21 December 2024
comments
|
archives
subscribe
Programs
Culturally Determined
Mind-Body Problems
Psychopolitica
Sophia
The Wright Show
Archived Programs
Conversations@Union
Love-Driven Politics
MeaningofLife.tv Asks…
Science of Spirituality
Sixty-Second Sermons
Series
Ancient Wisdom
Emotions and the Brain
The Meaning of Future Life
The Weirdness of Physics
Popular Tags
politics
science
psychology
mindfulness
consciousness
philosophy
human nature
technology
religion
Christianity
ethics
evolution
spirituality
Buddhism
death
ancient philosophy
cognitive science
physics
meditation
Donald Trump
MeaningofLife.tv videos
Subscribe to MeaningofLife.tv videos via podcast or email
Nov 1, 2019 — Robert Wright & Preston Greene
Why many intelligent people think we’re living in a simulation
The philosophical argument that you’re probably not real
How cosmic rays might (and might not) reveal that reality is fake
Preston’s dire warning against trying to determine if we’re in a simulation
Is the simulation hypothesis non-falsifiable?
Is “the simulation” just religion for atheists?
TAGS
atheism
|
cosmology
|
death
|
history
|
philosophy
|
physics
|
religion
|
science
|
technology
|
the future
Sep 11, 2019 — Robert Wright & Nina Strohminger
Nina’s research on how we understand the self
The traits that make your self yourself
Buddhism and the continuity of self through time
The link between egocentrism and an equanimous attitude toward death
Bob: Not-self is hard to experience and very hard to understand
Asian Buddhists vs. “white boy Buddhists”
Does a happy life require virtuous behavior?
TAGS
Buddhism
|
death
|
meditation
|
psychology
|
self
Jun 19, 2019 — Aryeh Cohen-Wade & Rachel Vorona Cote
Rachel’s essay on her mother’s death, “The Fraught Culture of Online Mourning”
Aryeh recalls mourning his father in the pre–social media era
A moment when language fails
Is it possible to talk about death with sincerity on Twitter?
The many (often gendered) Victorian rituals of mourning
Rachel’s forthcoming book,
Too Much: How Victorian Constraints Still Bind Women Today
Do you want to be memorialized for eternity on Facebook?
TAGS
death
|
family
|
gender
|
history
|
psychology
|
ritual
|
sadness
Apr 30, 2019 — Robert Wright & Luke Kemp
Are we on the road to civilizational collapse?
Why we need global governance, not global government
The double-edged sword of civilizational complexity
The apocalyptic scenario Bob fears most
Luke: Not every problem has a technical solution
Bob: Slower technological change would be a blessing
TAGS
climate change
|
cosmology
|
death
|
history
|
meditation
|
science
|
technology
|
the future
|
violence
Jul 20, 2018 — Robert Wright & Robin Hanson
Why Robin’s head will be severed and frozen upon his death
Robin used the phrase “redistribution of sex” and people got mad
Robin defends his controversial blog post about rape and cuckoldry
Robin’s book about our selfish motives,
The Elephant in the Brain
Laughter as a signal about norm violation
Robin: Politics is about proving your loyalty to your side
What’s the real reason we engage in conversation?
TAGS
altruism
|
death
|
gender
|
psychology
Mar 4, 2018 — Philip Menchaca & Sr. Theresa Aletheia Noble
Growing up Very Catholic
Sister Theresa’s atheist youth and subsequent return to faith
Finding a calling within the Church
Why remembering her own mortality is essential to Sister Theresa’s faith
Sister Theresa: Not all believers understand their children’s doubt
TAGS
atheism
|
Christianity
|
death
|
education
|
family
|
religion
Jan 29, 2018 — Robert Wright & Michael Shermer
The time Michael thought he was being abducted by aliens
Michael’s new book,
Heavens on Earth
Deepak Chopra’s afterlife
Why uploading your brain to achieve immortality makes no sense
Is radical life extension just bunk?
The Second Coming, presented by Ray Kurzweil
What consolation can the atheist offer to the dying?
The spookiest thing that’s ever happened to Michael
TAGS
aging
|
atheism
|
Buddhism
|
consciousness
|
death
|
Hinduism
|
mind-body problem
|
New Atheists
|
religion
|
the future
|
transhumanism
Feb 22, 2017 — Robert Wright & Micah Redding
Transhumanism and the singularity
Teilhard de Chardin’s “Omega Point”
The (theoretical) physics of immortality and resurrection
The theism of the simulation theory
Any word on transhumanist Islam or Judaism?
Christianity and globalization
TAGS
Christianity
|
death
|
human nature
|
Islam
|
Judaism
|
love
|
religion
|
technology
|
the future
|
transhumanism
Dec 20, 2016 — Robert Wright & Giulio Prisco
What is transhumanism?
Is immortality possible?
Using wormholes to resurrect the dead
Could you rewind the universe?
Transhumanism as a religion
Why Giulio calls himself a theist
TAGS
consciousness
|
death
|
physics
|
religion
|
spirituality
|
technology
|
the future
|
transhumanism
Dec 18, 2016 — Nikita Petrov & George Young
Does Russian thought have anything to contribute to the world?
Nikolay Fedorov, an eccentric thinker who influenced Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky
Fedorov’s plan: Immortality for everyone
“Kinship” as a fundamental property of all matter
A mass movement for the spiritual unity of humankind
Vladimir Solovyov’s
The Meaning of Love
: Sexuality as a path to a Christian utopia
Christ as the ultimate role model
TAGS
Christianity
|
consciousness
|
death
|
evolution
|
history
|
human nature
|
literature
|
mysticism
|
occult
|
philosophy
|
politics
|
religion
|
science
|
spirituality
|
technology
|
the future
|
transhumanism
Oct 25, 2016 — Philip Menchaca & Benjamin Zeller
The link between “new religious movements” and violence
The suicidal cult Heaven’s Gate
Suicide as a religious act
Why Heaven’s Gate matters
The thin line between Heaven’s Gate and mainstream religions
Donald Trump, American messiah?
TAGS
Buddhism
|
Christianity
|
death
|
Donald Trump
|
economics
|
psychology
|
religion
|
science
|
spirituality
Oct 19, 2016 — Robert Wright & Sam Harris
Sam Harris, mystic and atheist
The mystery of consciousness
Is mysticism more like science than like religion?
How religion makes progress
Sam’s case for intolerance
The root causes of extremism
Religious and secular reasons to do good
Ways religion may be closer to the truth than atheism
A secular approach to death
TAGS
agnosticism
|
atheism
|
Buddhism
|
Christianity
|
cognitive science
|
consciousness
|
death
|
empathy
|
ethics
|
evolution
|
history
|
Islam
|
meditation
|
mind-body problem
|
mindfulness
|
mysticism
|
nationalism
|
New Atheists
|
perception
|
poverty
|
psychology
|
religion
|
science
|
self
|
spirituality
|
tribalism
Oct 1, 2016 — Robert Wright & Stephen Batchelor
What Buddhim really is (and isn’t) about
What various Buddhist traditions have to offer
The Buddha as a practical philosopher
How the Buddha revolutionized meditation
The idea of not-self, and its connection to an ethical life
Why death is not the end even if there’s no rebirth
The ethical dimension of enlightenment
TAGS
Buddhism
|
Christianity
|
death
|
enlightenment
|
Hinduism
|
meditation
|
secularism
|
spirituality
Sep 17, 2016 — Nikita Petrov & George Young
What is Russian cosmism?
The religious side of cosmism
Cosmism as a response to the challenges of the 20th century
Nature as a temporary enemy and eternal friend
Pavel Florensky, the Russian da Vinci
Plant life as a spiritual ideal
The father of the Soviet space program, and his weird spirituality
Cosmism and transhumanism: Compare and contrast
Cosmism as a Russian propaganda project
TAGS
Christianity
|
consciousness
|
death
|
evolution
|
history
|
human nature
|
mysticism
|
occult
|
philosophy
|
politics
|
religion
|
science
|
spirituality
|
technology
|
the future
|
transhumanism
Aug 23, 2016 — Robert Wright & Daniel Ogilvie
Why Dan decided to teach a course about soul beliefs
Almost all Americans believe in an undying soul
When did religion become infused with morality?
Greek philosophers on the soul
How to challenge beliefs in a smart way
Is religion a convenient way to deny death?
TAGS
ancient philosophy
|
death
|
ethics
|
history
|
monotheism
|
New Atheists
|
philosophy
|
psychology
|
religion
|
Richard Dawkins
|
science
|
soul
Aug 8, 2016 — Robert Wright & Susan Schneider
The most intelligent life in outer space may be artificial
Should we be worried about AI?
Shopping for a scientific path to eternal life
“Protomentality,” matter’s (hypothesized) latent sentience
Would your self survive uploading to a computer?
What if we never understand consciousness?
TAGS
cognitive science
|
compassion
|
consciousness
|
death
|
free will
|
human nature
|
identity
|
mind-body problem
|
philosophy
|
physics
|
psychology
|
science
|
technology
|
the future
|
transhumanism
May 15, 2016 — Annabella Pitkin & Alyson Prude
The
delog
: Himalayan Buddhists who return from the dead
The horrors of Buddhist hell realms
Telling stories about the Buddhist afterlife can be dangerous
Why most
delog
are women
How a
delog
death experience changes your life
What Alyson learned while living among
delog
TAGS
Buddhism
|
death
|
religion
Feb 25, 2016 — Robert Wright & George Johnson
The limits of human knowledge
Confronting the weirdness of quantum physics
Einstein, relativity, photons—and time travel!
What good is a legacy if you’re dead?
George’s ideal afterlife
The human compulsion to find order in the world
TAGS
consciousness
|
death
|
free will
|
physics
|
religion
|
time
Feb 11, 2016 — Robert Wright & Sarah Posner
The fractured evangelical vote
State of the evangelical mind (with a cameo by Sarah’s dog Karma)
The trajectory of Sarah’s relationship with Judaism
Journalistic work as a source of pleasure and meaning
Mourning without the consolation of an afterlife
Hillary’s brand of liberal Christianity
TAGS
Christianity
|
death
|
Donald Trump
|
Islam
|
Judaism
|
media
|
politics
Feb 2, 2016 — Massimo Pigliucci & Daniel Fincke (moderated by Daniel Kaufman)
Stoicism: a philosophical alternative to religion
Adapting an ancient philosophy of life to modern times
Accepting harsh truths
Confronting regret, fear, and death
Applying Stoicism to the social sphere
Interpreting the concept of radical self-sufficiency
TAGS
ancient philosophy
|
death
|
ethics
|
fear
|
philosophy
|
religion
|
sadness
Dec 24, 2015 — Robert Wright & Michael Brendan Dougherty
Why conservative Catholic Michael likes the New Atheists
Finding strength and unity in Scripture
What’s the true meaning of Christmas?
Michael: Catholic ritual defines my religion
Michael’s Irish heritage and Bob’s West Texas roots
How a fear of Hell affects everyday life
TAGS
Christianity
|
death
|
New Atheists
|
religion
|
ritual
Nov 14, 2015 — Robert Wright & Jonah Goldberg
Finding meaning in faith and family
How to be political yet non-tribal
Friendship as a source of corruption
What Donald Trump gets wrong about the value of money
Our special connection with dogs
On confronting the inevitability of death
TAGS
death
|
family
|
happiness
|
psychology
|
tribalism
Nov 9, 2015 — Robert Wright & Oliver Burkeman
Oliver’s book on happiness and negativity,
The Antidote
What’s the worst that could happen? Imagine it!
Similarities between Stoicism and Buddhism
What our fear of death is really about
What’s the connection between money and happiness?
Why you should “hang out” in negative situations
TAGS
ancient philosophy
|
Buddhism
|
death
|
happiness
|
meditation
|
poverty
|
psychology
|
self
Oct 30, 2015 — David Bryce Yaden & Julien Musolino
Yes, you can be a “spiritual atheist”
Intuitive beliefs about the body and the soul
Julien: The soul (most likely) doesn’t exist
How believing in the soul makes you more punitive
Crime, moral responsibility, and a suffering boulder
Julien: We don’t need God to provide us with meaning
TAGS
atheism
|
death
|
free will
|
justice
|
philosophy
|
religion
|
soul
|
spirituality
Oct 12, 2015 — Robert Wright & David Frum
David’s “noodle art” metaphor for religious truth
Would aliens have the same morality as humans?
Why we need rituals
What Judaism offers to non-believers
David: Heaven doesn’t sound very interesting
Leaving the right kind of legacy
TAGS
death
|
Judaism
|
religion
|
spirituality
Oct 10, 2015 — Robert Wright & John McWhorter
What gives John’s life meaning?
Unorthodox views on evolution and natural selection
Can art provide a spiritual experience?
The difference between consuming art and making it
Fear of infirmity … but not death
John on doing what he was meant to do
TAGS
aesthetics
|
atheism
|
death
|
evolution
|
music
|
religion
|
spirituality
Sep 26, 2015 — Robert Wright & Glenn Loury
Glenn’s born-again Christian experience
A double life: Harvard professor and crack addict
How the death of a close friend shattered Glenn’s faith
Is a secular life a less meaningful life?
Glenn’s communitarian understanding of moral truth
Why hedonism isn’t enough
TAGS
Christianity
|
death
|
drugs
|
family
|
prayer
|
religion
Sep 15, 2015 — Robert Wright & Matthew Yglesias
Is loving your kids just your genes helping themselves?
Matt’s strange new respect for Tony Soprano
How the web made writing more meaningful
Why Matt is more religious than spiritual
The origins of Matt’s phenomenal productivity
Would living forever be kind of a drag?
TAGS
death
|
Judaism
|
love
|
media
|
psychology
Jul 15, 2015 — John Horgan & Sheldon Solomon
Sheldon’s roots in psychology
Ernest Becker and the meaning of mortality
Terror and death as motivating forces in life
Studying death rituals around the world
What happens when we’re reminded of death
Is there a path to eternity—or at least sanity?
TAGS
cognitive science
|
death
|
drugs
|
meditation
|
philosophy
|
psychology
Jul 6, 2015 — Robert Wright & Joel Achenbach
Joel wrassles with mortality
Bob reflects on his two-week silent meditation retreat
The existential angst of a broken iPhone
Meditation and a toothache
What gives Joel’s life meaning
All about MeaningofLife.tv!
TAGS
Buddhism
|
death
|
meditation
|
religion
|
self
Archives
all videos
November 2021
(2)
September 2021
(4)
August 2021
(3)
July 2021
(1)
June 2021
(2)
May 2021
(4)
April 2021
(3)
March 2021
(4)
February 2021
(5)
January 2021
(4)
December 2020
(7)
November 2020
(5)
October 2020
(3)
September 2020
(4)
August 2020
(5)
July 2020
(8)
June 2020
(6)
May 2020
(5)
April 2020
(5)
March 2020
(7)
February 2020
(6)
January 2020
(3)
December 2019
(6)
November 2019
(5)
October 2019
(6)
September 2019
(7)
August 2019
(3)
July 2019
(9)
June 2019
(13)
May 2019
(5)
April 2019
(9)
March 2019
(3)
February 2019
(4)
January 2019
(9)
December 2018
(11)
November 2018
(12)
October 2018
(9)
September 2018
(6)
August 2018
(9)
July 2018
(7)
June 2018
(12)
May 2018
(10)
April 2018
(6)
March 2018
(9)
February 2018
(9)
January 2018
(11)
December 2017
(9)
November 2017
(4)
October 2017
(7)
September 2017
(7)
August 2017
(8)
July 2017
(5)
June 2017
(8)
May 2017
(3)
April 2017
(6)
March 2017
(5)
February 2017
(8)
January 2017
(27)
December 2016
(33)
November 2016
(12)
October 2016
(18)
September 2016
(13)
August 2016
(12)
July 2016
(8)
June 2016
(14)
May 2016
(15)
April 2016
(8)
March 2016
(10)
February 2016
(16)
January 2016
(8)
December 2015
(11)
November 2015
(11)
October 2015
(14)
September 2015
(11)
August 2015
(11)
July 2015
(10)
November 2014
(1)
August 2014
(2)
July 2014
(1)
May 2014
(1)
January 2014
(3)
October 2013
(2)
September 2013
(1)
July 2013
(1)
May 2013
(1)
January 2013
(1)
December 2012
(1)
November 2012
(2)
June 2010
(1)
August 2003
(12)
July 2003
(8)