Unraveling Religion

Part 2 continues panel discussion by exploring the lived experience of unity, spirituality, and what it means to feel 'at home' in the universe, beginning with reflections on whether healing and awakening dissolve the sense of separation.

Andy, drawing from his 12-step recovery background, describes spirituality as a relationship with a higher power understood personally, sharing that his connection takes shape through Christian sy...

Part 1 

Alchemical Dialogues and Unraveling Religion co-hosts Joel Lesses and Henry Cretella convene a panel exploring spirituality, recovery, philosophy, and science through lived experience, centered on the theme of transformation as an embodied, ongoing process.

Ben, a therapist and former addiction counselor, reflects on his journey through trauma, psychosis, and recovery, including an ego death experience that reframed hi...

Part 2 of 'Echoes of the Tao, Seeking Truth Across Traditions,' starts with 'what does it mean to Serve and Love God (or Tao)?

• God (Tao) says, 'be what I made you to be!'
• God (Tao) is found in relationship.
• Does God want us to know Him (or ourselves) most intimately?
• Dependent Co-arising?
• 'Simultaneously, I and all beings attain the Way' (Awaken to Reality) ~Buddha
• 'Essentially, outside of me, nothing exists'
• Verse 18
• What doe...

In this exploration of the Tao Te Ching and other traditions, the conversation opens to introductions  of the five Panelists and a invocation of hope of others to investigate the Tao Te Ching. 

Bob, Brian, Rich, Henry and Joel share Verse 1 and questions arise:

• What is Reality?
• Is the Tao Reality?
• What is the Tao?
• What does the term Anti-foundational mean?
• Reversal Yin/ Yang in relation to Tao.
• Paradox and the Tao.
• E...

The I Thou Video Series' host Richard Wicka has a conversation with Joel opening with the posited question, 'What Is?' or 'What Is, existentially?' 

The discussion response from Richard offers Panta Rhei (i.e., everything changes).

What is identity?

Identity and a Real Self, are there two aspects within each of us?

• Is only one real?

Kireeragard: real world self (work self), imaginary self (the self you desire to be)...

Pádraig Ó Tuama joins Joel and shares a conversation from the heart about poetry, spirituality, community, and communion.

The conversation opens to how Joel and Pádraig met, and what informed Pádraig's life as a Poet and Theologian. Pádraig recalls the influences of Ireland and school and the foundation of poetry in that experience, and poetry as resistance, and the role of Peacemaker in the world.

Pádraig reads from his new b...

Crazywise Documentary Filmmaker Phil Borges joins Joel for a discussion of Phil's life post Crazywise and together they explore mental health and its relation spirituality, beginning with how does one define spirituality. 

Phil's history of experiences into spirituality, beginning with the death of his father and Phil's Aunt returning from a psychiatric hospitalization to Phil's home when Phil was a boy.

Also discussed, Phil's...

In a Post-Pandemic June 2022, Joel and Chris sat together at Network of Religous Communities in Buffalo, New York and examined and reflected on Chris' travels to Seattle and San Fransisco via train, a pilgrimage.

Chris discusses his recent trip and the lessons, resolutions, and insights from his travels to the west coast, focusing on the spiritual aspects.

The conversation tends toward defining 'Pilgrimage' as setting an intention ...

Pulled from the Archives of Unraveling Religion this June 2013 conversation with Chris Barbera explores discussion based on the book Prison Theology, published by Jesus the Liberator Seminary of Religious Justice, and opens the question:

• 'Can the criminal on the cross be the incarcerated, executed Godhead?' 

Chris and Joel address America, Prisoners, and the Prison Industral Complex through a Restorative Justice len...

Pulled from the Archives of Unraveling Religion, this September 2009 episode recorded at the studio in the Home of The Future, Chris and Joel speak of the Erie County Holding Center Federal Investigation Findings of Human and Constitutional Rights abuses which open the talk to the practical responses from ancient and spiritual foundations and teachings to point the way and address to the conditions and actions that violated human a...

Sitting down with Chris Barbera at Network of Religious Communities to record this trailer, Joel opens to discuss, introduce, and summarize three recorded conversations, previously archived, and these newly edited talks include:

• 2009 'Real Flowers Of This Painful World,' Compassion Manifest For All Beings, Spirituality Forged Through Practical Application: A Conversation With Chris Barbera
• 2013 'Prison Theology,' Res...