Podcast
The Curious Introvert
Hosted by Meredith Hackwith Edwards · EN
A weekly podcast covering societal taboos & cultural blind spots. Join host Meredith Hackwith Edwards as she deep dives with curiosity & nuance into philosophy, society & culture with expert guests.
Episodes frequently feature philosophers, researchers, historians & journalists.
21episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Ep. 344: Lucid Dreams & OBEs: One Researches. The Other Explores it First Hand.
1w ago01:11:40Tap to summarizeDo dreams happen in our minds? What can lucid dreaming tell us about the nature of consciousness? Dave Green is a London-based artist who creates drawings not FROM his dreams, but IN his dreams, which he re-creates upon waking. He’s the author of Doodles In the Dark: An Artist's Guide to Lucid Dreaming & has participated in lucid & precognitive dream research with my other guest, Damon Abraham, PhD, a parapsychologist & the principal research scientist for the consciousness mobile app Entangled. In this episode, Dave shows us how he uses lucid dreaming to create art WHILE he’s dreaming & Dr. Abraham unpacks the science of the research behind it. You’ll hear about the layers of lucid dreaming, when it becomes an out of body experience & how this may be connected to precognition, the debate about where consciousness lives & why Dave is hesitant to label himself as anything other than a lucid dreaming artist. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 308: HOW TO THINK IMPOSSIBLY: PRECOGNITION, POLTERGEISTS & TIME Guests:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEf56ussbNkUwXYOBjNQIqg https://www.instagram.com/davegreen5000/ https://x.com/davegreen5000 https://www.linkedin.com/in/damon-abraham-phd/https://entangled.org/ Sponsors: https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/ https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/ 0:00 — Dreams as Art: Meet Dave Green & Dr. Damon Abraham1:06 — Drawing Inside a Lucid Dream3:02 — Waking Yourself Up On Purpose3:26 — What Lucid Dreaming Actually Is5:02 — Control vs. Awareness in the Dream State7:04 — How Both Guests Discovered Lucid Dreaming8:56 — Is a Nightmare Origin Story the Norm?10:10 — Lucid Dreaming vs. Out-of-Body Experiences12:08 — Why "OBE" Is a Loaded Label15:03 — Do Dreams Happen Inside Your Head?18:23 — Researcher Hat vs. Experiencer Hat19:40 — Damon's OBE: The Bathroom Journal Story22:26 — The Lottie Dream Portrait Walkthrough28:22 — Precognition & Verifying What You See29:41 — Did the Telepathy Tapes Help This Research?32:14 — Lucid Dreaming Is More Common Than You Think35:11 — Brainwaves During a Lucid Dream36:20 — How Dave Navigates Dream Scenery39:11 — Dave's Portrait Technique41:23 — The Precognition Experiment Explained45:18 — The Temptation to Avoid Uncomfortable Conclusions48:50 — Is the Brain Generating or Receiving Consciousness?51:21 — Has This Changed How You See Reality?54:55 — The Real-World Utility of Lucid Dreaming58:16 — Dave's Dream Yoga Practice1:00:53 — Third Person Dreams & What They Mean1:01:44 — Giving a Dream Character a Pen1:04:57 — Why You Should Start a Dream Journal1:06:12 — Dave's Book & Dream Portraits1:07:33 — Damon's Entangled AppRequest to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/Follow me in all the places:https://www.meredithforreal.com/ https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/ meredith@meredithforreal.comhttps://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert
Transcribe →Ep. 343: Developing Psychic Abilities in a World on Fire (is this really that important?)
2w ago00:53:55Tap to summarizeWould you go to a psychic Olympics? Does psi have real-world benefits or is it just a way to make people feel like their special? Hakim Isler served 4 years in the Army as a psi op specialist in special operations forces, is a 6th degree blackbelt in Ninjitsu, a trained remote viewer under Joe McMoneagle himself. He’s also the founder of the Psi Games, a family-friendly competition & conference where neuroscientists, consciousness researchers, & military trained remote viewers make up the lecture roster & psi practitioners ready to put their psychic skills to the test line up to compete. In this episode we explore how developing your psi abilities may have deeply practical benefits, the ethics of psychic “powers,” preventing cult dynamics, when religion and psi clash & what to expect at the psi games 2026.Get 15% off your ticket to the Psi Games using code PG26INTROVERT15 If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 314: SCIENCE & THE SUPERNATURAL: PROJECT STARGATE, EXPERIMENTAL METAPHYSICS & QUANTUM PHYSICS Guest:https://www.hakim-isler.com/https://psigamesinternational.com/ https://www.instagram.com/hakimisler/ https://www.facebook.com/Boss.kr74/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565002172093 https://www.youtube.com/@PsiGamesInternational Sponsors: https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/ https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/ 01:07 — What “PSI” actually means03:36 — Is intuition a luxury or a lifeline?05:44 — The hidden cost of feeling separate07:50 — How PSI reduces fear09:12 — Is “extra sensory” actually just sensory?11:45 — Convenience vs human potential14:32 — Are psychic abilities intentionally demonized?15:16 — The ethics problem nobody talks about17:57 — Psyops, manipulation & control structures18:05 — PTSD after psychological operations training18:44 — MK Ultra, Tuskegee & algorithmic manipulation23:13 — The danger of hiding your gifts26:19 — What actually happens at the PSI Games34:22 — X-Men, Chronicle & psychic chaos35:32 — Why outsiders are drawn to PSI communities38:54 — Why openness may prevent cult dynamics40:26 — “I want to be a steward, not a king”44:12 — Beyond party tricks & bent spoons46:02 — The martial arts student Hakeem never forgot51:11 — Denominations, jargon & helping your neighbor51:42 — How to attend the PSI GamesRequest to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/Follow me in all the places:https://www.meredithforreal.com/ https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/ meredith@meredithforreal.comhttps://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert
Transcribe →Ep. 342: The Cult That Sold Orgasms
3w ago01:07:28Tap to summarizeWhat is orgasmic meditation? Where is the line between cutting-edge wellness & cult behavior? Is the word “cult” too divisive to be helpful? Ellen Huet is an award-winning investigative journalist who writes for Bloomberg News and Bloomberg Businessweek. Gher investigative piece on OneTaste lead to the FBI investigation & eventually arrest of Nicole Daedone and Rachel Cherwitz. She also wrote EMPIRE OF ORGASM, chronicling how the sex self-help group twisted sexual abuse into personal growth. In this episode we explore the new image of modern-day cults, the timeline of OneTaste & its leader & who is most vulnerable to cult recruitment. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 305: ARE POLITICAL PARTIES JUST CULTS?! Guest:https://a.co/d/06drvW9D https://www.ellenhuet.com/ https://www.ellenhuet.com/about https://x.com/ellenhuet https://www.instagram.com/ehuet/ Sponsors: https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/ https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/ 00:00 — Sex, Cults & Startups01:16 — Wrong Beat, Right Story01:55 — The 15-Minute Practice03:51 — Wellness Has a Price Tag06:18 — Quit Your Job, Move In08:00 — Consent Gets Complicated13:01 — Bodies on the Line15:48 — Victimhood Is Forbidden17:51 — Free Meetup, Expensive Trap21:22 — Searching for Something Deeper23:09 — Gwyneth Approved It26:00 — Break the Debt Seal28:06 — Modern Cults Look Normal31:03 — Chatbots and Spiral Thinking33:32 — Red Flags to Watch36:18 — Nicole's Complicated Childhood41:54 — She Took the Practice43:26 — San Francisco Let It Slide45:29 — The Warehouse Experiment47:44 — WiFi Password: NotACult50:11 — The Woman Behind Nicole51:45 — Selling Her Own Vision53:33 — The Story Nobody Had Told56:49 — Guilty, Then Sentenced57:58 — Bored, Lonely, Missing It01:02:07 — Seeking a Presidential Pardon01:02:53 — Why People Believe ThingsRequest to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/Follow me in all the places:https://www.meredithforreal.com/ https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/ meredith@meredithforreal.comhttps://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert
Transcribe →Ep. 341: Lost at Sea at 16: Killer Whales & Courage [REMASTERED]
Apr 2700:42:00Tap to summarize"We made an agreement with each other that we would not eat each other no matter how hungry we got." Douglas Robertson is the author of The Last Voyage of the Lucette. He was just a teenager when his family was lost at sea for 38 days. In this episode he shares more than just a survival story. He shares his unique coming of age story & an opportunity to recalibrate what crisis is. You’ll also hear about killer whale attacks, eating sharks, drinking turtle blood, sea water enemas & adjusting to life on land after being rescued. This episode originally aired December 11, 2023. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 189: SURVIVING A SERIAL KILLER: VICTIM TO FELON TO FLOURISHING Guest:https://www.facebook.com/groups/survivethesavagesea/https://a.co/d/4PIalGLhttp://www.survivethesavagesea.com/ Sponsors: https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/ https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/ 00:00:00 — Worst Field Trip Ever00:00:53 — Learning Sailing… Sailing00:03:33 — Six People, One Boat00:05:27 — Before It All Sank00:08:34 — The Rejected Life Raft00:09:07 — Whale Loves Boat00:10:00 — Everyone Had a Bad Feeling00:12:23 — Three Whales. One Hit.00:14:01 — Sinking in Two Minutes00:17:12 — Checking for Missing Legs00:20:03 — Truth Over False Hope00:22:45 — The First "No" to Dad00:27:06 — What's for Dinner: Turtle00:29:42 — Day 38: Don't Get Excited00:33:43 — Coffee After 38 Days00:36:05 — Fear Doesn't Hit the Same00:37:58 — The Story That Won't DieRequest to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/Follow me in all the places:https://www.meredithforreal.com/ https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/ meredith@meredithforreal.comhttps://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert
Transcribe →Ep. 340: Funerals in America: Status FOR SALE?
Apr 2000:51:03Tap to summarizeWhat made the American funeral industry what it is today? Why do we embalm? How do societal status & funeral styles overlap? Gary Laderman, PhD, is the Goodrich C. White Prof of Amer Religious History & Cultures at Emory University in Georgia, the author of multiple books & featured on The Mortician: an HBO documentary covering a 1980s funeral home who exploited grieving families. In this episode, you’ll hear how funeral rituals went from DIY to the elaborate & long list of menu options today, how those options supported or detracted from family status, the spooky status of the death worker themselves, how embalming changed everything (hello capitalism!) & the growing resistance towards the commodification of death If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 278: MORBID OR SACRED? LET’S TALK ABOUT DEATH (WITH A DEATH DOULA) Guest:https://garyladerman.com/ https://www.instagram.com/garyladerman/ Sponsors: https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/ https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/ 04:00 — Death for Sale05:30 — When Death Was a Family Affair09:20 — Strange Death Rituals in America12:00 — A Patchwork of Beliefs13:20 — The Birth of the Funeral Industry15:30 — Respect, Race, and Funeral Culture17:00 — Profit Meets Death20:30 — Death Moves to the Hospital27:00 — Animals, Intoxication, and Curiosity29:00 — Religion or Escape?30:30 — The Power of Ritual32:00 — The Embalming Shift32:30 — Lincoln’s Death Tour36:30 — JFK and Public Mourning39:30 — Exposing the Death Industry40:45 — Our Obsession with Famous Deaths42:30 — Bringing Death Back Home45:30 — When Options Become Overwhelm46:00 — Life After Religion47:30 — Reclaiming Death Traditions48:45 — Designing Your Own GoodbyeRequest to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/Follow me in all the places:https://www.meredithforreal.com/ https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/ meredith@meredithforreal.comhttps://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert
Transcribe →Ep. 339: Cannibalism – Communion to Placenta – Where Do We Draw the Line? [REMASTERED]
Apr 1300:23:58Tap to summarizeIs the “ick” factor of cannibalism nature or nurture? What does history tell us (& how much of it is a lie)? Bill Schutt, a PhD zoologist & author of Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History, answers these questions by sharing the history of human cannibalism. We discuss why accounts of historic cannibalism may have been exaggerated, cannibalism in Europe, eating placenta & taking holy communion. This episode originally aired July 11, 2022. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 327: HE ATE HIS OWN FOOT?! GRIEF, FRIENDSHIP & FOOT TACOS [REMASTERED] Guest:https://a.co/d/0aFrqU73 https://billschutt.com/https://www.facebook.com/BillSchutt1/ Sponsors: https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/ https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/ 03:27 — Europe’s hidden cannibal past04:06 — Columbus’ narrative shift05:23 — Cannibalism as a colonial weapon06:22 — Undoing historical indoctrination08:09 — “You weren’t dealing with humans”09:16 — Eating enemies vs loved ones09:37 — The Waray perspective flip10:53 — Communion as cannibalism?11:14 — The transubstantiation debate12:05 — Flipping ideas on their head12:50 — Europe’s “mummy medicine”14:34 — Placenta as modern cannibalism17:45 — Cooking and tasting placenta20:04 — Is disgust learned?21:55 — Curiosity over judgmentRequest to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/Follow me in all the places:https://www.meredithforreal.com/ https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/ meredith@meredithforreal.comhttps://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert
Transcribe →Ep. 338: COMMON GROUND: AI Grief Bots - Solving Grief or Distorting it?
Apr 601:16:03Tap to summarizeThis is the first of a series of episodes that feature opposing sides of a hot topic. Today it’s the a tech entrepreneur who founded a grief bot service vs a cyberpsychologist specializing in the ethics of death & the digital. We ask, is this healing or avoidance? Can the dead consent to this? What is the potential for harm? John Kammer is the founder of Guardian A[I]ngels, a subscription service that sends you journal prompts in the voice of your deceased loved one. Elaine Kasket, PhD, is cyberpsychologist & Visiting Professor at the Centre for Death and Society at the University of Bath in the UK & the author of Reset: Rethinking Your Digital World for a Happier Life& All the Ghosts in the Machine: The Digital Afterlife of Your Personal Data. You’ll hear why John created the service while Elaine lays out potential for harm & how they ultimately find common ground. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 300: BIOFIELD THERAPY FOR ANXIETY & GRIEF: RECIPE FOR WELLNESS OR PURCHASED PLACEBO?Elaine Kasket, PhD:Reset book: https://a.co/d/081uhN8r https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-is-your-life-on-tech/id1666800931https://www.elainekasket.com/ https://www.instagram.com/elainekasket/https://www.facebook.com/elainekasketauthor John Kammer:https://guardianaingels.ai/ https://www.instagram.com/guardian_aingels/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575970961536 Sponsors: https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/ https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/ 01:35 — “This feels like Black Mirror”02:21 — The biggest risks of AI grief tools04:23 — Pain to purpose: the origin story06:15 — Why “time heals all wounds” is a myth09:10 — The moment AI made him finally cry13:41 — The danger of “never letting go”18:45 — Why it shouldn’t feel too real20:05 — The 4 tasks of mourning explained25:49 — What is “AI-associated psychosis”?31:00 — Why reminders of death are essential38:24 — Why this runs on ChatGPT (and why that matters)41:00 — Guarding against manipulation loops44:19 — What grieving people should actually know52:08 — The ethics of reviving the dead53:12 — Memory vs. identity: what’s being recreated?Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/Follow me in all the places:https://www.meredithforreal.com/ https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/ meredith@meredithforreal.comhttps://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert
Transcribe →Ep. 337: Can a Sexless Marriage Survive? [REMASTERED]
Mar 3001:03:34Tap to summarizeWhat exactly is considered "sexless"? What are we counting as sex? What would cause someone to not want to have sex all of a sudden? These are all questions I unpacked with Xanet Pailet. She was a successful healthcare lawyer married to an attorney with two children. She lived in a beautiful home in NYC as well as a sexless marriage. At age 45 and no sex for over 15 years, she considered sex as something she was just done with. Now she is a full time intimacy educator with a fulfilling sex life. You’ll hear about resentment caused pain, the stuck place of indifference, what men are afraid of, medical procedures that can cause painful sex & listener Q & A from my Facebook group. This episode originally aired March 11, 2024. If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 214: WHAT ARE THE RULES OF MONOGAMY? THE PSYCHOLOGIST SWINGER Guest:https://www.passionateintimacyretreats.com/https://www.powerofpleasure.com/ https://www.instagram.com/xanetpop/https://twitter.com/powerofpleasurehttps://www.facebook.com/xanetpop Sponsors: https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/ https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/ 01:00 — What actually counts as “sexless”03:00 — The “charcuterie board” of intimacy06:00 — Separate bedrooms, separate lives07:00 — Never masturbated… until 4809:00 — When pleasure and anxiety get wired together10:00 — Medical trauma no one talks about13:00 — Circumcision, sensation, and what we lose14:00 — Are some sexual issues permanent?16:00 — The emotional root of physical pain17:00 — Why resentment can make sex hurt18:00 — When your partner feels like your child20:00 — Masculine vs feminine energy in relationships22:00 — Why men stop initiating (and don’t say why)24:00 — Consent confusion and modern dating fears26:00 — When no sex is… totally fine27:00 — The menopause “I don’t care anymore” myth28:00 — When bad sex kills desire completely31:00 — The surprise return of desire after divorce33:00 — The real answer: can it survive?36:00 — Rebuilding intimacy from zero40:00 — The hidden reality of sex in Japan41:00 — Should you open the relationship?43:00 — Sexless dynamics in same-sex couples45:00 — Porn, gaming, and disconnection48:00 — Rethinking sex after physical limitations53:00 — Outercourse, body mapping, and new pathways55:00 — Menopause, pain, and what actually helps57:00 — Why “working on it” feels overwhelming59:00 — The missing piece: non-sexual intimacyRequest to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/Follow me in all the places:https://www.meredithforreal.com/ https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/ meredith@meredithforreal.comhttps://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert
Transcribe →Ep. 336: Prescription NAPS??! Toddler Protocol for High Achievers
Mar 2300:50:11Tap to summarizeCan napping replace medication? How do you get your brain to slow down enough to take a nap? Dr. Hector Rodriguez is a psychiatrist, who views naps as medicine for your brain. He is the owner of the White Butterfly Clinic in Miami, FL. With both an MD and a Masters in theology, he is a psychiatrist who treats the soul, integrating neuroimaging, psychopharmacology, and evidence-based psychotherapies.In this episode, we discuss why some naps make you feel hung over, the ideal napping window, which kind of nap = which outcome, signs your “8 hours” isn’t’ working, what would happen if high performers gave in to naps & the waking nap strategy.If you like this episode, you’ll also like episode 247: IS YOUR FOOD CAUSING YOUR DEPRESSION? NUTRITIONAL PSYCHIATRY Guest:https://www.whitebutterflyclinic.com/mag https://www.instagram.com/doctor_hectorhttps://www.doctorhector.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/doctorhector/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100006047643168 Sponsors: https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/ https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/ 01:00 — Do naps actually change your brain?01:13 — The hidden cost of bad sleep01:29 — What your hippocampus does while you nap02:03 — Why naps sometimes feel like a hangover02:30 — The “right nap” depends on your goal03:00 — 10 vs 60 vs 90 minutes: what changes04:43 — Do nap conditions actually matter?07:02 — Should naps have a “curfew”?08:34 — The ideal nap window (and why it matters)08:58 — Would more naps improve mental health?10:10 — Why fragmented sleep quietly wrecks you10:51 — Two buckets: fixing sleep vs optimizing it11:57 — Signs your “8 hours” isn’t working16:12 — When it’s time to see a professional17:30 — Which doctor should you actually see?19:26 — Symptom vs root cause: the real question20:17 — What if you have sleep apnea already?22:03 — The truth about finding a doctor who cares25:34 — How to vet a doctor (for real)27:30 — Build your own sleep system (not someone else’s)28:35 — One habit at a time actually works29:16 — Do the benefits of napping compound?30:00 — Can naps reduce dementia risk?30:28 — Can napping replace medication?32:00 — Why high performers resist naps32:39 — Napping as a “biohack” trend38:06 — How to train your brain to nap41:11 — How to rest in a corporate environment42:25 — A “waking nap” might be your entry point42:58 — Should you drink coffee before a nap?45:12 — Why rest is more than sleep48:33 — How to work with Dr. RodriguezRequest to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/Follow me in all the places:https://www.meredithforreal.com/ https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/ meredith@meredithforreal.comhttps://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert
Transcribe →ANNOUNCEMENT! New name & logo
Mar 2000:01:47Tap to summarizeMeredith for Real: the curious introvert is now The Curious Introvert!When I started this show in 2019, there were a few other shows with the words curious & introvert in them, but fewer with the name Meredith. Now that time has passed, there’s more room in the podcast landscape for a more concise name. So, I introduce you: The curious introvert podcast. It’s still the great content you’ve come to love: curious, nuanced episodes largely featuring experts, philosophers, researchers & journalists to inspect societal taboos & cultural blind spots.But I also hope to bring you fresh & creative experiments within that framework. Could be new segments, contrasting guest perspectives with somewhat of a debate style episode, man on the street style interviews or ones done at conferences or while traveling. I’m not sure what the future holds, but I can promise that it will be curious!Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/Follow me in all the places:https://www.meredithforreal.com/ https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/ meredith@meredithforreal.comhttps://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert
Transcribe →