Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
After being pronounced dead for seven minutes at age 15, Patrick McCollum embarked on a life that would lead him to counsel world leaders, befriend Jane Goodall, and help unite over 60 million Indigenous people to protect the Amazon.
In this episode of LIMINAL NEWS, I’m joined by Patrick McCollum, a global peacemaker and the subject of the new documentary The Man Who Saves the World, directed by Gabe Polsky.
Patrick’s life defies easy explanation. At 15, he was killed in a motorcycle accident and pronounced dead for more than seven minutes. What he experienced during that near-death encounter set him on a path that would take him far beyond anything he could have imagined.
Over the decades, Patrick has lived what he calls “ten different lives”:
-a kung fu master
-an internationally celebrated jewelry designer for presidents, royalty, and film stars
-a prison chaplain who counseled Charles Manson and spent years on death row at San Quentin
-an advisor to presidents, prime ministers, kings, and revolutionary leaders
-a peacemaker in Africa, the Middle East, and beyond
Most recently, Patrick became the central figure in an extraordinary effort to unite Indigenous nations across the Amazon. According to an ancient prophecy shared by elders from more than 300 Indigenous nations, a time would come when someone would help reunite their peoples to stand against the destruction of the rainforest. Patrick agreed to step forward — and over time, helped bring together more than 60 million Indigenous people in a shared commitment to protect the Amazon and sacred lands worldwide.
In this conversation, Patrick recounts his journey to meet the Kogi, restoring what they describe as their stolen spiritual inheritance; his deep friendship with Jane Goodall; his belief in seeing every person as sacred — even those we fear or despise — and why, at 75 years old and in declining health, he continues to step forward rather than retreat.
We also talk candidly about despair, burnout, the rise of authoritarianism, ecological collapse, and what it means to keep going when the future feels increasingly uncertain.
This is a conversation about courage, sacrifice, prophecy, skepticism, and hope — and about what it really means to try to serve something larger than yourself in a time of global crisis.
GUEST BIO:
Patrick McCollum is an internationally recognized peacemaker, spiritual teacher, and environmental activist with more than 55 years of experience mediating conflicts and advising global leaders. His work spans prison reform, Indigenous rights, interfaith dialogue, and environmental protection. He is the subject of the documentary "The Man Who Saves the World?" and continues to support global peace and ecological initiatives through his foundation.
Learn more or support his work:
patrickmccollum.org
themanwhosavestheworld.com
—
CHAPTERS:
00:00 – Meeting the Kogi & Restoring Their Spirit
01:08 – Introducing Patrick McCollum
02:09 – Ten Lives & a Near-Death Experience
03:03 – Dying at 15 and Encountering God
04:45 – Feminist Spirituality & a New Religious Movement
05:47 – Prison Chaplaincy & Death Row
06:25 – Counseling Charles Manson
07:50 – Meeting and Befriending Jane Goodall
10:55 – 55 Years of Peacemaking in Africa
12:32 – Becoming a King in Ghana
14:59 – Advising U.S. Presidents
18:17 – Peace Talks in the Middle East
19:53 – India, the Ganges & an Amazonian Prophecy
22:13 – Restoring the Spirit of the Kogi
23:47 – Uniting 60 Million Indigenous People
26:02 – Why the Amazon Matters to the Entire Planet
27:33 – Stepping Forward Despite Illness & Disability
30:00 – Indigenous Alliances Across the World
30:54 – How to Support the Work
32:25 – Seeing the Sacred in Every Person
34:12 – Speaking with Enemies Without Fear
36:13 – Making the Documentary
37:16 – The Gold Pendant & Personal Sacrifice
42:27 – The Kogi Message to Modern Humanity
43:47 – The State of the World Forum
47:56 – Rejecting Wealth & Staying Independent
51:15 – Fascism, Despair & Why Patrick Keeps Going
55:01 – Final Reflections & Film Screenings
—
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#LiminalNews #PatrickMcCollum #TheManWhoSavesTheWorld
#AmazonRainforest #IndigenousRights #NearDeathExperience
#JaneGoodall #SacredActivism #GlobalPeace #Consciousness
#EnvironmentalJustice #Documentary
After being pronounced dead for seven minutes at age 15, Patrick McCollum embarked on a life that would lead him to counsel world leaders, befriend Jane Goodall, and help unite over 60 million Indigenous people to protect the Amazon.
In this episode of LIMINAL NEWS, I’m joined by Patrick McCollum, a global peacemaker and the subject of the new documentary The Man Who Saves the World, directed by Gabe Polsky.
Patrick’s life defies easy explanation. At 15, he was killed in a motorcycle accident and pronounced dead for more than seven minutes. What he experienced during that near-death encounter set him on a path that would take him far beyond anything he could have imagined.
Over the decades, Patrick has lived what he calls “ten different lives”:
-a kung fu master
-an internationally celebrated jewelry designer for presidents, royalty, and film stars
-a prison chaplain who counseled Charles Manson and spent years on death row at San Quentin
-an advisor to presidents, prime ministers, kings, and revolutionary leaders
-a peacemaker in Africa, the Middle East, and beyond
Most recently, Patrick became the central figure in an extraordinary effort to unite Indigenous nations across the Amazon. According to an ancient prophecy shared by elders from more than 300 Indigenous nations, a time would come when someone would help reunite their peoples to stand against the destruction of the rainforest. Patrick agreed to step forward — and over time, helped bring together more than 60 million Indigenous people in a shared commitment to protect the Amazon and sacred lands worldwide.
In this conversation, Patrick recounts his journey to meet the Kogi, restoring what they describe as their stolen spiritual inheritance; his deep friendship with Jane Goodall; his belief in seeing every person as sacred — even those we fear or despise — and why, at 75 years old and in declining health, he continues to step forward rather than retreat.
We also talk candidly about despair, burnout, the rise of authoritarianism, ecological collapse, and what it means to keep going when the future feels increasingly uncertain.
This is a conversation about courage, sacrifice, prophecy, skepticism, and hope — and about what it really means to try to serve something larger than yourself in a time of global crisis.
GUEST BIO:
Patrick McCollum is an internationally recognized peacemaker, spiritual teacher, and environmental activist with more than 55 years of experience mediating conflicts and advising global leaders. His work spans prison reform, Indigenous rights, interfaith dialogue, and environmental protection. He is the subject of the documentary "The Man Who Saves the World?" and continues to support global peace and ecological initiatives through his foundation.
Learn more or support his work:
patrickmccollum.org
themanwhosavestheworld.com
—
CHAPTERS:
00:00 – Meeting the Kogi & Restoring Their Spirit
01:08 – Introducing Patrick McCollum
02:09 – Ten Lives & a Near-Death Experience
03:03 – Dying at 15 and Encountering God
04:45 – Feminist Spirituality & a New Religious Movement
05:47 – Prison Chaplaincy & Death Row
06:25 – Counseling Charles Manson
07:50 – Meeting and Befriending Jane Goodall
10:55 – 55 Years of Peacemaking in Africa
12:32 – Becoming a King in Ghana
14:59 – Advising U.S. Presidents
18:17 – Peace Talks in the Middle East
19:53 – India, the Ganges & an Amazonian Prophecy
22:13 – Restoring the Spirit of the Kogi
23:47 – Uniting 60 Million Indigenous People
26:02 – Why the Amazon Matters to the Entire Planet
27:33 – Stepping Forward Despite Illness & Disability
30:00 – Indigenous Alliances Across the World
30:54 – How to Support the Work
32:25 – Seeing the Sacred in Every Person
34:12 – Speaking with Enemies Without Fear
36:13 – Making the Documentary
37:16 – The Gold Pendant & Personal Sacrifice
42:27 – The Kogi Message to Modern Humanity
43:47 – The State of the World Forum
47:56 – Rejecting Wealth & Staying Independent
51:15 – Fascism, Despair & Why Patrick Keeps Going
55:01 – Final Reflections & Film Screenings
—
📩 Subscribe to Liminal News on Substack
substack.com/@danielpinchbeck
📸 Instagram → instagram.com/danielpinchbeck
🧵 Threads → threads.net/@danielpinchbeck
📘 Facebook → facebook.com/danielpinchbeck.author
🐦 Twitter / X → twitter.com/pinchbeck
🔵 Bluesky → https://bsky.app/profile/danielpinchbeck.bsky.social
💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/danielpinchbeck
📚 Goodreads → goodreads.com/author/show/26172.Daniel_Pinchbeck
📚 Explore My Books
tinyurl.com/mrsmtpwv
🌐 Join Our Online Community, e-Courses, Seminars & more! – The Liminal Institute
https://www.liminal.news
🖥️ Official Website
pinchbeck.io
#LiminalNews #PatrickMcCollum #TheManWhoSavesTheWorld
#AmazonRainforest #IndigenousRights #NearDeathExperience
#JaneGoodall #SacredActivism #GlobalPeace #Consciousness
#EnvironmentalJustice #Documentary
