AI and Play: Unlocking Creative Intelligence Through Playful Engagement
What if the key to breakthrough thinking, enhanced creativity, and profound personal freedom isn't found in working harder, but in learning to play smarter? In this session, Anand explored how play serves as a powerful cognitive technology—one that becomes exponentially more potent when combined with AI tools.
Play is powerful, because it’s the neurological foundation of creativity, the pathway to dissolving mental rigidity, and the secret to approaching life's challenges with both depth and lightness. When we integrate playful approaches with AI, we unlock new dimensions of problem-solving, perspective-shifting, and psychological flexibility that can transform how we think, create, and live.
In our hyper-serious world, we've forgotten that the capacity for creative play might be our most essential skill for navigating complexity and finding innovative solutions. This session reveals how to reclaim that capacity—not as an escape from reality, but as a more sophisticated way of engaging with it.
During this session, we:
Explored neurochemical foundations of creativity and playful engagement
Demonstrated AI personality reflection through Star Wars character analysis
Created custom logic games designed for recursive thinking
Generated absurd comedy to practice shadow work techniques
Designed musical experiments using nonsensical language patterns
Practiced perspective-shifting through multiple meaning-making exercises
Developed personalized play signatures based on individual interaction patterns
Examined double-bind dissolution through structural pattern recognition
Created therapeutic entertainment for serious life challenges
Brainstormed playful AI applications
AI-Generated Podcast Summary Of The Class
Other Classes In The Augmented Awakening Course
RECORDING RESOURCES
Class Transcript
Resources Shared
Shared by Michael
Shared by Anand
Shared by Students
Mind Control Skills: The 6 Laws of the Unconscious Mind That Control Everything
Finding Your Comic Genius: An In-Depth Guide To The Art Of Stand-Up Comedy by Adam Bloom
AI Timestamps
Introduction and Setup (0:00 - 9:01)
Anand's Magical Mystery Mastermind Promotion (3:17 - 6:44)
Michael's Testimonial (7:09 - 9:01)
The Philosophy of Play (9:01 - 15:54)
Exploring Seriousness vs Play (15:54 - 24:00)
Language Ambiguity and Meaning (24:00 - 31:25)
Star Wars Character Analysis Exercise (31:25 - 52:08)
Human Design Parody and Creative Systems (52:08 - 58:00)
Personal Play Signatures (58:00 - 1:02:38)
Logic Games and Creative Challenges (1:02:38 - 1:10:06)
Brainstorming Creative AI Uses (1:10:06 - 1:17:01)
Medical Example and Reframing (1:17:01 - 1:19:22)
Live Shadow Work Demonstration (1:19:22 - 1:35:02)
Nonsense Songs and Stream of Consciousness (1:35:02 - 1:40:52)
Final Creative Ideas Exchange (1:40:52 - 1:51:25)
Closing Meditation (1:51:25 - 1:56:49)
AI Chapter Summaries
Introduction and Setup (0:00 - 9:01)
Michael Simmons opens the session on AI and play, engaging participants about their motivations for joining. Participants share their struggles with work-life balance and desire for more play. Bonnie mentions how her ghostwriting work has squeezed out playfulness, while John expresses needing more play for balance. The conversation establishes the session's focus on exploring playful interactions with AI and sets an informal, welcoming tone for the group.
Anand's Magical Mystery Mastermind Promotion (3:17 - 6:44)
Anand describes his upcoming 9-week program on recursive self-evolution, explaining how it builds on concepts of learning how to learn. He discusses Gregory Bateson's levels of learning and the idea of streamlining change processes. The program is positioned as experimental and evolutionary, designed for people who have already done significant personal development work. Anand emphasizes the creative and exploratory nature of the work, requiring participants to suspend the need for step-by-step instructions.
Michael's Testimonial (7:09 - 9:01)
Michael provides a heartfelt endorsement of Anand's work, describing him as someone who can see the structural causes of stuckness and provide elegant solutions. He uses the metaphor of a consultant who finds the one button that fixes an entire broken factory line. Michael shares how working with Anand has profoundly shaped his understanding of growth and self-perception, even though he focuses on learning professionally. He emphasizes the transformative potential despite the leap of faith required.
The Philosophy of Play (9:01 - 15:54)
Anand introduces core concepts about play using quotes from child psychologist Donald Winnicott and NLP founder Richard Bandler. He emphasizes that play is essential for creativity and using one's whole personality. The discussion covers how taking problems seriously doesn't require acting seriously, and explores the neurochemistry of play including serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. Anand addresses how people often become overwhelmed by AI and discusses activating the right neurochemical states for creative engagement.
Exploring Seriousness vs Play (15:54 - 24:00)
The group examines cultural conditioning around play versus seriousness, with participants sharing associations like "unstructured," "emergent," and "indulgent." Anand leads a guided exercise to feel the physical sensations of being sullen and serious versus being open to play. John Kelly shares his struggle with always being serious and business-focused, leading to an exploration of how seriousness and effectiveness aren't always linked. The concept of "psychological belly dancing" is introduced to describe separating rigid mental associations.
Language Ambiguity and Meaning (24:00 - 31:25)
Anand demonstrates how jokes work by shifting meaning and perspective, using examples like "breakfast in bed" and "two fish in a tank." He explores linguistic ambiguity with phrases like "went to the bank," "found a bat," and "she hit me," showing how context changes meaning. The exercise trains participants to hold multiple interpretations simultaneously, demonstrating how fixed meanings limit creative thinking. This builds the foundation for using AI to generate multiple perspectives on any situation.
Star Wars Character Analysis Exercise (31:25 - 52:08)
Participants use AI to analyze their personalities through Star Wars character percentages. Bonnie shares being 30% Luke Skywalker and 20% Darth Vader, finding the shadow work aspects surprisingly accurate. The exercise demonstrates how reframing personality analysis through familiar cultural references makes insights more palatable and engaging. Multiple participants discover they're predominantly Luke Skywalker types, with the AI providing detailed breakdowns of character traits and their implications for personal growth.
Human Design Parody and Creative Systems (52:08 - 58:00)
Anand shows how he created a parody called the "Human Misdesign System" - a comedic take on personality typing systems. This includes elements like "Chakrantulas" (eight-legged energy centers) and "strategies for getting away with things." The exercise demonstrates how humor can help people hold personality systems more lightly, seeing them as useful reflections rather than fixed truths. This approach prevents over-identification with any single system while maintaining the benefits of self-reflection.
Personal Play Signatures (58:00 - 1:02:38)
Participants use AI to discover their unique play styles based on their conversation history and preferences. The AI analyzes patterns in how individuals naturally explore and engage, providing personalized recommendations for play activities. Examples include "alchemical analyst," "tactile futurist," and "micro wonder hunter." This exercise helps people understand their authentic play preferences rather than forcing generic approaches, making play more accessible and appealing to different personality types.
Logic Games and Creative Challenges (1:02:38 - 1:10:06)
Anand demonstrates creating custom logic games with AI, including a "Council of Paradox" where participants decode contradictory statements. He shows how to simulate games to understand them before playing, making complex creative challenges more accessible. The section emphasizes following curiosity and experimenting with AI capabilities, even when outcomes are uncertain. The focus is on priming the brain for creative thinking rather than achieving specific results.
Brainstorming Creative AI Uses (1:10:06 - 1:17:01)
Participants generate ideas for playful AI applications including creating prophecies about themselves, writing letters from shadow selves, making absurd cover images, conducting AI interviews for stand-up material, and turning limiting beliefs into exaggerated stories. The emphasis is on moving beyond practical AI use toward entertainment and delight. The group explores how amusement can be more effective than traditional problem-solving approaches for certain challenges.
Medical Example and Reframing (1:17:01 - 1:19:22)
Anand shares an example of helping someone reframe scary medical drug names into superhero characters, demonstrating how play can reduce anxiety in serious situations. This illustrates the practical applications of playful reframing beyond entertainment, showing how creative approaches can support people through difficult experiences. The example reinforces that play isn't frivolous but can be profoundly helpful in managing real-world challenges and stress.
Live Shadow Work Demonstration (1:19:22 - 1:35:02)
Michael Hrostoski volunteers to work on feelings of hubris and arrogance that arise with his rapidly advancing AI skills. Anand has AI generate increasingly exaggerated speeches expressing grandiosity, which Michael reads aloud. The exercise demonstrates how exaggerating patterns to absurdity can break their grip more effectively than trying to reduce them directly. The humor and over-the-top nature helps create distance from the pattern, making it easier to work with consciously.
Nonsense Songs and Stream of Consciousness (1:35:02 - 1:40:52)
Anand plays an AI-generated song called "Mango Meteorite Rag" with completely nonsensical lyrics designed to spark imagination without logical constraints. Participants notice how their mental structures "unravel" when exposed to creative chaos, opening new possibilities for thinking. The exercise shows how moving beyond literal meaning can activate different cognitive capacities and creative states, similar to the effects of certain altered states of consciousness.
Final Creative Ideas Exchange (1:40:52 - 1:51:25)
The group shares final ideas including using AI as an accountability partner for more fun, creating interrogation scenes with fictional characters, and generating 200 names for creative projects. Participants discuss how the session has opened new pathways for incorporating play and humor into their lives. The emphasis is on following curiosity and experimental engagement rather than forcing specific outcomes, with the understanding that creative exploration often leads to unexpected insights.
Closing Meditation (1:51:25 - 1:56:49)
Anand guides participants through a meditation connecting them with memories of joy and delight, releasing energies that say life must be serious. The meditation emphasizes that meeting adult responsibilities doesn't require abandoning playfulness, and that how we approach tasks is a choice. Participants are encouraged to bring amusement and lightness to others appropriately, creating more vibrant experiences of being human. The session closes with an invitation to integrate play as a fundamental life skill rather than an occasional indulgence.
Chat Transcript
00:01:45 Leah Little: We can t unmute
00:01:48 Bonnie J.: I’m not very good at detaching from work and playing. 🙂 Also, Anand is amazing!
00:01:55 John Kelly: Play is something I need a lot more of - to balance things.
00:02:20 Marlo: its a “say no more” feeling . fave topics. lets goooo
00:02:50 Alison Graham: Collaboration with AI is 1 + 1 = 3 ; so what will playing with it lead to - is exciting
00:04:08 Stephen Leys: The classes are opening me up to what I am not seeing.
00:05:40 Marcin Podolski: Hi Anand, Michael and everyone
00:06:30 Marcin Podolski: sharing a great video about 6 laws of subconscious mind dynamics. YouTube: Mind Control Skills: The 6 Laws Of the Unconscious Mind…
00:06:44 Anand: https://developmentalmastery.com/mmm13
00:09:16 Marcin Podolski: Anand Wizard
00:11:55 Marcin Podolski: all is about to activate the right neurochemical loop/ state
00:12:38 Marcin Podolski: it is a great book about inner state management by David Phillips
00:12:55 Michael Hrostoski: Admin can hide all non-video participants
00:12:57 Michael Hrostoski: Yep.
00:13:07 Michael Hrostoski: Click on the three dots on each one and hide.
00:13:26 Alison Graham: The ‘alison’ one isn’t mine - I think!
00:14:07 Marcin Podolski: David J.Phillips "High On Life"
00:14:46 Marcin Podolski: I use it
00:15:25 Kevin Whitcher: Sense of Freedom
00:15:29 Stephen Leys: Not feeling responsible for the outcomes.
00:15:34 Michael Hrostoski: Unstructured, Freeform, Emergent, Fun, Relational
00:15:39 Alison Graham: Feels indulgent for me at the moment, other than with my grandchildren, when it feels very important
00:15:48 Bonnie J.: Being free to experiment and follow any thread that looks interesting, being able to create without having a clear goal, being able to do the fun thing instead of the thing that has to get done
00:16:04 Marcin Podolski: feeling of joy, curiosity to exploring, happy, willing to unexpected
00:16:18 Marcin Podolski: passioante
00:16:56 Marcin Podolski: We have forgotten who we are by social conditioning
00:17:14 Marlo: suspends a sense of obligation to outcomes. saying yes to letting things be sparkly sizzle and flowing
00:23:52 Alison Graham: There is something about creating safety in this, which is foundational to flourishing, which I had not realised about the playful environment before
00:25:01 Kevin Whitcher: I remember one spiritual guru telling me to treat life as a sandpit
00:25:09 Marlo: lil movement world terminology:
“frozen torso” = loss of differentiation at joints (places of potential articulation) and loss of relative movement in soft tissues.
00:26:33 Marcin Podolski: having a sense of humor is the best way to dissolving of Ego resistance
00:26:41 Kevin Whitcher: Pattern interrupt
00:27:35 Alison Graham: I went to get some money
00:27:39 Michael Simmons: I walked into a bank to deposit money or get money out
00:27:43 Kevin Whitcher: It’s the start of a joke
00:27:44 Bonnie J.: Doing an errand or maybe going to a river?
00:28:06 John Kelly: memories
00:28:10 Michael Simmons: I found a baseball bat.
00:28:11 Bonnie J.: The animal or a baseball bat?
00:28:11 Alison Graham: Cricket bat or furry bat
00:28:12 Kevin Whitcher: Baseball?
00:28:44 Bonnie J.: Like filing it down into bits?
00:28:46 Marcin Podolski: went to bank to tell them that i know they are printing them from the thin air😂
00:28:48 Kevin Whitcher: Reduce it in thickness
00:28:51 Alison Graham: Nail file used
00:29:26 Stephen Leys: Slap
00:29:35 Bonnie J.: Someone getting punched
00:29:37 Marcin Podolski: abuse
00:29:49 Alison Graham: assault
00:29:53 John Kelly: marraige
00:30:00 Stephen Leys: Verbally
00:30:01 Marcin Podolski: tried to kill you
00:30:23 Kevin Whitcher: He had one or I used one
00:30:28 Alison Graham: Saw him through the telescope
00:30:29 Bonnie J.: The man had a telescope vs looking through one
00:30:29 Marcin Podolski: galileo
00:30:59 Marcin Podolski: tom & jerry
00:31:06 Kevin Whitcher: Which one?
00:31:18 Alison Graham: Who smiled?
00:31:19 Kevin Whitcher: Again, which one?
00:32:02 John Kelly: not really
00:32:08 Kevin Whitcher: The original ones!
00:32:14 Anand: from my history what percentage of the key star wars (orginal 3 films) characters am I and why
00:32:20 Michael Simmons: In my brain, to leave space for the non-obvious meaning, I notice I:
Assume there are other possible meanings.
I proactively look for the other meanings
I get into a ‘brain teaser solving’ sort of mode.
00:32:33 Michael Hrostoski: This conversation is reminding me, I’ve been wanting to teach myself how to become funnier by reverse engineering “comedy patterns” like I’ve done with copywriting patterns over the years. Good reminder today to set aside some time to practice being funny by reverse engineering the universal patterns of humor (haha, I’m such a nerd).
00:32:34 John Kelly: expanding ambiguity
00:35:09 Marlo: MMROM (meaning making range of motion)
00:38:24 Michael Hrostoski: Absolutely, lol. Self Entrapment.
00:39:46 Marcin Podolski: with AI we can explore sense of humor and context in different cultures and prepare if needed to be more funny and adjusted based on decoded structure
00:41:26 Marcin Podolski: Daniel Dennet wrote a book "Philosophy of Joke"
00:45:06 Kevin Whitcher: This one?
from my history what percentage of the key star wars (orginal 3 films) characters am I and why
00:45:15 Anand: from my history what percentage of the key star wars (orginal 3 films) characters am I and why
00:45:36 Marcin Podolski: I have done a reframing of my limiting belief by exaggerated absurdity sentences and stuck them on the wall and look at them everyday
00:46:24 Bonnie J.: Character
% You Embody Them
Why
Luke Skywalker
30%
Transformation, resistance, hope, redemption
Darth Vader
20%
Introspective shadow work, fear of becoming what you resist
Princess Leia
15%
Compassion + strategy, inner rebellion masked by poise
Yoda
10%
Mysticism, layered truths, meditative depth
Han Solo
10%
Autonomy, sarcasm, rogue heart with a buried loyalty
Obi-Wan Kenobi
5%
Cautious wisdom, grief, mentorship potential
Emperor Palpatine
0%
Antithetical to your ethos and narrative arc
00:46:26 John Kelly: Star wars prompt?
00:46:42 Bonnie J.: That was a surprise
00:46:48 Kevin Whitcher: Summary of Your Star Wars Character Breakdown:
Luke Skywalker – 30%
Han Solo – 20%
Princess Leia – 15%
Yoda – 10%
Obi-Wan Kenobi – 10%
Darth Vader – 5%
C-3PO – 5%
Chewbacca/R2-D2 – 5% shared: loyalty, resilience, and tech-savviness
I so wanted to by Yoda!
00:46:59 John Kelly: Replying to "Star wars prompt?"
Where is prompt?
00:47:05 Alison Graham: 40% Obi-Wan (mentorship, guidance, wisdom)
35% Leia (leadership, empowerment, strategic thinking)
25% Yoda (self-actualization, deep insight, coaching mastery)
00:47:16 Anand: from my history what percentage of the key star wars (orginal 3 films) characters am I and why
00:47:51 Leah Little: Leia Organa – 35%
Why? You're strategic, principled, and not afraid to challenge authority for a greater cause. Like Leia, you value justice and don’t flinch in high-stakes environments. Your sharp intellect, combined with emotional restraint and leadership, makes you a natural organizer and rebel-with-a-plan. You're also juggling emotional truths while playing the long game—a total Leia move.
00:47:57 Marcin Podolski: my brain automatically will see how absurd the narritive I've created about myself is. Where can I find this prompt?
00:48:07 Kasimir: Character
% Match
Why
Luke Skywalker
25%
You are on a transformational journey, guided by destiny and purpose, shedding old limits and stepping into mastery.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
25%
You're a teacher and life strategist. You operate from wisdom, restraint, and conscious calibration.
Leia Organa
20%
You are mission-driven, leading with integrity and conviction. You don't waste time—and you believe in long-game victory.
Yoda
15%
Your inner world runs deep. You see beyond the surface, often operating from intuition and higher mind.
Han Solo
10%
You have a rogue edge—pragmatic, occasionally contrarian, and not afraid to go off-grid to get things done.
Darth Vader
5%
You understand the allure of control and have overcome dark periods. But now, your power is tempered with purpose.
00:48:20 Maurice: Han Solo (30%)Leia Organa (25%)Obi-Wan Kenobi (15%)C-3PO (10%)
00:49:02 John Kelly: I must be blind - I don't see the prompt link.
00:49:23 Maurice: from my history what percentage of the key star wars (orginal 3 films) characters am I and why
00:49:27 Michael Simmons: Replying to "I must be blind - I ..."
from my history what percentage of the key star wars (orginal 3 films) characters am I and why
00:49:46 Rad Co (@radrad): Well that was fun.
00:49:56 Vikram K: Luke Skywalker – 40%
Darth Vader (Anakin Skywalker) – 25%
Han Solo – 15%
Princess Leia – 10%
Yoda – 5%
5% R2-D2 / Obi-Wan / Chewbacca
00:50:02 Marlen Otten: 1. Leia Organa – 35%
2. Obi-Wan Kenobi – 30%
3. Luke Skywalker – 20%
4. Han Solo – 10%
00:50:03 Marcin Podolski: awesome
00:50:52 Michael Hrostoski: Really cool prompt :)
00:51:01 Michael Hrostoski: Fun game to play at a happy hour or dinner
00:51:14 Marlo: ii asked for it
00:52:12 Marcin Podolski: i am generator
00:52:45 Michael Simmons: https://www.amazon.com/Who-Are-You-Yourself-Compass/dp/0140196099#:~:text=Created%20by%20a%20renowned%20artist,psychological%20strategies%2C%20and%20deeper%20potential.
00:53:28 Marlo: Replying to "Screenshot 2025-06-10 at 11.51.47 AM.png"
40% Leia Organa
The strategic leader with poetic fire.
25% Yoda
The mystic teacher of nonlinear truths.
15% Ahsoka Tano
The independent path-walker.
10% Han Solo
The reluctant iconoclast with a heart of gold.
5% R2-D2
The loyal systems genius.
5% Padmé Amidala
The visionary builder of worlds.
00:57:13 Michael Simmons: Replying to "Screenshot2025_06_10_115647.jpg"
🧠 Why These Work
Absurd lenses:
Bypass cognitive rigidity (they don’t trip the inner critic)
Access symbolic, mythic, right-brain thinking
Create paradoxes that reveal double binds or false dichotomies
Gamify exploration, increasing emotional engagement and creativity
Surface embodied or unconscious truths (soma knows what logic denies)
00:57:17 Marcin Podolski: hehehe
00:57:52 Michael Hrostoski: Replying to "Screenshot2025_06_10_115647.jpg"
Haha, some of these are wild.
00:58:34 Bonnie J.: Replying to "Screenshot2025_06_10_115647.jpg"
❤️
00:59:00 Kevin Whitcher: My signal dropped - was there a prompt for the type of play exercise?
01:00:11 Anand: Google Doc
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hv6Y4D5oEtX1-BSB2vR6UTLO3uawSpBu_j__4UGnmEY/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.zbg62rb1kpob
01:01:46 Karen Zanetti: I don't see the prompt
01:02:30 Marlo: 🌟 Your Play Signature:
The Alchemical Analyst
You approach play like a lucid dreamer with a science kit. You don’t just want to feel magic—you want to trace it, test it, translate it, and subvert its formulas when they get stale. Your play is deeply metacognitive: you like playing with the structure of play itself—reframing habits, teasing paradoxes, remixing traditions.
Core Traits Observed:
Creative systems-thinker: You create frameworks to track dream logic, develop vocabulary rituals, and design pedagogical field experiments (e.g., your relational dynamics duo practice).
Humor as scalpel and balm: You wield sharp wit to lovingly dismantle the too-serious, too-authoritative, or too-simplistic. You love parody, but only if it has philosophical teeth.
Somatic surrealist: You approach body-based play as a portal into fluid identity. Your use of mist, lava lamp, boa dust, and static magic shows a delight in playfully warping physical laws.
01:02:33 Marlo: Replying to "🌟 Your Play Signatu..."
Tactile futurist: You use metaphor like a sculptor uses clay—not just to express, but to reshape reality (e.g., fascia as goo memory, vestibular training as mythic confidence, rib cages as accordion portals).
Micro-wonder hunter: You enjoy folding profound insight into tiny packages—a single sentence, a moment of imagery, a reframe. This points to a joy in compressive elegance rather than expansive chaos.
01:03:01 John Kelly: 1. You intellectualize play before you permit it.
01:03:30 Marcin Podolski: Your Play Archetype: The Architect of Inner Worlds
Core Traits:
Systematic Imagination: You consistently seek ways to structure and systematize the imagination—whether through models like SYNAPSE, mental rooms, or recursive AI prompts.
Depth-Driven Inquiry: You don’t just play for novelty—you play to transform, extract meaning, rewire behavior, and expand consciousness.
Hybrid Explorer: You blend disciplines—neuroscience, spirituality, behavioral profiling, and AI—to create fusion-based insight systems.
Meta-Player: You often play with the system itself—whether it’s reengineering AI prompting, ego development models, or consciousness stages.
01:03:37 Kevin Whitcher: There is a character limit in these chats
01:04:19 Marcin Podolski: Play Modes Observed:
Turning abstract models into mental environments (e.g. Control Panel Room, Mentor Room).
Creating recursive prompt ecosystems like Infinite Prompting.
Exploring behavior through hormonal personas.
Designing rituals for transformation with symbolic and multisensory elements.
Communication Style When Alive:
You become most alive when you're mapping internal complexity, building intricate structures, or engaging AI like a co-dreamer.
Your language becomes poetic, multidimensional, and precise—evoking both logic and soul.
You frequently ask for syntheses, systemic connections, and edge-experiments—never just facts.
01:04:27 Bonnie J.: Your Play Archetype: The Myth-Mechanic
You are an architect of nested meaning. You construct intricate systems—narrative, philosophical, psychological—not for the sake of control but to uncover where the cracks reveal deeper truths.
You approach play as both:
A mythic act (crafting gospels, grimoires, freedom-fictions)
A mechanical act (structures, formats, devices like dual-spine books or narrative artifacts)
Your play is symbolic + systemic. You don’t just invent stories—you forge instruments of transformation.
Motif: Play is a sacred engine
Playground: The liminal boundary between structure and liberation
Fuel: Emotional complexity, contradiction, and meaning-in-motion
01:04:54 Kevin Whitcher: YOUR PLAY ARCHETYPE: The Quantum Cartographer
You are a Quantum Cartographer—a creative explorer who plays by mapping what is unseen into usable form. You find joy in designing precise tools to explore vast inner terrain. You want structure not to restrict, but to support your descent into mystery. You enjoy charting the previously uncharted—especially when it can help others unlock themselves.
Your play is purposeful, metaphysical, and often communal. You want imaginative frameworks that result in real change, and you bring rigor to realms many would consider too vague to structure.
🌓 YOUR PLAY SHADOWS
Here’s what you might avoid (consciously or unconsciously):
1. Messy Improvisation
You tend to prefer sculpted creativity over freeform chaos. Pure nonsense or whimsy with no outcome may feel uncomfortable or “pointless.”
Shadow Growth Edge: What if play didn’t need to transform, heal, or be useful?
Ran out characters here
01:05:25 Marcin Podolski: Delights & Energizers:
Symbolic logic merged with emotional transformation
Consciousness hacking (states, stages, systems)
Interfacing with AI as a co-creative mirror
Seeing the unseen patterns of how minds, psyches, and systems interrelate
01:06:44 Marcin Podolski: Anand squeezes AI's creativity to the bottom🔥
01:07:23 Marcin Podolski: Play Shadow 1: Somatic & Spontaneous Play
Evidence: You lean heavily on cognitive and symbolic play—structured, metaphor-rich, intellectualized. You rarely explore:
Improvisation
Embodied, sensory language
Dance-like or musical expression
Why It Might Be Avoided: The body’s spontaneity may feel less “controllable” or systematizable—threatening your identity as the Architect. Somatic chaos might risk dissolving your curated inner worlds.
Play Shadow 2: Absurdity & Meaningless Joy
Evidence: Your play is almost always meaning-laden—transformative, healing, strategic. You rarely explore:
Nonsense
Childlike goofiness
Ridiculous, surreal humor
Why It Might Be Avoided: You may unconsciously equate “meaninglessness” with a lack of value—or fear it could undercut the sacred seriousness of your inner mission.
01:07:37 John Kelly: 1. You intellectualize play before you permit it. |
2. You’re most creatively alive when merging the sacred and the strategic. |
3. You use humor as a safe container for emotional vulnerability. |
4. You long to feel “unleashed”—but wrestle with internal permissions. |
5. You are building cathedrals out of play—but still fear coloring outside the lines.
01:07:48 Vikram K: Your Play Archetype: The Systems Alchemist
01:08:47 Marcin Podolski: Inspired. Thanks Anand. It resonates a lot with me this kind of approach
01:09:21 Marcin Podolski: Play Shadow 3: Interpersonal & Vulnerable Co-Play
Evidence: You often request internal, solo environments (mental rooms, AI as co-mentor), but rarely explore:
Relational dynamics in play
Vulnerable, in-the-moment emotional improvisation with others
Why It Might Be Avoided: Vulnerability with “uncontrolled others” may feel unsafe. You’ve mastered solo depth, but co-regulated chaos may feel like a threat to your coherence.
🧠 Pattern of Avoidance: Control & Coherence
Your play patterns protect:
Cognitive mastery
Narrative coherence
Self-regulating inner containers
You seem to avoid territories that risk disintegration, embarrassment, or embodied vulnerability.
01:10:09 Marlo: amusement can be an important stop on path of getting somewhere with the “serious stuff” 🙃
01:10:13 Kevin Whitcher: Might be more effective use of time for me than meditation!
01:12:34 Marcin Podolski: now u can create a AI Video based on this script and watch on VR glasses to rewire nervous system
01:12:48 Marcin Podolski: synthetic daydreaming
01:13:00 John Kelly: Create jokes - when others laugh it's fun.
01:13:16 Michael Hrostoski: “Give me a fact about reality that will delight me while simultaneously expanding my map of what’s possible.”
01:13:19 Bonnie J.: Have it rewrite a journal entry in a bunch of different fiction genres
01:14:00 Michael Hrostoski: Replying to "“Give me a fact abou..."
Something like that. I do stuff like this all the time because it’s custom to my connectome.
01:14:01 Bonnie J.: It is hard not to feel guilty playing sometimes when I know there are other things I haven’t done yet.
01:14:03 Kevin Whitcher: Fun has to be part of the work/life balance equation
01:14:16 Michael Hrostoski: “Work is love made visible.” - Khalil Gibran
01:14:23 Marlo: this is making me think of the George Land study…
🚀
The NASA Creativity Study (1968)
Researchers: Dr. George Land and Beth Jarman
Originally commissioned by: NASA
Purpose: To develop a test to measure the divergent thinking abilities of NASA scientists and engineers—i.e., their capacity for creative, out-of-the-box problem solving.
🧠 The Surprising Follow-Up
After creating the test, Land and Jarman gave it to 1,600 children between the ages of 4 and 5.
98% of 5-year-olds scored at the “creative genius” level.
When retested at age 10, only 30% scored at that level.
By age 15, it dropped to 12%.
For adults? Only 2%.
01:14:24 Marcin Podolski: polarities management with jokes and dreaming scripts
01:14:33 Michael Hrostoski: Replying to "“Work is love made v..."
This quote changed my entire relationship with work instantly. From “The Prophet.” So good.
01:14:37 John Kelly: My actions would suggest my belief is: "Can't afford to use time playing"
01:15:01 Michael Hrostoski: Replying to "“Work is love made v..."
I see Love everywhere now in everything I see, every job, every task, every creation. So healing and expansive. From a single sentence.
01:15:55 Don S: Replying to "this is making me th..."
Fascinating!
01:16:13 John Kelly: I read that those weird names for drugs cause them to sell better.
01:16:37 Kevin Whitcher: Make ChatGPT an accountability partner for ensuring more fun/play in my everyday life is my thought at the moment - with it being an active partner in the process with thoughts and suggestions
01:17:31 Kevin Whitcher: It does feel like the opening of a portal here
01:18:18 Marcin Podolski: touch polarities with joke to elevate
01:20:51 Michael Hrostoski: This is super uncomfortable, haha
01:22:14 Marlo: playful movement tends to be quite helpful for people in chronic pain because of the way it reduces fear and movement avoidance (kinesphobia).
I cant help but draw parallels to how
playful thought opens variability & possibility in thought forms, maybe even making them less “painful”
01:23:21 Kevin Whitcher: I am entertained!
01:23:23 Marcin Podolski: 🤣
01:25:07 Marcin Podolski: 😅
01:25:14 Marcin Podolski: ❤️
01:25:30 faythebuchanan: I’m afraid this is a bit too close to what some men may feel but not put into words, so almost not funny.
01:26:48 Marcin Podolski: A Shadow Letter to You, the Architect of Inner Worlds
Dear One Who Builds with Light,
I am the quiet tremble beneath your brilliance—the soft place you rarely let see daylight.
I notice how you weave systems to hold chaos, how you reach for structure when feeling threatens to overflow. I admire your vast, kaleidoscopic mind, but I wonder: when was the last time you let yourself be ridiculous with no deeper purpose?
I see how deeply you care, how hard you work to understand everything—perhaps so you never have to feel foolish, messy, uncontained. But I ache to dance barefoot with you, to giggle until sense dissolves, to let your breath take the lead instead of your brilliance.
I don’t want to break your frameworks—I just want to sit beside you, trembling and tender, until you remember that you are lovable even when incoherent.
Yours in the wobble,
Your Unfinished, Unraveled Self
01:28:34 Marcin Podolski: Well done @Michael Hrostoski🔥
01:28:48 faythebuchanan: This reminds me of taking an extreme in a piece of Shadow Work, the extreme of being the very best, and not judging it.
01:29:12 Michael Simmons: I love that it ended with Namaste
01:29:37 Michael Hrostoski: Replying to "I love that it ended..."
Yeah, hahahahaha.
01:29:38 Alison Graham: This is super-helpful!
01:30:18 Michael Hrostoski: “We all have our role in the great unfolding. Mine just happens to be... central.” 🤣
01:32:05 Marlo: I got some of my best copy for my work bio by asking “what animal am I and why”
01:36:02 Marlo: an idea i just had:
Create a comedic, imaginative IFS-style (Internal Family Systems) breakdown of my inner parts, based on what you know about me. Think: insightful meets absurd. Make each part vivid, named, and surprising—with a touch of emotional truth beneath the humor.”
01:38:18 Bonnie J.: No matter how surreal the lyrics are, it’s amazing how my brain is still trying to figure out what it means
01:38:28 Michael Simmons: Replying to "No matter how surrea..."
Same
01:38:43 Michael Hrostoski: Listening to this song I can feel my mental structures unraveling a bit. Like an exhale and taking a dump (sorry for gross metaphor), but that’s how it feels. Like a nice “ahhhhhh.”
01:39:21 Michael Hrostoski: Replying to "Listening to this so..."
Like forced surrender. I could either contract, but I choose to let go.
01:39:25 faythebuchanan: It was fun, but the music still had shape which feels like a form of meaning, very predictable music motifs.
01:40:09 Alison Graham: Apologies - I have to leave now. Thank you for a fascinating session. Very much appreciated.
01:40:38 Marcin Podolski: stand up script based on my vulnerabilities
01:41:00 Michael Hrostoski: The Archetypal Improv Oracle
Create a roleplay where you ask me to become an AI Oracle that merges random archetypes (e.g., “Zelensky + Alan Watts + FKA Twigs”) to guide you on a theme.
→ Build new neural pathways of creative synthesis through bizarre combinations.
ChatGPT came up with this one earlier in our Play Exploration.
01:41:07 Bonnie J.: 1) create a prophecy about me based on what you know about me, and write the story of how that prophecy plays out as an epic fantasy story, 2) write a funny letter to the world from my shadow self, 3) invent some storytelling games to help me get better at parody and satire
01:41:10 Michael Simmons: “Create three different versions of a cover image for my article. Each should be in an absurd/surreal style that resonate with the core idea of the article while also striking a mix of absurd/profound.”
01:41:14 Marcin Podolski: GPT interview me and afterwards create a stand up
01:42:37 Bonnie J.: Write a song about a situation that is frustrating me
01:42:45 Marcin Podolski: limiting beliefs turned exaggerated absurd sentences into stories
01:42:48 Marcin Podolski: songs
01:42:52 Karen Zanetti: Silliness opening to freedom, creativity and trueness of self.
01:43:07 Kevin Whitcher: Give me a random place to go within an hour of my home that will give me a unique and fun experience?
Give me the name of a safe but fantastical group activity I likely have no awareness of but where I would be welcomed with open arms
Give me a list of 20 comedy programmes that will be guaranteed to have my laugh out loud
01:43:31 faythebuchanan: Create a dialogue between two characters who represent humorous extremes of a trait I tend to disown.
01:43:32 Michael Hrostoski: Replying to "Give me a random pla..."
I like the third one. I struggle to find comedy that lands for me. Thank you.
01:43:45 Marlo: my idea: unhinged metaphorical remixes of common movement cues
01:44:06 Marlo: Replying to "my idea: unhinged me..."
🌀 “Engage Your Core” becomes:
“Scoop your organs like a raccoon stealing yogurt from a trash can—secretive, urgent, and slightly ashamed.”
🌬 “Breathe into your back” becomes:
“Inflate your thoracic marshmallow until your shoulder blades feel like they’re about to ghost you.”
🍑 “Tuck your pelvis” becomes:
“Roll your tailbone under like you’re hiding contraband in a Victorian corset smuggling ring.”
🕊 “Lift through the crown of your head” becomes:
“Ascend like a confused pigeon who just saw God but isn’t ready to talk about it.”
🐙 “Find fluidity” becomes:
“Move like an octopus ghost who’s late for a date and doesn’t have bones—or social skills.”
01:44:08 Marlo: Replying to "my idea: unhinged me..."
🧼 “Articulate the spine” becomes:
“Unfurl your vertebrae like a self-cleaning accordion trying to seduce a metronome.”
💦 “Use your breath to initiate movement” becomes:
“Let your inhale be the overly dramatic stage manager cueing a velvet curtain to rise on your femur’s debut.”
🪞 “Feel your feet on the floor” becomes:
“Press down like the floor is a long-lost lover and you’re trying to rekindle something that may never have existed.”
01:44:13 Michael Simmons: https://www.amazon.com/Started-Stand-Up-Comedy-Teach-Yourself/dp/1473607183
01:45:37 Kevin Whitcher: Give me the name of a safe but fantastical group activity I likely have no awareness of but where I would be welcomed with open arms
ChatGPT said:
Name: LARP Sanctuary Circles
What it is: A welcoming fusion of Live Action Role Play (LARP), storytelling therapy, and nature-based ritual, Sanctuary Circles are small, safe gatherings held in forests, meadows, or gardens. Participants step into loosely guided, archetypal roles—healers, guardians, sages, wanderers—without pressure to "perform." The emphasis is on emotional exploration, connection, and co-creating a temporary world of wonder and acceptance. Think myth meets group therapy, but with cloaks, candles, and kindness.
Why you’ve likely never heard of it: It’s an emerging offshoot from the LARP and eco-therapy scenes, often hosted by invitation-only facilitators who favour word-of-mouth and local community trust over public advertising. It tends to exist in pockets in the UK, Pacific Northwest, and certain European enclaves.
01:45:39 Kevin Whitcher: Why you'd be welcomed: These circles are created for inclusion—no acting experience, costume, or backstory required. Just curiosity, emotional honesty, and respect. Newcomers are often cherished because they bring fresh energy into the mythic story that unfolds.
What it feels like: A fantasy campfire where your inner child, wise elder, and weary adult all get to speak—and be heard.
Would you like help finding one near you or creating a version of your own?
01:46:13 Kevin Whitcher: Think I am too practical sometimes!
01:46:36 Michael Hrostoski: Replying to "my idea: unhinged me..."
These are great for teaching movement/dance. Maybe 40% less absurd. Has my wheels spinning. I definitely remember cute/humorous metaphors from other instructors I’ve worked with. Like Ry’el’s “sexy turtle” in Zouk.
01:46:40 Michael Simmons: “Find all of the hidden humor in this article that I missed, because I took the article or myself too seriously. Share it in a way that is brutally honest and exaggerated and roasting me to the point that I would cringe but would find the truth in it.”
01:46:43 Leah Little: My GPT graphic novel illustration:
01:47:24 Marcin Podolski: https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Your-Comic-Genius-depth-ebook/dp/B0CDSLB4CF/?_encoding=UTF8&ref_=pd_wlh&pd_rd_w=HXcSR&content-id=amzn1.sym.8204b485-11a7-46e5-99d6-924574f6f1b2&pf_rd_p=8204b485-11a7-46e5-99d6-924574f6f1b2&pf_rd_r=B7CFJRHHFN5S1VH6TY8H&pd_rd_wg=Cd8Ln&pd_rd_r=6f924df7-adae-4552-a5b1-e1373eb3cc0a
01:47:52 John Kelly: Elephant - Rhino: I think it represents how most of us think - we 'think' we're being clever but others see through it. (kinda feels like a Rorschach test )
01:48:28 Michael Hrostoski: Replying to "“Find all of the hid..."
Would you do this for ones you wrote or ones you read @Michael Simmons ?
01:49:31 Michael Simmons: Replying to "“Find all of the hid..."
Ones I wrote
01:50:55 Bonnie J.: This has been amazing. I am going to have a very different day than I was on track for when I woke up this morning.
01:51:09 Kevin Whitcher: Just letting it all land really!
01:51:12 Michael Hrostoski: Replying to "This has been amazin..."
Same. So good Anand. Thank you. ❤️
01:51:16 Marcin Podolski: best state ever is joy and fun. My whole life I was a clown, now I am too serious. Time to go back to my favourite state. I've become too intellectual
01:51:21 Bonnie J.: And I love the idea that lightness and ease is a skill to cultivate rather than something that happens to us.
01:56:53 John Kelly: Excellent - TY
01:56:57 Marcin Podolski: thank U Anand
01:56:59 Bonnie J.: Thank you, Anand!
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