Pansophical: The Podcast for Your Soul
Humanity has always evolved through the wisdom passed down from one generation to the next. Pansophical Podcast is a project that honors that tradition of the old teaching the young: not just to preserve knowledge, but to build relationships, resilience, and a sense of meaning.
Across every culture, storytelling and music have always been deeply intertwined. When the two come together in harmony, they touch something fundamental in the human spirit. In Portugal, this feeling is known as “fado,” or the sound of longing and fate. The ancient Greeks spoke of “pansophy,” a kind of universal wisdom that gently weaves together knowledge from all aspects of life. In English, we sometimes refer to it as “universal knowledge.”
You might think of it like a quilt: each patch represents a story, a song, or a lived experience. On their own, these pieces hold their own beauty, yet when stitched together, they reveal something deeper. Pansophy describes that deeper pattern, the wisdom that emerges when everything begins to connect.
Through richly told stories woven with original music, voice over actor and American expat David Thomas shares the fun, the strange and the beautiful lessons he’s learned in this lifetime. Each episode is a crafted pearl: entertaining, heartfelt, and often laugh-out-loud human.
But Pansophical isn’t just a podcast, it’s a mindset. It’s a reminder that even when life gets hard, perspective is always a tool we can use.
Each episode brings new stories and musical, soulful features. There’s self-help tips and pep talks, life lessons and encouragement, inspiring insights and banter with Dave and his guests – a veritable pansophy to help you live with more ease, joy, and purpose.
Pansophical Podcast. Tune in. Lighten up. Live better.
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.
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