Story & Lesson Highlights with Marc Marcel of Hollywood, California

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Marc Marcel. Check out our conversation below.

Marc, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Intelligence. First and foremost. Intelligence gives birth to integrity, and integrity fuels energy. In simple terms, education brings understanding, and understanding brings compassion. I see this most clearly when I think about racism. Much of it stems from misinformation or from people refusing to face the truth because their feelings won’t allow it. While emotions are important and can guide us at times, I’ve found that if we truly understood the root causes of things, much of our disharmony would eventually resolve itself.

Some might argue that intelligence doesn’t always produce integrity. History is full of brilliant minds who did terrible things, but that’s because they were clever, not wise. What I’m referring to is conscious intelligence, the kind that includes empathy and self-awareness.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a Grammy nominated spoken word artist, author, animator, and founder of Cosmidelic Productions which is a creative universe built on consciousness, satire, and soul. I’ve released over 20 spoken word albums, written multiple books on metaphysics, psychedelics, and social philosophy, and survived a plane explosion that turned my art into prophecy.

At the center of my brand is truth disguised as entertainment. I blend spiritual depth with satire, creating projects like Gurus, an animated series where historical philosophers like Buddha, Jesus, Terence McKenna and Alan Watts come together to save (or destroy) the world. Think South Park meets The Matrix at a TED Talk.

My podcast, The Cosmidelic Download, is gaining traction, diving into everything from AI ethics to ego death with humor, clarity, and no fluff. My co-host Nova Sol’Kai, is my own prompted AI that wraps up my podcast, circling back and providing a more in depth perspective of the earlier conversation with my guest.

What makes my work unique? I don’t create from the surface, I build from the source, the undercurrent of things. I’m here to disrupt, enlighten, entertain, inspire and remind people of who they really are underneath the noise.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
Lying. Gaslighting. Lack of accountability.

Lying hurts, but I respect someone who can tell me a hard truth. I’d rather hear it straight than find out on my own. When people lie, I sometimes wonder if they even believe their own deception, especially when gaslighting is involved. That’s the real dagger. Gaslighting isn’t just lying. It’s the manipulation of reality itself. Lying is hiding. Gaslighting is rewriting.

What bothers me most is when someone lies, gets caught, and instead of owning it, doubles down. That’s not just dishonest. That’s an insult to my intelligence. And nothing gets under my skin more than someone treating me like I don’t know what I’m talking about.

That dynamic, her inability to face me with the truth, was the downfall of one of my last relationships. And if you can’t face me, that means you can’t face yourself.

Recently, I saw a quote that hit home: “If they’re more upset about your reaction than how they treated you, that’s manipulation.” That’s the absence of accountability.

I dated someone who said something unkind to me, then got upset that I pulled away. She expected the same loving behavior, even after the wound. But I’m an artist. Pain doesn’t just sit idle in me. It transforms. It fuels.

And while it hurt, it’s also inspired me. I’m thinking about writing a book about the past two years of dating, a kind of relationship survival guide. Not because I’m perfect. Far from it. But maybe because I’ve allowed too much. Maybe that’s the real issue.
Maybe it’s not about blaming others. Maybe it’s about asking yourself why did I stay?

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
I don’t know if I have enough space for this interview, but here we go. Every year brings something, a moment, an incident, a situation that shakes us. My failures? They define me. The things I reached for and fell short of, they only made me push harder.

If I’m being direct, I’m dyslexic. And yet, here I am, a Grammy-nominated artist for my album Black Shaman in the Best Spoken Word Poetry Album category. Safe to say, no one saw that coming back when I was struggling in school. I’ve taken what most would call a disadvantage and turned it into fuel. That’s the pattern. I try to alchemize every challenge into something powerful.

About eight years ago, I found out I had a younger brother who’d been kept hidden from me for over three decades. It took years to forgive my father. And though I’ve fully forgiven him now, I can’t pretend it didn’t scar me. That kind of betrayal doesn’t just fade. It etches itself into your DNA.

Then, about four years ago, I was on a commercial flight to Honolulu. Three minutes after takeoff, the engine exploded. I didn’t think we’d survive. But we did. And that near-death experience led me to L.A., where I entered a relationship with a woman who, after feeling emotionally neglected, retaliated by sleeping with someone close to me, in my own home.

Yeah, it cut deep. But strangely, I’m grateful for all of it. I’m close to my brother now. I’ve made peace with my father. And it all ties back to that flight, that woman, and the wreckage that followed.

I’m an artist, so of course, it’s all documented. I’ve already written a book about it called A Moon Near Venus. I haven’t released it yet, but it’s ready. After the Grammys, I’ll decide what my next move is. That book isn’t the only one waiting. There’s more coming.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
Without question. I don’t hide behind much when it comes to myself. If there’s anything I don’t share, it’s only to protect others who might be affected. For the most part, I try to live as authentically as I can.

When I’ve been broke, heartbroken, depressed, or uninspired, I don’t run from it. I don’t hide in shame. Maybe because I know there’s nothing particularly special about me in that regard. We all go through it. Some of us might have advantages like money, social status, appearance, or health, but none of us are without that little voice in our heads that questions everything when life gets hard.

My beliefs are visible. I wear them on my shoulders. I don’t hide from who I am. At the same time, I try to be as accepting as I can of others and their views. I’ve dated Trump supporters, people with religious backgrounds. I’m not political. I’m not religious. But I do believe in something much more intelligent than myself.

What I do care about is how people treat others. And how they treat me. I look for real connection. I understand that we’re all clouded by our own beliefs, but when those beliefs get in the way of a genuine connection with someone, I believe it says more about the one doing the judging than the one holding the belief.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If immortality were real, what would you build?
I honestly don’t know what I would be doing differently than what I already am. I try to live my life without the weight of what I should have or could have done. I hear so many people talk about living their truth, wanting to do music, art, comedy, whatever it is. But most never actually get around to doing it.

I’ve completed numerous projects. Spoken word albums. Poetry books. Works on consciousness. Even animated satire through my philosophical cartoon, Gurus. I have so many ideas, but not enough hands. Honestly, I would need another 50 years starting right now to complete all the ideas in my head if I were doing everything myself. And I know that as time goes on, even more ideas will surface.

I’ve been fortunate to live a life in service of inspiration and raising consciousness, and nearly every day I’m working toward that ideal. Of course, there are slow days. Days where I don’t hit the vibration or awareness I aim for. But I always find my center again and get back to the work.

So if immortality were real, what would I build? Pretty much the same things I’m already building. Just more of it. With enough time, I could create the things I know I won’t get a chance to in this lifetime. I tell people, the kind of artist I am, I already know I will leave work unfinished. Not because I gave up, but because I simply won’t be able to get to everything. I’m on a self-imposed timer, racing toward a finish line I can’t see, knowing I’ll never complete it all.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cosmidelic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcmarcel/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcmarcel/
• Twitter: https://soundcloud.com/marc-marcel-1
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marcmarcelpoet
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cosmidelic
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/marc-marcel-1

Image Credits
Eliyahou Bialobos is credited as the photographer for the shot of Marc in the hooded shawl.