11 July 2025
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The Wright Show Enlightenment by Trial and Error |
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Robert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Jay Michaelson (jaymichaelson.net, The Daily Beast)
- Jay’s new book, Enlightenment by Trial and Error . 3:28
- Why Jay embarked on a path of mysticism . 6:08
- Ayahuasca, unitive experiences, and bad trips . 16:58
- Jews who are “religious but not spiritual” . 36:37
- Finding “real happiness” through meditation . 46:24
- Varieties of enlightening experience . 51:09
- What’s distinctive about Jewish mysticism? . 65:20
- The things Jay still takes from Judaism . 76:07
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Robert Wright
Jay Michaelson
Robert Wright
Jay Michaelson
Recorded:Nov 12
Posted:Dec 2, 2019
Download:
- Jay’s new book, “Enlightenment by Trial and Error: Ten Years on the Slippery Slopes of Jewish Spirituality, Postmodern Buddhism, and Other Mystical Heresies”
- Bob’s book, “Why Buddhism Is True”
- Melila Hellner-Eshed’s book, “A River Flows from Eden: The Language of Mystical Experience in the Zohar”
- Bob and Jay’s 2016 conversation
The Wright Show | Dec 2, 2019 | Robert Wright & Jay Michaelson
Culturally Determined
What if Kant had never been born?
Aryeh Cohen-Wade and David Ottlinger ponder the role of contingency in the history of philosophy.
The Wright Show
Saving the species by transcending species-typical tendencies
Robert Wright and Josh Summers discuss the importance of overcoming cognitive distortions that are part of human nature.
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The existential stakes of enlightenment
Robert Wright and Josh Summers discuss how mindfulness can help humankind overcome potentially disastrous cognitive biases.
James Lindsay climbs aboard the Trump train
David Ottlinger and journalist Cathy Young discuss the controversial anti-woke crusader’s support for Donald Trump.
The Wright Show
Crime and Punishment and Determinism
Robert Wright and journalist Oliver Burkeman ask whether a commitment to determinism would require us to rethink our approach to criminal justice.
The Wright Show
What do we want from science?
Robert Wright and John Horgan discuss whether quantum computing can help us understand how quantum mechanics actually works.
The Wright Show
Looking at pornography (for insights into human evolution)
Robert Wright and anthropologist Agustín Fuentes debate whether studying porn viewing habits helps us understand the evolution of human sexuality.
Mind-Body Problems
Is free will incompatible with the laws of physics?
John Horgan and physicist Sabine Hossenfelder debate whether a belief in free will requires us to deny some of the fundamental laws of physics.
The Wright Show
Ten tools for embracing your finitude
Robert Wright and Oliver Burkeman, author of the new book Four Thousand Weeks, discuss some workable time management techniques.
The Wright Show
The “apologist” smear
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