Existential Tetherball

Welcome to Existential Tetherball!

Hello there! Welcome to Existential Tetherball – a podcast designed to explore depth meaning in the service of stronger connections. In this intro, your hosts, Rachel Fell and Gordon Smith, share a bit about the what and the why behind this new series, touching on themes of curiosity, untapped relationship with meaning, co-creativity, openness, the pragmatism of shared exploration, and the possibilities generated through existential exploration. Both Rachel and Gordon are professional neurodivergent coaches/guides committed to creating a refuge and playspace for neurodivergent, existentially-minded people seeking resonance, inspiration, and community. Existential Tetherball guests and listeners are intense, complex, and sensitive people who prefer curiosity to conclusions and the well-worn of convention.

Ep. 6 - Synchronicity (Karin Eglinton)

We're elated to have Karin Eglinton (karineglinton.com [http://karineglinton.com]) join us for this episode (six!) of Existential Tetherball. Our tether this go around: SYNCHRONICITY // Karin Eglinton – a psychic reader, energy healer, astrologer, spirit worker, and psycho-spiritual coach and mentor – joins Gordon Smith and Rachel Fell to explore synchronicity and meaning. Karin begins by sharing a definition from Jeffrey Kripal, in Authors of the Impossible: "Jung’s category of synchronicity, for example, is all about what we could easily and accurately call meaning events, that is, a moment in space and time where and when the physical world becomes a text to be read out and interpreted, where and when the event is structured not by causal networks of matter but by symbolic references producing meaning."    Karen sees synchronicity/meaningful coincidence as a collection of phenomena that connect the inner and the outer world in the sense of "meaning events" above. Some are "signs from the Universe", messages from deceased loved ones, from Spirit Guides, or moments of increased coherence with Self and Life. Other times they're flashes of precognition or spontaneous psychic perception. Together in Episode 6, Rachel, Gordon, and Karin co-explore: -Definition/s of synchronicity -Making meaning of meaningful events; inner proessing, translation, art of noticing/listening, somatic awareness, etc. -Reciprocity and interplay of inner/outer worlds, influenced and influencing, participatory nature of being -The intention and art/practice of living a synchronisitic life (personal stories of synchronicities shared as well!) -Trauma, ownership/attribution, nervous system, maps of meaning and psychic signals -The science behind psychic phenomeonon -Yes, more! (Rachel tries to ask Karin a question that comes out like a charctuterie board at once point) This episode will resonate with those who've experienced/are interested in "the little hop," deja vu, somatic resonance, symbology, communication, human intelligence and communication with a living universe. Thanks so much again for joining us, Karin!

Ep. 5 - Pilgrimage (BK)

Hi friends! In episode five, Gordon & Rachel welcome their friend BK. The conversation explores the concept of pilgrimage as a transformative journey. Together, the group dives into the meaning of pilgrimage by exploring and sharing experiences, learnings, and the archetypes associated with pilgrimage. Also discussed: the distinction between structured/un and intentional/un pilgrimages, the sacredness of pilgrimage and the meaning of sacred. Through storytelling, BK, Gordon, and Rachel also touch on the call and magnestism of pilgrimage as well as pilgrimage as a form of ritual, containment, and integration. In short, you can expect delightful stories, curiosity, and a wonderful group jam sesh highlighting the profound impact of pilgrimage on personal growth and transformation. Chapters * 00:00 Introduction to Pilgrimage * 12:06 Archetypes of Pilgrimage * 18:01 Structured, Unstructured, Intentional, Unintentional Pilgrimages * 26:02 Personal Pilgrimage Experiences * 35:04 Pilgrimage as Rituation and Containment * 42:09 Growth and New Abilities * 52:07 The Pilgrim's Journey

Ep. 4 - Story (Laura Hope-Gill)

Episode FOUR - can you believe it? (We can't.) This episode focuses on story, narrative, and "awen" (the flow of creative inspiration), featuring Laura Hope-Gill (https://laurahopegill.com/ [https://laurahopegill.com/]). (FYI: Laura and Gordon both live in Asheville and have collaborated on a number of interesting creative projects.) Together, Laura, Gordon, and Rachel jump into the wilderness of meaning related to story: living reality as a living story, and the transformative power of narrative and storytelling. As they journey together, they touch on "awen" (defined as creative flow, of Gaelic/Celtic orgins) and its significance in shaping our experiences of the inner world and of story. As they continue, the conversation explores sovereignty in one's relationship with story and the internalized narrator's identity and role in storytelling. Little hops abound as we explore the dynamics and complexities of self and narrative/narration and "the inner narrator/s," (as well as TBI experiences, and the mysteries of 'The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald'). Laura shares pandemic project related to enlightment and notes that "achieving enlightment" as patriarchal and Rachel goes on to get ealthy individuation and the inner wilds, and the little hop and narrative medicine. Themes of narrative medicine, creative-imaginational intelligence, information and "exformation," as well as the inner wilds and the existential vagus nerve round out their collaborative jam. Takeaways * Stories as indicative of our relationship with our inner worlds, inner wilds * Living reality as story, story as living reality * Who's narrating? (Control, meta-identity, inclusion, and flow) * The transformative power of storytelling * Narrative Medicine and creative intelligence * The "Little Hop" Chapters * 00:00 Story: Wavelengths & Channels * 19:07 Awen: The Creative Flow * 30:03 Sovereignty in Relationship with Story * 36:19 Encountering the Inner Narrator * 46:25 The Little Hop and Narrative Medicine

Ep. 3 - Humanity (Bee Mayhew)

Our THIRD episode of Existential Tetherball is our FIRST episode with a guest! We're so stoked to have Bee Mayhew (https://missnomer.substack.com/ [https://missnomer.substack.com/]) join us on an expansive co-exploration of "humanity." To start, we dive into foundational definitions of humanity, taking the time to parse subject from judgment/imbued definitions of value. Bee also tells us a really funny story about getting hit in the face with a tetherball when she was a kid. Rachel, Bee, and Gordon go on to discuss: sense of self, meta-identity of self and self as interrelatedness, as well as interrelateness beyond the "individual" – humanity as a collective of humans, humaning (in what context/s)? From there, Bee introduces concepts of ecology and stigmergy, nodding to bees and ants and their intelligent collective coordination. The triad riffs. From there, it gets weirder (and more awesome?) as Rachel applies the idea of stigmergy to the ecosystemic self (and through time). Gordon then goes on to connect this idea to the internalized collective unconscious. We all take a breath and laugh about how to spell "metric shitton." (Shitonne?) And there's more: dynamic living systems, stewardship of aliveness, and core values as human yet unique in their meaning and context – pragmatic to explore together, no? ::winkyfaceemoji:: Allegiance to aliveness, stigmergy (collective coordination), and community emerge as key takeaways. The conversation delves into the concept of ethical social intelligence and its impact on humanity, exploring healthy individuation and the reimagining of societal systems through a paradigm that honors the influenced-influencing process. The conversation concludes with a focus on giving a shit, self-attunement, reciprocity, and connections as essential elements of a thriving society. Takeaways * Fundamental Question: Who are We? * Morality and Collective Self Concept * Allegiance to Aliveness * Stigmergy and Collective Coordination * Ethical Social Intelligence * Healthy Individuation for Healthy Collective (nod to Neurodiversity) Chapters * 00:00 Interrelatedness and Self-Understanding * 19:03 The Internal Collective Unconscious and Dynamic Systems * 24:16 Stewardship of Aliveness and Core Values * 29:25 Ethical Social Intelligence * 40:08 Reimagining Societal Systems * 51:45 Community Resilience and Reciprocity The video Bee mentions in this episode: https://substack.com/@sequencebycosmos/note/c-197456719?r=4n4qq [https://substack.com/@sequencebycosmos/note/c-197456719?r=4n4qq]