Pushing Boundaries with Dr. Thomas R Verny

As I stand at the intersection of heartfelt gratitude and poignant closure, I can't help but reflect on the myriad of voices and perspectives that have graced this podcast. Over the span of two years and 43 episodes, I've had the honor of conversing with a tapestry of brilliant minds—scholars, writers, and medical professionals among them. Each conversation was a thread in the rich quilt...

Promise one thing: by the end of this conversation with bestselling author and professional speaker, Michael McQueen, you'll have an entirely new perspective on open-mindedness and persuasion. We embark on a deep exploration of the human mind, uncovering the psychology behind stubbornness and taking a fresh look at the art of ethically influencing others. Michael, renowned for his insightful...

What if our hands are the key to better communication and deeper understanding? Join me as I sit down with the esteemed Dr. Susan Golden Meadow, diving headfirst into an exploration of her groundbreaking research on the role of gestures in communication, thought, and learning. As we dissect the fascinating world of nonverbal communication, you'll learn how our hands can subtly influence other...

Join us for an eye-opening discussion with acclaimed film and television director, Stephen Gyllenhaal. Our conversation primarily revolves around his latest work, Uncharitable, a groundbreaking documentary that strikes at the heart of traditional views on charity operations. We embark on a thought-provoking exploration of gender disparity in the non-profit sector, the constraints that hinder chari...

Ever wondered how our hand movements not only express our thoughts but also shape them? Our guest, Dr. Susan Golden Meadow, is an expert in the fascinating world of gestures, and she's here to unravel their powerful role in communication, thinking, and learning. The magic of nonverbal cues is at your fingertips, from learning to navigate misdirection in conversations to understanding how pare...

Ever wondered about the hidden causes of homelessness? Join us as we unravel these with Joseph Jacques, co-founder, and director of Harmonic Humanity. An organization which is not just about providing immediate work for those living on the streets, but also about unfolding their potential through transformational education. Joseph, from his unique perspective, highlights the surprising connection...

Have you ever paused to think about how language can shape our relationship with the world around us? Jerry Fontaine and Don McCaskill, authors of the illuminating book 'To Own Ourselves: Embodying Ojibwe Anishinaabe Ways', join us to share a deep dive into this profound understanding. In the first part of our conversation, we learn about the duo's journey in creating the book, star...

Ever wondered how mysticism, quantum theory, and consciousness are intertwined? Well, get ready to unlock some mind-bending insights with our special guest, David Lorimer. An acclaimed writer, poet, and spiritual activist, David takes us on a journey through his unique upbringing and career, deeply influenced by his grandfather, Sir Robert Lorimer, a renowned architect and mystic. We dive into a p...

Join us for a fascinating conversation with my guest, Mike Rucker, an organizational psychologist and behavioral scientist. Mike unveils the intriguing science of happiness and warns us about the risk of 'ornamental hygiene' that can emerge from excessively pursuing this emotion. His book, 'The Fun Habit,' serves as a guide to experience a life filled with happiness without obs...

Ever wonder how Silicon Valley billionaires are investing in research to reverse and slow down the aging process? Well, let's get to the root of it with our guest, Faraz Khan. As a Management Consultant and Longevity Expert, Faraz has bridged his background in computer science and passion for anti-aging to create a platform dedicated to longevity. We delve into his journey and the groundbreak...

What if you could alter your mood, focus your mind, and even manage conditions like PTSD and depression just by listening to a certain type of sound? That's the revolutionary promise behind binaural beats, the focus of our conversation with Wayne Altman, the founder of Melody Clouds, on today's episode of Pushing Boundaries. Wayne shares his intriguing journey into the world of binaural...

Ever wondered how to unlock the secrets of financial success? Join me for an enlightening conversation with George Grombacher, a financial advisor with over 20 years of experience, as he shares his journey and the keys to achieving financial freedom. Discover how to create a vision for your future, set goals, and take small steps to get out of debt and find breathing room. George also discusses th...

What if the story of Atlantis was deeply connected to our own embryology, and the myths that surround it held the key to our prenatal development? Join me in an enlightening conversation with Dr. John Bonaducci, an expert in the captivating field of Mythobiogenesis, which he created during his doctoral studies. Discover how John transitioned from liturgy to mythology, connected with the Joseph Cam...

My guest today is Dr Stephanie Alice Baker, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, City, University of London. Her first book, Social Tragedy (Palgrave MacMillan 2014), analyzed how collective narratives emerge in different cultural contexts and the role of the media in communicating tragic events of social significance. Her second book examined how lifestyle and wellness influencers construct authority an...

My guest today is Mark Scott Rosenbaum, Ph. D. , Dean, College of Business, Hawaii Pacific University. Previously, he was dean and professor of marketing with the Graham School of Management at Saint Xavier University in Chicago. Prior to his leadership at St. Xavier Rosenbaum was chair and professor of the Department of Retailing at the University of South Carolina, the Kohl's Professor of M...

My guest today is Dr. Natalie Dyer, PhD, Research Scientist with Connor Whole Health at University Hospitals, Warrensville Heights, OH and President of the Center for Reiki Research. She has published many scientific papers and book chapters on postmaterialist science, psychedelics, and the therapeutic effects of integrative medicine practices, including Reiki, yoga, acupuncture, and mindfulness,...

My guest today is Helane Wahbeh ND MCR,  director of research at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS)—a nonprofit parapsychological research institute cofounded by astronaut Edgar Mitchel. Author of  Free To Be Me: A Journey of Transformation through Generational Healing, 2015 and The Science of Channeling: Why You Should Trust Your Intuition and Embrace the Force That Connects Us All, 2022. He...

My guest today is Dr. Steve Cole PhD, professor of Medicine, Psychiatry and Behavioral Science in the UCLA School of Medicine. What are signal transduction pathways? It's a way of basically perceiving, at the cellular level, what's going on outside and changing cellular behavior by increasing or decreasing rates of RNA transcription from the DNA genome at specific sites in the genome. A...

My guest today is Dr. Joann O’Leary, who holds a Masters Degree in Maternal-Child Health from the University of MN and a Masters in Psychology from Queens University in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Joann has published 5 books including  Different Baby, Different Story: Pregnancy and Parenting after Loss 2020 Meeting the Needs of Parents Pregnant and Parenting After Perinatal Loss 2016 Pregnancy Afte...

Intro to organoid intelligence Comparing brain organoids to supercomputers Is there any danger of organoids becoming conscious How much does it take to claim an intelligent system Impact of the work in the long run, on treatment of diseases like Alzheimer’s My guest today is Prof. Thomas Hartung, MD, PhD. He is the former Head of the European Commission’s Center for the Validation of Alternative M...

My guest today is Dr. Mel Borins  who is a Family Physician in private practice, and is on active staff at St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto, Canada. He is a Fellow of the College of Family Physicians of Canada, and Associate Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. For over two decades, he has been active and instrumental in training Physician...

My guest today is Dr. David Peters, Professor Emeritus, Westminster Centre for Resilience, College of Liberal Arts and Science University of Westminster, London. He has co-authored or edited five books about complementary therapies including The Encyclopaedia of Complementary Medicine in 1997, followed by The complete Guide to Integrated Medicine in 2000, Understanding the placebo response in comp...

We face a challenge of understanding information. Because information is considered as something that is written in a book, in a message in a newspaper, it's not understood as something that two bacteria can exchange. And then there is the social challenge, because we think typically of an individual,  an individual human, but not about the distributed cognition in a social setting, both for...

My guest today is Apab’yan Tew, speaker, herbalist doctor, bones therapist, auxiliary midwife, writer, researcher, musician and ceremonial dancer and singer currently practicing in the highlands of Central Mexico, Chiapas and Guatemala. He is the author of The Birth of a Universe: The Maya science of Pregnancy . Apab’yan spent 19 years becoming a spiritual guide with one female and one male teache...

My guest today is Dr. Dean Radin - Following a career in classical violin, Dean went on to earn an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amhurst, a master’s degree in electrical engineering and a doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. After his graduation, Dean conducted research at Princeton and Univers...