How Story Shapes Your Reality With Josh Schrei (Emerald Podcast)
Story is and always has been fundamental to how humans experience life
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Once you really start to tune into how consciousness works, you realize that you process reality through the information and stories you’ve been exposed to.
Stories about right and wrong.
Stories about what it means to be successful.
Stories about how the world works.
All of this information creates a fundamental basis for how we perceive the world.
Now that we live in the information age, there’s more stories than ever.
So how can we discern which stories are supportive (and real)?
I don’t think this is going to get any easier the way we’re going with A.I.
Today’s guest Josh Schrei is someone I’ve gotten to know through his epic podcast The Emerald. Josh is a master storyteller and lifelong student of the mythologies of the world. He also is a teacher and writer.
In our conversation, Josh talks about how aligning to the natural world provides the best barometer for whether a story is supportive. The animate world reveals the true nature of things. When stories transmit knowledge that reflect this natural order, we can use them to navigate life more skillfully.
Josh has also studied within many wisdom traditions. So we get to talking about the pros and cons of engaging in a diversity of study. Some quick notes are:
The value of picking something and developing depth
How the alchemy of transformation requires pressure which is built through consistent practice
Why spiritual dabbling is a natural reaction to lots of terrible behavior by some religions over the past millennia
One thing I appreciated was his view that spiritual wisdom should not be static. Like the continuously evolving universe, our understanding of spiritual growth and avenues to get there should evolve as well.
I haven’t really heard anyone discuss this before and it feels refreshing.
I can’t recommend Josh’s podcast enough. The two episodes that really got me hooked were the So You Want to Be A Sorcerer (AI Episode) and Inanimate Objects Aren’t Inanimate.
I hope you enjoy the conversation!
-Scott
If you liked reading or listening to this, feel free to click the ❤️ or 🔄 button on this post so more people can discover it on Substack 🙏
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Episode Transcript
Show notes:
0:00 - Storytelling, mythology, and transformation in the information age
4:59 - Storytelling, myths, and their alignment with nature's cycles
10:41 - Navigating media stories for harmony and resilience
16:59 - The importance of discernment in navigating the flow of information from nature to culture and back
22:35 - Connecting with the voice of the cosmos in modern life
27:03 - Spirituality, tradition, and personal practice
32:43 - Evolution of spiritual practices and the importance of depth over dabbling
37:35 - Creating a good container for divine force to flow and benefit lives
42:31 - Adapting traditions for modern times, embracing change and diversity
Great episode!
Thanks Scott. Excellent interview!
Keep up your great work.