Advertise on podcast: Aliveness: Technology, love, money, sex, soul, governance

I am so excited to share my conversation with Kelly Stonelake! Kelly Stonelake is a business operator and technologist with nearly 15 years of experience at Meta, where she held senior roles in product marketing and organizational leadership. During her tenure, she raised concerns about child safety and internal misconduct and faced retaliation after senior leadership chose to conceal risks rather than address them. The gap between Meta’s stated values and her lived experience led to a severe loss of functioning and a fight for her life. Following her departure, Kelly became a whistleblower and advocate for stronger protections for children online, greater tech accountability, awareness of autistic burnout and suicide risk, and safer workplaces for marginalized people. Her work focuses on challenging the concentration of power in technology and advancing equity, accountability, and systemic reform. Kelly recently testified before the Washington State Senate in support of SB 5708 on addictive feeds and SB 5784 on AI companions, sharing first-hand accounts of child exposure, data collection without parental consent, and corporate retaliation against those who spoke up. Please visit Kelly Stonelake on Substack at Overturned by Kelly Stonelake . 02:16 – 10:40 | From early idealism to the inside of Facebook Kelly traces her early interests in journalism, constitutional debate, and technology, leading to nearly 15 years at Facebook. She describes the early years before the algorithmic feed, when the mission felt real and principled. She reflects on Cambridge Analytica, internal decision-making, and how loyalty, good faith, and “doing the right thing” slowly became tools for accumulating power. 10:41 – 29:24 | Horizon Worlds, retaliation, and the open secret about kids Kelly recounts her time as the only woman on the senior leadership team for Horizon Worlds. She describes discovering that children were already using the product through adult accounts, being exposed to adults without parental consent, while Meta collected vast amounts of data in violation of federal law. She speaks plainly about misogyny, silencing women, attorney-client privilege used to avoid accountability, and the moment the rollout was paused for “quality” reasons while the truth stayed buried. 29:25 – 1:02:00 | The harms parents, therapists, and social workers need to understand Kelly lays out, in clear and specific terms, the dangers children face across social platforms: • Sextortion pipelines that move from shame to suicide in hours or days • Relentless bullying amplified by anonymity and disappearing messages • Algorithmic feeds that escalate vulnerability into self-harm content • Drug acquisition through social apps leading to fentanyl deaths • Viral challenges that kill curious kids She explains how “teen accounts” and parental controls function as sugar pills. They reassure parents without protecting children. 1:02:01 – 1:11:30 | A chapter for parents Kelly speaks directly to parents. Delay smartphones as long as possible. She recommends no social media. Give yourself permission to reevaluate decisions with new information and self-compassion. She shares how technology can exist in a home without extractive platforms, from family computers to creative and educational tools. She names the economic manipulation at play and explains why neurodivergent children face disproportionate risk. This is not a parenting failure. It is a systemic one. 1:11:31 – 1:21:53 | Moral injury, refusing blood money, and choosing truth Kelly shares her mental health collapse, autistic burnout, and the moment...

I share a schedule change to balance creative purpose with financial stability, driven by new job opportunities. My voice is evolving to equip listeners for the future by addressing governance, economy, and technology through the lens of soul and aliveness. SUBSCRIBE TO EROS FOR LIFE ON SUBSTACK To receive daily emails visit your Substack profile on a web browser (not the app). From there find Eros For Life and activate the Eros For Life (Daily Version) section. There is a photo guide to doing this one the bottom of today's substack post. Got an idea for the podcast? Comments? Submit them here.

Alison shares a practical proposal for how readers and creators can stay connected, share meaningful work, and protect their mental health in the age of broken platforms. From dopamine detox to building intentional “email feeds,” this episode lays out a collective blueprint for a more ethical, human, and abundant internet. Timestamp to Jump to the Solution: 9:45 – How to build an intentional “email feed” Links Mentioned "No Kings, No Caesars, and the Photos I Didn't Put on Instagram". Kelly Stonelake (she actually left Meta - she worked there).Kit email platform (free up to 10K subs)Alison’s websiteFollow me on BlueskyFollow me on Base: erosforlife.base.ethReceive the Untamed Book List a dangerous, hyper-curated list of my favourite outside-the-system reads. Subscribe to my Substack and you will receive an email with the link to the list. To receive daily emails visit your Substack profile on a web browser (not the app). From there find Eros For Life and activate the Eros For Life (Daily Version) section. There is a photo guide to doing this one the bottom of today's substack post. Got an idea for the podcast? Comments? Submit them here.

What it's been like to publish on Substack + podcast every day for 17 days. (With an appearance from Rose). And then (at 9:00) an essay on the serious dangers of ChatGPT for therapeutic/intimate use. Links: Last week, Altman said he was surprised at the reaction to his announcement that ChatGPT would now have erotic conversations with adults. A widely quoted MIT report reveals that 95% of AI pilots fail to produce ROI.The climate cost of AI is significant and growing.Luiza Jarovsky, PhD writes an excellent AI safety newsletter. SUBSCRIBE TO EROS FOR LIFE ON SUBSTACK To receive daily emails visit your Substack profile on a web browser (not the app). From there find Eros For Life and activate the Eros For Life (Daily Version) section. There is a photo guide to doing this one the bottom of today's substack post. Got an idea for the podcast? Comments? Submit them here. Want to be a guest? Let me know here.

Desire can feel dangerous. In this short episode, I speak about the sacredness of sex as one of the strongest forces that can call us into aliveness and connection. I reflect on longing, dignity, and the importance of staying open when the world is burning. SUBSCRIBE TO EROS FOR LIFE ON SUBSTACK To receive daily emails go to the Eros for Life publication settings and subscribe to the "Eros for Life - Daily" Section. Got an idea for the podcast? Submit it here.

Looking beneath the screens and circuits to the element that holds them all: silicon. I trace the history of our relationship to it and connect its ubiquitous power - both geological and technological - to the potential for hope. We are being held and each of us has a deeply intimate relationship with silicon. I hope this episode makes you smile and also inspires you. Links: Captured: The Secrets Behind AI's Silicon Valley Takeover If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: The Case Against SuperIntelligent AI (Yudowsky & Soares) SUBSCRIBE TO EROS FOR LIFE ON SUBSTACK To receive daily emails go to the Eros for Life publication settings and subscribe to the "Eros for Life - Daily" Section.

We project our anger onto those in power as if they were our parents constraining our freedom and failing us at every turn. In this short episode, I explore the emotional work of democracy: learning to see our leaders as human, to move from complaint to contribution, from projection to participation. SUBSCRIBE TO EROS FOR LIFE ON SUBSTACK To receive daily emails go to the Eros for Life publication settings and subscribe to the "Eros for Life - Daily" Section.

This episode asks: how do we stay human inside each of the social media platforms? I trace the ways some of the platforms undermine my values: from Meta and its documented harms, to TikTok’s dopamine machine, to Substack’s conflicted role in the attention economy. I bring in Shoshana Zuboff’s theory of surveillance capitalism, the story of Cambridge Analytica, teen suicides linked to Instagram, and a chilling case of a man’s fatal entanglement with a Meta AI. This is an episode about radical ethics. It’s about what we consent to, what we refuse, and how we choose to connect in ways that don’t hollow us out. Mostly it's about responsibility. I walk through my decisions platform by platform, and why podcasting has become my chosen container. What you will hearWhat “surveillance capitalism” means, and why it threatens democracyThe blurred line between influence, manipulation, and consent onlineMeta’s record: Cambridge Analytica, teen mental health, and AI experiments gone wrongWhy TikTok and reels destroy our dopamine balanceWhy Substack works for me—and where it fails on anti-censorshipThe lure and limits of LinkedIn, BlueSky, and YouTubeWhy podcasting is my chosen space: no ads, no algo, no intrusionWeb3: I forgot to mention this in the podcast! Web3 social is an area of active research for me and while I’m not sharing my work on Forecaster or Base it’s in the works. This is where we own our work. Timestamps02:00 Why the container matters as much as the content04:30 Surveillance capitalism (Shoshana Zuboff)06:00 Not all data use is surveillance, but the line blurs09:20 The escalation: clicks → biometrics → behaviour shaping11:00 Substack as a model, but also its flaws13:40 Meta’s record: misinformation, Cambridge Analytica, teen suicides15:17 Meta AI harms: the New Jersey stroke patient case19:00 X as cesspool, TikTok as dopamine hijack25:00 Why feeds are different from algorithms28:00 LinkedIn, Blue Sky, YouTube—different shadows35:00 Substack’s anti-censorship stance and my conflict42:00 Why podcasting: intimacy without intrusion46:00 Closing: real life is local Links mentionedShoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: Book linkCambridge Analytica scandal (Facebook fined $5B, 2019): WikipediaResearch on Instagram and teen mental health / suicide risk: Wall Street Journal coverageMeta AI and the New Jersey man’s death (stroke patient case): ReutersGenAI Content Risk Standards leak (Meta, 2025): ReutersOn TikTok’s dopamine effects and algorithm design: Brown UniversityRobert Reich’s Substack (“Coffee Klatch”): a href="https://robertreich.substack.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

Beauty in a Burning World: Taylor Swift and What the Showgirl Can’t Escape A close look at Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl through the lens of archetype, fame, and feminine power. I explore why this album lands as both dissonant and revealing in a world on fire, and what it reveals about how women carry collective desire and projection. I unpack the Ophelia archetype and how Taylor’s “saved by love” narrative mirrors an ancient pattern that still shapes women’s lives. I speak about compassion and concern, not judgment, and the artist’s responsibility in a time when visibility and influence reach billions. This episode holds both love and critique. I look at how art meets history, how power is embodied, and how we can honour beauty without losing sight of reality. What you will hear The Fate of Ophelia and the shadow of the fragile feminine Fame as both mirror and cage The emotional tone of Showgirl in a violent global moment Elizabeth Taylor and the courage of reinvention Why female rivalry wounds us all The artist’s moral dilemma: beauty or relevance The call for women to stand together in strength and sanity Timestamps 06:43 Reading of Article: Who can save us from the fate of Ophelia? SUBSCRIBE TO EROS FOR LIFE ON SUBSTACK To receive daily emails go to the Eros for Life publication settings and subscribe to the "Eros for Life - Daily" Section. Email: [email protected]

A candid return at fifty, where I share addiction recovery, the cost of visibility, and a fresh public voice that braids soul, money, tech, and civic life. I came back to the mic after two years, newly fifty and fiercely alive. This episode opens with a simple claim: love can be rational, love can lead, love can think clearly without letting the mind run the show. I walk you through the realities of ketamine recovery, the stigma that trails addiction, and the relief of real healing. I name the risks of the personal growth industry, why regulated care matters, and how offline time, books, and steady presence rebuild a nervous system. I share the moment the parts of my life clicked together, and how a cross-discipline voice emerged. Finance, psychotherapy, politics, tech, and the daily work of being human, held in one body. I speak about work, dignity, and the power structures that shape our days. I open a door to blockchain as a tool for more participation and less capture, distinct from the hype. We finish with a call to daily practice. Slow thought, local life, better questions, and a commitment to speak with soul. What you will hearKetamine recovery, shame culture, and what healing took in real timeWhy I stepped away from selling transformation, and what integrity looks like for me nowThe campaign trail, respectability pressure, and the appetite for powerful feminine presenceMoney, corporations, government, and the costs we carryBlockchain, beyond hype, as a possible path to more participatory governanceBooks over feeds, offline over trance, local over spectacleA closing reading from Terence McKenna on courage and the feather bed Timestamps 00:18 Coming back at fifty 05:20 Addiction, stigma, and recovery 09:30 Sex-positive work and public life 13:40 Holding all the parts, one voice 17:30 Politics, action, and living with paradox 21:28 Cross-discipline lens, money and meaning 26:10 Blockchain, participation, and hope 31:00 Daily publishing, books, and presence 34:10 McKenna reading and closing prayer LinksHow I went from psychedelic facilitator to ketamine addiction in 2 months, Part 2Subscribe to Eros for Life on SubstackTo receive daily emails, open the publication settings and subscribe to “Eros for Life — Daily”

Lorie Dechar is an Acupuncturist, Author, Alchemical Healer, Mentor and Artisan of Transformation. Lorie and I talk about "the myth, the math and... something else...." - it's one of the best descriptions of inner work I've heard and Lorie drops it in the first few minutes. Join her Inner Sensing Intensive September 30/October 1 Read her book with Benjamin Fox, The Alchemy of Inner Work Join her community - A New Possibility - and learn more about her work on her website: Follow her on Instagram Listen to Integral Chinese Medicine Conversations — JOIN THE EMAIL LIST TO RECEIVE NON-OBVIOUS THINKING ABOUT PERSONAL GROWTH  Sign Up for Alison's Email List — HOW TO MICRODOSE FOR TRANSFORMATION GUIDE — APPLY FOR EXPAND TO STEP FULLY INTO THE LIFE YOU DESIRE Expand is a three month alchemical program to transform your current experience into a new chapter in your life.   In Expand you will engage in deep mental, emotional and somatic work in a structured process so that you can fully step into your life in every way you desire. You will also have the opportunity to experience one full microdosing cycle combined with the inner work if you choose.   Learn More and Apply for Expand — CONNECT WITH ALISON  Website LinkedIn Instagram YouTube

Lisa and I talk about collective change and what the release of Barbie may or may not represent. It's a fun and fiery conversation!! Follow Lisa on Instagram at @brnnlisa Listen to Juicy Stories: 16 women have joined together to share their stories about spirituality in all its forms. https://alison-crosthwait.lpages.co/juicy-stories-series/ — JOIN THE EMAIL LIST TO RECEIVE NON-OBVIOUS THINKING ABOUT PERSONAL GROWTH  Sign Up for Alison's Email List — HOW TO MICRODOSE FOR TRANSFORMATION GUIDE — APPLY FOR EXPAND TO STEP FULLY INTO THE LIFE YOU DESIRE Expand is a three month alchemical program to transform your current experience into a new chapter in your life.   In Expand you will engage in deep mental, emotional and somatic work in a structured process so that you can fully step into your life in every way you desire. You will also have the opportunity to experience one full microdosing cycle combined with the inner work if you choose.   Learn More and Apply for Expand — CONNECT WITH ALISON  Website LinkedIn Instagram YouTube

True freedom comes from letting go of grasping and opening our hearts.  But those two things can be so challenging for us to embody in our modern world.  Alison and guest, Stephen Cope, best-selling author and scholar, delve into the relationship between the Eastern contemplative traditions and Western depth psychology and how connecting the two can support you in navigating the modern world. Stephen shares the experiences and insights that he’s gained studying these ideas that have shaped his books, including his most recent, “The Dharma in Difficult Times: Finding Your Calling in Times of Loss, Change, Struggle, and Doubt,” and offers a guide for how to connect with your own wisdom, cultivate compassion and open-heartedness, and connect with your inner gifts to contribute to positive change in the world.  “There are two forms of grasping in the Buddhist tradition. There's reaching, “oh, I want that. I've got to get that goal. I've got to get over there on the other side of the river.” And then protecting what you have.  The real freedom comes in letting go of that grasping, clinging, craving, holding on, and protecting and opening our hearts instead.”  CONNECT WITH STEPHEN  ​​Stephen Cope is a best-selling author and scholar who specializes in the relationship between the Eastern contemplative traditions and Western depth psychology. Among his seminal works in this area are: Yoga and the Quest for the True Self, The Wisdom of Yoga, and The Great Work of Your Life. His most recent work, The Dharma In Difficult Times, the sequel to The Great Work of Your Life shows us the way through our darkest times to our truest calling. Cope helps give readers a roadmap for the journey to their true calling. For almost thirty years, Stephen has been Scholar-in-Residence at the renowned Kripalu Center—the largest center for the study and practice of yoga in the Western world. Kripalu hosts almost 50,000 guests a year in its many yoga, meditation, and personal growth programs. It is located on a sprawling 200 acre estate in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. — Listen to Juicy Stories: 16 women have joined together to share their stories about spirituality in all its forms. https://alison-crosthwait.lpages.co/juicy-stories-series/ — JOIN THE EMAIL LIST TO RECEIVE NON-OBVIOUS THINKING ABOUT PERSONAL GROWTH  Sign Up for Alison's Email List — HOW TO MICRODOSE FOR TRANSFORMATION GUIDE — APPLY FOR EXPAND TO STEP FULLY INTO THE LIFE YOU DESIRE Expand is a three month alchemical program to transform your current experience into a new chapter in your life.   In Expand you will engage in deep mental, emotional and somatic work in a structured process so that you can fully step into your life in every way you desire. You will...

Surrender is a daily devotion. It unlocks our energy and creates a ripple effect of a positive change in ourselves. But surrender can be one of the most challenging things we can do because it requires that we face our pain.  In this episode, Alison shares her recent work with a local medicine man in a ceremony to show how we have to build our capacity to surrender, and how often times, it’s by looking directly at our pain that we’re able to transform.  “We need to feel what we could not feel at the time. That is why we're in the situation we're in‌ — we're not connected to our life force energy. It’s because of our situations and our experiences that our life force gets stuck and we're not able to flow.”— Listen to Juicy Stories: 16 women have joined together to share their stories about spirituality in all its forms. https://alison-crosthwait.lpages.co/juicy-stories-series/ — JOIN THE EMAIL LIST TO RECEIVE NON-OBVIOUS THINKING ABOUT PERSONAL GROWTH  Sign Up for Alison's Email List — HOW TO MICRODOSE FOR TRANSFORMATION GUIDE — APPLY FOR EXPAND TO STEP FULLY INTO THE LIFE YOU DESIRE Expand is a three month alchemical program to transform your current experience into a new chapter in your life.   In Expand you will engage in deep mental, emotional and somatic work in a structured process so that you can fully step into your life in every way you desire. You will also have the opportunity to experience one full microdosing cycle combined with the inner work if you choose.   Learn More and Apply for Expand — CONNECT WITH ALISON  Website LinkedIn Instagram YouTube

Society ravels us all so tightly. We’re raveled in the “shoulds” and what’s “right.” We are raveled in the judgments of others, the definition of success, and the expectations others put on us. This raveling puts us into patterns that keep us stuck — out of alignment with our life force energy. To allow life to flow, we must unravel. “Often our intentions are about business, money, health, life, love. They're raveled intentions, but the answer and satisfaction are in the unraveling.”— Listen to Juicy Stories: 16 women have joined together to share their stories about spirituality in all its forms. https://alison-crosthwait.lpages.co/juicy-stories-series/ — JOIN THE EMAIL LIST TO RECEIVE NON-OBVIOUS THINKING ABOUT PERSONAL GROWTH  Sign Up for Alison's Email List — HOW TO MICRODOSE FOR TRANSFORMATION GUIDE — APPLY FOR EXPAND TO STEP FULLY INTO THE LIFE YOU DESIRE Expand is a three month alchemical program to transform your current experience into a new chapter in your life.   In Expand you will engage in deep mental, emotional and somatic work in a structured process so that you can fully step into your life in every way you desire. You will also have the opportunity to experience one full microdosing cycle combined with the inner work if you choose.   Learn More and Apply for Expand — CONNECT WITH ALISON  Website LinkedIn Instagram YouTube