Jem Bendell: Post-doom with Michael Dowd (17 March 2020)

Title: "A Pandemic of Love: Deeply Adapting to Coronavirus"
54 minutes • Jem Bendell in conversation with Michael Dowd • 17 March 2020

This is the 19th episode in the "Post-Doom Conversations" series, hosted by Michael Dowd. Video-recorded conversations began in August 2019, based on a standard set of 7 questions listed here: https://postdoom.com/conversations/ • This is the first conversation recorded in the coronavirus era — with collapsing economies and social restrictions already evident. Bendell and Dowd draw from their respective deep adaptation and post-doom perspectives and learnings in sharing initial responses, questionings, and psycho-spiritual approaches for "Deeply Adapting to Coronavirus." More conversations here: https://postdoom.com/

00:46 - Preview

02:38 - Dowd introduces Bendell, notably his 2018 paper, "Deep Adaptation: A Map for Navigating Climate Tragedy" and the Deep Adaptation Forum.

04:00 - Bendell summarizes his concept of "deep adaptation" for an "inevitable near-term societal collapse" and his previous career as professor of sustainability in a business school

06:10 - Q&A - How does this current economic collapse and coronavirus pandemic shift your perspective and emotional/spiritual presence?

11:40 - Bendell recounts the deeper shifts in his own identity, helped by meditation practice (but not using it for escape) and by wise women

15:47 - Dowd on why he initiated post-doom conversations ("holy territory")

16:44 - Dowd's background as Christian pastor, but wider audience now (emphasis on teaching ecological overshoot, history of collapse, and post-doom perspectives)

18:16 - Progress as a failed assumption; need open discussion of "the good"

20:49 - Coronavirus presents opportunities for learning, revaluing, relating

24:57 - Post-progress, post-doom, Bendell is exploring a frame of "retreat" (but not manifesting as "prepping"); mixed emotions, uncertainties, how to be "kind and wise"?

33:38 - A "Covid Legacy Pledge" by Connie Barlow (to "boomers and beyond"); the downside of our death-phobic culture, but wariness of virtue signalling

40:59 - "Reconciliation is the 4th "R'" of the Deep Adaptation Framework

43:02 - Coronavirus issue activated within Deep Adaptation conversations

46:09 - Q&A on relationship to individual and collective death

47:37 - Overview of "the 4 R's" of Deep Adaptation: Resilience, Relinquishment,
Restoration, and Reconciliation. Also, "goodness to be found and lived no matter what."

50:49 - Dowd describes himself as an ecotheologian, examples of sermons

51:11 - expanding sense of self into Gaia includes feeling ecological pain

54:28 - Concluding remarks by Dowd, Bendell, and Barlow

Links to sources mentioned in the conversation:

• Versions of the Deep Adaptation paper -
https://jembendell.com/2019/05/15/deep-adaptation-versions/

• Related writings by Jem Bendell - https://jembendell.com/category/deep-adaptation/

• Deep Adaptation Forum - https://deepadaptation.ning.com/

• Post-Doom Conversations, with host Michael Dowd - https://postdoom.com/

• Covid Legacy Pledge, by Connie Barlow - http://thegreatstory.org/covid-legacy-pledge.html

• Barlow and Dowd "Death as Natural and Generative" writings and videos -
http://thegreatstory.org/death-programs.html

• Good Grief Network - https://www.goodgriefnetwork.org/10-steps/

• Michael Dowd webpage of texts, audios, videos - http://thegreatstory.org/michaeldowd.html

Видео Jem Bendell: Post-doom with Michael Dowd (17 March 2020) канала thegreatstory