The Life Stylist

Why does real connection feel rare, even when you’re constantly around others?

I sit down with Michael Trainer, author of Resonance: The Art and Science of Human Connection, to question what we think we know about loneliness and human connection. His background in neuroscience and global initiatives brings a different lens to something most people assume is purely emotional.

We challenge the idea that more people equals more connection. It becomes clear that the quality of your relationships directly affects your biology, from your nervous system to long-term health.

I also get into my own experiences with confronting reality versus escaping it. This tension shows up clearly when we talk about psychedelics and healing and how they relate to sobriety.

When your environment or relationships don’t match who you are, your system responds. That’s where resonance stops being abstract and starts becoming something you can feel.

Read: Resonance: The Art and Science of Human Connection by Michael Trainer (https://amzn.to/4lepU1n)

You’ll learn:

[00:00] Introduction
[06:05] Psychedelics as confrontation vs. escape, and the fake shaman problem
[14:39] The cruel irony of writing a book about loneliness
[21:15] What Michael discovered in Sri Lanka that most outsiders never find
[34:47] More connected to God, lonelier with people, the paradox nobody talks about
[51:59] What a real ceremonial leader sounds like, the Jerry Nelson story
[01:01:10] A father who never heard "I love you" and refused to let love die on a napkin
[01:21:03] What 12-Step groups and indigenous healing traditions actually share
[01:40:57] Why we're more connected than ever but lonelier than ever
[01:52:52] Nature as a nervous system reset, vision fasts, and 40 days in the dark
[01:59:13] Declaring your fear on stage and singing to 50 horses in Patagonia

Related The Life Stylist Episodes:

Bulletproof Upgrade Labs Biohacking All-Stars Part One | Podcast
Shamanic Soul Search & Rescue: Sacred Plant Connections w/ Michael Trainer | Podcast
Humility, Surrender, and Self-Honesty: Practical Tool for Ego Management w/ Luke & Alyson Storey | Podcast
Steven Pressfield: Overcoming Resistance to Discover Your Creative Genius | Podcast
Echoes of the Afterlife: My Father's Wisdom from the Other Side w/ Alan Storey | Podcast
The Walking Dead And The Path of Enlightenment with Jeff Kober, Part One | Podcast
The Walking Dead And The Path of Enlightenment with Jeff Kober, Part Two | Podcast
A Lion Tracker's Inner Journey of Awakening & Inspiration w/ Boyd Varty | Podcast
Letting Go & Holding On: My Father's Life, Death, & Lessons w/ Luke & Alyson Storey | Podcast

Resources Mentioned:

Read: A Horse Named Lonesome: Tales and Teachings to Reclaim Connection, Transcend Separation, and Discover the Divine Within by Luke Storey | Book
Read: Animal Power: 100 Animals to Energize Your Life and Awaken Your Soul by Alyson Charles | Book
Alive Again: A Story of Music and Memory | Website
Read: Secrets of the Talking Jaguar: Memoirs from the Living Heart of a Mayan Village by Martin Prechtel | Book
Read: The Disobedience of the Daughter of the Sun: A Mayan Tale of Ecstasy, Time, and Finding One's True Form by Martín Prechtel | Book
Carbogenetics | Website
Read: The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield | Book
Read: Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert | Book
Read: Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect by Matthew D. Lieberman | Book
Read: Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain | Book

Full show notes at lukestorey.com/trainer3

Find more from Michael:

Michael Trainer | Instagram | Facebook | X | YouTube
Resonance: The Art & Science of Human Connection | Website

Find more from Luke:

Luke Storey | Instagram | Facebook | X | YouTube | LinkedIn

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I’ve done a lot of deep work over the years—therapy, plant medicine, spiritual practices, you name it. And I don’t say this lightly: this experience hit different.
In this bonus episode from The Great Unlearn, Cal Callahan and I sit down with somatic practitioner Kyle Coursey and unpack what actually happened during one of the most intense and transformative sessions of my life. We’re talking 10+ hours of real conversation, somatic work, and confronting the stories I didn’t even know were still running the show.
We get into boundaries, integrity, self-worth, and why most people are trying to think their way out of things that can only be felt and processed through the body.
This one’s raw, honest, and packed with insights I’m still integrating.
If you’re serious about growth, don’t skip this one.

A compound discovered in algae might be one of the most overlooked tools for longevity.

I’ve spent years trying to build resilience in a world where avoiding stressors isn’t realistic. This conversation sharpened my thinking about astaxanthin's benefits and what’s actually happening inside the body.

Dave Watumull has spent nearly three decades studying this compound, from early work in Hawaii to leading AX3 Life. His focus has been on understanding how a molecule produced by microalgae under extreme UV stress translates into oxidative stress support for humans.

We break down how this works at the cellular level, including how free radicals form and why they’re unavoidable. The real shift is learning how to interrupt that damage before it spreads.

This episode is for anyone interested in longevity, daily energy, and building resilience in a high-stress modern environment.

You’ll learn:

[00:00] Introduction
[04:19] The science behind astaxanthin as nature's internal sunscreen
[13:10] Building internal resilience against EMF when physical shielding isn't enough
[25:12] Why algae ponds were abandoned and how AX3 achieves 3x greater absorption
[40:53] The NIH study that put astaxanthin in the same conversation as rapamycin for longevity
[49:57] How astaxanthin anchors inside cell membranes to stop lipid oxidation before it spreads
[01:01:45] The blessing and curse of a molecule that works on nearly every organ in the body
[01:12:09] Finding your astaxanthin dose, from baseline to therapeutic
[01:16:52] Astaxanthin for joints, dogs, and the real reason farmed salmon are pink

Visit ax3.life/luke and use code LUKE for 20% off your first order

Related The Life Stylist Episodes:

The Truth About Seed Oils, Cellular Detox & Mold Recovery | Podcast
Awesome Algae! Nature's Master Healers Spirulina & Chlorella w/ ENERGYBits' Catharine Arnston | Podcast
Algae Unleashed! Spirulina + Chlorella For Detox, Anti-Aging, & Max ATP Power | Podcast
How To Create Superhuman Energy & Immunity W/ Ian Clark | Podcast

Resources Mentioned:

Hecht et al, Astaxanthin (AstaReal®) improved acute and chronic digital eye strain in children: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial | Article
AX3 Advantage | Website
Harrison et al, Astaxanthin and meclizine extend lifespan in UM-HET3 male mice; fisetin, SG1002 (hydrogen sulfide donor), dimethyl fumarate, mycophenolic acid, and 4-phenylbutyrate do not significantly affect lifespan in either sex at the doses and schedules used | Article BodyBio Balance Oil (Omega 6 +3) | Website
Mitolife PUFA Protect | Website
Jung-Piao et al, Effect of astaxanthin supplementation on cycling performance, muscle damage biomarkers and oxidative stress in young adults: a randomized controlled trial | Article
Activation Products Oceans Alive | Website
EnergyBits Algae Tablets | Website
Black Lotus Shilajit | Website
BEAM Minerals Advanced Canine Mineral & Electrolyte Replenishment Set | Website

Full show notes at lukestorey.com/659

Find more from Dave:

Dave Watumull | Instagram
AX3 | Website | Instagram | Facebook | X | YouTube

Find more from Luke:

Luke Storey | Instagram | Facebook | X | YouTube | LinkedIn

THE LIFE STYLIST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

QUANTUM UPGRADE | Visit lukestorey.com/quantumupgrade and use code LUKE15 to get your 15-day free trial.

PIQUE LIFE | Get 20% off sitewide at http://piquelife.com/luke

REAL PROVISIONS | Visit realprovisions.com/luke and use code LUKE to get a free bag of Venison Chips with your order.

LEELA QUANTUM | Visit lukestorey.com/leelaq and use code LUKE10 for 10% off your first order.

What if grief isn’t something to get over, but something that reveals what you haven’t felt yet?
Today, I’m joined by my wife, Alyson Charles Storey, bestselling author and shamanic teacher known for guiding people back to their connection with the Divine, for a deeply personal conversation on grief, death, and sacred friendship.
There’s a difference between understanding loss and being pulled into it without warning. We break down how grief as a living process can reopen emotions you thought were complete, and why that can be part of healing.
We also explore what it means to honor someone without turning their life into content, and how Alyson approaches this work through devotion, spiritual practice, and grounded human experience.
From there, we shift into sobriety and surrender. I share why real change didn’t come from discipline, but from giving up control and trusting something greater.
You’ll learn:
[00:00] Introduction
[03:56] What losing James Van Der Beek revealed about the rarest kind of friendship
[15:01] The kind of person who makes you realize how few of them there are
[33:43] The prayer that got me sober and what 29 years taught me about surrender
[46:10] Why the most spiritually masterful people are the hardest to recognize
[01:02:45] The exhaustion nobody warns you about when you've been awake too long
[01:15:03] Two biohacking discoveries I can't stop using
[01:26:09] Doyle Bramhall II's healing session delivered plant medicine depth without the plant medicine
[01:33:46] When the audience knows what you need before you do
Get the Animal Power book and deck, plus a free guided drumming shamanic journey to meet your power animal, at alysoncharles.com/animalpower

Visit lukestorey.com/aurora and use code LUKE for 10% off AURORA Vitra Light Water Gel.
Resources Mentioned:
Read: Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom by John O'Donohue | Book
Read: A Horse Named Lonesome: Tales and Teachings for Spiritual Transformation and Healing the Wounds of Separation by Luke Storey | Book
Alejandro Sanzon | Instagram
Paige Britt | Website
Swami Vidyadhishananda | Website
David R. Hawkins | Website
Read: The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle | Book
The Light System | Website
Aurora Vitra Lite Water Gel | Website
Analemma Whole House Structured Water Filter | Website

Full show notes at https://lukestorey.com/658

Find more from Alyson:

Alyson Charles | Website | Instagram | Facebook | X | TikTok | YouTube

Find more from Luke:

Luke Storey | Instagram | Facebook | X | YouTube | LinkedIn

THE LIFE STYLIST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

LVLUP HEALTH | Visit lukestorey.com/lvlup and use code LUKE15 to save 15%.

FOUR SIGMATIC | Get a FREE bag of Four Sigmatic Original Mushroom Coffee—organic, third‑party tested, with lion’s mane and chaga (just pay shipping) at foursigmatic.com/luke

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BIOPTIMIZERS | Visit bioptimizers.com/luke to save 15% off sitewide.

What if the patterns driving today’s global instability have been repeating for far longer than we realize?
I sit down with Alex Sachon, a philosopher trained in the social sciences who uses ancient philosophy to make sense of the rapidly shifting social, cultural, and geopolitical landscape we’re living through. His work brings together esoteric philosophy, historical analysis, and a systems-level view of civilization to explain how we arrived at this moment.
We trace how early exposure to Daoism and Zen Buddhism opened the door to deeper questions about consciousness, and how that eventually intersected with the study of empire, financial systems, and the evolution of power structures. His recent book, The Coming World Nation, outlines a model of social hierarchy and offers a revisionist look at the last 200 years of American history.
If you’ve ever felt like something about the current system doesn’t add up, but couldn’t quite articulate why, this conversation helps connect those dots. It’s especially relevant for people who question mainstream narratives, think in systems, and want a deeper framework for understanding where we might be headed next.
You’ll Learn:

[00:00] Introduction
[07:26] Why humans keep choosing rulers, even when it destroys them
[17:02] The one thing keeping the masses from organizing against the elite
[28:44] Soft power, hard control, how empire stopped needing soldiers
[40:38] Free energy, anti-gravity, and why even the ruling class was kept in the dark
[01:01:50] What's really behind UFO disclosure, and who's engineering it
[01:19:04] Atlantis, astrology, and a 25,000-year pattern we're living through today
[01:35:39] Karma, cosmic justice, and why the elite's arrogance is already their punishment
[01:43:41] What you bring with you when you die, and how psychedelics show you first
[01:53:12] Shakespeare, Masonry, and a secret lineage hiding in plain sight
[02:21:51] Philosophy, science, religion; why all three collapse without each other

Full show notes at https://lukestorey.com/wisdom

Resources Mentioned:

Read: Tao Te Ching by Laozi | Book
The Century of the Self | IMDb
Westworld | IMDb
Carl Jung, Stanislav Grof, and the Science of the Soul by Sachon, A. | Article
Read: The Collected Works of C. G. Jung, Vol. 10: Civilization in Transition by C. G. Jung | Book
Read: The Scientist in the Crib: What Early Learning Tells Us About the Mind by Alison Gopnik | Book
Read: The Secret Teachings of All Ages by Manly P. Hall | Book
Read: Manly P. Hall: The Maestro of Esoteric Philosophy by Alex Sachon | Book
Cracking the Shakespeare Code: The Seven Steps to Mercy | YouTube
Read: The Lost Keys of Freemasonry: The Legend of Hiram Abiff by Manly P. Hall | Book

Find more from Alex:

Alex Sachon | Website
The Wisdom Tradition | Substack | Instagram | YouTube

Find more from Luke:

Luke Storey | Instagram | Facebook | X | YouTube | LinkedIn

THE LIFE STYLIST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

QUANTUM UPGRADE | Visit lukestorey.com/quantumupgrade and use code LUKE15 to get your 15-day free trial.

REAL PROVISIONS | Visit RealProvisions.com/luke and enter the promo code LUKE to get a free bag of Venison Chips with your order.

BIOPTIMIZERS | Visit bioptimizers.com/luke to save 15% off sitewide.

BON CHARGE | Use the code LIFESTYLIST for 15% off at boncharge.com/lifestylist.

Get Alex's book, The Coming World Nation: Why Global Government Is Inevitable.