The Living Philosophy

The Living Philosophy
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The Living Philosophy is all about the exploration of philosophy's big ideas and big characters from the Ancients to the Postmoderns with a side of Psychology and seasoned with a dash of Integral.

  1. 3月30日

    🎙️#13 Dr. Aldrich Chan: Taoism, Neuroscience and Our Disconnection from Nature

    Dr. Aldrich Chan is a neuropsychologist, psychotherapist and founder of the Center for Neuropsychology and Consciousness. An adjunct professor at Pepperdine University, Aldrich's research on the default mode network, mindfulness and trauma bridges neuroscience with ancient Taoist philosophy. He is the author of Reassembling Models of Reality (2021) and Seven Principles of Nature: How We Strayed and How We Return (2025). ________________ In this conversation, we explore Aldrich's synthesis of neuropsychology, Taoism and evolutionary mismatch theory — his SAD theory (separation, alienation, discord), the seven principles of nature (CPR WEST), subcortical midline structures and our original experience of connectedness, and what it means to live in alignment with nature. ________________ 🔗 LinksAldrich's website: https://www.drchancnc.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/draldrichanFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/drchancncPodcast: https://www.youtube.com/@drchancncBook: https://geni.us/7principlesofnature ________________ ⏳ Timestamps:00:00 Intro - Neuropsychology meets Taoism00:43 Seven Principles of Nature and the CPR WEST acronym03:58 The SAD theory: separation, alienation and discord04:53 The default mode network06:29 The triple network: DMN, salience and central executive10:05 The boat metaphor12:58 Separation as a natural phase15:16 Alienation and evolutionary mismatch theory17:21 Movement mismatch19:09 Social connection as the most obvious mismatch21:07 The agricultural revolution's consequences27:44 Discord and dualism31:01 The nature–culture debate36:23 CPR WEST unpacked39:14 Creativity and uncertainty41:18 Certainty is the death of a question43:55 Vipassana and reframing the stress response45:07 Two stress pathways51:06 Chaos and order52:57 Relationship and neuroecology54:03 Multi-level selection theory57:59 Ego boundary dissolution1:00:58 Subcortical midline structures1:02:04 Jung and archetypes as brainstem activity1:05:28 Jung called himself a Taoist1:06:03 Shadow integration and wholeness1:08:42 Dynamic equilibrium1:12:03 Flow states1:13:52 Spontaneity and play1:18:26 Transformation1:19:52 Wrapping up1:22:05 Where to find Aldrich1:23:14 Guest recommendations

    1 小時 24 分鐘
  2. 🎙️#12 Dr. Erik Goodwyn: Who Creates the Dream? The Invisible Storyteller

    3月24日

    🎙️#12 Dr. Erik Goodwyn: Who Creates the Dream? The Invisible Storyteller

    Dr. Erik Goodwyn is a practising psychiatrist with a background in neurobiology who bridges the worlds of neuroscience, Jungian psychology, and fantasy. Erik is co-editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Jungian Studies and has written dozens of academic papers along with books on the neurobiology of the gods, dreams, and archetypes. Last year he published his first fantasy novel, King of the Forgotten Darkness, which won the Literary Titan Golden Book Award. ________________ In this return visit, we dive deep into who actually creates the dream – the Invisible Storyteller that isn't your conscious self. We explore the neuroscience behind this, discussing the Default Mode Network, Salience Network, and Executive Control Network, and what they reveal about dreaming, meaning-making, and the deeply non-egoic nature of consciousness. Erik shares clinical insights into Dissociative Identity Disorder as evidence of an underlying organising principle, we tangle with what it means for consciousness to be "non-egoic," and we work through his groundbreaking definition of archetypes through Cognitive Metaphor Theory. It's a conversation that challenges everything you think you know about who you are. ________________ 🔗 Links- Erik's website: https://erikgoodwyn.com- Erik's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theimaginarium ________________ ⏳ Timestamps:00:00 Intro - The Invisible Storyteller01:39 Greeting and reflections on James's reading03:35 What is the Invisible Storyteller?06:01 Jung's avoidance of reductionism through mythic language08:16 The Default Mode Network and dreaming10:27 The three networks: default mode, salience, and executive control15:27 Memory consolidation, identity formation, emotional regulation, future planning18:29 Is the Invisible Storyteller the unconscious?22:18 Deeper processing independent of conscious ego25:58 Recurrent dreams and the role of conscious engagement28:40 The Invisible Storyteller as meaning-making31:07 Dreams versus storytelling: memory Olympics and metaphor36:58 The role of the right hemisphere and symbolism41:04 The Invisible Storyteller as process or personality?44:18 Dissociative Identity Disorder and organising principles50:33 DID as evidence of an organising intelligence55:43 The specificity of dissociative amnesia58:22 Non-egoic consciousness and emergent properties1:02:14 Consciousness arising from complex systems1:05:44 AI image generation as analogy for dream creation1:10:56 The Invisible Storyteller as personality versus ancestry and genome1:15:32 Jungian vision and updating Jung's theory1:18:40 Archetypes through Cognitive Metaphor Theory1:22:37 Spontaneous thoughts and universal challenges1:25:58 Primary metaphors and innate mappings1:29:20 Danger and darkness as innate mappings1:32:17 Definition of archetype and falsifiability1:34:47 Building on Gary Clark's work and Anthony Stevens1:36:25 Gratitude and future conversations

    57 分鐘
  3. 🎙️#11 Adriana Forte: Menstrual Futurism

    3月5日

    🎙️#11 Adriana Forte: Menstrual Futurism

    Adriana Forte is a Brazilian-born writer, facilitator, and developmental thinker currently based in a rural intentional community in Bellingen, New South Wales, Australia. Originally trained as a journalist, Adriana has spent years investigating the intersection of women's cyclical biology, embodied knowing, and the structures of modern life. She runs retreats and workshops through her Substack platform C-Lab (A Lab for a Cyclically Informed Society), and is currently completing a book on the spell of modernity and the role of the matriarch as a force for cultural repair.________________ In this conversation, James sits down with Adriana to explore one of the most under-examined questions in contemporary culture: what happens when society is built around a linear, continuous model of productivity — and half the population runs on a fundamentally cyclical one? Drawing on her own journey from Brazil through Hong Kong and India to off-grid life in rural Australia, Adriana maps the hormonal landscape of the female cycle and argues that the oscillation between estrogen and progesterone doesn't just produce moods — it produces a distinct mode of subjectivity, perception, and thought. We explore the cultural erasure of rites of passage, the psychological costs of the contraceptive pill, the wisdom encoded in perimenopause and menopause, and why Adriana believes the matriarch — the post-menopausal woman — may be the missing counter-energy to the relentless forward drive of modernity. The conversation moves through evolutionary biology, embodied philosophy, grassroots community-building, and genuine hope for a more rhythmically intelligent future.________________ You can find Adriana's work at: Substack (C-Lab): https://theclab.substack.com/ ________________ ⏳ Timestamps:0:00 Intro - Our Bellingen Connection5:41 How Adriana ended up on this journey12:56 Critique of Modernity and Birth Interventions15:23 Rhythms and female psychology24:38 A map of the menstrual cycle39:11 The Influence of Modernity on Women’s Psyche45:59 Transgender and phenomenology of hormones52:01 The oscillating nature of female psychology59:25 The spell of the System on modern psychology1:09:15 The challenge of organising around cyclical society1:15:03 Adriana’s Matriarch Book1:18:43 Where to get more from Adriana1:19:39 Adriana’s Guest Recommendation

    1 小時 22 分鐘
  4. 🎙️#10 Michael Montgomery: Psychophobia and Bridging East and West in Therapy

    2月2日

    🎙️#10 Michael Montgomery: Psychophobia and Bridging East and West in Therapy

    Dr. Michael R. Montgomery (PhD, MA, MSc, MSW, LCSW) is an existential psychoanalyst who represents a radical wing of contemporary depth psychology—one deeply influenced by R.D. Laing's anti-psychiatry tradition, phenomenology, and a fierce commitment to humanising extreme mental states. Based between Boston, Massachusetts and having deep roots in post-conflict Belfast, Montgomery positions himself as both clinician and activist, bridging psychoanalytic practice with community healing, peace work, and cultural critique.His signature concept—"psychophobia" (society's fear of the mind and extreme mental states)—anchors a body of work challenging psychiatric medicalisation, advocating for phenomenological approaches that honour lived experience, and reclaiming psychosis, mania, and other "extreme states" as potentially transformative rather than purely pathological._____________In this conversation, Michael Montgomery shares his journey through various philosophical and spiritual traditions, emphasising the importance of bridging Eastern and Western thought in psychotherapy. He discusses the role of silence, community, and personal experience in healing, while also addressing the complexities of faith and human nature. The dialogue explores the concept of psychophobia and the transformative power of music and community in fostering connection and understanding._____________🔗 Links- Michael's podcast: https://psychophobia.com/- Michael's website: https://drmontgomery.com/_____________⏳Timestamps:00:00 Intro00:34 How Michael knows Jon Mills03:04 The art of speaking across ideological lines04:36 Michael's relationship with Buddhism08:00 Existential psychoanalysis09:33 The R.D. Laing lineage12:06 The importance of existential psychotherapy13:02 Michael's experience growing up in the Troubles in Belfast13:43 Michael's quest for answers16:26 Michael's World Record attempt in the silent room21:23 The endurance of spiritual lineages22:38 Why no peace on Earth?26:19 What Buddhism offers27:26 The revival of relationship with Christianity31:43 Does God exist?37:02 What is psychophobia?46:47 The McDonaldisation of healthcare52:12 Michael's disillusion with the mental health system57:21 Plurality: do we have many selves?01:06:41 Michael's experience with dreams and consciousness01:08:53 Elevated states and mental health01:14:35 How dreams can change your perception of reality01:17:08 Voices, language patterns and the nature of psyche01:21:06 Michael's guest recommendation: Ken Wilber01:22:11 Where to get more from Michael

    1 小時 27 分鐘
  5. #9 Layman Pascal - Metashamanic Nietzsche

    1月19日

    #9 Layman Pascal - Metashamanic Nietzsche

    Layman Pascal is a Canadian "feral philosopher" and host of The Integral Stage podcast who has become a central connector and theorist in the overlapping worlds of metamodernism, integral theory, and Game B. His signature contributions—the Metaphysics of Adjacency, the Integration Surplus Model of spirituality, and Metashamanics—offer a sophisticated yet playful bridge between abstract philosophy and embodied transformation. Known for his capacity to hold complexity with humour, Pascal brings both philosophical rigour and playful irreverence to questions of meaning-making in an age of metacrisis. ____________ In this conversation, we talk Nietzsche, metashamanism, and the ontology and epistemology of entities.We delve into the role of personal experience in shaping philosophical thought, and the implications of neurodiversity in understanding shamanic practices. The dialogue also touches on the nature of imagination, creativity, and the unpredictability of inspiration, exploring our different approaches to life from the moist pragmatism to dry scholarism. ____________ 🔗 More from Layman Layman's website: https://www.laymanpascal.com/ Layman's Substack: https://laymanpascal.substack.com/ ____________ ⏳ Timestamps: 00:00 Intro - the Feral Philosopher 03:19 Blaise Pascal's spiritual note 05:18 Nietzsche and the irrationality of philosophers 08:55 The power of irrationality in humanity's story 10:41 Layman's book on Nietzsche 12:00 The Integral Nietzsche 14:13 What if Nietzsche hadn't gone mad? 16:06 The enlightened Nietzsche 19:33 The shamanic Nietzsche 22:04 What is metashamanics? 23:07 Shamanic neurodivergence 26:26 Attributes of the well-adjusted shaman 28:33 Liminality and the epochal emergence of the shamanic 31:31 The shamanoid Elvis 33:17 The reality of entities 37:05 Layman Pascal: pragmatist? 47:12 The power of trance 51:50 The muse as entity 56:34 Layman's guest recommendation 57:59 More from Layman

    59 分鐘
  6. #8 Stefano Carpani: Jungians vs. Post-Jungians vs. Neo-Jungians

    1月12日

    #8 Stefano Carpani: Jungians vs. Post-Jungians vs. Neo-Jungians

    Dr Stefano Carpani is an Italian Jungian psychoanalyst, lecturer at the C.G. Jung Institute Zürich, and scientific consultant at Pacifica Graduate Institute. At 46, he has emerged as a leading voice amongst a new generation of Jungian thinkers, bridging depth psychology with sociology, critical theory, and contemporary political questions. In this conversation, Stefano and I explore the landscape of contemporary Jungian thought, beginning with his distinction between Jungian, post-Jungian, and neo-Jungian approaches—where neo-Jungians like himself aim to make analytical psychology relevant to 21st-century crises beyond the consulting room. We discuss his I+I theory, which synthesises Jung's individuation with sociologist Ulrich Beck's individualization, arguing that contemporary identity formation requires both psychological and sociological lenses to understand. Stefano shares insights from his award-winning work on the fall of the Berlin Wall, explaining how the numinous—an autonomous psychic force Jung described—operates in collective historical transformation, suggesting that major shifts require not just political will but adequate psychic conditions and "the attraction of the symbol." We explore the concept of enantiodromia, Jung's idea that psychological and cultural movements tend to revert to their opposites when pushed too far, applying this to contemporary political polarisation and populism. Throughout, Stefano makes a compelling case for why Jungian analysts must engage courageously with war, democracy, and social transformation, bringing depth psychology out of the clinic and into public discourse. 🔗 Links - For Jungian monthly talks organised by Stefano: https://www.instagram.com/jungianeum_/ and https://www.youtube.com/@psychosocialwednesdays1944/videos - Stefano's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHpWRYvgyhifcVkNGk9Tq-A ⏳ Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:08 Stefano, the international Jungian 02:21 Jungians vs. Post-Jungians vs. Neo-Jungians 07:27 The Post-Jungians 10:15 The Neo-Jungians 12:50 Classical Jungians vs. Developmental vs. Archetypal 15:40 James's case for a Jungian textbook 20:01 The Jungian language barrier 23:20 The hindrance of jargon 27:11 Stefano's sociological Jungian work 31:49 Bringing the unconscious into everyday life 34:52 Covid through the lens of Jung 35:49 The fallacy of the end of history 38:05 The fall of the Berlin Wall as a numinous event 43:33 Moments of memetic infection 47:16 History makers as artists 49:42 Jungian lens on contemporary politics 50:53 Returning to memetic infection 58:24 What is enantiodromia? 01:00:12 Populism and energetic release 01:04:33 Stefano's guest recommendations 01:05:18 Where to find out more about Stefano

    1 小時 8 分鐘
  7. #7Jon Mills: The Psychology Behind Our Self-Destructive Civilisation

    02/12/2025

    #7Jon Mills: The Psychology Behind Our Self-Destructive Civilisation

    Get Jon's book "End of the World: Civilization and Its Fate": https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/end-of-the-world-9781538189016/ _______________ Dr Jon Mills is a philosopher-psychoanalyst and Honorary Professor at the University of Essex, whose work bridges Hegelian philosophy, psychoanalytic theory, and contemporary existential threats facing civilisation. With over 35 books to his name—including five Gradiva Award winners—Jon has spent decades developing what he calls “dialectical psychoanalysis,” a rigorous philosophical framework for understanding the unconscious mind. His latest work, which we’re discussing in this episode, confronts an uncomfortable question: does humanity possess a collective death drive that propels us towards self-destruction? _______________ You can find Jon’s work at: Website: https://www.philosophypsychoanalysis.com Publications: https://www.philosophypsychoanalysis.com/academics-psychoanalysis-philosophy _______________ In this conversation, I sit down with Jon to explore the darkest questions about our species’ future. We examine whether humanity harbours a death wish, diving into the multiple existential crises threatening civilisation—climate change, nuclear weapons, AI risks, geopolitical conflict, and overpopulation/demographic collapse. Jon brings his formidable philosophical toolkit to bear on these challenges, drawing from Hegel, Freud, and his own dialectical framework to understand how good and evil operate simultaneously in human affairs. We debate techno-optimism versus existential pessimism, explore the psychology behind apocalyptic thinking, and we talk about my previous episode on secular eschatology and we discuss what that reveals about our relationship with mortality. We’re left with the question of whether our species can transcend its self-destructive patterns or whether we’re inexorably drawn towards catastrophe. _______________ ⏳Timestamps 00:00 James’s Intro01:21 Claude AI’s intro to Jon02:16 Jon’s prolific output02:59 Does humanity have a death wish?04:13 The collective forces at play05:57 Collective and the collective unconscious09:03 What we mean by humanity - metaphor or reality?11:03 The crises facing humanity today12:25 What Jon wanted to achieve with the book15:45 Universal pessimism?19:41 James on demographic collapse23:29 Poverty decline globally25:21 Optimism on climate26:09 China and the Thucydides Trap27:45 James on AI concerns28:16 Negative trends in prejudice and freedom31:03 The psychology of the Thucydides Trap34:35 Good and evil are operative at once36:43 James’s secular eschatology thesis41:45 Why are most apocalypse predictions Western?43:26 Apocalypse as death-cope44:39 Apocalypse as unmet need gone rotten?45:35 Jon’s relationship with death48:18 Jon’s guest recommendation: Michael Montgomery

    50 分鐘
  8. #6 PF Jung: What is Enlightened Centrism

    18/11/2025

    #6 PF Jung: What is Enlightened Centrism

    PF Jung is a YouTube content creator renowned for making the meme of "Enlightened Centrism" great again. He's a self-styled "memetic feudal lord" and "applied sociologist" who has gotten himself in trouble for his attempts to bridge the polarities in society and seeking to bring the far right and far left together. He creates philosophical and political commentary content exploring nuanced positions that resist tribal categorisation, though this approach has led to significant challenges navigating the online political space. You can find Paul's work at: YouTube: youtube.com/@PFJung In this conversation, I sit down with Paul to explore the crisis facing political nuance in online spaces. We discuss his co-opting of the Enlightened Centrism meme, why holding mixed political views has become increasingly difficult to sustain online, and the exhausting work of maintaining charitable interpretation when everyone wants the fight. Paul shares his experience growing a channel whilst managing contradictions, navigating the Peterson-adjacent space, and what it means to be at the "edge of the inside" of multiple political communities. We also explore why the online political warzone demands tribal allegiance and whether there's still room for complexity in an era of constant gotchas and worst-case interpretations. ⏳ Timestamps 00:00 James's Intro01:15 What is Enlightened Centrism? Paul's co-opted meme02:49 Defining the position: right-wing and left-wing on different issues04:00 Contradictions of Centrism05:08 Crisis of National Identity13:15 Horseshoe Theory vs Fishhook Theory16:56 The Political Divide20:29 PF Jung's most right-wing belief22:40 Economic shifts and onshoring23:43 Critique of the US economy26:42 Economic decadence and hyper-novelty30:52 Radical Centrism in action36:50 Constitution treated as religion42:28 Type I vs Type II errors in governance43:46 Radical solution for digital culture45:15 PF Jung's axiom of faith48:06 Populist movements and preference cascades1:00:33 Identity crisis of the channel1:17:47 Edge of the Inside archetype1:25:58 Guest recommendation

    1 小時 28 分鐘
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關於

The Living Philosophy is all about the exploration of philosophy's big ideas and big characters from the Ancients to the Postmoderns with a side of Psychology and seasoned with a dash of Integral.

資料

  • 創作者
    The Living Philosophy
  • 活躍年份
    2022年 - 2026年
  • 單集
    98
  • 分級
    兒童不宜
  • 版權
    © The Living Philosophy
  • 節目網站
    The Living Philosophy

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