Existential Tetherball

Levity - jokes, inappropriate humor, the policing of behavior, relatability, naturally opposing forces, the imbuing of lightness, fart noises, baking soda... This episode's got a lot going on (as always seems to be the case, tbh). In this episode, Rachel & Gordon jam on levity - what it is (defined - present day usage, etymological deep dive) as well as what it means and evokes for them person...

We're back! In Episode 8, G and R jam on "Multiplicity and Coherence." Covered: We start with "multiplicity" - exploration of meaning, many Michael Keatons; also: visualizing atomic and cellular multiplicity and coherence We then move to "coherence" - an exploration of meaning (external and internal), key themes: connection and "co"herence (in contrast to "adherence); "nonduel" and "nondual" Ways...

Today, on EPISODE SEVEN of Existential Tetherball, Rachel and Gordon explore intelligence. They jam on definitions/meanings/assumptions of (and around intelligence), the nature of intelligence and new ways of understanding, new models for engaging with intelligence, notions of participation and stewardship of intelligence, and the significance of neurodiversity and the sensing body. intelligence i...

Hello there! Welcome to Existential Tetherball – a podcast designed to explore depth meaning in the service of stronger connections. In this intro, your hosts, Rachel Fell and Gordon Smith, share a bit about the what and the why behind this new series, touching on themes of curiosity, untapped relationship with meaning, co-creativity, openness, the pragmatism of shared exploration, and the possibi...

We're elated to have Karin Eglinton ( karineglinton.com ) join us for this episode (six!) of Existential Tetherball. Our tether this go around: SYNCHRONICITY // Karin Eglinton – a psychic reader, energy healer, astrologer, spirit worker, and psycho-spiritual coach and mentor – joins Gordon Smith and Rachel Fell to explore synchronicity and meaning. Karin begins by sharing a definition from Jeffrey...

Hi friends! In episode five, Gordon & Rachel welcome their friend BK. The conversation explores the concept of pilgrimage as a transformative journey. Together, the group dives into the meaning of pilgrimage by exploring and sharing experiences, learnings, and the archetypes associated with pilgrimage. Also discussed: the distinction between structured/un and intentional/un pilgrimages, the sa...

Episode FOUR - can you believe it? (We can't.) This episode focuses on story, narrative, and "awen" (the flow of creative inspiration), featuring Laura Hope-Gill ( https://laurahopegill.com/ ). (FYI: Laura and Gordon both live in Asheville and have collaborated on a number of interesting creative projects.) Together, Laura, Gordon, and Rachel jump into the wilderness of meaning related to story: l...

Our THIRD episode of Existential Tetherball is our FIRST episode with a guest! We're so stoked to have Bee Mayhew ( https://missnomer.substack.com/ ) join us on an expansive co-exploration of "humanity." To start, we dive into foundational definitions of humanity, taking the time to parse subject from judgment/imbued definitions of value. Bee also tells us a really funny story about getting hit in...

Episode 2! In this episode, Gordon and Rachel dive into the squish and form that is the subject matter of this entire series – EXISTENTIAL. (So this episode is entirely meta-existential, tbh). They start at the intersections of neurodiversity/neurodivergence and existential, exploring the relationship between academic philosophers, embodied subjective experiences, and fundamental questions of exis...

In this, our very first full episode of EXISTENTIAL TETHERBALL, Gordon and Rachel explore the concepts of neurodiversity and neurodivergence. They explore neurodiversity as a biological truism, a philosophy, a methodology, and a lens through which to understand human intelligence and unseen diversity. Together, they explore a living, full-body definition of intelligence, and speak to the importanc...