Best Lorna Bremner Podcasts (2025)

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Closure Optional Ep. 78 – Existentialism and Pandemonium 55:06

5y ago55:06

55:06

This episode is about what the fuck is going on?! The world's a little topsy-turvey at the moment and so I discuss an idea that emerged in Europe out of the uncertainty and confusion of WWII in the 1940's in the hopes it might help us with some perspectives on the confusion of today. Thank you as always for listening! The Authors and Books I mentio…

1
Closure Optional Ep. 77 – Confidence 1:01:46

5y ago1:01:46

1:01:46

This episode is about the good and bad of confidence, how being insecure can lead to over-confidence, and why I'm the best and worst person in the whole world all at once. I talk a lot about how difficult it is learning to do stand-up comedy, some of my worst moments lately and how I'm trying to be less of an idiot. Thank you as always for listenin…

1
Closure Optional Ep. 76 – Insecurity 1:13:56

5+ y ago1:13:56

1:13:56

In this episode I get harsh, cry a little, and say fuck a lot. I'm talking about what happens when we hold onto insecurity as a personality trait, through constant negative self-talk and stories, and how that kind of thinking has turned into self-destructive cycles in my own life over the years. At the end it sounds like I'm doing an ad for the Art…

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Closure Optional Ep. 75 – Danny McStay, Provisional Psychologist at Lives Lived Well 1:48:20

5+ y ago1:48:20

1:48:20

Danny is the Senior Provisional Psychologist at Mirikai, a live-in Rehab facility on the Gold Coast for people who are struggling with Addiction, or as they say, ‘Substance Use Disorder'. He provides and coordinates psychotherapy services for clients and residents, and also, casually, flies to Africa to stop illegal poachers from killing wildlife… …

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Closure Optional Ep. 74 – Jenny Hallam, Cannabis Activist 1:23:56

5+ y ago1:23:56

1:23:56

Jenny is a Cannabis Activist, and is probably best known for the 3-year court battle she recently faced for supplying free Cannabis Oil to sick people in Australia. She learned how to make the oil in order to manage her own chronic pain, and because the benefits were so tangible, she started helping others with a whole variety of other medical issu…

1
Closure Optional Ep. 73 – The Four Agreements 1:11:55

5+ y ago1:11:55

1:11:55

In this episode I'm talking about a neat little set of guidelines called “The Four Agreements” which are supposed to help you ease some of the needless suffering and self-limiting beliefs created inside your head. They come from a book called “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz, who says this wisdom comes from the ancient Toltec people of Mexi…

1
Closure Optional Ep. 72 – Love and Meaning 58:56

5+ y ago58:56

58:56

Ah Jesus sorry I've been away for so long! Man it's been a wonderful few weeks, but fuck, it's time to pull my head out of the clouds and get back to this podcast! I've been missing because I've been in love and that has come with a whole incredible pile of interesting nonsense attached to it, which I'm discussing in this week's episode. Today I'm …

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Closure Optional Ep. 71 – Chaos and Boredom (and Buddhism) 1:03:45

5+ y ago1:03:45

1:03:45

Ooooh this episode is all about how I (or, possibly, we) react to change, and how I've managed to get myself out of chaos through chanting nonsense in my bedroom. I ramble about how we mislead ourselves, how strong our minds are, and one way of possibly getting away from the suffering of our minds through a Buddhist idea called the Lotus Sutra. Ref…

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Closure Optional Ep. 70 – Dr. Julie Kelso 1:26:18

5+ y ago1:26:18

1:26:18

Julie is a Professor at Bond University, where she specialises in philosophy, feminist philosophy, religion and literature. This is a wonderful conversation about the nature of being, from a person who has spent her life so far trying to understand it philosophically. We discuss sexuality, what real feminism looks like, and some of the dangers of f…

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Closure Optional Ep. 69 – Lucas Stone 3, Musician 1:37:11

5+ y ago1:37:11

1:37:11

Lucas is a Musician, currently the guitarist for a band called Hammers, and since he's back from touring the country in front of thousands of people, it was a perfect time to come discuss what it means to be a person. He's been on the podcast before in Episode 13, and Episode 46, and he's back for the third time with an epic rolling philosophical d…

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Closure Optional Ep 68 – Justin Chatfield 2, Graphic Artist 1:06:11

5+ y ago1:06:11

1:06:11

Justin is a Graphic Artist and a Musician from New Zealand; he played in a punk band called Not OK for 10 years, and when that came to an end, he put himself through school to become a Graphic Designer. He, with the rest of his family, have taken care of me over the last 12 years, basically adopting me into their family, and this is a great convers…

1
Closure Optional Ep. 67 – The Fckwit In Our Heads 56:46

6y ago56:46

56:46

In this episode I'm talking about the construction of a Fuckwit inside our heads (I only know for sure about mine, but I've met a few of yours too) through stories we tell ourselves about ourselves, other people, and the world. This is an extension on an idea that I talked briefly about in the Airport Podcast that a few people had asked me to expan…

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Closure Optional Ep. 66 – Shannon “Chucka” Friedrich 1:25:50

6y ago1:25:50

1:25:50

This is a bloody wonderful and intense conversation about some full-on stuff. We discuss drug addiction and the long dark road back from it, facing Cancer, beating it, and then learning how to re-navigate life after everything you've learned. Though it's intense, we uncover some very beautiful little ideas on how to take better care of ourselves, e…

1
Closure Optional Ep. 65 – Oliver Twist, Comedian 1:18:41

6y ago1:18:41

1:18:41

Oliver is a Comedian, currently based in Sydney, but luckily we had a chance to chat while he's up here to perform his solo show, “Love” for the Bris Funny Fest (Thursday, 21st of August at Heya Bar). This is a great conversation about Oliver's life both in Africa and in Australia, how our decisions impact the world at large, and how selling porn i…

1
Closure Optional Ep. 64 – At the Airport 56:46

6y ago56:46

56:46

In this episode I answer a bunch of your questions while I'm waiting at the airport to fly back to the US to see my brother get married. I answer things like what to do when you think someone's boring but has a big dick, what's the hardest part of making a Humanoid robot, and why people are just dicks sometimes. Thank you as always for listening!!!…

1
Closure Optional Ep. 63 – Nick Sun 2, Writer, Future Youtuber and Psychonaut 58:22

6y ago58:22

58:22

Nick is back to talk some more about Creativity, Philosophy, Psychedelics, and Cumming in people's faces. This is a very silly conversation about the nature of being that we recorded while laying the in the grass of a lovely meadow at sundown. Sounds romantic, but Nick forgot his Tazer so nothing kinky happened… To find out more about Nick, please …

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Closure Optional Ep. 62 – Paul George, Musician – Tijuana Cartel 1:05:15

6y ago1:05:15

1:05:15

Ah man what a great conversation! Paul is the singer and guitarist for Tijuana Cartel, a Gold Coast band that he created with Carey O'sullivan. This is a wonderfully tangential conversation about the nature of music, creativity, and how to create and destroy yourself all at once. If you'd like to check out more of what they've got to offer, please …

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Closure Optional Ep. 61 – Susan Kennedy, Psychic Medium 1:19:25

6y ago1:19:25

1:19:25

Well this is different, but certainly not unexpected for the ol' Closure Optional Podcast… Susan is a Psychic Medium who helps people see the best versions of themselves in order to help them get out of their own way, and she also sometimes sees dead people. Who knows what's going on here, but Susan is a lovely, kind, and interesting person and it …

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Closure Optional Ep. 60 – Truuune, the Authenticity Problem 58:33

6y ago58:33

58:33

In this episode I discuss some of the real life bullshit that gets in the way of “being authentic” whatever that means. I discuss the psychology of skirting the truth, and how I came to the realisation that basically everything I've done up to this point is an attempt to fill an insatiable blackhole of existential homesickness in my chest. And, jus…

1
Closure Optional Ep. 59 – Angel and Basanos, Shibari Rope Bondage 1:08:38

6y ago1:08:38

1:08:38

Oooooooh sexy, this week's episode is all about rope bondage, sex stuff, and polyamory. Angel and Basanos performed a very beautiful rope show when I went to the BDSM Party a few episodes back, and I was very happy to have them in the studio to talk about all the in's and outs, ups and downs, of Bondage and Sex. The video edit I did of their perfor…

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Closure Optional Ep. 58 – Prof. Leon Petchkovsky, Psychiatrist 1:02:30

6y ago1:02:30

1:02:30

Professor Leon Petchkovsky Phd. is a retired Professor of Psychiatry, the Director of the Pinniger Clinic in Robina, and is currently writing a book about Nurturance as it relates to Developmental Neuroscience and Psychology. If that sounds like a lot, it is, he's 76, and very clever. This is a great conversation about what can go right and wrong i…

1
Closure Optional Ep. 57 – Elliot Compton, Martial Artist 57:20

6y ago57:20

57:20

Elliot is a pure, professional Martial Artist – inside the gym and out. He is currently signed to One Championship Fight Series, with an impressive 58 professional fights so far in his career. He's a 4 x CMT Champion, got a slew of belts around his waist and has had the honour of fighting (and beating) a world-class Thai fighter at Lumpinee Stadium…

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Closure Optional Ep. 56 – Mayventure! 54:47

6y ago54:47

54:47

In this episode I discuss my mental brain patterns during all the silly adventures we went on over the Mayventure Challenge. I discuss why we fantasise about getting touched by a lady at the grocery store instead of our own partners, how I panicked on a mountain top, and how I invented a stupid fantasy about getting pegged by a cowboy that would ha…

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Closure Optional Ep. 55 – Phillip J Watt, Sociopolitical Activist 1:18:42

6y ago1:18:42

1:18:42

Phillip is a social / political commentator, author, and currently works as a Hypnotherapist in Coffs Harbour. On our Mayventure travels this month, we stopped in to visit him in his office to discuss all things metaphysical, social, and a little bit political, in order to discuss a lot of ideas about better ways of being in the world. If you'd lik…

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Closure Optional Ep. 54 – Emmy and Marcus, The Cutaways 1:08:32

6y ago1:08:32

1:08:32

Emmy and Marcus are 2 of the 4 members of the Brisbane Punk Band, The Cutaways. This is a lovely, raw conversation about music, identity, and how those things are so closely intertwined. Emmy discusses her experiences as a trans-woman in the Punk community and the world at large while I get overly emotional about her music, we discuss how music and…

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Closure Optional Ep. 53 – The BDSM Party 1:19:07

6y ago1:19:07

1:19:07

I went to a Kink and Fetish party and this is what happened there. This episode includes a few interviews from some of the guests, and a bit of an overview about the whole event. Needless to say, there was so much shit going on it would take me 12 podcasts to really get to the nitty gritty of the whole thing, but this is a good first attempt. Thank…

1
Closure Optional Ep. 52 – Back to the Centre 1:05:08

6y ago1:05:08

1:05:08

In this episode I'm talking about how to get yourself untangled from the tentacles of life, good and bad, through examining a phrase one of my trainers taught me in Muaythai. I discuss the ways that we can lose ourselves in Cults and bullshit, how this works in fighting, and how I think it's probably ok that I fell off the sobriety wagon last week …

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Closure Optional Ep. 51 – Rohan Thomas, D.I.Wireless Films 1:21:27

6y ago1:21:27

1:21:27

Rohan is a Filmmaker, and is the creator of the first (and only) Aussie Punkrock Podcast way back in 2009 but has stopped doing the podcast to now focus on making films. In 2016 he released a full-feature documentary called “The Other Option” about the Punk scene in Southeast Asia, and he's currently working on some boring corporate bullshit to lea…

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Closure Optional Ep. 50 – Priestess Desire, Dominatrix 1:31:39

6y ago1:31:39

1:31:39

Holy shit what a world… this is a wonderful conversation, much more normal than you would imagine actually, between a naive prude and a powerful Mistress. Priestess Desire is a professional Dominatrix and right before we recorded this podcast, she was kind enough to give me a tour of her office. I don't think I've had a podcast yet where I struggle…

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Closure Optional Ep. 49 – Dusty Rich, Comedian 1:15:45

6y ago1:15:45

1:15:45

Dusty is one of a kind; he grew up in the turmoil of Apartheid South Africa, then escaped to England to do drugs and sell electricity to poor people, then cleaned up his act by becoming the drugs himself and channelled all that chaos and trauma into one of the best live performances you'll ever see. And he's also an incredible artist, because, why …

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Closure Optional Ep. 48 – Ego States and Games 59:44

6y ago59:44

59:44

I'm on my own this week, finishing my ramblings on motivation as viewed through the Psychological Theory, Transactional Analysis. In this episode, I discuss the ways that we build a personality, how we use it to our advantage and disadvantage, and how we do, in fact, constantly play games with each other even if we claim we don't. I discuss the exi…

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Closure Optional Ep. 47 – Ana Almargo, Psychologist 1:22:51

6y ago1:22:51

1:22:51

Ana is a practicing Psychologist who specialises in the mind-body connection, EMDR Therapy and Relationship Counselling. With a Masters degree in Professional Psychology and a background in Neuro-psychology, Ana brings some serious knowledge into the conversation about Motivation, Mental health, and the ways that our brains deal with depression. If…

1
Closure Optional Ep. 46 – Lucas Stone, Musician 1:14:43

6+ y ago1:14:43

1:14:43

Lucas is a Musician, formerly the frontman for the Aussie Hardcore band, HELM, and currently the guitarist for Hammers. He's been on the podcast before in Episode 13, and he's back now to help us un-fuck the world, our own mental health, and our worries about “success”. Also, if you want to hear Lucas and his mates playing some great music, check o…

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Closure Optional Ep. 45 – Yolanda Schmidt, Muaythai Fighter 36:17

6+ y ago36:17

36:17

Yolanda is one of the world's best fighters, and probably one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. She has had 44 fights so far with only 10 losses, and an impressive list of Titles and awards from the Muaythai community, including a Muaythai Angels World Title in 2017. This is a lovely, though unfortunately too quick, chat about her latest fight…

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Closure Optional, Ep. 44 – Recognition Addiction 53:09

6+ y ago53:09

53:09

In this episode I continue my discussion of some made up and some actual psychological theories on Human Motivation and this time I'm talking about Recognition – why do we sometimes desperately crave recognition from others, and at other times are purely happy on our own? I discuss why loneliness is actually probably a biological imperative and why…

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Closure Optional Ep. 43 – Ruckus Lucas, Musician and Woke Bloke 1:17:50

6+ y ago1:17:50

1:17:50

Ruckus is a musician and an unassuming spiritual guru / future cult leader. He currently plays drums in a band called Hammers with our friend Lucas Stone, and he runs an organisation called Woke Blokes that is trying to help men understand themselves better in healthy and constructive ways. He's not really going to start a cult… but with his brain,…

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Closure Optional, Ep. 42 – Human Motivation and and Introduction to T.A. 56:46

6+ y ago56:46

56:46

In this episode I discuss some made up and some actual psychological theories on Human Motivation – why, the fuck, do we do what we do? What is this “dream” that the Social Media Influencers want us to pursue? What need is your dream actually fulfilling? And a sneak peak into how your unsuspecting partner is in fact dating both you and your mother …

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Closure Optional Ep. 41 – LIVE With Ben Johnston, WBC Muaythai World Champion 1:12:57

6+ y ago1:12:57

1:12:57

This podcast was recorded in front of a live audience at the Yard Cafe on the Gold Coast, featuring Ben Johnston. Ben has just recently won a WBC World Title in Muaythai, and this is a great conversation about what it takes to become the best in the world at something, how the social media affects our motivation, and how to deal with the mental rol…

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Closure Optional Ep. 40 – Nick Sun, Comedian and Psychonaut 1:09:56

6+ y ago1:09:56

1:09:56

Nick is an enigma – he walked away from a 13 year career in stand-up comedy to walk the Australian desert and sleep in various forests burning frog secretions into his skin in order to learn how to grow up… this is a great conversation about the power of the mind, how it manipulates us, and some varying tactics to bypass the prison that our intelle…

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Closure Optional Ep. 39 – Iggy McGowan 2, Muaythai Trainer and Mindset Mentor 1:30:10

6+ y ago1:30:10

1:30:10

Iggy specialises in mind and body transformation through his company Via Bellatoris. I brought Iggy back onto the podcast this week because it's a new year and we're all saying “Oh yeah, this year I'll do it!!!” – and I wanted to give you some tangible, specific advise on how to actually do what you say you're going to do. Iggy is a Muaythai and Bo…

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Closure Optional, Ep. 38 – Manuary and the Illusion of Self 54:42

6+ y ago54:42

54:42

In this episode I discuss my recent experiences as a virgin of online dating in the 21st century, and what it showed me about the nature of being a “self”. How do you sell your “self” to dudes on the internet when no one really knows what a “self” is… I give some valuable tips on making a Tinder profile from my extensive week-long experience, and t…

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Closure Optional Ep. 37 – Stuart Walter, Hypnotherapy Session 1:03:37

6+ y ago1:03:37

1:03:37

Hey it's Christmas time and everyone's insane in attempt to relax over the holiday break, so I thought it would be fun to do some experimental podcasts at the end of the year… Stuart comes to my house and gives me a hypnotherapy session for this one, and you can join in if you want to! If you do, however, want to do the session with us, just make s…

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Closure Optional Ep. 36 – Steve McDonald, PRISM 1:37:55

6+ y ago1:37:55

1:37:55

Steve is a Australian Military Veteran who cured his debilitating PTSD through the exploration of altered states of consciousness; states induced by martial Arts, meditation, and yes, psychedelic compounds. He is one of the founders of PRISM, a non-profit organisation that works to develop and integrate psychedelic research back into mainstream sci…

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Closure Optional Ep. 35 – Kris Drummond, Writer 1:33:53

6+ y ago1:33:53

1:33:53

Kris is a writer, photographer, and philosopher, and one of my best friends though we've actually never met each other in real life. I met him in a writers group on Duncan Trussell's podcast forum, and we've spent 5 years talking to each other through the internet… This is a wonderful conversation about how I recently experienced a mental earthquak…

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Closure Optional Episode 34 – Social Masturbator cum Neuroscientist, Me 1:05:23

6+ y ago1:05:23

1:05:23

*UPDATED* – Holy shit you guys this was a monster – I was sick of telling the story about the time I masturbated in the woods with a bunch of strangers, but I managed to get it out of me finally in an entertaining and hopefully enriching way for you, and I've added some educational tidbits too because I felt cheap and gross* just talking about sex …

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Closure Optional Ep. 33 – Craig, Peter and Daniel from ‘High As Mike’, Filmmakers 1:11:42

6+ y ago1:11:42

1:11:42

We were very lucky to squeeze into the very busy shooting schedule for Craig Wilson, Daniel Raffaele, and Peter Cross as they continue their massive journey across Australia filming a new documentary called ‘High As Mike'. The film follows Mike, a cancer patient with a brain tumour that will eventually leave him blind, as he rides his bicycle aroun…

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Closure Optional Ep. 32 – Jay Bainbridge and Matt Bartlem, Arroyo 1:02:33

6+ y ago1:02:33

1:02:33

Jay and Matt are musicians from the band (group?), Arroyo – I don't know the difference between a band and a group, but these guys are fucking rad. This is a great conversation about music, art, the vulnerability of being someone with something to say, how commercialised art can be a disgusting mis-representation of it's original meaning, and how m…

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Closure Optional Ep. 31 – Jordi Sullivan, The Fight Dietician 1:29:18

6+ y ago1:29:18

1:29:18

Oooweeee this guy is a fantastic bag of bones, muscles and brains (but mostly brains); Jordi helps elite fighters cut weight for MMA and other combat sports in order to safely and effectively achieve their fight weight, which can be a loss of up to 20% of their total body weight!! This is a great conversation about how he helps the best of the best…

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Closure Optional Ep. 30 – Aidan Killian, Comedian 1:24:24

6+ y ago1:24:24

1:24:24

Aidan is an Irish Comedian living in Bangkok who used to be an Investment Banker but he quickly realised that God was going to punish him for being evil so he became a comedian and with a short detour into Buddhist Christianity while writing a comedy show about Jesus versus Buddha. This is a great conversation about the nature of existence, how to …

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Closure Optional Ep. 29 – Adrian Franklin, The Eros Method 1:18:04

6+ y ago1:18:04

1:18:04

Adrian is a wellness coach who uses somatic and cognitive therapy to help men resolve issues with anxiety, stress, anger and shame. He is also involved with Polyamory, which means his girlfriends have other boyfriends who have other girlfriends (and maybe boyfriends too). During the course of the podcast we discuss how he helps men get back inside …

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Lorna Bremner Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen