Episode Details

I say this all the time – but today’s interview is one of my favorites of all time. Jamie Wheal is a talented conversationalist, killer writer, and the author of Recapture the Rapture, a supremely high-level how-to book, if you will, on how people might recapture the individual bliss and collaborative magic that we’ve strayed so far away from.

We assess society at this stage of de-evolution before delving into ways Jamie has uncovered that we may deepen our understanding, and thus, our experience. Then, we spend some time talking about sex – past the stigmas and social strcutures put in place to distract and confuse us – to hone in on what a deeply spiritual and connective practice it can be, if you let it.

We wrap with a thoughtful dissection of what makes a bad cult, and what makes a good one. Jamie delivers his insight without even a hint of pretentiousness; he’s honest, hopeful, and confident – giving his words an inviting warmth that I know you’ll enjoy.

00:07:34 — A Critical Juncture for Humans

• Recapture the Rapture by Jamie Wheal
• 17k-foot hike to a hot spring full of snakes
• Connection between “Rapture” and “rapture”
• The Woodstock/Burning Man of 1803 
• American spiritual soup
• Why we can’t hear the centrists

00:34:23 — Ascension is Possible: Finding Meaning 3.0 

• William James and nitrous oxide (The Atlantic)
• Substances as a tool
• Your brain on nitrous oxide
• Intentionality is everything
• Ritualistic use in tribal Western New Guinea

00:59:01 — Sexual Practices to Deepen Your Experience

• Illuminating the lack of research on sexuality 
• Unique nature of human sexuality 
• Sex magic and hermetic traditions
• Creating a more exalted experience 
• Truly making love 

01:31:34 — Building Ethical Cults

• Luke’s first (and second) cult
• Building communities that support each other
• Red flags for spotting and avoiding a culty cult 
• Metaphysics, ethics, and sacraments
• Exploring the work of Lisa Feldman Barett
• The Follow → Fuck → Fear → Fight cycle
• 12 traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous
• Highlighting the influence of Alice Walker and Joanna Macy
• Celebrating the work of Ken Kesey, Robert Anton Wilson, and