Rendezvous with Jamie McGlue

Here are a score of questions I'd encourage you to explore, as they will most likely lead you to a chain reaction of ephiphanies which will see you become wise ruler of your own life. Or at the very least they won't do the opposite. Enjoy the perspective and the journey!

Here are my thoughts and mental pictures of how the future Earth should and could look. I go very general and principlesque in alternation with detailing specific changes that I feel would be wise, and try to illuminate misconceptions about our problems and possibilities. May we welcome in the waking bloom of the beautiful planet this Goddess called Gaia can be and will, if only we are willing.

I come to you now with a stream of outlandish angles on existence, in sweet hopes of melting your mind into considerable joy by following the logical consequences of what we know and journeying to some determinedly far-out destinations in the welcoming landscape of what apparently must be.

Names (in particular, personal names, though all are included) are as unique and self-expressive as numbers, or colours, or songs. In one sense all are of the same kind, and yet no two are truly identical; each has its own aura, orbit, way and nature. So when a parent names a child, it is in reality a magical act of great mystery and power. Even numbers are names, and an odd sort at that. Let us ponder and plumb the ineffability of the named with names!

I believe life is actually perfectly fair; yet from a lower perspective it's true and useful to say that life is in many ways unfair. Bad actions are rewarded, goodness gets punished, tyranny thrives and nobility is suppressed – but in order to properly understand these challenges, and so deal with them wisely and skillfully, it is first necessary to connect to the big picture reality that everything that exists is indeed an inevitable and flawless, integral part of the glorious whole of creation. This is to say that both dark and light, yin and yang, are needed to make a world via the play of opposites; and so even while we should work to grow the love, we must appreciate that there is ultimately nothing to scorn in existence. It just is.

Believe it or not, in the year 2023, some very powerful people think it'd be a great idea for the USA and its allies to engage in mass killing with the Russians and their allies. Despite the presence of nuclear weapons, the fragility of our societies and economies, and above all our common bonds of selfhood, humanity, divine love and that deepest wish to be good and to see good things grow in the world . . . still the machines and merchants of war and hatred, blind ideology and cold-hearted vengeance are showing warning signs that they intend to pull the world into a third episode of the tragedy we swore we had learnt from. So let us all wake the hell up, lest the heaven we have slip from our grip. Let us make peace within ourselves, becoming more kind and conscious, and use this wisdom to reach out to those we disagree with and sway them to justice with fair trades, words and intentions. No one is completely innocent in global politics, but we can all agree that talking beats death.

Let us dive into the mysteries of coolness, and in particular the very practical questions of to what extent and in what specific ways we can interface with the idea of being cool as an ideal to inspire us to be our most authentic and most expansive selves, to flourish happily. This is in opposition to the unhealthy patterns which can arise around this concept, which we explore too. In the end, cool is a zone of freedom, peace, joy, self expression and being.

Fear is a primordial aspect of being a living being in 3D space and it certainly has its vital role to play in a balanced and flourishing life; however, it's fair to say fear is nowadays far out of bounds in the average individual and society. This episode explores what a healthy relationship to fear might be; within ourselves, between ourselves, and in society at large. But we also go deeper and consider the true nature of fearfulness at its core, revealing that in fact you and I, the soul itself, are never afraid, but rather only dream so via identification with a false self in the form of the thinking mind. Awakening sees we were never fearing, but rather fear was an illusion we needed for a while in order for us to grow into our boots.

My brother and I dive deep into the profound nature and mindblowing artistic mastery of intergalactic treasure Bob Dylan, widely considered the greatest songwriter of all time and yet arguably still underrated. Whether you are a Dylan fanatic or have never heard of the man sometimes called the Shakespeare of our times, may this episode open your eyes. We discuss the spiritual dimension, mathematical songwriting, hidden political subtexts, the broad exploration of the human condition, the virtues of Bob's vocals, and much besides. Music is the soundtrack to your life, and I know of no other artist who so enhances mine.

Conflict is sometimes necessary, but we must strive with all our conscience and power for violence to only be let loose in self-defence; whether individually or collectively. Today I present my thoughts on the connection between inner peace and outer peace, when and why it is morally justified to fight, explore much of the messy in-between areas where one might wonder whether it is our right (or even obligation) to intervene or not, and finally I discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine and provide some backdrop to these terrible events. All of this is done in the hope that I, you, and all our fellow humans may come to a greater awareness of our oneness and interconnectedness, our interdependence, our shared identity; and in transcending 'us against them' psychology, to usher in a new era of hope and flourishing. There is so much darkness, division, doubt and disdain floating around the air of 2023 but I firmly believe by cultivating our own peacefulness and inner balance, and by learning to communicate and cooperate fairly with others, the light will prevail.

This time I'm offering connections to a dozen very interesting people who I have found on my journey into knowledge and who I appreciate deeply for various flavours of reason; yet all sharing the ability to blow minds and uplift us to greater possibilities as human beings. I do hope and trust you will leave this episode with one or two or ten revolutionary new avenues of thought and experience to travel along, learn from and spiritually flourish.

Des fois, c'est en fait le meilleurs d'idées nous-mêmes à expresser dans un fashion sans attention pour les réactions ou pensées de les autres. Comme utiliser la belle langue aussi bien que je peux faire après trop longtemps sans parler souvent, et le faire avec l'amour.

This fittingly brief episode looks at the many ways in which beginning small, or continuing small, can allow us to set and keep habits that would otherwise be beyond us. Intensity of effort is an excellent thing and necessary for full flourishing; but consistency is primary.

Honesty is the bedrock of a healthy society and a healthy mind, the means by which we find what is real and what is right; without which individuals and groups cannot flourish. Yet we lie all the time, in ways great and small; only a slim slither of which is justified. Be it for reasons of ethical principle, pragmatic ease of living, or soulful authenticity, the truth shall set us free if only we will stop putting it back in the cage of our ommissions and lies. As the planet enters a critical phase in its journey toward a revolutionary new state of peace, purpose, prosperity and perception – awaiting us the far side of some turbulent times as the edifices of deception crumble under the weight of their own inadvisability – we each and all have the responsibility and above all the opportunity to live honestly.

We all want things: to get this and not to get that. This is one of the most natural things imaginable, being the bedrock of most animal brain structures and behaviour. Of course desire can cause problems if we become attached to outcomes instead of accepting the results of circumstance with grace, or if we seek things which are harmful to ourselves or the collective, breaking the balance and harmony of the ecosystems in which we are embedded – however it is essential that we cultivate our willpower and do not shy away from it for fear of the terrible responsibility of creating reality and carving out our lives. The key is to found our choices upon self-awareness, which will ground us in love and respect for all beings, and to explore and enjoy our freedom in a way that uplifts ourselves and others to higher possibilities, more colourful dreams, and clearer wisdom. We are all unique (ironically), so let us live in our chosen ways and share the music of our desires.

Each and every moment, thing or person can be celebrated – given our attention and appreciation, setting negative aspects aside and allowing the positive to reveal its full glory – and doing so is a skill that can and should be practised for us to live in health, happiness and wisdom. Many of us can stuggle to celebrate ourselves or others and the worthy things we achieve, but focusing on the bright side is essential to keeping balance over the mind. Festivals such as Christmas are formalised celebrations which seek to focus appreciation on certain values by which the society can flourish; like personalities, these vary wildly in their choice of worthy things to embrace as admirable, however to celebrate something is essential to a culture's preservation and evolution. Christmas in the year 2022 may not be perfect and may have become hostage to unsavoury consumerist interests, but in the sense that it calls for the veneration and embodiment of kindness, generosity, peace, joy and love, I for one will be gladly joining the celebrations – in ways overt and subtle – to lift my own eyes as well as the collective toward a vision of well-being that must be let bloom. Whether you join in or not, may your end-of-year be full of goodness, renewal and life.

Like the mythical orouborus, there are times when 'kindness' is in fact unkind; when a stance of softness and allowing becomes harmful and thus, in truth, a form of meanness. The modern West has learnt much from the crueller episodes of world history and come to an appreciation of the value of gentleness, inclusion and respect for the disempowered; however, as is so often the case in life and learning, the mainstream culture is veering too far in this once progressive direction, to the point that we are growing zealously fixated on a narrow and ideologically-constrained definition of kindness, virtue and goodness. We must recognise once again that in fact to be truly kind and good, one must be capable of telling harsh but healing truths, as well as be willing and able to enforce boundaries for the protection of oneself, loved ones, and even the values and institutions harmony rests upon.

Let's take a look at the very persuasive arguments for why free will is an illusion and in fact our whole lives and the entire universe are as determined as an elaborate wind-up clock. Then let us look at the even more persuasive (I think) case for why free will is in fact real. The key is in realising that both are true: most of our actions are determined, but we are able to take certain steps of mind and body which increasingly release us to genuine choice.

My brother Mark and I get into, through, out of and all over within and without the nooks, crannies and existential alcoves of happiness and how to take the choice each moment to be unreasonably happy; without cause or reason beyond the fact that we can if we want to. We also enjoy a mindmeld of whimsy, conversational sabotage and verbal shenanigans.

Sadness and loss of drive and direction are normal and even healthy in a balanced life; so long as they arise only now and then, and briefly, then passing on as joys spring up anew. Sometimes such pain may stay longer, due to some great loss; a friend, a lover, a dream. But when the blues is outstaying it's welcome, settling itself in the house of our hearts for weeks, months and years on end . . . it is not healthy and we call it depression. As someone who has endured and overcome depression in my life, I am offering here some practical tips for how to deal with it. We will look at various mental and physical 'hacks' which can be used to get oneself out of the darkness right here and now, as well as lifestyle changes which can reduce the regularity, intensity and duration of bouts of existential gloom, and finally also look at the root of depression, as I see it: psychologically, the traumas we need to learn from in order to release negative emotional baggage; and deeper still, spiritually, to understand the involvement of the 'ego' or false self in the perpetuation of suffering, which is also the doorway into permanent peace – once we learn to live by nature's laws.

Critical thinking is a vital skill which is sadly absent from most people's schooling. It is the systematic questioning of everything by time-tested tools of logic in order to assess the merits and demerits of any claim a person might make about what is real and what is right. This episode examines the fundamentals of how to think in such a way that one combines open-mindedness with a careful scrutiny of all ideas, no matter their source or emotional colouring – a skill upon which our well-being and happiness depends, individually and collectively. Underpinning such a skilful application of the mind, however, must always be the practice of the art of living in the present moment free of any thinking at all; the core of wisdom being the ability to enter mental silence and observe various thoughts impartially.

Memory is at the core of who we are, being the ability to know what oneself and the world have been up to up to now, and thus to know what might be coming down from the future. This episode looks at seven vital aspects of memory, offering tips about ways to practically inculcate in YOUR life a greater respect for and presence of memory; a deeper sense of self-awareness and autonomy of mind and spirit in an increasingly tech-dependent society. From doing mental maths just for the kick of it, to journalling for productivity and vision, to understanding the sacred depths of memory as the reawakening of the soul: Remember!

Do you like money? Would you like a little more money? Or do you think it's the root of all evil and we'd be wise to banish it to the edge of the Earth where dragons could gobble it up and save us a world of trouble? Despite the dangers of becoming addicted to money for its own sake and the corrosive effect money can have on politics and society at large, I firmly believe money and the system of free exchange in which it naturally arises are a blessing upon humanity. The way forward to realising our deepest dreams of social harmony will not be built upon eradicating or scorning money but rather rebalancing our relationships to this vital aspect of our lives. Collectively and individually, the highest road to success is to be found in a more conscious engagement with wealth – of the pocket and the soul.

Less is more, when more would mean a dilution of the essential advantage of the thing. This is very common in nature, throughout our lives; where simplicity is beautiful and full to overflowing with quiet richness. Why give a soliloquy when a sentence will do? Why eat a mountain of cheap food instead of a stoic serving of delicious pricier food? Who lived more, Jimi Hendrix or the centenarian who never let himself laugh or cry at the intensity of experience; who carefully delayed his burial by decades at the cost of loving the now? There is a balance in life, and to cultivate the quality of each thing is close to its fulcrum.

Reading, especially of narrative fiction, is perhaps the most wildly underrated thing you could do with your time alive on this earth. Not only are the joys deeper than anything available through film or video games, but also along the way the characters and plots we experience allow us to better craft ourselves into a higher expression of what we came here to do and be, fulfilling the ancestral role of wise old storyteller guiding the hapless to glory. I heartily encourage you, friend, to open a book and see what worlds of wonder await you.

Experience isn't everything, but it turns out to be quite a lot. Even in the space of a day we can learn so much and come to a place where future opportunities and challenges can be more skilfully navigated, for the lessening of our suffering and the blooming of our hopes. Yet it seems we today are strangely out of touch with this fact, for no longer do the eldest among us command the greatest status and respect in society; instead replaced by the cult of fame, wealth and power. Admittedly, we nowadays seem to have many more elderly and seniors than true elders – much to our detriment – and yet this episode advocates a return to greater appreciation of and consideration for those of us richer in age than in youth.

Is pain, loss, failure and limitation really the enemy? While I agree it's a wonderful idea to minimise their presence in our lives, it's also true that much of our suffering can't and thus shouldn't be avoided, but rather embraced as if it were what we wanted all along. To go with the flow and offer no resistance to what life gives us, because it's already happened, inevitable. This is the secret to inner peace, transcending even the most dire suffering. But beyond this, suffering is in fact our benevolent and unfailing teacher, ever forcing us to go deeper and wake up to clearer consciousness in order to right our personal imbalances – every single mistake we make leaving a breadcrumb trail of sorrow and destruction which we can anytime choose to follow back to its source and so learn how to be better versions of ourselves, uplifting our own lives and the whole world toward peace and wisdom.

Is it vain and foolish to care about one's fashion? And in choosing our preferred material embodiment in this life – from clothes and hair all the way down to bags, cars and houses – is it wise or even admissible to factor in the impressions we will make on others? Or is all this utter inauthenticity and a recipe for spiritual malaise? I suggest the highest expression of fashion is to use our appearance as an amulet to guide our subconscious mind toward the aspirations of the soul, while humbly accepting the rules of any games we wish to join with others expecting a certain style of dress and demeanour. We can have the best of both worlds if we just keep the aim of our image-projection the uplifting of our deepest dreams.

All sensible people will agree that sexism, racism, classism, homophobia and all their ilk are irrational malfunctions of the mind, the unfortunate and very harmful punishing of the innocent individual for things which are out of their control and shouldn't restrict their freedom to thrive and flourish in the world. But what should we do? This episode explores this question and suggests that cultivating one's consciousness is the core remedy, but also we can recognise such biases within ourselves before condemning them in others, and see that while we are not responsible for the crimes of those who died before we were born, we can nonetheless take responsibility for dissolving prejudices of all kinds by practising love.

It is a curious and rarely noted fact of history that the Irish, famed for their colourful use of English, actually have their own native tongue – Gaeilge, anglicised as Irish or Gaelic – which is utterly foreign to English and was only two centuries ago still the dominant language in Ireland. Sadly, a long series of tragedies and injustices beset the Irish, bringing Gaeilge to the brink of extinction, such that today it is spoken by only a tiny fraction of the population. Despite some hopeful signs of a mighty rebirth, the situation remains dire. Today's episode will be of primary interest to the Irish, but all are most welcome to join the rendezvous as we take a look at the past, present and future of Gaeilge, celebrating the beauty of this most precious element of Ireland's ancestral heritage. We discuss the factors holding the language back from widespread adoption and make the case that Irish in the twenty-first century stands at a crossroads, and the choices of every single Irish soul shall determine its destiny. If we can learn to love our forgotten voice, we just might be reborn.

The idea of having children is nowadays often met with scorn or a belief that one can't or shouldn't bring kids into the world; but this episode suggests parenthood is an incredibly underrated opportunity for a depth of fulfilment and self-growth that most people won't be able to find elsewhere – as well as being a powerful way to support the well-being of Mother Earth, humanity and civilisation. It's not for everyone and that's just the way it should be, as it takes all kinds to make a world; but here's why you might want a family.

The Covid era was and is very divisive, confusing and important to understand. But even if we don't all agree on the crucial questions, it is beneficial for us all to at least be conscious of the various sides of the arguments. We don't need to make conclusions; consciousness of the opposing views is in itself already a massive step forward into empathy, restoring social bonds, and getting to the bottom of just what it all means. To that end, this episode hopes to put side by side the most important points of disagreement. At the end of the day, the greatest legacy of Covid shall be its raising of human consciousness.

I once believed in the notion that government should interfere in the economy in order to provide balance and protect the poorer among us from predation by the wealthy, but with time I have come to see many persuasive reasons to think socialism isn't what it seems. This system in fact hurts the poor and middle classes, contributing to poverty, oligarchy and unsustainable indebtedness where it is allowed to grow unchecked. I provide reasons and examples for the case that, counter-intuitive though it may seem, raw free-market capitalism is actually the kinder force and the source of peace, prosperity and our future. People more expert than I are cited throughout and balance is sought in this complex discussion; for it seems likely some element of socialism will remain, but freedom is king and I argue for a gradual transition away from central planning toward traditional ways.

I discuss the fundamental questions of politics and sovereignty – from how and why we draw the borders of a state, to how much power its government should have at the expense of the freedom of the individual, how we might minimise corruption and oligarchy, and how we might encourage a shared world peace and prosperity – doing my best to provide a balanced assessment of the pros and cons of the major proposed solutions to the seemingly intractable problems of how to organise human societies given our differences of opinion. This is the big picture, intended to help us clarify and reframe politics out of its daily filth.

Mark and Jamie (a.k.a. I and I) break down the mystical contours and charmingly flavourful shapes of our recent lessons and reflections on life and purpose in this big dazzling love-ganism better known as the universe. We come to you live (so to speak) from outside the walls of the Vatican, sporting sleek Italian shirts, delicious iced coffees and a will to be free.

Here cometh 36 minutes of me sweating waterfalls in Athens, discussing some things I've been thinking about since I've been on the road again.

Wanna know how and why to learn a foreign language? First of all, it's enormous fun! Learning to express and experience yourself and the world through a new language connects you with others and even yourself in a whole new way. Much like getting tipsy for the first time, this is something you won't truly understand until you try it for yourself. Acquiring a language also sharpens your mind and expands your imagination, your ability to see things; even through the lens of your own native language, which you'll now see in a different light. Beyond this, a language is a vessel for and an expression of a unique human culture, a way of being and thinking about what is and what ought to be; so by learning to use a language you are connecting to and embodying an ancient stream of living tradition which can transform your outlook and identity. On top of going through the practical side of what you can do to learn a new language as quickly and easily as possible, I'll also give you a few tips for how to get out of your own way and feel confident using your new language to interact with others without getting anxious, disheartened or embarrassed. It doesn't matter if we reach full fluency or not; word by willing word, the magic happens.

Do you believe in the existence of evil? Are some humans so fundamentally corrupt and monstrous that they are beyond hope of redemption, not worthy of forgiveness, unable to love or be loved? If you ask me, Yes and No. The paradoxical key is to understand that on the ultimate level, evil is an illusion. No conscious being acts but out of love. Evil is but a more extreme version of standard contemporary human consciousness, which is a kind of dreamstate in which the soul loses sight of its oneness with life, instead identifying with thought processes – the frequently unreasonable voice in the head – which create a false "us and them" mentality centred around an individual ego perceived as separate to others. Depending on one's interpretation of such concepts as "self" and "fairness", this can either produce your average person, or someone we would call "evil", willing to exert all their power to use and even destroy others in the pursuit of their so-called self-interest. Keeping in mind this context of love and forgiveness for our troubled brothers and sisters, I explore the evolutionary reasons for the existence of evil, and what we can each do to overcome this force and advance humanity toward the destiny of love and higher consciousness.