In this episode of State of Mind, Maurice Benard sits down with actor, musician, and longtime friend Jonathan Jackson for a deeply personal conversation about what happens when the mind feels steady but the body doesn’t. They talk about preparation, performance, and those moments when anxiety shows up physically even when you “should” be fine.

Jonathan shares how faith shapes his work and his life, why he resists the word “performing,” and what he’s learned about trauma, prayer, and the surprising idea that beauty can reach people when logic can’t. Maurice opens up about a difficult season, the power of friendship, and the kind of support that doesn’t just comfort you, it pulls you back toward the light.

In this episode:

• Jonathan and Maurice’s long friendship (including the crank-call era)

• Why preparation can be harder than the performance itself

• When the body rebels: shaking, panic, and stress signals

• How prayer and friendship can carry you through dark stretches

• “The Ethics of Beauty” and why beauty can be a form of healing

• Creativity, faith, marriage, and staying anchored in a chaotic world

Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch!

Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book! Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital

Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/

X: https://twitter.com/mauricebenard

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MauriceBenard/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.com State of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production: Anthony Cammarata Audio/Video/Editorial: Anthony Cammarata Podcast Consultant: Aaron Calafato

Actor, writer, director, and voice actor Michael Easton joins Maurice Benard on State of Mind for a rare, deeply honest conversation about what it really takes to heal.

Michael shares what it was like growing up between Belfast and the U.S., moving constantly, and carrying the hidden weight of childhood fear and instability into adulthood. From there, the conversation opens up into the stuff most people avoid: anxiety, grief, loss, and the long process of bringing buried pain to the surface so it can finally move.

They talk about surrender, therapy, meditation, the difference between suppressing pain and processing it, and why real healing often starts when someone is willing to sit with you in the dark.

Later, Michael reflects on his path into acting, the early years of his career, and the strange moments that come with visibility, identity, and being seen. The episode closes with a powerful tribute to Kamar de los Reyes, and what his life and passing changed in Michael forever.

In this episode

• What anxiety feels like and why it can be so isolating

• Childhood wounds, abandonment, and the stories we carry forward

• Grief, regret, and finally confronting what you avoided for years

• The “hole” story and why the right person can change everything

• Finding truth, letting go, and choosing to feel instead of going numb

• A tribute to Kamar de los Reyes: love, boxing, God, and living with passion

Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch!

Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book! Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital

Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/

X: https://twitter.com/mauricebenard

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MauriceBenard/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.com State of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production: Anthony Cammarata Audio/Video/Editorial: Anthony Cammarata Podcast Consultant: Aaron Calafato

On this State of Mind, Maurice sits down with Art Stratton Brown, a remarkable 101-year-old World War II veteran (and Josh Swickard’s grandfather) whose energy, clarity, and gratitude feel almost impossible to believe. Art takes us from a tough Chicago childhood and early leadership instincts to combat training, frontline battles in Italy and France, and the daily realities of war — fear, loss, survival, and the moments that never leave you. What unfolds is ultimately a conversation about resilience, faith, discipline, and how gratitude and purpose can shape a life, even after witnessing the darkest parts of humanity.

Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch!

Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book! Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital

Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/

X: https://twitter.com/mauricebenard

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MauriceBenard/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.com State of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production: Anthony Cammarata Audio/Video/Editorial: Anthony Cammarata Podcast Consultant: Aaron Calafato