Conversations on the deeper lessons we learn from the outdoors.
Tim Stewart speaks to athletes, authors, philosophers, and leaders about their adventures outdoors and the lessons they have brought back with them.
We explore topics such as flow states, consciousness, fear, risk, and death, and how all of these come together to provide us with meaning and wisdom.
Ep 37 - Layman Pascal on Gurdjieff for a Time Between Worlds
In this episode, I chat with writer and philosopher Layman Pascal about his book, Gurdjieff for a Time Between Worlds, and how it can be practiced in the wild.
G.I. Gurdjieff was a Greek-Armenian philosopher and mystic active in the late 19th/early 20th centuries. Often referred to as a crazy wisdom teacher, his Fourth Way teachings have been influential in many of today's leading thinkers in transformative culture.
We explore what it looks like to practice Gurdjieff-style teachings for deeper grounding and connection to the animate, more-than-human world.
We also explore Gurdjieff's model of suffering as a way to make sense how transformative states come after suffering (and why Spartan races and ultramarathons are so popular).
You can get a copy of Laymans book Gurdjieff for a Time Between Worlds here (Gurdjieff for a Time Between Worlds). I also recommend Layman's Labyrinth LLM (https://laymans-labyrinth.vercel.app/) if you're looking for a study guide to better understand these ideas.
Other links mentioned in this conversation
Three Dangerous Magi (https://www.ptmistlberger.com/the-three-dangerous-magi.php) — P.T. Mistlberger, for an overview and understanding of crazy wisdom teachers and the left-hand path.
The Soul's Code: In Search of Character and Calling (https://www.amazon.com/Souls-Code-Search-Character-Calling/dp/0399180141) — James Hillman, for understanding the concept of the daemon and tapping into deeper purpose.
In Search of the Miraculous — P.D. Ouspensky, for the fullest written account of Gurdjieff's Fourth Way system
You can support this podcast by leaving a review on the podcast platform you use, or connect with Tim on Instagram @timstewnz (https://www.instagram.com/timstewnz).
22 Feb 2026
Ep 36 - Underworld as Teacher — Zach Seagle on Ego Development and Initiation
Zach is an educator and founder of Agora Academy, guiding young people in cultivating a meaningful life, deeply connected to the natural world.
In this conversation we explore the role of "The Underworld" in one's growth and maturation, how we can use dreams and symbols to make sense of our path, and what soul maturation means in the context of these challenges.
You can find more of Zach at agoraacademy.org (https://agoraacademy.org)
Some books to go deeper on the thinkers Zach references:
Wild Mind - Bill Plotkin (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16000440-wild-mind?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_24)
The Wild Edge of Sorrow - Francis Weller (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23992445-the-wild-edge-of-sorrow?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_40)
Of Water and the Spirit - Malidoma Somé (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/192354.Of_Water_and_the_Spirit?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=e2Nyswdsyn&rank=1)
Long Life, Honey in the Heart - Martin Prechtel (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/809706.Long_Life_Honey_in_the_Heart)
You can support this podcast by leaving a review on the podcast platform you use, or connect with Tim on Instagram @timstewnz (https://www.instagram.com/timstewnz).
14 Dec 2025
Ep 35 - Initiation: Learning to hear what life is asking w Matthew Duffy
Duffy is the co-founder of SPORE (Society for Psychedelic Outreach Reform and Education) and played a key role in the passing of Colorado's Proposition 122 - marking one of the first states to decriminalize psilocybin and other entheogenic plants.
We explore the initiation Duffy went through that led to this calling, as well as the trials and tribulations that followed it.
Through it we discuss mythopoetics, human development, and what it means to wake up, grow up and show up.
You can find more of Duffy at:
Duffy's substack: Our Will to Live (OWL) (https://substack.com/%40ourwilltolive)
Duffy's instagram @mycelial_mischief (https://www.instagram.com/mycelial_mischief)
Duffy's interview on Life's a Festival Podcast (https://www.eamonarmstrong.com/lifeisafestival/duffy?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
Links to dive deeper on the people/topics discussed:
Stephen Jenkinson Interview: Elderhood: Coming Of Age In Troubled Times (https://www.lastborninthewilderness.com/episodes/stephen-jenkinson)
Joanna Macy interview: On the World as Love and Self (https://open.spotify.com/episode/39ryyA5bvTEUELKlZpdwpx?si=95PzyJA-TfmleJXVaff_yQ)
You can support this podcast by leaving a review on the podcast platform you use, or connect with Tim on Instagram @timstewnz (https://www.instagram.com/timstewnz).
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Spotify
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 31 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
21
Social presence
91
YouTube
0
Engagement
60
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