About Pansophical Podcast
When Life Hits Hard, Perspective Changes Everything
Pansophical Podcast host Dave Thomas’ life has been a masterclass in resilience.
Childhood trauma that resulted in severe CPTSD. A short-lived military career. Breaking into Hollywood, succeeding in the cutthroat entertainment industry, and years later making a dramatic exit to the mountains, where he started this podcast. Two marriages and two divorces. From homeless in downtown LA to hanging out with the Dalai Lama, Dave’s endured career pivots that would break most people. Most recently, he emigrated to Portugal and started a whole new life adventure at an age when his peers are hanging up their hats.
Through all of this, Dave has learned one crucial truth: how you see your situation determines everything that comes next.
Pansophical Podcast is about Dave’s formula for success, but it’s not about perfection. It's about pansophy, which is a fancy word for “wisdom”; specifically, the pursuit of universal wisdom through lived experience. Dave doesn't just theorize about overcoming adversity, either. He's done it repeatedly and lived to tell the tale.
Why You Should Listen
Dave speaks the language of people who've been knocked down and desperately want to get back up. His stories aren't sanitized. They're raw and emotionally honest, but still practical… just like Dave. Whether you're dealing with:
Mental health struggles that feel overwhelming
Career transitions that threaten your identity
Relationship challenges that make you feel stuck
Past trauma that keeps surfacing
Life reinvention at any age…
Dave's been there. More importantly, he's developed the mental tools to not just survive these experiences, but to extract wisdom from them.
The Pansophy Perspective
While others talk about positive thinking, Dave practices perspective shifting, the art of finding genuine opportunity and growth in life's hardest moments. It's not about denial or toxic optimism. It's about developing the mental agility to see all sides of any situation and choose the path that serves your future, not your fears.
Each episode pairs Dave’s personal stories with the practical wisdom he’s learned. The show features Eric Nash’s original musical soundscapes and guests from Dave’s artistic circle, many of whom have faced similar obstacles. You'll walk away not just entertained, but equipped with new ways to think about your own challenges.
Ready to change how you see your life? Start listening.
Photo credit: Robert Ashcroft
From shaking hands with JFK at age six to chatting with the Dalai Lama at twenty-one, David A. Thomas has lived a life full of unexpected turns, inspirational encounters, and a relentless curiosity about what makes people tick.
After early success in speech and theater, David briefly pursued the spotlight in Hollywood—rubbing shoulders with legends like Robert Mitchum and the Nicholas Brothers—only to realize the fame game wasn’t for him. His journey took him through the Army, stand-up comedy, and eventually voiceover work, where he found his true creative groove.
You may not know his face, but you’ve likely heard his voice. From “Cowboy Bebop” to “King of the Hill,” Spanish soap operas to Star Wars fan films like “Dark Legacy,” Dave has given life to dozens of memorable characters—sometimes as a hero, other times as one of the "scariest Sith Lords of all time."
His voice work has appeared everywhere from cult anime to Jackie Chan films to the Image Awards, where he even advocated to pass the mic to more underrepresented talent. But underneath the credits is someone who’s always been more interested in meaning than fame. For David, storytelling is a tool—one that can entertain, enlighten, and sometimes even heal.
His Pansophical Podcast is a reflection of that same mission: to offer something real in a world overwhelmed by noise. David is deeply curious about how stories work, and how subtext—the stuff people don’t say—shapes what we believe, buy into, or become. That insight helped him survive the ups and downs of the entertainment world, make rent when it counted, and even raise a foster son, which he says is one of the most important things he’s ever done.
Drawing from a lifetime of odd jobs, near misses, personal breakthroughs, and brushes with fame, David brings listeners a mix of humor, hard-won wisdom, and the radical idea that optimism is a choice. It’s about finding light in a messy world, learning to laugh when things go sideways, and staying positive even when you’ve got every reason not to. In Davids words: “Life is heaven or hell. I choose fun—and that ain’t hell.”
Contact David for more info about Pansophical Podcast.
Eric Nash Schermerhorn is Pansophical’s musical director/songwriter.
Also known as Eric Nash, he began playing guitar at age 12. His first chance at playing concerts on the big stage was a one-year tour with David Bowie’s Tin Machine and from there, Eric just kept rising in the music world. His impeccable technique and heartfelt songwriting led to more world tours and collaborations.
Eric has spent decades immersed in music, befriending some of the most influential artists of our time. While on the road with Bowie, the two often traded ideas and late-night conversations inspired by the science fiction of Philip K. Dick. His time working with Iggy Pop took a different turn – they delved deep into history, particularly Edward Gibbon’s accounts of Western civilization.
Known not just for his talent but for the genuine connections he builds, Nash has earned the respect and friendship of many. When recording artist Seal heard that Eric had lost his collection of guitars to the 2025 Los Angeles fires, he sent him a very old and special Martin acoustic. Other musician friends followed suit and Eric now has a half dozen guitars to play. Eric also co-wrote two albums with acclaimed London band The The, and he continues to stay in touch with band members Matt Johnson and Eagle Eye.
Now off the road and enjoying a quieter life, Eric is happily married and a proud father of two sons: Django, an aerospace scientist, and Wolf, a professional goalkeeper for a top football team in France.
Contact us
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