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Here we go! A long time coming, Rachel and Gordon suit up to dive into, climb on and around and into the complexities of "Gifted," poking at it gently with a big 'ol stick. (... you know, one of those good campfire-tending-type sticks; the kind you'd find on a hike and keep with you for awhile bc it's kind of like a wizard staff.) What is a gifted? What does this word, this designation, mean? Is giftedness a neurotype? And what's a neurotype anyways? Why don't people seem to understand the difference between neurodivergence and neurodiversity? How is giftedness related to intelligence? What do our individual (and collective) understanding/s of intelligence look like? What foundations are those understandings built upon? Turns out, this one is (at least) a two-parter, folks! This is just the beginning. In this episode, our first half, Gordon and Rachel create a frame; expect a co-exploration of different core characteristics, associations, contexts, implications, and a bunch of "non-dual both/ands" related to both the term and its lived reality. And what is this reality, exactly? We know that the most agreed-upon definition is one centering "asynchronous development" (Columbus Group), but here, on Existential Tetherball, we'll go ahead and further define "gifted" as a term we use to designate/describe outlier human intelligence. How do we understand, recognize, and support this particular shape/form of outlier intelligence? Dimensional and varied yet also, something with its own shape and form? In this episode, Rachel and Gordon discuss more than the following: -the hullabaloo in the gifted community/industry at present, and why we need to go beyond "is giftedness a form of neurodivergence," together -the core characteristics and complexities of giftedness, as well as how and when do we recognize, categorize/"type," and socialize/support? -how societal perceptions and educational systems shape our understanding of both intelligence and giftedness -themes of ecological intelligence, full body intelligence, intelligence as a dynamic process rather than a static trait while acknowledging unseen differences in human intelligence as a very real thing (neurodiversity) -what influences gifted inner experience and expression through a lifespan (how is giftedness nurtured and supported)? Takeaways for days: Giftedness is complex and nuanced – nature, nurture, environment in reciprocity and interplay through the lifespanIntelligence as a dynamic, ecological process within each human, full-body and not just brainWhy understanding intelligence, neurodiversity, and neurodivergence clearly is crucial in understanding giftednessGiftedness at the self-referential/meta level and then in unique expression; part II will dive into the frameworks and schema we use to integrate identification into functional, lived realityChapters 00:00 Exploring Giftedness02:31 The Nature of Intelligence07:01 Defining Giftedness10:08 Asynchronous Development18:06 Neurodiversity and Giftedness19:47 The Bell Curve and Its Implications26:29 Ecological Intelligence and Collaboration27:44 Full Body Intelligence Paradigm30:11 Coherence Seeking and Giftedness32:24 Complexity of Intelligence36:14 Existential Giantism and Meaning-Making42:43 Frameworks of Intelligence45:16 Process Orientation in Intelligence

Hi everyone – it's been a minute! Gordon's just returned from a extended romp about Europe, while Rachel was back in her beloved Alaska for a quick solo trip. Subsequently, all's been quiet on the Tetherball front, but we're back with this episode – a fun and... liminal frolic all about _liminality_ (!!!) As always, we explore the word as a world and the world(s) contained within the word – liminal as in-between, transitional, moving, barely perceptible (aka, not stark) and, well... sort of guaze-y. The jam explores liminality both externally and internally (meaning within unique individuated perception), personal experiences of each, and how these liminal places and space-times can foster self-awareness and agency. (Not to be glossed over: addressing the discomfort/uncertainty that often accompanies change!) Keywords/themes/ideas: Consious awareness, emotional awareness, choice, judgement/synthesis, and the complexities of navigating liminal spaces and places in personal growth and evolution. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Liminality, Exploring Definitions and Experiences06:06 The Relationship Between Liminality and Awareness08:58 Navigating Change and Uncertainty12:03 The Dynamics of Internal and External Liminality15:07 Agency in Liminal Spaces17:47 Transitioning Between Eras21:10 The Generative Work of Inner Exploration23:52 Emotional Awareness and Movement27:57 Embodied Emotional Awareness30:52 Navigating Internal Dissonance34:10 The Nature of Liminal Experiences39:14 Agency in Unchosen Change42:55 Finding Agency in Uncertainty46:31 The Relationship with Judgment

We're at ten episodes! Double digits, folks! Wild. This go-round, Gordon and Rachel explore process and information – not as a noun, but as a verb ("in formation"). Together, they delve into the meaning and movement/workings of process and what it means to be process-oriented. Process is synthesis, is cascade, is reciprocal influnce influencing... what, exactly? Together, R & G explore the process of how things take form, shape, and come to mean something, and how process relates to our understanding of what it is to be human. Covered: self-perception and self as process, the role of the sensing body, developing witnessing mechanics and capacities that deepen our relationship with "in formation." Stick with us - while this stuff can be squishy, it's absolutely fascinating and perhaps foundational to our phenomenology and experience of being alive and relating - intrapersonally, and interpersonally. Also explored: the interplay between information, perception, and the understanding of self (they emphasize the importance of cultivating a conscious and neutral awareness of one's own experiences and responses, and why this matters). Diving deep into choice and attention and intention, courage and fear, self-awareness what that really means. Gordon shares, a story of developing more embodied awareness of witness via process-oriented art therapy, and Rachel shares an experience of walking herself through a panic attack. They round it out with another why - the importance of developing meta awareness and embodied cognition as essential as we navigate an increasingly fracturing reality. Somewhere in there, Rachel introduces her triadic consciousness model, and Gordon is intrigued. Another Chris Farley SNL reference shows up along the way as well. Takeaways Information as "in formation," as a process and a verbHumans as complex processors, body-minds working with infromation and in formation all the timeMetacognition redefined as meta awareness - YESCultivating conscious awareness and why it mattersThe significance of developing meta awareness and navigating a fracturing reality Chapters 00:00 Engaging with "In Formation"02:55 The Meaning of Process06:53 Process Orientation and Self-Perception10:00 Sensing Body and Perception15:01 Witnessing and Neutrality19:59 Metacognition and Natural Intelligence28:45 Exploring Metacognition & Meta Awareness29:19 Embodied Semantics and Depth Meaning30:19 Relationality and Sensing Body31:33 Internal and External Relating32:30 Choice and Intention33:11 Courage and Fear33:54 Self-Awareness and Witnessing42:26 Story Time: Process-Oriented Art Therapy, Metawareness and a Panic Attack57:56 Triadic Consciousness

Levity - jokes, inappropriate humor, the policing of behavior, relatability, naturally opposing forces, the imbuing of lightness, fart noises, baking soda... This episode's got a lot going on (as always seems to be the case, tbh). In this episode, Rachel & Gordon jam on levity - what it is (defined - present day usage, etymological deep dive) as well as what it means and evokes for them personally. They dive in by exploring connotation, and inferred shared meaning around social convention and humor... AND THEN dive into a more physiologic and physical exploration of levity as an opposing force to gravity; natural intelligence finding ways to lighten, imbue lightness. Levitate shows up ('to rise in by virtue of lightness') and what does an felt sense balance of levity and gravity feel like? Together, Gordon and Rachel roam, coming back to IRL applications, more tricker and comedic, and also, going beyond to touch into "shining a light on" and "creating space" as well as "speaking truth" as potential forms of levity. They also get curious: what does levity do in any given situation? How does levity work in relational context? Very important and brilliant: Gordon gets an idea about giving away whopee cushions at his funeral. In a word rife with polarity, how does a force like levity influence the gravity and seriousness of our curerent context? What does levity have to do with the nervous system, with space, with play, and neuroplasticity? Tune in for another fun and "the good kind of meandering" co-exploration and find out!

We're back! In Episode 8, G and R jam on "Multiplicity and Coherence." Covered: We start with "multiplicity" - exploration of meaning, many Michael Keatons; also: visualizing atomic and cellular multiplicity and coherenceWe then move to "coherence" - an exploration of meaning (external and internal), key themes: connection and "co"herence (in contrast to "adherence); "nonduel" and "nondual"Ways of observing, assessing, measuring, recognizing coherenceUnifying themes here (also, the core functions?) of observation and perspective (see also: quantum physics and the power, influence of witness) Wait, there's more! What about the relationship between individuated forms and the elasticity of forms?What about the relationship between coherence and uncertainty tolerance?Metaperspectives on multiplicity and coherence as process!Jamming on unique frameworks, hyperstructures of meaning, containers, therapeutic models, and symbolsThe role of the observer in understanding and integrating various aspects of the self (self-coherence/identity)The coherence between somatic and intellectual intelligences... how we connect with each, know where we are, and tune in more holistically... And still, even more! Zooming in and zooming out - an important skill to developConsideration of the various relationship between individual and collective humanity - "stigmergy" and calling back to our episode with Bee Mayhew (Ep. 2)The slow existential and spending time in definition, meaning = important (that's why this podcast exists, lol)Coherence as process and part of larger process(es) - fractal connection, anyone?The dynamic nature of identity and changeCoherence as fine grained felt sense AND alignment with choice, intention, self-determinism...

Today, on EPISODE SEVEN of Existential Tetherball, Rachel and Gordon explore intelligence. They jam on definitions/meanings/assumptions of (and around intelligence), the nature of intelligence and new ways of understanding, new models for engaging with intelligence, notions of participation and stewardship of intelligence, and the significance of neurodiversity and the sensing body. intelligence is the living application of knowledge and learning. How do we cultivate a relationship with lifelong learning? What are we learning in the service of? Even more! The impact of conditioning and trauma on how we sense, think, problem solve and create, the embodiment of cognition and neurodiversity, an off-road but important exploration of fate, free will, and choice, the relationship between intelligence, oppression, and neurodiversity, and the reconfiguration of a healthier paradigm. It emphasizes the need to break free from hierarchical supremacy and embrace neurodiversity as an extension of biodiversity. Takeaways Exploration of intelligence – incomplete maps at best, partial and erroneous ones at worst (the ironly! not logical!)Stewardship of intelligence involving attention, intention, and learningNeurodiversity anchors in a triadic model, acknowledging interconnectedness and distinct experiences The limitations of IQ tests in measuring intelligence; measuring versus contextualizing and orienting (neurodiversity in systemic ecological design)"Intelligence" etymology = "discernment, choice"; the role of intelligence in being influence, influencing and discernment Chapters 00:00 Definition and Meaning of Intelligence; Needs Update10:56 Stewardship of Intelligence18:46 Neurodiversity and Embodied Intelligence27:34 The Impact of Conditioning and Trauma Schema on Sensing and Perception37:29 Fate, Free Will, and Choice49:27 Reconfiguring Our Relationship with Intelligence - Personal, Collective

Hello there! Welcome to Existential Tetherball – a podcast designed to explore depth meaning in the service of stronger connections. In this intro, your hosts, Rachel Fell and Gordon Smith, share a bit about the what and the why behind this new series, touching on themes of curiosity, untapped relationship with meaning, co-creativity, openness, the pragmatism of shared exploration, and the possibilities generated through existential exploration. Both Rachel and Gordon are professional neurodivergent coaches/guides committed to creating a refuge and playspace for neurodivergent, existentially-minded people seeking resonance, inspiration, and community. Existential Tetherball guests and listeners are intense, complex, and sensitive people who prefer curiosity to conclusions and the well-worn of convention.

We're elated to have Karin Eglinton (karineglinton.com) join us for this episode (six!) of Existential Tetherball. Our tether this go around: SYNCHRONICITY // Karin Eglinton – a psychic reader, energy healer, astrologer, spirit worker, and psycho-spiritual coach and mentor – joins Gordon Smith and Rachel Fell to explore synchronicity and meaning. Karin begins by sharing a definition from Jeffrey Kripal, in Authors of the Impossible: "Jung’s category of synchronicity, for example, is all about what we could easily and accurately call meaning events, that is, a moment in space and time where and when the physical world becomes a text to be read out and interpreted, where and when the event is structured not by causal networks of matter but by symbolic references producing meaning."    Karen sees synchronicity/meaningful coincidence as a collection of phenomena that connect the inner and the outer world in the sense of "meaning events" above. Some are "signs from the Universe", messages from deceased loved ones, from Spirit Guides, or moments of increased coherence with Self and Life. Other times they're flashes of precognition or spontaneous psychic perception. Together in Episode 6, Rachel, Gordon, and Karin co-explore: -Definition/s of synchronicity -Making meaning of meaningful events; inner proessing, translation, art of noticing/listening, somatic awareness, etc. -Reciprocity and interplay of inner/outer worlds, influenced and influencing, participatory nature of being -The intention and art/practice of living a synchronisitic life (personal stories of synchronicities shared as well!) -Trauma, ownership/attribution, nervous system, maps of meaning and psychic signals -The science behind psychic phenomeonon -Yes, more! (Rachel tries to ask Karin a question that comes out like a charctuterie board at once point) This episode will resonate with those who've experienced/are interested in "the little hop," deja vu, somatic resonance, symbology, communication, human intelligence and communication with a living universe. Thanks so much again for joining us, Karin!

Hi friends! In episode five, Gordon & Rachel welcome their friend BK. The conversation explores the concept of pilgrimage as a transformative journey. Together, the group dives into the meaning of pilgrimage by exploring and sharing experiences, learnings, and the archetypes associated with pilgrimage. Also discussed: the distinction between structured/un and intentional/un pilgrimages, the sacredness of pilgrimage and the meaning of sacred. Through storytelling, BK, Gordon, and Rachel also touch on the call and magnestism of pilgrimage as well as pilgrimage as a form of ritual, containment, and integration. In short, you can expect delightful stories, curiosity, and a wonderful group jam sesh highlighting the profound impact of pilgrimage on personal growth and transformation. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Pilgrimage12:06 Archetypes of Pilgrimage18:01 Structured, Unstructured, Intentional, Unintentional Pilgrimages26:02 Personal Pilgrimage Experiences35:04 Pilgrimage as Rituation and Containment42:09 Growth and New Abilities52:07 The Pilgrim's Journey

Episode FOUR - can you believe it? (We can't.) This episode focuses on story, narrative, and "awen" (the flow of creative inspiration), featuring Laura Hope-Gill (https://laurahopegill.com/). (FYI: Laura and Gordon both live in Asheville and have collaborated on a number of interesting creative projects.) Together, Laura, Gordon, and Rachel jump into the wilderness of meaning related to story: living reality as a living story, and the transformative power of narrative and storytelling. As they journey together, they touch on "awen" (defined as creative flow, of Gaelic/Celtic orgins) and its significance in shaping our experiences of the inner world and of story. As they continue, the conversation explores sovereignty in one's relationship with story and the internalized narrator's identity and role in storytelling. Little hops abound as we explore the dynamics and complexities of self and narrative/narration and "the inner narrator/s," (as well as TBI experiences, and the mysteries of 'The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald'). Laura shares pandemic project related to enlightment and notes that "achieving enlightment" as patriarchal and Rachel goes on to get ealthy individuation and the inner wilds, and the little hop and narrative medicine. Themes of narrative medicine, creative-imaginational intelligence, information and "exformation," as well as the inner wilds and the existential vagus nerve round out their collaborative jam. Takeaways Stories as indicative of our relationship with our inner worlds, inner wildsLiving reality as story, story as living realityWho's narrating? (Control, meta-identity, inclusion, and flow)The transformative power of storytelling Narrative Medicine and creative intelligenceThe "Little Hop" Chapters 00:00 Story: Wavelengths & Channels19:07 Awen: The Creative Flow30:03 Sovereignty in Relationship with Story36:19 Encountering the Inner Narrator46:25 The Little Hop and Narrative Medicine

Our THIRD episode of Existential Tetherball is our FIRST episode with a guest! We're so stoked to have Bee Mayhew (https://missnomer.substack.com/) join us on an expansive co-exploration of "humanity." To start, we dive into foundational definitions of humanity, taking the time to parse subject from judgment/imbued definitions of value. Bee also tells us a really funny story about getting hit in the face with a tetherball when she was a kid. Rachel, Bee, and Gordon go on to discuss: sense of self, meta-identity of self and self as interrelatedness, as well as interrelateness beyond the "individual" – humanity as a collective of humans, humaning (in what context/s)? From there, Bee introduces concepts of ecology and stigmergy, nodding to bees and ants and their intelligent collective coordination. The triad riffs. From there, it gets weirder (and more awesome?) as Rachel applies the idea of stigmergy to the ecosystemic self (and through time). Gordon then goes on to connect this idea to the internalized collective unconscious. We all take a breath and laugh about how to spell "metric shitton." (Shitonne?) And there's more: dynamic living systems, stewardship of aliveness, and core values as human yet unique in their meaning and context – pragmatic to explore together, no? ::winkyfaceemoji:: Allegiance to aliveness, stigmergy (collective coordination), and community emerge as key takeaways. The conversation delves into the concept of ethical social intelligence and its impact on humanity, exploring healthy individuation and the reimagining of societal systems through a paradigm that honors the influenced-influencing process. The conversation concludes with a focus on giving a shit, self-attunement, reciprocity, and connections as essential elements of a thriving society. Takeaways Fundamental Question: Who are We?Morality and Collective Self ConceptAllegiance to AlivenessStigmergy and Collective CoordinationEthical Social IntelligenceHealthy Individuation for Healthy Collective (nod to Neurodiversity) Chapters 00:00 Interrelatedness and Self-Understanding19:03 The Internal Collective Unconscious and Dynamic Systems24:16 Stewardship of Aliveness and Core Values29:25 Ethical Social Intelligence40:08 Reimagining Societal Systems51:45 Community Resilience and Reciprocity The video Bee mentions in this episode: https://substack.com/@sequencebycosmos/note/c-197456719?r=4n4qq

Episode 2! In this episode, Gordon and Rachel dive into the squish and form that is the subject matter of this entire series – EXISTENTIAL. (So this episode is entirely meta-existential, tbh). They start at the intersections of neurodiversity/neurodivergence and existential, exploring the relationship between academic philosophers, embodied subjective experiences, and fundamental questions of existence. They also dive into frameworks of intelligence and living processing (meaning-making), touching on the relationship between direct experience, symbolism and language, and structure/certainty. Along the way, they drive by and nod to uncertainty, safety, and identity, as well as expectations of others related to questioning and existential inquiry. That's not all, though! They talk about existential health and the importance of auto-exploration of meaning, developing awareness practices, uncertainty tolerance, and the exploration of one's own "emotional interface." Bringing up the end of the convo is a jam on co-creating mutual understanding as necessary skillset, and the invitation to explore meaning via regular "existential hygine" for better relationships – self with self and self with others. (Just a few) takeaways Neurodiversity paradigm and neurodivergence in relationship to existential intelligence and healthyThe embodied subjective experience The exploration of existential questions as a fundamental aspect of the human experienceExistential hygiene is the process of updating the operating system and its contents Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Neurodiversity and Existentialism07:02 Exploring Meaning and Subjectivity15:04 Fundamental Questions of Existence22:48 Uncertainty, Safety, and Identity51:02 Existential Hygiene

In this, our very first full episode of EXISTENTIAL TETHERBALL, Gordon and Rachel explore the concepts of neurodiversity and neurodivergence. They explore neurodiversity as a biological truism, a philosophy, a methodology, and a lens through which to understand human intelligence and unseen diversity. Together, they explore a living, full-body definition of intelligence, and speak to the importance of contextualizing neurodivergence through the neurodiversity paradigm. Exploring simultaneous sameness, difference, and distinction at the meta level, they offer a practical way to go beyond dualisitic and power over ways of seeing, understanding, relating with ourselves and each other. Rachel and Gordon also explore going beyond reductionism: – the medical model in relationship to the neurodiversity paradigm, self-acceptance and liberation at the identity and relational levels, the lived experience of neurodivergent people, inner and outer authority, and healthy individuation for a healthy ecology. Takeaways Neurodiversity as a philosophy and methodologyFull-body intelligenceLiving definition of intelligence Neurodivergence as a living expression of uncommon human processing and intelligenceThe liberation offered by the neurodiversity paradigmGordon and Rachel are pretty awesome