LA PLATICA – Scientology, Reincarnation, and Other Deep Stuff (Pause)

Hosts: Sebastian Robles & Josh Leyva
Date: March 16, 2026
Notable Guest/Contributor: Jessica (Producer/Co-host in this episode)
Episode #: 238

Podcast Overview

This episode laces LA warmth and humor with truly deep, existential questioning. Sebastian and Josh set out to riff on wild topics—Scientology, reincarnation, the origins of life, the meaning of humanity, and how we relate to the universe. The conversation shifts seamlessly between playful banter and genuinely profound reflection, inviting the listener along for a wild, mind-expanding ride. They reflect on recent standout guests, celebrate their community, and share their appreciation for curiosity and seeking, all while maintaining their characteristic comedic, uplifting tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Banter, Community Shout-Outs, and Sponsor Messages

[00:00–01:53]
- Quick SeatGeek promo interrupted by Josh’s joke: “Two words. Two sexy words.” [00:46]
- Lighthearted transition to audience appreciation—shout-outs to gym-goers, dog-walkers, nurses, moms, and even the “guys ‘pretending’ not to listen.”
- Notable quote, Sebastian: “Shout out to y’ all guys. Mondays don't suck. Feliz Lunes. That's right, Feliz. Hope you guys had a great weekend.” [03:23]
- Tone: Playful, inclusive, LA-centric.

2. Recap and Reflections on Recent Guests

[09:52–13:34]
- Warm reminiscence about Mariana van Zeller’s guest episode—her impact, storytelling prowess, and unique perspective as an investigative journalist.
- Josh: “That's one thing I love about being a podcaster is that we get to have these incredible conversations, and they're very intentional.” [12:07]
- Sebastian: “It was my top three favorite episodes, if not my absolute favorite.” [16:32]
- Praise for more “non-traditional” guests, shifting the show’s direction into educational, eye-opening territory.

3. Listener Feedback Spotlight

[14:14–20:24]
- Jessica reads and discusses community comments, focusing on how Mariana’s episode inspired new perspectives.
- Listener quote: “Thank you for choosing to have a guest who is not an entertainer or an influencer. It's so important to feature guests who can educate and inform your audience.” [14:14]
- Sebastian: “If you guys have any other recommendations who are sort of like Mariana, please let us know...” [14:02]

4. Breaking Down P-Rod’s Guest Episode

[21:03–26:13]
- Celebration of the vibe and relatability when skater Paul Rodriguez (“P-Rod”) came on.
- Discussion of how his story inspired listeners—especially Latinas who didn’t follow skating, but connected with his grit.
- “His determination and grit is admirable, and he motivated me so much,” a listener shared. [25:02]
- Hosts reflect on encouraging men to be open/emotionally mature, and the power of representing Latino role models from various fields.

5. Existential Deep Dive: Interconnectedness, Nature, Dinosaurs, and Scientology

[27:12–39:47]
- Are Humans Connected?
  - Josh: “You know how they say we're all connected? Like everything is just like one. We're all just, you know, in tuned one thing. Yeah, I believe that.” [27:44]
  - Contrast between individual perception and collective experience; musings on energy, the butterfly effect, and consciousness.
- Dinosaurs to Reincarnation
  - Sebas on watching a dinosaur documentary: “I sometimes do believe that our souls just kind of bounce around, especially like, when we're not alive anymore.” [30:06]
  - Discussion shifts to evolutionary history, random facts about birds descending from dinosaurs, and how little humanity knows about Earth’s past.
- Scientology Sidebar
  - Josh: “The guy who created Scientology, he has the most fiction books ever written... He was an author, right?” [32:26, 32:58]
  - Jessica chimes in with the classic definition of Scientology and the concept of past lives—drawing a wry link to the episode’s existential questioning. [32:43]

6. Philosophy, Science, and Faith: Humanity’s Place in the Universe

[39:51–52:44]
- Spirited and comedic debate about fossil fuels (are they from dinosaurs?)
- Extended riff on our limited human perspective and awe at the expanse of time—dinosaurs’ reign for 165 million years vs. only 300,000 years for Homo sapiens.
  - “We are literally a cancer to this earth and it's just crazy…if you look at the world now from high above…all these freeways and rivers…and you compare that to cancer cells, it's almost identical.” —Sebastian [41:47]
- The “cosmic perspective” and the humility that comes from realizing how short our existence really is.

7. Religion, God, and the Universe

[42:39–54:50]
- Spirited, open conversation about God’s domain—Does God only govern Earth? Was there a God during the Jurassic era?
- “So God doesn't just control Earth, it controls other planets. It controls everything that is anything, anything.” —Josh [49:25]
- Brainstorming about the Trinity, Jesus’ origin, and ponderings about whether God could have tried different “experiments” (e.g., dinosaurs, then humans).
- Discussion of the Bible, the timeline of humanity, and the limits of historical/religious records.
- Josh: “She [Mariana] also said, fuck what people think.” [18:25]
- Philosophical musings on how “religion is people forming teams,” and the importance of seeing a bigger picture. [52:08]

8. Reincarnation, Parallel Universes, and Time

[63:27–65:22]
- Joking and theorizing: What if past/future lives aren’t linear? What about parallel universes? Interstellar timelines get a shoutout.
- Jessica: “Who's to say you follow a linear timeline?” [64:15]
- Josh: “We're scraping the surface of, like, how deep and big it is. Pause.” [65:05]
- Episode closes with both awe and humor: “Shout out to all dinosaurs. See you.” —Sebastian [65:52]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Perspective:
“If you just have that perspective of, like, life…it's supposed to scare you. Like, man, is massive.” —Josh [52:33]
On the Value of Conversation:
“I think these types of conversations are very podcasty. They're very, like, sit down, watch while you do your makeup, while you get ready for work, while you do this. It's just, like, very interesting. And they're random, therefore you probably have never heard them.” —Sebastian [65:05]
On God’s Scale:
“God is so much bigger, and humans here on Earth talk about the littlest things about him…in reality, he's probably like, man, that's all you guys think about? I'm so much more than that.” —Sebastian [51:13]
On Reincarnation Possibilities:
“Like maybe we were past humans that only know so much about life and then we…jump into another, you know, vessel and then we get to learn all this new things…” —Josh [63:41]
Signature Humor:
“You want balls in your throat? Hell, no. You stay gurgling.” —Sebastian (on Neil deGrasse Tyson’s ‘creator error’ observation) [44:33]

Timestamps for Important Segments

[00:00–01:53] – Banter, SeatGeek promo, appreciation for listeners
[09:52–13:34] – Reflections on Mariana van Zeller and guest curation
[14:14–20:24] – Listener/Community feedback (comments reading)
[21:03–26:13] – P-Rod episode reactions and the podcast’s positive representation
[27:12–39:47] – Existential discussion: Are humans connected? Dinosaurs, energy, and Scientology
[42:39–52:44] – Science and philosophy: Fossil fuels debate, humanity’s place in the universe
[54:12–59:12] – Human origins, Bible timeline, and time on earth
[63:27–65:22] – Reincarnation and parallel universe musings

Closing Themes

Ultimate Takeaways:
- Life is fleeting—so be good, love unconditionally, and soak it in.
- Our problems are minuscule in the context of time, Earth, and the universe.
- Stay curious, ask “ridiculous” questions, and enjoy connecting with others.

Final Note:
Sebas, Josh, and Jessica urge listeners to submit their own existential questions for a future episode, doubling down on their commitment to going beyond surface-level conversation and embracing “deep stuff”—with a healthy dose of humor and humanity.

End of Episode 238 Summary
(See you next Monday! 🦕)