Dr. Scott Asmar: The Man & Everything In Between

What if the most honest version of you only appears when you’re asleep?
 
In this episode, Scott Asmar revisits his longtime fascination with dreaming—not to interpret symbols, but to explore the bigger mystery of why we dream at all. He touches on lucid dreaming, where some sleepers become conscious enough to steer the story, and contrasts that sense of control with his own real-life struggle with night terrors—episodes of sheer panic that strike in non-REM sleep, where the body thrashes but the mind can’t fully wake.
 
Scott also reflects on new research linking nightmares to accelerated aging and long-term health risks, raising an unexpected question: what is the emotional toll of what happens at night?
 
From recurring school dreams to the fading era of black-and-white dreamers, this episode is less about explanation and more about awareness. Whether your dreams comfort you or confront you, Scott invites you to pay attention, because even in sleep, your mind may be trying to tell you something.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction & Dream Theory Recap
01:15 What Is Lucid Dreaming? (Inception, History & Science)
03:29 Can You Train Yourself to Control Dreams?
04:12 Why Do We Dream? The Unanswered Question
05:07 Night Terrors vs. Nightmares: Personal and Scientific Insights
08:38 Recurring Dreams and Dreaming in Color vs. Black & White
09:54 Share Your Dream Experiences
 
Connect with Scott Asmar:
Follow Scott on Instagram
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Dreams aren’t just stories we forget when the alarm clock goes off. For Scott Asmar, they’re part memory lab, part survival training, and sometimes, part mystery that can’t be explained.
 
In this episode, Scott shares how an old dissertation he wrote back in 1999 opened the door to a fresh look at dream theory. Growing up in a family where dreams carried meaning—his great-grandmother once dreamed of him standing by a white lamb, and later dreamed of her late son comforting her—Scott learned early that dreams can heal, warn, and guide. Revisiting his work decades later, he asks: what do researchers say about dreams now?
 
From theories that see dreams as survival rehearsals, to those that mirror daily stress or act as emotional “housekeeping,” Scott explores the many ways science has tried to explain what happens when we sleep. Technology has even entered the mix, with AI now able to turn dream reports into 3D visualizations. Still, Scott comes back to a simple truth: just as no two people are alike, no two dream lives are either.
 
On #WorldMentalHealthDay, this episode invites you to pause, reflect, and consider what your own dreams might be saying about your mind, your heart, and your healing.
Quotes
“I grew up in a family that always valued their dreams. For whatever reason, they valued their dreams. My grandmother had dreams. My great grandmother had dreams. And in fact, two distinct dreams that my great grandmother had was she would tell me that when I was born, she had a dream of me as a toddler standing next to a white lamb. And that was a dream that always stuck with me.(01:53 | Scott Asmar)
“From the time I've done my research to the present, dreams are no longer just mystical messaging or random noise. And we've got to remember that dreams were also in biblical times and ancient times and dreams are from the beginning of time.” (08:29 | Scott Asmar)
“We’ll never understand dreams. That is just one concept.” (09:40 | Scott Asmar)
“ We are all wired differently…I think just as we're different, we dream different.” (09:51 | Scott Asmar)
“Sleep Good and Dream Big.” (11:01 | Scott Asmar)
Links
World Mental Health Day: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day
 
Connect with Scott Asmar:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottasmar5/
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

What do nuclear fusion physics and micro-budget filmmaking have in common? More than you’d think. In this episode, Scott Asmar sits down with longtime friend (and newly discovered distant relative!) Robert Deranian, a PhD physicist turned independent filmmaker.
 
Robert shares how surfing, Armenian heritage, and a love of storytelling pulled him from the lab into independent film. From micro-budget sets where everyone wears multiple hats to projects that bridge history, politics, and personal identity, his work reflects both curiosity and conviction.
 
The conversation spans Robert’s early documentary work to his newest film The Republic, which looks at Vietnam, January 6th, and the question of what really shapes our choices. He and Scott also talk about the freedom of independent filmmaking, the challenge of distribution, and why heartfelt stories still matter in a world dominated by blockbusters.
 
For anyone reevaluating purpose in midlife, Robert’s journey is a reminder that it’s never too late to connect the dots between science, art, and personal truth.
 
Quotes
“I really like science, and I still do, you know. With film, and when I say film, it’s all aspects of it.” (05:30 | Robert Deranian)
“People that make these kinds of films, what’s great about them is they’re not beholden to a budget, essentially. So on the one hand, you can’t have big explosives or anything like that, but you can make really innovative stories because you’re the one that controls it.” (06:38 | Robert Deranian)
“At one point, the actor John Cook, playing Mike, says, “How the hell did I get into this?” Like, he doesn’t know. It just happens. That’s life, right? We get into problems. We don’t realize where it’s going to take us, you know? But I think in the end, it’s a super powerful message.” (14:16 | Robert Deranian)
“There’s so much duplication in Hollywood of movies. It’s like, OK, the Marvel movies are like over and over and over and over again. And there’s a reason for it. My understanding is the reason they do that is because they’ve got so much money into it, they cannot afford to take chances. So they’re just going to play it safe. Whereas guys like us, like you and me, we just can go for it.” (15:26 | Robert Deranian)
“I think my view of actors is that I think that there’s something natural about a good actor. They’re good because it’s just in them.” (17:21 | Robert Deranian)
 
Connect with Scott Asmar:
Instagram
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

What you wear says more than you think, and midlife is the right time to let your style catch up to who you’ve become. In this episode, Scott Asmar is joined by fashion expert AJ of Beverly Hills to talk personal style, quiet luxury, and how fashion can be both expressive and practical, especially in midlife. From the impact of a well-cut bomber jacket to the psychology behind subtle prints and quality fabrics, AJ shares insights shaped by years in the luxury fashion world, including his start at Cartier and his current work as an image consultant and stylist.
 
Their conversation moves from fashion weeks in Milan and Paris to everyday style choices that make people feel more like themselves. AJ offers advice for men and women who want to feel current without chasing trends, and explains why mixing vintage with new, or designer with basic, can still look intentional. He also opens up about the role of jewelry in personal style and why some pieces are worth the investment, while others are better customized. 
 
For anyone reevaluating their image at midlife, Scott and AJ’s conversation is a reminder that style isn’t about impressing others, but about expressing yourself.
 
Quotes
“Fashion is a lot more important than people think. I mean, you’re in the courtroom, and you’re a lawyer—the way you dress is so important.” (03:32 | AJ of Beverly Hills)
“It’s not about being loud. It’s about the luxury being for you.” (10:36 | AJ of Beverly Hills)
“We forget that sometimes we dress for everyone else, but it’s also for ourselves. Dressing for yourself.” (10:57 | AJ of Beverly Hills)
“You don’t want to dress yourself to the point where you’re aging yourself, and then you don’t want to dress yourself to the point where you look like you’re 18 and it doesn’t work.” (27:21 | AJ of Beverly Hills)
“There’s a lot of ways you can subtly change the type of piece that you’re wearing that will change the way you look, the way you feel, and you’ll just look very fresh and feel great.” (28:46 | AJ of Beverly Hills)
 
Links
Lotus Beverly Hills:
www.lotusbeverlyhills.com
https://www.instagram.com/lotusbeverlyhills/
 
Connect with Scott Asmar:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottasmar5/
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Diane Christiansen thought she’d missed her big break. But the path that opened instead led to a life full of creativity, community, and unexpected fulfillment.
 
In this episode, Scott Asmar welcomes Diane, his friend, mentor, and acting coach, to reflect on the stories behind her memoir “The Last Real Showgirl: My Sequined 70s on Stage.” She shares how she got her start at 13, fueled by babysitting money and a clear sense of purpose. From that moment on, she poured herself into the work, never waiting to be chosen.
 
What do you do when the opportunity you’ve been waiting for never comes? Diane opens up about her early audition for the Rockettes and the painful truth she uncovered years later, that her mentor never passed along the callback. It’s a moment that could have defined her differently. Instead, it pushed her toward something else entirely.
 
Scott and Diane talk about ambition, mentorship, and the winding nature of a creative life. They look at the ways the entertainment industry has shifted, and the parts that haven’t. There’s a sense of perspective here that only comes with time: the kind that sees rejection differently and understands the value of patience.
 
This conversation is for anyone standing at a crossroads, wondering if the missed chances ever really mattered.
 
Quotes
“I don’t think I could have been just like every other girl in the line. I don’t think it was my destiny.” (11:20 | Diane Christiansen)
“The great author Marianne Williamson says in her book, ‘A Return to Love,’ she said, she finds that grist of your mill the most interesting thing about a person. It’s like, what happened to that person to make them great?” (14:01 | Diane Christiansen)
“It had a lot to do with ambition. It had a lot to do with wanting to stay in show business and at that level and being paid well and with those kinds of contracts and with the wonderful people that I got to work with.” (16:53 | Diane Christiansen)
“The things that were difficult, I learned the most from.” (35:01 | Diane Christiansen)
“It’s always a joy when people apply the skills and run with them.” (37:42 | Diane Christiansen)
Links
Connect with Diane Christiansen:
https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-last-real-showgirl/?srsltid=AfmBOopIU_UQUjzdoxLncQojXCx-0Ok6jvpHUkPcVLlSI2IG1MtRJYdz 
https://www.instagram.com/the_last_real_showgirl/ 
https://www.christiansenactingacademy.com/
 
Connect with Scott Asmar:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottasmar5/
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Saying yes to everyone else gets easier over the years… until one day, you realize how far you’ve drifted from yourself.
 
In this episode, Scott Asmar sits down with his cousin and longtime confidant, Jacqueline Lion, to talk about what happens when life quiets down and you finally have the space to ask: What do I actually want now? They look back on decades of putting others first: raising kids, caring for parents, showing up in their marriages, and they unpack the difference between being generous and losing yourself. Where’s the line between serving others and people-pleasing? And what does it take to start choosing yourself without guilt?
 
Jacqueline opens up about a recent turning point: a solo trip to Armenia to support a powerful documentary about the resilience of the Artsakh people. That experience didn’t just reconnect her with her culture. It reminded her of who she is and what she still wants to create. From that clarity came a bold decision to launch a podcast of her own, focused on motherhood, identity, and the messy beauty of midlife.
 
This episode is full of warmth, honesty, and the kind of insight that comes from lived experience. If you’ve ever felt pulled in every direction but your own, this one will hit home.
 
Quotes
“It’s very hard to serve myself. It’s hard because I feel selfish and I feel stingy.” (08:06 | Jacqueline Lion)
“The first time you say no is so hard, but after that it’s really easy.” (09:39 | Jacqueline Lion)
“I try to accommodate everyone, but I’m not going to accommodate at the sacrifice of my own happiness anymore.” (10:16 | Jacqueline Lion)
“It’s really hard to look internally and say, ‘Where am I? What do I want and how can I achieve what I want without feeling bad for it?’” (10:53 | Jacqueline Lion)
“Every single decade of my life when I have traveled [to Armenia], it has been nothing short of transformative.” (13:46 | Jacqueline Lion)
 
Links
Connect with Jacqueline Lion:
https://www.instagram.com/jacquelinelion/
https://www.instagram.com/theresnoplacelikehomemovie/
 
Connect with Scott Asmar:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottasmar5/
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Midlife isn’t a crisis. For Scott Asmar, it’s a call to persevere with faith, purpose, and a renewed connection to Christ.
 
In this episode, Scott shares how his relationship with Christ has shaped his understanding of perseverance. He looks at the Lenten season not as a duty, but as a chance to reset, adding intention back into our spiritual lives and reconnecting with the commitments we so often lose sight of after the new year begins.
 
Scott opens up about the difficult seasons that tested him: childhood loneliness, personal loss, parenting challenges. What helped him keep going? A growing faith, a clearer sense of purpose, and the decision to turn toward God instead of away. He shares a conversation with a friend who faced unthinkable hardship and chose to draw closer to Christ in the aftermath, a reminder that we all face that same choice when life doesn’t go as planned.
 
With scripture from James 1:12 and a powerful reflection found in an old church cookbook, Scott invites listeners to reframe Lent as a time for both fasting and feasting, for trading worry for trust, and frustration for gratitude. How do we keep moving forward when everything feels heavy? Where do we find strength when we’re running low? This episode points back to faith as the answer, even when the questions feel overwhelming.
 
Quotes
“One aspect of keeping our goals, one aspect of moving forward is perseverance. And we can see that in the Bible.” (02:37 | Scott Asmar)
“And I look back at my challenges in life, my trials, and how did I get through those? And at the time, I probably didn’t really realize it, but it was through the grace of God who strengthens me.” (07:49 | Scott Asmar)
“When tragedy, a trial, a tribulation of this magnitude happens, there are two ways you can go. You can either go away, you can either take the path and go away from God, or use that, get yourself closer to God.” (09:56 | Scott Asmar)
“It is this time that I don’t worry, try not to worry, and I give it to God and literally say, let go and let God.” (12:44 | Scott Asmar)
“Fast from discouragement. Feast on hope. Fast from suspicion. Feast on truth. Fast from thoughts that weaken. Feast on promises that inspire.” (15:47 | Scott Asmar)
 
Links
https://www.instagram.com/p/DHJkNiPyHMY/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
 
Connect with Scott Asmar:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottasmar5/
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Midlife can feel like unfamiliar territory, but it might just be the perfect time to rebuild your faith from the inside out.
 
Scott Asmar opens up about stepping back from church after the pandemic and finding his way back to God through scripture, not structure. He shares how reading a single verse sparked deeper understanding, and how faith, trust, and confidence became the cornerstones of his spiritual growth.
 
What does it mean to leave your worries at the altar? And how do you build a relationship with God that feels personal, not performative? This episode is an honest reflection and a quiet challenge to begin—or begin again—with intention.
 
Quotes
“How do you start a friendship with someone? It’s through communication. How is that communication? How do you do that? You talk with the person. And it's the same way prayer with God can be formal as it is in church, or it can be informal as a conversation.” (04:23 | Scott Asmar)
“Our Bible is the autobiography of Christ in his life. And that is where we can begin our journey with him. It doesn’t have to be reading three or four chapters. It can just be reading a verse and meditating on that.” (04:47 | Scott Asmar)
“Trials of life are what build our faith and trust in Christ. It is muscle-building and the faith of believing without seeing.” (06:18 | Scott Asmar) 
“We’d go to church and put all our concerns and pray and put our tray on the altar. And church would end, and we’d go to the altar, and we’d take our tray, and we’d walk outside. And that’s not what God wants us to do. He wants us to leave the tray at the altar.” (07:28 | Scott Asmar)
“It’s not just so much about going physically to church, but it’s understanding who Christ is through the Bible.” (10:40 | Scott Asmar) 
 
Links
https://www.instagram.com/p/DHJkNiPyHMY/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
 
Connect with Scott Asmar:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottasmar5/
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

A father’s presence shapes a daughter’s world in ways that last a lifetime. But as a father, what does it mean to show up, to listen, and to guide without overstepping?
 
In this episode, I sit down with Justin Goshgarian, a father of seven daughters, for an honest conversation about the challenges and rewards of fatherhood. We talk about what it takes to raise strong, independent women, the shift from protector to trusted advisor, and why sometimes the best thing a father can do is simply listen.
 
Justin shares his experiences navigating different personalities under one roof and how faith has shaped his parenting. This conversation is a heartfelt look at the role we play in shaping our daughters’ confidence, choices, and future relationships.
 
Quotes
“I’ve always said the first man in a daughter’s life is her father.” (8:08 | Scott Asmar) 
“Listen to your daughters and don’t try to fix it. Just listen, and honestly, that would be it. And just let your daughters know that you’ll be a sounding board. And when they want help, they will absolutely tell you.” (17:27 | Justin Goshgarian)
“Those moments where you listen, you encourage, you pray—that does a lot for them. That’s all they really needed was just that encouragement, that time. Because when you’re in a low spot, it kind of picks you up, gives you that gumption to keep going.” (19:10 | Justin Goshgarian)
“One thing I've done with all the girls is I've always given them a promise ring. For me, that promise ring means that there's always a reminder of your value and the value that I see in you, the value that God sees in you. And that, I'm always going to be there for you and always be that reminder for you.” (20:53 | Justin Goshgarian)
 
Links
Connect with Scott Asmar:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottasmar5/
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Being alone can feel peaceful or isolating. What makes the difference?
 
Scott Asmar sits down with licensed marriage and family therapist Natalie Kazarian to explore the line between solitude and loneliness. Can time alone be a source of strength, or does it always signal disconnection? They unpack how intentionality shapes our experience, why some people feel lonelier in a crowd than by themselves, and how to recognize when solitude is helping or hurting.
 
Scott reflects on his own shifts between being alone and feeling lonely, while Natalie shares ways to foster connection, whether through personal reflection, community, or small daily choices. They also break down the role of social media: does it connect us, or does it leave us more isolated?
 
Join Scott and Natalie’s discussion for a compelling look at how we experience being alone and what it takes to build meaningful connection.
 
Quotes
“I believe that that is true loneliness when you don’t feel like there’s anybody there, but that’s different from being alone, which is a very positive thing as I see it.” (05:07 | Scott Asmar)
“Aloneness can lead to feelings and thoughts around reflection, behavior, what we want to do in the future. It’s a really beautiful space. Again, if we’re seeing it in that kind of positive light, the positive sentiment of it, it’s a wonderful place to go for creativity, to understand ourselves better, and honestly, to reflect on the past too, which is not always a bad thing.” (07:11 | Natalie Kazarian) 
“Robin Williams once said, ‘I used to think the worst thing in life is to end up all alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel all alone.’” (09:45 | Natalie Kazarian)
“And you brought up a point that I hadn’t thought about, actually, is that it is a punishment, as you say, in solitary confinement. So if we as humans, we’re punishing ourselves if we stay in solitude, or if we stay in that state.” (15:21 | Scott Asmar) 
“I also believe that alone time does help you, and a positive thing of loneliness can help you prepare yourself for the next phase so that you can move to the next phase and appreciate where you have been and where you are at now.” (17:58 | Scott Asmar) 
 
Links
Connect with Scott Asmar:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottasmar5/
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm