OMTimes Radio Archives

Dr. Stuart Eisendrath – When Antidepressants Aren’t Enough: Harness The Power of Mindfulness to Alleviate Depression

Aired Wednesday, October 30, 2019 at 5:00 PM PST / 8:00 PM EST

Growing up in the 1950’s and early 60’s, I had a friend whose mother always seemed to be sad. When in my innocence I would ask her what’s wrong, she would say that she had the blues. She said that she would feel better in a while, but always seemed to be experiencing “the blues.” As I got older, I came to understand that she and many others suffered from depression.

Today, according to the World Health Organization, an estimated one hundred million people world-wide are suffering from depression, with antidepressant drugs as the most common treatment. More than one sixth of Americans take a psychiatric medicine, usually an antidepressant.

What if these medications only work partially or not at all? What other means are available to those suffering from chronic depression? Are there natural mindfulness techniques that may be used to deal effectively with depression?

My guest this week on Destination Unlimited, Dr. Stuart Eisendrath, pioneered research into the therapeutic effects of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and developed an easy-to-implement program that has been scientifically proven in a National Institute of Health study to bring relief to chronic sufferers of depression by helping them realize that negative thoughts are not their reality.

Dr. Eisendrath is the founding director the University Of California San Francisco Depression Center. A senior clinician and research psychiatrist at UCSF, his lectures on MBCT for University of California Television have been viewed more than 1-1/2 million times. His website is stuarteisendrath.com and he joins me this week to discuss his new book, When Antidepressants Aren’t Enough: Harness The Power of Mindfulness to Alleviate Depression.

Dr. Debra Diamond – Diary of a Death Doula: 25 Lessons the Dying Teach Us About the Afterlife

Aired Wednesday, October 23, 2019 at 5:00 PM PST / 8:00 PM EST

In the early 1960’s, one of the popular television shows was “Ben Casey”. Set in a hospital, the show would begin with actor Sam Jaffe’s character, Dr. Zorba, drawing traditional symbols on a black board and calling out their names, “Man, woman, birth, death, infinity.” In the west, when most of us are born, we are welcomed into the world with warmth, love and happiness. When it comes time for us to leave this world, we are most often surrounded with sadness, tears and fear.

Is there a way we can make the experience of death like an experience of birth? What lessons may we learn from transition that will change our perspective on death? Who may we turn to for the same loving care, comfort and security that we received entering this world as we do leaving it?

My guest this week on Destination Unlimited, Dr. Debra Diamond, went from a high powered and successful Wall Street money manager to Death Doula through a series of remarkable experiences.

Following a high-profile career as a Wall Street Money Manager, Debra began her journey to a life of purpose and spirituality. She loves to assist people through Spirit and provide assistance, comfort and guidance through readings, consultations, her books and speaking engagements. She is a natural psychic/medium and medical intuitive who was gifted with her abilities as a child. She provides remarkable insights for her clients to assist in healing, expansion and transition.

Debra is the author of Life After Near Death: Miraculous Stories of Healing and Transformation in the Extraordinary Life of People With Newfound Powers. She has been featured in the Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Inc., The Huffington Post and NPR. Prior to her shift towards spirituality, Debra was a regular commentator on CNBC and a Professor at Johns Hopkins University.

Her website is DebraDiamondPsychic.com and she joins me this week to discuss her experiences and new book, Diary of a Death Doula: 25 Lessons the Dying Teach Us About the Afterlife.

Courtney Weber – The Morrigan: Celtic Goddess of Magick and Might

Aired Wednesday, October 16, 2019 at 5:00 PM PST / 8:00 PM EST

In the beginning of civilization, the feminine divine was preeminent. Sacred images of the Goddess have been found in archaeological digs around the world. Goddess images represented all aspects of life from birth to death. Dating back to at least 1200 B.C. in Pagan Ireland, The Morrigan was the Goddess of war, witchcraft, death, protection and retribution. She was also the Patron of motherhood, healing, shape-shifting and the land.

What can women, and men, learn from this powerful feminine figure? In this time of the “Me Too” movement and a resurgence of women’s empowerment, how can the story of this “Celtic Goddess of Magick and Might” inspire and awaken us?

My guest this week on Destination Unlimited, Courtney Weber, shares her exploration of the mythology and history of The Morrigan and what it offers to those who seek a renewed perspective on the power of the feminine divine.

Courtney Weber is a Wiccan priestess, writer, tarot adviser, metaphysical teacher and social activist. A practicing Witch since her teens, her passion is bringing the wonders of magick to our modern world. She is the author of Brigid: History, Mystery, and Magick of the Celtic Goddess and Tarot for One: The Art of Reading for Yourself. Her website is courtneyaweber.com and she joins us this week to discuss her new book, The Morrigan: Celtic Goddess of Magick and Might.

Helene Saucedo – Handful of Stars

Aired Wednesday, October 9, 2019 at 5:00 PM PST / 8:00 PM EST

Carl Jung, the father of analytical psychology, once said, “Often the hands will solve a mystery that the intellect struggled with in vain.”

Novelist Kurt Vonnegut Jr. wrote, “About astrology and palmistry: they are good because they make people vivid and full of possibilities. They are communism at its best. Everybody has a birthday and almost everybody has a palm.”

We know that we may hold with our hands but do we know what our hands hold? Is there a way that each of us may examine the myriad of shapes and lines that adorn our palms and gain insight into our paths and futures?

My guest this week on Destination Unlimited, Helene Saucedo, says we can and has crafted a kit and guidebook to do just that.

Helene Saucedo is a hand analyst who provides private readings out of her vintage camper and travels the country with her craft, lecturing and reading at shops and at events such as Bonnaroo, Dirty South Yoga Festival and the LumiSummit. She also has a background in design and art direction, with more than ten years experience working with such brands as Turner Broadcasting, Cartoon Network Latin America, Steve Madden, and Macmillan Publishers. Her website is handfulofstarsreading.com. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia, and joins me this week to discuss her brand new palmistry kit and guidebook, Handful of Stars: A Palmistry Guidebook and Hand-Printing Kit.

Raven Digitalis – The Everyday Empath

Aired Wednesday, September 18, 2019 at 5:00 PM PST / 8:00 PM EST

Growing up in the 1950’s, I had a sense of being different from many of my friends and classmates. I was often the outsider and would rather be off in a quiet place than in a noisy, busy room. Some teachers labeled me “sensitive” and that sensitivity extended to knowing how others felt without them expressing it. I felt their pain, their anger, their confusion and also their joy. I became the friend that others relied upon when they needed a compassionate listener. Although it felt good to help others feel better about themselves, it often left me drained and tired. It wasn’t until my late thirties that I came to understand that I was an empath and learned how to be of service to others while maintaining my own energy balance.

Being an empath in everyday life can be a blessing when we learn how to balance this gift and our needs with the needs of others. My guest this week on Destination Unlimited, my friend Raven Digitalis, is also a life-long empath who has dedicated much of his life to learning the tools of the balanced empath and sharing them with others. Raven is a Neopagan Priest and cofounder of an Eastern Hellenistic nonprofit multicultural temple called Opus Aima Obscurae (OAO). Trained in Eastern philosophies and Georgian Witchcraft, Raven has been an earth-based practitioner since 1999, a Priest since 2003, and a Freemason since 2012. He is the author of Esoteric Empathy, Shadow Magick Compendium, Planetary Spells and Rituals and Goth Craft. His website is RavenDigitalis.com and he joins me this week to discuss his new book, The Everyday Empath: Achieve Energetic Balance in Your Life.

Dr. James Gordon – The Transformation

Aired Wednesday, September 11, 2019 at 5:00 PM PST / 8:00 PM EST

Nearly all of us experience trauma at some point in our lives. Psychological trauma is defined as a deeply distressing or disturbing experience. This may result from the sudden loss of a loved one, being the victim of a violent crime, the toll on a veteran returning from war, the plight of the refugee fleeing an unstable country or even the loss of employment without new prospects. More recently, mass shootings, the fear and loss generated by severe weather, and the extreme divisiveness of our national climate have generated new heights of trauma. Is there a way that we may overcome trauma and reverse the psychological and biological damage it causes?

My guest this week on Destination Unlimited, Dr. James Gordon, says that the use of mind-body medicine can accomplish this as evidenced by the work he and his worldwide team have used to relieve the suffering of hundreds of thousands of adults and children around the world.

Dr. Gordon is a Harvard-trained Psychiatrist, former researcher at the National Institute of Mental Health and, Chair of the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy and a clinical professor of Psychiatry and Family Medicine at Georgetown Medical School. He is the founder and executive director of The Center for Mind Body Medicine (CMBM) in Washington, D.C. He authored or edited ten books including Unstuck: Your Guide to the Seven-stage Journey Out of Depression. He has written for a range of publications including The New York Times, Washington Post, The Atlantic, The Guardian and many professional Journals. He has served as an expert for 60 Minutes, Today, Good Morning America, CBS Sunday Morning, Nightline, CNN, MSNBC, NPR and many others. You can find him at the Center for Mind Body Medicine website, cmbm.org, and he joins me this week to discuss trauma healing and his just published new book, The Transformation: Discovering Wholeness and Healing After Trauma.

Kathleen Marden – Extraterrestrial Contact

Aired Wednesday, 4 September 2019, 8:00 PM ET

As a child growing up in the 1950’s, I had a number of experiences that I could not explain. I would wake up in the middle of the night, have a sense of travelling into the sky and being in the presence of what I thought were “special teachers”. When this “night school” was over, I remember being back in my room, looking out the window and seeing triangular objects in the sky which quickly vanished. When I shared these experiences with my parents and others, I was told that I was “imagining” them and had an “overactive” imagination. But a series of events later in life confirmed what I knew to be the truth. I was a contactee and my teachers were not of this world.

As the decades ensued, more people came forward with reports of sightings, contact and what some have called abductions by extra-terrestrial beings. Many of these experiences were revealed in sessions of hypnotic regression. The first widely reported and most famous of these was the case of Betty and Barney Hill.

Have you had one of these experiences? Have you had a sense of lost time, an unexplained interruption in your life, unusual and unexplained scars or even direct knowledge of being in the presence of ET’s? How can you be sure and what, if anything, should you do?

My guest this week on Destination Unlimited, Kathleen Marden, is a leading researcher of contact with nonhuman intelligence, an author and a lecturer. She is the director of experience research at the Mutual UFO Network and is an advisory board member and consultant to Edgar Mitchell’s Foundation into Extraterrestrial and Extraordinary Encounters. She is also the niece of Betty Hill.

Her website is Kathleen-marden.com and she joins me this week to discuss her just published new book, Extraterrestrial Contact: What To Do When You’ve Been Abducted.

Vincent Genna – What Our Space Brothers and Sisters Want Us to Know

Aired Wednesday, 14 August 2019, 8:00 PM ET

In his 1972 classic album “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust”, David Bowie sang
a song about “Starman.” The lyric went, in part,
“There’s a Starman waiting in the sky
He’d like to come and meet us
But he thinks he’d blow our minds
There’s a Starman waiting in the sky
He’s told us not to blow it
Cause he knows it’s all worthwhile.”

In 1976, the Canadian band, Klaatu, released their song, “Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft” which later was recorded and became a hit for the Carpenters.

In Steve Spielberg’s 1982 classic, “E.T. The Extraterrestrial”, E.T. enlists the aid of his human friend Elliott to build a device with which he can “phone home.”

All of these artistic endeavors shared a common theme…communication, in one direction or another, between those on earth with those in the heavens and other plains of existence. What if this communication truly existed? What if we could connect on all levels with all forms of life, energy and spirit, and share an even deeper connection, ultimately with each other?

My guest this week on Destination Unlimited, Vincent Genna, knows these communications well and says that ET is trying to phone but not home! He is trying to phone us! World-renowned Vincent Genna is a triple power psychic – an authentic and gifted psychic with the knowledge and experience of a licensed psychotherapist, and the big, charming personality of a showman. He combines his early background as a professional actor and singer, a Masters in Clinical Social Work and his Hospice experience helping more than 500 patients through the dying process, with his uncanny skills as a metaphysician and psychic medium. The sum total of these experiences and gifts is a psychic who can guide people not only to recognize what is preventing them from healing or attaining their dreams, but the necessary steps to get there.

Vincent is a result oriented psychic who tunes into an individual on their soul, angelic and higher self-levels for guiding messages. He is then able to decipher where one is blocking themselves from their connection to their higher self or the Divine, removes those blockages so one can experience this connection, and in the process help the person to heal the corresponding illness, disturbance or imbalance. He also has the remarkable ability to instill strong self-belief, and inspire one to recognize and apply their Divine talents to fulfill their dreams, and create a happy and rewarding life.

Television and radio love Vincent. People have become enamored with his several interviews on Coast to Coast AM and Hay House Radio, as well as local major radio shows around the country. His appearances on television shows such as Hallmark’s Home and Family, and The Better Show, along with regular appearances on the Chicago and Raleigh morning shows have captivated the hearts of millions of people. His website is vincentgenna.com and he joins me this week to share his story and experience and what our space brothers and sisters want us to know.

Somraj Pokras and Jeffre Talltrees – Tantric Pathways to Supernatural Sex

Aired Wednesday, 7 August 2019, 8:00 PM ET

Tantra is an ancient Sanskrit word that derives from the esoteric practices of Buddhism and Hinduism. In the 20th century, it came to denote sacred sexual practices that were known only to initiates and those who sought them out. What is the truth behind tantra? Can this ancient practice help us to find fulfilment spiritually and sexually? Can learning the secrets of tantra bring new and deeper connection and joy to couples, especially those who are looking to revitalize their relationships?

My guests this week on Destination Unlimited, Somraj Pokras and Jeffre Talltrees bring their years of experience, practice and their own relationship to answer these and many other questions about tantra.

Somraj Pokras studied with acclaimed sexologist Margot Anand and taught in her year-long Love and Ecstasy Training. Jeffre Talltrees is an author, workshop leader and licensed psychologist who also studied with Margot Anand and also taught the Love and Ecstasy Training. Together, Somraj and Jeffre co-founded Tantra at Tahoe where they teach workshops and counsel couples. Together they have written a veritable library on sacred sex! His website is TantraAtTahoe.com and her website is SacredRainbowMesa.com. They join me this week to discuss their latest book, Tantric Pathways to Supernatural Sex.

Jill Sylvester – Trust Your Intuition

Aired Wednesday, 31 July 2019, 8:00 PM ET

In 1981, the Moody Blues released an album called “Long Distance Voyager.” It featured a song composed by Justin Hayward entitled “The Voice.” The lyric said, in part,
“Make a promise, take a vow,
And trust your feelings, it easy now.
Understand The Voice within,
And feel a change already beginning.”

“The Voice Within.” We all have access to this when we choose to truly listen. Call it your “instinct”, your “guide”, your “higher source” or simply intuition, truly listening may lead to fundamental changes in the way we live. Can it also guide us when we are in the throws of anxiety and depression. Can trusting your intuition transform your approach to life and even strengthen your mental health?

My guest this week on Destination Unlimited, Jill Sylvester, says it absolutely can! Jill Sylvester is a licensed mental health counselor who has worked with adults and children in private practice for nearly ten years. She’s been quoted in Oprah Magazine and She Knows. Her first book, a novel entitled The Land of Blue, is the recipient of a Mom’s Choice Award. Her website is jillsylvester.com and she joins me this week to discuss her new book, Trust Your Intuition: 100 Ways to Transform Anxiety and Depression for Stronger Mental Health.