The Thinning

Gail Behrend spent twenty years as a mechanical engineer, learning to think in systems, control the variables, and add factors of safety. Then a relationship ended, she hit bottom, and something completely outside her engineering training showed up. A voice. A rush of energy. An experience of love so total it redrew her entire map of reality. In this conversation, Gail and Steven find that a contr...

Former Atlanta police detective and Suffolk County cop Michael Morgan spent 30 years burying the weight of the worst moments in other people's lives — homicides, child deaths, the visceral cries he couldn't unhear. When a forced retirement brought everything flooding back, he knew he needed something radical. In this raw and remarkable conversation, Michael shares how ayahuasca unlocked a...

What happens when “neighborhood lore” about a Native American burial ground turns into a life-altering spiritual calling? In this episode, Steven Martin talks with Mike (joining from the West Coast in Oregon) about an extraordinary series of experiences that began when Mike and his wife considered moving away from their Washington property near Seattle—and instead, his wife began receiving vivid d...

What happens when a lifelong Christian pastor — raised to believe tarot was dangerous, occult, and forbidden — sits down with a professional tarot reader for the first time? In this fascinating and surprisingly emotional conversation, Steven Martin talks with tarot reader and teacher Jeni Archer about spirituality, intuition, faith, skepticism, and the power of symbolic language. What begins as cu...

In this engaging conversation, Clementine Moss (drummer for the all-female Zeppelin tribute band, Zepparella , shares her unique journey from a late start in drumming at 27 to becoming a spiritual counselor and musician. She discusses the connection between music and spirituality, the influence of iconic drummers like John Bonham, and the importance of groove and feel in music. The dialogue explor...

I feel like I found a brother when I interviewed Hunt. He is honest, truthful, and only wants to share with others the power of the experience he’s had. Hear his story and embark upon his journey, but know that seeking (and finding) truth does not come without a cost. Hunt's organization: ligare.org

Nancy is a fascinating intuitive with a disarming personality: quite simply, her intuition produces results. Get ready for a wide-ranging conversation about listening to and trusting yourself, and how this can make a difference in the lives of people around you. Nancy has a few wild stories that will keep you listening to the very end! Find out more about Nancy at https://nancyorlenweber.com/.

In this conversation, we’re diving into one of music’s strangest (and most human) questions: where does it actually come from? Why do some kids seem to arrive already “plugged in” — composing, improvising, and owning music long before anyone could reasonably teach it? And what is that unmistakable feeling musicians describe as “the zone,” where it doesn’t feel like you’re doing the music so much a...

Michelle Henderson joins Steven for a raw, wide-ranging conversation about spiritual calling, religious fear, and what it means to step outside the “church box” without abandoning faith. Michelle shares her journey from education and burnout to intuitive work—and a pivotal ayahuasca experience she says helped purge deep fear and reconnect her to love and purpose. They dig into prayer, channeling,...

What happens when certainty loosens—and experience takes the lead? In this episode of The Thinning , Steven Martin sits down with Hope Fitzgerald for a wide-ranging conversation about intuition, change, and what it means to stay fluid in a world that often rewards rigidity. Hope reflects on her decades-long journey through spiritual study, dowsing, and end-of-life work, including a series of forma...

What if inner peace has nothing to do with spiritual experiences, self-improvement, or finding the “right” path? In this episode of The Thinning, Steven Martin sits down with trauma recovery guide Laura Giles for a wide-ranging, grounded conversation about why so many sincere seekers still feel unsettled—and what might actually be missing. Laura challenges the culture of instant gurus and peak exp...

A deep conversation between two pastors about a profound psilocybin experience in a Johns Hopkins study and its impact on spirituality, preaching, and understanding of consciousness. Host: Steven D. Martin Guest: Rev. Kerra Becker English

What happens when our explanations fall short—but the experience remains? The Thinning is a new long-form podcast exploring the edges of human understanding: consciousness, near-death experiences, anomalous encounters, and the questions they raise across science, psychology, and culture. The show isn’t interested in hype or easy answers. It’s interested in how people make meaning when certainty lo...