What if the key to purpose isn’t chasing clarity within, but discovering meaning when you connect outward, to other people, to nature, and to the cosmos itself?

Our guest today, Jo Marchant, PhD, is an award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author whose work bridges science, history, and human experience. She is the author of Cure: A Journey into the Science of Mind Over Body, which investigates how our thoughts, beliefs, and emotions can influence health; and The Human Cosmos: Civilization and the Stars, which explores how our relationship with the night sky has shaped culture and consciousness throughout history. Her writing appears in outlets like Nature, The New Scientist, and The Guardian, and her talks have captivated audiences worldwide with a rare blend of scientific rigor and poetic wonder.

Jo’s upcoming book, In Search of Now (March 2026), continues her exploration into what it means to be human, uncovering the science and mystery of the present moment. Through all of her work, Jo invites us to rethink the boundaries between mind and body, subjective and objective, the measurable and the mysterious, revealing an interconnected reality where purpose and awe become central to human flourishing.

Timecodes

00:00 – What does purpose mean to Jo?

01:10 – Storytelling as a calling

02:00 – Why mind and body can’t be separated

03:15 – From martial arts to the placebo effect

05:20 – Science, hypnosis, and meditation

06:20 – Reality, connection, and the cosmos

07:00 – The ripple effect of living with purpose

08:00 – Purpose as a biological shield

09:25 – Advice for people who feel lost

• Learn more about Jo Marchant’s work: http://www.holomovement.net 
  
  

  http://www.LightNet.org is a collective intelligence platform mapping how people do impossible things. We then use the data to make breakthroughs of our own in teams of 8-12 and continue to share the data for those to follow.

  
  

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