Join host Greg Carlwood of The Higherside Chats podcast as he talks the Trump win, initiation and the ecological crisis with today’s guest, Daniel Pinchbeck.
It seems even the most dense of observers can see we have serious problems. The economic game the elite have built is more one-sided and unsustainable than ever, The Earth seems to be going through serious stress while multinational companies continues to pick it’s bones clean without regard, and the one-two punch of media and education has dumbed down the population and pacified our pineals so thoroughly that most of the mainstream wade through life in defeated apathy and exhausted indifference. It’s a multi-faceted crisis of consciousness like we’ve never seen, and as the proverbial train comes closer and closer to derailment- the shadowy cabal of conductors seems to have little gameplan beyond “full steam ahead.”
Today’s guest has racked his brain, broken open the head, and ceremoniously sent his consciousness deep into the great beyond in his attempts to develop a system of solutions to the rickety runaway train we call modern society. He is the renowned author, philosopher, and psychonaut, Daniel Pinchbeck. After having gotten himself on the radar with his first two books, “Breaking Open the Head” and “2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatal”, he’s laying out the roadmap to right the ship and solve many of the previously mentioned problems in his latest work, “How Soon Is Now”. Joining the Higherside Chats on the morning after the election, Greg and Daniel dive deep into the pool of weird.
6:09 With the country coming to terms with the election results, Greg and Daniel begin by discussing what this could mean. Like many of us on the Trump train, whether it be willingly or not, Daniel details the coaster of emotions and thoughts he’s endured throughout his observations of the election cycle. And while people have claimed this result may be an indication of underlying racism or sexism throughout our culture, one can argue these outlandish statements don’t translate to the policies and overt corruption we’ve seen with the Clintons. On the other hand, there is a fear rooted in past experience, where leaders with such demagogic tendencies have the power to erode and dismantle crucial democratic institutions. Listen as Greg and Daniel discuss the long history of disastrous policy that has brought us to our current point of complacency.
13:42 After covering the treacherous path our collective species faces if we don’t take preserving our planet seriously coupled with Trump’s policies threatening to accelerate us towards our demise by the expansion of fracking and coal production, Greg and Daniel tackle where we are in our biospheric crisis and the ways we are subconsciously self-initiating our species.
22:39 While Daniel’s work presents a clear and concise blueprint for what must be done in the future to save the species, many people aren’t in doubt of what needs be done, but instead limited by the corporate greed that has destroyed our eco-system and bled into our politics and policy in search of the almighty profit. Daniel outlines the inspirations and influencers he’s used throughout writing his books and how his works were conceived as an attempt to address an educational disconnect. With his newest book largely covering topics of our biospheric crisis and our best option plans for the future, Daniel details why his blueprint is a necessary tool in recovery.
32:50 After reviewing Daniel’s experiences at Burning Man, and how they can shed some light onto the malleability of human nature, Greg and Pinchbeck pivot to discuss another topic covered in his book: his noble goal “to influence the influencers”. Daniel reflects on his potential impact on people like Russell Brand and his experience charting a copter to view crop circles with Sting. He also discusses the effects of fame and the lessons learned from being thrust into the limelight.
44:42 One of the topics covered in his new book is the evolution of love and sexuality in society, the need for harmony between the sexes and the dissolution of the nuclear family. Greg and Daniel examine the difference in cultures, relationships, society and child-rearing Pinchbeck experienced while spending time with an indigenous tribe and whether there is something to be learned from them.
52:12 After covering where our collective consciousness has been heading since 2012 and taking into account the recent election results, Greg and Daniel revisit climate change. While it can not be disputed that human activity has forever altered the landscape of our environment, one might still wonder, how much of this can be attributed to the planet’s natural cycle instead of us? They also discuss the issue of carbon-taxing and whether it is a nefarious play to handicap developing nations.
59:15 While Daniel has advocated moving forward beyond the blame game, he and Greg discuss the importance of identifying the most egregious offenders. If the erosion our of ecosystem can be attributed to mankind, maybe cracking down on corporations like Monsanto, Standard Oil, BP and Dow Chemicals isn’t such a bad idea? Pinchbeck offers the metaphor of humanity and the planet coexisting as a super organism and crucial pillars of society acting as elements of this collective body. As he points out, corporations are an important facet in society, but their structures need to be rethought.
1:07:50 After covering the ways in which the corporate structure needs to be remodeled to better serve today’s society, the benefits of currency restructuring, and the unlimited uses for blockchain technology, Greg and Daniel discuss current companies shifting their corporate policies to reflect the growing philanthropic move.
1:16:30 After discussing several new technologies that can offer promise of a more symbiotic future with our eco-system, Greg and Daniel elaborate on the use of bio-charring and other advanced permaculture techniques mentioned earlier. With indications throughout the globe that indigenous people harnessed these processes to cultivate and manipulate their surroundings, and astute observations by the great Gordon White, Greg and Pinchbeck examine the adaptability needed for the tribes to exist.
1:24:00 Having talked about both Burning Man and it’s recent intersection with the “Silicon Valley” dwellers, Greg and Daniel continues with their discussion on transhumanism, where the development of technology can take our species, psychedelics and the merging of these seemingly separate schools of thought.
Want more Daniel Pinchbeck? Check out his website and new book “How Soon Is Now”. You can also find him on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
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