A news source that uplifts and inspires while accurately reporting on unspoken and often hidden world events. Your host Ben Joseph Stewart guides you through uncomfortable truths while giving detailed and actionable solutions to a world that seems upside down...LinkTree - https://linktr.ee/benjosephstewart
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Ben Joseph Stewart Podcasts
The Highly Optimized Podcast is your backstage pass to the minds of modern-day wizards, creatives, and changemakers who’ve ditched the rulebook and designed life on their terms. I launched this show to help others (like you) break free from the boring box society tries to stuff us into—and to remind you that you’re not crazy for dreaming big. Through deep, real, and sometimes hilarious conversations, we explore the inner work, wild ideas, and bold moves that light the path of the hero’s jour ...
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Our sixth season is Cleopatra, a six-episode series about one of the most expensive and infamous movies ever made. Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and starring Elizabeth Taylor, Cleopatra should have been a smash. Instead, it was a shoot plagued by medical emergencies, climate disasters, nervous breakdowns, and the most scandalous love affair to ever hit a movie set. Join host Ben Mankiewicz as he digs through his own family stories to understand how it turned out so badly for his Oscar-win ...
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Ep. 136: “The Soul Of Film Making” (feat. Ben Joseph Stewart)
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1:28:13Send us a text When it comes to being highly optimized, nothing rains truer to this brand than daring to dream, paving your own path & being an example for others to guide there way into the unique magic they can give the world. When I look into people living their lives in this way, something ignited inside of me that even on my worst of days, giv…
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His studio was collapsing. His budget was skyrocketing. And his two stars were making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Those were just some of the headaches facing Joseph L. Mankiewicz, the director of one of the most expensive and infamous movies ever made: Cleopatra. With Mankiewicz calling the shots and the luminous Elizabeth Taylor in the t…
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Ep. 139: "The Healer’s Way: Modern Mastery in Plant Medicine, Ritual & Transformation" (feat. Shelley DeMarco)
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1:00:11Send us a text Every now & then, I get the absolute privilege of sharing space with someone who not only lives & breathes the work, but redefines what it means to be a guide, a coach, & a true steward of transformation. My guest today is just that, a powerhouse who’s been on the frontlines of the coaching world for over 20 years, & who has spent th…
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Ep. 138: “Leaving the System, Finding the Self: A Journey of Faith, Freedom & Fierceness” (feat. Jen Kalawur)
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1:15:55Send us a text Some people are born into systems that try to tell them who to be. What to believe. How to behave. And for many, those voices become so loud, they drown out the whispers of the soul. But for today’s guest, those whispers never stopped. She grew up in a world of strict rules, religious dogma, and a strained relationship with God—where…
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Ep. 137: "The Courage to Pause: Remembering What You Love & Trusting the Unknown" (feat. Jason Pickard)
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1:24:01Send us a text There’s a moment in every seeker’s life where the outer world no longer matches the inner one. Where the path that once felt aligned begins to pull at the seams—not because it was wrong, but because something deeper is ready to emerge. Our guest today knows this moment intimately. He climbed to the heights of success on Wall Street, …
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The Great Distraction from the Financial Revolution
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23:23I personally believe the feud between Donald Trump and Elon Musk is a red herring to cover up the greatest wealth transfer and financial restructuring of all time. On par with the Bretton Woods Agreement after World War II, this monetary revolution is going purely digital. With Cryptocurrencies (digital assets) on the rise in every country, in ever…
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Ep. 135: “A Trip Down Memory Lane & Practical Tips For Paving Your Own Path In Life” (feat. Chase Tolleson)
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54:56Send us a text Over the past 5 years, I’ve been fortunate to meet some amazing souls who have supported me in giving me the confidence & courage to pave my own path in life regardless of what the mainstream world thinks. That being said, there have been some key people in that time that have become lifelong friends & today’s guest is no different. …
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The Antichrist is a part of Christian lore from the book of Revelation. In this episode I tease apart the similarities between the Beast of Revelation and AI or Technology as a whole. I show videos from investment-guru Ral Paoul, Evolutionary Biologist Brett Weinstein, Ezra Klein and more. This is one of my favorite topics to cover because I feel t…
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Ep. 134: The Most Important Things You Can Practice To Live A Highly Fulfilling Life (feat. Christian Van Camp)
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1:03:59Send us a text A big part of the Highly Optimized brand is focused upon physical, emotional, mental & spiritual well being. Whether we’re talking about holistic health practices, supplements, biohacks, or otherwise, I have found a deep fascination in not only these topics, but also the others in the world who are also passionate about the same subj…
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Ep. 133: The Wild Places Life Will Take You When You Follow Your Heart (feat. Drew Bankey)
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1:21:52Send us a text One of my favorite aspects of the life we are all living is the mystery woven into it. From an early age, I was fascinated by the idea of aliens, the paranormal, UFO’s, psychic senses, psychedelics & more & as such, I have been a seeker who’s been looking to explore these mysteries for the better part of half my life at this point & …
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Ep. 132: How To Become The Perfect Match For Your Soulmate (feat. Chris Gillis)
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1:10:49Send us a text As a man, one of the biggest challenges I had in my early years was the courage to put myself out there with potential love interests. I find that many of the men I work with today also share similar challenges. Whether it’s lack of confidence, commitment challenges or otherwise, it’s clear to me that us men have a lot of confusion a…
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🔍 Have you ever pondered the profound difference between the power of silence and the art of misdirection? In this thought-provoking episode, we delve into the delicate balance between sociopathy and the mastery of restraint and composure. 📚 Drawing insights from renowned figures like Jordan Peterson and key concepts from the *48 Laws of Power*, we…
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Ep. 131: “Damn It Feels Good To Be Back” (feat. Adam Chin)
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1:05:01Send us a text Woooo! Today is a big day ladies & gents! Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Highly Optimized podcast. For some of you, it’s a returning & for others, it’s your first time here & as such, what you can expect each week is for me to interview someone who has truly created a life on their own terms. In these episodes, we’ll dive into how …
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If you've ever felt betrayed by the world, only to discover what a self-help book could have taught you? Some wounds bring you to your knees and sometimes no one help can help. You have to pick yourself back up. While I've had many rites-of-passage moments in my life, they were simply practice for the latest. And there is no bad guy in this story. …
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The Origin of Lying: Masculine and Feminine Neurology
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18:06In this episode I explore Curt Doolittle's views on masculine vs feminine neurology and where lies and undermining communication originates. He does a fantastic job modeling the way masculine and feminine neurology operates by spoke or unspoken contract. It's mathematical as well. The structure of the way we communicate is steeped in two evolutiona…
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Neurocinema: Mind Control or Perfect Entertainment?
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24:09Neurocinema is a new field of research that looks at exactly how TV programs, commercials and films effect the neurology of the viewer. The more accurately the producer can predict the audience reaction, the more successful the film typically is at achieving its intended goal: Your attention, your money and Your time. In this episode I explore this…
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Technology is fusing human with the internet in ways you may not expect. Dive deep into the Internet of Bodies, its aims and how it can be seen as something useful rather than having the knee jerk reaction of thinking all tech leads to technofeudalism. You are the most powerful technology. Don't ever forget that.…
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Have you ever wondered how powerful Story must be to be the oldest social technology and the way all modern governments and corporations recruit massive support for agenda's that aren't even beautiful? In this episode I break down the power of story and its application in every day life to show you that you're not in need of some external solution …
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Catherine Austin Fitts breaks down how Bitcoin may be purchased by the federal and state governments in Trump's proposed Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. I link a few threads from Catherine to highlight a part of Agenda 21 that I've been seeing since my first film Esoteric Agenda. Catherine proposed the possibility of crypto whales liquidating their bitc…
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After the United States helped deploy missiles from Ukraine into Russia, the threat of World War III is all people want to talk about. In this episode, I expose the Boogey-Man Story that all nations feed their people in what's called the "Multi-Polar Trap. This is a gaming dilemma in which competing nation states must keep growing in military might…
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There's no easier way to say this and have it land. There is legislation in motion under the 30x30 American the Beautiful Act that states it will put thirty (30) percent of US land under federal jurisdiction to preserve nature against human influence. In this episode, I break down Kamala Harris's involvement in pushing this agenda through in 2021. …
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How to Heal American Corruption and Polarity - Marriane Williamson's Special
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16:02Marriane Williamson shares her sincere thoughts on how and why the Democrats lost the 2024 election to Donald Trump. We highlight her entire address to the world as I give my thoughts on exactly why this kind of voice is needed to remind the people: The left and right are humans and fellow countrymen and women. The system will not heal this divide …
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How Political Theory Shapes Our Super Organism
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36:15In this enlightening episode, we explore the essence of politics as a discovery of fundamental principles woven into the fabric of humanity. By stripping away the vitriol and hyperbole often found in political debates, we reveal the core theories that shape major institutions globally, with a particular focus on American politics. Join me as I diss…
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Natural Movement and Awakening Consciousness
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18:57If you move your body in nature with awareness as many yogis, Taoists, psychedelic enthusiasts and modern biohacking fascia nerds proclaim, then you just might understand the dormant superpower that awaits your call. Rafe Kelley, from EvolveMovePlay.com and Ben Medder help make this beautiful case. For you health in body, mind, spirit and relations…
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Technology might seem like a random process of solving individual small problems. Yet the more we invent technologies we come face to face with an intentional direction that all tech is moving towards. A Singularity. A teleology or intelligent pursuit towards an aim. How could technology intend anything, let alone have an assembled vision of itself…
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Are you curious about the hidden forces that shape our modern culture? Moloch refers to a hypothetical entity where individuals are incentivized to act against their own interests for the supposed benefit of the group. This is the world of Moloch. We examine how Moloch has infiltrated areas such as social media, politics, and economics, leading to …
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Have you ever wondered if technology is an abomination to nature, or if it's nature's creation? In this episode I explore technology and AI in the context of evolutionary biology. All biology tends towards more complex anatomy in order to stabilize energy in matter. AI and the internet of things is likely the next step of how we build a societal ex…
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Kim Clement: Trump Prophet or Pre-Scripted?
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37:09If you haven't heard of Kim Clement and his remarkable Trump predictions prior to Trump running for President, you're about to. He predicted an assassination attempt, a unity party, a JFK reincarnation, and a secret weapon used against the enemies. This sounds too good to be true until you look deeper. I think it's fascinating to look at these "pro…
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Telegram CEO Arrested and Mike Lynch Strange Death
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28:03Pavel Durlov, CEO of Telegram arrested in France just after Mike Lynch and team dies oddly in separate "accidents" across Europe. I want to discuss this because even media stations are talking about how odd this "coincidence" is. Are we in the middle of a global coup without realizing it? From what tyrant are we leaving and to which tyrant are we e…
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Using the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza, we crack open the subconscious mind with ways to rewrite limiting beliefs and release anxiety. In this episode you will come to understand the step by step process in which we hand our power over to our subconscious mind and how a vision of the future is the only remedy. Please go to www.benjosephstewart.com and …
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After being removed from a film and ruining his friendship with Henry Fonda, John Ford begins to openly challenge his previous work. He deconstructs the Western and, for the first time, makes films specifically about Indians and women. But his power in Hollywood dwindles, and he soon finds himself out of work, a living legend living off his savings…
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The Trump Incident: Assassination Attempt or Theatrics
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15:21I give you my uncensored opinions about the incident yesterday at the Trump rally in Pennsylvania. I don't have the answers, just a few questions and a knack for triggering people wedded to the official narrative of anything in pop culture. I have a deep honor for truth and think we owe our belief systems more due diligence than cursory emotional e…
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At the height of his powers, John Ford directs his masterpiece, an anti-racist Western called The Searchers. It’s a movie of contradictions: John Wayne plays the hero, but he's driven by hate and revenge. He’s searching for his niece, with the intent to kill her. Behind the scenes, Ford continues to use Monument Valley as a generic backdrop for the…
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After D-Day, Ford goes on a historic bender then heads home... not to Hollywood but to Monument Valley, a secluded land with incredible scenery. There, he creates his own kingdom, a place he can work and create art without being under the thumb of studio executives. His stock company follows him from film to film, and Ford rewards his loyal subject…
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High Level Thoughts on 2024 Debate and Voting
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20:25In this episode I don't go over many of the talking points from the 2024 debate. Rather, I express the underlying purpose of having a single individual represent a nation as well as include RFK Jr. in the debate discussion because it seems that both Trump and Biden worked to keep RFK Jr. off the debate stage (which is deceptive and undemocratic). I…
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Were there Egyptian style mummies in Arkansas? Did Ohio once be home to ancient Israelite tribes before Christ? Did they set up trade routes between the Silk Road in the old world and a North American network from cross continental commerce? Just wait and listen to this revelatory twist on American history. From the incredible work of Wayne May and…
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This week, Ben traces the mystery of John Ford's missing D-Day documentary. The one time Ford talked about it, he claimed it was buried in a government film vault, too disturbing for public view. This sends Ben on a globe-trotting journey, following clues in the US, England and Russia. He encounters fellow seekers, as well as skeptics who question …
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Ford is finally in the military and his first assignment is… to make a sex ed film for soldiers! Soon he sees real combat and is injured while filming the battle of Midway. He’s nursed back to health with the help of John Wayne, while his Midway movie wins an Oscar and becomes a favorite of President Roosevelt. Ford then recuts December 7th, a movi…
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The title sounds dramatic or conspiratorial, but in fact I think it's more casual than that. This 3 letter organization who took over the archeological dig at Gobekli Tepe isn't evil (per se)... just the perception of power in its lust-full expression. Following up from Jimmy Corsetti's work that discovered who took over the most awe inspiring arch…
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John Ford buys a yacht, where he cavorts, drinks and vacations. But he also keeps an eye on the looming threat in Europe, and uses his new vessel to enlist in the Naval Reserve. He rises through Hollywood and turns his friends into stars, including John Wayne – though he's increasingly abusive towards them on the set. As the ‘30s dissolve into the …
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John Ford was born in Maine as Sean Aloysius O’Feeney… or so he says. His birth records say differently, and it would not be the last time he changes his name. As a child, he visits Ireland and falls in love with his heritage, and later fights at the University of Maine when confronted with an Irish slur. He rediscovers his long-lost brother Franci…
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The statistical difference between a child's future with and without a father will make your jaw drop. In this episode, I speak about the new understanding of a father's role on children. These principles of fatherhood surpass the tradition role of having a child as a man, and extend into how we father in the community.…
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If you understand classical design in story structure you will understand truths about the world and yourself that often get drowned out by the tedium of spiritual paths. There is a distilled lesson inside the arc plot, the rules inside the genre and world of your creation that hold deep psychological lessons that Carl Jung himself would be astonis…
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Meet John Ford, the curmudgeon with an eyepatch who just happened to be the greatest filmmaker of the 20th Century. Ford was a bully and a drunk who ruled Hollywood for five decades, making dozens of seminal movies – though he was incredibly hard to pin down. His behavior swung wildly from loyalty to cruelty, without notice. He won more Oscars than…
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April 8, 2024 Solar Eclipse - Time for Magic
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11:43This brief solocast highlights just how auspicious this eclipse is and why for ages, eclipses have been valuable times for divination and social transformation.By Ben Joseph Stewart
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I explore Gabor Mate, Peter Attia and the Rebel Wisdom podcast to explore the dangers of Workaholism, over-protective children and how social media helps us pair bond with the state and adopt the Game Theory "Zero Sum" behavior. As usual, I keep it balanced between the problem and the solution.By Ben Joseph Stewart
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Introducing: Talking Pictures from TCM and Max
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52:54While we're hard at work on the next season of The Plot Thickens, we're excited to share Ben Mankiewicz's new podcast, Talking Pictures. The first guest on Talking Pictures is writer director Nancy Meyers (Something’s Gotta Give, It’s Complicated, The Holiday). Recorded at her home, Meyers talks about casting Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton, gettin…
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Decentralized Conspiracy - Tribute to Alison McDowell’s work
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26:33What do Bitcoin, CBDC’s , World Economic Forum, Rumble, Youtube, and global crises all have in common? They all have your data and funnel people into the same cybernetic future. In this Solocast I tip my hat to Alison McDowell’s work. Find her at WrenchintheGears.com and on Youtube for more information. This video explores the depths of how the ver…
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How many genders are there? Is gender a real thing? What's the difference between sex and gender? We dive into Alice Dreger's work who highlights the core questions in the Transgender debate. She does a great job showing that Biology does in fact have an Intersex category that shows up in 1.7% of the population (the same amount as those with red ha…
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Ever heard of Ginko Bioworks? If not, I'll dive into them and their mission. I have no deep problem with this company but wish to highlight their goals and fit it into a larger context with a little humor. You are the most powerful technology. Don't ever forget that. Watch Exclusive Content! https://www.benjosephstewart.com/plans-pricing Join Our K…
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