What Surreally Happened at Burning Man
Olivia Steele is a globally recognized contemporary artist known for her provocative neon installations that fuse light, language, and landscape to explore spiritual awareness, societal illusion, and emotional truth. With works placed everywhere from Burning Man to public streets, Steele uses handwritten phrases in noble gas glass tubing to create moments of reflection and disruption—what she calls “visual mantras.” Her art challenges perception, illuminates the unseen, and invites viewers into deeper inquiry about self, soul, and the modern world.
EPISODE #026 WITH OLIVIA STEELE
When Olivia Steele broke her silence about what really happened to her at Burning Man, it shook the community.
Her viral, polarizing post called out what she described as a psychic break—not a bad trip, not burnout, but an energetic hijacking. The reactions were swift: some dismissed her, others attacked her… and many quietly messaged her: “I’ve felt this too.”
This is the first time Olivia shares the full story—raw, real, and without algorithmic filter.
In this exclusive, soul-baring conversation with Jeff Scult, Olivia unpacks the hidden side of transformational spaces: the portals we open, the protection we neglect, and the price we pay for chasing peak experience without energetic hygiene.
What began as a warning became a reckoning. A reckoning became a rebirth.
🔥 If you’ve ever walked away from a ceremony, festival, or “spiritual” space feeling off, drained, or like someone—or something—got in, this episode is for you.
Together, Jeff and Olivia explore:
What actually happened to her on the Playa that led to her viral share
The difference between burnout and energetic takeover
The unseen impact of ungrounded peak experiences
How art, authenticity, and awareness become tools of sovereignty
Why “sacred” spaces are not always safe spaces—and what to do about it
This is not an exposé on Burning Man. It’s a clarion call for truth, sovereignty, and discernment in a world obsessed with transformation—but unprepared for its cost.
🪞 Listen with an open heart. Leave with a fortified field.
Now streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms.
Flow Stamps:
[00:01:35] — Olivia speaks out for the first time publicly
“This is the first time I'm talking about what happened.”
[00:03:42] — The viral Instagram post + community backlash
Olivia shares how her pre-Burning Man warning triggered major reactions: “I felt I had to say something, and the second I did, it was like crickets and cancellation.”
[00:06:57] — Experiencing a “psychic attack”
“What happened can be described as a psychic attack or an energetic attack.”
[00:10:49] — Unplugged from source: the spiritual disconnection
Olivia describes feeling completely severed from her sense of divine connection.
[00:14:32] — Breaking through denial: “This was not a bad trip”
She defends the legitimacy of her experience: “This was not a psychosis. I shouldn't take meds.”
[00:20:01] — The polarity of Burning Man: playground or battleground?
“Burning Man is the biggest human experiment… you're signing up for all of it.”
[00:24:58] — The internal vs. external war
Olivia reflects on the tension between protecting light and being consumed by darkness.
[00:32:14] — Stepping into her role as a “seer”
Olivia talks about being born with spiritual sight and the burden/blessing of vision.
[00:36:45] — The deeper invitation: Choosing love over fear
“I want to close with the importance of living in love, not in fear.”
[00:39:30] — Final reflection on resilience and awareness
Olivia ends with a call for higher awareness and truth in community spaces.
About JEFFSCULT:
A visionary in fashion, community and consciousness, embodies the essence of transformation. With a background as an Ad Man, storyteller, and five-time entrepreneur, Jeff transitioned from amplifying others' missions to birthing his own in 2016 with One Golden Thread. His multifaceted talents as an intuitive first-time fashion designer, word floet, brand consultant, writer, and igniter converge to create a brand that goes beyond clothing—it's a movement towards authenticity and regeneration.
As the founder, designer, and CEO of One Golden Thread, Jeff's mission is to harmonize fashion and functionality, urging authentic self-expression and purpose-driven living. His innovative approach has earned him recognition, including features in Forbes and invitations to speak on regeneration. Jeff's superpower resides in his ability to follow the thread, revealing the gold that resides inside every human being.
Now, with his podcast "Drops of Gold," Jeff extends his reach even further, guiding listeners along the golden thread towards their highest selves. Through his words, designs, and actions, JEFFSCULT continues to inspire and empower others to embrace their inner light and live boldly, authentically, and goldenly.