Sounds of SAND

Mattias Daly is Taoist practitioner and a professional translator with a degree in acupuncture and a master’s in Chinese Literature. He was inducted into the Longmen lineage of Complete Reality Daoism by Abbess Liu of the Three Purities Monastery in Jilin province, China in 2013. He primarily translates for the National Palace Museum in Taipei and the Chinese Taipei PEN quarterly. His new translation of Taoist Inner Alchemy: Master Huang Yuanji's Guide to the Way of Meditation by Ge Guolong and Huang Yuanji is out now on Shambala Publications. Topics: 04:42 — Core Principle of Taoism10:59 — Path of Taoist Inner Alchemy15:11 — Metaphor of Alchemy22:44 — Energies of Inner Alchemy27:09 — Chan Buddhism35:36 — Physical Components of Inner Alchemy43:45 — Importance of Heart Practice45:15 — Navigating the Polycrisis Support the mission of SAND the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member.

A recording of excerpts from a SAND Community Gathering hosted by Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo. Trauma has a severe impact that extends far beyond the individual survivor. It ripples through families, communities, and generations in ways both seen and unseen. Yet there is a path forward — through courageously sharing our stories and tapping into the body’s innate wisdom. In this episode, Peter openly shares his own courageous journey to resolve severe childhood trauma, by using the very techniques he developed. He shows a pathway whereby giving voice to our stories can help reclaim our dignity, wholeness, and ignite an inner spark of healing. Peter A. Levine, Ph.D., is the renowned developer of Somatic Experiencing. He holds a doctorate in Medical and Biological Physics from the University of California at Berkeley and a doctorate in Psychology from International University. The recipient of four lifetime achievement awards, he is the author of several books, including Waking the Tiger, which has now been printed in 33 countries and has sold over a million copies. His new book is An Autobiography of Trauma: A Healing Journey Topics: 00:00 — Introduction02:43 — Writing the new Autobiography09:05 — Uncovering Layers of Trauma19:52 — Trauma & Intimate Relationships26:20 — Meeting Albert Einstein & Past Life Trauma34:00 — Relationships with Parents43:00 — Connections to Ancient Traditions50:10 — Indigenous Healing Practices57:12 — Closing Support the mission of SAND the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member. Also mentioned in this episode is SAND’s Fundraiser to help relocate a family from the genocide in Gaza.

Reem (DRĖĖĖMY) Abdou is a native Egyptian international interdisciplinary sound artist, embodiment and meditation guide, curator, cultural worker, and community building founder of the inclusive global impact agency for women+ & BIPOC holistic artists: The Collective BAE. As an intentional DJ and spoken word poet, her work harnesses music, movement, and meditation to activate real shifts at the intersection of transformational creativity, social and healing justice, and ecosystem consciousness. Links: www.dreeemy.cominstagram.com/dreeemywww.collectivebae.com Upcoming projects: Join The BAE (RE)MEMBERSHIPS: An Ecology of Care for Conscious Creatives. We'll be launching a full training course this May.The release of the 2nd EP: SALTWATERS in the Mother & Water project. It will be released this May. Topics: 00:00 — Introduction03:00 — Ancestry & Dream work06:45 — Communities11:19 — Bass Yoga17:19 — Gradients & Binaries23:17 — Ecologies of Care32:33 — Sacred Activism36:51 — Post-COVID Shift45:31 — Egyptian Lineage53:44 — Upcoming Projects Support the mission of SAND the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member:

Rev Deborah L Johnson (Rev D) is a dynamic organizer, strategist, facilitator, public speaker, and spoken word artist, known for her ability to bring clarity to complex and emotionally charged issues with humor and compassion. As an organizational consultant specializing in cultural diversity, she serves the public, private, non-profit, and military sectors. Her clients have included, MCA Universal, ATT, Apple Inc, Hewlett Packard, Kaiser Permanente, US Coast Guard Academy, Ford Foundation, SBC Communications, UCSF, Prudential, and Kodak. Rev Deborah is a successful co-litigant in two landmark civil rights cases in California. The first resulted in the inclusion of sexual orientation in the state’s Civil Rights Bill in 1984 setting a national precedent,while the second staved off repeal of the state’s Domestic Partnership in 2005. For her social justice work, she has been featured in numerous books and films including Showtime’s Jumpin’ The Broom and has received many lifetime achievement awards including induction into the Board of Preachers at the MLK Jr. Chapel of Morehouse College. RevD's Upcoming Courses: Yes to Oneness The 6-session “YES to Oneness” workshop is preventative medicine for divisiveness. Guided by divine downloads from my books The Sacred YES and Your Deepest Intent, we’ll go on a spiritually transformative experience. How to Depolarize The 3-session “How to Depolarize” workshop provides diagnostic techniques and treatment plans for divisiveness. It is an interactive skills building practicum based on my 40+ years as a movement organizer, corporate DEI consultant, spiritual leader, and successful co-litigant in two landmark civil rights cases. This workshop expands upon the concepts I recently presented at Harvard Divinity School. Topics: 0:00 — Introduction 2:51 — Reconnecting Post-Pandemic4:29 — Keeping Hope Alive7:41 — On Nonduality12:27 — Balancing Social Justice19:59 — Everything is in Vibrations of Possibilities25:58 — Interfaith / Omnifaith Exploration33:14 — Reconnecting to our Natural State40:06 — Knowing Truth45:10 — Advice for Burnout and Connection50:42 — Learning and Growing in Community Support the mission of SAND the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

A recording of excerpts from a SAND Community Gathering hosted by Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo. Trauma has a way of separating us from parts of ourselves. Painful experiences cause protective parts to take over, isolating our inner wounds in an effort to help us survive. Yet, avoiding our emotional injuries rarely leads to true healing. In this conversation, Internal Family System (IFS) founder Richard Schwartz outlined how to transform our relationship with the wounded parts holding our unresolved injuries. Richard C. Schwartz, PhD, is the creator of Internal Family Systems, a highly effective, evidence-based therapeutic model that de-pathologizes the multi-part personality. His IFS Institute offers training for professionals and the general public. He is currently on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, and has published five books, including No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model. Dick lives with his wife Jeanne near Chicago, close to his three daughters and his growing number of grandchildren. Topics: 00:00 – Introduction02:00 – Intro to Internal Family System (IFS)16:48 – IFS work with Maurizio29:16 – Ancestor and Legacy Work38:12 – Altered States of Consciousness in IFS Work44:20 – Exiled Parts That Become Cultural Patterns Support the mission of SAND the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member.

In this episode we bring you excerpts from an online SAND Community Gathering with Gabor and Daniel Maté hosted by Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo from February 2024. Also present in this episode is Betsy Polatin offering guided meditation and grounding exercises as everyone navigates these difficult conversations. Lastly SAND presenter Deran Young ends the episode with a question on Racialized Trauma. You can watch the full video conversation here No statement, no words can speak to the immense suffering, devastation and horrendous humanitarian crisis intensifying in the Middle East. The current tragedy awakens existential fear, acute grief and deep despair. It also creates a rift among friends and families. Many are in a state of deep shock and in need of support, and the obstacles to communicating with loved ones only intensify the anguish. In this Q&A session, Dr. Gabor Maté and his son Daniel discussed ways to listen and communicate across different perspectives and narratives. Gabor Maté, M.D. is a specialist on trauma, addiction, stress and childhood development. After 20 years of family practice and palliative care experience, Dr. Maté worked for over a decade in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side with patients challenged by drug addiction and mental illness. For his groundbreaking medical work and writing he has been awarded the Order of Canada, his country’s highest civilian distinction, and the Civic Merit Award from his hometown, Vancouver. Gabor is also the creator of a psychotherapeutic approach, Compassionate Inquiry, now studied by thousands of therapists, physicians, counselors, and others in over 80 countries. Daniel Maté is a composer, lyricist, and playwright for musical theatre based in BC and New York. He has been active since 2007, when he graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with an M.F.A. in Musical Theatre Writing. He also holds a B.A. in Psychology and Philosophy from McGill. Daniel received the prestigious Edward Kleban Prize for Most Promising Lyricist in American Musical Theatre, a Jonathan Larson Foundation Grant, and the ASCAP Foundation’s Cole Porter Award for Excellence in Music and Lyrics (for his song cycle The Longing and the Short of It.) He has presented his work at the historic Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and New York’s Lincoln Center, and was an invited participant in the inaugural Johnny Mercer Writers Colony. Betsy Polatin, MFA, SEP, an internationally recognized breathing/movement specialist and best- selling author, has been teaching for 45 years. Her unique and intuitive perspectives are greatly influenced by the study of movement, breath, and trauma, as well as the teachings of spiritual and meditation masters. She speaks at conferences around the world. As a well-known educator, she’s had numerous articles published in the Huffington Post, and is the author of The Actor’s Secret and Humanual. Deran Young is a licensed therapist specializing in racial trauma and legacy burdens. She is also a Co-Author of the New York Times Best Seller, You Are Your Best Thing, a retired military officer, & founder of Black Therapists Rock. Black Therapists Rock is a non profit organization with a network of over 30,000 mental health professionals committed to reducing the psychological impact of systemic oppression and intergenerational trauma. She obtained her social work degree from University of Texas, where she studied abroad in Ghana, West Africa for two semesters creating a high school counseling center for under-resourced students. Deran has visited over 37 different countries and her clinical experience spans across four different continents. Her passion for culture and people has led her to become a highly sought after diversity and inclusion consultant working with companies like BBERG, Facebook, Linked In, and YWCA. She resides in the Washington DC area with her 10 year old son. Topics: 00:00:00 – Introduction00:04:10 – Gabor Maté...

Mauro Zappaterra obtained his MD and PhD degrees from Harvard Medical School. He completed his PhD doing work with neuronal stem cells and the effects of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in brain development and in the adult. He is published in numerous scientific articles on the CSF and his work was chosen as the cover image for the prestigious Neuron Journal. He was also featured in the New England Journal of Medicine in teaching medical students about living with life threatening diseases and in Psychology Today on an article titled “Joy: The art of loving life." Topics: 0:00 — Introduction2:14 — Mauro’s Background9:37 — Exploring Holistic Medicine at Harvard17:31 — Evidence Based Medicine19:00 — Sound and Light Therapy24:10 — Day to Day Practice28:22 — Chronic Pain45:08 — Frontiers of Alternative Healing54:10 — CSF Guided Meditation Support the mission of SAND the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

"This is a spiritual test, this is a spiritual war, as much as it is a material one. People say, ‘As above, so below.’ How we are interfacing with the physical realities of this moment, the ways that we are leveraging our daily energy are either making us complicit with life's desecration or helping us to affirm life and the spirit of resistance. The battle that we are in is right now!" — Layla K. Feghali on the violence in Gaza, Sounds of SAND, Ep. #76 We are now over four months into a worsening genocide in Gaza — with over 30,000 murdered and over 2 million now enduring military-enforced famine enacted by Israel, the US, and their global allies. There is no way a 90-minute teaching can impact the depth of sorrow, injustice, betrayal, and state-sponsored violence unfolding in Palestine. And yet, we share a moral obligation to resist the life-desecrating forces at work. In this gathering, our three guests share of their personal attempts as Earth-honoring ritualists and educators to embody core values and take tangible action in a time of genocide. Calls to Action to Support these GoFundMe Campaigns: SAND’s GoFundMe to help Amina & her familyLayla Feghali’s connection to Ahmed Al Munirawi’s campaignLayla Feghali’s connection to Reem Shaheen’s campaign Guests: Daniel Foor is a doctor of psychology, experienced ritualist, and the author of Ancestral Medicine: Rituals for Personal and Family Healing. He is a practicing Muslim and initiate in the Òrìṣà tradition of Yoruba-speaking West Africa who has also learned from Mahayan Buddhism and the older ways of his English and German ancestors. Daniel was a U.S. Fulbright scholar in Cairo, Egypt as a student of Arabic language, and he is passionate about generational healing and training leaders and change makers in the intersections of cultural healing, animist ethics, and applied ritual arts. He lives with his wife and daughters near his adoptive home of Granada, Spain in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Taya Mâ Shere is a ritual artist embracing embodied, earth-honoring devotion as liberatory spiritual practice. She serves as a professor of Organic Multi-Religious Ritual at Starr King School for the Ministry and co-weaves Makam Shekhina, a Jewish and Sufi Muslim multi-religious community committed to counter-oppressive spiritual practice. Taya Mâ hosts the acclaimed podcast, Jewish Ancestral Healing and The Sarah & Hajar Series: Sacred Practice and Possibility at the Intersections of Judaism and Islam. She is currently tending Ceasefire movement chaplaincy and From the Deep, an emergent mystery school of earth-reverent ritual and counter-oppressive devotion. She co-founded the Kohenet movement and is co-author of The Hebrew Priestess: Ancient and New Visions of Jewish Women’s Spiritual Leadership. Her five albums of sacred chant have been heralded as “cutting-edge mystic medicine music.” Layla K. Feghali is an ethnobotanist, cultural worker, and author who lives between her ancestral village in Lebanon and her diasporic home in California, where she was born and raised. Her dedication is the stewardship of our earth’s eco-cultural integrity and the many layers of relational restoration, systemic reckoning, and healing that entails. Feghali offers a line of plantcestral medicine and other culturally-rooted offerings, with an emphasis on Southwest Asia and its diasporas. Her recent book, The Land in Our Bones, documents cultural herbal and healing knowledge from Syria to the Sinai, while interrogating colonialism and its lingering wounds on the culture of our displaced world. Topics: 00:00:00 — Introduction00:05:43 — Daniel Foor00:21:44 — Taya Mâ Shere00:35:44 — Layla K. Feghali01:00:28 — Guided Practice01:10:22 — Questions from the Event Chat01:20:29 — Yeye Luisha Teish01:23:48 — Closing Statements Support the mission of SAND the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

This SAND Community Gathering was recorded live on February 10, 2024 with Omid Safi and SAND co-founders Zaya and Maurzio Benazzo. For the full video version of this conversation, please visit: https://scienceandnonduality.com/event/love-with-justice/ Omid Safi is a scholar of the Islamic mystical tradition of Radical Love and serves as a professor of Islamic studies at Duke University. Ten times nominated for professor of the year awards, Omid has published extensively on the foundational sources of Islam and Sufism. He has authored Memories of Muhammad and Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition. He has offered the annual Martin Luther King lecture and appeared as an expert on Islam in the New York Times, Newsweek, Washington Post, Al-Jazeera, PBS, NPR, NBC, BBC and CNN. Omid teaches online courses on Muslim mysticism and has his own podcast Sufi Heart. He also offers spiritually oriented contemplative journeys and retreats for the general public. Information about the books, podcast, courses, and tours can be found at illuminatedcourses.com. SAND’s Helpful Resources on Israel/Palestine Support the mission of SAND the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member Topics: 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:03:37 – Sufi Prayer and Omid’s Bio 00:06:44 – Setting a Context for the Discussion 00:22:32 – ”Whataboutism” 00:34:56 – Teachings from the Heart 00:46:38 – Balancing Love, Fear, and Righteous 00:59:19 – Responses from Spiritual Teachers on Gaza 01:10:36 – Remembering Mother Earth 01:14:42 – Letting Go of “You and I” / Nonduality 01:16:58 – Celebrating Life

Lama Tsomo is a spiritual teacher, author, and co-founder of Namchak Foundation and Namchak Retreat Ranch, which preserves and shares Tibetan Buddhist practice in accessible, contemporary ways. Under the tutelage of Tulku Sangak Rinpoche, international holder of the Namchak lineage, Lama Tsomo has done extensive spiritual retreats in the U.S. and abroad and is fluent in Tibetan. Today, she is dedicated to sharing the teachings of the Namchak lineage with Western students, bringing greater happiness and meaning to life through meditation practice, community, and retreat. She is passionate about reaching young people and supporting those working for positive social change. Lama Tsomo holds an M.A. in Counseling Psychology and is the author of Ancient Wisdom for Our Times: Tibetan Buddhist Practice Series and coauthor of The Lotus & the Rose: A Conversation Between Tibetan Buddhism & Mystical Christianity and the Taking a Breath meditation journal. Links: Namchak WebsiteSaving Each Other Together ProjectFour Immeasurables RetreatNamchak’s InstagramDeepening Our Feeling for “Us”: Lama Tsomo Music from Today's episode: Chenrezig Sadhana – Tibetan Vajrayana Mantra MeditationNow I Walk In Beauty Libana- Fire WithinNow I Walk in Beauty (sheet music) Topics: 0:00 – Introduction 2:58 – Lama Intro Story and Path to Buddhism 8:13 – Major Schools of Buddhism in the U.S. 10:35 – Balancing Mindfulness & Compassion 16:45 – The Predictions of Guru Rinpoche 24:45 – The Importance of Mantra 25:53 – The One Ocean 32:13 – Sharing in Sangha in Mantra 37:49 – Chenrezig / Avalokiteśvara chanting practice 50:53 – Working Skillfully With Equanimity 54:19 – The Importance of Sangha 58:57 – Aspirational and Engaged Boddhicitta

From a SAND Community Gathering in January 2024. You can watch the full video of this Community Gathering here: scienceandnonduality.com/event/bloodlines/ As many of us grapple with feelings of disillusionment, outrage, impotence and grief at the horrendous tragedy unfolding in Gaza, we gathered as a SAND community for an intimate conversation with meital yaniv, an ex-israeli soldier / ex-zionist fighter and Sulaiman Khatib, Palestinian co-founder of Combatants for Peace. With meital and Souli reflecting on their personal journeys of loss and transformation, we uncovered ancestral legacies of trauma and coping, belonging and indoctrination, individual and collective grief, awakening, and resilience. Their dialog was facilitated by Rae Abileah, a Jewish faith leader, social change strategist, and writer. Through sharing our stories, and engaging in open and compassionate conversation, may we find collective healing. Sulaiman Khatib is the Co-Founder of Combatants for Peace. Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, he has been recognized internationally for his contributions to promoting peace, social justice and equality for all. In 2006, he co-founded Al-Qud’s Association for Democracy and Dialogue, a program which works with youth in order to create effective and sustainable projects focusing on the promotion of peace, democracy and civic participation in the Palestinian Territories. For the last twenty years, he has been a committed advocate for peace in the Middle East and an active member of various programs aiming to promote a peaceful solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. He is the author of In this Place Together. meital yaniv was born into a sephardic and ashkenazi lineage of in/famous war heroes and pillars for the state of israel, meital is the author of bloodlines, an epic and intimate dive into the israeli apartheid regime from the perspective of an ex-israeli/ex-zionist soldier. In the book, meital yaniv traces their paternal family narrative from surviving the Holocaust of the second world war to migrating to Palestine and their subsequent indoctrination as zionist colonizers and defenders of the state of israel. yaniv directs our attention to the cycles of history and how genocide not only repeats but grows monstrously in the crevices of state belonging. They see themselves as “a death laborer tending to a prayer for the liberation of the land of Palestine and the lands of our bodies.” Rae Abileah (she/her) is a Jewish faith leader, social change strategist, writer, and facilitator. For the past two decades, she has worked with nonprofits and social movements, from volunteer to executive director. Topics: 00:00 – Introduction00:24 – Introduction with Gazan Musician, Haneen Sabbah singing Reem Banna (The Absence one)04:16 – Introduction from Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo06:52 – Rae Abileah Introduction12:12 – Sulaiman Khatib17:32 – Sulaiman’s Time in Jail33:18 – meital yaniv’s Story48:16 – Healing the Land Through Ancestors SAND's Helpful Resources on Israel/Palestine Support the mission of SAND the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

Vuyi Qubeka is a seer, artist, multidimensional storyteller, & a transformative healing practitioner whose work is anchored by the wisdoms of indigenous knowledge systems and unconditional love. Vuyi considers herself a SoulSongSage and creates a container for individuals to remember the song of their soul through identifying the blockages keeping them from expressing their true nature by re-patterning childhood conditioning and trauma. Vuyi weaves together sound, ceremony, movement, visual art, and prose to conjure memory, activate healing and inspire truth seekers, creatives & pioneering leaders from all walks of life. Her work explores both feminine wisdom & the Mother Mind while confronting individual, familial & collective traumas, with a focus on sexual trauma, for our shared restoration. Vuyi offers one-on-one soul healing sessions, storytelling & speaking immersions, rites of passage ceremonies, retreat facilitation, workshops and explorative collaborations. Vuyi's long term intention is to create a rehabilitation oasis for child trafficking survivors, a home within nature where small people can restore their innocence, joy, dignity and reclaim their essence. Website: www.vuyiqubeka.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/vuyiqubeka/ Email: vuyiqubeka@gmail.com Topics: 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:11:54 – Shamanism 00:17:39 – Ancestors 00:20:52 – Healing with Sound 00:22:11 – Connection with Nature 00:24:46 – The Authentic Self 00:30:14 – South Africa and Gaza 00:34:14 – Vuyi’s Message to Gaza 00:39:39 – ”Don’t Die with Your Music Still Inside You” 00:42:21 – TED Talk Excerpt 00:50:44 – We Are the Song 00:53:42 – ”Ancient Dreams” (AxisZulu Natural Mix) by Vuyi Qubeka 01:01:16 – Coming Up for Vuyi 01:13:12 – ”Moon Chant” by Vuyi Qubeka Support SAND by Becoming a Member

Join us for a conversation with Edward Frenkel, mathematician, Berkeley professor and author of the international bestseller Love and Math, as we explore the nature of reality and the fallacy of the naive ideas of determinism and computationalism. Drawing on the landmark achievements of modern mathematics and quantum physics, Frenkel makes the case that consciousness is not computational, that intuition and imagination cannot be captured by algorithms. A regular presenter at the SAND conferences, Frenkel has long argued that the debate about the capabilities and dangers of artificial intelligence can be traced to the question “Who am I?” Hence it creates an opportunity for us to go deeper on the path of self-inquiry. To facilitate this process, it is essential to let go of the misconceptions of the science of the 19th century and to update our worldview with the paradigms of the science of the 21st century. A mind-expanding dialogue about the Infinite nature of consciousness, limits of knowledge, and the alchemy of transformation. Edward Frenkel is a professor of mathematics at University of California, Berkeley, member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and winner of the Weyl Prize in Mathematical Physics. He is the author of the international bestseller Love and Math which has been published in 19 languages. Links WebsiteYouTubeEdward’s SAND 2014 TalkEdward’s SAND 2015 talkBrian Grene’s interview quoted in this conversationRobert Sapolsky’s interviewJerome Feldman’s article about the incompleteness of current theories of neural computationAI Safety: A First-Person Perspective Topics: 00:00:00 – Introduction00:04:36 – Journey to Mathematics00:11:06 – Pythagoras00:17:15 – Going Against Dogma00:19:15 – First-Person Perspective00:22:12 – Dogmas in Modern Science00:36:47 – Kurt Gödel00:40:58 – Agency and Free Will00:58:20 – On AI01:07:44 – Brain and Consciousness (with Peter Russell)

Without form, without figure, without resemblance am I; Vitality of all senses, in everything I am; Neither attached, nor released am I; I am Consciousness, I am Bliss, I am Shiva, I am Shiva. —Adi Shankara, Nirvana Shatakam, Hymns 3–6 Timothy Owen Desmond, aka Tod, is a philosopher and author. He majored in Philosophy and Political Science at Boston College University. Dedicated to a life of study, his unconventional path led to a Ph.D. in Philosophy and Religion from CIIS. Desmond explores the intersections of holographic string theory and Jungian psychology, detailed in his 2018 book, Psyche and Singularity. In 2023, he launched an online course, "Immortality and the Unreality of Death," integrating insights from Joseph Campbell and Ernest Becker. Tod’s Course: Immortality and the Unreality of Death: A Hero’s Journey Through Philosophy, Psychology, and Physics Takeaways: Topics: 0:00 – Introduction5:50 – Jung’s Near-Death Experience16:08 – Nondual Experiences: Dissolving Separateness20:20 – Jungian Archetypes23:46 – Platonic Philosophies28:04 – Why there are seashells in the mountains?33:30 – String Theory & Black Holes43:16 – Infinity, Emptiness & Form50:38 – Exploring the “why” of all of this? 🕉️ Support the production of the Sounds of SAND podcast by becoming a SAND Member ❤️

While Attachment Theory has offered many valuable insights, its foundations reflect certain limiting assumptions. Originally formulated based on white, Western nuclear family structures, Attachment Theory is rooted in White cis-het settler-colonizer patriarchal paradigms that hyper-emphasise dyadic relationships within a nuclear family. Yet we humans participate in relationships far beyond just our early caretakers. Many of us feel profound connections across generations – to ancestors, spiritual traditions, and cultural lineages. We also bond deeply with the living world around us, from animals and plants to rivers and forests. And in today’s complex global society, our close relational circles extend to friends, chosen families, and communities near and far. When we experience trauma, secure attachment with a handful of early caregivers alone cannot suffice to heal our deep relational wounds. We need a more expansive vision – one that engages the full web of relationships anchoring our lives. The connections we share run far deeper than any one theory can capture. What would it mean to reconceptualize secure attachment more holistically? How might embracing the relational richness of our multi-layered lives help transform isolation into belonging? These are some of the questions we will explore with Linda Thai, mental health clinician, storyteller, and educator. Topics:

"If we knew how important it is to listen, to listen to our hearts, to listen to our loved ones, to birds, to animals… it’s the ability to listen that reconnects us to the all, the great spirit” —Katie Gray Katie Gray is an author, singer, counselor, and elder caregiver devoted to helping people connect with feeling, presence and Self awareness. Inspired and compelled by her own self-recovery from a 17 year addiction to food and bulimia, Katie utilizes the gift of her voice and wisdom to help others unravel from shame, insecurity and suffering. Her work, The Empowered Heart, is a methodological approach that helps assist people through the process of identifying and healing emotional wounds and is the basis of understanding that infuses her work as an author, counselor, and facilitator. Her new book is The Empowered Heart Guidebook Topics: 00:00 – Introduction03:08 – Connecting with SAND07:03 – Listening10:54 – Path to the Empowered Heart Guidebook16:40 – Writing Process19:34 – Circular Map26:24 – The Rhythm of the Path32:24 – Rushing Towards Solutions40:20 – Remembering The Heart48:38 – Healing in Community53:22 – Empowered Support the production of the Sounds of SAND podcast by becoming a SAND Member

Join SAND co-founders Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo in conversation with Aboriginal elders and authors Uncle Paul Callaghan and Uncle Paul Gordon for a colorful community conversation, “On the Dreaming Path,” where we’ll explore some of the profound teachings shared in their latest book. "Uncle" Paul Callaghan is an award-winning author and accomplished speaker. He has qualifications in a very diverse range of disciplines and a PhD in creative practice. He is also an Aboriginal story teller from the land of the Worimi people who has spent many years “out bush” listening and learning. He has life experience in many industries, Aboriginal culture and heritage and Aboriginal community services. "Uncle" Paul Gordon is a Ngemba man. Born in Brewarrina, he grew up on the Barwon River in Northwestern New South Wales, Australia. Since 1983 he has spent most of his time with the Old Men learning about country and lore. Uncle Paul has dedicated his life to teaching and working with communities throughout Australia to support learning through lore and culture. For the past 15 years, he has been leading camps and workshops for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to reconnect to culture. As a traditional knowledge holder and custodian of Aboriginal lore, he continues to share as part of his obligation to thousands of years of Aboriginal culture. The underpinning foundation of the book is his journey through depression and the role Aboriginal culture, spirituality and philosophy had in not only enabling him to recover, but also empowering him to live life by his truth rather than everybody else’s expectations. The book has a number of exercises and models based on his experience aimed at assisting people from all walks of life to build the courage and skills to live a life of purpose, choice and wellbeing. You will find it is a combination of styles including textbook, self help, Aboriginal history, Aboriginal philosophy, Aboriginal spirituality and an autobiography of his journey through depression. The Dreaming Path: Indigenous Thinking to Change Your Life Topics: 0:00 – Introduction4:33 – Dreamtime13:00 – Aboriginal Lore20:26 – A Dreamtime Story32:16 – Importance of Relationality41:26 – 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice Referendum

Welcome to the Sounds of SAND podcast and our final episode of the year. Today we present an Anthology episode culling poetry, song, talks and conversations from this podcast as well as Science and Nonduality conferences and events from the past decade. As the world around us quiets down and a blanket of stillness descends, we find ourselves at the heart of an ancient cultural and spiritual celebration – the winter solstice. People through out time have revered this moment of deep winter for its mystical powers of regrowth, healing, and hope that it’s always darkest before the light returns. Indeed many ancient civilizations noticed that the days were getting longer in the days just after the Winter Solstice. They celebrated the coming of longer days, the return of the sun in ancient Greece and Rome, Pagan religions and even the birth of Jesus in the Christian Religion all occurring in late December. These days with the polycrises of environmental collapse, cultural fragmentation, economic inequality and the brutal violence of wars in places like Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan we are all entangled in the dark blanket of shared grief. We’ll hear from SAND speakers like Maya Luna, Lama Rod Owens, Gabor Mate, Adyashanti, Mirabai Star, and Michael Meade who touch into themes of the dark night of the soul, silence, and a prayer for light to return to our collective consciousness. You can find the full list of speakers with timestamps in the Topics section. Please join us and settling in as we take a sonic journey as the season of silence is upon us. If you’re listening in the Southern part of the world, where the long days of summer are now expanding, I hope this episode finds you when deep winter arrives in June. Thank you for listening and being the shared light of awareness. Join SAND to support the mission and production of this podcast: TOPICS: 00:00:00 – Introduction00:04:44 – Joan Tollifson00:09:42 – Pamela Wilson00:16:48 – Adyashanti & Gabor Maté00:24:48 – Lama Rod Owens00:26:30 – Vera de Chalambert00:38:58 – Fred LaMotte00:47:32 – Mirabai Starr00:58:50 – Maya Luna01:04:36 – Amoda Maa01:24:06 – Michael Meade

A live recording from a recent SAND Community Gathers (Sept. 2023) hosted by Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo (co-founders of SAND). Along with their guest, Francis Weller, they explore themes of emptiness, individualism, self-help, separation, religion, belonging, relationality, and Francis's deep work with grief. Francis Weller, MFT, is a psychotherapist, writer and soul activist. He is a master of synthesizing diverse streams of thought from psychology, anthropology, mythology, alchemy, indigenous cultures and poetic traditions. Author of The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief; The Threshold Between Loss and Revelation, (with Rashani Réa) and In the Absence of the Ordinary: Essays in a Time of Uncertainty, he has introduced the healing work of ritual to thousands of people. He founded and directs WisdomBridge, an organization that offers educational programs that seek to integrate the wisdom from indigenous cultures with the insights and knowledge gathered from western poetic, psychological and spiritual traditions. Support the Sounds of SAND Podcast by becoming a SAND Member Episode Topics: 0:00 – Introduction4:00 – Emptiness & Individualism9:00 – Religion & The Original Trauma13:43 – Self-help & Separateness18:22 – Belonging23:46 – Grief & Emptiness28:57 – Rationality vs. Relationship34:32 – Joy & Grief44:20 – Buddhism & Emptiness46:48 – Guided Meditation from Francis

Peter Russell is on the faculty of the Institute of Noetic Sciences, a fellow of The World Business Academy and The Findhorn Foundation, and an Honorary Member of The Club of Budapest, and President of Science and NonDuality. In 1982 he coined the term "global brain" with his 1980s bestseller of the same name in which he predicted the Internet and the impact it would have. Peter Russell Interviews his AI Clone Peter’s new book, Forgiving Humanity: How the Most Innovative Species Became the Most Dangerous Peter’s Course on SAND, Enjoying Meditation Topics: 00:00 – Introduction03:23 – Peter’s AI Clone08:56 – The Black Box10:21 – Non-linearity11:17 – The Global Brain13:18 – Usefulness of GPTs15:52 – Forms of Intelligence17:38 – The Unexpected29:00 – AI & Consciousness31:32 – Digital Reality and Consciousness35:42 – Importance for Society50:48 – AI and Inequality53:57 – A Digital Dark Age?01:01:12 – The Future of AI