What is Collective Healing?

Hosted by Sonita Mbah. Produced by J'aime Rothbard. Register for the Online Event: How Many Stories Form a "We" Living at their family home on the coast of Southern California, Myra L. Jackson's grandmother could sense when rain was coming by sticking out her tongue. She foraged collard greens and radishes in the nearby canyons, and taught her grandchildren to find trapdoor spiders and fossilised shells. Most important of all, she embodied a kinship with the Earth that would form the bedrock of Myra's future role as a 'Diplomat of the Biosphere' working in alignment with a broader movement of environmental defenders to enshrine a recognition for nature's rights in law.   With the latest two-week-long round of annual climate negotiations due to open in Antalya, Türkiye, on Monday, we wanted to balance the latest grim reports on the state of the biosphere with an inspiring vision for reweaving our place in the more-than-human world.  Having worked for years in the UN system, including by contributing to the framing of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, Myra seemed to us to be the perfect guest to infuse the often dry and technical world of climate politics with a deeply mystical appreciation of the intelligence of seed and soil.  In this rich and moving dialogue with Sonita, Myra shares a vision of collective healing rooted in restoring our access to a primordial sense of belonging to the "greater community of life itself."  "It begins when that illusion of separation begins to dissolve," Myra says. "And this allows us to recognise that we've never existed apart from one another, from nature, or even from the living pulse and intelligence of the Earth and beyond." Themes Sonita and Myra discuss include: How we're all expressions of an interconnected whole — whether we realise it or not How Myra's grandmother wordlessly transmitted what it means to experience yourself as part of the larger body of Earth — and showed how to live life in touch with the realm of the timeless Ancestral resources from Native American inheritance Learning to create in reciprocity with nature Importance of movement and dance to retain connection with the intelligence of the natural world How our soils are made of the constituents of stars Myra's prior work with non-governmental organisations and the United Nations, including formulating the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Planting a line in SDG 12 recognising the importance of living "in harmony with nature" Connecting with scientists working on planetary boundaries at the Stockholm Resilience Centre How Earth is calling each of us to participate in transforming systems built on colonisation and extraction into sustainable alternatives The importance of building community How the global crisis is provoking humanity to evolve from Homo Sapiens into Homo Luminous We loved Myra's capacity to articulate such an expansive view of our crisis-stricken moment from such a grounded and connected place. We hope her message will resonate with you — and perhaps reach some of those sitting late into the night at the negotiating tables at the UN climate conference in Türkiye, known as COP31. Previous Episodes Exploring Similar Themes: Humanity's Dragonfly Moment: Embracing Our New Era of Collective Intelligence, with Richard Rudd Intuitive Culture: Restoring our Resonance with Earth, with Tiókasin Ghosthorse  More on Myra's Work: Earth Law Center Nature Evolutionaries Earth Regeneration Alliance Organization of Nature Evolutionaries More podcasts featuring Myra L. Jackson: Edible Activist Listening to the Earth Leading From Being Pocket Project: Pocket Project Global Social Witnessing Calls Pocket Project About Myra L. Jackson: Earth Elder, Myra L. Jackson has held a diverse array of hefty careers in engineering, holographic organizational development and academia. While those experiences might seem divergent from her deep mystical roots, she found that her early training in electrical theory, physics and music informed her inner and outer life. That training has provided useful metaphorical language for discussing the physics of Now that points to our intrinsic bond with Nature.   Today, Myra carries the title of Diplomat of the Biosphere with a primary focus on transforming our societal relationship with Nature through public policy approaches that recognize Nature's intrinsic rights to exist whole along with all Her lifeforms. In listening to the Earth, Myra strives to fully realize the aspirational premise of the luminous thread she carries.  

Hosted by Matthew Green. Produced by J'aime Rothbard. Learn more and register for the "How Many Stories Form a We" Online Event  This episode starts with a miraculous wartime escape, an inter-generational reunion many decades later, and the long collective shadows cast in Austria by World War Two and the Holocaust.  It ends with a vision for healing one of humanity's core wounds: A centuries-old split between science and spirituality that's sabotaging our capacity to solve our most pressing problems. We loved this truly unique conversation with Christian Mandl, a member of the Pocket Project's advisory board who works in medical research on viruses and disease prevention.  Having served as a professor of virology in Vienna, headed vaccine research for a multinational company in Boston, and worked at biotech companies, venture funds, and global health organisations, Christian has enjoyed an illustrious career at the heart of the medical establishment.  But he is also a scientist who has dived deeply into matters of collective healing and spiritual realisation through his decades-long friendship with Pocket Project co-founder Thomas Hübl. Christian's remarkable story of his grandmother's early career working in service of a Jewish family in prewar Vienna, subsequent decades of uncertainty over the family's fate, and his eventual discovery of a redemptive ending to the story would have been worthy of an episode all by itself.  But we also felt inspired by Christian's passion for reconciling the academy's commitment to describing the world in purely objective terms with the more subjective realms of spiritual development and trauma healing work — a challenge he pursues via his Awestruck Scientist blog.  Themes Christian and Matthew discuss include: Christian's family story of inter-generational healing in the aftermath of World War Two and the Holocaust  The world of "It is" (science) versus the world of "I am" (spirituality) Historical role of religion in suppressing science Preventing infectious disease as a form of collective healing Role of viruses in the web of life Collective wound of division between science and spirituality Holding different perspectives on how reality works Blogging as Awestruck Scientist Taking the risk of speaking about spirituality in scientific circles Bring scientists and spiritual practitioners together We can't imagine there's many places where listeners can find this kind of sweeping exploration of both the nature of healing and the nature of reality — and we hope you'll stay with us to deepen our explorations in future dialogues!  Some previous related episodes: Transmuting the Legacies of Europe's Witch Trials in our Bodies, Lineages and Culture, with Andrea Livingston and Lysan Boshuzyen Accessing Ancestral Healing, with Yocheved Sidof More about Christian's work: Awestruck Scientist (Christian's blog) Christian Mandl on LinkedIn Pocket Project: Pocket Project Global Social Witnessing Calls Pocket Project About Christian Mandl:  Christian W. Mandl consults with industrial, academic, and nonprofit organizations on the translational aspects of vaccines, cancer immunotherapy, and global health. His current engagements include roles as co-founder and chief medical officer for Tiba Biotech (Cambridge, MA, USA), Senior Advisor at Adjuvant Capital (New York, USA), and Trustee and Chair of the Scientific Committee for the International Vaccine Institute (Seoul, Korea, and Vienna, Austria). Until 2015, he headed Research at Novartis Vaccines, where he led a global team of more than 300 discovery and clinical researchers. Before joining Novartis, Christian was Professor of Virology and Assistant Head of the Clinical Institute of Virology at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria. He has authored more than 100 scientific publications and is an inventor on patents for vaccine and RNA technologies. He holds an MSc in Biochemistry (1985) from Penn State University, a PhD in Biochemistry (1988), and an MD (1993) from the University of Vienna, as well as a Certification as a Medical Specialist in Virology (1999) from the Austrian Medical Association. Christian has pursued a lifelong interest in the exploration of consciousness and the experience of "I am". He investigates the interface of science and spirituality, and the boundaries of objective/scientific and subjective/introspective truth-finding in his Awestruck Scientist blog. Christian and his wife live in Boston, USA, and Vienna, Austria. They have five children and four grandchildren.  

Hosted by Matthew Green. Produced by J'aime Rothbard. Register for the Community Call Building Islands of Coherence: Growing a Global Movement for Collective Healing on October 21 This week we're excited to dive deeper into the mystical dimension of collective healing with a much-anticipated, visionary dialogue with the teacher, mystic and award-winning poet Richard Rudd. Richard is best known for developing the Gene Keys, a grand synthesis of practical wisdom designed to guide you to a deeper understanding of yourself and your true potential. Richard has also won acclaim for his many books, including The Art of Contemplation: Expand Time, Transform Your Emotions And Unleash Your Natural Brilliance and the forthcoming The Sage: A Gene Keys I Ching for the Future Human.    In this episode, Richard and Matthew explore the newest insights emerging from Richard's lifelong quest to liberate humanity's latent capacity for collective intelligence in service of personal and planetary healing.  Richard believes that we're entering a new phase as we complete a 400-year cycle in the evolution of consciousness. As we near the end of this process, familiar political and economic structures are collapsing and the earth is experiencing climatic and environmental chaos.   But Richard sees these distressing realities as the crucible for a deeper shift as more people begin to experience the possibility of inner freedom and activate collective forms of intelligence capable of opening radical new potentials. Just as a dragonfly can only assume its true form as an iridescent flying marvel after completing an incubation period trapped in brackish water, humanity is poised to make an equivalent leap beyond its current impasse, Richard says.  "We can barely glimpse what's going to emerge," Richard tells Matthew. "If you've got your eye on the world that's crumbling, you're not going to notice it at all. But if you're looking inside, you will feel the new shoots, little nubs, that are just beginning to appear in our consciousness." Among the themes Richard and Matthew explore: Are we on the cusp of a new form of human consciousness? How the Gene Keys can support personal and collective healing  The fundamental role of the art of contemplation  Relationships as the ultimate spiritual path How the new Gene Keys app can reveal relationship chemistry A new Gene Keys tool for forming coherent groups called the Delta Healing group consciousness through 'transauric intelligence' The power of coherent communities  Gentleness and patience as primary Gene Keys teachings How the Gene Keys can empower us to become 'big wave surfers.' Building community to navigate testing times The view from the 'crystalline human' We hope this episode will nourish anyone seeking an inspiring "view from the mountaintop" of our global crisis. This dialogue also offers insights into how the Gene Keys can support our personal and collective evolution and provides a taste of the work of one of the leading teachers of our time. Learn more about the Gene Keys via this video of Matthew exploring his Hologenetic Profile with Gene Keys Guide Jessica Harshman. Further Resources: The Gene Keys (website)  The Gene Keys App The Sage: A Gene Keys I Ching for the Future Human Pocket Project: Pocket Project Global Social Witnessing Calls Pocket Project About Richard Rudd:  Richard Rudd is an international spiritual teacher, writer, and award-winning poet. He is the founder of the Gene Keys, a contemplative system that has evolved over two decades and is now used by over 100,000 people around the world as a practical pathway to self-understanding.  Richard's life is an example of how to walk a spiritual path while, at the same time, being a modern business leader. As Founder and Chair of Gene Keys Group, he leads an international team following the principles of Gene Keys wisdom, including the art of contemplation. His work has been translated into many languages, and he has twice been named on the Watkins list of The 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People.  He has just launched a new app Gene Keys: By Richard Rudd, a contemplative companion for a noisy life. The App weaves together three practices – a daily contemplative pause, a living oracle for the questions you're carrying, and a guided journey into the architecture of your own life. It allows you to see the chemistry between you and people in your life across every dimension of connection — emotional, mental, sexual, soul and creative.  His latest book Contemplation: Expand Time, Transform Your Emotions And Unleash Your Natural Brilliance; has recently been published by Hay House. Richard is also a Family Director at Berry Bros. & Rudd, Britain's oldest wine and spirits merchant, founded in 1698. A devoted husband and father, Richard, lives in Devon, England.

Hosted by Matthew Green. Produced by J'aime Rothbard. Register for the Community Call Building Islands of Coherence: Growing a Global Movement for Collective Healing on October 21 When Gaye Donaldson first encountered Systemic Constellation Work in 1994, the revelation she experienced made new sense of her life up to that point — and propelled her onto an unexpected path. Gaye has since spent more than 30 years exploring the practice, also known as Family Constellations, in which a facilitator leads a group of people through a process aimed at mapping and resolving unconscious patterns shaping the lives of individuals, families or larger groups. Gaye continues to work with personal and family issues, in organisations, within the creative arts, and with the land. She has also been a teacher at the UK's Centre for Systemic Constellations for over two decades.  In this episode, Gaye becomes the first guest to bring a Systemic Constellations lens to the question at the heart of What Is Collective Healing? — namely, how can we support people to integrate the collective and intergenerational trauma fuelling the world's interlocking crises? In her dialogue with Matthew, Gaye emphasises both the importance of discerning what is truly our work to do, and assuming the posture of "not knowing" that Constellation facilitators learn to hold.  Their conversation covers topics including:  Learning to ask: "What's mine and what's not mine?" How we get entangled in other people's stories Reawakening our right place in relationship to the planet A Systemic Constellation with a descendant of a Holocaust survivor Working in Kairos time Experiencing ancestral grief from World War Two Family stories: The compulsion to complete what is incomplete The Five Generational Imperative Working with victim-perpetrator dynamics in organisations When we tell the whole story, the system is complete A big part of the mission of What Is Collective Healing? is to provide a platform where practitioners of diverse approaches to trauma integration can come into generative dialogue. We loved our deep and inspiring dive with Gaye into Systemic Constellations, an increasingly influential approach that's already familiar to many in the Pocket Project community.  If you enjoy exploring multiple approaches to trauma work, we recommend these previous episodes featuring other pioneering practitioners: Organic Intelligence®: Activating Self-Healing Through the Power of Pleasure and Joy, with Steven Hoskinson The Wholeness Work: A Precise Path to Freedom, with Connirae Andreas Further Resources: Gaye Donaldson (website) Centre for Systemic Constellations (website) Centre for Systemic Constellations (LinkedIn) Centre for Systemic Constellations (Facebook) Centre for Systemic Constellations (Instagram) Pocket Project: Pocket Project Global Social Witnessing Calls Pocket Project About Gaye Donaldson:  Gaye Donaldson is a systemic constellations facilitator, trainer and consultant. She experienced Constellation Work for the first time in 1994 and it changed her life in a very personal way, but the experience of the work also made sense of her whole story up to that moment. Now, decades on from this revelation and opening, Gaye has continued to deepen her understanding of the philosophy and methodology, and she has been teaching the work to wonderfully diverse student groups for over 20 years through the Centre for Systemic Constellations, the first systemic Constellation school in the UK, which she heads up. Gaye uses the whole-system Constellation approach with personal and family issues, in organisations, within the creative arts, most particularly film and theatre, and also with the land. She is based in the South-West of England and has a herd of Icelandic horses who teach and restore her. She is a mother to five grown-ups, and grand-mother to a further five children. Her joy is to see the work expand into where it is needed and to evolve new ways of seeing that support the changes needed in our world today.  

Hosted by Kosha Joubert Produced by J'aime Rothbard.  Register for the community call Mapping the Conditions for Collective Trauma – From Data to Deeper Awareness on October 8  Lots of people talk about 'healing Earth'. But what if we need Earth to heal us? Could we learn to see beyond a narrowly scientific worldview to embrace more of nature's mystery?  In this episode, we welcome Tiókasin Ghosthorse, a musician, activist, and author most recently of Earth Mind, which is due to be published in May. A citizen of the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation of South Dakota, who hosted the longest-running Indigenous affairs radio show in the United States, Tiókasin has long been a leading voice sharing how Indigenous wisdom can cast our personal and planetary challenges in a new light.   Tiókasin speaks with Kosha about how we can learn to transcend a mindset based on separation from nature to come into deeper resonance with the more-than-human world. It's this process of recognising our essential oneness with life that can open new pathways to wholeness.  The dialogue covers topics including:  Understanding that nature understands us How modern psychology can separate us from Earth Experiencing resonance with nature through the body Returning to a more intuitive culture Ancestors as guides to the 'ancient future' Addressing the legacy of colonial perpetration Mycelial consciousness Awe and wonder as nature's "original language" We hope you enjoy this nourishing dialogue and also offer you these previous episodes featuring carriers of Indigenous wisdom:  Tending Wounded Places With Furious Love, with Hāweatea Holly Bryson "How Can We Listen in a World That Is on Fire?," with Joshua Konkankoh Restoring Relationships with the More-Than-Human-World, with J Dallas Gudgell The Prayers of Our Ancestors, with Solea Anani Pocket Project: Pocket Project Global Social Witnessing Calls Pocket Project About Tiókasin Ghosthorse  Tiókasin Ghosthorse is a citizen of the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation — Oceti Sakowin —  Oyate Itazipčola-Mnikȟówožu Lakȟota — Mníša tióšpaye na Četáŋǧi thiwáhe, paternal band of Without Bows, of the Red Water Clan from the extended family Yellow Hawk and maternal band of Plants By The Water. He hosted First Voices Radio National/International from 1992 until the show's final broadcast in 2025, one of the longest-running Indigenous-produced radio programs in the United States, broadcasting weekly from Pacifica Radio Affiliates-WBAI in New York and centering Indigenous perspectives on ecology, culture, and "original wisdom." He carries the name Oyáte TȟokáheyA Wičhákiye (Places Nations First) and Tiókasin (Spirit Coming In). He considers himself a perfectly flawed human being.  He founded Akantu Intelligence, an institute dedicated to contextualizing Indigenous wisdom for contemporary crises, and has spoken internationally, including at United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues gatherings, on the relational worldview of Indigenous peoples toward water, land, animals and one another. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2016 for his global advocacy and peace education. He co-authored Butterfly Against the Wind in 2017 and Earth Mind, to be released in May 2027.