The journey to the heart of joy is a quest that spans all of time and reaches the depths of the soul. Ten to sixteen million years ago, laughter first emerged. By the late 17th century, the French bequeathed us the term "joie," infusing language with this elusive essence.

Joy is no ordinary experience. It is both a virtue and a revelation—an expression that radiates and transcends barriers. Psychotherapists link it with connection and empathy. Mystics describe joy as a return to our heart.

Joy is as paradoxical as it is profound, simple and mysterious, elusive yet ever-present, natural yet celebrated. It can appear in a heartbeat springing from action, thought, and emotion. Across time, people have considered, Can life be truly meaningful without it?

In 1912, a German scientist’s alchemical pursuit, revealed a molecule that some believes is “the molecule of our time,” MDMA. This discovery opened a portal into the neurochemistry of joy, a symphony of reductions and activations in areas of the brain that allow joy to come forward.

In this episode, we explore joy through the stories of pied pipers who guide us to joy. We’ll hear wisdom from a teacher of laughter who illuminates the lightness of being, delve into the mechanics of joy as understood by modern psychotherapy, and investigate the neurochemical map of MDMA. Join us as we uncover how these elements converge, offering a deeper understanding and expression of the joy available to us.

This episode contains an invitation to a wedding, we hope to see you there! Invitation and Wedding Invite & RSVP

Interviews

Urana Jackson is a healing justice practitioner, and psychotherapist. She has worked in community-based mental health for over 25 years, and oversaw the mental health programming for middle schools in Oakland, CA. She was an instructor of Restorative Justice at UC Berkeley School of Law. Urana is author of Girls Rising and the creator of “Ancestor’s Keeper,” a curriculum for adolescent youth surrounding racial trauma and healing. In 2006 Urana was initiated an African spiritual tradition, dating back approx. eight thousand years. Urana is the creator of a psycho-spiritual therapeutic modality called Safe House Seven which integrate western therapeutic modalities, spiritual technologies and plant medicine.

Urana Jackson

Future Joy

Future Joy is a Future-Funk hybrid duo hailing from wherever their mobile RV stage is parked. Emily Cooper & Zach Simms travel the country playing shows and connecting all the cities in between and beyond. Blending elements of funk, house, bass, pop, drum and bass, hip-hop, techno, jazz, dubstep and more. Both artists DJ, sing, and play keyboard while Zach shreds tenor, baritone, and bass saxophones in the key of fun.

Future Joy

Laraaji

Born Edward Larry Gordon, Laraaji is a musician, mystic, and laughter guide. He studied music composition at Howard University before pursuing Eastern mysticism which led him to the zither. In NYC, he performed on the streets and in parks. An encounter with Brian Eno there led to a collaboration on Ambient 3: Day of Radiance, the third installment of Eno's Ambient series. Laraaji went on to lead meditation groups and study with gurus such as Swami Satchidananda and Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati. He founded Laughter Meditation Workshops, which he continues to present worldwide. His album Segue to Infinity was released in 2023 and was named “The Best Re-release” by Pitchfork, cementing his status as one of the most prominent Ambient and New Age artists of all time.

Larraji