One of the world's foremost experts on self-defense, Tim Larkin is a former military intelligence officer who was part of a group that redesigned how Special Operations personnel trained for close combat. In the first half, he discussed his experiences working as an intelligence officer, as well as shared his tips for self-defense. He believes citizens have the right to defend themselves from imminent violence, even though governments often discourage people from taking action. We are seeing more and more forms of low tech terrorism that are causing maximum harm, but the study of violence has been stigmatized, he commented, which makes coming up with solutions more difficult.

When making crucial decisions about whether to use violence in self-defense, Larkin advised paying close attention to the behaviors of the attacker/predator. If they are using forms of communication, such as asking for a wallet in a robbery, it may be in a person's best interest to comply, but if something seems off or antisocial about the predator, responding with violence may end up saving your life, he suggested. Pepper spray, he added, is not a reliable self-defense tool, as attackers have different pain thresholds, and may not be stopped by it.

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In the latter half, practicing psychotherapist and author, Mel Schwartz spoke about synchronicity, core tenets of quantum physics, and how we can enjoy amazing results by riding the waves of life's uncertainties to overcome challenges and setbacks. A lot of our problems stem from an outmoded view of our existence, he argued, and insights from quantum physics offer a new approach for living based on the idea that the universe is an intelligent reality that we help shape.

The old world view in which we try to predict or anticipate the future is anxiety provoking and prevents people from acting in the now, or going with the flow, he continued. "The quantum principles of uncertainty and inseparability...propose absolute possibility," but if you keep having the same old thoughts, you never access the world of possibility, Schwartz outlined, adding that if one pauses before the old thoughts roll through, this can create a space for new ideas and options. Synchronicity is an intriguing occurrence that seems to defy statistical odds, when the state of your mind and the physical world temporarily coincide when there is no logical connection, he explained.

News segment guests: Jerome Corsi, Steve Kates

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