The Off-Ramp Project
The Off-Ramp Project
Podcast Description
How do we create (and survive) drastic changes? How do we leave unhealthy relationships, groups, belief systems, or entire identities? How do we take off-ramps when the crowd is pushing us forward, and how can we learn to create off-ramps for others -- especially when we've been taught to see them as our enemies? These questions are crucial in a time when so many of us have been drawn into polarized belief systems and conspiracy theories that are tearing apart families, friendships, political parties, and the foundations of American governance itself. But change and reclamation are possible at any time. Researcher, author, emotions and empathy expert, and cult survivor Karla McLaren, M.Ed. explores how we can reclaim ourselves and provide support for others. We all need off-ramps when we're being separated from each other, and when we're being taught to see enemies in anyone not like us. With personal stories, extensive research, emotional genius, empathic badassery, and humor, we explore how and why this bold American experiment has become a tragic powder keg, and how we can reclaim our good hearts, our good minds, and our good souls. We can imagine, build, and maintain off-ramps for ourselves and each other. Welcome to the Off-Ramp Project.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast centers around themes of personal transformation, emotional awareness, and the dangers of rigid belief systems. Notable episodes explore topics like navigating unhealthy relationships and groups, the psychological effects of marketing on emotions, and the principles of healthy versus unhealthy transcendent beliefs, with examples drawn from cults and contemporary social dynamics.
How do we create (and survive) drastic changes? How do we leave unhealthy relationships, groups, belief systems, or entire identities? How do we take off-ramps when the crowd is pushing us forward, and how can we learn to create off-ramps for others — especially when we’ve been taught to see them as our enemies?
These questions are crucial in a time when so many of us have been drawn into polarized belief systems and conspiracy theories that are tearing apart families, friendships, political parties, and the foundations of American governance itself.
But change and reclamation are possible at any time. Researcher, author, emotions and empathy expert, and cult survivor Karla McLaren, M.Ed. explores how we can reclaim ourselves and provide support for others.
We all need off-ramps when we’re being separated from each other, and when we’re being taught to see enemies in anyone not like us.
With personal stories, extensive research, emotional genius, empathic badassery, and humor, we explore how and why this bold American experiment has become a tragic powder keg, and how we can reclaim our good hearts, our good minds, and our good souls.
We can imagine, build, and maintain off-ramps for ourselves and each other.
Welcome to the Off-Ramp Project.
Episode 16: How do we create off-ramps for ourselves, and become able to offer off-ramps for other people — especially people we’re being urged to distrust, hate, or even dehumanize?
In the 16 episodes of this season, we’ve looked at some of the complex factors that have led us to this polarized and endangering time of emotional manipulation, cultic mechanisms of control, cruel hierarchies of human worth, and the constant manipulation of our attention and our emotions in this time of unregulated endstage capitalism. It’s a lot.
But it’s not everything.
There are things we can do to support ourselves and each other in this time of trouble. We can become off-ramps for ourselves and step away from polarization, distrust, and dehumanization to reclaim ourselves again.
We can refuse to become weaponized, and instead offer our presence to people we’re being urged to exile.
We can find ways to become off-ramps to others — if they’re ready to step away, and also if they can’t quite do so yet. The time to make up your mind about people is never.
This marks the final episode of season 1 of The Off-Ramp Project. Thanks for listening. Take care of yourself, and I’ll see you in Season 2.
Books mentioned in this episode:
Missing the Solstice by Karla McLaren: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F6TRWRBZ
Beyond the Politics of Contempt by Doug Teschner, Beth Malow, and Becky Robinson: https://beyondthepoliticsofcontempt.com/
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