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Pulling The Thread with Elise Loehnen
Pulling The Thread with Elise LoehnenSubscribed: 1,075Played: 35,541
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© 2026 Elise Loehnen
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Writer Elise Loehnen explores life’s big questions with today’s leading thinkers, experts, and luminaries: Why do we do what we do? How can we understand and love ourselves better? What would it look like to come together and build a more meaningful world?
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280 Episodes
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“This is, I think, when people need more help remembering how to access their play or kind of letting themselves play—because adults do play,” says Cas Holman, a world-renowned designer and the author of Playful: How Play Shifts Our Thinking, Inspires Connection, and Sparks Creativity. Today, we talk a bit about Holman’s unique approach to play for kids, but mostly we talk about what she’s doing to help adults shift their mindsets—so that we might find age-appropriate ways to play that we genuinely enjoy and that can serve as a salve for our communities. For the show notes, head to my Substack. Get 50% off Monarch, the all-in-one financial tool, at monarch.com/thread. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
“Glorians are unearned, unbidden, freely given,” says legendary author and mentor Terry Tempest Williams. “And to me that's also what grace is—those moments of grace that we didn't anticipate, we didn't deserve, we couldn't have imagined. And here they are. And I think that's another element that is deeper than hope. And do we recognize grace when it comes in all its different manifestations?” For me, this is one of the most moving conversations I’ve had on Pulling the Thread. I treasure every stunning story Terry told during our time together. For Terry’s new book The Glorians, and all the show notes, head to my Substack.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
“And that may be its greatest contribution—to insist that God is equally male and female,” says Daniel Matt, PhD, a scholar and teacher of Kabbalah. Matt shares radical revelations, some dangerous reinterpretations, and beautiful lessons from the mystical teachings of Kabbalah and the Zohar (which is the main book, or as Matt calls it, the masterpiece of Kabbalah). For the show notes, head to my Substack.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
I’m reflecting more deeply on evil in the present moment: What is evil? What’s our relationship to it? How do we increase our tolerance for acknowledging dark energies so that we can moderate and metabolize them—and keep ourselves and others safe? This episode is not meant to scare; my intention is really the opposite, as I don’t find fear to be helpful here. I’ll be sharing a few sources and ways of thinking—about evil and how we might respond to what’s currently playing out in the culture—that I do find incredibly helpful. There’s psychiatrist M. Scott Peck on exorcisms and the lie of evil, a framework of understanding from psychic medium Carissa Schumacher, a beautiful map for us to follow from energy healer Carla Schwiderski, and more. As always, if you want to explore further, you can find links in the show notes on my Substack.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Marieta Pehlivanova, PhD, is a research scientist at the University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies (DOPS), which is a highly unique research group that investigates the mind’s relationship to the body, and the possibility of consciousness surviving physical death. They study children who report past-life memories, people who have near-death experiences, and more. Their work is fascinating, and it has the potential to change and shape our understanding of…well, why we’re here in the first place, and what the meaning of our lives really is. If you want to go deeper on related topics (consciousness, mediums, other psychic phenomena, etc.)—see the show notes on my Substack.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
“I think that we are most likely to benefit from such an encounter than to suffer from it,” says physicist Avi Loeb, PhD, who describes himself as an optimist in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Today, Loeb shares: What astronomy and dating have in common. His theories on the three interstellar objects that have been observed (including 3I/ATLAS). Why it’s likely that other intelligent civilizations exist. And why he thinks it would be wonderful to meet them—and imperative for the future of human beings that we do so. For the show notes, head to my Substack. Get 50% off Monarch, the all-in-one financial tool, at monarch.com/thread.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Lucy Kalanithi, MD, continues to instill hope in me. Today, she shares lessons from her life and her work as a primary care physician (she’s also Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Stanford University)—along with reflections on the legacy of her husband Paul Kalanithi, MD, who wrote the now canonical memoir When Breath Becomes Air before his death in 2015. For the show notes, head to my Substack.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Journalist and bestselling author Jennifer B. Wallace shares the key ingredients to feeling like you matter, and to making others feel like they matter, too. She covers my favorite stories and stats from her new book Mattering, along with the practical tools, habits, and practices she leans on in her own life. We talk about the importance of putting a bow on things; how we can use the mattering lens to approach life transitions; the benefits of ego extension; and something called “the beautiful mess effect.” Wallace also shares how she’s approached what might be the hardest but most profound part of this, which is figuring out: How do I matter to myself? For the show notes, head to my Substack.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this month’s solo episode, I’m sharing more about the model of developmental psychology that I’m finding incredibly useful right now: Spiral Dynamics. As a framework, I think it can help us understand our world and culture better—and it can guide us in the best, and most effective ways to respond to it. If you want to go deeper into Spiral Dynamics, there is a ton more for you in the show notes on my Substack.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tori Dunlap is the author of Financial Feminist and the host of the podcast of the same name. She has a very compelling way of helping women to effectively approach (and earn) money, while addressing underlying emotions, traumas, triggers, and stories. I think you’ll find her advice helpful if: You’ve ever been told, or thought, that you’re bad with money. You feel like you need to justify any spending or any earning. You feel like you have no control over your money (or your partner handles all the finances). You’d love to switch from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset. Or, you can deduce what the ostrich effect is, and you want to know how to combat it. For the show notes, head to my Substack. Get 50% off Monarch, the all-in-one financial tool, at monarch.com/thread.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Michael Meade is a groundbreaking storyteller, author, and scholar of mythology, anthropology, and psychology. He blew my mind with a historical gem that he shared in this conversation. I was also moved by his perspective on our “crisis of masculinity” and the manosphere, what might be the antidote to monoculture, and why the hero’s journey is a bit of a fallacy. And, even more so, his case and how-to for each of us, individually, to grow our own soul. For the show notes, head to my Substack.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kelly Corrigan Wonders recently launched a 6-part series called Super Traits, featuring conversations with people like NBA coach Steve Kerr, writer George Saunders, and do-gooder Father Greg Boyle, all masters of the super traits. These deep dives are one part inspiration and one part How To guide on how to get yourself in the right headspace for a great 2026. Tune in to hear fantastic conversations on wonder, humility, and curiosity. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
”That’s what everything comes back to for me—are you feeling the way that you want to feel every single day?” says podcast host and author Liz Moody. “And if you’re not, how can I give you more tools and more resources to do so?” Here, I asked Moody to share her life mottos, philosophies, habits, and ways of thinking that I find particularly compelling. Such as: Your body is for living, not looking. And Liz’s match theory behind how we meet people in life. We talk about the connection between novelty and meaning (and ways to add in micro bits of novelty to our lives). She shares some interesting research about friendship, like how many friends make sense in your inner circle and why friendships are formed through something we tend to overlook. We also cover goals we’ve brought into the New Year with us—and much more. For the show notes, head to my Substack.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Psychological astrologer Jennifer Freed shares a preview of 2026, her tips for each sign, and, of course, many more nuggets of her signature wisdom. For the show notes, head to my Substack.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Here’s my take on New Year’s resolutions and what I think many of us are ready to resolve and let go of. For the show notes, head to my Substack.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week—for some joy, levity, and laughs—I asked my very funny friend to keep us company. Nora McInerny is an author and the host of the podcast Thanks for Asking. Today, she’s sharing some holiday traditions that would be fun to try out with your family or friends, along with a minimal gift-giving method that truly impressed me. We talk TV show recommendations for the season, personality surveys, and other ways to laugh right now. For the show notes, head to my Substack.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Anna Malaika Tubbs is the New York Times–bestselling author of The Three Mothers and Erased. Today, we talk about some of the cultural forces and figures that have certainly shaped us—but that have largely been hidden from us. For the show notes, head to my Substack. Get 50% off Monarch, the all-in-one financial tool, at www.monarch.com/thread.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This is an unusual episode with one of my favorite psychic mediums, Carissa Schumacher—who is also a channel for Yeshua, or Christ Consciousness. Wild, I know! Here, Carissa is sharing insights pertaining to what is going on in our upside-down world currently, and what is ahead for us in 2026 (and even beyond, going into 2027 and 2028). She covers the major themes of the new era we’re entering, and her recommendations for do’s and don’ts next year. For the show notes, head to my Substack.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Two of my favorite teachers started collaborating with one another to help us to individually, and collectively, release our burdens, heal, and deepen connection: Internal Family Systems (IFS) founder Richard Schwartz and group facilitator Thomas Hübl. Today, they share their process, helpful exercises and tools, and more from their new book, Releasing Our Burdens. For links to my previous episodes with Dick and Thomas, and all the show notes, head to my Substack.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1“ We know in clinical science, there is nothing that is a quarter as protective against suffering as spirituality,” says psychologist Lisa Miller, PhD, author of The Awakened Brain. Miller shares poignant research and patient experiences that changed the way she thought about mental health, and her life. She outlines three significant windows in our lives—and how we might approach each. And she also shares her three-step synchronicity practice; the red-door, yellow-door practice; and some help for parents that I really appreciated. For the show notes, head to my Substack. Get 50% off Monarch, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarch.com/thread.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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This reflective solo episode beautifully navigates themes of trust, timing, and the unknown—something many of us face in both personal journeys and professional settings. https://lrchauffeurs.com/ is a premium chauffeur service based in London, offering luxury transport solutions across the UK, and much like the clarity and support you seek from tarot or workshops, their service offers peace of mind, reliability, and a smooth journey even when life feels uncertain. Ask ChatGPT
books published as Kathlyn Hendricks. think Kendricks is a typo
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sorry. Your guest lost me at saying understanding your chart means realizing there's cosmic reasons and it wasn't your parents. My childhood trauma says otherwise. I can heal and forgive them for other reasons. I can see people with compassion and not judge for other reasons. and it isn't some external influence of the heavens or. God or whatever. External reasons are crutches. It's too easy for people to say it's my chart is and never do the real internal work to grow. We grow from within because of how we deal with all the inputs to our various senses (including the senses science is just beginning to understand). We don't grow if we end up in limited thinking due to astrology or religion.
This episode was so impactful. Thank you once again for your vulnerability Elise. You are an expert at it 😊😘