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"Watching Earthlings hit me really hard" - Author Sandra Nomoto - Sentientism Episode 131

Find our Sentientist Conversation here on the Sentientism YouTube and here on the Sentientism podcast.

Sandra describes herself as a vegan foodie, content writer & editor and wife on a mission to empower others to make small, meaningful decisions and actions that will help make the world a better place. She is co-host of VEG Networking Canada, a place where plant-based and vegan companies connect and collaborate. Sandra is the author of the book “Vegan Marketing Success Stories“.

We discuss:
00:00 Welcome

01:15 Sandra's Intro

  • Filipino-canadian
  • Literature, PR, marketing, writing
  • Meditating: "This booming voice came to me… & said you're vegan now & you'll always be writing"
  • Sandra's "The Content Doctor" business
  • Writing "#vegan Marketing Success Stories"

03:41 What's Real?

  • "A very #catholic household"
  • Catholicism in the #phillipines due to #colonisation by Spain
  • 13 years of Catholic school
  • Church every Sunday
  • Sermons: Fundraising & "We don't really welcome gay people" #homophobia "Two of my best friends had just come out"
  • "That was the last service"
  • "I never did believe in heaven & hell… metaphors"
  • "I do believe in an afterlife"
  • "There's a problem with the whole [Catholic] institution"
  • Intuition & connecting to past ancestors "they're giving me signs… still here & watching over us"
  • Why do colonially imposed religions retain such popularity?
  • The Filipino disapora, challenging colonial restrictions, reclaiming indigenous practices (e.g. tattooing)
  • Joining #nxivm… later discovered to be a dangerous #cult "If it feels painful - move towards it!"
  • A clear image from a recently deceased grandfather
  • Being guided by a deceased cousin in Montreal
  • "From the little I know of #quantumphysics physics this is all very possible… that's why we have #ghosts "
  • "The big bang… earliest atoms… that's my definition of god… the creator"
  • "The potential… of love… we all come from stardust"
  • Risks of religious & spiritual beliefs
  • Scams, cults, crystals, alt-medicine, #antivaxx
  • "Critical thinking caps" & #redflags
  • #Conspirituality podcast. #Yoga #wellness #spirituality

33:46 What & Who Matters?

  • "Be a good person as much as you can vs. just being consumers"
  • "I did not care very much for animals"… now vegan
  • Documentaries: "Watching #earthlings … hit me really hard… stop eating meat"
  • "As soon as the idea of becoming vegan hit my brain… this is it!… it took me 11 years"
  • #Humanewashing #cognitivedissonance , denial, avoidance
  • "I just had to learn how to cook"
  • #biocentrism #ecocentrism
  • Michelle S Wright: "Listening to vegetables telling her how they'd like to be grown"
  • Plant sentience?

46:54 A Better Future?

  • "Consideration for all sentient beings & the environment… a vegan lifestyle can get us closer"
  • "I do believe in personal impact… ripple effects"
  • #humanrights , clean water access, education, health-care (including #mentalhealth , addiction)
  • Ethical clarity & righteousness vs. encouraging people along their own "journey"
  • Messaging effectiveness
  • The bad & good roles of #marketing
  • "Vegan Marketing Success Stories" the first vegan marketing book
  • Normalising #veganism
  • #capitalism & the consumer economy, #ethicswashing & #greenwashing
  • "It's on the consumer to be smart"
  • Marketing with integrity
  • @Patagonia as an example, but they still use animal derived inputs
  • If people have ethics & values then why shouldn't companies?
  • #millenials & #genz & values alignment

Sentientism is “Evidence, reason & compassion for all sentient beings.” More at Sentientism.info.

Join our “I’m a Sentientist” wall using this simple form.

Everyone, Sentientist or not, is welcome in our groups. The biggest so far is here on Facebook.

Thanks to Graham for the post-production and to Denise for funding this episode via our Sentientism Patreon.

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