640: The Pete and Sebastian Show - EP 640 - "Gandhi Junior"

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Pete and Sebastian Show - EP 640: "Gandhi Junior"

Episode Overview

In Episode 640 of The Pete and Sebastian Show, titled "Gandhi Junior," hosts Pete Correale and Sebastian Maniscalco delve into the transformative effects of Transcendental Meditation (TM) on their personal lives and professional careers. The episode intertwines humorous anecdotes with insightful discussions about mental well-being, productivity, and the challenges of maintaining a balanced lifestyle in the entertainment industry.

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1. Introduction to Transcendental Meditation (TM)

Sebastian's Journey into TM

Sebastian Maniscalco begins the conversation by introducing his recent foray into Transcendental Meditation, an interest sparked by none other than comedian Jerry Seinfeld. He explains:

“[04:57] Sebastian Maniscalco: ...we were trained in this over a four-day period by an individual who came to our home... It's not something that you get taught through a book or anything like that. So we, especially me, have adopted this practice as part of my life.”

Sebastian emphasizes that TM is not a simplistic meditative practice but a structured technique requiring guidance. He candidly shares his initial skepticism, admitting he was a "naysayer" before committing to TM.

Pete’s Curiosity and Skepticism

Pete Correale expresses genuine curiosity mixed with skepticism about TM’s efficacy. He challenges Sebastian:

“[04:57] Pete Correale: Well, yeah, I mean, good. You say it's simple, but then you say you need someone to come to the house and teach you for four days. Can you teach it to me on the road?”

Sebastian clarifies that TM requires proper instruction to be effective, and it's not easily adaptable to improvised settings like traveling.

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2. Personal Benefits of TM

Enhanced Mental Clarity and Reduced Fog

Sebastian discusses the profound impact TM has had on his cognitive functions:

“[06:18] Sebastian Maniscalco: ... I felt for the last, I'd say, let's say 12 to 15 years that I've been in a state of fog and my energy levels have definitely been depleted... Now, what this has done for me... has made me a lot sharper in my day-to-day.”

He highlights improved clarity, increased energy levels, and reduced anxiety, noting that TM has made him "a lot more happier in my day to day."

Improved Patience and Emotional Stability

Sebastian further elaborates on how TM has enhanced his interpersonal relationships:

“[15:35] Sebastian Maniscalco: ... I have a lot more patience now than I've had in the past... I'm not easy to bite. I still have an edge, but I'm not easy. I'm not coming out, believe me.”

He contrasts his pre-TM volatility with his current state of being more grounded and less reactive, especially around family.

Pete’s Struggles and Insights

Pete shares his own challenges with maintaining focus and energy:

“[32:23] Pete Correale: ... I have a problem when I go in my office to write or read a script... I just get so tired to the point where I sneak a pillow in my little office...”

He acknowledges that while TM offers clarity, he still battles with distractions and fatigue, highlighting the ongoing nature of personal growth.

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3. Anecdotes Illustrating TM’s Impact

Handling Everyday Situations Differently

Pete recounts an incident on a flight, pondering how TM might alter his reaction to a passenger’s unusual request:

“[09:24] Pete Correale: ... I was coming in for a landing... a guy across the aisle asked me to take a photo of the mountains from my side... What am I doing?”

He speculates that TM might make him respond with more patience and less irritation, though Sebastian provides a nuanced view:

“[17:31] Sebastian Maniscalco: ... my tolerance, my patience level has definitely been noticeably different.”

Gas Station Encounter Gone Awry

Sebastian shares a humorous yet revealing story about refusing assistance at a gas station, showcasing his heightened awareness post-TM:

“[12:15] Sebastian Maniscalco: ... I need Goth. I need God... I can't help you, right? There’s no indication I could be swayed to give you anything.”

This anecdote underscores his reduced inclination to engage in dubious interactions, reflecting increased self-control and discernment.

Family Dynamics and Perceptions

The hosts discuss how their personal transformations affect their family relationships. Pete describes his daughter’s disapproval of his new attire:

“[38:26] Sebastian Maniscalco: ... Had an outfit I’ve never worn before... She says, 'I don’t like it because you have hairy legs.'"

This moment highlights the interplay between personal growth and familial expectations, with Pete humorously likening himself to a lion father:

“[39:36] Pete Correale: Lion King... the dad's on the floor, getting socks instead of rescuing.”

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4. TM’s Influence on Professional Life

Impact on Stand-Up Comedy

Sebastian reflects on how TM has subtly enhanced his comedic performance by fostering a calmer and more focused mind:

“[24:31] Sebastian Maniscalco: ... Younger me would have these moments on stage where I'd think, 'Where did that come from?' But now, I've been more regimented...”

Conversely, Pete shares the challenge of capturing spontaneous comedic ideas during the podcast, suggesting TM might aid in better preserving humorous thoughts.

“[26:16] Pete Correale: ... my mouth goes... I have this idea... I just hate how, like, I'll get up in the morning and I'll think of something and then I go to brush my teeth and I'm like, I'm in a bad mood.”

Both comedians acknowledge TM's role in enhancing their creative processes and emotional regulation, crucial for their professional success.

Memory and Information Processing

Sebastian notes improved memory retention and information processing speed:

“[27:37] Sebastian Maniscalco: ... It's all because my head is a lot more clear and has a lot more space to allow information to come in.”

This cognitive enhancement is pivotal for managing the vast amount of information comedians process daily, from new material to industry news.

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5. Challenges and Misconceptions

Balancing TM with Daily Responsibilities

Pete raises concerns about integrating TM with existing habits like drinking and smoking:

“[50:37] Pete Correale: ... Is there a method that you could still drink and smoke pot and do TM, or do you gotta, like, not do any yet?"

Sebastian advocates for a holistic lifestyle change to fully reap TM's benefits, suggesting that indulgences like alcohol can detract from the practice's effectiveness.

“[52:09] Sebastian Maniscalco: ... To live a clean lifestyle... For the 24 days that I've been doing the meditation and the alcohol, I'm operating on optimal efficiency.”

TM vs. Traditional Napping

The hosts compare TM sessions with their habitual napping strategies, debating which method better supports their energy needs without disrupting daily routines.

“[33:27] Sebastian Maniscalco: ... TM nap is so much better than actual sleep...”

Pete humorously juxtaposes his secretive napping habits with Sebastian's transparent TM practice, highlighting the personal adjustments each makes for better rest.

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6. Practical Insights and Recommendations

Implementing TM in Daily Life

Sebastian offers practical advice on incorporating TM:

“[41:10] Sebastian Maniscalco: It’s called the TM timer... you set it for, like, two minutes...”

He demystifies the process, encouraging listeners to approach TM with simplicity and consistency, akin to setting an alarm clock.

Balancing Passion with Calmness

Pete expresses a concern that TM might dampen his comedic passion:

“[43:46] Pete Correale: ... The passion gets taken out of the equation...”

Sebastian reassures that TM fosters a balanced emotional state rather than suppressing enthusiasm:

“[44:41] Sebastian Maniscalco: ... I don’t want to be in a state of chaos while trying to come up with decisions...”

This balance is crucial for maintaining both creative fervor and mental stability.

Reducing Digital Distractions

Both hosts acknowledge the role of TM in curbing excessive phone usage and digital distractions, fostering a more focused and intentional daily life:

“[49:13] Sebastian Maniscalco: ... my phone usage has gone down and my reading has gone up...”

This shift not only improves mental clarity but also enhances personal interactions and productivity.

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7. Conclusion: Embracing Change for Personal Growth

In wrapping up the episode, Pete and Sebastian reflect on the journey of self-improvement through TM. They humorously illustrate the inevitable skepticism and adjustments required when adopting new practices:

“[55:44] Sebastian Maniscalco: ... Let's just call it what it is. You should just say, babe, I'm going in for a nap and I might wake up to write.”

The episode concludes on a light-hearted note, emphasizing the value of perseverance and openness to new experiences in the quest for personal and professional excellence.

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Notable Quotes

• Sebastian Maniscalco [04:57]: “Anybody could do it. And you do it twice a day... It’s not that very simple practice.”

• Sebastian Maniscalco [15:35]: “I have a lot more patience now than I’ve had in the past. I could get through the day doing tasks with an abundance of energy that I never had in the past.”

• Pete Correale [18:39]: “I think what the TM might help me is because once I say it, that’s it. But it goes up there with the birds. I don’t have the discipline...”

• Sebastian Maniscalco [24:31]: “There was these moments on stage where I’d think, 'Where did that come from?’ But now, I’ve been more regimented...”

• Pete Correale [43:46]: “The passion gets taken out of the equation... If I’m seeing everything calmly...”

---

Final Thoughts

Episode 640 of The Pete and Sebastian Show offers a candid exploration of Transcendental Meditation’s role in enhancing mental clarity, emotional stability, and creative output. Through relatable stories and insightful dialogue, Pete Correale and Sebastian Maniscalco illustrate the nuanced journey of integrating meditation into a high-octane lifestyle, providing listeners with both humor and valuable takeaways on personal growth and well-being.

Transcript

[Pete Correale]

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[Sebastian Maniscalco]

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[Pete Correale]

Appreciate you watching the cast and being a part of the Pete and Sebastian experience. If you want more of it and you want it at a higher level, I'm not just saying this man. You got to check out loose ends. Every Tuesday we go live on the Pete and Sebastian channel. So often Sebastian joins Sebastian's here. Can't even say it all. I get so excited for this show and it's just more of the Pete and Sebastian experience. It's five bucks a month plus you get all four regular episodes commercial free and you get a bonus Pete and Sebastian cast episode on top of that. It's insane what you get. Hey, what happened to Entertainment Tonight? You know what I'm saying? I'm doing sports.

That.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

This is the Pete and Sebastian show.

[Pete Correale]

With Pete Corelli and Sebastian Maniscalco.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Okay. Welcome to the Pete Sebastian Show. Meditation, transcendental meditation, which I've heard about for the last 10 years. Never tried it until recently. Jerry Seinfeld, not to drop names, but he is the one that was instrumental in getting me into this type of practice, which we were trained in this over a four day period by an individual who came to our home. Alana is due. Yeah, we didn't, we didn't do. It needs to be taught to you through an individual. It's not something that you get taught through a book or anything like that. So we, especially me, have adopted this practice as part of my life. Now listen, this is not no hippie dippy. I've tried meditation in the past. This is not no hippie dippy. Oh, sit in silence and feel the clothes against your skin and get away. The thoughts that come into your head. Get the thoughts out of your head. It's not that very simple practice. Anybody could do it. And you do it twice a day, right when you get up for 20 minutes and around 3 o'clock in the afternoon for 20 minutes. And the whole concept is getting into a state of rest where your body and mind are at ease. What it has done for me, and I'm not going to go into the whole what you're supposed to do. It's very simple what you do. It's not like, oh, you need to.

[Pete Correale]

Well, yeah, I mean, good. You say it's simple, but then you say you need someone to come to the house and teach you for four days. Can you teach it to me on the road?

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

No, you would need somebody who's definitely somebody who's familiar with the practice and how to teach it in order for you to grasp it conceptually, the act of doing it is nothing but kind of, oh, what goes around it is. Needs some explanation. Now I took to this right away because I felt I needed something like this to recharge my battery. I felt for the last, I'd say, let's say 12 to 15 years that I've been in a state of fog and my energy levels have definitely been depleted. I'm not thinking clearly, just too much information coming at me and not really taking care and giving rest to my mind and my body. Now what this has done for me.

[Pete Correale]

Yeah.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

And if I've only been doing this for 24 days and this goes along with the drinking as well. Yes. Does not drinking have improved my quality of life? Yes. But this in addition has made me a lot sharper in my day to day. It's you know, like 3:00 and I don't know if you feel this, maybe just me, but at 3:00 in the afternoon I start to feel a little sluggish, maybe a few yawns, for sure. And when you take a nap and you get up sometimes you feel worse than when you went to take a nap. You don't feel refreshed, you feel almost a little bit more tired. What this is, is giving me a shot of energy during the mid afternoon, which I was definitely looking for. And it's, it's made me overall a happier guy. Not that I've lost my edge at all, but it's made me a lot more happier in my day to day. My anxiety is not necessarily where used to be before I started this again. My, my tolerance, my patient level has definitely been noticeably different. I could get through the day doing tasks with an abundance of energy that I never had in the past.

[Pete Correale]

Nice.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

And I can't, I can't promote it enough. Again, I was a naysayer right then. I ain't doing that. But Seinfeld has been doing it. He's been 19 years old and he's a huge proponent of it. And from what I understand through my research is anybody that's kind of at the top of their game in any field, whether it be the medical field, an athlete, an actor, a tech entrepreneur, are participating in this type of meditation because it offers a lot. Now that being said, I'm not one of these guys going, you should do it. This, that and the other thing. But I feel that your temperament on a day to day is quite volatile. No, mine ears.

[Pete Correale]

Oh, I was just wondering. I couldn't tell when the infomercial ended and we went back to a show. Ho, I'm only kidding.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Similar to mine. You could be on edge at times in your day, right? Just hearing your stories and how you behave, it's. Yes, confrontational, volatile. You're out there yelling at people. Right.

[Pete Correale]

I'd like to run an example past you and now that you're a part of this. I know you have to have experienced it, but maybe you could tell me, seeing things the way you're seeing it now, how you would have dealt with it. Because I was about to tell you when we were playing in St. Louis. I mean, I'm sorry, in Salt Lake City. I'm coming in for a landing. And I just never had this. I happen to have all three seats to myself, and I'm in the middle seat, and there's mountains. I don't know if people have never flown into Salt Lake. It's beautiful. There's mountains on both sides. And we're coming in, and even I'm looking at them, and I hear a guy. Shit. Ends up being about mid-20s. Excuse me, sir. He's across the aisle from me. He's holding up his phone and he goes to Hammy, his phone. He goes, can you take a photo of the mountains out the window from your side for me? What the fuck? Now, if I was doing this tm, would I have taken his phone and said, sure. Would you like panoramic or regular? Because that's not what I said. Ow. Jesus Christ. I looked at him like, hey, I don't even do that for my wife. The fuck take your phone by putting your shit to my ear. I said, what? I said, what? I go, what? And then, thank God, the woman sitting in a row in front of me goes, oh, I'll do it. I got a good view from here. And then I was like. Took it in. I was like, what? Because I was like, what? And then she grabbed his phone. And then. And then he goes. He literally goes to her. Can you zoom in? But now, if I was on. Do you just, like, would you have taken the phone and said, sure. Like, do you. Are you seeing things differently? Like, because that's. You would usually be there, right, with me getting, like, hot under the collar that someone wants you to take their phone. Does this enlighten you to the world, Gandhi Jr. No, no, no, no.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

It's not gonna. It's not gonna change your. Your personality in a way where you start behaving like your Mother Teresa. I'll give you an example where when we evacuated, I was filling up gas at a gas station. And you probably don't get this in Fredonia, but you've probably seen this in your life. Gas stations in Los Angeles tend to be a epicenter for either criminals panhandling, what have you. So I'm give. I'm doing the gas woman comes behind me, right? So right away, I'm on high alert. Excuse me, sir. Excuse me. I need goth. I need goth, right? Right away, I'm like, where's the. Where's the other guy gonna. Where's he coming from? Like, I. This is like a distraction, right?

[Pete Correale]

Right, yeah.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

The other guy's gonna come in, knock me over the head. I don't need money, sir. I just need Goth. She had this lisp that was bothering me, so I look at her stone face, right? I can't help you, right? There's no. I don't give any indication that I could be swayed to give you anything.

[Pete Correale]

I can't help you. It's just perfect.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Then. No, sir, sir, I don't need money. I don't need your money. I am stranded. I need God. I need God.

[Pete Correale]

Bro, you're like Meryl Streep with the dialect. It's unbelievable. You're nailing it, and I wasn't even there.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

I can't help you twice. Same way, right? I look at her car. I look at the car, right? The car looked like her. You ever, like. You ever look at somebody and you could almost go, I could probably pick out your car in the parking lot. Just based on. Just based on what I'm seeing right now, right? So funny car, you know, like, headlight broken, back of the car smashed. You know, like an accident. Hubcap gone. You know, it's all coming together, right? She walks away, gets into her car and drives off. What happened to Goth? The way she was saying the car was dead, and then she drives off.

[Pete Correale]

Come on, man.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

It's like saying you got no teeth. The next thing you know, you eat steak. Come on.

[Pete Correale]

Right, right? The one thing you said you need is here and you leave. Come on. Yeah. Did she even have a gas can or anything?

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

So she wanted me to go to. I don't know what she wanted. It was a scam. She wanted me to go over to the. Give the credit card. Give her gas. Either she had a credit card reader in there that she was going. I don't know what she was doing. It don't sound right, though. Don't sound right. Well, even before.

[Pete Correale]

Because this all looks.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Even before that.

[Pete Correale]

Yeah, go ahead.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Go ahead.

[Pete Correale]

Even before that.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

What?

[Pete Correale]

Because this is all I told him.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

I told my wife, lock the car when I'm outside. You lock the car doors inside. Because I got the kids in there and whatnot. I don't want anybody, like, opening up the door and whatnot. You've seen too many Instagram videos of someone pumping gas and someone coming in on the other side and sneaking in the car. Right? That ain't happening.

[Pete Correale]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

So, no. Does the tm. Does the TM change your response to people? No. However, it does make you more pleasant to be around. You're not so quick to be argumentative, at least from my experience. Right? So I'm done with the infomercial. What I would like to know.

[Pete Correale]

I was kidding. I'm curious about it, but go ahead. I have more questions.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

I would like to know, which I find fascinating. If that woman did not interrupt saying, hey, I'll take the photo, would you have taken the photo? And if not, what would be your excuse to the guy that you're not going to take the photo again?

[Pete Correale]

Interesting you say that because that's why I said, thank God she said that because I don't know what I would do. And then I had thought about it and I think I probably would have would have said something a little rude and then I would have felt bad about it. But in the end, I think I would have probably said like, I don't want to touch your phone. So that's kind of rude. But I think I would have got up and let him get in and take the photo himself. We were coming in for a landing. I'm not sure you were allowed to get out of your seat anymore. But I think more than anything, the fact that I was like, not that I was uncomfortable and a little pissed that he asked me to do it at all, I'm like, am I. Is there something wrong with me? Am I, like, not nice enough? So that's why in the past I liked you pre tm, because I know you would have been like, nah, the fuck, get the phone. You know? But now, I don't know. Now you might have been like, ah.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

I would have done the same thing. I would have done the same thing.

[Pete Correale]

But you're saying that you don't have a fuse anymore, man. You say you don't have a fuse anymore.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Not that I don't have a fuse. What I'm saying is, I think my around the, like, for example, my wife, I think she finds that I have a lot more patience now than I've had in the past. I'm not easy to bite. I still have an edge, but I'm not easy. I'm not coming out, believe me. I'm a little bit more mild mannered around the family where before I was a little bit more on edge. And I think what this has done for me is it kind of grounded me in my own self where I'm more aware and I edit myself a little bit better than I had in the past. It's really given me a little perspective. But I still have what you have in that if that guy asked me, I said, yeah, why don't you just go in the row and you take it, bro? I don't know kind of what you want or whatnot, but I would still feel like I would never say that to anybody else. I would never. Could you take a photo? I would never do that.

[Pete Correale]

I get it if he wanted me to take a photo with his phone of him and his wife, but to ask me to take a photo of something else other than you was weird to me. I don't know.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

You're saying that if somebody asks you to take a photo, like hey, can you take a photo of my family in front of the Empire State Building is more acceptable than someone saying, hey, could you take a photo of the mountain range?

[Pete Correale]

100%. Not only is it more acceptable, I remember back in my nicer days in New York City, when you ever see when a family's looking for someone to do that, I do a slow walk by, like ask me, I'll do it. You know, I don't offer it, but ah, sure, take a nice one. Enjoy your time. I give the phone back with enjoy your time in the city. You know, like so that they leave saying good things about us. But the minute you want me to take a photo without you in it, that's weird. That's weird. I agree.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

I think a non human photo is definitely something a little bit above and beyond the expectation. But speaking of photos.

[Pete Correale]

All right. DraftKings, baby. This ain't the little itty bitty teeny tiny bowl.

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[Sebastian Maniscalco]

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[Pete Correale]

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[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Have you and Jackie ever been looking for someone to take a photo of you in front of wherever, and you see someone taking a photo and you offer to take a photo of them. Go, hey, do you need me to take a photo? And take a photo. You're doing that just so. Because you want them to take a photo of you, so you feel like you have to do the favor first. Okay. Because we find ourselves in that position a lot. And if you are going to ask somebody to take a photo, do you size them up and say to yourself, that guy don't know how to take a photo, like, just based on the way people look. Do you go, that guy ain't gonna give me a good photo.

[Pete Correale]

Or. Oh, God, yeah. So many times that, like, especially if it's a family and one of the parents is like, it's a whole family walking by. I'm like, you take a photo. If the husband grabs it in my head, I'm like, give it to the wife or the daughter. Yeah. Jesus.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

I think you as a family have to determine who is the best photographer. Because there's been times where people go, hey, can you take a photo? I go, my wife is the best at this. I think you have to have that. Because sometimes you get a photo and you get it back. Do you ever do this? See if you like it right, and then you look at it and you don't like it. But if I give it back to you, what are you gonna do different to make it good? You know what I'm saying?

[Pete Correale]

It's like, yeah, well, it could be maybe your eyes weren't opening the photo or anything. But I don't do that. I give it back like a track baton, and I'm walking away. I make it clear there's no round with me. Some people, you ever do that, they give you the phone back, tell me if you like it. If not, take another one. Like, geez, I picked a guy with all day on his hands, huh? Bro, I'm jealous. Now, this tm. I feel like you and Seinfeld are up at a clubhouse pulling the rope up, and I'm like, let me up. And you're like, you don't know how to do it?

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

No. You make A good point. I feel like I got a superpower.

[Pete Correale]

I don't know, man. Yeah.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Well, now, I gotta tell you, on stage, I've seen a difference. Wow. I wanted to do comedy the other night, and you ever get in a moment on stage where it's an idea that you had and then. Or it could come off of maybe a bit you already have, and then you add onto it and you're like, oh, wow, I didn't even write that down. Or I just thought about it on stage. You ever have these moments? Sure.

[Pete Correale]

Yeah.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Okay. I found that those moments, for me were not as much as they were in the past. I felt like when I was younger, in my late 30s, early 40s, I would have these moments on stage where I'd be like. So in the moment that I'm like, where did that come from? Where did that come from? I might have subconsciously thought it and then, boom, it shot out of my brain unknowingly. But I felt like in the last five years, I've been a little bit more regimented in my material, going, okay, this is this bit, this is that bit. And there's been really no kind of exploring. So I went on stage the other night at the Comedy Store and I started with an idea, and it was evacuations and the fire and just had some things loosely planned in my head, and boom, I was off to the races. And it was one of those sets where I didn't even know kind of like where I was, what I was doing. And it was like, oh. And it lasted for, I don't know, maybe two and a half minutes, like in the moment, just doing stuff. And I popped out of it. I'm like, oh, wow. That was. That was. That's what I wanna see. So Seinfeld had mentioned that you are definitely going to see how it affects your standup, because now you're seeing things in a lot more of a focused way than you ever had before. And it's. And it's compounded the meditation you build upon each meditation, so it's like you keep getting better and better and better at it. So listen.

[Pete Correale]

I've been doing it for.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Three weeks, and I couldn't. Couldn't be more happier with it.

[Pete Correale]

There was Last Cast, and I don't even think we ended up using it, but there was a moment where I said something about the fires in la and we were talking about the snowplows of Buffalo, and I went on this bit of a rant, and that's like the equivalent of what you're saying when you're on stage is when I have a moment, whether it's on the cast talking with a couple people, like at dinner with you and John or anything like that. And my mouth goes. And I go. And I have this idea. I did it once with John. We're having dinner, and I was like, you eat your Survivor food. So I know what you're talking about. When you get in the moment and you go with it and things are coming out of your mouth and you're like, God, this is funny. I'm even having fun. My thing where the TM might help me is because once I say it, that's it. But there it goes up there with the birds. I don't have the discipline, the organization and everything else to then take that, write it down, remember it, you know, before the show. Say it to yourself. Like, you know, there's so much more prep than just being on that stage. You know, I feel that Seinfeld's probably fantastic about.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Well, to speak to this point, I have been more diligent of just, like, doing stuff like that. Like, sometimes it's like I get an idea and I go, I'll remember that. I don't remember it because I didn't write it down. This is. I feel like I'm being a lot more proactive when it comes to either. Oh, let me write that down. It's a good idea. Oh, I like the. I'll see a recipe on Instagram, and, like, I want to make that. So before, I was just like, I remember to come back to that or whatnot. Now I save it and write down the ingredients. So next time at the grocery store, like, oh, so for me, it's. Whatever it is, whatever it is. I'm doing things that I haven't done in the past, and I'm attributing it to this meditation because my head is a lot more clear and has a lot more space to allow information to come in. Because I felt like before, it's like. It also helped with memory, too. And sometimes you think, oh, I'm getting older. I'm forgetting things, which could be the case. But also another half of that is you have so much more information coming at you than you had probably 25 years ago that you're always trying to filter what to remember and what, you know. Like, sometimes it's like, oh, what the hell is that woman's name I just met? Or whatever, or, what's that actor's name from that movie? It's like a movie, you know, young Guns. Who was in Young Guns? Oh, that was the guy, you know? I know the guy. I just can't get it. Yeah, this. For whatever the reason, the recall is a lot sharper than it has been in the past. Listen, I could go on and on. I'm just saying, I think. Yeah, yeah, you should give it a shot.

[Pete Correale]

I don't even know if I need a tm. It sounds like if I just stopped drinking and took a break from it.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

I mean, that's another story. That's another podcast.

[Pete Correale]

I mean, the drinking. I literally never. First of all, when we're on the road, I think you're saying you're painting a little bit wrong picture. You barely ever. It's been like five times we went out for drinks over the course of like, five, six months for me. Couple blue moons every night, too. And that's it. When I'm home, I don't drink. I couldn't care less. I do like my chicken, my weed, I'll admit that. But I don't know, are you, like. I feel like I'd be really alert and it's 8:00 at night and I'm like, wow, this TM is great. Like, I have all my energy, but what am I doing? What am I doing? Am I still on my phone, just with a lot of energy? Am I still on Instagram? Are you like Bradley Cooper in that movie where he took the pills, where you're fucking learning French overnight?

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

It's kind of like that. It's not like you're amped up at night because you don't want to do it too late in the afternoon where it kind of bleeds into your sleep. And you bring up a great point. My sleep has improved leaps and bounds because sometimes during the tm, you'll actually fall into a nap. And a TM nap is so much better than actual sleep. If you do fall asleep during tm, the benefits are far more greater if you were to just go take a nap. All right, so. And what happens when you do the meditation? You fall asleep. Your body's actually telling you, I need rest. I need to pull back a little bit, even if it's for three minutes. Sometimes I dole off for three minutes. I pop right back into my conscious mind. But the sleep for me has been a game changer because my sleep was so bad, so much so, where there was like a sleep apnea component where I was waking up throughout the night. Now that I monitor my sleep, I've been monitoring my sleep for the last five years. On this ring. And I'm looking at my ring. Sleep now. And there's no more times that I'm waking up during the night. Again, that has a lot to do with alcohol, but also has a lot to do with this. So I don't know, bro. It's something that I can't. I can't give you. It's great.

[Pete Correale]

Yeah. Well, one thing I don't understand, though, is when you do, like the three in the afternoon, I've been napping for years, and usually that's around the time. The one thing I will say before I get into the nap, because I don't want to forget to say is I have a problem when I go in my office to write or read a script or like something I'm working on. Like that, man, I got about a 45 minute window, and then my eyes are like weights. Like, I just get so tired to the point where I sneak a pillow in my little office and you can't see me in there when I lock the door. Like Jackie and Sadie can't. And I'll lay down on the floor and I'll just. So my wife thinks I'm in there writing or whatever. Not that she'd care, but I don't want my family to see me and I on the floor like a. Like a pow out for like 10 minutes. And then I'll wake up and I'll write again. Then like 40 minutes later, my. And my lids go back down and I can't go much more than an hour without needing like a five to ten minute nap. Now with the tm, are you just like all you can just keep going.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

I like the fact that you're what I call cheat sleeping. Okay? You act like you're doing something so bad, right? Like you're cheating on your wife, but you. But like, like if you walked into a room and Jackie said, hey, I'm gonna go and go on the treadmill, right? And let's say you walked in and she was sleeping on the floor next to the treadmill. Would you go, what are you doing?

[Pete Correale]

If she was on the couch, I wouldn't. If she was, I go, oh, you're not feeling well because she never takes a nap.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

So if Jackie walked in and when you were in, quote unquote, a writing session, which sounds more like a nap.

[Pete Correale]

No, 45 minutes writing for.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Hey, listen, let's. Let's call it.

[Pete Correale]

I've been very sympathetic to your tm, all right? So please.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

But let's call it what it is. You should Just say, hey, I'll go.

[Pete Correale]

In and call things what they are. Is that we're gonna do now. Okay, I'll go after you.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Let's just call it what it is. You should just say, babe, I'm going in for a nap and I might wake up to write rather than I'm going to write and I might take a nap periodically. So listen. Oh, yes.

[Pete Correale]

Sadie goes, dad, why do lock the door? Because I don't want you to walk in and see me on the floor like I've been kidnapped by Al Qaeda. All right.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

So do you think if Sadie walked in and saw her father sleeping on a. At a. At a small pillow on the floor that it would totally change her opinion of you?

[Pete Correale]

Yeah, I. I grew up and I think you'll find this too. Okay. My dad, I barely. I don't think I. In my whole life, I don't think I ever saw my dad nap. And I saw him cry, like once, maybe twice. And I think you grew up similarly. I feel that guys. I grew up with, friends of mine who have seen their dad nap from time to time on the couch growing up, they don't have the level of respect that I have for my fucking dad because I've never seen that. Never come home, see my dad with a fucking Afghan up to his chin watching reruns of Abbott and Costello because it's snowing out the. See that little ramp? That's even. I don't even do the tm.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

I know, but if you had a tm, that. That rat would have lasted another minute.

[Meditation Expert]

Any time of the day, any situation you're in, you can get control of yourself just by sitting quietly and by turning off from the external problems. We have noise and all this society that you can go inside yourself where it's always calm and peaceful, it's like being on. On this level of consciousness. It's like the ocean, which is always changing. And the bottom of the ocean is always calm and still. And if you're not anchored to the bottom of the ocean, you're at the mercy of whatever change goes on. This process of meditation or different types of yoga is all just a way to anchor yourself securely to that pure state of consciousness, to that state of being, so that you can still act out your life on the surface, but you remain anchored securely.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

The Pete and Sebastian Show.

[Pete Correale]

Since you're new to H and R Block, we'll look at your returns from the last three years. For any money your last guy might have missed for free. I could get money back from Last year you could. We'll find any mistakes. Could have really used that two years.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Ago when I dated that mistake for five months. Don't leave money on the table. Switch to H and R block and get a free second look review. Second look is included at no additional cost with the purchase of tax preparation. Results vary. All tax situations are different. Fees apply. If you have us file an amended return.

[Sponsor Voice]

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[Sebastian Maniscalco]

It's amazing what our kids, how they dictate and how they look at you and me as a father. I went to pick up Seraphina yesterday at school, and I had an outfit that I've never worn before. And she goes, dad, I never seen you in that before. She goes, I don't like it. I don't like the outfit. I said, well, why not? She says, I don't like you in shorts because I had shorts on. Oh, wow. And I said, why? She goes, because you have hairy legs. I don't want to see that. And I'm like, oh. Oh. Throughout the outfit, I felt like she saw me in a different light because I was wearing shorts. And that made me not as a, like, superior figure to her. Right. It almost, like, lessened my. She almost looked at me as an equal. My dad's wearing shorts.

[Pete Correale]

Lion King. If Mustafa came walking up and he had braided part of his fucking mane, right? The dad, the little lion would be like, dad, what's with the braid in your hair? That's what she's feeling about the shorts. It's like you said, it's not that.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Alpha.

[Pete Correale]

Where's my Alpha dad?

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Yeah, where's the dad that's going to get us out of a fire?

[Pete Correale]

Oh, this is the new TM dad. I wear flip flops. I wear flip flops now.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Do you want to see my new TM footwear? You want to see my new TM footwear? Oh, no.

[Pete Correale]

Turn it. I can't see. Whoa. Oh, my God. Those are the Tony Soprano. We're going in Miami. Shoes. Get your shoes. Get your shoes. We're going to Miami. Wow, bro. Oh, God. I don't know.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

So.

[Pete Correale]

So I'm dying to know, though, how this works. Like when you. I know. You say, I. I. This is what I don't like about tm. The TM community. They. They tell you how it's working for them, and it's great and it's not hard to do, and then they leave it all on the vine. Like, they. Like. It's like. It's like when I do a scroll down, and they don't. On the computer when they get me into a story, and then they never end up telling me what the headline said I was gonna be promised. So, like, what are you doing in the morning? You wake up in the morning? Just, what are you doing?

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

I wake up. I don't have any coffee. You don't want any stimulant? All right? You wake up out of your bed. You go sit in a chair in a quiet room. There's an app that you do. It's a timer, so you don't have to open your eyes and keep looking at the time. So you time yourself 20 minutes.

[Pete Correale]

Or there's a transcendental app you can get.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Yeah, it's just a timer. It's a clock, really.

[Pete Correale]

See, that's what I'm saying, though. Can we have the name of it? Yeah, that's what I'm saying. It's all, like, I already said too much. It's just a clock. No, you're afraid Jerry's gonna page you now, going, what are you telling too much.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

It's called the TM timer. TM Timer.

[Pete Correale]

TM TM Timer. All right.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Okay.

[Pete Correale]

How is that different than just using the timer on my alarm clock?

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Stop watching. You don't need the TM timer. You could use any clock that you want. We just got the TM timer. Because what it does here is you set it for, like, two minutes. Let's say it's two minutes a minute to get, you know, close your eyes, relax, and then, boom, it starts. Now, there's two things that you got to do during the tm. One is there's a mantra they give you to say. And the mantra is different for everybody. And then number two is, like, these thoughts are going to flood into your mind. So you close your eyes and say, let's say the thoughts. Like, I got to do a podcast with Pete today, and I'm going to do three podcasts, and 12:30, I got an appointment. And then. And then, boom, you say the mantra. And then. And then more thoughts come in. And it could be, you know, it could be obscure. It could be, you know, I was thinking about, like, the Ritz elves, you know, the Ritz Cracker elves. At one point, that popped into my head, but you just. You let it. Basically. Basically how he describes it is there's waves. There's a bunch of waves on top of the ocean, and that's what we're living in, the waves. Constant waves. Waves. But beneath that is calm. Right, Right. And where we want to get to operating is beneath the waves. Because you're making decisions in the waves, and those decisions might not be the right decisions because you're in turbulent water. What you want to do is get to calmer waters and live your life down here rather than in the waves. So this. This. Go ahead.

[Pete Correale]

That's so fascinating. My fear with that, though, and I, you know, I don't want to give examples, but the passion does. The passion. The passion's on the top of the waves. So now you're taking me under the water and that. Where it's calmer, but I feel like the passion gets taken out of the equation. The. You know what I mean? If I'm seeing everything calmly and, you know, like I'm supposed to make mistakes based on fucking instant, ah, and oh, and I love you when I'm down here. It's just all, what do you know?

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

I could. I could see why you might be a little. Because I felt like that, too, is like, oh, am I going to not be aggravated at things that I used to be aggravated and make comedy out of those aggravations and impassioned by the.

[Pete Correale]

Things that you maybe, you know, am I overly impassioned by things? And now I'm seeing them clear and like, that thing I said was so great. Wasn't that great?

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

No. I look at it as. I don't want to be in a state of chaos while trying to come up with either decisions for my family, comedy, health, what have you. I'd rather be at a calmer state of mind where I could focus more on each specific thing rather than coming at it with a lot of chaos.

[Pete Correale]

This sounds like you're trying to get your mind into the place of a retired person. Maybe he just wakes up. Don't know if it's. I mean, but still be great, but still live a life. Like the way they wake up and everything seems simpler. They figured it all out. You know what I mean?

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

But when you talk to Seinfeld and when you hang out with him, there is a carefree attitude, and this is his personality. But there seems to be a very at ease, like, what's the problem?

[Pete Correale]

Just.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

It just Seems to be very. Eh. And I would like to get more to that than always. What? What do you mean? I don't want to live my life like that. Just constantly upset.

[Pete Correale]

Right, right, right, right. And like, people I know could argue if you have the money he has, but if he's been doing this since he was 19, he's probably felt like this his whole life, his whole adult life.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Yeah. He doesn't know any different, you know, like, he basically has been doing this. So he just doesn't know what it feels like pro someone like you or me to have this kind of angst and this chaos going on in our life. I just felt like, I don't know, it was one of these things where I was seeking something out. I found it and I'm doing it. Very happy with it. Also very happy.

[Pete Correale]

It's great. No, you should be. And it's like, you don't have to justify. I feel I'm asking questions. But what really gets me going about it is the amount of time I spend with thoughts of other people, other things that I couldn't. That just come into my head that, like, I don't care about and they. And they make me mad for a second. Or. Or I just. Time thoughts are being stolen from me every day and this is a big culprit of it. But, like, I'm constantly thinking of things and I'm much better at it than I was when I was younger and more angrier. But I still, you know, like when I move my daughter or my wife, I'm in the moment. I give myself credit for that. But I just hate how, like, I'll get up in the morning and I'll think of something and then I go to brush my teeth and I'm like, I'm in a bad mood. Why I'm in a bad mood. And I'm like, oh, because of that. All right, fuck that. But I was in a bad mood for three minutes because of some bullshit thing that was in my head that, like, I feel like you're clearing your head of all that kind of. That's just stealing from your time.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

You're right. This definitely causes emotions and what have you that, like, you know, because they say don't look at the phone right when you wake up because something might be in there that you're like, what the. What'd she do today? This month? And then now you're walking around with this. Like, whether it was what somebody said in the news, a political figure, what's going on in the world, you See, even you.

[Pete Correale]

I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I wake up and just like. And I'm making this up, but like, seeing a comedian on a ski lift and. And I'm going. And in my head, I'm like, oh, she have a gig there? How'd she get there? I like, what the. Do I care? I don't even know this person. I don't even know this person. I don't care about ski. Like, you know, what could have I thought of for that two, three minutes of my life? I could have. Damn it. Getting robbed, dude. And when you ever just sit in the airport and watch people walk by and they're like this. Just like, you know, like, you're all. It's Invasion of the Body Snatches, man. And, like, I'm literally gonna be right. Get up and be right there with you in two seconds.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Well, you know what? You know what? It's done. And I don't know, again, I'm not saying, like, oh, I'm totally a revamped person. But what I've noticed is my phone usage has gone down and my reading has gone up, so I don't look necessarily. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Books, articles. I'm on the iPad a little bit more. Reading, like, articles and books more than I am scrolling now on Instagram just because of what you just said is like, why. Why am I. What am I looking for in here? What am I. What am I looking for?

[Pete Correale]

Right?

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Or is this just a. Is this like a numbing killing time? Oh, look at this guy. He's beating the. Out of somebody in the street. And then the next video is a motivational speaker. Next video is, hey, don't use plastics. You're killing yourself. The next video is, you know, LeBron scored 41. It's like, what. What is all this? What is all this for?

[Pete Correale]

Oh, God, I'm getting. I'm getting. I'm getting sick. What is it for? I watch fights. I watch fights.

Like, street fights.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Oh.

[Pete Correale]

Oh, shit. He got out of his car. He just got out of his car. Yeah, my daughter's. My daughter's eating breakfast by herself because I'm watching a fight in fucking Missouri.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

I do it too. And I have the same thought. I'm saying I'm watching two guys at a traffic light do at a road rage fight, right? And I'm like, oh, he took a pipe out. And then next thing you know, I hear my daughter, you know, talk. Talk it to the dog, because she got nobody to talk to. You know, like, what the.

[Pete Correale]

Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Geez. I even see speaking the dog. I've seen my dog. I've walked my dog, and I've seen my dog do a look back, and then it sees me look at my phone and goes. I guess we're just walking. Like, even the dog knows. And. And I'm never, ever, ever, ever, ever looking at anything that matters. Fucking crazy. It's not like I'm ever going, well, they just show me how to cure cancer. Hold on. It's nothing. God, bro, man, teach this shit to me. I don't know. Is there a method. Is there a method that you could still drink and smoke pot and do tm, or do you gotta, like, not do any yet? I mean. I mean, you know, Seinfeld also never looked like the kind of guy that I'd want to spend the Saturday night with. No offense. Because I know I'm not the kind of guy he wants to spend one with.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

I know that. I think he could still indulge in your hobbies.

[Pete Correale]

All right.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

But I think if you want the full effect.

[Pete Correale]

Yeah.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Of living a clean lifestyle. And listen, I don't want to get like, oh, I'm just saying, like, I love wine. I love wine. I like it because I like the taste of it. Right, right. And I love it because of the communal effect. Like, if everybody's drinking wine, it's just more like, oh, it's just. It's just like, I'm not necessarily doing it for the. The buzz. I'm doing it because, like, I love a New York strip steak. I just. I just love that. That's the same thing I feel with wine. However, the wine. Yeah. Gives you. The after effects are not very beneficial. So is it worth giving up the alcohol to feel great every single day of the week, or do you want to feel great for two hours at night with the alcohol, and then the next day you get up and you're like, what the fuck? I'm exhausted. And anything. My workout's not going to be as good. I'm not going to be as present as I want to be with my family. And again, I'm not sitting over here, one of these guys that you got to. You got to clean up your lifestyle. It's not. I'm not saying that.

[Pete Correale]

I'm just saying.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

I'm saying. I'm just saying that right now, for the 24 days that I've been doing the meditation and the alcohol, I'm operating on optimal efficiency.

[Pete Correale]

Now, Listen, I get it. But I also want to add to that because again, I champion anyone who does that if that's what they want to do. I think pretty soon you're going to be able to hang out, if not already on a Saturday night and have just as much fun and just as much laughs without wine. I mean, just. You're probably not gonna ever stay up till 3:30 in the morning, but. Yeah, and. And then. And then you get the best of both worlds.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

That's what I'm saying. Like when we went out with John and John and you and I at the Denver restaurant, had a great time. Yeah. I'm gonna go out Saturday. Saturday night with the two couples. They're gonna be drinking. Lana and I are not. I'm gonna have a. I'm gonna have a blast. Because I know I don't have to take it.

[Pete Correale]

Okay, no, we weren't. Listen, listen. Last Saturday night, it was. It wasn't all there. It wasn't all. I pulled. I pulled back my fun meter to match the table. So, you know, and. And your friend was a lot of fun, but, like, it's gotta. You gotta get it up there a little bit more before.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

All right, guys, we're gonna leave on that laugh.

[Pete Correale]

Come on.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Oh. Oh, my God. What's this? Oh, my God.

[Pete Correale]

Don't burn yourself.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

What's this?

[Pete Correale]

She said shut up.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

The what?

[Pete Correale]

Oh. Oh. Oh. She's just getting. All right, we're ending this show now, okay? Oh, my God. Do you believe.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

What is she getting?

[Pete Correale]

She's getting a pair of socks. She's getting a pair of socks out of the. Out of the dresser drawer behind me. She's. She's literally my wife is behind me telling me, leave me alone. I'm not here. Just leave me alone. As she goes. All right. Thanks, Jack.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

All right.

[Pete Correale]

Well, there you go. Jackie was on the show.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

What a great way to end a great show. Thank you for listening. Pete Sebastian Show. We'll be back next week. Take care. The show has ended. Let's just call it what it is. You should just say, babe, I'm going in for a nap and I might wake up to write.