Re-launching the Collective Evolution podcast was one of my favorite things to do this year.

I re-launched for a few reasons. I wanted to talk about important ideas with other people, it gets boring talking to a camera lens by myself. I also happen to feel that long form conversation tends to be the most useful form of dialogue - especially when it comes to controversial topics.

The other big reason I re-launched the CE podcast was because I wanted to have a place where I could begin with a thesis of sorts. When people ask me “what do you do exactly?” I absolutely cannot say “I’m a journalist.”

I just don’t see myself that way, nor is that what I do. I’m a big picture thinker and am inspired by the idea of contributing to a mass shift in consciousness in our world. I believe we can live in a society that truly thrives, and often see an ecology of ideas that form a ‘guide’ on how we might get there.

I believe everything starts with conversation and exposing ourselves to new ideas. If we only ever hear the same old, we can’t change. In re-launching the podcast, I wanted to discuss some of these ideas, and put them out in a bitesize format that gives people the opportunity to connect with them easily. To hear something fresh.

Thus far, the re-launch is going well.

So without further adieu, here are the episodes people listened to most in 2022. The rest of the list was tightly behind these but these few edged them out. Of course, I have a number of great guests lined up for 2023 so stay tuned!

Ep. 1 | Humanity’s Predicament
33 mins

In this introductory episode of the Collective Evolution podcast Joe brings together the thesis that began CE and the wisdom of experience gained over 15 years of running CE. This episode is meant to layout the foundational themes that will be the backbone of future episodes, interviews and conversations on the show. Things like the meaning crisis (shift in consciousness), sensemaking, censorship, consciousness, well-being, embodiment, future technologies, human potential and more. 

Listen here.

Ep. 3 | Sensemaking, Fake News & Censorship
43 mins.

In this episode we’ll explore sensemaking, the conversation of fake news, the rise of censorship, and perhaps some ideas on how we can improve the important skill of sensemaking both individually and collectively.

Listen here.

Ep. 2 | The Meaning Crisis
39 mins.

One of the simplest ways to think about the meaning crisis is to ask whether humanity is going through a moment where our experience of life feels increasingly less relevant and meaningful. Do we feel withdrawn from our world? A sense of disconnection from it and others?  Perhaps this is at the root of our mental health crisis’ as John Vervaeke suggests. Perhaps there are other biological factors like nervous system dysregulation at play here as well. Regardless, are we experiencing a collective felt sense of meaninglessness?

This is playing out in everything from our relationships to our societal structures. Things are up for re-questioning and re-examination, and while this can be an uncomfortable and awkward place, it can also be a great opportunity. 

Listen here.

Ep. 31 | Elon Musk, The Great Reset & Discernment – Arjun Walia
1 hr 45 mins

One of our senior journalists, Arjun Walia, and I chatted about using discernment with Elon Musk, Twitter, and his Neuralink project. We also discussed The Great Reset and how to discern the difference between the solutions they present and solutions coming from others trying to make society better. This is important because things sound remarkably similar at times.

Of course, we also dove into a couple big topics around COVID as well.

Listen here.

Ep. 30 | Ayahuasca, Nervous System Health, & Wellness | Irene Lyon
2 hrs 10 mins

I sat down with nervous system and trauma expert Irene Lyon to talk about wellness, nervous system health, ayahuasca and perhaps the missing link to wellness.

This was round 3 for Irene and I, and it was a good one!

Listen here.