Listen now | The author of "Between Two Seas" discusses her transition from evolutionary biologist with a PhD in animal cognition to the writer's life on a windswept island off the coast of Scotland
Thank you Hladini! If you mean the tree, it's actually a stock design I found on Canva... I love it but don't know who created it (I indulged my longtime graphic design hobby to make the whole design though, haha)
Such a beautiful discussion! I'm inspired by Rebecca's journey, as an academic scientist who also feels a deep spiritual connection to the living world I really struggle with the system I work in. I'm doing research that is meaningful to me and reflects my values (I study the relationship between humans and our commensal bacteria, how that affects immune regulation), but it's still within this system that is intensely demanding and grounded in materialism. I'm always dreaming of leaving it behind to do other meaningful work that is less draining...means a lot to witness someone who's figured that out :)
Thank you so much! I think there's so much potential in the merging of these two worlds, too, and there isn't necessarily a clear split - of course modern scientific paradigms too often make it seem that way. Best of luck to you on your journey, I think your work is going to be inevitably all the more powerful thanks to your understanding of these two realms!
I'm so glad you enjoyed this podcast, Portia, and thrilled to meet another scientist with that spiritual connection to the natural world. Your research sounds so fascinating! It was a hard decision to leave academia, but for me personally I knew my life would be more enriched outside of that institutional setting. I would say just follow your heart and follow your passion, whether that lies within or outside of academia. So happy to connect with you here!
Thank you Eden and Rebecca for this lovely thought-full chat. It made me think of these words from Joseph Campbell:
"People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances with our own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive."
A brilliant quote, Baird. I completely relate to that idea of wanting to feel the rapture of being alive. That rapture, for me, definitely comes with feeling at one with the natural world - it brings a unity of body and mind.
Great discussion. Who did the gorgeous drawing at the top of this post?
Thank you Hladini! If you mean the tree, it's actually a stock design I found on Canva... I love it but don't know who created it (I indulged my longtime graphic design hobby to make the whole design though, haha)
Such a beautiful discussion! I'm inspired by Rebecca's journey, as an academic scientist who also feels a deep spiritual connection to the living world I really struggle with the system I work in. I'm doing research that is meaningful to me and reflects my values (I study the relationship between humans and our commensal bacteria, how that affects immune regulation), but it's still within this system that is intensely demanding and grounded in materialism. I'm always dreaming of leaving it behind to do other meaningful work that is less draining...means a lot to witness someone who's figured that out :)
Thank you so much! I think there's so much potential in the merging of these two worlds, too, and there isn't necessarily a clear split - of course modern scientific paradigms too often make it seem that way. Best of luck to you on your journey, I think your work is going to be inevitably all the more powerful thanks to your understanding of these two realms!
I'm so glad you enjoyed this podcast, Portia, and thrilled to meet another scientist with that spiritual connection to the natural world. Your research sounds so fascinating! It was a hard decision to leave academia, but for me personally I knew my life would be more enriched outside of that institutional setting. I would say just follow your heart and follow your passion, whether that lies within or outside of academia. So happy to connect with you here!
Thank you so much!!
Thank you Eden and Rebecca for this lovely thought-full chat. It made me think of these words from Joseph Campbell:
"People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances with our own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive."
A brilliant quote, Baird. I completely relate to that idea of wanting to feel the rapture of being alive. That rapture, for me, definitely comes with feeling at one with the natural world - it brings a unity of body and mind.
Unity of body and mind and the natural world. Some might call that "enlightenment"!
Oh my gosh Eden, the musical intro!!! That is such a stunning, delicate piece of music! I feel so honoured! 🤍