The Being Human Podcast with Richard Atherton

▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/   What if many chronic symptoms - pain, IBS, migraines, fatigue, insomnia - aren’t caused by damage in the body, but by patterns in the brain?   In this episode of Being Human, Richard Atherton speaks with Nora Rodden, CEO and co-founder of the health app Nervana. After being hit by a car during university, Nora developed chronic back pain that persisted for five years despite countless treatments and no obvious lasting damage in her body. Later, severe digestive issues and insomnia followed.   Everything changed when she joined a clinical trial exploring neuroplastic pain, the idea that the brain can learn and sustain physical symptoms long after an injury has healed.   Through mind-body techniques including journaling, somatic awareness and visualisation, Nora eliminated her pain and restored her sleep.   Her experience led her to build Nervana, an AI-guided program designed to help people retrain their brain-body response and recover from chronic symptoms. We discuss: Facing the triple whammy of chronic pain, GI symptoms and insomnia The "medical" trial that changed her life The drug-free approach that cured her symptoms in 3 months Her ground-breaking providing relief from pain Should Advil carry a warning? Links: Nervana App

▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/   Why do the same painful patterns keep repeating in our lives, in love, work, and relationships?   In this episode of Being Human, Richard Atherton is joined by New York Times Best Selling Author Katherine Woodward Thomas. Katherine originated the concept of Conscious Uncoupling through her book of the same name. She’s the author of the huge hit Calling in The One and has just released What's True About You.   Katherine shares how the stories we developed in childhood, which she calls “source fracture stories,” quietly shape our adult lives, relationships, and future possibilities. We think these are just “who we are,” but what if these are actually false stories developed way before we had the capacity to truly understand our lives?   We discuss: The real point of manifestation (it's not the result) When visiting the past is valuable and when it's not Who is really the toxic one in your relationship? What therapy gets wrong The path forward for a merging of therapy and coaching Links: Katherine’s Website

▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/   Is hope naïve or is it the missing ingredient in modern leadership? In this episode of Being Human, I speak with Jen Fisher, former Chief Wellbeing Officer at Deloitte and author of Hope Is the Strategy. After experiencing severe burnout herself, Jen discovered that hope isn’t wishful thinking — it’s a measurable, actionable skill grounded in research. We explore why burnout may actually be a symptom of hopelessness, how leaders unintentionally kill hope through language and behaviour, and why cultivating agency, multiple pathways, and honest truth-telling transforms culture. Jen shares practical tools, including hope audits, hope spotting, and the power of vulnerability in leadership. We discuss: Burnout as a crisis of hopelessness What real hope actually means Leadership language that builds or kills hope Practical tools to cultivate hopeful cultures Links: Jen’s Website

▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/ What happens when trust breaks down in relationships, in leadership, in organisations?   In this episode of Being Human, I speak with Dennis and Michelle Reina, founders of the Reina Trust Building® Institute and authors of Trust & Betrayal in the Workplace. Drawing on decades of research and lived experience, they explain why trust is far more fragile than most leaders realise, and why rebuilding it requires courage, accountability, and choice.   We explore the three dimensions of trust, how victimhood traps us in blame, and why trust repair is not about forgetting but about responding differently. This is a deeply human conversation about conflict, repair, and responsibility, relevant to leaders, partners, and anyone navigating broken expectations.   We discuss: Growing up with an alcoholic father Why trust is fragile The anatomy of betrayal Victimhood vs responsibility Practical steps to rebuild trust Links: Reina Trust Building

▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/   What if creativity isn’t a talent for the few, but the defining quality of being human?   In this episode of Being Human, I’m joined by Fredrik Haren, global creativity expert, speaker, and author of The World of Creativity. Fredrik has spent decades travelling the world studying where ideas come from and why modern organisations and education systems so often crush creative thinking.   We explore why creativity has little to do with confidence, why having ideas brings profound joy, and how each of us carries an “inner theme”: a unique perspective the world needs.   If you’re someone who sees yourself as ‘not creative’, or if you struggle to get your creativity flowing, this episode is a must-watch.   We explore: How we don’t create for others Why creativity defines humanity How the get the ideas flowing The joy of having ideas Discovering your ‘inner theme’   Links: Fredrik’s Website

▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/   What actually happens when the sense of “self” disappears — and does it make you wiser?   In this episode of Being Human, I’m joined by Ken Wilber, one of the most influential philosophers of human development and the founder of Integral Theory, something which played a big role in my own intellectual development. Ken shares his early awakening experience, in which he experienced a complete dissolution of the separate self, and explains why spiritual awakening alone does not equal psychological maturity or ethical wisdom.   We explore the crucial distinction between waking up and growing up. And why this explains how many spiritual gurus and their communities can become so toxic. Drawing on decades of scholarship, meditation, and systems thinking, Ken offers a comprehensive framework for understanding consciousness and development. This helps us to appreciate the multiple vectors and methods of human expansion.    We explore: What happens when the self dissolves Waking up vs growing up Stages of human development Why maturity still matters Links: Ken’s Website

▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/   What if great leadership requires more than IQ and EQ? In this episode of Being Human, I speak with Dr. Yosi Amram, psychologist, executive coach, and pioneer in developing our understanding of Spiritual Intelligence (SQ). Yosi offers a research-backed framework for translating spiritual values into practical action. Drawing on extensive empirical studies, Yosi shows how SQ predicts leadership effectiveness and personal well-being in ways traditional models miss.   And Yosi is not speaking only as an academic. Yosi held the record for the fastest promotion to captain in the history of his regiment in the Israeli Air Force.  He has taken two tech start-ups to IPO. He’s a man who knows how to lead.   We explore how to make spirituality accessible without dogma, how SQ helps leaders navigate complexity and suffering, and why meaning, purpose, and inspiration are no longer optional in modern work. Yosi also shares principles from his clinical and executive coaching work on how to lead with integrity, compassion, and presence.   We explore: What SQ actually is Spirit → action translation Leadership + meaning + purpose Beyond IQ and EQ His recommendations for developing SQ Links: Yosi’s Website

▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/   Is AI about to take over knowledge work? And what does that mean for the rest of us?   In this episode of Being Human, I speak with Alastair Moore, AI strategist and co-founder of ventures helping organisations navigate the machine intelligence revolution. Alastair argues that we’ve already crossed a threshold: AI isn’t just assisting knowledge workers — it’s now performing tasks at the frontier of research, science, and complex problem-solving.   We explore how large models are reshaping entire categories of white-collar work, why organisations are unprepared for the acceleration curve, and what skills will matter in a world where cognition becomes a shared capability between humans and machines. This is a grounded, practical, and sometimes unsettling conversation about the next decade of work.   We discuss: AI at the scientific frontier Automation of knowledge work Human–machine complementarities Skills for the post-GPT economy Links: DeepFlow - the company co-founded by Alastair

▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/   Can energy healing be measured? And if so, what does it mean for medicine? In this episode of Being Human, I speak with Dr. Shamini Jain, founder of the Consciousness and Healing Initiative (CHI) and one of the leading scientific voices bridging mind-body medicine and biofield science. Drawing on controlled laboratory studies on cells, tumors, animals, and humans, Dr. Jain explains why the evidence for biofield mechanisms can no longer be dismissed as placebo or wishful thinking.   We explore how ancient healing practices map onto modern physics, why the biomedical model struggles with subtle energy, and what a paradigm shift in healthcare could look like. This conversation sits at the frontier where science, spirit, and healing converge. We discuss: Evidence beyond placebo What “biofield” actually means Cancer and cell line studies Why medicine must evolve Links: Dr. Jain’s Website

▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/   What if love isn’t just an emotion — but the deepest truth of reality itself? In this episode of Being Human, I speak with Dr. Stephen G. Post — bioethicist, medical humanities professor, and founder of the Institute for Research on Pure Unlimited Love. Drawing on decades of work in medicine, neuroscience, spirituality, and ethics, Stephen explores love as a lived practice, not a vague ideal.   Stephen shares extraordinary stories from medicine, caregiving, near-death research, and neuroscience, including a striking insight: pure unlimited love may be the first thing we encounter when life ends. We explore why modern education and culture often strip meaning from life, how service transforms suffering, and what it means to live aligned with a deeper calling.   A profound conversation about love, purpose, and what truly matters.   We explore: Following your calling All are suffering Love tough vs the 'carefrontation' Addressing the Nature Deficit Disorder Pure unlimited love in the workplace Links: The Institute for Research on Pure Unlimited Love Stephen’s Website

▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/   Is modern education preparing us for the world we’re actually living in? Or is it accelerating our collapse? In this episode of Being Human, I’m joined by Jim Garrison, founder of Ubiquity University, to explore why today’s education system may be failing humanity at the deepest level.   Jim argues that Western education prioritises left-brain development: memorisation, analysis and knowledge acquisition, while neglecting ethics, inner growth, and wisdom. Drawing on philosophy, systems thinking, and decades of institutional leadership, he explains how this imbalance fuels ecological destruction, political instability, and moral drift. We explore what a new educational paradigm could look like. It includes somatic, creative, and experiential learning, along with the development of our rationality. Ultimately, it focuses on pursuing the good, the beautiful and the true.    We discuss: Why memorisation replaces wisdom Education’s role in global crises The loss of ethics and values What transformative learning requires Jim is a brilliant orator and true pioneer of a new educational paradigm. Links: Uniquity University

▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/   What happens when a high-flying executive loses himself in the pursuit of success? Breaking down in a bar with his CEO became the turning point for rebuilding his entire leadership philosophy on compassion? In this episode, Nigel Kilpatrick shares his remarkable journey from burnout, toxicity, and emotional collapse to becoming a leading voice for compassionate leadership.   Nigel reveals how confronting his own behaviour and facing multiple health crises reshaped his understanding of work, responsibility, and what people truly need from leaders today. He explains why compassion is not “soft,” but a strategic and measurable foundation for performance, culture, and wellbeing.  He shares why organisations that ignore it risk losing both their people and their purpose.   We dive into his book The Ten Traits of a Compassionate Leader, his creation of the Compassion Exchange, and his mission to transform workplace culture from fear-driven to human-centred.   We cover: From toxic leadership to self-healing Compassion as a business strategy Why empathy alone isn’t enough Building cultures rooted in trust and honesty Links: The Ten Traits of a Compassionate Leader - The Book The Compassion Exchange  

▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/   What does it really mean to live in balance — not by escaping pain, but by transforming how we meet it? In this episode of Being Human, filmmaker and Tai Chi teacher George Thompson shares his journey from anxiety, self-doubt, and overthinking to presence, spaciousness, and embodied awareness. After travelling to the Wudang Mountains in China to study Tai Chi and Daoist philosophy, George discovered a radical shift: “To hurt is to be human. Balance is possible. Practice is the path.”   We explore how ancient wisdom meets modern life, and how spirituality becomes actionable, grounded, and deeply human.   We cover: - Turning up at the wrong temple - Scrolling Reddit on the Sacred Mountain - Materialism vs dualism vs panpsychism - The role of compassion and connection in leadership Oh, to have so much wisdom so early in life! George is a treat. Links: George’s Website Taoist Wellness Online

▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/   What if your identity is far bigger than your thoughts, your history, or your body? In this episode of Being Human, I sit down with Christy Whitman — New York Times bestselling author, transformational coach, and teacher of the Seven Universal Laws. Christy shares her core insight that we are not the ‘meat suit’ we inhabit, but energetic beings expressing light, intuition, and divine intelligence.   Christy is the embodiment of an abundant spirit. She has very evidently ‘done the work’ to transform divorce and debt to transform herself into the powerhouse she is today.    We discuss:  How to shift from victim consciousness into deliberate creation How frequency shapes every result in our lives Practical tools to shift our energy in the moment Links: Christy’s Website   A powerful conversation about identity, energy, and the creative force within each of us.

▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/   Is telepathy real — and can it be proven scientifically?    And what does it mean for our understanding of consciousness? In this episode of Being Human, we speak with Dr. Diane Hennacy, psychiatrist, neuroscientist, former Johns Hopkins faculty member, and author of The ESP Enigma. Diane has spent years rigorously testing individuals — including autistic savants — who appear to demonstrate astonishing telepathic abilities.   We explore why she believes consciousness is not produced by the brain but decoded by it, and what this means for our understanding of what it is to be human.   Diane is hugely entertaining in this profound conversation linking neuroscience, intuition, and human potential.   We explore: Early experiences with extrasensory perception First meeting a telepathic autistic child Finding fame with The Telepathy Tapes and plans for even more sophisticated experiments Implications for society What is consciousness and can AI develop it? Links: Diane’s Website

▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/   What if magic were real — and science could prove it? In this week’s episode, I speak with Dr. Dean Radin, Chief Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) and author of The Conscious Universe and Real Magic. For more than forty years, Dean has studied telepathy, precognition, and mind–matter interaction under rigorous laboratory conditions. From his time in the U.S. government’s secret psychic research program to his pioneering experiments at IONS, he has gathered remarkable evidence that consciousness can influence the physical world.   We explore what quantum physics may reveal about psychic phenomena, why materialism is no longer enough to explain the mind, and how “real magic” might simply be the science of tomorrow. A fascinating conversation about belief, evidence, and the hidden potential of human consciousness.   We explore: His role in US psychic espionage Manipulating the future "Changing the past" Practical exercises for developing your magical skills The extraordinarily strong evidence that psychic phenomena are real Links: The Institute of Noetic Sciences

▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/   Can human consciousness extend beyond our brains?   For more than two decades, this week’s guest, Roger Nelson, founder of The Global Consciousness Project, has been exploring exactly that question. From a network of random-number generators placed across the planet, Roger and his team have gathered evidence suggesting that when millions of people share emotion — in moments of tragedy, joy, or global focus — the fabric of our existence becomes more ordered.   Roger explains how these subtle patterns may reveal a deep interconnectedness in human awareness — a kind of worldwide mind that responds when our hearts and attention align. We discuss the origins of the project at Princeton’s PEAR Lab, the surprising results from world events such as 9/11, and what this research might mean for the future of consciousness studies.   Roger is a rigorous scientist and an exemplar of the open-sceptic approach to life.    We explore: First proof that mind extends beyond the brain Can we really affect the past? 9/11 and the impact on global consciousness A three-in-a-trillion chance that we’re not all connected The noosphere - the next step for human evolution Links: The Global Consciousness Project Connected: The Emergence of Global Consciousness - The Book

▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/   What really happens when we die?    In this week’s episode, I speak with Dr. Raymond Moody, pioneering psychiatrist and author of the classic Life After Life. The man who coined the term Near Death Experience or NDE..   Across every culture and background, people who were pronounced dead and revived describe the same extraordinary scenes: a radiant light, a feeling of profound peace, reunions with loved ones, and a sense that death is not an ending but a beautiful transition.   Dr. Moody reflects on five decades of research that have transformed his understanding of consciousness. Once a skeptic, he now believes that something continues beyond the body and that these experiences hold vital lessons for how we live, love, and face our own mortality.   He’s also a very funny guy!   We explore: His first examination of an NDE Why we must now accept that consciousness is not simply biochemical Connection to his own grandma beyond the grave Appreciating nonsense The coming consciousness revolution Links: Dr.Moody’s Website

▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/   What if telepathy isn’t a rare gift, but a skill anyone can learn?   In this episode of Being Human, I sit down with Ditte Young - family therapist, author, and internationally renowned animal communicator. Ditte shares her extraordinary journey from working in Danish television to becoming a trusted voice for both humans and animals. She explains how she teaches telepathy, why 100% of her students succeed, and what animals reveal about love, presence, and our polluted world.   If you’re already sold on people having these abilities, you’ll love Ditte’s story. If you’re sceptical about this stuff and think it’s all woo-woo nonsense, this episode might just give you pause to think again.   We explore: - Teaching telepathy - How animals mirror their owners’ emotions and health issues - Battling scepticism, direct evidence, and practice - Enhancing leadership through trusting intuition and self-belief - How her life as the mother of Philip, her neurodivergent son, shaped her healing path   Links: Ditte’s Website

▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/   What if your brain isn’t creating consciousness but filtering it?   Could the scientific study of so-called ‘psi’ abilities break the assumptions of materialist science?   In this episode of Being Human, I speak with Jeff Tarrant — psychologist, neuroscientist, and author of Becoming Psychic.    Jeff shares his research on psychics, mediums, and channelers, revealing surprising EEG findings that suggest our minds may tap into a broader field of information.    We explore: - Why the brain blocks 99% of reality - The American mum who suddenly started chanting indigenous hymns - How meditation and psychedelics can loosen our filter - What happens when intuition takes the lead - The mysteries of human potential   Links: Jeff’s Website