We're joined today by Keith Whelpley for an easy going, easy flowing exploration of what growing old is like. The conversation explores many aspects of both our internal and external lives, and how, and why, so many things change, shift, and morph as we transition to being older. Fun, candid, insightful.
Dr. James Rice, Professor of Sociology at New Mexico State University, shares some thoughts about what many people call collective madness, mass psychosis, or mass hysteria. We peek into some of the dynamics that lead to collective, frenzied, irrational states of mind. We touch on propaganda, media manipulation, fear, hate, delusion, and the demonizing of others. We look at some of the risks and perceived rewards of tribalism and ideological groupthink. Enjoy a thought-provoking exploration of problematic elements of the human psyche that have defined much of our history and continue to shape our world today.
Gabriel Rochelle brings us a thoughtful exploration of how we think, feel, and speak about humility.
What does the word mean? In contrast, what is pride? What's the relationship between humility and pride? Could greater humility enhance the quality of the individual and collective human experience? How might we expand our practice of humility? Today's guest, David Ostby, is the co-founder and Chief Technical Officer for an artificial intelligence company called "Savant X". David first joined us on "Think Again" for a conversation about AI in early February of 2020. He returns and touches on a broad array of considerations, including the evolution of AI and its expanding presence in 2023.
Things have changed. Today, Memorial Day, 2023, we listen for an hour to our guest Harvey Daiho Hilbert. He revisits and recounts his personal experience from 1966 forward, as a wounded, decorated Viet Nam combat veteran.
His story takes us from his enlistment, through his combat experience, including being shot in the head at 19 years old and his discharge from the Army. He speaks of his journey of recovery, earning a PhD in Social Work, his 30 years working with trauma survivors of all kinds, his path to Buddhism, and how it all shaped his future and present. An intimate, informed, insightful, thought-provoking and heart wrenching conversation. Much gratitude to Harvey Daiho Hilbert for sharing his experience. This multi-dimensional conversation with Zen Priest Harvey Daiho Hilbert focuses on some of the challenges and choices that we face today as individuals and as a culture, a society.
Daiho shines a light on the influences of Buddhism, art, language, writing, painting, personal choices, history, journaling, mental health, meditation and more. The conversation touches on questions like; What do we think is "real"? Why? How do we know? Have we ever been, and are we ever going to be, a harmonious species? If not, does conflict urge us toward finding individually and collectively creative solutions? Is that in itself something to be grateful for? A wide-ranging exploration of some of the difficulties and opportunities we face within ourselves, and our world today. Today, our guest Liz Liano helps us begin to explore the complex and complicated realms of mental health and mental health care. Liz is an artist, poet, musician, and a person with a mental health condition. Liz is also the President of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Southern New Mexico. (NAMI-SNM). Previously employed as a Peer Support Specialist at the Memorial Medical Center's Behavioral Health Unit, she speaks to the community impacts of the shutdown of that facility in August of 2022.
She speaks openly about her own experience and perspectives on how Covid 19, loneliness, social disconnection, technology, increasing depression, anxiety and suicide are taking a toll on the young and old in our community and communities around the country. Liz shares some of her personal and professional story, reads one of her poems, and provides us with contact information for local and national agencies and organizations that provide support. Today's guest, Lauren Villagran, is an El Paso Times reporter who covers immigration and the U.S. - Mexico Border.
The conversation touches on our regional border situation, global migration considerations, and "how we think" about these matters. We explore human attitudes and assumptions, our thinking, feelings, language, actions and policies that impact millions of humans around the world... We take a brief look at the right and left hemisphere brain functions, how they differ, and some readings on how those variances may influence our spirit towards others, our international policies, and more. In our country we're seeing a tidal wave of new legislation adversely impacting the rights and freedoms of the LGBTQ and specifically the Trans members of our communities. Recently, a conservative student organization at NMSU hosted an anti-trans speaker on campus. NMSU students and other community members peacefully protested the speaker's presence and rhetoric. The recent local event calls into question the often hateful and violent attitudes, speech and actions of some in our culture.
This program marks an initial exploration of how to "Think Again", about what our "Gender Expansive" friends, families, and neighbors are experiencing. Local trans man, Gauge Burnett, shares some of his personal experience of coming out as a trans man and his perspectives on how Trans and other "gender expansive" folks are experiencing the current onslaught of repressive legislation. Senator Carrie Hamblen (NM District 38) reflects on her personal experiences and treats us to her insightful perspectives on the exceptionally welcoming and compassionate laws that define and govern human rights for all New Mexicans. Local poets, Alice Wallace and Ellen Roberts Young, expand our conversation on "Poetry" .
Ellen and Alice, long-time participants in our local poetry scene, treat us to readings of a few of their own poems, as well as a bit of their personal histories as writers and their individual writing processes. We're treated to their perspectives in sharing a delightful exploration of some of the subtleties of writing, of language, of poetry, and the significance of the written and spoken word. |
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