Managing Partner, Chief Strategy Officer at Holon Law Partners. Firm design and implementation. Outside General Counsel, complex legal portfolio manager, and strategic consultant. Presently advising AI businesses.
So excited to have George Monty on Above the Haze !
George is one of the most influential voices in the modern psychedelic landscape. In this segment, we explore the birth of a new consciousness and the importance of meaningful dialogue.
George shares profound insights on:
1. Making meaning and thinking differently
2. Understanding perspective shifts and embracing the magic of possibility
3. The miracle of birth and the need for meaningful action
4. The emergence of a new way to view relationships and form a new language
5. The power of real dialogue, empathy, and open communication
He summed everything up nicely by saying, "we're in the magic of the possibility... the miracle of birth is a miracle. What we're seeing right now is the birth of something new. There's a real need for people out there to do something meaningful."
Join us as we navigate these transformative ideas and learn how to truly communicate for the first time as a collective species.
#gratitude#blessed#Psychedelics#NewConsciousness#MeaningfulDialogue#Transformation#truelife#Empathy#meaningmaking#plantmedicinesHolon Law Partners
Alright, buddy. Welcome back to Above the Haze. Eric Postel. Hold on, Law partners with me today, Joe. Edge Marty podcast host, author, true life podcast, where he is serving as a bridge, a connector, talking to so many interesting people in different segments of sociocultural historical life and allowing us to learn from those conversations. George, welcome to above the Hayes. Thanks for being on. Eric, I'm stoked to be here, man. Congratulations on the podcast. Thank you for the work you're doing. I know that you seem to be on tour and talking to people and helping us move the ball forward when it comes to seeing the world of cannabis and psychedelics in a in a new light, man. So thanks for the work you're doing. Absolutely appreciate you, George. You were so gracious as a host when you had me on and I just had to return the favor. You gave me the greatest introduction. Of anyone I'd, you know, done a lot of different types of talking things and nobody introduced me like that. So I wanted to give it right back to you. I wanna jump right in, you know? For those that don't know, you know you've you've crafted a pretty serious. Following of your Your True Life podcast and you're asking some of the more important and interesting questions that we can ask, which is in that space of psychedelics, in the space of plant medicines, in the space of consciousness, and where these social transformational wave points are that are clearly having an impact and trickling down into our zeitgeist. Play. Why is that the case? How did you get to a point where you were doing this type of work, which I guess your your journey to now? Thanks for the question and it. I think it has to do. With asking. Asking questions, you know, and. One of the questions I began asking myself after, you know, my son had passed away and I reestablished my relationship with psychedelics was this question of what kind of life do I want to live? Why am I not happy? What's going on in the world? Like these questions are the kind of, you know, existential questions that kind of notch you and for me. It was what kind of life do I want to live and and. I think we all get to a point in our life where. Or it seems to me we get to a point in our life where we have to wonder what's meaningful. And that's what it was for me. Like I, I was living a life without a whole lot of meaning. I had a, I have a beautiful wife that loves me and she's intelligent and my daughter's crushing it. She's doing really well. But I found myself in a position where I was just working to work, you know, I, I was working at a place and I didn't like the way they treated me. I didn't like the way they treated other people. And I began seeing that as a reflection of I don't like the way I'm treating myself. I'm not standing up for myself. So I saw that reflection in my workplace and the question dawned on me, Eric is, you know, I saw I was a UPS driver for quite a long time and I began seeing people not sticking up for themselves. And I, I saw the people being treated like numbers. And this burning question began to build in me. And this question was, why will No1 stand up for themselves? And then it hit me like a ton of bricks on a psychedelic journey. Why don't you stand up for yourself, George? You know, when I was like, man, I, I get goosebumps when I think about it. And like, that was the transition. That was the bridge that led me to start doing all this. And it just comes from asking questions and, and meaningful questions at that. So that's, that's the answer, the meaning making thing. We explore that together in our conversation on your show. And I'm I'm hearing how. How? Unique and central to your being that that comes from. You said you know your son passed away. Yeah. I'm sorry. And you know, I, I, I have three kids and I. Can't imagine so I express my heartfelt empathy and and feelings for that. And if it's alright with you, I'd like to just explore. That is, a is a. I would seem a pivotal moment addressing the loss of of a child and then. The meaning making. As the transformational thing that occurred on the other end of that. Rich, you know that portal that you went through there that I'm sure you didn't? You never ask for you. You never contemplated. And then there it was. Yeah, it's. There's so many similarities. Whether it's in the mythology we read, the life we live. The people we talked to, but this idea of a death in a rebirth and a lot of people talk about an ego death. A lot of people talk about getting to see the world with clear eyes. A lot of people talk about the heroes journey or the characters are. But I'll tell you what, Eric. Holding your son's dead body in your arms. I mean, that's a real life, life and death journey to see all of your dreams, to see everything you thought, to see this life that you had in front of you cold. To have doctors come in and tear that life away from you while you're clinging on like. That. It's, it's a club I hope nobody ever has to join. But if they do join it, I will be the first one there with the advice and, and and warm welcome hug to, to welcome you into this. But that is also something happens to you. You know, it's, it's, it's an initiation. If you look back at sometimes I think about Abraham or you look at all these Jonah and the whale, like there's all these biblical references to death and rebirth. And when something like that happens to you, you're initiated. You see things in a way that you will. Never see them again. The scales fall off and you realize it doesn't matter. You know, what matters is your relationships matter. And psychedelics for me is a way of uncovering those relationships because you, you. It's almost the same way neuroplasticity happens in your mind and a huge psychedelic trip. The same way people are getting over trauma. That's what happens in your brain when someone passes away, whether it's your, your wife, your father, your mother and and all of us are going to go through with it. Maybe it's your child. Maybe it's your parents, but it's going to happen to you and when that happens you are given the ability to see the world with fresh eyes and some people they turn towards on. And maybe they turned to something to to coat it over. Maybe they turned to chasing money, maybe they turned to alcohol, maybe they turned to an outlet where they don't have to sit with it. But I'm glad that I did and I hope other people do. I it's worth exploring and I understand the PTSD. I understand the people that are using psychedelics to get through trauma because I did. And it could be cannabis, it could be psychedelics, it could be all of these are tools to help us fundamentally shift the way we. We work our way in this environment and it's happening like you see this renaissance happening and it happened in the 60s and it's happening now. We are fundamentally shifting consciousness. And like that is what This is why my podcast is successful. Like I'm talking to a really cool people about meaningful things. I don't got time for, I wish I made more money. Oh, I wish I drove a Tesla. I got time for that. Like there's people in the world that are knocking on the Gurney. I want one. More day, let's figure, let's figure out how to give the people that person's voice. Let's let that person has one more day tell their story to the kid so they can get through things faster. Like that's the beauty of the True Life podcast. That's the beauty of all this communication. That's the beauty of having a connected world, the human mycelium where we could pass information fast and different passed before like that. That's what it's about, man. That's that's the beginning exploration to your question. It's beautiful. Thank you so much for going there with me. And for sharing that. Alright. We're making meaning, we're thinking about things differently. We're understanding perspective shifts. We're considering the you know, the the world that is and the world that's possible. We're in the magic of the possibility where noticing. So what? What do we notice? What are you noticing out there? What I can tell people for sure is that the miracle of birth is a miracle, right? Because they're because death can happen during birth. And what we're seeing right now is the birth of something new. And there's real need for people out there to do something meaningful like this new consciousness that's emerging, this new sort of way to view relationships. This new sort of language that's forming, like I believe for the first time, what's happening is that we as a collective species are beginning to understand how to communicate meaningful. If you look back at all the things that have happened in life, whether the wars or history, whatever that word means, it's people's side monologuing or talking past each other. And it's not that they're mean spirited or or that they're horrible people. It's just that we haven't had the right tools to convey meaning. To one another. And when you can do that, when you can sit down with someone and have a real dialogue and both of you can be open and empathetic and meaningful, you can get your message across. And that is what we're headed to Eric, like this meaningful dialogue that's happening. There's there's this science of semiotics that talks about the way in which nature speaks to us. And anybody who's been on a psychedelic journey that's, you know, bumped up against the ineffable, well, you're bumping up against the new language. That we're all learning and it's happening to all of us at different times, but it's, it's still happening to us as a species. I believe we are beginning to learn how to have meaningful dialogue for the first time. We're, you know, we're barely out of the trees and now we're beginning to talk to each other.
Advocating for People w. Disabilities, Improved Access to Better Mental Health Svcs., Criminal Justice Reform, Religious Freedom to Use Psychedelics in Protestant Christian Services of Worship & The Life in Jesus Christ
We have so much acrimony and strong emotions often related to the overwhelming impact of the atrocities we are witnessing and lies that attempt to obviate the truth. It is time to speak about scapegoating. Renee Gerard’s position is that mimesis is at the root of all conflict. Note - “root”. If we were in a world where we are well guided we would learn not to scapegoat. Blame is the territory of the victim. The blamer is weak and seeks revenge. The alternative is to take responsibility.
For a pretty good introduction to Girard See: https://lnkd.in/gYzcbyg4.
With tomorrows upcoming conference we want to leave you with some "food for thought from our speakers."
1️⃣ On moral repair: "Moral repair is the process of moving from the situation of loss and damage to a situation where some degree of stability in moral relations is regained” (Margaret Urban Walker, American philosopher and academic).
2️⃣ On self care: "Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation and that is an act of political warfare." (Audre Lorde, American writer, professor, philosopher, intersectional feminist, poet and civil rights activist )
3️⃣ On resilience and awareness of macro-level influence: “If you aren’t recognizing your own humanity and your own preciousness, and your own individual divinity, then of course it is not going to horrify you when the divinity, preciousness and humanities of other people is being eliminated and diminished”. (Amanda Doyle, attorney, a human rights advocate, podcaster)
Still need to register? 🌐 tinyurl.com/beyond-burnout#Burnout#MoralDistress#SelfCare#Resilience#VCUGeroCCE
Do you know human history began with an act of disobedience?
Erich Fromm wrote, "Human history began with an act of disobedience and it is not unlikely that it will be terminated by an act of obedience.”
However, he cautions that not all disobedience is virtue, nor all obedience is vice. If you obey blindly, you are a slave; if you disobey uncritically, you act out of anger and resentment. He differentiates between two kinds of conscience: authoritarian and humanistic. The defiance of external authoritarian rule or internal authoritarian conscience is true, authentic disobedience. It is spurred by staying obedient to intuitively felt humanistic conscience.
(If you want to understand why saying "no" to those in power—is essential to build a humane society, both to ensure humankind's preservation and to allow for one person to reclaim a genuine sense of self, then I invite you to read: https://lnkd.in/dTWgAga8)
#power#disobedience#obedience#human
Step into the haunting past of Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692: The Salem Witch Trials. This prompt challenges you to weave a narrative of friendship, fear, and the fight for truth amidst a time rife with superstition and suspicion and was inspired by the "I Survived Series" by Laura Tarshis.
🔗 https://lnkd.in/eak5hn5K
🕯️ Into the Heart of Salem: Imagine life in a small Puritan village where strict beliefs and an overwhelming fear of the unknown govern daily existence. Your peaceful life is shattered when your best friend is accused of witchcraft. How does this accusation test your values and beliefs?
📜 Secret Notes and Whispers: In an era where trust is rare, and accusations fly like arrows, secret notes between you and your friend become your only hope. What fears, plans, and hopes are communicated through these whispers on paper?
🌌 A Community Divided: Witness how the Salem Witch Trials turn neighbor against neighbor and friends into foes. Delve into the emotional turmoil and societal pressures that accompany the trials. Do you stand by your friend, risking everything, or succumb to Salem's hysteria?
🧭 Navigating Moral Quandaries: This story isn't just about loyalty; it's a deep dive into your psyche. Are your convictions strong enough to withstand the trials, or do doubts begin to cloud your judgment? Explore your beliefs, fears, and the concept of justice and truth.
🔮 Resolving the Past: How does your tale conclude in these troubled times? Is it a story of tragedy, defiance, or an enlightening lesson in human nature? Your narrative's resolution holds a mirror to the society of Salem and to ourselves.
YouTube channel, Sacred Metamorphoses, where Thom Rutledge and I talk about life and death, and much of the in between. Dedicated to our friend and colleague, Vince Parrish, whom we both love(d). Social workers talking about how we help people, how we enjoy groups, and how we have moved through life. Thom also offers some excellent tidbits about choice and change.
https://lnkd.in/gyaQpjW8
The hero’s journey and the heroine’s journey
(Learning from the archetypal structure of story)
‘When we are silent, still and listening, something arises, we are invited to act. We act and we return. There is a rhythm to this.
If we sit too long in silence and we don’t act, we may feel or be stunted or stifled. We need to act on the creative impulses bubbling up out of the silence, out of the inner. If we repeatedly act without doing the inner work, we get the world as it is-without listening, without stillness and silence, without asking questions like does this work, is this sustainable, is this supportive of all our wellbeing?
Actions that do not arise from inner work, or the hero’s journey that is not balanced with the heroine’s journey, produce structures that are not sustainable and are not supportive of all life.
And so these structures produced from outer action, out of step with inner work, must fall and must crumble and we are seeing this take place all around us. Unless we stop and enter into the rhythm of rest, listen and then act, we will keep producing circumstances and structures that not only do not serve us but may harm or destroy us and other forms of life we share earth with.’
https://lnkd.in/dyKyHv_v
The newest episode of AGELESS with Leslie Stephenson Matz is now available! We talk about everything from career to family to religion. All of my conversations are a reminder that life is not linear. It takes us down paths that we did not expect. But often they are exactly the path we are supposed to be on.
https://lnkd.in/equqQkVi
In a powerful story featured in the Harvard Gazette, two mothers, united by the deep grief of losing children to the Israel-Palestine conflict, have committed their lives to promoting peace.
As members of the Parents Circle-Families Forum (PCFF), Robi Damelin and Amal Alsheikh emphasize empathy and dialogue as tools for healing communities torn apart by violence. Together they advocate for mutual understanding and encourage others to see the humanity in those often viewed as enemies.
Read more about the conversation at Harvard Divinity School:
https://bit.ly/4dZAR1k
Advocating for People w. Disabilities, Improved Access to Better Mental Health Svcs., Criminal Justice Reform, Religious Freedom to Use Psychedelics in Protestant Christian Services of Worship & The Life in Jesus Christ
6moWhere is the link to the entire thing, Eric?