Grief 2 Growth

Can AI become conscious? And what does that question reveal about you?
In this episode of Grief 2 Growth, I sit down with Bruce Randall, a Reiki master and author who spent 25 years leading cloud and AI transformation at companies like Oracle and AT&T. Bruce has lived in both worlds, the boardroom and the meditation cushion, and he brings both to a conversation about what happens where artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and the human soul meet.
You’ll hear why grief belongs in a conversation about technology, how Bruce’s own losses in 2020 changed him, and why he believes the more you expand your consciousness, the more you stay human as the world speeds up. If you’ve ever felt a flicker of unease about where all of this is headed, this conversation will meet you right there.
🎧 What You’ll Hear
✨ How Bruce defines consciousness, and why he believes you can develop yours
✨ What AI really is, how it works through probabilities, and why it can sound like it understands you when it doesn’t
✨ The Chinese room thought experiment and why AI hallucinations matter
✨ How Neuralink is bringing humans and technology together, and the questions it raises
✨ Why intuition, the soul, and life beyond biology set you apart from any machine
✨ Free will, life guardrails, and the idea that we choose our lessons before we arrive
✨ Who is in charge of AI ethics, and the paperclip problem
✨ Consciousness as a field, and why unexplainable healing keeps challenging old paradigms
✨ How to prepare for the AI future, including the jobs and skills that will matter
👤 About Bruce Randall
Bruce Randall is an author, Reiki master, and technology leader who spent 25 years guiding cloud and AI transformation at companies including Oracle and AT&T. After a season of profound loss, he deepened his meditation and inner work, studied data science at MIT, and began writing about how we bridge AI and human consciousness. His books include The AI Human Paradox, The Quantum Human Paradox, The QAI Human Paradox, and The End of Smart.
🔗 Connect with Bruce
Website and white papers on consciousness, AI, and quantum (under the Insights tab): brucedrandall.ai
Books: Find them on Amazon under Bruce D. Randall
💬 Join the Conversation
I’d love to hear from you.
What resonated with you most in this conversation?
Have you ever known something you couldn’t explain, a feeling or an intuition that turned out to be right?
Where do you see the line between enhancing yourself with technology and losing yourself?
Head to grief2growth.substack.com to read the companion article, leave a comment, and connect with me and other listeners.
💜 If this episode meant something to you, share it with someone who has been wondering about the same questions. Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth so you never miss a conversation.
You've been listening. You're doing the work. But there's still this feeling that you're circling the same place.
Maybe you've thought about working with me one-on-one. Maybe something's held you back. 
I get that. And I want you to know there's still a place for you.
All of it, pay what you want. You decide what it's worth. Nobody gets turned away because of money.
https://grief2g
Want to go deeper? My Substack is where I share solo essays on grief, consciousness, and continuing bonds — thoughts that don't always make it into the podcast. It's also home to a community of listeners who get it, because they're living it too. Free to subscribe. Find it at substack.com/grief2growth.
I've been studying Near Death Experiences for many years now. I am 100% convinced they are real. In this short, free ebook, I not only explain why I believe NDEs are real, I share some of the universal secrets brought back by people who have had them.

https://www.grief2growth.com/ndelessons
Support the show
🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Join me on Substack- connect with others and me
👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)
📰 Get A Free Gift
📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call
📈 Leave A Review

Thanks so much for your support

What if your fear of death isn't something to hide or manage, but something pointing you toward a bigger truth? 🌱

After the loss of her sister-in-law Michelle, followed by a wave of heartbreak that kept arriving, Kara Goodwin turned to meditation just to get through each day. What she found changed how she sees life, death, and the light within her.

In this conversation, Kara shares how grief cracked her open, how a lifelong fear of death became the hidden engine behind her spiritual curiosity, and the experiences that sound remarkably like near-death experiences, even though she never left her body behind. If you've ever had a moment of light or knowing that didn't fit in the "inbox," you'll feel right at home.

In this episode, you'll hear:

✨ How a season of loss led Kara to meditation, and how meditation led her back to God
✨ Why a healer in Assisi told her she wasn't praying, and what changed after that
✨ What Kara experienced in the hypnagogic state, the space between awake and asleep
✨ How a planet-sized sphere of light and a tiny pinpoint of light showed her how we create our reality
✨ Why sharing sacred, unexplainable experiences gives other people permission to share theirs

About Kara Goodwin

Kara Goodwin is the host of the Soul Elevation Podcast, a certified meditation teacher, a Reiki master, and the author of Your Authentic Awakening: A Guide to Everyday Spiritual Living. She has spent years learning to sit with fear instead of running from it, and she writes and speaks about the everyday practice of spiritual living.

Connect with Kara

🌐 Website: https://www.karagoodwin.com/
▶️ Soul Elevation Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soulelevationpodcast

Join the conversation

What resonated with you in Kara's story? Have you had an experience of light or knowing that you couldn't quite explain? Has your own fear of death ever turned out to be a doorway?

Read the companion article and share your thoughts with me and other listeners at grief2growth.substack.com

If this episode touched you, please share it with someone who might need to hear it today. 💜

If you are struggling after a loss, you don't have to carry it alone. In the U.S., you can call or text 988 at any time.
You've been listening. You're doing the work. But there's still this feeling that you're circling the same place.
Maybe you've thought about working with me one-on-one. Maybe something's held you back. 
I get that. And I want you to know there's still a place for you.
All of it, pay what you want. You decide what it's worth. Nobody gets turned away because of money.
https://grief2g
Want to go deeper? My Substack is where I share solo essays on grief, consciousness, and continuing bonds — thoughts that don't always make it into the podcast. It's also home to a community of listeners who get it, because they're living it too. Free to subscribe. Find it at substack.com/grief2growth.
I've been studying Near Death Experiences for many years now. I am 100% convinced they are real. In this short, free ebook, I not only explain why I believe NDEs are real, I share some of the universal secrets brought back by people who have had them.

https://www.grief2growth.com/ndelessons
Support the show
🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Join me on Substack- connect with others and me
👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)
📰 Get A Free Gift
📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call
📈 Leave A Review

Thanks so much for your support

You’ve been there. Someone you care about has just lost a person they love, and you freeze. You want to say the right thing, so you say “I’m sorry for your loss,” or you say nothing at all.
In this episode, pediatric thanatologist Emilio Parga gives you something better. After 24 years of guiding children, teens, families, schools, workplaces, and athletic teams through loss, he shares simple, practical words you can use today. You’ll hear why talking about death is a skill you can learn, why a one-minute text can mean more than you think, and why you never have to be afraid of saying a person’s name.
We also talk about the children who are too often overlooked, the siblings Emilio calls “the forgotten mourners,” and what it really means to move forward with your grief instead of moving on from it.
About Emilio Parga
Emilio Parga is a pediatric thanatologist and the leader of The Solace Tree, a nonprofit that has supported children, teens, and adults from ages 3 to 93 for 24 years. A former teacher, special needs educator, adaptive PE teacher, coach, and school counselor, Emilio has made it his life’s work to teach the adults around grieving kids, including parents, teachers, coaches, and entire companies, how to stop going silent and start showing up. The Solace Tree offers weekly family support, a grief camp for kids at Lake Tahoe, and national Zoom groups, including groups focused on suicide loss and groups for men.
🔗 The Solace Tree: https://www.solacetree.org
In this episode, you’ll hear:
✨ What to say instead of “I’m sorry for your loss,” and why asking “What was their name?” opens the door
 ✨ Why siblings are the “forgotten mourners” and how to help them feel seen
 ✨ Why kids and teens often hide their grief, and why peer support matters
 ✨ How to keep showing up long after the first year, with a one-minute text or a reminder in your phone
 ✨ How seasons, anniversaries, and favorite times of year can bring grief rushing back
 ✨ How to offer specific help instead of “let me know if you need anything”
 ✨ Why Emilio and Brian prefer “moving forward” and “moving together” to “moving on”
 ✨ What the Girl Scouts taught Emilio about disenfranchised grief, from great-grandmothers to a beloved pet goat
Memorable moments
💬 “What’s mentionable is manageable,” the idea Emilio carries from Mr. Rogers into his work
 💬 Why most people light up when you ask about their loved one
 💬 The one question Emilio suggests when you get awkward: “What’s one funny thing about them?”
Now it’s your turn
💜 What resonated with you most in this conversation?
 💜 Who in your life could use a one-minute “I’ve been thinking about you” this week?
 💜 What is one thing you wish someone had said to you after your loss?
Share your thoughts in the comments on the companion article at grief2growth.substack.com. I read every one, and your story may be exactly what another listener needs to hear.
Connect with Brian
🔗 All my links: https://pages.grief2growth.com/profile
📰 Email list: https://pages.grief2growth.com/join-the-club
⏰ Free consult: https://grief2growth.as.me/30-minute-consult
You've been listening. You're doing the work. But there's still this feeling that you're circling the same place.
Maybe you've thought about working with me one-on-one. Maybe something's held you back. 
I get that. And I want you to know there's still a place for you.
All of it, pay what you want. You decide what it's worth. Nobody gets turned away because of money.
https://grief2g
Want to go deeper? My Substack is where I share solo essays on grief, consciousness, and continuing bonds — thoughts that don't always make it into the podcast. It's also home to a community of listeners who get it, because they're living it too. Free to subscribe. Find it at substack.com/grief2growth.
I've been studying Near Death Experiences for many years now. I am 100% convinced they are real. In this short, free ebook, I not only explain why I believe NDEs are real, I share some of the universal secrets brought back by people who have had them.

https://www.grief2growth.com/ndelessons
Support the show
🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Join me on Substack- connect with others and me
👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)
📰 Get A Free Gift
📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call
📈 Leave A Review

Thanks so much for your support

What if nothing is wrong with you because your grief hasn't "resolved"? 🌱
Autism and grief is a conversation that rarely gets space, and in this episode Christopher Carazas gives it room. Chris was diagnosed as autistic in 2020, after he had already built the life he thought he was supposed to want. Soon after, he lost his marriage, his home, and his sense of who he was. Later, he lost Katie, the woman who helped him begin to heal.
Chris doesn't tie his story up with a bow, and neither do we. You'll hear what grief looks like when you process the world differently, why the "triumph over tragedy" story can leave you feeling like you're failing, and how to carry grief without pretending it will ever be neat.
If you've been told you should be further along by now, this conversation is for you. If you love someone who is neurodivergent and grieving, you'll leave knowing how to show up for them. 💛
In this episode, you'll hear:
✨ Why closure is a myth, and what grief looks like when it becomes part of you
 ✨ How autism and grief can collide, from rumination to struggling to cry
 ✨ Why Chris pushes back on the "survival as redemption arc" story
 ✨ How to grieve the future you imagined, and shift from "why me?" to "why for me?"
 ✨ The backpack of stones, and why the weight changes even when it never leaves
 ✨ Katie's hidden notes, and how Chris uses them when old voices get loud
 ✨ What Chris's lighthouse is, and how it guides his days
 ✨ Simple, powerful ways to support a neurodivergent friend or family member in grief
About Christopher Carazas
Christopher Carazas is a social impact strategist and the author of Now That I'm Still Here: A Memoir of Ruin and Resurrection. Through his Substack newsletter of the same name, he writes about survival, storytelling, mental health, humor, and hope after ruin. His work lives at the intersection of grief, neurodivergence, and the long, unglamorous aftermath of psychological trauma.
Connect with Chris
📚 Website and book: https://www.chriscarazas.com
 📰 Substack: https://ccarazas.substack.com
 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christopher.carazas.2025
 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christophercarazas
What resonated with you?
💭 Have you ever wondered why you weren't crying, and whether that meant you didn't love them enough?
 💭 What would it change if you stopped waiting for closure and started building a life around your grief?
 💭 What is your lighthouse right now?
Share your thoughts in the comments on the companion article and join the conversation with me and other listeners: https://grief2growth.substack.com
💜 If this episode touched you, share it with one person who needs to hear they're not behind.
🔔 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth so you never miss an episode.
You've been listening. You're doing the work. But there's still this feeling that you're circling the same place.
Maybe you've thought about working with me one-on-one. Maybe something's held you back. 
I get that. And I want you to know there's still a place for you.
All of it, pay what you want. You decide what it's worth. Nobody gets turned away because of money.
https://grief2g
Want to go deeper? My Substack is where I share solo essays on grief, consciousness, and continuing bonds — thoughts that don't always make it into the podcast. It's also home to a community of listeners who get it, because they're living it too. Free to subscribe. Find it at substack.com/grief2growth.
I've been studying Near Death Experiences for many years now. I am 100% convinced they are real. In this short, free ebook, I not only explain why I believe NDEs are real, I share some of the universal secrets brought back by people who have had them.

https://www.grief2growth.com/ndelessons
Support the show
🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Join me on Substack- connect with others and me
👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)
📰 Get A Free Gift
📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call
📈 Leave A Review

Thanks so much for your support

What if grief isn’t only something we survive—but something that reveals how deeply we’ve loved?
In this episode of Grief 2 Growth, I sit down with Carl Manlan, author of I Can Breathe, for a powerful conversation about grief, fatherhood, emotional healing, identity, and legacy.
Carl lost his father as a young man. Years later, becoming a father himself brought some of that grief back to the surface and raised a profound question: How do you become the father you want to be when you can no longer have those conversations with your own father?
We also explore something many men struggle to discuss: expressing emotions and asking for help. As two Black men raised in different parts of the world, Carl and I discovered surprising similarities in how we experienced love growing up—and how we're trying to do things differently with the next generation.
Carl also shares how unexpectedly losing his job became a turning point that helped him finish I Can Breathe.
One insight captures the heart of our conversation:
“You only experience grief because you loved.”
In this episode, we explore:
• Grieving a parent and carrying that relationship forward
• Men, vulnerability, counseling, and emotional health
• Separating your identity from your career
• Responding instead of reacting to life's challenges
• Raising emotionally aware children
• Turning loss into legacy
• The story behind Carl’s I Can Breathe
📖 Carl’s book: I Can Breathe — available on Amazon
🔗 Connect with Carl: LinkedIn and Instagram
💬 Continue the conversation:
https://grief2growth.substack.com
What part of Carl’s story resonated with you? Join us on Substack and share your experience with the Grief 2 Growth community.
You've been listening. You're doing the work. But there's still this feeling that you're circling the same place.
Maybe you've thought about working with me one-on-one. Maybe something's held you back. 
I get that. And I want you to know there's still a place for you.
All of it, pay what you want. You decide what it's worth. Nobody gets turned away because of money.
https://grief2g
Want to go deeper? My Substack is where I share solo essays on grief, consciousness, and continuing bonds — thoughts that don't always make it into the podcast. It's also home to a community of listeners who get it, because they're living it too. Free to subscribe. Find it at substack.com/grief2growth.
I've been studying Near Death Experiences for many years now. I am 100% convinced they are real. In this short, free ebook, I not only explain why I believe NDEs are real, I share some of the universal secrets brought back by people who have had them.

https://www.grief2growth.com/ndelessons
Support the show
🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Join me on Substack- connect with others and me
👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)
📰 Get A Free Gift
📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call
📈 Leave A Review

Thanks so much for your support