(This episode was recorded before 2025’s “Summer of Love” & only contains spoilers for old seasons of #LoveIslandUK and #LoveIslandUSA)

How do humans biologically build attachment? How do popular reality shows (ab)use mammalian attachment to create dramatic moments for entertainment? What happens to our nervous systems as viewers when we watch? What are the narratives that #LoveIsland perpetuates? Who benefits when the collective believes those narratives? In what ways are reality TV shows and their viewership a high demand group? Can we collectively imagine something more liberated?

Kristyn with a Why chats with Jamie and Jason- two of her besties from high school about Secure attachment and Love Island.

0: Intro to episode

9:00: Intro to Jamie and Jason

12:51: Secure Attachment and Contact Nutrition Overview

29:00: Consent, and Contact Nutrition in Love Island

1:02:00: Suicidality, Racism, Patriarchy, and Casa Amor

1:27:45: Favorite Moments on Love Island, and Predictions for upcoming season

1:42:45: Love Village and The Boyfriend as “less culty” Love Island alternatives

1:52:36: Outro

Follow the podcast on Substack or Instagram!

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Grateful for all the learning and inspiration alluded to in today’s episode:

Carmen Spagnola’s Numinous Network for more on Secure attachment and Contact Nutrition, her Numinous Podcast on Fascism, & previous episodes with me here and here.

Alexandra Stein’s book: Terror, Love and Brainwashing: Attachment in Cults and Totalitarian Systems

Timothy Snyder’s Book: On Tyranny

“The Boyfriend” as the antidote to Love Island

As always:----------------------------------

Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:

Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically “Our Lady of the Underground” and Orpheus’ Song

“Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams

Shout out for the artistic assistance of:

Matt Schubbe (Logo)

Kevin Carlow (Music and sound editing)

This episode marks the podcast’s one year anniversary and to celebrate we are going to give plants some “main character energy”

What might emerge if we proceeded as though plants could grow us just as much as we grow them? In what ways can Cannabis be a competent protector, and a companion for practicing consent in times of collapse? How is the Cannabis industry “just like the Handmaid’s Tale” (which is to say it is actually just like slavery)?

Kristyn with a Why chats with her colleague, friend, and “garden witch” Kirsten about how working with plants can subvert the hyperindividualistic, human-centric narratives that are all-too-common in popular stories, and what can happen when we accept their invitation to grapple with the “cracks in the wall” they reveal to us.

0: Introduction/Episode Overview

9:56: Meet Kirsten

31:22: Cannabis, Consent, Compassionate Witnessing, Collapse, Camp Followers

56:16: Patriarchy in the Cannabis Industry

1:08:04: Stoner Somatics and Confronting “saviorism” with Psilocybin

1:15:00: Outro, seeds for future pods and your own home garden!

Follow Kirsten on Instagram @tendingnettles

Check out her seeds at https://www.goodseedhempgarden.com/

Follow the podcast on Substack & Instagram!

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Grateful for all the learning and inspiration in today’s episode:

Carmen Spagnola’s Numinous Network and Numinous podcast on Collapse

Friday Things with Stacey Lee Kong: Adriana Smith

Sophie Strand’s books: “The Madonna Secret” and “Body is a Doorway”

Naomi Klein

Cannabis as a “Camp Follower” in Dale Pendell’s Pharmako/Poeia

Rat Park: How cages create addiction

Liberation with Rev. angel Kyodo williams

As always:----------------------------------

Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:

Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically “Our Lady of the Underground” and Orpheus’ Song

“Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams

Shout out for the artistic assistance of:

Matt Schubbe (Logo)

Kevin Carlow (Music and sound editing)

This entire episode, not to be listened to while driving, is a guided meditation provided to help listeners practice radical rest, connection, and creativity.

In this mini-season, Kristyn discusses {Dream Productions} and offers a guided meditation practice she has done with her kids for over a year titled “Dream Place.”

Follow me on Substack to read the transcript for this meditation

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Grateful for all the learning and inspiration in today’s episode:

Carmen Spagnola’s Numinous Network

Tricia Hersey- “Nap Ministry”

Audre Lorde

Dra Rocio Rosales Mesa

adrienne maree brown

toi smith

People’s Oracle-Dayna Lynn Nuckolls

Liberation with Rev. angel Kyodo williams

Sarah Faith Gottesdiener and the Moon Studio

Chani Nicholas

Late Fragment by Raymond Carver

Bayo Akomolafe- The times are urgent, let’s slow down

As always:----------------------------------

Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:

Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically “Our Lady of the Underground” and Orpheus’ Song

“Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams

Shout out for the artistic assistance of:

Matt Schubbe (Logo)
Kevin Carlow (Music and sound editing)