Something Else Entirely

I sit down with a student from the University of Colorado Boulder to talk about something that has become one of the defining issues of our time: the impact of smartphones and social media on our attention, nervous systems, and overall well-being.This is a topic I’ve been studying and teaching about for over a decade.The conversation traces back to the moment this work really began for me—around 2014, when I noticed something strange while trying to read a book. My attention kept drifting. I kept checking my phone. After finishing a PhD, I found myself wondering: Can I not read anymore?That moment of curiosity turned into years of research, teaching, and experimentation with students. What emerged from that process eventually became the Post-Internet Project, a body of work focused on helping people reclaim their attention, agency, and sense of meaning in the digital age.In this conversation we discuss:• Why digital detoxes often fail to create lasting change• The deeper root of media overconsumption: disconnection from values and purpose• How dopamine actually works in the brain (and why phones drain motivation for real life)• The emotional desensitization created by constant media consumption• How algorithmic feeds distort our perception of reality• The role of agency and choice in shaping our future relationship with technology• Thoughts on AI, attention, and personal sovereigntyAt the heart of this conversation is a simple idea:When people remember what actually brings them meaning, joy, and purpose, the phone naturally becomes less interesting.An InvitationI currently have a couple of one-on-one mentorship spaces available for March–May for people who want deeper support in realigning their relationship with attention, media, and daily life.This work is structured, focused, and designed to help people reconnect with what truly matters so their time, energy, and attention begin organizing around those values again.If you're interested, feel free to reach out. [email protected] the Post-Internet ProjectThe Post-Internet Project explores how humans can navigate the psychological, social, and spiritual challenges of the digital age.The goal is not simply to reduce screen time, but to help individuals reclaim agency, meaning, and clarity in a world shaped by powerful technologies.If you enjoyed this conversation:• Subscribe to the channel• Share with someone who might benefit• And take a moment today to put your phone down, breathe, and look around.Your attention is sacred.

This episode is raw and messy. It’s me telling the truth about how broken higher education feels and how much it hurts to watch young people’s souls get crushed under grades, deadlines, and “success metrics” that aren’t even real.I recorded this in one take, bloopers and all, because sometimes grief and rage are as sacred and needed as love and light. This is for my students, for anyone who’s ever felt lost inside a system that doesn’t see their soul, and for everyone who’s learning that rage can be holy too.Inside you’ll hear:– A candid, unfiltered reflection on higher ed’s shadow side– Why grief and rage can be powerful teachers and sacred emotions– A dedication to one of my Soul School students who’s struggling right now– A reminder that even in the muck, love, courage, and hope are realMay this expression liberate you to express your own truth, your own sacred anger, your own sacred tears.WE ARE FREE. WE ARE FREE. WE ARE FREE.

I share true stories from recent meditations and classrooms: students rediscovering their inner spark, others wrestling with beliefs about free will and truth, and the sobering reality of young people who know their media habits harm them but feel powerless to change.We explore:🌱 Why grief can be alchemized into light🛡️ How to protect your inner spark without becoming defensive🌍 The difference between systems that disempower us and practices that restore agency💫 Soul School’s vision as a space for remembering, not through dogma, but through your own direct connection to Eternal SourceIf you’ve felt the crippling waves of fear in the field, the exhaustion of scrolling, or the grief of watching the old world crumble, this episode is for you. REMEMBER. We are free. We are free. We are free. 🙏 If this resonates, support Soul School by liking, subscribing, and sharing with someone who could benefit. 💌 Join weekly Soul School Office Hours (Wednesdays 6:30pm MT) — details on Instagram @annie.are.we.okay.

Our attention is sacred. In this meditation we focus on Love, Truth, and our direct connection to Source. The first time I guided this meditation, someone in the audience told me afterward that he believed our emotions are not real, Love is just an idea (not an actual force in the Universe), and there is no Truth... oh and also we don't have freewill or agency. LOL. That kind of programming will really getcha disempowered. Sounds like mind control to me. When some organized or traditional way of thinking convinces you to believe you have no power, it becomes true, which is very convenient for the powers that be. When I responded politely saying I had different beliefs, he then proceeded to tell me he has "no beliefs" (after just listing all his beliefs). I wasn't angry or offended but it was incredibly difficult for me to hold it together and not laugh out loud. ^If you fall into the camp who believes you are powerless, this meditation is NOT for you.... yet ;) If you're ready to reclaim your agency, direct connection to Source, and to feel the power of LOVE flow through you, then join me. ONE LOVE. WE ARE FREE. WE ARE FREE. WE ARE FREE.

I'm Annie Margaret, PhD. Welcome to Soul School. 🌌 I share the origin story of Soul School — from my first direct experiences of non-local consciousness (out-of-body vision, flooding white light, and the transmission of love, joy, and the liberation of all beings) to the creation of a new model of education for a post-materialist world.✨ What it means to ask if consciousness is foundational or just a byproduct of the brain.✨ The “Brain as Filter” model of consciousness.✨ Stories from students of visions, seraphim, and premonitions.✨ Why current education is failing students — filling their “filters” with unnecessary content, stress and emptiness instead of cultivating intuition, discernment, and connection to Source.✨ Student survey data showing:42% of students report out-of-body experiences.50% report transcendent or mystical experiences.71% say they feel a deep need for meaning and purpose.64% say extrasensory perception is real (and another 21% say “I don’t know”).I share a powerful moment of support from a university administrator who resonated with Soul School, calling my work “an important mission that will authentically guide students out of tremendous suffering.”The message is clear: these aren’t fringe anomalies — they are lived experiences shaping the inner worlds of our students. If universities won’t recognize this, then something new must rise. Soul School is that rising. A place to tune our instruments to love, peace, to restore our imaginations — and to remember that the free world is inevitable.WE ARE FREE. WE ARE FREE. WE ARE FREE. 🔔 Subscribe for more episodes, stories, and practices.Disclaimer: I work for the ATLAS Institute at the University of Colorado Boulder. My colleagues and immediate administrators are in no way part of the educational problem I am describing in this episode. Our students have way more freedom than most. And I'm not just saying that to play it safe, I'm way past that ;-) They're truly wonderful people and I want to be clear who I AM (and am NOT) referring to.

This episode is a heartfelt offering about the reunion of science and spirit, intellect and intuition, self and Source. I reflect on the prophecy of the Eagle and the Condor, the grief and praise in my own awakening from scientism, and why I am creating Soul School — a space for cultivating our unique connection to the larger consciousness system.This is a love letter to the artists who welcomed me back, the scientists who still might be listening, and anyone navigating the collapse of our information ecosystem with curiosity in the mind and compassion in the heart.— Consciousness as foundational— Why Soul School?— Reconciling science with lived experience— The prophecy of the Eagle and the Condor— The necessity of holding curiosity and compassion— Grief, trust, and the courage to believe in a more beautiful worldIf you’re still here: thank you.The Prophecy of the Eagle and Condor at Turtle Lodgehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmIrp9tA0ssThe Eagle & The Condor Prophecy: Elder's Interpretations, From Several Nations https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UUTLRST-TwSOUL SCHOOL Wednesdays630-730pm MTStarting August 27, 2025🎧 Subscribe for more episodes of Something Else Entirely📸 Follow on Instagram: @annie.are.we.okay^DM for Soul School link

This is not an episode I planned to create. I’m not here to convince anyone to change their beliefs. There is no sense in that. I know the truth of what I saw, and continue to see. This experience changed me. Science supports my lived experience. Scientism does not. Please enjoy it...🧠 A conversation with a skeptical scientist friend (who I love dearly)🌀 Gnosis and the art of “seeing for yourself”🧘‍♀️ Meditative states and accessing information across space and time💔 The vulnerability of trying to validate spiritual experiences in a materialist world❤️ Why remembering who we really are is the key to our future✨ Soul School Office Hours, beginning August 27 — a free weekly zoom gathering for those curious about consciousness, near-death experiences, intention, healing, and the next evolution of what it means to be human.Thank you to Laura Inserra for the music! https://www.laurainserra.com/Stay tuned on Instagram @annie.are.we.okayThe transmission of love and joy and the liberation of all beings. May we grow stronger in spirit.

In this episode of Something Else Entirely, I sit down with my dear friend Jason King, a tantric teacher and facilitator of intimacy and embodiment practices, for a heart-centered conversation about queerness, desire, and the spiritual journey of becoming.We explore queerness not just as an identity, but as an energetic and evolutionary force. What happens when we view identity through the lens of non-dual consciousness? What does tantra teach us about authentic desire, expansion, and creative expression? And how do we make peace with the boxes we build — even as we desire to break free from them?This episode is a meditation on the complexity of being, the longing to be whole, and the courage it takes to live in alignment. 🔹 Topics we explore:Tantra’s perspective on desire and soul expressionQueerness as spiritual archetype and evolutionary energyThe dance between identity, labels, and liberationMoral vs. spiritual bypassingWhat it means to align with your inner truth📍 Disclaimer: We are not scholars of queer theory or gender studies. This is an intimate conversation between two friends, sharing lived experience, reflection, and spiritual exploration.🎧 Listen, feel, take what resonates, and let the rest compost.

What happens when you leave your body… and come back changed forever?In this powerful episode, Fitz shares the near-death experience that completely transformed his life—from suicidal depression to a deep sense of purpose rooted in love. After a mountain biking accident left him in a coma, Fitz witnessed a life review unlike anything he could have imagined. What he saw—and felt—on the other side gave him a reason to live, and a message for all of us: love is not just a word. It's a state of being.We explore the difference between dissociation and spiritual awakening, how real love feels in the body, and what it means to truly choose life.This is an episode about remembering who you are… and why you're here.🎧 In This Episode:-Fitz’s childhood intuition and precognitive dreams-The accident that led to a coma and near death experience-A life review through the smiles of loved ones-Depression, dissociation, and what changed-The true meaning of Love—and how to live it like children do-Why so many young people are suffering and how to remember the truth of your soul

In this deeply personal and thought-provoking episode, Edwin (they/them) joins me for a conversation about sleep paralysis, out-of-body experiences, inherited spiritual phenomena, and the strange beauty of visionary dreams—including one that featured a Bible verse: 1 Corinthians 12 about gifts of the Spirit. Edwin was not raised in the Church, is not religious, and has never read the Bible. WHERE DOES THAT INFORMATION COME FROM??!We talk about consciousness as foundational to reality, the experience of nonlocal perception, and the importance of recognizing and cultivating our spiritual gifts—especially in a world that often demands we suppress or deny them.If you've ever had sleep paralysis, strange visions, or the unshakable feeling that your mind can be somewhere else entirely… you are not alone.🕯 Topics include:-Intergenerational sleep paralysis and visions-What it really means to leave your body-Dreams including a vision of Corinthians 12 (on spiritual gifts)-Why younger generations may be more psychically attuned-The failure of materialism to hold these truths-Consciousness, community, and ecosystem healing-Imagining a better world—one spiritual gift at a time🔔 Subscribe for more consciousness-expanding conversations, spiritual realism, and things too weird to say in the classroom.

This 20-minute guided meditation invites you to reconnect with your body, calm your nervous system, and return to the present moment with compassion. We begin with gentle movement to help you get the wiggles out—because embodiment matters—before sinking into a deeply restorative body scan. From there, we invite softness into the muscles, the mind, and finally the heart.You’ll be guided through:Gentle somatic awareness and movementA full-body relaxation scanBrain hemisphere softeningLoving-kindness (metta) meditationWhether you’re transitioning between meetings or decompressing after a long day, this practice offers a moment of calm, clarity, and compassion—available anytime you need it.

In this episode, I sit down with my dear friend to explore the wild world of dreaming. Lucid dreams, recurring dreams, and "prophetic" dreams that defy linearity of time and are incompatible with the mainstream scientific worldview, but completely normal, and even expected, within a post-materialist worldview. Ilana shares personal stories of precognitive experiences, including one dream that may have saved her from a dangerous situation in rural Ecuador.AND -The connection between dreams and meditation-How fish oil unexpectedly led to nightly lucid dreaming-What it means to develop noetic skills like clairvoyance and intuition-The challenges of integrating mystical experiences into daily life-Why cultivating presence and rest is essential for navigating nonphysical realms

What if your dog actually knows when you’re coming home? What if your cat is trying to tell you something... and you're just not listening?In this episode, I sit down with my sweet neighbor Martin - retired firefighter, engineer, and floppy disc inventor - who surprised me one afternoon by casually mentioning he'd taken animal communication classes. Our dogs are best friends, so when he mentioned this in the backyard, and I had to stop him mid-sentence to hit “record.”We talk about his firsthand experiences learning to communicate with animals, the eerie accuracy of telepathic readings in class, and what it feels like when you suddenly know something you shouldn’t. Along the way, I dive into the science and history of animal telepathy, including the bizarre and well-documented Soviet experiments on circus dogs, rabbits, and long-distance mind-reading.BOOKS:Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home. Rupert Sheldrake. 1999. Science Set Free: 10 Paths to New Discovery. Rupert Sheldrake. 2012. MORE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSsBczNOEBs&t=2857s&ab_channel=JimmyAkin

In this episode of Something Else Entirely, we dive into the deep end — near-death experiences (NDEs), the science behind them, and what they might be telling us about consciousness itself. It started with a walk and a conversation with my neighbor Laura, who shared a terrifying experience she'd never told anyone before. We explore the thriving research on NDEs, Pam Reynolds’ famous flatline case, and what thousands of people report about being pulled out of their bodies and into the light.🔎 What if consciousness doesn’t come from the brain, but flows through it?🧠 What if subjective experience is viewed as valid?🌌 And what happens when the people who return say it was more real than this life?Whether you’ve had an NDE, know someone who has, or are just curious about what science can’t explain away, then this one’s for you.🧬 Dr. Pim van Lommel’s AWARE Study – Cardiologist and NDE researcher🌐 Near-Death Experience Research Foundation (NDERF) – Over 5,300 NDEs collected→ https://nderf.org/index.htmhttps://iands.org/📘 BOOKSProof of Heaven by Dr. Eben Alexander – A neurosurgeon’s own NDE storyLight and Death by Dr. Michael Sabom – Detailed report on the Pam Reynolds caseSurviving Death: A Journalist Investigates Evidence for an Afterlife by Leslie KeanThe Science of Near-Death Experiences by John C. Hagan III🎥 Want to explore more NDE stories?https://www.youtube.com/@UC4IFgmVjowpy8D7nXmFZL2A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5n2dzN1joUhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o96LNLaiDsc

In this episode, we explore “The Flip” – the moment when someone moves from a strictly materialist, reductionist perspective to one that acknowledges consciousness as a fundamental aspect of reality. We’ll talk about why the dominant scientific worldview struggles to explain things like:🔮 Near-death experiences🧠 Telepathy and nonlocal awareness🪐 Out-of-body experiences💫 Mystical states of consciousnessI’ll also share my own “flip” – the moment a profound mystical experience shattered my materialist worldview and set me on a journey to understand the deeper mysteries of consciousness.Books: Infinite Awareness. Marjorie Woollacott. Proof of Heaven : A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the AfterlifeBy Eben Alexander*** the book is called Proof of Heaven - not Stairway to Heaven, that is Led Zeppelin LOLQuantum Information Panpsychism Explained Federico Faggin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FUFewGHLLgInterview with idealist physicist and inventor of the microprocessor, Federico Fagginhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVS3-NDUC0MSteven Taylor https://www.stevenmtaylor.com/Something Else Is Evolving Consciousness | Panspiritism By Dr. Steve Taylor PhD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhhUj-vghNQ#Consciousness #Mysticism #SpiritualAwakening #TheFlip #Neuroscience #NonlocalMind #Materialism #Postmaterialism #Philosophy

In this episode we delve into the trouble with SCIENTISM and whether or not pigs can fly. SCIENTISM: the too often unquestioned belief that only what can be measured, quantified, or experimentally verified is real. While I love science (I spent years alone in a dark microscope room figuring out how RNA viruses interact with our immune systems), I have a PROBLEM with scientism.We’ll talk about:- How gatekeeping and scientism keep certain questions off the table- The surprising data from a 2018 study on meditators that was almost blocked from publication- Why subjective, first-person experiences still matter (even if they can’t be easily quantified)BONUS! I’ll share a personal story from a student about a mystical experience that made me question how much we’re missing when we ignore lived experiences.Meditation study referenced: Future directions in meditation research: Recommendations for expanding the field of contemplative science. Vieten et al. 2018. PLOS One. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0205740BOOKS:Real Magic by Dean RadinScience Set Free by Rupert SheldrakeTHE FLIP by Jeffrey Kripal

What do we do with mystical experiences when they don’t fit our worldview?What if the foundations of science left something important behind?We’ll explore how:-Reductionism oversimplifies complex systems into particles-Materialism quietly breeds nihilism-We suffer from "magical amnesia" due to 400 years of materialism and reductionism dominating Western scientific thinkingUnderstanding these ISMs might be the first step to LIBERATING our IMAGINATIONSI’ll also share a few personal thoughts on fear, joy, and what I tell my students when their inner critic gets loud. (Spoiler: I swallow the pill of my own advice. Yuck. I am officially not good at the new thing - YET.)Donald Hoffman. The Case Against Reality: Why Evolution Hid the Truth from Our Eyes. 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r5OQL7nf34&ab_channel=ScienceTimeRupert Sheldrake. Science Set Free. 2013. Dr. Rupert Sheldrake, one of the world's most innovative scientists, shows the ways in which science is being constricted by assumptions that have, over the years, hardened into dogmas. Such dogmas are not only limiting, but dangerous for the future of humanity.

Welcome to the very first episode of Something Else Entirely. I’m Annie. Scientist, educator, reformed cynic, and now, reluctant messenger for something a little... weirder.If you had met me ten years ago, you would’ve found a fiercely rational PhD who believed in peer-reviewed journals, hard data, and the harsh reality that life is ultimately meaningless.And yet… here we are.In this opening episode, I share why I’m finally speaking up about the suppressed science of real magic - and what it means for human potential, consciousness, and the crumbling reality we’re all feeling right now.It's time to start centering the weird, so we may grow stronger in spirit.This project is completely separate from my role at CU Boulder. These views are mine, and maybe yours too.Intro Music: Vertical Vision 2050 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfZsz6dojvsThe Superhumanities. Jeffrey Kripal. 2022. Real Magic. Dean Radin. 2018.