▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/
Can human consciousness extend beyond our brains?
For more than two decades, this week’s guest, Roger Nelson, founder of The Global Consciousness Project, has been exploring exactly that question. From a network of random-number generators placed across the planet, Roger and his team have gathered evidence suggesting that when millions of people share emotion — in moments of tragedy, joy, or global focus — the fabric of our existence becomes more ordered.
Roger explains how these subtle patterns may reveal a deep interconnectedness in human awareness — a kind of worldwide mind that responds when our hearts and attention align. We discuss the origins of the project at Princeton’s PEAR Lab, the surprising results from world events such as 9/11, and what this research might mean for the future of consciousness studies.
Roger is a rigorous scientist and an exemplar of the open-sceptic approach to life.
We explore:
First proof that mind extends beyond the brain
Can we really affect the past?
9/11 and the impact on global consciousness
A three-in-a-trillion chance that we’re not all connected
The noosphere - the next step for human evolution
Links:
The Global Consciousness Project
Connected: The Emergence of Global Consciousness - The Book
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#344 Life After Life - with Dr. Raymond Moody
▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/
What really happens when we die?
In this week’s episode, I speak with Dr. Raymond Moody, pioneering psychiatrist and author of the classic Life After Life. The man who coined the term Near Death Experience or NDE..
Across every culture and background, people who were pronounced dead and revived describe the same extraordinary scenes: a radiant light, a feeling of profound peace, reunions with loved ones, and a sense that death is not an ending but a beautiful transition.
Dr. Moody reflects on five decades of research that have transformed his understanding of consciousness. Once a skeptic, he now believes that something continues beyond the body and that these experiences hold vital lessons for how we live, love, and face our own mortality.
He’s also a very funny guy!
We explore:
His first examination of an NDE
Why we must now accept that consciousness is not simply biochemical
Connection to his own grandma beyond the grave
Appreciating nonsense
The coming consciousness revolution
Links:
Dr.Moody’s Website
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#343 Anyone Can Learn Telepathy - with Ditte Young
▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/
What if telepathy isn’t a rare gift, but a skill anyone can learn?
In this episode of Being Human, I sit down with Ditte Young - family therapist, author, and internationally renowned animal communicator. Ditte shares her extraordinary journey from working in Danish television to becoming a trusted voice for both humans and animals. She explains how she teaches telepathy, why 100% of her students succeed, and what animals reveal about love, presence, and our polluted world.
If you’re already sold on people having these abilities, you’ll love Ditte’s story. If you’re sceptical about this stuff and think it’s all woo-woo nonsense, this episode might just give you pause to think again.
We explore:
- Teaching telepathy
- How animals mirror their owners’ emotions and health issues
- Battling scepticism, direct evidence, and practice
- Enhancing leadership through trusting intuition and self-belief
- How her life as the mother of Philip, her neurodivergent son, shaped her healing path
Links:
Ditte’s Website
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#342 The Brain Is a Filter — Not a Generator of Consciousness - with Jeff Tarrant
▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/
What if your brain isn’t creating consciousness but filtering it?
Could the scientific study of so-called ‘psi’ abilities break the assumptions of materialist science?
In this episode of Being Human, I speak with Jeff Tarrant — psychologist, neuroscientist, and author of Becoming Psychic.
Jeff shares his research on psychics, mediums, and channelers, revealing surprising EEG findings that suggest our minds may tap into a broader field of information.
We explore:
- Why the brain blocks 99% of reality
- The American mum who suddenly started chanting indigenous hymns
- How meditation and psychedelics can loosen our filter
- What happens when intuition takes the lead
- The mysteries of human potential
Links:
Jeff’s Website
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#341 Nature, Consciousness & Treasure Hunting - with Eileen Hall
▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/
What if the greatest treasure isn’t buried in the earth but hidden in your own mind?
In this episode, I speak with Eileen Hall — artist and activist — about her extraordinary life at the crossroads of adventure, grief, and consciousness.
Raised in Ecuador amid volcanoes, jungles, and legendary treasure hunts, Eileen turned inward after the sudden death of her father, famed explorer Stan Hall. Her search led her into jungles, caves, and the world of psychedelics, where she discovered that the most valuable journeys are the ones we take inside ourselves.
We explore:
- Growing up around treasure hunters and explorers
- Lessons from silence and solitude in the jungle
- Grief, healing, and psychedelic therapy
- Consciousness as the ultimate frontier
Links:
Eileen’s Website
About The Being Human Podcast with Richard Atherton
Being Human is for people who want go deep on what it means to be a human making a difference. We’ll discover how to be better humans at work and in life. We’ll explore leadership, relationships and how to make changes in ourselves and our environments. Nothing will be off limits. Welcome.
Ireland