Almost Awakened – Almost Awakened

Spiritual Atheist is a ground-breaking ‘philosophical memoir’ that draws on the author’s knowledge of cutting-edge neuroscience, physics, and psychology; his insights into wisdom traditions like Taoism, Kabbalah, Advaita Vedanta, Buddhism, Zen, and Sufism; and twenty years experience leading hundreds of major organizations, and tens of thousands of individuals, to transform themselves. Unable to f...

Britt & Bill once again invite Jana Spangler and Anthony Miller on to dive deep into the idea of Doubt. This is the second of three parts using Brian McLaren’s book “Faith After Doubt” as the framing for this conversation. And along the way they hope to address the following. Doubt as Descent Doubt as Dissent Doubt as Love Doubt as a Human Problem Faith, Beliefs, and Revolutionary Love RESOURC...

A dive into Greek Mythology and archetype for this episode. Chiron was the wisest of all centaurs, who can teach a lot about our wounds. It is in our wounds that we are healed.

Hartley and Reel sit down with Theologian and Philosopher Thomas Jay Oord to discuss Theology. Namely how Religion helps us connect with our inner and outer world. How humans are social creature who crave connection and whose minds seeks meaning constantly. Oord, Hartley, and Reel facilitate a conversation where we look into the Idea of GOD and if can can create a framing for God that allows us to...

Britt & Bill once again invite Jana Spangler and Anthony Miller on to dive deep into the idea of Doubt. Using Brian McLaren’s book “Faith After Doubt” as the framing for this conversation. And along the way they hope to address the following. * Doubt as Loss – How did you experience doubt as a loss? * Doubt as Loneliness – How did doubt bring loneliness? * Doubt a...

On this weeks episode Bill and Britt discuss How to have “Difficult Conversations”. When a Hard Disagreement occurs, often our Egos get in the way of having hard conversations where both sides feel heard and understood. Often even small conversations with nothing at stake can have us misunderstanding each other. So today Bill & Britt share their insights into how to navigate diffic...

Often when we hear “Brainwashing” or “Mind Control” it feels weird or a little science fiction to us. In reality, mind control refers to a specific set of methods and everyday normal appearing techniques that influence how a person thinks, feels, and acts. Our minds can easily be influenced… simply notice the billions spent in advertising. So in today’s episode...

Bill runs solo today and decides to talk about Privilege. How privilege permits a person or group of people to redistribute negatively felt experiences or trauma and allowing others or imposing others take that additional trauma or negative experience on. He then talks about who were the system makers. Why did we choose them to be our voice? To make our systems? To create our rules? Bill points ou...

Britt and Bill explore the concept of “Dangerous Ideas”. Ideas that have the potential to turn our world upside down or to cause disruption to current systems, the outside world, or chaos to the inner mind. QUESTIONS DISCUSSED Sending signals into space to contact extraterrestrial life Is not having a concept of Free Will dangerous Believing jesus will return and set everything straigh...

This Week Britt & Bill take a look as various data including the Pew Research Data and try to extrapolate some of the shifts away and beyond from past generations, that Generation Z is making. How are they different from their parents and Grandparents and how healthy or unhealthy might these shifts be. And where do they fall in their trust and loyalty to religious systems and systems generally...

The Tree of Contemplative Practices illustrates some of the many contemplative practices used in education and secular organizations. In this Episode Britt & Bill walk us through this graphic discussing its meaning and usefulness. On the Tree of Contemplative Practices, the roots symbolize the two intentions that are the foundation of all contemplative practices: cultivating awareness and deve...

Bill and Britt Discuss the four Attachment styles. What are the Attachment Styles. What leads to someone displaying said style. What is healthy and unhealthy about each. And what can be done if anything to move towards a secure attachment style. RESOURCES: https://www.attachmentproject.com/blog/four-attachment-styles/#:~:text=There%20are%20four%20adult%20attachment,Secure Anxious Attachment: Cause...

Religious Humanism seeks to heal the world through religion done better. It uses the cultural technology of religion to foster individual and collective thriving, and aims this uniquely motivating force at the urgent problems that confront us today. We sit down with Humanist Chaplain Jared Anderson to discuss Religious Humanism is and how its approach plays out in the world. RESOURCES: Jared&#8217...

Britt & Bill tackle Spiritual Bypassing on todays episode. Spiritual bypassing describes a tendency to use spiritual explanations to avoid complex psychological issues. Rather than working through hard emotions or confronting unresolved issues, people would simply dismiss them with spiritual explanations. RESOURCES: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-spiritual-bypassing-5081640#:~:text=Spiri...

We pick up from last week’s episode and continue the conversation here in Part 2. Where does morality come from and how best might we humans nudge to a more effective way to create and perpetuate a healthier morality. RESOURCES: Sam Harris – TED Talk “Science can answer moral questions” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj9oB4zpHww Sam Harris — The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Hu...

In this Episode Britt and Bill tackle a question that often comes up. If you leave religion how will you know right from wrong and how will you maintain a healthy morality rather than a laissez-faire attitude where anything goes? RESOURCES: Sam Harris – TED Talk “Science can answer moral questions” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj9oB4zpHww Sam Harris — The Moral Landscape: How...

We sit down with Mike Bahr who deconstructed his religious system later in life. We discuss what all is involved in deconstruction. The letting go of beliefs, the re-evaluating the existence of God, and the loss of community. But we also talk about how for most this feels like growth and involves feeling happier and more content with life.

Britt and Bill pick up off last week’s conversation where they discussed the benefits of a religious narrative and religious community when one is faced with tragedy and trauma and attempt in this conversation to help us understand how we got there. How did God come to be? Which Gods had more holding power? What functions did these adaptations have for helping groups of humans collaborate an...

Britt comes back to update us on her life and to expound with Bill on the idea of how Religion helps us to deal with trauma. And How one receives such support outside a religious paradigm. They hope to help you see value in the mechanisms religions bring to the table and to help us all figure out how to not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Bad things are going to happen to each of us and if...

Britt shares an update on her family situation and thoughts about spirituality in trauma after religion. To help Britt, her daughter and their family please consider the following options 1.) You can donate to the Almost Awakened Podcast and where Britt receives a significant majority of the funds collected. https://almostawakened.org/donate-to-almost-awakened-podcast/ (Tax Deductable) 2.) You can...

Britt and Bill take a look at spiritual practices on the edges of society. Tarot, Necromancy, Divination, Crystals, Clairvoyance, Reiki, and many others. What is real and what isn’t and how can we know. And if some or even all of these practices contain no real supernatural processes, can they still be useful?

Bill & Britt dive into some wisdom around friendship and what it takes to be in relationship with others. We discuss little intricacies that we have learned over the years that will contribute to healthy relationships and community

Bill sits down with Carol Hollowell, founder and Executive Director of SwitchPoint. Switchpoint is a non-profit whose goal is to tackle homelessness and poverty throughout the state of Utah. They are doing this in dynamic ways that hitting the issue head on. Today we sit down and talk about the problem of homelessness in the state of Utah and cover what Switchpoint is doing to make a difference. R...

Today Bill flies solo and discusses the mechanisms and process by which two parties in a shared social space relieve each other of the pain or trauma and the shame or guilt when one party disrupts another. Once we grasp how this process works and what is going on underneath, we are much more likely to show up in a way that allows for real accountability, safe space for processing, and an easier ti...

Bill and Britt sit down with Kimber Dutton, host of the podcast “Just Be Your Bad Self” to explore a conversation around being the bad ass person you are without the limitations the world places on you and even the limitations you place on your self. The topics we hope to center the conversation on are – Authenticity – Letting Go Of Perfection – Moving On From Patriar...