Dream Chasers and Eccentrics

Michael Lauria is a qualified therapist, author and philosophical mythologist. He has been in private practice since 2006 and has spent more than 25,000 hours in the chair, most of them with men and couples, along with two years sitting with the dying in hospice and a year on a suicide hotline. He has written 48 books. Under his own name he is the author of Obsolete, Twenty Years in the Chair (4 N...

Eva Levina is an expert in narcissistic abuse recovery, a speaker in that field, and the author of the memoir series Death Is No Reason to Stop Living, a true story of surviving years of covert emotional abuse, recognizing manipulation that was hidden in plain sight, and rebuilding a life from the ground up. Like many survivors, Eva didn't realize she was in an abusive relationship for years. Ther...

Shu Yang developed a website calle electionssimplified.com in order to explain ballots and let voters know who the candidates are, what their records are, what they voted on, etc. It also explains ballot measures in simple language. The website doesn't promote any candidate, political party, or agenda, and it is free. In this interview, Shu explains the website and what inspired him to create it. ...

In his research into spiritual intelligence, pioneering researcher and TEDx speaker Dr. Amram created the first academically recognized spiritual intelligence theory along with an associated model for Spiritually Intelligent Leadership. His research has garnered over a thousand citations to date, and he has been featured on USA TODAY, Forbes, Inc. He also writes a regular column with Psychology To...

R.D. Ravenwood is the author of The Magical Life: A Guide to Building a World That Restores You. He is a retired CIO and entrepreneur and brings a systems thinker's perspective to a deeply human question: Why can we walk ten miles through a theme park and feel completely alive, yet feel exhausted by an ordinary day at home or work? His answer is that we are not always lacking motivation or discipl...

Austin Galante is an independent filmmaker, director, actor, and cinematographer. He's directed four feature films including the cult hit "Sanguine Teeth on a Driftless Road," an offbeat vampire road-trip comedy which picked up numerous festival awards including Best Comedy and Best Director. He's also an actor with roles across film and television. He has 34 film festival wins under his belt. Aus...

Robot Gardener is a science-fiction short story, read by Paul Trammell, the author.  I publish a new short story on paultrammell.substack.com on the first of every month, as well as occasional poetry, essays, and book reviews. Visit the link and subscribe for free to receive them in your mailbox.

Dr. Marion Nestle is Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Emerita, at New York University, which she chaired from 1988-2003 and from which she officially retired in September 2017.  She is also Visiting Professor of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell. She earned a Ph. D. in molecular biology and an M.P.H. in public health nutrition from the University of Californi...

Maya Rupert is a political strategist, social-justice leader, writer, and podcast host. In 2020, she was the campaign manager for Julián Castro's presidential campaign. She is currently the Executive Vice President of Blue State. Her latest book is "The Real Ones: How to Disrupt the Hidden Ways Racism Makes Us Less Authentic." We talk about what a campaign manager does, January 6th and why Trump w...

Alexa is a sci-fi / thriller short story by Paul Trammell, narrated by the author. The idea was inspired by a comment made by Tina Erwin in an earlier episode . I was asking her why spirits frequented Ouija boards and tarot cards. The short answer was "tradition," but she went on to say that it's entirely possible that technology could offer them a new and more effective portal. Why not an Alexa,...

Pete Goss is an explorer, adventurer, and sailor best known for his rescue of Raphael Dinelli in the 1996-1997 Vendee Globe race, for which he was awarded medals of honor from both the UK and France. He has also sailed across the Atlantic multiple times, led expeditions to the North Pole, kayaked around Tasmania, sailed the biggest catamaran ever built, and completed many other adventures. He wrot...

Mark Astor is a lawyer who leads a legal team dedicated to helping families in crisis due to mental health disorders, substance use, and failed recovery efforts. They deal with navigating involuntary treatment laws like Florida's Baker Act and the Marchman Act, working closely with clinical teams and family systems, and helping families regain control when a loved one's condition threatens their s...

In 1966, Robert Mitchell was drafted into the Vietnam War. He became a helicopter pilot and served until a crash sent him back to the USA, where he continued to serve as a flight instructor. After the war, he went to Europe and spent 12 years seeking spiritual knowledge in Germany and Crete. He finally returned to the USA free from the burdens of a wounded soul. He then became a teacher and taught...

John Bond is an author, publishing consultant, former editor, former librarian, and lover of books who has been immersed in books and the expression of ideas for over 35 years. His new novel is "To the End of Reckoning," high-concept speculative thriller that asks what happens when history stops being debatable. As a Publishing Consultant, John brings a deep understanding of getting started on wri...

Rand Timmerman is the author of "A Spiritual Passage," a book about hiking the Appalachian Trail with his brother, both in their seventies. He also a Vietnam Veteran with the Marines, a lawyer, and a recovering alcoholic. Through his work, he hopes to inspire people with physical, mental, and spiritual difficulties to achieve their dreams and goals and live a happy and fulfilled life.  We talk abo...

This is a remastered version of episode 4, from 2023, when the podcast was new. It's such a great interview that I remastered it and republished it. Sam Trammell is not only a great actor, but a fascinating person who had a dream, chased it to fruition, and made it happen. He is probably best known for his role as the shapeshifter Sam Merlotte in HBO's "True Blood," and has also been in "The Fault...

Margaret Bryden is a licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, author, and founder of Sage Insight Therapy. She works with individuals and couples navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction and life transitions. Margaret is the author of "How I Understand It: A Bad Poet's Guide to Mental Health & Resilience," where she introduces "bad poetry" as a powerful, accessible tool for emotional pr...

David Heska Wanbli Weiden is an award winning author, professor, and an enrolled citizen of the Sicangu Lakota nation. He received his MFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts, his law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, and his Ph. D. from the University of Texas at Austin. He's professor of English and Native American and Indigenous Studies at Stony Brook University...

Lincoln Stoller is a quantum physicist, neuropsychologist, hypnotherapist, clinical counselor, psychonaut, mountaineer, author, and educator. His approach to psychotherapy is unique and antiauthoritarian, combining science, spirit, economics, and mental health through an understanding of the hard sciences, the psyche, and the behavior of groups. We talk about quantum physics, psychotherapy, moutai...

This is an episode I published in February of 2024, and it is so good that I remastered it to remove background noise and improve sound quality. Even if you listened to it two years ago, it is well worth a second listen.  Dr. Emmett is a retired surgeon, sculptor, and author. He has a vast and unique knowledge of a level of consciousness that most of us don't perceive. We talk about self-image, th...

Anthony Horowitz is a British novelist and screenwriter who has written over fifty books. He started with children's books and first found success with the Alex Rider seires, which has sold over 21 million copies and was made in to a TV series on Amazon. As his readers grew up, he began writing mysteries, including Magpie Murders, which initiated a series on BBC Television. He has also written for...

Cornucopia is a short story about a mission to colonize another planet, written and narrated by Paul Trammell. Subscribe to paultrammell.substack.com to get a freee short story in your mailbox on the first of each month. Support the show through Patreon .  

Phyllis E Leavitt graduated from Antioch University with a Masters' Degree in Psychology and Counseling in 1989. She co-directed a sexual abuse treatment program called Parents United in Santa Fe, New Mexico until 1991 and then went into private practice full time. As a psychotherapist, she treated children, families, couples, and individual adults for 34 years, and has worked extensively with abu...

Phil Borges is a photographer and flimmaker dedicated to documenting the lives of indigenous cultures, and their shamans in particular.  His work is exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide and his award winning books, which have been published in four languages, include  Tibetan Portrait ,  Enduring Spirit ,  Women Empowered  and Tibet: Culture on the Edge. He has hosted television documentar...