In this episode of The Business Of Thinking, host Richard Reid is joined by Vanessa Abraham, a dedicated speech-language pathologist whose career and life took a dramatic turn in 2019. Vanessa shares her harrowing journey from being a medical provider to becoming a patient paralyzed by a sudden neurological disorder that left her unable to speak or eat. She provides a raw look into the psychological toll of medical trauma, describing the "profound depression" and "invisible disabilities" that often go unaddressed after a patient leaves the ICU.

Vanessa discusses her transformation into a "crazy researcher," diving into neuroplasticity and innovative healing modalities like the Neubie device to reclaim her life. Her story is a powerful testament to the psychology of high performance and the importance of purpose, reminding listeners that "when people have a purpose, they’re willing to withstand pretty much anything".

Key Takeaways

The episode explores Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS), highlighting the cognitive deficits, anxiety, and PTSD that survivors face long after physical recovery.

Vanessa emphasizes the necessity of a trauma-informed approach in healthcare, looking at a patient’s mental state and nervous system functioning as the primary foundation for physical healing.

A major theme is the power of intellectual humility, where putting aside pride and asking "dumb questions" becomes the ultimate tool for innovation and recovery.

The conversation delves into the shift from sympathetic to parasympathetic drive, explaining how creating a relaxed state allows the body and brain to repair itself.

Episode Highlights

Vanessa describes the rapid onset of her illness, going from a healthy, active lifestyle to being ventilated in the ICU within 48 hours.

She explains the "missing piece" of healthcare: the lack of mental health support once a patient is discharged and the support system of the hospital slips away.

The discussion covers Vanessa's book, Speechless, which serves as a guide for clinicians and survivors to understand the human side of medical trauma.

Vanessa shares her future mission, including hosting workshops and retreats to educate medical providers on the realities of PICS and medical trauma.

Timestamps

00:12 - Introduction to Vanessa Abraham and speech pathology

01:32 - Transition from clinician to paralyzed patient

03:56 - The rapid onset of a life-changing neurological disorder

08:28 - Discussing Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS)

11:37 - Researching neuroplasticity and natural healing modalities

16:44 - The grieving process and losing one's identity

22:59 - How the Neubie device aids in neurological recovery

26:55 - Redefining trauma-informed care in medical practice

31:50 - Upcoming workshops and the Speechless book

🔗 Connect with Vanessa Abraham

Website: www.aneuhealing.com

Instagram: @speechless_slp

To purchase book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/cjvA4ao

Facebook: Speechless SLP

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Thank you for joining us on The Business of Thinking podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe and leave a rating! It helps us bring more insightful content on the psychology of high performance. Find more about Richard Reid’s work at www.richard-reid.com.

Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/

In this episode of The Business of Thinking, Richard Reid is joined by Beth Singler, anthropologist and leading expert on digital religion and artificial intelligence. Together, they explore how AI is reshaping belief systems, decision-making, and critical thinking — not just in religious contexts, but across business, education, and society at large.

From AI being treated as god-like by some users, to the dangers of outsourcing our thinking and blindly trusting machine-generated “truths,” Beth offers a grounded, thoughtful perspective on why healthy scepticism and critical reasoning matter more than ever in an AI-driven world.

Key Takeaways

AI is not a neutral tool. The language and narratives we use to describe it directly influence how people trust, adopt, and rely on it.

Large language models do not reason like humans. They predict probabilities, meaning everything they generate follows the same process — some outputs are correct, others are not.

Blind reliance on AI risks eroding critical thinking, particularly in education, leadership, and decision-making environments.

Enthusiasm for AI often mirrors religious-style belief systems, especially within corporate culture and technological evangelism.

Implementing AI in organisations should be treated as a change management project, not just a technical upgrade.

Episode Highlights

Beth explains how religious language and symbolism frequently appear in discussions about AI, even in secular corporate settings.

The episode explores emerging AI-led spiritual practices and why some people experience large language models as god-like entities.

Beth outlines the dangers of misinformation, fake expertise, and AI-generated authority entering education and professional spaces.

The conversation highlights the tension between efficiency and truth, and how speed can undermine reflection and judgement.

Business leaders are encouraged to learn from religious responses to AI, particularly around authenticity, trust, and ethical boundaries.

Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome to The Business of Thinking
00:37 – What digital religion is and how Beth entered the field
02:56 – AI, spirituality, and god-like perceptions of language models
04:02 – AI evangelism and corporate enthusiasm
05:07 – Hallucinations, critical thinking, and education
07:04 – Why people trust AI answers too quickly
09:25 – Misinformation and the blurring of truth
10:41 – Building guardrails and thinking critically about AI
12:36 – Authenticity, sermons, and AI in religious spaces
14:47 – Utopia vs dystopia: where AI may be heading
17:13 – Beth’s research journey into AI and religion
18:59 – Advice for business leaders implementing AI
20:11 – AI as a change management challenge
21:56 – Final reflections on healthy scepticism

🔗 Connect with Beth Singler

Website: https://bvlsingler.com
LinkedIn: Beth Singler
Instagram: @bethsingler
Facebook: Beth Singler
YouTube: Beth Singler

⭐️ Connect and Subscribe

Thank you for joining us on The Business of Thinking podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe and leave a rating! It helps us bring more insightful content on the psychology of high performance. Find more about Richard Reid’s work at www.richard-reid.com.

Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/

In this thought-provoking episode of The Business of Thinking, Richard Reid is joined by AI expert, author, and futurist Calum Chace for a wide-ranging conversation on artificial intelligence, superintelligence, and what the future may hold for humanity.

Calum breaks down where AI is today, where it’s heading next, and why we may be sleepwalking into one of the biggest transitions our species has ever faced. From AI agents and automation to consciousness, work, and the possibility of a post-jobs economy, this episode challenges assumptions and asks uncomfortable but essential questions about power, responsibility, and preparedness.

Key Takeaways

Artificial intelligence is already transforming how work gets done, but AI agents capable of acting with partial autonomy will dramatically accelerate this change.

Superintelligence may arrive far sooner than most people expect, potentially within the lifetime of today’s workforce.

Automation could eliminate most human jobs, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the end of purpose, meaning, or motivation.

The biggest risk is not technological failure, but lack of planning, poor governance, and unequal distribution of wealth.

Humanity may only get one chance to influence how superintelligence treats us, making decisions about safety and values critically important now.

Episode Highlights

Calum explains the difference between narrow AI, AGI, and superintelligence, and why the transition could happen incredibly fast.

The conversation explores AI agents, verification, and why unsupervised systems raise serious safety concerns.

Richard and Calum discuss the economic singularity and what happens when machines can do all paid work.

Calum shares an optimistic but realistic view of a future where humans focus on learning, creativity, and connection rather than jobs.

The episode ends with a fascinating discussion on AI consciousness and whether making machines conscious could actually make them safer.

Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome to The Business of Thinking

01:05 – Calum’s background and early interest in AI

02:23 – The two big breakthroughs that changed AI

03:20 – Large language models and their limitations

04:34 – AI agents and partial autonomy

06:18 – Verification, supervision, and AI safety

07:43 – AGI, superintelligence, and the 2029 debate

09:53 – Fear, optimism, and extinction risk

11:52 – Automation and the end of human jobs

12:59 – Wealth distribution and global inequality

14:16 – Governments, politics, and lack of preparation

15:59 – Work, identity, and human motivation

18:42 – What businesses should focus on right now

21:52 – Common sense, world models, and timelines

22:49 – Becoming the second smartest species

25:10 – Conscious vs unconscious superintelligence

28:22 – Why we probably won’t stop AI development

30:33 – Current projects and future priorities

32:26 – Where to find Calum’s work

🔗 Connect with Calum Chace

Website: https://www.calumchace.com
LinkedIn: Calum Chace
Instagram: Calum Chace
Facebook: Calum Chace
YouTube: Calum Chace

⭐️ Connect and Subscribe

Thank you for joining us on The Business of Thinking podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe and leave a rating! It helps us bring more insightful content on the psychology of high performance. Find more about Richard Reid’s work at www.richard-reid.com.

Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/