Beyond 80%

What happens when someone's spiritual experiences don't fit neatly inside a single belief system? In this episode of Beyond 80%, Ryan sits down with D. Paul—a Navy veteran, Native American holy man, author, and spiritual investigator—to explore a lifetime of experiences that challenged conventional ideas about faith, consciousness, and the unseen world. D. Paul shares stories of childhood encounte...

Why do so many couples end up feeling more like roommates than partners? In this episode of Beyond 80%, Ryan sits down with marriage experts Heidi and Scott Hastings to explore the hidden patterns, assumptions, and relationship "scripts" that shape how couples interact—often without realizing it. Drawing from decades of marriage, clinical experience, medical expertise, and research on resilience i...

What happens when evolutionary biology collides with modern cultural narratives? In this episode of Beyond 80%, Ryan sits down with geologist, researcher, and author Marc Defant to explore one of today's most controversial conversations: the relationship between biology, culture, feminism, and human behavior. Drawing from evolutionary psychology, Marc argues that many of the differences between me...

What happens when curiosity becomes your way of moving through the world? In this episode of Beyond 80%, Ryan sits down with filmmaker, science communicator, and adventurer Chris Baron. From living inside a cave for a week and rappelling into an active volcano to filming wildlife across Africa and producing documentaries for National Geographic, Disney+, PBS, and the BBC, Chris has spent his caree...

As the Waking Up season enters its final chapter, this short episode introduces the themes that connect the last four conversations: love, meaning, and the search for a bigger picture. Throughout this season, we've explored the stories, assumptions, fears, and identities that shape how we experience reality. But once we begin questioning those patterns, a new question emerges: What are we waking u...

What happens when the story society tells no longer matches the reality people are living? In this solo episode, Ryan reflects on three recent conversations with Damon Cassidy, Doug Cardell, and Diana Colleen, exploring the growing gap between cultural narratives and everyday experience. From stagnant wages and rising housing costs to generational tension and the psychology of extreme wealth, this...

In this episode of Beyond 80%, Ryan sits down with psychologist and creator of the Divine Intelligence Process, Dr. Jayne Gardner, to explore how childhood experiences, attachment patterns, and emotional memories shape the subconscious beliefs people carry into adulthood. Together, they unpack the neuroscience behind limiting beliefs, why emotions can override logic, how the body stores unresolved...

In this episode of Beyond 80%, host Ryan Olexson sits down with author Diana Colleen to explore the ideas behind her debut novel They Could Be Saviors — a near-future speculative fiction that asks: what if the only way to save the planet is to kidnap the billionaires destroying it? Diana shares the personal story behind the book, from growing up in poverty and eating out of dumpsters, to a suicida...

In this episode of Beyond 80%, host Ryan Olexson sits down with economist and author Doug Cardell to break down one of the most misunderstood and emotionally charged topics in modern political conversation: socialism. Doug, who earned a PhD in economics specifically to understand why socialism fails, walks Ryan through the actual definition of socialism, why it gets confused with the Nordic model,...

In this episode of Beyond 80%, host Ryan Olexson sits down with 26-year-old content creator and YouTuber Damon Cassidy to explore one of the most overlooked forces shaping modern life: how work became the primary source of our identity—and what that's costing us. Damon shares the story of how a banking job, an 11-cent raise, and a front-row seat to financial collapse pushed him to quit and build a...

This season of Beyond 80% is about what it feels like to start waking up, slowly realizing who you are, questioning the systems you were handed, and noticing the quiet tension that something about the way we’re living doesn’t quite fit. This season moves through three core themes—identity, systems, and meaning—with space in between to slow down, reflect, and make sense of it all. Subscribe and fol...

We have more access to information, tools, and frameworks than ever before. More ways to improve, fix, optimize, and understand ourselves. And yet—most people still feel stuck. In this first stretch of the season, the conversation wasn’t really about adding more. It was about noticing where we’ve been looking for answers in the first place—and how often we’ve been taught to look outward for things...

  Most people move through life assuming their reality is something happening to them. Something outside of them. Something to react to, manage, or control. But what if your inner world plays a much bigger role than you’ve been taught? In this conversation, Dylan Borland explores the idea that your thoughts, beliefs, and attention actively shape the reality you experience. Drawing from a range of...

Most of us were never taught how to understand what we feel. Instead, we learned to push emotions down, ignore them, or try to get rid of them as quickly as possible. But what if that entire approach is backwards? In this conversation, Dr. Jennifer Veilleux breaks down the idea that emotions aren’t problems—they’re messages. Signals from your mind and body pointing to what matters, what needs atte...

Most of us are living inside a voice we didn’t choose. It’s the one that tells you you’re not ready, not good enough, or that something isn’t going to work—and for most people, it’s been running for so long they don’t even question it. In this conversation, David Alan Brown shares how self-talk shapes the way we see ourselves, the decisions we make, and ultimately the lives we build. After years o...

This season of Beyond 80% is about what it feels like to start waking up—slowly realizing who you are, questioning the systems you were handed, and noticing the quiet tension that something about the way we’re living doesn’t quite fit. After last season’s exploration of near-death experiences and consciousness, this season brings the conversation closer to everyday life. Through conversations with...

We’ll be back with regular Beyond 80% episodes in April.  In the meantime, this final episode of the Beyond the Brain series steps back to reflect on the journey we’ve taken together. Across eight episodes, we explored near-death experiences, neuroscience, philosophy, and firsthand accounts from people who have been to the edge of death. From scientific research to spiritual interpretations, the s...

In this episode of Beyond 80%, host Ryan Olexson is joined by Gretchen Jones, a death doula who supports individuals and families through the final stages of life, and someone who has personally experienced profound shared death experiences. While much of this season has explored near-death experiences from the perspective of those who return, Gretchen offers a different lens: the experiences of t...

In this episode of Beyond 80%, host Ryan Olexson explores the profound nature of consciousness with Dr. Susan Blackmore, a psychologist and philosopher renowned for her work on out-of-body experiences and the nature of the self. Dr. Blackmore recounts her own transformative experiences and discusses how neuroscience and zen practice converge in understanding consciousness. The conversation delves...

In this episode of Beyond 80%, host Ryan Olexson speaks with Dr. Kevin Nelson, a neurologist and author of 'The Spiritual Doorway in the Brain,' about the neurological underpinnings of near-death experiences (NDEs). Dr. Nelson explains how extraordinary experiences during NDEs, such as tunnels of light and out-of-body sensations, can be traced back to brain physiology. He discusses the role of REM...

In part 2 of the Experiencers episode, host Ryan Olexson examines the challenging aftermath of near-death experiences (NDEs) through the personal stories of five individuals. The episode chronicles the painful and transformative journey of reentry into life, highlighting the physical, emotional, and spiritual adjustments each person undergoes. From medical recoveries to existential realizations, i...

In this episode of Beyond 80%, host Ryan Olexson explores profound Near Death Experiences (NDEs) through the stories of five individuals: Ash Perrow, John J. Davis, Christina Duffy, Kathy McDaniel, and Rosemary Thornton. In part one of a two-part series, each recounts their unique journey beyond death, from tranquil voids and realms of light to darker, heart-wrenching experiences. These narratives...

In this episode of Beyond 80%, host Ryan Olexson delves into the profound phenomenon of life reviews within near-death experiences (NDEs) with Dr. Robert Coppes, a seasoned researcher in the field. Dr. Coppes shares his journey from an economist to a leading figure in NDE research, and discusses the pivotal influence that Raymond Moody's pioneering book had on his career. The conversation covers v...

In this episode of Beyond 80%, host Ryan Olexson sits down with neurosurgeon Dr. Eben Alexander to explore the near-death experience that radically reshaped his understanding of consciousness. Once a firm materialist, Dr. Alexander recounts how a severe case of bacterial meningitis left his neocortex shut down. Yet during that time, he experienced a vivid realm of profound love, meaning, and aware...

In the premiere episode of 'Beyond 80% Near Death Experience mini-series,’ host Ryan Olexson discusses the mysteries of consciousness, near-death experiences (NDEs), and reincarnation with Dr. Marieta Pehlivanova from the University of Virginia's Division of Perceptual Studies. Dr. Pehlivanova shares her journey into this esoteric field, the transformative power of NDEs, and the necessity of study...