Shows
A Think First Podcast with Jim Detjen🔸 Poetic Truth · When Feeling Replaces FactWhat if the most powerful lies… don’t look like lies at all?In this episode of Think First, we unpack poetic truth — the kind of storytelling that sounds noble, feels right, and spreads fast… even when it’s not true. From history to Hollywood, we break down how emotional narratives are replacing reality — and why challenging them comes with a cost.Because when facts become optional… the loudest feelings win.Support the showStay sharp. Stay skeptical. #SpotTheGaslightRead and reflect at Gaslight360.com/clarity
2025-12-0506 min
A Think First Podcast with Jim Detjen#80 DNA and the Soul · The Architecture of ContinuityWhat if DNA isn’t just a code of flesh, but the anchor of something older?In this episode, Jim Detjen explores the thin line between biology and belief — from inherited trauma and quantum biology to the question of whether consciousness might use DNA as its docking station.It’s part science, part philosophy, part cosmic stand-up routine.If DNA really is the soul’s anchor, what exactly is being transmitted — and who’s doing the editing?Support the showStay sharp. Stay skeptical. #SpotTheGaslightRead and reflect...
2025-11-0621 min
A Think First Podcast with Jim Detjen#77 Weight of the World · Is the Obesity Epidemic a Side Effect or a Strategy?Something about the obesity epidemic doesn’t add up.Despite decades of “awareness,” our population keeps getting sicker, younger, and more dependent — while the system built to fix it keeps breaking profit records.In this episode of Think First, host Jim Detjen unpacks how food engineering, pharmaceutical incentives, and shame-based media narratives quietly reinforce one another — turning health into a subscription model.Featuring excerpts from Dr. Mark Hyman’s The Doctor’s Farmacy with Calley Means, this investigation traces how “wellness” became an industry, how children became th...
2025-10-1425 min
A Think First Podcast with Jim Detjen#76 When the Government Stops, Military Families Still Pay.When Washington shuts down, the headlines talk about politics. But at kitchen tables in Kansas, California, and overseas bases, it’s military and veteran families who feel it first.In this episode, Jim Detjen unpacks the gap between the story we’re told and the reality families live — from furloughed civilians to unpaid Border Patrol agents, to kids wondering why “back pay later” doesn’t buy Pop-Tarts tonight.Featuring reporting from CBS and Reuters, the voices of families, and a simple metaphor — the “Three Buckets” — that explains the shutdown better than any press conference. Plus, why Blue Star Famili...
2025-10-0215 min
A Think First Podcast with Jim Detjen#75 Wikipedia · The Internet’s Biggest GaslightThey told us Wikipedia was the “free encyclopedia anyone can edit.”What they didn’t tell us is how it edits you back.In this episode of Think First, Jim Detjen pulls apart the myth of Wikipedia’s neutrality — exposing how “fringe” labels erase arguments, how intelligence agencies treat it like a propaganda shop, and why Tucker Carlson was left stunned when co-founder Larry Sanger admitted just how compromised the site has become.This isn’t just about a website.It’s about the funhouse mirror shaping classrooms, headlines, and even the AI models now...
2025-10-0120 min
A Think First Podcast with Jim Detjen#74 Walter Russell and the Gaslight of Science: Madman, Mystic, or a Thousand Years Too Soon?In 1921, artist-turned-polymath Walter Russell claimed to spend 39 days in a coma-like “illumination,” tapping the very “source of all knowledge.” His revelations became The Universal One — a sweeping vision of reality as crystallized light, consciousness, and rhythm. Nearly every scientist dismissed him as mad. Except Nikola Tesla.This episode unpacks the gaslighting Russell faced, the poetic truths that turned him into a cult prophet, and what his story reveals about how science treats outsiders. From Galileo to Semmelweis to Tesla, the distortion cycle repeats: ridicule, myth, and a carefully rewritten history.Was Walter Russell a crackpot sculptor…...
2025-09-3016 min
A Think First Podcast with Jim Detjen#72 Distorted · Read It Before the World DoesFor three years, I’ve been building something bigger than this podcast.It’s called Distorted: How Gaslighting and Poetic Truth Bend Our Perception of Reality.And now — before the hardcover and paperback release in February 2026 — the Early Access Edition is here.This episode is the behind-the-scenes story of how the book came to life, why it’s coming out early, and how you can be part of the launch. Expect dry humor, self-deprecation, and more family roasts than I probably should admit.Grab the Early Access Edition now for $9.99...
2025-09-2605 min
A Think First Podcast with Jim Detjen#65 The Coin Shortage That Wasn’t · Think FirstRemember those little signs at checkout in 2020?“Due to a national coin shortage, please use exact change or pay with card.”Was it really about supply chain disruption — or was it a quiet nudge to push us further into a cashless society?In this episode of Think First, Jim Detjen unravels the strange story of the “coin shortage” — why it appeared everywhere at once, how it shaped our payment habits, and what it reveals about crisis-driven behavior.Was it a shortage of coins… or a shortage of truth?Support the show
2025-09-0405 min
A Think First Podcast with Jim Detjen#63 Ballerina Farm · The Poetic Truth Behind Perfect MotherhoodA Juilliard ballerina. A JetBlue heir. Eight kids. And a farm in Utah with 20 million followers.Ballerina Farm is wholesome, nostalgic, and almost too perfect. But is it empowerment through motherhood—or a carefully curated illusion?In this episode of Think First, Jim Detjen traces the rise of Hannah and Daniel Neeleman, the “queen of the tradwife” controversy, and why their story is a case study in gaslighting, poetic truth, and the way social media edits reality into fantasy.Not a paid endorsement—but yes, even the packaging nails it.Support the show...
2025-08-2907 min
A Think First Podcast with Jim Detjen#61 NIL Unmasked · How College Sports Went Pro Without Saying It Out LoudThe rules of college sports just changed forever — and not everyone’s playing fair. In this episode of Think First, Jim Detjen pulls back the curtain on NIL — Name, Image, and Likeness — to show how athletes are getting paid, how the NCAA is fumbling the playbook, and why the smartest deals still come down to authenticity. From Bryce Harper’s clean-label fit with Just Ingredients, to Sprouts investing in women’s sports, to a high-school quarterback’s million-dollar headline that wasn’t what it seemed — this is the full story, no booster spin. If you’ve ever wondered what NIL really is today…...
2025-08-2508 minA Think First Podcast with Jim DetjenBe Someone's Reason to Think FirstNo flaming cars. No gaslighting breakdowns. Just a quick bonus drop to say… we’re at 200 downloads per episode — and it’s time to grow. This one’s for the OGs, the founding listeners, the people who laugh at the dark stuff and think for themselves. If that’s you, we need your help.Text a friend. Post the link. Whisper it to your dog.Because the only way smart voices cut through the noise… is if you send the signal.Support the showStay sharp. Stay skeptical. #SpotTheGaslightRead and ref...
2025-08-2503 min
A Think First Podcast with Jim Detjen#57 How the Dinosaurs Disappeared — and Why We Love the StoryWhat really killed the dinosaurs?We’ve all heard the asteroid story: a rock from space slams into Earth, fire rains down, and the mighty dinosaurs vanish overnight. It’s clean. It’s dramatic. It’s the perfect ending.But the truth may be messier — a long decline fueled by volcanic eruptions, climate swings, and a final “kill cascade.” So why do we cling to the Hollywood version?In this episode of Think First, Jim Detjen explores how the extinction story has become part science, part mythology — and why the way we tell it might reveal...
2025-08-1804 min
A Think First Podcast with Jim Detjen#56 The FBI Doesn’t Hit Record — And That’s the PointFor decades, the FBI refused to record interviews — relying instead on handwritten notes and “302” summaries. Even after a 2014 policy change, the loopholes remain. In this episode, Jim Detjen unpacks why the Bureau prefers its own version of the truth, how that opens the door to poetic truth and gaslighting, and what it means when the “official record” isn’t actually the record.Support the showStay sharp. Stay skeptical. #SpotTheGaslightRead and reflect at Gaslight360.com/clarity
2025-08-1504 min
A Think First Podcast with Jim Detjen#55 The Casual Sex Myth · Gaslit by the CultureModern culture tells us sex is just fun, casual, and consequence-free. But what if that’s the biggest gaslight of all? From hookup culture and porn to OnlyFans and Bonnie Blue, Jim Detjen unpacks the poetic truths and lies shaping how we think about sex, intimacy, and identity. This episode isn’t prudish — it’s piercing. And maybe even a little personal.Support the showStay sharp. Stay skeptical. #SpotTheGaslightRead and reflect at Gaslight360.com/clarity
2025-08-1207 min
Building Your Sales EngineHow to Build Trust and Sell More with Reflective Listening with Matt DetjenIn this episode of Building Your Sales Engine, Mark McGraw welcomes Matt Detjen—North American Training Manager at Michelin and author of 'REFLECT: The Art of Powerful Sales Communication.' Matt shares the mindset shifts and practical frameworks that help sales professionals move beyond surface-level rapport and into deeper, more effective communication with their clients. They explore how to build real rapport, the importance of reflective listening, and how to navigate emotional conversations that lead to trust and results. Matt breaks down how better listening unlocks sales opportunities, and why preparation, simplicity, and emotional validation can make or...
2025-07-3143 min
A Think First Podcast with Jim Detjen#50 Skinwalker Ranch: When Reality Fights Back (Special Edition)This isn’t a ghost story.It’s not a UFO tale.And it’s definitely not a recap of the TV show.This is a Think First special edition — on the most heavily instrumented paranormal site on Earth: Skinwalker Ranch.What’s happening in this remote corner of Utah defies physics, distorts perception, and may challenge the limits of human consciousness itself.We dig into the evolving theories — the mesa, the triangle, the anomalies — and how Brandon Fugal, a friend of Jim Detjen...
2025-07-3016 minA Think First Podcast with Jim Detjen#47 Clarity Is the New Counterculture · Light Your FlameWhat if clarity isn’t something you find — but something you build?In this special episode of Think First, we walk through the six-stage journey to mental clarity. From the first flicker of curiosity to full-on confidence in truth, Jim Detjen lays out the tools for seeing through gaslighting, poetic truth, and media manipulation. Because before you can think clearly… you have to see clearly.Support the showStay sharp. Stay skeptical. #SpotTheGaslightRead and reflect at Gaslight360.com/clarity
2025-07-2406 minA Think First Podcast with Jim Detjen#46 Gaslighting 101 · That's Not What HappenedIt’s a textbook Reframe moment: the lie isn’t the problem — it’s the doubt it plants.Gaslighting isn’t just lying — it’s psychological warfare dressed as concern.In this episode of Think First, we unpack the tactics used to make you question what you saw, what you felt… even what you know. From politics to parenting, media to medicine, we expose how confident repetition replaces evidence — and how silence becomes compliance.If you’ve ever felt like you’re the crazy one… you’re probably not.Support the showStay sharp...
2025-07-2405 minA Think First Podcast with Jim Detjen#45 TikTok, Instagram, & YouTube · Why We’re Using Cartoons to Expose Gaslighting🎉 Bonus Episode: Think First is now on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts — with a twist.We’re using 1950s-style animation to tackle modern gaslighting and poetic truth. Why? Because nothing exposes the absurdity of today’s filtered narratives like vintage visuals and dry humor.This episode unpacks the strategy behind the new content — and why contrast, irony, and clarity are our secret weapons in a world of spin.🧠Follow us everywhere @ThinkFirstPodcast🎧 Full episodes always at JimDetjen.comSupport the showStay sharp. Stay skeptical. #SpotTheGaslightRead and...
2025-07-2300 minA Think First Podcast with Jim Detjen#44 The Happiness Study Lied to You (But Not How You Think)For 85 years, Harvard tracked what makes life worth living.The answer was clear. The culture? Not so much.This episode unravels how we took one of the most important studies ever done on happiness — and turned it into Instagram therapy, hustle culture, and $18 candles that smell like personal growth.Based on The Good Life by Marc Schulz and Robert Waldinger… and filtered through Think First’s dry humor, media lens, and deep-cut clarity.Because the study didn’t lie — but someone’s been selling you poetic truth ever since.Support the...
2025-07-2305 minA Think First Podcast with Jim Detjen#43 The Mandela Effect: What If Reality Didn’t Agree With You?What if you didn’t just remember it wrong…But the world moved on — and left you behind?In this special edition of Think First, we dive headfirst into the Mandela Effect — the eerie sensation that something you know to be true has somehow… changed. From false memories and collective misremembering to quantum drift and simulated timelines, this isn’t just a fun parlor trick. It’s a crack in our understanding of truth, memory, and reality itself.Featuring original theory, dry humor, and a slow unraveling of everything you thought was solid — this episode isn...
2025-07-2208 minA Think First Podcast with Jim Detjen#42 Brotherhood (Not Bureaucracies) · What the Ivy League Used to Get RightThe Ivy League was never perfect.But it used to produce loyalty, grit, and real leadership — forged through brotherhood, not bureaucracy.Today? The final clubs, eating clubs, and secret societies that once shaped generations have been sidelined… replaced by curated cohorts, DEI offices, and a fear of unfiltered conversation.Jim Detjen — Army veteran, Harvard dad (x2), and cultural strategist — unpacks what the Ivy League used to stand for, what it’s become, and why the rest of America should care.Inspired by Lucca Ruggieri’s essay, “Brotherhood, Not Bureaucracies,” published at The American Min...
2025-07-1908 minA Think First Podcast with Jim Detjen#41 The Federal Reserve · It’s Not Federal. And It Has No Reserve.It controls your mortgage rate, your grocery bill, and the value of your paycheck — but it’s not even part of the government. In this episode of Think First, we unravel the strange origin of the Federal Reserve, the poetic truths that keep it alive, and the gaslighting that makes you think it’s there to protect you. From Andrew Jackson to JFK to Ron Paul, history is full of warning signs… and yet here we are. Follow the money — and spot the lie.Support the showStay sharp. Stay skeptical. #SpotTheGaslightRead and r...
2025-07-1805 minA Think First Podcast with Jim Detjen#40 Bacon, Booze, and Billion-Dollar Gaslighting: What They're Not Telling YouYou’ve seen the headlines: cut bacon and booze, cut cancer by 40%. But why didn’t that go viral? Why didn’t your favorite steakhouse or whiskey brand mention it? In this episode, we pull back the curtain on one of the most well-funded dietary gaslights of the modern era — and you just might rethink your brunch.Support the showStay sharp. Stay skeptical. #SpotTheGaslightRead and reflect at Gaslight360.com/clarity
2025-07-1705 minA Think First Podcast with Jim Detjen#39 Epstein (Part 4) · Two Lies, No EscapePam Bondi said the Epstein client list was on her desk. Then she said it wasn’t. Trump promised transparency — now he wants us to move on. Ghislaine Maxwell offers to testify, and MAGA turns on itself. This episode unpacks the contradictions, fake binder drops, vanishing files, and the one ugly truth no one in power wants to admit: they think we’ll forget.We won’t. And today… we’re going there.Support the showStay sharp. Stay skeptical. #SpotTheGaslightRead and reflect at Gaslight360.com/clarity
2025-07-1506 minA Think First Podcast with Jim Detjen#38 The Barcode That Changed the WorldYou thought it was just a faster checkout. But that little beep at the register quietly reshaped retail, rewired your habits, and launched one of the first behavioral data systems ever used on the public — without your consent. This is the story of how a black-and-white square became the first invisible tether between you and the algorithm. And now you know… the part they left out.Support the showStay sharp. Stay skeptical. #SpotTheGaslightRead and reflect at Gaslight360.com/clarity
2025-07-1403 minA Think First Podcast with Jim Detjen#36 The Vanishing Middle Button on ElevatorsIt’s right there in the middle of the panel. The button you press when you’re in a hurry, annoyed, or just need to feel in control. But what if it’s not connected to anything at all? This is the story of the elevator close-door button — a quiet little symbol of manufactured control, fake feedback, and placebo participation. Because sometimes… the button was never meant to work. And now you know… the part they left out.Support the showStay sharp. Stay skeptical. #SpotTheGaslightRead and reflect at Gaslight360.com/clarity
2025-07-1103 min