Wild Ideas

Are we living in the Earth’s dream?

Let’s dream about the body’s wisdom, collaborating with nature and awakening from the nightmare of separation. In this earthy episode you’ll dream: that nature is calling you to walk with her about the embodied journey from burnout to care of awakening from the human nightmare of separation The full text, images and references can be found here: https://substack.jjvandevyver.earth/p/are-we-living-in-the-earths-dream (00:00) - Introduction (02:21) - The dream (03:27) - Preparing for a journey, autumn 2023 (11:24) - The dream of death (14:05) - This path doesn’t go on, summer 2024 (20:00) - The dream of humility (22:08) - Twisted in knots, spring 2025 (27:44) - The dream of courage (30:03) - The ground speaks, summer 2025 (40:39) - The dream of wilding (42:37) - Finding my way, spring 2026 (49:52) - The dream of care (52:32) - Is the Earth waking us up? (58:51) - Acknowledgements A huge thank you to: Jo for your feedback on an early draft Louise for your feedback and creative guidance Leigh and Lesanne for encouraging, shaping and holding space for this series Phillip-Jan van Zyl for his beautiful piano collection “Spiral” My partner Ash for your love and support as these pieces came to life The wild spaces, the butterflies and the whispering Earth The many wonderful humans who inspired these words through our conversations. I'll see you in the wilderness.

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Can magic mushrooms evolve human consciousness?

Let’s enter a mind-altering world where a mushroom can change your life and save our species. In this reality-bending episode you’ll learn: how I almost lost my mind during an ayahuasca ceremony the role that psilocybin mushrooms can play in personal development what a healthy partnership with plant medicine looks like The full text, images and references can be found here: https://open.substack.com/pub/jjvandevyver/p/can-magic-mushrooms-evolve-human (00:00) - Introduction (02:06) - The night I lost my mind (08:13) - A seed is planted (14:54) - Drugs are bad (20:20) - An Easter Journey (30:28) - A whole new world (36:47) - Ayahuasca Curandero Initiation Course (46:28) - Lost in my mind (51:01) - The work begins (54:27) - Facilitation (01:04:02) - The journeys ahead (01:14:12) - On the next episode (01:14:46) - Acknowledgements A huge thank you to: Storm for your feedback on an earlier draft Leigh and Lesanne for encouraging, shaping and reviewing this series Phillip-Jan van Zyl for his beautiful piano collection “Spiral” Louise for guiding my way to inspired creativity My partner Ash for your love and support throughout this project The incredible plants and facilitators who shaped my journey The many wonderful humans who inspired these words through our conversations. I'll see you in the wilderness.

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What if Mommy healed her past?

Let’s uncover the power of stories, how we inherit trauma and disease, and what it takes to heal. In this very personal episode you’ll discover: the spiritual transformation that my mom experienced with cancer the echoes of stories and trauma that shape who we become what a miracle can look like The full text, images and references can be found here: https://open.substack.com/pub/jjvandevyver/p/what-if-mommy-healed-her-past? (00:00) - Introduction (02:08) - A story about a stone (04:55) - Heike Rothauge (13:08) - My first rose quartz (19:58) - Tracing our roots (24:41) - A bag of stones (30:02) - Crystals in the desert (39:08) - That little girl (44:28) - A gift (48:02) - On the next episode (48:31) - Acknowledgements A huge thank you to: Jayni, Ash and Axel for your generous feedback on early drafts Leigh and Lesanne for encouraging, shaping and reviewing this series Phillip-Jan van Zyl for his beautiful piano collection “Spiral” Louise for guiding my way to inspired creativity My partner Ash for your love and support throughout this project The many wonderful humans who inspired these words through our conversations. I'll see you in the wilderness.

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What if I was meant to be there when Daddy died?

Let’s explore death, faith and that fateful morning when everything changed, in the cathedral without a roof. In this very personal episode you’ll discover: the mysterious circumstances leading to the morning I lost my dad the cathedral without a roof and the soul imprints within it what it took to find my own way to the divine The full text and images can be found here: https://open.substack.com/pub/jjvandevyver/p/what-if-i-was-meant-to-be-there-when? (00:00) - Introduction (02:57) - The cathedral without a roof (12:51) - Three buck on a hill (21:10) - Lamb in a field (25:41) - The crypt (41:49) - The shell and the sunset (53:39) - A song and a prayer (59:34) - On the next episode (01:00:08) - Acknowledgements A huge thank you to: Jayni for the gift of the cathedral without a roof, the generous feedback on early drafts and for your beautiful mandala artwork included in the print version of this piece Phillip-Jan van Zyl for his beautiful piano collection “Spiral” Leigh and Lesanne for encouraging, supporting and shaping this work Louise for guiding my way to inspired creativity My partner Ash for your patience and support throughout this project The many wonderful humans who inspired these words through our conversations. I'll see you in the wilderness.

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What if I can’t find meaning in corporate?

Let’s look across a career to ask whether meaningless work is a personal problem or a feature of the economy. In this episode you’ll find out: why I quit my job and walked away from everything what each step up the career ladder actually revealed the unnerving answer keeping our current world in place The full text, images and references can be found here: https://substack.jjvandevyver.earth/p/what-if-i-cant-find-meaning-in-corporate? (00:00) - Introduction (02:40) - Journey's end (07:35) - Piece 1: What I chose to study (11:26) - Piece 2: How I spent my working hours (16:53) - Piece 3: Which jobs are deemed valuable (20:48) - Quick recap (21:39) - Piece 4: How success is measured (27:04) - Piece 5: What organisations prioritise (35:46) - Piece 6: Where money is invested (41:15) - Piece 7: My return on investment (46:53) - Putting the pieces together (50:56) - A seed of hope (54:38) - On the next episode (55:10) - Acknowledgements A huge thank you to: Barbara Okhrati for her skilled hand in creating the visuals for the print version of this piece Ben and Hunter for the generous feedback on early drafts Dan Perez for his audio recordings of gaita music along the Camino de Santiago Phillip-Jan van Zyl for his beautiful piano collection “Spiral” Leigh and Lesanne for encouraging, supporting and shaping this work Louise for guiding my way to inspired creativity My partner Ash for your patience and support throughout this project The many wonderful humans who inspired these words through our conversations I'll see you in the wilderness.

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Into the wilderness

Welcome to the wilderness. After fifteen years climbing the success ladder, JJ decided to walk away. He began to write to make sense of it all - the meaningless work, losing a parent, intergenerational trauma, psychedelics, coming home. This is where the journey begins. Wild Ideas launches 26 August 2026 with a five-part series. Follow now to walk into the wilderness together.