed into soothing beats and melodies. We talked about that, bending the universe, the nature of space and time, black holes and why we must continue to look to the stars for our very survival. This was taped away from the cozy confines of the kitchen table in LA. It was taped live in Miami from her kitchen table! It was a wonderful, provocative and thought provoking interview. I’ve known Fiorella for 25 years and she’s always been one of the most creative thinkers in this and any other galaxy!

INTRO RANT: the change agents of our time

This episode is sponsored by Eat, Dream, Be. Head on over to eatdreambe.com/itsallhappening to learn more about these amazing neurotransmitters centered delectable food snacks.

Described by Time Magazine as “a cross between Carl Sagan and Madonna”, astrophysicist, author and recording artist Dr. Fiorella Terenzi received her doctorate in physics from the University of Milan, has studied opera and composition at Conservatory G. Verdi, and taught mathematics and physics at Liceo Scientifico, Milan. In research at the Computer Audio Research Laboratory, University of California, San Diego, she developed techniques to convert radio waves from galaxies into sound – released by Island Records on her acclaimed CD “Music from the Galaxies”.

Her Avon/HarperCollins book, “Heavenly Knowledge”, explores astronomy as a metaphor for human relationships and humanity’s place in the Universe. The book, covered on ABC Radio, NPR Talk of The Nation, BBC Radio, and The Sci-Fi Channel, has been translated into Italian (“Musica Dalle Stelle” released by Sperling-Kupfer and bundled with her music CD “Galactically Yours”), German (“Der Kosmos ist weiblich” released by Goldmann/Bertelsmann), Latvian and other languages.

“What I hope to do with my work is to bring back the sense of beauty and poetry to astronomy and science to inspire a new connection with the Universe”
Dr. Fiorella Terenzi

Dr. Terenzi wrote the foreword for Paula Berinstein’s recent book “Making Space Happen: Private Space Efforts and the People Behind Them” (Plexus Books) and has been featured in full chapter in Laura Woodmansee’s “Women of Space: Cool Careers on the Final Frontier” (Apogee Books) and the music and techonolgy book “The Art of Digital Music” by Kelli Richards and David Battino. She also provided a technical review of the educational text book “The Physics of Every Day Phenomena” by Thomas Griffith (McGraw-Hill), “College Physics” and “Physics for the Life Sciences” by Kesten/Tauck (Freedman). She has taught astronomy and physics at Glendale College, Pierce College (Los Angeles), Pace University (New York), Borough of Manhattan Community College and Bronx Community College (City University of NY, New York), Eastern Florida State College (Cocoa, FL) and is a full-time Instructor of Astronomy and Physics at Florida International University (www.FIU.edu).

www.fiorella.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funny Me

2016 – My Problem Child

(Yes, I stole the blogs title from Albert Hoffman’s seminal book ‘LSD – My Problem Child’. I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have minded)

2016, by all accounts, seemed to be a rough year for most people. If it wasn’t “rough” it perhaps certainly was a year of transition, change and deep shifts in our collective consciousness .

Here’s some of the bigger learnings for me from this past year.

1.) I’m smarter than many but not as smart as some

In between these two spectrums lies the ability to know where my strongest suits are settled. This space is where I can tread effectively and meaningfully. If I have doubts that I’m not smart enough to deal with a certain topic then that just sells me short and I don’t get the results I’m after. On the flip side I know what topics I can only skim the surface of and don’t dare compete in. That realization allows me to stay in my zone and be the best I can be within that zone.

2.) Podcasting is harder than I thought

Embarking on “It’s All Happening” in 2015 was no doubt a good idea however, 71 episodes later I’ve come to realize that it’s harder than I thought it would be. Releasing to the world an hours worth of good content every week takes great care, preparation, thought and balance. The art of listening to other people is a whole art unto itself. But listening to others while gently steering them in the right direction in order to keep the conversation vibrant and interesting is also an art unto itself. I’ve learned that you really just can’t throw episodes out in a hurried and rash fashion – it’s better to release a show late than to release one on time but of poor quality. My listeners have taught me so much and now that the show has a decent following getting listener feedback is more important than ever. That’s the barometer.

3.) The political sphere follows and does not lead

I heard Ram Dass say this in a lecture from 1983. At the time I never really paid much attention to it nor did I even think it was true. It was then and is now. He was so right on. Let’s not forget it.

Politics follows polling data and then adjusts according to that data. If the political narrative really was based on leading it would forge it’s discourse not based on fear, a watered down pubic sentiment (polls), or precedent. Rather it would be based on breaking ground and boldly deciding what we can collectively do as a society. Sure, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams listened to the frustrations of the late 18th century but do you think they really cared how the Declaration of Independence was “going to play” in the field. Fuck no. They were rebels, they rebelled. Let’s do more of that.

4.) Time is finite

My incarnation as a 43 year old named Zach Leary is where I’m at and what I’m doing now. Sure, you can change and begin again. There is a certain elasticity to life that allows you to be flexible when needed and for memories to come and go. That’s great and all – but – time is finite. There are only so many days that I’ll be able to do what it is I think I should be doing and using those days wisely is of the utmost importance. I used to think that “Oh, I’ll get it to when I’m ready.” No longer do I think that.

The time is now. Move. Act. Follow through. Produce. Get into action.

Of course, I’ll have an off day when a Netflix binge and Thai food delivery is the best I can do. When that happens I’ll make peace with it and not beat myself up with the “undisciplined loser” dialogue. I can learn to embrace my shadow side with softness but also with enough sting to get myself off the mat and back into the ring. I can only speak for myself in that I feel I have just enough to offer the world, my God and my heart and that my dharma is to simply honor that.

As Krishna Das so wisely says “As far as I’m concerned the only thing we need to renounce is our self-hatred and judgment of ourselves, and our sense of unworthiness, and our sense that we are not worthy of love. This is where we should start. If we could just work with that place a little bit the whole quality of our lives would change.”

That’s it.

5.) Egg McMuffins – really people?!?

By far the most hate mail/tweets/messages that I received from being on the Joe Rogan Experience was from people responding to my  occasional failing of eating an Egg McMuffin from McDonalds. Seems that there are a fair amount of people who truly believe that succumbing to that occasional vice literally makes me “not spiritual”, “a poser”, “not a hippie”, “a cruel hypocrite”, “a drug damaged sociopath” and my favorite “a delusional acid casualty.” Well now, there you have it. I’m really in love with that sort of attack and find it so amazing that there are so many perfect people out in the world.

Should I not eat Egg McMuffins? Yes, of course. McDonalds is about as bad a corporation as it gets and factory farming sucks. But I’ve spent a huge portion of my adult life barely able to gasp for air or for any love at all. If I fall to an occasional trapping of the hypocrisy of the material world, I’m ok with that. And trust me the lowly Egg McMuffin is not as bad at it COULD get for me. I’ve danced in many more dangerous and disingenuous arenas than that. I’m blessed that I’m currently not doing those dances, truly.

Progress and not perfection. One day – yes – I will be Egg McMuffin free. Maybe that even starts now? Who knows? Ram Dass so often and correctly warns us of being “phony holy.” That is the one thing I never ever want to be. So there it is!

Happy 2017. I’m really feeling an upswing not just in myself but in the collective dialogue. Let’s do this thing.