This year is coming to an end. What would you look back on with joy? What would you look back on with wistful sadness?

2024 was a transformative year for me in so many ways. Some were documented in this podcast through conversations I had, and some - are yet to be published, and some... will just stay with me.

A brief moment to reflect. And to also let you know that I'm taking December off – to focus on the in-person events and connecting with people in my life, to get re-inspired and recharged creatively.

From January until early March episodes will be released every other week – to allow space for my upcoming trip in February.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:06) Reflections of 2024

(01:52) Selling My Company

(03:06) Launching This Podcast

(05:23) Embracing Event Creation (finally!)

(06:42) Power of mindful presence

(07:52) Be Brave to Ask Questions

(10:00) Episode Schedule for Early 2025

Much love and stay curious - until 2025 xx

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Subscribe to learn more about what it takes to be a human being in this and upcoming conversations. You can watch this episode on Youtube.

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Leave your comments, thoughts and feelings below.

Laura Sagen, host of On Emergence podcast

In this episode, I sat down with Milagros Casaverde, a guardian of ayahuasca and the Sacred Valley Tribe community in Pisac, Peru. Milagros with her 24 years of experience with holding ayahuasca ceremonies discusses the power and potential to bring you to your own wholeness... as I reflect on the recent experience with the Mother Plant myself.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction
(01:30) Personal journey with Ayahuasca
(03:28) Pre-roll intro for YouTube
(07:11) Empowering to see all parts of yourself
(16:11) Integrating ceremony lessons into your daily life
(18:51) How to identify fear vs. calling
(22:18) Ability to feel joy
(28:32) It's better to be whole than good
(30:05) The Witness Perspective
(31:51) Common themes during ayahuasca journeys
(33:33) Forgetting who you are... only to remember
(35:07) Dealing with your human feelings
(39:35) Expansion of Ayahuasca practices
(40:28) Challenges and misconceptions about ayahuasca
(42:49) Different ways to connect with nature

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To connect and find out more about Milagros' work at Sacred Valley Tribe community, reach out via the website.

Subscribe to learn more about what it takes to be a human being in this and upcoming conversations.

You can watch this episode on Youtube.

I would be delighted to connect with you on ⁠Instagram⁠, too.

Leave your comments, thoughts and feelings below.

Laura Sagen, host of On Emergence podcast

In this episode, I sit down with Lugh Whittall, a teacher of Daoism philosophy & approach to explore the transformative “science of the invisible”. He explains how navigating the world of energy can guide you towards inner balance.

From understanding the dance of polarities towards unity, from Tai-Chi to Bianhua through a journey towards your personal Qi and Ming (purpose), Lugh explains how Daoist wisdom offers us practical tools for aligning mind, body, and spirit.

(00:00:00) Introduction

(00:03:27) Science of the invisible - definition of Daoism

(00:05:49) The dance of polarities: Yin and Yang

(00:06:40) Fire and Water Worlds. Visibile and the Invisible

(00:16:59) The body – the Bible in Daoism

(00:24:32) Inner Alchemy for Cultivating Qi

(00:33:58) Awakening Shen (Spirit) in Daily Life

(00:36:52) Effortless Effort

(00:38:59) How to discover your Ming - your Life Purpose

(00:46:35) Through the Body lies the path to Transformation

(00:48:36) Daoist Practice in Everyday Life: Practical Takeaways

You can connect with Lugh via his Facebook page.

Subscribe to learn more about what it takes to be a human being in this and upcoming conversations. You can watch this episode on Youtube.

I would be delighted to connect with you on ⁠Instagram⁠, too.

Leave your comments, thoughts and feelings below.

Laura Sagen, host of On Emergence podcast https://www.onemergence.com/

The ever-evolving question: what is art? Inspired by a conversation with a friend, a visual artist, in this episode I explore how intention and emotional connection can transform even everyday acts into powerful expressions of your human experience...

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:40) The Nature of Art

(02:07) An Emotional Expression

(02:43) Beyond the Visual

(04:17) Process of creating art... is also art

(09:15) Art as an expression of culture

(10:26) What is NOT art or bad art?

(14:11) Why you have to make art

Subscribe to learn more about what it takes to be a human being in this and upcoming conversations. You can watch this episode on ⁠Youtube⁠.

I would be delighted to connect with you on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠, too

Leave your comments, thoughts and feelings below.

Laura Sagen, host of On Emergence podcast ⁠https://www.onemergence.com/⁠

In this episode of On Emergence, I sit down with Christine Romeijn, not only a dear friend, but also an artist and profound unconventional thinker with a truly fascinating mind – to unravel the essence of being human. Together, we explore what truly defines us as a species—from the biological underpinnings and the impact of memory and identity to the exciting yet complex possibilities of future technology.

Christine also shares her insights on the role of music in memory (in the context of Alzheimer and Parkinson patients), how language shapes our experience, and the ethical boundaries that may emerge as technology reshapes human life. We also dive into the "process of becoming," unpacking how our identities evolve and what it means to be ourselves over time.

The backstory of this episode can be found here.

(00:00) Start

(02:23) What Makes Someone Human?

(03:42) Human Species

(04:46) Future Humans and Discrimination

(08:19) Are You Your Body?

(13:47) Memory and Identity

(17:56) Music and Memory in Dementia

(18:44) Language as Sound

(27:25) Process of Becoming

Subscribe to learn more about what it takes to be a human being in this and upcoming conversations. You can watch this episode on Youtube.

I would be delighted to connect with you on ⁠Instagram⁠, too.

Leave your comments, thoughts and feelings below.

Laura Sagen, host of On Emergence podcast https://www.onemergence.com/

When you feel wronged, cheated, mistreated - you often have a resulting desire for justice and for validation of your experience. However what’s behind those needs? Whether part of the cancel culture conversation or a family conflict, why do we need to have our stories validated by others – and why it is hard when they are not? Exploring this and concepts of “universal truth”…

(00:00) Introduction

(00:53) Human need to share our stories

(02:11) Desire for social validation

(04:51) Your feelings are valid(06:13) Challenge of community and personal truth

(07:46) Need for justice and desire for equal pain

(08:17) Concept of "rights and entitlement"

(12:59) "Let it be"

(14:22) Sharing as a tool for self-exploration

(15:43) Your contribution to Universal truth

Subscribe to learn more about what it takes to be a human being in this and upcoming conversations.

You can watch this episode on Youtube. And I would be delighted to connect with you on ⁠Instagram⁠, too.

Leave your comments, thoughts and feelings below.

Laura Sagen, host of On Emergence podcast.

Have you ever stopped to think about your food connects you to the outside world?

In this episode, I sat down with Zach Khan, a mastermind chef, food anthropologist, and an overall multi-specialist to explore how the food we eat invites us to connect - not only to each other but to the world we live in: from plants we eat & wear to the wisdom they carry for us.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(03:41) Food as a Gateway to Human Experience

(05:59) Nature's Wisdom Through Seasonal Eating

(08:15) Ancient Practices of Food Preservation

(12:56) Human Adaptability and Seasonal Eating

(13:56) Interconnectedness of Humans, Plants & Soil

(22:15) Soil Intelligence

(27:46) Circularity of Our Food & Ecosystem

(34:18) The Mystery of Life and Ancient Wisdom

(38:22) Plant Intelligence

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To connect and find out more about Zach's work, reach out via his website.

Subscribe to learn more about what it takes to be a human being in this and upcoming conversations. You can watch this episode on Youtube.

I would be delighted to connect with you on ⁠Instagram⁠.

To find out more background of this conversation, go to the website, www.onemergence.com.

Laura Sagen, your host.

I get many comments about this podcast (and about myself...) – as being "spiritual" – so I took a moment to look at this statement closely to understand the meaning behind the word.

Spirituality is interconnectedness and appreciation of the unknown. Let's dive in?

(00:00) Introduction

(01:07) What does "spiritual" mean?

(02:03) Interconnectedness of experience

(03:47) Spirit of science.

(06:13) Our Solar system and observable Universe

(07:36) Being part of larger whole helps in your day to day

(10:36) For your decision-making.

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Subscribe to learn more about what it takes to be a human being in this and upcoming conversations. You can watch this episode on Youtube

I would be delighted to connect with you on ⁠Instagram⁠, too

Leave your comments, thoughts and feelings below.

Laura Sagen, host of On Emergence podcast