2025: Surfing the Strange Future
My plans for this year.
Dear Friends and Family,
I’ve recently had an influx of 280+ new subscribers to this newsletter. Welcome!
Now feels like a good time to freshly introduce my current self—and to illuminate my vision for 2025 and beyond.
First: A Note on Our Future
We live in strange times.
We live in an age of political weirdness, the rise of AI, the ‘cost of living crisis,’ massive cultural shifts, the ‘meaning crisis,’ technological hyper-acceleration, misaligned incentives, the ‘meta-crisis’ & ‘polycrisis,’ and more.
I’m not really one for over-fixating on ‘crises.’ I’m quite sensitive to language, and the overuse of alarmist terminology can easily become a self-fulfilling prophecy that leads us to self-hypnotize into a ‘doom n gloom’ reality-tunnel.
That said, it’s hard to deny that mankind is facing an age of mass confusion and rapid resource-depletion on a planet that is laced with weapons of mass destruction.
I am deeply fascinated by the question of “what to do?”—both individually and collectively—in light of our bizarre circumstances.
While I am deeply interested in notions of ‘civilization design,’ global systems change, and cultural evolution—and will likely be exploring these subjects more deeply in the coming times—my deepest focus for the past decade has been on individual evolution.
I have spent the last ~14 years engaged in a deep and ever-expanding inquiry into the knife’s edge of human wisdom—giving special attention to what it means for individuals to know themselves, embody wisdom, actualize their gifts, find deep meaning & purpose, open their hearts, discover wholeness, liberate themselves on all levels, express the fullness of what they are, and live in harmonious service to the upliftment of all beings on Earth and beyond.
I believe individual evolution is indispensable to the birthing of a beautiful future for all life on Earth.
I am deeply fascinated by the question of how we as individuals can not only survive, but thrive in these wild times—by becoming adaptable, resilient, curious creators who are awake to the ever-present miracle of life and available for the intelligence of nature to work through us.
If I were to distill what I’ve learned about navigating the strange future into just a few words, I might say:
The key is to know yourself and become what you truly are.
Notice the radiance, juiciness, hyper-meaningfulness, fluidity, artistry, and miraculousness that surround you at all times.
Notice you are not apart from this miracle but rather an expression of it, fully home within the all-inclusive tapestry of being.
Become increasingly intimate with the ever-present wealth and limitless richness of being itself, while increasingly allowing the intelligence of being to guide your life.
Allow yourself to fluidly surf reality’s numberless modes, flavors, and expressions, fully free to find your own natural role amidst the endless textures of infinity.
Cultivate adaptability, curiosity, humility, gratitude, heart, resilience, and alignment to a North Star greater than yourself.
So, who am I?
Well, sometimes that’s not so easy to pin down, but I’ll give it a shot. : )
Hey there, I’m Jordan.
I’m a dad, husband, men’s leadership coach, multi-medium artist, and author of 5 books.
I am the creator of 500+ essays, 20+ rap albums, 300+ videos, 10 courses, ~15 multi-continental entheogenic retreats, and hundreds of digital & in-person workshops, containers, sessions, ceremonies, & celebrations.
I am an explorer of infinity and lover of what is.
When I was 19 years old, entheogenic exploration catalyzed a radical opening to life. At a young age, I discovered that the modes, expressions, and possibilities of reality extended vastly beyond the bandwidth in which I had operated for most of my life.
This discovery reignited my childhood curiosity, activated me as an avid student of life, and set me on a quest for freedom, truth, and wisdom. This quest has taken me to 35 countries and the far reaches of inner space. It led me to read widely among mankind’s greatest wisdom literature; journey extensively with 5-MeO, ayahuasca, & other entheogens; and to work directly with many wonderful teachers.
Now, nearly 15 years later, the adventure continues. I cherish this endless opening into infinity. For me it presently seems that every moment is a new, fresh, never-before-seen revelation. Life opens unendingly into more of itself, blossoming like lotus flowers within lotus flowers within lotus flowers, ad infinitum.
In a profound sense, now is always the finish line, even as life forever unfurls itself through an endless process of enlightening—always awakening to more of its boundless creative possibilities.
I used to chase after special states or experiences, but I don't do that so much anymore. I've had countless profound mystical experiences, but all seemingly ‘special’ states arise and then pass away. For me it seems that the truly special experience is always simply the one you are having right now.
Nowadays I'm in love with the simplicity of what is, however it happens to look in day-to-day life. For me, eating a slice of pizza or reading The Berenstain Bears to my daughter are just as much revelations of infinity as dissolving into formless light or meeting non-physical beings in the ayahuasca ethers.
I’m extremely human, warts and foibles and all. I experience a full range of human emotion—joys and pains—and I embrace that. It is as it is and I find great beauty and poetry in all of it. I generally experience a sense of deep fluid wholeness with all of life—this mysterious, wondrous, all-inclusive tapestry of being. I experience life as overflowing with hyper-meaningful juiciness.
One of the biggest shifts I’ve undergone is that I am no longer looking for spiritual answers or destinations. In a sense I no longer have any idea what “spirituality” means. For me the ever-shifting miraculous artistry of now, is home. Endlessness is the destination. I enjoy witnessing and participating in ever-unfurling infinity.
I explore freely without a feeling like I am looking for some special state or place other than what is. I’m fully able to set and pursue human goals—and I enjoy doing so—yet I do not have a feeling that I will be any more complete once the goal is achieved. I am inspired to create voluminously from a space of already-wholeness, in celebration of life and service to the totality.
I enjoy playing with many modes, perspectives, and lenses, noticing how any perspective which is deeply internalized will tend to become experiential. I experience myself as fluidly drifting among a vast range of reality’s numberless modes, freely finding my heart’s natural flow or center of gravity moment by moment, day by day. I allow any given context to call forth the honest expression of me that plays most auspiciously with that context. In this way I experience myself as a shape-shifter.
My expression and experience of infinity integrates a wide array of threads, lenses, vocabularies, and modes from many global wisdom traditions, healing modalities, areas of scientific inquiry, fictional literature, art, (rap) music, entheogenic realms, and above all the raw data of direct experience.
I consider myself a kind of meta-Christian, in that I deeply integrate much of my ancestral Christic wisdom tradition—my ‘native tongue’ religiously—and I derive a deep sense of meaning therefrom. Mystical heart-opening experiences of Jesus Christ have been perhaps the most powerful and impactful of my life—clearly revealing Christic Love as my heart’s north star.
That said, I do not feel a strong need to identify as Christian, and I decline much from Christianity that for me seems outdated or distorted by mankind. A key for me is in seeing Christic mysticism as another valid mode among infinite valid modes of reality—valid ways reality can experience itself. I feel free to deeply integrate this mode while also exploring and playing with countless other modes, lenses, perspectives. Reintegrating much of the Christian operating system proved truly valuable after becoming a father and husband, as I then realized this ancient ancestral Sequoia holds values and wisdom which are inherently well-suited for familial and communal life.
Other wisdom teachings that greatly impacted my life include the Yoga of Radiant Presence as transmitted by Peter Brown; the Kumankaya Christian medicine path of Remi & Ashley Delaune; the Advaita Vedanta of Sri Anandamayi Ma & Ramana Maharshi; the Way of Tao as expressed by Lao Tzu; Dzogchen & Zen Buddhism; some forms of traditional indigenous animism & shamanism; and more.
I care deeply about the children and beings of this world, and I am truly fascinated by the question of how we can contribute to “the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible.” I love to ponder the question: Which modes and perspectives are we wise to codify and encourage within the reality-maps, stories, and mythologies we pass on to our children?
Thankfully, as far as I can tell, reality happens to be suffused with loving intelligence. I deeply feel that we can “trust ourselves to the river” of this flowing infinity. I deeply feel we are home here and can rest as the wholeness of what is. And at the same time, I feel life inviting us to evolve to become wise elders and stewards of our Gaian home.
In addition to writing and music, integral men’s work has been core to my work in recent years. I have led a weekly Sunday men’s group for ~30 months in a row, as well as a Tuesday circle for ~22 months in a row. I love revitalizing the age-old practice of men connecting around a fire to become wiser and stronger together. I love holding spaces where men can return to wholeness, reclaim their power, clarify their purpose, love all parts of themselves, and experience the heart-healing medicine of real brotherhood.
I love creating men’s spaces that honor both heart and head, wildness and refinement, strength and sensitivity—inviting you to discover your own expression of manhood within a community of caring men. I love transcending and including classical masculinity—exploring the full range of what manhood means in our emerging future—such that each man is free to discover his own balance between tradition and transcendence. I believe this work is among the most potent and necessary forces for modern men to become the integrated leaders life is asking us to be.
Thank you for reading this version of my story. I love you.
Key Visions & Plans for 2025
I feel quite excited about 2025. This year is pregnant with possibility.
Here are some of the things I’m excited about:
Future of Wisdom — I recently renamed this blog Future of Wisdom, and I’ve been publishing a new video-podcast series by the same name on YouTube. This feels like a crystallization of the long-time ethos of my work & art: Exploring the edge of human wisdom, while also helping us evolve toward wiser futures.
Future of Man — I recently created a new blog and YouTube channel called Future of Man. This will be a space dedicated to the exploration of men’s issues in the 21st century. I intend to cover challenges men are facing, how to thrive as a man in modern times, and the evolving role of men in our civilization. I will also share about integral men’s work—the method of men’s work I have been pioneering for the past 5 years as a potent antidote for many struggles modern men face. I’ll soon be inviting a fresh wave of men to join us in this work.
1:1 Journeys — I’m feeling a sense of excitement around opening up a couple spaces for personalized long-term 1:1 transformational journeys for men or women.
Consider our intimate 1:1 space your personal ‘Room of Requirement’ that meets you where you are and embodies whatever multidimensional elixir feels most valuable for you, moment by moment.
In our 1:1 work I fluidly shape-shift and serve as space-holder, integral coach, sacred confidante, legacy mentor, heart healer, awakening mirror, Socratic dialogue partner, somatic IFS-inspired guide, philosopher-advisor, meditation teacher, breathwork facilitator, aliveness activator, and simply Jordan, your friend.
This powerful fusion renders your 1:1 journey with me a refreshingly unique, alchemical, and enriching experience that cannot be replicated elsewhere. My meta-approach transcends all systems; includes flavors of many modalities & methods; and is a direct result of my vast ~14-year experiential exploration of the leading edges of human wisdom.
These 3-, 6-, or 12-month evolutionary journeys are customizable and tailored to your needs. The emergent themes we may intuitively explore are numberless, yet here are some possible focuses you may wish to select for a container of this nature:Emergence — A 1:1 journey with no specific theme where we simply plunge into openness, aliveness, and mystery, inviting whatever miraculous magic may wish to occur through us, to occur.
Being Water — A 1:1 awakening journey focused on moving into a paradigm of fluidity & all-inclusivity, where you feel home here now and free to surf reality’s endless modes, finding your own natural flow & center of gravity. Useful for finding deep freedom, wholeness, joy, and clearing up confusion caused by ‘nonduality’ or other spiritual teachings. “Be water, my friend.” — Bruce Lee
Hyper-Meaning — A 1:1 journey to discover abundant meaning, purpose, and creative flow in life. Useful for those navigating nihilism, existential angst, or a feeling of a void of meaning in life.
Meta-Christianity — A 1:1 journey for those called to reintegrate some aspects of Christianity into their life without needing to take on all Christian dogmas or strongly identify as Christian. Useful for clearing up confusion about topics related to Christianity or spirituality.
The Integral Man — A 1:1 journey for men healing their masculinity; reclaiming their power; finding purpose; lovingly integrating the full spectrum of what they are; transcending and including classical masculine virtues; and finding their own natural expression of manhood.
Sacred Ground — A 1:1 journey of psychedelic integration for those feeling overwhelmed or destabilized by psychedelic journeying and yearning for clear guidance to anchor lofty insights into a grounded life of purpose on Earth.
True Purpose — A 1:1 journey for leaders or creators in-hiding who are ready to start actualizing their gifts, expanding their impact, and building their soul-aligned legacy.
Heal Your Marriage — A 1:1 or 1:2 journey focused on healing and strengthening your relationship with your partner or spouse.
Futureproof — A 1:1 journey focused on developing the skills you need to adapt and thrive as we plunge into the strange unknown future.
Zen CEO — A 1:1 journey for executives, founders, or professionals wanting to discover deeper flow, meaning, purpose, and peace in their work and legacy.
Aliveness — A 1:1 journey for anyone feeling burnt out or in need of rejuvenation, revivification, and reconnection to the playful inner child.
How might your life be enriched and elevated by a long-term immersion in the music we make together? 💙
If any of these possibilities call out to you, feel welcome to get in touch with me here to set up an exploration call so we can connect heart-to-heart and find out if we’re meant to dance together:
Diary of a Child’s Heart — I have now moved diary of a child’s heart—the previous name of this blog—over to my third Substack. That blog will serve as a space for my poetry, experimental writings, public diary entries, wildly free expressions of aliveness, and stream-of-consciousness riffs from the ever innocent heart.
Music — I continue to love making (rap) music. I recently made this fun track. I have plans to release more music in 2025—likely a fair few songs with my friend and collaborator, CoryaYo. A master guide to my music can be found here.
Thank you for reading.
It means a lot that you read this far.
I hope you found some nuggets of value or fascination along the way.
I enjoyed this chance to freshly present what I’m up to in this wild world.
What are you up to this year?
What is the cutting edge of your current exploration of life and wisdom?
Feel welcome to reply or leave a comment. I love hearing from you.
Take good care.
You’re beautiful.
I appreciate you.
Love,
Jordan
Beautiful Jordan--I love your style and initiative, strength and openness.
Peace my Friend, and Hugs to your Beautiful Family!🥰