Shows
Reality RulesDave & Sarah: Are We In A Simulation?Dave Testa & Sarah Sekoa discuss (BS about) the unknowability of the fundamental nature of reality. Recorded at Dave Testa's home recording studio on April 16, 2023, at the end of a 10 hour marathon of conversation.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showFollow Sarah Sekoa on instagram @sarahs13172023-10-0324 minReality RulesPart 2: Let's Catch Our Breath - Addiction Recovery and Mental Health with Dave TestaPart 2: Dave & Sarah discuss experiences of addiction, mental illness, recovery, and learning how to care for & ground ourselves and deal with the inevitable pains of life in sustainable ways.Recorded at Dave Testa's home recording studio in Seattle, WA on April 16th, 2023.Intro/Outro song: "Bug Bear" by Climber, used with permission. Listen to Climber music on Spotify: shorturl.at/ouxS2Support the showFollow Sarah Sekoa on instagram @sarahs13172023-10-031h 00Reality RulesPart 1: Let's Catch Our Breath - Addiction Recovery & Mental Health with Dave TestaDave & Sarah discuss experiences of addiction, mental illness, recovery, and learning how to care for & ground ourselves and deal with the inevitable pains of life in sustainable ways.Recorded at Dave Testa's home recording studio in Seattle, WA on April 16th, 2023.Intro/Outro song: "River" by David Testa, used with permission. Single to be released soon. Listen to more music by David Testa at www.testamusic.comSupport the showFollow Sarah Sekoa on instagram @sarahs13172023-06-2200 minReality RulesChuck Swindoll - Son of a Preacher, Author of Elucidating ChristianityChuck and Sarah discuss Chuck's book: Elucidating Christianity, A Heretic's Dissent: Triangulating Dysfunctional Religion (get the Kindle book on Amazon here: https://shorturl.at/knrA7, or listen to the audio version read by Chuck on his YouTube channel at the link below), and we share about our experiences of unraveling our Christian beliefs and what it's like on the other side of leaving the religion. Chuck grew up in a highly influential Christian family and ministry, and leaving his rolls at the church wasn't easy. He shares about what that was like and about his relationship with his beloved...2023-04-242h 02Reality RulesLeaving Christianity - David Testa's ExperienceA conversation with former Christian worship band member, David Testa, as he shares insights about his journey into and out of Christianity. The conversation touches on problems with Christian concepts of hell and salvation, connections between Christianity and codependency, childhood trauma, narcissism, addiction, etc., surviving existential+identity crises, and current spiritual beliefs. We opened more cans of worms than we could fully digest, so keep an eye out for future episodes where we will be getting together again to dive deeper into some of these topics.Recorded at David Testa's home recording studio in Seattle, WA, on...2023-03-291h 33Reality RulesArt Life & The Evolution of Self - w/filmmaker Antero AlliA conversation with filmmaker, theater producer, author, astrologer, and musician, Antero Alli, on wisdom from his life as an artist. We discuss ideas around self-delusion, ego, shadow work, and the inner child, and how to live the artist's life by relinquishing our attachments to our egos, and vulnerably expressing from our deeply subjective experiences, in hopes that our creative works will cross over into universal experience and land with positive impact in the lives of those who relate and resonate.Alli's film "Out of the Woods" will be screened at the Clinton Street Theater in Southeast Portland...2023-03-2154 minReality RulesLeaving Christianity - Marcus Lawrence's Experience - Live Zoom RecordingMarcus Lawrence, a former Christian worship leader, shares his story of going from being a full-blown Christian who worked for a church and for Christian organizations, to becoming an optimistic nihilist who still wants to believe there is something out there that cares - because music and love. We talk about the Enneagram, nihilism, agnosticism, mysticism, and love that's too big for religion's boxes, and how if there is an afterlife to believe in, everybody's in, or else no thank you.Intro/outro song:"Foxes" by Climber, used with permission.Listen to Climber music on...2023-03-151h 45Reality RulesLeaving Christianity - Thomas Schnaarz's Experience, recorded live at Edgefield(Recorded live at Edgefield McMenamins) Sarah interviews Thomas Schnaarz about his experience of converting to Christianity in his early twenties, becoming a church leader and teacher, and then leaving the religion in his late thirties and stepping into a more expansive spiritual cosmology.Contact Thomas for personalized in depth astrology readings: ts84@live.deThis episode explores:- issues with Christian doctrines of hell, sin, separation from God, etc., as well as with some of the abuse inherent in Christian culture and values. - the wisdom in pulling on threads of doubt and t...2023-02-211h 17Reality RulesLeaving Christianity - Thomas Schnaars' Experience, recorded live at Edgefield(Recorded live at Edgefield McMenamins) Sarah interviews Thomas Schnaars about his experience of converting to Christianity in his early twenties, becoming a church leader and teacher, and then leaving the religion in his late thirties and stepping into a more expansive spiritual cosmology.Contact Thomas for personalized in depth astrology readings: ts84@live.deThis episode explores:- issues with Christian doctrines of hell, sin, separation from God, etc., as well as with some of the abuse inherent in Christian culture and values. - the wisdom in pulling on threads of d...2023-02-211h 17Reality RulesDivorce & Deconstructing Religion with Macie & EmilyMacie LaRae and Emily Jameson and I walked closely through a season of our transitions out of marriage and out of conservative Christianity. In this episode, we explore some of the core truths we've learned on our journeys.Subjects-For the women going through the painful transitions of ending marriages and leaving religions- there’s a light at the end of the tunnel… it gets better.Every relationship is a teacher and alchemical container that serves our growth, and there is no such thing as failure.We learn through experiencing things.2023-01-3050 minReality RulesExploring Bisexuality & Open Marriage - Part 3 of 3Sarah and Yvette get candid about personal experiences in the realms of bisexuality and polyamory, aka ethical non-monogamy and open relationships in a three part series. This is part 3.-Experiencing group sexual energy-How Sarah wasn’t self-aware of and was in denial of her attraction to women when younger-Profound sexual satisfaction and expansion in long term monogamy-A dynamic Relationship Manifesto-Yvette’s experience of a secret sexual affair-Commitment to hone...2022-12-2435 minReality RulesExploring Bisexuality & Open Marriage - Part 2 of 3Sarah and Yvette get candid about personal experiences in the realms of bisexuality and polyamory, aka ethical non-monogamy and open relationships in a three part series. This is part 2.-Yvette and her husband’s unique and evolving open marriage dynamics-Caution in exploring and changing the relationship rules-Sarah’s experience facing deeply rooted fears around sexual freedom, deconstructing from Christian fundamentalist purity culture upbringing, and an open relationship with a “wild man” -So much establishing of trust through non-judgmental vulnerable explorati...2022-12-2440 minReality RulesExploring Bisexuality & Open Marriage - Part 1 of 3Sarah and Yvette get candid about personal experiences in the realms of bisexuality and polyamory, aka ethical non-monogamy and open relationships in a three part series. This is part 1.-Sarah’s experiences of growing up in Christian fundamentalist purity culture-Yvette’s experience of exploring her bisexuality and approaching her husband about opening marriage into ethical non-monogamy-Sexuality as dynamic over time and across various circumstances-Desire as a wise leader, even if you don’t necessarily know the logical reasons why you want someth...2022-12-2340 minReality RulesSynchronicities and Subjective Reality-a personal synchronicity story: how my dead grandmother named my daughter Nina-what do synchronicities mean?-where do synchronicities come from?-is the reality we perceive an interactive subjective feedback loop of our consciousness?-my personal number language and belief that winks from the universe affirm that I’m on my best path-but what if it’s all a scheme being operated by evil alien overlords who are harvesting our energy for their cosmic games?-why it’s good to face the existential possibility that everything might be meaningless-what I choose...2022-05-3037 minReality RulesHow I Let Go of Christianity and Embraced the Mystery of LoveI share about some of the gradual shifts in thought, conversations with God, and poignant moments in the deconstruction of my former Christian faith, and about my current working theories on faith.Why can't God "save" everyone?Do we even need to be saved?Is there such a thing as separation from God?What matters more: accuracy of belief about God, or impact of belief?What actually is faith?Thoughts on truly unconditional loveMy conversation with Jesus, whom I love, as I was letting goHow love matters more than accuracyHow God met me in the void of uncertaintyBuzzsprout...2022-04-2740 min