Dream Chasers and Eccentrics

Epizode

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  Maya Rupert, Politics, Race, Diversity, and Authenticity 20.08.2026 1h

  Maya Rupert is a political strategist, social-justice leader, writer, and podcast host. In 2020, she was the campaign manager for Julián Castro's presidential campaign. She is currently the Executive Vice President of Blue State. Her latest book is "The Real Ones: How to Disrupt the Hidden Ways Racism Makes Us Less Authentic." We talk about what a campaign manager does, January 6th and why Trump was not held accountable, how Trump has brought shame on the Republican party, sane-washing the absurd things Trump says, the rise of the modern right-wing movement, identity politics, what Democrats need to do, whether or not Trump is racist, the benefit of Tump's exposure of existing racism in America, using public education to defeat racism, the need for strong independent news media, the value of diversity, why learning about slavery and the civil rights movement is important, critical race theory, defining propaganda, her book and authenticity, and more. Links are on the podcast website Support the show through Patreon 
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  Alexa, a Short Story 13.08.2026 24min

  Alexa is a sci-fi / thriller short story by Paul Trammell, narrated by the author. The idea was inspired by a comment made by Tina Erwin in an earlier episode. I was asking her why spirits frequented Ouija boards and tarot cards. The short answer was "tradition," but she went on to say that it's entirely possible that technology could offer them a new and more effective portal. Why not an Alexa, I thought, and the story was born.
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  Pete Goss, the Rescue of Raphael Dinelli 06.08.2026 1h 8min

  Pete Goss is an explorer, adventurer, and sailor best known for his rescue of Raphael Dinelli in the 1996-1997 Vendee Globe race, for which he was awarded medals of honor from both the UK and France. He has also sailed across the Atlantic multiple times, led expeditions to the North Pole, kayaked around Tasmania, sailed the biggest catamaran ever built, and completed many other adventures. He wrote the book "Close to the Wind," and was written about in the book "Goodforsaken Sea." I interviewed Pete in 2019, and this was one of the first podcast interviews I ever did.  We talk about is yacht - A Garcia Exploration 45 - and decision to sail casually with his wife Tracy instead of going on another grand adventure, planing only 3 days in advance, what sparked his spirit of adventure as a child, the Vendee Globe, being in the Royal Marines, his first ocean race (2-handed transatlantic), why he wanted to race alone around the wolrd, racing a small catamaran across the Atlantic, the British Steel Challenge, designing a boat for the Vendee Globe, addressing risk, sailing down 40' waves in the Southern Ocean, the moon refleciting off the backs of dolphins, rescuing Raphael Dinelli, maydays, trying to find a liferaft in giant waves with minimal loacation information, nursing Raphael in the ten days it took to get him to shore, polyphasic sleep, dealing with the cold, sleeping in a storm, the danger just after a storm, foulweather gear, racing around Britian and Ireland, writing, advice for parents, and more.
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  Trailer 03.08.2026 1min
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  Mark Astor, Navigating Mental Health and Addiction Crises in the Legal System 30.07.2026 1h 5min

  Mark Astor is a lawyer who leads a legal team dedicated to helping families in crisis due to mental health disorders, substance use, and failed recovery efforts. They deal with navigating involuntary treatment laws like Florida's Baker Act and the Marchman Act, working closely with clinical teams and family systems, and helping families regain control when a loved one's condition threatens their safety, autonomy, or future. We talk about the criminal justice system and how they deal with mental health and addiction cases, Mark's career and how it evolved, learning the entrepreneur side of law, starting a law firm, the Baker Act and the Marchman Act, guardianship cases, getting married and building a business with his wife, hiring a team, mental health and addiction, Florida's draconian mental health system and how he helps families navigate it, treatment, recovery residences, marijuana and how it stands out as the most problematic drug among his clients, schizoaffective disorders triggered by marijuana, tha addictive nature of marijuana, the dangers of kratom, schizophrenia and other paranoid disorders, mistakes families make when a family memeber has an addiction problem, addiction issues in the legal system and what it does wrong, unintentionally terminating your rights in the Baker Act, interventions, how covid increased 911 calls for mental health issues, the lack of oversight and due process in Florida's mental health system, what parents should do when they first realize their child is using an addictive substance, alcohol, the Charlie Kirk case, and more.
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  Robert Mitchell, Vietnam, a Spiritual Transformation, and Education Reform 23.07.2026 1h 17min

  In 1966, Robert Mitchell was drafted into the Vietnam War. He became a helicopter pilot and served until a crash sent him back to the USA, where he continued to serve as a flight instructor. After the war, he went to Europe and spent 12 years seeking spiritual knowledge in Germany and Crete. He finally returned to the USA free from the burdens of a wounded soul. He then became a teacher and taught mathematics, English, and history. He earned a PhD in The History of Consciousness. He has spent the last 35 years teaching, lecturing, and writing about education in America and is the author of five books:  Education and the Culture of Democracy, Journey to Crete, The Trials of the Initiate, Teacher – Seeking the Vocational Archetype, and Nurturing the Souls of our Children. We talk about getting drafted into Vietnam, training to be a helicopter pilot, the warrior spirit, search and destroy missions, free-fire zones, the betrayal of the warrior spirit, suicide among veterans, a helicopter accident, entering the mystical realm, Germany, the island of Crete, Mexico, taking peyote, joining the Cult of the Christ Family, getting over PTSD, Christian Nationalism, ICE, Jimmy Carter, archetypal virtues and teaching them in school, seeking the sanctity of the individual, the war in Iran, the Department of Education, homeschooling, and more. Links are on the podcast website Support the show through Patreon
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  Author John Bond, To the End of Reckoning 16.07.2026 1h 5min

  John Bond is an author, publishing consultant, former editor, former librarian, and lover of books who has been immersed in books and the expression of ideas for over 35 years. His new novel is "To the End of Reckoning," high-concept speculative thriller that asks what happens when history stops being debatable. As a Publishing Consultant, John brings a deep understanding of getting started on writing and then publishing a book. He is also the author of a three book series, The Little Guides, which cover writing a book, but also authoring journal articles and giving poster presentations (by Bloomsbury Publishing). We talk about books, Stephen King, nightmares, Isaac Asimov, his book "To the End of Reckoning," the craft of writing, plotting, where ideas come from, taking inspiration everywhere we find it, screenplays, recording audiobooks, how the industries of writing and publishing are changing, libraries, poetry, Riverwinds Consulting, self-publishing, querying agents, differnt types of editors, what makes a book great, creating realities in books, speculative fiction, literary fiction, sleep, goodreads, and more.
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  Rand Timmerman, A Spiritual Passage, Vietnam, Sobriety, and the Appalachian Trail 09.07.2026 1h 6min

  Rand Timmerman is the author of "A Spiritual Passage," a book about hiking the Appalachian Trail with his brother, both in their seventies. He also a Vietnam Veteran with the Marines, a lawyer, and a recovering alcoholic. Through his work, he hopes to inspire people with physical, mental, and spiritual difficulties to achieve their dreams and goals and live a happy and fulfilled life.  We talk about Vietnam, Mormons, losing faith in God during the war, polio, why he signed up for Vietnam, becoming a JAG officer and developing a leagal career, how Vietnam changed his view of life and death, losing his wife to alcoholism, preparing for the Appalachian Trail, the Smokey Mountains, bear encounters, hiking the trail, leapfrogging with two cars, maps or no maps, grief, alcoholism and being on suicide watch, PTSD, falling out of a helicopter,  dealing with the PTSD, getting sober and AA, surviving a severe storm on a ridge in a tent, meeting a Samurai on the trail, naked people on the trail, helping others get sober, and more.
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  Sam Trammell, Making it as an Actor, remastered 02.07.2026 1h 12min

  This is a remastered version of episode 4, from 2023, when the podcast was new. It's such a great interview that I remastered it and republished it. Sam Trammell is not only a great actor, but a fascinating person who had a dream, chased it to fruition, and made it happen. He is probably best known for his role as the shapeshifter Sam Merlotte in HBO's "True Blood," and has also been in "The Fault in our Stars," "Homeland," "The Gray House," "Big George Foreman," and many other movies, TV shows, and plays. He is currently in "Euphoria" as the character Ellis. We talk about childhood visions of being a physicist, getting into acting, Brown Summer Theater, Broadway and Off-Broadway jobs, acting classes, working hard, staying focused, luck, persistance, rejection, staying in and getting out of character, doing accents, moving to Los Angeles, avoiding temptations, drugs, food, professional decisions, job choices, auditions, offers, a typical day on a set, dangers, calling up emotions, alligators, advice for young aspiring actors, and more. Links are on the podcast website Support the show theough Patreon
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  Margaret Bryden, Poetry in Therapy 25.06.2026 1h 8min

  Margaret Bryden is a licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, author, and founder of Sage Insight Therapy. She works with individuals and couples navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction and life transitions. Margaret is the author of "How I Understand It: A Bad Poet's Guide to Mental Health & Resilience," where she introduces "bad poetry" as a powerful, accessible tool for emotional processing and insight. Through her work, she helps people start understanding themselves in a way that leads to real connection, clarity and resilience. We talk about using poetry in therapy, getting patients and clients to write poetry, writing bad poetry, how therapy and poetry help clients discover things about themselves, hope, boundaries and how this is defined, consequences, her book, what poetry is, she reads two of her poems from the book, birds, codependency, marriage, resiliance, self-awareness, communication, publishing, artificial intelligence and the value of writing poetry without it, mind hacks to increase productivity, television, nature, art, and more. links are on the podcast website support the show through Patreon
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  Native American Author David Heska Wanbli Weiden, Wisdom Corner 18.06.2026 1h 7min

  David Heska Wanbli Weiden is an award winning author, professor, and an enrolled citizen of the Sicangu Lakota nation. He received his MFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts, his law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, and his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. He's professor of English and Native American and Indigenous Studies at Stony Brook University and also serves on the faculty of the Cedar Crest Pan-European MFA Program. He lives in New York and Colorado with his family. Hw is the author of Wisdom Corner, forthcoming in July, 2026 from Ecco/HarperCollins. He's also the author of the national bestseller Winter Counts (Ecco, 2020), which was the winner of many awards, and was a New York Times Editors' Choice, an Indie Next pick, main selection of the Book of the Month Club, and named a Best Book of the year by NPR, Amazon, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, The Guardian, and other magazines. The novel is included in Time magazine's list of the 100 best mystery and thriller novels of all time. We talk about his book Wisdom Corner, Native Americans, his book Winter Counts, the broken criminal justice system on Indian Reservations, Native American boarding schools, the word "Indian" and whether or not it is offensive, the Sicangu Lakota Nation, Native American history, bison, life of the Indians before Europeans came, the slaughter of the bison, passages from the book, religion, Buddhism, Lakota spirituality, treaties made and broken, the future of Native Americans, football, writing a best seller as a first novel, the role of fiction in bringing about social change, teaching creative writing, writing dialogue, books, short stories, favorite authors, movies, the Native American Literary renaisance, and more.
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  Antiauthoritarian Psychotherapy, Lincoln Stoller 11.06.2026 1h 17min

  Lincoln Stoller is a quantum physicist, neuropsychologist, hypnotherapist, clinical counselor, psychonaut, mountaineer, author, and educator. His approach to psychotherapy is unique and antiauthoritarian, combining science, spirit, economics, and mental health through an understanding of the hard sciences, the psyche, and the behavior of groups. We talk about quantum physics, psychotherapy, moutaineering, traveling and visiting other cultures, education, hypnotherapy, length of life, racism, ADD/ADHD and how it's diagnosis is abused, the problems with modern education, how psychotherapy started as a political tool, modern quasi-slavery, alternative schools, ecology, indigenous Panamanians, hope for the future, depression, Caribbean society, unemployment, schizophrenia, family structures, Spanish and English languages, dreams, past lives, inherited personalities, empathy, war, and more. Links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon
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  Past Lives and Forgiveness, Dr. Anthony Emmett, remastered 04.06.2026 1h 11min

  This is an episode I published in February of 2024, and it is so good that I remastered it to remove background noise and improve sound quality. Even if you listened to it two years ago, it is well worth a second listen.  Dr. Emmett is a retired surgeon, sculptor, and author. He has a vast and unique knowledge of a level of consciousness that most of us don't perceive. We talk about self-image, the subconscious, intuitive knowledge, immortality, consciousness, meditation, telepathy, past lives, working with clairvoyants, the source of knowledge, the creator, history of religion, karma, the purpose of life, UFO's, near-death experiences, other dimensions, the power and importance of forgiveness, the energy field of creation and love (God), why we should be planting more forests, why we shouldn't get angry, how to be more forgiving, hypnosis and autohypnosis, Buddhism, and much more. Links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon
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  Anthony Horowitz, Author of A Deadly Episode 28.05.2026 53min

  Anthony Horowitz is a British novelist and screenwriter who has written over fifty books. He started with children's books and first found success with the Alex Rider seires, which has sold over 21 million copies and was made in to a TV series on Amazon. As his readers grew up, he began writing mysteries, including Magpie Murders, which initiated a series on BBC Television. He has also written for the Sherlock Holmes and 007 estates. He has written several television series including Foyle's War and Midsomer Murders. He was on this podcast in 2025 talking about his book "Marble Hall Murders." His latest book is "A Deadly Episode." We talk about reader feedback, reviews, work and time spent working, swimming in the river Thames, blending fiction and reality, solving the crime in the book and how difficult the author wants this to be, scripts and adaptations, other books and authors, elaborate setting descriptions, settings and characters, immersion in the book and characters, writing with a pen vs a computer, fountain pens, writing a mystery within a mystery,  word puzzles, keeping the mind active, poetry, social media and phones, keeping up the motivation to write before breaking out, self-publishing vs traditional publishing, mediocre writers and great writers and what separates them, a connection to something greater than us and cultivating it, his favorite of his own books, advice for writers, and more. Links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon
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  Cornucopia, a Sci-Fi Short Story by Paul Trammell 14.05.2026 38min

  Cornucopia is a short story about a mission to colonize another planet, written and narrated by Paul Trammell. Subscribe to paultrammell.substack.com to get a freee short story in your mailbox on the first of each month. Support the show through Patreon.  
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  Phyllis E Leavitt, a Spiritual Journey and America in Therapy 07.05.2026 1h 8min

  Phyllis E Leavitt graduated from Antioch University with a Masters' Degree in Psychology and Counseling in 1989. She co-directed a sexual abuse treatment program called Parents United in Santa Fe, New Mexico until 1991 and then went into private practice full time. As a psychotherapist, she treated children, families, couples, and individual adults for 34 years, and has worked extensively with abuse and dysfunctional family dynamics, their aftermath, and some of the most important elements for healing, including the intersection of emotional wellbeing and spiritual healing and connection. She has written three books, "A Light in the Darkness," "Into the Fire," and her latest book,  "America in Therapy: A New Approach to Hope and Healing for a Nation in Crisis."  In this interview, we talk about visions of a divine love consciousness, finding a path to divine guidance, poetry, our souls and what they are doing here, operating as a soul-consciousness in our human bodies, receiving messages, moving away from an ego-consciousness, past lives and reincarnation, tuning in to our highest source, her books, injury to love and safe belonging, healing and shedding negative beliefs and coping mechanisms, family dynamics, the family of America and how it resmbles an abusive family, her book "America in Therapy," division in America, sobriety, and more. Links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon
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  Phil Borges, Shamans, Schizophrenia, and CRAZYWISE 30.04.2026 1h 4min

  Phil Borges is a photographer and flimmaker dedicated to documenting the lives of indigenous cultures, and their shamans in particular.  His work is exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide and his award winning books, which have been published in four languages, include Tibetan Portrait, Enduring Spirit, Women Empowered and Tibet: Culture on the Edge. He has hosted television documentaries on indigenous cultures for Discovery and National Geographic channels. Phil also lectures and teaches internationally. During his work, he noticed similarities between shamans and the people we label as mentally ill - specifically schizophrenic or bipolar. His documentary Crazywise dives into this subject and focuses on two individuals in America who suffer from psychotic episodes and how they tried to deal with their mental difficulties.  CRAZYWISE explores the relevance of Shamanic traditional practices and beliefs to those of us living in the modern world. CRAZYWISE centers around a young man struggling with his sanity, world renowned mental health professionals, and a gutsy survivor-led movement...all challenging a mental health system in crisis. In this interview, we talk about growing up in the Haight-Ashbury, becoming an orthodontist, interviewing hippies on the street, becoming a photographer/interviewer, becoming a professional photographer, documenting tribal cultures, Tibet, watching the Dahlai Lama's kuten go into trance and channel an oracle, an interview with the kuten discussing how he got the job, things shamans have in common, schizophrenia, ego disolution, psychadelic experiences and the neuroscience behind them, what happens when our identity anchors are taken away, near-death experiences, our view of reality, making the film CRAZYWISE, Vipassana, pharmaceuticals, trauma, ayahuasca, psilocybin, how to talk to people having a psychotic episode or paranoid hallucinations, the stigma associated with psychotic diagnoses, advice for people with schizophrenic freinds, the importance of maintaining the relationship, and more. links are on the podcast shownotes page support the show through patreon
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  Race Relations in the South and How they have Changed, Melvin Edwards 21.04.2026 1h 5min

  Melvin Edwards is an author, journalist, and podcaster. His latest book is "Nuremberg Mississippi." We talk about how laws affected blacks differently from whites and were used as tools of opression, such as not being able to use the front door of stores or to eat inside restaurants or for a black man to be driving with a white woman or to be black and in town after sunset in "sundown towns," segregation, the "Negro Motorist's Green Book," where racism comes from and how slavery started it and perpetuated it, why it's nearly impossible for Blacks to trace their ancenstors in the USA prior to emancipation, his book "Nuremberg Mississippi," how the current administration emboldened racism in America, racist organizations in America, why people join racist organizations, PTSD, what we can do to promote friendliness between races, Jim Crow - where the name came from and what it means, his podcast "Stories from Real Life," and more. Links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon  
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  Space Man, a Short Story 16.04.2026 29min

  Space Man is a short story by Paul Trammell, published April 1 on paultrammell.substack.com The story is narrated by the author.  Links are on the podcast shownotes page support the show through either substack, if you want more short stories, or Patreon
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  Amjad Tadros, The Fixer, War Journalism in the Middle East 07.04.2026 1h 10min

  Amjad Tadros was CBS News' Middle East producer from 1990 to 2023, during which he managed regional coverage of transformative events, including Iraq's wars, the September 11 hijackers' backstories, the Arab Spring, and Syria's chemical attacks on civilians. His commitment to truth earned him four Emmy Awards, including for stories about Syria's chemical gas attacks (2016) and White Helmets (2017), a 2008 Peabody Award, and two Alfred I duPont Awards from Columbia Journalism School. He is also the author of the recently published book The Fixer: A Journalist's Accidental Journey Through the Middle East. We talk about current events in the Middle East - including the war in Iran, the people and various cultures of the Middles East, how war can be prevented, Yemen, how the lies a spy told helped instigate the Iraq War, Islam, the actual meaning of "Jihad," why wars start, nuclear weapons, Qatar, the possibility of the war in Iran spreading, why war does not solve anything, the Epstein files, war journalism and what goes on behind the scenes, fake-news accusations and why they break his heart, meeting Osama Bin Laden's bodyguard, Bin Laden's objective, 9-11, what a "fixer" is in journalism, trustworthy news outlets, and more.