Samsara Audio Samsara Diagnostics

Are you allergic to the ancients? What images do the words ‘wisdom’ and ‘participation’ evoke for you? What’s at stake in our models of truth?
This month’s episode of Samsara Audio sees your host Matthew in a reflective conversation with Jonatan Anabalon, a Norwegian middle school teacher with a Master's in Anthropology from the University of Bergen. Matthew and Jonatan met through Samsara Study Group's ongoing Kyoto School reading group, which lead to this conversation about the tensions in various models and analogies for how we approach truth.
This dialogue delves into modern versus ancient philosophical outlooks, the concerns with conceptualizing truth as "beyond," the process of seeking and participating in truth, and much more. Matthew and Jonatan devote time to an exploration of the metaphorical imagery of the ox-herding pictures in Zen Buddhism as a framework for understanding personal and educational growth, trying to read this sequence from both Hegelian and Platonic angles.
This discussion seeks to work through some tensions in Matthew and Jonatan’s perspectives, and taps into some of the reasons why we might be allergic to the ancients and their conception of truth as a higher wisdom to be pursued. However, Jonatan also challenges Matthew and the listener to grapple afresh with the call of truth, goodness, and beauty in light of modern developments in critical philosophy.
Time stamps
00:00 Welcome
00:51 Purpose of the conversation
02:29 Diving into the Ox Herding Pictures
33:43 The Power of Myths and Symbolism in Understanding Reality
42:08 Energy as the intersection of Spirit and Technology
42:56 The Mystery of Brain Entrainment and Energy Transfer
43:54 The Unique Contribution of the Subject in Networked Realities
48:52 Navigating Ethical Dilemmas in a Complex World
51:05 Seeking Agency and Goodness Amidst Global Systems
52:55 Participating in the Good, True, and Beautiful
55:06 The Challenge of Truth in a Postmodern World
01:01:17 Comparing Buddhism and Christianity on Suffering and Emptiness
01:09:24 The Historical Development of Religious Toleration
01:20:06 Embracing a Participatory Conceptualization of Truth
01:24:22 Encouragement and Future Collaborations

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This month’s episode of Samsara Audio features a conversation with (PhD, Columbia) who writes about continental philosophy, science, and the book of Genesis at her Substack. Cleo has taught and published for decades about the psychology of religion, the anthropology of ritual, and the reading of the Abrahamic Scriptures. Cleo is a sister in Christ and an esteemed colleague, so I’m particularly delighted to share this conversation with you.
Right out of the gate we get to hear Cleo’s critiques of Rene Girard, before we transition to explore the virgin Mary’s sacrifice and her role in overseeing Christ’s passage from the imaginary to the symbolic. Cleo deftly guides us through a theory of sacrifice, as well as through the differences between the priest and the shaman, including her belief that the prophet is a sub-type of the shaman. Finally, she briefly provokes us with a suggestion about Deleuze’s value for theological work.
I highly recommend Cleo’s book The Virgin Mary, Monotheism, and Sacrifice.
Samsara Audio is the audio vision of Samsara Diagnostics, a newsletter about religion, philosophy, and psychoanalysis. Subscribe for free, or sign up for a paid subscription to support my ongoing work.

Time Stamps:
00:00 Intro
01:53 Critiquing Girard: Delving into Mimetic Theory and Sacrifice
06:58 Marian Sacrifice vs. Abrahamic Sacrifice: A Theological Exploration
15:38 Mary's Role and Theology: A Deep Dive into Marian Dogmas
23:46 Vatican II and Its Impact on Catholic Doctrine
31:18 Ecumenical Dialogues and Personal Journeys of Faith
38:52 Exploring Liturgical Energy and Sacrifice
39:06 The Role of Sacraments and Liturgy Across Traditions
40:43 Diving Into Theology: Eucharist and Church Divides
42:37 Anthropological Perspectives on Sacrifice
45:04 The Symbolic and the Real: Navigating Tradition
52:07 Mary's Role and the Question of Sacrifice
57:07 Shamanism and Ritual: A Personal Journey
59:27 Shamanism vs. Priesthood: Understanding Different Roles
01:07:06 The Challenge of Sharing Esoteric Insights
01:11:42 Deleuze's Contribution to Theological Thought
01:17:33 Final Thoughts and Future Conversations


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This week Samsara Audio welcomes Mark Gerard Murphy, author of The Direction of Desire: John of the Cross, Jacques Lacan, and the Contemporary Understanding of Spiritual Direction. Mark teaches mysticism, psychoanalysis, and continental philosophy at St. Mary’s University, Twickenham, and is also actively involved in spiritual direction within the Roman Catholic Church.
Together we explored the integration of Lacanian psychoanalysis into the Christian tradition of spiritual direction, particularly exploring Mark’s critique of “experientialism” which pushes back against the heavy emphasis that contemporary spirituality places on experiences and affects, arguing instead for a renewed focus on the power of speech, both in listening and speaking.
We also discuss what the figure of Teresa of Avila can contribute to our understanding of disruptive speech and community, and why Mark contends that we must place negativity within the context of Teresa’s cosmic optimism. Finally, don’t miss Mark’s beautiful argument for the value of prayer precisely in its uselessness!
This conversation touched on a number of questions that run deeply through my own work, so I’m excited to share it with you. I love that Mark is wrestling with the vital question of how to bring the insights from psychoanalysis into pastoral theology to be mobilized within the ecclesial context for the formation of Christian disciples. This dialogue is only just the beginning!
Samsara Audio hosts conversations about religion, philosophy, and psychoanalysis. Follow us at Substack or listen on your favorite podcasting app. I also write regularly at Samsara Diagnostics (subscribe for free), and offer a free online community Samsara Study Groups. Currently we’re reading Kitaro Nishida’s An Inquiry into the Good. Don’t be shy about joining us!


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This week I’m excited to share a conversation I had with Daniel Tutt, a Marxist and psychoanalytic theorist, and also a professor of philosophy at George Washington University, about his recently published book How to Read like a Parasite: How the Left got High on Nietzsche.
His book provides a much needed intervention in Nietzsche studies by rigorously insisting on reading Nietzsche in his political context as an enemy of the socialist and Marxist movements for equality in his time. Daniel also helped me work through some questions I had related to Marxism and egalitarianism. What especially stood out to me was the way in which access to active leisure posed a key battleground for both Nietzsche and Marx.
You can purchase Tutt’s new book here (affiliate link), as well as check out how to support him and his work over at his Patreon. I’m personally a subscriber at Daniel’s Patreon, and I benefit from his interviews with prominent thinkers in Marxism, psychoanalysis, and more.
Books recommended by Daniel near the end of the podcast:
* Nietzsche's Political Economy by Dimitri Safronov
* Deconstructing Postmodernist Nietzscheanism: Deleuze and Foucault by Jan Rehmann (affiliate link)
As always, don’t forget to subscribe to Samsara Audio to get new episodes directly in your inbox, and you can also follow my free monthly newsletter on religion, philosophy, and psychoanalysis at Samsara Diagnostics. Thanks!

Time stamps:
00:00 Introduction and Overview
01:50 Introducing Daniel Tutt
02:10 Exploring Nietzsche's Relationship with the Left
03:23 Daniel Tutt's Personal Journey with Nietzsche
04:42 Nietzsche's Influence on Young Intellectuals
06:26 Nietzsche's Political Context and Opposition to Equality Movements
09:12 The Role of Nietzsche in Modern Society
12:49 The Problem with Rights Framework
15:01 The Struggle for Equality and Freedom in Nietzsche's Philosophy
18:35 The Role of Nietzsche in the Formation of Modern Society
34:45 The Problem of Egalitarianism and Excellence
45:57 Revisiting Aristotle and Marx: The Question of Leisure
46:26 The Role of Leisure in Socialism and Liberalism
47:09 The Impact of Capitalism on Social Class and Marriage
48:24 Nietzsche's Views on Tradition and Hierarchy
49:25 The Cultural Impact of Capitalism and the Importance of Leisure
50:24 Nietzsche's Opposition to the American Revolution's Promise of Happiness
52:04 The Practical Implications of Capitalism and the Need for Change
53:56 The Role of Nietzsche in Understanding Political Myths
55:02 The American Dream: A Myth or a Possibility?
56:37 The Struggle for Stability and Human Flourishing in a Capitalist Society
57:59 The Oppressive Norms of Capitalism and the Need for Change
01:01:34 The Role of Nietzsche in Understanding and Overcoming Resentment
01:06:18 The Influence of Nietzsche on Various Communities
01:09:06 The Importance of Active Leisure in a Communist Society
01:14:18 The Need for Rationality and Expression in Politics
01:17:51 Closing Remarks and Future Projects
01:19:18 The Intersection of Freud and Marx in Understanding Society


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In this long overdue episode of Samsara Audio, my old friend Joel Carini (“The Natural Theologian”) joins me to discuss his piece “Berating the Godfearers” which raises a host of questions close to both our hearts — how does the Christian ideology of “worldview” get conversion wrong, and consequently disable real conversation along the way?
This conversation was born out of years deep inside particular communities which eschew empirical observation and experimental procedures for axiomatic assertions and pious certainty. We want to move past the stance which starts with the answers, and instead find ourselves in the trenches with others who are working on finding better questions.
Check out Joel’s Substack “The Natural Theologian” (subscribe for free or sign up to support his work with a premium subscription) to read more of his timely and highly readable interventions.
Links:
Joel’s Substack “The Natural Theologian” — https://joelcarini.substack.com
Samsara Diagnostics (Matthew’s newsletter) — https://samsara.clinic
Watch this podcast on YouTube at Samsara Diagnostics’ channel.
Time stamps:
00:00 Introduction and Overview
01:37 Diving into the First Episode of Samsara Audio of 2024
02:38 The Journey of Online Writing and Intellectual Growth
03:55 The Tragedy of Academia: A Discussion
04:59 The Power of Peer Review and the Potential of Substack
06:27 The Humanizing Aspect of Scholarship and Its Challenges
07:28 The Divide in Academic and Religious Institutions
08:53 The Dark Wizard in the Ivory Tower
12:44 Berating the God Fearers: A Conversation
17:05 The Journey of Conversion: A Personal Perspective
23:20 The Role of Fear in Christian Discourse
28:46 The Concept of Worldview in Christian Circles
34:46 The Need for a Transition from Apologetics to Philosophy
40:57 The Challenge of Interdisciplinary Knowledge
41:13 The Limitations of Apologetics
44:39 The Role of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Understanding
46:54 The Problem of Consistency in Worldview Discourse
56:30 The Dangers of Ideological Thinking
01:17:38 The Role of Free Speech in Encountering New Perspectives
01:21:27 The Value of Diversity in Christian Denominations
01:25:01 Conclusion: Diagnosing Our Maladies


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I’ve wanted to have Quinn Whelehan on for a while, and now it’s finally happened. This week Quinn joins me on Samsara Audio to talk about studying at a Buddhist university, understanding the basic structure of Nagarjuna’s four-fold logic, and how to put Buddhist philosophy in dialogue with Hegel.
If you’d like to hear more from Quinn, I recommend his excellent presentations “Hegel, Buddhism, and the Becoming of Spirit,” and “The Living Contradiction.” You can interact with Quinn, myself, and other quality interlocutors by joining the seminars at PhilosophyPortal (we’re reading Lacan’s Écrits right now). The community at PhilosophyPortal is truly unique, drawing a diverse group of thinkers I wouldn’t have been able to encounter otherwise — people like Quinn!
This is Samsara Audio, the audio division of Samsara Diagnostics. Samsara Audio is committed to interrogating the freedom of finitude through dialogue with religion, philosophy, and psychoanalysis. Subscribe for free email updates, or purchase a premium subscription to gain access to episode transcripts.


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