Manifest Your Dream Life with Jonathan Hammond

0:00 Welcome to Next Level Soul, the place where we deep dive into the mysteries of existence, uncover hidden layers of consciousness, and explore the journey of the soul. I'm your host, Alex Ferrari, and every week we sit down with the world's leading spiritual teachers, mystics, scientists, and truth seekers to illuminate the path towards awakening. Here we ask questions that truly matter. Why are we here? Where are we going?

0:27 And how do we elevate our lives, our purpose, and our consciousness to the next level? This is a space for transformation, a space for expansion, a space to remember who you really are. So take a deep breath, open your mind, and prepare to step into your next level soul. Now, if you're ready to take your spiritual journey to the next level, explore Next Level Soul TV, our streaming platform filled with exclusive movies, docs, original shows, transformative series, guided meditations, channeling sessions, audiobooks, and deep spiritual teachings you won't find anywhere else. New content drops every week, helping you expand your consciousness and live from your highest potential. Start your journey today at nextlevelsoul.tv. The views, opinions, and statements expressed

1:18 by our guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or positions of Next Level Soul, its host, or any of the companies they represent. Now let's dive into today's episode. I'd like to welcome to the show, Jonathan Hammond. How are you doing, Jonathan?

1:34 I am amazing. Aloha.

1:36 Aloha, sir. Aloha. Thank you so much for coming on the show, my friend. We were just talking about my my adventures in Maui and the big Island. And, uh, like, like we're saying, someone's got to live there, you know, it's a, and thank you for making the sacrifice. We really do appreciate it.

1:52 It's tedious, but someone does have to do it. Yeah. And actually it's, it's cloudy today. It's uncharacteristically cloudy the last two days. And I, and, uh, whenever it's cloudy, that's my day to do errands because I always have, uh, whenever it's nice out, which is all the time, I always have FOMO, you know, about like, I'm not supposed to be doing errands. I'm supposed to be at the beach.

2:11 So I don't need to be at Costco right now. I need to go, I need to go to the beach or hang out or, you know, buy a pineapple. Well, listen, I wanted to have you on the show because, you know, I've never had a shaman or a shaman practitioner on the show before. And I'd love to hear your point of view, your spiritual point of view and what you'd be teaching and things. So first question is what is a shaman? We've heard that term thrown around. in the zeitgeist for a long time. So what is the definition of a shaman in your opinion?

2:43 Well, shaman's a healer, a healer of relationships, the relationship we have between ourselves and others, the relationship we have with our mind and our body, the relationships that others and others have with each other, and ultimately the relationship that everyone has with the planet. And so there's a very nature-centric viewpoint there. as a shamanic practitioner. So we're looking at nature as a template because nature is just a spontaneous and unapologetic expression of itself. And so we look at nature as a way, as a template to teach us how to be. So a lot of times when people go to a shaman because they need healing, it's because they've pulled away from their nature, their organic nature in some way. And they've assimilated to the culture

3:34 or they've assimilated to their family or Or they were simply taught or shown things about themselves as children that aren't actually them. And so a shamanic practitioner is about, go back to who you actually were before you were socialized. Your natural self, your organic self. And we use nature as a model for that.

3:58 So do we. So we spend most of our lives trying to forget the things that were pounded into us by family, society, the world at large, and trying to get back to our true nature, our true selves. And that's why I've never met a yogi who's upset. I've connected back to who I truly am. So I have to ask you the question. The next question is, how did you go from actor to shaman practitioner? Because as well, I've I'm in the film business, as you know. So I and many people are like, so you now do a spiritual podcast.

4:45 I'm like, yes, because even artists and filmmakers and actors were human as well.

4:50 We'd like to go through that, but it's not that much of a leap. If you think about if you think about acting, you learn the lines, you learn the blocking, you hope for inspiration to come through. And it's the same skill set. It's just about channeling. It's just that I'm channeling in a different way. And for me, I was never a fame-driven actor. It was always about the artistry and about the telling of stories and about the inspiration that comes from telling good stories and helping people illuminate things about their life through art. And I just didn't get to do that as much as I would like to. you know, because it's show business. And I'd always had a very rich spiritual life, but it was never,

5:36 it was just something that I thought was just for me. And then it got to a point, as we're going back 15 years now, but it got to a point where I would be in a production or something and I would think to myself, I can't wait for this to be over. And I'd say to my actor friends, do you feel that way? They would say, no, nope, don't feel that way, you know. And so that was a real, uh, that was a real, uh, moment. And then I actually had a moment on Haleakala volcano, uh, when I, when I was traveling here, cause I come here many times, that was very much like a spiritual visitation.

6:07 And I read about it in my book. Um, and I was basically told it's time to, it's time to stop doing that and become a full-time, um, a spiritual teacher. It was very much, it was very much, uh, something that, that that happened on, on Maui. It was just something that happened that, um, I can't, I mean, I describe it in the book. It was just, um, this force that sort of came over me and, and, um, did.

6:32 You hear a voice? Did you, did you, what was it?

6:35 I mean, it was, it was this, uh, sense of, I was sitting on the volcano and I, um, uh, and, I, there was a whiteout of clouds, you know, and I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. And there was this force that came that where I had to lie down and you're lying on, on like sharp lava rock. But for some reason, when I lied down, it, it did, it was like I was in the most comfortable reclining chair in the world, which was weird. And then there was this weird kind of life review that started happening. And there was just this sense of, of, um, that I knew that it knew that it was happening, that I was having a conversation or some sort of, um, I can't describe it in any other way than that. And, uh,

7:18 one of the messages was, um, it's time, it's time for you to change your life. Um, so that, that happened up there, you know, and, um, and it was scary because I, you know, I, I, at that point in my life, I still hadn't paid my student loans back from drama school. You know, uh, you know, it was like a, a big, uh, a big, uh, change in my life, you know, but, um, but one that, one that I made.

7:38 So, uh, you know, it's so interesting because I've been to that volcano, uh, And I, it's one of the most magical, I'll take one of those memories. There's something that happened at that volcano to me and my wife. We were there on our honeymoon. And I'm sure this happens all the time because you live there. But when you drive up a certain time of day, you actually drive up into clouds. I've never had that experience before.

8:06 So you were literally in a cloud. You can't see very far and you put your hand out And it's not raining, but it is raining. So it's kind of like you're like this weird middle. It was such a magical thing. And then we like get past the cloud. So now we're above the clouds. So now we're looking down at the clouds when you're at the top of the volcano. And it was such a magical, I didn't have a spiritual thing like you, but it was just a magical thing that I just never forgot. I was like, wow, that was just amazing.

8:36 Yeah. Hawaii has... 21, if there are 23 different climate zones in the world and Hawaii has 21 of them. Really?

8:44 So, yeah.

8:46 And I remember one time going up there and I experienced snow, rain, sleet, a rainbow and sunshine while walking through the parking lot. That makes sense. That makes absolute sense. It's so, it's very, there's just a real vortex here. It's just, the nature is really just so alive. The land is so alive. And, you know, when, when I moved here, I had to, it was really, it was really, I had to, it felt like, like a pilgrimage. Like I had, it was, it was where my home was supposed to be.

9:18 Is it, is it me? Cause you came from New York, you know, and I recently lived in LA. So when I was coming from LA to Maui, I never forgot the feeling that I felt walking off the plane. It feels like you walk into a wall of relaxation. It is the weirdest, the energy, everything slows down. the people around you, just the energy there. And then you go back and you get off the plane in LA and you're just like, well, there's the energy again. Or you get out in New York, you like literally feel the kinetic thing about those big cities. We'll be right back after a word from our sponsor. And now back. to the show. Is that something that, I mean, you live there now, so that must be, you're used to this.

10:06 And there's actually, there's some kind of spiritual anthropology about this land and about Hawaii, which is that at one point they talk about the continent of Mu, M-U, which was this huge landmass where Hawaii sits in the middle of the South Pacific. And the folklore is really around that these off-planet beings, angels or some sort of spiritual beings, in some way descended to this part of the world because they were attracted to the water, because the water holds memory. And they in some way infected the water.

10:44 with the God molecule or with Aloha, you know, and, and because we're all, we're all made of water and, and relying on water. It was like at a time when the earth was evolving toward love, these off planet beings came here. That's one of the, that's one of the stories. The other, the other theory is that, um, that, uh, that Hawaii is, is a place where all the different esoteric systems from around the world converged. Uh, and so we don't really know whether or not it's the source or the recipient, uh, but it's just a very, very, very charged, uh, charged land and charged place. And, uh, and, um, and that's why there is this sense here of, you know, everyone's shouting love at each other, you know, instead of hello,

11:24 we're literally saying love to each other. And there's something about, uh, about the land that, and, and the people that live here that is very much, I mean, they're, they're, they're, they're real people too. They're, they're, you know, they're real people too with problems and lives and, and husbands and wives and mortgages and all that, you know, but, um, But there is something about the land here that brings about that feeling of inner light or it opens your heart.

11:53 There's just something to it.

11:55 Yeah, it's a pretty magical. It truly is a pretty magical place. And I look forward to seeing the other islands. I've only been to two of the islands. I want to go to a bunch of the other ones as well. Now, how do Indigenous healers see the world? Because you obviously work with indigenous, you've worked with indigenous shamans and things.

12:14 How do they see the world?

12:17 Well, they, they see the world as, um, as the world is reflection of their thoughts. So the world, one of, one of the principles in, uh, in the Huna philosophy, in the Hawaiian shamanic esoteric philosophy, the first principle is the, uh, comes from a Hawaiian word called Ike. And the translation is, uh, the world is what you think it is. So not just that your experience of the world or your experience of life or your experience of reality is based on your thoughts, but that reality itself changes and shifts based on your thoughts. So if you think of the awareness as a blank canvas onto which you are projecting your inner world and that that blank canvas shifts and changes and creates itself based on what's being projected upon it.

13:05 So from a shamanic perspective, everything is alive now. conscious, and wants to connect with you. So that's why, and because I have that outlook, you know, and that really is a belief. So for instance, if you have a question about your life, and you think, I'm going to take a walk in the forest to find the answer to that question, and that's your intention, the forest will start talking to you. If you don't have that belief, it'd just be a nice walk in the forest. So from a shamanic perspective, we're looking at everything as sentient, everything as alive, everything as a consciousness, even rocks. That everything in some way has an aliveness to it. Everything has a purpose. And because we also look, from a

13:50 shamanic perspective, at the unity, at the all. The uni, there's only the one. And we are all apertures, single apertures, connected to the all, but still a part of the all. Another way to think of it is we are all individual waves on the ocean, but can't separate ourselves from the ocean. So we look at that our life and our existence as part of that interdependence, as part of the all. And when you start doing that and you realize that everything is there to connect with you, there's a different kind of belongingness that comes about, about that I am here for a purpose. Because I'm connected to everything, that means that my unrealized potential is literally sitting right next to me because there's only one thing. It's a

14:44 very unitive consciousness. The third idea about shamanism is really about the idea that where we place our focus and attention invites in energy to bring to us, to create the nearest available equivalent of what we're putting our focus and attention on. So it's really about the power of the mind. And it's really about the idea that we are truly co-creating our reality through what we're thinking. We all know this, but we all know this on some level.

15:16 But from a shamanic practitioner, we live by that. We live by that.

15:21 I mean, it seems to be working out okay because you're living in Maori. So you're doing something right, sir. You're doing something right. You're definitely looking at things a little differently. Um, but no, that's very, it's very true because you, I mean, everything around us, we create, and I know that's so difficult for people to some people who are in different places in their lives to understand, but like me sitting here talking to you was created by me. I built this up. I built up the show.

15:52 I built up the set that's around us.

15:53 Literally.

15:54 I had it in my mind at first. And then I'm like, then I'm going to create this. I'm going to create a company. I'm going to create a brand. And this is my intention with what I'm trying to do. And It was all created by me. And the funny thing is when you start going down certain roads with your creations, certain doors open up that might have been closed to you before. So it's really interesting to see.

16:17 I mean, I think the concept of the law of attraction is a very basic law in the spiritual spaces. It's been kind of abused over the last– 10, 15 years, you know, ever since the secret came out, it was the best and worst thing for it because now it becomes almost a joke because you're like, oh, you think of the law of attraction, this and that. So in the way we create our own, our own experience is somewhat connected to the law of attraction, correct?

16:50 It is. And the law of attraction, I know what you're talking about. It does invite in a kind of spiritual materialism, you know, which is about, you know, I want a bike.

16:58 I want a bike.

16:59 I want stuff, you know. Another way to think of it is that a shaman would see waking reality as a kind of dream, as a dream. And if you think about if you think about sleeping dreams, if you were to go have a sleeping dream interpreted, what would be interpreted would be that everything that appears in the sleeping dream is reflection of something about you. And so the shaman looks at the waking dream and everything that appears to us in the waking dream as reflection of something about us. So it's really looking at this idea that what is inside of us presents itself to us through the outside world because that's the frequency that we're connected to. Even the idea of The old brain science would say that the meat in our head is the

17:50 originator of consciousness. But the new brain science really talks about that the meat in our head is a receptor of consciousness. And that that's actually more like an antenna. And so that every reality is there for the taking because there's only the unity. And what we are connected to tunes us into our particular channels. And then when we're tuned into that channel, the people, places and things of that channel present themselves in our waking reality.

18:17 It's interesting because there was there's a story when I was a kid where a cousin of mine, he would go to clubs, you know, back when we used to club and we go to clubs. And he's like, every time I go to a club, I get into a fight. And he goes, I don't know what's going on. Like every time I have to get into a fight, like and I'm not like looking for it, but it always finds me. And I told him, I'm like, man, I go clubbing all the time. I've never been in a fight.

18:41 Right.

18:42 So what is it? He goes, maybe I'm just throwing this out there. It could be you. And because if you keep going to 50 clubs and 50 clubs, you get into 50 fights.

18:51 It's not the clubs, really.

18:52 It seems to be that you're the X factor in this equation. But it's an example of who you are and what you do. You attract. And it's very true.

19:03 Well, and we, we all have an unconscious mind. And what that means is that we have material inside of us that, uh, unless it's, uh, uh, excavated and given, given awareness, uh, lies, it's actually running the show, you know? And so like your friend, I would say, um, that he's got a fight inside of him, that there's anger in there, you know, and, and, and it's unclaimed anger, you know, and because it's unclaimed anger. it shows up in these ways so so if the world is what you think it is the world is what you think it is both consciously and unconsciously that's why the the the material in our unconscious that we're not aware of part of the healing work is bringing that to the fore you know we we don't like to to to

19:46 acknowledge that we all have darkness but we all have darkness and once it's the light of awareness the darkness becomes something else you can work with it you know.

19:57 We'll be right back after a word from our sponsor and now back to the show.

20:06 And so, um, and, and with, without the light of awareness, it just shows up in these ways where I keep finding myself in certain negative patterns over and over again. That's because there's something in there that just needs awareness. It's not, that stuff isn't bad. It's just, it just, it just needs, um, the acknowledgement, the acknowledgement that it's there so that we can work with it.

20:27 That makes, that makes sense. Uh, it makes a lot of sense. Um, you were talking about being connected to everything. And I think we've always feel like we're disconnected when we're here in this place, in this reality, we are, we are inherently told that we're disconnected from everything else. We, we are not connected to you and I aren't connected.

20:48 I'm not connected to the soil. I'm not connected to the planet. I'm not connected to anybody. You know, you feel so disconnected where I've had many near death experiencers on the show who talk about when they're on the other side, all they feel is connection. They feel connections to everything and everyone, and you could experience everything and everyone instantly. And it's like this thing. So why do we find it so difficult to connect and understand that, that we are all connected? If I hurt you, you're truly just hurting yourself and so on.

21:21 That's right. Well, separation, separation really is an illusion, but it's an illusion that's gotten a lot of legitimacy. It's what's wrong. It's what's wrong with the planet. It's what's wrong is the sense of, I mean, I'll use nature as an example. So this is actually true. Dolphin excrement actually provides a kind of fertilizer that produces a kind of green algae that grows in these huge patches. It's so big, these green algae patches over the sea, that you can see them from space. They're huge. And these algae patches provide 50% of the world's oxygen, which means that every other breath you take is born of dolphin poop.

22:06 That's how interconnected we are. And that's how, and that's why the idea, the idea that we're not looking at things ecologically and, you know, but, but what's interesting about, about the younger, the younger generation is that they came in, they incarnated, not all of them, but many of them with an ecological mindedness. Yep. And I believe, I believe it's connected to this, you know, it's connected to the fact that, that, that this is a symbol of our interconnection, you know, and, um, and on some level, on some level, because they all have always had that in their hand, a sense of that interconnection is, is more organic for them.

22:46 And I think that's, that may be one of the reasons why, um, why so many of them are ecologically minded because they certainly weren't taught it, you know, they certainly weren't taught it. So, um, so yeah, this is, um, uh, it's a really important thing to look at that, um, that when I criticize what I'm criticizing is just what I'm running through my own system. You know, when I, when you hurt people, hurt people, all of that stuff, you know, and to really, to really look at the fact that we really are, it is a global village.

23:17 We are all in this together, you know, and it can become overwhelming because there is an aspect of you, you got to stay in your lane sometimes, you know, because not everything is your work to do and not every fight is your fight to have. Um, but, but a sense that we are all just an individual expression of the all.

23:38 It's interesting that, I mean, you use the internet. I mean, you and I are both of similar vintage. So we understood the days when there was three channels and those kinds of days where now you're right. Like my kids, they just grew into this world. They grew into a world where there was an internet, where everything's connected. you can talk to, you can see everything all the time.

24:02 Every bit of human information is available essentially at your fingertips at one way, shape or form where you and I did not have that. We were not raised with that at all. That interconnectedness was not there. So, you know, there's so much stuff going on in the world right now. There's so much stuff. And I, I asked this of a lot of my guests. I'm like, we've got the environment is, is fighting back on us. Economic issues. you know, worries around the world. I'm predicting, I'm not the only one, that there'll be some sort of economic strife, big crash.

24:38 We're due, you know, the way our system works. So we're due for one of those any time now. We've got, we're in the brink of World War III as well. We've got a pandemic. It seems like, unlike other times in human history, it's affecting the entire planet at the same time.

24:57 Mm-hmm.

24:58 So the political strife that's happening, it's not just happening in America, it's happening in every country. That same kind of tribalism is starting to pull apart other countries as well. And you see it around the world and people are starting to get, there's like an uprising, if you will, like of chaos. There's so much going on in the world.

25:18 What do you think is happening? I'd love to hear your point of view or the shamanistic point of view of this time period in human history, because it feels like There's something definitely happening. There's something going on. There's a shift of some sort.

25:31 Yeah. This has been prophesied. This time on the planet, you've heard of the Mayan calendar. The Quechua people, the Cherokee people talk about the rainbow coalition. The Quechua people talk about the eagle and the condor, meaning the masculine and the feminine flying together in the same sky. And that this would be a time of of great tumult in order to evolve further. We cannot continue our binary thinking, good, bad, black, white, Trump, Biden, vax, unvax, you know, all of that. That polarization is the foundation of what we're talking about with the separation. And even the idea of all the non-binary people, you know, sexually or otherwise, the people who don't identify with the polarized...

26:24 They say, I'm not that and I'm not that. Can I be something else? And they are incarnating at this time as well because we are moving toward something that is more unified. And I think the chaos is just when old systems die, when healing is happening, there's always resistance. Even individually with my own clients. Healing and resistance, they're two sides of the same coin. If you have one, the resistance will come up. And so there is a lot of resistance happening right now because we are we are moving into a different way of being and a different age. Even Carl Jung wrote a book called Ion.

27:02 Carl Jung, the best 20th century shaman from where I sit. But he wrote a book called Ion in 1951, and he said in December of 2020, he wrote this in 1951, would be the end of the Piscean Age, which was an age that he characterized as the 2,000 years, starting with the birth of Christ, where we would be in a battle between good and evil, a battle we would lose.

27:26 And that in December 2020, we would begin the Aquarian Age, which would be an age for the next 2,000 years of individuation, meaning that rather than the polarizing light and dark, we would integrate that, and that everyone would individually integrate that, and we globally and sociologically would integrate our darkness in such a way. That's why... you know, all of this, uh, uh, this stuff that, that has been going on, but it's still being looked at that, you know, that the, uh, um, uh, the sexual exploitation and the racism and, and the, um, and the, and the greed and all of that, that's all coming to the fore right now, because that's all the stuff that we would like to pretend wasn't there,

28:09 but it's coming up to be healed, you know? And we're right on time. So even though it is very difficult from where I sit, it is about that we're all evolving and that it needed to happen. And I hope that, and we can only each individually do our part, but a lot of people aren't doing their part. So if you're oriented to do your part, do it. But that's where we're going. And so despite the fact that it's very difficult I do really have a, um, uh, a really positive outlook, you know, and I hope that we wake up, you know, I mean, I think at a certain point that the earth may shake us off like too many fleas that make, you know, that, um, uh, you know, that may happen if we don't wake up, but I think that the invitation, um, and what do

28:58 I mean by waking up? It's nothing highfalutin connection, love, mutual respect, being of service, dominion over nature, all of that stuff. It's very, it's, it's really simple. What's being asked of us right now. But we all have to do our part.

29:14 It seems to be that there are different ages that we go through. It's really interesting. I had another guest on a little while ago talking about– are you familiar with the yugas?

29:25 The yugas, yeah.

29:26 The yugas, right. So you understand the yugas and the different titles of existence and how the pyramids were built makes no sense. We couldn't build them today if we tried.

29:39 Right.

29:40 Literally it's impossible so was there a time that we were actually more evolved than we are now we actually had to devolve we'll be right back after a word from our sponsor and now back to the show and now we're going, we've passed like the lowest point. And now we're on our way back to the evolution, going back up to where we, you know, all the knowledge that was lost in Alexandria, all the law of a knowledge that was lost with the Mayans and all this it's, it's supposed to happen. We're not supposed to have that kind of information. It's interesting because if you start thinking about things in that, that kind of framework, it starts to make more sense as far as the time, the cycles of, of what we're supposed to be. Um, is

30:30 that fair?

30:31 Yeah. And, and, you know, the, uh, that was one of the indigenous cultures that I didn't mention, uh, when I was talking about it being prophesied, but yeah, I mean, um, this, this has been characterized as the Kali Yuga and Kali is really, you know, the, the goddess of destruction, but she's also the, the goddess of birth, you know, it's, it's super interesting too, that, that the, the coronavirus is supposedly born of baths. and bats from a shamanic perspective represent death and rebirth, you know, and you can't have one without the other. And so there is this, you know, there is this reset going on. And even the idea of, you know, those two years, if you were doing it right, if you were, if you were able to do it right,

31:10 those two years were about go home, look at yourself, right? Go look at your relationships, go look at your job, go and just, you know, go look at how you're wasting your time. Go look at, you know, Um, and, and it really served that for a lot of people, all of my clients, you know, the, the, the pervasive narrative on CNN was just how terrible everything was, but all my clients were just, um, and I'm not to make it about me. I just think that this is the narrative that isn't talked about. We're really growing and really, and we're learning things about themselves and recalibrating, um, uh, what, what they considered important and, and all of that, you know, and, um, and I think that's going on too, you know? So

31:50 I think there's this big evolution going in, this big devolution going on right now. And that's why everything's bumping up against each other. Right.

31:59 And in order for things to grow, there has to be some... The old has to go for the new to grow. And I forgot who said it, but chaos is the fertile ground for change. And that's where we're kind... I mean, if we're not in chaos... And I don't think we haven't hit bottom yet. I think we still got a lot more to go in the sense of shifting and things. Look, again, you and I are of similar age. Things that are happening today would have never even thought of. We would have looked at as insane if we were to mention this in the 80s or 90s, or even in the early 2000s. If you say some of the things that the things that people are doing, things that people are saying, the way countries are behaving, the way the world is, the environmental stuff, the pandemic,

32:53 we would have been looked at as insane. So things that had been rock solid for lifetimes, all of a sudden just shift, like completely shift. I mean, just to use an example from our industry, the film industry, for what, 80, 100 years? Movie theaters.

33:15 Yeah.

33:17 Movie theaters. Yeah. it was a part of our existence. Now they're fighting to stay alive. They're at a place that they, so for someone like you and me to think that like, Oh, you know, that movie theater is going to go away. It's insane. It's insane.

33:35 Yeah. You know, I can only say this, the nature, the nature of healing. And particularly if, if we're really going to go with the idea that everything that happens to us is a reflection of something in us, What that really means is that the stuff that we don't like, the stuff that happens to us that we don't like, is supposed to be, from a healing perspective, a light bulb.

34:00 It's a light bulb. Why is this happening? What about me am I not seeing? What about my consciousness am I not aware of that's curating this experience? It's always a light bulb. Darkness is a tool. It's a tool and it's leading us somewhere. And divinity, source energy, is in the darkness. If we didn't have evil, we wouldn't have anything to wake up from. So we can assume that even in the evil, divinity's hand is there. And so the idea that these changes are happening, that there is this tumult, is about the light bulb. That it's time to really look at things that we haven't looked at.

34:43 And time to change things that, that, that aren't working in the same way, you know? And as much as I see that, like something like movie theaters would be something that, um, that, you know, we would be nostalgic for.

34:54 And blockbuster blockbuster.

34:57 You know, there there's, there's other dynamics that are, that are, uh, that going on, that are going on, that, that make that, um, not something that people want to do in the same way, you know? And I don't think, I don't think it's that people are, are not interested in being entertained. You know, I just think that there's, there's, um, that people are changing and people are reprioritizing. You know, I mean, when I, you know, I had an office in New York, you know, and what COVID did was indicate to me that I don't need to have an office in New York, you know, and I start my day at 6 a.m. and I get in the shower at 5.50 and I'm ready to go. And, you know, and so there has been these real like

35:35 lifestyle changes that are in alignment with the technological advancement. And I think that that's by design. you know, because it's giving us more time. It's making us work. Not as hard. There's a lot there. That's really, really good.

35:53 How can we, you know, look at bad things happen to everybody at one point or another. Okay. And the term bad is relative because one person's bad thing is another person's good thing. It all depends on perspective. Um, you know, an incident is an incident period. Um, But how can we better look at those as opportunities to grow as opposed to get caught up in what it is?

36:19 And I know that's a very difficult conversation to have because if someone you love dies, it's hard to see if there was a tragic incident. It's hard to see things. But just me walking the earth as long as I have, there's things that happened in my past that at the moment, the world was ending.

36:36 Yep.

36:38 But a few years later, you're like, thank God that didn't happen. So how can we shorten that hindsight window, if you will?

36:48 Yeah. It's really about choosing to see it. And I know what you mean. It's a difficult conversation because it can look like blame the victim. It can look like, you know, that on some level, okay, so if everything that happens to you is created by your thoughts, then why did I receive, why was I hurt this way or why, you know, and all of that. And sometimes we need to pull the lens back far enough to see an evolutionary perspective, you know, I mean, even the idea of, of, um, a woman who was not, who was only taught, uh, innocence as an ideal, who was only taught, you know, if you're a good girl and you cook and you make yourself look pretty, like you're good to go, you'll get yours. And that girl doesn't

37:26 get hers. You know, she, she has to, you know, she has to learn things about herself and about what the world is in order to exist in the a young woman as an example, something may come up that makes her have to deal with the reality of what life is. And it could be very dark. But these things do have an evolutionary purpose. Even death, the thing that we're all so afraid of. What I've experienced with death with people is that when someone dies, I have seen the reverberational effect of healing happen around the person that dies that on some level, someone learns something, someone else gets something else. Someone like there's always, there's always gifts with the death, even something that, that thing that

38:19 we're all so afraid of that we think is so bad, you know, but what I have seen is that is that there is an evolutionary benefit for the people who are left behind from the person who dies, you know, and who knows what's happening, uh, To the person who actually passes and where they're going next. But they're definitely going somewhere next. And I don't necessarily mean floating on a heavenly cloud of ice cream. I think they might be going to learn more lessons. If you think of the universe is just wanting to experience itself. It's wanting to learn about itself. And so it's not about becoming enlightened.

38:58 It's about learning stuff by doing stuff. And if you're learning stuff by doing stuff, that's what the universe is doing. And it's when we're stuck in our routines and our habits and our habitual way of thinking. And I don't like that person. And I so disagree with that person that I want to kill them. We stop that process of learning. We stop that process of growing. We're infinite beings.

39:24 So it really is, it's the choice. It's the choice to look at what's going on. Why is this happening? Why is this happening for me? If you break your arm, you go to the doctor, you get it fixed. You break your arm, you go to the shaman and say, why did I break my arm?

39:42 We'll be right back after a word from our sponsor. And now back to the show. What, what was it? What is this trying to tell me?

39:55 Meaning that, meaning that what's underneath it? What, what, what, what inside you curated the circumstances to break your arm? You know, what are you not looking at? What, what, what, what, what does that mean? What's the symbol of that? What is that? What is that speaking to?

40:10 You know, let me ask you, cause we talked a little bit about this earlier dreams. What is the shaman's point of view on, Because dreams are so powerful. I believe that every dream has something to tell us in one way, shape, or form as we grow older. And I'm trying to figure out and interpret dreams and so on.

40:31 What is the shamanistic point of view on dreams for people?

40:36 Well, the shamanic outlook is a symbolic outlook. So we're really big on symbols. you know, and, uh, and the idea that if you, if you change, even, even something as simple as, um, you put a ring on a finger on a certain day with people watching, and that symbolizes a whole new way of being in the world with someone as husband and wife, just through that symbol, you know? And so, and so we're, so in, in, in shamanism, you know, we do something called the shamanic journey, which is where we, which is sort of like a shamanic meditation, but it's where we go to either different places in the psyche, different realities. There's a lot of different ways to think about it. And we create a conscious dream in order to meet with spiritual beings, in

41:29 order to receive healing, in order to receive wisdom. And a lot of that comes through the language of symbol, you know. And so if someone's doing a shamanic journey and they're seeing an eagle, you know, there's a whole lexicon of ideas about what that means, that we're all connected to. Or if they are doing a shamanic journey about a problem and they're seeing a big mountain that seems very difficult to climb. So then in the dream, in the shamanic journey, they figure out how to climb that mountain. And the symbol of the mountain represents their hardship.

42:09 And we're beginning to work on the hardship energetically and symbolically So that's a way to think of, uh, think of how we think about dreams.

42:18 Now there are these seven who not principles. Can you tell us what those principles are?

42:24 Yeah. I told you the first three, the world is what you think it is. So the world, we are creating reality with our thoughts. Second one is about limitlessness, meaning that there is no separation. There's only, there's only the one and we're connected to everything. The third is about, uh, inviting in or working with energy. based on where we're placing our focus and attention. So if you're placing your focus on attention and attention on becoming a cardiologist, all kinds of energies are invited in to make you a cardiologist.

42:54 And the more you put your focus and attention on it, the more energies that you'll get in that direction. The fourth principle is about that now is the only place that exists, that there is only the present moment. The fifth principle is about aloha which means whatever you're doing just add love is love present what's love's perspective is love's perspective present in the moment with what you're thinking with the idea of limitlessness with the idea of what you're putting your attention on in the present moment the fit the the sixth principle is uh is a hawaiian word called mana and that uh that simply means that we have the power within us to create our reality that we are with that we are that Nothing outside

43:39 of us is more powerful than us unless the authority within us grants the thing outside of us to be more powerful than us. And the last principle is about effectiveness. It just says, if it doesn't work, try something else. There are all kinds of ways to do something. Anything is possible if you can figure out how to do it.

43:59 And so these are ideas that are ways of working with life and curating the life you want and manifesting the life you want based on the idea that all the power to do that comes from what you're thinking about, the realization that we're all connected, what you're putting your energy and focus on, whether or not love is present, doing it in the present moment, because you have the power to do so, and be flexible, and the right thing will emerge. So the Huna principles are the way in which, as I worked with all these indigenous shamans across the world, the one thing that I saw was that they were all thinking the same way. And the Huna principles, which is what my book is about was the way, and that's why I call it the shaman's mind,

44:44 because it was the way in which all these indigenous healers tended to think. And it just happens to come from, uh, from the Hawaiian paradigm. Uh, but it's a very universal way of thinking.

44:56 Now I heard you talk about the hundred monkey effect in another interview. What is the hundred monkey effect?

45:04 Yeah. The hundred, uh, the hundred monkey effect, it, it, it actually, a lot of the principles are involved, but essentially there was an, uh, an experiment done where on, on, uh, uh, a Japanese Island, uh, this true story that, um, that monkeys were taught to wash their sweet potatoes in the sea before they, before they would eat them. And what began happening was other monkeys on another Japanese Island, having not been taught that started to do the same thing.

45:32 Interesting.

45:33 Um, Yeah. And if you think about it, it's just, um, uh, you know, even the idea of like, um, that viruses that a certain virus will mutate on a worldwide scale with no connection with each other. So as the virus mutates and in one country and another country, uh, the device mutates as well. There is this sense of, there's a consciousness, there's a consciousness with the, with the, um, uh, there's consciousness with the, with the monkeys. There's a consciousness with the virus, you know, there's a consciousness, uh, there was a, um, um, a study done about a certain plant in Africa that was exposed to a pesticide and mutated in order for it to survive. And that same genus of plant worldwide began to mutate similarly, having not

46:17 been exposed to the pesticide.

46:20 Interesting. I never heard this before.

46:22 Yeah.

46:23 So that's the hundred monkey effect.

46:25 Yeah. Yeah. And it's just this idea that we're all, that's why, that's why what you do is affecting, you know, um, uh, My Hawaiian teacher, Serge King, he says, if you want to heal someone, think of them and you feel good.

46:39 Interesting. That's another interesting way of looking at things. So there's also something else you talked about, which is the danger zone. What is the danger zone? Besides an amazing song. for an amazing eighties movie and the sequel and the sequel is coming out in weeks.

46:58 Uh, so, you know, the danger zone is that's my, that's my term for, uh, you were one thing and you know, you're supposed to become the other thing. And there's this space in between where the old way isn't right. And the new way isn't formed, but you're getting there. And in the danger zone is the place where you can bail on the new way and just go back to the old way, you know, Or another way to say it is that in order to change your vibration, you have to say no to what you previously said yes to. And when you start saying no to what you previously said yes to, you go into this space where the new way to what you've said no to, the new way is coming into being, but it's not there.

47:42 And that's a place where people bail on themselves and they bail on their own healing and they bail on their own evolution because it's a groundless place. Because I'm not that and I'm not that yet. And we're all evolving. If we're doing it right, we have entirely different iterations of ourselves. And physiologically, that happens every seven years. Every cell in your body is new about every seven years.

48:07 And we're supposed to be doing that in terms of our own evolution. It doesn't mean that you're necessarily leaving your family or anything like that. But just in terms of our personal growth, we really are supposed to be shifting and changing. And so a lot of times when that feels tumultuous or uncomfortable or scary, that's why you want to work with someone. And that's why having a spiritual outlook. Because you can only traverse the danger zone with faith. Because you're not that yet.

48:39 You're hoping to be.

48:40 Yeah. So faith is a real key component in terms of our evolution.

48:45 I have another question for you, man. Why are we As people, just as beings, so afraid of living. We're afraid of so many things. And again, I'm not talking about the tiger around the corner. I'm talking about just afraid of following your dreams, following your purpose, believing in yourself, not beating yourself up on a constant. We're just afraid all the time. This fear that that is always there why do people have that that fear that they're always just afraid of just living their lives yeah.

49:25 Well the first thing that comes up is just what were we taught Because if we're, if we're supposed to be something that our family isn't even on the radar, you know, that if we're going to come to that, we're going to come to it from ourselves. Not because we were taught that. And if we were taught that where we're going is, is something that isn't okay. You know? Um, so, so.

49:49 We'll be right back after a word from our sponsor. And now back to the show.

49:58 That that's the first thing that comes up is just how are we socialized? You know, um, that's a big thing. If you think of, if you think of, there's a, there's a part of the brain called the default network and the default network is this part of the brain that is constantly trying to, uh, um, re, uh, uh, ignite or recalibrate a continuity of self. So it's scanning the past and scanning the future to keep doing what it understands to be you, you know, And so, and that's the reason why making a change, even a positive change is difficult because the default network is going and saying, saying, uh, and, and that includes all our bad habits, you know, all the, all the, all the things about ourselves that we don't

50:40 like that's in there too, you know? And so we have this continuity of self that is meant as survival, that is meant to keep us safe, you know? And so, and the reason why, um, psychedelics are actually making such a resurgence right now is, is that psychedelics use therapeutically are about the destabilization of that default network. So that new, so that we become more suggestible and new realities and new ways of being in new ways of thinking of ourselves can come in, you know? So we're, we're really up against some, some biology there, you know, the, you know, we're, we're, we're trying to protect ourselves. And so, so, um, and that's about like doing what we know, you know, and doing, and that we, and, too many habits, too much repetition,

51:22 too much of the same, you know, right. That's, that's why I'm saying experience, experience. And the, the idea of curating a life where you are learning and experiencing whatever it is, you know, is, um, you know, that is, that is putting you in flow with what the universe is doing and certainly what the earth is doing.

51:42 No, I'm going to ask you a couple of questions to ask all my guests. Um, what is your mission in this life?

51:49 Um, Uh, I was a messed with child. And so everyone who comes to me has an inner child that has also been messed with, who has very funny ideas about him or herself and about who they think they are. And so, uh, and it's about taking care of them. It's about taking care of them. You know, people say to me in my private practice, you work with kids and I don't, but, but, but my answer is all I have is kids, you know? So it's about, it's about taking, taking care of the children who didn't, um, who didn't get what they needed to traverse life safely and, uh, with a sense of outlook and positivity and love and growth, uh, and, um, and inspiration, you know?

52:37 And what is the ultimate purpose in life?

52:41 To live, to, to, to experience, to, um, uh, uh, to love in the present moment to, um, uh, that, you know, um, and that may sound, uh, um, you know, solipsistic or, or, uh, you know, uh, egocentric or something, but, um, it's not, it's about like, uh, it's about, um, becoming a human being and not a human doing. Hmm.

53:14 Fair enough. Now, where can people find your book and more about what you offered the world?

53:19 Yep. You can find me at MindBodySpiritMaui.com. MindBodySpiritMaui.com. My book is wherever books are sold, The Shaman's Mind. I think I have a copy of it here. It's Shaman's Mind. So that's it. That's on Amazon. And, you know, there are all kinds of places on the Internet to get it. So those are the best ways to reach me. And I have classes. I'm teaching at the Omega Institute. in New York in July. And I have some online classes as well going. So if you just go to my website, it's all on there.

53:50 Jonathan, I appreciate your time, my friend. Thank you for what you're doing for the world. And I do appreciate you coming on the show and sharing your knowledge with us, my friend. Thank you so much.

53:58 Aloha, Alex. Really great to be here. Thank you.

54:03 Thank you for spending this sacred time with us today. If you feel called to explore this conversation further, you'll find the show notes for this episode at nextlevelsoul.com forward slash 080. And if your soul is craving an even deeper journey, step into Next Level Soul TV, our streaming sanctuary for spiritual films, documentaries, original shows, guided meditations, channeling sessions, audio books, and transformative teachings. It's a space created to support your awakening, your healing, and your return to the truth of who you really are. Begin your journey at nextlevelsoul.tv.

54:41 Until next time, keep expanding, keep seeking, and keep walking your path towards the next level of your soul.