Death, Comedy and Realizing Your Dreams with Chris Calogero

(upbeat music)

This is synchronous, this is synchronous today.

This is synchronous. - This is synchronous.

This is synchronous. - This is synchronous.

This is synchronicity. - This is synchronicity. (upbeat music) (upbeat music)

Welcome to synchronicity. My guest this week is Chris Caligero. Chris is a comedian and funny guy, which is good if you're a comedian because if you were not funny in a comedian, that would, that would be a pretty miserable existence. I think that's pretty much the worst, that's the worst they can get. But Chris is hilarious, I found him on Twitter. Go follow him, real Chris Cal. It's pretty easy. He does these videos, these super cut things, which I saw, I think the one I mentioned in this podcast, but the one that caught my attention is the guy who tries to jam in newly acquired book knowledge into conversations, and I was like, "Oh, shit, that's me."

He just did a me impression. You know, I was listening to the Game of Thrones, a song of ice and fire, just like jam. Just like, non-sensically jamming stuff in, and also I listened to the turnouts. Oh, it's just, I'm insufferable, basically. But it was really funny, and then he's just started doing more of those and going into different avenues from like games to political stuff, but like in a nice and cool way, but also hilarious, and we like that, right? Nice and cool and hilarious, who doesn't like that? So we talk a lot about Chris's dreams in this. I talk a lot. There's imagination. Oh, I'm on a kick with the imagination.

By the way, by the way, people, those of you who have been writing in and saying that things have started to happen, and Jason, shout out, man, wrote me a handwritten letter. Really awesome, dude. I'm gonna hit you up. Life has been pretty nuts from my end, if you can imagine, but dude, that's super cool. It's just great, it's great. It's great to see when it works. It's great to know that it does, and then when you get it, you get it, and these things that maybe have been holding you back aren't as hard to overcome as you thought. And that's pretty cool. That's the best thing. So thanks to everyone who's doing that.

If you don't know what the fuck I'm talking about, there's imagine acts on syncpodcast.com for free. You just asked me to imagine something for you, and I do it, and we see if it happens. And before saying, some of this stuff is happening. So what's really going on? Am I imagining things for you? Am I a God? Maybe. But that's not what's going on. What's going on is they're doing it yourself. It's space jam juice. You ever see space jam? Michael Jordan, I saw the premiere of that with my friend Stephanie in middle school. It was awesome. It's the first time I met, I think we met. All right, I don't know.

But anyway, it was super cool. And they're also premiered Animaniacs, and that was pretty cool too. That was probably better. But anyway, space jam juice, the end of the thing, they play in these monsters, they can't beat them. They're monsters, they're huge, they're scary. They're gonna fuck them, fuck their shit up. Does it sound like something? And how are they gonna win? How are they gonna win? So they get this magic potion. It's called LSD. Nah, I don't think this. But they get this magic potion, and they give it to them. And they all of a sudden are amazing. They have all these powers. They overcome, they throttle the monsters.

And then at the end, they go, I was just water. I was just water. Anyway, that's all this is. You're doing it yourself. It's not me, please. I mean, you can also, that can also do stuff. You can do stuff too, but I mean, it's really you. Anyway, this episode, Chris is the coolest. Let's do a big shout out to the guys at Ned. Do you need magical CBD oil, full spectrum, stuff that's grown with love legitimately? What I said, if it's not true in it, these guys had a fucking hour long podcast with them. Dad made fun of me for it 'cause he's like, you're just doing a promo. And I'm like, nah, these guys are cool as shit.

Go check that out and see if you wanna get their stuff as opposed to something else. You can go to HelloNed.com. Use the code S-Y-N-C, that's easy to remember. And you get 15% off whenever you order. That's super cool. I do it, but I don't do it. I tell them what I'm out. I'm like, please send me more, this stuff is awesome. But if they were like, no, dude, we're not doing that anymore. I would buy it and I'd use that code. So there you go, there's the proof. But big thanks to those guys. HelloNed.com, code sync, 15% off. Boom, got it, done. Let's get to the episode Noah. You're thinking, I'm thinking that too.

So without further ado, here is Chris Calliger. (upbeat music)

Welcome.

Hi.

Hey, Chris.

Are we starting?

We're starting, yeah.

We're starting a podcast thing where I'm like, oh my God, I can't believe the podcast started. I thought you were taking my innermost thoughts and secrets and broadcasting now to the public.

That's exactly what I do. But I want to start with your podcast because I'm not that familiar with it, but it's a really fucking cool concept. And I want to talk about how you came up with it and what it is.

Right. Well, my podcast is called Morning Coffee, M-O-U-R-N-I-N-G. And it's kind of taking a little bit of a backseat as I planned my wedding, which happened through, three weeks ago.

Congratulations.

Thank you very much. But the premise of it is I talked to comedians about grief, mourning, loss and death and how they deal with it in their everyday lives. And obviously with a specific bent on being a comedian and dealing with loss in general. And it came about in a real, very real way, which is that my roommate passed away in 2015. And I was the one who found her in our apartment. And yeah, it was kind of like a life fork in the road. You know, of like, I'm going down this way. And then boom, this happens and it was just, you know, the river just kind of got dammed around it and had to figure out how to find its way back.

But I, in the middle of kind of dealing with grief and mourning and that crazy thing that happens, I realized that, I mean, you kind of know this objectively, but like, you're not alone. People have gone through this before. People can help you and it helps you just talk about it very honestly. And so I was like, cool, let's talk to some comedians about, you know, what's your story? Who have you lost or people haven't lost? Or, you know, what are your feelings about death and religion and in the afterlife and all these things. And yeah, it's been great.

What are your thoughts about death and life and afterlife?

I, so I was raised Catholic.

Okay, cool.

And I don't, now I don't, I'm not an atheist.

Cool, good move.

I basically, like I'm like, that is kind of almost a way to define yourself at this point.

For sure. It's like a label, exactly.

Right, right.

So like, I believe in like the wonder of the world and the beauty of the world and the idea of energy cannot be destroyed. So we're all full of energy. So when you die, what does that mean for the energy that is in your, in your body? And I find that fascinating and I don't condescend to anybody's ideas of spirituality. Yeah, 'cause I find that that's very easy and it makes you look very scared of perspective.

Yes.

So that's kind of where I'm at with religion, with death. I have come to an understanding of it more than I have did when I was younger for sure in the inevitability and the way that that bonds us together as humans, which is, you know, it's one of the major things we all have in common, right? With porn we eat, we die, we drink, we shit. Like those are the things, right?

Sleep usually.

Yeah, so like, it's part of them. It's just the scariest one.

It's scary if you don't have an idea of what death could be and I think that sounds bold to say and I think any time before two months ago I would have yelled it myself for even saying anything with conviction about what death could be.

Sure.

So it's funny you mention religion because I've been a very spiritual person. Her couch is a little funny, right?

Yeah, it's like, but I've gone through a lot of different religious permutations and spirituality things. I've looked, I just have been an avid seeker without getting like too identified with one. So I love Tibetan Buddhism, a lot of like meditation, practices, Vedic stuff, Christian mysticism, Sufism, like all these different things because ultimately I think they're all talking about the same thing, right?

Well, right. I mean, the Bible basically has like picked and choose from all the greatest hits.

So?

It's like the Paul's boutique of--

Yo.

That's an amazing analogy and also the Bible, this is why I brought it up. I grew up Jewish, reformed. So like, it's like Jewish light. So basically, I never had a firm like love or passion for the Old Testament. And I didn't know really anything about the New Testament. And I never really thought I would, even through all these different kinds of religious and spiritual pursuits. But recently--

The New Testament's some hippie-dippy shit.

Yo, dude, listen, listen, this is what it is now. I figured it out, you're gonna enjoy this 'cause you grew up Catholic so it's gonna make a little more sense. I think that to you than some people who maybe don't have that framework. So I was listening to this guy Neville Goddard. This is the guy who tipped me off to this imagination shit. And it's just the way he talks. He was this dude from Barbados and from the '30s to the '70s who did these talks. And he's got a cool accent, he's just a cool guy. But his contention, and I strongly subscribe to this now, is that the Bible is specifically not a historical account of anything, including the New Testament.

Although some people may say, it was probably maybe some guy named Jesus, who knows?

I think more so than the Old Testament, but yeah.

Yeah, so what he does say it is, that's not a bold thing. And he also says it's specifically not something written to enslave or indoctrinate people to trick them to be stupid. He's like what they are, what every single character in the Bible is, is a psychological state. It's a state that we move through. And if you know how to interpret it, and this is kind of the hidden aspect of like Kabbalah, like the hidden messages behind it, you start to realize what all of these things mean. The beginning of the Bible is I am the Lord, your God, right? Genesis, we miss what that's actually saying. What it is is I am comma the Lord, which means your sense of I in your brain, this imaginative faculty where you perceive yourself in your school, that's fucking God.

You're also you. - Right, right, right.

Your God, now this is conjecture and speculation. There's techniques, we'll go over one in this episode, where you can prove that that's what's going on. When you wake up fully to this reality, this happened to me 15 years ago. Remember, I grew up Jewish didn't know shit about Jesus Christ. It's called Jesus Christ. You resurrect in your own mind the recognition that you are God and you are you. And when you can stabilize that as a real belief, that's what I was talking about when all your dreams start to come true. Because you recognize this creative agency, what you experience out in this external reality is preceded by what you're imagining in specific states of consciousness.

And once you kind of get that, you can start doing it all the time. And you'll note, when this happens, if you start using these techniques, synchronicities will start popping up all the place. Weird places you've never been before, people you've never met before, but somehow seem connected to you, start to show up. The coolest thing about it, in my opinion, related to the religious aspect, is I never thought I'd be into the Bible at all. It's like Yahweh seems like a dick. Like who's this guy throwing, why is he being such a dick to all these people?

Oh, I mean the Old Testament is, yeah, yeah.

But when you look at it as psychological states that we put ourselves through and you need someone who has some degree of understanding of like how to interpret them, it's fucking incredible. And it literally is a blueprint towards people realizing who they are, which I jumped right into what's called the promise. Let's get into the law a little bit. 'Cause I want to talk about your comedy and how we're gonna do a little magic on this episode, of July 24th, 2019 and we're gonna see where Chris is and within, I think six months? Within six months, we'll check.

Let's do it, let's do it.

I really am fascinated by the concept of what you're saying about the Bible. And the one thing it made me think of is like the, I mean, to even people who don't have that understanding and just maybe enjoy the Bible for like, you know, parables in the life lessons that Jesus, in particular in parts to people, which are pretty basic, but we'll serve you well throughout your life. But the idea of anybody believing that like, the Garden of Eden was like real, a literal real place is like...

It's here.

You'll see, it's fucking nuts.

But you know what I mean? Like Mormons believe it's in like Missouri or whatever.

Maybe it is, but like this is it.

That idea, like as an idea, I can see it, but like as like the literal Adam and Eve and all those things is like, it's still always wild to me.

It's because again, these are psychological states that we go through, including the women in the Bible and the New Testament. They're all basically, like subtle parables about what we do in our own minds as we bring things into reality. I don't teach this stuff 'cause I'm not a Bible scholar, but I read a lot about it from the guy who I found out these techniques. So here's the technique, we're gonna just, we're gonna go over it now and then we're gonna talk about your comedy and link them together. 'Cause you can cast spells, like here's the thing, if what I'm saying is true and you're God and you're you and you wake up as Jesus Christ, what did Jesus Christ do?

What did he do?

He healed people, he made people feel better, he basically made all their dreams come true. Like he was a nice guy, he gave great lessons. He taught people how to fish instead of fucking giving them fish. So when this clicks, you'll be like, oh shit, I can do that too, okay. So here's the technique. And this is how you build the tools to do this yourself. And it may seem silly, but it actually works. It's never not worked for me. It's truly the most incredible thing I've ever experienced in my life.

Yeah, I'm really fascinated.

All right.

Is that what you hope to do?

I know, it's a big up-seltzy, right? It only costs $10,000.

Okay, okay, yeah, I brought it in cash.

Awesome, so, and I will preface it by saying this, just be for people listening, and you do not do this if you are not prepared to have your entire world turned upside down. And I don't say that to people's interests and sell it up even more. I can tell you someone who's going through this right now, if you have not been the best version of yourself, essentially what you're doing is you're killing yourself. You are psychically killing the version of yourself who you are not, so you can become who you are. And that has real-world ramifications. That's why I bring that up, and again, everything I'm saying is from direct experience, but here's the technique.

So the first thing you wanna do, and this can be anything, is find one thing that you really, really desire. Like, the one thing that, like, in your creative, whatever it is, whatever it is. Some people know exactly what it is. It's like maybe 36 years to even ask the question.

Sure.

I'm fucking idiot. But I did it, and I found the things. And then inevitably, you know, you'll probably cycle through some more, we can get into that. But find the one thing. And then what you're gonna do is tonight, when you're going to sleep, you're gonna find that liminal boundary between going to sleep and sleeping. It's not this holy state like, you gotta be fucking perfect, meditative equipoise. Like, it's not how it is. It's legitimately just going to sleep and catching yourself before you do. And you can just start by doing it and get into this. It's a drowsy state, essentially. You can smoke weed, you can drink.

You can do whatever the fuck you want.

Like a dad being in the middle of watching Colbert or something.

Yeah, exactly. Just zone the fuck out. Exactly. Catch yourself in that state. And what you're gonna do is you're gonna imagine only create a scene. This is not just visualization. This is you, in your own body, creating a very short and compact scene that implies what you desired and what you wish for has already happened. So it's gonna be an event, a small scene following the, whatever you wished for. So let's say I use this example all the time, usually because people don't want this. But let's say you worked at a job and you really wanted a promotion. You know, some people want this. Actually, I had someone, I imagine for it, that's what they wanted.

So I shouldn't say people don't want this. But what you would imagine is a short and compact scene where someone is shaking your hand and saying congratulations on the new job.

Right, like the post, the post mortem of like.

Exactly, the following the thing. So it's like, exactly. Post mortem is a great, and a post mortem is even better phrased than you realize because you're literally killing the previous psychological state. But anyway, in this scene, it's gonna be from within your own perspective. And it's also you're gonna load it up with as much sensory vividness as possible. Like try to use all the senses if you kind of get taste and smell, might not be incorporated. But the more you can load in, make it at least as equal to this world. Jack it up if you're not, just if you want to your imagination. Then this is the most important part.

You're going to charge it with a loving emotion, one that you would actually feel if this had happened, right? This is a relatively easy thing to do, but when it locks in, you'll know it. The other thing is is that, this is my turbo boost method. Also load into the scene that you know that you imagine this for yourself in the scene. So you're like, "Oh my god, I imagine this for yourself."

Oh, oh, oh, like you have that sense of like self satisfaction a little bit.

Yes, like all wonder, like, because imagine this, whatever your desire is, imagine what I'm saying is true, right? And you literally walk into your wildest dreams, like exactly what you wanted. And I'm not saying like, kinda, like I mean, hold fast to the fucking scene. Like if it's a shade or two, I'll find, but like it's that scene. When that happens the first time, you might start with something small 'cause you know, you don't wanna ask for too big. I've noticed that a lot with people, but some people start with big and shit starts unfold.

You know, like a Snickers bar.

Snickers bar, yeah, exactly. When you do that, the first few times, you can write it off, which is why I highly recommend and this is part of the technique, do not take any extra steps to make your desire come true.

Wait, what do you mean?

Don't, like, just so I understand, so like you're at your sleep wake boundary, you've imagined you're seeing your little post-mortem filled with your emotion and filled with the sense of, wow, I made this happen and that's incredible.

And sensory's been incredible, yeah.

And then-- - You go to sleep.

And then go to sleep. And then when you wake up in the morning, don't like, do you like, I'm gonna start like acting the way that I need to act for it. You just keep going.

Here's, here's, yes. There's two reasons why. The first is, like for instance, I've given a more practical thing, like if you wanted to be a successful musician, don't like make an extra call. Still make music, still do your shit like you would normally do, but don't make that extra call. Don't do that extra thing. In terms of what you're talking about, which is, maybe, wow, I feel a lot different. Let that come naturally.

Yeah, yeah.

What happens first is your consciousness will change dramatically. And it won't be like a little thing. You'll be like, this is weird, I feel different. I've lost like 10 pounds in the past week and I've never felt better and I'm exercising and it's crazy. And I just don't emotionally eat anymore. If you knew me before, this would be, this is big of a miracle as anything. Like truthfully, man, like I'll pound like two subs, big ass subs and I fucking love it. I can barely eat, I eat fruit. And not because it disgusts me anything, I just don't have an appetite 'cause there's not something it's filling.

Shit like that will start to happen when you appropriate. Even something that's like, you didn't ask for that. But if you're focusing on a top level thing, stuff will start to change. Eventually, if you persist in the scene and whenever your mind wanders 'cause it wanders at night, or you can do this during the day as well, you can just drop into the state whenever you want.

Is this supposed to be done every night?

I would say do it as often as the desire is strong. You know what I mean? When I first, I needed money when I first did it. And there's two schools of thought. There's one, don't talk about what you wish for because the doubt reflected in other people might get reflected back here. The other one is, fuck that shit, man, this fucking works, I know it works. Even if the world tells me it's not working, I've seen it work enough times, it will work.

Right, right, right.

So I am a little more bold in that, but a lot, I saw like Colbert and Conan O'Brien talking about this principle and they were like, "Shh, we don't want to set off the alarms, "like it's a trap, it'll go away." I don't think that, I know that's not true. It's not, I don't think it's true. If you persist, what eventually happens is, you'll also have threshold guardians. You're gonna have people, thoughts, emotions, fears, circumstances, bubble up, and basically try to be like, "Nah, this is not right, you can't do this." There's something getting in your way. If you recognize them as such, you just swat 'em away.

Yeah.

You just swat 'em away and they'll go away. It's you anyway, that's the truth, man. Like, all of this is just us pushed out. We're each other too, but this is a reflection of you. I would not be able to say this to you and for you to be able to hear it if this wasn't in you. That's literally how it works. But anyway, with the techniques, you basically, with that specific technique, don't take any extra steps, just let it unfold. At night, snap your mind back whenever it wanders. If you go into a fantasy, the importance of keeping it to a very compact scene is really critical because we go into reveries.

We go into ideas of what, it just goes. And the truth is, that shit happens too. So you wanna really focus your mind on this thing. It's fucking insane. You start with material things, you start with creative desires, and then what you start doing is you appropriate state of consciousness. You just start elevating. Like a shortcut, what will happen is, when you start doing this and shit starts happening. And I also have the confidence to tell you you're gonna be famous in shit because I've seen your comp. It's genuinely hilarious, not just the super cuts, like your stand-up is like, you got it all due.

Thank you very much.

The thing with the phone charger thing that I watch on the thing is like fucking insane.

Oh, thank you, everything, I appreciate it.

But basically, you'll do this a few times and you might build that bridge of causality backwards. Be like, oh, it happened because of this, it happened because of that. But after like four or five times, it becomes undeniable. The other thing I like to do is, because this is the truth, is my only mantra, I've ever, I taught it to myself, it works, this is the dream. Your imagination is reality. If you keep reminding yourself of that, you will see that as an operative principle and then--

So what you're saying though, I just wanna make sure that-- - Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Is that like, you keep your scene kind of always the same and you, like your mind will wander and like, start block by block building out the world of that scene and you'll be like, and then this and then you wanna like--

Exactly. - Come back, snap that.

But then like you mean like, then things will start falling into place and but you still start, you still keep your original--

This is a great question. So two things can happen. One is until you really live from that state of consciousness or that event, living from it rather than thinking of it, you'll probably still need to keep doing it.

Yeah. - And the bigger the thing, the longer it might take to do it. Once it clicks, it clicks and you know it clicks. You can keep doing it. I usually keep doing it 'cause I'm just extra cautious. You know, I just wanna make sure. But when you know it clicks, you know it fucking clicks. You can double back and try to psych yourself out, but man, when it fucking clicks, people experience this as intuition, precognition, whatever the fuck you wanna call it, all it is is being in touch with what you imagined for yourself consciously. It also cuts against two dramatic principles of the world, which we kind of intuitively feel in this world, which is we don't have any control.

That's a gnat, like talk about death, right?

I mean, that's a huge thing that I talk about too, yeah.

Right, like we doesn't feel like we have any control. We have so much control. It's not that we micromanage our lives and program every little thing, but you know who the best version of you is. You wanna step into that version.

Right, of course. - Program that. Control that into that because then this is, and this is where it gets a little fucking hippie dippy, but it's true, when we all realize this, which we all will, I promise you, in this lifetime too, that's what's so fucking amazing about being alive now, when we all realize this and step into the best versions of ourselves, guess what happens in the world? Guess it's totally fucking different. People aren't fucking each other over. They don't think they have to screw people over to get, you know, we don't have to live in depressive, economic conditions, like all of this stuff is, I don't wanna say imminent, it is in a sense, but like it's not as far off as people think, because literally people hear this, but they don't think of it, you change yourself first, and then it reflects out back in the world.

And that's not a passive thing.

Right, well, I mean, that's kind of like a, on a smaller scale, that's kind of how relationships work. You know, like, you're not gonna find anybody that works for you unless like you're, you've worked on yourself, you know what I mean? And then you start meeting people, so that is like, conceptually makes like all the sense in the world, yeah.

I look forward to experiencing it. There's a whole bunch of other ones we can do, I'll give you one more, 'cause I think it'll help you a lot. Time doesn't exist. It does, we experience it linearly, I'm not totally insane. (laughing) But my real experience of it is it's a nexus point of which everything flows out of, and our senses perceive a pretty small bandwidth of what's going on, we say that's moving forward in time. However, we can prove it doesn't, 'cause if we can go back in our minds and the future in our minds, we're actually moving through time. It doesn't feel like that, 'cause it's like, oh, it just reminds, but okay.

So, right, I hear you, yeah. What this opens up is what holds a lot of people back, I know it was for me, is trauma. Any type of trauma, parental growing up, relationship, who knows, shame, any of these things. What you do is you use the same exact technique, you go back to that memory in that scene, load it up with the sensory vividness, might be uncomfortable, and just change it. You fucking change it, and it's like, oh, that sounds cool. It's like a weird thing to do. If you do it and keep doing it, not only will you feel differently as yourself, but you'll get external validators, like weird shit will start happening.

It's just, it's very, very powerful. Those two things, man, I'm telling you, and they're so simple, like it's not hard.

Right, right, yeah, yeah.

But let's shift now from me giving you the bootstrap to, let's talk about your comedy, man.

Cool, let's do it.

I got tuned in to you from the supercut things you do.

Right, right.

The one that really clicked for me was, 'cause it was me, was the person who reads the book and tries to jam in all of this stuff.

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, and to the conversations, yeah, for sure.

So can you just explain to people kind of like, it's morphed into like a bigger thing with your like, the guy who races Uncle-looking guy.

Right, yeah.

Besides, you're really compassionate, which I love. - Thank you very much.

Can you explain, yeah. So I have to credit this app called Laugh Exchange, which doesn't really exist anymore, but what they were trying to do was get comedians some money by having them share 15 to 60 second videos, and then people would vote on them, and if you won the first place, you would win like $200, which for a comedian is, that's a million comedian dollars.

Yeah, yeah, that's a lot.

So, I decided, so my wife won a bunch of them with her stand-up, 'cause she's wonderful, and I decided that I wanted to try and make different, like different characters and different ideas, and it has been something that had been like, boiling in my head for a long, long time, 'cause that's what I grew up really loving. And then I think when I learned stand-up, I got a little jaded, and the person who taught me was a little jaded and kind of impaired my ability to be fully creative a little bit, but I always loved characters and things like that. So, I was like, I'm gonna try these things, and I'm gonna put in, you know, with some road bumps, road bumps, speed bumps.

Road bumps.

They're road bumps, of like creating and like, not quite hitting the mark, and then a couple of them did well, and a couple of them won me some money, and then I did this Every Police Chief in an action movie video, and that one, like made the final thing and like, won me some money on the app, and then I put it on Twitter, and it went like okay for like a day, like I put on like a Friday or something, it was like doing okay, and I never have really had anything hit on Twitter before that, and then I woke up on Saturday, and it started going kind of bananas, and it started like really like, like I had an experience that before, it was like, where like every time I was like, refreshing Twitter, it was like pretty cool, and it was like really satisfying, and so I was like, oh cool, so this like worked, so I started doing the movie guys, like the movie cliche characters, and it just was like, it was really satisfying, it was like a way to do comedy work, really kind of off the cuff, and quickly at home, which I, you know, if I was just at home, like not doing nothing, but like maybe like I had done a show, or I was about to do a show, but I was like, I have this time at home, I was like I can see the video, then edit it tomorrow, and then put it out, 'cause if you take some time, so then the movie thing started hitting, and then I got featured in Funny or Die, which was very cool, and then I was like, all right, like, and then my brain was just kind of like, turned on to like, videos, so then I was like, well what else can I do, and then I did like the book guy, and then I did, then I did started doing the uncle, and I did a couple of one-off characters, and they've just been so really great and fun to do, and like, I'm trying to diversify, and like always like, if I have an idea now, and I used to be scared, like if I haven't, I'll work on it some other time, and now I'm just like, having an idea, go home, shoot it, boom, put it out in the world, it's done.

So you get, that's like the foundation of like success, right? Do you intuitively understand that?

Right, yes, for sure.

'Cause when it clicks, like, and you're like, oh, like I have this idea that's got legs, and I can keep doing it, and I know how to do it and keep it fresh, like that's a game changer.

Right, yeah, so then like, yeah, so I was like, I think the first other one that I did that really popped off was like, I did the mayor of like the city in a Grand Theft Auto game.

Yes, yes.

Who like has to do a press job, except for every bonkers thing that happens, and it was just like, cut all those crazy things together. So then I was like, that one hit really well, and I was like, okay, so like, I just kinda like, I can always go back to like, what, to the ones I enjoy doing, or a series, but like, it's okay to be like, have other ones, so like, I did like the HBO show runner, trying to explain a show, and that went really well, so like, I've just kind of tried to like, slowly like, expand the base of who my characters are.

Do you want to do acting?

Yeah, I do, I would love to do some acting, yeah.

Cool, cool.

And I've had some opportunities, but I'm gonna try to get some more, and--

You will get more.

Yeah, man, it's been awesome, I love it. And I feel like, I feel like it's just, it's like, it's work, I mean, it takes time and effort and energy, like anything else, but like, but it also leaves me open to like, it doesn't take away from stand up.

Yeah.

And it only adds to it because like, once those videos started hitting, and people were like, responding, and people were being like, this is very funny, then when I was going on stage, all of a sudden my confidence had like, started going through the roof, and I was like, you appropriated the stage.

Right, and so then I was like, now my stand up is getting better, simply because like, I'm believing in myself, in this other avenue, right, exactly. And it was just like, I could tell, there was one night where I went on stage, and I think it was like, maybe a little rusted, and been up in a minute.

Yeah.

But I was just like, fucking, I was just like, in the pocket, you know? And I was like, oh, this is 'cause I just feel great about me. And it brings me like a sense of calm on stage, which is great.

Right, 'cause you're, that's you, right? That's actually who you are. The stuff that bubbles up to deny that, that's not you. It drops off eventually. That's what a lot of this stuff proves, because it just goes away. And like being in the pocket and be able, knowing that you're doing what you're supposed to be doing, like that's, what's better than that?

Oh, it's the best. I mean, John Mulaney has a great thing he said about, about to stand up. Like when you have, when you're on stage, and like you're kicking butt, and like they love you, and you know, like that, like just a minute away, you have like one of your favorite punch brands. He's like, it's this amazing feeling of like, you can do no wrong in the audience, is like leaning closer to you. And they're like, they're getting closer, and then you're like bending over, and they don't even know that you have like, a boxing glove full of like, you know, like full of like horseshoes, that's gonna come and like wallop them again, even harder than they, it's like that feeling of like, yeah, I mean, I'm like in complete control of this.

And you're, and let's be clear, whereas we might think of control as something like, manipulative, like you're bringing joy and laughter to people with those horseshoes, you know?

Yeah, I know, yeah, that's the best thing in the world.

It is, it's like it's really satisfying.

I love it. - How good enough of it.

It's great.

So talk to me about standup, because I weirdly have a fair, also I need to connect you with my friend, Kelly McLean, who runs a pot, she had a kid recently, she hasn't done a little bit, called The Dow of Comedy. She's had a lot of death in her life. You guys would, well, god, it'd be amazing. I'll have to get her back on the, back on the bowl. But standup is one of the most interesting things I think a human being can do.

It is something.

Yeah, it's basically like, podcasting for people who aren't Pussies. (laughing)

It's a funny way to put it, yeah, but I mean, it is, you know, it just, the idea, like, objective, like from an objective point of view, like, you pull the lens back a little bit, and it's like, you're one guy, and they're like, you know, it's so hard in life for, if somebody's like, make me laugh, because that means that they're coming in with like a mindset of like, potentially like, I'm not going to laugh. And so like the idea that you go up in front of like, X amount of people, and they're essentially like, make me laugh. - Ready to not laugh, right?

And like, look, the best audiences are there, and they fucking want to laugh, and that means that like, you guys are having a dialogue in that sense of like, they're like, I want to laugh, and you're like, I want you to laugh, and they're like, we're going to give you the space that you need to make us laugh. They're like, great, because I need a little space, you know what I mean? But objectively, it's insane to think all these people walk into a room and look at one person, and they're like, make me laugh now, right now.

Insane.

So, but like, when you get them, it's just like a great room is like, is like, you were on stage as a comedian having a conversation with a group mind, with a hive mind. Like that, and like, when the hive mind is really like connected to you, and like, you guys are just like, ooh, like back and forth, like, it is like an amazing experience.

See, I knew you were like a mystic.

I knew it, I knew it, I knew intuitively, because, and I'll tell you how I knew it, it was a lot from those uncle videos, because not only are you subverting people's expectations with the parents, and then like, what is actually being said, but you're actually saying shit that needs to be said, and you're doing it in a way that I think is maybe overlooked by some, like, when we make fun of, you know, people who are aggressive, or just have views that are outdated and don't make sense, a lot of people get angry and yell at them, but what you're doing is like, lightheartedly pointing out in like, a funny way, what their flaws are, it's like a very subtle thing, that I think, people, I don't think it gets lost on people, but it's like, really fucking awesome, that's like a real strong sign of like, empathy and understanding perspective, it's cool, dude.

Thank you, man, I appreciate that, it's so funny that you bring the, that guy up there, it's, for anybody listening, it's like an Italian uncle from New Jersey, who like, you would think, was about to say like, some racist thing in ruin, like somebody's first communion, but like, then he's like, he takes like, an issue where, where it seems like it'd be like a live wire, and then he like, turns it into like, he's like actually a progressive, wonderful guy, but it's so funny, you mentioned that, because I just happen to be looking at that, the original video of that guy that I posted, and like, buried down below, you know like, Twitter, well sometimes like, filter out like, hey, like, you don't want to see this, and like, it kind of won't pop it up, unless you really go looking for it, and sometimes like, can't help myself, and I'm trying to be better about it, 'cause I hate those, it does hurt your heart sometimes, but this just made me laugh, 'cause this guy was like, oh, he's fake, he's just trying to get laid, and it just made me like, like, how do you believe people like, get laid, I'm doing air quotes for, like, 'cause like, do you believe that this, that this video of me-- - It's the panty dropper.

In a white, like, guinea tea, with like, my hair like all messed up, and like, there's like, and I'm like, so close to the camera, and the lighting is kind of bad, 'cause it's a front-facing camera, so it doesn't look, I like, do you think that there is a woman out there who is like, I cannot wait to get a piece of that, you know what I mean, like, not that they're like, not that I think I'm ugly or anything, but it's just like-- - It's a funny thing to think, that's the motivation, yeah.

Like, if anybody was attracted to that, that is whatever, but the idea that that's the prime motivation for me is to try and get laid by making a Twitter video is fucking wild.

It's pretty wild, man, I saw that was cracking up.

You made me laugh so much.

Because it's like, I just, what I really like about life, and even people who seem silly and ignorant at times, it's just like, if you can just jump into the absurdity of the perspective for a little bit, it's like pretty hilarious.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean, look, there are people who say dangerous, gross, weird things on that website, and they should be called out, but then there's just people where I'm like, you just have the freedom to have a voice, and you don't know what to do with it, and you have no idea how to enter this void with a point of view, and you're just, but you have access to it, and so you can just type in literally whatever you want, you don't have to look me in the eyes and say these things, you can just type it and then go get Panera, it doesn't matter. So it's just funny to me.

This is my favorite thing, so I've been on Twitter I think since 2007 or eight, and I loved it right from the jump. My first tweet was actually, "Fuck you, Chris Berman."

Yeah, that's really sweet.

I'm actually a little scared that I need to go back and delete some drunk tweets and stuff, and I was really inappropriate, and just didn't know what was going on.

You just type in the hot words.

I have to do it because some of them are not appropriate. Chris Berman is a Buffalo Bills fan, I'm a Miami Dolphins, you're a Jets fan, right?

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

We'll see if he can still be fans.

You're a Dolphins fan, huh, okay.

Eternal misery, it's like a barto state of misery.

We're all, we're, the AFC East aside from one team.

I'm joy out of gas.

All miserable, I am not, I was, I, we don't know, I don't know if we have, we have, yeah, we can't do it.

I was so unhappy about that hiring, and I could not believe that they took a guy who failed in their division and gave him the keys to the kingdom.

Everything he wanted, and he's just like, he's nuts. Like I remember, if you ever see the right picture of him, he looks unhinged. It's like really scary sometimes, just like his face.

The press conference he gave with his eyes were like all over the place. Like it was not, he's a guy.

And also like, it's just such a bad sign for, look, for anybody, any profession, any relationship, where like, if that person leaves, all people do is bad now,

Right.

Is like, why do you want that? Like the Dolphins kicked him out the door and everybody just was like, thank God, we hate that guy.

Right, everyone, everyone. And the Dolphins are super dysfunctional. So like, if they're saying it, well, the Jets though. I mean, that's why I love the Jets. That's why I love those Jeddies, my friend. It's the only thing. But that was the Chris Berman thing, but what Twitter represented to me is exactly what you said. It's just digitized consciousness, right? It removes the filters that we usually have to go through to like think, should I say this out loud to another human man?

Exactly, yeah, yeah, yeah. It totally does.

And like, what comes out, I truly believe, is an accurate reflection of where the person who wrote the thing is. And it doesn't mean that defines the person, but one of the reasons I love Twitter, this is how I find you, is you can really get a sense of a person if they're using it like with their specific voice, which is cool as fuck. And I think it's lost on people compared to other social media.

Yeah, yeah, I know, I agree. I think, you know, like it has its pitfalls, but it has its great things of like connecting people together and like finding things you would have never found and people get jobs off of it and all that kind of good stuff. But I agree because one of the things like, that was like a happy accident of like that video hitting in January was the first one, was that like as to 2019 was like approaching, I was like thinking like of like some goals and things. And I said, I would like to be better at Twitter and I would like to like make that a priority. And this way, you know, I just can build some credit.

I want to have whatever, I want to be able to use it as a place. And I didn't know about the, like that I was going to find this way to like make videos and stuff.

Yeah, you never do.

But I had that in my head. I'm like, I want to be better at this thing. And I feel like I've maintained that goal this year. And it's so funny because I'll go back and I'll be at work and I'll just like type my handle in like whatever word and I'll go back through old tweets and see like what it was. And like there's some I find where I'm like, who was this guy?

Right. It's a different you.

Yeah.

It's just a different person.

It really is. And like I think a lot of it, there was like bitterness.

Yes.

Orching through me. And for comedy and for like a bad relationship that I was in, in that early era. And I'm just like, I want to be like, why are we so angry about dumb things?

Well, here's the thing about old states of who you were. And we know even like in a cellular level, right? Every seven years or something you regenerate. But it's every second. It's every minute. Unless you're stabilizing your, like I said, your perfect state. We're moving through this shit all the time. You know, it is a completely, like I said, you you psychically kill yourself as you move into different versions of yourself.

Yeah.

A lot of people though, what happens is, is they'll collapse back in. I'm not you, but a lot of people, they'll collapse back in in various aspects of their lives. So they'll have these narratives running, narratives running about like, life is unfair. Or you gotta work to, or I can't make money from comedy. Or I can't make money from music. Or I can't, you know, I just can't get the right job. I can't finally write person, whatever it is. And if we saw those mapped out at the end of the day, like Twitter, we'd be like, what the fuck is a matter with me? Like, why am I doing this? Like I don't, do I hate myself?

Like what is this? - Right, right, right.

So what seems challenging for people is trying to combat each one of those, like they're a fly. You have to swat away. Whereas instead of doing that, you just wholesale replace them with something better. You don't even, I used to think you wanted to like, negatively get rid of state. So if like, I didn't want to be depressed, that's actually not been depressed, but if I didn't want to be anxious or something, I'd focus on not being anxious, not good.

All right, replace it with joy.

Right, right, right. - Happiness. My favorite state to appropriate with that imaginal technique, it's kind of the best one. Just don't stay there for too long if you have shit to do, is ecstasy. Ecstasy is the best state you can get into because it's literally, it's mutually exclusive to things like fear, doubt, anxiety, depression. It's like a magnet that like has faced the other way and it pushes it away. And when you're in a state of ecstasy, whether it's on stage or with a loved one or listening to music, it teaches you something very powerful about your own mind and own awareness. And if that is kind of your predominant mode of consciousness, like it's hard not to have your life change.

Yeah, yeah.

But dude, I am very excited for you.

Yeah.

When I say this stuff works, it works to the degree that people want to do it. And I see in you all like the hallmarks of someone, this is a neutral thing I'm talking about too. And if you want proof of it, look out in the world.

Yeah.

Shit is fucked up. Donald Trump essentially used this to become president and he's kind of doing it again. We're all like, I guess it's not a big president. You know, like this is highly type A people. They will go to sleep thinking of what they want and then lo and behold, it manifests in their lives. People were maybe a little like, should I want that or should I not? Or am I really that person? They're essentially like under an enchantment from the other people. But when you wake up to it, dude, it's like you have the magic spells now to do what you want to do. It just comes with the price of upending the way reality works.

But that's cool because it's like so much better.

Yeah.

So much better.

I'm gonna do it.

Let's see, what else, man? What else should we talk about? Anything cool?

Oh, I don't, it's up to you. You're leading me down the path?

Let's see, what do we like? What do you think happens after we die?

I dunno, I am so, I think about it a lot. I kind of hope it's something but something sounds crazy. Like it won't be like, we get to go play in our old backyard with our other dogs or whatever, but like, I would like that. But it'll be like some sort of eternal rocket through the stratosphere or whatever. But I think the thing that does, that always scares me about death and like I come to like better terms with it is like there are people and I don't begrudge them anything who believe that like, once it's over it, that's it. You're over.

Right. If you need to avoid done.

Right, that really actually, that scares me.

The void, that scares everyone. The existential is dread of being alone in the world. 100% inaccurate. I can tell you that with full confidence, I've had direct experience. So one of the things that allows this technique to be an operative principle fully, even though I said it's neutral, is it is 100% sustained by love. It is an unconditional giving kind. If you ever dealt this shit, just remember that it's all gonna be fucking amazing. And I promise you that is like, that's when people talk about God's mercy and all this stuff, that is literally what they're referring to and it's true. It feels like it's not true sometimes, that's a threshold guardian.

That's something coming up like a boss in a video game who you have to go fucking smash up and beat.

Yeah, threshold guardian sounds like Marvel villain.

Right. I mean, that's what they are. I mean, all those comic books and things like that Stanley knew this. They're just archetypes pulled from various aspects of our psyche. Jung, Carl Jung called it the collective unconscious. It's our imagination. It's the storehouse of everything. But yeah man, you can just kick the shit to the curb when they pop up and they do. They do. They pop up regularly until you stabilize it. But once you realize what is really going on here, God, it's so great.

Yeah, I'm gonna do it tonight.

I know you are. And keep doing it because when it keeps happening, it's kind of like predetermined. This is how it works. That's why I speak with such conviction and confidence. You're either, if you speak like I do with this stuff, and I'm very, I'm acutely aware of this. You're either totally insane or you kind of know what you're talking about.

Right, right, right.

So that, I mean, it is. This is what underpins it. It's a love that is the best thing ever. I think if I was gonna describe it in a metaphysical allegory, it would be like this. So there's God, right? I'm nipotent being. First there was God, the word, whatever you wanna call him. It's God, he's there. And he's like, you know what, this is pretty awesome. I'm God. I'm nipotent, I can do whatever I want. But you know what else? It's kind of a little boring. It's just me. So let me make some cool shit I can play with. So he starts making all this stuff and he's like, this stuff's really cool. And he's like, make some other shit.

And he's like, this stuff's cool. And then he makes humans, right? And people may say, oh, this is egotistical for my humanity, stable, human, so special. But we are. So, and so are animals, so is everything else. But when he makes humans, he goes, man, or she or they. I use he just because I've recently identified like, I've very strongly identified with feminine aspects of myself and divine stuff, and I just got to the paternal stuff, it's so fucking great. So I'm saying he right now. But God says, oh man, I fucking love these humans. They're so great. I like, this is so cool, but they're not real.

Like it's me, like it's, I know it's me. Like, how do I make them real? So what God does, he goes, you know? I'm gonna die into these things. And what's gonna happen is I'm gonna die into each of these humans. And then I'm gonna remember for each one slowly that I'm God in them, that way they'll be real because it won't be me just playing a trick. Like, hey, these are real pretend pretend. I'll forget that I'm then, then wake up to it. So, that is literally Jesus Christ. That is, this happens for everyone. And when one person you know, like me or anyone else, pops out of this shit and comes and says, have you heard the good word?

It is inevitable in this lifetime it will happen because you can't hear this shit. You couldn't incarnate in this time and place and hear this if it wasn't going to happen. You would just be someone who'd be like, this guy's fucking nuts. Like, well, this doesn't make any sense. So that's why it's so cool because like, the fact that you hear it, it happens. And then, man, we'll see Chris on TV like talking about, who do we do this imagine these things? Like God, baby! (laughing) Yeah, just go around screaming, God, to everyone exactly.

Yeah, cool.

But yeah, man, it's cool. So I end the podcast with three quick questions and then a longer one. Well, let's go.

Okay, cool.

What's your favorite color?

Green.

Cool, what's your favorite number?

32.

Ooh, why 32?

I don't know. I just like award a bunch playing basketball.

Cool. - And I like it.

Cool, yeah.

I'm with it. It's Kenyan Drake's number. It's good number.

Kenyan Drake, yeah.

They'll actually get the football now.

Yeah, maybe, there's a whole thing. I don't know, I will see. Flora's maybe okay. What's your favorite animal?

Dogs.

Yeah, that's a pretty particular dog.

My dog.

What's your dog's name?

Bingo.

Bingo.

Yeah, she's great. She's a pit bull, lab mix, yeah.

Ooh, adorable. And last question, what's a practical tip that has helped you in your life that you could share with people listening?

Ooh, that is a good question.

Could it be anything?

I think that one of the things that I have learned is, in the last bunch of years that has helped me a lot is when you're about to get mad about something, give yourself, especially like in a relationship with a friend over something career-wise or whatever, like give yourself like, and think about like what the actual parameters of your anger are and where they spring from, and if it's justified, and how it could be that you're just, like that you're just banging perspectives against each other that aren't seeing the other perspective, and like give it those moments before you get angry about something and start an argument or start it, like a shame spiral for yourself or something, like just like really assess what the hell made you angry.

Were you just in an upset mood? Were you tired? Were you angry about another thing and then this thing? But like, I found that like, if I like go recede within myself and like try to find the origin of it for real for real, then I've avoided like making a mess out of something that didn't need to be a mess.

Anger was my biggest obstacle that I ever encountered in my life. I am happy to say I get a lot less angry this day. I don't think it's totally gone. I'm still persons on levels, but I love that dude. You do, I mean, anger, like in Tibetan Buddhism anger, so all negative poisons also have their purified state, purified state of anger and Tibetan Buddhism is clarity. So it's clear seeing, like when people get angry about something, they may be seeing it clearly if it's purified, if it's delusory.

Right.

Like you're talking about where it's just like, ah, this is not really what's going on.

Right, I think it's, take the time to figure out which one it is.

Exactly.

But like, yeah, like there's a, there's something to that that helps you go along the path 'cause if you are constantly getting mad and like you don't know why you're mad or like another person doesn't know why you got so mad, like it just impedes your life so much.

It does, I mean, you drop it, you just realize how much easier it is.

Yeah, and then you realize there's so much stuff that you're like, why would I ever get angry about this thing?

Well, this is one of the things I know we're at the end, but like, you know, I see this with people in politics now, like they, I'm a firm believer that everyone is you pushed out, which unfortunately includes Donald Trump. So if you're one of the people who just, and let's be clear, he's doing objectively horrible things. Like we're not discounting that. But if you're triggered, if you can't stop watching and hating, this is a reality and a truth that is unfortunate for many people. What you condemn, you eventually become.

Sure.

You cannot meet hate with hate and anger and expect it to change. In fact, what will happen is you will change from someone who's maybe openhearted and kind into not. So it's very important to keep that perspective when dealing with all this stuff. It's you, let it teach you about the thing inside yourself. Let him be the guy who pulls it up for you and be like, I don't wanna be like that.

Sure, yeah, I agree. Dude, I love your tip.

Thank you. - This was awesome.

This was great.

Thank you so much for coming.

Thanks for having me, man. This was awesome.

Yeah, amazing. (upbeat music) ♪ Oh, and everything I got ♪ ♪ Oh, you silly fighting for me ♪ (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music)

Thanks for listening to that episode. If you enjoyed it, good for you. It was a good episode. (laughs) Go check out Chris on Twitter, Chris Keller, Jero. He's all over the place. You can find him on the website. If you're in the New York area or if you're anywhere where he does stand up, go check him out. He's a funny dude and a cool guy as you could hear. Cool guy. That's it for this episode. Thank you to everyone who is rating and reviewing the podcast. That's just wonderful. Again, if you have anything you would like me to imagine for you, you can use the form on the website, sinkpodcast.com.

I am going to follow up with the people who have already written in saying that they're imaginal acts or what they ask me to imagine for them have taken place. And I just want to be clear about what's going on when someone asks me to imagine something. Am I sitting in full lotus posture, pretending that I know exactly what's going on and I'm manifesting whatever people want? No, this is what I do. I sincerely imagine getting the follow-up email from the person who emailed me after I respond and say, "You got it." And I just imagine them telling me that it happened and you'd be surprised how often that works.

The point I'm trying to make is I'm not going to go and catch fish for you. I'm going to teach you how to fish. That's the most important thing to me about all of this that if you take it seriously, you can actually change your life with your imagination which is kind of bonkers, but it really works. And I say that honestly for myself as much as anyone because it can be difficult to remember this. And next week we're going to do a special episode on mental illness and imagination because I think there's a lot of crossover there and any of us are never too far from going over that edge. So trying to be aware of where the edge is, what it is and how to not go over it I think is an important topic related to this stuff.

So that's it. I will see you next week.