Mark and I had an engaging discussion around growing up in a "fire and brimstone" version of Christianity, growing into polytheism and animism, and healing from religious wounding.

In this episode, I interview Jacob Williamson about his evolving path through Christianity, agnosticism, and Demonolatry. His thoughtful journey, together with his impressive intellect, made this a fascinating and wide-ranging discussion.

This episode was inspired by a friend, who after listening to episodes one and five of the podcast reached out to tell me that he felt I was brave to be so open about my own spiritual journey, while at the same time being a professor in an academic community. Authenticity is always an act of profound self-love and self-respect.

Dr. Nick interviews Dr. Jo Pierson, a practicing psychotherapist and Jungian scholar who grew up in the most rural parts of Eastern Montana. The spiritual lessons she learned from her father, her connection with that land, and her later moves to both Southern California and the Pacific Northwest show how our connection to the Anima Mundi--the World Soul--is a priceless aspect of our spiritual and psychological wellbeing.

Symbols have shaped human consciousness for millennia, guiding us, inspiring us, and even appearing in our dreams and daily lives with messages we may not immediately understand. Today, we’ll explore what symbols are, how they function in the psyche, and how we can work with them to deepen our spiritual and psychological growth.

In this first interview for the podcast, I speak with Ben, a man who has experienced highs and lows in his spiritual path. He experienced betrayal and disillusionment with the formative religion of his youth, but he went on to find genuine connection and experience with the numinous. Listen to Ben's fascinating story!

I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of enchantment. It’s not just a word that evokes fairy tales or magical worlds—although those certainly have their place. Enchantment is about a way of seeing and being in the world. It’s about experiencing life as rich with meaning, infused with mystery, and alive with connection. But here’s the thing: many of us have lost that sense of enchantment. Our modern world, for all its advancements, has often stripped away the symbolic and spiritual dimensions of life. Rationalism and materialism have given us incredible tools, but they’ve also left us with a void—a world that feels flat, mechanical, and disconnected.

Psychologists will tell us that religion is good for our mental health, and statistically, that seems to be true. But that doesn’t mean that every religion is good for every person. Sometimes a spiritual tradition can literally save our lives at one point during our lives, but threaten our lives at a later point in our maturity. In some cases, being true to ourselves may mean stepping away. In other cases, being true to ourselves can lead to rejection by a community we once loved and trusted.