Metamodern Spirituality | The Animate Everything (w/ Sophie Strand)

Writer Sophie Strand talks to Brendan about re-enchantment, humans in more-than-human stories, the animist revival, ecological storytelling, and the meaning of death and change.

0:00 Introduction
1:55 A Messy Re-Enchantment
7:11 No Purity: Towards a Compost Gospel
16:52 Ecological Storytelling: Our Role in a More-Than-Human Story
25:23 The Sacred Local in a Digital Diaspora
31:31 Transcendence as the Cycle of Descending and Ascending
36:07 Not Your (Great-Great-Great...) Grandfather's Animism
44:39 Reading: "The Animate Everything"
52:03 "God" Won't Do: Holism and Generative Breakdown
56:09 Adaptive Storytelling
1:03:28 Death and Ferment: Becoming Good Soil
1:11:11 Reading: "Confessions of a Compost Heap"

"The smallest sprout shows there is really no death;
And if ever there was, it led forward life, and does not wait at the end to arrest it,
And ceas'd the moment life appear'd." ---Walt Whitman

[blackthornsloe]

Sophie is such a thinker !
At age 53 she gives me such hope and insight and delight . The ideas really hit the spot for me . She's a priestess of a faith that I want to practice .🌱

[BarbaraGail_drum_song_dance]

I just recently stumbled onto Sophie Strand’s brilliance and have been binge reading, binge listening, binge watching, and cannot get enough! Thank you for this! 😊🙏🏽✨💖

[JaredMorningstar]

Sophie is bringing so many rich insights and exciting ideas, but with a very refreshing humility. And Brendan—you’re really doing some of the best interviewing I’ve seen among people trying to bring philosophical conversation to people in the form of YouTube/podcasts. You do a great job of following the excitement and deeply listening to the guests contributions to craft genuinely interesting questions which fit nicely in the flow of ideas. I appreciate that you are obviously conscious that your main goal is to bring the ideas of interesting guests to your audience, so your style revolves mostly around asking detailed questions, yet you also know when it would be beneficial to allow your own voice and values to percolate up a bit more, leading to more vibrant and human-centered interaction between persons. Striking that balance as well as you do is quite the rare talent—easy to fall into either grandstanding one’s own perspectives too much or acting as a purely rote interviewer who merely asks questions off a script. Bravo to you and all your excellent guests!

[bie]

Thank you for that conversation and introducing me to yet another voice I didn't know existed but felt instant recognition for.

[ferguspitcher]

Her way of bringing fungal vocabulary to convey her points is really cool

[uprightmovement]

The concept of "critical mass" can vary depending on the context in which it's applied. In physics, it refers to the smallest amount of fissile material needed to maintain a nuclear chain reaction. In sociology and network theory, it might refer to the tipping point when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold and spreads like wildfire.

There's no universal percentage of humanity needed to reach critical mass in social or cultural contexts. Factors like the communication channels available, the urgency of the issue, and the receptivity of the community all play a role. In some cases, even a small, dedicated group of people could exert enough influence to create a tipping point.

From a more holistic view considering psychological, sociological, and evolutionary aspects, reaching a critical mass may also require alignment between belief systems, values, and both individual and collective needs.

[jimmybolton-igzs]

You don't know that bees pollinate incidentally that's an assumption and a strong one but you can't know that appetite alone is the cause.

[TheDionysianFields]

Consider the odds of me, a staunch individualist (The Fountainhead is one of my favorite stories ever) landing here. Then consider the odds of me finding this to be one of the greatest talks to ever grace the internet.

Sophie is a marvel, with an unparalleled capacity for nuance. Her ideas send my mind into overdrive. It's almost like sex just listening to her speak. I better stop there, but know that there's no irony in my words. They are genuine.

If ever the world starts listening, things will change fast.

Be the medicine.

[philharland]

... best interview; wild, organic, vital and so true. Thankyou.

[alabbak]

The Spiritual Quest is discovering the next epoch beyond the "information age" ... Welcoming "the transformation age" where we rediscover the meaning of life beyond the intellectual capacity of knowing. Bringing meaning to the masses beyond reason and intellect. Rediscovering our inner-compass of intuitive spiritual guidance that we acquire through lived experience. Embracing the inner spiritual dimensions of intuition, sense-making, feeling and connecting through genuine love and consideration for all life, everywhere. ~ The Spiritual Quest.

[efleishermedia]

Sophie's art is like Vandermeer and Lovecraft meet Anne Sexton

[beneames]

Science, Art and Religious Systems have oftentimes worked together in a harmonious trinity, producing some of the most astoundingly beautiful and innovative advances in humanities advancement. Howevever, we have seen again and again when one of the three becomes disconnected and claims supreme hegemony over the others, the world suffers.

[SidianMSJones]

Really wonderful interview. Great stuff Brendan, Sophie is fascinating.

[jasonbrown]

Neo-animism feels like Romantic vitalism…

[ahmetfarukkeceli]

Thanks Sophie Strand! It is nice to hear a good story about our environment.

[orangetuono]

Makes me hungry for some blue cheese uncovered from a pile of well aged horse manure. We should all become organic subsistence farmers.

[leopoldslany]

Such an interesting interview.

Do you listen to early Melodysheep songs Brendan? They retain a curious and excited disposition in the face of scientific enquiry.

[Changeinnovation]

Hi Brendan--I am currently developing a business attempting to help people with their Physical/Psychologial wellbeing, emotional regulation and awareness through delivery of content rooted in the evidence based sciences of Neuroscience, Psychology and Evolutionary Biology. I am also interested in storytelling around our future lives including how we address spirituality. Are you contactable by email?
Thanks
Barry

[DaestrumManitz]

The issue of maintaining a practicality while illuminating such concepts as the “animate everything” is so central for progress. Adapting explanations how proto-consciousness emerges into human minds while respecting individual’s sensibilities is crucial for an audience’s acceptance. Which also mitigates the shadow of lunacy that seems pervade such conversations.