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Impossible Dreams

Impossible Dreams

Written by: Impossible Dreams Media
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What does it mean to keep dreaming when the world says it’s “impossible”? That’s the question at the heart of Impossible Dreams, hosted by Broadway star and Grammy-nominated artist Aaron Lazar. After an ALS diagnosis in 2022, Aaron set out to heal himself proving nothing is impossible. Now in a new video podcast, Aaron sits down with trailblazers, legends, and dreamers to Inspire us to live our impossible dreams, no matter the adversity we face. These aren’t just interviews, they’re roadmaps for living a bigger, braver life. Season one guests include: Mark Cuban, Kristin Chenoweth, Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor, Gabby Reece, Andrew Rannells, Sara Bareilles, and more.624771 Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Spirituality
Episodes
  • Dr. Stella Sarraf: The Chemist Cooking Up a Cure for ALS | Episode 26

    Dr. Stella Sarraf: The Chemist Cooking Up a Cure for ALS | Episode 26
    May 12 2026
    What if the key to reversing ALS isn't replacing dead neurons, but reawakening theconnections between the ones that are still alive?In this groundbreaking episode, host Aaron Lazar sits down with Dr. Stella Sarraf,serial biotech entrepreneur, Forbes 50 Over 50 honoree for Innovation, and founder andCEO of both Spinogenix and Amydis. A PhD chemist turned drug developer, Dr. Sarrafis pioneering first-in-class neuroregenerative therapeutics that work at the synaptic levelto restore brain function in ALS, Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, and Fragile X syndrome.Her investigational drug SPG302 has received FDA expanded access authorization totreat 200 ALS patients, and Orphan Drug Designation from the European MedicinesAgency.This conversation is both a masterclass in drug development and a deeply personalstory of loss and purpose. Dr. Sarraf opens up about losing her father to Parkinson'sand her mother to breast cancer, and how those experiences ignited her mission totransform neurology from a field of late diagnosis and limited options into one of earlydetection and real treatment. She describes the decade-long marathon from lab benchto clinical trial, the mouse that started running circles after treatment, and the impossibledream of turning ALS from a death sentence into a chronic, manageable disease.The impossible dream shines brightest in Dr. Sarraf's patient-first approach to expandedaccess. Rather than wait years for traditional clinical trial pathways, she fought for FDAauthorization to offer SPG302 to ALS patients who wouldn't otherwise qualify, passingcosts to patients rather than profits to shareholders. It's the same spirit that drove her tofound Amydis: using the eye as a window to the brain to detect neurodegenerativedisease proteins like TDP-43 before symptoms appear, potentially catching ALS at theearliest possible stage.Guest Bio:Dr. Stella Sarraf is a visionary biotech entrepreneur and the founder and CEO ofSpinogenix and Amydis. Named to Forbes 50 Over 50: Innovation (2025), she holds aPhD in organic chemistry from Columbia University and a BA in biochemistry andmolecular biology from UC Berkeley. Dr. Sarraf began her career as a senior researchchemist at Merck Research Laboratories, where she developed novel drug synthesisprocesses for clinical trials. She then spent over a decade in healthcare venture capitalat Foresite Capital Management and Prospect Venture Partners, leading diligence on400+ investment opportunities in therapeutics and diagnostics. In 2013, she foundedAmydis to develop ocular tracers for early detection of neurodegenerative diseasebiomarkers including TDP-43 (present in 97% of ALS patients) and amyloid beta. In2016, she founded Spinogenix to develop synaptic regenerative therapies. Thecompany's lead drug SPG302 is in clinical trials for ALS, Alzheimer's, andschizophrenia, with FDA expanded access authorization to treat 200 ALS patients. Hallof Fame quarterback Steve Young serves on the Spinogenix board. Dr. Sarraf was bornin Iran and is driven by her personal experience losing both parents toneurodegenerative disease.Learn more about Dr. Stella Sarraf:SpinogenixAmydisLinkedInForbes 50 Over 50: Innovation (2025)Xtalks Life Science Podcast InterviewLIVE YOUR IMPOSSIBLE DREAMS✨ Subscribe, listen, and believe.Presented by the ALS Network - https://WsBQMs.short.gy/nLpfroProduced by EVRYBDY Studios - https://WsBQMs.short.gy/oBFSUTAbout Aaron Lazar - https://WsBQMs.short.gy/ipArgWInstagram - https://WsBQMs.short.gy/CO4vRrApple - https://WsBQMs.short.gy/Q8eUThSpotify - https://WsBQMs.short.gy/tDP4r1Impossible Dream Merch - https://WsBQMs.short.gy/P0eBSeEpisode Navigation:1. 00:00 - How a PhD in organic chemistry is basically cooking with chemicals2. 05:04 - Living the impossible dream: FDA expanded access for 200 ALS patients3. 08:13 - The marathon of drug development: From cell to animal to human4. 10:21 - The mouse that ran circles: When the drug worked in an ALS animal model5. 22:28 - Combination therapy: Why ALS won't be solved by a single silver bullet6. 27:20 - Amydis and the eye: Detecting TDP-43 and diagnosing ALS early7. 39:47 - AI meets ophthalmology: Analyzing retinal images to track disease8. 44:06 - Steve Young, Dwight Clark, and the power of education and advocacy9. 48:55 - Fighting the system: Why expanded access programs face hospitalbottlenecks10. 53:38 - Flora and Whooshing: Fighting for her parents and all of us
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    57 mins
  • Dr. Linda Backman: Past Lives & the Three Types of Souls | Episode 25

    Dr. Linda Backman: Past Lives & the Three Types of Souls | Episode 25
    Apr 28 2026
    What if the challenges you face in this lifetime were chosen by your soul before you were born, and understanding why could change everything?In this profound episode, host Aaron Lazar sits down with Dr. Linda Backman, licensed psychologist, world-renowned regression therapist, and author of four groundbreaking books on soul evolution and past life healing. Featured on Gaia TV and Coast to Coast AM, Dr. Backman has spent over 47 years in private practice and 30 years guiding thousands of between-life soul regressions. She co-founded The Newton Institute with pioneering hypnotherapist Dr. Michael Newton and has trained therapists worldwide in the art of soul regression.This conversation is both an awakening and a homecoming. Dr. Backman opens up about her own transformation and how the sudden passing of a colleague in 1993 opened a doorway to the other side, triggering visions of past lives they had shared and launching her into decades of soul work. With her husband Earl's unexpected validation that he too had remembered past lives as a child, Linda found the support she needed to pursue what she calls her dharma. The impossible dream shines brightest in Dr. Backman's revelation that there are three types of souls incarnating on Earth: Earth-based souls, interplanetary souls who bring advanced wisdom from other star systems, and angelic souls who serve as emissaries of unconditional love. Through her regression work, clients have described spacecraft, non-human physical forms, life reviews with councils of guides, and the pre-birth agreements that shape our greatest challenges and relationships.Guest Bio:Dr. Linda Backman is a licensed psychologist and internationally recognized expert in between-life soul regression therapy. With 47 years of private practice experience and over 30 years guiding thousands of past-life and between-life regressions, she is one of the foremost authorities on soul evolution and reincarnation. Dr. Backman studied and co-taught with Dr. Michael Newton, author of Journey of Souls, and was a co-founding member of The Society for Spiritual Regression (now The Newton Institute). She holds degrees from the University of Oregon, University of North Carolina, and Northern Arizona University. In 1997, she and her husband Dr. Earl Backman founded The RavenHeart Center in Boulder, Colorado—a mystery school dedicated to soul-level healing and training. Dr. Backman is the author of four books: Soul Design, Souls on Earth, The Evolving Soul, and Bringing Your Soul to Light. Featured on Gaia TV and Coast to Coast AM, she conducts regression sessions remotely via Zoom with clients worldwide.Learn more about Dr. Linda Backman:RavenHeart CenterYouTube - RavenHeart CenterFacebook - Ravenheart CenterInstagram (@ravenheartcenter)Gaia TV - Dr. Linda Backman InterviewsLIVE YOUR IMPOSSIBLE DREAMS✨ Subscribe, listen, and believe.Presented by the ALS Network - https://WsBQMs.short.gy/nLpfroProduced by EVRYBDY Studios - https://WsBQMs.short.gy/oBFSUTAbout Aaron Lazar - https://WsBQMs.short.gy/ipArgWInstagram - https://WsBQMs.short.gy/CO4vRrApple - https://WsBQMs.short.gy/Q8eUThSpotify - https://WsBQMs.short.gy/tDP4r1Impossible Dream Merch - https://WsBQMs.short.gy/P0eBSeEpisode Navigation:1. 00:00 - Welcome and introducing soul therapy2. 03:54 - Two flavors of spiritual seekers: Which one are you?3. 06:27 - Linda's awakening: When her colleague spoke from the other side4. 12:46 - Earl's revelation: Remembering past lives as a child5. 26:29 - What is a soul? Higher Self, energy, and the pie analogy6. 37:23 - Soul pods, spirit guides, and the higher realm7. 52:38 - Life reviews and the Council: What happens when we cross over8. 57:47 - When bad things happen: Free will, karma, and the Holocaust9. 01:02:19 - The three types of souls: Earth-based, interplanetary, and angelic10. 01:10:22 - Linda's impossible dream: A planet of inclusivity
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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • Steven Kotler: Flow, Healing & the Neuroscience of the Impossible | Episode 24

    Steven Kotler: Flow, Healing & the Neuroscience of the Impossible | Episode 24
    Apr 14 2026

    What if the same state of consciousness that allows extreme athletes to redefine human limits could also help you heal from a disease doctors said was incurable?

    In this powerful episode, host Aaron Lazar sits down with Steven Kotler—New York Times bestselling author, three-time Pulitzer Prize nominee, and the world's leading expert on the neuroscience of flow and peak performance. As founder and Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective, Steven has spent decades decoding how humans accomplish the impossible, training everyone from Navy SEALs and Olympic athletes to Fortune 500 executives. His books—including The Art of Impossible, Stealing Fire, and The Rise of Superman—have shaped our understanding of human potential.

    This conversation is both a deep dive into the science of peak performance and a profoundly personal exploration of healing against the odds. Steven opens up about his battle with Lyme disease—years spent barely able to get out of bed, doctors who gave up on him, and the moment he nearly ended his own life. Then came surfing, flow states, and a recovery that modern medicine couldn't explain. What he learned changed everything.

    The impossible dream shines brightest in Steven's revelation that tragedy is teleportation—a doorway to becoming the most authentic version of yourself. From the spectrum of micro-flow to macro-flow, the neurochemical reset that heals autoimmune conditions, to why AI can't touch the creative lateral thinking that flow unlocks, this episode offers both hope and a roadmap for anyone facing their own impossible challenge.

    Guest Bio:

    Steven Kotler is a New York Times bestselling author, award-winning journalist, and the founder and Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective—the world's leading neuroscience-based peak performance research and training organization. He has authored fifteen books, including eleven bestsellers, with three Pulitzer Prize nominations. His work has been translated into over 80 languages and appeared in more than 100 publications including The New York Times Magazine, Wired, TIME, and the Harvard Business Review. Steven was recently named a Research Professor at Florida Atlantic University's Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences. Along with his wife, author Joy Nicholson, he co-founded Rancho de Chihuahua, a hospice and special needs dog sanctuary in the mountains of Northern New Mexico. His newest book with Peter Diamandis, We Are as Gods: A Survival Guide for the Age of Abundance, releases April 2026.

    Learn more about Steven Kotler:

    stevenkotler.com

    Flow Research Collective

    The Art of Impossible

    X/Twitter (@steven_kotler)

    Instagram (@stevenkotler)

    LIVE YOUR IMPOSSIBLE DREAMS

    ✨ Subscribe, listen, and believe.

    Presented by the ALS Network - https://WsBQMs.short.gy/nLpfro

    Produced by EVRYBDY Studios - https://WsBQMs.short.gy/oBFSUT

    About Aaron Lazar - https://WsBQMs.short.gy/ipArgW

    Instagram - https://WsBQMs.short.gy/CO4vRr

    Apple - https://WsBQMs.short.gy/Q8eUTh

    Spotify - https://WsBQMs.short.gy/tDP4r1

    Impossible Dream Merch - https://WsBQMs.short.gy/P0eBSe
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    1 hr and 13 mins
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