In this episode, we are joined by author and journalist Mike Fiorito to discuss his upcoming book, 'For All We Know' (now available for pre-order), and to chat about UFOs, enchantment, spirituality, music, and the manifold ways that humans metabolise extraordinary and anomalous experiences.

Mike is a freelance journalist and the author of The Hated Ones, Falling from Trees, Sleeping with Fishes, Call Me Guido, Freud’s Haberdashery Habits and Hallucinating Huxley. His most recent book, 'Mescalito Riding His White Horse,' received the 2024 Independent Press Distinguished Book Award (in the Spiritual category), and *Falling from Trees* received the 2022 Independent Press Distinguished Book Award (in the Short Story category).

Episode contents:

5:19 - Mike’s work as a music journalist and sources of inspiration.
8:17 - Connection with Peter Rowan.
10:00 - Approaching UFOlogy through philosophy and literature.
14:39 - *For All We Know* as a book about enchantment.
15:30 - UFOlogical approaches to anomalous phenomena.
22:08 - UFOs and ‘us.’
23:10 - Anthropocentrism and UFOlogy.
26:50 - The ethical and metaphysical implications of UFOs.
29:11 - UFOs and the Structure of Scientific Revolutions
31:55 - Our discomfort with not knowing.
37:00 - On seeking other-than-human intelligence.
42:56 - On the notion of ‘paranormal’ and ‘supernatural.’
49:00 - On bringing lightness and humour into the narrative.
51:00 - Relating to plants and fungi as beings.
58:00 - ‘Nature’ is not good or bad.
59:00 - On the power and enchantment of music.
1:11:45 - The power of music and stories to inspire compassion.
1:18:40 - Disenchantment as a tool of the oppressor.
1:20:55 - For All We Know as a book about enchantment.
1:24:45 - Influence of J.R.R. Tolkien and fantasy literature.

For more about Mike and his work, please visit: www.mikefiorito.com

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Shrīmāla - https://www.shrimala.com

In this episode, Erik is joined by his good friend Anna Raithel, an emotional intelligence coach and ritual arts specialist in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. They discuss the potency of ritual to create rhythm and spaciousness in our lives, to engender authentic relationship with a wide range of 'others,' and to foster a deeper sense of embodiment in one's spiritual practice. They also discuss the power of ritual to transform our perception of simple and mundane things into something sacred and deeply enchanting, allowing us to recover a sense of wonder and what it means to be human (in a more-than-human world).

Anna Raithel lived and worked for many years at Tara Mandala, a residential Tibetan Buddhist retreat centre in Colorado, where she trained in ritual arts under Khenpo Ugyen Wangchuk and numerous other lamas and chöpöns (ritual masters). She currently serves as Tara Mandala's head chöpön, leading ritual activity and teaching the wider community how to hold the form-realm of practice. Anna is also an emotional intelligence coach, working with clients and organisations to develop mindfulness and self-awareness.

Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Background
02:38 - The Complexity of Ritual Arts
08:03 - Anna's Journey into Ritual Arts
20:35 - Ritual as Embodied Practice
23:25 - Ritual as Enchantment and Magic
32:13 - Breaking the Duality of Mind and Body
40:50 - Finding Enchantment in the Material World
45:27 - The Importance of Relationality and Ritual in Engaging with Nature
48:10 - The Significance of Mundane Rituals in Buddhist Practice
49:08 - The Relational Paradigm and the Rights of Non-Human Beings
54:30 - Rituals as a Means of Engaging with the Environment and Non-Human Beings
56:23 - The Need for Reciprocity and Relationship in the Anthropocene
01:04:06 - Recognising Humans as an Aspect of Nature
01:08:44 - Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence in the Modern World
01:14:07 - Anna's work as an Emotional Intelligence Coach

More info about Anna's Emotional Intelligence work: https://www.beyondei.inc

Subscribe to Erik Jampa's Substack - https://erikjampa.substack.com
On Unseen Beings and Erik Jampa - https://www.unseen-beings.com
Shrīmāla - https://www.shrimala.com

In this episode, I'm joined by Tatyanna Wright, a spiritual transformation coach, author, and host of The Conscious Diva podcast, for an enchanting discussion about nature spirits, Nepali shamanism, and the lived experience of being in relationship with unseen beings.

A former television producer, Tatyanna now supports clients around the world to spiritually transform their lives through meditation and deep healing. After decades of study in the Vedic tradition of Kashmir Shaivism, Tatyanna now work in the Khaas Nepali Shamanic tradition, and is a student of Bhola Nath Banstola, a Jhankri Shaman from Nepal. She is also currently writing her first book (details forthcoming).


The Conscious Diva - https://www.theconsciousdiva.com

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Subscribe to Erik Jampa's Substack - https://erikjampa.substack.com
On Unseen Beings and Erik Jampa - https://www.unseen-beings.com
Shrīmāla - https://www.shrimala.com