Eps 60: The Science of the Imagination and Fascination

boating

This week Spark My Muse has hit a milestone. 30 episodes of Soul School and 60 regular Episodes! It also marks a big shift for things moving forward. The show will be far more collaborative and listener-driven.

This week, I have posed some specific questions for listeners/supporters to help decide some new and  important directions and decisions for the show. More questions will follow in the weeks to come. To participate, co-create, collaborate, give input, make suggestions, and be a part of this new era, put some skin in the game. It only takes $1 and you can make BIG difference.

Decide on guests, events, swag, and a lot more. You make the calls.

Ready? Here’s the link.


jimDavies-400x300

This week, I welcome Jim Davies, an associate professor at the Institute of Cognitive Science at Carleton University. He is the Director of the Science of Imagination Laboratory, and the Author of “Riveted: The Science of Why Jokes Make Us Laugh, Movies Make Us Cry, and Religion Makes Us Feel One with the Universe.”

You can share an audio snippet by clicking the red and white clammer logo below.


 

SHOW NOTES

MIN 1:20
Where do the pictures in our visual imagination come from?

Do blind people have a visual memory?

MIN 6:00
The literal details and the meaning and symbol parts of the brain

Can computers imagine or learn to?

MIN 9:30
3D Environments

Neuro modeling simulation of thoughts and imagination.

MIN 14
Jim’s book called “Riveted”

Rules of art form and folk wisdom are they backed by science?

Cognitive science of religion and why we find anything interesting.

MIN 19
The genetics behind the desire for connecting with something greater.

MIN 22:00
What surprised him most in his research?
60% of religiosity is determined.

MIN 23:00
Groups that have religion outcompete groups that don’t
Moral code so you don’t cheat your neighbors.
Pro-social.

The Kibbutz secular vs religious

Prayer and meditation helps you cope with stress.

MIN 27
Why jokes make us laugh.
Social signals about danger.

MIN 28
about why offensive jokes might be funny

LINK TO SPARK MY MUSE
EPISODE 30 on the Science of humor
WITH NEUROSCIENTIST Dr VINOD GOEL

MIN 30
Our brain doesn’t really sense what is fiction or reality 100%

The “Finding Nemo” story

36:00
Jim’s TEDx talks

37:30
Planning bias and completion times


 

Thank you for listening today!

Would you leave a tip or one-time gift?


Click here to support the show.

To subscribe pick an option below:

Eps 59: Desire and Rhythm of Life – Return Guest Shane Tucker


On Sunday April 24 Spark My Muse will be 1 year old!
HOORAY!
Thank you to everyone who has helped by listening, with encouragement, and with gifts to keep the Spark My Muse show going.bestcake

To celebrate there will be some very interesting things happening in the….
#weekofSPARKle —stay tuned!

Want to send a small birthday gift?
Click to give, the baby Spark a present.


 Today, I have a return guest!
My soul friend, Shane Tucker.
He has a new book and you can get it free.
Today we converse about it and Irish culture
–two fire-makers are sparking things…what’s not to love?

Scroll down for essential links and show notes.

Shane-@-Ross-2012-M


SHOW NOTES

MIN 1

Shane is an Anglican Priest and Soul Friend – a fire-maker of souls – sparking fire for souls!

“Being a best friend you’ve always wanted.”

• Link to my 1st episode with Shane (if you haven’t heard it yet)

Rhythm of Life book link

Intersection of Arts, Faith and Culture

MIN 5

Dreamers of the Day

MIN 6:30

Classic Principles (walk with me)

Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience

MIN 9:30

Distinctive Practices (work with me)

Two Distinct calls of Jesus:

Walk with me & Work with me

MIN 12:00

Photography in the book

and introspective questions within the book

Stirring desire which is fuel for the journey.

The good, the true, and the beautiful

MIN 15:30

Selfish or corrupted life practices

Dallas Willard

VIM

• Vision

• Intention

• Means (resources and tools -practices and disciplines/space makers for God to rush in)

The process of transformation.

MIN 19

Abundant life and freedom

MIN 20

Offering what little we have up to God and into the world.

MIN 22

Dream Out Loud (book)

…is about the 2nd call on our lives building for the Kingdom of God.

Ode by Arthur O’Shaughnessy

Ode

We are the music makers,

And we are the dreamer of dreams,

Wandering by lone sea-breakers,

And sitting by desolate streams;

World-losers and world-forsakers,

 

On whom the pale moon gleams:

Yet we are the movers and shakers

Of the world for ever, it seems.

With wonderful deathless ditties,

We build up the world’s great cities,

 

And out of a fabulous story

We fashion an empire’s glory:

One man with a dream, at pleasure,

Shall go forth and conquer a crown;

And three with a new song’s measure

Can trample an empire down.

 

We, in the ages lying

In the buried past of earth,

Built Nineveh with our sighing,

And Babel itself with our mirth;

And o’erthrew them with prophesying

To the old of the new world’s worth;

For each age is a dream that is dying,

Or one that is coming to birth.

 

A breath of our inspiration

Is the life of each generation;

A wondrous thing of our dreaming

Unearthly, impossible seeming —

The soldier, the king, and the peasant

Are working together in one,

Till our dream shall become their present,

And their work in the world be done.

 

They had no vision amazing

Of the goodly house they are raising;

They had no divine foreshowing

Of the land to which they are going:

But on one man’s soul it hath broken,

A light that doth not depart;

And his look, or a word he hath spoken,

 

Wrought flame in another man’s heart.

And therefore to-day is thrilling

With a past day’s late fulfilling;

And the multitudes are enlisted

In the faith that their fathers resisted,

 

And, scorning the dream of to-morrow,

Are bringing to pass, as they may,

In the world, for its joy or its sorrow,

The dream that was scorned yesterday.

But we, with our dreaming and singing,

Ceaseless and sorrowless we!

The glory about us clinging

 

Of the glorious futures we see,

Our souls with high music ringing:

O men! it must ever be

That we dwell, in our dreaming and singing,

A little apart from ye.

For we are afar with the dawning

 

And the suns that are not yet high,

And out of the infinite morning

Intrepid you hear us cry —

How, spite of your human scorning,

Once more God’s future draws nigh,

And already goes forth the warning

That ye of the past must die.

 

Great hail! we cry to the comers

From the dazzling unknown shore;

Bring us hither your sun and your summers;

And renew our world as of yore;

You shall teach us your song’s new numbers,

And things that we dreamed not before:

Yea, in spite of a dreamer who slumbers,

And a singer who sings no more.

 

A wondrous thing of our dreaming,

Unearthly, impossible seeming-

The soldier, the king, and the peasant

Are working together in one,

Till our dream shall become their present,

And their work in the world be done.

 

And therefore today is thrilling,

With a past day’s late fulfilling.

And the multitudes are enlisted

In the faith that their fathers resisted,

And, scorning the dream of tomorrow,

Are bringing to pass, as they may,

In the world, for it’s joy or it’s sorrow,

The dream that was scorned yesterday.

 

For we are afar with the dawning

And the suns that are not yet high,

And out of the infinite morning

Intrepid you hear us cry-

How, spite of your human scorning,

Once more God’s future draws nigh,

And already goes forth the warning

That ye of the past must die.

 

Great hail! we cry to the corners

From the dazzling unknown shore;

Bring us hither your sun and your summers,

And renew our world as of yore;

You shall teach us your song’s new numbers,

And things that we dreamt not before;

Yea, in spite of a dreamer who slumbers,

And a singer who sings no more.

 

MIN 25:30

The book title’s connection to the band U2

Streets Have No Name

Always

MIN 27

Hope in Irish culture and in the music. The folk music expresses sadness and joy together.

MIN 29:30

JRR TOLKEIN

eucatastrophe 

“ a good undoing”

a joy that brings tears–a sudden glimpse of truth.

MIN 32

The Trips Shane Guides to Ireland

Featuring ancients stories, heroes, and revered saints, landmarks, pubs, and historic features.

Find Shane on Twitter:

@dreamingbig

His website: artistsoulfriend.com

Eps 57: The Healing Process of Writing– Guest Rachel Toalson

Today my guest is a writer, a podcaster with her husband Ben, a very creative and productive woman, and also mother of 6 boys–including 3 year old twins:
Rachel Toalson.

rtwebheader5


3 THINGS TO REMEMBER BEFORE YOU LISTEN:

When you listen to the show, creating it feels extra worthwhile.
Sharing the show with others, makes it grow.
But giving to show, keeps it alive.

Thank you for a ONE-TIME gift, today.
Click here to give.


SHOWNOTES:

MIN 1:30

Rachel the writer and parent.

• In the boat with Ben – podcast
• WEBSITE for the podcast

Being creative and having a family.

Don’t give up your creative dream once you have kids.

Tools for pursuing dreams, intentional parenting and parenting with values.

MIN 3:30

Teaching our kids that parenting doesn’t mean we stop being who we really are but that we invite our children into a wonderful creative life.

MIN 5:30

What is Fairendale?
• Visit the Fairendale Page for a free Prequel

MIN 7:00

Our choices matter but they don’t define us.

9:00MIN

On storytelling

MIN 12:30

• Crash test parents

MIN 14

Exploring the difficult parts of life in memoir.

MIN 18

The healing process of writing.

MIN 19:30

Writer’s guilt

MIN 20:00

Resources and services for writers

MIN 22:00

Our lives are like stories

MIN 24:30

Documentation of your strength as a human.

MIN 25:30

Inoculating yourself against having your joy sucked away during good times.

MIN 26:00

Advice to parents from a mom of 6 boys

Parenting in an emotionally intelligent way and really knowing your child.

MIN 29

Brene Brown – whole hearted living (click to read the 10 guideposts)

Rachel’s twins that share their own language and partner in “crime”.

• Visit Rachel at racheltoalson.com


Spark My Muse is released twice-weekly. Subscribe and never miss a thing.

 

EPS 55: Living out the Resurrection – Guest Christine Sine

I have an Easter treat for you, and of course it’s a gift that will give all year long–no matter when you stumble onto this episode!

My guest is Christine Sine, M.D. an author, blogger, teacher, gardener, spiritual contemplative and the Executive Director of Mustard Seed Associates.

She has much to tell us about Christian spiritually lived in a healthy, whole, and fully-embodied way.

ChristineSine

The Show Notes are SO full of links to books and resources. Scroll down for all of those.

Please share this episode liberally. It truly is lovely to glean from Christine, especially as we begin Spring; and my wish is that as many as possible are exposed to her and her work. Thank you!

If you enjoy or benefit at all from what you hear, please remember that just a few dollars from you helps my efforts so very much so I can continue.

Leave a ONE-TIME gift HERE. Thank you.

springsacred


 SHOW NOTES

Be sure to visit the Godspace – Mustard Seed Associates website frequently, like I do, for many treasures on your journey.

MIN 1

Christine’s experience as a medical doctor and director on Mercy Ships and her development on the ideas of health and wholeness.


MIN 4:30

Wholeness and the connection she found to Celtic Christian Spirituality.

MIN 7

Celtic Christianity as a brand of faith was identified with the poor and family and not connected with wealth and power associated with the Holy Roman Empire and European monarchs.

MIN 11

Creation in translucent. God is shown through it.

MIN 14

God speaks through two books: The Bible and The Book of Creation.

MIN 17

The many expressions of faith that shaped Christine.

MIN 20

Tapping into the tools, history, and learning resources (often through technology) to enliven and enrich our faith.

MIN 21

Listening for the voice and presence of God and joining God in what is already happening. This avoids burnout. The Jewish view of the day starts with rest and sleep and God at work.

MIN 24:30

On her Godspace-msa.com website and the resource center with guest writers.

MIN 27

Easter and the Resurrection

MIN 29

Seasonal resources and family resources

MIN 30

Books recently influential to Christine:

To the Table: A Spirituality of Food, Farming and Community by Lisa Graham McMinn

A Spirituality of Listening by Keith Anderson

Barbra Brown Taylor “An Altar in the World”

“Learning to Walk in the Dark”

Henri Nouwen

Christine Valters Painter
Lectio Divina

Eyes of the Heart: Photography as a Christian Completive Practice

MIN 35

Contemplative Christian spirituality

her poem


This is a link to Christine’s other books

Find Christine on these outlets:

  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Youtube

    Thank you so much for your interest and for listening today.

    Spark My Muse has new episodes TWICE per week.

    I ask of you 3 things:
    1. Please subscribe (see below),
    2. Leave a kind review on iTunes,
    3. And come back again soon.

    I frequently host LIVE, online discussions and you are invited. You can catch many of the REPLAYS here too. Poke around and see what you find here at the website!