Unconventional Life – Podcast, Blog, Live Events

Category: Spirituality

EP: 177 Could Taking This “Super Pill” Actually Level-Up Your Quality of Life? With James Schmactenberger of Neurohacker Collective
We’ve all heard of the fabled “super pill.” Who could forget that fateful scene in The Matrix when Morpheus offers Neo a choice between the blue pill and the red pill—to remain blind to the truth, or to awaken to the deeper underpinnings of reality that few will ever know?

While pills like this have been the theme of countless Hollywood movies, it’s uncertain as to whether or not they could actually exist in real life.

In a world where the $935 Billion pharmaceutical industry insists there’s a pill for every ill, it’s only natural to be skeptical.

When I got the opportunity to interview the CEO and co-founder of a pill that’s setting out to upgrade the quality of life for every human by inducing greater states of empathy, my curiosity got the best of me.

This week on the Unconventional Life Podcast, I caught up with James Schmactenberger of Neurohacker Collective, a company that has reached hundreds of thousands of people with its pills that do everything from enhancing cognition and creativity to lengthening life expectancy.

In this week’s podcast episode, I dive into the vision behind Neurohacker Collective with James. Plus…

Why buying into society’s values around success won’t make you happy

How a shift in mindset from “I” to “We” can help you live a more purposeful life

The #1 thing most people overlook on the path to personal development

James founded Neurohacker Collective after he came face-to-face with the fallibility of his own health. At the time, he was running a company called Body Mind—or perhaps more accurately, it was running him.

Overworked, stressed, and depleted of energy, James was diagnosed with stage 3 adrenal exhaustion in his twenties. It led him to seek a specialized form of intravenous treatment.

His experience with the treatment was nothing short of miraculous.

“All of the depression had gone away,” James says. “My brain function not only came back to where it was, it became meaningfully better than it had ever been before.”

But one unintended side effect emerged too…

“My sense of empathy increased dramatically. Everything that I had studied throughout my life from spiritual traditions about how we’re all interconnected all of a sudden became palpable and I could start to see and feel the interconnectedness of life in a way I never could before.”

When James sought out to create a pill that could recreate that experience for others, the vision for Neurohacker Collective was born.

Below are some of the highlights James shares about what he’s learned along the way to founding and scaling Neurohacker Collective into the company it is today.

Shift From “I” to “We”

Have you ever been worried about your finances? Virtually all of us have. Financial strain is an incredibly uncomfortable feeling, and unfortunately, it’s a big driver for our economic and life decisions. The problem is, many of us are so worried about being able to meet our personal needs that we are blind to the needs of those around us.

“When people start a business, they focus on, ‘What are my personal needs?’ That’s not a big enough lens to look through,” James insists. “Instead ask yourself, ‘How do I contribute to society in the most profound way? What is it that’s mine to uniquely contribute?’”

When we expand our awareness to the needs of the collective, we not only consider our own needs but the needs of others. Our vision becomes larger, and by extension more compelling. By shifting from “I” to “We,” we enroll others into our vision, and the necessary resources to materialize that vision assemble more effortlessly as a cohesive effort.

Focus on Happiness

One of the greatest pitfalls of our society, James says, is that it values the accumulation of “stuff” over the pursuit of happiness. Voices all around us, implicit and explicit, send us the message that our value as a person lies in the amount of material wealth we have accumulated. Though it’s difficult to go against the grain, in a society devoid of wisdom, it’s actually the right thing to do.

“Most of us are willing to give up the things that bring us real joy to try to get ahead. We’re willing to trade in our happiness and ethics for more ‘stuff,’” James says.

Be willing to reevaluate your priorities. Are your current priorities making you happy? Consider that if you rank experiencing joy above owning more possessions or seeing the number in your bank account increase, you may become significantly more fulfilled and at ease
July 1, 2019
EP:174 Forest Bathing: How to Increase Vitality & Spark Creativity Through Nature, With founder of the Forest Bathing Club, Julia Plevin
Science has proven what you have intuitively known all along.

That there is a medicinal element to being out in nature.

This type of medicine can’t be replicated in a laboratory or made into pill form no matter how hard one tries.

You breathe in, You breathe out, an exchange as ancient as time.

You feel connected once your senses come alive and you remember who you are.

This week on the Unconventional Life show is Julia Plevin. She is an eco-spiritual guide, founder of the Forest Bathing Club and author of the book “The Healing Magic of Forest Bathing: Finding Calm, Creativity, and Connection in the Natural World”. Julia has a decade of guiding people into the forest to reconnect with their spirit and physically heal themselves. Julia shares what exactly forest bathing is and gives guidelines on how you can start your own forest bathing practice.

Shinrin-yoku aka Forest Bathing

Shinrin- Yoku is a Japanese phrase that means “taking in the forest atmosphere” or “forest bathing.” This term was coined in the ’80s when researchers discovered the plethora of positive effects from being out in nature.

The idea of forest bathing is simply being in nature and connecting with nature through your senses. Hearing the waves crash on the shore, the sweet scent of a flower, the prickly grass on your feet and the breeze through your hair. Shinrin-yoku is like a bridge. By opening our senses, it bridges the gap between us and the natural world.

As media use reaches new levels of intensity, this gap between us and the natural world is larger than ever. According to A Decade of Digital Dependency, it’s estimated that people check their phones on average every 12 minutes and spend 87% of their life indoors!

It’s clear that we stare at screens more than sunsets and drastically need to flip this equation!

Forest Bathing 101

Go outside, Let your intuition guide you to a quiet place outdoors. This might be under a tree, in a forest, in the direct sunlight or in a shady grove. Traditionally the forest is the preferred method but anywhere in nature is beneficial.

Give an offering. Humans take from the earth on a daily basis but how often does one give back? Some traditional methods are offering tobacco, corn kernels or flowers as an act of gratitude or appreciation. Or more actionable like offering your time during a beach or river clean up.

Ground down. Living in this digital age, we are exposed to very high levels of positive ions from the use of electronic devices. When these positive ions interact with our bodies they cause negative health effects. This is one time we don’t want positivity in our lives 😉

The term “Grounding” is used when you connect your feet or skin to the earth. Research indicates that “grounding the human body may be an essential element in the health equation along with sunshine, clean air and water, nutritious food, and physical activity.” So take off those shoes and walk on the earth to get your daily dose of negative ions in your body.

Release heavy emotions. “While in nature, pick up a leaf or stick and think of something that is causing you anxiety or stress, put those emotions into that object and then give it back to the earth.” Do you find yourself ever holding onto unnecessary emotions, keeping them bottled up inside which cause more stress in the long term? This practice allows the earth to compost what we no longer need to hold onto. When you connect with nature in this way “you are reminded that you are apart of something larger.”

Take deep breaths. The trees and plants release a natural essential oil called Phytoncides. When we breathe these essential oils in we increase our level of white blood cells which fight off tumors growth and other infected cells. Take time to breathe in the natural healing apothecary of the forest.

Appreciate the silence. One of the downsides of urban living is the constant noise. Silence is restorative and forests can have many healing sounds – the rustling of leaves, water running down a creek, the song of birds. Being in silence allows all the senses to come alive, this redirection of focus turns off the logical left brain and gives the creative right brain an opportunity land and flourish.

“These are all practices of being in right relations with the earth. So much of our anxiety and physical health issues comes from a disconnection from nature. This is a practice of healing ourselves by learning to connect to nature.”

“You didn’t come into this world.

You came out of it, like a wave from the ocean.

You are not a stranger here”

Alan Watts

Follow Julia on Instagram at@forestbathingclub or @juliaplevin

Head over to Forest Bathing Club to sign up for the newsletter and upcoming events
May 13, 2019
EP: 173 Preserving Psychedelic Wisdom with East Forest and Ram Dass

I remember the first time I saw a copy of Ram Dass’ book, “Be Here Now”. It was behind the sales counter at a vintage store waiting to be restocked on the shelf. Immidetly, I was drawn to the purple geometric cover with the word “remember” written in each of the four directions. I asked the teller if I could look at the book, it was as if I instinctively knew that the pages held valuable information and powerful impact.

Ram Dass is deeply spiritual but not religious, an ex-teacher at Harvard and an iconic figure in the psychedelic movement.

As I opened the book and started to flip through the pages I was transported into another universe. I felt this spark ignite and was deeply curious to further explore the unconventional wisdom on those pages. I knew that it was more than just a book, it was a manual for becoming a conscious being. I was grateful it landed in my hands because, being from a small town, nobody was teaching these types of topics.

This week on the Unconventional Life podcast is the musician Trevor Oswalt aka East Forest. His latest project has been collaborating with the legendary teacher Ram Dass to create a full-length album that highlights his new teachings while taking the listener into a deep, transformational experience.

Preservation of Knowledge

Ram Dass is 88 years old and has lived through significant historical events and change. It seems as if he has led two vastly different lives. He shapeshifted from Richard Alpert, a Psychologist teaching at Harvard to Ram Dass, meditating in India.

How did he transition from wearing a suit and tie to a long white robe? He took loads of Psychedelics.

Ram Dass attributes the use of psychedelics to have kick-started his spiritual quest and landed him at the feet of eastern mysticism. They allowed him to knock on the doors of consciousness and get a look inside and transmute this wisdom with the world.

Ram Dass, like many elders, have collected a treasure trove of knowledge and wisdom from their lifetimes that can guide us today and in the future. That is, if we do not let time slip away. It’s really important to create opportunities for the elderly to share their life stories with younger generations. Many times these stores are spoken from generation to generation but only rarely are they wrote down, recorded and shared with people outside of their immediate family.

So, In June of 2018, East Forest flew to Maui to interview and record Ram Dass. The recording could take 15-30 min for Ram Dass to fully answer one question, due to a recent stroke affecting his ability to produce speech. After capturing these words of wisdom he returned to his studio to compose the soundtrack. What he noticed was when he edited out the long pauses between thoughts, there was this beautiful poetic transmission of information and insight that Ram Dass shared.

With the use of technology and his musical ability, East Forest has created this bridge to “allow Ram Dass’s words to come alive again” despite the limitations from his stroke, his teachings can continue to be passed down in song form and preserved for future generations.

East Forest is redefining the way to share intergenerational knowledge with the world. He is enriching the lives of younger generations by opening up the door to spirituality without forcing Religion and giving Ram Dass a precious opportunity to relive his wild experiments and the vivid tapestry of his experiences.

The album will be slow released in 4 chapters throughout 2019. To listen to the released collaborative tracks or see upcoming live events and ceremonies hosted by East Forest go here.

To receive more insights from Ram Dass check out his website.

May 6, 2019
Ep: 172 The Mentality Makeover with the “Money Manifesting Queen” Amanda Frances

We are often told that one of the quickest ways to launch your business is through a course or a mastermind. We are constantly bombarded with sales pages and funnels that follow us while we browse online. You would assume that this model is the only way to success, since it’s so highly advertised, but there is another way.

This week on the Unconventional Life Show is the “Money Manifestation Queen”, Amanda Frances. Amanda is a self-made multimillionaire, digital course creator, Forbes contributor, podcaster, and spiritual business mentor.

Amanda shares how she made millions by breaking all the rules. She didn’t follow a rigid plan, instead, she got clear on what she wanted, aligned herself with the positive vibration of her beliefs and shared what truly ignites her soul with the world.

Tip #1: Everything revolves around your deeper desire

Be honest with yourself, and ask “what do you really want out of life?”. Your desire can range drastically, from something as tangible as wanting more money, to something more intangible like becoming more peaceful. Even if you don’t know how you are going to attain it, with persistence, you can achieve anything you desire.

Amanda tributes her success towards tapping into her core desires and doing what she truly wants rather than what conventional society has taught her to do.

“So I always ask the question, “what would you like to do if money were no object? How would you really enjoy spending your life?”

“If you say that getting the money is the most important thing, you will spend your life completely wasting your time. You’ll be doing things you don’t like doing in order to go on living, that is to go on doing things you don’t like doing, which is stupid. Better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing than a long life spent in a miserable way. And after all, if you do really like what you’re doing, it doesn’t matter what it is, you can eventually turn it- you could eventually become a master of it. It’s the only way to become a master of something, to be really with it. And then you’ll be able to get a good feel for whatever it is. So don’t worry too much.”

Once you allow your deeper desires to come to the surface is when the game really begins. This acknowledgment can be double-sided. On one hand, the desire is waiting to break free and is saying, “bring it on!”. On the other hand, we have the mind creating stories as to why you are not ready yet and many other limiting beliefs that pile up and block our path.

“You can’t unlearn it – Once you told yourself, oh shit, I actually want to be doing this with my life, you know, and you are responsible for it and you can’t unknow it”

Tip #2 How to identify and blow up limiting beliefs

The human brain is fascinating but it can also play tricks on you. There is a bundle of nerves in your brain stem called the Reticular Activating System. This system seeks information that validates your beliefs. It filters your world through the parameters that you set for yourself, and your beliefs shape those parameters.

If you don’t believe you can have it or you don’t feel that you are good enough, your brain will present to you situations that validate this thought. All without you knowing!

A way to identify if you are creating positive and healthy boundaries for yourself is simple. Any thought that doesn’t feel good or causes you to feel constricted simply isn’t true. Anything that feels exciting and expansive is true.

It’s your job to identify and tune into beliefs that feel good, are positive, and resonate deeply. If you practice vibrating at the frequency of that thought, you are presented with the people, opportunities, and information needed to achieve what we desire. Scientifically put, we are magical beings.

A positive belief that Amanda has around money is that “the more money she has the more good she can do on this earth.” She can support organizations, shop local and organic and employ people in a fair and equal way. She isn’t living in financial restriction and that opens her up to “a level of freedom where she can focus on things that are useful for the world rather than worrying about her income.”

“There are tons of roles and constructs around money in the physical plane, and she doesn’t choose to live in paradigms around money that don’t serve her. “She merges her unconscious thoughts into conscious thoughts and shapes her external outcome.

Tip # 3 Take pivots instead of leaps

So we’re now on a great track to really create positive change in our life. We’ve identified what we want, blown up any limiting beliefs and now ready to hop off the fence and take action.

Most people think that bigger is better, and while this is a great theory in some instances it might not work when you are starting to find your ground.

Amanda’s secret ingredient here is to get really good at pivoting. At first, it may not feel like you are moving anywhere but you are exploring all angles before taking a step. This reduces the chance of taking one big leap in a less than ideal direction.

When you learn to rework your mind and energy around your core desires, you set new laws and patterns in motion for you. Your relationship to your desires and any future business success takes spiritual maintenance, reflection, and clarity.

Other Free recommended resources from Amanda. Find her on Facebook, twitter, Instagram and tumbler @xoamandafrances

Spiritual Boss Lady Meditation & Money Mentality Makeover

April 29, 2019
Ep.170 Embracing Extraordinary Discomfort and Surrendering to Something Greater than Yourself with Singer, Songwriter, Ayla Nereo

Let Go of How You Think Life Should Look

Ayla’s musical career has asked her to surrender her agenda countless times over. She consistently found herself trying to force something to happen, wanting her life to look a certain way instead of allowing life to surprise her in mysterious ways. Trying and working so hard while seeing a vision that was much bigger than the perception of her immediate reality created an immeasurable disconnect as she began her musical career. In Ayla’s case, the paradox of her journey was being simultaneously fearful yet desiring of being seen.

It can be easy to get caught up in the myriad of ways a certain career path should or could look. When you compare yourself to others, there’s a chance you might feel disappointed or discouraged when you’re beginning something new. Like Ayla, learning to let go of control will allow something better than you likely could have imagined. The brain can only perceive a set amount of possibilities and it is usually the ones just outside of immediate thinking that are wanting to make their way into your life. What if you danced with life instead of playing tug-of-war it?

Seek Out Your Fears

It required pushing through an extraordinary amount of fear for Ayla to get on stage and sing after being in a recording studio. She shares, “every step of the way all those things I could have just said I’m not going to perform, sing, do this…” but, for whatever reason, something continued to propel her through this discomfort. By facing her fears she learned how to shift her perspective and embrace new ways of being for her performances.

If you’re standing on the shores of your comfort zone looking out into the sea of your fears, there’s a strong likelihood that those treacherous waves look a whole lot bigger than they actually are. It’s all about riding the waves that come with trying out something new and learning how to sail smoothly. Perhaps it’s scary at first, but with commitment and practice the ride gets easier and you’ll learn to find your flow and fluidity.

Don’t Turn Back, Carry On

It wasn’t until Ayla started playing the loop pedal that she actually made money on tour. It was a big turning point in her life that asked her to make some sacrifices to rightfully claim her position as a full-time musician. Her sacrifices included living out of an extremely cheap, tiny room and scraping by for a bit. It was not an immediately glamorous lifestyle, but it freed up the energy to live her calling.

When faced with the choice of giving it all to our passion or say staying in a comfortable job, it can be extremely enticing to stay put and ignore the voice that begs you to listen. But, you were put on this planet for a very specific reason and by not following that voice you are doing a disservice to the gifts that only you were given. Wherever you find yourself envious or longing for something different, pay attention. Notice the patterns that consistently play out in your life and take note of the things that draw your attention. Life speaks volumes to those that are paying attention.

April 15, 2019