Pushing Boundaries with Dr. Thomas R Verny

As I stand at the intersection of heartfelt gratitude and poignant closure, I can't help but reflect on the myriad of voices and perspectives that have graced this podcast. Over the span of two years and 43 episodes, I've had the honor of conversing with a tapestry of brilliant minds—scholars, writers, and medical professionals among them. Each conversation was a thread in the rich quilt of knowledge we've woven together, and as your host,  it's a quilt I'll treasure long after the microphone goes silent.

This final episode is a candid look at the podcasting journey, beset wit...

Promise one thing: by the end of this conversation with bestselling author and professional speaker, Michael McQueen, you'll have an entirely new perspective on open-mindedness and persuasion. We embark on a deep exploration of the human mind, uncovering the psychology behind stubbornness and taking a fresh look at the art of ethically influencing others. Michael, renowned for his insightful perspectives, shares critical nuggets from his book, Mindstruck: Mastering the Art of Changing Minds, and discusses how we can become more open-minded and encourage others to do the same. 

As we navigate this fascinating discussion, we compare modern p...

What if our hands are the key to better communication and deeper understanding? Join me as I sit down with the esteemed Dr. Susan Golden Meadow, diving headfirst into an exploration of her groundbreaking research on the role of gestures in communication, thought, and learning. As we dissect the fascinating world of nonverbal communication, you'll learn how our hands can subtly influence others, and how the gestures of deaf children differ from those of adults. Get ready to see your hands in a whole new light.

But that's not all we have in store for you. As the...

Join us for an eye-opening discussion with acclaimed film and television director, Stephen Gyllenhaal. Our conversation primarily revolves around his latest work, Uncharitable, a groundbreaking documentary that strikes at the heart of traditional views on charity operations. We embark on a thought-provoking exploration of gender disparity in the non-profit sector, the constraints that hinder charities' effectiveness, and how these elements inspired the film's creation.

Our conversation with Stephen takes an incisive look at non-profit organizations, their struggles, and their indispensable role in society. We challenge the status quo, discussing the necessity for attracting top talent, offering competitive...

Ever wondered how our hand movements not only express our thoughts but also shape them? Our guest, Dr. Susan Golden Meadow, is an expert in the fascinating world of gestures, and she's here to unravel their powerful role in communication, thinking, and learning. The magic of nonverbal cues is at your fingertips, from learning to navigate misdirection in conversations to understanding how parents create a unique communicative context for their kids. 

We're diving straight into the heart of Susan's vast research, starting from her early fascination with the structured gestures of deaf children that intriguingly mirror the structure o...

Ever wondered about the hidden causes of homelessness? Join us as we unravel these with Joseph Jacques, co-founder, and director of Harmonic Humanity. An organization which is not just about providing immediate work for those living on the streets, but also about unfolding their potential through transformational education. Joseph, from his unique perspective, highlights the surprising connection between prenatal trauma and homelessness, addiction, and mental health issues. His insights stem from his extensive work with the Association of Pre- and Perinatal Psychology and are beautifully captured in his book, Legends of Creation.

Joseph’s extraordinary journey began wi...

Have you ever paused to think about how language can shape our relationship with the world around us? Jerry Fontaine and Don McCaskill, authors of the illuminating book 'To Own Ourselves: Embodying Ojibwe Anishinaabe Ways', join us to share a deep dive into this profound understanding.

In the first part of our conversation, we learn about the duo's journey in creating the book, starting with a significant pipe ceremony and a unique relationship with their publisher. We also gain insights on Jerry's background, hailing from a lineage of active political resistance, particularly his grandmother, who was a trailblazer...

Ever wondered how mysticism, quantum theory, and consciousness are intertwined? Well, get ready to unlock some mind-bending insights with our special guest, David Lorimer. An acclaimed writer, poet, and spiritual activist, David takes us on a journey through his unique upbringing and career, deeply influenced by his grandfather, Sir Robert Lorimer, a renowned architect and mystic.

We dive into a profound exploration of consciousness and its crucial role in science. Bouncing off the theories of iconic physicists from the 1930s to modern thought-leaders, we explore the paradoxical interface of the brain and consciousness. Prepare to be fascinated...

Join us for a fascinating conversation with my guest, Mike Rucker, an organizational psychologist and behavioral scientist. Mike unveils the intriguing science of happiness and warns us about the risk of 'ornamental hygiene' that can emerge from excessively pursuing this emotion. His book, 'The Fun Habit,' serves as a guide to experience a life filled with happiness without obsessively quantifying it. Mike shares his journey into the field of positive psychology that started with the International Positive Psychology Association.

As we delve deeper, we explore the importance of autonomy and time affluence. Mike emphasizes the need...

Ever wonder how Silicon Valley billionaires are investing in research to reverse and slow down the aging process? Well, let's get to the root of it with our guest, Faraz Khan. As a Management Consultant and Longevity Expert, Faraz has bridged his background in computer science and passion for anti-aging to create a platform dedicated to longevity. We delve into his journey and the groundbreaking techniques he uses to help others slow down their aging process.

Getting into the nitty-gritty of aging, we dissect the science behind cell division and its implications on diseases such as Alzheimer's...

What if you could alter your mood, focus your mind, and even manage conditions like PTSD and depression just by listening to a certain type of sound? That's the revolutionary promise behind binaural beats, the focus of our conversation with Wayne Altman, the founder of Melody Clouds, on today's episode of Pushing Boundaries. Wayne shares his intriguing journey into the world of binaural beats, which began as a personal quest to manage his tinnitus, and evolved into an exploration of the incredible potential of these unique sound frequencies.

But Wayne's passion didn't stop there. He took the...

Ever wondered how to unlock the secrets of financial success? Join me for an enlightening conversation with George Grombacher, a financial advisor with over 20 years of experience, as he shares his journey and the keys to achieving financial freedom. Discover how to create a vision for your future, set goals, and take small steps to get out of debt and find breathing room.

George also discusses the importance of financial coaching in overcoming limiting beliefs and how surrounding yourself with the right kind of people can make a significant impact on your financial success. Learn from his...

What if the story of Atlantis was deeply connected to our own embryology, and the myths that surround it held the key to our prenatal development? Join me in an enlightening conversation with Dr. John Bonaducci, an expert in the captivating field of Mythobiogenesis, which he created during his doctoral studies. Discover how John transitioned from liturgy to mythology, connected with the Joseph Campbell Foundation, and developed his work on prenatal psychology - all while uncovering the power of storytelling and the significance of mythological studies for understanding our place in the universe.

As we delve into...

My guest today is Dr Stephanie Alice Baker, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, City, University of London. Her first book, Social Tragedy (Palgrave MacMillan 2014), analyzed how collective narratives emerge in different cultural contexts and the role of the media in communicating tragic events of social significance.

Her second book examined how lifestyle and wellness influencers construct authority and influence online. She situated this research in discussions around trust, expertise, microcelebrity and medical misinformation. She has published several key articles on these topics as well as a book, Lifestyle Gurus: Constructing authority and influence online (Polity 2019), co-authored with Chris...

My guest today is Mark Scott Rosenbaum, Ph.D., Dean, College of Business, Hawaii Pacific University. Previously, he was dean and professor of marketing with the Graham School of Management at Saint Xavier University in Chicago. Prior to his leadership at St. Xavier Rosenbaum was chair and professor of the Department of Retailing at the University of South Carolina, the Kohl's Professor of Marketing at Northern Illinois University, and an assistant professor in the Department of Marketing at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. Dr. Rosenbaum is a three-time Fulbright Scholar. Dr. Rosenbaum serves as co-editor of...

My guest today is Dr. Natalie Dyer, PhD, Research Scientist with Connor Whole Health at University Hospitals, Warrensville Heights, OH and President of the Center for Reiki Research. She has published many scientific papers and book chapters on postmaterialist science, psychedelics, and the therapeutic effects of integrative medicine practices, including Reiki, yoga, acupuncture, and mindfulness, and is co-editor of the book Expanding Science: Visions of a Postmaterialist Paradigm and the forthcoming book Infinite Percepton: The Power of Psychedelics for Global Transformation. Natalie is also an energy medicine practitioner and teacher. Her passion is in understanding and addressing mental and...

My guest today is Helane Wahbeh ND MCR,  director of research at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS)—a nonprofit parapsychological research institute cofounded by astronaut Edgar Mitchel. Author of  Free To Be Me: A Journey of Transformation through Generational Healing, 2015 and The Science of Channeling: Why You Should Trust Your Intuition and Embrace the Force That Connects Us All, 2022.

Helane’s first book offers the reader a remarkable window into the lives of five generations of women in Palestine starting with her great-great grandmother in the early 1800’s. What she learned about herself doing research and writ...

My guest today is Dr. Steve Cole PhD, professor of Medicine, Psychiatry and Behavioral Science in the UCLA School of Medicine.

What are signal transduction pathways? It's a way of basically perceiving, at the cellular level, what's going on outside and changing cellular behavior by increasing or decreasing rates of RNA transcription from the DNA genome at specific sites in the genome. A standard signal transduction cascade would have some kind of a receptor on the surface of the cell that detects let's say, a neurotransmitter, or a bacteria or something like that. It relays information...

My guest today is Dr. Joann O’Leary, who holds a Masters Degree in Maternal-Child Health from the University of MN and a Masters in Psychology from Queens University in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Joann has published 5 books including 
Different Baby, Different Story: Pregnancy and Parenting after Loss
2020
Meeting the Needs of Parents Pregnant and Parenting After Perinatal Loss
2016
Pregnancy After Loss: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study Of Parenting A Subsequent Baby Following A Perinatal Loss
2010
After Loss: Parenting in the Next Pregnancy: A Manual for Professionals Working With Families in Pregnancy Following Loss

Intro to organoid intelligenceComparing brain organoids to supercomputersIs there any danger of organoids becoming consciousHow much does it take to claim an intelligent systemImpact of the work in the long run, on treatment of diseases like Alzheimer’s

My guest today is Prof. Thomas Hartung, MD, PhD. He is the former Head of the European Commission’s Center for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM), Ispra, Italy, and has authored more than 560 scientific publications and received 16 different awards ranging from the German Ministry of Health to Hellenistic Society of Toxicology. 
Prof. Hartung is presently the Doerenkamp-Zbinden-Chair for Evide...

My guest today is Dr. Mel Borins  who is a Family Physician in private practice, and is on active staff at St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto, Canada. He is a Fellow of the College of Family Physicians of Canada, and Associate Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto.
For over two decades, he has been active and instrumental in training Physicians in Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Counseling and Psychotherapy, Stress Management and Communications.
Dr. Mel Borins is the author of Go Away Just for the Health of It,  An A...

My guest today is Dr. David Peters, Professor Emeritus, Westminster Centre for Resilience, College of Liberal Arts and Science University of Westminster, London. He has co-authored or edited five books about complementary therapies including The Encyclopaedia of Complementary Medicine in 1997, followed by The complete Guide to Integrated Medicine in 2000, Understanding the placebo response in complementary medicine and Integrating Complementary Therapies: a practical guide for primary care both in 2001 and in 2007, New Medicine.  
David started his medical career  as a musculo-skeletal physician and gradually branched out to include osteopathy and acupuncture working with the relaxation response, yoga and meditation. A...

We face a challenge of understanding information. Because information is considered as something that is written in a book, in a message in a newspaper, it's not understood as something that two bacteria can exchange. And then there is the social challenge, because we think typically of an individual,  an individual human, but not about the distributed cognition in a social setting, both for humans, but also for smaller organisms like cells. So, the idea of cognition on the basic level of the smallest living organism, which is the cell has been very difficult for many people to accept a...

My guest today is Apab’yan Tew, speaker, herbalist doctor, bones therapist, auxiliary midwife, writer, researcher, musician and ceremonial dancer and singer currently practicing in the highlands of Central Mexico, Chiapas and Guatemala. He is the author of The Birth of a Universe: The Maya science of Pregnancy.
Apab’yan spent 19 years becoming a spiritual guide with one female and one male teacher learning his craft experientially. This education was exhaustive, arduous and offered only to certain individuals chosen from within an indigenous community. His two teachers were very different. About his woman teacher he says, “for her I was...

My guest today is Dr. Dean Radin - Following a career in classical violin, Dean went on to earn an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amhurst, a master’s degree in electrical engineering and a doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. After his graduation, Dean conducted research at Princeton and University of Edinburgh and was a faculty member at University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Presently, Dean is Chief Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences founded by Astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell 50 years ago after the Apollo-14 mission.
Dean is...

Rabbi Jonathan Duker  grew up near Philadelphia, attended Yehivat Reishit Yerushalayim in the Old City of Jerusalem, earned his BA and MA from Yeshiva University, was ordained as rabbi by Yeshivat Chovevei Torah in New York. In 2004 he emigrated to Israel and subsequently received a degree in Education from Herzog College. He currently serves as an Israel Studies Educator at the Alexander Muss High School in Israel, Rabbinic Guide for Camp Yavneh in New Hampshire, and volunteers for the Jewish Marriage department for the Tzohar Rabbinical Organization. Rabbi Duker lives in Beit Shemesh with his wife Susan and their 4 c...

My guest today is Prof Dave Pruett, former NASA researcher; award-winning computational scientist; emeritus professor of applied mathematics at James Madison University (JMU); the originator of "From Black Elk to Black Holes", a Templeton-award-winning Honors seminar at JMU; and the author of Reason and Wonder: A Copernican Revolution in Science and Spirit (Praeger 2012, paperback 2016). Reason and Wonder, synthesizes modern scientific insights with ancient spiritual wisdom. 
Prof. Ptuett says he learned a lot from the work of French paleontologist-priest Teilhard de Chardin who held that biological evolution is not directionless. It tends toward greater biological complexity with concomitantly higher c...

My guest today is Father Laurence Freeman OSB, a Benedictine monk of the Congregation of Monte Olivetto Maggiore in Italy.  Fr Laurence was educated by the Benedictines and studied English Literature at Oxford University. He is the Director of the World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM) an inclusive contemplative  community based in Bonnevaux. 
Fr Laurence is a prolific author. His books include: Light within, the Selfless Self, Your Daily Practice, Jesus: the Teacher Within, First Sight: The Experience of Faith, Web of Silence and Good Work: Meditation for Personal and Organizational Transformation. He has collaborated with the Dalai Lam...

My guest today is Martha Jo Atkins PhD, end-of-life counselor, counselor supervisor, (LPC-S), coach, speaker and author of Signposts of Dying: What You Need to Know (2015). For almost thirty years, you Martha has worked with grieving and bereaved children and families and people at end-of-life and the ones who love them. I asked what that kind of counselling entails.
In the very early 90s, Martha  worked at a children's hospital in the intensive care unit. She worked with children who were dying and their siblings. She found that the siblings were often left out not invited in to s...

My guest today is Jeffrey Mishlove PhD, clinical psychologist, host of  the podcast, New Thinking Allowed, and author of an encyclopedic volume of consciousness studies, The Roots of Consciousness. Dr. Mishlove is a scientist known worldwide for his serious research on unexplained phenomena. He was recently awarded the Bigelow Institute Competition Grand Prize for his paper Beyond the Brain: The Survival of Human Consciousness After Permanent Bodily Death.
Jeffrey was studying criminology when at age 27 he had a “dream” about his uncle Harry that changed the direction of his life. He quit criminology and switched into para-psychology at Unive...

My guest today is Susan Highsmith DD, PhD, counselor and, in addition to have written The Renaissance of Birth and  Babies Know , author of a fabulous series of  fairy tales for unborn, newborn and very young children designed to help parents bond with their children and children attach to their parents. They are called The First Fairy Tales I – IV..
Susan got into this subject in 2001 when she began a five year study program to earn a PhD in Pre and Perinatal psychology, intending to help answer the question, why would anybody be having difficulties because they were born...

 My guest today is Robbie Davis-Floyd PhD,  Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Anthropology, Rice University, Houston and Fellow of the Society for Applied Anthropology. Dr. Davis-Floyd is a medical/reproductive anthropologist, international speaker (over 1000 presentations) and researcher in transformational models in childbirth, midwifery and obstetrics. She is author of over 80 articles, 23 encyclopedia entries, and of Birth as an American Rite of Passage (1992, 2003) and Ways of Knowing about Birth: Mothers, Midwives, Medicine, and Birth Activism (2018); coauthor of From Doctor to Healer: The Transformative Journey (1998) and The Power of Ritual (2016); and co-editor of 12 collections. Robbie serves as Editor for the International Childbirth In...

Gerard D. C. Kuiken PhD. False Dualities, Space-time, Life-death
We talk about consciousness, thought, time and the relationship between life and death.
Max Planck regarded consciousness as a fundamental component of the universe and matter as derived from it.  Dr. Kuiken disagrees. He holds that a chosen distinction, a measurement, collapses the  “wave function”  yielding a triunity, like consciousness—distinction—matter.    In other words, they all coexist, and  there is no primacy of consciousness over matter or vice versa. 
His studies of Sanskrit texts have lead him to equate consciousness with Self/self. This self is made of speech...

Precognition confounds our sense and understanding of time, something we can generally take for granted. Between case histories and recent experimental work, it is clear that we must take precognition seriously. What does it tell us about the world that individuals can get glimpses of the future (and the past)?
Psi puzzles us in many ways, muddling our ordinary notions of individuality, personality, and the nature of mind in general.
In 2003, Bob started attending the Sursem or ‘Survival Seminar’ project at Essalen and became more actively involved with the leading researchers in Parapsychology. In 2021 he contributed a chap...

My guest today is Andria Spyridou PhD, Dr.Nat.Sc.,  Her Doctorate is in Clinical Psychology from the University of Konstanz, Germany. Dr. Spyridou is presently the regional mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) coordinator for UNICEF’s Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office. Currently, Andria lives in Panama.  She emphasized that the opinions expressed here are her personal views and do not necessarily represent her employer’s.
UNICEF in 2018 estimated that more than 29 million babies in 2018 were born in conflict zones such as Afghanistan, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen or on perilous journeys to escape fighting.
In 201...

My guest is Joan Koenig, a pioneering music educator, author of  The Musical Child and owner operator of famed Parisian L’Ecole Koenig-The American Conservatory. Joan will tell us how music can supercharge early childhood development—and how parents and educators can harness its power.
At her  music schol they have classes for parents and babies. “We have bells, little bells that sit on the floor. And there's always a pianist in the room. The bells require no motor skills, literally, the child can hit it with their hand. And even very young babies give it a try, of cours...

My guest today is Dr. Bruce Lipton, cellular biologist and author of The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter, & Miracles. He also wrote two more books, The Honeymoon Effect: The Science of Creating Heaven on Earth in 2009 and with Steve Bhaerman Spontaneous Evolution: Our Positive Future (and a Way to Get There from Here)

Through the research of Dr. Lipton and other leading-edge scientists, stunning new discoveries have been made about the interaction between your mind and body and the processes by which cells receive information. It shows that genes and DNA do...