Closure Optional

Episodes

1. 78

   Closure Optional Ep. 78 – Existentialism and Pandemonium

   This episode is about what the fuck is going on?! The world’s a little topsy-turvey at the moment and so I discuss an idea that emerged in Europe out of the uncertainty and confusion of WWII in the 1940’s in the hopes it might help us with some perspectives on the confusion of today. Thank […]

   Mar 23, 2020
2. 77

   Closure Optional Ep. 77 – Confidence

   This episode is about the good and bad of confidence, how being insecure can lead to over-confidence, and why I’m the best and worst person in the whole world all at once. I talk a lot about how difficult it is learning to do stand-up comedy, some of my worst moments lately and how I’m […]

   Mar 9, 2020
3. 76

   Closure Optional Ep. 76 – Insecurity

   In this episode I get harsh, cry a little, and say fuck a lot. I’m talking about what happens when we hold onto insecurity as a personality trait, through constant negative self-talk and stories, and how that kind of thinking has turned into self-destructive cycles in my own life over the years.…

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   Feb 29, 2020
4. 75

   Closure Optional Ep. 75 – Danny McStay, Provisional Psychologist at Lives Lived Well

   Danny is the Senior Provisional Psychologist at Mirikai, a live-in Rehab facility on the Gold Coast for people who are struggling with Addiction, or as they say, ‘Substance Use Disorder’. He provides and coordinates psychotherapy services for clients and residents, and also, casually, flies to...

   Feb 19, 2020
5. 74

   Closure Optional Ep. 74 – Jenny Hallam, Cannabis Activist

   Jenny is a Cannabis Activist, and is probably best known for the 3-year court battle she recently faced for supplying free Cannabis Oil to sick people in Australia. She learned how to make the oil in order to manage her own chronic pain, and because the benefits were so tangible, she started...

   Feb 2, 2020
6. 73

   Closure Optional Ep. 73 – The Four Agreements

   In this episode I’m talking about a neat little set of guidelines called “The Four Agreements” which are supposed to help you ease some of the needless suffering and self-limiting beliefs created inside your head. They come from a book called “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz, who says…

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   Jan 25, 2020
7. 72

   Closure Optional Ep. 72 – Love and Meaning

   Ah Jesus sorry I’ve been away for so long! Man it’s been a wonderful few weeks, but fuck, it’s time to pull my head out of the clouds and get back to this podcast! I’ve been missing because I’ve been in love and that has come with a whole incredible pile of interesting nonsense attached […]

   Nov 26, 2019
8. 71

   Closure Optional Ep. 71 – Chaos and Boredom (and Buddhism)

   Ooooh this episode is all about how I (or, possibly, we) react to change, and how I’ve managed to get myself out of chaos through chanting nonsense in my bedroom. I ramble about how we mislead ourselves, how strong our minds are, and one way of possibly getting away from the suffering of our…

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   Sep 29, 2019
9. 70

   Closure Optional Ep. 70 – Dr. Julie Kelso

   Julie is a Professor at Bond University, where she specialises in philosophy, feminist philosophy, religion and literature. This is a wonderful conversation about the nature of being, from a person who has spent her life so far trying to understand it philosophically. We discuss sexuality, what...

   Sep 22, 2019
10. 69

    Closure Optional Ep. 69 – Lucas Stone 3, Musician

    Lucas is a Musician, currently the guitarist for a band called Hammers, and since he’s back from touring the country in front of thousands of people, it was a perfect time to come discuss what it means to be a person. He’s been on the podcast before in Episode 13, and Episode 46, and he’s […]

    Sep 15, 2019
11. 68

    Closure Optional Ep 68 – Justin Chatfield 2, Graphic Artist

    Justin is a Graphic Artist and a Musician from New Zealand; he played in a punk band called Not OK for 10 years, and when that came to an end, he put himself through school to become a Graphic Designer. He, with the rest of his family, have taken care of me over the last […]

    Sep 8, 2019
12. 67

    Closure Optional Ep. 67 – The Fckwit In Our Heads

    In this episode I’m talking about the construction of a Fuckwit inside our heads (I only know for sure about mine, but I’ve met a few of yours too) through stories we tell ourselves about ourselves, other people, and the world. This is an extension on an idea that I talked briefly about in the […]

    Sep 1, 2019
13. 66

    Closure Optional Ep. 66 – Shannon “Chucka” Friedrich

    This is a bloody wonderful and intense conversation about some full-on stuff. We discuss drug addiction and the long dark road back from it, facing Cancer, beating it, and then learning how to re-navigate life after everything you’ve learned. Though it’s intense, we uncover some very beautiful...

    Aug 25, 2019
14. 65

    Closure Optional Ep. 65 – Oliver Twist, Comedian

    Oliver is a Comedian, currently based in Sydney, but luckily we had a chance to chat while he’s up here to perform his solo show, “Love” for the Bris Funny Fest (Thursday, 21st of August at Heya Bar). This is a great conversation about Oliver’s life both in Africa and in Australia, how our...

    Aug 18, 2019
15. 64

    Closure Optional Ep. 64 – At the Airport

    In this episode I answer a bunch of your questions while I’m waiting at the airport to fly back to the US to see my brother get married. I answer things like what to do when you think someone’s boring but has a big dick, what’s the hardest part of making a Humanoid robot, and […]

    Jul 28, 2019
16. 63

    Closure Optional Ep. 63 – Nick Sun 2, Writer, Future Youtuber and Psychonaut

    Nick is back to talk some more about Creativity, Philosophy, Psychedelics, and Cumming in people’s faces. This is a very silly conversation about the nature of being that we recorded while laying the in the grass of a lovely meadow at sundown. Sounds romantic, but Nick forgot his Tazer so nothing...

    Jul 21, 2019
17. 62

    Closure Optional Ep. 62 – Paul George, Musician – Tijuana Cartel

    Ah man what a great conversation! Paul is the singer and guitarist for Tijuana Cartel, a Gold Coast band that he created with Carey O’sullivan. This is a wonderfully tangential conversation about the nature of music, creativity, and how to create and destroy yourself all at once. If you’d like to...

    Jul 14, 2019
18. 61

    Closure Optional Ep. 61 – Susan Kennedy, Psychic Medium

    Well this is different, but certainly not unexpected for the ol’ Closure Optional Podcast… Susan is a Psychic Medium who helps people see the best versions of themselves in order to help them get out of their own way, and she also sometimes sees dead people. Who knows what’s going on here, but...

    Jun 29, 2019
19. 60

    Closure Optional Ep. 60 – Truuune, the Authenticity Problem

    In this episode I discuss some of the real life bullshit that gets in the way of “being authentic” whatever that means. I discuss the psychology of skirting the truth, and how I came to the realisation that basically everything I’ve done up to this point is an attempt to fill an insatiable...

    Jun 23, 2019
20. 59

    Closure Optional Ep. 59 – Angel and Basanos, Shibari Rope Bondage

    Oooooooh sexy, this week’s episode is all about rope bondage, sex stuff, and polyamory. Angel and Basanos performed a very beautiful rope show when I went to the BDSM Party a few episodes back, and I was very happy to have them in the studio to talk about all the in’s and outs, ups and […]

    Jun 16, 2019
21. 58

    Closure Optional Ep. 58 – Prof. Leon Petchkovsky, Psychiatrist

    Professor Leon Petchkovsky Phd. is a retired Professor of Psychiatry, the Director of the Pinniger Clinic in Robina, and is currently writing a book about Nurturance as it relates to Developmental Neuroscience and Psychology. If that sounds like a lot, it is, he’s 76, and very clever. This is a...

    Jun 9, 2019
22. 57

    Closure Optional Ep. 57 – Elliot Compton, Martial Artist

    Elliot is a pure, professional Martial Artist – inside the gym and out. He is currently signed to One Championship Fight Series, with an impressive 58 professional fights so far in his career. He’s a 4 x CMT Champion, got a slew of belts around his waist and has had the honour of fighting (and […]

    Jun 1, 2019
23. 56

    Closure Optional Ep. 56 – Mayventure!

    In this episode I discuss my mental brain patterns during all the silly adventures we went on over the Mayventure Challenge. I discuss why we fantasise about getting touched by a lady at the grocery store instead of our own partners, how I panicked on a mountain top, and how I invented a stupid...

    May 24, 2019
24. 55

    Closure Optional Ep. 55 – Phillip J Watt, Sociopolitical Activist

    Phillip is a social / political commentator, author, and currently works as a Hypnotherapist in Coffs Harbour. On our Mayventure travels this month, we stopped in to visit him in his office to discuss all things metaphysical, social, and a little bit political, in order to discuss a lot of ideas...

    May 22, 2019
25. 54

    Closure Optional Ep. 54 – Emmy and Marcus, The Cutaways

    Emmy and Marcus are 2 of the 4 members of the Brisbane Punk Band, The Cutaways. This is a lovely, raw conversation about music, identity, and how those things are so closely intertwined. Emmy discusses her experiences as a trans-woman in the Punk community and the world at large while I get…

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    May 11, 2019
26. 53

    Closure Optional Ep. 53 – The BDSM Party

    I went to a Kink and Fetish party and this is what happened there. This episode includes a few interviews from some of the guests, and a bit of an overview about the whole event. Needless to say, there was so much shit going on it would take me 12 podcasts to really get to […]

    Apr 29, 2019
27. 52

    Closure Optional Ep. 52 – Back to the Centre

    In this episode I’m talking about how to get yourself untangled from the tentacles of life, good and bad, through examining a phrase one of my trainers taught me in Muaythai. I discuss the ways that we can lose ourselves in Cults and bullshit, how this works in fighting, and how I think it’s...

    Apr 21, 2019
28. 51

    Closure Optional Ep. 51 – Rohan Thomas, D.I.Wireless Films

    Rohan is a Filmmaker, and is the creator of the first (and only) Aussie Punkrock Podcast way back in 2009 but has stopped doing the podcast to now focus on making films. In 2016 he released a full-feature documentary called “The Other Option” about the Punk scene in Southeast Asia, and he’s...

    Apr 7, 2019
29. 50

    Closure Optional Ep. 50 – Priestess Desire, Dominatrix

    Holy shit what a world… this is a wonderful conversation, much more normal than you would imagine actually, between a naive prude and a powerful Mistress. Priestess Desire is a professional Dominatrix and right before we recorded this podcast, she was kind enough to give me a tour of her office.…

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    Apr 2, 2019
30. 49

    Closure Optional Ep. 49 – Dusty Rich, Comedian

    Dusty is one of a kind; he grew up in the turmoil of Apartheid South Africa, then escaped to England to do drugs and sell electricity to poor people, then cleaned up his act by becoming the drugs himself and channelled all that chaos and trauma into one of the best live performances you’ll ever […]

    Mar 24, 2019
31. 48

    Closure Optional Ep. 48 – Ego States and Games

    I’m on my own this week, finishing my ramblings on motivation as viewed through the Psychological Theory, Transactional Analysis. In this episode, I discuss the ways that we build a personality, how we use it to our advantage and disadvantage, and how we do, in fact, constantly play games with…

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    Mar 18, 2019
32. 47

    Closure Optional Ep. 47 – Ana Almargo, Psychologist

    Ana is a practicing Psychologist who specialises in the mind-body connection, EMDR Therapy and Relationship Counselling. With a Masters degree in Professional Psychology and a background in Neuro-psychology, Ana brings some serious knowledge into the conversation about Motivation, Mental health,...

    Mar 10, 2019
33. 46

    Closure Optional Ep. 46 – Lucas Stone, Musician

    Lucas is a Musician, formerly the frontman for the Aussie Hardcore band, HELM, and currently the guitarist for Hammers. He’s been on the podcast before in Episode 13, and he’s back now to help us un-fuck the world, our own mental health, and our worries about “success”. Also, if you want to hear...

    Mar 3, 2019
34. 45

    Closure Optional Ep. 45 – Yolanda Schmidt, Muaythai Fighter

    Yolanda is one of the world’s best fighters, and probably one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. She has had 44 fights so far with only 10 losses, and an impressive list of Titles and awards from the Muaythai community, including a Muaythai Angels World Title in 2017. This is a lovely, though...

    Feb 24, 2019
35. 44

    Closure Optional, Ep. 44 – Recognition Addiction

    In this episode I continue my discussion of some made up and some actual psychological theories on Human Motivation and this time I’m talking about Recognition – why do we sometimes desperately crave recognition from others, and at other times are purely happy on our own? I discuss why loneliness...

    Feb 20, 2019
36. 43

    Closure Optional Ep. 43 – Ruckus Lucas, Musician and Woke Bloke

    Ruckus is a musician and an unassuming spiritual guru / future cult leader. He currently plays drums in a band called Hammers with our friend Lucas Stone, and he runs an organisation called Woke Blokes that is trying to help men understand themselves better in healthy and constructive ways. He’s...

    Feb 10, 2019
37. 42

    Closure Optional, Ep. 42 – Human Motivation and and Introduction to T.A.

    In this episode I discuss some made up and some actual psychological theories on Human Motivation – why, the fuck, do we do what we do? What is this “dream” that the Social Media Influencers want us to pursue? What need is your dream actually fulfilling? And a sneak peak into how your…

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    Feb 3, 2019
38. 41

    Closure Optional Ep. 41 – LIVE With Ben Johnston, WBC Muaythai World Champion

    This podcast was recorded in front of a live audience at the Yard Cafe on the Gold Coast, featuring Ben Johnston. Ben has just recently won a WBC World Title in Muaythai, and this is a great conversation about what it takes to become the best in the world at something, how the social media […]

    Jan 26, 2019
39. 40

    Closure Optional Ep. 40 – Nick Sun, Comedian and Psychonaut

    Nick is an enigma – he walked away from a 13 year career in stand-up comedy to walk the Australian desert and sleep in various forests burning frog secretions into his skin in order to learn how to grow up… this is a great conversation about the power of the mind, how it manipulates us, […]

    Jan 21, 2019
40. 39

    Closure Optional Ep. 39 – Iggy McGowan 2, Muaythai Trainer and Mindset Mentor

    Iggy specialises in mind and body transformation through his company Via Bellatoris. I brought Iggy back onto the podcast this week because it’s a new year and we’re all saying “Oh yeah, this year I’ll do it!!!” – and I wanted to give you some tangible, specific advise on how to actually do what...

    Jan 13, 2019
41. 38

    Closure Optional, Ep. 38 – Manuary and the Illusion of Self

    In this episode I discuss my recent experiences as a virgin of online dating in the 21st century, and what it showed me about the nature of being a “self”. How do you sell your “self” to dudes on the internet when no one really knows what a “self” is… I give some valuable tips […]

    Jan 6, 2019
42. 37

    Closure Optional Ep. 37 – Stuart Walter, Hypnotherapy Session

    Hey it’s Christmas time and everyone’s insane in attempt to relax over the holiday break, so I thought it would be fun to do some experimental podcasts at the end of the year… Stuart comes to my house and gives me a hypnotherapy session for this one, and you can join in if you want […]

    Dec 22, 2018
43. 36

    Closure Optional Ep. 36 – Steve McDonald, PRISM

    Steve is a Australian Military Veteran who cured his debilitating PTSD through the exploration of altered states of consciousness; states induced by martial Arts, meditation, and yes, psychedelic compounds. He is one of the founders of PRISM, a non-profit organisation that works to develop and...

    Dec 16, 2018
44. 35

    Closure Optional Ep. 35 – Kris Drummond, Writer

    Kris is a writer, photographer, and philosopher, and one of my best friends though we’ve actually never met each other in real life. I met him in a writers group on Duncan Trussell’s podcast forum, and we’ve spent 5 years talking to each other through the internet… This is a wonderful…

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    Dec 8, 2018
45. 34

    Closure Optional Episode 34 – Social Masturbator cum Neuroscientist, Me

    *UPDATED* – Holy shit you guys this was a monster – I was sick of telling the story about the time I masturbated in the woods with a bunch of strangers, but I managed to get it out of me finally in an entertaining and hopefully enriching way for you, and I’ve added some educational […]

    Dec 2, 2018
46. 33

    Closure Optional Ep. 33 – Craig, Peter and Daniel from ‘High As Mike’, Filmmakers

    We were very lucky to squeeze into the very busy shooting schedule for Craig Wilson, Daniel Raffaele, and Peter Cross as they continue their massive journey across Australia filming a new documentary called ‘High As Mike’. The film follows Mike, a cancer patient with a brain tumour that will...

    Nov 25, 2018
47. 32

    Closure Optional Ep. 32 – Jay Bainbridge and Matt Bartlem, Arroyo

    Jay and Matt are musicians from the band (group?), Arroyo – I don’t know the difference between a band and a group, but these guys are fucking rad. This is a great conversation about music, art, the vulnerability of being someone with something to say, how commercialised art can be a disgusting...

    Nov 18, 2018
48. 31

    Closure Optional Ep. 31 – Jordi Sullivan, The Fight Dietician

    Oooweeee this guy is a fantastic bag of bones, muscles and brains (but mostly brains); Jordi helps elite fighters cut weight for MMA and other combat sports in order to safely and effectively achieve their fight weight, which can be a loss of up to 20% of their total body weight!! This is a great...

    Nov 11, 2018
49. 30

    Closure Optional Ep. 30 – Aidan Killian, Comedian

    Aidan is an Irish Comedian living in Bangkok who used to be an Investment Banker but he quickly realised that God was going to punish him for being evil so he became a comedian and with a short detour into Buddhist Christianity while writing a comedy show about Jesus versus Buddha. This is a…

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    Nov 2, 2018
50. 29

    Closure Optional Ep. 29 – Adrian Franklin, The Eros Method

    Adrian is a wellness coach who uses somatic and cognitive therapy to help men resolve issues with anxiety, stress, anger and shame. He is also involved with Polyamory, which means his girlfriends have other boyfriends who have other girlfriends (and maybe boyfriends too). During the course of the...

    Oct 21, 2018