Overshoot in a Nutshell: Understanding Our Predicament (31 min) thegreatstory 2021-11-15 | This is part two of a two-part primer on the nature, inevitability, and speed of biospheric and civilizational collapse. Part one, "Collapse In a Nutshell" can be found here: youtu.be/e6FcNgOHYoo It is nearly impossible to truly understand (i.e., to get your head and heart around) our current local and global-scale challenges without this understanding. To join with others (in the "post-doom, no gloom" community) to share best practices and strategies for how to cope and adapt to this knowledge, see here: postdoom.com/discussions
Ecology as Theology: Decline as Grace (Michael Dowd sermon 2020) thegreatstory 2024-04-02 | This is Rev. Michael Dowd's first sermon during the covid lockdowns. He presented it in video format in advance, for use at the Sunday Service 16 April 2020 of the First Unitarian Church of Dallas, Texas.His points are presented in a series of 3 topical categories:Understanding, Remembering, and Inspiring.This video was posted posthumously by his wife, Connie Barlow, when she discovered it in his dropbox folder in 2024 (for downloading by the church). Connie did the video editing before Michael put it in his dropbox, but for some reason she forgot to post it on this youtube channel. Rediscovering it 4 years later, Connie thought it was one of his best — and loved the fact it was under 12 minutes. It also demonstrates how disconcerting the lockdowns were, and thus how easy it was for Michael to normalize the idea of societal decline.
Beyond Hope and Fear: Staying (mostly) positive in abruptly disturbing times - Michael Dowd, 2021 thegreatstory 2024-02-14 | Michael Dowd delivered this online sermon August 2021 for Community Unitarian Universalists of Brighton, Michigan. Following Michael's death in October 2023, the service leader of that sermon (Terry Sharik) and I (Michael's widow, Connie Barlow) decided in 2024 to edit and post this sermon as a legacy piece. As video editor, I extracted the sermon from the full church service video — and lo and behold discovered that I myself told a Story for All Ages during the service. So that is included too. The story was titled "Helping Forests Walk", and I moved it from near the beginning of the service to the end of this video. So it is Michael's sermon that begins right away.For a well-organized and linked list of all of Michael Dowd's videos during the last half of the 18 years he and I lived on the road, visit the archival webpage I created for exactly that purpose. Its title: "Michael Dowd: Postdoom Pastor": thegreatstory.org/michaeldowd-postdoom.htmlAnd absolutely do visit the Postdoom.com website that Michael founded in 2019. The new leadership since Michael's death have been greatly improving the website graphics, accessibility, and resources for serving the community for which it was designed. Bravo!postdoom.com
Postdoom Shifts in Death and Identity: Michael Dowd in conversation with Terry Patten thegreatstory 2024-01-14 | Terry Patten (1951–2021) conversed with Michael Dowd (1958–2023) in his "State of Emergence" audio podcast series in 2020. January 2024 Michael 's widow (Connie Barlow) used mostly her own photos plus some of Michael's educational slides as image overlays while shortening this remarkable conversation for posting on youtube. The long-time friends are both at their best here: clear in their differences, authentic in their expressions, ending in gratitude and deep affection. Topical list with timecodes:00:03 - Preview of 90 seconds02:32 - Terry Patten presents biography of Michael Dowd (images overlaid)06:34 - Michael Dowd briefly recounts the trajectory of his worldviews10:22 - Dowd closes his bio with (a) reading Catton's "Overshoot" in 2015, (b) thus foregrounding ecology over evolution, and (c) initiating the Postdoom project in 2019 after conversing with Paul Chefurka re "finding the gift".13:00 - Patten features Dowd's "Postdoom Conversations" (a video series posted on youtube) and the importance of griefwork and finding mentors whose trajectories beyond mere acceptance of a darker future may inspire one's own journey postdoom.14:35 - Dowd talks about the Postdoom Conversations and how this civilization veered off the ancestral path of caring first and foremost about the wellbeing of future generations. "There is no progress of humans at the expense of the living world upon which we depend."16:43 - Dowd praises Patten for being "one of the few Integralists" who sees that ecological overshoot of carrying capacity is the fundamental cause of civilizational collapse.17:22 - Patten tells of how friends are making a diversity of life changes in response to the "disorienting dilemma" of ongoing collapse, along with his own responses to this predicament (which include attention to spiritual growth).19:44 - Dowd: "Thomas Berry used to famously say, 'I drove a car here to tell you about how bad cars are.' ... "We are living in systems that are millennia-long, human-centered, and anti-future — ecocidal." Rebuts "the prophets of progress."23:04 - Dowd: "I like the words love-in-action better than activism" (local becomes the usual scale for action). Terry concurs.24:10 - Patten: Psychological challenges for generations raised on 'the dream of progress."27:14 - Dowd suggests clarity and calm begins with bringing to mind a deep understanding of ECOLOGY and the HISTORY of civilizational rise and fall. Examples of clarity and calm. An "I-Thou" relationship with nature is "the fundamental spiritual discipline."31:22 - Dowd advocates POSTDOOM shifts in DEATH and IDENTITY. (1) Death is sacred and necessary. (2) Identity of self expands to the biosphere, the cosmos. "Not only am I not afraid of my own death but I'm not afraid of our species death.... My larger 'self' continues into the future."34:46 - Patten appreciates the above, but faults collapsitarian view if too much certainty.38:48 - Dowd praises Patten's call for "epistemic humility," but counters that the last chapter of Catton's book Overshoot "makes the compelling case that the best thing we can do is assume the worst and act from that place. ... We will not voluntarily downshift so long as we hold out hope for some miraculous way to keep this wasteful, industrial, anti-future system going."40:12 - Dowd's teaching section on the FIVE CERTAINTIES: (1) Geological & Biological, (2) Climatological, (3) Linguistic, (4) Cultural and Civilizational, (5) Psychological46:38 - Patten concurs with the above; cites Peter Russell's view of inevitabilities. But questions if (a) too much "equanimity" (failure to fully grieve) and (b) failure to acknowledge the pattern is "cyclical" and "unpredictable." Cites Stephen Jenkinson.51:15 - Dowd responds to above. Reiterates importance of expanded sense of self: "I am one with Time and Nature" and "equanimity doesn't take away the grief." Cites Jenkinson. Reiterates foundational certainties and their psychological benefits.54:26 - Patten challenges that one cannot be sure his goodness of character will prevail when shocks happen. "Stay humble before the tests and lessons" arrive.57:43 - Dowd brings closure to the debate by pointing to John Michael Greer's valuing of DISSENSUS.59:52 - Patten's closing statement: toward deepening relationships and presence to wonder during this "glorious catastrophe." (Includes photo of Dowd's two grand-daughters, both now in s. Michigan.)1:02:45 - Dowd on how postdoom itself is gathering a close community now.1:04:55 - Overlays of tributes and memorials to Dowd (Oct 2023) and Patten (Oct 2021).TERRY PATTON's 75 audio episodes "State of Emergence":newrepublicoftheheart.org/podcastTwo main websites for MICHAEL DOWD:Postdoom.com (ongoing with new leadership) - postdoom.comPostdoom Pastor - thegreatstory.org/michaeldowd-postdoom.html
A Remembrance of Michael Dowd Celebrating Nature (photos by Connie Barlow) thegreatstory 2023-12-04 | Michael Dowd and his wife, Connie Barlow, lived on the road from April 2002 to September 2020. Their itinerant ministry was ended by the covid lockdowns, and they retired to Michigan, where both had family members (including a new grandchild). Michael died suddenly on 7 October 2023 of a massive heart attack — a shock to all friends, colleagues, and family. He was just shy of his 65th birthday. To honor his legacy, Connie assembled these photos on December 3 into a graceful video format. For more information:Instantly after his death, five colleagues stepped forward to keep the Postdoom.com website going — which Michael initiated just before covid put an end to his travels. In just 2 months the team has vastly improved the website, and included a "Tributes" tab for honoring Michael. You can visit the website here: postdoom.com On October 12 that team held a zoom celebration of Michael's life. Connie prepared and posted onto youtube a 5-minute tribute to Michael that featured the chronological sequence of Michael with his colleagues (with a few photos of significant family events). You can watch that video here: youtube.com/watch?v=nJfTGijhi0kAnd know that I (Connie Barlow) am very grateful to read the comments on this video. I knew that Michael, a.k.a. Postdoom Pastor, had a big impact in the world. But reading below the personal testimonials brings a smile to my face. Thank you.Know that Michael's and my massive website, TheGreatStory.org, still exists. But it is mostly archival. After his death, I created a new page featuring Michael's postdoom contributions here: thegreatstory.org/michaeldowd-postdoom.html And if you love trees, visit my own long-standing website: http://torreyaguardians.org/comments.html There you can learn about citizens helping trees migrate poleward ("assisted migration") — which Robin Wall Kimmerer calls "helping forests walk."
Juan Pablo Quiñonez: Post Doom with Michael Dowd thegreatstory 2023-10-03 | This post-doom conversation with resilience and wilderness survivalist expert, TV star, and author, Juan Pablo Quiñonez, was recorded in August 2023. From JP's website -- jpquinonez.com -- "There are plenty of skilled and knowledgeable survival experts out there, but few have truly tested their abilities through multi-month experiences. I'm one of those few. My survival philosophies are not man vs wild, or macho survival bs. I focus instead on learning from the land, developing a survival mindset, and on skills/stuff that actually works in real survival."
Q&A after Being the Calm in the Storm (25-min) thegreatstory 2023-09-21 | This is an edited version of the Q&A session following Michael Dowd's sermon, "Being the Calm in the Storm" youtu.be/le1TzMsGXkg delivered August 13, 2023 at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Flint, MI. Wiki entry: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-doom
Being the Calm in the Storm (30-min) Dowd, 2023 thegreatstory 2023-09-21 | This "post-doom, no gloom" sermon by Rev. Michael Dowd was delivered at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Flint, Michigan on August 13, 2023. Connie Barlow, Michael Dowd's wife, mission partner, and video editor, thinks it is one of his best. Also see separate 30-minute Q&A video: youtu.be/VQ9-QaO5_jc and Wiki page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-doomUPDATE March 2024: Dear friends and colleagues -This is Connie Barlow, Michael Dowd's widow. October 7, 2023, Michael died suddenly of a massive heart attack while away from home — two days after attending his father's hospice death. Do know that both Michael and I regard his life as complete. His death is not a tragedy, even at his somewhat "youthful" age of 64.Over the past two decades, Michael and I co-developed a perhaps unusual perspective on DEATH. It was grounded in the deep-time understanding of evolution and thus gave us a sense of identity not so much as individuals but as ephemeral expressions of the creative force of Life. That creative force was our larger Self — our "Great Self" as Thomas Berry would say. We have long posted on TheGreatStory.org homepage a link to this topical webpage: "Death as Natural and Generative — and no less sacred than life".I had the opportunity to live that worldview last autumn, and by golly it proved its worth. After the initial horror and necessary busy-ness of attending to endings, a welcome calm and gratitude took up residence in my life. Enhanced motivation to attend to my own last works and legacy in such spirit also was a gift.At the top of the Death webpage, you will see a 5-minute TRIBUTE video I created for my beloved husband and mission partner. If you, too, want to reflect on memories of Michael, make sure to sample the comments posted by many others on the youtube page. There is also a touching collection of tributes on the Postdoom website.I have created a new webpage that makes it easy to access Michael's most important online works. Having ended our itinerant lifestyle in September 2020, Michael shifted identity from "America's evolutionary evangelist" into a more grandfatherly and compassionate presence: Postdoom Pastor.Many of us regard Michael's final sermon (August 2023 in Flint, Michigan) as his best. "Being the Calm in the Storm" is posted on youtube. I remember sitting in the front row that day, and at one point feeling chills come up my spine: I had heard most of the words and ideas many times before. But this was different. Michael had become something else for that half hour.Crucial for his and my sense of completion is that the Postdoom.com website, which Michael had developed since 2019, had generated a community of supporters, several of whom were poised to pick up the reins. Gerry Russell, Karen Perry, and Jordan Perry, along with original website creator Mike Rezl, have vastly improved the website these past five months. It is now easy to navigate and rich in images. Because Michael was all about educating, supporting, and connecting, the new team is committed to continuing all three.Please consider that Postdoom.com is not intended as advocacy for the worldview that Michael and I had grown into since 2019. Rather, it is a place to catch those who are done with the hope-fear cycle and are longing for clarity and compassion and new understandings of how to be and how to engage in the world. The Wikipedia Post-doom page provides a short history of this perspective. There you will see a list of "15 Benefits of Collapse Acceptance", birthed by Karen Perry. These were so helpful to me that I was thrilled when Karen accepted my suggestion that she and Jordan take the Post-doom helm.Additionally, TheGreatStory.org website continues archivally, for those who choose to remember (and perhaps make use of) Michael's and my contributions of an earlier day. Some may recall that my own "work" in the world is advocacy and action for "assisted migration" of trees poleward in this time of too-rapid climate change. I am still fully engaged — and grateful that Robin Wall Kimmerer has authorized me to use a term she co-created with an elder many years ago: Helping Forests Walk. Learn more by visiting my "Climate, Trees, and Legacy" webpage.May the forest be with you,Connie Barlow• youtu.be/nJfTGijhi0k?si=v7sZAPGcFgu1Wdh6• Death as Natural and Generative - thegreatstory.org/death-programs.html• Postdoom website - postdoom.com• Postdoom Pastor - thegreatstory.org/michaeldowd-postdoom.html• "Climate, Trees, and Legacy" - thegreatstory.org/climate-trees-legacy.html• Wikipedia Post-doom - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-doom• Wikipedia Michael Dowd - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Dowd• Benefits of Collapse Acceptance - youtu.be/mhKbOtZM01c?si=XcVyxBMriih28not
Jessica Canham - Post-doom with Michael Dowd: Deeply Adapting thegreatstory 2023-08-07 | This post-doom conversation with Jessica Canham was recorded in July 2023. Jessica is a member of the Deep Adaptation Forum. She is Co-Director of Caapi Cottage Retreats and is also a media producer and co-owner of LINK International Productions Inc. Jessica is based in her ancestral island home of Dominica, in the Eastern Caribbean. She shares about her experience of 'deeply adapting' during and after Hurricane Maria hit the island of Dominica in 2017. Local communities responded by sharing food, restoring water, shelter and food production, as well as practical and emotional support, in ways that Jessica sees are virtually non-existent in Northern industrial societies.Along with her partner Timothy Fishleigh, she has created documentaries from the Caribbean and South America, for international broadcasters with an emphasis on culture, environment and social justice stories. Her current documentary film project, “LOVE In Action”, focuses on the stories of revolutionaries working on the front lines of our climate and ecological crisis. Youtube: @loveinaction789/Having survived and re-built after the devastation and collapse caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017, Jessica continues to work to strengthen and maintain resilient, healthy local communities. On her mountain rainforest property, along with her partner Tim, she has created and manages a transformational retreat centre for groups; Caapi Cottage Retreats, where the focus is on nature connection, wellness and art retreats, non-formal education for young people, and plant medicine workshops.Caapi Cottage Retreats: facebook.com/caapicottageretreatsCaapi Cottage Retreats video: youtu.be/JqdpOlZBv-8LINK International Productions: www.linkinternationalproductions.comLOVE IN Action series: youtube.com/@loveinaction789/featured4 Lessons for the World from Dominica: deepadaptation.info/four-lessons-for-the-world-from-dominicaDeep Adaptation Forum on Facebook: facebook.com/groups/1056764851177749
Steve Bull and Erik Michaels: Post Doom with Michael Dowd thegreatstory 2023-06-24 | This "Post Doom, No Gloom" conversation between Steve Bull, Erik Michaels, and Michael Dowd was recorded on June 24, 2023. In it, we discuss a wide range of collapse and adaptation related subjects...and have loads of fun in the process!Steve's Olduvai website: olduvai.ca Steve's "Today's Contemplation: Collapse Cometh" blog on Medium: stevebull-4168.medium.comErik's "Problems, Predicaments, and Technology" website: problemspredicamentsandtechnology.blogspot.comErik's substack: erikmichaels.substack.comErik's blog on Medium: medium.com/@emichaels01/problems-predicaments-and-technology-b72edb8dc9bfErik's Soundcloud playlist: soundcloud.com/michael-dowd-grace-limits/sets/erik-michaels-problems-predicaments-and-technology
Dowd Q&A - CACOR Part 2 - The Big Picture: Beyond Hope and Fear thegreatstory 2023-05-16 | This 75-min Q&A session -- discussing this program: youtu.be/hV91pH8HORo -- is one of the best I've ever participated in, largely because of the amazing questions and commentary from such an educated Canadian Association for the Club of Rome (CACOR) audience. The questioners brought out the best in me. One of my closest post doom, no gloom friends and colleagues (and a mentor), MEG WHEATLEY, responded in such a generous way in an email the next day that it brought tears to my eyes. She wrote: "I’ve just listened to the Q&A from yesterday and want to both appreciate and honor your extraordinarily compassionate honoring of all questioners, even those who misunderstood or denied your remarks. I learned a new level of compassion and grace in listening to your responses. Thank you." 🙏❤️RESOURCES (SCHOLARSHIP undergirding this program and Q&A):postdoom.com/resourcessoundcloud.com/michael-dowd-grace-limits/setsthegreatstory.org/sustainability-audios.htmlCACOR website: canadiancor.comTIME-CODED TABLE of CONTENTS - video 2 (Q&A)00:48 - Anitra, President of Club of Rome U.S.A. / PP&T blog04:25 - Gary: Communities of care?06:00 - Steve: AI (Artificial Intelligence) and human destiny?08:20 - Gordon: predications, uncertainties, certainties?13:30 - Gordon: ecocentric (sustainable) civilizations?15:50 - Richard: What IS possible, constructive, life-giving?18:55 - Raymond: Electrifying society, shift to ‘renewables’?23:53 - Peter: Are we already in hospice? Our way of life?28:14 - Sally: population, overconsumption, overshoot?30:20 - Peter: Can societies choose to succeed or fail?31:24 - Bob: Differences: ours from previous boom/busts34:30 - Karen: Benefits of collapsing well? Amends? Chat!36:56 - Jean: How much time do we have to do something?38:10 - Peter: Planetary boundaries modeling approach?39:05 - Gary: Ambiguous loss and pervasive MSM gaslighting?42:06 - Jordan: Addiction to civilization and path to recovery?44:14 - Claude: Celebrating postdoom.com/discussions44:53 - Anitra: Rapid, Abrupt temp rise? Women! Plant extinctions?48:05 - Michael: Guy McPherson and NTHE49:35 - Ruben: How to speak to youth, parents, grandparents?49:50 - Michael: Post doom, no gloom message to parents, kids55:10 - Samrat: What comes after…better? worse? life after?58:00 - Gary: Resistance re death of legacy? Death of dreams?1:00:38 - Mary: Getting personal…my life, relationships, etc?1:02:57 - Simon: How to speak to non-white, non-privileged folk?1:06:20 - Southern Louisiana story1:08:00 - Susan: Meek will inherit; 12-step recovery from civilization?1:12:00 - Derek: Is it a waste of time to encourage people to action?1:14:44 - Jean: Conclusion and Info about CACOR
CACOR: The Big Picture: Beyond Hope and Fear - Michael Dowd thegreatstory 2023-05-15 | I consider this 52-minute presentation delivered via Zoom on May 3, 2023 to the Canadian Association for the Club of Rome (CACOR) to be my most important and emotionally supportive video to-date. DESCRIPTION: No one needs convincing that we are living in an age of chaos and breakdowns. Even those without benefit of an ecological understanding of history feel the stress. How do we cope? How can we escape the seesaw of hope and fear? And, crucially, how can we be of support to others who are confused, angry, depressed, or filled with fear, blame, or guilt? Don't miss the amazing Q&A session, one of the best of my life (see Youtube description box) youtu.be/ccsBdr7WKmUTime-coded table of contents: 00:00 - Intro of speaker, Michael Dowd01:24 - Slide program begins01:40 - Description and overview03:00 - Religious naturalism, compost theology credo04:40 - Denial / adaptive inattention05:57 - Catton and Berry quotes06:47 - How “progress" leads to collapse/ecocide09:52 - problems vs. predicaments10:00 - Main issue is ecological overshoot, not climate12:05 - Thesis13:31 - Ophuls vs. Pinker and other progress acolytes16:40 - The ecocidal cult of perpetual progress18:31 - Collapse & Overshoot in a Nutshell / Hopium19:57 - Un-trivializing good & evil / nuclear meltdowns21:30 - Overshoot - Why “solutions” make things worse22:54 - 4 main drivers of collapse, ecocide, likely NTHE23:48 - BREAK24:34 - Great Acceleration / Ongoing and unstoppable28:15 - Tipping points (thresholds) already passed30:20 - NASA chart - Last 22K years of temperature rise31:21 - How denial shows up / Myth of ‘the Almighty We’32:41 - Four (Deadly Accurate) Metaphors34:02 - BREAK and REVIEW / 34:42 - Serenity Prayer / why Acceptance is vital36:16 - Grief, Jenkinson hope-free / Stages of Grief39:55 - Assisted migration of trees / helping forests walk40:55 - It’s NOT too late for… / It IS too late for…42:10 - Cultivating calm gratitude / Benefits of acceptance45:45 - Karen & Jordan Perry and Meg Wheatley PD videos46:18 - What’s wrong with hope? 47:50 - Thesis redux / Joseph Brodsky: evil in the language50:11 - Definitions of doom and post-doom51:30 - Feelings that reveal acceptance or non-acceptance52:34 - Final note of encouragement / invitation to watch Q&ARESOURCES (SCHOLARSHIP on which this program is grounded): postdoom.com/resourcessoundcloud.com/michael-dowd-grace-limits/setsthegreatstory.org/sustainability-audios.htmlCACOR website: canadiancor.com
Sandy Schoelles: Post Doom with Michael Dowd thegreatstory 2023-03-28 | March 2023 "Post Doom, No Gloom" conversation with Sandra Schoelles (a.k.a., Sandy Blueocean) from Environmental Coffeehouse...FB: facebook.com/groups/295477227503704Youtube: youtube.com/channel/UCLn1rVPShIYfD-cXzgw2z8w
Living Fully in an Age of Decline (Sanity 101, Cliff Notes) Essential Wisdom for Hard Times thegreatstory 2022-12-27 | This 30-min "CLIFF NOTES" version of "Sanity 101: Living Fully in an Age of Decline - Essential Wisdom for Hard Times" gives voice to a decade of research into (1) the unstoppable nature of denial regarding biospheric and civilizational collapse, and (2) how we can live fully and contribute meaningfully even in the worst circumstances. DESCRIPTION: No one needs convincing that we are living in hard times and in an age of chaos and breakdowns. Even those with no understanding of the runaway nature of biospheric and civilizational decline feel the stress. Just to read or watch today’s propaganda, formerly known as “the news”, is a sobering (or un-sobering!) experience. So... How do we cope? How can we stay positive? And, perhaps most importantly, how can we be of support to others who are confused, angry, depressed, or filled with fear, blame, or guilt? That's what this "basic training" in living life fully and loving the life you live even in the worst of times is all about. THESIS: The stability of the biosphere has been in decline for centuries and in runaway (unstoppable) collapse for decades. This “Great Acceleration” of technology- and market-driven ecocide is an easily verifiable fact. The scientific evidence is overwhelming. Evidence is also compelling that the vast majority of people will deny this, especially those still benefitting from the existing order, those legitimately concerned about the consequences of collapse, those who fear that accepting reality means “giving up”. The history of 80+ previous boom and bust societies clearly reveals how and why Homo colossus (industrial civilization) is in terminal decline and destined for near-term extinction. Paradoxically, acceptance of collapse and its inevitable consequences may be the single most important thing any of us can do to live fully, fearlessly, and inspiringly in this Age of Decline: at TEOTWAWKI (The-End-Of-The-World-As-We-Know-It)."BASIC TRAINING" -- Here is a link to the full (90 minute) version of this material, divided into four 20-25 minute segments (with a break between each), for a more in-depth treatment. Highly recommended: youtu.be/IeDcreVILTE00:00:00 Introduction, Overview, Thesis00:05:22 Trust / Stages / Overshoot00:17:31 Denial / Universal Human Needs00:09:35 Collapse and Civiizations00:14:18 False Solutions / Hopium00:16:17 4 Drivers of Collapse, Ecocide, NTHE00:16:57 Calm Gratitude at TEOTWAWKI?00:17:38 Naming Reality for good or evil00:20:22 Acceptance, Trust, Post-doom No-gloom00:21:49 It's NOT too late... / It IS too late...00:22:32 Cultivating Calm Gratitude00:23:16 Benefits of Acceptance, Trust00:26:22 Final note of encouragement 00:27:17 Feelings of acceptance and denialWEBSITE: postdoom.comRESOURCES: postdoom.com/resourcesCONVERSATIONS: postdoom.com/conversationsGALLOWS HUMOR, COPING, DISCUSSIONS: postdoom.com/discussionsMORTALITY - A SCIENCE-BASED VIEW OF DEATH AS SACRED / MEANINGFUL (best viewed on desktop or laptop: thegreatstory.org/death-programs.htmlSOUNDCLOUD PLAYLISTS: soundcloud.com/michael-dowd-grace-limits/sets(4-MIN) 2014 HBO "THE NEWSROOM" CLIP: youtu.be/6CXRaTnKDXAFULL (8-min) CLIP of 2014 HBO "The Newsroom" (EPA segments): dropbox.com/s/orq3tops40gftzo/HBO%20Newsroom%20Climate%20EPA%20Segments.mov?dl=0
Sanity 101: Living Fully in an Age of Decline (Basic Training) Essential Wisdom for Hard Times thegreatstory 2022-12-27 | This 90-min program (four 20-25 minute sections), "Sanity 101: Living Fully in an Age of Decline (BASIC TRAINING) Essential Wisdom for Hard Times" gives voice to a decade of research into (1) the unstoppable nature of denial regarding biospheric and civilizational collapse, and (2) how we can live fully and contribute meaningfully even in the worst circumstances. DESCRIPTION: No one needs convincing that we are living in hard times and in an age of chaos and breakdowns. Even those with no understanding of the runaway nature of biospheric and civilizational decline feel the stress. Just to read or watch today’s propaganda, formerly known as “the news”, is a sobering (or un-sobering!) experience. So... How do we cope? How can we stay positive? And, perhaps most importantly, how can we be of support to others who are confused, angry, depressed, or filled with fear, blame, or guilt? That's what this "basic training" in living life fully and loving the life you live even in the worst of times is all about. THESIS: The stability of the biosphere has been in decline for centuries and in runaway (unstoppable) collapse for decades. This “Great Acceleration” of technology- and market-driven ecocide is an easily verifiable fact. The scientific evidence is overwhelming. Evidence is also compelling that the vast majority of people will deny this, especially those still benefitting from the existing order, those legitimately concerned about the consequences of collapse, those who fear that accepting reality means “giving up”. The history of 80+ previous boom and bust societies clearly reveals how and why Homo colossus (industrial civilization) is in terminal decline and destined for near-term extinction. Paradoxically, acceptance of collapse and its inevitable consequences may be the single most important thing any of us can do to live fully, fearlessly, and inspiringly in this Age of Decline: at TEOTWAWKI (The-End-Of-The-World-As-We-Know-It)."CLIFF NOTES" -- 30 minute intro/overview/short version of this material, for those who are already collapse accepting and/or who have watched previous videos of mine: youtu.be/cLBJjBcSSnY00:00:00 Introduction, Overview, Thesis00:09:16 Feelings associated with Denial & Acceptance00:10:00 The Big Picture / Great Story00:12:13 Paul Chefurka: Ladder of Awareness00:17:47 John Michael Greer: Clue00:20:10 Denial (Adaptive Inattention)00:25:07 FIRST BREAK00:25:23 Great Acceleration of Collapse00:32:36 What's Inevitable00:25:00 Civilizations00:40:08 REAL-izing Good & Evil00:41:49 Overshoot and Hopium00:48:58 Four (Deadly Accurate) Metaphors00:52:31 SECOND BREAK00:52:56 Accepting Ten Certainties00:57:17 How to Maximize Misery01:00:16 EcoTheo Credo / 4 Rs of RRR01:01:34 Evil comes in language / Don't Look Up01:08:23 Calm Gratitude at TEOTWAWKI01:15:04 THIRD BREAK01:15:18 Doom, Postdoom, Acceptance, Trust01:19:27 Not too late... / Too late...01:23:13 Benefits of Collapse Acceptance, Trust01:28:00 Hope-Free / Stages of Grief01:30:15 Final Note of EncouagementWEBSITE: postdoom.comRESOURCES: postdoom.com/resourcesCONVERSATIONS: postdoom.com/conversationsGALLOWS HUMOR, COPING, DISCUSSIONS: postdoom.com/discussionsMORTALITY - A SCIENCE-BASED VIEW OF DEATH AS SACRED / MEANINGFUL (best viewed on desktop or laptop: thegreatstory.org/death-programs.htmlSOUNDCLOUD PLAYLISTS: soundcloud.com/michael-dowd-grace-limits/sets(4-MIN) 2014 HBO "THE NEWSROOM" CLIP: youtu.be/6CXRaTnKDXAFULL (8-MIN) CLIP of 2014 HBO "The Newsroom" (EPA segments): dropbox.com/s/orq3tops40gftzo/HBO%20Newsroom%20Climate%20EPA%20Segments.mov?dl=0
Carolyn Baker: Undaunted: Living Fiercely Into Climate Meltdown thegreatstory 2022-12-14 | This Dec 14, 2022 (37-minute) conversation between Carolyn Baker and Michael Dowd is largely a discussion of Carolyn's recent book, "Undaunted: Living Fiercely Into Climate Meltdown in an Authoritarian World". DESCRIPTION: At the conclusion of the 2021 COP 26 climate summit with its disappointing outcomes, inhabitants of planet Earth are confronted with the reality that by 2050, or sooner, large parts of the Earth could be uninhabitable. We are indisputably living in the Sixth Great Extinction. We know that countless humans are reeling with climate anxiety and experiencing fear, anger, grief, despair, dread, and understandably attempting to cope with the reality of potential human extinction with massive amounts of denial. This book offers an alternative to being consumed with either denial or despair. At its core is the existential issue of climate catastrophe and how to live into it with compassionate, clear-eyed, vibrant, awakened intention. While this perspective is harrowing, even more formidable is the prospect of doing so in a global milieu in which deeply divided nations and individuals are opting to abandon democratic institutions and procedures in favor of authoritarian models of governance. Undaunted offers neither phony fixes nor merciless melancholy in the face of our daunting predicament. It assumes that both the reader and the author will face moments of despair going forward, but it offers skills and practices for living undaunted in the face of humanity’s most unprecedented ordeals.Undaunted Free Webinars: December 15 & 22/ Undaunted Study Group beginning January 5, 2023/ Register for all at www.quillwood.orgCarolyn Baker website: www.carolynbaker.netCarolyn Baker's Daily News Digest: carolynbaker.net/subscribe-to-daily-newsPOEM BY MARK NEPOEverything is beautiful and I am so sad.This is how the heart makes a duet ofwonder and grief. The light sprayingthrough the lace of the fern is as delicateas the fibers of memory forming their webaround the knot in my throat. The breezemakes the birds move from branch to branchas this ache makes me look for those I’ve lostin the next room, in the next song, in the laughof the next stranger. In the very center, underit all, what we have that no one can takeaway and all that we’ve lost face each other.It is there that I’m adrift, feeling puncturedby a holiness that exists inside everything.I am so sad and everything is beautiful.
Deena Metzger: Post-doom with Michael Dowd thegreatstory 2022-12-08 | This September 2022 post doom, no gloom conversation, "Beginning with Heartbreak", is with noted poet, novelist, essayist, storyteller, teacher, and medicine woman, Deena Metzger. Deena's website: deenametzger.net Wikipedia page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deena_Metzger
True Sustainability: Cultivating a Pro-Future (Indigenous) Heart and Mind thegreatstory 2022-11-30 | I delivered this Zoom sermon, "True Sustainability: Cultivating a Repentant, Pro-Future (Indigenous) Heart and Mind" (27-min) on November 27, 2022, to the Unitarian Universalists of Gettysburg, PA. DESCRIPTION: What are key differences between truly sustainable cultures and today's attempts to greenwash our self-destructive and ecocidal civilization? How do Indigenous life-ways and practices inspire pro-future thinking, feelings, and actions?HISTORICAL NOTE: One of the more common erroneous beliefs of members of colonial-settler cultures is the idea that "human societies have always been the same... Indigenous cultures are just as screwed up as we are". This is demonstrably false, as I show in several of my videos.With respect to anthropocentric (human-centered and anti-future) civilizations, I highly recommend William Ophuls' little 75 page gem, "Immoderate Greatness: Why Civilizations Fail" TEXT: https://www.amazon.com.au/Immoderate-Greatness-William-Ophuls/dp/1479243140/ AUDIO: soundcloud.com/michael-dowd-grace-limits/immoderate-greatness-ophulsWith respect to ecocentric (life-centered and pro-future) cultures, I recommend ALL the resources discussed in the ten minutes beginning at this time-code of my longer program, "Sustainability 101: Indigenuity Is Not Optional": youtu.be/bCZqpdOM8sg?t=1462
Meg Wheatley - Beyond Hope and Fear (Post Doom with Michael Dowd) thegreatstory 2022-11-06 | This post-doom conversation, "Beyond Hope and Fear", between Margaret Wheatley and Michael Dowd, was recorded in October 2022. UPCOMING: "We Have to Talk About Hope" (An Invitation to Explore Our Dependence on Hope), Led by Margaret Wheatley on Zoom - The Berkana Institute: https://mailchi.mp/2d7677d98c5e/we-have-to-talk-about-hope-9287878?e=e559cd6c65Previous post-doom conversations with Meg (one with Terry Patton, in 2020, the other with Michael Shaw, in 2022) can be found at the top of this page: postdoom.com/conversations (Both are excellent, quite different from this one, and highly recommended!) "Freeing Ourselves from the Addiction to Hope" — by Margaret Wheatley TEXT: medium.com/@WarriorsForTheHumanSpirit/freeing-ourselves-from-the-addiction-to-hope-4b6c88920229 AUDIO: soundcloud.com/michael-dowd-grace-limits/margaret-wheatley-freeing-ourselves-from-the-addiction-to-hopeThe Place Beyond Fear and Hope -- Margaret Wheatley TEXT: margaretwheatley.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/BeyondHopeandFear.pdfWhen hope is a hindranceFor Hannah Arendt, hope is a dangerous barrier to courageous action. In dark times, the miracle that saves the world is to act: aeon.co/essays/for-arendt-hope-in-dark-times-is-no-match-for-action (text AND audio narration)Michael Dowd's EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS on hope, hopium, etc — youtube.com/user/thegreatstory/videosPost-Doom, No Gloom (Hope-Free) Audio, Text, and Video Resources — (A): postdoom.com/resources and (B) postdoom.com/discussionsYoutube Playlist: "Pro-Future (Wise) Living: Beyond Hope and Fear" youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcAlqMeyeaW-jGoWXIWUhbTHi3eB0P9ntHOPE RELATED QUOTES…“Grief requires us to know the time we’re in. The great enemy of grief is hope. Hope is the four-letter word for people who are unwilling to know things for what they are. Our time requires us to be hope-free. To burn through the false choice of being hopeful or hopeless. They are two sides of the same con job. Grief is required to proceed.” ~ Stephen Jenkinson"Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out. It is the ability to work for something because it is good, not because it stands a chance to succeed.” ~ Vaclav Havel, author, poet, and former president of the Czech Republic“Do not lose heart; we were made for these times.” ~ Clarissa Pinkola Estés“The depth of your grief is the measure of your love.” ~ Joanna Macy“Inattention to the world’s ecological state is well advised. Because attention to it mitigates against your happiness, contentment, and your sense of well-being. Having a conscience now is a grief-soaked proposition. … “If you awaken in our time, you awaken with a sob.” ~ Stephen Jenkinson
Robert Jensen - An Inconvenient Apocalypse, with Michael Dowd thegreatstory 2022-10-27 | Recorded on October 27, 2022, this "post-doom, no gloom" conversation is with Robert Jensen, emeritus professor in the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Texas at Austin. Robert recently co-authored, with Wes Jackson, "An Inconvenient Apocalypse: Environmental Collapse, Climate Crisis, and the Fate of Humanity".Robert's website: robertwjensen.orgBook webpage: https://undpress.nd.edu/9780268203665/an-inconvenient-apocalypse/
Zachary Marlow: Post Doom with Michael Dowd (90 min) thegreatstory 2022-10-13 | This dialogue between Zachary Marlow and Michael Dowd was recorded in September 2022. Zachary is a collapse conscious filmmaker, activist, and organizer with Moneyless Society, an alternative media project and nonprofit working to grow a network of communities and cooperatives to model a new collaborative socioeconomic paradigm to ride out the storm and model a path forward. Youtube videos, podcasts: youtube.com/c/MoneylessSocietyWebsite: moneylesssociety.comZachary is currently going through some physical and mental health issues and raising funds to get treatment. Learn more and support him here: gofund.me/f6b89671
Collapse and Ecocide as Religious Failure - Dowd thegreatstory 2022-09-21 | A follow-up to Rev. Michael Dowd's "Main Drivers of Collapse, Ecocide, and Likely NTHE" video, this 44-minute video makes the rather audacious claim that each of the four main drivers of collapse: (1) Civilization, (2) Science & Technology, (3) Progress & Development, and (4) Growth Economics arise from and remain grounded in anthropocentrism (human-centeredness), which is itself caused by being "G🌎D-blind and biosphere deaf". For those unfamiliar with such an "Eco-Theo" or "Religious Naturalism" perspective, please see the links below.FOR THOSE NEW TO ECO-THEOLOGY or RELIGIOUS NATURALISM(A) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_naturalism (B) religiousnaturalism.org/what-is-religious-naturalism (C) religiousnaturalism.org/recommended-books (D) http://michaeldowd.org AND thegreatstory.org (E) youtu.be/WyPw0N8DDiE (F): thegreatstory.org/new.html (G): thegreatstory.org/programs.html (H): thegreatstory.org/new.html (I) Scroll down to a few of my VIDEOS on the subject: postdoom.com/resources (J) huumanists.org/blog/201608/video-religious-humanists-year-michael-dowd-and-connie-barlow
Main Drivers of Collapse, Ecocide, and Likely NTHE - Dowd thegreatstory 2022-09-20 | This 56-minute video by Michael Dowd elaborates on what a large body of historical and ecological evidence suggests are the four main drivers (and causes) of collapse, ecocide, and likely Near-Term Human Extinction: (1) Civilization itself, (2) Science and Technology, (3) Progress and Development, and (4) Growth Economics. Dowd also shows how anthropocentrism (human-centeredness) is the worldview context out of which these self-destructive and ecocidal drivers emerge. This understanding is vital because most proposed "solutions" or "fixes" to abrupt climate mayhem (global weirding) just exacerbate ecological overshoot, which is our real, intractable predicament. They also nearly all rely on the very things driving collapse and ecocide in the first place.About Michael Dowd: postdoom.com/aboutPost-doom, no gloom resources: postdoom.com/resourcesFOR THOSE UNFAMILIAR WITH RELIGIOUS NATURALISM(A) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_naturalism (B) religiousnaturalism.org/what-is-religious-naturalism (C) religiousnaturalism.org/recommended-books (D) http://michaeldowd.org AND thegreatstory.org (E) youtu.be/WyPw0N8DDiE (F): thegreatstory.org/new.html (G): thegreatstory.org/programs.html (H): thegreatstory.org/new.html (I) Scroll down to a few of my VIDEOS on the subject: postdoom.com/resources (J) huumanists.org/blog/201608/video-religious-humanists-year-michael-dowd-and-connie-barlow
Hopium Dealers Hall of Fame (with a Nod to Guy McPherson) thegreatstory 2022-08-26 | This hour-long video represents the heart of Michael Dowd's message during the summer of 2022. In it, he confesses to being a repeat offender (i.e., a notorious hopium peddler) between 2000-2012 and also nominates friends, colleagues, and NYTimes bestselling authors for special honor in a "Hopium Dealers Hall of Fame". :-)“HOPIUM” (definition) ... 1. A comforting vision of the future that requires breaking the laws of physics, biology, or ecology.2. Addiction to false (literally, impossible) hopes.3. Irrational or unwarranted optimism that promises short-term relief but delivers crushing disappointment and despair when reality inevitably bites. 4. Any ‘hope’ that leads us to put off or not prioritize what matters most — individually and collectively.5. Believing the climate crisis can be ‘fixed’ or ‘solved’ by doubling down on the very things driving ecocide...HOPIUM DEALER: Someone who ignores (or is blind to) our real predicament — ecological overshoot — and who proposes “fixes” or “solutions” to the climate crisis that rely on the very things causing / driving collapse and ecocide. MAIN CAUSES/DRIVERS of COLLAPSE and ECOCIDE1. Anthropocentrism — human-centered religious values, worldview2. Civilization — extractive/exploitative (city-based) totalitarian narcissism3. Technology — science/tech: "Man: conqueror of nature" / electricity4. Progress — how we measure “wealth”, “wellbeing”, and “success”5. Economics — trade/money systems that incentivize evil and ecocideSix Odious Truths Few People Know (and almost no one can accept)1. We are decades into abrupt climate change, unstoppable collapse, and a mass extinction that will likely include most plants, animals, and humans...by 20402. The more human GHG emissions decline, the faster Earth overheats due to less particulate pollution: aerosol masking / global dimming / “McPherson paradox”.3. All human-centered civilizations destroy their habitat, then self-destruct.4. Technology and the market can’t save us from the ecocide they always create.5. Climate change is not our worst predicament — ecological overshoot is.6. Denying #1-5 betrays ignorance of the main causes/drivers of collapse & ecocide and increases the likelihood of scores of nuclear meltdowns in near future.VIDEOS and PAPERS by Guy McPhersonEdge of Extinction: Maybe I’m Wrong: youtu.be/KxKBcy_28_g (8:36)‘May' and ‘Might' Become ‘Is': youtu.be/-U45PMTOicM (7:49)Be Your Own Superhero: vimeo.com/363363105 (1:00)How We Go Extinct: youtu.be/oYJ38lHMn64 (3:13) Why We Go Extinct: youtu.be/kcamLd-3kug (6:07)When We Go Extinct: youtu.be/1JYI6rv9GGk (4:45) What Will Go Extinct: youtu.be/rfoYGT6UytY (7:10)Means of Extinction: Loss of Aerosol Masking: youtu.be/HBANJeCgsD0 (3:34)Science Update: Aerosol Masking Previously Underestimated on Overheated Earth: youtu.be/3xeItd5kdt4 (9:47)Video, Supporting Articles: Arctic Ocean Warming, Losing Iceguymcpherson.com/arctic-ice-loss (9:00)guymcpherson.com/video-supporting-articles-arctic-ocean-warming-losing-ice-addendum Peer reviewed recent papers onlinescientificresearch.com/articles/earth-is-in-the-midst-of-abrupt-irreversible-climate-change.pdfguymcpherson.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Clinical-Psychology-Forum-May-2019.pdf Longer essaysExtinction Foretold, Extinction Ignored: guymcpherson.com/extinction_foretold_extinction_ignoredClimate Change Summary: guymcpherson.com/climate-chaos/climate-change-summary-and-update
John Englander: Post Doom with Michael Dowd thegreatstory 2022-08-23 | TITLE: "Unstoppably Rising Seas". My long-time friend and colleague, John Englander (former CEO of the Jacques Cousteau Society), is widely recognized as one the world's foremost experts on the rapidity and unstoppability of the rising oceans due to climate change. An oceanographer, consultant, and gifted teacher, John's broad marine science background coupled with explorations to Greenland and Antarctica allows him to see the big picture of sea level rise and its societal impacts. His two acclaimed books are "High Tide on Main Street: Rising Sea Level and the Coming Coastal Crisis" (2011) and "Moving to Higher Ground: Rising Sea Level and the Path Forward" (2021). Youtube: youtu.be/kOEQS1jrL8kJohn Englander's website: johnenglander.netAlso see: 85 other post-doom conversations: postdoom.com/conversationsPost doom audio, video, and text resources (including documentaries, blogs, etc): postdoom.com/resourcesPost doom discussions: postdoom.com/discussions
Parenting and Grandparenting in Contracting (Crazy-Making) Times - Dowd thegreatstory 2022-08-11 | Zoom sermon delivered by Rev. Michael Dowd on July 31, 2022, to First Unitarian Church of Hobart (the oldest Unitarian Church in Indiana, and the oldest church still occupied by its original congregation in the city of Hobart). youtu.be/jAmMeD2FOpsFYI... "In Contracting, Crazy-Making Times" is a euphemism for "in the context of already underway and utterly out-of-our-control biospheric and civilizational collapse".Much more along these lines here: postdoom.com/resources
Dowd on McPherson: Responding to Three Questions thegreatstory 2022-07-17 | This 40-minute video is a response to questions I regularly get asked...1. Why haven’t you had a post-doom conversation with Guy McPherson?2. Where do you agree (align) or disagree (diverge) with McPherson?3. What is your history with Guy, and what do you honestly think of him? 4. Why do you recommend his work so highly when he denounces you?Dowd's "Post-doom, No gloom" website: postdoom.comRe Arctic and BOE (Blue Ocean Event): "Phase Change and Latent Heat"...See here: youtu.be/kz6WxTH-p3o here: vimeo.com/319602435 here: http://arctic-news.blogspot.com/p/latent-heat.htmlExcellent Evidence-based Videos and Papers by Guy McPherson: guymcpherson.comEdge of Extinction: Maybe I’m Wrong: youtu.be/KxKBcy_28_g (8:36)‘May' and ‘Might' Become ‘Is': youtu.be/-U45PMTOicM (7:49)Be Your Own Superhero: vimeo.com/363363105 (1:00)How We Go Extinct: youtu.be/oYJ38lHMn64 (3:13) Why We Go Extinct: youtu.be/kcamLd-3kug (6:07)When We Go Extinct: youtu.be/1JYI6rv9GGk (4:45) What Will Go Extinct: youtu.be/rfoYGT6UytY (7:10)Linguistic Gymnastics1 - guymcpherson.com/completing-common-expressions 2 - guymcpherson.com/more-linguistic-gymnastics 3 - guymcpherson.com/linguistic-gymnastics-round-three Guy’s peer reviewed recent papers: onlinescientificresearch.com/articles/earth-is-in-the-midst-of-abrupt-irreversible-climate-change.pdfguymcpherson.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Clinical-Psychology-Forum-May-2019.pdf Guy’s longer essays: Climate Change Summary: guymcpherson.com/climate-chaos/climate-change-summary-and-update Extinction Foretold, Extinction Ignored: guymcpherson.com/extinction_foretold_extinction_ignored Aerosol Masking Effect (Global Dimming Effect)opastonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/will-covid-19-trigger-extinction-of-all-life-on-earth-eesrr-20-.pdf science.sciencemag.org/content/363/6427/eaav0566 agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jgrd.50192 timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/low-pollution-during-lockdown-linked-to-warmer-seas-studies/articleshow/86182276.cms VIDEO: youtu.be/HBANJeCgsD0 (3:34)VIDEO: youtu.be/3xeItd5kdt4 (9:47) Arctic Ocean Warming and Ice LossVIDEO: guymcpherson.com/arctic-ice-loss (9:00)guymcpherson.com/video-supporting-articles-arctic-ocean-warming-losing-ice-addendum
Big Picture: Clarity, Compassion, Courageous Love-in-Action (Dowd sermon) thegreatstory 2022-07-13 | This 25-min Zoom sermon was delivered by Rev. Michael Dowd on July 10, 2022 to Prairie Circle Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Grayslake, IL. DESCRIPTION: No one needs convincing that “Creation is in Crisis”. Even those with no understanding of the unstoppable nature of biospheric and civilizational collapse feel the stress. Just to read or watch (the propaganda formerly known as) “the news” these days is a sobering (or un-sobering!) experience. How do we cope? How can we stay inspired? And perhaps most importantly, how can we be a blessing to others who are confused, angry, depressed, or filled with fear, guilt, blame, regret, or grief?
Meg Wheatley - Post Doom with Michael Shaw thegreatstory 2022-07-03 | This June 2022 post-doom conversation between Michael Shaw and Margaret J. Wheatley, titled, "Finding Solid Ground in 'The Age of Threat'" is a gem! It's also a fabulous complement to the late Terry Patton's "must see" 2021 post-doom conversation with Meg: youtu.be/zDyMYWoDy_I (Truly! Meg really is the best of the best...and my most cherished post-doom spiritual warrior colleague.) Here's the original posting on Michael Shaw's "Living in the Time of Dying" website: youtu.be/uBniClUgY_cimeFYI... if you've not yet watched Michael's "must see" documentary, "Living in the Time of Dying", I simply cannot recommend it too highly! livinginthetimeofdying.com
The Big Picture: What Every Young Person & Grandparent Should Know (Dowd sermon) thegreatstory 2022-07-03 | This is the first collapse-related "religious naturalism" sermon that Rev. Michael Dowd (a.k.a., "Rev. Reality") has presented in an actual church building (UU Flint, MI) in more than two years, since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is a good representation of the message Dowd is passionate about these days. It's also a good introduction to the abundant audio, video, and text resources on his "Post Doom, No Gloom" website: postdoom.com/resourcesBio and publications: postdoom.com/about"Rev. Reality" channel: youtube.com/channel/UCnVKX25TlllQMjXlZ00QUrwMichael Dowd's personal and media website: http://michaeldowd.orgPost Doom Conversations: postdoom.com/conversationsBi-weekly PD Zoom Discussions: postdoom.com/discussionsMichael Dowd and Connie Barlow's Great Story website: thegreatstory.orgFYI... there was a 20-minute Q&A ("talkback") session after the sermon, which can be found beginning at about the 1:4:40 mark, here: youtu.be/GOpI6lJ3P-A?t=3883
Hopium Detox and Recovery - Accepting & Trusting Unstoppable Collapse (Dowd 2022) thegreatstory 2022-05-06 | This is now the "post-doom" collapse education video I suggest that people watch first. It has the core elements of my other videos: postdoom.com/resources plus vital things none of the others contain. I'll add a more detailed description and time-coded table of contents to the Youtube description box in the next day or two.
George Tsakraklides: Post-doom with Michael Dowd thegreatstory 2022-05-05 | This post-doom conversation occurred in March 2022. George is a biologist, researcher, author of 9 books and host of the "George Reads George" podcast.Website: tsakraklides.com
Karen and Jordan Perry: Post Doom with David Baum thegreatstory 2022-04-29 | Titled, "Getting Real About Collapse", this video is cross-posted from David Baum's "Collapse Club": youtu.be/vKRIC5aoF2MWith her husband Jordan, Karen Perry has departed mainstream civilization to live "wild and free" on a smallholding in California. The Perrys keep in touch with people, though, leading two discussion groups as part of Michael Dowd's "Post-Doom, No Gloom" community. post-doom.com / Especially here: postdoom.com/discussionsAlso see: Karen Perry: "The BENEFITS of Collapse Acceptance": youtu.be/mhKbOtZM01c and Jordan Perry: "Post Doom ACTIONS": youtu.be/O4Yx-aO36Mg---------THE DISCUSSION GROUPS THAT JORDAN MENTIONED- Post-Doom - Michael Dowd: postdoom.com- Living in the Time of Dying, Michael Shaw: livinginthetimeofdying.com- Living Resilience, Dean Spillane-Walker: livingresilience.net- Carolyn Baker: carolynbaker.net- Environmental Coffeehouse, Sandy Schoelles: https://www.youtube.com/c/Environment...----------GRAC/E: Getting Real About Collapse/Extinctionby Karen PerryThe civilizational way of living has never been sustainable. The 10,000 year experiment of living differently, separate from the rest of the community of life, has always risen and then fallen. Global Industrial Civilization is collapsing, just as every civilization model before this one has done. This time, however, the harnessing of fossil fuel energy has made our species homo colossus giants with the ability to destroy the natural systems required for our survival. The result is, in addition to societal collapse, the biosphere we depend on for life is collapsing as well. This is a predicament not a problem, thus requiring wise responses, not false solutions. 1) Before the truth will set you free, it will likely make you angry. Don't shoot the messenger. 2) Let go or be dragged. Get through the grief and know that freedom and benefits exist in the acceptance. 3) Grab a buddy who won't pull you down. It’s harder to get real alone. Expect other crabs in the pot to constantly yank on you. Resist the urge to pull others down if you slip back into denial. 4) Abandon Hopium. Hope and false solutions are place holders for inaction. Both are harmful responses to our predicament and can foster even more denialism. 5) We all would benefit from becoming much more comfortable with death and dying. 6) Nature is primary. Period. No more humans first. Making amends to the rest of the community of life, while attempting to clean up the mess, needs to be a daily life way. Every day is Earth Day. 7) There needs to be urgent conversation about setting the younger generations free and what that can look like. Continuing to pass along the dominant culture denialism is super abusive. 8) If the response feels predictable and familiar, it's not the right response. Our species is really being challenged to elevate, it's not about becoming more clever. Predicaments do not have solutions. We need radical responses equal to this radical situation. Logic says if it’s a cancerous growth and growth is the issue, the first response is to stop growth. 9) Apply GRAC/E (Getting Real About Collapse/Extinction) to daily living and let it guide all decision making. If you have privilege left in the game, what will you use it for? 10) Bottom line, we've gotta get comfortable talking about it. Continuing to bury our heads in the sand is not the path to enlightenment. People say "well if this is happening then there is nothing we can do about it so why think about it, too depressing." I say see numbers 6 and 7.
Mike Lynch-White: Post-doom Scientists Rebellion thegreatstory 2022-03-29 | This post-doom conversation with XR "Scientists Rebellion" activist, Mike Lynch-White, was recorded in late March 2022. Mike's Facebook page: facebook.com/michael.lynchwhiteMike Lynch-White is a former Theoretical Physics PhD candidate turned full-time climate activist. He helped set up Scientist Rebellion, which is a non-violent direct action group of scientists who believe the public can only take our warnings of climate and ecological collapse seriously, when we start to take serious action. Their next rebellion starts April 4th, 2022 with strikes and occupations around the world. Then on April 6th, 25+ countries will take high level direct action, to act as of the science is real - hundreds will risk arrest. To find out more or get involved go to their website, scientistrebellion.com or email them at scientistrebellion@protonmail.comQUOTES“We’re risking 6 degrees of warming this century - many crops fail at this point, parts of the world become uninhabitable, and social collapse becomes a real risk. If you’re more upset about some paint being thrown on a building than what the science says is coming very soon, then I doubt you’ve really understood what the science means.” - Mike LW“In normal times, it is immoral to break a window - and I would never do that. But if that room is on fire, it is not only allowed to break a window, it is seen as ones moral duty - to act in unusual ways to prevent death.” - Mike LW
Jordan Perry - Post-doom ACTIONS, with Michael Dowd thegreatstory 2022-03-20 | This conversation with Jordan Perry was recorded on March 11, 2022. We discuss 14 "Post Doom Actions" Jordan advocates, following years of climate activism (with his wife, Karen Perry). "Innocently Violent", an hour-long 2017 documentary that features (among others) Jordan, Karen, and their permaculture farm in Colfax, CA, can be found here: youtu.be/8KVybgQ4tdMMichael Dowd's recent post-doom conversation with Karen Perry, "15 Benefits of Collapse Acceptance" can be found here: youtu.be/mhKbOtZM01cJordan and Karen Perry Bio - Chickenfoot Ranch ReWilding, chickenfootranch(AT)yahooKaren and Jordan Perry are experimenters in living differently as a response to the juggernaut of destruction underway through dominant culture’s fossil fueled and totalitarian agriculture driven consumption of the community of life’s ecosystem on earth. In 2012 they founded and continue to live at Chickenfoot Ranch, a ReWilding love-in-action center near the Bear River close to Colfax, California. The Perry Duo have been arrested twice for civil disobedience, once at the White House protesting the Keystone XL pipeline, and again at Chevron in Richmond protesting their right to exist. They’ve traversed the country seeing the impacts of industrial energy, and spent time at Kayford Mountain with Larry Gibson, the now deceased warrior for justice in the fight against MountainTop Removal coal extraction. Their travels have intersected them with mainstream voices for change like Bill McKibben and James Hansen, as well as more transformative voices like Tim DeChristopher, Davey Rogner Stewards, Bryan McPherson, Andy Conn, Dylan Avery, Korey Rowe, Derrick Jensen, Lierre Keith, Carolyn Baker, Peter Melton, Guy McPherson, and Michael Dowd. Daniel Quinn’s Ishmael holds top honor on the bookshelf.Through a series of grants from the Foundation for Deep Ecology, Tompkins Conservation, and the Post Carbon Institute, Karen and Jordan have distributed over 2000 copies of the book ENERGY: Overdevelopment and The Delusion of Endless Growth, mainly through street activism. This book primarily describes the predicament we face, which echoes one of the Chickenfoot Ranch truths that “it’s well past time for wise responses rather than false solutions”. Becoming energy literate is a major first step in seeking responses. (Spoiler, there is no green alternative energy solution that will save this mess.)Jordan and Karen spend their time focusing on Less is More and Finding Feral by powering down, building the soil, and participating in creating a food forest on their permaculture inspired property. They have been active in local issues, such as stopping the Centennial Dam, monitoring oil trains, and educating the community on energy. Their experiment in living differently is featured in the documentary film Innocently Violent, available for free on youtube. Their voices can be heard on Episode 19 of Maximum Carbon Sinkhole on podchaser.com
Ten Inevitables: Post Doom, No Gloom (Synthesis/Culmination) thegreatstory 2022-02-26 | This "All You Can Eat Buffet" version is the most complete and in-depth video I have ever created. This is a visually rich and information dense experience and includes the most credible and important resources available for understanding where we are, how we got here, and what is possible and no longer possible going forward. It also (importantly!) includes practical tools and insights for staying sane, sober, and grateful to be alive in increasingly crazy-making times. (See definition of "hopium" below.)THESIS (2-hours): Confusion and suffering prevail without a life-centered view of ecology, energy, and history. Enthralled by gee-whiz technology, and blind to TEN COLLAPSE-RELATED INEVITABILITIES, we stumble into a future of ECOLOGICAL & SOCIETAL CERTAINTIES that most people cannot see, or will vehemently deny...1. Most people will have a hard time trusting how and why our civilization is collapsing.2. Abrupt climate change (rapid 2C+) locks in biospheric collapse and extinctions.3. Tipping points already crossed will be falsely framed as “still avoidable”.4. Without “Assisted Migration” love-in-action, most tree species will go extinct. 5. Without urgent collective action, there will be dozens of nuclear meltdowns.6. As our biospheric and societal predicament worsens, so will our mental health.7. Most people will only reluctantly relinquish their faith in “the Almighty We”.8. If you proselytize only the 'doom' side of collapse reality, expect to be shunned.9. Most people will crave distraction — and virtually anything that offers “hope”. 10. Elite universities, the IPCC, mainstream media, politicians, and bestselling authors will remain first-rate LEGAL hopium dealers. DEFINITION OF HOPIUM: "A comforting vision of the future that requires breaking the laws of physics, biology, or ecology (such as thinking that we can slow, stop, or reverse the Great Acceleration of biospheric collapse.) Hopium is especially dangerous to one’s mental and emotional health because, while it reliably provides short-term relief, without early treatment it even more reliably is followed by long-term grief and occasionally even severe depression when reality inevitably bites. But even more importantly, unless millions of us can break the hopium habit, I fear we will not have the collective will to do what we need to do to avoid being evil on a geological scale — i.e., by failing to ensure as few nuclear meltdown as possible and assisting as many tree species as possible to pass through this bottleneck."YOUTUBE URL: youtu.be/Y-1fv-5_ldMPRESENTER: Michael Dowd: postdoom.com AND http://michaeldowd.orgTIME-CODED TABLE OF CONTENTS01:11 Introduction to "Ten Inevitables"04:17 List of the Ten Inevitables05:44 "Benefits of Trusting What Is Inevitable: Collapse Acceptance" (list of 7)07:29 INEVITABLE 1. "Most people will have a hard time trusting how and WHY our civilization is collapsing."24:24 PAUSE26:40 "Five Stages of Awakening: Climbing the Ladder of Awareness"45:54 PAUSE46:10 INEVITABLE 1. "Most people will have a hard time trusting HOW and why our civilization is collapsing."01:02:01 INEVITABLE 2. "Abrupt climate change (rapid 2C+) locks in biospheric collapse and extinctions."01:05:28 PAUSE01:05:44 INEVITABLE 3. "Tipping points already crossed will be falsely framed as 'still avoidable'."01:15:17 INEVITABLE 4. "Without 'Assisted Migration' love-in-action, most tree species will go extinct."01:17:21 INEVITABLE 5. "Without urgent collective action, there will be dozens of nuclear meltdowns."01:22:33 PAUSE01:22:50 INEVITABLE 6. "As our biospheric and societal predicament worsens, so will our mental health."01:23:50 "Universal Human Needs" (list of 9)01:32:02 "Benefits of Truting What Is Inevitable: Collapse Acceptance" (list of 7)01:33:05 INEVITABLE 7. "Most people will only reluctantly relinquish their faith in 'the Almighty We'."01:37:47 INEVITABLE 8. "If you proselytize only the 'doom' side of collapse reality, expect to be shunned." Including definitions of Doom and Post-Doom.01:40:08 INEVITABLES 9 & 10. "Most people will crave distraction — and virtually anything that offers 'hope'." • "Elite universities, IPCC, MSM, & pols will remain first-rate legal hopium dealers." Definition of "hopium" and "the secular religion of perpetual progress."01:47:26 "Progressing Toward Ecocide" (list of 4)01:53:42 "Honor Your Sadness and Grief" (stages of grief and "finding the gift")01:54:36 "Gallows humor" (examples of)01:55:40 Concluding section: rereading of the Thesis; the list of 10 Inevitables; Benefits of Collapse Acceptance (Dowd's list of 7 and video of Karen Perry's list of 15).
Karen Perry: Post-doom BENEFITS of Collapse Acceptance thegreatstory 2022-02-20 | "Benefits of Collapse Acceptance," with Karen Perry, is the 80th video episode in Michael Dowd's "Post-Doom Conversations" series. Karen presented a list of 15 benefits that she herself has experienced, following years of climate activism (with her husband, Jordan Perry). The time-coded list of the 15 benefits is below, and then followed by a text list written by Karen. • 2017 documentary featuring Karen and her husband, Jordan: "Innocently Violent": youtu.be/8KVybgQ4tdM• AUDIO of this Conversation: soundcloud.com/michael-dowd-grace-limits/karen-perry-post-doom-benefits-of-collapse-acceptance00:02 Introduction by Michael Dowd01:01 "Collapse acceptance" is very different from the earlier "Collapse awareness."06:12 Previews the final benefit: 15. "Global Hospice Time"10:44 Benefit 1. Freedom (freedom "from" and freedom "to")12:10 Benefit 2. Urgency13:03 Benefit 3. Parameters (adds new parameters to your decision-making)15:01 Benefit 4. Presence (focus on today, here)16:12 Benefit 5. Gratitude18:07 Benefit 6. Calmness / Grounding / Balance20:00 Benefit 7. Community (localism)21:44 Benefit 8. Release (from Superhero Savior Complex)22:54 Benefit 9. Connection (heightened and expanded sense)23:48 Benefit 10. Empathy25:03 Benefit 11. Recognizing your Privilege29:33 Benefit 12. Making Amends30:51 Benefit 13. Comfortable with Death (Stephen Jenkinson, Caitlyn Doughty)31:58 Benefit 14. Letting Go of Control33:19 Benefit 15. Global Hospice Time35:00 Bonus A. "You get to live a full and complete life now."36:00 Where effort is welcome: "Normalization of Collapse" and ability to "Speak our Truth"39:17 "I am so grateful for my collapse — first awareness and then acceptance" (summary)40:00 Karen Perry and Michael Dowd each lead Post-Doom discussion groups. More information here: postdoom.com/discussionsText list of 15 BENEFITS OF COLLAPSE ACCEPTANCE, by Karen Perry:1. FREEDOM - the move away from shoulds to the open doors of coulds. "Get off the hamster wheel to stop building the castle, live where/how desired if possible."2. URGENCY - 'No time like the present' has never meant more. "Take that trip, quit that job, buy that house, do that thing — now."3. PARAMETERS - playing the game with a different framework and lens. "Baby or not? Pre-emptive medical procedures? Tax penalty concerns?"4. PRESENCE - focus on today with heightened awareness of being here now. "Acceptance is the meditation. Be-ing is more important than do-ing."5. GRATITUDE - impossible to ignore all we’ve been given (and taken). "Make the list: hot showers, full grocery stores, internet, trash pickup, on demand everything…"6. CALM GROUNDING - not disrupted by catastrophic information. "'Can you believe it? The (fill in the blank) happened/is getting worse!' (Yawn), yes I can."7. COMMUNITY / LOCALISM - ability to affect those in close proximity. "Restore a nearby land base, push back on development projects, connect with neighbors."8. RELEASE - good riddance to pressure and guilt. "Don’t have to fix it, solve it, fight it, save it. Hooray!"9. UNIVERSALISM - heightened connection to the Oneness of everything. "Tap in to the collective coherence, look a non-human in the eyes, feel the force."10. EMPATHY - towards self and all others. "Give yourself extra grace, love, and compassion. Help, not squish, the spider. Someone flips you off? No worries, mate, I feel ya, collapse sucks." 11. PRIVILEGE PERSPECTIVE - ability to view it and use it in a radical way. "Cash out retirement accounts to set others free; group up to live more affordably."12. AMENDS - having bags packed and ready to go. "Right wrongs with whomever; feed birds; give back to community of life."13. DEATH COMFORT - collapse acceptance forces the conversation and preparation. "Work on an exit strategy plan and a balanced spiritually for what comes next."14. LETTING GO - of control, worry, fear, guilt, blame, shame. "No need to sweat the small stuff. No purity test to pass."15. ENJOYMENT of Global Hospice Time - have fun with the bucket list! "Honor all that has been sacrificed for and taken by you; do this by enjoying and loving life as much as possible."
10 Inevitables: Post Doom, No Gloom (49-min: Mid-size Healthy Meal) thegreatstory 2022-02-15 | THESIS (49-min): Confusion and collective insanity reign without a life-centered view of ecology, energy, and history. Enthralled by gee-whiz technology, and blind to ten collapse-related inevitabilities, we stumble into a future of ecological and societal certainties that most people cannot see, or will vehemently deny...1. Most people will have a hard time trusting how & why our civilization is collapsing.2. Abrupt climate mayhem (rapid 2C+) locks in biospheric collapse & extinctions.3. Tipping points already crossed will be falsely framed as “still avoidable”.4. Without “Assisted Migration” love-in-action, most plant species will go extinct. 5. Without urgent collective action, there will be dozens of nuclear meltdowns.6. As our biospheric and societal predicament worsens, so will our mental health.7. Most people will only reluctantly relinquish their faith in “the Almighty We”.8. If you proselytize only the doom side of collapse reality, expect to be shunned.9. Most people will crave distraction — and virtually anything that offers “hope”. 10. Elite universities, IPCC, MSM, & pols will remain first-rate legal hopium dealers.youtu.be/BkapCiU2EUcPRESENTER: Michael DowdPost-doom website: postdoom.comDowd/Barlow site: thegreatstory.org/michaeldowd.htmlDowd personal/media site: http://michaeldowd.orgSoundcloud: soundcloud.com/michael-dowd-grace-limits/sets
10 Inevitables: Post Doom, No Gloom (Appetizer) thegreatstory 2022-02-15 | (Version A) THESIS (33-min): Confusion and collective insanity reign without a life-centered view of ecology, energy, and history. Enthralled by gee-whiz technology, and blind to ten collapse-related inevitabilities, we stumble into a future of ecological and societal certainties that most people cannot see, or will vehemently deny. Version (B): "Mid-size Healthy Meal" (49-minutes) is here: youtu.be/BkapCiU2EUcI SUGGEST YOU ALL PLEASE CONSIDER JOINING OUR "PDNG" ZOOM CALLS: postdoom.com/discussions ALSO SEE or HEAR: soundcloud.com/michael-dowd-grace-limits/nytimes-climate-change-enters-the-therapy-room and soundcloud.com/michael-dowd-grace-limits/britt-wray-climate-emotions-arnt-all-negativeHere are the ten inevitables/certainties... 1. Most people will have a hard time trusting how & why our civilization is collapsing.2. Abrupt climate mayhem (rapid 2C+) locks in biospheric collapse & extinctions.3. Tipping points already crossed will be falsely framed as “still avoidable”.4. Without “Assisted Migration” love-in-action, most plant species will go extinct. 5. Without urgent collective action, there will be dozens of nuclear meltdowns.6. As our biospheric and societal predicament worsens, so will our mental health.7. Most people will only reluctantly relinquish their faith in “the Almighty We”.8. If you proselytize only the doom side of collapse reality, expect to be shunned.9. Most people will crave distraction — and virtually anything that offers “hope”. 10. Elite universities, IPCC, MSM, & pols will remain first-rate legal hopium dealers.PRESENTER: Michael Dowd: postdoom.com/aboutMore info here: http://michaeldowd.org and here: thegreatstory.org/michaeldowd.html
My G🌎D, What Have We Done? (Dowd: 2022) thegreatstory 2022-01-27 | This is a photo-rich video narration of Rev. Michael Dowd's January 27, 2022 Article for ProgressingSpirit.com, titled, "My GOD, What Have We Done". Available here in text: progressingspirit.com/2022/01/27/my-g%f0%9f%8c%8e-d-what-have-we-donePDF: thegreatstory.org/dowd-my-god-what-have-we-done-and-q-and-a.pdf
Beril Sirmacek - Post-doom with Michael Dowd thegreatstory 2022-01-21 | Recorded on January 20, 2022, I (Michael Dowd) originally thought this was going to be just a getting-to-know-a-new colleague conversation, with Professor Beril Sirmacek. Thankfully, we quickly shifted to this being an official "post-doom" conversation when I realized that Beril is a fount of grounded, heartful wisdom. Enjoy! Beril's personal and professional website: http://www.berilsirmacek.com Her youtube channel: youtube.com/c/DrSirmacek / And on Twitter: @berilsirmacek / twitter.com/berilsirmacek
Collapse in a Nutshell: Understanding Our Predicament (33 min) thegreatstory 2021-11-15 | This is part one of a two-part primer on the nature, inevitability, and speed of biospheric and civilizational collapse. Part two, "Overshoot in a Nutshell" can be found here: youtu.be/lPMPINPcrdk It is almost impossible to truly understand (i.e., to get your head and heart around) our current local and global-scale challenges without this understanding. To join with others (in the "post-doom, no gloom" community) to share best practices and strategies for how to cope and adapt to this knowledge, see here: postdoom.com/discussionsFor information on the presenter, Michael Dowd, see here: postdoom.com/about More info here: http://michaeldowd.org and here: thegreatstory.org/michaeldowd.html
Beyond Hope and Fear: Clarity, Compassion, Courageous Love-in-Action thegreatstory 2021-09-22 | This 23-minute video is a perfect complement to my 25-minute "New Serenity Prayer: Emotional Support for Climate Anxiety and Environmental Dread" video: youtu.be/hFGHdOyyx74 and my blog post, "Overshoot: Where We Stand Now": howtosavetheworld.ca/2021/09/21/overshoot-where-we-stand-now-guest-post-by-michael-dowdBe sure to see the definitions of "doom" and "post-doom" and at least a few of the inspiring "post-doom" conversations, as well as helpful and educational text, video, and audio resources on the post-doom website: postdoom.com
Post-doom with Joanna Macy (Feb 2021) To Collapse Well thegreatstory 2021-07-28 | "To Collapse Well" - post-doom talk recorded February 2021. Time-coded list of topics below. Dowd says, "This was originally intended to be just a catch-up conversation between long-time friends and colleagues. It quickly spiraled to profound and inspiring places and, thankfully, Joanna agreed that this this edited version could be published. This conversation is really the heart and soul of what I (Michael Dowd) mean by a POST-DOOM conversation!!" My wife and mission partner, Connie Barlow, spent three days adding text and image overlays. She says, "Many of the post-doom conversations Michael recorded gave me a sense of equanimity about TEOTWAWKI ("The End Of The World As We Know It"). But this one with Joanna had me sense the possibility about actually feeling gratitude for the gift of being alive at such a time. I could see that gratitude in her face. It moved me, and gave me a fresh possibility for how I, too, might walk into this future. I wanted to share this gift with others."00:02 - Introduction and two previews.03:53 - MD (Dowd) and JM (Macy) - "We will be generative right to the end."04:46 - Action needed: advocate for solar panels to be installed near nuclear power plants to ensure emergency electricity for pumped-water cooling of spent fuel rods. 07:00 - Foundational shift: "Admit the myth of perpetual progress is a false religion" and that that techno-fixes may not be a solution. Must avoid "geological-scale evil."09:22 - Technological hubris becomes "irresponsible in the extreme." Spiritual leaders can play a role in using morally laden, relationally oriented language. JM: "We have crippled our moral imagination." 11:06 - Shifted meaning of "active hope." New edition of JM book, "World as Lover, Wolrld as Self." JM chapters in new book "A Wild Love for the World."14:26 - JM: "The great turning will not precede but will come with or after the process of collapse." Terminology: a "life-sustaining" (not "sustainable") culture. Importance of "deep adaptation." Their previous post-doom conversation, "Children of the Passage." Great turning "becomes a vision, a compass, a guiding star." Anger over "still fracking." 18:10 - MD: Business-as-usual as a kind of "addiction" that is "totally understandable." The long history of "progress-regress, boom and bust cultures; how civilizations and empires predictably collapse." JM: "Morally we regress."19:57 - Quoting text response that Catherine Ingram offered for this conversation.22:42 - JM story: helped by Buddhist understanding of the self, plus her study of systems theory and Gaia theory toward growing "a planet sense of self" and "a vaster sense of experience through time." JM reflections on "Deep Ecology" with John Seed, and her own despair work, "The Work That Reconnects" and "Coming Back to Life."25:35 - JM: amazed that when people "had the courage to go into anguish for the world ... and not numb in out ... there was sometimes a shift in identity ... almost coextensive with Earth." MD: "a sense of self that includes a continuity with time ... and the nested self ... is the key to facing extinction ... death of expectations and worldviews ... fearlessness around mortality." JM: "That is what I experience ... such a fulfillment." MD: "relative equanimity and passionate commitment."29:46 - JM: "If this is the last generation, then I'm glad to be here.... so grateful ... a great harvesting." MD story of shifting out of fear for his daughter choosing to have a child. "A tsunami of trust just broke over top of me." JM: "Trust is at the core of life.... We're going to be humans living as humans till the last." MD: on being confronted by anti-natalists. JM: "We're a family till the end."33:55 - MD: "What a sacred honor to be alive at this time ... at the end of the Age of Exuberance and the beginning of the Great Contraction." JM: saw a play showing the transcendance of people trapped in the Warsaw ghetto; life is "transforming and redemptive at every moment, right to the end." MD: "Serenity prayer for the 21st Century ... to collapse well ... post-doom and post-gloom." JM: "the hope that we can all die well." MD: Why young parents should not be reminded of this; focus on their daily parenting.39:38 - JM: "Our making peace with this makes room for such fulfillment.... so happy to have a chance to be with this beautiful planet, after this long, long story ... right at this climax, ending.... to celebrate, to thank — instead of wallowing in self-pity and complaint." MD: importance of "celebrating our relationship to place, to evolution ... tears of gratitude." JM: "and remember, too, the great poets, the great musicians." Go to the great landforms in our own regions "and say, glory be!"
Erik Michaels: Post-doom with Michael Dowd thegreatstory 2021-06-29 | Here is my June 2021 post-doom conversation with Erik Michaels, who has rapidly become one of my closest and most cherished collegial friends in this post-doom space. His blog, "Problems, Predicaments, and Technology" is truly a "must read"! problemspredicamentsandtechnology.blogspot.comTo learn more about about Erik, see here:: problemspredicamentsandtechnology.blogspot.com/2021/06/about-me.html
True Sustainability: Cultivating a Repentant, Pro-Future Heart and Mind thegreatstory 2021-06-15 | Bestselling eco-theologian and TEDx speaker, Rev. Michael Dowd, reveals key differences between truly sustainable cultures and today’s attempts to greenwash ecocidal industrial civilization. He also looks at how indigenous life-ways and practices inspire pro-future thinking, feelings, and actions. This Zoom sermon delivered on June 13, 2021 for Community Unitarian Universalists of Brighton, MI (CUUB). Educational text and image overlays added by video editor (Dowd's wife), Connie Barlow. Websites: postdoom.com and https://MichaelDowd.org
New Serenity Prayer: Emotional Support for Climate Anxiety and Environmental Dread thegreatstory 2021-06-04 | This 25-minute video was created to help people experience as little suffering as possible, now and in the near-term future, by providing a clear and compelling guide for “accepting what we cannot change, changing the things we can, and having the wisdom to know the difference.” This short video is a basic primer on how to stay sane, sober, heartful, and on-purpose in contracting and crazy-making times. It is also now the main introduction to Rev. Michael Dowd's "post-doom” website, conversations, and resources related to climate change, ecological overshoot, true vs. faux sustainability, and how to discern what to accept and what to passionately engage in.WEBSITES: postdoom.com and http://michaeldowd.org ITINERARY: http://thegreatstory.org/itinerary.html
Fabian Scheidler: Post-doom with Michael Dowd thegreatstory 2021-05-21 | Recorded in early May 2021, this post-doom conversation is with Fabian Scheidler, author of "The End of the MegaMachine: A Brief History of a Failing Civilization". Website: megamaschine.org/enAmazon: amazon.com/End-Megamachine-History-Failing-Civilization/dp/1789042712
The Big Picture: Clarity, Compassion, Love-in-Action (Dowd 2021) thegreatstory 2021-02-26 | This 80-minute program was originally created for Zoom Q&A sessions in religious and secular institutions. It has four parts, each roughly 20 minutes long. DESCRIPTION: Geared for adults and teens, this program discusses (A) key differences between sustainable cultures and unsustainable civilizations, (B) why ‘progress' is never everlasting, (C) the nature of abrupt climate change, (D) what is inevitable (98-99% certain) and what is still possible and deeply soul-nourishing, (E) who, what, and where we really are, and (F) tools for living meaningfully and courageously in contracting and challenging times.NOTE: It is recommended that that the viewer stop at the end of each section and jot notes and questions. As this program is a distillation of eight years of nearly full-time study, it is information dense and very visual. Thus, to get the most out of this presentation, it is suggested that you watch, rather than merely listen, and do so without multi-tasking.00:00:00 Introduction00:04:50 Sustainable vs. Unsustainable: Why Progress Breeds Ecocide & Denial00:23:40 Abrupt (Unstoppable) Climate Change00:30:28 Ten Certainties / Ten Inevitabilities00:44:48 Sobering Inspiration: Who, What, Where We Really Are?01:00:22 Now What? Living Meaningfully & Courageously at TEOTWAWKI_____________________VIDEOS REFERENCED• 3-Part "Post-doom (Collapse & Adaptation) Primer": postdoom.com/resources/Playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcAlqMeyeaW9IM0ePw8i9v8TP9yeZGeEo• Unstoppable Collapse: How to Avoid the Worst: youtu.be/P8lNTPlsRtI • Post-doom conversations: postdoom.com/• The nuclear meltdown threat: youtu.be/DXklDejXiNA_____________________ARTICLES REFERENCED• "Are we on the road to civilizational collapse?", by Luke Kemp• “Are Humans Inherently Destructive?” — by Max Wilbert (2,000 words) • “Humans Naturally Destructive” — by Derrick Jensen (1,900 words)• “Confronting Anthropocentrism” — by Eileen Crist / (16 min video) and (16 min audio)• "Planet of the Humans Review", by Megan Seibert• "Crossroads for Planet of the Humans", by William Rees• "Planet of the Humans: Why Technology Won't Save Us", by Elisabeth Robson• Interview with Jeff Gibbs, with Max Wilbert and Jennifer Murnan• Google: "Carbon Sucking Unicorns"_____________________BOOKS REFERENCED:Overshoot, by William R. Catton, JrThe Dream of the Earth, by Thomas BerryThe Great Work, by Thomas BerryForest Journey: The Story of Wood and Civilization, by John PerlinGeoDestinies, by Walter YoungquistA New Green History of the World, by Clive PontingThe End of Ice, by Dahr JamailA Farewell to Ice, by Peter WadhamsThe Stable Society, by Edward GoldsmithThe Way: An Ecological Worldview, by Edward GoldsmithWhat Is Sustainable, by Richard Adrian ReeseWild, Free, and Happy, by Richard Adrian ReeseRed Alert, by Daniel WildcatTending the Wild, by M. Kat AndersonColumbus and Other Cannibals, by Jack ForbesNative Science, by Gregory CajeteOriginal Instructions, edited by Melissa NelsonThe Myth of Progress, by Tom WesselsOur Ecological Footprint, by William E. Rees and Mathis WackernagelBright Green Lies, by Derrick Jensen, Lierre Keith, and Max WilbertImmoderate Greatness, by William OphulsApologies to the Grandchildren, by William OphulsWe're Doomed. Now What? by Roy ScrantonLearning to Die in the Anthropocene, by Roy ScrantonThe Journeys of Trees, by Zach St. George
Michael Dowd - Post-doom Compost Theology thegreatstory 2021-01-11 | This video has Michael Shaw interviewing me (Michael Dowd) in December 2020, as the first installment in his new podcast series, "Living in the Time of Dying". I GO MORE DEEPLY INTO THE IDEAS MENTIONED HERE IN THIS VIDEO: "Unstoppable Collapse: How to Avoid the Worst", which I consider my best and most important vid: youtu.be/P8lNTPlsRtI
