Soul Lab Radio: Interview with Varla Ventura, author of “The Book of the Bizarre: Freaky Facts and Strange Stories”

Just had a fun conversation with author Varla Ventura on Soul Lab Radio about The Book of the Bizarre: Freaky Facts and Strange Stories which has thirteen chapters including Something Wicked: Mysterious Objects & Haunted Homes and Morbid Writers and Tortured Artists: From Edgar Allan Poe to Vincent Van Gogh.  Other topics in the book range from Strange Rock and Roll Stories, Medical Maladies, Conspiracy Theories, Superstitions, Hexes and even UFOs.

So what’s in the book? Did you know duck dander is hallucinogenic? Or that Katherine Hepburn had a phobia of dirty hair? Have you ever wondered about the Magickal Skull of Doom or contemplated the mysterious Transylvanian Tablets? Varla has gathered a veritable treasure trove of startling and stranger-than-fiction trivia that spans history, continents, even worlds.

We also got into some of the weird stories and I was particularly interested in a chapter called “Coincidences or Synchronicity?” Then we launched into a discussion about psychic awareness and children. Varla was introduced to the strange and unusual at a young age. Her first game was a Ouija board, and family picnics in cemeteries were common outings. She spent most of her formative years exploring graveyards, underground tunnels, and abandoned mansions in, around, and under Nevada City, California. She is the author of Sheroes and Wild Women Talk About Love. Varla currently lives in the attic of an 1890’s Victorian in the hills of San Francisco, with her cat Midnight. Of course, Halloween is her favorite holiday.

Soul Lab Radio: Scott Blum, Daily OM founder and author of “Waiting for Autumn”

Sometimes when I do a radio interview, thirty minutes seems like just the right amount of time to get to the bottom of something. Today was not one of those days. I wish my interview with Scott Blum about his new novel Waiting for Autumn could have gone on for another hour. But alas, even in thirty minutes, I managed to learn a thing or two. Specifically, we got to the heart of why intuition should be relied upon for life’s big decisions, instead of intellect. We also dicussed the dynamics of shamanic soul retrieval and what inspired him to write this novel in the first place.

Scott is the co-founder of DailyOM– one of the premiere on-line destinations for non-denominational inspirational content, products and courses from some of today’s best-selling authors and luminaries. But before that, Scott was a pioneer in the interactive Internet entertainment industry where he was one of the first American Nintendo programmers and eventually entered the music business producing Peter Gabriel’s critically acclaimed “Eve” CD-ROM. He then founded and was president of iMusic in 1995 and has worked with bands including Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Smashing Pumpkins, No Doubt, and Ben Harper.

In 2004 Scott and his wife Madisyn Taylor founded DailyOM (www.dailyom.com) after wanting to merge their personal interests in spirituality with their professional lives.

In “Waiting for Autumn” we follow the inquisitive main character, Scott, as he finds himself in a parking lot in Ashland, OR where he meets a cardboard sign-toting homeless man named Robert— who would soon become Scott’s spiritual navigator and guide. In the tradition of novels like The Alchemist and The Celestine Prophecy, “Waiting for Autumn” is about a man embarking on a spiritual awakening and attempting to heal his past by confronting the spirit of his dead fiancée, learning the power of nature, exploring the spirit plane, and discovering the power of universal laws.

Download the first three chapters for free…

Soul Lab Radio: Shelley Seale, author of “The Weight of Silence: Invisible Children of India”

I had an eye-opening conversation today on Soul Lab Radio with writer Shelley Seale who just released her first book, The Weight of Silence: Invisible Children of India. In it, she chronicles her experiences visiting and getting to know a handful of the 25 million homeless children who live in slums, orphanages and on the streets. Many of the stories mirror those of the characters featured in the Academy Award-winning film Slumdog Millionaire.

Shelley is a freelance writer based out of Austin, Texas, but she has traveled around the world capturing stories of real people. Shelley has written for the Seattle Times, Washington Magazine, the Austin Business Journal, Intrepid Travel and Andrew Harper Traveler Magazine among others, and is the Sustainable Travel Columnist at The Examiner.

Soul Lab Radio: Interview with “The God Theory” author Bernard Haisch, PhD

I spoke with Bernard Haisch, Ph.D. this morning on Soul Lab Radio regarding his latest book, The God Theory. Haisch is an astrophysicist, author of over 130 scientific publications, and was a scientific editor of the Astrophysical Journal for ten years. His professional positions include staff scientist at the Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory, deputy director of the Center for Extreme Ultraviolet Astrophysics at the University of California, Berkeley, and visiting scientist at the Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestial Physics in Garching, Germany. He was also editor-in-chief of the Journal of Scientific Exploration. Prior to his career in astrophysics, Haisch attended the Latin School of Indianapolis and the St. Meinrad Seminary as a student for the Catholic priesthood.

He writes: “I offer a genuine insight into how you can, and should, be a rational, science-believing human being and at the same time know that you are also an immortal spiritual being, a spark of God. I propose a worldview that offers a way out of the hate and fear-driven violence engulfing the planet.”

Soul Lab Radio: Orion Foxwood, author of “The Tree of Enchantment: Ancient Wisdom and Magic Practices of the Faery Tradition

Just did a really fascinating interview with author Orion Foxwood. We covered everything from what faery seership is, to how connecting with nature can heal the world. Orion is an Elder in the Celtic and Romano Celtic Traditional Craft, a High Priest in Alexandrian tradition and is the Founding Elder of the Foxwood Temple of the Old Religion. He is co-director of the Moonridge Center, a land based nature sanctuary and mystical educational center located in Maryland. He holds a Master of Human Services degree and is a Licensed Professional Counselor. He is a traditional Faery Seer and has taught these practices as well as psychic development, American Southern folk magic and traditional Craft for nearly 20 years. You’ll never think the same way about faeries ever again…

Soul Lab Radio: Interview with Chris Vogler, “The Writer’s Journey

Chris Vogler

Just had a great interview with story consultant, author and mythology expert Chris Vogler on Soul Lab Radio. What an interesting guy.

Chris Vogler has worked for Disney Studios, Fox 2000 Pictures and Warner Bros. in the development department. He has also taught in the USC School of Cinema-Television, Division of Animation and Digital Arts as well as at UCLA extension. He is President of the company Storytech Literary Consulting. Vogler studied filmmaking at the USC School of Cinema-Television, the alma mater of George Lucas. As with Lucas, Vogler was inspired by the writings of mythologist Joseph Campbell, particularly The Hero With a Thousand Faces. Vogler used Campbell’s work to create the now-legendary 7-page company memo for Hollywood screenwriters, A Practical Guide to The Hero With a Thousand Faces. Vogler later developed his memo into the late 1990s book, The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers now in its third edition.

Soul Lab Radio: An interview with early parenting expert Dr. Carrie Contey

Check out my interview with early parenting expert Carrie Contey, PhD!

How are parenting and spirituality linked? And how can bringing mindfulness to parenting your own children create a happy, healthy and harmonious home? Carrie Contey PhD received her doctorate from Santa Barbara Graduate Institute in clinical psychology with a specialty in prenatal and perinatal psychology. She is a nationally recognized early parenting coach, consultant, speaker and educator. Her passion is providing parents with the support, information and tools to create conscious, connected and balanced lives in all stages of early parenting from before conception through childhood. Carrie is the co-founder of the Slow Family Movement with Bernadette Noll and currently serves on the board of directors of the Association for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health (APPPAH). She is also the co-author of “CALMS: A Guide to Soothing Your Baby.”

 

Soul Lab Radio: Interview with author John Randolph Price

Listen to my latest interview on Soul Lab Radio with John Randolph Price. He is an internationally known lecturer and bestselling author of 18 non-fiction books which have sold in the millions. He is a graduate of the University of Houston with a degree in Radio and Television, and later became executive vice president of a Chicago advertising agency and president of a Houston-based agency serving Fortune 500 companies. In 1981, he left the agency business to form, with his wife, Jan, The Quartus Foundation for Spiritual Research, an international non-profit organization. That same year he wrote his first book, The Superbeings. His other titles include Angel Energy, Living a Life of Joy and others published by Ballantine/Random House. Published by Hay House are The Abundance Book, The Alchemist’s Handbook, The Jesus Code, The Meditation Book, Practical Spirituality, The Workbook for Self-Mastery and more. Join me as I ask John about living with an abundance and no limits mindset.

Soul Lab Radio: Robert Waggoner, Author of “Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self”

Check out my radio interview with dream expert and author Robert Waggoner. He experienced something transformative and unexpected while lucid during the dream state. He was and able to act and interact with dream figures, objects, and settings. He was able to consciously be within the dream itself with the dream observer or what some people call the Inner Self. In other words he was consciously aware of dreaming while in the dream state.

Robert is president-elect of the International Association for the Study of Dreams (IASD) and a graduate of Drake University with a degree in psychology. He is also the coeditor of The Lucid Dream Exchange . Robert has over 30 years of extensive experience and experimentation in lucid dreaming, including over 1,000 lucid dream experiences of his own. He is a frequent speaker at national and international dream conferences, undergraduate and graduate college classrooms, and will be appearing as an expert in the upcoming WFYI / PBS TV series DREAMTIME. Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self is his first book.

Soul Lab Radio: Interview with film critic Brent Marchant

What can the movies teach us about how we lead — or could lead — our lives? That’s the focus of Brent Marchant’s book, Get the Picture: Conscious Creation Goes to the Movies. Marchant explores how movies illustrate the principles of conscious creation (also known as the law of attraction) and how we can put them to use to lead more fulfilling everday existences. He explores the idea through all movie genres, from classics like It’s a Wonderful Life and The Wizard of Oz to sci-fi thrillers like Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan and Contact, and documentaries like What the Bleep Do We Know? and The Secret. 

Check out our interview on Soul Lab Radio…