Projekt 180: Psychological Alchemy

About Projekt 180: Psychological Alchemy

Welcome to Projekt 180: Psychological Alchemy. This podcast is about transformation, not the polished and performative kind sold by wellness culture, but the real thing. The kind forged in grief, trauma, shadow work, meditation, relationships, addiction, heartbreak, nervous system healing, and radical honesty. Here, we explore the intersection of psychology, mindfulness, Buddhism, trauma recovery, attachment, and the deeply human process of becoming. Together we’ll talk about: Meditation and contemplative practice Nervous system regulation and neuroception Attachment wounds Shadow work and psychological integration Addiction and recovery Meaning, suffering, death, and rebirth Masculinity, vulnerability, and awakening The Dharma as lived experience, not abstract philosophy This isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about burning away what was never truly you to begin with. In ancient alchemy, practitioners sought to turn lead into gold. Psychological alchemy asks a different question: Can suffering become wisdom? Can trauma become compassion? Can awareness transform the life we’ve been unconsciously living? This is Projekt 180. A turning toward. A radical reorientation. If you’re ready to stop avoiding... if you’re exhausted from living disconnected from your own experience… if you’re searching for something deeper than self-help clichés and spiritual performance, you’re in the right place. Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute psychotherapy, counseling, medical advice, or a therapeutic relationship. projekt180.substack.com (https://projekt180.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Projekt 180

Category

health & fitness · religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

25 May 2026

Latest episode

8 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

19 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   8 Oct 2026

   The Three Pillars of Healing and Awakening

   What happens when psychological healing becomes a doorway into awakening? What if healing Isn’t the end of the journey? What if learning to regulate your nervous system, understand your attachment patterns, process trauma, and develop healthier relationships is not the destination, but the beginning of something deeper? What if meditation isn’t simply a way to become calmer? What if it can eventually become a way of seeing? A way of understanding the mind, the self, Suffering and ultimately freedom or liberation. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit projekt180.substack.com (https://projekt180.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

2. 

   31 Aug 2026

   Becoming the Man You Needed: Partnership and Fatherhood

   “If you’re a man listening to this, I want you to know one thing before we go any further. You don’t have to have had a good example of manhood in order to become a good man. Not the example of a healthy father to become a healthy father, or to have grown up knowing what a good partner looks like in order to become one. You can learn, you can practice, you can change, and you can become.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit projekt180.substack.com (https://projekt180.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

3. 

   24 Aug 2026

   The Three Poisons: Why We Keep Suffering

   “Today, we’re talking about one of the most foundational teachings in Buddhism, the three poisons. In Tibetan Buddhism, they’re often represented at the center of the Wheel of Life as three animals chasing one another in a circle: a rooster, a snake, and a pig. These animals symbolize attachment, aversion, and delusion.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit projekt180.substack.com (https://projekt180.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

4. 

   17 Aug 2026

   The Householder's Path: Awakening in the Middle of Life

   “Today, we’re talking about something simple on the surface, but deeply disruptive underneath. The idea that awakening is not separate from your life, not separate from your relationships or your work, or from the tension you feel when you’re trying to be a better partner, a more present parent, a more honest human being in the middle of everything that keeps moving.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit projekt180.substack.com (https://projekt180.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

5. 

   10 Aug 2026

   Why Trauma Changes the Brain: Survival, Neuroplasticity, and the Possibility of Healing

   “Healing is not about erasing the past. It’s about reconnecting what became disconnected, mind and body, memory and meaning, self and relationship. This is why healing is rarely a purely intellectual exercise. It’s experiential, relational, embodied.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit projekt180.substack.com (https://projekt180.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

6. 

   3 Aug 2026

   The River of Integration: Finding the Middle Way Between Chaos and Rigidity

   “I want to invite you to imagine a river. Not just any river, but a river that represents your mind, your nervous system, and your relationships. This image comes from Dr. Dan Siegel, who describes mental health as a river flowing between two banks: On one side is chaos, on the other is rigidity, and somewhere in the middle is what he calls integration, the ability to remain flexible, adaptive, connected, open to experience without becoming overwhelmed by it.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit projekt180.substack.com (https://projekt180.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

7. 

   27 Jul 2026

   The Triangle of Well-Being: Integrating Mind, Brain, and Relationships

   “Because one of the greatest misconceptions in our culture is that we exist as isolated individuals. We imagine that our thoughts are separate from our bodies, that our emotions belong only to us, that relationships are simply something we have. But the Triangle of Wellbeing suggests something very different It tells us that our minds, our brains, and our relationships are constantly shaping one another.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit projekt180.substack.com (https://projekt180.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

8. 

   20 Jul 2026

   The Inner Sangha: Compassionate Community

   “Across modern trauma therapy and ancient contemplative traditions, a similar insight keeps appearing in different language. Healing is not the elimination of parts of ourselves. It’s the transformation of how we relate to them or their integration.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit projekt180.substack.com (https://projekt180.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

9. 

   13 Jul 2026

   Trauma Responses and the Path to Wisdom

   “The goal of healing is not to eliminate every trigger. It’s not to become perfectly regulated. It’s not to transcend your humanity. The goal is to strengthen your capacity to remain present when old parts become activated, to recognize, “My wounded child is hurting. My adaptive child wants to protect me. My nervous system feels threatened, and yet I can choose how I respond.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit projekt180.substack.com (https://projekt180.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

10. 

    6 Jul 2026

    Wounded, Adaptive, and Wise

    “The framework we’re exploring today comes from relationship expert and therapist Terry Real. It’s called The Wounded Child, The Adaptive Child, and The Wise Adult. What I appreciate about this model is that it helps us understand a fundamental truth. Not every part of us lives in the present. Some parts of us are still carrying old injuries. Some parts of us are still running survival strategies, and some parts of us are capable of responding from wisdom, compassion, and reality.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit projekt180.substack.com (https://projekt180.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

11. 

    29 Jun 2026

    Desire, Repatterning, and Learning to Love

    “You can deeply desire change and still have no embodied roadmap for how to create it, and honestly, that realization can feel overwhelming, because people often assume that awareness should automatically create transformation. But insight is not the same thing as integration. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit projekt180.substack.com (https://projekt180.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

12. 

    22 Jun 2026

    Attachment Styles: The Relationships That Shaped Us

    “Most people encounter attachment theory through social media, a short video or reel, an attachment styles quiz or a meme. Someone declares they’re anxious, avoidant, or disorganized, and suddenly, attachment style becomes yet another identity to wear.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit projekt180.substack.com (https://projekt180.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

13. 

    18 Jun 2026

    The Autonomic Nervous System: Your Body's Ancient Survival Intelligence

    “Beneath every reaction, beneath every emotional state, beneath every defensive strategy, the nervous system is constantly assessing safety and danger, and most of this happens outside awareness. Before thought, reasoning, before conscious decision-making, your body responds first, and your mind explains later.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit projekt180.substack.com (https://projekt180.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

14. 

    15 Jun 2026

    The Window of Tolerance: Where Healing Happens

    "So what exactly is the window of tolerance? Imagine a zone where you can remain present, you can think clearly, feel emotions, stay connected, learn, reflect, and respond instead of react. That’s your window of tolerance." This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit projekt180.substack.com (https://projekt180.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

15. 

    11 Jun 2026

    Bringing Baby Home, Love, Exhaustion, and The Relationships That Raise Us

    “While bringing a child into the world is often portrayed as one of life’s greatest joys, it’s also a time of transition and can be disruptive to routines, predictability, and normalcy. That’s not indicative that something’s wrong, but rather something profound is happening. A new human is entering the family system, and systems change when new members arrive.” Zach Pennington. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit projekt180.substack.com (https://projekt180.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

16. 

    8 Jun 2026

    Building a Lasting Relationship

    “In my experience, relationships don't dissolve from a lack of desire, and most relationship challenges are not caused by a lack of love. Relationship challenges are caused by disconnection, misunderstanding, unspoken expectations, old wounds, protective strategy, and nervous systems that no longer feel safe with one another.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit projekt180.substack.com (https://projekt180.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

17. 

    3 Jun 2026

    Meditation: Becoming the Observer

    Join Projekt 180: Psychological Alchemy for the first offering in the Foundational Practices Series- Meditation: Becoming the Observer. “While it's true a meditation practice can absolutely support regulation and healing, I think we've lost something important. Meditation is not fundamentally about escaping discomfort. It's about changing our relationship to the experience itself. It's about how we relate to the experience of suffering or dissatisfaction that is a part of the human experience.” Zach Pennington This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit projekt180.substack.com (https://projekt180.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

18. 

    28 May 2026

    Neuroception: The Body is Always Listening

    Introduction Welcome back to Project 180, Psychological Alchemy. I'm Zach Pennington, and today we're talking about the nervous system. Neuroception More specifically, something called neuroception, which is essentially the body's unconscious process of constantly asking, "Am I safe?" Long before thought, before logic, before conscious awareness, the body is already responding. Tightening, guarding, mobilizing, and shutting down, and many people are walking through life believing they're broken when their nervous systems are simply trying to protect them. Have you ever walked into a room and instantly felt tension? Maybe nobody said anything. Maybe everything looked normal, but your body knew. Your chest tightened, your stomach dropped, your breathing changed, or maybe you've had the opposite experience. Someone's presence made you feel safe before they even spoke. Your nervous system softened. That's neuroception. The nervous system constantly scanning for cues of safety or danger. Not intellectually, physiologically. Most of this happens outside conscious awareness. One of the things I wish more people understood is this: Trauma is not weakness. Trauma is not Adaptation. The nervous system learns from experience. If your environment was chaotic, unpredictable, emotionally unsafe, neglectful, or frightening, your body adapted accordingly. Hypervigilance becomes intelligence. Emotional shutdown becomes protection. Disassociation becomes survival. Anxiety becomes preparation. People often shame themselves for these adaptations without realizing, at one point, these responses may have helped them survive. Polyvagal Theory & Nervous System States Polyvagal theory gives us a helpful map for understanding this without getting overly clinical. We can think of the nervous system as moving through different states. Sometimes we feel grounded and connected. We can breathe. We can think clearly. We can connect with others. We feel present. Other times, we move into activation, fight or flight, anxiety, anger, panic, restlessness, hyperarousal, and sometimes, the nervous system moves into shutdown. Numbness, collapse, isolation, depression, disassociation, exhaustion. These aren't character flaws. These are nervous system states. One of the hardest truths in healing work is this. Insight alone does not heal trauma. You can intellectually understand your childhood for years and still feel unsafe inside your body because healing is not only cognitive, it's physiological. The body has to experience safety, not just think about safety, and this is where mindfulness and contemplative practice become incredibly powerful. Not as performance, not as self-improvement, but as a way of gently reintroducing the nervous system to presence. Real mindfulness is not becoming perfectly calm. It's about becoming aware. Aware of activation, aware of contraction, aware of breath, or fear, or emotional patterns. Awareness creates choice and over time, awareness creates space. We begin noticing, "My nervous system is activated right now," instead of, "Something is wrong with me." That shift matters. Compassion begins there with curiosity, not criticism. Dharma Perspective Buddhism teaches that suffering increases when we resist reality. And often, our nervous systems are resisting because they learned the world wasn't safe enough to relax into. So contemplative practice becomes less about transcending the body and more about inhabiting it gently, compassionately, slowly learning that this moment is not the past, that we can breathe again, that presence itself can become safe. Introspection: Looking Within If you'd like, take a moment and settle into your body. You don't need to force relaxation, just notice. Notice your breathing. Notice where your body feels contracted. Notice where it feels open. Notice the contact between your body and the chair or the floor, and simply ask, "What's my nervous system trying to communicate right now?" Not fixing, no judgment, just listening, just awareness, just presence, and if you notice activation, see if you can soften your breathing slightly. Not to eliminate discomfort, just to let your body know, "I'm here. I'm listening. I don't need to abandon myself." Conclusion Thank you for being here. If this episode resonated with you, you can follow Projekt 180 on Spotify and Substack for future episodes, reflections, and guided practices. Until next time, turn toward, breathe deeply, and stay present for your life. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit projekt180.substack.com (https://projekt180.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

19. 

    25 May 2026

    Projekt 180: Psychological Alchemy

    Welcome to Psychological Alchemy, the Projekt 180 podcast. Introduction This podcast is about transformation, not the polished kind, not the performative kind, the real kind. The kind that happens when life breaks open the stories we've been living inside of. We're going to talk about trauma, meditation, nervous systems, psychology, Buddhism, contemplative practice, attachment, suffering, healing, and what it actually means to wake up inside a human life, not by escaping it, but by turning toward it. My name is Zach Pennington, and this is Projekt 180. I've been thinking a lot about transformation lately. Real transformation. Not self-improvement, not optimization, not becoming more impressive. I mean the kind of transformation that happens when you can no longer keep living the way you've been living, when survival itself stops working. Projekt 180 came from that place. The idea of turning around completely, turning toward what we avoid, turning toward pain, grief, the nervous system, turning toward reality. Because most of us spend years, sometimes decades, moving away from ourselves, distracting, disassociating, achieving, performing, numbing, fixing, trying desperately not to feel what's underneath everything, and eventually something catches up to us, whether it's anxiety, burnout, addiction, shame, loneliness, panic, depression, or emotional numbness, or maybe the quiet realization that the life we've built no longer feels alive. I grew up in rural Virginia in the 1980’s with a lot of isolation, a lot of poverty, and a lot of silence, and like a lot of people, I learned early how to adapt, how to survive. I think many of us become incredibly intelligent in the language of survival long before we ever learn the language of presence, and survival strategies are complicated because they work until they don't. Hypervigilance works until your nervous system can't rest. Emotional shutdown works until you can't feel connection anymore. Achievement works until you realize no amount of accomplishment touches the emptiness underneath of it. For me, psychology became one doorway. Buddhism and contemplative practice became another. And over time, I started realizing something important. Healing wasn't about becoming someone else. It was about learning how to stop abandoning myself. That changed everything. The Nervous System One of the things we're going to talk about a lot on this podcast is the nervous system, because so much suffering lives below conscious thought, and people think they're broken when often their bodies are simply adapted: adapted to fear, adapted to chaos, adapted to unpredictability, to emotional neglect, to environments where safety wasn't consistent. The body learns, the nervous system remembers, and then we carry those adaptations into adulthood and wonder why we feel exhausted, disconnected, reactive, ashamed, or constantly on edge, and what I've found through both psychotherapy and contemplative practice is that awareness changes things, not overnight, but gradually, compassionately. Spiritual Bypassing Through learning how to stay present with ourselves instead of constantly escaping ourselves, we learn about ourselves and awareness becomes a doorway. I also want this space to be honest about spirituality, because spirituality can heal, but it can also become another way to avoid reality. A lot of people use meditation to escape feeling, to transcend pain instead of meeting it, to appear a calm while internally collapsing. That's not liberation. That's disassociation wearing spiritual clothing. Real contemplative practice asks something much harder of us. It asks us to stay, to remain present, to feel grief without becoming consumed by it, to feel anger without becoming identified with it, to sit with shame compassionately, to notice craving and fear, to notice impermanence, to stop avoiding. Conclusion So that what, that's what Projekt 180 is. It's a space for honest conversations about transformation. We'll talk about trauma, attachment, mindfulness, Buddhism, polyvagal theory, meditation, relationships, grief, healing, shame, compassion, and what it means to become fully human. Some episodes will be teachings, some will be reflections, some will include guided meditations and practices, some may be conversations with guests, but all of it comes back to this: turning toward experience instead of away from it. Closing Reflection I wanna leave you with a question. What in your life are you still avoiding? And what might become possible if you stop trying to escape your experience long enough to truly listen to it? Not fix it, not force it away, just listen. Because transformation often begins the moment we stop abandoning ourselves. Thank you for being here. If this resonated with you, you can follow Projekt 180 on Spotify and Substack for future episodes, reflections, and practices. Until next time, turn toward, breathe deeply, and stay present for your life This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit projekt180.substack.com (https://projekt180.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

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Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

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