21 December 2024
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MeaningofLife.tv videos
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Nov 27, 2016 — Nikita Petrov & Robert Place
Anticipating Trump
How to read cards
The Renaissance and the birth of Tarot
Basics of neoplatonism
Neoplatonic and Buddhist philosophy in the Tarot
Tarot as a philosophical card game
Card reading, therapy, and meditation
The Great Work of alchemy
How art revived the occult
TAGS
ancient philosophy
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Buddhism
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Christianity
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consciousness
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enlightenment
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meditation
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mysticism
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mythology
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occult
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philosophy
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politics
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psychology
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religion
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self
Nov 12, 2016 — David Bryce Yaden & Scott Barry Kaufman
From positive to humanistic psychology
Must one risk madness to achieve genius?
How creativity and spirituality overlap
The light and dark triad of personality traits
Mindfulness as the link between creativity and spirituality
TAGS
Buddhism
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cognitive science
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consciousness
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creativity
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ethics
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meditation
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mindfulness
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psychology
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spirituality
Oct 20, 2016 — Robert Wright & Daniel Ingram
What is “mindfulness?”
Suffering: Can’t live without it!
The pathology of our wandering minds
Seeking the chaos of impermanence
Do all thoughts have feelings?
What’s the relationship between your mind and your brain?
TAGS
Buddhism
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consciousness
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enlightenment
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meditation
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memory
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mind-body problem
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mindfulness
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psychology
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religion
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
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atheism
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Buddhism
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Christianity
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cognitive science
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consciousness
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death
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empathy
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ethics
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evolution
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history
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Islam
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meditation
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mind-body problem
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mindfulness
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mysticism
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nationalism
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New Atheists
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perception
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poverty
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psychology
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religion
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science
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self
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spirituality
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tribalism
Oct 10, 2016 — Robert Wright & Jonathan Gold
The seminal Buddhist philosopher Vasubandhu, hero of
Paving the Great Way
Buddhist and Darwinian arguments for reality not being as it seems
The ‘hyper-reductionism’ of Buddhism
Meditation and the doctrine of emptiness
Does the Buddhist view of causality leave room for agency?
Are the past and the future real?
Hindu and Buddhist versions of non-duality
TAGS
Buddhism
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evolution
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free will
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Hinduism
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human nature
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meditation
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mindfulness
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perception
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philosophy
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psychology
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religion
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self
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spirituality
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time
Oct 9, 2016 — Robert Wright & Wesley Wildman
Wesley explains “transreligious theology”
What’s religious about religious naturalism?
Can science help us understand ultimate reality?
Bringing religious thought and philosophy together
Be skeptical of spiritual experiences
Don’t just love your enemies, understand them
Wesley: “Purpose” isn’t a useful category
TAGS
atheism
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Buddhism
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Christianity
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consciousness
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meditation
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Paul Tillich
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philosophy
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physics
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psychology
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religion
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science
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spirituality
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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
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Christianity
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death
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enlightenment
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Hinduism
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meditation
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secularism
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spirituality
Sep 26, 2016 — Josh Summers & JP Sears
Meet JP Sears, the New Age Stephen Colbert
Josh receives ultraspiritual guidance from JP
Shining a light of satire on the “shadow side” of spiritual practices
Where JP’s comedy comes from
Stepping out of the comfort zone, and other spiritual disciplines
Watch Josh transform into an ultra-ultra-post-spiritual guru
TAGS
dreaming
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enlightenment
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meditation
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mindfulness
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psychology
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spirituality
Sep 21, 2016 — Robert Wright & Erik Braun
Erik’s book
The Birth of Insight
and its hero, Ledi Sayadaw
Three marks of existence: impermanence, suffering, and not-self
Origins and characteristics of American Buddhism
How Burmese politics shaped Western Buddhism
Ledi’s take on how meditation leads to enlightenment
The ethical side of Buddhist practice
Erik’s meditation practice
TAGS
Buddhism
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consciousness
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enlightenment
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history
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human nature
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meditation
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mind
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mindfulness
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philosophy
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politics
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psychology
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religion
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science
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self
Sep 14, 2016 — Robert Wright & Vincent Horn
Can smartphones help you meditate?
Bringing virtual reality and meditation together
Vincent’s experience teaching meditation online
Circumventing the rational mind via inquiry meditation
Becoming conscious of consciousness
Vincent’s “modular” approach to meditation
Is Vincent enlightened?
TAGS
Buddhism
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consciousness
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meditation
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science
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technology
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the future
Sep 10, 2016 — Josh Summers & Chip Hartranft
An intro to the yogic philosopher Patañjali and the
Yoga-Sutra
The metaphysics of the
Yoga-Sutra
How does a yogi become awakened?
Comparing yogic and Buddhist teachings
Does yogic philosophy encourage isolation?
Advice for new meditators
TAGS
Buddhism
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consciousness
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enlightenment
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Hinduism
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human nature
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meditation
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mindfulness
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philosophy
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religion
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spirituality
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yoga
Aug 19, 2016 — Robert Wright & Douglas Osto
Doug’s book
Altered States: Buddhism and Psychedelic Spirituality in America
Psychedelics as gateway drugs to Buddhism
Common ground between Buddhism and psychedelic spirituality
What is Psychedelic Buddhism?
When are psychedelics unhealthy?
Compare and contrast between Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism
TAGS
Buddhism
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consciousness
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drugs
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enlightenment
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happiness
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meditation
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mental health
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mindfulness
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religion
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spirituality
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Zen
Aug 3, 2016 — Benjamin Perry & Emily Brewer
Presbyterians who say “no” to war
What’s the connection between religion and violence?
How Emily’s time in Guatemala led her to peacework
Emily: Conflict zones aren’t quite as scary as you might think
Ben: Am I praying wrong?
How can religious institutions get better at promoting peace?
TAGS
Christianity
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economics
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meditation
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moral imagination
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power
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prayer
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religion
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violence
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war
Jul 27, 2016 — Oliver Burkeman & Susan Piver
When rage intrudes on meditation
The internal logic of bad acts
Susan explains the uses of lovingkindness meditation
Resisting the temptation to take pleasure in anger
Seeing terrorists as humans
Susan: don’t flee from bad feelings
TAGS
anger
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Buddhism
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compassion
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Donald Trump
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empathy
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evil
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fear
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happiness
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love
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meditation
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mindfulness
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moral imagination
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psychology
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tribalism
Jul 22, 2016 — Robert Wright & Jack Tsonis
Introducing the Saunatarian movement
Varieties of sauna
Jack’s conversion and the start of thermovangelism
Spiritual aspects of sauna
(Limited) data on health benefits
Where do I sign up?
TAGS
meditation
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ritual
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spirituality
Jul 10, 2016 — Robert Wright & Kenneth Folk
The bell-curve of awakening
Being enlightened feels “meta-okay”
The benefits of experiencing life impersonally
Does enlightenment have to have a moral dimension?
Awakening as growing up
The lenses and filters through which we see life
TAGS
altruism
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Buddhism
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consciousness
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drugs
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enlightenment
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ethics
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happiness
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meditation
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mindfulness
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perception
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psychology
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religion
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sadness
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self
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spirituality
Jul 5, 2016 — Robert Wright & Steven Nadler
What made Spinoza a heretic?
Why Spinoza matters today
Perspectives on the purpose, if any, of nature
Religion: a source of morality, meaning, and fear
Spinoza’s mysticism—or lack thereof
Parallels between Spinozan and Buddhist thought
TAGS
ancient philosophy
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atheism
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Buddhism
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Christianity
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Donald Trump
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enlightenment
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ethics
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evolution
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Judaism
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meditation
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mysticism
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philosophy
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politics
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religion
Jun 25, 2016 — Robert Wright & David Bryce Yaden
David’s recent research on “self-transcendent experiences”
Causes and effects of self-transcendence
Is the loss of self real?
Evolutionary explanations of mystical states
The neurology of meditation
Revisiting the mind-body problem
TAGS
Buddhism
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consciousness
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meditation
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mind-body problem
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psychology
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science
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self
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spirituality
Jun 24, 2016 — Robert Wright & Daniel Kaufman
Understanding Saddam Hussein ≠ sympathy for Saddam Hussein
The ethics of punishing bad people
Dan vs. evolutionary psychology
Is religion really behind Sunni-Shia conflict?
The good side of tribalism
What does “mindfulness” actually mean?
TAGS
Christianity
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ethics
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Islam
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meditation
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mindfulness
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moral imagination
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philosophy
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psychology
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religion
Jun 20, 2016 — Robert Wright
The Cliff Notes version of Bob’s first four talks
Must a spiritual worldview include a “higher purpose”?
How non-zero-sum games shaped religion
Is God like an electron?
Everyone is deluded (but salvation is possible)
An ancient theology compatible with a modern mindset
Questions from the audience
TAGS
Buddhism
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Christianity
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consciousness
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game theory
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Islam
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meditation
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religion
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spirituality
Jun 18, 2016 — Suzanne Koven & Jo Marchant
Why Jo wrote
Cure: A Journey Into the Science of Mind Over Body
The rift between alternative and traditional medicine
The real effects of “fake” medicine
Jo: Science needs to take alternative treatments seriously
The problem with focusing on pharmaceuticals
Bringing science and alternative medicine together
TAGS
drugs
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meditation
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psychology
Jun 17, 2016 — Josh Summers & Kamala Masters
Mahasi Sayadaw, grandfather of the modern mindfulness movement
How he opened meditation to lay people
Mahasi’s approach to “insight meditation”
Focusing on the breath and the practice of “noting”
The process—not progress—of insight
Pitfalls on the path
TAGS
Buddhism
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enlightenment
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meditation
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mindfulness
Jun 14, 2016 — Ben Casnocha & Dina Kaplan
Dina’s startup The Path teaches meditation in a modern way
Meditation sessions as networking events
Does God need to be involved?
Dina’s path to founding The Path
Dina’s personal practice
The best meditation app may be a timer
TAGS
Buddhism
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meditation
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spirituality
Jun 3, 2016 — Robert Wright & Adam Frank
Why we’re probably not the universe’s first intelligent species
The hardest step on the road from non-life to civilization
Surviving our planet’s adolescence
Would aliens be as tribalistic as we are?
Planet Earth as a superorganism
A few thoughts about Buddhism
TAGS
climate change
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meditation
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tribalism
May 16, 2016 — Robert Wright & Anantanand Rambachan
The Hindu philosophy of Advaita Vedanta
The nature of reality according to the
Upanishads
Anant explains “not-two is not one,” the subtitle of his book
Is “unity” in Hinduism the same as “emptiness” in Buddhism?
Comparing Hindu and Buddhist views of suffering
The meaning of “liberation”
Caste in India as an example of religion gone wrong
TAGS
Buddhism
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Hinduism
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meditation
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self
May 6, 2016 — David Bryce Yaden & Roland Griffiths
The road to scientific study of psilocybin
The dark side of psilocybin use
Spiritual experience is difficult to define—or miss
Flavors of unity and sacredness
Using psilocybin to give up smoking
TAGS
meditation
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spirituality
Apr 25, 2016 — Nikita Petrov & Jay Mutzafi
The spectrum of dream awareness
How to start lucid dreaming
Ways to use the virtual reality of your mind
Dream practices in Tibetan Buddhism
Scientific perspectives on lucid dreaming
Inducing lucidity with sound, light, electricity and supplements
TAGS
cognitive science
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consciousness
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dreaming
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meditation
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science
Mar 30, 2016 — Robert Wright & Emily Sigalow
Meet the American Jubu
How far into Buddhism do Jubus go?
Fusing Judaism and Buddhist practice
A brief history of Jubus
Is meditation a lefty thing to do?
Varieties of Jubu experience
TAGS
Buddhism
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Judaism
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meditation
Mar 12, 2016 — Robert Wright & Stephen Asma
The Western encounter with Buddhism
Divine beings and supernatural forces in Buddhism
Why Stephen finds Buddhism appealing
Drawing as meditation
Does neuroscience support the Buddhist view of the self?
What the New Atheists get wrong about religion
TAGS
Buddhism
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cognitive science
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consciousness
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meditation
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New Atheists
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religion
Mar 6, 2016 — Robert Wright & Daniel Ingram
What is it like to be an arhat?
Perspectives on the self: It’s nothing, it’s everything
What enlightenment is, and what’s so great about it
Dwelling in enlightenment is easy, but getting there can be hard
Does enlightenment entail moral improvement?
Can meditation save—or impede salvation of—the world?
TAGS
Buddhism
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Christianity
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consciousness
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enlightenment
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happiness
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Hinduism
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meditation
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mysticism
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psychology
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religion
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self
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spirituality
Feb 28, 2016 — Nikita Petrov & Daniele Bolelli
Daniele’s new book
Not Afraid
and the practice of cage fighting
In martial arts, you want to play it safe—but not too safe
Raising a baby girl: the greater battle
Other practices: meditation, psychedelics, and life in general
The changing face and functions of online media
Daniele’s mix-and-match approach to philosophy and religion
TAGS
meditation
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philosophy
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religion
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spirituality
Feb 22, 2016 — Miguel Farias & Russell Razzaque
How mental breakdown could prime one for spiritual awakening
Russell: Cracks in our sense of self are helpful
Why mental health prognoses are worse in the West
Has meditation become commodified?
How practicing mindfulness can make you a better therapist
Can mindfulness replace traditional therapy?
TAGS
identity
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meditation
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mental health
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mindfulness
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psychology
Feb 19, 2016 — Philip Menchaca & Pablo Sender
What is Theosophy?
A Theosophical explanation of psychic phenomena
Do all religions contain the same truth?
Synthesizing religion, philosophy, and science
Is there an ordering force in the universe?
Theosophy’s most important teaching
TAGS
meditation
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occult
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philosophy
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religion
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science
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spirituality
Jan 6, 2016 — Robert Wright & Annabella Pitkin
Buddhism in a nutshell
The meaning of life according to Tibetan Buddhism
The key to liberation
Talking about tantra
If science is power, what happens to religion?
What does renunciation mean for Buddhists?
TAGS
Buddhism
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meditation
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psychology
Dec 2, 2015 — Philip Menchaca & Ash Yezuita
Meet Ash, a practicing Norse Pagan
The Norse gods, creation story, afterlife—and trolls!
Are these beliefs metaphoric or literal?
Ash’s spiritual path from atheism to Paganism
Ragnarök and accepting chaos as a part of life
Why Norse Paganism appeals to some white supremacists
TAGS
atheism
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meditation
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mythology
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religion
Nov 20, 2015 — Robert Wright & Paul Knitter
A Catholic questions whether Jesus is the “one and only savior”
How Paul integrates Buddhism and Christianity
Paul: Jesus, like the Buddha, “fully woke up”
How “interbeing” leads to loving thy neighbor
Meditation, the Eucharist, and the feeling that “all is well”
Paul: Peace in the world starts with peace within yourself
TAGS
Buddhism
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Christianity
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meditation
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mysticism
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religion
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self
Nov 15, 2015 — David Bryce Yaden & David Vago
Science and mindfulness meditation
Dave: “Self” and “other” are societal constructs
Teaching cognitive neuroscience to Tibetan monks
Understanding the self as “500 milliseconds of selfing”
Are mindfulness and creativity in conflict?
New technology to facilitate meditation
TAGS
Buddhism
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cognitive science
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meditation
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mindfulness
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psychology
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religion
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self
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spirituality
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
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Buddhism
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death
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happiness
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meditation
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poverty
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psychology
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self
Oct 26, 2015 — Robert Wright & Dena Merriam
Commonalities between Hindu and Buddhist meditation
What a Buddhist calls “non-self,” a Hindu might call “oneness”
Dena decries the commercialization of meditation
The work of the Global Peace Initiative of Women
An alliance of contemplative practitioners
Could meditation help solve the Israeli/Palestinian conflict?
TAGS
Buddhism
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climate change
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foreign policy
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Hinduism
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meditation
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mindfulness
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peace
Oct 20, 2015 — Robert Wright & Jay Michaelson
Jay’s new book on sadness,
The Gate of Tears
The most common mistake we make in dealing with sadness
Examining the contours of your negative emotions
Connections between Jewish and Buddhist teachings
Jay: Pushing away the difficult is 90% of the difficult
Spirituality and the power of negative thinking
TAGS
Buddhism
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foreign policy
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happiness
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Judaism
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meditation
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psychology
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sadness
|
spirituality
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