Know Thyself

In this conversation, Jesse Michels joins me to explore a question that’s becoming harder to dismiss: what if the phenomenon we call UFOs points to something real—and we don’t yet know what it is? Rather than arguing for belief or disbelief, this episode is an invitation to curiosity, careful inquiry, and intellectual honesty about the limits of our current understanding.

We examine historical UFO encounters near nuclear sites, government secrecy, and the growing body of anomalies that don’t sit comfortably within a purely materialist worldview. This is a conversation about staying grounded while remaining open. About asking better questions. And about whether phenomena like UFOs, non-human intelligence, or something we haven’t yet named might be nudging us to expand how we think about reality, consciousness, and our place in the universe.

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André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list

___________
00:00 Intro
06:36 Questioning the Nature of Reality
09:18 A Timeline of Non-Human Intelligence Evidence
23:37 Why Nuclear Sites Attract Attention
31:55 Extraordinary Claims, Extraordinary Evidence
40:29 Ad: Momentous
41:51 Letting Go of Human-Centric Thinking
47:49 Studying Claims Without Dismissing People
58:58 Non-Human Biologics and Physical Evidence
1:06:10 Ad: Boncharge
1:07:25 What May Have Been Quietly Explored
1:18:55 The Hidden Branch of Physics
1:26:38 Reframing Aliens Through Consciousness
1:33:33 Grays, Nordics, and Reptilians Explained
1:40:10 Why We Don’t See Reality Directly
1:53:58 Glimpses Outside Linear Time
1:58:44 Why Aliens Look Strangely Human
2:07:32 Shared Phenomena in Altered States
2:15:32 Jesse’s Personal UFO Experiences
2:23:35 The Monolith as a Metaphor
2:29:07 The Problem With Visual Proof
2:35:24 What Is Actually Happening?
2:46:47 Voices Worth Listening To
2:51:22 What Would You Ask an Alien?
2:53:19 Closing Thoughts
___________

Episode Resources:
https://www.youtube.com/Jessemichels
https://www.instagram.com/jessemichelsofficial/

https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/
https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/
https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast
https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com

This final episode of the year is a special compilation reflecting on the lessons, reminders, and moments that shaped 2025. It’s a curated journey through insights from across the year—designed to help you slow down, take stock, and step into 2026 with greater clarity, presence, and intention.

This episode is less about doing more and more about listening—reflecting on the growth, challenges, relationships, and inner shifts that defined the past year. It’s an invitation to notice what wants to be released, what wants to be integrated, and what seeds you’re ready to water moving forward. Sometimes all it takes is a one-degree change in direction to alter the entire path ahead.

Momentous: Best Creatine in the game
https://livemomentous.com
[Use code KNOWTHYSELF for up to 35% off]

2025/2026 Reflections and Intentions: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/yearinreview

Andrés Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list

___________
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:37 Review 2025 Instead of Planning 2026 (E166 – Tim Ferriss)
00:05:27 The Most Important Practice of 2026 (E152 – Mark Manson)
00:10:11 There Is No Wealth Without Health (E128 – Mindy Pelz)
00:12:26 The Importance of a Bedtime Routine (E143 – Michael Beckwith)
00:17:59 How To Grasp The Opportunity of Life (E119 – Marianne Williamson)
00:25:16 The Power of Entrainment (E145 – Dr. Theresa Bullard)
00:31:01 Be Careful With What You Desire (E160 – Aaron Abke)
00:35:18 Explore Your Relationship With Money (E140 – Lewis Howes)
00:41:59 Ad – Momentous
00:43:14 Happiness is an Inside Job (E149 – Dr. Thema Bryant)
00:48:16 The Unique Opportunity of Our Times (E154 – Sadhguru)
00:53:25 How To Discover Your Dharma (E155 – Dr. K)
01:01:11 Living The Moment You're Meant To Live (E164 – Dr. John Demartini)
01:07:53 The Problem With Manifestation (E118 – Aaron Doughty)
01:13:29 Finding Stability in Surrender (E135 – Yung Pueblo)
01:16:23 Relaxing Into Instability (E146 – Cory Muscara)
01:20:42 Looking Back To Plan Ahead (E158 – Tom Campbell)
01:24:35 A Different Perspective of the Future (E165 – Dr. Iain McGilchrist)
01:29:04 The Unlimited Potential of Being Human (E134 – Peter Crone)
___________

Watch the Full Episodes
Tim Ferriss: https://youtu.be/NxmUCGuapNw
Mark Manson: https://youtu.be/to-APJvffFQ
Mindy Pelz: https://youtu.be/pgWnbRg5-cg
Michael Beckwith: https://youtu.be/r3wrUmE1L3w
Marianne Williamson: https://youtu.be/AQzKagUJGvI
Dr. Theresa Bullard: https://youtu.be/mrKiH4J0_5U
Aaron Abke: https://youtu.be/zXMKj8fNnYQ
Lewis Howes: https://youtu.be/PTPjCtF9es4
Dr. Thema Bryant: https://youtu.be/ItRCT_L2kpA
Sadhguru: https://youtu.be/FMoXXb-wKE8
Dr. K: https://youtu.be/zj40FT631P4
Dr. John DeMartini: https://youtu.be/dVR01alAe8o
Aaron Doughty: https://youtu.be/79INohJ7KTw
Yung Pueblo: https://youtu.be/bwom9Y6ybcg
Cory Muscara: https://youtu.be/IrxFMkYUBFg
Tom Campbell: https://youtu.be/IoGSWLuH2Js
Dr. Iain McGilchrist: https://youtu.be/LZ5C11mlTH4
Peter Crone: https://youtu.be/VCi93m9lloM

Episode Resources:
https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/
https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/
https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast
https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com

Dr. Mindy Pelz returns to explore the deeper meaning of aging, menopause, and the profound psychological and neurological transformations women undergo as they grow older. Drawing from neuroscience, anthropology, mythology, and personal experience, Mindy reframes menopause not as a decline—but as an initiation into wisdom, sovereignty, and inner authority.

We discuss the concept of the “second innocence,” the pruning and rewiring of the female brain across hormonal transitions, the grandmother hypothesis, and why modern culture fears aging women. Mindy shares how trauma, grief, solitude, and uncertainty can become gateways to resilience, neuroplasticity, and self-discovery—especially when women stop outsourcing their worth and begin listening inward.

Boost your hydration with Pique Life Tea (20% off here):
https://www.piquelife.com/knowthyself

Andrés Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list

___________
00:00 Intro - Dr. Mindy Pelz
03:39 The return to the second innocence
08:18 What’s the purpose of menopause?
16:09 Where the shift begins
23:04 Supporting others without abandoning yourself
31:57 Being considerate vs owning others’ emotions
34:14 Ad: Pique Life
35:55 The power of solitude
43:26 Letting go
52:48 From power over to power within
56:48 The brain architecture of wisdom
1:02:24 Transformation: From a caterpillar to a butterfly
1:19:58 Fasting during menopause
1:26:35 Knowing when and how to detox
1:32:31 Healing through breathwork, EMDR, psilocybin
1:45:12 Lacking a support system
1:49:07 Closing thoughts
___________

Episode Resources:
Her new book: https://bookshop.org/p/books/age-like-a-girl-why-the-brain-changes-that-happen-after-40-set-you-up-for-your-best-life-yet-dr-mindy-pelz/1d7c0fe95ab52c4f?ean=9781401975562&next=t
https://www.instagram.com/dr.mindypelz
https://www.drmindypelz.com/

https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/
https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/
https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast
https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com

In this episode, Dr. Will Bulsiewicz walks us through unseen forces shaping our health, energy, and emotional lives. From the chemicals in our food system to the hidden drivers of inflammation and burnout, we dive into why so many people today feel exhausted, misaligned, and disconnected from their true well-being.

We examine how modern culture normalizes habits and environments that work against our biology, and why healing requires more than symptom management — it demands addressing the root causes, rebuilding alignment, and taking ownership of what we allow into our bodies and minds.

20% off Pique Life Tea (FREE glass beaker and frother!):
https://www.piquelife.com/knowthyself

Andrés Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list

___________
00:00 Intro: Will Bulsiewicz
02:34 How much of our mood is controlled by our gut?
09:40 Two diseases: individualism and materialism
23:30 The intelligence that lives in our gut
35:31 Ad: Pique Life
36:46 What is immune intelligence?
48:01 Detoxing from environmental toxins
54:54 Why are chemical companies allowed to poison us?
57:39 A short horror story
1:02:45 Looking out for what to avoid
1:05:27 The effects of factory farming on our bodies
1:17:36 Humans are the microbes of the Earth
1:26:23 Conclusion: Changing the world

___________
Episode Resources: 
https://www.amazon.com/Plant-Powered-Plus-Activate-Inflammation/dp/0593418794
https://www.instagram.com/theguthealthmd/
https://theguthealthmd.com/

https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/
https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/
https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast
https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com

Lucy Hale joins me for a deeply honest conversation about sobriety, identity, childhood wounds, fame, intuition, and learning to finally feel at home within yourself. Known globally as a singer and actress, Lucy opens up about the parts of her journey most people never see: the fear beneath early success, the alcoholism that followed her from childhood, the spiritual intervention that changed her life, and the inner work she’s committed to since.

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Andrés Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list

___________

00:00 Intro: Lucy Hale
03:27 What do you attribute your ambition to?
04:49 Alcoholism
14:23 Hitting rock bottom
19:33 Finding meaning in yourself
27:59 Old Lucy vs New Lucy
33:30 Ad: Boncharge
35:28 How has your connection with yourself revealed new insights?
44:40 How do you navigate being in the public eye and staying true to yourself?
47:26 What are you getting intuitively about the next chapter of your life?
50:49 Ad: Mudwtr
51:57 How do you handle rejection as an actor?
54:34 From your young age, what called you to being in this line of work?
57:12 Is there a moment that stood out to you that said "I made it"?
59:51 Pretty Little Liars
1:05:54 What would you say to past Lucy?
1:08:01 Was taking responsibility of your life what shifted it all for you?
1:12:37 How do you view your sense of spirituality?
1:19:48 What is your relationship to boredom?
1:23:00 How has the definition of beauty evolved for you?
1:28:56 What does prayer look like to you?
1:29:51 Being 36 and the biological clock
1:34:46 Closing thoughts - Lucy's masculine vs feminine side
___________

Episode Resources:
https://www.instagram.com/lucyhale/
https://www.instagram.com/thelightdwellers/

https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/
https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/
https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast
https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com