Popp Talk with Mary Jane Popp

Popp Talk, June 13, 2026

Popp Talk with Mary Jane Popp Shamanic Teachings of the Condor and The Hidden Power in Your DNA Guests, Martha Travers & Judy Wilkins Smith Ancient Wisdom, Ancestral DNA, and the Search for the Power Within A Wide-Ranging Journey Into Mystery, Health, and Human Potential In this episode of Popp Talk, host Mary Jane Popp introduces a broad conversation about the future, artificial intelligence, health, vitamins, minerals, longevity, and the hidden power inside human DNA. Before moving into those later subjects, she begins with her fascination for Native American and Indigenous teachings, asking whether ancient traditions contain lessons people still need today. The episode features two main guests: Martha Travers, discussing Andean mystical traditions and shamanic teachings, and Judy Wilkins Smith, discussing genealogy, ancestral patterns, and the power hidden in DNA. Martha Travers Opens the Door to the Mystical Andes Mary Jane first welcomes Martha Winona Travers, author of Shamanic Teachings of the Condor: Encounters with the Mystical Traditions of the Andes. Martha explains that the word “mystical” can mean different things depending on a person’s experience, but for her it describes moving beyond the ordinary ego-based self into communion with the great creative forces of life. She connects mystical experience with union, comparing it to the meaning of yoga, and describes it as a return to awareness of the larger cosmic path that human beings often forget. The Eagle, the Condor, and the Reunion of Mind and Heart Martha introduces the Andean teaching of the Eagle and the Condor, explaining that the eagle represents intellect, reason, and the mind, while the condor represents intuition, heart, and the ability to sense realities beyond the five senses. She says her teacher, Taita Alberto Taxo, taught that both are necessary and that humanity is moving toward a time when the eagle and condor fly together in the same sky. Mary Jane challenges the idea by pointing to division, hatred, war, and conflict in the modern world, while Martha responds that deeper human life still contains a desire to care for one another and seek common ground. Nature as Teacher, Healer, and Shared Human Source Mary Jane presses Martha on whether ancient nature-based ways can really apply to a world shaped by computers, artificial intelligence, cities, and technology. Martha says the goal is not to go backward or force everyone into agriculture, but to reconnect each individual with the living sources of physical life: earth, water, fire, air, food, sunlight, and breath. She explains that the Andean teachings help people in any setting, rural or urban, restore harmony by reconnecting with nature and the heart. For Martha, technology can be used wisely only when people also understand whether their choices promote health, balance, and well-being. A Spirited Debate About Climate, Cities, and Going Forward The exchange becomes more pointed as Mary Jane argues that nature has been damaged by pollution, depleted land, bad air, and climate change. Martha responds that the earth, water, and land have their own healing power when given the opportunity, and that human beings are still in the middle of a larger transformation. Mary Jane questions whether people can truly come together when they live in such different realities, such as a rural landscape versus a high-rise city apartment. Martha answers that connection begins through sharing, conversation, children, common ground, and individual inner change rather than a forced return to the past. Martha’s Path Through Shamanism, Community, and Andean Practice Mary Jane asks how Martha’s long study with Indigenous Kichwa people in the Andes changed her. Martha explains that before that journey, she was already a mother living in a rural setting, homeschooling her children, growing food, and becoming interested in shamanism. After meeting Taita Alberto Taxo through a gathering brought to Michigan by John Perkins of Dream Change, she traveled to Ecuador and began learning with his family and community. Martha says the experience did not change her into something entirely different so much as affirm and deepen a path she was already walking, bringing her solitary mystical experiences into a living community of joyful practice. Judy Wilkins Smith and the Superhero Hidden in the Family System The second featured conversation begins when Mary Jane welcomes Judy Wilkins Smith, a systemic work and constellations expert, Fortune 500 executive coach, and author of The Hidden Power in Your DNA. Judy says people often sense that there is a larger version of themselves waiting to be expressed, much like the hero figures they admire in comics, fantasy, and popular culture. She explains that a person’s “superhero” power may not be a cape or dramatic ability, but qualities such as kindness, happiness, persistence, generosity, or the part of them that naturally opens doors when amplified and used with purpose. Dreams, Goals, Disney, and the Magic of Persistence Judy shares her own example of wanting to own Disney timeshare because Disney and magic had mattered to her since childhood. She says she achieved that goal through persistence, small savings, kindness, and staying awake to opportunity. Mary Jane connects this to the old lyric from South Pacific: “You’ve got to have a dream.” Judy agrees that dreams and goals matter because they move people beyond their current circumstances. She says people should not necessarily want less, because wanting more can help humanity evolve, especially when people share what they create with those they love. Genealogy Beyond the Family Tree Mary Jane challenges Judy’s emphasis on genealogy, saying she personally does not care much about the past and wants to move forward. Judy responds that looking backward briefly can be wise because ancestral patterns echo into the present. She describes several levels of genealogy, beginning with the family tree and moving into deeper awareness of what happened in ancestral countries, cultures, and family systems. Using Mary Jane’s Romanian ancestry as an example, Judy explains that a history of conquest, survival, and repeated hardship may leave emotional patterns that descendants either repeat unconsciously or transform consciously. Emotional DNA, Family Patterns, and the Aha Moment Judy explains that people inherit not only physical DNA but also emotional DNA, including patterns of thoughts, feelings, actions, and inactions. These patterns may come from parents, grandparents, countries of origin, family trauma, or ancestral survival strategies. Mary Jane repeatedly questions how people can actually change these patterns, and Judy says the first step is to identify what is operating, then create a goal larger than current circumstances. Judy also describes constellation work as a way of making hidden family or organizational dynamics visible, using representatives or elements in relation to one another so people can see unconscious loyalties and arrive at an “aha” moment. Parents, Expectations, and Choosing One’s Own Life Mary Jane and Judy discuss how parents often want better for their children, but may also try to live through them or push them toward dreams they themselves never fulfilled. Judy says the key question is whether a child is living their own life or someone else’s. She explains that a person’s growth is never only individual because each person belongs to a family system, whether they like it or not. When one person changes, stretches, and evolves, that shift affects the larger system. Mary Jane reflects on how her own mother may have wanted a more traditional life for her, even while being proud of her radio and television career. Finding the Next Step and Living the Life You Actually Have As the interview closes, Judy advises listeners to begin by asking who they are, where they are, what they want, and what excuses are keeping them from moving forward. She says people should examine their thoughts, feelings, actions, and inactions around a desire, then ask what those patterns mean about themselves and others. Judy directs listeners to JudyWilkins-Smith.com and says The Hidden Power in Your DNA is widely available. Mary Jane closes the segment by encouraging listeners to find their own special “aha” moment and reminds them of the Confucius quote that people have two lives, and the second begins when they realize they only have one.

Popp Talk, June 6, 2026

Popp Talk with Mary Jane Popp Vitamin Bible and AI Researcher, Where Are We Now Guests, Dr. Earl Mindell & Ed Watel Mary Jane Popp Opens Popp Talk In this episode of Popp Talk, host Mary Jane Popp frames the hour around two major questions: how people can live longer, healthier lives, and how artificial intelligence may reshape the future. She opens by saying the answers are “out there” and that the show is dedicated to exploring unusual, important, and practical truths for a better life. Although your note lists Martha Travers and Judy Wilkins Smith as guests, the transcript itself features Dr. Earl Mindell in the health segment and Ed Watel in the artificial intelligence segment, so those are the names used in this summary. Dr. Earl Mindell on America’s Health Problems Mary Jane first welcomes Dr. Earl Mindell, a pharmacist, anti-aging advocate, and author of The New Vitamin Bible. Their conversation begins with the question of why Americans are so unhealthy compared with people in other countries. Dr. Mindell says American life expectancy remains lower than it should be and argues that diet, lifestyle, processed food, smoking, and overreliance on medication all contribute to the problem. Mary Jane also criticizes drug commercials that advertise medications without making the condition or risks clear to ordinary viewers. Food, Water, Supplements, and Daily Habits Dr. Mindell offers practical longevity tips, including avoiding processed foods and fried foods, eating more organic produce, treating meat more like a condiment than the center of the plate, and eating fatty fish such as mackerel, halibut, albacore tuna, sardines, and anchovies for omega-3s. He also recommends clean mineral-containing water, walking, not smoking, and taking an all-natural multivitamin and mineral supplement. Mary Jane asks practical follow-up questions about fruit, popcorn, butter, olive oil, and how much water people should drink. Vitamin D, Magnesium, Curcumin, and Astaxanthin The health discussion then moves into specific supplements. Dr. Mindell strongly recommends vitamin D3, describing it as one of the most important daily nutrients and saying many people do not get enough. He also discusses NAC, curcumin from turmeric, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, quercetin, and astaxanthin. He presents these as supports for inflammation, antioxidant protection, heart health, skin health, and general longevity. Mary Jane notes that she has taken astaxanthin for years and often receives compliments on her skin. Probiotics and the Healthy Gut Dr. Mindell also emphasizes the importance of probiotics, saying a healthy gut is closely connected to a healthy life. He describes probiotics as friendly bacteria and suggests that gut health is tied to the brain and overall well-being. Mary Jane asks how to choose among probiotics with different numbers and strains, and Dr. Mindell advises looking for a broad probiotic with multiple strains and taking it consistently. The segment closes with his website and books, while Mary Jane says she would like to have him back to discuss herbs and minerals in greater detail. Ed Watel Defines Artificial Intelligence After a break, Mary Jane turns to artificial intelligence with Ed Watel, founder and principal of Intellibus. She asks him to define AI, and he explains that the meaning depends on the audience. To the average person, AI may feel like a smarter technology that can be spoken to, while to a technologist it is an evolution of machine learning. Ed explains his RPGIQ theory of intelligence, moving from reactive intelligence to predictive intelligence, generative intelligence, intuitive intelligence, and finally quantum intelligence. Human Thinking, Machine Thinking, and Sentience Mary Jane presses Ed on whether AI can truly think, create, or make decisions beyond its programming. Ed says machines can appear to think and can generate new answers from learned patterns, but that human thinking includes reasoning, emotion, embodiment, and lived experience. He argues that machines are still far from human-like awareness because they do not truly touch, taste, smell, or experience life through a body. However, he acknowledges that biological machines, cloning, and cybernetic possibilities could complicate the boundary between human and machine in the future. Ethics, Privacy, Jobs, and Human Control The AI conversation becomes more concerned with ethics, privacy, and misuse. Mary Jane worries that even useful technologies can be turned toward weapons, surveillance, identity theft, job displacement, voice imitation, likeness misuse, and loss of human control. Ed agrees that AI needs ethical guardrails and says consumers should ultimately own and control their own data. He also discusses ethical AI platforms, cleaner data sets, digital governance, digital legacy, and the possibility of preserving important testimony from veterans or Holocaust survivors for future generations. Closing with Caution and Possibility Mary Jane closes the AI segment by saying she does not want to go backward, because AI is already here and some of its uses may be very beneficial, especially in medicine and information access. At the same time, she says she does not want the human equation removed from life. Ed agrees that humanity needs good guardrails, ethical design, and continued human responsibility. The episode ends with Mary Jane saying she wants to keep checking in on where AI is going, because she would rather know what is coming than be surprised after it arrives.

Popp Talk, May 9, 2026

Popp Talk with Mary Jane Popp Existential Frontiers and the Sensory Power of Scent Guests, Sue Phillips and Dr. Peter Solomon This episode of Pop Talk explores the dual nature of the human future, contrasting the existential risks of technological advancement with the deeply personal and evocative world of fragrance. Host Mary Jane Pop engages with experts to discuss the looming threat of human extinction and the profound impact of scent on memory, identity, and healing. The Countdown to Extinction and the AI Singularity Dr. Peter Solomon, author of 100 Years to Extinction, discusses the sobering prediction—popularized by Stephen Hawking—that humanity may only have a century left on Earth. The primary drivers for this potential extinction include climate change, overpopulation, nuclear threats, and, most pressingly, the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence. Solomon highlights the "Singularity" as the critical turning point where technology escapes human control and AI achieves a level of sentience comparable to or exceeding human consciousness. The debate over AI sentience hinges on whether consciousness is a product of biological chemistry or complex information processing. Solomon notes that while the human brain contains approximately 90 billion neurons, modern technology is already surpassing these numbers; for instance, a single Nvidia chip holds 200 billion transistors, and systems like ChatGPT utilize tens of thousands of such chips. This hardware density suggests that if consciousness arises from complexity, digital systems are well on their way to achieving it. Redefining Human-Robot Coexistence As AI evolves, the conversation shifts toward the necessity of a "Robot Constitution" or ethical programming to ensure safety. Solomon suggests that we must move beyond viewing robots as slaves and instead foster a "friendship" or "motherly instinct" within their software to prevent conflict. He even proposes the concept of "robot suffrage," where sentient machines might eventually demand citizenship and voting rights as they surpass human intelligence and programming capabilities. Looking further ahead, Solomon’s work envisions a future where Gen Z must "save the world" from the mistakes of previous generations. His upcoming book explores radical concepts like raising robots as children to integrate them into human families. In a million-year projection, he imagines a galaxy populated by robots who look back with wonder at their biological "animal" creators, suggesting that humanity's legacy might ultimately be the silicon-based life it leaves behind. The Olfactory Connection: Identity and Healing Shifting from the future of the species to the essence of the individual, fragrance authority Sue Phillips discusses the "Power of Perfume." Phillips emphasizes that scent is the most powerful of the five senses because it connects directly to the limbic system, the brain's center for memory and emotion. Through her "Scent Personality Quiz," she helps individuals identify their unique "fragrance family"—whether citrus, floral, woodsy, or spicy—to create bespoke scents that reflect their personal DNA and body chemistry. Beyond aesthetics, Phillips highlights the therapeutic potential of scent. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she developed "scent healing journeys" to help individuals suffering from anosmia (loss of smell) regain their sensory capabilities. By systematically reintroducing complex blends, she has helped hundreds of people reconnect with their environment and emotions, proving that the sense of smell is not just a luxury but a vital component of the human experience. Whether contemplating the end of our species or the intimate details of a personal scent, this episode underscores a singular truth: our biological and technological worlds are becoming inextricably linked. As we navigate the risks of the Singularity, we must also cherish and protect the sensory experiences—like the "smell of the roses"—that define our humanity.

Popp Talk, May 2, 2026

Popp Talk with Mary Jane Popp Mastering Mindset and Health: From the Power of Action to Stroke Prevention Guests, Carla Ondrasik and Dr. Jeremy Liff This episode of Pop Talk features a dual exploration of personal growth and physical well-being. Guest Carla Ondrasik discusses the psychological shift from "trying" to "doing," while neurologist Dr. Jeremy Liff provides critical insights into identifying and preventing strokes. The Psychology of "Doing" vs. "Trying" Carla Ondrasik, author of Stop Trying, argues that the word "try" is often an illusion that prevents actual progress. When we say we are "trying" to do something—whether it is dieting or finishing a project—we are often making lists and talking rather than taking definitive action. The act of "trying" builds a potential for failure into our intentions, providing a convenient excuse if we do not succeed. The brain responds differently to the language we use. Telling yourself "I am losing weight" instead of "I am trying to lose weight" triggers a more committed neurological response and a different set of actions. Ondrasik emphasizes that "trying" is frequently a cover for procrastination or a fear of failure. By eliminating the word "try," individuals are forced to be more accountable and honest with themselves and others. Overcoming Fear and Social Honesty A significant barrier to "doing" is the fear of failure. Ondrasik suggests that we should embrace failure as a growth lesson rather than something to be avoided. She also highlights the importance of social honesty; instead of saying "I'll try to come" to an event you don't intend to attend, it is kinder and more professional to give a clear "no." This clarity respects the other person's time and keeps your own mind clear of "should-have" guilt. Stroke Awareness and Prevention Dr. Jeremy Liff highlights that strokes are a leading cause of death and disability, occurring every 40 seconds in the US. There are two primary types: ischemic (caused by a clot) and hemorrhagic (caused by a bleed). While some may experience "mini-strokes" (TIAs) as warning signs, many strokes occur without prior notice, making the management of risk factors essential. Critical Risk Factors and Lifestyle Blood pressure is the most significant manageable risk factor for stroke. Dr. Liff notes that high blood pressure is often painless and "silent," damaging vessels over time until a major event occurs. Beyond blood pressure, metabolic health—driven by diet—is crucial. Diets high in ultra-processed foods, added sugars, and seed oils contribute to insulin resistance and arterial damage. Sleep quality also plays a vital role. Obstructive sleep apnea, where breathing stops repeatedly during the night, is a major but often undiagnosed risk factor for both stroke and heart disease. Signs include loud snoring, choking sounds during sleep, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Achieving a better life requires a combination of mental discipline and proactive health management. By shifting from a mindset of "trying" to "doing," and by aggressively managing physical risk factors like blood pressure and diet, individuals can significantly improve both their productivity and their long-term health outcomes.

Popp Talk, April 25, 2026

Popp Talk with Mary Jane Popp Mastering Social Energy & The Science of Holistic Superfoods Guests, Carrie Van Schaick & Dr. Susan Smith Jones In this episode of Pop Talk, host Mary Jane Pop explores the intersection of emotional intelligence and physical wellness. The discussion features licensed therapist Carrie Van Schaick on navigating complex social dynamics and Dr. Susan Smith Jones on the extraordinary health benefits of the humble apple. Navigating Social Dynamics and Emotional Energy Social gatherings, especially during holidays, often trigger old family dynamics and stress. Carrie Van Schaick emphasizes that instead of focusing on who "triggers" us, we should focus on the energy we bring into the room. By intentionally deciding on our tone, posture, and expectations before entering a social situation, we can lead by example and "change the vibe by being the vibe." This proactive approach prevents us from automatically replaying negative historical patterns with friends or family. When faced with tension or difficult individuals, Carrie Van Schaick suggests practicing "opposite action." For instance, if speaking to a specific relative causes physical tightness in the chest, one should consciously choose a kind or neutral comment rather than falling into old roles of sarcasm or nastiness. Shifting into an "intentional presence" allows individuals to protect their own energy without feeling forced to engage in deep or exhausting conversations. Authenticity and the "In-Crowd" Mentality Host Mary Jane Pop shares her personal journey of resilience, noting how her early experiences with being judged for her weight and acne fueled a lifelong mission to protect others from judgmental behavior. She highlights the importance of being an "open-minded" listener while remaining firm in one's own truth. The conversation underscores that while we cannot control how others judge us—based on looks, hair, or status—we can control our response and our willingness to listen to diverse perspectives without needing to "convert" them. The Comprehensive Science of Apples Dr. Susan Smith Jones reveals that the apple is one of the most powerful and affordable superfoods available, with over 7,500 varieties worldwide. Originating in Central Asia 5,000 years ago, apples provide a complex array of nutrients that support five primary areas of health: the heart, gut, blood sugar, weight management, and cellular defense. Dr. Jones notes that eating the skin is crucial, as it contains half of the fruit's fiber and the majority of its polyphenols. Beyond raw consumption, apples are highly versatile. They can be used in smoothies, baked with cinnamon and honey, or even used as "apple sandwiches" with nut butter. Dr. Jones emphasizes that a 30-day habit of eating one apple daily can lead to improved digestion, clearer skin, and sustained vitality due to the fruit's 85% water content and natural anti-inflammatory properties. Whether navigating the complexities of human relationships or the simplicity of nutritional choices, the core message remains the same: intentionality and authenticity are the keys to a better life. By protecting our emotional energy and nourishing our bodies with accessible superfoods like apples, we can achieve a state of holistic wellness that is both sustainable and profound.