Sounds of SAND

Researcher, author, and PhD candidate Chiara Baldini has spent two decades tracing the roots of ecstatic culture in Europe — from the rituals of Dionysus all the way back to Bronze Age Crete and the ancient Minoans, a civilization that thrived for over a thousand years before classical Greece. In this conversation, Chiara makes a compelling case that the Minoans may have been the only advanced civilization of their era not built on domination — their palaces functioning as community spaces rather than elite residencies, their frescoes showing priestesses, dolphins, and bull-jumping athletes rather than kings and conquest. She explores what their art, architecture, and animist relationship to nature might offer us now — not as a culture to imitate, but as proof that patriarchy is not inevitable, and that a radically different set of values has thrived before. Chiara Baldini is a scholar, author, speaker and freelance curator from Florence (Italy). She investigates the evolution of the ecstatic cult in the West, particularly in Minoan Crete, ancient Greece, and Rome, contributing to anthologies, psychedelic conferences, and festivals. She was a member of the Boom Festival team since 2010 and the curator of Boom’s cultural area Liminal Village from 2014 to 2023. She has co-curated the anthology “Psychedelic Mysteries of the Feminine.” She is currently a PhD candidate at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). She lives in Portugal and she expresses her deep love for music by playing as DJ Clandestina. Topics 00:00 Welcome02:02 Reconnecting with Chiara and Recent Life Changes03:31 Dionysus and Ecstatic Traditions06:38 Going Back to the Minoans10:07 Bronze Age Patriarchy and War18:02 Minoan Palaces and Community Life21:18 Frescoes Dolphins and Priestesses26:34 Seal Rings and Undeciphered Script32:18 Bull Jumping and Gender Fluidity37:20 Why Minoans Matter Today44:31 Modern Crete LARPing and Animism49:30 Courses, Books and Closing Resources & Links Chiara Baldini Website & contactInstagram: @iamalwayschiaraAcademiaFacebookSoundcloudPsychedelic Mysteries of the Feminine (co-edited with Maria Papaspyrou and David Luke) — available via Inner TraditionsDionysus: Rave, Ritual and Revolution — online course (advaya)Minoan Crete course — online course (advaya)Power Without Patriarchy: Minoan Crete — online course (Morbid Anatomy)Dionysus course — Morbid AnatomyPsychedelic Mysteries of the Feminine (co-edited with Maria Papaspyrou and David Luke) — available via Inner TraditionsChiara's earlier SAND talk (2019) Books mentioned The Chalice and the Blade — Riane Eisler — the foundational text on dominator vs. partnership societies, essential context for this conversation Key figures discussed Arthur Evans — Wikipedia — British archaeologist who excavated Knossos beginning in 1900, named the Minoan civilization, and controversially reconstructed the palaceThe Prince of the Lilies fresco — the contested Knossos fresco Chiara discusses as an example of Evans projecting masculine elite identity onto ambiguous fragmentsKnossos Palace, Crete — the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete, centerpiece of Minoan culture Institutions mentioned CIIS — California Institute of Integral Studies — where Chiara is completing her PhD in Philosophy, Cosmology and ConsciousnessBoom Festival — transformational arts festival where Chiara curated the Liminal Village cultural area for over a decade Connect with more talks and films from the SAND film Series The Eternal Song Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

Recorded live at a SAND Community Gathering (March 2026). Something is cracking open in the spiritual and wellness world; and it has been for a while. Have wisdom traditions containing genuine gifts been composted into a product that only serves the very forces those traditions were born to resist? It is no news that some powerful spiritual leaders with devoted followers have, for a long time, abused that power for dominance and, in many cases, for sexual exploitation. The Epstein files are not an interruption to the pattern; they are the pattern, made suddenly impossible to scroll past. We want to reflect on the conditions—not just the men, not just the crimes, but the architecture of silence that held it all in place. What kind of spiritual culture produces that silence? What kind of spiritual culture makes it possible to look at harm and call it a lesson in perception? What has gone awry with our approach to spirituality when the latter can be used as a cover for abuse? How come much of the therapeutic and spiritual communities remain silent in the face of crimes witnessed by the entire world? To explore these and related issues, this discussion brought together mytho-poetic spiritual teacher Bayo Akomolafe Ph.D., writer & podcaster Matthew Remsiki, author & playwright V, spiritual teacher & psychologist Tara Brach and author & physician Gabor Maté in a wide-ranging discussion that will also invite audience participation. The intention is to leave participants encouraged to find the spiritual inner strength needed to pursue truth without losing discrimination in the process, without giving away their power; to discuss compassionately, without judgment but with clarity, what the Epstein revelations can tell us about who we are, about our culture, and about the nature of how we construct reality; to move beyond a so-called equanimity and “non-attachment” that is indistinguishable from numbness and passivity in the face of harm, in the face of evil. Topics: 00:00 Welcome and Intentions01:30 Opening Prayer and Invocation08:38 Ashe and Grace in the Fire12:26 Guided Breath and Heart Presence16:14 Moderator Sets the Context18:44 Pat on Accountability and Betrayal23:00 Bayo on Rage and Virtue28:52 Tara on Cult Silence and Bystanders35:46 V on Sacrifice and Reporting Systems44:53 Matthew on Critique and Accountability Research50:40 Key Question Abusive Teachers52:50 Residential School Aftermath54:51 Prep School Indoctrination56:25 Deep Truth From Flaws58:12 Tourettes And Moral Switch01:01:01 Charisma And Inner Circles01:04:34 Privilege Patriarchy Power01:08:03 Architecture Of Silence01:13:12 Anger Grief And Courage01:18:08 Indigenous Survival And Trickster01:22:56 Speaking Out And Fugitivity01:27:09 Spirituality’s Inward Turn01:32:52 Accountability And Healing01:35:53 Closing Links: Gabor Maté – https://drgabormate.com/Bayo Akomolafe – https://www.bayoakomolafe.net/Pat McCabe – https://www.patmccabe.net/ Tara Brach – https://www.tarabrach.comV (formerly Eve Ensler) – https://www.eveensler.orgMatthew Remski – https://matthewremski.com/Watch the full video of this conversation – https://scienceandnonduality.com/event/the-architecture-of-silence-in-spiritual-culture/ Support the work of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

Recorded live at SAND's Wisdom of the Ancestors event for the launch of the film series The Eternal Song, four powerful voices converge to address colonization, extractivism, and ecological injustice — and what it takes to move toward healing. Moderated by Rae Abileah, social change strategist, Jewish faith leader, and co-creator of the global Climate Ribbon art ritual. Abby Reyes, author of Truth Demands and Director of Community Resilience at UC Irvine, shares her harrowing personal story of the 1999 murders of her partner and colleagues near U'wa territory in Colombia, and a landmark recent Inter-American Court victory for Indigenous collective rights. Osprey Orielle Lake, founder of WECAN International and author of The Story Is in Our Bones, brings a worldview-shifting lens to the climate crisis as a justice and relational emergency. And Casey Camp-Horinek, elder, actress, and Hereditary Drumkeeper of the Ponca Nation, grounds the conversation in Indigenous sovereignty and the Rights of Nature. Together they call for community-rooted action, mutual aid, and what they name "post-traumatic growth." Topics: 00:00 Host Welcome and Land Acknowledgment03:12 Session Theme and Intentions04:48 Meet the Panelists08:10 Why We Are Here18:59 Indigenous Rights and Knowledge25:14 Casey on Nature and Purification34:29 Abby Story and Legal Victory43:56 Meaningful Action and Getting Started50:32 Community Practice and Post Traumatic Growth57:58 Closing Reflections and Thanks Resources Rae Abileah CreateWell — WebsiteBeautiful Trouble Bio Abby Reyes WebsiteTruth Demands — Penguin Random HouseUC Irvine Community Resilience Osprey Orielle Lake WECAN InternationalThe Story Is in Our Bones — New Society Publishers Casey Camp-Horinek Movement Rights BioSAND Feature Connect with more talks from The Wisdom of the Ancestors in the SAND film Series The Eternal Song Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

Patty Krawec is Ojibwe Anishinaabe, a retired social worker, and author of Becoming Kin and her new book Bad Indians Book Club. In this conversation she explores kinship beyond blood, land as ancestor, and why reading together — slowly, in community — might be one of the most quietly radical things we can do right now. Topics 00:00 Introduction00:56 Meeting Patty Krawec02:00 Land Lineage Roots04:17 Becoming Kin Origins06:43 Bad Indians Book Club10:12 Reindigenizing The Future14:55 Reclaiming The Word20:28 Reading Together Power25:06 Attention In The Feed25:27 Relearning Deep Reading26:10 Notebook Trick for Focus26:54 Building a Genre Mosaic29:00 Indigenous Horror and Futures31:53 Read Widely Use Libraries32:18 Curated Lists and Book Browsing34:26 Bookstore Serendipity36:30 AI Pushes Us Offline38:18 Books as Time Alchemy41:58 Ghost the System Together44:10 Deep Time Reading Lineage47:14 New Projects and Ojibwe Stories49:59 Thanks and Farewell Resources a thousand worldsMedicine for the Resistance Why We Are Both Oppressed and Oppressor: Patty Krawec Becoming KinBad Indians Book Club The Eternal Song Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

Recorded from a live SAND Gathering (February 2026). From Los Angeles to Minneapolis, communities are turning toward one another in a time of uncertainty, remembering that care begins close to home. Beyond public action, quieter networks of support are taking root: block-by-block relationships grounded in land, lineage, and love. This gathering explores how spiritual practice, trauma-aware care, and neighborhood organizing are being woven together as living traditions. We ask what it looks like to shift our energy from reactive mobilization toward steady, proactive organizing that can sustain us for the long haul. Drawing from Indigenous memory, Black freedom traditions, diasporic Jewish practices of care, and contemporary grassroots work, we reflect on how mutual care—feeding one another, tending grief, protecting children, honoring the dead—can be reclaimed as daily sacred practice. This is a conversation about blending spiritual practice and movement practice; about thinking smaller, closer, and more relational; and about learning from quiet, resilient forms of organizing that move people from isolation into coordinated courage. This conversation invites attunement: How do we stay grounded in grief without collapsing? How do we strengthen relationships across differences? How do small, steady acts of care help communities move from fear toward shared courage? This is an invitation to listen to the wisdom already alive in our histories, our bodies, and our neighborhoods. Topics Decolonial Mental Health Practice: Clinical and Ethical Insights from Palestine with Dr. Samah Jabr (March 1, 8, 15 & 22, 2026 • 9:00 – 11:00am PST online with SAND) Please consider donating to Rabbi Jessica’s GoFundMe campaign in support of students at Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis. The students are using creative arts to process the trauma of recent encounters involving ICE and U.S. Border Patrol. In collaboration with local artists, they are developing an art installation intended to uplift and inspire both the school community and their neighbors, while continuing to advocate for justice and safety for all. This project offers a meaningful way to strengthen community bonds and foster collective healing. Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

Dr. Liza J. Rankow, author of Soul Medicine for a Fractured World, explores healing justice in a time of social and ecological upheaval. She names oppositional dualism and domination as the root fracture of our world and invites a shift toward lived non-duality as the ground of lasting transformation. The conversation touches the “crucible of the in-between,” apocalypse as death and renewal, grief as medicine, and the movement from commodified self-care to soul care rooted in spirit, community, and nature. The conversation emphasized deep listening, silence, and relationship with the living world. Today’s episode closes with a simple guided breath practice for self, loved ones, and the world. Topics 00:00 Opening 01:20 Why This Book Now03:41 What’s Fracturing Us07:21 Crucible of the In Between14:52 Medicine in the Wound20:11 Grief as Collective Wisdom26:28 Soul Care vs Self Care32:02 Mystic Activism and Oneness34:57 Breath And Service35:59 No Spiritual Bypass37:00 Oneness With Perpetrators39:18 Mysticism And Justice41:08 Nature As Practice44:23 Purpose And Gifts47:44 Deep Listening53:25 Silence And Reckoning56:13 Darkness As Source58:20 Closing Practice And Book Resources LizaRankow.comSoul Medicine for a Fractured World “Mysticism and Social Action” by Dr. Howard ThurmanSoul Work for Times of Uncertainty - SAND Podcast with Francis Weller Engaged Contemplation - SAND Podcast with Fr. Adam BuckoGlissando of Consciousness - SAND Podcast with Andrew Holecek Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

Recorded live at a SAND Community Gathering (Feb 2026) Dr. Samah Jabr, a Palestinian psychiatrist and author of Radiance in Pain and Resilience, joins Dr. Mays Imad (with questions from the audience chat) for a conversation about what it means to stay human when the structures meant to protect people are the ones doing the harm. Drawing on decades of clinical work inside the occupation, Dr. Jabr moves past the “sanitized” versions of trauma to speak directly to the heart of colonial harm in Palestine. Central to this dialogue is an exploration of the deep ontological differences between Western psychiatric models and Palestinian lived experience. While Western frameworks often pathologize the individual through the lens of PTSD, Dr. Jabr introduces the concept of iptila—viewing tribulations through a framework of agency, faith, and collective endurance. She challenges the frequent romanticization of sumud (steadfastness), reframing it not as a poetic trope, but as a grueling relational practice and an ethical refusal to disappear when everything conspires toward Palestinian erasure. In a reality where the harm never ends, memory becomes a battlefield, grief a form of testimony, bearing witness an active refusal to normalize the unacceptable, and storytelling a vital survival infrastructure against the assassination of memory. Topics 00:00 Welcome & Why We Need a New Framework for Trauma and Justice02:15 “If I Must Die”: Carrying Memory, Refusing Normalization03:13 Introducing Dr. Samah Jabr’s Work: Pain, Power, and a Counter-Narrative07:55 A Childhood Lesson in Naming: Robinson Crusoe and Colonial Language10:10 Clinic Stories: When Political Reality Shapes Symptoms14:14 Beyond Western Psychiatry: Language, Resilience, and Context as the ‘Pathology’17:19 The ‘Fear of Dogs’ Case: History, Colonial Violence, and Clinical Meaning20:40 When Systems Collapse: Gaza’s Crushed Mental-Health Response & Organic Community Care25:04 Collective Healing & the Kite Intervention: Building Agency and Connection29:31 From Mobilization to Organization: Global Solidarity and Liberation34:31 How to Keep Working: Hope, Spirituality, and Protecting Health Workers41:58 Meaning-Making in Crisis: The Palm Tree Story and Spiritual Grounding45:22 Spirituality as Resilience: Listening for What Helps Each Person47:13 Scaling Mental Health Support in Palestine: Training Community Helpers49:00 Creating “Healing Spaces”: Group Support for Journalists, Youth & Displaced Women53:22 Reporting Gaza From Afar: Citizen Journalism, Narrative Control & Ethical Witnessing59:44 How to Support Palestine Sustainably: Remote Mental Health, Publishing & Advocacy01:05:37 Colonialism, Patriarchy & Horizontal Violence: When Trauma Damages the Social Fabric01:10:03 Meaning-Making Under Protracted Trauma: Tila, Agency & Shattered Belief Systems01:15:16 Diaspora Palestinians: From Helping Family to Leading Global Political Solidarity01:21:55 Closing Charge: Being Human After Mass Violence + Upcoming Webinars & Films Resources Dr. Samah Jabr’s book Art by Fernando Martí and Jess X. Snow, inspired by Huda Suboh’s quote: “In the heart of Gaza, where the echoes of war reverberate through the streets… each day, glimmers of hope that dance across the sky—kites.” — Rafah, 2024 Support this conversation by donating to Sumud Network for Mental Health and Healing for Gaza Where Olive Trees Weep (Film by SAND on Palestine (2024) with more Resources and a course on Palestine)

What if language was not a tool for naming things, but a vibration of relationship? What if intelligence wasn’t a human asset, but an ecological rhythm? What if consciousness is not what happens in our heads—but what happens between us, through us, with the land, with water, with wind? Come gather for a conversation with Tiokasin Ghosthorse, Cheyenne River Lakota elder, host of First Voices Radio, master musician, and steward of relational ways of knowing. Rooted in the vibrational teachings of the old Lakota language, a language shaped by Earth and used to speak with, not about, Tiokasin invites us to unlearn the dominance of human-centered thought and listen again to Earth as consciousness. First Voices Indigenous Radio Butterfly Against the Wind Topics 00:00 Introduction and Greetings00:48 Introducing Tiokasin Ghosthorse01:28 Tiokasin's Background and Philosophy04:36 The Concept of Land Acknowledgement05:59 Relational Values and Indigenous Wisdom08:02 Language and Consciousness16:09 Mystery and Present Consciousness27:54 Environmentalism and Connection to Earth35:04 Understanding WIA and Innocence36:34 The Role of Elders and Wisdom37:58 Relational Intelligence vs. Western Education39:14 Cultural Trauma and Language Suppression45:41 Earth Consciousness and Modern Anxiety50:04 The Illusion of Control and AI58:38 Ceremony and Earth Cycles01:03:32 Final Thoughts and Gratitude Connect with more with Tiokasin and dozens of other speakers and elders in the SAND film Series The Eternal Song Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

In this conversation, Ellen Emmet reflects on her path into Jungian analysis and how the teachings of Carl Jung continue to shape her inner life, clinical work, and spiritual inquiry. Together, we explore what it means to hold depth psychology and nondual realization in the same field—without collapsing one into the other. The dialogue moves through questions of decolonizing therapy, the subtle dynamics of spiritual bypass, and the kind of deep listening required when working with the unconscious—both personal and collective. Ellen speaks to the body as a threshold into the psyche’s wilderness, and to the necessity of staying in relationship with what is unresolved, uncomfortable, and unfinished. Threaded throughout is a concern for the wider world: how collective trauma, ancestral memory, and the current socio-political moment ask to be included in spiritual and therapeutic work—not bypassed. This is a conversation about remembrance, embodiment, and the slow work of integration in times of upheaval. Ellen offers meetings and retreats through The Awakening Body, an experiential exploration rooted in nondual inquiry, Authentic Movement, and direct listening to lived experience. She also maintains a private psychotherapy practice and facilitates Authentic Movement groups. EllenEmmet.com Topics 00:00 Introduction and Guest Overview01:05 Reflecting on Past Conversations01:41 Journey into Jungian Analysis02:50 Exploring Carl Jung's Theories05:31 The Process of Individuation13:17 Decolonizing Therapy16:40 Spiritual Bypassing and Social Issues20:48 Facing the Darkness: Confronting Fear and Avoidance22:17 The Deadly Silence: Censorship in Spiritual Spaces23:19 Heartbreak as a Spiritual Connection26:09 The Power of Collective Healing28:03 Listening with Reverence and Reverie36:09 The Wildness of the Body: Embracing Natural Movement39:39 Concluding Thoughts and Future Connections Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

From a SAND Community Gathering (December 2025), Francis Weller joins SAND co-founders Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo for a wide-ranging conversation on grief, initiation, and the sacred thresholds of a changing world. They speak of rough passages and necessary descents—of what must burn away, and what endures. With Francis’s steady guidance, sorrow, longing, beauty, and vulnerability are reclaimed not as weaknesses, but as profound sources of strength, orientation, and soul knowledge. Rooted in the soulcraft teachings of his book In the Absence of the Ordinary, the dialogue unfolds in a spirit of reverence and remembrance. Together, they explore the unraveling of the familiar as an invitation into deeper belonging—grief as a living portal, and beauty as a practice of staying close to what is sacred, even in times of descent. Topics 00:00 Introduction and Acknowledgements01:09 Guest Introduction: Francis Weller02:02 Opening Reflections on Soul and Rhythm03:17 The Modern Frenzy vs. Soul's Rhythm05:32 Therapy and the Soul's Healing Process12:09 The Role of Wounds in Soul Work16:35 Confession and Community Healing23:17 Collective Psyche and Modern Challenges28:39 Historical Roots of Disconnection31:25 Grief and Ancestral Memory33:47 Understanding Grief in a Shallow Culture35:06 The Three Layers of Experience35:18 The Role of Ritual in Processing Grief36:00 Fear and Control in Grief Expression36:22 The Importance of Containment Fields36:48 Cultural Rituals and Their Significance40:21 Creating Personal Rituals50:32 The Long Dark: Embracing Uncertainty56:13 The Sacred in Everyday Life59:13 The Role of Elders in a Fragmented World01:03:12 Concluding Thoughts and Reflections Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

Blackfoot scholar Dr. Leroy Little Bear shares foundational Indigenous ways of knowing—revealing a worldview built on energy, motion, and relationship rather than matter, time, and separation.In this conversation, Little Bear illuminates how Blackfoot philosophy understands reality through "interpretive templates"—cultural lenses shaped by language, land, and cosmology. Where Western thought centers singularity and fixed answers, Blackfoot ways embrace flux, transformation, and "all my relations." Dr. Leroy Little Bear is a Blackfoot legal scholar, professor emeritus, and prominent Indigenous rights advocate from the Blood Tribe. He is a founding member of the Native American Studies Department at the University of Lethbridge, served as the director of the Harvard University Native American Program, and played a crucial role in shaping Canadian constitutional law to recognize Indigenous rights, including contributing to Section 35 of the Constitution Act. His work extends to international advocacy, advising the United Nations on the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and he has received numerous honors, such as the Order of Canada and the Alberta Order of Excellence. Topics 00:00 Introduction and Welcome00:45 Guest Introduction: Dr. Leroy Little Bear01:42 Blackfoot Tradition and Identity02:59 Western vs. Blackfoot Worldview10:15 Energy Forces and Relationships27:39 Impact of Colonization34:26 Language and Interpretive Templates54:38 Closing Remarks and Gratitude Explore more in Indigenous Worldviews in the SAND film Series The Eternal Song Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

This episode was recorded live at The Eternal Song Film Gathering in 2025. Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo welcome Dr. (Uncle) Paul Gordon and Joe Williams, featured in the upcoming SAND Film In the Circle of Life premiering January 20, 2026. In this conversation they discuss the profound importance of connection to the land, cultural heritage, and traditional practices in achieving wellness. The conversation reveals how Indigenous wisdom can address modern societal woes and highlights the importance of respecting and maintaining a deep relationship with the natural world. Topics 00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview00:47 Meet Uncle Paul Gordon01:59 Language and Cultural Connections03:01 Introducing Joe Williams16:26 Joe Williams' Journey and Spiritual Awakening22:07 Aboriginal Perspectives on Wellbeing and Grief26:23 Understanding Time and Connection to Country29:40 Ancient Knowledge and Star Stories30:50 Connection to Country and Ancestral Wisdom44:25 The Role of Ceremony and Responsibility52:22 Healing Through Connection to Nature57:55 Final Thoughts and Resources Resources In the Circle of LifeThe Living Country Community Recorded live at The Eternal Song Seven Day Film Premiere summit with Indigenous voices Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

From a recent SAND Community Gathering (December 2025). This urgent conversation, facilitated by Ashira Darwish and rooted in Haidar Eid’s new book Banging on the Walls of the Tank, moves through the fractured present of Gaza, bringing forth a chorus of resistance, mourning, refusal, and clarity. This is a dispatch from within the rubble, the classroom, the lull between airstrikes. Together. Eid and Darwish hold the line inside the unbearable: the grief of ongoing genocide and the insistence on liberation; the impossibility of hope and the necessity of imagining otherwise. Their conversation refuses erasure, insists on dignity, and carries the clarity of those living under siege with purpose and memory intact. This conversation carries the vibration of Gaza’s resistance outward, inviting listeners not just to witness, but to respond. Topics 00:00 Introduction and Opening Remarks00:58 Context of the Gaza Genocide02:23 Introducing Haidar Eid and Ashira Darwish02:32 Haidar Eid's Background and Experience03:19 Ashira Darwish's Introduction and Role05:42 Haidar Eid's Personal Account of the Genocide07:17 The Impact of the Genocide on Haidar's Life09:51 Tribute to Fallen Colleagues and Students11:55 The Importance of Palestinian Narratives14:57 Historical Context and Ongoing Genocide27:34 The Human Cost and Personal Stories29:00 Protecting Stories and Dignity29:40 Understanding Israeli Society and Zionism32:33 The Role of International Support34:08 The BDS Movement and Palestinian Civil Society35:47 The Call for Global Solidarity43:18 Banging on the Walls of the Tank53:12 A Shift in the Global Narrative58:17 Final Thoughts and Call to Action Resources Project Hope PalestineCatharsis Holistic Healing PalestineBDS MovementAshira Darwish’s Website Where Olive Trees Weep Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

This final episode of 2025 reflects on a year of transitions and healing, focusing on themes of intergenerational trauma, collective grief, and social justice, especially in the context of the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Through diverse voices including Dr. Gabor Maté, Naomi Klein, Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, Ashira Darwish, Omid Safi, Kazu Haga, and others, the episode delves into personal and collective fields of healing. It emphasizes the importance of remembering, ritualizing healing, community action, indigenous knowledge, and a para-politics of grief and relationship. The episode also highlights the significance of interconnectedness, resilience, and the continuous effort towards justice and transformation. Topics and Speakers 00:00 Introduction and Year in Review02:03 Minds Under Siege: Dr. Gabor Mate and Naomi Klein17:38 We Will Not Look Away: Vigil for Gaza with Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, Ashira Darwish and Omid Safi37:33 Fierce Vulnerability: Kazu Haga46:16 Belonging Without Othering: john a. powell50:51 The Limits of Solution-Driven Thinking: Bayo Akomolafe55:47 Complexity and Phase Transitions: Jeremy Lent01:02:03 Intergenerational Trauma and Healing: Jungwon Kim and Linda Thai 01:18:40 Generational Trauma and Community Healing: Dr. Thema Bryant01:23:16 Decolonizing Therapy and Ancestral Healing: Dr. Jennifer Mullan01:26:30 Indigenous Perspectives on Colonization and Wellbeing: Dr. Diana Kopua, Tina Ngata and Mark Kopua01:40:30 Plant Medicine and Connection to Nature: Donna Kerridge01:53:07 Grief, Ritual, and Communal Healing: Orland Bishop and Francis Weller02:02:39 Presence and Receptive Awareness: John J. Prendergast02:09:26 Conclusion and Membership Invitation Links Naomi KleinDr. Gabor MatéRabbi Lynn GottliebOmid SafiKazu Hagajohn a. PowellBayo AkomolafeJeremy LentJungwon KimLinda ThaiDr. Thema BryantDr. Jennifer MullanTe Kurahuna (Mark and Dr. Diana Kopua)Tina NgataFrancis WellerOrland BishopJohn PrendergastWhere Olive Trees Weep The Eternal Song (Film series and course) Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

In this episode of The Sounds of SAND podcast, host Michael Reiley speaks with Father Adam Bucko about his journey and the integration of Christian contemplative spirituality with social justice activism. Father Adam shares his formative experiences growing up in Poland during the resistance against totalitarian government, his work with marginalized youth in the United States and India, and his philosophy of engaged contemplation. He discusses the importance of heartbreak as a spiritual guide, the responsibility of acknowledging historical injustices perpetrated by the Christian church, and the practice of staying grounded through monastic rhythms of life. The episode highlights the need for a balanced approach to spirituality that embraces both love and grief, and explores reconciliation with the world's suffering through active, mindful presence. Topics 00:00 Introduction and Guest Overview01:37 Father Adam Bucko's Early Life and Inspirations04:50 Journey to the United States and Spiritual Exploration08:13 Contemplative Practices and Activism20:58 Challenges and Reflections on Modern Christianity29:48 Navigating Institutional Harm and New Monasticism32:16 Engaged Spirituality and Personal Practices46:36 Final Thoughts and Ways to Connect Resources: FatherAdamBucko.comThe Center for Spiritual Imagination"Let Heartbreak Be Your Guide" Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

A Decolonial Invitation to Remember, Relearn, and Resist From a live SAND Community Gathering (November 2025) a live conversation with Dr. Jennifer Mullan & Iya Affo. Their discussion emphasizes the importance of ancestral wisdom, collective healing, and the decolonization of therapeutic practices. Dr. Mullan shares her personal journey of reconciling traditional healing methods with modern therapy and explores the impact of historical and intergenerational trauma. The conversation also highlights the significance of land, lineage, and community in the healing process, and addresses the ways in which therapy can be transformed to be more inclusive and effective for diverse populations. Dr. Mullan shares from her journey of calling therapists into a politicized practice—one rooted in responsibility, reverence, and collective liberation. The conversation challenges clinicians to confront their training, interrogate their privilege, and participate in the sacred labor of relearning. Topics 00:00 Welcome and Introductions00:30 Honoring Ancestral Wisdom01:54 Introducing Iya Affo04:23 Meet Dr. Jennifer Mullan05:22 The Non-Neutrality of Therapy10:39 Decolonizing Therapy: A Deep Dive14:33 Therapy and Boundaries27:42 The Historical Impact on Therapy31:24 Shining a Light on Hidden History31:55 Finding Safe Spaces for Vulnerability32:21 Therapeutic Contexts and Trauma33:45 Bridging and Reciprocity in Healing37:04 Colonial Soul Wound and Historical Trauma39:39 Reclaiming Ancestral Pathways42:25 Decolonizing Therapy for All45:43 Healing Across Layered Dimensions54:50 Embracing Sacred Rage and Grief58:25 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

This episode, recorded live at The Eternal Song live gathering (June 2025), brings together a distinguished panel featuring Patricia June Vickers, Judy Atkinson, Dr. Diana Kopua, and Donald “Del” Lavedure, moderated by Dr. Gabor Maté. The discussion explores the integration of ancestral wisdom and modern therapeutic methods to address and heal trauma within Indigenous communities. The group share their personal and professional experiences, emphasizing the connection between land, ancestry, and healing. The conversation highlights the importance of storytelling, cultural practices, and the role of spirituality in fostering collective and individual healing, while addressing how individuals outside Indigenous cultures can support this crucial work. Topics: 00:00 Introduction of the Guests02:14 Acknowledging Indigenous Lands and Realities03:24 Exploring the Concept of Health and Ancestry05:06 Understanding Ancestral Healing08:08 Judy Atkinson on Ancestry and Healing19:15 Patricia Vickers on Ancestry and Protection21:23 Diana on Indigenous Knowledge and Connection26:51 Defining Trauma and Its Impacts32:23 Del Lavedure on Community-Based Healing38:09 Judy Atkinson on the Power of Story in Healing42:47 A Heartfelt Introduction43:21 Exploring Trauma and Healing Modalities44:32 Indigenous Perspectives on Trauma48:17 Personal Stories of Healing49:17 Concepts of Healing and Wholeness53:23 Addressing Historical and Ongoing Trauma57:23 The Role of Collective Memory in Healing01:10:54 Connecting to Ancestral Practices01:18:53 Final Reflections and Personal Insights Resources: Dr Gabor Maté The Wisdom of Trauma (a SAND film) Professor Judy Atkinson (We Al-li)Patricia June Vickers, PhDDiana Kopua (Mahi a Atua) Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member Recorded live at The Eternal Song Seven Day Film Premiere summit with Indigenous voices.

Dr. Cara Judea Alhadeff discusses her work and the profound ideas in her book Zazu Dreams: Between the Scarab and the Dung Beetle, A Cautionary Fable for the Anthropocene Era. She explores themes of dream consciousness, cultural and ecological extinction, radical symbiosis, and the concept of apocalyptic parenting as a strategy for social justice and ecological ethics, an antidote to petroleum parenting. The discussion digs into the interdisciplinary ties found in her stories, her collaborative projects, and the communal effort in creating sustainable futures. Dr. Alhadeff also shares her real-life experiences of living for almost a decade in a reclaimed school bus, 'The Love Bus', exemplifying the principles of radical mothering, reuse, collective creativity, and joy amidst systemic challenges. Dr. Cara Judea Alhadeff is a professor and author of dozens of books and articles on art, philosophy, sexuality, climate justice, life-passion activism, and "petroleum parenting," including the critically-acclaimed Zazu Dreams: Between the Scarab and the Dung Beetle, A Cautionary Fable for the Anthropocene Era, and Viscous Expectations: Justice, Vulnerability, The Ob-scene. Alhadeff’s forthcoming book, Unlearning What We Think We Know (Vernon Press), will be performed during the World Affairs Conference. Her photographs/ performance videos are in private and public collection,s including San Francisco MoMA, MoMA Salzburg, Austria, the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, and include collaborations with international choreographers, composers, poets, sculptors, architects, and scientists. She has been interviewed by The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Pacifica Radio, NPR, and the New Art Examiner. Alongside Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Vandana Shiva, Alhadeff received the Random Kindness Community Resilience Leadership Award, 2020. In 2022, Alhadeff was nominated for a MacArthur Fellowship. Her theoretical and visual work is the subject of documentaries for international public television/ radio. A former professor of Critical Pedagogy & Performance at UC Santa Cruz and Founder of Radical Art in Action, Alhadeff teaches, performs, and parents a creative-zero-waste life. She and her family live and perform in their eco-art installation, a repurposed school bus. www.carajudeaalhadeff.com Topics 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Cara Judea Alhadeff01:35 Exploring 'Zazu Dreams'04:01 Dreams and Cultural Extinction06:08 Fractal Democracy and Radical Art08:39 Sensory Consciousness and Neuroaesthetics14:50 Interconnected Oppressions and Emancipation28:05 Ancestral Lineage and Multiculturalism34:00 Exploring Automatic Behaviors and Consciousness34:50 Interbeing and Consumer Decisions36:35 The Impact of Privilege and Capitalist Norms38:06 Radical Symbiosis and Cultural Conditioning39:21 Eco-Spirituality and Political Awareness41:18 Apocalyptic Parenting and Deep Noticing48:01 The Love Bus: A Journey of Reuse and Respect54:40 Adapting to Change and Collective Creativity57:55 Conclusion: Embracing Art and Language Resources: Dr. Cara Judea Alhadeff’s WebsiteZAZU DREAMS: Between the Scarab and the Dung Beetle, A Cautionary Fable for the Anthropocene Era by Dr. Cara Judea AlhadeffZazu Dreams book-to-film animation adaptationFractal Flourishing: Jeremy Lent (Sounds of SAND Podcast)Arab Jewish Mysticism: Hadar Cohen (Sounds of SAND Podcast)Quantum Listening: IONE (Sounds of SAND Podcast)Deep Listening: Pauline Oliveros5Rhythms DanceRural Studio: Samuel Mockbee and an architecture of decencyThrutopian Dreams: Manda Scott (Sounds of SAND Podcast)An Ecotopian Lexicon edited by Schneider-Mayerson and BellamyChallenging Petroleum ParentingDecolonizing MotherhoodEmpire of Normality: Neurodiversity and Capitalism by Robert ChapmanViscous Expectations: Justice, Vulnerability, The Ob-scene by cara judea AlhadeffThe Love Bus: Beauty & Waste In the Face of Climate CrisisFacing Apocalyspe by Catherine KellerBenjamin Lay: The first...

What does it mean to stay tender in times of unraveling? In this live SAND Community Gathering (November 2025), SAND co-founders, Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo spend the hour with activist and author Kazu Haga. This conversation invites us into a collective inquiry about healing, justice, and the radical courage of vulnerability. Drawing from his work on restorative justice and Kingian nonviolence, Haga explores how compassion can live alongside grief, anger, and collapse—not as escape or appeasement, but as a disciplined, relational practice of staying with the pain of the world. Topics: 00:00 Introduction and Welcoming Remarks 00:44 Introducing Kazu and His Work 04:08 Understanding Fierce Vulnerability 06:43 The Great Turning and Collective Healing 10:50 Non-Violence and Social Movements 17:13 Spiritual Practice and Activism 24:22 Anger, Rage, and Non-Violence 26:40 Personal Stories and Reflections 28:57 Sowing Seeds of Change 29:56 The Power of Vulnerability 31:33 Healing Through Non-Violence 38:55 The Concept of Negative Peace 47:48 Living in Community 49:45 Final Thoughts and Gratitude Resources: Kazu Haga's Website Fierce Vulnerability Canticle Farm The Eternal Song (film series by SAND) Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

Recorded live at The Eternal Song Seven Day Film Premiere Gathering. In this episode, hosts Maurizio and Zaya engage in deep conversation with Yoruba philosopher and post-humanist thinker Bayo Akomolafe. In this episode, Bayo shares a Yoruba creation myth involving the Orishas, highlighting the importance of flow and memory. He reflects on his journey as a psychologist in Nigeria and critiques the political dimensions of healing. The dialogue also touches on the limits of modernity, the significance of wounds in creating new worlds, and the interconnectedness of all living beings. Bayo’s insights invite listeners to reconsider traditional notions of clarity, identity, and safety, promoting a deeper, more fluid understanding of existence as it weaves into narratives of The Eternal Song. Watch this full conversation and 40+ more The Eternal Song film series and All-Access Pass with from our 7-day gathering with Elders and knowledge keepers Topics 00:00 Introduction and Greetings 00:46 Introducing Bayo Akomolafe 02:13 A Yoruba Creation Story 06:50 Reflections on Healing 12:49 Decolonization and Human Ecology 20:32 The Complexity of Solutions 22:25 Chaos and Order: The Eternal Dance 22:41 The Illusion of Solutions 22:50 Climate Chaos and Moralities 23:34 The Exhaustion of Traditional Moralities 24:10 Para Politics: A New Approach 26:30 The Role of the Trickster in History 28:45 The Power of Wounds and Cracks 31:31 The Fluidity of Identity 36:52 The Origins and Evolution of Language 40:15 Christianity and Indigenous Faiths 44:15 Final Reflections and Gratitude Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member