There’s no greater mythic mind in modern podcasting than Josh Schrei, the voice and vision behind The Emerald. If you, like me, are already a fan of his deeply poetic and perspective-shifting show, then you’ll understand why I’ve wanted to have him on Life is a Festival since the moment I heard his episode on festivals.

In this conversation, Josh and I explore the revival of myth in our modern moment. We talk about the ancient power of festivals, structure and fluidity of gender, the soul’s longing for meaning, and the complex challenges facing young men. We also touch on the pitfalls of self-importance and how myth can humble and reorient us. Finally, we explore the necessity of daily ritual, and how embodiment through practice keeps the sacred alive.

Josh Schrei is a mythteller, teacher, podcaster, and founder of The Emerald, a beloved show that brings together sweeping narratives, cinematic sound design, and interviews with renowned thinkers to reawaken the mythic imagination. A lifelong student of mythologies—particularly from the Indian subcontinent — Josh brings decades of study in yoga, meditation, wilderness rites, music, and the arts into his teaching. He also leads The Mythic Body, an immersive course designed to re-enliven the soul through story and practice.

Timestamps

• (05:03 The Power of Myth in Modern Times
• (23:44) The Role of Festivals in Human Culture
• (39:18) The Mythic Relationship to Gender
• (42:34) The Need for Young Men's Rituals
• (57:33) The Healing Journey and Plant Medicine
• (01:05:36) Daily Practices for Healing and Connection
• (01:10:23) The Importance of Relational Coherence

Links

• Joshua Michael Schrei | Creating The Emerald
• The Mythic Body: Home
• The Emerald | Podcast on Spotify
• Josh Schrei (@the_emerald_podcast)
• Festivals! Initiation and the Brilliance of Eternity

I recently revisited Iboga — the psychedelic root bark from Equatorial West Africa — six years after first experiencing it in a traditional Bwiti ceremony in Gabon. This time, I received Ibogaine treatment at Beond in Cancún. (Full disclosure: I produce their podcast, Ibogaine Uncovered.)

To my surprise, my mentor Benjamin also spends time at Beond, quietly supporting others through their Ibogaine journeys. After my own treatment—complete with a flood dose and a booster dose—the best way to share my experience felt like a conversation with Benjamin himself.

I also interviewed Tom, Beond’s CEO, for The Psychedelic Therapy Podcast — check that out for more details on the clinic and Ibogaine. As always, you’ll find links in the show notes. Now, please join me for my chat with my mentor, spiritual guide, and extraordinary role model, Benjamin.

Links

• Ibogaine Treatment Center in Cancun, Mexico | Beond
• The Yang Container | Benjamin
• To Escape the Tyranny of the Self | Benjamin
• The Psychedelic Therapy Podcast
• Ibogaine Uncovered | Podcast on Spotify

Timestamps

• 05:10 The Ibogaine Process and Its Benefits
• 09:18 Ibogaine and Traumatic Brain Injury
• 20:22 Reflections on Healing and Growth
• 29:57 The Beond Experience
• 30:43 My Ibogaine Journey
• 32:32 Post-Treatment Reflections
• 35:59 Connecting with Others
• 37:38 Understanding Addiction

In the aftermath of the 2024 election, as half the country celebrates and the other half mourns, Alex Ebert and I find ourselves doing what grown men often do to process complex emotions—we make a podcast about it. It's our fourth time using this particular hack for male friendship, but something feels different, more urgent this time. The exit polls reveal young men swinging dramatically rightward, and I can't help but see this through the lens of masculinity—specifically, the left's failure to provide an aspirational vision of what it means to be a man in these complicated times.

On today's show, we dive deep into why progressive spaces have become increasingly inhospitable to young men, who are drifting toward figures like Andrew Tate and Jordan Peterson while the left seems to have lost its grip on the masculine imagination. Alex shares his personal journey of integrating the feminine through meditation and inner work, while we examine everything from RFK Jr.'s campaign to Bernie's legacy to the archetypal pull of Elon Musk. We're using this modern ritual—two microphones and a quiet room—to explore the very crisis of connection that makes such spaces necessary in the first place.

Alexander Ebert makes his fourth appearance on Life is a Festival, bringing his unique perspective as an award-winning artist, composer, and philosophical troubadour. Known for fronting both Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and Ima Robot, Ebert has evolved into a penetrating cultural critic through his Bad Guru Substack. Having explored spiritual narcissism and psychedelic culture with us before, he's the perfect companion for examining these thorny questions of masculinity, power, and the possibility of healing our collective wounds.

Timestamps

• (09:00) — Toxic vs. aspirational masculinity
• (18:30) — Why the object-acquiring man lacks an integrated feminine
• (28:30) — Are Bowie and Prince integrated?
• (33:00) — The unhelpful narrative of “Boohoo white man”
• (44:00) — RFK and Bernie Bros
• (54:00) — Barack Obama and cool security
• (59:00) — The power of myth
• (1:10:00) — The allure of the unconflicted man

Links

• Bad Guru | Alex Ebert | Substack
• Bad Guru (@alex_ebert) • Instagram
• Life is a Festival: Dunking on the New Age is Boring Now
• Life is a Festival: A Love Letter to Earnestness
• Life is a Festival: Healing New Age Narcissism